STINKER FACE

Harvey has always made the cutest facial expressions.  One of the first we fell in love with was his classic pouty lip (so cute and oh so sad at the same time.) When he was a few months old he started doing the same silly smile with his chin tucked in every time he got extremely happy. It seemed like he would only do it when he knew he was being cute lol.  Derek and I started calling it his "stinker face."  I'm really not sure how this came about, let's just say because it was so stinkin' cute.  Instead of describing it to you, here are some visuals.

So now that Harvey is 10 months old, his stinker face has evolved.  This is his new favorite face to make when he is really excited and knows he has our attention.  He is always making us laugh and bringing such joy to even the most simple things in life.  It is so amazing to see his little personality unfold more and more everyday.  
We love Harvey and his little stinker face!

HAPPY 10 MONTHS HARV

I want to dedicate this post to crazy little boy who is getting so big (too fast!)  We have so much fun together, I love being a stay at home mommy.

Sooooo with that, here is your monthly photo cube of Harvey's favorite moments.
 

Some fun facts about Harvey right now:

- Eggs with spinach is his favorite breakfast. He loves feeding himself.

- We have caught him saying dog. And he tries to "pet" them much more now.

- He loves throwing things with daddy.

- Out of all of his toys, he likes foam alphabet letters the best.

- He loves his kiddie pool and bath time.

So I want to start off by saying that breastfeeding is one of my biggest accomplishments!   I am thrilled to be able to provide continued nutrition and health benefits to my child.  It has also been one of the most challenging journeys I have been on, considering the first several months my son wanted to eat every 2 hours and did not have the best latch.  I wanted to share a few of the reasons I love that I am able to breastfeed my son...

- It's free.  I love saving money!!! And it's great not spending extra on formula and bottles.   

-It's convenient.  When I am on the go I don't have to search for a way to warm a bottle.  I also don't have to worry about sterilizing and cleaning bottles.   (And this saves time as well, which is more precious than ever now)

-Endless list of health benefits for baby.  I love knowing that my body responds to the pathogens (viruses and bacteria) that my baby is exposed to and creates protection  by passing the antibodies needed to him.  I feel so  blessed that Harvey has not been sick once!  Less doctor visits equals more money and time saved.

- Healthy for mommy.  Knowing that I am nourishing my baby makes me more conscience about my food choices.  It also keeps me drinking a ton of water.  Not to mention you are burning extra calories every day while bf-ing. :)

Unfortunately, there will always be those who are negative about your choice to breastfeed.  I have come to realize there are people out there who feel that if you make a parenting choice that is different from their own, it is a personal attack on them.  Please never let people who are not properly educated on breastfeeding make you feel bad or guilty about the decision that is best for your family.  I am so happy to be surrounded by positive friends and family who support us.   If you are having trouble breastfeeding, look up your local la leche league online and go to one of their meetings.  I am not an expert by any means, but I'm always open to sharing my experience with other mamas who need encouragement!  There are definitely hard times, but it gets easier and is so rewarding seeing how happy and healthy my baby boy is at  9 months and going strong. 

Check out this amazing gift mailed to me by my sweet sister on mother's day.  It's a teething/nursing necklace (chewbeads) It's especially useful now that Harvey is easily distracted.  So instead of pulling my hair/earrings while nursing, he can hold onto the necklace.  I also wear it while carrying him in the Ergo carrier so he has something to play with that he can't throw to the ground.  It is my favorite accessory!

In other news, please enjoy this never before seen photo of Harvey and his chubby cheeks at about 5 months.