All Clothes are Not Created Equally.

When it comes to baby clothes, sizes are all over the map for my Monster. Yes, it is overwhelmingly frustrating!

Ok, I get that he is a big boy! Why do the clothing companies have to conspire against us to make me feel like he looks like a toddler at 5 months? Warning: I've gone into dramatic mode.

When Monster was born, he was a little too small for the 0-3 month clothing we had on hand, but he was born far too big to make it worth buying anything in newborn. I was right, as he fit into his 0-3 month clothing by the time he reached about 2 weeks old.

Since then, he hasn't stopped! From what I've found, the infant clothing brands sold at our local big box store (Zellers, HBC); Cherokee and Little Tikes fit generally as the tags say they will. The swim trunks he wore at the beach today were 3-6 months (Little Tikes), fit him perfectly and he is barely 5 months old.

However, if we decide to shop at Walmart for any clothing we have to round up. A lot. Walmart does not have much to chose from in the way of size 6-9 month clothing. Rounding up? Monster is just a little too small for a 12 month outfit from George brand clothing. That is WAY off the charts for clothing sizes.

Please Mum is a higher quality children's clothing store (brand) that thankfully fits Monster dead on! It's obviously a little more expensive then Walmart, but in most cases to do with Walmart, you get what you pay for. I've never actually boughten him anything from Please Mum, except for 4 shirts on major clearance sale. The rest of his Please Mum has been gifts.

The rate of Monster's growth, and the differences in sizing wouldn't be too much trouble if I were a millionaire and could afford to buy him his clothes as he needed it, not having to result in SALE HUNTS! I love a good deal, especially on infant clothing that Monster is going to grow out of in a month or two. Ideally I would like to sale hunt, pre-buy his clothing a season in advance (example: buy out the clearance summer clothes from this year, in a size he can wear next summer) and be set. Who's to say what size he'll be in in a year?

As a parent, how did you live modestly with a growing Monster(s)?

Contemplating a 6 month old's diet: Bottle Vs. Solids

Since we've started Monster on solids, I've tried to develop mealtimes for him so that he learns a routine when it comes to eating. We feed him a fruit and cereal breakfast, then veggies for lunch and supper with all the appropriate bottles in between. He drinks approximately 40 ounces of infant formula a day, with said meals between.

Our current day looks something like this:

6-8am: Monster wakes up - 8 ounce bottle

9-10:30am: 2nd breakfast - Fruit and Rice Cereal
10-11:30am: 2nd breakfast continued - 5 ounce bottle

12:30-1pm: Lunch - Veggies
2-4pm: Afternoon pre-nap snack - 8 ounce bottle

5-6:30pm: Supper - 6-8 ounce bottle, and veggies
7:30-9pm: Bedtime Bottle - 8 ounces

Sometimes we end up skipping the veggies at lunch, and the ounces per bottle vary (give or take about two ounces) depending on his hunger that day, or his growth.

What I'm contemplating, is how much things are going to change once he reaches the six month age, and his food varieties grow immensely. When you start introducing foods and meal times it's supposed to begin replacing breast milk or infant formula (not completely) but at what time does the solids meal out rank the meal from the boob or bottle?

The Start of a Sturdy Monster

Monster practicing his next infant milestone. Sitting up on his own.

Breast is Best...

... until you've grown a beast.

A month before I delivered my Monster the doctor was shocked while doing the regulation tummy palpations. "Oh Christine... This is NOT a small baby" she said sympathetically with a slight smile.

No, he was not a small baby, and he has been growing by Monstrous proportions since!

I believe very strongly that breast is best, and adored nursing my son. The closeness, and just knowing the fact that I was his sole nutritional provider warmed me to the core. Then the 3 month growth spurt hit. From the beginning of Monster's 3rd month of life, to the beginning of his 4th month he gained 3lbs 4oz and 2 inches in length.

My mommy guilt began setting in when the days started where I would nurse him until I had nothing left, and he would still drink a 6 ounce bottle of infant formula. The more he needed supplements, the less I produced. At the point when I could only nurse twice a day, I had to make a decision. One or the other, I couldn't keep stressing about how much milk I will produce, and how much he'd need in a bottle after.

The choice to wean my Monster was not an easy one, but with solids in sight, I knew it wouldn't be long before he started getting supreme nutrients from a pureed version of our Earth's bounty. The only thing keeping my mommy guilt at bay is knowing that I did everything humanly possible to keep my supply going for as long as I could, and the support of my loving Hubbs.