July 11

Will has a new tooth! I discovered it at the dentist this morning, he must have cut it yesterday or last night. So now he has both front bottom teeth and he's in a much better mood today! He's started trying to climb out of his crib, hanging on the rail and windmilling his legs on the bars trying to get ahold, so I need to get him a crib tent before he figures out how to climb out and takes a fall. His mattress is already at the lowest setting, but I don't think he's ready for a toddler bed yet and I'm sure not ready to have him roaming around his room without me supervising at night. They run about $70 new so I'm shopping for one on E-Bay. He's also learned to climb onto the bottom shelf of his changing table and sometimes hangs out in there like a little fort, and likes to scoot head first on his belly into small spaces like behind the toilet to find something interesting to poke with one finger. Stuff he's not supposed to have is of course much more interesting.

He's enjoying his cow puppet again too, and his current favorite book is Moo Baa Lalala by Sandra Boynton, which we read almost every afternoon. We're also working on Matilda by Roald Dahl, I read him a chapter most days while he plays on the floor. I've decided I need to talk more around him to help improve his language, since he says a few words but not consistently and he'll go days without saying anything clear, so he doesn't listen to the story but I think just hearing the speech should help. He likes board books though, he sits on my lap when we read them and pokes the picture. He especially likes colorful illustrations with red, yellow and pink.

He may be getting supplemental cow's milk soon, my supply has been decreasing and at the rate I've been having to use my frozen stash to cover shortages it will only hold out another week. I have one can of formula to supplement with, but after that's gone if the pediatrician says it's okay he'll start making the transition to cow's milk. Hopefully he'll continue to get breastmilk as much as I can supply until October as we'd originally planned by the NICU nutritionist's recommendation, but I've already been pumping a year so I've exceeded most expectations and I feel like I've given him enough of a good start. Not ready to give up yet, but it won't be the end of the world if I dry up now.