Certified Lactation Counselor

Three years ago I took a week long class and then a pretty intensive test with written and with speaking parts on breastfeeding to become a Lactation Counselor. Last week, I got my recertification for Lacatation Counselor or CLC. Check out this website for info on what is really means to have a lacatation certification www.talpp.org. I have been attending seminars, workshops and conferences on breastfeeding to get my recertification of my CLC. At my job and outside of work I really enjoy helping moms and babies with breastfeeding. It can be stressful believe me, I know that first hand, but the benefits and rewards of breastfeeding are awesome. Here are 101 reasons why to breastfeed. www.promom.org. Let me know if you have any questions.

Jelly War

The other night at dinner Levi got crazy with his jelly sandwich. He sure thought he was funny..so did we.

okay..one more post...Cuddling Cousins

Today my sister Allison and Levi's cousin Katelyn and Grandma came for a visit. Levi says..."baby" when he sees her. He is learning how to share Grandma and also learning how to be very gentle with her. He will come up to her and give a hug and a couple of pats on the arm..most of the time the "pats" become harder...but he is learning..how to "be nice" these pictures are just too cute!

Then and Now...

Ryan and I thought that as long as he has his motorcycle we will make it a birthday tradition to have a picture with Levi and the motorcyle to see how much he has grown. We had the idea last year to put Levi in the helmet...well as you can see he has really grown. We also made a mark in the garage to see how tall Levi has gotten he has grown 9 inches since he has been born....he is 30 inches tall. We have an appt next month with the Dr. for the offical height and weight.

Happy Birthday Levi....One Year Old

Today is Levi's one year birthday.. Yeah! We celebrated with both sides of the family this past Saturday. It was a fun party. Levi loved his cake including the candle with the flame on top.:) He is a very loved little boy. He was a little shy and cautious opening his presents but is enjoying playing with all of them. He is currently talking all the time and saying mama, dada, uhoh, no no, whats that, uoff uoff (for doggie)and num num. He is a pretty fast crawler but no walking yet. He moves along furniture and can take a couple of small steps on his own. He loves holding Ryan and I's hands as he parades us around the room. He loves playing with anything that is not his toy...paper plates and tupperware are his favortite this week. He also has been really helpful in empty the dishwasher and the folded laundry. He is getting two more teeth on the bottom so that is four on top and four on the bottom...what a funny grin.:)

A Day in the Life of Levi...

Here are some snap shots of a typical day at home with Levi...what a crazy guy!

Getting ready in the morning..I love to comb my hair.



On a morning walk with mommy...I look for doggies and birds.



Then we go to the park and play and swing...





Time for lunch...I love getting messy...I think it is very funny especially when I throw food on the floor and get jelly in my hair.




Nap time= mommy time...this day I slept for a good 2 hours!

Up from nap and ready to play....



Soon it is time for daddy to come home..mommy and I wait outside for him on the lawn...I am still getting used to the grass and the sunshine.





Next, I usually play with daddy while mommy makes dinner...sometime he and I go running together in the jogging stroller. Then we eat supper.

One of my most favortite parts of my day is bathtime!






I am usually pretty worn out by now. I like my bottle before I go to bed. I take my "baby" blankie to bed with me and rub it on my face and finger. Most of the time you will find some of the blankie in my mouth too. Kisses and night..night.

Spring!

I have been having alot of fun experimenting with my new Mothers Day gift. It is a Nikon Camera a digital SlR..the D40. I have been wanting and researching this camera for awhile so I worked more and saved more( as Ryan would say) and we bought it last weekend. I still have a lot to learn about the camera and settings but it each time I use it seems to take great pictures. Hopefully, I can take a class sometime to learn more about the features. Levi is 11 months old now. Lately, he has been pointing and "talking" he can say mama, dada, woof..woof. He is standing up by himself for a few seconds but seems to think crawling is the easier way to move these days. He is also working on tooth number 6...and that has not been the easiest for him. We changed him over to Vitamin D milk without a problem. We were a little worried with his issues with lactose intolerance before but he is doing great and using both sippy cup and bottles to drink...it won't be long and I will be packing away those bottles...:)He still loves to cuddle and be held but I do not mind that.Next month our baby will be one! So hard to believe that 1 year has gone by.