Thursday, November 27
Happy Thanksgiving!
This year, we spent Thanksgiving with M's side of the family. His mum loves to throw parties and hosts a grand meal every year! She hosted the dinner at her new house and had quite the feast for everyone. It's always great to get everyone together. Happy Thanksgiving!
Saturday, November 22
My 30th Birthday!
Turning 30 has seemed like such a huge milestone—and I have been dreading it! I don't even have a solid reason why; I'm just feeling old and think that life is moving way too quickly. So as my birthday approached, my feelings of overdramatic woe grew stronger.
We made plans to go to Idaho for my birthday because I wanted to share the occasion with my parents and my cute little family all together. Maybe it's the recently onset old age, but I've decided the best things in my life are the genuine relationships that are there for me through the good times and the bad. So imagine my amazement when M wanted to take me to dinner the night before we left for Idaho... and it was a surprise birthday dinner with my two best friends and their families! My husband is perfect and gave me the best gift I could have possibly ask for—a chance to celebrate this milestone with all the people who mean so much in my life. It was the best birthday ever. Cheers to being 30.
We made plans to go to Idaho for my birthday because I wanted to share the occasion with my parents and my cute little family all together. Maybe it's the recently onset old age, but I've decided the best things in my life are the genuine relationships that are there for me through the good times and the bad. So imagine my amazement when M wanted to take me to dinner the night before we left for Idaho... and it was a surprise birthday dinner with my two best friends and their families! My husband is perfect and gave me the best gift I could have possibly ask for—a chance to celebrate this milestone with all the people who mean so much in my life. It was the best birthday ever. Cheers to being 30.
Monday, November 10
Baby E at 4 Months
This little princess is getting to be so spunky and fun!
At her checkup, these are her current stats:
At her checkup, these are her current stats:
- Weight: 12.8 lbs.
- Height: 24 inches
- Diaper Size: She is still wearing Size 1.
- Clothing Size: She is still wearing 0-3 Months.
- Likes: Playing with daddy, mommy and A, eating, laughing and being tickled.
- Dislikes: Sleeping, having to play by herself, being held horizontally rather than upright.
I love that she is chunking up a bit and has made it to the thirtieth percentile in weight! She has the cutest thighs with the perfect about of chubbiness. To celebrate her 4-month mark today, she had her very first experience with solid food!
She is doing better with sleeping and will fall asleep when we put her in her crib awake. But she definitely prefers sleeping with her parents, particularly smashed right up next to her momma. She is calming down and seems less colicky more and more each week, which has helped to her not be so squirmy. Because of this, she actually snuggles when we hold her and it's so fun to be able to cuddle with her!
Her personality is very outgoing! She loves when people notice her and she bursts into a smile at even the slightest glance. She has also started laughing—which is the cutest sound in the whole world! She also seems very strong-willed and knows what she wants. She definitely prefers sitting and standing to laying down!
Because of how much she would constantly wiggle and squirm for the past four months, she is really strong! She's a champion at tummy time and loves being able to see all around her. She started rolling from her tummy to her back about three weeks ago but acted as if it were accidental, like she fell over and it scared her. Then, a couple days after that, she realized she could roll from her back up onto her stomach. For some reason she does this constantly but refuses to roll onto her back {which seems like the easier of the two options!} so she ends up stuck on her tummy and cries for help... and then rolls back up again as soon as she can. It's a never-ending cycle that makes bedtimes a bit tricky lately!
She absolutely adores her big brother and I think that she saves her biggest smiles for when he plays with her.
He is very protective of her and tries to help when she is crying, but he has always been hesitant regarding any sort of physical contact with her. But just this past week, he was willing to hold her/let her lay on his lap for the first time ever! It was adorable!!
TV fascinates her and she loves watching Baby Einsteins with A. It's so cute to watch her little face while she is so captivated by the colorful moving images on the screen!
She loves her muslin blankets and always wants it next to her face to soothe and help her fall asleep. When it comes to trying to swaddle her, she is a bit of a Houdini and breaks free no matter how well we wrap her up.
Her motor skills are continuing to develop and she has discovered her cute little hands. She grabs at everything and immediately it into her mouth. She especially likes when I leave my hair down because it appears to be very fun to pull!
She loves interaction and seems to get bored if we try to set her with toys for too long. {And by too long, I mean more than 4 minutes!} She is amazingly happy as soon as she gets attention and flashes the cutest, biggest smiles ever.
I love that she has such a strong personality and has definite preferences and dislikes. She's a feisty little girl and is becoming so much fun!
She is doing better with sleeping and will fall asleep when we put her in her crib awake. But she definitely prefers sleeping with her parents, particularly smashed right up next to her momma. She is calming down and seems less colicky more and more each week, which has helped to her not be so squirmy. Because of this, she actually snuggles when we hold her and it's so fun to be able to cuddle with her!
Her personality is very outgoing! She loves when people notice her and she bursts into a smile at even the slightest glance. She has also started laughing—which is the cutest sound in the whole world! She also seems very strong-willed and knows what she wants. She definitely prefers sitting and standing to laying down!
Because of how much she would constantly wiggle and squirm for the past four months, she is really strong! She's a champion at tummy time and loves being able to see all around her. She started rolling from her tummy to her back about three weeks ago but acted as if it were accidental, like she fell over and it scared her. Then, a couple days after that, she realized she could roll from her back up onto her stomach. For some reason she does this constantly but refuses to roll onto her back {which seems like the easier of the two options!} so she ends up stuck on her tummy and cries for help... and then rolls back up again as soon as she can. It's a never-ending cycle that makes bedtimes a bit tricky lately!
He is very protective of her and tries to help when she is crying, but he has always been hesitant regarding any sort of physical contact with her. But just this past week, he was willing to hold her/let her lay on his lap for the first time ever! It was adorable!!
TV fascinates her and she loves watching Baby Einsteins with A. It's so cute to watch her little face while she is so captivated by the colorful moving images on the screen!
She loves her muslin blankets and always wants it next to her face to soothe and help her fall asleep. When it comes to trying to swaddle her, she is a bit of a Houdini and breaks free no matter how well we wrap her up.
Her motor skills are continuing to develop and she has discovered her cute little hands. She grabs at everything and immediately it into her mouth. She especially likes when I leave my hair down because it appears to be very fun to pull!
She loves interaction and seems to get bored if we try to set her with toys for too long. {And by too long, I mean more than 4 minutes!} She is amazingly happy as soon as she gets attention and flashes the cutest, biggest smiles ever.
I love that she has such a strong personality and has definite preferences and dislikes. She's a feisty little girl and is becoming so much fun!
Friday, October 31
Happy Halloween!
Halloween was so fun this year! Baby E was so cute in her soccer ball costume and A was so fun to see telling everyone "tricky treat!" so that he could get as much candy as possible.
When it came to carving pumpkins, we figured that it would be a good idea to give A a paintbrush instead of a knife... E and I also painted ours, leaving M to be the only one dedicated enough to tradition to actually carve his!
Wednesday, October 29
Autumn Adventures
I love this time of year! Warm sweaters, cute boots, crunching leaves, and crisp air. And I have decided having kids to share things with makes everything exponentially more fun!
This past weekend we went to Cornbelly's, which is an outdoor farm-themed festival and corn maze. A had so much fun playing in the "corn sand" {a massive pit full of dried corn kernels}, riding the cow train, and playing on the toys and slides.
Today, we went to Petersen farms with friends to pick our pumpkins for Halloween! We had a blast and it was so cute watching A run around with his little BFF. {And, of course, we mommas see the opportunities for a photoshoot!}
This past weekend we went to Cornbelly's, which is an outdoor farm-themed festival and corn maze. A had so much fun playing in the "corn sand" {a massive pit full of dried corn kernels}, riding the cow train, and playing on the toys and slides.
Today, we went to Petersen farms with friends to pick our pumpkins for Halloween! We had a blast and it was so cute watching A run around with his little BFF. {And, of course, we mommas see the opportunities for a photoshoot!}
Friday, October 10
Baby E at 3 Months
This girl is such a doll! Her personality is starting to develop and she is auch a sweetheart! We love her so much!
Our attempts to measure her at home never seem as accurate as the doctor's but, as far as we can tell, these are her stats:
- Weight: 10.2 lbs.
- Height: 24 inches
- Diaper Size: She finally upgraded to Size 1 a couple of weeks ago!
- Clothing Size: She now fits into her 0-3 Months clothing but it's still really baggy!
- Likes: Eating, bathtime, smiling, trying to laugh, the TV, her reflection in the mirror, driving in the car or riding in the stroller, being held and getting to sit on her parents' laps to see the world around her.
- Dislikes: Having to sleep, anytime we aren't paying enough attention to her.
She has started grabbing things with his hands and it is fun to see her comprehending the world around her. She especially loves grabbing mom's shirt and her blankey. She is much less fussy when she has toys to play with—I think she's an intelligent little girl and gets too bored without something to do.
She is such a smiley girl. All it takes is a little smile at her and she bursts into a huge, gorgeous grin. It's adorable and makes even the most tiring 3 AM feedings worth it. Her laugh is also continuing to happen more frequently. She is really ticklish and seems to enjoy bursting into giggles now that she's laughing more regularly.
Baby E has calmed down a lot now and actually enjoys riding in the car and loves the movement of the stroller. Usually by the end of a walk, she's fallen sound asleep in her seat. She is always very alert and curious about the world around her, so getting her to fall asleep sometimes poses a challenge sometimes but she is getting better each week and sleeps for several hours at a time a lot of nights. Surprisingly, the other magic solution for naps when we are getting desperate are loud noises such as the vacuum or blender. Baby E loves the sound and somehow it lulls her off into dreamland.
She is becoming more of a happy baby and is so much fun! Her smiles and giggles have really helped A begin to enjoy having a sibling more. He's always been very kind to her, but he seems to understand that she's a person now that she interacts more. They are such cute, sweet kids and I really hope that they can develop a strong friendship as they continue to grow up together.
These two beautiful kids of ours are definitely the best thing and we are so grateful to have them in our lives!
She is such a smiley girl. All it takes is a little smile at her and she bursts into a huge, gorgeous grin. It's adorable and makes even the most tiring 3 AM feedings worth it. Her laugh is also continuing to happen more frequently. She is really ticklish and seems to enjoy bursting into giggles now that she's laughing more regularly.
Baby E has calmed down a lot now and actually enjoys riding in the car and loves the movement of the stroller. Usually by the end of a walk, she's fallen sound asleep in her seat. She is always very alert and curious about the world around her, so getting her to fall asleep sometimes poses a challenge sometimes but she is getting better each week and sleeps for several hours at a time a lot of nights. Surprisingly, the other magic solution for naps when we are getting desperate are loud noises such as the vacuum or blender. Baby E loves the sound and somehow it lulls her off into dreamland.
She is becoming more of a happy baby and is so much fun! Her smiles and giggles have really helped A begin to enjoy having a sibling more. He's always been very kind to her, but he seems to understand that she's a person now that she interacts more. They are such cute, sweet kids and I really hope that they can develop a strong friendship as they continue to grow up together.
These two beautiful kids of ours are definitely the best thing and we are so grateful to have them in our lives!
Sunday, October 5
Grateful for the Good Days
Today was a good day. And I am so grateful for good days!
A lot of days lately seem like more than I bargained for. Two kids has been far more challenging than I had anticipated and I feel like some days life is just plain hard. {And yes, I probably complain about it too much!}
But today, we all just seemed happy together. E was content for most of the day and A didn't feel the need to compete with her for attention. There were no temper tantrums, refusals to eat his food, or anything else along those lines. M and I simply just had fun being with our kids today; and the kids seemed to have fun with us too.
I mean, it's a pretty good sign that he had a good day when I can hear A singing himself to sleep in his bed while I write this!
A lot of days lately seem like more than I bargained for. Two kids has been far more challenging than I had anticipated and I feel like some days life is just plain hard. {And yes, I probably complain about it too much!}
But today, we all just seemed happy together. E was content for most of the day and A didn't feel the need to compete with her for attention. There were no temper tantrums, refusals to eat his food, or anything else along those lines. M and I simply just had fun being with our kids today; and the kids seemed to have fun with us too.
I mean, it's a pretty good sign that he had a good day when I can hear A singing himself to sleep in his bed while I write this!
Monday, September 29
A at 21 Months
This little guy is growing up so quickly!
At 21 months, his stats are:
This kid thrives on learning! He has a puzzle with the letters of the alphabet and was able to learn every single letter in just over a week! He can also count to twelve flawlessly {and thinks he can count through his teens, even though he says them all as "hit-teen" and repeats it over and over until he has worked through all of the objects he is counting!} and knows tons of shapes, such as diamonds and octagons.
He talks non-stop! We've lost count of the number of words he knows and he surprises me almost daily with new things that I didn't even realize he knew. He seriously amazes me.
I have also become cautious since realizing how much he is constantly listening and learning. On multiple occasions in the past week, he has repeated lyrics from songs on the radio that are hilariously awkward coming from the mouth of a 1-year-old... {Don't worry—nothing awful! He's just told me things such as "bringing booty back"... thank you Meghan Trainor!} We do a lot of driving around to help Baby E fall asleep in the car... and apparently it's having an effect on both kids!
He is also witty and has an adorable imagination. He loves playing games such as his magnetic marbles and chasing/hide-and-seek with daddy. He loves building caves and forts, reading books together, and pretending things {such as his cookie being a steering wheel or his Blankey being long hair}.
He is a fantastic big brother. It has been a struggle for him to adjust to sharing his parents with a new baby {especially since she has been a colicky baby}, but I have been so proud of him because he has tried really hard. He loves her so much and is very protective of her. He rushes to help get things she needs such as her bottles or supplies for a diaper change.
Although he cares a lot for his sister, he has been quite adamant about not wanting much physical contact with her. He even gets upset if her hand brushes past his foot sometimes. But as she gets older and more interactive, he has been warming up to her. He even let me have him hold her the other day for the first time!!
He's an includer and always wants everyone to participate. This list includes, but is not limited to: Daddy, Mommy, E, A {yes, he includes himself!}, Blankey, and Milky. I love this about his little personality and am so grateful he loves his family so much!
He is so much fun and loves being with his family, but he is definitely an introvert. He struggles with too much attention in large groups and getting some quiet time alone in his room helps him calm down. He is making progress socially and is more comfortable one-on-one with other people but still constantly checks to make sure mom or dad are still nearby.
Recently, he is starting to really enjoy time with his little friends. Our previous playdates were typically spent with the moms talking and the kids doing their own thing in different corners of the room. But lately, he loves to interact and play with other kids! He gets apprehensive if they make loud noises or act aggressively, but as long as they are willing to play as mellow as he does, he has a blast with them and really enjoys the friendships.
He's strong-willed but is so well-behaved for a toddler!! He is very obedient when we ask him to do something and doesn't like the rare occasions we get upset with him for negative behaviors. As soon as he does something he knows he shouldn't, he runs to his designated time-out spot and puts himself there! Luckily, time-out is something we rarely have to use because he behaves so well most of the time!
I am so grateful for this cute, clever boy! As our family has made the adjustment from one kid to two, I keep thinking how different of an experience this would be if he had any different personality. He is so much fun yet seems to know when I'm feeling sad or overwhelmed and comes to snuggle with me. I am so fortunate to have him as E's big brother and my little best friend.
- Weight: 25.7 lbs.
- Height: 34½ inches
- Diaper Size: He's still in Size 4.
- Clothing Size: He's still wearing 18 Months but his pants are starting to look a little short!
- Likes: Talking about everything, learning and exploring.
- Dislikes: Being hungry or tired.
This kid thrives on learning! He has a puzzle with the letters of the alphabet and was able to learn every single letter in just over a week! He can also count to twelve flawlessly {and thinks he can count through his teens, even though he says them all as "hit-teen" and repeats it over and over until he has worked through all of the objects he is counting!} and knows tons of shapes, such as diamonds and octagons.
I have also become cautious since realizing how much he is constantly listening and learning. On multiple occasions in the past week, he has repeated lyrics from songs on the radio that are hilariously awkward coming from the mouth of a 1-year-old... {Don't worry—nothing awful! He's just told me things such as "bringing booty back"... thank you Meghan Trainor!} We do a lot of driving around to help Baby E fall asleep in the car... and apparently it's having an effect on both kids!
He is also witty and has an adorable imagination. He loves playing games such as his magnetic marbles and chasing/hide-and-seek with daddy. He loves building caves and forts, reading books together, and pretending things {such as his cookie being a steering wheel or his Blankey being long hair}.
Although he cares a lot for his sister, he has been quite adamant about not wanting much physical contact with her. He even gets upset if her hand brushes past his foot sometimes. But as she gets older and more interactive, he has been warming up to her. He even let me have him hold her the other day for the first time!!
He's an includer and always wants everyone to participate. This list includes, but is not limited to: Daddy, Mommy, E, A {yes, he includes himself!}, Blankey, and Milky. I love this about his little personality and am so grateful he loves his family so much!
He is so much fun and loves being with his family, but he is definitely an introvert. He struggles with too much attention in large groups and getting some quiet time alone in his room helps him calm down. He is making progress socially and is more comfortable one-on-one with other people but still constantly checks to make sure mom or dad are still nearby.
Recently, he is starting to really enjoy time with his little friends. Our previous playdates were typically spent with the moms talking and the kids doing their own thing in different corners of the room. But lately, he loves to interact and play with other kids! He gets apprehensive if they make loud noises or act aggressively, but as long as they are willing to play as mellow as he does, he has a blast with them and really enjoys the friendships.
He's strong-willed but is so well-behaved for a toddler!! He is very obedient when we ask him to do something and doesn't like the rare occasions we get upset with him for negative behaviors. As soon as he does something he knows he shouldn't, he runs to his designated time-out spot and puts himself there! Luckily, time-out is something we rarely have to use because he behaves so well most of the time!
I am so grateful for this cute, clever boy! As our family has made the adjustment from one kid to two, I keep thinking how different of an experience this would be if he had any different personality. He is so much fun yet seems to know when I'm feeling sad or overwhelmed and comes to snuggle with me. I am so fortunate to have him as E's big brother and my little best friend.
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