Hello family and friends!
Our computer is falling apart and instead of repairing it, we are going to purchase a new one. So, I have not really had access to a computer or to any of my pictures to do much blogging. During this weekend we are hoping to find a new one to buy!
So, I will be back soon!
Sarah
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Grace: 2 months
Grace turned 2 months old this past Sunday, the 12th. These two months with Grace have gone by much more quickly than I remember Atticus' first 2 months going by. At 2 months, here is what Grace is up to:
- Weighs 12 lbs. 9 oz and is 23 1/2 inches long at her 2 month appointment
- Almost out of size one diapers; I'm making her finish off the last few before we move to size 2
- Still in 0-3 month clothes, but maybe only for another week or so.
- Floppy airways are getting better.
- She is holding her head up very well when sitting on my lap or laying against my shoulder.
- She is cooing and making noises when she plays in her rocker or in the pack and play.
- She is really focusing on the mobiles on her pack and play, rocker, and swing. She can sit in those as long as 30-40 minutes just kicking, cooing, and looking at the animals.
- She is sleeping 7-8 hours a night without waking up. If she does wake up, she is up for about 10 minutes for a quick snack and then falls right back to sleep.
- She is still in the bassinet in our room.
- We are still swaddling her, but let her legs stick out. She is getting so long!
- She still dislikes being in her carseat until she is lulled to sleep in the car. She just screams as soon as I put her in it.
- She has only been through 3 sermons at this point; she has acted MUCH better than Atticus. :)
- She does not really spit-up on a regular basis. I feel like I do not use burp cloths as much as I did with Atticus.
- She is already starting to drool a little.
- She takes a pacifier. I plan to try to make myself break her of this before 6 months. But, goodness, it is nice to pop it in when she just needs that little comfort while I am tending to Atticus.
- She really enjoys baths. She never cries and just relaxes in the tub.
- While she sleeps in the bassinet, I can't help but sneak her in to snuggle sometimes. Whether it's an afternoon nap or just when she needs a little help getting back to sleep at night, she just nestles right in the crook of my arm. Vic doesn't even mind.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Conversations
As Atticus begins to talk, I want to continue to remember funny words or things he says.
Currently, we have added "yeah" to our vocabulary. He says yes when prompted "yes or no". But, he replies with "yeah" all of the rest of the time. The funny thing is that he says it with this sweet little innocent sound as if he is trying to be really cute and sweet on purpose when he says it.
We have also started saying "tay" for ok. I guess a lot of the time, Vic and I will tell him something followed with, "ok?". Now he will repeat us to answer.
On Tuesday night, after a great, well-behaved day with Atticus, it was about 7:20 and not quite time for bed. Vic was not home yet, and Grace needed to eat, so I asked Atticus if he would like to watch Mickey Mouse and the animals. The 30 minute episode was the perfect amount of time for me to feed Grace and to still get Atticus into bed on time. Well, when I asked, he said no and that he wanted to watch "huck" which is Horton for the movie Horton Hears a Who. Of course, I told him we could not watch Horton, but we could watch Mickey. He then asks to watch "duh-duh" which is short for Dumbo. And, again I say no and offer Mickey again. He whined for just a couple of minutes on the floor. Then, he stands up, walks over to me, and says "No Huck. No Duh-Duh. Mun-I Am-mulls?" He says it a couple more times as I affirm that he is right, we are not watching Horton or Dumbo, but we can watch Mickey and the animals. He looked so proud of himself and as if he was the one making the decision to tell me what we would be watching. I guess if it's his idea, then it's ok?
As far as Grace's conversations, she and I have them a lot during the day. They consist of lots of cooing!
Currently, we have added "yeah" to our vocabulary. He says yes when prompted "yes or no". But, he replies with "yeah" all of the rest of the time. The funny thing is that he says it with this sweet little innocent sound as if he is trying to be really cute and sweet on purpose when he says it.
We have also started saying "tay" for ok. I guess a lot of the time, Vic and I will tell him something followed with, "ok?". Now he will repeat us to answer.
On Tuesday night, after a great, well-behaved day with Atticus, it was about 7:20 and not quite time for bed. Vic was not home yet, and Grace needed to eat, so I asked Atticus if he would like to watch Mickey Mouse and the animals. The 30 minute episode was the perfect amount of time for me to feed Grace and to still get Atticus into bed on time. Well, when I asked, he said no and that he wanted to watch "huck" which is Horton for the movie Horton Hears a Who. Of course, I told him we could not watch Horton, but we could watch Mickey. He then asks to watch "duh-duh" which is short for Dumbo. And, again I say no and offer Mickey again. He whined for just a couple of minutes on the floor. Then, he stands up, walks over to me, and says "No Huck. No Duh-Duh. Mun-I Am-mulls?" He says it a couple more times as I affirm that he is right, we are not watching Horton or Dumbo, but we can watch Mickey and the animals. He looked so proud of himself and as if he was the one making the decision to tell me what we would be watching. I guess if it's his idea, then it's ok?
As far as Grace's conversations, she and I have them a lot during the day. They consist of lots of cooing!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Atticus: Sleeping Update
On Tuesday, after I wrote my sleeping issue post, we took Atticus and Grace to their 2 year and 2 month well checks. So, of course, we told our doctor about our sleeping and eating concerns. After listening and asking questions, she ended with saying that this would probably be something we would have to ride out and wait for it to get better. She said it could be terrible twos, a night terror that happened once but that makes him still cry out when he wakes in the middle of the night, random change in sleep patterns, or having major changes in his life (such as a new little sister). She said the whining is probably also part of the terrible twos...oh great. :) But, overall, she checked him over and said he is healthy and to just know that what is happenign is pretty normal. She also said that toddlers can be picky eaters and to go with the flow with his eating. He is gaining weight normally and still in the 75th percentile for height and weight, so she didn't have any concerns about his eating habits.
So, part of me thinks we over reacted and part of me thinks that this is definitely an issue, but it is good to know that it is normal and just something we all need to learn about and get through. Whew.
So, after two weeks of crying, whining, etc. do you know what Atticus has done since we got home from that doctor appointment? He has done everything the exact opposite of what I typed on Tuesday about our concerns over his sleeping. After lunch and a very short nap on Tuesday, he, Grace, and I went outside on the back porch for over 2 hours where he played and was content and happy the entire time. He never whined. Not once. He was funny and sweet. While I held Grace (who was in a tearful mood and I'm thinking it was due to the shots she had earlier that day) to console her, Atticus went in and out of the house occasionally bringing his farm set and then his puzzle and then more animals to play with. He played with bubbles and ate his popsicle nicely. He asked about the birds and then the bugs and then continued to want to check on Grace. At one point, he had been in the house for a few minutes and had left the living room where I could see him through the window. I went in to check on him and found him sitting on his bed in his room quietly looking through his books. That night, I was on my own for getting him fed and into bed because Vic had a Church Council meeting. He not only ate yogurt and crackers, but also some grilled chicken breast without being pushed. He went to bed easily without fussing. I was seriously wondering if this was some kind of joke!
Tuesday night, Atticus slept the ENTIRE night without waking to cry. And, when he got up the next morning, he didn't fuss or cry and just called out "mama!" when he was ready to get up. This also happened on Wednesday night and Thursday morning and we are hoping it is the new normal. He has been less whiney the last two days also (within reason - he is still a toddler) and just acts like his normal self. Although, I will say that he does still like to be cuddled and has started saying "up" when he wants to be picked up. Usually, he hardly ever wants to be picked up, but I think this is his way of getting attention and kind of acting like a baby. I'm not sure if he sees Grace picked up so much (he also tells me when to make Grace get "up") and just wants to be treated the same?
So, what the heck made him start going back to his normal little self? Who knows. We think it is because we are trying to be more consistent with his routines. But, we expected it to take much longer than a few days. And, most likely, tomorrow will be a different story!
However, that is the update. In other news, his weight right now is 31 pounds and his height is 35 inches.
Here's hoping another night of rest is in our future!
So, part of me thinks we over reacted and part of me thinks that this is definitely an issue, but it is good to know that it is normal and just something we all need to learn about and get through. Whew.
So, after two weeks of crying, whining, etc. do you know what Atticus has done since we got home from that doctor appointment? He has done everything the exact opposite of what I typed on Tuesday about our concerns over his sleeping. After lunch and a very short nap on Tuesday, he, Grace, and I went outside on the back porch for over 2 hours where he played and was content and happy the entire time. He never whined. Not once. He was funny and sweet. While I held Grace (who was in a tearful mood and I'm thinking it was due to the shots she had earlier that day) to console her, Atticus went in and out of the house occasionally bringing his farm set and then his puzzle and then more animals to play with. He played with bubbles and ate his popsicle nicely. He asked about the birds and then the bugs and then continued to want to check on Grace. At one point, he had been in the house for a few minutes and had left the living room where I could see him through the window. I went in to check on him and found him sitting on his bed in his room quietly looking through his books. That night, I was on my own for getting him fed and into bed because Vic had a Church Council meeting. He not only ate yogurt and crackers, but also some grilled chicken breast without being pushed. He went to bed easily without fussing. I was seriously wondering if this was some kind of joke!
Tuesday night, Atticus slept the ENTIRE night without waking to cry. And, when he got up the next morning, he didn't fuss or cry and just called out "mama!" when he was ready to get up. This also happened on Wednesday night and Thursday morning and we are hoping it is the new normal. He has been less whiney the last two days also (within reason - he is still a toddler) and just acts like his normal self. Although, I will say that he does still like to be cuddled and has started saying "up" when he wants to be picked up. Usually, he hardly ever wants to be picked up, but I think this is his way of getting attention and kind of acting like a baby. I'm not sure if he sees Grace picked up so much (he also tells me when to make Grace get "up") and just wants to be treated the same?
So, what the heck made him start going back to his normal little self? Who knows. We think it is because we are trying to be more consistent with his routines. But, we expected it to take much longer than a few days. And, most likely, tomorrow will be a different story!
However, that is the update. In other news, his weight right now is 31 pounds and his height is 35 inches.
Here's hoping another night of rest is in our future!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Atticus: Trouble Sleeping
Atticus has always been a good sleeper. Once he began sleeping through the night for 11-12 hours at a time around 6 months, he never stopped. As he got bigger, we began a nightly routine of singing, prayers, and hugs and kisses and just put him in his crib and he always put himself to sleep. If he ever woke up in the middle of the night, it was because he was sick. In the mornings, he would take about an hour to wake up, but by the time he was fully awake, he would be happy. This also went for naps. We have always been so thankful that he likes to sleep!
About 5 1/2 weeks ago, we moved him to his big boy bed. We had been anxious about when the right time to do this would be to make this transition. And while we were not in a rush, because Grace sleeps in the bassinet right now, we tried it out after an out of town trip where he had to sleep in a bed with me. It worked great! He loved his Mickey Mouse sheets, his bed, our nightly routine of reading books, etc. He has mostly stayed in his bed without getting out to play. All has been great....until 2 weeks ago. We are not sure what changed. But, all of a sudden every night, he wakes up for at least an hour once, if not twice, to cry. And not just a few tears, but all out crying. So, for the first week and a half, one of us would go to him and soothe him, and get him back to sleep and then go back to our own bed. Well, as this continued we found ourselves going to him each night, but staying with him because it would sometimes even take him an hour to fall back asleep. He would toss and turn. Vic and I have thought of everything; he might have a tummy ache; had a bad dream; was scared of his nightlight; was cold; was hot; etc. But, everything we test to see if it might be the reason he is waking up screaming and crying is not holding up. I have read about night terrors, but I don't think that is it either. He just seems happiest when we do stay with him and he falls back asleep.
What is worse is that he pats his pillow wanting us to stay when we tell him goodnight or put him down for a nap. That can completely break our hearts because he just wants his mama and daddy to lay with him.
Oh, and every time he wakes up after a nap or in the morning, he also cries and cries until we come get him. We have tried to tell him to just play with his toys when he wakes up or to call out our names, like he used to, when he is awake. But, he just cries until we come to him.
Then, once he is up, he is exhausted because he hasn't slept well, so he is fussy and whiny. All. Day. Long. He has no patience; he doesn't want to play regularly; he doesn't eat well (more on that to come); he just doesn't seem to have as much energy or be his normal, happy, funny little self. We have moments where he is back to normal, but they are followed with whining or crying. I would chalk this all up to terrible twos, but that's just not it completely (although I'm sure it is part of it). He just isn't getting the sleep he needs! We have kind of been at a loss because we do not want him to expect us to sleep with him every night. If we knew we needed to for a couple of weeks and that was it, we would. But, we feel like we need to nip this in the bud now instead of prolonging it. So, after lots of reading, our next plan is to just be consistent. Well, we messed that up when we sporadically slept with him. But, we have gone back to set bedtime routines (we kind of got out of the habit with Grace's arrival) and trying to stay with set bedtimes (those were also getting later with reading books to him, so we now set a timer so he knows when reading time is over) and are not letting ourselves stay with him to sleep. By the way, that is hard to do. There is nothing sweeter than snuggling up with him to let him fall asleep, especially when he pats that pillow!
The last 3 nights, we have gone to him when he wakes up to tell him everything is ok and that he must go back to sleep and then we leave the room and do not come back. He eventually falls back to sleep, after more crying...that has lasted as long as an hour. We are hoping after a few nights, he will realize we are not staying with him and will just fall back asleep without crying for us. Fingers crossed! If he just self soothes and goes back to sleep, like he always has, then maybe he will get better sleep and sleep longer.
As far as eating, he is not doing that well either. He has always been a picky eater, but every day will at least eat his oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, applesauce and sandwich. But, now he barely touches those things. He eats a little cereal, some raisins, snacks of crackers and cheerios, maybe a little yogurt, but that is it. So, we know this also affects how much energy he has because has. Vic got him to eat a chicken strip last night after lots of attention and coaxing and we were so excited!
That brings us to another point; we know he gets enough attention, but we think he needs more right now. He loves Grace to pieces. That is when he is always happy; when he tickles her, brings her something, checks on her, kisses her. He loves her so much. So, we do not think he is jealous or dislikes her at all. But, we are thinking that he still senses this new part of his life and is reacting to it with the whining? We are not really sure. And because Grace is such an easy baby, he really gets just as much attention as he ever did.
So, we will see how things go. He has 2 1/2 weeks left at school but part of me wants to just keep him home now. I actually did keep him home yesterday because he was up so much the night before. And, I am keeping him home today but mainly just because we have mid-day doctor appointments. But, he has fun at school, so I may send him the rest of the time. Otherwise, our plan is to just stay consistent with him and try to know when he is tired vs. when he needs discipline. Who said parenting was easy? Oh wait - I don't think anyone did! :)
We are headed to his 2 year checkup today and will ask the doctor for any advice. Anyone else have any suggestions? We just want our little boy to get some rest so he can enjoy the hours he is awake!
I'll keep you all posted.
Sarah
About 5 1/2 weeks ago, we moved him to his big boy bed. We had been anxious about when the right time to do this would be to make this transition. And while we were not in a rush, because Grace sleeps in the bassinet right now, we tried it out after an out of town trip where he had to sleep in a bed with me. It worked great! He loved his Mickey Mouse sheets, his bed, our nightly routine of reading books, etc. He has mostly stayed in his bed without getting out to play. All has been great....until 2 weeks ago. We are not sure what changed. But, all of a sudden every night, he wakes up for at least an hour once, if not twice, to cry. And not just a few tears, but all out crying. So, for the first week and a half, one of us would go to him and soothe him, and get him back to sleep and then go back to our own bed. Well, as this continued we found ourselves going to him each night, but staying with him because it would sometimes even take him an hour to fall back asleep. He would toss and turn. Vic and I have thought of everything; he might have a tummy ache; had a bad dream; was scared of his nightlight; was cold; was hot; etc. But, everything we test to see if it might be the reason he is waking up screaming and crying is not holding up. I have read about night terrors, but I don't think that is it either. He just seems happiest when we do stay with him and he falls back asleep.
What is worse is that he pats his pillow wanting us to stay when we tell him goodnight or put him down for a nap. That can completely break our hearts because he just wants his mama and daddy to lay with him.
Oh, and every time he wakes up after a nap or in the morning, he also cries and cries until we come get him. We have tried to tell him to just play with his toys when he wakes up or to call out our names, like he used to, when he is awake. But, he just cries until we come to him.
Then, once he is up, he is exhausted because he hasn't slept well, so he is fussy and whiny. All. Day. Long. He has no patience; he doesn't want to play regularly; he doesn't eat well (more on that to come); he just doesn't seem to have as much energy or be his normal, happy, funny little self. We have moments where he is back to normal, but they are followed with whining or crying. I would chalk this all up to terrible twos, but that's just not it completely (although I'm sure it is part of it). He just isn't getting the sleep he needs! We have kind of been at a loss because we do not want him to expect us to sleep with him every night. If we knew we needed to for a couple of weeks and that was it, we would. But, we feel like we need to nip this in the bud now instead of prolonging it. So, after lots of reading, our next plan is to just be consistent. Well, we messed that up when we sporadically slept with him. But, we have gone back to set bedtime routines (we kind of got out of the habit with Grace's arrival) and trying to stay with set bedtimes (those were also getting later with reading books to him, so we now set a timer so he knows when reading time is over) and are not letting ourselves stay with him to sleep. By the way, that is hard to do. There is nothing sweeter than snuggling up with him to let him fall asleep, especially when he pats that pillow!
The last 3 nights, we have gone to him when he wakes up to tell him everything is ok and that he must go back to sleep and then we leave the room and do not come back. He eventually falls back to sleep, after more crying...that has lasted as long as an hour. We are hoping after a few nights, he will realize we are not staying with him and will just fall back asleep without crying for us. Fingers crossed! If he just self soothes and goes back to sleep, like he always has, then maybe he will get better sleep and sleep longer.
As far as eating, he is not doing that well either. He has always been a picky eater, but every day will at least eat his oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, applesauce and sandwich. But, now he barely touches those things. He eats a little cereal, some raisins, snacks of crackers and cheerios, maybe a little yogurt, but that is it. So, we know this also affects how much energy he has because has. Vic got him to eat a chicken strip last night after lots of attention and coaxing and we were so excited!
That brings us to another point; we know he gets enough attention, but we think he needs more right now. He loves Grace to pieces. That is when he is always happy; when he tickles her, brings her something, checks on her, kisses her. He loves her so much. So, we do not think he is jealous or dislikes her at all. But, we are thinking that he still senses this new part of his life and is reacting to it with the whining? We are not really sure. And because Grace is such an easy baby, he really gets just as much attention as he ever did.
So, we will see how things go. He has 2 1/2 weeks left at school but part of me wants to just keep him home now. I actually did keep him home yesterday because he was up so much the night before. And, I am keeping him home today but mainly just because we have mid-day doctor appointments. But, he has fun at school, so I may send him the rest of the time. Otherwise, our plan is to just stay consistent with him and try to know when he is tired vs. when he needs discipline. Who said parenting was easy? Oh wait - I don't think anyone did! :)
We are headed to his 2 year checkup today and will ask the doctor for any advice. Anyone else have any suggestions? We just want our little boy to get some rest so he can enjoy the hours he is awake!
I'll keep you all posted.
Sarah
Monday, May 6, 2013
Little Moments
Sometimes it is the little moments that make being a mom so special. On Saturday, I had put Grace in her swing to nap while Atticus played in the living room and I did some things in the kitchen. I kept an eye on Atticus because he would constantly go over to check on Grace or turn her swing music on and off and I'd remind him to be gentle. A few minutes went by and I noticed him taking her two of her blankets and walking to her swing. As she slept and swung, he put both blankets on top of her making sure that the entire blanket was on top of her and none was hitting the ground. He just looked at her and then walked away continuing to eat out of his snack cup and back to the living room to play. I never spoke to him or reminded him to be gentle and just watched him. My heart completely melted, as it tends to do so regularly. He loves her so much and I pray that they become close friends as children and that it lasts forever.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Atticus: 2 years old
Two short years ago, we were given a little boy to raise and love. And while it's cliche to say "time flies" or "the kids grow so fast", it really does and they really do! Some people told me to expect Atticus to look like such a big kid when I brought Grace home from the hospital; they told me he wouldn't seem like a baby anymore. And while I did all of a sudden wonder how his legs got so long and his hands got so big all while I was in the hospital, he is STILL my little baby boy (although I promise not to be that annoying mother who coddles her son when he is an adult--those poor ladies need to just let go!). I love him and pray every day that he is happy and healthy. So, at this moment in his life, I want to remember some of the important parts of Atticus' life.
- Atticus is still in size 5 diapers; I plan to start potty training soon.
- He still has light blonde hair.
- He has slept in his big boy bed for almost a month and is a great sleeper and napper. He still takes afternoon naps every day that last around 3 hours. (although recently her learned how to get out of his bed and has delayed a couple of naps because he tends to play in his room first)
- He is approximately 30 pounds. We'll know exact weight at 2 year well check in a couple of weeks.
- He is still in school until the end of May; his teachers say he is happy and a good boy.
- He still loves yogurt, fruit and oatmeal and will eat those items each day. Otherwise, it's touch and go as far as what he will eat. He typically likes spaghetti, chicken, and some pasta. He won't touch vegetables. And of course he likes the typical toddler snack: goldfish, animal crackers, fruit snacks, etc. OH! And his favorite food addition recently: "dip" which could be ranch dressing or ketchup.
- He drinks water, juice, and milk and specifically requests which ones he wants each time he needs a drink.
- He organizes his toys when he plays. For example: he will place all of the toys he is playing with in one spot (such as the farm silo or his tent) and then take them out and then put them back in over and over. Or he will line all of his bath toys up on the bath ledge and then knock them down and then line them up and knock them down over and over. He will carry stuffed animals with him and he will need ALL of them at once until he cannot carry anymore. He will put them on the bed and then on the floor and then back on the bed, etc. He is just too funny when watching him play on his own.
- He LOVES animals. He likes for us to read books about them, make up songs about them, and he wants to play with his "am-mulls" all the time. ANYTHING to do with animals, he is interested.
- He has recently started putting together puzzles.
- He has also started to open books and look through them without us.
- He loves water--pools, water hoses, sprinklers, puddles; this summer will be so much fun!
- He can repeat 1-10 in English and Spanish. He also counts out some of the numbers when he is playing.
- He likes play dough and has just started enjoying a coloring book.
- He loves Disney movies. Over the past few months, we have introduced him to: Toy Story, Dumbo, Lion King, Horton Hears a Who, The Lady & The Tramp and he has The Jungle Book on the way from his aunt Molly. He also likes reading the books of these movies over and over.
- He says lots of words and has recently started putting them together to form sentences that consist of nouns only (ex: grace milk atticus juice mess dada wipes) [translates to Grace is drinking milk and Atticus is drinking juice but made a mess and Daddy used wipes to clean him up]
- He loves to be outside in the vehicles to play, helping Daddy in the yard, playing with toys, chalk, and water and all the time, carrying his sippy cup in his arm. If he has to do something that needs both hands, he sets the drink down, but once he is done, the drink goes right back in the arm.
- He rarely gets hurt; he is just so tough when he falls down. It has to get hurt pretty bad before he cries.
- He loves his baby sister, Grace. He always looks for her, tickles her, hugs her, and brings her the pacifier, blanket or any toys that belong to her. He is such a big helper with Grace!
- Although I see glimpses of Terrible Twos arriving, he is just sweet. He wants to be good and gives good hugs and loves to play with us. His giggles and words and actions make us laugh daily!
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