7 Months

Little Jacob

 you are 7 months old!

Watching the rattle Mommy is shaking to keep his attention and prevent him from crawling off the chair.

At seven months, you-

 

• weigh between 17 and 18 lbs. 
•  are wearing size 3 diapers (this is the size your sister was wearing when we finished potty-training her at 2.5 years)
• are wearing size 6 month and 9 month clothing.  You are so long that alot of the 6 month onesies are too small, but the bottoms still fit.
•  are not so fond of naps.  You typically take 3 naps a day, ranging between 30 and 60 minutes.
• still typically get up twice a night.  And eat.  And then go back to sleep.  I keep reminding myself that you won't be doing this forever.  In the meantime...I'm drinking lots of coffee. 
•  are, however, pretty good about "sleeping on the run".  You will sleep in the car or Ergo just as easily as you will sleep in your bed.
• started belly-crawling a few weeks ago, and are now a pro.  Your favorite new toys are cords, and anything your sister leaves on the floor that you're not supposed to have.
• cut BOTH bottom teeth on the same day, the day after you hit 7 months.  It has been a miserable couple of days for us all, but you seem to be feeling a little bit better.
• are a happy little eater.  In addition to pureed foods, we're starting to experiment a little bit with finger foods, as you're likely to steal things off my plate anyway. 
• can not only sit independently, but also push yourself from your tummy into a sitting position.  You're now trying to pull yourself up onto your knees (or feet), but the strength isn't quite there yet.  Which is okay by me.
• are still taking prescription Zantac, but on a very low dosage now.  You'll have weaned off by the time you go to the doctor again at 9 months.
• are just a few days away from completing your DOC Band therapy.  It has had its ups and downs, but we're happy we went forward with the process and are pleased with the results.
• are about to embark on your first long roadtrip to Atlanta next week.  Here's hoping you handle that experience in your usual, chill way!

Onward and upward!

Happy Half-Birthday! SIX Months Old!

Little Jacob

 you are 6 months old!

At six months, you-

 

• weigh around 16lbs.  That means that you've gained 2-3lbs in the last month.  CRAZY!  We don't worry about your weight any longer.  You're definitely chunking out!
•  are wearing size 2 diapers
• are wearing size 6 month clothing
•  still reliably nap 2x a day, with a "sometimes" nap in the evening.  It seems like you don't need this nap as much as you used to.   The nights you skip it are a still a little rough, though.
• have continued getting up 2-3 times a night except for the last week.  You started eating 3 small solid meals a day and we found that this seemed to be the extra push to get you to the point where you were only up once a night.  And then yesterday you came down with a cold and were up pretty much straight from 10pm-7am.  I'm hoping that once you're feeling better, we go back to once a night... or even less!
• decided overnight that you no longer wanted to be swaddled.  It was, of course, the week your Daddy was out of town on business, so we had some tough nights while you transitioned, but you're completely done now.  You still sleep in a sleep sack sometimes, but if I don't have one clean, or forget, you'll sleep without it, too.  
• the same week you decided you were done with swaddling, you also decided you no longer like to be rocked to sleep.  Taking away the swaddle means you can now sleep in your preferred position...on your tummy.  And since I can't really rock you to sleep on your tummy...you no longer want to be rocked.  This is a good thing, in the long run, but it's a little sad, too. .
• want so badly to crawl, but so far all you've accomplished is getting rug burn on the end of your nose and your knees.  You can get up onto your knees easily, but you can't figure out what to do with your arms, so after a bunch of rocking, you tip over to the side or face plant.  Once you figure out the arms, there'll be no stopping you.
• are most definitely teething.  We've seen alot less spit-up, but replaced it with drool.  You can soak a shirt in 30 seconds flat. Can't see anything yet, but I can feel the ridge under your gum.  It'll be coming in soon!
• started trying  more solids this month.  So far, you'll happily eat oatmeal, apples, squash, and green beans.  You like peas, too, but they seemed to upset your stomach.  And rice cereal and sweet potato are a definite NO. 
•  are almost, but not quite, sitting independently.  If I put you in a sitting position, you can hold it for a few seconds, but then you tip.
• are still taking prescription strength Zantac twice a day. We go back to the doctor's tomorrow and we'll see what she has to say about weaning you off.
• have been wearing a DOC Band for 3 weeks now.  We had a little bit of a rough start with some pretty nasty heat rash, but we've been able to resolve that and after about a week's time, you didn't even notice the band anymore.  While it was a little bit of an emotional decision, we're already able to see progress, and we're happy we decided on the treatment.
• had your first visit to the pool and loved it.  Hooray for summer!

While these first six months have had their share of challenges, I cannot believe that we are already halfway to your first birthday.  Where did that time go?!?  This past month, especially, we've seen you grow and change so very quickly.  You are moving, thinking, busy little boy.  You think your sister was born to entertain you, love rolling around with your Daddy, and reach for your Mommy anytime you are even the least bit upset.  You have the biggest smile and flash it often.  While you're still very young, already some of the "baby traits" are disappearing as you grow more interactive with the world around you.  It's going to be a very busy summer around here!


We love you, Baby J.  You're showing us something new every day.  

Five Months

Little Jacob

 you are 5 months old!

It is pretty much impossible to get a picture of this kid when he's NOT smiling.  I love that.

At five months, you-

 

• weigh between 13 and 14 lbs.  You seem to be catching up and chunking out, including those lovable baby rolls on your legs.
•  are wearing size 1 diapers
• are wearing 3-6 month clothes  You actually fit better lengthwise in 6 month.  Fortunately, it's starting to get warm and so we don't have to worry so much about pants anymore.  It'll be easier to dress you for awhile.
•  still nap 3x a day, around 10, 1, and 5.   
• "punished" me for bragging about your night sleeping by increasing the frequency of our nightly "dates" from 1 time to 2-3 times per night.  Every night.  For the last month.  Except for the weekend I went out of town.  Then you slept 10 hours straight both nights.  What's up with that??
• still sleep swaddled at night, AND in a sleep sack.  You break your hands out of the swaddle almost immediately, but still want to be wrapped up tight to fall asleep.  I figure when it's time to give it up, you'll let me know.
• are a rolling machine.  Gone are the days when you'll stay on a small blanket.  You're all over the place now.
• are thinking about starting to crawl.  You easily get your knees up under you, but haven't figured out what to do with your arms quite yet.  Which is good.  I'm SO not ready for that.
• put everything and anything you can get your hands on directly into your mouth.  By far, your favorite chew toy is my finger.  I'm trying to get you hooked on a teething ring, but so far, my finger is your snack of choice. 
•  love to sit and stand.  You're not interested on laying around on your back anymore, you want to see the world!
• are still taking prescription strength Zantac twice a day. We had to increase your dosage because you've grown and we noticed an increase in spit up, but...
• we started solids this past week!  You've rejected rice cereal (not that I blame you), but like oatmeal.  And the addition of solids has most definitely decreased the amount of spit-up that follows.  So hopefully, as we increase your solid intake over the next couple months, we can decrease the dosage again.
• have seen a specialist, and been diagnosed with plagiocephaly.  While we were hoping to avoid this, it's something that we've come to terms with, and we've had you fitted for head gear.  You will receive your new "hat" next week, and right now they're estimating 6-9 weeks of treatment.  I wish we weren't headed in to summer and warm weather, but the longer we wait, the longer the treatment is likely to take, so this is for the best.  We hope this is the last of our diagnoses, and specialists, and round of doctor visits and by this fall we will able to take a deep breath and move forward.

It's hard to believe that next month you will be celebrating your "half-birthday".  We've come such a long, long way in the last 5 months, and I feel like the end of the tunnel is in sight and we're finally settling in and enjoying each other.  Also, it's nice not smell like baby puke ALL the time.  People might start talking to me again now ;)

Three

Mia, you are THREE years old today!

Oh my goodness, Mia, what can we say about you?

• You are still a lightweight.  26lbs and 36 inches tall.
• You have a teeny waist, so you can still fit in 2T bottoms, but fit better in 3T tops and dresses.  
• You have been potty-trained for the last 7 months or so. 
• You talk non-stop.  You love to repeat new words and phrases, and it's often quite funny to hear our phrases come out of your mouth.  Your imagination and storytelling is boundless.  You're hysterical to listen to.
• You are an early-riser.  I recently  taught you to recognize the number 7 on a digital clock.  You now know that if you wake up before 7am, you may read or lay quietly in your bed, but you may not call out until the first number on the clock is 7.  You usually start screaming for me at 7:01.
• You have started to go through periods where you fight naptime, but you are so non-stop active during the day, that you really do still need this time to rest.  These periods aside, you still typically sleep 1.5-2 hours in the afternoon. 
• You are extremely independent, when it suits you.  You can get dressed on your own, put on your own shoes, clean up your toys, clear away your own dishes and trash, help carry groceries, and a number of other tasks.  You don't always LIKE to do these things, but you can.  
• You are also extremely strong-willed.  This is probably our biggest challenge right now. You like things done your way, in your time, and do not like to be told differently.  My daring to contradict you, even over the smallest things, can result in all out, passionate, loud, and lengthy displays of temper.  They are exhausting for everyone involved.  This boundary testing can make for some long days, but I know that "this too shall pass" and we'll come out whole on the other side...eventually.
• On the flip side, you are also extremely loving and empathetic.  You are the first to comfort a hurt loved one, are adoring and protective of your baby brother, and can be driven to tears when caught or reprimanded for hurting someone else.  
• You thrive on order, structure and routine.  We end each day with a discussion of the next day's plans.
• You love books, and puzzles, trains, dollhouses, and anything that involves moving at high speeds.  You can ride a tricycle, and just received a scooter for your birthday.  You are also surprisingly adept with electronic devices... a sign, I guess, of your generation.
• You are very social and loving playing with your friends.  We have you enrolled in a preschool in the fall and hope that you will enjoy this next step in social interaction and learning.

There have been some big changes to our family over the last year, and age three is just so much different than age 2.  At the end of the day, we find ourselves wanting to laugh over your antics and creativity, while also crying over your stubbornness and your temper.  You, Miss Mia, are a crazy paradox that keeps us on our toes.  But that's your job, isn't it?

Because you're so much your own little person now, I wanted to record your own thoughts, in your own words.  Because NOBODY can say it like you:

Four Months

Little Jacob

 you are 4 months old!

 

At four months, you-

 

Pretty much the expression we see all day

 

• weigh almost 12lbs, according to our (admittedly unreliable) bathroom scale.
•  are wearing size 1 diapers
• are fitting perfectly in 3 month clothing. You've "bulked up", so you fill them out much better.  You are LONG and are already stretching out some of the onesies that are hand-me-downs and have been washed multiple times.
•  still have the same sleep/wake routine: up for the day between 7 and 8, and have a morning nap about 2 hours after you wake.  Then you're up till 1 and nap again from 1-3:30.  There's another nap around 5:30, which is perfect because it means the rest of the family can eat dinner in peace.  In between, you're happy, smiling, and social.  You're a complete flirt, especially with ladies.
  
• are a great night sleeper!  You're down for the night by 8:30, wake up once to eat between 4 and 5, and then back to bed until it's time to get up for the day.  We've had a little bit of "regression" where you wake up several times at night, but not enough to eat.  We increased your feedings a little during the day, and that seems to have helped.  
• kick and claw your way out of the swaddle...but then get mad.  I'm trying to wean you, so for right now you sleep in a sleep sack, with swaddle around it.  You still can get your hands out, but the sack prevents your kicking feet from loosening everything and getting you all tangled up.
• regularly roll from your tummy to your back, and will occasionally roll from back to tummy.
• still think bathtime is the best part of the day. 
•  can reach and grab at something you want, especially if it's a pull-toy.
• are still taking prescription strength Zantac twice a day. 
• have grown to enjoy  tummytime.  You've gotten MUCH better at lifting/supporting your head and love to look around.
•  prefer to be upright or sitting so that you can see everything now.  You don't care to be held like a newborn anymore, you're a big boy (and your neck control is great)
• are extremely vocal.  You don't have any vowel sounds, but you use this glass-shattering screeching to express your emotions, be it excitement or frustration.  You've also laughed several times, but never when we have the flipcam ready to record it.
• love seeing and talking to yourself in the mirror!  
• think that your sister exists purely to entertain you.  You squeal and squirm whenever she's nearby.

You have grown, physically and developmentally, SO much in this past month.  You are definitely not a newborn anymore.  You are, however, social, and happy, and cuddly, and growing.  We go back to the doctor on Tuesday for your 4-month checkup (and vaccines...sorry!) and I'm interested to hear what she has to say.  We definitely think that you have "turned a corner".  Hooray!

WW: Look at Him Go!

This little guy has been working hard the last week.  He's now lifting and holding himself up, as well as rolling from tummy to back AND back to tummy.

Also, notice his best cheerleader in the background.

Cherry Blossoms

Spring (summer?) came early to Northern Virginia this year, and the famed cherry blossoms are already in full bloom.  Last week, Kevin took a day off of work, and we journeyed into the city.  Between getting a late start, and construction traffic, it took us 1.5 hours to make the normally 45 minute trip.  Which meant that by the time we got lunch,  we only walked around for an hour before we hit Mia's naptime and she went into meltdown mode.  We struggled our way back to the car (meaning, pushed a screaming Mia in the stroller while ignoring the stares of onlookers), got her settled into the back seat with a snack, and headed for home.  Until we hit traffic again.  And our sleeping baby woke up and decided he had to eat RIGHT THIS INSTANT.  We ended up pulling over on some street and parking outside of somebody's house for half an hour while I fed him a bottle.  All the while entertaining the still-awake Mia by having her count birds, or look for shapes in the cloud.

So, semi-controlled chaos at best.

Despite that, we make this little pilgrimage every year, and we'll surely go back again next year.  It's fun to see the growth and change.

And just for kicks...

2011

2010