A few picture updates

 Christmas lights at the Fayetteville square.

Owen and Brady meet Santa.  Owen looks at Santa while Brady tries to attack Owen. 

 Typical day.  Brady sits, Owen tries to sit next to Brady, Brady attacks Owen, Owen gets out of dodge and Brady starts crawling.

Owen and I made monsters.  He loves them!

Owen loves playing in his tent with his blocks and books!

Brady 7 months

Brady,

You are now officially an army crawler.  You can get from point A to B in about 5 seconds flat.  We are definitely starting to baby proof and had to put the baby gate up.  You are putting EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING into your mouth including all of Owen's toys, which we are constantly taking the little parts away from you.  You want to be where the action is and don't want to miss a thing!

Last week I took you to the Dr. because you had been having a runny nose and then started running a fever.  I found out you had a nasty sinus infection and you are now on antibiotics for it.  You hate taking your antibiotic and have thrown up mucus a few times.  Poor pumpkin.  You have been so snotty and are having a hard time sleeping because you can't breathe through your nose!

You are still learning new ways to make your voice heard.  You are starting to blow raspberries as loud as you can and are still doing your high pitched opera singer voice.  We think that voice is hilarious and is definitely your trademark.  Your other thing you have started doing is grunting if you need to poop.  It is hilarious!

This month, you learned how to sit all by yourself with no support!  You are becoming such a big boy!  You still would rather crawl around and don't want to be stationary for very long but you look so big sitting there with no help at all.

We are still working with you on taking a bottle, but you still hate them.  So, we started introducing soft spout sippy cups, and I think you like those a lot better.  So, here's to hoping that you will take one now and again for your last feeding.  We will keep working with you and I really think you will get it soon.  You are still breastfeeding 5 times a day and eating 3 meals a day.  You have also graduated to the high chair!

Mimi came to our house to celebrate Christmas with us since we will be celebrating Christmas day with mommy's family.  You were very sick that day, but you love your presents you got and Owen loves his too! 

You are pretty consistently going to bed between 7-7:30pm and are waking up around 7ish.  You are starting to sleep through the night without waking up more, although you have kept mommy up a lot this week because you weren't feeling well.  I have enjoyed the extra snuggles.

We didn't weigh or measure you this month, but you are big.  You are in 12 month clothing because you are sooooo long my boy! 

We love you to the moon and back "big and tall". 

Brady 6 months

Brady,

You are 6 months old!  Where the heck does the time go?  I cannot believe you are half a year old.  It serioulsy went by so fast.

You are still such a mover and a shaker!  You got up on your knees for the first time this month.  You really want to crawl, but right now you get on your left knee and push up and drag the right leg behind you.  You kind of inch worm your way or barrel roll where you want to go.  You are still a hair grabber, try to eat everything, and will not sit still no matter what!  If you are in the bumbo or bouncer, you try to roll out of them!

You love to talk and coo still!  We have heard you say "ma" and "dada" but you don't know you are saying it yet.  Everything you say, Owen will look at me, tell me what you said, and will start laughing so hard.  You two are just too sweet to watch together!  You still do your high pitched Mariah Carey squeel too.

You love the jumperoo still, but your favorite activity is to be on your belly and to watch everything and everyone, try to put as many things into your mouth as you can, and to try to crawl!

You are taking 4 1/2-5 breastfeeding feeds a day and are eating 3 meals a day.  You have tried a lot of different fruits and veggies and love everything you have tasted so far.  We can tell that you are growing because you are starting to eat more and more at each meal!

You still hate bottles, although we will keep trying little man!  We know you are working on getting some more teeth in because you are drooling like crazy and putting everything into your mouth!

We found out that you have your first ear infection.  The pediatrician prescribed amoxycylin so we will start that and see how it goes.  I feel like this is why you haven't been eating as well lately and once you start feeling better you will eat like a champ again!  You also have this weird fungus circle on your head, but we are going to start some cream on it to see if that helps. Your ezcema is so much better since I have cut out dairy.  We are still applying the lotion every day and that is helping.

Last month, you experienced your first Halloween and you were a dinosaur and Owen was a ninja and this month you went to Mimi's house for Thanksgiving.  We hung out with her, Aunt Emily, Thadd, and you also got to see your Great Grandma Emily, Uncle John, Aunt Marlene, Mawmaw, and Pawpaw on your way back home.  It was a fun filled three days!

You are taking 2-2 1/2 naps a day of about an hour to two hours each.  You still go to bed between 7-8, will wake up once in the middle of the night to eat, and then will wake up at 7ish.  I think once you start taking good feedings during the day again, you won't be waking up in the middle of the night anymore.  You have slept all the way through the night before without waking up, so we want to make this more consistent ok?

You weigh 17.5 pounds (50th percentile), are 29 inches long (95th percentile), and your head is in the 75 percentile.  I knew you were getting longer because you are in pretty much just 12 month clothes now.  So, hopefully you aren't in 2T clothes by the time you are 1!  You are in size 3 diapers now too!

You are still as chubby and chunky as ever and we love you so much!

Brady 5 months

Brady,

You are now 5 months old!  You are getting so big and we love you so much our spunky, funny, smiley, wiggly, active little man.

This month you are sort of becoming mobile.  You will roll onto your hip and push with one of your feet to get where you want to go.  You will end up on the opposite end of the rug or your crib at times.  So, we are wondering if you will be crawling by the end of the month my dear.  You are still quite the hair grabber and you also like to put your mouth on our chin or cheek.  I call you "Mr. Peepers" from SNL because that is what he does.  You are so wiggly and smiley and want to socialize all the time.  Owen doesn't like it very much when you try to eat his face or arm or pull his hair.  He doesn't quite understand what you're doing.  You are not a very easy baby to rock because you will have both of your hands around my hair while you are trying to eat my chin all while I am trying to sing to you and rock you and knowing it isn't working. 

This month, you have found your voice even more.  You make this sound like you are choking and it scares us every time you do it.  You will talk to anyone or anything that will listen to you.  You coo, squeal, giggle (which we love), and smile all the time.  We tickle you or make silly sounds to you like "dadada", "boo", like to play peekaboo or make farting noises and you think they are so funny. 

You love to be on your tummy now because you are so busy.  You were introduced to the jumperoo this month and absolutely love it.  You will hit the buttons and start squealing when the music starts.  Owen loves to show you how to push the buttons too.  You have also been introduced to the bumbo this month, but we don't use it very often since you try to crawl out of the side my crazy child. 

You went to the pediatrician this month about your ezcema.  We were told to put hydrocortizone cream and Eucerin lotion on your face as well as mommy avoiding dairy products.  Your face is really doing a lot better. 

Your gas issues have gotten so much better!  You have gone from pooping up to nine times a day to now once every day to every other day.  I think starting cereal has helped with that. 

You have now tasted green beans and peas and are still eating cereal too.  You will sometimes take cereal in the morning and will eat cereal combined with a veggie at night.  You will be starting fruits this week and will work your way up by the end of the month to eating 3 meals a day.  You are still breastfeeding 5-6 times a day and are refusing to take bottles.  We are pretty sure that is because of you teething so early.

You got your first tooth at 4 1/2 months and are working on about 3 more right now!  You are totally opposite from Owen in all areas and this one is no exception.  He didn't get his first tooth until 8 months and he would get one at a time.  At the rate you're going, you will be getting your teeth in fast and all at once!

You are going to bed pretty consistently now between 7-8.  You will wake up once in the middle of the night to eat still, but will then sleep until 7 or 8.  You are usually really good about eating and going right nback to sleep.  I really think once some of these teeth come in, you will be sleeping a lot better and hopefully through the night real soon!  You are also becoming a rolly polly now and that will wake you up when you get wedged into the corner of your crib.  You are taking about 3 consistent naps a day now ranging anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.

You weigh around 14.5-15 pounds now and are still in size 2 diapers although you will be moving to 3's really soon. 

You love love love your brother Owen and you are both such a joy to watch together!

 

 

We love you so much and you are so much fun to have around little guy!

Brady 4 months

Brady,

You are 4 months old!  Sorry I am writing this blog so late, but life has been crazy the last week! 

You are developing quite the personality.  Your new thing this month is to growl like a sick dinosaur.  If you see anyone, you will start making that noise while staring at them.  I think this is your way of telling us something.  You will smile any time you see anyone also.  You are such a happy baby.  You are still quite the mover and will roll everywhere, grab your toes, and just cannot stay still!  You learned how to roll from your tummy to your back and your back to your tummy this month.  You will get on your belly and will push so far up and look around everywhere and then do what looks like a rocking horse.  We really think you will be crawling within the next couple of months.  You are also a hair grabber.  If I am feeding or rocking you, you will grab onto my hair and not let go!  It hurts so bad.  You also started this new thing where you will turn your head towards my face and try to eat my cheek or chin.  It makes me laugh so hard!

You are not sleeping very good.  You will go to bed anytime between 8:30-10:30.  You still wake up at least once in the middle of the night to eat. You are a little social bug and instead of sleeping you just want to practice rolling around or talking to your dad and I.  You are supposed to nap three times a day, or so all the books say.  But, I am lucky if I can get you to take one good nap, sometimes two.  Once you are asleep, sometimes you will wake yourself up because you roll to your tummy and get mad about it.  But, I left you like this the other day and you fell asleep on your stomach!  So, for now on, I will let you sleep however you want little one!

 

 

You still have tummy issues but they are getting better.  Sometimes I think this is why you have a hard time going to sleep because your tummy is trying to settle down and you will either poop, fart, or need to burp again and it interrupts your nap time. 

This week, you started cereal once a day.  You are hilarious!  Since you are such a mover, it is hard to get the spoon to your mouth.  You will try to grab it, try to eat your bib, or will knock the food all over yourself.  Once it makes it to your mouth, you make the funniest face like we are trying to feed you liver.  We knew you were ready to start cereal because you get mad if you are not at the table with us, you watch us eat, and you started staring at our food.  You also started acting like you were still hungry after having milk.  Also, at your 4 month appointment you only weighed a little over 13 pounds, so you hadn't gained very much weight.  You will get the hang of it, and hopefully eventually it helps you sleep through the night.  You are still breastfeeding anywhere from 5-7 times a day. 

You got your 4 month shots this week.  Later that night, your little body got bumps all over it and you developed a fever.  We also found out that you have ezcema and it is mainly on your cheeks and forehead right now.  The pediatrician told me to put Eucerin lotion on you and once I tried it, your face broke out into bright red hives and you rubbed the lotion into your eyes making them puffy and hard to open.  So, after talking to the nurse, she told me to discontinue using.  After you ate cereal last night, you rubbed it on your face, and your face broke out into the itchy bumps again.  We are trying to figure out what to do to help your dry skin and we feel so bad for you.

The older you get, the more you are realizing if we are in the room or not.  You are sometimes content being left alone and sometimes you don't want to be all by yourself.  You have totally fallen in love with your brother and you watch him do everything!  Owen is interacting with you more and brings you toys, gives you hugs and kisses, and has started talking to you.  It is so sweet!

You are still a long boy.  At your dr. appointment, I couldn't hear when they told me how long you were because you were crying since you were hungry.  But, I can tell you that you look a lot longer and are hanging off of your bouncer and are wearing some 6-9 month pants already.  You are long and skinny just like your daddy. 

We love you so much and you bring so much joy to our lives! 

Owen 2 1/2 years!

Owen,

We really cannot believe that you are 2 1/2 years old!  Oh my goodness this CANNOT be possible!  So much has happened in these last 6 months of your life.  Well, we moved to Arkansas in January, you had your 2nd birthday party at Fun City in March, Brady was born in May, you started Mother's Day Out on Wednesdays in August, and now we are moving to a new house in September! 

 

 

 

You are such a sweet boy!  You love to give hugs and kisses and always tell everyone "I love you."  You are also so polite and are always saying please and thank you.  Sometimes you get a really whiny voice and we have to tell you to ask us in a big boy voice.  You love to help us too.  You will help me during the day by bringing me diapers or burp cloths.  You help pick up your toys (after having to be reminded a few times sometimes), and love to help throw things away. 

You are a really smart boy.  You can identify about 15 letters now, red, blue, green, and yellow, you can count to 20 and you will count items by pointing at them one at a time.  You speak in complete sentences and will repeat yourself over and over if your dad or I don't answer you.

Lately, you have started pretending.  You are constantly bringing us medicine, food, drinks, or other random items.  One time you brought me an imaginary man and I pretended to eat it like I always do when you bring me stuff and you got upset at me.  I apparently wasn't listening to you sweetie.  You love to play with your cars and will drive them all over the house.  You also love puzzles and books.  You love to have a story read to you and then will "read" it back to us.  You love to dance and anytime you hear a song whether it is a commercial or in a store, you will start dancing.  You have become really affectionate and will hug stuffed animals, tell them you love them, and give them hugs and kisses. 

You are very busy and are in constant motion.  You love to play outside and to be able to run around to get some energy out.  You also love going to parks, but we have taken a break since it is so hot, but also since you haven't obeyed mommy the last couple of times we have gone.  Lately at the park, you are becoming a lot less scared and are starting to climb more.  We go to the library for story time, Chick fil a to play, Fun City to play, play dates with friends, and MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) where you get to play with friends too.  You also love to swim and have been to the Bentonville pool and the Walmart Fitness Center pool.  You go to the splash pad also, but you have never liked water on your head so you have just started becoming more comfortable going.

You can be honery at times, but for the most part you are very obedient and a good boy.  When you do get in trouble, you either go to timeout or you will get a spanking.  If you get hurt by your toys, you also put them in time out and tell them no no.  You are so funny.

 
You are still in diapers and when we move into our new house, you and I are going to really work on potty training.  You are showing interest, but I think there is so much going on that you just don't want to mess with one more thing.  I don't blame you.

You are still in size 6 shoes, size 2t-3t shirts and 2t shorts and pants.  You are also in size 5 diapers.

 

You still don't have your two year molars in.  You really are a slow teether and always have been.  But, I know those teeth will come out soon and won't bother you anymore.  When you are hurting, we will give you tylenol and will sometimes rub oragel on your gums.

We love you so much Owen and you are such a blessing in our life.  We love you funny personality, gorgeous red hair and blue eyes, your sweet demeanor, analytical brain, and your easy going self. 

Love,

Mommy and Daddy