Baby Shep 2 Months

Shepherd,
You are two months old!

taken at your 2 month doctor's visit

What our life is like:
We are still working on this schedule thing. I'm not nearly as strict as I was with the twins. You normally go to sleep around 9:30 or 10 for the night. Last night you slept from 10 until 6am! Woo hoo! Other nights, you are up around 4 and then at 7 or 3 and then 6. It really just depends. I've been busy lately and haven't kept you on as much as a schedule as I would have liked!

After the 6 am feeding you head to back to sleep. I do a morning pump (still making a good amount of milk) to empty out from the night before) and either head back to sleep or get up if EC and H are awake. You are up for the day at 8:30/9am and we start nursing then. You are pretty much exclusively breastfeed with an occasionally bottle here or there if I'm not home. If you do take a bottle, it's around 4-5oz. I don't really ever bottle feed you myself. This makes feeding SUPER easy. You are always on the the go and it makes it very easy to head out the door without packing bottles.

We are still settling into our summer/stay-at-home routine. Our schedule is normally dictated by what I've got going on. After the 9 am feeding we try to run all of our errands. We (EC, H and I) normally play with you/sing to you from across the room while you're sitting in your boppy until around 10. Then we head out for the day. You usually nap from 10-12 or 1 while we're out and about. If you fall asleep at home you'll take a a good hour nap and then doze on and off until it's time to eat again. You nap in your crib or in your guzzie and gus chair. You've even fallen asleep in your high chair. Third child, you are relaxed and go with the flow!

We nurse at 12/1 and then put the twins to sleep. We have playtime until 1:30 or 2 and then you're down for a nap and I have between 45 minutes to 2 hours to get things done around the house (or watch TV!) until someone wakes up from nap. Recently. Holden has been getting up early so the three of us hang out on the couch and have quiet time.

By 5, everyone is up and I'm trying to make dinner and count the minutes until Daddy gets home :) We've been so blessed to have meals for the past two months and I haven't had to do much cooking. We eat as a family around 5:30/6 and a lot of times you end up eating at the table with us. Nothing like nursing during dinner. I generally carry you around while we get the twins ready for bed or you hangout on your mat and swat at the toys overhead. You head to sleep at 7 for your catnap. We put the twins down and then get things done around the house until 9. We wake you up and bathe you. You nurse one last time and off to sleep you go! I do one more evening pump as soon as you go to bed. I try to head to bed after you but recently we haven't made it back there until midnight so those nights that you sleep til 6am are greatly appreciated!

Shepherd:
Nicknames: Shep, Sheppie, Shep Shep, Sheppie Beppie, Beppie, Chunky Monkey, Monkey, Mon-kiki, kiki, keeks, (like that progression there....!)
Weight: 12lbs 4oz. 
Height: 23 1/2 inches
Hair:  dark blonde. Hasn't really grown at all since birth. Love my bald babies!
Eyes: very dark blue
Clothes: newborn clothes were gone after the first two weeks. You've grown out of a lot of 3 month things and 6 month stuff fits/is a tiny tiny bit too big. I was so different about the twins when it came to clothes, I never ventured past their "month" in the closet. I pull everything from your closet (even the 9 month stuff) because I know how quickly you'll grow! We're trying to wear each item at least once but MAN do you have a lot of clothes.
Diapers: We said buhbye to the prefolds (ugh I hate those) and are pretty much in bum genius 4.0 or kawaii newborns all the time. You are on the tiniest rise in the BGs and we leave two columns of snaps showing.
Eating: Nursing every 3 hours and longer at night.
Likes: being held/sitting upright, the boba carrier (you nap in there a lot), being swaddled, being naked, laying on your playmat on the couch (not as much of a fan on the floor), being sung to, being tickled
Dislikes: falling asleep without the swaddle
Development: You are a champ at holding your head up and lifting your upper body. The doctor at your 2 month check up said that you were 2 months ahead in that area of development. It was funny for me to hear that because the twins were usually on the later end of gross motor development. It is very different having a full-term baby. You can also roll from belly to back. You are VERY strong. You are alert and bright eyed. You can follow me around the room and turn your head to hear my voice. You are smiling like a champ and give mommy the BEST smiles!
Words: not yet!
Teeth: not yet!

Extra:
Right after your one month appointment, you were diagnosed with reflux. We put you on medicine (axid) and it has made all the difference. You are SUCH a happy baby when you have your medicine. We can always tell when we've missed a dose because you start to cry. You usually don't cry much unless it's time to eat or you're trying to fall asleep (you have a hard time sleeping without your swaddle). You are a big guy and everyone comments on what a big baby you are. You are in the 25% for head, 50% for weight and 75% for length. You feel like the twins did at 5 months. Your carrier is so heavy and I prefer to put you in the boba if I have to carry you. You are the sweetest thing and give the best smiles. We enjoy playing together and chatting. I'm so glad you're good at nursing now because it is usually the only peaceful time we get to spend together :) It's hard on me that your a growing so fast. You were barely a newborn, and I feel like the infant phase is fleeting and now you are a baby. Slow down a little ok? 

Your brother and sister adore you. A lot of times you'll be sitting in your chair and the twins with be playing near you. I am in and out of the room trying to pick up and get laundry done. We hear you cry and EC or Holden will rush to give you your paci. Emma Cate likes to sing to you and you give her some pretty fabulous smiles. Holden can't wait for you to play with him. He is very loving to you but his hugs are a little tight around your head :) He tried to play cars with you but mommy put an end to that when he used your head as a road. Emma Cate likes to hold you but when she's done, she just let's go so we don't trust her too much!

I love you sooo much Sheppie. You have brought some peacefulness into our lives (sounds crazy with a newborn right?). I've got to slow down a bit when I'm with you and I love it. You are so happy and peaceful and always make me smile. I am so thankful for you.