Shep 7 Months

Baby Shep 7 Months

So I'm majorly behind on your 7th month but I still wanted to document it! I miss spending time at the computer where I'm not working on school work. I would really like to blog more because I love looking back on our life.

What our life is like:
I am wishing things would slow down. We are always on the go and always busy busy. You've been on a weird nap schedule and we've actually ended up having afternoons together when the twins are asleep. We play and laugh! You are just the happiest happiest baby! Always smiling! As far a milk goes, I had a rough month due to a hospital stay and surgery because of a kidney stone. I had to pump and dump for a week. I was already not pumping enough and now our frozen supply is almost gone. I wanted to get you through to a year just on breastmilk but it looks like we'll be supplementing with formula. I know its not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but I'm a little bummed that we're not going to make it to a year. I'm in the process of research the best formulas. I'm still planning to breastfeed/pump and hopefully 75% of your milk will come from me :) 

We started solids this month and you are in love. You are an eating machine. I'm not as great at diversifying your meals as I was with the twins but we're doing the best we can. You've had apples, plums, bananas, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, cheerios, goldfish, and oyster crackers. Applesauce is your favorite but you will put down a 4oz pouch and not think twice about it. I am getting ready to make a bunch of baby foods this weekend! I took a different approach and bought tons of organic pouches for you to try new foods and then I plan on making the stuff you really like. You are great with your pincher grip and almost immediately were able to eat cheerios off your tray. You also took to baby food so well! You can do the pouch without a spoon! You can chew well and I don't even really mash your bananas anymore. It's so much more fun the second time around. I'm more comfortable feeding you and you love the independence of eating big kid food. 

When we are able to be home for you, you're awesome at being on  schedule. Recently, we've had lots of dr appointments for mommy and we've sort of messed up all your nap times. On a normal day we wake you up between 7-7:30 and you have a 6oz bottle. You play and hang out until 9:30 and head to sleep until 10:30. You take another bottle between 10:30-11. You play until 12 then go down for a nap until 1:30-2. You wake up, drink another 6oz and play until 3:30. You nap from 3:30-5 and then you are up until your last bottle at 7pm. We finally cut the cord with your 5am feedings. It took a solid week of crying it out for almost two hours (I would wake up and stare at your monitor for hours until you went back to sleep- so painful for me!) but you got it and now are sleeping soundly for 12 hours and seem to love it!

You are hitting milestones like crazy! You started crawling and then about two weeks later you were pulling up. You pull up on everything! Right at your 7 month birthday you started cruising and now you're moving around furniture like a pro. You are also great at getting back down after you stand up. You still don't like to sit. You can for a few minutes but you always transition to crawling and are off!! You have had a few falls from a standing position but you cry for a second and then want to try again. You are a very determined baby. You laugh out loud and it is the best sound. You have an amazing smile and are always go generous with it. You seriously are so happy and soooo cute. You've gained some weight and have the sweetest little thigh rolls and the biggest chipmunk cheeks. Sometimes I check for cheerios in them because I just don't think they can be that big on their own!

Emma Cate takes you in very small doses. You love to smile at her and she'll smile back but that is about the extend of your relationship. Holden just adores you and you adore him. He stands by your carseat when I get it out of the car and always asks about you. Today I found him playing peek a boo with you in your crib. You were laughing like I've never heard you laugh before! The bond between you too is so adorable. Both Emma Cate and Holden love to sing to you when you're crying. Their favorite is ABCD.

Shepherd:
Nicknames: Pherd (as in she-pherd... everyone makes fun of me when I call you that!) Shep, Sheppie, Shep Shep, Sheppie Beppie, keeks, (like that progression there....!) 
Weight: ?
Height: ?
Hair:  dark blonde. It's grown in a little! Probably the most even of all your siblings
Eyes: very dark blue
Clothes: all 6 months and you've grown out of a lot of those! Mostly 9-12 months now
Diapers: We are in bum genius 4.0 all the time. You are on the tiniest rise in the BGs and we leave three columns of snaps showing. We switched to pampers at night because you were soaking through everything.
Eating: A 5-6oz bottle every 4 hours 
Likes: Smiling (you are such a happy baby!), crawling, standing up, climbing in the book baskets, cruising around the coffee table, getting into everything, pulling mommy's hair, starting to have separation anxiety when mommy leaves the room,sophie toy, climbing on the fireplace, exersaucer, sleeping on your belly with your tush in the air, playing with your brother, following his siblings around the house (we leave you in a room and you power crawl after us, pulling the dog's fur,
Dislikes: nothing really!
Development: You're way ahead with your gross motor.You can crawl with the best of them, sit pretty well (we have to put you in sitting position), can go from sitting to crawling, you are start to pull up on things (ahhh!), you are becoming babbly and I can't wait for your first words!
Words: not yet!
Teeth: not yet but man has that drooling increased!

Extra:

Baby Shep 6 Months

Well I didn't get your 5 month post up but am determined to do your 6th month. I've been praying for things to slow down but each day moves faster and faster and I can't believe you have been in our family for 6 whole months! Just the other day I was sort of shocked to realize that you need to start eating baby food! Ahhh you're growing up way to fast!

What our life is like:
Things have been pretty crazy. You lost 2 pounds between your 4th and 5th month and we had to stop nursing and switch to pumping and bottle feeding. I'm sad our nursing days are pretty much over but still thankful I can provide for you. I'm currently not producing enough to meet your daily needs but luckily we've got lots in the freezer from the first two months. 

We changed up the schedule a bit and had to add in some extra feedings to get your weight back up. We wake you up between 7-7:30 and you have a 6oz bottle. You play and hang out until 9:30 and head to sleep until 10:30. You take another bottle between 10:30-11. You play until 12 then go down for a nap until 1:30-2. You wake up, drink another 6oz and play until 3:30. You nap from 3:30-5 and then you are up until your last bottle at 8pm. You have been a little better at sleeping through the night but are still waking around 5am for another bottle. Mommy and Daddy are TIRED! I think we've only slept through the night 3 or 4 times since you arrive 6 months ago! Thank GOODNESS you are a wonderful baby during the day!

You are so go with the flow and independent. You are a champ at holding your bottle and prefer to hold it instead of me giving it to you. I still try to cuddle you when you take it so that I still feel like you're my tiny little baby.

You've had a big two months. Some highlights include: attending cheerleading camp, baby boehm's shower, nursery during church, ditching your swaddle, first trip to Baden lake, aunt allie's wedding, learning to scoot backwards, surgery on your hydrocele, learning to sit up (still working on it!),a visit to Gran's house, crawling (seriously at 5 months!), bidding Bo farewell as she moved to London, going apple picking, festival in the park, family reunion, swung on your new swing set, road the light rail uptown, walked in the Race for the Cure, went to family day at Daddy's job, attend the fall picnic in our neighborhood, and ate your first bite of applesauce!

Recently, you have loved to be on your own and independent. You crawl all over the family room and come find us whenever we are out of sight. We got a new kitchen table and your high char is at the head and you love sitting with everyone while we eat (which prompted your first taste of baby food). You still love your exersaucer. We are working on sitting up but its hard because you like to be on the go! You can transition from a seated to crawling position. Your favorite toy is your curiosity cube. You are a great napper!

Holden has really taken to you this month. I find you both on your bellies playing trains and airplanes. So sweet to watch you and your brother. He loves you so much and showers you with kisses. Emma Cate is mommy's helper and puts your paci in when you're crying and tries to feed you your bottle but gets frustrated when you prefer to hold it yourself. She's also great at wiping your face and putting your dirty bottles in the sink.


Shepherd:
Nicknames: Pherd (as in she-pherd... everyone makes fun of me when I call you that!) Shep, Sheppie, Shep Shep, Sheppie Beppie, Mon-kiki, kiki, keeks, (like that progression there....!) Emma Cate calls you sheppie sheppie sheppie sheppie
Weight: 15lbs 1oz
Height: 26 inches
Hair:  dark blonde. It's grown in a little! Probably the most even of all your siblings
Eyes: very dark blue
Clothes: all 6 months and you've grown out of a lot of those! Mostly 9-12 months now
Diapers: We are in bum genius 4.0 all the time. You are on the tiniest rise in the BGs and we leave three columns of snaps showing. We switched to pampers at night because you were soaking through everything.
Eating: A 5-6oz bottle every 4 hours and normally one night time feeding (which our doctor has told us that we need to drop!)
Likes: Smiling (you are such a happy baby!), crawling, getting into everything, pulling mommy's hair, starting to have separation anxiety when mommy leaves the room, toy football, climbing on the fireplace, exersaucer, sleeping on your belly, playing airplanes with his brother, following his siblings around the house, pulling the dog's fur, your curiosity cube. 
Dislikes: crying it out, sleeping through the night
Development: You're way ahead with your gross motor.You can crawl with the best of them, sit pretty well (we have to put you in sitting position), can go from sitting to crawling, you are start to pull up on things (ahhh!), you are becoming babbly and I can't wait for your first words!
Words: not yet!
Teeth: not yet but man has that drooling increased!

Extra:

Baby Shep 4 Months Old

This post is a little behind because things have gotten crazy since you turned 4 months but I'm thinking back to what you were like at 4 months because I am going to make sure I get your 5 month post up on time!

What our life is like:
We finally got on a schedule! You wake up around 7am and nurse and then sleep from 9-11 and nurse again and then play from 11-1, nurse and then nap from 1-3 and nurse and then play until your catnap at 6 and then you eat for the night at 7 and are off to bed. You still don't sleep through the night consistently. You are normally up once for a paci and usually a feeding sometime between 4 and 5. Mommy and Daddy are just a little on the sleepy side!

You are a pretty good and efficient nurser and I don't even know the last time I've pumped (well I guess at the beginning of the month for aunt allie's bachelorette party!)

We've been on the go plenty this month. You visited your Daddy at work for the first time and slept through the entire visit! We'll have to bring you back soon so everyone can hold you. We also left you alone overnight with your Gran while Mommy and Daddy went on bachelor/bachelorette weekends with Aunt Allie and Uncle Brett. You went to the pool and got to stick your feet in the water! You thought this was pretty fun! You've been to the Y a LOT! You are so happy in the baby room. I used to take you with me to the stroller class but you seem to much prefer playing in the baby room to hanging out in your stroller. We went on two playdates and you got to meet some cute little ladies! You are incredibly smiley! We went to the park and you got in the swing for the first time. We didn't push you but you just loved hanging out.

You are finding your place in our family. You LOVE to be in the exersaucer and right in the middle of the action when your brother and sister are running around like crazy people. Emma Cate does not like it when you cry (no cry sheppie- no cry!) and will bring you a paci and shake her finger at you to stop crying. Holden is warming up to you big time. He gives you random hugs and I have to watch out because he likes to squeeze pretty tight!

Now for some milestones.. you continue to impress us with you strenght! You are rolling from belly to back and back to belly. You giggle when we tickle your neck and it is soooo precious! We went to see a specialist for your acid reflux because it got to the point where you were crying ALL THE TIME... (in retrospect- I've learned this month it was because you weren't eating enough) but we switched up your meds and things called down a lot. You started napping with your arms out of your swaddle. We went back and forth with this all month. You really LOVE to be swaddled but we found you on your belly at one point and knew you couldn't stay wrapped up forever! We also went back to the kidney doctor and you are ALL IN THE CLEAR. We are soooo thankful for all the prayers and that there are absolutely no issues with your kidneys at this time. You do have a hyrdocele like your brother and we'll go in for surgery this month. You also rolled off the couch and onto the floor and sent me into a fit of tears on the nurses hotline. You stopped crying immediately after I picked you up but man was it scary to see you fall... won't be putting you up there anymore! You are holding your head/body up like a champ and enjoying playing on your tummy time mat.


Shepherd:
Nicknames: Pherd (as in she-pherd... everyone makes fun of me when I call you that!) Shep, Sheppie, Shep Shep, Sheppie Beppie, Beppie, Monkey, Mon-kiki, kiki, keeks, (like that progression there....!) Emma Cate calls you sheppie sheppie sheppie sheppie
Weight: not sure
Height: not sure
Hair:  dark blonde. It's grown in a little! Probably the most even of all your siblings
Eyes: very dark blue
Clothes: mostly 6 months but seeming like your 3 months aren't super tight, just a little short.
Diapers: We are in bum genius 4.0 all the time. You are on the tiniest rise in the BGs and we leave two columns of snaps showing. We switched to pampers at night because you were soaking through everything.
Eating: Nursing every 3-4 hours and longer at night.
Likes: being held/sitting upright, being swaddled (sorry we have to take this one away), being tickled, you are loving tummy time and stay there for a while. You also LOVE your exersaucer and the time you spend one on one with mommy and daddy talking baby talk. We get the biggest smiles, coos, and giggles. You love to pull mommy's hair. You love watching Emma Cate and Holden and cry if you are not where the action is. 
Dislikes: not too much... sleeping through the night maybe? 
Development: You are just really strong and really ahead of the curve regarding development. You are a rolling machine. You smile and laugh, you grab at objects and love the toys dangling from the playmat. You love your curiosity cube and looking in the mirror. You like to stand holding our hands. 
Words: not yet!
Teeth: not yet but man has that drooling increased!

Extra:
You are still my little tv watcher. I try to not have it on but some days it is so needed to keep the twins happy. You are a super easy going baby (once we figured out your meds) and so go with the flow. You are very observant of the world around you and I'm guessing you're going to be a smart one after watching you take everything in. 

Your brother and sister are so sweet with you. Emma Cate freaks out when you cry and starts to cry herself and says "no cry sheppie", "mama sheppie no cry... mama!". They also think that your drool is spit and I hear "Sheppie pit" a million times a day! They are always concerned for you. They are obsessed with you in the exersaucer. They play games with you and sing to you while you're in there. Holden can't wait for you to grow up and be rough and tough with him. He is still using your little head as a road for his cars when I'm not looking. Both he and Emma Cate love to give you kisses and hugs and always ask about their "baby shep". When I get them out of their cribs in the morning I always have you with me and they say "hey baby shep!" with such excitement. I wonder how long you'll be called "baby shep".

I also want to add in how much you are loving your aunt bo right now. We have been lucky to have her around this summer as she is about to move to london for two years. I think you've bonded over being the third child and Boey is always looking out for you. You love when she holds you and light up when she talks to you. Aunt Allie loves on you plenty but you've got this third child things going on with Bo and you'll be so sad when she moves! 

You really are the sweetest baby and so alert. You hang in there but we both get so excited when everyone else is sleeping and we get some one on one time. We play and cuddle and laugh! I'm always covered in shedding rug because we are always on the ground playing. I love that you are so patient with me and always have a smile waiting for me when its your turn to be played with. I love you so much Sheppie Beppie! 

And for some pictures

a little facetime with aunt bo

emma cate was reading to you about all the animals in the zoo

first dip in the pool

unfortunately, all of our pictures together are pretty much selfies. I don't get the big camera out nearly as much as I used to but I always try to take a few of us together :) 

snuggling in aunt bo's baby blanket after your 3 month pictures

Baby Shep 3 Months Old

What our life is like:
Yea so how about that schedule... We are pretty much doing the eat play sleep thing. You have been very consistant about waking up at 6:00am no matter what time you go to bed so we just started putting you to bed at 7:30/8 to see how it works. 6:00am is early but you also head back to sleep until 9 so I can't complain! You're a good overnight sleeper and consistently give us 8 hours.

I stopped pumping pretty much all together. I think I'm going to start adding in a night time pump just to keep my supply up and give us some frozen just in case we need to be apart! You are almost exclusively nursed and it makes it really really easy. I have to learn to let you control how much you eat... if I force you to eat more it just ends up back on me. You always do a good burp when you're done. If you take a bottle, it's around 5oz.

You have had a BUSY 2nd month. You visited the beach and Michigan and survived a 13.5 hour car ride. That has really made scheduling difficult. You were waking up once a night around 3:30/4 but I put an end to that when you slept in my room in Michigan. You're Dad didn't arrive until 4 days in and this mama was tired! After a little cry it out you've been good to go! All this traveling also wreaks havoc on your routine. Right now you eat at 6, sleep until 9, eat, and then we head to workout and you sleep the entire time. I feed you again at 12 and you seem to take a natural nap from 2-4. You eat again at 4 and then again at 7:30/8. It's bath time at 7:30 and then off to bed! You have been lucky in that you've got mama and daddy all to yourself at that hour. We put you to bed a little drowsy but not completely out. The minute you cry we run to your rescue... not any more! We started doing a 5 minute cry it out, then checked on you/gave you a paci and you went right to sleep.

You are SUCH a strong baby. Everyone comments and your head control. I have been really nervous that you'll get a flat spot on your head because you hang out in your carseat a lot. I ordered a new head thing for you to put in your carseat (it's made by boppy) and you seem to love it! We also started you in the exersaucer and I know it is SUPER early but you LOVE it and your brother and sister LOVE interacting with you while you're in there. It's fun for me to watch the three of you play together. 

Shepherd:
Nicknames: Pherd (as in she-pherd... everyone makes fun of me when I call you that!) Shep, Sheppie, Shep Shep, Sheppie Beppie, Beppie, Chunky Monkey, Monkey, Mon-kiki, kiki, keeks, (like that progression there....!) Emma Cate calls you sheppie sheppie sheppie sheppie
Weight: not sure
Height: not sure
Hair:  dark blonde. It's grown in a little! Probably the most even of all your siblings
Eyes: very dark blue
Clothes: your sweet 3 month smocked/kelly's kids/shrimp and grits are all to small to wear with your cloth diapers. We had to put you in disposables for you to wear that stuff. About 1/4 of your closet contains clothes that are too small... slow down buddy!
Diapers: We are 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 3-4 hours and longer at night.
Likes: being held/sitting upright, the boba carrier (you nap in there a lot), being swaddled ( YOU LOVE being swaddled.. I try naps without it but you fuss until I swaddle you), being naked, laying on your playmat on the couch (not as much of a fan on the floor), being sung to, being tickled, you do like about 15 minutes of tummy time and then you are DONE. You also LOVE your exersaucer and the time you spend one on one with mommy and daddy talking baby talk. We get the biggest smiles, coos, and giggles. You love to pull mommy's hair. 
Dislikes: falling asleep without the swaddle, gas (oh man, I started eating really healthy with lots of greens and this did not agree with your tummy... we are working on it but gas drops are your friends!)
Development: You are a champ at holding your head up and lifting your upper body. 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! You started laughing this month in these cute little baby giggles. I talk like an idiot just to hear you!
Words: not yet!
Teeth: not yet but man has that drooling increased!

Extra:
You are on the go! We put you on your tummy on your mat and you are off of it in seconds. You like to scoot mostly but sometimes rolls from tummy to back to get where you need to be. You are already a TV watcher like your brother. I tried not to let the twins watch tv at this point but with you being the 3rd I don't think that's possibly. You may suffer from ADHD when you're older but at least I'm helping you out in the strength department because you love to lift yourself up to see the TV.

You are easy going and I love it! We went to eat with some first-time mommies and their babies and you were just so chill (probably because I am way more chill this time around). You eat, smile, play, and go back to sleep really easily when we're out. I'm loving your personality... chill with lots of smiles and laughs. 

Your brother and sister are so sweet with you. Emma Cate freaks out when you cry and starts to cry herself and says "no cry sheppie", "mama sheppie no cry... mama!". They also think that your drool is spit and I hear "Sheppie pit" a million times a day! They are always concerned for you. They are obsessed with you in the exersaucer. They play games with you and sing to you while you're in there. Holden can't wait for you to grow up and be rough and tough with him. He is still using your little head as a road for his cars when I'm not looking. Both he and Emma Cate love to give you kisses and hugs and always ask about their "baby shep". When I get them out of their cribs in the morning I always have you with me and they say "hey baby shep!" with such excitement. I wonder how long you'll be called "baby shep".

You are just still the sweetest little guy. You are long with just the right amount of baby rolls. You are almost always in a good mood (unless it's been awhile since you went to the bathroom or need your medicine). You are still on Axid every 8 hours and it is a miracle medicine! I love the few hours we get to spend together everyday while your siblings are asleep. It is such a wonderful time for me! Sheppie Beppie, we are all so happy you came into our lives. You make our family slow down a bit and hang out together. We love you so much buddy! 

Sorry for the abundance of pictures but I think you're pretty cute beppie! 

hanging out after our friend Libby's birthday party

loving the rolling part of the saucer

loves to sit up! We turned your boppy around because I found you face in the couch a few times!

this swaddle from pottery barn kids is your favorite (of course only my child wouldn't like the normal ones from target)

Emma Cate holding you. I think she's only got 9 lbs on you!

hanging out with pop po at the lake house in michigan

I've got lots of selfies with you because everyone else is always off chasing your siblings! Thank goodness for the carrier and selfies!

visiting sleeping bear dunes in michigan

cousin erin held you almost the entire time we were in michigan... cousin Erin, can you move to nc?

loving the cool weather in MI! perfect for outdoor naps!

first time at the lake!

your GAB

Arthur Shepherd meeting Arthur Lewis. This is your great grandfather. He was sooo excited to meet you!

baby's first fourth with daddy

sheppie and your 3rd cousin (my cousin matt's baby) Walt. he's two weeks younger than you but totally killing in in the hair department!

these are the smiles I love so much (especially after 6 straight hours of sleep!)

wine tasting with great aunt barbara (GAB) and aunt boey

vino and baby

on of our favorite Charleston restaurants, fleet landing

hanging out at Bohikit marina while your siblings participated in the fishing tournament

check out these guns

oh the rolls... how I am loving a chunky monkey (aka totally normal sized baby)

this is how you spent most of your time on your first trip to Seabrook

it is too freaking hot in here mama!

you and gigi at bohikit

I have to remember to put you in these pics with your siblings! hopefully i'll be able to trust them holding you one of these days. This was out to eat at Bad Daddys.

I took you all three to run errands for the first time. That's your little head on top!

oh i just love you to pieces buddy!

Another Lately

Warning: This post is all over the place! 

I have really missed blogging! My kids do something cute/funny everyday and I wish I was documenting it! I love looking back on this blog and remembering these little details of our day. I'm going to try and keep my computer near my bed and fire off a quick post before I go to bed each night. 

We spent this morning at the twin's 2 year doctor appointment. They are both doing well! Both in the 50% for height (EC at 33.5 inches and H at 35 inches). Holden is in the 50% for weight at 28.5lbs and EC is in the 9% at 23lbs. We got the ok to move them to 2% milk. No more buying two cartons of milk in this house! EC still has to stay on full fat yogurt but not H and I can share fat free greek! 

I am determined to lose weight. I've been working out for a week and haven't lost a single freaking pound! I am trying to watch what I eat but need to be better at eating breakfast so that I'm not famished by lunch. 

The kids have been hitting the Y with me everyday. The teachers in child watch know them now and Holden is totally comfortable there. Emma Cate still cries at drop off but she is fine a few minutes later. Shep attends a baby class with me on monday/wednesday/friday and I love seeing his little face during my workout. The other days he heads to the nursery. Today was a nursery day and poor baby was so upset that they had to come find me on the track to come pick him up! Ah! He had a bout of constipation and once it cleared (um yuck) he was an entirely different child. Sooo happy!

We are back from vacation and the kiddos are finally getting back on a nap schedule. I am so thankful. They didn't nap at all last week but have napped the past two days. Thank the Lord. I am pretty exhausted from starting to work out and taking care of three kids is no joke. I am loving being at home but this stay at home mom stuff is tough. I miss the alone time I got while working. I don't need an entire 8 hours of it but 1 would be nice :) 

We got back from Michigan last monday morning at 2:30am and Jay left to work out of town for the week at 5:30am. I am trying really hard to be more independent from my family's help. I love them so much but after being with my kids for two weeks straight, I know they needed a break. I know that I can handle my three but it's so nice when I have someone to be there with me :) In the past, I haven't been really into playdates because I had so little time with my kids and I loved hanging out with my family. I've recently started getting together with friends and am loving it! It's so nice to be around people that are in the same place as you. 

Last week was rough with Jay out of town. Emma Cate learned to crawl out of her crib and open her bedroom door. I ended up having to lock her in her room because I was worried about her getting out and falling down the steps. The first night she was in there she cried for 45 minutes at the top of her lungs. It was really really hard. My mom came over to sit with me so that I wouldn't have to be alone. Finally, she climbed back into her crib and went to sleep. We haven't had any issues since but boy was it tough!

I had a fun wine date with some of my college besties the other night. I have missed these girls so much! I'm hoping and praying that one ends up back in Charlotte soon! (wink, wink!) 

Whew! Hopefully I won't wait as long to blog again. I've got lots of catching up to do!

2 Years Old Holden

Holden you are two!

You are my sweet buddy. You are chatty, fun, sweet, and rough and tumble all rolled up into one precious little toe-headed boy.

Let's start in the morning. You have been waking up at 6:30 and it is killing me. You'll stand in the corner of your crib and scream daddy forever. Sometimes you'll go back to sleep but a lot of times we go in and get you. Of course, when I walk in and get you, you are not happy that it's not daddy and will lay down and whine until I peel you out of bed. Even though you've been up screaming for an hour, you aren't truly awake and are a little bear. You've recently hated getting your diaper changed and it's always a fun struggle in the morning. You LOVE your construction site jammies and hate taking them off in the morning. You are very good about putting your clothes in the dirty clothes hamper and cleaning up the items that you throw out of your crib.

Every morning you are excited to find your trains. I keep a set upstairs and a set downstairs because you love them so much. Once you're finally awake you light up with excitement and run through the house. You are one hungry boy. You're pretty easy going about what you eat and aren't as demanding as your sister. You love bananas and applesauce for breakfast and eggs are a favorite too. You are a pretty fast eater and when you are done, you are DONE. You still throw your food and drink on the floor when you are done and this leads to lots of time outs. You are pretty good about doing time out in the corner and we don't have to do a lot of sleep sack time outs with you! You get up and always say "sowwy mama" and give big hugs before you are off to the next activity (which your normally run to). I don't ever want to forget your little body running/skipping in just your diaper from the kitchen to the family room. You are full speed ahead until you crash into something (usually your anywhere chair) and burst out laughing.

You LOVE your TV and I really have to monitor how much you watch. If you get up really early on weekends we grab you quickly before you wake up Emma Cate and plop you in our bed. You always request choo choos (Chuggington) and we happily oblige to get a few more minutes of shut eye. You are so sweet when you're in our bed. You put your head on the pillow and curl up under the covers.

You have found your voice and love to use it. You are a little parrot and repeat everything we say. You are stringing together words to form sentences and it amazes me they way your little brain works. You are one  very smart boy. You observe everything. You are great with rhyming words, you love the wibbly wobbily blank an elephant sat on blank game. You know all of your colors. You can memorize any song and you love for me to sing to you. I love that you are musical! I love music and know the words to tons of songs and love that you have an interest in this too! You can join me in killing your Dad in the lyrics game!

You wake up from nap much earlier than Emma Cate and I grab you and we have some one on one time. We normally cuddle on the couch and watch TV because you're still sleepy and need a bit more rest. You are very tactile. You'll rub my arm or shin (you especially love the prickly feeling when I need to shave) or play with the hair tie around my wrist. You do this subconsciously and it's pretty cute. You also love to pet boomer. You are OBSESSED with all things that move! We read "Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site" and the Trucks book over and over again. I just love hearing your little voice; Read mama Read!

My favorite phrase is "oh yeah, oh yeah". You say it with a little accent like you're from Minnesota. it's hilarious. You know that you are funny and you smile bashfully when you say something that gets everyone laughing.

You are really good at independent play. You can push your choo choos/cars/planes around for hours. Every now and then you run up to me and give me the biggest bear hug. I love that you are independent but still show your mama some love. You are intelligent, funny, and caring. You are going to make some woman very happy someday!

We are working on your cleaning up and listening skills. You LOVE to dump toys but aren't so great at picking up. Emma Cate normally cleans up after you. We've got to work on learning to put your toys away because your little cars are EVERYWHERE in our house!

You are very sensitive. You are rough and tumble but then cry easily at random things. You don't like to swing very high. It really scares you. You love the thrill for a minute and then freak out. You don't like super loud noises or when mommy is upset with Emma Cate.

You are such a sweet brother to Shep. You are learning to give gentle kisses but then I also catch you driving your cars on his head. I have a feeling this is what I'll experience throughout your brother relationship.

When we drive, you are so observant. You notice every police car, motorcycle, ambulance and fire truck. You love to point them out, watch them move, and imitate their sounds. You also notice when mommy drives fast and we hit bumps. You scream WHOA from the third road.

Holden, it is so fun having a little boy. You've taught this mommy about diggers, trucks, planes, and cars. You are a sweet mama's boy but can also get CRAZY with the boys in your class. You have a TON of energy and watching you run through the house makes me smile just as much as our couch cuddles. Your dancing is one of my favorites. You have such a sweet spirit. I am so glad I get to be your mommy! Happy Birthday my sweet boy!

Lately

It's been so long since I've blogged! I owe Holden a 2 year old post and it's on my to do list for tomorrow! I actually opened my computer for the first time in a few weeks today but only to get addresses for invitations for my sister's wedding!

The summer is flying by! We just returned home from 2 very full weeks of vacation and I can't wait to document it! You may have noticed that I switched my blog to private recently. I was going through the interview process for a new job and wanted to remove my internet presence. Not that there is anything wrong with my blog, I just like to make the first impression in person. The interview process is over and I'm back online :) Big changes to come this year! 

I'm so glad to be back at home and excited to settle in to our summer routine (once I get us all unpacked and get the mountains of laundry done!). Baby Shep is growing like crazy! I still haven't taken his 2 month photo and he will be 3 months next week! He started rolling over and sleeping through the night while we were on vacation. I'm already missing my newborn but excited to see him reach all the milestones that are coming up! Holden is speaking in sentences and I love seeing my active little boy grow up while still remembering to hug mommy every few minutes. Emma Cate is sassy as ever and just learned how to climb out of her crib with her sleep sack on. Say a prayer for me with that one! 

2 years old Emma Cate

This post will be all over the place. I want to capture your crazy personalities and funny things you say.

How in the WORLD do I have 2 year olds! These past two years have flown by. This is my favorite stage so far. It has been challenging dealing with your behavior, independence, and tantrums but it is also the most FUN!

picking up party food the day before your birthday

Emma Cate:
You are too much. You are sweet and loving and sassy all wrapped up into one really tiny package. We haven't been to your 2 year appointment yet but you weight 22.5lbs on our home scale and wear 18 month clothes. You are fiercely independent. I hear "self mommy" all day long. You want to do everything yourself. Only when you get stuck do I hear "help mommy". You wake up and play in your crib silently. You like to read and will sit there for hours until I come get you. You call your brother, Holdie and you both throw animals and books back and forth between your cribs until you both get tired with the game and then throw everything on the floor. I walk in your room to get you and hear "I wake up mommy!". We change your diaper next. You like diaper cream and always request "ceam mommy ceam". We request that you pick up your pjs and put them in your hamper... sometimes you comply readily and other times it takes some convincing. You then have to pick up any toys you threw over your crib before we head to breakfast. Immediately, you request milk and drink a ton. You're not much of an eater but you drink milk and water all the time.

At meals you love you fruit. We have to hold back so that you'll eat other parts of the meal. You also love syrup and will skip the pancakes and just like the syrup off your plate. Your favorite food is yogurt. We mixed plain yogurt, local honey and fruit for breakfast. I hear "yuh-gurt honeee pease" all the time. You also love strawberries, oranges and pineapple. You are a big fan of "o's" (cheerios or kashi cinnamon cereal) and request them a lot. You like your cheese shredded vs. cut. You will only eat a banana if it's in the peel and you like Kind granola. You have very definitive opinions and a quick to throw a temper if something isn't to your liking.

You love to play. Upstairs, your favorite thing to do is climb on the trunk (that serves as an end table) and fling your little body onto the couch. You also like to jump on the couch (this is discouraged in our home but I'm at a disadvantage when I'm in the middle of feeding Shep and you do this) and climb your anywhere chair. You fall a lot. We do quick hugs and kisses and you're off and running again. You like quiet time too and I'll find you sitting on the sofa reading a book. You're either wild child or calm and sweet. Not a lot of in between. In the playroom, your favorite thing is the bounce house. You jump and jump and jump. Actually, you like to jump everywhere, off steps, in place, on our little trampoline. You also like to sort things. You'll take all the food from your kitchen, fill your shopping cart, dump it out, and put it all back. You set up the little tea parties for us and baby Zsa Zsa to enjoy. We nibble on food and you think this is pretty funny. You LOVE the slide in the playroom and hurl yourself down it laughing all the way. I often hear your talk to yourself as you play and it is so sweet.

Your hair is curly curly and matches your personality. It is FINALLY growing in at your hairline and mommy is so excited. It's coming in really really blond. You have the best smile and love to say cheese for me to take your picture. You have a love/hate relationship with bows. You often request them and then yank them out of your hair and toss them across the room with a devilish laugh. I will give you two options of clothes to wear and you pick out what you're going to wear. Your summer favorite is your sailboat bubble. You also love your "wiwwy (lilly pulitzer) dresses".

You can throw a fit with the best of them but I think we're started to get away from this phase (thank God). You used to scream, kick, and hit me getting in your car seat but you've gotten so much better. I hear "i do it!" all the time. You like to buckle yourself in (just the chest strap), climb in the car, walk down the front steps, put on and take off your shoes all by yourself.

You are a great napper when you finally get to sleep. I'll put you down around 1 and you'll play quietly in your crib until 2:30 and then sleep until 5.

You squeal when you run and love being chased. You and Holden will chase each other around the island in the kitchen for a solid 20 minutes. You are a biter and we have to put you in time out often for this. You get so frustrated and latch on to Holdie and won't let go. You do give a little warning by screaming No Holdie No and swatting your hand back and forth before going in for the kill.

You still do get frustrated and misbehave. Often, we need some time to cool off and regroup. When you're really naughty you get a "sleep sack time out". You have figured out how to take your sleep sack off and climb out of your crib so Daddy had the great idea to put your sleep sacks on backwards so you couldn't get them off. You won't ever sit in time out and when we put you in time out in your crib you just crawl out. Gigi had the great idea to start sleep sack time out and we put you in your sleep sack and in your crib. You cry for a good 5 minutes then start screaming "I sorry mommy, I no bite!". It is really funny on my end. It probably sounds cruel but it works so well and when I go get you out, you are full of hugs and back to your sweet/crazy self.

You aren't a big tv watcher but you will put down anything you're doing to do the hot dog dance (you call it hottie doggie diggity dance). You like Sophia the First and Doc McStuffins but prefer to read books about them instead of watching the show. You also LOVE nemo. We watch nemo when we've got a long car ride.

We love to dance and you often request Pharrell's Happy as your song of choice. You also like Blurred Lines (I know... great parenting). Your aunt's have taught you to "whip your hair"  and you can also get low and pump. Watching you dance is comical. In the car you're pretty good at copying mommy's moves and can bob your head to the beat. You also like to put your hands in the air and wave em like you just don't care.

Before bed you love to read the Twins book. You know all of the words. You always do prayer hands when we pray and says AAAAmen when we are finished. You cry just long enough for us to make it down the hall and are out.

Emma Cate, you are so cute and spunky and bring so much laughter and joy to our lives. We love you very much!

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.