boys
12.24.2011
Merry Christmas...
"No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now...nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."
12.19.2011
A Delayed 7 Months Photo
12.13.2011
Out of the Mouth of Babes...sort of
Nolan has been a long time fan of the country song "Rain is a Good Thing"
Rain makes corn...corn makes whiskey...whiskey makes my baby, feel a little frisky
And typically his only question regarding it has been, "Can we eat whiskey?!"
Well, the other day it came on for the first time in a very long time & his question had changed to, "Does whiskey make babies?"
Hmm...oh, the places this could go - I let him call Daddy & Papa about that one, luckily both were successful at changing the subject :)
Rain makes corn...corn makes whiskey...whiskey makes my baby, feel a little frisky
And typically his only question regarding it has been, "Can we eat whiskey?!"
Well, the other day it came on for the first time in a very long time & his question had changed to, "Does whiskey make babies?"
Hmm...oh, the places this could go - I let him call Daddy & Papa about that one, luckily both were successful at changing the subject :)
12.09.2011
How Are We Here?
As I'm sitting here listening to my baby repeatedly and joyfully with accelerating loudness yell, "da da da da da da da daaaa!!!" I can't help but ask myself how are we here already? How does my baby have 4 teeth (bottom 2 & top 2)? How does my baby clap over and over again already? How does my baby try so hard to say "yay" and "clap?" How is my baby beginning to get his knees under himself while attempting to hold himself up on all fours with eagerness to be ready to move? How is my baby starting to give me sloppy wet kisses on my cheeks?
Can I get a slow down button, please? I'm truly in disbelief that we are in December already (even with the growing excitement of my twenty-four 4th graders which inevitably signals winter break is right around the corner). Normally, I am in full-on Christmas mode as soon as Halloween passes. I love EVERYTHING about Christmas. The music, the joy, the higher level of cheerfulness most people possess around the holidays, the sweets, the expressions and excitement on not just my classroom kids' faces, but especially with Nolan (as he gets older). However, something is making it not feel "as Christmas-y" as usual. Every time I think that, too, I hear the "Where Are You Christmas" song playing in my head. I have more heavy stuff on my mind right now than normal, so perhaps that's it. BUT...regardless, I can tell you that I am SO excited that our very dear and best friends, the Huntington's, are arriving tomorrow for our boys' Christmas together...I have a feeling that will bring the fuzzy feeling I'm searching for. I'm also hoping our visit to see Santa (hopefully this weekend) will do the same.
On a side note: Unless you live under a rock, everyone is aware that our beloved Pujols has officially made a move to the Angels. Upon hearing all the buzz from this last night, Nolan commented, "When we go to Heaven, will we get to see Albert?" He's a little confused on what Albert becoming an Angel means. :)
Can I get a slow down button, please? I'm truly in disbelief that we are in December already (even with the growing excitement of my twenty-four 4th graders which inevitably signals winter break is right around the corner). Normally, I am in full-on Christmas mode as soon as Halloween passes. I love EVERYTHING about Christmas. The music, the joy, the higher level of cheerfulness most people possess around the holidays, the sweets, the expressions and excitement on not just my classroom kids' faces, but especially with Nolan (as he gets older). However, something is making it not feel "as Christmas-y" as usual. Every time I think that, too, I hear the "Where Are You Christmas" song playing in my head. I have more heavy stuff on my mind right now than normal, so perhaps that's it. BUT...regardless, I can tell you that I am SO excited that our very dear and best friends, the Huntington's, are arriving tomorrow for our boys' Christmas together...I have a feeling that will bring the fuzzy feeling I'm searching for. I'm also hoping our visit to see Santa (hopefully this weekend) will do the same.
On a side note: Unless you live under a rock, everyone is aware that our beloved Pujols has officially made a move to the Angels. Upon hearing all the buzz from this last night, Nolan commented, "When we go to Heaven, will we get to see Albert?" He's a little confused on what Albert becoming an Angel means. :)
11.27.2011
Return of the MACK
Yes, today started off with quite the BANG & full of excitement & joy! Our Elf on the Shelf, Mack, made his grand return! Last night, while the boys were fast asleep...he busily worked away to create our 1st Annual North Pole Breakfast 2011 since this was his first time to come back (thanks so much to Pinterest - see, I don't just waste time on there, I get great ideas, too) :)
Afterwards, he continued to go on and on about everything. He even went as far to say that if Parker wanted to change Mack's name to Finn that it would be okay by him (reminder: Finn is what he wanted us to name Parker towards the end & even refered to him as Finn occasionally for a couple of days to follow his birth). We said that was nice, but Mack would just remain Mack since that was the name Nolan came up with for him last year. We finished off the morning by eating our breakfast, watching the movie that Daddy recorded on TV earlier this week, "The Elf on the Shelf" movie, made his melted-bead ornament, & will have our Christmas pictures taken this afternoon (weather permitting). Here's a few more pictures from this morning:
It really is the most wonderful time of the year!
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| That crazy elf even hung up a strand of Christmas lights! |
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| Parker's 1st Christmas & experience w/ Mack |
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| Last year, Mack reported back to Santa whether or not Nolan sucked his fingers (he broke the habit this last month - YAY!) |
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| Holding proof that he placed 18 red & green balloons in Nolan's room while he slept! |
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| Going to be a surprised little boy in the morning! |
At about 7:23 a.m., Nolan came in our room, scratching his head and said, "Um..come here...someone put a lot of balloons in my room." We questioned him and asked him if he was joking and he insisted that he wasn't & that there really were red and green balloons all over his room. When we entered his room, he continued to tell us that "that's funny..." and then we talked about what the colors red and green could possibly mean. Brian quickly grabbed the camera, while Nolan mentioned that maybe...just maybe Mack is finally back. Here is what followed (disclaimer: pay ZERO attention to my glorious morning beauty - ha)!
*Reminder: be sure to "pause" the music on the blog before watching the video*
*Reminder: be sure to "pause" the music on the blog before watching the video*
Afterwards, he continued to go on and on about everything. He even went as far to say that if Parker wanted to change Mack's name to Finn that it would be okay by him (reminder: Finn is what he wanted us to name Parker towards the end & even refered to him as Finn occasionally for a couple of days to follow his birth). We said that was nice, but Mack would just remain Mack since that was the name Nolan came up with for him last year. We finished off the morning by eating our breakfast, watching the movie that Daddy recorded on TV earlier this week, "The Elf on the Shelf" movie, made his melted-bead ornament, & will have our Christmas pictures taken this afternoon (weather permitting). Here's a few more pictures from this morning:
It really is the most wonderful time of the year!
11.15.2011
6 Months & Wedding Fun
Check out that BEAUTIFUL 6 month baby! I can't help but giggle at the middle picture of him "waving." It seems impossible for us to be here in November already with Thanksgiving next week and then Christmas right around the corner (YAY!). I remember Nolan's first year and being simply amazed by the changes and learning that takes place in that first year of life. It's completely remarkable to watch them transform in front of your very eyes. From conception to birth and from birth to 1 year you truly see some of God's most miraculous work.
Parker is 17 lbs and 7 oz which puts him in the 50th percentile yet again. It's crazy how he's stayed consistent with this since birth! He did just what he should be doing and doubled his weigh by 6 months. With that being said, he's also just a mere 2 lbs lighter than what his big brother was at for age 1! Parker is 26 3/4 inches = 75th percentile. He's loving all sorts of foods still and we're getting ready to slowly start combining/mixing his milk with some formula. Overall, he's very healthy aside from his reflux. For that issue, he still has his good days and bad days. But, he's a very happy and content baby for the most part. In fact, he was such a trooper this past weekend when my best friend from Kindergarten got married. I couldn't believe the amount of compliments we received about how happy and quiet he was throughout the entire day/night.
Speaking of the wedding...my other little man did SUCH a fantastic job as ring bearer once again! This time, he even stood at the front of the church for the whole ceremony & did GREAT! Not to mention looked incredibly handsome. He was so excited because Erica gave him a Cubs pillow pet at the rehearsal...so, it looks, as if for the time being, he's back to being a Cubs fan (poor boy). His other excitement for the wedding weekend was getting to ride in the party bus limo with all of the bridal party. He was cracking me up dancing in there and just looking big! :) It was a beautiful wedding and we're so happy for Nate & Erica to finally become Mr. & Mrs. - 10 years together prior to marriage was long enough! ;)
11.02.2011
The Beat of My Heart
"They know me in a way no one ever has. They open me to things I never knew existed. They drive me to insanity push me to my depths. They are the beat of my heart...the pulse of my veins...and the energy in my soul - they are my kids."
Tonight is definitely one of those nights where it dawns on me how fast time passes by, and these moments occur to me more often now that I have two sons. Two babies. It just takes a little, simple, everyday moment to catch me in the midst of my rushing to bring me back down to earth and soak it all in. Tonight's moment with Parker was when he was crying from being ready to get out of his exersaucer. I was consumed by other stuff in the house, and quickly went to his side. Upon him seeing my face his frown faded, the tears were still fresh on his face, and through them he gave me the biggest gummy, 2 teeth grin. I picked him up and he immediately nestled his head onto my shoulder & pulled at my hair. He's so happy and joyful ALL. THE. TIME. I love him. I am blessed. He enriches my life so much.
With Nolan, it's been a bunch of itty-bitty, little random sayings that he's said over the past couple of weeks. Everytime he gives Brian or I a quirky response we can't help but get a huge grin on our faces and scoop him up for a hug. He makes me laugh...even during those times when I don't feel like laughing at all. He knows how to get to us and seems to know just when it's needed. He can break down all barriers and through all of the stress & chaos, as if it's his own built in reminder to not take life so seriously and to remember what it's all about. I love him. I'm blessed. He enriches my life so much.
Just a couple of quick examples of things off the top of my head (and of course, these are most likely only adorable to us and the grandparents...or also one of those "you had to be there moments," but nonetheless, there things I want to hold onto and remember forever):
* Throughout the last several weeks, we've been consumed by our Cardinals in this house. Needless to say, we're completely ecstatic that they won the World Series & it felt like a holiday in our house! As you're aware, Nolan has been insisting for months that he's only a Cubs fan. Refuses to wear or acknowledge the Cardinals. The day after the Cards won the series, Nolan came out sporting his Cardinals hat that we didn't even know still existed. When we asked about this he just simple replied, "I was just kidding you and Dad about the Cubs this whole time."
* At dinner the other night, he was eating quite a bit. I cannot even remember what it was, but he grabbed a huge helping and looked at us and said, "Yeah? You don't think I can handle this...watch." and finished every last drop. NO clue where he learned the word "handle."
* After watching The Brave Little Toaster together and discussing how the "Master" misses his belongings from his childhood, our discussion continued and Nolan tells me, "I'm NOT having kids when I'm big...you are. Duh, you're the girl. BUT, I want a lot."
* He still asks thousands of questions and usually they end with the phrase "...in our world" (EX: Are there real werewolves in our world?" -- We can also no longer get by with generic answers either...even if we're on question #999 for the day.
* He constantly whistles ALL the time.
* He's completely obsessed with singing "Home on the Range" and knows pretty much all of the lyrics.
* He's great with numbers & starting to add! I'm hoping this will be his strength as I always hated math. Fingers crossed that he has Brian's natural talent for number sense.
Tonight is definitely one of those nights where it dawns on me how fast time passes by, and these moments occur to me more often now that I have two sons. Two babies. It just takes a little, simple, everyday moment to catch me in the midst of my rushing to bring me back down to earth and soak it all in. Tonight's moment with Parker was when he was crying from being ready to get out of his exersaucer. I was consumed by other stuff in the house, and quickly went to his side. Upon him seeing my face his frown faded, the tears were still fresh on his face, and through them he gave me the biggest gummy, 2 teeth grin. I picked him up and he immediately nestled his head onto my shoulder & pulled at my hair. He's so happy and joyful ALL. THE. TIME. I love him. I am blessed. He enriches my life so much.
With Nolan, it's been a bunch of itty-bitty, little random sayings that he's said over the past couple of weeks. Everytime he gives Brian or I a quirky response we can't help but get a huge grin on our faces and scoop him up for a hug. He makes me laugh...even during those times when I don't feel like laughing at all. He knows how to get to us and seems to know just when it's needed. He can break down all barriers and through all of the stress & chaos, as if it's his own built in reminder to not take life so seriously and to remember what it's all about. I love him. I'm blessed. He enriches my life so much.
Just a couple of quick examples of things off the top of my head (and of course, these are most likely only adorable to us and the grandparents...or also one of those "you had to be there moments," but nonetheless, there things I want to hold onto and remember forever):
* Throughout the last several weeks, we've been consumed by our Cardinals in this house. Needless to say, we're completely ecstatic that they won the World Series & it felt like a holiday in our house! As you're aware, Nolan has been insisting for months that he's only a Cubs fan. Refuses to wear or acknowledge the Cardinals. The day after the Cards won the series, Nolan came out sporting his Cardinals hat that we didn't even know still existed. When we asked about this he just simple replied, "I was just kidding you and Dad about the Cubs this whole time."
* At dinner the other night, he was eating quite a bit. I cannot even remember what it was, but he grabbed a huge helping and looked at us and said, "Yeah? You don't think I can handle this...watch." and finished every last drop. NO clue where he learned the word "handle."
* After watching The Brave Little Toaster together and discussing how the "Master" misses his belongings from his childhood, our discussion continued and Nolan tells me, "I'm NOT having kids when I'm big...you are. Duh, you're the girl. BUT, I want a lot."
* He still asks thousands of questions and usually they end with the phrase "...in our world" (EX: Are there real werewolves in our world?" -- We can also no longer get by with generic answers either...even if we're on question #999 for the day.
* He constantly whistles ALL the time.
* He's completely obsessed with singing "Home on the Range" and knows pretty much all of the lyrics.
* He's great with numbers & starting to add! I'm hoping this will be his strength as I always hated math. Fingers crossed that he has Brian's natural talent for number sense.
10.21.2011
Boy, n.: a noise with dirt on it.
Title quoted from: Not Your Average Dictionary
Nolan is away at his first sleep over with someone other than his grandparents, Aunt Paige & Uncle George, or his 1st babysitter (aka 2nd home). This is also his very first time away from us since Parker's been born (aside from hospital stays).
Brian is at his last varsity football game of the season.
The house is unusually quiet. Too quiet. I miss telling Nolan repeatedly to stop doing something...to stop running...to be patient...to get out of Parker's face...to just give Mommy a minute.
It's weird for me to not be rushing around the house on a Friday night upon arriving at home. Getting everything inside. Feeding both boys. Bathing both boys. Getting both boys to bed. Feeling crazy at times and almost like I'll never get this balance figured out.
Maybe, just maybe, I do have it figured out - at least in a way that makes sense for us.
I know once Nolan arrives home tomorrow full of energy & excitement that it won't be long before I'm getting "onto" him again and I'll think I need a break. But, I need to remind myself that I don't...because I am, indeed, missing cuddling with him, hearing him make his baby brother belly laugh with the silliest and most random things, and hearing his bedtime prayers. So, instead, for tonight, I'll tuck myself in with a little reminder of our trip of 3 one day getaway to Six Flags with a picture that makes me smile from ear-to-ear. This picture, for the record, was worth every penny of the ridiculously overpriced price of $15.
Nolan is away at his first sleep over with someone other than his grandparents, Aunt Paige & Uncle George, or his 1st babysitter (aka 2nd home). This is also his very first time away from us since Parker's been born (aside from hospital stays).
Brian is at his last varsity football game of the season.
The house is unusually quiet. Too quiet. I miss telling Nolan repeatedly to stop doing something...to stop running...to be patient...to get out of Parker's face...to just give Mommy a minute.
It's weird for me to not be rushing around the house on a Friday night upon arriving at home. Getting everything inside. Feeding both boys. Bathing both boys. Getting both boys to bed. Feeling crazy at times and almost like I'll never get this balance figured out.
Maybe, just maybe, I do have it figured out - at least in a way that makes sense for us.
I know once Nolan arrives home tomorrow full of energy & excitement that it won't be long before I'm getting "onto" him again and I'll think I need a break. But, I need to remind myself that I don't...because I am, indeed, missing cuddling with him, hearing him make his baby brother belly laugh with the silliest and most random things, and hearing his bedtime prayers. So, instead, for tonight, I'll tuck myself in with a little reminder of our trip of 3 one day getaway to Six Flags with a picture that makes me smile from ear-to-ear. This picture, for the record, was worth every penny of the ridiculously overpriced price of $15.
10.13.2011
5 Months...already
Can you believe this little blessing is 5 months old already? Okay, maybe "little" was a bit of a stretch, but boy do I love those legs :)
Nolan's Survey
I've seen various versions of these yearly surveys that you ask your children on Pinterest (if you haven't checked that site out, you must...I LOVE it). Then, a friend of mine, finally took the initiative and started hers, so that gave me motivation to do the same. I asked Nolan the questions about me and Brian. How he responded to me is in purple & the answers for Brian are in blue.
1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
Nolan: I love you; I love you
2. What makes Mommy/Daddy happy?
Nolan: Kisses!; That's hard...listening?
3. What makes Mommy/Daddy sad?
Nolan: Don't listen; When I don't listen...I guess
4. How does Mommy/Daddy make you laugh?
Nolan: You don't (ha!); Nothing...I don't laugh only when there's funny stuff
5. What was Mommy/Daddy like as a child?
Nolan: Um....I don't know, little?; I don't know
6. How old is Mommy/Daddy?
Nolan: 9; 7
7. How tall is Mommy/Daddy?
Nolan: Big, but Daddy is the biggest in the family; Really big
8. What is Mommy/Daddy's favorite thing to do?
Nolan: Watch a movie; Watch race cars on TV
9. What does Mommy/Daddy do when you're not around?
Nolan: Stay with your kids at school; Go at his football
10. If Mommy/Daddy becomes famous, what will it be for?
Nolan: Mandy Jo Curry; Ummm...huh?
11. What is Mommy/Daddy really good at?
Nolan: Games that are hard for me when I play them (because I beat him in Uno the other day); Taking care of me
12. What is Mommy/Daddy not very good at?
Nolan: Help people...I don't understand; Pulling heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy rocks
13. What does Mommy/Daddy do for her job?
Nolan: Feed Parker....and teach; Works at his school
14. What is Mommy/Daddy's favorite food?
Nolan: Pudding; Cheeseburgers
15. What makes you proud of Mommy/Daddy?
Nolan: When you don't yell at me; When he watches TV
16. If Mommy/Daddy were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Nolan: I don't know...um...hmm.. (Then I tried to explain and make a joke that he was like Gill on his show "Bubble Guppies" and the replied: "Do I have blue hair & a mermaid tail? NO!"); Diego
17. What do you and Mommy/Daddy do together?
Nolan: Play games and cuddle a lot; Get donuts
18. How are you and Mommy/Daddy the same?
Nolan: I don't know; Both boys...and Parker, and Hunter...but not you.
19. How are you and Mommy/Daddy different?
Nolan: You have long hair; I got blonde hair and he gots black hair
20. How do you know Mommy/Daddy loves you?
Nolan: You say that ALL the time; He says it
21. Where is Mommy/Daddy's favorite place to go?
Nolan: Red Lobster and eat crab legs; Ice cream places
1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
Nolan: I love you; I love you
2. What makes Mommy/Daddy happy?
Nolan: Kisses!; That's hard...listening?
3. What makes Mommy/Daddy sad?
Nolan: Don't listen; When I don't listen...I guess
4. How does Mommy/Daddy make you laugh?
Nolan: You don't (ha!); Nothing...I don't laugh only when there's funny stuff
5. What was Mommy/Daddy like as a child?
Nolan: Um....I don't know, little?; I don't know
6. How old is Mommy/Daddy?
Nolan: 9; 7
7. How tall is Mommy/Daddy?
Nolan: Big, but Daddy is the biggest in the family; Really big
8. What is Mommy/Daddy's favorite thing to do?
Nolan: Watch a movie; Watch race cars on TV
9. What does Mommy/Daddy do when you're not around?
Nolan: Stay with your kids at school; Go at his football
10. If Mommy/Daddy becomes famous, what will it be for?
Nolan: Mandy Jo Curry; Ummm...huh?
11. What is Mommy/Daddy really good at?
Nolan: Games that are hard for me when I play them (because I beat him in Uno the other day); Taking care of me
12. What is Mommy/Daddy not very good at?
Nolan: Help people...I don't understand; Pulling heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy rocks
13. What does Mommy/Daddy do for her job?
Nolan: Feed Parker....and teach; Works at his school
14. What is Mommy/Daddy's favorite food?
Nolan: Pudding; Cheeseburgers
15. What makes you proud of Mommy/Daddy?
Nolan: When you don't yell at me; When he watches TV
16. If Mommy/Daddy were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Nolan: I don't know...um...hmm.. (Then I tried to explain and make a joke that he was like Gill on his show "Bubble Guppies" and the replied: "Do I have blue hair & a mermaid tail? NO!"); Diego
17. What do you and Mommy/Daddy do together?
Nolan: Play games and cuddle a lot; Get donuts
18. How are you and Mommy/Daddy the same?
Nolan: I don't know; Both boys...and Parker, and Hunter...but not you.
19. How are you and Mommy/Daddy different?
Nolan: You have long hair; I got blonde hair and he gots black hair
20. How do you know Mommy/Daddy loves you?
Nolan: You say that ALL the time; He says it
21. Where is Mommy/Daddy's favorite place to go?
Nolan: Red Lobster and eat crab legs; Ice cream places
10.09.2011
Day Off
Before leaving our house for church this morning, Nolan informed me that he was pretty sure that we don't have church today because it's "Clumsy Day." I then explained to him that we don't have school tomorrow because it's "Columbus Day." Oh, I love him.
10.04.2011
Who Needs Sleep & Something Fun
Who needs sleep? Really, it's overrated and wastes perfectly good use of time...okay, so I can only wish I had that mentality. In all reality, I'm begging for some descent, uninterrupted sleep. I mean look at this picture, it's hard to believe in just a couple of hours he's going to be wide awake and crying...his bedtime routine is so perfect, he loves every part of it, and does a great job putting himself to sleep:
Our poor bub used to be such a great sleeping baby. For quite some time his sleeping pattern was from 8 pm until 4 am, where he'd eat and then fall right back to sleep for a couple more hours. Shortly after school began and 2 teeth arrived, this pattern has changed and has been kicking our butt. He for a little over a month now, his sleeping habits have changed to getting up 2-3 times per night and no longer going straight back to sleep. This is new territory. We aren't quite sure how to handle it. We've talked with this pediatrician and it seems that it could be a number of issues: his HORRIBLE reflux (which have I mentioned is worse than ever?); teething; my need to "soothe" him during his teething issues by nursing him in the middle of the night when he'd wake (hence creating the need to eat for comfort rather than hunger...great); habit from the previous reason; and congestion is the very latest. Oh yeah, and he has narrow nasal passages.
It's gotten to the point that on several nights we've started a not-so-good habit of pulling him in bed with us by the 3rd time of waking just to get some sleep. Yes, I don't want to start this habit nightly...because we never did with Nolan, but there comes a point after arguing with each other, ourselves, feeling frustrated, exhausted, and just plain guilty for getting upset that you pull baby in bed with you to put an end to it for the sake of getting a couple of straight hours of sleep.
The pediatrician has assured me that it's perfectly okay to try the "cry-it-out" method and actually really encouraged us to. Well, we tried. By night 3 or 4 I couldn't take it anymore because he didn't just cry-it-out for a short amount of time...this kid is stubborn. We'd start by not going in for 10 mins, then would comfort him w/out picking him up (that, by the way, makes it WAY worse...he does better when we don't even go in at all and by better it's still a HORRIFIC cry). Then, we'd increase the increments of time that we'd go in. He is not responsive to this method at. all. He continued this for OVER 2 hours easily. After a few nights of trying, I threw in the towel. It wasn't good for him, Brian, or myself. I figured I could nurse him for 10 mins and have him back to sleep rather than losing more sleep.
The last couple of nights we've also tried a big no-no that I'm rather leary of. When he's waken up (around 11 or midnight), we've turned him on his tummy and he's slept until we get him up at 6 a.m. It's not as big of a no-no as you might think, because he can roll over both ways - he just doesn't do it on his own during the night. I also know that he'd sleep probably 100% of the night if I'd let him sleep with a blanket because he appears to be a "blankie" baby. He will grab it during the day, nestle his face into it completely and be out within 2 minutes. However, I WILL NOT do this at nighttime. There's absolutely no way. I figure as frustrating as this process has been, it'll be over before we know it. It has, however, made me deeply appreciate how easy we had it with Nolan in sleeping aspects.
What Parker lacks in sleep, he makes up for eating wise compared to Nolan's baby years. He absolutely LOVES everything about eating baby food. He loves rice cereal, oatmeal, bananas, peaches, pears, sweet potatoes, & the latest...peas. His mouth is WIDE open between each and every bite, hardly allowing me time to scoop up more. His arms fly and his legs bounce up and down in anticipation of food being made and when it's brought to his mouth. I love it. Tonight I used my BRAND NEW Baby Bullet for the first time. Nolan is just as happy about it as I am :)
PS: I welcome any and all sleeping suggestions, because as I mentioned this is new for us - even Parker started out SO well. Also, just a side note, even with him missing so much night sleep, he by no means wants to make up for it during the day. He never sleeps more than 2-2 1/2 hours total throughout the day and he's SUCH happy baby!
Our poor bub used to be such a great sleeping baby. For quite some time his sleeping pattern was from 8 pm until 4 am, where he'd eat and then fall right back to sleep for a couple more hours. Shortly after school began and 2 teeth arrived, this pattern has changed and has been kicking our butt. He for a little over a month now, his sleeping habits have changed to getting up 2-3 times per night and no longer going straight back to sleep. This is new territory. We aren't quite sure how to handle it. We've talked with this pediatrician and it seems that it could be a number of issues: his HORRIBLE reflux (which have I mentioned is worse than ever?); teething; my need to "soothe" him during his teething issues by nursing him in the middle of the night when he'd wake (hence creating the need to eat for comfort rather than hunger...great); habit from the previous reason; and congestion is the very latest. Oh yeah, and he has narrow nasal passages.
It's gotten to the point that on several nights we've started a not-so-good habit of pulling him in bed with us by the 3rd time of waking just to get some sleep. Yes, I don't want to start this habit nightly...because we never did with Nolan, but there comes a point after arguing with each other, ourselves, feeling frustrated, exhausted, and just plain guilty for getting upset that you pull baby in bed with you to put an end to it for the sake of getting a couple of straight hours of sleep.
The pediatrician has assured me that it's perfectly okay to try the "cry-it-out" method and actually really encouraged us to. Well, we tried. By night 3 or 4 I couldn't take it anymore because he didn't just cry-it-out for a short amount of time...this kid is stubborn. We'd start by not going in for 10 mins, then would comfort him w/out picking him up (that, by the way, makes it WAY worse...he does better when we don't even go in at all and by better it's still a HORRIFIC cry). Then, we'd increase the increments of time that we'd go in. He is not responsive to this method at. all. He continued this for OVER 2 hours easily. After a few nights of trying, I threw in the towel. It wasn't good for him, Brian, or myself. I figured I could nurse him for 10 mins and have him back to sleep rather than losing more sleep.
The last couple of nights we've also tried a big no-no that I'm rather leary of. When he's waken up (around 11 or midnight), we've turned him on his tummy and he's slept until we get him up at 6 a.m. It's not as big of a no-no as you might think, because he can roll over both ways - he just doesn't do it on his own during the night. I also know that he'd sleep probably 100% of the night if I'd let him sleep with a blanket because he appears to be a "blankie" baby. He will grab it during the day, nestle his face into it completely and be out within 2 minutes. However, I WILL NOT do this at nighttime. There's absolutely no way. I figure as frustrating as this process has been, it'll be over before we know it. It has, however, made me deeply appreciate how easy we had it with Nolan in sleeping aspects.
What Parker lacks in sleep, he makes up for eating wise compared to Nolan's baby years. He absolutely LOVES everything about eating baby food. He loves rice cereal, oatmeal, bananas, peaches, pears, sweet potatoes, & the latest...peas. His mouth is WIDE open between each and every bite, hardly allowing me time to scoop up more. His arms fly and his legs bounce up and down in anticipation of food being made and when it's brought to his mouth. I love it. Tonight I used my BRAND NEW Baby Bullet for the first time. Nolan is just as happy about it as I am :)
PS: I welcome any and all sleeping suggestions, because as I mentioned this is new for us - even Parker started out SO well. Also, just a side note, even with him missing so much night sleep, he by no means wants to make up for it during the day. He never sleeps more than 2-2 1/2 hours total throughout the day and he's SUCH happy baby!
9.15.2011
A Brief Catch-Up
Parker turned 4 months old on Tuesday. I cannot believe my baby is 4 months old already. He's 4 months, has 2 teeth, and growing strong! He weighed in at 14 lbs. 4 oz (50th percentile) and 25 1/2 inches (75th percentile). I keep saying how big Parker seems and how LONG he looks in his carseat and when other people are holding him. I do not remember Nolan being like this at all. In fact, my memory must be going bad because I guess I've forgotten what he was like at this exact age and only remember 5 months and up when he started to fall off the growth charts and hate food because tonight I looked back in his baby book and at 4 months he was 13 lbs 14 oz and 25 1/4 inches. Pretty similiar...especially considering Nolan was born weighing only 6 lbs 7 oz compared to Parker's 7.15 lbs! Crazy how much the mind forgets from only 4 short years ago. It makes me fear for the future!
Parker was able to start cereal and so far, so good...he LOVES it! I DO remember clearly that cereal did not go over well with Nolan. I was a bit scared to start with Parker, but those fears were put to rest quickly as he whined for more while I was quickly scooping up more on the spoon for the next bite.
In other news, we've been super busy as Nolan has started 4 year old preschool a couple of weeks ago. He, of course, loves it. Last year, he went half days on Tuesday's & Thursday's, this year it's half days on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday. He has his same teacher, Miss Diane, and he's greatly missed being at school. It's hard to swallow that he'll be in Kindergarten next year...really hard.
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| Getting back into the school routine has worn this boy out in the evenings! |
In the meantime, I'm trying to spend as much quality time with the boys in the evenings, but this week I've been under the weather - which makes it difficult, especially when Brian is in the middle of football season and doesn't get home from practices until late. It's so hard not giving my little guys "mooches." :( We have an exciting weekend coming up with my Godson's 4th bday party...so I'm hoping to fight this quickly!
9.08.2011
9.01.2011
Teeth 101
I've been slacking in the blogging world due to several factors:
- Summer's over and I'm still somewhat pouting about that
- Summer's over and I'm adjusting to work life with 2 little ones at home
- Summer's over and every minute the boys are awake at home, my time is with them
* Did I mention summer is over?
- Getting back into a work routine with a new batch of kiddos is always tiring - especially towards the end of the week
- Getting back into a work routine with my hubby coaching football is similiar to being a single mom
- Getting back into a work routine also means night time, free time is spent catching up on my shows rather than going to bed (which I always seem to regret in the morning)
So, the bottom line is, I'm really wanting to get back into a groove of updating my blog more often. So, in the meantime, bare with me.
Teeth have been quite the topic in our household lately. About a month ago, Nolan was in a bounce house at a friend's house. He ended up hurting his tooth. He cried. It bled. We gave TLC and he seemed fine. It did feel slightly loose, but over the next couple of days it tightened back up. Approximately 2 weeks later, I started noticing that it looked like it was becoming a very faintly tinted grey color. Over the next few days this tinting became more and more apparent that it wasn't just my imagination and the color was, indeed, darkening. We called the dentist and got him in right away. They did x-rays and took a look. He did GREAT for the x-rays and it was pretty neat because we got to see his adult teeth sitting patiently on top. The dentist pointed out that the roots of his front baby teeth were becoming shorter, meaning the permanent teeth are starting to push down. Did I mention the damaged tooth is one of his central incisors? At the visit, he also explained to us that the tooth is filled with blood, which is the culprit of the darkening...it's just sort of pooling together inside. Ultimately, we went in thinking they'd end up pulling it. Not the case, our dentist prefers to not do anything too tramatic to a child unless absolutely necessary due to ruining their perception of the dentist. He told us things to watch for on the gums that would signal infection is taking place and that if we wanted to color the tooth, that was certainly an option, however, he could just as easily loose the tooth on his own within a year or two. The days following the appointment the tooth began to darken a bit more and I feel so upset about it. I know there are far worse things that could happen, but I hate the thought of him entering Kindergarten next year with a "black" front tooth. I work in a school. I know how kids can be and it breaks my heart to even think about someone hurting his feelings. Currently, he is completely unphased by it. He noticed it's color is different the other day and was quick to inform me that it was not due to "sugar bugs," but because it got hurt instead. Today, we called up the dentist and they said if we went the route to color it, they'd want to do a veneer. Expensive...I know, I have 2. Seems silly to us for a baby tooth, too. If it were permanent, then there'd be no hesitations. In the meantime, here's his new looking smile:
PS: If there's a bunch of typos, please disregard...this Mama is ready for bed and NOT going to proofread. (oh, how the teacher in me is screaming about this)
- Summer's over and I'm still somewhat pouting about that
- Summer's over and I'm adjusting to work life with 2 little ones at home
- Summer's over and every minute the boys are awake at home, my time is with them
* Did I mention summer is over?
- Getting back into a work routine with a new batch of kiddos is always tiring - especially towards the end of the week
- Getting back into a work routine with my hubby coaching football is similiar to being a single mom
- Getting back into a work routine also means night time, free time is spent catching up on my shows rather than going to bed (which I always seem to regret in the morning)
- Not to mention the hours spent per day nursing/pumping & a quick side note: whomever said "There's no use crying over spilled milk." Clearly never breastfed. {I saw that on pinterest; my new hobby/addiction}
Anyway, I know, I know...pity me, right?! Did I mention that I really do love my job, but I love my boys so much more, so it's hard getting acclimated every August. I mean, who wouldn't want to be surrounded by this as much as possible:
Anyway, I know, I know...pity me, right?! Did I mention that I really do love my job, but I love my boys so much more, so it's hard getting acclimated every August. I mean, who wouldn't want to be surrounded by this as much as possible:
So, the bottom line is, I'm really wanting to get back into a groove of updating my blog more often. So, in the meantime, bare with me.
Teeth have been quite the topic in our household lately. About a month ago, Nolan was in a bounce house at a friend's house. He ended up hurting his tooth. He cried. It bled. We gave TLC and he seemed fine. It did feel slightly loose, but over the next couple of days it tightened back up. Approximately 2 weeks later, I started noticing that it looked like it was becoming a very faintly tinted grey color. Over the next few days this tinting became more and more apparent that it wasn't just my imagination and the color was, indeed, darkening. We called the dentist and got him in right away. They did x-rays and took a look. He did GREAT for the x-rays and it was pretty neat because we got to see his adult teeth sitting patiently on top. The dentist pointed out that the roots of his front baby teeth were becoming shorter, meaning the permanent teeth are starting to push down. Did I mention the damaged tooth is one of his central incisors? At the visit, he also explained to us that the tooth is filled with blood, which is the culprit of the darkening...it's just sort of pooling together inside. Ultimately, we went in thinking they'd end up pulling it. Not the case, our dentist prefers to not do anything too tramatic to a child unless absolutely necessary due to ruining their perception of the dentist. He told us things to watch for on the gums that would signal infection is taking place and that if we wanted to color the tooth, that was certainly an option, however, he could just as easily loose the tooth on his own within a year or two. The days following the appointment the tooth began to darken a bit more and I feel so upset about it. I know there are far worse things that could happen, but I hate the thought of him entering Kindergarten next year with a "black" front tooth. I work in a school. I know how kids can be and it breaks my heart to even think about someone hurting his feelings. Currently, he is completely unphased by it. He noticed it's color is different the other day and was quick to inform me that it was not due to "sugar bugs," but because it got hurt instead. Today, we called up the dentist and they said if we went the route to color it, they'd want to do a veneer. Expensive...I know, I have 2. Seems silly to us for a baby tooth, too. If it were permanent, then there'd be no hesitations. In the meantime, here's his new looking smile:
On another tooth note, my little baby is quite certainly getting bigger. Over the past week he's been chewing like crazy...at home...at the sitter's. I simply assumed that he was going to follow suit to Nolan and start teething early (Nolan's 1st tooth came in at the end of his 4th month and the matching tooth came along always within a 3 day period each time). Tonight, when putting Parker on the couch, I noticed something on his gum, I thought it was spit up, etc from his reflux (which by the way is not improving, but instead is worse than ever). I swabbed my finger in his mouth to wipe it off and to my astonishment the white spot was hard...his left central incisor cut through! I cannot believe my 3 1/2 month old has his very first tooth. Time truly is flying by in front of my own eyes.
PS: If there's a bunch of typos, please disregard...this Mama is ready for bed and NOT going to proofread. (oh, how the teacher in me is screaming about this)
8.29.2011
So Behind and So Tired
I know, I know...I've really slacked off a lot lately. Trust me, it's not because of lack of material or comedy from my boys because there's been plenty (and unfortunately, much of it has been lost in my busy, boggled mind). And tonight, I'm not even doing a long blog, however, I promise to get back into the groove soon. This work thing with two little ones during football season has been an adjustment and any precious time I have to spend with the boys, I am. And, as for when they're in bed? A few minutes of "me" time to catch up on a show or two and then zZzZ's for me, also! Did I mention how much getting up earlier than usual (5:00) is for the birds, too? Well it is.
But...tonight's blog is a quick update on how fast things are going with Parker...he's discovered a couple of new tricks:
1.) Tummy time has quickly turned into a positive thing and he's grown strong enough to do this:
But...tonight's blog is a quick update on how fast things are going with Parker...he's discovered a couple of new tricks:
1.) Tummy time has quickly turned into a positive thing and he's grown strong enough to do this:
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| Poor quality due to my laziness of uploading the original pic from my camera |
And...in addition to that, tonight he rolled over from his tummy to his back 4 times! He actually did it last night, also, but I blamed Nolan for pushing him over -- oops!
One final blogging note: I am a bit saddened to say that after all of my hopeful attempts and pacifier after pacifier, Parker still refuses (unless you hold it in his mouth for him). Remember this post or maybe even this one Well, it's come true...his newest habit (well, not newest considering it was going on in the womb) as of the last week or so. We fought it and fought it, but it's finally arrived:
One final blogging note: I am a bit saddened to say that after all of my hopeful attempts and pacifier after pacifier, Parker still refuses (unless you hold it in his mouth for him). Remember this post or maybe even this one Well, it's come true...his newest habit (well, not newest considering it was going on in the womb) as of the last week or so. We fought it and fought it, but it's finally arrived:
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| Although, we're still fighting this battle with Nolan, it could be a lot worse, right?! |
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