Ethan is 2 Months Old!

What?! And Christmas is only 9 days away. Okay time..."whatever".
Hooray! Look who doesn't mind to sit up now! I cannot comprehend how fast these littles grow in the first year! HOW!!


Weight: 11 lbs 14 oz
Length: 22.5"
Head: 38.5 cm

He gained another pound in 3 weeks! I have a feeling he'll be plateauing from now on!

Clothing

• The newborn stuff has officially been retired as of 7 weeks
• He outgrew his newborn diapers and fits the smallest setting of our small FuzziBunz well!
• I've started putting the millions of Robeez crib shoes I own on him, especially because they help keep socks on him!
• Mostly he wears jammies. Why not? We're home most often and he spits so much it's just easier to change
• He's in 3 month Carter's, Old Navy, and Pekkle...but he won't be in the sleepers much longer!

Eating/Breastfeeding

• Very well still. I don't keep track of how often, during the day it's every 3ish hours I'd say  
• He eats very efficiently and still cluster feeds about once per week, and that's usually when he has a monster stretch of sleep!
• My mastitis has cleared up and I have a few days of antibiotics left! Please God, don't let that ever happen again!
• He is still very spitty. Probably spittier than Braden ever was. But? He's not bothered by it in the least and he's (clearly) gaining enough weight! Some days he'll hardly spit at all, then others he'll seem to spit up everything I fed him the whole day and night...but obviously he doesn't. I keep praying he won't be bothered by it and that he'll outgrow this sooner than later

Sleeping 

• Still in his cradle, though it seems smaller every day and has gotten his arm between the slats and he doesn't like that very much! As soon as the crib bedding arrives, we'll put up the crib for him
• He's up, unfortunately, at 5-5:30 every morning without failure. I need to figure out how to reset his alarm much later! I suppose it will come!
• He's up anywhere from 2-3 hours and then he's down for a nap. We have been stuck in the 45 minute nap, but sometimes he'll surprise me and nap for 2+ hours
• The rest of the day is eating/sleeping as per usual baby routine
• Bedtime is 6:30-7:30 and I can't believe he has settled into this early bedtime routine already! Braden at this age (because I had to check) was going to bed around 10! I didn't have anything to do with it. A couple of weeks ago he started having long evening "naps" of 3-4 hours...so I figured he was telling me that was indeed bedtime and not one final nap!
• He has a long stretch of anywhere from 4 hours to his longest of 8.5+ hours. He's done 8+ hour stretches twice and they're oooooooooh so nice!
• Then it takes me about 1/2 hour to change, feed, & settle him and it's almost like clock work that he'll sleep 2.5 hours. The odd time he'll sleep 3-4 hours, but it's usually the 2.5 hour stretch which often brings us to the 5:00 wake time.
• Technically I'm only getting up with him once per night...but since we get up so early it feels like twice!
• I reeeeeeeeeeally hope he starts sleeping past 5! I'm very gracious for the long stretch of sleep, but the early wake up calls are just killer. I don't function well before 7AM

 Milestones

• Smiles! Started at 6 weeks to the day and he hasn't stopped
• Cooing! Just started last week and I don't think giggles are too far behind
• Slept 8 hours 40 minutes. Technically this is "sleeping through the night" but it doesn't feel like it when he slept from 6:30 - 3ish!  
• Taking a bottle of Mommy's milk very well for the first time! (FREEEEEEDOMMMM!!!)
• Babysat for the first time by Poppy. Mommy & Daddy went to the dinner theatre for the matinee show and left you for almost 5 hours! You took your bottle and slept for 2.5 hours!

Ethan is still the gruntiest baby you've ever met. I think he's even embarrassed Grandma in church with his loud grunts! ;) He likes his car seat still and sleeps everywhere we go, which makes trips with the two of them so much less stressful for me! He love, love, loves his play mat and happily kicks away listening to his music for up to an hour, it's lovely!

This last month we also asked our friends Samantha & Vince to be Ethan's Godparents and they said yes! It's very special to me that they said yes, especially because Samantha has known Ethan since the minute he was born, literally. She took all the lovely L&D pics for us! We'll have Ethan dedicated sometime in the spring when the weather is (usually) predictably nicer for my family that has to travel.

 
Ethan, you fit into this family absolutely perfectly and are such a blessing to us! I just love this baby so so so much. He is the happiest little baby...and will guaranteed be a goof just like the rest of us!

Ethan is 1 Month Old!

Yay! I'm so in shock with everything about Ethan. His early arrival, how big he's getting, how much we just love him so much. So it's really not much of a surprise he's 1 month old today! In tradition of the monthly updates I started with Braden, I'll be doing similar for Ethan, except using a little bear that Big Brother happily gave to Ethan and these super cute onesie stickers I found on Etsy!


Big difference, isn't it?! I had a heck of a time with both of these pictures! He isn't a big fan of being upright!

Weight: 9 lbs 3 oz
Length: 21"

At birth he weighed 6 lbs 5 oz...so he's almost gained 3 lbs and half of his body weight! Ethan is exclusively breastfed and I guess mama's serving the cream. This makes it okay for me to guzzle egg nog for the next 6 weeks because it will go right through me to Ethan, right? Okay...didn't think so!

And here's some more Ethan updates:

Routine

• Up for the day anywhere from 5:30-6:30 (Mommy doesn't like this, I am not nor never will be a morning person - but that's ok!)
• Braden gets up 6:30-7:00
• Ethan eats, of course, and then has wake time for about 1.5 hours, plays on his play mat a bit
• He always has his morning nap in the swing in the living room. I like that I can see him and he's not "hiding" in his room all day & night!
• He usually naps about 3 hours and this is when I do my computer stuff, eat breakfast, drink coffee, and Braden plays and/or watches a show - this is awesome time!
• He'll wake up, eat, and go right back to sleep - this is usually when I go off and do any errands I need to for the day
• After that nap sometimes he has a bit of a wake period, sometimes he goes back to sleep - he pretty much sleeps all day still
• He usually naps through dinner time (yes!) and then he's awake off and on and eats throughout the evening
• He has a bath every night because I cannot resist a freshly bathed newborn - he tolerates his baths now, but doesn't enjoy them yet!
• Often I get my snuggle in with him while he naps on me for at least a part of the evening and I love it. I never really did this with Braden and I'm making a point of enjoying it
• Ethan goes down to sleep anywhere from 9:30-11:30, depending on how much he's eating and gives me anywhere from a 3 - almost 6 hour first stretch of sleep
• He eats really well and then goes for another 2-4 hours and is up for the day after that

Clothing

• He's still wearing newborn size in some things...but today I made the heartbreaking transition and realization that he is indeed starting to wear 0-3 month clothes very well! I hated retiring his whale sleeper...it was the first thing he ever wore
• His feet are not made for socks...they're too skinny!
• Still wearing newborn/extra small cloth diapers, though some of the smaller ones are getting a bit snug!
• If he keeps gaining like he is, he'll be in smalls before he turns 2 months!

Eating 

• In the day about every 3 hours or so, technically only up once at night to feed, but he goes to bed late and wakes up early...so it's really more like 2!
• I'm going to do a post tomorrow about our trip to the lactation consultant

As much as I hate it when people ask me if he's a "good baby"...he really is. He's a wonderful sleeper (so far)!, he's very content and calm, and eats very well...as proven by the scale! Life has been an even bigger joy with you in it, Ethan Thomas! Let's see how much you grow and learn in the next month! 
 

Braden is TWO Years Old!

The big T-W-O! At 0759 this morning...my baby, who is now well into toddlerhood, turned 2. I am not even in the least bit sad. I don't know why but I'm so excited for him, not that it really means anything to him at this point!



New Braden things:

• New words:
• He can pretty much name off every Thomas character. I won't bore you with all the names
• Craig ("Kee" or "Keeg")
• Hellicopter
• Two
• That little stinker could say Grandma and Laura when he was just over 1 year old, but he REFUSES to even try! Sorry ladies!

• Potty learning: He peed on the potty for the first time 10 days ago! Then he did it the next day, and he wanted to go so bad later that afternoon he even squeezed out a few drops. Nothing since, but that's okay. Just trying to make it casual and be fun. Still farts a lot on the potty too! hehe!
• Clothes: Wearing 18-24 month pants which fit perfectly still & size 24m/2T shirts but the t-shirts are starting to get snug. Now wears 3T one piece sleepers! I imagine size 6 shoes will fit him for awhile.
• Sleeping: No change here! Bed at 7 PM up at 7:30-8:30 AM, usually closer to 13 hours sleep total.
• Naps: from 1-3. Once a week or so he has a 3 hour nap to catch up a bit...I love 3 hour nap days! Still haven't used a pillow for him yet, he's a tummy sleeper anyway!
• Eating: Still eats most at breakfast, usually just snacks at lunch before his nap, and has been eating so/so at supper. Jay and I have been enforcing the "one more bite" rule, and he listens every time and he's getting much faster at just eating that last darn bite so he can be "ALL DONE!" He's not really very keen on feeding himself...he'll do finger foods of course, but when he spoon feeds himself...he flips the spoon over as he's putting it in his mouth...oops!
• Teeth: He has the last incisor, now and he's off and on teething those molars, poor guy. Still loves to brush his teeth!

He asks to have his bum changed sometimes, in Maui he would tell us "change bum" and crawl up on the bed to have his diaper changed & will lift up his bum for diaper changes. When asked what he wants to eat he says "nom nom". Yes, Braden...what nom noms?....."nom nom!" Cute!

Starting tomorrow night...no more soother. For some silly reason this actually kind of makes me sad for him. He didn't really use it at all in Maui, but he really likes it at home. But I do feel that it's best to do it now...he won't have it forever anyway!

If you want to see Braden's 1 year post click here and if you'd like to read Braden's birth story click here!

Braden is 23 Months Old!

Okay...this is the last time (as per my own rule) that I get to state his age by months! As of next month he shall be "2 years old"...until July when he'll be known as "2 and a half years old"! :) I still plan on doing my monthly pictures..."2 years + 1 month" will be how it will look in February. I'm inspired by Pyjammy for continuing to do this! So here we go: (for the record, I tried to take his picture on the 27th, 3 seperate times, but he is TOO smart to be bribed now. He HATES sitting down for pictures...so tonight I knew he'd crawl right up there...in his birthday suit. He's terribly impressed...can't you tell?)


New Braden things:

• Getting so good at feeding himself! He's still not very coordinated with a fork/spoon, but he's getting there! Breakfast is best as he's most hungry.
• Discovered he looooves to drink out of an open cup! We still do straw sippy in the AM for his milk so he can run around with it and have it to watch his cartoons
• He is so affectionate, he loves to give kisses!
• Often needs a kiss to make himself feel better if he hurt himself...especially if his feelings are hurt!
• Getting really interactive with his toys now, gets right down on the ground to push around trains and cars
• Can play quietly by himself in the AM which is so nice for us
• Really likes his quite time, actually...he can only handle so much "busy-ness" then you'll find him quietly playing by himself
• Loves, loves, LOVES reading and having books read to him. Faves are the Llama books, Dr. Seuss, Thomas, & Bob
• He likes to be moisturized. He brings me lotion at least 3 times a day, I'll give him a bit on his hands and he'll rub it in!
• Also loooooves to have his hair brushed!
• New words: (it's almost getting hard to keep track, he's picking them up so fast, I know I'm missing!)
• kiss
• James 
• Steve ("Stee")
• GG (for his Great Grandma)
• Lukey ("GiGi" or "Geeky")
• Danika ("Daka")
• Chaz
• Cheerio ("cheeyo")
• "Oh dear!"
• Potty learning: He does still love to sit on the potty, we put him on it if he asks and before & after his bath...still at this point praying for a miracle! He does consistently bear down and often toots, but definitely doesn't get the concept of peeing yet
• Clothes: Wearing 18-24 month pants which fit perfectly, size 24m/2T shirts but the t-shirts are starting to get snug, can still wear his 2T one piece sleepers, but the 3T fit him better and he's wearing those now too! In size 6 shoes because of his Hobbit feet!
• Sleeping: Bed at 7 PM up at 7:30-8:30 AM, usually closer to 13 hours sleep total. Recently have discovered a harder time getting him down anywhere other than home. Uh oh!
• Naps: from 1-3. Once a week or so he naps from 12:30-3:30 to play catch up a bit...I love 3 hour nap days! Going to introduce a pillow to see if he likes that.
• Eating: Still eats most at breakfast, usually just snacks at lunch before his nap, and has been eating quite well at supper. Jay and I have been enforcing the "one more bite" rule, and he listens every time and he's getting much faster at just eating that last darn bite so he can be "ALL DONE!" We even can do "3 more bites" now.
• Teeth: He got the bottom 2 incisors at the beginning of the month and 1 of the top ones in the middle. So 1 more incisor and he's been teething with his 2 year molars - ouch!

This also marks the last month with his beloved "soo" (soother). The only reason I've kept it this long is to help us with our flight to Maui. We're going to do it cold turkey after his birthday, I don't think there's any other way. If we explained to him it was "broken" and threw it in the garbage...he miiiiight get it, but I think we'll just say "no more soother". I know he'll adjust well, he'll still have his blankie. It'll hopefully just be a rough night or two and I know he'll be okay after that. Have any of you gotten rid of soothers with your kids? What worked/didn't? This is just a personal choice for us for him. He's getting more and more attached and I just want the darn thing gone!

Braden is 22 Months Old!

2 months away from 2! Wow! Last month I was a bit anxious about my baby turning 2, but this month I'm actually reeeeeeeeeeally excited for Braden's birthday! I've been planning for a month or so and have all my supplies! But, for now...look who's 22 months!


New Braden things:

• Growing, growing, growing! Mommy was lazy last month and didn't take him to get weighed/measured - but just by his clothes I can tell he's growing, and he looks taller too.
• He's really keen on drinking from a cup now, so I let him practice with water and he's so proud of himself! He does very well, minimal mess most of the time
• He's so much better in the car seat. I think he gets bored at home sometimes and really enjoys the car seat rides just to get out. We at least go get the mail every afternoon to get out.
• Uses the iPod touch like a PRO. He can unlock it (didn't teach him) find his apps, switch in and out, it's friggin' amazing. He doesn't bother going into my apps, he can play the Thomas games, watch the Thomas music video, or listen to a Thomas story, he knows that app inside and out. Kinda scary...but kinda nice for long car rides and shopping trips! He plays every night after supper for a bit to wind down.
• He likes to pick out his shirt every morning, but also doesn't care if I just pick out his clothes...which is nice!
• He is SO ticklish! I love it!
• Knows all his body parts...the important ones anyway!
• He hates pictures now! It's like torture! I believe it to be age-related...but also because I probably take too many pictures of him and he hates doesn't like me for it!
• On that note...he'll do anything for a cookie (see nice 22 month picture above!)
• His favorite activity by FAR right now is riding his Thomas trike around the house!
• More words:
• grilled cheese
• pancake
• chocolate toast [Nutella]
• "cheese please!"
• peaches
• Ben
• Jess
• Kihei [sometimes, usually still "Kiki"]
• Gus [not "dada" anymore!]
• ball [Christmas decorations]
• Santa
• starting to sing! In the Bob the Builder song he sings: "Bob! Fix it! Yah!" and dances
• Percy [Thomas' best friend]
• Travis [tractor on Bob the Builder]
• Potty learning: lack thereof! I knew last month was a fluke...he's definitely not "there" yet. I don't wanna push it, but it'd sure be nice if he just magically showed interest one day!
• Clothes: Wearing 18-24 month pants which fit perfectly with a bit of room to grow, size 24m/2T shirts, some with long sleeves rolled up once, ready to move to some 3T one piece pajamas!
• Sleeping: Bed at 7 PM up at 7:30-8:30 AM, usually closer to 13 hours sleep total
• Naps: from 1-3. Once a week or so he naps from 12:30-3:30 to play catch up a bit...I love 3 hour nap days! He loves to play with his Thomas, Bob, & George stuffies before he gets up. When I go in to get him he has to show me everyone's eyes, nose, mouth, tummy...etc! Cute!
• Eating: back to normal. Still eats most at breakfast, usually just snacks at lunch before his nap, and has been eating quite well at supper. Jay and I have been enforcing the "one more bite" rule, and he listens every time and he's getting much faster at just eating that last darn bite so he can bee "ALL DONE!"
• Teeth: Still missing the 4 incisors and I guess the 2 year molars are approaching.

Wow, before we get to 23 months we have to get through Christmas! SO EXCITED for Christmas this year!!

Braden is 21 Months!

So I guess that's only 3 months away from TWO!! Did you hear me? Two! But, as I've said before...the thing that calms my anxiety about his birthday is the fact that we get to celebrate Christmas and go to Maui before he turns 2! (I might have had to bribe him with a cookie to make him sit still and partially smile for me!)


New Braden things:

• The worst new thing is that he can open the deadbolt at the front door, which means he has access outside all the time and has resulted in a few boo boos too. Luckily Jay installed a slider lock that he won't be able to reach for a long time to solve this problem!
• Actually, maybe the worst new thing is his obsession with throwing random objects into his bathroom toilet such as: shoes, diapers, and most recently his freshly cleaned blankie! grrrrrr!!!
• We go on walks with Kihei everyday and he is always very concerned where his "Kiki" is, it's adorable
• He knows that he needs his socks, jacket, and shoes to go outside and knows where all of them are and will happily retrieve you multiple pairs of all said items until he is dressed and ready to go!
• Getting very good at dressing/undressing himself (with help of course) he can almost take his jacket off and pull his pants up. He's very curious about how to take his shirts off but can't quite get it yet...probably a good thing because he loves to be naked!
• Cleans up his toys with Mommy & Daddy after supper and before bath every night. He even knows where the different toys go.
• We play a new game called "Mommy's baby" where I ask him "do you want to be Mommy's baby?" and sometimes he says yes with this adorable smile and throws himself back into my arms in the cradle position then we get all silly and sing lullabies to my "baby"! 
• He had a haircut, first one in like 6-7 weeks...and I regret it. He HATED it and fussed every minute of it so it's not the best cut, so unlike him to be so fussy! So we're growing it out. He can have surfer dude hair for Maui!
• New words:
• skid steer ("did seer")
• milk ("doh")
• Dizzy
• Lofty [his favorite!]
• Muck
• Scoop
• Rolley
• Wendy ("ehhh-dee")
• Pumpkin
• Whoa dude! [thanks, Uncle Ben!]
• Ben ("den")
• Auntie
• Jess ("dess")
• hold on [we always tell him to "hold on" when his shows are loading, changing his bum, etc]
• careful [hehehe]
• llama ("yaya") for his "Llama Llama" books that he loves
• pie ("die")
• cookie [he doesn't say "toota" for cookie anymore...kinda makes me sad!]
• juice ("joo") which is really weird...he's had juice like twice!
• also putting two words together consistently - "Mommy's shoe", "Daddy's skid steer", etc.
• Sleeping: lately he has been sleeping from 7:00 PM - 8:00+ AM on a consistent basis! It's been so awesome, but surely after I write this he'll be back to 7-7 which is also nothing to complain about! He even had a monster 16 hour sleep in the middle of the month!
• Naps: it really varies. 12PM-1, 2, or 3 if he's really tired and I'm lucky...I fear that he might be weaning himself from his naps :(
• Eating: it's touch and go. He loves loves loves breakfast and eats like a horse, so we take advantage of it. Eats (healthy) snacks very well, loves his milk, supper is so off-and-on. He does not do well eating when company, even 1 extra person is around even when it's food he loves
• Teeth: no new ones. He needs all 4 incisors still and I think he's teething his 2 year molars, he chews on his soothers more than sucks on them lately!
• Clothes: 18-24 month Gap/Old Navy pants fit perfect with some room to grow and Carter's 24 month pants are still too long, but he wears them anyway! Same with tops, he has almost all 2T shirts, we roll up the sleeves and they're a bit long in the body, but he doesn't swim in them and they'll last a lot longer! In all 2T pajamas which blows my mind, I bought 3T Carter's one pieces already at Costco for Christmas because they looked not much bigger than 2T!
• Potty learning: still so not ready. He loves his "dotty" and loves to sit on it, but has no clue what it's for. I'm eager for him to learn...but obviously won't push it until he's ready.
• He still loves Thomas, Bob, & George in that order, sleeps with all three and still loves to read books by himself and with anyone who will oblige!
• I am totally planning his 2nd birthday already...be prepared for THOMAS-FEST 2012!!! Peep peep! :)

Here's some other pictures from today!

And some Picnik fun!

Also, it's Flashback Friday! 9 month old Braden! Awwww!!!

Have a great Halloween weekend!

Braden is 20 Months Old!

So...I guess that's just 4 months away from 2 years old?!? Thanks for pointing that out, by the way, Laura!


He has grown and changed so much this month! This month of growth for not only physically but developmentally has been the fastest since his first month!

New Braden things:

• Calls his blankie "duckie" now...even though he calls ducks "duckies" too
• Can point out a cow in a book, on the TV, or in read life and say "moo"
• Spins around in a circle when he is looking for someone or something with his palms up in the air. HILARIOUS!
• He is getting very good at communicating his needs/wants. He can answer a lot of yes/no questions and has even started saying "no?" sometimes when I ask him to do something :)
• He calls both of his Grandpa's "Papa" now, so cute!
• He can do the all the actions for "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes" except shoulders
• Loves it when I play "This Little Piggy" with his toes & he repeats the action and plays with his toes after
• Plays "Braden? Where are you?" usually in the bathtub at Mom's. It's adorable...he can say his name pretty darn good! (see below)
• He can pick up a camera, look through it as if to take a picture, and say "cheese" he's learning well!
• New words:
• thank you (tha coo)
• excuse me (scoo me)
• turtle 
• cheese (cheeeeeee)
• how you doin'? (how doin'?) SO STINKIN' CUTE! [video/post soon!]
• bum, he even said to me once with a really wet diaper "MY BUM MOM!"
• Bob [as in, Bob the Builder]
• bubble
• doctor
• diaper
• Lukey (Ookey, Dukey...this is the first cousin's name he's been able to say!)
•  Teeth - finally got the 4th front bottom tooth! Drooling like CRAZY when he has his fingers in his mouth, so we still have the 4 eye teeth to go, I can't see any teeth buds
• Sleeping is very consistent. Goes down for his nap from 12 - 2:30/3 and goes to bed 6:30-7:00PM until 7:00 AM and babbles until we get him up at about 7:30. AWESOME!
• Has had two really goopy, gross runny noses already this fall :(
• He would live outside if we let him
• Still loves Thomas but also likes Bob the Builder now (Thomas follows me on Twitter - how cool!)

I'm really enjoying this age again right now. We have our moments where he makes this awful "uh-uh-uh-uh!" whiney sound where I know he wants something and just won't tell me, then I have to remember that I'm the adult, take a deep breath, ask him what he wants...he tells me and we can move on with our bad selves! He is such a sweetheart and still a big goof!

A lot of family members have been saying "he sure doesn't miss much, does he?" If you show him something once. He'll remember. The last time we were at Mom's, Ben showed Braden how to make music with the intake vents...and Braden was upstairs doing the same thing this time! Not much gets by him! Here's what he did this AM while I cleaned, watched some George:

And here's a little snippit right at the beginning of the clip of him saying "Braden". He was sitting on my nightstand (stinker!) and was playing the "Braden? Where are you?" game! If you listen closely it's RIGHT at the beginning. I tried to get him to say it again, but no luck...so the rest of the video is kinda pointless!




How about some votes for Braden's 20 month birthday? And don't forget to like us on Facebook please!

Thanks and have a great rest of your week!