everybody's favorite chair

hahaha...i know...if you are over 45 years old you think this chair is TERRIBLE...but i'm sure you did things with your kiddos that i would probably think were horrible...and i'm sure luci & gus will do things with their kiddos that i will think are no good...such is life!

and not to be left out...
Is she gorgeous or what?

i took these photos over a week ago, and since then he's become all about sitting up. no more reclining & chatting with mama for this boy...he wants to be sittin up like a big boy all.the.time. he really moves his head around to look at whoever is talking. today clay was telling me a story & he caught gus looking at him with big eyes as if to say, "really? tell me more dad!"

Easter Egg Hunt

Today was the annual Cottage Green Easter Egg Hunt! Luci was so excited she couldn't sleep at nap time today. She did a great job finding her 12 eggs and ate a ton of candy...after Clay & I had agreed she'd have only just a few pieces. As I was listening to the just one more whine, Lesley pointed out that she'd rather her girls eat 12 pieces of candy at once than listen to the just one more whine for the rest of the day. And I decided I agreed. So I gave a few pieces of candy away when Luci wasn't looking, and just let her eat the rest. And the whine was over. Surprisingly, there wasn't a stomach ache later.

Running down the alley screaming, "here we come Easter Bunny!" And yes, she stops at the corner & waits for us :)
huntin eggs with Dad

she found a ton under there...

two guesses how this is going to end...
yep...

sure did...
and all the while the boy just hung out in his stoller :)

3 months

smiley boy... surprise face...
look! stripes!

and feet!

and sister!

our gus is a happy lil fella most of the time. unlike his big sis, who used to focus on activity until it was conquered, our boy just wants to be included. when he starts to fuss all he needs is a lil chat with mama or sister & he's good to go. he LOVES to be talked to.

he just started drooling, and loves to blow little raspberries. he also likes make the wet razz noise. we also just broke out the jumperoo and he's a big fan.

here is our handsome lil man on his way to church yesterday...too bad those 6M jeans look more like capri pants...

and a few funny faces...

another one

not sure why all of the sudden i feel the need to document these little luci moments...oh yes, wait, i do. i find myself often going back to check & see what we were up to when luci was gus' age...and i'm so glad i documented the seemingly little, insignificant details...cause i can't remember them for the life of me.

this morning, while i was rocking gus for his second nap of the day at 10a (our day started too early to mention), she came upstairs using her newly perfected quiet voice, and asked if she could eat a smashed cereal bar (a big treat in our world) she had found in the diaper bag. i told her yes, opened it, and upon realizing just how smashed it was, asked her to go down & eat it at the table. and i told her i'd be right there.

3-5 minutes later i head downstairs to find her sitting happily at the table, eating said cereal bar. i commended her on her excellent listening skills & told her i was very proud of her for sitting at the table like i had asked. she replied with, "sure mom. what is this called again?"

and i had one of those, she's only 2...how can she be so big already? moments. slow down a bit lu...there is no hurry.

luci quote

scene: changing her diaper on the ottoman. i accidentally hit her head with her feet trying to keep her tights & ballet dress on while changing her.

me: oops! did i bonk you on the head with your feet? that is kind of silly!
luci: no, that is not kinda silly. that is kinda very frustrating...

my girl

you can still see her little baby profile in her big girl profile...i hadn't noticed until these photos!

i talked her into getting her hair trimmed a few weeks ago (did i already blog about that? can't remember & too lazy to go back & check)...the lollipop got her in the chair...and at the end they put glitter in her hair...and it is STILL THERE. like 3+ weeks later. anyone know how to get glitter out? washing & combing isn't working...

see the bruise on her forehead? she fell face first onto some huge rocks at the 'mountain park' a few weeks ago...yes, i said a few weeks ago....

and in case anyone doubted that she still needs a nap...this is how i found her after putting gus down for his afternoon nap, before putting her down for hers...

gus @ 12 weeks

we made it! 12 weeks has long been my 'you can do it' goal...with luci everything seemed to get much easier at about 12 weeks...and here we are already with gus (as of tomorrow) and sure enough, many things seem easier.

notes at 12 weeks...

-within the last week he has found his hands. it started last week - he was bringing them together on his own a lot...and just within the last few days his hands have found his mouth! he can't get enough of this hand eating...

-he will often grab my hands or arms when i'm changing his diaper or feeding him a bottle (which i do every night before bed...i call it my relief feeding)

-nursing is getting easier, but i'd say the feeding business is still harder at this point than it was with luci because of his reflux. he is a serious spitter...drenching entire burp cloths with one spit up...and often one feeding has 3 or more spit-ups. luckily the prevacid is helping & for the most part his pain seems fairly well managed.

-because of the reflux he doesn't get much time flat on his back. he could do without luci's beloved star, and doesn't seem entertained by objects floating above him. the exception to this is the mobile in his crib. his crib has an elevated head so maybe that is what makes the difference.

-if you catch him at the right time (over 90 minutes since a feeding & just up from a nap) he enjoys tummy time & does a pretty good job pushing himself up.

-he's pushed himself over a few times from tummy to back, but i'm still not convinced it is a voluntary movement.

-he's in 6-9 mo pjs

-his 1-2 diapers are much too small but i'm still squishin his lil booty in them cause we bought too many of them

-not many of the 3-6mo clothes fit anymore...we are mostly in 6mo or even some 6-9mo/9mo

-he's just starting to get some new hair growth in on the top of his head & it is blond. he still has quite a bit of his birth hair though, and it is very dark.

-his eyes are an amazing shade of blue. they are darker and more intense than luci's, although shaped differently. his eyelashes are long & curled and his eye brows are very light...just like his daddy's.

-he has rosonke ears, and a halvorson mouth. he has my mom's smile all the way....and it is ADORABLE.

-he loves to be spoken to...and usually he'll talk back.

-he's thinking about giggling...he gets close, but no full on chuckle yet.

-he usually takes four naps...two 30-45 minute ones in the AM and then a longer one starting between 1p and 2p and last for 90-120 minutes. he usually takes another cat nap before going down to bed between 7p and 8p. he usually gets up between 7a and 8a.

-he's usually up between 2a and 4a for a feeding. he had a great few nights of 5a, 5:30a and even 6:30a wakings, but he hasn't repeated since then. about 50% of the time he goes right back down and the other half of the time he's awake for up to 90 minutes. ugh.

-he's soothing himself to sleep now. our routine is upstairs, close the curtains, change a diaper, wrap in the miracle blanket, sing a song while rocking, and then rock for 2-3 more minutes. he does a combo of talking/fussing/crying usually. i often go in just once to soothe (paci) after 5 minutes of crying and then he usually falls asleep after that.

-he started the wet razz & blowing raspberries last week.

-his mama thinks he's the sweetest lil guy around ;)

Gus is sooooo

teeny...or so she used to say. Yesterday she said, "Gus is getting sooooooo BIG and HEAVY...off, off, take him OFF!"

not happy...

Luci wanted Gus to hold SallyBea (as she's now called - she was originally Bea, then Sally a year later, and now SallyBea) during dinner. Doesn't he look pleased?

Um, the more people you add to a family photo the harder it is to get a good one, right?

home improvement

most functional award goes to our new guest quarters...

look! a built-in cabinet in the playroom!

no, wait! surprise! it's a bed!

most fun award goes to our new bigger screen TV & blu-ray player that streams netflix & pandora!! yaaaay for free kids music (that mom likes, too) all day!

and tied for most painful to project to complete, some new wall words....

gus' room (someday we'll center the crib under the words)

and the master bath...just a friendly lil reminder for two type-a parents (pardon the glare from the shower door)....

tummy time

our boy is getting the hang of tummy time!! i'd been wondering when he'd figure out it is more comfortable when you use your hands to help push up...

his motivation seemed to be our new bigger screen tv (we upgraded from a 32 inch to a 47 inch)...he was REALLY into divine design on hgtv...a sign of good taste in my book!

he also rolled over from his tummy to his back...but he's done this once before (we had been home from the hospital just a day or two) and i'm pretty sure it is accidental & won't be repeated for another few months. i actually think it is just a result of his fairly severe reflux...he's got the back arching thing down!

my girl the climber

"I go to the backyard? I go in the backyard?" Luci is all about our backyard these days...she's pretty much conquered everything within reach at the two parks that are a short walk away so I guess climbing trees is the next step?

This morning she watched Milo (our cat) jump from our cube climber to the ledge on the fence seen above...and she said, "I try it? Can I try?" - I think she really would have if Clay & I hadn't been there to explain to her that only cats can fit on that ledge...

two months

this is on his way to a smile...he's got kind of a lopsided grin :)

our sweet boy celebrated his two month birthday on sunday the 28th! he's a handsome fella, if you ask his mom...or his grandmas...or his sister.

stats @ 2 months:

weight: 13lbs, 12.8oz, 90%

height: 26inches, 75 - 90%

head: 15inches, 50-75%

he's sweet. i don't know how else to describe him. unless his belly hurts, he's hungry or he's sleepy, the boy doesn't really cry. if you talk to him, he'll smile & talk back. he loves to coo and say something that sounds like "ahgoooo". within the last week he's started to be ready for bed around 7p which has made my life MUCH easier. he's also trying hard to develop a longer morning nap, but sometimes he wakes up after 45 minutes to hang for another 20 minutes before realizing, oh yeah, i still want to sleep. i'm hoping that within the next week he'll have it down. then in the afternoon some days he has a long nap and others he takes 2-3 45 minute naps. he was eating every 2 hours up until the last week when we started stretching it a bit more, and for the most part we are up to every 3 hours now.

he loves his new bouncy seat & his little woodland friends. he likes the play mat star, but after 3 or 4 minutes he gets a bit overstimulated.

i think he's already outgrowing his size 1-2 swaddlers that i bought. anybody need a sams club size box of 1-2s? As for clothes, the 3 month outfits are LONG gone, and the 3-6month ones are on their way out. he's in 6-9 month pjs...for the next few weeks anyway.

night time has been mostly two feedings a night, although last night i stretched him and fed just once. his pedi says once should definitely be sufficient for a nearly 14 pounder. i'm just worried it was a one night thing given he was a bit more sleepy from his vaccinations (just two, we are on a modified schedule).

and, starting last night, he's largely soothing himself to sleep. i wait until he's drowsy, wrap him in his blanket and then put him in his bed. the plan is to let him cry for 5 minutes, then soothe, then let him cry again, and so on until he's asleep. so far we've had one 5 minute crying period. other than that, he's just drifted off into sweet slumber by himself. i'm happy to teach him self soothing skills, but must admit i sort of miss our rocking sessions...