he's not so little anymore..

oh, he's still my baby, and always will be mama's boy, but our one-year-old is definitely a toddler now. He's on day 2 of NO bottle, just sippy cups. He is cruising, standing for 30 seconds +, taking 1-2 steps at a time, and climbing like crazy. Onto couches, chairs, step stools, you name it. He insists on having silverware of some kind when he eats, and if something has a button, he will press it. He knows Mommy's buttons to press, too. I'm going to work on finding a pediatrician so we can get all the official stats... he is definitely a big, strong boy! :)

time flies...

Where have 11 months gone? I did not realize how much Brandon has grown until we met our newest family member this weekend. Ella Grey is so cute, so tiny...

Hannah loved to hold her. Brandon seemed to think his new cousin is a baby doll, and quickly gained the new nickname Bam-Bam. We decided not to let him get too close to her after that.

So much has happened in the kids' lives this summer... a week in WI to visit great Gramma, a week in Memphis, packing up our house and moving in with GranWendy and Grandad until we move... location yet to be disclosed. They have been troopers. Other than a setback in sleeping habits, especially for the not-so-little-anymore boy, they seem to take every change in stride. We are so thankful to all our friends and family who have helped in this transition.

Brandon weighed in around 19.5 lbs at 9 months, and I'll guess he is around 21 lbs now (11 months). He is strong, has mastered climbing up stairs and is beginning to figure out how to lay down and scoot down them. He eats anything and everything... Great Gram even said he eats too much, and anyone who knows her knows that's not a common thing out of her mouth.

Hannah measured 38 1/2" tall a month ago at great gram's. I have no idea how much she weighs. 35 lbs, maybe? She is growing up... no longer a toddler, that's for sure. She likes writing the letter "H," but resists learning to write the rest of her name. I think it's safe to say she's been fully potty trained for 4-6 months... except for an occasional leak when she gets too busy.

The kids love to wrestle eachother, play with eachother, etc.

Brandon woke me up at 4 for a bottle, I could not sleep, but I am feeling sleepy now, so maybe it will be less than a month before my next post.

it's ben a while..

Sorry. Those close to me have kept up on Facebook, so I don't feel TOO guilty. Updates:

• the kids have a new cousin: Benjamin! Woo hoo!!!! Congrats Adam and Amy!!!
• Brandon is 9 months old. Already. Cruising the furniture, sometimes pushing his walker, pulling himself up on everything, opening cabinets and drawers he has no business getting into because he's a baby and that's what they do, he's heavy, but i haven't weighed him since his 6 month check up at 7 months, he has 4 teeth... 2 on top, 2 on bottom, i really don't feel like dragging him to the doctor unless he's sick. Do I have to bring him in for a 9 month well baby check?
• Hannah is 3 years 7 months. She and I got haircuts yesterday... both somewhat drastic, though mine is similar to past styles. Hers is chin-length, probably 6-8 inches were cut off the back. She informed the beauticians that she did not need a face wax and Brandon did not need a haircut. And she ordered me to go first. That actually worked out well, because Brandon lost patience as our stylist finished my hair, so Hannah fed him puffs to appease him until I could give him his bottle. She is such a great helper!!! She's also adjusting pretty well to mommy's new-found efforts to keep the house presentable. She even thanked me for cleaning our house when she returned from two days with Aunt Becca, Uncle Brett, and Cousin Juliana last week! Ha!
  

check-up/sick visit

Buddy's 6 month check-up and shots were at 7 months. He's 16 1/2 lbs, 27 inches long, and Doc said he's developmentally about 6-8 weeks ahead of the minimum goals for kids his age. He's rolling over, lifting his neck up high, and scooting around and rolling really well. He grabs onto and chews anything and everything within reach, but doesn't quite have the pincer grasp mastered yet. He thinks he can eat our food, to the point that he begged for beans and rice at the Mexican restaurant until I fed him some the other night. He inhaled them. He "talks" in his own little language, and I swear he knows how to cry my name. He LOVES his big sister, and doesn't seem to mind her invasions of personal space.

Bear has been fighting the crud on and off all month, and earlier this week she complained of an earache. We had her checked, and sure enough, she has a mild ear infection. Her first in a long time... like 2 years +. She hated seeing her brother hurt as he was given her shots, and was such a brave girl when they drew her blood that we split a flurry at McDonalds after the appointment. She weighs 33 pounds, I forgot to ask them to check her height, and since it was a sick check, that's not standard protocol at our office. But she's growing... somewhere between 3t and 4th pants and shirts, but 4t and 5t shorts. She loves all things princess, and her current favorite movie is Barbie and the Diamond Castle... we have it from netflix, and she won't let me send it back.

Good and bad

The good news...
Buddy doesn't need antibiotics.
He's growing: at 6 months-ish, he weighs 15 lb 14 oz and is around 26 1/2 inches long.
He doesn't have to have his immunization this week.


The bad news....
His temp hit 103 this afternoon. I noticed his torso felt hot while changing his diaper.
He still got poked at the Doctor's office, and his big sister was almost as hard to console over seeing her brother in pain as he was during the process of being pinned down for the blood draw. I guess that's good news, too, at least she's compassionate.
He has a virus.

5 months

Okay, so I'm not keeping up with this thing as well as I used to. It's hard to believe that we've entered the 5th month of having two kids! Sister and brother love each other... their faces light up upon sight of the other. It's the sweetest thing to observe, and I hope that even when they go through phases of sibling rivalry, etc., they will always be best friends. Brandon is so used to his sister's hugs that when he met our friend's 2-month-old, he leaned right over to give him a hug. And when they laid on the floor next to eachother, they held hands. SOOO sweet!!!

Not sure about the weight gain, but some 6-9 month clothes are fitting in addition to the 3-6. (Some of the sleeves are too short on those.)

we've started solids: rice cereal, oatmeal, and pears so far. He loves them, and will grab the spoon and shove it all the way back to his throat until he gags if we don't hold him back. He also loves to reach for our foods and drinks, no matter what they are. I let him taste some brown rice at Pei Wei yesterday, he loved that, too.

He rolls over from back to tummy occasionally, plays well in his exersaucer with a pillow under his feet... his legs are a tad short to touch steadily, and I don't want to crunch him you-know-where. He seems to enjoy tummy time more and more, spits up less most of the time, and my friend who is a physical therapist said she thinks he's about a month ahead in strength because he sits up so well, even though he does face plant every once in a while. I think there is something to the theory that boys are naturally stronger than girls. He is also beginning to pick up objects

Last night, he slept in his crib in the room he and Hannah share all night!!! That is a milestone. A big one. (He's beens leeping in the travel-lite crib in our room, even though it has about 1 inch left of length in it.) I haven't even replaced the batteries on the mobile yet, but he fell asleep quite well and stayed down until 7:30 a.m. Sissy slept all night, too. :)

4 month check up

Okay, so our Buddy a.k.a. Champ will be 5 months old in 10 days. But I wanted to make sure he was past his crud before taking him for his shots. And Daddy had to be off work.

Weight: 14 lbs 8 oz
Length: 25 1/2 cm, give or take a bit. He was pretty squirmy.

Doc has given the okay to begin cereals (which we actually did this week when he was staring us down at dinner), considering how much he likes to eat (30-36 oz a day), and is pleased with his development. He's alert and strong... he prefers to stand on my lap more than sit on it these days, and if you are wearing a necklace or earrings, or have long hair, watch out! He's drooling more and chewing on everything, so even though I don't feel them poking yet, I am sure his teeth are working their way up. He still spits up, but not AS prolifically as he used to, and honestly, having such a sweet baby makes me think I could be ready for another one SOME DAY.

Happy New Year

We took Buddy in the Saturday after Christmas and he got his first antibiotic prescription. Since he was sick, we abstained from the 4-month vaccinations. He seems pretty well recovered, but Bear still has a cough and runny nose... yet her bloodwork came back just fine last Saturday.

At his doctor's visit, Brandon weighed in at around 13 pounds, so he's holding pretty steady for now. But the way he's been eating the past couple of days, I think we'll be introducing him to solids soon. Big Sis's still around 33 pounds, too, in spite of her uncle's claim that she feels heavier. It's all in the physics, she's just shorter and squattier than her cousin who she's almost caught up to in weight. It could be all those curls. ;)

Anyway, Brandon has been rolling from tummy to back for quite a while now. Tonight, he rolled from his back to his tummy! :) He's also starting to scoot a little bit at a time, though tummy time still frustates him if he gets too much of it. Sometimes he scoots in circles, other times a couple of inches forward. When Bear heard me get excited about her brother's first big roll, she exclaimed, "Good job, Brandon! We're so proud of you!"

big girl, big boy

Last night was Bear's 3rd night in plain cloth underwear or training pants. And her first waking up completely dry!!!!! We ran out of pull-ups earlier this week, and I decided to give the night potty-training a try.
******
Our big boy had has 3 month check-up today. He's 25 inches long and weighs 12 lbs, 12 oz. clothed... since his diaper was a little wet, that's probably more like 12 lbs, 6 oz.

3 month pictures

focused

sitting proud

i can get that...

thud... maybe not (mommy caught me, don't worry)

tolerating tummy time... momentarily

We had a great Thanksgiving; photos are on facebook, so if you aren't my friend on there and want to be, send me an e-mail.

Brandon is growing like crazy. He likes to eat. He loves hugs and kisses, and loves to be held. He's demonstrating a bit of Mommy preference already... and is spoiled. But they are only this little once, and time passes too quickly. Thankfully, he also likes to sleep most nights. Last night, he even slept from about 9:45 pm to 8:15 am!!!!! Big Sis, on the other hand, did not go to sleep until after 11 p.m. (but she did sleep in, too, for once). We took advantage of the sleep and opted to go to the later worship service at church. :) He makes adorable cooing and gurgling sounds as though he is trying to carry on a conversation. He rolls from his tummy to his back with ease, and he LOVES his baby einstein play mat (a hand me down from big sis). He also brings toys to his mouth with ease and chews on them (he thinks his fingers are tasty, too), and tonight I caught him pulling up the knees of his pants. He sits up well when he is propped up, and seems to like the new perspective, at least until he gets tired. He's got Mommy, Daddy, and Big Sis captured by the heartstrings. And pretty much everyone who meets him when he's in a good mood.

His 3 month check-up is not until the end of this week, but I thought I would go ahead and post some pictures of our big Buddy...

12 weeks

11/12/2008

12 weeks- 11/18:

chillin' with sis

Our little Buddy's growing up on us. Fortunately, this means he sleeps a 6, 7 or sometimes even 8-hour stretch most nights. He's spitting up less, which is also a welcome change. Big Sis has figured out how to pick him up by herself, which is semi-frightening. I'm glad she loves her brother, but she doesn't quite understand just how careful she needs to be. Perhaps she's grooming him to be a wrestler some day (in school, not "pro"). She'd better watch out, some day he'll be bigger than she. He smiles a lot, but catching one on camera is not always easy. Oh, and he's beginning to outgrow his Newborn and some of his 0-3 month sized clothes, so today I put him in a 3-6 month sleep n' play outfit just to see. It's a bit big, but no worse than the 0-3 month ones were when he came home from the hospital! He also intentionally reaches for some of his toys (especially on the activity mat), and grabs onto them. Some things, like his snugglies, make it to his mouth. (He also pulls Sissy's hair when she invades his personal space).

Sometimes he doesn't mind to be loved on with Bear hugs... at least, at first....

Well Child Check-ups

Bear's 3-year stats:
33 lbs.
38 inches tall

Buddy's 2 month stats:
11 lbs.
22 inches long
39 cm head

Hannah actually seemed to enjoy today's doctor visit. She got to wear a gown with looney toons characters on it, and everyone told her how cute she was. J was able to take off work and go with us, which made everything sooo much easier.

Both kiddos are healthy and happy!

6 weeks already?

6 weeks ago this morning, I finally went into labor at 40 weeks 5 days. Time is passing too quickly, as Brandon is waking up. Everyone comments on how alert he is during his wakeful periods.
Today, he activated the music and lights on his play mat by reaching for his toys. I'm not sure if he realizes the connection yet, or is just beginning to reach toward objects, but I still think it's pretty cool. Hannah loves to help, whether it's by bringing us his paci (and stuffing it in his mouth), a diaper for a change, or even wiping. As I was changing his diaper this morning, Hannah pointed to his boy "parts" and asked, "what's that?" I was wondering when she would ask. She is also still amazed that his umbilical cord fell off and left his belly button in place.

He's a pretty good sleeper... 2 4-hour stretches between feedings last night, and in the past week he has slept for 6 hours 3 times. During the day he is not as fond of sleeping, and prefers to be held. But I'll take sleep at night any day and cherish the cuddle times during the day... they will pass far too quickly! He also tends to spit up a lot, though after some feedings he doesn't very much, which leaves mommy confused. He smiles more every day, and the sounds of his "coos" change.

6 weeks- what are they looking at?

sometimes sissy comes on a bit too strong

playing "together"- Brandon 6 weeks, Hannah 35 1/2 months

5 weeks

• we see an occasional smile (or is it gas?)
  
• brandon slept 7 hours last night, 6 the night before last. mommy & daddy hope this continues

Photo soon...

********************
from the big sister:

Hannah: "Your name is Lauren."
Mommy: "That's right. Your name is Hannah."
Hannah: "Brandon's name is buddy."

Brandon's 1 month checkup

9 lb 5 oz
22 inches long

I'll have to admit, I am glad he's not a 10-pounder just yet. He has so many cute 0-3 month clothes that we've been given!

Big sis had a harder time waiting patiently for the doc to see her brother than anyone else. I think the 3's are going to be harder than the 2's.

Bear's lil' Buddy is 4 weeks old!

Big sis, before the shower last saturday:

This morning, holding baby brother:
This afternoon:



Doing the unofficial, stand on scale with and without baby weigh-in, I'm guessing he's around 10 lbs. His 1 month check up is later this week. He's healthy, seems to be adjusting to formula ok overall, and has more "awake" time during the day. He is still my cuddly boy, I hope that doesn't change for a long time. We have started calling Bear "Sissy" around the house, and she in turn calls Brandon "Sissy", and then laughs. We call him "Buddy" or "Little Man". Of course, we use their names. Lately, the almost 3 year old has been hearing her first name and middle name together more frequently; and sometimes the last name is added on when she is ignoring us. (It doesn't usually seem to help, though.)

mini milestones

or, rather, observations:

*Brandon's cord finally fell off this week.
*His eyelashes are getting longer... they are blondish/light brown.
*His light brown hair (with some blonde mixed in the very top) is growing long enough so that if it gets scrunched, the whole 1/8th of an inch of it sticks out. So cute!
*He is beginning to have longer "awake" periods, and is easily captivated by things like ceiling fans and the flashing lights on his swing and bouncy seat.
*He turns toward voices he recognizes. He also seemed to like my Daniel Doss Band cd that I played yesterday.
*He "smiles". I think it's just gas so far, but it's cute.
*He copies mouth gestures and really studies faces.

****
Hannah loves the new line-up on PBS, especially Super Why and Word World. She dances and sings along to the theme songs, and interacts with the characters more than on any other show. It's so cute! And since the shows are pretty educational, I do not feel as guilty about too much TV time during our adjustment. :)

picnic at grandaddy & granwendy's

we headed down to see grandaddy and granwendy, their friends from church, and a few other friends of the family whom we hadn't seen in a while. this picnic is becoming an annual tradition, and hannah made friends with some of the children (and every single adult she made contact with). she liked her grilled hot dog, watermelon, broccoli salad, fruit salad, chips... pretty much everything. the # of people she did not recognize at her grandparents' property seemed to overwhelm her at first, but she quickly joined the other kids peering into the goldfish pond and playing with the assortment of balls and outdoor toys. the older kids had fun trying to use badminton rackets as bubble-makers. they sort-of worked. we missed seeing her younger cousin and her parents this year!

nursery was full again. the coordinators did some re-arranging, which meant combining 2 classes into one. we had 10 kids, and the time flew by as toddlers are a never-ending source of energy.

hannah is wearing her flowery/gypsy gymboree outfit, complete with hairbow and a bracelet. she looks so cute all dressed up as a girlie girl. i'm scared to trim her hair at all just yet... i don't want her to lose any of those beautiful curls permanently. perhaps she'll get a haircut before she enters kindergarten... but not much before.

her fascination with "cooking" continues, and she likes the 2 qt. sauce pan because she can fit more into it. she also likes squirt guns, though we only fill them in the bathtub.

teeth are coming in... don't care to make her mad enough to get a good count, and i always forget when she's hanging upside down or flying through the air during "ring around the rosy". 10-12, i think.

she has correctly identified more letters, especially those in her name. she can pant like an animal, and make a "psst" sound. daddy was trying to get her attention by saying ,"psst... i love you." she thought it was funny and copied him.

if you haven't seen her in a while, feel free to come visit! just give me a couple of hours warning so i can stuff things into closets.