Leo – 10 months

Happy Friday! My last update on sweet Leo was at 7 months and somehow the last 3 months have flown by in a whirlwind of milestones for both Leo and me.IMG_1926 (2)

Leo is a very fast and very efficient crawler. He pulls to stand and cruises along furniture well but if he wants something he quickly and carefully drops to the ground to crawl for it. None of Jack and Audrey’s toys are safe anymore.  He loves being with Jack and Audrey and follows them around, and is happy to be sitting near them while playing with his own toys or playing with his siblings.

Leo has continued to be the most smiley baby I’ve even known. But wouldn’t you be happy if you were greeted by sweet “hiii baby!” from two siblings every day? He is SO loved.IMG_1758

He giggles all the time, and loves to wrestle Jack and Audrey. He loves blankets, books, and bathtime – especially with his siblings. IMG_2068

Right around the 9 month mark Leo started waving and, oh! I had forgotten how much fun new tricks like that are. He loves waving to his siblings when they wake up for the day. Speaking of sleep, Leo is doing better in that department (some days). He gets put to bed drowsy and falls asleep nicely around 7:30. Sometimes he wakes up sometime in the early morning (anywhere from 3:30-5:30) and goes back to sleep until just before 7am….other times he decides two wake-ups sound better. He smacks his bed to wake me. Ha! He takes two naps, and if we are home those naps are 90-minutes each.

Food is coming along well. I often think that he eats less than Jack and Audrey did at this age, but I question whether my memory is accurate. He mostly eats small bits of whatever our family is eating and his favorites right now seem to be sweet potato, peas, blueberries, bananas, cheerios, and cod. Even kale was a pretty big hit. He still likes to nurse around 6 times a day. IMG_1867

Physically, he is fairly tall (85th percentile) and right in the middle for weight at 18.5 lbs at his 9-month appointment. He has such pretty clear blue eyes, wispy light brown hair, and four adorable baby teeth.IMG_1806

We are enjoying his last month in Indiana before we move to Illinois at the end of the month. Hopefully I will be able to carve out the time for another update before this sweet and funny boy turns 1. IMG_2030

Leo – 7 months

Busy month around here! Matt has had travel to Michigan for a good part of the last month, my dissertation deadline is getting closer, and Leo has been busy learning new tricks. The biggest new trick is sitting. He wasn’t doing much pushing up to sitting right at 7 months, but within the last week he has been pushing up to sitting and is doing really well staying stable.IMG_1629

Food is going ok. We really liked starting the other kids on baby oatmeal, but oats and cereals haven’t seemed to sit very well in Leo’s tummy. He loves other baby food (purees like peas, green beans, and squash) and has enjoyed eating some of our table food like sweet potatoes, avocados, and banana. His pincer grasp isn’t quite there, so he doesn’t feed himself much of anything yet. He still likes to nurse 6-7 times a day when we are together.

Sleep is still a bit unpredictable. If he is home, he takes three solid naps a day. He still wakes twice a night…on good nights. Ha!IMG_1686

Play has been really exciting in the last month. He LOVES all of his toys, especially his baby piano and any vehicles that make noises. And any of Jack and Audrey’s toys are great motivation for him to move quickly. Speaking of moving, he does a bit of crawling on hands and knees but mostly does an army crawl. We are in trouble when he gets really mobile!IMG_1634

Leo – 6 months

Half a year…It has gone by amazingly quickly. Starting solids seemed so far away and here were are with a third baby eating. But let me back up and tell you about what Leo has been up to in the last month.

First – Leo finally got his first tooth. I think I see a second bottom tooth getting ready to pop out.P21

Second, and way less fun, he got his first tummy bug. Jack and I caught it next, then Gigi, then Audrey. He handled being sick like a champ though, and kept a smile on his face the whole time.IMG_1471

The third new thing in his little life was our first couple of nights away from each other. I had a quick trip to California and Leo stayed behind. So hard to be away from a nursing baby who still wakes in the middle of the night. Needless to say, we were both very happy to be reunited.P10

We have his 6 month check-up Tuesday for official stats and shots. He seems long so I am curious to see how much he has grown. He gets up into a crawl position and rocks, but he gets too excited and collapses to the ground to do a swimming motion.P19

We celebrated my birthday this weekend. Leo loved hearing Happy Birthday being sang. While he didn’t get to share in the dessert, he got his first taste of oatmeal. (It was a hit!) Kids are all so unique but I am going to try what I have before with foods, and keep my fingers crossed that Leo is as much of a pleasure to feed as his siblings. We’ll be sticking with what we have before will be a mix of baby oatmeal, a couple of purees of veggies, and mostly whatever food we are eating cut up so that he can feed himself. Jack and Audrey think that Leo being old enough to eat is hilarious!IMG_1582

Happy 6 months, sweet boy! We love you!IMG_1558

 

Leo – 5 months

Hello, there! Our happy little boy has shared in lots of fun over the last month, including celebrating Jack’s 5th Birthday (Leo completely lit up with all the singing) and celebrating Christmas (with trips to Rossville and Effingham, and meeting Santa).

IMG_1206Santa was really good to Leo with an interactive train, Sophie the Giraffe, and plenty of new books. Leo was thrilled and “played” with his train for a really long time Christmas morning. He loved being right in the middle of Jack and Audrey opening presents and playing. I can already see how much fun Christmas mornings with three kids is!!

He also experienced his first snow (didn’t seem that impressed), and started daycare last week. I absolutely adore the teachers in his room. They also cared for Jack (after we moved to West Lafayette) and Audrey. We load all three kids up in the morning now to go to the same place. J & A love brining Leo along. 🙂 Despite his super happy personality, Leo is doing a lousy job of napping. He doesn’t seem to want to shut it down but I am hopeful that he will get better about napping each week. (also hoping that nighttime sleep starts to get more predictable!)IMG_1216

In documenting what Leo is like this month…You know those babies who just want to be held and just relish every cuddle? Yeah – that isn’t Leo! Haha! That boy wants to move! He doesn’t fall asleep cuddling, and he really prefers to be held facing out so that he can keep tabs on his siblings. He is great on his tummy, and tries to “swim” to get places. When he figures out how to get his knees under himself we are in trouble. We have put him in his highchair a bit at dinner time so he can hang out with everyone and he seems to love being a part of everything. We are still holding off on food for about another month.

Physically he seems really long and lean, maybe a bit more so that Jack at this age (check out Jack here). And unlike his older siblings, Leo doesn’t have teeth yet! It is so strange to me and Matt to have a nearly bald, toothless 5-month old (although it surely isn’t to most parents).IMG_1435

Leo is really, really funny though. He loves to smile and laugh. Matt and I talk often about what kind of big kid he’ll be like. Our prediction is always on the go, and always smiling. Looking forward to seeing how his personality continues to develop over the next month!

Happy 5th Birthday, Jack!

Our first baby is 5 today.P10

Jack is so incredibly smart (spoken like any proud parent), and I am impressed with what he seems to soak up from all of his experiences. He asks such well-thought questions, and really wants to understand as many words as he can. He is starting to spell words, and is savvy to any of our attempts to skip words in long books.

He loves his baby brother and does everything he can to make Leo smile and laugh. Along those lines, he has the sweetest heart I know. He loves his cuddles with us every morning before breakfast. He loves sharing things like candy with Audrey (I don’t know that she ever reciprocates!). Today he asked us to guess his favorite person in the family. I think its safe to say that Matt really is number 1 to Jack in everything, but Jack answered that he loves all of us the most and clarified that he wouldn’t want anyone to be sad. He really is just so sweet.P9

Unfortunately, a tender heart with an active imagination means that Jack gets up in the middle of the night more than any of us would like scared. And he jumps up from the couch to cover his eyes at most Disney movies.

He can ride several miles on his bike now (no training wheels) and is FAST! Matt usually runs on foot with Jack, but I have gone a couple of times. He is so encouraging in his genuinely sweet way (Come on, Mommy! Keep practicing and you’ll get faster!). With Matt though, Jack begs for a break. Ha!

Favorites:  Playing cars and trucks, building, history (“what was it like…”), looking handsome (ha!), food (“I just love food”), music (singing and listening), books (avid reader)E2

Dislikes:  alone time (as a first child he really wants me or Matt around his constantly)

Looking forward to:  Christmas and the excitement of Santa this year, (maybe) skiing, spring soccer club, camping (with Matt and Dave).P11

Happy 5th birthday, sweet boy! You are everything we prayed and hoped for!Jack Hospital

Leo is 4 months

The happiest baby I’ve ever met is 4 months old tomorrow! Leo smiles from the moment you tell him “good morning, baby!” until you put him to bed. (Although he is louder and crabbier in the middle of the night).P26Since last month Leo has:

  • Been my date for cousin Kelli’s wedding

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  • Made his first trip to Grandma and Grandpa’s in Effingham for Thanksgiving. IMG_1144IMG_1151
  • Relished being the “center” of his siblings’ attention every chance he getsIMG_1177IMG_1171

Leo’s most notable change in the last month is that he rolls both directions, and loves hanging out on his belly. His four month appointment is later on this week, so I’ll make sure to come back and update his stats (I love being able to look back at his trends). He is still in 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers. What are we looking forward to in the next month? Seeing Santa (tomorrow!) and celebrating his first Christmas! Jack is going to share Leo’s wishlist to Santa. 🙂IMG_1159

Leo – 3 months

The baby is 3 months old this weekend. Leo is a smiley, talkative, easy-going little man.Leo3.3And, oh my! He is just SO happy. His face is almost always in a smile. Leo3.5Leo is getting so big! He is comfortably in 3-6 month clothing, but no doctor appointment this month for stats. He is starting to get better stretches of sleep too. He isn’t consistent yet, but has had up to 4.5 hours of sleep at night. Even on nights with lots of wake-ups he goes back down to sleep fairly quickly. Leo3.4He loves people! Leo loves hanging out with Jack and Audrey, and seems to try his hardest to make sure he gets to be a part of their bedtime book and songs. He is a chatterbox and loves to have full (loud) “conversations” with us, especially one on one. Leo3.2

Leo also has to started to “play” more with his toys, especially his crib mobile, playmat, and stuffed elephant. He also started rubbing his head this month (like he is really thinking about something).  He probably was pondering the whole Halloween thing. How cute is he as the lion in Wizard of Oz? He made it out to a couple of houses with Jack and Audrey, before he declared “there’s no place like home” and went home to bed. 🙂

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Audrey is 3!

A with CakeSugar and spice completely describes our Audrey. She still wakes up like she did as a baby, with sweet, sleepy cuddles and a sing-song voice. She loves to sit in Matt’s or my lap, and can be very giving with hugs and kisses (when it is her idea). But she has plenty of spice. She knows how to push Jack’s buttons, and in general likes to give the men in our house plenty of sass. 

A in PinkThings that I love about Audrey at three years old:

She and I usually go just the two of us to the grocery store on the weekend. She grabs her purse (and usually a baby) and is so happy to go. I really love this one on one time with her. She has so many interesting things to say, and she is actually really helpful. I hope this will be something we do for awhile. And one of the best parts? On the drive home she never fails to tell me how much fun she had. It is the complete essence of Audrey – She makes everyday activities so much sweeter for me.Princess

I took her for her first haircut at my salon last month. She loved it and has been playing hair salon since then. Matt and I jokingly fight over who gets to go first, because it is so nice to have a quiet “game” with your only responsibility to sit and have your head rubbed. Ha!

She loves to sing, and is (like most little girls her age) pretty theatrical about it. Lots of dancing too.

She and Jack have lots of pretend play, and I love overhearing their little imaginations at work.

She also doles out plenty of spontaneous “I love you” to her brothers.IMG_0616J&A gift

Eat, Sleep, Stats

Audrey is an easy kid to feed. She eats almost everything but she is a little pokey and prefers to eat a bit, get up and do something else, and then come back to it. She has been this way since birth. 😉 She’s a good sleeper too, and is in a toddler bed now. She typically goes to bed around 8pm and sings to herself and flops around for awhile before actually falling asleep and then stays asleep until at least 7. She still takes a good nap most days too. She potty-trained right at 2 and a half years old. And because it was something she wanted to do, she mostly had it down in two focused days at home. If it is her idea, or something she wants to do this little girl can do anything. (Bribery of toenail paining also helps!) And after months of waking up dry, we finally ditched the pull-up at night.A with Baby

As for stats her three year appointment isn’t until next week, but she is mostly in 4t clothing and is long and lean.pjimage

Clearly, I could go on and on about the sweet little girl in our family. We all adore her so much! Happy birthday, dear Audrey! My life is so much sweeter with you!

Leo at 2 months

At his 2 month doctor appointment yesterday, Leo weighed in at 11 lbs 1oz (34th percentile) and 24.5 inches (90th percentile).  Long and lanky! He still is comfortably in size 0-3 month clothes. And his eyes are still a very pretty blue. I know baby’s eyes can change color (maybe up until 2 years old), but Jack and I might be the only brown-eyed people in the family.IMG_0864

Eat:  Let’s start with one of his strengths. 🙂 He is a great eater…and certainly enjoys eating. He has had a couple of bottles and has done really well with them. (Thank goodness!) I decided I had better not wait as late to introduce a bottle to him.

Sleep:  Well this might be his “needs improvement” area. I can’t help but compare the kids, and he is not the worst sleeper we’ve had (eh hmm…Jack) but he isn’t one for long stretches of sleep yet. For the most part he is up every 2 hours at night. Still. But the good news is that he is usually up for about 20 minutes and goes back down. He naps 2-4 times a day, of totally unpredictable length, but lately his naps have been as long as two hours. (Long naps have been amazing for me getting work done during the day!)

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(Leo thinks Jack is hilarious!)

Interesting odds and ends:

He still gets hiccups all the time, especially after he eats.

He is super smiley and does lots of coo-ing

Leo totally knows Jack and Audrey’s voices and immediately lights up when he hears them.

He went to his first Purdue football game over the weekend, and was really happy to hang out on me the whole game. It was a beautiful day to be outside together! Next week, Leo will have his first flight. Matt, Leo, and I are traveling to Kansas City for 24 hours for a good friend’s wedding. Wish us luck!IMG_0854

Leo – 1 Month

IMG_0731 (1)Leo is one month old! In the last month, he has nearly seamlessly been incorporated into our lives, and is solidly in our hearts.

He didn’t have a one month appointment, but our scale at home says his weight is up from his birth weight of 7lbs 13oz to 9lbs 13oz.

PersonalityP3

He is a really sweet baby, and started giving us real smiles right at four weeks. LOVE it! And he seems to be a pretty physical little guy, and has given us a couple of rolls from belly to back during tummy time.P4

He loves being held and someone talking with him. Audrey is particularly sweet about sitting on the floor, “reading” him books. He cranes his neck to check her out and seems to be very content with their time together.

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Leo is hit or miss with sleep. Some nights consist of two stretches over three hours, with a quick diaper change and eat before easily falling back asleep. Other nights, I am getting a chance to hang out with him more frequently. Ha! Naps are similar. Some days he wants held for his haps, and other times he is happy to nap swaddled.

Eat

Leo is a great eater! He seems to nurse a bit quicker than his siblings did at this age, but he is another baby who likes to eat often. Now that he is the third to do this, it is somehow reassuring. His frequent-ish eating (maybe 10-12 times a day?!) mean that he is hardly ever over-stuffed and rarely spits up.

And just for fun – here is a comparison of all three kids at one month (Left to Right: Jack, Audrey, Leo).  What do you think?  Do they look alike? Poor Leo! Audrey used up all of the hair and cheeks!1month

What’s different the first month a third time around?

I already am reminiscing about the first couple of weeks of having Leo home. He was not an overly sleepy baby, but was very happy to sleep for good stretches IF he was in our arms. As soon as his back would hit a surface he was awake. So Matt and I took turns holding him for two hours at a time, before having Leo eat again, and switch holding parent. A third time around I truly understood that this was nothing to be worried about. He wouldn’t need to be held forever and we would eventually get more sleep. There is nothing like holding the new little person you’ve been waiting to meet for months. It was so much easier, but quicker this time. Happy first month, Leo!