Baby N: 5 Months

There are two things I can't wrap my brain around. First off, we are now in the month of December, which means you will soon be celebrating your first Christmas. Secondly, you are now 5 months old. My mind is blown.

Weight: 16 lbs give or take

Height:  26 inches

Clothes:3-6/6 months across the board.

Eat: 7oz every 3-4 hours. You've begun eating solid foods. So far you seem to like sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, prunes and peaches. You do not like bananas...I was really surprised!

Sleep: You are making progress. Most nights you are sleeping from 7:00p.m. to 3:00a.m. The 8 hours you are sleeping are nice, but we cannot make it to bed at 7. This makes it a little tough some nights. The bright side is that over the last week, you've slept from 7:00p.m. to about 5:00a.m. We really hope you will do this more often so that you can make your way into your new room that you'll share with your sister.

Play: You can't be stopped these days. You love being in your exersaucer. You are still not a fan of tummy time but will tolerate it if your sister is willing to lay and play with you. You easily grab toys and love to watch lights.

Odds and Ends: You still haven't rolled over yet, but it's coming. I'm sure. You have however started making some efforts towards crawling. You put weight on your arms and use your legs to help you frog scoot across your mat.

You celebrated your first Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Time is going much too quickly. We love you to pieces and look forward to celebrating your first Christmas this month!

Your ornament from last year...and now this year you're here!

Linking up with Tuesday Talk

Baby N: 3 Months

Didn't I just post your 2 month update? Another month has come and gone in the blink of an eye. My heart mourns each passing month but looks forward to all of the milestones. I was not sure how I'd handle becoming a boy - mom after your sister, but there is no doubt that I can do both. My oh my how you've grown...

Weight: 13 lbs 8oz

Height: 24 3/4 inches

Clothes size: 0-3 months onesies, 3-6 months long sleeve shirts and pants  (for length)

Eat: 5-6 oz every 4ish hours

Sleep: 6-8 hours

Play: You are still not a fan of tummy time. However, if laid on your back, you'll spend a good while watching people, the fan and any lights in the room. You love playing with your big sister. She constantly wants to hold you and sing to you. To these things you smile and coo. You love people to talk to you and make funny noises.

Odds and ends: You are still working on the body swing that will allow you to roll over. You love to be held up and stand on people's laps. You are smiling so much these days and you are quite the chatterbox. You are starting to try and grasp things and occasionally succeed. You have almost completely rolled over...it's just a matter of time. You are also drooling like a mad man and starting to gnaw on things quite a bit...

You still adore your big sister. My heart skips a beat every time I see the two of you together.

Be still my heart...

Your hair is undoubtedly red. The more it fills in the brighter it becomes. You also have the sweetest blue eyes and the longest eyelashes. Is it possible for someone to be beautiful and handsome at the same time? You are also getting so long. We've noticed what appear to be dimples as your smile gets bigger.

You went to your first wedding...

You enjoyed some fun at the local library...

  

We took a vacation to Gatlinburg, TN to meet up with Granna, your Aunt Kelly and Aunt Karla. We had fun making memories. And...even though your Aunt Kelly isn't much of a kid person, she sure seemed to enjoy her time with you. We love being able to share you with others. You are such a blessing and we can't help but fall more and more in love with each passing day.

Aunt Karla

Aunt Kelly

Happy 3 Months baby boy!

N's Birth Story//Month 1//Month 2

Linking up with Thoughts for Thursday and Mommy Moments

30 before 30 revisited

One week ago today I turned 30. Something about that age makes me feel like I am a real adult. I remember when I was in high school thinking how old that seemed, and now, I don't feel any different than I did in my mid-late twenties.

God has been so good to me over the last 30 years and He'll undoubtedly be even more amazing in the years to come. I've finally taken some time to go over my 30 before 30 list. I accomplished many of the things on my list, and while I wish I had been able to cross them all off, I'm proud of what I've done. Maybe a 40 before 40 is in order?

Let's see what I was able to cross off...

30 By 30

1. Host a Brunch Party

2. Begin (and finish?) building our “forever” home

3. Hike to a waterfall

4. Lose 30 pounds

5. Make G a big sister

6. Take a family trip to Washington D.C.

7. Make a pair of shoes

8. Visit a lighthouse

9. Go to the South Carolina Aquarium

10. Take a family trip to the North Carolina Zoo

11. Make a pecan pie

12. Send a card to a stranger

13. Make a photo book of G’s first year

14. Take a cooking class

15. Make homemade truffles

16. Plant a tree

17. Serve at a soup kitchen

18. Make a holiday wreath

19. Teach a kids’ cooking class

20. Take a girls’ trip with my mom, daughter and sisters

21. Learn to crochet

22. Take a carriage ride

23. Make real homemade alfredo sauce

24. Make homemade ravioli

26. Pay for a stranger’s meal

27. Learn to French Braid

28. Be in a parade

29. Read 100 books with/to my daughter

30. Buy new living room furniture

 

Linking up for Thoughts on Thursday

 

21 Months

Weight: 32 lbs 3 oz

Height: about 3'

Shoe size: 5-6

Clothing: 2t

I'm going to stop blinking.  I feel like every time I do my little girl has grown far too much. Our beauty is now 21 months old. It's hard to believe that in just 3 months we'll be hosting her 2nd birthday party. I have a theme but the details are still coming together.

We've seen a lot of fun things here lately. She has begun approaching the world of potty training.  I don't know as though it's the right time but we've at least been trying it. We've had a few successes.

She is so active!  She loves to run and play both inside and out. She is now trying to jump and it keeps us laughing. She loves to twirl and dance whether there is music or not. I believe she lives with a song in her heart. She also loves to read books and color. She is so much fun!

She's started to enjoy dressing up. Things that are sparkly and pretty definitely catch her eye. She likes wearing bows and headbands and often insists that we put them in her hair.

She talks...a lot! "I got it" and "stop" are two of her favorite new phrases. I suppose these are just more examples of her trying to exert her independence. However,  as she exerts this independence,  she's also become more stranger anxious. Leaving her in the church nursery has become a heart breaking task as she clings and cries. Hearing her call our names as we leave is really hard.

She's pretty much over the two naps a day routine. She normally naps from 11am to 1pm and then she's in bed between 7:30 and 8:00. Typically she sleeps all night.

One of the most exciting things is that she is going to be a big sister in July. She loves her baby dolls and likes to point to the baby in Mommy’s tummy. However,  she is not a fan of us holding other children. This could be tough.

Overall, our journey with her remains amazing.  I'm certain that life will only get better.

15 Months

15 months.  For 15 months (not including those 37 ½ weeks in the womb) this beautiful little blue eyed, redhead has been adding an element of magic to our lives. We’ve cherished every fleeting moment. We grow more in love with her each and every day…we’re still baffled at how our hearts have not exploded from our amount of love for this toddling, tiny human.

Be still my heart...

Stats: We’ll know July 29^th.

-Clothing: 18 months

-Shoe size: 4

Meal time: You’ve yet to meet a food that you just hate, with the exception of beets and string cheese…and oh yeah, cucumbers. Your love of grapes and bananas continues. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are enjoyed on a regular basis and whole grain goldfish and raisins are your go-to snacks.  I think you could eat eggs for almost every meal and be perfectly content. Your eating habits have changed though. You still eat three meals a day, but the quantity is less while your snack times have remained the same. We did discover you have a mild allergy to both ketchup and pizza sauce from a local Italian restaurant (but it’s not a full blown tomato allergy since you enjoy spaghetti and other tomato based sauces without incident.)

Playtime: You have several little buddies. We’ve been enjoying play dates this summer with them that have ranged from water tables and swing sets to the spray ground and pool time. You love putting tops on boxes and you are constantly collecting things and putting them in buckets and boxes. You do a pretty good job at stacking as well. Music still thrills your little heart and now you can dance…well sway side to side and shake your little booty (sort of). “If You’re Happy and You Know It” is your favorite song and the Frozen soundtrack chills you out in a way that no lullaby can. You are in love with the outdoors. We play outside often in your pool. You also love playing with the cats and your toys. One of your most favorite things to do is to sit in your little lawn chair whether it’s inside while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or outside pointing at the birds. Bella is your FAVORITE toy! We can’t go anywhere without that little moose.

Sleepy time: You have always been a good sleeper. Currently you nap around 10am for about 45 minutes. In the afternoon you lie down around 2:30pm and sleep for about 2 hours. Your morning naps are starting to become fewer. You lie down for the night between 7:30 and 8:00pm and you sleep until around 6:00-7:00am.

Memorable moments:

-About 2 ½ weeks ago you began walking and you’ve been adding more steps every day. You currently walk more than you crawl.

-You had your first major boo-boo this month. You decided you could fly…but that didn’t work so well.

-You now say “love you” and it melts my heart every time!

-You grew another tooth…you’re up to 7!

-You like to try and “read” to Mommy and Daddy.

-We took a trip to see Granna and Aunt Karla in Georgia. We visited mommy’s undergrad Alma Mater and took you to our friend’s new bakery.

-We lost Bella…but thanks to a miracle, she was found and returned safely to us.

Thoughts for Thursday

Holy cow! It's July! Where has the summer gone?! Tuesday, July 1st, was Second Half of the Year Day. I've already heard someone pass along the total of shopping days until Christmas. What?! Also, on ABC Family they are having a "Half-mas Merry-thon" where they are showing some of their Christmas themed movies. Good grief! I'll be sticking my fingers in my ears and humming "This is How We Roll". (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas, but I'm just trying to survive the summer.)

With all that out of the way, I'll be joining Annie and others to officially start my Thoughts for Thursday :)

[1]

As many of you, we will be celebrating 4th of July with friends and a cookout. Last year G was too little to enjoy fireworks. I'm interested to see how she responds this year. She did enjoy the flames at our last hibachi meal...can you say firefighter's daughter? Along with all of the celebrating it is important to remember the cost at which we maintain our freedom. Praise God for those who devote their lives to our freedom and safety.

::via::



[2]

These next two weekends hold a lot of fun and excitement. This weekend we'll be celebrating a very special little boy's 2nd birthday, as well as a milestone birthday for his mom. We can't wait! We'll continue the celebrating the following weekend with the 3rd birthday of another precious little one. I still can't believe that she'll be 3 years old! I remember sitting with her mom just a week after she was born. Time goes by far too quickly.

::via::

[3]

I've begun a new devotional...and I love it! It was given to me by a parent at the end of school. It is filled with truth and comic relief...just what I need. If you are looking for a short daily devotional...this could be the one. Check it out!

Out of the Spin Cycle by Jen Hatmaker



[4]
I found this recipe for Chicken Club Lettuce Wraps earlier this week. I paired them with sweet potato tots and it all made for a delicious meal. When you check out the recipe you'll find that she made a honey mustard dressing to top them off. We opted for ranch. (This is a stock photo from her website. In all the chaos leading up to dinner I didn't get to take a picture of my finished product.)

I have some other 'happenings' coming up that I hope to share with you later. Have a blessed 4th of July!

*I was in no way compensated for my recommendations or opinions.



Five on Friday!

It seems that life has been going at warp speed these last couple of weeks so I'm glad to finally be able to sit down and reflect on our summer so far. We've had some ups and downs and we continue to make plans for the near and distant future. I'm joining with Darci and others for this week's Five on Friday. I hope you'll join in!





[one]

I bought this material back in April (I think) with the intention of sewing G a couple summer dresses. I finally made good on my intentions this week. I found these adorable prints at JoAnn Fabrics.

[two]

While on our trip last week, we made a pit-stop in Tennessee. One of my favorite places to visit is the Christmas Place. We picked up a few personalized ornaments for family, as well as our family ornament for this year. We have a tradition of buying an ornament on each of our vacations. It's nice to have them as reminders from year to year of the good times we've shared. Also while at the Christmas Place we discovered this adorable canvas print on clearance. We got it for less than half of it's original price and it will go perfectly in G's play room (which I realized I have not blogged about since completing most of the room).

[three]
Over the last few weeks I've gotten a lot of use out of our old clothesline. There is just something about laundry that smells like sunshine...

[four]

Our precious miracle turned 14 months old on Thursday. I can't believe how much she has grown! She has a few words: "nana" (for all things food), "mouw-mouw" (the cats), "woof-woof" (the dogs), "Belwa" (Bella, her moose and best buddy), "this" (for most things she points at or wants), "uh oh" and "no". She is really testing the limits (maybe this means two will be a breeze?) and is becoming even more brave in her endeavors. She is almost at the point of walking. She holds on to the wall and furniture throughout the house but has yet to let go. She loves: giving and blowing kisses, playing in her pool, music, bananas and grapes, macaroni and cheese, Bella, her blankie, and animals. She is learning: to walk, how to color, and new words.

[five]

Last week we took a 9+ hour trip to visit my mom and sister in Georgia. I miss them dearly and while our time flew too quickly, I treasured every memory made. Feel free to catch up on our eventful Road Trip.

Three generations

::via::