Kai at 4 and 5 months

I'm excited to recap our recent Disney World trip but I told myself I couldn't write them until I did a little update on our Kai bug.

4 months

 

5 months

I never got around to do his 4 month post (sorry 3rd kid) so it's a good thing not much changed from month 4 to 5.   At his 4 month visit he weighed 13lbs 6oz (10%) and was 23 3/4 inches (3%).  He had a little drop on his growth curve but that is really no surprise to me, my kids are slow growers.  Our pediatrician did suggest adding a scoop of formula to his bedtime bottle for some extra calories.  We haven't been consistent with it but I try and give him some formula here and there.  I'd say his eating has gotten SO much better since we changed his reflux medicine.  I probably would have thrown in the towel already from nursing if we hadn't had an upcoming trip that I didn't want to be engorged on.  I'm glad we got his medicine figured out and I stuck with nursing, he's been a great eater now. 

Speaking of eating, we tried oatmeal at 4 months and he wasn't a fan.  I didn't push it and tried it here and there.  Now at 5 months, he's eaten (and liked) a quinoa and apple cereal mixed with pears, sweet potatoes and squash.  I'm trying to be better at feeding him baby food each evening, I'd say it plays out 4 days/week. 

 

 

 

Sleeping has had it's up and downs.  Right around 4 months (a little before) I started laying him down drowsy, but awake.  He didn't care to be rocked and I didn't have time to fight with him.  We never really had to let him cry for very long, I'm talking like 1-2 minutes. He'd cry, we'd go in and give him his binky and boom! Asleep.  Naps were brutal, he'd take a 30 minute nap, play and eat and then want another tiny nap about 1.5 hours later. Now he takes a cat nap in the morning, longer early afternoon nap (1.5-2 hours) and then cat nap around 4 or 5.  Bedtime has consistently been 7ish and he usually wakes around 4am to eat and then sleeps till 7ish.  Our recent battle with sleep has been that he will only sleep on his stomach and since he learned to roll from stomach to back (Oct 14), he'll roll over and eventually get mad and cry until we come and roll him back over.  He will not sleep on his back!  He's super close to rolling back to stomach so fingers crossed this helps in the sleeping department.  As of 12/8/17, he can roll back to stomach.

Car rides have gotten better.  I still can't guarantee that he'll be good but more times then not, he's happy to play with a toy and talk to sister in the back seat.  He enjoys playing on the floor, jumping in his jumper, grabbing everything, practicing sitting up, crinkly toys, his feet and thinks his brother and sister are the best entertainment.  He get's so excited when they come over to him.  He's happy with anyone until he sees mommy and then he starts whining until I take him.  Collins often says "don't let him see you!" when she's holding him. 

 

He was an angel at Disney World.  He spent about 12 hours a day being carried around and he hardly made a peep.  Just slept in the carrier, got passed around and even got to enjoy quite a few rides! We can't wait to take him back when he's older.

My little baby boy, your as sweet as they come.  You'll just lay with us and touch our faces and chat.  I soak up any chance I get to rock you and just hold you. You smile almost all day long and your dimples make you that much more irresistible. Your most likely the last baby so could you please stop growing?  Love you! xoxo

 

Brooks at 3

My wild and crazy little boy turned 3 at the end of August.  I mean little when I say little.  He weighed in at 26.8 lbs (10%) and was 36.4 inches (25%) at his well visit.  I think he runs off all his calories because he can eat like a teenager.  As long as it isn't dairy.  No cheese on his burgers or sandwiches, rarely likes yogurt and milk is a no go too.  He loves macaroni and cheese though and lasagna might be his favorite food. He's a big breakfast fan too.

 

He moved out of his crib way back in January and was potty trained in February.  Both seem like forever ago.  He did awesome at both transitions.

 

I'll count my lucky stars that this boy still naps.  Only about 1-1.5 hours but I'll take any kind of quiet break that I can get.  At night, he snuggles his blanky and curious George monkey (sometimes a few other stuffed animals) and is out from about 8pm-7am.   

Like his daddy, sports are his love language.  He's always asking to play baseball and prefers to have you pitch him the ball then hit off his tee.  He adores Salvy from the Royals and get's so excited for the Salvy Splash. He even got his own orange Gatorade bucket and splash at his birthday party.  He took soccer and tball earlier this year and is  currently in gymnastics. He enjoys playing games, YouTube, riding his bike, bothering his sister and holding his brother.

One thing he for sure got from me is being a chicken.  He won't go into a dark or go upstairs or downstairs unless someone else is there.  He is the worst at hide and seek because he get's too scared to actually come find you. 

He started preschool this year! He loves it and gets sad on Monday's when Collins goes but he doesn't.  I can already tell he's benefiting so much from it.  We got him evaluated for speech and he qualified for services so he'll be getting some help with his speech starting pretty soon.  He talks a ton, it's just hard to understand him.  And recently, he's started to stutter, though they say that part is normal at this age. 

Brooks is one of the funniest kids I know.  His facial expressions, dance moves and the things he says, make us laugh daily.  He is so darn sweet too.  He'll randomly come give me a tight hug and say "I love you so much, mommy." He may not listen to me very well but his teachers say he's excellent at school.  Other than wanting to use the urinal multiple times a day (gross).  I'm so proud of how polite he is.  Holding doors open, saying please and thank you, etc.  He is just the best.

 

Brooks, you go 100 mph and but this family wouldn't be whole without you. You've taken on the big brother role so well and love your baby Kai so much. I can't wait to watch your guys' relationship grow.  Your my sweet boy and I love you so much.

He had a baseball birthday party and got to witness the solar eclipse on his actual birthday!

 

*Photos courtesy of The Studio.  Some of my favorite pics of all time. 

Kai at 3 months

 

 

Kai bug is now 3 months old! Not too much has changed since last month so I'll make this short and not too boring :)

Unfortunately, Kai had to visit the ER last week for croup.  He's following right in his brother's footsteps.  Although Brooks never got it before he was a year! The steroid helped quickly, thank goodness! It was so sad to hear and see him sick.  I believe he weighed in at 12lbs 6oz.

 

 

I jinxed myself after my last post and things went south in the nap department.  I never know if he's going to nap for 30 min or 2 hours.  Usually only cat naps throughout the day. Buuuut he goes to bed about 7pm and sleeps till at least 5am, sometimes even later.  So I have to remind myself during the day when I feel like I'm constantly rocking him to sleep, for it to only last 30 min, that he'll sleep when I want to sleep.  And speaking of sleep, he is brutal to get to fall asleep.  I've never had a baby that doesn't pass out after nursing.   I have to bounce and sway to get him to sleep.  I usually come out of his room sweating.  He didn't get the memo that my last baby needed to be super snuggly. 

On the bright side, he is getting much better in the car.  I forgot my wrap the other day and he actually made it through the store, in his car seat, without crying!

 

 

He's started to lift his feet into the air so I'm wondering if rolling is in his near future.  He's starting to roll over to his side so I better not leave him unattended on the couch anymore.  He grabs his toys and will sometimes pull his paci out of his mouth and hang on to it.  If his paci isn't in his mouth, usually his fist is. Which leads to lots of drool. I can't decide if he's teething or not, stay tuned. 

He attended his first college football game.  We were nervous for the 4 hour car ride there and back but he hardly made a peep the entire day.  Must have been because he loves his K-State Wildcats. 

 

 

We've gotten a few laughs from him and he continues to be the center of attention at our house. 

Well, my 30 minutes is up. He's awake.  Kai, please stop growing up and be my baby forever.  Love you so much.

5 on Friday

No joke, I started this last week and never got around to finishing it because....

ONE

3 kids is HARD! Whoever said going from 2-3 kids was a piece of cake, LIED!!! Even with the first two being only 21 months apart, it was much easier.  Now I have fighting kids, a fussy baby and a to do list that hasn't been touched in days. So.much.going.on. It may look like I've got it all together (if you follow me on IG), but it's a zoo around here.

TWO

 Collins and Brooks both go to preschool T/TH mornings and I find myself running any errand quick because 1) Baby hates the car seat 2) I want to get home to watch Kelly and Ryan.  I pretty much only watch it for the first 15 min but seriously, they crack me up! Anyone else?



THREE

 Uber eats. I may never have to leave my house again. Not many options for our area yet but I can tell I'm gonna love it. Cause baby hates the car seat.

FOUR

The hubby (ugh I can't believe I just used that word) has a birthday tomorrow so we are taking a day trip back home to go to a K-State game!! I haven't been to one since Collins' was a baby so I'm excited. We're only taking the baby. The baby that hates the car seat. 4 hours in the car outta be real fun.

FIVE

We leave for Disney in less than 60 days!!! I know this because we had to book our fast passes last week at the 60 day mark. I'm not a fan of character clothes but for this trip, bring on allll the mickey stuff.  Pajamas? Yep! Shoes? Yep!  It's a good thing I started buying stuff over a year ago.

SIX (cause I can)

I saved the best for last, I'm getting a nephew in March!!!! My sister Amber is expecting and we are over the moon excited.  There will be a 9 year gap between this baby and Aiden but he is beyond excited for a baby brother. Yay for more babies!!!



Kai at 2 months

Phew, this month was a little more tough than the first.  My mind was at ease after I read that 6-8 weeks are often fussy due to their digestive system still developing and them being awake more.  I'd say that's pretty accurate.  He's not near as fussy as Brooks was but not quite as laid back as newborn Kai.

 

 Stats: 11lbs 8oz (30%), 21 3/4in (5%). We started out with an absurd amount of size 1 diapers that I'm trying to use up.  Size 2 fits much better. Wearing 0-3 month clothes.

Health: The jaundice in his eye has went away and now he's left with a clogged tear duct. Not that they go hand in hand.  His right eye is really bad and occasionally his left one gets gross.  Collins' fought this her first year of life so we know what to do and we hope it clears up before hers did.  I can almost always guarantee that his fussiness is because he needs to poop. His pediatrician suggested we start a probiotic and I've been a big believer in it with him, like I was with Brooks.  It doesn't solve the problem right away but usually gets things moving.  

 

 

 Eating: Eats about every 3 hours during the day and does an 8 hour stretch at night.  Puts down 4-5oz when he has a bottle.

Sleeping: He is a rock star sleeper.  The past 2 weeks we've gotten into more of a schedule. I started having him nap in our room which I think has been key. It's just too loud downstairs. He takes about a 2 hour morning nap, 2-3 hour afternoon nap and about an hour nap around dinner.   The evenings are when he gets fussy and doesn't sleep till closer to 9 but then sleeps till at least 4am.  I'll take the fussy evenings for a good nights sleep.  Honestly, he doesn't even fully wake up for that middle of the night feeding either.  He just starts wanting his paci and doesn't go back into a deep sleep until he's changed and fed.  He no longer sleeps in the rock n play but sleeps on his tummy in the pack n play.  I know, I know, it still freaks me out but I have the video monitor on him and he wears an Owlet monitor on his foot.  So I feel a little more at ease. 

Play: The floor, swing and bouncer are all fun but for a short time.  He smiles and talks so much, especially to sis.  I think it's more out of luck than with purpose but he bats at his toys with his hands.  We fail at giving him much tummy time.  He can lift and hold his head up off our shoulder and bares weight on his feet. 

Despises the car seat.  I dread having to take him anywhere cause we have to listen to him scream.  Even if I pull over and try to give him his paci, he doesn't calm down.  He wants out!

Loves taking a bath (when I remember to give him one).

 

 

   He was supposed to have his first sleepover with auntie Amber while we went out for a birthday but he showed off his fussiness and I felt bad for Amber and for him so we came and got him. We got a few hours away so that was nice, I wasn't quite ready to leave him overnight anyway.

Kai, you've been the sweetest addition to our family.  Your siblings fight daily on who gets to hold you first, who can sit closer to you and even who you look at.  I've caught Brooks moving your head so that your facing him, not Collins'.  It's ridiculous how much they love you. Don't worry, I swoop in and rescue you.  I can't blame them though, I adore you just as much. I think the feelings mutual because you've been pretty attached to me the last couple weeks.  I love you so much baby.

 

 

 

 

 

Kai at 1 month

I know it's cliché to say this, but holy cow, how has it already been a month?! Kai has been a dream baby and it's greatly appreciated after having a colicky baby (ahem Brooks).  

 

 

Stats: 10lbs 1oz (50%), 21 in (30%).  I'm still in shock that he came out weighing 8lbs 6oz so I shouldn't be all that surprised that he's already 10lbs! But seriously Kai, stop growing!! He's mostly outgrown his newborn clothes and the newborn diapers were gone long ago. 

Health: Our pediatrician was a little worried about the yellow she saw in his eyes so we ended up having to do another jaundice test.  We did one at 3 days old and they weren't concerned about his level so they didn't ask us to come back.  I've noticed it in his eyes too so we wanted to make sure it was just breast milk jaundice and not something with his liver. Results came back just a couple hours later so this mama didn't have to panic for too long.  It's still up a tiny bit but she wasn't worried, it's slowly getting out of his system.  I brought up him maybe having acid reflux but it doesn't seem to bother him too much so I think we'll wait it out a little before we jump to medicine. 

 

 

Eating: He nurses every 2-3 hours during the day and has taken a handful of bottles and drank 3oz.  Not too much to report in the eating department yet.

Sleeping: Still sleeping most of the day away.  He's awake for a little in the morning and then for quite a while during the evening. Unfortunately, that evening awake time is usually spent fussy and uncomfortable.  It get's real chaotic here at that time since we are trying to get dinner cooked and the other two in the bath and bed.  We just tag team him and the older two.  Derek's been gone 1 overnight this past month and my mom came to the rescue. The good thing about this fussy/awake time is that he in turn sleeps for quite awhile once we finally get him down.  I try to feed him around 9:30pm before I go to bed and he'll sleep till about 3am.  He starts stirring again about 6:30am, so I'm only having to wake once to feed him. No complaints here on that. He's our first baby to hate being swaddled.  I love looking over at him and seeing his arms up above his head when he's sleeping.  Due to the supposed acid reflux, he doesn't like to be laid down after he eats.  So even though I don't have to break a swaddle habit in the future, I have to break him of the rock n play.  Which could be worse.

 

 In true third child fashion, he went and saw his first movie this month (Despicable Me 3) and slept through the entire thing. Life doesn't stop when you have 2 other kids so he's been all over town but not out of town yet. 

 

 

Collins and Brooks adore him.  Collins' always wants to hold him and can often times get him to sleep when we can't! She's been a huge help with him and with Brooks.  "Where's Kai?" is said multiple times a day by Brooks. And he always needs to give him a kiss before he can take a nap or go to sleep. He asks to hold him occasionally but it's short lived and he pretty much just lets go of him when he's done holding him.

 

Kai Anders, we all simply adore you.  You are such a cuddle bug and we fight over who gets to hold you.  So far you have brown  hair like Collins and blue eyes like Brooks and I'm hoping they stay that way.  The perfect mixture of your siblings.  Either way, you are the cutest thing in the world and I love you so incredibly much. 

 

 

 

Thank you Tonya for making him this amazing blanket.  And can we talk about his smile in some of these? Obsessed.  He had smiled a couple times before but I think these were his first real social smiles. 

Baby three at 37 weeks

 

How far along: 37 weeks

 Size of baby: 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches

 

Feeling:  Ready! I feel like the last 5 weeks go by soooo slow.  Probably because I always think they could come at anytime, but they never do.  My heartburn has been out of control at night time.  I wake up at night about to puke from the acid.  Luckily Tums makes it go away almost immediately.  I'm sure the kids are ready for their mom to get her energy back. We're soaking in as much swimming as we can.

Gender: BOY!! We are so anxious to meet him and see what he looks like

Cravings:   Chocolate.  I drove by Krispy Kreme the other day and had to slam on my brakes and do a hard right turn into there. 

Best moment this week: Getting to see his sweet profile at 2 unexpected sonograms.  I went in for my regularly scheduled appointment on Tuesday and she didn't think he was head down so we went to take a peek.  Sure enough, he was laying diagonal.  She moved him a little then told me to keep nudging him in the right direction.  I went back in on Thursday to check his position and my fluid and he was head down! I have quite a bit of fluid that she wasn't concerned about but said it was making it easier for him to move around.  So let's hope he doesn't move around anymore in the next 2 weeks.  He was pretty crammed in there but he has big cheeks and a button nose. Can't wait to kiss them! Dilated to a 1 and induction date is set!

 

Movement: Lots of pushing his butt out and hiccups. 

Sleep: I think I'll get more sleep after he comes than I am right now.  Between heart burn, having to go to the bathroom, kids and just being wide awake, I am getting zero sleep.  Thankfully I've been getting a nap in the afternoon and fall asleep in about 3 seconds when my head hits the pillow.

Maternity clothes: Even those are getting too small 

 

  

Baby three at 33 weeks

 

 

How far along: 33 weeks

 

Size of baby: A little over 4 pounds and 17 inches (about the size of a pineapple) 
 

Feeling: He's always seemed low but it's getting more uncomfortable as he gets bigger and when I walk a lot.  I need one of those support bands!   This is the part of pregnancy that moves ssoo slow.  We're anxious to meet him but soaking in the moments as a family of 4. 

Gender: BOY!! His personalized outfit for the hospital has been ordered and I can't wait to announce it after he's born.

Cravings: Yogurt with fruit and granola in it.   

Best moment this week: Getting the rock n play, car seat, swing and more clothes washed and ready.  The nursery is slowly coming together.  Started my bi-weekly OB appointments and he's head down, measuring right on track.

This is a rather embarrassing moment but one I feel needs to be documented- Monday evening/Tuesday morning, I had a couple incidents where I thought I was leaking amniotic fluid.  When it happened for the 3rd time early Tuesday morning, I called the on call doc (which happened to be my doctor).  She assured me it was probably nothing but to head to labor and delivery.  Since Collins was still sleeping, I left Derek home with the kids and went in.  They swabbed and ran a test to check for amniotic fluid and monitored baby and contractions.  Test came back negative for amniotic fluid and they're pretty sure it was just baby pushing on my bladder.  So embarrassing!!!
 

Movement: Still very active, almost like clock work at 8pm and then randomly throughout the day.  I'm going to miss the baby kicks and movement so much.

Sleep: I've been turning the AC way down at night because I was getting so hot and unable to sleep.  I have to go to the bathroom 1-2 times a night and sometimes it takes a good hour to fall back to sleep.  Ready to be able to sleep on my back and stomach again. 

Maternity clothes: Just bought new shorts since he seems lower than my other pregnancies and my non-maternity shorts I got away with when I was pregnant with Brooks, don't work this time around. 

Milestones: He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look, and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. 

*according to baby center

 

 

 

A Day in our Life

Our daily routine seems pretty predictable, so I wanted to document it before we welcome baby #3 and we are all over the place again. Collins is 4, Brooks is 2.5 and I'm 30 weeks pregnant. This is a non preschool or sport day and Derek had a very laid back, work from home day. 

4:40am- I hear Brooks say something but then he's back asleep.  I need to pee but I've already been once in the night so I'm going to be lazy and hold it till morning.

6:27am- I hear Brooks again and pray he stays quiet till his clock turns green at 6:50.  He does even though neither one of us fall back asleep. 

6:50am- His clock turns green and I hear him open his door and loudly walk into our room.  He jumps into bed with us and cuddles for about 10 min till I can't hold my pee any longer.  Him and I head downstairs and Collins' and Derek come down about 10 minutes later.  We all need a little time to wake up so the kids watch Youtube on phones while me and Derek drink coffee. 

7:30am- I head upstairs to get cleaned up for MOPS.  I showered the night before so that saves me some time.  Derek feeds the kids breakfast; Collins has powdered donuts, strawberries and chocolate milk and Brooks has a couple bites of French toast, strawberries and yogurt milk. Derek also unloads the dishwasher.  They all come upstairs after they eat and Derek gets Brooks dressed and his teeth brushed.  I get Collins dressed (to match me. Yay!), teeth brushed and hair done.  I do Brooks hair and then they play/fight in their rooms till it's time to head out.

        



8:30am- We are out the door for MOPS.  It's not the most convenient MOPS for us but I started going 3 years ago and have met some great woman, so I'd hate to switch. 

9am-11:15am- MOPS!!! The kids go into their different classrooms and are excited to play with their friends and I enjoy two, wonderful hours without my kids; talking to other moms, eating an amazing breakfast, snuggling my niece, Lucy and listening to our speakers. We can't leave MOPS without the kids getting to see cousin "Wucy."

11:50am- We get home from MOPS and Derek isn't quite back with lunch. He called and said that he really wanted BBQ and offered to pick some up for the kids too.  I'm stuffed from MOPS so I tell him to get the kids a hot dog so I don't have to make lunch. The kids ride their bikes in the driveway until he gets home.

12:10pm- They all eat lunch and I sit at the table with them and we all talk about our morning.  Brooks doesn't eat much lunch and Derek mentions that he didn't eat hardly any breakfast either.  I pray he isn't getting sick.  He's pretty grumpy so I take him up and lay him down for nap.  Collins gets her piece of candy for eating most of her lunch.  I clean up lunch, load the dishwasher and then me and Collins lay on the couch for about an hour.  I've given up having her have quiet time in her room. 

1:45pm- I decide I should probably get her off  Youtube kids now.  We play candy land and a couple rounds of the matching game.  She starts playing with her babies so I work on a blog post for the Kansas City Moms Blog. I've been working with them to promote the new birthing center that I will be delivering at.

2:30pm- Brooks finally wakes up and is in a good mood.  I get them some cheez-its and water and we head outside to play in the driveway.  Brooks got a new bike the day before so he wants to go on a walk and ride it.  I'm hesitant that he can make it very far but he proves me wrong and they both ride their bikes to the park/basketball court.  They play a little at the park but mostly want to play red light green light on their bikes.  Derek is done with a conference call and meets us at the park. 

4pm- Derek needs a couple things from Wal-Mart so we all walk home and the kids start helping me make meatloaf before I ask Derek to take them to Wal-Mart with him.  I finish the meatloaf and get it in the oven and fold a couple loads of laundry before they get back.

5pm- The kids play with slime and then Collins wants us all to be her students while she's the teacher and reads to us.  I play for a little bit before I have to cook the green beans and scalloped potatoes. Brooks is soon annoying Collins and Collins uses the "I hate phrase" for the first time.  I think it was towards something Brooks did and not him but she gets time out and a "we don't talk like that" talk.  She very rarely gets in trouble so she's in tears and needs some hugs from daddy.

6pm- Dinner is on the table.  This isn't the kids' favorite meal but they do a decent job on the meatloaf and green beans.  I refuse to make them a separate meal so they either eat what we eat or don't eat.  Usually the candy bribe works and they eat what they need to so they can have their treat after dinner.  Me and Derek clean up dinner and since it's still nice out, we go on a walk.   Derek had gotten them suckers at Wal-Mart so Collins decides she'll ride in the double stroller and finish her sucker instead of riding her bike for our walk. 

7:15pm- We go on a pretty long walk and I'm exhausted.  The kids get about 10 minutes of phone time before going upstairs to get ready for bed.  I'm sure it seems like they get a lot of phone time but they chose youtube videos over watching TV.  It's my night putting Collins to bed so I get her in pajamas and teeth brushed while Derek does the same with Brooks.  We meet back in Collins room and they each pick a book for us to read.  We say our bedtime prayer together before splitting back up.  Bathroom breaks for both, sing twinkle twinkle little star, sound machines on and then into bed.

7:50pm- Silence!!! Quick clean up and then we  have our snickers Derek picked us up at Wal-Mart and relax while watching TV and being on our phones. 

9pm- We head up to bed and continue our TV/phone time.  I'm often asleep by 9:30-9:45 and Derek about 10pm. 

Brooks at 2.5 years old

I feel like I could just copy and paste Collins' 2.5 year update here for his update.  So similar. 

It's not new news that our kids are little.  We were at the doctor a couple weeks ago and I'm pretty sure the scale said 26 pounds. Lots of people comment that he's grown a lot recently and since a stranger thought they were twins, I'd  say he's catching up to his sister in the height department. There aren't too many foods he turns down, so I don't know how he doesn't weigh more. Italian is his favorite, he can mow down lasagna crazy fast.  Strawberry Danimal yogurt drinks are the only milk he'll drink and he isn't much of a fan of cheese.  Complete opposite of his cheese obsessed mom and sister.  Some of his favorite foods include: mac and cheese, burgers, french fries, pears, muffins, watermelon and peas just to include a vegetable.

We think he's inherited his mom and dads allergies/asthma.  He's on a daily allergy pill and anytime he gets sick it usually ends up as bronchitis and requires some breathing treatments.  We'll get him tested when he's a little older to find out exactly what he's allergic too, my guess is just seasonal stuff and maybe animals because some breeds of dogs make his face break out.

He's potty trained!! We did the 3 day method mid February and even though he got really sick on day 2 (pink eye, ear infection, strep throat and bronchitis), we stuck with it but didn't push it too hard.  Even sick, he did awesome and only had about 8 accidents total that whole weekend.  We'd have to put a diaper on him to poop for the first couple weeks but thankfully he's learned it's not scary to do that on the potty.

He's such a lover boy.  "Mama! Hold me!" "Mama! Hug me!" are two phrases that are said many times a day.  I'm nervous for when he has to share me with the baby. He's loves his baby brother so much already and regularly hugs and kisses my belly.  He even stuffs his blanket up my shirt to share it with baby.  He gets devastated when Collins' forgets to give him a kiss before she goes to school. As sweet as he can be, he's a feisty one too.  We've had to work a lot on not pushing, hitting or stealing toys from others.  You just never know what your going to get with this boy. 

 

Just like Collins' at this age, bedtime is brutal.  They really know how to work that "go potty" phrase.  A few of his other stalling tactics are "driiiink" "socks on" "blankey by my ear," etc. We usually just have to turn off his monitor for awhile and ignore him. He naps for about 1.5 hours and sleeps from 8pm-6:45am. 

As far as sports, he starts soccer this weekend and he took gymnastics over the summer. He'd love to be in dance with sister but daddy isn't going to allow that one.  I'll give it to him, he's a pretty legit at soccer and baseball.  He refuses to hit off a tee and would rather us pitch to him.  Even though he colors with his right hand, he hits and throws with his left.  Other things that make him happy are playing outside, swimming, hide and seek, wrestling with dad, dancing, YouTube videos and other kids.  He's our social one and has no problem going up and playing with any kid. He can count to 10 pretty well.  It gets iffy around 6&7 but once you get him to 8, he can finish. 

Brooks, you are our little spitfire.  I have to take a lot of deep breaths throughout the day with you but then you make us laugh and show us so much love.  I hope that you always need my hugs and know that we love you so incredibly much.

22 weeks

I'll be 28 weeks this Friday but I since I had this written for KC Moms Blog, I wanted to share it here too.  I've teamed with KC Moms Blog for this pregnancy and to share my experience at the new Birth Place.

How far along: 22 weeks (2/24/17)

Size of baby: Baby weighs almost 1 pound is around 11 inches long.    
 

Feeling: I self-diagnosed myself with bronchitis this week so that’s been fun. My 2 year old had it so it seems logical that my painful cough and wheezing was passed down from him.  I’ve had to use my inhaler here and there and I don’t think there has been a single good night’s sleep this week between me and my sons’ coughing.  He’s doing much better after getting his prescription filled so I’m hoping it passes quick for the both of us.

Gender: BOY!! We’ve been calling him by a name for several weeks now but we still aren’t 100%.  We can’t agree on the spelling so we’ll see what we end up deciding.  

Cravings: A waffle a day keeps the doctor away.  No? Well, I think I’ve had one just about every morning this past month.  It’s a pregnancy craving I’ve had with all 3 pregnancies.  I’m also loving fruit, especially oranges.  

Best moment this week: We signed the kids up for a sibling’s class and we are all looking forward to attending.  I’m nervous my oldest is going to smother this baby in love and my youngest might attempt to wrestle him as soon as he gets home from the hospital.  So I think a little baby 101 is going to be good for them both.

Movement: He’s very active, especially at night.  His kicks are strong enough that they are felt on the outside which is always fun for others to be able to feel. 

Sleep: Not great like I mentioned above.  I’ve been using my pregnancy pillow for a couple weeks now and I always have a love/hate relationship with it.  Comfortable but so hard to maneuver in the middle of the night.   

Maternity clothes: Absolutely.  I try to avoid jeans at all cost and have been living in leggings and maternity tops.  My husband rolls his eyes when he sees my pile of black leggings cleaned, folded and ready to wear again for the following week.

Milestones: Baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn.  His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he’s even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums.  His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment *

*according to baby center