Collins at 5

Collins turned five on November 21st.  For insurance reasons, we couldn't get her in for a well visit until February.  So, here's a long overdue post.

She's 42in tall (25%) and weighs 36.6lbs (10%). I feel like she's finally catching up to other kids her age in the height department. She's wearing 5t clothes and a size 10 shoe.  It's fun and sad that I can shop for her in the girls section at Target, not just the toddler area. 

 She's not the best eater but I wouldn't say she's picky either.  Generally she'll eat what we are eating for dinner, or at least eat the required bites to get dessert.  Hamburger is still a negative for her so we modify her dinner a tad if we are having beef.  She eats most vegetables, preferably raw ones (carrots, bell peppers, broccoli), has a strong love for candy and chips and isn't a big morning breakfast eater but loves breakfast food for dinner. 

She sleeps from about 8pm-7:30am

Preschool has been so good for her this year.  Not that it wasn't last year, but she's always asking if she has school the next day.  I'm not sure if it's because she's really bonded with 2 girls this year (Laney and Stella), or because her teachers are fantastic.  Whatever the reason, it makes me happy that she loves it so much.  She hasn't grasped reading yet but always wants to practice writing words. Poop is one of the words she can write on her own.  We're so proud. Haha!  She knows the majority of her letters by looking at them and can tell you the letter when you make it's sound.  Her and I were driving to dance one day and she asked "can we practice math at the stoplight?" Like I can say no to that! She can do basic addition (2+2, 5+4, etc)

 A baby doll isn't always in her arms like they used to be. Maybe that's because she has a real life baby doll now.  You can often times find her playing babies in her room though.  Usually she can rope Brooks into playing house with her too.  She's gotten a tad bit bossy (only to Brooks) and is learning to test our boundaries. I guess I'm glad she's coming out of her shell so she doesn't get walked all over by other kids. I'm seeing little glimpse's into our drama filled future.  She's still a rule follower and breaks into tears if she gets in trouble.

Likes- LOL dolls, hatchimals, coloring, Youtube, workbooks, slime, cheese dip, babies, dancing on stage and music. 

Dislikes- when her brother doesn't listen to her, heights

 

I got an email for kindergarten round up and I couldn't get through it without crying.  Sometimes I think I'm ready for her to be in school more but it breaks my heart to think that she'll be in school more then she'll be at home.  And we'll do things during the day without her.  Waaaahhhhhhh. 

 Collins Cates, you are beautiful on the inside and out, smart, funny, caring, helpful and the best sister and daughter EVER! We love you so so much.  

Kai at 7 and 8 months

7 months

 

8 months

 

I don't think he's had a well visit since 6 months.  We did go in at 7 months for a weight check and he was 15lbs 8oz.  I honestly have no idea how he's still so little.  He's a bottomless pit!

About 7 months, we pretty much stopped with the baby food and went the baby lead weaning route.  That basically means we just give him pretty big chunks of food and let him feed himself.  I did it with the other two kiddos as well and it's much easier to just feed him what we are eating then spoon feed him.  He's ate a wide variety of foods.  Pretty regular foods for him are: peanut butter toast, banana, blueberries, avocado, eggs, yogurt, green beans, cooked carrots, lunch meat, shredded cheese and so much more.  He drinks water from a straw sippy cup at meals. At 7 months, it was almost clock work that he'd nurse at 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, eat 1-2 meals and take 3 naps.

Now his schedule is more like:

6:15am- wake up and hang with daddy :)

7am-nurse

8am- breakfast

8:30-9:30-nap

11pm-nurse

11:45pm-lunch

12:30-2-nap

3pm-nurse

5pm-dinner

7pm- nurse or bottle and goes to bed

His sleeping is so unpredictable.  He'll finally nap 1-2 hours at each nap but he also wakes up 1-2 times at night.  Sometimes at 1am, sometimes not till 4am, sometimes twice. I just never know what the nights going to hold.  It's frustrating because he was such a good night time sleeper early on but because he's low on his growth chart, I feel like he needs the middle of the night feeding.  One feeding anyway, 2 is just ridiculous.  I'm just too tired to sleep train (again). One of my favorite things is when we get him out of his crib, he'll wrap his arms around us and rest his chin on our shoulder like he's giving us a big hug. Well played kid, well played.

We're finally starting to get out of the 3-6 month clothes.  I think he wears a size 1 shoe but socks and shoes don't stand a chance.  He always pulls them off and chews on his socks.  His socks are usually soaking wet by the time we get anywhere from him chewing on them in the car.  He's in a size 3 diaper. 

He's been learning SO many new things.  He army crawls (2/20), gets up on all 4's and is making the first steps to crawl, can pull to a stand (2/24) waves (2/14), can go from laying down to sitting up (3/4) and his first word? Dada (3/1). Once he gets the crawling down, I'm certain he'll be walking soon after.  He's constantly pulling up on things and always wants to be standing up.  I think he hates the car seat so much because he hates sitting still.  He has no chill.  Always wants to be held but doesn't actually want to sit and hang.  He's gotten way better in the car, rarely crying now.

His personality is really developing.  He's very chatty in the mornings before his siblings wake up, does a fake laugh when he hears people laugh and has a hilarious new face where he squints his eyes and clinches his fists.  He does it more and more the more you laugh.  He's generally a happy baby, although he thinks he needs me to hold him anytime he sees me.  He gets shy and hides his face when people talk to him but doesn't mind other people holding him, as long as I don't make eye contact with him.  Can you tell he's a mommy's boy

 

 

Bath time is his favorite.  Be basically jumps out of my arms trying to get in there.    He also likes going on walks, swinging, cellphones, the remote and watching his brother and sister. 

 

Kai, I'm in denial that your going to be one before long. I'm positive that you know how much your loved because someone is ALWAYS touching or holding you.  You will probably never know what personal space is.  We just can't help that your so dang cute and love you oh so much.