Brooks at 10 months

I've lost count of how many times people have made the comment that he's almost one! Or he's so big!  Although I'm very aware of these things, I refuse to believe them. 

Stats| I think around 19lbs 8oz and I have no idea how tall he is.  Wearing 6-9 month clothes and size 4 diaper.  He's looking older and older although he's still petite. 

Eating| 3 meals that usually consist of whatever we are eating, 1 snack and 4-5 bottles a day.  He's always been a snacker and even now, he'll only drink about 4 of the 6oz we make him. He can polish off 8oz before bed though. He had his first french fry this month and he refused to eat anything but french fries after he had one.  We were out to eat so I just let him have a healthy french fry lunch so he wouldn't scream. I'd say his 3 favorite foods are strawberries, lunch meat and noodles.  With the exception of honey, I think he's tried just about every food. 

Sleeping| He slept through the night for the first time ever right after he turned 9 months (May 25) and then continued it for almost a week before a tooth started popping through and that sleeping went through the window. I felt bad for him so I caved for about a week but we did one night of crying it out and now he's back to sleeping from about 7pm-7am. 

Play| Army crawling and started to crawl up on his knees.  Pulled to a stand on May 26 and attempted to climb the stairs on June 21.  He always wants to be standing and can stand for about 15 sec by himself.  He let's go of things and tries to take off walking but his upper body goes quicker then his feet which doesn't work out so well for him.  As much as I don't want him to walk, I want him to walk so he'll stop being so clingy! If I am anywhere in sight, he'll crawl to me or scream at me until I pick him up.  He just wants me to stand him so he can have a better view. He finally says mama and I swear he's trying to say bye.

Health| He's had a runny nose for about 2 weeks and I took him 2 weeks ago to the doctor thinking he had an ear infection but they looked great.  He pulls on his ears a lot when he's teething but I wanted to be safe before we went to the lake for the weekend.  I believe he was 19lbs 4oz at that appointment so I took a guess on his current weight. 

Likes| Water! We already knew he loved the bath but the rain finally stopped and we got to take him swimming and loves it.  Sits there splashing or floats around in his floatie.  Mexico next month will be fun.  He finally got the chance to sit in the seat of a shopping cart and he enjoys the view.  Collins either has to sit in the basket part or we get the hideous car carts at the grocery store that they both can sit in.  Boy does he like driving those! He likes swinging, being outside, giving open mouth kisses and riding on daddy's shoulders. 

Dislikes| Being confined in things like his jumper, going inside or having things taken away from him.  I swear our neighbors probably think he's abused from the high pitched scream he lets out when we bring him inside.  I sometimes think he can throw a bigger fit then Collins does.

Your at such a fun and exhausting age.  Stairs with no gate? Crawling straight for them.  Wires? Straight into the mouth.  Silly sounds and faces? The best laughs.  We love you so so much, buddy.

Collins at 2.5

I'm a little late posting this but since it's been 6 months since I did a Collins post, I figured it was time.  "Though she may be little, she may be fierce." This quote replays in my mind daily.  She's a tiny thing weighing in at 26 pounds but boy does she have sass.  I'm sometimes even scared to look at her because you never know if she'll be sweet or sour.  Girlfriend can throw some fits. And the whining? Lord help me. But usually, she's a pretty great kid and has the best little personality.   

 

Mostly wearing 18-24 month and 2t clothes. We measured her the other day for her passport and she was 2 feet 10 inches.  I'm baffled at how small she is because she eats about every 2 hours! Some of her favorite foods include fruit snacks, goldfish, mac and cheese, mostly any fruit and cheez its.  The girl loves her some cheese.  She drinks mostly water and milk with 1 juice a day and the occasional lemonade at restaurants.  When she's done eating, she likes to set her plate on the counter or load it in the dishwasher if its dirty.

Within the past 2 weeks, naps have been hit or miss.  Some days she doesn't fall asleep but I still make her lay in there for 1.5 hours and some days she only naps for an hour.  Typically she's an 1.5 hour napper and sleeps 8pm-7:30am.  Bedtime can draaaaag on.  She has to give mommy, daddy and Elsie 5 million kisses, go to the bathroom, sing twinkle twinkle, etc.  Needless to say, we don't love Collins bedtime duty so we rotate every other night.  We've started praying at night with her and it's too dang cute watching her put her hands together, close her eyes and say Now I lay Me Down to Sleep.  No less then 3 baby dolls occupy her bed at any given time and an array of stuffed animals can be found there as well.

She is pretty shy but warms up to people pretty quickly.  Because she's so shy, she doesn't talk much around other people.  But get her home and its non stop. Recently she's very curious as to what things and people eat.  "Wha nat (cat) eat?" "Wha Elsie eat?" and the dreaded "why?" is said all damn day.  At first she would prounounce why as "hiiii?" so that got confusing.  Brooks is baby Brooks and she often times calls us by our first name.  "Um Sarah? Elsie um come me house?"  Says her colors, of the rainbow anyways; can point out her shapes, colors and the letters B, C, S, D and M (Brooks, Collins, Sarah, Derek, daddy and mommy).  She surprised me the other day and did pretty good counting to 10.  1-4 is a little tough to understand but 5-10 was pretty clear. 

Potty training wise she is still in a diaper at nap and bedtime.  I'm not changing sheets on a queen bed in the middle of the night so until she consistently wakes up dry, we'll keep the bedtime diapers.  And she down right refuses to get off her bed during nap and bedtime.  It's a good and bad thing but until she'll do it, I don't see the diaper coming off. Collins can finally go to the bathroom on her own.  Shortie had a hard time getting up on the potty without a step stool and she has finally figured it out.  Game changer.  Between that and being able to completely dress herself, she doesn't even need me around. 

She took gymnastics last Fall and started dance in January.  She just had her dance recital and she did so good.  All these pictures were from recital day.  I don't normally put make up on her, although she'd love it. 

 

Some of her favorite things include: playing babies, feeding Brooks, being outside, dancing, watching YouTube videos (like obsessed), swimming, buckling her car seat,  eating, finding things that match, going anywhere and Elsie (the dog and her best friend). 

 

Some things she doesn't like: being told no, bread (with the exception of an occasional peanut butter and jelly sandwich), sharing her baby dolls, bugs and being helped with anything unless she asks. 

Collins, you are the light of our life.  Your so independent but at the same time you always want to be held.  Your facial expressions and the things you say crack us up and I'm not sure that there is a better big sister then you are.  Constantly wanting to hold him and love on him. Your the best and we love you so so much. 

Brooks at 9 months

My baby boy is 9 months. As close as he is to becoming a toddler, it feels he's been in this baby stage for awhile.  I think I'm being paid back for being robbed of infanthood with Collins.  She was full on walking by now and Brooks wants nothing to do with even crawling.  I love it. 

 

Stats| 18lbs 3oz (10%), 27 1/4 in tall (10.25%) and 17.5 in head (25-50%).  Poor kid is a shrimp. I'm hoping he hits a big growth spurt so he's not a shorty going into school.  He's all over in the clothes department.  3-6 month shorts, 6-9 month pants and 9-12 months for one pieces and shirts.  We just bought a box of size 4 diapers which is crazy cause that's the same size Collins wears at bedtime but they are proving to be too big on him.  I was sick of poop going up his back and staining his clothes and his pajamas being wet in the morning because I hate changing him in the middle of the night, but they look a bit ridiculous on his tiny body.

 

easier to keep him still outside

Eating| We dropped his last nursing session recently so he's completely on formula and table foods. Bittersweet. He has four, 6oz bottles throughout the day and one in the middle of the night. I don't think there's been a food he's turned down. He basically eats whatever Collins is eating.  I've given up on baby food, he would rather shove food in his mouth by the fist full.  Almost every meal requires an outfit change. 

Sleeping| Goes to bed between 7-7:30pm and wakes around 7am with one middle of the night feeding. When we are home for morning nap, it's usually about an hour and then he takes a 2 hour afternoon nap. We haven't had to lower his mattress yet but he has recently learned to pull down his crib bumper to peek out. It's the first thing he does when he wakes up, pulls it down and just waits for us to walk into his room.  I love being greeted by his grinning face peeking out of his crib.

 

raise your hand if you think moms the best

 

Play| Rolling around like crazy.  He can get around so quick by barrel rolling.  Getting up on all 4's but not getting anywhere yet.  He can pull to his knees and prefers to be standing. At all times.  I don't know how I don't have buff arms from the amount I hold him and how acrobatic he is.  He loves putting blankets over his face and playing peekaboo, using his feet to play with toys and playing wherever sister is. He's a big mama's boy so he felt bad for Derek and learned how to say "dada" first.  Collins and Derek are trying their best to get him to say "sissy" next over "mama." Jerks.

Health| He could use a couple more pounds which is crazy to me because he's a bottomless pit and has rolls to show it.  Our pediatrician wasn't concerned just wants us to try and get him to drink more ounces and maybe add a snack in. He's popping teething like crazy.  4.5 on the top and 2 on the bottom with 2 more starting to come up.  We've lost 2 amber teething bracelets that I put on his ankle so I think I'll have to cave and let him wear a necklace.  I swear by these beads cause he was cranky for a couple days when we were without them.

Likes| You should see his rapid leg kicking when he's heading into the bath.  He also enjoys walking when you hold his hands, walks, and although it seems repetitive, he absolutely adores his sister.  Always looking around for her and laughing at everything she does.  Derek ran an errand with Collins and it was just me and Brooks at home, he was like a lost puppy.  He wouldn't stop looking around for her and was being so still and weird.  It was like he was just waiting for her to pop up and scare him like she likes to do.  It was sad how lost he was without her around. Diaper changes are impossible when he's either trying to eat his toes or rip his diaper off.  He can't be without a shirt or he unfastens his diaper.  Pretty sure he is too young to be doing that. 

 

Dislikes| Being startled, being spoon fed, me being close by and not holding him and working on crawling.

Brooks, you have a contagious smile and blue eyes that don't go unnoticed.  I'm so in love with you and so thankful you made us a family of 4.  Can we please work on saying "mama" though?

Brooks at 8 months

His first birthday has crossed my mind and that's just not ok!  I don't want him to grow up!!

 

 

 

Stats| I'm far to lazy to find that all out so I'm gonna say he's gained a couple ounces since we were at the doctor last month and guess he's around 16lbs 15oz.  They didn't measure him last month since it was just a weight check and flu shot so I won't even attempt to guess on that one.  He is mainly in 6-9 month clothing and a 3 in diapers. 

 

Eating| He is becoming quite the eater.  He literally screams, lunges and grabs for food that he sees.  I try and still do baby food 2-3 times a day but he also gets pieces of whatever Collins is eating.  I've lost track of all the food he has tried but some favorites include ground beef, avocado and cheese.  Yep, he's had his fair share of mac and cheese and I get it on his high chair fast enough. My kind of kid.  I'd say he's 50/50 on breast milk and formula.  I only nurse him 2-3 times in the day/night and the rest is formula or breast milk I've got stored up.  Usually I can only get him to take 3oz from a bottle except for his bedtime bottle and that one he'll do about 6oz.  I try and push more milk in him throughout the day but he pushes it away.  He's just way too distracted to eat and that's the main reason I started weaning him.  It became so stressful to try and keep Collins out of his room while I tried to feed him where it was quiet.  I sometimes feel guilty for weaning already since Collins never had formula but milk is milk and we gotta do what works for us. 

 

 

 

Sleeping| Because of the small milk intake throughout the day, he is stilllllll waking 1-2 times at night. The beginning of the month he was waking every 3 hours and is was brutal.  Some teeth popped through and the sleeping got better. He naps for an hour at 9am and takes a 2 hour nap at 1pm.  He gets fussy around 5 and will occasionally take a cat nap but we try to just keep him up until bedtime at 7pm. He's up for the day around 7am.  Now if I could just get him to do that 7pm-7am without waking up. Eventually, right?

 

Playing| He rolls all over the place and tries so hard to move.  He doesn't get on his knees but he thinks that if he kicks his feet fast enough, he'll go somewhere.  I walked into Collins room the other day to find him up on his knees holding on to her toy box.  I wouldn't be surprised if he skips crawling all together and just takes off walking. He's getting harder to hold because he thinks he can just get down and go.  I try my best to hold him as much as possible so he'll never learn to crawl or walk. Kidding! We got rid of the baby bath and now he sits and plays in the tub with big sis.  They can really get to splashing and having fun.

 

 

 

Health| No doctor visits this month.  He's working on a number of teeth though.  The ones on the side of his front teeth are pretty much through and his top 2 are coming as well.  Yep, the side ones are coming before the middle two.  So weird.  Needless to say, he's having some discomfort so I try to cut him some slack in the middle of the night. 

 

 

 

Likes| waving, splashing in the tub, going after sisters toys, watching the dog, eating table food and trying to talk.  I swear I've heard mama, dada and hi but not consistent enough to officially say he's talking.  Of course I'm always pushing him to say mama but as soon as I tell him to say mama, Collins goes "Brooks, say sissy." Poor baby is confused as crap on what he should be saying. 

 

waving

 

 

Dislikes| New people when he's tired or just woke up, not being fed quick enough.

 

A few other things I want to document is that he had his first sleepover! Derek and I had a murder mystery party to attend so auntie Amber is a godsend and offered to keep them both over night.  Brooks wasn't the best sleeper for her but he charmed her up and she's even offered to do it again.  I wish I could say I got a good nights sleep but I was missing my babies and had them picked up at 9am :) He will put his arms up or lunge towards you to be held, moves his body when you tell him to dance, waves and shakes his head no and looks around the room when you ask him where sissy or Collins is. 

 

This is him to a T.  Smiling and ankles crossed

 

 

My heart could burst with the amount of love I have for this boy.  Just look at him and you get a smile that will swoop you off your feet. He's got the best laugh, chubbiest cheeks and kissable face.  I love you, Brooksie bear.  More then you'll ever know. 

 

 

 

Collins at 8 months

Easter 2015

Collins' was so in to Easter this year.  She would have sat and colored eggs for another hour if we hadn't ran out of egg and although she wasn't very quick, she loved finding eggs.  Lucky for her, she got to experience 2 Easter egg hunts.  What she didn't love about Easter? The Easter bunny himself.  I can't blame her though, their always a bit creepy looking.  Brooks wasn't phased though.

Saturday my brother hosted an Easter egg hunt for his clients.  There were 2,000 eggs (I'm not even lying.  He even said he wanted 4,000 next year), donuts, the Easter bunny and it all took place at our favorite park.  Couldn't have asked for a better morning, complete with cousins.  Collins ripped her tights about 10 minutes after we got there but luckily it wasn't too cold.

For the second year in a row, Collins got to wake up and find her hidden Easter basket with Paxton and Harper.  As if one Easter basket wasn't enough, nana Jana loaded them up with a second Easter basket. 

We hosted actual Easter at our house.  It was tight but we fit all 24 people in here.  It was nice enough that people could be on the deck and the kids spent a lot of time playing outside.  Derek smoked his first turkey and my mom took care of the rest of the food.  It was all so delicious.  The kids got to do another Easter egg hunt after lunch and Collins' proceeded to eat her weight in candy.  Brooks' was a little overwhelmed with all the people in our house but aside from a couple meltdowns, he hammed it up and was ok being passed around. 

 

 

Bromance

 

We were so happy my moms side of the family could make it for Easter.  It was another holiday that we deeply missed my uncle but my aunt gave us all wind chimes as a thank you gift from the funeral and we all kept thinking of him each time we heard them. Wonderful weekend!

 

 

 

Lifestyle pics by auntie

When auntie Amy says "lets go take your pictures," you go get your pics taken.  That's the great thing about lifestyle pics. No fancy outfits, no props and trying to pose a wild 2 year old or a 6 month old that just wants to play with his feet.  Just my babies, in our home, doing what they love to do. 

Let's start with Mr. Brooks.  Clearly he's "not quite on the growth chart.". Baby rolls make me weak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Collins was in heaven getting to jump on her bed. I can't get her to take pics but she always turns it on for auntie

 

 

 

Let's be real, these 2 had a lot to do with the smiles coming from my kids. They love their cousins big time. Swoon.

 

 

As always, thank you sister for capturing our family.  I don't feel as bad only capturing pics through my phone because I can always count on you to get the best of pics. 

Brooks at 7 months

This is all happening way too fast.  Although I don't wish to relive those first few months, I would like him to stay exactly how he is now.  Ridiculously happy, content and such a lover.  I could just squeeze him all day long. 

Stats|  16lbs and 9oz and I'm guessing around 25.5 inches.  We had his weight check today and he's still not up on the growth curve.  We just don't make big kiddos so I'm not all that surprised.  We'll keep pushing solids and our pediatrician said to try some table foods for more calories.  Wearing 6-9 month clothes and moved up to a size 3 diaper. 

Eating|   We introduced formula this month and he is taking 1 bottle of formula a day.  He needed to gain some weight and I had hopes that formula before bed would keep him fuller throughout the night. HA! He nurses 4-6 times a day and has solids 2 times a day.  I've given him a couple table foods like pears, apple, banana, green beans, peas, etc.  He can pick up the peas but can't quite get them to his mouth.  Big lover of fruit and big hater of green vegetables.  I give him a Sippy (my computer won't stop capitalizing that word. ggrrr) after he eats and he can drink from it but mostly chews on it.

 Sleeping| Sleeps from 7:15pm-7:30am waking 1-2 times to nurse.  We try to make him put himself back to sleep if he wakes before 2am but I usually cave after an hour because I just want to go back to sleep.  His eyes always pop open at 7:30am on the dot and he's ready for a morning nap about 2 hours from waking up.  Morning naps are usually on the go but he takes an afternoon nap at 1pm when Collins does.  Naps last 1-2 hours.  He goes crazy with excitement kicking his legs and moving his arms when we peek over his crib when he wakes up. See below

Play| Officially a sitter.  I put a pillow behind him just in case but he can sit and play all on his own now.  He's very content to lay on his back and play with his feet and has no desire to crawl.  He'll wiggle and push with his feet when he's laying on his back and can move a little but nothing when he's on his stomach. Fine by me, I'm not looking forward to a mobile baby.  Pulled out the older baby toys that are more interactive (loud) and I'm not sure who looks them more, him or Collins. He can shake his head no, pulls blankets off his head for peek a boo and almost has the wave down. 

 Health| Just needs to keep working on adding some weight

Likes|  We've had some great weather lately so we spend as much time outside as we can.  He's so happy outside and loves going on walks and swinging at the park.  Still always wants to jump, watch sister, take a bath, sing songs and dance, grab and chew on anything, his feet and watching TV.

Dislikes| I really can't think of anything.  He's just a very happy baby that hasn't shown any signs of separation anxiety or stranger danger. 

You make me so happy Brooksie bear.  Love you big time.