Michael: 12 Months!!

5/15/14
This month:
*You weigh: 21lbs 6.5oz 

*You are: 29 3/4in tall
*You are wearing: size 12 month clothes and size 18 month sleepers

*You still eat about every 2 hours. I feed you in the morning, when I put you down for a nap, when you wake up for a nap (x2), before bed, and typically once in the early morning around 5:30 or 6:00. 
*You have your 2 top teeth, 1 next to your top tooth and another trying to pop through, and your 2 bottom teeth.
*You are in a size 4 diaper.

*You go to bed around 8:30-9:00 and sleep until around 9:00. You take 2 naps a day that range from 1.5-2 hours long. You get up in the morning around 9:00, nap at 11:00 and sleep until around 12:30-1:00 and take your second nap around 3:30 and sleep until 5:30ish.

You have started taking a few steps at a time, but still don't cant to walk full time. You are so fast when you crawl and have no need for walking to slow you down!! You like to eat and love to feed yourself but are still pretty picky. You really like carbs. A meal full of breads and pasta is heaven for you! You are soooo loud during meal times. You sit in your highchair and yell until we feed you or you get what you want. We say "Oh that's just Michael singing his dinner song". It's super fun. I hope you grow out of that phase quickly.

You don't really talk, you do say ma ma ma ma and da da da da but I'm not sure that you are using them in context or know what you are saying. I'm sure you will eventually be a little chatterbox like your sister. You are still a mamas boy and I love it. We are still nursing, and I'm not sure how much longer we will go, but I love that down time we have to just snuggle and spend some quality time together. 

You are so smart. I know that every parent always thinks their child is a genius, but you are pretty smart! You are a little observer and love to mimic what other people do. You got a new riding toy for your birthday and you knew exactly how to push yourself around on it.  

You get into everything. Ev-er-ry thing. Everything. It's insane. I don't remember it being like this with Ellie, but every time I turn around you are into something you're not supposed to be, or putting something else in your mouth. Did I mention the time you ate ashes a few months ago? That was fun. You can climb up onto the couch in our living room and have taken a few falls off of it and even one or two over the back of it. We all say that you are going to be our ER baby. You definitely keep me on my toes there's no doubt about it!

I absolutely can not believe how fast the past year has gone. It feels like it was just last summer and I was trying to get the hang of balancing the needs of a newborn and the needs of a toddler. Those days sure seemed long, but the weeks flew by! I am so glad that we have long since settled into a routine and that you and Ellie are starting to play together more and more. You just adore her and love to be in whatever she is doing. She is still learning to be gentle with you and that she has to share all the things, but I am looking forward to the day that you two are the best of friends and spend all day playing together. I'm sure we will still have some quarrels in there too, but it is my hearts desire for you to have a close relationship. After all, I don't know what I would do without my siblings!!

We love you so much sweet boy. I am so glad that God chose me to be your mama and look forward to watching you grow and learn. I can't imagine all the changes that will be coming in the next year! 

Happy First Birthday Michael!

Michael:11 Months

4/15/14

This Month:

*You weigh: Around 21 lbs still
*You are wearing: 12 month clothes 

*You still eat about every 2 hours. I feed you in the morning, when I put you down for a nap, when you wake up for a nap (x2), before bed, and typically once in the early morning around 5:30 or 6:00. 
*You have 4 teeth and another trying to pop through
*You are in a size 4 diaper.

*You go to bed around 8:30-9:00 and sleep until 5:00-6:00, eat, then sleep until around 9:00. You take 2 naps a day that range from 1.5-2 hours long. You get up in the morning around 9:00, nap at 11:00 and sleep until around 12:30-1:00 and take your second nap around 3:30 and sleep until 5:30ish.

You have started clapping your hands. You did it randomly in the car one day and were so excited when every made a fuss about it and you do it all the time now. It is so cute!!

You also started shaking your head back and forth side to side and it is the funniest thing. You aren't meaning no when you do it, I just think you like the way it feels! You will sit in your highchair and and perform all your new tricks for us!

You can stand on your own, but haven't been brave enough to take any steps yet. I think that it will come soon though! You're hair is still holding onto a little bit of auburn, I love it! You are still such a happy and sweet baby; who loves his mama. And I can't say that I'm complaining about that! You aren't very happy when I leave you in the nursery on Sunday's, but I think that you will eventually do better. You are such a little ham and love to smile and flirt with everyone. You have a little dimple that shows sometimes when you smile really big and it melts me! 

I can't believe that next month we will be celebrating your big first birthday! This past year has flown by!! We love you so much sweet boy!

Michael: 10 Months

This Month:

*You weigh: Around 21 lbs
*You are wearing: 12 month clothes 

*You still eat about every 2 hours. I feed you in the morning, when I put you down for a nap, when you wake up for a nap (x2), before bed, and typically once during the night. I am happy to say that we are still nursing and going strong! I am so thankful that things are so much easier this time around!
*You are in a size 4 diaper.

*You go to bed around 8:30-9:00 and sleep until 5:00-6:00, eat, then sleep until around 9:00. You take 2 naps a day that range from 1.5-2 hours long. You get up in the morning around 9:00, nap at 11:00 and sleep until around 12:30-1:00 and take your second nap around 3:30 and sleep until 5:30ish.

You have mastered cruising around furniture this month and learned to climb the stairs (with supervision of course). I think climbing the stairs is your favorite thing to do. If we leave the gate open you are instantly booking it over there! You have discovered your hands and ealized that you can open and close them and get mezmorized by your new skill. You have also relized that you have a toun gue and love sticking it out like a little lizard! It's so cute!

You are such a busy body and love to watch everyone around you. You are a very distractible nurser and will only nurse if you're in a dark room with white noise. That makes it hard to spend a day away from home! And you definitely don't nap in your stroller or while we are out and about. Sometimes you will fall asleep in the car, but not always. Your two top teeth came through this month, you were fussy for a night or two, but otherwise did pretty well with them. When I hold you, you love to blow raspberries on my shoulder. That's your new party trick. You are definitely a mama's boy. When I walk over to you you will put your arms up to reach for me and it melts my heart! I get paged to pick you up from the nursery during the sermon at church almost every sunday, I do cherish that you always want your mama. I know one day you will develop your independence and my days of snuggling you will be few and far between!

You are still cruising around the furniture and there have been a few times where you will let go and stand for a few seconds, but then you sit down and crawl off to your next destination. You love to get in the cat food and play with the cat door and have actually trapped him in the storage room in the basement a few times becuase you locked his cat door while you were smacking at it.I'm sure Jack doesn't really appreciate that.

I can't believe that your first birthday is right around the corner. You are such a sweet and happy boy. I love watching you grow and learn new things and am cherishing these last few months while you are still a baby. I couldn't imagine our family without you and can't wait to see what the future holds for us! I love you sweet boy!!

Michael: 9 Months

2/15/14

This Month:

*You weigh: 20lbs 15.5oz
*You are wearing: 12 month clothes 

*You still eat about every 2 hours. I feed you in the morning, when I put you down for a nap, when you wake up for a nap (x2), before bed, and typically once during the night. I am happy to say that we are still nursing and going strong! I am so thankful that things are so much easier this time around!
*You are in a size 4 diaper.

*You go to bed around 8:30-9:00 and sleep until 5:00-6:00, eat, then sleep until around 9:00. Thankfully we seem to have finally mastered all the insane wake-ups you were having. I think I was about to end up in the looney bin with how much you were waking up at night!!! You take 2 naps a day that range from 1.5-2 hours long. You get up in the morning anywhere between 8:00-10:00. Your schedule can change day to day depending on when you wake up. About 2 hours after you wake up in the morning you are ready to go down for your first nap. Your second nap is about 2.5-3 hours after you wake up from your first nap.

You started crawling with your belly off the ground this month. You are also standing on and cruising around furniture. You are a persistent little boy. We can move you away rom something you're not supposed to get into a thousand times and you will go back to it one thousand and one. You're such a little stinker!

You are starting to "talk" more and like to screech. Dinners around here can get pretty loud. You are still a little social butterfly and do not like when you are left alone even for a minute! You like to be in the middle of evertything and love attention! Since you are so mobile, you spend a lot of time bugging your sister and trying to get whatever she is playing with. The two of you completely melt my heart. She is the only one who can get you to belly laugh. Watching her love you is the sweetest thing ever and I know that you two will be best friends as you grow.

You are getting better at eating solids. You really like to feed yourself, but haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet. Most of the time what you're trying to put in you rmouth ends up in your lap! You like pears, apples, carrots, squash, and avocado and sometimes we can get you to eat pureed food or eat it out of a pouch.

I can't believe that in just 3 short months you will be 1. These past 9 months have just flown by. You are such a sweet boy and such a joy. You definitely love your mama :) You have brought so much happiness to our family and we are so blessed to have you as a part of our lives! I love you Michael James! 

See Ellies 9 month update for comparison here!

Our Journey to Parenthood

When I was younger and thought about getting married and having a family I just assumed that when my husband and I were ready I would get pregnant right away and have a healthy baby. I was so naive. I personally know women, and have read stories of many women's heartaches with trying to conceive, miscarriages, stillborns, or the loss of an infant. Every story doesn't always have a happy ending.

Mike and I were high school sweethearts and go married in February of 2008. All I've ever wanted in life was to be a mom and I was ready to have a baby right away. Mike; not so much! So in the spring of 2010 we decided that we were going to try and get pregnant in June of that summer. Apparently God had other plans because on April 24 I saw two pink lines on a home pregnancy test. It was a little earlier than we expected but we were both so excited. I was due January 4th and had a very uneventful pregnancy. In August we found out we were going to have a little girl and decided to name her Eleanor. She came into our world at 37 weeks and changed our life forever.

Head over to Everyday Love to read the rest of our story of our Journey to Parenthood

Michael: 8 Months

1/15/14

This Month:

*You weigh: 20.5lbs
*You are wearing: Mostly 12 month clothes, but still some 9 month 

*You eat about every 2 hours. I feed you in the morning, when I put you down for a nap, when you wake up for a nap (x2), before bed, and 1-2 times during the night.
*You are in a size 4 diaper.

*You go to bed around 7:30-8:00 and sleep for about 30-40 minutes then wake up and fuss. Then we get you back to sleep, and about 15-30 minutes later you wake up and fuss again. Rinse and repeat for up to 3 hours. Not so fun. It's like you go through phases. You will sleep great for a few days or a week then you sleep like crap for a few days or a week. It's frustrating because you know how to put yourself to sleep, but instead, once we put you down in your crib you wake up and cry instead of sweetly sucking your thumb into slumber land.I don't know if you are daeling with some seperation anxiety or what, but we're all ready for some good nights sleep. You take about 2 naps a day (sometimes 3 depending on what time you wake up for the day) and get up in the morning anywhere between 8:00-10:00. Your schedule can change day to day depending on when you wake up.

 Your two bottom teeth popped through this month about a week apart. When you got your first tooth you had a bit of a cold and a fever too, so I took you into urgent care to make sure everything was ok. And it was; can't help the mama worries though! You had about 2 fussy nights each time your tooth was coming through. A few of those nights daddy ended up sleeping with you in the recliner all night. 

On 12/24/13 you pulled yourself to standing for the first time! You were so happy. Since then you pull yourself up onto everything. You want to be part of all the action. We had lots of family Christmases to go to this month and you did pretty well at all of them. Unfortunately lots of people were getting over colds and you ended up catching one. Hopefully you won't catch anymore this winter.

You are still breastfeeding (We made it longer than I did with Ellie!!!!!!) and I hope we make it to at least a year! You have no interest in solid foods, the only thing that you care to eat are Mum Mums. You seem to like feeding yourself so I will mash some banana or avocado on your highchair tray, but you still aren't that into it. Someday you'll eat solids...right?!

Our mini mozart

You are such a happy baby. You are starting to babble more and make some laughing/screeching sounds. You make this relly funny face where you scrunch up your nose, squint your eyes, and raise your eyebrows, but it is almost impossible to catch it on camera. When you are excited you sit and flap your arms, smacking one hand on top of the other. It's so funny. You love playing with Ellie and getting into whatever she is doing. You love to watch her and laugh at her. I really hope that you two are always best friends and have a close relationship.

Ellie needs to take some smiling tips from you! 

 These past 8 months have flown by and I can't believe that there are only 4 months until you are a year old. I wish that I could put time in a bottle and keep you my little baby forever, I could definitely go for you sleeping through the night though! You are a joy and a blessing to our family. I love you so much sweet boy!

Here is Ellie's 8 month update for comparison

Ellie: 3 years

12-15-13

I look at you and I can't believe that it has been 3 years since I was pregnant feeling your kicks and nudges and dreaming about your future. It feels like yesterday that we were bringing you home from the hospital completely unaware of all the ways our lives would change. And change they have; but I wouldn't trade it for a minute. As I watch you grow and see your personality take shape I can't help but be so proud.

 You are 31lbs and 38in. You are in size 3T clothes and wear size 8 shoe. You know your colors and shapes. Not only can you sing the ABC'S, but you can recognize them and know what sound they make. Sometimes when you talk you will sound out the first letter of whatever you are saying. "I'm H-H-Hungry." You are so smart and observant. You love to learn and problem solve. You are sweet and kind. You are strong-willed and fiercely independent. You remember every thing. Everything. You like to be busy and on the go, you would rather be out and about then sitting at home.

Three has brought about its challenges. One minute you are so sweet that I think you could melt, but then the next you are a ball of defiance that has my head spinning. But in every moment I am aware that I love you so much I feel like my heart could burst. You want to do everything yourself. You can be very argumentative. You will now tell us "I love you mommy/daddy" unprompted and it is the sweetest thing ever. You have become quite the cuddler. You will snuggle up next to me on the couch and say "I'm mommy and daddy's little baby.' I love these little moments.

You are very polite. When we offer you something (mostly vegetables) at dinner you will say "No, thank you" or "Um, no thanks" and think it gets you out of having to have some. You do have a knack of saying "you have to do this for me" Instead of saying "Please" but we're practicing. You are so funny and have a few of your own Ellie-isms. When you have a runny nose you will come to me and tell me that you have a sneezer. Sometimes I will (purposely) call you by the wrong name (ask "are you ready freddie") and you will say "I'm not freddie, I'm Ellie!"

You are more of an introvert. If we go to someones house, especially if there are a lot of people around it takes you a little bit to warm up. You will cling to daddy or I and want us to pick you up and hold you until you are comfortable and have had enough time to warm up. We have to remind people to just give you time and not to take anything personally-you just need a minute. But once you come out of your shell you are a ham. You are an observer. You take everything in just like a little sponge and are always aware of what is going on around you. I think you have a sixth sense for knowing when someone is eating. We can't hide anything from you! If you hear a wrapper you say "I want some of that". You won't even know what it is; but you know that you want some! You love to sing and are constantly walking around singing songs and opening and lifting your arms like you are on center stage. The words don't always make sense and I can't always understand what your're saying, but that doesn't stop you!

Nap time is hit or miss around here, but you still go down for at least some rest time every day. Some days you will actually fall asleep, but most days are spent with you quietly singing or trying to do a somersault in your bed. You have become quite the picky eater. Your favorite food is peanut butter and jelly, and you would have it for every meal if you could. I'm hoping that this phase will pass, but there are a lot of nights that you won't eat what's for dinner. You are still in diapers. Sometimes you will go on the potty before you get in the bath at night but that is pretty much it. You have NO interest in wearing underwear. At all. I'm hoping that one day you will just wake up and be over diapers. 

You are such a great big sister and are very sweet to Michael. You like to talk to him and love to give him food at dinner time. You aren't a big fan of the fact that he can crawl and get into your toys though. I think sharing will be a never-ending lesson when it comes to siblings.You are still obsessed with animals; mostly cats and dogs and light up when you see one. You love Aunties cat Jack and always make sure to tell us what he you think he wants and needs.

If I could bottle you up and keep you little I definitely would; but I am so excited to see what God has in store for your life; I know He is going to use you in some amazing ways. You have turned our world upside down and caused our hearts to double in size. I am so thankful God gave you to us. We love you so much and are completely enamored with you my sweet Ellie Bellie.