I wrote this last week and delayed posting it because I wanted to upload some photos, but I still haven't gotten around to that, so I'm just going to post this anyway :) We are in Baltimore, things are going well, and I will post again soon, I promise! By the way, I think I could live in Maryland for every August for the rest of my life and be happy.
From last week:
The little man is already 3 months old! I don't think I got around to posting his 2 month stats. He was 11 lbs, 14 oz and 23 inches, which are both around the 50th percentile. His head was in the 75th percentile. Now he is around 24 1/4 inches and 13ish pounds. He looks so much different than Elise did at this age. Here is a post when she was 3ish months old.
He is on a very predictable schedule when we are staying around the house. When we go out during his morning nap time, he usually won't take a full nap, but he will often make up for it during the 3rd nap of the day (which is always at home because it is during Elise's nap). His feeding times usually don't vary more than 10-15 minutes from these times, which makes it very easy to plan the day. It usually takes me about 15 minutes to feed him. We are still using cloth diapers and they work very well. He sleeps in his crib at home and has slept well in pack and plays since we have been in Texas. I still swaddle him with the miracle blanket and I give him a pacifier (started this around 2 months old). I bounce him for a minute or so and then lay him down awake but drowsy. Sometimes he wakes up at the 45 minute mark and if I give him the paci, he will go back to sleep. He went through a 3 day growth spurt at 11.5 weeks.
7:00-7:30 - wake, nurse
8:30 - nap #1
10:00 - wake, nurse
11:30 - nap #2
1:00 - wake, nurse
2:30 - nap #3
4:00 - wake, nurse
5:15ish - power nap (30-45 minutes)
6:30 - nurse
7:00 - bed
5:00ish - eat
This schedule works well for me because I usually get Elise down for her nap before he wakes up and is ready to eat, and then I can play with him and put him in bed before she wakes up so that I've got some one-on-one time with both of them.
He usually eats around 5 am, but even if he wakes up earlier, he will still wake up for real at 7-7:30. He made it to 6 am once this week (11 hours!), and hopefully there will be more of that soon. I could consider getting up for the day after the 6 am feeding and I wouldn't feel like a zombie :) I am SO careful about letting him make much noise while Elise is sleeping, so he doesn't get much of a chance at fussing to put himself back to sleep unless she is awake.
He started rolling over from tummy to back this month (11.5 weeks). He doesn't do it every time I put him on his tummy, but he has done it at least 5 times. His tummy time improved overnight... I was not expecting him to roll over any time soon. He also likes to "sit" and "stand" and I think he will love the Bumbo when we get to Baltimore. He flirts and smiles and giggles and seems to enjoy his big sister's attention (aside from when she decides he needs to roll over and helps him, haha). He is a good nurser but a reluctant bottle-taker. I'm not sure why...we didn't wait too long before offering the bottle. He will drink out of it but he likes to play with it more than anything else. The most he has ever taken is 2.5 ounces, but he usually won't take more than 1-1.5. At less than 3 months old (we know this because it was before Mike deployed in 2009), Elise would take an 8 ounce bottle before bed and down the whole thing. Maybe this is why she was sleeping 12 hours so quickly? Isn't that crazy? I even tried a new brand of bottle this month. So, I'm still pumping once right before I go to bed to freeze, but I haven't used much of it.
He enjoys playing on the activity mat, chilling in the bouncer, chewing on his hands, drooling, and flirting with anyone who will smile at him. He likes being carried in the Beco and riding like a big boy in the stroller. If he gets too hot in his car seat, he gets cranky, but he's usually a good car traveler as well.
I think it is so interesting to look at the differences between the kiddos. They've each won several "awards" covering the first months of life, haha. We are so thankful to have had two easy babies.
Elise: First to sleep 12 straight hours, Most likely to drink a lot from a bottle, Most likely to have a blowout diaper (though in her defense, she was in disposables at this age), Easiest to burp
Jack: First to laugh, First to roll over, Most likely to nurse quickly
Tie: Most likely to need an outfit change due to drool or spit-up
Happy 3 months, sweet baby Jack! We are so thankful for you!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
2.5 years of Elise
I forgot to include her unofficial stats on the original post, so here they are:
Height: 37 inches (between 75th and 90th percentiles)
Weight: 31 lbs (75th percentile)
Clothes: 3T/4T
Shoe Size: 8-8.5 (same as last summer!)
Elise is now 2 1/2 (and 1/2)! As a whole, her 30th month of life was the most challenging, followed closely by the 2nd half of month 28 (after Jack was born). She's been through a lot this month with Mike being gone at SERE for 3 weeks, having visitors come and go, moving away from Alabama and flying to Texas, but we are on the road to recovery :). The last week has been relatively smooth, so I think the worst is over. She's had a great time playing with all of her grandparents and has really enjoyed swimming. We got a Puddle Jumper for her and it has been fabulous! She will now jump off the side of the pool and swim to us, and she loves being independent in the water. I wish I had known about them last summer.
Eating: Nothing has really changed in this department. She is predictable and likes a variety of healthy foods but is usually hesitant to try new things. We discovered this month that she really likes roast. Thanks, Laura, for the recipe that you posted on your blog!
Sleeping: She's been more difficult to put to bed this month, though it seems to be getting back to normal. I would say that she woke up screaming at least once during the majority of the nights last month. If I had a dollar for every time I heard "I want to hold you, Mommy!" then I could go out and buy a fully loaded minivan :) When we first got to Texas, she started waking up to go to the bathroom but was not easily going back to sleep. After a few nights of this, we had a big talk about how it was okay to pee in her diaper while she is sleeping, and she's slept soundly for the last week and a half and is usually asleep for 11.5-12 hours. She does best when she goes to sleep by 7:30, but that time has been pretty hard to make since we've been in Texas. She still takes a good 2-2.5 hour nap after lunch.
Learning: It is still amazing to watch how quickly she learns new things. One of her favorite activities this month is working jigsaw puzzles. She can now do the 24 piece puzzles by herself and is very deliberate as she is putting the pieces together. She will start working it and then look very carefully at the pile of pieces to choose the next one. She almost always orients the new piece correctly on the first try. I've been trying to figure out what I should be teaching her (aside from patience, ha!), and I think she's ready to focus on letter sounds (haven't done much with this aside from watching The Letter Factory every now and then) and sight words. I've ordered this and Cindy gave her a set of BOB books in May, and I think those will be good places to start. My mom and I also just got this for her and I think it will be a great learning tool. She loves the Monkey Preschool Lunchbox app (especially the Memory game) and I might try to find a few more good ones to download. Any recommendations?
Potty: She is still very proud of herself for her potty "skills". She has an occasional accident during nap time (one in the last two weeks), and wears a diaper at night. I have absolutely no interest in trying to train her for nights and will probably wait until she is in a big bed and can get up and go by herself. I still keep the Baby Bjorn potty chair in the car and take the Baby Bjorn toilet trainer with us when we go places. It's been over 3 months now and I'm just in the habit of it, so it isn't a big deal. She doesn't use the "car potty" very often, but it was very nice to have on our recent long drives and if we are in a situation where it is just easier to use it rather than take both kids inside somewhere. I insist that she goes to the potty before we go swimming (or somewhere else without a convenient potty), nap, and bedtime, but other than that, she initiates when she goes. She can get on the potty and go by herself, but usually wants assistance/attention, and that isn't a battle that I want to fight right now, so I don't mind helping her. She always asks us to leave the bathroom so that she can have some privacy and she especially likes to talk to herself while on the potty. Sometimes she talks about Baltimore and moving, and other days she gives herself a pep talk.
Overheard outside the bathroom:
E: "I am very good at this!"
Me: (poking my head in) "What are you very good at?"
E: "I am very good at peepeein' and poopin'!"
E: "I am very good at swimming too!"
Personality: In typical two year old fashion, she can go from insanely happy to insanely frustrated with the flip of a switch. I really have to make sure that she gets enough sleep, because a well-rested toddler is much happier than a tired one. When she is in a really good mood, she is little "Miss Manners" and is very exaggerated when she asks us for things, thanks us for things, and compliments us. This is quite funny. The other day, I went to get her up in the morning and she said, "Mommy, I am so proud of you for waking up!". She can carry on quite the dialogue or monologue. When she is frustrated (read: jealous that I am not at her beck and call, usually because I need to do something for Jack), she acts out. The other day she was in a great mood after her nap. We played for a little while and then went to wake Jack up. I started feeding him and in that INSTANT she ripped her socks off, threw them on the floor, and screamed "Put them back on NOW, Mommy!" for the entire 15 minute feeding. Doesn't that sound like fun? :)
Most of the time (as in, when Jack is playing by himself or sitting in his car seat and isn't being given attention by someone else), she does like her brother and will often talk to him, saying something like, "You're so CUUUUUTE, Jack. I like your shirt, Jack! Are you smiling at me, Jack? Did you poop in your diaper, Jack? We need to get you a new one. That is yucky! You can't have/do ___ because you're a baby. It's okay, Jack, we will be there soon. Don't cry, Baby Jack! Did you wake up, Jack? Oh, you DID! You're eyes are open!" He started rolling over last week, and she discovered very quickly that she can "help" him roll over. Ha! She also likes to make him smile by playing pat-a-cake with him.
She is usually very quiet and wants to be close by when she is around people that she doesn't know very well (or just hasn't seen in a while). I'm really excited for her to go to preschool for one morning a week in the fall. I think it will help her in this area. She does like to go to the church nursery on Sundays and is always playing happily when we go to pick her up. She got to take home a mini flashlight last week and when I asked her what it meant, she said "Jesus." She's got the Sunday School answer down already! She doesn't have problems with hitting, throwing, biting, pushing, etc, but she sometimes offers too much unwanted affection. I haven't seen this happen in large groups, just when we've had playdates with one other child.
In the last few weeks, I've noticed her talking to herself a lot more, usually in the car seat or on the potty. She still asks a ton of questions, and they usually come in strings (like one question leads to another, which leads to another, etc). She has a great memory and often remembers random details about something that happened a long time ago. Last week, I told her that we were going to see Grandma Frances and Grandpa Harold (we last saw them over Christmas) and she looked at me for a few seconds and said, "They have a rocking chair!".
I did a very poor job of writing down her funny sayings... I think a few of them got stuffed in moving boxes and maybe I'll find them in Baltimore. She is just hilarious and always makes us laugh. Here is another sample:
E: "Did Baby Jack spit up on your shirt?"
Me: "Yes."
E: "Did he spit up on your strap?" (I was wearing a tank top)
Me: "Yes."
E: "It is wet." (looks at the other strap) "That one is dry. He will spit up on that one tomorrow."
Elise brings us so much joy that we overlook the frustrating moments of this age. We love her so much! What an amazing blessing that we were chosen to be her parents. Happy 2.5!
These wonderful pictures were taken by Elise's Aunt Michelle! You can visit her website at www.michellebphotographie.com. In case you are wondering, she looks a lot like me at this age. I'll have to post a few old pictures soon.
Height: 37 inches (between 75th and 90th percentiles)
Weight: 31 lbs (75th percentile)
Clothes: 3T/4T
Shoe Size: 8-8.5 (same as last summer!)
Elise is now 2 1/2 (and 1/2)! As a whole, her 30th month of life was the most challenging, followed closely by the 2nd half of month 28 (after Jack was born). She's been through a lot this month with Mike being gone at SERE for 3 weeks, having visitors come and go, moving away from Alabama and flying to Texas, but we are on the road to recovery :). The last week has been relatively smooth, so I think the worst is over. She's had a great time playing with all of her grandparents and has really enjoyed swimming. We got a Puddle Jumper for her and it has been fabulous! She will now jump off the side of the pool and swim to us, and she loves being independent in the water. I wish I had known about them last summer.
Eating: Nothing has really changed in this department. She is predictable and likes a variety of healthy foods but is usually hesitant to try new things. We discovered this month that she really likes roast. Thanks, Laura, for the recipe that you posted on your blog!
Sleeping: She's been more difficult to put to bed this month, though it seems to be getting back to normal. I would say that she woke up screaming at least once during the majority of the nights last month. If I had a dollar for every time I heard "I want to hold you, Mommy!" then I could go out and buy a fully loaded minivan :) When we first got to Texas, she started waking up to go to the bathroom but was not easily going back to sleep. After a few nights of this, we had a big talk about how it was okay to pee in her diaper while she is sleeping, and she's slept soundly for the last week and a half and is usually asleep for 11.5-12 hours. She does best when she goes to sleep by 7:30, but that time has been pretty hard to make since we've been in Texas. She still takes a good 2-2.5 hour nap after lunch.
Learning: It is still amazing to watch how quickly she learns new things. One of her favorite activities this month is working jigsaw puzzles. She can now do the 24 piece puzzles by herself and is very deliberate as she is putting the pieces together. She will start working it and then look very carefully at the pile of pieces to choose the next one. She almost always orients the new piece correctly on the first try. I've been trying to figure out what I should be teaching her (aside from patience, ha!), and I think she's ready to focus on letter sounds (haven't done much with this aside from watching The Letter Factory every now and then) and sight words. I've ordered this and Cindy gave her a set of BOB books in May, and I think those will be good places to start. My mom and I also just got this for her and I think it will be a great learning tool. She loves the Monkey Preschool Lunchbox app (especially the Memory game) and I might try to find a few more good ones to download. Any recommendations?
Potty: She is still very proud of herself for her potty "skills". She has an occasional accident during nap time (one in the last two weeks), and wears a diaper at night. I have absolutely no interest in trying to train her for nights and will probably wait until she is in a big bed and can get up and go by herself. I still keep the Baby Bjorn potty chair in the car and take the Baby Bjorn toilet trainer with us when we go places. It's been over 3 months now and I'm just in the habit of it, so it isn't a big deal. She doesn't use the "car potty" very often, but it was very nice to have on our recent long drives and if we are in a situation where it is just easier to use it rather than take both kids inside somewhere. I insist that she goes to the potty before we go swimming (or somewhere else without a convenient potty), nap, and bedtime, but other than that, she initiates when she goes. She can get on the potty and go by herself, but usually wants assistance/attention, and that isn't a battle that I want to fight right now, so I don't mind helping her. She always asks us to leave the bathroom so that she can have some privacy and she especially likes to talk to herself while on the potty. Sometimes she talks about Baltimore and moving, and other days she gives herself a pep talk.
Overheard outside the bathroom:
E: "I am very good at this!"
Me: (poking my head in) "What are you very good at?"
E: "I am very good at peepeein' and poopin'!"
E: "I am very good at swimming too!"
Personality: In typical two year old fashion, she can go from insanely happy to insanely frustrated with the flip of a switch. I really have to make sure that she gets enough sleep, because a well-rested toddler is much happier than a tired one. When she is in a really good mood, she is little "Miss Manners" and is very exaggerated when she asks us for things, thanks us for things, and compliments us. This is quite funny. The other day, I went to get her up in the morning and she said, "Mommy, I am so proud of you for waking up!". She can carry on quite the dialogue or monologue. When she is frustrated (read: jealous that I am not at her beck and call, usually because I need to do something for Jack), she acts out. The other day she was in a great mood after her nap. We played for a little while and then went to wake Jack up. I started feeding him and in that INSTANT she ripped her socks off, threw them on the floor, and screamed "Put them back on NOW, Mommy!" for the entire 15 minute feeding. Doesn't that sound like fun? :)
Most of the time (as in, when Jack is playing by himself or sitting in his car seat and isn't being given attention by someone else), she does like her brother and will often talk to him, saying something like, "You're so CUUUUUTE, Jack. I like your shirt, Jack! Are you smiling at me, Jack? Did you poop in your diaper, Jack? We need to get you a new one. That is yucky! You can't have/do ___ because you're a baby. It's okay, Jack, we will be there soon. Don't cry, Baby Jack! Did you wake up, Jack? Oh, you DID! You're eyes are open!" He started rolling over last week, and she discovered very quickly that she can "help" him roll over. Ha! She also likes to make him smile by playing pat-a-cake with him.
She is usually very quiet and wants to be close by when she is around people that she doesn't know very well (or just hasn't seen in a while). I'm really excited for her to go to preschool for one morning a week in the fall. I think it will help her in this area. She does like to go to the church nursery on Sundays and is always playing happily when we go to pick her up. She got to take home a mini flashlight last week and when I asked her what it meant, she said "Jesus." She's got the Sunday School answer down already! She doesn't have problems with hitting, throwing, biting, pushing, etc, but she sometimes offers too much unwanted affection. I haven't seen this happen in large groups, just when we've had playdates with one other child.
In the last few weeks, I've noticed her talking to herself a lot more, usually in the car seat or on the potty. She still asks a ton of questions, and they usually come in strings (like one question leads to another, which leads to another, etc). She has a great memory and often remembers random details about something that happened a long time ago. Last week, I told her that we were going to see Grandma Frances and Grandpa Harold (we last saw them over Christmas) and she looked at me for a few seconds and said, "They have a rocking chair!".
I did a very poor job of writing down her funny sayings... I think a few of them got stuffed in moving boxes and maybe I'll find them in Baltimore. She is just hilarious and always makes us laugh. Here is another sample:
E: "Did Baby Jack spit up on your shirt?"
Me: "Yes."
E: "Did he spit up on your strap?" (I was wearing a tank top)
Me: "Yes."
E: "It is wet." (looks at the other strap) "That one is dry. He will spit up on that one tomorrow."
Elise brings us so much joy that we overlook the frustrating moments of this age. We love her so much! What an amazing blessing that we were chosen to be her parents. Happy 2.5!
These wonderful pictures were taken by Elise's Aunt Michelle! You can visit her website at www.michellebphotographie.com. In case you are wondering, she looks a lot like me at this age. I'll have to post a few old pictures soon.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Like father, like son...
It is AMAZING how much of Jack I see in this baby picture of Mike! Aren't they adorable??
I don't have any new pictures uploaded to this computer, but I've taken a bunch since we've been in Texas and I'll get around to posting them. I'm also working on a 2 1/2 year post for Elise. Stay tuned!
I don't have any new pictures uploaded to this computer, but I've taken a bunch since we've been in Texas and I'll get around to posting them. I'm also working on a 2 1/2 year post for Elise. Stay tuned!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Thankful
Mike has been gone at SERE, an Army training school, for the last 3 weeks (no communication allowed) and I've had a very rough time with a certain toddler. Elise has always had a hard time with change, and this has been no exception. He comes home TOMORROW and I thought it would be good for me to take a quick break from being frustrated and focus on the good things. In no particular order...
- My two precious children are both taking a nice long nap right now.
- My husband is absolutely wonderful and is the perfect fit for me. I have learned that I will never take him for granted. I cannot imagine life without him and I'm so thankful that we're looking at at least 6 years before he can deploy again.
- In less than a month, we'll be settled into our new home in Baltimore.
- Jack has been such an easy baby and is nursing and sleeping well. He is now going to bed around 7-7:30 and sleeping until 5:30, then eating and going back to sleep for a few more hours. He sleeps the same in the pack and play and crib, which should make our upcoming Texas trip go smoothly. His smiles melt my heart and his curls make me laugh.
- Elise is so creative and imaginative and is learning so quickly. She is easily entertained by her puzzles or duplos. She can go from screaming to happy in a matter of seconds (if she wants to). She loves to cuddle, which is great at the appropriate times.
- My mom has spent the majority of the last few weeks in Alabama, and she is tireless when it comes to helping with/playing with/consoling her grandchildren. We might not have survived without her. Thanks again, Mimi!
- Bryan and Michelle came to visit during a particularly rough time with Elise, and I think they will still have kids someday. The highlight was probably Elise screaming "I want to hold you, Mommy!" from 3 am to 4:15 am during one of the nights they were here. For the record, I did go check on her, rock her for a minute, and put her back in her crib before the marathon screaming session began. Thankfully, Michelle took some adorable pictures that captured her sweet side that you can look at here.
- My dear friend Laura and her son came to visit us and provided a much needed playmate for Elise and girl time for Mommy.
- I had a terrible idea that involved taking both kids to the zoo (1 hour and 45 minutes away) and I learned that it was a GREAT idea to fly with the kids to Baltimore rather than drive for 900 miles while dealing with nursing stops/food stops/potty stops/crankiness/hotel room with 2 kids and a dog/time in empty houses without cribs.
- I am excited about taking the kids to Austin to get out of the way of the packing/moving process (and then flying nonstop to Baltimore after our household goods are delivered). I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of friends and family. We'll be there July 26-August 8 and would love to hang out with anyone who wants to come see us!
- We have gone to a wonderful church while living here and have been looking at several churches in the Baltimore area that we are excited to try.
- In Baltimore, we will be living less than a mile from The Cheesecake Factory, Starbucks, PF Changs, Panera, Chipotle, babyGap, Loft, Target, and many other fun stores and eating establishments. This is good and bad.
- God has reminded me that I have surrender DAILY to Him. Sometimes it is hard to remember this when things are going well. There is more to life than dealing with toddler temper tantrums, and this is just a season (hopefully a very short season).
- Mike is coming home TOMORROW and Elise is so excited to see him. I told her that we will pick him up after church and she asked if we could go get him before church instead. I'm praying that Elise will quickly return to her pre-SERE school self. We had some great weeks with her right before he left.
- My two precious children are both taking a nice long nap right now.
- My husband is absolutely wonderful and is the perfect fit for me. I have learned that I will never take him for granted. I cannot imagine life without him and I'm so thankful that we're looking at at least 6 years before he can deploy again.
- In less than a month, we'll be settled into our new home in Baltimore.
- Jack has been such an easy baby and is nursing and sleeping well. He is now going to bed around 7-7:30 and sleeping until 5:30, then eating and going back to sleep for a few more hours. He sleeps the same in the pack and play and crib, which should make our upcoming Texas trip go smoothly. His smiles melt my heart and his curls make me laugh.
- Elise is so creative and imaginative and is learning so quickly. She is easily entertained by her puzzles or duplos. She can go from screaming to happy in a matter of seconds (if she wants to). She loves to cuddle, which is great at the appropriate times.
- My mom has spent the majority of the last few weeks in Alabama, and she is tireless when it comes to helping with/playing with/consoling her grandchildren. We might not have survived without her. Thanks again, Mimi!
- Bryan and Michelle came to visit during a particularly rough time with Elise, and I think they will still have kids someday. The highlight was probably Elise screaming "I want to hold you, Mommy!" from 3 am to 4:15 am during one of the nights they were here. For the record, I did go check on her, rock her for a minute, and put her back in her crib before the marathon screaming session began. Thankfully, Michelle took some adorable pictures that captured her sweet side that you can look at here.
- My dear friend Laura and her son came to visit us and provided a much needed playmate for Elise and girl time for Mommy.
- I had a terrible idea that involved taking both kids to the zoo (1 hour and 45 minutes away) and I learned that it was a GREAT idea to fly with the kids to Baltimore rather than drive for 900 miles while dealing with nursing stops/food stops/potty stops/crankiness/hotel room with 2 kids and a dog/time in empty houses without cribs.
- I am excited about taking the kids to Austin to get out of the way of the packing/moving process (and then flying nonstop to Baltimore after our household goods are delivered). I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of friends and family. We'll be there July 26-August 8 and would love to hang out with anyone who wants to come see us!
- We have gone to a wonderful church while living here and have been looking at several churches in the Baltimore area that we are excited to try.
- In Baltimore, we will be living less than a mile from The Cheesecake Factory, Starbucks, PF Changs, Panera, Chipotle, babyGap, Loft, Target, and many other fun stores and eating establishments. This is good and bad.
- God has reminded me that I have surrender DAILY to Him. Sometimes it is hard to remember this when things are going well. There is more to life than dealing with toddler temper tantrums, and this is just a season (hopefully a very short season).
- Mike is coming home TOMORROW and Elise is so excited to see him. I told her that we will pick him up after church and she asked if we could go get him before church instead. I'm praying that Elise will quickly return to her pre-SERE school self. We had some great weeks with her right before he left.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Giggling video
Here's a video to go with the 2 month post below. Sorry about the bad angle... I was holding the video camera up with my shoulder.
Jack giggling from Stephanie Powell on Vimeo.
Jack is 2 months old!
Jack has changed so much again! We're starting to really be able to "play" with him. Here is a bullet list of what he's up to right now. This may be the only time with 2 kids that I get the monthly post done ahead of schedule (1 day early!). He is a sweet, easy baby as long as he is fed on time, burped, and put to sleep on time :) We love our Baaaybeee Gak!
At 2 months, Jack:
-wears mostly 3-6 month clothes (the 0-3 are just too tight with the diaper and difficult to get on) and I'm guessing that he weighs around 12 lbs. His 2 month appointment is later this week.
-goes to bed around 7 and wakes between 7:15 and 7:30. eats once during the night, usually around 4 am. I swaddle him with the miracle blanket and that has helped him take longer naps in his crib. His longest stretch of sleep has been 10 hours, but he usually does more like 9. The last time he woke up more than once at night was during his 6 week growth spurt.
-takes 3 longish naps during the day and one short catnap in the evening. Naps at home are in the crib (and he sleeps best in his room... does not sleep well anywhere else in the house. If we are out, he will sleep in his car seat, but not guaranteed to sleep for a full nap. Sometimes at home he will also wake up early (called the 45 minute intruder) but I can usually get him to go back to sleep as long as there are no distractions (read: as long as Elise is also sleeping).
-is still an excellent nurser and we're at a very easy stage because he is efficient and I rarely have to wake him to finish eating. He also won't nurse unless he is hungry (read: doesn't try to use me as a pacifier), which is ideal except for the occasional time where I would like for it to put him to sleep! We have the Dr. Brown's bottles and he likes them, but in the time it takes me to thaw milk and put the bottle together, I could be almost done nursing him, so we just stick to that unless I'm leaving him with someone.
-goes to bed around 7 and wakes between 7:15 and 7:30. eats once during the night, usually around 4 am. I swaddle him with the miracle blanket and that has helped him take longer naps in his crib. His longest stretch of sleep has been 10 hours, but he usually does more like 9. The last time he woke up more than once at night was during his 6 week growth spurt.
-takes 3 longish naps during the day and one short catnap in the evening. Naps at home are in the crib (and he sleeps best in his room... does not sleep well anywhere else in the house. If we are out, he will sleep in his car seat, but not guaranteed to sleep for a full nap. Sometimes at home he will also wake up early (called the 45 minute intruder) but I can usually get him to go back to sleep as long as there are no distractions (read: as long as Elise is also sleeping).
-is still an excellent nurser and we're at a very easy stage because he is efficient and I rarely have to wake him to finish eating. He also won't nurse unless he is hungry (read: doesn't try to use me as a pacifier), which is ideal except for the occasional time where I would like for it to put him to sleep! We have the Dr. Brown's bottles and he likes them, but in the time it takes me to thaw milk and put the bottle together, I could be almost done nursing him, so we just stick to that unless I'm leaving him with someone.
-has the eat/wake/sleep thing down
-is still a little stubborn when it comes to burping, but this is getting way better
-deliberately touches/hits objects instead of just randomly batting at them
-likes looking at people and smiling back and forth with them
-has started giggling, especially at the pat-a-cake game
-likes to ride in the Beco carrier, which is GREAT
-still uses the cloth diapers on the lowest setting. They are also fantastic. I have been using a disposable on him for the long stretch of sleep and will probably continue to do so.
-isn't crazy about trying to do anything while on his tummy (other than chew on his hands). he isn't unhappy on his tummy unless it is too close to nap time.
Here's a sample schedule:
7:15/7:30 - wake up, eat, change diaper/clothes, play
8:45ish - nap (usually this one is in the car seat because we often have activities/errands in the morning)
10:15 - eat, change diaper, play
11:30ish - nap
1:00 - eat, change diaper, play
2:00ish - nap
3:45 - eat, change diaper, play
5:00ish - short nap, usually not in crib because I don't want him to sleep for a long time
6:30 - eat, in bed by 7:00
(plus the 4:00ish middle of the night feeding... Elise started sleeping 12 hours a few days after she turned 2 months old, so we'll see what happens with this little guy!)
Mike has been gone for the last 2 weeks and we haven't been able to communicate with him, so I am very anxious for him to see how much Jack has changed in that short amount of time. We've got one more week to go. I'm very thankful for the company and extra sets of hands that have come to visit us! Here are a few pictures. My sister-in-law, Michelle, is a photographer and took some really cute ones of the kids while she was here. I will be sure to post them when I get them!
-is still a little stubborn when it comes to burping, but this is getting way better
-deliberately touches/hits objects instead of just randomly batting at them
-likes looking at people and smiling back and forth with them
-has started giggling, especially at the pat-a-cake game
-likes to ride in the Beco carrier, which is GREAT
-still uses the cloth diapers on the lowest setting. They are also fantastic. I have been using a disposable on him for the long stretch of sleep and will probably continue to do so.
-isn't crazy about trying to do anything while on his tummy (other than chew on his hands). he isn't unhappy on his tummy unless it is too close to nap time.
Here's a sample schedule:
7:15/7:30 - wake up, eat, change diaper/clothes, play
8:45ish - nap (usually this one is in the car seat because we often have activities/errands in the morning)
10:15 - eat, change diaper, play
11:30ish - nap
1:00 - eat, change diaper, play
2:00ish - nap
3:45 - eat, change diaper, play
5:00ish - short nap, usually not in crib because I don't want him to sleep for a long time
6:30 - eat, in bed by 7:00
(plus the 4:00ish middle of the night feeding... Elise started sleeping 12 hours a few days after she turned 2 months old, so we'll see what happens with this little guy!)
Mike has been gone for the last 2 weeks and we haven't been able to communicate with him, so I am very anxious for him to see how much Jack has changed in that short amount of time. We've got one more week to go. I'm very thankful for the company and extra sets of hands that have come to visit us! Here are a few pictures. My sister-in-law, Michelle, is a photographer and took some really cute ones of the kids while she was here. I will be sure to post them when I get them!
In this one you can kind of see his "curls"... his hair gets a lot of them after every bath!
If you have a lot of extra time on your hands, you can check out my inaugural post... Elise's 2 month update!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Funny video
I have a lot of videos that I haven't gotten around to posting, so here is the first one! Enjoy.
Untitled from Stephanie Powell on Vimeo.
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