Vanessa-Kate: 9 Months

Age: 9 Months

Things I enjoy doing at this age: Eating is my favorite. I will eat anything at anytime. I also love to play outside, cuddle with my Mommy, pound on the computer keys, jump in my jumpy, play with my piano, mess with my dog, laugh at my bubby when he's being silly, pull Daddy's hair and nose, riding in the stroller, and put things in my mouth that I'm not supposed to.

Things I don't like: My Mom leaving the room.

Milestones: I have two big teeth sticking out on the bottom of my mouth and I'm sitting in my "big girl" carseat, still rear-facing though. I'm also starting to say Mom and Dada. I'm waving and giving kisses.

How I've changed this last month: I'm eating so much more food...and I was already eating a lot before! My face is also starting to thin out, though I do still have adorable little cheeks.

Clothing Size: 6-9 months, size 2 diapers.

Sleep: Okay, but I've been nursing at night a lot. But Mommy and Daddy set up my crib this month. No more cradle for meee!

Eating: I've been eating everything that I can get my hands on. I love fruit pouches too! I will literally eat anything. I even ate curry covered mushrooms from Daddy's rice at the Thai food place. Some of my newest favorites are multi-grain club crackers, eggs, & strawberries. I'm nursing a couple of times a day and a lot at night. I drink some water (sometimes with a bit of apple juice if I'm lucky!) throughout the day now in a sippy cup. I tried Mommy's spearmint green tea and I LOVE it.

Words I say: Da-da & Mom, possibly yeah and Mamal.

Vanessa-Kate: 8 months

Age: 8 Months

Things I enjoy doing at this age: Playing, being outside (lovveee being outside), crawling around like crazy, picking every little thing I can find on the floor and putting it in my mouth, nursing, being in the sling with mommy, playing with my brother and cousins, taking walks, eating ev-er-y-thing, and talking jibberish.

Things I don't like: My carseat. I'm so over the infant carseat. Time to buy a convertible carseat Mom.

Milestones: I can crawl super well now. I also am pulling myself up on tables and such. I got my first tooth all of the way through.

How I've changed this last month: In almost every way. I am getting SO big. There's no way to explain it. Everything I do is just more big-girl like.

Clothing Size: 6-9 months, size 2 diapers.

Sleep: Good, but I'm suddenly waking up to nurse once or twice a night.

Eating: I eat a lot of solid foods now. I also have taken a liking to my brothers beloved fruit pouches. I still nurse about 5-6 times per day. Mommy also gives me water in a bottle or a sippy cup when we are out and about or when we are out in the sun.

Words I say: Da-da, and possibly yeah.

All sorts of moments.

Each morning Ian climbs out of his bed at the crack out dawn and says to me "I want cuddle jusssst a minute". Each morning I let him in, knowing that his idea of just a minute will last until we choose to get out of bed for the day.

Yesterday morning I couldn't go back to sleep after he got in my bed. I laid there holding him, thinking about how big he felt. He used to be a tiny baby that I could curl up in my arms towards my chest. Now he's so big and long that he tucks his head under my chin and tangles his legs up with mine. I was sitting there enjoying the extra cuddles when I had the thought;

How much longer do I have left to get these cuddles?

He's two and a half years old now. How long do little boys ask to climb in Mommy's bed for cuddles? Until they're 5? 4? Please don't tell me it's only 3? I sat thinking "Do I only have a year to a year and a half left of this?!" It will never be enough. What am I going to do when he doesn't want me near anymore? Doesn't he know that he's supposed to be my baby?

And then I relax and think that this is just another reminder of why I try so hard to savor what I have with my babies. They don't need to be rushed. We need not to get angry or frustrated when they need us, even if it does seem like they neeeeeedddd us every second of the day. Because someday, I'm going to want it back. I recently read that it is important to remember that you are not raising and inconvenience, you are raising a child. I think that we all could try a little harder to remember that most of the time.

When Ian's tugging at my leg while I'm doing the dishes, or running around and playing when I'm trying to get his coat on, or being loud while I'm trying to watch tv...I just stop and take a moment to think about how important these moments are. Just like cuddles, we only get so many baby moments. Toddler moments. All sorts of moments. I'm so glad for all of the moments that I have experienced so far.

Vanessa Kate: 7 Months

Age: 7 Months

Things I enjoy doing at this age: Playing on the floor, hanging out with Mommy and Daddy, Playing my piano, Eating, Nursing, Screaming and babbling, trying to crawl, getting baths and blowing bubbles.

Things I don't like: The carseat and not having teeth to eat everything with.

Milestones: I'm crawling on my own. It's a wiggle army crawl thing, but I'm getting places. I learned to blow bubbles. And Mommy is pretty sure I'm saying "Da-da"

How I've changed this last month: I'm staying awake much more during the day and I need much more "play" time. I also laugh, babble, and try to communicate more.

Clothing Size: 6-9 months, size 1-2 diapers.

Sleep: Like a dream.

Eating: I still nurse a lot. I've been having some Enfamil formula here and there while Mommy is at school though because her freezer supply is dwindling. But she's going to get me some more freezer milk soon. I'm starting to eat some soft solid foods. I don't eat baby food much, I'd rather have something that I can chew.

Letting them grow.

When Ian and Aiden were babies, I couldn't wait to watch them grow. I was always seeing what they could do. Could they sit up yet? Could they crawl? Were they ready to eat baby food? I think it was a combination of that and the fact that they always had each other to "compete" with so they did everything a bit earlier than normal. They were walking very well before their first birthdays.

But before I knew it, they were growing up too fast. I would lay in bed with Ian at night and just look at him in disbelief. How did he get this big? I promised myself that I wouldn't rush him again. And for the most part, I haven't. He's done everything in his own time. He got big all on his own, he didn't need me pushing him.

And then my little sweet pie was born.

Can I start by saying that Vanessa-Kate is the sweetest baby in the world. I know, I'm bias and all, but she really is outrageously sweet. She hardly fusses, she sleeps all night long, and she has a very easy going aura. And her smile can light up a room. She is all things precious and sweet. I never dreamed I would have a baby like her. From the moment that she was born, she was my sweetheart.

With Vanessa-Kate, I babied her. I didn't care, and still don't care, how long she takes to get big. She's my baby...maybe my last baby, and I'd like to enjoy watching her grow. It wasn't until last month that I realized that I was holding her back. I never even let her try. I didn't know if she could sit up, or if she liked to roll over a lot or anything because I held her all of the time. I didn't know if she liked baby food or soft foods because I never let her have anything but breastmilk.

It turns out, she can do all of those things. One day I decided to see if she could sit up on her own, and by the next day she was doing it. I let her have a gerber puff and not only did she chew it properly, but she had such fine motor skills that she could pick them off the counter one by one. I couldn't believe it. My tiny baby could do all of these wonderful things and I didn't even know it. She must have been so relieved!

I feel like I'm starting to find a balance between the two worlds or pushing them, and babying them. You've got to let them grow at their pace...but you can't hold them back so that they will be babies for longer. Sometimes I wish that they could stay little for longer, but there is no greater joy than watching them grow up. It's amazing to see this wonderful little person in front of you and think "Wow, I did that".

Vanessa-Kate: 6 Months

Age: 6 Months

Things I enjoy doing at this age: Playing in the exersaucer, talking and yelling, cuddling with Mommy, Daddy, Mamal & Papal's, and my brother, playing my piano, playing with my doggy, nursing, eating in general and playing on my belly.

Things I don't like: Dirty diapers, when people won't give me their food, and getting in my carseat.

Milestones: I'm sitting up entirely on my own. I'm also trying to sit from a laying position. I roll all over the place, and I'm starting to make motions like I'm *trying* to crawl...but I've got a way to go.

How I've changed this last month: I'm enjoying independent playtime more. I'm getting stronger and better at sitting up and such.

Clothing Size: 3-6 months, and a couple of 6-9 month sleepers since I'm so tall. Size 1-2 diapers. I had to start wearing bigger socks this month.

Sleep: I am mommy's sleeping baby.

Eating: I nurse most of time. I eat bottled breastmilk while Mommy is at school on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. I've start protesting formula. But Mommy thinks that maybe I just don't like the kind that she bought. I like baby food, but only if it's REALLY REALLY thick. My favorite so far has been "Roasted Banana & Mango". Mmm!

Potty Training; Sense of humor required.

We've finally reached a pretty solid point in potty training with Ian. He doesn't have very many accidents, and he both pee's and poop's in the potty. So, we're doing pretty well. We try to make him wear his big boy underwear around the house...but he much prefers nudity.

Seriously, my kid is always nude. It's starting to become embarrassing. If you are my friend on facebook you might notice that Ian's naked behind is in the corner of many of my recent pictures of Vanessa-Kate. You might even think that I suddenly don't like Ian as much, due to the lack of pictures. But in reality...he's just always naked these days.

He has taken to wearing "underwear diapers", otherwise known as pull-up's to the rest of the world, while we're out. I know that this makes potty training take longer but to be completely honest; I don't care. I really don't mind changing slightly wet pull-up's for a little longer instead of constantly having to carry extra pairs of jeans and underwear with me. ::shrugs::

So I've learned that potty training takes patience, time, persistence, extra treats and praise and... one hell of a sense of humor. Parenting takes a person who can laugh at themselves and laugh things off. How else do you deal with your toddler loudly asking "Are you gonna make a biiigg poop?" everytime you take him into a public restroom with you. And you have to answer. If you don't, he will not hesitate to ask you again in a louder voice. If you tell him "yes", he will say "good job", if you tell him "no", he will say "Just try to make a big poop. I'll give you some candys." As a parent I suppose you just have to learn to laugh or you would just cry.

Yesterday he took his baby doll that we bought him when I found out that I was pregnant with Vanessa-Kate and put it on the potty. He quietly sat and coached and encouraged him to go poop in the potty. He was really very sweet about it. He even told that it was okay that he didn't go. I hope that kind of playing pretend is the way that he perceives me acting towards him.

Also, I must add, tiny little boy cartoon character underwear are the cutest things that have even been in my laundry. Ever.

Vanessa-Kate: 5 Months

Age: 5 Months

Things I enjoy doing at this age: Playing in the exersaucer, talking, sitting in the bumbo seat, eating, nursing, cuddling, laughing with my brother, and singing.

Things I don't like: Dirty diapers.

Milestones: I have teeth that are almost popping through all over the place. I'm just growing up so very fast!

How I've changed this last month: I stay awake a little more often each month. I am able to sit up (supported) for much longer periods of time. I am able to more accurately reach for things that I want.

Clothing Size: I've moved into 3-6 months now for the most part. I can still fit in some of my 0-3 month onsies. I've actually worn the same onesie in all of my monthly picture so far! Size 1 diapers.

Sleep: I nap well. I sleep all night long.

Eating: Mommy can nurse me without supplementing now! Though I generally have a bottle once per day in the interest in making things easier. I like eating stuff too. Though I did have to take a break from eating after I got a horrible diaper rash from eating some carrots!

Vanessa-Kate : 4 Months

Age: 4 Months

Things I enjoy doing at this age: Cuddling, Nursing, Talking, Sitting in my bumbo chair, Eating my hands, Smiling, Lots of attention!

Things I don't like: Dirty diapers and Riding in my carseat for a long time.

Milestones: I'm getting very interested in toys. And I the tip of my first tooth popped through today! I am becoming VERY chatty!

How I've changed this last month: I'm much more talkative than I was before. I'm starting to be slightly more demanding, letting my likes and dislikes be known. I'm still a very happy baby though. Mommy thinks I am the perfect baby. I'm also getting much taller.

Clothing Size: Mostly still 0-3 months. My pants are getting short, but the next size up won't stay on my waist. I had to move to 3-6 month sleepers though because I am so tall. Size 1 diapers.

Sleep: I sleep 6-8 hours minimum at night. I take good naps throughout the day.

Eating: I'm nursing for most of meals during the day now (yay!) and before bed. I still take the bottle 1-3 times per day depending on my mood though. Most of the time it is breast milk but Mommy also gives me Similac Advance sometimes too.

Vanessa-Kate: 3 Months

Age: 3 Months

Things I enjoy doing at this age: Stretching my legs, trying to stand, smiling at people, laughing, playing with my taggie blanket, cuddling, taking baths, and being in the Moby wrap.

Things I don't like: Dirty diapers. They are about the only thing that make me cry.

Milestones: I'm holding my head up very well. I've started babbling.

How I've changed this last month: My personality is really starting to shine. I laugh and smile much more often. I have started to play with my blankets. I am staying awake much more often. I am such an extremely happy and easy going baby. Also, I like to talk, talk, and talk.

Clothing Size: 0-3 month clothing...though many of my sleepers are getting too short. My waist is very slim but I am very tall. Pants are difficult. My preemie pants fit my waist but they are like shorts! Size 1 diapers.

Sleep: I sleep 6-8 hours minimum at night. I take good naps throughout the day.

Eating: I drink 3-4 oz of breast milk from a bottle every couple of hours. Mommy feeds me one bottle of Enfamil Newborn Formula everyday too so that she can freeze some extra milk for me. Plus it's easy when we're on the go. Sometimes I like to nurse to calm down...but I'm still not so great at it.

A teeny-tiny personality.

It's so easy to forget what it's like to have a baby. Even though Ian is only two years old, it is amazing how much I forgot.

That first year goes so quickly. One moment you are holding a new baby in your arms, imagining all of the things that you will teach them, show them, and do with them through that first year. The next thing you know you are laying in bed having a little cry because you realize that exactly a year has gone by since you gave birth. And the same goes with the second year...and so on and so forth.

The first year went by so fast that I almost forgot how enjoyable these early months are. Vanessa-Kate is nearing three months. Three months. Sometimes it feels like she has always been here. But other times it feels like it was just yesterday that we were hoping and praying to see two pretty pink lines on the pregnancy test. But I cannot believe how much her little personality is coming out already. She is smiling, and laughing, and she is starting to play with her taggie blanket. She laughs at certain things. She makes a bashful face when you tell her how cute she is. She's mild mannered. She doesn't mind taking a back seat (in her bouncy seat) when her big brother has a big loud ineeditrightnow moment. She doesn't mind if Mommy needs a nap or wants to sleep in. She's sweet and easy going.

I can't believe how much she has changed over the last (almost) three months. She is already letting us know who she is going to be. It's such an amazing thing to be a part of, watching a teeny-tiny personality blossom. My heart swells with such love as I watch her grow. I feel so very blessed that I have been given the opportunity to be a part of something as special as raising her. It really doesn't get any better than this. I love being your Mommy Vanessa-Kate.

Vanessa-Kate: Two Months

Age: Two Months

Things I enjoy doing at this age: Laughing and smiling, taking showers with Mommy, cuddling in bed, my silly brother, being wrapped up in the moby, my binky, and eating.

Things I don't like: Being cold.

How I've changed in the past month: I interact a lot more. I like to make eye contact, coo, laugh, and smile. I weigh over 10 pounds now. I'm eating more, and I've finally got the hang of the bottle. I'm also even latching on occasion. I'm getting bigger in every way. I've gone up one size in both clothing and diapers. I'm sleeping even better at night than I was before.

Clothing Size: 0-3 clothing, size 1 diapers.

Sleeping: I sleep all night long almost every single night.

Eating: I drink 3-4 oz of Mommy's milk from a bottle every 2-4 hours. Sometimes even more frequently in the evening when I get really hungry!

Baby's First: Smiles,

“The smile that flickers on baby's lips when he sleeps- does anybody know where it was borne? Yes, there is a rumor that a young pale beam of a crescent moon touched the edge of a vanishing autumn cloud, and there the smile was first born . . . .”

My baby girl can SMILE!
At 7 weeks old, my baby girl has begun to smile. She already has such a bright and beautiful smile. And she flashes it at just the right times. I'll just be sitting there looking and her and she will look right up and me and just smiiiilee so big. Though, she does tend to give Daddy smiles more often that Mommy.
I've forgotten how exciting the baby "firsts" are. Ian still has his first moments, but there's just something different about babies. They learn so much over the first year. The changes are just amazing. When Ian was a baby, I feel like I just "couldn't wait" for him to do they next thing; smile, hold a toy, roll over, sit up, babble, eat his first solids, crawl, walk, drink from a sippy cup. But this time, I'm savoring each moment of it. I wish that I wouldn't have been so excited for Ian to grow up so fast. I should have sat back and drank in his baby months. I felt the same way about this past pregnancy. Instead of wishing it away, I enjoyed it. I guess there is just a new wisdom that comes with the second time.
I'm enjoying watching Vanessa-Kate grow. She's such a sweet and special baby. I never dreamed that the transition from one child to two children would come so naturally. Everything in life just feels right. I feel like I'm right where I need to be right now. Such a peaceful feeling.

Childhood Doesn't Wait.

Childhood Doesn’t Wait
(Author Unknown)

I was sitting on a bench
while in a nearby mall,
When I noticed a young mother
with two children who were small.

The youngest one was whining,
“Pick me up,” I heard him beg
but the mother’s face grew angry
as the child clung to her leg.

“Don’t hang on to me,” she shouted
as she pushed his hands away,
I wish I’d had the courage
to go up to her and say…

“The time will come too quickly
when those little arms that tug,
Won’t ask for you to hold them
or won’t freely give a hug.

“The day will sneak up subtly
just as it did with me,
When you can’t recall the last time
that your child sat on your knee.

“Like those sacred, pre-dawn feedings
when we cherished time alone
Our babies grow and leave behind
those special times we’ve known.

“So when your child comes to you
with a book that you can share,
Or asks that you would tuck him in
and help him say his prayer…

“When he comes to sit and chat
or would like to take a walk,
Before you answer that you can’t
`cause there’s no time to talk”
Remember what all parents learn
so many times too late,
That years go by too quickly
and that childhood doesn’t wait.

“Take every opportunity,
if one should slip away
Reach hard to get it back again,
don’t wait another day.”
I watched that mother walk away
her children followed near,
I hope she’ll pick them up
before her chances disappear.

(Found here)

Two.

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful little boy in the whole wide world.

You're TWO!

Already.

Can you believe it?

You've come so very far from your teeny-tiny self.

You're so special is so many ways.

You're funny.

You're loving and sweet.

You're smart.

...and we love you for just being you.

Happy Birthday Booger.

...Mommy loves you.

Reminders

Dear Bump,

I love you dearly. But your constant reminders everytime I log in of how big my baby is getting are making me sad.

2 days? Really?

Love,

A Mommy who is 2 days from a bit of a breakdown

I hope this is the slowest week ever.

...because one week from today, this little booger will be two years old.

I'm not sure if I can handle that. He wasn't supposed to get any older than 18 months. For some reason, that was the ceiling for me. He was supposed to turn 18 months old, and then just stay there forever. I know that I'm so very blessed to get the chance to watch my little boy grow into a big kid, because not everyone gets that chance, but I still feel like time has gone too quickly. Today he is two, tomorrow he'll be twenty.

It makes me wonder how long he'll want to be my baby. How much longer will he want to sleep cuddled up to my back every night? I can't even bare to kick him out of my bed anymore...because the truth is, no matter how uncomfortable it is to sleep with him there, I want him there. And all of the backaches in the world can't put a damper on how good it feels to wake up to him stroking my hair and whispering "Mommmyyy".

He's growing so much everyday. I hope we can just take this next week slow, and take the time to enjoy the small things like popsicles on the back porch, holding hands during naps, and reading the same books over and over again.

*sigh*

I love that little booger so much. It's hard to imagine that he won't be little forever.

A flower for my thoughts:

Have I told you lately how unbearably freaking sweet my kid is?

Oh I haven't? Well then maybe it's about time I do.

Truth is, he's not always all that sweet. He's actually quite a little monster. When he gets mad he scrunches his face together and hits his own thigh super hard. Sometimes he asks me for things (like a slice of cheese) from the kitchen, then suddenly decides that he doesn't want it...so he throws it on the floor, screams "nooooooo!" and runs away, smashing the damn cheese into the hardwood floor.

But then again, most of the time he's a real sweetheart.

As his personality has started to really blossom over these last few months I have noticed that my son is a lover. He's a big fan of things like cuddling, giving eskimo kisses, and holding hands. He enjoys telling people thank you, which in Ian language comes out "Dee-do". He likes to give things to people. He likes to pet the dogs super gently. He likes to rub his Daddy's back. He's even learning to hold the door for people at the grocery store. He really is a rather nice little boy, if I do say so myself.

About a week ago, he picked me a flower for the very first time. Er, well, let me rephrase that. He picked me a flower for the very first time on his own. He has been prompted to pick me flowers before, and he has. However, this time was different. He was off playing in the yard all by himself and I was sitting in the lawn chair on the patio. Then he walked up to me, laid the flower on my belly and says "here go" and gives me a kiss. And just like that, he walked away.

I may have teared up, just a little. I certainly got sentimental enough about it to whip out Toby's iPhone and take a picture.

I can't believe how fast this kid is growing up. Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

It's moments like that though, that make me feel like I'm doing this whole "parenting" deal correctly. If I've done well enough to teach little boys to pick their Mommies flowers (flowers that match their bathing suits so perfectly for photo ops no less) than I'm doing pretty darn good. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

So much change.

I know it's not "flashback friday"...but I can't get this out of my head. Can you believe how much these boys have grown? They look like teeny-tiny baby dolls in this photo that was taken on the day that Ian came home from the hospital.

And now...

This.

*sigh*

Where has the time gone again?

Haircut.

Ian's 3rd Haircut. 03.14.11.