Nathan: Month Ten

My little bubba dubba,

Or “Good Boy” as your sister likes to call you. :) This month, you have become so much more social. You like to smile at everyone, and we get so many compliments about what a happy baby you are. You are overall a very happy little one, but when you are upset… man, you know how to throw a fit. Full on with arching of the back, hysterical screaming and tears. It is quite a sight to behold. LOL!

You love to play whether it is crawling after Katie in a game of “get you!” being tickled by mommy, playing “airplane” with daddy, or swimming in the hot tub with Uncle Jon. You love to be outside and this month when we have gone to the park, you just sit and take it all in. Occasionally, you will get shy when other people are talking to you and put your head against my chest, or fuss to come back when others hold you, but not very often. We went to the Zoo for the first time this month and you loved looking around at all the animals and people. We even got to ride the train, but you took a nap through that.

I thought you might take your first steps this month, but you aren’t quite there yet. You are SO close though. You are a really good cruiser, and you prefer to be on your feet than all fours. You pull up on everything and move around the furniture to get where you want to go for as long as you can. You have stood in place by yourself for several seconds, too, without falling down. You can stoop down to pick up your toys while you are standing and holding on, and you pass objects back and forth between your hands well (especially puffs)! You are trying to figure out more ways to communicate with us this month. You bang your hands on your highchair tray when you are ready for more food, and you make a grabbing motion with your hands when you want to be picked up. You actually said your second word on September 21st which was repeating “Bubba” after mommy and daddy. This month, you also gave us both kisses on September 22nd and 23rd. You had your second hair cut on September 1st, and now, at the end of the month, it looks like you could use another one! Your hair grows so quickly.

The one thing that hasn’t been growing as quickly is your height and weight. On the 31st of August, I took you to see your doctor for your 9 month check-up. You had a flu vaccination and got a height and weight check. You were in the 2% for height, 3% for weight. I am not sure I believe those numbers though. You eat so well and are meeting all your milestones. Your little thighs and arms have fat rolls on them too. We have tried feeding you more this past month, though, and you go back to see Dr. H on October 4th for a weight check. Hopefully you have gained some and grown an inch or so. Either way, you are perfect to us!

Places we have visited/things we have done this month:
Heritage Duck Pond, October 31st, September 20th, September 24th
San Antonio Zoo, September 18th
Mamaw and Papaw's house
Aunt NoNee's House
Aunt Tara’s House
Swim Classes for Katie
Mommy's work
Restaurants
Shopping

Your Clothing/Eating and Sleeping Habits:
Clothing: 6-12 months, size 3.5 shoes

Diapers: size 3 disposables and "small" or “medium” cloth diapers
Sleeping: Bedtime is around 9:00-9:30pm. You continue to wake up frequently during the night, more so this past week. Maybe you are having a growth spurt?? On the 26th you actually slept from 10pm to 5am! Mommy was so happy! Generally, you and Katie are both up at 8am. You are taking three naps still, but you seem to be trying to drop your morning nap. The mid-day nap is usually 1.5-2 hours.

Eating: You are still nursing very frequently. Usually 7 times a day, give or take, even if I work. This past week, you have actually nursed upwards of 11 times a day. Like I said…growth spurt? More teeth? You still have only two teeth. You have been eating three 4.5oz jars of baby food a day, plus puffs and other snacks like yogurt melts and pieces of table food as we let you. You feed yourself with your hands very well! You haven’t had a major dislike for anything we have given you yet, either.

We love you so much, Nathan, and are so proud of the little boy you are becoming. You are such a joy and delight to our family! I hope you always know how much we love you and how special you are to us.



Love,
Mommy



Meeting Emma for the first time, September



Nathan and Mommy at the Duck Pond, September 24th

Nathan and Mamaw at Swim Class

Big Guy standing at Mamaw's

Nathan's First trip to the Zoo, September 18th

Katie thought Nathan needed more toys, September 5th

Nathan's 2nd Haircut, September 1st

At Dr. H's for an appointment, August 31st

Riding the Train at the Zoo, September 18th

Playing at the Zoo

Closing Shop

I think I am about done pumping. I know, I know. The going-ons of my milk production and supply are of the utmost importance, lol, but it is a big milestone for me.

I had to look back and see when I got to this point last time because I couldn't remember how far along I made it. Turns out it was almost the same length of time. I pumped at work for 9 months and 26 days with Katie. The last time I pumped was on September 16th, making it 9 months and 19 days with Nathan.

This time is a bit different since Nathan nurses at home, and I am not exclusively pumping. I started pumping only at work over a month ago because Nathan was nursing so much when I was home. Today alone I nursed Nathan 4 times and worked over 12 hours.

I have an over abundance of frozen milk; last time I checked, I had enough milk for Nathan for 7 months at the amount he was drinking then. I feel like it is not as crucial that I pump frozen milk for him now as it was earlier. And for awhile, I was afraid my regular supply would drop if I didn't pump at work, but I have been doing okay the last week or so.
While I am pretty sure the last time was the last time, I am hesitant to close up shop. I know Nathan is growing up right before my eyes and while we have many more months of breastfeeding ahead, I know it will be over before I know it. I know how fast my Boo Bear grew up, and I don't want to blink. I am enjoying nursing my little boy for as long as I can!

Kaitlyn: 32 months old

Boo Bear,

I have been meaning to do an update for you for awhile now. I wanted to update around 30months, but here we are at 32 and still no update! Ugh! Time slips away from me so quickly. Anyway, life at our house has been very chaotic just the same.

You are such a big girl and quite the big helper nowadays! I can’t believe how much of a preschooler you have become in the past eight months. You are putting together your thoughts so well, you are very coordinated and you seem to learn more and more all the time.  You have a mind of your own though, and you have been testing us much more in the past couple of months.  I have a feeling the terrible three’s are right around the corner, and I must admit, mommy is scared!

You have been talking more for awhile now. May 11^th you were saying “Where are you Daddy?” “Found you Daddy!” Your first five word sentence was shortly after that. You said “Don’t want it Daddy’s Car!” when you wanted to go with Mamaw on May 26^th. Now you just talk all the time. When you wake up in the morning, you give Bubba a huge smile and you tell him “Good Morning Bubba! I love you good boy!” You tell me things all day long; about the toys that you are playing with, crying out for “my baby doll!” when we are leaving and your baby is on the bed, telling me “Mamaw’s girl” when I ask you if you are Daddy’s Girl or Mamaw’s girl. You tell me to wait so that you can get your shoes…and your glasses…when we are heading out. You asked to “start the car” almost all of the time when we get in the car. You love to ask for candy and tell me with your finger up “have just one. Just one okay? Okay!” You tell me “I do it” for almost everything. Daddy told me last night you wanted to make your own peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

You love to cook. You drag your little chairs or “my stool” at home and at Mamaw’s house to help us out in the kitchen. Mamaw really likes having you help her, and you guys even made cupcakes together. You saw her cupcake holder in the garage and got so excited. You took it inside and kept exclaiming “birthday!” After y’all made the cupcakes, you decided they were “my birthday” and didn’t want to share with anyone. ( Aunt Tara’s baby Emma was just born this week and when I told you, you told me “I love birthdays!”) You also like to pretend to cook and dump out all your Tupperware dishes and play food to cook. I see you cooking eggs and corn on your campfire most of the time.

You love to be outdoors and would spend all of your time at the pool or in the park if you could. You run everywhere you want to go and love to go for wagon rides, shoulder rides and zoom around the yard in your Mustang. You also like to ride on your tricycle, although that is mostly indoors. Daddy taught you how to fly a kite this summer and you had so much fun chasing the “balloon” around in the street! You love to go to SeaWorld, “go Elmo,” and ask to “feed the dolphins” before we go every time. Feeding the dolphins after we swim has become a special treat for you and Mamaw.

We put you in swimming classes the first part of February and you are doing so well in them! You are in the Baby and Me II class right now and will be ready to move up to the preschool class in January after you turn three. You love to go down the slide on your belly and run across the blue floatie to jump in the water. Daddy barely makes it to the end of the floatie before you are in the water. You know how to get out of the pool by yourself, you are learning how to float on your back and can go under water for a few seconds. You even are able to scoot down the side of the pool all by yourself! I am so glad that we put you in swimming as you seem to really enjoy it.

You are starting to sing more and sing Happy Birthday, Twinkle Little Star and You Are My Sunshine. Daddy said that you like to sing the theme song from Doc Mcstuffins, too.  You are watching more TV shows than I would like, but I guess it’s okay. You watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Doc Mcstuffins, Elmo’s World DVD’s, Toy Story I, II, III, The Muppets and Finding Nemo. You have started to watch more of the Disney Princess Movies, although your favorite movie is Toy Story by far. You love to ask to go to grandma’s house and watch Toy Story over and over and over.  Ad nauseum.

One of my favorite thing about being a mommy to two kiddos is your interaction with Nathan. Bubba is finally able to play with you and you love to spend time with your brother. You always ask about him when he isn’t with you and when he is around, you are such a big helper in caring for him. You hear him when he cries and you tell Mommy and bring Bubba his pacifier. You like to give him hugs and kisses, sometimes a little bit too harshly, but you are well intended. Just this past month, you have started trying to play “get you!” with Nathan. When he crawls after you, you shriek and run away screaming “get you bubba!” Nathan has the biggest smile crawling after you! Of course, you are also having to learn to share with Nathan and have been caught several times taking his toys from him, but that is a part of having a sibling and you will both have to learn to play together nicely.

The next biggest thing that we need to work on with you is using the big girl potty. Just before Nathan was born, you were so interested in the potty. You liked to watch us go to the potty, see what was in it, flush it, sit on it. Now you want nothing to do with it. In July when you were two and a half, we tried to get you to wear some panties and use the potty without any luck. You screamed and cried and wouldn’t even let us put your underwear on you. You even had picked out some Elmo panties from Target, but no luck! I am planning to try again with you very soon; I am ready for you to be a big girl with your underwear at least!

Other cute tid-bits:

-Whenever you are misbehaving, you tell me “gotta listen, gotta listen mommy!” At least you are hearing me…

-You love to have your babies play with Nathan’s toys and highchair. You give them bottles and pacifiers and push them around in their stroller for walks. You even breastfeed your babies and try to pump with mommy’s breast pump.

-You like going to the duck pond at Heritage Park with Mommy and to Chick-fil-a to play in the toddler play area. When we drive by, you point out “CHICKFILA” and you ask to go when we are at home.

-Uncle Jonathan is amazing to you! He spoils you rotten and you ask for him frequently. You call him “Uncle Jon” or “Jonan.” He always seems to have time to be silly with you, help you water the flowers or take you for a swim in the hot tub.

-You like to help feed Nathan and will get his food from the pantry for Gam Gam, Mamaw or Mommy when we are feeding him.

-You are able to get into the refrigerator to snack on. I have the jello, cheese, milk and juice containers down where you can get them now with your stool.

-You sleep with mommy and daddy nowadays. Daddy loves to put you to sleep and this is your special time with him at the end of the day.

-You have weekly sleepovers at Mamaw’s house and will ask to “stay Mamaw’s house” every Friday night. Sometimes Saturday nights, too, and you certainly don’t wanna come home with daddy and I come Sunday night. I was (still am) a Grandma’s girl, too.
-You are becoming more bossy and tell Kalli "No Kalli!" while you shake your finger at her. You also tell Bubba "No Sir!" when he is getting into things he shouldn't be (like the wine bottles.)

We love you so much, Katie, and you are mommy’s little ray of sunshine. No matter how bad a day I have or how much you don’t listen, I will always love you more than life itself. I am so proud to be your mommy.

Love,

Mommy



Snuggling with Daddy, August 15, 2012



Getting a Bang Trim with Janet, Sept 1, 2012



Swining at Aunt Tara's, August 8, 2012

My little cutie pie!, July 2012

Princess Sleeping, mid-August 2012

Katie at St. Anthony de Padua, August 5, 2012



Crackle Barrel with Uncle Jon, Gam Gam and Great-Grandpa, August 31, 2012



Nathan and Katie playing at Mamaw's House, July 2012



Going to Home Depot, July 28, 2012



Helping Grandma Bake, mid-August 2012



Welcome Baby Emma!

My best friend's little girl was born this past Wednesday, September 5th. We have all been (im)patiently waiting this sweet little girl's arrival for quite some time. She is so adorable! I am in love!

Emma Grace
2:10pm
6lbs 3oz
19.5 inches