Oops! It's been a while!

5 Months (May 17-June 16)

This month is a little fuzzy - sorry Moo! May 16 (actually still 4 months old... but I don't think I included this) Moo went on his first plane ride! It was a first for Bug and me as well - we flew first class! Thank you so much to my hubby who upgraded our tickets! Traveling alone with 2 kids cross country was horrible. None of it was really their fault, they're just kids and the flights were long. Which is why I thought booking red-eye flights would be helpful. The kids would just sleep, right? Wrong. Bug slept all of 15 minutes between the 2 flights and our landing at 2am (Mississippi time)... not a happy 2 year old. Moo did better, he nursed constantly and napped on and off but wasn't happy being worn and really wanted a bed. I snapped a picture with Moo and the pilot, a little tradition for their first flights. The captain let Bug wear his cover and sit in the cockpit! It was pretty cool :) So we got to vacation in California while Daddy finished packing the house and drove cross country!

We stayed at grandma and papa's house and got to visit auntie, uncle and our cousins! It was a lot of fun and a lot of crazy! Especially when all 8 cousins were together! It's so fun to be near family again! It's been a long time.

Moo got his first tooth this month! The lower right one...forgive me for not knowing the date :( I think it was around the 10th. We also started solids this month. For weeks Moo has been sticking his hands in my food and pulling my plate closer to himself. I wanted to wait until Daddy could be there for his first food, but then one night at church poor Moo broke my heart. I was eating dinner and he looked at my plate and looked at me and started crying. He was pouting his little lip and everything. I just couldn't resist anymore, I mean, he was hungry and I wasn't letting him eat because his daddy wasn't there. Not nice mommy. So I didn't even finish Bible study but left to get him some food. Poor hungry boy. His first food was carrots (June 4) and he seemed to like them - he ate about half the container!

He's getting better at sitting but still topples over often.

We finished off the month moving into our new townhouse - thanks to Grandma and Papa for practically doing all the unpacking! I don't know how I would have gotten it done without you - or how long it would have taken!

(I don't know why it cropped the picture like that, but I don't have time to keep messing with it! Enjoy his better half! haha)

Munchkin Facts
Up 1-2 times a night
Naps 2-3 times a day
6-9 month clothes, size 3 diapers

Halfty Birthday! (6 months June 17-July 16)

I wanted to do a really cute "halfty birthday" party for Moo with half a cake and everything, but I realized that I wasn't going to let him eat any of it and I was really working on losing the end of the baby weight, so I didn't. It's hard to believe that he's 6 months old already! But at the same time, I can't imagine our family without him and that he's only been here 6 months. He's growing up so fast! I can't believe it, but he's already attempting to crawl! He started getting up on all fours in the beginning of July, right before Daddy had to leave for 2 weeks. I thought for sure he would start crawling while he was gone, but he waited!!! I was really happy because Daddy missed out on a lot of Bug's firsts and so it's nice that he's actually around for Moo's. Moo's crawling attempts are slightly self destructive: he gets up on his hands and knees and then pushes his feet but his hands don't move so he ends up face planting. It makes him really mad. He also gets up on his hands and feet with his booty in the air and then shuffles his feet - super cute.

Moo had a terrible rash on his neck, chest and tummy. I finally got him to the doctor and it was "just eczema" as the doctor put it. Seriously one of the worst out breaks of eczema I've ever seen on an infant. Even now I've been treating it for weeks and it's just starting to heal. Poor itchy baby. At his appointment he was 17 pounds! I didn't get his length, which drives me a little crazy - I'm used to getting a growth sheet at the end of the appointment. Since starting solids Moo has been constipated :( so we're also trying to get him to drink some prune juice, pear juice, etc. The problem is he won't drink out of a bottle, or a sippy cup. We've tried so many cups it's ridiculous. Then one evening at Papa's baseball game, Moo got ahold of Bug's water and started gulping it down! It was a straw cup! I've since bought him a straw cup with a silicone straw and he has yet to really drink from it. I think he's perfectly capable of drinking from any of the cups, but just prefers mommy. Spoiled baby :)

As far as food goes this month, he loves mum-mums. He can hold them and feed himself, which he loves, and they dissolve in his mouth so he doesn't have to chew (which he doesn't) so I don't have to worry about choking! It's pretty much the only way I get to eat dinner! He's getting really good at his food net too! Especially if there's something delicious in it like watermelon!

I love his baby babble! It's getting pretty advanced and sometimes we wonder if he's really trying to say "mama" or "dada" but we're not officially calling any of it a first word. He says, "dadada, mamama, bla bla bla" He's also sitting like a pro and loves to sit to play.

Munchkin Facts:
Second Tooth (June 17 - bottom left)
Wearing 9 month clothes
Size 3 diapers
Everything goes straight to his mouth :)
He's up 1-2 times a night STILL (Anyone have suggestions??? I'm tired!!!)
2 naps a day
Eats anything I feed him, never really excited or upset about food choices

4 Months

I keep writing these later and later, but at least they're getting done!

4 Months (April 17- May 16)
Little Moo rolled over this month! (Date) He did it probably 5 times the first day and hasn't done it since. I think because our floors are so hard and he bonked his head a couple times. But it was really nice because daddy and I were both there for it! Munchkin loves to babble, he talks more and more all the time. I love when he squeals and he has even giggled a few times. Moo is mostly down to 3 naps a day, but sometimes still sneaks a 20 minute cat nap at the end of the day. The best news this month? He slept through the night!!! (April 27) It happened 2 nights in a row and then we were back to twice a night. I'm beginning to think he'll be this way until he weans, he just loves to be comforted at night. After all, he is my social baby: he loves to be around people and gets lonely if you leave the room.

With Bug I was really strict about introducing solids, but I may have let Moo lick a piece watermelon this month! I'm really not sure if he liked it or not, I thought it would feel good since he's teething, but he's never had anything cold before so I think it surprised him.

We're working on sitting up, but it still requires a mountain of pillows! His favorite activity has to be standing. He loves to stand. And luckily he's pretty sturdy so I can support him with one hand while entertaining Bug with the other! He still isn't a fan of tummy time, but we keep practicing. He loves peek-a-boo... It is a sure fire way to get a smile! My favorite is when Bug plays peek-a-boo with him. They're so cute together.

Moo finally had his first doctor appointment! He came in at 14 lbs 14 ounces and 36 cm. He got his first set of shots and did awesome with them, so easily comforted afterwards!

Munchkin Facts
- wearing size 6 months clothes
- size 3 diapers
- finally starting to snuggle
- full of smiles all the time!

A little late...

Slightly behind on the little man's update, but here it is!

3 Months (March 17- April 16)

About half way through this month Moo started to only wake up once a night! Although that only lasted for about a week before he went back to twice a night. I think he is getting old enough for a little sleep training to wean out one of those feedings! This mommy is getting tired! He is still taking 4 naps a day which I think is a little excessive, so I'm working on getting that down to 3 - which will also help with his night sleep! He's still a great eater and growing like a weed! (No updates on length or weight because we haven't been to the doctor since he was a week old... insurance issues, but I'm hoping to have that resolved next month!)

Moo loves to whack the animals hanging from his floor gym and I've even seen him grab them a couple times! He loves kicking his feet and staring at his feet - I'm sure he'll be sucking on those toes soon! Moo is drooling like crazy! I think he's starting to teeth, but it'll still be a while before any teeth actually break through. He is also constantly chewing and sucking on his fingers! It's generally the first two fingers. I think it's adorable :) Occasionally, I catch him trying to chew his whole fist! He's really become a very happy baby which is something Goose and I thought would never happen. He smiles all the time (unless you point a camera at him, in which case suddenly he's miserable and crying).

Munchkin Facts:
- Wearing mostly 6 month clothes (occasionally 3-6 months)
- Ended the month in size 3 diapers
- No more bobble head :) He's great at holding his head up!
- Favorite toy is a crinkle book with bright colors
- Sits in bumbo for short periods
- Chews on blankets :)
- Stands in the bouncer and plays with the toys!

2 Months

I can't believe my little man is 3 months old!!! It's been a busy month (isn't it always) but here's what happened!

2 Months (Feb 18 - Mar 17)
As Munchkin's 2 month birthday approached I thought we were finally getting the hang of his schedule. That week he had a perfect day and only got up twice at night! Then the next day he was all over the place and was up four times! I was very frustrated. With Bug it took two weeks to get him on a schedule. He loved his schedule and it worked for us. I had been working with Munchkin for over 6 weeks and we were pretty much at square one. So I decided to throw the schedule out the window and just see what he would do on his own. It took another two weeks of crazy disorganized life, but then he finally settled into a little bit of a routine. He eats every 2-3 hours during the day and is up 2-3 times a night. It's not ideal for me, but it works for him and he's a much happier baby - which makes me a happier mommy! So, we're just going with it!

Munchkin loves to stare at the animals on the feet of his footie pajamas! And his eyes get really wide when he kicks his feet and they move! It's really cute to watch him as he is figuring this stuff out! I'd say kicking his feet is his favorite pastime, but he is also starting to like his floor gym too! He stares at all the toys and even coos when his brother rattles them for him! I love watching them play together! He talks more and more and Goose even claims he giggled... but I didn't see it so it didn't happen!

Munchkin Facts:
Wearing 3-6 month and 6 month clothes
Size 2 diapers
Tracks mommy across the room
Doesn't like mommy to be more than 1 foot from him (I love my mommy's boy!!!)
Occasionally I catch him chewing on a finger or thumb!
Likes to be swaddled with one arm out for nap time

Bawentine Day

It has sort of become a tradition in our house to have a special Valentine's Day breakfast! Last year was the first year I did it and I choose breakfast because it was Bug's favorite meal. He loved it so much I did it again this year!

I decorated the table after the kids were in bed so that it would be a surprise in the morning! Bug was so excited when he woke up about all the "pink hearts." I explained it was Valentine's Day and that it was a special day to show the people around us that we love them and I made him this special table and breakfast because I love him. He told me, "I luv bawentine day mommy!" It was so sweet!

Tick-Tock!

Can you believe it's that time again?!?! Baby Munchkin is already 2 months old! So here's what happened last month...

1 Month (Jan. 17-Feb. 17)

I feel like I've worked really hard this month on regulating Munchkin's metabolism and getting him to learn a few self-soothing techniques. It's been a ton of work, but it's finally paying off! He's on about a 3 hour schedule during the day and gets up twice during the night - that's an ideal day though. We still have lots of days where he's wanting to eat every 2.5 hours and at least one nap a day that I have to wake him up because he wants to sleep too long. And there have been a couple really bad nights, but we're getting there! In fact, there were two nights that he went to bed around 9pm and woke up at 5am! I'll be praying for more of those! I don't even want to talk about "the 45 minute intruder" during nap time... that's been bad!

Around 6-7 weeks old Munchkin-Moo got what I thought was baby acne... then it spread to his chest and I thought it was just a contact rash from his soap or something. Come to find out he has a moderate case of eczema and once I started treating him for that, he was a happier baby! In fact, he love his lotion and gets excited when I put it on! He also wants to be naked all the time - I don't know if that's just him or because the eczema is so itchy!

He smiled for the first time (1/27). He doesn't give those smiles up easily though, you really have to work for them! He's a pretty serious little boy. Observant. He likes to look around and just take everything in. I love it when he decides to talk to me :) His little baby coos are so precious - and rare. But I think that's because his brother is ALWAYS TALKING! haha

 He now loves bath time! He kicks his feet and chats and looks at the big kitchen light. I rarely have the energy at the end of the day after getting Bug to bed to give Munchkin a bath, but I dig down deep and do it because it's one of his favorite things and one of the only things (besides nursing) that we bond over. Plus clean baby smells so good! Although, I just figured out that his soap gives him a rash... so no more baths til I can find a more gentle soap (probably tomorrow!)

Big brother loves his little brother! He gets so excited when "brudder lookin atch you" and loves to say "what wrong brudder" when he's crying. Bug gives him kisses everyday and shows him all his favorite toys (mostly Dusty and Echo from Planes, but also his garbage truck and fire truck) They are really cute together :)

Munchkin Facts:

Munchkin still has blocked tear ducts. I'm really hoping that they'll open soon so that we can avoid surgery. 

He has started to enjoy looking at the toys on his floor gym (2/7)

Does really well with tummy time - he's very strong and can hold his head up for a long time!

Wears size 2 diapers and 3 month clothes

Munchkin really likes this little vibrating bird toy - he's surprised everytime it goes off!

New Baby, New Blog

I can't believe my little Munchkin is already 6 weeks old, it's amazing how time flies! I was able to blog the first year of Bug's life and it was one of my smartest decisions. It's amazing to go back and be able to remember that first precious year in such detail. I'm hoping to do the same for #2!

Birth/Hospital

I woke up at 4:30am having moderate contractions, but I knew that this was the real thing. I waited in bed 20 min before waking Goose (I know he was the RIO, but I'm just not a huge fan of Tom Cruise). The contractions were like clockwork. I woke him up apologetically because I knew he had two big flights that day. He wanted me  to time them another 15 min before making any decisions. So 15 min later the contractions were still strong and consistent! He called to say he wouldn't be flying and we got up and got ready to go to the hospital. I was trying to wait until 6am to drop Bug off at a friend's because 5am is just so early! The drive to the hospital was not enjoyable. Contractions were coming every 5 min and sitting, strapped to a seat in a moving vehicle was not comfortable, to say the least. I was not smart enough to tour the hospital before going into labor, so it took a little while to find the right floor. When we arrived and I told them I was in labor, they clearly didn't believe me. They put me in an observation room to see if my contractions were "real." I think we checked in around 7:30am. My doctor finally came to check me at 8:45am and I was 100% effaced and 8cm. The contractions were strong but I was breathing through them. At that point they decided to admit me (finally, right?). Anyway, we had to change rooms and the walk down the hall was long... really long. I think it was 50ft and it took me a good few min to get there with all my contraction breaks. Once we got there the room looked like it was set up for a surgery. I don't remember all those instruments and staff being around the first time. Anyway, I decided to get into their giant soaker tub... more like Goose told me to get in and try to relax. He knows me so well. Laboring in the tub was the best thing ever. Goose was an amazing coach, helped me breathe through every contraction, and never left my side. I will always look on that time with fondness, despite the pain. All of a sudden it was time to push. There was no stopping it. I think I yelled something like, "I have to push" and the nurse came frantically in the bathroom saying something about not being allowed to deliver in the tub. Ok, I'll try to make it to the bed... on my way I had this incredible urge to poop. Goose was behind me and I told him to move out of the way. Then my water broke and I'm pretty sure everyone within a 5 ft radius was in the "splash zone!" After that I got in bed and I remember the nurse telling me not to push... sure, like it's something I had any control over. Two contractions later I heard my doctor's voice and magically I was allowed to push! I think it took 5 pushes to get little Munchkin out, but then he was here! I remember reaching for him because it looked like he was being handed to a nurse and then finally having him in my arms. The first thing I said was, "I love you, I love you so much." Followed by how cute he was and how much he looked like his brother. Goose actually cut the cord this time around which shocked me, because he seemed so freaked out the first time. Daddy didn't hold him until he had his bath :) but it was love at first sight for Daddy, he was smitten! 

Bug came to see his brother later that afternoon, and we got our first glimpse at being a family of 4. Bug was all over the place, getting into all sorts of things he shouldn't, luckily Munchkin was still pretty sleepy so I could focus keeping Bug out of trouble. He was excited to open his big brother gift and Daddy even let him hold his brother. It was a sweet moment. The next 2 days dragged on and on and on. I was ready to leave immediately but they have a 48 hour policy so I was stuck. But after what felt like an eternity in that small room with horrible food we were released!

Newborn (Dec. 17 - Jan. 17)

Goose and I debate on how to count the months and this really messed up my blog for Bug, so here's my thoughts: Munchkin was born 12/17 so he'll be one month old on 1/17, therefore the first 4 weeks of life I call "newborn" since he's not a month old. (You'd never tell someone your 2 week old is a month old). Goose says that weeks 1-4 are the first month of life and therefore should be labeled 1 month, as in the first month. I see both sides, however, it's my blog and my scrapbooks so we're counting my way ;)

Munchkin is a great nurser! I think it helps that I know what I'm doing, so even when he latches wrong I know better and can adjust it. He is such a sweet little boy, mostly just eating and sleeping, which is really nice because it still gives me one on one time with Bug! Bug is really good with "baby brudder" and is always wanting to snuggle him, give him kisses and touch his head. It's really sweet to see them together. Munchkin loves being held and often times naps in my arms, but he's content to be in his swing too (as long as it's not on!). I know it's normal for little boys to pee whenever they are exposed, but Munchkin doesn't do that, he poops! It's kind of hilarious and it happens everytime! At his four day appointment, Munchkin is already up to 7 pounds 10 ounces - almost his birth weight! I was relieved to hear that he's not jaundiced at all! Such a relief after the whole escapade with Bug. At his 2 week appointment they really only did a quick weight check and I couldn't believe it: 8 pounds 10 ounces! He'd gained a whole pound! He's already so much bigger than his brother was at this age!

Munchkin Facts:

He is a very noisy sleeper

He has to be rocked for 40 min to go to sleep in the day, but goes right to sleep at night!

He is already in size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes!

He hates getting his clothes changed, especially his arms being put in onesies

He hated his first bath, but is now starting to tolerate them