Annie: Twenty Months

Twenty months and so big! Annie understands pretty much anything you tell her. She is not talking a whole lot with words we understand--she probably has around 20 or 25 words--but she babbles all the time. She likes being my helper these days. She loves to help me make my bed, get JJ dressed, and "cook." Annie is developing a love for clothes. Her favorites are her blue jeans and her shoes. She picks them out every morning and does not like to be barefoot or even in sock feet. (JJ on the other hand wants to run barefoot all winter long.) She is beginning to play with her dolls and takes care of them when I am busy with Baby C. It is very cute. I think a Bitty Baby is in her future. :) Happy 20 months, baby girl!

Newborn Necessities and Niceties

Now that we're on our third newborn (Annie, Nikki, Baby C) I'm rethinking all the baby gear. Of course with Annie we got everything. And we used a great deal of it. But here are the things I find myself using daily.

Bouncy seat. Because you can't hold your baby all the time. There are days when you really do need a shower. :) It is more portable than the swing and I find myself moving it from room to room all day long. Also, Baby C is sleeping in it at night. He doesn't like laying flat on his back. We're going to transition him to the cradle next week. Wish us luck.

Boppy pillow. Great for breastfeeding babies, and handy for bottlefeeding, too. Baby C weighs over 8lbs already and he gets heavy after a while!

Moby wrap. This is nice to have for your first baby and essential for future babies, because you need to be able to use your hands to corral the toddler(s). Baby is snug and cozy nestled by your heartbeat, and so far all three babies I've used it with fell asleep within five minutes of being wrapped. It does take a little bit of practice to get used to wrapping it, but you get the hang of it after about five times and by the five hundredth time you can wrap it in about 15 seconds. I love the Ergo carrier once baby gets a little bigger (around 5 months). 

Clothes: Gowns for nighttime (easy diaper changes) and footed sleepers for daytime (no need to keep up with socks). Nothing fancy, just soft and cozy for the newborn days.

Halo swaddle sleepsack (aka the magic swaddle). Makes baby feel safe and secure and sleep better (hallelujah). And the velcro wrap keeps baby from breaking their arms out and waking themselves up.

Lots of diapers, lots of wipes, and A&D ointment. For newborns I prefer Pampers Swaddlers, once baby grows into size one I like Luvs. Cost effective and they don't leak. I use Huggies Natural Care wipes. I buy the huge box at Sam's Club. With three kids in diapers it lasts about five weeks. A&D is great at preventing diaper rash.

You also need a good car seat and stroller. I have the Chicco ones (single and double strollers, actually) and I love them. They are holding up well and are easy to use. The car seat is one of the heavier ones on the market, but it is supposed to keep your baby safe in a crash so you want it to be sturdy!

Things that are also nice to have that we have gotten a lot of use out of--play gym, monitor, receiving blankets, and the baby bathtub.

Peanut: Two Months

 



The dress pattern disguises the bump, but it is already there. I look like I did when I was four months along with Annie! The nausea is starting to ease up a tiny bit and I now have hope that it will go away completely in a few more weeks. My clothes still fit because I have lost about eight pounds. Doctor didn't even bat an eye when I told her that so I'm not worried. I lost weight with Annie and didn't really start gaining till about month five. And I ended up gaining right at 25 pounds. At least I finally lost the last of the weight I gained with Annie! Grow, little Peanut, grow!

JJ: Seventeen Months

JJ is all boy all the time! Unless he is asleep or eating, he does not stay still for a minute. He loves to be outside as much as possible. He likes to play in the pretend kitchen and with his stuffed animals. He is also becoming interested in blocks this month. He is learning to look at books instead of chewing on them. JJ has learned to eat peas and grapes this month, so we're continuing to (slowly!) expand his little palette. He is getting to be such a big boy, the traces of the baby that was are rapidly disappearing. He's going to need another haircut before too long!

Peanut's Second Photo

My nine week check-up was today and baby is growing beautifully! We could see Peanut's little heart beating and arms and legs moving. Such a sweet sight! All is well except for my constant nausea and hopefully that will start easing up soon.

Newborn Time Again

Baby C arrived yesterday evening. He was born on Friday and has a head full of dark hair! The plan is for him to be with us for about six weeks--we'll see. Last night he was more interested in being held than sleeping in the cradle, but he finally got the hang of it about 2am. And unless he's eating, he's been sleeping since. :P About time to wake him up and keep him up for a couple of hours! Baby C, you are a cutie pie but the grownups would like a little more sleep tonight. JJ and Annie are busy pointing to him, saying "baby," and trying out the bouncy seat.

Major Surprises and Thanks

The Gent was out of town Thursday through Sunday. Honey and Poppa came and stayed with us and worked on some major surprises for the Gent! He hasn't had a day off since ummm July maybe? They wanted to try and take some of the load off his shoulders. Honey pulled the weeds in all our flowerbeds and terraces and spread 144 bags of mulch. I know, she's awesome! I planted some bulbs and peonies and pansies and kept up with two active toddlers while feeling like throwing up all the time. Poppa and Honey also built very sturdy storage shelves in the basement. Everything is up off the ground now so if we have a flood we don't have to worry about our things being ruined. Needless to say, the Gent was excited with his surprises and my parents are awesome. Thanks so much for all your help!

Puzzle Time

Happy Birthday, Zeke Puppy!

Zeke loves opening presents.


He got a peanut butter bone. Let us take the wrapping off first, buddy.


And he got to enjoy it all by himself. No sharing with brothers on your birthday.


Happy birthday to our first fur baby!

Tub Time

Nikki Update

Nikki went to her aunt and uncle today. She was a dream baby to care for and we loved being part of her newborn days! We are excited for her to be with her own family and pray that the Lord's hand will be over her all the days of her life.

Peanut: One Month

The first month has come and gone and month two is just around the corner, so I thought it was high time I posted these. There will be a little bump before too long, my jeans are getting snug already, oy! Leggings and tunic tops, here I come. These first few weeks have been filled with excitement and apprehension and we are grateful that all is well with our little Peanut. I feel great except for morning all-day-long sickness and a bit of fatigue. Not sure if that is from this new little one or from keeping up with the other three all day! But this too shall pass and it will all be worth it in the end. (Remind me of that in a couple of weeks when the nausea gets worse.)

Annie: Nineteen Months

Nineteen months old. I can't believe how big my baby girl is getting! This month Annie is continuing to learn new words, like "bird" and "baby." She still loves her books and her stacking toys, and is learning to do simple puzzles. She loves to play with her letters when JJ is not around to eat them. :) She also loves to spend time outside and go to football games. And she loves clothes (especially her teeny tiny adorable blue jeans) and to be told how beautiful she is. Every morning when I get her dressed, she stands in front of the mirror in her room and smiles at herself. I find it adorable and admit I encourage this habit. Annie is practicing being a big sister, having Nikki and JJ around this month. She has done really well with them. Annie is wearing size 12-18 month clothes and size 3 diapers.