Tuesday, August 28, 2012

6 months

Somebody just had her half-birthday!
Our little wiggle worm is now 6 months old, 16 lbs 2 oz, and 26 1/4 inches long!
She is sitting herself up, full-on crawling (no more scooting or Army crawl), and pulling herself up to a stand. It seemed like she was in a hurry to hit a new milestone every week! She had her check up at the pediatrician this morning while brothers were in school and was showing off all her tricks for the peds staff and waiting room. The other moms kept asking how old she was and couldn't believe she was already doing so much at only 6 months. I can't believe it myself! She's in a hurry to catch up with her brothers.
She's eaten several "real" foods. Started with the rice cereal and she's had sweet potatoes, carrots, avocado, pumpkin, and bananas. She still won't have anything to do with a bottle, so we're going to try a sippy cup and see if she'll take that. She won't even take anything out of a dropper! The nurse had to wrestle her to get the oral vaccine down this morning, and she won't even take Tylenol after her shots. I'm hoping tonight won't be too rough...
She's a fast mover and she likes to crawl over to wherever her brothers (the action) are.
She's more interested in toys now, especially her Sophie giraffe, squeaky crab, frog rattle, and her plastic links.
She sleeps in her pack n play for the most part, but she's so busy now that she'll eat like a bird some days and want to eat constantly all night.
She's very vocal, making some mmm sounds. I'm sure in the next month she'll be saying "mama". Or "dada" since she's her daddy's girl. No matter how long he's been in the field, she knows exactly who he is when he walks through the door. She always grins right at him. When she's napping and I go in and whisper "Wake up, your daddy's home!" she starts grinning in her sleep. Precious.
Feeding and changing her is a struggle. She wiggles and turns--its like wrestling a bear cub!
She's wearing 9 month size clothes, size 3 diapers.
She's too big to give baths in the sink, so we throw her in the tub with the boys or before we throw them in.
She covers herself in babyfood. I find it in her ears, her hair, her eyebrows, the stroller (when did we even feed her in the stroller?).
She scrunches her nose up and makes funny faces at the camera.
Her eyes are officially brown!
She's looking more like Riley did, when he was her age, but she's still pretty much a combination of both brothers.
No separation anxiety yet, but the ped already warned me that it's coming in the next couple months. Hopefully seeing the girls at the daycare so often will avoid any meltdowns there.
She's a little social butterfly and loves being the center of attention. And...let's face it, she always is.
Its hard to believe half a year has gone by since our little peach joined our family.
Happy half-birthday Poppy Jane!

First day(s) of school

Another school year has begun! We're off to a great start. James started last Monday--my baby is now in the five-days-a-week preschool. He was super excited, armed with his new Star Wars lunchbox. He has had all "purple clips" (his class's good behavior system, purple means "you're having a good day", yellow means "you're not having a good day" and blue and green mean you're "ready to learn"). He cracks me up coming home saying all these big things like "I got 5 stars for making good choices!"
He loves his teacher and his class and still talks everyone's ear off. He's already assumed the position of "teacher's pet" and tells me all about the bad kids in the class. 


Riley started on Tuesday, and it couldn't have come any sooner! He was so disappointed when he didn't get to go to school on Monday like big brother, so I spent the morning entertaining him with fro-yo and train tables at the bookstore. He was still grateful when Tuesday got here and he could take his brand new Batman lunchbox and backpack to his own classroom.
He did so good! While the other little boys and girls cried and clung to their mommies, he went straight in like he owned the place, put his backpack and lunch in his cubby and went straight to playing. I had to actually ask for a good-bye kiss! It was a complete 180 from last year. He loves school and his teachers are always bragging on him when I pick him up. I was afraid he'd have to readjust or that 3 days a week would be too much, but it's just perfect. He's starting the actual curriculum now and loves getting to be one of the big kids.
I'm so proud of both of my boys! 


Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Happy Birthday Kelly!

We'd like to wish Aunt Gee-Gee a very happy 23rd!! Love, the fab five!!

Summer wrap-up

It's only a short week til the boys' have open house and school starts. All the public schools started today.
It means summer is coming to a close.
Mind blowing.
I was going through all the pictures in my phone album from this summer. Here's a recap of our adventures.
  • Story time and trains/legos at the bookstore
  • Mother's Day date with James
  • Dates without the kids
  • Shooting range
  • Callaway beach
  • Swimming at the pool
  • Feeding the ducks at the park
  • Trips to Tennesse
  • Bridal Shower
  • Kelly and Drew's wedding
  • Visits from friends
  • Homemade pizza
  • Shaving cream baths
  • Mud puddles
  • Playing in the dirt
  • Races
  • Girls' nights out
  • Girls' nights in
  • Lego store
  • Making messes
  • Family vacation to Savannah/Tybee/Fort Stewart
  • Sewing 
  • Running with friends
  • Ate our weight in fro-yo
  • Fishing 
  • Museum
  • Picked strawberries and blueberries
  • Built forts
  • Watched the fireworks
  • Fifth anniversary
  • Danced
  • Movies at the theater
  • Sandcastles
  • Swimming in the ocean
  • Antiquing
  • Shopping
  • Storytime
  • Baked with the kids
  • Yardsales
  • Preschool summer camp
It flew by. Faster than last summer. And the summer before. I'm left with the sensation of standing in one place as a big gust of wind blurs past leaving my hair and clothes disheveled, not really sure what just happened.
Another gust is headed our way. Moving. 
To be continued...

Proof

Milestones

Poppy has been trying her hardest to sit up.
After getting really really close and leaning/toppling over several times, she got it! On Sunday night, she was laying on the quilt in the middle of the living room, playing next to her brothers. Jason and I were talking, we turned around and she was sitting all the way up! 
Me: "OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH!! She's sitting!! Did you put her like that???"
Jason: "No! She was on her back a minute ago!"
Followed by minutes of squealing hysterically and clapping while she lost balance and toppled over narrowly missing a forehead-to-hardwood-floor crisis (not the first time).
We missed getting a final picture of her sitting up because we were manically clapping and screaming.
That night was also the first time she got to try her first solid food. She gobbled it up. Like cleaned the bowl completely. 
And Jason finally got to feed one of our babies their first bites of cereal (he was gone both times with the boys). When he got home from work super late last night, even though he was exhausted, starving, and still had tons of packing to do for the field, the very first thing he did was snuggle her up into her highchair, put her little bib on, and fed her her supper.