my three little men - week 11

I've decided that I want my weekly post to be a little more rounded, including a little bit about each of the boys.  Amos and Silas are at such a fun age, and I don't want to forget all the fun things they do.  So from here on out, consider this my three little men update.

We'll start with Ivan.  Here he is sporting his adorable smile, new carhart shirt from the grandparents and his plaid bandana from Rachel!  Oh and some new hair!!!

So I have to refer to my blog posts from the other boys to remember all the age appropriate things I should be doing with Ivan.  I'm normally doing good if I get his diaper changed before he's ready for another nap.  Apparently Amos was mastering the bumbo this week!  I guess it was time to break it out for Ivan.  He loved it.

Unlike his brothers, Ivan is NOT sleeping through the night yet.  In fact, he's only been stretching about 6 hours.  6 hours was great a few weeks ago, but I'm really ready for a full night of sleep!  He's getting over congestion, and we upped his reflux dosage again, so I'm hoping those two things will help in that department.  He just keeps reminding me that he's his own man.

He laughed for the first time this week!  Apparently he finds farting noises very, very funny!

Moving on, Silas John:  He's sporting his usual CRAZY hair and stretchy pants.  He only likes to wear jeans with elastic waistbands.  The others are "too small," he says.

Silas is sooo lovable.  He's been very huggy this week, especially in the mornings and after nap time. In fact, during those times, he refuses to walk down the stairs without me holding him.  We have this little routine where when I go into his room to get him up, he pretends to be sleeping.  Then I pretend to be sleeping and grab his blankets from him.  He loves it and if we skip it, he's in a bad mood.

He talks and talks and sings and sing and jumps and jumps.  Luckily he's a lot easier to understand these days so there isn't near as much guessing going on.  He's finally got the two foot jump down and normally does it when he's proud of something he's done.

He's testing all his two year old boundaries.  He's quick to repent because he hates being in trouble.

Amos Jack:  Sporting his pretty-much-too-small fire engine short and his hip gray pants.  Oh, and I can't forget the buzz-light-year sock!  I asked him to give me a real smile and this is it.

He's been growing up in many ways lately.  Recently he stopped wearing a diaper at night time.  That's created its own new problems adventures.  He does a pretty good job getting up on his own and then going back to sleep.   However, he then started using it as an excuse to stay up later and later.  We've just decided to cut out his official nap time, and make it more of an optional rest time.  It's hard to give up those hours to myself.  But if he doesn't need them anymore, then I'd rather he sleep better at night.

We've been focusing on one Bible story a week and doing some fun learning activities around it for the last several weeks.  We just finished up on Moses.  On Wednesday, Jason sat outside on the porch while Amos played.  Later, Jason told me that Amos was playing Moses outside.  He re-enacted the whole parting of the Red Sea and then came up to tell Jason about it.  On his way up to Jason, he remembered and yelled, "I forgot to ask for God's help."  Then proceeded to go back down and re-enact the whole thing again.  Some of it is sticking!

Our week wasn't too eventful, but we did have a fun Saturday with the Grandparents.  Can't beat swimming at the YMCA in the morning and then a Superhero Birthday in the afternoon.

 What good looking kids.

And we, of course, utlized the 70 degree day by a trip to the park.  I was so loaded down with two bikes, a stroller, and lunch that I didn't grab my camera!  Wish I had, but it'll just have to be stored in my memories.

ivan jude - week 10

When this guy is awake, he's pretty easy to get smiling.  In fact, I can barely look at him while nursing because he gets so distracted by smiling and flirting with me.  I LOVE IT!

He loves to stick his hands in his mouth.  At first, I thought maybe he did it because he was still hungry, but not true.  He just seems to enjoy doing it.  I sure hope its not because he's working on getting a tooth!  That needs to be far off in the distance.

I've been falling down on the job of taking pictures. Everyone told me it was going to happen.  Baby #3 just doesn't seem to end up with near as many pictures as the first kiddos.  Luckily I took way too many pictures of Amos, and still too many of Silas, so falling behind with Ivan still means a snap at leat 3 in a week!

 Profile shot of the hair loss, and new growth.  Love the big eyes and the sucked in bottom lip.  Classic.

 We've been amazed by how light his eyes still are.  By this time, both the other boys had very distinct brown eyes.  Not sure what color his are going to end up!

 Silas was reading Ivan a story.  Wasn't too sure about sticking his head in the lions mouth.  He's still been really loving to Ivan, but there has been more wanting to be held by Mama than usual.  I'm ok with the extra loving.

 Daddy stealing some afternoon kisses.  He's trying to get him use to the beard.

It's been nice to settle back into somewhat of a new routine.  We're finding our new normal.  In some ways, three has been easier than two kids.  It helps that Amos and Silas are so close in age and can generally play really well together.  I also like the gap between Ivan and Silas because Silas doesn't need me for everything.  We get to do fun things like pretend we have beaks and catch sour worms.  It doesn't take much, I tell ya!

And favorite picture from this week!  Who knows what Ivan's thinking!

It's funny because I'll look through pictures of Amos to find this week's picture and think that Ivan looks so much like him, and then I'll look through pictures of Silas and think Ivan looks so much like him.  I guess time will tell.  He's definitely a combination of them both.

ivan jude - week 9

Ivan started this week off by finishing up a growth spurt.  We had a lot of fun things planned for the weekend, but they all involved his ability to take a bottle.  Luckily, Friday arrived, and his growth spurt was over.  My wonderful husband took over Friday night and let me get out for a girl's night.  And after a week long growth spurt, I needed it.  I really was spoiled for my birthday because I also got the next morning off to get my haircut and have time to do whatever!  My whatever involved a little shopping - a new shirt and decor for the house and an Young Living Essential Oils party!  The day was full of new possibilities.

That afternoon, my parents came over to watch the boys while Jason and I went to Arkansas for my birthday date.

Ivan was a champ the entire day, but I'm not going to lie.  After almost a full day of not snuggling, I was very anxious to get home and nurse him that night.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  It was a very nice refresh for this 28-year-old Mama.

Ivan's been doing pretty good on his reflux medicine this week, but what I seem to be noticing now is that he is very sensitive to what I eat.  I have to watch it pretty closely or we both suffer the consequences later.

He's noticing his hands more and more and does a great job sticking them into his mouth while awake and playing.  He's still swaddled for sleeping, so no finger sucking yet.  And he still refuses a pacifier.  His night time sleep just keeps improving.  There isn't anymore constant grunting and he sleeps pretty soundly.  He's averaging about 6 hour stretches at this point, but I'm hoping soon we'll get closer to 8 hours.  Wouldn't that be nice?

He had his 2 month check-up on Wednesday.  The doctor said he looked perfect!  He's still a chunky guy weighing 13 lbs 7 oz and 23 1/4 inches long.  He definitely has both his brothers beat at this age.   He took his shots like a champ too.  And luckily they haven't seemed to affect him.

He definitely resembles his brothers but is starting to look more and more distinctly Ivan.

Today we were all able to get outside and enjoy the nice weather!  I would love it to feel like this year round.  Where do I need to move to make that happen??

month two

WE MADE IT THROUGH MONTH 2!  With every baby, month 2 is one of the hardest.  The newness is starting to wear off, and getting up in the middle of the night is just not fun!  (Unless your my sister, love you Amelia!)  My husband goes back to work and its a time of figuring out a new normal.  I can't say that we've got too much figured out, BUT, we're on the downhill to Month 3, our turning point.  This reflux thing is still messing with us, but Ivan has settled in to a pretty good eat, wake, sleep routine and is sleeping a chunk of 6 to 7 1/2 hours at night.  We've even ventured out on our a own a few times, but I prefer to just hibernate most of the first 3 months.

Favorite things:
Amos - Now that he is wearing underwear to bed at night, his favorite thing to do is come out of his room exactly 3 minutes after we close the door, because he must go pee.  He then comes out another 4 or 5 times before we go to bed.  Hoping the newness wears off at some point.
Silas - For Christmas, we got a new guitar and a new drum.  I think playing the guitar is one of his favorite things.  If there is music on, he needs to get his guitar to play along, and if Daddy has his guitar out, Silas will drop everything and go join him.
Ivan - ...milk...and faces.  He loves to be smiled at and will return the favor.  He's pretty content to just sit and stare up at me for his whole waketime.

ivan jude - week 8

So I got a little half smile out of him.  Even though he is now smiling all the time, I have yet to catch a really good one on camera.  My camera is always out of arms reach and who wants to get up and get it when this cutie is flirty with you?

Jason went back to work this week and I felt somewhat ready for it. I had planned out some new things to do with the boys and give them a little more structure and I had worked it all around Ivan's eating schedule.  Of course, come Monday morning, Ivan decided to grow again and has been eating around the clock since.  The first few days were really frustrating, because I wasn't sure what the problem was - reflux, growth spurt, milk supply, bad sleep habits.... the list goes on.  That's the newborn phase for ya!  By Wednesday I was pretty sure it was a growth spurt with possible milk supply issues.  Currently my supply seems fine, but were still in a funk.  I'm kinda just going with and hoping we get back to the old normal soon.  And God's teaching me through it.  His plans and purposes, not mine!

In other news, my family came over on Saturday to celebrate an early birthday with me.  And they brought Chinese!  As always, the cousins had a blast together.  Sometimes I can't believe how old these two are.  They were just the little babies everyone took turns holding.  And now look at them...

And here are the other goof balls.  They have a love hate relationship.

Ivan caught sight of his hand this week.  And definitely enjoys time on the activity mat or anywhere else he can just look up and gaze at something.  One of his favorite spots is in front of the mirror or looking out all our windows.

 Whoever decided to put those bears on babies' bottoms was a genius.  Amos and I think it's the cutest thing.  He always asks to see if Ivan has something on his bottom.

Well  hello handsome!

All and all, we've had a really great week.  Jason has left me a little something something each day for my birthday week and I've have felt much love from the people I love.  When asked what Amos was going to give me for my birthday he said, "I think maybe some of my old toys.  No wait, Mom's don't like toys.  Maybe a new couch."  Check!

Lastly, I started exercising again this week.  And, oh how I wish I could go back in time about 4 months and tell myself not to stop doing those squats.  Going up and down stairs has been torture!  Feel the burn!

 

ivan jude - week 7

Here's my big 7 week old.  Don't worry, he ALWAYS has socks on.  They just slipped off in his swaddle and I didn't realize it until I started taking pictures.  Couldn't pass this one up, with his big, not sure what color yet, eyes staring at me.  We think they may be a little lighter than the other boys eyes.  Maybe more hazel like Mom's.

Last Saturday, we celebrated Christmas with my Mom's side of the family.  Ivan spent all of his time in someone's arms, mainly sleeping.  But the other kids had a blast running around, playing with cousins and eating yummy food.

This guy cracks me up.

Our last week of Christmas vacation was fairly laid back.  We spent a lot of time in our pajamas like this.

 Ivan started the week with a major growth spurt - eating at least every 2 hours, even through the night. He must have put on some pounds, because when we took him to the doctor on Tuesday he was 13 lbs 2 oz.  Turns out he had already outgrown his zantac dosage and needed it increased.  We've seen a wonderful difference again in his sleeping, with the correct dosage.  In fact, just last night he slept the longest stretch yet - just over 6 hours!

Check out the hair situation.  Poor guy is really thinning out. Luckily there is new stuff coming in right behind.

We've LOVED having Dad home.  The boys had fun testing out their new guitar with Dad.  Amos said he just needs a little strap for his.

 10 years from now, this is going to be awesome!  I'll have four handsome serenaders!

 "Did you see that red bird?"  We're always looking out our windows looking for deer, red birds, blue birds and squirrels!  We love our windows!  And Ivan loved some guy hang-out time.

 We even got in a quick date night this week!  Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law we got to go out with friends. We took Ivan with us, hoping he'd sleep the whole time, but he had other plans.  We still had a blast with good friends and good food.  Can you say, Red Lobster 4 course meal?

Jason gifted me with a week of service for Christmas!  What could have been better?  He's been wonderfully crossing things off my house list.  And I have cabinet doors!  Pictures to come...

christmas recap

I've already said it, but we had a great Christmas.  Christmas with a newborn in tow is always a little harder (we've done it twice now), but we had lots of help and lots of fun.  We spent the weekend before Christmas at my family's house and then had Christmas morning at ours!  Then Jason parents, brother, and Grandma came to see us Christmas night!  We were beyond spoiled.

 We officially pack out my parents house.  6 kiddos makes things a lot more fun!

 Amos has got the stance down!  Watch out, here comes Batman and Spiderman!

 Watching a new movie.

Christmas morning was a ton of fun at our house.  Jason got a few candid shots of the boys as they woke up.  Ivan made sure we were up before the boys.

 Amos was able to find all his presents this year by reading his name on the package.  He is growing up.

 The night before Jason put together their new kitchen and hid clues all around the house leading them to it.  Amos loved searching for the clues.  Silas used the time to sneak into the living room and eat all his smarties without anyone knowing.

 Christmas Monkey bread and bacon!  Hard to beat that!

But wait, it's not over yet!  Nana and Papa brought another tree full of presents with them.

 Like I said, were spoiled.  Amos had a blast this year opening up presents and trying new things.  Silas would be a little more fixated on one present at a time, but he sure loved any ball he opened.

Oh, and Happy New Year!