Four month update

Yesterday was Davis's WCC and everything looks great! The big news is that he has gained 3 lbs in two months! Because of his big appetite/growth spurt, he is now waking up for 1-2 feedings during the night (he had been consistently sleeping 7-10 hours at a time). The pediatrician wants us to start him on rice cereal now in an effort to get him full enough that he will sleep better. This should not cause any problems with his multiple allergies, per the MD. We are going to try it before bedtime for now & see how it goes. We will still wait until six months to start other solids.

Other than that, my only other concerns were his super-dry, super-sensitive skin. Unfortunately, he probably gets that from my side of the family. Not much we can do that we are not already doing. I switched out the laundry detergent & already use fragrance-free baby wash and lotion on him. He is drooling a ton now, which doesn't help his skin. Poor guy! I will be interested to see if he cuts teeth soon, like Carter did at four months.

Developmentally, he is right on-target...he is able to roll over, bring toys to his mouth (but prefers his fist), track objects & people, smiles and laughs all the time and "talks" to us. He loves spending time in his jumperoo and exersaucer & Bumbo seat, so he can see what's going on. He is also starting to show signs of wanting to sit up. According to the pediatrician, it may take him longer to accomplish this due to his head size, but he'll get there!

His official stats are:

Weight-14lbs 11 oz (50%)
Length-25 inches (50%)
Head circumference-17 1/4 cm (90%)

We go back at six-months...hopefully we are sleeping again by then!

Four months!

Davis is four months old today! He is such a happy baby and almost never cries. We both agree that he is a more mellow baby than Carter was. Thursday is our well-child check with the pediatrician & I cannot wait to see how big Davis is now!

Grandad & "Antsy"

Dad & Nancy drove into town on Friday morning to spend the weekend with us. The boys loved all the extra attention and we enjoyed a nice visit. I was lucky enough to get cost-contained on Friday night, so we went out to dinner & then to Bass Pro to look at all the animals on display (dead & alive). Afterwards, we put the boys to bed then watched a hilarious movie at home...it was low-key, but great.

Grandad & Grandma Nancy watched the boys on Saturday so Sean could go snowboarding. I was able to get a few things done & then get some rest before work. Thank you so much!

Carter said "Thank you so much for my Grandad!" Too bad he wouldn't smile for the picture.

Carter was calling Grandma Nancy "Antsy" & "Sweetie". Pretty funny!

Dad & I showing our support for K-State! I am a temporary KSU fan since Mizzou is out of the tournament.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope you got your Irish on today...we certainly did with yet another afternoon spent at the zoo. It was very festive, they had Irish folk music playing outside & we all wore green. It was a beautiful day with near 70-degree weather here. Bring on Spring!

Our chunky monkey!

Carter & his Leprechaun hat. He didn't like the fact that it kept leaving green sparkles all over his hands.

Enjoying some green ice cream after dinner. He decided that the ice cream was too cold on his teeth, so ate his cone backwards. It was very creative and very messy.

jammin' in the saucer

We are getting a lot of mileage out of our baby toys. (This is a HUGE understatement when you consider that we purchased many of our big baby gear items from Craig's List when Carter was a baby. Have I mentioned how much I love CL?) Anyway, not only is Davis getting to enjoy them now, but Carter is re-enjoying them. He loves playing the piano on the exersaucer & was jamming out while I was trying to get a picture of him with Davis, hence the "action shots".

Holding still for a brief moment.


Davis likes to bang on the piano...when he gets a turn.

Happy baby!

being "helpful"

Carter spends his days going between: 1) ignoring his brother, 2) hurting his brother,
3) "helping" me with his brother

He took this rare moment to hold the teether for Davis so he could chomp on it. I wouldn't be surprised if he cuts some teeth soon...he shoves his fist in his mouth whenever given the chance.

For me?

still jumping

Here is our happy, big boy posing in his jumper. He's got to find a way to burn all of the calories he's taking in now. This child eats 7oz. every three hours during the day. Did I mention the hypoallergenic formula is EXPENSIVE!? I have already started thinking of ways to break the news to Davis that his college fund was sacrificed so that we could afford to feed him for his first year of life (assuming that he outgrows this allergy by 12 months).

Sorry about the video quality. I took it using my phone & the sound and picture both seem distorted.

funny guy

Carter has been saying so many funny things lately, I have been trying to write them all down. Who needs entertainment with a two-year-old around? Here are a few recent ones:

~When I wiped down his hands and face after dinner he said: "Thanks, baby!" Then the rest of the night, anytime I would help him: "Thanks, Honey Mom!".

~Davis broke into a sudden "mad" cry, and knowing it probably had something to do with Carter, I asked him what was wrong with his brother. Carter said: "Brother's head hit my book." Poor Davis.

~Sean was up in the attic working on something & Carter kept asking "Where did Sean go?" me: "You mean Daddy?" C: "Where did Sean My Daddy go?" me: "Daddy's up in the attic." (I was pointing to the ceiling) C: "You mean he's gone?"

~He loves to tell us when he's sad, which usually means that he's mad or frustrated because we have told him "No" about something. This morning I wouldn't let him get down from the table until he finished his breakfast. He said "Mommy, I'm sad. And I'm not happy, either."

Zzzzzz...

When I woke up for work on Saturday night, I found all three of my boys snoozing on the couch. It was too cute for words. I am so glad they stayed asleep long enough to get a picture!

fire truck!

Today we made a trip to Target & got an added bonus...there was a fire truck parked out front! Carter thought it was pretty cool, so I got a picture of him (Davis is kind of hidden in the basket) in front of it. He was pretty excited about that, but then the firemen came out and asked if he wanted to sit in the truck.

Carter wasn't so sure about sitting up so high, but he sat still long enough for me to get a quick photo for Daddy. Maybe next time he'll be a little more relaxed.

at the zoo

The weather was so nice last week, we made TWO trips to the zoo! We had fun seeing all the animals, riding the train and watching the sea lion (Or are they seals? I can never remember.) show. We got up close & personal with the elephants, one of Carter's favorites!

Me riding the train with the boys (see the top of Carter's head?).

The highlight of Thursday's trip was seeing five zookeepers trying to direct a baby kangaroo (she is in the upper right, above the branch) into the kangaroo house. It literally took five people holding lawn rakes corral her. After several minutes of her hopping right by them, the zookeepers finally won. It was hilarious! Carter and I were both laughing and he kept saying "GO kangaroo, GO!!!"

The sneaky kangaroo

Brother sitting outside with us one warm afternoon last week.

story time...sort of

Jumperoo

The jumperoo is quickly becoming Davis's favorite place to hang out. His feet just barely touch the floor but he is able to get it going and loves watching the lights and animals. Carter "helps" him jump if we aren't careful! I think having an older brother is going to make Davis one tough cookie when he gets older.

kids say the darndest things...

This afternoon, we saw a commercial for the new movie Alice in Wonderland, starring Johnny Depp (see photo below). I was feeding Davis & not really paying attention but Carter kept saying "There's Mimi. There's Mimi!" and pointing to the TV. I finally got it.

I guess all redheads look the same to a two-year-old. Sorry, mom!! For the record, I reminded him that you are MUCH prettier than Johnny Depp.

Mickey Mouse Club

The boys wanted to model their matching Mickey Mouse shirts this morning! Grandad & Grandma Nancy brought them back from a seminar in California a couple of months ago. We just found out this week that Grandad is going to be leading a parenting workshop in Hong Kong!! Congratulations, Grandad! Wonder what kind of souvenirs they have in China?! ;-)

This is the look Carter gave me when I told him to make a "handsome face".

snow day

Sean took Carter outside to play in the snow on Saturday. I guess they were both getting a case of cabin fever. Carter had a blast and came in freezing cold (due to some soggy mittens), but wanted to go right back outside. I think we are all ready for Spring!

being silly

Carter found these glasses and has been wearing them all weekend. He put his hat on all by himself (it's backwards) and wanted to wear the glasses with his PJ's, too! What a goof-ball!

Three months old!

Davis is three months old today! I cannot believe how fast the time is flying by. He is a happy baby and we are enjoying him being more social and interactive. He smiles and laughs now and "talks" to you. Still, his favorite thing is watching his big brother. I can't wait to see these two in another few months when Davis is able to sit up and start playing.

All smiles as we head out to pick up Carter from "school".
Just had a big spit-up episode, so not as happy in this pic.

bumbo time

Davis is getting really good at holding his head up, just working on control now. He seems to enjoy his vantage point from the Bumbo seat. He loves to smile at Carter and was even laughing at Sean over the weekend, but wasn't feeling it today. Oh well!

dreams

Last night as I was watching the Olympics, I was suddenly overcome with emotion as Lindsey Vonn won a gold medal, despite her shin injury. Some people work their entire lives to receive recognition and validation on the world's stage while others work just as tirelessly for private successes. More than likely, my boys will not be winning gold medals in the Olympics when they grow up...and I'm fine with that.


My dream for my boys is that they find something they are passionate about and pursue that, either as a career or a supplement to their work; sometimes dreams don't pay so well. I want them to be happy, and of course successful, (What parent doesn't want that for their child?) but above all I want them to feel accepted and loved by us no matter what they choose to be. As they grow up and life becomes more complicated, I hope my boys know I will be behind them every step of the way. Mommy will always be your biggest fan, no medal required.

We love you both SO much!