Happy Monday everyone!
It's been a big couple of weeks!
Sweet baby W turned 8 months old. This milestone, like all that we've passed, is bittersweet. It's hard to celebrate and not to see the missing little boy who we ought to be celebrating as well. It's just the dynamic that we sort of live with. We're always on two sides of a coin.
It's a happy time, though. Sweet baby W is growing and changing everyday. He eats anything you put in front of him and eating three full meals a day. He feeds himself more and more and is now irritated when he doesn't have something to feed himself.
Just as an exercise in keeping track here are sweet baby W's foods:
Foods W likes:
- Rice Cereal
- Oatmeal
- Kasha
- Black Beans
- Cheese
- Bread
- Bagels
- Apples
- Apricots
- Asian Pears
- Avocado
- Butternut Squash
- Acorn Squash
- Pumpkin
- Mangoes
- Peaches
- Plums
- Sweet Peas
- Sweet Potatoes
- Cantaloupe
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Beets
- Beef
- Chicken
- Cheerios
- Eggs
- Spinach Pancakes
- Yogurt
Foods W doesn't like:
- Summer Squash (yellow or zucchini)
I can't believe all the things he'll eat! I'm making baby food for W, just like I did for miss L, but I find that I'm making a LOT more of it. Perspective is a funny thing and I remember thinking that miss L wasn't picky at all and that she ate a lot, but now I can see how there were things (carrots) that she wouldn't eat and still won't. It doesn't matter, of course, it's just interesting to me to see the ways that they are the same or different, or rather what I expect sweet baby W to do that he does or doesn't. I keep expecting him to reject things (I mean beets?! come on!) but he gobbles them up.
Sweet baby W is still nursing 6 or 7 times a day, and at least two of those are at night. He'll go through periods where he'll sleep longer and eat only once, and then he'll go through periods where he seems to sleep hardly at all. He naps only 30 minutes or so at a time and some nights he is up until 9:00 or so. (another huge difference from his sister. She was a very regular sleeper even though she still got up twice a night at this age too.)
In the beginning he refused to sleep alone, something that I attributed to the fact that he was a twin missing his brother. He was used to the extra movement and couldn't sleep without it. That began our co-sleeping journey and I remembered saying at that time that at six months, we'd move him to his own bed. Six months came and went and though he does start each night in his own bed he usually comes and spends the rest of the night in our bed after the first time he needs to eat (usually around 3:00am). This actually works really well for us. Nursing is extremely easy when it's a latch on and fall back to sleep for both of us and I really think that we've all gotten a lot more sleep this way (so much so that we'll definitely be co-sleeping again should we have another child. I was CRAZY sleep deprived with miss L and I haven't really felt that way this time around). On the one hand, I feel like the older he gets the more he wiggles and moans and moves around and so I'd like to transition to him sleeping in his bed all night long. On the other hand, I feel like naturally over time he'll just spend more time in his bed. He starts in there and only comes in here when he wakes to eat. I figure eventually he has to stop waking to eat... Anyway... that's what we're doing with sleep at 8 months.
I don't know if it's that I have less energy or if I feel less strongly about things, but I have to say I'm a lot more easy going this time around. I guess that's just the way it goes, right?
I know what you are thinking. Where are the elephant photos? Guess what?! They are right here! However he is eating and sleeping he continues to be an extremely easy going, happy boy. Everyone comments on how smiley he is and he is really just a joy to be near.
...AND we're not crawling yet, but that's alright with me. Sweet baby W is content to sit and play now, but I know that will be coming. Twice in the last week he's been getting to all fours and has fallen and gotten goose eggs on his poor head. Poor little guy!
AND now... what have we been doing the past couple of weeks? Well... let me tell you!
We started out by going to the pumpkin patch to pick our own pumpkins. We found an amazing quiet little farm to visit that had lovely pumpkins and even a hayride! We'll definitely be heading back there next year.
We went with some friends, because pumpkin picking is always fun with friends!
It was a short wagon ride through the corn to get to the pumpkin patch and then miss L and Brad got to picking.
They even went way up to the top of the patch to get a white pumpkin that I had my eye on. Thank goodness for the zoom lens!
Here's where they really were.
Our friend G had a bee buzzing around his head and didn't like it much. I thought this was really cute!
When we were all done picking pumpkins miss L and her buddy G had a great time running around and collecting rocks. It was really cute!
We tried to get photos of the kids.
...and we even had one of our great photographer friends (it's nice to have those!) take a photo of the four of us. We're not great about asking people to take photos of all of us together, in fact, this is one of only two photographs of the four of us and we have no photos of the five of us. I really cherish this photo and I'm going to try to make sure we get more of these!
That same evening we sort of spontaneously decided to visit a carnival near our house. Miss L had been watching the ferris wheel every time we drove past and we had the time so we decided to give it a try. She ended up riding the ferris wheel, climbing (not very high) up the climbing wall, rode a little roller coaster and rode on the "helicopters." She had a really wonderful time and so did we! I just can't believe she's old enough to enjoy something like this!
Even sweet baby W seemed to have a good time!
Brad continues to work on the backyard and miss L continues to help him dressed in the most fabulous of things. This day it was pajamas, snow boots and an umbrella.
Brad put down grass seed and straw, so it looks like we might have a yard this spring!
Then it was another busy week. One day I watched one of miss L's little friends and what do you do with two three year olds? Finger paint, of course!
Sweet baby W got strapped in his chair with some cheerios for this exercise.
Since miss L started preschool she's very into pointing out Ls wherever we go. She'll say that's my name! The girls found the first letters in their names and figured out sweet baby W's letter and were all holding them for me to take a photo. Somehow, only one of them actually stayed while I got my camera. Probably because he can't go much of anywhere...
After miss L's buddy went home we were all tired from all of the fun. Brad came in and held sweet baby W for just a few minutes and this is what happened...
I just think that's so cute!
The weekend brought some lovely weather and we met our playgroup friends at the park.
With everyone in preschool now we don't get to get together as much as we used to, so miss L has a blast when we're able to meet up.
It's fun to have a little sibling time too.
Miss L did manage to whack herself on the head, but didn't cry until I sprayed the neosporin stuff on there. :o)
On our way out miss L really wanted to have her picture taken with sweet baby W on this giant rock. I have no idea why I said yes, but don't worry, nobody got hurt!
That afternoon we headed out to the mall. We hadn't been in awhile and thought it might be fun to just walk around. We ended up having a really great time and miss L found lots of things for her "list." Whenever we're out and about and she sees something that she wants to take home I tell her to put it on her Christmas list. Brad took photos of lots of things at the disney store. Miss L has developed a love for the little mermaid and it runs deep!
We stopped for a moment at the playground before venturing out to shop.
Sweet baby W can't get to standing on his own quite yet, but he enjoys standing if you put him there.
The yard project continued with Brad filling his raised bed with new soil.
We all decided to hang out in the back while Brad did some work and sweet baby W got his first turn in the car. I think he liked it!
Miss L got to choose between helping her daddy or pushing sweet baby W.
Eventually miss L decided that she wanted to take some photos. The camera is heavy and it's difficult for her to look through the view finder, but she worked hard to take photos of the trees. She mostly got grass, but it was really cute.
That night sweet baby W wanted to feed himself his yogurt, so I let him go for it. Luckily the camera was very close by!
He says, I know it starts with this spoon thing...
...and it goes in here.
Hmmm.... but what do I do now?
I know! This will work...
What, is there something on my face?! :o)
If I'd known where that meal was headed I'd have taken off his clothes (or at least put a bib on the poor child), but luckily it was just yogurt and it was laundry day!
Miss L wanted her photo taken while she ate too. Her babies are a mainstay at dinner now. This is baby Ben. She received him while the real baby Ben was in the hospital when she met him for the very first time. His name stuck and this night he ate with us, so that's him in the boppy (he has trouble sitting unassisted :o).
Then miss L wanted Brad to take her photo. She did this over and over and over. She would make this very serious face and as soon as he took the photo she'd go crazy. It was a funny little game and Brad tried to get some photos of the "after."
The next day Brad planted some garlic for us to have in the spring. I'm very excited to have garlic from our backyard and miss L was very excited to help plant it. Notice the sparkly shoes. :o)
In the kitchen afterwards, miss L enjoyed taking photos of her daddy. She's getting better at getting her target in the photo.
Sweet baby W was enjoying some time in the jumperoo while I cooked dinner and I had to stop and take a few photos with the light coming in as it was.
I don't know when the last time was that I took a photo of either cat, so when James walked in, I couldn't resist.
Sweet baby W and his daddy spent some time playing after dinner. He and Brad were playing with this plate and he was just laughing and laughing. I know that sound is going to transform to a little boy's laugh too quickly, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts.
I hope everyone is enjoying their week. We'll have a great one and see you back here next week!
