14 months, welcome to toddler town!

I decided to do a Sean-themed post every 2 months, since he isn't changing his routine/eating/growth as rapidly as before. That way it doesn't seem as redundant. I do want to start checking in more about projects, and life in general, so I might throw those in here and there.

Sean is 14 months! 

He officially is toddler-sized and has toddler-sized tantrums as well. It's really been a learning experience when you have such a strong willed little person, who is happy one moment and really frustrated the next. 

Photo taking is becoming pretty interesting! The only way he would take a (still) picture is with a book or the iced coffee bottle (his new favorite toy).

Height/Weight: He hasn't been weighed since his doctor appointment about a month and a half ago. He was 26.5lbs and 31.5oz. He has definitely gotten longer and heavier since! I would guess he's grown at least a half inch, and maybe a half pound heavier. 

Other growth/actions: He has 8 teeth, and is working on all four molars. They keep getting swollen and I think they're about to break through, but then they disappear :(. So some days he's miserable and sleeps awful, and others he is the happiest little dude. 

He still wears all 18mo clothes, but they fit well now, as opposed to being just a little big. 

He wears size 5 shoes now, too.

Routine: He wakes up around 6:30am (Boo!), and we play and go on a walk. He eats breakfast and hangs out with dad to watch a little Daniel Tiger (his favorite!). We are now a 1 nap household, which he takes from 10:30-1:30. I used to fight the 1 nap, but it's been SO nice to have a solid 3 hours to get work/housework/me time in. 

Then after nap, he has lunch and we run an errand or go to the park for a little bit. Then we come home and he usually likes to have some independent play, like reading books or just making a general mess with his toys. It's really cool seeing him become his own person, and learn how to entertain himself. He does stop to come give me a hug or just get into whatever I'm doing, which is nice to still feel needed :). 

We do bedtime routine from 6:45-7:15 and then he's asleep by 7:30pm. It's funny how even now, he goes to bed at the same time he did when he was 4 months old. 

He has been waking a lot lately at night, and I attribute it to teeth. When he's having a good day, he'll only wake once, but on bad nights it can be every 2 hours. We're so tired, but I know it's not for forever. 

Eating/Feeding: Sean still doesn't love breakfast, but I've found ways to get him to eat when he's not interested. He will refuse everything on his tray, but will eat it when he's down and walking around. So I've been making muffins and granola bars, with fruits and hidden veggies, so he can stop and eat, then go play some more. Lunch is usually a mix of things (half a sandwich or quesadilla, fruit and some veggies). Dinner is usually a veggie patty (still not a fan of meat, other than bacon!), pasta (which he LOVES), cheese and lots of fruit. Overall, his favorite food is blueberries and strawberries. But all fruit gets eaten one way or another, haha.

He still nurses when he wakes up, before his nap, after lunch, and before bed. I do nurse him at night too, which I'm trying to wean him of, but that's been really difficult with the multiple wake ups. At least it's keeping my supply up, which is probably the only bright side to the middle of the night feedings.

Milestones: 

He is different every day! But some major changes lately are:

Lots of talking. He says so many words now! He says momma, daddy, kitty, NO, shoes, ball, milk (malllkkk), meow, moo, oo oo ahh ahh (monkey), more (mo!), and maybe some others I'm forgetting. When he's not saying actual words, he has conversations in his own little language. 

Becoming more independent. He will go into his room and play on his own. It's really sweet, and he seems to enjoy the time alone.

While becoming more independent, he's also started becoming more affectionate. He loves giving hugs and kisses, and will stop and sit on the couch for a few minutes. He wouldn't do that unless he had a snack or show to watch before. But I think he does crave the cuddles and Erin and I love it too :).

Starting to associate more animals to their noises. He will sometimes do it, and then never again. I think he's just learning so much that he doesn't have time to refine it. It's still so exciting when it happens!

I'm sure I'm missing things, but those are the highlights!

Xo, Kelsey

O N E!

Sean,

Mommy and daddy are so so so very lucky to have you. We kept you alive for your first year, and we think we did a pretty good job. We are so excited to see how you grow, and what kind of person you turn into. So far we are overjoyed with you and love every (tired) moment we spend with you! 

Happy Birthday to our sweet, beautiful boy!

Love, 

Mom and Dad 

I am feeling so very happy and sad at once today. I have so many memories that rush back (this exact moment last year I was doing this), and trying to stay present in my baby's first birthday. 

Height/Weight: He was weighed at our mommies group and came in at 25lbs 3oz! My big boy. I'm not sure of his height (doctor appointment isn't until next month) but he's so tall!

Other growth/actions: We have SIX teeth now. All within 4 weeks, he decided to grow his bottom two and top 4 teeth. We've gotten a break, which has been so nice. 

Routine: Our routine got a little out of whack with daylight savings time and traveling to Napa. When we got back from our trip, we did a sleep training 'lite' and he went back to being a pretty great sleeper. 

He wakes around 6:45-7am, goes down for a nap around 9am and sleeps for about 1.5 hours. Then second nap is around 1:30-2pm and then sleeps for 45mins-1hour. Then bedtime routine starts at 6:45pm and he's asleep by 7:15pm. It makes such a difference to have a routine set. When we skip a nap or go a little too late, it can make for a rough day or night!

He wakes anywhere from 2-4 times a night, but sometimes gives us the rare one wake up. We have yet to have a full night of sleep, but I am hoping it is coming soon!

Eating/Feeding: Sean still hates breakfast, but loves lunch and dinner. Snacks are always welcome, too!

He is nursing when he wakes up, before his first nap, before his second nap, around 4pm and then before bed. Depending on how much he wakes up at night, I don't nurse him more often than every 3 hours.

Milestones: 

This month, Sean has decided to start walking, saying more consonants, sleeping better and becoming a toddler. He loves to throw tantrums if he doesn't get his way (fun!), throw food, hates having his diaper changed, and gives kisses. He is such a funny little person.

He has also became pretty independent. Sometimes he'll go back into his room and I'll follow him in a minute. He's back there looking through all of his books and pensively looking at each of them. I am in awe of his wonderful nature. 

To cap off this emotional post, here is a monthly collage of Sean Patrick!

Here's to another year!!!

Xo, Kelsey

11 months - almost 1 year!

Sean Patrick is ELEVEN months! Just one more month until he is a year old. Where does the time go? My little baby is becoming a boy. It took about 20 tries to get a picture this month. He's a wiggly little guy!

Height/Weight: I haven't had him weighed for a while, but I would guess he's close to 25lbs now. He had a growth spurt over the last month and is very long now too. 

Other growth/actions: He is in 18mo clothes now, and I'm trying to get the last few weeks of winter to wear out of the 12mo things. 18mo pants are a little too long, but a small cuff is all we need while he's starting to get moving. He has 4 teeth now (2 bottom and 2 top), and is working on two more on top. The top ones have been the hardest for sure. Hopefully the top two coming in will be fast...he's miserable! 

Routine: Up at 7am, first nap at 9 or 9:30am. He takes a 1.5 hour nap here, and then is up until 1:30pm. He then takes another 1.5 hour nap, and is up until 7:30pm. Because of daylight savings time and teething, this schedule has been a little wacky, but this is the general timeline of our day. He normally wakes at 3:30am and then for the day at 7, but the last few days he's been up every 2 hours. Mommy needs some sleep!

Eating/Feeding: We are starting to get into the rhythm of nursing every 3 hours, and I am increasing his solids at every meal. I also do a snack here and there. Again, with teething, this has been a little messy, because he doesn't always want to eat. But we try to offer him a variety of foods to get some 'real' foods eaten. He really loves puree pouches, which was not part of our plan, but I've learned to be more flexible. He will suck down a pouch but refuse all other foods, so I'll take it!

Milestones: SO MUCH!

He is starting to get brave and let go/stand unassisted for a few seconds. He uses all furniture to cruise around, and goes from one piece of furniture to another while letting go for a moment. 

He says 'mama' and will repeat you if you say a simple word to him. We SWEAR he said 'bye grandma' when we hung up with Emily a couple of days ago! But of course he only said it once :)

He is becoming quite a little toddler, and that is complete with tantrums (on a small scale). 

Stacking is a new skill, and he is so proud of himself if he can stack something and then knock it down!

He waves 'bye bye' and is starting to give people kisses when asked.

He can also pet the cat 'gentle' when reminded!

I don't get snuggles anymore, unless we are nursing. He has too much to do and too much to see!

Every day is a new discovery! We are so blessed to have such an amazing little man letting us see him change every day. 

I am in denial that in a month he will be a year old. It CANT be! It was just yesterday that he was swimming inside of me and I was so ready to become a mommy. It's truly the best job ever!

10 months - My big boy!

If you were to see Sean right now in person, you would be able to tell that something major has changed in his face. He's becoming a toddler! *cries uncontrollably*

He's such a big boy. Every day he learns something new; it's like a light switch went off in his head, and his world is huge! 

Height/Weight: At his 9 month appointment on 2/4, he weighed in at 23lbs and 15oz. He is a whopping 29.5 inches. Such a big guy! These are the same stats as a few weeks ago, so I think he's starting to plateau. It's to be expected, as he's becoming so much more mobile. 

Other growth/actions: He is starting to lean out, so his delicious leg rolls are going away :(. But, he is getting so much stronger. He is still in 12 month clothes, but some of his 18 month pants fit better. 

I am happy to finally announce that he has TWO teeth now! This is as of two weeks ago, and finished cutting the second tooth a couple of days ago. Let's hope for a break for a few weeks so we can all catch up on some sleep!

Routine: Up at 7:30am and down at 7pm, with two naps during the day. His naps are at 9am and 1pm (ish) and the lengths range from 30-90 minutes. Now that he's having a break between teething, he's sleeping a lot better. The last two nights he's gotten a 6 hour stretch, which has been amazing! Keep it up little dude.

Eating/Feeding: He is nursing every 2.5-3 hours now, which is a welcomed change. I have been offering more snacks between the three meals I offer a day. He still isn't eating a lot at meals, but sometimes he surprises us and eats quite a bit. We started offering more purees, and he loves them. So we had to swallow our pride and accept that he isn't a big table foods baby yet. He LOVES puffs and mum-mums, and homemade yogurt drops. 

Milestones: Another big month!

He started pulling up on things and now 'cruises' all around the couches and the kitchen cabinets.

Now, if we do simple commands like 'dance' and 'clap', he does it! It's amazing! He is so funny and his outgoing and fun personality is blooming more and more each day.

9 months in, 9 months out!

Wow, January has crept up on me, and suddenly my baby is 9 months old. What?!

I love seeing these, so I thought I'd share one:

9 months in, 9 months out!

 In the hospital, 40 weeks 2 days pregnant            Sean and I being hams, January 12                       

These monthly photos are so much more wiggly than ever! I was lucky to catch these three :) 

My big boy!

Height/Weight: He is 23lbs 15oz as of 1/14! I thought he had broken (or was close to) the 24lb mark, because my arms are SO sore! It is easier for me to wear him in the Ergo than to hold him, even for a few minutes. He doesn't have his 9 month appointment until February, so I don't know his exact length, but I measured him at home and he's around 31". 

Other growth/actions: We are starting to get more hair! Also, he is becoming more lean and muscular. Crawling and moving around has changed him from a chunky baby into a little boy (nooo!). 

Routine: He is usually up for the day at 7:30am, naps at 9:30am and 1:30pm. His naps are getting long again, which is a welcome development. 

Sleep got really bad over the holidays, because he got a cold and then was teething, so he began waking every hour again. Once we would bring him to bed he'd sleep great.

SO, we re-sleep trained him this weekend and he is sleeping again! We have been having wake ups at 1:30am and 5:30am. I'm hoping it sticks, because we are all happier after a good night of sleep :).

Eating/Feeding: We are still breast feeding every 2 hours during the day, and he's nursing 3 times at night. Apparently he is supposed to start stretching out his eating? I'm hoping that happens soon. 

Due to his cold and teething, he stopped eating solids for a little while. He is starting to pick it back up again, but we're not rushing him. Some nights at dinner he will eat a lot, and some nights he doesn't want anything on his tray other than a teether. I give him snacks during the day and again, sometimes he eats all of it, and sometimes nothing. 

Milestones: This month was a big one! 

Sean has dropped 'army crawling' and is all hands and knees. He's VERY fast. I've put up a big baby gate that snakes around our living room, so he has his own space to play but doesn't get too far from me. He pulls up to his knees on everything, and tries so hard to stand. He will crawl over to me and put his hands up to stand. With my assistance he does great.

He intentionally says 'dada' and 'kitty'. 

He started clapping, and tells me he likes something by doing so. 

We are working on waving hello and goodbye, and he is starting to catch on.

A newer development is sharing. He loves to hand us his toys or food, and is so proud that he gave us something. 

We are still toothless, but not without teething! We go through waves where I can tell his teeth are really bothering him, but they won't come out. I can feel them and they're juuuuuust under the gum, causing bumps. I'm really hoping they come in soon, just so he might have some relief.

We also experienced our first Christmas, which was wonderful. Emily and Patrick came up to visit for the holiday, and it was so great having them up here. Sean was of course more excited about the wrapping paper and boxes than about the gifts, but that's to be expected ;). He does LOVE his wagon though - it might have been his favorite gift of the day.  

Every day his personality blooms even more. He is becoming such a funny, independent, sensitive and sweet boy. I am so blessed to have this little man in my life!!

Xo, Kelsey