4 Months Old (Forrest)

I can't believe how big Forrest is getting...

Love, love these photos. Every month I'll do a month photo for Forrest, just like I did for Christopher, but the fun, is that Christopher is hopping in after I'm done so I'm getting monthly shots of the two of them together as well.

Update on Forrest...

So Forrest is 4 months and 1 week old.
He babbles, laughs and smiles constantly. He is an easy, fun and happy baby. If possible, he's actually easier than Christopher was. He is sleeping through the night, has been since about 8 weeks old. He's asleep by 7:30pm and up at 7:30am. Of course he might be up earlier but he doesn't make a peep. I (or David) go in to "wake him up" and he's just laying there awake, smiling, taking in his surroundings. He got rid of the swaddle himself at about that 8 week mark and stopped taking the pacifier and instead started sucking his thumb. The thumb sucking is new to us, Christopher never really took the pacifier or the thumb. Forrest will stick his thumb from his right hand in his mouth, then use his left hand to keep it there. Occasionally, his other thumb gets in there too.

He naps really well. He will usually feed right after waking, sleep for 1 to 1 1/2 hours then up for another feeding. Then a few hours of awake time where he plays, babbles, just takes in what's around him. Then another feeding around noon then about a 2-3 hour nap. More feedings after, a quick nap, then bedtime.

He is rolling from front to back (for about 3 weeks now). He can roll from his back to his side, which is how he normally sleeps at night.

He appears to be teething already. I can't remember when Christopher started this but he was always a decent teether so we see how Forrest does. He is constantly chewing on something, his hand, toy, he'll try anything. 

He was luckily the only one in our house that didn't get hit with the Noro Virus that got us all about three weeks ago (Christopher, David, Me and even my parents got it). I'm so grateful he was skipped. He did get a little cold that he is finally over but it was a bit tough. He was pretty much just congested with phlegm which would cause him to choke and throw up.

We had his 4 month check up about a week ago where we found out he wasn't gaining weight like he should. He was 11lb 10oz (up from 10lb 12.5oz at 2 months). He only gained 13.5oz and the doctor wanted him to have gained 3 lb (48 oz). We think it had to do with his first month at daycare where he had trouble with the bottle but the second month he was doing much better. The doctor wants him to gain at least 1 1/2 pounds (24oz) or 6oz per week by his 5 month date. So we got a baby scale so we can keep track. In the week after the appointment, he's already gone up to 11lb 15oz. He had gained 5 oz in a week, while sick, so we were happy. Just in Friday, we weighed him again, and he had gained 2oz to weight 12lb 1oz. So I think we are heading in the right direction.

On a side note, the scale we got is awesome. It's the Health O'Meter scale here.

It so cool because it's for both babies and toddlers. It has the normal curved part on top for the baby. That part comes off and it's a stand-on floor scale for toddlers. Nice to have something that we can't use once Forrest grows out of it.

What else... Forrest is grabbing things, holding on to them. He is very alert, very curious and very into everything around him. He is feeding like a champ at home and taking the bottle at daycare. 

Christopher is in love with him. He "loves his brother" and is always looking out for him. One of the best things of having a second child is seeing the love that our first has for his little brother.

Overall, things are good, crazy but good. I'm loving life with two boys :)

3 Months Old (Forrest)

Christopher loves getting in the photos with his brother when I'm done.

I love these two boys and their smiles...

2 Months Old (Forrest)

2 Month old shots and a few with his brother.

Getting the blog going again...

But I have a really good excuse... I had a baby :)

And I've been really, really, really busy.

So, to catch up...

I was pregnant...

Very Pregnant...

Then we had a baby....

Meet Angelo Forrest Wing... Born 11/7/11 at 12:19pm weighing 7lb 7oz and 20" long.

It's been a couple of interesting months. Getting use to have two kids, getting a schedule back, etc.

Here are some photos from the last few months:

From the Dicken's Party

One month old on 12/7/2011 (I have the date wrong on the paper, duh)

Michigan State cocoon from Grandma and Grandpa Wing

Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa Angelo. Christopher's first ever letter to Santa (with some help of course.)

The many faces of Forrest (These are from 1/10/2012, he was just over 2 months old).

More catch up posts to come

Videos

So ever since David got me my new cell phone at the beginning of the year, my Droid, I take more photos and videos with it, but then they never make it to the blog. Here are some videos that I've taken recently.

Here Christopher is saying his bedtime prayer

For translation, it is:

"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Angels watch me through the night, and wake me with the morning light. Amen".

We wrote in on the post-it so David I could remember, now he reads it off it like he's reading it. Funny little guy.

His new favorite food, Cheeeeeeeseburgerrrrs!

I have another two to upload. I'll add them when I can.

Baby Wing, Ultrasound at 29 weeks

We had another ultrasound done this past Friday. I was 29 weeks that day so we were hoping for some good pictures. At first, he didn't want to cooperate. He had his hands, a foot, the cord and the placenta in the way. We were told we'd probably have to come back in a few weeks to try again, but then he started to move and we were able to finally get some shots. I also asked if the cord was in a bad place as it appeared to be right across his neck, the tech said no, it wasn't at all and would probably move before he came anyways.

So here he is, our new little munchkin, or "baby" as Christopher calls him.

A smile for the camera

A little camera shy

His hand in front of his face (that big blob in the bottom right is the placenta)

Profile shot. We watched this part live as well and as we watched he let out a big yawn, so cool. In this shot, he's on his back looking "up" and the top of his head is to the right.

Rubbing his eyes.

Another profile shot, same angle from before.

Face again

Another smile

Back to sleep

So he's doing really well. Strong heartbeat of 145. It's amazing when she can zoom onto his heart and see all the valves pumping and doing their job. You can even see the valves opening and closing like doors.

Now here's the fun part. He's measuring ahead, and way more ahead than he ever has which has been 2 days at most. I was 29 weeks the day of the appointment and he was measuring 30 weeks 2 days. 9 days ahead. Based on those measurements, his due date would be 11/2 but they aren't changing mine. He's in the 69th percentile which is great. According to the baby websites I look at, he should have been about 2 1/2 pounds on average. This child is already weighing 3lb 5oz. Crazy. These are all guesstimates so nothing is for sure till he's out and with us.

At this rate, he should be here between 8-9 weeks from this coming Friday. I can't believe it. I'm hoping he isn't as early as Christopher was (2 weeks) since we'd like to avoid another October birthday, but as we all know, it's all up to him.

I can't wait to meet this little one. Based on the ultrasound pictures, he looks very much like Christopher, button nose and big ol' cheeks :)

Christopher

I love this upclose picture of Christopher. He loves his motorcycle hat.

Big Boy Bed/Room

Christopher was the proud recipient of his own big boy room the second week of July. We weren't sure how it would go. We'd heard horror stories of kids on staying in the bed all night, up and down. Of kids not sleeping in it at all.

So we started months ago. Whenever we were out, we'd stop in a furniture store and let Christopher look around the beds. To see what he thought. He loved them (especially the bunk beds, duh). He loved just getting up on a bed and would pretend to lay down and sleep.

When we were up north in El Dorado Hills, we took him to an Ikea to see what he liked. He seemed to enjoy this bed the most, the Kura. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10123996 We had originally want a twin bed, something nice, that would last through the years. But those beds are pretty pricy. But then we started thinking when we realized he like the Kura. It's more important for him to like the bed, for him to WANT to sleep in it and have fun. A bed that will last a few years, then maybe go to baby #2 then get Christopher a twin, this sounded like a better plan.

So in came the Kura, with a new dresser (ALL his baby furniture went to the babies room, dresser, crib and glider). We didn't want Christopher to have the glider since he tends to play with it, and can get his fingers caught.

So his new room

From doorway

We put the bed the way it's supposed to go with a mattress on the bottom. As he gets older, he'll be able to sleep on top, and the bottom will be a play area. He really wanted to be on top at first, but we told him when he is potty-trained through the night, he can. "OK". I figure later, that will be a great incentive. I've heard that bunk beds are not great for bedtime training as it's too much going on to get to the potty.

We struggled with the actual layout for a bit, but LOVE how it all came out.

His new planet mobile above the bed.

He LOVES this. And I love that he can see it from below (since there isn't a mattress on top yet.

The new chair

Which is oh so comfy for me to do bedtime now. Me, my belly and Christopher were quite the squeeze in the glider. We also have the blanket on it that his great Aunt Sandy made for him last year (my mom's sister).

We've since gotten him different Dinosaur bedding so I'll have to take new photos. (I just realized that in reviewing this, that the new bedding is in the first few photos, the browner bedding to go with the wall color.) He is now very into dinosaurs.

And a cell phone pic of him in bed

This is before the new bedding and before we rotated the bed to the other wall.

He's done amazing in his new bed. Loves it. Has slept through the night each night. Hasn't gotten up. Even in the morning, he'll still talk to us through the baby monitor that he's ready to get up. When we do go in, he's just sitting in bed. It's like he doesn't know he can get out on his own. He's just waiting for us to come get him.

We also started a bedtime prayer with him about 3 months ago (or longer, time is blending). He's doing really well, loves it. Almost has the whole thing memorized. I'm looking to get something on the wall for him with the prayer. Right now we are using a cheezy blue post-it note that I put it on for David and I to remember. Christopher has to hold it each night like he's reading off of it.

All in all, great transition to the big boy bed. He knows the crib is in the other room, has said "that's mine" but we keep reminding him it was, but it's going to be for the baby. "oh, yeah". I think I'm going to let him "help" me put stuff together for the baby in the room so he feels part of it and more excited for the baby to be in it. We'll see in three months how that plays out though.

Christopher - Baby Boy?

So no photos in this one, just text. 

So sometime in June, Christopher made an announcement. He was no longer a baby boy, he was a big boy now. I had called him my big boy, and he said:

"no momma, no baby boy"

Me: "Why? You aren't my baby boy anymore?"

Him: "No, I'm a big boy now"

Me: "Why?"

Him: "Because the baby is in your belly!"

Ok, get it, but it still makes me sad. It's true though. So David and I have capitalized on his new found "Big Boy" status. Big Boy's use big boy cups, use the big boy potty, sleep in a big boy bed, don't where diapers, use the big boy booster seat (and on and on). It's been very useful. If he isn't doing something, "Are you a baby?" "No, I'm a big boy", "well then big boys do [fill in blank]." "oh, ok". 

So starting with this, his potty training started. He is now insistent, "No diapers, diapers are for babies, I'm a big boy" We are doing great. He's still working at being verbal about asking to go. I guess it's called being "independent" about being potty trained. We ask him if he needs to go "yes" and he goes. He goes about 99% accident free per week which is wonderful. He can go anywhere, stores, restaurants, even in a potty in the back of the car :) (have to be prepared). He's even waking up dry from naps and even waking up from naps to go potty. 

He started a new daycare the week before 4th of July. They have been great, very supportive and he loves it there. His vocabulary has become clearer since he started and he's learning so much. 

To get ready for the baby, we moved him to a big boy bed (and room). The crib and dresser were moved to the guest bedroom which is slowlyyyyyyyyy becoming the babies room. We've focused instead on getting his room re-done and ready for him to be a "big boy" in. We figured it was more important for him to have a new routine and be comfortable in his space before the baby came. 

I'll make the next post about the big boy room.

Some other little "Christopher-isms" lately...

I told him his birthday is coming up, wow. 

Him: "Yep"

Me: "Do you know about birthdays?"

Him: "Yes"

Me: "Do you know what you get on your birthday?"

Him: Thinking... "friends and cake"

Yep... if we all thought like a 2 year old.

Apparently, Christopher can now talk to and feed the baby through my bell button. It's also how he's going to come out. I won't correct him :)

His two new catch phrases... "Oh, man!" and "That's cool!". He cracks us up when he does these. Sounds just like a 4 or 5 year old. So silly.

Lately, he is definitely a big boy not a baby boy. He can talk so well. We can actually communicate, he can tell us what he wants and needs for the most part. He loves puzzles, to draw, to play on the piano. He is very into baking, gardening and walks. Loves his dogs who he calls "the boys". He loves his new daycare and is always asking if that's where we are going. Her name is Barbara and I guess the kids call her "Bubby" so we always get "are we going to bubbies?". I love that he is enjoying it so much there. He'll try almost any food, but usually stays with the usual suspects. I love that he'll try something new though. The other day he tried beets, got 1/3 of the way into the bowl and decided that was enough. I don't think there's any activity that we could present to him that he wouldn't be interested in. He's been continuing swim lessons and he's getting to be a real pro. He's going under water more and more. Blowing bubbles and even jumping off the side of the pool (with assistance). We want him to be as acclimated to  water enough to be comfortable if we go somewhere. I'm hoping to continue lessons as he gets older.

He is growing like a sprout in height. I think he's just shy of 36" tall but is struggling still with the weight. He was 27.6lb at his 2 year appointment but is struggling just to keep another 3 pounds on this year. He was up to 31.5 pounds at some point, but got a little sick and dropped back down to 30. Just this weekend we weighed him and he was back up to 31 pounds. Urgh. He has his 3 yr appointment with a new pediatrician the middle of October so we'll update on that then. He's also getting his allergy testing done again. This time we are taking him to a pediatric allergist to be 100% certain before we keep on the no peanuts or start peanuts. He'll be tested sometime this month or early next month. I'm hoping he's grown out of his allergies.

That's all for now... a post on his new room to follow.