Audra Two Month Update

Audra had her 2 month doctor's appointment this week (1 week late), including 3 shots.  Dr. Jen was amazed by how much Audra was socializing with her.  Lots of coos and ahhs.  Audra's measurements have come down slightly in the percentile range and are now height (24 inches) and weight (13 lb 2 oz) around the 93rd percentile.  We have seen such a transformation in her personality over the past few weeks, she is becoming a very happy, laid back baby, and she still loves being held and laughing at the silly faces her big brother gives her.  Xavier always knows how to tame her crying, by telling me she needs a bottle or a diaper change.  :)

Right before she got her 2 month shots.  Notice the bottle is full and ready!

Sleep is going well.  She moved into her crib this week and started sleeping just like always starting with the first night.  As for her schedule, daytime sleep is all over the place, catnaps all day long, between 20 minute to 1.5 hour naps, but night time sleep is very consistent.  She starts getting tired around 7pm, we put her down, either in her crib or swing, then at 10 or so, we sneak in a full bottle and tuck her in her sleep sack, and she usually sleeps until 4 or 5am.  She eats again, then goes right back down until 3 hours later, when she wakes up for the day.  She usually naps on the way to the babysitter and stays asleep until her next bottle.  Then she's up pretty much all day.

Audra loves being outside, loves stroller rides, and likes to sit in her bouncer on the back deck while we play with Xavier and listen to music.  She likes being held, or just left alone in one of her seats to chill.  As long as we don't put her in her own room while she's awake, she's content.  She hates being away from the attention and likes to keep an eye on things.  Audra is becoming a pro at tummy time, either on me, on her gym mat or boppy pillow, or on my chest.  She also likes looking up at the mirror on her swing and listening to Baby Einstein music or Disney princess lullabies.  

She isn't the biggest fan of her pacifier, unlike Xavier who was absolutely addicted to it.  She's up most of the day observing her world around her, and Xavier constantly slept at this age.  She's very active, and during tummy time I swear she's about to start crawling but Xavier HATED tummy time and refused to try crawling until much later on.  She fusses quite a bit in the evenings for no reason at all and Xavier only cried if he was tired, hungry, or needed a new diaper.  It's fun to watch the differences between the two kids emerge and we can't wait to watch her grow into her own little self!

Her little smile lights up a room, and she loves to give us smiles, coos, and kicks when we greet her.  Her most difficult/fussy time is between 5pm and 8pm, which we have dubbed her "witching hour".  It's rough to get through!  

Xavier is growing up so fast, attending sleepovers at his grandparents or friend's houses every time we turn around.  He's going through an independent phase right now and the other night he and I talked about his behavior.  I told him when he doesn't listen to me, it drives me nuts.  He responded, "but Jesus and God still love me."  He's got me there!

Audra's Nursery

I am so excited to share some photos of Audra's nursery today!  This has been one of my favorite rooms to decorate in our house, I was so excited about some girly pink walls!  The inspiration for this room was vintage floral and crystal.  I added long wispy curtains, a floral mobile with crystals, and threw in some personal items from her big brother.  I love how it all came together, sort of gives it a wispy, airy feel, but also keeps the feminine look.

Life Lately

It's been a crazy past 6 months and I haven't kept up at all on this blog (but definitely have posted lots of pics on Facebook).  Here's a recap of what we've been up to.  In pictures.

 

Our little guy has brought so much entertainment and joy to our world!  Now we prepare for the arrival of our newest addition, baby girl, due March 3, 2018!!

Fall Bucket List

Fall is well underway and we are doing our favorite things to keep the season fun.  We have already been apple picking, to the pumpkin patch, made apple cobbler, attended our street's annual chili cook-off block party, and have let at least 3 pumpkins rot on the front porch.  I love making lists of our favorite things to do each season, especially since Xavier is old enough to chime in.  He is anxiously awaiting to carve pumpkins this year and I wanted to share our fall bucket list full of other fun, festive, fall things!

1. Carve pumpkins!

2. Halloween party with friends.  We have talked to some friends about having a small breakfast Halloween party and it's always fun to host!

3. Make s'mores in a fire pit.

4. Jump in a giant leaf pile in our backyard. We definitely will have plenty of fallen leaves to do this:/

5.  Make Halloween cookies and deliver to friends.

6.  Scary movie night after Xavier goes to bed.

7.  Make caramel apples.  I'd love to do a caramel apple bar.

8.  Drive around the neighborhood and take in the colorful leaves on the trees.
9.  Make crockpot chili while watching football.

Hopefully we can do all these things while finishing planning our fall photo outfits and Halloween costumes.  Is that too much to ask?!

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." - L. M. Montgomery

Toddler Snapshot - Xavier, Age 4

What a summer it has been!  Xavier is learning so much at his new pre-school and we are keeping him active in gymnastics (his favorite that he asks if we are going to every day), tennis, and t-ball practices.  He's still got the most charming personality and is always looking forward to what we are doing next.  He keeps track of events and lists them off in order that we are about to do them.  He definitely seems to enjoy being on a schedule.  He loves monster trucks and fidget spinners and cannot ever have enough.  He is always the life of every gathering of kids.  And he routinely asks us if we can go around the neighborhood to find kids to play with.  Such a social boy!

His favorite foods are waffles, Nilla wafers (he calls them sugar cookies), baby carrots, and he is very adamate about taking his daily vitamins.  He is so excited for his new baby sister to come out and I'm sure he'll be the sweetest big brother to her.  He's always so careful not to hurt my belly.  Xavier is an early riser (6:30 on Saturdays!!) and cannot wait to get his day started. Before going to the babysitter's house, he'll try to sneak toy cars in his pockets or his backpack, but we know to check now.  He's doing so well holding his pencil and enjoys tracing his hand.  He still is the most willful child, always pushing the limits and testing us for just one more piece of candy or two more stories, but we wouldn't have it any other way.  His personality is so entertaining to us.  He is my favorite little sidekick!

Toddler Snapshot

It has been a whirlwind of to-do lists around here, so before I forget any of the most important things, I wanted to share a snapshot of my guy. 

Xavier // 3 1/2 Years

I love walking into his room in the morning to get him out of bed and seeing his big, happy smile.  

He loves meatballs, apples & peanut butter, "yo-yohrt" (yogurt), anything with ketchup, and most fruits.  He adores our little dog who he calls "Ja-poh-weeno."   When he plays the Wii, he tries to "kill dat guhl (girl)."  I will be so sad once he has perfected all the mispronounced words because right now, it is my most favorite thing ever!  He loves to play basketball with us at home, and before we play a game, he says he has to go "get my johwl-sey (jersey)."  He sleeps with about fourteen stuffed animals in his bed at night, and if I steal one to give him more space to sleep, he knows every time which one is missing.  His favorite toys are his monster trucks.  He likes to make go up the ramp to do a flip in the air, all while singing Blippi's Monster Trucks song.  

Four Things About Xavier

We are quickly approaching spring, even though we've felt like it's been spring most of the winter.  It's been unseasonably warm, and even though we appreciate not sloshing around in our snow boots, I secretly miss the snow.  Especially because Xavier likes to play in it so much!

Lately, we have been busy with Xavier's basketball and swimming classes on Saturday mornings.  We wanted something to help us get out of the house on the weekends because they just seem to get such a slow start.  Xavier loves basketball, but wasn't the biggest fan of swimming.  I think we'll sign him up for more basketball classes this spring.  

I've been busy collecting interior decorating books and trying different recipes from my blogger friends.  My favorite dishes to make are quick breads.  I made a chocolate pumpkin bread last fall, and recently experimented with some banana breads that turned out amazing!  I'm also designing some locker systems with a local carpenter so we can keep the coats and shoes from being visible from the kitchen area.

We are also thinking about summer vacation ideas.  I want to take the whole family on a summer trip since I know when Xavier starts pre-school this fall (omg!!) we will be limited on flexibility of taking vacations.  And Xavier is at such a great, independent, fun age, that it'd feel less overwhelming getting there.  I think we could now enjoy it more.  We are tossing around going to Nashville, Cincinnati, and Kelly's Island.

And a few random things about Xavier:

1.  Xavier turned 3 and a half the day after Valentine's Day.  We took his measurements on the giant ruler hanging in his room, as we do every 6 months, and he's grown a whole 2 inches since turning 3! 

2.  He is such a negotiator.  When we tell him he can have two pieces of chocolate, he immediately responds with "three" or "five".  If we tell him he has to eat three more bites of dinner, he says "two".

3.  He loves his family and hanging out at home (just like me!).  His favorite thing to do is right before bed, all of us gather on his blanket to read stories.  When Jasper comes in the room, Xavier gets so excited, he runs up and shuts the door.  He says, "We're all to-geh-vure."  It makes him so happy.

4.  He is hilarious!  He likes to do things that get a laugh, over and over again.  His new things are to roll his eyes in the back of his dad (like Papa does) while dropping his mouth at the same time.  It's so funny.  He also has a new trick where he puts a plastic coin in one hand, shows you both closed hands, and makes you pick which hand has the coin.  If you guess the right hand, he'll quickly switch the coin to the other hand and say, "Noooooooo!!"

His excitement for things (even if he doesn't understand what I'm telling him we are about to do, but still say it with an excited tone) is the best.  Whether it's his birthday, or going to grandmas, or going to the basement to play the "weed" (Wii), he always has something he looks forward to.  I love this about him!  It's (almost) always a fun and entertaining time when he's around.

Xavier is really growing up fast.  He's started requesting to hang out with friends from the babysitter's house on the weekends, which really makes him seem like such an independent, little guy.  He's making grown up decisions on who he wants to spend his free time with.  And I love carting the kids around to different places.  Seeing Xavier have so much fun with his friends is really a treat!