Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Happy 1 Month, Austin!

Austin, Austin, Austin!
 
I asked you when you were born to not grow up as fast as your sister has, and you're already doing it -- this first month has FLOWN by!!
 
It is so much fun experiencing the newborn stage all over again.  There are so many things I dearly remembered from when your sister was little and couldn't wait for again (the sweet baby smells, the knocked-out milk comas, the snuggles, and ALL the feels you feel when you hold a baby close to your heart) but there is so much I had forgotten about (How much milk do you drink at one time?  How often should you be sleeping?  When do you start a schedule?)  Luckily, you and your sister were born in the Google era -- I can look anything up that I need to! ;)
 
Austin Christopher this month you::
 
are 10 lbs. 8 oz. and are 23 inches long!
 
are wearing size 1 diapers (say it isn't so!!  wahhh!)
 
are showing the beginnings of smiles and starting to coo :)
 
went on your first vacation!  We went to Panama City Beach with your Daddy's family and stayed at Edgewater Beach Resort.  Never again will we stay there.  You and your sister inhaled way more smoke than you ever have in your lives combined during our week there, it was incredibly crowded and everything seemed to break (2 families had to move condos because their air went out, one moved because theirs flooded from a busted water heater, our ceiling started leaking and CiCi & Papa's condo had bed bugs -- ick!)  You were a champ though!  We took you down to the beach almost every morning and you would nap down there on me for about 2 1/2 hours -- you loved it!
 
don't love your car seat as much as your sister did, but don't HATE it either.  It's just not your preferred seating arrangement and periodically on the drive you will cry out just one time and not too loud, just loud enough -- almost as if you're saying "just letting y'all know, I don't like this.."
 
have a blocked tear duct and it makes you have crusty eye boogers in your right eye all the time -- sad!  Although, it doesn't seem to bother you too badly.
 
LOVE your sister!  You watch her and listen to her all the time.  I know that when you're able to, you're going to be chasing her all around this house!  She loves you, too!  She has yet to be jealous of you or our time together.  She enjoys holding you, but really takes pride in noticing when you need your paci and getting it in your mouth -- just right! :)
 
love to sleep on your stomach (shhhh!)
 
eat 3-4 oz. of milk at a time and eat every 2-3 hours.  Breastfeeding didn't work out for us, either.  So you're on Similac Sensitive formula.  The Similac Advanced seems to hurt your little belly. 
 
Even though during the day you eat every 2-3 hours, at night you'll go every 3-4 and sometimes longer than that!  There have been several nights where you have gone 6 hours and those are the nights I thank you for!! :)
 
are hairy!  You were born with a head full of dark hair (although it has started to lighten some and even look a little auburn at times), but also had thick, dark hair on your biceps, thighs, back and forehead -- so funny!  No wonder I had so much heartburn!! :)
 
are a Mommy's boy!  You can be so upset and nothing will calm you -- not your Daddy, not your swing, not your paci, not milk -- and as soon as I hold you in my arms, you're content! :)  Oh, this warms my heart!  You are attached to me in a way Lucy never was.  You and I just fit together when we snuggle. :)
 
look just like your Daddy!  You have his feet & toes, his legs, his chin, and his ears :)
 
Austin, you have brought so much more joy into our lives that we didn't even know was missing!  You have a different relationship with each one of us that really is special!  I love our time that we've had together so far and can't wait to see where your life takes you -- the world is yours, baby boy!
 
With all my love for you,
Your Mama

Happy 3rd Birthday, Lucy!! :)

Happy 3rd Birthday, Lucy!!

I can NOT believe you are THREE!!!

At three years old, you::

Are 31 lbs. and 38 inches tall!

Love to dance!  It is not uncommon for you to just tell me "I need music!" I turn some on my phone and you will twirl around the room throwing your hands in the air and wiggling your fingers.  You took ballet this last year through the Vibe at Learning Safari, but will take both ballet and tap this next year in studio.  This summer, you completes two of their dance camps.  One was "beach" theme and involved ballet and tap, the other was "camp swagger" and involved hip-hop dance.  You're definitely more into ballet and tap! :)

Love to sing and are actually really good at it!  You can carry a tune well, and love playing instruments -- any kind!  You love your little piano and your guitar. You'll carry it around for hours and actually hold it like you know what you're doing.

Know all of your letters (upper and lowercase) and the sounds that they make.  You're even beginning to blend sounds to make words.  Thanks to some apps on the ipad, you know a lot of the -at and -an word families.  You can also recognize your name and do an okay job of writing it (pretty much only legible to me, but that's ok!)

Can count to 30 (but usually skip 15?)

Love to look for deer when we are out riding the golf cart

Love to swim in the pool (with puddle jumpers floatie) and are even braving jumping off the sides/steps in the deep end.  You are terrified of the diving board, though!