3 year stats

I feel like I can officially write a post about Braylen being 3 now that we went for his well check-up.  I'll give you a snapshot of Braylen in thoughts of three.

Stats:

Height:  37 inches (33%)

Weight:  31 pounds (39%)

Appointment notes:

1. First time doing the vision test.  He was just so adorable naming the objects.  The nurse only got one eye tested before he lost interest
2. No shots
3. No concerns.

Interests:

1. Anything and everything Disney Cars related.  He loves, loves, loves matchbox cars.

2. Running around the house crashing into every wall and door possible

He's had his fair share of bumps and bruises this year

3. Destroying anything in his path

Dislikes:

1. Getting changed/dressed (clothes, diaper, coat, shoes...)

He's mighty cute when he is dressed up for church

2. Being told what to do (his response "I DON'T WANT TO!!!!!")

3. The idea of using the potty


Playmates:

1. Evie

It's a love

hate relationship between these siblings

2. Griffin (most talked about friend from preschool)
3. Cole  (C wants to play with B now)


Does well:

1.  Follow rules for Zingo!  (He usually wins fair and square)

Shouting out which tile he has

2.  Play sports.  This kid has his Daddio's natural athletic talent.   He would rather have us pitch to him than hit the baseball off the tee.  He just knows what to do naturally when given sports equipment.

3.  Show genuine emotion/delight.

The moment Olaf came onto the ice
at Disney on Ice

So proud of himself for mastering the
pirate ship playground

Braylen has the longest eye lashes out there and will continually soften our hearts with his nasally, sweet toddler voice saying softly "I'm sorry, please don't be mad", but man is three going to be a trying year.  I naively thought we were going to luck out with a subdued boy and skip this crazy age.  We're in it now!  Here we go on a roller coaster ride with our three-ager!

Just Your Average Toddler

Braylen was "the most cooperative two-year-old" Dr. Burke saw today.  He let the nurse measure his height on the paper without moving (seriously, can't believe this is how they measure height...), sat still on the "boat" for his weight, and let Dr. Burke check him out with no wiggles or objections.  Now, the time he wasn't spent getting examined was a different story.  Needless to say, it was another sweaty appointment at the pediatrician.

Braylen's measurements at 2 years, 1 month:

Height:  35 inches (58%)

Weight:  26 lbs, 14 oz (32%)

I don't need 90 percentile kids, I just want one number to be average.  Normal range numbers are such a blessing to me!  He is also on track developmentally.  

Just your average toddler

Since he's two, I'll name two things in each category about our two-year-old

Favorite Toys:

1. Duplo legos.  We enjoys making towers and knocking them down.  (I think these are also Daddio's favorite toys since I will find the kids upstairs playing and Daddio downstairs making castles)

2. Trucks.  My friends have passed on any trucks they weren't using because they know how much he likes to push those things around.

Favorite Activities:

1. Looking at books.  I will find Braylen in his room with his bookshelf nearly emptied.  He will flip through books for an hour.  He knows most of the titles too, so he will say each one he picks.

2. Playing with Evie.  The two of them are best buddies.  I need a separate blog post to gush about how much joy it brings me to see these two asking to play together all day long.  

Favorite Foods:

1. Trader Joes boxed mac and cheese. Judge all you want.  It's from Trader Joes, so it has to be somewhat safe and healthy, right?  :)

2. Pretzels.  A true Stefany.

Favorite playmates:

1. Evie

2. Ms. Liz.  (also Mommy's favorite playmate)

Mommy's concerns about having a boy:

1. Late talker.  Nope.  Braylen has exceeded our expectations in the language department.  He is a great little communicator, which has kept the tantrums to a minimum in this area.  He uses 3 word sentences and has an extensive vocabulary.  

2. Destructive, dirty behaviors.  Braylen has picked up a few bugs and knocked over his share of towers, but for the most part, I think he is a rather calm boy.   I give credit to his sister for modeling clean, tidy habits to him.  She also regulates when he is doing something that is repulsive to her, like picking up worms.  He is now afraid of ladybugs.

Braylen seems to be taking the role of the comedian in our house.  He does silly things, like wrap his place mat around his face, and will look around with this mischievous grin until someone notices him.  He make-believes with Evie, comes up with creative play ideas, and loves a good game of hide-and-seek.  The simplest things make him giggle.  

Braylen is a trooper staying with unfamiliar caregivers at church, MOPS, and at home.  He doesn't mind giving his "lady friends" lots of snuggles and hugs good-bye.  

Like his sister, Braylen is a huge thumb sucker.  He has a big callus on his thumb to prove it.  I have some work ahead of me!

It's hard to believe this little, somewhat goofy-looking boy

has become a blossoming toddler.  We love our Bray Baby so much!

18 Months and 3 Years

The kids had their well check ups today.  I was certain Braylen would overtake Evie in the weight category, but alas, Evie hangs on for another month to being the bigger sibling.  I was so shocked that B weighed less, I had the nurse weigh him again.

Braylen at 18 months

Height:  33 inches (70%)
Weight:  24 lbs, 4 oz (52%)
Head:  47.5 cm  (53%)

Evie at 3 years

Height:  just shy of 34 inches (<1 p="">Weight:  24 lbs, 13 oz (4%!!!)
BMI: 15.3 (49%)

Apparently Evie is shrinking.   Her height has diminished over the last three appointments.  Dr. Burke looked confused and concerned.  Let me clear this up for you, Dr. Burke.  The method your nurses use is from the stone age- having a squirming toddler lay on a table, putting marks at the head and feet, then measuring in between is not the best method.  I take height measurements with a grain of salt for both kids.  Now Evie stands to be measured.  Another joke with a squirming three year old.  Let me also remind you, Dr. Burke, that none of the females on either side of our family are above 5'2" tall.  We've moved from weight concerns to height concerns.  I'm so over it.  She's TINY.

The questions they ask me about the kids are slightly odd, like can Evie wiggle her thumb, yet both kids are right where they need to be developmentally.   I don't have the energy to give details on everything they are doing right now.  No shots for Evie and a few for Bray-baby.

This visit was more chaotic than the normal visit.  Now I am dealing with Evie needing to go to the potty.  The little potties at the new building are super cute and perfect for little ones!  Evie decided she wanted to use the potty three times while we were there.  One time I had to take a half naked Braylen with me and keep him off the dirty bathroom floor while Evie putzed around.  Another time, I left a crying Braylen with Dr. Burke while I took Evie.  Ahhh, so much fun!  

Evie and Braylen are playing together a lot more now.  I love seeing them interact

Grilling along with Dadio

Heels and bags.  LOL

Having snack (along with Parker) at their "snack table"

I posted Evie's birthday post way late, so click here for it.  Keeping up with the blog is getting harder and harder!  

1 Year (+37 days) Stats

As soon as we brought out the camera,
he said "cheeee"

This shirt is right on.  Our "little BIG MAN" had his 1 year well visit today.

Weight:  22 lbs. 8 oz (60%)
Height:  31 inches (74%)
Head:  46 cm  (39%)

My baby boy is so normal, I can't barely contain my excitement.  74th percentile for height?!  That CAN'T be right!  But darn if I am going to recheck it.  I am going to bask in these numbers for a long time.

so happy to have a child that eats and gains weight!

And just for the record- Braylen is a mere 2 ounces behind his sister.  Evie's days are limited, especially since she is recovering from the stomach bug and hasn't eaten anything substantial in the last 48 hours, of being the "heavy".  I will not bask in her numbers.

Braylen had four shots today.  He was so sad.  I did notice another tooth coming in on the bottom as he was screaming in my arms.  He'll be up to seven!

Seeing this cutie scream and cry is difficult
to hear and see :(

At one of his first appointments, Dr. Burke commented on his frenulum looking tight.  He has obviously nursed well enough to gain weight and never appeared to be struggling, so we never did anything about it.  Well, it doesn't seem to be stretching as it should and the poor boy's tongue is "forking" at the end as a result.  So it's back to Dr. Goldstone, the ENT, on Friday to have child #2 get a little snip, snip of the frenulum.  Four shots and a trip to the ENT all in one week, are we nuts?  I hope Dr. Goldstone can fix the problem and explain why he keeps getting ulcer looking things at the tip of his tongue.  I think he is rubbing his tongue over his two bottom teeth.  So maybe he isn't 100% "normal"  :)

Braylen walks every day; he practices covering more distance by foot.  He is so darn cute when he toddles.

and he's cute when he falls

I love having a boy.  I know some moms really want a girl to dress them all fancy and trendy.  I, on the other hand, enjoy the simplicity of dressing a boy.  It's so easy to pack his clothes and decide on an outfit.

Goodbye baby clothes, hello little boy
sweaters and pants

I wouldn't call Braylen a master of destruction... yet.  He does need to be watched closely though.

He likes to climb on chairs and tables

And pull things off the shelves

And if it's not apparent yet, I think he is just the cutest, "little BIG MAN" out there!

10 Months

My baby boy is 10 months old today!  And to celebrate this milestone, we went to see Dr. Burke for his 9 month well appointment.

Weight: 20 lbs (47%)
Height:  28.5 in  (35%)
Head:  44.8 cm (31%)

I am so pleased with his growth.  With the changing season, I changed over his clothes to all 12 month size.

Clearly he had a growth spurt!  His chunky
thighs are slimming down

Braylen is a speedy crawler.  He easily crawls up the two stairs from the living room to the dining room.  He also can crawl up an entire flight of stairs.  Any piece of furniture, toy, or leg is used for pulling up.  He does not stand or walk without support.  And when I say walk, I mean slight leg movements forward when we hold his hands.

Hannah's little kitchen is perfect for him

He plays with one toy in his hand at all times.
Usually that purple spoon

Don't worry Mommy Police, I put the blinds
up after I took this picture.

His biggest milestone this month is teeth!  His bottom two teeth cut through and his top four are close.  Crank 'em out, Braylen.  If he is going to keep me up at night for whatever reason, he might as well get 6 teeth at once!

After 3 glorious months of solid 11-13 hour sleeps at night, Braylen is up one to two times a night.  Dr. Burke said there could be many reasons and although various people will tell you not to feed him or pick him up, I do both.  I did the same with Evie and she was back sleeping through the night in no time.  I miss my sleep, but Braylen won't want to snuggle forever, so I am soaking in some extra cuddling while it lasts.

Another new trick this month is he can feed himself puffs.  He is liking finger foods more and more each day.

December 14th is rapidly approaching; I still feel like he's my baby!  When he does things like this...

Chillaxin' in the Mickey chair

...I realize he is much closer to being a toddler than a baby.



And just for comparison in looks, here's Evie girl at 10 months

7 months

A little about Braylen Thomas at 7 months of age

Size

Weight: 18 lbs. (48%)

Height:  26.25 inches  (15%)

He wears size 3 diapers and 9 month clothes.

Gross motor skills

Braylen is a sturdy sitter.  He has tumbled very few times.  While I want him to sit still for many more months, he has a different agenda.  He becomes very frustrated on his belly because he wants to move.  He flails his arms and legs as well as a little up on his knees action, but no sign of crawling.  He does more crunches than anyone in this house trying to go from back to sitting.  He is also diving forward (and losing his last meal in the process...) to get to his belly.  We passed on the snap n go stroller (holds his car seat) and have replaced it with an umbrella stroller.  A sitting child makes a big difference!

Fine Motor skills

There has been lots of raking, grabbing, and reaching at/for toys this month.  He is a fierce hair puller. He picks up his sippy cup and puts it in his mouth.  He has great hand eye coordination.  He is intrigued by bottoms and toys that make sounds.

Food

Parents that have good eaters don't know how lucky they are.  Every meal that Braylen eats without a fight (which has been just about every one) is such a relief to me.  Feeding Evie was so challenging and frustrating.  I am counting my blessing for a good eater.  Favorite foods include sweet potatoes, broccoli, and apples.  He has tried many fruits and vegetables.  I will introduce some protein this month.  He consumes milk 5-6 times a day.  He eats his 3 meals with us at the table.  

Personality/language

Braylen is easy going.  He doesn't fuss when held by a new person.  He lights up when he sees his sister or the dog.  He is the most vocal when he is in his high chair.  He knows that means it is time to eat and he wants food immediately.  He likes to snuggle into your neck and wiggle up our torso.  After our beach vacation, Braylen started talking to us.  Dadadadadadada comes out of that gummy mouth.  He is so darn cute.

You Do The Math

Evie's stats at 2 years of age:

Height: 32.5 inches (16%)
Weight:  22 lbs. 5 oz (4%)
Head Circumference:  47.5 cm  (50%).  I think Evie has a really small head so I was pleased to see this percentile "normal"

For the record- I was in and out in 20 minutes TOTAL!  No wait for nurse, no wait for Dr. Burke, and no shots.  A first for sure.  Another first- Evie did not cry once.  She was very pleasant and cooperative. 



Here's my word problem for you to figure out:

At 24 months Evie is 22 lbs. 5 oz.  She weighed 20 lbs. 2 oz at 18 months and 18 lbs. 8 oz at 12 months (for those of you who want to see her rate of growth) 

When weighed last week at G and Poppop's house, Braylen was 17.4 lbs.  We'll call that 5.5 months old.  He weighed 15 lbs, 10 oz at 4.5 months. 

You can make a system of equations and do the math, or you can make an educated guess.  When will Braylen weigh more than Evie??

My guess from the beginning was when Braylen is 9 or 10 months old.  I am holding strong to that time frame.

Growing

Braylen's numbers at 4.5 months-

Weight: 15 lbs, 10 oz (43%)
Height: 25 inches (25%)
Head: 41.25 cm (24%)

Most of his weight is in his chunky legs!  Both of my kids are in size 3 diapers now.  We will start rice cereal with him this week.  Pictures and commentary to come on that milestone.

Dr. Burke commented that it appears his teeth are "there".   I think she meant to say we might be seeing some teeth cut through way earlier than 10 months with this baby!  He may be teething after all.  I hope that's the reason for the screaming fits.

11 Weeks Check Up

Braylen finally made it to the doctor for his 2 month well check-up.  He is closer to 3 months old than 2 months at this point.  Oh well.  Some month we will be on track!  Let me tell you, two kids at The Pediatric Center for 1.5 hours was tricky.  I left a hot, flustered mess with 2 screaming kids.  Braylen was much better than Evie and she didn't have anything done.  Sigh.  She is bound to get the flu after laying face down on the floor during crying fit #3. 
Stats:

Weight: 12 lbs, 10 oz (31%)

Height: 23.25 inches (26%)

Head:  39.5 cm (33%)

He dropped a little in percentages, but no concerns from Dr. Burke.  She was impressed how much he has grown considering he only eats for 5 minutes at each feed.

not quite as strong and beefy as Popeye

Braylen rolled onto his side last night for the first time!

We have given up on the crib and decided to stick with what works to get him to sleep- the swing.  We moved it out of our room into his room.  He slept 6 hours last night!  We'll gradually lessen the speed and hopefully he'll move to his crib by 4 months.  He wants his arms out to suck his hands.  Fine except he can't stay asleep.  Still swaddled tightly at night. 

he loves looking around flat on his back, but won't sleep that way

Braylen still has a full head of hair.  Daddy is jealous

depending on the way we comb it after bath,
he can look like an old man :)

Even though he has frequent rotten-egg smelling gas, I love him more and more each day.

One Month Survived

Braylen is one month old!  And that means we have survived 1 month with two under two.  It is challenging, but I keep reminding myself that A LOT of people have multiple kids and they are all still functioning.  I can do it!  I am so thankful for the outpouring of help from our family and new church.  I have fully prepared about two meals this month.  I wish I could get meals forever : )

I couldn't get an appointment for Braylen the week of his one month birthday, so his stats might be a tad off since we are going a week late.  As of January 21st-

Weight: 10 pounds (36%)
Height: 22.25 inches (65%)
Head Circumference:  38 cm (56%)


Let's watch him grow in comparison to the giraffe.  Already I
messed up by not putting a 1 month sign with him... oh well.   Next time

Since it is one of the earliest and worst flu seasons in a while, I stay close to home most days.  Evie and I are going stir crazy, but Braylen seems happy to be in the comforts of his home.  Around 3 weeks he started to be more alert and staying awake for longer periods.  One of his most active times is during Evie's nap time.  Why would I get a chance to rest?   The play mat provides Braylen with a new view on life outside the swaddle, bouncer, and sling.  Keeping the other two off the play mat is a battle most days, which is why I like having him awake while Evie sleeps to keep the "no, don't hit baby" s to a minimum.

The people that made these play mats do not have dogs.  Putting a
squeaker inside the sun is dangerous. Parker can sniff that out from the kitchen

So sweet of Evie to "read" to her baby brother.  I wish she didn't need to
sit as close to him as possible (i.e. on his leg) and touch him all the time

How is he sleeping?  Well, like a baby.  Haha.  He doesn't like to sleep flat on his back, so he rests in the swing, bouncer, or snuggled next to me in the sling.  Not ideal, but it works... sort of.  He hasn't slept longer than 3.5 hours yet.  We had him sleeping in our room for most of the first month for convenience for nursing and out of fear our feet making the floor creak outside Evie's door would wake her.  After many sleepless nights, we moved him to his room.  We are getting more restful sleep (or maybe we are so darn tired we don't hear him even when he is crying...) and I feel more awake when I have to get out of bed to feed him.  He is now sleeping in the bouncer, in his crib. 

If Braylen had a say, he would choose sleeping with us all the time.  
 I guess his crying is his say...

Eating? I guess fine if he is growing.  I am nursing again, liking it a tad better than last time.  It helps that he has taken a bottle every night from Jason for the last two weeks.  I like the break and also know he is getting at least 3.5 ounces a day. 

With each passing day we move closer to that magical 4 month mark.  I'm not trying to wish my life away, just being honest that the newborn days are not my favorite.  Evie and I are ready to get out of the house! 

More pictures from Braylen's short life so far-

Braylen 1 Month

18 Months

Evie is a year and a half! 

Evie is a tiny little thing as you know

Weight:  20 lbs, 2 oz
Height:  30.75 inches

IF I wanted to turn her car seat around, I finally could, but she will stay rear facing until she is at least 2... or 7.  Thanks Rachel for being a model mother of car safety :)

I have really enjoyed the last year of Evie's life.  I think 6 months-now has been so much fun.  Her communication skills have improved so much over the last month.  It's so much easier to know what she wants now that she will nod her head for "yes" and say "doh" for "no".  Jason and I counted at least thirty words we recognize at this point.  She is very interested in language and will repeat most words we say to her.  This means we really need to watch our words!

Everyone keeps asking me if Evie knows about H2.  I doubt it.  She may notice there isn't as much room on my lap for her and I look similar to a hippo, but I don't think she has any clue she is about to have a baby brother or sister.  She thinks my belly button is really neat.  That was pretty much the only reason we got this adorable picture :)

As you can tell by her slow weight gain, feeding continues to be her weakness.  Some days she will eat her normal amount (much less than average toddler I'm sure) and others she will eat nothing more than goldfish.  As I learned from her KKI days listening to the kids in the feeding program- give them options when they eat.  I'm getting over healthy only foods at this point and will be happy if she eats anything (no candy or juice for now).  Her favorite foods are blueberries, grilled cheese, goldfish, and fruit strips. 

A noticeable change this month is her ability to point to things I ask her to find.  I've been asking her to point out certain animals or objects on each page in her books.  She is able to identify some of her favorite things (elephant, birds, flowers, bubbles).  When her G and Poppop were visiting, we asked her to find "G", "Poppop", etc.  She carefully looks around the room and points to the correct person.  She is also getting better at pointing to the correct family member in her photo book. 

Evie also inherited her mommy's puzzle wizard skills.  She is able to complete both Melissa & Doug animal puzzles (approx 8 animals) on her own.  I'm sure all toddlers do this kind of stuff, but she seems to smart to me! 

Her favorite toys this month were her push toys.  She maneuvers them around our furniture very well and likes to chase Parker around the dining room.  Good, wears both of them out and it doesn't require any fur pulling! 

Standing on chairs is another new thing thanks to her mommy.  She is fussy around dinner making time, so I let her stand on a chair and watch me cook.  She likes to play with the knobs on the toaster oven (it's unplugged) and cook along with me.   I cannot wait to give her the kitchen for Christmas!!  I have created a little bit of a chair monster though... she wants to be up on all the chairs now.  She is able to climb on her glider in her room and will read books for a while alone.  It's the kitchen and dining room chairs that make me nervous.  She is vertically challenged, though, and wants to see what we are doing!!

That's a little glimpse of Evie at this precious age.  This is likely to be my last monthly milestone post on Evie until 2 years.  You will definitely hear enough about Evie in other types of posts :)

18 Months

One Year Stats

For those of you that don't see Evie on a regular basis, here's a little about her at this age

Stats for her appointment
Weight:  18 lbs, 8 oz
Height:  28.5 inches
Head Circumference:  45.5 cm

Gross Motor Skills
With each day Evie becomes more steady on her feet.  She stands pretty well.  She stands after holding onto an object and also pops up from sitting.  5 steps is her max at this point.  I'm sure she will be running before I can blink.  She is taking much smaller steps and has better control when walking behind her push toys.  As of her 1st birthday, I wouldn't call her a walker.  She is very close though.

I had no idea how to teach her to go down the 2 stairs into our living room safely.  I tried to show her how to turn around.  Evie tried all kinds of ways and decided on her own that going backwards is the best.  It amazes me how she figures these things out.  She consistently stops, turns around, and goes down backwards.  She doesn't show much interest in going down the main flight of stairs... yet

She loves her riding toys.  She will throw her leg over the side of her car or the hippo at Auntie Laura's house and will sit there until someone comes over and pushes her. 

Fine Motor Skills (do I have my categories right?  I never liked all this technical stuff in child development class)
Evie is into stacking toys.  Daddy helped her figure out how to put the bright colored donut looking things on the tube.  She does it on her own now. 

I read to Ev everyday.  She also likes to look at books alone.  She will turn the pages and raise her eyebrows at certain pages.  Books with flip flaps are winners. 

Language
We are moving beyond "mama" and "dada" at this point.  She says "dada" a ton.  I'm not completely convinced yet that she is saying our names to us.  Poppop got her saying "thank you" and since we say Parker all day, she says something that sounds like it. 

She makes a lot of interesting sounds.  G sounds are popular right now.  "Hi" has been around for a few weeks.  She's a chatty one and is starting to imitate our sounds.  When I ask her what the cow says, she says "mmmm".  I now know what it feels like to know what your child is saying when no one else understands. 

Feeding
Evie takes 4 bottles a day, drinking about 18 oz of formula.  She will drink water from a sippy cup, but will push it away or throw it emphatically onto the floor if there is formula in it.  I tried whole milk in it and that didn't go over so hot.  I was hopeful that something would be easy in the drinking category since that has been her weakest area.  Giving up bottles and formula cold turkey might be too much for her.  I plan to mix formula and whole milk, gradually getting to all whole milk.  My goal is to have her off bottles and formula by the beach, 5 weeks away.

Evie loves cheese, meat, carrots, asparagus, pancakes, blueberries, strawberries, mango, and tofu.  Bananas, avocado, yogurt, eggs, green veggies, and bread are hit or miss.  Lunch is her best meal.  She eats 1-2 snacks a day depending on nap and where we are. 

We have a hard time keeping her attention when we go out to a restaurant.  She is a little flirt/social butterfly with the other patrons.  We haven't had a bad outing with her.  She likes to people watch. 

Sleeping
Evie is going down much better without needing rocked or snuggle time.  She can put herself to sleep.  She sleeps about 11 hours at night, from roughly 7:45 pm until 6:45 am. 

Napping is tricky.  Some days she will sleep for 1.5 hours in the morning and afternoon, other days she will nap for a total of 30 minutes.  She falls asleep in her car seat and transfers to her crib about 50% of the time.  1 nap means easier bedtime, but less time for me to get things done around the house.  She plays nicely in her crib for about 20-30 minutes, so even if she's not sleeping, at least I get some time apart.  She may be moving towards 1 nap.  I planned on moving her to just an afternoon nap when we go to the beach in July, but maybe that's too far away.  We'll see.  She is still pleasant about 95% of the day nap or not.

Eh, this post is filled with useless info to most of you.  This blog also serves as a record of her accomplishments for me to remember her life.  Thanks for reading this far.  Here are some random pictures from the last month.

12 Months

0.75 Years Old

Evie is 9 months old!  I think for the first time we went to the pediatrician on the 24th. 

Latest stats:

Weight: 16 lbs 4 oz
Height:  26 1/2 inches
Head:  44 1/2 cm

She's tiny.

What's Evie doing?

Talking
Evie makes m, d, b, and p sounds.  She will repeat "baba" when I ask her if she wants a "baba".  She jabbers a good bit. 

Movement
She is full out crawling and exploring.  She has given up rolling for being on all fours.  She likes to crawl over our legs, pillows, dog, whatever is in her way.  She pulls up on her toys, laundry basket, and ottoman.  Evie can get up 2 stairs.

A recent new trick is clapping her hands, which she nicely pairs with a smile.

Eating
As you can see by her weight, Evie is not the biggest eater out there.  She still takes 5 bottles a day, 4 oz each.  She eats 3 meals a day with lunch being her biggest meal- usually 3 cubes of food.  We are trying meat again since chicken didn't fly (no pun intended) very well a few weeks ago.  She loves apples and carrots. 

She drinks water very well from her sippy cup at meals.  She is caught off guard when I try formula in it.  We will work on getting her to drink milk from her sippy this month.

Evie can mash up cheerios, avocado, and Mum Mums with her gums (still no teeth).  Although she will pick up a piece of dirt off the floor, she doesn't use those pinchers to pick up her finger food.  She pulls my hand towards her mouth when I have finger food.  I'm hoping that is a good start to self feeding.

Playing
Evie plays well by herself.  She likes pressing buttons and listening to the sounds they make.  Sophie has taken a back seat.  Baby toys are a thing of the past.  She's ready for big girl toys.  Parker's toys are exciting to her, especially his well slobbered on balls. 

Evie loves to play with her Daddy.  He plays a lot more creatively than Mommy.  She laughs at him, especially when he tickles her.  Parker is another favorite playmate.  Evie plays a lot with her cousins except now Hannah is realizing it's all fun until babies start to move and steal her toys.  Evie fusses when we take toys from her.  A good rap beat or another toy distracts her nicely.

Sleeping
Evie takes 2 naps a day, one around 9:30 and another around 2:30.  She sleeps from 45 minutes to an hour and a half.  She sleeps well at night, typically 10-11 hours.  She travels well, sleeping in her crib and pack n plays at various houses.  A soft fleece blanket communicates to her it is time for sleeping.  She does not have a lovey yet.

Enjoy pictures from the last month!

9 Months

6 Month Check-up

Evie turned 6 months old on Thanksgiving! As usual, we had her check-up a few days late.

6 month stats:

Weight: 13 lbs, 15 oz (10-25%)
Height: 25 1/2 in. (25-50%)
Head Circumference: 43 cm (25-50%)

What is Evie doing at this age?

Sitting. Evie took to sitting very quickly. At first, she needed the boppy then strengthened those core muscles to sit unsupported. She will sit on the floor for 15 minutes by herself.

Making a circle on her belly. She likes her belly more than her back. She is moving her legs and torso in a way that allows her to turn while on her belly. She's made two complete circles this month.

Raking. Evie wiggles her little fingers over everything. She touches different objects interested in the texture. She touches the soft fur in her touch and feel books, furniture, faces, Parker, tableclothes, you name it, she touches it.

Exploring. As I said in my Thanksgiving pictures, she grabs at everything. See the same list as Raking above. Most things go in her mouth. She loves to look at the pictures (of her) on my cell phone. She grabs our plates on the table. I have toys in a box for her and she will pick them all out and throw them. Not loving her throwing toys, but I'm sure it's part of being a baby

Observing. Evie is curious about most things. She is mesmerized by the sound of the hair dryer and vacuum. She stares at the water as I fill my glass from the refrigerator or the faucet. Her head is constantly moving from side to side like she is watching a tennis match. She doesn't want to miss one thing. She enjoys watching and listening to her cousin Hannah.

6 months is so much fun. I like that Evie is starting to interact with us. Can't wait to see what she does in her 7 month of life!

6 Months

Belated 4 Month Appointment

Due to Evie's extended vacation at KKI and scheduling difficulties, here we are at 4 1/2 months having her 4 month appointment.

Stats:

Weight- 12 lbs (10%- boo, a little down)
Height- 24 inches (25%)
Head - 41 cm (25%)

Evie has made all her 4 month milestones- Smiles, laughs, rolls both ways, grabs at toys. She made raspberries in the office today and is reaching for faces. It's so much fun to see her do new things!

NG tube is in and out. She made it 48 hours twice without it. We're too nervous to go too long because the doctors get anxious when her weight drops. With getting her shots today, she might not want to eat this weekend, so maybe it's better it's in. I keep telling her that she'll be 20 weeks old on Tuesday and 20 week old babies don't need feeding tubes. I hope she listens :)

No solids until 6 months. But since it has taken 20 weeks to get her to eat from a bottle, we probably should introduce her to a spoon today.

4 Months- Give or Take a Few Days

I'm a big girl now!

Miss Evie had her 2 month check-up today.

Weight: 9lbs, 6 oz
Height: 22 1/4 inches

All of us are thrilled to hear that she is back on her growth chart and over 9 pounds! Now we need her to eat on her own instead of using the NG tube as a crutch. We will hit the bottle hard this weekend (ha ha) and keep praying clipping her frenulum on Monday will make a difference.

Evie got two shots today. I love that one side effect is fussiness. She was definitely more fussy than normal, if that's even possible.

We have moved to size 1 diapers and she's finally out of newborn clothes. She has great head control, smiles, maybe laughs a little too. She is alert and is starting to hit the animals hanging over her bouncer. It appears she is on track with behavioral milestones.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can report a colic free baby at the 3 month mark!

Between Tour Stops