Double Digits.

10 wonderful months since we welcomed him into our family

2 more months until we celebrate his 1st birthday!

Time has gone too quickly, and he’s grown so much, but I love watching him become a little boy.

His personality shines through in everything he does (especially if he knows he shouldn’t be doing it)

And his smiles are infectious

He probably weighs a little more than 18 lbs and is around 31″ tall, but he won’t go back for another well check until he turns 1, so these are just my guestimates

He loves off roading in the cozy coupe

and crawling after balls

He’s starting to enjoy the slide, though he’s still a little bit unsure of it

He still only has his bottom two teeth (G had 6 when he was 10 months!!)

So absolutely everything is still going into his mouth and he is drooling with the best of them

Kuno is his buddy

But both dogs are very protective of him

He wears mostly 9 but some 12 month clothes, and he’s in 12 month sleepers, still a size 2 diaper for my skinny little man.  Eats 3 solid meals a day along with some snacks and nurses 4 times a day.  Some days we will work in a bottle as well.

He had his first visit to the pumpkin patch

Practices jumping on the trampoline daily

and absolutely LOVES to help me get his brother up from nap.  G plays peek a boo with him when we come into the room…it’s pretty adorable

And Davis wants so badly to do everything his brother does.  He’s very observant of him, and if he sees him do something or hears him laugh he is quick to join in

He always has been and still is, for the most part, a very happy little guy (with the exception of his top two teeth still working their way in) he is sweet and smart and so charismatic and I am so lucky to be his Mom.

Happy 9 Months to our sweet Davie!!!

 Ok…so he’s actually almost 9.5 months, but who’s counting 😉 At least I took his pictures and am doing an update this month!

This kid seriously makes my heart smile, (and my head hurt at times) but I could not ask for a more perfect little man.  He’s stubborn, and silly, and smiley, and laughs all the time.  He’s as adventurous as they come and he is going to run circles around Garrett in no time!

Personality wise…these two are like night and day, but I love how they are both very much their own little people.  I think it will keep them interested in each other in the years to come.

Davis had a well check last week and his growth continues to climb steadily on the curve . He is still a little bit smaller than Garrett was but he seems to be stronger and more determined than G was at this age

Davie’s 9 month Stats:                                                                        G’s 9 month Stats:

Height: 30.5″ – 96th%                                                                            Height: 31″ – 97th %

Weight: 17lb 11.5oz- 17th%                                                                 Weight: 20lb 6oz – 50th%

Still only has 2 teeth but I feel like he’s working on more (come on teeth!!!!)

He sleeps from 7:30-6:00 or 6:30 (usually)

Naps from 9-9:45 or 10 and from about 1 or 2 to 3 or 3:30 (some days are shorter and some are longer)

He’s not always consistent but I try my best to get at least a little bit of time every day when they are both napping, so I can eat, shower, fold laundry, pick up the house, prep dinner (if I’m lucky) or simply just sit down for a few minutes and unwind. I sometimes amaze myself with how much I am able to get done in such a short amount of time.  It’s funny how kids bring out that quality in us.

Wears mostly 9 month clothes, and 12 month sleepers, not sure what shoe size he is yet, but I’d guess a 4??

Still in size 2 diapers

Nurses 4 times a day

Eats 3 solid meals plus some snacks every day

Quickly crawls everywhere including up the 2 steps to our bonus room

 Pulls up on everything and picks out his own toys.

He’s getting better at playing by himself but still prefers to have people playing or at least sitting by him most of the time.

Doesn’t really care for a paci, but will take it if he’s really tired

LOVES  soft fuzzy blankets

Enjoys being outside and putting everything in his mouth

Playing in the dogs bowls and Chasing after balls

Drinking water from a straw sippy or a camel back water bottle

Jumping, yelling, talking and blowing raspberries. He says baba and dada and loves to imitate us when we say those combinations.

Playing with ANYTHING his brother is playing with, and his brother is not a big fan of sharing.  Davis gets mad when Garrett has something he wants or when he doesn’t share, it’s pretty funny.  I’m having a really hard time getting them to “pose” for pictures together

But sometimes the candid ones are the best ones!

I’m not sure how we got so lucky, but I do know that these boys are loved more than they could ever possibly know

Happy 9 Months Davie Boy, we love you to the moon and back!!

Where do I even begin????  It’s so hard for me to believe that it has already been two years since Dan and I went to the hospital excited, anxious, nervous, and without any idea what this itty bitty little baby would do to us.

Since 5:30 that Friday morning on June 24th 2011; we have become a family (of 4 none the less!)  Garrett has taught us more than we ever thought possible, and we consider ourselves some of the luckiest people in this world!

Since then, G has become his own unique little person and has grown so much!  It hardly seems possible that only 2 years ago he was this helpless little newborn who relied on us for his every need.

These days….he is is own very independent little boy.  He wants to do everything himself, and on his own time, and he constantly looks like he is trying to figure out the ways of the world.

We too, have grown as a family unit, learned from each other, supported one another, and loved unconditionally, even when we’ve been exhausted, tested to our limit, and pushed in ways we never imagined.

We had G’s 2nd Birthday Party this past Sunday, at our house/pool and even after some last minute rescheduling, we still had a great turnout and were so happy that so many of his friends were able to make it!

We had his 2 year well check last week and he’s still big and healthy!

Stats:

• Height: 39in/ >100%
• Weight: 31lbs/89%
• Head: 50cm/89%
• Size 4/5 diapers
• 2T/3T clothes
• Size 9 shoe
• 16 teeth

Schedule

• Wakes between 6-7
• Breakfast around 7:30-8
• Playtime/walks/Gym
• Playdates/pool/more playtime
• Lunch around Noon
• Naps immediately after,  for 2-3 hrs
• Snack/Mickey/Playtime after he wakes up
• Dinner around 5:30/6
• Family of 4 time afterwards
• Bath around 7:15
• Bedtime 7:30/8

What he’s up to:

• His vocabulary is getting bigger every day, and he is starting to string 2-3 words together though he’s still not speaking in sentences
• He repeats a lot
• Knows several animal sounds
• Some colors
• Knows the names of the family members he sees on a regular basis
• Still a picky eater
• He got a bounce house and an indoor trampoline for his birthday and he LOVES them both!

• Running and jumping are two of his favorite things to do

• He is still loves to play with water, pouring water from receptacle to receptacle, watering the flowers, playing in the water/pool, you name it, if water is involved, he’ll entertain himself for a long time with it
• Seems to favor his left hand, though he does a lot with his right too
• Throws balls very well over his head
• Kicks balls
• Jumps
• Spins
• Climbs on everything!
• He asks for a green smoothie (si si) almost every single day

• He’s usually pretty good with his brother (especially when Dan and I are not around) he’ll bring him toys, and play at his jumperoo with him, but if Davis is crying (which isn’t that often)  G sometimes gets anxious/stressed and smacks him on the head  I have no doubt Davie will pay him back some day ;-

• He loves to be outside and insists on going outside first thing every morning, throughout the day, and last thing every night
• Walks up and down the steps just holding onto the railing
• Still likes Mickey Mouse
• Loves bubbles, balls, trucks, and snacks
• Loves to help around the house
• Not yet ready to potty train, but he knows what and where his potty is and will sit on it  (mainly because he likes to push the handle to “flush” it and it makes a car noise.)  I’m not going to push it because I now that when he is ready he will let us know
• Out of school for the summer but will be going back to a different school (closer to home) come September
• He makes me smile every day with his witty personality, his independence, his strong will, his genuine smile, his infectious laugh, and his calm demeanor. He may have the coloring/and features of my side of the family (a Brunner/Palmer)

But there is absolutely no doubt that he is his Fathers son 🙂

❤ I am a very lucky girl ❤

Another month has come and gone and I am willing time to slow down more and more each day.

My Sweetness

Davis turned 5 months old on May 20th, and we celebrated with our first beach trip as a family of 4

Isle of Palms, SC

I seriously think that Davis is one of the happiest babies in the world, he is constantly smiling, and he was such a trooper our entire trip!

by the way….if you are planning on taking a trip to the beach in the near future and have kids who require way too much stuff, I highly recommend looking into a baby rental place. We used Baby’s Away and couldn’t be happier with our experience. We rented a high chair, an infant tub, a bin of toys for all the kids, beach chairs, a jogging stroller, and an umbrella but they offer lots more and they deliver it to the place you are staying before you get there, and pick it up when you leave!! It made packing for a toddler and an infant so much easier! I also can’t say enough good things about our travel bed/tent. We didn’t use the inflatable mattress insert because the sand was soft enough for Davis to lay on with just a blanket underneath him, but this thing was a lifesaver! If we were down at the beach (or the pool) and he got tired, we just popped it open and put him in it rather than having to head inside for every nap! It provided protection from the wind, sand, and sun, and he napped best when he was in this thing listening to the ocean waves!

I could probably do an entire post with pictures from our beach trip but I still struggle to find time to post so for now I’ll get back to Davie’s update.

Stats (According to my measurements)

Height: Around 28″

Weight: 15 lbs 4 oz

• Size 1-2 diapers
• Mostly 6 month clothes (some 3 month onesies still fit and some 3 month shorts)
• Still no visible teeth but drooling a lot an putting everything (especially his fingers and hands)into his mouth!

• Sleep has been hit or miss lately. Some nights he’ll only get up once others he’s up multiple times (usually we can just give him his paci and roll him on his side with his lovey and he goes back to sleep) but I’m feeding him around 2 a.m most nights.
• Naps are consistently 2-3 (good ones) a day (if we are home), but if we are out running errands his morning nap is usually broken up however, he’ll sleep for a few hours in the afternoon, and sometimes will snooze for 30 minutes in the evening
• Bedtime is usually no later than 7:30
• Wake time is typically around 6:30
• Prefers sleeping on his left side but sometimes will roll to his belly to sleep with his butt up in the air (other times rolling to his tummy will make him mad and wake him up)

• Nurses about 6 times a day (can’t believe it will be time to start solids in a few weeks)
• Still smiles and talks all the time
• Loves facing out in the Bjorn
• Standing (he can actually hold himself up if his hands are resting on something that is close to his chest height and if you try to sit him in front of you he will push up with his legs so he can stand and bounce/junp
• Taking to his jumperoo!

• Holds himself up really well and rolls front to back and back to front with ease

• Reaches for and grabs objects and brings them to his mouth
• Wants to be a part of what everyone else is doing, and prefers that to being alone

He has brought such a great dynamic to our family and we are so excited to continue to watch him grow and capture everyone’s heart with his beautiful baby blues!

I have lots of friends who have recently had or will be having their second baby come Summer/Fall and I often get questions about how life as a SAHM for 2 under 2 is, so I thought I’d give a run down of a typical day in my life with my two sweet boys! I am by no means a pro, in fact I’m quite the opposite as I’m still learning every day and trying to figure out how to make it all work, and I know there are several Mom’s out there who care for more than 2 kids of all different ages and make it seem effortless. I aspire to be one of you someday, but in the mean time if you have any tips/tricks that you would like to share please do!!

One of the things I learned from Garrett is that babies are wired to keep us on our toes so whenever a schedule seems to be falling into place, something is bound to change and you just have to go with it or you will drive yourself crazy.

*Our days are busy so this post is lengthy….you have been warned!

My husband is in sales so he travels a little bit, but his customers are mostly local so the majority of most weeks he’s home. There are days here and there where he needs to travel and I am on solo Mommy duty, and it’s those days where I find myself running behind schedule and willing bedtime to come faster I’m so thankful that I have such a wonderful partner who is present almost all of the time to parent with, I’m not sure I could do it without him.

Onto our day…

I try to keep a schedule of activities in the mornings during the week so every day is slightly different, but from lunchtime on they’re usually pretty similar

6:30: G is up and turns on his Twinkle Star projector that is attached to his crib. He talks and plays for a little bit while I wake up.

6:45-7ish: I head downstairs and get Garrett his milk, then go back upstairs and walk in to a smiling, bouncing toddler who is always happy to see me and his sippy cup!

Good Morning!

I give him his milk to distract him while I change his very wet diaper and bring G in to wake up Daddy. I close the boys bathroom door (G loves to flush the toilet and play in the water) and the gate at the top of the stairs. Then, depending on whether or not Davis is up, I either get back under my covers for a few minutes or head to the nursery to another smiley happy boy who also needs a clean diaper.

Happy in the Mornings!

I get Davis changed and bring him into our bedroom so I can catch a little bit of the Today Show and figure out what I have going on for the day while I nurse him. Dan is usually in the shower by now and getting ready for his day and G is running around upstairs closing doors, turning on lights, and playing in his bedroom or the bonus room.

When I don’t hear him for a minute or so I know exactly what he’s doing and as soon as he comes back into our bedroom I know that it’s time for another diaper change.

7:30: If Dan is home and doesn’t have an early meeting that he needs to be at, he’s dressed and and will change G and get him ready for the day. Then they head downstairs to make breakfast while Davis lays on our bed and looks at the fan in our room, kicks, talks, and plays while I pump then get ready for my day.

7:45: I get Davis dressed and we head downstairs. Dan usually makes breakfast for us and we try to quickly eat together and talk over our plans for the day while G finishes his breakfast and Davis plays for a bit than dozes off and catches some zzz’s in his swing.

Rough life

8:15: Dan gets out the door and I finish breakfast, while catching up on the social media world, clean up everyone’s breakfast and unload the dishwasher. If Davis sleeps I also get in some morning playtime with G (which I don’t get to do nearly enough) and start a load of laundry.

*On Tuesdays and Thursdays G goes to school so we try to get out the door by 8:30 which almost always ends up being closer to 8:45 in order to have him there by 9-9:15. And on Wednesdays I go to an 8:30 spin class at the gym so we try to leave the house by 8:15. I shower at the gym and we go to library story time immediately afterwards so we can get there by 10:30 which gives me enough time to feed Davis either in the car or the bathroom (they have a chair and changing table in one of the stalls) and both boys can get a clean diaper before story time starts at 11.

*Monday’s and Fridays continue on like this:

9:30-10ish: Davis is awake, and ready to be changed and fed again. He eats every 3 or so hours and we follow the Baby Wise schedule of eat, play, sleep, pretty closely; though the length of his wake and sleep times are still a little inconsistent. Some days he’ll play and then sleep at least a little bit after every feeding and once in a while he’ll stay awake for the entire 3 hour span between feedings, though if he does this he tends to get over tired.

On Monday’s I go to a 10:30 Spin/Strength class so after he’s fed and both boys are changed, we pack up and head to the gym. My Mother in Law works from home and usually has Mondays and Fridays off (or at least they’re light days for her) and she and G have recently started going to a music class so she’ll pick him up and I’ll just take Davis to the gym with me.

For me, the hardest thing about having 2under2 is spending enough quality time with Garrett, I am especially tied to Davis because he is exclusively breast fed and still so young. But making time with Garrett is super important to me so on Friday’s I’m going to start dropping Davis off at Grandma’s house so G and I can get a few hours of one on one time together with activities like Gymboree, parks, or play dates. While I absolutely LOVE my ERGO it’s next to impossible to chase him around and play with him the way I want to, while I have Davis strapped to me and I am know how fortunate I am to have family that is so close and so willing to spend quality time with the kids so I’d be crazy not to take advantage of it.

12:00: I pick up G or D from Grandma’s and bring them home for lunch because we are hungry!! Davis kicks and plays on his mat, or in the pack n play (usually) while G eats in his high chair and watches Mickey Mouse. If I’m lucky, I’ll get to eat as well. After G finishes lunch he’s ready for his nap so he gets his milk and waves bye bye to Davis and we head upstairs to put him down

12:45-1ish: Davis needs to be changed again and now he is hungry so I feed him and I can usually get him to fall asleep for a little while after wards

Loves soft fuzzy blankets

which gives me some free time to eat lunch, do some laundry, clean up the kitchen, prep for dinner, etc and if t’s a really good day…sit down and RELAX! Sometimes my relaxing looks more like this…

This tired Mama needs rest too

…but I love snuggling with my little love (Garrett has never been much of a snuggler) so I take what I can get!

3:30ish: Garrett is up and playing in his crib, Davis is usually asleep, however, it seems that the minute I get Garrett out of bed Davis wakes up regardless of how long he’s been sleeping so it’s both boys up and desperate for my attention every bit of the 90 or so minutes we have until Daddy gets home from work.

4:00:I can usually entertain G with a snack

Pretzels dipped in Nutella for a special snack

And more Mickey Mouse

Whenever the Tv is on…he wants it to be Mickey he sees

While I once again feed Davis and start making dinner. I find that the time between when the boys wake up from nap to the time that Dan gets home from work is the hardest time of day for me because both boys want me or my attention and I’m trying to get dinner made and ready so we can eat when Dan gets home. Most of the time the boys are in the kitchen with me

Mommy’s little helper

and more often than not, this is what it looks like while I make dinner

Looks about right

5-5:30:Dan is home and either takes the boys off of my hands for a few minutes or helps me finish dinner.

5:30-6ish: We sit down and eat as a family (hopefully while Davis catches a little cat nap in his pack and play or his swing) but more often than not he is awake and bored/wanting to be held.

6:30: Dinner is finished and we clean up the kitchen

6:45: We have been able to start taking little family walks after dinner because it’s still so light outside, but if it’s too cold we just hang out together while watching the news. I sometimes feed Davis again (because I find that cluster feeding him in the evening makes him sleep through the night) and Dan will rough house with G

7:00: Davis gets some more time on his mat while Dan and I sit on the floor with G and he goes back and forth between the 2 of us running, squealing, jumping, playing, and reading books…just happy to have both of our attention at the same time! When he starts to wind down a bit we give him his milk to finish before starting our bedtime routine

7:30: We head upstairs and get ready for bath! If it is a bath night for Davis, one of us will bathe him while the other bathes G and if it’s not a bath night for Davis he happily sits in his empty tub and looks in the mirror while G plays in the water.

Happy to be hanging out

8:00(at the latest): G’s teeth are brushed, his jammies are on and he’s in his crib ready for bed. We say prayers, kiss him good night, turn on his twilight turtle and his twinkle star projector and close his door. He usually puts himself to sleep within 10 minutes. Then I head into the nursery with Davis for his bedtime routine. I change his diaper and put his jammies on and we sit down in the rocker for one last nursing session and some snuggle time before turning his white noise machine on to the ocean waves setting, wrapping him in his swaddle blanket, giving him his paci and rubbing his belly while he dozes off. Some nights Dan takes over Davie duty and will give him a bottle of pumped milk before bed so I can get some more time to relax.

8:15-8:30: I grab any laundry that may need to be folded, and head downstairs to fold it, unwind, grab a piece of chocolate (because I’ve earned it) and plop myself on my couch for the rest of the night, or at least until I fall asleep 😉

10:00: Dan and I turn on the dishwasher, turn off the lights, and head up to bed. I tuck both of my babies in one more time before retiring myself; exhausted, but so thankful and so blessed for another day with our two beautiful boys.

What’s not to love ❤