I'm beginning to see a pattern on Monday's

After last Monday's doctor visit for the hand, foot and mouth virus the biggest issue was getting Abram to drink. For the three recovery days he hardly ate a bite and as you can see I tried as many different cups as I could to encourage him to drink. We made it through and by Thursday he was back to his happy self.

Fast forward to today, another Monday. He woke in a great mood and was ready to eat breakfast, the usual cereal bar and two cups of mandarin oranges. Wyatt was eating peanut butter from a spoon when Abram said, "Bite?" I got one of his baby spoons and put a little on there and let him have it.

I left the room to brush my teeth and when I returned Abram was itching his eyes like crazy and the closer I got to him the worse he looked. I quickly took him out of his high chair and went to change his dirty diaper. It was then that he tried to say something and it sounded funny, like a frog in his throat. Funny since he had woke up fine that morning. As I hurried to change his diaper he started crying each time he tried to swallow and his face was swelling up with white little bumps everywhere.

Yelling for everyone to go to the van, we were heading to the hospital. I grabbed a coat, as I was still in my PJ's, a hat and put on the nearest shoes I could fine. My church shoes from yesterday.

I drove as quickly as I could with all intentions of heading to the ER. I called my husband and my mom. She had asked if he was breathing without wheezing and thankfully he was. The swelling on the other hand was out of control. Have you seen the movie Hitch when the main character played by Will Smith has an allergic reaction? It was that bad and my baby's face was unrecognizable.

Practicing my Lamaze breathing(I knew that would come in handy one day!)I called his doctor who told me since he wasn't wheezing to head straight to their office. The doctor was waiting for me as I pulled up.

"Oh my!" she said upon seeing my sweet, swollen baby. "Have you given him any Benadryl?" I had not so they weighed him and gave him the right amount of Benadryl. We then sat in a room and waited to see if the swelling would go down. That is when I got a good look in the mirror of myself. Whew! I looked rough :)

The other two boys were still in the van watching a movie. They were dressed in their PJ's with no shoes. I walked out to check on them several times and they contently sat in their seats and watched the show. I stayed parked by the front door.

30 minutes later they felt good with the progress of the Benadryl and no other measures would be taken. We are being referred to an allergist who will have more answers. The doctor told me to stay away from Chick-Fil-A since they cook their food in peanut oil. Surprisingly we have been eating there for months and have had no reactions. He has also eaten my Kashi bars that have peanuts in them with no reactions. I am not sure why we had a reaction today.

Half way home he threw up all over himself and his carseat, then fell fast asleep. I changed him once we were home and put him in bed. He didn't move for over three hours. I think I checked on him about every five minutes for breathing.

The rest of the day I have been a nervous wreck on what to feed him. He seems in great spirits and back to his happy self. It was quite a Monday morning I hope to never repeat again!

Hey. . .What's This?!

Month 12

My sweet Abram,

One year ago you came home from the hospital just a 9 pound wee one who was completely reliant on two wide eyed parents. Look at you today! I am in awe at how much you have grown and changed. Each month I have savored each and every milestone and am blessed to have seen you achieve each one.

With two older brothers I know how quickly the baby phase goes by and it has made the moments special. Lucky for you I am a MUCH more laid back mother. I hope you will someday understand how special you are to be the third child in this family. Having your brothers before you prepared me in ways I didn't even know I needed to grow in. Thank You to our God who knows more than us!

I am not big on first birthday parties. They are more work and stress for the mommy than anyone else and you are too young to understand what the big deal is about. I did make cupcakes on Saturday and let you try one. You were NOT a big fan. I tried to put your hands in the frosting and taste a bite and you were very unhappy! You did like to play in it and crumble it into tiny pieces, but not one piece passed your lips.

You love to be outside and will crawl around everywhere! You will pick up sticks, rocks, bugs or grass and want to show me each and everything you have. It is important for me to give a response to each thing you show and will become impatient if I do not respond quick enough.

You can give and receive "high five's" much to your brothers delight. At life group two weeks ago you showed your talent and went above and beyond and said the word "pive!" Too cute! You will say 'pive' 'pive' and put your little hand out for us to give you FIVE.

My personal favorite is when I ask you to give mommy kisses you will lean in to give me a kiss or will pucker your lips and kiss mine. As if that wasn't enough when I ask you to give mommy a hug you will lay your head on my shoulder and put your arm around my back. Melts my heart.

Suddenly you have become a very picky eater! What is up with that? I will offer a first bite and you will back your head up and just look at it and decide you will NOT try it. You clasp your lips tightly and turn your head while putting your hand up in disgust. Even the foods that use to be your favorite. It is very frustrating but I will continue to offer them to you in hopes you will change your mind. Please?

You are down to only two bottles a day and I know that will soon end. Your first one is when you wake in the morning. As I change your diaper and take off your PJ's you will lay in your bed and drink your bottle. The second one is right after your bath, before bedtime. We no longer hold you while you drink, but will lay down beside you on the floor in the quiet living room. It is one of my favorite parts of the day.

I have enjoyed writing these notes each month since you were born. It is fun to look back and see exactly what you were doing. You have brought more joy to this family than we ever thought possible. Happy First Birthday!

One Year Later

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Months 10 & 11

Look at that sweet face! The past two months have been a time of mastering all the skills you have been learning the past three months. You are a fast crawler and can get anywhere almost as fast as I can walking! When you see a door open that you know you are not suppose to be the look of determination is in your eyes and you take off! It is a race between the two of us who will make it to the end first. Such a little boy!! You will pull up on anything stable and I find myself trying to step over you as you will yank on my pants to get you closer to me picking you up. Dinner time can be a workout as I am jumping from place to place to keep you off my leg and dinner from burning!

It is still amazing to me how quickly you pick up what others do/say. You will take your little phone and put it up to your ear and chat away. I find it hilarious and we will carry on a conversation with each other and pass the phone back and forth. You think your mommy and daddy are on the phone to much? You can sign for "more" and we are working on "please." Patty Cake is your favorite song and will quiet you in seconds when the fussiness sets in. We were sitting at the barber shop waiting for Wyatt to get his haircut. You were sitting on my lap with no problem taking in your surroundings. The lady next to us was not having a pleasant experience with her own son who was cranky and not listening to anything his mom had to offer. All the sudden the mom breaks out into the Patty Cake song and you turn to look at her with the biggest grin on your face and start clapping along! You were so excited someone knew your favorite song other than your own Mommy! You are able to say "momma" "dadda" "all done" "night night" "bye-bye" "bottle" and my favorite "no-no-no-no"

Two teeth. That is all you have right now. Those came in at seven months and it has been quiet ever since. This has not stopped you from eating anything that is offered. Baby food is not on your top ten list and the only baby food I can offer is chicken and apples. Otherwise it is all table food. You are also down to only two bottles. One first thing in the morning and one right after your bath and before bedtime. One last thing to buy . . . formula!

You know what you want and don't want and are not afraid to show it! If things do not go your way you are quick to throw yourself on the floor and cry out. If someone is trying to hold you, you will go limp in their arms to show your displeasure. OR instead of going limp you will throw yourself back with all your might. Hopefully the person holding you will anticipate this and be able to keep you from falling out of their arms! Such an attitude that I think is starting TOO early! You have no trouble hanging with your brothers. If they start to bother you or get in your face you are quick to react and swing at them with your arms to get them away. You make yourself known and what you will put up with!

For one week you stayed with your Aunt Jessica and Uncle Jon. Sorry we didn't take you with us to Walt Disney World. We promise to take you with again in three years! You seemed to do really well with your cousins. This was the first time to be away from me for a long length of time. I was nervous to leave you, but felt confident that you would do fine. It was exciting to see you for the first time when we got home. You were VERY excited and the grin on your face was priceless. This was the week that your chattering really began as you have been babbling and 'talking' non-stop ever since!

It has been exciting to have you in my life and I enjoy watching each new skill you learn and master. I am looking forward to your first birthday and many more after!

Month 9

Goodness . . . NINE months old! The word that comes to mind is Attitude! You are very aware of your own wants and desires and are not afraid of making them known to anyone who gets in your way. I find it very funny as you throw your head back and scream because I know what an important step this is in your development. Plus I am able to man handle you to do what I want, even if that means throwing all my body weight over your legs so you will lay still and I can change your diaper;)

Even though you have been quite mobile for awhile now you are able to crawl on all fours and get your tummy off the ground. Too cute! You can also pull yourself up onto anything you want and fall not so gracefully when you are ready to move on. You have gotten a couple of busted lips from trying to get down on your own and I believe this is only the beginning of all the hurts that are to come. You seem very independent and want to do things on your own.

Last Sunday I forgot to pack a bottle(!) and formula(!) in your diaper bag. As your brain is growing at rapid speed mine is apparently shrinking as I forget everything these days. We went to Mazzio's after church and I anticipated a big meltdown and a quick trip to WalMart to get another bottle and formula. No such thing! You ate Cheerios, cut up peaches from the salad bar, crackers(a mild chocking incident) and drank water from my straw. You were great and enjoyed all the table food. You didn't even seem to miss the bottle.

When I clean house I must now crawl on all fours to make sure every little toy of your brothers is put away, you like to put EVERYTHING in your mouth. Last week as I was changing clothes you sat in my closet and kept busy looking for anything to chew one. To my horror you discovered a dead spider and popped that thing into your mouth before I had a chance to intervene. After going into a complete fit of shaking and yelling I put a sock over my hand to fish that huge spider out. With all the commotion you started crying and I think I scarred you for life about spiders. *shudder*

You have a big interested in all kinds of different balls. Footballs, basketballs, soccer balls they are all your favorite thing to do. You will roll that ball and chase it all over the house and scream with delight when you finally have it in your hands. You also learned how to clap. Anytime we yell "yeah!" you will clap and yell with us. MaMa is now in your vocabulary and after much coaxing you will say it, but DaDa and bye-bye are your favorite words to say over and over.

Schedule is as follows for 9 months. You are very consistent and very few surprises come up with knowing what you are needing. You are able to skip one nap and usually skip the morning one on Sundays. When you do skip a nap you will take a three hour nap in the afternoon.

8:00 wake up; change diaper and put on clothes; 6 oz bottle; oatmeal and fruit; Cheerios and apples juice; play in exersaucer; have room time; read books, wrestle with brothers; crawl around the house looking for something to get into.

10:30 Nap #1-with your favorite polka dot blanket

12:30 wake up; 6 oz bottle; vegetable/fruit; Cheerios and apple juice; same activities as the morning

2:30 Nap #2

4:30 wake up; 6 oz bottle; vegetable/fruit; if any errands need to be ran this is the time to do so.

6:00 dinner with family; you will take small bites of whatever we are eating or just eat your Cheerios; play with Daddy, bath time

8:00 Bedtime!

Month 8

Look at those adorable, little, white bottom two teeth! Those came in at the same time and our lives were not completely turned upside down. Seems teething will not be a big issue, much the same as with your older brothers. I've enjoyed this month as your personality is shining with all the big grins and belly laughs you give. You think I am the greatest thing ever and I must admit it makes my heart swell. I can do no wrong and can make everything in your life seem just right. *sigh* can we bottle up this feeling? You give great wide open mouth kisses that your brothers think is gross, but yet they come back again and again for more.

You are still taking four bottles a day with six ounces each except for the last bottle before bed where you will eat 10 ounces. Along with the bottle you have TWO(!) jars of baby food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You do NOT like food with much texture and will gag and make the most horrible faces when I try to sneak some into your mouth. You love Cheerios, but cannot pick them up and put them in your mouth(what else am I here for?)and you will chew and chew on the Gerber food toast. It is usually what you will eat on while the rest of us eat dinner.

You are saying "da-da" all day long now and are proud of your recent accomplishment. You can also say "bye-bye" and wave your little hand. I give big claps for that one and get excited everytime you do it. Thankfully everyone else does to so you will wave bye-bye over and over. Aren't you cute?

You make your likes and dislikes known for everyone around. When your brothers have warmed out their welcome getting in your face you have no problems sticking that hand out and yelling as you arch your back. Can't say I don't blame you, those two can get annoying:~) When you are ready to sleep or eat nothing else will calm you until you get what you want. It makes having a schedule easy to follow. You are still on the same schedule as we established at six months and we are moving right along.

I love you very much and I am cherishing each and every milestone you are hitting. You are a sweet natured boy that I am blessed to call my son. Happy 8 months!

7 months

Look at your sweet face, loving on your favorite blanket! This is where you look most like Cooper. Everytime I lay you in your bed you look for this blanket as I put it over your little body. You curl your hands and pull the blanket under you to get comfortable. You take one piece of that soft blanket in your tiny hand and bring it to your mouth. It is the sweetest thing ever! I love to stay and watch you as you drift to sleep, but I can't stay to long for if you see me that blanket means nothing and you want me to pick you up. Momma's boy in the making!

My Life Group at church is my family away from family. They have been through so much with me during your pregnancy, birth and all that has happened since you have arrived. It was quite fitting for them all to witness a milestone. As we sat around on Sunday night discussing ways to be Godly parents you fiddled around on the floor with some of your toys. Then it happened, you pushed your way from your stomach to a sitting position! All discussions stopped as we clapped and cheered you on. You had the biggest grin on your face, yet your eyes seemed confused "What's the big deal?" I was very proud to be able to share your milestone with such a great group of people I consider your aunts and uncles.

We had to move the mattress on your crib to the lowest level because at bedtime you will move yourself into a sitting position and try to pull up on the rails. Without moving the mattress it would be an accident waiting to happen.

You are still getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth, but no crawling yet. Surprisingly you are still able to get yourself where you want to go. Your brother's toys better watch out!

You have tried all the Stage One foods and have moved onto the Stage Two yummy goodness. You are much better at eating from a spoon and mealtimes have become somewhat less messy. You refuse the sippy cups and you stare at the Cheerios without any interest. I tried to feed you one and you DID NOT like it. I am on a mission to not have a third picky eater!

Your first word it "BYE" and you like to say it over and over again. I am trying to get you to wave without any luck. I am working hard to get the MMMMM sound and I know it is on the tip of your tongue. We will keep working on that;)

Mommy separation is in full force and is it wrong to say that I am enjoying it? I love that you search for me and will cry and cry until I come into sight and take you from your surroundings. The look on your face when I do come into view is priceless and I have it etched in my memory. I feel so special to you!

The "schedule" is moving right along and nothing has changed from the six month writing. Lucky for us you are a good "on the go" baby so Saturday morning soccer games and Sunday church is no big deal to you as you will still take your naps. They might not be the usual two hours, but you get enough to not have total meltdowns when we are out. Yeah for everyone!

I love you very much!
Mommy

Who Needs a Nanny?

When you have such helpful big brothers.

Brother Connections

"Abram . . . you are so lucky. You get to stay inside in the cool house while Wyatt and I are subjected to 'outside time.' No . . I can't just come inside our Mother locks the door during this time, your turn is coming little brother. Just you wait!"

Half of a Year

The month has brought MANY changes in your little life as you are moving from the newborn stage into babyhood. Hear mommy cheering loudly! I have already put away three items you do not need anymore. The Bumbo seat, the activity gym and your infant carseat. You have been moved into a table highchair which you can now sit up in on your own. The activity gym was getting no use because you are rolling and scooting everywhere AND you are also the proud new owner of a convertible carseat that is Super comfortable *high five!*

Oh the joys(or not)of baby food. We have GOT to work on that spoon to mouth milestone. I am not a big fan of messes and my-oh-my do we have big messes when you eat. I repeat to myself over and over that this to shall pass. You love yellow squash, carrots and prunes. Dislikes? bananas, applesauce and pears. Are you sure you are mine? Those are some different taste buds. You are holding your own bottle now too. This makes no difference to me as I still want to hold and cuddle you while you drink that bottle. It is still cute to see your little hands grasping that big bottle.

You are a mover and use any means necessary to get where you want to go. You can get on all fours and rock back and forth. Sitting up on your own is good to go as long as nobody makes sudden movements where you will twist and turn and fall over immediately. One of my favorites is the fits you can give if you do not get what you want. Throwing your head back and screaming is your way of letting us know you are NOT pleased and things better change quickly. Bad news for you kid . . . I think it is cute and do not jump quickly to your demands.

I gave you a haircut this month. I couldn't stand the wispy hairs, so off it all came. You had no problems with the clippers, thank goodness. First sickness came this month as well. Snotty nose, fever and just down and out.

Weight: 17 pounds 6 ounces(49%)
Height: 28 inches(94%)
Head Circumference: 17 3/4(84%)

7:30-8:00: Wake up/6 ounces formula/oatmeal & fruit/2 ounces; playtime
10:00-Noon: Nap #1-You are a no pacifier baby, but have shown interest in a polka dot cuddle blanket that you will wrap around your hand and bring to you when I lay you down. Cute!
Noon: Wake up/6 ounces formula/vegetable/2 ounces; playtime(pack and play with toys, exersaucer, floor time with brothers, outside exersaucer, high chair play)
2:00-4:00: Nap #2
4:00: Wake up/6 ounces formula/vegetable; playtime(usual time for errands and brother's practices, church and such)
7:30: bathtime with Daddy; 10 ounces formula; cuddle and then down for bed for night. You still love to sleep on your tummy.

Cousins

Ben: "Sit still Abram, ouch my eye!"
Abram: "Dude, move your head I can't see."

Ben: "Turn your head this way, look at the camera."

Abram: "mom, no more pictures I am busy talking with my cuz."

Ben: "Oh, great here we go again. Abram get off of me!"

Abram: "Watch me. Stick your tongue out like this!"

All right. We will both look at the camera at the same time!

Thanks for coming to visit me Ben! I had a great time hanging all over you trying to poke you in the eyes, suck on your feet and grab at your face. It was FUN! Hope my bed was comfortable and you slept fine. I think next time we should sleep together, no? These mommies of ours are crazy with all the picture taking, but I think we gave them a run for their money, don't you? They were doing and saying the funniest things and the goofy faces they were making were priceless. Let's get together again real soon. Love you!

Month 5

Here marks the beginning of movement and LOTS of it! You have the eye of determination as you grab at your target whether it be a toy, blanket, food, bottle or someones hair; you go at it with a vengeance! Until I decide to chop my hair off most days it will be up in a ponytail and even then it is not completely out of your grasp.

We pulled out the johnny-jump-up this month and you love the freedom it brings. You get to moving your legs so fast as you jump up and down and swing it side to side. You glee with excitement at what you can do! The swing is a thing of the past and will be moving from its prime location in the living room. We no longer have to stuff a blanket behind you in your excersaucer. You move around that thing with no problems and explore each and every toy available. Peek a Boo is the best game ever as you giggle every time I pull the blanket away from your face. Even your brothers are able to get you smiling and laughing at ALL the funny things they do. This has brought them great joy.

You are more open to eating from a spoon now. Rice cereal isn't as bad as you initially thought, although I am looking forward to showing you the yummy goodness of fruits and vegetables. I use your Bumbo seat as your highchair since we are still working on getting you to sit on your own. I even take it with me to restaurants so you are able to have a place on the table to watch us enjoy our meal. Plus it keeps you off my lap as you find great pleasure in grabbing at the food on my plate!

We are facing new challenges as I change your diaper. You are a pro at rolling back to front and front to back and feel you must show me your great skills at the changing table. I feel I could win an Olympic gold medal at the speed at which I must change you. All the while you are trying to flip every which way.

We moved you out of your infant car seat into a gigantic one that seems to eat you. You were getting way to big and your feet hung off the end of it. No more lugging that huge thing around with you in it! It is a bittersweet moment as I must pull you out of the new carseat and put you into the stroller at each and every stop. No more sleeping during our outings!

Your daily schedule:
7:30: Wake up; 6 oz. formula/rice cereal/2 to 4 more ounces of formula depending on your mood; we have switched to a size 3 nipple so you wolf down your food in 5 minutes flat! watch mobile in bed/exersaucer in living room/bouncy seat in kitchen
9:30-11:30: Nap #1:
11:30 Wake up; 8 oz formula; I start with 6 oz. at each feeding and then if you are still hungry you cry and throw yourself back and are quite unhappy. I'll make 2-4 more ounces and then when the bottle is gone you are content; play gym mat on floor in your room/exersaucer in living room, johnny jump up
2:00-4:00 Nap #2
4:00 Wake up; see 11:30 feeding & activity schedule. This is also when we run errands, church time, out to eat for dinner or baseball games. You sometimes take a short cat nap in the car or if we are home a 30 minute nap in the crib in the evenings. ALSO you sometimes will get another feeding between now and bedtime, depending on your mood and the day. You ate ALOT the last three weeks, but this last week your feedings have slowed WAY down.
8:00-8:30 Bath; you are LOVING them! 8 to 10 ounces of formula and put to bed for the night. We DROPPED the dream feed this last month . . . YEAH! You are out for the whole night. The past month you have woken up once or twice and upon further check you had a dirty diaper once and the other time all I could conclude was a bad dream. The first one I changed you and put you back down and off to sleep you went. The second I picked you up to cuddle in the rocking chair about 5 minutes, put you back down and off to sleep you went. ALSO . . . half the time you wake around five AM and talk/sing and move around that crib thirty minutes to an hour. You still drift back to sleep until wake time at 7:30. It is the strangest thing!

Pacifiers are a no-go! You take after Cooper in this department, so I will stop offering you one. I did find a blanket that you love to chew on and cuddle with. It is just your size and seems to bring you great comfort. 99% of the time I can lay you down with no fuss or crying too.

Hats off to Month FIVE baby boy!

Milestone

Abram had his first experience with rice cereal and the results are questionable. He is good the first two to three bites, but after that he is DONE. He will start spitting it out everywhere and make raspberries. Nothing like the stickiness of rice cereal everywhere.

We are 'eating' at least once a day just to get him use to taking food from a spoon. If you consider the nastiness of rice cereal food.

YUM!

Close Cousins

My sister has been here for the past two days and Abram & Ben have enjoyed forced time together. Ben is a month older than Abram and it is neat to see the small changes that occur from month to month. Being a gracious host Abram let Ben sleep in his crib and Abram took the pack and play in our closet.



We ventured to the zoo for Way Back Wednesday(75 cent admission!)and had a hot, fabulous time. We only hit a small glitch, as I forgot to bring a bottle. The only most important item in Abram's life! He refused to take Ben's bottle so I left Amy there with my two boys and her little one and rushed to Babies 'R Us for a replacement. She survived, but is grateful for her one baby;~) Oh! and I misplaced my keys. That is all I will say about that!





I also took Abram to his first Wednesday night class so he could show off his cousin. They both stayed in class and when we returned the teacher was holding both of them and singing. They were mesmerized with that!



The first night they were here Cooper was observing Ben and had the comment that he has a square head. The rest of the visit we would have a poll over which head was better; a square or oval one. Quite funny!

4 months

The past month can be classified as the 'month of milestones' for you have had many over the past four weeks.

The first one was laughing out loud and mommy and daddy were both there to hear it. As you stared up at us from your crib we began talking in your favorite baby voice and out came the cutest belly laugh. We looked at you with shock as your face became solemn then you laughed again, too cute!

The next one was rolling from your stomach to your back. You had woken EARLY on Sunday morning so I went into your room to see you face up! I ducked quickly so you wouldn't see me and put my arm under you and 'turned you back over.' You snuggled up with your blanket and fell asleep. Over the next several weeks I had to go in many times to help you turn over so you could go back to sleep.

Luckily towards the end of this month you figured out how to go from your back to your stomach. So now as I lay you on your back to look at your fun play gym you like to roll onto your stomach and move around the room. What an accomplishment!

You are more engaged with your toys and like to try and grab them and bring them to your mouth and chew, chew, chew! Your favorite toy is a little stuff duck that squeaks. You are not interested in the squeaking as much as the bill, arms and legs that stick out that you can move to your mouth. Most of the time this is your #1 thing to do. You love your exersaucer and have figured out how to jump in it and move the toys. This brings out your happy smile and you jump over and over again getting excited over what you can do by yourself.

Your late evening nap is getting shorter and shorter and we are close to dropping it all together. This is fine as it seems we are on the go most evenings heading to baseball games and church activities. You only seem to need about 30-45 minutes and you are good to go.

The last two Sundays of this month you attended your first Bible school class with your other little friends. You looked so big sitting in your seat with pillows and blankets stuffed around you. Normally you would sleep during this time, but you find being awake and looking around alot more interesting, so I decided to start taking you to class. You haven't met a stranger yet and are willing to give away your precious smiles to everyone.

Here is your stats/schedule for four months:

Weight: 15 lbs. 4 ounces(60%)

Length: 25 3/4 inches(80%)

7:00-8:15 wake up change your diaper/change your clothes; eat 6-8 ounces; look at your mobile and chew on your duck

8:15-8:30 sit in your rocker chair in mommy's bathroom(so your brothers can't see you and bother you while you sit and look around)

8:30-9:00 play in your exersaucer and jump around

9:00-11:00 Nap #1

11:00-12:15 wake up and eat 6-8 ounces; go in your room and play under your gym mat

12:15-12:30 change your diaper; sit in your rocker chair in the kitchen as your brothers are outside playing and can't bother you

12:30-1:00 play in your exersaucer in the living room

1:00-3:00 Nap #2

3:00-4:15 wake up and eat 6 ounces; go in your room and play under your gym mat

4:15-4:45 sit your rocker chair in the kitchen; change your diaper

4:45-5:30 play in your exersaucer in the living room

*if we need to run any errands we will go after this feeding as this is your longest wake time*

5:30-6:15 sit on my hip as I cook dinner/play with Daddy if he is home/lay on the floor with your brothers/sit in your swing and talk to your toys/check the mail with mommy/sit on mommy's lap and watch your brothers{this part of your day changes with what we are doing}

6:15-7:00 Nap #3

7:00-8:00 wake and eat 6 ounces; play with Daddy or watch us eat dinner or watch a T-ball game

8:00-8:30 bath and lotion

8:30-9:00 down for the night

10:30 I still WAKE YOU UP for your dream feed. I am not sure when I will drop this one. 90% of the time I have to wake you and you sleep while you eat and as soon as you are finished you go right back to bed.

3 Months

The past month we have been on the move. How quickly I forget how much 'stuff' a young baby needs and the lists of things that need to be accomplished before we can even leave the house. You attended your first camping trip and sent your mommy into total meltdown because you REFUSED to eat. What was that all about anyway? Thankfully you saw the look of desperation and began to eat like it was no big deal. Our next trip was a week long vacation to Papa and Grandma's house. Grandma was very pleased that you would allow her to feed you instead of fighting her until you were in my arms. I was on big brother patrol keeping them out of your face for two seconds at a time so Grandma could enjoy you all by herself. You had a fabulous time and stayed right on schedule. Aunt Jessica came to babysit you each night so I could attend VBS and she said you were great! The last trip of the month was our family reunion where I was able to introduce you to everyone. My blood pressure started to rise as you refused your bottle upon arriving, but I figured out you wanted a WARM bottle not the cold one I was offering. Aunt Amy came to the rescue with a cup full of hot coffee that Aunt Jessica immersed your bottle in to heat it up. How can you already be so picky about your food? You drank it all up once it was made to your perfection. Whew!

Month three marks the beginning of the drool. I don't remember this starting so early with your brothers. You are wearing your bib everytime you are awake and it is something to look forward to for the next two years. Oh, the excitement! Since discovering your hands you have gotten them under control and can even get them to go where you want. Your brothers think it is great fun for you to grab their face and try to put your month on their noses. We will see how long this fun will last. You are more interested in toys that are set in front of you as you get the look of concentration trying to bat at them. I pulled out the exersaucer this month and you are already able to manuveur your way around, even with all the blankets I have stuffed around you.

We are moving right along on your little schedule. We have moved to a 3 1/2 to 4 hour time between feeding. You eat 6 ounces at each meal. Your waketimes have stretched to two hours at a time between naps. You still are taking three 1 1/2 to 2 hour naps and sleeping a nine hour stretch at night. There are a couple of times a week you will wake between 4 AM and 5 AM and move around, yet you always go back to sleep until 7:00-7:30. Yes, you sometimes wake during your naps and cry out and it is a reminder of Cooper as a baby. He did the exact same thing and it drove me insane. I realize it is just your personality and I keep up with the routine. You are more like him than people can see.

You have quite the personality and give the biggest smiles to those around you! Although it was a busy month you have kept up very well. Happy 3 months little one.

2 months

How responsive you have become to the world around you. I love how I can walk into a room when you are fussy and just say your name and you stop crying and begin to move your head around looking for my face. You found your hands this month and you are fascinated with them as they cross your eyes. It is like finding something new every single time. When you are getting sleepy you rub your eyes with those little hands and begin to sing or hum to yourself. I let you sit awhile longer and listen to you until you begin to fuss because you are not being laid down to sleep. I am still pushing the pacifier with no success. Come on! It would make the car rides so much easier. We must keep the vehicle moving and heaven forbid we have to stop, you know for a stoplight or traffic. The loud crying begins until we start to move again. Your brothers try to "help" and that only makes you angrier. You are their #1 and they both love to hold you and tell you their name about a million times a day. Cooper makes comments about needing his 'Abram time' because he says he doesn't get to see you enough. I admit, I do take all your awake time. We are on quite a schedule and I am very, very grateful. Here is your typical day.

8:00 wake up for the day; 5 oz. bottle; look at your mobile; hang in your rocker

9:30-11:30: nap #1

11:30: wake up; 5 oz. bottle; talk with brothers; play on floor gym

1:00-3:00: nap #2

3:00: wake up, 5 oz. bottle; another playtime with floor gym; hang in your rocker and swing

4:30-5:30: nap #3

5:30: wake up; 5 oz. bottle; Daddy home! Dinner with the family/outside time

7:00-8:00: nap #4

8:00: wake up; 5 oz. bottle; bath time and swing

9:30: down for the night. About two to three times a week you will wake around five AM and eat 5 oz./burp and then put right back in your crib and off you drift to sleep until morning. I expect to drop this feeding completely by next month and you will increase how much you eat during the day.

You sleep in your crib on your stomach(gasp!). During the day you do wake up during some of your naps and cry out. I have found if I get you up you are ten times more cranky and seem to be bothered by getting up. If I let you cry it is only for a little bit and then you drift back to sleep for the usual time. I'm learning to let you be and I find out you are doing fine. Your daily schedule can give or take thirty minutes to an hour depending on the day. We adjust accordingly and go about our routine. Here are the stats on your two month check up.

Weight: 12 lbs. 1 oz. (60%)

Height: 24 1/2 inches (90%)

Head: 16 inches (60%)

We started taking you to church this month and if I can time it just right you sleep through 75% of it, which is awesome. I know this won't last much longer, but I am enjoying the time now. You seem to be a very good baby and when you do cry it is for something very specific and most of the time we can figure it out pretty quickly and then you are fine. You love to swing and look at faces and still HATE bathtime. It isn't my favorite time of the day and I try to push it on your Daddy most nights. Thankfully he doesn't seem to mind all the crying. Happy 2 months!