2 years old

Oh my, I can hardly believe that my precious little boy is 2 years old!  These past 2 years have flown by so fast.

Newborn, 6 months, 1 year, 18 months and 2 years

We just had his 2 year check up and he is as healthy as can be!  Here are his 2 year stats:

Weight: 26lbs 8oz (46%)

Height:  34.25in (39%)

Head Circumference: 19.75 (92%)

He can say almost anything.  He has so many words there’s no way I could count them.  He is now putting 2-3 word sentences together too.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE being able to communicate with him.  

He knows all of his letters and can count to 10 (I’ve even heard him go up to 14 but I don’t think he can recognize numbers over 10). He also knows the major shapes - circle, square, diamond, oval, triangle. We’re still working on his colors although he seems to recognize blue and red. He knows all of the major animals and the sounds they make.

He has recently become obsessed with Superman which of course is the cutest thing ever.  It’s one of his favorite thing to do/watch with his Daddy.  David brought home a Superman costume for him to wear and now he likes his Daddy to fly him around the house in his costume.  It is adorable.

He loves to “build”.  He recently got these cardboard blocks for his birthday and loves to build tall towers and then knock them over as quickly as he built them.  I think knocking them over might be more fun then the building part :)

He still loves books!  I now will find him in his room or playroom with books pretending to read.  It has to be one of the cutest things ever.

He is still really into music and songs.  He knows several songs with hand motion and I’ll hear him singing them in the bath or car.  We can’t always understand all the words but we can tell which song he’s singing.  A few of his favorites are “If you’re happy and you know it”, “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Old McDonald”.  His dance moves are pretty awesome too :)

He loves puzzles. He could sit there forever doing puzzle after puzzle. He really is pretty good at them.

He still loves Elmo (which was the theme of his party!).  He also enjoys watching Boz, Barney, Sid the Science Kid, Super Why and recently Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

He loves playing on my IPad.  I’ve downloaded so many apps for him (mostly puzzles) and he plays for as long as I let him.

He’s still pretty picky about his food but I think he’s getting better.  He’s more willing to try new things – not always liking them, but I’m just glad he’s trying them.

He loves playing outside. We go to our neighborhood park, he loves kicking his soccer ball with his Dad and of course swimming in our pool. He could spend hours outside if we let him.

He recently got his 1st “2 year old” molar so he has a total of 17 teeth.  All of his teeth have been pretty rough on him so I can’t wait until they all come in!

He is still an inconsistent napper – his naps can range from 1 hour 20 min to 3 hours. I never know what I’m going to get. He usually wakes up pretty cranky no matter how long he sleeps. Not sure why but I guess that’s the way he is. Sometimes I think it’s because of teething but who knows. He sleeps great at night – goes down around 7:30-8 and is up any where between 7-8am.

He is doing great at Mother’s Day Out.  He goes to 2 days/week again this year (Tuesday/Thursday) and adjusted very quickly to his new teachers and new room.  They are so sweet and loving.  He even takes great naps on his nap mat!  He is at the age where he’s really making friends too which is cute to hear him talk about who he enjoys playing with.  His favorite friends at school are Cole, Lillian, Brooks, Eli and Adeline.

The biggest event in his life this past year was becoming a big brother.  I want to write a whole post about this but he has truly adjusted so quickly to having Will in our family.  He couldn’t be more in love with him.

I could go on and on about things I want to remember about him at the age of 2.  His little personality and become a big personality.  He is such a sweet and loving little boy, always wanting to give kisses and “big hugs”.  He loves sitting in your lap and snuggling while watching a show.  He will all the sudden just look at me and say “mommy” and give me a big hug.  It melts my heart.  He is so sweet to his friends.  He sometimes needs gentle reminders to share but other then that he plays very well with his friends.  He is not an aggressive little boy at all, but just like any typical boy he is active and enjoys jumping, running and climbing anything and everything.  We are so blessed by his precious life and are so thankful that the Lord has given him to us to love and take care of.  He truly is a gift to everyone around him. 

Happy 2nd birthday James!  We love you so much!

4 Months

My sweet baby boy is 4 months old!

We had Will’s 4 month check up at the same time as James’ 2 year.  Here are his stats:

Weight: 13lbs 1.6oz (5%)

Height: 25.75 in (66%)

Head Circumference: 16.5 (49%)

Eating: He is still doing great on formula.  He eats 5-6oz every 3 hours during the day.  We decided to keep him on Alimentum formula for a little while longer since he’s doing so well.  His doctor gave us the go ahead to start solids so we might try that in the next couple weeks.  I’m not in a big rush to start but I probably need to pretty soon to get him some extra calories since he’s so little. 

Sleeping: I started sleep training him at around 3.5 months.  I was SO nervous because I hate hearing him cry but I knew it was necessary and would pay off in the end.  He did GREAT!  He barely cried at all and most of the time went down with just a little fussing or none at all.  Since sleep training his night sleep and naps have improved a lot this month.  He goes to bed between 7:30-8 and usually wakes once between 4-5:30 but has slept all the way through until 7.  We are getting there!  When I feed him in the night I only feed him a couple ounces.  My plan is to start reducing that by a half an ounce every few days until there is no feeding in the night.  I’m sure there will be some crying involved but I know he’ll get it.  His naps still aren’t perfect but he is better about putting himself back to sleep during the transition time (30-45 minutes into his nap).  He is still on 4 naps/day which seems like too many to me.  I hope to get him on more predictable nap schedule sometime in the next month or so.  He should be ready to drop the fourth nap by now so we are going to work towards that.

Clothes/Diapers: He is now in almost all 3-6 month clothes but can fit into a few 0-3 month onesies still.  He is wearing size 2 diapers.

   

He has rolled over a couple times from stomach to back but not very consistent with it yet.  I guess he’s doing things in his own time :).  He loves his playmat and tries to put any toy he can get his hands on in his mouth.  He can roll onto his side and loves playing with his feet.  He has really started to notice his big brother and will turn his head as far as it will go just so he can see what James is doing.  He is such a happy, laid back baby and most importantly healthy.  We are so very thankful for that.

Here is the monthly comparison pictures – James on the left, Will on the right.  They are even in the same onesie :).

James’ eyes are a brighter blue and Will’s are a little darker.  They have their own looks but I still think they look a lot alike.

5 months is just around the corner…hopefully I can be better at keeping up each month!

3 Months

I better catch up on Will’s monthly posts before I completely forget what went on each month…poor second child :).

Eating: He is now exclusively on formula and is eating every 3 hours during the day.  He is eating a lot better and I can tell he is finally putting on a little weight.  He will eat 4-5 oz at a time.  He has adjusted very well to the formula.

Sleeping: He is still taking 4 naps a day with 3 of them usually being short (30-45 minutes) and 1 of them longer (1.5 – 2 hours).  He is usually pretty happy even with short naps so we just go with the flow as much as possible and are so thankful when he decides to nap longer :).  I sometimes can get him to go back to sleep in his swing, but he’s become more alert so it is harder for him to sleep in his swing with James running around making noise.  His night sleep is still pretty inconsistent which I am a little frustrated by.  He will wake up either once or twice per night and I never know what time.  I feel like James was more consistent by now so I guess it’s just taking Will a bit longer.  When he wakes he goes back to sleep pretty easy so I can’t complain about that.

Clothes/Diaper Size: Still 0-3 mostly but some 3-6.  He seems very long so some 0-3 are too short on him.  I’m still trying to squeeze him into size 1 diapers just because I have way too many but really he should move up to size 2.  I put him in size 2 at night.

He has such a pleasant personality and is pretty laid back.  Not much upsets him or agitates him.  He is very smiley and will give a big grin to anyone who smiles at him.  He is still not rolling either way yet.  He holds his head up very well and is definitely strong enough but I just don’t think he cares much about it.  He will do it in his own time I’m sure. 

And here’s the monthly comparison picture – James on the left, Will on the right. 

 

Still looking similar?  These pictures aren’t the best to compare them, but there’s something about their nose and mouth that are very similar to me. 

These months are flying by!  We are so thankful for our sweet baby boy.  He continues to bring so much joy to our family!

Will at 2 months

This month was a bit of a roller coaster.  Will started throwing us a few curve balls!  Here’s a little recap of his second month.

Eating: This is where things started going downhill.  He’s always been a little squirmy while eating and not completely calm but it was never a big problem.  Well by week 6-7 he started crying while eating and almost refusing at times.  He was also having terrible gas (I could tell his tummy was really hurting).  He wasn’t sleeping as well either.  I thought it was perhaps reflux or also I felt like my supply was low.  Off to the doctor we went!  They first wanted me to try eliminating dairy from my diet.  They said a lot of times these symptoms go hand in hand with a dairy allergy or sensitivity.  Even though it was going to be hard, I was willing to try anything to make him happy!  The doctor said that if this was his problem then we should see some improvement by 1 week and he should be all better by 2 weeks.  Well, a few days in he was still miserable and refusing almost every feeding.  I started supplementing with formula and could tell he was much more calm while eating from a bottle.  So I decided to start pumping and just feed him formula for the next couple weeks and see how things go.  I did not get much at all when I pump - .5oz-1oz from one side and 1-2oz from the other.  It was so time consuming and frustrating because I wasn’t making enough to fill one bottle!  I did this for about a week and a half and didn’t notice my supply increasing at all even though I was pumping 6-7 times/day (and even at night).  My supply actually started going down.  So I just decided it was time to give it up.  I was so sad but knew I was doing the right thing.  He took a bit to adjust to the formula but is eating well and I can tell he’s gaining weight.  He still struggles with gas but I think that will work itself out over time.

Sleeping:  His naps have went downhill as well :(.  He is a catnapper just like James was.  Since he does like the swing, when he wakes early from his nap and is still sleepy I can put him in his swing and he’ll go back to sleep.  So, his short naps are more tolerable even though it’s still frustrating.  At night he usually still wakes twice, but he has occasionally woken only once.  With his eating/tummy issues we have had a few rough nights but I guess that’s how it goes sometimes.  Overall, he is a pretty good night sleeper.

Clothes/Diaper Size:  He is wearing 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers.

 

Likes:  smiling (started smiling at 5-6 weeks) – love that sweet smile; swing; playmat – starting to notice toys; bouncy seat with toys/lights above; sleeping in his nap nanny

Dislikes:  gas pains; mommy’s milk :(

And now to compare James (on the left) and Will (on the right) at 2 months:

Not the best pictures but I think you can tell that they still look similar.  I tried to pick pictures where they both had the same look.  Will has a rounder face but I think there is something about their nose and mouth that look alike. 

This month was a more difficult month but William is sweet and so worth all the trouble :).  We are so thankful for this sweet blessing God has given us.

More to come soon…

Will at 1 month

The first month with Will was a dream…so different then our first month with James!  I don’t want to compare the two all the time but it’s kind of hard when I feel like I just went through the newborn stages with James so it’s all pretty fresh on my mind :).  Will was basically a typical newborn, alternating between eating and sleeping!  After many months of praying that Will would be more calm then James was we were so thankful that the Lord had answered our prayers! 

Eating: He is exclusively breastfeeding and seems to be doing well.  I am waking him every 3 hours during the day to eat and letting him go as long as he will at night.

Sleeping: He will give me 4-5 hour stretches at night (waking twice) and very easily goes back to sleep after each feed.  He naps very well and I have to wake him from each nap during the day (such a difference from James!).

Clothes/Diaper Size: He is wearing newborn and 0-3 month clothes.  We just finished our only package of newborn diapers and he is now wearing size 1.

Likes: sleeping, eating, the swing (yay!)

Dislikes: diaper changes in the middle of the night (the only time he cries when getting a diaper change – he is hungry!), laying flat on his back (he sleeps in his little lamb seat just like James did – possible reflux issues???)

Here is Will on the left and James on the right…they definitely look very similar although James looks a lot chunkier!  He was a pound and a half heavier at birth so that makes a huge difference. 

 

Month 1 with William was great.  There were some overwhelming moments but for the most part is was a relatively smooth transition for us.  We were lucky to have lots of family visiting/helping us that first month and my wonderful playgroup friends brought dinners to us! 

William Reed Hollon

Now that Will is almost 4 months old (oh my goodness!) I better document his birth.  William Reed Hollon was born on May 15th at 5:12 in the evening weighing 7lb 3oz and 19.75in long.  He was absolutely perfect!  My labor was really fast and easy.  I decided to be induced since I was already dilated to a 4 and it was just easier to plan so that I knew James would be taken care of.  We arrived at the hospital around 11:30 in the morning and they started the Pitocin around 12:30.  I got my epidural by 2 and after that it was time to nap and wait for baby Will!  At first my progression was slow but by the end it sped up very quickly.  Our good friend Trevor came to visit around 4:45ish and the nurse kept asking if I felt pressure with each contraction (she was monitoring very closely) and I said I did.  After a few minutes of visiting with Trevor she said that she needed to check me because she thought I was probably at a 10 and ready to push.  Trevor left the room and before she even checked me she said “You are definitely ready, I see his head!”.  She rushed to get the doctor in the room and after 1 1/2 pushes William made his entrance into the world!  We were so thankful for a quick and healthy delivery.

Here are a few pictures from the first few days with Will:

Last picture of our family of 3 the night before we went to the hospital (yes, David and James are both in their pj’s!)

And our first picture of our family of 4!

Discovering his new brother

He is in love :)

Sweet baby

 

Nanie with her youngest grandson

Papa and Will

First bath

James watching his brother get his first bath…he was so interested!

 

David and I feel so blessed by another sweet baby boy.  I still can’t believe I’m a mom to 2!

28 weeks

Here’s my growing bump at 28 weeks:

I just had my 28 week check up and everything is going well!  I had the 1 hour glucose test and it came back normal thank goodness!  I have developed some sort of weird skin irritation.  I’m not really sure if it’s pregnancy related or not but I have seen my dermatologist and right now we are treating it as eczema.  I have always had really sensitive skin but this is different and very uncomfortable/itchy!  I’m really hoping the medication I was given works. 

Baby boy has a name too!  His name will be William Reed.  It has been super tough to decide on but I finally gave up on the name I really wanted :).  This is basically the only name that David and I can agree on.  Unlike James’ name, William Reed really has no significance to us.  It’s just a name we liked :).  I think it goes well with James too. 

That’s all for now!  I just downloaded lots of pictures from the past few weeks so I have quite a few posts I need to work on.  Check back soon!