7-Months-Old!

On August 8, 2013, our little Barrett turned 7-months-old. A LOT of things happened this month as he continued to grow and change way too quickly. Here are the details:

* Clothing: 9-month
* Diapers: Size 3

* He is napping 2 times a day with the morning nap being pretty solid and length of the afternoon nap pretty variable
* At the beginning of the month he seemed to want to transition to 4 feedings instead of 5, so I followed his lead and he is usually ready to go to bed after that last nursing session between 7-8 p.m. Since starting solids, he would occasionally wake in the middle of the night, but nothing too consistent.
* Solids continue to go well. He doesn't eat them quite as enthusiastically as Eli did but so far he's tried Green Beans, Bananas, Pears, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Peaches, Prunes, and Oatmeal. We tried applesauce but he may have had a slight allergic reaction to it, so I plan to try more again sometime soon.
* Speaking of allergies, we think Barrett is allergic to Candy. For a few months, I had noticed that every time Candy would lick his face, his skin would break-out into hives. Thankfully, they seem to go away within about 30ish minutes after exposure but it still looks so pathetic. The pediatrician says it could totally be something he outgrows, so I guess only time will tell. In the meantime, we just try to keep Candy from giving him "kisses" the best we can.
* At the beginning of the month, he was rolling all over the place and definitely not staying on his playmat/blankets
* On 7/20/13, he got on all fours for the first time and rocked back and forth
* He really started grabbing at EVERYTHING this month
* He also said "Ma-Ma" this month and oftentimes says it when he gets upset--perhaps we have another Mama's boy on our hands
* On 8/2/13, Barrett officially crawled on all-fours for the first time. He crawled to Eli's cars. By the end of the month, he is crawling EVERYWHERE and into EVERYTHING! Eli didn't crawl until about 9-months, so we are still in a bit of shock at this developmental milestone.
* With all of this new-found mobility, there are definitely some challenges. Changing clothes, diapers, and nursing is a battle of the wiggles and distractions but that's not surprising. Just too many new things to see and experience!
* The brothers are beginning to "play" with each other more and more. Eli can do no wrong in Barrett's eyes and he continues to be a wonderful big brother. Yes, Barrett's mobility is rocking Eli's world these days, as his little brother has a quite the knack of getting into his stuff, but hearing the two of them giggling together is priceless. There is no sweeter sound to this Mama's ears!
* One last "first" of the month was Barrett's first trip to the beach. We dipped his feet into the ocean and the sand and let's just say, baby boy was NOT a fan! Maybe next year!

We are excited to see what new things Barrett's 8th month will bring but hopefully that will NOT include walking! We love you with all our heart baby bear!



Here's our Eli at 7-months-old

6-Months-Old!

On July 8th, Barrett turned 6-months-old. Is my baby seriously 1/2 a year old already?!? The days sure seem slow at times but man oh man do the months fly by! It was quite a busy month for our little bear...

Weight: 17 lb 14oz
Height: 27.25 in

(Eli was a little guy at this age: 14 lb 6 oz and 24 3/4 in)

* Clothing: wearing mostly 9-month clothes
* Diapers: finishing up the last of the size 2 Diapers and will move up to size 3
* Takes 2 solid naps a day and really needs a 3rd in the early evening/dinner hour but that rarely happens or when I've tried he's boycotted it completely
* Still nurses about 5 times a day (every 3-4 hours)
* Not a huge fan of bottles but haven't offered too many this month
* Ate rice cereal for the first time and wasn't too thrilled with it
* He started sleeping with his little butt up in the air and legs tucked up under him this month(one of my favorite things with babies)
* Barrett started to roll back and forth more regularly which has been nice, since he hated being "beached"
* He's starting to balance sitting-up but still needs support to avoid diving into the floor
* Loves to play with his feet and cracks-up when he is being undressed
* Started to scoot a bit this month by pulling his knees under himself and pushing forward or backwards
* Plays longer with his toys and the play-mat is still a favorite
* He is definitely ticklish under his armpits, on his chest, and on the inside of his chunky little thighs
* Played in the Jump-A-Roo for the first time. He wasn't too thrilled about it at first but it seems to be growing on him.
* Finally experienced his first Bull's game (out of the womb) and did great--he was pretty entertained with all there was to see and loved flirting with the ladies nearby

Barrett is quite the smiley little guy these days and we are loving the opportunity to interact with him more and more. He continues to be a pretty easy-going, happy baby and fits perfectly in with our little family. We are blessed!



And here's Eli at 6-months. Barrett seems huge in comparison and I guess his latest stats are proof that it's true!

Father's Day 2013

Last Sunday we celebrated Father's Day together and it was also Mark's very first one being a Dad to TWO boys. He is such a wonderful Daddy and Eli and Barrett love him to pieces! So thankful to have him by my side in this whole parenting journey!

June Randoms

In an attempt to catch-up a bit, here are some pictures of a few of the things we've been up to so far this month!

Barrett enjoys making his Cabbage Patch Face


He's finally starting to notice Candy. She didn't seem to mind when he got her ear one morning.


Eli's enjoying lazy PJ mornings. Barrett is too!



We took a family trip to watch the planes at the airport


Finally getting to put my boys in some cute matching shirts for the summer makes me smile!


Barrett loves playing with his Dada!


Slow down June! I can't believe you are almost over!

May Re-cap

Life has been a bit full these last 5 months since Barrett's arrival, and May was definitely no exception.

Eli's pre-school class hosted the moms for a Mother's Day gathering


We had an impromptu Chick-fil-A ice cream date


Eli, Barrett, and I picked strawberries with his class for their final field trip of the year. He loved eating the "free samples"


Barrett spends his days smiling and giggling at us and we just can't get enough of his sweet little personality!


Eli is officially potty trained. Finally. It's been a LONG road. He finally earned his Holly Shiftwell from his grandparents and was so proud! We were too!


There has been plenty of swinging at the park


Barrett finally had his 4-month well-visit. No shots are going to get this little guy down!


Love these boys!

Finally, our May wrapped-up on a sadder note. On May 22, 2013, my family said "good-bye for now" to my precious Grandmother. We will miss her dearly but I am so very thankful for the 32 years I've been blessed to have shared with her. My boys will always know how much their Great-Grandma loved them. No doubt about it.

5-Months-Old!

On June 8th, Barrett turned 5-months-old. It's amazing how quickly the months fly by but we are having so much fun with our newest family member. He is such a sweet and cuddly little guy!

* Clothing: wearing a mix between 6 and 9-month clothes
* Diapers: size 2 Diapers but about to switch to size 3
* Naps 2-3 times a day.
* Still nurses about 5 times a day (every 3-4 hours)
* Starting to stare us down when we eat. Will be interesting to see how he responds to solids next month.
* He became a definite stomach sleeper this month. Love seeing his fluffy and smiley little head pop up to look out of the crib when he wakes up
* On 6/2/13, Barrett spent his first Sunday in the church nursery and did great. The nursery volunteers said he was smiling and giggling a bunch.
* Little guy got his 1st cold this month. Nothing too bad but it still makes you sad when he isn't his usual happy self
* Blows raspberries randomly
* Continues to gnaw on his hands and pretty much anything else but no teeth yet
* Still sucking his thumb when he is sleepy but not showing much of a preference lately
* Giggles/talks to himself in mirrors or any reflective surfaces
* Loves to grab and snuggle with blankets
* Rolls all over the place
* Started to scoot on his belly a bit, pushing off with his knees/legs towards things he wants
* Loves his big brother Eli more and more each day. Always looks for him and gives huge grins constantly when he's around. Especially loves it when Eli walks behind us on the stairs. Too funny!



And here's our Eli at 5-months!

4-Months-Old!

On May 8th, Barrett turned 4-months-old! He continues to grow and change almost on a weekly basis and we are enjoying every moment!

Height: 26 inches
Weight: 16 pounds 5 ounces
(as of his 4-month check-up on 5/30/13)

Clothes: 6-months and some 9-months
Diaper: Size 2

* Nursing every 3ish hours (sometimes 4)--still a bit of a spitter, so we always keep a burp-cloth handy

* Sleep: typically naps 3 times a day with the length of the naps varying on a daily basis, still sleeping through the night (8/9 p.m. until 7/8 a.m.), started sleeping on his right side as of a couple weeks ago, has started to scoot around the crib a bit as well

* He is always pretty alert when awake and prefers to be held upright so he can see everything going on around him

* On 5/4/13, Barrett rolled from his back to his belly for the first time on the play-mat while we were staying with Mark's parents

* He is still sucking his right thumb and the occasional Soothie paci

* He has started grabbing for everything and puts it all in his mouth

* We think he may be starting to teethe, as his hands are frequently in his mouth and the drooling has begun

* Loves smiling at himself in mirrors

* He cracks-up at things now: blankets pulled off his head, making him "dance," when you pull his arms out of his clothes to undress him (not really sure what he thinks is so funny about the last one--he absolutely HATES it when you pull shirts over his head to get him dressed)

* starting to really play with and reach for his toys

* Enjoys playing "pat-a-cake"

* Absolutely adores Eli and smiles/laughs at him constantly

Mark and I both agree that Barrett seems to have a quieter, more reserved personality so far. He really only fusses when he's overly tired and hungry but still loves to flash a smile out of nowhere, which totally melts us every time. We love our little B!

He was reaching for the camera this month!





The furrowed brow still makes an appearance from time to time...

Here's Eli at 4-months too!