Holidays are HERE!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We did!! We spent the afternoon at Ben's parents to eat and then at my parent's house in the evening to eat. It was all wonderful!! It's really starting to feel like the holidays are here. I like it!!

Tayah and Blake eating. Not sure what kind of face this. It's a Tayah face.

Cousins. It's fun because Blake is getting bigger and old enough to play with Tayah. They do pretty good together too. Blake thinks Tayah is pretty funny.

Here is Collin taking a little nap on the chair at Grandma Val's and Papa Dave's.

Saturday Ben, Collin, Grandma Julie, and Papa Dan went to Quady's Tree Farm to cut a Christmas tree. Tayah spent the night at Grandma Val's so she missed out on the tree cutting but we waited to decorate it when she got home. Here is a picture of Grandma Julie and Collin keeping warm in the truck.

Tayah decorating the tree.

This isn't a great picture and you don't get the true affect of how tall this tree actually is. Not nearly as pretty as in person.

3 months Old

Sorry the video is sideways. I forgot to flip it before uploading it.

This is actually hard for me to even believe that my little one is 3 months old. That hardly even seems like a baby-baby anymore. Sad. We are just getting so big way to fast for mommy.

• He is over 11.5 lbs now.
• Wearing a size 1 diaper.
• Wearing size 3-6 month old clothes. Outgrew all of our newborn clothes.
  
• He eats every 2 hours, almost on the dot, except for at night.
• He is eating 4 oz. (2 oz of breast milk mixed with 2 oz of formula)
• He started to sorta (most nights) sleep through the night. Usually asleep by 9:00 and up to eat at 4:00. Then down again for another couple hours.
  
• He is sleeping in his own crib in his room now.
• Coos and makes noises.
  
• He is smiling A LOT now.
• Started to laugh.
  
• Found his hands- in his mouth usually.
• Found his tongue- sticks it out.
• Kicks his legs and arms like crazy now.
• Will roll to side when laying on his back....but doesn't like laying on tummy for tummy time.
• Started sitting in the bumbo chair and Exersaucer to strengthen neck and sorta likes it to look all around.
• Has had 2 haircuts already.
  
• Likes to be held close to mommy but daddy is better at getting him to fall asleep.

Shots

Collin and Tayah were both due for Wellness Checkups in October. Collin due for his 2 month checkup and Tayah her 4 year. Collin was due for his first set of shots and Tayah was due for her 4 year shots and Kindergarten shots. Tayah hasn't had any shots in the last 2 years (they don't do shots at 2 years or 3 years of age). So, the last time she had shots was when she was 18 months old. I was a little worried because now at 4 years of age she is a little older, a little bigger, and a little wiser when it comes to the whole business of shots. Those that know Tayah well, knows that she doesn't take pain very well. She has a short tolerance for pain to the point that it usually teeters on the edge of going bazerk. I debated on even telling her about the shots. I thought maybe she would worry more about it if she knew what was coming. Well, a couple of her friends at daycare had gotten their 4 year shots before her so she heard them talking about it. So, the next words out of her mouth are "Mom, do I have to get those shots?" So I let her in on what would be happening. I told her she would be getting shots and it was just a little poke, like when she got her ears pierced, and she would have to be very BRAVE. She was all prepared and ready to be brave. So, they did all the regular checkup stuff first, checked blood pressure, heart, eyes, ears all that and that went FINE, NO PROBLEM. Then, Mom and Dad went first and got flu shots and WE didn't even cry. "Okay, Tayah. Now it is your turn." Nope. Didn't want any part of that. So, I first tried a little bribing with ice cream and finagling. Didn't work so well. So, I pretty much picked her up and just laid her on the table and pinned her down (gently of course and trying to talk to her to distract her.) If you could have seen the pure terror in her eyes it would have surely broken your heart. Yes, she screamed and yelled but with 5 shots later (2 in each leg and 1 in the arm) I am happy to say she is done with shots now until she is 12. I can't blame her too much because who honestly would enjoy getting 5 shots. Next was Collin's turn and after that traumatic experience I let Ben take over and be next to Collin when he got his first set of shots. I was nearby still trying to get Tayah to calm down as she is yelling at the nurse, "DON'T HURT MY BROTHER!!!!!!!!!" Fortunately for all of us Collin only cried a little bit. Tayah called grandma on the way home to tell her and in a very sad voice told her and papa about what happened. She even said, "Collin cried a little bit and I cried A LOT." So, I'm glad that is over and I get to do it again with Collin next month. Yay!! And yes, we did get ice cream after our appointment and it did make the owies feel a little better.

So...here is Collin with his owies and band-aids. He was actually a trooper and did GREAT!!

Collins Stats: 11lbs 7 oz. and 23 inches.

Happy Halloween

We had a great Halloween this year. Tayah was a pink poodle, which was a hand-me-down costume from my cousin Talia. It was exactly what Tayah wanted to be though and it was very appropriate since she called her baby brother "poodle" when he was in me for the 9 months. Collin is still obviously too young to really go trick or treating but he was dressed up as a puppy this year. Also, appropriate since his name means "little pup". Two of the cutest puppies I have ever seen.
We headed out early this year and made our rounds then came home early to hand out candy to all the kids. Tayah loved handing out the candy and seeing all of the costumes.

Wonderful Weekend

Saturday we spent the day at the A Maze'n Farmyard in Eden Valley. What a cool place!! This place is right up Tayah's alley with all the animals they have. We can't wait to go back. They had every sort of farm animal you could think of, plus some. It is very hands on and they do a great job keeping the place very clean. We will definitely be going back.

Here is the website to check it out. www.amazenfarmyard.com/





Sunday, Ben and I spent the morning and afternoon celebrating with my best friend, Alicia, and her husband, Jason. Their daughter, Hayden Kylee was baptized and they had asked Ben and I to be her godparents. We were very honored that they asked us. She did such a good job and we can't wait to see her grow up and be such a close part of her life. Collin and Hayden are bound to be good friends.

Co-Sleeping: My Struggle with Sleep

I realize that co-sleeping is very much discouraged in America and I too have had my own struggles with this idea. I still try every night to lay Collin in his crib, and Ben says, "Just let him sleep with us", as we are trying to let him "cry it out". I have gotten encouraging words from other moms saying that they too had their infant sleep with them for a short period of time and to enjoy the moment as they grow up so fast.
When Tayah was an infant I very much discouraged her sleeping with me. I did not want to start a habit that would be hard to break. With Collin my thoughts have changed a bit and it started when his pediatrician actually sorta okayed the idea. She basically said to do what works and what gets us both the most amount of sleep. Co-sleeping is actually a pretty common practice in many other countries and a very natural parenting belief by many cultures. Just not so much here.
I had been bringing Collin to bed with me when he would wake up to eat since day 1, and he would sometimes fall asleep in my arms and I too would fall asleep with him next to me. I would wake up and put him back in his crib, next to our bed, only to have him wake up crying a few minutes later. I would go back and get him, bring him to bed with me to try and get him back to sleep, only to have us both fall asleep in bed. Eventually I just gave up in bringing him back to his crib because I found that if I didn't move him he would sleep all night long without even waking up to eat during the night. The other night I did lay him in his crib in his room for the first time and he slept 8 1/2 hours by himself. It was soooo NICE and very ENCOURAGING!! But the last few nights have been unsuccessful in that department and he has moved back in bed with me. The good news is that he is sleeping through the night, as long as he is next to me. I'm just trying to enjoy the moment and hoping that Ben is right when he says he won't do this forever. I'm surprised Ben is so okay with this idea and all I can think is that we may need a bigger bed.

Why Do Some People Choose to Cosleep?

Cosleeping supporters believe — and some studies support their beliefs — that cosleeping:

• encourages breastfeeding by making nighttime breastfeeding more convenient
• makes it easier for a nursing mother to get her sleep cycle in sync with her baby's
• helps babies fall asleep more easily, especially during their first few months and when they wake up in the middle of the night
• helps babies get more nighttime sleep (because they awaken more frequently with shorter duration of feeds, which can add up to a greater amount of sleep throughout the night)
• helps parents who are separated from their babies during the day regain the closeness with their infant that they feel they missed

It all started here. This is Collin and I sleeping in the hospital the night he was born.

2 Months Old

We are a big 2 month old now!! Our newest trick is that we SMILE!!