tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47531938421067494102024-03-18T04:47:39.187-05:00Blessed to BeStephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-43444181204458906592020-05-02T20:12:00.001-05:002020-05-02T20:15:51.950-05:00Marigold is One! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Marigold is one year old!</div>
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Actually, she's one year + one month now! And holy moly, I can't believe we're past the one-year mark with another precious kiddo!<br />
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Marigold Claire, you are such a light in our lives! It's a joy to watch you grow, to watch you fall in love with your brothers, to watch you explore your world, and it's a joy to be your mom. What a gift you are to this family!<br />
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Currently, you love dresses and bows (which you hand to us and yip, "yeah!" . . . this is your way of asking us to dress you up); you love when your brothers push you around in the little walker cart; you love bath time and all the splashing involved; you love oranges and bananas so much that whenever you see one in the kitchen, you shout and squirm until we give you one; and you especially love being outside! When you walk by the backdoor, you say, "yeah yeah yeah!" and furiously shake your head yes until we take you out or we say no, and saying no usually ends with a wailing Margo. My sweet little outdoorsy gal. You've also recently become interested in puzzles and fitting shaped blocks into one of those shape sorter things. It's amazing to watch your baby brain make connections and learn new skills!<br />
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Since you started walking relatively early -- right before you turned 11 months old -- you are much more stable now, and you can even run when you really want something. This is especially comical when you're headed towards the stairs, or through an open gate (places you know are off limits), and we start saying your name to stop you. Instead of stopping, you startle a little and then take off running and giggling toward the off-limits thing. I can't handle the cuteness of your mischievousness!<br />
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We can tell you're starting to enter the picky phase with food, but you're still interested in most foods we put in front of you. Tonight, you gobbled up green beans, fresh mozzarella cheese, eggplant caponata, black olives, and ciabatta bread. Yum! Favorite foods include oranges and bananas, all the berries, smoothies, dips, cheez its, and all the other snacky things your brothers enjoy. Snack time is new for you. We've gone from 3 solid meals a day to 3 solid meals + 2 or 3 solid snacks. Which also means that nursing has cut back a bit. You still nurse first thing in the morning, before your naps, before bedtime, and a few other random times throughout the day, but the length of your nursing sessions have shortened recently. You get distracted by your brothers and wander off to play, and that's that! It always amazes me to watch the transition from fully breastfed to fully table-food fed. It's crazy how quickly table food takes over!<br />
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Speaking of nursing, one of my favorite parts of the day remains the 30 minutes of pre-bedtime ritual we have together each evening. First, you get your bath (every other night ish) + teeth brushing, then we head to your room for your last nursing session. And gosh do you crack me up. Through the whole 20-ish-minute nursing session, you need to hold something in your hand. That may be a book, a small toy, a stuffed animal, a random pencil that was left in your room, the wrapper from a piece of candy, who knows! But something has to be in your hand, and sometimes I'll present you 5 different options before you make a decision. After a few minutes, you drop the item and want something new. And this continues over and over and over until you're done nursing. Every night is different and the objects you want are unpredictable. It's pretty darn cute and hilariously random! After nursing is done, you get one book, one Twinkle Twinkle, and then it's lights out and good night.<br />
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You are still our sleeping champ, even though there have been a handful of not-so-great nights of sleep recently. (We think your emerging molars are the culprit.) Your usual schedule is: awake at 8am, nap 1 at 11am, nap 2 at 4pm, and in bed at 8:30pm. Right after you turned 1, we tried to get you down to one middle-of-the-day nap, but let's just say it didn't go so well. Your one nap was way too short, so you were exhausted and melting down all the time and we decided to just go back to two nap life for a little while, until you make it more clear that you're ready to change it up. Over the past few days, you've reeeeeally fought your late-afternoon nap (crying and protesting for many minutes before you finally pass out), so it may be time to try dropping it down to one again. But I'm gonna hold on a little longer since you are such a pleasant baby with all the sleep you get from two naps during the day.<br />
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Your nicknames have really evolved over the last year. We fell in love with your name, Marigold, for many reasons, one big reason being the nickname Margo. And while that is still your most-used nickname, it has led to other ones, from relatively normal and making sense to the just plain ridiculous. These include Margs, Margsie, Margo Moo, Moo, Moo Moo, and Moomie.<br />
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Your love language right now is kisses, kisses, kisses! And usually once you get going with the kisses, you can't stop. If Daddy and I are both present, you'll go back and forth between us giving sloppy, sweet kisses. Or if you're in the bath, you'll stand up, give me a kiss, then I tell you to sit down, you sit, but seconds later, you're up again for another kiss. So stinkin' cute.<br />
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Your brother John Paul is your favorite, and it's no wonder why! He is obsessed with you. He's almost like a little daddy to you. He'll snuggle you when you're sad, share his food and drinks with you, hold your hand and wander around the house playing with you. You share a special bond that absolutely melts my heart.<br />
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Jude, on the other hand, is still warming up to you. He didn't like being kicked out of the baby role when you came along, and I think he's still trying to figure out what to do with that. He also doesn't like how you want to play with (or destroy) all his toys, so there's some frustration there for him. But then there are these little moments when we see how much he loves you, like how he has to kiss and hug you goodnight before he can go to sleep at night, or how he wants to sing bedtime songs to you, or how he shows you his toys and tells you about them. Your relationship with Juji continues to blossom and I bet it'll be extra awesome once you can really play with each other.<br />
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You have acquired several words over the last month or two, and it's so fun to hear your little baby voice rattle off random things throughout the day. Your current vocabulary includes Mama, Dada, Bro-Bro, hi, bye-bye ("buh-buh"), blueberry and blackberry (also "buh-buh"), bath ("ba!"), book, yeah, no, more ("muh muh muh muh"), ut oh, and car.<br />
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Marigold Claire, we love you so so so very much! All 21 pounds of you! Every last bit, from the top of your (possibly) red hair, to the bottom of your chunky little toes. God gave us the biggest gift when He gave us you! Our prayer for you is that you continue to grow into the beautiful, smart, kind, funny, confident, generous, amazing little girl that we already know you are.<br />
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To celebrate, we had a little party, just the 5 of us. We were originally planning to get family and Marigold's Godparents together for a tiny little 1st birthday party, but a certain pandemic put a stop to those plans. We still tried to make a big deal about it being her special day, despite all the weirdness going on in the world right now. She got her own personal homemade cake, made from strawberry puree and other yummy, wholesome ingredients. And boy did she devour it! She's our first baby who knew exactly what to do with her birthday cake. We got the photos to prove it . . .<br />
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And for dinner -- which we ate AFTER the cake ;) -- we ordered Five Guys, because Margo loves fries, and we went around the table all taking turns saying our favorite things about Marigold Claire. What a joyful, perfect celebration we had for our big girl!<br />
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Happy 1st birthday, Marigold! Here's to a great 2nd year ahead! We love you REAL big!<br />
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-24249649645909569182020-03-05T20:49:00.000-06:002020-03-06T10:02:13.133-06:00Marigold, Eleven MonthsMarigold is 11 months old!<br />
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<b>WEIGHT</b><br />
21 pounds!<br />
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<b>SLEEP</b><br />
Still my awesome little sleeper. :) I can tell she's getting close to dropping down to one nap . . . her two naps are getting shorter, her own doing . . . but we're not quite there yet.<br />
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7:30am - wake-up<br />
10:30am - nap 1<br />
3pm - nap 2<br />
8pm - bedtime<br />
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It's so nice to have such a great schedule!<br />
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<b>FIRSTS THIS MONTH</b><br />
-Walking!! She can take about 6 steps on her own before plopping down on her bummy. Go, girl!<br />
-Finally popped that 2nd top tooth!<br />
-Eating way more; can demolish an entire banana in approx. 1 minute.<br />
-Gives kisses when you ask for kisses! Wide open, slobbery wet kisses!<br />
-One time said, "more more more more" when she wanted more blueberries.<br />
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<b>NICKNAMES</b></div>
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Margsie, Margs, Margo, Sis, and Margo Go are the most common ones. But we've also started calling her Margzilla this month, since she's super into her brothers' toys and destroys their creations all the time.</div>
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<b>OTHER THINGS TO NOTE</b><br />
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-Current favorite foods: blueberries, mango, banana, oranges, grapes, peanut butter, bread, pizza, pasta . . . we're showing signs of a typical toddler diet all of a sudden. AKA fruits and carbs are awesome, veggies are ignored. :P<br />
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-Margo is suuuuuper clingy lately. I'm guessing it's the 3 teeth she's popping. She wants Mama all the time. She will occasionally tolerate other family members, like Daddy or Nana, but only if I'm out of sight. And the second she can see me again, she will start crying hard until she's in my arms. Sweet peanut.<br />
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-As seen above, Margsie got a huge head bruise this month. She fell and bonked her head on the coffee table and ended up with a good size egg + bruise after that. Then, the very next day, she fell while walking and didn't fully catch herself in time, bonking her head straight on the floor, and the egg on her head doubled in sized. Took a solid week, maybe two, for the bruise to finally go away.<br />
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-Marigold loves to play! When she's not in super clingy mode (about 50% of the time), you can put her down and she'll wander away and play with anything. She especially loves our barn toy, freshly folded piles of laundry, floor food that hasn't been cleaned up yet, or whatever her brothers are playing with.<br />
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-We have a walker! She's my earliest walker to date. She was just shy of 11 months old, so basically 10 months old, and she figured it out. It makes sense. She's got her brothers to keep up with, so she was highly motivated! At this point, it's still just a few small steps and then a plop to the floor and crawling the rest of the way. But I bet after another month of practice, she'll be walking a ton more.<br />
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-I am shocked, yet again, at how quickly this year has flown by. My sweet little lady is about to be 1! In true parents-of-three fashion, we've decided to forgo the big party this time and are just planning dinner and a cake with family and her Godparents to celebrate her first birthday. Leaning toward a unicorn theme, but would that be too cliche of me? Ha! Do I really care?<br />
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Happy 11 months, Marigold Claire! We love you, silly girl! </div>
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-82855540785134877402020-02-02T15:12:00.000-06:002020-02-02T15:12:28.892-06:00Marigold, Ten MonthsMarigold is 10 months old!<br />
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<b>WEIGHT</b><br />
20 lb 3 oz<br />
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^^It is so hard to get her monthly photos now because all she wants to do is rollllll to get off her back.<br />
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<b>SLEEP</b><br />
Still my awesome sleeper.<br />
<b> </b><br />
8am - wake up<br />
10:30am - first nap<br />
3pm - second nap<br />
8:30pm - asleep for the night<br />
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And we don't hear from her until 8am the next morning. Best li'l sleeper there ever was. <br />
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^^Daddy is her wardrobe manager. ;P<br />
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^^Attempt numero 2 for 10-month pics, and all she wanted to do again was rollll and stand. <br />
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^^Christmas morning at our house with my parents! <3<br />
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<b>FIRSTS THIS MONTH</b><br />
-Standing unassisted for many many seconds.<br />
-Climbing the stairs all by herself (with a parent supervising right behind, of course).<br />
-Cruising around furniture SO FAST.<br />
-Walking while pushing her cart.<br />
-Clapping!<br />
-Signing "all done" if we sign it at her first.<br />
-Repeating more sounds: mama, dada, and bro bro.<br />
-One top tooth, for a total of 3 teeth. It's a hilarious smile she's got these days.<br />
-Sleeping in her big girl room all by herself!<br />
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<b>NICKNAMES</b><br />
Marigold Moo, Margsie, Margo, Margs, Sis, Sissy, Hairibow Meergs (don't even know how that one happened)<b> </b><br />
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<b>OTHER THINGS TO NOTE</b><br />
<br />
-As seen above, my parents visited for Christmas this year! They flew in on Christmas Eve and spent several days with us. It was such a treat to have them with us while we celebrated our favorite holiday.<br />
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-Marigold has had a boogery nose for weeks now! I think she's gotten back-to-back-to-back colds. Whew! She's mostly been in good spirits, despite the faucet of a nose she's currently rocking. But if we could cool it with the booger bugs, that'd be great. <br />
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-Her favorite foods right now are blackberries, blueberries, oranges, grapes, cheese, pizza, and balsamic chick peas.<br />
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-Margo is soooo close to walking! She's even tried taking a step, but she never quite gets her foot off the ground. I'm pretty positive she'll walk before one, but we'll see. All signs point to it: standing unassisted, cruising so fast around tables, walking behind her push cart. It's only a matter of time before she puts all her skills together and takes that first real step. Super exciting! <br />
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^^She was obsessed with this snacking pepper. She just wanted to crawl everywhere with it.<br />
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^^Marigold's big girl room! Complete with pink ceiling and a gallery wall of female saint portraits by <a href="https://www.studiosenn.com/">Studio Senn</a>.<br />
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-Right before the new year, we decided to move Margsie into her own room. She has done so well with the transition and we're all sleeping better because of it! So now we officially have a boys' room and a girl room and I have to say, that's pretty much a dream come true right there.<br />
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-Margsie still nurses 7 times a day! I think she's still getting a lot of her calories through breastmilk, but she's also eating like a champ. So in summary, she's chubby and I love it! :)<br />
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Happy 10 months, little lady! We love you like crazy!<br />
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-90909827985028063602020-01-06T20:35:00.001-06:002020-01-09T18:33:58.484-06:00Marigold, Nine MonthsMarigold is 9 months old!<br />
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<b>WEIGHT</b><br />
20 pounds, baby!<br />
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<b>HEIGHT</b></div>
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28.25", 60 somethingth percentile!</div>
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<b>SLEEP</b><br />
We are pleased as punch with Marigold's solid sleep schedule. Again, still variations here and there, but in general it's:<br />
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7:30am - wake up<br />
10am - nap 1<br />
3pm - nap 2<br />
8:30pm - bedtime<br />
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Knock on wood, but there's rarely a night when she needs a night feeding! And her naps are long and good, most days. Now if we could just get her brothers on board with uninterrupted night sleep, we'd be golden. :P<br />
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^^Side note: that's the outfit I wore as a 1-year-old on Christmas Day 1987. GAH! Sah cute!<br />
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<b>FIRSTS THIS MONTH</b><br />
-Waving!<br />
-Dancing to music!<br />
-Standing without holding on to anything for approximately 0.2 seconds.<br />
-Climbing up things, like onto the dishwasher.<br />
-Copying us when we say, "All done!" Hers is more like, "Aaah Duuuh," or sometimes just, "Aaahh!" I swear she's also copying, "Hiiiii!" sometimes and, "Yeah!"<br />
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<b> </b><br />
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<b>NICKNAMES</b></div>
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Margo, Margsie, Margo Moo, MARGS!</div>
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<b> </b></div>
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<b>OTHER THINGS TO NOTE</b></div>
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-I wrote a nearly identical comment <a href="https://blessedtobeblog.blogspot.com/2017/11/jude-nine-months.html">when Jude turned 9 months old</a>, but Margo is into everrrythinggg! The dishwasher, trash, newly folded clothes, the basket of kids socks on the bottom shelf of the changing table, little specks of anything she finds on the floor (fuzz balls, old dried up food, MUD . . . ughhh), shoes, your hair. Seriously, anything is fair game.</div>
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-One of her silliest tricks is fussing in the high chair during meals enough so that we clean her up (which she haaaates, btw), let her get down to play, and then she proceeds to snack on the food that fell from her tray just minutes before. Like she was done being in the high chair, but still wanted to eat. It's pretty silly and only mildly gross (floor food, bleckkkk). </div>
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^^Her first Christmas tree picking outing!</div>
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-Current favorite foods are cheese, bread/crackers/carbs, oranges, steamed apples, all the meats, and peanut butter. She'll try almost anything you put in front of her (including the celeriac we served her today . . . loved it!), but she has gotten a little more selective . . . and it tends to be the carbs that have won her chubby baby heart. But overall, still v pleased with how good of an eater she is!</div>
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^^ Cousin Christmas pics. No babies harmed, promise.</div>
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-Margsie has been so clingy lately, and we're pretty sure it's teething-related. She especially wants mommy, mommy, and only mommy, and she isn't all that content being put down for long, which is really out of the norm for her. So she has earned the right to sing, "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth!" Spoiler alert: one popped through a few days after Christmas. ;) </div>
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-Btw, the boys call her Margsie all the time and it's bonkers cute. You don't know cute until you hear your 2yo and 4yo casually squeal "MARGSIE!" at the baby, 20 times a day.</div>
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-The
way Marigold bounces and yips when we go get her from her crib after a
good nap is just the best part of my days. It's a full body bounce. Like
she's laying down, and she's pumping her arms and bouncing her legs off
the crib mattress, and it's obviously pure Marigold love coming out through
every inch of her body. This mom gig ain't half bad. </div>
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-And when she's not in her grumpy teething mood, she's the most content, chill baby, and she loves to be put down so she can crawl and explore and climb and take in the vast world around her. She'll play on her own for, IDK, 30 minutes to an hour? I just love it. </div>
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Happy 3/4 of a year, Margo Moo! We love you!</div>
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Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-25682878112282003422019-12-05T10:10:00.000-06:002019-12-05T10:10:15.421-06:00Marigold, Eight MonthsMarigold is 8 months old!<br />
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<b>WEIGHT</b><br />
19 lb 8 oz. Half a pound gained since last month!<br />
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^^No babies were harmed in the snapping of this photo. </div>
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^^She was all smiles the second daddy picked her up.<br />
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<b>SLEEP</b></div>
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We finally have a solid sleep schedule! There are still little variations, by 30 minutes to an hour here and there, but overall it's:</div>
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7:30am - wake up</div>
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10am - first nap, typically 1.5-2 hours</div>
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12:30pm - first nap cut-off!</div>
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3pm - second nap, typically 1-2 hours</div>
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4:30pm - second nap cut-off!</div>
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8pm - in her crib for bedtime</div>
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And then Little Miss typically sleeps through the night!! She will occasionally wake for a middle-of-the-night or early-morning feeding, but that's only about 1-2x per week. </div>
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Sleep, glorious sleeeeeep! </div>
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<b>FIRSTS THIS MONTH</b><br />
-Real crawling!<br />
-Pulling to stand!<br />
-Cruising on furniture!!<br />
-First two teeth!<br />
-Way more hair! Still not sure if she's going to be a red head tho. *shrug*<br />
-Really figuring out how to eat food!<br />
-Picking up and eating every last speck off the floor. GROSS.<br />
-Figured out object permanence! As a result: extra clingy to momma.<br />
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^^She never gets any attention. ;)<br />
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<br />
<b>NICKNAMES</b><br />
Margo, Margo Moo, Margs, Margsie, Hairibow Claire<br />
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<b>OTHER THINGS TO NOTE</b><br />
-Marigold is a champ eater. I've never had a kiddo take off so fast on solid foods. She's great at bringing the food to her mouth, moving it around in her mouth, mashing it with her gums, and then 50/50 on swallowing vs. spitting it out. She seems to be getting a ton for an 8-month-old. And she pretty much tries everything we put in front of her. Favorites include cucumber, pear, soft carrots, sweet potato, egg, cheese, avocado, and bread.<br />
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-She will soon be moved out into her new bedroom! We're just working on getting blackout curtains hung. I bought the curtain rods and curtains over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, so it should all be up soon. For now, she's still enjoying her time sleeping in her crib in our closet. Our wardrobe is not doing as well, as we can rarely get in there between her naps to put clothes away. So currently it's all unfolded and strewn about the bedroom floor. Don't judge plz. Our life will be back in order soon. Hahahaha jk. But maybe our clothes will be.<br />
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-Margs is SO good at pulling to stand, but SO unbalanced once she's up. She has fallen and bonked her head/cheek/chin/you name it more times than I can count. Doesn't matter if we are right next to her because it all happens so fast. Breaks my mama heart every time. Hopefully she gets sturdier on her feet soon!<br />
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-I wish I could capture all her noises and post them here to keep forever. She yips and screams and occasionally tries to copy short phrases from us. It's so dang cute! My favorite Margsie noise is when I get her from her crib in the morning or after naps. She yips and squeals and pumps her arms and legs in excitement. Gah! Can't handle all the cute!<br />
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-John Paul and Jude have officially warmed up to their sister. They've loved her since day one, but they've also shown us BIG feelings about adding a new family member over the last 1/2 a year, usually coming out sideways as unrelated tantrums and button pushing. But now that's pretty much out of their systems and for the first time they're saying things like, "I like Margo now!" and, "I love having a sister!" :) She's obsessed with them, so it's a good arrangement. Looking forward to many more years of sibbie love. It doesn't get much better than hearing a 4yo and 2yo call their baby sis "MARGS" all day long. Lolz.<br />
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Love you, sweet girl! You're pure awesome. <3<br />
<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-66689561123149439702019-11-03T15:01:00.003-06:002019-11-03T15:01:45.080-06:00Marigold, Seven Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
WEIGHT<br />
19 pounds of pure, wonderful chubbiness.<br />
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HEIGHT<br />
At her 6-month appointment on October 8, she was 27.75 inches, aka 96th percentile!<br />
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^^Our first attempt at her 7-month pics, in which she would only stay on her back if she was distracted by her brothers' cars.<br />
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SLEEP<br />
Sleep has been bonkers amazing the past month!! We have a loose schedule everyday, and I can't even tell you how happy I am that we sorta have a schedule to the sleep madness finally!<br />
<br />
Wake up around 8am.<br />
First nap around 10:30am.<br />
Second nap around 2:30pm.<br />
Get ready for bed around 7:30pm.<br />
In crib by 8pm.<br />
Asleep by 8:15pm.<br />
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Occasionally there's a middle-of-the-night feeding or an early morning wake-up around 6am. But most nights, it's 11+ hours of blissful, uninterrupted sleep for Miss Marigold. We're here for it.<br />
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Other things to note about sleep. It did take a whole month for the naps to work themselves out, but she's officially taking a 1.5-to-2.5-hour nap in the mornings and a 1-to-2-hour nap in the afternoons. When we started with the schedule, sometimes she'd take a dinky 45-minute nap in the morning and that would throw everything off and result in a 3-nap day. I'm sooo thankful to finally be past that! The only downside is that my kids trade naps all day long now. Margo naps in the morning and late afternoon, Jude in the middle of the day at 1:30pm, and John Paul just officially outgrew the nap. But I'm not complaining! It feels so good to have well-napped, well-slept kids and parents.<br />
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FIRSTS THIS MONTH<br />
-Army crawling SO fast across the whole house.<br />
-Absolutely trying to real crawl. She can get up on all fours and rock, but hasn't moved the hands or knees forward yet. SO SOON!<br />
-Eating all the big girl foods! More on that in a sec.<br />
-Consistently sleeping through the night! *happiest of all happy dances*<br />
-Babbling "dada!" Her favorite version is using her high-pitched screamy voice.<br />
-Trying to copy sounds we're making, like shhhhhh, and gestures, like fist bumps and "all done" hands.<br />
-Repositioning from sitting to laying on the floor with relative ease, although there is still the occasional head bonk when she doesn't have full control.<br />
-Popping her first tooth! And it seems the second is soon to follow.<br />
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<br />
NICKNAMES<br />
Margo, Margs, Sis, and Margsy are the most used.<br />
<br />
OTHER THINGS TO NOTE<br />
-On the first day of her 7th month, we arrived in Rhode Island for a one-week trip to visit my family. My siblings hadn't met her yet, nor my extended family, so it was great fun to show her off all week. The boys obviously loved the adventure as well. And because we had gotten her on a sleep schedule the two weeks before we left, her sleep was basically unaffected, even with all the traveling and sleeping in new environments. So as it turns out, she's an awesome travel baby. See following pics for some of my favorite moments in RI.<br />
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^^ My sister made this troll doll hat for Margo and it's hilariously cute.<br />
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^^These "baby holders" in public restrooms are quite hilarious and possibly not all that safe. 🙈<br />
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-Marigold got to start solid foods this month! Her first food was cucumber, and from there we've given her little bits of what we're eating, so long as it's not too salty. She's tried avocado, bread, carrots, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, chicken, steak, eggs, apples, strawberries, hummus, peanut butter, and so on. Of all my kiddos, she's figured out food the fastest. She's not swallowing much yet, but she's so excited to try, can basically pick up and get anything she wants up to her mouth, and she's getting enough to change the consistency of her diapers. Eep! It's so fun to watch her explore this new world!<br />
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-Sis continues to love playing on the floor, and now that she can army crawl, she loves it even more. She will move all the way across a room just to get her hands on a toy. I've even seen her "chase" after John Paul, who was crawling around and away from her. It was the most adorable game of tag I've ever seen.<br />
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-Miss Margo is still sleeping in our closet, but will soon be updated to her own bedroom. Our hold-up is that we wanted to get her room painted before we move her over. So we've been mulling over colors for weeks, and finally settled on the perfect pink for her ceiling and a creamy white for her walls. I'll be sure to include some pictures in a later post, once it's finished.<br />
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-Marigold has had croup over the past week. John Paul had it first, probably picked up from school, then Jude had it, and now Margo is finally recovering from it. She has sounded pitiful, like an old smoker when she babbles and cries. But she was never miserable, and it didn't interrupt her sleep much at all. What a trooper!<br />
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^^ Marigold really interacting with her cousin, Gus, for the first time. He's only 4 months younger than her, and we live 5 minutes down the street from them. They're going to be thick as thieves. <br />
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-The boys continue to enjoy having their little sis around. There are certainly moments where they don't enjoy how much of our attention she requires. And there are occasional comments like, "I want to throw her away." Yikes! But more often than not, they love to do things to make her giggle, and hold her, and play on the floor with her, so I'm almost positive they will be theee best of friends, as soon as she stops demanding so much of mommy's attention. ;)<br />
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-77719759629054023312019-10-05T10:33:00.001-05:002019-10-05T10:33:05.706-05:00Marigold, Six Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Marigold is 6 months old!</div>
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<b>WEIGHT</b><br />
18lb 6oz :)<br />
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<b>LENGTH</b><br />
*I don't know emoji*<br />
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<b>SLEEP</b><br />
At about 5.5-months-old, we decided something needed to change. Margo was taking forever to fall asleep for naps and bedtime, needing my full attention to do so; she wasn't napping in the Ergo (or any baby carrier) at all; she barely napped in the car; and she was basically dependent on nursing or rocking to fall asleep every time. The SNOO bassinet was still somewhat working, but she wasn't sleeping longer than 4-6 hours at a time. Nothing like the great stretches of sleep we were getting before the 4-month sleep regression started. So, we pulled the plug on the SNOO, literally, and decided to transition Margo to the crib.<br />
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I had purchased a sleep plan for 4-5-month-olds (<a href="https://littlezsleep.mykajabi.com/offers/oKVofJPs/checkout">Little Z's Sleep</a>) a few months back, but had ignored it ever since, as it didn't exactly seem compatible with the SNOO. But when we were ready to ditch the SNOO and a little scared of how it was going to go, we decided the guidance of a sleep program would be v helpful. The new sleep plan would be most successful in a crib, so we were planning on stealing our sole crib from Jude so Margo could use it. But most randomly, a few days before we began our SNOO-less adventure, our friends (who have 6 kids) reached out and asked if we wanted a free crib, as they were ready to give away many of their duplicate baby/kid items. Perfect timing! We snatched the free crib, put our new <a href="https://www.mygreenmattress.com/product/emily-crib/#">organic crib mattress</a> inside (I had bought one a few weeks earlier, anticipating that Margo would need a new mattress, as our old crib mattress had gotten saggy from toddler sleep/jumping), and haven't looked back since.<br />
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Now that we are on the other side of the 4-5-month sleep program, Margo is an AWESOME sleeper. She take 2-3 naps a day, for a total of 3-ish hours of nap, and she sleeps from around 8pm to 8am overnight, with one feeding in between. She's also learned to put herself to sleep!! So I go through our little sleep routine with her (which cues her brain to start settling for sleepy time), then lay her down in her crib, turn off the lights, turn the sound machine on, say, "night night," walk out of the room, and she's asleep within 5-10 minutes, with minimal to no fussing! Bedtime isn't always that easy, especially if she hasn't had enough wake-time between her last nap and when I'm trying to put her to bed, but even then, it's usually no more than 15-20 minutes of fussing. And I'm popping in to check on her every 10 minutes if the fussing persists.<br />
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We've never been fans of CIO methods, so this sleep plan seemed to hit the sweet spot of not letting her cry too long on her own, but successfully teaching her to fall asleep on her own. And helping her get the consolidated sleep she (and we) so desperately needed.<br />
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Now keep us in your prayers as we barrel toward the 7-month sleep regression. *eep*<br />
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<b>FIRSTS THIS MONTH</b><br />
-Rolling front-to-back.<br />
-Army crawling just the tiniest bit, like an inch.<br />
-Sitting unassisted for several seconds, sometimes up to a minute, before attempting to face plant into the floor.<br />
-Sleeping in a crib.<br />
-Putting herself to sleep.<br />
-Attempting to grab our plates off the table as we eat.<br />
-Sitting in the cart at the grocery store!<br />
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<b>NICKNAMES </b><br />
Margo, Margs, Meergs, Meer Claire, Margo Moo, Girlfriend, Sis (more like "siiiiiiisss!"), and Sissy<br />
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<b>OTHER THINGS TO NOTE</b><br />
-Girlfriend FINALLY likes the carseat! And her timing could NOT have been better. We took a 12-hour trip (more like 20 hours EACH WAY with all the stops!) to Rhode Island right as she was turning 6 months old and she did so well! Sure, there was some crying, especially when we were getting toward the end of 2-3 hour stretches in the car, but it really wasn't bad at all. What a big girl!<br />
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-Refer to first picture for Marigold's newest favorite trick: sticking her tongue out!<br />
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-We were a little scared for 0.2 seconds that Margo had a milk protein allergy just like her big brother, Jude. Let's just say her diapers were a little . . . blood-streaked. Yikes! But I got in touch with our lactation consultant and she suspected that it was bleeding from a fissure or something like that, since she didn't have any other symptoms. So we switched to an easier-to-wipe-off diaper ointment, aka A&D, and we haven't had an issue since.<br />
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-Margo has been upgraded to her own sleeping space: our closet! We do have another bedroom just for her, but it's down the hall from us. For now, we prefer to continue keeping her close by while she sleeps.<br />
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-Our favorite new Margo skill is that she can sit in her highchair while we eat now! Which means we can eat hands free! So long as she's in the mood to tolerate such thing. :P<br />
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-All of a sudden, Marigold LOVES books! She loves when you sit and read to her and she especially loves if she can get the corner of the book in her mouth. One could say she's really devouring books these days. Yuk yuk yuk yuk yuk.<br />
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-Milestone unlocked: TRIPLE SIBLING BATH!<br />
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-She's always been great about letting me put her down for self-play, but this month, we've seen her enjoy it even more. Probably helps that she's getting the hang of this rolling thing AND she can inch forward the teeeniest bit AND she's really into all the toys. Now please excuse me while I go re-baby-proof the whole house, k bye.<br />
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Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-92098356096471364052019-09-01T13:32:00.000-05:002019-09-01T13:32:02.611-05:00Marigold, Five MonthsMarigold is 5 months old!<br />
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<b>WEIGHT</b></div>
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17 lb 4 oz the day she turned 5 months old. That's the 88th percentile! Yes, I'm proud of every last ounce. </div>
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<b>LENGTH</b></div>
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One day I will measure this and actually have this stat. But she's def long. </div>
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<b>SLEEP</b><br />
The TLDR version is I cannot predict this girl's sleep.<br />
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Naps are consistently getting longer, and we even had several days in a row where she reliably took 2 solid hour+ long naps. But then there are days where she just takes 30-minute naps all day long and it's crazy making. Those dinky-nap days seem to be happening less often, so let's hope she trending toward 2 solid naps a day, plus a catnap around dinner time. Because that seems to be more normal for a 5-month-old.<br />
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Nighttime sleep is usually one wake-up, sometimes no wake-ups, sometimes several wake-ups. No rhyme or reason to it as far as I can tell. And getting her to sleep for bedtime is quite the marathon. At least an hour of snuggles and nursing. If I try to put her down earlier than that, she just screams until I pick her up and start over so it's not worth it.<br />
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And the SNOO has lost it's magic because *I think* she's outgrown the need for the rocking motion to help her sleep. It will still occasionally rock her back to sleep, but more often then not, the escalating sound and motion just upsets her when it's supposed to be calming her. I've even turned the motion off altogether a few times and that actually helps her get back to sleep better. Safe to say, I think she's ready to transition out of it. Now we just have to transition Jude out of the crib to free that up for Marigold. Wish us luck!<br />
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<b>FIRSTS THIS MONTH</b><br />
-Blowing raspberries.<br />
-Holding items and bringing them up to her mouth on her own.<br />
-All the drooling and vinegary poops because teething (no teeth to show for it yet, though)<br />
-Really getting her full chest off the ground during tummy time.<br />
-Moving around more on the floor; wiggling around until she's facing a different direction.<br />
-Rolling from belly to back just a few more times. Not the other direction though because she doesn't like being on her tummy much so why try?<br />
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<b>NICKNAMES</b><br />
Margo, Margs, Meergs, Margo-rita, The Silly Girl<br />
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<b>OTHER THINGS TO NOTE</b><br />
-Marigold does not like her carseat. This has been true since day 1, but it was officially proven true when I needed to take all three kids on a 1-hour round trip to a neighboring town on my own, and instead of napping in the car (because she was exhausted) she screamed/cried the whole ride, both ways. Hopefully she learns to love it over the next month (wishful thinking?) because we're going on a very long ride up to Rhode Island to visit my family at the end of September. Pray for us.<br />
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-I'm enjoying that she can stay up a little longer between naps, about 2 hours now. It's fun to have more awake time with our baby girl. We can actually get out of the house every once in a while! ;)<br />
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-Margs got a double ear infection this past month. It was pitiful! And can you believe it, it was the first ear infection we've ever had in our house! She had to take 2 weeks of amoxicillin, and the whole time I was drooling reminiscing about the delicious bubble gum flavor. Such a blast from the past! Meanwhile, Margo was not interested in it at all. She got REALLY good at spitting it out, no matter where I dropped it into her mouth. So then I would push it back in and she would spit a little more out and repeat repeat repeat until she at least got some of it. Thankfully, her ears are back to normal now. Here's hoping it was a one-time thing! <br />
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-My postpartum anxiety is still a thing. It's definitely better now that I'm on oral progesterone, but it's not gone and my worst time of day is the afternoon, no doubt. By the time lunch hits and for a few hours after, I'm at a low point. It's weird that it's so predictable, but I guess that's hormones for you! My friend, Emily, recommended a self-help book for anxiety, so I'm going to give that a go once the audio version is available from my library. The good news is that the oral progesterone has not affected my milk supply, so at least that's going well. :) </div>
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-Marigold is still getting nightly baths, which is new for us because we have always been once-a-week kid bathers in the past. But ever since she had some pretty gnarly acne at 2 months old that would not go away, and her ped recommended nightly bathing to get all the ickies off her skin, things have really cleared up. So she gets a luxurious nightly bath and she loves it! Even if she's cranky because she's overtired, she'll still calm down once she's in the water and enjoy herself while the bath lasts. One night I used her old soap (Honest Co soap, which is what we were using when she had her bad acne, so we switched to unscented Dove hoping it would help, and it did), and she broke out again the next day! Wow! Maybe it was a coincidence, but I don't think so. I went right back to using Dove and the acne cleared up within a few days. And I thought Honest Co. was supposed to be stripped down and "safe!" Suffice to say, this little lady has sensitive skin! </div>
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-Speaking of her sensitive skin, she's also way more prone to diaper rash than my boys were. If we skip the diaper cream for just one diaper change, she will have a red, turning-rashy bummy by the next diaper change. It's wild! So she gets diaper cream lathered on like cream cheese at every change. And while I've always liked Boudreaux's Butt Paste, I've found that Triple Paste works way better for her hyper-sensitive skin. Clears it up and keeps it rash free all day every day. Now you know. </div>
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^^Queen Margo says, "I am merely putting up with these kisses."<br />
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-At 5 months old, Marigold is transitioning out of 3-6 month-old clothes! I just pulled out all the 6-9 month clothes that I borrowed from my SIL (we were able to swap baby clothes since we each just had a baby of the opposite gender as our first(s)!). And it's always bittersweet to pull out a new, larger wardrobe. Sad because you're putting way all these clothes that you've come to know and love, that have defined her style of the past few months. Happy because it's a sign that she's growing and thriving and it's fun to play dress up with new outfits!<br />
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-Our knuckles are her favorite chew toy. She must be working hard on teeth because all she wants to do is gnaw on our fingers! It's hilarious to watch her ATTACK them. She will lean her whole body forward with mouth wide open if she thinks she has a chance of latching on to your finger.<br />
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-Margo loves it when we sing her her. Her face lights up! I hope she always loves it, though I'm pretty sure all kids go through a, "NO! DON'T SING, MOM!" phase. Jude is in it right now. So while I'm singing to Marigold, he's demanding that I not sing, and John Paul is singing along. Yes, we are a circus.<br />
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-Marigold has her own emoji, as determined by my husband: 🐣.<br />
<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-79051822092210985512019-07-26T14:02:00.001-05:002019-07-26T14:02:25.850-05:00Marigold, Four MonthsMarigold is 4 months old!<br />
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<b>WEIGHT</b></div>
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15 lb 15 oz, woop woop! I mean, look at those thunder thighs! </div>
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<b>HEIGHT</b></div>
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Will report back after her 4-month appointment.<b> </b></div>
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<b>SLEEP</b><br />
Naps are so much better! Typically she'll take at least one 1-2 hour nap a day, many days two! And then her other naps (usually for a total of 4 naps a day) are quick 30-minute cat naps. She's still not on a strict schedule; it all just depends on when she's up for the morning. But I'll take the longer naps, because this means happier baby overall! Oh, and her wake time has gotten longer! She can usually stay up 1.5 to 2 hours between naps, which means lots more play time with us.<br />
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Nighttime sleep has definitely regressed, which is sooooo normal for a 4-month-old, but also poorly timed because my husband has just started working overnight shifts in the hospital. Whew. Thankfully it's only about 6 overnight shifts a month, but man is it tough when I'm on my own with two toddlers and a sleep-regressing baby. We had one night where she woke 3 times, but currently we're back to about 1 wake-up in the middle of the night, which honestly is manageable. Hoping to get back to those 8-hour stretches again real soon though.<br />
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And just so I have record of it, I'd like to note that she is always nursed and/or rocked to sleep, for bedtime and all naps. We tried the drowsy-but-awake thing, where you put the baby down before they're fully out, but it always failed, so we get her fully asleep before we put her down and that has worked like a charm. Sure, it takes a lot of time and snuggles, but it makes for a happier household (me included), so I'm totally down for it. The hardest sleep of the day is bedtime, where she usually has to be rocked and nursed for 1.5 hours straight before she'll let me put her down. She's typically finally out by 10pm, but sometimes as late as 11pm. We're hoping to slowwwwly inch that back closer to 8pm over time. <br />
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<b>FIRSTS THIS MONTH</b><br />
-Rolled from belly to back three times! But that was a few weeks ago and she hasn't done it since.<br />
-Lifting her chest off the floor during tummy time.<br />
-Clasping her hands together.<br />
-Grabbing toys that are hanging above her.<br />
-Holding on to her rattle and shaking it by herself. <br />
-Rubbing her eyes when she's tired. (One of our favorite cues that she's ready for a nap.)<br />
-Screaming cutely.<br />
-Giggling so easily! Especially when you kiss her cheeks or neck, or when you bounce your head from side to side and smile at her.<br />
-A few new consonant sounds like gggg and others that I can't remember now. #thirdchild<br />
-Making this weird but adorable Chewbacca sound.<br />
-Splashing in the bath. <br />
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<b>NICKNAMES</b><br />
Margo and Margs are the big ones this past month, but also Mare Bear every once in a while, because how can I not? <b> </b><br />
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<b>OTHER THINGS TO NOTE</b><br />
-The things Margo loves, in no particular order: staring at us while we eat, smiling at her brothers, bath time, facing out in the ergo carrier, the sound of her own voice, standing up while you're holding her on your lap, being distracted while nursing.<br />
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-The things Margo does not love, in no particular order: when mommy leaves the room (this only upsets her on occasion right now, but I think it's going to become a real thing over the next few months), being held by not-mommy when she's fussy/overtired, the carseat, the pacifier. <b><br /></b><br />
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-In case you were wondering how mom gets things done with two toddlers and a young baby in tow, see above photo. Thank goodness she doesn't mind being put down under her playgym for a little while. This is how I'm able to cook/clean/do laundry most days. It helps that the boys LOVE when she's on the floor and will flock over to her and chat with her, sing to her, tickle her, or hold toys above her to keep her happy.<br />
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-Little Margo had her first trip to the water park! Look how cute she was in her totally unnecessary bathing suit!<br />
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-HOLY BUCKETS OF DROOL! Pretty sure the teething process has begun. Drool, funky diapers, and she loves to gnaw on our knuckles. Sounds about right for teething. No other signs of any popping through yet though. <br />
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-Y'all. Postpartum anxiety. Again. Super lame. I'm working with a NaPro doctor to find the right dose of progesterone to treat the anxiety but not dry up my milk supply. So far, the dose I'm on is helping big time, but isn't enough to take the anxiety away completely, so we're still tweaking it. Man, anxiety stinks! Simple things like trying to cook in the kitchen, or taking a kid out to the grocery store, or listening to whiny children are near impossible when anxiety kicks in. I'm thanking God that progesterone works so instantly for me! Now here's hoping we can get the right dose in place over the next month. <br />
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-Our friends Amanda and Jonathan and their three girls came to visit this past month! You might remember them from the True, Good, and Beautiful blog, or from their company Wallet Win. They spent the night and the kids got along great! It was really neat to make the realization that just 5 years ago, we had zero children and were both in the throes of infertility. Now we have 6 children between us! Amazing! Look at four of our cute goofy children . . . <br />
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-John and I celebrated our 8-year wedding anniversary this past month! 8 magical years with the best guy I know. :) We brought Margo with us on our date because she's still so little. And she was so very well behaved. Yes, we were THAT couple with a baby at the bar. I think that makes us cool. ;) <br />
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-65516602360709234542019-06-30T08:41:00.003-05:002019-06-30T08:41:40.993-05:00Marigold, Three MonthsMarigold is 3 months old!<br />
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<b>WEIGHT</b></div>
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Another 2 pounds gained puts her right over 14 pounds!</div>
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<b>HEIGHT</b></div>
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Will weigh again at 4-month appointment, but def getting longer!</div>
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<b>SLEEP</b><br />
Naps have been the bane of my existence this past month. Without fail, little Miss wakes up 30 minutes into every nap. I hear her stir, look at the nap timer, and it's anywhere between 28-32 minutes on the dot! Sometimes her SNOO rocks her back to sleep, but most often she's just ready to be up. Which means all day long it's up for 1-ish hour, rock her to sleep (which takes a while), then finally down, but only for 30 minutes, repeat repeat repeat. Whew! Thankfully, we are now trending toward longer naps, and sometimes she even naps for 2+ hours! I'm ready for her to have a more consistent schedule.<br />
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Overnight sleep, on the other hand, has been a DREAM. Lolz, pun intended. Marigold sleeps about 8 hours straight at night on average, but sometimes up to 9 hours straight, sometimes as short as 6 hours. After her long stretch, she wakes up for a feeding, then goes back down within an hour and sleeps another 2-3 hours. She usually isn't officially up for the day until 10am. It is bonkers amazing and worth the trade off for the not-as-stellar daytime sleep. Now say a prayer that all this doesn't go out the window with the upcoming 4-month sleep regression. Please and thank you very much.<br />
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<b>FIRSTS THIS MONTH</b></div>
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-Social smiling SO easily. Just make eye contact with her, grin, and she's ALL smiles, ear-to-ear adorable. </div>
-Lifting her head a little longer and a little higher during tummy time.<br />
-Sitting up in the Bumbo!<br />
-Loves chatting. So much cooing!<br />
-GIGGLES!!! Like real belly laughs. It takes some work, but usually bouncing around and making silly noises at her will do it, or tickling her armpits or toes or thunder thighs. SAH CUTE!<br />
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<b>NICKNAMES</b></div>
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Margs and Margo Moo are the two most frequently used, with Sissy occasionally thrown in for fun.</div>
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<b>OTHER THINGS TO NOTE</b></div>
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-John has been working like crazy this past month (to "pay back" all the time he took for paternity leave), so it's been me and the three kiddos hanging at home lots. I'm still not brave enough to take all three out on my own, so we just hunker down and find fun things to do around the house. I promise I'll take you places some day, Marigold. :P We do get out when John is around to help, and we've enjoyed all those outings. But when it's just me, I'm nervous about keeping the big boys out of trouble while I tend to little sis, so for now, we're hermits. So far, I don't actually mind. </div>
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-When we do take her out and about, Marigold reeeeally doesn't like her carseat. We can sorta keep her happy with her pacifier, but only sorta. She mainly wants to scream and cry the whole time. And when she cries hard, she sweats hard. I can count on one hand the number of times she's calm or sleepy/napping in the car. Otherwise, it's all fight. </div>
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-John occasionally works night shifts, and when he does, bedtime by myself with 3 kids is a <b>s t r u g g l e</b>. So I did the smart thing and hired a teenaged neighbor to come help me from 8-9pm every night John is away. Best $10 I can spend! She gets the big boys settled with pajamas, teeth brushing, books, songs, and snuggles, all while I give Marigold the undivided attention she needs to settle for sleep. We went from being utter chaos without help (imagine all 3 kids crying at the same time for a whole hour because I couldn't meet all the needs) to a happy peaceful home with help. And the boys <i>love</i> Miss Abigail. Win win win! </div>
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-She also only tolerates being worn in the Boba or Solly wraps. I love the convenience and cuddliness of wearing her, and she will take a nap in there if I time it right. And if I walk her around and around and around until she passes out. But once the nap is over, she's READY to bust out. Like fights and cries and squirms until she's out. I've never had a baby who doesn't <i>love</i> being snuggled in a wrap, so this one's new on me.<br />
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-I can't even express how giddy her chunkiness makes me. I love her leg rolls and chubby cheeks and tubby belly. Fat babies are my favorite!<br />
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-We went blueberry picking this past month! The boys did most of the picking while Margo and I hung out in the car and she nursed a bunch. For the few minutes I had her out in the fields, she got to wear her adorable yellow sunhat and it was so cute. Looking forward to having her join in on the blueberry picking and eating next summer!<br />
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-Marigold is an expert at breaking out of her swaddle at night, so we decided to try arms-out swaddling. The first night, she slept like normal! It was great! But the second day, it completely messed with her naps, so back in her arms went. We've continued to swaddle her with arms in ever since. :P Maybe we'll try again in a month or two?<br />
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-My sweet girl definitely looks more like John Paul than Jude. See pic below for reference. On the left is John Paul at 3 months, and right is obviously Margo at 3 months. They're not identical, but the resemblance is definitely there.<br />
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-Speaking of resemblance, I think Marigold looks a bit like me! The following picture is me at around 3 months old, at my Baptism. What do we think?<br />
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-John Paul and Jude continue to love on their sister. John Paul can even cheer up Marigold when she's feeling cranky, just by talking with her. It's so sweet to see! Jude loves her a bunch too, but he often likes to push limits, and has gone so far as scratching and pinching her to purposefully make her cry. Eep! That has thankfully slowed down in the past week, and there have been far more kisses and snuggles than injuries. Phew! Every month, she can interact more and more and it makes me look forward to the day she's walking and talking and really keeping up with her brothers. Siblings are the best!<br />
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-61255831877736725612019-06-16T13:00:00.000-05:002019-06-16T13:00:02.883-05:00John Paul is 4! Look at our big 4-year-old!!<br />
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This big kid is a lover of vehicles, Pixar movie soundtracks, model train videos, and family.<br />
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If he gets your attention, he'll chat your ear off; he especially likes telling stories about the most random details of the happenings in his life. Example: "They're knocking down the Chick-fil-A and building a new one and that's so sad!" Followed by a play-by-play of how it's being knocked down and what it will be like to go to the new one. Little chatter box!<br />
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Speaking of CFA, one of his favorite foods is their nuggets, and also pickle cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese, pizza, and tofu pho.<br />
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His siblings are his favorite people. Jude is his built-in playmate and a few months ago they became roommates! While Jude is his play bud, Marigold is simply the target of all his kisses and hugs. She (mostly) doesn't seem to mind.<br />
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His favorite toys are the ones that involve building: magnatiles, duplos, wooden blocks, and Thomas train tracks. It's always fun to see what he comes up with, and to watch his mind at work. He especially loves using his resources to solve problems, or looking at something and figuring out how it works. It's very possible he'll be an engineer someday.<br />
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John Paul's language is just insane. I know I said that when he turned 1, but gosh is it even more bonkers awesome at 4. He says things like, "I <i>assume </i>Jude is done eating his lunch." Or "Mommy, <i>actually</i>, I don't think it's going to rain today because the sky isn't gray!" He cracks me up with how many times a day he says "actually," actually. I wonder where he got it from. :P<br />
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He has a huge heart with lots of feelings, so he loves real big and he feels real big too. It's a joy to watch his personality blossom, and I'm looking forward to seeing even more of it as he gets bigger.<br />
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To celebrate turning 4, we hosted a birthday party at the local train museum. We decided
to out-source the party since I wasn't ready to throw a birthday bash
with a 1.5-month-old at home. And that was the best decision ever since
they did all the set up and clean up and the birthday boy loved all the
train stuff. <br />
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My parents came into town to meet Miss Marigold and celebrate John Paul's birthday with us. Awesome double whammy! <br />
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For lunch, we ordered two massive pizzas!<br />
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The birthday boy requested cookie cake for dessert. Yum!<br />
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Happy birthday, John Paul Fulton! We're so glad God chose us to be your
family. We hope you enjoy every bit of being 4! So happy to be on this
adventure with you!</div>
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Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-19213020784782923812019-06-09T12:54:00.000-05:002019-06-09T12:54:17.477-05:00Jude is 2! <i>This was written when Jude actually turned two back in January. I'm posting now just to have this as a keepsake. :) </i><br />
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Happy 2nd birthday to our sweet Jude Francis! What a joy it is to watch you grow SO BIG!<br />
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Our little Juji loves cars, trains, garbage trucks . . . he basically hasn't met a vehicle he doesn't LOVE. For his birthday, we celebrate with a Cars-themed party, and if you have a good memory, you're remembering that John Paul's 2nd birthday was also Cars-themed. These boys are two peas in a pod.<br />
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Jude also loves snuggling up with a good book, laughing and making mischief with his brother, eating berries, and doing arts and crafts. His language has exploded in the last few months, so now he likes to tell us exactly what he wants, usually with a "RIGHT NOW!" on the end.<br />
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He's a big fan of music, and his current favorites tunes are Old MacDonald and Wheels on the Bus; he loves that he can change the verses and usually requests the silliest things, like "Old MacDonald had a POOP!" or, "The Lightning McQueen on the bus goes kachow kachow kachow!"<br />
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He knows all his colors (pink & purple and blue & green tend to get swapped) and animal noises, but won't show off his skills if you ask him to. He's a shy boy when meeting new people and exploring new places, but int he comfort of his own home, he's loud and giggly and hilarious.<br />
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He's definitely a mama's boy, which melts my heart and also makes me just the teeniest bit worried about bringing home a new sibling two months from now.<br />
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We love you, Juji bear! You're a great person and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. May your next year be the best yet!<br />
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Pics from his birthday party . . . <br />
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Since his party was in January, we had to figure out a way to enjoy some inside fun. We decided to fill the water table with water beads! The kids loved it. Also, it made a ginormous mess of the floor and we'll probably never do it again. Lol, oops. </div>
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Cars decorations. :)<br />
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Pin the Trash on Mater!<br />
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He didn't exactly know what to do with the candles on his cake, so he just stared at them. Haha, sah cute!<br />
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Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-13295890960544558782019-05-31T09:41:00.001-05:002019-05-31T17:58:04.851-05:00Marigold, Two MonthsMarigold is two months old!<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>WEIGHT</b><br />
12 lb 5 oz, which puts her in the 70th percentile for weight. Hunky girl!<br />
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<b>HEIGHT</b><br />
23 3/4 inches, aka 92nd percentile for length!<br />
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<b>SLEEP</b><br />
Over the past month, overnight sleep has gotten even better while naps have regressed a bit. Overnight, she usually sleeps 7-hour stretches, sometimes as long as 9 hours! But during the day, we're having trouble getting her to nap more than 30 minutes at a time. She'll usually do one longer nap in the middle of the day, like 1.5-2 hours long, but the rest of the naps are more like cat naps, which doesn't exactly work well for the timing of feedings and such. It doesn't matter if she's in the SNOO or on her tummy in her bassinet or being worn in a wrap, she just doesn't want to take the longer naps that she needs. We're hoping this is just a phase and she'll be back to stellar napping soon.<br />
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<b>FIRSTS THIS MONTH</b><br />
-Social smiling all the time, and it's soooo cute!<br />
-Lifting her head up during tummy time, but only for a few seconds.<br />
-Putting her hand into her mouth and licking, sucking, gnawing on it.<br />
-Chatting with us using cute sounds like ahhhh, ooooo, guhhhh.<br />
-Staring up at things on the ceiling (usually fans) and chatting with them.<br />
-Tracking people around the room.<br />
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<b>NICKNAMES</b><br />
Margo, Margo Bear, Li'l Sissy, Sweet Girl, and Margs<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>OTHER THINGS TO NOTE</b><br />
-My parents flew into town and got to meet Marigold when she was 6 weeks old. It was a most lovely visit filled with lots of Margo snuggles and smiles.<br />
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-The following weekend (May 18th), Marigold was baptized on JP2's birthday. We had so many friends and family members present for her first Sacrament and it was such a joyful day!<br />
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-John has been back to work for the past month and I'm slowly figuring out my new rhythm having all 3 kiddos on my own. It honestly has not been too bad! Aside from Margo's less-than-stellar naps, we're all adjusting quite well. I've even been able to get all three to nap at the same time most days! I've yet to venture out of the house with all three, but I'm sure I'll get brave enough here one of these days to give it a try. For now, we spend our days snuggling, playing, cleaning, and the like.<br />
<br />
-For a baby that hasn't been napping so well, she's actually so chill and sweet when she's awake. I can put her down under her play gym and she'll happily kick kick kick and wiggle her arms and coo at her toys for 20 minutes. She really only cries when she's hungry or overtired. Otherwise, she's just the calmest little babe.<br />
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-John Paul and Jude are continuing to adjust well to life with a little sister. They love to kiss on her, chat with her, hold her (under close supervision of course), and just be around her. When I sit down to nurse her, they hover around me the whole time. John Paul will "watch" her for me when I'm distracted by other quick activities, like changing Jude's diaper or finishing up a load of laundry. This usually means that I put her down somewhere safe and John Paul hovers over her, chatting with her and updating me on what she's doing. Overall, they're doing much better, behavior wise! So I think that means we're through the adjustment period. Here's hoping their relationship with her continues to grow into something wonderful and beautiful.<br />
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-91514101347315372732019-04-29T20:50:00.001-05:002019-04-29T20:50:51.832-05:00Marigold, One MonthMarigold is one month old!<br />
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If you recall, I wrote monthly updates during <a href="http://blessedtobeblog.blogspot.com/2017/03/jude-one-month.html">Jude's first year</a> and it's been such a joy looking back over those recently that I've decided to go ahead and write them again for Marigold. It's so easy to forget all these little things, which is just crazy because raising a baby is all-consuming, especially in this first year. Thankfully, writing it out helps me freeze time just the tiniest bit. So here I go again! Not sorry. </div>
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<b>WEIGHT</b></div>
Little
Miss is just over 10 pounds. For reference, she was 8 lb 2 oz at
birth, so almost 2 pounds gained in her first month. This gal likes her
milk. ;)<b> </b><br />
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<b>HEIGHT</b></div>
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No idea! She was 21 inches at birth and we'll measure again at her 2-month appointment. I'll report back.</div>
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^^ I'm HOW old?!?<br />
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<b>SLEEP</b><br />
Newborn sleep is seriously the best. Ok, so the broken sleep overnight is not the best for us adults, but the predictability of Marigold's sleep is pretty awesome. She likes to eat, sometimes stay awake for 20-30 minutes, and then nap. Repeat, repeat, repeat all day long. And if we can stay on top of this eat/play/nap rotation, she is just the happiest baby in the world. If we try to push her to stay awake more than about an hour, that's when she's a cranker-saurus. She does not like to be overtired, not one bit. Thankfully, we're pretty good at following the routine, so this past month has been really good for all of us. Most naps are in her bassinet, and a few in my Boba or Solly wrap, and now that she's a little older, we're trying out naps on her tummy (under close supervision, of course). We shall see if she keeps up the awesome napping!<br />
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Overnight, she's given us a few 5- and 6-hour stretches, and even one 7-hour stretch! We actually bought this crazy techy bassinet called the <a href="https://www.happiestbaby.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwwZrmBRA7EiwA4iMzBOfccj25mRYBU26F5986swkZNCs2GYHNALGykDeUowsCpY5h1-zV6hoCRTkQAvD_BwE">SNOO</a>, and I do think the SNOO is the reason for the great overnight sleep. So I can't help but sing its praises! We bought it when it was on sale during Black Friday and boy am I glad we did because they've raised the price significantly since then. I mean, good sleep is worth the investment. But I'm glad our investment was a bit lower than what it would be if we were trying to purchase it now. I digress. Marigold is awesome and overall she sleeps great. :) <br />
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<b>FIRSTS THIS MONTH</b><br />
-A few social smiles. Just a few though.<br />
-Lifting her head up when she's propped up on my shoulder.<br />
-Making eye contact.<br />
-Occasionally cooing.<br />
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<b>NICKNAMES</b><br />
We actually call her Margo more than we call her Marigold, which we had planned on when we picked her name. We love both equally though. :) She has also been called Margo Bear, Baby Girl, and Sissy a whole bunch too.<br />
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<b>OTHER THINGS TO NOTE</b></div>
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-Just like with my boys, nursing was painful from the start with Margo. So we had her evaluated for lip/tongue/cheek ties at 6 days old and wouldn't you know, she had all of it! It took 2 months for us to fix John Paul's ties, a month to get to Jude's, but we wasted no time with Marigold. Our little lady had her ties lasered at just 6 days old and nursing has been wayyyyy better ever since! Praise God!</div>
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-This is more about me than Marigold, but I've had a crazy number of migraines since she was born. They're never that severe; usually just a wavy line in my vision for a little while and then a mild headache for several hours after. But gosh, I've never had this issue before, and wavy lines in my vision are hard to work around while caring for a newborn. I had 4 of these migraines in 3 days while she was just a week old. They've spaced out a bit now, but I'm still dealing with them here and there. Anyone else ever experience this? </div>
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-We had lifestyle newborn photos taken at our house by Kristy Vest Photography when Margo was just 11 days old. Check out some of our faves:</div>
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<b> </b>-Marigold
has probably gotten 3 baths since she was born. Lol. We're the laziest
when it comes to bathing children. Actually, to our credit, we wanted to
wait until her umbilical stump fell out to give her her first bath, which is
what you're supposed to do, I think. And that took about a week to
happen. Anywho, she did not love her first bath AT ALL, but since then
she's tolerated them quite nicely. </div>
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-Little
Miss has been dealing with a little cold for the past two weeks. It's
thankfully been so mild, just a stuffy nose and lots of boogers.
Actually, now that I think of it, it might somehow be related to reflux.
We've been using the Nose Frida to suck the boogers out and running a
humidifier at night to help. Hopefully whatever it is will get better
soon. While it hasn't affected her much, it does wake her up when her
nose gets too stuffy.<br />
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-Margo celebrated her first Easter the day she turned 4 weeks old! It was also her first Mass, which was a great way to jump right in. :) It was a beautiful day filled with lots of family, friends, and candy . . . Margo got her candy through me, of course. Oh, and it was her first time wearing a dress! I mostly just have her in zip-up sleepers all the time because they're sooo easy. But Easter Sunday is no day for a sleeper! Look how cute she was:</div>
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^^ Easter pic fail. Boys not cooperating (see John Paul hiding behind me?), forgot to take a photo until we got the the parish gym, Daddy clutching coffee, Marigold hiding in the wrap. It's a vvvv accurate depiction of real life right now though and I love it for that.</div>
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-John had a month of paternity leave and we loved having him home with us that whole time!! ALL THE HEART EYES! It has made this transition much easier than it would have been otherwise. :) What a huge blessing! <br />
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-Meal trains, you guys!! Oh emmm geeee, we have been so blessed with a very active meal train ever since Marigold arrived. We have not made dinner for the past month and we have friends and family signed up to make us meals over the next month as well. It's amazing and we are feeling so loved!! If you know a family with a new baby, or someone recovering from surgery, or going through a hard time, please consider blessing them with a meal train. My SIL set everything up through <a href="http://mealtrain.com/">mealtrain.com</a> (which is completely free) and it's all been easy peasy smooth sailing and delicious! SUCH a huge blessing for our family. And we've gotten to see so many friends and loved ones when they pop in to deliver food. It's wonderful!<br />
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-The boys are adjusting well to their little sister. Whenever she's awake, they just want to kiss and snuggle her times a million. They like to help out in little ways, like grabbing a tissue when she sneezes or supervising diaper changes, or holding her pacifier in if she's fussy. They also love laying on the floor with her and chatting with her in high-pitched voices (lol, they totally got that from me). But they've also struggled to adjust, as Miss Marigold's arrival has meant that mommy isn't around as much as they're used to. So there have been a lot of BIG FEELINGS coming out sideways for the past month: tantrums, limit pushing, whining, nap fighting . . . everything you'd expect from a 2-year-old and 3-year-old who don't know how to express their feelings otherwise. It's been tough, especially on John who has been on toddler duty for the past month, but thankfully it's gotten a lot better. And overall, they really do LOVE love love their little sis. It's going to be so fun watching them become the best of buds over the next year and beyond. As for what Margo thinks of them, I think she's just confused by all their commotion, but also secretly loves the attention. I love my three amigos! <3<br />
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-30844696748552433522019-03-30T12:50:00.000-05:002019-03-30T12:50:27.221-05:00Marigold's Birth Story, Part 2<i>For part 1, click <a href="https://blessedtobeblog.blogspot.com/2019/03/marigolds-birth-story.html">here</a>.</i><br />
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The car ride was a short one. We chose a different doctor and a different hospital this time because we knew I wouldn't be able to handle a long ride in. And am I ever so glad we made that decision! 13 minutes door to door. I could handle that. And as it turns out, my body got the memo that car contractions are no fun, so it spaced them out and made them very mild for me for the whole ride in. Thanks, self!<br />
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We arrived around 2:05pm and walked straight in. We had a quick check-in at the main desk, where I had a few contractions and just paced and boosted my TENS unit and listened to my up-breathing through them. Since I had pre-registered, we were only there a few minutes, thank goodness.<br />
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The kind receptionist walked us back to our room at 2:15pm, room number 1505. We completely skipped triage, I think because my husband works at this hospital and they were pulling us some major faves. It was awesome. And as it turns out, necessary! More on that in a sec.<br />
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We got into the room and I stripped down to be checked. My first cervical check all pregnancy! I had no idea what to expect and even joked that I was probably just a few centimeters and even if that was the case, it would be totally fine. I was just going with my body's flow.<br />
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Wendy walked in around 2:30pm, just as our nurse, Mony, was about to check me. It took a few contractions to time it right. They were coming closer and closer and were definitely hard to sit through, so I waited until one just ended, hopped on the bed, and got ready for that cervical check, hoping it would be done before the next contraction hit.<br />
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You can imagine my shock when Mony announced, "8cm, 75% effaced, with bulging bag of waters." ALL THE SHOCK EYE EMOJIS.<br />
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8cm?! And I was still laughing and hanging out between contractions? I could barely believe it!!<br />
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John texted Dr. H, as it was still well before 4pm and we thought since I was so far progressed, there was a good chance baby would be arriving before she'd have to be at her birthday party. It's amazing what can happen when you surrender to God's will.<br />
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Wendy mentioned, "I think this is going to be fast once that water breaks!" And so we went to work getting the contractions to progress.<br />
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I found a cozy spot next to the bed and would just stand there chatting and sipping electrolyte water, waiting for contractions to start. As soon as they did, I'd announce it, turn on the contraction feature on my TENS, and then have John stand in front of me as I slow danced with him and sort of squatted into the intensity of the wave. At first, I was actually really tightening my legs closed because I did not like the sensation that squatting was causing. But Wendy reminded me that that sensation was the one that would get me progressing faster and closer to meeting my baby, so while I was so hesitant to squat much, I started to go for it. First little tiny squats, and then as contractions got more intense, bigger squats that came on with big moaning sounds that I couldn't control. I would breathe in for 4, and then MOOOAANNNNN out for 8. It was hard work, but it was working!<br />
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It was probably just 5 contractions like that, and then my water popped while I was squatting and moaning into a big one. It was approximately 3:02pm. I looked down and saw a few drips of blood mixed in and Wendy reassured me it was totally fine. She ran out of the room to alert the nurses. While she was out of the room, it felt like I was peeing everywhere, which I apologized to John for, but he said, "That's your water, babe!" Ha! That made more sense.<br />
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Dr. H still hadn't arrived, but soon the room filled with nurses and a resident doctor and a few assistants. They knew this thing was happening and fast.<br />
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At this point, all control went out the window and with the next contraction, I was just screaming and pushing. Not voluntary pushing, just straight up my-body-pushing-out-a-baby-on-its-own pushing. And I was still standing and leaning on John at this point. I recall thinking to myself that I should throw myself into another position, like hands and knees, but it was just too late. So I leaned hard into John and just kept screaming and involuntarily pushing. I felt the biggest pressure on my bum, which was insanely intense, but I knew that meant baby was making way into the birth canal, and fast!<br />
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Within seconds, I felt baby's head. I felt that familiar burn and at this moment, I stood as tall as a woman with a crowning baby could stand to slow things down. I remember saying, "ow ow ow ow" and sloppily breathing through it. It wasn't long before I felt the immediate relief of baby's head making its way completely out. I announced, "Head is out!" because at this point I was still standing and afraid no one was prepared to catch! Pretty sure half the room had their hands under me and at the ready at this point, but my eyes were closed so tight, I had no idea what was really going on around me.<br />
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Soon I felt the burn again as shoulders made their way through, and then immediate relief again. And as the rest of baby's body slid out and the resident caught baby, Dr. H walked into the room. She was able to witness the feet being born. :P<br />
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The nurse and Wendy helped passed baby up to me through my legs and announced baby's arrival as 3:04pm. From water breaking to birth was approximately 2 minute's time. And not a single voluntary push from me. Just insane.<br />
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I held baby close and walked over to sit on the bed. Sweet relaxation! Baby was still attached, so I was having trouble seeing between the legs to find out if we had a boy or a girl. I made my best effort and saw the umbilical cord, which made me think penis. So for a second I was thinking boy. But when I told the nurse I couldn't exactly tell, she peeked for me and said, YOU HAVE A GIRL! And John and I both exclaimed and giggled and just couldn't believe it!!<br />
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Me and baby girl relaxed back into the bed and started snuggling and getting to know each other. Once the cord stopped pulsing, John was able to cut it and I was able to pull baby girl all the way up into my arms. And then we spent the next hour doing skin-to-skin and attempting to get baby girl to latch. I even had the wherewithal to wish Dr. H a happy birthday! And she responded, "This is a fun birthday!" It was truly sweet of her to come in on her day off and birthday, no less, to welcome our little bundle!<br />
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After that golden hour, we weighed and measured our baby girl, and she shocked the whole room by being over 8lb. The official weight was 8lb 2 oz, and length was 21 inches. Our biggest baby yet!<br />
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The placenta took its sweet time to detach, about an hour, but it eventually did without pitocin and it was healthy looking and there in its entirety.<br />
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Dr. H sewed up my 2nd degree tear, which I continued to do my up-breathing through (srsly, why can they numb that area a little better??). I've come to accept that I may always tear a little, and that ok, as the perineum is designed to stretch and tear and repair quickly. Wendy even mentioned that red heads are more likely to tear for whatever reason, so it did make it easier to hear that and just accept it as my fate. Recovery is already off to a good start!<br />
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Soon the room cleared and we spent the next day snuggling our sweet girl, picking out her name, breastfeeding, announcing her arrival to loved ones . . . all the fun stuff!<br />
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In case you were wondering, yes I bought two swaddles sets. The boy set was blue striped, and the girl set had to be EXTRA girly with a big ol' bow and flowers galore. Naturally. We truly would have been thrilled either way, but what a special joy to find out you have a beautiful girl after two handsome boys!<br />
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We especially loved calling our families and announcing that we had a girl! My mom (who didn't even know I was in labor!!) was so excited and shocked when we called her with the big news. She passed the news along to my dad who was equally excited! And John's mom and sister screamed through the phone in excitement. My SIL, who was with my boys, showed them a picture of their sister and they registered her for about a half a second before returning to their toys. I assure you they've shown more excitement since then. ;)<br />
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For instance . . .<br />
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I've never seen them want to kiss or love on someone so much! It's just too dang cute!<br />
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I must admit, in all the chaos of a quick ride to the hospital and baby girl arriving within 1 hour of our check-in, I didn't even have time to take out my prayer intentions for labor. So I've been offering up the discomforts of recovery for all of you! And of course, I think God knew my labor was intended for you all as well. Thank you, again, for trusting me with your intentions!<br />
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And so ends the tale of Miss Margo's grand arrival! In the weeks leading up to her birth, we prayed for a joyful, peaceful, safe delivery. I would say it truly was all of those things, plus a little crazy there too. :) I wouldn't have it any other way.<br />
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Welcome to the family, Marigold Claire! We're so thrilled to have you!<br />
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Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-80359534903382812132019-03-28T12:23:00.001-05:002019-03-30T12:51:30.402-05:00Marigold's Birth Story, Part 1<i>Our sweet baby GIRL has arrived! If you didn't see the announcement, head <a href="https://blessedtobeblog.blogspot.com/2019/03/introducing.html">here</a>. And now I present to you, her birth story!</i><br />
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In the week's leading up to baby's arrival, so many people asked me if I was feeling ready. Which is such a difficult question to answer, because who's really ready for the newborn phase? Whew! But it's true that usually by the end, I'm just ready to get the show on the road.<br />
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However, this time around, we were taking the last precious weeks to enjoy being just a family of four and get house projects done and so I was really at peace with waiting on baby to make his or her arrival whenever pleased. It was honestly the most relaxed end of pregnancy ever.<br />
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I didn't even let my OB do cervical checks at my appointments because, "why care about a number anyway?" I'd tell her. She just smiled and went along with it. And when my visit to a chiropractor at 38 weeks pregnant revealed baby to be in perfect position with my body in nearly perfect alignment, and the chiropractor told me she though for SURE I'd go into labor early, like so soon, I just shrugged it off with a meh and put it out of my mind.<br />
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It felt good not to be caught up in making things happen at any specific pace.<br />
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It probably helped that we also ate like royalty for the last week or so. You never know when you're gonna have your last family-of-four meal, so might as well eat out every night! That's a saying, right? :P<br />
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Lenten fish fries (3 times!).<br />
Drive thru fries and soft drinks.<br />
Piled-high BBQ tator tots.<br />
Buffalo chicken nachos.<br />
Large veggie deli sandwiches.<br />
Fro-yo with all the toppings.<br />
And this crowning glory. . .<br />
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At 39 weeks and 6 days pregnant, we treated ourselves to the biggest banana split in town. Oh mama was it good.<br />
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But you didn't come here to read about my junk food diet, did ya?<br />
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We went to bed that night with super happy full tummies and no idea of what would be in store the following day.<br />
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I woke around 8am on my due date, a Sunday morning, and noticed the tiniest bit of spotting when wiping during my morning pee-stop. Since bleeding is always a trigger for me (hello previous miscarriage and infertility!), I reached out to my doula immediately and asked her if that was normal. She said, "Oh yes!" and agreed that this was a sign baby was probably starting to make moves. By 8:30am I noticed I was probably having a few contractions, and that I guess I had actually felt some crampy ones during the night but wasn't really with it enough to realize what was going on until now. This was surely a good sign that things were really happening!<br />
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While we sat down to breakfast, John received a text from my OB, Dr. H. She had taken me as a private patient and had basically guaranteed, barring a random emergency or coincidence, that she would be there to deliver my baby. We loved working with her during the pregnancy, she was totally on board with the birth plan, and we were excited to have her there for baby's arrival. But of course, with my luck for these sorts of things, on the morning I start to feel contractions, she texts to say that it's her birthday and she will be at a family party from 4-10pm, not able to deliver during that time. My heart sank. Now I was on some sort of weird clock, where I could either deliver before 4pm, after 10pm, or just take whoever showed up to deliver me between those hours . . . with no actual control over any of it. So we did the only thing we could do and just surrendered to God's will and did our best to put it out of our minds.<br />
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Since the contractions were super mild and very random with no discernible pattern, we decided to go to Mass at 10am. Which, thinking about it now, was a GREAT way to start labor. Oh the graces I'm sure I received. :)<br />
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During Mass, I probably had 3 mild contractions, and while hanging out with friends for about an hour after, probably 3 or so more. Nothing too serious, and the company of God and friends was a great distraction!<br />
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We decided to get drive through food for lunch, Pal's turkey sandwiches, fries, hot dogs, and a peachy Dr. Enuf. If that sounds like gibberish, it's because you're not from east Tennessee. But trust me, it was goooood. (Side note, if you're ever in east Tennessee, please go to Pal's -- it's an institution here.)<br />
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By the time lunch ended, contractions were starting to pick up. Not enough to head to the hospital yet, but enough to know this was probably the real thing. This was around 1pm. I texted Wendy with the following screen shot and let her know if contractions continued in this pattern, we'd be headed to the hospital within the hour.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thepositivebirthcompany.co.uk/freya-hypnobirthing-app">Freya, the contraction timer app</a></td></tr>
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I put John on boy-nap duty and sent him upstairs to get the boys sleeping. Before they went up, I hugged them both so close and said a most tearful goodbye. I'm not a weepy, emotional person typically, but knowing that I probably wasn't going to see them again without a new baby sibling, AKA a huge family change, made me tear up.<br />
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They headed up the stairs and I got to work putting together the rest of the hospital bag and getting things ready to load up in the car.<br />
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It didn't take long for contractions to get real serious. Perhaps it was being on my feet and moving a bunch of stuff around, or maybe it was knowing the boys were taken care of and I could let go of that responsibility, but something put my body into gear.<br />
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My contraction timer app, <a href="https://thepositivebirthcompany.co.uk/freya-hypnobirthing-app">Freya</a>, has the option to play a breathing technique called up-breathing (breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, out through your mouth for 8 seconds), and I had turned it off until this point. It hadn't been necessary. But now, as contractions were getting stronger, I needed to be sure my oxygen was still flowing well, so I turned on the feature. And it was immeasurably helpful at keeping me calm!<br />
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At 1:32pm, I texted my mother-in-law to let her know to head our way to watch our boys, and I texted my friend and neighbor, Sarah, to have her swing by too. I wasn't sure how long my MIL was going to take; she took an hour to get to our house during Jude's birth and I knew I didn't have that amount of time this time around, so calling in extra back-up helped put me at ease too.<br />
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John still had to pack his hospital bag, so I labored through some longer and stronger contractions (about 1.5 minutes long each and 3 minutes apart) while he scrambled to throw his things together. I listened to the up-breathing counter on the app and walked loops around my family room, kitchen, and sun room. He finally emerged from the second floor and then furiously started bring our stuff out to the car. During this time, I had two contractions right on top of each other and knew it was really time to go.<br />
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Sarah arrived and, to our surprise, within two minutes, my MIL arrived too! So we were set to take off! Praise God for good people who are willing to watch your kiddos on the drop of a dime.<br />
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I had John put a <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Babycare-TENS-Maternity-winning-machine/dp/B000A1QKGM/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&dpID=41mi%2BjCdFvL&dpPl=1&keywords=elle%20tens%20machine&qid=1553618776&ref=plSrch&ref_=mp_s_a_1_3_a_it&sr=8-3">maternity TENS unit</a> on my back to help me get through these more intense contractions. I was especially hoping the TENS unit would help with contractions while stuck in a seated position in the car.<br />
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(Side note, if you've never heard of TENS before, it stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, and it does exactly that -- it delivers a small shock to your skin and that pulse helps the body release endorphins and distract your brain from bigger pains that are going on in your body. Since I had taken a British <a href="https://digitalpack.thepositivebirthcompany.co.uk/">Hypnobirthing course</a> (online), and maternity TENS units are big over there, I decided to look into it and try it out for this labor. Spoiler alert: it was awesome!)<br />
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At 1:52pm, we texted Wendy, our doula, that we were headed to the hospital. And then we were off!<br />
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For part 2, click <a href="https://blessedtobeblog.blogspot.com/2019/03/marigolds-birth-story-part-2.html">here</a>.<br />
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Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-77690088144035210432019-03-27T08:27:00.000-05:002019-03-27T08:27:31.418-05:00Introducing...<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Marigold Claire!</span></b></div>
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<b>Born on her due date</b></div>
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<b>March 24 at 3:04pm</b></div>
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<b>8 lb 2 oz</b></div>
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<b>21 inches long</b></div>
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Thank you so much for all the prayers and support! We're so thrilled that SHE'S here! GAH, yes it's so surreal to say SHE! I can't believe we have a daughter. ALL THE HEART EYES! </div>
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The boys are thrilled, and when Miss Margo comes around, all they want to do is kiss and love on her. Jude happily exclaimed, "My baby sister!" while gently patting her head the other morning. He must be pretty proud. :) What joy she brings to all of us!</div>
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Birth story coming soon!</div>
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Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-89634297538521395742019-03-09T09:26:00.003-06:002019-03-09T09:26:34.741-06:00How Can I Pray for You? (And a Pregnancy Update)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Baby #3's arrival fast approaches! </div>
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As with my last pregnancies, I'd love to offer up my upcoming labor and delivery for your intentions! No prayer request is too big or too small. Feel free to leave requests in the comments here or send them privately via email: stephschweitz [at] gmail [dot] com. </div>
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A few weeks ago, we went on an overnight babymoon to Asheville, NC. If that sounds familiar, it's because <a href="http://blessedtobeblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/our-asheville-babymoon.html">we did the same thing before Jude was born</a>. But since Asheville is such a happening town, we were able to have a completely different babymoon experience, and it was awesome yet again. One of my favorite parts was getting my belly (temporarily) henna tattooed with <a href="http://hennasophia.com/">Henna Sophia</a>. It's something I've always wanted to do, so being in Asheville at 35 weeks pregnant, I took total advantage of the opportunity. And I loved the final result! Other babymoon highlights included staying at the old <a href="http://princessannehotel.com/">Princess Anne Hotel</a> (which was really more of a giant bed and breakfast -- so lovely!), a relaxing couple's foot soak at <a href="http://wakespa.com/">Wake Foot Sanctuary</a>, eating a fully vegan meal at <a href="http://plantisfood.com/">Plant</a>, a long peruse and shopping spree at Trader Joe's, going to Mass at the beautiful St. Lawrence Basilica, trying dim sum for the first time ever at <a href="http://redgingerdimsumtapas.com/">Red Ginger</a>, and escaping our first ever escape room (with friends who met us there!) at <a href="http://escaperoomsasheville.com/">Fox n Otter Adventure Puzzle Rooms</a>. And this was all within 32 hours! Thanks for yet another great time, Asheville! </div>
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And now for a late pregnancy update.</div>
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<b>How far along? </b>38 weeks</div>
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<b>Clothing? </b>All maternity, of course! </div>
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<b>Stretch marks? </b>Yep. Just as I predicted, my old stretch marks are growing longer. This started while I had the henna on my belly, so they were hidden for two weeks. But as soon as the henna faded, there they were, sneakily growing out from the old stretchies. All the belly butter in the world hasn't stopped it, so I guess I'm just prone to stretch marks? A small price to pay for growing another human. ;)</div>
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<b>Sleep? </b>Sleep has been meh, mostly because it's hard to get comfy, and there are a lot of pee trips to the bathroom, and fiery reflux. Oh, and I had one night of insomnia. But since upping <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Encapsulations-Magnesium-Glycinate-Physiological/dp/B0058HWV9S/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=magnesium&qid=1552144103&s=gateway&sr=8-8">my magnesium supplement</a> a little bit, I've been sleeping just a bit better. Thankfully there are daily naps to make up for the lost night sleep. </div>
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<b>Best moment of the week? </b>It's probably a tie between meeting with our doula for our last pre-labor prep session and getting a bunch of little projects done around the house in preparation of baby's arrival (washing all the newborn clothes, buying and constructing new family room furniture, putting the final touches on our kids' bathroom makeover, etc.). </div>
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<b>Worst moment of the week? </b>Having a few Braxton Hick's contractions and worrying that I might go into labor early. It wouldn't be horrible for baby to be born now, but I was looking forward to these last few weeks to continue getting things ready and to have some last pre-baby moments with my boys. </div>
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<b>Miss anything? </b>Sangria and meaty deli sandwiches, and being able to bend down without maximum effort. </div>
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<b>Movement? </b>Yup! Especially at night around 9pm. </div>
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<b>Symptoms? </b>All the reflux. Random itchiness. Being tired. </div>
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<b>Food cravings? </b>Give me all the sweets! </div>
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<b>Gender? </b>I really have no idea at this point and will be completely shocked either way. Probably more shocked if baby is a girl, since I'm used to having boys, but I really have no clue, so it's really going to be a fun surprise!</div>
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<b>Labor signs? </b>Just a few Braxton Hicks contractions. </div>
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<b>Belly button in or out? </b>So out. See above pic for proof. </div>
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<b>Wedding rings on or off? </b>On. </div>
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<b>Mood? </b>Normal. </div>
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<b>Looking forward to? </b>Newborn snuggles. :) </div>
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Don't forget to send me your prayer intentions! I look forward to praying for you! </div>
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Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-36397083432734053162019-01-05T21:12:00.000-06:002019-01-05T21:12:13.551-06:00And Then There Were Three!Time to let this cat out of the bag.<br />
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We're expecting baby Schweitz number three (on earth // we have <a href="http://blessedtobeblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-littlest-saint.html">one sweet babe in eternity</a>)!<br />
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John Paul will be almost 4 and Jude will be just over 2 when new baby arrives. From infertile for 2 years to 3 kiddos in less than 4 years. My heads spins when I try to think about it! I look back in awe of where this journey has taken us. I couldn't have written it better myself, so thanks for that, Man Upstairs!<br />
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When Jude turned 1, we started to talk and dream about baby 3. I was still a little hesitant, since we were just finally starting to get some good sleep (side note: Jude was not the best sleeper for the first year of his life), and my postpartum anxiety was finally feeling good and managed. But from there, it only took a few more months to really feel ready, and so we decided to give it a whirl.<br />
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Wouldn't you know, that first cycle of trying, the emotions of infertility came flooding back. Will it work? Will I need to seek NaPro help? Does that twinge in my ovary mean something? Is my endometriosis back?! Will I need surgery again? Do I feel pregnant? Is that a symptom of pregnancy or PMS? Do I hope or do I despair?!<br />
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And that first cycle did not work. I tested early, and I tested several days, and each day just one single line stared back at me on the pregnancy tests. So naturally, I was devastated. I went right back to the dark places of infertility. I tried and tried to not let it take over, but it's crazy how once you've been through it, you can never really trust that your body is healed and knows how to make babies again.<br />
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But I pulled myself together and we tried again, and well . . . here we are now, 6.5 months pregnant with the newest little Schweitz babe.<br />
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I say all this not to complain. But just to say my heart is still with all my friends who are struggling. I see you. I know your pain and I hate it for you. And I know it can't be easy to hear about the girl who gets pregnant so quickly now, but I promise I have not forgotten you. Please never hesitate to unfollow if all this is just too much. Praying for you, my friends.<br />
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So how did we find out?<br />
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Well, I was nearing the end of the cycle and holding out testing as long as possible, but at this point, it was time. I told John I was ready, but that I didn't want him to be with me during the test, because I didn't to let him down if it was negative. I marched upstairs to our master bathroom with Jude in my arms (he was cranky/clingy, so there was no leaving him), and as soon as I got into the room, I ripped open the test. Within seconds of dipping it, it turned positive, and my heart skipped a beat! I know I've been through this positive test thing 4 times now, but it never ceases to amaze me that my body can actually do this correctly!<br />
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With great excitement, I yelled down the stairs, "Guess what, John!" And of course he knew. He came running up the stairs and checked out the test with me, and we both giggled and hugged and floated on a cloud.<br />
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The only NaPro-y thing we did was supplement with progesterone during post-peak, but other than that, my body did this one on its own. Well, I mean, with the help of the husband, of course. :P<br />
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I've been checking my progesterone regularly since, and the numbers have been so good that I haven't needed any supplementation since the positive test! It's certainly been nerve-wracking, especially since I was on progesterone during both John Paul and Jude's pregnancies. But this little babe hasn't needed it and thankfully, all is well!<br />
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At this point, we're pretty far into the pregnancy and I'm feeling exactly as I'd expect to feel at 6.5 months pregnant. I've always wanted to answer these questions, as sort of a time capsule for my pregnancy years, so I hope you don't mind if I indulge.<br />
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<b>How far along? </b>29 weeks<br />
<b>Clothing? </b>Pretty much all maternity at this point. A few sweet friends have let me borrow some of their maternity clothes, so it's been fun switching up the maternity wardrobe a bit this time around.<br />
<b>Stretch marks? </b>No new ones, but I bet I'll add to the old ones here soon. That's exactly what happened around 30-ish weeks last time. During my first pregnancy, stretch marks grew from my laparoscopy scars. During my second pregnancy, stretch marks grew from the old stretch marks. So if that pattern follows, I expect to see my current stretchies grow even longer by the end of this pregnancy. However, I have been better about applying lotion to my belly this pregnancy, so we'll see if that makes any difference whatsoever. I'll report back!<br />
<b>Sleep? </b>Not too bad! Actually, my 3-year-old has become a bad sleeper. Thank you, night terrors. Eep! So sleep is interrupted by that. And I have to get up to pee at least once a night, many nights twice. Throw a random night of pregnancy insomnia into the mix here and there, and that's what my sleep looks like these days. All told, I probably eek out 6-7 solid hours each night. And if I'm really tired the next day, I'll nap when my boys nap. (Yes, they nap at the same time every day. It's glorious.) I will say, those body pillows never did it for me, so I just sleep on my left side most nights, and comfortably so!<br />
<b>Best moment of the week? </b>My boys have been sick, so there have been lots of snuggles and Christmas movies (and Pixar movies) on the couch this week. Can't complain about extra toddler snuggles and fun movies!<br />
<b>Worst moment of the week? </b>My boys have been sick, so they've been extra clingy and whiny. Isn't it funny how the best thing and worst thing from the week can come from the same place? Anyway, I snapped at my boys a time or two, just overwhelmed by the unending whining. Felt pretty bad about that after the fact. I wonder if pregnancy hormones are to blame for my shorter-than-usual fuse?<br />
<b>Miss anything? </b>Mama wants sangria! And a big, meaty deli sandwich!<br />
<b>Movement? </b>Yes! Especially in the evenings.<br />
<b>Symptoms? </b>Reflux, the tiniest bit of morning nausea, exhaustion, pimples, night pee, pressure (but not scary pressure) down low, getting harder to bend over and pick things up . . .<br />
<b>Food cravings? </b>Veggie sub from Subway; sweet, cold drinks; lots of water this week; tuna fish + pasta salad with Wishbone Italian dressing; veggies and dip<br />
<b>Gender? </b>I really go back and forth with this, but am leaning girl this time. I was a lot sicker in the first trimester (throwing up nearly every day for weeks!), so either that means a gender I haven't experienced yet OR just one feisty boy. John Paul constantly says "she" when referring to the baby, but will occasionally tell us he's having another brother. The ultrasound profile looked girly, but also looked a lot like Jude, so who knows? Every day I let myself imagine having another boy or having our first girl, just to prepare for either outcome, and it's a lot of fun to imagine either scenario. A boy would so easily fall in line with our first two, while a girl would switch things up and be a fun new experience. Either way, we'd be thrilled!<br />
<b>Labor signs? </b>None!<br />
<b>Belly button in or out? </b>Barely still in.<br />
<b>Wedding rings on or off? </b>On, but I usually don't have to take them off, even at the very end.<br />
<b>Mood? </b>Normal.<br />
<b>Looking forward to? </b>Meeting this baby and seeing my boys' reactions when he or she arrives! Also, we're getting to the point where my OB appointments are every 2 weeks, and that's just blowing my mind!<br />
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I think this has officially turned into a mommy blog. I don't hate it. :P<br />
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Hugs to all of you! Wishing you many blessings on your journey!<br />
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-51019115995061307372018-08-07T15:37:00.000-05:002018-08-07T15:36:59.989-05:00John Paul Turns 3! With a Train Birthday!My big kid turned 3 back in May.<br />
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What a gift it is to have a 3-year-old!<br />
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John Paul Fulton, watching you grow is such a joy. You have become such a chatter box, telling us stories about any and everything, and talking to anyone who will listen. You're favorite story to tell these days is, "When I was a baby, I used to call 'chocolate' 'lala'!" . . . which is entirely untrue, but I love how much you love making up stories about when you were a baby.<br />
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You love to explore the world around you, taking in every detail possible. You'll be telling us about something you saw weeks ago, and you'll recall the most random detail about it. It always shocks us and makes us chuckle. </div>
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You still love books, and would curl up on the couch to read with us all day if we had the time. Your favorite books are the ones with vehicles, but you'll even give non-vehicle books a go from time to time.<br />
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Your eating habits have remained pretty much the same over the past year. If it were up to you, you'd only eat pasta, grilled cheese, or pizza every meal. We've gotten you to try a handful of less toddler-friendly foods, like tofu and kale and carrots, but you'll only eat them if there's nothing else around. You have quite the sweet tooth, which we don't indulge often, but I do use it to my advantage when I'm trying to get you to cooperate with pictures. (Candy bribery, ftw!) No wonder I have so many great pictures of you!<br />
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You have such a big heart and it always warms mine to see your love in action. When Jude gets hurt, you rush to his side to give him a hug and tell him, "It's ok to cry!" When you see a baby, you just want to hang out nearby and talk about how cute and little the baby is. When you wake up in the morning, your favorite thing is to climb into our bed and snuggle for a while. You'll often ask us how our sleep was and tell us that you love us. You're such a snuggly, sweet boy.<br />
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You love water! Whether in the bath, or the water table, or just playing in the sink, you gravitate toward anything involving H2O. And so long as we're not actually trying to clean you with it, you are giddy whenever water is around. You especially love cups in water because you get to practice pouring, over and over and over.<br />
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You also love to ride your bike. You mastered your tricycle as a 2-year-old and moved onto your balance bike pretty quickly from there. Now you zip around on your green balance bike with the greatest of ease. It always shocks me to see how quickly you can ride, and how much control you maintain. I wonder if it's time for an upgrade to a petal bike? For now, you're having fun also learning how to maneuver a scooter. And man, can you motor on that too!<br />
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You LOVE family. When we're not around your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, you're constantly talking about them. My favorite is when you're enjoying something like a toy or a meal and you stop to say, "Nana would love this!" It's such a blessing to have John's family nearby. And even though my family is far, we FaceTime often and they visit when they can. And it's a good thing, because this boy sure loves his Rhode Island family too!<br />
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You are still a pro-sleeper, and we sure do appreciate that. You take one nap, from around 1pm to 3pm, and you sleep through the night from 9pm to 7:30am. You still sleep in your pack n play (lol), but you love it and we're not going to rock that boat if we don't have to. You are, however, welcome to sleep in that big boy bed we bought you (over a year ago!) whenever you're ready. :P We started using the OK to Wake clock a few months ago and it's helped you stay in bed in the mornings until a reasonable time. The clock turns green (at a time we preset) when it's ok to be up, and you have adjusted to it really nicely! Thanks for letting us "sleep in" 'til 7:30am every morning, kiddo.<br />
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One huge accomplishment in the past few months has been POTTY TRAINING! We officially have you out of diapers during waking time, and it's so nice! You still haven't learned how to hold while you're napping or overnight sleeping, so we put you in diapers for sleep, and you've managed to hold your poops until you're in that sleep-time diaper. But you pee on the potty like a boss and we love it!<br />
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You know, being 3 has its difficulties too. You really don't like it when things don't go your way, or when we have to tell you no. And if your brother tries to get involved when you're concentrating on a toy or task, emotions fly high. But overall, you do make this life pretty easy on us.<br />
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Bud, it's a pleasure to be your mom. Thanks for filling our days with love, laughter, and wonder. We couldn't imagine our family without you. Thanks for being you, kiddo!<br />
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For John Paul's 3rd birthday, we decided to skip the party and plan a trip instead! We knew he'd LOVE to ride on a Thomas the Train, so I did some internetting and found Thomas was going to be just a few hours away in Chattanooga the day after John Paul's birthday! It was fate! So we planned a long weekend out of it, booking a nice Airbnb apartment just outside of downtown, and filling time with fun activities and yummy restaurant adventures. John Paul's aunt, uncle, and 1-year-old cousin joined in on the fun too!<br />
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On our first full day (John Paul's actual birthday) was spent at the Chattanooga Aquarium. And it really was a full day! We started there right after they opened, took an afternoon break for lunch and naps, and then went back to finish exploring. Lots of great pictures to be taken . . .<br />
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For dinner, we found a pub near the old Chattanooga choo-choo, so before dinner, we explored the old train and several old train cars. They're not in operation anymore, just on display for tourists and train enthusiasts to enjoy. Some of the old train cars have been converted into shops, and one was even a bar! We didn't stick around for long, but John Paul LOVED this short train adventure.<br />
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After dinner, we had cake back at our rental apartment. We just picked it up at Whole Foods when we arrived in town. Birthday boy was thrilled to pick the flavor: strawberry. Easy peasy.<br />
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The next day, there were many more train adventures to be had. In the morning, John and the boys got to ride a funicular train 1 mile up the side of a mountain! John Paul loved it so much, he's still talking about it months later. And then in the early evening, we finally got to meet and ride Thomas! John Paul was totally in train heaven. I have this sweet video of him saying (totally unprompted), "Eeeeeee! I'm so happy!" while we road Thomas. It was precious. Oh, and he got his first slush puppie, so he was basically on cloud 9.<br />
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^^sporting his Thomas tattoo<br />
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Happy 3rd birthday, John Paul! We love you! Can't wait to see where year 4 takes you!<br />
<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-71081986510635280362018-03-04T20:32:00.001-06:002018-03-04T20:32:15.889-06:00A Day in the Life, 2018Just like last year, my <a href="http://www.shootalong.com/stephanie">Shoot Along photography course</a> challenged us to complete a day-in-the-life photo project. Starting the moment we woke, we were tasked with taking one photo every 10 minutes. Whew! I pretty much stayed on top of it this time around. And now that I have all these pictures of one complete day, I figured it'd be fun to share exactly what goes on in our home over the course of 24 hours with you! A day in the life of our family . . .<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>March 2, 2018</b></span></div>
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7:15am</div>
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Jude starts making noise. And this is the first we've heard from him since he went to bed around 8:30pm. He slept through the night!! We usually let him play in his crib a bit before I go in to nurse him, mostly to give us some time to come to consciousness. </div>
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7:30am</div>
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John Paul is now awake and fussing, so John goes in to get him and bring him into our room for morning snuggles. As soon as John Paul makes it into the room, Jude's really starts to fuss, so I head into his room to nurse him for a while.</div>
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7:40am</div>
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Jude's done nursing, so I go grab John Paul from our room. John is completely passed out again; he's exhausted from having been on call overnight and answering several phone calls from the hospital in the wee hours of the morning. So I take both boys downstairs with me and we let Daddy sleep in for a little bit longer. He just wants 30 minutes more.</div>
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7:45am</div>
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It's time to make breakfast! The second I open the fridge, Jude is immediately at my feet, rummaging through all the fridge goodies. John Paul soon joins him.<br />
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7:55am</div>
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Quick diaper changes.</div>
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8:00am</div>
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Breakfast is finally on the table. Coconut milk chia seed pudding for all of us. I add homemade granola to mine. The boys eat theirs with strawberries and blackberries. John Paul also gets half of an everything bagel, per his request. I've also prepared a bagel for John when he wakes.<br />
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8:05am</div>
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Forgot to make the coffee! We drink cold brew basically every morning. So I get back up from the breakfast table, leaving the boys to chow down, and go make two coffees. Cold brew + protein nut milk + agave is our combo of choice.<br />
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8:15am</div>
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Jude is antsy to get out of his highchair. He makes the best antsy faces. I leave the boys briefly to go wake up John.<br />
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8:20am</div>
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John joins the breakfast table and adds cream cheese to that toasty bagel. He's using Kite Hill vegan chive cream cheese since we're vegan for Lent.<br />
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8:30am</div>
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We all wrap up eating and chatting and John gets ready to head out with Jude. Jude has a quick check-up at the pediatrician to make sure his weight gain is still on track.<br />
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8:40am</div>
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While John gets Jude changed and ready to go, John Paul asks me to play this little board game he got in his Chick-Fil-A kids' meal last night. It involves picking up paper bones with tongs shaped like a dog. Pretty cute. He loves it.<br />
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8:45am</div>
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Did I mention that Jude can walk now?! Look at how proud big brother is!<br />
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John and Jude rush out the door to make it to their 9am appointment on time.<br />
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8:50am</div>
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Still playing John Paul's board game. He ends up winning that round. :)<br />
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8:55am</div>
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We decide to FaceTime my mom, aka Memere! We end up chatting for over an hour, and lots of John Paul activities occur in the meantime.<br />
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He brings out his vitamins.</div>
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He requires a diaper change. :P</div>
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He builds Memere a "garage" for one car.</div>
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He goes for a short tricycle ride.<br />
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10:30am</div>
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John and Jude are home! Jude took a little snooze in the car on the way home, so he'll be able to hold off until after lunch for his nap and the boys will have overlapping naps today. WOOP WOOP! Also, John reports that Jude is gaining weight and back on track. SO MUCH WOOP WOOP! <br />
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10:40am</div>
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I start working on lunch: <a href="https://peasandcrayons.com/2018/01/lentil-veggie-tacos.html">vegan lentil tacos</a>. I don't normally make something so fancy, but we're eating out tonight, so I don't mind putting in a little extra work at lunchtime. Btw, have you ever had the lines on a measuring cup fade <i>this much</i>?? Silly, right?<br />
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10:45am</div>
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The boys play on the floor beside me. They pull apart my pots and pans cupboard, which keeps them happily distracted while I chop all my veggies and get things a cookin'.<br />
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10:55am</div>
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John decides to take John Paul on a Target adventure while I continue working on lunch. As he picks up John Paul to walk him over to the changing table and get him dressed to go, I snap this goofy upside down grin. Look at that milk mustache from his pomegranate kefir snack!<br />
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11:05am</div>
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Still working on lunch. It's coming along. Jude is getting antsy again. This time he's bored.</div>
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11:10am</div>
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So I start sneaking him little snacks and tastes of what I'm chopping. He gets a cheese stick, olives, tomatoes, avocado, and beans. </div>
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11:20am</div>
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While I wait for the lentils to finish cooking, I take the free time to send a quick email. We're putting out feelers to local designers and gathering quotes for a kitchen reno. Eep! Jude loves to "help" by banging on the keyboard.<br />
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11:25am</div>
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Gooby baby still eating his cheese snack.<br />
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11:35am</div>
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Lentils still simmering, so I start working on a side salad.<br />
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11:45am</div>
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I decide Jude could use a nursing break, since he hasn't nursed since 7:30am. The recipe is at a good stopping place, so I leave everything heating on the stove and he nurses with me in the family room.<br />
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11:55am</div>
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Little goob wraps up eating and gets a hold of Daddy's remote control. He hides between the couch and coffee table while he plays.<br />
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12:00pm</div>
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John and John Paul return from Target with Coco!<br />
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12:10pm</div>
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Lunch is finally on the table. We have several different version of the same thing. The toddler version is a deconstructed taco with a side of deconstructed salad.<br />
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The grown up version is the fully assembled kind. :P<br />
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Btw, fritos + catalina dressing is a match made in heaven!<br />
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John Paul has mastered the Sign of the Cross after our meal prayer.<br />
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12:20pm</div>
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John Paul chows down. Om nom nom nom.<br />
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Meanwhile, Jude has had enough (might have overdone it on the pre-meal snacking, oops), so he swipes his arm like a windshield wiper and nearly clears off all the contents of his tray. Oyyyy.</div>
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12:30pm</div>
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No srlsy, he's really had enough. One HUGE yawn and we know it's for sure time to get him down for his nap.</div>
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12:35pm</div>
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A quick diaper change and then it's up to his bedroom. I get him in his zipadeezip sleep sack and we go straight to nursing.<br />
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12:50pm</div>
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He's soooo sleepy. He's out within minutes. I let him nurse for a few more as he slumbers sweetly, and read the daily Mass readings to pass the time. Then I gently place him in his crib.<br />
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12:55pm</div>
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Time to <i>finally</i> get myself dressed! I'm the type that'll go as long as possible before changing into day clothes. Some days I just stay in jammies all day! Not today though. I pick out my Tennessee shirt and pose for a self portrait. Ignore the laundry mess behind me. #reallife</div>
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1:00pm</div>
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I head back downstairs and John is cleaning the lunch dishes. I change John Paul's diaper and then send the two of them up for an afternoon nap. John gets John Paul down after a few minutes of snuggles and a favorite book.<br />
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1:10pm</div>
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All three of my boys are down for a nap! I take just a few minutes of this precious silence to get on facebook and see what's been going with the rest of the world.<br />
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1:20pm</div>
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Still a few lunch dishes left, so I get at it. It'll feel good to have a clean kitchen.<br />
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1:30pm</div>
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While I clean, I'm watching a new favorite show: Last Man on Earth. Have you seen it?! I've been making my way through all 4 seasons for a few weeks now and I'm almost caught up. It's so hilariously awkward, kinda like a mix of The Office and Flight of the Concords. I love it.<br />
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1:40pm</div>
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Kitchen is clean, so mama gets to put her feet up. I finish watching an episode of Last Man on Earth and then open blogger to start writing this post. Photography is on hold while I type type type. </div>
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3:05pm</div>
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John Paul shouts from his bedroom. Nap time is over for him, but Jude is still snoozin'! </div>
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3:10pm</div>
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John Paul waits patiently in his learning tower as I prepare his snack on the counter. Today's afternoon snack is mush: broken graham crackers and milk, stirred together until mushy. He's obsessed. I add a nectarine on the side to get some fruit in there.<br />
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3:15pm</div>
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My snack is this <a href="https://www.thelionspack.com/">edible vegan cookie dough</a>. YUMMMMM!<br />
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3:25pm</div>
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Still eating his mush. Look at that little chin dimple. <3<br />
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3:35pm</div>
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Jude finally wakes up! After a 3 hour nap!<br />
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3:40pm</div>
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I run up to his room to grab him and decide to nurse him for a little while. He eats for about 10 minutes while I scroll Instagram.</div>
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3:50pm</div>
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We wander over to John Paul's room, right next door, and the boys play while John hangs up some lights I purchased a while back. This will one day be the boys' shared room.<br />
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4:05pm</div>
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Mischief managed! Marquee lights are hung and we make our way down the stairs.<br />
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4:15pm</div>
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We decide to play outside for a few minutes to pass the time. It doesn't last long since it's colder than it looks outside.<br />
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4:20pm</div>
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Jude joins me inside and I unload the dishwasher. John stays outside with John Paul for a few more minutes of play.</div>
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4:40pm</div>
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All my boys are back inside. John Paul gets into another kitchen cabinet and plays with the funnel. For whatever reason, the boys are especially obsessed with the funnel and the two colanders.<br />
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4:50pm</div>
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It's time to head to our church for a Lenten fish fry. No, fish is not vegan. We decided earlier in the week it was ok to break our Lenten fast to enjoy fellowship with our church community. </div>
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4:55pm</div>
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Our church is right next to our neighborhood, so we walk over. Down the street and up the hill to the fish fry we go!<br />
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5:05pm</div>
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FISH FRY!! We spend the next hour and a half enjoying good food and the company of great people!<br />
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John Paul is a little overwhelmed when we first arrive and has a little meltdown when I ask him if he's going to eat.<br />
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The fish is fantastic! We scarf down our food and spend the rest of the time watching all the kiddos runnnn around like crazy. They try to sneak outside about a hundred times, so we have to be on door duty, and continuously stop them from escape.<br />
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Look at my beautiful niece/goddaughter, Rosie. <3 <br />
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And my other goddaughter, Lily! <3 She's obsessed with a Mickey balloon that's stuck up on the ceiling. She keeps screeching and pointing at it. Hilariously cute.<br />
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6:35pm</div>
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Time to head home! It's family movie night, so we're trying to get back at a reasonable time to watch a good chunk of movie. Tonight's feature: Coco! And we've invited a few friends and family members to join us!<br />
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6:55pm</div>
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We all settle in, get the movie going, and since Jude didn't eat enough at the fish fry, I nuke him some chicken nuggets. He chows down while watching Coco from his high chair.<br />
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7:00pm</div>
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John Paul and Rosie snuggle up on the couch. Rosie licks a toy car. </div>
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7:15pm</div>
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The adults enjoy some bubbly during the Coco viewing. :)<br />
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7:30pm</div>
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John Paul is GLUED. This is how he watches every movie. I've never seen a toddler with such a long attention span.<br />
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7:45pm</div>
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Owen enjoys playing with our rainbow stacker toy and catching glimpses of the movie when it's not "too scary." <-- his words.<br />
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8:00pm</div>
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Still GLUED.<br />
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8:10pm</div>
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We stop the movie and say goodbye to our friends. It's getting a little too late for all the toddlers, so we don't make it to the end of the movie. John changes Jude's diaper and gets him in his jammies. </div>
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8:15pm</div>
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Usually we head up for boys' bedtime at 8pm, but it's a special night, so we let it go a little later than normal. Jude loves climbing the stairs on his own. He'll fight himself out of my arms if I forget to put him down to climb.<br />
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Halfway up the steps, John Paul has a meltdown because we've forgotten to give him a bedtime snack. We decide to stick with routine, so John brings him back down and gives him a snack.</div>
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8:25pm</div>
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Jude gets his teeth brushed and then we head into his bedroom and I nurse him to sleep. He's got lots of energy, but after 30 minutes of milkies and snuggles, he finally settles and passes out.<br />
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8:55pm</div>
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John is wrapping up bedtime routine with John Paul. After the snack, he changed his diaper and got him in his jammies, brushed his teeth, and started reading him a book. I peek into John Paul's room to say goodnight and snap a pic of the cuteness.</div>
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9:05pm</div>
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John makes his way downstairs after he finishes getting John Paul down for bed. John Paul's pretty easy these days: read a book, say some prayers, put him in his pack n' play, say a long goodnight ("I love you! Sweet Dreams! Sleep well, and dream with the angels!" x 4). He can handle the falling asleep part on his own. </div>
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9:10pm</div>
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After a few minutes of clean up, we settle into the family room for our evening screen time. John decides to watch half of a movie, The Foreigner, and I work on this post.<br />
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10:10pm</div>
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Jude starts crying, so we take it as a sign to wrap up our screen time.<br />
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10:20pm<br />
Jude's still crying, so John heads into his room to help him get back to sleep. A 10pm wake-up is pretty rare for Jude, so we're wondering what's bugging him.<br />
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10:50pm<br />
John has been rocking Jude this whole time. And he's been out basically the whole time. But John goes to put him gently into his crib and he's wide awake and crying again. So after finishing my bedtime routine (teeth brushed + face routine), I head in to nurse Jude.<br />
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11:20pm<br />
Jude is FINALLY out, after 30 minutes of nursing. I put him down and he stays asleep. PHEW!<br />
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11:30pm<br />
Lights out for us!<br />
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And that's a wrap! What a day! Thanks for following along. :)<br />
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Camera: Nikon D3200<br />
Lens: 35mm</div>
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Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-41023345969237110282018-02-12T15:23:00.001-06:002018-02-12T15:25:32.394-06:00Jude is One! With a Dishwasher Themed Birthday Party!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our sweet Jude Francis is one year old! How is that possible?!</div>
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This year has flown by faster than I ever thought possible. I look at these pictures of Jude as a newborn or a 3-month-old and in so many ways it feels like yesterday, and in so many other ways, it feels like years ago. Ha! That old saying, "The days are LONG but the years are SHORT!" is still so so so true and our kids make us feel it more than ever.<br />
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Jude Francis, you are such a joy! What a blessing it is to watch you grow and explore and learn every day. It's amazing to see little glimpses of your personality shining through, and we can't help but wonder who you'll become as you continue to grow. Childhood is so full of wonder and awe, and your life is no exception. ;) </div>
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Every day, we see you become interested in more and more things. Currently, you are obsessed with the dishwasher (more on that later!), the stairs, the toilet, tearing things off shelves, making messes, instrument toys (whistle, drum, shakers), and all your brother's things on wheels. You love to tinker and explore and I LOVE that quality about you . . . even if it means lots of messes to clean up later, they're worth it because I know you're learning. You also love to crawl at lightening speeds and just this week you started taking your first steps!! You can walk 3-4 steps on your own before you plop back down to the ground, and each day you seem to be able to do a few more. It won't be long before you're walking circles around all of us, I'm sure! But your favorite way to get around, by far, is in your walker cart. Yes, that's right, IN. You like to sit in the basket of the cart and let John Paul push you around. It always cracks me up. Your squeals and giggles as you zoom around the house on your royal cart bring us so much joy! If brother isn't around to push you, you tend to gravitate toward other things on wheels -- trains, cars, trucks -- and push them around while half-crawling, half-catapulting yourself across the floor. It's the cutest froggy-leg crawl I ever did see. </div>
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We're currently working on porking you up, since you weighed only 19 lb 5 oz at your 1-year appointment, dropping you into the 19th percentile for weight. This is a huge drop from the 50th percentile, where you firmly sat from birth to 6 months old. We're not exactly sure what's up, but we're trying our best to get even fattier foods into you here lately. Current favorites include strawberries covered in coconut milk chia seed pudding, chicken nuggets and french fries, anything peanut butter, cheese (he got to try dairy and loved it!, but the verdict is still out on whether he's still allergic), pizza!, applesauce, tomatoes, and any fruit. You are pretty open to trying new things, but your appetite is still so small. You tend to nibble a few bites here and there and then you're all done. Even when you eat things like cookies and other treats, you usually don't want very much. Maybe you're just meant to be a tall, skinny guy, like your Dad. I mean, that *is* pretty darn cute.</div>
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You still adore nursing, which we lovingly call "milkies." I love the way you excitedly growl when I ask, "Do you want milkies now?" Ha! He's not subtle. He nurses approximately every 3 hours during the day and at least once overnight. I definitely wasn't expecting to still be nursing this regularly a year out from birth, but hey, it's what you need and want, so it's what you get, babe. :) Maybe that's why you eat so little. You just love milkies so much! We'll slowly try to wean you off of milkies over the next year, but for now, you eat as much as you need, kiddo.<br />
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Your sleep has remained about the same throughout your whole first year: awesome at naps, meh at the overnight. Currently, you take one 2-hour nap in the late morning/early afternoon, sometimes one catnap in the early evening, and then sleep overnight from 8:30pm - 7:30am. But that overnight sleep is so random and often interrupted. Some nights you wake only once for a quick feeding, other nights, it's 2-3 wake-ups, sometimes for feedings, sometimes for cuddles. Currently we think you're trying to pop some molars so your sleep has been terrible. Hopefully we have that behind us soon, because we could all use a little more sleep, bud, you especially. Thanks for being an awesome napper, though. That makes all the bad nighttime sleep a little more bearable. ;)<br />
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You have lovingly earned so many nicknames over the past year. Our current favorite are Juju, Juji, Jude the Destroyer, Jude the Dude, Boo Boo, The Boo Ju Ju, and Mr. Persistent. That last one comes from how insanely persistent you become when you really want something that you can't have. For instance: the dirt in my sunroom palm plant. We can pull you away from that plant 100 times and you'd still go back for a 101th try. We smartened up eventually and decided to block the plant with two big chairs. But it wasn't long before you were trying to crawl under and around and over those chairs, thankfully unsuccessfully, to get back at that plant again. I love my persistent boy. I hope your persistence pays off some day when that trait becomes a little more useful. :P<br />
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You've started learning words and it's soooo cute to hear your little voice. Your very first word was DADA (which means both "mom" and "dad" currently), but your first non-person-related word was ALL DONE, which you like to firmly declare the second you're done eating. It's more like "AH DUH!" Then from there, you've learned to say down (DUH!), book (BUH), bath (BAH), bubble (BUH-BUH), bye-bye (also BUH-BUH), and John Paul (BAH PAW), all of which you can say unprompted. My favorite is probably book, which you say when you want to read a book but then also every time we turn the page in a book. It's adorable. Just like walking, you seem to be learning a little more each day, and I bet the language explosion just continues from here. </div>
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My favorite part about you is how much you love your big brother. You love to watch him do everything, and you love to copy him when he's doing something silly like shaking his head or clapping his hands or making a high-pitched noise. You follow each other around the house making messes everywhere, sharing toys, fighting over toys, exploring everything! One of our biggest dreams as parents was to give your brother a forever friend, and I'm pretty sure you've already found that in each other. I can't wait to see your friendship continue to blossom. </div>
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Jude Francis, I love being your mom. I love the way you give big, slobbery, open-mouth kisses and say "mwwahhhh" as you go in for the smooch. I love the way you make sing-songy noises as you crawl toward something you're excited about. I love the way you sway and bounce when you hear a favorite tune. I love the way you love on your daddy and light up when he gets home from work. I love how you melt into a puddle of sadness when Daddy or I walk out of the room because you just love us both so much! Thanks for being so joyful, so cuddly, so wonderful, so fun! You make our days so much brighter (and our nights so much longer :P) and our world is infinitely better because you're in it! </div>
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To celebrate Jude's big day, we had a dishwasher-themed first birthday party at our house. Yes, dishwasher-themed. The kid is OBSESSED with our dishwasher. He can hear it open from another room and he comes rushing in to play with whatever he can grab -- plates, cups, utensils, banging them together like a drum -- clean or dirty. I actually try to wait until he's down for a nap to put things in the dishwasher now because otherwise he's playing in all our dirty stuff. Eek! But he loves it so much, we just had to make a party out of it. It actually started as a joke: "Wouldn't it be funny if the theme was dishwasher?" And then it just stuck and so we made it happen. It was honestly a fun project. :) </div>
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In case you're wondering: no, no one else in the history of Pinterest has ever planned a dishwasher-themed party. So we had to start from scratch and brainstorm everything you see here, with the help of a few friends of course!</div>
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We kept it small, only inviting family and Jude's two nearly-one-year-old friends (plus their families, of course). And I tried to keep the decorations and games to a minimum. I feel like we had just enough to make it feel dishwashery, but it was all very easy to put together, which is totally my kind of party!</div>
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The invites, which were probably my favorite part, were shaped like a dishwasher. </div>
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When guests arrived, they had to walk through these streamers, which reminded me of a carwash, and thus evoked the feeling of being washed when walking through. Like an entrance to a human dishwasher, you might say. </div>
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I kept food super simple and didn't really tie any of it into the theme. We had hummus and veggies and pretzel chips for an appetizer, and pizza, salad, and fruit for dinner. </div>
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The morning of the party, John wanted to make some silly clipart with puns as decorations. They made me giggle. Oh, and he wants you to know that if you want to plan your own dishwasher birthday party and you'd like to hang these posters too, he'd gladly email you the PDFs for free. :)<br />
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We put our utensils in the dishwasher's utensil holder and all the cups and plates in our clean dishwasher. We knew we wanted our guests to interact with our dishwasher somehow, and this seemed like the easiest way to do it. :)<br />
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For favors, all of our guests got bubbles and a Ferrero Rocher chocolate, which we called "golden bubbles."<br />
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I printed out this simple dishwasher clipart and turned it into a dishwasher garland.<br />
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In our family room, we played a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_I4BkMp7uY&t=15s">45-minute video of the inside of a running dishwasher</a> on loop. It was actually quite memorizing!<br />
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This blue and white happy birthday banner was from <a href="http://blessedtobeblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/john-paul-is-one.html">John Paul's first birthday</a>! His Godmother made it for him.<br />
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I wanted to create an actual dishwashing station for the kids, but since Jude's birthday is in January, I knew we weren't going to be able to do anything with actual water, as that sort of mess would require us to be outside. So instead we bought Jude some ball pit balls as his birthday gift and turned this old blow-up pool into a "dishwasher" of sorts. I through in some cut up sponges and tiny cups to make it more dishwasher themed, and it ended up being a huge hit!<br />
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To make it feel even more dishwashery, I started blowing bubbles over the kids. John Paul tried to "clean" his cup by catching bubbles in it. Seriously, though, is there anything cuter than kids and bubbles? </div>
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Following the ball pit fun, we settled for a while and ate our dinner.<br />
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And then dessert! I made (vegan) <a href="https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-dirt-cake/">dirt cake</a> for everyone, which I felt loosely fit the theme (dirty cake, clean dishes, that sort of thing), and it was soooo tasty!<br />
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Jude got a very special smash cake. Since we still weren't doing dairy at the time, I made a dairy-free, gluten-free, low sugar cake just for him. I got the cake recipe <a href="http://getfit2wed.blogspot.com/2013/05/healthy-first-birthday-cake.html?m=1">here</a> and the frosting was just homemade <a href="https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-coconut-whipped-cream/">coconut whipped cream</a> with a tiiiiny bit of powdered sugar.<br />
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The big kids had to help blow out the candle. :)<br />
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I think he liked it. ;)</div>
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Actually, he mostly just licked some of the frosting off and then wanted nothing to do with it. Silly boy!</div>
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And that's a wrap!</div>
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Happy first birthday, Jude! We love the sweet little dude that you are! Here's to your 2nd year being as awesome as your 1st! <3 </div>
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-91300367218712464512018-01-02T22:13:00.003-06:002018-01-03T11:40:45.926-06:00How to Take Better Photos in One Year, and a Quick Reflection on 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What a whirlwind, wonderful 2017 it's been!</div>
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When I think back, these are some words that come to mind:</div>
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Joy</div>
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Love</div>
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Giggles</div>
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Snuggles</div>
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Adventures</div>
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Naps, so many naps</div>
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Sleep deprivation (*coughJUDEcough*)</div>
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Babyhood</div>
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Tantrums and limit pushing (*coughJOHNPAULcough*)</div>
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Toddlerhood</div>
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Cleaning/cooking/laundry</div>
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Changing diapers</div>
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Little house projects (I <i>must </i>write more about this soon!)</div>
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Post-partum anxiety</div>
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Dairy-free diet</div>
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Stronger marriage</div>
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Teaching NFP</div>
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Post-kids'-bedtime Netflix shows</div>
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A new hobby: photography!</div>
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It really has been a fantastic year! From meeting Jude in January, to getting to know John Paul better and how to navigate his toddlerhood, to finding new ways of falling in love with my husband, it's been a year filled with awesome family time, and for that I'm incredibly grateful.</div>
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On top of that, I worked through my post-partum anxiety and learned how to eat a dairy-free diet after my nursling was diagnosed with a milk protein allergy. The anxiety and diet changes have been challenging, but we've learned to manage them, and now that they're routine, they're manageable and, dare I say, easy! Who knew?!</div>
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So overall, my biggest accomplishment this year, by far, has been keeping my three boys (husband included), alive and well and happy. That's really all I can ask for, and more than enough in this life. A joyful family. </div>
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But second biggest accomplishment? . . . </div>
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You may laugh, because it's so teeny tiny compared to taking good care of my family. But I'm super pumped that I finally figured out how to work my DSLR camera!! In manual mode, no less! </div>
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My husband and I purchased our Nikon D3200 three years ago in hopes that we'd take lasting lovely pictures of our kiddos, but then it basically sat and collected dust for two years. I was excited to open the box, but then quickly became overwhelmed by all there was to learn. Aperture this, ISO that, shutter speed blah blah blah.The photography learning curve is STEEP! And I wasn't exactly pleased with how pics were turning out in auto mode. So I basically gave up. We'd take it out on occasion and just deal with mediocre auto-mode photos, but for the most part, it hibernated in its camera bag.</div>
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I guess it was Jude who really pushed me to want to take better photos. When Jude was born, John Paul was about 1.5 years old, and I was regretting not getting better pictures when he was younger. So when Jude was nearly due, I decided it was time to buckle down and finally master the DSLR camera. I wasn't going to make the same mistake again!</div>
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But when was I supposed to find time, as a full-time mom (and vvv part-time NFP teacher) to take a photography class? Or self-teach by reading through the overwhelming web of internet photography advice blogs? </div>
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Enter: <a href="https://www.shootalong.com/?tap_a=13551-41f8d2&tap_s=209065-e312f8">Shoot Along</a>.</div>
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Around December last year, my good friend Emily, over at the <a href="https://mamaholi.blogspot.com/2016/12/snapshots.html">Mama Holi</a> blog, posted about taking a year-long online DSLR photography course for parents and asked if anyone wanted to join. Perfect timing! I looked into it a bit on my own and decided this was exactly the course I was looking for. So I signed on immediately and now a year later I can confidently say I'm SO happy I did!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsybERt08HcG6X-w8PxxVe-DoRSpsO2-GLBJqUugWR-lRd3typZ7qZuxXR9hWDnjeKOjK7G6QMQ3MYi8LotK7mxfnLylDEzea-Y8E4pxBf2wsDE1QYwboGfaQ2TOSw5PgILAAkFlJKZ-XM/s1600/brothers+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="1600" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsybERt08HcG6X-w8PxxVe-DoRSpsO2-GLBJqUugWR-lRd3typZ7qZuxXR9hWDnjeKOjK7G6QMQ3MYi8LotK7mxfnLylDEzea-Y8E4pxBf2wsDE1QYwboGfaQ2TOSw5PgILAAkFlJKZ-XM/s640/brothers+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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First, it was SUCH a joy to take the course with Emily. One of my favorite parts was talking about the different lessons with her and cheering each other on when we took good photos. So much fun!<br />
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And second, we both learned and grew so much! I went from knowing nothing about all the bits and bobs and buttons on my camera to being able to confidently take pictures in manual mode. Something I'd always dreamt of, but never had the time to figure out. <a href="https://www.shootalong.com/?tap_a=13551-41f8d2&tap_s=209065-e312f8">Shoot Along</a> made it easy and possible. I couldn't be more pleased!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLUFs2ZqWNqYv_CKGRbh7FlVYjdScJSIFZNMuZmMAqadaaJu4kIU2x0KN7z2Uqms6l8WNLrSvP4wocKEls-LvMP_KC4q_8mEQ75cYWYCsfN-ot7Di81gEe-8allmU6X92XcHLSRM9SgWY/s1600/DSC_0877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLUFs2ZqWNqYv_CKGRbh7FlVYjdScJSIFZNMuZmMAqadaaJu4kIU2x0KN7z2Uqms6l8WNLrSvP4wocKEls-LvMP_KC4q_8mEQ75cYWYCsfN-ot7Di81gEe-8allmU6X92XcHLSRM9SgWY/s640/DSC_0877.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AJca40-oI-sWwkTGoBSzq6wwLBl3CbJQ-dVrPS-efbYV6o4pfJaqBthInKUS916-xmbCgpY9RntWKWkeTw2BFojA4oPRgoLFoRoXaXtS8E70nhKRh_ZzUkhqnae-6Q_7dtAMLZa9nx1r/s1600/DSC_0320b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AJca40-oI-sWwkTGoBSzq6wwLBl3CbJQ-dVrPS-efbYV6o4pfJaqBthInKUS916-xmbCgpY9RntWKWkeTw2BFojA4oPRgoLFoRoXaXtS8E70nhKRh_ZzUkhqnae-6Q_7dtAMLZa9nx1r/s640/DSC_0320b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Direct from their <a href="https://www.shootalong.com/?tap_a=13551-41f8d2&tap_s=209065-e312f8">website</a>:<br />
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Shoot Along includes 52 weeks of photography lessons delivered by email. Learn new concepts, understand how your camera works, and build on your existing skills. A mixture of both creative and technical lessons make it easy to stay motivated. </blockquote>
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We teach photography step-by-step and offer the support you need to step up your photography game. Using your family's life as the classroom, you'll spend the year documenting special occasions, important events, and, perhaps most importantly, those fleeting day-to-day moments you'll someday treasure.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60GRjmFrJTTcbyopuVa_5WKrf8FxrfuY4erXU6lNMTG7czTiJmELvtW4E1tBGV257ZuTETTBI3LbwY1CRo8nljamuhyphenhyphennEiyfBK1ERQwAwa64QyNlBppR1qvoctWEqAqBPTq6SuXxNGuRF/s1600/DSC_0656b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60GRjmFrJTTcbyopuVa_5WKrf8FxrfuY4erXU6lNMTG7czTiJmELvtW4E1tBGV257ZuTETTBI3LbwY1CRo8nljamuhyphenhyphennEiyfBK1ERQwAwa64QyNlBppR1qvoctWEqAqBPTq6SuXxNGuRF/s640/DSC_0656b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_gvuQ9i0h-Nt0HWIdQKbSYL3qAPxncTuXRuVwjRtRkdtTgqSEQ61RRDlufEtGJ3EKl-PSjud_-VTyVLNHm3pIoZjS_9xHdvkSA3bHUd8Dfsdb-i56O3XvzX9FFLCvLIg8Xdrd88xZ6om/s1600/DSC_0725b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1136" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_gvuQ9i0h-Nt0HWIdQKbSYL3qAPxncTuXRuVwjRtRkdtTgqSEQ61RRDlufEtGJ3EKl-PSjud_-VTyVLNHm3pIoZjS_9xHdvkSA3bHUd8Dfsdb-i56O3XvzX9FFLCvLIg8Xdrd88xZ6om/s640/DSC_0725b.jpg" width="454" /></a></div>
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Whether you're a clueless beginner or a seasoned pro, the course offers help and motivation for all participants. They break things down simple enough for even the newest of newbs and then add extra prompts each week for people who have been doing this photography thing a long time. No matter where you are on your DSLR journey, you'll learn and grow plenty with Shoot Along.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXBn9lDOJFfdWwwNMRlCZCe9FQ0T3tVkPe7Depl3WgDz5jbpIFBphaoXcDGcbMNySJP_69zWwZTzsIcRQp4HtSUZnL5Yo6PLHOiW__KUu7yrOG1wxt_vrxswBjxJDHcfSOEnXGifIqS-6/s1600/DSC_0909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixXBn9lDOJFfdWwwNMRlCZCe9FQ0T3tVkPe7Depl3WgDz5jbpIFBphaoXcDGcbMNySJP_69zWwZTzsIcRQp4HtSUZnL5Yo6PLHOiW__KUu7yrOG1wxt_vrxswBjxJDHcfSOEnXGifIqS-6/s640/DSC_0909.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of my absolute favorite parts of the course is their private facebook support group. So after you get a chance to practice the lesson for the week, you can post your pictures to the group, who then offer encouragement and constructive criticism. The feedback was fantastic, and seeing pictures from hundreds of other Shoot Along photographers kept me going through the year. Other participants' photos inspired me to take pictures I would have never thought of framing on my own.<br />
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My year with Shoot Along just wrapped up and I now have hundreds, nay, THOUSANDS (!!!) of images from the past year that are leaps and bounds ahead of what I was once taking with my iPhone. My heart is happy every time I go back through them. I feel I've really done the memories of 2017 justice with all these fancy photos of our favorite moments.</div>
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I really never thought I'd be capable of capturing high quality photos of my kiddos. I was too intimidated to try. But taking a class that spread the learning over the course of an entire year and was easy to work around my busy mom schedule, finally helped me figure it out. </div>
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I'm so pleased with how far I've come, that I've decided to take the course again! Shoot Along 2018, here I come!<br />
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And I'm wondering if there are other moms or dads out there who want to join me? If your DSLR is hibernating somewhere collecting dust, maybe it's time to jump right in and finally pick up that photography hobby you've always dreamt about. :)<br />
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Or maybe you don't own a DSLR but have always thought of getting one? Or you don't know what DSLR means but you want to take better pictures? I promise you that a new camera + a Shoot Along subscription = a winning combo and a new favorite hobby!<br />
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The course started on January 1st, but no need to worry about that! I started the 2017 course a few weeks into the new year as a latecomer, and it was easy breezy to catch up and get going.<br />
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So who's with me? I'd love for you to be my classmate this year! </div>
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2017 really was a blast of a year!! And looking back, I mainly picture myself cooking, cleaning, nursing a baby, and taking a bunch of photos. This new hobby was such a huge part of my year and I loved loved loved that! </div>
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I especially loved that I was able to capture Jude's first year with much higher quality than my iPhone is capable . . . </div>
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Gah! Those newborn details still slay me. <3</div>
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And this photo of Jude crying over a dropped cheerio. I die.<br />
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As a little experiment, my husband and I took the same picture from the same spot in the same moment, but with different cameras. The first is my husband's picture using his iPhone, the second is my picture using my Nikon D3200 (with a little editing in PhotoShop to brighten).<br />
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I know which one I'd like to keep for the baby book. ;) How about you?<br />
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Happy new year, my friends! I think of you all often and hope you and your loved ones are well. Here's to a happy, healthy, photo-filled 2018! <br />
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Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-34855106221509210332018-01-01T14:43:00.000-06:002018-01-22T21:10:27.766-06:00Jude, Eleven Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Jude is 11 months old!</div>
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Time out. How can my baby only have 1 month left 'til he turns 1?!?! </div>
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I know, I know. Moms have been saying this since the beginning of time. But I still can't believe it. The first year really really flies!</div>
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<b>Weight</b></div>
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Welp, my bud is still only around 19lb, which means no weight gain since last month. We'll be seeing his pediatrician soon to make sure it's not being caused by a bigger issue. If I had to guess, it's just a combo of being a super active boy, super distracted nurser, barely eating much table food, and not being able to eat any dairy (he's still allergic to cow's milk). Please pray it's nothing more than that!</div>
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<b>Height</b></div>
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We'll see how tall he is at his 1 year appointment next month! But for reals, he's a TALL boy, just like his brother. And since he's skinny and tall, we've got a bit of a string bean baby on our hands.</div>
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<b>Sleep</b></div>
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Not gonna lie, sleep has regressed a fair bit. Naps are still stellar. One or two awesome naps a day. But the overnight has become a one- or two-feedings-a-night thing again. For most of the month, he just needed one feeding between 3am and 5am, and then would go back to sleep until 7am or 8am. I wasn't thrilled, but was totally on board with it because he definitely *needs* extra calories at this point. But as of this last week, it's also a 12am or 1am waking/feeding, plus the other one. So yeah, we're tired again over here. Once we get his weight back on track, this boy is officially being night weaned, gosh darn it. </div>
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^^The many stages of a happy Jude.<br />
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<b>Firsts this month</b><br />
-Stands unassisted for several seconds!<br />
-Tried to take the world's tiniest first step. I think walking is right around the corner!<br />
-Claps when we say "yayyyyy!" or when others are clapping.<br />
-Waves and says "bye bye" when prompted.<br />
-Shakes his head no when we say "no."<br />
-Signs "more" when he wants more food.<br />
-Climbs from the bottom to the top of the stairs (with close supervision, of course).<br />
-Gets into EVERYTHING. Opens all the drawer/cupboards. Unravels the toilet paper. Pulls folded laundry apart. JUDE THE DESTROYER.<br />
-First word: "All done!" which he pronounces "aww DUH!" and says when he's DONE with high chair or crib time, totally unprompted!<br />
-New dance move: sways back and forth, in addition to the bounce he's being doing for a while now. Cute central!<br />
-Opened Christmas presents and instinctively knew to tear into the paper.<br />
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<b>Nicknames</b><br />
Boo Boo<br />
Jude the DESTROYER -- John Paul especially likes to use this one as Jude pulls apart his toys.<br />
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<b>Other things to note</b><br />
-I thought he was really starting to get the hang of table food last month, but apparently not. This month he basically picks at his food and eats like a bird. Sigh. I promise you we've tried ALL the fatty non-dairy foods: avocado, coconut milk, coconut oil, egg yolk, nut butters . . . this boy just doesn't want to eat enough to chunk up. So for now, we still nurse a bunch, basically every three hours during the day. I'm praying my milk supply can keep up with his demand, even a year out from birth, because I can basically promise you he won't like the special formula we'll have to give him for his dairy allergy.<br />
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-Big brother John Paul got the woorrrrrsssttttt stomach bug I've ever witnessed. It lasted <are you ready for this?!?!!?> 3 weeks!!!! That's vomiting and diarrhea for 3 very long and yucky weeks. Thankfully he's on the mend now. And Jude didn't catch it, which is honestly a miracle. PRAISE GOD! But I do wonder if his stomach was still somewhat affected and maybe that is what caused him to barely each much this past month? Anyway, knock on wood, this house is finally vomit/diarrhea free and we'd like to keep it that way for a long time now. Kthanx.<br />
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-Current favorite foods: smoothies, peanut butter, hummus, and french fries.<br />
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-This boy is PERSISTENT! Way more so than his brother was at this age, if I'm remembering correctly. For example, he lovvvves trying to touch our TV speaker whenever we're watching a family movie and it doesn't matter if we pull him away from it 100 times and say no, he'll be right back at it a minute later. And he crawls over to it super fast and looks back at you with a huge grin because he knows he's doing something he's not supposed to. It's pretty hilarious when you get right down to it. Hilarious and a little exhausting. It's so fun to see these parts of his personality now.<br />
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-I really think this boy will be walking by 1. He's got it all down, he just won't take a confident first step.<br />
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-I took an Instagram poll about whether or not he should get a haircut before 1 and the internets agreed: 45% YES // 55% NO. So I guess I will be persuaded by peer pressure and not cut his fluffy locks until after 1. But srsly, it will probably be the day he turns 1 and I won't be sad, not one bit. I'm ready NOW. It's the husband who says no no no, not allowed until he's a big boy 1-year-old. Meh.<br />
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-When Jude gets tired, he'll crawl around until he finds a soft spot, and lay his head down on the ground for a few seconds, I think to signal to us: PUT ME TO BED NOW, PARENTS! It's really the cutest thing ever.<br />
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-EDITED TO ADD: How could I forget?! Jude got his first big booboo this month. He was playing on top of our carry-on luggage bag and his brother went to pick it up to roll it around. Jude must've been chewing on the edge of it as he fell because next thing I know, he's completely slid off the luggage and his bottom left tooth is sticking out and bleeding. It was so scary in the moment, though thank GOD he's completely fine now. As it turns out, baby teeth can set back into place even after they've been partially pulled out like that. It was wiggly for a few days, and his gums got torn up a fair bit, but now it's solid as ever again, completely normal. Is this a small preview into the life of a boy mom? My momma heart just can't handle seeing her littles get hurt!<br />
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^^Not pleased with having to sit still for Christmas pictures.<br />
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We love you, Jude! What a fun 11 months it's been. Here's to the last month of your first year being the best yet!<br />
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4753193842106749410.post-46895803756277279882017-12-06T11:06:00.002-06:002017-12-06T11:11:39.108-06:00Jude, Ten Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Jude is 10 months old!</div>
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<b>Weigh</b><b>t</b></div>
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Approx. 19 lb. Slowly but surely gaining!</div>
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<b>Height</b></div>
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No idea on this one. Last we checked (a month ago) he was 30 inches.</div>
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^^Jude dropped his cheerio.<br />
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^^Cheerio returned. All is right in the world again.<br />
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<b>Sleep</b><br />
This boy has become quite the awesome sleeper, praise GOD!<br />
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He has his two naps down to a science. Down for nap #1 pretty much exactly 3 hours after he wakes up in the morning. Down for nap #2 pretty much exactly 3 hours after he wakes up from nap #1. Bedtime around 8pm. Sleeps 'til about 6am - 7am. The past few days he's been waking around 4am or 5am, so I feed him and he goes right back to sleep. I think teething pain is the culprit. But other than that, we're good in the sleep department. :) :) :)<br />
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<b>Firsts this month</b><br />
-"All Jude wants for Christmas is his two front teeth . . . " And now he has them! They came through about a week ago and they are cute (and sharp) as ever!<br />
-Stands without holding on to anything for a few seconds.<br />
-Signs "all done" and "water."<br />
-Says "all done" if we say it to him first.<br />
-Gives super slobbery kisses when I ask.<br />
-Waving for real this time.<br />
-Drinks from a straw.<br />
-Eats waaaay more solid food now. He's finally mastered the chew and swallow business.<br />
-Dances to music. The most adorable booty bounce you ever did see.<br />
-Babbles like he's having a conversation with us.<br />
-First plane ride!<br />
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<b>Nicknames</b><br />
The Jujer<br />
Boo Ju Ju<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1mdZkysbG19f_dwIib6JhHCfJkcOAj0NU77DKIa2KG4kS9JoFhppEIquRz3wHriIkZzOS6WZ1M0C1zjtarJS6dVU2sn0dtgjPV7UPkIaopewX8BoeBzti_i7gbybIyR6CXGCK_XNEDSD/s1600/DSC_0358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1mdZkysbG19f_dwIib6JhHCfJkcOAj0NU77DKIa2KG4kS9JoFhppEIquRz3wHriIkZzOS6WZ1M0C1zjtarJS6dVU2sn0dtgjPV7UPkIaopewX8BoeBzti_i7gbybIyR6CXGCK_XNEDSD/s640/DSC_0358.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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^^Baby's first Thanksgiving!<br />
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^^No, big bro, I am NOT interested in you holding me. Kthanx.</div>
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<b>Other things to note</b></div>
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-New favorite foods include tempeh, cheerios, chia seed pudding, oranges, and cantaloupe. </div>
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-He's thankfully not really in "put EVERYTHING in mouth" mode anymore, but he still does like a good floor food find. </div>
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-Still obsessed with ALL appliances. Dishwasher, fridge, dryer, lamps . . . We're seriously considering a dishwasher-themed 1st birthday party. Wanna brainstorm with me? ;)<br />
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-Jude is finally warming up to the idea of having books read to him. Are we going to have another bookworm in the fam?<br />
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-Officially <i>needs</i> his first haircut. Look at those long locks! We were trying to hold off 'til his birthday, but I think we're nearing mullet status. I'll report back on whether we go through with it next month.<br />
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-This boy still love to nurse. We're nursing about 6 times a day and I think he still gets most of his calories from breastmilk. Hoping to see that flip this next month: more solid foods, less breastmilk. I love nursing my Jude baby, but I'm also excited to see him explore food more!<br />
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-Juji had big travels this past month! We went to Rhode Island for my little brother's wedding during the first week of November. It was such a whirlwind wonderful trip! The boys did great with the traveling, for the most part, and it was such a joy to introduce Jude to my 3 siblings! And extended family too! The rest of the pictures from here on out are from my brother's wedding, all taken by my older brother @ <a href="http://www.sugarysweetmachines.com/">Matt Ferrara Photography</a>. <3<br />
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^^Dance floor snoozing.<br />
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Happy 10 months, Jude the Dude!<br />
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<br />Stephanie @ Blessed to Behttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15432625948200484509noreply@blogger.com2