Dear sweet boy,

You are growing into the sweetest momma’s boy and I absolutely love it! You definitely love your big brother and your daddy too, but I’m crazy about that special bond we have. You give me the most precious smiles that I love so much, and watching you search the room for me when you are upset, is the sweetest thing to see.

I’m rocking you to sleep right now in your room which seems to be taking a lot longer than normal thanks to that scary Wonder Week #4. I remember this one being a doozy with your brother but I don’t mind the extra cuddles. You have gotten so big in the past month and feeling the weight of your body rest against my chest will never get old.

I’m still figuring out all the many ways you are you and so different than Solomon. Even from the beginning, in almost every single way, you have been his opposite. I don’t say this as a bad thing at all, but you have definitely kept me guessing. It is super sweet how we have settled into our rhythm now and we understand each other. You have your quirks and I look forward to them everyday. 

You wake up so happy and are almost always smiling, unless you aren't getting enough attention. You definitely love your eye contact and will demand to be seen if you want it. I can see bits and pieces of a very stubborn boy in your personality, which makes me a little nervous. Thankfully, your happy moments definitely outweigh the stubborn ones! Your hair is growing so quickly and getting thicker and darker, and your big brown eyes make me think of your daddy all day long. I love how much you look like him and I pray that you have his gentleness and learn his patience, too. 

You are my happy boy and I love watching you grow so quickly! You can slow down anytime now....

Love you so much!

-Momma

& a special naked baby shot, cause I can't resist blowing raspberries on that belly!

stats //  20.5 lbs & 26.5 in.

eating // during the days he is normally 3-4 hours apart but after his late nap he usually eats every 2 hours till bedtime.

sleeping // he is still such a great sleeper!! We had a little bit of a rough patch at the beginning of the 4th leap, but I'm hopeful that we are over that now. The past two nights he has slept for 7 hours straight, and two nights in a row makes me really hopeful!

His typical day includes a 9:30-11:30 nap, then a 1:30-3:30 nap and one last nap around 5:30 that will last for an hour at most. He usually wakes up just in time for me to go get him before I can eat dinner... ;)  then he will go to sleep for the night between 9-10.

wearing // definitely out of all 6 month clothes and mostly wearing 12 month and some 9 month. The 6-12 month clothes from Gap or Old Navy really fit him well though! 

firsts // we celebrated Easter with two bunnies this year, battled the dreaded thrush for a while, had his first vacation in Cancun, had his first bottle & actually liked it so mommy and daddy could go on a date, and stayed in the church nursery for the first time!
favorite things // talking and even growling and squealing at times, hitting things with his hands, watching Solomon and anything he's doing, sucking on his fingers and his upper lip (which is so cute, just like his brother did!), and he's getting better at tummy time & trying his best to roll over. 

Solomon // four months.

12.18.15

I'm sitting on the couch holding you in my arms and you are drinking your morning milk. As I look around, I see the Christmas tree lit, and all the wrapping paper around for the gifts that haven't been wrapped yet. The list of things that need to be done before Christmas Eve is pretty long, but when I stop to feed you, everything seems to slow down. I think that's my favorite thing about nursing you. How you give me a chance to rest and hold you and soak everything in. I love this time with you. Yesterday while I was feeding you, you reached up and touched my face while I was watching tv. It was like you were reminding me that you were right there, looking up at me and wanting me to look at you. This was a first but I've been hoping for this moment for a long time. Even before I met you, I used to think about your little hands touching my face with affection. Such a sweet and simple way of showing you love me and I will cherish that moment. I kissed your hand and you smiled so big that milk went sliding down your cheek. I wish I could bottle you up right now, you are so sweet and becoming more aware of your surroundings, and you are definitely making me feel loved! Sweet baby boy, I love you back!!

12/25/15 {merry christmas} 

You are finally sleeping next to me and I'm afraid tonight is going to be a crazy night like last night. The fact that your fourth leap (the hardest so far in your wonder weeks) is happening right now is making Christmas very interesting. You are eating at crazy times, some four hour spaces and then long stretches of every hour feeding. You are not sleeping or napping well, which is a not so fun change to our routine, but I'm starting to realize that is part of parenthood. Taking a breath, saying some prayers and going with the ups and downs, while finding grace for yourself! 

Anyways, it's now 1am and any time I move you instantly move with me. You reach for my shirt or my arm and you won't settle until you feel safe next to me again. I have to say, I love how attached and needy you are during these leaps. It is so wonderful to know that you need me. 

1/1/16 {happy new year}

The past week has been a big blur of happy and something came up every time I thought about writing to you! 

Christmas and New Years was so much fun with you. You are observing everything right now and it's fun to watch the wonder and excitement in your eyes! 

You are still needing a lot of cuddles and love to be rocked and nursed to sleep. I honestly love it and can't imagine anything sweeter to do several times a day. I just put you in your crib and you started grabbing and twisting to try and find me. After patting and shhhushing for a bit you wouldn't settle, so I picked you back up to rock a little more. You instantly put your tiny little face into my neck and sighed the sweetest yawn. Moments like these are when I thank God for giving us the option as a family to allow me to stay home with you. I love these moments and wouldn't trade them for anything. 

Happy New Year, peanut! We are so excited to see what this year brings for us as a family. So many firsts to experience with you and I can't wait!

1/3/16 

Daddy left today for his longest work trip yet, two full weeks. I'm not looking forward to it and I know he will miss you so much. We will miss him too. Miss him coming home for lunch and after work everyday. Miss him walking in and asking where Mr. Solomon is and then watching that big smile come across your face. Miss all his silly songs and teaching you words to say. Miss his kisses and hugs. There's a lot to miss when your daddy is as sweet as yours. 

Tonight during our face time chat, you were so excited to hear his voice and see him. The way you look at him on the phone is so cute. We talked about our day and I told your dad that I missed him and loved him and after he replied to me, before hanging up, he said "I love you, Solomon" and you looked right at him and giggled, kicking your legs and throwing your arms with excitement. We do love you so much, and I love the way you show that love in return. I'm so thankful for how hard your daddy works, even when it is far away. We are so lucky to have him!!

1/5/16

I can't believe I'm actually going to say this but I feel like time has actually slowed down lately. It doesn't feel like you will be 4 months old in just a few days and it feels like forever ago that you turned 3 months old. It's wonderful how slow and steady things are recently. Maybe it is the post holiday blues but it isn't making me blue at all. 

You love to lay and talk to yourself and you tend to do this several times a day so I can get things done! Like cleaning, laundry, or even sitting on the couch and typing you this letter. Right now you are just laying on your side and talking to your hands, your best friends! ;) haha, you love those hands a lot. There are definitely times when you want to be attached to me and walked around the house, watching what I'm doing, but I don't mind that either! I love showing you my chores and talking to you about everything. "Momma's getting some water..... See the coffee cup, it's hot, so don't touch it..... See the laundry spinning and being cleaned...... Look outside at the crazy chickens eating bugs" the list could go on and on, and you love it! Especially now that you can be propped up on my hip. I'm so glad you love to see things from my perspective sometimes.  

1/11/16

So much has happened since I wrote last! Six days can mean a lot right now because you are growing so fast!! You have rolled over (January 7th) and I missed it! Since that night you have rolled over several times and it's funny to see your expression after. You don't seem too amused with it which makes me laugh. Your personality is coming through so strongly and I see so much of your dad in you! He has a very nonchalant attitude about most things, or doesn't give his big laughs very often, and you act the same way. I've seen other babies around your age that can giggle for anything but you definitely reserve your laughs for something truly funny, (like momma's crazy faces and noises) and even then it isn't a big laugh. Just a little chuckle and then you are back to your cool and calm self. 

Unfortunately, you do have my temper. You can be so relaxed and happy and then you are screaming and mad. You have a short fuse, and I'm sorry for giving that to you! I know there will be many moments in our future when we will test each other. I know I will lose my cool and so will you, but I pray that we can learn from each other and that we will have a forgiving heart since we are both sinners. I may be the mom but I am not perfect by any means. But, God is perfect, and I hope I always remind you of that. 

1/13/16

Tomorrow you are four months old. FOUR MONTHS! Geez, that went by fast. I can't believe all the things you are doing.... grabbing everything (even my face when you talk to me now!), I can hold you on my hip and you sit up and look around like a little bird, and you love to lay on your belly and spin circles like a break dancer! You really are growing so fast. Time is speeding back up now and I feel like you are bigger every day again. That slow and steady didn't last very long!

I chose the shirt for these pictures (thanks to Joni for the cute gift!!) because you make it known that you hate clothes and diapers almost every diaper change. I have to keep you occupied with a toy so you won't lay there and scream. The second I start putting the diaper back on you cry, and then when I try and get your legs back in your clothes, you cry even louder. You love being naked.... but I guess most boys do! 

But you are such a sweet boy. The way you smile and hold my hand throughout the day makes my heart want to burst. You show me you need me in the sweetest ways and I hope you know that I need you back. I can't imagine life without you and it is hard to remember a time when I didn't have such a sweet responsibility in my life. You make our family whole, and we are so in love with you. 

Love you so, so much!! 

-Momma

stats // 16 lbs. and 25 in.

eating // definitely a snacker like his daddy so he doesn't like a big meal at one time. So, our times between snacks are usually 2 hours unless I can get him to drink a lot before bed and he will sleep for 3-4 hours! He has also started waking me up at night by "hitting on his food source" instead of crying, it is so funny and so cute!
sleeping // thanks to the fourth leap we have started co-sleeping all night, even in the beginning. We were still trying to start in the crib but he would then wake up 30 minutes later screaming and then sleep for 3-4 hours next to me. I'm hoping once the leap is over (10 days left!) we can go back to starting in the crib!
The naps are definitely starting to have a pattern during the day. I'm trying to keep him awake for at least 1.5 hours and maybe 2 hours between naps and it has helped so much, thanks to my sis-in-law's advice!
Also, he has started only waking up once at night, between 3-4AM and then sleeps till around 8-9AM! I'm hoping this will stick when we switch things back to the crib but I really don't mind the snuggles in bed with him, especially since Peter has been out of town.

wearing // he has moved up to size 3 diapers already and I can't believe it! We have also started to use the cloth diapers and I love them. It isn't has hard as I imagined and I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner but we are still using a disposable at night.

Still wearing 3-6 month clothes but they are definitely getting tighter!

favorite things // mimicking the sounds he hears and talking so much, rolling over now and jumping in his exercauser, started sucking his thumb some but not to pacify - mainly just out of boredom, sitting up in my lap and looking around like a big boy, and it is kind of strange but he loves hanging upside down, ha!

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