Every book is a children's book if the kid can read! - Mitch Hedberg


Monday, March 17, 2014

Our Life is a Zoo

We continue to be so very busy and since we don't plan on taking a real vacation this year, Jon took last Friday off so we could at least take a family day trip to the zoo. We went in the morning and I figured Kieran would fall asleep during the car ride there. When he didn't, I was excited thinking he would probably crash in the stroller for the duration of our time at the zoo. Well the Little Mr. loved the zoo and the only time he ever fell asleep was when I put a blanket over the front of the stroller and rolled it back and forth during the sea lion exhibition/talk.





On Friday night Reed went to Pepe and Nonna's and we took K-Pup to a surprise party for Laurie. We still had one wee one so we weren't able to stay too late, but sleeping for an extra hour in the morning and getting a few things checked off the to-do list the next day felt so good. Pepe and Nonna were nice enough to keep Reed through his nap the next day and meet us at C's 30th Birthday Party.  This was the first time since bringing Kieran home that we had any significant time sans one of the kiddos. Oh did I mention C's party was at our local bowling alley? So, awesome!

Sarah, C, Ryan, and Tio

George and Connor discovering how challenging a
bowling alley is for containing toddlers!

Don't let this pic fool you, Kieran
only slept for about 5 minutes.

Ryan attempting to stay behind the dotted line.

Chris and Tio in a totally candid shot!

Lindsay, her awesome shirt, and Karl

Laurie and Russell

Cameron

Is that a bowling ball under C's shirt?

Reed's first time bowling




Clara proving that girls can bowl too!

We finished off our long weekend of celebrations by going to Nonna and Pepe's for homemade pizza on Sunday. Before we left we made sure to get a picture of the Birthday girl with the boys and let her open her gift.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

A Day in the Life of

Other than having a slightly fussier than usual baby and still not being fully adjusted to the time change, Monday was about as typical as you get in our house. So here is what a day in our home with an almost 2.5 year old and a 4 month old looks like:

12:00 am  Kieran is awake, I nurse him, change his diaper, and put him back in his crib at 12:40 am, he falls asleep
3:00 am  Kieran is awake again, I nurse him, change his diaper, and lay him back in his crib at 3:20, he keeps spitting out his pacifier and then crying. Jon and I take turns "replugging" him and he's asleep by 3:40 am
5:50 am  Kieran is awake again, he nurses, I change his diaper and lay him back down at 6:15, he falls asleep. I finish purchasing a baby shower gift on my phone and head to the living room to workout.
7:00 am  The boys are still asleep (thanks to the time change) so I feed Dodger, pick up the living room and kitchen, unload the dishwasher, mark down some RSVPs for the shower I'm co-hosting for "C" and go through some bills.
7:20 am  Reed is awake, I smell the need for a diaper change from the hallway. I change his diaper and read his new Pirate ABC book.

7:35 am  K is up, I change his diaper and can hear Reed knocking on our door to find out if Dad is up. We all hang out in the bathroom together while Jon gets ready for work.

Could K look more frightened?
7:50 am  I put Kieran in his jumperoo while Reed and I make oatmeal with chia seeds, honey, sunbutter, and bananas. I eat breakfast with Reed and we talk about what we are going to do for the day.
8:15 am  Reed declares he's done, but then keeps eating. I put Kieran in the Bumbo chair and clean Reed up when he is done eating, then do the dishes. K is getting hungry so I get Reed started on a "Sort and Snap" game in his room.




8:25 am  I nurse Kieran and inspect the rash that is developing on his cheeks and chin. I start to worry this could be from the soy I've recently put back into my diet.

8:35 am  K is done nursing, I change his diaper and go check on Reed.
8:50 am  I play and read books with Reed while holding Kieran. The baby gets frustrated so I walk around with him, brush my teeth, and bring some wipes into R's room to refill his dispenser. I put K down on his back on the rug in Reed's room and start getting Reed dressed. Kieran is fussing so I turn to get him and find that he's rolled onto his tummy!!! Definitely assisted by pulling on the rug, but still he rolled over and I missed it - major bummer! This means I text Jon and take a zillion videos of him attempting to do it again. Reed jumps on the rug and volunteers to teach Kieran how to roll - so sweet! While I'm busy continuing to obsess about #2, #1 accessorizes his outfit.

9:15 I get everyone in sweatshirts and put K in the carrier. We head to the bathroom so Reed can do his inhaler and brush his teeth. We head out the door and take Dodger for a walk. I prop the phone on the stroller and call Grandma on speaker phone so I can make a plan with her for tomorrow (she's babysitting). Along the way Kieran falls asleep.
10:00 am  We are back and I lay Kieran down in his crib. Reed is hungry so he chooses a bag of Red Berry and Beet Fruit Veggie Crispy Chews and while he munches I prep the pork we are having for dinner in the crock pot. I also make myself a coffee drink when I discover Jon didn't use one of the espresso shots he had made the day before.
10:15 am  Reed and I go outside and play with bubbles, pretend to go on a bear hunt, and toss a toy parachute, he just received as a gift, in the air over and over again.


10:45 am I feel like Kieran will be waking soon so I convince Reed to go back inside. We read more of the books he just received as gifts from Nonna and Pepe's trip. One talks about Calypso music so I find some on Rhapsody and play it while we continue to read. One book has a map of the Caribbean islands which leads Reed to ask about his state puzzle. I tell him I'll go get it for him and in the process take some diapers that have been delivered back to his room and pick up a few of the toys that are strewn about. I deliver the puzzle to the living room and tell Reed I'm going to fold laundry. He finds me after a few minutes and starts entertaining himself by putting on my shoes.
11:45 am  Kieran wakes up so I get Reed re-started on the state puzzle and go in and nurse K. I can hear Reed in his room and can tell he isn't doing the puzzle, but he sounds like he's found something to entertain himself so I leave him be and check work emails and Instagram on my phone while I continue to nurse.

11:55 am  Kieran is done nursing. Reed comes in to tell me he's going grocery shopping. I change K's diaper and get him dressed. I find Reed in the kitchen "packing a lunch" of his wooden fruit and veggie toys. I take the cue and make us (me and Reed) toast with avocado, some mandarins, leftover mahi mahi, and hemp milk for R while Kieran has some tummy time.

12:10 pm  We start eating and about 5 minutes later Kieran gets fussy. I pick him up and he sits in my lap while I eat lunch and talk to Reed. I think his rash is looking worse so I take a picture and text it to Jon. I put Kieran on his play mat and do the dishes that are in the sink while Reed finishes his lunch. I also text "C" and Nonna about a shower we are going to in a few weeks and Lee and Amanda about pregnancy stuff (babies everywhere!!!!).

12:40 pm  Everyone is done eating so the herd moves to Reed's room. I change Reed's diaper, K is fussy so I give him a pacifier, and read two books to R.
1:00 pm I say goodnight to Reed. He sits in bed reading books on his own while K and I go get the mail. I do airplane, patty cake, and a few other silly games with him in the living room.


1:15 pm  Kieran is fussy again so I change his diaper, give him a pacifier, zip him in his sleep sack, turn on his sound machine, and let him hold his monkey Max, while I rock him for a bit. I lay him down and he's basically asleep instantly. I can hear Reed is still up so I finish cleaning the kitchen and work on a quick tax project for work.
1:45 pm  Reed is still awake, but seems content so I jump in the shower and when I get out, 5 minutes later, he is asleep.
2:00 pm  I decide to work on a craft project for one of the upcoming showers I'm co-hosting, but before I even get the supplies out I hear Kieran fussing, I let him be hoping he will go back to sleep.
2:10 pm  K is definitely not going back to sleep. I go in his room and let him nurse while I answer a few more work emails on my phone.
2:25 pm  Kieran is done nursing. I change his diaper and put him on a blanket with toys while I put away laundry, then we play for a few minutes.

2:40 pm  I take Kieran to the kitchen, turn on the Amazing Race, and make myself a quick snack. K is super fussy so I just walk around the living room and kitchen bouncing him watching the show. I try the jumperoo, funny faces, changing his diaper again, he just wants to be held, loved, and BOUNCED.
3:30 pm  I hear Reed cry out and realize all of Kieran's pacifiers are in his room. This means running to the nursery while shushing Kieran and immediately closing the door, hoping Reed will go back to sleep. I duplicate the prior nap routine and lay Kieran down in his crib. He is awake, but looks like he will fall asleep easily.
3:40 pm  I check the monitor and Reed is wide awake but still in bed. K starts to scream. I go in and put the pacifier back in his mouth. Reed is now chatting away in his room. I go to his room and check the monitor to see that Kieran is now asleep. I read a few books to Reed and then change his diaper.
4:00 pm  Reed wants a snack so we go into the kitchen and he picks out a bag of snap pea crisps. He then goes to the bathroom. I take him back to his room and change his diaper. He tells me he wants to hunt eggs. I take his diaper to the trash and grab the monitor. By the time I get back to his room he's laying down playing with farm animals. He then spots the train stuff and declares he want to build a track. I help him build a track then leave him to play independently while I move laundry around.

 4:30 pm  I hear K start to stir as I am folding clothes, his cries escalate and I know he's awake for good.
4:35 pm  I nurse Kieran while Reed continues to play trains. I get involved with a mass text message regarding another shower I'm helping with.
4:50 pm  Kieran is done nursing, I change his diaper, fold some clothes while he hangs on a blanket, and then head to the kitchen to finish dinner.
5:00 pm  Jon is home, not a minute too soon either, as K is super fussy again. He takes the Little Guy while I work on dinner.
5:15 pm  Reed is screaming. Apparently a toy bucket fell and he was upset and moved an entire shelf trying to put it back. Jon and I move the shelf back and calm him down. He stays to play by himself. Jon and I discuss the Kieran/soy experiment while I continue to cook and he continues to play with K.
5:30 pm  I take K from Jon and head to R's room to help clean up some of the mess.
5:45 pm  I go back to the kitchen to stir/rotate food. Reed comes into the kitchen, lays on the floor with some of his cuddly guys, and declares he's a rabbit. I remind him that he needs to set the table.

5:55 pm  Kieran goes into the Bumbo chair and the rest of us sit down to a dinner of roasted green beans, yams, and a brown sugar balsamic pork loin (Reed has hemp milk).
6:30 pm  Dad and Reed head back to do bath time. I put Kieran in the jumperoo and try to do dishes. K is not happy so I take him out and we join in on bath time.

6:55 pm  Reed watches Perro y Gato, I do the dishes, feed Dodger, get lunches and clothes ready for tomorrow, Jon holds Kieran and changes a diaper when he hears an explosion down below.
7:15 pm  Kieran is falling asleep so I take him back to his room and he nurses.
7:30 pm  Kieran is asleep. Reed and Dad pick up his room and select 3 bedtime books. The three of us read books.

7:55 pm The Monkey picks out a CD to put on and we say goodnight. Jon and I head out to the living room. Jon practices guitar while I switch off between working on my computer and working on the craft for the shower.
8:10 pm  Kieran is crying. Jon goes and gives him a pacifier.
9:10 pm  I check the monitor Reed is finally asleep (thanks time change!!!)
9:45 pm  I say goodnight to Dodger, give him a treat, and put myself to bed.
10:00 pm  Kieran is crying again, Jon goes in to calm him down.
11:45 pm  Kieran is awake. I usually won't feed him until after midnight, but he went to bed so early and has been upset all day, so I get up nurse him, change his diaper, and he's back to sleep at 12:15 am.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Four Months

Last week I started to jot down a few thoughts about Kieran's fourth month of life. It is amazing how much can change so quickly with a wee one - half of what I wrote is being thrown out the window. I must quickly mention that Jon just returned from being out of town for an entire week and I barely survived, due in part to Kieran's ever changing-ness. When Jon saw him this morning he even commented on how much more alert, dexterous, and just bigger he seems to be. K is really into tummy time lately and loves holding things in his hands and inspecting them. He has also decided he wants to figure out how to roll over, but prefers to practice this skill set overnight which has led to a lot of sleepless nights for the two of us as he is wide awake grunting, groaning, crying out, arching his back, kicking his legs, but not even getting close to rolling!


Despite his lack of sleep recently, he is still generally in a very good mood and pretty much game for anything. If he does get fussy usually a pacifier or his stuffed monkey, Max, is all he needs to calm down. This month I continued to eat dairy products and also added eggs back into my diet. He seems to be handling both of these fine, which is a great feeling and I will probably try soy very soon.




As it is getting to be more and more noticeable that Kieran is growing up I'm finding myself very sentimental over the fact that this is our last baby and that time really does go by so quickly.




As I mentioned above, Jon was gone for an entire week on a work trip. Other than a few melt downs here and there the boys and I did pretty well on our own. I didn't really have time to take many pictures but we kept ourselves pretty busy by going to "C's" house for pizza, a quick visit from Auntie "M" and Hunky Kevin, having Nonna come over once to watch the kiddos while I went running, being treated to a homemade dinner by Shannon, Kevin, and Clara, and then getting a visit from Tio's parents Marty and Bueno yesterday evening.




Monthly Statistics

Weight: 14 lbs

Height: I'll have a number next month

Clothing Size: Clothes and pajamas are now size 3-6 month or 6 month. He still continues to be a bit of a string bean.

Kieran likes: Being held facing out, his play mat, car seat, tummy time, sensory books, his mobile, taking baths, Mam pacifiers, bouncing/jumping, being tossed in the air, playing patty cake, and his lovey (Max).

Kieran dislikes: Having a wet diaper, having his clothes changed/taken off, not being able to roll over, loud noises (cough, cough, Reed) while he's trying to nurse, and being held like a baby.
 
Nicknames: Kier, K, K Dawg (this has been popular for awhile but I haven't wanted to admit it), K-Man, Kierito, Baby Bear, Smalls, and Sneezy.

How Kieran is sleeping:  He's been going to bed around 8:00pm and sleeps until midnight, has a feeding and goes back to sleep after about 45 minutes of "re-plugging" the pacifier. He is back up around 3:00 am for another feeding and in the last few days I've been putting him in bed with me so I can hold him down, instead of letting him roll around in the crib. He usually goes to sleep really fast if I do this and then I can transfer him back to his crib otherwise it is an hour plus of rollover practice. He is up again around 5:30 for one last feeding and then usually dozes/tosses and turns until 6:30 when he's up for good. He's been going about 2 hours between naps landing at about 3 total for the day ranging anywhere from 30 minutes to 2+ hours with at least one usually being over 1.5 hours.

Favorite Moment: Is there anything better than hearing a baby laugh? It seems like Kieran has to build up to a laugh with a few grunts and groans, then comes a big burst of gurgley giggles.
 
Milestones:
02/05/14 We hear Kieran's first real laugh
02/11/14 K starts smacking his lips
02/17/14 Kieran starts grasping and inspecting toys
02/20/14 His first attempts at blowing "raspberries"
 
Favorite Photo Shoot Outtake: