Father-son bonding

Guess who I found watching football together the other day? I have a feeling I'll find many more of these moments over the years, though perhaps Cole won't always be sitting on his daddy's lap!

Snow days

We've had lots of snow around here lately.

The girls have enjoyed playing in it...

... and eating it!

Mead and Laine are old enough now to run around the back yard by themselves while I stay warm inside with Cole. Kind of nice!

Stats

I just had Mead and Cole at the doctor: Mead for her two-year check-up and Cole for a weight check. Here's the scoop:

Mead weighs 26 lbs. 3 oz (44%), height 33 inches (27%), head circumference 48 cm (64%). She's an all around healthy kid, growing as she should be physically, verbally, emotionally, etc.

Cole, on the other hand, actually lost a few ounces since we weighed him last. He is now 11 lbs. 10 oz. So the plan at this point is to start supplementing his feedings with 2-3 ounces of pumped milk or formula. Hopefully in a week or so we'll see some improvement in his weight. I've never had a skinny baby before, so this is all new to me! Other than his weight he looks healthy, so prayerfully this will get resolved quickly.

Happy Birthday Mead!

Mead turned two years old on the 20th. It's hard to believe that my little girl is not a baby anymore!

She is growing fast: physically, verbally, and emotionally. It seems like almost daily she uses a new word. It's been fun to have more "conversations" with her instead of just getting an "um hum" in response to our questions.


When left to herself Mead is quiet, deliberate, and somewhat cautious. She loves books and can entertain herself really well. She'll set up her dollhouse or a pretend picnic to her exact specifications. It's fun to see her in action!

When playing with Laine she can get really wound up and excited. They feed off of each others' enthusiasm and have a good time together. We love hearing them talk, laugh, and carry on together even though sometimes we have to reign them in a bit!

Self-Soothing

Cole has found his thumb... and his fingers. He hasn't really decided which he likes better yet, but he's super cute either way. Notice the "supporting hand" in the process too!

Grown up play

I love the contrast in this picture. Mead is all "grown up" in her heels yet pulling her toy alligator around the house. Play time is so creative for little ones!

Happy place

A friend mentioned that the changing table is her child's favorite "happy place," providing almost guaranteed smiles every time. Well, it's similar for Cole, so I captured a few of those happy moments over the course of several days.

Fun with markers

This was the result of a quiet moment that I let go on for a little too long. I think Laine did this to Mead, but sometimes Mead does it to herself. Who knows!

Duct tape day

One of the things we love about Laine's school is that they let the kids be kids... running around outside, playing in the dirt and fall leaves, and dressing up in fun ways from time to time. One of these special dress-up days was on Friday. It was "duct tape day." This was the first time the school declared Duct Tape Day, so many parents were at a loss with how to help their kids get decked out (or should I say duct out!)

Penny decided to make a duct tape tiara for Laine to wear to school. She loved it!! She wore it most of the morning at school, and it's continued to be a big hit around the house. Thanks, Daddy, for being creative and helping Laine participate in Duct Tape Day!

10 weeks

Cole went to the doctor for his 2 month check-up today. He is actually 10 weeks old, so I was expecting his numbers to be a little high.

But it turns out his weight is evening out: he is 11 lbs. 14 oz., which is 30% on the growth chart. He is 23 1/2 inches long (55%), and his head is 40 1/2 cm (85%). I think Mead had a big head compared to the rest of her body too!


He is a healthy little guy. Dr. Matthews wants to recheck his weight in a few weeks when I bring Mead in for her two-year check-up. She's not concerned but wants to make sure his percentage doesn't drop too much more.

Cole's major "milestone" is that he has been sleeping until morning for the last two nights! Yay!! He took a little longer than the girls to do this (by a week or two), so I was starting to wonder how long it would take. But sure enough, he's started to sleep until I get him around 6:30. Hopefully he'll keep up the pattern long term.