Dear Sawyer

Hello my little SoyJoy :)  You are sleeping against my chest right now as I try to catch up with posting photos on this blog.  I know I take too many, but I just want to remember and hold on to every single moment with my beautiful babies.  We've gotten through the roughest parts, yay us!  I just don't love those first couple of months.  With body adjusting, hormones, breast feeding hurting, no sleep...  I mean I'm still waking up once or twice to feed you, I still get engorged once in a while, I still can't fit into my jeans, but my head feels a bit clearer.  I'm able to get out of the house a tiny bit easier.  I what's really the turn around I think is that at 2+ months you are much more interactive, which makes everything worth it.  I love how you makes eye contact with me, smile, coo and goo, kick, explore your hands.  And just like with Quinn, I absolutely adore when you look up at me while nursing and smile.  You have my heart.

You are still sleeping next to me at night in the co-sleeper.  I'm no where near ready to put you in your crib at night in the other room.  I guess I just want you near me, maybe bc I don't get to focus on you all day like I did with Quinn.  I miss you sometimes even when we are together all day.  Plus you sleep well in our room and with my sound machine app, your little noises don't wake me unless you are actually waking up to eat.  My plan is 4 months to start you sleeping in your room and work on you sleeping "through the night".  We shall see.  :)

Thanksgiving 2013

We had our first Thanksgiving at Dad and Wendy's house this year!  It was a lot of fun.  Good food, good family, good coffee, and lots of helping hands to love on the little ones.  Maybe in 2015 when we are back for Thanksgiving we will actually run in the Turkey Trot.  ;p

Sawyer- 2 months!

At 2 months you are 12lbs. 11oz, which is 75th percentile and 23inches long, which is 50th percentile.  Dr. Moylan said everything looked good and he asked if you had tried to roll over yet (which doesn't usually happen until 4m) because you had "amazing trunk tone" or something like that.

It's so fascinating to me that your sister weighs 24lbs, and that was with clothes on, which is still putting her at less than 5th percentile and you are more than half of her weight already.  I'm so glad you are a chunky little monkey, eating and gaining well.  Grandma Kim says this was how your Aunt Paige and Uncle Mitchell were too.

You had to get your first round of shots which was terribly sad.  But your sister and I comforted you and now you are sleeping soundly by the fire.

You are an adorable little boy.  You are now much more alert when awake and you smile and make eye contact.  You've started to talk to us with coos and goos. 

Here's you at 2 months:

Quinn's hiding from Mom Paparazzi

28+months Quinn & Marikate's Wedding

Dear Quinn,

You are growing up so fast, you such a big girl now, especially with your baby brother. And it's so nice the you can communicate so clearly. It's especially helpful when you wake up at night. You simply tell us what you need, for example, a drink of water, another blanket, etc. and then you go right back to sleep. You are such a great sleeper now, it's hard to believe that it took 15 months to get there.  And if you're upset, once we get you to calm down, you can clearly tell us what you need or what's wrong. Then we can have a conversation about it. It's truly amazing the things that you say and understand. I love it.

Here are some fun moments I don't want to forget:

A few weeks ago we went to St. Louis for cousin Marikate's wedding. You got to be the flower girl in your fourth wedding. You did a great job and walked up the aisle the perfectly. We sat in the second row during the wedding. Usually once you walk up the aisle, Daddy would take you to the back of the church because you can't stay quiet and still for the whole wedding.  I was nervous but were sitting quietly so I let you stay there with me. After a while you started to get antsy. During the vows you were looking up at Marikate on the altar and said to me and a non-whisper voice, "I hug Marikate?"  I whispered to you, "No baby, she's getting married right now".  Then I prayed that you would stay quiet until communion when I could sneak you out of the row to the back of the church.

When we were in the car driving back from Marikate's wedding reception, you were looking out the car window at the moon- "Oooooooo the moon." you said "I don't reach the moon. Really high. Daddy hold you, I reach the man. "

The other day I watched you on the monitor after I put you down for nap. Instead of sleeping you were playing with you baby doll. You were kissing her, hugging her, snuggling with her, nursing her, putting her under your shirt to wear her like I do with baby brother, singing to her, burping her. It was so sweet. You are such a good big sister and someday will be an amazing mommy.

You love to watch football with Daddy. You repeat everything that he says, or yells, at the TV. It was so sweet, the other day you were sitting on his lap watching football and he was scratching your back as you both stared up at the game.

As the weather's been getting cooler we've been using the gas fireplace in the living room.  I love drinking hot cider together with you by the fire. You love to drink out of coffee cups and mugs and pretend to be all grown up.  

Last week before church we went to Starbucks to have a "family date". We got you a hot chocolate for the first time. You took a few drinks and then accidentally dropped it on the floor. The lid popped off and it went ALL over the floor.  Daddy got a little flustered, I thought it was funny, and you were not upset so that was good. I'm used to the messes with the toddler. We still have a lot of fun.