Justin at 6 Months–HALF a year!

What? Eek! My infant is no longer an infant? I love it for him but my body shape/size isn’t quite there yet.

Anyway, I’m so excited for Justin!

Is saying “mama”. Started a couple of weeks ago but now seems to say it deliberately (yeah, I know he doesn’t associate me with his mama yet – but he will!). The day he turned 6 months he also said “ba” and often makes “L” sounds.

Is very ticklish, laughable and sweet.

Had oatmeal (very first food) today. Did pretty good but made some pretty funny faces!

My mom made this cute little bubble and I LOVE it!!!

He has the sweetest, kindest demeanor. Justin seems to study people, faces and things. Grabs his feet often, trying to put them in his mouth. I don’t think he’s flexible enough to get them in his mouth like he would like. Loves laying on his playmat, still rolling from belly to back, is becoming more tolerable of tummy time but often plays with his toys while lying on his side.

Loves people. Justin gets very excited (kicking his legs, waving his arms) when someone comes near him. He has also begun to reach for people. Earlier this month we were at a graduation celebration for one of Goli’s daughters. I was holding Justin and a friend of mine, Karen, who had not seen Justin for at least a couple of months, walked up. With his arms reaching toward her, Karen took him from me. It was the first time he has reached for someone and now does it often.

Updated Stats:

Height: 27.4 inches (80%)

Weight: 17.5 pounds (50%)

Head: 16.3 (5%)

He is wearing 6-9 month clothes with a few 12 month clothes (that run small). He should be in size 3 diapers but I have about half a pack left and am trying not to waste them. He also is wearing gdiapers in size Medium. I need new liners for the gdiapers so he doesn’t wear them as much as he should!

Five Years ago TODAY…

Pluto was demoted and no longer considered a planet.

Did this make anyone else sad for Pluto? Since I learned the planets back in grade school (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto), they have been engraved in my memory. Now, it’s hard NOT to say Pluto. My children will never know Pluto as a planet. Sad.

Troy at 23 Months!

energetic (he runs just about everywhere he goes)

vivacious

mind of his own

stubborn

strong willed

intense

when I first saw the below photo of him, I could picture him as an older kid, standing on the sidelines at a football game while observing his teammates. Judging…..

 

While doing this with his hands (this is a common thing he does)

 

His intensity goes with anything he does, whether that is being happy or very upset. Screaming fits involve running around while screaming and crying. Excitement about something is shown by jumping up and down while yelling “yay! yay!”. 

sweetest/cute things he says:  I wub you mommie; I wub you daddy; mommie, mommie, mommie; dwive cars mommie; dwive mawnmower; I want to dwive carseat; mommie, I wanna dwive twaktor; no bed bubite (his response to “don’t let the bed bugs bite”); bullgus (school bus); scawy Twoy (he tries to “scare” us quite often these days); scawy Abbie (something he says when he chases Abbie around the house and she hisses at him – which is pretty much on a daily basis); I wonna go see es Gowi (I want to go see Ms. Goli – his babysitter)

knows his colors

knows the alphabet

can spell his name (most of the time); can draw a T and a Y.

loves his brother; really loves older kids

pretends – to sleep, to eat using a plastic spoon and any container he can find; even pretends to feed Justin “yogurt”, to make his cars talk to each other

favorite food: yogurt, blueberries, banana, edamame, baked fish sticks, sweet potatoes, any cookie (Nutri Grain bars, Fig Newtons or the real deal)

Loves his BLANTET, books, cars, trains, trucks, Mickey Mouse, Elmo, Pooh and the movie Cars

is somewhat organized? Yes, this is strange to me. Even at this early of a stage, it appears that his mannerisms are like mine although he looks like his daddy (minus the color of his eyes which are like mine)

weights around 31-32 pounds, in size 5 diapers, large gdiapers (although they seem to be getting small) – working on getting rid of diapers!

A visit from a couple of Dothan-ites

About 3 weeks late but finally posting some photos of my middle sister coming to town to visit with Colt. Colt is 4 months older than Troy. For the first time, they actually played TOGETHER. It was a lot of fun seeing them in this stage of their lives.

I had a ball! I know Troy did as well. Brian was still around and helped when we needed it – and he pretty much cooked every meal for us! ha! Mary is 15 months younger than me and we don’t get to see each other as often as I’d like. So when we do hang out, I really enjoy it. We fought and played pretty hard when we were young and I miss those days.

Why is it that everyone has a bath photo taken of children and cousins? I have no idea but we did it, too.

I thought this was funny of Colt.

 

 

This photo is so washed out! I often make this mistake when I leave the camera on manual mode and forget to change it before handing to someone (hubby) to take a picture. I’m not very good at taking photos but I shouldn’t have done this bad!

So washed out where Justin’s eyes look blue (they are actually hazel).

Twenty–Three months/weeks

How often can one say that their children have the number 23 in common? As in one is 23 months and the other is 23 weeks – at the same time. Last week (my posts seem to be at least a week behind at all times), Troy was 23 months and Justin was 23 weeks. 17 (1/2) months apart and two completely different milestones…

Interesting facts:

23 Months:

Your toddler may now be able to throw a ball overhand, though he'll probably miss his target most of the time. The whole-arm coordination that allows him to throw usually emerges somewhere between 18 months and 3 years.
If your toddler isn't comfortable with balls, start with rolling games, which will be easier and also less scary (try rolling the ball slowly toward his feet). Spongy balls or beanbags are great for indoor use – set up a pillow or bucket for target practice.

The Terrible Twos Are Here!

One minute your toddler is his usual sweet self, and the next he's throwing a fit because he didn't get his way. This emotional roller coaster is par for the course in toddlerhood.
• An expert's take on the best way to discipline toddlers
• Why your child gets upset when he doesn't get his way
• Embarrassed by public tantrums? Here's what to do.
• Share your tactics for taming tantrums with other parents of toddlers

Potty Training: Peer Pressure

Is your mother hounding you to potty train your toddler, saying that you were trained at 18 months? People encouraging you to toilet train may mean well, but childhood development experts say there's no reason to rush into it. In fact, waiting until your child is ready will increase your chances of quick success.
• How to handle unwanted potty-training advice
• Toilet training: What doesn't work
• Potty training readiness checklist

23 Weeks:

Human interaction is incredibly important for baby's development, but alone time is essential for him too. Being on his own helps him get comfortable with independence. Lay a blanket and some toys on the floor, and let baby play by himself while you keep an eye on him. Watch for fussiness, and pick him up if he seems like he's going to cry -- remember, tears are still his only way to say "I'm bored."

Baby's starting to understand cause and effect, which means he loves grabbing, tasting, banging, shaking, and throwing. This makes it especially important to keep sharp objects, breakables, drinks, and your hair out of baby's reach. He's also learning to differentiate pastel colors. Keep exposing him to books and toys with wide ranges of hues to further expand his awareness of color.

Hello Yard

Erosion problems? We had ‘em. Timing? Bad – very bad. Thankfully things have worked out to solve our erosion problem and make our back yard….well, usable. I absolutely LOVE it now! Am so excited to be able to play with the kids back there. Our yard slopes behind and to the rear of our house but there is now area to have a slip n slide, playset or other fun stuff. I think the play-set area will be perfect one day for an outdoor hangout area with a fire pit.

This was supposed to be a 3-4 day project. A few alterations and a LOT of rain (as in almost 4 inches in one morning) equaled a 2 week project. Added were French drains, dirt, boulders (for a retaining wall), sod, mulch and pinestraw.

I got lazy with this post and decided to post all of the photos. Yes, there are too many!