11 months and 34 months

Sadly, this will be the last posts in this age range for Micah and Macey. When I get around to updating the blog, Macey will be 1 year old and Micah will be 3.

Last night, Kyle and I and the kids were playing in our basement before going to bed. At Micah's request, he wanted to "shoot some hoops" before laying down for the night. One of my neighbors asked me about borrowing some of our old baby items this upcoming weekend, as she has a sister who is coming to visit her with a new baby. I had our pack and play, bouncy chair, and play mat all set out in the basement for when she comes to pick up the equipment. While playing, Micah went over to the bouncy chair and turned on the music function. Instantaneously, a whole bunch of memories of the kids as babies flooded my mind, as they both sat in that chair a lot as new babies. As I watched Micah run around the basement jumping and wresting with Kyle, I had to ask myself where the past 3 years have truly gone??!! This past year has also been a whirlwind with our move and then welcoming Macey into our family.

Micah

1) Growth has slowed down. Still wearing 3T-4T clothes.

2) Thankfully, he is squeezing into last years coat and snow pants. After spending a descent amount of money on good, quality LL Bean outerwear, I am very happy to see him be able to use it 2 years in a row. Macey will eventually inherit his snow pants 

3) I had to buy him new boots though - size 13!!

4) New favorite phrase is "How come?"

5) Into imaginative play, which is so, so, so fun. Yesterday, he and I played "school". He was the teacher - Miss Jodie and I was Micah.

6) Move over Pete the Cat - Micah's new favorite books are "The Polar Express" and "Peter the Cruiseship" - a book that Kyle and I bought him while on a recent cruise.

7) Still loves his matchbox cars, in particular his 2 black trucks

8) Interested in sports - asks Kyle to turn on basketball, football, hockey or golf. ESPN has taken over our TV!

9) Speaking of Kyle, he continues to be a daddy's boy.

10) Potty trained during the day. At school, he does not wear a pull up at nap. This past weekend, we attempted the same at home which resulted in a huge accident. Naptime/night time training is going to be hard!

11) Loves to assist with dressing and undressing himself. He's so proud when he can do things by himself.

12) Insists on putting his shoes on, even if they are already off, prior to undressing for bath each night. He gets a big thrill out of being able to independently take off his shoes and socks.

13) Still loves watching you tube videos of "Shawn the Train" and recently Buzz Lightyear.

14) Recently learned to cut with a scissors. So far, takes short snips with it.

15) Can recite all of his ABC's

16) Know's the days of the week and the months of the year.

17) Enjoys telling you the weather every day.

18) More interested in drawing and coloring lately. Likes drawing circles.

19) Still enjoys school. Some days drop offs can be hard, especially if Kyle's the one who is dropping him off, or if we get him there a little late and the kids have already integrated into a learning activity. Generally does not want to come home at pick up.

20) Asks to pray for Brutus and Jack every night before eating supper.

21) Overall a very good eater. There's not much that Micah won't eat.

22) Motivated to eat his supper by the fact that he gets a piece of Halloween candy or a cookie if he's part of the clean plate club.

23) Has a great memory - the small details that he remembers is amazing!

24) Does not like being told no, especially by me : )

25) When mad, screams, kicks or will hit something, like a table or a wall. We are really working hard at getting him to express his emotions through his words.

26) Punishments usually involve time outs in his room. If he continues to kick or scream we will close the door. Micah does not like being isolated from the rest of his family, so closing the door generally causes him to stop his tantrum and shape up.

27) Becoming better at sharing, but is not always happy about doing it.

28) Loves imitating Macey and vice versa : )

29) Needs reminders to be gentle with her, as he sometimes forgets that Macey is smaller than him.

30) Daily topic of discussion is whether or not it's a hair washing night.

31) Loves going to play at the YMCA 

32) I'm hoping to get him enrolled in swimming and basketball this upcoming spring.

33) Is looking forward to Christmas. This year, he's asking for a train, tractors, and trucks. Can you tell that we have a theme going?? Hopefully Santa is good to him.

34) Next post on Micah will be when he turns 3 years old. We are so thankful for our handsome, sweet but strong-willed little guy. It's been fun watching him grow and develop over the past 3 years.

Macey

1) Still fitting into her 12-18 month clothing, but not for too much longer. Currently wearing size 4 diapers, and size 3 shoes.

2) Active, active, active - this girl is constantly on the move, which is great. I love that our house is conducive to her activity level, as she basically has full ability to explore our main level without us having to worry about her getting into too much trouble. We just have to keep our bathroom doors shut.

At this point, she walks everywhere! She's now able to bend or squat down to pick toys up off the floor and carry them around. She loves getting to cupboards, and emptying their contents. She loves climbing, and with it being colder outside, we have been trying to go to the YMCA on a weekly basis to allow her to climb all over the kids equipment.

3) She is much pickier than her older brother when it comes to eating. She loves her carbs, but isn't fond of her vegetables. Fruits are hit or miss. She loves string cheese and yogurt, and she could snack on puffs or crackers all day if allowed to. She still gets 4-5 bottles/day, but she is less interested in them. She'd rather be on the move than sit down to drink a bottle. I've started giving her a sippy cup of water at meals, and she's getting used to it. She'll take a few sips before playing with it or throwing it on the floor.

4) She's started taking a more consistent morning and afternoon nap. Naps can be as short as 30 minutes, but never are longer than 2 hours. At night, she goes to bed around 8:30. She sleeps pretty well, but does cry out sometimes 3 times a night. She can generally self soothe herself back to sleep.

5) Imitates, which is so much fun. If she sees you talking on the phone, will imitate holding a phone up to her ear and babble. Screams when Micah screams - yes, our house can get pretty loud some days! Loves to play peek-a-boo. Shrieks with excitement when you blow raspberries on her belly! And, absolutely loves crawling around and bouncing on our bed.

6) We've been trying to read to her more, and she will sit for a short book.

7) Changing her diapers and clothes can feel like a wrestling match at times. Some mornings it can take up to 10 minutes to change her.

8) Loves to unroll the toilet paper roll, which is why we have to keep our bathroom doors shut. Becomes upset when taken away from this activity or if the dishwasher or a cupboard door get shut. Does not love having stuff - whether it would be a toy or something that she shouldn't have - taken away from her.

9) Making lots of sweet sounds - mama, dada, m ka, for Micah

10) Continues to be healthy, and we are so thankful for that!

11) Is excited for her first Christmas, although does not need anything present-wise. At this point she has been perfectly content playing with a lot of Micah's old toys and whatever else she can find around our house.

Finally, I couldn't resist posting the following picture. Kyle, the kids and I have gotten into the Sunday habit of grocery shopping. As I've posted before, Micah has become accustomed to getting a cookie at Hyvee when we do large grocery shopping trips. Sometimes, we buy a box and other times we get a free one at the bakery. On this particular shopping trip, Micah was begging for a cookie and we decided to get a box of peanut butter cookies. Kyle stated that "Macey probably won't notice Micah's cookie". Definitely not the case - she was after it the minute that it was placed in his hands. So, we had to get Macey a cookie too - sugar, instead of peanut butter. She's protecting her cookie pretty well in this picture!

A Weekend of Celebrations

Last weekend we had a lot to celebrate! Micah turned 32 months on September 26th, Kyle turned 33 (really?!) on the 27th, and Macey turned 9 months on the 28th. We celebrated Kyle's birthday by going out for Mexican food on Friday night with Grandma Dawn, and then having chocolate cake and Ben and Jerry's ice cream (Micah's pick with maybe a little bit of pressure from mom). On Saturday afternoon, my parents took Micah and Macey for a sleepover at their house. Kyle and I had a date night, and went over to La Crosse to one of our favorite restaurants, and we hit up a favorite martini bar too. Kyle and I were able to watch the Viking's game on Sunday, before picking up the kids late afternoon. The house was so quiet without them, and a few times we found ourselves looking at each other wondering what we should do with our extra time.

This month, I decided to do a combined post summarizing what Micah and Macey have been up to.

Micah:
1) Has been singing Kyle "Happy Birthday" since last weekend.
2) Always inserts a "cha-cha-cha" at the end of the song.
3) Continues to be a daddy's boy
4) Loves to "rough-house" - preferably with daddy as mom is not as strong!
5) Imagination continues to develop, which I absolutely love!!
6) Yesterday packed me a fake lunch with make-believe food.
7) Still has his adorable blonde curls
8) Wearing size 3T-4T
9) 2 weeks ago he tried on his winter gear. His coat and snow pants are a little snug, but I'm optimistic that we will get 1 more year out of them.
10) Will need new boots. His feet are huge - I just bought him a few pair of fall shoes that are size 10. Next size up is in the kid section. Really?! He's only going to be 3 in a few months.
11) Awesome at going on the potty during the day.
12) Night time is more of a challenge and he gets a muffin in the morning if he wakes up without a poopy pull up.
13) Wants to be a police officer for Halloween.
14) Would rather watch sports than a cartoon.
15) Enjoyed his first WSU game a few weeks ago. We only stayed through half time, as it was getting close to bedtime, but Micah had a blast, and even saw a few daycare friends there too.
16) Perfecting his football passing skills, his T-ball skills, and his free-throw shots.
17) Favorite toys continue to be match box cars
18) Transition was slow, and a bit difficult for Micah into the "preschool" room, but he now loves it.
19) Favorite school activities including being the weather or calendar helper, door holder, going to chapel, singing songs, and riding wiggle racers.
20) Loves his new teacher - Miss Jackie and one of the assistants in the room, Miss Jodie.
21) Car rides are a favorite activity for Micah - especially if they involve going by the Big Mississippi to look for barges and tug boats, or going over train tracks.
22) Does not like to be told no.
23) Time outs are often for screaming at us, telling us no, pushing Macey, or taking Macey's toys.
24) The rolling kitchen stool that the previous owners unfortunately left with the house has become property of Micah. That darn stool has been the source of many arguments between the kids.
25) Slow to wake up in the mornings or after naps - definitely a trait that he's inherited from his Daddy.
26) Every night tells us that he's not eating supper.
27) Easily coaxed into sitting at the table and overall is a great eater. He's not afraid of fruits and vegetables, often asking for seconds of each.
28) Dinner usually ends with a cookie.
29) Seems to enjoy nightly bath time with Macey, with the exception of getting his hair washed. Hair washing now occurs every other night.
30) Bed time routine consists of 3 Bible stories and paci. Yes, paci will hopefully make a smooth exit over the next few months. Goal is to say good bye to it after 3rd birthday.
31) Loves "Shawn the Train" and "Pete the Cat"
32) Is such a fun little man to have in our lives. We are so thankful for all of the happiness and joy that he brings to our family.

Macey:

A LOT has changed over the past 2 months, and I am once again doing a combined months post. Some day....I will get more time to blog on a monthly, maybe weekly basis?!

1) Stats - Macey went to the doctor for her 9 month appointment at the end of September.  Stats are the following - weight 20 lbs, 6 oz (73%), height 29.5 inches (95%), head circumference 18 inches (90%).

2) Currently wearing 12-18 month clothing, and I need to sadly pack up her 6-12 month clothing. Unfortunately, a lot of them are still hanging in her closet. A lot of them are summer clothes, and I guess that I don't want to fully accept that it's going to be a few more months before it warms up again. She's wearing size 3 diapers, but could easily go up a size. She has recently blown out/soaked through so many diapers and we've tried Huggies, Pampers, Luvs, and Target diapers without being completely satisfied with any of them.

3) Goodbye Chicco car seat. Macey has moved up to Micah's old Britex car seat, and he has transitioned into a booster seat. She still does not love her car seat beyond a 45 minute car ride to La Crosse or Rochester, unless someone is sitting in the back next to her.

4) A moving machine!! Macey has made the most leaps and bounds in her gross motor skills over the past 2 months. She is crawling all over the place and she is fast at it! She pulls herself up onto everything. She also has been climbing up onto the chairs in Micah's small table and chairs set and the step stool. On the weekend of November 2-3, Macey took her first steps. She loves walking short distances, while holding onto our hands or pushing something stable, such as a stool. I am thankful that our house is so conducive to Macey's curiosity and activity level.

5) Eating 5-6 bottles/day. I am officially done with breastfeeding and pumping. In fact, I just returned the pump (I rented) to the Mayo Clinic this past weekend, and it feels great to to be done. We still have some frozen milk in our freezer, but currently, Macey primarily gets formula. She holds the bottles by herself and is getting more inpatient with spending the 10 minutes in my lap to drink the 6-7 ounces.

6) She is continuing to expand her solid intake. She gets 3 consistent meals/day and some snacks too. She basically eats whatever we are eating. It seems that she is going to be pickier than Micah, as he would eat anything that was put in front of him. She definitely prefers her carbs and fruits over her veggies. And, she has a little sweet tooth too, just like her mama. A few weeks ago, Kyle's mom brought us a big chocolate chip cookie with frosting on it. It was amazing, but every time I ate a piece, I had to do it out of her sight, as she would fuss if she saw me eating it until I would share with her. Macey now feels herself finger foods.

7) Starting to throw a few temper tantrums. Namely, this occurs when you take her away from an activity that she is enjoying, such as climbing up into the dishwasher or standing at the open refrigerator door. She will also throw a tantrum when getting put into her car seat. Tantrums generally involve arching backwards and throwing herself on the ground if able.

8) Has 4 teeth - 2 on top and 2 on the bottom. Teething has not been easy for (and us) lately. The past few nights, she has been having a lot of pain at night. She has been waking up 2-3 times/night screaming, and isn't always easily consoled. We have been using a lot more Tylenol than I recall with Micah. I'm optimistic that her teething pain will be short lived and we can go back to having our happy baby.

9) Most nights she goes to bed around 8:30-9:00 and wakes up between 5:30-6. She still cuddles with us in bed in the morning.

10) Becoming quite vocal. Says Mama, dada, and I have to believe that she is trying to say Micah at times.

11) Loves music!! She seems to gravitate towards Micah's toys versus playing with her baby toys. Christmas and her birthday are going to be easy this year, as she does not need much. Micah also has plenty as well.

12) She loves watching Micah and when he interacts with her. One of her favorite activities is being chased by Micah.

13) Can't get enough of Betty at daycare. Micah also loved Betty as well! Macey's head is swiveling when we get to daycare to find Betty, and once she does gets a shy smile. If Betty is in the room, she is reluctant to go to any of the other daycare workers.

14) She also brings us so much happiness and joy! She has blended into our family perfectly!!

30 Months

It's strange to have a quiet house on a Sunday morning. It's almost noon and both kids are napping. Usually they both take afternoon naps, but this morning Micah was asking to "back to bed" at 10:30. Yesterday, we spent the day in Stewartville with my parents while Kyle worked and he is worn out from all of the excitement and activity.

I've been waiting a little extra to write Micah's 30 month post, because I knew that he had an important milestone coming up....

1) Potty training - yes, we survived and Micah is doing great! We did a 3-day "Potty-Training Prison" weekend a few weeks ago, and it worked great for us. I unfortunately had to work the Friday that we initiated it, but Kyle was off and he and Micah fumbled through the first day together. By Sunday, Micah was accident free. The hardest part about the weekend was being home bound, as it was beautiful outside. But, Micah was not in the position to use a public toilet, nor did we want to revert back to using a diaper. He's had a few accidents over the past few weeks, but overall has done amazingly well during the day. At night and nap time, he wears a pull-up.

2) Since potty training, he seems so much older! He will be going up to the pre-school room at school after Labor Day.

3) Wearing size 3T-4. Shoe size is around 10.

4) Doing so much better with getting dressed in the mornings and at nights. But, he's not loving having his clothes changed after an accident.

5) I love his little high pitched voice. This is a trait that he inherited from Kyle, as Kyle's voice was really high as a kid. If he's excited or is telling a detailed story, his voice seems to get an octave higher with every sentence.

6) Sweet innocence - he believes that everything loves him. While driving yesterday, he commented that the cows in the field love him. He tells me "I love you so much Mommy" several times per day. My heart melts.

7) Still loves to sing.

8) Learning to share. Since Macey has become more mobile, she's been getting into more of his "stuff". I frequently hear him say, "No Macey, that's mine". We're trying to teach him to be more giving, but it's hard for a 2.5 year old.

9) Tantrums are less, but still present especially if tired.

10) Loves to go in the car, whether it would be only for a few minutes while Kyle puts the boat on the truck or going on long trips up to the cities. He's a great traveler.

11) His love for "Micah music" has been abandoned. In ways, it's sad. But, we also enjoy having the freedom to listen to our radio stations too.

12) Sleeping great! Goes to bed around 8:30 and will generally sleep to 6:30-7:00. He often ends up climbing in bed with us in the morning for a few minutes. I love those morning cuddles!!

13) Loves Youtube videos of construction equipment, busses, trains, "Shawn the Train", and Sesame Street.

14) Everyday after getting home from school, he asks for a Goldfish snack.

15) Over the past month, he's had the same breakfast - 2 packets of Oatmeal and milk.

16) When potty training, I bought chocolate milk, thinking that he would love it. Instead, he asked for white milk. Still does not like juice.

17) Loves to help in the kitchen, whether is would be making his oatmeal in the morning, and measuring out coffee beans for the grinder.

18) Mr Independent - wants to do EVERYTHING himself, from carrying his plate over to the table, opening/shutting doors, climbing up into his car seat, flushing the toilet, etc. At times, this can really challenge our patience, which is where tantrums occur.

19) Still has an amazing memory. Earlier this week, he was talking about spilling chocolate milk on his shirt at school, which happened well over 6 months ago. He remembers that it was on his Tiger shirt.

20) Likes to go for walks, but does not love sitting in the stroller. So much for our double BOB!! We still bring it along and use it as a time-out spot, if necessary.

21) Has a preference for men - has really bonded with Kyle and especially my dad.

22) Constantly looking for a play opportunity with Gavin, our 3 year old neighbor.

23) Loves to shop - yesterday, I brought both kids to Target and the grocery store with me. Both did great, but Micah was especially excited about the trip.

24) Favorite toys continue to be his cars and his kitchen set/grill set.

25) Lately, he's been taking a lot of Macey's toys from her. We've been talking a lot about the concept of sharing around the Raadt household.

26) Recently been very interested in the smoke detectors around the house. I'm thinking that this must be directly related to a recent discussion about fire safety at school.

27) Is scared of thunderstorms. Also, is not fond of the water. I'm hoping that with more exposure to the swimming pool, he will get over his fear of the water.

28) He really is a great eater, and is willing to try just about anything that's put in front of him. Favorite foods continue to be pasta, pizza, raspberries, toast, oatmeal, eggs, cheese, gold fish, crackers, mashed potatoes, applesauce, and my homemade mac and cheese.

29) Sweet tooth - this little man loves ice cream, cookies, cake, muffins, candy, which he likely inherits from me.

30) Is a blessing to have in our lives. We love him so much!! Yes, he can be challenging at times, but he brings so much imagination, laughter, smiles and happiness to our family.

Puppy snuggles with Brutus - these 2 love each other so much!

Cake for Uncle Auggie's Birthday/Micah becoming potty trained

What a goof!

7 AND 8 Month post

A month ago, our sweet Macey turned 7 months old and now today, she is already 8 months old! I was just reading through her 6 month post and a lot has changed over the past 2 months. I'm thankful that I've blogged about both kiddos over the past 2 years, even if I may miss a month here and there...

• Stats - Macey goes to the MD at the end of September. I'm curious to see what how much our little (or big!) girl weighs. It seems like she has packed on a few pounds, especially over the past 2 weekends while staying with Grandma and Grandpa Youdas. She now has pinchable cheeks, a belly that's starting to protrude from her shirts, and rolls on her thighs. She is adorable!

• Currently wearing size 3 diapers. She's still rocking her 6-12 month clothing sizes, but I know that it won't be too long before she's wearing 12-18 month clothing. Her 3-6 month clothes are all packed away, and it was truly hard to put them away. Therefore, I'm hoping that one of my good friends has a little girl some day, so that I can pass them along.

• Goodbye goopy, teary eye. Yes, about a month ago, Macey's left tear duct spontaneously opened. I admittedly was quite skeptical that it was going to open by itself, so thankfully I was proved wrong.

• No more sitting - this girl is on the move!! About a month ago, Macey began crawling. In the world of PT terms, this means belly on the floor pushing herself along. At first it was only a few feet to usually get into Micah's favorite toys, but over the past week she has become stronger and quicker. Today, I invested in a sturdy gait for our stairs, as she has recently taken an extreme interest in the stairs. Macey will rock on all 4's, but has yet to start creeping - aka reciprocal movement on all 4's.

• In addition to crawling, Macey loves to climb. Over the past week, she's started to pull herself up to a tall kneeling and yes, she's even been caught briefly standing. Naturally, her favorite place to do this is on Micah's bathroom stool that he uses for washing his hands, and he is still not too fond of sharing it with his little sister.

• Over the past 2 months, we've experimented with more solids. She's eating a lot of fruits and vegetables. Admittedly, most are from a can or pouch. I made most of Micah's baby food, but this time around it is simply easier to do canned baby food. She loves yogurt, bananas, her cereal/oatmeal, avocados - especially when pureed with banana, sweet potatoes, squash and carrots. We have yet to try meat, as I will make that myself. Most food is smooth pureed, and I will probably start her on some finger foods sometime soon.

• Still gets approximately 5 - 6 ounce bottles/day. Bottles continue to be a combination of breast milk and formula. I've cut back to pumping 3x/day and am proud that I have been able to give her breast milk for 8 months, considering my supply issues.

• Still only has 2 teeth, but I think more are on the way.

• Sleeping schedule has become more routine, but she still does not take too many naps during the day. She generally goes to sleep at 9:00 and wakes up between 5:30-6:00 and will find her way into our bed. We snuggle until about 7:00. She is consistent about taking a good hour morning nap around 9:00, but her afternoon nap is more sporadic and sometimes will only be a half an hour.

• Loves attention and will cry when I leave the room. Daycare drop offs are still going well, and she has really bonded with all of the wonderful staff at her daycare, especially Betty.

• Gets a bath every night, and loves splashing in the water.

• Is very interested in all of Micah's toys, especially his matchbox cars, parking garages, books, bathroom stool, etc. We are working on the concept of sharing around the Raadt household.

• Starting to vocalize a little more. I can make out mama and baba.

Yogurt Faces

Boat Ride with her Bro

You wouldn't tell from her smile, but she has completely blown out her diaper in this picture. Macey's with her new favorite toy - Micah's bathroom stool.

6 months

I'm about 2 weeks late with this post...

Really, it's hard to believe that 6 months have already passed?! Our baby girl is growing up too fast.  It's fun watching her develop new skills and seeing her little personality continue to emerge, but I wish it wasn't happening so quickly! So how did Macey spend her 6 month birthday - playing with friends at daycare while Kyle and I closed on our old house and worked, lots of kisses, snuggles and hugs, giggling at Micah while watching him eat Papa Murphy's pizza, and enjoying a celebratory bottle with me before bed (milk for Macey and wine for me)

• Stats - weight - 15# 14 ounces (50%); height - 27.5 inches (97%); head circumference is apparently 17.5 inches (90%), but I have a hard time believing that measurement. The nurse and MD got completely different measurements for head circumference and she has been all over the growth chart the past 6 months.
• Still fitting into a few 3-6 month pieces, but primarily wears 6-12 month clothing. I finally put away her size 1 diapers, as we had about 20 left, but she's not fitting into them anymore. Officially wearing size 2 diapers during the day, and at night now requiring an overnight diaper. This past week, I've changed the sheets 4 times, as she's woken up completely soaked.
• Sleeping in her own crib without a swaddle. Loves to sleep on her right side or her stomach. Sleeping from about 9:30-5:30. If she does wake up in the middle of the night, I have the terrible habit of bringing her into bed with us. 
• Continues to take small naps throughout the day. She generally doesn't sleep more than 2-3 hours throughout the entire day.
• Eating - we've been playing around with a few solids. She's tried rice cereal, a banana, and applesauce. I can't say that she loves her solids. She still gets really excited about her bottles, and will seriously quiver at the sight of one. She's eating 5-6 ounces, 6 times per day. Bottles continue to be a combination of formula and breast milk. 
• We have a sitter. Macey is now able to ring sit for a short period of time. She seems to love being in an upright position versus being on her stomach or back on the floor.
• She content playing with toys. Naturally, she does seem to prefer things that don't belong to her, such as Micah's favorite stuffed animals, so we're learning the concept of sharing in our household.
• Loves attention, and we love giving it to her too.
• Laid back - generally, she is a happy, content little girl.
• Macey's two bottom teeth have popped through. Overall, the teething experience has not been bad. Micah used to get a bad cold every time he was teething, but so far Macey's has been smooth sailing. I have been using a little bit of Orajel, and one night I did give her a dose of Tylenol, but overall she's done great with it.
• Does not love the car lately. Just driving between Rochester and Winona is a stretch. I don't think that she likes riding backwards without anyone to look at. On long car rides, I usually end up squished in the backseat between both kids.
• Health-wise, she still has a clogged left eye tear-duct. According to our pediatrician, it still has a 97% chance of spontaneously opening over the next 6 months. I hope that's the case.
• Has lots of nicknames - "Little Miss", "Macey Maybelle", "Macey-girl" and whatever else comes to mind as we're singing songs and playing together.

Sitting so well

First meal of rice cereal

My friend Amanda took some awesome 6 month pictures last night that I will post in the near future. Things to look forward to over the next month include lots of outside time, boat rides along the Mississippi, and an upcoming trip to the cities to hang out with my our good friends Jackie and Ryan and their beautiful family

A New Name

I'm sure that it'll take me a few weeks (or maybe even months) to update the appearance of our blog but we are officially in need of a new blog name. Our house has sold, and we closed on it this past Friday!  A few weeks ago, I started a post about our house selling, but then erased it for fear I could actually jinx the process. Since putting our house on the market precisely one year + week ago,  the following "weird" scenarios have occurred.

• It's been shown well over 50 times between private showings and open houses. We'd receive the same feedback after nearly every open house/showing. "They love the house, but hate the main floor bathroom and lack of closet space. 
• One person, alone, looked at our house 5 times. She brought a contractor in to see if she could expand the half bathroom on the second floor. And, she even apparently talked to the bank. Last summer, she was supposed to list her house on the market, before buying ours. No offer was ever made.
• We've had at least 2 other "interested" parties who were supposedly making offers, only to not follow through. One couple had an RV that was worth well over $100,000 and was going to ask us if we'd be willing to trade the house for the RV, per our realtor....
• When we briefly took our house off the market this past winter around Macey's birth, we had a crazy realtor tell us that an offer was being placed on the house, only to find out that no offer existed.  As it turns out, her primary intentions were to get us to sign her on as our realtor. 
• We've been close to renting it twice. 

So, when an offer came in on the house in mid-May, Kyle and I decided that we had to make it work. Since August we've been paying two mortgages, combined with 2 large student loan payments, now two daycare payments...you get the point. Plus, the offer came from a couple with 3 young children who have a "small space" philosophy, so the house couldn't be more perfect for them. Thankfully, the inspection came back without any problems - the roof was not even mentioned in the inspection. Aside from our lawyer being over 45 minutes late for the closing, everything went smoothly.

Kyle and I did a quick walk-through of the house on Friday morning prior to the closing, and reflected on some of the best times we've had over the past 5 years in that house. We will certainly miss it! Our plans now - to stay put for a long time. I'm looking forward to making this house our home. We have so many projects that we want to start, but we're going to wait a little while. We want to get back into the habit of saving and investing and just enjoy the house in its current state. But, I know that I will be frequently driving back in our "old" neighborhood to check on 328.

5 months

Happy 5 month Macey Joy! I acknowledge that I'm a few days overdue with posting this update, but these days it seems typical. It seems like most times when I sit down it's to do a feeding or read a book with Micah. Today I'm having an oil change, which is allowing me to sit for an hour and catch up on blogging.

• Continues to grow! I don't have specific stats, as we don't go back to the doctor for another month, but I would have to assume she's 14-15#. She's wearing size 1 diapers, although she could easily transition up to size 2 or even 3. Her cute little bottom is busting out of her current diapers, but we still have about 50 left in the super economy pack that we bought last month and I fully intend to use every one of them : )

• Wearing size 3-6 months clothing. I love her clothes, and I will admit that I love shopping for girls clothes. Sorry Micah, the selection of girls clothes is much more abundant than the boys! I told Kyle not to allow me to buy anymore kids clothes the rest of the summer, because both kids are set.

• Eating 5-6 ounces every 3 hours. Food continues to be formula and breast milk. She's starting to show an interest in what we're eating, and we will plan to start solids with her at the end of the month.

• She loves her bottles and gets so excited at the first sight of them.

• Our house is filled with laughter and smiles, as Macey now belly laughs. Micah thinks it's great to get her to laugh, so he frequently can be seen laughing at her. I love it!

• We reached a new level of mobility on May 9th. Macey has begun to roll, and she goes between her stomach and back quite easily. She can roll across the room quickly! Once this girl gets crawling and walking, we are in for trouble. I think she's going to be just as active, if not more, than her big brother. She will sit for a few seconds before collapsing. Pivots on her stomach now too.

• Everything within her reach goes into her mouth. She's getting better at holding toys and assisting with holding her bottles.

• She's been showing a definite interest in toys. She likes rattles, the toys had hang from her playmat, rings, balls, and Micah's stuffed animals - when he shares.

• Sleeping has been okay. Our pediatrician warned us that her sleep pattern would change and it has. She generally goes to sleep around 9:30, sleeps until 6:00 and then comes into our bed and eats and falls back asleep until 7:30ish.

• She's sleeping in her crib - it was a necessary transition as she was outgrowing the bassinet in our bedroom. Still, the first few nights were admittedly a little difficult, even though her room is right across the hall from ours.

• She seems to know her name and turns her head in response to it.

• No teeth yet ( Micah got his bottom teeth at 4 months) so I'm expecting her to get them soon. She's definitely more drooley and everything seems to go in her mouth.

• She still has a clogged tear duct. According to her MD, no treatment is done until she's 12 months. She's otherwise been healthy this month and we are thankful for that!

• Thrives on attention - loves to be held, talk to, looked at, etc. Doesn't always love it when she's left alone in a room.

We love her and big brother Micah so much!! It's so much fun watching her grow, yet it's happening too quickly as well. It's hard to believe that 5 months have gone by.

Micah is 28 Months Old

Happy 28 months, or 2 years and 4 months birthday Micah. Earlier today, he and I were looking at a photo album of his first year. It's amazing how much this little guy has turned from a baby into a little kid in such a short period of time. Here's what we've been up to the past few months.

1) Big kiddo! I don't have specific weight or height measurements, but I would continue to assume that Micah is within the 90 percentile. It seems like he's the biggest kid in his class at school, even though some of his classmates are older than him.

2) Wearing 3T pants and shirts. Shoes are a size 9. Diapers are size 6.

3) Speaking of diapers, we're still rocking them. I'm thinking that Micah will be closer to 3 years old before he's potty trained, which is fine. He goes in spurts where he has interest and then he loses it. So, we move on...

4) Uses a lot of adjectives in his vocabulary. For example - "whose's that cute girl", as he was looking at the cover of my Pediatric's PT book a few nights ago. "Those are pretty flowers".

5) Asks a lot of questions - I love it. Dinner and bath time conversation is "where's ....(insert friend's name) at?"

6) Has an amazing memory -seriously. And, he remembers small details. A few days ago, he pointed to a Lexus while we were driving and said "that's Paige's mom's car". Paige is a friend from school, and yes, her mom drives a Lexus.

7) He's our neighborhood watch. He loves to keep us informed when the older couple across the street comes or leaves their house. He points out when the neighbor's dog is outside.

8) Favorite food is my homemade Mac and Cheese. He also loves pizza and hotdogs (Nathan's or Hebrew National), blueberries, bagels, oatmeal, cheese, goldfish.

9) Not picky - he continues to eat what we eat every night.

10) Loves to grocery shop with me because he knows that it usually involves getting a cookie.

11) Loves to go in general. He gets excited about small car rides, such as trips to the gas station, church, or even to go shopping.

12) New favorite toy is his grill.

13) Loves his Gosig (Ikea golden retriever) and stuffed duck.

14) PBS is our favorite TV station. Sesame Street keeps him occupied for a good hour in the morning to allow me to get a shower and get Macey ready. Thomas and Friends and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood are other loves.

15) Loves his daddy. He and Kyle have really bonded and it's fun to see how much Micah looks up to Kyle.

16) Loves running down hills. We're trying to teach him that he can't go up in people's driveways on our evening walks, but he loves running down the driveway hills so much!

17) Slowly learning to be patient, which is hard for him. He doesn't like waiting in line. He doesn't like waiting for all of us to sit down to eat supper. I know that this is going to be a hard skill to learn. I too am trying to work on being more patient myself!

18) Enjoys going on trips to the park. I love the park that's close to our house - the equipment in new, and it's not heavily utilized. We try to get there as often as possible, or as often as the weather allows.

19) Is hitting us less - I'm happy that we've made progress with that behavior!

20) Is learning to slow down and listen. Lately he's been doing some running when he gets out of the car. This usually occurs in the parking lot at daycare and has happened at a restaurant, but we're quickly trying to stop this behavior.

21) Loves to sing. It's great hearing him sing his school songs when he's independently playing. Some mornings, he comes in to our bedroom and serenades Kyle and I while we're still sleeping.

22) Easily embarrassed - he won't sing, repeat something, or do something physical when asked.

23) Still loves the word "no". I'm more than ready for us to get through that phase...

24) Responds well to timeouts, which are 2 minutes. He generally stays in time out until told he can come out. He's able to recall the reasoning for the timeout too.

25) Asks to read his Bible every night before bed. Some of his favorite stories are Noah's Ark, Jonah and the Whale, Daniel and the Tigers.

26) Seeking as much independence as possible. Wants to undress himself before bath, turn on sink to wash his hands, climb up into his car seat by himself.

27) Loves going out in the boat - last night we took the boat out on Lake Winona, and Micah had a great time watching Kyle catch weeds (and fish too). I don't think it'll be too long before he gets his own fishing pole.

28) Is a wonderful addition to our family! We love him so much and are thankful for all of the laughter and smiles that he brings to our lives. A challenge at times - yes, but we've grown as parents and a family through those difficult moments of parenting.

New set of Wheels

Pals

4 Months

Happy 4 month birthday to our sweet, sweet baby girl. It is such a joy to have Macey in our lives. She fills our days with lots of smiles, snuggles, and sweet Macey sounds. Macey celebrated her 4 month birthday with Papa and Grandma Carol who decided to come over for a visit, since 2 weeks is too long to go without seeing the grandkids. Micah was able to enjoy some park time with Papa, while Macey, my mom and I did some yard work at our 328 house. We grilled out and also went a walk in the beautiful weather before winter reared its head one last time this past week. Macey unfortunately had to get a few shots the day after her birthday.

Here's what our sweet girl has been up to over the past month -

• Stats - I thought our little girl was packing on some pounds, until starting daycare and being surrounded by a lot of cute, chunky friends. She now seems long and lean and her stats certainly support it. Macey topped the scales at 12# 13 ounces (25%), height 25 1/2 inches (90%), and head circumference 16" (50%) at her 4 month appointment.

• Wearing 3-6 month clothing, although daddy still tries to sneak some newborn clothing on her when given the opportunity. Kyle seems to gravitate towards this purple sweatsuit, which she has well outgrown. It's turned more into a summer capri outfit! She's wearing size 1 diapers, but is soon to outgrow them.

• Eating - Macey loves her bottles. She eats about 4-5 ounces every 3 hours. She hates when the bottle is finished or when she needs to take a burp break, and will scream like we're trying to starve her. I'm still pumping or breast feeding 4-5 times/day. At daycare, she generally gets formula though. I'm thankful to have made it 4 months of pumping, as that's when I stopped with Micah. I've actually even managed to freeze some milk which is a big accomplishment for me. A few people, including Kyle have asked me how much longer I plan to pump, and my next goal is 6 months. We have no plans to start solids anytime soon.

• Sleeping - Macey continues to sleep in a bassinet in our bedroom. My goal this month is to transition her into her crib, as she's starting to outgrow her bassinet. She continues to use a sleep sack. She generally goes to sleep around 10:00 and wakes up between 7-8:00.

• She's been playing with her feet a lot and rolling side to side. When on her stomach, she's clsose to rolling over to her back. Head control is awesome and she bears weight through her legs in standing. She loves her bouncer. She's clasping her hands together and bringing them to her mouth. She also is starting to assist with holding her bottles.

• She is super smiley. Kyle and I joke that she easily becomes embarrassed, as she will turn her head and burry it into your shirt or put her fist in her mouth if you smile at her too long.

• Health - over the past week Macey has been projectile vomiting approximately 45 minutes after  eating. Her pediatrician does not feel that it's related to acid reflux, as she's generally a happy baby, even while vomiting. I'm hoping that it's just a bug, as my washing machine and dryer have been getting a lot of use this week. Macey has also been out of daycare, and Kyle and I are juggling our work schedules to avoid having to take PTO.

• Likes - snuggling, being talked to, stroller rides, faces, eating, and watching Micah or her friends at daycare.

• Dislikes - being tired, hungry, or having a dirty diaper. Being placed in her car seat or put down when she wants to snuggle.

Maternity Leave Reflections

As my maternity leave is quickly drawing to an end, I have been reflecting back on the past 14 weeks of being home. How did time go by so quickly? What happened to my plans of unpacking our new house, finishing Micah's baby book, starting Macey's baby book, and blogging more often?  Although I didn't accomplish all of my to-do list projects, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Macey and spending more time with Micah too. In addition to a lot of snuggles and playtime here is a picture heavy post with what we've been up to over the past few months.

MD visits : ( The first week of my maternity leave was a little (or a lot) stressful, as Macey was jaundiced. This picture shows and reminds me just how yellow she was. We had to make daily trips to the hospital to have her bilirubin levels checked. She had to have multiple blood draws out of her poor little foot. Fortunately, her bilirubin levels dropped on their own and she didn't need to be put under lights.

A MUCH appreciated visit from one of my best friends, Jackie! After dealing with a jaundiced Macey, a sick Micah, Kyle's busy work week schedule and a very cold week, she will never know how much I appreciated the good conversation and yummy lunch that she brought that day.

Lots of cuddles - I love how much Micah loves his little sister!

It was certainly a cold winter/spring maternity leave - no two-a-day walks like I did on Micah's maternity leave. BUT, this little guy loves wearing his puppy hat so much that he frequently asks to wear it in the house and at daycare.

Micah's 2nd Birthday which included a trip to Bounce World and a Pizza party at Mr Pizza

Micah and I took a Kindermusik class with Miss Linda in Rochester every Monday for 4 weeks. Micah seemed to enjoy it. We'd usually hit up the mall playground and food court after class with Grandma Carol.

Loving the extra space in our finished basement

A day trip to the cities to meet baby Gus and see my best college girlfriends

Celebrating Papa Jim's birthday at the end of February

Another trip to Bounce World - this time with good pal, Harrison

New double BOB stroller. Over the past few weeks, we've been able to enjoy several walks and I even got a run in yesterday in the beautiful 50 degree weather.

A fun Sunday afternoon visit from cousins Andie and John while they were back in Minnesota on spring break.

Another wonderful visit with Jackie and her family. The kids had a blast playing together and we enjoyed Ryan and Jackie's company.

Another attempt at a group picture. Haha, Oliver and Micah refuse to smile for pictures together. I think that we're 1:20 in pictures where we've gotten both boys to smile at the same time...

These pictures truly reiterate how great the past 14 weeks have been. Tomorrow a new normal begins. I  like my job and my co-workers, but I love being a mom to these 2 terrific kiddos. Fortunately, Kyle is off tomorrow, so the transition back won't be as difficult. Macey starts daycare on Thursday. We have an upcoming trip to the Dells with our good friends the Kelleys to look forward to this weekend. For the rest of the day, I'm going to enjoy a lot of snuggles with my little girl, a walk in what's reported to be last day of spring weather before winter returns, and one last day in my yoga pants!

3 Months

The past 3 months have literally flown by. I say that with some sadness, because in 1 week from now, I will be back at work and Macey will be getting ready to start daycare. I am so fortunate to have enjoyed 14 precious weeks home with my baby girl, as I've watched her physically transform and her little personality evolve.

The Superficial - Over the past few weeks, Macey has filled out. I love it! She now has a few chins and her long lanky legs now have little rolls on her thighs. We don't go back to the MD for another month, but I anticipate that she's put on a few pounds over the last month. She's mostly wearing 3-6 month clothing, but still is able to squeeze into some 0-3 month clothing. She wears size 1 diapers. She continues to be tall, and have long feet. She will only keep on about two of the pairs of socks in her wardrobe, and kicks the rest off. Her eyes remain blue and she's starting to get a little more hair. It's hard to tell, but I think it's going to be straight, unlike big brother's adorable curls.

Eating - Macey loves to eat, and it is apparent given her healthy appearance. It seems that she's recently been going through a growth spurt as she has been taking a 5 ounce bottle every 3 hours like clockwork throughout the day. She loves her formula, and I think that I finally have found a good match - Earth's Best Organic. Unfortunately, I can only get it at Babies R Us, which means going to Rochester almost on a weekly basis solely for her formula. I'm still pumping 5x/day and nursing too. Most bottles consist of a combination of breast milk and formula and are tolerated well.

Sleeping - Macey continues to be on a good sleeping stretch. She's been sleeping through the night since she was about 5 weeks old. We love it! She sleeps in her Halo Sleep sack. Over the past month she's transitioned out of her "Rock and Play" into a bassinet. She still sleeps in our bedroom, right next to our bed. Her bedtime has been getting earlier and earlier. Currently, she falls asleep around 10:00 and will sleep until Micah wakes her up in the morning. While she sleeps great at night, she's not much of a napper during the day. I may get her to sleep 30 minutes at a time. Sometimes I will get her to sleep longer, and that's usually when she's fallen asleep in her car seat.

Personality - Macey loves to interact with us. She loves it when we talk to her or sing to her and will smile or do a high pitched squeal back. Kyle and I joke around that she's our little opera singer. She often wants to be held and will cry when put in her bouncy chair or rock and play. When tired, she wants to be held. She does not like to be hungry, nor burped midway through her bottle. She will scream like we're starving her when this occurs.

Development - Macey has been working on her abdominal strength lately. She's been doing a lot of kicking and lifting her legs and head at the same time. I'm jealous at her abdominal muscle strength. She brings her hands up to her mouth, and frequently chews on them when she's hungry or tired. I honestly have been terrible with tummy time, but she has great neck strength as she shows great head control when sitting up. She been doing a lot of cooing and working on her vowel sounds. She also bears weight through her legs. Kyle and I have been meaning to get her bouncer and her johnny jump-up out.

Health - Macey continues to be healthy - thank you Lord! She had another touch of a cold, but it hasn't affected her much. I will admit that one of my biggest fears about sending her to daycare is knowing that she will probably get sick, as she's exposed to a whole new selection of germs.

26 months

Happy toddler golden birthday Micah. Whippy turned 26 months today, March 26th and continues to fill us with a lot of laughter and happiness on a daily basis.

1) Big kiddo - Micah is now down to going to the MD on a yearly basis for regular check ups, which is good for both him and the MD. His 2 year appointment was a struggle. Nonetheless, his weight and height checks are now done at home. A few days ago he topped off the scale at 36#.

2) Growth spurt - Micah is starting to transition into 3T and even some 4T clothing. He's currently wearing a toddler size 8 shoe, but those are getting a little snug on him. We have an upcoming trip to the Dells in the next few weekends, and I'm looking forward to hitting up Nike outlet for some bigger shoes.

3) Good eater - Kyle and I frequently comment how we are thankful for Micah's willingness to eat a variety of foods. He essentially eats what we eat for supper. It's rare that we have to warm up left overs or make a PB&J for him

4) Has a sweet tooth. Recently it's been splitting an ice cream sandwich with me after supper.

5) Loves fruit which is great to see. Last summer, he avoided strawberries whereas recently he can't get enough of them. Sam's Club has great and reasonable fruit which is nice since we've been going through a lot of it lately.

6) Daycare drop off were going great until this past week. For whatever reason, he's been crying at drop off time.

7) At pick up time, he is often resistant to coming home.

8) Very young love! Micah has a little girlfriend, Heidi. Those two can often be found together playing in the play kitchen at daycare or in a set of tunnels. A few weeks ago, at daycare pick up, we received a report that Micah and Heidi were caught kissing. Kyle and I are in for trouble!!

9) Learning anatomy - knows his "clavicles, scapula, patella and femur" Papa Jim is so proud!

10) Potty!!! Over the past week Micah has used to big boy twice. I'm not sure if it's a fluke or not, but both times happened right before he got a bath, and the bath water was running. Nonetheless, I was incredibly excited. He received a matchbox truck each time for producing about a 5 second stream of pee. There are 13 more individually wrapped matchbox cars on the top of our refrigerator for our continued potty training endeavors.

11) Speaking of bath - he now loves his bath thanks to his Elmo bubbles

12) "I do it myself" is said multiple times around our house each day.

13) Gets mad if Kyle and I try to assist him into or out of his car seat. If we even touch him during the process, he has to start over and make sure that he completes the task without our help.

14) Loves his "Micah music". It's a kids CD made up of songs like the "Muffin Man", "If you're Happy and you Know it", "The Grand Old Duke of York", etc. Micah requests it every time that we get in the car. We have heard the CD 100's of times, but Micah does not get sick of it. Kyle and I both agree that we need to expand our selection of "Micah music".

15) Loves to sing, especially songs from the above CD

16) Favorite toys continue to be his Matchbox trucks, monster trucks, or anything that really moves.

17) Since Kyle and I just spent a descent amount of money on a double stroller, Micah has now decided that he likes to walk when we go out for walks. We let him walk a few blocks, but he's still learning to stay by the side of the road.

18) Likes to play outside with Kyle, which usually ends with Micah sitting in Kyle's boat in our garage.

19) For the most part, he's a great sleeper. He goes down quickly at night, after his night time routine of bath, teeth brushing, a pacifier, stories, and lastly his fan and music turned on. He may wake up a few times during the night, but falls back to sleep relatively well. Recently, he's been sleeping in until 7:00-8:00. We'll take it!

20) Does not like to be told "no". What kid does?!!

21) Tantrums, hitting, kicking, throwing are still present, but they seem to be reducing in frequency. Time outs seem to work best for punishing Micah. Recently, Micah has become more aware of why he is being placed in timeout, and is able to repeat back to me what he did wrong once finished with his time out.

22) Compassionate - I love this quality about Micah. He hates to see us upset or sad and will give hugs if he feels that those emotions are present.

23) A good big brother - Micah loves his little sister, and has shown no jealousy towards her. He frequently asks to hold her. He will put her pacifier in when it falls out and will try to rock her bouncy chair or "Rock and Play". Sometimes he needs reminders to be gentle, as he'll try to put all of his body weight on her when hugging her.

24) Talking in full sentences all the time. I love his voice and to hear what thought processes are occurring in his little mind.

25) Asks questions such as "who" or "what's that" all the time. A few days ago, he was looking at one of my People magazines, when he turned to me pointed to a Calvin Klein advertisement and said "who's that cute guy?". Shortly after he said "that's Mommy and Daddy". Not so much, but it certainly made me smile.

26) Going brown - Micah still has his adorable curls, but his hair is starting to darken a bit. I think it will bleach out during the summers when he's out in the sun, but I eventually think that his hair will turn brown.

Enjoying an ice cream sandwich to celebrate his "golden" toddler birthday

Happy 2 Month Macey

Our baby girl turned 2 months old almost 2 weeks ago. She has changed so much over the past 2 months, and I wish that time would slow down. I've thoroughly enjoyed the past 2 months at home with her, and while I love my job, it's going to be difficult to return to it in 1 month. Nonetheless, here's what Macey has been up to in February.

Superficial - We have a growing girl, literally! At 2 months old, I feel like she's starting to outgrow some of her 0-3 month clothing, which makes me a little (or a lot) sad. I have a tote in her bedroom to begin packing up some of her clothes, but I'm resistant to filling it just yet. She has so many cute clothes that I want to maximize her wear time in all of her 0-3 month clothing. At last week's MD appointment, Macey weighted 10# 2 ounces (50%), is 24" long (97%) and her head circumference is 15" (50%). She still has blue eyes, and I'm still unsure if they will stay that way - time will tell. She's sporting her baby mullet, as she's lost the hair on the top of her head, while the back of it continues to grow. Right now, it's my color, and I anticipate that it will stay dark. She has beautiful lips and long fingers.

Eating - Macey loves her food! I've decreased my breastfeeding sessions down to 2 times/day, in the morning and in the evening. I did this because it was taking Macey sometimes up to an hour to breastfeed. At 4-5 feedings a day, I was spending almost 50% of my day feeding her. With an active 2 year old, sitting for an hour is not always possible. I'm still pumping, and she receives that in combination with formula in her bottles. She's drinking 4-5 ounces, 3-4 times per day.

Sleeping - Macey is an awesome sleeper! We couldn't be more thrilled!! It's been well over a month since she woke up in the middle of the night to eat. I know that it won't be long before she starts teething or gets sick, or simply goes through a growth spurt and is up in the middle of the night, but we will take as many full nights of sleep as we can get. Last night, she slept from 11 until 8:30 AM. She's slow to wake up in the morning too - like her daddy! She continues to sleep in a swaddle sack in her rock and play. She does not nap much during the day - maybe an hour in the morning and 20 minute cat naps in the afternoon. I've been putting her in her crib for naps, and she's tolerating it well so far. I'm still not ready to transition her to her crib during the night quite yet.

Personality - At this age, Macey seems more laid back than her brother. She can be content with just sitting and watching you. Of course, she willing accepts being held and cuddled. She loves her bottles and becomes angry when they run out or her feeding time becomes abruptly interrupted by a burp break. When falling asleep, she prefers to be held. She seems to enjoy interacting with Kyle and myself as she easily coos, smiles and "talks" to us.

Development - Macey continues to work on tummy time here and there - usually while laying on my chest! Her head control is improving. Her eye contact is also improving. She's beginning to show interest in her feet, although is not playing with them quite yet. Over the past few weeks, she's been blowing a lot of "raspberries".

Health - Macey caught cold #2! Yes, big brother Micah had something to do with that. Fortunately, cold #2 was shorter lived than cold #1. She otherwise has been really healthy, and I hope and pray that it continues.

Macey and I have been enjoying our days home together. Micah joins us somedays, but he also like his friends and routine at school, so he's been going for about 6 hours/day. Macey and I have been taking an ECFE class every Thursday. Otherwise, we are perfectly content just hanging around the house. I'm hoping that we can get some descent weather so that we can get outside on a few walks before I return to work in mid-April.

Pictures from Macey's actual 2 month birthday. She didn't feel like smiling too much that day, and I don't blame her. After having 4 shots at her MD appointment, she rightfully was not too happy that day.  The shots were difficult on both of us - I hate those appointments - they don't get any easier the second time around! We enjoyed a day of snuggling.

Feeling more like smiling a few days later! Happy 2 month baby girl - we love you so much!

Happy 1 month Macey

Our little Macey Joy turned 1 month over a week ago. Time has flown by, which makes me sad. I am enjoying our days together, and even though I'm only halfway through my maternity leave, I'm already dreading my return to work in a little over 6 weeks.

The Superficial: Macey has certainly grown over the past month. At what was supposed to be a 2 week MD appointment, but was more like 3 week, Macey topped the scales at 8 lbs, 11 oz, and was over 21 inches long. We fortunately didn't have to buy much newborn clothing. My friend and coworker, Beth, who has a baby 3 weeks older than Macey borrowed us her daughter's, which was much appreciated. Macey otherwise would have been sporting a lot of blue! Nonetheless, we have packed up and returned the newborn clothing, as she essentially is wearing 0-3 month clothing. Macey is also in size 1 diapers. She unfortunately has developed a bad case of baby acne over the past few weeks, but is still so beautiful. Her eyes continue to be blue, and I'm thinking they will stay that way. Her hair continues to be a light brown, and it's too early to tell if she's going to have her big brother's adorable curls.

Eating: I like to refer to our little lady as a "grazer". Unlike big brother, Micah, who could put down a bottle in no time, only to be looking for his next meal, Macey is a slow eater as she likes to fall asleep while eating, yet before her little belly gets full. Therefore, some feedings can take up to an hour! She's getting both breast milk and formula. I do not have a full milk supply - I didn't with Micah either - but I'm producing more this time around. I am determined to provide her as much of my milk as possible, which between nursing, pumping, and keeping up with a regimen of herbal supplements has occupied a lot of my time. It's difficult to say, but it seems like I'm able to meet 50% of her needs.

Sleeping: I feel like I may be jinking myself by saying that Macey is a descent sleeper. She generally goes to sleep around 11:00 pm and will wake up around 6:00 am. Some nights she wakes up for a feeding around 3:00, whereas other nights she will sleep a straight 6-7 hours. Right now, she sleeps in a "rock and play" in our bedroom. I don't anticipate that she'll transition into her crib at least for a few more weeks. Initially, she did not like being swaddled, but she's gotten used to it and calms down relatively quickly once in her swaddle sack. I don't have her daytime schedule down. She seems to sleep whenever she's tired. Sometimes I will put her in her crib, while other times she is perfectly content in my arms.

Personality: Miss Macey definitely is letting her likes and dislikes apparent. She loves being held in loving adult arms and isn't completely happy when she has to sit in her vibrating chair for any prolonged period of time. I'm contemplating buying a swing. She also cries when she has an empty belly or she's tired. Just this week, she's flashed me a few smiles, and has been cooing when being talked to. I LOVE those first few baby coos!

Development: Macey has descent head control. I can't say that I've been consistent about doing everything that I learned from Dr. Dorsi's Pediatric PT class, as Macey has only spent a few minutes on her tummy. But when being held or laying on my chest, she's great at lifting her head. She turns her head to track voices or faces.

Health: Macey fortunately has survived her first cold. We've all been sick in some capacity over the past month and she was bound to get it. She's well on the mend now, but it was definitely hard to see an uncomfortable, sick little girl. At her last MD appointment, she was tested for RSV, which was negative. She's also been dealing with a clogged tear duct, but is responding well to antibiotics.

I couldn't help myself from putting this last picture up. After 2 pictures, she was done!