Graham - Month 5

Seriously. I blinked, and my baby is five months old. 😳

Graham is absolutely precious. He's had a lot of changes the past two weeks. He has been taking bottles all day for the last week, and I nursed him just in the morning and sometimes evening. Yesterday, we had our last nursing session. It makes me want to cry. I was ready to stop nursing at this point with Griffin. But this time around, I wish I could keep going. However, with work demands, I just can't juggle it all. He transitioned to formula like a champ. He is also spitting up less now, and I'm so thankful not to be tethered to him all the time. It's hard following a breastfeeding baby's schedule. So I guess it's not all bad. 

He's also started solids! We started practicing with rice cereal at four months. I gave him a bowl when I remembered which was only about twice a week. The week before he turned five months, he displayed all the cues for being ready for the real thing. He has only had carrots so far. He wasn't a fan of them the first time he tried them, but he gobbled them down the day after that! 

And the next big change in his life will be on Monday. He will have his first day at daycare. Sigh. I have been fighting back the tears all day. I wish I could take him to work with me. I hate that I won't be his caregiver all day every day. But I know he will be loved. It'll be ok.... I keep telling myself that. 

He can even hold his own bottle! 

He spent some time at school with me getting my classroom ready! 

I chopped off an inch of his mohawk! I did a really terrible job too! Haha!

Stories at bedtime

He's happy about 80% of the time. He gets fussy when he has a bubble, tired, or hungry. 

He weighs 19 lbs! A chunk!!

He's in a size three diaper and 6-9 month clothes. 

He loves his toes! He actually wants something in his mouth to chew or suck constantly. 

He sleeps the best with something over his head and face. People give me dirty looks when it looks like I smother him, but he loves it. 

And this makes my heart melt!! Griffin climbs in bed with us around four in the morning which is about the time I nursed Graham. They both just stayed in our bed after that. Griffin is up and ready to start the day between 5 and 6. Most days I would get him a bowl of cereal, turn on his  cartoons, and go back to bed. I'm loving his age! 

Graham is now sleeping about 12 hours in his own crib. He goes down about 6:30. I do a dream feed around 9:30, and he wakes up between 6 - 6:30. Of course he has some nights where he will wake up or goes down later or gets up earlier. Overall he is an excellent sleeper. 

In other news, Brandon graduated from Police Academy!! I threw him a surprise graduation party. We had so much fun! 

We also celebrated my dad's birthday! 

Nana's house is the best!

We had a fun morning with just Griffin at SDC. He is so much fun to hang out with! 

We are blessed!

Graham - Month 4

Sweet little Graham turned four months old the day after the Fourth of July. He loved his first fireworks show at Nana's and Papa's house. Aunt Tina held him during the show. She said he would sit up when they were low, and would lean back when they were high in the sky. 

Graham wants to sit up most of the time now. I can strap him in his bouncy seat, but he is working hard to sit up straight. So I bought him this cute little chair. I like it much better than the bumbo!

Graham had his four month check up today. He is ahead in his gross motor skills. Yay! He weighed 16 lbs 6 oz and was 26.75 inches long. He is tall! He didn't have a major growth spurt like he did at his two month appointment, but he's still ahead. 75th percentile in weight and 95th percentile in height. He is in a size three diaper still and 6-9 month clothes. 

He is grasping for objects. He chews and  sucks on any and everything. Today I have him his paci in his hand, and he brought it to his mouth. He's also already trying to hold his own bottle. They just don't stay little long! 

I introduced formula this month. He has worked up to about five bottles a week. I usually only give him formula if someone else is watching him or we are out and about. He drinks it like a champ! It has however made him start pooping in the middle of the night which makes him wake up and has given him some diaper rash. And his diapers are STINKY. The past three nights he has been up around 1:50 with a dirty diaper. After I change him, he won't go back to sleep until he nurses. I think it's starting a bad habit! 

Brandon can really get him to belly laugh by tickling his neck. It is the sweetest sound!! I haven't caught it on camera yet. 

Brotherly love 

He was smirking at me across the room. 

Graham also had his first bowl of rice cereal. He did a decent job of getting it down. Dr. Bartlett wanted to see how he would do with the spoon. I think by next month, he will be ready for some baby food. Blows my mind!!!

Drew and Audrey spent the night after the Fourth of July party. Drew loved on Graham so much. It was so sweet. 

Daddy and G shot off some fireworks while he was home too. Griffin loved it! 

So this isn't a photo of Graham.... This is Brandon when he was a baby! Holy cow!! They are twinkies!

My sweet momma came down and spent three days with us while I was in training. Two days I was in training from 8am to 6pm. She brought Graham to me every two hours. She is such a blessing!!! 

The weekend after Father's Day, Graham was dedicated at our church. Pastor Morris did a great job. Afterwards, we had lunch at our house. It was a great time to celebrate little Graham. 

Graham - Month 3

Graham is three months! Time is flying. I only have two more months off, so I'm trying to enjoy every second! 

So I have to say the second baby is so much easier. I guess it's just because everything feels familiar, and I'm more comfortable taking care of a newborn. Or it might be because babies just need their basic needs taken care of. Whatever the reason, adjusting to life with two kids has been very easy for us. Praise the Lord!

Speaking of adjusting, Griffin is back to his old self. All the major life changes that happened back in March really threw him for a loop. I wasn't really sure what to do with him! However, I was consistent with discipline and routine (even when I wanted to lock myself in the closet and cry), and it's paid off! He is sleeping in his own bed again all night, putting himself to sleep, using his manners, and following directions. He's not perfect by any means, but we are in a much better place now! He hasn't been in trouble at school either. I'm SO thankful! 

Back to Graham...

He is wearing 6-9 month clothes and a size three diaper. He weighs around 16.5 lbs. He's my little chunk! He's very long! He started sleeping through the night right after he turned 12 weeks. Our days are very routine. He goes down around 8:00 at night and sleeps to around 5:00 in the morning. After he eats and burps, he goes back to sleep until 7:45 when I usually wake him up to nurse before taking Griffin to school. Griffin wakes up between 5-6. I just tell him to go play in his room until I'm ready to get up (usually around 7:00). After I drop Griffin off, Graham and I come home and walk at least two miles in the neighborhood. I've been trying to get this baby weight off! Graham loves to sleep in his stroller too. When we get back, he nurses again and is ready to play. He is starting to participate in the world around him more. He can track objects and is trying hard to grasp objects. He loves hanging out in his bouncy seat or playmat. He is trying really hard to roll over, but hasn't quite accomplished that feat yet. He also loves chewing on his hands after staring them down. After a couple hours of play time, he's ready to nurse again. After his lunch, he takes a really good nap in the middle of the day. He will sleep for 2-3 hours. I love it because when I have both boys at home, they're on the same nap schedule. It's total bliss! After nap, he eats again and we go get brother. We come home for some more play time with Griffin. I cook dinner and we eat around 5:00. Baths are at 5:30, nurse again, we watch a movie at 6:00, and Griffin is in bed by 7:30. I nurse Graham once more and he goes to bed. It works great for us! I think kids thrive when they have a routine because it helps them feel safe.

Of course surprises are fun every now and then! This week we went to the zoo with Megan and her two girls. Griffin is also enrolled in a cooking camp. He loves to help me in the kitchen, so he is learning about food every Friday in June. Summer time is the best! 

Graham is the sweetest baby. He rarely cries. When he does, he's either hungry or has a gas bubble. He's smiles with his entire body and has started to giggle. I'm so thankful God entrusted me to be his momma! 

I love pouty faces!

They are my biggest blessings! 

Griffin's first cooking class

Future photographer! 

At the zoo! It was HOT! 

My new boy mom shirt. Ha!

A bad idea. Lol