7 Months

WHAT IS HAPPENING?! 

How in the world is my sweet baby 7 months old?? 

Isaac Dean is crawling. CRAWLING. Once he figured out how to propel himself forward, the crawling happened about 15 minutes later. He is oh so happy with his crawling. It's bittersweet for me. He is just as content as can be crawling all over the place, but he also is not so content being held. 

Is this impressive or what? He tends to smear his food as he gets more and more done with his food. So, while a nightly bath used to be optional, they kind of are necessary now. I didn't introduce many new foods since last month. He's had yogurt and puffs. Oh and I made him the avocado/banana puree that Nolan loved. And he's a fan too!

Um. Seriously? This is so rich. This is one of my new favorite pictures of Isaac. He's big, but this is deceptive. He's not that roll-licious. But the yumminess of this picture--mmmm!! I love him!

Isaac often sleeps on his tummy with his booty in the air. Or he also likes to sleep on his side. Both positions I find absolutely adorable. 

Oh and Isaac has been sucking his thumb off and on. I much prefer a paci, but this is so.stinkin.cute. He doesn't do it to self soothe. He does it randomly. I don't want this to become a habit, but I find it so ridiculously cute. 

This kid is so crazy about his big brother it makes me smile. Isaac is genuinely happy when Nolan so much as looks in his general direction. He absolutely lights up at his brother's attention. Now that he's mobile, he's into all of Nolan's toys. And Nolan is having to adjust. Big time. 

Isaac is still nursing, but I can say with a lot of confidence that at his 8 month post, he'll be completely done. He nurses 4 times a day (with supplements as necessary), takes solids 3 times a day, and he gets a bottle before Adam and I go to bed. He's taking 2 2hour naps each day. He typically sleeps 7:30-7:30, and I love everything about his current schedule. Which I can only assume means things are about to get messed up. 

Isaac is living up to his name as he is FULL of laughter. He can struggle in the 6:00 hour before bath, but honestly, so can I! :) What a gift this little guy is to our family! I'm so thankful for him and his sweet self. He likes to lean his head into mine when we're facing each other. Come on! That's sweet! I just love everything about him. He's even doing better in the car- yay! Still not a paci sucker- boo! 

An 8 month old sounds significantly older to me. So, I'm going to hang onto this 7 month age for the whole 30 days!

Half Birthday!

6 month post just a week late...not too shabby. 

Isaac has been here half a year?! WHAT?!?! We're marching ourselves downhill towards his 1st birthday? Man. I can't believe it. But yet I can. When I look at pictures of our family before Isaac was born I ask myself, "What did we do with ourselves before Isaac?" 

Isaac is eating solids 3 times a day. And usually, he eats them like a somewhat normal person. He rocks and moves A TON, but he's mostly gets the food off the spoon and swallows. Huge accomplishment. He's eaten bananas, apples, pears, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, prunes, peaches,and green beans. Up until this point, I was making only some of Isaac's food. I couldn't handle all of the time it takes to have him just spit it out. I don't know how I'll proceed at this point. 

The little guy is COMPLETELY DONE WITH HIS SWADDLE. One night I heard weird noises, and I found him facedown while swaddled. That did it for me. Since then he's been completely out of the swaddle and into a sleep sack. The first full night in the sack was R.O.U.G.H. But since then, he's been mostly great. And naps are getting better and better. 

I personally want to do a big ol' victory lap, since I've made it to 6 months nursing Isaac. I don't know how much longer I'll keep going. It feels good to have reached this point, and I can't decide when I'll switch to formula. I'm down to 4 feedings a day, and I still pump once at night for a top off before Adam and I go to sleep. I'm eager to be done with that, but we move Isaac from our room to the living room every night before we go to bed. So, when he gets picked up, he immediately starts sucking, ready for the bottle. 

Isaac is a crazy good jumper, and he'll happily jump in his jumper the entire time Adam and I workout. Lots of jumping. He also loves to pull hair, roll all over the place, scoot backwards, and get up on all fours and rock back and forth. He's so close to being on the move. Hold me. He LOVES Nolan. LOVES! He's so happy when his brother pays any attention to him. Even if it's just to yell at him. 

Isaac, you fill our days with lots of smiles and giggles. Your loving admiration of your brother makes my heart melt. I could kiss you all day every day, and it would never be enough. You are the perfect fit to our family, and I love every inch of your being. Being your mama is one of the greatest joys of my life. 

Because Life Is Happening And I Don't Want to Forget

There have been little snippets that have happened lately (and not lately at all), and I absolutely cannot, will not, should not trust my memory to keep them stored away. This brain of mine used to be a steel trap. Not anymore.

:: For my dad's new store dedication dinner, I got dressed in my room while everyone else was out in the living room. I had some make-up on, my hair was down, and I put a dress on (gasp!). When I came out to put shoes on and be ready to go, Nolan was completely captivated by me. His little face had a huge grin, and he just wanted to follow me around, talking about and touching my dress. It was heart melting and adorable. He just couldn't get over it. I hope I'll never forget the smile on his face watching me in those few minutes. (But I obviously will, as previously discussed) Since then, he's asked me to wear a dress several times. Precious.

:: Back when Isaac was still waking up to eat in the middle of the night, he always wanted to be held a little longer than you'd think necessary for the middle of the night. I'd feed him, swaddle him back up, and hold him for a little bit on the couch with the boppy pillow helping me out. Before long, we both would be fast asleep, snuggled into each other. I'd usually wake up about 30 minutes later and put my little nugget down. But those were sweet times. 

:: Not too long ago (a month?), Isaac was in his little hammock as I was trying to get things down around the apartment. He was starting to make noise, but he wasn't upset. Nolan walked over to the side of the hammock and started talking very softly to him. He grabbed Isaac's paci and tried repeatedly to get it in (I've mentioned the paci struggles enough). He finally took it, and I hear Nolan say to him, "Good job, Isaac!" Ok. Melt. 

:: Issac was crying in his pack'n'play before falling asleep for a nap, and Nolan said, "Aww, Isaac sad. Isaac needs Mommy." 

:: As previously mentioned, Isaac is not a snuggler by nature, which is oh so sad for me. But one morning after his nap, he just pressed his cheek to mine and stayed there for 10 minutes as I rocked him in the rocker. I was afraid to move or speak, not wanting to disturb him or give him a reason to move. 

:: At bedtime, Nolan gets me and Adam to himself for 2 books, prayer, and a song. We do the praying and singing in his bed with him. It can be such a conflicting time. I'm ready to put a bow on the day and spend time with Adam, but those are some of the sweetest minutes of my day. Lately, Nolan has wanted me to sing "One Thing Remains" at bedtime. Well, when you sing this every night week after week, turns out my little 2 year old learns the words. And Nolan singing along with me is the highlight of my day. When I listen to my toddler singing, "In death, in life, I'm confident and covered by the power of Your great love," I want to cry happy tears. It's just the sweetest. I wish there was a way for us to video it, but we can't without Nolan noticing. I pray and pray and pray I can treasure those times in my heart. 

:: Nolan has had some struggles with fear lately. As his mom, it makes me sad and a little concerned. My mom's taught him that when he feels afraid he can say, "Go away, fear!" Which he absolutely does say. That in itself is amazing. But I've also been wanting to teach him that Jesus makes us brave. Even when we don't feel like it, Jesus can make us brave. I've been playing the song You Make Me Brave because 1. I love it, 2. It's "Isaac's song", and 3. I want Nolan to hear those words. We were in the car while that song was playing, and it got to the part where it says, "You make me brave. You make me brave." And Nolan is exclaiming, "Mommy! Mommy! Jesus makes brave! Jesus makes brave!" Cue the tears. I agree with him and pray for his sweet little heart as his whole face is lit up while the song continues. He goes on to say, "Go away, fear. Jesus makes brave!" Amen. Amen. Amen. 

:: The look on Isaac's face when Adam walks into the room first thing in the morning after he's eaten-- GOLD!!! The smile can't get bigger. Have I melted enough for one post? Adam's had to wear Isaac the past 4 Sundays while I serve, and is there anything more attractive on my man than his tender care towards our baby while actually wearing our baby? I don't think so. 

Gosh, I'm rich. I might live in an apartment that I can easily get annoyed with... I long for a back yard, a front porch, and a fireplace. But honestly, I've got more than I deserve inside these walls. These days are filled with holy happenings. 

F-I-V-E Months

This is late. But it's because I've been waiting to take Isaac's picture with the bear when we had good sunlight in the apartment. And well, that pretty much hasn't happened in a week. 

This guy...he's so stinkin' happy. I don't know how we managed to end up with 2 happy babies, but we have! And I'm grateful! At his 4 month check-up, Isaac was just over 17lbs and 26 inches long, putting him in the 90th percentile for both height and weight. Way to go, buddy!!

So, I decided I would introduce solids to Isaac much sooner than I did with Nolan. And not to anyone's surprise, he has not been all that interested. I'm not pushing it because I know eventually he will eat solids. As previously mentioned, I'm not a huge fan of breastfeeding. Isaac apparently very much is!! 

Remember how I said I was dreading the process of losing the swaddle? Well, it's been a doozy. I've been at it for a month, and we've made no progress. I'm about to just abandon ship and lose it all together. We're still doing one arm out for 2 out of 3 naps. Those naps are consistently short. My current hunch is that he's going to just have to learn to sleep on his tummy when I lose the swaddle. He's fully swaddled for the big nap and all night. 

This sweet nugget has been waking up super early to chat and then head back to sleep until normal people wake up. The wake up usually happens somewhere between 5:42-5:52. It makes us think something is waking him up. On the mornings that he doesn't wake up in that window, I still do wake up. Isn't that fun for me? 

Isaac is happy, chatty, and seriously the most delightful little jumper you've ever seen. We got him a jumperoo, and he is so happy in there. He loves to jump while Nolan jumps which leads to a gigglefest. Again, how did we end up with 2 boys that are obsessed with jumping?? Isaac is also into pulling my hair, chomping at his bottom lip, laughing at Nolan, baths, and grabbing whatever he can when he's in the bumbo. 

He's not into sleeping with his arm out, being buckled into his carseat, and that's kind of it right now. Man! How lucky am I?! 

I know my pictures aren't so great. And it's making me realize that most of the pictures of our kiddos are on Adam's phone. Which isn't a great place for them. I'll backfill with his bear pictures later. 

Here's the pictures...

This kid is looking HUGE. The thighs....oh the yummy thighs! 

If that's not a beautiful baby, I'm not sure what is. 

Yes, they are really brothers. It's hard to tell right now. 

Dedicated

Being "mommy" around these parts has been a lot harder the last week or so. Nolan has embodied just about every thing you think of when hearing the phrase "terrible twos." Adam was gone for 3 full days last week, and by Wednesday night, my head actually felt heavier than normal from the exhaustion of all that is toddlerhood. Those who parent alone, I salute you. 

I've had some grumpy days myself lately, and I keep trying to take the 2 minutes here and there that I get to myself to really ponder why. Why has this seemed so much harder lately? 

The answer is probably still needing some unpacking, but that's what I'm doing now.

Being mommy to Nolan and Isaac has felt all consuming lately. I'm correcting Nolan what feels like all.day.long. He's yelling, "NO!" at me, refusing to obey, and smirking while doing it all. It feels like we've taken a couple steps backwards in a few areas. And man, do I lose my patience with him. I get frustrated and discouraged with his refusal to eat food that he liked 5 minutes ago or his veerrrrry delayed obedience. Desperate to affirm his good behavior, I've been doing a star chart, so I can celebrate all the good and focus less on the not good. But it's been hard to catch him doing the good stuff when the not good stuff seems to overwhelm our days. 

And what makes all of this hard is that I'm "all in" in this mommy thing. This is how I spend my days- raising these tiny beings with the hopes that they become little boys who become young men who love Jesus. And the very thing that I'm giving my all to seems to be going not well when my toddler is whining at me all the day long. 

One day last week, my parents were over for dinner while Adam was still gone, and Nolan was having an absolute meltdown, refusing to eat. My dad made the comment that they never had one "like this." My brother has made similar comments. And on in the inside I'm thinking, "Probably because you're better at this than I am!!!!" 

See, being mom leaves me (maybe everyone) in a place of vulnerability. It's something I desperately want to get right, yet everyone gets to see when it's going wrong. 

Yesterday we had the opportunity to dedicate our boys at church. We stood before the congregation and said we would do everything we could to disciple our children at home and raise them to love Jesus. The church committed to coming along side of us and pouring into them and helping us point them to Jesus. 

There's so much I want for my children. I want them to be brave and courageous. I want them to be kind and faithful. I want them to be teachable, humble, generous, and honest. But my deepest longing for them is that they would know Jesus. Not know about Him, but that they would know Jesus. That their lives would be forever marked and changed by their relationship with Christ. 

The name Nolan means noble (and champion). We want to speak over him that he is good, virtuous, upright, and righteous because of Jesus in his life. The name Isaac means full of laughter. We want to believe that Isaac will be a joy bringer with his laughter and the laughter he causes. I pray these things over my boys often.

As I stood up before the congregation yesterday and publicly dedicated myself to raising these guys in a way that honors the Lord, the task in front of me felt rather large. It felt big again this morning when Nolan was placed in time out for the 2nd time in a very short time span. But I scooped Nolan up, we sat in the chair, and we invited Jesus into our day. That I would be full of grace and patience. And that Nolan would have a heart of obedience. While I did have to put Nolan back in time out again, I trusted that these long mornings of discipline and correction are part of shaping and guiding Nolan. 

And hey, maybe I'll do better on the second one! :) 

4 Months Of Isaac Dean

This baby of mine is growing so fast! 4 months old- as in we're already a 1/3 of the way through his first year. HOW?!?! 

Our munchkerdoo is sitting in his bumbo like a boss. He's also playing in his exersaucer. He's not super strong in the neck area yet, so it's kind of exhausting for him. But he no longer lays in the hammock for long periods of time because he's so eager to sit up. 

This Isaac man is NOT a cuddler. Insert: very, very sad face. I'm hoping there are some Isaac snuggles in my future, but right now, he's far to curious and squirmy. BUT every once in a while, he'll settle into Adam's chest. Insert: annoyed face.

This porky is 16 pounds, and he's wearing 6 month clothes. I haven't been to the doctor for the 4 month well check, so I don't know where he is percentage wise. I do think he's slowed down lately. 

Isaac is generally the most laid back and easy going baby ever. But he's been in the thick of a "Wonder Week." They're developmental growth spurts. This one is typically the longest and most disruptive of them all. He's been a little less easy going and his sleeping has been a little more unpredictable. But still nothing worth complaining about. This kid was napping like clockwork prior to this wonder week hitting. It's not quite over yet, so I'm just going with the flow right now. Doing all of this a second time, I usually can tell myself, "It's not a big deal." Sometimes I still let my feathers get ruffled though. 

Oh the chunky baby stage!!

I've started the process of dropping the swaddle. I HATE this process. HATE!! Isaac has been such a great sleeper for the most part that changing things up is a terrifying idea. But he's rolling now, so I know it needs to happen. I keep telling myself that before I know it this too will have passed. He is also in the process of dropping that 4th nap. He takes it a few times a week. He can manage skipping it if I can then get him down for the night close to 7. 

Isaac is laughing more and more. He is very ticklish. He loves talking. Oh my goodness, this little boy is a talker! He's got a lot to say, and he doesn't really care who is listening. 

Isaac is starting to be awake longer, drool tons, and attempt to be more interactive with the world around him. We are headed towards some serious fun stages, and I love watching him grow and change and come into his own. We see a lot of brother shenanigans in our future! He still however is not great at taking a bottle, keeping a paci in his mouth, or being a pleasant car passenger- not a fan if the car isn't moving. 

People thought we were crazy to put our kiddos so close together. But honestly, I can't imagine a better fit for our family. My Isaac Love is precious and a delight. I'm so glad God entrusted him into our care! 

2 Years Old

I find Nolan's monthly updates to be so helpful as I go through this first year with Isaac. But I think there's going to be a day much, much later that I'll enjoy reading these updates about my once little people.

Last week, Nolan turned TWO YEARS OLD!!! We are all done with the baby years. I may have been a little sad about this the night before his 2nd birthday. Shocker. 

Nolan's favorites foods: hotdogs, Chick-fil-a grilled nuggets, meatballs, watermelon, blueberries, oatmeal, tater tots, and a variety of cookies. 

Nolan takes 1 afternoon nap that lasts 2-3 hours. He goes to sleep between 7:30-8:00. When he wakes up in the morning varies, but he stays in his crib until 8 happily. 

Some of my favorite things that Nolan says: 
Nonee  (Nolan)
No Nank a new (No thank you)
Happy Day (Happy Birthday or any celebratory day)
Watch lions (his way of asking to watch Lion King)
Isaac mad (kindly lets me know this whenever Isaac is crying)
Nonee's song (Nolan's song which is Whom Shall I Fear by Chris Tomlin)

Nolan's favorite things to do: jump off the ottoman, play with his cars, line his cars up, race his cars, play soccer, play basketball, run anywhere and everywhere, and play with Ryann and Alee.

Nolan is so expressive, so energetic, and so happy. He does clam up in front of a crowd or new people. He's started to string more and more words together. But I honestly love the way he talks right now. He's so cute with his broken english. 

Nolan weighs 29 pounds and is 35 1/2 inches tall. He's in the 75th percentile for height and the 55th percentile for weight. Which is interesting. He feels really heavy; I would've guessed those percentiles to be switched. 

This little boy loves books, is obsessed with diggers and tractors, and still thinks the zoo is the bees knees. He'd watch Lion King or Kung Fu Panda everyday if I let him. His new favorite thing is taking a bath with Isaac, which is utterly adorable.

Nolan is seriously irresistible. Everywhere we go people comment on his amazing curls. It's crazy that he didn't have them a year ago. Thankfully, he still has some yummy cheeks on him.

Nolan is so much fun. Though he has his fair share of time outs for being disobedient, this 2 year old stage is usually hilarious. He makes me laugh so much everyday. I love him so much and love being his mom. I can't imagine the fun this 3rd year will bring.