Rosemary: 6 & 7 Months

Dear Rosemary,
I'm sorry I didn't post your half-year update. It was the holidays and I was already behind... I kept meaning to still do it, but now it's already past time for your 7 month update! An awful stomach bug hit our house last week, and continues to bring us down one by one. You got it too- your first real illness, besides major sniffles. It was so sad to hold you as you got sick. Poor baby! Thankfully you seem to have survived just fine! And not even that has slowed you down much- you've been a very busy girl these months! Let's list some highlights:

~ At your 5 month post you hated tummy time and I thought you'd never learn to roll- about a week after that post you went from your first roll to rolling end-to-end across the rug! And you haven't slowed down since. You are a major Rolly Poly. And after about 6 months you went from rolling to army crawling, and scootching on your belly. And now you've taken a few crawling steps- but are super fast at scootching! In the living room we set up a barricade of a double stack of pillows to keep you in a 'safe place', but you continually climb/wiggle your way over the pillows. You are very persistent!

Up on your knees! This little face you're making is you grinding your gums together. You're doing this a lot lately- maybe we'll see some little teeth by the next update?

This is your "safe place"- barricaded in by pillows. It's now a double stack of pillows and you STILL crawl over/through them to get out!
~ Along with all that moving and grooving, you're sitting up better. If you're distracted by toys, you'll sit there for a few minutes, but soon you fall over and get back on your belly so you can scoot somewhere else. You can almost pull yourself into the sitting position from your tummy, unless you're in your crib where you can use the bumpers to help and you can do it more easily.

~ You've also pulled yourself to your knees in your crib- and even to a stand! I couldn't believe it the first time I saw you standing there! I ran out to get the camera, and that made you mad since you thought I was coming to get you out, and you fell back, crying- and I missed the picture! I tried a couple more times to get a picture and finally succeeded, as you were peering out to see what was going on down the hall- though I had to leave your brother dripping wet in the bathroom as I'd just pulled him out of the tub!

~ Speaking of the crib- you've been in there more (finally!), and have become quite mischievous! You quickly realized you could reach the changing table and would pull piles of bibs, diapers, blankets- anything I had neatly stacked there, into the crib with you! Then you found the cord to the monitor and 'bout pulled that down on your head! I finally had to rearrange the room to try to keep your little hands away from trouble.

~ And, speaking of trouble, you are now banned from the swing and can not be left in the highchair without an adult within arms reach. You almost pulled yourself out of each, and that would have been quite a scary fall! In the swing you'll grab the fish circling above your head and hang on- letting them pull you up!
~ And... speaking of the high chair  ;), you are eating solids now. You started slow, but quickly took to the cereal. In fact, you were eating a bit too much of the rice cereal and I had to switch you to oatmeal to get a bit more fiber in you. And we're slowly getting through first fruits and veggies- bananas, sweet potatoes, apples, carrots, peas... but you'd rather just eat the cereal. We're still trying to find a good balance adding solids to your diet, bc now you want even less formula! You forced me to drop a bottle- you literally just would NOT eat it, so now you're at 4 bottles of 5-7oz each. I also mix your cereal with prepared formula, to add some calories to it. I wish you would drink more, but I can't force you- trust me, I've tried!

~ We've been working on dropping a nap to go to two, and that's working out ok. Most days you take a 1-1.5 hour am nap, and a 1.5-2.5 hour nap in the afternoon. If you don't get those long naps, like on Bible study days, you may take a 3rd lunch or dinner nap. I've been trying to put you to bed around 8 with the big kids, but still wake you around 10-11pm for your last bottle. I just can't drop that bottle while you're not eating more during the day. And you've been waking up at night now- usually around 4-5am, will chug 3-4 ounces, then right back to sleep. Again- I wish you'd drink it during the day, but we haven't figured out how to get you to do that!

You've already bonded to your Purple Hippo lovey- even using her as a pillow!

~ You continue to be very vocal and love to interact with us all. You "ahh- AHH" at us like you think you're saying something, will give wet, slobber kisses, and still LOVE to laugh! It's funny the little things that make you chuckle- like, one day you kept putting your toy to my mouth, and when I'd say "no, thanks", you'd laugh so hard! And you'd do it again! It cracked me up that you would even understand to play a game like that!

~ Of course we had some other exciting "Firsts" during these two months- first Christmas being a big one! You went to Disney (very exciting), first New Years (not at all exciting), even your first circus (you somehow SLEPT through the whole thing!)... hopefully mommy will get these posts done... one day... I'm working on it- I promise!

You are on the move, baby girl- moving right towards being a big girl! Eating food, getting around- I know the real crawling is coming any day and I really DON'T know how we're going to keep up with you! But you're still my sweet little baby, and I cherish the moments when you fall asleep in my arms, roll to me on the rug, or just give me your sweet smiles! You are a sweet, sweet blessing to our family and we love you so much!
love, Mommy

And the children are nestled, all snug in their beds...

.... while mommy catches up on blogging, a to-do list running thru her head! ;)
(I have several blogs that I am behind on- updates, ballet recital, graduation, etc... but I've decided they'll just have to wait till after the excitement of the holidays!!)

Happy Christmas Eve! Our children are nestled and (finally) asleep, Santa's milk and cookies are out and ready, the tree is brimming with gifts for all, and we are filled with excitement of celebrating Jesus's birthday with some celebration tomorrow! Here's a special preview with our Christmas Eve:

All dressed up for Christmas Eve service at church- so sweet!

After we got home from church, ate dinner, had baths and got in our Christmas pi's, the kids got to open one special gift. I got this idea from a friend- one special ornament for each kid symbolizing something special about them that year. They can collect them each year and share them on their own family tree one day. 

Georgia's ornament was a pink princess, of course, since this was THE year of the princess for her!

Lincoln got a red truck (bc I couldn't find a car!) because he's obsessed with all cars, trucks, etc!

Rosemary got a sweet "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament of a pink stocking! 

After our ornaments, we got out Santa's cookies...

Lincoln made sure he would like them! Georgia wouldn't think of breaking a rule like that! :)

We laid out the cookies next to the kids picture with Santa from meeting him at the mall on Friday. Georgia wrote him a note-" To Santa... Georgia", and drew a picture of a teddy bear Santa should bring for Aunt Heather! ;)

We are ready for some Christmas morning fun real soon!!

Ready, Set, GO- Lincoln's 3rd Bday

WOW! I am SO behind on blog posts. And Christmas is right around the corner... so be patient with me! I'll try to get them up at some point...
 Lincoln's birthday party was 20 short days ago- we had family over for dinner, presents and cake. It was so fun to watch him! He loved all of it- the family, the presents AND the cake! :)

Hmmm- the cake Grandad picked out looks tasty!!

Yep- I was right! Tasty!!

Expert present-opener. He's just warming up for Christmas morning! Did you catch the theme yet? (Cars, cars cars- and things that go!)

Hmmm- a bike helmet. What do you use this for??

How 'bout a super-cool awesome new big boy bike?!? :)

Hopped right on and was rolling! 

Time to blow out the candle, make that wish, and eat some cake! 

Another cool present from the Phelps- safety first!

With our big THREE year old! 

The next morning he got some good practice with that big boy bike...

Now he's zooming around the driveway with Big Sis. What an awesome three years with our sweet Lincoln!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Lincoln!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to YOU! 

Happy 3rd Birthday to LINCOLN!!

Happy Birthday to You!!!

 Here's a little video with the birthday boy... :)

Rosemary- 5 Months

Dear Rosemary,

Well, I'm late on your monthly update again, but I'm not apologizing anymore. Now my goal is just to get it done, at some point, as close to the month as possible. Life continues to swirl around us, and you're growing before our very eyes! Let's check out some highlights from your fifth month:

~ First, eating & sleeping: You still get 5 bottles per day, but just after your 4-mo doc appt I changed to the stage 3 nipple and that seems to have helped you eat better. So I've upped your ounces to 6.5-7 oz per bottle. We were trying a formula with rice in it that the doc gave us, but it was upsetting your tummy and making you very constipated, so we're off that. That's another reason I've been delaying starting you on any solids- I want your tummy to settle and let you just eat good for a little bit. So no pictures of your first messy bites yet!

You still sleep great- we've been walking again and so a couple of mornings you get your first nap in the stroller. You're ok with that, but it's not as long of a nap as you're used to, so you take a solid lunch nap too, then a long afternoon nap. You've woken up early in the morning some this month; maybe now that you're eating some you're realizing you are hungry! Usually it's when you didn't eat great that day. Also- I'm trying to get you used to sleeping sans swaddle, so I will wrap you, but leave one arm out- and usually the other arm, and your legs, find their way out too! You're snuggling up to your lovey, Little Hippo, some too, and learning to use it to comfort yourself to sleep. 

~ I'm also finally admitting that it's 'bout time for you to move out of our room and into the crib in the "girls room" with Georgia. So you've taken a few practice naps in there. Georgia is really excited every time you do and asks when are you going to sleep in there all night! (I think daddy is asking the same question, but has been gracious not to ask it out loud- too many times!) I know it's soon- especially when you start rolling around good; then you won't fit in the cradle much longer.

~ Speaking of rolling- you have finally admitted you know how to roll from back to tummy. You did it for Georgia on day in this fifth month, but then didn't want to do it again. But you've showed us your gift a few times since then. I think next month this will be a regular trick you do! 

~ You were Super Baby for your first Halloween, as part of our Super Hero family. I made you a little purple cape like your sister's that you wore, along with the pumpkin hat and "got Candy" bib. We just took turns carrying you as we trick or treated the neighborhood. You were a good sport!

 ~ We broke out the Excersaucer at the beginning of this month, and you're loving that! You took right to it, and have already figured out how to slobber on all the toys, spin yourself around, jump and bounce. You love that you can see what's going on better, and, as if all the toys and bouncing weren't enough, the kids love to entertain you with dances, musical instruments and songs. I guess you are their captive audience- literally!

~ Along with your slobbering and bouncing skills from the Excersaucer, your hand-eye coordination is progressing rapidly. You can grab something we hold in front of you, grab at your fish hanging above the swing, grab handfuls of hair, hold a chew-toy to your mouth for a bit, and can even do a beginner's peek-a-boo, pulling something off your face when I cover it.  

 ~ You continue to be the sweetest, smiliest, giggliest baby. I love to tickle you- it doesn't take much because you are so ticklish and you laugh! You let anyone hold you, and share your joy. Which is great because people are drawn to your smiles- you get practically grabbed out of my arms at Bible study! :) You're also realizing your voice, and will YELL when you want something. Not cry, not fuss- YELL. You know you're the third child and have to speak up to be heard around here!

 We each love you so much, sweet Rosemary, and I love that you have a special smile for each of us too. For Lincoln- the smile like the funniest guy you know just came in the room and you can't wait to see what he's going to do next! For Georgia- the smile like you give your best friend, the one that is the prettiest girl you know, but will also do anything for you. For Daddy- a smile for your hero, and the man you love most. Your eyes always follow him around the room; you love to watch him! For Mommy- Your mommy-smile! Like the one in the picture above! Like you're so happy to see me and you know I have exactly what you need at that moment- and I hope I never disappoint! I love you so much, and thank the Lord daily for you! love, Mommy