Abram - 15/16 Months

Hey bud.  You are already 16 months old (actually, I wrote this at 14/15 months, updated it to include 16 months, but now you are nearly 17 months... eek!).  I missed the last many months of updates, and for that I am sorry.  Lately, it seems I don't have a single spare moment left in my life to update this darn blog.  Ever since your first birthday I have been spending my mornings working out or cleaning the house before you kids wake up.  I'm writing this now while you nap.  Chloe is by my side "helping" me with my paper notebook, which I have been using to jot down tidbits about you kids.  What she is actually doing is kicking me and trying to touch the buttons with her toes.  And she is saying "say, 'you don't know how to open that notebook.  You are only three.'," which is her "thing" right now, because she does know how to open the notebook, and the joke's always on me. 

You have come so far over the past few months.  You started walking between 13 and 14 months, and while you still look a little drunk while you walk, you are getting so much faster - like, almost running.  You are surprisingly clumsy, but that is just me comparing you to your sister at your same age.  You are probably just normal.  Regardless, you are always bumping your head on things.  Right now you have a scratch across your forehead and a bruise on your cheek.  Add that to the eczema below your eyes and your adorable face is pretty banged up.  It doesn't matter, though, because everywhere we go people always comment on how cute you are.  You are such a cheeseball, smiling at everyone.  Here is a video from when you first started walking.

Now that you can walk you are so busy!  You remind me of a pinball machine, always bouncing around the room from one toy to the next.  Your daddy taught you how to go up and down the stairs, and even though Chloe is always reminding you to "turn around" when you go down the stairs, you still insist on trying to go down the stairs face first.  You try to go down on your butt and flash your little shit grin.

Your favorite thing in the entire world is your pacifier, and like any true addict, I'm convinced you would choose that pacifier over your family, food, water, or shelter.  My rule is to keep the pacifier in the crib, but in the mornings you have started throwing massive tantrums when I take it from you.  We let you have it in the grocery store or car, because you would seriously just sit there for an entire lifetime being a perfect angel as long as you had that thing in your mouth.  You also love the crooked, blue and white, polka dot blanky Grammy made for you.  She hates that crooked blanky, but you don't see a single flaw in it when you snuggle up to it.

Other toys/things you love right now are super random, and it makes me laugh when I think of you always carrying them around.  They are as follows:

1. The doll house toilet
2. The Christmas snow globe

3. The stethoscope
4. The stuffed dog
5. These shoes (which at 16 months you would wear 24/7 if given the choice)

 

6. The coat pictured here (again, 24/7)

You love sitting in kid chairs.  You love playing in your sister's room, because she has a Pottery Barn chair, a rocking chair, and two pink princess folding chairs.  With the stethoscope around your neck and the doll house toilet in hand, you go from chair to chair, stopping only to dance to the beat of the snow globe music.  You love to dance, but your only move is to walk in a circle while waving your arms and clapping your hands.  It's super cute, though!

You are such a good eater.  Your all time favorite food right now is a pile of shredded cheese.  You go to the fridge and point at the cheese drawer.  You also love Greek yogurt.  In March, your Papa let you feed yourself Greek yogurt, and ever since then you insist on doing it yourself.  Things get pretty messy, but you are so proud of yourself!

You also love pancakes and berries.  You have such a sweet tooth.  On Easter Sunday you refused to eat anything that wasn't candy or chocolate.  You were just completely out of control.  The next day I found all kinds of tin foil in your poop, because you were trying to eat milk chocolate eggs with the foil on and everything.  You crazy baby!

Your favorite person is easily Chloe.  You think she is so funny.  She will pretend to hiccup and you will laugh so hard you actually get the hiccups.  She can get you to stop crying by just making a funny face at you. 

You used to be a total Daddy's boy, because Chloe was a total Mama's girl.  She never let me hold you or play with you, because she was so demanding of my time.  When we got back from vacation she took her anger out on me and became a Daddy's girl.  As a result, you and I have gotten loads of snuggle time, and most of the time you chase me around the house wanting to be picked up and snuggled.  Something cute you do is walk over to me when I'm sitting Indian style on the floor and just plop your little butt down in my legs.  Then you just sit there, like that was a seat made just for you.  I love to kiss you on your neck behind your ear.  You have these wild curls on the back of your head, and you are just irresistibly cute.

Abram - 12 Months

At your 12 month well-baby visit you weighed 22 lbs, 10 oz. (47th percentile), you were 31 inches long (83rd percentile) and had a head circumference of 18.75 inches (82nd percentile).  You have always been pretty consistent.  Long, skinny body with a large noggin' on top. 

At your visit we received some disappointing news that the vaccines you received at your 2 month visit were stored at 31 degrees instead of the recommended 35-46 degree range.  The vaccines were stored at that temperature for several days, and, as a result, were deemed ineffective.  After spending an entire day on the Internet looking for a solution that wasn't to revaccinate, I had the nurse send me her research.  All of the vaccine manufacturers recommended revaccination based on studies that showed the vaccines to be ineffective.  We decided to go ahead and revaccinate on two of the shots during Chloe's 3 year check-up, and you should be all caught up by your 18 month visit.  I can't believe that this happened to you.  I'm so sorry.

We had your first birthday party at your Grammy & Papa's house.  Your Daddy picked a football theme.  I wanted to do a little decorating, but didn't want to get caught up in the details.  Luckily, your Aunty Kelly recently held a big tailgate birthday bash for Matt, and she was thoughtful enough to let us borrow her awesome decorations!  Grammy made you two cakes: a football and a helmet.  She also made you cupcakes.  I decorated about six of them, which was the extent of my contribution.  I was very busy cooking and decorating.  In an unfortunate twist of events, your sister came down with her second strain of influenza of the season.  Daddy volunteered to stay home with her.  They watched every movie under the sun while I frantically attempted to cook a meal for 50+ people.  Thankfully, we had planned a menu that was crock pot friendly.  With Papa's help we managed to serve pulled BBQ chicken sandwiches, Italian beef sandwiches, taco salad, and all the fixins.  The party went off without a hitch, but everyone was missing Daddy and Chloe.  We checked in with them throughout the night using Facetime, but nothing could replace the other half of our family.  It seemed like you were looking for Chloe everywhere you went, and I didn't notice you acting like yourself until little Gwen came over to play with you.  She must have reminded you of your big sister, because you took off after her and attempted to hang with the girls for the rest of the night. 

 

At 12 months you still refuse to walk!!  It is amazing, because you can crawl to the middle of the room and stand up without holding on to anything.  We have seen you take a few steps before, so we KNOW that you can do it.  It is amazing to me that you refuse to walk.  You know what you want?  You want someone to hold you so that you are facing out, then you point to where you want to go.  You get so pissed if we set you down when you expect to be escorted somewhere.  You just want someone to sit on the floor with you and not move.  Come on kid, JUST WALK ALREADY!!!

We decided to start you on Vitamin D (whole) milk and to gradually phase out your bottle, leaving the night time bottle for last.  You are obsessed with your pacifier, so I think that will be a tough one to cut.  We are doing our best to keep your pacifier only in your crib, but gee sometimes it sure is nice to cork you with it in a store, restaurant, or vehicle.  For the record, you literally have six different kinds of pacifiers.  You will use any pacifier brand of any size/shape/color.  You do not pacriminate.

 

You aren't really saying anything.  The only person you really make an effort to call to is your Grammy.  You basically just call her Mamama, which is super annoying and strikes me right to the core with guilt.  You are completely obsessed with her, which works out well because Chloe has already placed her claim to Papa.  You give her kiss after kiss and would go to her over anyone else in the room.  I love her lots, too, so I can't blame you. 

You can climb up and down the stairs, but we don't trust you on them alone.  You don't seem to be as coordinated as your sister was at your age.  You refuse to watch television or sit for a book.  I forgot how long those months are between 12 months and 18 months, when kids get into everything, and nothing - not even Elmo - can stop them.  I remember praying that your sister would just please, please start watching television.  Just 20 minutes, please.  One episode of Dora.  Pretty please?  I don't even remember when she started watching television.  I'll have to go back and look.  All I know is that you are a super busy guy who doesn't even notice the television, so I'm guessing its going to be a while for you.

You've got two new teeth coming in on the bottom.  That will make eight.  Your plugged tear ducts seemed to clear up for a few months, but all of a sudden they seem to be back in full force.  You always have what looks like eczema under your eyes.  They are always red and puffy and I think everyone thinks you have pink eye.  I hope they clear up for you soon!

 

Happy first birthday to my little guy.  I can't believe it's been a year.  I was feeling very nostalgic on the day of your first birthday.  All throughout the day I thought about what I was doing exactly a year ago.  I love recalling your birth - such a special day.  I always look at your sister and think that I can't imagine you being that big.  Now I look at you and I think I can hardly remember you being that small.  Thank you for being such a sweet boy.  I love watching you grow.  Being your Mommy is such a blessing.

 

Abram - 11 Months

Little buddy... it has been a rough few months.  It seems someone in our family has been sick since Thanksgiving, which is part of the reason I am so behind in my updates.  We have suffered through a round of the stomach flu, standard flu, strep, and croup.   In fact, on December 9 your Daddy and I decided that a trip to the ER was in order.  Your cough sounded much like that of a dog, and even the littlest cough resulted in crocodile tears.  We got to the children's hospital around 9:30 p.m. and waited in line with a kid whose face was swollen nearly shut, a boy in a wheelchair, a boy who was wheeled in on a gearny, and a boy who was bleeding from the head.  All boys.  I get the feeling that we are going to have many, many more trips to the ER.  You were given a steroid and a dose of Tylenol, and were feeling better in a few days.

First Thanksgiving at Aunt Kendra's House

Most of your second cousins.  Missing: Leo, Bo, and Timothy (Eli) III

When you are feeling good you are one happy guy.  You love to be the center of attention, and you are always smiling.  You know your way all around the house.  You crawl at lightening speed and walk your way along the couch.  Every now and then I'll catch you getting ready to take a step, but you still can't land it.  You did take a step and a half on your own on December 12.  Everyone got to see it, so it was really something special.  You get so proud of yourself.  Your entire face smiles when you smile, and you clap your little hands.  Your laugh is so funny.  You have a fake laugh that I really can't describe.  It is a grunty, machine gunny, forced laugh.  But your real laugh is a deep belly laugh that melts my heart.

You have a dream baby schedule.  You wake up a 7:30 or 8:00 a.m., eat breakfast, play, take a nap, eat lunch, play, sometimes take another nap, eat, play, bath, and are begging for sleep by 6:30 p.m.  At bedtime we make you a big 8 ounce bottle, fire up the vaporizer, and rest easy until you wake again the next morning.  I just can't believe how lucky we are to have such an easy going guy!  You are SO DIFFERENT from your sister.

I'd say that went well..

You are so rough.  You love to pull hair and you are SO MEAN about it.  You pull, wait for the scream, laugh, pull harder, laugh, pull even harder, laugh even harder.  You like any toy that involves hitting something with something.  You love to play ball, and I have to say you are really good at it.  You can bounce the ball, roll the ball, wrestle your sister for the ball, etc. 

You and Chloe are playing pretty rough these days.  For some reason you think it is funny so I allow it to happen.  Sometimes I catch her trying to help you walk.  It is hilarious, but also quite scary, so I do not often allow it.  Sometimes when I need to give myself a break I put you in your high chair for a little "baby time out."  It is pretty much the only place I can contain you anymore since you have always refused to sit in a bouncer or exersaucer.  Chloe will play with you by hiding behind the chair and popping up on either side of you.  This makes you laugh and gets her excited.  Eventually, the game turns into her slapping your cheeks, which you - for some reason - think is hilarious.  You two are crazy.  You love to play with her, and when she lets you, you play so well.  The problem is that she gets so annoyed of you and ends up being really mean to you.  I try to play with you instead, but then she gets jealous.  It's a bit of a learning process.

UICA with Dawson.  Wait, this is the amazing Yedi?

You are still wearing size 4 diapers.  You have six teeth.  You have dark blond hair with a rooster tail.  You are long and lean, and I think you'll be built like your Dada.  You wear 12-18 month clothing, but your pants are often falling off.  I think you lost a little weight from all of the sickness.  You are obsessed with fruit, and when we give you vegetables you just chuck them on the floor.  What is this garbage?  You are obessed with going up stairs.  You think it might be a good idea to go down the stairs head first, so your Daddy is working with you to show you otherwise.  He taught your sister to go down the stairs in one day, but you are just so wild and carefree I think it is going to take you a little longer to learn. 

Christmas Tree shopping was freezing and you HATED it.  

 

Chloe, on the other hand, LOVED it.

 

Abram - 10 Months

Chloe is screaming downstairs and I can't focus on your ten month update.  She is obsessed with Mommy.  She is screaming, "I want my MOM!" and your Daddy is saying "Mommy's not here."  I heard her come up stairs so I hid under a blanket.  She walked in here and stared at the blanket.  She was probably 99% sure it was me under there, but what if it wasn't?  She just couldn't risk it.  I just wanted one night, ONE night to write a quick update about you.  Don't get me wrong, I love putting her to bed.  I love reading books.  I love singing.  I love getting a thousand hugs, a million kisses.  I just wanted this rare little window to of time to write a quick update about you, but instead I can only write about her, because it breaks my heart to hear her crying for me. 

Guess what?  You also love your Mommy.  In just one month you went from Daddy's boy to Mama's boy.  Our days of breastfeeding have come to a bittersweet end. You didn't seem to mind at first, but now I sense that you want something more from me - something I can no longer give you.  I wonder if you still associate me with milk, because if you see me you go crazy for me.  You start crying and throwing a fit until I come pick you up.  Sometimes picking you up just isn't enough.  You start leaning over like you want down.  I put you down.  You cry.  You pull at my legs.  I pick you back up.  You want me to hold you every minute, but you are getting so heavy!  Sometimes you snuggle your head between my shoulder and chin.  I lay my head on yours and the world stops.  The moment is over before anyone can even see it, because it is only ours to share. 

You know who else you love?  Your Grammy.  Besides a little girl you just met named Ocean, your Grammy is the only girl you have ever graced with kisses.  You don't even give me kisses.  Your kisses are hilarious: open-mouthed and drooly.  You get so excited when Grammy arrives each Thursday.  You make a beeline for the door, and she can barely put her things down before you are crawling up her legs.  Chloe runs for Grammy's bags and starts rutting through them looking for the Kindle and smoothie.

Your Grandma Bob and Grandpa T have been coming over to watch you on Wednesdays.  Your new daycare was supposed to have room for you two on Wednesdays, but for some reason she wasn't super realistic about that promise, because we have been going for nearly two months, and still no Wednesdays.  It has been really fun for you kids to see your other grandparents, though.  They always bring fresh fruit and candy.  Who doesn't like fresh fruit and candy? 

At ten months you are pulling yourself up on everything.  You are creeping along the furniture.  You know your way around the house.  If I sit you down in the living room and walk to the kitchen, you will follow me.  You love you play with your sister, and you think she is hilarious.  She is starting to get pretty rough with you.  She splashes your face with water in the tub.  Most babies would cry, but you LAUGH.  You are getting pretty good with a sippy cup.  You love to drink water from my cup.  You wear size 4 diapers and eat only table food.  Your favorite food is bananas. I can just give you the whole peeled banana and I swear you devour it in about 20 seconds. 

Your first Halloween was sort of a flop.  We went shopping for costumes about a month prior, and your sister picked a cute pink and blue monster costume.  I ordered you a matching blue monster costume.  We learned that it is better to pick costumes at the last minute, because by the time the first Halloween party came around Chloe wanted to be a cat (you were a dinosaur).  She then changed her mind yet again on the night of Halloween saying she wanted to be Supergirl like last year.  Halloween was freezing cold with light rain.  Terrible weather for kids and babies.  We put you in the body of the monster costume, but you refused to wear the head part, so we used your sock monkey hat instead.  We put you in the Baby Bjorn and did a quick loop around the neighborhood. 

You were kind of ticked about getting your pictures this month.  It is tough to get a good picture of such a fast little guy, but I managed to get a decent one.

Chloe Conversations

I could write an entire blog about the shit Chloe says.  Lately, she has been such a jabber mouth.  You just cannot shut that girl up!  I thought I'd try to jot down the first things she says each morning, because, in a state of half consciousness, I forget our morning conversations about as quickly as a dream.  Before 6:00 a.m. Chloe just reminds me of a little wind up doll.  It's like all night long someone has been slowly, carefully winding the little twisty thing on her back just to the point where it cannot be turned even one more click.  Then BAM!  She is awake.  WIDE AWAKE.  And this morning she says:

Mom.  Mom!  MOM!  There is my pool towel (pronounced something like tow-ya, because she still cannot pronounce her "l's").  My pool tow-ya is on the door.  Yook.  Yook!  YOOK!  *walks over to light switch, turns on light switch*  *wincing, hands shield eyes*  See, yook!  My pool tow-ya!  Mmmhmm. *quickly turns off light*  My tow-ya is blue and gween with stwipes on it.  Oooh. I use my tow-ya when I go swimming.  I go swimming because I a big gir.  Yup.  Yet's go downstairs, Mom.  Mom, get up.  Okay, okay.  *walking downstairs, points to magnet on fridge*  Yook!  That's Charyee Brown.  Yes it is ChHEY!  I can wink!  *blinks*  I can wink, Mom. *blink, blink* Can you wink?  Yes, I can wink.  Can you?  Yes, I already did!!!     

Abram - 9 Months

Abram, today you are nine months old, and even though I love watching you grow, I can't fight this overwhelming feeling of sadness.  I look at you, and you are so big, and I keep asking myself where has the time gone? 

All of your little successes - smiling, holding your head up, rolling over, sitting up, clapping - I have welcomed them.  I have cheered for you and kissed your sweet cheeks to celebrate each milestone.  But this month something is different.  This month you made the executive decision to crawl, and in seconds you transformed from my little baby sitting in my lap to a curious, adventerous, baby/toddler hybrid. 

This sadness, it happened to me with your sister, too.  I get to thinking I've missed out on too much by choosing to have a career.  I get to thinking that I can't remember one single memory of you other than the moment I first held you in my arms.  I miss you, my baby you. 


Sitting in the cart at Costco.  You are SO BIG!

I try to breastfeed you in the morning and at night, but you hate it.  You can't stand to miss one second of excitement, and I fear our days of breastfeeding are nearing an end.  You much prefer to hold your own bottle.  When you see a baba you go crazy for it.  You are too big for a baby carrier, so we usually put you in a stroller or shopping cart when we take you out.  I shake my head when I look at you swinging your little feet like a kid.  We haven't fed you a jar of baby food in the past few weeks.  Why bother when you prefer to eat pieces of steak, noodles, veggies, berries, yogurt, and almost everything else on the food pyramid? 


Sorry abou the pink bib, dude!

You can finally crawl.  You are mobile.  You are dangerous.  You are excited!  You clap.  Say da da da, ma ma ma.  You wear 12-18 to 18-24 month clothing.  Size 4 diapers.  You sit, crawl, kneel, crawl, puuuuuuuuull yourself up.  Laugh!!  So much laughter!!  You have FOUR teeth, with more on the way. 

Chloe is your favorite person on the planet.  She loves you so much, but probably not as much as you love her.  She says to you every morning, "Aaaaabomb.  Gooogooogaga.  Gooooooogoogaga," and you crack up laughing.  You love your Dada second.  You are such a Daddy's boy.  You'll sit on his lap and chill out watching football.  You love me maybe third, but that's okay.  It's a pretty good group - your top three.

You are starting to have some separation anxiety.  We can't leave the room without you freaking out.  A neighbor asked if you would cry if she held you.  I was sure you wouldn't mind being such a chill guy and all, but you certainly DID mind.  Your little heart was broken.  When you are sad you stick your bottom lip out as far as it will go and then wait for it... wait for it... WAAAAAAAH!

A few last things... You started a new daycare this month.  I'll have to tell you all about that in a separate post.  We have a new carseat on the way for your sister.  You are going to graduate from your little bucket and move up to her old carseat.  I can't believe how long we stuffed you in that seat!   I don't know if I mentioned it last month, but you also graduated from your bath seat to sitting in the tub.  You take baths with your sister and laugh when she splashes your face with water. 

You are a great sleeper.  We are probably going to regret it later, but we put you in bed with a bottle, a blanky, and a pacifier.  You drink your bottle yourself, pop in your pacifier, and pass out without a peep.  You sleep through the night - you always have.  You never cry when you wake up.  You just coo and coo.  A funny thing about you is that you chuck your pacifiers out of your crib, so once a week we pull the crib away from the wall to find a slew of pacifiers.  It's like a little island of lost pacifiers. 

I have a lot of great pictures of you.  I really do.  The problem is that I wrote this post when you were nine months and now that you are almost ten months I am actually going to publish it.  I uploaded a few subpar pics from my iPhone (it's a 4, if you are wondering) and will upload some great ones at a later date.  I love you so much!!!  My sweet boy!

*Update: I actually did post pictures of you.  I can't believe I made good on my promise!!

Abram - 7 & 8 Months

I apologize to my little Abram, for I have failed you when it comes to monthly pictures and updates.  Seven months came and went without a single monthly picture or post.  As a result, I'm going to attempt to compare your eight month self to your seven month self. 

Things changed for you over the course of a month.  They did.  In the beginning of the month you could sit up on your own with some coaxing, but you would often topple over in an effort to get someone to hold you.  That sitting up business just takes a lot out of a young man, and, let's be honest, you much preferred to have your head resting on a nice bosom.  At eight months you have finally broken down and summoned the ability to sit up on your own without throwing your head backwards with great force.  Only, sitting is kind of boring, and a small part of you really wants to crawl, but then there is that whole exerting energy thing.  It goes against your whole "super chill dude" persona.  So at eight months if you really want to get something you just roll around the floor, left, right, over, back, up, down until you finally reach that thing you are reaching for.  Or sometimes you just sit there, clap your hands, smile your giant, adorable smile, and hope that your sister or someone will just bring it over to you.  If you could pick, you would munch on papers, shoes, wires, and boxes.  Anything non-toy will do just fine.

Seven Months - I HATE CRAWLING!!

 

At seven months we were still feeding you mostly baby food and a few baby puffs twice a day, plus a few bottles.  And, GASP!  You started eating one bottle of the devil's power at seven months.  That's right, your Mama started cheating with some formula.  You don't seem to care much, and I feel a new sense of freedom.  Like some of the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders, because if I forget to bring the milk or refrigerate the milk or freeze the milk - the milk, milk, milk - you aren't going to die.  By eight months you are eating pretty much everything including some table food.  You love to eat.  LOVE to eat.  We added a lunch meal at eight months.  You love the squeezy pouches of food and you inhale them in less than 15 seconds.  It's impressive!  You can feed yourself a bottle at eight months.  Sometimes we just toss one in your crib.  We never would have did that with your sister, but with the second kid, well... with the second kid it's all very different.

Eight Months - I love to eat!

You got your bottom right tooth at seven months and a matching bottom left tooth at eight months.  For such a cool, easygoing dude you are kind of a super wuss when it comes to teething - especially at night.  Maybe it is just a coincidence, but you started to suck a little at sleeping when you got your first tooth.  Nothing much has changed from seven months to eight months in the sleep department.  We stopped swaddling you, because this summer was 800 degrees from the end of June to just recently.  You did fine with that, and some nights I put you in your crib wide awake and you just fall asleep like a good, sweet boy.  No tears.  No screams.  But then some nights you scream your little balls off.  We cannot rock you or give you a bottle or calm you down in any way, and I will never forget the one night where I just gave you a big dropper full of Tylenol, closed your door, closed my door, and fell asleep listening to your cries.  There was just nothing I could do for you.  You are like that sometimes.  Once you get worked up and start crying there is just nothing anyone can do for you.  You may have the Tithof temper on you.  The bright side is that once you fall asleep you stay asleep the entire night.  Good boy.

You and your sister started at a new daycare at seven months and you held out for about a month without catching daycare cooties, but by eight months you have that signature daycare runny nose.  You had a hard time with all of the noise and screaming at Lana's house, but by eight months you are much better around loud noises.  You are such a good boy during the day.  You pretty much never cry and you are always smiling.  I could take you anywhere and I would never worry even once that you'd be fussy or have a Chloelike meltdown.

At seven months your hair started to come in thick, and by eight months you have a sweet, little, blond rooster tail on the top of your head.  You have giant blue eyes.  They take up half of your head, which is saying a lot, because you have quite a noggin' on you.  You are so stinking cute I can hardly stand it.  People swoon over you wherever we go.  You look just like your Daddy.

You took your first trip to the ER at seven months.  Chloe accidentally snipped your finger with scissors, and you ended up with three stitches.  You were such a good boy at the hospital.  You hardly cried at all.  The doctor was in shock.  He said if every baby was like you that the anesthesia department would be out of business.  You are my sweet boy.

Here are your seven and eight month pictures.

Seven Months

Eight Months