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There is no way my baby boys are half a year old. But then again, it seems like they have always been part of our family. It took a while to adjust to being a family of 5, but I feel like we have finally hit our stride. I honestly can't imagine having our family any other way. I am absolutely loving the stage our boys are in right now. They are each a constant source of joy to all of us. Spencer and Ian have enriched our lives more than I could ever express.
Spencer, Ian
Am I the only one freaked out by this monkey?!?
At 6 months, both boys:- can sit up independently for a few seconds before toppling forward. They are not quite sturdy sitters yet.
- are babbling and can make a few different consonant (b, g, h, m, d, p) and vowel sounds (short a, short e, long i, short o, short u, oo). They have both started mimicking a few of the sounds/words we say, but of course it is indiscriminate. They seem to take turns every few days being the most "talkative" one.
- are very cuddly and affectionate.
- like to spend a lot of time standing and jumping.
- love to be read to. I was really surprised since they are such squirmers, but they find the pictures in the book fascinating and love to hear our voices. Of course chewing on the pages is a bonus.
- make razzing sounds, though Spencer seems to find this especially amusing right now.
- will roll, squirm, and scoot themselves around to reach and grab toys. They like to be playing with something in their hands at all times.
- will arch their backs and contort their bodies while eating or playing to be able to see Ella/Mama/Daddy if they hear our voices.
- love to play peekaboo.
- nap from 9-10 in the morning and 1-3:30 in the afternoon on good days. Unfortunately with 3 small children there is a lot of room for error, but I do feel like they have become much better nappers in the last couple weeks.
- sleep from 8:30 or 9 at night to 6:30 in the morning. They have each been waking up in the middle of the night a once or twice a week (rarely on the same nights which I find odd) but I am usually able to get them back to sleep quickly downstairs without waking everyone else up. This means I am starting to think of the couch as my second bed for the last part of the night. :)
- are loving solid foods. So far we have eaten brown rice, oatmeal, avocado, squash, green beans, peas, and carrots.
- love to swing in the backyard.
- smile and laugh constantly. They are both such happy babies.
- love to play with each other and relish any attention they elicit from big sister.
Spencer:- is mesmerized by our dogs. He grins from ear to ear and leans forward to pet them each time they are close by. When I help hold the dogs still and he is actually able to pet their heads he completely lights up.
- weighs 15 pounds 6 ounces (25%), is 27 inches long (75%), and has a head circumference of 17 1/4 inches (50%).
- has such a gentle, sweet spirit.
- wears size 2 diapers and 6 month clothes.
- has a very sweet, low giggle.
- gets up on his hands and knees in crawling position, but no crawling yet. He does, however, scoot backwards on his hands and knees and get stuck under the couch on a regular basis.
- does planks and swimming motions with his arms and legs throughout the day.
- had the first ear infection in the Bailey family and his poor tummy did not tolerate the antibiotics well at all.
- has much more of an appetite now, though it's hard to get him to stay still long enough to finish his bottle.
Ian:- smiles with his entire body. He tilts his head back in laughter, crinkles his eyes, flails his arms, kicks his legs, and wiggles his whole body. This kid is joy personified. And he does it a million times a day.
- weighs 18 pounds 8 ounces (75%), is 27 3/4 inches long (90%), and has a head circumference of 18 inches (90%). Yeah, he's a whole lot bigger than his big brother!
- is now wearing size 3 diapers and his 6 month clothes are getting very snug. I tried my best to keep him in Spencer's diaper size for as long as possible for simplicity's sake, but that has become impossible.
- can often be found with just one wet sock on because he chews constantly on his feet. The other sock has been thrown who-knows-where. He even gets his footie pajamas wet.
- leans forward with his mouth open in between bites. If you are not fast enough, he will grab the spoon and shove it in his mouth himself.
- has decided he now LOVES his jumper.
- has become very difficult to change because he laughs, kicks, and squirms wildly the entire time. If we are changing him downstairs on the pack n' play, the entire pack n' play sways from side to side and he resembles a bucking bronco.
- cries when he can't see me, but calms down quickly most of the time if Spencer or Ella are nearby.
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My Ella. I am very reluctant to think of her as a big girl even though she seems worlds older than the boys. I have been meaning to interview her for months (like back when she was 2 and not 2 1/2) but when I actually had a moment to spare she decided that was the last thing she wanted to do. Hah! Gotta love 2-year-olds. The last couple weeks I have been thinking over and over how much I absolutely love the stages my children are in right now. I feel like each of them makes me laugh constantly these days. Ella is our affectionate, gracious, silly, chatty, compassionate, energetic, curious, opinionated, quirky, hysterical, imaginative, playful, gentle, kind little girl.
Here's a rather hilarious impromptu interview we did asking Ella about some of her favorite things.At 2 1/2, Ella:Recent Happenings:- went through a very difficult phase when the boys were 2-4 months old. She never stopped adoring her brothers, but had a very difficult time understanding why Daddy and I had so little time to just play. There were a lot of tears, but now that the boys only eat 5 times a day and Mama is a bit more rested and alert, she has adjusted beautifully.
- has been completely potty trained (day and night) since the end of November. We still have an accident every once in a while, but she does great most of the time. Potty training Ella while simultaneously taking care of 2 3-month-olds was exactly as fun as it sounds. It was exhausting and took longer than I had expected. Thank goodness that's over!
- is very proud of anyone who goes potty. She even cheered for 2 strangers that went to the bathroom at Wendy's despite my attempts to distract her.
- was very into Christmas this year. She understood the main people related to Jesus' birth and of course loved the idea of Santa and presents. ;)
- started attending Council Oak Preschool this fall for a few hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Interests:- is obsessed with everyone's full names right now. She will tell you her brothers full names instead of just first names, and she likes to talk about how Chad and I each have two names (Chad and Daddy, Katie and Mama).
- uses her own pots, pans, spatula, and whisk to help me "cook" dinner each night.
- loooooooves art. Chalk, paint, crayons, dry erase markers, glitter pens, stickers, glue, you name it.
- loves Fancy Nancy and Olivia books.
- loves going to church and Sunday School.
- sings "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Jesus Loves Me", "Row Your Boat", and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".
- still loves to swing.
- insists on being the one who gives treats to the dogs.
Body:- has been wearing 3T clothes for a couple months.
- sleeps from about 8-7 at night and takes about a 2-3 hour nap each afternoon. I am so thankful that the fact that she only slept 12-13 hours a day as a newborn (when experts swear that 16-18 hours is the norm) was not a future indicator of terrible sleep habits!
- would still eat just fruit and yogurt all day if I let her. She has recently decided to eat meat again and luckily I can usually get her to eat most vegetables. She is currently on a cheese strike. This boggles my mind.
- turns on her radio and dances to silly songs daily. Captured in video for your viewing pleasure…
Mind:- knows all of her letters and loves to sing the alphabet song.
- can count to 14 consistently….up to 20 every once in a while. She can identify about half of her numbers when written.
- can spell her first name. Though if you ask her what her name is, she will say, "Ella Grace Bailey".
- asks questions. About everything. All the time.
- has an imaginary friend named "Bolda". When asked further questions, Ella calmly explained that Bolda is a little girl (approximately 5 inches tall according to Ella's hand motions) with brown hair that lives on her arm. She flies home at night to sleep at her house in Kingwood. Alrighty then.
- loves loves loooooooves to read and be read to. We read countless books each day and she doesn't understand why public bathrooms are not stocked with books. Hah! Though potty training was exhausting, one unexpected benefit is that she now has several books completely memorized and can "read" them to you.
- constantly says, "I need to tell you a question". She follows this up with a random story or fact. She might understand what a question is by now if we didn't egg it on because we think it is so funny.
Heart:- insists on kissing, hugging, and telling each family member "I love you, ______" before heading upstairs to get ready for bed.
- is very grateful. She constantly says things like, "Thank you, Mama, for making me a yummy breakfast," or "Thank you , Mama, for putting my shirt on". Makes me smile every time.
- is extremely aware of others' feelings and is able to articulate hers as well. I'm sure we'll have a lot of tears in middle school due to her sensitive nature, but it also makes her one of the kindest 2-year-olds I have ever seen. Though she certainly has moments of acting like a turkey, I am so proud of her thoughtfulness.
- dances and sings for her brothers. She adores them and gets a kick out of making them laugh. If one of them is upset, she runs to get them a toy and tries to make them smile again by talking or making silly faces.
Ella-isms:- sometimes acts more like a 12-year-old than a 2-year-old. She's an old soul. But she acts very much like a 2-year-old enough each day to keep me on my toes.
- has about 10 stuffed animals that she has named and insists on kissing good night each evening at bedtime. It's the sweetest thing you have ever seen.
- yells, "Mama/Daddy, I'm a hoot!" when she's being silly.
- loves to help me with her brothers. I have had to explain to her that they don't need help when they are sleeping in their room. One time I was in the bathroom (is it just me or is there a lot of bathroom talk in this post??) and I heard doors in the hallway opening. I called, "Ella, are you going into the boys' room? They're sleeping!". She paused then replied, "Mama, just keep trying potty!".
- insists on picking out her own outfit, underwear, hair accessories, shoes, and socks.
- lights up when she gets to wear princess panties. She even gets excited when she sees them while I am doing laundry. "Oh, my princess panties are clean!!!".
- gets excited about almost everything. I love that everything is an adventure to her and the smallest tasks such as helping me unload the dishwasher or drawing with chalk on the patio completely make her day.
- has a difficult time playing independently for more than a few minutes. She'd much rather have a companion such as Mama or a friend. Hopefully one day soon her brothers will make acceptable playmates. This girl was not meant to be an only child!
- reminds everyone that the babies can't do everything she can do. "Ian and Spencer can't eat peanut butter/go down the slide/drink milk. That's for big girls."
- could be described as having "great leadership skills". Or bossy. :) She was yelling from the bathroom one day for me to get her a book. She paused and said, "I'm not being bossy Mama, I'm just being nice!".
- has a shredded, knotted blanket that is essential to sleeping or any stressful moment. In fact, both the blanket and Mama's kisses have magical powers to heal any boo-boo. Charlie, our dog, stepped on her foot the other day and she quickly covered her foot with her blanket to make it feel better.
Confession: I copied my friend Lauren's idea of subheadings when I realized how excruciatingly long my post had become. I guess I have a bit to say about my kids. At least the grandparents are interested, right? -
Spencer and Ian often talk and laugh together. Many times I've caught
I have tried for weeks to catch moments between them, but they always
them holding hands as well. I very rarely think of them as twins; I
usually just see two precious individual little boys. But it is so
cool to see such a strong sibling bond this early. If it's like this
at 5 months, I can't imagine what the future holds!
stop to stare and smile at Mama. Ian saw me hiding behind the coffee
table this time, but still performed just a little for the camera. -
Chad has had a few days off after Christmas. We have had a lot of fun
as a family this week and I thought it was so relaxing having 2 adults
around all day. Well, this afternoon as we were getting all the kids down for naps he
declared in complete exhaustion and frustration, "I don't know how the
HELL you do this every day!". I laughed and told him that I was glad
he appreciated the job I do. I think my sweet husband is ready to go
back to work on Monday. :)
Sent from my iPhone -
I used to be known for being spontaneous and "flying by the seat of my pants". Then I became an elementary school teacher. And then I became a mom to a 2-year-old and twin infants. So now out of necessity I make outrageous lists to make our house run like a well-oiled machine. Spontaneous Katie still shows herself on a regular basis. But no longer when it comes to packing. :) Here's my packing list for the kids. Believe it or not, many "unnecessary" items are left at home. Hah! Safe travels, everyone! If you see a random couple who appears to be under the age of 30 yet has a giant luggage thing on top of their car, that's us! Merry Christmas!!!!
Kids’ Travel List
Sleeping:
Pack n’ play-2
Extra sheets-2
Waterproof pads-2
Boys’ Blankets-4
Ella’s blanket
Stuffed animals-3
Noise machine-2
Monitor
Feeding:
Sippy cups
Snacks
Bottles/nipples-6
Pump backpack and parts
Formula
Baby water
Rice cereal
Spoons-4
Bumbos or high chairs
Brestfriend pillow
boppy
Burp cloths-6
Bath:
Baby lotion
Baby shampoo
Bathtub
Washcloths-1/child
Towels-1/child
Changing/Health:
Boys outfits-14
Ella outfits-7
Ella’s tights
Pjs-4 per child
jackets
Shoes/socks (Ella and boys)
Diapers
Panties (regular and trainer)
Wipes
Kit (brush, sucker, clippers, thermometer, Tylenol, saline drops, orajel/hyland’s tablets)
Desitin
Trash bags (2)
Hair accessories & comb
Play:
Books-3
Toys (crayons, coloring book, magnadoodle, baby, bottle, giraffes, balls)
Ella’s backpack
Other:
Stroller
Camera
Diaper bag
potty
potty seat
piddle pads-2
Santa presents
Bailey presents
Fletcher presents
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Our house is bursting at the seams with cuteness right now. Spencer and Ian are both so engaging and very very busy. They are getting squirmier by the minute but haven't lost an ounce of their cuddliness yet. Both boys are so joyful and love for their tummies to be tickled and their precious baby cheeks to be kissed. Good thing, because Chad, Ella, and I have a lot of love to give.
Can you tell that this is one of the nights that Spencer decided to stay up a a little later? ;)
Sweetest boys
Coordinating reindeer outfits? Yes, please.At 5 months, Spencer:- wants to stand. All the time. I can't believe how strong his skinny little legs are. He easily holds himself up just holding on to my fingers.
- finds his own squeals and shrieks quite amusing.
- locks his knees and makes himself stiff as a board if you even think about putting him in the car seat.
- loves his jumper exersaucer thingy.
- can sometimes hold himself up with his arms while sitting (tripod style) for just a few seconds.
- temporarily decided to stay up much later than his siblings to get Mama and Daddy all to himself.
- will tolerate a few bites of rice cereal.
- loves to be read to.
- grins and "talks" to his brother.
- cannot wait until he is able to move independently (other than rolling across rooms). He works so hard and has managed to scoot himself a little.
- is one of the sweetest little boys on the planet.
- loves to hear Mama sing.
- has dark Fletcher eyes.
At 5 months, Ian:- can be found laughing and grinning even when he is by himself. If you are with him for a minute or so, you'll end up laughing right along with him.
- loves eating his rice cereal at the table with the entire family.
- loves being read to.
- grins and "talks" to his brother.
- thinks peek-a-boo is the most fantastic game.
- is one of the sweetest little boys on the planet.
- still loves the swing.
- likes standing in the exersaucer for short amount of time.
- loves for Daddy to hold him in a carrier while he works. He likes to face forward so he can look around but looks back every few seconds to smile at Daddy. Precious.
- is much bigger than his older brother.
- kicks, chews on, and reaches for everything. His aim and grip are quite remarkable, so watch out.
- has eyes that are a just a bit browner than his Daddy's.
- takes off at least one of his socks everywhere we go.
- looks very carefully at my face when I talk and is able to imitate several sounds.
A few highlights this month:
Ian's first bite of rice cereal. He was veerrrrry ready!
Ian and Spencer cuddling with Santa.
Ella running for her life. Amazingly, she did sit with Santa for a picture when he came to her preschool. This was just her warm-up.
The boys can no longer be repossessed! ;) After we paid the last one, Chad and I both said yet another prayer of thanks for the health of our children. What a tremendous blessing that I hope to never take for granted. -
Spencer and Ian have really started to interact with each other. I think the "conversations" between Spencer and Ian go something like this: S: OK, I'll take the morning nap today. Will you keep Mama company while I sleep?
I: Of course! Just a few minutes in the car will tide me over. Hey, if you're not very hungry, can I finish the rest of your bottle?
S: Yep, I'll leave it just for you. I: So who gets Mama time in the middle of the night tonight?
S: It's your turn. I already got Mama and Daddy all to myself when y'all went to bed last night. Make sure you scream loud enough to make her nervous about me or Ella getting up. Otherwise she'll just wait for you to fall back to sleep. I: Yeah, she's still a big ball of mush during the day but she and Daddy are a bit grouchy at 4 am these days. S: The trick is to add a little vibrato to your cry. And don't giggle and grin until after she picks you up. Otherwise she has you figured out.I: I know, I forgot that once. My charm isn't as effective before 5 am.
S: Hey, can I pull your hair?
I: Only if I can chew on your foot.
S: Deal.
(Break for foot chewing and hair pulling.)
I: Dude, have you played Peek-a-boo today? Hilarious!
S: Yes! Hysterical! But seriously, where does she go?
I: I have no idea. She just appears out of nowhere every time!
(Break for laughter.)
S: Ugh, all that laughing made me spit up all over the place.
I: Gross. It's on my hand.
S: Sorry. But you have to admit that was a good shot.
(Lots of grins.) Side note: This past week has been so much better as far as sleep goes. We have dropped a feeding, so all 3 kids are finally starting to actually take a nap at the same time in the afternoon at least a few times a week and the boys have been saving their Mama time for 6 am. :) -
When people tell me to "enjoy every moment" of my kids being this young I often agree enthusiastically and try to savor this special time in my life. I find myself trying to memorize moments with each child and what their faces look like at different ages. And I can't get enough of the kisses, giggles, and cuddles. But then there are other times...when I wonder if they really mean EVERY moment. Surely only a loony tune would really mean every single moment of every single day. I'm pretty sure they don't mean when my potty-training 2-year-old is scream-crying in the bathroom because she can't reach the book she threw on the floor while I'm nursing one baby and trying to soothe another. Or when I'm trying get a double stroller down steep stairs in the cold pouring rain as my toddler breaks into hysterics from the top of the stairs because she has mysteriously forgotten how to walk down stairs without my help. During these moments I secretly think about kidnapping that well-meaning know-it-all and chaining them to my house for a week. I hope this is normal. ;)
