Monday, November 14, 2016

Logan 8 Month Update

Our baby has officially moved to big boy status. It has been a busy month around our house with Logan fine tuning his motor skills, experimenting with new foods, and putting some serious rug burns on those chubby little knees.



Earlier this month, we upgraded Logan to a convertible car seat (so long pumpkin seat - ain't nobody gonna miss ya!) which led to sitting in high chairs at restaurants and riding shotgun in shopping carts with big sis. We also ditched his bath lounger which has greatly decreased the amount of splashing in the tub each night (hallelujah!). Our sweet little boy is gaining more independence with each milestone he reaches. I can't believe that in just four short months he'll be a year old!


The biggest milestone in Logan's life thus far has to be crawling. He had been rocking on all fours and crawling backward for over a month but finally mastered forward mobility this past week. Since then, he's been practicing non-stop and can zip from one side of a room to the other in a matter of seconds. He is increasingly aware of the stairs that separate our living room and kitchen and looks at them as if they are Mt. Everest just waiting to be conquered. I'm sure it won't be long before he learns to climb them and experiences his first tumble back down (thankfully, there are only three and they're carpeted). He enjoys jumping in his exersaucer and will stand assisted for approximately 2 seconds before his knees buckle. He's intrigued by the vacuum cleaner and insists on crawling directly behind it, following me from room to room as I clean. His favorite toys include anything that lights up or makes noise and anything he can stack or throw. He loves playing with Taylor's stuffed animals, ripping pages out of her favorite books, and chewing on her dollhouse furniture. All of which she just loves.


If you've seen this boy eat, it's no surprise that he continues to be a very healthy boy! Weighing in at 22 lbs, Logan is outgrowing his 12 month clothes and is quickly moving into 18 month pieces. He's intrigued by shoes and will usually tolerate them but hates having anything on his head (which is unfortunate since winter is rapidly approaching). He has advanced to stage 2 foods and loves trying a variety of new combinations. His favorites so far seem to be chicken & apples, pear/zucchini/corn, and banana & mixed berry. Occasionally, we give him a handful of puffs but he mostly just slobbers on them and then sticks them to his high chair and/or his face. We also tried giving him water in a sippy cup but he just chewed on the spout and threw it on the floor 57 times. Baby steps.



Logan still loves to sleep and continues to maintain a pretty consistent schedule. He usually wakes between 6:00-6:30 AM, takes an 1 1/2 - 2 hour morning nap, followed by another 2 hour nap in the afternoon, and then goes down for the night around 8:00 PM. The recent time change was a major struggle for our little guy, but after a week of 5:00 AM wake up calls we are finally returning to a normal routine. The only two things that can throw a wrench in his sleep schedule are teething and a stuffy nose and, unfortunately when they hit, they hit hard and none of us get any rest. On the bright side, Logan finally has some teeth! After months of drool, those pesky bottom teeth finally broke through giving our baby something to show for all of his hard work. And if the past few nights are any indication, the top two will be breaking through before long as well. #allIwantforChristmasismytwofrontteeth


Our Logi Bear continues to be the happiest baby on the block, giggling and grinning his way through life. He is fascinated by faces and will touch our eyes, nose, and mouth every chance he can get. He laughs when we make animal noises (the pig is his favorite) and likes when we cheer him on. He gets the biggest kick out of us clapping our hands and saying "Goooooo Logan!" When he fusses out of boredom, I pick him up and we dance around the living room together. He smiles as I sing and twirl him around, letting out a high-pitched giggle when I add in a dip or two. He says "dada" and "baba" upon request but only cries out "mama" when he is in distress. He hates to be left alone and will follow me all over the house just so he can be by my side. He will snuggle only when he's sleepy or sick and, lucky for me, has been extra cuddly due to a recent cold. I hate to see him suffer but welcome his affection with open arms.



We love your sweet and mischievous personality so, sweet boy. I can't wait to celebrate your first Thanksgiving later this month. Bring on the mashed potatoes!

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Halloween 2016

Let me just start by saying that this was the best Halloween I've had since my mom let me get a tacky, store-bought Minnie Mouse costume (complete with creepy plastic mask!) that I wore like three years in a row as a kid.

It was that good.

Initially, I was bummed because Halloween fell on a Monday this year and that meant trying to squeeze trick-or-treating in to our already jam-packed nightly routine, but thankfully my boss let us have the day off which meant a three day weekend! We started our festivities off Saturday afternoon by having a pumpkin painting party on our back deck. It was nearly 85 degrees outside so we stripped the kids down to their skivvies, laid a plastic tarp down, and let Taylor go to town. She had such a great time and actually got the majority of the paint onto her pumpkin this year (as opposed to her arms and face like last year). Logan was his usual happy self and spent most of the afternoon laughing and jumping in his bouncer. While the pumpkins dried (and I hosed off the tot), Jake fired up the grill and we feasted on pork steaks and veggies. I know this weather is completely abnormal for this time of year, but I'll embrace it as long as it's willing to hang around.




Sunday was a chilly, low-key day consisting of errands and a quick trip to the park. We took long afternoon naps and rested up for all of the Halloween fun to come. On Monday morning, I woke up so excited to spend the day with my little monsters! I told Taylor I would make her anything she wanted for breakfast to which she replied, "I want cereal and to go to Lisa's (her babysitter)." Love you, too.



Originally, I wanted the kids to dress up as Charlie and Sally Brown from "Peanuts," but Taylor had a different idea (which she conveniently informed me of about a week before Halloween). A little creativity and some last-minute online shopping led to the most beautiful little Cinderella, a slobbery Gus Gus, and a half-ass attempt at a Fairy Godmother (although Jake thought I was Blanch from "The Golden Girls.")


After nap time, the kids and I put on our costumes then headed out to make our rounds. Our first stop was at Jake's work followed by a quick hello at the hospital before heading to their daycare party. We played games and ate snacks, and Taylor twirled around in her dress 47 times. Next, we hit up an indoor trick-or-treating event hosted by a local business (which was mostly just crowded and chaotic), but Taylor had fun and encountered lots of other Cinderellas! By the time we made our way home, the sun was setting and our street was full of kids, so we headed down the street for some trick-or-treating. Taylor had the time of her life running up and down driveways and proudly yelling "Trick or Treat" at each house. She was polite and patient, waiting her turn and only taking one piece of candy at each house while poor Logan spent his first Halloween chilling in the stroller, likely wondering what was going on, why he had a tail around his waist, and who all of the strange looking people were.




Trick or treating was short lived due to Taylor's new shoes causing blisters on her feet (we've all been there, right ladies?), so we headed back to the house to hand out candy and put the boy to bed. Taylor decided to stay outside and hand out candy with Jake, and girlfriend had an absolute blast! She really got into the gig, scaring kids as they walked up the stairs and complimenting the girls on all of their pretty dresses. She made certain, however, that she handed out the candy, giving each kid 3-4 pieces of the same kind (whether they liked it or not). She has such a strong personality, and I just love to watch her shine!


Overall, it was an awesome weekend, and we're slowly working our way through the kid's Halloween candy. Taylor is elated when we give her a single Starburst and Logan doesn't have any teeth, so I'm guessing it'll be hanging around for a while. But that's okay, because the next candy-laden holiday isn't until February and it's going to be a long winter.