4 Month Stats

My pretty girl had her four month check up yesterday and, despite getting two shots, is doing great.

Height: 23" (10-25%)

Weight: 10lbs 14oz (5-10%)

Head: 38cm (3%)

Rowan loves to talk! I think she has been listening to Afton talk about Pokemon too much. That boy is obsessed! Anyway, she has a new trick where she makes this sharp blowing sound, almost like a cough or sneeze sound, to get our attention. I've been watching her practice, and she is very proud of herself for mastering this skill. When she gets your attention she grins from ear to ear and sometimes even giggles. She still doesn't like to take naps much to my chagrin but she does fairly well at night, so I'll take it. Last night we went to the San Diego Zoo Jungle Bells. She loved looking at all the lights and even stopped fussing (her legs were bothering her from the shots) to listen to the bell ringers play a couple of songs. She really does love the outdoors. It's still our go-to when she is whiny.

Happy Holidays

Polka Dots and Tears

Tres Mes

Oh what three months can do! It's like I have a real baby. About a week ago Rowan started acting more comfortable in this world. She actually laughs, even babbles back when you talk to her! It kills me. I'm so in love.

Nippon's family came to visit for Thanksgiving and they were floored at the change. They last saw Rowan when we were in Sedona, and she would scream and cry if anyone but her mama held her. Now she smiles and cooed back and them. I've never seen my mother-in-law so happy. Ok, so maybe that's a little overboard, but she was VERY happy to be able to hold her and play with her.

She doesn't have a doctor appt until the end of December, but I'm going to guess that she is around 11 lbs.

She has the cutest ears that stick out ever so slightly. Adorable.

She LOVES the outdoors. If she is fussy we just take her in the backyard and she calms down.

Hates her carseat to the max. I have to carry her around in the Baby Bjorn everywhere (my poor back!). I thought she would get better about riding in her seat, but no.

She is still sleeping in 3-4 hour increments at night. I actually don't mind it because she eats and goes right back to sleep. Also, she sleeps with me still, making it quick and easy to get her fed and back to sleep. Her daytime naps are a whole other story. Afton had such a good schedule when he was a baby, which happened organically without any problems. He would take long and frequent naps. Rowan is a cat napper most of the time, with 15min-45min naps. Then some times she will have random 2-4 hour naps. I can't plan around naps because I never know when she is going to take one!

Happy three months sunshine!

Afton adores her. He loves hugging and snuggling her, especially in the mornings.

Gobble Gobble

Afton's Thankful

I asked Afton what he is thankful for, and this was his reply:

The Air & Space Museum (Priorities)

Two beds (I think this refers to his bed and then, in the morning, snuggling with me in mine. )

Wood chip park (What he calls the park across the street. Obviously, the ground is covered in wood chips.)

Baby sister (Awwwww)

House (Self explanatory)

Toys (Yeah, he's three. Or does that matter?)

B (His stuffed bunny rabbit.)

School (Smart kid!)

Kid tablet (This is what he calls Nippon's Nexus tablet. It has all his favorite games on it, like Angry Birds.)

Halloweenie 2012

Afton was totally into Halloween this year. It's a good thing too because the neighborhood we live in is packed full of kids. Nippon took Afton around and he returned home with a basket full of loot. Nippon said he had a lot of fun but there were a few houses, one that had scary music playing, that he wouldn't go to. At home we had tons of trick-or-treaters (I thought we might run out of candy at one point) which I loved because I got to see all the cute and scary costumes. Aunt Jaime came over and kept Rowan and me company while passing out candy. We chatted with all the kids and made them earn their treats, like making the kid dressed as a Jabbawockeez bust a move. Next year I may have to steal my mom's idea of dressing as a witch and having the kids ride a broom in order to get their treat. 

Unfortunately I was having so much fun that I forgot to take pictures during the festivities. Luckily I got some photos of Afton dressed up earlier that day, as well as a couple from when he first tried on his costume. Sorry the pictures are so blurry. All my pics on the blog lately have been from my cell phone and I think there were finger prints on the lens or possibly shaky hands. Oh well.

Leonardo

I took Afton to his favorite indoor play place to attend Preschool Power Hour where they decorated cupcakes to look like tarantulas.

The kids and Miss Brittany

There was another Ninja Turtle, Raphael, there. Afton and he were instant best friends. They ran around together and  pretended to karate chop everything. Insanely cute.

Melody was dressed as a peacock. Probably my favorite costume of all. 

I had to throw in a picture of the girl even though I didn't dress her up. BUT there is a jack-o-lantern in the background, so I'm still considering it a Halloween pic. Ha!

Annual Sedona

For the past 8 years we have been going to Sedona every October to hang out and have fun with Nippon's family. I think we missed it once. It's pretty cool that we now have 2 kids joining the tradition. Afton had been talking about Sedona since we went last year. He LOVES it. Who doesn't?! We went swimming almost every day, hiked Bell Rock, went to the Amitabh Buddha Stupa, and ate at all new restaurants (including Mesa Grill which is at the airport). Afton was in heaven. Here are some pics in no particular order.

Afton leaving an offering of glass stone (he found on the ground) at the Buddha stupa.

Hiking Bell Rock.

Building a rock tower.

Taking a break at Bell Rock and making "red rock pizza."

My boys with Bell Rock in the background.

Ready to start our hike. We had wanted to park at the lot closer to Bell Rock but it was full. This parking lot was much further away and made for a very tired Afton. Nippon carried him back basically the whole way. What a nice daddy!

There is a tennis court at the resort we stay at. He was so excited.  He has been begging to play tennis for a long time now.  It's pretty cool that his first time playing was in Sedona.

Handsome boy and red rocks.

I just realized there are no pictures of Rowan (or any other family members) other than her legs dangling from the Baby Bjorn I'm carrying her in. She actually did really well. Of course there were many bouts of crying but overall she was great. She loves being held so the baby carrier was perfect (not for my back though). The car ride was kind of tough since she has bad gas pains and the position hurts her. We made it though, and can't wait to go back next year.

Dressing up at School

Today was Afton's school Fall Festival Party (they don't call it Halloween). They marched around the school, going into classrooms and playing instruments. Afton had to have the tambourine. All the students and teachers in the classes ooed and ahhed at all the adorable preschoolers all dressed up. I left after the parade, but they are decorating cookies and will receive party favors. I can't wait to go pick him up and hear all about it. He was SOOOO excited about his class party and that he could wear his costume.

Similar?

Here are the kids around the same age.

I think they have girl and boy versions of the same features.

What do you think? 

I Love Cloth

Back when I had Afton I really wanted to cloth diaper him. The initial cost along with having a baby for the first time squashed that dream. I did purchase some prefolds and gdiapers that I used on him briefly before giving up completely. Not this time around! I've got a full stash and I LOVE it! 

Of course doing cloth diapers is a lot more work but I actually enjoy it. I have mainly All-in-One pocket diapers (Charlie Banana, BumGenius, Baby City, FuzziBunz, Happy Heiny) but I also have prefolds with Thirsties and Econobum covers. The picture above is all but a few of the diapers I use. I love how soft they are and that Rowan has yet to have a diaper rash. Yay!

Rowan posing in her cute Fuzzibunz.

Of course Afton had to get in on the photo shoot.

And of course since baby sister has her clothes off....

So must Afton!

Afton decided that he wanted to be the photographer. Here are his pics.

2 Month Stats & Pics

Lil girl is 2 months old today! Here are her stats from her doctor visit this week...

Height: 20 1/2" (5-10%)

Weight: 8lbs. 9oz. (10-25%)

Head: 36cm (5-10%)

Rowan is still colicky but is getting better. She is smiling and cooing a lot, which makes me SO happy. It's so stressful having your baby crying in pain all the time. I love her big brown eyes with those long lashes. She loves her brother and he makes her smile all the time. 

Rowan So Far

Weighs 7lbs 8oz 

50%-75% in Height

Her head is in the 25%-50%

She is awake more often these days. Poor girl has had a rough time digesting, and she is slightly tongue tied  so when she nurses she swallows too much air.  The pediatrician prescribed her baby Zantac but I didn't think it was really helping so I went and bought some Simethicone. She is doing much better now, although she has already developed a bad habit of crying A LOT. Haha! The nights are getting better. She sleeps in 3-4 hour increments and has even pulled a 5 hour stint a couple of times. 

Things Rowans likes:

Being held

Football hold

Afton singing and playing with her

Loud white noise

Having her head rubbed

Being swaddled

Snuggles
Laying on her tummy

Nursing

(she use to take a bottle of breast milk but dislikes that very much now)

A Month

Someone is a month old today!

The Kids...with an S

I'm still trying to wrap my head around having two children.

It's really fun/scary/tiring/exciting/nuts. 

Here are some pictures of the kids.

Afton is the best big brother. He is so sweet with Rowan, even if she is screaming her head off (see above picture). He loves giving her kisses and is always saying how cute she is. He likes to point out all her "tiny" body part..."look at her little ears, look at her little toes." He is super patient too, which is such a surprise since he has basically had me at his beck and call his whole life. If I'm nursing Rowan he waits until I'm done to ask for snacks, or whatever it is he needs. He does take advantage of whoever isn't caring for Rowan at the moment though. If Nippon is home they are best buds, that is unless Nippon is holding Rowan then I'm his play mate. I'm so thankful he's such a good boy. It makes having another so much easier.