Luke: 4 Months

 

Our little giant, sweet, full of rolls baby boy... we love you so and you are 4 months old today!  

At 4 months you ...

• are eating 6 oz at every feeding (at least), 6 feedings a day, every 3 hours
• breast milk only, always from a bottle
• sleeping consistently 7-8 hours straight at night!  A few weeks ago, you starting sleeping consistently 10:30 to 6:30 am.  We love you even more now sweet boy!  You wake up so happy and alert.  You may have an off night but once or twice a week is doable.  
• Your nighttime routine is bath around 6:30/7 pm, bottle, and in bed by 8/8:30.  I still "wake" you around 10/10:30 for a  dream feed.  It seems to be working so we will hang onto that feeding for now.   You don't really ever open your eyes during your dream feed but you suck down your bottle!  

 

• are rolling over!!  You love being on your tummy and it is only seconds after being on your back before you flip over. 
• LOVE your fingers.  They are in your mouth a lot these days.  We would really like another month of good sleeping habits before you start teething, okay?

 

• still sleep in your crib swaddled, arms out. We are starting to swaddle only your little bottle and leave your arms and legs free.  The other morning I found you sleeping soundly on your tummy.

• still have your umbilical hernia but it is getting smaller.  We are ready for that to go away any day now.
• are no longer taking your reflux meds.  Yay!
• still have that your clogged tear-duct.  I am looking forward to Dr. G taking a look at that at your check-up.  

 

• love to sit up and see the world whether it is in your bumbo or someone's arms.  
• dislike being held like a baby
• are bathing in your bumbo seat or bath seat.  No more infant bath tub!
• sat up in the shopping cart for the first time yesterday with Mommy.  You loved it but were exhausted after our outing.
• love your big sister and always give her the biggest grins and giggles.

 

 

• are finding your toys.  You love to grab onto things these days and boy, you have a grip!
• LOVE singing songs with hand motions.  Your favorite is Patty Cake with Wheels on the Bus a close second.
• enjoy being outside.  If you are fussy, we head outside and it calms you down.  
• sat in a swing at the park for the first time this past month and went swinging in your swing here at home for the first time last night.  You love it.
• are loved so much at school.  They love on you and your rolls.  
• are the youngest in your class at school.

 

• are not the best napper.  We will take nighttime over day time sleep but I hope that gets more and more regulated.  You usually get a good 1.5 to 2 hr nap once or twice a week but besides that it is 30 minutes here and 30 minutes there.  
• still have that pretty hair, it has thinned out here and there but it is sticking around.
• have such handsome blue eyes
• are wearing 6 month clothes.  some 9 months and even a 12 month outfit!
• are in size 3 diapers.  Good lord.

 

You are so sweet little man.  Your smile is contagious.  You are our little chunk of love and we love you so, so much. 

 

Happy 4 months Luke Matthew!

Potty Party

It was time.  All the signs were there like taking off a dirty diaper and hiding it.  The girl didn't like being wet or dirty.  So we committed over Labor Day weekend and embarked on potty training.  Addison loves herself a party and presents so we made it just that.... 

POTTY PARTY!

Yes, friends. This post is about potty training.

We were committed to the 3-day training program other than I didn't want to start on Saturday because my sister was this way with her girls and well, they had to be seen!  So... we started Day 1 on a Sunday, with Monday as a holiday it worked out and she was off to school Tuesday in panties (and about 5 extra pairs just in case).

Here was our setup....

Potty Prizes (mini M&Ms)

Stickers, stickers and more stickers

Presents (thank you Target dollar bins)

Fruit Snacks for an extra treat

Fancy new water bottle for lots of drinking

Tracking Chart made by yours truly

Potty Seat 

Step Stool

First up.... a present full of big girl panties just after waking up on Day 1. We started with 10 pairs of underwear and since then I have bought another package so I wasn't always washing. 

Panties on and we "threw away" all her diapers.  

Then we waited... we waited for her to tell us she had to go...

She baked brownies with Daddy.

We played outside... 

We didn't leave her side and we still had 5 accidents by Sunday evening... 0 successes.  Then it clicked and before bed on Sunday we had success!  

My fancy chart was supposed to go like this...Each success she got a potty prize (M&M) ...  after 3 successes at the potty she would reach the star.   Stars mean presents.  Going #2 got a star right away.  That was a big deal.

Well, we were too ecstatic for the first success that we went straight to the presents.

Monday we had even more success and even #2.   We called Nana one time to share our fun news ... And Aunt Ashley ... And Mimi. This was news worthy, friends. 

Yes, my OCD was twitching that she wasn't following my apparent 5th-grade-level tracking chart... 

More presents... she got a new coloring book, toothbrush and toothpaste, a little purse (pencil pouch), a new shirt, a princess crown...

More success!!  And the stickers starting going everywhere....

Day 3 and she was off to school in panties.  My sweet, big 28-month old... potty trained.  Yes, we still have accidents but overall she is doing great.  At just under 2 weeks, she had her first accident-free day.  She is in a pull-up at night but that is whole different story... We need all the sleep we can get with a 3-Month old so we caved and opted for a pull-up at night. Problem is she won't go in it.  She wakes up crying because she doesn't want to go in her pants.   Bless her. 

 We are still constantly telling her to remember to tell Mommy and Daddy when she has to go.  She also tells Bubba just in case he was feeling left out. 

There you have it... that is what worked for us!  

We now have our very own Potty Princess in the Carson house!

Stay at Home Mom - Our Summer

I had the blessing of staying home for 12 weeks after Luke was born.  Those 3 months flew by way too fast but boy did I enjoy every second.  I will be the first to say, being a stay at home mom isn't a walk in the park but the precious moments sure do outweigh the tantrums and the tears, and it is still on my list for "someday".

Here is a bit more of the fun we had this summer.  I promise Luke was present too!

Play-date at Nana's 

Story time at the Train Museum and park play after...

Packing...and more packing

Princess dance parties...

Popsicles...

Park fun...

Baking with Mommy...

more popsicles...

Stayed in our jammies all day... PJ Party!! 
(and bought our chunk some bigger clothes!)

 

More fun at the park...

 and a little playhouse fun! 

Such a fun summer ... makes me sad to see it end.  I'll look forward to "someday" and for now, cherish each moment I get with my babies.

Luke: 3 Months

 

Sweet, baby boy - you are 3 months old!  You are changing so much every day and are starting to really react to others and show that sweet smile more and more.  As long as you are fed, clean pants,  and rested, you are a happy boy.

At 3 months you ...

• are eating 5 oz at every feeding (at least), 7 feedings a day
• breast milk only, always from a bottle
• sleeping consistently 4.5-5 hours straight at night, usually 11:00 pm to 4:00 am.  You still want that middle of the night feeding at 4 am and will then go back to sleep until 7:30.
• Mommy is back in her bed! Yay!  We moved you to the downstairs guest room in the pack-n-play for the past month.  Now that you are consistently only getting up once a night, it is back to your crib little man.
• don't like a pacifier enough for it to soothe you when you are fussy.
• are getting better and stronger at tummy time.  It isn't the worst thing in your world anymore.

 

• still sleep in your crib swaddled, arms out but are slowly starting to break those little legs free.
• still have your umbilical hernia.  We are ready for that to go away any day now.
• are the happiest spitter out there.  You spit-up a lot quite honestly but it doesn't hurt and Dr. G is not concerned given you are still gaining weight just fine.  We still have you on reflux meds twice a day.
• still have that your clogged tear-duct too.  It has been worse the last couple weeks because of all the spit-up.  Hopefully, it opens up like big sister's did all on its own.
• love to sit up and see the world whether it is in your bumbo or someone's arms
• are starting to play in your excersaucer.  We have to watch Addison because she will spin you around like a tornado if we are not watching.

• are starting to react to big sister and give her smiles.  It melts my heart.
• will roll from your tummy to your back but are still working on getting from your back to your tummy.
• LOVE your hands.  If you would only find that thumb to self-soothe.  I know.... not ideal but if it isn't the paci, go for that thumb buddy.
• will play on your play-mat by yourself for a while, you like the bright lights and music
• LOVE singing songs ...your favorite is Patty Cake
• are doing pretty good at school.  You don't sleep the best at school but I am hopeful it will improve.
• still have all that hair, we are going to have to trim it by your ears soon!
• are going to have blue eyes just like your sister.  They are sticking around.
• weigh 17 lbs;  we don't see Dr. G this month so I am not sure that is completely accurate but that is what the home scale says.  Whoah!
are wearing 6 month clothes.  Seriously. We call you our "little giant" or "chunk".
are in size 2 diapers and have been for over a month!

You are our little chunk of love, little man.  I cannot get enough of your rolls and sweet cheeks.    Your smile makes a not so good day, the best day.  We cannot wait to see what this next month brings.  Sister starting sleeping through the night during her 4th month - 8 pm to 6:30 am.  No pressure.

 

We love you to the moon and back, Luke Matthew!