January 2019

Happy New Year! I can't believe how fast time flies with the littles. I know I'm going to blink and I will be helping out with middle school projects, or watching high school sports, or helping one of the little ladies get ready to walk down the isle, or snuggle their babies!!! I just wish I knew how to slow time down. Because as crazy as some days may be, I certainly am treasuring my time with them this little!

Here's a little recap of our month:

-We took advantage of some really great, sunny days, and had picnics outside, ran around with the chickens, and played on the swingset. Even nuggie got into it on the swing!

-The girls went to a free trial ballet class. What we learned: 
1.) Isabella was OBSESSED with it, and wanted to go every single day. She loved doing "pizza feet" but was upset they didn't teach her how to leap.
2.) Aubrey cried while going back to the room since Mama couldn't come (although this is really unlike her!) She then proceeded to sit on the side of the room the entire time, minus the last 3 minutes in which she decided doing yoga poses would be more fun. BTW 3 year old down ward dog is adorable!. 
3.) Mama learned the girls (mostly Bella) definitely need to take a dance class b/c she lights up when talking about it, but southern dance studios are no joke (and crazy expensive!). So we are signed up for the February ballet/jazz combo through the park district, and couldn't be more excited about it (Isabella excited to dance, Aubrey excited to "try again, and not cry", and Mama to save some $$$). 

Clearly we have some learning to do : )

-We took advantage of the great mall about 5 minutes from church and went with some friends for a little lunch (Hello hardness when doing Whole 30!), a carousel ride, and of course several escalator rides. Always a good time with friends, and even better when it tires 2 of 3 littles out so much they conk out in the car, and then proceed to nap at home! Holla!

-We had our first chicken injury, and sadly, our first chicken loss. Our neighbors 2 dogs chased and I'm assuming killed one of our girls ("Pumpkin/Buffy"). 3 went missing after the chase, 2 came back home, and one never returned. That being said, one of the girls ("Stripes") who was in the mouth of the small dog ended up just getting a small bite injury, and I also noticed she had bumble foot. So we quarantined her, did chicken foot surgery, and after a week quarantined in the crate on our porch, she was ready to get back with her friends. I was certainly surprised at how attached I am/was to these chickees and losing my favorite was not easy.  

-The girls absolutely love dress up together. Almost daily they put on a costume, and are no longer Bella and Aubrey, but become whatever princess or Doc of the day they become!

Isaiah Jae 7 Months!

Oh my, to say we are obsessed with this little man is an understatement! He is truly our cherry on top, our grand finale. Our lives have been forever changed, and we can't even imagine life would be like without him!!

Happy 7 Months Isaiah Jae!

7 Month Highlights:

-You LOVE your jumpee, even so much you've fallen asleep a couple times in it!

Different day, different nap in the jumpy

-Christmas this year was super fun, even if you are oblivious to it all! You were a great sport about taking a lot of pictures though with sisters! It was easier to get you to smile in most of them, than it was to get both girls to smile!

-We went to the MCA Christmas pagent, you did great sitting through it all 

-Your cousin Emmalynn has come over several times and you don't know what to think of her yet. We are excited to see the two of you grow up so close in age.

-We had some really nice sunny days and spent a good amount of time outside on the swing set or in the back yard. You LOVE the swing and will just sit in there/swing the entire time big girls are out playing!

-This is precisely how you feel about eating. Every single time. Not amused. 

Sleeping: You hit a growth spurt/sleep regression for about two weeks this month (at 26 and 29 weeks), which meant less naps, several middle of the night wake ups, and an earlier wake up in the morning. Now that we are over that (thank you!!), bedtime is anywhere between 5 to 6:15 or so, depending on how long your naps were. You then sleep til about 7 am. Mama still wakes you up around 9 pm for a dream feed to get you through til 7 am. 

Naps are still rather unpredictable. You go down in the morning around 9 or 9:30, and some days sleep for 2 hours, other days it's 45 minutes. Then the rest of the day is kind of up in the air. When you take a shorter morning nap, you do usually sleep for an hour and a half in the afternoon. Otherwise, if it's a long morning nap day, you take shorter cat naps twice before bedtime. 

Eating: You eat 5-6 times a day (during your growth spurt weeks, it was consistently 6 times a day), usually sometime in the 7 am hour, 11, 1:30 or 2, and then right before bed which can mean sometime between 4:30 and 5:30. It takes you still only about 6-10 minutes, and you eat on both sides with the exception to the first feed of the day (although this last week, you've been taking both sides in the morning as well). Mama is able to pump pretty much the volume you eat while she's at work which has been nice (about 20-22 oz/day). 

Food on the other hand is a different story. Foods we've tried so far: oatmeal, avacado, carrots, bananas, black beans, sweet potatoes, apple sauce, and various things off our plate you seemed interested in. Foods you've liked: pretty much none of it. Occasionally you will take a few bites, but really you spit way more out than swallow.  

Isaiah Loves:
-Jumpee
-Catepillar toy
-Piano play mat (you LOOOOVE this!!)
-Having your head rubbed
-Being held and jumping in your lap
-Elephant paci...you play with this more than you use the paci, but you love it as you fall asleep
-Penguin musical toy
-Laying on our shoulder and being rocked before bedtime

Isaiah Hates:

-Eating food!
-Sitting still when being held
-Tummy time

7 Month Stats:

Height: 26 in (10th percentile) - I don't think you shrunk in the last month, obviously I'm not the best at measuring height : )

Weight: 14 lbs 12 oz (3rd or 4th percentile)

*Wearing size 1 diapers still, size 3-6 and 6 month clothes

*Teeth: still none, you started hard core teething this month!

Isaiah's Firsts this Month:

-Reaching arms out to be picked up (27 weeks)

This Month in Pictures: