Will // 6 Months Old

Stats:
Weight: 19 lbs 11 oz
Height: 27 inches

Changes: You can sit up now for a long time! You're still a bit wobbly so we still like to sit behind you just in case you fall but it's made you despise laying down. You just want to be a part of the action sitting up now! Oh and you started daycare 5 days a week just for a few hours in the morning as mommy's busy season of photography is coming up and she'll need lots of editing time being fully booked. :)

Temperament: Still quite the happy little baby! I'm not sure if it was all of our issues for these first 6 months or what but I feel like we don't get as many giggles as your brother and sister but we sure try. Drew is the BEST at getting your huge smiles and awesome giggles!

Sleep: SUCH a big month for us. When you were 5 months and 10 days old we started the Ferber method of crying it out and MAN has it changed our world. We did intermitent checks where we would go in after 3 minutes of crying, 5, 7, etc and pat you to assure you it was ok. The first night was a total of an hour and a half crying (with a ton of checks), then 40 minutes the second night and only 20 the 3rd night. That 3rd night you also slept 11 hours without waking and did so the next 2 nights without even a peep going down. It has been AMAZING and while we don't get 11 hours every night you generally do sleep 10-12 hours with only one time nursing and sometimes zero. We started naps a couple weeks later doing the same thing of putting you down awake and you really only grumble for a minute and then fall asleep. Generally naps are a good hour, but our new record is 3 hours and 50 minutes!! It has changed our LIVES and EVERYONE in this house is much happier! So proud of you little man.

Eat: Here's where the ultimate mommy guilt kicks in. Mommy had been seeing a mental health counselor to help her through some PPD issues and she brought to my attention that formula is made from cows milk. Cue major bells in my head as to why you were so bad and it took hours to get you down at night. We were giving our lactose intolerant baby a full bottle as a top off each night. UGH. So disappointed we never realized this or put 2 and 2 together. We stopped immediately and that definitely helped things for sure! We have since switched you to soy and you take that with no issues. You still nurse all day long and although you get distracted easily, it's still smooth as silk. :)

Clothes: You're in mostly 12 month now with a couple 18 and 24 month outfits

Diapers: Size 3

Talk:  Still cooing all the time!

Teeth: Still zero!

Now that we're not complete zombies and you're a great sleeper, I'm SO excited to enjoy these next 6 months with you! (Although I must say, my back has been majorly messed up for a good month now thanks to all the holding, swaying, bouncing and holding you the last few months!) Don't worry though, you're 100% worth it. :)

Catching Up

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind but things are finally settling down now that Will is sleeping better and I'm not spending 4-5 hours a day rocking the kid to sleep. (Which, by the way, has completely messed up my back to the point that I'm now starting PT and can barely bend over. UGH!) But anyway, we're really seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and enjoying time together more now as a family!

Plus I was able to enjoy a girls night last week that was SOO good for the soul!!

These two are the best and I love them so.

This one too of course. :)

Rub a Dub Dub

My kiddos have all loved bath time and this little one is no exception.

Breastfeeding & Sleep

First things first. Breastfeeding! Third time around has been soooooo easy for me with the exception of the week when I had mastitis! I still am not an 'oversupply' type of momma but I make enough to keep my man healthy and chunky and that's all I care about! Will loves nursing also and I love it just as much. He's been playing with my hair more and more and loves to hold my hand when he eats also. At 5.5 months now he eats about 5-6 times during the day and then once during the night.

Next up: Sleep! Our story with Will and sleep has been pretty rough. The little guy never liked to go to sleep and we weren't getting anywhere. When he hit 5 months old had worked up to taking 3-4 hours to get him to sleep at night and much of this was screaming and crying, falling asleep, laying him down and him waking 5 minutes later. Then it was up every 2-3 hours all night long without any really good stretches. At naps I had to rock him to sleep which took time and then often he was sleeping 20-30 minutes before waking up ready to play. We were both stressed to the max and sleep deprived and were planning to Cry It Out at 6 months. But then, at 5 months and a week we had enough. We decided it would be better for when he started school in a couple of weeks that we get it out of the way now. Just as with the other 2 we did the Ferber method and did increasingly longer periodical checks to soothe him but the little man took to it SO well! The first night he cried only an hour 20, then 40 the next night and then only 20 the 3rd night. By the 4th night he talked for about 30 seconds and then slept 11 hours. Repeat 2 more nights! It worked SO well for our little guy and we're so happy we did it. Now I can lay him down awake and he goes to sleep. It seriously has CHANGED OUR LIVES and we are all just so much happier, including the little man!! Listen to your instincts and do what's right for your family! :)

Gramma + Poppa Are Moving

We are SO SO excited to have Gramma and Poppa moving here to Texas in a few weeks! My father has always wanted to get South and they've both wanted to be a part of their grandkids lives more so they decided to come our way! We have never lived in the same city as family since having kids and I'm beyond excited. They kids will LOVE having them at their activities and I'm excited for help here and there, especially with how difficult #3 has been! :)

They listed their house in Kansas City about a month ago and it sold same day for OVER asking!! So this past week they came down to house hunt and ended up buying a new house about 17 minutes away! We couldn't be happier for them as it's almost exactly what they were looking for. :)

I Miss Them

It's been a rough 5 months so far with a high needs baby that demands so much. I'm on edge nonstop, always anxious, sleep deprived, emotional and just exhausted all the time it feels like. I break down often when these two say things like "it's ok if you have to go be with baby mommy" or come over and give me a huge hug because they see it on my face. I miss so badly time with just them or to lay in bed and read longer than we do or just get up and go do fun stuff or play in the pool without having to make sure a baby is out of the sun. I know things will change but for now I'm struggling. My only fear has been that a third baby takes us farther from these two and I feel like that's uncontrollably happening and it's breaking my heart. They are such good kiddos.

How do you moms of 3+ do it? I just don't know how.

First Ear Infection

Knowing how many Ady had before she had to get tubes, I wish we could just stick tubes in the little man already. Right before he hit 5 months old he was diagnosed with an ear infection. He was TERRIBLY fussy and wouldn't sleep for a few days before I took him in, but I knew it was that. He was batting his ear and spitting up and neither of those were normal. He's been on meds for about 6 days now and was sleeping better... until last night that is. Ugh. The child was up a TON throughout the night with the worst stretch being awake from about 3:45 - 6:45! Poor guy.

Will // 5 Months Old

Stats:
Weight: 19lbs 9oz (ish)
Height: 25.5inches (ish)

Changes: You rolled this month! Just about a week ago we were working on the mat with you and finally you threw that leg over and made it over! You haven't rolled yet from tummy to back but I'm guessing that's coming soon.

Temperament: Still a great baby when you're awake. Your giggle is still amazing and makes us all smile and you literally flash a smile whenever anyone looks your way. You still hate to go to sleep though!

Sleep: You seem to have moved past the 45 sleep transition issue, but now we just need you to stay asleep! Naps have just recently been more like an hour before you wake up instead of 45 minutes, but come on baby boy! Give momma 2-3 hour nap once in a while! We're using the zip-a-dee zip right now and you're always in your crib (unless we're out an about in your car seat). Mommy can put you down better than daddy but you still fight it EVERY single time you go down for naps and night. And just last night it was a total of 2 hour process from bottle to final sleep. Then I was up 3 times with you. UGH!

Eat: Love nursing and you're still trucking along just fine at it. We have a good sleep, eat, play routine going and I have about 100oz stored up in the freezer right now as well. At night we're giving you 4oz of formula just to fill your tummy but the rest of the day it's all breastmilk.

Clothes: You're in mostly 12 month now with a couple 9 month outfits that still work

Diapers: Size 3

Talk:  Still cooing all the time!

Love you to pieces little man. Just wish you didn't hate sleeping so much and make it such an event to get you down! I'd LOVE a 3 hour nap from you at some point in time, heck I'll even settle for 2 or a solid hour where I don't have to go back up there. At least your smiles make up for all the heartache. :)

2nd Grade & Pre-K

My bigs went back to school today and they look huge! Both have great teachers (or so we've been told by several!) and I'm excited to see them blossom! And yes, we got Drew to wear a nice outfit for day 1. Tomorrow, it will be back to athletic clothes. :)

Lake Grapevine

A couple neighborhood friends and I organized a morning on a pontoon at Lake Grapevine and it was a blast! We all left our youngest at home and just took the older ones and are so grateful we did. The kids had so much fun and the adults enjoyed not having tiny ones around also. Ha!

Definitely plan to make it an annual tradition!!

Sleep

You know that saying 'sleep is for the birds'? I'm guessing it started from someone else who has a child who won't sleep. Goodness having 2 kids who slept well (like 10-12 hours straight by this age) and then now Will is TOUGH! The kiddo has given us only a handful of nights where he only woke once in a 10 hour stretch but lately it's been every 2-3 hours all night long and it SUUUCKS! We also are still struggling big time with the 45 minute sleep cycle transition and the kid just can't self soothe. The fact that he hates a pacifier and doesn't take his thumb just makes going to sleep that much harder. 

We actually spoke with a sleep trainer a couple weeks ago and did a modified cry it out method for his age and MAN did that backfire. He just wasn't ready and we're still paying for it. It worked wonders for our other 2 at 6 months so we plan to try again then. The nights just suck overall but then during the day I generally get several 30-45 minute naps and he doesn't stay asleep longer than 5, 10, 15ish minutes after I lay him down. Soooo basically I get NOTHING done. We've tried the Magic Merlin's Baby Sleepsuit and are back to the Zipadee-Zip now. He's in his crib but we sometimes still do the rock n play. Kid just likes being held, period!

Ady's Birthday Party

This year we rented out our splash pad for a couple hours so that we could invite all her buddies and, let's face it, not have to clean our house after a house party! She had an absolute BLAST with about 20 of her closest friends and it was a perfect not-too-hot morning! Also, who doesn't love donuts!