Whatever it Takes...

And sometimes, this is what it takes...falling asleep on the couch. Isaiah first, then me. Unfortunately for me, he can roll now...so that's me as his barrier...awkwardly getting a much-needed nap.

Transitions...

I'm not sure if kids this age (1 and 2) are good with change (when talked to a bit about it first) or if it is just that our boys seem to be good with it, but I am very thankful!
Micah did great about this time a year ago when we transition him into a toddler bed as Judah was ready for the crib. He was excited about the "new" and the freedom, and it went fairly well. Not that I have another kid to compare him to, but in my mind it went well.
He LOVED his new bed, and he wanted EVERYTHING in his room in his new bed with him...HAHA!!

Well, it is time for some more transitions as we get ready for baby boy #3...
The changes we knew needed to happen: Micah moving from a toddler bed to a twin bed, Micah moving into Judah's room so they can share and the new baby can have his own room for a while, and Judah moving from a crib into a toddler bed so baby #3 can have the crib.
We decided we would do both of Micah's changes at the same time: new bed in a new room. And at least with Judah still in the crib, only one of them can be "free" in their room together right now...
micah LOVES sharing a room with Judah and LOVES his "big boy bed."

 (Micah pretending to sleep on his first night in his new bed)

One of Micah's "struggles" recently has been wanting to act more like Judah, acting and talking like a baby at times. We don't like it and don't allow it, and the threat of having to go back to his little bed in his old room by himself has been a great incentive!
Overall, he is really doing great! He gets tempted a little to stay up and play or talk with Judah, but I think it is more because he is a follower and Judah draws him in...
And, as if these changes weren't enough, we decided that it was time for Micah to be done with using a pacifier. We weren't sure how he would react and we had some plans of attack we had heard from others, but I went with my first plan first. One evening before bed (about a week after being in his new bed) I told Micah that since he is in a "big boy bed" now and big boys don't use pacifiers, then he shouldn't need a pacifier if he is sleeping in his new bed...He said okay. Literally, that was it. "Okay." And then we went to bed. And he didn't ask for it. And he didn't cry. And he wasn't upset that Judah still had one. And, just like that, we were done with Micah using a pacifier! Was I EVER grateful!!
Next up: Judah moving into a toddler bed...duh, duh, duh....

Transitions

Hopefully this lasts, in spite of me putting it down in writing...
Judah has officially transitioned into the crib. We did not buy an extra crib when we had Judah. We had him in the bassinet and then in a pack n play until we felt Micah was ready to move to his toddler bed. So far (in the past 24 hours!) Judah seems to really be enjoying the extra space and comfort that the crib provides...
Micah took a bit more time transitioning...and I'm sure this is quite normal for the age and for the freedom that changes with a toddler bed.
The first time we ever tried Micah in the toddler bed, Matt decided he would just go cold turkey. It was bed time, he moved the crib out, moved the toddler bed in, and put Micah to sleep for the night in a brand new bed! We were surprised at how well he seemed to go to sleep. We put the bed against a wall and then put some shelving on the other side so he would be less likely to fall out. He is a mover and I wasn't sure how partially opened sides would affect this. I heard some noise, like maybe he kicked the wall, but then it was quiet...for a couple of hours...the Micah woke up screaming. I mean, really screaming. This is not something Micah does. He doesn't scream. And he doesn't wake up during the night unless something is really wrong...
Matt went up first and just tried to leave the light off and feel around the bed to comfort him. When I got in there, he was still doing this but couldn't find him. So I turned the lights on. And we heard where the screams were coming from...UNDER the bed!! We still don't know quite how this happened. The bed was still against the wall, and the shelves were still on the other side of the bed where we left them. But Micah was UNDER the bed. I think the noise I heard was him falling down somehow, but then staying asleep or falling asleep under the bed. And since he is such a mover, I think he tried to move around and felt trapped (for obvious reasons!) and then got scared. And screamed!

We got him out of bed, calmed him down (with Judah's help), and then I suggested we move the crib back in his room and have some time with both beds in his room so he could gradually get used to the toddler bed while still in the comfort of his room, and with the ability to also sleep in the crib as needed. The rest of that night he slept in the crib!

Friday's Fave Five: July 23

  Linked up here.

Seems like I'm only getting this done every other week right now...but when I do it is such a great reminder to me of all that I have to be thankful for and all that has been going on! This week seems to have a theme of trying new things.

1. Sleeping changes. We only have one crib. We decided early on we would just use a pack n play for Judah until Micah was ready to move out of his crib. And when he is ready we have a toddler bed. There is a much bigger and funnier story for another post, but basically we are still putting Micah is the crib at night, but starting to use the toddler bed for naps. My little boy is growing up! These were pics we took late at night after we realized Micah needs more practice in the toddler bed before he goes through the night.

2. Judah trying cereal.  I think it took Micah a couple of weeks to be okay with something foreign being in his mouth. Judah seems to take to the spoon a little better already, but I don't think much cereal has actually been swaddled. But, it's a fun new adventure!

3. Judah wrapped differently. Some friends of ours let us in a a slight variation they do of the swaddle wrap. It's worked great! Actually, as long as my husband does it. He was away last night and the little man fought his way out. He is SO strong! But it is helping to take sleeping to a new level. A through-the-night-sleeping-soundly level!

4. Self-entertainment. I do my best to enjoy my sons and play with them and entertain them. But I also do my best to make sure they know how to do this for themselves. While Micah was in the basement he found some old yard sale stickers and decided he knew the perfect thing to do with them. This occupied a good chunk of time...all by himself...ahhh..

5. Self-feeding. Micah just decided one day recently that it was time to start feeding himself. He gets pretty upset now if we don't let him. It's a little messier and takes a little longer, but it is also great fun to watch him learn and try and master the art of feeding himself!

The boys bring me great joy and delight. And they are growing up oh so very fast! It's new everyday, and that's one of the great things about being a mom!

Friday's Fave Five: May 14

It's probably a good thing that Sunday was mother's day! Mainly because it was a rough day...Micah was up way earlier than usual and both boys were a bit cranky...but it was mother's day and I was just thankful to be a mom! It was also a good day because my husband made lunch and dinner, and he bought cinnamon bun ice cream! Can't get much better than that! I am still extra thankful for my kids this week, and am so excited that I have extra things to be thankful for about them!

1. Micah. He is adorable and growing so fast! Things I am thankful for about him this week: he sleeps when he is sick or teething or cranky (and I think he has been trying to sleep off the end of this sickness because he slept 17 hours 3 nights ago, 18 hours 2 nights ago, and took a 4.5 hour nap yesterday) and I know this is a blessing; he has been trying lots of new foods and it makes meal time more exciting for me and it also feels like a new way to connect with him as a person and as my son; he is learning when he poops and he is learning how to communicate this to us...excited and fearful to start the potty training process.

2. Judah. At this point in Micah's life, he was sleeping through the night, and this has made me wary about how far off Judah may be from this since he hasn't been sleeping as well overall...but he did one 6.5 hour stretch Wednesday night! Yay! He's slowly getting there! Overall I think he is learning to sleep better and fall asleep better on his own. But sometimes it also seems that we take one step forward and 2 steps back. And one more thing that brings me great joy is that one of his favorite places to hang out is on the kitchen floor while we are doing stuff in there. It's random, but oh so cute!

3. Kitchen Remodeling. The process was started a while ago, and then not much was done, but something light a fire under my husband's butt and he decided he really wanted to get it done. And I'm glad. We are trying to very frugally redo the floors, walls and counter tops. Nothing is done, but the process is moving along now.

4. Easy meals. We pretty much started the week with enough leftovers to make it through the week. And we are both okay with eating leftovers. And it has been SO nice to not worry about making food for lunches and dinners all week, and it has allowed me extra time for other things.

5. Lunch with friends. We had a friend over for lunch last weekend and then just sat around and caught up on life. It was nice. We need to do this more often!

This post is linked to Living to Tell the Story.

Hibernation

Micah has his seasons mixed up. We are coming in on spring (and some days it already feels like summer) but he is hibernating.
The kid loves to sleep, and he knows when he needs it, so I don't try to take it away from him. Two nights ago he slept for about 17 hours, yesterday he was awake (total, over the course of the day) less than 3 hours, and then last night he slept for 18 hours!
Yes, I did check on him a couple of times and he was fine. And he woke up very happy, and he ate a good bit to make up for lost time, and now-a mere two hours after his 18 hour hibernation-he is back in bed! At his request.
He is loving him some sleep and I hope his little brother learns to love sleep as much as he does!

New Sleep Patterns

Micah has recently changed his sleeping pattern up a bit. For the longest time, he would easily take 2 2-3 hour naps a day, as well as sleeping from 7 pm-7 am each night. Around the time we hit daylight saving, he changed this up a bit. Could be the change in light (although he is still sleeping later even though it gets light earlier) or the change in having a baby brother...or that he loves playing hard and just wants to stay awake and keep playing. Either way, I knew we would eventually hit a stage where he would more likely just take one nap during the day and we are pretty close to that, depending on the day. He often still spends another "nap time" in his room but I can usually hear him contentedly playing in his crib. I think he just enjoys the alone time for a bit. And he has gradually pushed his bed time back a bit so it is closer to 8:30, but he is still getting in about 12 hours most nights. He just sleeps in later now. It will be interesting to see how Judah's sleep patterns happen differently than Micah's...is it more environment or genetics?

Friday's Fave Five: April 23rd

I am linking up, along with some other great bloggers and posts, at Living to Tell the Story.
No lying here, it hasn't been an amazing week, but I know this will help me put things back in perspective and will change my outlook for the rest of my day and the weekend! Glad it's Friday!

1. Family visit. My hubby's dad and stepmom came down for a visit, and although it was quite short, we all had a great time! Micah hasn't been around them much since they live in PA, but he warmed up very quickly and was sad to see them go! I wanted a pic of the generations of guys, but I was too slow and lost the attention of the kids... but I at least got Micah sporting his new outfit from Pappy and Grammy.

2. Baby Carrier. Micah wasn't one to want to be carried unless necessary, and he didn't like carriers. I had a few to choose from and was hoping #2 would do better since I would need to be more hands free to help with the quick toddler! I used a sling a bit in the beginning, but recently tried out another carrier I was given and I love it and Judah seems to love it! Makes the thought of going places with both more bearable.

3. Strawberries! They are in season and cheap and I enjoy them greatly. I cut up a bunch and wanted to do something a little different than normal. I found a recipe for homemade vanilla bean pudding and already had everything on hand, so I made pudding from scratch for the first time ever and had some on top of a big bowl of fresh strawberries. It was delightful!

4. Running. My hubs and I continued to workout together this week, but he did something to his neck yesterday and could hardly hold his head up straight, much less do anything, so he gave me a few minutes to get out of the house and go for a run. The weather was perfect, I didn't have to push a stroller, and it felt great to push my body a little harder. At one point in my life I ran a marathon. Yesterday I was excited that I ran for 10 minutes straight! HaHa!

5. Baby Sleeping. Judah hasn't done amazing all week, but last night he did do one 5 hour stretch, and for me, that is an accomplishment and a good sign for the future! His brother is a great sleeper and I am hoping for the same with him!

Okay, I feel much better about my week now!

Misplaced...

...
my camera...
not my son...
blogs are not quite as fun without photos, especially when talking about a toddler!
We've had lots of snow this year and Micah has gradually gotten more comfortable in it...but I want to show the pictures, not just talk about it!

So, for now, I will just say that he is cutting his third molar and has been amazing with cutting teeth thus far! This would be his 11th tooth, and it is normally not noticeable except that he gets a little more clingy (or lovey, as I like to think of it) and he sleeps more! Can't complain about being loved on when he is awake, and long, hard naps for sleeping...
He was starting to act up a little this evening, before 5, so we put him in his crib for a "time out." He actually normally really enjoys handing out by himself for a while in there. He needs alone time too every now and again. My hubby didn't turn his heater on, didn't turn his noise machine on, but did give him his pacifier...
it's been 4 hours now, so I think he might be out for the night, although we will have to "sneak" in there to turn on the heater and noise, and to change him into a bigger diaper...he pees way too much at night! Poor little fella was all tuckered out! Hopefully he'll go right back to sleep!

Cute and Cuddly

Micah picked up the sniffles this week. He is almost 7 months, so it's about time. May have been the warm water and then cold air at the Y for swim lessons. May have been someone he's been around. May be that our AC broke so our air is not circulating as well...Whatever is was, he's got them. It's really pitiful, but kinda cute at the same time.
The hardest part? Keeping the snot from constantly resting between his nose and lips. The next hardest part? getting the nose plunger up the nostrils! He keeps opening his mouth. As if he thinks I am trying to give him food?

It has made him want me more. Made him want to cuddle more. He has fallen asleep twice on me today and once lying next to me with his arm wrapped around my neck! Can't get much better than that! Lying head to head with his arm around me as I listen to his breathing (his sort of breathing since it is hard to breathe through his nose) get heavier and heavier.
He finally seemed asleep enough that I was able to pull away without him noticing...he is just too adorable!

My Little Boy...

...is growing up so fast!

He start rolling this week. ROLLING! It's like he did it once and really like it and he can't stand to not be rolling around the room when placed on the ground now. Can't turn our heads to sneeze anymore. He's that fast!

He also started talking. Not just some noise once in a while. Really talking. He was doing it for me early last week, but by the end of the week he was doing it for Matt. And today when he was in his crib for a nap he was going at it for a long time. All. by. Himself. It's so cute, the facial expressions that go along with it. Like he is truly trying to let us know everything going on in his life and how he feels about it all. It's great!

And right now...I can hardly believe this one...

wait.....for.....it......

he is upstairs as we speak (or as I write, but probably not as you read this since who knows when you-whoever YOU are- will actually be reading this).

That's it.

He's upstairs.

No, that's not it. He is in his crib. In HIS room. For the night! He cried for a while (pretty much NEVER cries at night, unless it's just been a really rough day) but seems OK right now. I'm really excited right now. We'll see how well I actually sleep, wondering all night how he is doing. If I need to go check on him. If the monitor is still working. If I will hear him when he cries (don't know why I would worry about this since the head of our bed is on the paper-thin wall that his crib is also on).

He is growing up so fast, my little man!

Big Boy Bed

Micah just turned 4 months, and I think he already looks older! HAHA
Micah also just spent his first full day and overnighter with grandma! And I think he acts older!! No, really. We got him back yesterday morning and he seemed older, seemed more aware of everything going on around him, he was in a better mood, he actually laughed! Yep! He laughed when Matt was tossing him in the air. We have been waiting for this day, and I sure hope it gets more regular because I LOVE baby laughs!
So besides knowing that we can send Micah to grandma when he needs a little TLC, we also know that we can send him there when we want him to learn a few things. For instance, Micah is amazing at falling asleep and taking naps all by himself. We kind of figured this out for the first time on Easter Sunday when we were at a friend's house and left him awake in his bed in a separate room and came back to check on him only to find that he had stayed awake for awhile before falling asleep on his own! AWEsome!
And this only got better when he was away from us for a day (I surprised Matt with a trip to watch the Phillies play in DC for the Nationals' home opener).


Since he got back from grandma's we have done all of his naps upstairs in his crib and he goes right to sleep and has lengthy naps, and he still slept great last night...why did it take us so long to try this?!
He is still so little in his crib, though. It's really cute to see him sleeping up there like a big boy!