Playing with friends

I think it was definitely a good thing for Micah that we had Judah so close in age to him. It has made him learn lots of things that he wouldn't have had to otherwise. It has made him hear the words "be nice" and "be gentle" a lot more than other kids might since he is living it out in the house and not just on play dates.
Micah has a friend, Ty, who is 6 months younger but quite a bit smaller, so Micah hears these phrases also when playing with him. They do play well together. They love hugging and sharing things with each other. They love to sit in the same seat, share a snack, and watch movies.

 What a lesson in love!
But then there are the times with Micah starts off seeming like he is going to do something loving and friendly, but then it turns out that there is the biting of the bottom lip (always means aggression is starting) and some strength and overpowering involved...

But he is learning. Just like me. Learning to love. Maybe we need to get him around more kids who are bigger than him so he doesn't always think he can be the "bully."
But for now, he is giving us opportunities to teach him how to love his friends...

Teething and Eating

I think there might be some more teeth popping through soon for Judah.
I'll probably be saying that for the next year...
Not sure if it has to do with the teething, but this guy has not been as interested in his bottles as he has been in solid food.
Some new things we've tried: avocados, peaches, pears, and yogurt. He hasn't turned any of them down!
Today, in ONE sitting, he ate a banana (the whole thing), a peach (the whole thing!) and about half a pear! Yep, in one sitting.
I might start calling him porky.

Comparing

I spend a lot of time comparing and contrasting Micah and Judah. It's fun. They are very different in the personalities and in their physical build. But, depending on the pictures that are taken, they can often look very similar in the face. And they both like their tongues.

Here is Micah at 8 months.

And here is Judah at 8 months.

Micah. With a bigger head and pointier chin.

Judah. With bigger ears and eyes that smile.

Oh, how I love them!

Shortcuts

There's so much that's new...I'll just go with the latest laughter I have experienced with Micah.

Me "Micah, let's count to 10."
Micah "10"
Me "1,"
Micah "10"
Me "2,"
Micah "10"
Me "OK, i don't think this is working. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (as fast as I can)."
Micah "10"
I guess I did just ask him to count to 10. And I didn't say he had to say 1 through 9 first...Oh how he makes me laugh! Guess he was just trying to get to 10 as fast as possible.

Judah is blooming in the fall...

Judah has his two bottom teeth in now. It was either a lot more painful for him than it was for Micah, or this was an early look at how Judah is going to be less tolerant of pain in general.
Judah has tried a few new foods, like sweet potatoes and pumpkin, but they both seem to leave his butt pretty raw, so we may have to stay away from those for now. He really loves bananas!
Judah pretty much loves life! He is happy, he is doing great with sitting up tall and interacting more with Micah.
He loves bath time, but requires a lot more attention in there right now since he wants to be rolling around!
Judah loves to be held, but also does better than Micah ever did at just playing by himself in the pack n play. I think it could just sit in there forever and watch Micah play beside him. Such cute brothers!

Cha Cha Cha Changes...

There are SO many changes happening around our house these days!

Micah is saying anything and everything! Even and especially when we aren't talking to him. It's great! It's hilarious! He is trying all sorts of new foods, he is getting very picky about the clothes he is wearing, and he has a weird obsession with shoes.
Micah loves balls, whether it's throwing them or kicking them or rolling them, as long as they are round, he loves it. And trains! He loves just making them go around the track, and especially down the hill.
He sure is a smart kid. I'm sure every parent says that, but he seem very aware, very observant, and very smart to me!
Judah is growing up so fast!

He is 7 months old. Pretty much within the last week he has started crawling, siting, and being able to get from a crawling position to a sitting position. He is also pulling himself up to his knees and sometimes to his feet! He also cut his first bottom tooth and has really grasped eating table food. He pretty much loves to eat.
Judah is a very happy baby! As long as he has food and a bed, he is a happy boy!
As they both grow and increase their awareness of each other, it's great to watch them interact...

Love these guys!

My little man...

Micah is still changing every day. He is taking it all in. I don't think he misses anything. He repeats almost anything and everything we say, whether we are talking to him or not. He just repeats what he hears. He has a great vocabulary, especially since we are used to hearing what he is saying. I love it when  Matt and I are in a conversation and all of a sudden we realize Micah is playing in his own little world but repeating a word every few words as we talk. Smart kid. Scary to think about this.
He is finding his personality and trying to make it known. He is initially shy, but once he gets a little comfortable he acts like he owns the world. He is serious and timid. He is quite precious and quite cute!

He likes clothes and shoes. He loves to "help" with Judah. He still think Judah is a dog, or "dory," but he has learned to personalize this dog now as he calls him "Judory." So sweet that he has named his dog.Sometimes the help is not well-intentioned, as noted by the biting of the bottom lip, but we are learning brotherly love.

He has a special blanket now, his monkey blanket. HAS to have it in bed to go to sleep, and like to bring it out of his room every time he comes out from sleeping. He sleeps with a green pacifier. He has definitely gotten attached to it, but is very good about leaving it on his bed when he wakes.
Micah loves milk, bananas with peanut butter ("nanna butter"), fruit snacks (oh, how he loves his fruit snacks, which have to be saved for special or sometimes desperate moments), sweets (especially ice cream), special drinks (smoothies made with fruit and spinach), feeding himself.

Micah LOVES playing with trains and trucks, and he loves his new chair that we were recently and graciously given.

I really love that kid!