Month three with G was upon us before we could blink it seems, and our little guy is not quite as little of a peanut as he was! We don't have any official 'stats' this month since G's checkup isn't until next month, but by looking at him, I'd say that his near triple chin would be enough to lead me the believe that he is growing.

THE STATS:

Age: 3 months

Diaper size: 2

Clothing: 3-6 months, or 6 months

DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITY:

G started smiling this month, and has just about the cutest little half smile smirk that I've ever seen. At the end of this month, he is just starting to notice his hands and arms, and has been holding them up to look at them and try to get his entire fist in his mouth. He has been doing a pretty good job taking a pacifier, which I am so thankful for, but is trying to eat his hand just about every chance he gets. I'd say he has a strong potential to turn out to be a thumb-sucker like his brother! It would be a lot better than scrambling around in the middle of the night trying to find a lost pacifier...just saying...

SCHEDULE:

7-7:40a.m.: Wake up! G usually gets up to nurse just before C wakes up for the day. C can now get out of his crib on his own with the addition to the the toddler rail. This has meant he has started getting up much earlier...around 7:30-8a.m.. He climbs out, flips his bedroom light on, then finds a good book or plays before I go and get him for breakfast, usually after G is done nursing. Thankfully, C's only figured out how to open his door a couple of times, so I can usually count on him to stay out of too much trouble in his room while he waits.

After waking up to nurse, G occasionally goes back to sleep for a couple of hours before waking up to eat again depending on what we have going and how successful I am at keeping C from yelling about 'ope-eyes' right in his face. 

Throughout the day, G continues to nurse every two hours, catching some shut-eye when he can. He has only napped flat on his back once during the afternoon, and usually has to be held or in the car seat while on a walk or on a trip in the car for any napping he decides to do.

12:30-1p.m.: C goes down for a nap. He usually sleeps about 1.5-2hrs, and I try to get G to nap in his Rock'N'Play so I can get some things done around the house. That plan works maybe 50% of the time, and the other 50% G stays wide awake watching whatever I'm doing, or demanding to be held. I do feel pretty guilty about not holding him or playing when he is wide awake, but since C has started getting up earlier, I rarely get a moment to myself, so this is usually my only chance until everyone is settled for the night, and by then, pretty much all I want to do is read a book and go to bed.

During the afternoon, we try to get outside for some fresh air. Might be a wagon ride, stroller walk, or visit to the park. G loves to be outside, and is almost always content to tag along on whatever adventure C & I are taking. We'll be sad when the weather turns colder and we are no longer able to play outside on a regular basis!

8-8:30p.m.: After getting C to bed...usually around 7:30-7:45pm, G has had enough fun for one day and is ready for some shut eye. He nurses, and then after some solitary snuggle time on the couch, I lay him down, awake, and he soothes himself to sleep within 5-15min. Once he fills his tummy, he is almost always fast asleep in the Pack'N'Play (he switched over from the bassinet this month) by 9-9:30p.m., and that's the last we hear from him until we start the routine over the next morning.

TOY OF CHOICE:

G hasn't experienced too many toys yet, but has enjoyed playing on his playmat. He also loves watching big brother C play with all of his toys. He is currently more about hands on play, and likes to "rock'em & sock'em" a.k.a. rough-house more than any specific toy.

STORYTIME:

G doesn't necessarily have a favorite book just yet, but does enjoy being part of storytime with his big brother. Lately, this has meant a blend of Herky's Gameday Rules, The Children's Story Bible, Halloween in Iowa, and This Little Explorer. We love to read! Sometimes, if G's lucky, I even read aloud to him from Game of Thrones: Storm of Swords...my current read.

THREE MONTH FAVORITES:

Smiling

Rough-housing "rock'em & sock'em"

Watching everything big brother C does

Blowing bubbles

Being outside

Daddy's funny faces

THREE MONTH LEAST FAVORITES:

Not getting enough attention

Being tired
Being cold

Evenings...likes to be in bed by 8:30pm

This picture was taken the day of the dreaded two month vaccines. G had been crabby all afternoon after his morning appointment, and the only way I could get him to calm down was to put him in this fleece bunting from when C was a baby. It may have been 90 degrees outside this day, but you would never know it from how content G was to be all snuggled up!

OH THE MEMORIES:

This month kicked off with several visits to the Clay County Fair. G slept through the majority of the fun, but did open his eyes to check out the baby animal barn and the John Deere equipment.

G got to attend his very first Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium this month when he was just 11 weeks old. We took the boys to the Homecoming Parade on Friday night, and had a sleepover at Uncle B & Aunt C's house. After settling in for the night, both boys slept surprisingly well in their side-by-side Pack'N'Plays. We enjoyed a bit of tailgating with our family, and then to the game it was. G slept for most of it, waking up sometime during the third quarter to nurse (inside the first aid station at Kinnick). I commented to T later that that was the most I've been able to watch of a Hawkeye game all season! Usually I'm too busy running around watching C, but he was so busy watching the game or napping on Gma J's lap to cause any trouble!











Big brother C has been a source of much fascination this month, and these two little guys are becoming the best of friends. C is such a proud big brother, and is always watching out for G. G, meanwhile, rarely takes his eyes off big brother during his waking hours for fear of missing out on something important he might do or say. One afternoon, G was fussing a little while playing in C's bedroom. I had stepped out for a minute to go switch the laundry around, and when I came back, C had him situated on a blanket in his room surrounded by all of his very favorite stuffed animals and beloved blanket. #truelove





So many smiles this month! Can't wait to see what the month four will bring!

Baby Two Favorites

There are so many wonderful baby products out on the market today, that it can be super hard to decide what is really necessary, and what is just good marketing. Now that we are on baby number two, I needed to re-evaluate and rethink my essentials for life with two littles. Here's a list of some new baby items that I'm excited about!

Double Stroller // Lamp Dimmer Switch // Diaper Bag // Stuffed Animal // Bouncer // Solly Wrap // Baby Book & Journal // Tea // Weekender Bag // Sleeper // Blanket

Baby Jogger City Select Stroller // This stroller was the first purchase we made after learning we would be welcoming baby two. It has tons of configurations, is as narrow as a single stroller, breaks down to easily fit in my small trunk, is compact enough for pushing through aisles on shopping trips or sidewalks, and can also be used as a single stroller when the double is no longer needed. It is not a 'jogging' stroller, so if you are going to be using it on uneven terrain, this isn't your best bet, but for us, at this time in our life, it is perfect.

Lamp Dimmer Switch // Not something you typically think of as an essential, but once you have one, you'll Never. Go. Back. During the endless middle of the night wakeup calls, this switch has been sooooo amazing to help avoid the shock of harsh light from my beside lamp when I'm half asleep...not to mention Papa T also appreciates not being woken up by a blinding light in the middle of the night. I keep it on the lowest setting when I put baby to bed at night so that I can walk in and check on him when it is dark without waking him up with a bright light. Trust me...just order it already.

Diaper Bag // With two littles in diapers, I needed a new bag that would offer plenty of room for the kitchen sink all of the essentials. I'm not a fan of cutesy prints and patterns, and wanted something that was both stylish and functional. Enter the Downtown Tote from Petunia Pickle Bottom. It has tons of pockets for organizing, is stylish enough to carry as an everyday bag when I no longer need to use it as a diaper bag, and the fabric is a coated canvas that easily wipes clean in case of any spills. And shhhh!...it is coupon eligible at Pottery Barn Kids.

Stuffed Animal // I wanted to have a special heirloom quality stuffed animal to use in G's milestone photos to show just how much he grows month to month, and came across this adorable raccoon from Hazel Village. Of course, big brother C has decided that he loves him too, and tries to sneak off with Max every chance he gets. The backstory: Hazel Village was started on Etsy in 2010 by a 25 year old girl living in Brooklyn, NY. Her stuffed animals are now sold in over 200 stores nationwide. Such a neat backstory, and I think it's so cool to know that this little animal was made in America by someone my age who had a dream six years ago and made it a reality.

Baby Bjorn Bouncer // Baby G has been a such different kid than C at this age, and it soon became apparent that he would much prefer to be sitting up and looking around at the world rather than laying flat on his back or being snuggled up in our favorite Rock'N'Play during the daytime hours. I snagged this bouncer on sale, and it soon became a favorite. The mesh fabric is wonderful for breathability (recall baby G was born in July), slips off easily for washing, lays completely flat for storing and transporting to Grandma's, can be used from infancy until age two (longevity!), and doesn't scream 'DAYCARE' with bright primary colors. LOVE. A hint...this bouncer is coupon eligible at both Bed Bath & Beyond and Buy Buy Baby.

Solly Baby Wrap // I can not say enough good things about this wrap carrier. It is completely adjustable, making it easy for any body size or type to wear, is made from a lightweight breathable fabric, and has a super small footprint making it easy to throw in the diaper bag without taking up hardly any space. While at $65 it does seem a bit pricey for a piece of fabric, this has been one of the best investments I've made for baby #2, and I would happily purchase about three more colors if I could convince T! Highly recommend!

Baby Book & Journal // Before I had C, I had all kinds of time to create a scrapbook for his baby book. It was a labor of love to be sure, and I'm so happy to have it to look back at. Fast forward two years, and finding time to make a new scrapbook for baby with a busy toddler on my hands was not even close to in my deck of cards. Thankfully, I spotted this amazing baby book from Lucy Darling that I am equally happy with! The pages and colors are adorable, it's relatively simple, and it doesn't give me anxiety about keeping it up to date. There are also adorable girl versions if you have sparkles and bows in your life. On the same thread, but probably ranking even HIGHER on my list of amazing products I came across this time around...I give you the Promptly Journal. This journal goes from pregnancy through 18 years old, and offers prompts of what to write about at each age and minimal space for just one photo for each age (simplicity at it's finest!). I can't even tell you how excited I am to have this journal to fill out and keep track of all of baby's milestones. It has a beautiful linen hardcover, relevant questions for each age, and will be cherished for years to come. I am so excited to have found this book, and know that I will love to look back at it someday when my little people are no longer so little, or have littles of their own. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Traditional Medicinals Mother's Milk Tea // With my first babe, it took about a week for my milk to 'come in' as they say. This time around, it had come in by the time we left the hospital saving me from a painful start on our breastfeeding journey. To help keep my milk supply up, I've been drinking this tea which is loaded with herbs known to increase milk supply such as fenugreek, and blessed thistle. While I didn't necessarily need this to increase my supply, I did notice that after drinking it, baby G seemed to be more content to stretch feedings a bit longer. That alone is enough reason to promote it in my book!

Weekender Bag // After spotting this bag on another mommy blog I follow, I knew I had to have it. It is big enough to pack both kiddos and their diapers for a long weekend away, has great divided compartments for organization, and has been used too many times to count since G's arrival in July. I love that it folds down compactly when not in use, and isn't as bulky as a more structured suitcase for quick weekend getaways. I also have and LOVE the Overnighter for mom!

Sleepers // The first couple of months home with baby number two were all about survival mode. These sleepers proved to come in handy when looking for a quick outfit, and were perfect for use as a second 'blowout preparedness' outfit to toss in the diaper bag. The fact that they have a zipper instead of endless buttons to figure out in the middle of the night is also clutch. Also a bonus - fold over mittens to protect baby's face from scratches. Babies are teeny tiny for only such a short while, and these are super affordable, so I didn't feel too bad about stocking up!

Baby Blanket // I wanted G to have a special baby blanket that could become his favorite just like his big brother has. It was important to me that it be plain colored since it'll likely be featured in many photos, be a nice compact size for travel, and be super soft. I snagged this blanket for a steal during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, and am so glad I did. It is very high quality and will be perfect for the upcoming colder than average winter that the Farmer's Almanac has predicted for this year! Now if I could just find one in an adult size.

What are your favorites? I'd love to hear!

Clay County Fair 2016

In mid-September, we had the pleasure of attending the Clay County Fair. Not once, not twice, not three times, but on four separate occasions. Were we suffering a case of post-summer blues...possibly. Did we have fun? Absolutely. 

Our first visit to the fair this year was a last minute decision after a busy weekend at the lake when we had no food in the house to make dinner, and T was on a mission to get a tenderloin. Townhouse Tenderloins is hands down the best food at the fair in case you are wondering. Everyone else had the same idea of course, and we had to wait 45 minutes for our food, but it was worth the wait. Afterwards, it was already getting dark, so we decided to walk through the cattle barn on our way out, and return another day to see what else the fair had to offer. This plan quickly came to a halt when we got to the entrance of the cattle barn and C had an absolute meltdown because he was terrified of real live cows. #toddlers

Our return visits brought us to Grandpa's Barn, a barn filled with baby animals geared specifically towards kiddos; The Depot, filled with tons of trains and various displays (i.e. circus, ski resort, mine, drive-in movie, Santa's village, etc.); and of course visiting the tractors and playing in the corn box at the John Deere Pavilion. G slept through the majority of his time spent at the fair...a little overwhelmed perhaps and opted to nap instead...and C loved just about every minute aside from the cattle barn. Almost a month later, he is still talking about the 'fair fun' he had, and praying for the animals. Fair = Pivotal Moment in Toddler Life.

One of the many foods we taste tested at the fair was cake pops. C loved trying to figure out how to eat one, and enjoyed every bite. Might have to put some on the menu for his next birthday!

No trip to the fair would be complete without a stop at the John Deere Pavilion. We purposely saved our visit here until the last day so that we would get a chance to check out everything else at the fair. If C had known it was there all week, we never would have seen anything else! He LOVED playing in the box of corn, and was occupied with it for over an hour. I think I'll have to get some dried corn in a big container for him to play with this winter when it is too cold to play outside. Christmas gift idea perhaps!?! It's the simple things right?

As you can see, we had so much fun at the fair this year, and can't wait for it's return next year! Who knows...maybe we'll even try out the State Fair!