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5 months

My sweet Silas.

You are getting so big.  You nurse like a champ and I think you love it because you still wake me up twice at night to eat.  Even though that isn't ideal, I don't hate it as much as I thought I would because you are just so sweet to eat and then go right back to sleep.  You hardly ever cry, just whimper and wiggle around until I get you up to feed you.  I've let you fuss for quite a while wondering if you would just go back to sleep, but you don't, so alas...I feed you.  You eat so much better than your sister did.  She was an impatient eater, but you will just wait patiently for that milk.  Although you have certainly woken up to all your surroundings and pop on and off often to see what this noise is or what big sister is up to.   You also will give mama a little bite every now and then because you love seeing her reaction...not my favorite part, son.  I remember sister drooling and biting a bit too, so I am hopeful that this is all teething and won't last long (please).

So, mothering your sister (3) and you is tough.  Having two is way harder than I ever imagined.  I am constantly exhausted, not so much because of you, but more so because of your sister.  Lily is very very busy, which in turn has made me very very busy.  This has me way behind all the things I use to do for your sister, like taking pictures of you with cute numbers to show how many months you are.  I dont' even have time to do that.  Crazy! 

Silas at 5 months:

You weigh about 16 lbs, but I don't know for sure because you go to the doctor next week.

We are using cloth diapers with you and I just adjusted all your one size diapers to the medium settings, which is insane.  You wear a size 3 disposable at night.

You DO NOT sleep through the night.  Your sister started sleeping through at 3.5 months, so...what's up with that?  It's not so bad, but it will be nice when you do :)

You go to bed between 7:30 and 8 with a feeding around 11.  You usually wake up to eat again around 3 or 4 and then wake up again around 6 (this 6am feeding is new, thanks)

You wake up for the day around 7:30 and then nap at 9, 12, 3, sometimes take a catnap at 5:30 or 6.  You sleep about 1 to 1.5 hours each nap, except the catnap which is around 30-60 minutes.

Your favorite toys ar the colored rings, which you put directly into your mouth and jabber very loudly to.  You also enjoy your swing, baby einstein blocks, and your sophie the giraffe.  You also love this red scarf and other cloths.  Just like Lily, you love to have your face covered with blankets/burp cloths, sheets.  You kick your feet wildly at excitement when we do it.

You absolutely adore Lily and the feeling is mutual.  When i go to get you up from your nap, she runs in with me and says "baby Silas!!" and you smile huge at her.  If she isn't right with me when I go to get you, you look all around for her and light up when you find her.  It just is the sweetest thing ever.  I love every bit of it!!

When I go to get you up from your nap, you get so excited, you kind of sigh/laugh so happily as if to say "yay, I was hoping you would come get me".  I love it!

You are rolling from front to back, but not back to front.  Just like your sister.  I don't think it will happen before you sit up.

Speaking of sitting up, you are super close.  Almost there!!

We adore you.  You are the perfect addition to our family and we couldn't imagine a happier baby.

Betcha thought I was gone forever :)

I know, I know.  But, I was reading over Lily's posts and how well I kept track of everything, so I am going to attempt to keep track of Silas' info.  Here are some pics of what life has been like so far.  I am going to write out his birth story soon so I can have a record of that, so stay tuned (is anyone even reading this?)

She's 7 months...

Someone turned 7 months on Father's Day!

I know I'm partial, but she is amazing! She spends her days strengthening her core so she can move toward crawling and walking. Sitting up, reaching for toys, rolling over, BOUNCING (her favorite), reading books, chewing on everything...these are some of her favorite things to do. Lily is a very busy girl now. She doesn't like to sit in one place for too long, so the days are spent keeping her busy and trying to put things in front of her to discover. She loves to talk and talk and talk (like her Papa). I know the days are numbered before huge milestones come. She will soon be sitting herself up, crawling, pulling herself up. Big things are ahead for Lily and I can't wait to be in the front row and cheer her on.

I love you, Lily. You continue to grow and charm everyone's socks off.

I am so happy to call you mine!!

Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Momma

Confession number 1. Sometimes I don't brush my teeth until right before Chris gets home. There have been many times I've seen him driving up and I run to the bathroom and brush...it's that close. In other news, we are thinking of getting rid of our dental insurance. Nice!

Confession number 2. Laundry :( Chris doesn't mind doing the laundry, which is nice, but I am usually left with the folding part. I hate the folding part. As we speak, there are two baskets of laundry sitting in our bedroom, unfolded. We did the laundry Saturday.

Confession number 3. Before I got pregnant, I loved cleaning. I would deep clean the house regularly. I wouldn't stand for dishes to sit in the sink. My closet with organized by color and my jeans and sweaters perfectly folded. When I did fold clothes, I folded them so perfectly that I wouldn't let Chris help because he "did it wrong". I washed our sheets every other week and our pillowcases every week. I was on top of it! My standards have plummeted to non-existant now. I put off cleaning the bathtub way too long. I rarely make our bed any more. The dishes pile up. The dust bunnies take over our floors.

Confession number 4. Since having Lily, I take forever to fall asleep, but once I'm asleep I sleep like a rock. I have the craziest and most realistic dreams. One night about 3 months ago, I was having a dream about peeing. Lily was crying and I woke up and realized that I wasn't dreaming...I actually peed the bed!! I told Chris about it and we laughed so hard. I was totally embarassed that I would do that and a bit concerned that I had lost all bladder control, but to my relief, it was a one night thing.

Confession number 5. I watch America's Funniest Home Videos and The Cosby Show every afternoon while Lily is napping. To my credit, we don't have cable so I would probably choose something else if we did, but these are the shows that are on. But, still, I choose to watch them. And I laugh at the stupid videos of dads getting hit in the crotch by their kids. It's still funny...it is!

Confession number 6. I've let Lily watch AFV with me before. Literally laid with her on the couch and watched the whole episode. Am I a bad mom?

Confession number 7. Most nights I don't cook. We don't have a dishwasher or I would...I think. We eat Chickfila at least once a week and sometimes more. I don't do fast food, so Chickfila is the only place I will eat.

Confession number 8. Sometimes I sleep in the shirt I was wearing all day and maybe once or twice I also wore that same shirt the whole next day. I know, I'm disgusting.

Confession number 9. Every day I get up with Lily at 8am and then we both take a nap from 9:15ish to 11am. But, in my defense, I have to stay up to feed her at 11pm, so...that's a good reason, right?

Confession number 10. Almost every day I turn on Beyonce really loud and dance and sing "Single Ladies" or "Bootylicious" to Lily. I've even turned on the Single Ladies video on youtube and tried to mimic the dance. She loves it!!


So...what are your confessions? This is a safe place ;)

6 months!

Before I had Lily, I worried about what kind of mom I would be. I prayed about it on my best days, but feared and even cried over it on my worst days. Being a mother to a daughter is something I feared I wouldn't do well. To look at myself and see so much I didn't want my daughter to carry with her was terrifying. It wasn't until I held her in my arms that I understood that it wasn't about me, but it was about the Lord and His desire to display His love for me through her. I really see a glimpse of God when I look into Lily's eyes. I have a new perspective on how much God loves me as I try to comprehend the amazing love I feel for Lillian.

There are new developments on the Lily front now that she is 6 months. She is now sitting up on her own! She started sitting up on Mother's day. She also has begun eating solids. She has had rice cereal and sweet potatoes. Tomorrow, she is having butternut squash. We are making all her baby food fresh at home, and it is so easy and so inexpensive!! She has been a great eater, except these last few days. She has begun locking her jaw or spitting the food out by blowing raspberries with food in her mouth...lovely! We are working on it, though. She still naps 3 times a day, but now she naps at 9, 12, and 3:30. She has been wanting to go to bed earlier, so she goes to bed around 7:15pm. Her new favorite thing is to growl. Not really sure how to describe it in writing, but she has this distinct noise she likes to make and draws lots of attention. She even does it while she is eating. We haven't put her in the nursery at church yet, but I think her time is coming. The last two times at church, she has made quite a few fans with her huge smiles and giggles and growls (?). Needless to say, I believe she will be visiting the nursery very soon.

My sweet girl, I've been thinking a lot about the years ahead of us. I want you to know that I love you now and I will love you throughout the years the Lord gives me with you. I will love you when you are sweet and when you are naughty. I will love you when potty training takes a long time. And when you cut your own hair. When you scream and cry and thrown fits in public, I will love you. I will love you when you say you hate me. And when you only want to be around your friends. I will love you when you put on mascara and lipstick behind my back. And when you call boys and find their attention more appealing than mine. I will love you when you struggle with life's big issues. I will always love you.

5 months!

My baby is 5 months old...*tear*. How did that happen, people!?

Just this past weekend, I was nursing Lily at church in the cry room and three other babies were in there and they were all significantly younger than Lily. This is the first time that Lily was the older one and they were all asking me questions. I got so sad and suddenly missed my little bitty girl. Lily now streches all the way across the boppy pillow and pushes her little feet against the glider while I'm feeding her. When do they grow? Even so! I wouldn't trade my sweet girl and the memories we've made for anything. And if I were honest, those newborn days were really hard and I wouldn't want to go backwards. Lily is so fun and so sweet at five months! She is a happy, laid back baby. Usually, all you have to do to get a smile is to look her in the eyes and say something and she lights up!

I just took her five month pictures today. My heart started to ache as I watched her eat her little "5 month" sign. I love her so much! To get to be home each day and watch her grow and develop is such a priveledge and something that I hope to never take for granted.

Recenty, my friend was visiting and said to me that she thought Lily and I were soul mates. I'm not sure what made her say that, but it was so precious to me because I have had so many fears about mothering a daughter. It was a sweet reminder that the Lord knows my heart and knows that I have those fears. He is so good to gently encourage me. Nothing would thrill me more than to have that sort of relationship with her.

Lily, at 5 months old:

-You weigh about 16 lbs. and are 26'' tall. Your head circumference is 43.75cm.

-You wear size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes, but have and wear some 6 month onesies.

-Since 3.5 months, you have been sleeping through the night.

-You go to bed at 7:30, have a feeding at 11 and then wake up at 7:15am. You wake up and start the day by talking to yourself very loudly. Sometimes I think you are telling us to come get you! It always wakes us up with a smile! When your daddy or I go to get you, you give us the biggest smile. It's a great way to start the day!

-You nap 3 times a day at 8:30, 11:30, 3:30. Sometimes you take a catnap around 5:30. You are sleeping around 1.5 hours at each nap, except for the catnap.

-You love baths, but they are getting difficult because you are getting so big. You wiggle and squirm to look around and take everything in. I know this will just continue. It's a lot of fun!

-Your favorite toys are your stuffed lamb, your Baby Einstein gym and all the dodads attached to it, your rings, and any blanket or burp cloth you can rub on your face. Really, anything you can get in your mouth. You haven't gotten to the point where you are picking things up off the floor and putting them in your mouth, but I know it's coming. Not looking forward to that!

-You love to put your fingers in your mouth. You haven't favored one finger over another, just any one or two or three will do! You are a slobber factory and your onesies are always soaked. I am constantly wiping your mouth. When I do, you attempt to eat the burp cloth!!

-You are almost too big for your vibro chair, but I still put you in it. You push up on it and then slip down because you are so wiggly. Your days in that chair are numbered, for sure!

-You like your jumperoo, but you don't quite jump yet. Your feet touch the ground and every once and a while you make some bouncing-like moves and make the music go and you smile really big. I usually put you in that when I am vacuuming or cleaning the house or showering. I can see that toy becoming more and more of a favorite.

-You sit happily in mommy and daddy's laps. It's very nice that you aren't squirmy or wanting to be up and moving when you're on our laps. Very thankful for a content baby!!

-You know your name. If someone is calling your name, you look around for them.

-You are starting to prefer mommy or daddy to hold you. Depending on the time of day, you sometimes fuss if someone else holds you.

-We've taken two trips this past month and you did great. You visited your aunties and cousin in Austin and then visited your grandparents in OKC for your baby dedication. You did so great and I am slowly building confidence that you can tolerate some trips.

-At resteraunts you do great until right before the food comes. You can stay in your seat and then you start to fuss just in time for us to eat. Once you are in our laps, you do fine. I'm getting really good at eating, drinking, and doing everything with one hand.

-You don't have any teeth yet.

-We are working on sitting up every day. We are trying to get the tripod down so for your 6 month pictures you can sit next to your bear instead of in the bumbo.

-You haven't rolled from back to front yet, but you have mastered the front to back. You are getting more comfortable with tummy time. Usually you "talk" the most when we put you on our chest on your tummy.

-I am thinking of starting you on rice cereal this weekend. It makes me sad, but I think you are ready.

-You have a bald spot on the back of your head, but your hair will grow back as soon as you sit up more. We are working on it.

-You are absolutely beautiful! You look just like your daddy, which gives me so much joy!

-You smile a lot! You laugh, but you don't belly laugh very often. When you do, you light up our hearts!!

-Your daddy and I call you baby girl, beautiful, baby, sweetness. He is smitten with you and can't wait to see you when he comes home from work. I have to stop him from waking you up when he comes home from lunch because he wants to see you so badly. You are daddy's girl for sure, which is something I desired so much for you both!

-Our friends fight over getting to babysit you. We have a waiting list!

-You are loved by everyone who knows you!!

I love you, baby! You are such a delight to your daddy and I.

P.S. Stop growing up!