Josh is 34!

Yesterday my sweet husband turned THIRTY FOUR! That seems so O L D to me, but Josh acts much younger than me, soooo atleast he's got that going for him! ;) j/k I love him for that!

We had a pretty terrible day yesterday, and I feel awful about it. But, Josh is such a wonderful man, he didn't even let it get to him. Thank you God for such an amazing husband and father!!

Judd has been super fussy lately, so we finally took him to the pediatrician yesterday. Turns out his reflux is flaring up again (apparently reflux peaks at 4 months, who knew?!), so we switched his meds. I am praying this new medicine gives him (and us) some relief, because he hardly napped yesterday and was up a lot last night!

BUT! After the pediatrician, Josh got a little free time, we picked up Jacob from school, played outside in the gorgeous weather and got Pei Wei for dinner. Jacob and I even made a lemon cake for dad! His favorite! :)

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HONEY! You are the best husband and father, we are all so lucky to have you! Thank you for everything you do for us!  We love you!

 

Cheers to YOU! I hope you had a great day and hopefully this is the BEST year yet!

Our Weekend

Despite being knee deep in Judd's 4th Wonder Week, we had a pretty nice weekend, so I thought I'd share it here.

 

We had a college kid lay 25 bags of mulch in the front and back flowerbeds, so Jacob can now play without stepping in mud constantly. He loves playing in the backyard aka his "construction site." On Friday, he was dragging around that octopus bubble blower. That thing is so damn annoying...it might get "lost" soon. ;)

 

 

We used some of our tax refund to finally buy a new dryer. You know you're getting old when getting a new dryer is seriously the highlight of your weekend. Ha! It dried our sheets in 20 minutes. 20 MINUTES!!!! Our old dryer took over an hour!

 

The weather was decent on Saturday, so we got a little more outside time while Judd napped. Jacob was playing "delivery man" after the dryer was delivered. Wonder where he came up with that idea?

On Sunday we went over to Josh's sister and B-I-L's house to celebrate birthdays. Josh's birthday is on March 24 and Emily's (his sister) is on March 29, so we always celebrate them at the same time. We all gourged ourselves on yummy BBQ, a delicious homemade cake by Emily and some ice cream! This was my splurge meal of the month, since I really shouldn't be eating dairy. Everything was so delicious! We raced home at 6:30pm and threw the kids in the tub and to bed, and then quickly went to bed ourselves. I don't think we're used to doing so much, so we were beat!

ignore my face- I was saying "Jacob, say cheeeeeeese"

Judd is doing really good from his lip tie revision. I plan to do a whole post on that soon, once its completely healed and I can give my thorough opinion.

 

Hope you all had a LOVELY weekend, too! Josh's birthday is tomorrow, so Jacob and I are busy decorating the house and making a cake! All day tasks indeed!

Cheers!

What's Up Wednesday

 

I found this blog series via Shay over at Mix & Match Family, and it seems like fun! Plus I haven't blogged much at all recently! So here we go. 

What we're eating this week...

Lately I've been making some sort of crockpot meat on Mondays, because we have swim class on Monday afternoon and those evenings are always pure chaos around here. So, having a crockpot meal to just serve when we get home is the perfect solution! Then I try to make one more meal throughout the week with that meat. This week I made BBQ pulled chicken- Monday was BBQ sandwiches and last night we had BBQ potatoes! Yummy! I also make mexican chicken for burritos, tacos or taco salad. All delicious!

What I'm reading...

 

This book is an easy, light read, but so funny! Andy Cohen seriously knows everyone!

What I'm reminiscing about...

 

You know that Time Hop app? I have it and love it, and recently I've been wondering why I didn't have any posts from last year...and then I remembered that I gave up social media for Lent! As hard as it was, it was such an awesome refresh for me! 

What I'm looking forward to...

We are getting Judd's lip tie evaluated and possibly revised tomorrow, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't super excited and so nervous about it. I pray it helps with our nursing issues. 

What I'm loving...

 

I bought a few of these boyfriend tanks from Old Navy and they're a really good transition piece! You can easily throw a cardi over them, or wear them alone with shorts. They're super lightweight and airy too. 

What we've been up to...

We've been spending lots of time outside the last few days and I'm LOVING it!

What I'm dreading...
 

Tomorrow's lip tie appointment. I just hope my baby isn't in pain and heals quickly!

What I'm working on...

I finally pulled out my Simplified Planner and started using it. It's definitely a work in progress, adding all our appointments and important dates, but I'm hoping it'll help get my shiz together!

What I'm excited about...

We finally caved and bought a Bob Duallie. I cannot wait to hit the trails with both boys!

What I'm watching...

All I ever really watch is Bravo. I'm kinda a junkie. Sooo Real Housewives, Vanderpump Rules and I'll add in Fixer Upper because...it's awesome!

What I'm listening to...

Monsters, Inc. while little brother naps. Please tell me your kids watch movies like this too?

What I'm annoyed about...

It's been raining a lot here. The weatherman said we're up 1.38" for the year! Yuck! But I guess we need it. And how cute is that pug?

What I'm hoping for...

A March Madness victory! Stay tuned!

What I'm wearing today...

The usual. 

What else is new...

Jacob has now been going to Emler for 2 YEARS! Within the last month he's really taken off and is swimming on his own! I'm so proud of him and can't wait for the summer! 

What's up with YOU?!

Judson - 3 months

My sweet Judd, you are the happiest and most relaxed baby I've ever seen. You are simply a DREAM!!! I love you, sweet boy, and cannot imagine life without you. You really are the perfect piece to our puzzle. 

 

 Age: 3 months

Height: --

Weight: --

Nicknames: Judd, JudderBug

Milestones: Judds been batting at toys for awhile, but recently he's started trying to grab them. He loves laying on his back on his playmat and just whacking at all his toys. He's also a pretty big fan of tummy time. He can raise his head up a few inches and look around for quite awhile, so cute when he's watching his big brother play. He's rolled over from belly to back a few times, but it's not really that consistent yet. Recently he's been wanting to stand up a lot (with assistance, obviously); I'm pretty impressed with the way he can put weight on his legs like that! He's also starting to try and sit up a bit, he's very wobbly at this point, but gotta start somewhere! I've been putting him in the Bumbo for a few minutes each day and I can tell he loves being able to look out and watch his brother. He coos and smiles a lot, but he still hasn't laughed yet.

Sleep: We transitioned Judd to his crib a few weeks ago, because he seemed uncomfortable in the rock & play, and he did surprisingly well! Naps are pretty consistent and good- we usually get two solid 1.5-2 hour naps and two 45 minute-1 hour naps. He has a "twilight sleep stage" during almost every nap right at 45 minutes, he will fuss and whine a little bit, but he usually falls back to sleep. Nighttime is pretty consistent too, although I really wish he would start sleeping through the night. Currently he's waking once a night anywhere between 1-4am, and then he goes right back to sleep until 6:30-7am.

Eating: Judd was eating every 3 hours, and I'm trying to push it to 3.5 hours. Somedays it totally works, and others he's ready to eat at 2.5 hours! I'm actually starting to think that his lip tie is effecting his nursing, so we're going in a week to have it evaluated and possibly revised. He just seems really annoyed with the boob and will often give up quickly into a nursing session, but if we give him a bottle (of pumped breastmilk), he chugs it.

Clothes size: 3-6 month // 6 month

Diaper size: size 2

 

Teeth: none

Favorite toy: his playmat and any toys he can bat at

Likes: his brother, diaper changes, bathtime, being held so he can look out

Dislikes: being cold, being wet, nursing

Personality: so far he seems really happy and easy-going, unless he's overtired, wet or overstimulated

Best moment: We've had a lot of fun this month, Judd fits into our family so well!

Worst moment: Judd got sick  A G A I N  this month. I hate it so much when he's sick, he's just so sad and pathetic. Praying that warmer temps make their appearance soon and we can kick all these dang colds!

Looking forward to: This week is spring break and Jacob doesn't have school, so we have a few playdates planned with friends. Looking forward to getting out of the house and praying Judd cooperates! :) Josh's birthday and Easter are coming up this month too, so that'll be fun to celebrate with Judd!

How is Jacob adjusting?: I don't know if its baby brother, or just the terrible 2/3s, but Jacob has been really difficult lately! He's just so defiant and rude to me. It probably has to do with my lack of sleep, but I have zero patience for his antics. I'm praying he will get over this hump SOON!

Essential oils - super allergy bomb

I have had several friends ask me about what essential oils I use, and since I've had pretty good success with several concoctions, I thought I'd share my experience here.

Today I am going to share with you my SUPER ALLERGY BOMB concoction using Thieves, Breathe Easier and Melaleuca. All through Eden's Garden.

Please note: I am not a doctor. These statements are simply my experience. Please do your research and use with caution.

I have used this on every member of my family and this stuff works! If you have a cold, snotty nose, cough, allergies, etc. this stuff is for you!

It's simple. Put 30 drops of each oil into a roller bottle and roll it directly onto the bottom of your feet, back of your neck and behind your ears. I do this simple topical application for myself, my husband and my 2 year old. I notice a difference almost immediately, although I cannot use this right now because Breathe Easier has peppermint in it which will dry out my milk supply.

FOR MY BABY, I put a carrier oil on his feet first. I use coconut oil. Then I roll it directly onto his feet. I do not put it on his neck because I don't want it too close to his eyes.

THAT'S IT! I know how debilitating allergies and colds can be for a family, so I sure hope this helps y'all!

Judson - 2 months

Age: 2 months

Height: 23.75"

Weight: 12lbs. 5oz.

Nicknames: Judd, JudderBug

 

Milestones: We have smiles!! He's still pretty hard to impress, but when he sees me for the first time after nap or in the morning, he gives me huge gummy smiles that absolutely melt my heart! Judd found his hands this month and loves sucking on them, which are now usually open (he never really had "clubs" as hands like Jacob did though). He loves laying under his playmat, kicking his little legs and batting at the toys. He tracks with his eyes more smoothly now, and can definitely hear my voice in the room and will move his head to find me. Judd is also very vocal, he's always "talking" to us, which is seriously the cutest! Judd loves sitting in his bouncy seat, hitting the little toys and kicking his legs. Sometimes he kicks so much that he actually bounces himself, which I think is the point of the chair...big brother never did that though!

Sleep: We moved Judd into his own room on his 1mo birthday, and my goodness- what a good decision! He's such a noisy sleeper, so now we can't hear most of his moaning and whining. He's still in his rock & play, until we can figure out his reflux. Overall he's a much better sleeper than his brother (knock on wood), but I think that's in part to starting good sleep habits early with him (i.e. putting him down drowsy but awake). He can soothe himself to sleep for naps and bedtime with little to no crying. Yay! Here's our current schedule. 

Eating: We're still exclusively breastfeeding every 3 hours during the day and anywhere from 4-8 hours at night. Judd is such a different nurser than Jacob- Judd will not latch if he's not hungry and eats only what he wants, as soon as he's done he pops off and if you attempt to re-latch him he will cry!

Clothes size: 3mo

Diaper size: just upgraded to size 2!

 

Teeth: none

Favorite toy: he's been loving this zebra

Likes: His favorite thing to do is sit on my lap, looking at me, and talk and suck on his hands. I could do it for hours! He also loves diaper changes and going for walks.

Dislikes: being overtired, overstimulated, hungry or wet 

Personality: I'm still trying to figure out if he's easy going or high maintenance. Maybe a little in between, but definitely easier than Jacob.

Best moment: we've had some warmer temps recently, so just getting outside!!

Worst moment: Poor buddy got another cold this month, he's actually still recovering. Breaks my heart!

Looking forward to: warmer weather and lots of time outdoors!

How is Jacob adjusting?: Jacob has really started to warm up to his brother. He has always loved his baby brother, but he's just sooo sweet now! Always giving kisses and telling us how much he loves Judd. It's really cute! He always insists on going to get Judd after his naps or sitting next to me while I nurse him. He's still acting out a little bit, but not quite as much I think.

A few more pictures from the month...
 

 

Our Schedule - toddler + 2 month old

Something I always enjoy reading are sample schedules or other people's daily schedules, so I want to share that with you today.

I started a pretty strict schedule with Judd around 1 month, because I could not function without it. Jacob and I have grown so used to knowing what to expect that it was strange and, quite frankly, not working for us to not have a schedule anymore.

I also felt like I was spending all my days rocking Judd to sleep for naps and only getting 30-45 minute naps out of him. That wasn't working either, mostly because I cannot spend 30 minutes rocking him to sleep while Jacob plays in the living room by himself. God only knows what he could (and did) get into! Plus I'm a firm believer in the effects of overstimulation and overtiredness.

I had already done loads of sleep research with Jacob, so I kinda refreshed myself and decided what path we were going to take.

I love the adjustable schedules from Moms on Call and have heard tons of success stories of babies sleeping through the night by like 9 weeks, so I knew I wanted to go with that schedule. And I respect and understand the sleep training methods of Babywise, especially since I saw firsthand what bad sleep habits can do to a baby (ahem, Jacob). 

So with that little background, here's our current schedule. This is best case scenario. Some days we follow this to a T and other days I'm tapping out when dad gets home at 4:30. I've also noticed that Judd is ready to extend his feeding times to 3.5 hours, so we'll be changing things up very soon.

2am: Judd wakes up for the first time to eat. I feed him, change his diaper, re-swaddle him and put him back down.

6am: Judd wakes up again to eat. Like before, I feed him, change his diaper, re-swaddle him and put him back down.
7:30-8am: Jacob wakes up. After waking up myself, cleaning up and changing clothes, I go in and get Jacob up, change his diaper and clothes and bring him out to the living room for breakfast and milk.
8-8:30am: Judd wakes up. I change his diaper and bring him out to the living room.
(If Jacob has school, I try to feed Judd a little bit during this time before we leave. Otherwise, we play with Judd for a bit.)

9am: feed Judd while we watch cartoons (I try very hard to keep Judd on a 3-hour feed schedule)

9:30-10am: playtime with big brother, either on the playmat or in my arms

10am: Judd goes down for his first nap. I always change his diaper and put on lots of butt paste before naps. Swaddle + white noise + dark room = recipe for success!

10:10am: I pump, get Jacob to finish his breakfast, and clean up breakfast

11-12am: one-on-one playtime with Jacob. I also try to make Jacob's lunch at the end of this time, so he can graze on it for the hour.

12pm: Judd wakes up (or I wake him up, I only allow naps to go 2 hours). Diaper change and bring him out to the living room. 

12:05pm: feed Judd while we watch cartoons and Jacob eats lunch

12:30-1pm: playtime with big brother

1pm: Judd goes down for another nap. Diaper, swaddle, white noise, dark room. 

1:10-1:30pm: Jacob and I watch Thomas while he finishes his lunch. This is something we've done for almost a year now, good cuddle time!

1:30pm: Jacob goes down for his nap.

1:35pm: I make lunch for myself and do anything I need to do that can't be done while Jacob is awake (crafts, blog, etc.)

2:15pm: Jacob is usually up after 45-60 minutes, so I get him up, change his diaper and we come back out to the living room. I continue doing things I need to do (laundry, cleaning, etc.) and then make him a snack. 

3pm: Judd wakes up. I change his diaper and bring him out to the living room. 

3:05pm: feed Judd while we watch cartoons

3:30-4pm: playtime with big brother

4pm: Judd goes down for his afternoon nap

4:10-4:30pm: I am usually drained by this point, so I'll throw the iPad at Jacob or attempt to clean up all his toys.

4:30pm: dad gets home! Party! Jacob usually tags along with Josh for awhile and I sit on the couch and recover from the day. Haha!

5:30pm: I wake up Judd for his "supper" feed. Josh usually starts dinner. 

6-6:30pm: playtime with big brother and daddy while mom finishes dinner and plates it. Jacob starts eating dinner. 

6:30pm: Judd goes down for his last nap of the day, this is usually a catnap (unless he's slept bad all day).

6:30pm: we eat dinner 

7pm: start a Bubble Guppies episode with Jacob while he drinks a little smoothie (we've been doing this for over a year)
7:30pm: Judd wakes up
8pm: both boys start bathtime (I bathe Judd in the kitchen sink, while Josh bathes Jacob in the tub)
8:15pm: bedtime feeding in Judd's room
8:45pm: both boys are down, and Josh and I clean up the house
9pm: I take a shower and get in bed...e x h a u s t e d

I'm exhausted just reading this! Gah! This really puts things in perspective.