Judson - 5 months

Age: 5 months

Height: we don't go back until next month

Weight: we don't go back until next month 

Milestones: this little boy is really turning into a baby lately- he's talking ALL the time, rolling, grabbing everything (including mommy's coffee!), giggling, laughing, enjoying independent time with his brother, he loves playing on his playmat still, he loves the jumperoo, loves spending time in his Bumbo, loves loves loves his big brother, he sits with us at dinner time in his highchair and loves watching us. He got an outdoor swing for Easter from his Coco, and he LOVES swinging! He really is such a happy, easy-going baby! He's also starting sitting up unassisted pretty well! He's still kinda wobbly, so I have to sit right by him, but he sits upright.

Sleep: Judd is such a good sleeper! He's now sleeping 7:15pm-7am, and he still wakes once at night to eat, but goes right back to sleep. He naps 3-4 times during the day; usually 2 good naps (1.5-2 hours) and 1 short nap (45 mins - 1 hour). On days when he doesn't take great naps, or wakes early from his afternoon nap, we'll let him take a short catnap in the evenings. AND! He's completely out of the swaddle now! Woohoo! Life is so much easier without the swaddle! Current schedule is here. And I'll also note that were about to attempt sleep training again. 

Eating: I'm pretty sure Judd just went through a growth spurt, because he started waking up twice at night to eat and was eating longer during the day. But I think he's through it now, and back to eating 5x each day (for about 10 min) and once during the night. I also started solids with him this past week, and he's doing great! So far he's only had banana with breastmilk, but he loves it!

Clothes size: we just moved him to 9-month clothes

Diaper size: size 3

 

Teeth: none! but I am not looking forward to the day he gets teeth, because he already gnaws on my nipples with his gums and it HURTS!

Favorite toy: he still really loves his Sophie, but he also really loves his jumperoo now too!

Likes: oh gosh, this little boy just loves watching everything! he's so observant. he loves (LOVES) watching his big brother, loves watching his puppy dogs, loves watching me talk, and loves looking at himself in the mirror. he also loves diaper changes and chatting on the changing pad. he also loves being outside, swinging and lounging on our laps.

Dislikes: being overtired or hungry

Personality: Judd really is such a sweet, happy, easy-going baby! He definitely has his moments, but for the most part he's very laid-back.

Best moment: we had a fun month! going to big brother's open house, riding on Thomas!, celebrating Cousin Autumn's FIRST birthday!, and my first Mother's Day as a mommy of two.

Worst moment: I hate that we regressed and started eating again at night, but my mama heart just couldn't handle the crying any more. And knowing that he's my last baby makes it ok.

Looking forward to: Big brother's THIRD birthday (and party), lots of outdoor time, and hopefully meeting his namesake!

How is Jacob adjusting?: Jacob is good. He's a good good boy, and a pretty typical (if not good) nearly 3 year old. Love that sweet kid!

I will also note that we switched BACK to Prevacid. Nexium gave Judd awful tummy pains, constipation and eventual diarrhea. So far it seems to be working just fine for him.

Our Schedule - toddler + 5 month old

Happy Friday, friends!! This week has been a doozy, with Judd going through what I think is a growth spurt (at 5 months? not sure?) and Jacob getting swimmer's ear and subsequently throwing up in the middle of the night. Owe! I am exhausted!

With Judd approaching 5 months (on Sunday! I can't believe it!), I wanted to share our current schedule. Not a lot has changed in the schedule department. Judd still can't stay awake for longer than 1.5-1.75 hours before he gets super fussy. I've found that's his optimal waketime. I'm still breastfeeding 5 times each day, but I have started introducing solids once a day, so that's in there too! And we've also bumped his bedtime up a bit.

 

7am - Judd wake & feed
7:30am - Jacob wakes up
8am - breakfast for Jacob
8:30am - Judd nap
I pump during this time, start laundry, clean, etc. and then play with Jacob.
10-10:15am - Judd wake & feed
11:30am - Judd eats solids
12pm - Judd nap
Jacob and I eat lunch during this time.
1pm - Judd wake & feed // Jacob watches Thomas
1:45pm - Jacob nap
2:30pm - Judd nap
This is my only "free time" during the day, so I try to do stuff I like to do. Catch up on DVR, blog, nap, day drink (haha! just kidding!)
4pm - Judd wake & feed // Jacob usually wakes up right around this time, too
4:30pm - daddy gets home, we play outside or I run a quick errand or go for a run
5:30pm - Judd catnap
6pm - Judd wake // we start dinner
6:30pm - Judd bath (I usually eat super fast and then start bath in the kitchen sink while Josh finishes up with Jacob)
6:45pm - Judd bottle // Jacob starts a Bubble Guppies episode with his smoothie
7:15pm - Judd to bed
7:30pm - Jacob bath
8pm - Jacob to bed
After both boys are asleep, I clean the house and either do a quick workout video or catch up on the DVR. Then pump and shower and we're generally in bed by 9:30!

Brothers gotta hug!

The light in Judson's bedroom was delicious yesterday, so I grabbed my fancy camera and started snapping away. The boys absolutely love each other and I think I captured it.

I could not love these two boys any more than I do. They are my heart, soul and everything else in between.

How I BOOST my hair

Let me preface this by saying- I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL. I am a mom. And I do not have tons of time to do my hair. However, I've gotten a bunch of compliments lately on my hair, so I thought I'd share my haircare regime.

I should also note that I have very thin, fine, soft hair. It gets very stringy throughout the day and absorbs every ounce of oil, so by the end of the day I literally look like a mop. Not cute! Here's how I BOOST my locks.

Generally speaking, I am very low maintenance. I take my showers at night, every night, and I wash my hair every single night. Shampoo and conditioner. Then when I get out, I towel dry my hair and spray the Kenra volume spray in the roots. I usually wear my towel around to soak up as much water as possible and go to bed with damp hair. In the mornings, I spray the dry shampoo at the roots to make my hair feel a little more fresh, straighten it and go. It's so simple and easy. If I happen to shower during the day for something (like if we have a party or date night or something to go to), I will use the Big Sexy Hair powder play to boost it up a little more. I also use the CHI pliable polish on my fly-aways and at the tips to define my cut, but just a TINY bit.

1. Pureology Volume Shampoo - This shampoo protects your color and boosts your locks! I wet my hair really good, and lather it up right at the roots and then go down to the tips. I love this shampoo because it keeps my hair really bouncy and shiny. It's sulfate free and vegan, so there's nothing in it to weigh-down your hair.

2. Pureology Volume Conditioner - Again, sulfate free and vegan, so it's really lightweight. After I shampoo, I put a tiny amount in my hands and work it on the tips and then move up to the roots.

3. Kenra Volume Spray - This stuff is AWESOME! I spray it right at my roots on my crown and it seriously does work, even when I air dry my hair at night.

4. Kenra Dry Shampoo - LOVE LOVE LOVE this dry shampoo and it smells so good! Most dry shampoo makes my hair feel really sticky and gross. This actually makes my hair feel CLEAN and boosts it a bit.

5. Big Sexy Hair Powder Play - I really only use this when I plan on going out and need a little extra va-voom. I sprinkle it right on my roots and then tease it a bit.

6. CHI Pliable Polish - This is a really great, lightweight styling gel that I use to keep down fly-aways (especially with all my new hair growth post-baby) and define my curls when I curl my hair.

Do y'all have any other tips/tricks?! Would love to hear from you!

Judson - 4 months

 

 

My sweet Judson, you are BY FAR the sweetest, happiest, loving, happy baby I've ever met. You are such a dream and I am so thankful for that! You sleep when you're "supposed" to sleep, you eat when you're "supposed" to eat and I cannot ask for anything more! You fit into our family perfectly and truly complete us. I love you sweet boy and thank God every single day for you.

Age: 4 months

Height: 25.8"

Weight: 15lbs 5oz

Milestones: Judd has rolled from back to belly and belly to back, although he doesn't do it consistently! He far prefers laying on his back under his playmat batting at all the toys or gnawing on his hands or Sophie's head. :) He is very drooly and constantly has his hands in his mouth! He can grasp toys better now and actually holds on for a few seconds. He has started sitting in his Bumbo more and really loves being able to see his big brother. He's still very wobbly sitting unassisted and usually just folds over flat. Ha! He's also started spending some time in his jumperoo! He loves the lights and the little sun on it, he'll just stand there and stare at the sun for minutes! So cute! We also moved Judd to the big boy seat on the Bob Duallie and he loves being able to see out, and especially loves being next to his big bro. I think Jacob likes it, too! Last "big" thing is that he's sitting in his highchair at the dinner table with us. Since he wakes up from his evening nap around 6pm, he's awake and happy to sit at the table with us. So cute!

Sleep: Judd takes 2 or 3 long naps (1.5-1.75 hours) and 1 short nap (30 minutes) everyday. We attempted 2 weeks of sleep training to drop his nighttime feed, but it didn't go well. Sooo he still eats at night, usually around 4:30-5. Our current schedule is here.

Eating: Judd is still exclusively breastfed. He eats 5 times every day, all are nursing sessions, except at bedtime, we give him a bottle of pumped breastmilk at bedtime (currently 6.5oz).

Clothes size: 3-6mo // 6 month 

Diaper size: size 2, although we've moved him to size 3 at night since he's sttn

 

Teeth: none

Favorite toy: he loves his Sophie

Likes: his brother, diaper/clothes changes, playing airplane, strawberries, silly faces, "elevator ride" with daddy, going outside, his dogs, and anything in his mouth!

Dislikes: when I eat dairy (ugh), being bored or staying in same spot for too long

Personality: Judd is soo happy and easy-going!!! Love him! He really is the perfect addition to our family!

Best moment: celebrating daddy's birthday, first Easter, sleeping through the night (!!!)

Worst moment: lip tie revision :(

Looking forward to: we've got a lot of fun stuff planned this month- Day Out With Thomas, cousin Autumn's FIRST birthday party, and possibly a trip to meet his namesake! I'm curious how he'll do at all these busy events.

How is Jacob adjusting?: better, I'm getting better at giving him attention and not saying "no" so much, I also notice a difference when we consistently uphold timeout threats

I should also note that we switched Judd to Nexium for his reflux this month. He was super fussy (for him) and not sleeping or eating good, so we took him to the pediatrician and she seemed to think it was his reflux. I have noticed an improvement in him, so I'm guessing she was right!

We also had Judd's lip tie revised this month. The procedure was very short and easy, but I was a wreck. BUT! Now that its behind us, I'm honestly so thankful we had it done. His latch has improved, his overall eating had improved, his SLEEP (!!) has improved, and I was afraid it would mess up his teeth in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

The day I knew God was speaking to me

My friend sent me this quote from a book called Scary Close. I haven't read the book and couldn't tell you what it's about. But this quote. This quote cut through my heart like a knife. I knew God was speaking to me when I read this quote for the first time.

Judd was 2 months old at the time and I had been aggressively searching for a new house. On this particular day, I had spent most of the day at a model home working through the details of building our dream home, but ended up leaving without signing paperwork because we couldn't come to a price agreement. I was frustrated and overwhelmed; I felt like I had wasted my entire day, my entire weekend!, and missed out on those 2 days with my precious 2 month old. My friend sent me this quote completely out of the blue, unaware of my current situation, and I was speechless! How perfectly timed! Of course, after reading that quote, I immediately readjusted my priorities. I put the house hunt on hold and decided to refocus on the family. I felt like it was God's way of telling me, "You need to be at home."

Around the time Judd was 3 months old, I was starting to feel a little off. Like I needed ME time! I asked friends on Facebook to weigh-in on how they find time for themselves and most people said they get their hair done, exercise, go on dates, etc. I thought these all sounded like great ideas, so I bought a workout DVD, scheduled a hair appointment and lined up a girls night out with a girlfriend AND a date night with my husband. Back to my old ways.

Fast forward to this past weekend. Judd is 4 months old and I had my scheduled girls night out on Saturday night. Judd has slept through the night the last 2 nights, so I figured it would be fine to go out for a bit. It was a very tame night out, but really nice to talk with another mom and enjoy appetizers, drinks, a meal AND dessert at a leisurely pace. Before I knew it, it was 11:15pm! I didn't get home until 11:30pm! Whoa! I had to pump when I got home, because HELLO! I have a 4 month old. And ended up getting in bed around midnight. Judd started crying at 4:30am.

I immediately thought to myself, "Whyyyyy did you go out with your friend?? That was so not worth feeling this crappy!!!"

And then I thought of the quote.

This is God telling me again that I need to put my needs, my wants, on the back burner. Your desire to go out to dinner with friends does not matter right now. You need to be at home.

I'm sharing this because the next time I slip, which I know I will, I will read this quote and remember this post and hopefully I will remember God's words...

You need to be at home.

Our Schedule - toddler + 4 month old

Judd is still eating every 3 hours and has only extended his wake time by 15 minutes since the last time I posted our schedule, so not a whole lot has changed. Except for the fact that he's sleeping through the night now (YEA!), so he gets all his calories during the day. Because of that, I try extra hard to give him FULL feedings each and every time. That is also why we're still on a 3-hour feed schedule.

This schedule was provided by Moms on Call and we really love it! We'll probably stick with this until Judd starts solids in a month or so. 

 

7am: wake and nurse

7:30am: Jacob wakes up

8:15am: Judd goes down for nap (still swaddled)

I pump during this time, clean up, start laundry and try to do some activity with Jacob. 

10am: wake and nurse 

11:15am: Judd goes down for nap

Jacob and I eat lunch during this time, I switch over laundry and sometimes we go play in the backyard for a bit. 

1pm: wake and nurse 

1:30pm: Jacob goes down for nap

Judd and I get some one-on-one time during this time, which I LOVE!

2:15pm: Judd goes down for nap
This is the only quiet time I get all day, so I try to do something I like to do (catch up on shows, blog, Facebook, shower, etc. I actually just bought 21 Day Fix videos, so I'm excited to start those, too!
3-3:30pm: Jacob usually wakes up around this time, and we sit on the couch and eat a snack while watching Curious George
4pm: wake and nurse
4:30pm: dad gets home! party!
I've started to go for runs during this time, or we'll go for a walk as a family or play in the backyard.
5:30pm: Judd goes down for his last nap, and I start dinner
6pm: Judd wakes up just as we're sitting down to eat, this is also when he gets his medicine, so we usually just give it to him at the dinner table
7pm: Judd starts bathtime in the kitchen sink while Jacob is drinking a smoothie and watching Bubble Guppies in family room
7:15pm: Judd starts his bedtime bottle (6oz of breastmilk)
7:30pm: Jacob starts bath
7:45pm: Judd is down for the night
8pm: Jacob is down for the night

Josh and I divide and conquer at bedtime. I give Judd a bath. Josh gives him a bottle, while I start Jacob's bath. Once Judd is done with his bottle, Josh hands him off to me to nurse a bit and put him to bed. Josh then takes over Jacob's bath and puts him to bed.

Once the kids go to bed, Josh and I try to reconnect, talk about the day or anything important, we watch a show together and drink wine, then I pump and shower and we're usually in bed by 9:30pm.