First Day of School

Today was Henry's first day of preschool.  What a proud Momma he made me!  He was super excited to wear his new backpack (one with flames on it that he picked out himself...much to Daddy's dismay) and get to school as soon as he could this morning.  He gave me a big hug when Teacher Lori opened the classroom door and walked into his first classroom ever with confidence (but a bit shy).  When we picked him up, he was all smiles and told me all about the fun stuff he got to do.  He proclaimed the watercolor painting the best part and said he wanted to show me his artwork the next time we go to school.  He also enjoyed the "cheese crackers in the BIG box" for snack.  I asked if he played with other kids and he indicated "Yeah, mom, both boys and girls.  But, only two girls.  Not lots of girls."  He said he wants to go back, so I proclaim the first day of school a success!  Such a relief since Henry has never been to daycare or left with a stranger for that matter. He's become such a big boy!  And as for me, I am happy to report that I had emotions of excitement rather than sadness this morning.  I am super thrilled about this new chapter in our family story.

3.5 Years Old

Henry has become a Lego kid.  He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES Legos.  Grandma Sherry recently purchased him a new Gold Mine Lego set, which has provided hours and hours of entertainment.  The Gold Mine set is extra special because it was purchased in honor of Great-Grandma Lindquist who passed about 8 years ago.  After recently selling the family home that Grandpa Keith grew up in, they used a bit of the proceeds to take each of the grandchildren shopping for an extra special toy.  Great-Grandma Lindquist was known for spoiling her grandkids so the shopping trip for this Lego was a nice tribute.  THANK YOU to both Grandma Sherry and Great-Grandma Lindquist.

Henry is a gentle, loving big brother.  Here, he's giving Russ a kiss on the forehead.  So sweet.  I am sure once Russ can touch/steal Henry's toys he might not always be so kind, but I'll cherish these sweet moments for the time being.

 Over the last year or so, Henry has become an increasingly picky eater.  I think this is pretty normal for toddlers/pre-schoolers.  The boy would eat anything (except raw tomatoes) as a baby, but those days are long gone.  I have been trying to come up with ways to encourage him to try new foods. But everything I have tried has been fought with resistance.  So, I have resorted to bribery...or I mean incentives...to get him to try new foods.  I figured it worked for potty training, so it could work here too. The "incentive" is a new toy (of his choosing) once he tries 20 new foods.  This picture is of banana stackers (Ritz crackers with peanut butter, bananas, and a few mini chocolate chips).  He actually really liked it, he even asked me to make them again the next day.  The next day I made homemade mini meatballs with marinara sauce and he asked for more, eight times!  He ate more than 40 marble sized meatballs, which is a huge success because there are very few meats that he will consume.  Hoping it continues to go well and he will be more open to trying new foods after this exercise.  It has been fun for me to come up with some new recipes too. 

We have been enjoying the summer together. I am so grateful that I have had the last eight weeks off from work to play full-time mom.  I have four more weeks off until I return to work and I intend to take full advantage.  Today, I armed Henry with a squirt gun. He thought it was great fun to squirt me, but even more fun to get squirted.  Silly boy.

Sleep Training - Transition to Crib

This is how/where Little Mister prefers to sleep.  As sweet as it is, after six weeks of being a baby-wearing, co-sleeping Momma, I decided it was time to start sleep training, in the sense of getting the boy to sleep in his crib.  My original ambition was to train Little Mister to sleep in his crib for both naps and nighttime, but after the first couple days, I threw out the nap time ambition and have been focusing only on nighttime for right now.  Here is a little snapshot of my progress so far:

Night 1: 3 minute intervals in crib, Momma lost patience after one hour and forty-five minutes and gave into co-sleeping

Night 2: 50 minutes (marked improvement over the first night)

Night 3: 8 hours with one feeding (hooray! feeling like a genius)

Night 4: Wouldn't last a minute before wailing, Momma lost patience after three hours and gave into co-sleeping (feeling like a failure, but determined)

Night 5: 8 hours 30 minutes with one feeding (yay!  regaining confidence)

Night 6: 5 hours 45 minutes with one feeding

Night 7: 8 hours 45 minutes with two feedings (best night yet!)

Night 8: 4 hours 45 minutes

Night 9: 5 hours with one feeding

As you can see it has been a bit of a roller coaster, but I think we are headed in the right direction.  I believe the key to any sleep training is persistence, consistency and determination.  It is exhausting!  At the beginning of each night I definitely am persistent, consistent and determined, but come the middle of the night, you can see my consistency and determination often slip a bit.   It is just "easier" to let him sleep with me and have ready access to his milk.  I often fall asleep while nursing him in the middle of the night and then I am too lazy to get up to move him back to his crib (I am better after the first feeding than the subsequent feedings, but some nights, I am too beat to even get up after the first feeding). I am trying to be much more gentle with myself this time around and not beat myself up over inconsistency, so I am okay with the progress we've made.  A week and a half ago, he wouldn't sleep by himself at all, so I feel like even a few hours is a huge improvement.  Having him start each night in his crib has also helped me maintain my bedtime routine with Henry (which he appreciates...and demands...).  I have been putting Russ to bed first the last three nights and then focusing my attention on Henry.  It has been working out so much better than trying to get Henry to bed first while Russ is super fussy (he has earned his nickname "fussy Russy" (especially in the evenings)).   Work in progress, work in progress...

Birthday Week at the Beach

Last week we spent the week at the beach. It also happened to be my birthday. I thought it was the perfect way to celebrate. Russ liked the fresh sea air and the wind didn't bother him a bit (Henry hated the wind as an infant).

 Henry is such a water baby.  The freezing temperature of the ocean doesn't phase him in the least!

In Henry's book, it isn't a proper trip to the beach until you get covered in sand from nose to toes, literally.

 A little father-son bonding time. Brings me joy to watch.

 His smile was my favorite birthday present!

Watching Henry and Daddy walk hand-in-hand warms my heart. This was also the evening we spread the ashes of our beloved Sophie. She loved the beach more than anywhere else, so I am glad that it is her final resting place.

My folks came for a visit as well and Henry recruited Grandpa Jim to build him a Lego monster truck transporter. Legos are now Henry's number one favorite toy.

Little Mister kept Mommy on her toes as he spent more time awake. It is yet to be determined if those beautiful eyes will ultimately be blue (like his Daddy's eyes) or brown (like his Mommy's eyes). He has started to smile now, but I have yet to capture a good one in a photo.

Three Year Old Portrait

A bit delayed in posting, but here is Little Man in all is three year old glory.  His smile still melts my heart!

Newborn Portraits

Here are some of my favorite shots from Russ' newborn session.

Summer Fun

Man I wish I was sleeping this peacefully, for more than a couple hours at a time at least.  Russ prefers to sleep either on or next to someone about 90% of the time.  I usually get lucky in the mornings and he will sleep independently for an hour or two.  Work in progress.  I still really hope that he will be sleeping independently at night (at least for a a good portion of the night) by the time I return to work so that I don't become a complete zombie.  Fingers crossed.

 I love to watch him wake up from a nap and stretch out.  His expressions are priceless.

Russ is spending a bit more time each day awake and alert.  He is even starting to focus on things.  I am looking forward to his smile arriving.  He is still growing like a weed.  Last Tuesday at his two-week appointment (17 days old), he weighed in at 8lbs 1.5oz and measured 21 inches long.  Dr. E said he as really happy with his weight gain and said he "looks really healthy."  The next day, Russ was circumcised.  He was less than thrilled with life that afternoon (really fussy), but didn't have any signs of discomfort after that.  By Monday, his man parts were all healed up. 

Meanwhile, Big Brother Henry is continuing to be quite the helper around the house.  On a recent morning, we made zucchini bread together (and he actually ate it, despite the green flecks). 

 Henry has been a trooper while I nurse Russ around the clock.  He often plays Legos or Playdoh (pictured) while I nurse.  He loves to build.  His imagination continues to blossom everyday.  He built me a ice cream factory earlier this morning out of Legos.

We also try to get outside everyday for a little fresh air.  Mommy melts though in the heat, so we often wait until the evening hours when the yard is shaded.

  

This is Henry trying to get Mommy and Russ wet! He thought it was soooooo funny to squirt me.

We have been playing up the "big boy" role with Henry since Russ has been born, which Henry seems to take pride in.  Yesterday, we treated Henry to his first trip to the movie theater to see Planes: Fire and Rescue, just the three of us.  He LOVED it.  He behaved really well too, siting in his own seat quietly the entire time.  Russ stayed home with my mom (and thankfully took a bottle).  It is bittersweet realizing that Henry is no longer a baby, but indeed a big boy, yet so thrilling to get to experience new things with him. I am happy to report that he seems to be getting back into the groove of things with his attitude and potty training.  Not to say he has exited the "terrifying threes," but he seems to be back to his normal "spirited" self, rather than in a particularly colorful mood.  Incentives (aka bribes) have helped to get us back on track with the accidents.

The little stinker refused to pose for a picture!  I still love him nonetheless. : )