Thomas Update: 7 Months

This month you're really leaving the infant stage, sitting up and playing and feeding yourself a bit even.  You really have enjoyed all the outdoor time as the weather has warmed up.  Mama never thought to put you in a  swing at the playground yet, but daddy popped you in and you loved it.  And then you mastered sitting in the grocery cart at the store.  You're getting to be a big boy! 

Weight: ??
Length: ??  6-9, 9-12 month clothes, size 3 diapers
Feeding:   We fed you as recommended last month, waiting appropriately lengths of time between new foods.  But now, we're trying a bit more of a baby led weaning approach.  We've still done a lot of purees (Beech nut are my favorite, and you've had peaches, pears, spinach, zucchini, peas, orange, pineapple, mango and lots of other things), but we've also let you feed yourself bits of rice, chicken, cheese, eggs, and bananas.  Basically whatever we're having we pass a little to you.  Makes it easier for us all to eat together.  You've started on puffs too, though very few seem to get into your mouth. 
Sleeping:  Morning nap.  Afternoon nap.  Sleeping a good 10-12 hours at night about half of the time.  Still waking around 4:30 other days.  Still swaddled for almost all naps unless in the car seat.  You stay asleep a lot longer if you are in complete darkness.
Communicating: It's still pretty easy to read your cues, as to whether you are hungry, tired, or bored. You like music and will have spurts of babbling away. You are very ticklish and giggle a lot.
 Likes: Sitting in your bumbo next to your brother's train track, or your toy box.  When we stack towers for you to knock over.  Teethers.  Pulling hair and jewelry.  Being in the big boy stroller.
Dislikes:   Tummy time.  Starting to have a harder time being left with sitters (MOPS, gym, etc).
Growth Milestones:  Mastered sitting up.
Health:  Unfortunately another month of coughs and runny noses.  Hoping the spring weather helps you put these colds behind you.

 *Another late post just waiting on a photo.*

Me Am 3 and a Half

Elijah is definitely my takes-everything-literally child.  He will argue over semantics and is sometimes a little obstinate about being correct.  He is ALWAYS paying attention to the social interactions going on around him (unlike his older brother) and I'm always amazed at the things he picks up.  He finds just about everything we do exciting, and he loves talking to people on the phone.

He is a little too independent for his own good, but is so sensitive that I can't be harsh when correcting him.  His heart breaks when he thinks his older brother doesn't like him, and he is always the first to run and rescue Thomas from any bad situation (you know, like his toy rolls away).  He still wears his "big brother" shirts often with pride.

Eli is still obsessed with a train, and keeps asking to go to the train museum.  The couch is turned into a train daily, and Eli spends a lot of time using his map to plan trips, turning on the "train module" and of course "applying the breaks".  I recently coined the term "tresspassenger" when I didn't have a ticket, and since it had a name he thought it was okay for me to be unticketed.

My second born is definitely not a know-it-all like some of his family.  He will typcially say things like "Me have no idea!" or "That doesn't make any sense" even if he does know and understands.  He almost always counts incorrectly past four, unless there is a treat involved and then magically he can count into his teens.  He will NOT participate in any musical rhymes/dances/songs at story time (head-and-shoulders, etc) and just gives us all a look like we're ridiculous.  But he will go dance during the last song in church every week.  He's full on contradictions.

Some of my favorite sayings or quotes from him are:

Always saying "roof roof roof" whenever he talks about a roof (comes up more than you would think in an all boys household- this is from a Word World episode)

When I asked him about yoga in school, and if they did child's pose, he said his teacher's even do "grown-up pose"

Since “last night” is a phrase, he thinks “last day” is one as well.

Bubba’s craft, or “your craft” instead of Minecraft.  Theo’s craft.

“The pig was overjoyed to see his friend!”  -while transporting pig via train

“I’m/Me going to get a new mommy from the mommy store.”

Eli put on Chapstick “because me want to look pretty like mommy.”

*Again, I wrote this last month, but just now uploaded the photo.*  And Eli's measurements are about 37 inches tall, 35 lbs.  He's seemed to get really gangly lately.

Theo at Six: And a Cheetah Party

To usher in being six years old, Theodore decided to wake up at 5:00 with me and is currently working on his 249 piece Lego set he received yesterday for his birthday.  Neither of us could get back to sleep, so we may as well get some work done.  Being an early riser is a trait Theo and I share.  We have a lot of weekend mornings together while Eli and daddy sleep in.  Unfortunately, Theo also seems to be taking after me in the temper department (without the redhead excuse), in his running abilities (or lack of), and in his dedication to his "shows".  But, at least he's also taking after me in his quick math abilities, which should be helpful since he still professes the want to be a builder when he grows up (hence the two hundred and forty nine piece Lego set he needs almost no assistance with).  It made my heart sing a little when he got his first report card and his highest "grade" is in mathematics.

 And here are some fun numbers while we're talking math.  Theodore is twice as old as Eli, and twelve times as old as Thomas.  He is 1/3 of the way to college (!!).  He's now been with me more than 1/5 of my life.  Since he is in a mixed age class of 5 to 7 year olds, he isn't the largest always but is a sturdy 48 inches and 60+lbs.  He is still in size 1 shoes, so at least his feet took a break from growing.  He isn't the most athletic kid (like his parents), so he dreams of having the speed of a cheetah, (65 mph).

Theo is officially a big boy now.  All the softness to his chubby baby face is gone, as is the softness to his personality. I can describe it best by saying he has sharp edges now.  It's not so much that he is headstrong as much as it is that he is always in his own little world. And being told to alter his world (turn off a favorite show, asked to slow down, and being told he can't do things) causes immediate little fits of anger.  And add a little brother who has his own ideas and contributions while they are playing and there is a lot of bickering between the the two.  I say that it is easier to have the 6 month old and 3 year old both, than to have Theodore.  It's like the temperature of the house raises several degrees every time when he comes home from school and my blood pressure increases.  He is just a bit of a fireball to have around.

But when it's just him (and electronics aren't around), he's still a pretty great kid.  He seems to be navigating school well, and doesn't consider himself one of the "bad kids".  Most days he says are "pretty good".  Packing or buying lunch is a pretty important part of his day.  He gets very excited to pick out new library books, and likes art as well.  He would rather learn science and nature info all day, rather than learning to read and write (though he is excited for first grade, when they only have to use one finger space when writing instead of two), so most of his favorite shows and Kindle apps help with this.  He was recently assigned to study an animal and make a diorama for school, so he's been researching the cheetah.  We ended up designing his birthday party around cheetahs, giving him a cheetah cake and visiting the zoo for the day with both his grandmas, Aunt Nae Nae and grandpa.  Luckily, they were out, and he even got to watch a cheetah gnaw on a carcass as the zoo has began feeding the lions and cheetahs carcasses.  Watching the lionesses really go after theirs was pretty neat.  And Theodore was kind not to mention that that napkins and plates I found were actually leopard spots, and not cheetah.  The things I've had to learn since having all boys...

*Sorry so late... took a while to get the photos on here.*

Teeth Update:  2 gone (Feb. 17)

Where we are.

So I haven't been blogging much since Thomas was born.  Which I hate, because lots of tiny little memories will be lost in this time.  If I don't have a photo, or a written account of something, I just seem to have a hard time remembering it.  I really need to start using some of those brain building memory apps because I swear I have the worst memory ever.  So, here are a few little moments I'd hate to forget from lately.

At a drive thru recently, I decided to switch my normal beverage and order a root beer.  From the backseat I hear this.  "Beer?  Me LOVE beer!"  Oh Eli.  Always listening.  Not sure what gave him that idea.

Theodore lost his second tooth while we were reading in bed on the 17th.  Brian normally does bedtime stories, so I was glad I was reading to Theo this night.  He just popped it out like it was nothing.  The tooth fairy almost missed her window, but luckily Theo forgot to check when he woke up.  She left $1.  "Cash" as he calls it.  Eli was just as excited that "the tooth fairy came" as Theo was.

Thomas is very excited to be getting food now.  Apparently we're into vegetables, because he's had carrots, squash, and green beans.  And then prunes, as you can guess why.

Recently, we asked Eli if he needed to use the bathroom.  He stands in the middle of the living room fully clothed and yells, "no, See!" and proceeds to strain in an attempt to empty his bladder.  Thank goodness he was right.

At the zoo, we asked Eli what a wolf says.  He said, "Huff."  And, "puff."

After the blizzard last month, I took all three kids to the National Mall all by myself.  And didn't lose any of them or have serious injuries.  Anyone who has went anywhere with Theodore should find this a mini miracle. 

Theodore just read the number 249.  When did that happen?  Two hundred forty nine.

I'd really love to blog more, but besides having 3 children, 2 different school drop-offs, trying to lose the baby weight, focusing on healthy but cheap meals for dinner each night, and trying to keep my house together, we are trying to buy a permanent house finally.  After being married nearly ten years, we are finally somewhere we think we will be long enough, to settle.  And even though we don't have an official start date yet for my husband's new contract (which we need for the financing, thank you again, government red tape), and we have to be out of this house in five weeks since our land lady is conveniently moving back into the country right when his contract is up (can you catch my sarcasm), I am just too stressed out to be able to be coherent when writing.  But, here goes anyway.  I've got a few updates to tell about.

Thomas Update: 0.5 Years

This month, we learned that your snow suit is basically a swaddle since you can't move in it.  You really like to eat baby purees, but don't like having to process them.  Having your first little fall made you very, very angry with mama.  And you are quite ticklish.

Weight: 17 lbs 1 oz
Length: 26.75 inches, same size as last month
Feeding:   Nursing is the same, but we've added in some cereals and purees since you have been so interested in dinner time.  You've tried squash, green beans, rice cereal, prunes, and bits of our bananas.
Sleeping:  About the same as last month.  A few more all night sleeps, but also a few nights you needed lots of snuggles because your cold made it hard to sleep.
Communicating:  We found your tickle spots, and you're quite a little giggler now.  Realized how much you like music and singing, something mama isn't great at providing.  Still chattering a little more each month.  You definitely save the best smiles for mama and dada.
 Likes: Sitting in your bumbo next to your brother's train track, or your toy box.
Dislikes:   Bathing has become your least favorite thing.  And laying flat on your back. 
Growth Milestones:  Sitting up more and more.
Health:  Still a running cold.

Thomas Update: 5 Months

This was a fun month, starting with our big road trip to Indiana for Christmas, beginning the new year, and having a nice mild start to winter.  You've had some big changes this month. You're finding your little laugh, love to be vertical most of the time, and are getting to be at expert with your chubby little hands.

Weight: 17.5 lbs
Length: 25.5 inches, 9 month clothes really fit best, but I squeeze you into most of the 6 month things still.  Mostly cloth but some size 3 diapers.  (Same length, and a pound shy of Eli at this age.)
Feeding:  Normally 1 early morning, second breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, first supper, and second supper.  Typically just 15 minutes a time, but sometimes 30.  You are in that stage where you love to hold on to every "thing" and pinch and grab.  Makes feedings a little less fun.  You may have had a tiny taste of banana cream to sooth your gums, but we'll wait until next month to really start food.
Sleeping:  We have tried your crib a few times, but you still prefer to sleep in the little rocker thing until about 4/5 when you wake to eat.  Napping is changing drastically, as you are now sleeping for a very long morning nap about two hours after you wake up, and then little to no evening nap.  Makes life a bit different.
Communicating:  You don't get much time to talk with your brothers always making noise.  But you will chatter if we all give you quiet time.  You still give great big smiles when you see your family and will make some giggles. 
 Likes: Being in the door-way jumper (super baby with Eli), exersauser, any toys that rattle or crinkle and moving toys from hand to hand. 
Dislikes:   Teething, loud noises (including the vaccum)
Growth Milestones:  Still not rolling much.  Still working to sit up a little better on your own.
Health:  Nothing more than a runny nose.

 And your eyes are still grey.  But so were Eli's at this age.

Thomas Update: 4 Months

The last month kind of disappeared on us!  How did you become a four month old?  We've enjoyed your first Thanksgiving, and gearing up for your first Christmas, and I'm not sure where the time has gone.  You've been a great trooper at all of your brothers' Christmas programs and activities, though you're not liking riding in your car-seat as often if it is dark out (during the daytime you are still fine though and fall asleep).  Let's cross our fingers for this big car trip we've got upcoming.

Weight: 15 lbs, 9 oz
Length: 25 1/2 inches, mostly into 6-12 month clothes now, about to switch into size 3 diapers
Feeding:  Still nursing about 6 to 7 times a day.  Starting to pinch a lot more.   
Sleeping:   Same as last month, had a few more all night sessions which I appreciate.  Considering moving you to the crib after Christmas.  Have been figuring out your schedule a little, and you basically will be awake about 1.5-2 hours at a time before taking a nap, which you do at least three times a day or more if you are disturbed frequently.
Communicating:  Being quick to fuss if you don't like a change of scenery (moving from mama's arms to the swing/chair/etc).  Letting us know when you are bored and would like some toys to play with.  You love anything you can get your little fingers into and move around.
 Likes: being upright and near us, which makes your ability to sit in the bumbo now very helpful, playing with toys, your Mam pacifiers or chewing on your hands
Dislikes:  you switch between loving to splash in your bath, and crying through it, sometimes even in the same bath-time
Growth Milestones:  Rolled front to back.  Once.  Tried the doorway jumper recently, and you liked it, and ended up falling asleep in it pretty quickly.
Health:  Good check-up.  No worries (though you are lighter than your brothers were, but I'm not complaining).  Not a fan of four separate shots when they were out of the combination vaccine this time.

And your eyes have yet to turn to brown.  Fingers crossed.

Writing to Santa in Kindergarten

Last week we got to go on base for the lab's annual open house, and they boys were pretty excited to see Santa.  Theo decided to ask for the current library book he has checked out (he desperately wants to be a first grader because they get to check out two library books, and library is one of the highlights of Kindergarten for him).  Elijah stuck with wanting... a train.  What a surprise.  He would like a batter powered one that works again.

I loved how the photos turned out.

Meanwhile, Theodore is becoming quite the little writer, and from what I hear about school, writer's workshop is one of his favorite times.  I encouraged him to write a letter to Santa to see what he could do, and even without his word wall and list of site words to guide him, he did a great job writing this (please excuse all the backward S's and d's).

*For those of you less inclined to decipher the letter, here it is with correct spelling. 
"Dear Santa Claus,
I haven't been perfect, but I have been good.  I would like a girl scout oven.  I would like some candy.  I would like an Ipad.  I will be in Indiana.  From Theodore"

On the last day of school before break, his school actually hosted a "writer's celebration".  I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but it was a time of singing chants and songs, sharing their writing with us, and leaving school a little early laden with treats and gifts.  It's a genius idea really, to get the parents to come pick up their students a little early from school the last day before break and help them navigate getting everything they have home.  (Add fundraiser pickups of wrapping paper, spirit wear, and poinsettias and I looked a site leaving like a pack-horse with all three boys.)

Displayed on the bulletin board.

After the program, in his snowman hat.

Theodore was proud of several of his "small moment narratives" he shared with me, including: Brian recently getting pulled over by the police and getting a ticket, a based-on-true-life tail of the Delaware earthquake when he was a baby, and a pretty accurate picture of Christmas morning at his Grandma K's house complete with a picture of her tree (with a fireplace on tv) and her staircase.  Surprisingly, watching him learn to write has been even more exciting than watching him become a reader, and I love all the phonetic spelling and trying to figure out what he writes.  Gone are the days of kindergarten we had where we wrote on that special wide ruled large writing paper.  They use advanced writing templates with a checklist for editing at the top. 

Advent: A Season of Waiting Anxiously

We are already a week into advent, and I'm just now getting a post up.  Last year, I was so on top of this season.  I had weekly calendars for Theodore and all our events lined out neatly in a row.  (See those posts here.)  And while I loved making them (calendars make me happy), this year we've just got so much more going on that I'm taking a more free-flowing planning to the season.  I'm basically putting down unchangable events on the calendar, and then putting sticky notes for everything else I want to do with the boys.  And the boys are leaving many greasy fingerprints on my beautiful wall calendar as they repeatedly count the days until Christmas.  Elijah also made a paper chain in school that he is using to help us count down, and is so serious about ripping one off each day.  So, while they may not line up exactly with each day of advent, these are the Christmas/winter activities we have lined up for this year (and past posts about our favorites, since realistically I'm not going to be getting much more than photos posted this year). 

1. Hanging of the Greens at Church (Check:  Theo did well, Elijah looked extremely grumpy to be put to work helping carry wreaths and candles during this beautiful service.)
2. Advent Log at Dinner Time (In progress:  Our boys get so excited to light this and blow it out each night.  Unfortunately, one or more of us have something every single night this week so we're not going to get many family meals in this week.)
3. Christmas Books @ Bedtime (In progress:  See our books here and here.)
4. Tiny Tots Concert (Check:  Field trip with Elijah's class, was fun and went will.  He was most excited to see Elmo and Frozen, and still doesn't know who Spongebob is.  I wrote about our first visit here.)
5. Snowball Fun Run @ School (Check:  It was a beautiful day, and Thomas, Eli, and I enjoyed cheering Theoon.  Theo is still so excited when I volunteer at his school.  His friends pat Eli on the head and like to see him.)
6. Dumfries Christmas Parade (Check:  Enjoyed handing out a million candy canes with the boys.  Theo had a bit of a wreck, but recovered ok, and Elijah was so cute stopping to get candy canes out of the trunk of his tricycle to hand out.  Thomas slept through the whole thing.)
7. Getting Our Tree @ Evergreen Acres, Decorating It (Check:  Apparently, this may be our last real tree.  I sneezed so many times as we were at the farm.  Hoping I'm not getting an allergy!)  See more about the farm here.
8. Chili Potluck at Church (In progress:  As in, the sugar cream pie is in the oven and the puppy chow is cooling on the table.  The only reason this post is getting done is because it takes over an hour to cook this pie, and I couldn't get back to sleep after feeding Thomas so I decided to cook it at 3 AM.)
9.  Make, decorate, distribute, and swap cookies.  Repeat.
10. Nutcracker (There is a children's performance of this at a local high school.) 
11. Preschoolers & Trains (A friend is hosting a train decorating party at her house for Eli this week.)
12. Mail Letters to Santa
13. Work Open House (Brian's annual open house at his work.  I've been told there will be gingerbread decorating, and the boys will get to discuss things with Santa.)
14. Winter Dance (Theo's school is hosting a k-5 dance for families.)
15. Donate gifts (pjs at school, angel trees, etc.)
16. Nursing Home with Mops (Spending time with some of the residents there and spreading Christmas cheer.)
17. Make yearly ornaments with boys.
18. Christmas Lights in PJs (Driving around the neighborhoods.  My boys are absolutely thrilled by Christmas lights.)
19. Brian's Work Party (Holiday party with Brian's colleagues.)
20. Parade of the Magi  (Hoping Elijah will sing a little more than he did for the Thanksgiving program.  This was Theo's performance last year.)
21.  Zoo Lights (I wrote about our first post, here.  And general zoo information, here.)
22. Christmas Program at Church (Theo is slated to be a shepherd with a line to say, while Eli is reluctant to be a sheep.  We'll see how this goes.)
23. Make and mail cards.
24. Living Nativity (Dec. 11-12, 6:30pm.  Previous year, here.)
25. DC Trains (Last year's post, here.)  Planning to do this with cousins in a couple weeks.
26. And finally, go see family!  We will pack the boys up, put on the Polar Express, and head to grandmas' houses where we will do gingerbread houses, see the walkway of the lights, and enjoy celebrating the birth of Jesus!

And believe it or not, this is a pared down list.  I'd love to be able to visit New York City, hit up the D.C. Marketplace, go to a snow and story time at the ice rink, and visit National Harbor's Christmas exhibits, but I don't think we're going to fit those things in this year.  Maybe next year!

Thanksgiving Momentos/Photos 2015

Between all the pre-school and kindergarten crafts, this year Thanksgiving has been extremely cute.  We started doing a nightly round of what we are thankful for weeks ago, and but it was neat to see what things rose to the top in their school projects.

Eli's tree:  (he says Thomas everytime I ask, even though he was missing from his tree)

Theo's Writing:
"I am thankful for... pezz be cz it is so yu me anb Be cz it is so gud"

Have I mentioned how much I love watching him become a writer! 

At school, Theodore represented Brian's side of the family (his 12th and 13th Great Grandparents were on the Mayflower), while Elijah represented my side of the family (his 4th Great Grandmother was of the Miami tribe).

And Thomas got to wear some fun turkey items that were originally Eli's, but didn't get to enjoy any of the delicacies of Thanksgiving, except maybe a tiny taste of pumpkin that confused him greatly.  He'll have to wait until next year to enjoy some pie.

Thomas Update: 3 Months

 It seems like we're finally getting into our groove now.  This last month you've spent some time celebrating Halloween and then mama's birthday, meeting two of your great grandparents, and spending time at Theodore's school activities.  The ladies at the gym love holding you, and you are still quiet as a mouse most church services.  I can't complain at all with how happy you are most of the time, and you give me the best smiles every time you see me indicating you want picked up and cuddled.  I feel like I've held you more often than I held your brothers, but that may be because at this point I was heading back to work after having both of them, but with you I am with you all the time.

Weight: 13 lbs, 10 oz
Length: ?? inches, 3-6 months clothes, though I think many of your brother's old things must have shrunk because some barely fit.  You still seem on the tall side.  We switched to size 2 diapers once we ran out of 1s, and finally started putting you in cloth diapers.
Feeding:  Same as last month, though the hiccoughs seem much less now.  You are incredibly patient, having to sometimes wait on your meals when I'm busy with your brothers. 
Sleeping:  We had our first all night sleep session at about 10 weeks old, and have repeated it several times now.  Most of the nights you wake up around 4:00 though to eat.  You're finally spending more time awake so we can differentiate between naps and awake time, but you still nap three or four times throughout the day depending on our schedule.  Swaddling you is key to a good night's sleep.
Communicating:  As a third born, you're excellent at using smiles to get and keep anyone's attention.  Whenever you coo your brothers like to dictate what they think you are saying.
 Likes: bedtime stories, cuddles, and riding in your stroller
Dislikes:  you still don't like when your brother's get in your personal space, you hate being cold (winter is going to be a bit difficult) and of course you can get hangry just like the rest of your family
 Growth Milestones:  Using your hands much more and huge, immediate smiles.
Health:  You finally got through your first cough, and then developed a new one.  Some saline treatments have helped in clearing up your current cough.

Not a Doctor (Halloween 2015!)

This year, Elijah was 100% sure he was going to be a train.  No amount of parental persuasion was going to change that (despite the fact that we realized how cumbersome a train could be for a little three year old).  While I was hoping for the three little pigs (maybe next year), coordinating outfits were not to be this year.  Theo, on the other hand, didn't really have a clear idea and vacillated from one costume choice to another.  After a fun visit to the dentist (and seeing his permanent teeth under his baby teeth on the x-rays), he decided on being a dentist and I jumped on board (loved the simplicity factor).  I knew that most people would think he was a doctor/surgeon, but we went with it anyway.  And my third child, became a spider for his first Halloween.  Mostly because it was super easy and Eli has always had a love for spider webs and has recently taken to saying, "Spiders are me friend!"  So, it was just meant to happen.

The train basically came together from two cardboard boxes, an oatmeal container, and lots of duct tape.  Eli was adamant that the train have a snow-catcher on the front, and a smoke stack with lots of smoke.  We used brass fasteners to attach the wheels, and my favorite part was the push light headlight, which was very helpful on this dark Halloween night.

Theo's get-up is simply a set of scrubs we bought on Amazon, accessorized with a doctor tool and toothbrush in his pocket, and his set of x-rays.  While we had also ordered a white coat, it was apparently lost in the mail so he did without.

Thomas's costume included a black onesie, black pants, and 3 pairs of black socks.  I stuffed some filling in them and safety pinned them in place.  So easy, and I can still use everything from his costume once I unhook it all.  I know I wasted the perfect age to make a fun costume using his carrier, but Halloween just came way to fast this year for me to get something else together.  And, he was pretty adorable.  His brothers were so excited to see him as a spider that they actually looked at the camera and smiled simultaneously.

Thomas Update: 2 Months

The second month of your life you got to spend a week on vacation with just mama and dada, and spent the other weeks getting into our fall routine: school drop-offs and pick-ups, church, library story times, MOPS meetings, grocery shopping (or more like getting covered with groceries since there is no room in the cart with your car seat) visits to farms, soccer, and going to the nursery at the rec center. 

Weight: 12 lbs, 6 oz
Length: 24 inches, 0-3 months (getting too tall for newborn), size 1 diapers (about to start cloth)
Feeding:  Still the same, nursing about every 3-4 hours, but often only for 10-15 minutes a time.  Much less frequently than your brothers nursed, which may be why they weighed a lot more than you by this time.  You do eat more in the evenings, and varying amounts at night.  Even less spitting up this month and less hiccoughs (though still a lot of them).
Sleeping:  You are still a pretty sleepy baby.  You will spend some periods of time awake now, mostly in the evening hours when everyone is home with you.  And when awake, you want to be held.  But you will spend some time looking at mobiles in your bed or swing, and laying under your jungle gym, as long as mama is nearby.  Your favorite places to sleep are the car seat/stroller, your rocker, or with mama.  I may have placed you near the running dishwasher or in the bathroom with the vent on to prolong some nap times.  White noise is definitely your friend.  At night you'll go 5 or 6 hours before waking, eat, and go right back to sleep.
Communicating:  You started cooing at us this month, and it's pretty adorable.  You like sticking your tongue out at us and promptly starting giving the best smiles at 6 weeks of age.  You've even given a few smiles to your brothers.
Likes:  You still love your warm baths, going for walks in the stroller (or anytime you get fresh air and sun outside), and cuddling mama.
Dislikes:  tooting, when your brothers get inside your personal space
Growth Milestones:  Holding head up during tummy time, and grasping anything "string-like".
Health:  You avoided the worst of Elijah and I's shared feverish colds, but you did come out with a pretty barking cough.  It is such a sad sound.

Week 5-8.

The Old Becomes New: AZ Trip

Brian normally goes to a couple conferences a year, but I normally don't get to go with him.  We have discovered much of the Northeast when we have picked him up after conferences in MA and ME, but I've never spent the whole week with him at a conference.  Until, the perfect opportunity came up.

Brian was able to present a talk at a conference (on microbial electrochemistry) at none other than our joint alma mater, Arizona State University!  So, I tagged along and turned this into a "babymoon" for us, where we had an intense amount of time together for a couple with a newborn.  It was definitely a great way to reconnect with each other in a place we love, and spoil our youngest with mama's undivided attention.

While I normally love our road trips, there was definitely something special to staying at the same hotel (and a nice one at that) for four straight days.  Without a car.  Being able to just enjoy life for a few days without having to cook or clean or pickup after two boys was pretty relaxing in itself.  Doing it in the hot weather of Arizona surrounded by so many of my favorite places made it amazing.  (Though, it was pretty exhausting for Brian, as conferences normally are.  I found it relaxing though.)

Things I forgot about AZ:
1.  It is seriously hot.  By dry heat, we mean that it's the heat that basically sucks all the moisture out of your eyes.  Like when you open an oven door, every time you step outside. I went through about 3 shirts the first day we were there because I was sweating so much.  It was over 100 when we arrived.

2.  There is almost no better sensation than the mist of cold water from a patio mister in aforementioned heat.

3.  I love dining al fresco!  I forgot how much of it AZ has.

But mostly, so many memories came flooding back as soon as we hit campus.  But for everything that was familiar to us, there was something brand new next door.  Lots of large construction projects that we watched for years are now completed: the West 6th skyscrapers, Biodesign Institute, and the light rail (metro) to name a few.  And when walking down Mill Ave we were shocked at how almost all the restaurants and businesses have turned over... only a few we knew (and luckily our favorites) were still in existence (Slices, Rula Bula, Chuckbox, and the Phoenician Cafe are still going, as well as Oreganos, Nellos, Los Olivos, and Four Peaks in other parts of town too).  The hardest decisions on this trip were what restaurants to eat at.  We did get to see a few friends, which was awesome and grounding to see that some things hadn't changed in Tempe (though lots of our friends and colleagues from our time in Arizona have also moved on out of the area).

While Brian was at the conference, I did things I can not normally do with three boys under my care:  like going in the hot tub at sunrise, eating meals at restaurants without play areas at a leisurely pace, visiting the Phoenix Art Museum (which actually had a lot of great things for an infant to look at), having long conversations with my husband, and just rediscovering Tempe and Phoenix on my own.  It gave me so much time to reflect on where I am in life, and where I've been.  I kept thinking how I first set foot in Arizona 12 years ago, and in another 12 years Theodore will be finding his place on a college campus.

Once the conference was over Brian and I had a little time left to head to Scottsdale and up to Sedona together, and I dragged him out of bed at 6am so we could hike A Mountain once more before we flew back East.

We rediscovered how hard it is to take photos with an infant, who can't even be propped up yet due to lack of head control.  But, here are a few of our favorite photos from this fantastic trip.

This used to be my favorite fountain...

but at least the donkey is the same.

 

Thomas's first National Monument:  Montezuma's Well.

Thomas made two trips up A Mountain.

Now we just can't wait to return with the rest of our boys.