Annual Personality Picture

The title of this post is clearly due to a lack of imagination.  I mean, really... "Annual Personality Picture"??  I even asked my mom and we couldn't come up with anything better.  So, if YOU can come up with a better title for these yearly pics, I'm all ears :)

Luckily, the lame title takes nothing away from the awesome picture!  These are so fun to make and I look forward to assembling them together for her one day (maybe her 18th birthday?).  Of course, Caleb will have his own set too one day!

Without further ado, may I present to you my precious amazing beautiful sweet 2-year-old:

And, just in case you are interested in last years:

http://www.dippedintogod.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-i-made-from-picnikcom.html

Mr. Man! 5 Months Old

My little big guy is 5 months old!  Precious child. 

This past month he learned to sit up.   He still topples down often, but he can sit unaided anywhere from 10 to 45 seconds.  It may not seem like much, but I am so happy and proud!  With Autumn, I wanted time to go by sloooowly.  I didn't want her to sit up or crawl or anything (sounds crazy, I know).  However, with Caleb, I am looking forward to him being able to sit on a blanket and play with some toys outside on a blanket.  It will just make life a bit easier I think.  Every milestone he meets is so fun and exciting and the best part is that I'm not sad about it at all!  Here are some shots I tried to get of him sitting by himself, but it was more of a 10 second kind of day so they aren't the best.

"Mom, this isn't working"

"Hmmm...I think I like sitting up"

He is still all about his fingers and (left) thumb.  I go back and forth between what I think about thumbs and pacifiers.  The thought of a pacifier seems nice because you can take it away, but with both of my kids I found that you pretty much have to train your child to take a pacifier.  A thumb was found so naturally by both of my children and in the early years is such a lifesaver since it is attached.  I guess time will tell if thumbs were the way to go! (As in, I really hope they quit the thumb on their own before Kindergarten!)

fingers

thumb

Decisions, decisions. 

Before he got sick, he would smile all the time and seemed very chill.  He would hang out in his bouncy seat or his high chair for 30 minutes at time.  Recently, he has started laughing out loud when you tickle him! So much fun!  Would you believe that Autumn did laugh out loud until she was one?!?!?!  It's true...she used to suck her air in instead of out.  It was pretty hilarious, but I remember how totally excited I was when she started laughing outward :)

I started giving him cereal once a day.  It's a month early, but whatever.  I waited 7 months with Autumn and  5 with him.  It's not an exact science, right?  He loves it so that's good. 

"Yum, yum, yum"

Let's see, he chews on everything.  He especially loves other people's fingers!  He will toss his toy aside, grab my hand, and shove it in his mouth!  I really don't like it, but I'll admit if it keeps him happy and content, I let him :)  Sometimes it actually kind of hurts though.  Those little gums are strong!  Still no sign of teeth, which is one milestone I'm not looking forward to.  Autumn still hasn't got all her teeth in & I was really hoping for a teething break, but it looks like I might not get one unless her last 4 teeth pop up tomorrow!  I think she started "sprouting" teeth at 8 months so that gives him 3 more toothless months. 

His favorite toys are, predictably, chew toys and rattles.  Oh, and his sister.  If he is fussy, I will tell Autumn to go talk to him and it almost always works.  That is a good feeling!  I can't wait until they can really start playing together. 

Nursing is going pretty good.  He is gaining weight really good.  He totally gets distracted so I try to feed him away from Autumn when at all possible.  He is totally not even close to sleeping through the night!  Earlier in the month he was only waking up once in 12 hours, but then he got a double ear infection and last night he woke up 3 times!! Grrrr!  Not sure what to do about that!

He weighs 17 pounds (75%) and is 25.5 inches long (75%)

Now, some fun random pics! I saved the BEST picture for last and I am totally obsessed with it!

I think he looks so much like a "guy" in this picture! Haha

He sucks on his bottom lip all the time and it is the cutest thing ever!

OBSESSED I TELL YOU :) 

This picture is so getting blown up and hung somewhere in my house!

Mama Zombie

If anyone out is thinking that it seems like a good idea to give birth to a second (or third or fourth) baby while your husband is deployed, I'm going to strongly suggest you consider otherwise.  I would never, ever, ever, ever, never choose to do this again.  Really, never, ever.  Really.  So, maybe I am completely sleep deprived and frustrated right now, but still.  You've been warned.  It sounds hard, right?  Well, it is actually way harder than it sounds.  Truth.  


My 5-month-old was up at 2:30, then my 2-year-old was up at 3.  Then my 2-year-old was up at 4 and stayed up until 6:30 & my 5-month old was up from 4:30-6:30.  It is now 6:55 and they are both sleeping and I may be tired, but I am showered which is more than I can say for some days.  Why won't my babies sleep?  The answer is "I have no freaking idea why they aren't sleeping better".   


I do know that my daughter (the 2-year-old) was an excellent sleeper (started sleeping through the night at about 10 weeks old) until my husband deployed and we moved into my parent's house (we chose to do that because we were stationed in Germany and I was pregnant).  She still sleeps through the night most of the time, but she has these phases where she won't.  And, honestly, she hasn't been the same since Chris came home and left from R&R.  Those two have a bond that is beyond me.  I'm happy about it and all, but it makes for really hard days and nights when she is missing him!  Plus, I've been holding Caleb a lot more than normal since he got his ear infections and it is making Autumn a bit insecure and needy.


My son I'm really at a loss about.  He just isn't a very good sleeper.  He is old enough and certainly big enough (17 pounds) to be sleeping for more than 4 hours at a time.  He doesn't nap very well either.  I've decided to focus on him napping better in hopes that it will bleed over into nighttime sleep.  I am going to try to get him to sleep for 1.5 hours for naps (rock him or let him cry or whatever so when he wakes up after 45 mins, he'll learn to go back to sleep).   This is new ground for me since my daughter took 2 or 2.5 hour naps!  Oh, how different they are.  Not just with sleeping, but with everything.   You think "a baby is a baby is a baby" until you have two and then you realize how utterly foolish you have been to think that!


In good news, Caleb's ears are cleared up.  However, since I have practically been holding him non-stop since he first got his infections 2 weeks ago, he now thinks that if someone isn't holding him, his life will end.  Well, that's how he acts anyway.  I have no idea how to break him of this except let him cry, which I don't want to do, but I will since I obviously can't hold him all the time.   It's fine for now because my mom and dad can help me out some, but in 4 weeks I'm completely on my own until Chris comes back which is who knows when!  So I need to break him of this insane habit now.  Also brand new territory for me.  He didn't used to mind sitting in his bouncy or playing on the floor mat, but now he screams!  It is so frustrating because I feel like I have given him a crutch that is going to make the next few days (while I break him of this habit) hard on him.  


I absolutely cannot wait until my husband is back with us.  I just know that we are needing him so much lately.   I think Autumn will sleep better and that will help me be able to focus on getting Caleb to sleep through the night.  His presence will also encourage me greatly and remind me how precious our children are and even though they are challenging right now, it is just a phase of life and once it's gone, I'll probably want it back.  That is the worst thing about single parenting.  Losing your vision for your children.  I am so bogged down in them needing me so much all the time that I never just enjoy them the way I used to and that is so sad.  It's really only been so crazy and emotionally draining since Caleb got sick 2 weeks ago.  I absolutely cannot imagine having a chronically sick child.  I feel for those families.  


And, I'd be lying if I didn't say that I am also looking forward to his return so this mama can catch a break every once in awhile ;)

Party Time (Autumn turns 2)!

We had Autumn's party and it was so fun!  I figure this would be the last birthday party where I was allowed to choose the theme (maybe I can squeak by when she turns 3?).  I chose hearts.  It was simple, but pretty and fun.  Here's some pics!

2 year olds are so silly!

The whole she-bang

Snacky snacks.  Chocolate dipped pretzels and cherry tarts from  I Can Teach My Child

Heart cups and fancy pink punch

Twig tree centerpiece from Tater Tots and Jello

Special Seat with Birthday Bear, Heart Balloon, and  Tissue Paper "A"  from  Made During Naptime

Happy Birthday Banner inspired by Today's Mama

Balloons on the mailbox.  I came up with this brilliant idea all on my own! Can you even imagine?!

Caleb got in on the action and he was unimpressed. 

Her favorite toys were:

Her trike

Her water table

Her fairy wings and tutu

And her baby doll

And, just for kicks, here is a picture from when she turned one:

Why do they grow up??

A Little R&R

Chris was able to come home for 2 weeks to visit last month.  He had been deployed for 9 months before he got his R&R.  That was not our original intention, but that is how it worked out.  The army is moving from 12 month deployments with a 2-week R&R to a 9 month deployment with no R&R.  I think that is a good thing.  When Chris left the first time, it was hard of course.  But this second time was absolutely killer.  Mostly for my daughter.  She is still struggling from the aftermath (3 weeks since he left I think).  She thought he was back for good I suppose.  We tried to explain it to her, but she's only two!  Plus, this time she knew he would be gone for a long time (because we told her) so she was terribly upset.  She is experiencing these big (as in BIG) emotions, but is not able to maturely process them and gain closure.  Of course, children are resilient and I don't believe she will be affected long-term, but it's hard right now.  


But, we did have fun while he was here!  Chris....

was greeted with fun signs...

was able to (finally) meet his son...

celebrated Autumn's 2nd birthday...

snuggled with his dog... 

and his babies...

celebrated Easter...

and spent time with his wifey!

We also took at a trip to visit his parents in WV, but didn't get a picture of them!  We went to the Gatlinburg Aquarium, but didn't get any pictures there either.  I think taking pictures everywhere you go is really hard to do!  I'm always too busy wrangling a child or two ;)

Overall, we were most certainly blessed by his visit and if the aftermath has been *ahem* challenging, it just emphasizes how much we love and need our husband/daddy around.

In other news, my baby boy is sick.  He has a double ear infection.  Currently, he is on his second round of antibiotics and getting worse.  Yes, worse.  He was on amoxicillian and is now taking Omnicef.  We're going on two weeks now.  Guess we'll go back to the doctor again tomorrow.  Poor little baby! He's only 5 months old.  Breaks my heart.  He cries and cries and won't go to sleep very easily and wants to be held all the time, which is making Autumn insecure and clingy.  I feel bad for both of them.  None of us are getting enough sleep!  We leave for Germany in 5 weeks so I really hope everyone is well and happy by then or that is going to be one miserable plane ride.   

Anyway, here's a pic of my cuties:

LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM SO MUCH!