Conor Christopher: Twelve Months

Conor by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4  // 5  // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 

This has been such a fun month with you! You're really starting to show your personality and have preferences and I love it. You're making your voice heard in this family of ours, and it makes my heart so incredibly happy.

Growing // At your 12 month appointment you weighed 16 lbs 14 oz (2nd percentile), measured 27 inches in length (0 percentile) and your head circumference was 48 cm (93rd percentile). 

Eating + Sleeping // You are eating between 6-8 oz at each feed and you are eating a combination of breastmilk and formula about 5 times a day. We are still fortifying your breastmilk with formula, but the majority of your intake is formula now as I'm just not pumping enough milk. I love feeding you, and when it's feeding time I wrap you up in a blanket and you start sucking on your tongue and we sit in the rocking chair and I feed you in the same position as I have for the last 9 months, with you nestled in my right arm and the bottle in my left. Sometimes you play with my hair, other times you play with my fingers and sometimes you hold the bottle. And quite often, Ryan mounts himself up on the arm of the rocking chair and smothers you with kisses or tries to hold the bottle for you. And you love eating solid foods! You are still not a huge fan of pureed stuff, so we've just been feeding you tiny pieces of real food. You aren't a huge fan of fruit (berries, bananas, etc), but you love most other things - cheese, cheerios, oatmeal, rice, carrots, green beans, broccoli, chicken, minced meat, steak, potatoes, sweet potatoes, avocado. 

And you sleep like a champ! You typically go to bed around 6:30 and you're up by 6:30, and we don't hear a peep from you throughout the night. You're still sleeping in our room on your wedge - you've done a nap or two in your crib. And we've talked about moving you out of our room, but your dada's not quite ready for that yet! You nap two times a day - the first nap is around 9:30 and you typically nap for an hour, and the second one is around 1 and you nap for about an hour, maybe longer. 

Wearing // You started the month off wearing mostly 6 month things, and then I transferred that stuff out and moved your 9 month things into your bin, and by the end of the month, I had moved out all your 9 months pajamas and moved your 12 month pajamas in. They're still a bit big, but some of them fit you perfectly! It's so exciting to see you filling out your clothes. You've grown so much! And you're in a size 2 diaper. I did buy some size 3 diapers, but we were gifted a bunch of size 2s, so we have you in those. And you're wearing your cloth diapers too. 

Loving // You really love to eat food. You're like a little birdie, opening your mouth when a food item comes your way. It's the cutest thing! And you love just playing on the floor with your toys and you love having anything and everything in your mouth. You really love all your teething toys right now and you love knawing at baby carrots.

Loathing // You hate when you drop something you're chewing on. You start crying and fussing, and I know I'm going to find your treasured item either on the floor or just out of your reach!

Nicknames // We're still calling you Connie and Connie bears.

Doing // You are teething! And you cut four teeth this month - top two first and bottom two and you have two more coming in up top. And you started sitting! I still feel uneasy leaving you to sit on your own, but you just fall forward or sometimes you fall backward. You're so close to rolling from your back to your front, but you're not quite there yet. You can roll from your back to your side and you stretch for toys around you, but you're just not quite making the roll back to your tummy. You definitely spend more time on your tummy than you did a few months ago - before you'd just roll straight onto your back haha! 

Doctors Appointments // 2 occupational therapy appointments, 1 visit to North Seattle Pediatrics for RSV shot, and 1 WIC appointment.

Milestones // First St. Paddy's day - we ventured downtown via the bus for the parade! First time in the nursery at church, dada and I had a date night and dropped you off for the parents night out. First boat ride! First family picnic at Richmond Beach. 

Jack by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12
Ryan by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 //12 

Conor Christopher: Eleven Months

Conor by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4  // 5  // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10

Growing // Around 11 months you weighed 16 lbs 4 oz (1st percentile)!  You had multiple appointments this month, and this was the first month your weight made it's mark on the charts, putting you in the 1st percentile! That felt like a huge accomplishment. 

Eating + Sleeping // You are eating between 6-8 oz at each feed and you are eating a combination of breastmilk and formula about 5/6 times a day. You are eating so well these days, and I love snuggling up with you in the rocking chair. And you are eating all sorts of solid foods, preferring actual food, so more baby led weaning than I've ever done with any of my other kids. You're not really feeding yourself and picking things up from your tray, but you open your mouth like a little birdie when food gets close and if the food item is big enough you're holding it in your hand. You love eggs and bread and broccoli and potatoes. You really love anything we give you! You love cereal and crackers!

You are such a good sleeper. And we are letting you sleep through the night now. I was waking you up to feed before I went to bed to get some extra ounces in you and some days you'd take it willingly and other days you wouldn't, so I'd just put you back in your bed. But we stopped giving you your reflux meds this month and you threw up three nights in a row when I'd wake you up around 10/11 pm to eat, and all of this required an entire outfit change and bedding change, so we decided that maybe it was time to just let you sleep!

You're doing just two naps a day, sometimes three, but more likely just two for a total of 2-3 hours, with an early bedtime at like 6:30 and you're waking up around 6:30. And you're napping in your rock n play and then on your wedge at night. 

And in the morning when I grab you from your bed, you're the happiest guy, you just smile at me and babble and it's the most beautiful thing. 

Wearing // You are wearing a combination of 6 and 9 month pants and onesies, most of your pajamas are 9 months and I've been putting you in some 12 month pajamas. I've started to move your 6 month clothes out of your container and moving your 9 month things in. Size 2/3 diapers and your cloth diapers. 

Loving // You really love to eat and you love just observing everything!

Loathing // Same thing as every month - your brothers are really rough with you and take your toys from you! I'll put you down somewhere and I'll come back into the room and they've moved you.

Nicknames // Connie, Connie bears

Doing // You are waving! And you are still sitting up in your bumbo and other items. You aren't a huge fan of staying on your tummy these days! So I have to give you things to engage you so that you'll stay in position rather than just rolling over straight away.

Doctors Appointments // 1 visit to pulmonology and nutrition at Childrens, 1 WIC appointment, 1 occupational therapy appointment, 1 visit to North Seattle Pediatrics for RSV shot, 1 visit to Northwest Eye Surgeons, 1 visit to infant development clinic at UW.

Milestones // first time in a highchair at a restaurant, first passport photo.

Jack by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12
Ryan by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 //12 

Conor Christopher: Ten Months

Conor by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4  // 5  // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

Growing // Around 10 months you weighed 15 lbs 3 oz, measured 25.2 inches in length and your head circumference was 46.5 cm (79th percentile). Your head is still the only thing on the chart for your actual age! But we know you'll get there in time. 

Eating + Sleeping // Most days you're eating 5 times a day and we're mixing formula with your breastmilk still for the extra calories. And typically you consume 6/8 ounces each time. And we're slowly introducing you to new solids. I gave you a giant carrot this month as a teething toy and you loved that! And you love just getting your fingers in all the food and getting messy. I've given you some rice cereal and other pureed items, but truly, you still don't really like the pureed stuff. You really just love sitting in your highchair and observing everything. 

I'm still waking you up at night before I go to bed to eat, but I'm thinking this may have been the month we just let you sleep until morning without waking you up 6-7 hours after your last feed. Or it could have been at 9 months, quite frankly, I can't remember! But I'm sure it was somewhere around this timeframe. And you just transitioned so easily. You're still sleeping on your wedge, and I'm zipping you up into your Magic Merlin sleep suit. You love that thing and sleep so well, it's wild. 

Wearing // You're wearing some 9 month onesies and 9 month pajamas, but most of your clothing items are still 6 month things. And you're wearing your cloth diapers and size 2 diapers at night!

Loving // You smile and laugh so much! It's fantastic. You love when anyone pays attention to you and you love when we read books to you. And your brothers love holding you! And I think you're enjoying your bouncer and getting the hang of how it actually works. And I just think you love being up off the ground - so you love sitting up in your basket and sitting in the bumbo. And you seem to like your glasses!

Loathing // You don't really love when I wash your hair, but then again who would! And you don't really like shots - you've been getting shots to prevent RSV monthly and then whatever other shots you have on top of that with your regular checkups, and it's so sad. 

Doing // We transitioned you to a proper baby bath! It would work better if you could actually sit up, but you are leaning back on it, and loving it. You are bouncing/twirling away in your bouncer. You are babbling and talking alot. 

Doctors appointments // 2 Occupational therapy appointments, 1 appointment at childrens with pre-anesthesia, 1 visit to North Seattle pediatrics.

Milestones // First snow, first time in a proper baby bath.

Jack by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12

Ryan by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 //12 

Conor Christopher: Nine months

 

Conor by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4  // 5  // 6 // 7 // 8

Growing // You weigh 14 lbs 11 oz. Last month you weighed 14 lbs 4 oz, and just two weeks ago you weighed 14 lbs. So this month you lost weight, and then gained some. You are measuring 25 inches and your head circumference is 45.3 cm (59th percentile).

You're still tiny even for your corrected due date age - not even on the chart! Your head circumference is on the charts though, for your actual age!!

Eating + Sleeping // Most days you're eating 6 times a day, but recently it's just been 5 as you've upped your game in the feeding department and the amount you consume in one go, and you typically consume 28 ounces a day, some days more, some days less. I'm still pumping exclusively, but I don't pump enough so we supplement with formula and we're still fortifying your breastmilk with formula. You've been sick nearly this entire month with a cough and a cold, and you started the month off with a significant decrease in your milk intake, and you actually ended up losing weight. But in the last few days, you've been feeding so good! Your reflux still definitely plays a part in your food intake as some times you cough so much you throw up your food. So feeding you sometimes is hard, but it's felt easier the last few days. We're definitely following your cues more and feeding you more based upon when you want to eat rather than when we think you should be eating. And I can tell you're hungry because you start sucking on your tongue, you don't cry or anything, you just start sucking furiously. It's pretty cute! I'm not nearly as stressed about feeding you as I was months ago, even though you didn't gain much weight this month! I know that you'll catch up with time ...eventually. And I know you'll eat in your time. And we've continued with solids - we've introduced bananas, pears, sweet potato, and some other things I'm sure I'm forgetting. And to be honest I don't really know what you think about the food, but you do love sitting in your highchair with all of us at meal times. We still feed you on your left side - I snuggle you in the crook of my right arm and feed you with my left hand and you play with my fingers while you eat. It's the sweetest and everything feels right in the world until you start coughing and throw it all up! 

You are a great sleeper! You wake up around 7 or so? It really depends on if you wake up on your own accord or if your brothers wake you up! We are still waking you up in the early hours of the morning to eat, but this month you were super sick, so you weren't all that interested in eating. And you're taking 3 naps still - a morning nap, an afternoon nap, and a late afternoon nap. Sometimes this afternoon nap turns into bedtime depending on how the day has gone and depending on how late it starts! And then you're normally in bed by 6:30/7, but again it really just depends. We normally try to get you to bed before we get your brothers to bed, so it's just a juggling act based upon how the day has gone. And you're still sleeping on your wedge in the pack n play in our room. And sleeping in your rock n play for naps during the day. 

Wearing // You are wearing 6 month things, a few 9 month things, but not really. I'm loving just plain white long-sleeved onesies and cozy one piece outfits and I can't forget those zutano booties. I love those things! I've just started putting you in jeans and things as you were just too small for the jeans we had for you, but you're slowly growing into your things and I'm slowly revamping your style. And to be honest, alot of the items I have for you are either brand new or second hand, but they're not hand me downs from your brothers as the seasons are all off. 

Loving // You loved swinging! And you love being upright and not laying on the floor all the time, hence you've enjoyed your bouncer and even sitting in the laundry basket. I'm sure it's nice to get a different perspective on the world. You love sitting in your highchair and eating. You are a happy baby, and extremely tolerable of alot of things, so it's hard to figure out what you really really love. 

Loathing // Your brothers can be pretty aggressive with you...and you really really don't like when you spit up. I can hear you crying from your room and I know that you're coughing to the point that you've made yourself sick. 

Doing // You are rolling around these days. Definitely rolling from front to back, and you have rolled from back to front, but you don't do it regularly. You're doing great with holding your huge head up, and you can sit with some assistance, but your head doesn't really help you much in that department. But we've started putting you in the laundry basket to help with this and surrounding you with blankets and toys, and you love being up off the floor. You are reaching for toys and making your best attempt at solids. You love staring at your hands and sucking on your fingers. I don't see any teeth coming through, but you sure are drooling more these days. And you love to play on your activity mat and grab your feet. And you've gone to alot of Drs appointments this past month. Trying to figure out how to bounce in your bouncer!

Doctors appointments // 2 Occupational therapy appointments, 1 appointment at childrens with urology, 1 WIC appointment, 1 ophthalmology appointment, 1 visit to North Seattle pediatrics.

Milestones // Your first Christmas! And your first visit with Santa, and the gingerbread houses and the lights at the church. First time in a swing! You are growing - growing out of things and growing into things. You tried out your bouncer for the first time, and it took you a little while to get the hang of it!

Jack by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12

Ryan by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 //12 

Conor Christopher: Eight Months

Conor by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4  // 5  // 6 // 7

Growing // You weigh 14 lbs 4 oz and you measured 24.3 inches in length. You gained over a lb in a month, which felt like a huge milestone as you haven't been doing that consistently! Feels like our hard work is paying off!

Eating + Sleeping // You're eating about 5-6 oz at each feed, about 6 times a day. I love feeding you these days! But some times I do feel like I'm forcing you to eat still. You're still slow going in the weight department, so I'm always trying to pump extra ounces into you. 

You started solids this month! That feels like a big deal. We started you off with rice cereal and I've been trying to give you the silicone feeder things so you can feed yourself, but you haven't been all that interested in holding onto them. We've tried all sorts of pureed options as we get loads of baby food through WIC, but you're not really into the pureed stuff. You just kind of turn your head at it. So baby steps. We know this is just the beginning of your journey with solids! 

You're sleeping like a champ, but I'm still waking you up to eat before I go to bed. So I don't even know if you'd sleep through the night or not, but you typically go to bed around 7 and you're up around 6:30/7.

Wearing // You are wearing mostly 6 month things, which is exciting! I've passed on alot of your clothes to your auntie for your cousin to wear when he's born! And you're wearing size 2 diapers and your cloth diapers. 

Loving // You really love when your brothers pay attention to you! You love to laugh.

Loathing // There isn't much you don't really like? Your brothers continue to be rough with you and that drives me wild! 

Doing // You are eating food! You are engaging so much more with us. We love it! You continue to do tummy time on your mat and your head is still huge! 

Doctors appointments // 2 Occupational therapy appointments, 1 WIC appointment, 1 visit to North Seattle pediatrics.

Milestones // First time eating solids! First thanksgiving! First trip to Swansons nursery and to the tree farm to get our Christmas tree! And you got your glasses this month - that feels like a big deal!

Jack by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12
Ryan by month 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 //12