Camp Fires and Campouts

After a busy morning and afternoon, on a whim, Daddy and I decided we should do a family cookout, camp fire, and sleep out in the tent! The weather has been unusually cool and we wanted to take advantage of it.

After a lot of prep work (with lots of  "help" from you two) of setting up and several trips to the backyard, we were finally settled in. Yummy smores, a warm fire, and scary ghost stories told by Daddy. Before we knew it, it was time to get tucked in to our sleeping bags. Luckily Unfortunately for us, Charleigh, your pack-n-play didn't fit in the tent. So once the boys were all tucked in, we headed back up to the house to go to sleep too.

It was a long, but fun night making memories, just the five of us.

 

 

FIve Months

We have had such an incredible summer, jam packed with three different vacations (one planned trip to the beach, one sporadic trip to the beach, and your first church camp). In your five months of life you have already been through seven different states, and stayed in three of those states! We have spent the fifth month of your life soaking up the final month of summer and just enjoying life we you. We finally braved the zoo - just me and you three bambinos, we have been soaking up the sun and swimming, and we have simply enjoyed just being together. Your brothers absolutely adore you. They are constantly showing off ("Watch this, Char!"), entertaining you, and trying to teach you new things (just last week, they were trying to teach you how to do puzzles). The love shared between the three of you already is just beautiful to watch grow. It's been a wonderful fifth month, my dear.

• While we don't have an official weight from the doctor's office this month, you are about 16 pounds now. You can still wear some 3 month sized clothing, but are more comfortably fit in 6 months. 
• You are still sleeping through the night, occasionally stirring between 2 and 4 AM. Most nights, after a little babbling, you put yourself back to sleep, sometimes you need a little snack and snuggles. Your schedule is still fairly consistent: feeds every three hours, beginning your naps an hour and a half / two hours after each meal. You are a pretty much a pro-napper now. We can just lay you down, give you your binky to chomp on (if you choose - most of the time you spit it out, but will put it back in if needed), and you do the rest. When you're ready to sleep, you flip to your tummy, cry a little, but quickly put yourself down. The only time you sometimes have trouble is going to bed for the night. I no longer have the magic touch to rock you to sleep (you just want to eat when you're with me), but your Daddy does! I like to think you have a hard time going to bed at night because you miss him all day and need one final cuddle session with him before the night's over (...and he doesn't seem to mind the snuggles either!).
• You have always amazed us (since birth really) with how strong you were. You've had incredible head and neck control from very young. And that hasn't changed! You are pushing your self up to the plank position like crazy and up to your knees, rocking and ready to crawl any day now. You are also getting pretty good at sitting up in the tripod position. I feel like we are just days away from having a crawler and little one that can sit up! I'm not sure I'm ready for all these big girl steps!
• Still no teeth (and I'm not complaining), but plenty of chewing and drooling to support the fact that they are soon coming.
• You have such sweet coos and giggles. You really come to life around 7:30, just talking and giggling away. You love to be kissed and giggle like crazy when you are.

You are just such a sweet, lovable ball of squish and we can't get enough of your happy disposition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We so enjoyed a long weekend to celebrate Daddy and his birthday. We spent his birthday relaxing at home, just the five us....there was birthday breakfast from Mommy, playtime at the park from the boys, and then Char took him out for dinner. We are beyond blessed to have such a hands-on, loving, hard-working Daddy. You are an incredible role model for the boys and are exactly who I hope and pray they grow up to be like. You are so loving with Char and are already setting an example for her of how she should always be treated by a man. Thank you for loving all four of us. Happy birthday!

 

 

We spend much of our spring and fall days at the zoo, but haven't been much this summer. Today, on a whim, I finally decided to brave a trip to the zoo with you three by myself. The thought of packing snack bags, diaper bags, loading up carseats, all before we even get to the zoo seemed just to overwhelming. But today, I was feeling brave. So off we went! The biggest stress was to push a double stroller and wear you, Char or push you and have you boys walk the zoo. I decided to go with the latter, praying you boys would listen and stick by my side.

It was a great day and a good confidence booster for me as mommy to three. We all stuck together, you guys listened great, and we had a blast! (By the end of the day, you were both plopping down in the middle of the sidewalks though, too pooped to keep walking!)

 

 

 

20 Weeks Old

 Twenty weeks old, side-by-side comparison, of all three of you bambinos...

First Sleepover

You boys have made it over three and a half years without ever experiencing a sleepover. This weekend, that changed! Bags packed (and a little hesitantly), we headed over to Zsu Zsu and Paka's to drop you off for a sleepover. After slightly tearful kisses goodbye, you were distracted by the pool as we headed out. An evening of swimming, cookouts, a visit to Uncle Kye and Aunt Yaya's, ice cream, movies, and more! You boys had a blast!! (And Mommy and Daddy enjoyed a quiet evening with just Charleigh too)

 

 

 

 

4 Months

• You are growing like a weed, Squish! You now weigh 15 pounds and 5 ounces and are 25.5 inches long. You snugly fit 3 month sized clothing, but are more comfortably in 6 month sizes already.
• The four month sleep regression hit about a week before officially turning four months...and yet you are still a dream when it comes to sleep (regression included!). Instead of sleeping through the night, you've been waking once or twice around 3 AM and 5 AM. You are more active during the day and the amount of naps you're taking are lessening. Your best nap is still that first nap of the day, with another hour to two hour nap in the mid-morning and again in the afternoon. Our daily schedule is a little more active during the summer than school months, but you are flexible and catch catnaps wherever and whenever you can.
• You are officially a roly-poly and rolled back to belly for the first time last night! You were so proud and grinning ear-to-ear....we were lucky to catch it on video! Once you got over that first roll, anytime we have laid you on your back since, you flip right over to your tummy.
• You love playing with your toys now. You reach for them, hold them, and even bring them to your mouth for some teething relief. Your favorite toys are the ones that make the crinkly sound. The (crinkly) Very Hungry Caterpillar book is your favorite right now.
• You continue to teethe and drool like crazy. We still see those two white spots where it seems like teeth will be popping through any day now, but still no teeth (and I am okay with that! Slow down, little one!).
• You are a babbling, cooing machine. We are loving the new sounds coming out of you - and you seem to be proud of them too!

We just can't believe how quickly you are growing and that it's already been four months. We just adore you, sweet Charleigh Jo!