Happy 5 months to Leo and Liam and Happy 3 years to
Eli (but you have your own special post for that!)!!!!
Leo and Liam- it has been a rough month. Lots of sleepless nights. We've had rough days too and we would like to think that this is just a phase. But gosh, you all are getting big and are so stinkin' cute. It almost hurts to look at you because you are just so handsome! Ha! Lots of new things this month. We took you to the doctor for your first sick visit. He said you were both fine but you were both running a good fever and Liam you were super congested. So nothing we could give medicine for, just had to ride it out. You both were so sad! It broke my heart. At that appointment Leo you were 13.5lbs and Liam you were 14.5- you had both gained 1.5 lbs in less than a month! Wow! Liam you rolled over on August 16th and Leo sometime after that you rolled from belly to back while you were sleeping. You followed suit on the other after the 5 month cut-off for this post!
You are both in size 2 diapers. Liam you are comfortably in 3-6 months clothes while Leo you can still wear 0-3, 3 and 3-6 month. You both are doing better with holding your heads up. Leo, you like the Bumbo seat better than brother. You both are holding and grasping things really well and everything goes straight to your mouths. Liam, you are starting to discover your toes! We successfully navigated our way out of your swaddle wraps and now we are doing away with paci's for naps and bed...sometimes momma and daddy cave and just give it to you for a moment's peace but all in all we are experiencing some success.
Leo, the picture above makes me smile because you are enthralled by something Eli was doing. You LOVE your brother (you both do) and it is so sweet to see all 3 of you really starting to interact. This month was also daddy's birthday- the big 32! He is so handsome, huh? We got to go out to eat while Oma and Pop watched all 3 of you!
Leo, you love putting your hand all the way into your mouth!
Liam, you love doing other things with your hand! ha!
We were all able to spend some quality time at Oma and Pop's as momma recovered from her surgery. Thank goodness for them... however, on a sad note, because of the 24 hours you all were not able to nurse, you have quit nursing. I am sad at this because it was something I fought very hard for you all to be able to do and I loved having that time with each of you. You still nursed at night until this past week. So now I am officially just pumping but that will end soon!
These pictures above were from when you were sick...You just weren't quite the same, but still all smiles sometimes!
Momma got a new phone so now I can be in some pics with you- there will be physical evidence that I AM your mom!
The weather cooled down for a few days so we were able to spend some time outside! yay! Everyone is happier when we are outside. Eli, you also like to play with momma's things and this day you put on my necklaces and said "I'm pretty"! Ha! You always make me laugh!
Eli you took off in the pool this month! Diving for rings and swimming without a float (with SOME help)! You impress me with your no-fear attitude sometimes!
I have been reading a book lately- the "No-Cry Sleep Solution" because with Eli we did the cry-it-out method and it worked well for him. But it is NOT working with you. Liam you are so stinkin' stubborn that you will cry forever. We haven't tested that but 2 hours has been our breaking point. You just don't give it up and in turn it keeps Leo up. So, I say all this because in her book she discusses how when our children grow up, this time of sleep deprivation and frustration becomes romanticized when our babies no longer need us. Well, this blog is my effort to KEEP IT REAL. This is the absolute hardest thing I have ever done and I pray I will ever do. You can ask your dad when you get older but I am sure he has thought he might have to commit me a few times. You two are the most precious things in the world but you are also the most difficult. I cannot read your minds- I can figure out a lot of things just being your mom but there are times when I just don't know. You cry, I cry. You scream, I scream, we all scream...and it ain't for ice cream! This has been a hard month but you are both growing so fast and part of me wants to rush it along and get to a place of sanity and the other part of me wants to freeze time (only at a moment where you are both happy, of course)! It's so difficult being a mom...constantly torn between conflicting emotions and responsibility. But I do love it, and I do love you. I just want to be able to look back and remember how hard it was so that I can love you even more for how hard we worked to get where we are! Blessings flow like crazy every day and even when I lose sight of it for a moment...or a few hours...I am quick to be reminded how blessed I truly am to have all three of you. God is so good.
love, Momma
