Since we got our smart phones, we haven't been using our camera as often. Abram has taken to using it on occasion. Here is a selection of his photography at age 2.
"Mirror Mirror"
"Tyson's Back"
"Smiles"
Abram might not have taken this one...could have been Curtis...but she's smiling!
"Breakfast"
"Morning Light"
"Lydia in Morning Light"
"I'm a Mommy on the Edge!"
"Looked Up To"
"Candid Camera!"
"Tower"
"Pink Shirt"
"Tower Detail"
"Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner"
"Grin-pa"
"Cheese!"
"Grin-ma"
"Big Doggie"
"Little Doggie"
"After Work"
"Red Lydia"
"Sister"
"My Babies"
Ok, I obviously took this one, but I actually just took this because Abram had managed to turn on the timer and was taking pictures every 5 seconds!
For Lydia, it seems like 4 months was a turning point for her. We've been living with my parents after moving all our stuff to the new house. The house still needs work, but that's an entirely different post. Before moving, I had tried leaving Lydia unswaddled and that was an epic fail, waking up every hour through the night...I quickly reinstated the swaddle. Here at mom and dads we started swaddling her again for naps. She was working one arm out and finding her thunb, so we just started leaving that arm out. I also switched her to a 3 1/2 hour feeding schedule because she was SCREAMING at me at 3 hours and refusing to eat. This combination of events, or maybe just her getting older every day, seemed to do the trick! She started taking nice long naps that I would wake her from to eat...at which point she would eat, sometimes both sides (yay!) and then be pleasant til it was nap time again!
On the 3 1/2 hour schedule, I was cluster feeding in the evening (6, 9, 11ish) then feeding her around 3 AM if she woke...but then it was getting closer to morning, and we let her CIO a bit. She was waking up once or twice, but usually we could give her the pacifier and it would soothe her, so I knew she wasn't really hungry. She doesn't hold on to the pacifier like Abram did, she'll suck for a few seconds when I lay her down and then spit it out...unfortunately, I think we have a thumb sucker...and I'm going to just let her be one. Once she found her thumb, she was putting herself back to sleep, and after a few nights she was managing 7-8 hour stretches. Hallelujah! It will be a much harder habit to break than the paci, but I'll deal with that when the time comes.
At 4 1/2 months, I've switched her to 4 hour schedule and it is GLORIOUS! I'm waking her at 7 to eat, she plays on her mat or swings while I get Abram (and myself) up and around. Nap from 9-11, eat at 11, awake til 1, nap 1-3 (Abram down at the same time=Mommy nap or movie....or chores), eat at 3 before Abram wakes up, awake til 5, nap 5-7 (sometimes shorter), eats when she wakes and then ready for bed between 8 and 8:30. I do a dream feed (df) close to 11....and she sleeps til I wake her! Like I said, GLORIOUS! This has worked for the past week and I hope to stick to this, eventually dropping the dream feed...and will probably have to pump for comfort!
Love this expression...looks so much like Abram.
She has been spitting up MUCH less that she used to...she still does, but it's not everywhere, every feed and in between, so I haven't felt the need for bibs to accessorize every outfit. I hate bibs covering up cute clothes! She is a very pleasant baby, smiley and TALKATIVE! She screeches and babbles all the time on her play mat, until I come near, then she smiles and stares at me. Abram can get her to giggle slightly, but she's not a big laugher yet. Abram never was really, always just gave him hiccups!
At her 4 month appointment she was 13 lbs (10-25%), 24 inches (25-50%)...I never put any of Abrams stats on the blog, and his baby book is still in a box, but I KNOW he was never this low in the length percentile...Lydia might have inherited the Cunningham genes when it comes to height!
Lydia went with us to the house in Henryville to get the final load and clean it all up! She was a very good baby and let me get SO much done while Curtis was attending to some real estate business!
As I write this, April is almost over...we'll be in our new house soon...I'll be making baby food again soon! The weather is slowly, SLOWLY getting warmer and I'm excited to use my new stroller around town! Can't wait for summer....pool weather!
These 3 month pictures were taken on time, but there has been quite a bit going on (moving makes things hectic) and I haven't had time to sit down with the laptop and transfer them to do a post!
My little bright eyes. Lydia's getting bigger every day...growing out of her 0-3 month clothes. She has rolls that Abram never dreamed of having...evidently she gets more than she needs in the five minutes she eats every 3 hours! I know that by now Abram was eating every 4 hours but since Lydia hasn't given us a blessed 7 hour night, I'm sticking with the 3 hour schedule for now. Plus it makes her nap at the same time as Abram...which is very nice! She's a cat napper and a nibbler, so it's been hard to get her scheduled.
Her hair is growing in a little on top, but she still has a decent bald spot in back where its just peach fuzz. I think her dark hair will fall out and it will come in blonde like Abram's did...and then darken later maybe. Not sure if it will curl. We'll definitely have to stick to headbands for a while:-)
She's such a pretty girl. Other than her belly pains, she also very pleasant, very smiley. I've heard a slight giggle (3-12) from time to time and she's doing well with belly time, holding her head up quite well now. She started really "talking" (3-18) all of a sudden, when Mom and I were shopping at a consignment sale. Smiling, cooing, gurgling and flirting with everyone! I have a feeling the talking will never stop now!
Sleeping is a struggle. She's just very wakeful! Every now and then she'll have a good nap day and sleep until her next feeding, but often she'll sleep 20-50 minutes and wake up. I blame her stuffy nose. I can't wait for it to clear up so she can BREATHE! I use saline and the nose frieda til I'm blue in the face, and it gets the superficial gunk, but her sinuses are still stuffed up. Ugh! Hopefully not babysitting anymore will help with that...the boys I watched were always snotty, poor things.
4 month pictures will be coming in a few weeks...hopefully in our new house!
I love her little baby feet...still so tiny...not even in size 1 yet.
Abram was a good sleeper. He took to sleep training very well. I remember really stressing over it because I wanted him on a good sleep schedule by the time I returned to work. He's still a good sleeper. 10-11 hours at night and almost always a solid 2 hours in the afternoon.
But recently he's developed an attitude. I'm told it's called "two". I'm doing my best to stay on top of this attitude.
Enter, Lydia.
Lydia started out sleeping really well and she gave me a few 6 (even 7) hour nights. But for the last...I don't even know how long...she's been waking between 3:50 and 4:50 and requires pacifying of some sort. I try anything and everything but feeding her. Sometimes she goes back to sleep quickly, but sometimes she keeps waking up during that hour and I'm up and down and up and down and up and down. Sometimes I just end up bringing her to bed with us, because then, of course, she sleeps. It's exhausting.
Abram's 2 hour nap is his saving grace. It lets me take a nap too...which gives me the boost I need to calmly curb the attitude.
Please sleep, sweet Lydia. I don't know how much longer your brother will let us nap.
Lydia's two months old now! She's a chunky little thing with chubby cheeks and legs. She was a bit tired and cranky, so she required a pacifier for this photo shoot. I left her feet bare because I love her little skinny feet and long toes! The rolls come honestly because she's a very efficient eater. I've been a little frustrated by her because she eats so quickly, sometimes just one side and I always wonder if she's had enough! But she makes it to her next feeding just fine, so I guess she's good! She still spits up quite a bit and I will be glad when that stops!
Aunt Leslie was visiting and she was the "object of Lydia's affection" so Leslie moved behind me and we got some good pictures.
She calmed down so we slipped out the pacifier. She takes a pacifier well but she will also just be awake and looking around without it. She's pretty content most of the time. Her "cranky time" is between 9-11 PM at this point. We don't know if it's just being tired or if it's gas, but she will scream and cry and it's hard to console her. She will calm down after her last feeding and sleep well through the night. She averages 5-6 hours right now and has given us one 7 hour night!
At her 2 month appointment she weighed 11 lbs 6 oz (50%), 22 inches long (25-50%) and 15 inch head circumference (75%). She's growing well! We had to schedule another visit for vaccinations because of some insurance "malfunction".
I try to do tummy time with Lydia, but just like Abram, she cries through most of it. This was a better session because she seemed to enjoy seeing himself in the little mirror. She's been cooing and smiling lately. Her first really big smile for me was on February 4th. I can usually get her to smile by tickling her cheeks and smiling and talking to her.
She does have hair! Most of it's just in the back! I was trying to get a picture that showed how the hair on the crown of her head curls and fuzzes quite a bit. It flattens down usually, but I'm going to be surprised if it doesn't curl a little as she gets older.
Lydia is so expressive! Her cheeks just crack me up! When she tucks in her chin she has a little "bulldog" expression.
The best thing so far with Lydia is that all of a sudden at 9 weeks she's pooping in her diaper once a day (she even skipped two days)! No "shart"ing! Abram had a smear in every single diaper I put on him, which made cloth diapering a bit cumbersome. I've started using them with Lydia and with mostly pee diapers, it's GREAT! She's such a good baby!! xoxoxox
It's hard to believe, but two years have passed since Abram was born. So much happens so quickly.
We had a birthday party for him at my parents house. Almost all of our families were there (no Tim, Mammaw Wagner or Kimberly). I slaved for a few days over Abram's cake again this year and it turned out very nice. I love making these special cakes and Abram really liked it too...at least he enjoyed eating it!
"Choo Choo" Cake
The spread of Abram's favorite snacks.
Eating the cake!
Lots of nice presents and playing with cousins!
The last month or so leading up to the present has been an interesting time. So many changes and developments that I have trouble keeping track of them!
Abram had his 2 yr. appointment on the 22nd. He was 30 lbs 4 oz (73rd %), 36 inches tall (90th %). He checked out healthy and made it out of there with only a quick flu shot. He has to go back in another month or so for two other shots but then he's done for quite a while! He has all his teeth now, so a trip to see the dentist will be happening this year. Not sure whether to take him to see Leslie where she works...he might do better for her since he knows her. He loves to brush his teeth and will let me brush too, but he wouldn't say "ah" for the Dr. He just looked at her like she was crazy then cried when she pried a bit to see.
One word at a time has turned into 2+ word sentences, with much more mimicking. An independent little attitude has appeared out of nowhere, complete with "no", "mine", occasional foot stomping dance and floor flops...all of which are being curbed. I am determined to raise a pleasant child whom everyone loves to have around! He's also saying nice things like repeating prayers after us (usually just the last word or key word from what we've said), asking "what u doin?", "Daddy work", "Baby crying" (quickly followed by "paci"), saying "back" while holding up one finger when he wants to leave the room but will "be right back", tickling and saying "giddy, giddy, giddy". Voluntarily saying "me me" for "excuse me" after making any rude noise. He says some words very clearly, such as "Tyson", but others are still a bit dutch. He gets lazy on quite a few consonants, like "J". For the longest time, Joan was "on", which was also phone and on., Now Joan is "tone"...a bit better, not quite there! haha Just now he ran past me into the kitchen with a wet block to dry on the kitchen towel, saying "wash" several times. My response, "Abram don't put the blocks in the dog's water!" He's also given his Dog "drinks" out of the dog's water and then not gotten to sleep with him for a few days while he dries out.
His favorite toys are his "Dog", his "Doll", and his "Choo Shoon" (leap frog train set he got for his birthday). He and our neighbor boys that I sit for play with lots of other toys downstairs, but those are his current favorites. He has been choosing, "Are you my Mother?" by P.D. Eastman for his "one book" at bedtime, but "Napping House", and the Katz lift-a-flap books are still popular as well. He's very fond of watching "Sid the Science Kid" and "Word World" which we often watch at lunchtime. While I fix dinner he likes to watch "Nemo" or "Woody" (he got Toy Story for his birthday too). I try to limit the tv/movie time, but with the cold weather and a newborn, we're stuck inside a lot...so TV time happens. Looking forward to warmer weather and walks in the park:-)
Playing with his birthday train
For a toddler, he eats great! He tries/eats most everything that we eat at lunch and dinner and loves just about all breakfast food. He especially loves "cracka' of any type and will ask for that when he's hungry, or just "foo[d]". His favorites right now are eggs, waffles/pancakes, cereal, toast, macaroni, peanut butter, cheese, yogurt, apples, etc. He's also eating grapes for me now on occasion which he used to refuse and he even will eat sliced up raw carrot sticks and broccoli with ranch dressing. He will also eat meals I've made like lasagna, chimichangas, pizza, spaghetti, pork chops. He really does eat well and of course he LOVES dessert!
Up until Lydia was born, Abram was using the potty for #2 almost 85-90% of the time. It was WONDERFUL since it made cloth diapering easy peasy! Now it has dropped below 50%. I knew it might happen but it's hard not to be disappointed/frustrated by the regression. Toddler poo diapers might as well be adult poo diapers, they are so gross. He has at least started telling me when he has pooped, so that's a step in the right direction. After we move, and it's warmer, we'll get this potty training started for real!
Abram has done really well with Lydia...he occasionally forgets himself and is too rough around her, but we're ever watchful when they are close together. He always asks for her, but to him, her name is "baby" and he will argue if you say differently. When we first brought her home, he became very motherly to his stuffed dog and always wanted a "bankie" to swaddle dog in at all times. The funniest moment was when he was sitting on the potty naked and I looked over and he appeared to be "breastfeeding" Dog. haha He has more recently turned his attention to his one baby doll and carries her around with a blanket, puts her in the swing or bouncy seat, gives her one of his old pacifiers, pats her back. It's very, very sweet....and then he'll toss her down the stairs so he can hold the railing. Ha!
Swaddled "Dog"
"Jenny-enny Doll" in the swing.
I'm anxious about some of the transitions we face as Abram farther into toddlerhood, like moving to a big bed....I know it's going to happen sooner than later. It seems like every month brings a new set of challenges and as soon as we get through one set, there's another to take its place. Fortunately, each month there's also so much more that Abram can do and say and it's fun to play and interact with him. He can be a challenge but he's ours and we love him to pieces.
Here's a few videos of some of the cute and not-so-cute things Abram's been doing lately.
The Cute:
This is the only thing my deflated belly is good for right now! I was a bit slobbery after this!
