4 months

Dear Joseph and Kenzie,

You are 4 months old today! This has been a great month. We've been working on tummy time because you both still hate it. Generally what happens is that Joseph will scream and Kenzie will roll for a few times (rolled back by mama) and then give up and go to sleep. 

It felt a little like fall one day this month, so we wore our most fun fall clothes. Unfortunately, Joseph, you're growing so fast that you won't get much wear out of this one! And Kenzie, all those cute 6-12 month winter clothes I have probably won't get much wear because you are so small. 

You both are loving your blankies, so when you get tired you'll use anything you can to cover up. We got home late after bible study one night, and Kenzie, you went to sleep with mommy scarf while she changed brother into his pjs. 

Mommy went for a run with her new jogging stroller. Kenzie, you loooove being outside. Joseph feels a bit different about the outdoors...

We took your 3 month photos about a week late. It was a busy, rainy day and we didn't know until the last minute if we would even be able to take them because of the weather. We were rushed getting out the door and mommy asked daddy to dress Joseph. Daddy didn't know the onesie should snap on the inside of the pants! 

Despite our rushed day and 2 fussy babies, the pictures came out great! These are a few of my favs. Joseph, you have been obsessed with your tongue one day of your life, and it happened to be this one. 

We laughed as we saw your personalities develop more this month. This photo shows how you wake up. Joseph, you are so happy to greet a new day. Kenzie, you need your needs met immediately and are not happy to be awake.  

Tummy time improved a bit when you used pillows and could look at each other. You love each other so much. I adore that bond you have. 

We watched the Aggies beat Arkansas. You were both really into the game. ;) And it was a real nail biter!

We noticed a little flattening of Kenzie's head, so we started using new fun toys to stay up off of backs. Joseph, you love the jumper. Kenzie, not so much, but you sure love the exersaucer. 

This one of my favorite pictures of the two of you. Mommy wanted you to get one more wear put of these cute coordinating outfits before Joseph is too big. 

About halfway through the month you stopped sleeping long stretches at night. Mommy is not happy to be up every 3 hours again! Kenzie, you also threw your first back-arching tantrum. You didn't want to be strapped in to the Bumbo. I have a feeling we'll be seeing many more of these tantrums in the years to come. 

You both gave real laughs this month. That's about the best sound ever! And while Joseph had been chattering for a little while, Kenzie you started in your own way- you sort of spit/growl to communicate. It's hilarious and you love it when we do it back to you. 

Our monthly photo shoot was opposite the usual. Kenzie, you were happy and smiley and Joseph, you wanted nothing to do with it. I suppose it doesn't help when sister clocks you in the face right before the picture, but I have a feeling she will continue to be the scrappy/feisty one so you'd better get ready! 

Here are your stats (weights differ from pic bc our scale is a bit off from the docs):

J:

Height- 25" (40%ile)

Weight- 15 pounds 6 ounces (50%ile)

Sleep- You're both eating every 3-4 hours again. :-/

Eat- We decided to wait till 6 months for solids, but you nurse like a champ. 

Likes- Mommy, the jumper, people. 

Dislikes- You still pretty much like anything, but you CANNOT handle being tired. Oh and tummy time. 

K:

Height- 24" (30%ile)

Weight- 11 pounds 5 ounces (5%ile)

Sleep- You still aren't a great napper. Most days you get moved to Mommy's bed to finish your nap. 

Eat- Same, same. Still nursing and taking a bottle when you're still hungry. 

Likes- Daddy dancing with you, sleeping in the big bed, the exersaucer. 

Dislikes- Tummy time, napping more than 45 minutes. 

Happy 4 months, sweet babies!

Love,

Mommy 

Three months

Dear Joseph and Kenzie,

I can hardly believe you're three months old!! What I read tells me you are no longer newborns, you've officially graduated to the infant stage! Mommy is sad and happy at the same time. I feel like I say this every month, but this was a big month! One thing doesn't change though, and that is how much you love each other.  

Kenzie, you fell asleep on big brother. 

You held hands while you were nursing. You guys do this a lot. 

And Kenzie, when you cried on one of your nursing strikes, Joseph reached out his hand to comfort you. 

This month you have begun to discover the joy of playing. You guys use your play gym multiple times a day during your 30-45 minutes of post eating awake time. You both love mirrors and batting at toys. There is a big mirror on your bedroom door, and you love to look at "that baby" and smile. 

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Who's the fairest one of all?"

We discovered that Kenzie, you love to go for walks outside. Joseph, you cried every time we hit a bump (and we live in Houston so that's quite often). I think this is my favorite picture of you so far, Kenzie. And your face structure looks like Mommy's when she was a little girl. Finally one of you kind of looks like me!

Since you two are water babies, we got a little pool for the backyard. We tried it a little too close to bed time, but I think it's something you'll really enjoy.

You still like to go to church. You haven't gone to the nursery yet, because Mommy's not ready! You are both awake a bit more and seem to enjoy the music (though Kenzie gets crazy eyes when it first starts). 

You like it when mommy reads books to you, as long as you aren't too tired. You both look at the pictures and smile. Apparently the colors are becoming easier for you to see. You seem to like looking. You aren't so sure about the Bumbos though, because they're just SOOOOO much work. Your little necks are getting stronger though, so it's getting easier. However, Joseph, your thighs may not fit in yours too much longer!

You guys weren't too sure about a few things this month. You got your first round of shots. The shots were the easiest part of the appointment. Daddy came to help mommy, and she is so glad because you cried the whole time we were there. You both did not like being naked to get weighed, measured, and checked.

Joseph, you got a raging case of cradle cap. Mommy put coconut oil on your head to try to help it, and you sat in the high chair for the first time. You weren't so sure, but you sure are cute!

You also weren't so sure about the paci your Mimi gave you. Mommy thinks you look like an Egyptian taxi driver. 

You both weren't so sure about tummy time. Ok, "not sure" is not the proper description. You hate it! We haven't done much other than on Mommy's chest, but now that you're so big we're trying to do more. Kenzie, you roll over and mommy turns you back. You roll over again and mommy turns you back. Then you put your head down and go to sleep. Joseph, you tolerate it for a minute or two and then cry. 

There are a few things you love:

Your duckies from Auntie Catha,

 

Mommy putting her hand on your face to help you sleep,

And Joseph's new sleep sack (no more swaddle!). 

"Touchdown, Aggies!"

Our biggest milestone of the month is with your sleep. You both sleep in your cribs, in your room. You sleep from about 9-2, eat and sleep till 5 or 6, eat and sleep again till 8:30 or so. It's wonderful! Naps are a different story. You rarely sleep in your cribs. Most naps are in the swing or on Mommy's bed. Joseph, you're a great napper. You sleep for 2-3 hours in the morning, 1.5-2 in the early afternoon, 1.5 in the late afternoon, then probably an hour or so while waiting for your last meal before bed. Kenzie, you do the same, but for your 2 afternoon naps, only an hour or so can be in the swing/bed/crib. The rest has to be on mommy. You're sleeping on me right now actually. 

Kenzie, this is right before your first night in the crib. It's like you knew what was going to happen!

We went on our first road trip this month. Since daddy works so much the last week of each month we decided or head to China Spring to see one of our favorite families, the Thompsons. You did great! We didn't stop and you slept the whole way there, even though you were supposed to eat. You were thoroughly loved by all. I asked Jhett if he was holding his future wife, and he said yes. I'm not above an arranged marriage to get you a good one, baby girl!

The drive home took a bit longer because mommy had to stop in College Station to get you your first Aggie gear. 

Our little quarterback, practicing his passing game. 

 Mommy is really enjoying all the smiles. We have a fun morning routine. Kenzie, you wake up around 6:30 and won't sleep in your crib anymore. You come sleep on your side, chest to chest with mommy. You love to sleep on your side like she does. Joseph, you wake up happy and talking in your crib around 8:30. Daddy brings you to the big bed and we talk together. As we talk, your sister will slowly wake up, cry a little, and then join the smiling and talking (except Kenzie doesn't coo, she talks via spit gurgling). 

You guys are just getting so fun!

Mommy took this, but she thinks it looks like babies first selfie!

There you have it, three months!

Here are your stats:

J:

Height- ?

Weight- 14 pounds!

Sleep- 5.5 hours, 3 hours, 3 hours is your overnight

Eat- Still a lot. When you start solids next month I think you'll be super pumped. 

Likes- Mommy, talking and smiling, people (you're a social little guy!), your sister

Dislikes- You're a pretty content little guy, but if you're sleepy mommy is the only one who will do. You bury your face in Mommy's armpit and go right to sleep.  

K:

Height- ?

Weight- 10 pounds, 9 ounces 

Sleep- Same as your brother, though you are not a good napper. 

Eat- You are doing such a good job! Much fewer nursing strikes. There are times that you are super hungry! You will nurse and then take a bottle after. You can use all the weight you can get, so you can eat whatever you want!

Likes- Daddy dancing with you, sleeping with mommy, mirrors, batting at toys

Dislikes- Naps if not being held, being tired- you go from happy to screaming tired in about 10 seconds. 

Happy 3 months, my growing babies! Mommy loves you so much!

Love,

Mommy

Two months

Dear Joseph and Kenzie,

Two months! This has been a big month too. You both had lots of new adventures. You went to church for the first time. 

To the beach for the first time. Surprisingly, Joseph, you loved the water and Kenzie, my water baby, you did not enjoy. I think it was too cold for you. You snoozed under an umbrella instead.  

 You sat in the Bumbo for the first time. Kenzie, you like it because you're short enough to rest your head on the back. My big boy, that head is just too heavy for you still!

Joseph, you praised The Lord for the first time. ;-)

And Kenzie, at just 5 weeks old, you rolled over from tummy to back. The video only shows side to back, but you can go fully over. You do it whenever mommy tries to make you do tummy time. That, or go to sleep. 

There were lots of smiles from both of you, who learned to socially smile and do it a lot!

There were also many pensive looks. 

And of course, some sad faces!

You BOTH learned to love baths. Yay, Joseph!

You also love each other. 

Joseph, you started sleeping 5-6 hours at night without waking up. Kenzie, you're still every 3. However, right at 2 months you both went on strike. Joseph, you're back to 3 hours, and you both won't sleep unless you're ON mommy. It's been a rough week!

I am so enjoying watching your little personalities develop. Kenzie, you continue to be the drama queen. A smile from you is hard earned. But when you do smile, you light up the room. Joseph, you smile freely, and have started sympathy crying when your sis does. It would be cute if she didn't cry so much! But I love how you love her. You are both growing and changing so much! Joseph, you've started talking. We love to hear your voice! Kenzie, you are pretty quiet still (unless you're crying), and you soak everything in. You love to stare at the fan or at the pictures of mommy and daddy over their bed. Your daddy sings to you all the time, and you smile and look lovingly at him. You sure love your daddy. 

I wish I could say you two were perfect at our monthly photo shoots. But the truth is, they mostly look like this:

But here you are, two months old! Two month stats (at the pediatrician, so you were actually 10 weeks):

J:

Height- 23.5" 55%ile

Weight- 12 pounds, 10 ounces 60%ile

Sleep- The longest you've gone is 6 hours. You did that consistently weeks 6-7. Now at 2 months, you've reverted back to 3 hour stretches. 

Eat- Still a lot. When you take a bottle you'll take 5 ounces. 

Likes- Eating, mommy (love my little mama's boy), talking and smiling, baths

Dislikes- Having gas, waiting to eat, naps in your crib. 

K:

Height- 22.25 30%ile

Weight- 9 pounds, 6 ounces 10%ile (but you're on the regular charts now! Way to go, baby girl!)

Sleep- 3, maybe 4 hours max 

Eat- Toward the end of the month, we got you all on breast milk. This was a task, because a bottle is just so much faster and, as we all know, you are not good with waiting. Sometimes you refuse (see: cry without stopping) and get a bottle. Daddy is happy, because now he doesn't have to get up at night. 

Likes- Daddy singing to you, baths, sleeping in the big bed where mommy usually sleeps. 

Dislikes- Naps if not being held, your crib, waiting. 

You're getting too big! Mommy loves you!

Love, 

Mommy

What have I done?

I often think, "What have I done? Why did I choose this?"

When the cries are inconsolable for minutes. Hours. Days. 

What have I done?

When I look at my battle wounded body and fresh new scar. 

What have I done?

When I survey the dirty diapers. The mostly empty bottles. The unwashed dishes. The chaos that has become my house.

What have I done?

When I sigh because I want just an hour, no 10 minutes, no just one minute to myself. 

What have I done?

When it's 7:00 in the evening and I finally brush my teeth for the day. I don't remember the last time I fixed my hair or put on makeup. 

What have I done?

When I look at the empty formula, and diaper box, and bank account. 

What have I done?

When I pray for a five hour stretch of sleep, or four, or just more than 3. 

What have I done?

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 I often think, "What have I done? I don't deserve this."

When he grabs my finger with tender ferocity and won't let go. 

What have I done?

When she wears her bows and coos and people tell me of her beauty. 

What have I done?

When his smile, hard earned, lights up the whole room. 

What have I done?

When she sleeps in quiet security in the crook of my arm. 

What have I done?

When he rests his head and nestles against my chest in peaceful slumber. 

What have I done?

When she cries In impatience and I so clearly see a picture of how God sees me. 

What have I done?

When they look at me with silent admiration, unmatched love, and unwavering trust. 

What have I done?

And then He whispers a response ever so gently, "Nothing." 

Nothing. 

I have done nothing to deserve this kind of love, this gift. 

I have done nothing, yet I now have MY people. My family. 

I have done nothing. 

I Peter 2:2-3

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.