April Activities

This month our activities had a funny blip. Because we went up to Idaho, had Pierce's birthday party, and the soccer games we didn't really have time to plan a significant family activity so I considered the  road trip our big monthly activity (and with all the gas and the airbnb it was pricey enough haha). 

For our cheaper activity, we went out to Lowe's to pick out some plants and seeds to start growing in our backyard. We also had bought kites at Costco and we had a windy night that we were finally able to fly those in a nearby park. They were actually really cool and flew up so high. I was so happy that they worked out so well. 

So while the month doesn't sound as exciting, it was so full of fun stuff and we had a great month. 

Soccer Season Has Started

So the season of life I've been looking forward is upon us! I've been so excited to get the girls in some sort of sport. I found out Cara's friend from school, Julia, plays soccer so we signed Cara and Gwen up for the spring season with her and I've been so antsy for it to start.

Unfortunately, my girls are definite noobs and the typical "stop playing to give each other hugs or dance around" type of players, but it's still so fun to watch them. We've had a few practices and games and I know we definitely need to practice more with them, but it's a fun beginning. Gwen usually gets sick of each game half way through and just wants to play on a playground, but she sticks with it.

The nice thing is practices are on Wednesdays and we're able to let the girls play for a bit afterwards before we have to head home (it's about a 10 minute drive from our house to the practice/game fields). 

It's been cold for most of the games, but tonight we had a game that wasn't too bad actually, just very busy (and clearly the witching hour for all the players haha). Luckily, it ended in time we could let the kids play for a bit before heading home. We also took a small walk along the Jordan River Trail thing that's nearby. It was REALLY nice weather and felt so good to be outside.

It's just been so nice to have an excuse to get out of the house. I wasn't a great extracurricular activity sort of person (I'd sign up and then get sick of going after a time or two), so this is a fun new thing for me as well. 

Also, this gets me really excited for Fall/Winter sports to sign them up for and for future activities. Yes, it takes up some time and interrupts my weekend plans a bit. And yes, having spring sports at the same time as SO many of our birthday scan be a little hard, but overall I know it's so good for the kids to be a part of and I fully intend to keep them in some sort of activity. It's great to get them to socialize and learn to be part of a team. Plus, listening to a coach direct them has to be good for them as well.

Faux Easter

So since we were in Idaho over Easter weekend (and did technically have an egg hunt with Marie), we had to push Easter to this weekend. We started the weekend with the first soccer game of the season (a post to come about that). The girls were very distractible, but it was still so fun to watch them "play" (and by fun, I mean funny haha).

After the game on Saturday I treated the girls to The Super Mario Movie. This was one I was so excited to take them to. Initially, I was only going to take Gwen and Cara, but I figured hoped if we were in comfy enough seats, had enough snacks, and with her sisters around she'd be able to sit and watch the whole movie. Honestly, the kids did pretty decently (better than I could've expected). We showed up just barely in time and I got us tons of snacks (to the point of being sick of them by the time Larry and I had our movie night last night). But we were plenty cozy at least. We then came home to make a cobbler and color eggs (Larry had hard boiled them earlier). 

That night, after the kids went to bed, we put out their gift boxes with some goodies for the kids and hid the eggs for them to hunt. The morning went pretty well, the kids tried to start looking earlier than we wanted, but they did good looking for eggs and had a lot of fun. They of course wanted to start eating all their candy so we had to make them wait more than they wanted for that haha.

In the afternoon it was nice enough weather that they put their swim suits on and we played with water in the yard. I got them a fun sink toy that has running water so they had a lot of fun with that.

We got a ham with some vegetables and rolls for sides for dinner and then had our cobbler for dinner. It all turned out so delicious! 

All in all, a great Easter celebration! I had a lot of fun keeping up with our traditions of the egg hunt and a special dinner. I hope to do what I can to make sure we have a great Easter each year...I will say it was MUCH better than last year with a newborn haha. 

Idaho Day 4: More Time with Family, But with Playgrounds

So even though it's much easier to get sleep when it's just the girls and me, I really miss having my whole family here. I'm glad it's our last full day and I'm SO ready to head home already haha.

This morning went smoothly, we ate breakfast, got ready, and headed out by 9. We headed to Marie's, again. It was funny because I asked Cara if she realized she had potatoes the day before and she said she knew the potato salad was potatoes because we kept saying "p word salad" and she figured out what that meant haha (she's too smart!). Once we got there, we hung out for a while and ate some lunch (hot dogs, applesauce, potato salad, and ice cream). 

After eating, we ended up going to THREE playground. One was by a lake and had some walking trails and cabins to rent/camp in. Marie talked about, one day, getting a boat and enjoying the lake and having us all come up to camp there. I'm not going to lie, it does look like a lot of fun! We also found a lot of big pinecones I can use for a fun activity at home (home made bird feeders, anyone? haha).

The next playground was just so-so, but had a zipline that Cara was obsessed with. She must have rode that thing back and forth 50 times. The bad part was there weren't any bathrooms and at one point Cara needed to go. We ended up having to stop by a nearby Maverick, which was good because I totally forgot to bring water with us. Cara talked me into getting a slurpee, which she kept saying would be a fun surprise for her sisters when we got back. 

The third, and last, playground was a Castle themed one. It was probably the best of all of them. Marie mentioned it was near the freeway so I figured we'd spend an hour there then head home and get some ice cream on the way back to the house. We ended spending about 30 minutes there and everyone was so beyond ready to head back. Cara and Gwen got so sick on the merry-go-round (I always wanted to be spun on one of those until I couldn't stand it anymore so I did that for the girls and it ended up being a bit of a mistake haha) and we forgot sunscreen too so we were pretty fried. We had enough time to go back to Marie's, load up on water, grapes, and cheese. We also did another bathroom stop and changed Lucy's diaper. I gave them 10 minutes of play time and then we headed out. It was really nice to talk to Marie and get to know her and Jim more. I'm pretty grateful I feel comfortable enough to be around her without Larry and I don't feel like it's awkward.

So we stopped at Freddy's (again) to grab me some dinner and some ice cream for all of us. I fed the girls the rest of the Mac N Cheese leftovers with some of my fries. Once we had all eaten I split the ice creams up (I just got 2 that had some gummy worms and then I got a brownie one that was beyond yummy!). 

It's bath night again, so I had Cara watch a show while Gwen and Lucy got cleaned, then switched and had Cara come for a bath while they watched a show. I had to get the garbage collected, my first in an AirBNB, and then put the girls to bed.

Now I'm just getting all packed up while watching some Pepper Ann (I loved this show so much as a kid). I'll tell ya, I'm antsy to get to bed so I can hurry and wake up ready to head home haha. I have enjoyed this trip, but I'm ready to get back to my regular life. Before we left I let a lot fall on the backburner so I really have a lot to catch up on.

Idaho Day 3: Visiting the In-Laws

Good morning world! While the girls seemed to sleep decently, they did end up rushing into Pierce's room and woke him up earlier than we would've liked. Also, this house is VERY hot at night, somehow, so we end up sweating quite a bit (and I'm not even a hot sleeper) so both of us tossed and turned quite a bit. It's still so nice to have my whole family under one roof. Pierce ended up eating a whole packet of oatmeal for breakfast this morning (normally he only eats half).

We headed over to Marie's around 9:10 (to get there around 10:15), she showed us around her new house (pretty cute, small place big enough for it being just the two of them). She was sweet enough to set up an egg hunt for the girls, who had a lot of fun. She made a yummy lunch of chicken nuggets, tater tots, fruit, and juice. After, literally, filling up on the food we headed out.

Our first stop was Ritter Island (about an hour drive, perfect for nap time), saw some small waterfalls, some small beavers, people climbing the mountain by the falls, did a small paved trail "hike", and took some pics. It was really nice weather and a nice place to stop and see. She then took us to some hatcheries nearby to see some really big fish and feed some small fish, but it ended up being a bit of a bust. The big fish had, apparently, retired to a nearby river so they weren't there and they took down the fish feed machines at the other place so it didn't work. It at least offered us a good potty break stop haha.

We then drove to Shoshone Falls (another hour drive). This place was SO beautiful! Like if you go to the Twin Falls area you HAVE to go to this spot! The falls were SO big and the sound was so pretty. Apparently, you can kayak to the falls and I so want to visit again to do that. We ended up taking a small accidental hike to this balcony spot (turns out there was a paved trail, but we didn't see it till we were close to where we were headed haha).

After being there for a little while, we headed back to Marie's for dinner. She made a yummy ham, rolls, corn, potato salad (which we called deviled egg salad to try and trick Cara into it since if she hears the "p word" she won't eat it) dinner with juice, ice cream, and homemade cheesecake. Again, we got so full! I love when Marie makes us food, she always has lots of options (sides) and we get so filled up.

After letting the girls play for a bit we headed back to the house (we left her house around 7 and didn't get back till 8) and then Larry and Pierce headed back home. I told him he's crazy for heading out so late, but he doesn't mind. I knew the girls probably wouldn't be ready for bed right away so I let them watch 1 show and then got them ready for bed. I'm going to miss having my boys here, but Larry has school work to do. 

Now that they are down, I'm planning on watching Morbius (Larry wasn't interested so why not?). Maybe I'll read my book afterwards and just pass out haha. It was a great day today, we had a lot of fun, although I'm sure it might not have been as exciting for the girls, but I still enjoyed spending time with family.

Idaho Day 2: Seeing Friends and a Wedding

So we are in Pocatello, Idaho. I thought there would be more to see. I have driven through this city so many times and thought it looked pretty and might be an interesting place to live. I was told it was the armpit of Idaho and I refused to believe it. Apparently, I've been spoiled with Utah family businesses because once we were done with breakfast we had NOTHING to do this morning, except watch TV. I looked for everything to do around us and it either wasn't open in a good time (the earliest was 10 and that's about when we needed to head to Rexburg) or it was too cold (I forgot to pack real coats and there is SO much snow here). So we sat. Sat and watched nothing TV. I got all our wedding stuff packed up so we wouldn't need to come all the way back just to head back to Rexburg so I thought I was ahead of the game. I finally decided to look at the game choices that was at the AirBNB, but by the time I pulled on out that looked good, we had to get ready to leave. I was so disappointed, bored, and slightly irritated.

Finally around 10:15 we headed to Red Robin in Idaho Falls to meet Stace for lunch. We then went back to her house to visit. I thought we'd do a little bit more, but she was so busy packing up for a trip to Utah she was getting ready to head out for so it was mostly just sitting around her house talking while she did laundry and the girls played with the dog/some of the toys.

I knew we had some time to kill between visiting with Stace and when we had to head to the wedding and while we were waiting for Larry and Pierce to get up here (they left after lunch once Larry worked half a day so he didn't need to make up too much time) so I was trying to decide between the aquarium or take the girls to see The Super Mario Movie. Stace reminded me about a place nearby called Kid Town so I ended up settling on that. It was a really cute place and had a fun Easter egg hunt that they got prizes for completing. It helped them get some wiggles and play out. 

After playing for about an hour we headed to Freddy's for dinner. I figured it would be quick, cheap, and easy. We then had to hurry to the church to change and get ready (including makeup and hair). I feel we ended up looking pretty decent for being a rush job. We "partied" with the newlyweds and family. The kids all gobbled up so much fruit, everyone commented on how cute they were. We got pics, the kids did ring around the rosie (with ALL the kids at the wedding). We watched them do a fun little newlywed game and the bouquet toss (Cara was so bummed she didn't catch it haha), and then got some family pics done. It was a good, small affair.

Yes, I look crazy, but my boys look so good here

The kids were SO tired and cranky once we got back to the house. We left the wedding late so they were all completely out when we got back. They all were crying when we woke them up and couldn't handle even the simplest task (like getting out of the car). So bedtime was a bit hard. Luckily, they all passed out fairly quickly. 

Larry and I are about to watch our date night movie with some snacks and relax the rest of the night. We moved the girls downstairs into the living room down there since we knew they'd wake up Pierce if he was with us down there (the floors are very loud) so hopefully they give us a good night and don't come stomping down the hallway in the morning to wake him up (his room is before ours).

Idaho Trip Day 1: The Drive up

You know the best part of having family and friends out of state? When they all seem to live in the same state so it's easy to visit them all at once!

I have a brother getting married this weekend in Rexburg. Initially, it was supposed to be in Boise and since Marie lives up near that area I figured we could visit with her at the same time as the wedding. They ended up changing it to Rexburg so I figured why not see Stace while we were in the area? Since those cities are kind of on opposite sides of the state, we decided to get an Airbnb in Pocatello. It would be an hour drive to each person, but it would be fine enough.

I had made plans to leave after lunch so I got everything packed up last night before bed. I then had time this morning to get LOTS of cleaning done. My hope is the house will be more in order once we get back (and hopefully stays that way). After getting the cleaning done, I loaded up the car, and then we got ready for lunch. I joke I do bougie road trips, where I make sure the girls have blankets, bags of snacks, a juice, a water bottle, and pre-selected movies to watch on the road. I want to make sure everyone is very comfortable. I also brought ear phones so I could listen to my podcasts on the drive. I was able to cross 2 off even!

Luckily, I filled up our tank at the beginning of our drive and we were able to make it up within 3 hours and not have to stop once. Our Airbnb is actually one of the nicer ones we've stayed out (although not very secure...one of the windows fell out on it's own, basically, and the code to the front door seems to be the same for everyone. I'm glad I was smart enough to buy extra door security devices). 

Once we got our bags unloaded from the car, the girls and I headed to the nearby grocery store. I was just going to get milk for our cereal and mac n cheese (since the hosts left us butter already), but then I saw juice and realized that would be good to have as well. Because we needed 2 milks and one juice I had to have Cara or Gwen help me and then Lucy threw a fit because she wanted to help carry one. I kept telling her she didn't need to so then she had a huge tantrum over how she's strong and can hold something haha. She kept saying "I strong! I carry milk!"

For dinner I made a value size Mac N Cheese and it turned out we definitely didn't need that much. My girls can eat their weight in mac n cheese, but they all only ate a little bit so we had A LOT left over. I put it in a tupperware container and put it in the fridge to hopefully hold over until our last day for dinner. After dinner I let them watch some shows while I unpacked everything we'd need up until tomorrow morning.

Since it's Thursday, we do bath night so I had to split it up, the bath was only big enough for 2 at a time so I did Lucy and Gwen (who kept saying she was "so happy" haha) in one and then Cara last. I got them all ready for bed in the Master (the bed was way big enough for all of them, I just had to put pillows around them so no one fell off onto the hard floor). 

Now that they are in a room and I've gotten a shower in (although it wasn't the best shower and they interrupted it 4 time already), I get to watch my show (Million Little Things), fill out my journal, read some of my book, and then head to bed. 

Overall, a decent start to our mini trip and I'm really excited to see a bunch of family and friends up here. Hopefully, it's a smooth trip. I can't wait to see Larry and Pierce tomorrow!

New Room Setups

So, lately, the girls have been ending up not only in the same room, but also the same bed at night. We had been talking about maybe putting them all in the same room within the next year, but the thought of having the bunk beds back together stressed me out (I HATE changing the sheets when they are stacked and I told Larry I'd only do that if we got the Beddy's bedding, which is pricey so we might as well wait). Well they just kept ending up in the same bed and it looked like it was getting cramped so we figured maybe it's time we get them into one room.

 

I swear I didn't plan on this happening over Spring Break for Cara, but it ended up being good timing for us haha. We moved everything over yesterday and while nights are taking longer for them, I think it'll be good once they are used to it. I ordered a new mattress and trundle to put the extra mattress on to slide under the bunk beds. I told Larry if he was willing to move the bunk beds to the middle of the room each time I had to make them I'd be okay skipping the Beddy's bedding for now. 

The best part is this gives them time to get used to it before we do Legoland (since we booked a hotel room and they'll be in the same area those nights). Hopefully, they won't be as rowdy by then haha.

While it's a nice change and gives us an extra room back, I'm mostly happy that my girls get along so well that they want to share a room together. I hope they stay close like this for a long time (if not the rest of their lives).

RIP Oscar

Today was a very sad day, we had to say goodbye to Oscar, but it was a little unexpected.

So for the past while I knew he was getting close to the end. At Christmas time I told Larry it was probably his last Christmas and I'd be surprised if he made it to winter next year. Then the last month, month and a half  he'd been having trouble walking. He always acts like he's constipated and so we give him some laxative to help and it seems to a little bit, but lately it didn't seem to be doing the trick. It seemed like his back legs were having trouble holding his weight. He got to a point where he couldn't jump onto the counter so we got him some stairs. He then started peeing on the counters so we had to stop him from getting on the counter. We'd put him on to eat and drink throughout the day and then we'd move him down after a little while. We then moved the food and water to the floor and put the stairs next to the couch so he'd climb onto the couch and relax. We noticed he was peeing all over the house and so I got nervous he'd pee on the couch. He did okay for a couple days, but then when he did end up peeing we knew his days on the couch were over. We ended up putting a blanket down with some of those puppy potty pads so he still had a cushion to cuddle on. This was definitely the beginning of the end and we knew we'd have to get rid of the blanket when he passed (he peed on it A LOT and it got so stinky I had to start washing it twice a week). 

Well he was going downhill pretty quickly so I started thinking I hope he makes it to the summer so we can let him lay out in the grass and have some nice sun time. Then we noticed he was crawling around and meowing a lot. I felt like he was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I thought for sure it must be the end and wondered if we should take him in to do it (so he didn't have to suffer like Baby Girl did), but he kept giving me a look like his normal, old self so I thought this can't be the end, he's looking just like regular Oscar. 

This last week I started wondering if he was even going to make it to his birthday (at the beginning of May) and I started getting nervous that he'd pass on Pierce's birthday and I was hoping he'd wait until afterwards. 

Friday night, we were watching our family movie and Larry pulled Oscar onto his lap for loves and cuddles. I gave him SO many pets and kisses and telling him he is a good boy. Larry said he was so comfy he was just dead weight on his lap. I told him if I didn't see him breathing I'd for sure think he was gone, his eyes weren't closing and it seemed not normal. Larry asked if I wanted to have him on my lap and I said I'd just have him on my lap tomorrow (Saturday) night. I thought of telling him it was okay if he needed to let go, but I remember that was the last thing I told Baby Girl before she passed and I didn't think he was really that close so I decided to just keep telling him I love him and that he's such a good boy. He did seem pretty happy.

After the movie ended and it was time to get the kids ready for bed, Larry moved him back to his blanket. We did the bedtime routine, and I went to our room to watch a movie. About an hour into it Larry came up (I thought he was coming to bed early) and just looked at me and said "Oscar died." I was in SUCH shock, I couldn't believe it. I ran downstairs and he was just lying there looking so peaceful and still. I picked him up and just cuddled him and gave him lots of kisses. Larry mentioned he came into the kitchen to get a snack and noticed he was still so he checked on him and saw he wasn't breathing. 

Unfortunately, it's too late and cold to dig a hole that night so we had to just put him in a box for the next day. It was a bummer because we had family pictures and Pierce's party the next day so it was a weird day to bury a family cat, but we couldn't just leave him on the counter all day. Larry found some time between pictures and the party to dig the hole quickly and get him peacefully put in. It's been a weird weekend of reminiscing about happy memories, talk about our feelings, and also be happy for our son's birthday. 

Overall, as sad as I am that he's gone and as much as I'm going to miss him (SO much), I feel very at peace with his passing. He got so much loves and cuddles lately (I made sure to give him loves every morning and before bed and to pick him up to cuddle with him a little in the day), he literally could not have looked more peaceful so I think he went in his sleep, and I feel like he had a great, great life with us. I am just so sad that I wasn't expecting it at all that night. It feels weird not to hear his little meow when he noticed me walking by. It's weird to not see him wag his head to get on our backs. It's weird to not have him intruding on me making the grocery list with head buts (one of my favorite things he did). It's SO weird being down to two cats again, but at least they both like to come up and cuddle with me at night so that helps the saddest part of the day. 

We will miss our sweet Oscar face and miss his purring and loves. But I kind of won't miss that pee blanket, his expensive food, or how sad it was to watch him crawl around like he has been lately. We got almost 15 years with him and they were the best 15 years. 

Pierce-Man's birthday party

Oh man we've finally gotten to celebrate our little boy turning one! I've been so excited for this moment for much longer than I should admit haha

Originally we planned to do his party at this place, Kidtopia, in Draper. However, by the time I went to book it they didn't have too many good options for Saturday. They did have some openings on Sunday, but I wasn't sure that would work for everyone so I decided to look at other places around the area.

We ended up finding a place that was pretty much just like that place called Kids Empire in Midvale. And ya know what? I ended up LOVING this place and am so happy we switched. 

But before we get to that, we started our day with cinnamon rolls for breakfast (kind of a bust...don't think we'll do those again) and letting Pierce open his "boring" gifts (i.e. the clothes he needed haha). I thought I had some time to rest and then got a message that I was late to go pick up his smash cake. I felt SO bad I kind of forgot about that so I rushed over in half pajamas half clothes to get that and it ended up making our morning a little more chaotic than I wanted. 

After breakfast we got ready for our usual family pictures. I love doing this on the first birthdays to compare to their newborn pictures. I didn't love our family shots for the newborn pictures so there was a bit of pressure to get good ones this time. I decided on monster colored themes for shirts with black pants (so basically bright shirts and Pierce's had "One" printed on his). When we got the pictures I was also nervous getting a good shot of ALL of us would be more than difficult (4 young kids don't make it easy). Luckily, that was not the case and our pictures turned out so good they might be my favorite pictures of us.

After photos we went home for lunch and nap time. I had to hurry and make our grocery list while I had a moment, so Larry was the lucky one who got to rest during nap time haha. 

We kind of ho hummed for a bit before needing to head over to get the regular cake and to the party. We decided on a monster cake from Wal Mart. I normally HATE Wal Mart, but they REALLY made up for the bad experiences we've had before. They got us the cutest cake AND I got yellow cake with some jam filling. I had wanted yellow cake for Gwen's last birthday, but the place I ordered it from let me know when I picked it up that they didn't have yellow cake and I was a bit bummed. We got to the party and I realized that because we booked a party we actually had access for playing all day so we totally could have headed over earlier. Bummer, but not the biggest loss. 

The party was SO much fun and our party host person was SO helpful. She stayed on top of everything we'd need (food, drinks, gummy bears, treat bags, etc.), she served the pizza to us, she was always available for if we had questions or issues. They made sure there was a flow to the party so it wasn't just on us to figure out. It was great. My only complaint was that the check-in process was extremely slow, but once we got in the kids got to have as much fun as they could stand. Gwen and Cara played in the playground area. Lucy LOVED the dance room. Pierce loved the ball pit haha. We got to let them play for a bit, then did pizza and gifts, then they did a little parade/dancing/pictures with their dinosaur mascot, and then we did cake. 

Pierce ended up hating his smash cake (I'm not sure if it tickled him or what, but he started crying and I thought it was all the attention. When we waited and let him go at it when no one was watching he still kept crying haha). I felt like I really got to visit with everyone and we got so many new clothing items for him. It was one of the best birthday parties I think we've had. The only better place might be Chuck E Cheese, but this is a very close 2nd. 

We let the kids play so late, I think we were there until 8:30 so they got to stay up late, boy were they ready for bed when we got home.

To my Pierce man,

You are such a fun little boy. I love making you smile and laugh when I can. I find it hilarious that you don't smile for any new people, but not in a shy way. More like a "they have to impress me first" way haha. I love how you will crawl to me to grab my hand to go for a walk. I love the few moments you'll cuddle close to me. You love watching your sisters be crazy around you and I'm so surprised you haven't started walking yet so you can keep up with them (you seem so antsy for it). I'm so excited to try new foods with you. I'm so excited to take you on family vacations and see how you do at Legoland later this year. I love that you are our last baby. You have been the perfect last baby (you are definitely my best surprise I've ever had in my whole entire life). I love your six-toothed smile. I love when you rub your eyes when you are tired, it's the sweetest tired sign ever. I love how much you love your bottles, I'm nervous about stopping them and how you'll do, but it's so sweet how much you like it. I love how you sleep with your feet crossed at your ankles. I love your crazy blond hair and big blue eyes. I love having you as a son and look forward to so many years with you and what sort of personality you have.

Pierce is TWELVE Months

                             I am TWELVE months old!

I like: going for walks around the house while holding our hands, eating real foods (but he's still pretty picky), being thrown around and tickled, getting his bottle after nap times, watching his sisters run around and trying to keep up with them, and when we sing songs along with toys around him.

I dislike: when he wants to go for a walk but we won't go with him, when we try and distract him with a toy and just walk away, when we lay him down for a diaper change (if we don't have a bottle he's NOT going down), being in a room alone

I am now: He's still in 18 month clothes, size 4 diapers, and very very solid (still) 

A Typical Day looks like: 

 

Wake up around 7:30. Whether he's already awake and chatting or trying to sleep, we get him up at this time.

7:40: He gets a pouch of fruit food or some cereal/oatmeal

8:00 get a 6 ounce bottle (which will now be a cup of milk)

8:30 - 9:30 wiggle & giggle time. He crawls around, plays with toys, plays with his sisters. Whatever.

10:00 - 11:00 nap time (IF he's acting tired or cranky. Mostly we try and skip this one if possible)

11:00 next 6 oz bottle (which will be some milk, again)

11:30 - 12:30 He gets another pouch of fruit and veggie baby food for lunch or parts of our lunch. Then it's wiggle & giggle / hang out while we clean up time. He usually finishes the pouch quickly so I give him chips or cereal bits to snack on while we eat.

1:00 - 2:30: nap time.(if he missed his 1st nap then he naps at 12:30 instead of 1)

2:30 next 7 oz bottle (which will turn into milk and a snack)

3:00 -3:30 play/hang out time. Dad goes to get Cara from school around 3:30 so I'll give him some more snacks (usually crackers).

3:30 - 5:00 hang out with dad while he works out. He's starting to like this more and more

5:30 dinner time, usually another fruit & veggie pouch and then bites of our dinner. We're switching to adding more of our foods right now.

6:00 - 7:15 play time, night activity, whatever we're doing.

7:15 7 oz bottle (which he gets REALLY antsy about). This will also be turned to a cup of milk

7:40 start bedtime. Sundays and Thursdays start with a bath (around 7:30), then it's diaper change, pajamas, a little cuddle/rock while we read to him, and in bed by 8.

This Month: I thought for sure he'd be walking by this time, but he still just prefers to walk with our hands. He's doing better with his walker on his own though! He has started to let go of our hands and stand on his own for a bit and sometimes he'll get up on the couch and think about letting go and stand or take steps, but nothing really big.

Pierce is also such a serious guy. He will smile, but it takes a LOT more work than how it was with the girls. With the girls the second we walked into their room and they had the biggest smiles. This boy? He really, really makes you work for the smiles. Such a stinker!

This boy LOVES to babble and say some words. He'll say dada, mama, nana and then all sorts of babble words. It's funny to hear him talk. He rolls his tongue and spits out. He hums and yells for no reason haha.

He absolutely loves how crazy his sisters are and I can tell he can't wait to run around with them. He seems to like finger puppet and touch/feel books. 

Next up: his birthday party post!