ONE MONTH!

How can Haven already be a month old? Well today he's actually 5 weeks old; life is crazy with 2 and finishing up this post has taken forever!  Man this month has flown by.  Well, sort of.  Looking back I can't believe a month ago Haven entered the world.   However, many days this past month have seemed loooooong.  I read a quote on a friend's facebook page about time when you're a parent: "The days are long and the years are short" Isn't that a PERFECT depiction for parenthood?  I can't believe Haven is already 1 month!!  We survived a month with a newborn and a toddler.  Whew!  At the beginning I wasn't sure it was possible.

Back to Haven.  He is quite simply - PERFECT!  He's a great eater; he eats 8 times per day roughly every 3 hours.  At night he'll maybe go 4-5 hours between feedings,but usually he sticks closer to 3.  The past few nights he's had a longer stretch (a little over 5 hours) and then the rest of the night I was up and down with him.....sigh!  One step forward, 2 steps back.   I was reading one of my books and it says at 6 weeks newborns nervous systems settle in enough that they can go longer stretches.... yay! Oh my goodness how'd I could use some prolonged sleep :)  

Haven is a BIG BOY!  I took him to the Dr at 3.5 weeks because he might have a touch of reflux (which he has meds for and I think it's helping).  When they weighed him he was 10 lb 14oz!  In a week and a half he put on a pound an a half. Wow!  You'd think with that crazy amount of weight gain he's a crazy eater - but he isn't.  He is also very spitty and sometimes I wonder if he kept much down.  He obviously is!  He's topping the charts in the 85-90th percentiles.   He outgrew newborn clothes and diapers weeks ago. I was sad after only wearing his newborn stuff for a couple weeks I had to put it away.

Who does Haven look like???  

Here's Haven on his 1 Month Birthday:

Here's Jillian as a newborn.  I think they look more alike than not....

In other news, I've busted out the double stroller!  It seems HUGE compared to a single, but I did tons of research and I'm so glad I picked this one.  I can use it around town and as a jogging stroller.  

Here are my work out buddies.  I started "jogging" (really it's mostly walking with jogging mixed in) to get back in shape.  Jillian is a great little coach.  Every time I walked she'd yell "Run Mommy, faster!"  

Jillian loves this stroller.  She was totally relaxed eating her cheerios and milk and Haven was zonked.  

I love starting the day this way! 

Fossil Rim

The first weekend in June we took Jillian to Fossil Rim in Glen Rose.  My parents joined us, and we had such a good time!  This is the closest safari experience we can give Jill right now.  I  can not wait to take our kids to Africa one day; my family went a few years ago and we are all itching to go back.   Outside of my honeymoon it's by far the best vacation I have ever been on.  I know it will be many years from now till we can venture to Africa, so Fossil Rim was a good enough replacement.

We were told to arrive right after the park opens before it gets too hot or the animals stop coming to your car. I'm so glad we followed people's advice - the animals were active and we were a lot cooler in the morning since our windows were rolled down.

Throwing food at the zebras.

I agree with you Jill, that Emu was TERRIFYING.  Especially with the windows rolled down.

Some sort of antelope - right before I got scared of him.

I don't know why, but this antelope scared me.  My mom on the other hand had no fear.  She climbed right up and fed him.

Loved seeing giraffes!

I was still pretty much terrified of these antelopes, but since my mom kept feeding them, I gave it another try.  (notice my moms hand sneaking up to feed them again?!  Fearless!)

Checking out all the animals relaxing.

Hello.  If you don't pay attention you'll turn around and have 2 animals with their noses inside the car.  Of course I was terrified again and couldn't roll up the window fast enough.  I guess I was afraid they'd bite me....??

Not my parents!  They had a ball feeding the zebras!

Look at my mom petting one of them!  

I kept telling her to be careful!  Fearless I tell you.  My parents are fearless!

Jillian warmed up to the zebras.

One of the last animals we saw on the way out was an ostrich. 

At first Jeff had his window down....

Nope. Ostrichs are also on the terrifying list.  He bobbed his head in one time and Jeff rolled up the window.  Seriously he seemed like he'd peck out Jeff's eyes.  Terrifying.

So we threw food on the windshield so we could watch him eat.  Jillian loved it!

I know I'm pretty much a weeny when it came to feeding the animals, maybe next time I'll have more guts.  I kept justifying my irrational fears and telling myself 'I'm pregnant, I cant catch rabies right now'.  Ha!  In all seriousness, we had a great time!  The animals are all very very sweet and friendly; they are definitely used to people hand feeding them.  I definitely recommend making the drive out to Fossil Rim!

I'm sure we'll go back again in the Spring when it's nice and cool!

2 YEARS!!!

On June 18 Jillian turned TWO YEARS old!!!!  I can't believe it.  She is transitioning from a toddler, to a little girl right before our eyes!!  Oh Jillian we love you more than you will ever know.  You bring us more joy than you will ever know.  You have blessed our lives richly - more than you'll ever know.  God has blessed us with the most perfect little girl!

2 Year highlights:
~   Her imagination is really coming to life.   We find ourselves sometimes just watching her play by herself with her dolls or easel to see what she'll come up with.  She has her dolls and toys talk to one another and be friends, she will have 'conversations' with Austin and chase him around, and loves to fake cook.
~  Strings together about 5 words to make a phrase/sentence.  Her favorite phrases right now:
"Run around naked" (said countless times each day in hopes I'll strip her down to a diaper)
"Austin NO, outside" (when she gets annoyed with him)
"Take Baby with us?" (or whatever toy she is obsessed with in hopes she can take it with her to school or in the car)
"Birthday Party" and "Birthday Candle, blow out"
"Mommy hold Jillian"  (this is said for daddy, Bama, or anyone she wants to hold her)
"Austin, STOP IT!"  (when's barking)
Seriously I don't know what will come out of her mouth daily.  But her precious little voice makes me melt.  I LOVE hearing her talk all day.  I also love that we can carry on conversations now.  So fun!
~  Knows all the colors, shapes and can count to 15.  I just recently started the alphabet with her.... I know, shame on me for JUST starting the alphabet.
~   ALL GIRL.  Jillian has a growing obsession for jewelry, make-up and the color pink.   Whenever she is around a lady with jewelry, she wants to see it and wear it.  Her favorite people to steal jewelry from are Nana and Bama.  She knows they'll hand it right over and she will wear their bracelets and be so proud!  She sees me put on makeup most days, and wants to do the same.  Often times I'll let her play with blush and she goes crazy!  She always wants lip gloss on when she sees me apply it.  Last but not least - the color pink.  She always asks for the pink marker first, or she gravitates to a pink pool toy over a blue on.  She's so girly - it's so fun!!!
~Independent.  She used to love me reading her books.  Now most days before her nap, I offer to read her a book and she says "No! Read book self, crib!"  She then picks out a couple books and we put them in her crib and she happily climbs in.  I'll watch her 'read' those books for 15-20 minutes most days before she falls asleep.  She also plays outside with Austin all by herself now (I'm watching from inside, don't worry!)
~  No updates on potty training.  I'm kind of ignoring any signs she is showing, b/c I think if we start now it will be a 6 month process (probably longer) AND I dont want to deal with potty training and a newborn.  She has gone potty a few times properly in her potty though!
~  She weighs 31.5 pounds (90th percentile) and was 36.5" long (85th percentile).   I asked the Dr if she weighed too much and he said nope!  Her height and weight are in great proportion.

Hilarious story:
Earlier this week Jillian ate dinner in the TV room (which is NOT typical!) because I needed to nurse Haven at the same time.  Needless to say, I wasn't watching her that closely.  She was eating some yummy enchiladas, black beans and rice one of our sweet friends brought for dinner.  About 30 minutes after dinner I went to give her a bath and she's acting totally normal.  After we get of the bath she keeps pointing to her nose and saying things I can't decipher.  I think she's saying something like "Big finger in my nose" or "Pick my nose" and she keeps wanting me to look up her nose.   I chalk it up to she was at school that day and someone must have said something about noses and she learned a new phrase I can't figure out yet.   Well.... when I lay her down to put on her jammies she keeps picking at her nose and that's when I figure out what she's been saying... "BEAN UP MY NOSE".  I can just barely see it!!!  So freaking funny!  I call Jeff in and we perform tweezer surgery, which Jillian hated.  She needed her blankie and paci before we extracted the bean.  Luckily after 5-7 mins we were able to get it!  I couldn't stop laughing!   It is so much fun living with a toddler.  The next day she kept telling me "Beans no nose (while shaking her finger), mouth yes (and she'd nod her head)"  and I'd agree with her.  Beans are just for the mouth.  LOVE that girl!!!

Saturday, June 18th:
On her 2 year birthday we wanted to make it extra special since she already had her party a few weeks before AND Haven would be coming soon.   We soaked up this special day with her!

She got up at her usual time, around 7:45am and we played outside for a few minutes.... she doesn't do much (not even slide) without one of her babies.

Then we were off to breakfast... Jillian knew she turned TWO today!!

Jeff teaching her how to make & blow spit balls.

Then we were off to swim!  

Well, Jeff and Jillian swam, I sat in the shade and baked. 

We went home and Jillian caught a great nap, and I'm glad she did!  We had a jam-packed afternoon!

We took her to Build-A-Bear!!!  She LOVED it!!  My parents met up with us, and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with the birthday girl!!

Out of all the cute bears in the store, Jillian falls IN LOVE with the wiener dog.  Ha! 

Selecting the barking dog noise.....

Next we got ready to stuff the dog.... Jillian was enthralled with this process.

Rubbing the dogs heart.

Mommy needed to kiss the heart first...

Then Jillian would kiss the heart....

Now her dog has a heart!

We named her dog Ms. Jumpy, and she is one of Jillian's favorite stuffed animals!

Washing her...

Helping me create her birth certificate.

 

Then we went home and it was time to open presents!!  

We got her a book about Elmo going to the Dr.  

She loves pretend playing with the instruments.

Giving herself a shot.

We took a break for CUPCAKES!

Lovin' her some Ms. Jumpy

Time for a couple more presents.... telling us again that she's 2!

We got her a Little People Castle and she LOVES it!  Goes hand in hand with her imagination-play that's forming.

The big present was from my parents - A KITCHEN!  Jillian is obsessed with this!!!!  It took Jeff almost 3 hours to put it together that night, so Jillian got to play with it first thing when she woke the next morning.  

We love you sweet Jilly Bean.  More than you could ever imagine.   We can't wait to celebrate more birthdays with you and make sure you know just how loved and special you are.  Just make sure they don't happen as quickly.... this last year flew by!