ABCs of Summer 2...C Day

C is for...Children's Aquarium! I've heard about this place, but had never been. We loaded the babies up, and headed to Fair Park! Parking is free at the aquarium and admission is free for kids 3 and under!

It's not a large aquarium but it was perfect for our littles! We saw fish, snakes, turtles, and sharks. Prestyn was most excited to find the Nemo fish! Which we did find! And Dori! 

Pierce just chilled in the stroller until we went to feed the Stingrays. Prestyn and Dadda fed them while I held Pierce, and let him look around. It really is a cool place! 

Prestyn also got to touch a sea urchin and the shell of what I guess was a hermit crab?! They also had octopus tentacles you could touch to see how they felt. Weird but cool! 

The jellyfish were the neatest looking things to me! I highly recommend this place for your littles! There was a daycare there when we were there with some of the kids being older. They may have been bored but it's cheap and INDOOR entertainment! 

C is also for...chicken nuggets which is what prestyn told her daddy she wanted for lunch. What that baby wants that baby gets! 

ABCs of Summer 2...E Day

I didn't have much planned for today. We haven't been to the library yet this summer so my plan was to go this morning for story time. Then I thought we could check out books about or with Elephants! 

Well we woke up this morning and it was Extra wet outside! Lots of rain! So I decided we would stay in! Our morning started with Prestyn having eggs for breakfast! She really enjoyed it and so did her baby! I thought it was so cute that she wanted to feed her baby. Such the little mommy! 

After some Educational time of reading books it was time for our 1st experiment! Since experiments weren't in my original plan for today I had to find ones we could do with the materials we had here at the house. 

The 1st one was fun. I just didn't have the right glue. So what you're supposed to do is use Elmers (I just realized that's an E too!) glue to "draw" a picture. Well we have the natural kind so it doesn't quite pour out like I guess the non natural kind?? So I ended up just spreading it all on the paper. Then you sprinkle table salt on the glue. Then you paint with food coloring and water! It was so Easy! First we reviewed our colors with the cups of water then added drops of food coloring in the cups to match. Then Prestyn painted away! Baby of course had to paint one too! 

After an Extra special snack of ants on a log (peanut butter on celery with raisins on the peanut butter) it was time for another Experiment! This one Pierce got to watch too! So you're supposed to fill a jar about 3/4 of the way with water. Then top with white shaving cream. Not the gel kind. Well that was all we had so it made for a pretty Exciting Experiment! Then you're supposed to drop blue food coloring on the "cloud" to watch it rain in the jar. Again because we had the wrong shaving cream it didn't white work the way it was "supposed" to but P Enjoyed it!!

E is also for Extra snuggles! I Enjoyed snuggles both my babies today since we were home, but I really Enjoyed my snuggle time with Pierce. We put so much Extra attention into Prestyn so she doesn't feel like he's taking all the attention, but momma needs some time with little man too! 

By the End of the day I was/am Exhausted! But before Ending our day Prestyn and I took a trip to the gym to Exercise while Kiki kept Pierce! So Prestyn's new word she learned was exercise. She always says we're going to the gym to play babies which is what she does, but it's important she knows momma exercises and how important taking care of yourself is! 

Maybe it's a lack of Estrogen but I'm glad it's the End of the day! 😜

ABCs of Summer 2...B Day

So the way I scheduled these days was I filled in the letters on MWF since Prestyn goes to Mrs. Amber's on TTh. Then I just searched activities and places in the DFW area.

Well Bass Pro Shops is one place that showed up so I thought hey! That can be our B day. Prestyn loves to go there to look at the fish. Every time we drive by it she asks to go see the fish. Plus it's an indoor activity! I'm all about getting out of the house but in this heat...unless there's water involved we'll be sticking to indoor activities as much as possible. Especially when it's something we'll be taking little P too! 

We walked around...looked at the fish, turtles, reindeer (as Prestyn calls them), and bear. We walked into the restaurant so Prestyn could see the fish in there. We had no intention of eating there, but as soon as she saw it was a restaurant she said, "I eat." Well we can't tell her no to eating! Plus we like the food too. ;)

Prestyn ate Burgers, Bread & Butter!i know she's still a little young to understand letters and sounds but I'm trying! Except when I ask her scar sound B makes she says BO! That's a sweet little neighbor boy that she's been dying to play with! But she's right...Bo does start with B! 

Pierce looked at some of the fish then he took a Bottle and went to sleep! It was Prestyn's turn to nap when we got home. B is also for battles?! We've been battling her to stay in bed! She's doing better than before but I believe this nap took place on the floor. 

I was excited to do crafts with her when she woke up, but she's not quite into crafting as much as I am. We still have t made that Anna picture! But once I got started on our B day craft she was excited to get started on it. 

She chose the paint color and I painted the letter B on a piece of cardstock. Then I folded it in half. It made a butterfly! Then Prestyn used sequins and glitter glue to decorate it! She decided to gift this to her Uncle Knee (Anthony). She was pretty proud of it! 

B is also for Bumbo! Mr. P sat in his Bumbo for the 1st time today! He is doing pretty good with it. I think he likes sitting up to see us, and he's getting better at holding toys while he sits there. His poor neck still hands to the right but the dang PT isn't returning our calls! Momma Bear will make the next call! If nothing is still not done then a call to the dr. Again!

 

ABCs of Summer 2...A Day

Last summer I started the ABCs of Summer with Prestyn. I didn't blog about every day, but we did partake in activities from A-Z! This summer I have a bit more of a plan, and now that she's a year older we can do more. :) Of course we have Pierce too! He's still too young to understand all that's going on, but we'll take him on the adventures when we can!

Prestyn is still going to Mrs. Amber's on Tuesdays and Thursdays this summer. For 1 to help keep her in that routine and 2 to keep a Thomas Family spot since Pierce will start there in the Fall when Prestyn goes to Big Girl School! So our ABCs of Summer will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If Ryan is working on one of those days I'm getting a babysitter to come stay with Pierce because me trying to take both kids somewhere would just be too much right now! Especially with their ages...also on those days either Prestyn and I will have just Mommy & Me time or we'll try to make it a playdate with one of her many friends! :) On the days that Ryan is home then all 4 of us will partake in the ABCs of Summer activities!

This year I mapped out the days for June before so that we were prepared! I planned last year, but not this much so I think this will go much better! So we'll start with the 1st day...the letter A!

Ok so here was my plan: A is for Animals. There are animals at the Gentle Zoo that Prestyn can touch & pet! This is where her 2nd birthday was supposed to be, but since she was sick and we didn't get to go we have a credit there. Ryan worked this day so Kiki came over to hang out with Mr. P, and Prestyn & I were on our way to Forney! We invited my friend Meghan and her daughter Saylor to join us! So Meghan gets out there a few minutes before me, calls me, and tells me it's CLOSED! Oh no!!! I had been psyching Prestyn up for seeing animals so I was worried about her disappointment.

Well we turned around and headed to Chick Fil A! Prestyn didn't even ask about the animals. Ha! She was just excited to play with her friend Saylor. So we had a good lunch then we let the girls play! This was Prestyn's 1st time playing in a play area at a restaurant like that so I was of course snapping all kinds of pictures. People thought I was crazy, but I was also like hey this is going in the blog so I have to have pictures!

Prestyn wasn't scared at all. I was worried that she would climb all the way to the top, and be too scared to come down. Nope! I was very proud of her! She also did so good when it was time to go. So there were lots of stamps earned. (That's a story for another post!)

Our plan was to come home, nap, then continue with our A day activites. We were going to paint a picture of Anna from Frozen with Prestyn's foot. Instead we had a letter A visitor! Ryan's cousin Alex came to visit! Prestyn had lots of fun playing with her and her friend. :) Not a lot of "A" things were done, but we did have a pretty good day!

Pierce's 2nd Month

I didn't cry at the doctors office like I usually do with this baby. Seems no visit is a perfect visit. I didn't cry when he wailed when they gave him his shots. I might cry now typing this. For a few reasons::

1. This is our last baby. At times I'm ready for this newborn stage to be over because I'm exhausted but other times I cherish rocking this sweet baby and can't believe 2 months has already passed! 

2. I completely missed the fact that yesterday was in fact his 2 month birthday. Since his doctors appointment was today I just kept thinking today was the 27th. Nope it was yesterday. My mind has been so busy I didn't even know the date! 

And 3. The tough stuff. I hate to start with that but since writing is my release I have to get this off my mind. Well not really off but just typing it out helps! So here's the tough part that makes me want to cry. 

The doctor was asking me about his focus and following things with his eyes. He does this well. I told her that he favors his right side so I try to shake rattles, read to him, etc. on his left side to get him to turn that way. She said it's interesting I say that because she noticed his right side has a flat spot. 😢 then we say him up in my lap and his head kind of falls to the right side. So she thinks his neck muscles are weak on the left side. She showed me an exercise to do with him routinely but she also is referring us to a physical therapist. The PT will evaluate him and show us more exercises we can do to help strengthen that left side. We're hopeful that with a stronger neck he'll have better motion with his head and that flat spot will go away. We go back in 1 month to reevaluate. If the flat spot isn't better we'll need discuss him needing a helmet. 😭 

Not what this paranoid momma wants to hear! I am spending just as much time with Pierce as I did prestyn to help his development so of course I feel like I'm failing. Let's just pray this corrects itself with the exercises and our sweet boy will be well and good! 

So now onto the good stuff! Not to compare children or anything but when it comes to riding in the car Pierce is much better than Prestyn was! I used to have to pull over to console her and give her the paci. Pierce may fuss a little then just go to sleep! 

And oh those smiles! Those sweet sweet smiles! We get little cops and laughs out of him too when I sing and talk to him. He mostly likes songs that have hand motions that I do with my hands or his. 

Pierce is 22 3/4 inches long. That puts him in the 36th percentile. Maybe he'll be shorties like momma and daddy! 

He weighs 12 lbs 11 oz which puts him in the 58th percentile. A little above average but that's ok! My little chunk still likes to eat! He takes 4 oz of similac sensitive formula every 3 hours. He's still a little gassy with that formula and the Dr. Brown bottles so we're going to try the similac total comfort formula to see if it's easier on his tummy. At times we think he's ready for 5 oz but he still just takes 4. In the evening he can only go 2 hours between a feeding so we may try 5 oz for that feeding. 

He wakes up twice during the night to eat. Around 1 and around 4. Then we start our day around 7. This baby still loves to be swaddled. It's an immediate relief for him! He fusses, I swaddle, hold him up right, pat his back, and sshh in his ear and he's calm! Pierce is sleeping in his room at night. He starts naps in his crib but sometimes they end up in the swing because a nap in there is better than no nap at all. 

Pierce still isn't quite a huge fan of tummy time but that doesn't stop me from making him do it after every diaper change! With this routine we'll be doing his neck exercises. I usually read to him while he's on his tummy too. He loves to play the piano with his feet on his playmat and he LOVES it when Prestyn talks to him and plays with him. 

He's wearing size 1 diapers that I'm sure he'll outgrow soon and size 0-3 month clothes. His 3 month clothes fit too but I'm trying to get as much use as u can out of the 0-3! Holding onto those baby sizes! 

This little guy is definitely a momma's boy and I wouldn't have it any other way! Although Ryan's already ready to get him in sports! 😉😊 here's our little mvp.

 

Mother's Day 2015

This year was my 3rd Mother's Day as a mommy. Let's do a recap of the past 2, and you'll see why this one was the best! 

My 1st Mother's Day was a really good one. We dedicated Prestyn at church and had a nice lunch at one of our favorites! My mom and dad and brother got to be there so that was great! That afternoon I was really hoping for a nap but Prestyn had a different plan. Ryan grilled a delicious dinner for me, and I got to snuggle with sweet P. 

The next year (last year) Ryan had to work. Boooo! But I got to have a nice lunch with my mom while my dad babysat P. Still no nap! ;) 

This year when Ryan asked what I wanted for Mother's Day I said sleep! And that I got!! He got up for Pierce's 2 nighttime feedings. Then got Prestyn up and got her breakfast. I slept until 8:30! It was glorious!!! 

Ryan made me just the breakfast I wanted! Bacon, eggs, toast, and mimosas! It was delicious and perfect! We then all got ready to go to my mom's house to celebrate with everybody. 

My dad was missing but it was nice to see my grandmother and uncle Rudy. It really was the perfect day. My mom fixed lasagne for lunch, Pierce took a little nap, and Prestyn loved all the attention! 

When we got home Ryan helped getting the kids to bed, and ordered Chinese for us for dinner! Yum! The day before he and Prestyn walked in from being at the grocery store and she had flowers for me. She said happy birthday mommys day! So sweet! They're beautiful red roses and lilies! 

Ryan definitely showed his appreciation for me today and I am so grateful. Then he told me to go shopping the next day! I've been needing some summer clothes so it was fun to get out! Sans kids! And shop! For me!!

Oh and an ironic gift from him was a Starbucks gift card which I've already utilized. Since I can't get sleep every day at least I can get good caffeine! 

I love being a mommy to these sweet kids. And I'm thankful for my mommy teaching me how to be a mommy! Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there! Cheers! 

Pierce's 1st Month

Wow! I can't believe it's already been 1 month since Pierce was born. It definitely has flown by. Knowing this is our last has made me hold onto little moments a little bit longer. The fact that 1 month has already gone by makes me tear up a little.

But it also makes me celebrate! Hallelujah! We made it! We've made it 1 month! Everybody told me what an adjustment it would be going from 1 child to 2 but they didn't quite tell me how. So I wasn't really prepared. 

Everybody also told me not to compare our children which I knew. But they also would tell me how DIFFERENT they would be. But again...didn't tell me how! Soooo again...I wasn't prepared. Haha. I've definitely felt like a 1st time mom again. But that's ok. I am a first time mom to Pierce and he's his own person!  

So even though his first month has been a challenge it has been rewarding. Seeing Prestyn with Pierce warms my heart. I can tear up just thinking about how much she shows she loves them, and I know they'll have a great relationship growing up together. 

So we went from breastfeeding to exclusively pumping and giving both formula and breastmilk to strictly bottle feeding with formula. And that's ok! It's what my little man needs and what works best for us. I read this in Babywise and I loved it! 

Pierce now weighs 9.5 lbs and is a much happier baby!! He's on a 3 hour schedule during the day. His day starts around 6:30-7:30. He eats 4 oz and usually wants to go back to sleep but after a diaper change, and quick tummy time we wake Prestyn up so there's no chance he's sleeping! 

While I get Prestyn's breakfast and her ready he hangs out in the bouncer or plays on the play mat. Prestyn has enjoyed showing him how all of his toys work! 

I know he doesn't look too happy in this picture but he is doing much better with awake times! He's currently in his first leap. Which means his brain is basically going through a developmental growth spurt. It affects him just like a physical growth spurt. He wants to eat a lot often and sleep! 

I try to keep him up for just a little bit so at least his nap is good & restful! After Pierce has been awake for an hour (including feeding time) he's ready to go down for a nap! We swaddle him and rock him and down he goes! 

He's now napping in his crib and sleeps peacefully in there! I will say he's a much better sleeper at this age than his sister was. 😉 since he's going through this leap right now I'm usually waking him up after a 2 hour nap to feed him. This schedule works for us and I'm hopeful he'll start sleeping more at night! 

There were a couple nights where he slept 5 hours but since going through this leap he's waking up about every 3 hours. A perk of bottle feeding is Dadda gets to take one of the feedings while mommy sleeps! 

Pierce has now outgrown his newborn clothes and wears a size 1 diaper. He smiles at us now too! Not consistently but we definitely get some smiles out of him! 

He's not a fan of tummy time but I'm paranoid about flat spots on his head so we do lots of tummy time. Whether it be on my chest, legs, or a playmat I'm sure to get those upper body muscles built and help him gain some head control! Which he's doing very well at! 

Pierce has a paci but doesn't depend on it much. He's not much of a fan of the swing either. He'll hang out in there a little bit but he'd rather be held! I love holding him but it's not always an option. 😊 

We're having so much fun with our little guy and can't wait to see what the future months hold! 

Oh. And he was asleep in these pictures because of the leap! I tried EVERYTHING to get him to stay awake but poor guy was just so sleepy. I was going to retake the pictures but I thought no...this is a reflection of him at this point! ☺️