A Look Back at 2012

I started my blog in 2008…almost 5 years ago, which is crazy because it doesn’t seem like that long ago at all. In December of 2009, I started recapping highlights from the year in one blog post. I love going back and reading them so even though these posts take me a while to write with all the links and pictures, it is totally worth it. Basically this is our family scrapbook, Aedan and Adelaide’s baby books and my hobby, so I hope to keep it going for many years to come.

Here is what we did in 2012…

In January, we were just getting settled in our new house. Aedan and I started to go to story time at the local library and I joined a local mom’s group. Aedan found his favorite spots to play inside and outside at the new house. Oh, and I tried to jump on the project 365 bandwagon, but it didn’t last long. Ha!

In February, I shared our love story and wrote a love letter to Jon. Jon celebrated his 31st birthday and we went to visit the ducks at the neighborhood across the street. We bought a few things for the house, Aedan got RSV, which was awful and I did his 23 month update. Oh and I found out I was pregnant, but I didn’t post about it for awhile. I actually found out while Jon was out of town and since I didn’t want to tell him over the phone, I had to wait a good 4 days before I spilled the beans (although I did end up telling my sister earlier that week…I had to tell someone!).

In March, Aedan turned two and we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. We had Aedan’s party and I showed of his “homeless cart”. I also got to hear Adelaide’s little heartbeat for the first time and finally got to share the news with everyone.

In April, I didn’t post much because I pretty much felt awful. I did post a 9 week and a 10 week pregnancy update. I took Aedan with my to one of my doctor appointments and talked about how I wanted Phillip Phillips to win American Idol (and he did!).

In May, Jon and his best friend went on a camping trip, we celebrated Mother’s day, my sister graduated with her masters. Aedan showed off his guitar playing skills, and I showed off our living room.

In June, I shared our bedroom, the playroom, kitchen and dinning room. I made it half way through my pregnancy and we found out it was a girl! Aedan spent the night with Nenna and Pop for the first time without us and I talked about how he calls me dear (he actually doesn’t anymore, but he does still call Jon “dear”, “don” or “mody (half mommy half daddy). :)

In July, we spent a lot of evenings outside, I did a 23 week update, I showed off our bathrooms and foyer. We celebrated the 4th of July, Jon had to do a lot of traveling, I did a 411 post and I talked about how Jon and Aedan are best buds (which they still are).

In August, Jon had to do some more traveling, I showed off our back porch and the laundry room, we moved Aedan from his crib to a big boy bed, I redid Aedan’s old dresser for Adelaide’s new room, and we enjoyed the last few days of summer. \

In September, I showed off our bonus room, got to be in a commercial, and shared some of my favorite beauty products. I did a 2.5 year update for Aedan and he started preschool!

In October, we potty trained Aedan, got a new kitchen table, I was full-term and thought maybe Adelaide was coming earlier than expected, but instead I walked around 6 cm dilated for almost two weeks.  And of course Adelaide was born just before Halloween, on October 30th.

In November, I shared Adelaide’s birth story and a few pictures of her and recapped our Halloween weekend. We celebrated Thanksgiving at our house, and I did Adelaide’s one month update.

In December, I shared our Christmas cards, talked about what we used most with Adelaide during her first month, went to see Aedan in his first Christmas pageant, and celebrated Christmas.

2012 has been a great year, we have had some ups and downs, but overall we are very very blessed. I can’t wait to see what 2013 has in store for my little family!

-Lauren-

Here are our recaps from 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Two Months

Look who is already two months old!

Adelaide, here is what you have been up to this past month…

• I’m not sure how much you weigh or how tall you are. We don’t have your two month check up until next week due to the holidays. But you have gotten a lot more chunky this month.
• Your hair has gotten a lot lighter this month and your eyes are still pretty blue.
• You wear all 0-3 or 3 month clothes. For most of the month you wore size one diapers, but we just moved you up to size two a couple of days ago.
• You eat about every 3 hours during the day and you still take a bottle, but you don’t love it. You drink enough to get by but that is about it. Sigh. We may have to work on that if it gets worse.
• You take pretty good naps, usually a couple of 2 hour naps and a couple of 1 hour naps during the day. Sometimes we have a hard time getting you to go to sleep at night, but for the most part you are down between 8:30 and 9.
• Most of the month you were waking up between 2-3 am, and then again around 6 am. I guess I could just say you were waking up once a night and get you up for the day at 6, but that is too early for me. :) You have gotten a lot more easy to settle back to sleep after you eat at night, which is nice.  
• We kicked you out of our room when you turned 4 weeks and for the whole month you slept swaddled in your rock n play in your own room.
• You are much less sensitive to noise than Aedan was, which is good because with Aedan around our house isn’t that quiet.
• You smile a lot when someone talks to you and you smile at Aedan when he plays near you. You have a cute little dimple on your right cheek.
• You are not a fan of riding in the car and Aedan is not a fan of riding with you in the car because you spend most of the trip crying. I think it is safe to say we will not be making any trips in the near future because you screaming and Aedan crying because you are screaming just might send your daddy and I over the edge if we had to be in the car for more than 20 minutes!
• You like laying on your play mat and are happy to sit in your bouncy seat as long as someone is bouncing it. The swing is still hit or miss.
• You do great when I take you to run errands as long as I wear you in a carrier, you are not a fan of just sitting in your carseat.
• We took you to two big Christmas celebrations and you did really well. I know everyone loved seeing you and holding you.

Adelaide, you are such a cutie. We are loving getting to know you more and more. We love you so much!

-Mommy-

And since I like to compare…I think you two look pretty different this month.

-Lauren-

Merry Christmas!

We wish you a merry Christmas!

We have already had two Christmas celebrations and both were so much fun! I will do a recap soon.

Now both kids are fast asleep (although one will be up to eat all too soon!), and all the presents are wrapped. Tomorrow morning we are going to have a low key Christmas with our little family (and my sister) and then my parents and grandmothers will be coming over for another celebration in the early afternoon. I am looking forward to a relaxing day at home with my favorite people.

-Lauren-

Christmas Pageant

Yesterday was Aedan’s last day of preschool for the semester. They put on a little Christmas Pageant and it was so cute! I was positive as soon as Aedan saw us he would leave the stage, but he didn’t. He did ask his teacher if he could a few times but ultimately he stayed in place and did great.

This video is a little long, so if you aren’t a grandparent you should just skip to the last 45 seconds or so and check out Aedan’s maraca skills. :)

After it was over, he came out to us and then immediately ran back to give his teacher a hug. He has had a great semester and we absolutely love his teachers.

What’s Been Going On

• I turned 29 on December 6th. I wasn’t planning on us doing much to celebrate since we have a newborn, but my parents volunteered to come babysit so Jon and I could go out. It was so nice. We went to dinner at BJ’s Brewery. We got appetizers, pizza and beer and of course a pizookie. It was delicious. Afterward we did a little Christmas shopping before heading home.
• We just finished up season two of Walking Dead…so good. We decided we didn’t want to wait for season three to get to Netflix so we signed up for Amazon Prime so we could just buy the season. So far, we still love it. And I love that we have Amazon prime because it means free two day shipping on just about everything…which means I am done Christmas shopping! Yay! Now I just have to find time to wrap everything.
• Aedan and I spent last Friday cleaning out the playroom. I filled a huge box with toys for us to give away, and got everything else organized a little better. Now we have more room to play and an easier time cleaning up. Last year, since we had just moved I didn’t get it cleaned out and once we got Christmas gifts and then a couple months later, birthday gifts the room looked more like a closet than a playroom. Hopefully I can stay more on top of it this year.
• Jon volunteered to do Adelaide’s night feedings Friday and Saturday night and both nights she only woke up once, giving us 6-7 hour stretches each time. Unlike the week nights before when I was up with her 3 times…sigh. I do think we are getting close to her sleeping longer stretches so hopefully just a few more weeks and 7 hours will be the norm.
• Aedan was watching toy story last and insisted on wearing his Buzz costume…cracked me up. I can’t wait to show him pictures like this when he is older (that and videos like this one).

• On my list of post to write I have Adelaide’s two month update (how is it time for that already) and highlights from 2012 (this post takes me forever to write, but it is probably my favorite to go back and read so it is totally worth it).
• This is Aedan’s last week of school until mid January. He has a Christmas pageant on Thursday that I can’t wait to see!

-Lauren-

Christmas Card Carousel

 

This is my 4th year to participate in Faith’s Christmas Card Carousel. I love getting to see everyone’s Christmas cards each year. This year we were going to get some family pictures done, but I decided it would probably be better to wait until Adelaide can sit up. So I just went with individual pictures of them for the front of the card and then a cute picture of both of them for the back. I love how it turned out.

 

Here is the pictures that is on the back…

Thanks for stopping by and head over to Faith’s blog to see some other cute cards (and check out pictures of her adorable newborn twins!).

Merry Christmas!!

-Lauren-

Things We Love–One Month Edition

I did a monthly update as well as a things we love post each month of Aedan’s first year. I figured I should keep it up for Adelaide too.

So here are a few things we have been loving/using a lot this month…

Adelaide sleeps in her Rock n Play for all of her naps and every night. For most of her first month she slept in our room but napped in her room. I love that this was so easy to move around the house. She also has some reflux, just like Aedan, so it helps that it elevates her as well. I am guessing she will continue to sleep in this until 3/4 months when we stop swaddling her and let her sleep on her stomach in the crib.

I have also been loving the Aden and Anais swaddle blankets. We don’t use them to actually swaddle her, but these blankets are great for covering the carseat or using as a nursing cover.

We used Dr. Brown bottles with Aedan although when he went through his whole refusing a bottle time, I tried a bunch of different kinds (not that it worked…in the end we did bottle bootcamp). This time around I tried to switch to Avent bottles because they are easier to clean but Adelaide was not a fan. In the end she takes a Dr. Brown bottle perfectly (as long as it is warm).

Along with the Dr. Brown bottles, we have been loving our bottle warmer too. We didn’t unpack it right away and were just heating up the bottles in a measuring cup and water, but since I give Adelaide bottles during the day, I got it out and remembered why I love it. I drop a bottle in, press start, get her up and change her diaper and then the bottle is ready to go.

Last but not least, we love the Miracle Blanket. We got these when Aedan was a couple of months old and used them until we stopped swaddling. We have been using them with Adelaide since we brought her home. They are easy to use and impossible to break out of…at least at her age. They help her sleep more soundly which means I get more sleep, so it’s a win win. We originally bought them for Aedan so she gets to use a blue one and a blue camo one. :)

-Lauren-

Phone Pictures

I was always so bad about taking pictures off my iPhone. I would never what to sit down and plug it in and go through iTunes to sync everything.

Now that I have an android phone, I can send my pictures directly to our Dropbox without every plugging my phone in…it is awesome!

So here are a few pictures from my phone…

When Aedan wakes up in the morning he usually reads books to himself before he calls us to come get him…so cute!

 

One afternoon, Aedan and I were playing outside and we found a furry caterpillar.

Of course we had to give it an orange because it was looking for food, just like the Hungry Hungry Caterpillar book we read just about every night.

Aedan loves to copy everything Jon does or says. One Saturday morning I came into the living room to find them both eating bananas with their leg up on the ottoman. Goofy boy!

I was making a Christmas shopping list so Aedan got some paper and drew some pictures. Then he wanted to hang them on the refrigerator. Then it became way more fun to hang paper on the frig, so he started bringing me old bills and such from Jon’s to-shred pile and we hung them up all over the frig and the pantry door.

Oh and Adelaide had her 1 month check up today…she is 10 lbs. 4 oz. and 20 inches long…75th percentile for weight and 10th percentile for height. Looks like she is going to shape up just like Aedan. At least he evened things out by about a year. :)

-Lauren-

One Month!

Guess who is one month old today! I can’t believe it, well maybe at 2 am I can believe it, but still it has gone by pretty fast!

Adelaide, here is what you have been up during your first few weeks…

• You weigh 10 lbs. 4 oz. and are 20 inches long.
• You wear size 1 diapers and as of today I packed up all the newborn size clothes so you are in all 0-3 month. The newborn onesies were getting a little tight, and the 3 month stuff is a little big but it works.
• Your hair seems darker than Aedan’s, but it is still blonde. Your eyes are pretty blue so I am thinking they might stay blue just like his.
• You eat about every 3 hours or so during they day, and usually give us two 4 hour stretches at night (although some nights not so much). Aedan was doing 8-9 hour stretches by 2 months, so you have a lot to live up to.
• You nurse well and that is what we do the most, but I am determined to make sure you take a bottle (unlike Aedan) so you have at least one a day. Sometimes I pump for it and sometimes we give you formula. You definitely prefer the pumped milk which is fine, I am just glad you take the bottle!
• You take most of your naps in your bedroom, but at night you sleep in our room. You are a pretty loud sleeper just like your brother so I think we are going to move you to your room soon. You sleep in your rock n play cradle, swaddled and on your side.
• You would love it if we held you while you slept 100% of the time. You have a knack for popping your eyes open as soon as we put you down. Although starting today we let you fuss/cry for a while and you actually put yourself to sleep for one of your naps. You have a few more weeks, but pretty soon I am going to work on you putting yourself to sleep for all your naps.
• I went back and read Aedan’s one month update and you seem to be about the same…you hate to be in your bouncy seat and the swing is pretty hit or miss. If you are asleep the swing is great, if you are awake…not so much. Basically you would just prefer to be held.all.day.long. By two months Aedan loved his bouncy seat, so I am hoping you follow suite.
• Aedan told his preschool teachers that all you do is scream. Haha! You do have your moments, but overall I think you are quieter than he was as a newborn.
• You have already had your first cold. I guess that is what happens when you are born in the fall/winter and have a 2.5 year old in the same house. You handled it pretty well and are totally over it now.
• You have been on tons of walks this month, although you would never know it because you pretty much fall instantly asleep when I put you in the carrier.
• Aedan really likes you except when you are crying. He loves to check on you and pat your head or belly. This week we started bathing you guys together and he is fine with it, except for the night you lost it and pretty much screamed the whole time I was bathing you. The next night he said he didn’t want to take a bath with you anymore. :)

Well baby girl, already one month old! I can’t wait to get to know you more and see what the rest of the year brings!

-Lauren-

Life Lately

We haven’t been doing too much lately, just hanging around the house for the most part. Both Aedan and Adelaide had a cold last week, but I think everyone is feeling almost back to normal now.

Adelaide is 4 weeks old today, I am about to start writing her one month update which is hard to believe! She has been doing really well despite having a stuffy nose for the past week.

We got the house decorated for Christmas over the weekend and now Aedan insists on turning on the Christmas tree lights as soon as he gets up each morning. He also picked out some Toy Story ornaments at Target and they are his current favorite toys.

We have been so blessed to have some friends and neighbors bring us meals over the past few weeks. Everything has been delicious and it has been so nice to not have to worry about dinner a couple of nights each week. A couple of weeks ago, one of our neighbors brought over minestrone soup. It was really good, so this last week I decided to make some for myself. I found this recipe online and it was really taste and pretty easy. It will definitely be in our normal meal rotation this winter.

Speaking of winter, while Aedan was at school this morning, Jon and I did a little shopping. I picked up some winter clothes for Aedan at Old Navy. I almost ordered some stuff yesterday for Cyber Monday but I am glad I didn’t because today I got 40% off in the store for using our Banana Republic card…I just need to find him a cute pair of jeans and I think he will be set for the season.

Jon did some shopping at Best Buy and picked me up a flip case for my new phone. I am still loving my new phone and the new case!

After that we did the grocery shopping for the week, picked Aedan up from school and just relaxed all afternoon. Aedan got woken up from his nap only an hour into it (he takes a 3 hour nap still every afternoon…he would probably sleep longer but I wake him up after 3 hours). They are finally finishing up the house next door and today they were drilling the spots for the fence posts. Nothing like a jack hammer going off out side your window during nap time. Sigh. Oh well, it meant for an early bedtime and once they get the fence up tomorrow, I think they will probably be completely finished outside so we don’t have to worry about construction noise during nap time anymore! Yay!

Since Jon is off work this week, he has been waking up with me when I get up to feed Adelaide. Last night we started watching the second session of Walking Dead. Adelaide usually gets up twice at night and it usually takes me about 30 minutes to feed her and put her back down so we watched half the show during the first feeding and finished it during the second feeding. I like the show, but the first episode was super gory and pretty intense. I was wide awake and had a hard time going to sleep after her first feeding…it may not be the best show to watch in the middle of the night. Ha!

Well, I think that about sums up what’s been happening over here. I can not believe it is already the last week in November! I guess I better get to Christmas shopping!!

-Lauren-

Picture Taking

Jon keeps reminding me that I need to take as many pictures of Adelaide as I did of Aedan during his first year…I am trying, but man I set the bar pretty high. ;)

Yesterday I was about to put Adelaide down for a nap and I thought I’d take a few pictures first.

Aedan decided to join in with his camera…

I’m not sure what I love more, the fact that he wanted to join in or the fact that he insists on holding the camera backwards. It actually takes pictures and he has taken a ton of self portraits.

Every since we brought Adelaide home, Aedan just seems so much more grown up. He has been such a good big brother but sometimes I miss my little baby boy!!

All this picture taking can get exhausting…time for a nap!

-Lauren-

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so thankful for my family! Yesterday we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with both my family and Jon’s family. The nice thing about having a newborn is that everyone comes to you and brings food! I have to say a huge thank you to my mom, grandmothers and mother-in-law. They cooked two great meals for everyone and left us with tons of leftovers!

Today we are enjoying a relaxing day as a little family of 4 (or 5 since we count Hiro as our first baby) and eating lots of yummy leftovers. Tomorrow I am hoping to start getting the house decorated for Christmas! I can’t believe tomorrow will mark one year since we put a sold sign up in the yard. This year has gone by so fast!!

I got a few pictures yesterday while my family was here for lunch, but I completely forgot to bring out my camera when Jon’s family was over for dinner. Fail.

Adelaide got to meet both of my grandmothers…

And of course got to be held by everyone…

This little turkey got no shortage of attention either. He had a blast with everyone. In fact he woke up this morning and went through the list of everyone he got to see yesterday and asked to see them again. :)

I also got this great shot of my parents and their three grandkids. :)

I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving and enjoying lots of good food and time with friends and family!

-Lauren-