Taylor's 9 Month Update

• Taylor is quite the active guy! Although not fully crawling yet he gets on all fours and rocks back and forth. He has crawled forward a couple times and so SO close. And through rolling and scooting he gets where he needs to be. 
• He has pulled himself from a sit to a stand a couple times so we lowered the crib in preparation. 
• Tay has also gotten better at getting himself from a laying position to a sitting position.
• Boy still LOVES to bounce - When you hold him he wants to be in a standing position and bounce away. Would do it all day if you let him! Not the snuggliest guy - He's just too busy!
• He still has 4 teeth - no new ones this past month. But lots of drool and you can see another bottom one about to pop.
• Tay has a really funny laugh/giggle - It almost sounds like he is hiccuping really fast. And sometimes you can't tell if he's laughing or crying (not sure he can tell sometimes either)
• His diet is getting much more expansive - He has now tried eggs and yogurt which he loves. Cheerios are also a new favorite! And he is liking finger foods like steamed veggies and soft fruit. Now that we are at 9 months there are lots more foods we can start trying! Am excited to be done with the puree packets and just do finger foods :) And we are still nursing 4-5 times a day.
• Sleep has been going well for the most part. He takes 2 naps everyday around 10 and 2. Goes to bed around 8 and gets up around 7:30. He cries in the night - not a sound sleeper. But we just pretty much let him work it out and he's happy in the morning. I still go in one time a night a feed him but trying to cut that out soon.
• He is such a sweet boy and rarely cries (except in the night alone in his crib where he cries all the time!). When we were with my extended family the other weekend everyone commented on what a sweet, happy and smiley boy he is.
• He is in 9-12 month clothing and just moved up to size 4 diapers.
• Tay really wants to be a part of whatever is going on. In the car he cranes his neck to see what Avery is doing. And is always whipping his head around to see what's happening and making sure he's not missing anything.
• He just loves Avery and thinks she is the funniest and coolest thing.
• Peek A Boo is a favorite game - really gets him giggling.
• Bath time and car rides are smooth and he tends to be calm and happy in either.
• Loves to sit with a bucket of toys in front of him and just dig in and play.
• Never took to a bottle or paci or his thumb. Nursing is really his main comfort although he does let others rock him to sleep and put him down for naps and bedtime.
• We have his check up next week so we'll get his stats then but I think he is around 20 lbs.
• LOVE him to death and grateful everyday for my sweet little Tay Man.

He was NOT in the mood for 9 months pics - too close to nap time!

Happy Sink Bath shot from the day before

 

Grandpa Hopkins 90th Birthday Weekend

The kids and I headed to Midland to celebrate my Grandpa's 90th Birthday. It was my first time taking the 2 kids alone somewhere and overall we did really well. Hung was not able to get the time off from work and we missed having him but am so glad I decided to go ahead and make the trip happen. The kids were really good in the car both ways - Tay slept a lot and Avery watched movies and played with her surprise gifts from G (coloring books, Car bingo, Frozen activity pad, iPad games, and also some reading). We made 2 stops each way and Avery was a big helper to me. I was relieved at how smooth it went!

Friday night we had a BBQ at my cousin Billy and Emily's house. Avery had a lot of fun playing in the tree house and in the hammock. Avery was actually really shy at first which is not like her but then she warmed up and became her chatty self :) Saturday we spent the day at the hotel swimming with cousins - Avery is going to be such a little fish this summer and am really seeing her swimming lessons paying off. That evening we had the surprise party for Grandpa - He had NO idea we were all there to celebrate with him! I made him a block M with pics of all the kids, grand kids and great grand kids decked out in Michigan gear and he really loved it. Am glad I was able to pull it together for him! After dinner we all headed back to the hotel for more swimming. Taylor really did not like the hotel crib and would just sit up and scream when I put him in it so me and the kids bunked together all weekend - not the best nights of sleep but we made it work!

Sunday we went to my Aunt Jenny's for breakfast, then back to the hotel for more swimming for Avery with Grandpa and Uncle Nate and a nap for Tay and me. Then we went back to Jenny's for another BBQ and a couple croquet games. Avery had SO much fun playing with cousins, Grandpa and Grandma T, my Aunts and Uncle Nate and Aunt Debbie. She was in heaven and was crying on Monday that she didn't want to leave Midland. Taylor got lots of snuggles and love, too but was fairly clingy to me when I was in view - thanks to everyone for carrying him around and distracting him when I needed a break. We were all exhausted last night when we got home and happy to see Hung and G. But it was well worth it to have so much quality time with our extended family. Happy 90th Birthday Grandpa!! Love you so much!

Lunch at McDonald's - our road trip staple! They had a play area so Avery had a blast!

 Playing in the crib but not sleeping in the crib..

Playing in the treehouse with Kelly

Lunch after swimming

 The B-Day Party - terrible lighting!!

 Tay deciding not to sleep after the party

 Cousin time at Aunt Jenny's

 Watching the adults play croquet

 My present to Grandpa

Really wanted a pic with Grandpa and Tay would NOT cooperate

 Croquet!!

 Snuggling with Kelly

 Fun braids with Aunt Debbie!

Playing with Uncle Nate

Mother's Day 2016

I felt very grateful and loved this Mother's Day. Avery made me Andy Warhol handprint art along with a Q&A sheet that she completed at school - The weight, favorite food and job answers made me laugh and "the kind" answer made me melt. Ashley also worked with the kids to make thumb print art - although Avery thought painting would look better on the tiles so only Taylor did the thumbprint part :) And Ashley also made me the M O M letters and found tons of great photos of both kids to add to them. It is pretty crazy how alike Avery and Taylor looked as babies - half of the photos Hung and I guessed wrong on which kid it was!! 

On Mother's Day I got to sleep in and didn't leave my room until 10 am which was lovely! Avery was not happy about this and was mad at Hung for not letting her wake me up. She posted a bunch of sticky notes on my door and when I asked if they were Mother's Day notes for me she told me "No, those are mean notes about you and daddy because I was mad so lets rip them up and throw them out now". LOL. We had a relaxing day at my mom's visiting with Grammy, Aunt Amy, Uncle Mike and Cousin Robin along with brunch and exchanging presents. We ended the day with dinner at Hollyhock Hills. Sadly, Grammy got very sick at dinner and had to leave suddenly so it was a hard way to wrap up Mother's Day. 

I am SO grateful and just totally in love with my two awesome kids. Am happy to be a mom everyday but felt good to be loved and appreciated on Mother's Day.

Fun weekend with Rebecca, Hannah, Linde, and Luke

Rebecca, Hannah, Linde and Luke came to visit from Detroit for the weekend. Avery was SO excited for her friends to come and play. On Friday we played outside and enjoyed the sunshine (and Rebecca took some amazing pics!!) and had Hibachi dinner. Saturday we went to the Children's museum - Avery loved the "bully area" (Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges and Ryan White) - I could not get her out of there and everyone had to move on without us. We also spent a lot of time in the China Exhibit - any place she can play pretend she is happy. Saturday night and Sunday the kids had a blast playing together and spent lots of time in the bounce house. We LOVED having them and look forward to our next visit :)