tis the season

Last week we went to August's first holiday program--it was complete mayhem, as expected, when the talent is all under the age of 5 and they are up past their bedtimes on a school night.  August spent a fair amount of time hiding behind the stage curtain and holding onto his newly diaper free twig and berries, if you catch my meaning.  We couldn't have been prouder...groan. 

Pic: August on stage with his classmates singing "jingle bells" and "santa Claus is coming to town"

  

Pic: the boys with Santa

Pic: August and Todd waiting in line for Santa 

 

"I a big boy now"

And with that "big boy" status comes the honor and privilege of sleeping in a Big Boy Bed--which, at this point is just his crib with one side replaced with a toddler rail.  August is very proud of this new situation and we haven't had any challenges with him trying to "break out".  I said he could get out of bed if mommy tells him and, so far, he's listened!!  It's amazing.  Anyway, he's very happy to be in a bed and has already noted that his bed isn't as big as Boden's--that's for when you're even bigger, I said!  Smart one, that boy.

August, too (two)

 We also celebrated August's birthday in October--two years old!  Because of the unusually warm weather, he got his birthday present--a little scoot bike--a couple days early.  The look on his face when he gets going down a little hill is priceless.  I would like to take the time to catch a picture of it but I'm too busy running after him and worrying he's going to wipeout big!

We've also turned August's car seat around so he's facing forward like the rest of us--he seems to really be enjoying this new vantage point.  We've heard lots about big trucks and buses and I love to see his smiling face in my rear view mirror.

August's first dental visit

August visited the dentist for the first time in May.  He cried the whole time and clung to me like we were monkeys in the rainforest trying to escape grave danger.  In other words, it was a great time.  She followed up with a picture and a nice note after the visit to welcome August.  See the picture below: She looks fabulous, I look ridiculous, and August looks scared--a fair summation of the visit. 

Efficiency rating

I admit it, I'm not as efficient as I once was at the grocery store.  I come home without multiple items on my list every time. Todd doesn't understand when I tell him I forgot ketchup, soda, milk...etc. because the kids are distracting.   In my defense, I submit the picture below as evidence.  Note: I couldn't get a picture of him standing up trying to climb over the seat because I had to hold on to him and save his life for the sixth time since entering the store.  

How can I possibly keep track of the things on my list, coupons, and compare prices with one kid spilling stream of consciousness thought out of his mouth and the other flirting with Danger??  I can't...which is why my new solution is to go on Friday nights after one kid goes to bed.  I'm tired but who cares, no one gets hurt and I get 98% of the items on my list (mom brain accounts for the other 2%).

Just some cute pics

August is turning into quite a ham--he enjoys being silly, dressing up in Todd and Boden's shoes and hats or any of Boden's dress up outfits.  In this picture, I caught him on wacky Wednesday dress up day for school--he chose his dad's shoes and hat to accessorize.

Boden is becoming a little temperamental about getting his picture taken, but he always poses well with his brother.

Hairs cut

Todd has been teasing me about getting August's hair cut for a couple months now.  "He's got long scraggly hair from the womb!" He said.  I've maintained that he doesn't need it and it looks fine.  Besides, I reasoned, Boden didn't get his first cut until he was almost 2, so given the cost of kid cuts, I was willing to wait, but finally gave in.  While he didn't have lots of curls or nothing especially memorable, I thought the messy wisps fit his personality a little better...so we'll see how long we wait before the second cut!  He no longer has his nascent hair so mission accomplished.

True to his personality, August was happy the whole time and sat nicely while his "stylist" trimmed off his locks.

Before and after:

Proof!

Whirlwind

Whew, it's been quite a whirlwind since Kindergarten started. We're already way past back-to-school, MEA, and Halloween and already sliding into Thanksgiving! It's been a crazy 2 months!  

Anyway, school is going well. Our first parent teacher conferences went fantastic. Boden's teacher, Mrs. P, seems really energetic and kind with the patience a kindergarten teacher needs. She said Boden is doing well and she really likes how "spunky" he is. Mrs. P also started a blog so we can learn more about what goes on in class -- I'm really enjoying it and appreciate her efforts to keep us nosy parents informed. http://heartsaresmilinginkindergarten.blogspot.com/ 

At the top of this month, Todd and I ran out first race together in years. I think it was 18 years ago that we ran a 5k and this year we got into the TC 10 mile. We were long overdue for another run together and had a great time even though it was soooo cold.

Boden also turned 6 (on the same day as his parent teacher conference, actually) this month and I continue to be amazed at how big he's getting. I feel like he'll be carrying me to bed pretty soon :) He's a very good big brother except when it comes to sharing...but, he's very entertaining and can get August laughing like no one else! 

To add to this busy month, August turned one and is as sweet as Boden is sassy :) He's walking much more--about 95% of the time. Crawling continues to be a draw because he can really cruise when he's on all fours.  

I had my first work trip this month, as well, and survived one night away away from my sweet little guy...I know it gets easier but it was hard to be away from him!  Boden enjoyed the "guy time" with his dad and little brother but still had plenty of kisses and hugs for me when I came home.

Change!

August has gone through lots of changes  this past month.  For one, his smile is transforming on a daily basis! His two front teeth erupted at the same time, putting an end to his mysterious "crankiness" (cranky for him, but still pretty darn happy).  He has a total of 6 teeth now which is always comes as a surprise to me--I still imagine his sweet, gummy smile.  He's also getting very close to walking on his own, although he crawls very quickly which makes this his default mode of transport when he really wants to turn on the accelerator.  He's very into wrestling--his Boppy, Boden or fellow classmates.  So, while his young infant room teachers love him, it's time for him to quit mauling the itty bitties and move up to the older infant room, where he can have a little more freedom to roam.  August also had some fantastic illnesses over the past few weeks--hopefully he's built up some immunity to take on the bugs in the new classroom!

On the same week that Augie moves up to be with the older babies full-time, Boden starts Kindergarten!  We're all very excited for this.  We went to Back to School night where his principal already knows him by name (so far, this is a good thing) and we met his teacher, saw his classroom, and dropped off school supplies.  We even found out there are at least 2 buddies from preschool in his class and a new friend he met over the summer.  While he's sad his best bud isn't in his same class, I know he'll see him in the after school program.  

Many exciting transitions for the little Brown boys--just when you get things down, change happens!  

Boden's pirate ship

Picture post

Just updating with some pics...

One of Todd and the boys--it's either Boden all over August or the other way around these days.  Boden says they are wresting but there's lots of reminding that Augie is a BABY (so settle down!!).  In this picture, August wasn't able to use his "gentle hands" but he does love reaching out to his big brother.

This picture of August is so cra cra adorbs I can hardly stand it!  He's crawling like a champ now and it took about 2 minutes for him to realize he could pull himself up onto things (everything)--now the fun begins, by fun I mean heart palpitations every time I watch him fall, almost fall, head towards danger...etc.

Here's a pic of Boden on his last day of preschool.  He looks so stinkin' skinny and lean -- it surprised me how quickly he went from toddlerish to little boy to big boy (he's all arms and legs). 

On the move

August is crawling!  We knew it was coming when he started rocking back and forth on his hands and knees.  He's still working on perfecting it, but he's very proud of his new skills.  He seems to be anxious for standing up, so I think he'll be progressing quickly to using the furniture as his ally to help him get upright.  Time to get the baby gate back in place!

Baby says Ban The Bottle

August is unfortunately taking after his brother when it comes to his feelings towards The Bottle.  While he started off like a champ at daycare taking 3 bottles a day displaying his passion for eating, he's been on a steady and ornery decline: it's a "good day" if he takes 2 ounces from The Bottle.  It's very frustrating for everyone--especially because he had been doing so well.  The new approach is to help him improve his skills with a sippy cup...day 2 into that and it's going "ok".  

Obviously, I feel like a complete failure with 2 boys who down and out refused the bottle...at least August gave it the ol' college try, but still!!  When I ask my friends how EXACTLY did they introduce the bottle to their babies, they look at me like I've asked them a trick question and they answer with "I just gave it to him/her" and they all started around 4 weeks, so it doesn't sound like I missed something obvious...but it sure feels like it.  Well, thank goodness I've been down this path before and I know that this too shall pass!

It's here...kind of

A couple nights ago, August took a little nibble on me while nursing, which surprised us both, I think.  I set him straight real quick and thought a tooth must be coming soon.  This thought manifested itself in a dream in which his bottom gum was red and inflamed with a big, gnarly looking tooth poking out of it.  As I was telling one of his teachers about it, I poked my finger into his mouth to rub on his gums and felt a tiny, tooth poking through--on the bottom where I dreamt it was...obviously I'm some kind of oracle :)  August's first tooth appeared within days of when Boden got his first tooth 5 years ago.  The little turkey wouldn't let me get a pic of it but I'm lucky I got one of him holding still...sort of.  

Halfway There

August turned 6 months old this week--it seems as if time has accelerated since I went back to work!  Yikes!  But, we celebrated this mini milestone with his regular check-up where he weighed in at just under 16 1/2 lbs.  He's not too hefty anymore but Todd continues to call him "chunko".  I call him "happy pants" because even through teething pain and two really bad colds this month, he continues to be pretty darn smiley.

We unfortunately also celebrated his first trip to urgent care this week.  His daycare teacher called one afternoon to tell me August's congestion (due to his aforementioned cold) seemed to be getting worse and she was concerned that his breathing was becoming more labored. After a call with a nurse for some advice, I had my briefcase packed up and was heading down the highway pretty quickly to go check him out.  While he was doing okay when I picked him up, a trip to urgent care seemed like a solid plan.  So we spent two hours there with a provider who looked like "the Rock" (not really a bad thing) and a respiratory therapist.  In the end, they determined August was just too stuffed up so they literally vacuumed out his nose which, although he didn't like it (understatement), the treatment was highly effective.  They sent us on our way with orders for saline and suction frequently.  So thankful it wasn't something worse!  

I think this next month holds some fun development for August--maybe sitting on his own and I'm sure some teeth will erupt, too.  He continues to adore his big brother even when Boden is being a big stinker.  Unfortunately, August still thinks he needs to wake up in the night at least twice to visit with his momma...but he's usually very pleasant about it so what's to complain about?

First day at daycare

All good things come to an end--even my glorious maternity leave.  Oh sigh.  In prep for heading back to work in a couple weeks, I wanted to ease August into daycare so my first day at work would be less traumatic...for both of us.  So, he did a "trial" for a couple hours last week where he met the teachers and his "classmates"  and went yesterday for most of the day.  I had some concerns because he was not taking a bottle without getting VERY upset.  After the trial day, I asked the lead teacher how it went and she said "I see what you mean about how angry he gets over the bottle.  It looks like we have some work to do." Wa-waaa.  That was a downer, of course; as I had flashbacks of Boden's dislike for the bottle and how he opted for lots of nighttime feeding so he could avoid the bottle at daycare.  When Tuesday rolled around, I thawed out milk and filled bottles and crossed my fingers that August's hunger would beat out his distaste for the bottle.  And, it seems it did!!  It doesn't sound like it was easy, but one of the teachers spent some time with him and figured out the right combination of rocking, holding and singing to him to get him to eat.  (Cue angels singing :-) ).  August was beat when I picked him up but was mostly happy, until some older baby crawled over to his bouncy chair and whacked him on the face :). His teachers said he was so smiley (I'm sure of that) and such a happy guy.  Whew. 

We've got a couple more "test" days left before I go back to work, so hopefully they all go this well or better!  It's stressful to worry the whole day about your little one but if we conquer this bottle aversion (at least at daycare), I'll be much more at ease.

First giggles are so sweet

The only time we've heard August really giggle was in his sleep--not sure what you dream of when you're 3-4 months old, but apparently it's funny stuff.  So, it came as a nice surprise when August, Boden and I were hanging out one afternoon, and Boden, a natural born silly guy, was the first one to get August to giggle while awake.  The camera work is not great, but the giggles sure are.  I dare you not to smile.

August @ 3 months

August is 3 months old now and very smily and alert. He's not much of a crier (yay) unless he feels he has waited long enough to be fed.  He seems really close to rolling over from back to front but I'm not sure he'll be all that happy when he gets to his front, so no rush. 

I don't think a day has gone by where Todd and I haven't said "can you believe how easy this kid is?!".  Compared to our experience with Boden as an infant, August is very low maintenance.  August has one downfall, though, that he shares with his brother--no interest in taking a bottle.  We started out strong at 4 weeks, but he quickly became intolerant of it and we haven't made much progress since.  I'm hoping things will turn around on that front real soon--for now, we've taken a break from the bottle.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

Which is which?

I happened to find a photo of Boden taken about the same age as August is now. So I put a picture of each one below:  One of the babies is Boden and one is August.  Can you tell which is which?  Given that both were/are nearly bald, it's a bit of a toss-up.  Boden has a distinguishing feature but I'm not sure everyone would remember it--extra credit if you know it :)

Happy Little Buddha

I couldn't help but share this totally adorable picture of August!  He looks so happy in his knitted diaper cover--a gift from a dear friend.  He's a smily guy so it wasn't too hard to capture his smile.  I love the rolls he's accumulating, which Boden never had...these "reserves" may be the reason he sleeps so well most nights :)

Growing boys

Both boys went to the pediatrician for their check-ups this month.  The final report is that both are growing and healthy.  Although Boden has only gained 4 lbs in the last year, he's actually moved up on his growth curve (50th percentile vs 25th).  And, now at 43 inches, he's looking forward to riding rides (like at the fair or MOA) by himself.  At August's 2 wk mark, he was up to 9 lbs (8lbs 6 oz on his birth day; 8 lbs when we left the hospital) which put him in the 85 th percentile for weight--a li'l plump pumpkin.  Two healthy, (mostly) happy boys...I can't ask for more than that!

Picture 1: Boden being silly with the Boppy--it's his beard :)

Picture 2: August in a knitted gift from one of mama's retired colleagues.