Lincoln @ 7 AND 8 months

Story of my life, I'm way behind and can't get caught up, so I'm combining posts.


Lincoln has grown and changed so much over the past sevens months, it's hard to believe that my little baby is starting to grow up and become much more independent!! This month Lincoln has started to sit up by himself, he definitely found his tongue and is still crawling all over the place! He's still eating solids and man can he eat!! He's tried just about everything already. From sweet potatoes (his first food) to homemade avocados! He's had a major issue with ear infections this month-there was one point where he had 5 infections within 6 weeks. Thankfully they've seemed to run their course and he hasn't had one in about 2 1/2 weeks!! Because of his ear infections he wasn't sleeping well...at all!! I mean waking up 2-3 times a night. I was exhausted for 6 weeks, but felt bad because I knew he wasn't feeling well.

As I said, Lincoln started sitting up all by himself this month, however, he really doesn't like sitting. I'll sit him up and he'll purposefully fall onto his belly so he can crawl. Oh well, he'll do it when he wants to!

It's hard for me to figure out how much he actually weighed at 7 months because he kept losing weight, gaining weight and losing again. At one point he was 17 lbs. 14 oz. then the next week he was only 17 lbs. even. So, I'd say somewhere in between there!

These pictures totally capture the type of baby Lincoln is--so happy and so much fun! Rarely does he cry or fuss! He, thankfully, is sleeping through the night again. Once his ears cleared up I slept on the couch for 3 nights, so I wouldn't feed him at night and when he woke up we let him cry for a minute of two and he went right back to bed!

At 8 1/2 months he finally got his first 2 teeth, a day apart! I knew they were coming, not because he was crabby, but because he was drooling like it was his job! He got his two bottom teeth (I'll see if I can get pictures soon and post them). I just pray that he doesn't bite me when I'm nursing him! I never had that problem with Riley, so I hope I don't with Lincoln either!

He's still nursing 5 times a day (every 3 hours) and eating 3 meals a day and one snack. He's already feeding himself--cheerios, peas, etc. He loves picking them up with his thumb and finger and putting them into his mouth. His favorite food, by far, are peas, green beans, and sweet potatoes! Weird, I think, because those are the ones most kids don't like. Although he's not a picky eater and he'll eat just about anything I'll give him :)!

He's starting to get quite the little personality. He LOVES playing peek-a-boo and he and Riley play for a long time in her rose petal cottage. They are starting to become best buds. First thing when Lincoln wakes up in the morning, Riley says "Lincoln play mommy". So, once he's eaten he and Riley play on the floor or she'll read him books. So cute... Oh and he also hates getting his diaper changed, probably because it means he has to lay still for 30 seconds.

Lincoln is quite the momma's boy. He has begun the "seperation anxiety" period. I can't leave him anywhere--church nursery or MOPS or anywhere. So, he usually ends up with me wherever I am. It's not that I mind, but a little break every once in a while would be nice and is much needed!

At 8 1/2 months (01.27.09) Lincoln weighs 17 lbs. 12 oz. and is 27 1/2 inches long!

UPDATE: Potty Training

I realize I'm way behind in blogging and I will try to catch up tonight/sometime this weekend, but I wanted to update you all on how potty training Riley is going (since I know you all have been just dying to know :)). It's going GREAT!! Would I call Riley potty trained? Absolutely!! She's been going in the potty for 3 weeks now, hasn't even had one accident, wears panties for her nap and still hasn't had an accident. I'm so proud of her and she's proud of herself. She is still wearing a diaper for bedtime, but she's still in a crib and can't get out by herself (I know, I'm sure it's about time we switch her to a big bed, but I want to keep her in her crib as long as possible just to avoid the hassle :)). Even when we're out and about she goes on the big potty, never wears a diaper and tells me when she has to go! Ahhhh...it's so nice buying diapers for one again! I know accidents are eventually going to happen and that's okay, I'm just glad she's potty trained. I think it's pretty great that she's just over 2 (2 yrs. and 3 months) and has this thing down....now onto switching her into a "big girl bed".

PS. I also feel like she eats candy ALL day long because after she goes she asks for it EVERY time, any of you with potty trained children, when do I stop rewarding her for going in the potty?? I don't want to mess it up, so I just keep giving it to her...

Potty Training!!

Ty has had the past two weeks off of work so I decided that we would tag-team Riley and REALLY start potty training her. I've been wanting to for a while, but she just didn't seem ready. I wasn't sure she was ready now, but I figured that before Ty starts working 60 hours a week for the next few months we'd do it while he was home. So the first few days it was a struggle. She cried and cried and would hold it for HOURS and HOURS. She didn't have accidents, but would hold it until she took a nap when we had to put a diaper on her (because I was sick of changing her sheets) and then she'd pee out of her diaper because she had to go so badly. We didn't really have any success, but I was determined to get her to go. Then after about 3-4 days of just getting her to sit on the potty she finally went--ONCE. Well, it was still better than nothing and I was so excited, I gave her anything she asked for--candy, a cookie, to watch Elmo, etc. I was so excited. For about 3 days she'd go once or twice but would scream if she pooped. UGH, it was so frustrating. Then we went to my Dad's for the weekend and quit for those 2 days. What a mistake...she totally went backwards and started crying and crying again once we tried again at home. (That was Tuesday, today is Saturday)

I was still determined and thought if I'd be consistent she'd get it. I didn't want to give up this time, so we stuck with it and didn't go ANYWHERE this whole week so she didn't have a choice of wearing a diaper. All of a sudden on Thursday she started going on the potty multiple times. Same on Friday. Then today, every single time she sat on the potty she went!!! We took her to McDonald's to get an ice cream cone because she was doing SO well--she went to McDonalds in underwear and NO accident. Then we went over to our friend's house and she went in underwear there too. We were there for 4-5 hours and she went potty 4 times there without an accident!!! I PRAY this is not a fluke and that she's totally getting the hang of it.

You know what's so cute about the whole thing too?? It is that when she goes potty, she jumps off the potty and I hug and kiss her and scream and have a party for her :) and I must tell her I'm proud of her because today every time she went she'd hug and kiss me and then say "proud of you"...so cute.

Riley's potty training chart--we just started it and today she missed a couple of stickers because we were gone, but she's doing so well. Lets hope she keeps it up :). Buying diapers for one will be much cheaper!

Prayer request for Lincoln

I have mentioned it before but Lincoln has been sleeping horribly lately and has been having a lot of ear infections. Well, when we went to my Dad's this past weekend Lincoln got sick again. When we got back I took him to see the doctor and sure enough he had another ear infection, actually a double ear infection. Poor Lincoln has had 5 separate ear infections in 6 weeks and has been on 5 different antibiotics within those weeks as well. Anyways, to make a LONG story short, we've got an appointment with the ENT doctor because they think Lincoln may need tubes in his ears. They are afraid if we don't do something about it quickly it may affect his speech development because he may not be able to hear very well. When they told me that and what the tubes entailed I just started crying...I can't imagine having my poor little baby going through all of that. But, I do realize it will help him in the long run. So just pray that his ears will heal and he'll stop having infections and also for the doctors that they'll make the right decisions. (Also, that I can get some sleep, because he hasn't been sleeping well AT ALL the last 2 months and I'm starting to get worn down!)

Christmas Day

...we met my mom's side of the fam. in Allegan at my Aunt's and Uncle's and always have a HUGE breakfast, complete with french toast, bacon, eggs, saugage, homemade cinnamon rolls, and SO much more. Everyone opens gifts and hangs out. Then we drove back to my mom's house on Gull Lake and spent the afternoon there, opening gifts, playing the Wii, and eating dinner. We had such a good time, even if we did have to sing the 12 days of Christmas at the dinner table (Kasey, we missed your beautiful voice, hope you'll be home next year to take part :)). Riley got the American doll bitty baby stroller, clothes, and much more. My mom and Jeff gave us $$ for Lincoln because he really didn't need more toys, so we're going to put that towards a car seat for him.

Ty, Lincoln and I with Kol and Britton (they just got back from their honeymoon in Mexico-LUCKY :)...they're not normally that tan :).

This is what I get for letting my brother give Riley ONE piece of chocolate and not watching her every move. She had it all over her clothes and especially all over her white sweater! (THANKS KOLBY)

The following weekend we went to my Dad's side of the family for the weekend. The kids always have fun there playing with the girls and this weekened was no exception. As I've said before Riley loves calling and playing with Papa, she had so much fun with my dad and actually kept wanting him to change her diapers (which was fine by me!!) :). Riley got the cutest tea set and now loves having tea parties--she is quite the girlie-girl!

We had a wonderful Christmas and have so much to be thankful for. It's always a very hectic and busy time of the year, but so enjoyable and every year is memorable.

CHRISTMAS POSTS DONE :)!!

Christmas Morning at home

After a LONG night of putting gifts together, getting batteries in toys and last minute wrapping we finally got to sleep around 1 am. We still haven't quite decided if we're going to do the whole Santa thing or not with the kids. We want to, but at the same time don't want to make it a huge deal because we want them to know what the real and true meaning of Christmas is. We never really told Riley about Santa this year or said "Santa's watching, so you better be good...", etc. We've got another year to decide what we're going to do, but this year gifts were from Mommy and Daddy.

We woke up (when I say "we", I mean the kids...I would have slept in until 9:00 if it were up to me), bright and early at 7:30 am. Riley and Lincoln actually woke up within minutes of each other so it worked out perfectly. We have a tradition we started when Riley was a newborn. We get the kids a new pair of jammies and they open them on Christmas Eve so they wake up on Christmas with a new pair on. Anyways...we woke up and the first thing Riley saw was the Rose Petal Cottage all put together--it was love at first sight. She almost didn't care to open anything because she just wanted to play in the house!! But we coaxed her into opening the rest of her gifts. She thought she was in heaven because she got to open almost all the presents. Lincoln obviously can't, so she thought ALL the gifts were for her. She was so funny and we loved seeing the look on her face when she opened her gifts. Lincoln didn't care much, but did enjoy playing with the wrapping paper that was all over the place. This year we had a lot of fun shopping for them--especially for Riley.

'Twas the night before Christmas...

Right before they started digging in.

"This is my kind of morning..."

YIKES! No shower or make-up, but it is Ty's rule: wake up, open gifts, eat breakfast...in that exact order. NO SHOWER or makup :)...ugh :).

Ri and Daddy opening presents.

Riley in front of the tree with Elmo Live!

Some of the things we got Riley this year were:

1. Rose Petal Cottage: LOVES IT!

2. Rose Petal Cottage lounge chair: LOVES IT!

3. Rose Petal Cottage sink and washer: LOVES IT (and hides everything in the washer: Jennie, I found your missing tissues in it :))

4. Elmo Live!: (LOVES IT)

5. Mega bloks piano: Likes it when she watches Elmo on TV. Elmo plays a song in most episodes on his piano, so she plays it on her new piano.

6.2 Elmo videos: LOVES them, of course!

7.LOTS of Gap clothes :): She threw the clothes aside and went to the next gift :).

8. Bath crayons, letters, water-color changing things: Loves them all, but especially loves the letters and crayons. I'm teaching her to recognize the letters now that she knows her alphabet.

9. new sippys

10. Baby Alive learns to potty doll: Likes playing with it, but is probably a little too young for it. I was thinking it would be good for potty training, but I think she'll like it when she's older.

11.Graco baby "accessories": came with a stroller, high chair, car seat, etc: Haven't even opened it yet...maybe we got her too many things??!!

12.Aquadoodle: Loves everything aquadoodle.

13.Random stocking stuffers

Lincoln got:

1. Crawl and Cruise musical jungle

2. Busy Ball popper

3. lots of new nippers

4. Tad

5. Fisher Price Deluxe jumperoo

6. Random stocking stuffers

7. Mega Bloks musical piano (it was to Lincoln and Riley)

8. CLOTHES Galore!

9. a few more things, I just can't think right now....

We totally know it's not about the presents, but man it's fun to watch them open gifts and see their sweet smiles when they've gotten somthing they love! After all gifts were opened I'd usually make a big breakfast, but we were rushing to be out of the house by 10:00am to go to my Grandparents in Allegan...

Christmas Eve

To say that we've been busy would be a complete understatement! So, I'm just now getting around to blogging about Christmas/New Years/events going on in our lives. So this may take a few posts...

Where to begin...

We had such a great Christmas this year, Ty and I have determined that it's definitely much more fun when you've got kids of your own. Both of our families are divorced so getting together with everyone is just not possible. We've been trying to switch on and off when it comes to holidays. Unfortunately we can't be everywhere and with two kids it's even more difficult going multiple places, but we did what we could. We started out by going to Ty's side on Christmas Eve. Going to Ty's family's side for Christmas is so much different that going to my side...his family is so much smaller and it's very laid-back. We had pizza for dinner, opened gifts, and hung out the rest of the night. Riley loves going to Ty's family's house because they live on a farm and she loves seeing the animals (a BIG change from last year when she hated every animal in sight and cried when she saw them). Hayley (our cousin) got a new puppy and Riley loved petting and feeding her. I'm glad they have animals and the kids can experience having a pet when we come to visit--because we won't have any in our house:), but I am glad they can experience it there (even if it's not quite the same as having our own). Here are a few pictures from Christmas Eve:

Lincoln loved the dancing penguins that Gma Allen had...

Riley opening a gift and notice she's sippin' on a sippy with no hands :).

LaCross, Lincoln, Sherry and Troy taking a quick break from opening gifts to take a picture.

Lincoln opening a gift from Great Gma Allen.

Since we've had kids we always have said that we want to wake up Christmas morning at our house, so we drove home that night and thankfully the weather was good. We got home, put the kiddos to bed, then Ty began putting together toys and I finished some last minute wrapping. We were so excited for the kids to open their gifts...