7 Months Old!

Our sweet Natalie is 7 months old!

~She has officially transitioned from army crawling to actual crawling.  She's getting faster everyday! She is able to crawl on carpet and tile floor.  Natalie can also go from crawling to sitting and vice versa.
~Natalie is pulling herself up onto her knees.  Crib mattress lowered: check!
~Natalie has slept through the night the majority of this month!  She nurses with Mommy immediately after Brennan, Gavin and Abigail are put to bed.  She typically takes a while to fill her belly, especially because she gets drowsy and eventually falls asleep.  Natalie usually has one night per week that she has a harder time falling asleep/staying asleep.  We've noticed that this usually happens on Monday night--perhaps she's getting used to not being at home all day and wants extra snuggles?
~Grandma and Grandpa Mealy stayed with us for a week this month while Daddy was in Las Vegas for business.  They graciously accepted the task of helping Natalie become a better crib napper.  They were successful!  She is able to put herself to sleep during naps and no longer immediately wakes and cries when laid down in her crib.  She does, however, immediately roll onto her belly and curls up in the adorable baby-booty-in-the-air-position.  So cute!
~Every time Natalie wakes up in her crib, she'll turn herself to face the door and gets on all fours, ready to welcome whomever comes to get her out of bed!
~Natalie is making progress with baby food.  She's not a huge fan, but is starting to eat a little more.  She's most likely to eat it when it's not cold.  She doesn't typically raspberry out her food anymore, but will turn her head from the spoon when she's done.  She loves puffs and rice rusks!  She also likes playing with sippy cups.
~She loves to give open mouth kisses!
~Natalie is becoming a Mommy's girl.  If Mommy is around, she wants Mommy!
~She still proudly sports her two bottom teeth.  She's increased some mouthing of objects and drooling, so we wonder if more teeth are coming.
~She loves to watch and play with Brennan, Gavin and Abigail!
~Natalie has the sweetest giggles and laughs!  Her smiles light up her face and warms our hearts!

6 Months Old!

Happy Half Birthday, Natalie!

~Natalie is on the move!  She loves to roll and is very quick at army crawling!  She's starting to use her legs more while army crawling, so we anticipate she'll be moving on all 4's very soon!  She also lifts herself onto her hands and knees and scoots.
~She's very close to sitting independently!  She's still a little wobbly, likely because she's off balance as she's trying to put things in her mouth!
~No new teeth yet, but we anticipate they might be soon based on her mouthing of objects!
~She's a great napper at the sitter's house.  We're still working on consistent naps at home.  She loves snuggling and tends to wake up as soon as she's laid in her bed.  She'll usually zonk out in her swing.
~She's done well with over night sleeping!  She eats and goes to sleep right after her siblings are put to bed. She has woken up one time most nights for a diaper change and to nurse.  Sometimes she'll sleep through the night!
~We started to introduce cereal and a few vegetables.  She'll open her mouth for bites and finds it hilarious to blow raspberries and/or tongue the food out.  Chilled food leads to funny faces.  She's very interested in getting her hands on the food that everyone else is eating!
~Natalie is quite the talker!  She often "tells stories" and is repeating different sounds (e.g. "A-da, A-da, A-da).


Current Stats:
27.5"
17lbs 11oz

5 Months Old!

Miss Natalie is 5 months old!

~Natalie is the proud owner of two bottom teeth!  They make her smile even cuter! 

~Natalie is on the move!  Between rolling and scooting, Natalie is on her way towards mobility!  She will almost immediately roll to her belly when placed on her back.  Natalie will turn herself in circles while on her belly.  She’s also able to move herself around by getting onto all fours and scooting both legs simultaneously or alternating her legs.  She will also lift herself onto all fours, either her forearms or hands, and rock her body back and forth.  She’s quite determined to get items that are out of reach!

~Natalie is getting very proficient at grabbing for toys that are within her reach.  She gets excited when we put a toy in front of her. Her face lights up and she starts to kick her legs!

~With her frequent rolling comes the adorable sleeping position of having her little bum in the air while lying on her belly.  She started with rolling over and lying flat on her stomach, but has slowly progressed to having her bottom higher and higher as she tucks her legs underneath her.

~Natalie has woken up once a night consistently throughout the past month.  She usually wakes up around 3:30am for a diaper change and snack. 

~She’s not siting yet, but we admit we don’t practice that skill much as she tends to spit up whenever she’s in the position for very long.  She does enjoy her exercsaucer and sitting in a Bumbo seat at the babysitter’s house. 

~We sometimes jokingly call her “Nosey Natalie”.  She wants to be in the action and observe what’s going on around her.  She enjoys being in the same room as everyone else.  We recently started having her sit in a highchair at dinner, as she would want to be on someone’s lap.  She’s happy to sit in the chair with a toy and watch everyone!

~Natalie loves her siblings and they love her right back!  They enjoy making her laugh and smile and like to give her snuggles and kisses.

~She’s such a delight!  She’s full of smiles and giggles and we’re having so much fun watching her grow and learn!

4 Months Old!

Miss Natalie is 4 months old!

~Natalie has the sweetest giggles and smiles!  She loves to laugh when being tickled or when we make silly noises.  Natalie also giggles when we help her clap her hands and stomp her feet.  And she'll smile at just about everything and everyone!
~Natalie has so much so say!  She loves to "chat" and have conversations!
~She loves to roll!  We can barely keep her on her back anymore when we lay her down.  She enjoys looking around the room!  She can roll from her belly to her back, but definitely prefers her belly. 
~While on her belly, she's able to turn herself left and right - wherever the action is!  She's also lifting her bottom and kicking her legs in attempt to scoot!  She wants to be on the go!
~She likes to kick her legs when she's excited!  She also likes to kick when she's sitting in a bouncer seat, making it bounce up and down!
~Natalie is doing a great job sleeping! She slept through the night almost every night this month, but started to wake up once to eat near the 4 month mark.  After a quick diaper change and snack, she goes back to sleep.  We're working on more consistent naps and a sleep schedule during the day.  She likes to be in the action and we suspect she fears she may miss something when she's napping!
~She enjoys watching and grabbing at her toys.  She also thinks her hands and feet are interesting--and tasty!

Natalie had her 4 month check up today.  The doctor was impressed with her strength (commenting that she'll be standing soon!) and super happy demeanor.  She wasn't a fan of her vaccines (3 pokes, 1 oral), but settled down with some snuggles.

Current stats:
15 lb 5 oz
25.5 inches

School Days!

It's time for another fun filled school year!  The boys are very excited about school!

Brennan is in 1st grade at Furry Elementary School!

Gavin is in preschool at Wee Care in Fremont, Ohio!

Happy 4th Birthday, Gavin!

Happy 4th Birthday, Gavin!

Our goofy, loving Gavin is 4 years old!  We celebrated his birthday with a truck themed party at home.  He also had a second birthday party in Cincinnati at a fun park!  He was very excited about turning 4, frequently asking how much longer he had until his birthday. 

He's a fun loving, inquisitive, intelligent and goofy guy!  He has an infectious giggle and smile!  We love his personality and are so proud of him!

Current interests:

~Basketball!  He is a great shot and enjoying making baskets!  He can throw a ball/baseball with great aim and distance.

~Jumping!  He has quite the impressive long jump!

~Cars, trains, buses, and vehicles in general!  He enjoys making them drive around the family room.  He also enjoys roller coasters, turning vehicles and other toys into roller coasters and talking about the rides at Cedar Point.  He enjoys riding the rides at Cedar Point, but isn't a huge fan of walking by the loud roller coasters. 

~His siblings.  He enjoys playing with them and is incredibly sweet with his sisters.  He often gives them hugs and kisses and wants to make sure they are ok.  Gavin and Brennan enjoy playing together, although they have the expected sibling rivalry of who is first, who is faster, etc.

Current Stats:
32 lb 4oz
3' 4"

She rolls!

Natalie loves to roll!  She has yet to repeat rolling from her belly to her back.  However, she has certainly mastered rolling from her back to her belly!  There are times it is difficult to keep Natalie on her back because she'll immediately roll to her belly each time!  Perhaps she's afraid she'll miss some of her brothers' and sister's actions and enjoys the ability to see what's going on all around her!?

3 Months Old!

Our little lady is 3 months old!

~Natalie continues to be a happy, content, easy going gal!  She loves to smile!
~She giggles!  Such a sweet sound!  She's most likely to giggle when you tickle her neck.
~Natalie is a great sleeper!  She takes the best naps in her bouncers or swing.  Her best naps are in the afternoon, usually lasting several hours. She sleeps in her crib at night.  The transition to her crib was very smooth and she was unphased by the change!  She sleeps overnight, usually going to bed around 9:00pm and waking around 6:00/6:30am.  With Mommy's return to work, we often have to wake her in the morning.  We'd like to move her bedtime earlier, but are enjoying the overnight sleep!
~Natalie is enjoying her time at the babysitter's house.  Surprisingly, she fought taking bottles on her first day.  She eventually drank two bottles, but put up a decent fight during the first attempt.  We sent her with different bottles (Playtex - the only brand/style that Gavin would use) on her second day as a back up plan.  She fought the original bottle, but willingly drank out of the Playtex bottle without hesitation.  Success! She enjoys the attention from the other kids and is oogled on frequently.
~She rolled from her belly to her back!  She did it several times one day, but hasn't repeated her skill since.  She loves to play on the floor--rolling back and forth and kicking.  She normally scoots all over her activity mat.
~Natalie has so much to say! She makes a lot of noises and enjoys coo conversations.
~She does a great job at tummy time!  She is able to hold her head high, supporting herself with her arms.  

2 Months Old!

 Our sweet little Natalie is 2 months old!

~Natalie is such a happy girl!  She loves to smile and is starting to squeal in delight. Her smiles range from smirks to big, open mouth smiles.  All of them will melt your heart!
~She is a great sleeper!  She continues to sleep overnight in Mommy and Daddy's room in a rock n' play sleeper.  Natalie will typically sleep in 6-7 hour stretches at night.  She typically takes cat naps in the morning and a long afternoon nap in her swing.  We're looking at moving her to her crib soon and would also like to move her bedtime earlier.
~Natalie is a great eater!  She usually eats every 2-3 hours during the day.
~She enjoys watching her brothers and sister play and prefers to be in the same room as us.  She's also tolerant of her brothers' and sister's affection.
~Natalie enjoys coo-ing and is quite expressive!


Current Stats:
12 lbs 6 oz (74th Percentile)
24" (97th Percentile)
15 3/4" head circumference (92nd Percentile)

Happy 2nd Birthday, Abigail!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Miss Abigail!

We celebrated Abigail's birthday with a bubble themed party at our house, complete with swimming. gigantic bubble juice and a collection of bubble making toys. 

~Abigail continues to be a happy, cheerful young lady!  It's rare to see her without a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye.
~Her vocabulary is growing at rapid speeds.  She frequently speaks in short phrases, sometimes up to 4-5 words.  She also has longer phrases, but she includes some unintelligible words.  When asked to repeat herself, she use the same phrases--she has a lot to say! 
~Abigail is a great helper!  She enjoys helping us, including without being asked.  She'll do tasks such as throwing away trash, carrying in groceries, helping with laundry, retrieving items and emptying the dishwasher!
~ She is quiet a girly-girl and enjoys her babies, baby gear, purses and other stereotypical "girl toys".  However, she also enjoys playing with trucks, balls and blocks!
~Abby is a great sleeper.  She typically sleeps from about 7:30pm-6:30am.  She'll also nap for 2-3 hours a day.  Abigail goes to sleep easily and enjoys a story and song before bed.
~Abigail is being quiet independent!  She likes to do things herself, such as putting on her clothes and shoes.  She'll often state, "Abby do it!" or "I got it!".  If unsuccessful, she'll politely ask for "Help".
~She likes to count, although she'll state random numbers rather then actually counting
~Abigail has acquired many nicknames.  Some common nicknames include Abbas, Abba-giggles, Giggles, Abba-goos, Abba-Dabba, and Abbers

Current Stats:
27 lbs 2 oz (58th Percentile)
34 1/4" (71st Percentile)

1 Month!

Our adorable Natalie is already one month old!  It's hard to imagine our family without her!  She's such a joy!

~Natalie loves to snuggle!  And we love to snuggle her!
~She's a champion eater!  Nursing has gone wonderfully.  She eats every 2-3 hours.  Natalie is also champion burper.  Her burps rival those of grown men!  She's started to spit up some, so we're always prepared with a burp cloth!
~One of our favorite milestones -- her first smile!  She began to smile just before turning 1 month old.  We anticipated/hoped it would be coming soon as we could see her happiness through her expressive, beautiful blue eyes!
~Natalie is a great sleeper!  Most naps are in our arms (see previous comment about loving to snuggle), in a bouncer, or in a swing.  Overnight, she sleeps in a Rock 'n Sleep in our bedroom.  She typically wakes once a night to eat and then returns to dreamland.  She has slept as long as 6-7 consecutive hours overnight! She even snores sometimes!
~She's doing a great job of holding her head up.  She's not the biggest fan of tummy time, but will tolerate it for a few minutes.  She is able to hold her head up when on our chests.
~She's starting to coo and enjoys to be cooed at.
~Natalie lost her belly button stump at 9 days.  She had some residual bleeding, but it's quite the "inny" belly button, so part of it did not get much air to dry out. 
~She enjoys rolling to her side.  When we put her on the floor for exercise, she often rolls to her side, just as she did right after she was born and was being assessed.

1 Month Stats:
10lb 13oz (83rd %tile)
22 inches (82nd %tile)
15 1/2 inch head circumference (99th %tile)
She was determined to be perfect, beautiful, happy, and doing great!

One of her first smiles caught on camera!  She's such a happy girl!

Summer Break!

It's officially summer break!  Today was Brennan's last day of kindergarten.  He was in Mrs. Boose's classroom at Furry Elementary.  He did an amazing job and absolutely loves school!  When asked his favorite part of the day throughout the year, his answer was always "Everything!"  He's reading books, spelling words and doing addition and subtraction.  He seemed to especially enjoy his units on dinosaurs and community helpers.  Brennan made several friends within his classroom and other kindergarten classrooms.  We're so very proud of him and his accomplishments this school year!

Gavin also completed his first year of preschool!  He was in Miss Angela's preschool classroom at St. Ann's Little Blessings Preschool in Fremont.  Gavin also did an incredible job and loves school!  He knows all of his letters and numbers, frequently recites the alphabet (repeatedly...) and can count to 100 independently.  He also made many friends in his classroom.  Mommy frequently heard comments from his teachers about Gavin being a great student and kid.  Goofy Gavin, however, did not talk or barely acknowledge his teachers when Mommy was at school at pick up or drop off, but would start to talk as soon as she wasn't around.  Miss Angela explained that he has great academic skills, but would rarely talk during circle time and, instead, saved his skills for when he was working one-on-one with her.  We're incredible proud of him! Unfortunately, we didn't get an end-of-the-year picture of Gavin.  He attended until the week of Natalie's birth when Mommy started her maternity leave, with the thought that he would continue to attend occasionally throughout the summer.

23 Months!

Little Miss Abigail is 23 months!

~Abigail is talking up a storm!  She's saying more spontaneous phrases and new words.  She also repeats a lot of what we label for her.
~Abby is an incredible big sister!  She adores her baby sitter and is usually near her side.  While she had an interest in her baby dolls before Natalie was born, she enjoys playing with them even more including carrying them around, putting them to bed, giving them a pacifier, and giving them kisses.  She's never far from Natalie, frequently requesting to see what she's doing ("I see?), giving her kisses, giving her a pacifier, talking to her/greeting her ("Hi Na-ne!"), etc.
~She's continuing to work on her colors.  While not always consistent, she knows blue, green, orange, pink, yellow, red, and purple.  She does the  best job labeling pink and purple.
~Abby has cut both of her bottom two year molars.  We suspect the top two aren't far behind.
~Walking through grocery stores is entertaining with Abigail.  She enjoys labeling nearly everything she sees!
~Abigail is quite a helper around the house!  She enjoys getting things for her sister, putting away toys, dumping diapers in the diaper pail and throwing things away after declaring them "Yucky".
~Like most toddlers, "No" is common in her vocabulary.  To counteract, she also frequent says an adorable "Yep!"
~Taking after Mommy, she's a fan of chapstick.  When she seems a tube around the house or Mommy applying it, she'll ask "Have some!?" and allow Mommy to put some on her lips.
~She's quite polite, including saying "bless you" after others sneeze, "excuse me" and "please"
~Abigail seems to be able to sense when a camera is on her.  She'll stop what she's doing and flash a cheesy grin almost every time!

Our Time At The Hospital

Our hospital stay for Natalie's birth was brief and relatively uneventful.  We stayed in the delivery room for a few hours, waiting for Mommy to be able to walk independently after the pain medicine wore off.  Grandma and Grandpa Mealy brought Brennan, Gavin and Abigail to the hospital to meet Natalie.  They were all interested in her, especially Abigail, who wanted to hold and kiss her.  After taking the kids home to go to bed, Adam went home to allow Grandma and Grandpa to visit again.  Brennan and Gavin were confused by Mommy, Daddy and Natalie didn't come home with them, but enjoyed extra snuggles from Daddy.

Natalie underwent a series of tests and procedures during our stay, including vaccines, a hearing test, and blood draws to check her sugar levels due to her larger size. She passed all of her tests without difficulty, including passing all 3 consecutive blood sugar tests.  Several of the medical staff commented on her easy going demeanor, as she rarely fussed, or very briefly fussed before calming herself.

Natalie was a sleepy girl during her first night.  Despite Mommy's attempts to feed her and nurses coming into the room for checks of our vitals, she continued to snooze.

Mommy and Daddy expressed interest to hospital staff to leave the day after Natalie's birth, wanting to be home and begin our life as a family of 6.  Nearly every doctor/nurse commented that we were "old pros" due to having 3 other children and the on-call OB and pediatrician didn't have concerns with us leaving after Natalie's 24 hour tests.  We were discharged and on our way home at about 5:30pm.

Natalie's Birth Story

Every birth has a story.  Here's Natalie's!

After being induced with Brennan, Gavin and Abigail, we predicted throughout this pregnancy that it would also end with induction.  As we neared closer to her due date, it was discussed again, especially since Natalie wasn't always head down and enjoyed dancing around in Mommy's belly.  At her 39 week OB check on May 6, Mommy was instructed to keep Natalie's head down over the weekend, eat a light breakfast in the morning and show up at the hospital at 6:00am on Monday, May 9.

Daddy and Mommy arrived at the hospital, registered, and were escorted to the Labor and Delivery ward.  Mommy was hooked up to monitors and asked a series of medical questions.  Dr. Rinkes performed an ultrasound to verify Natalie's position.  Luckily, little lady cooperated and was head down!  Mommy was 3-4 cm dialated but Natalie was still very high.

Previous deliveries had taught us that Mommy has "valve-y veins", causing IV placements to be difficult.  Two nurses attempted to place an IV, but were unsuccessful.  This is not a very pleasant experience.  They explained that Mommy has "deceivingly beautiful" veins -- they appear to be cooperative and then, boom, the IV fails.  They called in the CRNA, who performed his CRNA tricks and was able to insert the IV without difficulty.  Pitocin was started at 8:00am.

9:10am: Dr. Rinkes broke Mommy's water.  No sign of meconium.

11:30am: 4-5 cm, 70%.  Time is passed chatting, watching a television show, and playing card games.  Mommy is offered an epidural several times, but Mommy declines.

12:00pm: Epidural is administered.  Contractions were still tolerable, but enough to cause Mommy to stop briefly stop her card game and grimace.  It was decided to get the medicine before things accelerated.  Mommy was assured by the nurses that she wasn't "cheating" by getting the epidural so early in the game.  It was administered without incident by the same CRNA that worked his IV magic.  It provided relief, but Mommy was still able to feel some contractions.

12:45pm: 5-6cm, 70%.  Mommy was still able to feel the contractions and Dr. Rinkes' check.  The CRNA was called back and administered additional medicine through the epidural line.  The same situation occurred with Abigail's delivery.  Mommy quickly becomes completely numb from the waist down and her legs feel very heavy.

2:00pm: 6cm, 80%.  Mommy is placed on her side, occasionally switching positions with the help of the nurses, with a peanut ball placed between her legs.  She feels better laying on her right side than her left side.  Natalie's heart rate occasionally drops during contractions.

3:00pm: 7cm.  This check took a while -- a check by Dr. Rinkes, a learning check by the nurse new to Labor and Delivery, draining Mommy's bladder, and another learning check.  Mommy began to feel very light headed and nauseated.  She is given oxygen to help with her blood pressure and Natalie's heart rate.  Mommy feels better when she is returned to her side.  Mommy has the "shakes" and wonders if it's almost time for Natalie's arrival.

3:55pm: 10cm!  It's go time!  Mommy is prepped for delivery and needs prompting on when to push as she's unable to feel contractions.  Three pushes during the first contraction.  We converse and laugh while waiting for the next contraction.  "Whoa!  You may laugh her out!", exclaimed Dr. Rinkes.  We continue to laugh and Natalie continues to move.  One more push during the next contraction, Mommy helps to pull Natalie out and she's here!

4:08pm: Happy Birthday, Natalie!!  Welcome to the world!  Natalie is placed on Mommy's chest and has several minutes of skin to skin contact.  Daddy cuts her cord.  It was explained that her cord was loosely wrapped around her neck once, possibly causing her decreased heart rate during contractions.  Natalie is weighed and measured -- 9lb 7oz and 21 inches long!  Everyone is amazed with her size and beauty.  It's love at first sight!

What's in a name?
Natalie: Frequently known to mean "Born on Christmas", but also means "Gift of God".  She certainly is a gift from God and such a blessing!
Elizabeth: Mommy's middle name is Elizabeth.  It's also a name used frequently in our family history.

Happy Birthday, Natalie!

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our newest miracle!  Natalie Elizabeth was born on May 9 at 4:08pm.  She weighs 9lbs, 7oz and is 21 inches long.  She's perfect and we are blessed to welcome her to our family!

22 Months!

Our sweet Abigail is quickly transforming from a baby to a little girl!

~We've hit a language explosion!  She's using many two-three word phrases and enjoys repeating words spoken to her. Some commonly heard phrases: "Mommy/Daddy help", "Daddy/Brennan/Gavin night", "More Paw Patrol" (she has toothpaste with Paw Patrol characters on it), "Mommy/Daddy's shirt/shoes/etc.", "Mommy/Daddy book" (asking us to read a book), "Mommy/Daddy/Brennan/Gavin/Grandma/Grandpa go?" (Asking where we are), "Tracy house" and "Love you"
~She's becoming quite the exhibitionist!  She frequent takes her clothes off, including her shirt, pants and pajamas, and roams the house in only her diaper.  We suspect she likes being able to remove her clothes independently more than being without clothes. She's also becoming a little particular about the clothes she wears, especially her pajamas, so she'll remove the pajamas we put on her and retrieve the desired pair.
~She's going to be an awesome big sister in just a few days!  She likes to carry around her babies and has recently wanted to change their diapers/clothes.  We may need to keep a close eye on her after Encore is born, however.  After bringing out several baby seats, Abigail began to put her babies in the seats.  Then, she likes to cover them with a blanket, cover them with books, and then cover them with many toys!
~Abigail has begun to gallop around the house. She really kicks the cuteness up a notch when she gallops around with her ringlets bouncing up and down!
~She enjoys telling her brothers and Daddy goodnight before being put to bed by Mommy.  She wants to go into the boys' room, tell them goodnight and give them all a kiss.
~When asked her name, she'll calls herself "Babby"
~She's starting to show some interest in potty training.  She has asked to sit on the potty, and does so happily, but has yet to go while sitting.  It's a start!

Sneak Peek Again!

We were able to have one last sneak peek of Encore before she arrives!  Due to her larger size and inconsistent position, we were scheduled for another ultrasound at 37 weeks.  She continues to measure big (86th percentile, estimated weight 7lb 9oz) and was head down!  Hopefully she'll stay that way!  We were able to see her hair, although it didn't appear to be extraordinarily long.  We were also able to see her adorable rolls forming on her wrists!  Encore was extremely camera shy and didn't show us her beautiful face.  Instead, she had her head turned inward, covered by her arm.  We can't wait to cover that sweet face with kisses!

During the exam with the doctor, it was confirmed that she is still very high and Mommy continues to measure 2cm dialated, which has remained consistent for the past 2 weeks.  Should she decide to turn (which she hopefully will NOT!), there is a lot of fluid, which will help if she needs to be repositioned to be head down. Induction date (aka Eviction Date!) was scheduled for May 9th, unless she decides to make her grand debut before then! 

21 Months!

Our sweet Abba-giggles is 21 months old!

~Her language explosion continues.  Abigail is using new words, repeating words with improved intelligibility and shows understanding of what we are saying to her.  She occasionally combines words into 2 word phrases.
~We're starting to see glimpses of Toddler Abigail.  She gives a few "looks" and, while it's said in a cute voice, says "no" often.  She's still a go-with-the-flow kind of gal, but will make her opinion known.
~We've started introducing colors.  When it's not labeled for her, she'll typically call objects purple or blue.  Purple seems to be her current favorite.
~She loves to be a helper!  She'll retrieve and deliver objects.  Abigail will also find small pieces of objects on the floor, bring them to us, declare them to be "yucky" and will throw them away in the trashcan.
~Abigail enjoys coloring and playing with stickers....and doing whatever her brothers are doing!
~Abby loves her babies!  She's going to be a great big sister!
~She has quite a sweet tooth.  She loves anything sweet.  When Brennan or Gavin inquire about the possibility of dessert after dinner, she proclaims "Cookies!" almost immediately!
~She is trying to wink, but it is more of an exaggerated I-Dream-of-Genie-style blink.

20 Months!

Little Miss Abigail is 20 months old!

~Abigail continues to learn new words and her receptive language is very impressive!  She frequently repeats words that we say and is very proud of herself.  While she still omits some sounds, her pronunciation is improving.
~Abigail is now pacifier-free!  She only got her "ginky" (binky) at bedtime, but we decided to take the plunge over a long weekend.  We started by cutting off the tip.  She noticed it immediately and began to giggle after looking at it.  On the second day, we cut off more, making it too short to keep in her mouth.  After laughing at it again, she showed it to Mommy.  However, she wanted to hold it rather than having Mommy keep it.  On the third day, the pacifier disappeared.  She calmly asked for it a few times, but accepted "No more paci".  The process was much easier than we anticipated!
~She is going to be a great big sister!  She enjoys playing with her baby dolls. She also loves to give Mommy's belly a kiss (complete with a "muah!")
~Abby is very expressive!  She makes hilarious faces!
~She loves to wear dresses!  She'll get excited when we put one on her and occasionally sways side to side after she is dressed.  She's not a huge fan of not being able to remove her tights that she's wearing with her dresses.
~Continuing her love of dogs, a new favorite toy is figurines from Paw Patrol, a cartoon featuring dogs.  Each figurine has a separate shield that matches the color of the dog's clothing.  While playing with her "Pa Poll" toys, Abigail enjoys matching the dogs with their corresponding shield.  She does  a great job matching them!

Another Sneak Peek

Mommy had another ultrasound today to check the placenta placement due to it being low at the last ultrasound.  Consequently, we were also able to check on Encore's growth and get a few more pictures!

While it seemed to move even during the 30-40 minute ultrasound, it was determined that the placenta is higher and in a better location.  

Encore is growing quickly!  She went from being in the 66th percentile at the last ultrasound to the 86th percentile and is an estimated 2 lbs 6 oz.  Despite her larger size, I'm measuring on track.  She also has an "impressive" amount of hair for 26 weeks!  She was laying sideways and seemed to be shy, but the ultrasonographer was able to get a few good shots of her beautiful face!  Encore was active for part of the ultrasound, but then appeared to fall asleep.  She even gave us a bit of a smile!

19 Months!

Little Miss Abigail is 19 months old!  

~She's quickly transforming into a "toddler" and desperately wants to do what her brothers are doing.

~We've eliminating her morning nap and now take one longer nap in the afternoon.  We decided to make the change after it took her quite some time to fall asleep in the morning, leading to a late wake up.  Shortly after, it was time for her afternoon nap and she would, again, take a while to fall asleep.  She would stay content in her bed, but we felt she was missing too much play and interactive time while playing alone in her bed.  She's transitioned well with a few tired evenings.

~Her vocabulary is blossoming!  She's imitating many words and saying new words nearly every day.  Abigail is also starting to put words together into 2 word phrases, such as "Daddy bye bye" and "Uh oh _____" after an object falls.  She omits some beginning sounds, but they will come with time ("ink" for drink, "ack" for snack, "all -on" for all gone).  Her receptive language is also growing!  

~In addition to her love of babies and dogs, she's quite fond of Minnie Mouse ("Mimi")

~She can identify several body parts, including her nose, mouth, eyes, hair, belly and feet.

~When asked about something she wants or is excited about, she responds with an enthusiastic "Yeah!" and a head/upper body nod

~Abigail likes to turn objects into purses by putting them onto her arm or shoulder.  She recently did this with one of her brother's lunch bags and a newspaper bag.

~Abby loves to help!  She likes to throw things away, will put her brother's clothes into their laundry basket, bring us items she finds and help to pick up toys

~She's great at predicting routines!  For example, when asked if she wants to get dressed or change her diaper, she immediately goes to her room and she calls out the names of one of the friends at the babysitter's house as soon as she hears the bus stopping.  

~Abigail is such a lover!  She enjoys sitting on our laps and snuggling before bedtime.  She recently started initiating giving her brothers a kiss before going to bed.

Happy 6th Birthday, Brennan!

Happy 6th Birthday, Brennan!

Our not-so-little guy is growing up fast!  Brennan has been looking forward to turning 6 for quite some time.  He's such a kind, funny, intelligent, inquisitive young man and we're so proud of him!

To celebrate his birthday, Brennan had his first friends and family party.  In addition to family and family friends, he chose to invite his entire kindergarten class!  Several of his school buddies were able to attend and he had a great time celebrating his big day.  We had his party at Chet and Matt's Pizza for a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle themed party--a theme he chose shortly after his 5th birthday! 

Current interests and favorites:

-Super heroes and super villains

-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

-Books and reading -- he's able to read several of his stories to us!

-Legos

-Crafts and art

~School!  He loves kindergarten and is doing great!

It's a GIRL!

We had Encore's big ultrasound today and learned that Encore is a GIRL! We're very excited!  Since we're "old pros", the technician assisted us in discovering the gender by pointing out the correct area on the ultrasound screen and letting us determine if it was a boy or a girl! 

Encore looks perfect and healthy.  She's quite the contortionist/acrobat, including having one leg curled while another leg was by her head, and flexing her arm above her head.  We were able to watch her yawn and almost suck her thumb.  While the OB listened to her heartbeat following the ultrasound, she commented that she's very active.  I'm feeling some movement, but not everything.

It was discovered during the ultrasound that my placenta is low, so we'll have another ultrasound in 4 weeks to make sure it's resolving itself.

Here's our beautiful little lady!

18 Month Stats

Abigail had her 18 month well check today.  The doctor noted that she looks "perfect" and was pleased with her development. 

The pediatrician gave us the go-ahead to give her Miralax regularly due to some occasional issues.  He also suggested that we wean her from her pacifier within the next few months.  She only gets a pacifier when she's sleeping and we had already discussed weaning her from it soon. 

Current Stats:
24lb 1 oz
32.5 inches