october fun

This weekend, we started our Halloween celebrations.  On Saturday, I took the boys trunk or treating.  Heidi came along too, but she didn't get any candy this year.  Before we could go trunk or treating though, we had to work through Alex's costume drama.  The boys' and Heidi's grammy and grampy took the boys to get their Halloween costumes last week while my mother and I were at the Michael Buble concert.  Well, Alex picked out a really cool costume, I thought.  But on Saturday when we were getting ready to go trunk or treating, he decided that he didn't want to wear that costume.  He said that he had felt rushed and that was not really the costume he wanted.  So, after getting the receipt for the costume, we took it back and exchanged it for a ninja costume.  Finally he was happy.  Well, until later that night.  Then he decided that he had really wanted to be an army man.  By this time I was annoyed and told him he'll just have to wait and be an army man next year.  So, on Sunday, he didn't want to go trunk or treating.  I don't know if it's because he didn't like his costume again or because he wanted to spend time with his daddy.  C was moving more furniture out of our house so we'll be all moved out by this weekend, and Alex decided that he wanted to do that with him while I took Heidi and Isaac trunk or treating.  This time Heidi didn't dress up.  Her costume is big on her and I didn't think she would handle wearing it for a long length of time.  It's supposed to rain here Thursday, but I'm hoping it doesn't so I can take the boys and Heidi trick or treating.

Alex's first costume that we exchanged for the ninja costume

Heidi dressed like a butterfly

sleepy butterfly

now he's a happy ninja

This weekend we also started Heidi on baby food.  So far she has tried oatmeal and peas.  She seems to have liked the peas better so far.  Next up will be green beans and then we'll move on to yellow vegetables and fruits.

Here are some other random pictures that have been taken in October.

4 month doctor's visit

Heidi won't actually be four months old until November 1st, but her four month checkup and shots were yesterday.  She was a very happy baby until she got those stinking shots.  Man, did she get mad!  And cried real tears too. :(

Heidi weighs exactly 13 pounds and she measured 24 inches tall.  She is growing great and we got the go ahead from her pediatrician to start her on baby food.  Her first taste will be oatmeal single grain cereal.  I also bought some peas and green beans to try too.  I know better than to start her with fruits because then she won't want to try her veggies.  Her pediatrician also gave us his approval for her to have her ears pierced.  He and I had a good conversation regarding both sides of the subject: doing it now or waiting until she asks for them to be pierced.  Although I understand both perspectives, I'm still leaning towards doing it sooner rather than later.

Just for the sake of comparison - her brothers' stats at 4 months:

Isaac: 16 pounds 2 oz  25 1/2 inches
Alex:  14 pounds 6 oz  24 1/2 inches

sleeping at the doctor's office - waiting to see Dr. Brad

still feeling ok after her shots - until later.  Then she started feeling yucky.

Happy Baby

Alex loves his baby sister!!

Watching Baby Einstein on You Tube since all of the Baby Einstein dvds are packed up (will we ever move?!)

pretty hat



3 months

Now that Heidi is closer to four months than three months, I'll document her three month milestone. 

Heidi now likes to roll over all the time and gets mad when she can't roll back over from her tummy to her back.

Thanks to her Daddy, she has learned how to spit when she gets mad.

She sleeps through the night and usually sleeps about nine to ten hours a night.  She has also recently started liking to sleep on her tummy.

She drinks six ounces every four hours usually five times a day.

I am not sure how much she weighs, but my guess is 12 or 13 pounds.

Isaac - 3 months

Alex - 3 months

my lovelies

I am so thankful that my boys love their sister.  It makes for some really sweet photo opportunities!

miss personality

Heidi turned three months old on October 1st. She has grown so much and has developed such a big personality.  I learned with my first two children not to wish away the time, because it passes so much more quickly than we realize.  Heidi is doing great in daycare, and her teachers love her.  It is so comforting to leave her every day with teachers I know are taking care of her and love doing it.  Things have changed since Isaac and Alex were in daycare.  Heidi's teacher will send me text messages during the day with comments about how Heidi is doing, and sometimes she'll even send pictures.  I love it!  On the day Heidi turned three months old, her teacher sent me a text to tell me that Heidi rolled over for the first time that day.  Heidi has made some other transitions recently too.  She is now drinking six ounces five times a day.  She continues to be a great sleeper.  Her typical routine is bottles at 6:00 or 7:00 am, 10:00 am, 2:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 9:00 or 10:00 pm.  I started swaddling her in a swaddle blanket with her arms out, and she sleeps all night without so much as a whimper.  It's great!  Before that, she would startle herself some mornings and wake up around 3:00 and then have to have her paci to go back to sleep.  So, using the swaddle blanket has helped alot for a good full night's sleep.  Sometimes Heidi resorts to sucking her thumb when she is ready to go to sleep, so we have been battling that with giving her her paci as soon as we see her sucking her thumb (or fingers).  I am not sure how much Heidi weighs or how long she is right now, but we will find out when she goes back for her four month check up at the end of the month.  I look forward to finding out her pediatrician's thoughts on baby food and ear piercing.  I hope to get the go ahead to start Heidi on cereal and baby food.  Also, I want to know her Dr.'s thoughts on infant ear piercing and the best place and way to go about doing it, if he thinks it's ok.

"If you take my picture one more time..."



Always such a happy baby!



I was trying to take a sweet picture, and this was the face she gave me!



She was smiling at Isaac here

So happy just a swinging



Snoozing good in her swaddle blanket



Couldn't find the paci, so she made her fingers work



I guess her paci just didn't cut it this time



And here are just some random pictures I posted to Instagram

falling asleep mid drawing

I'm thinking Isaac's room must have been too cold

Alex's 2nd lost tooth in a short time.  He is officially a jack-o-lantern, just in time for Halloween!

My cutie cheering on the Chicago Bears!



happy birthday camden!

At the end of September we celebrated my nephew Camden's 6th birthday. The boys had a great time, and it was good to spend time with family.

The birthday boy with his The Walking Dead birthday cake

Cam and Aunt B

Heidi and Pops

Isaac and Donny

celebration

Clarence's sister, Brandy, better known as Aunt B, graduated a few weeks ago.  She is now a paramedic.  She takes her final test this Friday, and we couldn't be more proud of her!  She has worked really hard to accomplish this goal, and know she will be great at it! 

Aunt B and Heidi

Aunt Jess and Heidi

the whole family

our family with the Grad