Gideon 7 months old

Well here we are, closer to G Man's first birthday than when he was born... wow! Summer is in full swing, something I longed for this past winter when we were all home sick. Life has been flying by, hence the lack of blog posts around here but oh my word we are just smitten with our baby boy. His personality is blossoming, he is calm and sweet, easy to make laugh, and beautiful as ever. I feel like we'll have a mobile baby before we know it, and then life will get even more crazy! Look at this beautiful boy.

• 18lb 6 oz (taken on scale at home)
• Gideon still only has his two bottom teeth... two months and counting. I thought he'd be getting teeth left and right but no more yet. He is full on teething... drools more than any other baby I've known and chews on everything. It is rare to see G without a bib on and he usually soaks about 4 a day.
• We gave him his first food a month ago and he isn't really into it. We've tried green beans, apples, and bananas but I've only given them to him a handful of times. I am not too worried about it and with our move coming up, we plan on waiting to get more regular with food until we are all settled. He does love drinking water out of his sippy cup.
• Our beautiful boy's face finally cleared up from eliminating dairy! It took about 7 weeks for the dairy to get out of his system and one day he woke up with the smoothest cheeks ever. It's been hot and humid the past few weeks so he's had a couple little breakouts but I have a feeling dairy is the main culprit and cause of his bad eczema. The back of his knees and elbows are still patchy. 
• Gideon had allergy testing a few weeks ago and that was just about the saddest thing ever. We had to go to 3 different labs to get the blood draw, he has extremely hard to find/rolling veins. We ended up having to go to the hospital to get it done and it was traumatic but successful. We should be getting those results this week or next and then meeting with the allergist. 
• Gideon is a champ at holding his bottle with the Lil Helpers bottle holder. He drinks 6 ish ounces of Nutramigen formula every 3 ish hours. He isn't on a strict feeding schedule so I really don't know how much he eats! 
• We are finally sleeping through the night rather consistently! G goes to bed anywhere between 7-7:30pm and sleeps until 6:30-7am. Occasionally he will fuss once in the night but we don't go in there. When we are home for naps, he takes two solid 2-3 hour naps in his crib but most days he takes his morning nap in the car/on the go and a good nap in the crib at the same time as Lucy in the PM. He sure is a trooper!
• He is finally sitting up! Sometimes he can sit up for 10 minutes but sometimes he grabs for a toy and flops over immediately. This is huge for him considering a month ago he would't be able to hold himself up for even a second.
• He loves standing in his exersaucer and jumperoo and he can play for a long time in those. 
• Wears disposable diapers during the day and size 3 disposable overnight diapers at night. 
• Wears mostly 9 month clothing... I think we will have to go to 12 month soon, he is so long!
• Favorite toys are Zoli teether, Molar Mallet, mini Sophie, Freddie the Firefly, plastic cups and spoons
• We finalized Gideon's adoption on May 23rd, 2017... what a special day! We also dedicated him at our church on Sunday June 4th, another beautiful ceremony. 
• G is super ticklish and smiley. He is so easy to make laugh! Ford and Lucy love getting in his face and making him giggle. He is so aware of them and loves watching them run around from the exersaucer. They are into making forts with daddy upstairs and Gideon loves to get in on the fun. I can't believe that he'll be toddling around with them in just a few short months!
• He loves his baths and chewing on washcloths.
• I haven't put him in the pool yet, the pools are surprisingly still pretty cold but he has had many days in the shade by the pool and lake. 
• G has had a few bouts of separation anxiety in the last week. Everyone always seems to ooh and ahh over him when we are out in public and he either gives the biggest smile or gives the lip and cries. So sad! He also can get shy... he'll smile and laugh and interact with someone and then bury his head into my shoulder. 
• He does wonderful with our babysitters, childcare at the gym, and nursery at church. Praise the Lord!
• He loves grabbing faces, jewelry, bears, hair... he is a busy boy!

Gideon 6 months old

Our precious Gideon Aaron turned 6 months old on May 7th! How on earth has a half a year already passed by? He is happy, healthy, and the perfect fit into our family. This weekend I get to celebrate my first mother's day as his mommy (and his birth mama, R) and we finalize his adoption later this month. Gideon is so sweet and gentle, I couldn't love him more!

• 17lb 2oz (41st%), 27.75 in (90th%), 17in head (42nd%)
• Gideon has the most beautiful big brown eyes and his hair is starting to curl! I also feel like he is darkening up as he gets older.
• We have a long and lean boy on our hands! We had his 6 month well check this morning and he is hitting all of the milestones, strong, and growing perfectly. He got two vaccinations which sucked and then our doctor ordered blood work for allergy testing and that was awful. We went to the lab in the building (we go to a clinic that has a bunch of different specialties, mostly adults) and they tried twice to stick his little veins but couldn't get enough. It was so sad... holding him down while he was screaming and flailing with a needle in his arm. They referred us to their pediatric specialty lab and I will go next week. They are testing for dairy, gluten, egg, soy, and nuts.
• Gideon had an eczema flare up in these photos but it has cleared up about 80%! I was looking at him this morning and thought wow I haven't seen those cheeks so clear since he was a newborn! So dairy is definitely the culprit for his eczema and we will meet with an allergist once his blood work is back.
• He is quite the eater... aka always eating. He drinks 6 ish ounces of Nutramigen every 3ish hours. Typical 3rd child I don't really keep track of how much he eats, whoops. His spitting up has also diminished drastically since going dairy free. 
• We started solids last week and he's had peas (he hated them), carrots (loved them), and apples (so-so). I am trying to do a little bit of solids every evening when we eat dinner. 
• Gideon got his two bottom teeth right after he turned 5 months old... no signs of any more popping through but he is a drool machine. We go through multiple bibs a day. 
• Sleep... not the greatest of subjects for us. 4 month sleep regression lasted about 8 weeks for us (holy moly I didn't think I would survive) and we are slowly getting better. Some days he will sleep 10-12 hours straight, but most days he eats once in the night and it is never consistent. He naps really well at home... yesterday took a 3 hour and 2 hour nap, woo hoo! He doesn't sleep so well on the go anymore because he loves playing and looking around but I am trying to keep him flexible so we can be out and about. He sleeps in his crib in a sleepsack (medium) with his soft little lovey, he clutches it while he sleeps it is so cute! He mostly sleeps on his tummy and cozies up to his bumpers.
• Gideon is so strong! Just this morning I let him stand up on his own holding the chair and he stood for 10 seconds on his own. He is a rolling machine and often makes it across the room scooting and rolling.
• He has just started being able to sit up for 5-10 seconds... he would rather stand.
• He LOVES his jumperoo and doorway jumper... it is so cute to see him bouncing and playing with the toys.
• Favorite toys: Zoli teether, his "crunchy" book, Freddie Firefly, bubba keg straw, Lincoln logs
• Ford and Lucy absolutely love their baby brother and he is smitten with him! They know how to make him laugh so easily and he loves watching them play. I love thinking about how he'll be playing right alongside of them before we know it. 
• G can now flip out of the Rock and Play that we use to feed him bottles so we need to get rid of that soon... boo.
• He goes to church nursery once a week, childcare at my bible study once a week, and childcare at the gym about twice a week... and he is so great! All of the ladies working love having him and he just plays and hangs out. 
• He has found his raspy little voice and sings and sings, especially when he is playing with a toy he will grab it and stare at it and sing to it.
• Loves being in the swings at the park, he cracks up the whole time. Also loves going on walks... anytime he is fussy in the evenings we can bring him outside and he is instantly calm. 
• Very grabby these days... grabs at his toys on the playmat and grabs at faces, earrings, hair, beards.
• He has the BIGGEST smile ever and it just makes me smile thinking of it. His mouth gets so huge and it is contagious. He is so easy to make laugh, I love his raspy chuckle. 
• G man loves his baths and just kicks and kicks with a stoic and concentrated face. I've started bathing all 3 kiddos together and Lucy gets so offended if he kicks her haha. 
• He is very ticklish, just like Ford and Lucy!

Lucy 24 months

Lucy girl turned TWO years old last week and it still doesn't feel real! I snapped some pictures of her in her Pottery Barn Kids chair (I took her monthly pictures as a baby in it), I want to do it for each of her birthdays until she is 18. We had such a fun time celebrating our girl and I wanted to document what she is up to these days below...

• 27lb (56th%), 34.5in (69th%), head circumference 19.25in (85th%)
• We went to Lucy's 2 year well check this afternoon and nothing really to report. She was freaked out from the time we got there because she knew they were going to look in her ears (a few double ear infections have scarred her) but she seemed to calm down a bit...until her shot. Hoping we don't have to go back until her 3 year well check, yeah right!
• Lucy wears 18 month, 24 month, and 2T clothes, size 4 shoes, and size 3 or 4 diapers. 
• Lucy still continues to be my best sleeper! Bedtime is 7-7:30 depending on her nap and she sleeps 12-13 hours in her crib, in a sleepsack. My plan is to keep her in her crib for another year because she loves it and seems to have no desire to have a big girl bed but we all know how that can change quickly. She sleeps with her two soft little blanket loveys, 2 My Little Ponies, 1 baby doll, 1 Beanie Baby, 1 soft baby, and usually a piece or 2 of play food. She is a little hoarder in her crib! I have a little pillow in her crib that she just started using but not every night. She still wears a traditional Halo sleepsack so no climbing out anytime soon.
• Lucy is VERY verbal! She says 4-5 word sentences and blows us away with her vocabulary. We have some favorite words and phrases of hers- "Giddy CYYYING" "Haka" (chocolate) "I Wuff You". She is such a silly girl and loves saying things to make us laugh. Her newest phrase is "I don't like it!" and that's not fun. She says her brothers' names so good and calls herself "Wucy". I can't get enough of her little voice.
• She went to the dentist for the second time last week and was sassy but did great. Her teeth are super close together and at a cross bite (under bite) which is not surprising because that's exactly how Ford's are. No 2 year molars yet but she didn't get her 1 year molars until right before 18 months. She loves brushing her teeth and we've been trying to do it twice a day.
• Lucy sings her who night time song, Bye Oh Bye Oh Baby. Mommy is a lady. Daddy is a gentleman, and Lucy is a big girl.
• The moment we sit down for dinner she clasps her hands and says PRAY!
• She and Ford are buds lately and I love it. They know exactly to push each others buttons (and do it often) but they are also playing together so much more. Thank you Lord, this is why you have kiddos close together! They love coloring and crafting together and also playing house/kitchen.
• Lucy loves coloring and drawing and play dough.
• Her favorite toys are her ponies, her babies, her new Little People dollhouse, bubbles, Wedgits, Cozy Coupe, puzzles, cars.
• She loves to dress up and dance in circles to music. 
• She is obsessed with her Mimi and Papa, not a surprise!
• Lucy is a horrible eater and very picky. She has about 10 things she actually eats and most of them are forms of cheese. Her favorite foods are eggs, breakfast tacos, quesadillas, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, bananas, yogurt, cottage cheese, and any carb or sweet. She loves milk and drinks about 3 cups a day. I have to shove her Juice Plus gummies into her mouth everyday and she won't swallow them for at least an hour, gross. I know she will like certain foods but she just refuses to try, sigh. 
• She also has no desire to use the potty... she talks about it ALL the time and talks about her Minnie Mouse undies but so far no action. Hoping we can tackle that in the fall.
• She loves Mickey/Minnie, Cailou, Bubble Guppies... actually pretty much any show.
• She is a whiz on the iPad, it is crazy! She is so beyond all the baby games and loves Ford's spelling and word games!
• She recognizes pretty much every single letter (thank you iPad!) and knows all of her colors and body parts. She also knows so many animals!
• Lucy LOVES reading books and I can often find her in her room reading by herself if I am doing something with the boys. Her favorite books are Pinkilicious, Chocolate Me, Brown Bear Brown Bear, Good Night Moon, Jesus Story Book Bible, Little Critter books, She finishes lots of the sentences in books.
• Lucy got her ears pierced 3 months ago and still loves them! She got a pearl necklace for her birthday and loves wearing it along with a pearl bracelet, such a girlie girl. 

Gideon 5 months old

I've never been so happy to see 5 months come...  but never so tired. This month has been quite exhausting, but also lots of fun. The day after he turned 4 months old, 4 month sleep regression started and G man seems to think he is a newborn who wants to be up and eat all.night.long. This mama is not sure what to do but we are powering through and loving that our baby boy is sweet, easy going, happy, and laid back during the days. The smiles and laughs are golden, I love seeing his little personality develop! Gideon we love you so much  baby boy, please sleep for us!

• 15lb 10oz (taken on home scale)
• Like I said above, sleep has not been good at all this past month. Bedtime is between 7:30-8pm and every single night is unpredictable but he has only slept through the night once in the past 5 weeks. I know it is just a phase and we will power through. We are currently using the Merlin suit and sleep sacks instead of the swaddle.
• He is a pretty good napper.... I am trying to get him to be flexible and nap on the go and he takes great naps in his crib at home. 
• Wearing 6 month clothes and size 2 disposable diapers
• Gideon's eczema just got so bad the past few weeks that we decided to switch to a hypoallergenic dairy free formula (Nutramigen). We are 1 week in and his face looks SO MUCH better thank you Lord! He seems to have adjusted pretty well to the taste of it but the smell is repulsing. We are hoping this helps clear up is "snurfiness" too. We go to the doctor in a few weeks for his 6 month appointment and I am hoping to get him some allergy testing so we can find out what he is allergic to before we start baby food. This boy is an eater! He eats 4-6oz every 2-3 hours... always eating!
• Lots and lots of smiles and they are just infectious. He is so easy to get to smile and laugh. Ford and Lucy love singing and doing funny things to get him to belly laugh. I think he totally recognizes them as brother and sister. They also love helping with him... grabbing toys and bottles and pacifiers.
• He rolls and rolls and rolls! I am hoping he can start sleeping on his tummy soon but anytime he flips to his tummy, he is over it in about 5 minutes. 
• He is very ticklish!
• He loves his Zoli teether, Freddy the Firefly, and Nubi teethers. He is getting so good at holding and grasping toys... he loves his playmat too! 
• He prefers standing over sitting up but seems to enjoy the Sit Me Up Chair and Bumbo in 10 minute increments. He is still a little wobbly in the exersaucer but we prop him up and he thinks he is so big.
• We got our court date to finalize his adoption at the end of May, we are so excited!

Gideon 4 months old

Not sure how we got here but Gideon is 4 months old! Time has flown by and I finally feel like I am emerging from the newborn fog. We are sleeping and getting into a good routine....but with 3 kids 3.5 and under, things are always borderline chaotic. Gideon SMILES all day, laughs when he is tickled, and is smitten with his big brother and sister. I forgot how fun and sweet this age is and I know it is going to get better and better! It is so cool to watch Gideon learn new things,  notice new things, grab toys, and enjoy himself. I love being this sweet boys mama!

• 14lbs 10oz (33%), 25.75in (77%), Head circumference 41.2cm (36%)
• G had his 4 month well check this morning and is pretty much perfect. We are still dealing with eczema and are contemplating trying a dairy free formula (that costs 4x his Gentleease, boo). He got his vaccinations and hated those of course, talked to the doctor, and almost rolled over for the first time there!
• Gideon is quite the eater! I feel like he is eating 99% of of the day. He'll take 2-3oz every 2-3 hours but I carry a bottle with us wherever we go. He is quite the messy eater so he is always sporting a bib (and going through 2-3 a day). 
• Wears 3-6 month clothing...mostly onesies and one piece outfits. Gideon is such a hot body (just like daddy and Ford) so you won't ever see him in footies or pants. He sleeps in a onesie at night and even wakes up hot in that. 
• Cloth diapered during the day and size 2 disposable diaper at night
• G goes to bed between 7:30-8pm and sleeps 11-12 hours straight. 2 nights over the weekend he has cried out and woken in the night... no one is immune to the dreaded 4 month sleep regression. He slept 12 hours again last night so hopefully the regression was short and sweet. We are still swaddling him and don't really have a plan to stop just yet. He is not rolling over so I'm not worried about him rolling in the swaddle but we have a Zipadee Zip and Merlin suit when the time comes. 
• Naps are hit or miss lately. Unlike Ford and Lucy, I am trying to be more laid back when it comes to naps for G because we are on the go most of the day. On good days Gideon will take a 1.5-2 hour nap around 8:45am when we leave for the day, a 2 hour crib nap at home when F and L are resting in the afternoon, and then an early evening snooze. I really want him to be flexible on naps and there are some days where I think "Well no wonder he slept 13 hours straight last night, he was exhausted and didn't get a proper nap!". 
• Gideon smiles ALL THE TIME! He is such a joyful baby and his mouth gets so big and wide when he smiles. He laughs when we play games with him and is very ticklish on his sides. Ford and Lucy can get him cracking up.
• He loves playing under his play mat and grabbing the toys. He loves his Freddie the Firefly, Sophie Giraffe, and Beanie Babies. He also loves chewing on his hands. So. Much. Drool. 
• Giddy has found his voice and it is adorable and raspy. He furrows his eyebrows and gets this serious look and just talks and talks. 

Gideon 3 months old

Gideon is 3 months old today! He doesn't stop smiling, sleeps great, and is growing like crazy. It is so fun to see his personality come out, he is totally not a blob anymore but a sweet little guy with such a calm and happy demeanor. We love this little boy!

• 13lbs 9oz (taken on home scale)
• Wearing 3 month and 3-6 month clothes. He is a tall boy so I can tell his 3 month jammies are getting really tight on the feet. We started cloth diapers a few weeks ago and he looks so stinking cute in his diapers. I still use a disposable at night (just like with F and L) so I can use booty cream and I don't change his diaper from about 6/7pm-7am. He is in a size 2 disposable. 
• Gideon is SO smiley right now! Take one look at him and he smiles ear to ear, his smile is contagious. He is also ticklish and it is fun to get him going and giggling. He is talking a LOT! I love baby babble... he is so serious when he is talking like he has something important to say. 
• He found his hands and is constantly chewing on them. He also scratches himself all the time so he has tons of tiny little scrapes on his face, boo. 
• Poor guy has eczema on his cheeks... I chalked it up to cradle cap for so long but then realized it was eczema. We are doing a routine of 7 days with Cortizone 1%/Aquaphor and then 7 days just Aquaphor. His face is SO soft and clear with Cortizone and it goes right back to being rough and patchy when we stop. I am sure we will figure something out.
• Gideon is an eater! A piggy! I swear he is always eating (and this is why I am thankful I am not breastfeeding him haha). He drinks 4-6 oz every 3 ish hours but I swear we always have a bottle with us. He is also a really messy eater/spitter so he rocks a bib every day now. He drinks Gentleease Formula and I give him this probiotic everyday. 
• We are finally getting the sleep thing down, Hallelujah! He still isn't super consistent but we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Bedtime is 8pm and he either sleeps til 7am or wakes up at 4a to eat and go back down. Never 5am or 6am... always 4a or 7a. It has felt absolutely amazing to be able to sleep through the night again, especially because Jon has been traveling a lot lately and it is pretty freaking hard to function when you are up all night with a baby then up at 6am with toddlers. Thank you Jesus for sleep!
• If we are home all day (very rare), he will take 2, 3/4 hour naps which are amazing, but since we are gone from 9a-1p most days, I am trying to make him adaptable to sleep on the go. 3rd kid, you have got to go with the flow buddy. He usually passes out right when we get in the car to drop off Ford at preschool or go somewhere and he naps for 1-2 hours while we are out. Most days I can get him to nap when Lucy naps and Ford does quiet time so that is really nice to actually get alone time. 
• He sleeps in his crib, double swaddled. Not sure when we'll drop the swaddle but it's working for us now,
• He takes a paci at the most random times... if he is fussy in the carseat I always try to offer it to burn off steam but he doesn't take it that well. If he cries out in the night, we try to pop the paci and that usually helps him get back to sleep then he spits it out.
• He has started grabbing things and it is hilarious to watch! He will grab on to a toy or blanket and flail his arms around not knowing what is going on. We have this bottle holder (God send!) and he has started holding it during feedings. 
• This month he has discovered the TV and loves it. Often times I can see him craning his head trying to look at the TV... he loves the colors.
• He still loves his playmat and little floor bouncer. He is getting over the Rock and Play because he's so tall and straightens his legs and gets mad but it is nice to have him in there while I cook dinner or shower. We have a Sit Me Up Chair and he doesn't really like it for more than a few minutes. I am looking forward to trying the Bumbo soon and maybe exersaucer. 
• He notices Ford and Lucy playing and they get him to smile so easily, I know he will be in on the action before I know it. Ford loves "playing" with Gideon... last week I overheard Ford trying to teach G a fist bump. Ford is so helpful, it literally melts me into a puddle. Lucy is VERY sweet with her baby brother. She calls him "Giddy!" and loves to pat his back and help with bottles. I absolutely love watching my kids love on each other so sweetly. 
• Went on his first road trip to Dallas a few weekends ago, he did great!

Gideon 2 months old

As I blink through tired eyes, I can't help but to be in awe (and denial) that 2 months has already gone by! Christmas, New Years, lots of sickies, lots of late nights and up all nights has made the month seem to drag on but we are so in love with this little man and still can't believe he is ours. These pictures aren't the greatest but I got everything prepared for photos and he woke up from his nap cranky but we had to stick to the plan! Now here are some updates on Gideon's 2nd month:

• 11lbs 8oz (26th %), 24" (87th %), head 39.2cm (48th %)
• Gideon had his 2 month well check today and did great! Lots of smiles and coos for the doctor and nurses, he is such a charmer. He is a tall and skinny boy that's for sure! My tallest baby yet! He checked out great, nothing to be concerned out! He cried pretty hard during his vaccinations but quickly calmed down with some cuddles from mom. We are hoping not to go back until his 4 month well check in March
• We moved him to his crib in his room around 6 weeks. Sleep was a tender subject for us this past month but the past few nights have been really good, praise God. Gideon is a great napper during the day but nights have been a little unpredictable. We have been putting him down at 9pm and trying to hold him off for a feed until 4am. Two nights ago he didn't wake up until 5:50am to eat (!!!) and last night he cried out at 2:30a so I gave him his paci and then fed him at 4a when he cried out. I am working on getting him on routine nap schedule, but it is also hard with two active toddlers!
• He is pretty fussy between 7-9pm, also known as the Witching Hour. He is also in a Wonder Weeks leap so lots of bouncing and walking during that time. 
• He is an absolute houdini in his swaddles! We have tried everything (including the Miracle Swaddle which he proudly broke out of within an hour of sleep) and are now using a Summer Infant Swaddle with another brand of velcro swaddle over it, can't remember the name but it has two extra straps on top.
• Gideon takes the Wubbanub paci sometimes... mostly when he's trying to burn off energy or we are trying to push him longer to a feeding. He isn't great at it and doesn't take it at bedtime... it wouldn't surprise me if he ends up not taking it within the next few months.
• This month he is talking, smiling, cooing... it is the BEST! I can't wait for the next few weeks because I know this is when it gets even cuter. He has the best gummy smile
• He is also incredibly active! He no longer wants to snuggle on your chest calmly, he is lifting his head, moving around, looking around, kicking his legs, grabbing things with his hands, so many new things.
• He loves kicking under his playmat and often has Ford and Lucy under there keeping him company.
• He is pretty much over the Boppy Lounger and Rock and Play, too baby-ish for this big guy.
• We have a swing upstairs but have only put him in it a handful of times, I should do it more now that I think of it.
• We just started putting him in the Fisher Price Sit Me Up Chair and he likes it! I think he prefers to be sitting up and looking around and in on the action.
• Lots of time in the Lillebaby carrier, I can't wait until I can forward face him.
• He lost a little bit of hair up front but it is growing back in... he has such beautiful, soft hair!
• Poor guy still has baby acne on his cheeks, I hope that goes away soon!
• We don't bathe him often because A. babies don't really get dirty and B. he is half black and I don't want to dry out his already dry skin. The jury is still out on whether he likes bath or not... sometimes he gives me the biggest lip and cries but sometimes seems to enjoy it. 
• He has the most beautiful big brown eyes, I love them!

Gideon 1 month old

Yesterday marked 1 month of life for Gideon and today marks 1 month since we got the call about him. Man a lot can change in 30 days! The past month has been a whirlwind...2 relaxing weeks in Las Vegas with our boy and ever since we got home, things have been nuts. Poor Gideon contracted the nasty coughing virus that big brother and sister had but we are hanging in there. He is so sweet, calm, beautiful, and the perfect addition to our family. It feels so right having him home, we love you so much Gideon Aaron! I can't believe God chose me to be your mama!

• 9lb 4oz (taken today at pedi), not sure on length, we go back in a month for his 2 month well check
• Gideon was circumcised this morning at the pediatrician so we are having a relaxing home day while he rests (okay so we've been having home days for the past month haha). It was sad to bring him into the room and see all the tools set up but Lucy and I waited in the lobby and it was quick and it will be worth it. 
• Like I said above, Ford and Lucy got a nasty cough/cold virus after their strep/ear infections cleared up and unfortunately Gideon got it. We were doing a good job of keeping all of the kids separate but after Thanksgiving Jon went back to work and I was caring for all of them on my own so it was pretty inevitable that he got it. Luckily he does not have RSV and is doing a good job of eating/sucking so we are just doing albueterol breathing treatments every few hours (Ford had to do these a lot as a baby). Gideon loves the treatments and I know he will be better before we know it. 
• He is drinking 3-4oz of formula every 3-4 hours during the day and night. He had been on Similac Sensitive for spitting up but was having issues pooping so we switched to Gentleease and things have been great. We use Dr. Browns bottles and those have been great too. Ford is really helpful and feeds him about once a day, I love watching him be a big brother!
• Sleep has been all over the place this month but I have to remind myself, he is a newborn! He had his days and nights mixed up while we were in Vegas and then coming home we've gotten on a better routine but being sick has been rough for him. He was sleeping flat in the pack and play but we moved him to the Rock and Play this week because he was coughing and choking on phlegm, ugh. We have been using the SwaddlePod but he seems to be getting too big for it and we are only doing his bottom. I think we will switch to a regular swaddle soon.
• I moved him out of newborn clothes last week and into 0-3m and 3 month... still a little baggy. He is so skinny with the longest feet which is so new for me since Ford and Lucy were always short and chubby. He is basically wearing socks, footie pajamas, and hats all day, every day. Gotta keep this boy warm!
• I have been wearing him in the LilleBaby the past few days and he passes right out. I much prefer a structured carrier than a wrap, lots more support and I just feel more comfortable with it on.
• Ford and Lucy are doing really good with the transition. Ford is so helpful and sweet, I melt into a giant puddle when he talks to Gideon and gives him his paci. Lucy is really sweet with him too, saying "baby", and "I know" when he cries. Lucy is also a sassy, independent 19 month old so she is having tantrums and breakdowns but not related to baby Gideon. 
• Poor guy has bad baby acne but I can tell it is getting better. He is biracial, first mom is white and dad is black, and has the most beautiful skin color! His hair is really dark and fine and I am anxious to see if it falls out and becomes more "black". 
• I have only given him 3-4 baths which he doesn't like... I've been bathing him on a yellow foam mat and will get out the Angel Care bath seat soon.
• He mostly chills in the boppy lounger, rock and play, Lille baby, or couch... poor 3rd baby I haven't even gotten the swing down! I am going to soon though. 
• He is getting the hang of the Wubbanub paci which has been a life savor for us to stretch his feedings or keep him busy. F and L never took them and I used nursing as a pacifier way too often so I am excited for this! 
• We haven't been out and about much but he has been really good on the go when we have. I had all 3 kids at Hobby Lobby last week and propped up a bottle while we walked around, so nice! Hoping that this weekend we can go to church and introduce him to our church family and then go out and about more!
• If you didn't read the story behind his name, you can read more here.

Lucy 18 months

One and a half years with our Lucy girl, wow time flies! It is hard to believe that she is going to become a big sister any day now, I can't wait to watch her love on her baby sister. Not gonna lie, we are coming out of a difficult couple of months with Lucy... I forgot how hard the new toddler phase is where they know exactly what they want but can't talk or communicate and can't control their emotions. In the past 2 weeks Lucy's vocabulary has exploded and our sassy girl has started talking so much, it is really fun! Lucy has always been very opinionated and fiesty but she is softening up a bit and I think it's because she can finally tell us how she feels or what she wants. Oh my gosh we just love her so much. She is beautiful beyond belief, cheesy, sweet, sassy, cuddly, and so funny. 

• Lucy had her 18 month well check today with our new pediatrician who we just love! She was chatty and happy and didn't even cry when she got her Dtap vaccine (although she did have a Dum Dum sucker in her mouth). I am happy to report that she is healthy, thriving, and not as small as we thought!
• 23lb 4oz (60th %), 32.5" (73rd %), head 48.1cm (91st %)
• I just got out her fall/winter clothes and put away most of her summer stuff. She wears 12-18 month and 18 month clothes, 12 month onesies, size 3 shoe, cloth diapers during the day and a size 3 or 4 disposable at night. 
• Her hair is getting SO long and light! It reminds me of my color when I was a child and I can't wait to try pig tails on her... for now it is the Pebbles fountain. She also loves her bows and will get them and bring them to me. 
• Lucy and Ford are hilarious together. They are really started to play together which I love and it's so cute to watch. They get into tickle fights and giggle fits and play for 45 minutes in the bath. 
• Lucy can walk up and down the stairs all by herself... she insist on walking like a big girl and holding the rails, this will be helpful when we bring baby home! 
• Lucy has so many new words this month! I was trying to keep track of them on my phone but there are just too many. I am going to write down a few of my favorite little things she says though.
• She now recognizes temperature... Hot! Cold! She blows on her hot food which is adorable. 
• She says "pee pee" and "poo poo" when she goes and I got out the little kid potty and she's been sitting on it every night before bath. She pushes like she's trying but has never gone. It's hard to believe that I potty trained Ford at 21 months.. not sure this girl will be up for it (or that I will be!)
• I use different roller bottles of oils on the kiddos and Lucy will grab them and say OILS! Feet! And try to put them on her feet. 
• She is obsessed with her two loveys lately... they are both basically small blankets and she has to carry them around for an hour after she wakes up.
• Very into her baby dolls this month... which is a good sign! She will carry around 2-3 of them, push them in the shopping cart or stroller, feed them their "bottle", and rock them. I got out the baby bouncers up and downstairs and she loves sitting in them with her babies. I think she will have a hard time sharing those when baby sister comes home. 
• Her favorite thing in the world is rocks.... we can be at a restaurant, at a store, or anywhere outside and she finds a pile of "WOCKS!" and collects them. She is very easily entertained. 
• She says "No" a lot and scrunches her face.... girlfriend knows what she wants and is very vocal about it. 
• She is becoming a better eater, praise the Lord! I've started just putting new foods on her table repeatedly and eventually she will try them. She loves scrambled eggs, bananas, grapes, cheese, chicken, all carbs, cottage cheese, yogurt, burgers. 
• She sees pictures of herself and pats her chest and says "ME!"
• She says Mama, Dada, Mimi, Papa, and certain words for Tomi, Ford, and James but not really anything recognizeable. She also recognizes people in photos on the wall. 
• She is pretty physical with Ford... slaps and pinches him when she is mad....and when I get onto her she will walk up to him and say "OWWIE" and hug and kiss him. Obviously I don't want her to bully him but it is so cute to see her apologize!
• We've started to do time out with her and she is livid when we do it. 
• She will respond to questions with "Good".... How was your nap Lucy? "Good"
• She is a little daddy's girl. She will run in to our room at the morning and say "Hi Dada!"
• She knows all of her body parts and says the words... hair, head, eyes, nose, teeth, ears, belly, toes... she loves totally flashing her belly button lately
• She loves hats and glasses and will put them on and say HAT! GASSSS!
• She is obsessed with books lately. We have a big upstairs with a game room and media room and have been spending a lot of time up here lately and often times I will find her in her room on her rocking chair reading books. She asks for specific books too "Bow Bar" for Brown Bear, "Moon!" for Goodnight Moon. She has a few other favorites that we read every single night. 
• She saw the movie Finding Nemo in our car the other day and said MEMO! I was shocked because she doesn't watch movies in our car because she's rear facing and I'm not sure she's ever seen the movie.
• She is such a little dancing queen... she dances even when there is no music! But we can really get her going if we start dancing and she loves it.
• She sings too... we sing Bye Oh Baby every night after prayers when we lay her in her crib and she will sing "Byeeee Byeeee" and lay her head down. 
• She loves putting on everyone else's shoes and walking around laughing. She says shoes and socks, it is pretty darn cute.
• She started carrying around this little tiny princess purse she got for her birthday and putting rocks in it. She says "PUR!" and knows exactly what to do with it.
• She is obsessed with jewelry and calls it "PEEEETY" for pretties. I am going to get her ears pierced in a few months because she is obsessed with mine and it is the first thing she asks for in the morning, "Mama ear?" and points to my ears. 
• I was at the grocery store just grabbing fruit yesterday and as I bagged apples she grabbed one and said APPLE! She also grabbed a muffin yesterday morning and said Muffin! Seriously new words every single day