Isaac: 4 Months Old

Dear Isaac,

During your fourth month of life, your colic finally disappeared!  I don't know why you were so colicky for the first three months of your life, but whatever the cause was, you worked through it and are an extremely calm, happy baby now. Seriously, if you're not sleeping or eating, you're smiling. It has been such a relief to finally have you happier because those first three months were really challenging for me. You cried a ton, wanted to be held almost constantly, and were a terrible sleeper. I was completely exhausted both physically and emotionally.

I really believe that I was given inspiration from the Holy Ghost about how to help you learn to sleep. I thought about what to do almost constantly and prayed about it multiple times a day. I had a deep desire to know what to do, and I was given two very specific solutions about what would help you. First, I wasn't to let you fall asleep while nursing anymore. Previously, you would fall asleep almost instantly every time you hit my boob and you would "sleep nurse" for 20 or 30 minutes. When I would lay you down for your nap afterwards, you would immediately wake up because the little cat nap that you took while nursing was just enough to make you feel like you'd napped, but not enough to really make you feel better. Secondly, I was given the inspiration that you shouldn't nap in your swing anymore. I read somewhere that motion sleep isn't as deep as sleep in your crib and by letting you always nap in your crib, you weren't able to get enough.

It took a few days of adjusting, but once I started doing those two things, you started napping like a dream. I couldn't believe how well it worked! Now, you take three or four naps a day. Starting when you wake up, I put you down every hour and a half throughout the day, if that makes sense. So if you wake up for the day at 8:00 a.m., I put your down for your first nap at 9:30. Let's say you sleep until 10:30. Then I'll put you down again at noon. You go to bed around 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. You usually wake up once in the night around 3:00 a.m. and then are up for the day around 6:30 p.m.

This month, you discovered your hands and suck on them constantly. You stuff as many fingers in your mouth as you can fit and you always have drool running down your hands, arms, and chin. I don't know if you're going to be a finger sucker forever or if it's just an oral fixation phase that you're going through. I think it's adorable and am just glad that you're not a binkie sucker. At least you always have your fingers with you to suck and I don't have to wake up in the night to give you back the binkie that you dropped.

One funny little thing about you: you have the sweatiest little nose! Anytime you get excited, sad, hot, etc, you get these tiny little beads of sweat all over the top of your nose. It is completely adorable and unique to you. None of my other babies did this. It's funny how you and your brothers are so similar in so many ways yet you all have your differences too.

You get really hyper at night, right before you go to bed. You love to yell, kick your fat little legs in happiness, and squeal at the top of your lungs. I love to lay you down and play with you at this time of day because you're definitely your most animated. It's like you're so happy but at the same time, you're on the verge of hysterics because you're so tired. As soon as I start to nurse you down for the night, you crash hard. You almost always get limp and fall asleep instantly because you're so exhausted from all the fun. When you nurse, you do these pathetic little sucks that I can hardly feel, like butterfly wings. Your too tired to have a real nursing, but I always hold you forever anyway before I put you in your crib because I want to soak in every moment of you. I seriously, truly, honestly miss you when you're sleeping. I immediately want to be holding you, kissing your squishy cheeks, and seeing your smile. I creep into your room more than I'd like to admit to watch you sleep. You look like an angel when you sleep.

Isaac, you couldn't be more perfect. I am so crazy about the stage that you're in and wish you'd stay this age forever. I love the way you rest your long fingers on my arm protectively when I'm holding you, as if to say "Back off everyone. She's mine!" I love the way you snuggle into me and rest your head on my shoulder. I love the way your eyes light up when you see me every. single. time. It is so nice to be loved so completely.  I am obsessed with you. Sometimes I worry that I'm a little too crazy about you. But I think what it is is that I'm treasuring my time with you even more than I did with your brothers because I've learned from my experience with them how fast time really does go. I am going to blink one time and you'll be gone.

The thing that scares me the most is that I'm going to forget. I'm going to forget how you looked at this age, how the weight of you felt in my arms, how your happy little squeals sounded echoing off the corners of your room. I'll forget how many rolls your thighs had and the way you'd dig your little nails into my chest and scratch lightly when I'd hold you. I don't want to forget, but it's inevitable. It's the way of life. The least I can do is write you these letters every month in hopes of remembering little snippets of who you were at the time. I hope they'll mean a lot to you someday.

I love you so much, my sweet Isaac.

Love,
Mama

4 Month Stats:
Weight: 16 lbs, 3 oz (76th percentile)
Height:26 1/4 inches (90th percentile)
Head Circumference: 42 1/2 cm (57th percentile)

Oliver: 2 1/2 Years Old

Dear Oliver,

Your dad and I simply cannot get enough of you lately. You are ridiculously adorable. We were talking recently about what the best word is to describe you and we both decided that it is "cheerful." You have such a happy disposition and love doing almost anything and everything. Instead of walking or running, you prance almost everywhere you go.  Your pop pop recently commented that you are "light on your feet." It's true. You skip, hop, and jump almost constantly, and it is the cutest thing ever. You frequently have a cheesy little smile on your face. You love to hold hands, snuggle, and grin. You are simply delightful. When your dad went to pick you up from nursery at church last week, you were the last one in there. He apologized to the nursery leader for being late and she replied "There is no child I'd rather stay late with than Oliver." Your happiness is infectious and everyone simply loves you to pieces.

You're extremely easy going- except for when you're not. Let me explain. You are very laid back except for when it comes to the following things: your clothes and dinnerware. Dressing you every morning has become a nightmare that I dread with every fiber of my being. You are extremely picky about what you'll allow on your body. Right now, you only own three shirts that you'll wear; your Utah football jersey, a striped t-shirt that has a space ship on it, and your dinosaur shirt. If I haven't done laundry in a few days and they're all dirty, we're out of luck. You also only own one pair of pants that you'll wear, so I constantly have to make sure they're clean. If I every try to dress you in anything else (anything that I think is cute, heaven forbid), you will kick and scream and cry big crocodile tears until I give in and let you wear something from the dirty clothes basket. When it comes to your dinnerware, you have equally strong feelings. We have to lift you up onto the counter and stand there for minutes while you choose. You finally pick a plate/cup/fork, etc and then you will change your mind and start crying as soon as we put your food on it.  SO. FRUSTRATING.

You love to sing lately and are actually pretty good at it. You can carry a tune! I'm a proud mama! You love to sing primary songs and songs that you hear on the radio. Right now your absolute favorite is "Animals" by Maroon 5. Whenever it comes on, you get the cheesiest open mouth smile on your face. The lyrics to that song are terrible and I regret letting you listen to it in the first place, but there's no going back now. You're completely obsessed, so I just let you listen and feel thankful that you are too young and innocent to know what the song is actually talking about.

A few days ago, you started climbing out of your crib. Your dad and I were in our bed sleeping in the early morning, and we were surprised to see you standing at the side of our bed with a mischievous grin on your face. We thought that it might have been a fluke, but after you climbed out a few more times that day, we realized that nothing could be done and that we needed to switch you to a big boy bed for your safety. You did surprisingly well in your big boy bed the first night, but naps have been another story. You won't take them because you're so excited about your new found freedom. We'll have to wait and see if the novelty will wear off. I'm guessing that you'll start taking them again, but it might take a few weeks. We shall see....

You are also starting to get out of bed over and over after we put you down for the night. It usually takes you over an hour to finally decided to stay in bed and go to sleep. It's frustrating because we haven't found any punishments that you care enough about to make you stay in bed. I don't want to do it, but my next move is to start locking you in your room when we put you to bed. I would unlock it before your dad and I go to bed of course, but I want you to cut this crap! By the time you finally fall asleep around 9:00 p.m., your dad and I hardly have any time to spend together before we have to go to bed ourselves.

Oliver, you're a great kid. I love this stage you're in and just commented to your dad last night how I wish you would stay this way forever. You've started this hilarious habit where you yell in a loud voice "Mmmmm! Tasty!" when you eat the bread in sacrament meeting. Everyone around us always cracks up. You're very polite and say thank you without me every having to remind you. I love it.  Thanks for being a part of our family!

Love Forever,
Mama

2 Year Old Stats: 
Weight: 30.4 lbs (56th percentile)
Height: 37 inches (68th percentile)