Nine months!

Nine months!  Three quarters of the first year has already gone by.  How does it always go so fast?  Sammy and Ali are nine months old today.  They are loving life and we are loving life with them!!

My sweet girls!  (Sammy (L) Ali (R))

Thanks to Auntie Laura for helping with the sign.  I love using it to help give perspective on how much the girls have grown and of course to note how old they are.  It is tricky to do with curious little babies!  Even one at a time it was a little hard.

Ali wouldn't even look at me when the sign was out.

Focused, just not on the camera

Sammy did try to help me out a bit.  

That is Sammy back there

And both of them together?  Forget it, it was all about grabbing the paper and getting it from each other!

I don't stand a chance.

They quickly got tired of my trying to make them look at me and smile.

I feel like they are telling each other to stay strong, we're almost done. :)

We did get a couple of good ones though.

Alison!

Samantha!

Sam and Ali

These girls are so wonderful.  They are busy, happy, giggly, fun ladies who bring us happiness each and every day.  We are so lucky to have them!!  We love you so much, Sammy and Ali.  Thank you for being you!

-Kim

Sprinkler fun

I admit the weather around here is really throwing me off.  I am used to it being in the sixties and seventies around this time of year.  Dipping into the fifties somethings and hitting the eighties is normal.  But consistent upper eighties and nineties in October?  Kind of crazy.  Good, don't get me wrong.  But very different.

This past week Ben, Ali, Sammy and I went to story time at the library.  On our way out the sprinklers were going.  Ben looked at them longingly, and I was about to tell him no.  But hey, you're only three once.  He should live it up.

Yep, mid October and playing in the sprinklers.  Very strange for us, but we'll take it. :)  I wanted to get in there and run around with him, but Ali and Sammy were in the stroller, so I had to stay with them.  They aren't super in to getting wet outside of the bath.  Ben loved getting a chance to frolic in the water!

 I had one happy little boy, which makes for one happy mommy.

-Kim

How to: Baby Mrs. Potato Head Costume

I love the idea of making my kids' Halloween costumes.  I would gladly make anything they wanted to be....  if I had the time, money, and skill.  Time and money are something that I don't really have to spend a ton of on Halloween costumes.  Skill, well, I'd like to continue thinking I have that. (Though realistically not so much:P ) What I wanted this Halloween was something easy, cute, and pretty cheap to make for the girls.  I think I found a pretty good one with Mrs. Potato Head.  Here is how easy it is to make.

First up, I had to get some brown onesies.  This is something you definitely could just have on hand.
 My girls didn't happen to have any, so I ordered some.

Two day shipping for the win. I got the 6-12 month size and they fit the girls pretty well now at almost 9 months.    I also ordered some felt.  You can get felt at a craft store of course.  I have some from the dollar store, but I liked the stiffness of these felt stickers.

I think it gives the costume more of a, well, costume feel to it.  Mrs. Potato Head has the plastic pieces that stick out and away from the body of the potato, and I wanted the pieces to do the same here.  The great thing about this costume is you can use any brown onesie and whatever material you happen to have around for the pieces.  

Once I had my materials I simply cut out shapes for the face.  I looked around on pinterest to get some inspiration, but honestly I just did it freehand.  Another great thing about this costume is that it doesn't have to look perfect.  The girls aren't very big, so I kept to just eyes, nose, mouth, and a hat.  If I were to make this for a bigger kid I might do more, like ears or glasses or something.

Once I had all my pieces cut out I used velcro so they could be attached to the costume, but still be removed and rearranged like a real Mrs. Potato Head.

A few notes about the costume.  I made sure to put the softer part of the velcro on the onesie.  This way if the girls are crawling around they won't stick to the carpet as much.  The crawling thing.  The girls are still army crawling, so honestly I am not entirely sure how well the pieces will stay on.  But if they are in their seats or being held I think it will work out just fine.  I also want to keep an eye on the girls that they don't eat the pieces.  The felt is stiff, which should help them from getting it into their mouths enough to swallow it.  But I will be watching the girls closely while they wear these just in case.

Overall, I think they look super cute.  Yes, I need to keep an eye on the girls while they wear them, but why would I leave them alone in the costume anyway?  I wouldn't.  Overall it only took about half an hour to make two baby costumes, and I was watching tv while I did it.  Pretty good for a homemade costume.

Here is what I used to make these. 

               

I hope this can help out another mom looking for a quick costume as Halloween approaches.  I can't wait to see the girls in them.  They are going to be so cute!!

-Kim

Dentist

I know we are a little late in doing this first, but Ben had his first dentist appointment last week!!  Yes, I know the current recommendation is first tooth or one year.  When Ben was a baby I read the recommendation was to wait until kids were three to go to the dentist.  Now, I don't know where I read that, but that is what I was operating under.  Then I heard it was much earlier than that.  Oops, mom fail.  Oh well.  I wanted to get him in sooner, but with my tried and true excuse of having twins (yep, using it forever) and then the move (yep, using it as long as possible) we just didn't get it done.  I am almost glad though, because we have a pediatric dentist less than five minutes from our new place!  Score!

We tried hard to get Ben pumped up for the dentist.  We practiced looking in his mouth.  We talked about how important it is to have clean teeth and why we brush.  He was actually excited about the appointment I think.

Ready to go to the dentist!

 Ben was great in the waiting room.  He tried out every chair in the place, of course.  They had toys, which of course made it an amazing place.

Excited to be there!

Yay toys!

The girls were very happy to be cheering on their brother.  Soon enough it will be their turn!

Sammy!

Ali!

I didn't take any pictures during the actual exam.  Ben did okay with everything.  He was very excited to charge back there and sit in the big chair when they called him back.  The plan was to start with x-rays.  Ben wasn't a big fan of the lead cape he had to wear, and really wasn't liking the x-ray machine in his face.  The big thing that set him off though was when one of the techs wheeled the girls around the corner so they wouldn't be in the room for the x-rays.  I could see them the whole time, but Ben couldn't.  He did not like that his sisters went away.  He kept yelling, "Bring them back!  Bring sisters back!"  It was actually very sweet that he was worried about where they were going.  He is a really good big brother and so protective of them.  But he did get a bit worked up, so we decided to skip the x-rays.

At this point Ben was ready to be done with the dentist, but he had just gotten started.  He still did really well.  Yes, he yelled a bit, but he did let the hygienist and the dentist do what they needed to do.  He was a real trooper about it.  As soon as he was able to get down he was asking to go home.  Then the hygienist asked him if he wanted a prize he perked right back up.  He was so excited to get his new toothbrush.  He got to pick out a toy, he chose a yo-yo.  He also got a shark tooth necklace!  Okay, it is plastic, but he loves it and looks so cute with it.

Thumbs up to be finished!

Prizes!

I am proud of how Ben did.  I assumed there would be some tears.  It can be scary to sit there and let someone look in your mouth.  Heck, most adults don't like the dentist, and this was all new to Ben.  I love that he was so protective of his sisters.  And I love how proud of himself he was for going to the dentist.  I think when we go back he will do even better.  Fortunately he has clean, healthy teeth, so that won't be for six months.

Proud little boy with clean teeth!

He is just getting so big!  I am so proud of him.  I love this sweet boy.

-Kim

The Wonder Weeks Book Review- Guest Post

It's a BFBN trade day!  I'm over at The Moses Home today talking about why I try to maintain a normal schedule when my kids have a minor illness.  Here today I have Katrina from Mama's Organized Chaos!  She wrote a great review of the Wonder Weeks book.  It's amazing to learn how babies learn about the world around them!

-Kim

I remember it vividly- I was finally pregnant, and I happened to be at Target. I thought I'd stop by the book section and get a few pregnancy books. I couldn't wait to read about the bundle of joy inside of me. I love knowing facts and details. I bought two books. One of them was What to Expect When Expecting (an amazing book). The other book, I returned so fast, I don't even remember the title. It was the most negative book I'd ever read. It detailed every possible thing that could go wrong during pregnancy, along with all of the things I needed to avoid, etc. It was not something I wanted to read. I am all about knowing the facts, but I am also focused on staying positive and realistic. As the book was written it simply put unneeded and unwanted worry on expecting moms. When I returned the book, I also returned to the pregnancy book aisle. I found that many of the books focused on the negatives. So, I stuck with the one good book I'd found and did the rest of my reading and research online. About a month before my due date I realized I should probably start reading up on my baby, instead of just the pregnancy. I found two phenomenal books: Babywise, and The Wonder Weeks. I've decided to start doing book reviews of the helpful books that I find. So, today I'll be starting with The Wonder Weeks.

The Wonder Weeks concept and idea is just fascinating to me. This book outlines 10 developmental milestones that occur in a baby's first 20 months of life. The idea is that these developmental milestones actually occur at roughly the same time for babies (within a few weeks). With predictable leaps in babies development, this book is incredibly eye opening as a parent. The book details the earliest week that these leaps typically occur. You can literally look at a calendar and predict when they will occur for your child. During these leaps, your baby is extra fussy as they work through these life altering changes that are occurring in their brains. When the leap is over you'll be able to see your baby showing new skills!

My experience: I found that the app coupled with the book was an amazing combination. I detail below what each has to offer. The combination put my mind at ease. All of the sudden (literally out of the blue) Caroline would be extra fussy, and I had no idea why or what had changed. Without fail, 100% of the time, I would check the wonder week calendar, and Caroline would be entering or already in a leap. It was shocking to me how predictable these leaps really were! Once I realized that Caroline was in a leap, I'd read the chapter for that specific leap in The Wonder Weeks book. Reading about the skills she was developing put everything into perspective and allowed me to remove myself from the frustration of the "fussy period", and be more understanding that it wasn't my fault or her fault or anyone's fault...it was a normal mental development that was occurring. I was also able to read about the new skills that might be popping up, and see them happening right before my eyes. Truly amazing. Once I realized that the concept of this book seemed to really be on point, my husband and I would read about the next leap ahead of time so we knew what skills we were looking for. We enjoyed reading the chapters together every evening, and discussing our daughter's progress.

The App: I think the app is now $1.99. It is the ONLY app I've ever paid money for, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The app is a quick reference to keep tabs on where your child is in their developmental cycle. You can enter your child's birth date and track where they are in relation to the leaps that are outlined in the book. The app gives a quick summary of the skills that may be developing during this leap. I used the app mostly for the ease of the calendar and tracking.

The book suggests to base your child's development based on their due date. I entered 2 "children" into the app: Caroline based on her due date, and Caroline based on her birth date. I always found that my daughter entered leaps perfectly based on her birth date. I tracked them both for about 6 months, and once I realized our trend to be based on birth date, I stopped tracking based on due date all together. I'd recommend doing this to see how the calendar lines up for your specific child. 

The Book: The book is a must buy. It goes into a ton of detail about what is happening with your baby's development. There is a separate chapter for each wonder week (or leap). Each chapter consists of 4 sections:

• This Week's Fussy Signs: This section outlines what behaviors and clues to look for indicating that your baby is about to make a developmental leap.  There is a diary section where you can check off the signs you've noticed to help you keep track of things.
• The Magical Leap Forward: This section discusses the new skills and abilities your child may acquire during the leap. Again, there is a diary section with a checklist . This was probably our favorite part of the book! We loved reading about all of the new skills that our baby would soon acquire!
• What You Can Do to Help: This is an amazing section, that gives you ideas for games, toys, and even focused activities that are catered to each stage of development. This is also one of my favorite parts to read through and gave me some great ideas!
• After the Leap: After the leap, your baby will start to be happy, and more independent again. This section lets you know when to expect this. 

The chapters also have real life experience quotes from moms and dads, along with fun facts on things like brain changes, sleep tips, top toys, and more! As an example, in wonder week 12, there is a brain change fact that states "At approximately 10 to 11 weeks, the head circumference of babies dramatically increases". I just loved seeing everything put forward in such a positive light with lots of fun facts. Babies have a lot of ups and downs and it can be hard on parents when they don't know what's going on. This book really does help you to understand what's happening in your baby's development and how you can assist to make things easier on them. I highly recommend grabbing a copy! We'll even be re-reading this when baby #2 comes along one day- it was that interesting and there are way too many facts to simply remember for the next go around. It is definitely an in the moment read and well worth your time (even when sleep deprived)!

Other Posts of Interest:
The Wonder Weeks "Grey Period"- What is it?
Wonder Weeks- Leap 6
Baby Brains

Katrina is a mom of an almost 2 year old daughter (Caroline). She is a former engineer and high school chemistry teacher, turned stay at home Babywise Mama! Head on over to Mama's Organized Chaos to read more.

Rail Fair!

This weekend we attended an event that I think most little boys would love- Rail Fair!  I am so excited that we have a railroad themed park near by our new place!  This particular weekend had a big model train festival, and most of the park was free.  Score!

After the girls morning nap we headed out to see the trains!  As soon as we got there Ben was pumped.  He pulled Pat ahead with him while I followed with the girls.

I love the site of my boys having fun.

 There were a bunch of model trains set up.  Ben really liked looking at them.  A couple of them even had Thomas and his friends in them!  Those were big favorites with the little ones.  It is kind of crazy the things that interest you because your children like them.  I can't really say I've put a lot of thought into model trains.  But watching Ben be so excited and interested in them made me really like looking at them too.

He needed a little help to take it all in. 

They had real train cars set up to go through.  Sadly they aren't stroller friendly, so I waited outside with the girls.  They didn't mind missing out.  Pat said the cars were interesting to look at, but not super fun for little ones.  A bit too historic for Ben's taste, so I will wait until we go again to check it out.

Excited to be so close to a real train!

My sweet girls, just happy to be a part of the action. (Sammy L Ali R)

Ben was fascinated by all the model trains!  There was a small museum full of more models.  Again though, not stroller friendly.  Ben seemed really excited after he and Pat went through it, and Pat said it was fun to see.

So focused on the trains

We took a break to eat a little lunch at the park.  They have food available, so we splurged and got Ben the rail park 'happy meal' of sorts.  It came in a little train car and had a whistle.  I think getting to eat some chips was Ben's favorite part. ;)

I have to steal pictures when I can!

The park has two playgrounds, both train themed!  We actually only made it to one, but it was a good one!  

Time to run!

I think the highlight of Ben's day was getting to ride on the little train that went around the park.  He looked so proud and excited to get to ride on a real train with Daddy.

Ready to ride the rails!

This boy had a good day.

I think the rail park might be one of Ben's favorite things about living here.  We will for sure be visiting again.  The one bummer is that so many of the displays and things to do aren't stroller friendly.  But that's okay.  I'll get a turn to see everything when we go again.  Plus I have a feeling it is a place grandparents will really enjoy with the kids. ;)  We had a blast and we're looking forward to going again!!

-Kim

Friday Fun!

This week we spent some quality time having fun!  It is finally cooling off a bit during the day, so we have been able to get out and explore some new parks!  We tossed in a couple of library visits too. :)  No big stories, just lots of fun play time. 

Library fun!

Duck pond!

Ben loved the musical instrument park.

The girls were happy to be out and about too.

One park has a gazebo, Ben loved it!

Of course, no interest in selfies with Mommy.

So much fun!

I'm so happy we are finding fun places to play.  It still doesn't feel like fall to us, we're used to it being way cooler this time of year.  But I think we will really enjoy to warmer weather overall.  Ben for sure will love getting to go to the park more!

-Kim