Tagg - month 6

Dear Tagg,

I haven't done a real post about you for a few months. At least I keep your baby book up-to-date. Here is a little progression of how you have changed. We think you are the cutest little boy we have ever seen...like EVER!

To say that you are a happy baby is quite the understatement. You literally start and end your day with a smile...and about a million more smiles throughout the day. We can't get enough of your toothless grin and your sparkling blue eyes. You smile at strangers almost as much as you smile at me and dad. But Holland takes the cake with getting the most grins and laughs out of you. All she has to do is say, "hi little guy," but sometimes all she has to do is walk into the room you are in, and the laughter starts.

The two of you are obviously best friends. We are convinced that she thinks you are the greatest thing that has ever happened in her life. She constantly asks if she can hold you..."Can I hold him, Mommy?" Often times that holding ends up being more of a choke hold, but you are, amazingly, a great sport and smile through it all. You are a good sport with all she wants to do with you...like in this instance...

Of course you cry at times, but that is usually because I lose track of time and you end up having to tell me with your cries that you are hungry and/or tired. Oops! Sorry about that. You cry occasionally when Holland holds you a bit too aggressively, and just the other day you screamed when Holland's teeth got in on the action of 'loving' you. I can't believe she bit you! It totally left deep marks and some bruising, but no broken skin - thank goodness. You looked at me with huge eyes and I swear you wanted to say, "What the heck just happened?"

 We can't believe that the tons of dark brown hair you were born with has dwindled to just a little more than some light brown and blonde inch-long strands. Your face is so cute with round chubby cheeks, but apparently we've been deceived by this because at your 6 month appointment you only weighed in at 15.8 lbs. That's only 25th % for weight. Not so chub after all. You are 27 inches long (a little over 50th %), and your head is 17.7 inches in circumference (75th %). You mostly wear 3-6 month clothes, but still fit in some of your 0-3 month outfits.You wear size 1 diapers, but they are getting a bit snug. So, as soon as they are gone (this week) we'll be wrapping your little tush in size 2.

You learned how to roll from your belly to your back a couple weeks ago and then just a few days after your half-birthday you learned to roll from your back to your belly. So, bottom line, you are somewhat mobile in a small way. You seem to get yourself stuck next to the wall or furniture quite often when you're rolling around and then you decided to just bang on the wall/furniture/floor until you figure out how to get out of your predicament and/or get saved by mommy or daddy.

You spend your waking hours rolling around on the living room floor, kicking on your kick mat, jumping in the exersauser and johnny jump up, wrestling/hugging/laughing with Holland, pulling mommy's hair, sucking on anything put in your vicinity, pulling your socks off to suck on your feet, gnawing on your hands (inside your mouth completely - impressive!) or Mr. Monkey, sitting in your Bumbo so you can watch daddy build bikes in the garage, and taking family walks and bike rides.

 

 I've been surprised how much you look like some of Holland's baby pictures, but you definitely have your own look. In fact, you look a lot like your cousin Zackary did when he was your age. Definitely a lot of Eppley traits going on - even though you were a complete mini-Tyler the day you were born. Sorry if you end up with my fair, easily-sunburned skin.

We gave you cereal for the first time a couple weeks ago (I don't think you're a fan). You've also tried frozen go-gurt (thanks to Holland). But we can't get you take a bottle. I don't want to stop nursing you yet, but an occasional bottle would be nice. You were sleeping through the night until you learned to roll over. We had you sleeping in your car seat in our master bathroom, but when I found you hanging over the end of it on your belly one morning I figured that it was time to move you to your crib. Ha! But then you weren't sure what to do with all the space your crib affords you and you started waking up around 3am. We tried letting you cry it out, but then we ended up with TWO crying babies in the night. Your bedroom is right next to Holland's. So we've moved you downstairs to the guest room in a pack-n-play so that if you wake up you won't wake up Holland as well. Now just learn to sleep through the night again already!

You are totally ticklish on your neck and under your arms. Even taking off your onsies makes you giggle. You have a deep, little, raspy laugh that cracks me up every time. I could tickle you for hours. Unlike your sister, you easily fall asleep in your car seat when we drive. You take two solid naps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and occasionally you take a third in early evening. You love to shower and get really relaxed as the water splashes over you. You typically go to bed about 8 p.m. and wake up for the day around 7 a.m.You are becoming more vocal and it's so fun to listen to you discover that you are in fact the one making the noises. Funny boy.

Taggart, you have stolen a huge chunk of my heart. I had no idea that I could love another baby as much as I love your sister. Turns out, a mother's heart only increases with each child she has. I knew it would be hard to have two babies so close in age, but I have honestly loved every second. You two love one another...I can see it in the way you look at each other. It's as though you speak a secret language that daddy and I are not privy to. Daddy is beyond thrilled to have you, his little man, in our family. He loves you so much. He's pretty happy to no longer be outnumbered. You two are best buds and birthday twins forever.

We love you more than all the stars in the sky.

Love, Mommy

Holland - Year 2

Dear Holland Bliss,

I think that I am in complete shock that you are TWO! (hence, taking forever to finish writing you this letter!) Technically, you are no longer a baby. But, you are, and always will be, my baby girl. Your daddy and I absolutely cannot get enough of you. You are healthy and happy, and growing and developing so fast. And, really, you are quite the smarty. We are so proud to call you ours!

It's crazy how quickly you have seemed to grow up since your baby brother, Tagg, was born. You adore him! You want to touch him and hold him constantly. Sometimes a little too aggressively, but we know it's all because you love him so much. The two times that you have bit him (naughty!) are the only times we've seen Tagg not smile at you. The two of you definitely speak your own language. He stares at you with absolute delight and laughs at almost everything you do. We hope that you two will be great friends forever.

Lately you have started singing...a lot. We love it! You are, for the most part, off key and off beat, but it's all music to our ears. We laugh and laugh and are amazed how you belt out every single word of every single song. We have lots of videos of your future American Idol skills. You love to sing songs from Baby Signing Time, especially "Can You Feel It." Other songs you can be heard singing at the top of your lungs are: The Wheels on the Bus, I love to See The Temple, You Are My Sunshine, One Shoe Two Shoe, Ring Around the Rosies, Pop Corn Popping and Give Said The Little Stream (you call it "GiveO").

Speaking of Baby Signing Time, you are still obsessed with it. You want to listen to the CDs in the car, you want to watch the videos at home...pretty much you are always signing, singing, listening to and watching BST. Good thing it's educational, right?

You do have a slight (read: sometimes extreme) obsession with the television. For a while you would wake up and immediately head to the TV in the kitchen. It was a rough few days of telling you "No TV" before we finally felt you had detoxed enough to start watching an occasional show here and there. Your favorite shows are Curious George, Super Why, The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That, Dinosaur Train, Dora (although you mostly watch that on the Kindle), Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Wiggles, and The Goodnight Show on Sprout. It's so cute when you say, "Can I watch Spowt?' How can we deny that?

The Kindle is your new best friend. We definitely have to limit your time on it just as much as we do the TV. The other day you told me, "I need new apps." What the heck? Did you really just say that? Lovely. You scroll through the Kindle and my iPhone like nobody's business. Your favorite apps are ABCs; Dora the Explorer; Disney Junior; Zoo Train; Trains; Planes and Sea Vehicles; and The Wheels on The Bus.

Okay, so your real best friend is Carson Matsalla. When you took your first session of swim lessons at Cottonwood Heights Rec Center when you were nine months old - Carson was in your class. We didn't really meet until the very last class, but then had a couple of play dates and the two of you have been inseparable ever since. It really is fun to watch the two of you play together.

Thanks to a friend, Emilie de Azevedo Brown, for giving us the video 'Potty Time' you started showing interest in potty training...for about a week. That was right before your birthday, and now you just tease us now and then saying that you need to go potty...only to find out that you really just want some fruit snacks. When we were attempting the potty training we would give you a fruit snack every time you agreed to sit on the potty. I'm thinking that that is backfiring now. Hopefully soon you'll realize the potty is way better than wearing diapers. The same video teaches about washing your hands too, which you LOVE to do. You could stand on your stool in front of a sink for hours if we'd let you.

Holland, you are so polite. You say please, thank you and sorry at all the right times...and sometimes at surprising times. Like, when we wipe your nose or give you medicine - you say 'thank you.'  When you bonk your head - you say 'I'm sorry.' And when you don't want something - you say 'no please.' It's so darn cute! Also, when you are asking for something and we know right away what it is that you are requesting, you usually then say, sounding all proud, "That's right, Daddy/Mommy!"

Your two-year appoint was the first time that they had you stand to measure your height. It was so cute to see you stand there being measured. It was definitely a reality check that you really are a toddler now. Sniff-sniff. You are 35.8 inches tall (90th %) and weigh 25.6 lbs. (25th %) - our tall skinny girl.

You go to bed between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. and wake up almost exactly at 7:15 every morning. You take a pretty good nap of 1.5 to 3 hours around 1:00 every afternoon. Ever since I stopped nursing you, at 13 months, Daddy and I take turns putting you to bed each night. We always read a few books, say prayers and sing some songs together as a family. Then, Daddy or I give you a sippy cup of milk and rock you and sing to you for a while. I love it, and I know Daddy does to. You have to have your blankie and your little baby dolls when you go to bed for the night or for naps.

Your eating skills are interesting - you eat very little most days, but then you'll eat everything we give you for a couple days. Your favorite foods are green beans, noodles, rice, graham crackers and fruit snacks. You will not, no matter how hard we try, eat meat of any kind.

You love books! We have a bookshelf in your room and a basket of books in the living room. You can be found in both locations several times a day. Your favorite books are: The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuess's ABCs, Hop on Pop, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Rolie Polie Olie, Under the Ground, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, On the Moon, Brown Bear Brown Bear, and Goodnight Moon.

You have known your ABCs and could count to 10 since you were 20 months old, and now you can count to 19, with "eleventeen" being in place of 20. You know all of your colors, including indigo (random!). You know your first name and can say, "I'm Holland." You call Daddy by his first name occasionally. It's so funny to hear you say, "Where's Tyler?" and yelling, "Tyler, are you?"

You are more into showering than bathing lately. You love to take showers with Daddy and always ask him to lift you up and then you request that he draw shapes on the foggy shower door. The conversation usually goes like this: "Hold you, Daddy. Draw circle. Draw heart. Draw square. Draw triangle." When you do take baths it is usually with Tagg. You two definitely have fun splashing and laughing together.


We love you so much, Holland Bliss. We are so excited to see you continue to grow and reach milestones. We are so in love with your cute little face and your huge personality! Never stop being you!!

Conversation with a Tub Toy

Holland to Mr. Turtle, while in the tub:

Hi turtle.

Oh, you are soooo cute. 

Can you help me?

Can you help me find a box of wood?

And the wiggles?

<pause>

Oh, you can?

That's soooo great!

Horray!

Amazing!

Thanks turtle. 

Then she turned to me and said, "Mama, I wanna backpack." (Meaning, she wants a piggy-pack ride)

And that was that. Conversation with Turtle was over. And tubby time was over. 

The conversation had hints of Dora The Explorer. Hmmm...perhaps she's spent a little too much time on the Kindle while I've been working full-time, covering for my co-worker/friend while she is on maternity leave. 

Two weeks to go, and  then screen time is going to hopefully decrease. But I hope cute little conversations with toys continue...

FHE Lesson

Tonight our FHE lesson should really have been on 'modesty.'

Ever since starting potty training (well, long before that really, but potty training has definitely increased it), Holland LOVES to be 'nakey.'

Daily we hear, "Look at me, I'm nakey." And now that's it is getting warmer outside, we have to be sure to keep the gate closed. Otherwise, we'll be chasing this streaking baby-bum through the neighborhood.

Tagg, however, thinks his sister is pretty funny. This summer they'll probably be a little nakey duo in the backyard.

And He Rolls

Yesterday, nine days after turning five months old, this little man rolled from belly to back.

I've been noticing the past few days that Tagg just seemed ready...ready to roll. So before putting him to bed I told Tyler to grab his phone so we could video the moment, if in fact he did roll over.

And he did! And we clapped. And he was obviously so proud of himself.

Certificate of progress. Way to go, little man!

(These pics taken today while he was doing some more rolling. Video to come when blogger stops being so dumb.)

Note To Self

Remove jean jacket before nursing the baby....or he'll end up with this Gap Stamp on his face again.

Buttons. They'll leave their mark if you're not careful.

Sorry little man.

Happiest Baby

And the award goes to...