Samuel's 5 Month Update

Height: about 28 inches
Weight: about 17 lbs
Head Circumference: about 17.5 inches
Vision: You are really loving TV these days. Especially your sister's cartoons. We don't let you watch it, but you seem to somehow move around to get a good view of the TV. LOL
Movement: You are a rolling maniac! Still mainly from your back to your stomach. You have only gone from your stomach to your back a few times. You love bouncing in the exersaucer and are starting to use your hands very well. You reach up for me which I love and you have officially found your feet and weiner. LOL
Eating Habits/New Foods: You are  eating about 4 ounces of milk every 2.5 to 3 hours. You take the bottle like a champ now and will even take it a little bit colder than the usual piping hot! We are almost to big boy food so this category is about to be lots of fun!!
Sleeping Patterns: You have hit a 4 month sleep regression. It is a very common thing and you are following along with majority of babies haha. You roll on to your belly and sleep and then can't roll back over. You are getting up to eat 2-3 times a night which isn't horrible but definitely not as good as once a night! Your nap times have gotten much better though. You will nap in your crib now and it usually is twice a day. More like 10-11ish and 2-4ish. Naps are usually between 1 and 2 hours.
Sounds/Words: You are a talker and love to blow bubbles and drool everywhere. No words yet but you say baba all the time so I am working on Mama to be your first word.
New discoveries/accomplishments:
-We left you for 3 days with Gram and you did great with the bottle!
-You got your 1st cold so we had to push your shots back 2 weeks. It wasn't too bad, just a runny nose and cough but no fever.
-You roll to your stomach all the time
-You love going out on the new boat!
-You can use your hands much better to grab things.
-You laugh all the time now!!
Places you went/Adventures: It was the last month so school so you were dragged from event to event all month. You went to Seaworld for the first time and did great at the hotel down there. You loved swimming in the pool, Aunt Mary Beth and Collier were in town for a week so we played with them, Dad got a new boat so we went out on that 2 times this month and you loved your swing we connected to the T-top, went to lots of swim practices and a meet, and had a 3 night sleepover with Gram and Pops while we went on a cruise.
Clothes: Still in size 3 diapers and are in clothes 3-6 months!
Sisters update: The girls love playing with you and holding toys in front of you. It is fun now that your can use your hands better so give you toys and watch them go straight to your mouth. They try to hold your hand everywhere we go, which is almost more like they are ripping it off so we have to give lots of reminders to be gentle. You don't seem to mind though. You love laughing at your sisters and think they are so funny!

Month 5 was another on the go month and I was so worried to leave you for 3 days but of course you did great! Gram loved spending the time with you. We missed you lots and can't wait for a cruise where we can bring you!

Easter Fun

Samuel's first Easter was a wonderful one! We went to an Easter festival at a church, went to Blakely's school Easter egg hunt, and had the cutest matching outfits for church on Easter morning! Here are all the pics of the fun! 

Spartan Photo shoot

I am sooo behind on posts so please forgive me. I want to still post so I have them to look back on. A local photographer was doing a sporty but girly photoshoot and I emailed her some pics of Delainey to see if she was a good fit. She loved that she competed in the spartan race so she had her come and get her hair and make up done and do a photoshoot. Delainey was in heaven! She loved modeling and the pics turned out so good! 

Samuel's 4 Month Update

Height: 27 inches 99%
Weight: 14 lb 6 oz   26%
Head Circumference: 16.75 inches   77%
Vision: You can see so far away now. I am not sure how clearly, but I can stand across the room and smile and you notice it and smile back. So I think all is good in the vision department and we may be done with this category. You do love yourself some TV. You are like your Dad and if it is on you are in the zone and focus only on that.
Movement: You have officially rolled over. You always roll to your left and it is so cute. You throw those legs up in the air as high as you can and then flip over in the blink of an eye. You can only roll onto your stomach and then you hate it when you are on your stomach and cry. You also got into the exersaucer for the first time and you loved it. Your neck control is pretty good and you can sit in it for a good while. Your feet already touch since you're so tall. Delaineys didn't even touch at this age so hopefully you will be super tall like your Daddy!
Eating Habits/New Foods: You are  eating about 3 to 4 ounces of milk every 2.5 to 3 hours. Sometimes during the day we even feed every 2 hours. You and me had a battle to get you to take the bottle, but I won and you finally take it like a champ. It took some trying of different bottles but the Avent ones seemed to do the trick. You also like it very warm. If it is not hot you want nothing to do with it. I give you 4 ounces in the bottle and you have no problem crushing it so I guess we are more up to 4 ounces these days.
Sleeping Patterns: You are still sleeping great! I put you down around 8ish and you get up one time to eat and then are back asleep till about 8 am. Since you started rolling we took you out of the swaddle and now you just sleep in a sleepsack to keep you warm. It was only 1 rough night where you got up a few extra times and then you were totally good with no swaddle. I was so worried it would be a horrible transition. Luckily at night you aren't rolling yet so I am not having to come in and flip you back over. Naps are still short and wherever we are throughout the day. Carseat naps are your best but you will sleep in the crib for a 30-45 minute stint.
Sounds/Words: You are getting a voice. Your cry is much louder and we hear laughs all the time now. You like to "sing" as the girls would call it and talk to us all the time. No real words though.
New discoveries/accomplishments:
-We got rid of the swaddle and you are sleeping great
-You can roll from your back to stomach but get stuck there.
-You had your first sleepover with Gammoe and did great!
-You celebrated your 1st Easter
-You had your baby dedication this month with your cousins Caleb and Rush!
Places you went/Adventures: It was another busy month! Less out of town travels but still busy. We finished up softball season for Delainey, went out on the boat a few times, went to Disney on Ice, had your first sleepover while Mom and Dad went to PV Spa for the night, celebrated your 1st Easter which included multiple Easter egg hunts and meeting the Easter bunny, and then we ended with your baby Dedication at Church with Caleb and Rush!
Clothes: We have moved up to size 3 diapers and are in clothes 3-6 months!
Sisters update: The girls are still as in love as ever!! I think they are loving that you try to talk back to them and are a little more interactive. They fight over holding you and just love to sit by you and help in any way. They also love showing you off to all their friends.

Month 4 was great! Less traveling but still busy with all the spring and Easter activities. You are so chill and just go with the flow! I don't think you have a choice, but it so nice that you accommodate us and are happy all the time! We love you so much!!

 All 3 kids at 4 months. You are such a mix of both your sisters!

Samuel's 3 Month Update

Height: about 26 inches
Weight: about 14 lbs
Head Circumference: about 16.5 inches
Vision: So all my worries on vision are gone! You are tracking all the time and love to look at things. Your tear duct has unclogged. One day you just woke up with no crust on your eye and you haven't since! You are like your Daddy and obsessed with TV. If it is on, you are looking at it, so I try to keep it off most of the time.
Movement: You are moving around a lot more. You like to stand with me holding you and you can hold your head for quite some time. You still don't love tummy time, but we do it anyways. When you are laying on your back you will throw your legs one way and lay on your side. No rolling yet, but I am sure before 4 months you will. You love to kick your legs and wave your arms in the bath time. It is so cute. You have also learned to move your leg to make the bouncer bounce.
Eating Habits/New Foods: You are still eating about 3 ounces of milk every 2.5 to 3 hours. Sometimes during the day we even feed every 2 hours. I have been so good about pumping to start to get my stock of milk up. Since you started giving me a  7-8 hour stretch at night, I usually pump before bed and get 1 bottle a night. It has worked out really well that way. I did learn that my right boob makes 4 ounces and my left only makes 2 per feeding so that would explain why you are starving sometimes after only 2 hours.
Sleeping Patterns: Knock on wood, but you are my best sleeper of all the kids. One night you just decided to sleep most the night and it was glorious. You take your bath, eat and go to bed usually around 8 - 8:30. Then you usually wake around 4-5 so it is a good 8 hour stretch then you go straight back to bed till 8ish or when I wake you.  You still love to be swaddled and you are sleeping in the dock-a-tot. You have officially moved to your crib and you are doing great! I think that is why you are sleeping longer. Less noise and movement to disturb you. Naps are just cat naps in the carseat or wherever. Usually they are only 30-45 min if I put you in your crib.
Sounds/Words: You are quite the talker these days. You mimic sounds we make and just laugh and talk to us all the time. The girls love when you make sounds and both girls at the same time will say "Awww."
New discoveries/accomplishments:
-We moved you to your crib this month!
-We stopped gas drops
-You started giving me an 8 hour stretch.
-You went to the beach for the first time
-You went to the zoo for the first time
-You swam in the pool for the first time at the Walt Disney World Dolphin.
-You saw snow for the 1st time
Places you went/Adventures: You were very busy this month! You went to tons of softball games, the beach, the zoo, went to North Carolina for a week, and then to Disney World for the 1st time. You saw Paul and Dez in Charlotte and then met your cousins Walker and Waylon and Aunt Brandi and Uncle Tony for the first time. We all stayed in a house at banner elk and you got to see snow for the 1st time. You were a champ all week and did phenomenal on the 8 hour car ride home. In Disney, we went to Magic Kingdom and Epcot and rode on some of your first rides. Dumbo, Peter Pan, Frozen. You are a well traveled 3 month old!
Clothes: You are now in 3 months or 3-6 month clothes. And the size 2 diapers are fitting perfectly.
Sisters update: Both girls are obsessed! I have some moments of pure claustrophobia when trying to change your diaper or get you dressed and both sisters are grabbing your hands and kissing all over you. They are sweet and good with you though. When I am busy and you are fussy, they are great at distracting you or making your laugh; Delainey especially. You are gonna love these big sisters so much!

Month 3 was a busy but fun traveling month and it was great developmentally too! You are starting to fill out and look more like your sisters now. You are so cute and precious and we love you so much!

Blakely's Bday Weekend in Disney

2 weeks ago we celebrated Blakely Ann turning 4 and spend the weekend in Disney. We stayed at the Dolphin and it was a perfect location. We could walk to the back entrance of Epcot and walk to the Boardwalk or Beach Club hotels. They also had ferry rides which were lovely to take after a long day at the park.
Friday we went to Epcot and rode some rides that morning. We ate lunch at all the little shops set up for the food and wine festival and then headed back to the hotel to swim. We played at the pool and then headed back to Epcot for dinner at Via Napoli an authentic Italian restaurant in Italy. It honestly was one of the best Italian restaurants we have been too besides being in actual Italy. I would highly recommend it!

Saturday we went to Magic Kingdom where Blake was finally tall enough to ride Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain railroad. She loved both of them! We rode a few more rides, at lunch, watched the parade and then called it a day. We headed to the pool at the Beach club for dinner and the girls had a blast swimming in a different pool.

Sunday we swam in the morning, checked out at noon and headed home after a fun weekend! It was nice having some quality family time after poor Dave had worked 27 days out of the past 31 days. See you in the fall Disney.