Our "Normal" Day

We've finally gotten to the place where Joel is consistently following a daily routine. He is a pretty flexible baby, so the times in our routine often change. He does, however, follow a similar schedule each day. I wanted to write it down, so that I can refer back to it with other children. I think it will be interesting to see what our other kiddos are like when it comes to sleep and scheduling. In my humble opinion, every baby is different. Some babies need rigid schedules, while others are successful on more flexible routines. It all depends on the family and the child. I'm interested to see how our next babes will be! 

All of these times are approximate. If Joel wakes up a little earlier, the whole routine moves up. If he wakes up later, the whole routine moves back.

6 AM: Nurse and change diaper, say "hi" and "bye" to dad, put back in crib

9 AM: Wakes up and nurses

11 AM: First meal (usually fruit and Cheerios/crackers/breakfast bread)

12 PM: First nap (I get work done)

1 or 2 PM: Nurse and second meal (usually whatever I'm eating for lunch ... rice, chicken, veggies, noodles, etc.)

4 PM: Nurse and second nap (I get work done and make dinner)

6 PM: Wakes up and eats dinner (usually vegetables and some of what we're having)

8 PM: Nurse

8:30 - 9:30 PM: Bedtime routine (bath, book, nurse, brush teeth, bed ... aka the five B's)

Yes; he goes to bed "late" and wakes up "late," but it works for us! It allows me to get things done in the morning and allows Adam to see Joel for an extended period of time at night. It also allows us to stay out late(ish). On the other hand, it does not work well when we have to be out of the house early in the morning. Of course, this will allllll change when I start working out of the home again and when we have more kids! Such is life!

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Ten Month Update

I haven't written in a while and have a lot of updates on Joel. It's crazy how time passes! Joel is

• Drinking from a sippy cup
• Self-feeding solids
• Nursing five to six times per day
• Typically taking two naps per day for a total of two to three hours 
• Giving high fives
• Waving bye-bye
• Following one-step commands
• Understanding (but testing) the words "don't" and "no"
• Saying "mama" and dada"
• Trying to dip his spoon into food (sometimes successfully)
• Feeding himself with a spoon (but often not getting all of the food off before pulling it out)
• Enjoying peek-a-boo
• Singing/squealing in the back seat of the car
• Sleeping 10-12 hours per night with one morning feeding
• Walking everywhere
• Learning to walk in shoes in public
• "Petting" animals
• Nodding "yes" and "no"
• Looking for objects after they are taken away from him
• Glancing at mom for approval when meeting new people
• Still loving to turn the pages of a book and "tell the story"/babble
• Taking things apart
• Sneaking up the stairs
• Clapping
• Finding and plugging in the outlet protectors when we've forgotten to put them back in (OH MY!)
• Trying to share his food with others (including inanimate objects)
• Getting and bringing back objects (including a ball)

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but that was a pretty good start. As for me, I am enjoying every precious minute with my little guy. I love the roles of nose-wiper, diaper-changer, grape-peeler, food-slicer, hand-holder, picker-upper, protector, playmate, teacher, etc. I am very thankful for the provision of being able to work at home this year!

A perfect fall day

First Halloween

Nine Months, More Steps, and No Naps

We can't believe that Joel is already nine months. We went to the doctor yesterday for his check-up. He actually lost ten ounces since his sick visit a few weeks again. He's also become more mobile and has started feeding himself lately, which probably has something to do with his weight loss. Joel weighed 22 pounds and 3 ounces (76th percentile). He was about 29 inches long (76th percentile), and his head circumference was about 18.25 inches (80-something(th) percentile). These are the lowest percentiles we've seen so far!

Joely celebrated his nine-month birthday by taking ten steps last night (with pauses to straighten up between steps). He's also been celebrating by skipping naps these past few weeks. I've taken lots of suggestions and nothing is seeming to help. Hopefully, it's just a stage. Is anyone else in the same boat right now?

Roseola, First Steps, and Another Tooth

Since I last wrote, we went to the doctor for a rash. It turns out that Joel had Roseola. The rash is almost all the way gone today. After taking him to Urgent Care (because it was Labor Day), he came home and took his first few steps. Four steps is his maximum for now. I think it will be awhile before he starts really walking. He is still pretty timid and only does it when he is beside something he can grab if he starts to fall. The next day, he cut another top tooth. This makes four on the top and two on the bottom. You'd think he'd learn how to chew with those chompers, but he still prefers baby food.

Five Little Toofies and Standing

I was able to snap a picture of Joel with all five teeth last week. I also got one of him standing, which has been one of his newer developments. This week, he got his first virus and fever. We were shut in for a few days, but I am thankful that it took him this long to get sick. Since he was sick, we spent lots of time reading board books. He picked up on how to turn the pages ... well, if the pages are separated a little. Here are some new pictures of his latest developments.

Our First Vacation to the Beach

During the first week in August, we took our first family vacation to the beach as a family of three. Both sets of grandparents, along with Adam's brothers, sister-in-law, and niece, were there. It was a very relaxing trip. We didn't go out much, but were able to spend lots of time on the beach.

Joel loved crawling in the ocean water. That didn't surprise us very much, though; he loves bath time! He tasted lots of sand and salt water, and tried to eat a few sea shells. He also really enjoyed the outdoor shower that we used to rinse off before going in to the house. We can't wait to take him next year, although he'll probably be harder to keep up with.

Joel Turns 8 Months Old

Today, Joely man is eight months old. Time is going by pretty quickly, and we are savoring every minute with him. Joel has been changing a lot over the past few weeks. His crawl is becoming faster, and he's starting to let go of things when he's standing. He is very interested in anything that opens and closes or turns on and off, and still loves all electronics. He has started to chatter a lot more, and likes "having a conversation" with just about anyone, including the characters on TV.

Three (yes, THREE) top teeth cut through in the past week. So, he now has a total of five teeth. Despite having more teeth than most babies his age, he is still not very interested in most finger foods. I guess we'll stick to milk and baby foods for now. We will go to the doctor for height and weight measurements in early September, so I will give an update on other developments then.