7 Months - the winter is over...

The boys continue to keep us busy and on our toes...something is always changing, always something new to think about, learn, adapt, whatever it may be, and before we know it, the day, weeks, and months have gone by...people tell us to enjoy this time as much as we can, and I'm not sure anyone does that as much as we should, but the time is so fleeting, that just the day-to-day necessary items keep us so busy! But we love it and we love these boys!!!

Noah is just the sweetest, happiest little boy. Really, he's so content when we are out and about, and just so happy to be around others. He LOVES to watch Drew...these boys are going to have so much fun together growing up! They just light up when they see each other! Now if we can just get them to keep their hands to themselves! :) But Noah just rolls with it all and people just love him for it, and we do too! Though he is starting notice the difference between his parents and everyone else, and showing a preference for Mommy.



He wants to sit up SO BADLY! He frequently does the hardest ab contraction ever to try and sit up - he wants to see what is going on! He made leaps and bounds this month on being able to sit up, ever so briefly, by himself! He's SO happy when he sitting up & playing with his toys! We can sit the Boppy around him now and walk away for a little bit (especially depending on where Drew is and what he's up to!), so that is wonderful. He is rolling around and trying to get to toys out of reach more & more. He will frequently be flipped over and turned in a completely different direction on his activity mat in a matter of moments.

 

Though even with all of that, he still loves to sleep on his back with his hands behind his head. And for the life of us, still doesn't love tummy time...so I don't if he'll ever crawl! (Now of course we will bunker down and really work on getting that better, but he's certainly not going to go along willingly!) He does love to be held up high and be bounced and getting into all of that type of play as well. He is even starting to get some swing time on our backyard park - when Drew lets him!

He is eating more solid foods, up to eating twice a day usually...cereal, sweet potato, avocado, peas, pears, apples, apricots, different types of squash, yogurt, and Mum-Mum crackers. So, it took about 2-3 months to get him to really 'get it', and it's been great. Lots of work of course and we are already looking forward to the days where we all eat the same food again, but we will be content with where we are for now. Nana came for a weekend visit at the beginning of the month and we were able to make a big batch of baby food for him, so we are happy about that - our freezer is stocked for a while! YEAH! He is close to 28 in. (80%) and around 18 lb. (45%) - just the right amount of chunk to be super cute!

And what may be my favorite thing right now - Noah has already started to show his affection to us - he will grab the hair at the base of my neck and pull me in close for a hug, snuggle, or serious chewing on my chin! I absolutely love it!

Some big events for the month included meeting our new nephew/cousin - Jacob Joel - what a cutie! We all were able to go up to the hospital to see all 4 Mohrs - a treat for all of us! What a blessing! There was also the trip to Miami of course - crazy & fun! And as silly as this sounds, but for the first time, all 4 of us went out to a restaurant to eat, as well as a family trip to the grocery store...nothing exciting, but a milestone for us...the sign of not being stuck to the house to keep everyone happy is looming at the end of the tunnel!

Now Drew...oh what a sponge he is...he is learning things so quickly we are having a hard time keeping up with what we are supposed to teach next! What a blessing!

So, he's getting interested in clocks & time, doing great at pointing to items & counting correctly, working on knowing the difference between right & left, great at identifying letters - upper & lower case, starting to use the potty a little bit more regularly, helping with little things as much as you can, and listening better (Daddy started using "Show me your listening ears with the physical cue of fingers pointing to ears and it has helped so much!...the little things!). And he LOVES to help Daddy get dinner ready, especially when it involves the grill!

Some over-used words & phrases in Drew's world right now include..."HUUH?!" & "WHUUT?!" - these are said after almost EVERYTHING we say, with us automatically then repeating everything...but I'm determined to put it to an end soon - wish us luck! He also says "I wanna tell you a queschion..." which can sometimes lead to an actual question, often a statement, and sometimes, that was all he wanted to say - such a goof!


A few notable events (from a Mommy's perspective at least, HA!) for Drew included tasting a lemon for the first time, and surprisingly loving it, asking for more! We got another haircut this month and it might have been one of the worst ones...even a full body lock-down couldn't keep him still - this time Mommy went and we both needed a shower when we got back to get all the hair off! UGH! He was so excited to pass out Valentines to his friends at school - he loved picking out which one to give to which friend - it was so cute! And on our first trip to the grocery store as a family of 4, Drew got to walk, instead of sit in the cart, and did quite well! Surprising!

A funny moment we had one morning on my way to drop both boys off, Noah was chewing on his blanket and Drew said to Noah: "We don't eat blankets!" and then to Mommy: "I so clever!" What a crack-up - I started laughing, to which Drew responded with "I so funny!" - yes you are son!

A big milestone this month for our whole family...after Noah's 6 month appointment where all went well, our pediatrician gave us the go-ahead to stop feeding Noah at night, stating that he should be able to sleep a straight 10-12 hours without our attention! So, that night, the next step to sleep training began...we were exhausted from lots of night wakings, we were happy to hear that the end had arrived. We had done the sleep training for naps, and going to bed initially at night, but never gave him much of a chance to learn how to go back to sleep on his own when he stirs...I think I was afraid he would wake Drew, or that he was going through a growth spurt, or something, and before I knew it, 2 months had gone by & it just wasn't getting any better. So, the first night he didn't do so great, but in 2 nights, he started to sleep straight through the night without waking/crying at all! OH MY! And guess what...it didn't phase Drew one bit! In addition, Drew's bedtimes is finally back to normal as well, only taking a few minutes after lights out to get out of the room, and no more screaming fits! Which has also translated into our normal long afternoon naps again too! In fact, Drew's bedtimes is finally back to normal as well, only taking a few minutes after lights out to get out of the room, and no more screaming fits! Which has also translated into our normal long afternoon naps again too! Just in time! Yeah for a full night's sleep again! Thank you God & Thank you Dr. Worsley! And just like Dr. W. said, in about 2 weeks following, Noah's naps started getting longer too! (He had been sleeping only about 45 min at a time, keeping him at a eating every 2.5-3 hour schedule...very draining! But he's now sleeping at least an hour at a time, and stretching our feeding to 3-4 hours! WOOHOO! Giving us much more freedom! And Noah is happier for it too - much better rested & eating better too! Ah, sweet relief! So, for the Palmer family...the winter is over & spring is upon us, looking bright & sunny!

Brothers? Um, I think so!

So, I promise these are not doctored...they are pictures of the boys at 7 Months...the one with the monkey is Drew, and the one with the elephant is Noah.
When I was looking through Noah's pictures, I remembered so clearly Drew having one so similar...it's so amazing & funny & cute! I love my little red-headed boys!




And I promise I will not compare them so much for their whole lives, or at least I hope I don't...they are their own person, individually crafted by our all-knowing God, and I want to respect that!

An eventful family trip to Miami

We braved the skies again to visit our family in Miami this year...this time with 2 kids instead of 1, and therefore recruited reinforcements! We had a short, eventful, but fun trip to go to my cousin Paul's wedding for the weekend!


Grandpa, Nana & Uncle Kevin drove up to our house Friday evening and we were up bright & early Saturday at 4AM to pack up & fly to Miami! (We were just a little tired) Drew was pumped - I think he loved everything about the entire airport experience - from the moving sidewalks, to hiding under the tables at security, to being in a completely new & exciting environment. The boys were super excited to have so many people to be passed around to, and Drew was just beside himself with joy at flying in an airplane, up in the clouds! He had a blast! That of course was even more so due to the fact that we plopped him down with Uncle Kevin, where he happily stayed for almost the entire flight! (Just like I planned! HAHAHA! No sleep for Uncle Kevin!) In fact, at one point he ended up with both boys, to which he said, "Wait, how did this happen?!" We had an uneventful flight & both boys did great really, especially considering Noah only sleep for about 40 minutes or so through the 3 hour flight!


We were greeted by Aunt Gloria & cousin Carlos, and swept off to Grandpa & Grandma's house to see their recent renovations - amazing job! What a difference. Then onto Hialeah to the Martinez house, which we called home for the next 3 days. Drew & Tyler immediately went to playing in Ty's room - Drew loved all the new toys, and they had fun playing side by side each other, unless they both wanted the same toy of course! But a little intervention here & there, and they had a blast together!


We were able to get the boys down for a MUCH NEEDED nap, Matthew was able to relax some, and I got some good 1 on 1 time with Candi, running around getting some last minute wedding errands run. Then back to the house to pick up the boys and head over to Ruth's house for a family dinner, with a combination of Glienke and Wessling guests. Delicious food as always and great company. Drew & Tyler just kept going at it, playing and running around the back yard, hardly stopping to eat. It was wonderful to see the whole family and meet some of the Wessling crew. We were especially excited to meet Jess, Luke's fiance - an absolute genuine woman, super fun, and became friends within minutes! We were able to take some Glienke family group pictures that night...the first time we were all together in so long we can't even remember, truly years! What a treat!


Sunday morning came with a bit of birthday fun for Candi, complete with a Cool Whip 'cake'! Then time for church, back home for a quick trip to a nearby park to let the boys get out some running, and then home for a quick nap before the wedding that afternoon. So, back to the church, just barely making it in time! :)

The ceremony was sweet, and the bride and groom were beautiful of course. Lots of yummy treats and more family pictures at the church and onto the reception at "The Rusty Pelican" - a BEAUTIFUL setting! With the skyline of Miami and waterfront location, it might be the most beautiful reception I've been to!

The weather was gorgeous for the outdoor space, and then time for dinner & dancing inside! Grandpa & Nana took charge of Noah, with the help of the other 'grown' Glienkes, and surprise guests Aunt Sally & Uncle John - a blast to see them too! Sally was truly on a mission to get in good with Drew, hoping it will carry over to this summer for our visit. But Noah loved dancing with her too!


We had a wonderful time at the reception, but cut out early - the boys had their fill! Drew loved it, and wanted to stay, but got to the point where only Mommy could hold him, and didn't want to dance - which in my mind, was the main thing I wanted to do! (Man I do love to dance...) And poor Noah, it was just too much for him. He was fine until people started hooting & hollering when the wedding party entered, and then he started screaming. It quieted down for dinner, and so did Noah, but once the music started again, it was all just too overwhelming for him. So, with the obvious realization that of the 4 of us, I was the only one up for any more partying (Matthew's not a big dancer or into big crowds/parties), we left for home.


Now, here's a funny story about the drive home...Noah crashed almost immediately, whereas Drew was all of a sudden completely fine. They gave out glow necklaces at the reception & Drew was playing with his. We had warned him to not swing it near Noah, but that inevitably was too hard to resist, and that of course woke up Noah. So Noah started crying, justifiably; and we got onto Drew for hurting Noah and not listening to what we asked, which made Drew start to cry. So then the boys seemingly got into a crying war to see who could cry louder. One would quiet down, then the other, then Noah would cry again, and Drew would start crying louder. I'm hysterical at the point, and since there was nothing else we could do about it, Matthew & I just laughed the rest of the way home! We finally got them both in bed and rested. And before we knew it, it was Monday morning and time to get back on the plane to go home.


We drove to Grandma's to get Mom & Dad, and then to Ruth's to say good bye to Sally & John, and just BARELY made it on time. The security line was CRAZY long, but because we had the kids, they let us through the special needs line. Unfortunately, I still had to go over the normal desk because our tickets didn't have that we were carrying an infant (which was supposed to be fixed at DFW). They wouldn't let Kevin & Matthew through without me, so it was a whole mess, but we all hooked up again in the shorter line & made it to our flight! Whew!


They boys did well again on the flight, though Noah was a bit harder to keep content...didn't sleep much, didn't want to eat much, just wasn't super happy to be there again, but there were only a few minutes of crazy uncontrolled crying, so not bad. The rows behind us were almost all girls from a college swim team and they all, as if on cue, said "AWWWW!" when Grandpa lifted him up one time to try to entertain him - it was pretty funny! The flight did seem incredibly longer on the way back for some reason, but we got back on time & safely, so should complain. Wouldn't do it without the reinforcements though, that's for sure! But we'd do it again - it was wonderful to see the family!


The boys were SO tired though...Noah was asleep before we even paid for parking, and Drew fell asleep about 1/2 way home. They both were so exhausted, they skipped lunch and slept for 4 hours straight! Which was great - we got unpacked and cleaned up & rested just ever so slightly too!
A fun, eventful weekend! Hope next time it's a longer visit!

Seriously, can't believe it's been 1/2 a year already!

Where does the time go?! I can not believe we've made it this far already...1/2 way through the first year of Noah's life...amazing! We are just head over heels for him, and so is Drew - he has shown us that God has made us capable of so much more love than we ever thought possible.


Let's start with Drew this time...getting back into a normal routine of school 2-3 days a week has been nice for all of us. He fights it a tiny bit sometimes, but mostly enjoys being with his friends. His school has 'Tumblebus' come every other Friday, which he really enjoys...jumping, rolly-polly & jumping jacks are some of his favorites. One Friday I told him he would get to have Tumblebus; his response: "That will be so much fun!" What a cutie! Speaking of cutie...one Sunday I wore a dress to church (rare now again that I'm nursing) and Drew asked, "Mommy, you a princess?!", I was so shocked, and though it was so adorable! I asked him if he was my prince, which he quickly responded with "No, I a pirate!" - of course you are! :)


We are attempting to keep him in church with us on Sundays vs. going to the nursery...there have been a few embarrassing moments, and some challenges, and huge messes in the aisle, but he's doing ok we think. There's a learning curve for all of us for sure. He loves his Sunday School class with Mrs. Widger - we love it too! :) We are also starting to see a few more signs of toilet training in our future...we try a bit before bath time and any time he seems interested, but we are not pressing it by any means! As much as a relief it will be to have him potty trained, I am SO NOT looking forward to the process! He is pretty independent going up & down the stairs by himself now - we are always around, but not guarding any more, so that's nice. Of course, there are times it takes forever now, as he takes it as an opportunity to play or exert his power/control over the situation...ah, toddlers!

A few things we are 'working' on with Drew...waking up later in the morning! Gracious!!! He has been waking up way too early for us & for him. Yes, part of this is selfish on our part because we are not morning people, but he is so cranky by 10 if he's up too early, but will not take a morning nap and will not go back to sleep in the morning despite all efforts. So, we bought a toddler clock...we get to set the time the picture flips from night to day. He's suppose to check his clock before deciding if it's time to start screaming to us that he's awake. It's not working just yet, but there are signs of learning, so we are hopeful! He is always wanting to play with his water & milk glasses at mealtimes, pouring them back & forth, always ending in a mess...we have tried all sorts of things to get him to stop with natural consequences being enforced. When asked, he'll tell us that we play with water in the sink & the bath, but then goes right back to playing at the next meal...ugh! We are so tired of cleaning up that mess! On a positive note, he's really picking up his letters...he can correctly identify 10-15 capital letters consistently! So that's cool and a fun thing to work on that he seems to really enjoy.


He continues to be a very loving brother, while at the same time being rough & tumbly. He sometimes gets so excited about being with/around/playing with Noah that Noah often ends up in tears screaming from Drew screaming in his face, being all up in his personal space and just showing his love for him in a very physical way - that impulse control can just be so hard! But there are lots of hugs & kisses & singing of songs. He even smooches all over our friends' baby Caroline (3 weeks older than Noah), so at least his gut reaction is out of love! Though, there are times at home that he just looks for opportunities to get attention by being too rough with Noah - these are the times Mommy has to really control herself...man that's hard!


So, I'm becoming more aware of Drew's texture defensiveness...this is something I noticed pretty early on, even around age 1, but seemed to be able to take it all in stride. Well, there are just a few more scenarios that have prompted me to work a little harder at this...we made S'Mores for the first time in the fireplace and he was all excited about it, until he picked it up & immediately got marshmallow on his hands...he wouldn't have anything to do with it after that! I had to chew it down (I'm so sacrificial, I know!) to get it to a small enough piece I could just pop in his mouth, but even this, I had to bribe him with a new car! And he liked it, but still didn't want any more. So, we have a friend who's a pediatric OT and I talked to her about it...I'm going to do a little testing on him and she's going to let me know where we stand with it and give us some ideas...we'll keep you posted!


Some fun firsts for all of us this month was the first trip to the park! We've been before, but not all of us...we had a great time! Noah even got to swing for the first time & LOVED it! He just smiled & laughed the whole time. And of course, Drew loved the chance to run around! We are excited for the new park being built within walking distance of our house...Drew calls it his park already!



The boys have started to share baths together! A big step for us all, but so nice to not have separate duty for the same task, so we get to all be together instead of being spread out over the house. Mommy & Daddy appreciate the time together for sure!


Alright, so on to sweet little Noah! He is grabbing at everything these days! I forgot how I had to be really careful with what I got close to and what all I carried when Drew got to this point - this boy wants to check everything out! He tries to sit up quite a bit too, really working those abs to check out what's going on around him, especially when nursing! We are working on his sitting & rolling, which is getting better bit by bit - he'll be moving more and more before we know it. He's SO distractible while nursing now...I can hardly read a book without him wanting to see what I'm looking at! So, thankfully he's a quick eater, but I'm trying to use that time as prayer time...if I can stay focused!


He loves being tickled and getting zerberts. There's even been a few times where it seems he's trying to give us zerberts back - crazy I know, but really, both of us have thought that at different times! :) He is talking more now, and just recently starting to make "ga-ga" and "da-da" noises! Matthew said to mark it down on the calendar that he already said his name! HA! He is very responsive to us now, especially liking it when we make silly faces. He's also even more vocal about not having us in his line of sight - he has definitely entered the phase of knowing, and not liking, when he's 'by himself'.


He is eating dinner with us every night now, and has been for about a month. Some nights are pretty good, others, not so much, but we are trying. He has had banana and avocado in addition to the rice cereal now...I think he'll very much enjoy his new foods that taste so much better than the cereal! He got his 2 front bottom teeth in this month, one right after the other! Can't believe it! It seems so soon!
(Not to be left out of any type of attention situation, Drew insists on sitting in Noah's Bumbo and getting a picture himself!)

He has finally dropped his late evening nap, making parts of the night easier, and others another learning challenge for us to learn to juggle it all, but glad that it's over and we are moving on. We were hoping that would help him sleep longer at night...but not so lucky! In fact, we are still struggling with that...oh so tired! Just keep reminding myself that it WILL get better...at some point! His naps are better during the day in that he goes to sleep pretty easily, but they are almost all 45 minutes on the dot! So ready for those to be a bit longer too! Our pediatrician has given us some tips to help Noah learn to sleep better - prayers he learns quickly...I think he will, he picked up on going to sleep initially well, now we just need him to figure out to go back to sleep on his own better.


He LOVES the outside...he is so content to just sit outside with us and check out his surroundings. And when it's too cold to go outside, he's almost as content to sit and look out the window - we are looking forward to spring when we can really enjoy it (though it's been a very mild winter so far!). We've brought out the exersaucer & jumper now that his trunk muscles are so much stronger and we are happy to say, he loves playing in both! Drew is excited to play with them too, but Noah is especially happy to be upright & playing!


He is wearing 6 month clothes now and grown into size 3 diapers! His growth stats are as follows: Weight: 15 lb. 12 oz. (25%), Length: 27.75 in (90%), Head: 43 cm (25%). So he's staying right on track!