Harrison : 12 Months

So this post has just been waiting for me to get my act together and add like one sentence so I can hit publish.  Poor Harry...at least I don't neglect the kid like I did the last couple monthly update posts!

Weight & Height: He had his 12 month check-up on his actual birthday.  Thankfully he's young enough that he won't remember Mom wasn't thinking clearly when she scheduled a doctor's visit and vaccines on his birthday.  I won't do that to you next year bud.  (Yes we vaccinate...it's an informed decision we came to as a family for OUR family).

He had a bad cold for about a week before his birthday and wasn't eating a lot due to his nose being so stuffy so his weight at his appointment was only 22.6 pounds putting him about the 66th percentile for weight but his height is at the 94th percentile, just like big sister.  We make tall, skinny kids :)

Health & Milestones: Poor Harry had a bad cold the week before his birthday that thankfully I was able to manage pretty well with natural remedies: steamy bathroom, humidifier, essential oils and natural vapor rub.

Still no signs of him wanting to walk.  He's taken a couple steps here and there but then again, Selah didn't walk until she was 13 months either.  

Sleep: Harry has been having some weird habits at night that were not only odd but were also waking me up.  After talking it through with his doctor at his 12 month appointment, I learned he has parasomnia which is a category of sleep disorders.  This can include nightmares, sleep walking, etc.  Both Selah and Dan have this so it's definitely genetic.  After going into his room a couple times thinking he was in distress, I learned that he's actually asleep and waking him up only upsets him.  So I'll be trying some essential oils on the little guy here soon and fingers crossed that they help!

Personality: He is such a sweet little guy.  We think he may be a little more laid back and quiet than Selah.  And he definitely loves to be held and likes it when you give him kisses.  If you ask him for a kiss, he'll jam his forehead into your mouth and keep doing it over and over.  I'll take it as long as he wants to give it!

Diet:  He is now getting 2 cups of milk a day (breakfast and bedtime) after doing a 50/50 mix of that and formula to wean him off the formula.  He tolerated the change well and is certainly a big eater of all things solid.  Harry will usually end up eating more than Selah at each mealtime as well.  I love this stage where they'll eat pretty much whatever you'll give them!

Clothes: He's in mostly 18 month clothes with a few 18-24 month thrown in here and there, just depends on the brand.  As far as shoes go, I love the little fringed moccasins.  They're the best and pretty freaking cute too.

Likes: His food, your food, all food in general, big sister Selah, playing in the toy room, his blanket...can't sleep without it. 

Dislikes: Taking too long to get his meal ready.  You'd think the kid hadn't eaten in days by the way he carries on.  Also doesn't like being buckled into his car seat.  He's fine once he's in the seat; it's just the getting him secured part he hates.

Can't believe I've done a year of these updates!  It's fun to look back on these but also makes me a little sad.  Hard to believe my little man is getting so big.  Haven't decided if I should keep going with the monthly updates now that he's a year...we'll see ;)

Harrison : 10 Months

Weight & Height: Now that he's a crawling speed machine, he seems to have thinned out slightly.  And when I say slightly, he's still large and in charge and about ready to start paying Selah back for some of her older sister shenanigans.

Health & Milestones: This past month ramped up in terms of teething.  Harrison got 3 teeth in...all at the same time of course because it's more fun that way.  Not.  He has his 2 top teeth in and then one to the left of his bottom teeth.  He doesn't really let me look in his mouth much to check for more without trying to try the chompers out.  He's also all about the 'mama'.  Selah said 'dada' waaay before 'mama' so I'm definitely loving the motherly devotion this time ;)

Sleep: Morning naps have been a little off for him.  He'd better not be thinking about dropping that bad boy anytime soon because I may lose my mind a little.  I do Selah's preschooling during his morning naps so that's a big reason why I'm hoping he's not ditching it.

Personality: He's definitely more sensitive than Selah but also way more rambunctious than she was at this age.  Granted, this was the baby that hardly ever had a still moment in utero, cannot be left on any surface more than 6 inches above the ground, and is usually sporting at least one new goose egg an hour.  Total boy from what I'm told.  I'm scared.

Diet: He will eat anything that you put in front of him, as long as he can do it himself.  He doesn't want you to put it in his mouth, thankyouverymuch.  Just set it down and walk away!  Also, if you're eating something, he will full on pitch a fit to get some of it.  Apparently we need to start a Food Savings Account for this kid.

Clothes: He is now in 18 month clothes with a few 12 month clothes.  This is only because Colorado cannot get its act together weather wise and act like the middle of October that it is.  So Harrison is wearing his short sleeve stuff (which is all 12 month stuff) until it gets below 80 degrees.  We're also flying to Florida this month to visit the in-laws so he'll just have to hold out in the 12 month gear for a few days because I really can't justify buying half a dozen 18 month short sleeve onesies just for this trip.  Yes, I'll spend $30 on one onesie for family photos but not on several pieces for a trip.  Priorities people.

Likes: Puffs, your food, big sister Selah, Remi, stuffed animals, his blanket...can't sleep without it. 

Dislikes: Being walked away from if he's hungry or tired and he'll let ya know it!

Harrison : 9 Months

Weight & Height: He had his 9 month checkup last week and he was 21.4 pounds and 29 1/2" tall.  He's not small, that's for sure!

Health & Milestones: He's been picking up speed with his crawling although sometimes a little too fast for his hands because he wipes out and hits the floor face first :(  He's also pulling himself up on just about everything and walking around furniture.  I have a feeling he will be walking long before Selah did at 13 months.

Sleep: 90% of the time, he's great with sleep.  Nighttime, he's great but it's those naps where we have trouble sometimes.  Not sure if it's his teeth or what but the duration of his naps is all over the place lately.  Some days it's 3 hours in the afternoon, others it's 45 minutes.

Personality: He's still my happy little butterball but boy does he love his people.  He's good going to people he doesn't know as well which works for us when we want a night out, which doesn't happen a lot because I'm old and don't like staying out late :)

Diet: He's getting better about eating solids.  He definitely does not want you to help him either!  So he's definitely on the Baby Led Weaning route for sure.  Every baby is different so I'm just trying to go with it :)

Clothes: He's fully in 12 month clothes now and even a couple of those are getting shorter.  It's still stupidly hot here so I'm not sure if I should get a few 18 month short sleeve outfits or just make the 12 month shirts work until it's cold enough to go with the long sleeve 18 month shirts I have for him.

Likes: Puffs, your food, big sister Selah, Remi, stuffed animals, his blanket...can't sleep without it. 

Dislikes: Being walked away from if he's hungry or tired and he'll let ya know it!

Harrison : 8 Months

Weight: Still living up to his Hulk nickname.  Chunky legs and small feet...it's pretty cute.  I'm not sure of his exact weight because we don't have a digital scale but he's still gotta be in the 20+ pounds range.

Health & Milestones: We went to California to see family in July and that's when he decided to do 2 major milestones: he got his 2 bottom teeth AND started crawling!  Just a few crawls here and there but once we got home, he was off.  And started sitting upright all on his own! 

Sleep: Sleep is still going well.  He goes to bed around 6:30 and will usually be asleep within 20 minutes.  He likes to crawl around his crib, check out the corners and then pass out til between 6:30-7AM.  He usually takes 3 naps a day still: 8:30ish, 12:30 and 4pm.  Some days he can go without the 3rd nap if we're super busy and out and about but I really like to be at home in the afternoon.  Yes I am old and boring.

Personality: He is pretty chill.  As long as he has a full belly and a nap, he's good to go.  Lately he has been having meltdowns if you walk away from him.  I think I remember Selah going through something similar around this age.  Makes you feel loved but a little hard to get anything done while holding a 20 pound squirming bowling ball.  He loves his sister and is really gaining interest in Remi but I can't say the love is mutual yet. 

Diet: It was a very sad day for me recently when Harrison decided he was done nursing.  Did not want anything to do with the milk bar.  Insert very sad face here.  As solids go though, we're working on finding foods he enjoys.  Puffs and teething wafers are a big hit.  He prefers the Plum Organic brand. 

Clothes: He's fully in 12 month clothes now.  I can't really buy too much of one size in bulk since I don't know what size he'll be in for what season.  So I just get a few things here and there.  I do love Carter's onesies though.  They don't seem to shrink a lot like some of the other brands. 

Likes: Puffs, your food, big sister Selah, Remi, stuffed animals, his blanket...can't sleep without it. 

Dislikes: Being walked away from if he's hungry or tired and he'll let ya know it!

Harrison : 7 Months Old

Weight & Height: Big.  He's a big boy...period.  Rolls for days and buddy makes thankles look good.  I'm guessing he's around 21+ pounds now as he seems to be gaining around a pound a month. 

Health & Milestones: He's been teething since he hit 3 months with still no teeth to be seen.  He's also sitting up by himself.  I mean, how could he not with that serious caboose he has for stability?!  He's also got himself a new convertible car seat now!  He was getting waaay too heavy to haul around in his infant car seat anymore and I majorly pulled a muscle in my shoulder and bicep taking him out of my vehicle so while Target was having an awesome special on baby gear, we went with this bad boy. 

Sleep: Sleep is still going well.  He goes to bed around 6:30 and will usually be asleep within 20 minutes.  He likes to scootch around his crib, check out the corners and then pass out til between 6:30-7AM.  Naps are pretty good but he does have some off days...who doesn't!

Personality: He is pretty chill.  As long as he has a full belly and a nap, he's good to go.  He loves his sister, that's for sure.  We're thankful to have such easy-going kids.

Diet: I was sure that Harrison would be nomming on cheeseburgers by now but this boy is not a big fan of solids yet.  He definitely does not like purees and he'll naw on some solids here and there but overall, he's still on about a 50-50 breastmilk/formula diet.

Clothes: I'm about ready to move him into his 9-12 month clothes as they're getting short on him when it comes to onesies.  Clothing is tough when you're such a stocky lil' guy! 

Likes: Food, big sister Selah, being tickled, being carried.  Pretty much anything; he's really laid back. 

Dislikes: Being walked away from if he's hungry or tired and he'll let ya know it!

Harrison : 6 Months Old

Weight & Height: He had his 6 month appointment today and weighs in at 19 pounds 4 ounces and 27.5" long.  That puts him at 80th percentile for weight and 90th for height.  We don't make short babies apparently because Selah was 93rd last year.  

Health & Milestones: He rolled over for the first time the day before he turned 5 months, which I had mixed feelings about.  Rolling over is a big deal in the movement world but also comes with the utter frustration of not being able to roll back.  Thus ensues lots of screaming.  Usually around 2AM.  And 3AM.  And maybe 4AM for good measure.  Thankfully he was able to figure out getting his roly poly self back over.

Sleep: Sleep had been much better but with the new life skill of rolling over and not getting back, we were back to the up 1-3 times a night shenanigans again.  He goes to bed around 6:30PM and will wake around 6-6:30.  Still has the cat nap in the morning, long nap in the afternoon and possibly another cat nap right before dinner time.

Personality: Oh my word, this boy is so happy.  As long as he has food and sleep, he's pretty chill.  I love the way his smile lights up his face!

Diet: Despite my best efforts, my supply has been taking a major hit.  Guarantee that having been sick and sleep deprived for a month-ish is to blame again but the fact that I was completely empty at 4 months with Selah and I'm still able to give Harrison some breastmilk during the day at 6 months makes me happy. 

Clothes: Still in 6-9 month clothes but those are getting tight, especially when it comes to onesies.  I'd thought about buying the snap extenders but let's be honest, it's getting harder to cram his thick arms up through the arm holes now too so I bet 9-12 month clothes aren't too far off.  

Likes: Pretty much anything; he's really laid back.  Thankfully he likes most everyone and can be held by others besides Mom and Dad without flipping out.

Dislikes: Delaying food or sleepy time.  Don't blame him ;)

Harrison : 5 Months Old

I am currently writing this post from my little boat because it has legit been raining in Colorado for over 10, count them, TEN SOLID DAYS and I half expect our house to either start rocking side to side or have a super stylish rooftop waterfall come through any minute.  That or zebras and bears going two-by-two down the street.  Anyway!

Weight: Living up to Hulk status at 17.5 pounds.  Half of his diaper changes and bath time are spent cleaning out the numerous rolls.  And both Dan and I are at the point where we've about had it with carrying him in his infant seat because it and him together are just too much for more than 30 seconds.  We're looking at getting him into a convertible seat sooner rather than later because he's almost to the height limit on his infant seat.  Yikes.

Health & Milestones: Ohmyword.  Last month was a doozy with colds again.  This time, Harrison got it pretty bad too.  He had some wheeziness going on that his pediatrician wanted to check out and thankfully was just some drainage at the back of his throat.  Lots of humidifier time, naps upright in the swing and me obsessively watching the monitor while he slept got us through a rough week and a half of that stupid cold.

He also finally rolled over the day before he turned 5 months.  Hey, when you've got trees trunks for legs, it's a little hard to get the momentum going to flip them over! ;)

Sleep: Sleep was rough this month due to not only the bad cold he had going on but the super awesome 4 month sleep regression!  Yay!  Not.  Funny how you forget about that after your first child until it rears its ugly head again.  It could not have come at a worse time either because I got the cold too and to say I was struggling every day for awhile was an understatement.

Personality: Harrison is very chatty to say the least.  He screams and squawks at his exersaucer whenever he's in it...it's pretty cute.  He also gets a big grin on his face and gets all shy when you smile at him.

Diet: This boy can eat for sure.  With the exception of his bedtime feeding, he's on strictly breastmilk still.  I really don't have much of a supply at the end of the day and it was obvious given how ravenous he'd be even just a couple hours after putting him to bed.  He takes an 11 ounce bottle of formula plus nursing however much from me at bedtime; I'm guessing around 3-4 ounces.  Ever since I started giving him a bottle of formula at bedtime, he's gone back to sleeping through the night and is generally much happier.  I could tell he wasn't getting enough sleep and was pretty fussy during the days because he just wasn't getting good, restorative sleep.

Clothes: We're in strictly 6-9 month clothes and I'll bet I could slide him into a 12 month outfit without it being huge on him at this point.   

Likes: He loves his exersaucer.  We have this one (discontinued but here is one that's similar) and he loooves it.  Also loves being held and carried around.  Thankfully he's okay with being put in either his bouncy seat or exersaucer when I need to eat or get things done but he'll take being held over those two options anyday.


Dislikes: Still does not like being put down when he's tired or hungry.  It's amazing what being held by Mom can do for a bad mood ;)

Harrison : 4 Months Old

This post is a week overdue and I fully blame both kids having a bad cold and Harrison going through the 4 month sleep regression.  Yikes.

Weight and Length: At his 4 month appointment, he weighed 16.2 pounds and is 26 1/2 inches long.  He's leveled off a bit in the weight gain but is not tiny by any means and is creeping up in the height percentile just like sister.

Health: This fall and winter have been seriously rough on all of us health wise.  It's been one variation of a cold after another.  Dan and Selah both had a pretty bad cold RIGHT when we moved and it seemed that Harrison and I escaped it but alas, we both came down with a much milder version of it (thank you Lord) a week later.  I have half a mind to drop an A-Bomb inside the house to get rid of any germs so we can stop getting sick every other week.  And this is without anyone in school!

He's been teething hard core for a month now and if he's not soaking every shirt he's in with drool, he's got his hands crammed in his mouth.  I had bought him one of the amber teething necklaces like Selah had (same size and everything) but since I have such a Hoss for a baby, it was way too small so I need to order a bigger size to help him with the teething issues.

Sleep: He goes down for bed every night right around 6:30 and depending on the night will either wake up just once or go all night and wake up between 6 and 7AM.  As much as I love the nights where he doesn't wake up, I think any mom who breastfeeds will tell you that 12 hours of not emptying the ladies puts you in serious pain come morning time! ;)

Personality: Harrison has become quite the little charmer.  He loves smiling at people and is very chatty now.  He'll talk to the toys on his bouncy seat and will chat with me...probably because I make ridiculous noises and use baby talk.  It's mildly embarrassing and I only do it when no one else is around ;).  He also loves when you come in to get him from a nap or in the morning and will kick and smile a lot.

Diet: He's still on exclusive breastmilk with the occasional formula bottle here and there.  I am extremely proud of myself for having gotten 4 months with only giving him less than a half dozen bottles of formula, and those have been just in the last couple weeks.  He eats a TON and I can probably attribute my supply dip to the stresses of moving, being sick and having to put one of our dogs down and that we have a future sumo wrestler on our hands.  I beat myself up over having to give Selah formula but I certainly am not going to this time.

Clothes: Oh the struggles of figuring out which size clothes (and how many) to get for Harrison.  3-6 month clothes are just about done for him and he's in to 6-9 month clothes now.  He seems to outgrow the Circo brand onesies quicker than Carters as those seem to be made for short, fat babies and we've got a tall, fat baby ;)  I bought this super cute 3-6 month one piece in the fall and went to put it on him this past weekend and could barely snap the legs around his thankles.  And it was a brand that runs big!  

Likes: He loves his bouncy seat and will grab onto all the toys and talk to them whenever he's in it.  He's also developed a thing for rubbing soft things against his face when he goes to sleep.  He had a little giraffe lovey that he was really loving at nap time but it has gone missing since we spent a couple days up in the mountains so he's been using Selah's pink elephant lovey until I can find a suitable replacement.

He also loves his baths!  I wash him in one of those blue whale tubs that has a ledge for his butt and he's constantly kicking and squirming around so much I have to keep one hand on him to keep him from sliding down under the water!

Dislikes: He no longer wants a pacifier, which I'm more than okay with.  And he definitely does not like being put down when he's super hungry.

Postpartum: I'm feeling good and getting back into a regular fitness regimen which makes me feel great all around.  If my mornings are too busy, then I try to workout after both the kiddos have gone to bed.  It's important for Mom to make time for herself and feel good about herself too!  It's good for everyone involved ;)

Harrison : 3 Months Old

Weight: He weighs 14.4 pounds and is quite the little chunker.  He has some serious rolls on his legs and is getting some on his neck and arms too.  Selah was never a chunky baby so I'm loving his rolliness!

Health: Dan and I had some weird viral thing for about a week and a half.  Not sure if it was a low dose of the flu since we both had our shots but it was annoying to say the least.  Headaches, sore throat, chills, body aches.  Come to find out, Harrison had a touch of it as well but I didn't realize it at the time.  His sudden zero napping during the day and scream fests should've tipped me off that he was sick but when you don't have obvious symptoms like what a cold shows you, I didn't know.  Thankfully he's feeling better and back to his cheerful and napping self :)

Sleep: Minus the awful week where he was sick and was not napping at all, he's been doing great.  He's had 2 nights where he slept from 6:30pm to 6:15-6:30am.  I was pumped!  Otherwise, he's pretty regularly going 7-8 hours a stretch.  Naps are going better and while he's taking them in his Mamaroo at the moment, I'll take it because we're in the middle of moving and I need all the time to pack I can get!

Personality: I'm loving how smiley he's gotten this past month.  He gets very chatty with me and loves to talk with you.

Diet: Still going strong with the breastfeeding...woohoo!  Given how chunky he is and the amount of rolls he has on his legs, I'd say he's doing quite well :)

Clothes: He's definitely out of all his 0-3 month onesies.  We're in this weird in between phase with the weather so I'm unsure if I should get more long sleeve 3-6 month onesies or short sleeve.  It's 80 degrees right now today but tomorrow could be snowing.  You never know here.

Likes: He loves his playmat and the little 'mobile' on his Mamaroo.  Being held is definitely preferred for him and that will keep him pacified for quite awhile.

Dislikes: Dude does not like his car seat.  Not sure if it's the specific car seat itself or just being at that angle but he's not a fan.  I'd like to wait to get him a convertible car seat until he's able to sit up by himself for when we go out to eat and such and can sit in a high chair so hopefully he can hold out just a little while longer.

Postpartum: I'm feeling good and glad that I can workout again.  Although that's been on hold with this upcoming move because my free time has been taken over by packing.  Really looking forward to getting to the new place so I can get back on the fitness train!

Harrison : Two Months Old

Well we managed to make it 2 months...woohoo! 

Weight: He weighs 13.27 pounds and is quite the little chunker.  His rapid weight gain has leveled off a little bit. 

Health: He had a little bit of a cold a couple weeks ago but thankfully it never turned into anything serious.   We have his 2 month pediatrician appointment coming up this week as well.

Sleep: Knock on wood, Harrison has been doing well most nights.  I think I finally got his bedtime and routine figured out.  You'd think that with this being the 2nd kid, I'd have figured it out a little earlier but not so much.  I've been putting him down for the night around 6:30 and he's been going 6-7 hours to his first feeding and then will usually go until 7-7:30AM before he's up for the day.  He has a couple nights here and there where he's back to waking up twice but thankfully he goes right back to sleep so Mama can go back to sleep too.

Personality: He is much more serious than Selah and I joke he's going to have forehead wrinkles by the time he's 2.  Lately we've been getting smiles and coos out of him so at least I know he likes me :)

Diet: After having such a hard time breastfeeding with Selah, it's such a relief to be doing so well this time.  I was already supplementing with formula by now with her and haven't had to use any this time around.  I'm setting small goals with breastfeeding so my next goal will be 3 months so here's hoping!

Clothes: Being that Harrison has himself quite an appetite, he has moved into 3-6 month clothes with just a few 0-3 month clothes left.  I'll be curious to see if he shoots up in the height department like Selah did.

Likes/Dislikes: He has really started liking his playmat, which is good because he's normally not a fan of laying on his back during awake time.  He really does not appreciate being woken up from naps to be put in his car seat if we're going somewhere and will let you know his displeasure.

Postpartum: I'm feeling pretty good, tiredness aside.  I've started working out again and that has helped me to feel better both physically and mentally.  I was chomping at the bit to workout again but was good and waited the full 6 weeks to get back at it.  And yes, I was not in great shape anymore but I'm getting back at it so it can only improve from here!

This little man has been such a great addition to our family, serious frowns included :)

Harrison : One Month Old

Holy cow...doesn't seem possible that Mr. Harrison arrived a month ago today.  He's been quite a blessing to us and aside from the obvious anatomy differences to big sister Selah, he's totally different from her.  He's looking more like me every day (from what I'm told by several people), which I find kinda humorous because whereas he came out with blond hair and looks like me, Selah had my afro-licious dark hair at birth but looked exactly like Dan.  He is pretty chill and really only gets upset when it's time to eat.  And boy can this kid eat!  In 2 weeks, he'd gained 2 pounds.  Each time he got weighed by either his pediatrician or my midwife, I got incredulous looks and exclamations of 'whoa'.  I'm really curious to see how much he weighs when I go in for my 6 week all-clear with the midwife in a couple weeks.  He was given the nickname of The Hulk when I was pregnant with him and it looks like he's definitely living up to it so far.  He's doing amazing at nursing and I'm pretty stoked that I am as well.  It was such a struggle for Selah and I so I'm pleased with each day that I can provide for the little man. 

Harrison definitely loves to be snuggled and held.  I'm more than okay with that because I can certainly tell you that this time goes by far too quickly.  When it comes to sleeping at night, he's been having some good stretches lately.  The last 3-4 nights have been awesome for me as he will go from about his last feeding at 9:30 and then wake up anywhere from 2:30-3:30.  That's like a vacation for mama!  I think he got my vibes of 'please be a good sleeper' while in the womb ;)  He's also much more serious than Selah was.  He always seems to have a furrowed, deep thinking brow going on.   I'm definitely more serious but here's hoping he picks up my dry, sarcastic (and sometimes inappropriate) sense of humor too.

Happy One Month little man...we love you!