Seven Months: Babbles and Bubbles

Mr Sam is Seven Months Old!

I wrote this post two weeks ago - TWO WEEKS AGO! I had my ducks in a row and I was going to get this post out on the proper day and all I had to do was add the pictures. Woot woot!

Apparently my ducks waddled off.... sigh.

Anyway,

Danny and I were commenting about how quickly seven months has gone by. It seems more like three months ago this little dude entered our family. It also feels like ages ago that we were a family unit of four and I was heavily pregnant, so I guess it is a bit of both.

A couple of our good friends are both expecting their third child any day now. Man, I do not miss those final weeks waiting for the baby to arrive. So physically exhausting, mentally exhausting and emotionally exhausting. What a difference it is to 'be on the other side'. Much love to them and their growing families (or anyone else who enduring that final stretch). Hang in there mamas. Big hugs!

Now onto our boy.

Sam, you are rolling over, getting stuck and getting mad about getting stuck, ha! You are also sitting up unassisted for long periods of time and putting a lot of things into your mouth. You hilariously reject all solid food from a spoon, pursing your lips so tight, but have accepted a few morsels off our finger. You are a drool machine and regurgitate a lot more than you ever had before so I suspect we might have some choppers by next month's post. You often make loud pppppppssssttt! sounds as if you were playing a trumpet, especially when you are tired. Sleep has still been horrible with you waking nearly every hour (gah!) but we will trudge on and get through it as we always do. At your wellness appointment you weighted 18lbs11oz and were 69cm long (50-75th percentile for both). You still have a big head (90th percentile) and are measuring healthy on every scale. We are incredibly grateful for this and we know not to take it for granted.

You are developing a little feisty personality and we love it. You have not met a stranger and give big gummy smiles to anyone who looks you in the eye. You giggle loudly when your brothers run around you in circles, sometimes quite literally, and you like to keep an eye on whatever we are doing. You are a much happier boy in the car and generally hold onto your big brother's hand while giving him smiles and coos wherever we go. I love that you love them so much. Your favourite words are 'heeeeyyy' and 'dee dee dee' usually in that sequence. I suspect you'll start saying 'da da da' soon.

Winter has arrived and with that some extra layers of clothing. You hilariously play peek-a-boo with your toque or hat until you are fed up with it and just tear it off. You also spend a lot of time 'talking' to us or blowing raspberries. Our home is getting just that bit louder with another voice in the mix. It is eye (and ear) opening.

This past month was fairly uneventful which is fine. Once again, grateful for 'normal' days as they're what we crave whenever things are off balance. We fill our time with preschool drop offs, play dates, changing diaper explosions and running lots of errands. You were an Ewok this Halloween which was pretty adorable if I do say so myself, but chose to have a nap instead of going trick-or-treating with your Storm Trooper brothers. Next year will be different, I'm sure.

As we prepare for the season ahead, I am filled with so much gratitude for our little family that I suppose isn't exactly 'little' anymore. We've got three boys who will one day grow into three teenagers and then into three men! I look forward to creating many memories, navigating the inevitable struggles, and imagining what sort of exciting adventures are in store.

Love you Mr. Sam!

***Update: our friends welcomed a boy and a girl in the last two weeks and we are more than thrilled that both moms and babies are healthy. And, wow, newborns are tiny!

Six Months: Half a Year!

Our Sweet Sam is half a year old.

There were a few moments during these past six months that felt like we were in pure survival mode but the vast majority has been nothing short of great. I worried quite a bit about how hard it would be to manage three kids, especially in the early months, but thankfully it was nowhere near as difficult as I had feared. Challenging? Yes. Busy? Of course. Perfect? Absolutely not. But all things considered, pretty damn great.

Sam giggles like crazy, is obsessed with his tongue and learned to roll over this month. We let him try solid foods on his 6month birthday and got a hilarious reaction (not a fan) but if he's anything like the rest of us he'll learn to love food soon enough. His sleep has been dreadful and exhausting (up every hour or more) but I know it is just a phase. Coffee helps. Maybe I'm just imagining things, but I think he's getting more hair too. Will it be straight like his oldest brother's or curly like our middle boy? Time will tell. Its always fun watching new little bits of him emerging every month. What will be revealed to us next?

Sam had his first plane ride this month and handled it like a champ. I wasn't concerned about him one bit (unlike the stress I put myself through the first time I ever flew with a baby) and it proved to be a pretty uneventful flight. We visited Toronto, the birthplace of our biggest boy, and it was fun to go re-visit the old stomping grounds. Funny, now that we are well-entrenched in the lifestyles of suburbia, I found it hard to believe that we lived in the heart of downtown with so much hustle and bustle... and a newborn. A big contrast for sure but both equally great.

While in Toronto we took in a Blue Jays game (where we apparently made it onto the big screen just as I was trying to latch Sam, lol) made a trip up the CN Tower (where I glamorously nursed him on the dirty floor next to a vending machine) and explored the Royal Ontario Museum (where I fed him next to some prehistoric dinosaur bones, ha). As you can see, Sam's pretty happy to go anywhere as long as he is fed. We also spent time at the Ontario Science Centre, perused some malls and dined with some extended family who we haven't seen in ages. We spent a couple nights at Niagara on the Lake and took obligatory touristy photos at Niagara Falls before loading our soaking wet selves back onto the plane.

Back at home it has been pretty routine day-to-day stuff, which is fine. We've battled a lot of colds and are pretty much into the season of boots, mitts, coats, toques and blankets. Halloween is just around the corner and then into my most favourite time of year. No complaints, especially with this smiley little boy as a side-kick.

We love you Sam!

Five Months: Seasons Changing

I feel like there are two main baby phases; 0-6Months and 6-12Months. Usually when I am pregnant and imagining the new addition to the family I am mostly envisioning the 0-6Month phase when the little one is still a 'true baby'. But then around the six month mark and the second half of that year, the baby seems to become 'less baby' and 'more toddler'. Of course this is completely my own thought process and means nothing to anyone else but all to say... I'm starting to freak out just a little bit. Sam! You're only going to be a 'true baby' for like one more month and then this whole phase of life will be over! As much as I love to see them grow and develop, I want to keep my babies in the 'baby' stage as long as I can. Ugh - time - stop playing with me.

Sentimental rant over.

Mr Sam is generally a happy and content little man. He has discovered his toes and loves to play with his hands. He likes to stroke me whenever he's nursing and he fingers his blanket or pacifier when he goes down for a nap. Lots of drool escaping from this mouth but luckily no teeth yet because the kid likes to clamp down hard on anything that he can. We put him in the high-chair for fun this month but will wait until six months to start him on solids. I'm a bit of a traditionalist in that sense plus I'm also not ready to clean up after another messy kid every meal time, ha. Honesty.

Sam arches his back sooooo hard whenever he wants to be picked up. Fun fact: We considered the middle name 'Archer' for him and this would seem more than appropriate right now. He giggles when his brothers play nicely with him and mostly tolerates it when they're less than gentle. Overall he just wants to be one of the crowd. He can roll over onto his side to see what is going on but can't move too far yet - another perk for me.

For those of you who enjoy stats like I do, Sam weighed in at 16lbs14oz this month and has officially surpassed his two older cousins who are 12months and 18months old, ha! We grow them big in this household. His head is 44cm which is a random fact I remember. He's in size three diapers but it doesn't seem to matter what we do he still has a blow out at least 2x/day. I remember Max being the same way and he grew out of that phase so we'll get through this messy phase too.

Every year we try to make a trip back to my hometown and this year was no exception. Sam came along for the trip, of course, and did really well. We got to visit family and friends, go to a farm, spend time at the cabin, pick apples at Baba and Grandpa's house and visit Great Grandma at her house too. We're very fortunate to have so many people in our lives who we can share time and make memories with.

This month was our very first "Back to School" month Ben entering Preschool. This means that a lot of Sam's naps are now interrupted to shuttle everyone back and forth to pick up our biggest boy. Looking at the clock, I realize that I'm going to have to pause this post and start loading up the car right now!

Okay, back home. 

We've got a few fun things planned for the month ahead. Hoping the weather holds out for a bit longer so we can enjoy more fall mountain walks or days playing outside without bundling everyone up in many, many layers. I guess that means I have to eventually dig out a snowsuit for this kiddo but for now we will just enjoy the beautiful colours and the changing seasons.

Lots of love to our little Sam! 

Four Months: Where Did the Time (errr... Hair) Go?

I read about a parent describing their four month old lifting his feet up in the air and thumping them both down loudly as a 'whale tail' and I thought, that's exactly it! Our little Sam is in full whale tail thumping stage and it is hilarious. He isn't rolling over yet but he can get half way there before he gets stuck and frustrated. Fine by me - running after two bigger boys is enough for now. At least I always know where he is, thump thump.

Sam is also drooling a lot and putting everything he can in his mouth especially his fists, blankets and the odd furry toy. Diaper explosions are a daily occurrence which even prompted us to move up to size 3's but alas it hasn't made much of a difference. More laundry, I guess!

Sam and I seem to be in full hair loss mode as well. Me: a lovely postpartum gift that is pretty expected but still kind of annoying. Him: nearly bald save two little patches of old man scruff behind the ears. Day to day the loss isn't that noticeable but when scrolling back to see earlier photos I'm shocked to see such a fuzzy dark-haired baby. Who was that dude?

Our summer has been low key compared to others but we still managed to get out into the woods for a few days, staying at a cottage and enjoying nature hikes, campfires, and some beach time. Car trips seem to be getting slightly more tolerable but I say this on the cusp of a very long solo parenting road trip which will surely have me regretting I typed this. As long as he's with his mama you're generally pretty happy and giggly (even in your sleep). It's fun to have a side-kick for all of our every-day adventures.

Such a joy, my boy!

Three Months: So Many Smiles

Mr. Sam is three months old and this past month has been fantastic.

Let me tell you, this kid might be our happiest baby yet. How fortunate are we? I cannot get enough of these broad toothless grins and sparkly crescent shaped eyes. Sam has even started giggling which just puts me over the top. It doesn't get old even with the third child. Sam had his two month wellness appointment a few days ago and he weighed in at 13lb1oz (75th percentile) and is 90th percentile for height (I forget the measurement and am not motivated enough to dig up the paperwork, ha). He's a good eater, fills many diapers a day, and is generally content when he's awake in-between naps. We are no where near sleeping through the night but I can usually get a 4hr stretch on his first nighttime put down which keeps us sane. He is in mostly 3mo clothing and I'm already packing away some of his earlier outfits which seem amazingly tiny. He's starting to drool and blow bubbles when he's not sucking on his fists. He's sporting a wicked bald spot on the back and sides of his head where he's rubbed off his hair. We are very grateful for our happy healthy boy.

Of course, a huge part of this past month has been celebrating my younger sister's wedding. We had a lot of wedding-related events to attend and I brought my little side kick along to all of them. He did remarkably well, even sharing a hotel room with Baba, Grandpa and myself for a couple nights. This month we also took in some Stampede events (parade and midway), visited Dinosaur Provincial Park, the Science Centre and had lots of family gatherings with both sides of the family. I'm also pleased to report that Sam's big brothers are still totally in love with their Saaaaaam. They argue over who gets to sit next to the baby in the car, who gets to hold the diaper while I'm changing him, and who gets to give him the biggest kisses while he's in his little chair. No complaints from this Mama - soaking up all the good for as long as it lasts! Fingers crossed it does.

Two Months: Too Much Fun

The way your eyes turn into crescent moons when you smile really big. The way you hold your thumb between your first and second finger so tight. The way your legs kick so hard when you get fussy. The way your eyes light up when you see your big brothers. The way you snuggle in so close in the middle of the night. These are a just a few of the things we're loving at two months.

Eight weeks in and dare I say we've hit our stride? Perhaps we're pretty chill as third-time parents or perhaps he's generally a pretty laid back kid, but I feel like I can finally exhale. Sam has tucked himself right into our family and right into each of our hearts. My best eater, my best sleeper, and an all around pretty cool dude in between. He's growing and changing, just as he should, in size 1 diapers and size 3month clothes. His hair is thickening up in the front and rubbing off in the back, ha! His ears are still fuzzy (swoon) and his lashes extend for days. Sam has been rolling over to his side, can track us all with his eyes and head, and recognizes some voices. What a joy this boy is!

This past month included the usual park dates and play dates. We took our first overnight trip to Edmonton to celebrate my sister's impending nuptials and my little side-kick tagged along like a champ. The zoo and soccer field are regular stops for us as are grocery runs and (apparently) dental appointments. Sam hates the car but will occasionally fall asleep in it which makes the journey a little less noisy. Fortunately his older brothers can also pop in a soother or hold his hand to help calm him if necessary. We've battled a couple colds already but aren't letting them slow us down too much. I feel like we're always on the go, running like mad and being pulled in many directions, but I'm doing my best to cherish these very long and very fleeting days.

Our hearts are bursting with love for this boy. Happy two months, Sam!

One Month: Here We Go Again

And then there were three!

I can't believe I get to do these write ups again (and I can't believe I have to do these write ups again, ha)! But we are more than grateful for our newest little addition to the family and in favour of all things fair, baby number three gets his monthly updates too - even if they're a bit late in coming.

Sam has features that remind us of both of his brothers but he still has a look all his own. He's got lots of dark fuzzy hair, brown eyes (we think), and his dad's colouring. He's got lovely long fingers (great for piano!) and the adorable newborn fuzzy ears which I just love. Sam was 7lbs 3oz at his discharge and less than a week later at his first doctor's check-up weighed a whopping 8lbs 3oz. Way to go buddy! No idea what he weighs today but his newborn clothes certainly don't fit anymore and we're up to size one diapers. He's a great eater, a decent sleeper (wakes every 2hrs to feed), and has started to give us a glimpse of his infectious grin. So sweet!

When you've got three kids, schedules and plans just keep going so we've jumped right into life and Sam has adapted well. We've had visits from both sets of extended families, been on multiple outings to visit friends and even hit up the soccer field a couple times already too. I'm loving that I have a springtime baby which means we can actually spend time outside in the beautiful green world during daylight hours without having to put on layers and layers of clothing. That hasn't stopped Mother Nature from pulling a few tricks out of her sleeve, however. We've had two spring snowstorms, lots of rain and even a hailstorm in the past month! Nevertheless, I don't feel like we're having to stay sequestered inside weathering the long winter months... alone. Bring on the sun and fresh air!

Our sweet little Sam is such a joy to have in our family and I have to say the transition to three has been much easier than I expected. I didn't think it would be absolutely horrible but we were all bracing ourselves for a pretty big hiccough at the very least. To our surprise and delight the big brothers have both done an amazing job welcoming Sam into our tribe! They're very protective of his well being and are asking to hold him/(it - Max), offering to sing him songs, and are smothering him with hugs and kisses. Max actually takes it personally if he isn't included in the diaper changing process, ha! I'll take it! I didn't anticipate such a strong bond between the three boys so early but it's just lovely and warms this tired and happy mother's heart.

Sam, we were so excited to finally meet you and these first few weeks did not disappoint. Welcome to our family - it's going to be a great ride.

Introducing...

Samuel Andrew

04.21.16  |  2310h |  7lbs 8oz  |  21in

Pretty smitten with our little tribe.