Obadiah Ryker: 12+ Months

 Well...I think I put off writing this for long enough.  Little man is already 14 months!!  But this is it.  This is the last update that goes on the blog.

How am I growing?
At the year mark he still hadn't quite hit 20 pounds!  He was still 19 1/4.  And 29 inches long, just a bit shorter than his sister at this point.  He definitely is my little peanut.  💙  Now, with clothes on, he weighs a full 22 pounds (but full disclosure, that was also after being somewhat constipated for almost a week...so I'm guessing he's lost a bit of that 😆).

How am I sleeping?
First, because it's relevant - my new favorite thing: he twirls or plays with his hair when he gets sleepy.  It's super precious.  And I know I'll probably some day forget... 

With the occasional odd ball night, I think we've finally found our sweet spot.  An earlier bed time and adding a bottle (in addition to nursing), seem to have done the trick.  We start the bedtime process at 7 and he's usually in bed by 7:30.  Sleeps until 7 most(ish) days but sometimes wakes as early as 6:30.  The daylight savings switch actually helped the sleep in until 7, which we welcomed with open arms!!

However, it seemed like the minute he started sleeping better, Aelah ended up going through a nightmare phase.  I've only very recently started sleeping through the night again since sometime when I was pregnant.  My mental health has definitely noticed a difference.  And I am 100% serious about that.  I needed my sleep.

What's new?
New things every day!  He has definitely discovered a love of climbing.  He'll rearrange furniture to climb up so he can reach things...which is not a fun phase for his parents...  And he LOVES to click his tongue.  He laughs on occasion.  He has to be very sleepy and you have to tickle him in just the right place or scare him in just the right way.... but it's fun!

And he officially started walking right before turning 13 months!

I love watching his little personality shine through.  He can play shy pretty well, hiding his little face.  Which he also does when he is in trouble.  He laughs when he is being defiant and gives you a crooked little sideways grin, which makes it next to impossible to discipline well.  He is definitely a mini-Justin! 

Now for pictures!!  (Star Wars first birthday pics included.)  😉

Always into things he shouldn't be....

And again...

It took 2 people to change that diaper!!

So.  Much.  Energy.

Before first hair cut.

After first hair cut.

Because puns are life

Aelah bug!

Enjoying some veggies and making goofy faces...

LOVING his birthday gift!

Obadiah Ryker: 11 Months

Well this past month flew by!  But it has been fun seeing Christmas through the eyes of TWO children.  Christmas with 2 is definitely different.  Aelah didn't understand why Obi didn't want to open presents, after all it is SO exciting!!  He did enjoy the first gift or so at each gathering.  But after that he was done.  More interested in getting into things he shouldn't....

Getting this picture has definitely become much more difficult!

 But we only have ONE more!! I've been slowly planning his birthday party (a little late) and I'm sooooo excited!  The nerd in me is coming out and we are definitely doing a Star Wars party, because.........Obi!!  hehe.

How am I growing?
Slowly.  hehe.  I swear he's just a little peanut.  Aelah was so chunky.  Comparatively, Obi is just a skinny little thing.  But it's crazy because he eats SOOOO much!!  I actually think he eats more than Aelah at some meals.  Not always, but definitely some. 

How am I sleeping?
Better.  Still sleeping through the night.  And 6am wake up time has been pushed back to 6:30.  With an occasional day of sleeping in...which usually seem to fall on the days I have to get up. And the extra early days seem to fall on the days I could sleep in.  haha.  It's so hard to not compare my babies.  It's just hard looking back.  Aelah slept through the night SO soon and if she got up before 8, she nursed and went back to sleep.  And silly me thought it was my super-mom skills.  Ha!!

What's new?
His personality is really starting to show.  And I love it!  When he is fussy there is usually a reason and he does his best to communicate via growling and screaming.  haha.  He has been drinking water from a sippy cup and sometimes that fixes the issue.  Or he might just be tired.  A few times lately, I ask if he wants to go 'night, night' and he will start waving and say "nigh nigh."  He also says "bye, bye" as soon as we put him in the car seat.  "papa" and "ae-ah" (Aelah) have also been said, but not with consistency.  He has taken a few steps here and there.  4 is the most at one time I think.  He doesn't seem to want to try much - too slow.  He would rather just crawl.  It's way faster after all.  ;)

And now for some more adorable pics:

Surprisingly, the only time he really tried to mess with the lights...

He loved his present from Santa - it actually held his attention for more than 3 minutes!

Ripping the wrapping off in a BIG way!

Holiday travels mean one sleepy little man....

Obadiah Ryker: 10 Months

What a whirlwind the past month has been.  We have all been sick off and on.  One of us gets better, another gets sick (including a mild case of mastitis - ugh!).  We just seem to be stuck in an awful cycle.  I'm hoping it's behind us and that we'll be able to enjoy the Christmas season.

Boy oh boy....3 months!!

And two more...because I just can't stand the cuteness!!

How am I growing?
I think this little guy went through a growth spurt lately.  We moved to 9 month clothing finally and it seems like, in a weeks time, some of it is already too small.  Plus, he has been eating like CRAZY!  This kid loves food.  Some nights, I am certain he eats more than his sister.  I keep thinking "growth spurt" but maybe this is just our new normal...

How am I sleeping?
Still pretty decent.  But Daylight Savings really didn't help us out any.  I had *just* got him sleeping until 7 (which gives me an hour or so of time by myself in the mornings) and now I'm lucky if he sleeps past 6.  But there are some days, so I think we're getting back into a good rhythm.

What's new?
He is definitely aware of saying "Mom-Mom" and "Da-da" and he tries to communicate so much more these days (with a little less yelling).  It's fun!  Constantly mimicking noises is pretty entertaining.  We are loving this current stage.

Enjoy a few pics from the past month:

Little guy was sick for awhile.  But Momma sure enjoyed the extra snuggles.

My handsome little guy!!

Our family - and a smiling handsome little man.

He doesn't sleep well when he is away from his crib.  But Gigi and Mimi both have the magic touch.  <3

 

Obadiah Ryker: 9 Months

This past month has been a whirlwind!  In fact, I barely even realized Obi had hit 9 months until a week late...  They say "don't blink" and with the first, that's so true...but I feel like with baby #2, it has gone even faster.

This little guy is getting his own personality for sure.  He doesn't laugh easily but smiles more often than not.  He's pretty calm unless there is food around (then - watch out!).  And he is constantly on the go and getting into things he shouldn't.  I did get him to laugh a bit a couple of weeks ago with a fake cough (odd, right?) but I have yet to get a repeat occurrence.  He does get excited and thinks that things are funny - but it has to be pretty stinkin' hilarious to get him to actually laugh.

Oh hey Mom, whatcha' doin'?

And then that silly grin comes out!

How am I growing?
At his doctor's appointment he officially came in just one once shy of 18 lbs!  And a full 29 inches long.  Aelah was a pound heavier and a half inch shorter at this point.  It's funny how different they are.  But I love my tiny, skinny man.  <3

How am I sleeping?
Sooooo much better.  I think we've finally found our groove.  It's funny - he was still up and down regularly.  Ended up getting stitches, fussed pretty bad the first couple of nights after that.  Then, as if he always had, started sleeping straight through the night.  It has been...glorious!

Stitches?  Yep!  Big sister accidentally shut his finger in her closet door when they were playing.  Yikes!  It was quite traumatic for all of us but he seems to be healing well.

After returning home from the hospital.

What's new?
TEETH!!  Two on the bottom and two on the top.  Definitely a whole new world for eating.  Speaking of eating, we have officially hit that phase where nursing is just not enough.  I used to be able to get by with just nursing if we needed to.  Now, if he doesn't have a decent lunch he turns into a bear before dinner.  Babies are for sure where the definition of "hangry" came from.  We haven't found much he doesn't like...hot sauce and maybe pickles...

And he is most definitely saying "mommom" and "daddad" but, unlike his sister, he for sure said mom first!!  ;)

Make sure to scroll through the pictures to find out just who exactly this little man looks like...

💓

His handsome little hat!

Definitely a climber

Sissy was playing - so we thought he should join in the filter fun too!

Oops!  This picture of DADDY slid in here...but you can hardly tell a difference...

Always lookin' for Momma!

Obadiah Ryker: 8 Months

This boy.  He cracks me up!  He has the best sideways grin and, I swear, he already knows when he's doing things he shouldn't be.  Because that grin comes out at the most convenient times.  haha.  I think I'm still in denial that we are 3/4 of the way to one whole year!  How is that even possible?!?  I know the whole "don't blink" thing - but, wow, does it go soooooo much faster with the second child!

He loooooooves food!  We kind of break all of the rules.  He very rarely has anything mashed and the only baby food he has ever had is in a pouch.  We are ALL about "food before one is just for fun."  It's more about the experience.  So he gets pieces of what we are eating (and we are very cautious...I promise).  His favorites are cheerios, mashed potatoes, and meatballs.

And he still doesn't laugh easily.  This kid is killin' me!

Confession?  I still don't have a single picture of him developed.  😕  It's been on my to-do list for literally months at this point.  Best mom of the year award right here.  haha.

How am I growing?
Just about a week before he turned 8 months, we had a doctors appointment.  He still hasn't reached 18 lbs and that cracks me up!  I feel like he is such a little peanut.  17 lbs 10 oz, which is very close to what Aelah weighed at 6 months!! 

How am I sleeping?
Better.  Not perfect.  But much better.  I can't pin it to any one thing we did.  But after allowing him to cry it out for short amounts of time and gradually cutting out night feeds, we can usually go about 10 hours.  AND, thanks to a friend who has a baby about the same age, we started putting dilluted Lavender oil on his feet at night.  I tried it because I was desperate (and I do love oils) and now, if I forget, he usually wakes around 1 or 2.  I thought it was a fluke, but the trend seems to have proven itself.  And as I type this I realize I forgot to do that tonight....  Oye....

What's New?
He has two teeth!  They both came through at once (also a part of our sleeping problem I think).  And he's pulling up on things and trying to stand on his own (!!!).  I love seeing how fast he learns.  No wonder he has trouble sleeping with all that brain development going on!

First time IN a lake!!  He loved splashing but kept trying to eat the sand and seaweed - yuck!

He is a pretty good little shopper!

My happy little guy.  And he is happiest when he is playing with his sissy.

More "play time" as she tried to get him to sleep in our bed....

Story time!!

Obadiah Ryker - 7 Months

Wow, what a month can do!!  I was so worried this kid was "behind" a month ago.  We have come leaps and bounds over the past few weeks.  I don't think I will ever stop being amazed at how quickly babies change and develop.  He is like a whole new person now, definitely coming into his own.

Unreal.  Can I just rewind for a few minutes??

How am I growing?
I don't have any measurements this time around.  But he is definitely growing.  Onsies and pants are all of a sudden too short and some outfits just don't fit the same.  Plus, I think his hair has come in quite a bit since last time.

How am I sleeping?
They say things get worse before they get better, right??  One night, a day or two before he was officially 7 months, I woke up with him at 3:15 and never went back to sleep.  To be fair - he fell asleep at 5:45...but his sister woke up at 6.  I dealt with her and talked her back into bed by a quarter after, only to have him wake for the day at 6:30. 

It.  Was.  Rough.

So, hard core sleep training began very shortly after  that.  And it worked well because I ended up work two days back-to-back, leaving me almost 5 days of being home in a row, which really helped I think.  Consistency is key...  We'll see how it all pans out next month I suppose.  ;)

What's new?
He's crawling!!  Well...scootching...  He figured it out just about a month ago now.  One morning he just woke up and decided he would go after his sister's toys.  He hasn't slowed down since.  With all of the scootching and crawling around, he finally did master sitting up well too. 

The very first day of all the excitement!!

He also figured out how to blow raspberries and I think he might be giving kisses...but I can't quite decide how intentional his slobbering all over my face is.  haha.  Every day is something new - it's quite an adventure right now!!

This picture holds a lot of weight.  This picture represents the days I started really feeling normal again.  I struggled a bit with Post-Partum Depression.  Nothing major, but enough that it was hard to love this little guy (or anyone else for that matter).  I resented him for how I felt, for how numb I was.  But sometime in this past month, it started to get better.  I could see the light.  And even when he was upset, I could just enjoy him, appreciate him, and love him.  And it felt so good!  Right before I took this picture, he fought sleep big time.  And when he finally fell asleep I didn't want to put him down, I didn't want to run away, I didn't feel exasperated or exhausted.  I felt peace.  It was a turning point.  I still have bad days...but I'm definitely on the other side of the battle.

Watching the rain!  He was amazed!!

Eating Mexican - yummmmmm!

Bending as far as he could to see Papa preaching...cracked me up!

Sitting up like a big man!!