Happy Birthday, Hailey! {Feb 28}

You know what I love about celebrating Hailey's birthday? It means winter is almost over and spring is just around the corner. I love everything about the date of Hailey's birthday. Once Christmas is over, her birthday is not too far off, and after that, everything warms up. It brings hope and warmth and sunshine and of course, an adorable little girl that is one year older (...and wiser, too!).

This little baby is THREE years old now. Three years doesn't seem like a very long time, but it is really neat watching the development of a child in three years. I think back to when she was in the NICU, and when it took her 8 months to sit on her own and 16 months to walk. She was always a talker, and very bright and intelligent. And now she is three years old and knows so much! She is so smart, so quick to learn and remember. Not saying she is always perfect, but she is a pretty good little girl. I just love watching her turn into a little girl. She is no longer a baby.

She still eats like a bird, and is still very petite. She is fully potty trained, although she will have the occasional accident if she plays too much and holds it too long.

I still remember the day she was born with every single detail. I still remember every day going to the NICU, and pumping, and waking up so much in the night. Those feelings are still so fresh. I will always cherish those special memories of my first baby.

So Happy 3rd Birthday to this rambunctious, happy, smart, little girl!

And here's a message from her:
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Leo: 6 Months

I haven't been as diligent in posting monthly updates on Leo as I was on Hailey. I figure if anything, I ought to at least get his 6 month update in!

I love love love watching my little boy learn and grow. I have always loved watching my children grow and I never get sad when they learn a new milestone or "grow up too fast." Here are a few things about Leo at age 6 months:

Sleep: Leo's sleep habits are not picture perfect, but we're working on them. He has been very frustrating because he only catnaps (like, an average of 30-40 min naps) and lately, he has decided it is fun to stay up until midnight and play. I have very recently decided to brave the cry it out method (please, let me do it my way and you can do it your way) and what a difference it is already making! I think it is tougher on mommy than it is on baby, but I feel confident this will help us out immensely!

Eat: I've made it to my 6 month goal of breastfeeding! Leo has been getting a bottle/formula for a couple months now, but I have continued to nurse at home and pump at work these 6 months. It has been difficult but I feel really good about accomplishing my goal! We are now almost switched completely over to formula and I just nurse him at night when he wakes up. Leo just has a hearty appetite and I was never able to keep up with him while strictly nursing. Once I started supplementing, Leo just grew and was happy! So I feel really good about this switch as well.

We have also done some solids. He likes sweet potatoes and any little tiny pieces of bread or Cheerios that I give him. He doesn't like squash or rice cereal. I obviously haven't branched out yet and tried a ton of things yet. But he sure does eat a lot better than Hailey did so far and I am so happy about that!

Motor Skills: Leo has some pretty impressive hand-eye coordination. He can pick things up, bring them to his mouth, and even turn them around in his hands to get the end of his toy in his mouth. He likes to hold his bottle sometimes, too.

He likes to roll and roll and roll. He loves to spend time on his belly and is so close to crawling. Right now, he gets up on his hands and knees and then goes backwards. It makes him so mad! He can also sit on his own and he loves to sit and play with toys!

Diapers: We are still going strong with cloth diapers! We are not fully 100% anymore. He started peeing through his nighttime diaper when we started supplementing, so to be safe, I still put him in a disposable at night. I also keep disposables on hand in the diaper bag for when we go out, but I try to use cloth as much as I can! And yes, I absolutely love it!

Other: He loves to blow raspberries and coo. He loves to look at anyone in complete adoration and gives you the biggest smiles. He loves to reach up and touch your face. He LOVE his jumper and walker.

While Leo has been a very most difficult baby, I love him so much and feel a different relationship with him than I do with Hailey. Hailey was so independent as a baby and didn't need much attention or positive stimulation. Leo, however, requires a lot more attention and thus, I feel I have developed a special bond with him.

How fast these 6 months have flown and I look forward to see what these next 6 months have to bring for Leo and us!