Soap and Sleep

Broc got a new lens for Christmas, which has turned our photos from pretty good to pretty great. I'm very much enjoying taking pictures of our kiddos and playing with them in Lightroom. Piper and Miles got baths this morning. They both love being in the water and I love it when their heads smell like soap.
On a different note, a few days ago I was at a breaking point with Miles. Having to bounce him to sleep every time he was tired was starting to get to me (especially since he weighs about 19lbs). With him being approximately 4 months old, I was more then ready to start sleep training him, but a little weary that he was still too young to learn the self sleep skill. His bedroom is our walk-in closet and it being a little dark and sad looking, I tried to spruce it up with some extra curtains. He is a great napper now! He is taking 3 to 4 naps a day, waking up happy and rested. He rarely complains when I lay him down and if he does it is short lived. This being the second time I've sleep trained a baby, I am a believer and I would reccommend the book to any pooped parent!

How's your Mileage?

We got a pretty sweet ride for Christmas. The mileage is good since it runs Fred Flintstone style. Miles is all about straightening the legs in the upright position. He prefers to be in this stance, so much so that if you lay him on his back for a moment he becomes enraged. The kid certainly knows what he likes and what he doesn't. This car is where Miles spends his time while I prepare meals and do dishes. I look forward to him figuring out that he can cruise around the house on his own.

like riding a bike

Piper is learning how to ride a bike. I think she is a little late on this skill, simply because Broc and I have not been pushing it. Miles is finally taking longer naps (hoping I don't jinx myself here), allowing me to focus a little bit of time on Piper, laundry, etc... She can become quite discouraged and give up quickly, but today I pushed her to keep trying and she got the hang of it. Hip hip hooray! We are also focusing some time on learning a few sight words. As most of you know Piper loves books, so this is a task she is more excited to tackle. She is very familiar with the word "and," pointing it out all over the place. Preschool here we come!

Miles of fun

Things are happening! For several weeks now this baby has been laying around, taking things in. Until just a few days ago, Miles was not a frequenter of tummy time. He simply would not have it, no not at all. Suddenly neck strength kicked in high gear and it became more then tolerable. Piper calls this baby exercise. Other developments include hand coordination. He uses both hands to trap a toy or his favorite blanket, then of course it goes right into the mouth.
We decided to use cloth diapers this time around. It was a great decision for us, as it only take a small load of laundry a day to save quite a few bucks and produce a little less waste. We just got a shipment of these gray diapers, which I think are very Miles.

sick sick sick

Piper and I very rarely get sick, but it seems we are more susceptible to Michigan germs then others. While my family was still in town Piper woke up with a fever of 103. Since then Miles and I followed suit. We have been spending much time in pajamas, snuggling and nursing our colds (oh, and playing with Pip's tablet which she got for Christmas).

There are very few things you can do for sickly little ones and nursing moms. We crank the humidifiers at night and use saline nasal spray. I have come to enjoy honey more as my throat is sore and for Piper I found Honey Pops by Little Remedies, which she considers a delicacy. How Broc dodged this bullet, only God knows.

While being ill is not desirable, it certainly humbles you. I want to get my house back to normal and get Miles into some kind of sleeping routine, but I am only human and I cannot snap my fingers to make us well. All I can do is rest easy making sure these kids have all the TLC I can muster.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

This year we stayed put and let Christmas come to us. Our families were gracious enough to travel a long long way from home so we could all have Christmas together. We had a great celebration with presents coming out the ears. I am always forgetting to get out the camera in the moment, but here are a few good shots. We miss our families oh so much, but were so grateful to have this time together.

Play

Miles is beginning to enjoy toys. He'll spend 10 minutes here or there checking out the objects on his play mat. I hung a little green frog in front of his car seat and that frog is quite a topic for conversation. I have also begun reading to him which I can tell is a hit. His eyes become wide and his arms move excitedly. I have forgotten how much fun babies are when they begin to play and become vocal. Piper is a great helper, always offering him another toy, always trying to teach him something. We are all excited to see what Miles will do next.