Before I begin todays post, two things. Thing one is that yesterday was bananas. Seriously, it was so crazy. I napped most of the day and was completely cashed out for the night by 9:00pm. Thankfully, I feel worlds apart better today. I ate breakfast and lunch without issue, and the single remaining memory of yesterday is a bit of a dull headache, which I can handle. I’m SO thankful thats all thats left! Thing two is a belly picture, since I didn’t put one on yesterdays post. I’m going to say “belly” loosely, because it is clear that I dropped some weight yesterday…
Not much of a belly to see at all, but considering just how much exited my body yesterday, I’m not too surprised. I’m sure it’ll be back soon enough.
Onto what todays post is actually about! I wrote a post a while ago that kind of just centred on Dekker and Laela, and how they’re developing and growing and maturing and changing. I’ve been wanting to write one on Rowan and Solomon for a while now, and today is the day! I’ll start with Rowan. Oldest to youngest 🙂
Rowan has been figuring some important stuff out recently, which is really awesome! He’s 2.5 years old, so he’s right in the middle of that stage where his communication is taking a turn for the better, and some challenges come along with that, for sure. But its getting better! He is comprehending more also, which makes communicating even easier, as he’s absorbing more from lessons and daily life. He wants to help alongside his siblings, and he is actually able to be helpful! In the recent past, he’s finally learned to drink from a cup instead of a sippy cup!! I know, some of you may think he’s behind in that area, but for us, its really really wonderful, and I don’t care how long its taken. The sippy cup has left him low maintenance at meals, because the reality is that he’s little still, and not the most coordinated. With that come more spilling and more messes, but we’ve trusted him a little bit more recently, and he’s quickly picked up on drinking from a cup, and feeding himself even the really messy things. Seems like a small victory, but not to me 🙂 I’m super proud of him. The last thing I want to touch on with Ro is his mouth!!! Its been a long road, and poor Ro still doesn’t have ANYTHING in his bed beyond his mattress and sheet, but its paid off! His mouth is EXACTLY as it should be!! We used to laugh at his cartoonish, large mouth, but now that he doesn’t stuff his mouth full of anything (beyond stuffing his cheeks full of food) his mouth is beautifully proportionate to his face!!
He’s so handsome in that picture 🙂 I know its not a close up of how his teeth meet or anything, but even just this is SO much different than it used to be! I’m so happy about the progress he’s made. My only sadness is over how much he wants a blanket. He’s actually gone as far as to steal Dekker’s quilt off of him in the middle of the night. He reaches it through his crib bars and hauls it into his bed, lays it out all nicely, and sleeps like a log. He would LOVE a blanket. But I think we have to wait a little bit longer, so we know the habit is kicked. I would hate to have to take it away again 🙁 I’m so so proud of Rowan. Its such a pleasure watching him grow and change and develop. He is an incredible, content, loving, snuggly little boy. I love him so much.
Solly is also making some big changes recently! While Rowan wasn’t doing so hot drinking from a cup, Solly could NOT figure out a sippy cup!! He hated both the straw and the traditional sippy cup, and it got to the point where we’d bring one out at a meal and he would just cry and bat it away. He did NOT want it. With that, though, he was also SUPER over his bottle. Turns out all he needed was the beach to heat him up really good, to make him really want a drink of water, and he managed to drink from a water bottle. Rowan happily shared his water with him at the beach, and cheered him on as he would draw out water, drool it all out, and do it again. Over and over, he did this, learning the process. It was pretty cute. By the end of that day, he knew how to use the water bottle. No sweat, no issue. When we brought him home, it took about half a day for him to go from that to a sippy cup with a slimmer straw, and since that day, he hasn’t had a bottle. Hasn’t missed it or asked for it once. Nope. That stage is OVER! Which is pretty awesome 🙂 Another new thing he does is say “ni-night.” He says the occasional “hi” or calls us “mama” and “dada” but this one is consistent, and he knows exactly what he’s saying! I’m so psyched that the very beginning of language is upon us! Lastly, when we got home from the lake, we finally installed a baby gate. Solly has had a lot of room to move around, but he’s mostly been confined to the living room, and its been driving him crazy not to be able to follow his siblings around. Now that the gate is up and he can roam the whole house, his mobility has gone nuts! He’s standing constantly, and I don’t think walking is too far away. He also has begun practicing stairs, and after the first day of going up and down them, he knew to turn around at the top and go down safely! Its not foolproof yet, obviously, and we’re always with him while he’s on them, but he’s picking it up so quickly!! Its been fun to see him so excited and adventurous!
His pose, though! Hahaha! He’s so pleased with life now that he can branch out and be free, and I feel like he’s blossomed since the lake! He understands SO MUCH, and is so social and hilarious and brave. I love him to pieces, and I can’t wait for what the next few months of development will bring. Brady and I talked recently about how our other kids would learn to walk and would easily walk underneath countertops or tables, but Solly is already too tall for that kind of thing, and has been cranking his head on everything! Help! Our kids keep getting taller!! He was 23″ at birth! Do they come taller than that?! Because I was pretty maxed out space-wise when I carried him! Once again, say what you will about induction, but I’m SO thankful I was able to have him a week early!! Really, all things considered though, I am SO thankful I got to have him at all, and that I still do get to have him! I’m thankful for every single day I have my kids. Aren’t they amazing??
Ok, little boy brag post over 🙂 I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it out.