Jude is Two

Our littlest man is two.  This kid makes us smile, giggle, and shake our head every single day.  The way he runs around the house on his toes is comical and his long, red locks are, too.  He has us all wrapped around his finger and we just adore him more than we can say.  Here is what Jude is up to these days...

• Jude's favorite things in the world right now are trains.  He will play with his trains and train table for long stretches of time in his room. He is a bit happier if someone agrees to play with him.
• Jude is learning to talk, slowly but surely.  Our favorites right now are: 'I need help', 'Momma' (said so lovingly), Dadda/Daddy (also said lovingly), 'Choo-choo', and 'pizza'.
• Jude has mastered sleeping.  He takes a good two to three hour nap in the afternoon and sleeps through the night.  We love him for it.
• Jude loves it when someone reads to him.  Any books with trucks or trains are a go-to.

• Eating is something Jude does well.  He will plow through food with the best of them.  His favorites are peas, pizza, raspberries, Uncrustables, macaroni and cheese, blueberries, cookies, and any kind of meat. 
• Kisses and 'nigh-night' are a must before bed.  He goes around to each of us and doles them out, me taking all I can get and Luke and Lily reluctantly stopping their play to love on their little brother.
• We joke with Jude about his belly and he always loves to show us his 'big, fat belly'.

• Anything with a lid is exciting for Jude.  He loves to open and unscrew containers.  We literally thought about getting him a bunch of empty bottles for his birthday this year, but for some reason he likes them full.
• One of Jude's secret pleasures is going into his big brother's room to play with his Legos.  If Luke is distracted, Jude will make his way to his Lego table and play with each and every creation. Thank goodness he doesn't feel compelled to put little pieces in his mouth.
• Jude is a pretty social kid.  He will try and talk anyone into reading him a book or playing trains and cars with him.

We feel so incredibly blessed to call Jude our's.  Our lives are better because he is in our family.  We love you to pieces, sweet Jude!

Jude is 18 months

Our beautiful boy is 18 months.  How?  I'm not sure.  I haven't been writing here lately, but I want to keep updating all you sweet readers on our little life.  And here it is, our boy is a year and a half.  He is growing and changing and still our Baby Jude that we all adore.  Here is what Jude has been up to lately:

• Jude is the smiliest kid.  His grin these days is filled with lots of teeth and we can't help but smile back at him.
• Pacifiers are still a thing for this boy.  He sleeps with about five every night and always has one close by.
• Lily knows how to make Jude laugh.  It's like they have a language all their own and it is the sweetest thing to watch unfold.
• Jude loves blueberries, macaroni and cheese, peas, and peanut butter and jelly.  I'm not sure if that's what he really loves or if that's just what we have been eating a lot of these days. (?)
• Judes loves to organize (like his momma).  He will sort and stack and pile things and I absolutely adore watching him do this.

• All boy, that's what our Jude is.  He loves all animals, dirt, tractors, and climbing.  
• Speaking of climbing, we can't get Jude to stop.  Sometimes I feel the most important job in my life right now is keeping him alive.  He wants to climb on everything and he, without a doubt, keeps me on my toes.
• Our Jude has been called a girl more than once these past several months. We just can't cut his curls.
• Bless this child for his sleep.  He didn't always sleep well, but these days he naps and sleeps at night like a dream.  
• Jude loves Abel (our dog) so much and giggles every time he gets the chance to pet him or see him.

• Outside.  Jude is an outdoorsman at heart and could wander and play for hours in our backyard.  He just needs a lot of sunscreen on that pale beach body of his.

Time is flying by with this one and we are savoring every single minute with him.

Jude is 15 months

Our littlest man is 15 months old (actually almost 16) #thirdchild.  His personality is absolutely starting to shine through and it is a joy to see him interact with us and others. 

Here is what our Jude is up to these days:

• Jude loves cabinets he is not supposed to be in.  He is partial to the cabinets under the sink as well as any cabinet that houses glass jars or serving ware.  
• Sorting, stacking, and lining up are things Jude does in his spare time. His favorite things to use are bottles, but will also use magnets, cans of food, or other small toys.
• Abel is Jude's puppy.  He can say 'Abel' when prompted and is more affectionate towards him than almost anyone else in the family.
• Jude still takes a pacfier.  He sleeps with 5-6 in his crib at a time because he loves to throw them out onto the floor and then is upset when he ends up with none to use.
• Jude can say the words 'Abel,' 'all done', 'Momma', 'Dadda', and can sign 'please'.  He says 'Abel' the most.
• Jude enjoys milk, blueberries, waffles, taco night, peas, and crackers. He definitely tends to like vegetables over fruit.
• Jude still takes two naps a day, but is moving towards only one.  He sleeps from 7:30-7:30 at night.  Usually we can find him playing in his crib when we get him up in the morning.
• Luke and Lily are two of Jude's favorite people.  He loves watching them and trying to join in on their fun.  Luke and Lily try to tolerate it as much as a five and three year old can.  
• All the kids love it when Kevin plays 'Hey Jude', but Jude is the center of attention with his dancing skills.  He sways his little hips back and forth and it is the cutest thing.
• Being outside is one of Jude's favorite things in the world.  He loves to swing, pet Abel, and wander around the yard.

We love our Jude to pieces and he makes us smile each and everyday.  Stay little sweet boy!

Jude is 1

He's been with us 12 months, although it seems he has been with us forever. Our Jude is a year old.  He is goofy and giggly and good at making us smile. He is our third child, our sweet surprise, our baby.  And we absolutely can't believe he is walking and babbling and doing all sorts of 'big' baby things (I'm not ready to say toddler).  

Here we go.  All about Jude...

• Our little man is walking and it is the cutest thing in my world at the moment.  He sometimes gets going and doesn't know how to stop.  Other times he raises his hands straight up in the air as he races to go somewhere.  
• Jude is a BIG eater.  He eats more than I do at most meals (which is really saying something) and will eat almost anything you put in front of him.  His favorites are pancakes and raspberries, and has a real love for Mexican food.  

• His tongue.  Jude sticks out his tongue often when he finds something funny or just when he is being goofy.  It is the best.

• Jude loves to be doing whatever Luke and Lily are doing.  He follows them around and they are now shutting their doors so he doesn't get into their stuff.  
• One of Jude's favorite things to do is open cabinets.  His favorite cabinet in our house is the one under the sink.  Of course.  If I don't get it secured with a hairband, he makes a beeline to open it up.

• Throwing things is another one of Jude's favorite pastimes.  He has discovered throwing things down the stairs and loves to throw anything he can get his hands on.  
• It's hard to get Jude out of the bath these days.  He loves splashing with Daddy and playing with the washcloths in the tub.
• Jude sleeps from 7-7 each night and takes a morning and afternoon nap.  We love him for it.
• The way Jude snuggles with us after a nap makes my Momma heart melt. There isn't much better.  

This past year has been one of the best.  Jude has brought so much joy to our family and we can't help but smile everyday at his little grin and giggle.  We love our sweet Jude.

1 month until 1 year

That's right.  Our littlest man is 11 months, yesterday.  He is our smiley, chubby-thighed, walker-who-wants-to-crawl, little brother.  It's hard to look at him and not break out in a smile.  He brings joy to our family each and every day and all of us love him to pieces.  He is our Jude.

Here is what Jude has been up to this past month...

• Jude takes three to four steps at a time, but only if he is truly motivated.  He prefers crawling to get what he wants.
• Eating is still one of Jude's favorite things to do, although he has gotten a bit reluctant on unfamiliar food.  We have to trick him into taking a bite and then he is all in.  Raspberries are still his go-to.
• Jude is a power sleeper and we love him for it.  He is still taking two good naps a day and sleeping twelve hours at night.

• Following Luke and Lily around is still one way he annoys them and entertains himself.  He loves his big brother and sister.
• Jude can make a friend anywhere.  He lights up into a smile at strangers and they (usually) smile right back.  
• Pacifiers are Jude's jam.  He almost always has one nearby.  He likes to have one in his mouth and one to hold onto.  He sleeps with at least five in his crib at a time.
• When it gets warm out, Jude and our dog, Abel, are going to be best friends.  Jude can't get enough of his four-legged friend.

• Fires have been going in our fireplace lately and it is Jude's mission in life to get through the barricade to see what all the fuss is about.  Good luck, kid.
• The cabinet under the sink, the toilet, and the cabinets in the bathroom are places you can find Jude if he is missing.  He loves to get into all kinds of mischief there.

• Dirt is Jude's love language.  If there is dirt, Jude will find it. And absolutely get dirt under his fingernails as well as everywhere else.
• When Daddy runs a bath, you can hear Jude's hands pat the ground as he races to the bathroom.  It's his favorite time of day. 
• Also on the top of Jude's fun things to do is crawl all over Daddy.  He loves it when Daddy lays on the ground and he has free reign.

• One of our favorite things Jude does right now is cuddle.  He puts both his hands and arms by his bell and lays his head down on a shoulder. There is not much better.

We love our Jude and feel so blessed he was chosen for our family.  Now, this next month just needs to slow down!

Jude is 10 months

His chipmunk laugh lights up a room and his casual spitting up makes even the masters of motherhood recoil.  Our Jude is 10 months.  The first year is flying with this babe.  I'm not sure we could adore him anymore than we do at this very moment.  We love him so.  Here is what Jude has been up to this past month...

• Jude is so so close to walking.  He stands on his own and walks around any piece of furniture he can find and many times uses mom and dad's legs to support himself while he gets from point A to point B.
• When Jude hears the water start in the bathroom, he makes a beeline for the bathtub.  He loves splashing in the water.  Bath time is one of his favorite times of day with Daddy.
• Jude is taking two solid naps a day and sleeping around 12 hours at night. Some days are better than others, but we are all thankful for a consistent routine.  
• Plants and our entertainment center are two places Jude gets into mischief.  He tries to pull devices off the entertainment center and has set off our house alarm more than once.  He has also eaten handfuls of dirt from a specific plant that sits on the ground.  It's so hard to be mad at him.
• Jude opens his mouth for about any kind of food.  If we are eating, Jude is eating.  
• Following Luke and Lily around make Jude happy and Luke and Lily tolerate it from time to time.

• On vacuum day, Jude gets excited to follow me all around the house.  It serves two purposes: cleaning the house and entertaining the baby.
• Jude still spits up an unbelievable amount.  We are waiting for the day when we can all not change our clothes a few times a day.
• Jude's favorite book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear and he loves to cuddle on my shoulder as I read and put him down for a nap.
• Jude has two bottom teeth and a top one is popping through, very very slowly.  His gummy smile is gone.
• Throwing balls and pacifiers and really anything he can find, is Jude's talent.  Every morning, Kevin and I go on a pacifier hunting mission because Jude has inevitably thrown every single pacifier out of his crib.

We love our littlest babe and treasure all the firsts we are experiencing with him.  Love you sweet Jude!

Jude is 9 months

It is a busy week around here.  Luke turned five yesterday, Jude is 9 months today, and Lily turns three next Friday.  We love birthdays, so it's a week of celebrating and loving our babes.

Our Jude is hard to keep up with on a daily basis.  He is on the move constantly and wants to follow Luke and Lily around as well as Mom and Dad.  He is getting close to walking, but we hope he holds off for awhile.  He wants to get big and we selfishly want him to stay little.  (Luke is already asking for another baby.) Here is what our boy has been up to this past month:

• Jude adores putting things into his mouth.  Food, milk, crumbs from the floor.  This kid loves to eat.  He really enjoys taco night as well as chicken burrito bowls.  He might be a Mexican food lover.
• Jude is crawling everywhere and has just started walking with a walker. He tried walking with Lily's stroller and we quickly realized he needed something more sturdy.  Thank goodness for friends in the same life stage as us, I was able to borrow a walker in a few days.

• Jude is nursing three times a day and taking three bottles a day.  He is eating 8 ounces in his bottles and I'm pretty sure he would eat more if we let him.
• Jude was Yoda for his first Halloween.  He was THE cutest.
• Bath time with Daddy is a favorite time of day.  He is now sitting in the bathtub and splashing and giggling through it all.
• When I get the vacuum out, I have a shadow.  Jude loves following me around when I clean the floors.
• Jude is taking two naps a day and is sleeping around 12 hours at night. He uses a pacifier to sleep and we are finding that he has suddenly started losing them quite often.  We go on pacifier hunts almost daily.

We love this boy to pieces and can't imagine our lives without him. He is our bruiser, our go-getter, our back-of-the-throat giggler.  We just adore him.  

8 months of Jude

This past weekend my father-in-law was talking about how Jude will be 8 months this week.  I corrected him in my head because Jude wasn't going to be 8 months, but 7 months old.  Then, I did the math and I caught myself.  My father-in-law was right.  My third baby is turning 8 months old...today.  Bless his heart, he is the most easy going, rough and tough baby I know.  His older siblings have pretty much determined he must have this personality.  

Our sweet Jude is stealing more and more of our hearts day by day.  Here is what he has been up to this past month:

• Jude is standing, crawling, and carefully walking around things while he holds on.  He is a bruiser and got his most recent bruise to the head this week when he crawled into the corner of a wall.
• Sleep has gotten so much better for Jude.  He is taking two naps a day with his longer one being in the afternoon with his siblings.  He sleeps a solid 11-12 hours at night.  
• Jude's chunky thighs speak to his love for food.  He nurses three times a day and takes three bottles.  He is now chowing down on real food and eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner with us.  He is partial to pears, peaches, and broccoli.
• There isn't much that can beat Jude's giggle.  It is the back of the throat kind and it makes me smile every. single. time.  
• Jude loves to spend time outside, especially in the swing.  He is just like his brother and sister.
• Two pearly whites now stick out from Jude's bottom gums.  They weren't too traumatic for him, so let's hope the rest come in the same way.
• Exploring is at the front of Jude's mind all the time and, unfortunately for Luke and Lily, he has started to love to crawl to their rooms and get into their toys.
• Giggles fill the bathroom when Jude takes a bath.  It's still one of his favorite times of day with Daddy.

Our little man is so easy to love and smother with hugs and kisses and snuggles.  We simply adore him.

7 months

'You're such a cuuuuute baby.  Yessss youuuu are.'

Those are the words that escape Lily's mouth almost every time she lays eyes on her baby brother.  There is no doubt, he is loved.

Our Jude is 7 months young today.  He is acting like a nine month old and I just can't handle all he is doing these days.  He is making his baby days fly by.  Here is what Jude has been up to this past month:

• Jude is crawling and standing and this makes him happy.  He is on the move, all the time.

• Apples, pears, peas, strawberries, peaches...Jude loves food.  He is eating with us these days and gets giddy when he sees a baby pouch appear.
• Bottles are another one of Jude's favorite things.  He nurses three times a day and gets three bottles a day.  He is most definitely our chunkiest baby.
• Jude loves to be kissed and snuggled and loves it when raspberries are blown on his belly or arm or neck. 

• As much as Jude loves standing or crawling, he wants to be held often.  We don't mind, most of the time.
• Jude takes two significant naps a day and sleeps from 7-7 at night.  We started sleep training when we returned from vacation and he is catching on.

• Bathtime is officially done in the bathtub these days and is needed everyday.  He is a mess from eating food and needs to be dunked and scrubbed every night.  
• Winter is going to be brutal for Jude because he loves being outside in the sun.  He has also discovered the swing this past month and can't get enough.

We just love this kid to pieces.  Slow down big guy.

Half a Year

Half a year this babe has been in our lives.  Half a year of cuddles, nursing, smiles, sleep deprivation, giggles, bottles, diaper changes, and lots of lots of 'I love yous'.  This is one loved little man.  Not only do Kevin and I shower him with love whenever we can, but Luke and Lily fight over who gets to give him a kiss and hug first when he goes down for a nap.  I'm not sure that will last forever, but for now it is the sweetest thing.

Jude is changing and growing everyday.  Here is what he has been up to this past month...

• Crawling. Everywhere.  Jude is on the move and we officially have to keep the gate to the stairs closed.  He loves exploring and trying to keep up with his brother and sister.
• Jude loves to eat.  I am not keeping up with him as much as I want to, so he is getting a few bottles throughout the day to satisfy his appetite.

• Our babe sleeps two good stretches during the day and goes to bed around 7:00 and sleeps until 7:00 the next morning with one feeding somewhere around 3:00 a.m.  We have gotten lucky a few times and he has slept all the way through the night.
• This kid is about as easy going as it gets.  He is laid back and up for everything and anything.  God love him.
• Jude is known for leaving a trail of slobber and spit up in his path.  
• Staring up at the trees and the sky is one of his favorite things to do. He is an outdoorsman at heart.
• Bath time and a bottle before bed is the time Kevin and Jude get to bond. He loves his Daddy.

• Jude enjoys being in someone's arms almost as much as he enjoys crawling. He will cozy up to whomever will give him attention.
• Food is on our radar.  Jude has tried bananas and avocado, but is not a big fan of either.  We give him big pieces to mash in his mouth and he uses them more for entertainment purposes than nutritional purposes.

Our littlest man is such a joy.  He gives us a reason to smile and laugh and be thankful every single day.  It's hard to remember what our family was like without him and we just don't want to.  We love him to pieces.  Now if we can just get time to slow down a bit.

   

5 months with Jude

A lot has changed since Jude entered the world on a cool February evening five months ago.  The snow and bitter wind has been exchanged for humid heat, green grass, and longer days.  His newborn swaddles have been swapped for bigger sleepers and a sack he can actually move in.  I no longer get to see his sweet face four or five times in the middle of the night.  It's hard to believe, but life has changed a lot in the last five months.  The changes have been incremental.  Slow, sloth like shifts that are hard to notice until, well, I notice.  Usually three weeks after the fact.

Our littlest guy is the definition of change.  Here is what he has been up to this past month.

• Sleeping ebbs and flows.  His nighttime sleep is semi-consistent with a good eight hour stretch at the beginning of the night, followed by a feeding and another three or four hour stretch.  Nap times are a bit harder as we are trying to teach him to sleep in bigger chunks.
• Scooting.  He is somewhere in-between rolling and crawling.  He somehow gets from point A to point B and the only thing I know to call it is scooting.  He is on his knees a lot and wants to crawl like it's nobody's business.  (Take your time son of mine.)
• Jude is one of the smiliest kids.  All it takes is talking to him to be gifted one of his mouth-open-wide-smiles.

• Spitting up is still on Jude's repertoire of things he does well.  The washing machine is always going at our house.
• Jude loves playing with his rings and books and gets giddy when someone reads, The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle. 
• Jude has discovered his legs.  He loves to kick his legs when he gets excited about something. Speaking of kicking his legs, Jude loves to do his new trick in the bathtub.  We will soon be moving bath time to the actual bathtub.   
• If Jude is crabby, a trip outside will surely lift his spirits.  He loves rolling around on the grass and looking up at the sky.
• Jude's favorite people are Luke and Lily.  Lily likes to blow raspberries on his stomach and Luke likes to read him books and talk to him.  My dream is for them all to be the best of friends.  #mommascandream #onmykneesforthisone

Our baby boy is growing, growing, growing and as much as we love it, we are cherishing each and every day of the sweet baby phase.  (Kevin and I both love it so much.)  

Jude is 4 months

Our baby boy is 4 months old today.  He is sweet and smiley and happy and content and we can't help but smile when we look at him.  He is our precious Jude.  

Here is what he has been up to this past month:

• Jude's newest trick is rolling over from back to belly to back to belly. He almost immediately goes onto his belly if laid on his back.  
• Sleep.  He was on a roll there for awhile and was getting three good naps during the day and 5-6 hour stretches of sleep at night.  Now that he is rolling over, we had to take him out of the woombie.  Let's just say we are in an adjustment period...

• This child loves to be talked to and loves to talk back.  He will coo and smile and almost sing to anyone who will listen.
• A big part of Jude's personality is his 'go with the flow' attitude.  This is most definitely the case when he is spitting up, which happens about twenty times a day.
• Like his brother and sister before him, Jude has started sucking his fingers every now and again.  Right now he prefers his left pointer and middle finger, but there is still time for him to change his mind.  If those are the fingers he chooses, he will be copying his big brother Luke.
• The weather has warmed up and Jude loves hanging outside looking up at the trees and sky.  Good thing, because we have been outside a lot lately.
• Jude nurses four to five times a day and gets two bottles at night.  He doesn't miss a meal.
• Luke and Lily are still his favorites.  He loves it when they talk to him or engage with him.  The feeling is mutual.

• Bath time with Daddy is always a highlight of his week.  Getting a rub down in warm water is definitely his jam.

This boy of ours has stolen our hearts and it is bittersweet to watch him grow. We love seeing each new thing he does, but we also adore cuddling him and memorizing every little feature and movement.  He is a keeper.