Kids do the craziest things...

First off, I want to update everyone on Miley's progress. Today is Thursday, September 28th. Miley has been taking 3oz from a bottle every morning since Saturday, September 19th. Yes, this is a HAPPY day for us! I decided the ball was really in my court. Why should I expect her to choose the bottle when I breastfeed her every chance I get? She since has taken 3-4 oz from a bottle for the babysitter the last two days =) VERY EXCITING!! I'm still planning to breastfeed in the evenings, but conquering the bottle has been a HUGE step!

I tried cereal with her the Tuesday night. She did pretty well. She really liked the idea of the spoon in her mouth. She didn't spit it right out as soon as it touched her toungue. She actually welcomed it, but didn't seem to know what to do once the cereal got into her mouth.


She has started to coo and make noises. She actually is beginning to laugh out loud. Last night Aiden and I were playing in his room and she was laying next to us on the floor. She was watching Aiden and just busted out laughing...real laughs that sounded like an adult laugh. I ran to get my camera and of course once the camera was in hand she wouldn't do it again. It was the cutest thing!

As for Mr. Aiden...

He has been doing pretty well. Trying to adjust to Mommy's new work schedule is taking a small tole on him, but he is doing better with it. We are noticing more competing for attention. Just last night I was taking a video of Miley cooing while Aiden was eating his dinner. I looked over at him only to find a piece of buttered bread on top of his head...butter side down. I couldn't do anything but laugh and start snapping pictures.

You've gotta love the comedy of children!!!

All in all we are doing great and adjusting to the new schedules. Looking forward to fall and Halloween. Can't wait to post pics of the kids in their costumes!! =)

Nursing/Bottle Issues - 3 Months Old

For all you mom's out there...

Have any of you experienced this with your newborn child?

My 3 1/2 month old daughter is primarily nursed. Around 1 to 2 months I introduced the bottle and formula to her on a somewhat regular basis. She did well with it, but than as schedules got busier I slacked and found it easier to just nurse her. I have since returned to work about a week and a half ago, making my daugher 3 months old. I'm lucky enough to have a wonderful friend of mine watching her very close to where I work. This makes it possible to slide over and breastfeed her over the lunch hour. However, I believe this has been creating a problem.

You see the first day that I went back to work she took 2 ounces from a bottle without much of a fight. I stopped in at lunch time and fed her and then she refused a bottle in the afternoon. The next day and every day since then she refuses to take a bottle.

I feed her before I leave for work (which is 5:30am) and I feed her again anywhere between 11:30am and 12:30pm. She doesn't cry or get irretable (like she may be hungry). She acts as though she is content waiting for me. She doesn't eat again until I pick her up around 4:30pm to 5:30pm. The other day she stayed with her grandmother and she ate at 5:30am and not again until 2:15pm (when they fed her while she was sleeping). Once she is at home, she will eat about every 2 hours until she goes down between 10pm and 11pm. She sleeps the whole night and most times she doesn't wake up when I feed her at 5:30am. She will eat while still asleep. Then she will continue to sleep until 8am or 8:30am. She takes two pretty decent hour or longer naps throughout the day as well.

Does anyone perceive this to be an issue? Does anyone have any advice on how to get her broke from "waiting" on me? Suggestions on getting her to take a bottle? Should I be content with her only eating 3 times during a 12 hour period? In between those 3 feedings she is still responsive, smiling and happy.

NOTE: It doesn't matter if the bottle is breast milk or formula.

Oh I forgot to mention that she is 15 pounds at 3 months old. So you could say she is a "healthy" baby...definitely not malnutritioned or starving!

Our Last Vacation of the Summer

Well we made it back safe and sound!! Had a wonderful time. It was cold and rainy most of the time, but we made the best of it.

As some of you all know, in the last few weeks we have established that Aiden (my 2 year old son) gets car sick. This was going to be an issue, since our destination was 4 1/2 to 5 hours away. We called his doctor and found out that the main ingredient in Dramamine is also in Benedryl. So we drugged him before we headed out last Wednesday. We made it a little over 4 hours before Aiden puked (this was probably only 20 minutes from the campground). Luckily we were prepared with plastic bags.

Here we are heading down the road....I'm turned around backwards in the front seat holding the plastic bag, while coaching Aiden through puking. Aaron pulls off the road and gets Aiden out of the truck to walk around a little. I did manage to catch all of the puke and keep his car seat clean. We headed back down the road until we got into the next town. We replenished our supply of plastic bags, making sure to check for holes in the bottom of the bags. We made it out to the campground with only a couple false alarms.

It was pretty decent the first day. We sat around camp until my sister and brother in law got there (about an hour later). We all set up camp and we were in bed by 10:30 or so. The next morning the boys went out fishing, while my sister and I and the kids went into town for showers and a few groceries. It was quite eventful. We showered at a local hotel. We had to take turns...one showering while the other watched the kids. Those of you who know my sister, Jessica, you know she doesn't have any children and doesn't really plan on having them anytime soon!! Oh did I mention we brought her 2 boxer dogs with us...They stayed in the car while we showered. When I was finishing up my shower she took Aiden out to the car to check on her dogs. This went pretty well, but this was when Jess realized that two dogs and a two year old can be slightly stressful. Aiden is a busy 2 year old that doesn't listen that well and wants to get into everything. She let her dogs walk around while still managing to keep Aiden under control! We finished up and ran to the store for a few things. I just stayed in the car with the kids and dogs while Jess ran into the store. I called my dad to get the scoop on when they thought they would make it up. While I was talking the kids were screaming, so I quickly ended the conversation to get after the kids. Jess was just getting back to the car as well. She was loading her stuff in the back of the ride (where her dogs were at). Apparently her dogs don't do well in "stressful" situations. The dogs must have been stressed from the kids screaming and Mickey freaked out because a bag of ice was tipping over in the back next to her. She came sailing over the back seat and jumped right onto Miley in her car seat. She was half on Aiden and half over Miley. The kids were screaming more and the dogs were trembling. We got Mickey out of the vehicle and back into the back, only to have her freak out within seconds and jump over the back seat again. WOW! Seriously? Jess had to move both dogs into the front seat while I moved to the back with the kids. I was cracking up! The dogs were trembling and Jess was slightly stressed, once again realizing that kids and dogs can be stressful! =) We headed back to camp.

My parents came in late Thursday night. It rained Friday on and off. Friday night we all got cleaned up and went out to eat. It got pretty cold Friday night. Saturday was a miserable day!! It was wicked cold (high of 57) and rainy!! We sat in the screened in room with a small heater and played cards while the kids slept. Thankfully, last night it cleared up so we could all sit around the fire (even the kids). It stayed clear into the morning and we were all able to go out fishing.
I caught a 17 1/2" Largemouth Bass and
Aaron caught a 16 1/2" Smallmouth Bass.

Best catches of the weekend.

Miley was GREAT! The older she gets the better she is. She slept great. I really can't wait to see her toddling around next to Aiden! Next summer vacations will be so much fun with the two of them!


We headed home this afternoon around 2. Aiden made it the whole way home without throwing up. Luckily, he slept most of the way. We made it home around 7 and we are so thankful to be home...warm and dry!!
There were several funny little memories made this trip. Made me appreciate not only my family, but the family Aaron and I have created! I love these memories and I'm so happy I married a man that enjoys it as much as I do!!