Like the blog says…

Like the blog title says…."a few of my favorite things…"  One of my favorite things  {person, place or…} is Ava.  Ava was the first grandchild on my side and she has always been a little firecracker!  I took some pictures of our little princess Aurora this weekend, she is looking very chic in her princess skirt and cowgirl boots!  She was a VERY GOOD listener, but a little bit of a diva.  We first went out with no shoes and Ava informed me she doesn't walk in dirt and then claimed she couldn't sit in the grass because there were bugs.  Despite both those obstacles, she was a true professional and did everything I asked of her.  I kept telling her NOT to smile, which made her giggle…it was so cute!

Look what I can do!

Can you tell the difference...?

Tate Update: 3 Months

Our little Tater Tot is 3 Months Old today!!!  Hard to believe it's been 3 months already and of coarse I took pictures to mark this special day!


Here's how Tate has grown in the last month!

- he is 14.9 pounds
-size 2 diapers
-anywhere from 3month-9 month clothing
-doesn't like being left alone, wants to be able to see you
-enjoys baths
-baby acne cleared
-says "ahh-goo" and "geeee" loves to have conversations with you
-blows bubble and razzes when he is excited or concentrating
-his hair can't decide if it wants to grow or fall out, he is on his third coat of hair :)
-wants daddy when he is gassy and want mommy when he is hungry or tired
-sleeps on belly in his crib
         -May 20th slept from 11pm-6am
          -June 6th slept from 11pm-9am
            -June 14th slept from 10pm-9am....in other words he is a good sleeper!
-Tried rice cereal twice but he didn't like it, so we stopped
-nurses every 3-4 hours
-Starting to adjust into a schedule, this is a good day: up at 6am to eat- eat every 3 hours-napping in between and asleep for the night by 10pm
-lifts head 90 degree when on belly
-can bear most of his weight on his legs, stands when we hold onto his hands
-holds head steady when upright
-brings both hands together
-rolled over June 1st and rolled over today!
-can grab things (blanket, pacifier...) and put them in his mouth
-keeps head level with body when pulled to sitting
-can follow an object 180 degrees
-turns head to mom and dads voice
-nicknames "Tater" for obvious reasons "Monkey" because of his long leg and arms
-occasionally sucks thumb



Over all Tate is an "easy" baby, he is so smiley and happy.  He just loves to look at you and talk.  Riley is really adjusting to Tate, Riley like to go in and wake Tate up "OOOHHH...good morning baby Tate...did you sleepy good!?"  it's pretty cute!  Riley also calls him Tater, which just cracks me up! Below are some 3 month pictures of Tate...and as you will see, I can't take much credit for Tate's looks :)

14.9 pounds ( the scale was dialed back for the padding, clothing and diaper, so it reads accurate)

Tate-Looking like Mr. GQ

           
                                             Could he look more like his daddy!?

                                                                   My little monkey!

Thumb War II

Guess who decided to start sucking his thumb.....

Riley sucked his thumb from 2-5 months

He never did it a lot, just once in a while...while he was chewing on his hands he would find his thumb.  

And that is what Tate does...he just happens to find his thumb and suck for a little bit.  

It's just too cute...as long as it stops by the time he is 1 year!

Flash Back Friday

Wordless Wednesday

Tate Update: 2 Months

3 Months ago I was pregnant and feeling like I would stay that way for the rest of my life.
2 Months ago I was sitting in a hospital bed falling in love all over again!

Life with a 2 month old is wonderful...and it only gets better from here.  Tate smiles all the time, sleeps all the time and eats all the time...with a bit of fussiness here and there, but nothing we can't handle {as long as monkey and snuggie are around}  He is getting to be a big boy, he is the about the same size Riley was at this age.  We do see a difference in body type, Tate seems to be a little "thicker"  through the chest and belly.  Here is a breakdown of Tate's life as a 2 month old:

-loves to fall asleep in your arms wrapped in his blanket and sucking on his monkey pacifier.
-sleeps in crib in nursery (since 3 weeks old)
-we have a half-way schedule: during the day it's every 3-4 hours then a last minute feeding at 10 or 11 pm
-sleeps from 11pm-7am
-exclusively breast fed (which is going great!)
-wears 3-6 and 6 month clothing
-wears size 2 diapers
-12.10 pounds and 23 1/2 inches long
-lost hair on top of head and is now growing back dark
-blue eyes
-big hands and small head...?
-smiles, coos, laughs and squeals
-recognizes mommy, daddy and even Riley's voices
-loves his monkey pacifier (but doesn't keep it in his mouth on his own)
-loves to be rocked
-snorts when he gets upset
-cries tears :(
-can hold his head up at a 90 degree angle when laying on belly (impressive)
-can bear almost all of his weight on legs
-baptised on May 15th 2011

Happy Friday

did you expect anything less from this child....?  

As I am sitting at the computer, I hear Riley in the studio saying..."come on bed...you too small!"  I walk in to find him stripped of his clothes and trying to squeeze himself onto my tiny baby bed prop.  Somehow I think this is a look into the future...and the start to many other things Riley will find are too small!

Who Dat!?

Can you tell which picture is Riley and which picture is Tate?

Poor Bear....?

As you all know, Riley and the dog have been buddies since the beginning...

 Riley has always crawled and hugged on bear....

Which was fine until little Riley become...well, not so little anymore...

Now Riley uses Bear as a launching pad to jump off of and onto, as a step stool to reach unreachable objects and as a pawn in his little games, such as trying to brush her teeth with a spatula or putting hats on her head.  Riley gets in trouble for treating the dog this way...we really don't want bear to end up on as ASPCA commercial, but for some reason she really doesn't seem to mind all the abuse.

Like Looking in a Mirror

Tate is fascinated by this big bald man...could it be because there is something familiar...

Easter

Easter weekend was busy:  Easter at grandma's...photo appointment....church...cabin...and with all the fun that was happening you would think I would have taken pictures!!!??? Guess again!  I have been so "out of it" lately I forget the simplest things...so I am going to have to reenact easter sometime, with the boys in their Sunday best and Riley searching for Easter eggs Sunday morning.


 I did manage to get  some pictures from that weekend

Meet The GREAT Grandparents....

These last 2 weeks brought visits to and from the great grandparents.  What a blessing for us to have our children meet our grandparents.  Grandma Collins just kissed Tate all over and he slept in her arms most of the day.  Grandma and Grandpa Brown returned from Texas to meet Tate just in time for Easter!  Tate melted in Grandpa Brown's arms, just like Riley did!

SLOW DOWN!

I forgot how FAST babies grow...our little Tate is growing out of his newborn stage...which means two things
1. life from now on will be full of coos, giggles and new discoveries!
2.  I won't have a newborn at my beckon call to take pictures of!!!!


I guess I will just have to rely on other people babes!

Tate is a super charger grower...almost 24 inches long and 11.5 pounds @ 5 weeks.  He now wears 3-6 month clothes-that one hit me like a ton of bricks, in 5 weeks he went from preemie to 3-6 months clothes!  He coos and squeaks at colorful creatures hanging above his head.  He loves to be rocked, bounced, sang to...he cries when he gets lonely and forget about those tears...your heart just melts!  Speaking of melting hearts...check out the picture below...my mom found this bed and lucky me I get to use in my studio! PERFECT!

Robo-Riley

Who knew a diaper box could be so fun?  Ryan and Riley watched Star Wars and Riley was obsessed with Robots for the day...so I made him a robot out of a large diaper box, I asked him what kind of Robot he was and he said "Purple!"
I didn't put too much effort into it...basically I just cut holes, but Riley loved it and we were entertained too!

I'm so hungry!

Tate is a great eater...and wants to eat all the time, but sometimes mommy needs to take a shower...or eat...so that's when limbs, hands and and even daddy gets sacrificed.  I found this bruise on Tate's arm...he must have been really hungry!

Tate Update: 1 Month

Can you believe it's been 1 month already?!  It seems like I have spent the last month sitting in a recliner feeding a baby...no wait...that is exactly what I have been doing.  And there is proof to show for it...if you look at the scale picture below you'll notice it says 10 pounds! Plus he is now 23 inches long...just to give you a comparison Riley was 8 pounds 4 oz and 23 inches at birth-then at 8 weeks he was 12 pounds 15oz and 24.5 inches long.
- Tate eats every 3-4 hours, I have no idea how much he eats, but he likes to eat 20 minutes each side.
- He is starting to make "baby" noises, like cooing...and is really starting to notice his hands and contrasting colors.
-He is a really good sleeper, but that darn hunger wakes him!  He sleeps in the bassinet in our bed room, for naps I put him in the crib.  He loves to fall asleep naked on the changing table
- He is scared of Ryan's coughs or if Ryan talks loudly...Riley could be singing loudly or the dog could bark and Tate is fine...but Daddy must be quite!
-He holds his head way up when on his belly or being burped
-He can roll himself to one side (Yikes!)
-Size 1 Diapers and 3 Month Clothing

Here are some 1 month pictures!