Christmas 2014

Owen just celebrated his first Christmas and Laney celebrated her second! She still doesn't really get the concept yet, but both she and Owen really enjoyed the Christmas tree, lights, music, and of course the new toys. This year, we were planning on staying in Virginia Beach since Brad didn't have much time off, but he has an injury and can't play, so he was given 10 days off around Christmas. We decided to fly back to Madison and surprise his family!

All of Laney and Owen's gifts from their grandparents and aunts and uncles were sent to Virginia, since no one was expecting us to come home. We decided to open all of them before flying home so we could show everyone pictures of their reactions to the toys. It looked like a toy explosion! These lucky babies had a very good Christmas!

Testing out her new kitchen set

Busy at her picnic table, playing with her dollhouse pieces

Ready to feed her baby in her nursery set

We flew back on Sunday, Dec 21st and the trip was quite eventful. Leaving Norfolk at 7:40am, the plane was overbooked and overweight. The gate agent said that since there were no volunteers to take a later flight, they would have to randomly bump passengers from this flight. The kids had been up since 4:30am and Laney was having a difficult morning (screaming, crying, nose running and tears streaming down her face) when the gate agent said over the loud speaker, "The following passengers, do not board this flight: Winchester, party of 2." Uh oh. There's no way we were going to take a later flight! We went right up to the agent and pointed out the two babies, and I said "We aren't Winchester Party of 2, we're Winchester Party of 4! We cannot take a later flight. I don't have enough formula for my 5-month-old to take a later flight!" (I actually did, but she didn't need to know that.) Brad held screaming Laney into the air and said "You wanna bump THIS?!" (Every time I think about that moment, it makes me laugh.) The agent revised the bump list and didn't repeat our names, so we boarded as quickly as we could in case she changed her mind. It must have taken awhile to kick some passengers off the flight, because we were really late leaving Norfolk. We were crossing our fingers that we'd make up time in the air, because our layover at O'Hare was only 40 minutes long.

About to check in at the Norfolk airport. 

Catching up on rest while they can

Pretty excited to be playing with the iPad and watching cartoons

By the time the plane arrived at the gate in Chicago, it was 9:28…our flight to Madison was on time and scheduled to depart at 9:45. We pulled up to gate B22 and needed to run to gate E3 (across the airport! of course!). We ran. Brad was carrying Laney, and I had Owen strapped into a front pack and our big diaper bag slung over my shoulder. We ran past an empty gate and asked the gate agent to call ahead to let our flight know we were running as fast as we could and would be there as soon as possible. She had an attitude and said she'd call, but said "there are other flights leaving for Madison later today so don't kill yourselves trying to get there."What?! Did she see what a circus we were - out of breath, sweating profusely, running with two babies? We finally got to our gate at 9:43 and it was empty. The plane was there, but the jetway was pulled away from the plane and the gate door was closed. Brad ran up to her to see what he could do, and she said "I'm sorry this flight is closed. You'll have to go to customer service and get on a later flight. The next flight at 11:55 is full but you can get on the standby list." I was so angry! I said "But the plane is right there! An agent called ahead for us to let you know we were coming!" She said she never received a phone call…this made me even more unhappy and I started swearing…"This is f$@ing bull$%*^ ! We can't take a later flight! I don't have enough formula for our baby to wait around on standby lists all day!" (The formula excuse worked in Norfolk, so I gave it another shot in Chicago.) There was a restaurant across from our gate full of people watching us, and I felt bad for swearing so loudly in front of children. But we HAD to get on this flight! Then a miracle happened. The gate agent called the pilots, and they pulled the plane back up to the gate. They extended the jetway, opened the gate door, and told us we could get on! People in the restaurant started cheering for us! I shouted to them that I was sorry for swearing, but they didn't care. They were smiling and clapping, and the four of us ran onto the plane. We were sweaty messes and people on the plane looked very annoyed with us, but who cared! We made it!

On our way to Madison

We arrived in Madison, got our bags, and hopped into a cab. We pulled up on the side Brad's parents' house and left our bags outside so we could quickly sneak around to the front door. We crouched down and Brad rang the doorbell. Gary came to the door, saw Brad, and it took a few seconds to register before his jaw dropped open and he opened the door. He was shocked! We went inside and found Elizabeth, Danny and James in the kitchen. They were shocked! Elizabeth teared up, covered her mouth, and kept saying "Whaaat?! Whaaat?!" There were a lot of hugs, and we were wondering where Kristi was. She had just left to go check on Nona and Bumpa's house, so Gary called her to have her come home. All he said on the phone was "We need you back here." She came in through the garage door, saw Laney, and just kept saying (in shock) "No….no….no….oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Kristi started tearing up as well and then there were more huge hugs! It was the best surprise, and we pulled it off! It was such an exciting day!

The next day at our house, Brad got a Christmas tree, put up Christmas decorations, and hung up Christmas lights outside. He wasted no time getting us into the spirit of Christmas! We spent as much time as possible with the Winchesters and Westermans, and Grandma and Grandpa Dean came to visit on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, Noni prepared a big brunch and the kids played together all day. Seeing James and Laney play together was adorable! James loves Laney so much - he kept tackling her with bear hugs. They spent a lot of time running around the house and playing and dancing (especially to "The Walker" by Fitz and the Tantrums) in the basement. James also loved sitting down next to Owen and rubbing Owen's bald head, saying "Nice Owen." Elizabeth was 22 weeks pregnant with Baby Boy Westerman, and her little baby bump is as adorable as ever. One of the days we were home, Brad found out we could take the kids ice skating at  the LaBahn arena at the Kohl Center. Laney and James had a blast! Laney loved it when Brad held her and skated around the rink as quickly as possible, and James loved it when Brad and Grandpa Gary helped him hit hockey pucks into the net. We made the absolute best of our long vacation at home. It was a wonderful trip and one we'll always remember.

Excited to see each other! This was right after we arrived.

Our Christmas tree at home

Our best attempt at a group picture

Christmas Day

Owen's first time on the ice!

Laney loved skating with papa

Aaron Rodgers' biggest fans

18 Months Old // 5 Months Old

Laney had her 18 month checkup and weighed 21 lbs 5 oz (1 lb 2 oz heavier than her 15 mo checkup), was 32" long (same as her 15 mo checkup) and her head circumference was 18.75 in (also the same as her 15 mo checkup). Considering how little she's been eating, I'm glad she has gained a little over one pound. The nurse said we shouldn't be concerned that her height has plateaued. There wasn't a big drop in her growth chart percentile, and there's always an opportunity for measuring error when toddlers are squirming around on the measuring table.

Laney has transitioned to one nap per day and has developed a pretty consistent routine. She wakes up around 7:30 and has milk right away. Immediately. I have it ready for her before I even walk into her room. She's ravenous when she wakes up! I hear her crying, walk into her room, and she's standing up in her crib, giving me the signs for "milk" and "eat." She gets organic Cheerios and a smoothie around 8:30, lunch at 11, and goes down for her nap around 11:45/12. She naps anywhere from 1.5-3 hours. Then she gets a snack, dinner at 5/5:30, and bedtime at 6:15-6:30pm. We started putting her to bed much earlier (she used to go to bed around 7:30/8 a few months ago), and I've noticed that she actually sleeps much better and much longer when she goes to bed early! Of course, it helps that she's only napping once per day and needs extra sleep at night.

I'm so happy to say that Owen's sleeping habits have greatly improved! He's eating very well during the day - around 35 to 38 oz on average. Two or three days per week he'll drink 40 or more oz. I can't believe how much this little boy can eat! I'm so happy he's finally able to get all of the food he needs and goes to bed with a full tummy. He falls asleep for the night around 9pm and wakes up two (around 3 and 5am) or three (around 12, 3, and 5am) times for a bottle. Much better than 5 or 6 times! He also seems much more rested during the day. He's on the Eat-Play-Sleep routine, which is about a 2.5-3 hr rotation. I've been noticing that he falls asleep much more quickly and easily if he gets a chance to eat before his nap, so I've started transitioning him into an Eat-Play-Eat-Sleep routine. I'm washing quite a few more bottles each day, but it's worth it to know he's happy and well fed.

17.5 Months Old // 4.5 Months Old

Cutting back on caffeine hasn't helped with Owen's sleeping habits. Quitting his naps in the swing and transitioning to a crib hasn't seemed to help much, either. I called his pediatrician in Madison for advice, and she pointed out something interesting - his height has been consistent on his growth charts, but his weight has dropped a few percentiles. This is a sign that he isn't getting enough milk from me, and it would make sense that he's constantly waking up in the middle of the night to eat. The poor guy is so hungry! Brad and I decided it would make sense to continue nursing but to also start supplementing with formula to make sure he's getting enough to eat. I tried introducing a bottle for the first time and it did not go well. Owen was not happy! He kept turning his head and screaming, refusing to take a bottle. I tried feeding him bottles of breastmilk, formula, and breastmilk mixed with formula, and he refused it every time. I realized it was the bottle he didn't like - not what was in it - and after 3 days of refusing bottles and insisting on nursing, I decided to stop nursing completely until he had no choice but to eat from a bottle. It only took 2 hours of him being hungry before he gave in and drank about 3 ounces from the bottle. We worked on it constantly for the next few days and he finally became a pro. I made the tough decision to stop nursing and only offered breastmilk from the bottle because he'd have a difficult time accepting a bottle after each nursing session. That definitely helped. Offering bottles, I was able to keep track of how much he was eating per day. The first full day of bottle feeding, he ate 45 ounces! I was shocked - that's SO MUCH FOOD for a 4-month-old! His sleep started to steadily improve, and he is now waking up every 3 hours to eat at night with an occasional 4-hour stretch. That doesn't sound like a lot, but after a month of waking up every 1.5-2 hours, it feels like a lot more sleep!

Owen has also gotten better about taking naps in the crib. When he was napping in the swing, I used to be able to put him in the swing while he was awake, turn it on, and he'd fall asleep quickly and sleep for 3 hours. Now I'm putting him in his crib, but I have the added responsibility of watching Laney, so I can't spend 30 minutes quietly rocking him to sleep in his bedroom every time he needs to take a nap. I decided we need to jump right into sleep training for his daytime naps, and I'll rock him to sleep only at bedtime and in the middle of the night. The first time I put him in his crib awake, he screamed so loudly that it sounded like he was being tortured, but he fell asleep after 15 minutes. The second time, he cried slightly less vigorously and fell asleep after 7 minutes. Not bad… The third time, he literally played with his hands quietly for 2 minutes and fell asleep without crying. I was shocked and so pleasantly surprised! What a champ! I never could have imagined him doing so well, so quickly. Since then, he has figured out the routine and either falls right asleep or gently cries for up to 5 or 6 minutes. 

Laney and Owen are two peas in a pod. They make each other smile, but they also make each other cry. As soon as one of them starts crying, the other one's chin starts to quiver and the tears start rolling. I think they're concerned about each other. It's very sweet! It can also be unnerving at times. For example, if I'm driving somewhere and Owen starts crying in his carseat, Laney starts crying too. The louder he gets, the louder she gets (and vice versa). If he lets out a scream cry, she follows with her own scream cry until they're both belting out crying screams at the top of their lungs. Before you know it, they're both having complete meltdowns in their carseats and I'm just racing to get them home so they can both settle down. I keep telling myself that driving with both kids will get better in time!

So excited to be playing outside!

Goofball

All smiles, per usual

Papa working his magic. He's always able to get Owen to fall asleep.

Owen's been using the bouncy seat, so Laney wants to sit in the bouncy seat

Now Owen is in the bumbo, so Laney wants to sit in the bumbo

The aquarium is so much more fun when you can walk through it by yourself!

Boys being boys

 Cruising on the Boardwalk

Meltdown.

Playing with some exciting early Christmas gifts

17 Months Old // 4 Months Old

Owen had his 4 month checkup and weighed in at 15 lbs 2 oz (54%) and 26.75 in long (95%). He figured out how to roll onto his tummy from his back, so he's rolling over constantly. The only downside is that he spits up whenever he's on his tummy. He also gets tired of being on his tummy pretty quickly, but he hasn't yet figured out that he can roll onto his back when that happens.

Laney is officially walking! She doesn't tip toe as much, and her gait is much more steady and stable. She's unstoppable now. Taking away her toy stroller sealed the deal. We're so proud of her!

We celebrated Owen's first and Laney's second Thanksgiving with Noni and Grandpa this year. They flew to Virginia Beach and stayed with us for a week. They were such good sports about the sleeping arrangements. We don't have an extra bedroom for guests, so we put two mattresses on the floor in the TV room and turned it into their cozy, non-private bedroom. Every morning when Laney woke up, I'd change her diaper and give her a sippy cup filled to the brim with milk (which she chugs in mere minutes), and then she'd toddle into the TV room and crawl into bed to wake up Noni and Grandpa with a loud, excited squeal. I think the three of them loved their morning routine. For Thanksgiving, Noni made her exceptionally delicious turkey, green beans, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Owen slept through it, and Laney woke up from her nap just in time to sit with us for a few minutes and taste her first Thanksgiving dinner. We gave her a little bit of everything and we were so excited to watch her try it. In her typical picky toddler way, she ate none of it. She lifted bits of food and squished it between her fingers, then dropped it onto her tray or threw it onto the floor. After rejecting everything, I offered her a small piece of Noni's cranberry bread, which she inhaled.

Over the past few weeks, Owen has been sleeping pretty poorly. He had gotten to the point where he slept through the night and I thought we were making such great progress, and then he reverted back into a newborn's sleeping patterns. He was waking up every 1.5-2 hours to eat at night, and every time I laid him back in his crib, he'd wake up and need to be nursed to sleep again. At first, I thought it might be a growth spurt, but after awhile it seemed to become his new routine. After a few weeks of barely any sleep, it was completely exhausting for me, and probably for him as well. I decided to try a complete overhaul of Owen's daily and nightly routine. I started by cutting back on my own coffee intake. Even though I was only drinking one cup of coffee in the morning, I figured there was a small chance that the caffeine in my breastmilk might be affecting his sleep. I cut back to 3/4 cup, then to 1/2 cup, but didn't notice any difference in how well he slept. Then I decided to cut out his naps in the swing. It was time for him to start napping in his crib so the he could: a) associate his crib as his sleeping place, and b) stop relying on the swinging motion for rest. We bought a crib and assembled it immediately so I wouldn't have to bend down so far to put him in his travel crib (it hurt my exhausted back muscles and I seemed to wake him up every time I set him down because it was difficult to lay him down carefully so low on his mattress). We'll see how this goes…

Looking at pictures of herself on Grandpa's iPad

Out for a stroll on the Boardwalk

Owen loooooves jumping!

Finally walking…so finally able to start wearing dresses!