baker bree | two years

its been two whole years since we welcomed our rainbow baby into this world.  we were blessed with Baker at the most vulnerable time in our journey as parents and to this day I am still in disbelief how lucky we are in having her in our lives to make it the most colorful it can possibly be.  

I was feeling sentimental and scrolling through old pictures and watching videos from this time last year, and my bald, round-faced, wobbly walking littlest Baker girl has changed SO much.   

while I feel like this season with her as a tiny toddler has gone by extra fast with the newest addition of her baby brother, I absolutely love this age and these new milestones with her.  I am doing my very best to soak them in and not miss out simply because "I'm busy".   

so many memories have been made in this 2nd year with our third little girl.

Happiest Birthday, my precious, precious Baker Bree!

TWO YEAR STATS:

height 34.8 inches (76th percentile) // weight:  28 pounds (67th percentile)
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miss Baker Bree experienced a TON of firsts in her second year- even more so than her first year of life, might I add. she has gained a rather hilarious toolbox of words she uses at the most opportune times.. she bosses me in full sentences, and probably my most favorite phrase has to be
"MAMA!!  where ah yuuuu??"
..and then when she says "can you help me, peese"
OH, AND when I ask her a question she looks at me with the most sincere eyes and simply says "...um.."  so many things she's picked up from her big sisters and so many things she's developed into her own.  I just love her so much!  I cannot imagine what this life of ours would be like if Baker wasn't exactly the way she is.

she met her nana + duke for the first time..and fell in love with my dad.
we went to the Texas state fair .. and Baker ate her first corndog! 

Cool weather came upon us and the fall festivities began- family fun at the pumpkin patch + the arboretum.

h a l l o w e e n.  was. THE best!  I loved those three funky flamingos!
we visited the zoo a handful of times.. and the most recent trip was the most fun with this girl.
Baker got ear tubes and all the sudden life around her was LOUD.
had sleepover's with Auntie + Uncle J.
Baker got her first haircut.
she unwillingly tossed the paci.. and has been such a rockstar about it. I think I miss it more than she does.

perhaps the biggest milestone of this year has to be when Baker became a big sister. 

these are just a few of the highlights.  our life is so full.  with so much Baker fun in between.

 EAT

Baker has an incredible appetite.  this girl will pretty much eat EVERYthing you put in front of her- that is.. if she feels like it.  she does have her moments of picky eating- I notice this mostly when she is cutting teeth or of she isn't feeling well.   for the most part she'll try what we offer her at the very least.  Baker will also eat all day long if I let her.  she has started to help herself to the pantry, and I've learned to put easy (and pretty healthy) snacks on the lowest shelf of the pantry within her reach or else she'll be climbing.  something she learned from her big sisters.

pasta, pizza (omggg she loves pizza!), chicken, rice - especially Mexican rice, cheese, turkey deli meat, grilled cheese.. ALL fruits and yogurt is definitely something she requests at every single meal time.  "sauce" isn't her thing at all, but she requests ketchup and ranch any time we have chicken or fish. she really does love to dip a chip in salsa, queso, and/or guacamole. 

peanut butter is hands down her favorite at this age, bread, dry cereal, chips, and granola bars are also things she requests and reaches for on a regular basis.

Baker is excellent with utensils - that fine motor skill came much easier for her than it did her big sisters.  

for the most part Baker will eat breakfast (which is usually carnation instant breakfast and milk right when she wakes up and then cereal or toast with peanut butter around 10am), lunch around 12:30p before nap time, and dinner is all over the place right now but is usually between 6-7pm.  we made the transition from whole milk to skim milk this week- we stick to about 16 ounces of organic milk, and 1-2 servings of yogurt and cheese every day.

SLEEP
this girl shows up her big sisters in every shape and form when it comes to sleep. we have had our fair share of issues with sleep over the last four years with Parker and Jolie (they still don't sleep through the night) but Baker is like a dream when it comes to her sleeping habits. Baker will go down without a peep of fussing, sleep 14 hours, and wake up glowing and ready for a full day. since we dropped the pacifier about two weeks ago, going down has been a little more tedious.  she is requesting us to rock her and sing a song before laying her in the crib and often she will fuss a bit before settling down for the night.

we moved her bed time from 7pm to 8pm over the last several weeks- mainly because its HARD to get everyone down at a decent time and with it being light outside until almost 8:30pm, its been an easy transition. 

Baker's usual sleep schedule is from 8pm to 8:00-8:30am with a nap after lunch (about 12:30pm) until 3:30pm-4pm.  

PLAY
I am obsessed with watching Baker interact with her older sisters.. as well as with her little brother!  the way she loves him is out of this world- you guys I just cannot express how amazing it is to watch your children fall in love with each other.  "hey buh-ddy!!" comes out of her mouth 847 times a day.  and when she can't see Brady, or her big sisters are in her space, she will look at me and say "I just want to see my buh-ddy!" watching the big girls play together brings me so much joy.  they love to run run run outside and play hard- lots of mid-yard dance parties, and chasing each other while squealing with delight while they pay chase down the back fence.

tea parties, baby dolls, hair + makeup, play jewelry and purses..oh my gosh Baker and her handbags is hilarious!!  you will never know what you will find in her purse.  I have to dump them out everyday as I clean up after they are all in bed.

Baker's motor skills and understanding has tremendously changed over the last several months.  while she isn't too much into puzzles like her sisters, she loves to color and draw along with putting together the pieces of sticker books and memory games. things her big sisters are doing are most interesting to her.

BAKER BREE

Ah, my girl.  you are equal parts sweet and sass.  perhaps on some days your sass-meter is tipping towards the 75% mark,  but for the most part you seem to be pretty even keeled.  there is absolutely nothing like your sweet smile and it brightens up the entire room.  we are complimented every single time we are out about your glowing personality and you just have a way about you that no one can put into words.  you consume everyone's attention, and you know very well that is what is happening because you eat it up, girlfriend.  you know how I know?  random bursts into crazy side grabbing giggles, speed twirling, running like a nut job through the house and nose diving into the sofa or dog bed.. and not to mention the opera singing.  anything to get attention, you are right in the middle of it, Baker Bree.

you have the biggest love of your sisters.  you have finally learned to call them by name and its just THE BEST sound when I hear you chatter on about "Parker and Jowee".  it also surprises me when you come toddling to my feet to tell on one or both of them.  that happened quick..  

you are an amazing sleeper and usually a solid 30-45 minutes of crib play is required before you are ready to get up for the day.  any moment before then you can be the biggest grouch!  although it was a rough go without the paci for a handful of nights, your spirits in the morning have much improved and we all love to see your smiling face first thing!  the big girls cannot wait to get you up and out if your crib!  verbally, you are much more inclined to repeat whatever we are prompting you to say- you have some really impressive annunciations - your 'I love you' is one for the books and it is never said in a normal decibel.  its always a shout to the face in all caps "WUV YUU!"  I am still trying to get that on video, but holy moly it is quiet humorous. 

your favorite phrase is "NO!" even when it has absolutely nothing to do with anything going on right then.   it is always your first response to any question asked, and then occasionally you will spit out the sweetest 'yea' and I'm a puddle.

you are really smart and have little problem understanding or problem solving- coloring and "cooking" in your kitchen will keep you entertained for hours.

you love to skip, dance, twirl, run, and jump.  your running can be best described as bent knees, head forward, and arms flailing at this sides - running with the smallest steps in between - so it looks like you are bobbing up and down and your crazy hair flies from side to side.  it is SO cute.  you love singing and will follow along every tune to Bubble Guppies.  actually- when there is any kind of beat or music, you are tapping your feet and humming along.  music is in your soul, and you most definitely sing to your own tune.

you have turned into quiet the little mama.  you adore your little baby dolls, feed them, swaddle them, rock them, and of course, sing to them.  this carries over into the love you have for Brady.  GIRL, I could have never imagined in my wildest dreams that you would be so amazing with your little brother!  it is overwhelming to watch your baby self be such a big girl- helping tend to him just as the twins to.   I know you have learned from the best when it comes to Parker + Jolie and it all just seems to be engrained in your sweet mind, and it is outrageous how precious it is to watch.  

you have your moments of wanting to be held, even more so since Brady came along and if your daddy's lap is available you better believe you have a spot in it.

you don't let anyone pull a fast one on you.. oh no, you are far too smart for that!  you run the show when it comes to your older sisters and I often see you taking the roll as ring leader of this crazy circus of ours.

you are still a laid back little bit and with the most free spirit and sweet demeanor any one could ask for. you have changed they very most over this last year, and I have found myself to fall in love with you more and more everyday I spend with you. 

you have absolutely changes our life, Baker Bree, and I thank the Sweet Lord every day for blessing me with you. 

happy birthday my teeny two year old! 

I love you, 

mama

photography by ashley mccauley photography

black romper c/o

lace up ballet flats c/o

headwrap c/o

ballet dress

leather moxfords c/o

piggie bows

Brady Jordan | 3 months

THIS tiny beefcake!  life with Brady is getting better every day.  I swear this boy will never know the value of personal space because there is always someone all up in his grill smothering him with kisses and hugs.  the entertainment value of Brady when it comes to Parker, Jolie, and Baker is priceless.. after all, he is their very own real life baby doll!

felt letter board // crib sheet // trucker hat c/o // chambray shirt // local organic baby onesie c/o // harem pants c/o // paci clip c/o // fabric shoes c/o

we're 14 weeks old today, and while I don't know exactly how much he weighs I swear he's probably tipping the scales at 14 pounds, at least.  he's wearing 0-3 month size pretty comfortably, but 3-6 month is in our near future along with filling out size 2 diapers. his belly is awfully round, but I have to say that this boy is SO long.  when his legs are stretched out it makes him look huge!  I have a feeling we won't be getting a ton of use out of his infant carrier. 

onesie // dockatot

E A T 

Brady remains on a pretty consistent eating schedule, especially now since I've been back to work.  he sleeps and eats and plays around the same time every day.  3-4 hours between feedings is normal, but I would say its probably closer to the 3 hour mark if he happens to be awake. if he's sleeping I won't wake him until we hit four hours since the last feeding.  Brady's eating about 5 to 7 times every day and 3 of those are from the bottle.  I'm pumping while at work and bringing home about 20 ounces every day, so I've been able to freeze some on top of what he will need for the next day.   

the usual 'scheduled' feedings: 6am before I leave for work and then 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm 9pm before going down for the night.  we hit our 3 month growth spurt- and while the day time hasn't been completely terrible, its the nights that have been tough. he was sleeping from about 9pm until 7am until the last week or so.  waking around 3:30a-4am and again at 5:30am and refusing to go back to sleep until he eat AGAIN by 6am.  that early morning cluster feeding business is all over the place- and I'm exhausted!  

P L A Y / D E V E L O P M E N T

we are all smiles.. and he's even let out a tiny baby giggle a time or two.  he smiles in response to anyone saying hello and talking to him in a sweet voice.  he especially loves looking and 'chatting' with his sisters, especially miss Parker Jane. the moment Parker comes near or he hears her voice he lights up and starts searching for her until she gets close enough for him to be able to focus on her.  she scoops him up and pure joy spreads across his little face. he thinks JoJo is totally hilarious and Baker is all over him ALL the time and he's such an amazing sport about it.

Mickey Mouse - Brady is completely mesmerized by the Mouse and will sit in Parker's lap watching TV for a solid 20 minutes.  he's content as long as he's involved in whatever is going on around him.  if its at all possible for an infant to have FOMO (fear of missing out), Brady has a severe case! 

I have a confession to make.. we have slacked terribly on tummy time with B.  he's got awesome head and core control and can be held on my hip without being too floppy and in the times we have laid him on his tummy to play he raises is head up and moves around as he pleases with ease.  I have noticed that he's starting to turn himself to the side when he's laying in the swing or in the dockatot, so I don't think it will be too much longer before he's rolling over.

Other developments..

-hands! he's basically stuffing his entire fist in his mouth.  there is also the DROOL thats coming along with stuffing one's hand in his mouth.  I don't think this related to teething, but more about the fact that he's found his hands finally and he's completely infatuated with them!

-blowing spit bubbles and playing with his tongue!  I'm following along with his milestones on my  Wonder Weeks app.  which by the way, if you don't have this app, you need it.

-mimicking sounds.  Brady totally tries to mimic his sisters and follows their lead when they make the 'oohhhh' sound.  

-he bats at the hanging toys and will even shake his toys that make noise.  we are slowly but surely working on holding objects, but we really need to get him more toys..  the girls like to hand him things and get so excited when he grasps them out from their hands.

S L E E P

sleeper

I'm feeling pretty lucky that this boy has turned into a great sleeper.  he takes 1-2 long naps during the day - usually about 2 hours in the morning and 2+ hours in the afternoon around 2-3pm.  occasionally he'll take about an hour long cat nap in between either of the two "bigger" naps during the day.  he's falling in line with how the twins napped at this age, whereas Baker always just took one solid nap. if I am home to do so, I'll nurse Brady to sleep, just to top him off in hopes to promote a longer nap:)  we are working on taking naps in his crib- quite literally since today.  before now he's been just napping wherever but mainly in the swing or in the rock'n'play, but its definitely time to get him into his crib, for naps at least!  he is still sleeping in our room in the dockatot, but most likely we will be moving him out in the next month.  I'm not ready to move Brady out, and I don't think his daddy is either.. having him right next to us in the bed is so comforting and  I still wake at night on my own to check on him and its easy to just reach over and rub his head and back when I feel like it.  I love having my boy close. 

B R A D Y

you give me such baby fever little one. I want to bottle you up and keep you in my purse for all eternity!  you have become the absolute LIGHT of our world- and your sisters just adore you- you've hung the moon for all of us and I couldn't be more thankful for that.  I don't even remember what life was like before you came in it.  I mean, I'm sure I was sleeping a little bit more, but who needs sleep?!  you are in your fourteenth week of life, and the last 14 weeks have been such a joy.. even when your mama feels like she's chasing her tail most of the day just to keep up with you and your sisters.  Ive been trying so hard to make the best of the crazy that comes along with adding a fourth babe, and the moment you let out a sweet coo or offer me a huge full faced smile all that goes out the window. you have become one of the happiest babies I've ever met and how lucky am I to be your mama.  I love sitting and snuggling your sweet cheeks over and over.. which makes it hard to ever want to get anything done.  you are the most social little guy and want to be in and around all the commotion and sit wide eyed while the house just gets louder and louder.  

I tell you a million times a day that I think you are HILARIOUS and you just smile back at me in agreement.  you are so playful and sweet and those eyes just say a million words but I only wish to know what you are actually thinking about all of us. 

all smiles.  all the time.

romper // paci clip

you are so ticklish! I can hardly run my fingers down your back without your squirming.  mama blew raspberries on your feet the other night and I could see how bad you wanted to laugh at me! you haven't quiet figured out the relationship between the tickles and the laughing, but in no time I know we will have you giggling with the rest of them. 

you had a few fun milestones this month! we introduced you to baby Carter as our besties welcomed their second boy to the mix! you guys will have the best time growing up and I can't wait for you to run around and do all the boy things with C and his big bro Grayson!

we also took you out to the ball game again!  you went to your second and third baseball game and you're always the best little date and form of entertainment in between innings and bites of hot dogs + giant tubs of tater tots.

sleeveless onesie

we also got to celebrate your daddy this month- his first Farther's Day with a baby boy! 

you are a mover and a shaker- bouncing your little bootie around as you kick your legs about., especially in the bath!  oh how you love bath time! we usually soak in the tub for about 20 minutes or longer before bed at night and you just lounge in your chair without a care in the world. 

you've found your hands and have them in your mouth 99% of the time.  if they aren't in your mouth they are in front of your face with balled fists.  you have become so vocal and will screech with excitement at anyone lending an ear to your babbles, but also the ceiling fan and especially that little duck hanging from your carseat. my favorite time with you has to be a toss up between your baby naps on my chest and the sweet little conversations we have in between. I cannot get enough of you.  even at 4 in the morning, you still make my heart beam with pride as I study your sweet baby nose and squishy ears and those amazing eyelashes- okay, THOSE LASHES!  ladies pay big bucks for lashes like those, brother! and that amazing olive skin tone you've got.  I could trace your baby nose and chubby cheeks all night.

your mama is quite smitten with you and I'll thank you forever for making me a "boy mom". an experience that is beyond anything I could ever imagine. 

I love you so much, buddy. 

3 M O N T H P H O T O D U M P