Brady Jordan | 5 months

five whole months!   this little guy is literally the light of our world at the moment and we couldn't be more in love with his contagious smile, happy eyes, floppy ears, chubby cheeks, and uber squishy thighs!  lots of growing and changing this month! 

letterboard // crib sheet // muscle onesie // sweats

W H A T ' S N E W

• reaching out/grabbing and holding onto things.  Brady is so interested in everything and is very alert and exploring and touching everything around him. the moment I lay him down on the floor or changing table he's immediately reaching for something/anything to grab onto. Brady has noticed my jewelry and plays with my necklace and earrings whenever I'm holding or nursing him and its just so sweet!
• we ALMOST have a rolling babe!  he will roll from tummy to back during tummy time,  but hasn't mastered the back to tummy, yet.
• noticing his hands, feet, etc. Brady's feet and hands are his favorite toy right now.  he has been grabbing his feet for for about a month, but never really started 'using' them to his advantage- Brady rocks back and forth while holding both of his feet- and will give it a good swing to help push himself on over to laying on his side.
• Brady has a super strong core.  he will stand holding my fingers and sit/lean in my lap. he holds himself really well in the little bumbo seat and I think with a little more practice he will be sitting soon.  I cant believe we are already to that point!  he was just born like three days ago..
• teething!  drool.slobber.everywhere.  there are no visible signs of teeth, but his little gums are swollen here and there on occasion.  he's also been a bit more fussy and will tear toys and teethers from his mouth while bitting down pretty hard.  I'm tempted to try the amber necklaces- truthfully I am skeptical, but I have close friends that swear by them. recommendations? 
• we went to the church nursery for the first time this month!  he has been doing amazing.. and has been asleep every time I come to pick him up at the end of service. such a snuggly babe with his teachers.
• we got our first cold this month.  it was terrible to seen him not feeling well.  it lasted about four days before I decided to take him to the pediatrician because there was SO much snot and zero sleep for anyone.  he ended up having an ear infection. 
• getting upset/excited when we leave/enter the room. Brady is the most social baby of all four of my kiddos. I've noticed his face lights up when his sisters enter the room or his line of sight- he especially loves them. he wants to be in the mix of everything all the time- so when we leave Brady gets upset or starts to holler loudly, depending on what he's doing or his mood. 
• he's rarely called by his name.  most of the time we call him "bud" or "buddy"
• he is totally teething and blowing raspberries is new this month.
• Brady is still in size 2 diapers.. although I just bought a box of 3's, wearing mostly 3-6 months and 6 months clothes. we took him to the pedi just for a weight check and he weighed in at a beefy 16 pounds 11 ounces.

LOVES to snuggle!  he is such an amazing snuggler.  he snuggles up in the nape of my neck when he's sleepy and throws his arm around me should as if he was hugging me.  omg I love it.
LOVES his sisters. Like, a lot.  A lot, a lot.
LOVES Mickey Mouse.  the girls watch a couple Disney shows in the morning and Brady usually snuggles up with one of the twins to watch, too!  he particularly likes Goofy:)
LOVES the mamaroo... which I different from the girls because they all hated it.
LOVES to swing his toys back and forth to see if they make noise.  the louder the better!
LOVES to eat!!
LOVES to hold hands while we rub his head
LOVES to be carried and sleep in the solly wrap

HATES when we walk away.
HATES the carseat- but only about 30% of the time these days- we moved Brady out of the infant carseat and into a convertible carseat (the maxi-cosh pria 70) earlier this month and its been a game changer.  he's sitting comfortably and more upright allowing him to see the twins sitting in the back row.  those three carry on the entire time we are in the car and its hilarious!  so he doesn't cry so much which makes trips to run errands so much easier.

E A T
I'm still exclusively breastfeeding when I am home and he gets three 6 ounce bottles of breast milk during the day when I am at work.  Brady sleeps and eats and plays around the same time every day.  3 hours is normal between feedings, eating about 5-7 times every day.  the usual 'scheduled' feedings: 6-7am every morning when he wakes and then 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm-8pm before going down for the night.  MOST of the time we hit this schedule pretty well- and I like the stick to it pretty strictly during the week because I feed him before I leave in the morning for work and occasionally get home in time to feed him at the 4pm bottle. if not I nurse him before bed.  
bib // seat

while I didn't totally plan on starting him on solids yet, we did try some single grain cereal this month and have been practicing his motor skills with banana oatmeal for the last couple weeks. he's getting about a 1/4 of a cup mixed with 3 or 4 ounces of warmed breast milk before bedtime. Brady is definitely showing a clear interest in food, watching us eat and reaching for cups, bowls, spoons, etc.  so I'm excited to see how he does with the solid food.  I did a modified BLW with Baker and strict purees with Parker and Jolie and I think I am going to do a healthy mix of both with Brady.  not true baby led weaning but I will offer him soft foods as the time comes, but will start with purees that I plan to make homemade:). why I'm feeling so ambitious, I have no idea.

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

this sweet boy LOVES to play.  he loves the play mat and he will lay there for a good 30 minutes at a time (with a full belly) and play with the hanging toys and chatter off at the music and lights. I have gotten good at getting the house straightened up and my breakfast and coffee made during that time in the morning.  its perfect because it allows everyone to slowly wake up before the business of the day sets in. Brady's interaction with his sisters has become more and more these days.  the moment they come around Brady is all smiles, cooing and babbling in response to their silly faces. the big girls are always close by and love to play with Brady.

bow // tanks // romper

for the most part everything goes straight to his mouth- we have a few favorite toys, and love basically anything that makes noise!  if it doesn't make noise, Brady is slapping it on the counter or table or even on himself.  he has really taken a liking to his longhorn wubby- he doesn't suck on the pacifier (he could care less about them..) but he chews on the feet and loves to play with it, especially while we are in the car. Parker did the same thing with her monkey wubby and I eventually cut the pacifier off the thing and she carried it around like a little stuffed animal. 

happy camper sleeper 

S L E E P 

well, we survived the 4 month sleep regression!  I feel like we are finally getting back on a good sleep routine/schedule with Brady.  he still has some rough nights when I can't seem to get him off the boob, BUT for the most part we are making strides and having some really great sleep!  since adding in cereal to his evening routine, I bumped his bedtime to about 7:30pm. I feed him oats when the girls eat dinner so they are all on the same routine for bedtime.  I mentioned HERE in my typical day in the life that if I'm solo he's not usually down until closer to 8pm because I like to get the girls in bed first. Brady will usually sleep from 7:30pm until about 3-4am.. he starts stirring and moving around and most of the time one of us has to go in there to comfort him.  if he doesn't nurse then he's up by 6:30am to eat and if he does eat then he's asleep until closer to 7:30-7:45am.

last night I actually watched Brady self soothe on the monitor. I had literally just laid my head on the pillow to go to sleep and I heard him fussing over the monitor.  I just laid there a second and he talked to himself in the dark for about a half a minute and then he was back to sleeping soundly.

we started practicing crib naps last month and he's gotten so great at them!!  

he usually naps twice a day for about 2 or 3 hours.  depending on what the he's up for the day, his morning nap is 9am-10am and will last about 2 hours.  his afternoon nap usually falls in line with Baker's around 1pm and that one is longer.. sometimes 3 hours.  maybe he'll be an awesome napper like Baker. I can only hope for that! 

B R A D Y

looking at pictures from last month.. oh brother!  your have grown so much!!  I cannot believe how big you are getting and how fast time is flying.  I could probably say that this has been my favorite stage with you.. but last month was my favorite and I know that 6 months will be my baby JAM.. so lets just go ahead and state the obvious, you are pretty awesome, Big B.  

we still gush over about everything you do.. the girls love to make you smile and laugh and when you talk to Baker she just gets so excited.  your little boy personality is really shining through these days- especially when you have the attention of those sister girls.  like.. limbs flailing around happy.. and if any of us make eye contact and say your name its never without a big ol' grin!  speaking of grins- you are smiling so much these days!  and when you do, it is adorable: your eyes crinkle, your mouth opens in a huge grin, and then you immediately turn your head to the side and bury it into whatever is near. such a little flirt!  those girls can really get you going with the belly laughs and the screeches and squeals.. they are just too much!  I sit with a constant smile on my face watching you grow and change everyday.. especially when it comes to the love that explodes between you and your sisters. life doesn't get much better than this.

time is blowing by I am doing my very best to savor these fleeting moments with you. I love spending time together.. even if its in the middle of the night because I don't get those moments back, buddy.

speaking of that nickname.. yours seems to be sticking, Bud.  and I love it.  you answer to "Brady" but also when someone acknowledges you as "Bud" you respond to that, too! 

 your eyes and smile are contagious and you can basically hear the joy coming off your face.  you are so silly and literally have us in giggles most of the day.  if there is a toy, book, food within arms reach you will stop at nothing to get it.. rolling your way around to it until you've got it in your mouth. 

so often we hear how you are 'Baker's twin' but really over this last month you have completely come into your own self- you are Brady.  JUST Brady.  

your sweet gentle little voice.

baby bird hairs.

chuuuuby cheekies.

monster thighs

and those pretty doe eyes.

definitely one of a kind.  there is absolutely no one like you, baby boy.

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

so many pictures!!

baby bath

striped sleeper // flower jams

hat // swim suit

onesie

jammies // stroller

hat // tee // shorts // dress

sweatshirt

wrap carrier

scarf bib // romper

crib sheet // romper

carrier

surviving baby's first cold

we've been dealing with a sick little babe over here!  Brady caught his first cold and it has been a doozy! we left him in the church nursery for the first time last weekend and by Tuesday evening he was so congested and coughing up his little lungs.. breaks my heart!  I'm running on about eleven hours of sleep over the last five days, but I think we are seeing the light!  I ended up taking Brady back to the doctor on Friday to make sure the congestion wasn't in his chest and sure enough he now has an ear infection (so many eye rolls!). we've dealt with colds and sniffles with the big girls, but I think Brady is much younger than the girls ever were when they caught their first cold.

ANYway.

I've come up with a handful of 'must-haves' for surviving Brady's first cold, and I think my fellow mamas will appreciate these!  as always, I'm open and welcome other remedies and resources!  

number one.

nosiboo pro nasal aspirator

YOU GUYS.  this thing changed.my.life.  when we received the nosiboo pro to try a while back I was kind of skeptical.  its the cutest thing I've ever seen.. sort of looks like a little bear.  never would I think that this thing would be the best snot sucker ever invented.  I, personally, don't have the lung capacity to manually suck the really nasty thick stuff- I make Jordan do it because he seems to be pretty productive with it. BUT, add the electric component and I'm golden. this has truly been such an awesome device to have on hand, not just for Brady, but for the big girls, too! no one was actually sick when we received the nosiboo pro so I didn't see the real value in it until Jordan, pulled it out in the middle of the night to give it a whirl on our stuffy headed baby.  I woke up the next morning to the cute little bear sitting on my counter..along with his report of "this thing is AMAZING."

since infants do not breathe out of their mouths, having a stuffy nose has been the culprit for lack of sleep in the majority of my motherhood life! this helps combat the sleepless nights but also allows Brady to be able to successfully nurse/take a bottle without having to unlatch and relatch to breathe in between.. hello gassy tummy! bottom line.. new moms, seasoned moms.. looking for a gift for a mom!!  you need it.  I promise you won't be disappointed.  this product runs you about $149 on amazon.. but alas, the friendly folks at nosiboo pro have offered a special discount for my readers!!  

use code AMBER017 for 20% off at check out on amazon!

number two.

cool mist humidifier

hands down one of my favorite + must have baby items.  for safety reasons, the cool mist option is better for children versus the warm mist humidifiers that allows risk in burning if the humidifier is touched or tipped over.  the cool mist adds moisture to the air to help ease cough and congestion while the baby sleeps.

be sure to keep your humidifier clean! I refer to this post for the how-to of proper cleaning 

number three.

simple saline

a stuffy nose can be 'de-stuffed' a couple of different ways.  saline mist/drops are awesome ways to break up the snot and hopefully allow the snot to be removed easier AND allow the babe to be able to sneeze it out, too!  I usually will spray this in each nostril before I use the nosiboo, but then also will spray it here and there without sucking anything from his nose.  I've been giving Brady a steamy bath every night to help break up the mucus as well!  very similarly to how the cool mist humidifier works!

number four. 

gentle face wipes

there are a billion options for these on the market.  and they are all equally awesome at getting the job done.  poor Brady has a raw nose because its literally a faucet at the moment, so I have these on had in every room in the house. I am quick to grab a paper towel (even with Kleenex sitting right next to the stand..) so I have gotten into the habit of having them close by to gently wipe away snot and drool.. along with his poor watery eyes.

number five. 

thermometer

we have the ear thermometer and think it works well, but when it comes to infant fevers we don't need to mess around.  the 'original' version (meaning .. before they came out with one million + one options on the market) is appropriate for infants mainly because you can take their temperature rectally which offers a true reading (in my opinion) of how his temperature is running.  our ear thermometer has the habit of running a few points off after taking multiple checks in a row.

number six. 

essential oils

it can be rather controversial, using oils on my infant, but there isn't a lot to offer as far as over the counter remedies for a baby. so, I sought out an old friend, Jayme over at citrus + cedar, for her advice.  I briefly attempted oils while I was pregnant with Baker and couldn't get the hang of it at all and here I am again with Brady.  I think being educated is a huge component of remaining consistent with oils and Jayme has been an amazing textbook of knowledge about whats safe/appropriate for me and my family.  I am not oily by any means.. in fact, I'm terrible at it and Jayme probably thinks I'm insane + annoying for the amount of information I'm asking of her to share. 

when Brady came down with a cold I asked for her guidance in finding something for relief of this horrible congestion.

congestion for infants blend: 

-1 drop frankincense

supports a healthy inflammatory response, cellular health, & immune system. super helpful with congestion, mood, skin imperfections, overall health. perfectly safe and effective for little babes.. I mean there must be a reason why they put in on Baby Jesus :)

-1 drop cardamom

aids in congestion, emotional balance, fevers, stomach issues. 

-add in 2 tablespoons of fractionated coconut oil or fill the rest of the 10 ml roller bottle.  

(I have been using these roller bottles for all my little blends and they are awesome and cheap.)

when using oils, dilution is a MUST, especially for infants and kiddos. for infants, 1 drop is all you are going to need, heavily diluted with 2 tablespoons of fractionated coconut oil.  these diluted oil blends are best applied to the bottoms of their feet because that is where the skin is the thickest and has the most nerve endings.

for the record.. these dilution ratios are below the recommended amount- playing it extra safe over here! for more info in oils.. I am not to person to ask!  its Jayme!  check out citrus + cedar, instead!

OKAY mamas! what am I missing??  what are your go-to's for your sick little babes! 

thank you to nosiboo for the sponsorship of this post!  all options expressed are my own.

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