Category: Sonny

9 Years

by Ashley filed under Sonny

Yesterday, while we were playing basketball, you asked me, “Do you know what it means to be in your prime?” Before I could answer, you told me—“It means that you’re the best you’ve ever been.” Then, without hesitation, you added, “I’m definitely in my prime.” And then you sank a basket.

You’re right. Right now, in this moment, you are the best you’ve ever been. And what you don’t yet know is that you’re going to keep getting better.

I was thinking about what I wrote for your birthday last year, and so much of it revolved around your new ADHD diagnosis—although it was about much more than that. I reflected on the way you hold a mirror up to me in a way no one else can. It was through your diagnosis that I learned I shared the same one. It has been through watching where you struggle that I’ve come to better understand my own struggles too.

So much of growth—of healing, of becoming—is about learning to control what we can and letting go of the rest. And time and time again, I am reminded that I cannot control you any more than I can control anyone else—nor do I seek to. What I can do, however, is guide you. What I can do is model the growth I hope to see in you. And so, in the moments where you stumble, I try to focus on finding my own footing first. Because I’ve learned that the best way to help you is to help myself. The sooner I figure things out, the sooner I can show you how.

Sometimes I feel like I need to run five steps ahead, smoothing the road, covering sharp edges before you reach them. But I’ve learned that I can’t. That I shouldn’t. That one day, you’ll have to face life’s edges on your own. And the best thing I can give you isn’t a soft landing—it’s the inner strength to steady yourself when you fall.

We break. And we repair. Over and over again.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how behavior is a symptom. About how meltdowns don’t always signal brokenness, but safety—because we only come undone in the places that feel safe enough to hold us. Emotional regulation isn’t tidy—it’s messy. It’s breaking and rebuilding, over and over again. So I try to create a home where it’s safe to break. Where mistakes are welcome. Where we value understanding over compliance and collaboration over dominance. Obedience, I’ve observed, is only coveted if what one seeks is control. My goal is to help build you from the inside out—so that wherever you go, you know how to find yourself there.

If there’s one thing I know in my gut, it’s that kids with ADHD receive negative messaging far more than their peers. I, too, remember being told, Hurry up. Sit still. Get it together. Try harder. Catch up. Focus. Finish. Over and over again. I know what I needed more than direction was love. And so, I try to remember that when you’re struggling, what you likely need is not direction, but love. I dig to the bottom of the barrel often for more patience. And yes, sometimes I break. And yes, we always repair. Growth, I’ve learned, isn’t about perfection nor is it linear—it’s an endless series of breaking and rebuilding taller, stronger, and with more grace than the time before.

So on this day, Sonny, I want you to know that you are in your prime. You are the best you’ve ever been. And I bet you’ll be even more in your prime tomorrow than you are today.

I love you.

Happy birthday.


A date with Sonny…

by Ashley filed under Motherhood, Sonny

Time can feel so scarce in single mama land. Though I’m pretty sure time can feel scarce no matter the motherhood label. I used to do so much on autopilot — bedtime routines, morning routines, after school routines, appointments, activities, check ups… Following my divorce, so much  of life was just about getting through the day, working through the debris. It felt like doing anything mindfully, with intention, was unattainable. I’d pile on the guilt trip, filing it all under the tab of one more thing I should be doing better at.  I willfully submerged myself  into autopilot and fulfilled my own prophecy.

The more healing I’ve done, the more conscious I’m living. It seems like a catch 22 to say that the more time I’ve put into myself, the more time I’ve gotten elsewhere too. Someone I look up to once told me that it’s hard to do the work but it’s harder not to. At the time it felt like she was coming down on me but I knew the way I was living was not cutting it so I leaned into it and she was right; no deposit, no return.

I took Van on a date the other week and yesterday I went out with Sonny. The last time I took him out on a date I remember coming back and telling my mom “never again”. I think back to what made that previous date with him difficult and can’t help but think it was my own rundown tank. Today, my tank is mostly full and I have so much more to give as a result. Yesterday’s date was proof of so much — proof that what you put out to the universe will come back to you in unimaginable ways, proof that it’s hard to make the time but harder not to, and proof that I can show up better for them when I can show up well for myself.

An evening with Sonny, uninterrupted and connected under the moonlight. Trains passing, surfers surfing, and the most appreciative five year old throwing out thank yous and I love yous to remind me that I may not do it all perfectly all the time but whatever I am doing seems to be working just right for us.

Images are shot on my iPhone but I want to remember this day, so never mind the quality. 

When Your Body Knows

by Ashley filed under Pregnancy, Sonny

I’ve been thinking a lot about how my body knew things my mind wasn’t ready to accept; how I was taught to disobey my inner-knowing. I read recently that our unconscious mind sometimes knows things before our conscious mind is aware. I’ve been keeping that as a seed in the back of my head.

My labor with Sonny started with my water breaking. It was the first time in labor that my body sent me a direct, unmistakeable, message.

Hooper was 11 days late and had to be induced, sending my hopes for a home birth down the drain. Instead, I endured pitocin induced tetanic contractions in the absence of an epidural and was wheeled down the L&D hall, completely nude, on all fours, screaming while simultaneously confronting the fact I was being taken to the operating room. Just after opening my mouth to allow the anesthesiologist to assess for any dental abnormalities prior to any intubation, Hooper was vacuumed out of me with the one, final chance they gave me to deliver him naturally.

Van was closer to two weeks late and my labor with him started with contractions and while the phase preceding the pushing phase was rather short, I pushed and pushed – at home, in a tub, out of a tub, in any and every position – to no avail. I ended up in an ambulance on the way to the hospital where a big burly man did CPR-like compressions on my abdomen that ultimately delivered Van.

With Sonny, my body completely took over. It’s almost as if it had something to prove. I was told not to push in the car. I was told not to push in the elevator. I remember them struggling to get me in the bed to get me “set up” to deliver. I also remember them checking me to see how dilated I was and it felt like the room completely paused when the nurse who checked me announced I was only 6cm. The rush seemed to completely stop. I could feel the room looking down on me as if I was exaggerating, as if I didn’t know and couldn’t be trusted. I felt as defeated as you can feel when you’re in the throes of laborland; meaning it was a momentary disappointment because my body knew what they didn’t.  I was listening to my body and nobody else. I can distinctly remember tuning everyone out and solely concentrating on Sonny. I felt like pushing, so I pushed. And ten minutes after being told I was 6cm, Sonny was earthside.

I’m starting to remember these times of knowing. They come in waves and erase the fog. Windshield wipers of the soul. I’ve known, I’ve always known. Our bodies are our best messengers. I’m leaning in so hard to my body these days, rooting myself in my center, making amends to my inner-knowing.

Happy Birthday, Sonny

by Ashley filed under Sonny

Dear Sonny,

Today, you are five. It’s not lost on me that you’ll likely not remember our family ever being anything other than it is today. We were looking at photos the other day, like we do before one of you turns another year older, and you were surprised to see your Papa in our photos, in our home. I had to remind you that at one time, our family looked different than it does today. And that’s okay. I remind myself when I remind you.

I used to feel a lot of grief about the fact you wouldn’t remember the “before”. Now, it brings me some comfort. A blank slate. Less lost.

You’re graduating from the age that I remember to be the hardest of all and we’re welcoming the hope that 5 will bring less tantrums, greater self-restraint, more understanding.

I asked your brothers what their favorite thing about you is and they both said that they love that you skateboard with them. Van added that he loves when you “cooperate”. Both of them hate when you scream.

You love the pool and are now able to swim. You eat copious amounts of salami and watermelon. You hate Jimmie but love the cats. You tolerate having your hair braided and let me trim your hair, too. You ask to play hide n’ seek daily and always hide in the same spot, under my bed.

You’re learning to make sense of boundaries and need reassurance often that rules don’t mean I don’t love you but rather the opposite. We hug our way through the hardest of life’s lessons.

You still sleep in my room. I have mixed feelings about it.

Your uncle Chris recently described you as “authentic” and it’s stuck with me the way truths tend to embed, ingrain. You’re true and pure and warm. You’re also loud and strong-willed and figuring out what’s acceptable.

I wanted you. I fought to have you. And I’m so happy you’re here. May you always know you’re loved, wanted, and accepted.

Happy Birthday.

The day before…

by Ashley filed under Pregnancy, Sonny

This is the last picture I have of Sonny in my belly. He ended up being my biggest baby and my easiest birth. He weighed 10lbs, I labored for 45 minutes, and he was nearly born in the car and then nearly born in the elevator, and then born a mere 10 minutes after getting into a bed on the L&D unit. He was the only baby I didn’t plan on having at home and perhaps the only one I could have. Isn’t that the way life sometimes works — we have plans and then life intervenes. Labor is the best reminder that we’re not in control. In fact, in nursing school I remember learning that we still don’t actually know what causes labor to start; like we don’t know what causes that first domino to fall. Isn’t that amazing considering how much we do know? Life’s little secret; forever reminding us that things happen when they’re meant to, not when we want them to. And can’t that be applied to just about everything in life?

A body that’s lived in

by Ashley filed under Life, Sonny

Someone recently tried to put me down by referring to my kids as dirty. Old me might have taken offense. New me is able to see my reality quite clearly and see it not only as a compliment but also a byproduct of the life I provide them. Yup, sometimes we chose sunsets over showers. I’m one person and I surrender to not being able to do it all perfectly. It’s like that time my dad referred to my home as appearing “lived in”. Came across this picture of Sonny from Slab City. An honest portrait. Yes, my kids are usually dirty. They also live hard and well. Thank you very much.

Sonny @ 3 years

by Ashley filed under Sonny

Growth & Appearance:
Your hair is halfway down your back and you’re mistaken for a girl 99% of the time. In fact, you’re called a girl even when we lead in with introducing you as a boy.Your hair is usually filthy with dried yogurt caked in it somewhere. You’re still blond but your hair seems darker than I remember your brothers being.

You have your dad’s legs and feet; meaning your knees meet in the middle but your feet do not and your feet are as flat as flippers.

Your finger is most always in your nose. Especially when you’re nervous.

You have a big, infectious smile and plump lips.

Sleeping:

When it comes to sleeping, you’re our worst kid yet. I realize now just how lucky we were with your brothers’ sleeping patterns. You have an affinity for waking up at 4am, requesting yogurt. Some nights we hear you downstairs, opening the fridge and clinking the spoons around.

We moved you into your own room because you sleep patterns are different and it wasn’t benefiting any of us by having you share a room with your brothers.

We waited way too long to move you out of the crib. You were sleeping in the pack n’ play for a while too, after the ol’ mattress on the floor trick didn’t work. You’re now in your very own full-size bed. You’re the youngest and yet you have your own room and the biggest bed, not sure how that happened.

Putting you to sleep is a nightmare most nights; like a game of whack-a-mole. Always with periods of exceptions. Most nights we give you a phone and let you watch videos until you pass out because that’s just been the easiest way and when you’re exhausted and have nothing more to give, you rely on bad habits. We’ll work our way out of that maze we walked into when the time is right; for now, it’s not a battle worth picking. We’re just happy we’ve gotten you out of our bed, in your own room. Step by step, day by day.

I put you to bed around 8pm but we play whack-a-mole until 10pm or even 11pm some nights. You usually get up after your brothers, after 7am.

Getting you to nap is a nightmare as well. Not worth the struggle, despite the fact you’re tired and need it. When I can, I put you in the car and wait for you to fall asleep and then take the older boys to skate park and let you sleep while they skate. Makes for a more enjoyable rest of the day.

Eating:

You’re a french fry fiend. If there’s a fruit alternative, we go for it because if there’s fries on your plate, they’re all you have eyes for.

Other things you like: broccoli, yogurt (all day, everyday, multiple times a day), avocados, bananas, strawberries, blueberries. Basically fruits and some vegetables.

I was hired by Danone to shoot some pictures of you eating yogurt, seemed fitting. There are now pictures of you eating yogurt in Spain.

You’re a fairly good eater otherwise but you require assistance; the foods above you’ll happily help yourself with… everything else requires some sort of manipulation, pleading, distraction, silver spoon… you get the idea.

Development:

Previously, when we asked you for a kiss, you would press your lips to our face for a quick second. Now we ask for a ‘kiss with noise’ and you do the same with an added exaggerated smooch.

You spent the first two years, and then some, exercising your ability to make ears bleed with your screams. We’ve had to walk out of restaurants, grocery stores, amusement park lines, and everywhere in-between. I’m happy to report that those days are more-or-less a thing of the past… with exceptions.

You appear to be left handed, like Hooper. But I still notice you throw mostly right.

For the most part you play independently. You have a good imagination and give voices to different characters.

Potty training was a nightmare. We finally got you your own little potty and you seem to be picking it up.

A Broken Leg

by Ashley filed under Brothers, Sonny

It was the day your brothers came home with new bikes; the kind with gear stops that they hadn’t quite figured out yet. Van ran you over, you tibia broke, and in a cast you went. Four weeks with one true shower. By the day you got your cast off we could poke your heel through a small hole you burned into it; a byproduct of scooting on your butt to and fro. You played with the hose the night before it’s removal, evidenced by the soggy swamp foot that revealed itself the next morning. We’re a few days out and you’re not quite walking on it but you’ll get there. Remind Van later in life, if he’s not already too traumatized from being stuck in the middle and then carrying the guilt of being the responsible party, that he owes you one.

Sonny @ 2 years

by Ashley filed under Sonny

Growth & Appearance: Your hair is long, past your shoulders and you’re more often referred to as a girl than a boy which truthfully has incited a whole internal monologue about gender and how silly it all is that we all conform to these weird standards society has set; pink for girls, blue for boys. Kind of ridiculous. We love your long hair, albeit the fact the front hangs into your food and is most always caked in yogurt or tiny chunks of avocado. That said, you’ve gotten somewhat used to having your hair brushed and will sit for a good comb through with minimal whines (on a good day, anyway).

You are approximately 36 inches tall and weigh 30 lbs. You’re in size 5 diapers and size 2-3 clothes. Your nose has been running so I assume you’re getting your two year molars but I haven’t actually checked because, well, who cares.

Sleeping: The days of two naps a day are slowly proving to be a thing of the past. On most days you wake with your brothers, a bit before you would on your own due to the shared room / school schedule, around 7am. We’ve started pushing back your morning nap to 11am, instead of 10, and you’re sleeping 2-3 hours. Depending the time you get up, we’ll sometimes still try for the afternoon nap, around 4 or 5 for an hour or so. Some days it’s a nice break, even if it’s only a half hour or so. Then bedtime, around 7:30pm or so.

You can climb out of your crib with ease… we used to have your crib at the base of the bunkbeds but we found you on the top bunk one day which you accomplished by climbing up on your crib and then pulling yourself up and over the base of the top bunk. So we’ve moved your crib away from the base of the bunkbeds and surrounded it by pillows and don’t wait long before you wake up to come get you.

You sleep with your blanket, which you call your ‘daddy’ (just as your brothers do as well) and most always have your ‘toy of the day’ (typically a conglomerate of toy cars).

Eating: We still sit you in your highchair at home but tend to let you sit in a chair if we go out. Gone are the days we can keep you strapped it; it’s more enjoyable for all to allow you the freedom to roam.

You through your entire plate when you’re done or over eating what’s been served, sending food flying across the floor. It’s one of your more annoying traits at the moment and the primary reason Jimmie has put on the pounds.

You like what you like and you don’t like what you don’t like. Your favorites seem to stay the same, with avocado being a long time hit and one you rarely turn down. Same with greek yogurt. You’re back on a banana kick but not with the same gusto as before. You like noodles and certain kinds of chicken you devour. We’re still giving you whole milk but I’m pretty sure now is the time we’re supposed to switch you over to 2%.

Though messy, you prefer to feed yourself and aren’t half bad. We just need to be better about pulling your hair out of your face cuz, gross.

You ask for snacks constantly. Oftentimes in place of a meal. A trait I’m sure you’ve adopted from your brothers that causes me a big giant eye roll.

Development:

You’re independent and confident; eager to do things on your own.

You can go up and down the stairs on your own, depending who’s watching you; I tend to let you do it while your Papa seems to think that every other time you would die had he not been there supervising your decent.

We bought you a little scooter for your second birthday and you’re able to peddle; not well but you get around and you thoroughly enjoy riding with your brothers. In fact, one of your favorite things to do is to sit in-between my legs while on your brothers bike and be carted around the yard. That ends in tears every time because, well, it ends.

You know all your primary colors; green took you longer to learn than the others. You can count to three. You communicate well and know several words. My favorites are the way you say ‘Hooper’ (‘Pooper’) and ‘Van’ (‘Ban’). You also often use ‘no fair’, ‘stop it’ (‘shop it’), and ‘what are you doing?’ (pronounced as one seemingly long run on word: wha-yr-do-ing).You also use a hefty dose of unnecessary emphasis on certain syllables with various words and is much of the reason why 2 year olds are my favorite.

You attempt to play catch with your glove on the wrong hand and by putting the ball in your glove and then letting it roll / fall out. Over and over, on repeat. You could play for an hour. I, however, cannot.

While you still let out a good scream every now and again, the frequency of such seems to have dissipated. Or we’ve gotten used to you. I’m quite honestly not sure but I do favor the former because it’s easy to argue the fact that there is no getting used to a scream of that pitch.

Relationships: Your daddy’s boy and on any given day can be found curled in under one of the arms of your Papa. To be fair, he’s much more generous with screen time and cuddles are most always associated with a favorable amount of screen time. You also love your g’pa; a guys-guy through and through.

You watch your brothers with much admiration and mimic whatever activity it is that they’re engaged in. You’re more trusting of Hooper, who is more likely to tend to your needs and give in to your demands. Hooper takes on the appropriate big brother role whereas Van is more sensitive to his toys being passed down and his prized possessions being touched and potentially ruined. Hooper has these moments as well, but they’re fewer and further between.

You love Jimmie but get overwhelmed when he’s in your face. And given your height, he tends to be in your face often. But you have a lovely relationship; he’s very tolerant of you trying to ride him and of you playing with his food and water bowls.

Favorites: You’re in the phase where matchbox cars, or anything with wheels, is your jam. You love your garbage truck toy, your dump truck, you small wooden trucks and so on and so forth. At any given time you have 3-4 favorites that you tote around with you everywhere.

Sonny @ 16-17 Months

by Ashley filed under Sonny

Growth & Appearance: You have most all your teeth now, with one lingering one that has yet to poke through. We bought you a toothbrush, which you love. We waited with Hooper because for whatever reason the thought didn’t cross our minds. Then, with Van, we started brushing his teeth as soon as he had one. And now, with you, it jus slipped our mind until now. Guess we’ve come full circle.

You hair is officially blond. It took longer than I remember it taking for your brothers’ hair and I was nearly convinced you’d have brown hair, like me. You hair is long and most always in your face. We put it up in a little bun often but you like that take it out without warning or reason and so we’ve lost lots of rubber bands. You get called a girl often, not to worry, the whole idea of gender is going out the window anyway.

You weigh 25lbs and at your last checkup you were in the 92nd percentile for height and 60th for weight. You’re still in size 4 diapers and you wear size 18-24 month clothing.

San clemente family photographer-0334

Eating: I officially weaned you from breastfeeding in June. It was much easier, emotionally speaking, than I had anticipated. It was the right time and we did it slowly so I think the hormone shift was slight and bearable. I was worried that you weren’t drinking enough from a bottle but ever since we quit, you drink plenty. Life works out like that, doesn’t it?

You love trying to use utensils and will fuss and whine until we give you your own to use. We go through a lot of utensils this way since we’re both feeding you with one and allowing you to play with another. But I suppose that’s how you learn.

You love to throw your food as soon as you’re full and it’s a mad dash to clear your tray when this starts to happen so as to combat it all ending up on the floor. You’re making Jimmie fat.

You’re not the best eater… you like what you like. In the mornings I often make you oatmeal mixed with spinach and berries. You also like yogurt with fruit in it. You love bananas and avocados. Chicken nuggets are your jam. And dinner, when we give you what we’re eating, is usually not successful, with a few exceptions.

You rock back and forth in your highchair so wildly I worry about it tipping over.

You know where the snack cabinet is and are demanding about what you want and when you want it. You prefer fruit snacks and yogurt covered raisins.

We call you the “sous chef” because you’re insistent about being in your Papa’s arms while he’s cooking.San clemente family photographer-0340

Sleeping: Same old story here minus a few naps you’ve been fighting as of late, though I think that’s resolved. You sleep for 3-4 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon.

Nearly every morning we come in to find your pajamas halfway zipped down, that’s your new thing.

You tend to go back to sleep after the boys leave the room for school.

You’re attached to your blanket and know it’s time for sleep as soon as we hand it to you. You put your thumb in immediately. It’s pretty sweet.

Development: You’re saying all kinds of words, way too many to list here. Here are a few: “go” (said for ‘here ya go’, when you’re bringing us something’), “mel” (for milk), “side” (for outside), “bubbles”, “hooper”, “key-kat”, “doggie”, “hot” and so on and so forth.

Your relatively safe to go down the stairs by yourself. We can’t leave you unattended just yet because of obstacles like laundry on the stairs, or Jimmie running up or down, etc, but you’re able to walk down or slide down with ease.

You love being outside and are at an age where we can cook dinner or do dishes and watch from inside as you play outside. It’s a game changer. And nice to see you gaining independence.

I caught you picking your nose, so you’re aware of those two holes.

You have a great sense of humor.

You like sitting on the skateboard and rocking back and forth. You’ve ate it a few times and could care less.

On the flip side, you make a big deal when anything harms you. Like you purposefully put your finger in a socket like hole and then look at one of us and say “owwwee”. It seems attention seeking so I try to pay it little attention. Which is hard because most of the day I just want to eat you.San clemente family photographer-0333

Favorites: You still adore you g’pa Jeffers, he’s your one and only when he’s around. You love ringing the doorbell and playing with our electric toothbrushes. You love balls — not the two you own but the ones lingering around the home that you like to kick and throw. You love being outside and you love playing with your brothers’ toys while they’re in school.

Sonny @ 15 months

by Ashley filed under Sonny

This post will have to run back-to-back with your 16 month update because, per the speed of life these days, I’m late… Had it written long ago and only now getting the chance to hit ‘publish’. Ugh.

Growth & Appearance: Your hair hangs well below your eyes now and when you have a runny nose, your hair gets stuck to it. Like curtains that are attached to the ceiling and the floor.

You go a thousand miles a minute and at any given time have cuts and scraps and bruises to prove it.

You have a lot more teeth… not sure how many total, but the top middle one that was missing is now coming in so you’re not much of a snaggle tooth anymore. I’d guess you have four up top, four below, and a couple molars. And you bite like a mother fucker with them.

You’re growing out of some of your clothes, sizes 18-24m fit best, with some room to grow. Still size 4 diapers. You’re rocking your brothers’ hand-me-down vintage zips and I’ll be sad to pass those on when the time comes.

Sleeping: You earn your naps, that’s for certain. And, luckily, you don’t fit what you’ve worked for. You go down easy and most always without any protest. Your morning nap has cut back some but it’s hard to tell because we’ve been traveling much of the last month and your entire schedule has been tossed to the dogs.

You sleep with your blanket and seem more aware of it; the attachment is growing.

You wake up happy, most always, and ready to go. Like a gas tank that has been filled. the stork & the beanstalk photography-3893
Eating: True to third child fashion, we don’t keep near the tabs on what you put in as we did with either of your brothers. You’re not the best eater, but not the worst. I suppose it helps that you are plump and strong and your health is of little concern because of that.

You love chicken nuggets, cantaloupe, grapes, banana.

You’re also at the stage where you insist on holding the utensils, meaning I must give you a spoon to hold and dirty and then feed you with an additional spoon. Meaning you need to learn to do the dishes because they add up quickly and we’re out of spoons.

You breastfeed morning and night. I don’t get the sense you care whether I feed you or not; you never ask for it and sometimes it’s a fight to get you settled enough to latch. I plan on stopping soon, though I keep saying that…

You’re not great with drinking, which is part of the reason I hesitate to stop breastfeeding. On a good day I get about 5oz of fluid (milk) in you. On average, I’d say only 2-3oz. And so, we give you a lot of grapes. You can hold your own bottle and you tend to throw it as soon as you’ve quenched your thirst; which ends up being after every sip. Eye roll.

You tried juice and you spit it out.the stork & the beanstalk photography-3889
Development: Your lungs are something to contend with. Anyone that spends any extended time with you will surely walk away with their ears bleeding. It’s made going out anywhere kind of miserable.

You’ve stopped saying ‘thank you’ and pretty much say ‘doggie’ non-stop and in reference to anything other than humans that breath. So basically if it has fur, it’s a dog. You’ve also said ‘cookie’ and made attempts to say ‘balloon’.

You’re quite the little dictator and oftentimes only want to be held so you can point and direct the person carrying you to take you where you want to go and do what you want. You’re easy to read and understand but you’re also incredibly relentless and loud.

You follow simple commands.

You know where your belly button is.

You love to bring us books and back up to sit on our laps in anticipation of us reading them to you.

You’re better at going down the steps and can make it down by yourself but you’re still not safe to leave on the stairs by yourself.

Your balance is great; as proven by your ability to stay upright on a plane while running down the aisles during periods of turbulence.

When you’re upset you like to use your body as a weapon, flinging yourself into us or biting our shoulders. When we have you in the carrier and you go through one of your tirades, we joke that all we can do is brace for impact. Such is life.

Favorites:

You love bubbles. And water. OMG, you throw yourself at water. No fear. And totally okay with falling face first into the salty sea.

Your g’pa Jeffers is still your favorite and if he’s in the same room, you’re in his arms. Sometimes begrudgingly because much like most moms, he can’t catch a break. Like a moth to the flame.

Goodbye, breastfeeding

by Ashley filed under Breastfeeding, Sonny

ashley jennett

I sat down to feed Sonny the other day and felt that wave of excitement that comes when you’re close to completing something you set out to do but also couldn’t wait to be over. That much defines my relationship with breastfeeding. And so I’m here today to write about the excitement with being close to done with breastfeeding before we’ve actually called it quits because we all know that if written after-the-fact, it ain’t nothin’ but a hormone induced slide down a slippery slope of sentimental memories of a bobble-headed baby that needed you, only you, desperately in a way that he will never need you again. So, you see, I’m writing this now so that my future self, who’s sure to be drowning in some sort of sea of anguish, has a reminder that it’s okay to move on and it’s okay to celebrate the newfound freedom that comes with not having a child attached to you, and only you, several times throughout the day (and for many, but thankfully not me, night).

Some I-can’t-wait-to-be-done-with-this ramblings:

I can’t wait to get rid of my nursing bras. They’re like glorified sports bras with snaps. For the past month I’ve been wearing an underwire and have been suffering the inconvenience of getting totally undressed to feed him simply so I can have the appearance of well-lifted bosoms.

I won’t miss the time suck that is pumping; especially at this stage in the game when I’m literally taking the same amount of time I was to pump 5oz but only now yielding 1-2oz for the mere purpose of keeping things afloat. All the while, skipping breaks and relying on fellow nurses to care for my patients in addition to their own patients. Oh and getting up extra early to pump before I even leave for work. Not to mention the cleaning and the storing and the lugging shit back-and-forth. I hate pumping. I want to burn everything right down to plastic little valves.

Smelling like maple syrup. Adios, fuck-u-greek.

That feeling that I’m being touched all. the . time. I truly am touched out and am ready to yearn to be touched again instead of shrieking inside every time someone reaches for me.

How about being able to wear a dress that doesn’t have buttons or a a neckline that can be pulled down? A shirt that I prefer tucked in that can, well, stay tucked in.

More even breasts. I mean, thanks leftie, I do appreciate the greater output but really, let’s be fair and practice equality.

“Sonny’s up, you gonna feed him?”. Nope, fucker, you’re turn.

And while I’m all about keeping to a schedule for my own benefit, I mean it’s the only time I get to work with one less distraction, and a substantial one at that, I can’t wait to not be tied to it the way breastfeeding ties me to it… to have to be there for each waking and each put down… no mas.

Date nights with my lovely husband, who I just teasingly called a ‘fucker’ because we love each other like that. But really, nights away, with no (less) guilt and dammit, maybe even a weekend getaway (mom, are you reading this? — my birthday is in July. Friendly reminder). I should also add that there is an inherent stress, in my opinion, put on a relationship when the mother is breastfeeding; it’s a true sacrifice for all involved.

Currently we’re down to just two feedings a day; morning and night. And I no longer feel the sadness that truthfully was tormenting me when I thought of calling it quits before. A reminder to myself to not be forceful in decisions that don’t require force. As we’ve steadily dropped to two feedings, I can feel my milk supply diminishing. The pump is of absolute no use and there are times sweet Sonny’s patience for my let-down gets the best of him and we both throw in the towel before any really gulping takes place. And so, the end is near. I know it, he knows it, and we’re all good with it. In fact, the only real reason I’m holding on at this point is because we’re in Maui and I’m hoping for a miracle on the plane ride back and hoping my magic mother goodness may just do the trick. With a little patience, anyway.

And then, I think* we’ll be done. For good.

And I’ll try not to be sad about it.

Sonny @ 14 months

by Ashley filed under Sonny

Growth & Appearance: Keeping your hair out of your face has become a problem so we’ve started giving you a little whale spout on the top of your head. You’re called a girl whenever we leave the house, but that’s okay. Your hair has lightened significantly and I’d damn near call you blond. Or at least on your way to blond.

I stuck you on the scale the other day and I think you were 23 or 24 lbs. Still in size 4 diapers. Size 18m or 2T pajamas.

You have a bunch of teeth that have popped through. Still waiting on one of your top middle. I think you have three on top and three or four randomly dispersed teeth that have popped through on the bottom. There doesn’t appear to be any rhyme or reason to the asymmetrical nature in which your teeth are coming in.the stork & the beanstalk photograhy

Sleeping: Much of the same, still two naps a day, one from 10ish to 2ish and another, not long after, from 4ish to 6ish. Asleep for the night between 8 and 9 and up, with your brothers, around 7:15.

You’re growing more attached to your blanket and oftentimes, as I lift you out of your crib, you motion for me to grab your blanket too.

Nursing puts you to sleep some nights but they’re in the minority. You go to sleep fine on your end anyway, without so much as a whimper most days / nights.the stork & the beanstalk photograhy
Eating: You’re all about grapes these days. You even turned down an avocado and whined for more grapes.

I breastfeed you in the morning, before your morning nap, before your afternoon nap, and before bed (we cut out the feed after your morning nap, so we’re down to four). I notice that my supply has dropped and I’m not sure you’re getting much so I’m hoping the ending to this relationship happens more or less naturally. I’ve stopped pumping on the days I work because I wouldn’t get anything. You’ll drink from a bottle but don’t drink much. Not sure if this will increase once we’re done with breastfeeding all together or what. I trust it will all work out as it should.the stork & the beanstalk photograhy

Development: Personality explosion as of late. So much humor and spunk. You love to say ‘boo’ and wait for everyone to scream.

You destroy everything in your path. It’s useless to pick anything up around here because as soon as you’re awake, everything is strewn about once again. Like a drunken octopus.

You’re learning how to go down the stairs but are still far too dangerous to leave on your own and we still have no suitable solution for blocking the stairway from you. We end up moving the entryway bench in front of the stairs when you’re awake so our house is never quite put together and, even when it is, you soon ruin it.

Words you say: “hi”, “thank you”, “boo”, “mama”, “doggie”.

You go limp when you’re moved from something you don’t want to be moved away from. And you bite the shoulder of whoever it is pulling you away.the stork & the beanstalk photograhy
Favorites: You LOVE your g’pa Jeffers and prefer him to even me. In his arms is some of the only times I see you ever still. It’s pretty sweet.

You also love Jimmie and are keen to share your food with him, even when what’s in front of you is something you love.

Sonny @ 13 Months

by Ashley filed under Sonny

the bee & the foxGrowth & Appearance: We took you to your 12m appointment late, in true third child fashion, and -in even more third child fashion- can’t remember what your stats were. Except to say that you are in the 60th percentile for weight (and I think you’re around 24lbs, per our shipping scale) and 90th percentile for height (can’t remember how many inches, though).

Your hair has lightened significantly over the last month as is more of a golden color. You still only have three teeth; your two fangs and one top middle tooth. Feels like your teeth are taking forever to come in and you enjoy using your one fang tooth to chip away at most things.

You’re in size 4 diapers, size 18 or 24m pajamas.

You most always have some sort of scratch or scab or bruise on your knee and/or forehead.

Sleeping: Same as always; you wake around 7:30am, down for a nap around 10am, up around 2pm, down again at 4pm, up at 6pm, and down for the night around 8pm. Like a constant game of whack-a-mole. Because you’re more mobile than ever, nursing has been putting you to sleep more than it had been in the months prior but you’ll happily put yourself to sleep too, which is nice.the bee & the fox

Eating: Gone are the days you’d eat anything. You’re much more particular these days and, in general, you eat most in the morning and then just a little for lunch and either a lot for dinner or nothing at all. But breakfast is always a sure bet and somedays it seems like you eat enough in that one meal to last for the whole day.

Your favorites are still your favorites: avocado, banana, sweet potato, taco meat.

You still breastfeed 5 times a day: morning, before and after morning nap, before afternoon nap, and before bed (we cut out the feeding after your afternoon nap). You don’t drink a lot of the cow milk we give you from the bottle; only a couple of ounces a day, I’d say.

Development: You’ve started this fast-paced walking style that’s surely a transition to running; you look grossly off-balanced and teeter far from side to side resembling a drunken sailor. It excites you when you make it across the room moving in this speedy fashion and it brings the biggest shit-eating-grin to your face.

You still walk with your arms in the chicken wing position.

You love playing peek-a-boo and will come around the corner and say ‘boo’ and expect everyone to act surprised.

You can move from a squat to a stand without using your arms. You can also move down or up a small step and when you do so successfully, you tend to want to do it over and over and over again.

Words you know and use on and off: “ut-oh”, “thank you”, “hello”, “doggie”, “love you”.

Your scream hits a decibel that’s sure to deafen a few. You use it often to be heard or to get what you want and it’s hard to ignore because as soon as you hear it all you want to do is stop it.the bee & the fox

Favorites: You love being outside and when I’ve just about had enough of the screaming I let you loose in the yard.

Other favorites include the remote controls, phones, and digging through the kitchen cabinets.

Sonny @ 12 months

by Ashley filed under Sonny

 

Growth & Appearance:

Your teeth are starting to make their way in. Your one fang is still the most prominent but you have it’s opposite as well as your top two front teeth also just starting to poke through. Otherwise, not much change; your hair is still a light brown, eyes still grey, same size 4 diapers, and same size clothing (12-18 months).

Your hair grows by the second is most always in your eyes. We’re letting it grow out and I joked to your Papa that we should just dress you as a girl for a few months solely for the purpose of using a clip to keep it out of your face.

ashley jennett

 

Sleeping:

Much the same as last month as well; you’re awake from about 7-10am, then again from 2-4pm, and again from 6-8pm. The rest of the time is spent napping or sleeping through the night. You sleep in your crib, with your blanket, which you don’t show any real obvious signs of attachment to. I try to keep the blinds open for your afternoon nap so as to not create any sort of consistent sleep environment, the hope being of course, that you will nap anywhere and everywhere. You go down without a fight, ever. Nursing rarely puts you sleep except on the rare occasion.

ashley jennett
Eating:

You’ve spent the last month throwing the majority of your food on the floor. With less time to give it much attention, I’ve wrote it off as part of teething and am leaning on a hope and a whim that you will eat when you need to. Somedays it feels like you hardly eat anything at all. You’ve even thrown some of your favorites, which makes me think it’s your teeth causing you pain. You had a fever for at least a week and seemingly a cold for several weeks. You were on antibiotics, which helped, but then you got another cold soon after that. So, eating has suffered this month.

I refer to crackers as my ‘shut-the-fuck-up-biscuits’ and they’re my go-to when you’re losing your shit at the table.

That said, nursing has been easy. I’m ready to be done with it and have weaning in the back of my head, but we’ll get there little by little. I cut out your late night feeding so I am no longer waking you up to feed you before I go to bed. I’ve been going to bed earlier because of it, which is a nice reprieve. I’ve also started giving you some cow milk during the day just to give you a taste and get you used to taking a bottle from me. You don’t drink more than an ounce or two from it, but you seem to take to it well enough. You breastfeed 6 times a day.

ashley jennett

Development:

You figured out how to get off the bed all by yourself by turning over on your stomach and going down feet first. You fell face first off a rock at the beach the other day and I watched as you climbed right back up it and tried again, using your getting-off-the-bed technique. You were quite proud of yourself.

You say ‘thank you’ and you use it appropriately; meaning you aren’t just repeating it back at us but instead you will say it after I give you a cracker.

You’ve fallen off your ‘ut-oh’ kick; meaning you’re only saying it a few times a day, which is a dramatic decrease from the nearly 100 times you were saying it last month.

You can blow and make the cutest pursed lips when we put a candle in front of you.

You attempt to jump but your feet don’t actually leave the ground.

You scream at the top of your lungs when you want something. It’s the most piercing and gut-wrenching thing. You’re the worst to bring to restaurants and you shrill turns the head of any guest we invite into our home.

You love the beach and will wander off on your own and entertain yourself in a way that makes me think we need to spend all 7 of your waking hours at the sea.

You play quite well by yourself in your crated off area in the morning but after that you get kinda pissy about being pushed off to the side. You’ve actually started moving the entire contraption; using it like an old man would a walker. It’s quite the scene to be doing the dishes in the kitchen only to be interrupted by you turning the corner pushing a five foot long plastic crate full of toys. the stork & the beanstalk photograhy
Favorites:

You’re quite in to the mini hand sanitizer bottles as well as the kids medicine bottles. I think the ridges on the tops of the medicine bottles feel good on your teeth; in any event, they are strewn all over the floor in numerous rooms of the house.

You also love being outside.the stork & the beanstalk photograhy

First Birthday

by Ashley filed under Sonny

San Clemente Family Photographer-1490 San Clemente Family Photographer-3557I can’t even remember what my official due date was, I believe it was the 5th, all I knew is that it came and went and I felt this rush of urgency over a bomb I had no control in the detonation of. Waking each morning and wondering if today was the day; my concentration on minuscule things like the weather or what astrological sign he (though we did not know it was a ‘he’ at the time) would be born under.

All the anxiety and anticipation bounding inside me, like water on the brink of boiling. So that when it did happen, it happened without question, an audible pop from inside me like the cork flying out of a champagne bottle.

Our only planned hospital birth and as irony would have it, he was nearly born in the car. Forty-five minutes of complete surrender to a pain that left no room to even will it’s disappearance. A few minutes collecting things at home, a 25 minute drive, a 10 minute transfer up to a room, and five minutes total in a hospital bed. And there he was, in my arms, all 10 lbs of him. Another boy. But more importantly, another healthy boy.

My sweet Sonny, I fought for you. You are the third I knew I always wanted well before you were even you. I had no hope of who you’d be or what you’d be, I just knew I needed you. And now I know why. You are potentially (I mean, I can always hold onto hope, right?) the last piece to the puzzle. You are so loved and you have protection built in for life by way of two older brothers that adore you but hate when you touch their legos. Happy first birthday, mi amor.

(Sonny’s birth story can be found here).

Sonny @ 11 Months

by Ashley filed under Sonny

Growth & Appearance: You finally have your first tooth and it’s neither your center front nor bottom but instead your right lateral incisor. The same tooth on the opposite side is making it’s way down as well so I suppose you may look a little vampire-ish here shortly.

You have lots of hair, so-much-so that it could use a cut but we’re opting to let it grow out. You get called a girl every now and again and we think* that’s why. In some photos your hair looks blond but I’d still call it a light brown.

We weigh you on our shipping scale and last I checked, you’re still 22 lbs. I suppose you’re growing in height but not weight, which is typical to your brothers’ growth pattern.

You’re in size 4 diapers and size 18m clothes.San Clemente Family Photographer-6294

 

Sleeping: It’s easier to calculate the hours per day that you’re awake, which is about 8. You wake up with your brothers around 7:15am and go down for your morning nap at 10am. I wake you at 2pm if you’re still sleeping and you’re ready for a nap, again, at 4pm. Once again, I wake you around 6pm so you can eat dinner and then you play for a bit before going down, with your brothers, around 8:30pm. I can’t remember the last time you woke up during the night.

You sleep and nap in your crib, which is in your brothers room. We have yet to buy you blanket of your own, but it’s been on my list of things. (Well that was a time suck because after I typed that I went off into the internet dark hole of blanket shopping and now have over $600 worth of blankets in my cart to chose from. And the good Lord knows we need two of whichever one we by because, gross. Anyway, still haven’t ordered one but I think I found the ‘one’.)San Clemente Family Photographer-6278
Eating: You’re far more particular these days and know exactly what you want. If we’re eating one thing but offering you something else, in general (unless it’s a banana), you’re skeptical. If we’re having pancakes for breakfast, for example, I have to be sure to give you your delicious mix of oatmeal and spinach and fruit before the pancakes hit the table because as soon as dem pancakes hit the table, the oatmeal gets wildly pushed away, hands start flailing, the screech hits a piercing level, and your highchair starts moving from the momentum of your feet kicking so hard.

That said, you eat well enough but your preference, much like your mama, is for the carbs. Anything bread related is a thumbs up. Your favorites from day one, however, are still your favorites today: banana and avocado and sweet potato. Nearly everything else goes through phases; one day you love blueberries and eat the whole carton and the next day you’re throwing them on the floor.

You breastfeed 7 times a day and the distraction at the breast seems to have faded, thankfully. You’re super efficient and don’t take long to eat but feeding you in public is still not a possibility. I’ll be happy to hit the one year mark so that I can take it all a bit easier and try to worry less.San Clemente Family Photographer-6282
Development: You no longer crawl and are walking with confidence, your little scapula pinching together while your back is arched and arms are out like chicken wings. It’s my favorite stage, hands down and most days you’re making my ovaries beg to have another.

You can squat down and pick up a toy and continue walking without falling but haven’t figured out going down steps, but you’re studying them for sure and contemplating the plunge.

You make it hard to go out to eat as you’re still doing the excited scream that’s sure to make even the nicest of patrons skin crawl.

You said your first word, “doggie” last month but no longer say it so I’m not sure whether to count it or not. You do say “ut-oh” on the regular and use it correctly, so I may change that to your first word instead. You love to drop something for the mere sake of being able to say “ut-oh” and, once again, the ovaries… they hurt.

You entertain yourself much easier now and are find being in your fenced in area under the stairs. We find you often with your basket of toys emptied and you sitting in the middle of your basket like an egg in a nest.

You prefer toys that play music and boogie often to the beat.

You point a lot and make baby sign language seem silly simply based on how much you’re able to communicate through pointing. And screaming.

You’re super playful and have a great sense of humor. You’re always looking for something to laugh at or someone to chase you.

Changing your diaper is the pits; you’re super squirmy. But you don’t mind your nose wiped. Makes not sense.San Clemente Family Photographer-6289

Favorites: You love any toy that makes music. You also love eating the wax out of the candle by my bed.

Sonny @ 10 Months

by Ashley filed under Sonny

Growth & Appearance: You hair is lightening, but still brown. It is fine like Hooper’s but similar to Van, you have a lot of it. And it’s long. As in you seemingly will need a haircut soon. Or we’ll just let it grow. TBD. Your eye color still has me scratching my head. Still no teeth, but your upper gums are swollen and white and at least 4 teeth are ready to pop through any day now. Or at least I’m guessing any day now.

You’re in size 4 diapers and have grown out of 12 month clothing a while ago so I’m buying more 18-24m, which is a little big but a nice amount of room to grow into.san clemente family photographer-5004

Sleeping: I can’t remember the last time you woke during the night and am happy to say those days are behind us. Every day is more or less the same and the predictability is nice. You wake up around 7:15am and are ready for a nap around 10:30am. If you’re not awake by 2pm, I wake you up but usually you’re already awake and just sitting quietly in your crib. You run amuck and are ready for your evening nap around 4:30pm. I wake you up around 6pm because there’s just not enough time in a day for all these naps. Ha.

We moved your crib out of our room mid-way through your 9th month. The transition was seamless and you’re now sharing a room with your brothers.

Generally you’re awake when I put you down for the night and you go to sleep on your own with ease. You’re a blueprint of both of your brothers in this sense.san clemente family photographer-5001

Eating: Breastfeeding can be a struggle at times. I feel as though I should have mentioned this months ago as it’s not necessarily a new development. To keep your attention I feel like I need a bottomless bucket of distractions set to the side of me, to distract you enough to get you settle enough to eat. It’s probably a sign that I don’t need to feed you as often as I do and we have cut out another feeding, so I think we’re working to find a middle ground. I feed you 7 times a day; first thing in the morning, before and after your morning nap, before and after your afternoon nap, before you go to bed, and then before I go to bed.

You still love solids but aren’t as agreeable as you once were. If you don’t like what’s in-front of you, you throw it wildly off your highchair. Your favorites remain the same: banana, avocado, sweet potato. You now like apples and berries so long as they are warm and soft. You’re not the fan of vegetables that you once were; you’ll eat a few, but you’re not a bottomless pit for broccoli like you are for banana.

We introduced scrambled eggs and you love them.

You eat three meals a day.san clemente family photographer-4931

Development: Last month made this month look more-than-promising in regards to walking but lately you’re simply not interested. You can walk with a push toy and enjoy doing so. And you’ve taken several consecutive steps here and there. But your main mode of transport is still crawling. You’re more speedy that way and lower to the ground, which serves your need to put every-damn-thing-in-your-mouth well.

You can stand for minutes unassisted and like to do squats, where you bend slightly at the knees and push back up again. You can also squat all the way down to pick up a toy and stand back up again.

You wave on command and it’s the sweetest wave we ever did see. But you’re stingy as all getup with your kisses; you’ve given ten and refused hundreds.

Jimmie came running into the room the other day and clear as day you said “dog-gee”. We did a double take and were just about to write it off as coincidence until you repeated it, clear as day, about five times in a row. We think you also say “bye” but aren’t totally convinced just yet.

You nap often but when you’re awake you’re moving a gazillion miles a minute. If left unattended for more than a minute, you’re most often found at the base of the stairs or – if you’re near a bathroom – at the toilet. You can climb all the way to the top of the stairs in seconds flat.

Bathing you is an absolute nightmare. You throw yourself all over the place, could care less about going under water, and have zero hesitation to pull to stand on every slippery surface. In fact, as soon as you see the water filling you’re at the baths edge, ready to launch yourself overboard head first. The sink may be the best bet but I’ll be damn if there is ever a time it is clean and empty.

You’re more independent and are able to entertain yourself for a bit when we have to put you in the gated off area. But the more I walk by you, the more pissed off you get. In general, if you can’t see us, you’re fine but if you see us, you want us. Especially me. Cuz, well, I’m still your numero uno.san clemente family photographer-4999

Favorites: The stairs hold your attention more than anything else these days and if you had your way you’d spend your entire day climbing the stairs. I only wish I had the same passion.

You love being chased and teased. Remotes and iPhones still rank high on your list. And me, you love your mama. But really and truly, the stairs rule all.

Sonny @ 9 Months

by Ashley filed under Sonny

Growth & Appearance: We have yet to take you in for your 9 month well baby appointment but they put you on the scale a week or so ago when we took you in to see about an ear infection and you were 20.8 lbs. No ear infection.

You graduated from wearing your helmet, though it wasn’t quite the send-off we had anticipated. I guess I had hoped they would have said, ‘congratulations, all better, you’re done’. Instead they used words like ‘improvement’ and left us with the option of another 14 weeks of treatment to strive toward ‘perfection’. We declined. We’re happy with the shape and any deformity at this point is hard to notice, even when looking at the images they provided us with.

I guess your eyes are hazel. They’re not blue and they’re not brown. So I’m going with hazel. Dark hazel. Your hair is light brown with a hint of strawberry in it; similar to Van’s at the same age.

You’ve grown out of much of your 12 month clothes due to height and are on to 12-18 or even 18-24. We just switched you over to size 4 diapers. Dressing you, in general, is no easy feat. You’re super squirmy.

san-clemente-family-photographer-3320Sleeping: You fell asleep in your highchair the other week. You’ve also been known to fall asleep in your little play area; it’s not uncommon to find you in the sitting position with your head in your lap, flat as a pancake, fast asleep.

When you wake up, you stand in your crib and start making noises until I look at you. And then you cry as I go to the bathroom as if you can’t wait another second to be held and fed. It’s sweet but it’s also loud.

You wake up around 6:30am, which is earlier than we’d like and still just slightly before your brothers wake which means you’re still in our room despite me mentioning moving you in with them every damn month. You are ready for a nap around 10:30 and sleep for 2-3 hours. If we’re home in the afternoon, you take another nap, around 3:30pm or 4pm for an hour or two. You fall asleep on your own around 8:30pm and then I wake you for one last feed before I go to bed around 10:30pm. And you sleep through the night, in your crib, next to our bed.

san-clemente-family-photographer-3301Eating: I finally got you to eat more fruit by warming it up first and mashing it in with your oatmeal. I can now give you strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries but even with the added cinnamon you’re still not into apple. You eat vegetables with ease; asparagus, broccoli, peas, carrots, sweet potato. In general, you eat whatever we’re eating unless we’re eating crap, which we do more often than is worth admitting. You also tried tofu this month and dig it. And egg whites, too.

Your favorites are still avocado and banana.

You recognize foods and get excited when you see something you particularly like; like when I sat down with yogurt the other day and you started rocking back and forth like a cowboy on a horse until I shared with you.

You breastfeed three times in the morning, twice in the afternoon, and 2-3 more times in the evening. Some are better quality feeds than others.

san-clemente-family-photographer-3338Development: I found you splashing piss-filled toilet water around. Gross.

You appear to be right hand dominant and can be found crawling with a toy in your right hand.

You’re happy as a clam and love to laugh and play games. You know when you’re being teased and you revel in the attention.

You still put everything in your mouth; each and every little bit of anything on the floor goes in your mouth. I’ve pulled out leaves, strings, rug fuzz, little itty bitty bits of wrappers, legos (oh the dreaded legos), oh, and yes, dog food. You really liked the dog food.

You’ve begun showing some feistiness. We were at a party and you screamed in disgust when another little baby took a balloon from you. Then, at Thanksgiving, you kept grabbing the face of another baby. I have a sneaking suspicion there is a monster a’ brewin’.

You’re as busy as a bee in the hours that you’re awake and keeping up with you is a full-time job. If you were a snail, you’d have tracks all over the house within just an hours time. You’re into everything and get anywhere in seconds flat. We had a gate up on the stairs but Hooper knocked it down and it has yet to go back up. You love opening the cabinet doors in the kitchen and thrashing around. It’s only a matter of time before you break something and by something I mean everything.

You are starting to follow commands. You know how to kiss but are rather stingy with giving them out. You’ve waved a few times.

Early in your 8th month you started standing unassisted. It started with just a couple of seconds and quickly matured into a good solid stand. Your balance has improved over the month and on the eve of your 9th month you took 5 steps. There were a lot of breaks in-between (balance-step-balance-step) and you have yet to repeat this feat. Crawling is still your chosen mode of transportation. You furniture walk and can transfer between pieces of furniture with ease.

san-clemente-family-photographer-3314Favorites: You love balloons. There is a golf ball that you like to throw and then crawl after and then throw again. Otherwise it’s the same ol’ story: phones, remote controls, and all the other stuff we value and don’t want in your mouth. And mama. You love me and if I’m in the room there’s no one you’d rather be with.

Sonny @ 8 Months

by Ashley filed under Sonny

Growth & Appearance: We went to your 6 week checkup with the helmet in hopes we’d be told that you no longer need it but loandbehold we’ve been told another 4 weeks, at least. You’re cute as can be but we’re tired of not seeing your whole face and the head butts are starting to hurt and your head is super smelly and the way it presses into my collar bone when you want to cuddle kinda hurts. That said, we hope you enjoy your round head for the rest of your days.

You have a good head of hair, more hair than I recall either of your brothers having. It’s a light brown. Your eyes are hazel, I think.

You’re in size 3 diapers and size 6-12m clothing.

No teeth.

san-clemente-family-photographer-1026Sleeping: I had all the intentions of moving you into your brothers’ room this month and then daylight savings hit and threw a wrench in that plan. Whereas before you were sleeping until after 7am, now you are awake and ready to go around 5am or 6am. This is changing now that we’re adjusting but those first few days, where you were ready for your morning nap at the hour I was ready to actually get out of bed, were hard. And long. Hoping we can get back on track and make the move this month.

You’re now taking two naps a day; one in the morning, around 10:30am for 2-3 hours, and another in the afternoon, around 4pm for 1-2 hours. Though I should note that the second nap is hit or miss.

We packed away the wombie after I found you in your playpen sitting straight up like a little caterpillar. It was time. And you adjusted just fine.

Breastfeeding still puts you to sleep at night but you’d go down easily either way these days. You’re awake after the feed before your morning nap, usually, and you don’t fuss at all when I put you down. san-clemente-family-photographer-1034
Eating: You love solids and tend to favor vegetables over fruits. Some of your favorite foods include: squash, zucchini, spinach, broccoli, sweet potato, asparagus, banana, avocado. Things that I thought you would love that you’re just not into at all: strawberries – or any berries for that matter – and apples. You spit them out. We also give you a small amount of cereal and / or oatmeal. You’re now eating three meals a day and when appropriate, you eat what we eat. You love chicken and fish and show interest, in the form of wildly flapping your hands and rocking back and forth as if you were a cowboy on a wild horse, in just about everything we eat.

You breastfeed at least 7 times a day.san-clemente-family-photographer-1023
Development: You pull to stand on everything and have started taking a few steps (while still holding onto something) or at least figuring out that you can move your feet while in the standing position. You crawl everywhere and require attention one hundred percent of the time because of how mobile you are.

In the hours you’re awake, you’re constantly on the move. It’s no wonder you’ve worked your way up to two naps a day; you’re non-stop.

You have yet to figure out the single step that separates the kitchen and family room. It’s gotten the best of you twice now and the other day I saw you sitting there contemplating giving it another try. You must have retracted your extended arm at least 5 times before crawling away.

We have a little area crated off for you that we use when we have to put you down or can’t keep an eye on you. You don’t particularly like it and are definitely aware that we’re passing you off. You seem to entertain yourself better so long as I’m not in sight but as soon as you see me walk past you, you lose your mind.

You love to cuddle and tend to morph into whoever is holding you.

You suck the thumb on your left hand.

You say ‘Ma-ma’ but not with any meaning attached. You’re very vocal and make a lot of noises and squeal excitedly when you’re excited.

At the very end of the month you discovered the stairs. You’ve climbed up the first step or so. Our neighbors gave us their baby gate and it’s time we start using it.san-clemente-family-photographer-1042

Favorites: The remote controls. Our electrical toothbrushes. Jimmie’s bones. And, of course, mama.