summer time

 So nice to be able to put her in some cute summer clothes! The little dress from Oma and Grandpa has some room to grow, so it will hopefully last all summer!

summer hair cuts and baby girl time

 Now that summer is here we are taking full advantage of the warmer weather - andy had me shave his head, which he hasn't had this way since we first met but according to him is much cooler! And there have been a few evenings after Hudson's gone to bed that we've been able to sit outside and just BE with Stella. Not that we don't love being with both kids, but Stella doesn't get a lot of time with just the two of us, so I certainly enjoy little times like this! 

4 month stats

We were about 10 days late, but Stella got her 4 month check up!

Weight: 12 lbs 8 oz (20%)
Height: 25 inches (70%)
Head: 17 inches (70%)

So our little girl is still tall and thin! we thought her head looked like it was getting bigger...and sure enough it went from 50% to 70%! I think that means she has a big brain and is going to be very smart. :)

To compare, here's what Hudson was at 4 months:

Weight: 16 lbs. 2 oz. (80%)

Height: 26 1/2 inches!!!! (93%)

Head Circumference: 16 1/4 (25%)

 

We are still struggling with her feeding sometimes, but overall she is eating enough and is still healthy. It continues to be a stress in our lives, but thankfully she and Hudson are both happy kids and always keep us laughing. And she is thoroughly entertained by her big brother!

beach baby

She may not be able to tan like her big brother, but she sure looks cute in her bathing suit! :)

swim lessons, round two

When Hudson was about 8 months old he had his first swim lesson. Yes, ONE swim lesson. He ended up with a double ear infection so we didn't take him back…until today. I was sure he would be thrilled to be in that pool, and we even met his friend Mona there. Well, i was wrong. Completely. Not only did he not want to get in the pool, but once he did he cried the ENTIRE time, clinging on to Andy like a baby monkey. I was with Stella and hadn't worn my bathing suit, which was my first mistake. So we left the pool, and Hudson, wrapped up in his towel, was walking to the car when he tripped and fell - on his face. His hands were wrapped up in his towel so he couldn't break his fall. So our rough morning in the pool got a little worse. But he got lots of TLC, a lollipop and a cookie out of the deal, and seems to be recovering. :) He is not one to "tough it out" when both mom and dad are swooning over him to make sure he's ok. And we felt bad cause it looks like it hurts. So I guess this little boy will get extra special treatment, and we're ok with that. 

dinner time with friends

Yesterday we had some friends over, and there were two little boys who are fairly close to Hudson's age there that  he's known since he was born. He was excited to have them come to dinner, but once they all sat down at his table, somewhat started yelling….and then they all started yelling. It was hilarious. There was no way conversation could happen while this yelling was occurring - even Connolly, the little girl at the table, got into it. It was quite a fun night - aside from the pushing, fighting over toys, and the yelling, of course. 

bath time with Stella

This little girl is hilarious with her tongue during bath time! So funny. 

sheer joy

I can't believe Stella is already 4 months old - and how HUGE Hudson looks sitting next to her. She has been such a joy to our lives, and it's been so neat to watch her and Hudson grow in their relationship also. At four months old she is eating between 24-35 ounces of sensitive formula a day, and still taking her medicine twice a day to help with her reflux and difficulty eating. She has been much better about eating the last month, and we are believing that it will just keep getting better and better. She is fitting into 3 month clothes now, and still seems long and thin in most things. She has the thinnest, cutest little feet! She has been sleeping 7-10 hours at night, and is off and on with her naps during the day. Some days she will sleep 2-3 hours straight, then only take a couple 30 minute naps otherwise, and other days she will take 4-5, 30-45 minute naps. It's pretty easy to tell when she is hungry or tired though, because all other times she is usually very happy and content. She is easy to smile, and just recently has started giggling a lot. You can bounce her just a little bit and she will break into a huge smile and laugh  (see picture at the end of this post). Her laugh is the sweetest sound - and the deep dimple on her right cheek is priceless! She talks a lot these days, and loves to make those rasberries and bubbles. She's started drooling more this week, so we are thinking teeth might be coming in the next few weeks, as she is also trying to put EVERYTHING within reach into her mouth.

Right now she LOVES to sit up, and prefers to be facing out when you're holding her, so she can be looking around. Hudson is her favorite thing to watch, of course, and he doesn't waste a single minute entertaining her. They are already two peas in a pod - and she doesn't seem bothered at all by his energy (which he is always full of!). She is still more shy and reserved than he ever was, and can be easily startled and cry if something surprises her or is too loud. She doesn't seem to adjust as easily to new settings, and we notice this mostly with her eating. New places = bad eating. So she has certainly traveled less than Hudson (he has already gone on 3 round trip flights by the time he was her age!), but part of that is because we are pretty much broke now that we have two kids! :)

I never thought i would love having two kids as much as i do already. I LOVED having Hudson, and before Stella came i wasn't sure how i would feel about balancing and sharing time with both. Though there are certainly times it's difficult to give both of them what they need/want when they seem to want mommy at the same time, for the most part i love having them both so so much. Hudson is such a considerate, kind, sweet little boy - despite his crazy energy - he is a doll, and the best big brother I could ever have imagined.

summer sun

Growing up

 Stella turned four months old this week! Stats and pictures to come soon...

 Bath time = one of his favorites

 I couldn't get her to smile and take the picture fast enough…so we get the dead pan look from Stella. 

 Hudson in his new hat - he has my skin and tans easily, so we need to keep that skin looking beautiful!! He wears lots of sun screen as well!

 The ever present bear…showing a bit more these days just how much love it gets...

phone pics

friends

What a great two years we had hanging out with the Jones family here in Denver. When they first came out here two years ago there were only two kids, and now as you can see there are five between the two families! We had many great times with them, and will greatly miss the crazy, funny, energetic get togethers. Since Andy has known them since college, i have a good feeling we'll be keeping touch for many years to come though - and I don't know if Hudson will forget his best friend Quentin! :)

Garden of the Gods

Today we spent one of our last days with the Jones family down at the Garden of the Gods. It started raining toward the end but we managed to get a couple cute pictures! These two are friends for life. :)