Complete and Utter Chaos

Did I get your attention? I know I am the worst blogger ever...the complete and utter chaos obviously describes me. Well, not too much has changed with our family. Our day to day lives are still pretty much the same. Ryan and I are still working full time, which means we don't get to see each other a lot. We usually only have a couple days a week that we really get to spend quality time together, which can be really hard. I miss spending time with him, and I'm sure Lincoln would like to spend time with both of us together more often.

I am going to go back a couple months and update you on a couple of the big events that have happened. Two months ago (as of today actually) my adorable little, emphasis on the little, niece Estee Louise Welch was born. She was 6 lb 1 oz, and was 19 inches.

These were taken when she was a little over a week old and super tiny. She is now starting to become a little chunkster, but is still just as adorable. Unfortunately, I don't have any more recent pictures.

Last month Lincoln turned two. I sometimes see glimpses of those notorious terrible twos. He has been throwing more tantrums lately, but he has also been becoming more familiar with time outs because Ryan and I don't give in to the tantrums. He is still behind on talking. He doesn't say very much, which makes communicating very difficult sometimes. I know if he really wanted to he could talk, he is just stubborn. He gets that from both Mom and Dad. Lincoln is still a ball of energy. He is so fearless...climbing and jumping off of everything and he runs nonstop. Luckily, Ryan and I have made sure that he is one tough kid, so anytime he falls or hits himself, he usually just walks up to us, has us kiss the spot he hit and goes back to playing, without shedding a single tear.

Lincoln has a little truck that he rides around in our living room. Something funny that he has started doing recently is he will either set up his little toy people in front of it and then run them over, or he will grab one of his stuffed toys, like Spongebob or Elmo, and he will drive off with them and then tip the truck with both of them on it. He is so silly.

One of his favorite things to do right now is color. We actually got him an art easel for his birthday and he colors on it all the time.

This is his latest masterpiece

Last month we also got Lincoln's 2 year pictures, and our family pictures taken. They were taken by Jamie Lewis Photography and we love them so much. We are still trying to decide which pictures to order. It is so hard to decide. Here are our favorites.

Love his blue eyes

This one is my favorite

Kisses for Momma

Hugs for Daddy

He is so photogenic

Such a boy, playing with the rocks

My two favorite family pictures

This is typical, crazy Lincoln


Love him


This is the face of mischief

He loves to swing

I think that is all for now...I impressed even myself with the length of this. It took a lot of motivation to actually post something. I have more I want to post, but alas, it is late. Maybe tomorrow...we'll see what happens.

Growing, growing, growing

Well, Lincoln is growing up fast. He weighs 24 lb 5.5 oz (95th percentile), and is 33 inches tall (97th percentile). We went to the doctor last week and he got some more shots. I thought this time it would be worse than before since he understands a little more, but it actually wasn't bad. I think he cried less overall.

Lincoln is getting another 2 teeth. They are actually almost all the way in now. Two molars!! He has really been awesome about teething. They never seem to bother him all that much. The only bad teeth so far seemed to have been the first two, which came in at the same time.

I am trying to teach Lincoln where his eyes, nose, and mouth are. He gets in the right area. Every time I ask him where his eyes are he covers his mouth. He is so cute. We will get there soon I think. We've also been trying to teach him "more" in sign language for quite some time now, since he doesn't talk and when he wants something right now he kind of just yells, but not a real yell. Since he was about 6 months old he has been growling at people. It is hilarious. Especially when someone hears it for the first time. It is always a surprise to them. Well, Lincoln has a new sound now. It kind of sounds like he is gasping for air! It was kind of scary the first time we heard it, but then we realized he was doing it on purpose. He is so funny.

Lincoln is one of the most energetic kids I know. He is always running around the house, climbing on things, "talking"/yelling, and of course he has the most energy at 7 AM, when Ryan and I just want to lay in bed. We constantly have to move the computer mouse and keyboard because he has an obsession with them and won't leave them alone. He still loves balls too. He actually got a blow up ball pit for his room for his birthday from Aunt Mandy/Uncle Jerry/Jackson, and just carries the balls all over the house upstairs. He is rocking the whole walking thing. He is still a little off balance at times, and tends to look like he is waddling, but he does great nonetheless. Sometimes he even tries to run. That never works out very well.

A few weeks ago we got our friend Jamie to take Lincoln's one year pictures. They were actually the first pictures of him we got taken, sadly, but from the ones I have seen Jamie did an awesome job. I am very happy. I can't wait for them.

Many pictures to come soon, including from Lincoln's birthday party. Sorry about how sporadically I wrote this post.

Hallelujah!!

Lincoln is finally sleeping in his own bed again!! About 3 months ago Lincoln's sleep schedule really got messed up for some reason. He had been sleeping between 10-12 hours a night, but then all of a sudden he pretty much decided he didn't want to anymore. He wouldn't go to sleep until late, sometimes as late as 11 PM to 12 AM, and then would usually wake up about an hour after we put him down. We would get him, give him a bottle, he would drink about one ounce and then pass out on our bed. He would usually let us put him back in his bed, but then would wake up like 3 hours later...usually around 3:00 or 4:00 AM!! So we would do the same thing, get him, give him a bottle and he would fall asleep, but this time when we tried to put him back in his crib he would wake up as soon as we tried to move him. So when this would happen we would just leave him in the bed with us (because we were so tired) until we woke up in the morning...which for Lincoln would be between 6:00 and 7:00 AM.

Well, a couple weeks ago we decided we were tired of Lincoln sleeping with us. He rolls around like crazy and takes up the same amount of the bed as Ryan and I combined! So we decided to try the whole letting him scream it out approach. We had been avoiding this as a courtesy to our neighbors we share a wall with. What it came down to is we didn't want to disturb them late at night. Well, we decided to throw that out the window. The first night when we put him down he did the whole trying to wake up an hour or two after being put down and we just let him scream it out until he fell asleep. To our surprise he only went about 45 minutes. The next night was not so nice. He went for about 2 1/2 hours!!! Now, this was not constant screaming. It definitely started out as full blown, full lung screaming, but he would fall asleep and then wake up and realize he was still alone and then start screaming again. So, it was on and off screaming for about 2 1/2 hours!! But we stood our ground. We did not go get him from his bed. The next night we were out late, so he didn't get to bed until later, but then ended up sleeping through the night. The next day he only went about 30 minutes. And then the next day he slept through the night. The next couple days after that he may have woken up, but didn't last very long after having woken up. It ended up taking less than a week for him to get trained into putting himself back to sleep.

He still falls asleep on our bed and then we move him. We still do not put him in his bed to fall asleep on his own. Baby steps right? However, a couple days ago he woke up when I tried to put him in his bed. I gave him one chance to try again, but then when he did the same thing I decided to put him in his bed and let him cry himself to sleep. I think he was out in under 10 minutes! We are so happy to have our bed back. So now Lincoln goes to bed around 9:00 or 9:30, sometimes even as early as 8:00 or 8:30, and then sleeps until somewhere between 7:00 and 8:00 AM. It is nice to have our nights back, especially since Ryan and I work a lot of opposites and that is sometimes the only time we get with each other.

Here's to hoping he doesn't revert back to not sleeping well again.

Almost time...

I am six months old...

...and so cute!!!

Well, it is almost vacation time. Ryan and I are going to Chicago in 9 days!! So excited. We are leaving Lincoln with Grandma and Grandpa Dempsey so we can fully enjoy it. It will be nice to have some alone time together too. We are going to have so much fun.

I was right in my last post, Lincoln did have two teeth coming in. I still don't think they are all the way in, but they are so cute. They are his two front, bottom teeth. He is eating all kinds of baby food. So far he hasn't had anything he doesn't like...but we haven't tried everything yet. I think he might even like the vegetables more than the fruit.

As you can see in this video, he is really close to crawling as well. He is pretty mobile. He is a good scooter. Now we have to really clean the floors and start babyproofing. Scary!

So last week we went and got a dishwasher. It had gotten to the point where I could just not keep up with the dishes (mostly because I am lazy). We were planning on just getting a small dishwasher...one of those half size ones, but it turned out they had a full size movable one that was less expensive. So we lucked out. Another step to a cleaner house.

Changes

Ewan is here!! My new nephew Ewan was born on Monday, February 9. He weighed 7 lb 10 oz and was 21 inches long. He is such a cutie though. He doesn't really look a lot like Yohann, so I'm excited to see what he will look like when he gets a little older. Yohann is still adjusting to being a big brother. I still don't think he quite understands, and I think it will probably take a little adjusting for him.

Lincoln's "big boy" car seat was a success! I am so happy. He likes it so much more. He hardly ever even makes a peep. He is always just looking around and playing with his toys. The only downside to the new car seat is now anytime we go somewhere and he is asleep in the seat we have to wake him up, rather than just taking the whole seat with us. A small sacrifice to make to be able to sit up front with Ryan again.

Lincoln is also finally cutting his first tooth! That first day I realized it was the worst. I didn't know why he was so cranky, but nothing would soothe him. I finally stuck my finger in his mouth and ran it along his gums, and sure enough, there was a tooth. I am actually wondering if it is a couple teeth coming in at once. It is that, or a really big tooth. However, every time I try to look in Lincoln's mouth he freaks out, so I still haven't been able to tell.

We also started him on baby food. Sweet potatoes were his first food. He LOVED them. He was so cute. He just kept lunging for the bowl, smiling, and making noises. My mom was here this week to help out Joel and Michela, so she watched Lincoln a couple of times and bought him some finger food treats and fed him some bananas as well. He is loving the baby food. We went ahead and bought him his first high chair since he is going to be eating more. My dad also came into town yesterday, so today he fed him some ice cream to see how he would like it. We figured it would feel good on his gums. I don't even have to tell you that he loved that.

With Grandma at the hospital

A couple other changes with us...Ryan and I both just got promotions at work. For any of you who don't know, we both work at the movie theatre. Ryan is now the head of the projection booth. He will now be making his own schedule, which is one of the best things. I got promoted to the manager of HR. I will be doing interviews and hiring, among other things. I have never done an interview before, so it should be interesting.

One of Lincoln's new favorite toys

Well, everyone knows it is tax season. My dad did our taxes and we knew we were going to be getting more back than last year because of Lincoln being born, but we were pleasantly surprised to find out we are getting much more than we thought. I love tax season! Ryan and I already have plans to go to Chicago (without Lincoln). We have been planning this for a little while now. We are going for 3 days, staying in a King Suite right in the middle of town (it is pretty cheap since it is not a peak period), seeing all the museums, some good restaurants, and even Blue Man Group! We are so excited. We are definitely ready for a vacation.

So we bought Lincoln's new car seat. We'll see how he likes it. Hopefully it will help him tolerate the car more. I have plans to put it in the car today, so I'll let you know what happens. This, of course, means we will have to put him in his stroller when we go somewhere instead of the car seat. We went to the mall with him though and sat him up in his stroller and he LOVED it. He just sat there, looking around, and didn't make a peep. So I think it will work out just fine. Ryan and I are planning to start jogging/running together as soon as it gets warmer. So we are also planning on buying a jogging stroller so Lincoln can come with us, naturally. Hopefully we actually follow through with this goal. We are pretty determined though.

Lincoln has been eating rice cereal for quite some time now. He is really starting to do well with keeping it in his mouth and actually eating it. So I decided that we are going to start feeding him some baby food next week. He loves the cereal, so I know he will love the fruit and veggies. It is going to be fun to see his reactions. I can't wait.

I can't believe Lincoln is almost six months old!! Time really flies. It doesn't feel like it has been that long already. In four days there will be another addition to my family. Joel and Michela are having their 2nd baby on Monday at 7 am! I am so excited to meet this little bundle of joy.

Movin' Baby

Lincoln with Grandpa Dempsey

So Lincoln is 5 months old now. He is a very happy baby. He is almost always smiling or laughing. In fact, just the other day Ryan had him on his lap and they were watching Spongebob, and Lincoln was actually laughing at the show. He would look at the TV and laugh and then look at me and smile like he was trying to get my approval. It was so cute. Unfortunately we did not get it on video. Lincoln does really well with other people too. Pretty much anyone can hold him and he doesn't care. He is still the same happy baby. We are hoping that he will stay that way. We don't want a super clingy baby, we want him to be comfortable around other people when we have to leave him somewhere.

He is very strong and always looking around. He is very aware of what is going on. He is getting so big. We have decided that we have to get him a new car seat. He already fits in there pretty snugly and his feet already almost reach past the end of the seat. He hates being in his car seat, but I think if he is sitting up in the car seat he will not hate it as much.

He is so close to sitting up by himself. Most of the time he can do it, but then he gets excited and throws himself backward. So unless he is on the bed we have to have him sit in his Boppy to support him. Last Friday Lincoln finally rolled over from his back to his front, then Monday he rolled from his stomach to his back. He is now rolling back and forth like crazy. We have been trying to do better with feeding him cereal (we have been a little lazy). He loves it! He gets so excited when I go to feed him. He just smiles when I put the cereal in his mouth and he always tries to grab the bowl and the spoon.

Last week was Lincoln's cousin Jackson's first birthday. Time really flies. He had a big birthday party and everything.

Now in less than two weeks Lincoln will have another cousin. We are so excited!

Four Months...lots of pictures and a video

So Lincoln is about 4 1/2 months now...I'm a little behind. Monday he had his four month check-up (that's what I was waiting for), including shots. He actually did much better with the shots this time around. The first shot he just sat there, the second one it took him a second to realize what was going on, and then he started crying. When he get the third one he started screaming, but it didn't last nearly as long as the time before. So Lincoln weighs 18 lb 3 oz and is 27 inches long. He is in the 97th percentile for both height and weight! I'm so glad I have such a big, healthy boy.

We are pretty sure he is teething, so he always has something in his mouth...including coffee tables

As I said in the last post he has started sitting (but still has some balance issues...he is top heavy). My boppy helps to balance him.

He is finally sleeping through the night, and has been for a little while now. One night he even slept for 11 hours from 9 pm to 8 am! I am definitely loving that. It is so much easier to handle. I am such a lightweight now. I often go to bed at 10:30 or 11. Sometimes I feel bad though because the nighttime is often the only time Ryan and I have to spend together, and then I go and pass out. Sorry Ryan!

Lincoln has also discovered his feet. When we lay him down he almost immediately throws his feet up in the air and starts grabbing them. Ryan said yesterday he was trying to eat them.

Something else he does that I think is cute, sometimes when I kiss Lincoln on the cheek he will turn and put his wide open mouth on my cheek, returning the kiss. It is so cute. I just love him so much and love watching all the new things he does.

We are trying to get him to hold his own bottle

Playing with mom

The cutest little boy...what can I say, I'm a little biased


Lincoln has started laughing more. He has the cutest laugh...enjoy!

Christmas Fun

Well, Christmas is over and we had a great time with our families. It was nice to spend time with family. Lincoln made quite the haul with gifts. He is spoiled. He got almost all toys from the Dempsey side of the family and almost all clothes from the Griffin side, so it was a nice little balance. Ryan's parents got us a camcorder for Christmas! We are so excited. We have been talking about getting one, so it was the perfect gift. We have probably already taken at least 15 to 20 videos.

We spent Christmas Eve with Ryan's family.

As soon as we got there Lincoln opened up his stocking.

He was so cute. He got some little soft blocks and soft plastic cars, he enjoyed them and trying to eat them (as he eats everything now). After the stockings we ate and then opened presents. Lincoln slept through the whole thing. After we were finished opening his presents he woke up and we showed him everything.


Once again he decided he wanted to taste everything.

Lincoln has been almost sitting up by himself lately, but on Christmas Eve is when he did the best without help. He still kind of leans forward a little bit, but for the most part he does pretty good at not tipping over.

After we were done at Ryan's family's house we drove to Port Huron. The roads were terrible. We probably saw a good 10 cars (probably more) that had gone off the road. It probably took us an extra hour to get there, but we arrived safely.

Christmas morning my family all woke up at 7 am (as is the tradition) and sat on the stairs to wait for everyone. We took a picture of all the kids and grandkids and then went to open our stockings. After we open our stockings we go into the family room where the tree is and my dad hands out the gifts to everyone.

Behind Michela's head you can see the kitties watching us open gifts...and Yohann as Batman

Once again Lincoln slept through the opening of gifts. After all the gifts are open we all go out of the room and my dad hides the pickle ornament. For those of you don't know, the pickle ornament is exactly that, an ornament that looks like a pickle. Well it gets hidden and everyone tries to find it. The lucky person to find it gets an extra gift. I was the lucky one to find the pickle ornament this year. I think the gift this year was the best yet. I got a chocolate fountain! I was so excited! I have always wanted one.

It was great to experience Lincoln's first Christmas.

He was so cute looking at all his toys and everything. He is a very curious and active baby. I can't wait until next year when he is a little more responsive. It will be even more fun then.