Month to month: Layne is 9 months!

We are officially 10 months now but lets just pretend he is just 9 months still....one less month closer to a year!

Layne is having more and more of a personality here lately. Still a happy boy until he encounters someone he doesn't know or has something taken from him. He will play on his own well but tends to get into things he shouldn't. For instance, he loves to try to climb the steps; he loves the bathroom and all things around the toilet; and he likes the broom and mop. Of course, its the end of the world when I stop him from doing these things. The bucking and screaming have begun. As well, he notices whether or not he knows someone and if we walk off he tends to cry for us.

He also wants to eat everything he sees and gets impatient now when it isn't coming fast enough. He still isn't too keen on peaches or sweet peas. I attempt things they are mixed in and he still notices. Otherwise, he likes anything. We have been giving him mashed potatoes, green beans, banana, and lots of bread-type foods. He is also nursing less often. He can go about 5 hours now in between.

Sleeping wise, we are officially sleeping through the night!! Whoop Whoop! I didn't really have to break him of it either. He did it some on his own and then a couple of times I had to not go in when he stirred. During the day, though, he has gotten a little worse about napping. If he is sleepy enough, he will fall asleep anywhere. But if he snoozed some in the car and woke up too early; he won't go down for a nap easily. I used to could lay him down easily but now he wakes up quickly and won't go back to sleep. So I have been working on a system so to speak so that when I work I can get a nap.

His third tooth has popped through on the top left. Another reason he hasn't been sleeping well during the day, I think. The one next to it is visible but not through. He is getting long hair. We are contemplating cutting the top that gets in his eyes. The cow lick is still there causing it to lay funny. His hair is definitely getting blonder. Daddy has lost out again on the black hair. Otherwise, daddy gave him everything else!

Two other milestones we had this month were going to the beach for the first time and his baby dedication at church. Layne was our third baby to be dedicated at Red Bank Baptist and they are always a special day for us to commit to be a Christian influence on him. We know God blessed us with him and his siblings so that's the least we can do in return. The beach was a special time, too, with family. Layne seemed to like the beach so hopefully he will like Ansley does.

Layne weighed 21.5 lbs and was 29 inches long. Still growing great but has definitely fallen behind Garyn in weight. Garyn was 24 lbs! I am amazed at how big he was and we didn't even realize it. Layne is wearing 9-12 mos clothes and size 4 diapers.

Words/noises Layne has started to say: Uh-oh and Ba-Ba. Still randomly says mama and dada. Now, none of these words are said as words or even at appropriate times. We are trying to get him to wave but he hasn't yet. He loves to clap though!

Well, maybe I can get month 10 posted before its over. I just love this little guy and can't believe how big he has gotten!

Ansley's 3!!

Our baby girl is now 3!

 April 25th of 2011 was a wonderful day for our family. We gained a sweet girl with lots of character and spunk. She is a beauty, too, if you ask me. Smiles constantly; brightening up any one's day!

Just born :)

Being the princess, she wanted to have a Disney princess birthday party, of course. We invited family and friends to the park and had a celebration! Ansley loves all things girly right now. She likes to grab a bag and fill it up with all her "stuff" as her purse. She wants to dress up in dresses/skirts and high heels or "slippers" as she calls them. While she is usually constantly moving around, she will sit still for you to paint her toe and finger nails, which she wants to do daily.

Her with Princess Rapunzel in Disney World

Wearing her Princess Sophia dress in Disney

Her daily goal is focusing on acting like a momma! She still plays with her babies, toting them around with her purse and their gear. She also has acquired some imaginary kids that she scolds and takes to the bathroom frequently. Their names are always some of her favorite friends. Usually though, its Brenna, Brinkley, Emma or Bryson. I hear her telling them the same things I say to her. And of course she wants to treat Layne like her baby. She picks him up; moves him away from things; wants to feed him; and such. Then she tries to scold Garyn some. He hates it and always tells her she's not the momma! Which she quickly and most assuredly replies "Yes, I am!" Always cracks me up!

The real Brenna

Trying to wrap up Layne with his blanket.

Ansley has faced some major hurdles in the last few months and has jumped over them much better than I expected! She is now pretty well potty trained. We started back in the fall and just hit a stand still until I spent a few days at home with no pull-ups and a lot of bribery! She still has accidents that come in spurts when she just doesn't want to stop playing to go potty. At night and nap she wears a pull-up so we haven't jumped that hurdle yet. However, most of the time she goes to the potty and stays dry! When we moved in January, she started sleeping in a twin bed. I was very worried about her getting out of bed constantly and the fact that her room is right at the top of steps. However, she didn't sneak out nearly as much as I remembered Garyn had. She stayed in her room at bedtime, crying some for us, but that was typical even in her baby bed. In the early morning is when she would come out and get in our bed. I sometimes would take her back and others wouldn't wake up enough to do it. Occasionally, she will still do this, but its more rare now.

First night in twin bed (with brother's old sheet, too)

She likes to sleep with Garyn on the weekends (notice the paci again...)

And the last hurdle was the PACI! The paci fairy came to visit her the night of her birthday and left her a new Princess Sophia blanket. Ansley has done really well considering what we were expecting! She loved her paci and had to have it at nap and bedtime to go to sleep. Plus, she would want it other times throughout the day but normally I wouldn't let her have it. The first week or two without it she did cry a lot at nap and bedtime but wouldn't continuously say she wanted her paci. She might would say it once and then the rest of the time she would just whine or ask for us to lay down with her. I have been pleased with the fact that she still naps. Like I said, she cries/fusses more when we leave the room but she does eventually go to sleep without us or her paci!

On the way home from beach, last road trip with paci!

Other quirky things-

• She loves to do puzzles now, and can complete a 48 pc by herself!
• She swallowed a Barbie shoe and successfully passed it :)
• Everything happens on Saturday, according to Ansley.
• She calls Garyn "brother" and Layne "baby brother" sometimes saying it with a "d" in place of "th"
• She sings Old McDonald with a "E-I-E-I- NO "
• She rides a tricycle well, like the second time she got on it she pedaled on her own
• She has only had one haircut so far and it was just a trim
• She is doing gymnastics still and loves it!
• She likes to ask a million questions about every stranger we see!
  
  
  
  
  Doing puzzles.

Ansley is now 32 lbs and 38" wearing 3T clothes. She can still wear some 2T because of her waist and shoulder width but those are usually shorts or long dress/shirts. She has just started wearing a size 9 in shoes and has as many shoes as me, I think! Although she still favors Tyler and the boys, she looks like me more so than her brothers. Her eyes have started looking green but still look blue depending on what she wears. This is also like mine. 

She wanted to see what her makeup looked like in the picture.

She and daddy

Garyn, Ansley and I 

We love our cute little 3 year old and all her spunk. She is constantly surprises us with her attitude and wit!

I know she will grow up to be a strong, beautiful woman!