~Finnegan-5 Months Old~

Dear Finnegan,

Today you are five months old! I dropped the ball on an update last month, but I don't think the fact that you don't have a four month update with ruin your future, so I am fine with that.  We were busy learning more and more about your little personality, and before I knew it time had gotten away from me. 

This past month you have flourished. You have transitioned out of being a newborn and are simply a baby.  Each day you grow into your chunky little cheeks, and your 'new' hair is growing in nicely.  Your dad commented that right now it looks like a well cut crew cut. Your eyes are still blue, and I'm holding out hope that they are staying that color for good!

You love to smile, coo, and laugh, you are a genuinely happy baby, and we are so grateful for this!  Right now your smiles take up your whole face and if you are really excited you let out a little gurgling giggle.  When we come into get you in the mornings or after naps, you almost always greet us with a big gummy grin!

You are continuing to reach milestones, and we have reached the day where I can no longer put you down and return to you in the same place.  You roll, twist, and turn every which way to get at what you want.  And if we walk away from you, you are sure to get vocal and let us know, 'Hey guys I'm over here, you forgot about me.' 

This past weekend we started playing with baby food, and so far you have tried a few fruits and vegetables, and seem to be loving the new experience.  However, you are still a MESS, I thought this would pass after a few weeks when you were born, but we still go through numerous bibs a day, and I have a feeling this quantity is going to increase with baby food! You still eat four bottles a day, 8oz each, and at your bedtime bottle you get a sprinkle of cereal.  You sleep through the night, and rotate between side sleeping and belly sleeping with your butt in the air. Right now you are the first to wake up on the weekends (you only beat Rowen by a little time) but it is a little extra snuggle time we get with just you, and I love it! 

You love your big brother, and if he enters the room, you won't take your eyes off of him.  If you think you are being included in what he is doing you can't contain your excitement.  I know there will come a day very soon when you will be following him all over the house. You also are starting to get really excited about Jack and Lola, and they are loving that you are starting to taste like the good stuff :).  Each day your personality grows, and we love seeing your little face light up when you discover something new! 

We love you our dear sweet wonderful cheeky Finny...happy five months!!

Little Boy TWO

A few obligatory brick wall pictures of the birthday boy...enjoy!

Dear Rowen, Happy Second Birthday!

Dear Rowen,

Today is your day, today you are TWO! It has been the fastest but most rewarding two years of our life.  Your dad and I often remark how we wish we could freeze time right now because we love your wonderful personality at this age!  You are feisty, caring, happy, funny, and you and your brother are the light of our lives!

This year has brought many changes both in you and for you, so here is a little bit of what you were like in your second year:

1. You started walking shortly after your first birthday, and you haven't stopped moving since then.  You are happiest when you are outside running and exploring.

2.  Every night you sleep with little dog, big dog, and eeyore.  Recently Buzz Lightyear has joined the bed crew, and I love peeking in at night to see who got voted off of the island.

3. You have been sleeping in a bed instead of a crib for the past ten months. On week nights you are put to bed around 630, and most nights we hear you playing with your pals for about an hour.

4.  Your favorite book right now is Goodnight Construction Site.  You LOVE making the noises of all of the machines, and saying 'night, night' to each of them.

5.  Your speech has taken off this year, and each week you are picking up new words.  I almost died from the cuteness the other day when you walked into school and said 'Mornin' to the front desk ladies.

6.  Right now you insist on wearing a coat and hat everywhere we go, and let us know of your discontent when we try to make you do otherwise.  It will be interesting to see if you will insist on this trend once spring finally arrives.

7.  You saw snow! And loved it, we couldn't keep you out of it!

8. Your favorite foods right now are bananas, waffles, green beans, mac and cheese, yogurt, cereal, chicken, refried beans, and in the summer you loved watermelon.  You are a little vacuum and will pretty much eat anything we put in front of you.  The only thing I can think of that you aren't particularly keen on is sour cream.

9. You adjusted amazingly well to the arrival of your little brother, and as time goes on your interest in him grows.  We are hopeful that this time next year the two of you will be the best of friends!

10.  We took you to the beach and you hated it. We will try again this year.

11. You got your first set of stitches and a little Harry Potter scar on your forehead as a result.

12.  You love school, and get excited to go everyday. You are always giving out hugs to your teachers.  Your job when walking in/out of school is to carry Finn's bottle bag, and you take this task every seriously.  You also have taken to inspecting your daily report sheet as if you could read it.

13.  We introduced you to a few Disney movies this year, and right now Toy Story is your favorite.  We would of pegged you for a Woody kind of guy, but you are obsessed with Buzz, or buuuzzzz as you like to say.  You and daddy work daily on saying 'To infinity and beyond!"

14.  You love all things that move, trucks, trains, and planes.  Every time you see a plane overhead you wave furiously at it, and choo choo's make you giddy!

15. You are obsessed with books! You would probably choose to read books over almost anything else.  Sometimes you sit on the floor and read the books to yourself, and I swear you are saying your favorite parts out loud!

16.  Jack and Lola are your best friends, and like any friendship you have good days and you have bad days.  Some of the time you want them to leave you alone and five minutes later you will be on the floor wrestling with them.  They love you because of all of the sweet treats you taste like!

17. Coloring, building blocks, playing with trucks or trains, and riding your push toys are some of your favorite indoor activities, and on most weekends you will spend hours quietly doing all of these activities.

18.  You are a sweet heart, always willing to give a hug and a kiss to anyone who requests one.  I hope you grow out of this by the time you hit high school or you may give your dad and I premature grey hairs!

This year has been amazing, and each day seems to get better than the last. We love watching you grow and learn and develop a big little personality.  We love you more than words can describe.

Happy Second Birthday Rowen!

Love,

Da, Mom, Finn, Jack & Lola