Who Knew, So Much Blue

I cannot believe these boys are 7 months old today... 7 months! Stop. Please stop the time so that I can catch up.

This past month we've had a bit of the winter blues... please bring on the SPRING so I can take these boys outside! Poor Kells has been sick for the last 2 months (back to back cases of bronchiolitis) which has brought on some infant asthma. After lots of doctor visits (which Kells apparently loves- charms them every time- makes me look so silly claiming he's sick when he looks perrrrfectly fine flirting with those nurses ;-) they put him on a nebulizer to help him breathe a little easier. After about a week on albuterol and a steroid, he has finally turned a corner! This past weekend especially was a major turning point when we stopped noticing his wheezy breathing. So one more week on the steroid if all continues to go well. He has been a real trooper throughout all of the doctor's visits and nebulizer treatments (of course Play With Me Sesame helps a bit ;-) My sweet, sweet Kellsy Bells, always smiling even when feeling so yukky.

Such a trooper.

Feeling so much better just before his last drs appointment. I know, he doesn't look sick at all.

On the fun side of things, we had an awesome visit with Auntie Jess and our big cousins G, P, and H (and of course Miss Penny) during their winter break from school. Lots of hang time- playing in the snow, watching movies, playing with the boys, making yummy dinners.. quality time, my fave. Our visits always go waaaayyy too fast. And with each visit, I am reminded how much I miss my sis and my little buddies in apple country. It stinks that they are so far away... but we make up for it during our visits. G, P, and H are the BEST big cousins- always wanting to hold the boys, feed them, change th- errr, nope, not change them, play with them, make them laugh. It's just awesome seeing K and L light up when they're around. They LOVE watching their big cousins do just about anything. I can't wait to watch their relationships develop as time goes on... its going to be awesome.

Oh, and we celebrated our 1st Valentine's Day! Nobody cuter than these little Valentines.

What's New

This month has been pretty crazy for development. Both boys are sitting up without support. Of course, they still fall to the side or lunge backward (Kellsy) but for the most part, they're sitting up! We even tried out the grocery cart as soon as I got my Itzy Ritzy shopping cart covers in the mail. They rock. The boys loved being up so high, being able to see all of the items and people (we were in Target- needless to say there's a lot to keep them preoccupied.) After about an hour though, Kells was done (big mistake going to Target at 5pm- next time we need to try a morning, when the boys aren't as fussy) so we got outta there as fast as we could.

Liam seems pretty close to crawling- he's pushing his chest up completely off the floor, pulling those knees up and underneath him, and rocking back and forth on all fours for just a quick couple seconds. Kells has mastered the "army roll" as I call it- he literally rolls like 3 or 4 times consecutively to travel from one side of the rug to the other. He's a wild man...I love it. He's also pretty close to the crawl, but he usually becomes impatient and wants to "just get there" so he drops the crawl and rolls or flips himself until he gets what he wants. Determined? Um yah, just a little. ;-)

Important Dates

I like to eat, eat, eat, eeples and baneenies....

Overall, eating has been pretty great this month- with the exception of a couple weeks when Kells was sick and wasn't really up for eating solids. His bottle, yes. Fruits and veggies, no. Liam is a champion eater... will literally eat anything and everything we put in front of him. Quinoa, brown rice, yogurt, spinach, peas, sweet potatoes, apples, pears, raspberries, peaches, bananas.... you name it, he'll eat it. Makes life preeeeetty easy for his momma. Kellllllls, on the other hand, is a little bit picky. If he doesn't feel like eating, he's pretty much going to do anything to avoid it- turning away, clenching his lips together, smacking the tray, and my new fave... spitting it back at me. Sad thing is, he's so darn cute when he does it, I can't help but laugh. Those eyes...those cheeks... ugh, he just melts me. I've learned to outsmart him... (or should I say distract him) and that seems to help- mostly singing ridiculously embarrassing songs again and again...and again. Or open. shut them. open. shut them. open. shut them. over and over.

Night and day these two. Night and day. And we love that about them.

Zzzzzzzzz

Ahhhhh, the 6th month was a verrry good one for sleep. We've got it. We've figured it out. Finally, mastered it. I think. (I'm knocking on wood as I type.) Turns out, crying it out was the way to go for these boys. Not the mean, cruel, harsh cry it out. The slow, in stages, carefully cry it out while mommy cringes in the next room, cry it out. Basically, the boys are going down for the night at 7ish and sleeping until 6ish. It probably would be until 7 if it weren't for our crazy little Kellsy waking up his bro in the wee hours of the morning. But that's ok- 11 hours? We'll take it. We're finally in a consistent routine for naps these days as well....and I do my best to protect those naps. They are after all, pretty sacred. We decided to nap the boys in separate rooms because they just couldn't sleep through each other's awakenings- this led to short naps and grumpy babies. Separate rooms equals longer naps and happy babies. :-) Typically, the boys go down around 9:30-10 and sleep for about 1.5-2 hours. They nap again around 1:30-2 and sleep for another 1.5-2 hours. Keeping them awake until 6:30-7 is quite a task, but it turns out, nakey babies make happy babies. Seriously. Around 45 minutes before they go down for the night, we're usually in full out meltdown mode. But strip those boys down into their diapers, and we've got a whole different ball game. Flipping, rolling, squealing, silly little boys. Ah-mazing. Nakey babies- that's it ;-)

Now, let's hope this "spring ahead" time change doesn't completely undo everything we've worked so hard to-do. Fingers crossed.

Kellsy Bells-
Big fan of: your ears, tickles (your giggle is just amazing), bouncing, jumping, moving those legs (you squeal the entire time), patty cake, rolling the entire length of the room, the couch skirt (really?!), momma and dada's singing, your bottle, paci, momma's iPhone, Sesame Street videos, Little Einsteins, your workshop bench, moving the gears, sucking on tags, rings, and anything you can get in your mouth, touching everything within reach, bath time, your brother (the look on your face when you watch him is just priceless.)

Not a fan of: eating your cereal or trying something new (yup, that's when you spit at momma ;-) sleeping in, the nebulizer, when your bro steals your paci (little devil), being in your carseat or highchair for too long, being left out, getting dressed, getting your finger nails clipped, sitting still, having your face cleaned.

Oh Kellsy Bells, you know how to melt my heart. Those eyes, those ears, and that look on your face- it. just. melts. me. And pretty much everyone else, too. You are one feisty, determined little man these days. Whether it's trying to reach the toys on your brother's exersaucer, moving yourself from one end of the room to the other (enter: army roll), or demanding your bottle when momma tries to trick you into eating your cereal.. you are just too much! The energy you show each day is hilarious... (I think you get that from your dada) from the moment we come into your room in the morning to the second we put you down for the night, you are go...go...go... nonstop. It's one of my favorite things about you and what makes you so unique. You are definitely a momma's boy, demanding my attention with those sweet eyes, but when you have it- you certainly don't need it anymore! You know how to get exactly what you want, as Grammie says. And we couldn't agree more. The noises, shrieks, and squeals that come out of you are amazing. You are such a happy boy when you are moving...bouncing, jumping (GiGi thinks you might jump right out of the bouncer), or rolling your way around, but put you in a carseat, highchair, or strap you into some apparatus and you let us know you're not happy- usually a moooooaaaan, a cry that goes from 0-60 in about 2 seconds, or slamming your fists down does the trick. Like I said, you know how to get what you want ;-) Your new trick (aka spitting) is the latest way you let us know when you don't want to do something... and I can't help but laugh out loud when you show it off- even when peaches are sprayed all over my face! You think it's pretty funny when I laugh... or blow in your face to get you to stop spitting... and then we both laugh out loud. It's one of my favorite things we do these days.

This month has been a bit tough for you, little bells. Back to back viruses and bronchiolitis led to a pretty bad cough and infant asthma :( Broke my heart to see you not feeling so well...and certainly not acting like yourself. Enter: nebulizer. Not exactly your favorite thing in the world... but with a little Sesame Street and Little Einsteins, you dealt with it like a pro. After a couple weeks or so on the nebulizer, you are doing much better. We have one more check-up in a week to be sure that cough is kicked. For good. Fingers crossed, little trooper.

Probably the best part of this last month has been the relationship you've developed with your lil bro. Gone are the days when momma entertained the 2 of you... one-to-one and one -to-one. Now, it almost feels as if I'm third wheel! Which is actually awesome. I can't tell you how precious it is to see you and L babbling at each other back and forth...almost as if you're taking turns. You see each other now... and it is complete joy to watch. I actually hide behind chairs or around a corner so I can catch your interaction on video... without interrupting. You are usually doing something wild... and L is laughing at you and your crazy antics. Or L is babbling away, making silly noises...and you are staring at him with the most amazing gaze- like you're just in awe of your bro. Like he can do no wrong. And you just think he's the best. Well, he feels the same way about you. He thinks you're pretty awesome too. And we completely agree.

Mr. Kellsy Bells. You are the epitome of joy. Or "pumped," as Uncle Josh would say. To put it simply, you love life. And we love watching you live it.

There it is... that look.

And again. Sittin up like a big boy.

And again. Lookin like you're ready to crawl.

Look at those rosy cheeks.

Puppy love.

Usually you find a way to roll off your tummy time blanket... and you end up in the middle of nowhere.

You're almost over the activity mats. Almost.

6 month check up. 4 shots. Rockin those bandaids though.

Yup, that's the spit.

Tough guys snuggling on the couch.

Oh hi

Toes, toes, toes.

Liam Oliver

Big fan of: eating- anything and everything, puffs and yogurt melts, your paci, stealing your bros paci, sleep, snuggling before bedtime, tickles (your laugh, ugh, one of my favorite things about you), your bibs- you love to put them in your mouth or play peek-a-boo with them, momma and dada's singing, momma's iPhone, Little Einsteins and Sesame (just like your bro), patty cake, hammering with your workshop bench, climbing under the couches, sitting up, looking out the window in the car, grabbing anything within reach, splashing in the bath, your brother- his wild man antics make you laugh.

Not a fan of: when the game/singing/video ends, waiting to eat, being left out, sudden loud noises, not being able to crawl, waking up too early, staying still on the changing table, getting dressed (you love being naked), getting your finger nails clipped, having your face cleaned, when your brother takes your toy.

Letter to L

Oh Liam boy....