Life Lately: Wyatt James

Wyatt is talking more and more each day. He is now 21 months old and learning and growing and changing so fast. He's putting phrases together and understands so much it surprises me sometimes. He's less and less a baby and more and more a little boy. It's mostly exciting and only somewhat sad for this mama.

Some current favorite words/phrases:
-Ussssh/shoes
-all done
-mo peese
-mimi/millie
-abbey/abney
-pool/im/each/boaties (pool/swim/beach/floaties)
-bog/frog
-bug
-tink you (thank you)
-eat/cheese/apple
-wawa
-toes
-movie/smoothie
-ohhh man
-oh yeah!
-cool dude
-read books
-EEP (sleep)
-nigh-nigh
-nuh-nuhs (nursies)
-MAMA/DA-DEE
-uv you/love you
-HI/BYE
-hold you
-goggles

He's been saying many of these (and more) for months now, but these are some of my favorites. He and Millie play together so well and fight quite a bit as well. He's so physical and gives her a beat down way more than I'd (or she'd) like. We're working on it. We are constantly reminding her that he's "still learning," which she then likes to remind me as well. He calls himself "TT" and is starting to remember the names of his/Millie's friends and our friends too. Which is super fun.

He's still nursing about three times a day, but can go all day without it, including bedtime (recently) so it's been freeing for me! He is still very interested in "nuh-nuh's" so I'm not sure when we will actually decide to stop, but I'm just going with it for now. Honestly, I don't think either of us are truly ready to completely stop. Especially since he is most likely my last baby.

Wyatt loves to read books, play with cars, wear headbands and hats, eat, drink out of mama's glasses/eat mama's food, hold hands, give hugs, play at the park, swim in the pool (well, mostly throw shit into the pool), jump into the pool, go to the beach, throw sand, dance, throw toys (sensing a theme?), play with Millie, go nigh-nigh, take baths (baff), sit at Brad's desk and punch the keyboard and make phone calls, open and close doors, be outside, be naked, pee on the deck, wear necklaces, eat pizza, play in Millie's room while she's at school, get into mischief, move chairs around the room, be involved in everything, draw (on things that aren't paper), be a big boy, do whatever Millie is doing, be held, ride in the stroller/wagon, throw rocks, play in dirt, pick flowers/plants, not listen, do stretches with mama, push wagons/strollers/carts, jump on the bed/couch, splash, make a mess, rip shit up, etc. This guy really enjoys life!

He does not like getting his diaper changed, being told what to do, being told NO or to stop doing something, getting dressed after bath, being forced to hold hands crossing the street, not being included in something/anything--he really wants to be a part of all the action.

Gosh, we adore this kid.

Amelia Lee is Four {4?!}

Amelia Lee: Year Four from Annie N. on Vimeo.

Wyatt's First Year in Motion

Wyatt James is One from Annie N. on Vimeo.

Wyatt is O N E

Wyatt James
20 1/2 lbs
30" long

Says:
dog
duck
da
nigh-nigh
mama
hot
no

Loves:
balls
chewing things
shoes
carrying things in his mouth (his third hand)
yelling
his sister (and everything in her room)
kitchen utensils
kisses (blowing them too)
shaking head vigorously
laughing and smiling
head banging to music
bath time
being tickled

Favorite book:
goodnight owl
colors

Eats:
eggs
cheerios
peas
chicken
carbs
sweet potatoes
bananas

Can:
nod yes/shake no
blow kisses
play SO big
wave
clap
walk like a pro

Nicknames:
Bubba
Bubby
Bubbs McGee

Travels:
Michigan
Chicago
Scotland
St Louis
Asheville

Wyatt: 11 months

Dude man is 11 months and as active as ever. He's fully walking now--albeit wobbly and stumbly--but walking still. He gets into EVERYTHING. I guess that's nothing new for him. But it's hilarious and infuriating at the same time. He has a great personality and demeanor. He is super friendly and doesn't seem to show any signs of shyness. As in, he will walk over to pretty much anyone and ask (demand) to be picked up. Slash wipe his nose on their pants. Whatever. He is outgoing.

He is chatty and seems to be practicing new words all the time. They might not be actual words or anything, but he tries. Words spoken to date: mama, dada, bubba, duck, and NO. Which sounds like, nah. He shakes his head yes and no, emphatically. He likes to dance. Or, more accurately, head bob.

He will destroy an egg each and every morning. And is always down for some carbs, any kind of carbs, really. But he is still a bit unpredictable with table foods. He will typically take 1-3 bites of almost anything you offer but after that it's anybody's guess. His usual favorites include: rice, sweet potato, eggs, cheerios, frozen peas, squeezies, apples, banana zucchini bread, and some other stuffs. He seems to like meat, but I forget to offer it.

He is such a sweet little guy. He is also a wild animal. He basically leaves a disaster in his wake, plowing through toys like a banshee. But he is also super sweet and sometimes cuddly. He loves his Daddy and his best friend is by far his big sister, Millie. He ADORES her.

He is still nursing fairly often, including once in the middle of the night (insert sadface emoticon), but we're hoping to wean him off that pretty soon here. We'll see. Being up once a night isn't too bad, but there are days when it makes me looney and I swear that tonight is the night I stop.

Wyatt James is such a treasure to us. And a fantastic addition to our family. We are all still smitten, 11 months later.

 

WJ 10 months

 

We also celebrated our 5 year anniversary on his monthiversary:

WJ: 9 months

Getting non-blurry pictures of this man is proving to be more and more challenging every day. He's a mover and a shaker, that is for sure. Just like his big sister was and is and probably will always be. Seems like Brad and I create long and lean, freakishly strong, wild babies with lots of personality and seemingly endless energy. Exhilarating and exhausting.

Wyatt James: 8 months

Figured I should post his 8 month update before he turns 9 months.

Stuff he's doing:
+crawling (but he still does his army thing about 50% of the time)
+pulling up on EVERYTHING
+standing in his crib
+getting to a seated position on his own (from lying down)
+eating chunks of food
+jabbering
+making silly faces
+high fiving
+dancing
+smacking surfaces
+pulling hair/earrings/necklaces
+smiling/laughing
+getting into mischief
+standing with little help
+being adorable
+sleeping better at night
+grunting
+feeding himself
+breaking shit
+being so crazy lovable
+trying to wave
+planting kisses
+eating grass, dirt, paper, shoes, WHATEVER HE CAN
+teething {6 so far}

Wyatt is and has always been such a sweet guy. He is definitely still a mama's boy {but he loves his daddy and his sister like crazy}. He's relearning how to put himself to sleep/back to sleep. Our epic midwestern road trip did a number on his previously predictable sleeping patterns. While away (for three weeks), he was an expert long-napper and highly skilled night-waker. But we're getting back on track, thankfully.

He is in constant motion, just like his sister was and is. Hard to slow these rugrats down. He still adores Millie and looks at her as if she is magic. Which I guess she kind of is.

He puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. It's gross, really. But he's also learning to feed himself (we're doing a modified form of baby-led weaning) which is cool. He's not always interested in actually eating, but he will play with it and has a pretty great pincer grip. So far we've tried: avocado, apple, banana, squash, sweet potato, beets, spinach, broccoli, mango, pear, eggs, puffs, cheerios, bread, green beans, baby mum mums and maybe some others. I'm trying to make most of his food but we aren't opposed to the jar/squeezie varieties either. Ah, second children.

He's becoming more weary of strangers, which is typical of this age. He has started to say, "DA" for his daddy. It melts me. He knows his name, as well as his nickname--Bubba. And he even follows directions. Occasionally. He likes to be looked at and talked to and usually that's all you need to do in order to get him to smile.

He still loves the bath and going for walks. He wants to be held and also be on the floor moving at the same time. (Poses a challenge.) He is starting to get interested in electronics. (Just the beginning.) He won't tolerate wearing shoes. He does pretty great in the car. Most likely due to the entertainer to his left. He's starting to bounce and bob his head to music. I LOVE THIS.

His favorite toys: this blue-haired plastic girl from Scotland, a silicone popsicle mold, mardi gras beads, matchbox jeep, chewbeads, tupperware lids, kitchen spoon, any cord available (obviously we don't let him play/chew on these), his elephant, Eric Carle alphabet flashcards (that he is destroying one by one), paper, Millie's fairies, and basically anything that is not an actual toy that can be explored with his mouth.

He is pretty much the best. Happy 8 months little man!

Millie Lately

Miss Amelia Lee is quite the firecracker these days. I guess she has always been. Or at least it seems like that's what I remember. There are so many facets to her personality: brave, shy, talkative, quiet, rambunctious, sweet, rough, affectionate, cooperative, terror, spunky, spitfire, sneaky, kind, gentle, loving, wild, crazy, silly, and emotional. I'd like to hope that she's well-rounded.

Some of her favorite things include: tutus, bracelets, hair bows, lip gloss {not from me...}, trains, babies, dancing, ballet, ruffles, quinoa, reading, make believe, music, her iPhone {fine}, coloring, beading work, snacks, the beach, her first bikini, anklets, new friends, washing her feet, ponies {real ones and in her hair}, quiet time, her Daddy, sparkles, anything pink, blue, or purple, matching, playing board games, helping with Wyatt {or taking things away from him...}, going to restaurants, swimming in the gulf, the park, helping push the stroller instead of riding in it, reporting, and oh so much more.

Her hair is wild and completely out of control. I think it's growing out and not down. She usually lets me put it back {"one pony or two"} and loves to wear bows and headbands. If they match her outfit, of course. But sometimes she just wants me to leave it alone. And I do that too. Begrudgingly, I might add. But it's her. And I love all of it. All of her.

She's definitely what we kindly refer to as a "three-nager." And at times I think she might be experiencing some PMS symptoms because WHOA with the mood swings. But she is our delight. She frustrates us and entertains us, kisses us and pushes us away, wants us near and wants us to go away. Daddy is still by far the favored parent, but she loves her some mama too. She gets frustrated with Wyatt taking her toys but is usually good at replacing the toy that she rips out of his hands. Usually. She mimics everything we say, especially to Wyatt. "That's not for you, Bubba." "What's the matter, bub?" And all on her own: "Oh, Wyatt, you're my best friend."

She is growing and learning and changing and that is exactly what we hope for her. We love you Millie Bean.