23 months

 Our baby boy is growing up right before our eyes. Today marks 23 months since his birth and he sure is closer to a 2 year old in all aspects. He continues to pick up on words each and every day. Tonight as I played at the park with he and Regan, she tried getting him to say "mom, more please". The look of sheer surprise/excitement on her face when he repeated the sentence back to her was picture worthy. It's so much fun that the girls love each stage as much as we do. 

He is ALL BOY! I mean really. This kid cracks me up! He just walks like a boy, strangers tell us this daily. It's hilarious! 

And the way he plays with his cars and trucks and trains every second of every day. Last weekend at the softball tournament, we walked through the parking lot towards the fields, he with a truck in hand. He took the opportunity to use each SUV bumper as a track and drove his truck along their edge. I promise he didn't scuff any of them, but my efforts to distract him were pointless!

My friend walking with us just laughed "but mom!, it's the perfect height!"

And sometimes ,so is daddy's head....

His food allergies continue to cause us anxiety, but we are muddling through these murky waters like the best of them. Sometimes our best efforts are met with a reaction, but thankfully, nothing has been scary enough to warrant an ER visit. I cringed at the fields with all of the peanuts around. And my heart breaks when we visit the girls' school for lunch and I wonder where he will eat when he goes off to kindergarten (I'm staying optimistic that he'll outgrow at least some of them).

For now, we are doing the best that we can, and he's been incredible along the journey. I've spent hours upon hours reading and researching and praying. If it's not the obvious like "milk" listed in a product", it's the secret "egg white" listed in tiny print in chicken noodle soup that we missed twice. 

As for snow cones....we shall consider that a food group :) 

As he grows, he still snuggles into our laps for cuddles and a hug. He says "I love you" and it makes me melt and give in to almost any request. Almost. 

We have been spending so much time out and about this summer, yet he still takes comfort in finding a spot on my lap to nestle in and relax. This boy has a thing for his mama and I sure don't mind one bit. 

We are so in love with his sweet face, big brown eyes and most adorable curls. He is sweet and feisty, loving and independent. 

At 23 months: he weighs roughly 27 lbs and wears mostly 24 mo clothing

He sits on the toilet (refuses his potty seat or modified toilet seat) but has yet to produce any results. 

He's ready to be potty trained, with all the signs pointing to NOW! Not sure I'm ready for that task :) 

He loves loves loves when one or both of his sisters will play with him. He feels so special! 

Favorite toys are trains, trucks, books, lawn mower and above all else-his "BIKA" (aka: bike)

He is a complete dare devil on his beloved "bika" and takes a scary spill at least weekly; he should wear a helmet. 

He can run (not fast unless he's running downhill) and just learned how to jump where his feet actually leave the ground. I love the toddler jump: so much concentration and effort, so little result! 

Naptime is typically 3 hours, with overnights 8pm-7am. 

Still eats mostly fruit, toss in a little protein here and there and call it healthy. Oh, and when he's done eating, look out because that plate goes flying. Like a frisbee across the dining room. Yea, that's not so fun and has created a mess.  Not to mention the introduction of time-outs! 

Oh he's lucky that he's cute :) 

Love you Lincoln!

21 months and counting

Oh how time flies! Just one year ago, I had this sweet baby boy draped over my shoulder, peacefully sleeping (multiple times per day) in a milk coma. 

His chubby cheeks and long eye lashes snuggled up against my neck as he rested his sleepy head. 

And here we are now, just 12 months later, he is a busy, talkative, happy toddler! Each day he is learning new words and makes our hearts full with his sweet demeanor. He is determined to make a good husband someday, and is in excellent training. I love that he is right there to 'help' me at every turn. Whether it's cooking, cleaning or yard work, he wants to 'help. And it makes me so happy to have him next to me! 

Of course we have a lot left to learn in the grand scheme of using tools appropriately. But that isn't stopping him from trying to rake the driveway :) 

He adores his sisters as much as they love him. At any given moment, I can hear him playing with one of them (or driving them crazy by getting into their barbies!), and to see moments like this melt my heart. 

He really does help us unload the dishwasher. And like he watches us, he dries off all the excess water before placing the item on the counter near the appropriate cupboard. It's quite impressive, especially for a 21 month old! Now if he does this when he's 21 years old, we'll be in good shape! 

He is happy, 

 and silly,

determined, 

and oh so sweet! 

At 21 months, he is:
* about 27 lbs and into size 18-24 mo clothing
* naps about 3.5 hours in the afternoon and 10 hours overnight
* running around like crazy, climbing onto couches and chairs and even up into his high chair!
* getting brave and learning to walk (versus scoot on his bottom) down the stairs...this gives me a heart attack.
* adores riding on toys, in toys and playing outside. Loves, loves, loves outside. I'm already dreading 6 months from now when I'll be sitting outside in -10 weather while he plays until Ryan gets home.
* has been very safe around the pool, never darting in or jumping in unless a parent is ready. I tell people, he may accidentally fall in, but he won't jump in.
* his allergies are under great control thanks to a lot of homework on our part and complete elimination of allergens. we use words like "safe foods" and have scaled back eating out (sniff, sniff) because it is proving difficult and not worth the risk. But he's healthy!
* is just starting to show some interest in Elmo and Mickey Mouse. His preference still is to watch a video of himself on my phone, but sometimes I need 10 minutes and so Elmo is the choice. Too bad he can't stand Mr. Noodle and whines until Elmo returns.... :(
* although he can't say "sorry", he knows when he's done something wrong (biting lately), and will snuggle in for a hug to apologize.
* is our sweet 'baby' boy and we are so in love with him!

Happy 21 months buddy! 

~we love you!~

20 months

As the days go by, our little man is getting older. With the 28th come and gone, he's now 20 months old. Twenty?! We are well on our way to a 2 year old. And we are still so very much in love with him and all of the joy he brings to our family.  

He is interacting and just so much fun these days! Sidney was pulling him around on the hardwood floors using a big blanket as her sled the other day. The giggles from his mouth were heard throughout the house. Ryan finally shouted from upstairs with a "what is she doing to make him laugh so hard". Lincoln could hardly breath he was laughing so hard! He adores his sisters, they really do make his world go round. One of his biggest joys in life is having them take him for a ride in the pink Cadillac. It won't be long and he'll be the one giving rides, and crashing into mail boxes (Sidney was still the driver, despite the location of seats below....)!

When we leave, make a transition to a new room/activity, have to run an errand, I've learned that life is so much more smooth if he is allowed to say "bye" to the slide, the shopping cart or the car. Then he knows we are moving on quickly. It really works! Tonight it was his beloved toothbrush (loves to brush those choppers), and eventually I told him to say 'good bye' and he gave me the tooth brush and in his southern most accent says "bayyee'. My other go-to trick is to offer the neighbor's dog as a reward.....yes, it's a bribe, but it's innocent and it works! "hey Lincoln, stop playing in the puddles and let's go say hi to Sophie". Instantly stops and starts running towards the fence! When he fusses about adding shoes to his wardrobe before leaving the house: "hey Lincoln, should we put on our shoes and go say hi to Sophie?". Works like a charm!
(I can't find a photo of him with Sophie, so I'll instead you get him saying goodbye to my car and it's blown tire).

With a recent trip to the pediatric allergist, we are learning the ropes of a whole new menu. We walked out of that office, armed with answers and most importantly an action plan, but also with extremely heavy hearts. Yes, we realize in the grand scheme of life, he's healthy and that's all that is important. But this stuff is scary; really really scary. We've been lucky and have had to completely change our eating habits. In the reality of our family, it is a huge shift. I'm scouring the internet for food ideas, non-dairy alternatives, and safe restaurants. The peanut allergy is a breeze in comparison to egg and dairy; unfortunately, the reactions are both the same: life-threatening. And so, we will follow with the allergist for as long as we need to, and avoid all threatening foods. 

As for play-time, he has recently fallen in love with the play kitchen. In. Love! One session, he played for nearly an hour. He babbles and chats like I understand all that he is saying as he goes about cooking me meals and pushing buttons. He really does love the kitchen as much as the girls did at this age. He also has a love for cars, coloring (with a big sis nearby) and helping me to clean. We swear that the play-swiffer is by far, his favorite toy. It almost got tossed in the truck on our most recent Wisconsin Dells trip; he loves it that much!

We are soaking in the summer sun, his curly blonde locks and stinky sweaty feet as we enjoy all that 20 months has to offer! We love you Lincoln! 

If I had to guess, I would say he weighs close to 30 lbs, and he has grown in height so much that I'll have to measure him against his ruler. He's in size 4 diapers and 18-24 month clothes. He's becoming interested in the toilet and I'm getting nervous about training him but I know the time is coming soon :) He loves his family, his books and toys and being outside.
Happy 20  months buddy!

19 months

Things are getting crazy around here. Between school and end of the year parties, softball, and year end gymnastics meets, our life is full over here. We are exhausted at night and sometimes it feels like we are losing our minds. After the 13th trip up to Lund's for a forgotten grocery item, I want to throw in the towel and just eat chips and water for the next 2 weeks! We are on the fly lately and as I climbed into the shower this evening and a goldfish fell out of my bra, it was a true reminder of life with 3 young kids.
The littlest of these 3, has moved on to 19 months this week. Nineteen months. Let's take a peek back.....
At just a few days old, his precious face was simply perfect. I stared at him for hours, holding him while he slept, never wanting to put him down.

He was sweet and easy as a baby. Easy like I've never known.

As he grew, his sweetness grew and our hearts just burst with love. The girls fell in love with him over and over again.

And now, at 19 months, he is still sweet and cute and precious, but he is active and rambunctious and silly. He makes us laugh and this entire family feels grateful to have him along for the ride. 

Each day when I pick him up, we run through a few questions, and his little smirks and grunts in response to my questions just crack me up.
"Lincoln did you have a good day?"     "ya"
"Lincoln were you a good boy?"         "uh"
"Lincoln are you a silly boy?"      insert, silly smile, tilted head and excessive grunts
"I love you bud"                            "ya"

Oh boy is this little man of ours busy. He rearranges my kitchen cabinets on a weekly basis. He mows our deck nightly, and would do it more if we had the extra time. He cannot be outside long enough, no matter the weather. He gives kisses and "snuggles" but often those are reserved for puppies and cars and trains. Kid has his priorities :)
He eats fruit. A lot of it. He breaks out in allergic reactions to many different foods and this learning curve we are on is not a fun one. He is a mama's boy and shys away from new faces until feeling comfortable. He dislikes sandals and looks a little silly in his tennis shoes with shorts. He is a very sweaty boy, and that just makes his hair even more curly! He is ALL boy; stopping for sirens, motorcycles and semi trucks. My favorite word that he says is "uh-oh!" because he is so darn deliberate in his articulation. He is loved by so many people!

Happy 19 months buddy! Love you! 

18 months

We are now at another major milestone with Lincoln. Eighteen months. Oh my goodness how did that go so fast? Seriously, he will always be our little (er, I guess he was never really that little) baby boy. Nothing will ever change that. In fact, I talked with an elderly patient of mine recently who was describing her family to me. She went on to talk about her children and when she got to the last of her bunch, she chuckled and said "you know, the last one always is our baby boy". Isn't that the truth? I still think of Lincoln as this little guy who graced our lives and made this family complete. 

Oh boy has he grown. Over the last 18 months, we have laughed (and cried) with the tremendous amount of love he brings to us. He's a handful, that is for sure. But all 4 of us are so grateful for his silly antics, his constant giggles, and heck, even his screams! 

I'm determined to make him a good husband someday :) he loves to help out around the house, like my little shadow as we go about our days. 

He unloads the dishwasher....

He does the laundry...  

He loves to help cook (but dislikes the dress up part)...

And much prefers to snack while we cook

The kid has moves too! A family friend laughed at the recent dance class, as Lincoln raced around to all the studios to get his groove on. She commented "his future wife is going to love you if he learns to dance". Too bad Ryan's response when I told him that Lincoln wants tap shoes: "not happening". End of that conversation. 

He snuggles with me and hands over flowers with the cutest smile on the block. Oh this boy melts my heart.

But let's be real....he has some qualities from his daddy too 😘

At 18 months, he is keeping us on our toes and exploring his surroundings. In fast motion!

* he eats.....fruit. I swear he would eat only fruit if we let him. Given the choice of a cookie or fruit, hands down he will choose fruit. 

* he adores his sisters, and this week, he has a thing for Sidney. Thankfully that preference switches regularly so neither ever feels left out. 

* his hair is getting longer and more curly. We can't bear to cut it because the humidity makes some ultra curls and it's just too much sweetness! So for now, it stays. Besides, he's working on his hockey hair :) 

* he loves to be outside. Every minute of every day. It's where he would stay if we had nothing else on the agenda. Playing in dirt, in the sand, pushing his truck, sitting in his car, whatever we are doing, just take it outside. 

* he babbles a lot. But only has a few words in his vocabulary. It seems to be growing, and through signs and pointing, he gets his needs met with minimal screaming. We went through a long week where he screamed for everything. Boy, that was no fun at all! Thankfully we got that under control and he now tries to tell us what he wants before screaming. Don't get me wrong, there's still some screaming, but not every time he opens his mouth!
* sleep isn't his forte, but since his tubes, it's definitely better. He still naps like a champ, sometimes 3-4 hours!
* he wears 18-24 mo clothes and size 3-4 diapers (we're in transition now).
* although he still faces backwards in the car, it won't be long and we will have to turn him around. He dislikes car rides and it's becoming a challenge.
* he still likes his blanket and pacifier, and I'm starting to wonder if we need to get rid of the paci. :( He doesn't use it at all during the school day, not even nap! How they get those kids to behave so well at school just blows our minds. The benefit of peers I guess.
* he has the biggest brown eyes on the planet, I swear. I love when little old ladies comment on his big eyes and adorable curls. One lady recently said "well if that doesn't get you, his bouncy cheeks sure will!". You got it; he's simply adorable!
* official stats coming tomorrow.....

slow down sweet baby boy, and never stop snuggling! 

17 months

Every month, when the day flips to the 28th and Lincoln turns another month older, I'm reminded just how quickly he is growing up. This past weekend I got to lay my eyes on a tiny 2 month old and I was re-wound to our past. Lincoln sure has grown and developed over these past 17 months. He's our precious-destructive-sweet baby boy and we love him so very much. 

It's been a busy month for him, as I look back. Another ear infection, a trip to the audiologist and another to our beloved ENT, then back to the pediatrician for pre-op all to prep for his upcoming surgery later this week. 

In between all the racing around town, he spent as much time as possible playing outside. He has a love for fresh air like none other. He also still loves books and balls. He is my little helper and often follows me around with his pint sized Swiffer or mini vacuum; and sits perched beside me in the kitchen as I cook. I will make a good husband out of him someday! 

Other tidbits of life at 17 months: 

*he's lacking a lot of talking, though we have been assured this is most likely due to fluid build-up. His mama/dada is often "ya-ya". He can say "hot" and "cuck" (aka: truck) which pretty much refers to anything that moves. Despite this, he gets his needs wants. He does a lot of pointing, a lot of grunting and even a lot of whining. He's got a pretty obvious head shake "no" and uses it constantly!
*he's a terrible sleeper, many nights we see every hour on the clock because he's rolling around and fussing. Again, I'm pretty hopeful this will improve after the next surgery. We haven't let him sleep a full night in his crib because I'm certain he would wake up the entire house at 1 hour intervals. No thank you.
* he can throw a pretty good temper tantrum and responds pretty well if we prepare a transition with warnings (ie: 1 more time), distraction (snacks work well) or a lot of laughing/giggling.
* he is sweet and snuggly and loves to tease us. He will run towards us for a hug and then just before he gets to our arms, he will quickly turn around and laugh as he runs the other direction.
* he is in LOVE with being outside. I cannot say it enough. He loves the sandbox, the slide, the swing, balls, the neighbors dogs, ride on trikes, his red car and just letting the sun hit his face. He could live every waking hour outside. And I am in love with the way his sun-kissed cheeks smell after hours in the fresh air.
* he eats what he wants and is constantly demanding jelly bread (thanks Grandma Jan for that one!). I fondly remember my own grandmother serving me jelly bread so it makes me smile to know my mom introduced him to the same yummy treat. Unfortunately, it's often what he wants at meal times too.
* motor skills-wise he can climb stairs (and down just a few going on his bottom), move the giddy-up horse back and forth, dance by spinning in circles and just recently shaking his hips sideways, and move a ride-on toy backwards (not forwards yet). His short chunky legs haven't allowed for him to climb up onto the couches or chairs yet and for this we are thankful because if given the chance, he opts to stand on this furniture and would for sure tumble off.

We love you messy face! 

Happy 17 months! 

16 months

16 months and never slowing down. 

Seriously! 

We aren't supposed to compare our children, I know this. But in this instance, we had to pause and reflect. 

Were the girls like this?

This has to be a boy thing!

He is best described as busy, destructive. But then we know that he is feeling healthy. So it is all worth it.

One of his favorite things to do is help empty the dishwasher. He will hand you silverware piece after piece, with a grunt of "ahh" as if to say 'here you go'. But in the same moment he can empty his own kitchen tossing each item and in the blink of an eye, has created this mess.

He is so very sweet. He gives snuggles on demand or just for the love of it. And I love the way he picks at my fingernails when I hold him. Flicking them back it's like he relaxes, knowing all is right as he is held and loved. No matter the scenario, he still prefers me. The girls often whine that he needs to learn to share me. If they try to sit on my lap, or play tickle monster, you can bet he will scream and cry until they get out of his way and allow him the sole spot on my lap.

One of his favorite activities is reading books. We love how he backs up into our laps when we are sitting on the floor. Oh my this is cute. He starts off walking towards you, then at about 1-2 feet out, he turns backwards and backs up before plopping down onto your lap. And if you are lucky, he might start to read to you too...loudly uttering sounds and talking complete gibberish.

He also still loves being outside. The cold doesn't bother him much, he just wants the fresh air. We are slightly worried how he will handle spring/summer with his wild demeanor and a big body of water in our back yard. I sense it will be life vest on, all day, every day. 

He plays hard, and many days will sleep hard. We are still in the midst of twice daily naps and another 11 hours at night. When he isn't suffering an ear infection (and currently on #4 in ~2 months) he sleeps good. But when he has something causing pain, all bets are off. 

He's growing like a weed and keeping us on our toes. He is a boy in every aspect. But he's still a toddler. Our growing baby boy is doing typical toddler things too: throwing tantrums and balls, eating what/when he wants and currently includes a box of goldfish per day, saying 4 words (mom, dad, hot and truck) and laughing each and every day. 

He completes our world and we love him to pieces!

15 months

Wowzas, this little man is growing up.

He's 15 months already.

FIFTEEN!

Where oh where did that time go...

He has blessed our family in so many ways. And we love him to pieces.

Just this morning, the girls were fighting over who got to put on his jacket and hat to walk out the door. He is loved that much. And now that Sidney has figured out how to pick him up (yes, she carries him around even though he's at least half her size), she loves having her "baby" to coddle. And she pouts that she can't hold him like we could when he was a wee baby.....I have those same feelings Sidney and I know Regan feels the same.

At 15 months he is busy. And so much more mobile, the boy is into everything.

That is not an exaggeration.

Ryan has been noted more than once to grumble loudly at the mess created by this lovely 15 month old. And I am quick to announce that he has been declared our "bull in a china shop". My goodness can this kid make a disaster in 2 seconds flat! He will plow through neatly arranged Barbie set-ups, school papers and kitchen cabinets and literally tear them apart without a care in the world. 

But we wouldn't change our life for a second. His quick smile, deep giggle and emerging vocalization is enough to make your heart melt and forget all about the mess. 

Here's a little snapshot of what he does at 15 months: 
* Sleeps terribly, after being hit in November with a respiratory virus, his sleep pattern went downhill and has never really gotten better. He goes to sleep in our bedroom (in his own bed), but will wake a few hours into his slumber with a mega fuss and insist on being held, or moved into our bed. Judge as you may, but we do what works for us and at that point in the night, sleep is our priority. 
* Eats like a champ. Mostly fruit but also appreciates whatever else we will hand him. But when he's done, he's done. And everything left on his tray will be thrown with his left hand across his body and land on whoever is sitting to the right of him (sorry Sidney, this happens to be where you pick to sit at our dinner table). She recently pushed her own plate of food away declaring to be done after Lincoln launched a noodle at her and it landed on her plate...yea, she was finished :) 
* Speaking of throwing, he's a South Paw by every definition. 

* Loves being outside. It's winter, and often cold. But that hasn't stopped him, he loves being outside. I know, I know, I'm the parent and could just bring him inside. But I have to agree with him that being outside (even in the cold) is much preferred over being inside. Fresh air does us so  much good. So each day when we get home, I'm prepared to stand around outside for a while as he walks around, waves at the busses and begs to go in his red car or sled. 

* Still likes to splash in the tub. When the water turns cold, he pulls the plug but stays in until the water is gone. Silly boy will just sit and grin at me.

* Can sign "more", "water", "all done" and "please"....oh boy does that "please" really get to my heart. 

* Can say "mom", "dad" and "hot". Just tonight he told me "moo" when we were reading about cows. 

* Loves to dance, or rather be held while I dance. Many nights over the last week, I have danced him to sleep. And it's our favorite time of the day. He walks over to the music and I know the drill. I will with him in my arms for hours, and he lets me. We sway back and forth and I'm certain the neighbors think I'm crazy dancing all evening with this sweet boy. Our home can feel like a fish bowl sometimes.
* Still wears size 3 Pampers and has gone up to most all size 18 month clothing.

* This week, he got yet another ear infection. Other ear as the one 3 weeks ago. Only a matter of time before we go for ear tube surgery take 2.
* He weighs 24 lbs 12 oz (which is up just one ounce from his one year appointment) putting him in the 77%tile.
* Height is 32" putting him in the 78%tile

He's our favorite one year old around and we couldn't love him any more if we tried. 

But we will try anyway.