Rice Cereal

During Hank's well baby visit to Doctor Hudson, I asked about feeding him cereal. The doctor said whenever we were ready. There's really no reason to wait. And it surprised me when he said, cereal, fruits, vegetables, meats, whatever. He can have anything and everything. The only thing he recommends is to wait 3 days before introducing something new and no raw honey in the first year.

So this morning he tried some rice cereal and was fairly interested, eating about a tablespoon of cereal mixed with breastmilk. Speaking of breastmilk, I have been feeling really good about breastfeeding thinking doing this for a year could be a definite possibility. That was up until I was bit three times today. Hmmm, any thoughts from my mommy friends? Did you/do you have babies who got teeth early and bit? It doesn't hurt terribly but makes me a little uneasy nonetheless.

4 Month Old Baby Boy!

Hank McGuffey Young

4 Months Old
14 lbs. 7 oz
25.5 inches long

Favorite activities:

• laughing
• drooling
• smiling

Major milestones:

• 2 bottom teeth just after the first of the year
• Rolling over from front to back (if he's delayed in this at all it's all my fault for 1. not putting him down more and 2. being afraid his sisters will trample him
• clasping hands together
• grabbing objects like his blanket and binkie

Daily Routine:

• He wakes up between 4:30 and 5:30 which is when I'm up or getting up for work
• I feed him and will put him back down to sleep if he's up earlier rather than later. Otherwise we get him and his sisters dressed and out the door by 6:15 (this is his weekday routine - weekends we definitely get him back to sleep which he does until about 7)
  
• He's been in daycare with Sandy for a full month and doing great!
• He takes 2 naps and 2 bottles for Sandy. The naps range from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• He plays and laughs all day
• I pick him up at 4:15
• Feed him and he'll either sleep or hangout while we make dinner and eat
• I feed him once more around 8 and then he's off to dreamland!
  

Major Snow 1/8/2011

Last Saturday we awoke to a winter wonderland - well that's a matter of opinion I suppose. It was for us because we had plenty of food in the house and no where to be and luckily a neighbor with a new snowblower. Leaving work Friday, I had about 6-8 inches on my car. Waking up Saturday we had over 2 feet!

Like I mentioned, it's a good thing we had no where to go

Eleanor and her friend Thomas

Eleanor stuck in the snow

Carolyn looks like she's eating the snow
Hank stayed inside where it was warm
He's a stacking genius!

Hank's 1st Tooth (Teeth)

Teeth, yes that's right. Hank didn't mess around and get just one tooth, he got two. The bottom two teeth were spotted by Matt on Sunday. He's over a week away from being 4 months - I can't believe his teeth are already coming in!

I tried to get a picture and may have been successful. I think I see some white in the picture of him yawning.

Christmas!!!

Hank was the first to awake on Christmas morning and by 7am we were all up checking on the cookies and carrot set out for Santa and the reindeer. We also found the stockings stuffed full and a stack of new presents under the tree along with a huge dollhouse.

The kids were anxious to get at it so we let them go...

Hank and Uncle Sven with his Sing-a-ma-jig (Hank's not Sven's)

Eleanor unloading her stocking

Nash got a Toy Story 3 Train

The boy's best gift - the race track (but Santa forgot the C batteries)

Uncle Sven and Hank

Eleanor got the Diggity Dog game she plays in preschool

Maddux's new Lego jammies and Lego blocks

Carolyn got a new pink Leapster! No more fighting over Eleanor's

Sven trying to master Eleanor's Bop-It

Matt got a "Duke" - the official leather NFL football. He loves it so much I even found it in our bed that night.

Nash and Charity amid the chaos

Matt got me a lot of great gifts including a tripod leftover from an old tenant and a Snuggie - I must have been really good this year!

That's what Christmas morning is all about.

On to the party across the street at Matt's parents. Hank loves his Little Einstein book.

Eleanor, Katie, Uncle Jon, Joy and Nora

After Christmas morning at home and Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Young, we loaded up and went to Grandpa Buddy's and Jaja's. And what to our wondering eyes should appear, but two little ponies left in the barn by Santa!

Eleanor and Nash with Rusty

Rusty and Eleanor

Nash and Rusty

Maddux on Buster just before Buster decided he had had enough and gave Maddux his inaugural buck.

Strawberry checking out Hank

Carolyn, Eleanor, Nash, Maddux
(Note: Immediately upon entering the Ohlund Ranch, Carolyn stepped into the water dish. Hence the junior size small sweatpants from Aunt Hanna)

Eleanor got her first Beyer Horse!

Nash and an airplane

The boys scored an old Simon game!

A new Ken doll for Eleanor

A little Christmas double sucker action

Carolyn minus the way too big sweatpants but still donning the over the knee tube socks

We hope everyone had as happy and joyous Christmas as we did. Thank you first of all to our boy Hank for joining our family this year and also to the KC Ohlund's for making the trip to spend Christmas with us. This was without question The Best Christmas Ever!!!

Christmas Day 3 - Fri. Dec. 24th (aka Christmas Eve)

Aunt Jennifer bought Eleanor the Barbie bust for Christmas which is quite the hit. Not only did both Eleanor and Nash apply several coats of lipstick to her lips but Barbie also tricked all of us throughout the day making us think another kid was in the house. She even did some Skype'ing with Charity's dad and stepmom in Dallas imitating Charity

Tp prepare for the night's festivities we threw the kids in the big tub for a quick wash. Maddux put on a bubble beard and pretended to be Santa. Even asking if anyone wanted to sit on Santa's lap.




Matt's late Grandma Streidl was an excellent writer and poet and has her works compiled into a book called Confessions of a Sexagenarian. I thought Charity would enjoy reading her book which she did (she stayed up late Christmas Eve finishing it). Now Charity has the proper inspiration to finish her book :)
With the kids cleaned and ready (minus Hank who was getting his diaper changed) I started the cousin photo session. I was getting lots of smiles and cooperation but we quickly fizzled.

By the time Hank was ready the kids were smiled-out and Hank wasn't into it in the least.I feel lucky to have gotten a picture this good because things really went downhill fast

The KC Ohlunds - Sven, Maddux, Charity & Nash

The whole gang

The Youngs trying unsuccessfully to capture the joyousness of Christmas Eve. Matt looks like a Christmas moose with that sled behind him.

We did a little better without that crazy 2-year-old

Sven & Charity

Carolyn & her Jaja

The Aunts with little Hank. I wonder what he's thinking.

Aunt Nan finally got to meet Hank

Sweet Carolyn

Maddux & his mama

Emma & Carly

Jim Fish (Santa) proposed to his girlfriend Sarah. She said yes!

Santa Maddux

Nash got a guitar

Carolyn LOVES Thomas!

Iron Man - Maddux was scaring people in his mask until he'd flip open the visor and say in his sweet voice, "It's just me, Maddux."

Uncle Dave loves little Hanky Boy

Mama trying to hold all Eleanor's presents