Scout // 4 Months

Scout had his 4-month checkup today and we got to see how much he has grown, unfortunately he had to get some shots. We did get the ok to start cereal and some foods. He has definitely made some big changes over the month as far as his strength and movements. He is more active and vocal. We are starting to really see his personality. As you can tell by the photos I post, he is so happy and playful. I can already tell he is going to be quite the social little guy. After reading what Sawyer was doing at this age, we decide to bring out the Jolly Jumper and he loved it! We also plan to let him try out the walker this week too.

Here is how Sawyer stacked up when he was four months. Once again they are super close, even the exact same weight!
http://www.hamratime.com/2012/06/sawyer-4-months.html?m=0

Scout 4 Month stats

weight: 15 lbs. 2 oz. (41 percentile) - at 3 months he was 14 lbs. 6 oz.

height: 25 1/4 inches (52 percentile) - at 3 months he was 25 inches

clothing: 3-6 and 6 months. 3 months is really too small. Wearing 6-12 month socks

diapers: still Size 2

eating: Same as last month.....breast milk, eating every 3-5 hours depending on how active he is. Earring longer each time for 15-18 minutes. We think he might be ready for some cereal/oatmeal because he isn't sleeping as long at night now. He seems to be hungry every 4-5 hours at night too when it used to be more like 6-8.

sleeping: He is great at sleeping at night, will eat and go right to bed but not sleeping as long as he used to, 4-5 hour stretches. Sleeping better at school now though, has even taken a 3-hour nap there.

teething: No sign of teeth yet but he is drooling like crazy and constantly chews on his WHOLE hand, yes the whole thing fits in his little mouth.

other updates: Holding his head up on his own and even acting like he wants to crawl. He talks a ton, constantly cooing and babbling like he is trying to converse with us. He reminds me of Sawyer, always moving his arms and legs, especially to music or when he is excited.

Here are some more pictures and videos from the month:

he was so happy during our shoot, had to share a couple more

Trying to crawl: http://youtu.be/UVoa2VsJxzw

We love bath time together

Fishing with Big Bro

He even lets his brother shave his legs

First cereal: http://youtu.be/2D-j-8HPLCY

Felt like such a big boy!

Jolly jumper video: http://youtu.be/wnw-08k0PPA

Sawyer: 17 Months

New trike!

I can't believe Sawyer is 17 months, I had to keep reminding myself because it just doesn't seem real. This past month has been a real struggle with keeping him healthy because of his double ear infections. We go back Monday to follow up and see if we will have to make a visit with Ear, Nose and Throat. Fingers crossed we don't. His language has grown by leaps and bounds! He is such a happy & loving boy, we are truly blessed! Monday July 15, we celebrated his baptism birthday too....can't believe it's been a year!

STATS

Weight: 27 

Length: 31.5 inches

his new Trike from Grandma & Grandpa

Eating:  Tends to eat one big meal a day and then snack the rest of the day. His favorite things are raisins, bread, bananas, pizza and any sort of dessert (go figure). He has gotten really good at feeding himself with both his left and right hand, sure not sure if he is a righty or a lefty yet.

Sleeping: Same as last month, sleep averaging 10-11 hours a night. Naps during the day have been a little shorter during the week but still long on the weekends.

Loves to play blocks with dad

Clothing: 18-24 months

Diapers: size 4

cutting the grass!

Playing: His new thing is "tackling", probably not the best thing to have taught him but John really wants him to play football. He runs and tackles you and yells "TACKLE", pretty cute. Still loves swimming, running, riding bikes and especially loves his water table (thanks Megan & Tim), lawn mower, his new trike and building with Mega Blocks.

Teething: Working on 14 with some others popping through, poor guy!

Talking: This boy can talk! He repeats everything and if he can't say it he hums it with the same inflection. He is very polite and says please and thank you. If very good and saying names almost completely clear. Here are the names he says: Kari, John, Grandma, Grandpa, Cindy, Rob, Amie, Rachel, Megan, Tim, Trina, Clara, Kaiden, Tori, Sally, Linda, Madison, Jake and Penny. Probably the funniest thing he did relating to names is one night we were going through our names and we wanted to make sure he knew John and my real names. We asked him where John was and he pointsed to John.  But when we asked him where Kari was he didn't know. John said "I think I know why" and said "Where is Babe?", immediately he pointed to me. Guess John is going to have to stop calling me "Babe" before he can tell his friends what his mom's name is. Ha! He is now very good at saying Kari!

let's get it started

Potty Training: Less interested this month but still likes to sit on it and try. I figured it was probably a phase since the potty was new!

Loves his new water table

Other developments:  He has grown into quite the compassionate soul which makes me extremely proud. While he is a typical rough and tumble boy, he feels genuinely bad when he hurts someone. If you start to cry (or pretend cry) he will come over and hug and kiss you. The most adorable example is the other night at dinner when he broke my mom's necklace. He could tell something was wrong when he did it and his lip started quivering and tears ran down his face. It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen. If he could talk, I just know he would have said "I am so sorry Grandma, I didn't mean to". It took a good 5 minutes to make him feel better. What a sweetie!

Biting: A new parent's confession

Those teeth where made for chompin'!

When I was pregnant, I had visions of how my son would be…his accomplishments, his smile and laugh, all those cutesie things. I thought maybe if I visualized a son that didn’t throw tantrums, chuck oatmeal on the floor or bite his peers, he would be destined to be an angel child. It doesn’twork that way. No one wants to admit they have a problem child especially a BITER. Well, I write this blog today as the mother of a child that has a biting problem. For many weeks straight, I received a call from his school everyday, if not twice a day that he was biting. I was terrified, embarrassed and worried about how we could break this habit as quick as it started. I did some research, talked to other parents and his teachers and I am proud to say he has gone 8 days now without biting! It is a daily, even hourly struggle when you are going through it. You have to be on a constant lookout for those triggers so you can stop it. Persistence is key. Here are my collective tips I took away from my research but if you only remember one this from this post, know BITING IS A NORMAL BEHAVIOR OR PHASE FOR MOST YOUNGER CHILDREN. Don’t be embarrassed, it happens to the best parents.

WHY THEY DO IT

• Communication: Children under the age of 2 usually bite because of their lake of communication skills. They don’t have words yet to show that they are excited, tired, happy, hungry or upset. Just like you and I, they are filled with feelings they want to express and using their mouths is the most intuitive and easiest way to get them out.
• Teething: It may be as obvious as teeth trying to come through. Biting down on something is a great way to relieve the pain of sore gums and little ones don’t know to discriminate on what that thing is until they are shown it is a negative action.
• Emotions: Toddlers experiment with their emotions & feelings.  They don’t understand that something that feels good to them may not feel good to another toddler.They are constantly testing actions to see results and reactions. This is how they establish outcomes and help establish themselves as individuals with separate feelings from others. 

I didn't mean to bite, I just want to give you a kiss!!

HOW TO STOP IT

• Find the triggers: We found with Sawyer, it was never out of anger but from being overexcited and tired. He didn’t know how else to release his excitement but through his teeth. When he got really tired he would try to snuggle and would sometimes nudge and bite. Or sometimes just that he wanted to kiss us and he didn’t know the difference. Some other triggers might be: hunger, overstimulation or being crowded.
• Be Proactive: If you have identified what triggers your child to bite you can intervene before a bite even occurs or be close by at those times.
• Redirect and give Alternatives: Give them something else to focus their energy on like a toy or book.  I read a good quote that said “Toddlers are like two-ton trucks, when they get going with an idea, it can be hard to stop.” So the sooner you notice them wanting to bite the easier it will be to get them on to another activity. Taking them out of the situation all together is helpful too.
• Let them know it hurts: Just like everything else, children have to learn that biting hurts. Don’t overreact but confront them in a stern voice right when they bite. Say things like: “That’s biting!” “Biting hurts, we do not bite people”. Make sure they see your disapproval and try to remove them from the situation. Give them an opportunity to help if they have hurt another. Comfort the other child so they can see the attention goes to the victim and not the biter.
• Praise them for not biting: Everyday that I pick Sawyer up from school and he hasn’t bitten, I say “Great Job Sawyer on not biting, you’re such a good boy”. He may not know exactly what I am saying but kids are smarter than you think and he will start to relate the two.

Please don't bite me!!

WHAT NOT TO DO

• In my opinion biting back is not an option. This sends a confusing message that it is not okay for children to bite but okay for a parent to do it.
• Try not to overreact when they bite someone.This might make them want to bite again if they find the reaction to be exciting or funny.

NOTE: Remember I am not an expert just a curious parent. What I say may not work for everyone and don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you have tried everything and your child continues to bite, contact your pediatrician. They might have some other options to help.

Helpful sites: 

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/biting/Stopping_Toddler_Biting_Behaviors.htm

http://babyparenting.about.com/od/discipline/a/stopbiting.htm