It is about time I update my blog! I can't believe over a year has past already since Levi was born! We are so blessed to have him in our lives. It is hard to remember life before Levi.
Well, we had a pretty quiet party for Levi. We just had family and Elizabeth's roommate Laurie. I made a train cake and we all had fun watching Levi eat his first cake! He was so funny to watch and he loved it (especially the icing). :)
Here is what Levi is up to these days:
He is now 31 inches long (90th percentile!) and 22 1bs 13.5 ounces (60th percentile). I can't believe that I am having such a tall child!
Levi is still taking two naps a day (although he sometimes won't sleep in the morning so we might transition out of the morning nap soon). He is still a wonderful sleeper both during the day and at night and still sleeps from about 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Levi is starting to talk, which is so fun! He says "mama", "Dada", "no", and "ball." He is very vocal and is showing a little bit of a strong will and temper but is still very easygoing and sweet.
He seems pretty close to walking but I think he lacks the courage to take the first step. He is cruising and will push toys and walk behind them. He will sometimes stand without holding onto anything for a few seconds at a time. Levi's favorite games are to be chased/chase someone, play peeka-a-boo or have someone hide and then say "boo" and scare him. He also likes to move (we took him sledding and he loved that and he loves to be pushed around on things or to be twirled around or thrown in the air). He has a cute little sense of humor and those belly laughs, smiles, and claps are so precious and dear to my heart!
That is all I can think of right now. We are definitely sick of the cold and dreary winter and ready for the warm, sunshine-filled days so we can get outside and play! Hopefully Spring will come early!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Adventures with Levi
Wow, it has been awhile since I have written. It just goes to show how time flies by so quickly! I feel like an old person saying this, but each year time goes by faster and faster. I remember as a kid thinking that time was just creeping by.
Anyways, Levi is now 11 (almost 11 1/2) months. It is unbelievable to me that in less than a month I will have a toddler. He already seems like more of a toddler than a baby. Sadly, my baby does not like to be held and cuddled any longer. He is displaying more of a temper and will kick and fuss when you change his diaper or take something away from him that he wants. He is still a very happy, sweet child though. Levi's latest skill (which he acquired about 2 weeks ago) is pulling himself up. I thought he would never learn this and foolishly worried about it and was frustrated at him for not being "advanced." Reflecting upon my attitude, I feel horrible, because I know that he will learn things in his own time and I need to love him for who he is. He is now getting into all kinds of things because of this newly acquired skill. Today, for example, he pulled down our sugar canister which caused some of the contents to spill and he sat in the pile of sugar happily eating it. Levi and Roscoe now have more and more fun together as well. A few days ago I found them sitting at opposite ends of the kitchen each chewing on a banana peel that they had managed to retrieve from the garbage can. Life has gotten busier, but it is good. I guess I finished my Master's Degree just in time,as I have less time to work on homework now that Levi is so mobile and inquisitive. Another new development is that Levi's top two teeth finally came through. He now has a total of 4 teeth. I am guessing him to be about 23 pounds, but we will see at his one year appointment in a month.
As for me and Jordan, we are busy getting ready for Elizabeth and Daniel and Jodi to come for Christmas.We are excited that we have our own home and can have people over! Our kitchen is finished and we have been working on other small projects as well. We will also be having some friends come for New Year's which is also exciting, followed by Levi's first birthday party on the 15th of January. It is a busy, but exciting time! Jordan's job is going pretty well and I now have 3 kids that I tutor, which I enjoy and is also going well. I have a four year old, a third grader, and a fifth grader so it is nice to have a variety and I am able to keep my teaching skills sharp.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Levi at 9 months
Well, Levi's monthly update is a couple of weeks late since his doctor's appointment was a couple of weeks late. Levi is now 29 1/2 inches long and 21 pounds! He had to get a Hepatitis B shot today but everything else with the appointment went great. Thankfully the ear infections he had when we went to Georgia are gone!
Levi is crawling all over the place at a fast speed and starting to try to pull himself up, although he doesn't get further than his knees. He gets into EVERYTHING and doesn't care at all about his toys, which makes entertaining him kind of difficult. I try to take him outside for a walk almost every day for something to do. Sometimes we stop at this little park by our house and I put him in the swing. He loves it! He just laughs and laughs.Levi is such an agreeable, lovable, and happy baby (although I know I am biased). :) His facial expressions are hilarious and he has a variety of them. Levi has mastered waving at people and he has also started to imitate noises we make sometimes. He has this book with sheep and when I say "baaaa" he will say it back! As far as teeth go, Levi only has his bottom 2 teeth, but I think the top 2 are on their way.
He still takes 2 naps a day (about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. in the morning and btwn. 2-3 hrs. in the afternnoon). Lately his naps have been less predictable with him being sick and us traveling so much during the month of October.He still sleeps about 12 hrs. a night too! Some nights he wakes up early in the morning and we have to get him back to sleep,but the past few nights he hasn't done that so hopefully he will continue to sleep until morning without waking up. He also has bad dreams sometimes where he will cry during his sleep and we will go comfort him and he will stay asleep the whole time. It is so weird and so sad!
We love our little boy so much and can't believe how fast he is growing up! He makes us laugh and smile all day.
Levi is crawling all over the place at a fast speed and starting to try to pull himself up, although he doesn't get further than his knees. He gets into EVERYTHING and doesn't care at all about his toys, which makes entertaining him kind of difficult. I try to take him outside for a walk almost every day for something to do. Sometimes we stop at this little park by our house and I put him in the swing. He loves it! He just laughs and laughs.Levi is such an agreeable, lovable, and happy baby (although I know I am biased). :) His facial expressions are hilarious and he has a variety of them. Levi has mastered waving at people and he has also started to imitate noises we make sometimes. He has this book with sheep and when I say "baaaa" he will say it back! As far as teeth go, Levi only has his bottom 2 teeth, but I think the top 2 are on their way.
He still takes 2 naps a day (about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. in the morning and btwn. 2-3 hrs. in the afternnoon). Lately his naps have been less predictable with him being sick and us traveling so much during the month of October.He still sleeps about 12 hrs. a night too! Some nights he wakes up early in the morning and we have to get him back to sleep,but the past few nights he hasn't done that so hopefully he will continue to sleep until morning without waking up. He also has bad dreams sometimes where he will cry during his sleep and we will go comfort him and he will stay asleep the whole time. It is so weird and so sad!
We love our little boy so much and can't believe how fast he is growing up! He makes us laugh and smile all day.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
blah
Yeah, budgeting= major failure. You can't really make a budget when you don't earn enough money to cover all of your fixed expenses. I guess I have to find another job in addition to my tutoring. Not sure how all of this is going to work out. NOT a happy camper.
Total Money Makeover
So, someone gave us Dave Ramsey's book "The Total Money Makeover" for our wedding (this was over 2 years ago). I started to read it when we got back from our honeymoon, but thought, this is only for people who are REALLY in debt. We don't make much money and we don't have THAT much debt so it doesn't really apply to us. We tried having a budget but were lazy with it and it flopped. Now, we make much less money than we did before because I am not working besides tutoring a few hours a week. Needless to say, I have started reading the book again and am inspired. Most of our debt is for my student loans from both my undergraduate and graduate school, with only a small credit card balance. The point is, we need to know where our money is going and we need to have an emergency fund and get rid of that student loan debt. We used to look at it as, "we don't have any car payments like most people, so the student loans are just like a monthly payment that we will keep paying for awhile." I realize now that this is wrong because those payments seem to get less and less. At the end of each month we end up stressed out and mad at one another because we are scrounging to find the money to pay all of the bills.
So, we begin the total money makeover as of today. I am excited and dreading it at the same time. For me, I struggle with getting a coffee or a diet coke or something like that when I'm out with Levi. While this is just a dollar or two at a time, it adds up. We find excuses to "treat" ourselves with things like take-out food or beer. We've had a really stressful day or we've worked really hard that week. While in reality, I am realizing that we are adding to the stress by doing those things. It's going to be extremely hard, but I really hope that we can be successful with this and stop having to worry about money. I want my kids to have college paid for and to be equipped with better financial knowledge than I have had, and so I think it is important to get control now before we are really out of control.
If you are friends with us, please don't ask us to do things that will cost us money. Please pray for us and encourage us as we start this very difficult but rewarding journey.
So, we begin the total money makeover as of today. I am excited and dreading it at the same time. For me, I struggle with getting a coffee or a diet coke or something like that when I'm out with Levi. While this is just a dollar or two at a time, it adds up. We find excuses to "treat" ourselves with things like take-out food or beer. We've had a really stressful day or we've worked really hard that week. While in reality, I am realizing that we are adding to the stress by doing those things. It's going to be extremely hard, but I really hope that we can be successful with this and stop having to worry about money. I want my kids to have college paid for and to be equipped with better financial knowledge than I have had, and so I think it is important to get control now before we are really out of control.
If you are friends with us, please don't ask us to do things that will cost us money. Please pray for us and encourage us as we start this very difficult but rewarding journey.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Levi at 8 months
Well, I guess it is time for a monthly update on Levi. Today he is 8 months old! Time sure does fly by! He is changing every day.
Levi's movement: Levi rolls all over the place, sits up very well by himself, scoots backwards, moves in circles, and rocks back and forth on his hands and knees. So close to crawling (finally)!
Levi's eating: At around 6 months I weaned Levi to formula completely. I guess he kind of did the weaning. He was less and less interested in nursing and with his reflux and the start of solid foods, did not care to nurse and was fussy during nursing. He does not like formula very much either, but gets enough liquid to be healthy. He LOVES regular food! Levi especially loves finger foods like cheese, bread, cheerios, avocado, and lots of other things. One thing I made him that he really loves is pineapple chicken (just a can of pineapple with chicken in the food processor).
Levi's personality: He is very happy and smiles and laughs a lot. He also lets you know if he doesn't like something! He is stubborn too (gets that from both of us I think). :) Levi is an active and also very verbal kid. He is always babbling. Curiosity is another thing that has increased with him. He is always looking around at things and wanting to grab everything and put it in his mouth (including every little piece of fuzz on the carpet).
Levi's sleep: I am thankful that Levi continues to be a wonderful sleeper! He takes two naps a day. One in the morning for about an hour and a half usually from 9 to 10:30. Then one in the afternoon from about 1-3:30. Then he goes to bed at 7 and usually sleeps until around 7 in the morning! While he used to sleep on his back, he now likes to sleep on his tummy. He has found out that tummy time isn't so terrible after all! My favorite thing is to go into his room in the morning and greet him. He is so excited and gives me such a big smile. :)
Levi's size: I sat Levi on the scale the other day and it said 20 pounds! Our scale is not digital so I am guessing he is more like 19 something. Also, I am guessing he is somewhere between 28 and 291/2 inches. His 9 month doctor's appointment is going to be more like at 9 1/2 months because his doc will be on vacation when he would normally go in, so we will have to wait until Nov. 3rd to get his next height and weight check. He is growing so much these days!
Funny Levi story: The other day I was at the grocery store and while I was checking out the (woman) cashier pointed out to me that Levi had something in his hand that I probably didn't want him to have. It was a tampon that he had found in my purse! He was waving it around and putting it into his mouth. I was very embarrassed but thankful that the cashier was a woman and that she brought it to my attention!
A new experience for Levi: This weekend we are going camping for Jordan's birthday, which is on Monday. We made the decision to bring Levi with us (might regret it). I am kind of excited to bring him though, because I think he will really enjoy all of the sights and sounds and smells. There is something about the outdoors that I think babies really like. I have hats and slippers and socks and all kinds of other warm things for him to wear so I am hoping that he sleeps okay and that it is a good time for all of us. I will write about how it goes sometime after we get back and post pictures.
Levi's movement: Levi rolls all over the place, sits up very well by himself, scoots backwards, moves in circles, and rocks back and forth on his hands and knees. So close to crawling (finally)!
Levi's eating: At around 6 months I weaned Levi to formula completely. I guess he kind of did the weaning. He was less and less interested in nursing and with his reflux and the start of solid foods, did not care to nurse and was fussy during nursing. He does not like formula very much either, but gets enough liquid to be healthy. He LOVES regular food! Levi especially loves finger foods like cheese, bread, cheerios, avocado, and lots of other things. One thing I made him that he really loves is pineapple chicken (just a can of pineapple with chicken in the food processor).
Levi's personality: He is very happy and smiles and laughs a lot. He also lets you know if he doesn't like something! He is stubborn too (gets that from both of us I think). :) Levi is an active and also very verbal kid. He is always babbling. Curiosity is another thing that has increased with him. He is always looking around at things and wanting to grab everything and put it in his mouth (including every little piece of fuzz on the carpet).
Levi's sleep: I am thankful that Levi continues to be a wonderful sleeper! He takes two naps a day. One in the morning for about an hour and a half usually from 9 to 10:30. Then one in the afternoon from about 1-3:30. Then he goes to bed at 7 and usually sleeps until around 7 in the morning! While he used to sleep on his back, he now likes to sleep on his tummy. He has found out that tummy time isn't so terrible after all! My favorite thing is to go into his room in the morning and greet him. He is so excited and gives me such a big smile. :)
Levi's size: I sat Levi on the scale the other day and it said 20 pounds! Our scale is not digital so I am guessing he is more like 19 something. Also, I am guessing he is somewhere between 28 and 291/2 inches. His 9 month doctor's appointment is going to be more like at 9 1/2 months because his doc will be on vacation when he would normally go in, so we will have to wait until Nov. 3rd to get his next height and weight check. He is growing so much these days!
Funny Levi story: The other day I was at the grocery store and while I was checking out the (woman) cashier pointed out to me that Levi had something in his hand that I probably didn't want him to have. It was a tampon that he had found in my purse! He was waving it around and putting it into his mouth. I was very embarrassed but thankful that the cashier was a woman and that she brought it to my attention!
A new experience for Levi: This weekend we are going camping for Jordan's birthday, which is on Monday. We made the decision to bring Levi with us (might regret it). I am kind of excited to bring him though, because I think he will really enjoy all of the sights and sounds and smells. There is something about the outdoors that I think babies really like. I have hats and slippers and socks and all kinds of other warm things for him to wear so I am hoping that he sleeps okay and that it is a good time for all of us. I will write about how it goes sometime after we get back and post pictures.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Life As We Know It
So I thought I would write about something other than Levi (kind of)! I guess you could say life has kind of gotten into a normal routine here in our new home in Baltimore. Although we have lived here for about 3 months now, we are still in some ways "living out of boxes." This is extremely frustrating, especially with the kitchen not being completed, but I am praying for patience and a more positive attitude about our house. There are MANY projects that need to be done. The kitchen is well on its way though, and HOPEFULLY will be completed at the beginning of September.
We are trying to adjust to life in the city and a little bit of a different lifestyle. Our summer has been fairly low-key, with the weekends mostly taken up with working on the kitchen.I am not working, but am looking for some kind of part-time job (tutoring or babysitting primarily) to help out with expenses. So I would appreciate prayer for that. We have had to become somewhat of tightwads or cheapskates because we have had to. Soon the cable TV will be gone...sigh. God has provided so far, it is just so very difficult to fly by the seat of our pants so to speak financially. In addition to playing with, feeding, taking care of Levi, doing housework, etc. I have been taking graduate classes for my Master's Degree which I actually have been working on for over a year. I will finish my degree in December. Woo Hoo! Bring on more student loans..haha. Jordan is working hard and likely his job. He has worked there for almost 6 months now. He has had to travel to Pittsburgh where his company is based several times and will be going there again for a few days at the end of the month.
And of course..I have to say something about Levi! He is growing up so fast! Currently he is sitting up by himself unsupported. He eats some finger foods now and continues to love whatever foods I give to him. Levi is happy most of the time but definitely tells us what he wants (he has a great set of lungs). Although Levi is crawling yet, he will move backwards and rolls all over the place.
Here is a typical day for us:
7 am (sometimes earlier): Levi wakes up, gets a diaper change and a bottle. He then plays for a little bit (usually with Jordan) while I get his breakfast and some coffee for myself.
7:30ish: Levi eats his breakfast. This usually consists of oatmeal with some kind of fruit. He likes peaches the best so far. Jordan leaves for work around this time. After breakfast, I put Levi in the stroller and we take a walk.Levi loves being outside and is usually silent the whole walk just looking around at everything.
9:00: When we get back from our walk, Levi goes down for his morning nap, which usually lasts about an hour and a half.
10:30ish: Levi wakes up from his nap. We play for a little bit.
11:00-12:00 Levi gets a bottle, play for a few minutes, then have lunch.
Sometimes after lunch he gets to watch a baby Einstein video before taking his nap.
1:00 afternoon nap (the length of this nap is slight inconsistent lasting for anywhere between 2 and 3 hrs).
When he wakes up, he gets a bottle and sometimes a snack like Cheerios. He has tummy time to practice crawling and plays with his toys.
Depending on the day, he sometimes needs about a 30 min. nap around 4:30 to get him through until bedtime. I prep things for dinner either during this last nap if he takes it or he plays alone in a safe place while I do it.
5:00 Levi gets dinner. After dinner he plays for a little bit (usually with Jordan when he gets home from work around 5:30).
6:00 or 6:15 Bathtime ! This is usually every other day. After his bath we put lotion on him, put his PJs on, then give him a bottle. After his bottle we read him stories, sing to him, then put him to bed and pray for him. Jordan either helps with his bath or helps with dinner.
7:00 Bedtime! Horray for adult alone time!
So, that is what our lives are like these days.
We are trying to adjust to life in the city and a little bit of a different lifestyle. Our summer has been fairly low-key, with the weekends mostly taken up with working on the kitchen.I am not working, but am looking for some kind of part-time job (tutoring or babysitting primarily) to help out with expenses. So I would appreciate prayer for that. We have had to become somewhat of tightwads or cheapskates because we have had to. Soon the cable TV will be gone...sigh. God has provided so far, it is just so very difficult to fly by the seat of our pants so to speak financially. In addition to playing with, feeding, taking care of Levi, doing housework, etc. I have been taking graduate classes for my Master's Degree which I actually have been working on for over a year. I will finish my degree in December. Woo Hoo! Bring on more student loans..haha. Jordan is working hard and likely his job. He has worked there for almost 6 months now. He has had to travel to Pittsburgh where his company is based several times and will be going there again for a few days at the end of the month.
And of course..I have to say something about Levi! He is growing up so fast! Currently he is sitting up by himself unsupported. He eats some finger foods now and continues to love whatever foods I give to him. Levi is happy most of the time but definitely tells us what he wants (he has a great set of lungs). Although Levi is crawling yet, he will move backwards and rolls all over the place.
Here is a typical day for us:
7 am (sometimes earlier): Levi wakes up, gets a diaper change and a bottle. He then plays for a little bit (usually with Jordan) while I get his breakfast and some coffee for myself.
7:30ish: Levi eats his breakfast. This usually consists of oatmeal with some kind of fruit. He likes peaches the best so far. Jordan leaves for work around this time. After breakfast, I put Levi in the stroller and we take a walk.Levi loves being outside and is usually silent the whole walk just looking around at everything.
9:00: When we get back from our walk, Levi goes down for his morning nap, which usually lasts about an hour and a half.
10:30ish: Levi wakes up from his nap. We play for a little bit.
11:00-12:00 Levi gets a bottle, play for a few minutes, then have lunch.
Sometimes after lunch he gets to watch a baby Einstein video before taking his nap.
1:00 afternoon nap (the length of this nap is slight inconsistent lasting for anywhere between 2 and 3 hrs).
When he wakes up, he gets a bottle and sometimes a snack like Cheerios. He has tummy time to practice crawling and plays with his toys.
Depending on the day, he sometimes needs about a 30 min. nap around 4:30 to get him through until bedtime. I prep things for dinner either during this last nap if he takes it or he plays alone in a safe place while I do it.
5:00 Levi gets dinner. After dinner he plays for a little bit (usually with Jordan when he gets home from work around 5:30).
6:00 or 6:15 Bathtime ! This is usually every other day. After his bath we put lotion on him, put his PJs on, then give him a bottle. After his bottle we read him stories, sing to him, then put him to bed and pray for him. Jordan either helps with his bath or helps with dinner.
7:00 Bedtime! Horray for adult alone time!
So, that is what our lives are like these days.
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