Sullivan Snuggles

You guys, this kid. He loves to snuggle. In a way that his big sister never quite did. My very favorite part of the day is probably our little ritual before his bed time. I take him down to his dark, quiet room. He drinks a warm bottle of milk on my lap. I rock him. Sing to him. Love on him. And in return he give me the absolute best hugs. He digs his little face into my shoulder and lets out the biggest sigh. Every. Single. Night. My heart melts. I want to hold on to this forever and ever.

Sullivan at 11 Months

Since Sully will be one (!!) in two weeks, I figure I should get these posted. Even though I'm two weeks late, I did take these pictures on his 11 month birthday. So, there's that. Anyway, here's my big, happy boy at 11 months.

At 11 months Sullivan is:

• Pulling up on everything, cruising around the house behind and in his cozy coupe and standing without support for up to a minute. Will be walking very soon!
• Has words. Some are loud and clear (mama, dada, bye) others are loud and not so clear but he is always babbling. 
• Gets VERY excited when he sees someone he recognizes, especially me (kind of always been this way) but now also James (this is new) and also Nana. 
• Eats and eats and eats and eat. He eats a lot. So much. And he also gets very excited when he sees food. 
• Speaking of eating, we can't contain him in his high chair anymore. Cece was never a problem so we took off the awkward harness straps that came with it. Now I know what you need them for. If you turn your back he'll be surfing on his high chair tray before you can blink. 
• He's just as good at climbing ladders too. He can climb to the top of the playhouse by himself and also the attic ladder. He can get in and out of his cozy coupe and on (and drive!) Cece's big Thomas ride on. 
• He LOVES going fast on anything. In the car, in the swing, in the stroller. He is also the first one to go for the matchbox cars, trucks and tractors in the play room. Very strange how attracted he is to those things. Total boy. 
• Recently discovered his "man parts" in the bathtub and is utterly fascinated. Total boy.  

 

• Sullivan loves music. He grunts and dances to it. Cece loves music too so we spend a good amount of time dancing around the house every day. So fun. 
• Sully is getting all four front top teeth right now. Hasn't fussed at all and I didn't even know until I stuck my finger in his mouth. 
• Those teeth have been problematic however when it comes to nursing. We are pretty much down to nursing just 2-3 times a day and as of this week, I'm no longer pumping at work. I plan on nursing him in the morning and before bedtime as long as possible, but he's been biting me (and laughing about it) which is no fun at all, well apparently for him it is. But, ouch! Especially with all those new chompers he has.
• Sullivan loves to play with his big sister and mostly doesn't mind rough play. I often find Cece literally sitting on him and he's just going with it. It won't be long before he is bigger than her though so she better watch out.   

 

• He's been sleeping pretty good lately. We finally moved him to a real crib (poor kid had been sleeping in a pack and play for 10 months) in his own quieter room downstairs. It's helped a lot, although he still typically wakes up once around 2 AM and wants to nurse (for comfort). Then he's up at 6:15 AM every morning. Like clockwork. But he puts himself to sleep each night which makes bedtime a little bit easier on all of us, especially because Cece has become a real problem lately at bedtime (more on that soon).
• Sully is just really fun and pretty much always cheerful and easy going. He has shown though that he can genuinely get MAD when he doesn't get what he wants (usually food, or mom). I wonder how this will present itself as he gets older. He seems like he know what he wants and he is going to let you know he wants it. Not that there is anything wrong with that. He's my kid after all.
• He's a big boy. Haven't weighed him lately but I''m sure he's over 20 pounds and he's wearing mostly 18 month clothes and now, real shoes too! 
• He has one big head of thick, red hair. And, got his first haircut this month (so did Cece!). 
• Sully literally leans in for kisses. It's the best!

Sullivan, you are a bright shining star. Love you, buddy!

Sullivan at 9 Months

Here we are, already at 9 months. Three-quarters of the way through Sullivan's first year of life. I say it every time I post an update, but oh my, where do the days go? And yet, some days are just so, so long. And yet, the years are way too short. Nine months is a great age. I kind of want to pack Sully up in a shoebox and keep him this way forever.

He is so perfect, this little man. With his red hair and chubby cheeks, he can turn on the charm in an instant. His smiles are as endless as his tubby thunder thighs and he has a way about him that can turn your day around the instant you get ahold of him. He almost makes me want more babies...almost. But, let's be honest, there's only one Sully in this world and there's no chance in heck I'll get another one just as mild as he is. So we are done. DONE. Did you hear that, Nana? Done.

But back to Sullivan. He's kind of the best baby ever. I know what you're going to say, and yes, I AM biased, but it only takes 5 minutes of hanging with the dude to see he's pretty spectacular. He is always smiling. He can entertain himself. His favorite thing to do these days is to wave "bye, bye." He has the most beautiful hair and those eyes...those eyes. Someone commented that he should be a Gap baby. I can't honestly argue with that one. He'd kill it with his on demand smiles and perfect attitude.

The only thing he doesn't get an A+ on is sleeping through the night. He's holding strong at 4-5 hour stretches and I'm pretty used to it at this point, but I sure wouldn't complain if I happened to get a few 7 hour nights in here or there. It will come, eventually. The lack of solid sleep hasn't taken anything from his personality though so I'm hardly complaining.

At 9 months Sullivan:

- weighs ___ and is ___ long. (I will fill in the blanks after his 9 month check up) Wears 12-18 month clothing. 
- is crawling everywhere, pulling up to a stand and gracefully sitting back down, climbing one stair at a time and loves to explore. I often find him by himself in some random corner of the house, playing with something inappropriate (he loves cables, cords and plugs)
- eats like a horse. Typically eats twice as much as his big sister at every meal. Enjoys everything we've ever given him (which is a lot) and especially enjoyed the pierogis we gave him last week. Other favorites include pancakes, waffles, eggs, avocado, meatballs, pasta, peas, blueberries and corn.
- loves to wave hello and goodbye. Says bye bye and dada.
- has 1/4 of his two lower front teeth visible and buds on his upper two.
- falls asleep as soon as he's in the car seat. every time.
- loves his little wooden zebra clapper. I mean loves it.
- loves Summit.
- tolerates a lot from his big sister. She crawls on him, knocks him over, drags him across the floor and takes all of his toys away from him in a way that most older siblings do and he generally smiles through all of it. Payback is coming though.
- started drinking water out of a sippy cup.
- speaking of water, he loves it! Bath tubs, lakes, pools, he's a little water bug and loves to splash and play.
- like his sister, loves to put everything in his mouth. he pooped out a small elastic band the other day.
- has a two and a half year old sister. he's definitely the "easy" child.
- nicknames include Sully, Sully burger, Sully boy, Sully baby, baby Sully, little bug and baby smelly

It's not always rainbows though, sometimes these two gang up on us. It's a good thing they are cute.

 Looking for a flashback? Here's Cece at 9 months.

Sullivan at Eight Months

"Baby Sully" as he's often referred to by his sister Cece is starting to feel less and less like a baby. He's already eight months old, this kid! Wow. Cece's first year went by fast, but nothing compared to this. Incredible.

Sully has to be just about the happiest baby ever. His smile goes on for days and days and he's such a flirt. Smile, giggle, coo. Smile, giggle, screech. Smile, giggle, repeat... Part of me wants to keep him this age forever and ever. Although, the part of me that would like to sleep again may not be on board with that, ha. Sleeping (through the night) is still one thing he's not excelling at. He goes down easy enough but still doesn't usually sleep longer than 4 hours at a stretch. Once or twice he's given us 6 hours and we rejoiced ("this is it! he's figured it out!") but of course, it didn't last. Tough love is coming his way soon though because I KNOW he's capable of sleeping longer.

He's still nursing pretty well but we have hit the distraction phase hard. Unless he's really sleepy or we seclude ourselves in a dark, quiet room, he doesn't nurse all that well anymore. He wants the boob (always) but he can't seem to focus all that well and any hint of an outward distraction (noises, people, cell phones, etc) means he's a squirmy hot mess. A big, strong squirmy hot mess! There is no containing him.

Part of the reason he's not nursing all that well anymore is probably because the kid EATS LIKE A HORSE! He eats everything we put in front of him and most of it isn't "baby food" anymore. No mush for this kid (despite not having any teeth), he'd rather "chew" it himself. Favorites include cubed sweet potatoes, peas, pasta, pizza crust (of course), chicken, eggs, avocado, banana, waffles, beans, literally ANYTHING! He's going to catch up to and surpass Cece's weight before we know it. He's got to be close to 20 pounds now. I just hope he keeps it up. It would be great not to have to deal with another picky eater like Cece.

He's also officially on the move! Sully started crawling about a week ago. I think he's enjoying his new tricks too, we often find him giggling away after managing to crawl under a chair or couch. He's almost ready to pull himself up to a standing position, too and just like Cece at this age, he loves to use those thunder thighs to jump in the jumperoo.

He also loves Summit. Thank goodness she's a good sport because she puts up with a lot from these kids. He will giggle and coo at her for as long as she'll stick around (indefinitely if he happens to have food in his hand!). She lets both kids climb on her and has never been aggressive toward them. Summit is a lot of things and her behavior (barking and crazy amounts of doggie joy) are not always conducive to having a small child in the house but I'll say one thing, the kids both absolutely love her and none of us can imagine a life or a house without that crazy beast in it.

We took the kids camping a few weeks ago (more on that soon!) and they both did great. There's nothing better than spending quality time as a family however Sully really used the opportunity to attach himself deeply to me. A true mama's boy, this kid. It's hard to complain about being so loved though. Being "on demand" 24-7 can be exhausting but it won't last forever.

A few other random thoughts from this month:

• Sully's hair is still a lovely shade of strawberry blonde and is starting to come in thick already. Lately I've been looking up "baby boy hairstyles" because before long, he'll need a trim. Or, maybe not, I like a kid with longer hair. Cece won't let me touch hers though, not even to put it in a ponytail to keep it out of her face...we probably should have started cutting hers sooner!
• He's solidly wearing 12-18 month clothes because his thunder thighs are busting out of just about anything smaller. He also seems tall? Will be curious to see his growth stats at his 9 month check up.
• He LOVES splashing in the water! We just plop him down in the tub or at Nana's lake and he will play and play for hours if we let him!
• He's showing signs of teething and has two small bumps where his lower front teeth are making their way to the surface. Ouch!
• He coos and babbles all the time and can tell us precisely what he wants in grunts.
• When he's really excited about something (usually food) he also starts swinging his arms wildly in circles. It can be hard to hold on to him!
• Seriously though, he is like the happiest baby ever. Ever!
  
   
   
  
  
  Want to see what Cece was up to at 8 months?! Check out her 8 month post. Sully definitely wins for the most hair!

Sullivan at Seven Months

Sullivan is seven months old! Okay, seven months and one week. But at least I didn't miss it all together this time. Progress. Time flies when you have a cute, easy baby. He's sooo easy. His only hang up is he's in a total mommy phase. A grade A-clinger. Total mama's boy. He likes to know exactly where I am at all times and prefers and often demands, that he's riding my hip around the clock. It can be very inconvenient at times but it's hard to complain about being the center of his little world. It won't always be this way, that's for sure.

At seven months, Sully is:

• Sitting up perfectly, reaching for objects, pulling up to a kneeling position and getting on all fours. Will be crawling within a few weeks!
• Looooves baby mush. As in oatmeal, rice cereal and just about anything bland. Does not like strong flavors as far as we can tell. Makes the funniest faces when trying something new. 
• Can pick up baby puffs off his tray and put them in his mouth on his own. Good hand eye coordination! 
• Has his own language of coos, huffs, grunts, screeches and of course, cries. Will definitely let us know when he wants something, more of something or has had enough of something.
• Loves watching TV and listening to music.
• Is always smiling and is a total flirt. Cece was never this happy or easy going.
• The only time he cries is when he's overtired or when I walk away from him. 
• Total mama's boy. ^^^ 
• Has a terrible track record for napping in his crib both at school and at home. We are working on it though, the last few days have shown promise.
• Also sucks at sleeping on his own but progress is being made here too. He's asleep in his room as I write this. Score! Hasn't slept more than 4 hours on his own though. Like ever. Ugh.
• Nurses like a champ. Doesn't eat well at daycare but clearly isn't suffering from hunger...I mean, look at those rolls!
• Even though the pediatrician doesn't agree, I'm certain he has seasonal allergies. Poor kid was congested for 6 weeks straight. He can finally breath again!
• Has red hair. I mean RED hair! And so much more of it than Cece did at this age. 
• Seems to be an animal lover just like his big sis. 
• Will probably be referred to as "Baby Sully" until he's 18.
• Loves being in the water. 
• Loves just about anything. He's a dream baby. We just have to work on the sleeping thing.  

Sweet Sully vs. the (sweet) Potato

Sleep Training

I don't know who needs "sleep training" more...me, Sully or Cece. All three of us could use help, I think. Sully. Oh, Sully. Why would you want to sleep in your crib (ok, pack and play) when you can snuggle up to Mommy? This is what Sully's bed usually looks like...where's Sully you ask?

In our bed! This kid has got the bed snuggle down pat. He burrows in and goes for it. And who am I to deny him? It's just about the coziest way to sleep. Which has led of course to the inevitable fact that he cannot sleep any other way. Sleep through the night next to mom? Check. Sleep through the night on his own. Never. In fact, never more than three hours on his own. So, here I am with an 18 pound baby who is clearly capable of sleeping but doesn't want to do it any other way than next to us. We have "cried it out" just like we did with Cece around this age. It took her 10 minutes and two nights to catch on. Sully will go and go and go and go...until he practically can't breath anymore. It's too much for my heart to take. So I scoop him up and bring him to bed. And so it goes. He's my last baby so I have more or less come to terms with the way it is. I don't care what you have to say about it, I'm going to snuggle my baby. My last baby. Maybe until he's 18 if he'll let me.

Let's move on to Cece. We are stuck in a holding pattern with this girl. She sleeps like a dream at night and girlfriend likes to sleep in. She'll go until 8:30 on most mornings if we let her. In her crib. She's two and a half and it's time for a big girl bed. She's had it set up in her room for six months or more. We read in it. She jumps on it. We talk about sleeping in it. But come bedtime, she always asks for her crib. So we haven't pushed the issue. And at times, she still naps like a dream in it too so we have been reluctant to say goodbye to it. However, I'd like to claim the crib for Sully so he doesn't have to sleep in a pack and play (not that he does anyway, ha). So...it's time. We attempted nap time in the big girl bed the other day. I've since been told that nap time is NOT the time to go for it with a big kid bed. Better to wait until they are really tired (or drugged, haha...kidding people!) to make the switch. Turns out nap time was not the right time. But Cece did have a blast exploring her room, reading books and basically swinging from the rafters" when we tried this during nap time the other day. Oy! We have some work to do!