Hopes and Dreams: 14 weeks

Well. For starters, I'm exhausted! This kid is not sleeping great at night lately and it's wearing me out! He was doing *so well* for awhile there and now he's up every three hours or so! Ahhh! I can't figure it out. I'm absolutely pooped. Sunday night was terrible. He cried from about 2:30 - 4:00 - it was so weird. Andy and I were both zombies the next day.

Besides that he's doing really well! He continues to be more alert and really checks out his surroundings. Yesterday I could swear he was batting at a toy with his chubby little hand. I think he was trying to get it. I know he'll be grabbing stuff any day. He also had his first chiropractor appointment yesterday. :) Our Chiro checked him over and said he was locked up in his mid-back and did a little adjustment on him. It was quick and painless and he said it may help him to sleep better at night. We'll see... Last night wasn't a big improvement or anything. But hopefully he's more comfortable at least. He continues to grow like a weed. I can't even guess how much he weighs right now. He was 14 lbs 3 oz at his 2 month check-up and a month later Andy thinks he weighs at least 16 pounds. Just this week I put away some of his 6 month jammies. His toes were squished so he graduated to 9 month jammies!!! Yikes! Most of his clothes, though, are size 6 mos. It's always so emotional for me when I pack away clothes that my kids have outgrown, because I know that it's not like when I put my summer clothes away and get them out again the next year. These clothes will never fit them again!!! Something else has changed this week. He isn't taking his pacifier as often. He can get pretty irritated when I try to give it to him. I don't know how I feel about that. I suppose on one hand it could be nice that he's not still needing a pacifier at the age of four. But on the other, it really has "pacified" him during some fussy times and I'm gonna be sad if it doesn't help anymore. He also used to go to sleep really well with it. I would hold him "like a baby", give him the pacifier and he'd be out cold. It doesn't work like that any more! It's amazing how quickly things can change. What works one day, doesn't the next. You think you have it figured out and then they move on to a different phase. He's keeping me on my toes! He recognizes our faces and smiles when he sees us and he likes peekabo! :)

The novelty of "baby Taylor" has worn off and Lily is definitely vying for attention and has really given us a run for our money lately! More crying, more begging, more whining, etc. There are moments that I think I may go crazy! She says things lately like, "Can you put him in his swing? Can you put him down? Can you put Taylor in his crib?" And a couple times recently she's started to gently "hit" him and see if we notice. I'm thankful she hasn't all-out whacked him! But she's testing the limits. So, we're both trying to find ways to spend more one on one time with her and give her the attention she needs. Taylor is taking a good morning nap so I've been trying to use that time to do something fun with her - play with Play doh, play a game, read some books, or whatever she wants to do. The potty training is interesting. She pees like a pro now but still refuses to try to poop on the potty. She asks for a pull up when she knows she needs to do the big job. So, she knows when she needs to go. We're just not sure how to get her to go. I continue to tell myself she *will* figure it out eventually. In the mean time I just need to continue to encourage her and be patient with her.

Enjoy some photo highlights of our week: