BSE is 3 months!!

BABY ROLLS!! 

LOOKING OUTSIDE!

little man checking out the street.

Turns out newborn hats don't fit anymore ;)

Ladies man!

Hanging out with his main squeeze, the bear (needs a name...)

My little guy!

3 month stats:

Weight: 17 pounds, 6 ounces at your 2 month appointment. If I had to guess, 18-19 pounds?! You're so chunky monkey. It's amazing.
Height: Not exactly sure but LONG!
Eating: Exclusively breastfeeding every 2-3 hours during the day & every 3-6 hours at night with the occasional bottle of Similac Sensitive formula.
Clothes: 0-3 month (getting small), 3 month and 3-6 month (even a couple of 6 month sleepers).
Diaper: Size 1 (Pampers Sensitive).

Dearest Benjamin,

Gone are the days of newborn goodness... you, my little love, are officially an INFANT! 

It's been a whirlwind of 3 months. A blink of an eye and here we are. I will always tell you how much I love you, but through these letters I want you to see just how amazing you are. I can't tell people enough - you are the perfect little man. You are as easy going as they come - extremely alert, talkative and silly. 

You don't cry very much -- but when you do, it's one of the saddest sounds I've ever heard. Sometimes your sister cries and you'll begin crying along with her. You are already so in love with her - it's clear the friendship is forming. She covers you in toys, kisses you a billion times, holds your little hands and you happily smile. 

SMILES - your whole face lights up. You love to coo and chat to anyone that will pay attention. You are getting very good at grabbing on to your toys and love to hold blankets. I think you're beginning to teeth - you are constantly chewing on your hands. You love the pacifier and it helps calm you down - however you don't need it to fall asleep which is nice. Your favorite place (other then laying on someone) is the rock n'play sleeper. We have two for this very reason. You like the activity mat and we recently borrowed a very nice swing that I'll try this week. 

You hate the car. Most of the time you tolerate it but you need the pacifier to keep you happy. If we are stopped at a red light/traffic, you are NOT a happy camper. Eventually you fall asleep and you seem to like the car seat, but the car itself isn't your favorite place. 

You love to sleep - a lot! You are starting to get on a schedule. You take a nap soon after you wake up in the morning, then again 3-4 times throughout the day. Depending on our plans, sometimes you'll sleep longer then others. I often need to wake you during the day to eat but I'm trying to avoid this so you can get your naps in! 

You like it outside and I look forward to the Spring weather so can we take walks together. 

You are sleeping fairly well at night -- you go to sleep anywhere from 730-830. You usually go around 4 hours. Then wake up 1-2 times again before morning. Last night, you went 6 hours which was a treat!! Our current schedule is that Layla goes to bed, I squeeze in a shower, feed you one last time before I go upstairs and you hang out with Dada downstairs and fall asleep. He brings you up to eat when you wake up (or if you don't, he'll bring you up and put you in your seat to sleep). It works great because when you're in our room, I don't sleep as well. You're a bit noisy and I'm always worried about your sweet little face. You LOVE to sleep in bed with us (especially on my chest) and sleep best that way, so I often let you ;)

On Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays..it's just me & you. Layla is at school or Mom-Mom & Pop-Pop's house. While I love my time with both of you, these days are so special. I love when you nap on my chest or "talk"to me for hours. It's so lovely to get to know you. I'm so very lucky that I am able to extend my maternity leave until June... this week is when I should have returned to work and I can't imagine for a single second not being with you all the time.

You take baths 2-3 times a week. You sometimes cry but you mostly like it -- I think you get cold easily and I'm ready for you to be in the tub a little more so the warm water covers you! 

You are doing well on your tummy! I need to work more on tummy time but you sleep and cuddle so much  - it's hard to squeeze it in! ;)

You are so big - your like a puppy! Your hands and feet are so big and your cheeks go on for days. I know one day soon you'll slim down and I'll think back on these days and giggle at how big you are! Your eyes are SO bright and gorgeous and your hair is getting lighter everyday. I think you'll end up with big, dark eyes but possibly green or hazel? Who knows. 

You are so very loved - so very happy - and we are so excited to watch you learn & grow!!!! 

I love you, always.

Your Mama

(A glimpse at his 3 month pictures we took today - unedited but still so cute!)

22 months.

Weight: Last doc appt was 25.6 pounds - you don't gain because you're always on the GO.

Height: I think 35 inches - tall and thinner everyday!

Eating: Eating - not great - the same things everyday...and 2-4 cups of organic whole milk everyday.

Clothes: 18 month (small), 18-24 month, 24 month and 2T! 

Diaper: Size 5

Shoe Size: 5-6

Layla Jules...

Happy 22 months to YOU, my sweet angel. Another month, another few weeks and suddenly I find myself again in awe of you. You are a SPONGE - you are soaking up everything around you and it's a magical thing to watch. You are so kind, so gentle. You hug & kiss everyone. When someone enters a room, you'll yell their name, clapping and giggling in excitement. It's so sweet and a perfect indication of how you are - full of love and joy. 

We dealt with your 2nd ear infection this month along with another horrific cold but you were pretty good (for the most part) - luckily your sleep is back to normal and the antibiotics worked like a charm.  We hate seeing you sick and I'm hopeful by next school year you'll be able to not get every little cold that comes through. We are working on washing hands which you love!

What you've been doing... 

Lots of playing, talking, singing, dancing. 

You are discovering new things everyday - you are getting very good at climbing. You are the best stacker of any blocks you can find. You love your puzzles, books, the indoor slide, the outdoor swing, your play kitchen. You can still play very well by yourself and you love to make all your little guys talk to each other. You are really getting into your princesses and like naming them (Ariel, Snow White, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Belle). You love to sing songs (ABC's, Happy Birthday, Itzy Bitzy) - you can sing the entire Happy Birthday tune by yourself, it's fabulous. You love to count to 10 (sometimes 12). You love to snuggle your brother, give him toys/blankets, make him smile. You will be the best of friends and it's the most amazing thing to watch.

What you've been eating....

I'm on a mission to get you to eat more then fruit&veggies, yogurt and cheese. I always carry the pouches of fruit/veggie mixes with me because you're not too eager to try "real" food besides matzah ball soup, bagels and french fries (your favorite). I'm glad you don't love sweets but I wish we could take you out to eat and have you order something good (every so often you'll really chow down on eggs, meatballs or chicken but it's rare).  A picky eater just like her mama. 

What you've been saying...

Words. SENTENCES!!! It's insane how well you can convey what you're thinking. You repeat everything. Your new word is please, which is so very sweet. And reading?? You can now "read" to me "Hungry Little Caterpillar", "Brown Bear" and "Where's Spot" - it's insanely cute. You memorized the books but it appears that you are reading and we love it!!! 

Sleeping...

While the bad sleep trend continued for some time - you got back on track while we were in Florida and it's been smooth sailing since (knock on wood) - you're back to 7 PM - 7:30 AM sleeping (I had to wake you at 8:00 AM last week!!) - napping can still be hit or miss but no more crying when I put you in the crib - success!!! 

What you've been reading & watching....

Lots of books. Lots of movies. Sometimes you'll sit and watch a whole movie, other times you can't be bothered. Now that the weather is warming up - I'm hoping for lots of outside time and less movie time!!! :)

My dear girl, so much I could say to you - you are my best friend. I love our inside jokes. I love the way you grab my face and kiss me so hard it hurts (in the best way possible). I love how you still want to cuddle. I love that you are still in a "mama" phase and I'll greatly miss these days when they pass. I love how you sing & dance. I love how sweet you are with all of your cousins. I love how you are always asking for Mom-Mom, Pop-Pop, Grandma & Grandpa. I love how you chase the cats. I love how you take medicine with no problem. I love your face, your smell, the way you run and the joy you bring. 

You are a rock star, just like your Pop-Pop says. Can't wait to play outside with you!!

<3 

Mama

Bedtime dance party to Harlem Shake!!

Coloring. In the nude. Obviously.

Playing in the new kitchen ;) (Full reveal coming soon)

Playing with Taxi, Aunt Kim & Abbey!

Hanging out with Remi & Benny!

<3 this girly.

Traveling with a babe.

I'm not an expert. I'm not even close to an expert.

But since August 2011, I've traveled approximately 10 times to Florida, via airplane, with a baby.

And this last trip? I added a newborn.

SO...

I present to you my list of travel tips.

Have more to add? Leave them in my comments. I'd love to hear how you make traveling via airplane (or car/train/bus/horse) easy and fun with a baby or two!

1. FOOD - Obviously this is numero uno on my list for a reason. Food is fun. It's easy. It's cheap. And it's -- time consuming. SO... when I travel with Layla? I bring enough food to keep her occupied for 3 days. You never know when disaster (i.e. a delay) could strike, so bring food. And a lot of it. We bring fruit (blueberries, grapes, strawberries), any & all organic snacks I can squeeze (we love Plum Organics and Layla eats the pouches all day, everyday - these are full of fruit and veggies), crackers, goldfish, raisins, lollipops, water, milk, fruit snacks.. the list goes on. I am breastfeeding Benny but I brought formula and a bottle just in case I couldn't nurse him.

2. THE OBVIOUS - Bring plenty of -- well -- everything. Diapers. Wipes. Burp Clothes. Blankets. Medicine (Tylenol, Teething Tablets, Diaper Cream). Change of clothes. (UM.. mama of the year, right here, forgot this on the last flight and Layla decided to puke. Cool.). Pacifiers (multiple, as these tend to fall and it's gross on an airplane). Plan as though there will be major delays. You'd rather have a heavy bag then a diaper full of poo with no change in sight.

3. ACTIVITIES - Again. Bring plenty. # 1 for us is movies on the IPad. We stock up the IPAD with several movies and let Layla pick what she wants to watch. We used to put on several episodes of Sesame Street. Now it's movies. We bring books. (All of her favorites). We bring stickers. We bring things to color (the color wonders it's amazing because it doesn't stain). We bring barbies. And we bring Mr Bear & Kyle, because they love to cuddle. And we bring NEW toys - things she's never seen - because new toys are COOL.

4. CARES SYSTEM - Layla now gets her own seat - so we purchased the Cares Safety Restraint System (the only FAA approved Child flying safety device) - it was $61.95 on amazon and worth every penny. It's a 5 point harness that straps to the seat. It makes me feel so much better about her sitting like a big girl and she loves it! Highly recommend.

.. so that's what I bring. These last flights, I brought two bags. One was my diaper bag full of the obvious (see above) and a second bag full of the rest - food, toys, etc. It made it easier to find things.

As for the rest? My best advice is to allow time (but not too much time - there's only so much to do while waiting for a plane).

Going through security can be a little tough but you make it work. Just remember everything needs to through security (including strollers & car seats). They all go on the belt. We bring the strollers until the very end. Once you get to your gate, go to the desk and ask for a tag for your stroller. You'll leave it at the end, right before you enter the plane, and it'll be there as soon as you get off. Easy peezy.

Right before we get on the plane, we change diapers, say a quick prayer and hope for the best.

During take off & landing - make sure your babe is either sucking a pacifier, nursing, or drinking something in order to get him/her to swallow. This will help their ears pop. Kiddies ears are shaped differently and have a hard time adjusting to the pressure.

Most importantly? REMAIN CALM! If your baby cries, do your best to console but remember it's only a short time and you'll land soon. Don't worry about the other people on the plane. I used to feel guilty in the beginning when Layla would make noise - now I don't care. If I am doing my best to make our baby comfortable and they choose to cry, there isn't much we can do except hope it ends soon.

..I think that's it!

happy traveling, ya'll ;)

(On a side note...please say a quick prayer or good wish for my dear Mom-Mom Rose. She's simply the best and not feeling 100%. Thank you!)

World's Worst Blogger.... :(

First and foremost, I need to apologize to my dear boy.. my son.. my huge and handsome little man who has been slighted in the blog world. With Layla, I was completely on top of her weekly updates, documenting every smile - every move - every feeling - every week. With Benny Bop, I'm lucky if I can gather my thoughts biweekly. It is so typical, right? The first baby is completely documented with the subsequent babies get the shaft? Uh. I'm embarrassed - the good news is I can turn it around.

Tomorrow, Benjamin will be 11 weeks old. And I vow (see, it's written so it must be true) to write once a week about him. And his sister. And our lives. Because these blog posts are turned into books - baby books, if you will.. and I don't want Benny to feel any less loved. Just know, my sweet boy, how very loved you are. 

Example? In the middle of the night, I look beside you - swaddled tightly and sleeping soundly in the rock&play sleeper (or our bed) - I stare at you. I drink in your round face and watch your chest slowly move up and down. I listen to your amazing little sounds & snores. I wait for you to smile in your sleep and I smile to myself. And sometimes? I'm so overwhelmed by love for you that I literally cry. 

So just know.. I love you so very much, even if I don't document the first time you stick your tongue out to mimic me (which happened about 10 days ago, folks..).

SO.. 

Florida. We went. We flew. We conquered. And we had a FANTASTIC time. 

A quick recap...

Josh's mama was sweet enough to fly up here to help me fly back down. She came a few days prior to us going down to get some quality time with the kiddies. We had a great trip and it was a lot of fun - we went to the aquarium, dinners, shopping and more. 

We left on March 20th for Ft Laudy... I sent Layla to school that day so I could pack & clean while she was away. Plus? She had been sleeping SO bad (trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, waking up early AND...not napping. The quadruple threat, if you will) - I sent her to school because she naps so beautifully there (2+ hours almost every time, go figure..). I packed, we picked her up, and we were off! Security was easy (ish), we changed both babies and before we knew it - it was time to board! Josh's mom took Layla while I carried Benny on the plane. 

And.. all my worries and fears of flying with two under two? VANISHED! Why? Because it great. Better then great. Benny nursed and slept for about 95% of the flight. Layla sat in her own seat, watched all of Toy Story 3 on the Ipad, played and read, and asked to sit in my lap the last 15 minutes of the flight. Easy, wonderful, and unexpected. 

(I'll later by writing an entire post dedicated to flying with children because people often ask me how I do it.. and I certainly have some tips!!)

Upon arriving in Florida, we were greeted by Grandpa (Josh's dad) and went back to their house. Our last trip to Florida was hard. Layla slept awful and was terrified of the dogs, Lucy & Max. When we got to the house, she couldn't kiss them both enough! She loved being there, loved seeing everyone.. it was great. I quickly set up her room (Josh's parents turned Aunt Sydney's old room into a nursery) - I bring the sound machine, a sheet from our house, Mr Bear & Kyle, and the video monitor. I said a quick prayer, read her "Where's Spot?", gave her milk and put her in the crib.. and.. she slept. And slept great. I never heard from her again until 6:30 AM the next morning. Despite an early wake up, it was insanely wonderful and more then I could ask for. And this is how she slept - ALL week long!!! It was a huge relief. Napping.. consisted of car rides, napping on me, and napping on Josh once he got to town.. but that's okay! She napped - and LONG - sometimes 2-3 hours. It was great and made the trip so much more enjoyable. Benny slept great too, although he ONLY wanted to sleep in bed with me (and wouldn't sleep in the rock & play sleeper except for naps). This was fine with me! We cuddled every night and he went his longest stretches yet (about 6 hours). It was good. 

Thursday, we went to Young At Art, a Children's museum, along with Grandma & Aunt Sydney. It was so much fun!! Layla loved it and it was a blast - she was able to touch everything, color, slide and more. I highly recommend it to anyone in the South Florida area. Laura came over after work that night to visit and see the babies. She looks amazing and is 5 weeks away from her due date - I can't wait to meet Baby Krebs!!! During the day, Benjamin got to meet his great-grandparents & great-Aunt Diane. It was so nice for them to meet him and he was excited too ;)

Friday, we went to Amy's new house in Lake Worth - it's GORGEOUS - so beautifully decorated and the perfect house for them. It was so so nice to see her and Jilly came along with baby Sonny! I loved seeing them and felt like no time had past since our last visit together. The kids all played really nice and I can't wait to see them again soon!! (I also can't believe we have 5 babies between the 3 of us.. weren't we just planning our weddings??!)

Saturday, Josh arrived nice & early which was perfect. We missed him SO much!!! That afternoon, family & friends came over for a small party to celebrate Benny!! It was a lot of fun and we received so many nice gifts... it really is incredible how many people love & care about our little family. The kids were both gems - seriously wonderful despite meeting so many new people. 

Sunday, we made our way to Hollywood Beach!! Layla was falling asleep on the way there, so I knew we were in trouble. Once we got there, she was excited to see the ocean & sand. After an hour, it was clear it was naptime so our plans of lunch and relaxing were pushed aside and instead we went home. At least I got to sit with my toes in the sand for a bit ;) That night, Josh & his mama went to the Miami Heat game while I stayed home with the kiddies and Grandpa. 

Monday, we celebrated Passover! Lots of fun with family!! That night, we went to Laura & Clay's house to say hello and see the new baby's room! It's so beautiful and the perfect nursery.

Tuesday, I was able to sneak away for some girl time.. Laura & I attempted to get massages but it didn't work out (weird place+lost appointments+scary man masseuse) so instead we ate a long lunch and walked around. I love spending time with Laura and I'm sad every time we have to say goodbye :( If we  ever move to Florida, I'm fairly certain I'll have to buy a house in her neighborhood ;)

Wednesday, we were Philly bound. Again, a flawless flight.. kind of. Within minutes of take-off, Layla passed out on Josh. Benny passed out on me. I listened to music. And then Layla started coughing (both kids coughed the entire Florida trip.. blah). And coughing some more. And then she threw up. All over Josh. All over herself. It was gross and smelly and awful. But we managed.. we cleaned up and we made it work. 

Thursday, I took both kids to the doctor. Layla had a high temperature and Benny had his 2 month appt. Turns out Layla has an ear infection and bad cold (and is STILL not doing great). Blah. Benny?? Is amazing. HE'S HUGE. He now weighs a whopping 17.4 pounds (Layla's at 25.6 pounds). He had 4 shots and took it like a champ. It was a good visit. That afternoon, Josh's mom came back into town to help me for the weekend because Josh went to Georgia for J's wedding. (SO thankful his mom came to help as it was a sick weekend for Layla and I could use the extra set of hands!!).

So that's that. That's where we are. Josh is now home. The cats are happy. Layla's sleeping soundly. Benny's sleeping next to me. Things are good. I extended my maternity leave until the end of June. The thought of leaving the kids literally hurts my stomach. He's so small and I don't want to miss a single moment. She's changing everyday. She's learning and growing so fast. I don't my leave to end. But that's a different post for a different day...

Happy Easter. Happy Spring (hello nice weather? Where are you?). Hello Friends. 

Upcoming posts? 

- What I've Learned the past 11 weeks

- How the 2nd time around is different

- Travel Tips with Babies

- Our Kitchen Remodel 

- Our huge tax refund and what I want to buy ;)

- Layla's 22 month post

- Benny's 3 month post


...now the pictures ;) completely out of order!! 

No caption needed.

Benny & I went to Abbey's school when she was Shabbat Girl - it was adorable!

Dada & Layla at little Layla's baptism!

Grandma & Layla at the aquarium!

Playing in the crib!

Baby love.

HIPPO!

Benjamin meeting his great-grandmother ("GG") for the first time!!

Florida naps!!

Benny on his first flight. Snuggled and sleeping!

Ready for Young at Art with Aunt Sydney & Grandma!

Playdate with Jordyn, Sonny & Kole!! (Benny was sleeping)

Playing with the water station at Young At Art!

Mama & Benny ready for the party!

Layla flying so wonderfully!

Ready for the party!!

Hollywood Beach!!

Enjoying the gorgeous weather!!

Benny giggles!!

Melts my heart!

Layla playing on the beach!

Matzah Ball soup - yummy! "Soupies", if you will.

On the flight home -- right before she puked. Uh.

Layla, Flynn Rider and the pool. 

Back home and playing together on the activity mat!

Back home with an ear infection :(

Passover. Grandpa, Benny, Grandma & Layla <3 

Layla & Grandma (check out our new kitchen floor!)

Build A Bear fun -- Mrs Doggie & Sir Bear!

11 weeks old today!

GRANDPA & LAYLA (probably my favorite pic from Florida...)