Miles is 13 months!!

13 month stats:

Weight: Somewhere around 23-25 pounds. 

Height: Not sure, maybe 31 inches at this point?

Eating: 3 meals a day, 4 bottles of whole milk, lots of snacks!  

Clothes: 12 month, 12-18 month, 18 month and 18 - 24 month.

Diaper: Size 4. 

MSE,

13 months for our littliest love. What a wonderful, exciting time for you! While the world around us currently feels terrifying, there is an electricity in the air. Between a continuing quarantine due to Coronavirus - there are now major protests going on across the country this past week to support our black communities. I've been talking to your brother & sister about it - and while you're too young to understand, I know you'll grow up to be an ally. You will be a kind, loving, supportive, listening boy. 

You are so handsome - and your little body is ever changing. Long hair that is desperate for a cut but won't happen for a while. Chubby belly and legs and arms that I love to kiss constantly. Big brown curious eyes. The sweetest light skin. 

You are learning new tricks every single day. You love to dance, constantly. You love to clap at anyone and everyone that walks by. You are really good at signing "all done" and "more." You are getting better at playing with toys by yourself - you have a basket  of toys that you like to to unload and pack up again. You really like playing with the Duplo blocks and reading books. You are walking way more then crawling nowadays - and FAST. You play in the pantry constantly and open every single cabinet you can. You like being outside - you love walks in your car and playing with the water tables on the deck. 

You like TV but don't care much - the only shows that hold your attention are Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. You love music and you'd listen to Baby Shark on repeat if we allowed it :)

Sleep - our biggest battle. You are mostly very good at napping. Usually 9 AM - 11 Am and again 1 PM - 3 PM. Sometimes we have to wake you from your naps. You go to bed at 6:30 PM - and wake up between 4 AM - 6:00 AM. A good morning is sleeping until 6:15 AM. A bad morning is waking up at 4 AM. It's tough but we'll get there. Your dad & I are finally taking turns waking up early with you and despite the exhaustion, those early morning hours are sweet. 

The night before you turned 13 months, we officially stopped nursing. You slowly self weaned and I followed you... it was the sweetest, most special journey and I"m grateful for all that time together. You now get 4 bottles of whole milk a day (morning, before each nap and before bedtime). You love it. 

We will work on letting the bottle go soon... I don't think you're ready and either am I. 

You get new words every single day - right now, you say Mama, Dada, Benny, Mom-Mom, Bye-Bye, Kim, Matt, DD, Doggie, Cat, I'mGoingtoGetYou (one word)... I love it all so much. The word you say the most is Mom-Mom. It's so cute. 

Food is your your favorite. I mean, you eat ANYTHING. You see food and yell MMMMMM... and also after each bite. It's so fun how much you're willing to try! I would say your favorite foods are mango, grapes, raspberries, blackberries, banana, pasta, meat sauce, bread, bagels, peanut butter & guacamole. 

With everything on hiatus, you've had to learn and discover things in our house everyday. I wish I could be taking you to music class or school or even to Mom-Moms house, but right now...you're almost always home. Luckily, we have Miss Kristen - an amazing nanny who is teaching you and loving on you constantly. 

You are so loved by everyone - you are crazy and into everything and wild and fun. 

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Mama

MILES TURNS 1 YEAR OLD!!!!

12 month stats:

Weight: 22.7 pounds
Height: 30 inches.

Eating: 3 Meals a day + Snacks. Nursing in the morning and at night - plus a bottle of formula before morning and afternoon nap.

Clothes: 12 month and 18 month.

Diaper: Size 4

To the sweetest, most loving little butterball I've ever met...

It was September 2018. Layla was 7. Benny was 5. My 35th birthday was right around the corner and we were celebrating Rosh Hashana at our house. I sat at the dining room table with Mom-Mom and Dada wondering if I was pregnant. After years of deciding whether or not to have a 3rd baby... you made the decision for us. The next morning, I took a pregnant test in the office while Josh & Jaime sat waiting for the news. And the best shock of a lifetime - I stumbled out of the bathroom holding up the positive pregnancy test. Dada & I looked at each other and I immediately fell in love with this little human that wasn't yet here. 

Our journey together while you grew in my belly was tough - I was very sick, tired, aching and scared. But I knew that it would all be okay because you were the missing piece to our puzzle. I was so sure you were a girl - we had a little dinner to find out the gender and SURPRISE - you were the boy we needed! 

With a scheduled C-Section for 39 weeks (May 10th) - you had other plans. On May 2nd, in the morning, my body felt different. I napped in the afternoon, helped Dada with the pool, ate an Italian Hoagie, and went to bed. I woke up with contractions... closer and closer together. At 1 AM, I knew it was time to go to the hospital. We texted Mom Mom, Uncle Matt & Aunt Kim who all came to the rescue. Dada & I made it to the hospital where I walked in the dark, contractions coming fiercely. We made it to the ER where Dada yelled "SHE'S IN LABOR!!!!!" - they wheeled me upstairs and my water broke. IT WAS GO TIME! They quickly prepped me for a C-Section and before I knew it, you were out. Much smaller then your brother but as cute as can be, you were here. I couldn't believe it. All the anticipating, the worrying, the wondering... it all vanished. Grandma quickly booked a flight up here, your brother & sister woke up to the news of a new baby and just like that - we were a family of 5. 

And now... 12 months later.... this eating, giggling, walking, talking, cuddly little boy is here with us. 

How beautiful are you? Big brown eyes, smooth light skin, LONG brown hair (thanks to Coronavirus, we can't get you a haircut for a while...) - you are just the sweetest little thing. You are starting to slim out because of all the moving you are doing. It makes me sad - I love all your rolls. 

After taking a couple steps here and there, your walking is now better then ever. You seem confident and ready to take more steps everyday. You stand for a LONG time and love to clap / dance / move while standing. You wave bye-bye, clap, dance like crazy, do so big and repeat everything we say. You are really obsessed with the cat and dogs. You're awesome at climbing the stairs. 

You love to dance to any music (especially if someone sings "dancy, dancy, dancy!") - you REALLY love Sesame Street. You hand me the remote and yell COOKIE - particularly one episode (the 50th anniversary episode). You also love Peppa Pig (which is great because so does Layla & Benny!)

After many months (and hiring a sleep consultant...), you're finally a great sleeper!!! You go to sleep between 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM and wake up between 4:45 AM - 5:45 AM everyday. I try to keep you in your crib until 6:00 AM (or close to it) - sometimes you cry a bit but you seem to have be okay! You are a pro-napped. You go to sleep at 9 AM and we wake you around 11 AM. You go to sleep again around 1 PM and we wake you around 3 PM. You love your crib and you really love your stuffed animal, Howard. You sleep with a sound machine every night. Before naps, you get a bottle. You still nurse when you wake up and before going to sleep. I'll be so sad when that ends. 

A talking master getting better every single day...your favorites words are Mama, Dada, Mom-Mom, Benny, Dog, Cat, Thank You, Bye, DD, Kim. We love hearing your little voice and your SWEET GIGGLE!!! We are all always constantly trying to make you laugh. 

You are the best eater! We do Baby Led Weaning meaning you eat whatever we are eating and it works great... I haven't really found a good you don't like yet! It's so great and I hope it continues!! Your favorite foods are bagels with cream cheese, peanut butter & jelly, pasta with sauce, puffs, bananas and bread. 

We've been home for nearly 8 weeks now thanks to the worldwide pandemic. It's scary and frustrating and full of emotion but you have been the brightest light. We love all the unlimited time we are getting to spend with you. We love taking you on walks, waking up and just all being together. It makes me so sad that you don't get all the time with your grandparents, cousins, aunts & uncles - but I know soon, we will all be back together and I'll miss this time at home together. 

You've been to Florida 5 times which is pretty incredible - I can't wait to start traveling with you and taking you to all the places you deserve to see. Obviously, first up... DISNEY WORLD!!! 

Your 1st birthday party was NOT as I had planned. We had booked a swim party at Goldfish Swim School which was cancelled - instead we had a pandemic party. That meant everyone on our front lawn, separated by space, while you cautiously ate cake and giggled your way to everyone that would pick you up. It was a great day though not what I anticipated. Which only means your 2nd birthday party will be HUGE!!!

You've spent the last few months with Miss Kristen, the sweetest nanny in all the land - she adores you and you adore her!! The other days were spent with Mom Mom & Pop Pop and hopefully we get back to that schedule soon!! Your scheduled to start school in the fall but we will see if that happens...

I love you so much. I love how you are constantly looking for me, loving me, craving my eye contact (ha!) - I love the way you love bathtime, playing with Layla & Benny, building castles with Dada, chasing the dogs, opening every cabinet you can. You are the dream babe and we're lucky to call you ours. 

We love you so much my sweet boy. 
xoxoxoxoxoxo