Titus- 5 Months

Another month has flown by. You are 5 months old now. I just want to hold you and try to never forget these moments. You are still so cuddly and sweet. You are incredibly easy going and hardly fuss about anything. Your eyes get big when your big brother Tabor is around but that's the only sign you give that you are worried about being sat on or loved on too hard.

Your big brother can't get enough of you. He loves you so much. He could kiss you all day. If I ever leave you alone I will find him holding your hand when I walk back into the room. He loves it when you sleep in the same room as him and is not a fan of you sleeping in your own crib in your room. Maybe someday you guys can share a room.

You are OBSESSED with your toes. You sometimes curl your bottom lip under if we pull them away from your mouth. It is so funny how much you love them. If you are awake your feet are in the air and your toes are in your mouth.

You roll over from back to front, but get stuck on your tummy and will play until you're tired of being that way. Then you just fuss until we turn you over. You won't cry just fuss.

You love the water. You have NEVER cried in the bathtub and you enjoy taking baths with Tabor. You two are splashing machines.

Cradle Cap is gone. (Thanks Mustela shampoo!)

You still run your hands through your hair when you nurse. It is really cute.

Your hair is blonde when the sun hits it AND it sticks straight up. We call you our little furrball. However with Gorilla Snot we have been able to give you a fohawk and style it down. It's so soft though. I love it!

Everything goes in your mouth. Everything and you still drool a LOT! You don't spit up as much anymore though - yay! Tabor calls your drool "spit up" though.

You are still a copy cat. If we laugh you laugh. If we smile you smile.

You love to sing. We are convinced it is singing. It's a sweet little noise you make. It is music to our ears at least.

You like books but you can't sit still very long. We are working on this. I know it doesn't help that an almost 2year old is sitting almost on you in the same lap during reading time.

You're wearing 6-12 month clothes in Gap, etc. and nearing the end of 9 month clothing in everything else. You already wear and fit into 12 month stuff!! Guess we won't have to buy summer clothes after all since Tabor wore 12m last summer. YAY!

You've flown twice and have gone on a lot of road trips. You do great! You still aren't a fan of that carseat of yours though.

You sleep with mittens on. We had to buy big baby mittens because the newborn ones were too small. Your hands are always SO cold!

You love your exersaucer and activity gym. You are great at playing alone. I love watching you.

Your "routine" looks like this:
8:30 wake, eat & play
10-12 nap
12 wake, eat & play
1-3 nap
3 wake, eat & play
4-6 nap
6 wake, eat & play
7:30 bathtime
8 eat, pray & sleep

(This is for my benefit) I do need to extend your wake times don't I!? I don't like changes!! ha!

You are super smiley! I love love love making you laugh and watching your smile form. You can look so serious one minute and be all smiles the next. It is so fun to watch. Thank you for cuddling with me and hugging my neck from time to time. It makes my mommy heart melt. We love you sweet Titus and continue to pray that God blesses you and guides us to raise you to love Him. You are such a blessing to us. We love you more than we can say!

Titus- 4 month

I wish I could freeze time or time travel and hold you when you were just a few minutes old again. I can't believe how fast time is flying. If I could I would hold you all day long. You are such a cuddle bug and honestly I can't get enough of it.

You have changed so much just in the last month. I love every change but I want to cry because I know you won't be a baby forever.

In the last month you:
- Still wear size 3 diapers
- are 26 inches long
- weigh 15lbs
- love your activity gym and reach for toys (specifically a yellow lion)
- lift your feet and roll around when you're on your back
- move all over your crib when you sleep and sleep on your side
- still sleep 12 hours 8:30-8:30 (still eating every 3 hours during the day with three 2hr naps)
- love to stand
- chew on your thumb and are a big drooler - Dr. said you might get teeth soon but if you are anything like your mom, dad or brother you have another 6 months AT LEAST ha!
- still LOVE to copy us - you talk a lot and make pucker up kissing noises - I LOVE this!
- look at me when I call your name
- giggle ALL the time but only when someone talks directly to you
- sit in your exersaucer but are still trying to figure it out.
- try to escape from your swing or bouncer basically tummy time or activity gym is what you like

- are SO easy going - we hardly hear you cry (however when you do cry Tabor tells you not to-ha)
- are not a fan of getting in your carseat but you are getting better
- do NOT like to sleep in your carseat anymore. AT ALL. You may take a power nap but you will stay awake and take it all in.
- smile really big when nap time ends and we wake you to eat
- still sleep with mittens - this may be a sleep aid now! You suck on them to fall asleep but your hands are SO cold all the time. (feet too)
- get scared if your dad says "Boo" too loud. (he thinks you love it though)
- LOVE when your dad sings (who doesn't)
- have TONS of super soft hair but you still look like a baldy because it is so light. We can't wait to see what your hair color is.
- have beautiful "wise" eyes and your eye color seems to be hazel but they look green a lot of the time
- love to suck on your blankets or thumb - your favorite blankets are an owl minky one from Erica Diamond, a blue minky one from your Mema, and your Aden & Anais blankets (which Tabor has tried to steal because they are his favorites too)

Newest issues from 4 month appointment:
- you dropped in weight and height percent-wise
- got put on zantac again for reflux and hopefully to get your weight up (you've stopped spitting up since we started the medicine again- sorry I took you off)
- you have an appointment to see an eye doctor and a physical therapist to check your neck and eye muscles. Prayers appreciated. I am sure you are fine, but we need to be sure. You have always preferred to look to your right so we want to find out why.
- you have super dry and sensitive skin. We lotion you up 2x a day now. You like it. :-)
- your cradle cap is nearly gone- yay!
- other than ALL that the dr said you are doing awesome and are very very healthy.

Baby Titus we love you more than words can say. Your brother can't stop kissing you and neither can we. If you're taking a nap Tabor can't stand that you aren't around. It is so sweet. Your best friend can't wait to play with you. He practices "sharing" with you and if I leave you alone for a second I come back to you covered in blocks or bath toys - if I turn my back on you in the activity gym Tabor will crawl in with you and lay beside you EVERY time! You are incredibly loved.

We thank God every day for blessing us with you. You are a joy to us and everyone that catches one of your contagious smiles. Our prayer for you is that you become a godly man. We cannot wait to see what your future holds. We are so blessed.

SNOW DAY

We packed all our snow gear for our trip to Virginia and didn't get to use it. We flew back to Texas and on Sunday it was 70 degrees. We played outside, laid in the grass looking up at the sky and then on Monday we had a blizzard.

So we made snow angels:

and we tasted the yummy snow...

we watched the snowflakes fall...

and were oh so warm all bundled up in our snow gear

This was Titus' first time to see snow and Tabor's 2nd.

However, it was the first time Tabor NOTICED snow and wanted to play. Please note: Gloves were on the child BEFORE he stepped outside. Mr. Blizzard preferred to go gloveless.

Papa had a snow day and worked from home, but took a break to make a life-size Frosty! Tabor stayed out and helped him the entire time. He loved his first Frosty.

I said and MEANT life-sized Frosty!

Such a happy little guy. If only he knew how fast frosty's disappear in Lubbock, Texas.

The 3 snowmen. So proud of their finished snowman!

Boo wanted to be as tall as Frosty. So she stood on a bucket. (Thank you Frosty for not knocking her over!) Boo you are crazy!

Successful first snowday! We had such a blast playing, eating and building with the snow. Frosty actually lasted an entire week. Tabor checked on him everyday until he brought me his hat, eyes, nose and mouth and said "bye bye Frosty".

Eating my words...

I'm eating my words and well...they taste like boogers.

Ok not really but 2 years ago I wrote THIS blog and said if this is what it took to be a good mom well... I would fail. Not that this makes me a good mom in ANY way. If anything it just proves that I AM a mom and now these things just are not so gross anymore.

Seriously if I can clean poop, pee and many other things that are equally or way more gross then sucking boogers out of my kids nose using my mouth really should not seem that gross right? Well wrong. It still seems gross and actually I bought this contraption only because the bulb was not working and it still sat in the box for a month before I got the nerve to use it today.

AND the only reason I was brave enough was because a friend said she loved it. So I tried it and she was right. It really is amazing. The concept is still gross, but it works really well. So today I retract my previous blog and proudly announce that I am a NoseFrida user.

Titus 3 Months

Happy 3 months Baby Titus. 

Sweet Baby Titus you bring a smile to our faces daily. You love to smile and giggle and I love seeing your face light up when I talk to you. I fall in love with you more and more every day if that is even possible. 

Your 3 month Summary:

You sleep from 8:30-8 or 8:30. You were waking up once between 5-7, but then suddenly you slept until 8 or 8:30 consistently for the last week and a half! Thank you God! For awhile I thought it was going to take you longer to become consistent but you're sleeping really well! (writing this may ensure I start waking up at 5am again now ha) 

You started using the bumbo around 2 months of age and you hold your head up well but you do NOT like tummy time and will only hold your head up if you are on the boppy. Otherwise you just turn your head from side to side and scowl at me. 

You prefer to stand more than sit or lay or have tummy time and love to be carried facing outward so you can see the world.

You take three 2hr naps. (9:30, 12:30 and 3:30) and you only sleep for 45min during your last nap. You just love hanging out with us! It happens to be dinner time usually so you sit and watch from your bouncer and then take a bath after Big brother Tabor.

You are wearing size 6 month clothing. Some of the 3-6 month outfits are short in the arms & legs already! I am NOT ready to move up to 9 month clothes! I will cry! You are just so LONG!

Your hair has started falling out and is growing in much lighter so it makes you look bald, especially in pictures next to your brother. Don't worry it will all grow in soon!

We are about to switch to size 3 diapers, but we are using up all the size 2's now and you are already wearing cloth. Size 2 diapers means change you quick if you poop or we will be changing your outfit! So much fun! ha!

You LOVE to smile and giggle. If we kiss you or touch your bottom lip you will usually smile for us. I love it! 

You DO NOT love when we tickle your belly.  You arch your back and squirm every time we do it.  It makes your papa chuckle, but you do not seem to be amused.

You love to have conversations with us and you are a great copy cat. If we stick out our tongue you will do the same. 

Mirrors are your best friends. You will laugh at yourself all day long.

You have started swatting at toys in your activity gym and in your bouncer. We love watching you do this!

Your eyes get SO big when we set you down near Tabor. He loves to love on you but sometimes he gets carried away and lays on you or covers you with his blocks or toys. We can't wait until you guys are best buds!

Titus I could not imagine what life would be like with you and honestly I now can't imagine it without you. You are such a cuddly little bundle of joy and my heart melts just looking at you. I love you so much and could hold you all day and cover you in kisses. I wish I could freeze time because I love playing with you in my arms. You are growing so quickly so I pray that God reminds me to savor each moment. I love you sweet Titus. Happy 3 months!

Our verse

Ty and I have had a lot of fun picking out names for the children that God has entrusted us to love and care for. Not many people know WHY we have chosen the names we chose for our two boys so I thought I would share our thought process. We wanted to keep the Touchstone tradition of using T-names but we then decided to add a twist and choose names that were also Biblical. This is NOT an easy task and if we have 6 kids like Ty would like to have we may have a kid named Tigris!

Anyway, each person in our family has their own special Bible verse and I thought it would be fun to document it and share it with everyone. I have updated it under each picture on the right but wanted a blog dedicated to just our names.

Enjoy!

Danielle K's Verse: "“Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding." -Daniel 9:22

Ty David's Verse: "God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do." -Acts 13:22

 Tabor Nolan's Verse: ""one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains" -Jeremiah 46:18

Titus Slade's Verse: "But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus" 2 Corinthians 7:6

Tabor 21 month update

 

You are a chatterbox. Whether it be in English, Spanish or your crazy made up language!


You have started to be a little more shy when you first meet people, hiding between our legs, but you warm up to them very quickly and melt the heart of whoever you meet.

You love the Old McDonald Had a Farm song.  When we have finished bathing you and are fighting vigorously to get you ready for bed, we sing that song to you and you calm down instantly.  This is because you love to participate, even picking the next animal on the farm and making the sounds.


When you want someone to go somewhere you point to the floor and say "here" then you back up some and squat down and point "here" you repeat this until you have accomplished in getting that person exactly where you wanted them to go.

You LOVE to be outside. This has never changed!

Your new phrases are:
"I want this"
"Abcd please"
"um..." (in response to a question followed by an answer)
"I did it"
"Shoot the ball"
"Shoot the big ball"
"Good shot!"
"sit on potty"
"read book"
"mama let's pray"
"let's go outside"

You can pretty much repeat any word we say but you are still working on piecing them together in a sentence.

You can recognize every letter of the alphabet and tell us their designated sound. You only recognize capital letters though. We are now working on lowercase. You call out every letter you see wherever you go and make its sound. It's really funny because you are NOT quiet at ALL!

You know a few shapes (circles, squares, triangles (which you pronounce i-gangle), diamond, star, oval) we are working on heart for Valentines day.


You love to dance and play the guitar still. You have added the drums & maracas to your list of instruments.

You still love to throw balls at everyone and over everything.  You have even started saying "Catch" when throwing to someone, though you say it after you throw it.  Its a good exercise for us in "thinking fast".  Your absolute favorite is to throw balls in places that they intentionally get stuck out of reach, such as on top of shelves and tables or in trees and bushes.

You could shoot baskets in your basketball goal ALL day long and you make nearly every shot with whatever size ball and from wherever you stand. It's crazy!

You make really funny faces.  The old man face is an instant classic that everyone loves, and your newest is the "June" face, which is your very good attempt at imitating Christina and PJ's dog who has a very awesome under bite.

We are working on learning colors. At the moment everything is "green"!

You love praying for people. When it is time to pray you call everyone that is around to pray. "mama let's pray" no one is ever left out and then you always have prayer requests. The most common one is for "aunt mon" she is definitely covered in prayer thanks to you. This melts our hearts though. It is so much fun seeing you get excited to pray (even if it is because you know you don't get to eat until you do!).

Tabor every day is an adventure with you and we love that God blessed us as your parents. You are truly a joy and a blessing to love. Thank you for reminding us to stop and dance and thank God for every big and small blessing that comes our way daily. We love you.