Fields Benjamin: 10 Months

Fieldsy,

Oh sweet boy. You were 10 months on July 13th, and we love this age. Pulling up to stand and crawling all over, you are on many new adventures. You eat everything we do, just in baby bites. Recently you've been a drool monster, getting some major teeth, with lots of tears and fevers. I think all of your back teeth are coming at once. (wishful thinking) On our recent vacation you swam in the lake and napped in the boat. We like introducing you to new things. You and Daddy have your own language, making noises back and forth.

I love it when you get dirt in your toes, because you are playing along with the big kids. You sleep with your gray donkey in a cozy sleep sack. We love it when you laugh out loud, usually with Tegegne tickling you. Daddy has enjoyed extra time with you, since he's on summer break.

We love you Baby Fields. Starting to think about your first birthday!

XO,

Mommy

Fields Benjamin: 8 Months

Clap, clap, clap, clap your hands! Hi Baby Fields. You are so cute. Dad noticed you've got my ears, Iman ears. Some say you look just like your dad, and more like Hensley as you grow. You are so much fun, easy going, and snuggly. You are kind of rough and tumble with Tegegne already. You love to stand, holding on tight. You sit very well and rock yourself to your tummy. Will be crawling very soon. You have waved a few times. Like to eat everything. Since you still have plenty of breast milk, I'll fill a bottle with almond milk if we are out and about. You have two bottom teeth, two top teeth, one of them is half way out and one all the way. A little snaggletooth.  Your baths are now with Hens and Tegegne. Your favorite toy is Moose, in the first and last picture. Daddy and Tegegne and you had some great boy time this weekend.

Love you, Bug.

Mama

Fields Benjamin: 6 Months

Dear Baby Fields,

I just can't get enough. I just can't get enough. (Do you know that song?) Fields, as Hensley would say, Stop It! You are just so cute. You are way into being face to face with people, especially yours truly. I can't quite capture your personality on camera, so I took a little video. You get so excited and start flapping and talking. It's the best. Thanks for being such a good baby. 

Tegegne feeds you most of the time. It's been great bonding for you two. Tegegne also hangs out with you a lot, holds you, shows you a toy. He's pretty great. You have eaten everything I've made. Good boy. You can sit up, but fall over quickly. You sleep on your stomach, but only half of the time. You are happy a lot, and just glad to be along for the ride.

We love you, bunches.

Mama, Daddy, and the Gang

Fields Benjamin: 5 Months

Dear Fields,

Hello my little baby buddy. You are 5 months old! You are happy and sweet and easy going. Your cry is soft, your hair is soft, and your smile gives me a warm heart. If you are crying during the day and I am unable to soothe you, your brother or sister usually can. Earlier in the car, Hensley was saying "It's okay, it's okay..." in the sweetest little mothering tone trying to help you stop crying. Often when I'm fixing lunch and you are crying I'll notice you've stopped then I see that Tegegne is lying by you talking, or you're on his lap looking at a toy. That's what is sweet about siblings. There's a-lot-a love to share.  Your front teeth are making their way, you sit up pretty well. We will introduce you to the wide world of solid food in a few weeks. Unlike Baby Hensley, you'll offer a smile to anyone and everyone. 

We love, love, love you. I want to write more soon. I've recently taken on a design project that leaves me little extra time in the day, and the shower and I have a date. 

xoxo,

Mama Bee

Fields Benjamin: 3 Months

Dear Fieldsy,

Oh you're cute and chubby and we love you. You are such a good baby. My favorite thing you're doing lately is looking up at me with the biggest grin after you're finished eating. I'm smitten. Then you spit up for the next 20 minutes. Like a ton. It's not so fun. You have started to make coos and love to be talked to. You still like to wake around 4am, but we're working on that. 

I give you this blessing before bed, "God loves you, God cares for you, God blesses you, God is with you." I've started doing some baby massage and you love it. You also like the baby yoga moves. Your favorite outfit is your Patagonia fleece from Geo and Jan. Cooozy! We do cloth diapers at home, but you pee through almost each one and that's with a double liner!

You are gonna love Christmas break because you will get held lots, and talked to, and spoiled.

Love,

Mama

Fields: 2 Months

Fields. You are such a snuggly little bug. Two months have gone by, wow. You are 13 lbs and 22 inches. That puts you in the 90th percentile for weight (chub, chub) and the 25th for height! You've slept 10 hours straight twice and 7.5 hours and soon enough you'll be sleeping all night consistently. I'm hoping so anyway, because we like our sleep around here. 

You have smiled a few times, and often smile through your eyes. You get held and soothed by Hensley and Tegegne, which is sometimes not so soothing, but they're just trying to help! You love to eat, about every 3 hours, and always spit up afterwards. Sometimes a lot. You eat in like 7 minutes, and I try to get you to slow down. You are a sweet, sweet boy and we love watching you grow and are so blessed by your presence. 

Love you so much.

Mom

Fields Benjamin: 1 Month

Oh sweet Fields! You are one month old. If I posted these photos in order the last would be first. You don't like being fully exposed! Right after I bundled you up it was all good. You are the cutest little crier though. Your sweet little donkey is not doing the trick of soothing you just yet.

We love your tiny little self. It is obvious to me that you were 3 weeks early, because you still seem so new. Tegegne and Hensley love holding you. Hens holds you at least twice a day, and gets the biggest grin on her face. You are realizing you have a voice, and like to cry a bit before settling in to sleep. Your routine has been eat, wake time, then sleep. You eat for like 15-20 minutes, then stay awake for 15 (and 30 minutes if we're lucky, ) then you sleep. Night times aren't too bad, but we are looking forward to your first all-nighter! (You wake to eat around midnight, 4am, and 7am.)

People are amazed at your hair. I love it too! So far we've heard you look like Grandpa Cleve (Grandpa Ben's dad), and maybe Uncle Eric too. Then there's your dad. And sometimes you look like Hensley. Eventually you'll look like Tegegne too. And a little bit like me.

Love you toot toot,

Mom

Hensley Ruth: 15 Months

Starter: Enthralled by edamame!

You obviously enjoyed the main course! (Chili. Since 9 months old...it's been your fave!)

Hensley Ruth,


You eat and sleep so well and laugh, dance, and cry some in between. You are more recently becoming outgoing and it is so much fun to watch. At First Fridays you danced the night away and at least 10 people (we do not know!) got you and your bro on video. Your dad and I did not, unfortunately.  


Your 15 month check up went well. You're in the 10th percentile for height (29 inches) and weight (19 lb, 6 oz), but are growing at a good rate. Your favorite words are shoe, wow, bubby (diaper), bubba (Tegegne), daddy, and mommy. You are repeating us more and have even said some French words which made your daddy well pleased. Your entering toddlerhood, but luckily it's not the teens and you still snuggle with me.


We love you so much!


Mommy

Hensley Ruth: 12 Months!

Hensley, I am chiming in a month late but with some very special photos of you on your birthday! 

Seriously Hens, we love ya. You sure did like your birthday cake baked by your dear 'ol dad. He actually made you two cakes. One for your photo session, and one for your party. Lucky duck. You are walking a lot these days, wrestling back when Tegegne tries to get you, eating some vegetables thanks to my new veggies-first-when-your-hungry motto, but let me be honest and say you still drop your plate and fork on the floor when you're finished. And sometimes your food. You and I have been getting the giggles more, which I absolutely love. And of course, I'll be the disciplinarian in your life, while your father thinks you do no wrong. He's smitten by you, kid. Your favorite things include stairs, "bunny", waking from a nap, brownies, muffins, being chased, and baths with bro. 

Your words include dada, mama, bubba, dog, dawc-ter (it means lots of things), God, bird. You've got your dad's toes and nose, and your petiteness comes from yours truly. A security lady at the library said, "Wow, she's tall!", but you're actually not tall. 

xoxo,

Mom and Dad

P.S. Thank you, Lauren Overton, for doing a fabulous job taking photos of our wee ones. 

Hensley Ruth: 11 Months

You've almost done it, Little Stink Stink. Almost one year old. You still cry nearly every time you're strapped into the car seat. Good thing your cry is kind of low pitched, but really Hens. You've been eating lots of crackers and we've been weaning you off of breast milk with almond milk. We've also introduced peanut butter.  Still breast feeding at breakfast, lunch, dinner and almond milk at snack time. Also smoothies, and whatever we are having for dinner. You've been quite healthy thus far. Thank you Lord. Here's a bit from your doc, doc.


1.  "milks" for toddlers.
2. Nuts (peanut butter included), shellfish, and eggs.
The research regarding introducing solid foods is actively changing. This means the foods that have been traditionally restricted until later in toddlerhood (eggs, shellfish, peanut butter) are no longer on the “Do Not Have” list. In fact, some recent data suggests that delaying the introduction of high-allergy foods (shell fish, nuts, eggs) actually increases the risk of developing a food allergy. Other studies do not show an increase in allergic disease by starting allergenic foods early. In addition, adding dairy sources (cheeses, yogurt) and animal proteins (meat, chicken, pork, fish) can be added at any time. 


Love your doc!  


Love you too, Hens. 


Mom

Hensley Ruth: 10 Months!

You are always on your tippy toes!

Oh Hensley! You can throw down some dramatically sad faces!

Are you a baby genius, holding up 4 fingers at the large number 4? Or maybe you were trying to wave to brothers photos!

Happy 10 months old, baby girl. We are starting to see more of your personality and it is so much fun. You've said "kiss" and make a cute little lip smack trying to imitate me. You say "ma-ma" specifically now. "Da-da" was your first sound, but now you say that toward your "da-da." You give the cutest little wrinkly nose grin, especially for your brother and daddy. You are at the beginning phase of throwing a good fit. Haven't been interested in our random attempts to use the potty, but that could simply be that you haven't need to go when I've tried. We recently noticed that you associate your silky bunny blankie with thumb sucking and sleep,  so I've learned to bring it with us in the evenings. You stand alone, and walk while holding onto us. You like to crawl.

You don't know this yet, but you are most likely going to have two more African siblings.  I know I didn't have to say "African"on one sense, because at your age you will simply see them as more siblings to play with. One special thing about your relationship with Tegegne at this age is that you see him purely as your brother. I know from some eyes you may look like the "miracle" child, the biological one. I see so much of God's love through your relationship with your brother, and I am sure that you and Tegegne will learn to love these next two with the same heart. 

Thanks for being such a sweet baby, Hensley. We love you!

MaMa, DaDa, and Bu-Ba

Hensley Ruth: 9 Months (+ 2 wks)

Well Little Hensley. We still think you're great. Nine months, wow. Kind of a cool age because you were in my belly for the same amount of time. All moms would agree that it is quite a miracle to be able to "grow" another little human. Just got done feeding you a banana orange smoothie. You also love pureed mexican chili. We are trying to give you one bottle of whole milk a day in hopes to start the one year weaning-from-mamas-milk process. (Because I'm secretly (shhhh) trying to tag along on Ababayeh's trip to France this year...but also hoping to get to Boston and RISD to visit a friend before that. Aka, our first overnight(s) away since...I'm not sure...it's been awhile. Gramma Debby, you ready for this?) You use the potty every now and then and your face lights up each time! 

You will be walking any day now. You love sharing a room with your brother. You think he's hilarious and he thinks he's hilarious so that works well for everyone.

Photo number one represents you and a "toy" that is not really a toy that you found laying out because your brother was playing puppy. This is not a part of your everyday playtime.

Photo number two is with dear Aunt Kyna, whose middle name is also Ruth after Grandma Jody (Ruth Josephine). We had a fun pool visit to see Auntie last week!

Love,

Mom

Hensley Ruth: 8 Months

Hello. My name is Hensley. I am eight months old. I like long walks through the house holding hands with my brother. I really like being held by my mommy especially after 5pm, but my dad has been putting me to bed lately and that's nice too. I think my brother is hilarious. I've been a fairy for four Halloween parties now and I'm really hoping for some variety next year. I save most of my smiles and laughs for immediate family only. We have tons of fun together. I like bouncing, and hope to walk soon. Crawling's okay, but if I'm wearing a dress it's quite inhibiting. I often go to bed around 6:30pm, and if we're still out socializing I sometimes let everyone know that I want my bed! I did fine staying out at the party last night though. Sometimes I pee and poop in the big potty, and my mom gets really happy. 


Have fun at Halloween tonight. Don't eat too much candy!


Love,


Hensley