Buddy is so full of new tricks but two of our favorites are his growing ability to say dada and his love of peek-a-boo. Often, he can even associate “dada” with Eric! Of course he calls me, Mickey, his bottle, or anything that comes into his little head “dada” too. But it’s heart-melting when it’s appropriately allocated.

Bud absolutely loves any form of peek-a-boo but his favorite is with Dada. This little giggle…it’s incredible the antics we perform to elicit this giggle. The video below is one we are willing to put out for public consumption, but believe you me, most of the time when Bud is giggling like this, the scene eliciting the reaction is for our eyes only, lest we lose the respect and esteem in which I know you hold me and E. Singing, dancing, jumping around, goofy faces…it’s like a clown try-out around here some days. I digress…this is one of the best little laughter videos!!! Notice how he gets the game and after a minute, he looks away to play himself!

He did it! Buddy slept from 6:30pm to 6:10am. Heaven. He’s really late on this milestone, and it could be weeks before he replicates this behavior. Still, I am so proud of him!! He’s growing up.

To summarize Buddy’s sleeping evolution, because this is so interesting to you guys:
Month 1-2: woke up every 3hrs to nurse
Month 3: slept from 9pm to 6am, woke up once around 4ish to nurse – I thought we were amazing parents with a wonder child during this short-lived phase…ahh, first-time mommy optimism
Month 4: started early bedtime between 6-7pm
Month 4-5.5: Woke up 2-3x a night due to combination of early bedtime, sickness and school napping (or lack thereof – sleeplessness begets sleeplessness, you know) – I was convinced we were terrible parents during this phase…ahh, mommy guilt
Month 5.5: woke up all night long during two weeks of sickness. Would only nurse. This was special.
Month 6: woke up 1-2x between 6:30pm and 6am
Month 7: slept through the night for first time!!! Hoorah!!

During this evolution, I always read other mothers’ praise of their child sleeping through the night with trepidation, skepticism, and maybe a twinge of shame. I just wonder: what’s the definition? Bud slept 6-7hrs a lot at month 3, but it didn’t stick. Even recently, he’s slept 8-10 hours regularly. But I don’t consider waking up at 4am as ideal or brag-worthy.

Still, to all the parents who got their babies to sleep: I applaud with eager hope that a potential second baby Dowdell will follow in these advanced footsteps. To all the parents with babies who don’t sleep: you’re my hero for enduring many months of interrupted sleep to love and care for your little one in the way only you know and understand.

It’s amazing because what this extended timeframe of interrupted sleep creates is an amazing appreciation for UNinterrupted sleep. I know that now I’m going to miss the late night and early morning holding, as I miss nursing. But it’s a great thing for his little self to learn to sleep and be rested!

Now, to get E to sleep!!

Our happily rested baby this morning:

Maybe more like a snow bear.

This age is great: Bud learns new things all the time. I posted earlier about him learning to eat solids and use his tongue. Lately, he has gotten much better at playing with toys. It’s less me pushing and spinning and him doing it himself. So talented! I know that’s what you’re thinking.

This is the cutest outfit! He looks so grown up! Its a gift from dear friends, the Robinsons who are parents to one of Buddy’s future little girlfriends. I mean, he kinda has his pick of the chicks, as there aren’t too many dudes among our friends’ babies/toddlers. But little Charlotte is just adorable! And her parents are way cool and have great taste in clothes. So, she’s top of the list.

There are actually much cuter videos from the morning, but he had buggers in his nose. So I won’t embarrass him by posting those. 🙂

Christmas in Goshen!

Christmas in Birmingham & Macon!

Cousins

Papa is the only one who could get a smile from a very sick little Buddy on Christmas.

Mom and Dad’s 45th anniversary. Amazing. We love you!

This guy…

Trying to give him independent play time while working. He’s a bit distracting. If you listen, you can hear him clicking with his tongue. Since solids – yes, apples and bananas! – he has been trying to figure out all the things he can do with his tongue.

Selfies

Tasting the snowflakes

Well, I finally did it. I deleted the pictures from my iPhone to make room for more pictures and videos. The pics are on my computer but for months now, I haven’t been able to bring myself to delete from my phone, filling the storage space and preventing more pictures…and especially videos.

But it’s done.

And here’s little Buddy smiling and playing. In love, I am!

Aunt Katie is coming every once in awhile to help our Buddy have more time at home where he naps better and on schedule. I don’t know why this is so hard for the professionals at his fancy school, but getting Buddy to nap on schedule, or at all, seems to elude his Infant 1 teachers. He will be in Infant 2 soon enough and all babies in that classroom nap together and quietly. So…between now and a few weeks when he graduates, little Bud is getting a little more time home…thanks to his sweet Aunt Katie who plays and sings and takes care of his little self. It’s absolutely wonderful for me to be able to see Buddy a few times during the day and to have actual face to face human interaction during my workday as well. It’s the little things. Like chatting with Katie on a coffee break. Like seeing Buddy sit up like a champ, all on his own. And moments like these:
I’m holding Buddy today and when Katie walks in the room, he gives her this precious sheepish grin I’ve never seen before. He turns his head into his shoulder and looks up with those huge, gorgeous peepers of his. A little later, Katie captured it on video. Adorable. Maybe my new fav.

Another moment in the day: He peed open air all over himself. Ceiling high, I’m told. And just when I think he’s caught on to how to impress the ladies…

Eric and I stole away for a night to go to the Carolina game in Syracuse. Night out on the town, fancy hotel (by Syracuse standards, of course), room service and time for the two of us: delightfully decadent. Carolina got stomped, and that was pitiful. The prominent anti-dukeness was equally disgusting. Way too much credit for those jokers. Still, the game was a blast, and I loved seeing my team play. It was the best Christmas present. Well, remote start is pretty great too. Lucky gal, I am!

It’s too cold for Bud to go outside and make snowmen and sled but he is enjoying his snow day anyway.

The neighborhood kids are making the most of our one puny hill, if you can even call it that.