Five Months Old!

Nikolaus turned 5 months old and is turning into a little bruiser.  He had many firsts this past month... From traveling on an airplane, staying in a hotel, riding on a swing and trying rice cereal.  And let's not forget the white Christmas... Oh, I mean white May in Minnesota.  Yes, you read that right.  It snowed during our trip back to the Midwest.  Although, we didn't take Nikolaus out in the snow, he did get a glimpse of it while we rushed him to and from the car in his car seat.  Anyway, just like his big sister, Nikolaus is an excellent traveler.  He was perfect on three out of the four flights (he was just over tired on the "difficult" flight) and slept well in the pack 'n play at the hotel.  

Back home, Nikolaus got to try out the swings near our house for the first time and he LOVED it!  There is a video posted on my Facebook page of him swinging and just giggling with Natasha as she pushes him.  It is the cutest thing!  I'll try to post it on here this week.  He is such a smiley baby and will give you smiles and giggles if you just look at him.  Such a difference from Natasha, who you had to work (hard) for her smiles... Sometimes we still do, ha!  Natasha is loving that Nikolaus is so responsive to her.  She can't wait for him to wake up in the morning, so she can have her cuddle time with him in his crib.  Good thing he always wakes up with a big smile on his face and he doesn't seem to mind all the smothering either.  

Rice cereal, avocados and bananas are now on the menu for our little man.  Nikolaus seems to be enjoying all the new tastes, especially bananas!  I was going to wait until he turned 6 months in two weeks, but decided to just go for it last week.  He went from sleeping 9 to 10 hours straight to waking up two times a night and super hungry.   It has helped a little and hopefully this will keep him full longer and reset his internal clock.  As always, Natasha wanted to feed her baby brother all by herself.  She is such a little mommy... I love it!  We will stick to this menu for a couple of weeks and then I think I will try sweet potatoes and apples.  

Nikolaus is also on the brink of sitting up all by himself.  He is getting stronger and stronger each day.  Toys, teething rings and of course, hair are the things he likes to grab.  And he is definitely all boy, since he likes to grab his junk... ouch!  Nikolaus has taken a real interest in certain toys, especially the ones that he can gnaw on, like Sophie.  I don't see any teeth yet, but I'm sure they are pushing their way up.  We will see what our pediatrician thinks at his six month well check in two weeks.  Thanks for checking in on our mister mister!

 Big smiles from our 5 month old

 

 So strong

 A happy little Viking

 

Sir Nikolaus John

 

 Feeding Nikolaus rice cereal for the first time

 I think he likes it!

 "Open up mister mister"

 Swinging at the park 

 He loves his big sister

Smiles and giggles

 

 Look at that face

Such a bruiser 

 

Morning crib cuddles

Pictures from our trip:

 

 What do you do when it snows in Minnesota... Head to Mall of America

Choo-choo with Natasha, Brooks and Grandma Lou

 

 Playing skee-ball for the first time

 Neigh-neighs!

 

 Snow! 

Natasha and Brooks

 

 Natasha playing with the snow

 



Showing off her hot pink belt
 

The chapel
 

 Larson family photo... And swapping kids
 

 Family photo at the wedding
 

 Happy at the airport... Glad to be going home!

4 Months Old

Nikolaus turned four months old on the 28th (of March). I am aware that he is almost 5 months once this post is published. Anyways, our mister man is doing great. Well, besides catching all of his big sister's ailments. Poor guy has had pink eye, two ear infections and a cough. But that has not stopped him from smiling and giving us some cute giggles. And let's not forget the sweet coos in the morning... Just melts my heart. Nikolaus can roll from his back to his tummy and is starting to take interest in his toys by grabbing and gnawing on them. He has also grabbed his sissy's hair a couple of times, which could be a defense mechanism from her constant smothering. Nikolaus wants to see all the action, so he loves facing forward in the Bjorn. And he loves to stand, so we dusted off the old excersaucer and introduced him to it about a month ago.

Nikolaus had a great 4 month well check. He is growing on track and hitting all his developmental milestones. Here are the stats from his appointment:

Weight: 14.7 lbs. (30-35th percentile)
Length: 25" (45-50th percentile)
Head Circumference: 42 1/2 cm. (75th percentile... A big noggin like his sissy)

Nikolaus has been a great sleeper, except when he is sick or going through a growth spurt. He still gets up once a night, but has given me full night sleep here and there. Bath time has become really fun for him, with some big splashes and lots of smiles. I can't wait to take him in the pool this summer. Nikolaus will be going on his first airplane ride next week when we travel to Minnesota for a wedding. And if the midwest doesn't get it's act together, he will also experience snow for the first time. Anyway, here is hoping that he will be a great traveller like his sissy... Wish us luck!

Our little Viking

Tummy time

So excited to stand

Sissy does a great job entertaining Nikolaus

Already a UCLA fan

Two Bruin fans

He is the handsomest baby in the world... I'm his mother, I can say that.

Me and my mister man

Sitting up (supported)

No carseat in the BOB

Back off girls!

Three!

Our sweet (yet sometimes bossy) baby girl is three years old! How can that be! We celebrated Natasha's birthday on the 24th with family and then on April 6th we had a party for her with her friends. A couple months leading up to her birthday, all she talked about was turning three. Natasha also practiced holding three fingers up, when asked how old she was turning. Zac and I thought we were pretty lucky that we had escaped the infamous "terrible two's" with Natasha, but it has reared it's ugly head at age three. The whining and the tantrums are no fun. And the little attitude has me scared for her teenage years... I am seriously considering boarding school (okay, maybe not, but a two to four year vacation for mom might be the answer).

Now that I got the challenges out of the way, I will tell you all about the fun and loving qualities this little girl has that brings smiles to our faces and warms our hearts. Whether Natasha is dancing, singing, jumping, making funny sounds and faces at her brother or storytelling, she is a little entertainer. Being the center of attention is no problem for Natasha and we got a glimpse of this when we sang "Happy Birthday" to her... she loved it! I used to cry when people sang to me at my birthday. I did not like the attention, but I am glad that Natasha is so comfortable with it. Natasha is also a great hostess. She loves having play dates with her friends and makes sure we have snacks out for her and her friends. Just recently, she went into her snack cupboard and pulled out an assortment of snacks and bowls and filled them up (by herself) and brought them out to her friend, Noelani. It was the cutest thing to watch. She also made sure they played with everything so no one would get bored.

Besides being a rambunctious social butterfly, she is bright too. Natasha is an auditory learner, just like her dad. It is amazing to hear her recite books that we read to her on a regular basis. Just when you think she is not listening, she will surprise you with that great memory of hers. She is learning how to count and she also loves to spell out words in books or on signs when we are out walking. I can't wait to see all the things she will learn at preschool in the fall.

And let's not forget her loving spirit and kind heart. Natasha loves people... and Cooper. She loves spending time with her family and friends. Natasha is gentle with her cousin, Brooks and her baby brother, Nikolaus. In fact, Natasha loves all babies. She is such a little mommy. I have even caught her breastfeeding her dollies and singing them to sleep.

Everything went well at her three year well check and here are her stats:

Weight: 32.8 lbs. (65-70th percentile)
Height: 37 1/2" (55th percentile)
Head Circumference: 49 1/2 cm. (65-70th percentile)

Natasha has been a great daughter overall and has shown little to no jealousy towards Nikolaus. She does want to cuddle more and be carried time to time, but I am more than happy to hold her, even if it kills my back.

The Birthday Girl!

Fun with the birthday balloons

Birthday Breakfast

Yum... Pink and purple birthday cake (with sprinkles, of course)

Opening her presents

Nope, not shy at all

Look at that smile

I wonder what she wished for

Nikolaus wanted in on the celebration