Chase Month 5

Again, playing catch up here. It was so much fun getting to introduce Chase to most of his aunts, uncles, and cousins (except Uncle Josh) on the Iveson and Bonnell sides. He is the only baby so he got plenty of attention from all of his family.

18 weeks

*12/2 sat in high chair for the first time! Loved sitting up and watching all of us eat.

*taking longer naps on his own. I put him in his rock n play or on the bed squished between pillows. Definitely nice having the extra time instead of being stuck under him. He is still super snuggly so I don't feel like I'm missing out.

*12/5 started sucking his thumb consistently. He had been taking a paci but hasn't been able to figure out how to put it in his mouth recently. 

*12/6 sat in stroller (pockit) for PWOC. He liked sitting and watching everyone until he got startled by loud singing. Then he wanted to be held.

19 weeks

*12/14 first time with a babysitter! Mumma and Daddy had a military ball to go to so we left Chase in the capable hands of Janae Nibbelink (from PWOC). Since Chase doesn't take a bottle we were a little nervous he would freak out, but she was prepared for him to cry a lot. They did great together! He did cry, but he would fall asleep. When we got back home it had been about 4.5 hours apart and he was so happy to see Mumma! He smiled at me and was just so happy to be held by me before he even thought about eating. His face wasn't splotchy and red, so I knew he hadn't completely freaked out. Hopefully we can continue to leave him with sitters for date nights in the future.

*gets chatty in the evening. Says a lot of "goo" "blarg" and "ahhh" sounds. Still loves blowing raspberries too.

20 weeks

*12/19 first road trip to MI! The car ride lasted 9.5 hours and Chase is a champ, just like his brothers! He cried a couple times but would calm himself down and fall asleep. He ate when we stopped for lunch and then we stopped once more a couple hours later for potty breaks and for him to eat again. Otherwise he was happy in his car seat or sleeping! What a major blessing since that drive isn't all that enjoyable and if he had been crying the entire way it would have made us less likely to come back soon.

*Chase just loves people and I am so thankful for that. He has no problem being held by others except when he wants to eat. He smiles at everyone and is a very social baby. 

*12/20 met Aunt CC, Ethan, Calvin, and Uncle Mark 

*12/21 met the Bonnell side of the family at the Big Bonnell Christmas party. Did so well letting anyone hold him and was so smiley at everyone.

21 weeks

*12/22 finally likes being lightly tossed in the air! He would giggle and giggle with the slightest toss!

*12/24 reached out purposefully and grabbed a teether toy from me! 

*12/24 met Aunt Rebecca 

*Had a great first Christmas. He didn't really notice the opening part of the presents, but he got so many fun new toys for the coming months as he gets more interested in toys. 

Chase Month 4

I'm majorly backtracking because the blogger app hasn't been updated to keep up with the current iPhone IOS. So every time I try to write a blog it closes the app out when I start to type. Kinda annoying. Time to update your app, google! 

Anyways, here are Chase's weekly facts.

13 Weeks

*his startle reflex is calming down. He doesn't throw his arms up and stiffen his back much anymore.

*so so close to laughing! He's given me a couple single chuckles with big grins, but not belly laughs yet.

*loves skinnamirink a dink a dink and the motions.

* still hates bottles! Tried to send one to church but he got real mad when they tried to give it him.

14 Weeks

*he gets very upset if he sees me and then I go out of his line of vision. He has a very screechy cry when this happens.

15 Weeks

*11/14 first bath with big brother (Daniel). At first he loved looking at his brother and was smiling. Then I had to scootch him up on his bath mat and he felt unbalanced and cried the rest of bath time.

*his cheeks get chapped if he's outside in the wind. It doesn't seem to bother him but it takes a couple days of lotion around the clock to bring down the red, dryness. 

*drool monster! Drools all over his shirts and his shoulder straps on the car seat. He wants to nurse all the time too, so maybe early teething. 

*loves the mirror on the swing at church. He'll look straight up and stare at himself while swinging back and forth.

16 Weeks

*doing so well sitting in the bumbo. Likes watching me and his brothers moving around him. 

*mixing 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes. He's definitely growing! Some of his 0-3 month onesies are too short now.

*has such a strong grip. He'll hold onto my shirts or hair with a vengeance when I'm holding him on my hip.

*also, can support his own back and neck while he sits on my hip.

*tries to "blow blueberries" back at me. He makes a sound similar but can't figure out blowing his lips. He smacks his lips when I do it too. 

*11/24 Chase stayed in tummy time long enough to roll over onto his back! Since he's been so close to rolling from back to front I knew he could roll from front to back, but this is the first time he officially did it.

17 Weeks

*11/25 he did it! He rolled over from his back to his tummy! He was real mad that I wasn't holding him and got even more mad when he rolled over and was suddenly in tummy time, but he did it!

Chase 3 Months

It has already been a quarter of a year with baby Chase! I partly feel like I'm still getting used to having three kids around, but I also feel like everyday is very normal again. Even though it has been a year since we decided we wanted to have another biological child, it still seems like it all happened so fast! We decided to have another biological child one night when the previous night we had planned to wait to adopt. Then we got pregnant within two months without putting too much thought of effort into the process. Then the pregnancy was so smooth with very little symptoms so if didn't really seem like I was pregnant. Then Chase was born on a day that just felt weird since I went to a Dr. appt and just never went back home. It all happened so quickly and I don't know if my brain has even fully realized that I have three children. 

Chase is gaining so much more personality and interacting so much more with our entire family. He notices his brothers and smiles at them. He calms down when Daddy holds him a lot more than he used too. He is going longer between feedings too, so it helps that he isn't always hungry when he's crying. He recognizes my voice even when he can't see me and tries to find me. He is so so strong and has always been able to lift his head up. He is gaining core strength to hold himself up when I'm holding him upright. We put him in the bumbo for a little while and he did well for s few minutes before he just slumped. He is trying so hard to roll over from back to front, but he usually gets so worked up that he can't make the final turn of the roll. 

I never imagined having three boys. I never imagined loving three boys so much! But Chase has stolen my heart every bit as much as his brothers before him. I am so excited to watch him grow up since I know how great the other stages are! But for now, I am enjoying his baby-ness.

9 Weeks

*first round of shots 9/29. Extra fussy and spit up/pooped often- not necessarily more than normal, but the spit up was thicker.

*starting to wake up in the morning and after naps and want to play and not eat right away. On the mornings will go longer between feeding (2ish hours) but in the evenings he'll eat every hour, but smaller portions at a time.

*hates tummy time, but doesn't mind lying on his back on his playmat.

10 Weeks

*10/6 was sitting against Daddy's knees and Daddy was tickling his tummy. Normally he doesn't like tickles, but he smiled real big and let our one lone chuckle! It was adorable! We tried to get him to do it again but he just gave us big smiles.

*been very drooly this week. We've noticed little teeth mounds since he was born so have been expecting him to teeth early.

*loves to sit up against Mumma's knees. I began to clap his hands with mine (like patty cake) and he got the biggest grin I've seen yet! I kept doing it and he kept smiling!

*10/10-10/13 has his first cold. Has a lot of green gunk coming out of his eyes and is super stuffed up. I boogie bulbed him several times, which he hated, but afterwards when he could breath through his nose he was all smiles! He also had some thick drool and would spit up when he could cough. 

11 Weeks

*drenching his onesies in drool! 

12 Weeks

*10/24 was lying on Daddy's lap with his head against Daddy's belly (facing out) and rolled himself to the side and onto his tummy! All on his own with no help from Daddy.

His 13 week birthday was yesterday, so no notes for that week. But I wanted to  include the picture for records sake. I'll include it in his four month post as well. 

He keeps looking bigger and older! I love watching him learn, but I also just want to keep him small for awhile longer! 

Chase Month 2

This little boy turned 2 months yesterday! The initial transition to a family of five was fairly seamless, but now life is catching up to all of us, I think. The big boys still love baby Chase and try to help him when he cries by rocking his swing, giving him a paci, bringing him toys, or singing to him. I am so thankful they love him because both have noticed how much less time I can give them throughout the day. We've been working through it, but I definitely have not been as patient or gentle as I should. So month two hasn't been the easiest, but I think we're all learning and readjusting and growing together as a family.

Chase loves to be held and would probably love to be worn by Mumma all day if he could. When he falls asleep he often will stir if I lie him down, so I sit on the couch a lot to keep him happy. I still love his snuggles so I'm not complaining. He eats well but still spits up a lot. Some days we make it in the clothes we put on in the morning, but others we have 3 outfit changes! I am getting better at catching his spit up instead of letting it get all over us. He had taken bottles, but lot of times he will refuse. He is cooing a lot and will follow us around the room with his eyes. He smiles so much now and I just love his little dimple.

4 Weeks

*8/29 circumcision plastibell fell off

*loves go look at his gallery wall above the changing table when I change him.

*hates getting wiped, baths, and getting his clothes over his head.

5 Weeks

*9/1 slept from 9:30 pm to 2:30 am, ate, fell back asleep immediately, and ate again at 5 am. What a restful night for me!

*going 2 full hours between feedings more often, compared to every 1-1.5 hours. 

*we call him our "tomato baby" because when he cries or poops he turns bright red! Even Daniel says "red baby!"

*9/4 we're not positive, but he may have smiled purposefully at Matt yesterday and then at me today. These smiles are much bigger than his gassy smiles and he does it when he's looking directly at us and we're smiling/cooing at him. But shortly after he would fuss a little.

*9/6 moved into 0-3 month sleepers. He was too long for newborn sleepers!

*likes to be held against my chest with my hand behind his neck so he can fall asleep leaning back away from me. Eventually he will lay his head on his arms that are propped up on my chest, then I can lean him over into my elbow while he sleeps. Does not like to be laid down on his own. 

6 Weeks

*9/11 went in the nursery for the first time! It was promotion Sunday at church so Matt and I were in the 3's Sunday School class so Chase went in with Miss Kellie and did great. He ate 1 oz out of a bottle in the car and the other oz when we got home.

*had to put away his smaller NB clothes. Still fits in some of the long Carter's onesies but have been putting him in some 0-3 months clothes.

*has a sweet spot on the couch. I put him on one of the cushions so he's wedged between the back cushion and the small throw pillow. Since he's surrounded by soft pillows I think it feels like he's being held. This allows me to get some things done while he naps.

7 Weeks

*9/16 purposefully reached and hit the toys on his baby gym mat. He will look at them and bat then over and over and sometimes smiles when they move.

*smiles at me and toys purposefully often.

8 Weeks

*9/22 Mumma has a real bad case of poison ivy. My entire left leg is swollen so much that I can't straighten my leg and it really hurts to walk. With the swelling, I went to the walk-in clinic. It took 3 hours for me to be seen and Chase was home with Daddy. He slept most of the time and cried for awhile, but Daddy was able to calm him down. Even though he wasn't happy the whole time, he is managing better without me. He does fine in church nursery and during Cubbies until it's time to eat. Usually then he at least waits until the very end of class.

*much more interested in toys. Will watch the hanging animals from the car seat handle in the car. Will follow and bat at his jingle moose. Can't grab things consistently yet, but has grabbed hanging rings from his play gym... And promptly started crying because he couldn't figure out how to let it go.

*does NOT like any kind of airplane game. I barely lift him up, I don't even fully extend my arms and he tightens up and makes a scared face (exactly the same as Daniel) and starts to cry. 

*has started caring when he has a dirty diaper. He'll cry and no rocking or nursing will settle him. So if those fail and I didn't know he needed a change then I check and he is happy as can be after he's clean

*seems to have a "restless sleep" time when he first settles down in the sleeper. Usually this is around 9-10:30 for an hour or so. I peek at him often to make sure he isn't lying there awake, but he just breathes heavily, snores, and makes some little noises in his sleep. 

*9/27 was smiling at a lady in my PWOC study! This was the first time he has given his giant smiles to a non-family members of melted my heart and I am so thankful for another happy boy.

Today he has his check up. He is growing great and is smaller in height and weight than both his brothers at two months. He is very strong and the Dr. thinks he'll be rolling over soon. He did the worst with shots of the boys. With the oral vaccine he spit up a lot even though I was waiting to feed him until after all the shots. He was fussy on and off all afternoon, but would settle down to nap. He woke up after dinner screaming and I am had to send Daddy to the store for infant Tylenol since all we had was Motrin. He spit up a lot when I gave him Tylenol and was very unhappy. 

I love being a Boymom and Chase has been such a wonderful little baby. He is definitely a Mumma's boy like the other two and I am not complaining! He is already getting so big to me, but since he is so expressive now it's hard to truly miss the newborn phase. 

Chase Month 1

Chase Andrew- I cannot believe one month has already passed! That picture was taken in August 28, but I have just been delayed in posting. You are my third baby, but you are no less important! Each of your milestones has been just as amazing to me as when Jackson was a baby. You have added so much joy and love to our family. I am so thankful for you and all the extra snuggles you've gifted to me. This first month has been an adjustment period, but I think we all are settling into our new normal just fine. 

Newborn

*born 6/28. 6 lbs. 14 oz. 19.75 inches long.

*immediately latched on and started feeding well. Will go hours between feeds then cluster feed for an hour.

*6/29 weighs 6 lbs. 10 oz. normal weight loss 

*loves to be swaddled and held

*wondering if he'll have a little reflux. Seems to be "chewing" and has spit up some.

*seems to have worked out night and day- though he sleeps the large majority of the day.

*not bothered by his brothers' noise. He can sleep through it thankfully.

*eats every 1-2 hours on average and doesn't make a milky mess even though I have an over production. He is such a good little eater!

*poops so much! Almost every diaper I change has poopy in it! No question that his little bowels are working! 

*8/2-4 Grammy and Papa visited! They were so excited to meet baby Chase. He gave them both good snuggles.

*8/3 had newborn pictures with my friend, Stephani Potter. They looked so cute and he did so well! I can't wait to get them back!

1 Week

*8/4 first bath. He spit up all over himself so needed a bath! At first he didn't mind it, but hen he decided he hates the bath! He looks all fuzzy now though.

*Spit up a couple times to drench his outfit. Poops with almost every diaper change (7-10 a day). Wondering if he may be sensitive to dairy. Will try to limit dairy and substitute as much as possible to think of that makes a difference. 

*8/6 lost his umbilical cord! We'll see how it heals, but he may be the first in our family to have an outtie! 

*8/8 peed on the couch! I was changing his diaper and just wasn't quick enough! The Dr said to pay attention to if his pee is a stream or more of a drizzle as a drizzle can mean there's a connection issue. It seemed to be a drizzle this time, but may have just been how he was sitting. Mumma needs to change diapers on the changing pad or floor from now on!

*poor baby drank too much milk and spit it up all over himself and it came out of his nose! That never happened with the other boys. 

2 Weeks

*8/11 drank his first bottle! I have a good supply of frozen breastmilk from my overproduction the first week. Hopefully I can replace it as I use it. I took a bottle to the FRG mtg but he wasn't interested. When we got home he guzzled down 3 oz! So thankful he can take a bottle and breastfeed. 

*has a very mild cold. Runny nose and teary eyes. He's been sneezing a lot and sometimes will sneeze out big boogers. It hasn't seemed to affect his eating though. He has been slightly fussier and wants to be held more.

*he went to bed on 8/13 and I swear he woke up and his face was so much older looking! He filled out more and was much more alert. He is starting to lose some of his newbornness, which is wonderful and sad. He is so clingy and always wants to eat, so it will be nice when he's older and can eat baby food and goes longer between nursing and can play with toys. But I just love newborn snuggles and how little he is! It isn't as easy to just hold him for a long time anymore, he's definitely gained weight.

*poops almost every single diaper. Has between 7-10 changes a day. He probably could have more if I changed him every time I noticed he needed one, but if he's soundly sleeping I usually wait. 

3 Weeks

*sleeping well for his age. He usually goes to sleep around 7:30-8 and wakes 2-4x to eat. He usually won't fully wake up and I can feed him and he'll fully dose back off when he's done. When I remember I change his diaper and I try to hold him after eating long enough to burp him so he doesn't spit up all over the rock n play. Sometimes we cosleep, but mostly he stays in his rock n play. 

*Poor baby cries a lot more than either of his brothers at this age. Since I have to care for the other two boys' needs too, sometimes that means baby has to sit and cry longer than I would like while I finish getting snacks or changing diapers or smuggling after a tumble. But Chase calms down quickly when he is finally picked up.

*eyes rolls back into his head often. His eyes stay partially open when he sleeps often. I close then whenever I notice it.

*8/23 had his two week wellchild, even though he was 3 weeks 5 days. He weighed 8 lbs. 11 oz and was 21.5 inches long. 

*8/24 was circumcised. He had the plastibell put on as opposed to just having it fully removed like the other two boys. I could hear him crying down the hall and it was torture, but they numbed him so I knew it was mostly because he was strapped down. His pediatrician said he stopped crying right before she started and when she clipped him he didn't even flinch. It went very well. He was very fussy for the first couple hours after but then he would take long naps and wake up screaming. He'd eat little meals and fall back asleep. 

4 Weeks

*started doing tummy time. He has a very strong neck and can hold it up and look around. His brothers love to lie next to him and do tummy time too. 

*he is super fussy in the evenings. He knows that I need to make dinner, eat, and do dishes/tidy up then since Daddy can occupy the big boys... So he just cries. He is very gassy but I'm not sure if that is what causes his crying. I rub his belly, do bicycle legs, try to burp him numerous ways, and have been using gas drops. He will cry hard and then suddenly stop and his head will loll back and he'll be dead asleep and then he'll start up crying hysterically again. Thankfully, he usually settles down for bedtime.

*spits up so much! Sometimes he over- eats so he'll spit up while eating, but sometimes he won't until later. Most days he has at least one outfit change.