Happy 2nd Birthday to Quinn!

Happy Birthday to Quinnie!

We are loving having a toddler around the house again! Quinn's personality is really beginning to shine as she grows up. She is super social, and says a hearty, "Hi!' to everyone she sees. As the saying goes, Quinn has never met a stranger. She is silly and funny and loves to make people laugh. She is our best snuggler, and often asks to, "nuggle." Quinn is busy, busy, busy. This girls never stops moving. From climbing up and down the stairs, to playing with her hatchimals, to riding bikes and scooters, she does not stop! She is becoming a little sassy. She often says, "no, and mine." She runs away from us, hits her siblings, and takes things that she's not supposed to have." Needless to say, time-outs are frequents these days. But, man, is she cute! She has the bluest eyes, and sweetest smile, and she knows how to use both to get her way! We love the spice she adds to our family.

At TWO years old, Quinn is an excellent sleeper. She goes to bed around 7:30pm and wakes up in the morning around 7:00am. She is taking a daily afternoon nap from about 1:30-4:00pm. She is also a great eater, and is willing to try most foods. She even ate a few of those nasty Bean Boozled Jelly Bellies and LIKED them! Yuck! The rest of us were gagging when we tried them. She LOVES milk and water, and gets about 12-16 ounces of milk each day and even more water. She often has extremely wet diapers! Her favorite foods are strawberries, cotton candy grapes, raspberries, bananas with peanut butter, carrots with hummus, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, beans, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, pizza, clif bars and lara bars, fruit snacks, applesauce and of course, water and milk! At her 2 year well child appointment, Quinn weighed 29 pounds and was 36.3 inches long, which are 85th and 96th percentile respectively. We have another TALL Barlow girl! She is wearing 2T and some 3T clothes, size 5 diapers, and size 5/6 shoes. 

Some of her milestones and accomplishments over the past year learning to walk, talk, climb up and down stairs, ride a scooter, and run. She likes to try to jump too, which involves a very deep squat and is hilarious. She believes she can keep up with Kylie and Brooks, and loves to play with them. Because she has older siblings, she has absolutely no fear of older children. She will push and fight to get what she wants even when older kids are in her way. She has become a little chatterbox. She can say 100s of words and 3 and 4 word sentences. Her quote of the month has been, "Happy to you, mine." This translates to, "Happy Birthday to Quinn." Some of my other favorite Quinn quotes are, "nuggle, alnee (almond) milk, pees (please), and ishhh (fish)." She is also extremely aware of when she goes to the bathroom. She talks about it all the time, and likes to take her diaper off. I'm thinking potty training is right around the corner. She has all 20 of her baby teeth, and went to the dentist for the first time this summer. She loves playing with her friends, Emme and Mer Mer, and says her name like, "Ninnie."

We love our sweet, wild Quinnie!

3 Months Here!

Bode is 3 months old!

He's getting so big and smiley!

He loves all of his older siblings.

He likes to watch them, smile and giggle at them, and be held by them.

Quinn loves to hold her baby brother, but it doesn't last very long!

In typical 4th child fashion, I missed Bode's 2 month post. To be honest, I'm surprised a 3 month post is happening (even though it's 2 weeks late) because it is still crazy chaotic up in here! But here is goes...

We are still loving our little Bobo, but also still trying to figure out how to thrive as a family of 6. I would say we are having more good days than bad days, but many days are still a total wash. We are learning more about Bode's sweet personality every day, which I love. He is becoming so smiley, and he clearly loves to be held. It's obvious that he really likes his brother and sisters because he will calm right down when they are nearby. I can't wait until he can play with them! He is a wiggle worm and never stops moving his arms and legs when he's awake. He is mostly happy until he is hungry or tired, and then he turns on the screaming (like high-pitched scream-yelling) until he is fed or cuddled to sleep. Once satisfied, he goes right back to happy, smiley, cooing baby! He still has a full head of brown hair, though it is lightening up a bit, and big, blue eyes. He definitely looks like a Barlow!

Bode is becoming much more predictable and much less of an adventure. He has been worked up and treated for reflux (with medication) following his choking episodes (he has had 2). In his short little life, he has already seen cardiology (for a murmur), ENT, and GI. He has another appointment next month, a swallow study, to see if we can learn anymore about why he had those episodes. So far, it's looking like bad reflux combined with a little anatomic abnormality in his throat. Here's hoping he outgrows this issue! On a positive note, I was able to go back on dairy because it's not a milk allergy causing the problems! :) Yay for ice cream!

As far as his likes and dislikes go, he seems to love breastfeeding, cuddling, napping in the ergo, all of his siblings, taking baths, and the pacifier. Things that he doesn't like include napping in his crib, being hungry, getting out of the bath tub, and having a poopy diaper. I have never had a child who hates wearing a dirty diaper as much as he does. Maybe he'll be easy to potty train!

Bode has seriously done a complete 180 since he was about 5-6 weeks old. He has gone from a grumpy, unpredictable newborn, to a pretty happy, much more predictable baby. As a routine-oriented mom, I decided to implement a schedule for him, which I think has helped. He wakes up in the morning around 7am (give or take 15 minutes), and eats at 7am, 10am, 12:30pm, 3:00pm, 5:30pm, and 8:00pm. At 8:00pm, he goes down for the night with a bottle and a little nursing and cuddling. Then he typically sleeps until somewhere between 3am-7am. So he either gets up one time or not at all! Those nights that he sleeps all the way through are the best! :)  I'm so proud of him and can't believe he's the same baby! The next thing we need to work on is going to bed without nursing/cuddling. I would really like a babysitter or Jon to be able to put him down if needed, so sleeping training 101 will be taking place sometime in September! 

I am starting to notice some of Bode's milestones now that he's a little older and spending more time awake. He's smiling and cooing. He likes to blow bubbles. He follows us with his eyes, and definitely knows me by my voice. There is a lot of crying when he wants be to hold him and can hear me talking but can't see me. He has also started looking at his hands recently, as well as trying to put them in his mouth. He isn't quite holding his head up on his own, but I'm hoping he figures that out soon! He is still eating really well and growing a ton. I don't know his exact weight, but I do know that he is up over 15 pounds, wearing size 3-6 month clothes, and size 2 diapers.

We love our little Bobo (as Quinn has nick-named him), and can't imagine a time before he was here! I can't wait to watch him grow and learn in the next months and years! 

A 2 month picture for good measure!

Independence Day Festivities!

Happy 4th of July from the Barlow Gang!

For the 4th of July this year, we enjoyed the many festivities that Stewartville has to offer. We began the day with the annual Kids' Fun Run. It's a half mile run and both Kylie and Brooks participated and worked very hard. Their goal was to run the whole time without walking, and both of them accomplished that! Then we spent some time in the park playing on the playground and on the carnival rides, eating some fried food, and browsing the arts and crafts vendors. After a quick lunch and my mom and dad's, we headed back home for naps (for everyone). After dinner, we drove back down to Stewie for the parade. It's getting bigger and better every year! With Bode being so small, we decided to skip the fireworks. Maybe we'll attempt that next year. 

Quinn with Super Grandma.

Kylie, Brooks and Emmit before the Fun Run.

Sweet spectator. 

I think she might run it next year! :)

Kylie after crossing the finish line.

A big wave from Brooks after finishing.

Rides!

Mayor Jimmie-John King.

First Lady of Stewartville Susan King.

King cousins.

L to R: Lydia, Kylie, Emmit, Brooks, Quinn and me holding Bode (just missing Tori).