milestones – Page 2

Bennett’s Monthly Growth Series // 8

October 28, 2015 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Sits upright from lying down, crawls, first 3 teeth, pulls to standing, claps hands, tried nuts, first time baby wearing with daddy, first hike

Month 7 was a busy one indeed! Bennett started crawling, first in army style and later on her hands and knees, she sits up on by herself and I’ve even found her standing in her crib. Speaking of which, I now have to literally hold her down occasionally to get her to go to sleep, because she just sits upright and keeps herself awake. So I place my hand on her back and a minute later she’s out, but she struggling to get up nearly the whole time, hopefully this passes quickly.

Unbeknownst to me her first tooth arrived only for me to discover it already poking through her gum. However within a week she was getting her top two front teeth and we we’re so lucky. The poor girl was miserable, she wasn’t sleeping well and was barely eating, but she’s since returned to her usual habits.

Bennett’s days are filled with exploration and trying to gain new achievements. Literally as I’m typing this she was able to pull herself up enough to get a toy off of the coffee table. No where is safe anymore! She is a busy girl and does not like sitting still, which is evident in this month’s photo shoot. She did NOT want to be laying down!

We drove up to NJ this weekend, and we all got to meet sweet baby Parker! Bennett looked giant next to him because of course he was only 6 weeks old, but I have a feeling he’ll catch up quickly since he’s already weighing in at around 14 pounds or so.

We also drove up to Shenandoah one day and took B of her first hike. Raf wore her in the carrier for the first time as we hiked up the mountain while I had the pleasure of giving Asher a piggy back ride most of the way (someone did NOT want to walk), which was only fitting since the last time we were there I was around 7 months pregnant with him.

Bennett’s favorite pass time is still watching everything Asher does. She really loves him and he in turn enthusiastically adores her and she has the bruises to prove it.

I guess I better start baby proofing.

Bennett’s Monthly Growth Series // 7

September 29, 2015 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Rolls to get around, itching to crawl, started solids and loves food, sleeps 12 hours through the night, moved into her crib and shares a room with her big brother now, loves watching everything Asher does, super smiley

This month has whizzed by, I know I’m constantly saying that but it’s true! I feel like I blink and she’s another month older. I can’t handle it!

Bennett started solids this month, and has been loving them thus far. Her first food was avocado and it pretty much snow balled from there. Most of the time she eats what we’re eating, just a pureed version of course. If we’re having lentil curry, so is she. When we eat koresht badamjan (persian split pea and eggplant stew) so does Bennett. Spiced cauliflower soup and salad? You bet! If I didn’t love my vitamix before (which I absolutely did) I am over the moon now. The baby bullet is archaic by comparison. The only thing I haven’t given her is nuts, but I may start giving her some soon. Towards the end of this month I started giving her rougher textures rather than smooth purees and I also started letting her practice picking up and eating those little rice puffs.

The other big development this month was that she now sleeps through the night! I night weaned her and that was that. It really only took one night and she was a pro. I’m going to write a separate post on my “no sleep training, sleep training method” because it was the easiest thing ever! Bennett and Asher now share a room (although most nights Asher somehow ends up in our bed) and it’s so nice having our room back! I’ve been really enjoying reading in bed.

Bennett is Asher’s biggest fan! She loves watching him and if he’s around it’s nearly impossible to get her to focus on anything else. Asher in turn is just as fond of her. Watching their relationship blossom and unfold is really one of the sweetest things on this earth. The following pictures illustrate just how enamored Bennett is with Asher.

Bennett’s Monthly Growth Series // 6

September 5, 2015 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

17 pounds 12 ounces (78th percentile), 17.5 inches head circumference (95th percentile), 26 1/4 inches long (64th percentile), first international trip (visited Yap, FSM), went on 9 flights this month (making it 13 total), first boat ride, first time in a pool, first time in the pacific ocean, first time meeting her first cousins and uncles jared and evan and aunt sholz, sleep has been all over the place, super curious about eating.

I cannot believe that half of her first year is already behind us! I mean, seriously, what. just. happened?! I have been enjoying every second of this sweet time with her and she is an absolute delight. This has been an insanely busy and hectic month. We were literally traveling from August 1-28 and are still trying to return to normalcy. We spent 2 weeks in Eliot, Maine at my parent’s house. I took my first solo trip with two kids and actually survived it! My whole family, (parents, brothers and their families and us) flew half way around the world to the tiny island of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia, where I grew up. The journey there was quite an adventure and features, a tropical depression, torrential rain, a mechanical issue, spending three days in the tropics with no luggage and more. So stay tuned for that epic tale. After that we spent five days in Hawaii with my older brother’s family before heading home.

Bennett has always been and continues to be a complete joy. For the past month the 4 of us have been sharing a room, which was really good in many ways because I think it helped prepare B and A for when they’ll share a room but the room sharing combined with the jetlag has resulted in Bennett’s sleep being all out of whack. However I will say that bed sharing probably made the jetlag so much more bearable because when she would wake up in the middle of the night she’d just nurse until she fell asleep again and I’d barely have to wake up at all.

This sweet girl is probably at her peak chub right now and I’m loving it. She’s in the sweet spot. You know the one. The time when they are able to sit up and are very engaging but can’t move around yet. It’s glorious. She’s all smiles and flirty eyes 95% of the time. She has been incredibly curious about food and looks at us longingly whenever we’re eating. I did let her taste a little bit of fresh coconut but I don’t think she actually swallowed any. I think she may have had a tiny bit of hair growth. Nothing to really write home about, but it’s a start!

Bennett’s Monthly Growth Series // 5

July 28, 2015 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

Rolls over (back to tummy), first plane trip (across the country – coast to coast), loves to grab her feet, delights in watching Asher, sits up in tripod formation for short periods, hates being on her tummy for too long, really likes being upright

Bennett rolled over the day she turned 4 months old and basically became a pro over night. She loved to flip herself onto her tummy, but then is far too lazy to flip back so she just squawks her disconnect until someone rolls her over. No sooner than you roll her over however, will she then almost instantaneously flips back onto her tummy and the cycle continues.

She is utterly enamored by her feet and spends nearly all the time she isn’t rolling onto her tummy gripping her toes instead. Inching them ever closer to her mouth.

Ben Bucket had her first plane trip this month! We flew across country to first Oregon and then to California, 4 flights in total and she was a total rock star, with the exception of one extremely over tired fit in the car. Her sleep was thrown off somewhat by the trip but nothing too bad.

Asher and Bennett are interacting more and more. Asher intentionally makes Bennett laugh and laughs at things she does in return. It is the cutest thing. I LOVE having two children. Is is hard and challenging and some days I don’t know up from down, but it is quite simply the sweetest thing…most of the time. Asher has hit Bennett a couple times thing month. It’s unclear what motivates him to do so. I’m trying to nip it in the bud but it really breaks my heart and is very unlike him as he has really never hit anyone. For the most part however, he is still in complete love with her. Always wanting to hug and kiss her. He delights in her presence.

Month 5 is going to be a busy one, but I’m so looking forward to watching it unfold!

Bennett’s Monthly Growth Series // 4

June 27, 2015 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

14 pounds 13.5 ounces (70th percentile), 24 3/4 inches long (71st percentile), 16 5/8 inch head circumference (93rd percentile!), got her first cold, has started grabbing things with her hands, eyes are still blueish grey, no hair growth whatsoever, quick to smile, super easy going, wakes once at night, refuses the bottle, still likes her pacifier but only when sleeping, wants everything in her mouth, babbles constantly

This past month has been slow in terms of milestones. Bennett is actively grabbing now and putting anything she can manage straight into her mouth. While she was quick to role from her tummy to her back she seems to be in no rush to roll from her back to her tummy, which is likely because she HATES tummy time. She loves to babble and to carry on “conversations.”

B Girl has two modes: 1 – totally laid back and chill and 2 – banshee screaming. There is little to no build up or warning. She simply goes from being utterly content and happy to inconsolable. Luckily this only really happens if she gets over tired or over hungry and then it’s almost always my fault because I missed her subtle clues that she wanted to sleep or eat. But boy can she scream. This girl has some serious pipes and a persistence that astounds me. She won’t even nurse when she’s like that, even if the reason she’s like that is because she’s hungry. So I find myself doing all sorts of acrobatics to try to calm her down enough so she’ll eat.

Asher had a cold this month and although I tried it was near impossible to get him to refrain from kissing her on the face and/or hands so of course Bennett got it, but thankfully as far as colds go it was exceedingly mild. Bennett also ran a low fever after receiving her 4 month vaccines and was only content to be held skin to skin and I soaked all the cuddles in. Skin to skin really does work miracles.

Now that Bennett is able to grab things, Asher finds it super entertaining to give her all the toys at once. SHE MUST HAVE OPTIONS! This normally results in her being buried under a pile of toys and pacifiers but it’s so fun to watch their interactions develop.

Raf tried giving Bennett a bottle once while I was out this month and try as he may she flat out refused. He tried several different kinds but nothing worked. I too refused the bottle as a baby. This girl is so much like me that it’s kinda freaky, in the most endearing way possible of course.

Bennett’s Monthly Growth Series // 3

May 27, 2015 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com 1 Comment

rolled over (tummy to back), has started to chuckle but still no full belly laugh, eyes are a bluish grey, sleeps un-swaddled, has cheeks for days, hair is still peach fuzz, has started drooling a bit, has found her fingers and loves sucking on her index and middle fingers at the same time, normally wakes up 1-2 times at night, still looks exactly like mommy

The past three months have whizzed by! If having one child was great, having two is that much sweeter. I LOVE having another baby. It’s so wonderful watching Asher and Bennett interact, nothing is more endearing. Asher is still absolutely enamored by Bennett. He showers her in the gentlest, hugs and kisses. He caresses her head and asks her sweet little questions, like if she had a good nap. It’s to die for. There is not a single hint of jealousy from Asher. Bennett is a delightful and incredibly easy going baby, but she still occupies a lot of my time and Asher takes it in stride. I’m just in awe of how seamlessly he has transitioned from being an only child to being a big brother.

Bennett lights up the room with her smiles. She has the teeniest mouth, and yet she has this way of smiling that rivals the sun. She opens her mouth super wide and turns her head to the side like she’s being a little bit shy, but the main event is her eyes. You can just feel the warmth and adoration pouring out of them. It really does make you feel like the most important person on the planet for a moment. I have yet to capture one of these show stoppers in a photograph, but hopefully soon.

She started rolling over from her tummy to her back this month, and while she hasn’t rolled the other way yet, I decided now was as good a time as ever to stop swaddling, especially with the temperature getting warmer and warmer. It took a bit of adjusting on her part. I think she woke up nearly every hour or two the first night and naps were really difficult, but she’s since gotten the hang of it. One night this month she went down at 7:30pm and didn’t wake up until 6am. It was glorious, except I didn’t go to bed until after midnight, so I completely missed out on my opportunity to get a full night’s rest and I woke up super engorged. The poor girl was practically drowning in milk. That night was an anomaly, she normally wakes up once and sometimes twice. I’ve been implementing what I like to call the “no sleep training, sleep training method’ and it’s awesome, but more on that later.

Bennett has discovered the joys of sucking on her fingers and is obsessed. She favors sucking on her index and middle finger right now, which elicits adorably loud slurping sounds. She has an on again, off again relationship with the pacifier. One week, she’s totally uninterested the next she loves it and back and forth she goes. Thankfully we’re in a ‘loving it’ week. She isn’t nearly as floppy as she once was and can actually feel quite stiff and compact as times. Her rolls continue to expand and I love munching on them.

I’m savoring her babyhood, but it’s just flying by!

Bennett’s Monthly Growth Series // 2

April 28, 2015 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

11 pounds 9.5 ounces (60th percentile), 22 3/4 inches long (65th percentile), 15.5 inches head circumference (83rd percentile), got thrush again, smiles readily, on the verge of laughing, discovered her fists and loves to gum them, tolerates bath time, sleeps for a 6-8 hour stretch at night, usually wakes up once or twice at night, has a bedtime schedule, still very cuddly, extremely impatient – now means NOW, looks like a clone of mommy

My little Rosebud is two months old! I can’t believe how fast the time is flying. I remember things moving much slower when Asher was her age. Bennett is an absolute delight. We are all entranced by her. She is quick to smile and very well natured. She has periods of fussiness in the evenings, but I’ve found that as long as I hold her OR leave her alone (one of those two) she’ll settle quickly. I normally put her down to bed awake and she falls asleep on her own with no fuss, I just make sure to replace her pacifier a couple times. It’s wonderful, I feel like I’ve reclaimed my evenings! She loves to nurse and when she’s ready she isn’t at all patient about it, the girl knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to make herself heard.

She is basically my clone. The resemblance is absolutely uncanny! I feel like I’m looking at a picture of myself when I was a baby. What is my face doing on this tiny body?! It’s so weird, but after two years of seeing 99% Rafaan in Asher, it’s really fun to see my genes shine through.

Asher is still totally besotted. He handles her so sweetly and demonstrates a tenderness in her presence that is solely reserved for her. It makes my heart swell to bursting to see their interactions.

There is something so special about having a daughter. Neither Raf or I have sisters, so this feels totally novel and exciting, not that she’s really anything other than just a baby right now, but still. After having 3 sons my grandparents were blessed with a daughter and my grandfather always told me, he felt complete as a parent once my aunt came along, and I totally know how he felt now.

Still trying to figure out how to function with two. Parenting is the easy part, making dinner…not so much, but I’ll get there…hopefully. Also whoever said newborns were a ton of work never had a toddler, but more on that later.

Benny Girl is filling out quite nicely, I am LOVING all the rolls she’s getting. Asher at 2 months was 9.5 ounces lighter and half an inch longer, so I’m really enjoying all the chubby baby kisses!

Bennett’s Monthly Growth Series // 1

March 27, 2015 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com Leave a Comment

super cuddly – only wants to sleep touching mommy – hates bath time – got thrush – had a tongue tie clipped – went from 25th to 43rd percentile in weight – loves to eat – started to smile – looks most like mommy but has daddy’s feet

I can hardly believe it’s been one month already! Time has flown by! It is truly a delight to be this little girl’s mother, not that she does much more than sleep, eat and poop at the moment, but still. I love this tiny person so much! It’s amazing how your heart and your capacity to love just expand when you have another child.

Asher loves his little sister. His voice takes on a tender, sweet tone whenever he speaks about her and he showers her in hugs and kisses, which considering that everyone and anyone else has to beg for his affection, is pretty amazing. Seeing him interact with her makes my heart want to explode. I’m still not sure how I’m going to navigate being a mother of two once the last of the grandparents leave next week, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out.This past month, we’ve had first my parents and then Raf’s parents here the whole time and I’m so thankful to them for all the help, because it’s allowed me to be on a Babymoon with my daughter. We’ve had the time to snuggle and nurse and sleep and bond uninterrupted and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to do so.

This girl is SO cuddly! I hoped I would get a cuddly child and that is exactly what I’ve gotten. It is nearly impossible to get her to sleep anywhere other than on me or right next to me and touching me in some way, which means that we have been bed sharing fairly often. I have been loving all the snuggles that this allows but I’m also terrified that she’ll be smothered or that Asher will come bounding into our bed and crush her. I’ve been working on getting to to sleep in her bassinet, but as often as it works, it also fails and she wakes up shortly after being separated from me. I’ve found that putting a rolled blanket next to her, swaddling, and having a space heater near by helps trick her into thinking she’s still next to me. Baby wearing works for when I need to get stuff done, but after nearly 10 months of being practically sedentary (I know, I know) I’m so weak that I find it kills my back after a while, but then again, even just standing up feels like a chore…I really need to get back to being active again. I’m hoping that she gets a bit better at sleeping apart from me before Raf’s mom leaves next week, because I certainly won’t be able to sit on the couch all day and hold her while she sleeps once I’m Asher’s sole source of entertainment again.

I’m just so excited to get to know her and to watch her personality unfold, but I’m also acutely aware that these sweet moments are fleeting so I’m cherishing and reviling in every second of it. With Asher I kept looking forward to when he’d do the next thing or reach the next milestone, but this time I know how quickly each stage passes and that some things may not last. I’m relishing every cuddle and snuggle.

Asher’s Monthly Growth Series // 12

December 11, 2013 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com 1 Comment

1 Year! 20 lbs 5 oz – 30 1/4 inches – 6 teeth – 18 flights – 2 frenectomies – mastered walking – very affectionate – loves his blanket – always wants food – claps, waves gives 5 & touches – says “hi” – played in first snow – likes to dance – enjoys drumming – eyes are light greenish brown

Asher’s Monthly Growth Series // 11

November 12, 2013 by lauren.anvari@gmail.com 1 Comment

Eleven Months! Gaining confidence with walking – discovered a lip tie and tongue tie – extremely talkative – new hair cut – quite the climber – Insatiable appetite – looks most like daddy – constantly testing limits