My baby boy is in the double digits months of his infancy. Things just got real. Can you believe it? My third child is just two months away from celebrating his mega milestone (AKA 1st birthday). It’s been really hard, guys. I mean, really hard. I don’t know that I’ve actually said this before in a blog but Justin and I are so incredibly conflicted on adding more littles to our tribe of five - for so many reasons. If Liam is our last go-round with all of these “firsts” but lasts.. I just want to savor them for as long as I can… and ironically enough, time isn’t on our side. We are barely into 2019 and I feel like the year is already going by extremely fast. Normally the month of January at the start of a new year goes so dang slow. I stand corrected in 2019.

Clothes: We are still at a standstill since Liam’s activeness has increased. Our boy is in 18-24 month clothing. I prefer 18-month sleepers and 24 months for everything outside of pajamas. Because the weather has been so funky lately Liam is sporting everything from thick flannels to thin long sleeved t-shirts. I try to avoid jeans at all costs (not a friend to bebes with thick thighs) but he looks so darn cute in them! Finding boy clothing that I find cute hasn’t been nearly as difficult as I was told it would be. Its a nice change of scenery from the constant glitter and unicorn I’m accustomed to with my girls.


Health: Liam had his ten-month well baby the other day and he got a clean bill of health (and a shot :/). We love being back at the military hospital his older sister Olivia was born at. I was able to get us back on the same team both girls had the last time we were here and I cannot tell you what a sigh of relief that has been. After being seen by a non-military provider for the first nine months of his life, I am excited about this familiar change. Liam weighs 22.5 pounds and he is 27 inches long (shorter side like his daddy). He’s currently battling a cold his sister brought home from school (my poor baby) but other than that, he is one healthy looking boy. Oh, the PEDS doc did start Lamby on the lowest dose of cream for his eczema. I’m praying that it works (even though is skin has been nearly perfect in Washington) because I hate the thought of my little boy battling this for the rest of his life.


Feeding: I haven’t really been pushing solids at all lately. I mean, we offer Liam food when we eat but he still doesn’t really have a huge interest. Oh! We finally introduced those little puffs, crunchies, and yogurt melts. I don’t think he cares for the puffs much but the crunchies and yogurt melts seem to be a big hit. My boy usually nurses on demand (A LOT) just as he always has and the teething aspect becomes even more apparent with each tooth Liam cuts.


Sleep: LIAM IS STILL AN AMAZING SLEEPER. That makes us three for three with amazing sleepers. Thank you sweet baby Jesus! He still sleeps through the night and he goes down for his naps as normal. This boy has been sleeping longer during car rides too. I mean, he always kind of has, but now it's just this instant sort of thing as soon as the car is moving. Car trips are pretty awesome now.


Milestones: Our boy is standing up and we are encouraging him to pull himself up on things like the couch, toddler chairs, toy bins, etc. Watching Liam become so fascinated with something and going after it is still my favorite thing ever. He’s waving, he’s dancing so much more, and he’s playing with his older sisters so well.


Things You Like: MUSIC. Hands down. Music is the one full proof way to get our son to soothe. He has a select playlist that he prefers and anything outside of that isn’t very helpful. Liam loves when his sisters are being silly. His baby laugh is everything and he smile will make your heart melt. He still loves to co-sleep with his mama and papa, showers with mama, and being baby worn ALL THE TIME. He is absolutely a mama’s boy and he will reach and grab for me whenever he’s not in my arms. Not much as changed with his lists of likes this past month and I’m totally okay with that.


Here’s to our sweet baby boy celebrating another month of life and here’s hoping that savoring all of his moments are more than enough to keep this mama dry-eyed until March!

Olivia: 10 months old

We are at this point now where all of the sad, nostalgic emotions are rolling right on in. When I look at Olivia, my heart, it hurts just a little. The growth, the changing, the less baby/more toddler dynamics... I cannot believe my sweet Olivia Rose is 10 months old today. They say the time goes by so fast with your first baby - just wait until it's your second. I'm in complete awe of our Livy bean even more so lately it seems. She has changed SO, so much in the last four weeks.. I can't believe we are just two months away from celebrating her first birthday. I'm trying HARD not to get ahead of myself, so before I do - let's get this update going! 

Clothes: We are slowly moving our way into 18 month clothing. I'm not surprised, but I'm glad we have so much clothing for this babe (Thank you big sister Ava). 12 month clothing still fits, but some of the shirts and pants are a little more snug. I think it really depends on the fabric we have on her. I did buy a couple of shirts from the cat and jack line at Target in 18 months and they fit SO well. 

Health: Bahh, humbug! Olivia is currently in the middle of her third cold in her first year and it has been a rough week. She's had a cough, congestion, and a runny nose - we feel so terrible for our girl. She's also had a few fits of diarrhea the past few days (my poor baby!). We haven't given any medicines other than baby rub (only on her feet) and we are praying that her STRONG immune system kicks into high gear to heal our girl before the holiday hits. Even though she has a cold, it hasn't slowed her down one bit.

Feeding: Solid foods are still a go! Basically anything we eat, we break into small Livy sized pieces and feed it to her. This has actually pushed us into healthier foods since we want Olivia to be eating the best nutrients we can give her, the whole family has been eating that way. It's a win/win! Olivia loves peaches, pears, bread, chicken, and sweet potatoes. I'm so glad we made the decision to finally try baby led weaning. When this method is done safely, it is extremely beneficial for the baby, at least ours. 

Sleep: THIS CHILD. She is still an amazing sleeper. When she is down, she is down! Sometimes her naps can be short and interrupted (especially if we are on the go), but when it comes to that long 8-8 stretch that we have in our normal routine at night - Livy is golden. 

Milestones: Last month I shared the big news that we had a WALKER, man you wouldn't believe how fast our child BOLTS when she is on the move. She is beginning to look like a pro and she chases Ava all over the house. Olivia can also drink from a straw (as of like four weeks ago, but it's not something we do regularly... so i didn't share it), wave her hands, and shake her head to any tune she likes. She has been responding to her name for a few months now and she can say mama, dada, baba, nana, and a variety of other baby babble.

Things You Love: You love food. Seriously. Baby girl you are a foodie. You love peek-a-boo, you love being kissed all over your sweet cheeks, and chunky thighs. You love playing with your sister's toys.. even when she doesn't want you to. You love being FREE - unless mama has you in a baby carrier. Then you love nursing. But if you are down - you love to roam the house! You love to lay on our chests and to cuddle when you are ready to sleep. You hold daddy's fingers when you are upset and crying. You also have taken a liking to new music in the car. You have been a bit of a daddy's girl lately - he loves it. You cuddle him, let him hold you in his arms, and you walk to him all the time.

I think this month has been the most surreal month, with the exclusion of the first couple months of your life. We see more of a toddler than we do an infant. We see personality, love, and so much growth coming out of our girl on a daily basis. I see the love she has for her big sister and their bond that continues to grow and emerge. 

Olivia, we love you baby. These past ten months with you have been nothing short of everything we ever hoped for with adding a second baby to our family.

Olivia's first day earth side.

♥- Leilani

10 months

Yes, the double digit months are among us. I can hardly believe that I am a mama to a ten month old. So many things have changed this past month, so let's get to it! Ava bug's eating habits have changed so tremendously. She eats so much now, she's drinking more fluids, (breast milk is still the main source), and she's going to be taking her first few steps any day now. In her nine month post, I remember saying how she was barely standing. Now she's standing for a good amount of time, to where she looks as if she wants to take a step. Daddy was in the field for two weeks, and came home to a very vibrant, and changing child. Ava has been swaying back and forth whenever she hears music and Bug's wave has become more sassy. Ava also shakes her head "no" every single time we say it. Here lately, Ava has been interacting with her pooch a lot more. Putting her hands out for him to give her kisses, giving him some of her snack foods, and pulling on his whiskers like crazy. She sits in restaurant highchairs (she has been since about eight months old), and she drinks from a straw. She has also been adding some very distinct teeth marks to her crib. The ironic part? She doesn't even sleep in it. She will play in there when I'm doing cloth laundry, or vacuuming, but that's about it. Justin has to lower it this weekend, because we saw Ava trying to use one of her toys as a step stool! As you can see, we have had so many changes for our family this past month. As usual, I wanted to list some of the new things we are using in our home with our sweet bug:

I'm not too thrilled about this walker, but it's in our home. Justin picked it up from babies r us, and insisted that Ava needed it. I think we've used it about a handful of times, but I still prefer to have Ava grow on the floor. She's developed right on track this far, and I don't feel as if we need these types of toys. I will say that Ava loves pushing down on the palace. When you push it in, it makes all kinds of princess songs play. Aside from that, this thing is bulky, and takes up too much space downstairs.

I should have posted this weeks ago, but I don't think I have. I'm a complete germ freak, and these things are a must! I was actually out to lunch with my sister, when another couple came over and thanked me. They thanked me for using a highchair cover, because they'd worked in the food industry and said they know how "often" these things get cleaned. Balboa baby is truly an amazing line, and I'm so glad we found this seat cover. The material is great, and there isn't any wear from the washing machine. I wish I would have found this before I put Ava in a restaurant highchair, overall I'm just glad we have it now.

Something else we use pretty frequently, are books. Ava actually seems entertained by all the pages, and by daddy reading. That's a part of their bonding time, and I love it. Some of the other books Ava enjoys are: Baby beluga,Guess how much I love you, and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. I love that we are starting this habit at such a young age. I still plan on making Bug a book shelf in her room, either later down the road, or at the next home we find ourselves in.

The last new introduction would be these munchkin trainer cups.We haven't really been pushing sippy cups on Ava, but we will definitely not be using a bottle ever again. It's been seven months since Ava really had a bottle, and I think it's frustrating for her when we've tried to use it. These sippy cups have soft tops, and they work great for Bug. She can get water and her diluted juice just fine out of here. The best part? We don't have to deal with weaning her from a bottle. I've heard that can be treacherous.

We are definitely closer to having a toddler on our hands, and I just can't believe it. This last month has presented so much personality and changes for our girl, I'm just in utter disbelief. I don't think there's  a day that goes by that I don't take a video or a photo of Ava. Sometimes I don't share them, just because we've used a lot for her scrapbook, and baby book. I can't believe it guys, the next time I'll be posting an age update, I'll have an 11 month old. That is so crazy to me! On a happy note, Happy 10 months my beautiful Love bug! Daddy and I are tremendously blessed to have such a perfect gem!

P.S. Happy Saint Patty's day! The Howland's won't be being pinched today!

♥- Leilani