The State of Eight

We had Trent's well-check last week. As expected, he's amazing. I can't believe my first baby is 8! So let's check-in on how this kid is doing and growing.

Stats:
Height: 49.8" {50%}
Weight: 49 pounds {25%}
BMI: 13.8% {5%}

By the numbers:
Pounds gained: 3 pounds
Inches grown: 2.5"
Teeth lost: 0!
Teeth grown in: 2
Siblings gained: 1

Trent's 8th year had it's ups and downs. His promotion to big brother x2 showed how truly fantastic he is and sweet he is with his sisters. He loves to help with Paige and is always so sweet and good with her. He and Drew have their moments, but they can still play really well together. He just picks on her quite a lot because he knows how to push her buttons, ha!

I think one of the biggest changes this year has been Trent losing interest in Star Wars and Legos. That has been a constant of his for probably 3 years! His new loves are Minecraft and Pokemon Go. He plays Minecraft with Miles and taught Drew to play, and it is so cute to watch him. He also loves to listen to Minecraft parody songs and have battles in our living room against his invisible enemies. If Brent and I had a dollar for every time he destroyed our couch...

He's reading like crazy too. Captain Underpants, Minecraft books, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid are just a few of the series he enjoys. He loves to tell jokes, thinks bathroom humor is hilarious, loves to wrestle with Brent. He still likes to snuggle with me, but he's never been much of a cuddler.

School...not sure what to say about school. {grin} He's so smart, but he can cause trouble in class too. He'll be part of the oldest kids in his class, so I'm excited to see how this year will be. He's got a group of friends and his first girlfriend! Although they've only seen each other once since school got out, but he talks about her still. Cute story: we were talking about how teenage girls talk and he said he thought it was so annoying. I told him one day he'd really like how teenage girls talk and something about wanting to be their boyfriends. He said 'But I don't want to break-up with Evelyn.' SO CUTE.

He is a great swimmer and super fast, but Trent is still not into sports. I think we're going to try soccer this fall. He'd play inside all day if we let him, and he'd beg for electronics all day too!

 

About Last Night: A Timeline

Let's talk about how my night went down last night, mmm-kay?

7:00 PM - Put Paige to bed. She skipped her second nap because the mowers came, so she was TIRED.

8:00 PM - The big 2 come in from swimming at the neighbors' house {their grandkids are Trent and Drew's age and love playing together}, the grandkids come over and they run nuts through the house with me sounding like a hag whisper shouting 'Don't wake the baby!'

9:00 - 10:00 PM - Get the big 2 sleeping. 

10:15 PM - Paige is up. #awesome

11:00 PM - Brent comes back from another neighbor's house. We chat while I shower/get ready for bed.

12:00 AM - Brent is asleep but I am still reading. Paige wakes up again. #noooo

3:30 AM - Drew comes in our room crying because she had a nightmare. Let her cuddle for a little bit and once she is relaxed I get her set-up to sleep on our couch.

4:00 AM - Drew is standing by my side of the bed crying she had another nightmare. Let her snuggle some more and get her back on the couch.

4:30 AM - DREW IS BACK. I tell her if she can't lay down and go to sleep on the couch, I'm going to put her back in her bed. She decides she wants to go to her bed. She tries to climb in with Trent but starts whining and wakes him up. Get her in her bed {she is SOOOO upset by this point} and snuggle AGAIN. Once she's calm, I tell her if she can be quiet and go to sleep on our couch, she can sleep in our room. She agrees. As we walk back to our room, I hear Paige.

4:45 AM - Nurse Paige for the 3rd time.

5:00 AM - Back in our room. Check on Drew. She's content, snuggled under a blanket with her Paw Patrol pillow and finally ready to sleep.

6:00 AM - Brent's alarm goes off. Glad it's him and not me!

His comment to me? You wanted 3 kids so enjoy. HA! 

7 Month Comparisons

Look at my peanuts! We are so in my favorite phase - I love this age of exploration and total sweetness. Although the sass also starts too! {grin}

Things I've noticed for similarities between Trent and Paige:

• Round faces - they definitely have those chubby cheeks of Brent's
• Tongue thrust - they both got that lovely trait from me
• Teething a little on the early side although Trent was still the earliest - Trent was 4.5 months, Paige was before 6 months, Drew was 7 months
• Sweet dispositions - definitely our happiest babies

Things I've noticed for similarities between Drew and Paige:

• Not good sleepers at night - these 2 have loved to get some middle of the night snuggles from me!
• Early crawlers - Drew at a week past 7 months and Paige a week before, Trent was 8.5 months
• Hating the car seat

Things I've noticed for similarities between all 3:

• Very similar coloring - I know we are finding out all the time that genetics isn't as simple as we once thought, but in so many ways it's like the kids got a blending of mine and Brent's genes and coloring is a big one. Brent was a blonde haired, blue-eyed baby and I have been brown/brown my whole life {although my eyes have lighted as time has gone on} - all 3 kids have kind of honey-colored hair, with Paige's being the lightest as a baby, and these gorgeous blue/green/brown speckled eyes.
• Fat at birth but lots of leaning out as time goes on - Trent was 75-90% in weight at birth and 25-50% at 6 months, Drew was 95-98% at birth and 25% at 6 months, and Paige was 100% at birth and just below 50% at 6 months.
• My eye shape and nose
• Super cute and adorable and fantastic!

Day in the Life: July 22, 2017

I kept forgetting to document a day in our life. I would remember later on a day I intended to do, so I got stuck doing this day. And then I STILL forgot until about 9:30, so I'm crazy light on pictures. It was a boring first half of the day (full of CHORES), too. Enjoy?

**********Saturday, July 22, 2017**********

Brent is 37

Allena is 36 {for 2 more weeks}

Trent is 8

Drew is 4.5

Paige is 7 months

2: something AM - Get up to nurse Paige. I went to bed about 11:30 and was delirious during this nursing session.

5: something AM - Get up to nurse Paige.

7:30 AM - I hear Paige on the monitor, and then Drew came in our room and got in bed to snuggle.

7:50 AM - Trent comes in and immediately wants screen time. I tell him no and go get Paige. Trent and Drew follow me. Get Paige changed and nursed and decide today is the day to transition her clothes. She needs to move up from 3-6 month clothes to 6-9 month clothes. Get Paige some puzzles to play with while I start sorting clothes to wash.

8:30 AM - Paige is fussy, so I'm thinking she must have woken up before I heard her on the monitor. She can usually go 2 hours in between naps. Trent negotiates for screen time, and we also discuss getting to see Miles later in the day.

9:00 AM - I start a load of Paige's clothes. Drew puts on her 1st birthday onesie, and it still fits. Hilarious. 

Trent trying to put on one of Paige's dress as a shirt.

1st birthday onesie on a 4.5-year-old!

Brent is watching The Open today. 

I start to fold a massive load of clothes in the dryer, but I don't get very far because Paige is very fussy. She needs to go to bed. 

9:15 AM - Nap #1 for Paige - I nurse her down super fast. Girlfriend was definitely ready for a nap.

9:30 AM - The next few hours are very boring - sorry readers {grin}! I clean the kitchen, warm up the last of my cranberry tea, listen to the Bobby Bones Show, and look at steam mops {ours died}.

I forgot how messy it is when a baby eats! Everything is disgusting!

It's tradition for me to take a selfie with a chai on DiTL day...except no chai today.

So a cranberry tea selfie!

10:00 AM - I stab myself with a knife while washing dishes, that was super fun. Brent comes home with Sonic breakfast for everyone {Spoiler alert from my July goals - Whole 30 hasn't happened}. I look at Instagram while I eat my french toast sticks. Sweep the kitchen, finish folding that big load of clothes, mop the kitchen on my hands and knees, pick up and sweep the living room.

11:15 AM - Argue with Trent about cleaning his room. It is HORRIBLE. He is so my child. 

We agree on 11:45 AM. Trent is playing in his room and Drew is coloring. 

I can't remember exactly when I turned electronics off for them. Drew and Trent start to pillow fight, and it ends in tears from Drew.

11:45 AM - Trent starts cleaning his room - with MUCH moaning and complaining. Since I can't work in Paige's room, I decide to also clean out Drew's closet. She has a ridiculous amount of clothes and wears very little of what she has - I'm sick of looking at all these clothes that she refuses to wear!

12:00 PM - Paige is up! Almost a 3-hour nap. Trent is still cleaning, and Drew is playing with tormenting Paige. Paige nurses and I continue to work on Paige's clothes. The big 2 take turns taking pictures with my phone.

Brent trying to hide - punk.

1:15 PM - I make lunch for Trent and Drew. Trent had spacers put in his teeth on Thursday to get a Dillingham appliance for his tongue thrust, and his mouth is a little sore, so he gets mostly soft foods.

1:30 PM - Make a new batch of cranberry tea. 

I figure now's as good a time as any to feed Paige some real food. She gets an apple slice, half a banana, some blueberries, tomatoes, a scrambled egg, and some green beans. She is fussing at me so hard while I put everything together. Girlfriend is READY TO EAT!

Trying to keep her happy with green beans while I get everything ready.

Get in my belly!

{Sidenote - see that little sticking up patch of her hair on the right? That will never lay down. I love her little 'stick em up' hair!}

2:00 PM - The boys play Super Mario Bros 3. 

I need to get Paige down for her next nap, but I called my mom, and they are going to stop by our house to take Trent with them to Salado for a family reunion {where Miles will be} since I am taking Drew to a birthday party and can't get there as early. I need to put clothes on since I am still in my pajamas and some of my dad's cousins are with them.

2:20 PM - Nurse Paige, but she doesn't fall asleep. Put her down, and she fusses but goes down about 2:45.

2:30 PM - My mom, dad, his cousin Kyle {a girl} and her husband Keith come by to get Trent.

2:45 PM - Get Drew into a bathing suit and debate a hairstyle. She wants to wear it flat {meaning down}, but I want it back since she's swimming. We agree on an Elsa braid. After her hair is fixed, I get ready.

3:05 PM - I am ready to go, but Drew wants to show me a video about a heart braid to see if I can make her hair like that. Hmmm...I can try!

3:10 PM - We leave for the party!

3:20 PM - Arrive at our town's rec center which has an awesome outdoor pool/splash pad. Eat pizza and cupcakes and Drew swims. I didn't bring my suit but wade in the water with her. Talk to friends. Great time!

4:50 PM - We leave so we can get Paige and get to Salado. Brent had texted at 4:30 that she was awake. Drew and I have a great time driving home singing songs about her ring pop, ha. {We sang 'Shake your ring pop' to the tune of 'Shake it off'}

Look at the forecast for next Saturday? Is it October yet? Sigh.

5:00 PM - Get home. Nurse and change Paige. Grab bathing suits for Paige and me and pajamas for Paige and Drew. We get on the road at 5:30. Drew and I have a cute conversation about 'Honk the horns' {Hook 'em horns} and the 'Gig 'em Aggies'.

6:00 PM - Arrive at the reunion. Mom meets us outside and carries Paige. My dad's oldest cousin, Hugh, who is 96 is in the lobby with his wife Eleanor, who is 91. We also visit with my uncle and some other cousins of my dad's. Then I get changed into my suit and head down to the pool with Drew. Mom keeps Paige in the meeting room.

6:15 PM - Sit down with Patty and David and visit while Miles, Trent, Blair, Drew, and Mayer swim. 

Trent wants to stay the night, so I text Mom upstairs and she agrees. Trent and Miles are ecstatic! So cute to see how much they love each other.

6:30 PM - Mom, Dad, Kyle, and Keith come outside. Paige got upset when she realized I wasn't upstairs anymore! 

6:45 PM - I get in the pool and the kids use me as a ladder, diving board, float - all sorts of fun things. #auntoftheyear 

My hair comes out of my ponytail and I lose my hair-tie with all the shenanigans. We order pizza from a local place, and I take Paige upstairs to put pajamas on - she's getting fussy.

7:15 PM - Get back out to the pool, Dad's got the pizza there. Eat a slice really quickly, and Mom gets Drew into her pajamas. Paige is seriously about to lose her sh*t.

7:30 PM - Get on the road, and Paige cries, sucks her thumb, fusses the whole way home. Occasionally I find a song she likes, and I also roll her window down - both seem to help.

8:00 PM - We arrive back home. A few of Brent's friends are on the back patio with him. 

He takes Paige to give her some kisses, but she is having none of that and starts crying. Drew is going to watch 1 movie on her Kindle - she realized as we walked in the door that Trent wasn't home {she asked me if he got home before us, ha}, so I let her console herself with some screen time. She says she wants to sleep naked and takes her pajama bottoms off. #weirdo

8:15 PM - I nurse Paige down and put her in bed. Drew wants to eat the rest of her pizza and gets some water. Paige is fussing, so I need to go back in her room. I tell Drew one more movie and lights out.

9:00 PM - I have to go in Paige's room 2 more times. It's 9:30 before I have her asleep. Definitely got her overtired. I start this post in between going in her room with a glass of cranberry tea. Brent orders a pizza, but I don't want pizza for the 3rd time today {or do I...time will tell - edited to add: I didn't eat pizza, ha}.

10:20 PM - Take a shower. Take a look at my FitBit results for the day!

10:40 PM - 1 more glass of tea and a few Reese's cups (minis). Order steam mop and baby pool float. Finish getting ready for bed. I notice Brent has pulled our flat sheet off the bed and shoved it in the pack 'n play that we keep up for Paige in the bathroom. The flat sheet has been the fight of our marriage, ha.

11:00 PM - Get in bed to read. Really enjoying 'A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty'.

12:01 AM - Good night!

I had to nurse Paige 3 times in the night. How did I get 3 children who don't want to sleep at night? Oh well, I got super cute ones so I can't complain too much. And that concludes our July portion of a DiTL... Until October...