October 2015

October is just the best month in my opinion. The seasons change. Our Anniversary is on the 6th. Lots of pumpkin stuff! Anticipation for all the holidays builds. We have had a great month.

Walden Farms Pumpkin Patch (annual tradition)

Walden Farms Pumpkin Patch (annual tradition)

**Funny Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

I was asking Jack while we were driving in the car the other day what was inside a dump truck. His response "Protein Powder"! 

In Jack's prayers the other night he said, "Thank you Jesus for grandma, robots, kitty cats, and bunnies". Out of the mouth of babes!

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update

Favorite color - green and brown 

Favorite number - 2

Favorite food - macaroni and cheese

Favorite toys - Thomas the tank engine 

Favorite song - Old macdonald 

For Halloween this year, Jack was a sock monkey and Francine was a ladybug. At Jack's school, they have a day where its "super heroes and princesses". Jack was Superman and he was adorable!

Mother's Day Out outfit!

Halloween outfits 2015!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

• Highlight - She turned 8 months old today. She has really blossomed into a great kid that I may or may not be completely obsessed with. I remember around this stage with Jack, I had the same exact feelings. I just wanted to kiss her cheeks all the time. Someone wrote on a blogpost recently that there kids cheeks might be chapped from all the kissing they have done to there baby!
• Sleep - She is a great sleeper. She has two pacis/animal friends in her crib with her and she loves to touch there ears. Its the cutest thing when I go in there she has one in her mouth and she is holding the other one. I love that she is able to find her paci in her crib now when it falls out. GAME CHANGER! 
• Clothes - She is in 6-9 months clothes. 
• Diapers - Size 2 diapers still. Definitely moving to 3 soon though! 
• Food - 5x nursing and as of the end of October she started solids. She definitely had a hard time with solids. She didn't want anything to do with them for a week. Then something clicked and she loves it. She has had prunes, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and homemade oatmeal. She is doing great. 
• Skills - Taking her brother's toys. This is just the beginning I know....don't mess with Jack's trains!
• New things: She doesn't want anything to do with crawling or standing yet...but sitting is her jam. And I am totally ok with her being stationary for a little while longer. :) 
• Crying - Our favorite story is every morning when Christopher is feeding both the kids and playing with them, I am upstairs getting ready for the day. The minute I come down the stairs and she sees me, she starts fussing and crying. The 30 min-1 hour that I am upstairs, Christopher says she has never made a fuss the entire time...but all of a sudden she starts fussing when she seems me.  So she likes her mom a little bit!! :) 
• Schedule right now - no changes the past 2 months
• 7:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 9:00 nap
• 11:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 1:00 nap
• 3:00 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 5:30 catnap 
• 6:15 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 7:45 down for the night
• 9:30 - dream feed
• We have a doctor check up next month, so hopefully we will get some new stats on baby Francine!

Until next time....here are some photos of my muchkins!

Handsome!

Annual trip Gentry's Farm with friends

Hayride with friends!

Annual visit to Ellington during the peak LEAF time!

Annual Halloween Party with my girlfriends and kids!

Annual Halloween Party with my girlfriends and kids!

MY WORLD!

Sleep sacks are the best for crisp fall evenings!

Most important things to me!

Fall time at Cheekwood!

September 2015 - Francine - 7 months old

Well here we are! Me, being optimistic in hoping that I can do a monthly post of our family. I think I might transition to a monthly post about the Phillips' family now rather than a month by month update of our kids. So consider this, the "September Issue" of the Phillips Family!

**Story of the month**

We think Jack may have a photographic memory. If he sees the logo for the church, he will say "mommy, mommy this is the church". Or the other day we drove downtown Nashville and drove past the convention center...he said "mommy mommy lego fest". 4 months ago or so we went to the convention center for the lego fest...how did he remember that building from that one event? We took Francine to get a flue shot a few weeks ago, and St Thomas hospital is close to the parking lot where we park...there logo is a cross and Jack saw it and said "mommy mommy...a different church!" haha Oh man Jack - we love to see you learn and grow! Or maybe this is marketing working towards its favor.

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update

We potty trained Jack this month. It was not near as a huge of an issue as I thought it was going to be. We did the 3-day program where you never leave your house. He has hardly had any accidents and we are so thankful for that. He was so ready to do it and we were ready to stop paying for 2 kids in diapers! 

Jack's favorites!

1. Favorite color - brown
2. Favorite number - 2
3. Favorite food - macaroni and cheese
4. Favorite toys - Trains
5. Favorite song - Itsy Bitsy Spider 

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!
Highlights from 7 months - A lot of good things happened this month! Francine started sleeping through the night. She started sitting up on her own and she started babbling and saying mama. Man - I remember this age with Jack...I just became obsessed with the little guy. They get to be way more laid back and not as needy. But they just get cuter and cuter and they respond so much more to people. I love this stage! 

• Sleep - as sated previously....we have a sleeper!! Woohoo. Getting back from Norway, we knew we were going to suffer through jet lag so I decided to just make it miserable for a few nights and she figured out jetlag and sleeping through the night all at the same time. It was great!
• Clothes - She is in 6 months clothes and 6-9 now mostly. 
• Diapers - Size 2 diapers still!
• Food - Breast milk. Although I thought right when I got back from Norway I would start right off with baby food. I guess I just knew what I was getting myself into and I delayed it another month. Until next month...
• Skills - she is doing great with reaching and grabbing things. Sitting is her new favorite thing. She loves sitting in her highchair and watching us from her "throne". 
• New things: She definitely is enjoying peek a boo and singing. At night before bed, we all sing in Jack's room. She kicks her legs and smiles the whole time. 
• Bad Things: I think we are still in "mama's girl" mode. I would love for her to be more independent. But I know this is only a stage and it will pass and I will want her to want me so I guess its not that big of a bad thing!
• Crying: Definitely getting better in this area. 
• Schedule -we are feeding 5x's a day now. Sleeping through the night and rocking 2 - 2 hour naps and one catnap around dinner time. Same as 6 month schedule except sleeping through the night now!
• 7:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 9:00 nap
• 11:00 wake up and eat and play for 2 hours
• 1:00 nap
• 3:00 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 5:30 catnap 
• 6:15 wake up and eat and play for 2.5 hours
• 7:45 down for the night
• 9:30 dream feed

It was so great to have my parents here to take care of Jack while we were in Norway. When we got back they had to have a lot of time with Francine the day before they left. Our kids love grandma and poppy!

Until next time!