Nikolai's Four Month Well Visit

The doctor confirmed what we already knew: this little (or big, actually) guy is practically perfect!

These boys look so much alike, and both look a lot like their mama!

Sweet Nikolai is constantly smiling and laughing.  Even when he is crying, if he catches someone smiling at him, he can't help but to smile back, before getting back to his crying.

His sleep is not terrible.  He wants to be in bed by 7pm (I have tried extending this to no avail), and eats between 1am and 3am.  We have a decent bedtime routine, including reading a story, which he appears to be fully attentive to.  His favorite book is Hello Farm.  Sometimes he wakes up once or twice before demanding to be fed, but goes back to sleep with a pacifier and a back rub.  He still has a hard time between 4 and 6 am, as he has since the beginning.  This seems to be his witching hour when he is just hard to settle.  I tend to co-sleep during this time, and am able to doze in and out while trying to soothe him.

Alexander continues to be an incredible big brother.  He is always excited to be around Nikolai, and gentle enough most of the time.  He loves to include Nikolai in play and is never jealous of the attention Nikolai requires.  He truly is a remarkable little dude.

The cheeks on this handsome boy!

Milestones:
Nikolai rolled over front to back 5x at two months for big brother and me in one day, so we know he has the ability.  He doesn't do it regularly, but he will on occasion.  He spins circles in bed at night, often ending upside down from where I lay him, and usually rolls onto his side.

I think he is right handed, as he always gets his right arm out of the swaddle sack immediately.

We thought Nikolai was going to be quiet like Daniel, since he was a quiet infant, however he is now a Class A babbler.  He will sometimes talk for minutes on end without stopping, laughing at himself while doing so.  He thinks coughing is a way of talking, and fooled me into thinking he was catching a cold before I realized he was babbling with coughs.  He is happiest when some is talking with him, but does not require an audience for his chatter.

He is tall!  At his 4 month well visit, he measured
98th percentile at 26.9in
but only
37th percentile for weight at 15lbs
At home, though, I weighed him in at 16lbs two weeks ago
His is in the 61st percentile for head circumference at 42.1cm

He loves toys and his mobile, as well as all of big brother's TV shows.  He enjoys walks both in the baby carrier and the stroller.  When he is upset, he prefers to move up and down rather than back and forth.  This takes a lot of muscle!  Daniel is usually the one up for the job.

The pediatrician approved starting solid foods.  We are starting with baby oatmeal, but have let him taste quite a few things.  He loves grapes, oranges, and applesauce, but didn't know what to think of my tomato basil soup at lunch today.

We all got shots!

Alexander was due for his 4 year old shots, while Nikolai got one of his 4 month shots and an oral vaccine.  We will go back for the remaining in a week or two.  While I am a big proponent of vaccines, I prefer to stretch them out a bit.  I joined the crew by finally getting my flu shot.

Nikolai was a beast, crying only for a second.  Alexander cried harder before his shots than after, which is understandable being that his last shot was a steroid shot and I know those are awful.  He was scared, but overall did fairly well.

I am absolutely loving staying home and am amazed at how little I am able to accomplish.  I cherish all my days, those with just Nikolai, my days with both boys as Alexander only goes to school three days a week, and our weekends with the whole crew.  While I am looking to take on some work from home hours with real estate, I know that I am not ready to work out in the real world!

A major milestone that snuck up on me is Alexander growing out of his beloved nickname, Potatoes.  I don't know if it is because of our new setting, his maturity, or just the passage of time, but we find ourselves calling him Potatoes less and less, and now almost never.  I love hearing our Florida friends refer to him as Potatoes, because the name holds so much love.  I primarily call him Alexander now, while Daniel often refers to him as Bro and Brodie (or Brodie Man).  He has stepped into his role as big brother and maybe the name came with that role.

At 4 years old and 4 months old, this is the only time our boys will be the 'same' age!

Weekend Visitors

We had a great visit with Ahgo this past weekend!

Nikolai's smile says it all

Both boys certainly showered Ahgo with attention

This may have been the first time Nikolai was up and active for Anne

After major weather delays and crazy snow driving, we were able to meet Adam's girlfriend, Emily

It is easy to see the Martin Crew felt Emily fit right in!

On Sunday, we headed up to Mount Charleston for some sledding fun

As usual, Alexander stepped up as the ring leader, telling the adults whose turn it was.  We try very hard to temper his tendency to boss adults, but sometimes we let his natural leadership tendencies shine through.

Nikolai went down a couple times and seemed to love it as much as last time

Even Zoey took a ride!  She is not shy about letting you know when things stress her out.  Surprisingly, she was perfectly calm going down the sled.  She just didn't like it when Daniel put his feet out of the sled to start slowing down.

After a good nap, we got back together to watch the play-offs.  Bryan may have been disappointed to see the Packers lose, but he stepped up to enjoying some baby snuggles.

It was an honor to host Emily, especially knowing the struggle it took for her to get to Vegas (two canceled flights, and finally a three hour snow laden car ride to a different airport).  Ahgo is family and it really means a lot for us to have been able to spend time with Emily and him together.  We had a great weekend and look forward to spending more time with Emily and Adam in the future!

To Oregon We Go!

We had a fabulous time jet setting to Oregon for a long weekend!

Nikolai did great on his first plane ride, despite having just entered his fourth developmental leap.  He has been extremely clingy since the leap began, but as long as I am snuggling him, feeding him, or talking to him, he is his usual smiley self.  He just does not find solo play very entertaining right now.

Alexander, of course, made friends in the airport and on the plane.  I was very grateful because we had to stand in line at security for just over an hour, with me carrying ALL of our bags and the baby.  Luckily the two people in front of us, who I believe were from France, were extremely helpful in getting my bags through the checkpoint.

We were so excited to see Papa waiting for us at the airport in Portland.  Alexander literally threw his tablet to the ground, took off at a sprint yelling, "Papa!!!" and jumped into his arms.  I think this was the best birthday present we could have possibly offered my dad.

When we got to Papa and Grandma Jay's house, Alexander was amazed by his set up!  He had a polar bear sleeping bag that was about the softest thing ever, a game pack with markers and chalk to draw in the garage with.  Nikolai and Alexander were especially crazy about the sleeping bag!

Checking things out with Papa

Despite the cold, wet Oregon winter, we found lots to do, including a swim

Trying out the kickboard and flippers

Snuggles with Grandma Jay

One year old lab, Duncan, wasn't quite sure what to think of Alexander with his spastic movements and high volume.  He was extremely gentle and curious, and enjoyed spending time with Alexander so long as his mama was there, too.

Duncan loved Nikolai!  When Grandma Jay and Nikolai were at the house alone with Duncan, the sweet pup brought his toys over to our baby, squeaking them and then giving baby kisses.  Whenever Nikolai was away from his crazy older brother, Duncan would come over to say hello.

One of the highlights of our trip was Papa's birthday dinner.  Jay thought to take us to the Old Spaghetti Factory.  The one in Atlanta closed down, but was my favorite as a kid!  The restaurant feels fancy with its fixtures from all over the world, and yet is a very family friendly environment.  Plus, any meal that ends in ice cream is a win in my book!

We had a fabulous time celebrating Papa's birthday!

As long as this guy is snuggled, he is a happy baby!

Alexander had so much fun with his activity pack

Pictures cannot do this rainbow justice.  The colors were so bright, they shone over the trees.  The color spectrum actually started over underneath the rainbow, and there was a separate rainbow above this one, for a double rainbow.  It was the most vibrant rainbow I have ever seen.

Our big guy was not going to go without his share of Papa snuggles

Grandma Jay gave us a quick tour of the courthouse before heading into court.

She is like a real life super hero, taking bad guys off the streets!

We are excited for future visits to Oregon, especially when the weather is warmer and dryer.  We had a great time and I was so proud of both boys on the plane trips.

Happy Birthday, Papa!  We sure love you!

Nikolai is Three Months Old for Christmas!

On Christmas Eve, this amazing guy turned three months old

This little pj set was mine on my first Christmas.  Alexander wore it for his first Christmas, and now Nikolai is wearing it!  Being three months old instead of days old, and being extra long, it didn't fit him quite as well as it did Xander and me, but he is still pretty darn cute.

Looking like a little boy already

Caesar's Palace for Christmas Eve

What a clown

A Bumble in his "sock"

Our traditional Christmas cinnamon rolls

Zoey was worn out quick from all the activity

So was Nikolai!

 We spent the whole day in our pajamas, playing with our new toys and enjoying family time

Milestones

First car trip!  He did fabulous on both legs, having only a quick meltdown at hour 5 in each direction.  A little break from the car seat and a change of clothes and he was happy and smiling for the rest of the trip.

He loves to giggle and chat.  His favorite things are his duck rattle and the fan, which daddy made extra special by hanging the duck FROM the fan.  Mind blown!  When we got back from Tucson, he saw the duck was still there and had the biggest fit of giggles.  Heart melted!  His sounds are really starting to develop.  Alexander asked him if he wanted something, and we all heard him say,
"I dooooo!"

His hips have self corrected!  He no longer shows any signs of hip dysplasia from being breach.

He is very tall, needing 3-6 month clothes for his height, even though they are a bit baggy in girth.

He still wakes up around midnight and 3am, and then wants to be up for the day between 4 and 5am.  Luckily he really likes toys, so often I can catch a few more minutes by turning on his mobile.

His feet are crazy sweaty.  A couple of times I have wondered if his diaper leaked to his feet....then I realized this little guy just sweats through them!

We are in the third leap and it has been rough.  The first two leaps were easy,m with minimal sleep disruptions or mood changes, but showing all the developmental breakthroughs as expected.  This third leap has left us grumpy and sleepless.  Here's to the other side!

A Terrific Time in Tucson

Merry Christmas to All!

While we enjoy exploring new gifts, eating too much, and watching Christmas classics, we are still talking about how fabulous our Christmas kickoff was with a trip to Tucson.

We made so many memories with Grandpa and Grandmomma this week

They live adjacent to a national park, so we had lots of beautiful walks

Alexander received a Scott Fargus hat from Grandpa, and immediately began acting like the classic Christmas bully....  T-R-O-U-B-L-E!  Luckily Grandpa had a great sense of humor about it.

We headed out to Rooster's farm to feed animals and had countless belly laughs and a few ostrich bites.  We even met Rooster himself!

Daniel's reaction to the goats in the wall was hysterical.  He laughed bigger than his normally stoic self allows.  He even went for a little goat smooch!

Grandpa leaning in for a goat kiss

These ostriches were able to draw blood!

Our big guy was up for the challenge, though!

Granpda held Nikolai so Alexander and I could go in and feed the birds

This shot makes them look so friendly!  But they got pretty competitive and feisty.

We spent so much time outdoors enjoying the gorgeous weather and scenery

Alexander wanted a turn in the Ergo

Getting mesquite wood ready for the grill

These two...

Snuggled up enjoying cartoon classics like Pink Panther and Road Runner

Nikolai giggled endlessly with Grandpa

We enjoyed Old Tucson, the setting of over 400 movies and TV shows including John Wayne films and Little House on the Prairie.  Grandpa took a turn wearing baby so I could enjoy the stunt show complete with a Wild West shootout

Such great bonding happened.  It was really a wonderful trip.

Riding the train through Old Tucson

Even though he didn't quite weigh enough per the sign, the guy running the zipline at Old Tucson said he thought Alexander was brave enough, and he had a harness that was the right size.  Alexander showed no fear and focused his attention on shooting the laser gun at the targets as he raced down the track.  He did so well, the guy gave him a second trip free, and Alexander beat his former shot score by 30 points!

A little fun in Old Tucson!

We went to a traditional Mexican restaurant and Grandpa got our waiter to sing to our table (he only sang two songs the whole time we were there).  Alexander requested Feliz Navidad and had the whole place jamming!  In true Potatoes fashion, he also shmoozed with everyone at the bar, getting the pretty bartenders to come to our table and having one of the guys offer to buy him a beer because he was so smooth.

Grandpa and Grandmomma just got a puppy, Joey, who fell in love with both Zoey and Xander.  At first both were overwhelmed.  Eventually Alexander matched Joey's energy, even wearing the puppy out to where he hid under the bed from his new best friend.  Zoey, on the other hand, never quite got playful with the puppy, but she did protect him from a German Sheppard that dared walk too close, so I think she accepted him as her pesky little pack mate!

Hunting turquoise

Smashing the big rocks to find the vein of turquoise inside

Not a successful operation without a little bloodshed

Absolutely beautiful

The men in the Man Cave

Ready for Christmas dinner

A feast!

Watch out for Grandpa with the pop gun from Old Tucson

Looking sharp for Christmas dinner

We had an amazing Christmas with Grandpa and Grandmomma.  They truly spoiled each of us with presents and experiences.  We are excited to live within driving distance so we can make more trips in the future.

A gift for Grandmomma from fun times we had in Vegas.  Table Topics, a game that got us all talking and provided for interesting conversation.

Comfy cozy in Georgia's red and black

For our final morning, we headed out for a hike. Just minutes from the house offered a perfect climb!

Like a mountain goat, Xander raced up the mountain, despite the path being covered in cacti and pricklies on all sides.

A little Lion King moment

A view from the top

Three generations of Martin men

We are looking forward to future visits to Tucson and continued exploring!