Kingston Gets a Cold + Date Night

Poor Kingston suffered from a lingering cold for what seemed like weeks. So strange to see someone so sad when they're otherwise so happy.

In much healthier times...

Yo, yo, yo...gotta love Snapchat

Super baby!

Twinsies

Lovin' from Lita

For Christmas, one of my clients got me a Ruth's Chris steakhouse gift certificate and a night rental at his downtown Airbnb. So Nana kept Danny and Crew, while Kingston set off with mom and dad for a date day/night.

A little too eager for solids and sippy cups!

Trooper at Ruth's Chris about 9pm

Crewberry

Sideways hat don't care

While getting Crew ready for bed the other day, I heard Jimmy in the other room say, "what Crew? Did you just say 'namaste'?" To which Crew said, "yes, I do yoga today" and then apparently showed him a special pose. He and Danny both take yoga at preschool. Such privileged little boogers!

Also cute was the day after the Super Bowl, Crew kept demanding he wanted something and I couldn't understand what he was saying. Fast forward a day, while looking over my shoulder while I nursed Kingston, he spotted a pic of Lady Gaga's Halftime Show and I realized he was saying, "I want Gaga". Yeah, her performance was that good!

He continues to have the most extreme emotions of anyone I've ever met. Aloof one second, super happy the next, very sensitive and crying the next. It's like a roller coaster with this one! Gets his feelings so easily hurt by Danny and hates to be scolded.

As I mentioned in Kingston's 5.5 month post, Crew basically smothers his baby brother 90% of the day!

Wakes up in his big boy bed in the morning after naps and calls for me to come get him and then the first thing out of his mouth is always, "carry my stuff" (read: his 15+ stuffed animals) and then "I want cereal". Food monster!

You're anything but easy-going, Crew, but you're so uniquely you and we love you to the moon and back!

Danny's a good big brother...most of the time

Fire fighting

With mommy at Sephora - said the models on the wall are "scary"

Kingston at 5.5 Months

Kingston is well on his way to 6 months old (gasp), so it's time to give his latest month-by-month update! He continues to be just the best, most lovable baby in the world. And that's saying a lot, as we've already had two babies we loved so much. He just really is so chill and happy. Yay us! Okay, for the details... he's not fully sitting up yet, but doing it some assisted. Note to self to break out the Bumbo chair. I probably did that earlier with the other boys - oh well! He's a seasoned champ at the back-to-belly roll, but just started flipping the other way - belly-to-back. This is good because he gets tired on his belly and used to fuss until someone rolled him back over. But this is also bad because he sleeps like a CHAMP on his belly and now he rolls to his back at night and thinks it's time to play. Le sigh. Can't complain though because he really sleeps well otherwise. Like we're talking 7:30pm until I have to wake him up at 7:30am the next morning, so we can get the older boys to school on time. Can't remember if I mentioned this before, but he's a full on right thumb sucker, just like Danny! He begrudgingly took a paci to fall asleep during naps for a while, but always lost it mid-nap. So when he started randomly sucking his thumb during play time, I decided to start "offering" him the same thumb for naps and bedtime and it finally took! Now thumb-to-mouth is my cue that's he tired and ready to sleep. Danny and Crew both love him so much. Crew a little too much. Like I must say 50 times a day, "get out of his face", "don't smother him", "not his face", "don't yank him", "you're too much for him", etc. To which Crew says, "I be nice to Kingston" (Kingston comes out with a southern twang for some reason) and "Kingston funny" (read: Kingston thinks I'm funny, he's laughing).

Bless

Little "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" action

Doing his Supermans

Deep thoughts

Save me, mom!

After two other kids, I know it's coming...next up is teething (boo) and solid foods (yay).

Just a Fun Photo Dump

Mama has been sick with a bad case of strep throat the last couple days...while Jimmy was out of town on business. What a nightmare, but finally feeling a little better. Anyways, a photo dump is all I can muster!

Pre-Crew's Boo Boo (hence no scar):

The 89th car he had to show and describe to me while I worked

A rare treat at "chicken wife" as Crew calls Chic-Fil-A

More Recent:

The only time double chins are cute

Loving his get well balloons from Aunt Ali, Uncle Dieter and Colin

On field trip to the downtown library with Danny

Sleeping like the dead with all this "stuff"

#TMNT

Loving his get well "Super Bear" from Grandma and Grandpa Ron

"Danny, carry my stuff!" a.k.a all his stuffed animals. What a good brother.

That smile!

Trip to the aquarium with daddy and Papa

Crew's post op - "Crew, let's pose next to this cool chair!"

Helping mommy unload groceries...sans pants

My workout partner as of late

Cuddle bug

Filling out 6 month jammies from Grandma like a champ

Crew gets a Boo Boo

Crew has always been a bit of a live wire and we've always said that it would be him that got stitches first and sure enough, we were right! Busted his lip and due to his age and the location of the laceration (on the vermillion border), no Urgent Care, our pediatrician or the ER would do the job, so we ended up at the Surgical Pavilion at NHRMC. Dr. Jaskolka with with oral and maxillofacial department in particular was assigned to his case. It was a really tough afternoon for us all thinking about the cost and ordeal of general anesthesia and the surgery. But finally at about 9pm they gave him a little bit of "baby valium" to relax him and then lured him back to the OR with the prospect of a giant balloon. I was strong all night, but lost it when they took him away. Worst part, however, was approaching the recovery room and hearing him screaming. And then not being able to console him because he was so out of it. A sad, sad sight. Happy to report that we both survived and by the next morning he was back to his happy, spunky self.

Got 4 stitches on lip and 1 below

Plus two stitches inside 

Pre-op in good spirits

Post-op after freaking out. Passed out again.

Loving his souvenir 

Washing the hospital off

Lip's a little fat, but otherwise great!

Sleep Shifts

It's been an exciting week in the O'Connor household! I've been a little slow on the typical transitions - have my hands full and was trying to save myself some stress around the holidays - but Crew has finally moved into his "big boy bed", the bottom bunk in Danny's room. Happy to report that he's doing great. Seems to enjoy the freedom, yet really doesn't even try to get out, and likes to say "my bed is comfy!" And on the Kingston front, we're officially weaned from the swaddle during naps too and he's been sleeping through the night! Hallelujah! I'd be hesitant and err on the side of "fluke", but it's been consistent for a week now. He's also back to taking good naps. Goodbye 4 month sleep regression - don't let the door hit you on the way out!

The dress rehearsal the day before

Loves lovie, paci not so much

Checking emails is boring. Ignore shoe

Flipping to belly constantly - especially during sleep 

Happy guy