Rollin' Rollin' Rollin!!!

And he did it! Today, Bowman rolled from his back to his tummy...twice! I'm going to have to get an actual video of it next time. He rolled before Craig could capture it and AFTER he put the camera away...ERR!!!

Bowman is 5 months old!!

Happy 5 months Bowman O'Neil!! You've been through a lot since you came into this world, but you still greet every day with a huge smile. Daddy and I love you so much and, for the most part, you are a very easy baby...you just go with the flow!! You love to sit in your Bumbo; I think you enjoy looking at the world from this perspective...laying on your back gets very old. And, actually, you sit up perfectly straight...guess I need to take another picture of that! You also enjoy the kick mat we recently bought for you, your bouncy swing, and the exersaucer. In fact, you're pretty content with pretty much everything.
You are trying so hard to roll from your back to your belly...If only you could figure out how to get that arm out of the way! I actually think you will be successful within the next week or so...you are one determined little man! You can sit up with little assistance, and do your best work in the tub. Porter sat up completely on his own at 6months...at this rate, you might just beat him! We're still working on our goal of 12 hours of sleep straight, but you've proven for a few nights that 9 hours uninterrupted is possible...guess I can't complain too much! When you do get up, you suck down your bottle and are back to sleep until at least 7am...but aren't afraid to sleep until 8!!

Like I mentioned before, you are very laid-back and honestly only cry for 2 reasons...TIRED and HUNGRY!! In the morning, you get so irriated when we change your diaper before your bottle...by the time the tears start to flow, you are so over everything and just want what you want! I guess that's one of the main reasons Daddy and I don't have the heart to just let you "cry it out." The tears are so few and far between, and I know you are really in need when you cry out for us.

Eating food has been going well! We're still just dabbling with rice cereal, and you typically eat about 2 ounces at a time. You've had no problems adjusting to this addition to your diet, and get so excited when I put you in your high chair! I'm actually looking forward to starting you on veggies in a few weeks!

Bowman, you are a very happy baby, and I cannot imagine my world without you. You love your big brother and spend most of your days grinning at him; he even makes you laugh out loud! These next few months will be very exciting -- sitting up, eating veggies and fruit, and even crawling. Part of me will be sad...my baby is growing up, but I know you will love all the new experiences and will become even more amazed with the world as your methods of exploration expand!

Porter: 2 1/2!!!

Oh, my Porter Monroe! I cannot believe you are 2 and 1/2!!! You are growing into an incredibly sweet and intelligent little boy...your daddy and I are always amazed by your memory. You can easily remember the smallest of details from events that happened weeks ago, but seem to "misplace" items on a regular basis -- I think you just like having someone help you LOOK for something! People often stop me in public to ask how old you are when they hear you speak. 5-6 word sentences are your norm, and you literally talk from sun up to sun down. And to think there was actually a brief conversation with the pediatrician about speech therapy at one point! You have so many things you enjoy doing: reading books, playing with cars/trains, watching movies -- Toy Story still remains a favorite!, drawing/coloring pictures, and playing outside just to name a few. You love your weekly sessions on the Tumblebus; Daddy and I are so glad we signed you up for that! You love going to school, and talk about all your friends: Liam, Addison, Tanner, Xan, and Luke in particular. You get excited talking about your teachers too; Miss Rae, Miss Becca, and Miss Danielle have a true fan in you. You can recite your ABCs, count to 10, name colors, and make pretty much any animal noise there is, from snakes to donkeys!!
You've proven to be quite the loving older brother, and I can only hope your affection for Bowman will continue. Daily, you give your little brother kisses and hugs. You even enjoy playing with him; of course, right now Bowman doesn't object when you take his toys...let's see how things are going in another year. You love spending time with your family, and can recite where everyone lives....Aunt Leslie is in "York," Uncle Al is in "Delavare," Mimi is in "Booford," and we live in "Blythevood."

You love to go on trips, whether it's to the Children's Museum or to Shellmore to see Mommy's college girlfriends. Daddy has turned you into a true Gamecock fan; you are already asking when you can go to another football game! You love to kick the soccer ball, and I think your Daddy is hoping you'll follow in his footsteps and end up on the soccer field. Only time will tell...

Porter, so much has changed in such a short time. You are growing into such a big boy...or a GUY as you like to tell me. Now, we just need to work on that potty training stuff!!

Weekend FUN!

Here are a few pictures from this past weekend...we took the boys to EdVenture. Porter is quite a fan of Curious George, so we knew he'd be excited to see him "in person." On Sunday, we went out to Chapin to spend the afternoon and evening with Craig's parents. We always have a great time with Grammy and Pop-Pop!!

YUMMY YUMMY IN MY TUMMY!!

Tonight was a big night for Bowman...my parents have been incredibly generous lately with "care packages," and my dad dropped off the most recent one yesterday. Included was 2 boxes of rice cereal, so I decided to give it a go tonight. Bowman was a little unsure at first, but after a few bites, he really seemed to get the hang of it...and even started grabbing the spoon for more! Looks like starting Bowman on baby food is going to be a lot easier than I'd anticipated!

WHAT!?!!?

So, I got a call from the pediatrician this afternoon...Bowman's stool culture was back, and it was positive for SALMONELLA!!!!! HUH!?!?! Yep, salmonella. Craig and I are beyond dumb-founded...guess I need to buy a few gallons of bleach tomorrow...thankfully, the icky part of this stomach "bug" seems to be behind us. Now I just get to work on getting him back on his schedule....yay.

Bowman's 4-Month "Well" Check

Today, Bowman and I headed over to Dr. Cabiness's office for his 4-month checkup. Yes, I know I'm a few weeks late...it seems 2 kids have cost me the loss of my brain at times! This appointment was also a follow up appointment. Bowman has had a stomach virus since Saturday morning, so we were checking to make sure all was well. I'm happy to report he is on the road to recovery! Hopefully, over the next few days my little boy will be back to his former self. His schedule has pretty much gone out the window; he's had very little appetite and has only wanted to sleep when held by Mommy or Daddy. But, today he shot me a few grins and was actually rather chatty, so I'm remaining optimistic. Anyway, his well visit was great, and the doctor seemed quite pleased with his progress. In fact, he even commented that Bowman was quite the little chatterbox; it's always nice when our children "perform" for the doctors! Here's his latest growth stats:

Weight: 15 lbs. (52%) -- A drop in this category, but we're guessing he's lost some weight over the last few days between the lack of appetite AND the endless diaper changes!!

Height: 26 inches (83%)

Head: 43 cm (83%)

Bowman is still measuring smaller than his big brother; Porter was 15 lbs, 8oz and 27 inches long at this point. Wonder if Bowman will continue to remain our "little" man????

Spring Has Sprung!!

Who can complain about 80-degree weather?? This time of year means less TV and more time outside -- a parents dream!! Craig and I took advantage of the gorgeous weather today, and took the boys to the Riverbanks Zoo. We definitely weren't the only people with that idea, and I was glad we were there by 10 am. We spent a good 2 1/2 hours there, including lunch. I am always amazed by how much Porter knows. He easily identifies all the animals, and I always laugh when his favorites change with each visit...this week he was so excited to see the elephants and the alligator! I am so thankful Craig's parents get us a membership every year; Porter loves going and I know Bowman will too...when he's old enough to realize what we're doing!
Waiting to ride the train!

Mommy with her boys

Porter and Daddy on the carousel

Kid In the Kitchen

This past weekend was yucky...rainy and cold with more rain and cold. Days like that, Craig and I are always looking for ways to pass the time. So, when Porter woke up from his nap on Sunday, he and Daddy got busy in the kitchen -- making brownies!
Porter loves to help in the kitchen, but I really think he knows what treat lies at the end of each task...licking the spatulas!! Who needs an afternoon snack when you have uncooked chocolate brownie mix??? YUM!!

We've actually made brownies a few times and, to be honest, Porter's not really a fan. In fact, he's not a fan of most "cake-like" items. Sure he'll lick some icing and some batter, but when it comes to actually eating the finished product...well, let's just say he does NOT take after his mother. I've never met a cake/brownie/cookie I didn't like!

Bowman looked on the whole time...I think secretly wishing for a little chocolate himself :)

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!!

Tonight, after waiting all day, we finally got some snow! We waited through a rather chilly and wet weekend, and were happy when the flakes started to finally come down. Craig and I put Bowman down for the night, bundled Porter up, and headed outside. Though the snow wasn't sticking, it was still fun to see just how excited Porter was to see it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed we get more snow days during his childhood, especially since he kept asking if we could build a snowman! Catching snowflakes on his tongue!

A special THANK YOU to Grammy for Porter's rain boots...they definitely came in handy tonight!!

Examining snowflakes with Daddy!