* Tripp is now wearing 9-month clothes (Gymboree 6-12 month clothes fit too).  He wears a size 3 diaper during the day and a size 4 at night.

* He weighs just over 18 pounds!

* Tripp is eating solids 3 times a day – almost 5 jars of baby food!  He also “gums” a lot of different solids – so far mango, banana, chicken, green beans, and scrambled eggs.  Tripp is still nursing 4 times a day plus his evening bottle.  As you can see – he eats a lot!

* Tripp is on the move!  He isn’t crawling in the conventional since, but he pulls himself with his arms and pushes with his legs.  He is also sitting very steadily and pulls up to standing when holding our hands.

We couldn’t love Tripp more if we tried – he is a JOY!!!  One of my favorite things is how much he loves his sister.  In some ways we have reached an “easy” period with the kids – Abby Ruth & Tripp play together and I can actually get dinner ready or laundry folded!  Tripp is much happier when his sister is around and loves watching her play.

* While taking a shower today, I had Tripp sitting in his baby tub (so he could sit and play with toys without falling backwards) and Abby Ruth was also in the bathroom.  This is a normal occurance – as most mommas know, you don’t ever get to shower alone!  Usually they are fine – sometimes Tripp will fuss, or Abby will get into something she shouldn’t, but today definitely takes the cake!  I stepped out of the shower to watch my daughter pour a cup of water over her brother’s head.  I had to cover my mouth with the towel so Abby Ruth wouldn’t see me laughing… the look on Tripp’s face was priceless!  I did scold her and took her to bed (it was naptime anyway) – hopefully she won’t do that again, and if you are wondering why I was upset, stop for a  moment and think about where she got that water…  Tripp was then given a bath :-)

* Abby Ruth has been adding to her vocabulary on a daily basis – last week it was: dark, stuck, tear, tissue – just to name a few.  Now she is starting to string words together and she says the FUNNIEST things!  Sunday we had the following conversation at the breakfast table… Abby: “Abby and Doot Doot stuck!”  Me: “You’re stuck?  Do you want to get down?” (She got down from the table and walked over to Tripp’s highchair) Abby to Tripp: “Are you stuck?  Don’t be stuck!  Mommy, Doot Doot stuck!”  She cracks me up!

* We have a picture frame in the stairwell with pictures of many different family members in it.  After naptime the other day Abby Ruth randomly started naming EVERYONE in the frame.  It is amazing what she notices and picks up on everyday!   

* Tripp is starting to crawl!  He isn’t up on hands and knees yet but can scoot around on his own and is sooo much happier for it!  He does get up on his knees but hasn’t figured out the rhythm yet.  Abby Ruth never crawled (until after she had started walking) so it is really fun to see this stage in development!

* Running update – I ran 2.5 miles without stopping!  2 months ago I went back to the gym and couldn’t run more than .25 miles without needing a break – since then I’ve lost 4 pounds and am running over 3 miles each workout.  I can definitely tell a difference and I’m excited that my hard work is paying off - I’m officially BELOW pre-Abby Ruth weight and feeling great!!!

Like I said, there is truly never a dull moment at our house.  We are busy with life and loving almost every minute of it ;-)

So, last week when Tripp hit the 6-month mark, he also arrived at his first “cold turkey” experience – lose the pacifier.  Tom said, “It’s going to be a loud few days,” (as he heads off to work – lol) and that was the understatement of the century!  The first day was pretty rough, Tripp cried quite a bit and it was very difficult for me to withhold the one thing I knew would calm him down.  Day 2 was a little better, and he did get to use the pacifier because we went to the gym (I don’t plan to have a screaming child in public if I can help it!). 

Long story short, that was a week ago and Tripp is pacifier free (at home) and doing great!  I am glad we tackled this hurdle now because soon we will enter the seemingly endless months of teething, and who wants to take a pacifier away from a child who is in pain??  He has continued to use it when we are out (if he gets fussy), but I have already noticed that he needs it less often than he did a week ago – SUCCESS!

A friend asked if I would use the pacifier again with baby #3, and I think I definitely would.  It hasn’t been hard to take away and it made life much easier when he was small.  I will just have to remember that breaking the habit means a few very loud days :-)

Tom’s sister lives in St. Louis, and his parents were visiting for the week – so off we went to get a “family fix” and a change of pace for a few days.  It is a VERY long drive from Birmingham (9 hours if you don’t stop) so we opted to drive to Memphis on Thursday night (we stopped in Hamilton to leave Zoe with my parents) and finish the journey on Friday.  This turned out to be a great plan because the kids slept most of the way to Memphis and took naps on Friday as well.  All and all the drive up wasn’t bad – considering we were traveling with two very small children!

We had a really wonderful visit with Tom’s family and I got a nice break from full time motherhood.  Abby Ruth stayed at Kimmy’s house while Tom and I (with Tripp of course) headed to a hotel.  This was such a treat – beds you don’t have to make, breakfast you don’t fix or clean up after, towels that magically appear clean and folded – heavenly!  Also – one child is SOOO much easier than two – as Tom’s mom said, “One is the easiest number!”  We didn’t bring a lot of toys for Tripp, but who needs toys when you have a sink and shampoo samples?

We really enjoyed spending time with family – Abby had a great time with her Aunt Kimmy, Uncle D, Mimi & Poppy (yes, my daughter is calling Tom’s dad “Poppy” instead of Papa)!  It was a beautiful weekend and the kids got to play outside a good bit.  Abby Ruth loved watching the boys play ball – she even got in there and tried it a bit… but I don’t think she will be very successful without her eyes being open!

It’s good to be home and back in our routine, but the break was a welcome one and a trip we will remember for years to come.  We are very blessed to have a family (on both sides) that loves us and wants to spend time with us.

* Abby Ruth found Tom’s hat on Friday and began putting it on Zoe (who she has started calling Aubrey – my parents’ dog’s name).  Saturday morning she started chasing Zoe around with the hat saying, “Hat, hat, Aubrey need a hat!” 

* Besides calling Tripp “Doot Doot,” Abby has also begun calling him, “T.”  I didn’t think anything of this until a friend pointed out that she has no way of knowing that his name starts with T.  Apparently she picked up on it at some point when we were reading an alphabet book – it’s amazing what she hears and remembers!

* When I put Tripp down for a nap on Saturday, he cried for a while (this has been happening because he’s in “family withdrawal”).  The monitor was on and Abby Ruth went over to it and picked it up like a phone, put it to her ear and said, “Don’t cry!  Don’t cwry Doot Doot!”

* Tripp has discovered his mouth – or at least some of the noises he can make with it!  He makes “raspberries” all the time now, which makes it hard to tell his sister not to spit!

* While in the tub yesterday, Abby Ruth was splashing and Tripp was watching her intently… within moments, he started mimicking her and laughing – I LOVE having two kids!

* Tripp weighs around 17 pounds – I think… his 6-month appointment is next Friday and I will update his height/weight after that.

* He can sit independently and play with toys, but he isn’t dependable yet and will fall over if he isn’t watched. 

* Tripp is VERY strong – he can pull himself to a sitting position if he’s holding your hands.  Considering how strong his upper body is, I think he will be crawling in the next month or two.

* He eats solids twice each day and nurses 4 times – he then takes an 8 ounce bottle before bed.  Tripp’s favorite food is carrots – he LOVES them!  We will add a 3rd feeding of solids soon and then Tripp will probably drop one of those nursing sessions.

* Tripp is a social bug!  He hates to be left alone and loves to “talk” to people.  He and Abby Ruth are beginning to “play” together which is a huge blessing and adorable to watch!

* He’s a big fan of the pacifier – this unfortunately has to stop…  Not looking forward to weaning him from the object that keeps him quiet and happy so often.

* Tripp is still a GREAT sleeper – he takes great morning and afternoon naps (about 1.5 hours each) and sleeps for about 11 hours at night.  For a long time he woke up between 5 and 6 every day – but it seems that is changing to 6 or 6:30, a welcome change!

* No teeth yet, but I think the process has begun.  He keeps his fingers or toys in his mouth at all times – not a lot of drool yet, but I’m sure that’s coming too.

We are in love with this little guy – I cannot say that enough.  Even when he has a bad day and fusses a lot… he has the most precious smile I’ve ever seen and it melts away frustration.  I’m enjoying every moment – and hate that it’s going so quickly.

So, for posterity’s sake, here is the awesome (in my opinion) schedule we have fallen into at home - I’m sure it will soon change, as everything does with babies.

5:30 – 6:00am:  Tripp is up, nurses and eats solids

7:00:  Abby Ruth wakes up and has breakfast

8:00: Family Devotions – followed by playtime with both kids since this is a nice happy awake time for Tripp

9:00:  Tripp naps – A.R. & I get some housework done and I clean up for the day (unless we are going to the gym)

10:30:  Tripp nurses again – if we have errands to run we go after he eats.

12:00:  Lunchtime for me and A.R.

1:00:  Tripp nurses

1:30 – 3:30:  Abby Ruth’s afternoon nap

2:00 – 3:30:  Tripp’s afternoon nap

4:00:  Tripp nurses and Abby gets a snack

5:00:   Tripp eats solids and I finish dinner while Abby Ruth watches “bob” – that’s VeggieTales for those of you who don’t speak toddler :-)

5:30ish:  Dinnertime for the fam!  Tom usually takes the kiddos to the playroom after dinner so I can clean up the kitchen.  I think it’s their favorite time of the day – playing with Daddy!

6:30:  Tripp gets a bottle

7:00 – 7:30:  Time for bed – Tripp is down at 7 and Abby follows soon after that :-)

So that’s our day – in case you wondered :-)  It goes by amazingly fast because we have to fit errands, the gym, laundry and housework in somewhere!  But most of the time our days our filled with laughter, books, videos, and other things that make a 2-year-old smile.

* Abby Ruth had a word EXPLOSION last week!  She is now saying: fly, oh my, what’s wrong, star, pool, swing, slide, chip, running…. like I said, it was a big week for words!

* Tripp is sitting!  He isn’t very steady, and loses his balance if he leans side to side.  If he starts to fall backwards (onto his boppy), he can pull himself back to sitting – now those are strong abs!

* Potty training hasn’t been great… I think it’s normal that when you visit a new place there are more accidents, and boy did we have some accidents!  Hopefully this week will be better :-)

* I ran 1.75 miles without stopping!  There is a 3+ mile loop at my parents house that I am determined to run without stopping on my next visit.  Running outside in the heat and humidity - not as easy…

* We are looking forward to getting back to our routine.  Hamilton was a great break and the kids are worn out – but it’s always nice to be home!

Every time we visit my parents Abby Ruth wakes up VERY early – she knows her nana and papa are early risers and is motivated to get started… before 6!  The lack of sleep combined with playing outside in our Alabama heat makes for a very crabby child by lunch.  Over the past couple of days she has been ready for her nap by noon and it’s all we can do to get lunch in her belly before she passes out!  Tripp has been off his schedule as well – just part of visiting a new place I guess.

The last time we visited, Abby Ruth fell in love with the new swingset – especially the swings.  She points in that direction and says, “Whee?”  She has always loved playing in the sand, and the pool is fun – but has also held a healthy amount of fear and uncertainty for Abby.  Well, not anymore!  Abby Ruth is getting VERY brave when it comes to the “big pool.”  She can get in and out by herself and does so whether she is in a bathing suit or not.  She is working on blowing bubbles while kicking her feet and she has started jumping in from the side (if I’m there to catch her).  I love that she is enjoying the water – I’ve always loved to swim and I hope both my kids do too. 

As you can see, we are having a great time.  I miss Tom and the kiddos do too – but it’s nice to escape the normal every once and awhile.  Thankfully, my parents welcome our visits and help out with the kids enough that I feel like I’m getting a mini-vacation!  Hopefully I will go home refreshed, and the littles will be so tired that they will sleep in and take long naps for a few days…. well, I can dream can’t I?

*  Abby Ruth is now in jail – well, she’s locked in her room at least!  She had been leaving her room to roam the halls in the middle of the night.   Instead of me having to get up and return her to bed, we turned her lock around and she is now stuck.  She doesn’t like this new system at all, but it keeps her safe and me sleeping!

*  Abby Ruth had a low-grade fever Thursday & Friday – so we began the weekend in “recovery mode.”  On top of that Tom had to work ALL DAY Saturday so I was flying solo :-(  We did get to meet him for lunch – a very welcome treat!

*  Tripp is almost sitting!  His balance needs work, but his back and abs are very strong – I think he’ll be sitting on his own soon!  He has also started pulling hair – an achievement that really upsets and confuses his sister.

*  Sunday was Father’s Day and the daddy at our house (who we love SOOO much) wanted to chill out :-).  So we had a calm, quiet Sunday.