The Ducote Family

Monday, February 16, 2015

Julia Ann-5 months!!

Happy 5 months to sweet Julia Ann!  She is a chubby, happy, rolling machine this month!  The day after she turned 4 months (January 9th) she started rolling and hasn't looked back.  She now rolls from back to tummy and tummy to back and when you put her down in one spot give her a few minutes and she will be on the other side of the room.  We are officially at the stage where the small toys need to be up high and the floors need to be vacuumed more than I care to do so.  
She is definitely a "groaner".  She rarely cries but will groan...Daddy and I joke around because we aren't sure how it gets so loud with her mouth being closed but it definitely is loud! She sometimes does it if she seems to be concentrating on something (like trying to get a toy) or if she needs something.  
We have been able to get awesome videos this past month of her laughing at Joseph and Ella.  She takes after Ella with such a great belly laugh and her older siblings are definitely so awesome at getting her to do so.  She is also grabbing our faces and loves when we kiss her cheeks as she opens her mouth and rubs her cheek next to yours-so sweet.  I smile everytime I change her because I just love her chubby thighs!!  She continues to be so laid back and happy and we feel so blessed with her!
5 months today!!
 
 She is sitting up by herself for a few seconds at a time although most times she starts to lean forward immediately-still working on that core strength.  
 
 Here are some pictures from the past month
Doing some light reading on January 13th 

 And, bouncing away later that day
Waiting for her rice cereal on January 21st
  On January 21st she tried rice cereal for the first time. She didn't seem to love it but didn't seem to hate it either...most of it probably ended up on her chin. We tried the rice cereal for a few days but then she didn't poop for at least three days so I decided to hold off on the rice cereal until she turns 6 months.  She used to be a very regular pooper but now it is sporadic and definitely not daily so of course I feel like I ruined her digestive system but I'm sure things will work its way out and other than a few nights of using gripe water because she seemed uncomfortable it doesn't seem to bother her so hoping that we don't have any issues in the future.  
Gotta love Joseph on the side of the picture.  He and Ella were so excited for her to eat rice cereal and they even helped feed her!  She still sits with us for dinner most nights even though she isn't eating anything right now.  
 Mommy/Julia selfie on January 22nd
She also discovered that her toes are pretty tasty this past month and she is often caught nibbling on them.  
She'll stick with toes for now instead of rice cereal
January 23rd
 She continues to love the jumper! 
January 30th
 We put away the playgym-pretty pointless these days since this is what happens.
 Staying nice and warm in her cute vest on January 31st.  
February 1st-looking like she is up to no good!
The first week of February she had a pretty gunky eye but it worked itself out and we didn't need to go to the doctor.  It does help that our pediatrician lives in Creekside Village, too, and we ran into her at the grocery store one day and the new village center a few days later so she checked it out for us and said it looked much better!  She was still up for a photo shoot on February 2nd
 We also put the bouncy seat away this month (it probably should have been put away last month!)
Here she is on her last time in it-I was trying to get a picture of her grabbing her toes, leaning all the way forward looking like she was going to tumble onto the ground but was too afraid that if I took a picture then she really would fall.  
Just hanging out on February 4th!
She was supposed to be napping but instead I found her smiling and moving her head around!
 We tried this past month moving her to her own room but after two weeks of not sleeping so well (and most nights her ending up in the guest bed that is in her room with me) we decided to bring her back down to the pack and play.  She normally falls asleep in the swing from 7:30 until 10:00, eats and then we move her to the pack and play and she'll sleep until 4-5ish but will wake up around 1:00 but as long as I put her paci in then she goes back to sleep.  When she was in her room I think she would see me lean over the crib to stick her paci in and get excited so she wouldn't just fall back to sleep so for now this is working out much better.  I know she can't stay in our room forever but with two weeks of visitors at the end of February and one in the beginning of March we figure we'll try again then.  She wakes up in the morning so happy and normally I'll send Joseph and Ella in to entertain her for a bit before I get her which they all love!  I recently purchased a zipadeezip after recommendations from friends (basically a sleep sack but with their arms enclosed as well) so we'll see if that keeps her from waking around 1:00 looking for her paci (it didn't help last night!)  
Waking up  happy on February 8th!
  I went for a run on February 8th and left with Julia asleep in the swing but came back to find her asleep with Daddy like this.  
 Sweet girl! Happy 5 months Julia Ann!

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Random January


It is hard to believe that the first month of 2015 has come and gone already!  It has been a busy month-Rich is back to traveling a bit, we've had some crazy weather (in the 30s one day, 70s the next) and just the normal day to day life but all is good!  
A few fun things to remember from the month about the kids:
-Joseph has almost completed his 25 miles for run club (4 more to go which we have to complete by the end of February so he should be good)
-I asked him a few days ago how he got so smart and he responded, "I'm a geMius!"  It made me laugh!
-He still requests a Jake story from Daddy at bedtime and continues to ask for stories throughout the day from me as well (they vary from ninja turtle, jake, paw patrol or batman stories) and I continue to not like to tell them.  Ha!  I can read books all day but telling stories are not my favorite thing to do so when I do it is normally begrudgingly but last week after one of my stories he says to me, "Mom, that was a great story" which makes it all worth it!
-Ella went pee on the big potty for the first time on January 27th and has continued to do so almost nightly.  It has always occurred during bathtime-she is actually in the bath and normally piggies and then says "poop momma poop" so I go and get her while she is soaking wet, dry her off and put her on the potty.  The first few times she just piggied again but on the 27th she actually peed!  She was SO excited!!!  I gave her a big hug and then she gave Joseph a big hug when she got back in the bath!  We aren't pushing it but she is definitely starting to show more of an interest in it so we'll see what happens in the upcoming months. 
-Ella's reaction to someone praising her is just the cutest thing.  She gets so excited and has the best smile and then always wants a big hug.  She is so animated and just too funny!  
-At church last weekend the priest mentioned Joseph (as in Jesus' father) in his homily and Ella heard it and got so excited-she kept saying "Ja Ja, Ja Ja (which is Joseph for her).  Joseph attends faith formation during church so he wasn't there so we were excited to tell him after how Ella thought that the priest was talking about him.  Two minutes after Ella caught the priest talking about Joseph, the priest was continuing his homily and said, "Jesus speaks with eloquence..." and Ella immediately made an elephant noise and had her arm going up in the air like a trunk.  I couldn't help but laugh!!   I was pretty impressed that she was listening (they really do pick up on so much especially when we don't think they are paying attention) even though she was a little off with what he was saying (elephant and eloquence are pretty much the same thing, though, right? :)  
Sweet, baby Julia has definitely gotten busier this month!  I'll do more of an update on her for her 5 month post at the beginning of February but she is a rolling, almost scooting machine right now!  She continues to be happy and laid back baby and is just getting so big!  How is she almost 5 months?!  
Now for the random pictures from the month!
We've been hanging at the parks for a lot of this month.  As I mentioned earlier the weather has been kidn of crazy and in the beginning of the month there were defintely some chilly, rainy, dark days but that has made us appreciate the sunny days and we have taken full advantage of them and we are defintiely thankful that the 70 degree weather is back for the end of the month. 
January 6th
 LOVE this picture!!!  I can't wait to frame it in Ella's room when she is older.  Ella is definitely a little hoarder/bag lady and is always asking (directing) us to carry her bags for her.
January 9th
 First carousel ride for Julia on January 9th having fun with friends (Joseph was at school)
 Smiley baby!
 On the cold days we were busy building forts!  
And Joseph has been into boobey traps lately so creating lots of boobey traps, too!
 Naked Ella popping up from the fort
 Nothing better than a clean baby
January 10th
 Heading to church on January 11th with Ella in bright orange sandals.  It was rainy and in the 40s today but I just couldn't say no to the sandals -she was so excited and when she says "peese" I always melt a little.  I know, I'm a softie! 
 Julia's first time joining us at the table for dinner on January 11th!  She is such a big girl these days and loves being with us.
 And Ella and Joseph are even more excited than she was!  Both wanted to move their chairs closer to her!
Daddy's travel schedule is picking up a bit in the beginning of the year but when he isn't traveling we just love having him work from home.  A little morning storytime after breakfast while I was cleaning up the kitchen.  So thankful for these four!
 
Julia loving the bumbo
Katie was in Houston for work again so Julia and I met her halfway for dinner on January 13th.  It is always such a treat to see her and I am so thankful that her job brings her to us :) 
 She was carefully supervised as she was sitting on the counter in the bumbo helping me make dinner on January 15th
 Again, nothing better than a clean baby!
January 16th
 Quick photo shoot before church on January 18th
 We had a birthday party on January 18th at My Gym. Both kids love it here so much!  
 Julia looking a little bit too big for the swing on January 19th.  I need to break the habit but she naps so easily in it that I am having a tough time stopping!
 On our way for a walk later that day
 We were lucky enough to get together with our friends, the Byers, twice this past month during the week.  They came to our home for dinner and to watch the BCS bowl and then we headed there for dinner while both of the dads were traveling in the middle of the month.  The kids had a blast and it was a nice way to break up the week.  The only picture that I took was when they were winding down with a little bit of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse before we headed home.
 More happy, sweet, clean baby girl
January 21st
 Enjoying the beautiful day on January 26th
 Sleepy bean later that night!
 Heading to library storytime in style on January 27th
 Julia and her buddy, Kannon, at the park on January 28th
 The weather was gorgeous the last week in January so we were at the park every day!  Olivia came over to play on Wednesday the 28th so we headed to the park-they were so cute together just riding along!
 Julia loving the exercauser on the 29th
With a little tongue action!
Met up with Olivia at another park on Friday the 30th
Such sweet friends!
 To finish out the month I met up with three of my girlfriends on Saturday for lunch at Tommy Bahamas.  Over the summer a group of us went to dinner there and we took a picture of the summer/fall preggos and we said that we would go back once all the babies were here...so here we are seven months later!  
June 2014
January 2015