April 2020 Roundup

April was our first full month of quarantine, and our first month with baby Griffin! Other than celebrating Easter, we had no big events this month. I heard on the radio one morning that one of the most Googled questions right now is "What day is it?" which is not surprising because they do all sort of run together, especially when you're sleep deprived from feeding a baby all night.... 

Here are some moment from our April at home:

A sweet neighbor brought us dinner and included these fancy cupcakes! Davey's pjs are on backwards which is why he's being strangled by his shirt :)

We moved Charlie from the pack-n-play our closet into a real crib in his own room. At first he was excited, then he cried a lot for several nights, but now he's adjusted. He's gotten big and I think he'll like having the extra space to spread out in the crib.

Captain Spider Matey protecting us from bad guys

Davey took this picture of Charlie (which is why his head is partially cut off)

We've been going on a walk every day to get some outdoor time and exercise. One of their favorite destinations is Pilgrim Park, which is actually just a narrow green space, but at least it gives us room to play a bit. They've really been enjoying these flyers grandma gave them.

Chick fil A is still offering free kids meals on Tuesday nights so at least that part of our life is still normal! We just have to pick it up to eat at home instead of dining in.  

Chilling in the hammock with my little Griffin

The fire department has been driving through neighborhoods each week with their mascot to give the kids something exciting to look forward too. We heard the sirens and found a spot to watch them drive by!

Hair cut time again for the boys! I gave them a summer shave since it's starting to get hot and was amazed at how much hair came off their two little heads. 

 Davey, who is not normally crafty, got really into these paint by diamond sticker projects. He made several superheros throughout the week. 

Real baby on my lap, while the baby wanna be is in the bouncer. Charlie is still not quite ready to give up that position in the family.  

Now I know where all the binkies went...

We had a fluke snowstorm come through in the middle of April. It was hot over the weekend, then snowed on Tuesday, and then hot again a few days later. Good thing I never put the boots and coats away!

Uncle Greg ordered desserts for the whole family to eat at the same time over a Zoom call to celebrate Liz's birthday. Our family received these bug cookies, which the kids loved!

The construction crew was back in our alley for some utility work. The kids spent the morning watching them dig up the street and were so happy when the workers let them sit on the excavator for a picture. 

Davey has been missing our usual supply of library books and took this grocery ad to bed one night. The next day he told me a list of everything from the sale that he wanted my to buy :) 

I used one of my precious yeast packets for some homemade pizza!

On one of his more defiant nights, Davey went to bed not in his bed, but in the hallway

Ready to grill with daddy

We built Davey's bike! He still doesn't really know how to ride it, but at least we're moving in the right direction. 

Charlie wanted to be like the big kids and wear a helmet too

The boys love to watch Sophie do homework and most times she will let them 

I made bubble foam one day and it kept them happy outside for a few hours

Relaxing after a hard day of play 

The kids did a virtual puzzle race with Grandmari. Sophie did 100 pieces, Davey did 48 and Charlie did 24. Davey was the victor!

April Video Clips

Griffin at One Month

We made it through the first month with Griffin! He is so sweet and so loved, but I had forgotten how mind breaking it is to nurse a baby around the clock. Griffin loves to eat and wants to nurse at least every two hours, which means I never get more than 90 minutes of sleep at a time. He is also not the best napper, which makes rest during the day difficult as well. The other babies loved to snuggle in the bed with me for a mid-day siesta, but not Griffin. He wants to eat, then be held, then eat again! Since he is our last baby, however, I'm allowing it and enjoying my time with him. 

Griffin at 1 Month

• At his 1 month exam he was 10 lbs (75%) 21 in (34%) and his head was 44%. I'm not sure they stretched him out all the way for his length because he seems bigger than that, but I sure love my chunky babies with little heads. 
• Wears 3 month clothing and size 1 diapers. He skipped the newborn sizes just like his brothers. 
• He goes to bed between 11 and 1 most nights, so we have binge watched lots of TV. Our most recent shows were Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist and the last two seasons of This is Us. We did not have Netflix or DVR with our first babies and it's so nice to have a library of shows rather than be at the mercy of late night cable programming. 
• He does not like to be swaddled and starts to fight it the moment he can feel his arms being pinned. He makes little grunts and wriggles like crazy trying to break free. 
• Although he likes to eat all the time, he is good about going right back down after he's done so thankfully there are not many nights where I'm up for hours at a time with him. 
• Surprisingly Davey is the one who pays the most attention to Griffin. He is so sweet with him (most of the time) and loves to come check on him throughout the day. He calls him "little darling" and "Griffey Guy."  

It took almost three weeks for his cord to fall off, so he didn't get a real bath for awhile. When he did finally get to go in the tub, it wasn't his favorite. 

Relaxing in a "mom nest"

Charlie asks to hold Griffin and likes it for about 1 minute before decided he is done

My little laundry king. He rarely does huge spit ups that go everywhere. It's more like a slow leak that runs through the day so we always keep the burp rags handy. 

He's always an alert little guy

He had his first modeling job for Aunt Amy

He was a big fan of the jammies she made him

When he gets fussy in the afternoons or evening we go out to swing in the hammock. I'm not sure if he likes the motion, or if it just confuses him enough that he forgets to be mad. 

His hair started to fall out on top around 1 month old (good thing I did his newborn pictures already!), but he still has the cutest cheeks, lips and lashes. 

Wide-eyed at his 1 month check up

Griffin's First Weeks at Home

Our first days at home with Griffin passed pretty smoothly. Normally a new baby is a big disruption to the routine, but thanks to COVID, we pretty much have no routine right now. With no school, church, errands or activities, I've never had to feed him on the go, stock a diaper bag, or lug around a car seat. Plus Dave is working remotely, so I had back up at home if I needed help with the other kids. 

It hasn't all been easy though. Griffin LOVES to eat and wants to be fed every two hours, including during the night. He also prefers to be held and snuggled, to sitting in the bouncer or swing, so I spent a lot of time loving on this guy. Knowing that he is our last, however, has made me appreciate all those late nights and slow feedings that I found so hard when Sophie was born. I know how fast they change and grow now!

Here are some photos from his first days at home:

First night at home and filling out the 3 month jammies just fine!

Newborn check up with the pediatrician. He was just a little jaundiced, but otherwise healthy with no concerns.

Hanging out with mom and dad at 3 days old

5 days old - having his hair combed by some T-Rex claws 

Snuggles with mom

Little smiles at 1 week old

8 days old - Sleeping away the day

  

11 days old - look at those squishy cheeks!

Very alert after having his hair washed in the sink - it took forever for his cord to fall off

Two weeks old

Always making the cheerio face

Two week check up!

He had a huge blowout all over me and the floor while the nurse was listening to his heart

At 2 weeks he made it back to birth weight and then some! I am very grateful that although my babies are chunky, they have all had tiny heads :)