5 Months Old/More Updates

Bryce is 5 months old!  No doctor this month, so no new measurements, but he is eating better and we think he has had a growth spurt recently.  This month he has learned how to roll over both ways!  He did it from his belly to back first, and then about 10 days later, he did it from back to belly.  He's only done it that way a few times, so he's still working on it.  It's only a matter of time before he is rolling all around the room and then crawling.  Yikes!  He doesn't seem to mind being on his belly anymore since he can roll over if he wants, but he also likes looking at toys or a mirror that way.  He also loves the exersaucer.  He is getting much more vocal as well.  Sometimes he really just wants to be heard and makes some loud, happy yelps, and he also does those loud, spitty raspberries which make him smile.  He is laughing so much more, is ticklish, and loves hearing us sing.  He laughs at everything Grant does, which Grant loves as well.  Bryce definitely needs more entertainment now, especially during our meals, but he is getting better at holding toys so we can try to buy some time that way.  He is also losing his baby hair and his new hair coming in underneath seems blond, so he may look a lot different than his brother.  He is just growing up too fast!

Grant is just 1 month away from turning 2!  Time is just flying.  He seems to grow up more every single day.  He is getting more independent.  One of his favorite new words is no.  He definitely knows what he wants!  He also likes to try and eat with utensils by himself, open and shut doors, and walk more on his own while out and about.  He also loves looking at pictures or watching videos of himself and the rest of the family.  He is also becoming a good helper, because he can understand more of my directions when asking him to do something, like give Bryce a toy or throw something in the garbage.  He loves being outside, and he cries every time we bring him back in.  Doug is also very proud this month, because Grant has started to sing parts of the Notre Dame fight song all on his own.  He certainly keeps us on our toes, but we are so lucky and proud to be his parents!

The next piece of news is that we have a new niece!  My brother Matt and his wife Tammy had their 2nd girl on Friday.  Elayna Marie was born at 8:27am on 3/23/2012 and weighed 8 pounds and is 20.5 inches.  She looks a little like her big sis Clara, but has her own little look as well.  We can't wait to see her grow up with all the other kids!  She was named after my Aunt Elayne, who died unexpectedly a year and a half ago.  She was Matt's godmother, so he wanted to use her name.  We love her so much already!

The next update for this post is that we sold our house!  It sold in 11 days, and we can't believe it sold that quickly!  A young, engaged couple bought it, so it seems just like us before we bought it, so we hope they will enjoy it as much as we have.  We have spent months looking at homes, going to open houses, etc. but of course we got more serious after we sold our house.  We were a little worried because we felt we had exhausted all of the options in our price range without finding the one, and then a new listing came up last week.  We quickly jumped on it, because it seemed to be just right.  The offer was accepted on Monday!  We still have to get through inspection, and unfortunately we can't get in until June.  The sellers are being transferred and wanted to finish the school year first.  Since they came down so much in price, we agreed, and luckily the buyers of our house are willing to wait as well.  We are so excited and wish we didn't have to wait so long, but it will be here before we know it.  We can't wait to raise our family in this house!  I will be sure to post more pictures when we get the house!

Two Pieces of News.....

First of all, we are so excited to have a new member of the family!  Doug's sister Kristen had her baby on Wednesday.  John Paul Beardslee, or J.P. as he will mostly be called, was born at 12:12 pm on 3/7/12.  He weighs 9 pounds, 14 ounces!  Whoa!  That is pretty much what Bryce weighed at a month!  I guess Kristen is taking after her mom by having big babies.  She was due this coming Monday, the 12th, but had a scheduled C-section for today since she had one with her first baby, Timmy.  But her water broke Wednesday morning, so they had to do the C-section 2 days early.  Everyone is doing great, and we are so excited that Bryce will have a playmate his age.  Grant and Timmy have so much fun together, and I know Bryce and J.P. will be the same!  Congrats to Andy, Kristen, and Timmy on their new addition.  And there are only 2 more weeks from today until my sister-in-law Tammy's C-section, and we will then have another niece!

The second piece of news is that our house is officially on the market!  It went up for sale on Wednesday.  We actually got a call today for a showing already!  Someone is coming on Sunday to check it out.  We aren't getting our hopes up, because who knows what will happen, but it's still nice to know someone is interested in seeing it.  We'll let you know if anything happens!

4 Months Old!

Bryce is 4 months old! At his check-up yesterday, he weighed in at 13 pounds, 12 ounces, which is the 35th percentile (probably because he'd rather watch what's going on around him than eat sometimes!) He is 24 5/8 inches tall, which is still 50th perctentile. He has really changed a lot this month, and it is so much fun watching him grow and change! This month, he has reached a few new milestones. He started reaching for things, and since he started that, he doesn't stop! He tries to grab anything he can and of course bring it to his mouth. He is also drooling more now too. This seems earlier than when Grant did it, so maybe that means he will get teeth sooner. Who knows!? Bryce has also started to laugh this month. He started with just a few coos here and there, and now he laughs pretty hard! He actually has laughed at Grant talking to him a few times. It is so cute to see them start to develop a relationship and play together. Bryce isn't rolling over yet, but is very close. He loves to play on his gym, and rolls to his sides, so he isn't far off. We also just recently put him in the exersaucer and he loves it! I can't believe he is already to this point. I no longer feel like he is a newborn! He is sleeping and eating pretty much the same as last month. We just love our little man!

Grant's newest hobbies include building towers with blocks or shapes (and he's getting pretty good at it as you can see in the picture!), singing, bubble baths, and lining up his animals over and over. He is just as curious and happy as ever!

This warmer weather has made us antsy for spring, and we can't wait to take more walks and play outside.

I know it's been a month since my last post--things just get busier everyday, and with Bryce being awake more during the day, it's hard to find time. I also lost my grandpa at the end of January, so we've been busy with family. Also, we have been busy getting our house ready to put on the market in the next couple weeks. We love our house, but we would love more space. We are in no big rush, we just figured we would try to see if it would sell, so we could take advantage of extremely low interest rates and good housing prices! We fully intend to stay here if needed and won't expect it to sell too quickly, but if it does, then great! We are keeping our eyes out on some houses that may work for us or on ones that may come up on the market, so hopefully it will all work out, and we will sell our house and find a home we love at the same time. We will keep you updated!

3 Months/21 Months

Today Bryce turns 3 months old! We don't go to the doctor this month, so I did some measurements at home, but not sure how accurate they are. He weighs 12 pounds, 7 ounces and is 23 1/2 inches tall. He is becoming so happy, and he smiles all the time now--he is always looking at us waiting for us to look back at him, then when we do he instantly gives us the biggest grin! He loves being around his brother and watching him run around and play. I have a feeling he will want to be mobile as soon as he can to catch up to him! Bryce is still sleeping great, going anywhere from 8-10 hours at night. We're now trying to get him to take naps during the day in his bed as well, instead of the little catnaps while in his swing or on us, but it may take awhile to be on a complete schedule. In the meantime, he is content to just be wherever we are and go with the flow! The only trouble we are having with him this month is that he has not been the best nurser lately, and many feedings are becoming battles, but we are dealing with it and hoping it's just a phase. He will take a bottle of pumped milk fine, though, which is weird. We are trying different things and will figure it all out hopefully! We love seeing his little personality start to come out, and he just gets cuter and more personable everyday! We are getting his 3 month pictures taken on Saturday, so I will try to post that soon.

Grant will be 21 months on Saturday, although sometimes we feel like he is much older! He is talking so much and saying many phrases/sentences. He is so curious and loves to learn. It is fun taking him out on errands now because he is so interested in the world around him. Of course he does have his moments where he tries to test us, and he gets upset or frustrated when he doesn't get what he wants. He loves to color now and asks to do it all the time. He also loves the ipad. For the last few months, he would play with my dad's whenever we were over their house, and there are lots of kid apps on it. We then received one of our own for Christmas. He knows how to turn it on and get into his apps/games, and it is so cute to see him learn in this way. It's crazy how different their childhood will be with all of this technology! Grant absolutely loves Bryce and always wants to be by him or lay down by him. He tries giving Bryce everything, like his toys, his sippy cup, and his food. He even wiped Bryces's mouth once with his beloved blanket after seeing him spit up! I hope he continues this love for his brother!

We are loving life as a family of four and can't imagine life any differently. Of course some days are hard and tiring, especially as a stay at home mom, but everyday is also a blessing, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Trip to Lake Cumberland/Bryce's Baptism

The weekend after New Year's, we decided to get a way for a bit and head to Lake Cumberland with my parents. The holidays had been so busy, and we wanted to relax and enjoy the unusual but wonderful weather we were having for January (it was high 50's and sunny)! We love spending time at Woodson Bend Resort, where my parents own a condo, and it was Bryce's first little vacation! Grant loves it there, and really loves riding the golf cart around the resort. He even wanted to leave the playground to get back to the cart! It was so nice letting him roam around on his own a little more than when we were there last back in the summer. We also went to the putting green, sat around by the fire, and watched football. It was such a nice weekend, and we can't wait to go back!

On Sunday, we celebrated Bryce's baptism. He was baptized at St. Antoninus Church--same place where both Doug and Grant were also baptized! He was surrounded by both sides of the family and is very lucky to have his Uncle Matt and Aunt Kristen as godparents. He did a great job and actually seemed to enjoy having the water poured on his head! The priest said a quick prayer to St. Brice, and he said that he actually has a nephew named Bryce! We had a wonderful party at our house after the baptism, and we are so glad to have him as a member of the Church.

It has been a busy few weeks, so we are looking forward to a quiet January and February. Then we will be all geared up for a busy spring where we will welcome 2 new babies into the family in March and celebrate Susanne's wedding in April!

2 Months Old/Christmas

Bryce is now 2 months old! It has been an exciting month for him. He now weighs 11 pounds, 3 ounces, which means he has gained 4 pounds since birth. He is 22 5/8 inches tall, and his head circumference is 15 3/4 inches. All of these are still right around the 50th percentile! He had his first big round of shots at the doctor, and he seemed ok except for having a slight fever last night after coming home, but he is fine today. He can really hold his head up better now, and we even recently put him in the bumbo seat for the first time. He loves it! I think he really likes being able to see things from a different perspective, and he can keep a close eye on what his brother is doing! Bryce is also still sleeping like a champ! He usually goes anywhere between 6-8 hours, and may sometimes go back for another hour or two after eating. He does have his first little cold, so the last few nights he has been congested and coughing, but still tries to sleep through it all. He's a tough little guy! We still can't believe how blessed we are to have him be such a good sleeper, and we can only hope it stays this way. We were able to do different things this time that we didn't/couldn't do with Grant that I believe have helped him sleep better. He is also still eating well. He wants to eat more often during the day since he goes so long at night, but that is fine with me! He also smiles a lot now, especially while on his changing table when he catches our eye. I'm having trouble catching it on camera, though! Many times he looks like Grant, but he definitely has his own little look most of the time. He is just so sweet and content, and we couldn't ask for anything more!

Christmas was very busy, especially with 2 kids, but it was still a blast. We took until the last minute to get all our shopping done, food made, etc. We had probably 6 different stops to make at various get togethers/gift-givings/etc. which has made for very tired kids (and us too!) but we have loved spending so much time together and with our families. Grant really enjoyed opening his presents this year, and he especially loved the train table that Santa brought him. We spent all day yesterday home in our pjs putting together his toys, playing, etc. Bryce had a great first Christmas as well. We now look forward to ringing in the new year!

'Tis the Season

We are having a great time preparing for the holidays here at the Docter house. The festivities started a few weeks ago when we attended a Breakfast with Santa with my parents. Grant loved the donuts and juice, the magician/balloon animal lady, and running around with Clara, but became a whole different kid when Santa arrived. He kept a skeptical eye on him while in line, and as soon as we placed him on his lap, he screamed! If you know Grant at all, you know that he is one happy kid, so to see him so upset over sitting on this strange guy's lap was heartbreaking (but also a little cute)! I had to step in, and be in the picture. Bryce of course didnt't seem to mind being held by Santa, but I'm sure may scream next year like his brother did. The funny thing is that ever since that day, Grant points to the laptap and continually asks to see pictures of "Kan-Kuh Cause."

The next day we went to cut down our Christmas tree. It was fun letting Grant run around this year looking at all the trees. Luckily it wasn't too cold outside so Bryce could join us! We picked a great one! We went home and decorated it that evening. It's been a little bit of a pain trying to teach Grant not to touch it. He keeps looking at it and says, "Lights on, Mommy--Pretty!" We were going to put a gate up around it, but so far, he is doing okay with only the occasional little touch--he just can't avoid the temptation sometimes!

St. Nick visited a few days later, and the boys had fun taking things out of their stockings. Of course, Grant had to help Bryce.

While my shopping isn't even close to being completed--it's awfully hard to run errands these days--I always seem to get things done in the last minute. We are looking forward to celebrating with our families, going to the train display at the museum center, and ringing in 2012. What a busy few weeks we have ahead of us!