18 Months Old

This little chunk turned 18 months old in August. He is growing and changing so fast. I was able to take some photos to remember his delicious face in this stage of toddlerhood.

Weight: 26 lbs
Height: 33 inches
Diaper: size 5
Clothing: 18-24 months, some 2 T
Shoes: size 6

Favorites: Being help by Mama as much as possible, nursing as much as Mama will let him, his blankie, Daniel Tiger, playing with Little People zoo animals and any type of car/train/truck/plan, seeing dogs, eating cheese
Dislikes: Thunder, loud construction sounds, Mama having to set him down, bugs 

Jensen you are still a chubby little man, but you eat much less that you used to. Usually 2 good meals a day with a couple of healthy snacks here and there. This past month we tried and failed at moving you to a toddler bed, so it is back to the crib for you! You also had a double ear infection that led to a scary high fever and a yucky rash. Mama is so thankful that you are doing much better now! You love to read books and play all day long. You are a typical "into everything never wanting to slow down dump out all the toys all over the house all day long" toddler, but I love it. Sometimes you get mad about silly toddler things, like when you want Eva's sippy cup instead of your own sippy cup, but mostly you are a happy man. You take a good 1 1/2 hour nap during the afternoon and usually sleep 7:30 PM - 7:30 AM over night.

You most amazing development over the past few months has been your understanding of language! You can follow easy directions and know what we are talking about even if it is in the other room. You say more than 25 words, with your bests being Mama, Dada, Uh-huh, Bye, and Bubbles. My new favorite sounds you make are "Choo-choo" for train and "Moo" for cow. Why is it so stinkin' cute to hear a toddler make animal sounds???

I love you so much and am so thankful you are my son. I plan to soak up every day of you being a toddler.

love, Mama

15 Months Old

Hey buddy! I wanted to write you a quick update on how you've been growing and changing since you turned one. Wow. It's like you took off walking and then quickly became so much of a toddler and way less of an infant. Talk about breaking your mama's heart, while at the same time filling it up with so much adoration!

At your doctor's check up last week you were 25 lbs (50th percentile) and about 30 inches tall (30th percentile), so you your actual growth has slowed way down, which makes sense because you probably won't be that "line backer" that everyone at the store always thinks you will be. You have also slowed way down on eating, sometimes only eating one or two full meals a day, which I guess is really normal at this point. You have become more of a picky eater, although not really consistent with one thing or the other so I usually just feed you healthy food and then let you decide how much of it you want at that meal. The one thing you do love is MILK! I'm still nursing you, which is awesome, and some days you want to nurse a TON. That's alright by me, because it gives me time to enjoy some baby snuggles.

You have pretty much gone to one nap a day now, unless you happen to fall asleep in the car (or in the stroller...or in your highchair....) too early in the morning. I would love for your nap to be longer, but right now it is usually just at an hour. On the flip side, you are an awesome night time sleeper! You are in bed by 7 PM and will usually snooze until around 7:30 or 8 AM. I'll take that :)

Your favorite toys right now are the fisher price zoo and any type of ball. You spend hours outside each day, exploring our backyard or playing on the playground with Eva. Walking and being able to climb has made our frequent playground visits more fun, and you've even learned to "back it up" when you climb down the steps which makes my life easier. You also like to swing next to Eva. Eva is still your very best friend and y'all play so well together. You do like to cause mischief with her big girl toys, but what are little brothers for? The other day she was making her Barbies put on a talent show and when I noticed you in the background, you were smiling and banging her Barbies against her little Barbie house. Ha. I believe that is what they call the difference between boys and girls.

You are very friendly and like to play with other kids at the park, but you are also content to play on your own. You just learned how to open all the doors in our house - fun times - and of course you are now drawn directly to the toilet and toilet paper. You also like to take the knob off of the stove and pull down all of the towels every day. You can be quite the toddler tornado when it comes to making messes all over our house, but I love you being one year old, so I don't really mind too much. Usually.

You have said lots of words but right now you're most used ones are Mama, Dada, bye-bye, that (for anything that you want) and uh-huh (like "yes,"). You call Eva "Buh-vuh" which is sweet. You are typically a really happy, go with the flow little man. 

When I see your face, my heart leaps with joy. I love your eyes, your dimples, your smile, your perfect ears. I love your tiny hands and squishy legs. And your baby bottom. Nothing makes me giggle like when you streak through the house at bath time. Jensen, I love you SO MUCH.

love, Mama

Jensen's First Birthday Party

I'm so happy to be sharing photos from Jensen's first birthday party. You know it was a great party when you just look through all the photos smiling and remembering every sweet moment. We did a firetruck theme but kept things really simple - just a few decorations, family, and of course, CAKE! 

I knew from the get go that I wanted to set the stage for a cute first cake backdrop. We hosted the party at Ryan's parents house so I thought the fireplace area would be just right. I painted the firetruck canvas on the mantel to go in his bedroom back when I was pregnant and the pennant banner was also already in his room. I borrowed a wooden high chair, crafted a "ONE" banner and we were all set! THIS PHOTO was the look I was originally going on.

Our family of four! Why is it so hard to get a good photo with two kids? We took a ton and this was probably the best. 

The cake table complete with balloons (fun fact, I really love balloons for a party)!

'

I made a vanilla cake. I used scraps of paper from his "ONE" banner to make the "JENSEN" banner for his cake, got a sparkly 1 at Hobby Lobby and topped it with one of his favorite fire trucks. THIS CAKE was my Pinterest inspiration and I was pleased how it came out.

Papa grilled up the hot dogs and hamburgers for everyone to eat...just like they do at the real fire station :) 

With my birthday buddy. Ah, how can he be one already? I want to squish him and make him stay small and chubby forever. 

One of my favorites with Aunt Amanda! 

Everybody just hanging out after dinner. I know this isn't the fanciest but I love it. I loved that the party was easy and we were lucky to have all our family there to celebrate. To me that is what makes the early birthday parties most special. 

Then it was present time! My parents were clever and wrapped his gift in the sports page from his birthday.

Mickey Mouse car! Jensen and Eva both LOVE this ride on toy. They can be found zooming around our house all day long.

Opening more gifts - new clothes, socks, shoes, a bath toy, a few other toys and a cool overnight bag. What more could a little man ask for?

All of his cousins helping him to open his gifts. 

 She would have gladly opened every gift for him but did a good job letting this be his moment.

 Finally it was time for cake!!! I made him his own little smash cake.

So serious. When he is in louder situations he tends to be more quiet and observant. It was sweet because he was happy and could tell this party was for him.

Then he picked up the WHOLE cake and just went for it! I remember Eva taking tiny pinches of her first cake but this little guy just wanted it all!

 "Yummmm, my first cake!" He had never had anything with sugar in it before but don't worry, he liked it!

 We also celebrated Papa's 65th birthday. Look at those handsome Bradley men.

"I did it! I turned one! Who's proud of me?" {He did NOT eat that whole cake...}

We had a great birthday party! Thank you to all the family who made it such a special day for us! Jensen likes all of his gifts and loves all of his family even more.

One Year Old

To my favorite little man,
Happy Birthday! Jensen you are one year old today. I am excited that you are one. I'm a little sad that you aren't an infant anymore. I love who you are growing up to be. Yesterday we took you up to the fire station to get some one year portraits of you. My handsome boy. I could stare at photos of you all day. 

Weight: 25 lbs (90th percentile)
Height: 28 3/4 inches (25th percentile). When you combine weight with height that is one round little man.
Teeth: Still an uneven 7. When is lucky tooth 8 finally gonna show up?
Clothes: 12-18 months, some 18-24 months (usually shirts)
Shoes: You are ready for size 5 and hopefully getting some tomorrow
Diaper: Also size 5, your little baby hiney is quite round.

Biggest Accomplishment:
Taking your first steps! About 2 weeks ago you started taking about 3 steps at a time. You still usually only take a few and then sit down but you are the cutest old man when you walk.
Words:
Dada (your favorite word), Mama, Uh-oh, Bye bye (probably your second favorite), uh-huh (for yes) and Hi (occasionally). You also know how to sign for all done, more, milk, and we are working now on cup.

Naps:
Usually from 10-11am  and then 1:30-3pm.
Bedtime:
You are typically ready to nurse by 7:15pm and out by 7:30 pm. You wake up around 7:30 or 8 am. Most night you sleep through the night.
Nursing:
Oh, Jensen. You love milk. You still nurse 6-7 times a day, which kinda seems like a lot, but you love it.We are going to keep nursing for a while. I love holding you in my arms and getting that sweet time with you. One day you will stop and I will look back and it will seem like such a short time with you.
Meals:
3 meals and 2 snacks a day. You mostly eat what we eat just in tiny pieces. Recently I discovered the wonder of buying premade baby food just for when we are on the go. Wow, that is convenient. I don't regret making all your baby food but it's nice to have a grab and go option when we got some place that might not have food for you. Your favorite foods are cheerios, avocado, peas, grapes, strawberries, corn, zucchini, pasta, and yum-yums (baby crackers made from spinach and kale). We tried to think of any food you didn't like....and we came up blank.

You love to:
Throw a bouncy ball. Or a basketball. Or a soft football.
Take things apart and put them back together - stacking up, rings, etc.
Your baby fire truck and ambulance that go down a ramp.
Put little balls down a ramp or in a little toy that spits them back.

An interesting observation this month...I am pretty sure you are left handed. When you eat, you use your left hand more, especially for a spoon. When play you tend to favor your left hand. Hmm..Daddy says you can be a left handed pitcher and head straight for the big leagues. I'll leave that one up to you.

One thing that is special about you is that you are very content to play independently. When I'm busy cooking or picking up you are happy to crawl off to the playroom and entertain yourself. But as soon as I come over and sit by you, you love to crawl up and attack me with hugs and kisses. Your personality is so laid back and you are an easy baby...as long as you are well fed.

You enjoy splashing in the bath tub with Eva. Your banana toothbrush is a favorite for chewing on. You are getting the hang of drinking water from a sippy cup. You LOVE your blue blankie and sleep with it at night...or wrestle it any time you manage to pull it out from your crib. You knock down blocks and eat too much grass.

Finally, a stroll back through  your early days, starting with the first time I got to hold and snuggle you. You were only a few hours old and I wouldn't get to hold you again for 48 hours after this moment. I'm so glad we got that quiet time together. It makes me tear up just looking at it. You were tiny and warm, already fighting hard to breathe.

Snug as a bug in a rug...a bug that needed some extra tubes and oxygen. When I think back about your first days in the NICU it can be hard not to have regrets, but I really try to think about all the wonderful moments we got with you. Feeding you the first time. Holding your tiny hand. Smelling your tiny head. Celebrating each little milestone.

And who could forget the day you came home and met your best friend? You've been inseparable ever since. As long as she doesn't interfere with your milk or food.

 My littles one year later. They both changed a lot!

The birthday boy for his 12 month photo.

One year of Jensen, month by month. Jensen Bruce, we are so in love with you...I think we're gonna keep you :)

11 Months Old

 Jensen at 11 Months Old

Jensen, you turned 11 months old today! I can honestly say that this past month with you has been one of my favorites. You are so full of your own personality! 

We didn't have a checkup this month, but I would guess you are around 25lbs. You have definitely stopped expanding at such a rapid rate now that you are crawling. You are wearing 12-18 month clothes, size 4 shoes, and about to bump up to a size 5 diaper. 

Daddy and I LOVE your chubbiness. You are usually in clothes a lot more since it is winter but anytime you are in your diaper or playing naked in the bath we just giggle at all of your rolls.

Words you can say: Dada {your favorite word.}, Mama, Uhh-uh {uhh-oh}, hi, and maybe bye-bye and night-night {it sounds like Nana, but I think you mean go to sleep}. Tonight when we picked up your toys before bedtime you said "Bah-bah" and waved your hand at your toys so I'm pretty sure that's what you meant.

Your photos are a bit blurry this month because something is up with my camera settings that I need to work on, but your expressions so perfectly captured your personality. You are still my happy, easy baby. You sleep from 7:30-8:30 AM and then take 2 good naps a day. I typically nurse you 4 times a day, although you love some Mama snuggles and milk so you tend to want to sneak in more. You have 7 tiny teeth that you use to munch on any food that comes across your high chair tray. The other morning Eva took a strawberry off your tray and you stared and grunted at her. Hahaha. I guess she took your niceness too far.

Blowin' raspberries! You like to make your "silly sound" and anybody who does it back becomes your new best friend. 

No walking yet, buddy. You have just started standing for 5-10 seconds at a time but haven't taken any steps. You do crawl super fast and like to cruise along furniture. You are just the right height to reach just about everything in our house so we have to work to stay one step ahead of you...or come back behind and clean up everything you knock down.

Haha, I like the pose above because that's what you look like when you dance. You've got some baby rhythm, little man. You like music and to do your moves. 

You are very content to sit and play with toys. I've started using the pack and play in the living room more to contain you when I need 10 or 15 minutes to get something done without chasing you and you are pretty happy in there with your toys. 

So blurry, but OH THAT SMILE! You have the best baby chuckle. The other night you say yourself in the bathtub handle and spent 10 minutes looking and laughing at yourself.

With your best sistie! You laugh at everything she does. Where she is, you want to be. What she wants to play with is what you want to play with. You are quickly catching up to her in size!

As we approach your first birthday, I'm excited to celebrate but it's sad that you won't be my little infant anymore. I know you will still be sweet and squishy, I just want to keep you little as long as I can. You bring me such joy with your big smile and personality. I love the way God created you. We are so thankful for you, Jensen.

love, Mama

10 Months Old

Happy 10 Months Little Man! I feel like I just finally blogged your 9 month post so this one will be short and sweet.... also we switched to your green glider in your room which I actually like way more than what we have done the previous 9 times. Oh, well.

This month you got your 3rd and 4th teeth. You now crawl like a champ and are often into everything before we can turn around and realized that you're gone. You pull up on everything and cruise around. 

One of the awesome parts of the past month has been seeing that you can recognize and communicate more with us. You are starting to use signs for "more" and "all done". You say Dada allllllll the time, no Mama yet. And you learned to clap your hands, which is not a huge deal but it is super cute!!!! 

Chillin' with big sister. She calls you Teeny or Tinks a lot {which she says is short for tiny little brother} and she refers to herself as Sisty with you {like Sissy with a T}. 

This is the first month that I actually feel a little bit sad about how big you are. I love you so much and I just want to enjoy your infant months before you turn one.