Motherhood Update: Sky at 1 year

October 27, 2020

No one has ever loved a smash cake as much as Sky did at his little, socially-distanced party this weekend.

Saying: Sky says Mama, Dada, all done, and “meow” (when the girls are pretending to be cats). He also loves to roar like a lion, and is probably saying hi and more, but mostly we’re still in the phase of insistent shrieking in order to communicate needs over here (ha).

Eating: Sky loves to eat (much like his mama, daddy, and sisters). He generally dives face-first into whatever is put in front of him (I’ll be posting the video of him with his smash cake on Instagram — it’s hilarious), but he has a special affinity for avocado, fruit, and Mexican rice and beans (smart kiddo).

Sleeping: Sky is still sleeping well for the most part, though his molars are still sporadically causing some sleep strife here and there. I’m hoping to wean him sometime in the next two months, so hopefully that doesn’t disrupt things too much!

Doing: Right in line with his sisters before him, Sky is chattering away right now and is clearly frustrated that he can’t communicate verbally yet. I remember this phase being particularly difficult with Prim and Lark as well (the 12-15 month span, in particular) because they can understand so much but communicate so little. I am trying to remember that this too shall pass (this is definitely one of the hardest ages for me, parenting-wise) and enjoy the sweet parts of this age, but some days are tougher than others (having Sky melt down anytime he spots me when I have to run downstairs for something during work hours is not ideal).

Latest milestone: Sky has mastered getting up and down the stairs in our front yard now (thanks to a lot of practice during his outdoor birthday party this weekend). He is very physically determined — much more so than the girls at this age. He hasn’t started walking just yet, but can fully stand unassisted for long periods, so I’m sure he’ll get there just as soon as he sets his mind to it.

Favorite toys: Sky is mostly interested in anything the girls are playing with and any items contained in the kitchen cupboard. Honestly, he would be happiest if we just let him capture our cell phones, TV remotes, and topple over any water glasses in the vicinity. His other favorite pastimes are pulling clothes out of dresser drawers and climbing into any box or laundry basket that happens to be on the floor.

Sweetest things: Sky is kind of attached to me at the hip these days. Prim and Lark went through this phase around 12 months as well — separation anxiety, stranger danger, and mama-attachment seems to all come together into a very clingy few months around age one, which while challenging, isn’t without it’s upside. I’m certainly getting lots of sweet baby snuggles these days.

Favorite thing about this age: Sky loves music and seems especially drawn to The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. The girls are obsessed with the film and score right now, so it’s played pretty much daily in our house. When one of the songs comes on, Sky will often throw his hands in the air and dance with enthusiasm — it’s so pure and sweet!

Baby / Birthdays / Sky

Happy Birthday, Bub!

October 26, 2020

Dear Sky,

I can’t believe you’re one! What a year, whew… Somehow this year has felt like the longest and shortest year ever. Just when we were really getting into the swing of things with you, the world went into lockdown due to a global pandemic. I mean, if you asked me the most outlandish thing I could think of — this wouldn’t even make the list of things I could have conceived of prior to 2020.

You’ve had quite the first year, too — you emerged into this world so quickly (good lord, even I was blindsided by the swiftness), and speed seems like it might just be part of your personality at this point. Everyone who meets you remarks how quick you are — how fast you can zip out the door and climb the steps on all-fours, how quickly you spot an open gate and beeline straight for the opening, and how you seem to have a sixth sense for when anything off-limits (like cell phones, remotes, or drinking glasses) are out and within your reach.

Even though being home with everyone for the past 7+ months has had its challenges, one of the upsides has been being able to mostly escape the plethora of viruses that likely would have made up much of your first year. You caught RSV at just 7 weeks old and you and I ended up spending 4 very stressful nights at Oakland Children’s Hospital together as a result. I spent every minute with you there while Daddy drove back and forth multiple times a day, juggling caring for us and the girls simultaneously. I hated having you hooked up to so many tubes and monitors, and the only time I was ever able to get you to take a pacifier were those first 10 hours when they wouldn’t let you breastfeed because your oxygen support levels were too high to allow for it. You weathered the hospital like a champ (better than your poor Mama, even) and were finally discharged when you no longer needed oxygen support.

At first we thought you might be our quiet, introverted child, but man were we wrong — you are just as eager to be a part of the conversation as your two chatty sisters. You yell and squeal through dinner, making it very clear when you want “more” or “water.”

Your sisters make your face light up, and you’re so eager to join in on whatever they’re doing. You love Mama, Daddy and Morgan, showing your affection with the sweetest, tightest hugs, and planting big, open-mouthed kisses on our faces.

Larky gave you your nickname, because she would gush all over you, cooing “Bubba Skyyyy.” You’re now known as Bubba, Bubs, Bubsy, and Bubbers. Daddy loves to call you Sky Guy, while I often refer to you as babycakes (which I’m sure you won’t find embarrassing at all when you’re older).

You have made our family feel so full and wonderful, I couldn’t imagine life without you. I love you so much, Bubs, and I just can’t wait to see what year two will bring.

Love, Mama

Baby / Motherhood / Sky

Motherhood Update: Sky at 11 months

September 28, 2020

Am I freaking out a little bit over the fact that this kiddo is less than a month away from turning one? Maybe. Probably. I mean, definitely. HOW HAS IT ALREADY BEEN ALMOST A YEAR??? It’s fine. We’re fine.

Saying: Sky officially said his first word just before he hit 11 months, and even though I was really rooting for it to be “Mama,” he followed in his sister Larky’s footsteps and hit us with not just a first word but a first phrase: “All done.”

Eating: If you’re wondering why both Lark and Sky’s first words were “all done,” it’s because this is what we ask at the end of meals (we ask and sign “all done or more?”) — and the fact that two of our three kiddos first words revolved around mealtime, you can guess where food ranks in this house. (Honestly, it’s one of my dreams that my children grow up to love food as much as I do.) Sky loves to eat and will often out-eat even his sisters at dinnertime. He is obsessed with salmon (a favorite of everyone in this house), avocado, and I think could probably take down an entire watermelon if we gave him the opportunity.

Sleeping: Sky is still sleeping through the night for the most part, with just a few disruptions here and there when teeth are coming in. The last two nights he’s slept until 7:45am (he goes down around 7:15/7:30pm) which is AMAZING. I doubt this will last, but I’m gonna go ahead and take that win while I’ve got it.

Doing: Sky is so busy and is determined to get into anything and everything these days. We recently invested in all new kitchen appliances (just buying our way out of the pandemic over here…) which has been really helpful for keeping Sky out of things. He previously would immediately grab things off the bottom shelf of the fridge and try to climb into the dishwasher to grab everything in sight, but our new freezer-on-bottom situation and two-drawer dishwasher is not so easy to get into, so there’s less “remove Sky to the playroom and race back to try to complete the task before he’s able to speed-crawl back into the kitchen” happening now, which has been nice.

Latest milestone: Sky is on the verge of saying more words (I think he likely has “Mama,” “Dada,” and “more,” but I like to wait to count words until I’m totally certain they know what they mean and use them in context.) He can also stand unassisted, so I’m sure first steps are just around the corner.

Favorite toys: Sky is obsessed with trying to grab everyone’s cell phone and any remote that’s within reach. As a result, we’ve lost the remote so many times that I finally invested in some Tile stickers to keep track of it.

Sweetest things: Sky loves to give sloppy, open-mouthed kisses all day long. He usually saves most for me, but our nanny was telling me the other day that he was being so silly with her while she was laying on the floor trying to do some stretches — “he was climbing all over me and kept putting his mouth on my face.” I started laughing and informed her that he was kissing her. It’s simultaneously a little disgusting and the sweetest thing ever (much like parenthood!)

Favorite thing about this age: Sky has so much personality now. I initially thought he might be quieter and more introverted than the girls, but he has proven himself to be just as loud, wild and silly as they are. He loves to yell and laugh his way through the day (much like the girls), and while I do sometimes lament the lack of “quiet” in our house, I would choose this insanity over the alternative any day of the week.

Baby / Motherhood / Sky

Motherhood Update: Sky at 10 months

August 24, 2020

I realize that I am so far behind on updates about little Sky, but as with third kids and living through a pandemic… I mean, what is there really to say? Life is crazy and we’re all just trying to muddle through as best we can, right?

Saying: Sky has been saying variations of “Mama” and “Dada” a lot, but I’m still not convinced that he’s using them correctly to refer to KC and I. I’m holding out hope that Sky will say Mama first, since both Prim and Lark said Dada first (and Sky is a true Mama’s boy through and through right now — so, fingers crossed!)

Eating: Sky is a champion eater, and just like Prim and Lark at this age — eats like a truck driver. His current favorites are all forms of pasta (my little Italian!), watermelon, avocado, and pretty much any type of summer fruit.

Sleeping: Sky sleeps really well, for the most part, though he’s been getting his teeth at a fast and furious pace (he already has 6, with a couple more on the verge of breaking through), which can often disrupt things a bit. Most nights he goes down around 7:15pm and sleeps until 6/6:30am. Some mornings he will go back to sleep after I come down to nurse him, while other days he doesn’t — so we’re still straddling the world of one vs. two naps over here, just depending on when the morning started. Luckily, even if he’s up early, we can plop him into the girls room (if they’re awake) and he will happily play with them until breakfast time at 8am (I mean, that right there is maybe exactly why I had multiple children).

Doing: Sky is all over the place and into EVERYTHING. He is so much more mischievous than the girls were at this age (um, today he climbed all the way up the stairs because the gate at the bottom wasn’t closed. Yes, ALL THE WAY UP THE STAIRS.) He crawls at lightening speed, pulls up on everything and cruises around the furniture like a pro. He’s obsessed with trying to get into the fridge, rummaging through the liquor in the bar cart, zipping out the front door, and of course, trying to get up the stairs. I’m just trying to brace myself for the next couple of years with this kid because JEEZ, DUDE, CALM IT.

Latest milestone: Since I’ve failed to update the blog for the last 10 months, there are a lot! He crawls, stands, cruises, babbles, climbs, feeds himself, sleeps through the night (hallelujah), and has nursed like a champ from day one. My favorite (and most recent) development though is he’s started dancing. Since we can’t go outside right now due to the wildfires, we have nightly dance parties so the girls can get their wiggles out before bedtime. Sky loves the Pirates of the Caribbean song (from the Disneyland ride) and will get up on his knees, throw his hands into the air and dance — I literally can’t think of anything cuter, honestly.

Favorite toys: Sky loves laying on pillows right now and climbing into Lark’s bed and playing with all her stuffed animals and books. It’s so sweet to peek in on him and see him snuggled up on Larky’s bed, happy as a clam.

Sweetest things: Sky can now “ask” to be picked up by getting up on his knees and lifting his arms. It’s so sweet to see him make a beeline for me or KC and throw his arms up so he can get a little snuggle.

Favorite thing about this age: Sky’s personality is really coming out now. He is such a happy, easy-going baby and very rarely gets upset. He is so great at going with the flow (third kid!) but I suspect he’s going to be a little daredevil as he gets older because he wants to do everything his big sisters are doing!

Covid19 / Snack / Sweet

Quarantine Activity: Bake your feelings! (Healthy, ultra-adjustable muffins)

March 19, 2020

These are not the muffins we made yesterday, but WordPress isn’t letting me upload new photos for some reason (I blame Covid) so I had to just pull this from the archives. Whatever. You guys know what a muffin looks like, right? #doingourbestoverhere #survivingnotthriving

Looking for an activity to do with your kiddos that results in a (semi) healthy snack? Or just looking for a muffin recipe you can make with whatever you’ve got in your pantry? We made these yesterday and I realized that so many of the ingredients could be swapped, subbed, stretched… perfect for quarantine! Plus, there’s enough ingredients to measure and dump that it can occupy helping hands for at least a little bit (and I will take those small wins however I can get them right now, ok?)

Flexible Quarantine Muffins

1/3 cup oil (avocado, canola, safflower, peanut) or melted butter
2 eggs (or 1/2 cup applesauce or mashed banana)
1/3 cup plain yogurt, buttermilk, dairy or non-dairy milk, or any combination of those (I used 1/4 cup greek yogurt topped off with whole milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup brown or white sugar or 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cups all-purpose flour or GF flour
3/4 cups other flour (almond, oat*, whole wheat, GF flour, or more all-purpose)
1 tbsp flaxmeal or chia seeds (feel free to leave out if you don’t have this)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup grated zucchini, carrot, apple, applesauce, or mashed banana (or any combination)
6 chopped dates or about 1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries, apricots or any other dried fruit (chopped, if large)
Raw sugar (or other sugar), for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
Whisk together oil, eggs, vanilla and sugar.
In a separate bowl, whisk together cinnamon, salt, flour(s), flax/chia, baking powder and soda.
Pour dry ingredients into wet and stir just until combined. Stir in grated zucchini and dates (or whatever you’re using).
Spoon batter into muffin tins (fill about 2/3 full), sprinkle tops with sugar (optional), and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-21 minutes.

*You can make your own oat flour by blitzing old fashioned or quick-cooking oatmeal in the blender or a food processor.

Looking for another easy muffin recipe to make with kids? We love these whole wheat applesauce muffins. These pumpkin muffins are also easy and delicious!