The Malones: Mondays with Jane Claire and Crosby

At 11:24 am, Crosby Fox turned 3 years and 39 weeks old!!! At 1:03 pm, Jane Claire turned 26 weeks old!!! I absolutely cannot believe this is the last week of September. Were we not just planning a trip to the beach for the beginning of September?? According to the way it feels outside, fall must be right around the corner. I cannot believe I am having to sort through closets, AGAIN, trying to find something appropriate for kiddos to wear. I just sorted closets?!? I won't complain about cooler weather, that is for sure! I will just be glad for it to settle into one season or another. Right now we are doing long sleeve shirts and shorts for cool mornings and hot afternoons. Makes for a jumbled closet for sure!!

I snuck in my Love Bug's room the other day to make sure she was sleeping. And she was...with her lovie...

I have been working hard to make her love that lovie. It was given to her by Miss Eva, a precious lady in our church. The blanket next to her was as well! That makes them extra special. Not to mention they are the softest, most cuddly things ever! I am a big fan of that sleep sack, too! Her Aunt Kerri and Uncle Jason gave it to her and she is really starting to sleep like a champ when she is in it.

We are definitely making progress on the sleep front. I have been trying to get Jane Claire bathed and in bed by 7 or 7:30. Right before I go to bed, I sneak into her room and feed her one more time to top her off for the night. For the most part, she is able to make it until 6:00 at the earliest. She has even been making it until 7-7:30 on some occasions! What a relief to have a sleeping babe! Naps are a different story. Sometimes she will take 2 to 3 hour naps. Other times she will only stay down 30-45 minutes. I know she is still tired when she does that but she refuses to go back down! We will keep working on it. Hopefully she will get there one of these days.

Now the big boy is a different story. I am having to cut out naps altogether most days! We are finding that when he takes a nap, he cannot fall asleep at night. The little turkey will come in our room at 10:30 or 11 o'clock saying he is not tired! We aren't asleep usually so that isn't the problem. We just want HIM to be getting a good nights rest. Sooooo, naps are about to big a thing of the past. Rest time in your room, reading and playing quietly is still allowed!

Most afternoons, we sit outside on the front steps and watch for Blake to come home. Crosby has made a few friends while sitting out there...

He said, "But Mommy, I think you DO like to hold snails!" I had to reassure him that I do NOT like to hold snails!

Blake gets home and we are entertained by lots and lots of banging on drums. At least we are kind enough to share with our neighbors...

He is hard core with his drumming...

And singing...

These days, you can count on some form of Phil Collins...

Although I kind of like Crosby's versions better!!!

The words he comes up with are too funny! He makes up well over half of them. But the beat. That is a different story. He can just about play every one on the drum! He is quite the musician. I guess we are in the right town for that!

We put Miss Priss in the swing for the first time this week...

Probably not the safest idea seeing how one strap is broken!

But we pushed her gently...

And keep the wild man's hands off...

We get him to "teach" her how it is done instead! ;-)

I have been so bad at trying to work on the whole bottle taking business. It is just easier to feed her myself! But, I did gave in on Wednesday and gave her a bottle. She protested big time initially but finally gave in a drank the whole thing...

Now if I can make myself do it more frequently... Never dreamed it would be hard for me to pump and give a baby a bottle!!!

It was my week to drive the kiddos to school on Thursday. These two crack me up...

They are like an old married couple sitting back there gabbing! It is just precious. And then Jane Claire chimes in every now and then from the really back seat!

I have been forcing myself to work on sitting with Jane Claire this week. I prefer the immobile baby. This is getting her one step closer to mobility! And it will make her seem less like a newborn when she can sit independently. We all know how much I like to deny that she is no longer a teeny, tiny baby...

She is starting to get the hang of it...

As long as the figure in the background isn't around to "love" on her and knock her over!

I had to take a picture of this head of hers. She is hanging on to one little patch of dark, newborn hair right at the base of her head. I should have taken this a while back because it looked hilarious. It doesn't even look as dark in pictures as it does in person. Lots of peach fuzz is coming in everywhere else! Maybe her hair will grow a little faster than her brother's did...

Speaking of her brother, he decided she needed some toys in her bathtub the other night...

11 toys to be exact!! It was hard to find Jane Claire amongst all the floating, plastic animals! She had a good ole time with all of her little friends!

I had to post a video of the Music Man playing drums on a legitimate drum annnnnd....a paint can!?!?

Don't you wish you got to hear that every, single, day?!? You know you do!!

Technically, this should be the last picture of the day. But I can't let it be the last picture because she looks kinda pitiful. Somebody is seems to be getting a little cold. She isn't feeling 100%. Can you tell...

I will end with the usual weekly pictures. Pictures that I took before I realized she wasn't feeling well! Now I know why we had to have Crosby help with smiles this week! Jane Claire at 26 weeks...

Slouched and a little bored...