dylan masters : five months

f i v e   m o n t h s

the happiest baby!

Clark at 5 months

five whole months with my sweet Dylan!  I think five months may be my favorite month so far...well, I think I like each month better than the last one haha because (dare I say) it's getting easier as time goes by.  I'm really starting to get the hang of this two kids thing!

this month we ventured out to an appointment without my mother in tow...my FIRST solo outing with the boys (yes, I've managed to make it this far).  this is a BIG deal for me.  I used to be so scared to go anywhere with Clark by myself and I actually don't think I ever started feeling comfortable until Dylan came along.  then taking just Clark felt like a walk in the park!

I would always hear people talk about how hard it is to leave the house with kids and I would wonder why.  HAHA.  between feeding both, changing both, getting myself ready, cleaning up breakfast so we don't get ants, keeping the house from turning into a disaster, and sidestepping blowouts and spit-ups, which means outfit changes and more outfit changes, it's amazing we ever make it anywhere!  we went to Clark's second dentist appointment.  he did SO much better this time and Dylan slept through the whole appointment and then woke up while Clark was playing in their awesome waiting room afterwards.

Dylan is seriously such an easy baby.  he is extremely portable and loves being in the car.  then he's always an angel wherever we are and either sleeps or just chills and sucks his two fingers.

the only hard times we've had were when he had thrush and before we diagnosed his reflux (so basically the first few months) but ever since then, he's so predictable!  he only gets fussy for a reason (hungry, tired, bored) and it's always pretty easy to figure out what's the matter.

this baby actually goes down for naps!  IN HIS OWN BED!!!  hallelujah!  I love Clark to pieces but that is one thing he never did!

five month stats:

weight: 15 lbs. 13 oz. (30th percentile)

length: 26.7 in. (76th percentile)

head circ: 16.5 in. (25th percentile)

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f i r s t s

♥ sitting in the high chair - we haven't officially started solids yet but I have started putting Dilly in the high chair while I make meals for Clark and he loves it!  I give him some toys and he goes to town eating them all while I cook.

♥ Independence Day - we had a dark and stormy holiday but the rain stopped by nightfall so we were able to take the boys to see fireworks (from our car) for the first time!  Dylan loved them more than Clark, who was more fascinated by being in the driver's seat of the car.

boys & their cars

♥ splash pad - while Clark played in the water with daddy, Dylan and I went on a walk through the green belt and found this beautiful meadow.  it's rare that we get to go on a walk, just the two of us.  I think we've only been one other time and I was wearing him so this was our first one-on-one stroller walk together and he loved it so much he fell fast asleep.

♥ bath with Clark - Dylan outgrew the PUJ tub a few months ago and now takes baths with his brother!  usually, Dylan goes in first and when he's about to get out Clark joins in, because sometimes Clark likes to be a little wild in his baths!

♥ walking in the walker - I guess it's about the same time that Clark started using his walker but I still can't believe Dylan can already move around in that thing!  we got him his own very hungry caterpillar walker and it's adorable!  Clark loves to run around in it too, of course.

♥ solid food - I let Dylan suck on an apple the other day when I gave one to Clark and he was so excited!  he's teething so he's always grabbing anything he can find and stuffing it in his mouth.  I think he was pleasantly surprised by the taste of this teether!

f a v o r i t e s

♥ being outside - just like his brother, Dilly is a little nature lover.  unfortunately for him, Houston is having one of the hottest summers ever and we can only stay outdoors for a little while.  the other day I took him and Clark swimming in the blowup pool in the backyard and Dylan wanted to stay out longer than Clark!

♥ sucking his two fingers - so Dylan is not a binky babe but a finger sucker!  I personally think it's so much cuter when babies suck their fingers (but I can't imagine how we're going to stop it).  it's his favorite thing to do and it always calms him down when he's fussing.

♥ baths - every night Dylan gets a bath before nursing to sleep and it's his favorite part of the day.  he is always so happy in the bath!  he loves splashing and kicking his legs in the water, sucking the bubbles off his hands, chewing on washcloths and bath toys and especially, watching his hero, Clark ♥

♥ chewing on diapers - he always goes nuts when he sees all the diapers lined up on his changing table and loooves messing them up, throwing them on the floor and stuffing them in his face!  he does this with his crinkle books too.  he loves it but then after awhile he gets so frustrated and fussy, I think it's because his teeth hurt and he wants to relieve the pain.  no sign of a tooth yet but I feel like any day now..

that's mascara.  he grabbed it out of my hand!

♥ slapstick comedy - Dylan thinks Clark is the most hilarious person in the world.  he always cracks up at whatever Clark's doing but he really goes into hysterics when Clark pretends to fall down or get hurt!  he does the biggest belly laughs over and over and I smile so big, my cheeks hurt.  it never gets old.

e a t

it seems like Dylan's been in a growth spurt constantly this month.  we're back to eating once or twice through the night and it seems like every time he eats (still every 2-3 hours tops), he's starving!  when Dylan eats he loves to grabs fistfuls of my shirt and pull it as he sucks, like he's pulling the milk out.  if I pull my shirt down instead of lifting up, he will grab whatever he can (my bra strap, tank top, etc.) and play with it.  it's the sweetest!

Clark is my picky eater but I have a feeling Dilly boy is going to love food!  he literally starts drooling whenever I eat in front of him (could be the teething) and is always trying to grab whatever I'm eating.  I let him suck on an otter pop the other day (mostly just the frozen wrapper) and his eyes got very big and he started sucking like his life depended on it!  haha!  we aren't starting solids for another month but I know it's going to fly.  my little baby is growing up so fast!!!

s l e e p

Dylan's always been a great little sleeper but recently he's taken his sleep to a new level.  he typically wakes around 6 or 7 am to eat and then goes back to sleep until 9 or 10.  well, lately he's sleeping till 11!!!  he's also started taking 2-3 hour naps!  I feel like all he does is sleep the day away.  must be a growth spurt or something.

Dylan's bedtime should be around 7:30-8 pm and sometimes he's nursing at 8 to go down for the night but usually it gets pushed back later until 8:30 or so because of the chaos of putting both boys to bed.  you'd think it wouldn't be that hard because there's two of us but Clark always insists on mama giving him his bath, reading him stories and singing him to sleep.  so Mark usually does Dylan's bath and puts him in pj's but then it's always hard to switch because Clark cries for me.  Dylan doesn't take a bottle (mostly because we never gave him one in the beginning) and nurses mainly for comfort before bed so he either has to wait for me to put Clark to bed or Clark whines and cries for awhile with Mark.  we're thinking of trying to get Dyl to bed a little earlier so we'll see how that goes.

as I mentioned earlier, Dylan's still waking up once at night to eat, usually around 1 or sometimes he makes it to 3:30-4 am.  it's not a big deal because he always goes straight back to sleep after eating.  the whole thing only lasts about 10 minutes.  I keep telling Mark that Clark was sleeping through by this point but then we remembered that he would wake up and Mark always just went across the hall to his room and gave him his binky and he'd go right back to sleep.  since Dyl doesn't take a binky, it's harder to get him to go back to sleep without nursing.  I have friends who continued nursing at night up to a year because it became a habit and their babies didn't take pacifiers so mama is the pacifier!  I really hope it doesn't get to that and if he continues waking once I don't think he's hungry anymore, we'll be doing some sleep training.

p l a y / d e v e l o p m e n t

Dilly is getting to be so much fun and really interactive.  he has the sweetest, cutest little personality.  he loves to giggle with his daddy, flirt with Grandma, and is always laughing so hard at Clark. whenever he catches my eye from across the room, his whole face lights up and he starts beaming from ear to ear.  I always have to stop what I'm doing and go over to talk to him!  he's got Mark and I wrapped around his little finger.

Dylan is truly in awe of the world around him.  whenever anyone's carrying him, he's craning his neck the entire time to see what's going on everywhere he looks.  we call him an owl because I'm pretty sure he can turn his head in a 360 degree motion!

he is also SO good at entertaining himself!  once he's fed and changed in the morning, he will play by himself on his activity mat and explore his toys for about an hour before getting bored and wanting a change of scenery.  this was almost unheard of with Clark, who always wanted to be held.  it helps that Clark is usually nearby and Dylan loves to just stare at Clark in fascination.  I can't wait until they're both a little older and can play together!  what will I do with all my free time??  haha!

Dilly has found his voice and LOVES to talk to anyone who will listen.  he hangs on my every word and whenever I'm talking to someone he often includes himself in the conversation.  I just love hearing him coo all day long.  he's been rolling for over a month and is almost crawling!!  he pushes off with his feet and moves his knees forward when he wants to grab a toy out of reach.  I can't believe it.  I think Clark was just starting to roll at this age and didn't officially crawl until 8 or 9 months.  it's crazy how different each baby is!

Mark and I have always thought we wanted four kids but lately, my life feels so complete with these two.  I love that Dylan is my baby and I can't imagine him not being the baby one day!  I know I used to say that I couldn't imagine loving another baby as much as Clark but now I can't imagine sharing my love with another besides these two!  hahaha

one thing is certain, we have been blessed beyond measure with our two beautiful boys.  I never want them to grow up!!

♥   ♥   ♥

Clark Wilde : two years

T W O

it's time for another Clark Wilde update!  it's been awhile and a LOT has changed in the past six months!  no more binky + more talking + s i n g i n g + taking care of babies (Dylan & his own)...he's done so much growing up!  my biggest boy, my toddler ♥

2 year well check

"how old are you?" "TWO!"

two year stats:

weight: 26.8 lbs (35th percentile)

length: 34 1/4 in. (55th percentile)

head circ:  19.3 in. (71st percentile)            

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so it's official.  Clark is no longer a baby.  he is now a big brother and such an amazing one!  while life with two kids has taken some getting used to for Mark and I, Clark has taken to the change like a duck to water.  I was so worried about how he would handle not being an only child and having all of my attention, but he has shown nothing but excitement, love and kindness towards his baby brother.  when Dylan wakes up in the morning, Clark is always so excited to run over to see him and wave "hi!".  Dylan is always equally excited to see Clark and greets us both with the biggest smile.

having two under two has made getting out of the house nearly impossible most days but lucky for Clark, Grandma comes and picks him up nearly every single day and takes him swimming, to the park, library, on walks, or just over to her house for a change of pace.  this boy is always craving excitement and fun so he loves spending half the day with Grandma!

swimming with Grandad

park w/ Hazel and Melanie

running errands

finding a Moana book at the library

Houston farmer's market

a few months ago, my parents spent a week doing all kinds of food storage canning with an expert from our ward.  he lives near a farm with lots of open land and my mom took Clark with them every day to explore.  he had so much fun!

Clark's new friend Nora :)

Clark's favorite things at two years...

going outside, pushing his baby in the stroller, driving around in his cars, going swimming, splash pads, floating on his back, watching shows on one of our phone's, giving Dylan hugs and kisses, Buzz Lightyear, Disney movies (Toy Story, Moana, and Finding Nemo are his faves), Nursery, pretend talking on the phone, being silly, hiding our keys, fixing things, putting my hair ties on his wrist, hiding when he finds candy, running from the vacuum, flushing the toilet, getting a bandaid, running in circles around the house screaming!!!

over the past six months, Clark has become so independent!  he is really good at playing by himself and leaving a trail of destruction wherever he goes.  but this kid also loves to clean, maybe even more than playing!  he mops, sweeps, vacuums, but his favorite is spraying the floors with "cleaner" (spray bottles filled with water).

some things Clark has learned to do by himself...

♥ climb in and out of his high-chair

♥ open his favorite apps on our phones (YouTube & Netflix!)

♥ call Grandma & dada on the phone

♥ take his pajamas off

♥ put his shoes on

♥ open doors & shutters

♥ wipe his nose

♥ take the lid off the toothpaste...uh-oh

♥ turn the lights on at the top of the stairs

♥ start his car and reverse

♥ start OUR car and reverse!  double uh-oh!!

probably the biggest change since his 18 month update is NO BINKY!!!  how did we do it, you ask?  we lost it.  no really, one day (April 8th, 2018 to be exact) we just couldn't find any of his binkies and when nighttime rolled around and he asked for it, we told him, "we don't know where your ba-ba is.  where is it?" and we all looked.  when we didn't find it, we just put him to bed.  and guess what?!  he SURVIVED!!!

in fact, he slept through the night just like normal!  when I found his binky the next day, I threw it on the highest closet shelf as fast as I could before he saw it!  I found it a few months later (along with several others) and put them all in his special memory box I have for him.

my binky boy

so ever since the baby arrived, Clark has become obsessed with all things baby.  he's started asking to drink from a bottle when he never took a bottle as a baby.  we went straight from the breast to a sippy cup!  but now whenever he sees me pumping or spots a bottle, he begs us to give it to him!  I made the mistake of giving in a few times and giving him some water in a bottle and he was carrying it around all day!  so now we try and keep all the bottles out of sight.

Clark also loves playing in all of Dylan's baby things...his bed, swing, bouncer, and now Dylan's new walker!  he's just about at the end of the weight limit for these things so this habit is going to be making its way on out!

note the 50 hair ties on his wrist hahaha

insisted on taking a bath like a baby! hahaha

but Clark's latest obsession is his baby doll.  Grandma gave it to him for his birthday, along with a baby stroller, and his favorite thing to do is push that baby around!  he especially loves taking him for walks on the greenbelt...

every night Clark sleeps with one or both of his two blankies, his baby, Buzz, and Cuddles (his teddy).  it's a full house in there!  Clark has yet to attempt to climb out of his crib.  I have friends with kids who started doing this at 18 months but so far, I don't think he realizes going to bed is an option so he doesn't try to get out.  let's try and keep it that way maybe forever!

Clark may only be two but he's already the man of the house over here and my designated bug killer.  living in the middle of the forest means living with bugs of all kinds and even though I grew up here, I'm still terrified of bugs!  especially roaches, OMG.  not Clark!  whenever one of us sees a bug, Clark runs to the kitchen to grab his bug-catching gloves!!  haha, so we get lizards in the house every once in awhile and to get them out, Mark always puts on these old yellow rubber gloves of mine, catches them, and takes them outside.  well, Clark loves watching daddy catch lizards and ever since he first saw Mark put on those gloves, he would run to get them whenever he saw a bug!  so we ordered him his own pair of bug gloves.  now when Mark's at work and I see a bug, I just yell for Clark (my Superman) and he comes to save the day.

when Clark's not catching bugs inside, he love love loves being outside.  unfortunately for him, we live in the hottest state everrr.  it's SO humid outside with mosquitoes galore but Clark doesn't mind.  his favorite is working outside with the big boys (my dad and Mark).  he pulls his own weight too!

helping Grandad dig a trench

"okay, okay, I can take it from here!"

o u t  &  a b o u t

we took Clark bowling for the first time back in January.  he liked it for about 5 minutes and then spent the rest of the time in the arcade with Grandma.

                                           

we introduced Clark to his first splash pad at the zoo a few months ago and it did not disappoint!  he would have played there all. day. long.  ever since then we've been on the hunt for a nearby free splash pad.  last weekend we took him to one in the Woodlands, which isn't that close, but it was awesome!!  also, it's 5 minutes from Trader Joe's!!!  so we are planning to go once a month now so we can get our Cali food fix.

another cool place we discovered is Urban Air, which has Mommy & Me every Friday that's just for toddlers and super cheap.  he loved this place so much!!  we plan to go back soon, maybe with dad!

back in January Clark had a run-in with the fire department when he locked himself in the car!!  I'm still not sure how it happened...he was playing in the front seat and the keys were inside when Mark left him to go get something and shut the door so he wouldn't fall out.  then Clark locked it!  I was freaking out and of course Mark was as cool as a cucumber.  we spent 15-20 minutes trying to get him to unlock the car or pick up the keys, which were on the floor of the driver's seat, because he knows how to unlock the car that way.  after awhile though he got scared and wanted us to let him out.  once he started crying I felt so helpless and lost it.  Mark called 911 and they told him to call the fire department.  within 5 minutes, we heard the sirens and then a firetruck was in front of our house!  I wish I had taken a picture of the 6 firefighters who came to get him out but I think I was in shock.  probably the scariest thing to happen to us as parents so far!

so far the two's haven't been so terrible but we're only a month in, ha!  in general Clark is a pretty well-behaved kid.  he definitely has his moments, especially when he's tired or hungry.  he's started doing this thing where anytime we tell him no, he obeys but immediately whines really loud or even bursts into tears if we sound too serious or at all angry.  we have to let him know we're not angry but he just can't have mom's phone right now or another popsicle.  then we tell him we love him and the whining/crying usually stops after a minute or two.

Clark also goes back and forth all day between which parent he prefers based on who isn't letting him do something he wants to.  all day long when I tell him he can't do something he starts crying for dada and when Mark gets home at night, suddenly I'm his favorite person again!

so far Clark has never thrown a tantrum in a public place but the other day in Trader Joe's he was really hyper after we had gone to the splash pad and started screaming at the top of his lungs for fun!!

Clark has changed in many ways but he is still a pretty picky eater.  he rarely tries new things and on the off chance we can get something new in his mouth, it typically comes straight back out.  he's been this way ever since his first time trying solids when he refused to try anything green.  still, there are quite a few healthy things he will eat for each meal.  here are some typical toddler meals around here:

Clark's palate at two:

breakfast - cereal (Special K, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Honey-nut Cheerios, Life), Chobani greek yogurt parfait w/ granola, blueberry waffles, fruit 'n cream oatmeal

lunch - ham & cheese sandwich, Kraft mac 'n cheese, pb banana toast, Wendy's cheeseburgers, french fries

dinner - pizza, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, chicken stir fry, spaghetti, cheese ravioli, tortellini

snacks - fruit snacks, goldfish, cheez-its, granola bars, animal crackers, chips & dip, pita chips & hummus, carrots & ranch, all fruit but esp. strawberries, bananas, grapes & oranges

Clark's favorite drink is juice, juice, juice!!  he doesn't really like water and requests juice 90% of the time.  the other 10% of the time he wants chocolate milk.  he will drink water if it's in a water bottle and then he'll chug like the whole thing!  he loves carrying his sippy cups around with him all over the house like a security blanket.  luckily ours are spill-proof!

Clark still eats in his high-chair but we do have a booster for him that he's used a handful of times...it's just a lot messier!  he will be moving to the booster once Dylan is in the high chair in about a month though (!!!)

t o d d l e r   t a l k

Clark's speech has exploded in the last few months!  he has about a 75 word vocabulary and picks up new words every day.  he also copies lots of words we say (when he's in the mood) and has recently started saying short phrases.  he surprises me every day with new words he's picked up.  one thing about Clark is he never "performs" for anyone and can be pretty shy so he usually doesn't say much when he's around other people until he warms up.  he talks pretty much all day long but there's lots of jibberish mixed in with real words.  he loves talking on his play phones and moves his voice up and down.  usually he's talking to dada or grandma!

some of Clark's favorite words are mama, dada, "bebe" (baby), more, mine, dis (this), show, hi, bye, night night, no, yeah, "joosh peez" (juice please), shoes, eyes, nose, mouth, bug, Buzz, shark, bath, car, keys, phone, wet, and dog.  he's just starting to sing and likes to sing scream "Do Re Mi" while running in circles around the house.  it's pretty hilarious!

as I'm writing this, Clark (who decided not to nap today) is "talking" on the phone and keeps exclaiming, "oh!!  woah!!"  I asked him who he's talking to and he said dada.  have I mentioned he knows how to call people on the phone?  he can also navigate to all his favorite apps from anyone's phone!  this kid is going to be sooo tech savvy.

Clark has always been and still is a mama's boy but he thinks dad is just the coolest guy around.  he's always pointing to men in pictures, on TV, in his books and saying, "dada?!"  he even thought Will Smith was dada!  hahaha

Mark & Clark are always working on something together...they work out in the yard, fix things around the house, run Saturday morning errands together while mom & Dyl sleep in.  Mark is the most incredible dad and role model for our boys.  they are so lucky to have him!

l e t t e r s   t o   c l a r k

my dear Clark,

the past two years have been the best of my life.  it's hard to believe I've only known you for that long.  it feels like I've loved you forever.  so many things have changed since I became a mother but I think the biggest change is living for someone else's happiness.  sometimes when I'm in the middle of something you will come and raise your arms up for me to carry you or take whatever I'm working on out of my hands (laundry, a dish towel), replace it with your little hand and try to drag me off somewhere.  I almost always drop what I'm doing and come with you because this is what I live for!  adventures with my Clark Wilde.

I love how close we are, how much you still need me, how I'm your favorite person in the world.  I'm the only one you ever want to put you to bed and even though it's hard, because I also have to put Dylan to bed, I wouldn't trade our stories in the chair for anything.  we are slowly transitioning out of the part in our routine where I rock you while singing you to sleep before putting you in the crib.  you hardly fit on my lap anymore and I can barely lift your 26 pound sleeping body up out of the chair.  when did you go from my tiny, sweet baby to my wiggly, wild toddler?

goodness knows, there are days you drive me crazy!  your trail of messes all over the house, running from me when it's time to get dressed or change your diaper, wanting to practically live outside and not understanding why I can't take you for a walk in my underwear, when you refuse to nap or eat something new I made, and all those sleepless nights I wanted to pull my hair out!  but then you put your hands on my face or cup my chin in your palm and tell me you love me and I want a million more years with you at this age.

this time we have together is so short.  every day you're getting bigger and smarter and soon there will come a time that you don't need me or won't want me to pick you up and smother you with kisses.  I love your silliness, your clinginess, your innocence, your joy.  you are my bug catcher, bath splasher, silly dancer, belly laugher, dog chaser, crazy wilde boy.  and I love you to pieces.

love,

your mama

Dear Clark,

At two years old you are growing up so incredibly quick, and your personality is coming together right in front of my eyes.  I'm pretty sure your favorite word is 'owside', and if you had your way you'd never come inside.  You're always coming up to me or your mom with your shoes saying, "owside? owside?".  I'm so glad you love to run around and explore the world around you.  

This hot summer you have helped me fix some of our sprinklers and then got to run through them.  You have also helped me find a leak that was dripping through the light in the kitchen.  You watched me cutting out the wall under the vanity in your bathroom.  Ever since you saw that, you keep going into the cabinet in the game room and hammering away.  You also helped me fix the leak in the kitchen sink.  As I work away you always watch how to use each tool and then you'll take it and try and fix things yourself.  I love when you wiggle your head into a small space to take a look at my work.  Even if I barely fit myself under the sink I can be sure you will find a way to get your little head next to mine.

As you grow up I want you to keep these traits and always remember that the world has many wonderful things as long as you're willing to put yourself out there and work hard.

I love you Clark Wilde,

Your Dad

♥                ♥                ♥