Tag: update

New year, who dis?

Hello, it’s been a while! Like more than a full year without any meaningful updates. Turns out a lot happened in 2019!

Team Richards circa fall 2019

Brian hosted 3 digital conferences that went very well and gave him some things to learn and improve upon. We’re gearing up for an even busier 2020 for WPSessions. He was also able to take some time away from work and start on a massive (mostly) DIY renovation in our basement that will ultimately give us 2 more bedrooms (Brian’s office and Ben’s bedroom), another bathroom, finished pantry and laundry spaces, and an additional common room (Ben calls it his video game room). We are all looking forward to enjoying those spaces! You can follow along with that process on Instagram.

I started working part-time as a community coordinator at Pantheon in late May. This took a lot of adjusting as a family (especially the times I’m traveling) but it has been 100% worth it. I’m a better mom when I’m not home with the kids all the time and have thoroughly enjoyed polishing up skills I haven’t used in a while (and learning loads of new ones as well). In more personal news, I set out in January 2019 to lose the weight my body insisted on keeping around since Link was born. I lost 25 lbs over 5 months and have (mostly) stayed at my goal size since June. I lost 2 pants sizes and feel much better in my own skin.

Always reading

Ben is 7 now and in first grade. He’s a fantastic reader and excels at most things in school. We’re working on listening and obeying directions the first time he’s instructed. He is very creative and loves crafting and making all sorts of projects. He reads chapter books in a single sitting but still enjoys snuggling up at bedtime to have one of his parents read to him. He is an incredible helper around the house and is always up for reading to Lincoln.

Teddy on his bike with a mask is exactly what 2019 was like for him

Teddy is 5 and in his second year of preschool. He has figured out his letters and letter sounds and is very close to beginning to read. He is still into super heroes and cannot decide if Batman or Spider-Man is his favorite so our house is filled with clothes, toys and books featuring both. Teddy has an extraordinary attention span and can contentedly play with sets of toys for longer than any kid I know. He is very much the middle brother and likes to poke at Ben until he gets an explosive reaction. We are working on using kind words and actions in ALL circumstances. Teddy is a character but which character he is varies from hour to hour.

Link has an incredible sense of humor for a toddler

Lincoln is 19 months old and has probably seen the most change in the last year. Not surprising given his stage in life! Link spends his time at home with me or, when I’m working, our in-home nanny. He had the hardest transition when I went back to work because he has always been my special boy and there is no substitute for his mama. He took a while to start talking but new words have been popping up all over the place this past month. My favorite is “CA-doo” for avocado. Lincoln signs often and picks up new ones quickly. His receptive language skills are off the charts and often gets frustrated when he cannot communicate a response to something we’ve said. Lincoln LOVES to read and will take any opportunity to sit with a bigger person to read one of his favorites. He’s incredibly social and says hi to everyone he sees. A request for a fist-bump or high-five sends him in an endless loop of bumps and fives to all in the room.

No promises that I’ll share a ton this year but perhaps you can plan on more than one post in 2020!

Peace out!

Two Months

My head tells me that Teddy was just born yesterday but my eyes are telling me something completely different. It’s so hard to believe how fast he is growing!

Teddy is two months old today but doesn’t go to the pediatrician until next week so I don’t have any fun growth stats for you yet (I’ll update when I do). I haven’t even gone for my postpartum follow-up appointment yet. The doctor who delivered Teddy is probably the busiest OB at the practice so it was hard to reschedule my appointment and I will, no doubt, have to wait quite a while to be seen. I’m feeling pretty good except for the complete lack of weight loss but that’s another post entirely.

Teddy started out an inch longer than Ben so it shouldn’t surprise me that he is wearing 3 month clothes earlier but I’m still sad about it. My tiny baby is a beast! He’s wearing all 3 month clothes except for pants. He’s pretty slim still, even though he has very kissable rolls and dimples, so pants slide right off. We’re using size one disposable diapers at night and have already packed away all the small prefold diapers in favor of the 5 fitted diapers + covers and 7 BumGenius all-in-one diapers in the stash. I’m still wrapping my head around how I want to split the stash of BumGenius pocket diapers between the two boys but that will happen soon since Teddy is well within the size range.

Teddy consistently wakes up to eat only once during the night, usually between 5 and 7, depending on when we go to bed. He eats, burps, and goes back to sleep with little fuss or effort on my part. We haven’t used a shield for a few weeks (YAY!) so those are packed away now. We’re starting to loosely implement a 7:30 bedtime to get him used to having set sleep hours but success is hit and miss at this point. I feed him and Brian changes his diaper, puts on PJs, and swaddles him and we put him down in his Rock n Play (highly recommended, especially for a second kid) until we go to bed.

Teddy is a smiler. He loves to smile; smiling is his favorite. He has a hard time not smiling so he can eat or keep his pacifier in his mouth. He smiles at all three of us but it’s especially heart-melting to see him smile at Ben. Ben loves to help Teddy play in the gym (Teddy is not as big of a fan, however), throw clothes down the clothes shoot, bring Teddy pacifiers, toys, books, or other things Teddy doesn’t play with yet. I’m looking forward to how things change as Teddy grows up and becomes more of a playmate than a novelty. Ben is really a fantastic big brother and a great helper most days. His molars are taking their sweet time coming in so some days are horrible (looking at you, yesterday, with your 20 minute nap) but the times that Ben throws his arms around my neck and asks for kisses and hugs that make up for the rough stuff.

That’s all I can think of for now. Any questions?

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Ben is sharing! Not visible is the Mr. Potato Head under the hat
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Teddy makes an excellent TV buddy and lap warmer
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Lion child
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Ben is testing out Teddy’s new quilt from Great Aunt Mary Ann
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Games with Daddy
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A toddler’s version of hide and seek is hilarious
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Tummy time and so unsure of everything
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These sweet toys were made for babies!?
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Teddy is the 7th child on my side of the family (me and 4 of 5 siblings plus Ben) to wear this sweat suit
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*heart melts*