Gino is 4 months old

Our smiley little guy is 4 months old!

He's 26" tall and 14 lbs. 

July was a month of many firsts for Gino. Here are some of the highlights:

           He rolled over for the first time.

He started sleeping without being arm swaddled. I may have shed a tear or two. In my eyes, the day they break free of swaddling may as well mean they're leaving for college. I've been swaddling around the midsection, but he really doesn't need it. I think I do it more for myself than for him.

See? Totally fine without. And uhm......apparently he's totally cool sleeping on his belly now. He's totally ready to fly the coop already. I mean--so grown up and independent and all. Rolling, sleeping on his belly and the like. Next thing you know, he will be self soothing.

What?! Self soothing did I say?

Why yes, look what else he found. A thumb. 

From all these pictures it must look like all he does is sleep, but I can assure you that's not the case...although he has started sleeping through the night (7:30-5:00) and taking two longer naps during the day. It's by no means a schedule quite yet, but we are getting there. 

He's actually quite a little ham. He loves to be tickled by his siblings, and his big brother Sal can really get him going.

His social calendar was filled with visits to see his great grandmas and grandma in Santa Barbara, a beach party for cousin Pilar down in Huntington Beach and a trip to underwood farms to see the baby animals. 

The biggest news of the month was the completion of his big sister's room, meaning he finally moved out of the pack and play that I shoved in the closet and into a crib in Sal's room. Night one went pretty smooth, although I'm pretty sure Sal was hovering over Gino's crib just waiting for him to fuss a little so that he had good reason to come out of his room to tell us. Here's to many years of bedtime babble and shenanigans between my boys. 

   

Happy 4th month, G!

    

Three & a half years of Sal

Sal is three and a half now.

He's become quite a good little conversationalist, and I enjoy our discussions on the topics that matter to him--like what time does the garbage truck driver get to work? And does he take the truck home? If so, where does he park it? 

  Just a kid being a kid. Hello summer. 

I love trying to answer the burning questions of a three and a half year old so long as they don't begin with "mama, maama, maamaaa can I have some....."  The whining is not high on my favorite-things-my-kid-does list, but it comes with the territory, I suppose. From what I hear from other moms, it's par for the course. 

         Walking home from school

Sal is still loving going to school. He's only going once a week for summer so that he could partake in other fun classes that he and I chose before summer started. He's taking a science for preschoolers class that he loves and also has swimming lessons (which he doesn't mind as long as he doesn't have to go under) once a week, as well as gymnastics. 

          Sal's new "smile" for photos

This age is also very challenging to parent. From questions I don't know the answer to, to tantrums that come out of nowhere. It's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One minute sweet, and the next, well......let's just say, not so nice. I know it's just a "season", and this too shall pass, so for now, we are staying consistent with expectations and consequences and riding it out. Some days it feels like I'm failing him miserably as a parent, and others I know that he feels our love and is a content little guy. 

I've been trying more one on one time with him, as has Nick. In fact, as a reward for accomplishing a milestone, Sal got to go to his first movie in a theatre with Nick. They saw Minions. I'm not sure what was more of a hit.....the popcorn, movie or his very own soda?! He was quite thrilled upon their return from Minions and keeps asking to go to a movie "not in our house". 

       Playing Legos with his mama

He usually accompanies me to the market on Saturday mornings to help with the weekly grocery shopping. He's right behind me nipping at my heels (literally) with his small cart as we chat about what dinners we will make, and how many of each item are on our list. We never seem to get out of the checkout line without a bag of skittles, because how can I resist a boy who says, "oh mama, skittles! Those don't make Gino sick do they? You can have them with me". (He's quite interested in my dairyfree diet, and has actually paid attention to what I can and can not eat. Smart boy). 

   B"Smile, Sal!" And this is what I get...

He's still a small fry, barely breaking 32 lbs. He won't  stand still long enough for me to get a good measurement on height, but his 3t pants have become high waters as of late, so he's got to be growing. 

There's a saying that goes, " the days are long but the years fly by", which is absolutely how I feel about being this kid's mama. I have a hard time accepting that he is going to be FOUR in just six more months.