Arizona Trip 2015

Call us crazy, but we packed up three kiddos under the age of four, got on a plane and went to Arizona.  Logistically it's a challenge and takes lots of planning, but we made it work!

The plane ride was interesting since we are no longer able to all sit in the same row.  Braden and Logan must be ticketed and have seats, and Kellen is still a lap child.  We decided the best option was for Kevin to sit in a row with Logan and for me to sit with Kellen and Braden in the row in front of them.  They all did remarkably well on the four hour flight to Arizona.  Kellen nursed and slept for the most part.  He was fussy for a little while, but luckily the flight was smooth so I was able to stand in the aisle and walk with him for a bit.  I purchased brand new activities to put in the big boys backpacks to keep them entertained.  Most of them were dollar store purchases, but it worked since everything was new! And of course we had Paw Patrol episodes on our phones :)

We had a great time staying with Poppi and Nana.  The boys loved being outside almost all day every day.  Uncle Matt came over almost every day as well.  We spent time with my Grandma (or GiGi as the boys call her) as well as my Aunts and Uncles.  We hung out with my best friend from high school and her kiddos and they really enjoyed playing with each other.  We went to the Phoenix Zoo and the railroad park.  The boys went on as many walks with the dogs as possible.  We had a fabulous time and it was extremely difficult to return home to the bitter cold.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Kellen is SIX MONTHS OLD!!!

Half a year.  That means he is on the countdown to being a year old, and we are just not ready to accept that!

Stats

• Weight: 14 pounds 13.6 ounces (7th percentile)
• Height: 26 inches (22nd percentile)
• Head: 42.5cm (24th percentile)

Development

• Still such a happy little guy!  He cries when he is hungry, tired, or wants to be held.
• He loves to cuddle.
• He rolls all across the room and even scoots to what he wants.
• He sits with support but not independently yet.  Mostly this is because when you sit him up he sees his feet and immediately tries to eat them which causes him to fall over.
• He gets up on his hands and knees and will stay there for a bit.  He even rocks back and forth sometimes!  No crawling yet, but it's coming quickly!
• Everything still goes in his mouth.  Lately, he has been taking his socks off and trying to eat them.  He also like to reach out and grab my face and attempts to eat my nose.
• Nurses every three hours during the day, and usually once overnight.
• Has baby food three times a day.  So far, he likes everything except bananas.  He LOVES peas.
• He naps two to three times a day.  Twice if they are a decent length, but sometimes his first two naps are short and he needs a power nap before dinner.
• Goes to bed sometime around 8pm and is up for the day around 7 or 7:30am.  He still wakes once, sometimes twice, overnight to eat but is usually good about going back to sleep quickly.  
• Recognizes our faces and gets the biggest smile when he sees us!
• Grabs toys, passes them from hand to hand, and of course puts them in his mouth.
• No teeth yet!

Likes

• The jumperoo and his around we go activity station.
• Going for walks in his stroller.
• Being outside.  He thinks the wind is hilarious (see video at end)
• The zoo.  He was mesmerized by the dolphin show.
• Bathtime
• Eating :)
• His brothers, but especially Braden.  Braden can get Kellen to laugh with almost anything.

Dislikes

• Bananas (Logan does NOT understand how this is possible.)
• The car seat.  He is MUCH better with it than he used to be, but it still falls in the dislike category for now.