Fantastic Fourth: Felix is ONE!

 Oh, Felix....I am almost a month late!  Good thing once you're one, you stop counting by months! 😝

Felix is one, and it already feels like he's one of the other kids.  He has ditched his bottle (I think it took us about 2 weeks to use up the formula), and is eating the same things that his siblings eat at meals.  I haven't figured out his style  yet, though, because sometimes he's a good eater and other times he isn't.  One thing that he does consistently, though, is that he spits out whatever is in his mouth if he sees something else.  So we have to either put all of the meal on his tray at the beginning, or wait until he's swallowed what ever is in his mouth before presenting him with another bite, because he will spit out anything in his mouth to make room for something new (even if it's another bite of the same food).  I feel like another one of the kids did that, but I can't remember which one.  It's messy!

Felix doesn't really play with toys, as he finds doors, drawers, and cabinets much more fulfilling.  Any door/drawer that is open, he closes; and any door/drawer that is closed, he opens.  He doesn't like being contained, and no toys or items can distract him enough to keep him from grunting his displeasure.  He doesn't like being held, either.  He must be free, and he must be opening or closing a drawer or door--or he'll let you know all about it!

Felix is saying quite a few words.  He says "dada," "Astrid," "outside," "cracker," "night night," "yaya," "da-chen" (Gretchen), "ball," "bubba," and "YES."  Still can't/won't/doesn't say "mama" though! What a stinker!

Felix likes to laugh, and thinks we all are hilarious. He also is quick to let you know when he's not happy with something.  He loves to play outside, and enjoys following his siblings around.  He likes to pet the dogs, and is good at giving hugs and kisses.

Felix has 4 teeth (front top and bottom), and is sitting pretty solidly in 12-18 month size clothes.  He's also bumped shoe sizes up to size 5--which is handy, because Holt was already 2 before he was in that size, so there are plenty of options for Felix to choose from!

I haven't decided if I'm going to try and move Felix into his regular bed around 15 months like all of the other kids.  Since there's not another kid behind him, we don't need the crib.  And his and Holt's room is also upstairs--so there's a lot of opportunity for him to get into trouble without us being able to get to him quickly.  I guess only time will tell!  

Happy Birthday, Felix! What a fantastic year this has been to enjoy you and watch you grow!

Fantastic Fourth: Month 10 & 11

I'm sure we can all imagine the 4th kid jokes when I say that I never got around to writing Felix's 10 month post! Ah, well! The kid is anything but ignored, so I think he'll survive! We did take a 10 month picture, though, so I'll start with that:

Over the past 2 months, Felix is walking, full-time!  Over the course of a week, he went from taking 2-3 steps, to walking short distances (while still needing something to pull up on), to standing on his own and practically running! Felix improved his walking by not getting steadier, but by just going faster.  His strategy, I'm finding, is that he already knows he's going to fall, so he might as well cover as much ground as possible before he does!

 Felix is waving, eating regular food, and (finally) holding his own bottle.  He eats whatever you give him on his tray, until he sees something else--then he spits out whatever was in his mouth so he can try the new thing.  He lets us know he's done by throwing the food on the floor, twice as defiantly if you catch him and tell him not to.  Felix does NOT like having to wait his turn for his food, but unfortunately for him, since he can be fastened into his seat, he has to be the last sometimes while the other 3 are wrangled.

 

 Felix is a good sleeper, and while we're not sure he actually sleeps all night long, we leave him around 7:30pm and don't go in to get him until 7am the next day.  He seems fine with that.  He likes sharing a room with Holt.  After his bedtime bottle, he has started saying, "night night" and waving at his brother.

Felix still refuses to say "mama." Although, I think I've figured out his thought process.  We say, "Felix! Say 'mama." and his reply is usually, "YES." I'm thinking that he's just repeating what he hears.  The other kids all say "mama" non-stop, and my reply to them is almost always, "YES!" He's got "dad" and "dada" down, though!

Felix has joined the "my mom gave me a terrible haircut" club, along with his brother and both of his sisters, so we'll have to see how those continue to play out.  Felix also has sprouted his two front teeth, giving him 4 total. 

Felix likes peeing in the bath, screaming, shaking toys, chasing after his siblings, and standing on the couch.  His dislikes include me taking my phone away from him, being ignored, bonking his face on things, and open doors.

Felix is wearing the clothes that Holt was wearing at 18 mos./2 years.  I'm not sure how much he weighs, but he is a lot stockier than Holt was, as well, so most of the pants Holt wore are a little bit constricting on Felix.  I had to buy him some sweatpants!  So much for hand-me-downs! 

Happy 11 months, Felix! Next month you'll be a toddler!

Fantastic Fourth: Month 9

 Felix is 9 months old! Already and Only all at the same time!

Felix has officially sprouted his first two teeth between last month (when they were juuuuuust poking through). I think there might be some top tooth action, but we don't have anything other than a swollen, bulging gum.  Felix is quite a good eater, though, and does NOT have the patience to be fed by anyone other than himself.  Sometimes, he's not even patient enough for that!  He really likes the vegetable/fruit squeezies that we let the older kids have before bed, and when he sees them (and doesn't get one) he gets very upset.

Felix has been surfing the furniture and walking around with push-toys this month. I haven't seen him try to stand without holding on to anything yet, but I've heard he does it.  If he starts walking this month, he'll be following the pattern of each consecutive child walking 2 months before the previous.  This must be a sibling survival feature! 

Felix doesn't like to be left out. He is very vocal, and insists on being heard if anyone else is talking. He doesn't feel the need to talk when it's actually quiet, though. He waits until someone starts talking and then interjects his grunts and squeals. He especially likes joining in during Mass--mostly when it's only Father talking, and not during the times when everyone joins in.

Felix really enjoys his siblings, and they really love him. Astrid seeks him out for comfort if she's upset. Sometimes all it takes is a hug to help her calm down.  Gretchen gets to spend every day with him at daycare, and she seems to enjoy referring to him as her "baby." She updates me on how often he doesn't have dry pants over the course of the day.  Holt likes reading to Felix (and I don't even mean pretend reading--the kid can actually read now!). 

Felix is very funny, likes to sleep, and keeps us all entertained.

Happy 9 months!

Fantastic Fourth: Month 8

Our funny Felix is 8 months old!

Felix is such a fun and happy boy!  He has recently started talking (nonstop) and, of course, says about every syllable sound except for "ma ma ma!" Joseph is four for four on kids saying "da da da da" as their first babble-word!  It's okay, though--I don't blame them!  He is pretty great!

Felix, right now, is the easiest of the four kids.  He's happy the most.  He sleeps the best.  He keeps himself occupied....if he could just feed himself, we'd let him babysit the other three!

Felix is up and surfing along furniture, crawling on all fours, and almost riding on his little push-along toys on his own.  He likes to bounce, and doesn't sit still very well or for very long. 

Felix started clapping and jabbering (appropriately, at his very first OKC Energy soccer game!), and has broken his first tooth on the bottom.  He likes baths, and also being in the pool; except he likes to lick everything, so we have to watch him really closely of he'll stick his face into the water.

Felix seems to be the fan favorite, and his sisters and brother love him very much.

Happy 8 months, Felix!  You're 2/3 of the way through year one!

Fantastic Fourth: Month 7

July snuck up on us, and Felix is 7 months old!

Since it seems like June flew by, it's hard to even remember how Felix has changed in this past month.  He is sitting up fully unsupported.  He is crawling around very well (imagine the butterfly stroke, only out of the water).  He is chowing down the level 2 baby foods (although I think he does a better job with these for anyone who isn't me). 

Felix is still sleeping like a champ, standing up (but not quite surfing), blowing raspberries like his job, and laughing at his siblings.  He has had his hair trimmed around his ears, his wardrobe consists almost entirely of onsies, I can count on one hand the number of times we've put shoes on him, and he likes to chew on anything fabric.

Felix is beginning the phase of noticing when you leave him, and his little cry is so sad!  The good news is that his siblings are all very good at cheering him up.  The bad news is they've all discovered they can pick him up (sort of) and like to show me.  He's clocking in right at 20 lbs, though, so they don't make it far!

Felix is a watcher, and he's learning quickly.  Hopefully he's learning the good habits in addition to the less describable ones!  Felix is officially out of his carrier and into a big boy car seat, and he seems to enjoy having his siblings as his audience while riding in the car.

Happy 7 Months, big guy!