It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas! The snow outside, the holiday displays that have been in stores for weeks, and the chaos of Thanksgiving weekend (when we typically decorate our house) prompted an early arrival of Christmas for us. We had so much fun getting everything out and Dax was bouncing off the walls thrilled. It even got me an extra few days of Christmas music, which Jake usually adamantly opposes until after Thanksgiving and I would play year-round! Take a peek at our festive time:

"Big" girl

At Adelaide's 2 month check Dr. Oie reminded us that she typically recommends having babies sleeping where you want them to sleep by around 2 months.They are more aware and that tends to be the easiest time to make the transition. Although I loved being able to peek at Addy throughout the night and it was way easier to retrieve her pacifier to help her fall back asleep between feedings (which meant Mama got more sleep, too), we also did not want to prolong her time there and create a nightmare for ourselves down the road. So a few days later we bit the bullet. I started with one of her naps and throughout the day we moved all of the gear (monitor, heater, sound machine, fan) into her room, too. Addy was a champ and made the change go so smoothly. There was a tiny hiccup when we realized the "room darkening" curtains were not at all and the new space was super distracting to our aware little girl, but we simply added some beach towels to her decor and that problem was temporarily solved. Now we need to work on sleeping through the night...

Ads testing out her new digs

She has a little room to grow into.

Two Months

Wait, what?! It does not seem possible that the littlest Schulz is already two months old. She is definitely more aware and interactive, which makes nap time and going out a bit more difficult, but also makes life with her even more enjoyable.

At her two month well check, Dr. Oie said she looked great and was impressed that Addy could track the light across the midline; something that's atypical of babies at this age. Adelaide is healthy at 10 pounds, 11 ounces (32nd percentile), 21.75 inches long (17th percentile), and a 15.5 inch head circumference (81st percentile). Though her weight and height percentiles went down a bit. Dr. Oie was not concerned.

The one bummer was that this appointment also brought some immunizations. She had one oral medication and four (4!) shots. I don't think you can ever be well-prepared to see your baby hurt and, even though we know it's best for her long-term health, it was so sad to see her react. Before she was actually poked, though, the nurse noted that our Addy has more personality and facial expressions than many babies at the two-month check. We can't wait to see that personality grow with her!

Poor, sweet legs

Ready to go home... What the heck was that all about Mommy?!

I'll probably get over it eventually...

Ok, yeah, I guess it wasn't that bad.

And here's a little snapshot of our girl over the past month...

* She had a period of pretty severe baby acne, but it has mostly cleared up

* Adelaide is smiling so much and has let out a few giggle-like sounds along with all of the other noises she makes

* Her bouncy seat and playmat have become some of her favorite places to be and she just stares and bats at the attached toys
* She is rarely unhappy when she's on the changing table. Happy to get a clean diaper? Enjoys the natural light from the window? Likes the one on one social interaction? Whatever the reason, it provides some fun times for all of us.
* She found her hand and sucks it fairly often. She also found her tongue.

* Dax started calling her "Ads" and it has caught on in our household because, come on, how cute is it that he gave her a nickname? He is already protective of her and it is so sweet to see their interactions.

* She has been napping in her bassinet and is starting to sleep a little longer at night - up to a 6 hour stretch some nights when she first goes down.

* Adelaide has had a few more firsts - first bottle, first Halloween, first Blooming bath, and first snow!

First bottle

Silly girl trying to help already

Not so sure about this new set-up

Will she love snow like her Mama?

Look how she's grown (one week, one month, two months):

2 months

Changes

Our kids are the best. Every day is an adventure and I am constantly in awe of how blessed we are to be sharing our life with such amazing little ones. They are constantly changing, but both recently made some noticeable differences in their development.

Dax is showing more interest in creating art projects and his writing and drawing abilities are improving. The most exciting part for us is that he's willing to try making pictures and letters rather than just coloring all over a page.

Dax's drawing of an astronaut in the middle with three aliens (one on the left and two on the right)

He decided to write his name - can you see it in the pink chalk on the right?

Adelaide is getting more social by the day and is showing a lot of interest in the toys on her bouncy seats and play mat. It is fun to see how happy she is just looking at them and she is starting to be more intentional in her movements. She flails and hits at the toys, but also has at least some control and has taken to sucking on her hand.

Out of the mouths of babes

Jake had a conversation with Dax when they were up early together. It is a perfect little snapshot our sweet boy. We love these conversations so much and hope to never forget the joy of simply talking with him.

Dax: Do you have to go to work?
Jake: Yeah, it's Friday.
Dax: If I miss you, I can read the When I Miss You book!
Jake: Yeah, and if I miss you, I can look at the pictures I have at my desk. I have one of you and Addy and mommy.
Dax: Do you have any pictures of zebras?
Jake: No... are you going to have pictures of zebras at your desk when you work?
Dax: I am going to work with you!
Jake: That would be great. Are you going to be a hard worker?
Dax: Yes, I can pick up a lot of toys when it is time to clean up.
Jake: You sure can. You're hired.

The Schulz Museum

Awhile back I mentioned making a gallery in our house to display Dax's artwork and I finally finished it! Dax makes a lot of projects at daycare and we are doing more and more at home as he shows interest so I wanted to find a place to hang some of them.

After searching for inspiration on Pinterest, I chose a design that would look nice, but would be simple to change out as he is always creating new things. There are SO many great ideas, but I went with something simple - spray painted cookie sheets with magnets to hold the art. We have new magnets now that are all black to match the background, but I took these photos when they were mismatched. You get the idea...

The best part about it is seeing Dax's pride when he looks at the things he has made!

Happy Halloween!

We had such a fun Halloween season this year! Dax was really into all of the festivities and Addy is still young enough that she's portable, happy, and sleeps anywhere.

After our trips to the MN and Como zoo events, we continued to extend Dax's costume time with a trip to a Halloween party in Burnsville's Nicollet Commons. We had a long wait to get in, but once we did Dax got to trick or treat a bit, ran around with the other kids, listened to the DJ's music, and tried one of his treats. It was so fun to see him enjoying being dressed up.

Our little astronaut ready to party

Trick or Treat!

Choosing the best treat to try

M&M's are always a good choice!

Playing on the bridge

We also got and carved pumpkins. Dax was really excited to paint his. Well, he was excited until it actually came time to do it - he was finished before either Jake or I picked up a knife to start carving ours! It was fun anyway and he was thrilled to see the finished products.

Pumpkin Patch

Picking out the best pumpkins

Painting his pumpkin

Jake carving his pumpkin

Once finished, Dax played under the table...

And colored...

And eventually left the dining room to play with Legos

Checking out the pumpkin with a candle

The finished products (besides Addy's which we did later)

Dax and the pumpkins

Happy Halloween!

Then, on Halloween, Dax enjoyed a party with his friends at daycare before Trick or Treating at home. Great-Grandpa Harry, Great-Grandma Marlys, Grandpa Mick, and Grandma Mary also joined in the fun by stopping over to see the kiddos in their costumes - Addy wore an owl first halloween outfit and Dax wore his astronaut costume.

Dax's non-costume for daycare - a football player

Special dinner - Halloween noodle mac and cheese with pumpkin shaped carrots

A bear ate our little owl!

Practicing trick or treating with Great-Grandpa

Ready for the real thing

Ready for some candy!

We ended our holiday with more trick or treating at Gma Amy's and Grandpa Phil and Grandma Caren's houses the day after. It was fun to have another opportunity for Dax to wear his costume!

Walking up to Gma's

"Trick or Treat!"

Checking out his haul

Waiting at Grandma Caren and Grandpa Phil's

Last "Trick or Treat" of the season

Happy Halloween!