Ten Months

How handsome is this big kid!? I just can't take it! He's not so much a baby anymore. 

Eating: Foster has really started to enjoy food this month. He eats all types of fruits and vegetables, and has tried beans and chicken broth. He still nurses 5 times during the day. I think he is ready to drop his afternoon nursing because he hardly nursing much anymore, but I haven't done it yet. I am not ready to start the descent.

Sleeping: Foster has been sleeping much better. Just like his oldest brother, Charlie, he got all 4 front teeth in at the same time. Once they were almost through, he started sleeping much better. He has been doing to bed around 7:30PM and waking up between 6-6:30AM.

He still takes two naps a day - one at 8:30/9AM and another at 1:30/2PM. Each nap is normally around 1.5/2 hours long. He was struggling with staying asleep for naps for a couple days in a row. One day Charlie made the suggestion that I try to swaddle him for his naps, and just like that he started sleeping again. Charlie is so smart.

He Likes: Looking at books (he is always pulling books off the shelf), conversing (he smiles SO big when you talk with him, Daddy (definitely showed Daddy lots of love this month. He lights up everyday when he comes home), he loves to clap and give open month kisses, He loves the new independence that comes with crawling, he also loves to empty the dogs water onto himself.

He Doesn't Like: He doesn't like being fed, but prefers to feed himself (he will be fed applesauce though)

New Skills: Foster decided to do a lot of growing up this month. He started to crawl, pull up, cruise, clapping, kissing, get 5 (!) new teeth, and started eating more and more! He also started talking a lot more and LOVES conversing! "Dada"

Exciting Things We Did:

We went to the Harrisburg Farm Show!

Jed got his very own mattress (him and Charlie were sharing for about two months), and the boys got a bunk bed! Foster got to go on a date with Mommy and Daddy to go buy the bunk bed.

C read his first book! 

We gained a new nephew and cousin! Renly Aaron Rittenour was born on 1/6/20! We were all very excited! 

More Pictures: 

So much matching!

Picture by Charlie

Early morning snuggles

First day of the Spring semester for co-op. We LOVE going to co-op!

Big kid is to handsome <3

I couldn't pick just one.

Notes:
From C - I love you, Foster. I love that you are a big boy. I like playing with you.
From Jed - Foster, it your birthday?
From Lydia - Foster, I love you. I like to play horses with you.

Nine Months

Eating: Foster is eating most fruits and veggies. He enjoys eating everything so far, but applesauce, blueberries, broccoli, green beans, and sweet potatoes are his favorite. We are still nursing 5 times a day and haven't cut a nursing out yet. Honestly, I am not sure when we will drop a nursing. I am definitely in not rush.

Sleeping: Foster goes to bed around 7:30 every night and has been waking up inconsistently. Sometimes he will wake up at 1AM, and other times he will sleep until 5AM. 6AM is our goal. I try my hardest not to nurse or start our day before 6AM, but I often fail in doing so. When he wakes up in the middle of the night (or anytime before 6), he is very hard to get back asleep unless Ty takes him for a car ride. So sometimes I end up nursing him back to sleep. (We also went to the cabin this month, which always seems to mess with his sleeping through the night.) On most days he is able to make it until 6AM without nursing and then we start our day. On days when he sleeps until 6AM, I will nurse him and then have a solid hour (on most days) of alone time with him before the other kids wake up. It is really nice to be able to start my day before the others wake up.

Foster is napping two times a day, normally around 8:30 and 1:30. He is a great napper (unless his siblings wake him up), and will nap for about 2 hours each time. On an average day our day looks like the following: nurse at 6AM, nap at 8:30AM, nurse at 10:30AM, nurse at 1:00PM, nap at 1:30PM, nurse at 4PM, nurse at 7PM, bed by 7:30PM.

I have never liked having my babies put themselves to sleep this young, but am starting to think that Foster would really benefit from it. I love snuggling and rocking my babies to sleep because they grow up too fast. We will see if I can handle trying it in this next month, but knowing me, I doubt it.

New Skills: Clapping, Scooting around in his walker, ever closer to crawling, trying to pull up on things, he mastered eating off of a spoon (although he rarely do it), He definitely seems to be using "Mama," but I'm never sure if it is on purpose this young. Fos finally got two teeth this month!

He Loves: Baths are still his favorite, scooting around in his walker, eating, hugs

He Doesn't Like: bananas

Exciting Things We Did:

We (Daddy) got a new puppy! He was named Benny for 1 day, but then we changed it to Braven. Ty is in heaven and so are we. Finn loves having a friend, and although he may be crazy to get a puppy right now, it has been fun. We definitely have been getting outside and taking many more family walks, and honestly, that was our goal - a dog that made us get out in nature more. (We love Finn, but he hates going on walks and going anywhere.)

Braven loves to climb on your lap and fall asleep, even if there isn't any room!

I made and finished Foster's Christmas stocking! I am the most proud of his stocking. I did all of the sewing by myself and could see how far I have come in my ability since doing the first stocking 7 years ago!

We celebrated Christmas! We have done our stockings on Christmas Eve for a couple years now. However, this was the first year that we decided that instead of stuff, we would fill our stockings with pictures and encouraging words to each other. It was definitely my favorite part of Christmas and is for sure a new family tradition!

We still did our tradition of Wilbur chocolate in stockings.

Christmas Eve Morning GF Cinnamon Rolls

We sleep under the tree every Christmas Eve.

My mom and I got Foster a BlaBla doll for Christmas. I love them and Foster loved getting his lion!

We went to the cabin! This trip was really special, because we got two whole days at the cabin with just our family. We missed everyone else (and honestly, it was very weird not to have them there), but it was a nice time to relax by ourselves. We got to spend all day Saturday with everyone, but had to come home on Sunday morning. 

Spoiled pup driving up.

Warming the cabin up, (also spoiled pup).

Aunt Nadine got Charlie a drone for Christmas

Family walk aka ice skating

Family Game Night (thanks to Nanny for buying us Zingo!)

SMores! 

When did he get so big!

Cabin Bath #2

Driving home. They slept like this for 2 hours!

More Photos:

Reading is a family favorite.

Sister selfie!

Early mornings with him are something that I am sure that I'll miss.

The best <3

I love you, Foster Ellis!

A Note From Daddy: Foster Ellis you are a joy! Despite your inability to sleep in well, I love spending *joyful*, early mornings with you. You're never short of smiles and giggles and I love that most about you. After your first 9 months of looking just like your brothers when they were infants, you're starting to take on your own look and I think you're super handsome :D 2020 is going to be an exciting year for you! I love you, Fellis!