12 months old! Happy Birthday!

• We are legitimately counting "uh oh" as your first, and so far only, word.  You now consistently use it "appropriately" so we decided it counted.  I use quotes because you do always say it when something falls out of your hands. . .however, half of the time you toss it deliberately and then say it!
• You wear 6-9 month clothes pretty consistently now.  I boxed up your 3-6 month things and gave them away. I've been giving all your outgrown clothes to a coworker, except for a few favorites.
• You are on a pretty consistent and reliable nap schedule and it is great!  For the last 6 months you've taken 3 naps a day, but they weren't at consistent times and varied in length.  You now pretty consistently nap twice a day for 90-120 minutes each.  Depending on when you wake up (usually between 6:15-7) you'll start your first nap between 8-9am, then start your second nap between 1-2pm.  You're usually in bed by 7pm and we sneak Bennett in a little while later.
• You demand snuggles by crawling right into our laps and burrowing into us.  No one can resist that!  You also snuggle into pillows whenever you find one.
• You've started snuggling stuffed animals when you come upon them.  You'll pick them up and hug them to your neck with one hand and pat them a couple times with your other one.  That must be how I pick up and hug you or something!
• You love "playing" with Bennett at the Lego table.  You're fascinated by these things that you see Bennett spend so much time on.
• You walk along furniture pretty easily but show no desire to try to stand or walk on your own.  That's fine with me! I know once it starts it won't stop!
• You use your pointer finger to point at things.  It's so cute watching you direct that tiny chubby finger.
• You still looooove to climb anything you can find - furniture, toys, people, pillows, etc.  Your favorite set-up right now is one Bennett created for you with two toy room chairs (different heights) and a book box that allows you to climb from one to another like stairs.  The chairs are soft padded and pretty low to the ground so it's safe for you.
• We've been making a lot of green smoothies (banana, kiwi, spinach, coconut water) and you LOVE them! You can easily drink half a cup of one on your own.
• You understand what your headbands are for and while you'll pull them off quickly, you'll also try to put them back on yourself again.  Since you are finicky about them right now then whenever I want your hair to be nice I have you wear one of your nylon headbands (I don't think you can feel them which is why it works) or I put your hair in a little ponytail on top.  It sticks straight up like Pebbles, as Daddy always says.

11 months

• We finally packed up the bouncer and play mat and put them in storage.  You just don't use them the way that Bennett did as a baby and now that you're crawling everywhere you keep entertained through exploring.
• You've started to understand the concept of games and fun and "funny".  For example, one game you've invented that you only play with me is to crawl up to where I'm sitting and bite my toes.  Then I shriek (either real or exaggerated, depending on whether I saw you coming) and you laugh and laugh.  You and Bennett are also making up all kinds of silly games on the fly daily.
• You CLAP!  You started clapping out of nowhere on April 10th and showed off your new skills at Grandpa King's birthday dinner that night. You clap frequently now on your own.
• You also WAVE! That started just a couple days before the clapping, although you need to be prompted to wave usually.  
• Also within the past week, you have started mimicking how to say "uh oh" and "oh no" but we're not really counting them as your first words since you don't use them appropriately.  More like they're just fun sounds you like to crawl around and say.
• You are still wearing some of your 3-6 month clothes.  Mostly because we're straddling that line between winter and summer so depending on that day's weather you wear either your smaller warmer clothes or your bigger summery clothes.  You're only 16 pounds still so many of your 3-6 month clothes still fit fine.
• You love to CLIMB!  You get a big kick out of climbing onto a box of books in the toyroom and sitting on top of it like a king.  And you have recently discovered stairs!  You first discovered them while being babysat at the neighborhood babysitting co-op and went up 3 stairs before the mom caught you.  Only a couple days later, you slowly but determinedly went up the entire flight of wooden stairs at Grammy and Grandpa's house!  It was sure a sight to see that tiny little body crawling up those stairs!
• We've started ditching your baby tub and letting you just sit in a bubble bath (usually with Bennett) since you were getting too active for the little plastic tubby.  You have a blast being free in the water, although we can't give you any cups to play with or you try to drink the bath water.

10 months

• Your eyes get complimented on all the time now.  I never expected that but I certainly see why!  With Bennett it was expected, the first thing people would say about him was to comment on his light blue eyes.  With your eyes being brown, I didn't think much about them but as you've grown they have become quite the little item of their own!  You have long dark eyelashes and have this way of staring up at people from under those lashes and you've become quite the dark eyed beauty because of it.
• You have figured out how to pull yourself up on things.  First and foremost, the Lego table.  We're constantly trying to push legos out of your reach, or squish your cheeks to pop legos out of your mouth.
• You love all animals, both real and in books or toys
• You will hold your arms out now sometimes when you want someone to pick you up.  Sometimes you just flap your arms instead but we know what it menas.
• If you're holding something you'll hold your arm out to us to "show" us and are very pleased if we smile and say something like, "oh look at what you have! how nice!"
• You've discovered the puppy food.  We were moving it to a new location every few days until you inevitably found the new location, but then I discovered I could put it behind the wedge couch with your carseat blocking the path.  The pups can still squeeze through just fine, but you haven't figured it out yet.  It's only a matter of time though before you figure out how to either push it out of your way, or that you get there via climbing into the puppy's bed.

9 months

• You sleep through the night finally.  Yay!  I finally just started refusing to feed you at night and giving you your binky instead.  I knew you weren't hungry, it was just a sleep crutch.  It only took a few days for you to adjust and now that you can put your own binky in well then when you lose it in the night most of the time you just feel around for it, put it back in your mouth, and go back to sleep!
• We moved your crib into Bennett's room, so you two are temporarily roommates.  We had two different house guests this past month and the downstairs den is too cold in the winter (aunt Ayisha is living with us right now in the guest room) so we moved you to B's room and put the guest bed in your room so that they could be upstairs where it's warmer.  You both do surprisingly well.  We usually let you fall asleep first, then sneak Bennett in.  Or if you both are going to bed at the same time then if you're fussing we'll let Bennett fall asleep in our bed and move him into his later.  Bennett loves sleeping with someone else in his room and it's made it so that he never comes out of his room anymore after being tucked in.
• I finally moved the straps up on your carseat.  Everything was still on the newborn settings but it seemed like suddenly one day I looked at you and you were too tall now for it.
• You crawl well now, fast and smooth.  You have also figured out how to transition from crawling to a sitting position (instead of only the reverse).
• You love to be held.  You are very content to just be held as I go about my day and just watch what I'm doing.  You really don't like the jumper much and have to be in the mood to sit and play on your own or crawl around and explore.  The rest of the time you'd really rather be in our arms!
• You are becoming very expressive with your facial expressions and sounds and actions.  It's so fun!

8 months

• You are the best little eater.  There is pretty much nothing I won't let you try, at least in little cheerio sized portions.  When Bennett was a baby the recommendations on potential allergy foods was different, so he didn't eat any of those until he was one.  But now they say the earlier the better as long as it's regular, so you've already had eggs, dairy products, peanut butter, and strawberries.  The only thing we're not allowed to give you yet is honey.  You are also just so much more interested in real food than Bennett was.  I remember it was a really big deal when Bennett was one and the day came where I could make the same lunch for both of us.  With you, you pretty much demand we let you try whatever we're eating so at mealtimes we just sit you in our highchair and feed you little bits of whatever we're serving.  You're doing much better now at finger feeding yourself too, although it's still pretty clumsy.
• We finally moved you into your room on Christmas Eve to start sleeping there at night.  I've been working with you too on trying to sleep through the night.  It's going pretty well, usually I'll feed you once and then the rest of the night if you wake up we just comfort you back to sleep.  Half the time that means I just take you into my bed where you cuddle up and sleep the rest of the night.  But still progress!
• I would say that as of the last couple days we officially have an army crawler - you do really well pulling yourself to wherever you need to go, although it takes a while.
• Daddy is always teasing you about your wrists that won't stay still, you're always twirling your hands around.
• Have I mentioned that you are definitely a Daddy's girl?  You just adore him and sometimes prefer him to me.
• Your fingernails still grow so fast!  I have to trim them several times a month.
• You have always liked pulling your blankets and toys to cover your face, both when sleeping and playing.  You just get a kick out of it.
• You are aware now when people leave the room and will wail pitifully if you feel you're being left alone.

7 months

• You love food!  So much that you are starting to snub bottles.  You will still nurse fine, but would rather be offered solid food than a bottle any day.  You've tried several different types of baby food, and we've let you gum on things like apple cores and baby carrots as well as offering you little bits of egg, cheese, meats, bread, etc.  You love it all!
• You have finally figured out the bouncer and enjoy jumping up and down in it.
• You are a quieter baby, but happy and mellow.  Whereas baby Bennett smiled readily at anyone who looked his way, you tend to clam up with strangers or even extended family members and just stare and absorb.  If only they could see how you are at home with your family!  You are always happily rolling around, cooing and growling and laughing.
• You're close to crawling.  Right now you spend a lot of time flipping forward from sitting up to putting your weigh on your hands.  Once you figure out how to push up off your knees you'll be crawling in no time.
• You love your Bennett, no one can reliably make you smile the way he can!  I'm frequently telling him to play more gently, but you love his silly games and wrestling.  We're always amazed at the nonsense kind of games he makes up to play with you that you just absolutely respond to!

6 months

• At your 6 month doctor visit, you are 24 inches and weigh 16 pounds, 8oz.  You were very sad about your shots.
• You have discovered your hair and frequently pull it and cry out in pain.  Hopefully you'll realize quickly that you're doing it to yourself! Your hair has also started to grow again and is getting long and fluffy.
• With the discovery that you can reach the top of your head, you have also started pulling your headbands off!
• You don't like being swaddled to sleep anymore.  Mostly because you're too strong and break out of every swaddle wrap we've tried.  So we just swaddle you from the chest down and leave your arms out, or we don't even do that and just lay a blanket over you.
• We started sleep training a few weeks ago and you're doing really well!  We've stumbled upon the magical sleep combination of laying you down on your side, not swaddled, with binky and lovey.  If I lay you down right when you start to yawn or rub your eyes (after about 1 hour 45 minutes of being awake) then you go right to sleep without fussing and sleep anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
• You sit up very well and only fall when startled or reaching for something.
• You love to give "kisses" to people by pulling yourself to their face and gnawing on their cheek.
• You hold things firmly in your hands and rarely drop them anymore.
• We started rice cereal on your 6 month birthday.  You loved being offered real food although you're definitely getting used to the texture!

5 months old

• You can control your hands much better now and love to reach out to whoever's holding you and play with hair/noses/beards.
• You suddenly switched from being a quiet drowsy newborn to being an alert and active baby!
• You can sit up by yourself for a few seconds at a time.
• We set up the high chair and also the bouncer.  You love sitting at the table with everyone else although you fuss for our food!  You are obsessed with food!  Your mind is ready although your body is not quite since you gag on the tiny bits of mashed apple or bread I've offered.  You like the new play activities on the bouncer although it will be a while before you actually kick your feet and bounce in it.
• You love Pocket and Red fairly equally now.  Mostly because now that you reach for things, Pocket has learned to run whenever you are placed next to them lest she have her fur pulled.  You've yanked on Red a few times too but she's much more patient.
• You absolutely adore your daddy.  You are equally as happy with him as me and sometimes even prefer him, especially after not seeing him all day long.
• You wake up twice a night now.  I'm not sure what happened there.  Since you've always been such a good sleeper though I can't really complain.
• You understand conceptually that when you drop your binky you need to get it back in your mouth. . .but you can't seem to work your hands to do that.  You decide your odds are better if you just dive-bomb the binky with your mouth, leading to some reflex catches on our end.
• There is a bit of drama to you!  You will throw 2 second tantrums when you get frustrated about things.
• Your hair is starting to grow again and always looks fluffy and dry now.
• You smile easily now and don't make us work so hard for it.
• You suck on your thumb sometimes but leave your fingers open rooster-style when you do it.

4 months old

• You wear 0-3 month clothes only now
• You figured out how to roll over your right shoulder a week ago and do it every time we put you down on the ground!  Occasionally you can roll yourself back but usually you get stuck on your tummy.
• You love to chew and slurp on your hands and fingers.
• You have found your voice and constantly coo and squeal, it's so cute!
• You're starting to realize you can control your hands.  We switched the swing to be sitting up with the play tray and you like to sit in it for short periods of time and "play" with the objects.  You don't quite have the fine motor skills to pick things up or hold them for more than a second but we can tell that you are realizing that's the goal.
• You have loud, happy yawns.
• You've always been on a good 3 hour schedule, but now it is even pretty consistent as far as what times things happen at every day.  You wake up at 7 and have about 1 1/2 - 2hrs of awake time before you nap for around an hour.
• You usually wake up cheerful now instead of waking up crying.  You'll grin at whoever gets you out of your crib.  As long as sitting down to nurse is the next move all is well, if you don't get fed within about 10 minutes you turn fussy really fast.
• You are still such an easy, mellow baby.  You rarely cry and are soothed pretty easily.
• You adore your puppies!  You'll grin at Little Red when she comes up to lick you, but you especially like watching Pocket play fetch and have even giggled a couple times watching her.
• When you nurse now, your hands absentmindedly roam more.  You used to always hold them close in tight little fists while nursing but now they'll stretch out, play with my necklace, touch your face, etc.
• Your chuckle has turned into a little giggle, but we've only heard it a few times so far, and only when either Bennett is laughing too or when watching Pocket.
• You suddenly don't spit up all the time.  It's so nice to not have to worry about that constantly!  Up until now I have kept a bib on you 24/7.

3 months old

• It was a long time coming, but you consistently sleep only in the pack n play right next to Mommy's pillow.  You don't ever have your random middle of the night choking fits anymore so we're more comfortable both laying you slightly flatter and also in your own space instead of right next to our ears.
• You are so unladylike!  You toot constantly!
• You've started the bare bones of a chuckle - it's a very throaty and low "heh heh heh" but we can tell what it is.
• You are transitioning from newborn to size 1 clothing, wearing some of each.
• You wear size 1 diapers now.
• You are starting to eat more - around 3oz.
• Your eyes finally settled on a color.  They suddenly turned brown.  They're still very pretty though!
• You've taken a preference to Pocket, who is always doing silly antics in front of you that you find amusing.

Morgan - 2 months

It seems like all of a sudden around 7 weeks, you suddenly stopped being a tiny sleepy newborn and started being a chubby alert baby!  Here's some things about you now.

• You are such a good baby.  You rarely cry, and you love to snuggle.  You've been on a good schedule since birth pretty much, with an eat/play/sleep cycle about every 3 hours.
• Your eyes have maintained their ambiguous eye color.  Kind of a muddy bluish color.  
• You like to keep some form of physical contact with those around you - a fist tightly closed on my collar or a hand wrapped around a finger are the most common.
• When you're awake you like to be sitting up or held upright instead of laying back.
• You had baby acne from roughly weeks 4-6, then it disappeared as quickly as it came.
• It used to be a struggle to keep you awake for even an hour, but now you easily stay awake for about an hour and a half before falling asleep.
• I fear that you are going to be a baby who drools.  You like to blow spit bubbles when you're awake.  It's nothing crazy yet, but this could easily turn into drool as you get bigger.
• You like to try to suck on your fingers or fists.  Maybe a thumb sucker in the future?  In the meantime, you are extremely binky-obsessed.  You don't usually need it at night, but during daytime naps you have a hard time staying asleep if your binky falls out.
• You hate laying on your play mat.  You start fussing immediately for human interaction instead.  The only time you will lay on your mat is if Bennett lays next to you, and even then it's only for a short time.
• You only wake up twice at night to eat usually, but this past week there have been a couple times where you only wake up once.  You'll go to sleep around 9pm and sleep until around 2am, then don't wake again until about 6:30am.
• You drink about 3oz of milk per feeding (every 3 hours) although you still spit up after almost every single one.  We started you on some reflux medicine this week to see if it would help with that.  
• When you nurse, when I make you stop drinking and sit you up to burp you, you do the same thing every time - blink sleepily and look around bewildered for a second, then angry cry for a few seconds at being forced to stop nursing.  It's hilarious!
• You are so strong!  You are always breaking out of your bundling and swaddle wraps.  I never had that problem with Bennett until he was much much older!
• You have started to coo and "talk" more, and starting at 7 weeks old you have started to SMILE!  It's still fleeting but we can count on some smiles for about the first 20 minutes after each feeding.  After that it seems like you run out of energy.

Morgan - 2 weeks old

Welcome to the world, Morgan Spencer Rutkowski!  We are so happy you are here!

• You spent your first 4 days of life without a name.  We went into the hospital with a list of about 50 possibilities and narrowed it down a bit more each day.  Finally it came down to Morgan, Chloe, or Remy.  Daddy really liked the last 2 but Bennett and I liked Morgan so that's what we went with.  However, we're still calling you Scrappy most of the time.
• You eat so much!  We easily spend 30-45 minutes each nursing session.  You do "click" when you nurse, meaning your latch isn't sealed, but we've even been to a nursing specialist and determined it's just your style.  It isn't preventing you from getting the amount you need and you don't seem bothered by it.
• You're very easy so far.  You just eat and sleep and are happy as long as someone's snuggling you.
• Your brother is infatuated with you!  Every time he wakes up or comes in from being apart from you, his first question is to ask where you are.
• Like your siblings, you love bathtime and the sound of water.
• When you're fussing during the night you'll settle down quickly if I sing to you.
• You are following in Bennett's path - you like binkies and need to be swaddled to relax.
• You have a strong neck and can hold your head up very well for a newborn.
• Snuggling!  Oh my, how you love the snuggling.  It's your most favorite thing.
• Your arms and legs are very squirmy, constantly in motion.
• You are what the nurses call a "gaggy" baby - several times a day/night, you will suddenly start choking on your own air.  The nurses say that's common in C-section babies, but it doesn't make it any less scary.  As a result, you sleep on the Boppy right next to my face so I can hear you in the night when you choke and help get you breathing well again.
• Your first few days you hated the sound of a toilet flushing.  Your whole body would freak out and you'd start to cry.  So even Bennett got used to calling out "flush warning!" to whoever was holding you at the moment.
• Daddy is your master burper.  No one can get good burps out of you the way he can.
• Right now your eye color is ambivalent.  It's definitely not brown, but I also wouldn't call it blue. . .kind of a muddy, steely gray.

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Morgan's Birth Story: May 16, 2016

May 16, 2016.  I knew you would be born this day from the moment I found out I was pregnant. My official due date would be May 22nd, but I already knew that it would be a repeat C-section. I knew those are traditionally done a week early, but since that landed on a weekend, the next business day was May 16th, on Monday. So it was no surprise to me to have that date finally scheduled at 8 months because it was the day I was planning all along. It was helpful this time around to have a date planned well beforehand. This allowed us so much time to plan and get things figured out. We were able to arrange for Nana and Papa to arrive the day before to stay with Bennett while I would be in the hospital. I was also able to make the necessary time off from work.

On delivery morning, we headed to the hospital about 6:30 in the morning. My c-section was scheduled for around 8:30 a.m. I had written a quick note to Bennett to tell him I love him before we left, but he ended up waking up before we left so we were able to give him hugs and take a last picture of the 3 of us before we left. When we arrived at the hospital, they started to take us to our room. We immediately realized it was the same room that we had been in with Aria and told the nurse. Thankfully, we were able to be immediately moved to another room across the maternity wing. They had to switch out the beds and some instruments in that room because it was not set up for a C-section, but some of the same nurses who were there with Aria were over there that morning and remembered me and were happy to make the changes.

The C-section room was running a little behind, so we didn't end up going in until nearly ten. Let me tell you something, C-section rooms are no more uncomfortable the second time around! It was still freezing and awkward. Moms get to be in there by themselves for a long time for the prep work before they allowed the dads to come in once the procedure is ready to begin. Once Daddy came in and was seated by me, the team all got in position to start the surgery. When I had Aria, I thought everything went so fast just because it was an emergency C-section. In some ways that is true, with Aria they were able to do all the prep work in 10 minutes whereas this time it took 2 hours. However, the actual surgery was just about as fast as with Aria. Dr. Harward told me that I would feel some pushing and tugging but nothing sharp. Sure enough, I felt extreme pressure on my belly, and I said something about that to Daddy, and immediately after we heard a little squawking noise. You were out already! Daddy was amazed because he did not realize how fast they would take you out. After the first couple seconds of quiet squawking, the noises turned into full-fledged screams of a cranky baby. I could see them carry you over to the warming table. They took you over upside down, because they pulled you right from my belly over to the table, and you were still a little bluish from being in my belly. But your eyes were tightly closed and mouth open screaming! Definitely a healthy baby. They put you on the warming table and immediately you peed all over its nice warm blankets. So they quickly cleaned that up and you again peed and then pooped also. This all happened within about 30 seconds of being born. So finally another change of towels and a minute later, they were able to get a diaper on you and started cleaning you. They asked me if I wanted to hold you, and I asked them to give you to Daddy instead because my arms were so numb that I was afraid I would drop you. So they handed you to Daddy and he brought you over to see me. When Daddy was watching you on the warmer the first thing he said was, "wow, you don't look anything like our other kids!" This was very reassuring to me.

It took a little longer for them to finish sewing me up and finishing all of the surgery work and moving me back onto my bed to wheel me back to my room. Once they were ready, they took you from Daddy and placed you in the crook of my arm in my bed with me. This was the first time I touched you or even gotten a good look at you. I just turned my face close to you and held you as they wheeled us back to my room. My arms were still too numb to really do more than that. Back in my room, I quickly had some complications with rapidly dropping blood pressure and they had to give me a lot of medicines through my IV. But finally everything was stabilized. Once they finished all their immediate work and left the room, it was just you, me and Daddy. We weren't really sure what to do; we had never been left alone with our newborn baby before! Aria of course had been whisked right to the NICU after surgery, and Bennett had problems with low body temperature and so they had taken him right to the nursery as well. But we were able to have you with us for a good couple hours before they came to take you to the nursery for your first bath and examination.

They kept asking what we were going to name you, and we had to keep telling people that we had no idea! With Bennett we had a few names picked out as possibilities but Bennett had been our favorite, and with Aria we didn't know she was a girl but when we went to our list of girl names we both felt strongly like she was supposed to be Aria. With you we came into the hospital with a list of about 50 girl names! We decided that we should not even worry about picking a name until day 2, so that we could just spend your first day snuggling you and getting to know you to have an idea of what your name should be.

Daddy went with you to the nursery for your bath and was happy to report that we had another water lover. They also gave you a binky and you took it immediately like Bennett did. Then they brought you back in to snuggle a little longer. At this point we called Nana and Papa and told them we were ready for Bennett to come meet you. They were out buying you a present and said they would come over afterward. When they arrived, I had daddy take you back to the nursery on his way to meeting them in the lobby so that Bennett could help get you from the nursery and bring you back to me. Nana and Papa stayed in the lobby while Bennett came to see me first. When he walked into my room, the first thing he said was, "hi Mom! Where's Scrappy? Can I see your owie?" So I showed him my stitches and give him a hug but he was very eager to see you so after only a few minutes then Daddy took him to the nursery. I wish he had gotten a video of Bennett seeing you for the first time, the way we have one of him seeing Aria for the first time. Daddy said that they went into the nursery and told Bennett which bassinet was yours. Bennett immediately climbed up on the chair, peered into the bassinet, and said aww! It was love at first sight. Then Bennett walked alongside your bassinet as Daddy walked you back to my room. Bennett was very excited to hold you right away so he climbed into bed with me and we helped him hold you. 

After some family time, we allowed grandparents and Ish in to meet you.  The next 3 days were just spent in the hospital recovering and cooing over you and trying to figure out a name, which we finally did the night before we were released, a full 3 1/2 days after birth.  We had narrowed it down to 3 names that we couldn't decide between, so Bennett ended up being the one to choose the final name.  He had surprisingly strong opinions about the final 3 names and the only one he liked was Morgan. I had major stress by that point since we didn't have a name picked out yet, but as soon as he said your name should be Morgan then I felt a lot of that stress go away so that's the name we went with!  Your middle name is Spencer, which we picked early in the hospital stay.  You're named after my grandma whose maiden name is Elva Spencer.  I had suggested naming you Spencer as your first name but Daddy preferred it as a middle name.

We felt very blessed being able to walk out of the hospital with a baby this time.  It has just been a very magical and special time for our family.  Welcome to our family, Morgan!