This is an unusual sight. We were on the couch watching Jonathan outside. At first Elle didn't want Nolan to look out of the window, but than I changed the subject and asked her if she wanted to hold Nolan, and surprisingly she said yes. So, I quickly grabbed the camera and had a little photo shoot!
Ellison was having fun trying to hold Nolan (I was really encouraging her) and Nolan soaked up every second...it's not too often his big sister lets him get this close. He is such a HUGE fan of his sister. Anytime she gets within arms reach he tries to touch her/her hair/her clothes. He smiles when he sees her, if he hears her voice he has to search to find her. If she cries, he cries. Elle is still hot and cold with him, more cold than hot. We keep telling her that they will have so much fun together when he gets a little bigger and can actually play with her. She can't imagine that yet.
Love it!
Love them!
This picture is from over a month ago, right after Noli turned 8 months - also post tubby!
Here's Nolan doing one of his new favorite things, looking through the cabinets.
Elle looked so cute before her dance class one day, that I just had to snap a couple pics. She really loves her class and teacher. We are looking forward to her recital at the end of the month.
Brothers with their boys...Nolan (8 months) and cousin Jack (15 months).
Here's Nolan doing one of his new favorite things, looking through the cabinets.Elle looked so cute before her dance class one day, that I just had to snap a couple pics. She really loves her class and teacher. We are looking forward to her recital at the end of the month.Brothers with their boys...Nolan (8 months) and cousin Jack (15 months).An overhead view of Nolan in his highchair.
Here's Elle's signature dance move. When asked what she does in her dance class, this is what you will get from her, she calls it her "arabesque" (Grandma Marce taught her that word). Funny thing is, she learned this move from Wii dance - not her dance class.
"In your Easter bonnet with all the frills upon it,You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade."
Here's Elle's signature dance move. When asked what she does in her dance class, this is what you will get from her, she calls it her "arabesque" (Grandma Marce taught her that word). Funny thing is, she learned this move from Wii dance - not her dance class. "In your Easter bonnet with all the frills upon it,You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade." Jer and Laur got this Easter bonnet for Elle, but we had to put it on Noli for fun!
Daphne is HERE!!! Megan (J's sis), Josh (her hubby/our bil), Daphne (their daughter), and dogs Boscoe and Peter have finally moved here from Colorado! We are so excited to finally meet Daphne Leigh Shaw (now 7 mo), she is so cute and tiny and makes the best sounds! Being able to hang out with them anytime we want is so awesome. Family get-togethers now have a whole new meaning with the Shaw family joining us.
*Did I get any one's jaw to drop??? Ha! It's not us ----Tim and Jenna will be adding baby #2 to the family!
Nolan has had a couple of big changes from 7 to 9 months. I started transitioning him from nursing to the bottle/formula around 7 months. He protested for the a couple weeks, turning his head and tightening his lips whenever a bottle was near him. We tried a bunch of techniques, but he just wasn't ready. Then I started putting him in his car seat and giving him the bottle. He reluctantly drank an ounce or 2 for the first couple days, but slowly started to warm up to it, and let me/us hold him and drink. The biggest challenge was getting him to eat more than an ounce or 2, but after a few weeks he added an ounce, then another. As of April 2, we made the complete transition and he set me FREE! Now, at 9 months, he drinks 4, 5 oz bottles a day. Along with that he eats 3 meals of baby food in between his bottles. Nolan really loves to eat. He enjoys his baby food - not picky at all. He loves puffs and any other food he can feed himself. He watches everything we put into our mouths with his mouth open. He does not like it if we eat in front of him, we either have to share our food with him (which we've been doing more and more) or give him some baby friendly food so he is included.
Nolan's 9 month well check stats:
weight: 20 lbs 8 oz (50th percentile)
length: 28 3/4 inches (75th percentile)
head: (50th percentile)
Since 7 months, walking around (with help) has been Nolan's FAVORITE thing to do. His Grammy (Laur) taught him this and it's all he wants to do. Even though he is content to sit and play, he would rather be walking around. It is so fun to see him so happy exploring, but this activity comes with cost, a fatigued lower back for his assistant. Also, he now, has absolutely NO interest in crawling or being on his stomach for that matter. It seems he is following in his sisters footsteps, as she never crawled and did the same exact thing. She was, however, walking at 9 1/2 months. We don't think Nolan will be walking as early though. He can stand and balance on his own (for a few seconds), but I don't think he knows he is doing it. So, until he makes that connection, we/I will have a sore lower back.
Daphne is HERE!!! Megan (J's sis), Josh (her hubby/our bil), Daphne (their daughter), and dogs Boscoe and Peter have finally moved here from Colorado! We are so excited to finally meet Daphne Leigh Shaw (now 7 mo), she is so cute and tiny and makes the best sounds! Being able to hang out with them anytime we want is so awesome. Family get-togethers now have a whole new meaning with the Shaw family joining us.J and Daphne have a special bond, they share the same birthday!
It was so fun to finally get the 2 babes together, they exchanged looks, movements and sounds, it was so sweet. Cousins...only 5 weeks apart.
It was so fun to finally get the 2 babes together, they exchanged looks, movements and sounds, it was so sweet. Cousins...only 5 weeks apart.The grandchildren are even as far as gender; 2 girls (Elle and Daphne) and 2 boys (Jack and Nolan). In August, one team will go up by 1, when another Matta baby is born!
*Did I get any one's jaw to drop??? Ha! It's not us ----Tim and Jenna will be adding baby #2 to the family!Nolan has had a couple of big changes from 7 to 9 months. I started transitioning him from nursing to the bottle/formula around 7 months. He protested for the a couple weeks, turning his head and tightening his lips whenever a bottle was near him. We tried a bunch of techniques, but he just wasn't ready. Then I started putting him in his car seat and giving him the bottle. He reluctantly drank an ounce or 2 for the first couple days, but slowly started to warm up to it, and let me/us hold him and drink. The biggest challenge was getting him to eat more than an ounce or 2, but after a few weeks he added an ounce, then another. As of April 2, we made the complete transition and he set me FREE! Now, at 9 months, he drinks 4, 5 oz bottles a day. Along with that he eats 3 meals of baby food in between his bottles. Nolan really loves to eat. He enjoys his baby food - not picky at all. He loves puffs and any other food he can feed himself. He watches everything we put into our mouths with his mouth open. He does not like it if we eat in front of him, we either have to share our food with him (which we've been doing more and more) or give him some baby friendly food so he is included.
Another change in Nolan's life happened at 8 1/2 months, a new tooth. It came in on the bottom left/front and it is sharp, it came in just after I quit nursing him thankfully! Just after Nolan turned 9 months, his second tooth came in (bottom right/front) next to the other one. By the way, Ellison also got her first tooth at 8 1/2 months too.
Nolan did a good job at his 9 month appointment. He wasn't a fan of laying on the table with the paper crunching under him. The first time I layed him down on it was to change his diaper, he ripped up the paper and the nurse had to throw it away and pull on new paper. The next time he was on it was when Dr. Roig examined him, he didn't like the the paper under him, nor the cold stethoscope on his body and cried a bit. I held him for his one and only shot, he cried for about 5 seconds, and then was fine when I cuddled him up. Overall, he did great. I can't believe that at his next appointment he will be 1!
Nolan did a good job at his 9 month appointment. He wasn't a fan of laying on the table with the paper crunching under him. The first time I layed him down on it was to change his diaper, he ripped up the paper and the nurse had to throw it away and pull on new paper. The next time he was on it was when Dr. Roig examined him, he didn't like the the paper under him, nor the cold stethoscope on his body and cried a bit. I held him for his one and only shot, he cried for about 5 seconds, and then was fine when I cuddled him up. Overall, he did great. I can't believe that at his next appointment he will be 1!
Nolan's 9 month well check stats:
weight: 20 lbs 8 oz (50th percentile)
length: 28 3/4 inches (75th percentile)
head: (50th percentile)
Since 7 months, walking around (with help) has been Nolan's FAVORITE thing to do. His Grammy (Laur) taught him this and it's all he wants to do. Even though he is content to sit and play, he would rather be walking around. It is so fun to see him so happy exploring, but this activity comes with cost, a fatigued lower back for his assistant. Also, he now, has absolutely NO interest in crawling or being on his stomach for that matter. It seems he is following in his sisters footsteps, as she never crawled and did the same exact thing. She was, however, walking at 9 1/2 months. We don't think Nolan will be walking as early though. He can stand and balance on his own (for a few seconds), but I don't think he knows he is doing it. So, until he makes that connection, we/I will have a sore lower back. He was 7 months in this picture, I will have to get a more current pic and compare to see if his legs have slimmed down at all!
Swiper the fox came and hung out in our backyard one day!
J horsing around with the kids!
This is the carousel at the Elk Grove Pavilion that Ellison rode a good 15+ times during our spring break outing with Jenna and Jack. Ellison loves merry-go-rounds. She loved picking a different horse every time...sometimes she would change her mind on which horse she would ride 3 times before the next ride would start. She absolutely loved it and never got dizzy either, even though I was starting to from watching her. Nolan and I took a couple rides too, but I don't think Nolan really realized he was on the ride since all he could do is watch his big sister. Jack, on the other hand, was not a fan.
Here's Elle and her Uncle Erik on his new motorcycle! Erik has been working on it for a while, hopefully by summer it will be "street legal!" 
And last, but not least, Ellison's dance class in costume!
-I'm going to do my best to not get so behind on the blog, I'm not making any promises though.
J horsing around with the kids!
This is the carousel at the Elk Grove Pavilion that Ellison rode a good 15+ times during our spring break outing with Jenna and Jack. Ellison loves merry-go-rounds. She loved picking a different horse every time...sometimes she would change her mind on which horse she would ride 3 times before the next ride would start. She absolutely loved it and never got dizzy either, even though I was starting to from watching her. Nolan and I took a couple rides too, but I don't think Nolan really realized he was on the ride since all he could do is watch his big sister. Jack, on the other hand, was not a fan.
Here's Elle and her Uncle Erik on his new motorcycle! Erik has been working on it for a while, hopefully by summer it will be "street legal!" And last, but not least, Ellison's dance class in costume!
-I'm going to do my best to not get so behind on the blog, I'm not making any promises though.I don't know how you do it (Jenny, Katie, and Jen) - you guys are good).
Ellison's 3rd birthday post coming soon!
