seven + eight month favorites

two more months. (HOW?)
another handful of changes. (STOP GROWING!)
and another list of new favorite things. (SO MANY THINGS) ;)

babies don't stop growing and changing. not even as hard as we mamas try to make them stay just itty bitty forever. every month brings so much newness and also so much fun! (for the most part. like not the teething part.)

in addition to many things from previous months that we are also still using (ONE, TWO, THREE + FOUR, FIVE + SIX), here are a few of our favorite things over these last couple months:

bibs // with solids comes mess. I've tried a number of bibs and I want something that doesn't stain from food, can withstand the washer + dryer, and is cute of course :) these bumkin bibs are the best.

nosefrida // this one has actually been something we've been using for a few months. since back when tanner had bronchiolitis. it really grossed me out at first, but this thing is AMAZING! SO effective in getting that 'yuck' out ;) all mamas of babies need to have this on hand. Tanner has been hard core teething and this was a lifesaver in cleaning out his little nose :)

sippy cup // tanner is just slowly used to his sippy cup, but nuby sippy cups are the best when it comes to finding one that doesn't leak! having a leaky sippy cup is one annoying thing that I just don't have the patience for. we tried a number of brands when harper was a baby and nuby was and still is where we found success!

exersaucer // we pulled this out from the closet under the stairs and it's been great for keeping tanner entertained (and contained) ;) even though he fairly recently just started truly crawling, he had been army crawling, scooting, and pushing himself allll around prior.

ergo // now this we've been using for quite some time (in addition to our solly wrap), but with how big tanner is, the ergo feels a bit more solid when I'm throwing him in it as we run into a store. unless we're at costco, tanner gets strapped into the ergo while harper gets the shopping cart. maybe once he's a little older and can hold his own better ;) I'll let them both cozy up and ride together in the regular sized shopping carts.

wean green containers // we have these from when harper was a baby (yet another handmedown). they are still in like new condition. i love them! they're small and a good size for tanner who doesn't eat a large amount of foods and the lids are great for storing uneaten foods in the fridge for later. another favorite thing- they don't stain and get dingy looking like their plastic competitors.


happy friday friends!! OH! and it's st. patty's day, so a double happy friday to ya!!

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Tanner Ross || 8 months

TANNER ROSS.

you're eight whole months old!! i say this nearly every month, but I can't believe we're here already!! you are so fun, so sweet, give the best cuddles, all with a side of feistiness (particularly during meal time). 

already (in your mama's eyes) becoming quite daring. just started full on crawling a little over a week ago, but within a few days' time you were trying to climb and pull up on everything. I just know you're going to give me a about a hundred heart attacks in the future. and I also know you're going to fall and fall and fall again.

♡♡ but I pray you will always get up and try again ♡♡

as much as my heart misses those dear newborn days and each previous month that has passed, you are just becoming so darn fun and we all love it so much! your personality is growing + growing and your daddy, sister, and I are just falling deeper in love with you.

age: 8 months

stats:

8 months: 23 lbs  --  (from the scale at home)

birth: 8lbs 2oz  --  21 inches

2 days: 7lbs 11oz

12 days: 9lbs 1oz

1 month: 12lbs 4oz  --  23 1/2 inches

2 months: 15lbs  --  24 inches

3 months: 17.4 lbs  --  (from the scale at home)

4 months: 18lbs 13oz  --  27 inches

5 months:  20.4 lbs  --  (from the scale at home)

6 months: 21lbs 2oz  --  28 inches
7 months: 22.8 lbs  --  (from the scale at home)

clothes: 12 month

diapers: 3

Tanner name sign // Quincyjeanart

banner // hooray everyday

newness/milestones:

-- teeth 3 + 4! (3/2 & 3/3). so thankful once these finally came through, because teething is not easy with this guy! though we now think number 5 + 6 are trying to make their way.. teething nonstop!

-- boy is C R A W L I N G!! (3/5) and though it makes for him being even busier, we are loving it. he's so happy to be able to get himself where he wants to go, and playing is now even that much more fun :)

-- clapping! if he likes it, he claps about it. another new way for him to express himself and let me just say it's cuter than CUTE.

8 month things:

-- take anything out of this boy's hands and he will be sure to let out quite the protest.

-- with the new changes that come each month and the little changes in our day's schedule, we're finding ourselves a new rhythm and new 'normal' each month. we're almost completely transitioned to two naps a day.

-- little guy was getting so upset at meal time with vegetable purees and rice cereal. I really want to keep a positive relationship for him with food and meal time so we've expanded what tanner is eating and opened the door to more options for him. like he's had LOTS of new foods this month! still trying to keep it to simple, whole foods. veggies. fruit. cheese. whole wheat bread + pasta. he is SO much happier with this!!

P H O T O  D U M P:

tanner boy!! we all love you so, so much!! how we've had eight months of you already, I'll never know. but i'd never change it. you bring us all so much joy and the way you and your sister love each other... I just can't get enough of it!
LOVE YOU, SWEET BOY!!!

7 months

6 months

5 months

4 months

3 months

2 months

1 month

birth

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

new blog name! {for the love of july}

it's about time.
it's actually past time!
like seven months past time!!

our family hasn't truly been "TWO Bows and ONE Beau" for over half a year now.
since mid July when our sweet baby tanner joined our family.
...well sweet baby tanner has made life busier than ever and here we are :) just now updating the blog name when before we know it we'll have to be changing it again due to another baby!
(certainly no pregnancy announcement here!) ;)

so here we have it... we are now...

for the love of july

the blog URL is still (and always will be)...  justushjelseths.blogspot.com
that won't change (ever!)
but when our family + life grows and changes, it calls for a new chapter.

---to quickly + simply say where this new blog name comes from---
     July 23, 2011  ---  our wedding anniversary
July 13, 2014  ---   harper girl's birthday
July 13, 2016  ---   tanner boy's birthday

*side little fun fact: tanner and harper's times of birth were also only 30 minutes apart!
harper: 2:49pm
tanner: 3:19pm

so no question, right!? there's a whole lotta love for us in the month of july. especially on july 13th, because YES our two sweet babes share a birthday making it double the sweet on july 13!!

it's a sweet, meaningful name for us and I hope you enjoy too!

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Tanner Ross || 7 months

seven months. 

boy you've got to slow.DOWN.
how in heaven's name are we now closer to you being one than we are to the day you were born. he's getting heavier and heavier for brandon to be holding like this too!

age: 7 months

stats:

7 months: 22.8 lbs  --  (from the scale at home)

birth: 8lbs 2ox  --  21 inches

2 days: 7lbs 11oz

12 days: 9lbs 1oz

1 month: 12lbs 4oz  --  23 1/2 inches

2 months: 15lbs  --  24 inches

3 months: 17.4 lbs  --  (from the scale at home)

4 months: 18lbs 13oz  --  27 inches

5 months:  20.4 lbs  --  (from the scale at home)

6 months: 21lbs 2oz  --  28 inches

clothes: 12 month

diapers: 3

Tanner name sign // Quincyjeanart

banner // hooray everyday

this last month has literally been life changing. Tanner no longer hates the car!! him not hating the car every time he gets strapped in and ready to go has lifted an enormous weight for me. I feel like i've gained some freedom back and we can go places pleasantly! :) I didn't realize just how much him hating the car affected me and what we did or didn't do. literally the day he turned six months old, it's like a light switched and he decided riding in the car was actually an ok thing to do :)

this last month has also brought some struggle on my part as I try to find balance as a wife and mother of two and to still fit in time for myself and most importantly for Jesus. it's a constant work in progress, but prioritizing my life is bringing clarity in the days.

E A T
still breastfeeding and all is going well.
we're now doing solids twice a day. oatmeal with breastmilk in the morning and a veggie and rice cereal with breastmilk at dinner. he doesn't take to a new food right away. we've found it takes a few times of offering it until he's ready to accept it. his favorite to eat is either oatmeal or rice cereal. most favored veggies have been carrots and butternut squash.
so far tanner has had yellow squash, carrots, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes. here in the next few weeks we'll be adding in kale, peas, spinach, zucchini, and yams.
excited for him to experience all these new flavors and textures! the facial expressions are priceless!
even though he often doesn't love a new food right away, we just wait a couple days and then offer it again. and just keep on doing this. it can take SO many times for a new food to be accepted. it's so important to not rule any foods out because you think baby doesn't like them. just keep trying and offering! 

S L E E P
when he's tired and ready to sleep he's so clear on it by rubbing his little eyes with the back of his fist. we're not really following the wake-eat-play-sleep quite as much these days. I've been finding that he takes longer, more solid naps if I nurse him before going down. and that's what works best for us. I also do not hate those extra snuggles, because they'll be gone before I know it and won't be back. ever! I love playing lullaby music while rocking him down and he's been making the sweet little noises as we rock. I could sit there all the live long day. if I didn't have any other responsibilities outside that nursery door. truth be told- it can be so tough when I'm trying to put Tanner down and in walks harper, all ready to play!
baby boy loves to sleep on his tummy. we always lay him down on his back first, but about 50% of his sleeping is spent on his tummy. all by him putting himself there. takes after his mama ;)

P L A Y
language is developing and new sounds are being made. I love it! he's been making little spitting noises with his lips and it's so fun to see him get happy about these new sounds he's making. of course we're all working on trying to get that first "mama" or "dada" or "harper" ;) out of him, but we don't seem to be anywhere close on that. especially "harper"!
it just keeps getting cuter and cuter as these two play, interact, and laugh with each other.
up until just recent we've lined up a couple pillows behind him while sitting. not because his sitting wasn't solid, but 1. if he got tired of sitting he would just let himself go backwards to lay down and 2. harper was enjoying playing doctor with tanner as her patient and to lay him down for his check up, she'd push him right on back. hey- what are little brothers for?? ;)

P H O T O   D U M P

love you so, sweet boy! xoxo

6 months

5 months

4 months

3 months

2 months

1 month

birth

xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth