Baby O' Mine

How is she 15 months already?  

I mean, I know that time moves fast; nothing shows the passage of time more clearly than the growth of children.  But still... look at all those teeth!  That shaggy hair!  She is changing so fast and a recent post by my sister reminded me that I won't remember most of the little things if I don't get them down somewhere.  

1. She's already trying to run.  She's been walking fairly well for a couple of weeks now and her pace is quickening exponentially.  

2. She make the cutest scrunchy face when she doesn't get her way.  Her nose crinkles up and lips pout out to show her teeny teeth.  Of which there are many.  

3. She loves her siblings, frequently coming over to join in play or to cuddle.  They compete to see who can make her have the biggest belly laughs.  

4. She has become very emphatic in her communication... and loud.  This child has quite the vocal range.

5. In addition to "Mama" and "Dada" she says "Cuh-cah" (cracker) when she's hungry, and "HI!" She also sighs "Ahh" and waves her hands up and down when she's all done. 

6. She loves to play chase; sometimes after her siblings, sometimes away from me as soon as her clothes are off to change.  

We all pretty much want to squish her all the time. 

She sleeps!

Ana's been sleeping a longer stretch at night, from around 8 to 3. It's been wonderful. She nurses once or twice more after that but sleeps (mostly) until close to 8. She's also been taking her naps in her co-sleeper instead of in swings and bouncers, another improvement. I'm hoping to get a crib set up for her soon, though she may still stay in our room. It would be nice to make use of our mobiles.

Tidbits

Gabe has developed an aversion to wearing pants. It's to the point where the only bottoms he will wear are overalls and only because he can't figure out how to get them off. Pajama bottoms aren't safe either. After nap time the other day he had stripped off his diaper along with the pants. Whee.

Addie can count to 15 now. She can recognize some of the numbers, but sometimes gets carried away with the counting and skips ahead. She will correctly count items though. Peas, cans and blocks are slid one by one as she counts them out. She can also draw a circle. Really. Drawing is one of her favorite activities.

Juliana has started laughing. But only for her daddy. It's quite possibly the cutest sound I've ever heard; quick, chirping giggles that leave her daddy in a puddle. (Just in time for a visit from her Aunts, too. They'll be thrilled.)

Bored to sleep?

I had been rocking a fussy Juliana for 20 minutes or so when I stepped into the kids closet to pick out their clothes for the day. I placed her on the floor in front of me so I could grab what I needed and pick her up again quickly before she became too upset. Except she became very quiet, studying the white walls, rubbermaid drawers and rack of clothing hanging above her (impressive, I know.) After roughly 2 minutes her eyelids began to droop and she promptly fell asleep. Not wanting to move her for risk of waking I let her stay there, konked out while the kids and I played in their room. Whatever it takes.

2 months

Time is passing by so quickly here, I can't believe Juliana is 10 weeks old. She had her 2 month checkup on Monday and looks fantastic. She weighed in at 11 lbs 8 oz. What a chubber! When the Dr came in the room he laughed and said, "Who needs to go on a diet?!" *wink* She's in the 75% for her weight and length (23 3/4 inches.) She has also begun smiling and cooing at us frequently, it's enough to make you melt.

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Sweet, sick babe

This past Saturday evening Steve took Gabe to the hospital. He'd had a fever for 2 days that was hovering in the higher-than-we-like-but-he's-doing-ok area. That evening though it shot up to 104.5 so daddy whisked him off to the ER. He was given a dose of tylenol and a bit later one of motrin and his fever started coming down. He was put in a gown and given a bracelet and stayed in a private room with daddy for 4 hours as the nurses kept an eye on him and ran some tests. As to be expected he charmed all the nurses with smiles and waves, exploring the whole floor and making every nurse go gaga. I mean really, have you ever seen something so precious?

All the tests came back negative and he was discharged around midnight. The Dr said that most likely this was a delayed reaction to the vaccines he'd received about a week earlier, that we should keep an eye on him but he should be fine. He slept better than he had in days and the next day he was full of smiles and giggles. Today was another good day and he seems to be back to normal.
Addie is most happy to have her playmate back. While he was sick he spent much of his time laying with me on the couch and Addie spent much of hers coming up to bring him sippies, pat him on the back and nuzzle her head next to his. This evening she was sitting near his head while I was changing him for bed. I asked her if she'd like to give Gabe a kiss and she gave a big smile, leaned over and kissed him 4 or 5 times, both of them giggling.

Stuffed loves

In the mornings, as Daddy heads out to work, the babies run over to the gate for kisses and hugs and then hop up on the couch to wave goodbye out of the window. We've done this everyday for a couple of weeks now and the kids seem to really enjoy it, sometimes waving for a solid minute after he's left the driveway. This morning though, kisses for them weren't enough. Oh no, Monkey needs a kiss, too. Addie holds him up giggling. *Mwa* She drops the monkey and leaves to get up on the couch. Gabe runs over, scoops up the monkey and thrusts him in the air for even more loving.

They're in love with their new stuffed lion, too. He's great to sit on to read a book, to sprawl across, snuggle, and pet. Thanks for sharing, Aunt Margaret!

Notes from the week

The kids are interacting and playing together more and more. I will frequently see them settled down, back to back, reading books or passing toys back and forth. They are very interested in what the other is doing, so it's no surprise that when we are "punishing" one of them (sitting them in a corner for 15 seconds and holding them just so they can't get away) the other will come up and sit down next to the guilty party. ("What'd ya do?") Or if they can't get past me, they'll stand as close as possible and try to "talk" to them. This was the first way they really showed concern for each other, but not the last. The other night the babies and I were up in their bedroom getting ready for bed.




Addie had found a paci and was happily sucking away as I was trying to change Gabe.
He is not a fan of getting dressed and was letting everyone know it, crying hard and waving his hands in the air. Addie stopped walking around when she heard him cry, came over to us, looked down at Gabe... kept looking... then popped her paci out of her mouth and handed it to Gabe, who promptly took it and forgot he had ever been upset.





Games of peek-a-boo take place anywhere and everywhere. Addie will pull anything up over her face, robes, blankets, washcloths.... I think hiding is her favorite part, at times she seems almost annoyed at being found. She will pop out to surprise you on her own time and she'll be very animated about it too. She has also started hiding during meal times, putting her balled up fists over her eyes then raising them up to peek at you. Hiding in a fort is the best though, they love to crawl in with us and read books or just lounge around on a big fluffy robe... or an obnoxiously green monkey.






Gabe loves to drape things on his head as well, but prefers to wear them like a veil so he can see. Seeing Gabe look so silly always starts a game of chase as Addie runs after a giggling Gabe.

New skills

I feel like I should preface this post by mentioning that there will be a sad lack of pictures for the next several weeks. Our camera was on the fritz so it's currently being repaired, with a 3-4 week turnaround time. Such a shame, because the last two days have offered countless opportunities for catching some really hilarious shots.

The kids are very interested in climbing up and down off of anything and everything right now. Addie has mastered climbing onto the ottoman by herself, and has recently taken to climbing her toy shelf and standing on top (oh, joy.) They've also started emptying out their toy bins, turning them upside down and standing on them. Gabe has proven himself to be quite good at balancing, looking like a surfer as his pudgy toes cling to the corners of the bin, knees slightly bent, crouching and swaying to stay upright. Somehow, in all this climbing excitement, one of the bins turned over and Gabe sat down inside. Just his little tush and feet would fit and I expected him to be upset. But they think it's hilarious and spend most of their time now practicing to be contortionists, pulling the bin over their heads, stepping in from every side, and twisting all around to stuff as much of themselves inside as possible. Cirque Du Soleil, here we come!

Toddlers and laundry

Whenever I have a load to move from the washer to the dryer, I try and enlist the help of either child that happens to be nearby. Or both, more frequently. Usually I end up handing some of the smaller items to child A, who will fling them in the dryer and turn back for more with a big smile while child B shows up to help unload the dryer. Although a simple task can end up taking much longer, it's nice to include them in the ordinary things I have to do each day.

Today is my day for washing sheets and blankets so there was a nice soft pile in the middle of the kitchen when the kids got up from their naps. Drawn to it like flies to honey they flung themselves into the pile and rolled around giggling. Unable to resist the opportunity for some indoor sledding, I picked up the corners and drug them all around the floors. After a slow pass or two they seemed to be ready for more so I pushed the rug back and began running between the kitchen and living room slinging them around in circles. (A toddlers belly laugh has got to be the most infectious outpouring of joy, ever. :) Of course, after 10 minutes or so my back was aching and I was ready to get the load started.

Filling the washer with the sheets and clothes it was obvious the blanket wouldn't fit as well so now it lays in a heap in the playroom, babies sprawled across it reading books. I believe they've staked their claim. Maybe I'll be able to wash it during their second nap....

Notes from the week

~Arms by their sides, fingers splayed in “jazz-hands” fashion, their hips sway from side to side as they hurry across the floor. Backs arched slightly to keep from tumbling forward as they pick up speed, they squeal with delight playing chase and hide and seek.

~The floors had dried enough for the kids to come out and run around. Each with their sippy, they come thru the gate to the kitchen and chase each other (and the dog) around the living room. Soon Gabe comes back to the kitchen, big smile on his face, toting both sippys. I go back to washing dishes and hear him giggling. Then I hear a *clack, clack* pause *clack, clack, clack.* I know that sound. It’s the sound the valve of the sippy makes when it’s fallen into the cup that’s being shaken violently. Sure enough, rain showers of milk were falling all over the walls and freshly mopped floors. Grumbling to myself, I set about wiping up as Addie rounds the corner and stops to survey the scene. I look up and see her standing straight as an arrow, arms pointed fiercely downwards and eyebrows arched to their highest. “As long as you’re in cleaning mode…” she seems to say. Deposit made. I could only laugh.

~Walking home last night after a trip to the park in our neighborhood Addie has her first temper tantrum. This child will not hold your hand when she’s walking unless she’s nervous or on uneven ground. After several unsuccessful attempts to guide her back to the house I decide to cut her off. Instead of walking beside her hoping she’ll follow me, I dart in front of the driveway she’s heading towards to block her path. That’s when she’d had enough of not being able to go where she chose. She abruptly plopped down on the street and started wailing. Oh, this child can wail, too. Deciding enough was enough, I scooped her up and carried her wriggling, and kicking back home. *shew* Thank goodness that’s over! Heh, yeah right. Payback’s a comin’!

Notes from the day

~Today's after dinner treat of choice? Addie's toes. I had cleaned Gabe up and set him on the floor as I was wiping Addie's hands clean. I look down and see Gabe's mouth wide open heading right for a plump, unsuspecting foot. It must have been good because he went back for seconds.

~Gabe is loving the freedom that is coming with being more mobile; I regularly see streaks of blue out of the corner of my eye followed by an eruption of giggles. Tonight I was in the playroom after changing Addie for bed and called Gabe to the gate to get him ready as well. Coming from the back door he makes a bee line toward me but then darts away just as I go to grab him. He walks halfway back to the door, turns, and runs in front of me, just out of my grasp, to the dryer. One more trip to the door then finally back to me as he decides that now he is ready.

Notes from the week

~Addie is obsessed with Gabe's curls. They seem to be whispering to her, "play with me, run your fingers through my golden softness and giggle with delight."

~The kids are getting more and more mobile with each passing day; just last night Gabe walked from the entertainment center to the fridge! Addie is starting to venture out alone as well, taking a several tentative steps before plopping down. She seems to favor moving to the side (a carry over from cruising no doubt) so she walks a little like a crab, heh.

~Gabe has started feeding himself!! He does better with hard foods for now (like cheerios and cheddar bunnies) but hopefully he'll figure out softer foods too (french toast and fruit.) For now, he would still rather squish them in his fist, raise his hand triumphantly in the air and ceremoniously fling the food to the floor. Oh well, one step at a time. :)