We're Getting So Big!

It was about Halloween when we got the latest weight, measurements, and developmental benchmarks from the doctor. Since it's been holiday busy around here, I'm just now getting around to posting them. Each child will tell about their accomplishments...well, sort of.

I was so eager to see the doctor. I like watching her listen to my heart go bump bump, my lungs when I breath, and she put me on a big kid scale. She even tapped my knee with a hammer and I laughed because it tickled. I got a flu shot for the first time and I was so brave. I didn't even cry! Here's the latest info on me.





*I weigh 32 lbs. and I'm 37 inches tall.
*I wear a size 7 shoe and my favorite shoes are my rainboots.
*I can color, cut with help, and string beads.
*I can count to 10, recognize most letters, and recognize my shapes...even when they are in the environment (Example: I recognized a bunch of parallelograms in the cement walkway).
*I did not know my full name, but then mommy and daddy practiced with me until I did.
*I can hop, jump, spin, walk the stairs, balance on one foot, catch and throw a ball. I do have a hard time riding my tricycle and running fluidly though. Maybe in a few months I'll have it down.
*My language skills are getting better. More people understand what I'm saying. My sentences can have up to 6 or 7 words and I usually include polite words.
*I love to sing and I've almost memorized several songs.
Some of my favorite music comes from Signing Time, Barney, Sesame Street, and church songs. I Love to See the Temple and I am a Child of God are my most favorite with I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home and I Am Like a Star coming in for a close second.
*I love to pretend. All my toys are real people with real emotions. I'm busy dressing up, cooking in the kitchen, and taking care of my many babies. Lately I've really been busy pretending to be a doctor, to have birthdays parties and taking a shower.
*Speaking of kitchen, I try to always help mommy in the kitchen. I grab my stool and watch, but then I always want to help. Sometimes mommy makes me get down from my stool because I get too close to the stove or my fingers grab food too close to the knife. I just want to help!
*I'm still shy around new people and some strangers scare me. But yesterday, I went to a birthday party and I lost my mom. She was helping me put things away. She turned around and I ran into another room. I realized I didn't know where I was and mom wasn't there either, so I asked a nice lady, "Where's my mom?" Just then mommy appeared right behind me and she was happy that I asked another nice mommy for help.
*I like to do most things by myself these days. I like to wash my hands by myself, dress myself (even though I have a hard time) and I really want to wipe myself by mommy still insists on helping me.
*This is a bad time of year for my skin. I have really sensitive skin and when it gets cold my eczema bothers me. I try to keep lotion on me and we'll try a humidifier and a baking soda bath, but so far nothing has helped. I also have a scalp irritation. Mommy's been washing my hair with a special shampoo and I get to rinse my hair under the tub faucet. That's awesome! (E really does say that).

*I am 15 lbs. and 28 inches long.
*I am thrilled to be mobile, crawling around the whole house. I always keep mom guessing as to where I'll be next.
*I really want to walk around and I can now pull myself up on everything. I can even climb up onto things like the stairs, E's stool, and the dishwasher. Boy, I really got a good gasp out of mommy when she saw me on the dishwasher door with my hands and face inside the dishwasher.


(As a sidenote, look at W compared to the size of a dinner plate. He's too tiny to be mobile!)


*When I pull up onto things, I show off by letting go with one hand and stomping my foot up and down.
*I love to bounce and get tickled...and when I do I squeal really loud.
*If I'm placed in a bouncy seat or swing, I can easily squirm my way out. Mommy's always strapping me down.
*I can play soccer with any toy using my hands to roll it along. I'll crawl, hit the toy forward, and continue my crawl to go hit it again. I've crossed the room several times playing this fun game.
*I like to talk and I can now use consonant sounds like dada.
*I want to eat every time I see someone eating and I like to whine about it. I finally got the hang of eating Cheerios. It took me awhile not to gag. I can also pick them up and eat them!
*It's extremely rare that I cry. If I'm upset, hurt, or hungry I just whine or shout at mommy.
*I'm a secret spitter-upper. I'm able to spit up at any point in the day and I'm super quiet about it. If I don't have it dripping down my chin, Mommy may not know what happened until she steps in it on the carpet or hugs me and it's then smeared on her clothes. I can also make great designs in my clothes from spitting up and then rolling or crawling through it.
*I'm a hit wherever I go. Everyone thinks I'm beautiful. They like to see my smile, all my hair, and my ever so long eyelashes. They're always watching me and wanting to hold me.


*I'm 21 lbs. and 27 1/2 inches long.
*I wear 12 month clothes.
*I have 2 teeth to chew on everything, well, actually I did that before I got teeth.
*I can lift my chest off the ground, roll over, and touch my toes. I can also turn myself around in a circle while on my tummy.
* If I'm on my back and I want someone to pick me up, I plant my feet and just lift my bum off the ground. Give a few grunts and I'm good to go.

*I'm a fantastic eater. Mommy tried to give me solid food, but that didn't go over to well. She may try again in a few weeks.
*I usually belch like a grown man, but sometimes mommy or daddy have a hard time getting a burp out and I end up spitting up later like when I get picked up again or playing in my bouncy seat. Sometimes... I just spit up. Last week, I think I slimed mommy every time she picked me up. I guess that's why she doesn't get dressed up a lot. If I don't spit up, you can guarantee I'll be drooling.
*I have the greatest chuckle laugh and it's seriously contagious.
*I'm pretty laid back. I don't even mind if my brother crawls all over me, grabs at my face, sucks my hand...he loves me. I like to be near him, watch him, and sometimes mimic him. Mom loves it when I join W in a loud whine.
*I used to just grunt with a deep voice, but lately I've been trying out a higher squeal.
*I can reach for toys and have a tug of war with W. He's fast, but I'm stronger.
*I love the bath. I get mom really wet when I start kicking.
*I'm also a big hit wherever I go because I'm so big and chunky. They also love my fuzzy head and bright blue eyes. Oh, and the ladies just love my dimple. So if I'm not too tired, I'll show it off.

Fall Festival and Halloween

Ok, so I'm a tad behind on posting our Halloween fun. Better late than never. It started with the Fall Festival. I am the Activities Committee at church and I planned to have a Trunk-or-Treat with carnival games and then a Chili and Soup Cook-off. It was a big hit and a lot of work. I'm so glad everyone had a good time! Our family arrived as the Big Bad Wolf, Little Red Riding Hood, and the 3 Little Pigs. Because I knew I would be busy with the activity, I started working on the costumes at the beginning of September. By the time Halloween rolled around, O, our third little piggy, barely fit in his!

Us with the piggies who strut their famous straw, sticks and brick.

Each table at the activity had a one of a kind display of fall nature.

We have always had fun with Halloween. Here's a look at last year.

Since it was the last year of the beloved book series, we decided to be Harry, Hedwig, and Hermione. I loved sewing these costumes!

On Halloween, we took a little stroll around our neighborhood for E's first Trick-or-Treating experience. Last year, she only went to a few houses and had no idea what we were doing. Ring the doorbell. Say what? They give me something. I say thank you. I leave. What? Another house? This year she was a bit shy, but enjoyed it and never forgot to say thank you to our neighbors.

We were on our route home when we had an unfortunate event. I was the look out for any questionable characters that may frighten the kiddos, mainly our first little piggy. I would give A a heads up if someone questionable was coming and he could turn E away or distract her until the coast was clear. Well, we were ambushed by two small, yet positively scary, black cloaked, white faced ghosts and before we could react the damage was done. E literally stopped in her tracks. She cried out in terror. As A tried to block her view, he explained that they were silly masks for pretend. I looked at the dad (or maybe it was a death stare) who was with the kids as if he might offer an apology or something. But no, he just stood there watching his kids swoop in like vultures towards my child. Needless to say, we were quite upset. As we were making our way home, E stomped her feet to a dead stop in the road. As she held A's hand, she yells out, "You can't get me you siwy (silly) monther (monster)!" She began to walk again, but continued her yelling. We were surprised. Wow. Empowerment. "Go away, you siwy monther! You can't get me! No!" It was one of those moments where you're flooded with more than one emotion for your child. At that moment, I saw growth in her. It was a happy moment. I was proud of her and how she was reacting. At the same time, it was oh so sad. I was thoroughly bummed that she had that horrible experience. I was also extremely surprised that she was making her voice heard (literally) because she is usually shy. I exchanged glances with A and we joined in as a chorus, chanting away the silly masks. I guess it was reaffirming to her that there was nothing to be afraid of and her evening was pleasant. We won't make the same mistake again. Next year, we'll make it home way before the creepy kids come out.

With that aside, we had a fun time. E collected quite a bit of candy, however, there just wasn't enough chocolate. She did get a few surprising treats- yogurt covered raisins, Doritos, Cheetos, a pencil, and stickers. Awesome.

Hooray for chocolate!

Birthday Weekend Part Three

Cake and Ice Cream~

By the third day, we were continuing the celebration. For dinner, E slurped spaghetti, which is one of her favorite meals. Daddy cleaned her up after dinner and we thought she looked fine, but when we saw the pictures, we realized she still had a light shade of red around her mouth. Oh great. So, now we know that we need to wash, scrub and exfoliate her face after spaghetti...especially if we're taking pictures.

For previous birthdays, we have chosen a theme that really describes E. Her first cake was a lion because E communicated by growling...ever since she was a month old.

This was my very first decorating experience. I tried to make it simple.

For her next birthday, I decided to go the big cookie route. We knew it had to be decorated with Pink Bear, her best friend, her beloved companion. She went everywhere with Pink Bear. Unfortunately, my amateur decorating skills went out the window this year and Pink Bear ended up looking like a pink pig. I was bummed. I ruined her birthday. I'm an awful mother.

The cookie sure was good though.

This year she has been watching and really loving a children's program on PBS called Super Why. To tell you the truth, I have also been loving this show. Each morning we're both excited to see Super Why, to sing songs, find super letters, and learn to solve our problems. E becomes a super hero "with the power to help" for the duration of the show and is eager to do her part to save the day. So naturally, this year I made a Super Why cake. It was a lot of fun and she was very excited to see Super Why at her birthday.

Birthday Weekend Part Two

The Family Bonfire~

Birthday Girl

Birthday Celebration Weekend~ Part One

It's amazing and so hard to believe that my tiny baby girl is 3! We had a fun weekend celebrating her birthday. It was packed full of fun things to do. We got to sleep over at Grandma and Pa's house, went to a free class at Gymboree with her cousin, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows at the family bonfire, survived a hayride at night with lanterns, played Hide and Seek in the dark (Ghost in the Graveyard), played in a new nursery class at church, AND had cake and ice cream. E had a blast and we thank everyone who added to the birthday fun.

Gymboree~

She has never done anything like this before, so she was extremely nervous to leave my side. After nudging her along and several "You're going to be ok" lines, she began to explore....on her bottom or scooting herself along. She wouldn't dare stand up or climb.

Crawling along...very slowly, but she really liked it.

Still crawling, but at an increased incline! She watched all the other kids RACE by her, crawl through tunnels, slide down slides and jump off the platform ahead of her. She constantly turned to me for reassurance.

A slide. She can do a slide. This little bumpy slide helped E tremendously. From this one act alone, she gained a great deal of confidence.

Hooray! Up and down ladders by herself.

Rocking in boats.

Hugging the Gymboree clown. Now that is confidence, my friends.

The best part was that E conquered the fear of jumping off the platform. It took some nudging. It took some convincing. It took me saying "1...2...3...jump!"about 15 times. Finally, she took the plunge. The look on her face was sheer amazement.

Near the end of the class we explored a giant parachute.

Look at that face! Bubbles always bring such joy.

At the end of our session, all the kids got a stamp. This is where E wanted hers.

Pumpkins!

Last week we finally made our way to the pumpkin patch. We wanted to arrive in plenty of time to have bright sunny photos, but by the time A got home from work and everyone was belted in the van, the sun started to set. E was so excited to be there. It was hard to keep her with us for a few photos. All she wanted to do was frolic among the pumpkins. All the boys wanted to do was sleep. The situation wasn't ideal to say the least, but we managed to capture an eventful family outing.

On The Move

For a couple weeks now, W has been an official crawler. When he was 4 months old he started rocking on all four and barely moving his legs. It took little over a month for him to finally get moving. Now he crawls all over the house pulling over plants, getting into magazines, and knocking himself into furniture. This is both exciting and frustrating for big sister E. Yes, W can move around and play with her more, but W loves all of E's toys, especially her favorite toys. I can't tell you how many times E has dropped everything to race across the room in order to rescue a toy from her little brother. Or if she's eating lunch, how many times she has begged me to pick up one of her toys because she notices W crawling in that direction. If I don't react or try to talk to her about sharing, she watches in horror as W reaches for her toy, touches it, and rolls it around. The tears well up and crying may follow with a scream or two. Pure agony I tell ya.

As a new crawler, he faces many obstacles...but not even Big O can stop him.

Speaking of O, he's also moving around these days, which surprises us. We thought it would take him a little longer to move because he's just so chunky. But he's also really strong. Seriously, our sweet baby boy has a death grip. So, I guess if he puts his mind to something, he can do it. Or it may just happen accidentally. Here he is hitting and kicking the armoire. However, 5 minutes ago he was laying on that boppy with his face on the burpcloth. He also rolls over and turns himself around in his crib. Way to go big guy!

E has been on the move to enjoy the cooler night air. When she stepped outside to grill with Daddy, the cooler air excited her. There have been several times where she has run to the coat closet to dress herself warmly before heading back outside.

This is the new fall fashion.

Same night, different coat. How quickly she changes her mind.

I've Been Tagged

I'm not sure about this tagging stuff. I've seen some crazy tags, but I think I can handle this one. Thanks Jamie. Six Quirky Things About Myself. Am I quirky? Do I have a peculiar structural or behavioral trait, a physiological or temperamental peculiarity, or an unusual individual reaction to food or a drug? Hmmm...I can probably think of a few, although, I am perfectly normal and will have an extremely hard time thinking of traits that are remotely quirky. ;)

1. Let's get the "reaction to food or a drug" out of the way. My food of choice is my drug of choice~ ice cream! I usually have a dessert after dinner, whether it's a slice of cake or a chocolate chip. But I prefer ice cream. You can pretty much guarantee there will be a big ol' tub of Oreo in our freezer any day of the week. Once I have my ice cream, I feel joy. I feel my day is complete. Ahhh...

2. Another strange food reaction goes to the tomato. I hate tomatoes. When preparing dinner, if there is a tomato involved, I try to avoid dealing with it and leave the job to someone else. If I'm ever asked to slice them, I cringe at the site of the goo spilling out before me. I do not like tomatoes. My husband thinks I'm crazy because he absolutely loves them. He finds it weird that I dislike the tomato, yet enjoy ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and salsa. It's a texture thing.

3. Most people don't like speaking in front of crowds. I think it's a fear for most people. I am not excluded. If asked to speak in church, I try to convince them that I just spoke and someone else needs a turn. If I speak, I work myself up, get stressed, worry, and then eventually get sick. If I have to conduct or make an announcement with a microphone in front of me, my nerves go into shock and I fumble over my words or sometimes forget what I was going to say. Which can also hold true when I'm talking on the phone to someone I don't really know. I have been known to forget my phone number, address, or the entire reason I'm calling. Peculiar...especially since I was a teacher for several years and never had this reaction in the classroom or with all the parents. But you know, A and I have noticed I'm not that bad anymore. Maybe kids have worked my nerves over a bit. ;)

4. I like to have all my light switches in the correct position. You know, if the light is off it faces downward. If the light is on it faces upward. Example of a tiny bit of quirkiness: There are two light switches for the stairway- one at the bottom and top. If I'm turning off the lights downstairs, I will turn off the stairway light as well. It's downstairs. I will then walk upstairs in the dark. I don't know why I do this. I just do. Why can't I leave the light on and turn it off once I get upstairs? It's probably because my switches would be facing the wrong direction.

5. I need a fan on while sleeping. Not only do I like the breeze, but I need the noise. It drives me crazy to hear creaks of the house, car doors and engines, or the kids. Yes, the kids. I don't need to hear every sigh, roll, or grunt they make. I need to sleep.

6. Fall is my favorite season. Spring is the worst. Yes, the flowers and bright green leaves appearing on trees are beautiful, but my allergies hit at that time of year, therefore, I dread Spring. It may be odd to hear me moan over the signs of Spring appearing. Plus, you never know what to wear. It's freezing in the morning and before you know it, the day is a scorcher. Spring is the worst.

Are these quirky? Naaaahhh...I am perfectly normal.

First Haircut

Hooray! The day has come. I'm finally making the move to cut his hair. So at 6 months of age, W is getting his first haircut. How did he do? Faaaaabulous!

The before shot.

I wrapped a kitchen towel around his neck.

Started cutting.

E joined in the fun by combing his hair.

Steady...cutting around the ears.

This is when he started to become a little uncomfortable. He didn't like me holding his head to the side.

W never cried, but he started to whine and scream out. He's a screamer...over everything.

Is it over?

Yeah!

The adorable after shot. He's our Little Man!