First day of Preschool

Elise was so excited to go to her new preschool today!  She hopped right out of the car when we dropped her off and her teacher said that she had a great day :)  We didn't have time for pictures on the way there so she let me snap a few after we got home.  

(reading the sign)

("Mom, only one more picture, okay?  I want to go in and eat my special treat!")

Jack - 16 months

The little man turned 16 months old yesterday!  He only got one new tooth this month and was a much happier little dude than he was during the last few months.  He's at such a cute stage right now and his little personality is starting to emerge more and more.

Stats:  His 15 month appointment was at the end of August and he was 32.25 inches tall and weighed 21 lbs, 10 oz (no clothes). He is still in the 10th percentile for weight but moves up to the 75% for height and head circumference.   I think he is going to be tall and lean like his daddy (lucky boy!).  I checked Elise's stats and for the first time he is taller than she was at the same age.  He wears 12-18 and 18-24 month clothes (can only get away with the bigger sizes because of short sleeves and shorts).  We've had some cooler weather this week and he's gotten to wear some of his 12-18 month pants, which are the right length with shoes but need to be rolled up without shoes.  Thank goodness for adjustable waists in pants and shorts!  What a fabulous invention.  For the last 3-4 weeks he's been wearing size 6M sneakers from Stride Rite and they look so cute with his ankle socks!  He has 13 teeth and we are just waiting for the last 3 incisors to pop through.

Sleeping:  Still continues to be a great sleeper.  Goes to bed around 7 and wakes around 7, and is content to play in his crib upon waking.  Naps from 12:30-3ish.  Sometimes he goes down easily and other times he cries for a minute or so.  We read a few books before nap time and night time.  He started enjoying books a lot more this month and especially likes First 100 Words.

Eating:  Whew, this was a picky eating month.  The most frustrating part about it is that the pickiness isn't predictable.  He could love every part of one meal and then try to throw it all on the floor the next time it was on his tray.  Sometimes he's picky at breakfast, sometimes lunch, and sometimes dinner, sometimes none, sometimes all, and sometimes 2/3.  Eeek!  Hopefully we'll have a more positive eating post next month.  He can't use the teething excuse anymore :)  We are still nursing but almost done, like probably within the week and I think the transition will be easy.  I can't believe I've been pregnant or nursing for 4 1/3 years (minus June and July 2010 in between kids).  Crazy!  Jack learned to hold and drink from a sippy cup this month.  I usually use the straw cups for water and the sippy cups for milk since they are easier to clean.

Learning:  Jack's vocabulary has grown exponentially this month and he's definitely beginning the "language explosion" phase.  At this point, he says a new word or two every day and I've got a list of 40-50 words on my phone that he has been saying.  Some of my personal favorites:  "foo bah" (football), "boff bah" (golf ball), "bay bah" (baseball), "bah ball" (basketball), "gickle gickle" (tickle), "giah" (giraffe), "ding dong", "no" (usually accompanied by a vigorous head shake), "yeah", "Gack" (Jack, while pointing to himself in the mirror), "see uhl" (cereal), up/down/on/off/out, etc.  He is still obsessed with balls and Mike is so proud that he can correctly identify and name all the different types of balls.  He knows his inventory of balls and if he is looking for a particular one, he won't rest until it is located, which usually sends us on a hunt upstairs, downstairs, or outside.  He is also responding with "no" (or a head shake) and "yeah" (or a giggle) appropriately to our questions.  Today I took him to the zoo and when I put him in the car, I said, "Jack, did you have fun at the zoo?" and he smiled and said "Yeah!".  Melted my heart :)

Playing:  Jack is still a very busy little boy.  I would say he is running now but he trips himself sometimes.  We get a bloody lip at least once a week.  He has learned to climb on the couch (yikes!) and on Elise's bed.  He loves to climb up the stairs but hasn't figured out how to get down yet.  When we are out, he does great in the stroller but if you try to carry him in your arms, he just squirms and wants to get down and walk everywhere.  He loves to go to the park and anywhere else that he can just explore.  He is very interested in the animals at the zoo and the aquarium and loves to point to the pictures as we name animals while reading a book.

His favorite toys are about the same as last month... balls, the basketball hoop, play kitchen, play house,  duplos, and Cozy Coupe.  He has become much more interested in trucks and airplanes this month and is constantly yelling "guhk!" (truck) when we are driving.  I guess he has a pretty wide field of vision looking out the side and back of the van.  He has started to store his favorite balls and trucks in the play house.  He still loves playing "with" his sister and especially loves when she shares her snack with him.  Playing outside is always a huge hit and great change of scenery.  I'm so excited that fall is in the air.  We had to break out the hoodies for some morning walks this week :)

Happy 16 months, little buddy!  Here are way too many pictures.

We live under a flight path and see planes all the time when we're outside... hence all the pointing!

Elise - 3.5 years old

Wow, I can't believe we are now closer to 4 than 3!  Elise turned 3.5 on July 23 and she loves to announce her age to anyone who will listen.  She went through an easy phase from mid-May to the last week in July and then was pretty challenging for about a month.  Thankfully we're past that now and therefore I'm ready to write my 3.5 year post.  :)

Stats:  We did her physical for preschool at the end of August and she's 40.5 inches tall (90th percentile) and 36.4 lbs (75th percentile).  She definitely looks tall compared to other kids her age.  Her feet have grown 2 full sizes since the spring and she now wears an 11.5 shoe.  She wears a mix of 4T and 5T clothes but is rapidly outgrowing the 4T that still fit... mostly 5T/girls XS for the fall/winter.

Sleeping:  Elise still loves to sleep.  She goes to bed between 8 and 8:30 and wakes up around 7:30 (when her clock turns green) or shortly after.  She still takes a nap 95% of the time from about 1:30 to 3:00.  On the rare occasion that she doesn't fall asleep, she just sings and talks in her bed until I get her up at the end of nap time.    

Eating:  Elise is still a great eater.  I've always known this but have been more and more thankful as Jack has gotten pickier.  She likes a variety of healthy foods (pretty much the same things I've written about in every post).  She of course likes the occasional sweet treat but doesn't fight it if you tell her "not today" or "maybe another time".  Her tantrums are about things other than food, which I think is much better than the other way around!

Activities:  Her first day of preschool was supposed to be on Tuesday, but she got sick or had bad allergies.  She has already picked out her outfit for tomorrow and is very excited!  I know she's going to have a great time.  She loves playing with other kids.  We've switched to a new school this year and she'll go Tuesday and Thursday from 9-12. This is a perfect amount of time for both of us.  And... drumroll please... they have a CARPOOL line to drop off and pick up!  I couldn't believe it.  That would have made last year so much easier with a young baby and months of really cold mornings.  Oh well :)  I am excited for her and I'm also excited to spend some one on one time with Jack.   In addition to preschool, she's done gymnastics off and on.  The places up here (preschool and extracurricular) are so expensive but we've found some great deals through Groupon and Living Social and have gotten to try out several things this summer.  She's in the independent classes now and has done great with following directions and participating.  We just finished up a month long pass at a local gymnastics place and we're going to take a break until the winter.  The weather is getting too nice to tie up another morning right now :)

She did Vacation Bible School at our church at the beginning of August and loved it (after the drop off, ha).  She learned so much in a large group setting.  I was really impressed, especially since she tends to get distracted easily by other kids :)  Our church has a great preschool curriculum.

Learning:  One thing I've learned as a mom is that you can't force a young child to learn something.  You can provide opportunities and encouragement, but the child has to want to do it or it just doesn't work.  For example, Elise still dislikes writing, drawing, coloring, etc.  I would LOVE for this to be an enjoyable (and quiet!) activity for her, but she just doesn't want to do it for more than a minute, if at all.  I've tried window markers, crayons, dry erase markers, chalk, pencils, etc, and many different mediums, but she's just not interested.  So, I won't try to bribe her to do this but I will keep providing opportunities.  One of these days she'll probably just start writing words on her own or something :)  I'm still not completely sure if she will be right- or left-handed because she tends to use whichever hand is closer.

However, she is very, very interested in reading!  This started right around the time that she turned 3.5 and I cannot believe how much she has learned in the past 6 or so weeks!  Her favorite books are the Dr. Seuss beginning reader books (like Ten Apples Up on Top, Hop on Pop, The Cat in the Hat, etc) and she can easily read this type of book with a little help on some less familiar words.  The most amazing part is that she isn't just memorizing words, but she is fully comprehending what she is reading and will stop and ask questions about the story as she reads (just like she does when we read to her).  She also loves the Level 3 books by the Preschool Prep Company, who I will credit with starting this reading desire by teaching her sight words.  I found a super deal on their DVDs in mid-July and bought some for her, including Meet the Sight Words 1, 2, and 3.  She loves them and learned all the words in those DVDs after watching them only 2-3 times.  Then she started constantly recognizing words on signs, in the mail, in books, etc, and then wanted to read her books to us.  If you're interested in them, check out www.mamabargains.com... they have them up every now and then and you can get them for under $7 each.      

Likes: wearing skirts or leggings, playing with Jack, tagging along with Mommy, running, riding in the stroller, going to the zoo and aquarium, climbing, swinging, sleeping, cuddling, reading, being read to, pretend play, organizing her purse and wallet (she loves "credit cards" and "gift cards"), shoes, collecting and hoarding items, racing or trying to beat someone (to the potty, to give Daddy a hug, to her room, to get shoes on, etc), listening to music/singing/dancing, playing with friends at church and during my bible study group time, playing with grandparents!

Dislikes: wearing dresses, coloring, getting dirty (if she gets one piece of food or something on her clothes she immediately insists on changing), walking at the grocery store, talking to unfamiliar adults, and probably more that I can't think of right now

Funny Sayings:

(an example of her random and deep thoughts)
E:  "Are we alive?  If we weren't alive, would we be statues?  If we were statues, would we be able to move?"

(while I was using some light weights for a workout dvd)
E:  "Mommy, are the weights with the 8s on them too heavy for you?"

E:  "Mommy, if I was driving by myself I wouldn't know how to get home because I am only 3.  I would keep driving and driving and keep driving and I wouldn't find our home, because I wouldn't know where it was!  I would just find another home for us to live in."

(after finishing her dinner and rejecting a few snack offerings right before bed)
E:   "I want something that takes a long time to prepare."

Mike:  "Elise, did you put the toothpaste on the stool?"
E:  "No... well I didn't do that today."

(first words upon waking one morning)
E:  "Mom, Dad wants you to have another baby.  And I want you to have another baby too.  It's fine!"
(a few seconds later... as you might imagine, I was half asleep and speechless...)
E: " I want a baby sister.  And maybe Jack can be a little bigger so he can hug the baby."
(come to find out later that she had chosen Baby on the Way as a bedtime book the night before... and don't read anything into this... there is definitely no baby on the way though Elise told me recently that she would like to have one Elise and 10 Jacks)

E:  "Mommy, I would be really sad if I didn't have a brother."

Ten words to describe Elise at 3.5:
talkative, smart, competitive, silly, entertaining, challenging, strong-willed, loving, curious, manipulative :)

(playing peekaboo)

(you never know what expression you get if you ask for a smile)

(new "running" shoes!)

(trying to get Jack to play a game with her... when did she get so tall?!)

(pretending to talk to Mimi)

Happy 3.5, sweetheart!  We love you more every day and are so thankful that God chose us to be your parents.

The many faces of Elise

Love this crazy girl!

 

 

Jack - 15 months

First, I just have to say YAY for all the molars coming in!  Poor buddy got all 4 of them within a month and was understandably not happy about it.  The last one broke through on August 13.  He was such a trooper though.  There were many, many fussy days but I think he only woke up once at night throughout this whole process.  Hopefully the incisors don't give him as much trouble as the molars did.  His 15 month appointment is scheduled with Elise's preschool physical at the end of the month, so I'll update with official stats at that point.

Stats:  Approximately 22 lbs and 31.5 inches.  He wears 12-18 and 18-24 month clothes (can only get away with the bigger sizes because of short sleeves and shorts, the 12-18 month pants for fall still have to be rolled up).  He wears size 5-5.5M shoe and has 12 teeth.

Sleeping:  Still continues to be a great sleeper.  Goes to bed around 7 and wakes around 7, and is content to play in his crib upon waking.  Naps from 12:30-3ish.  Sometimes he goes down easily and other times he cries for a minute or so... this seemed to coincide with the fussiest teething days as he has been fine since the fourth molar popped through.

Eating:  Jack definitely had more picky moments at the table this month, but I think the cause was either teething or eating a meal too close to sleeping time. For breakfast he usually has a few of the following:  scrambled eggs, yogurt, part of a waffle or bagel, fruit, dry cereal, etc.  For lunch and dinner his favorites are most meat (turkey, grilled chicken or steak, and shredded meat like roast or carnitas), cheese, beans, fruit, sweet potatoes, "adult food" or anything that looks like it comes from our plates.  This kid used to refuse fruit on his tray but he will now eat just about all of it, including kiwi, watermelon, peaches, blueberries, bananas, strawberries, etc.  He usually gives his green vegetables to Boss, though he did eat several stalks of asparagus earlier this week.  He still likes purees from the Sili Squeeze, so that's how he gets spinach, broccoli, peas, etc.  He drinks mostly water and some milk.  I'm trying to be careful with the milk quantity due to Elise's milk sensitivity.  They have maybe a cup of milk 4-5 times a week.  He's still nursing 2-3 times a day but I think we'll be done with that sometime this month.


Learning:  Jack understands SO MUCH.  Of course, he doesn't always obey instructions, but it's amazing how much he picks up on.  He finally resumed talking and signing again around the end of July.  He uses "please" and "more" all the time and also says these words:  Mama, Dada, Nana (banana), ball, bah ball (basketball), dog/doggie, uh oh, tee (a request to brush teeth), keys, eat, chee-o (Cheerio).  He doesn't say "no" but he does shake his head for "no", which is pretty funny because the hair swishes back and forth.  He's picked up a few more words since he turned 15 months last weekend, so I'll save those for another post.  It seems like he starts saying a new word every other day and also has started mimicking some words when we say them.    

Playing:  Jack is still a very busy little boy.  He is ALL over the place.  He isn't quite running yet, but he does have the cutest little power walk.  He loves to climb up the stairs but hasn't figured out how to get down yet.  When we are out, he does great in the stroller but if you try to carry him in your arms, he just squirms and wants to get down and walk everywhere.  He loves to go to the park and anywhere else that he can just explore.  He is very interested in the animals at the zoo and the aquarium.

His favorite toy BY FAR is the Little Tikes basketball hoop and bucket of balls that we bought with birthday gift cards.  If I say something like, "Do you want to play with Daddy?" or "Do you want to play in the playroom?" he immediately says "bah ball?".  It's pretty cute.  We had to stop taking balls as a toy in the car because inevitably I'd end up chasing one down the driveway, parking lot, or street when he decided to throw it.  He loves to play catch and to make baskets.  He isn't very interested in the Fisher Price Learning Home, which was Elise's favorite toy at this age, but Mike pointed out that it isn't the biggest toy in the house any more.  The basketball hoop, play kitchen, play house, and Cozy Coupe are much more interesting to him.  He also likes to play with a bucket of duplos, but that quickly turns into a huge mess.


Interaction with Big Sister:  I will be the first to say that having 2 kids is a WHOLE different ball game than having just one.  There is no comparison, really.  It is hard... harder than I expected and definitely more difficult than the transition from 0-1.  Having Elise by myself for 12 months while Mike was deployed was easy 98% of the time.  Honestly, I never thought that being a mommy was hard until we hit a rough patch around Elise's 2nd birthday.  These days, with a toddler and a preschooler, I am exhausted at the end of every day, even on the really great days!  I really love getting one on one time with each child.  However, I would be so sad if E and J were only children.  They have so much fun together.  Don't get me wrong... there are certainly times when he continually pulls her hair or she "helps" him when he doesn't want it, and there are times when they are both screaming or crying about something while I'm trying to cook or do something else essential, but for the most part, they have a blast just running around and laughing and playing together.  Jack is much more content to play away from Mommy if Elise is there.  When Elise wakes up in the morning, the first person she wants to find is Jack.  I am so happy for them that they have each other.

playing peekaboo in the play house

Random things: One of the funniest things about Jack is that he absolutely loves to brush his teeth.  We probably brush teeth at least 5x a day, with or without toothpaste.  As soon as he crawls up the stairs for something (usually a diaper change), he immediately walks to the bathroom and says "tee" over and over again until we give him his toothbrush.

We've gotten to swim with some friends this month and Jack loves the water.  He thinks it his hilarious to dunk his face in the water and will repeatedly do it and just laugh and laugh and laugh.  He also thinks he can swim and constantly tries to squirm away if we're holding him.  He does love the baby float though.

Another thing I love about Jack at this age is that he is so affectionate!  He loves to give hugs and kisses and loves to lay his little head on my shoulder when I pick him up.  He also loves to walk up and hug my legs.  He'll even let me rock him for a few minutes before I put him in his crib.  He is definitely a little mama's boy and does not like for us to be separated, even by just a baby gate.  We love this little boy and can't wait to watch him grow up, as long as he doesn't do it too fast. :)  

(blue eyes and major nap hair)

Having fun in the play house (with a ball, of course!) 

(We decided to do a haircut in the middle of this photo shoot... you can see the before and after.  Don't you always eat a snack with your toothbrush?)

(showing off a molar)

and of course, some action shots...

   

Jack with Gram and Grandpa during their Baltimore visit in July