Suddenly, he turned 8!

My sweet, oldest boy turned 8 today. He outgrew his bike months ago, but I kept telling him that a new bike wasn't in his future.

So, this morning, we headed out for our morning walk. DH asked for his help finding a tool that he thought he left in my folks' garage. C headed over to help look for this mysterious tool. DH encouraged him to lift a blanket to see if it was on the shelves behind the blanket.

He lifted the blanket and said "There's just a bike here. A brand new bike."

I said "Hmmm, who do you think the bike is for?" at about the same time he was saying "It's a bike that is just my size."

Finally it dawned on him that it was HIS new bike. He was thrilled. I hope you can see his excitement in the pictures!

He had a lovely day of bike riding, eating off the birthday plate, receiving many fabulous presents, and having his requested birthday dinner. He requested ham -- and real ham, not that stuff you buy to save money (that would be turkey ham), and fresh -- not leftover!, with scalloped potatoes -- from a box, not from scratch, but from a box like Grandma makes, and cooked carrots -- but plain cooked carrots -- not with anything added to them, and garlic bread. With a bakery cake, because Basha's was kind enough to send him a birthday card along with a coupon for a free cake. He declared it a wonderful dinner.

Our boy is intelligent, kind, thoughtful, considerate, friendly and a joy to be around. He's an eager student, and a joy to teach. He's a great big brother to his siblings and a steadfast friend to his friends. He loves to read, build with Legos, ride his bike and spend time outdoors. It's hard to believe that in 8 more years we'll be taking him for his learner's permit!

(For those curious, this is the bike C received: Mongoose 20-Inch Gravity Games BMX Freestyle Bike (Gunmetal) We didn't pay that for it, though -- more like 1/3 of that. I got an awesome deal!)

16 months, a little late

I remembered the day L turned 16 months, but didn't do an update post. Since I took her in for her well-child visit today, I thought I'd do one today.

She's 22 lbs, 5 oz and a little over 30" tall, which puts her height and weight squarely at the 25th percentile. Her weight had been lagging behind her height for a long while, but it's caught up now.

She received one vaccination today, and while she flinched, she never cried out. My mom says I never cried at vaccinations either. I don't need to take her back until she's 2 (well, unless she gets sick enough to warrant a doctor visit before then.)

The doctor asked if she was drinking whole milk, and I responded that she was. I also volunteered that she was still breastfeeding. (WHY do I ever volunteer anything at the doctor's office?) He looked at me a bit shocked and said "Oh. Well, you need to cut that down. I don't ever want a patient to come in here at their 2 yr checkup and still breastfeeding." I just looked at him. I waited a few beats, then said "We're both perfectly fine and I don't see any reason to quit before she's ready." He then volunteered that in rural India some women breastfeed until 4 or 5 years of age! But he had only been breastfed for a year. I looked at him again, and responded "Well, I know women right here in town that breastfeed until their children are 4 or 5. I bet they just don't admit it to doctors like you."

Personally, I imagine L will wean sometime between now and her 2nd birthday. She's busy, she eats a lot, and she nurses 1-2 times a day right now. I was irritated by his attitude, however, and wondered how he'll feel if his wife decides to breastfeed their children past a year? (he doesn't have any children yet) Oh, I have more I could say about it, but this post is about my darling L.

She is a daredevil. She climbs the ladder of the playfort up and down with no problems whatsoever. She climbs on the tables, on chairs, on everything. She walks backward, forwards and is beginning to run. She loves when the boys chase her.

She understands what is asked of her perfectly. She has about 5 words that we know -- Up, Mom, Dad, Hi, and Shoes. She MUST wear shoes and is quite insistent whenever she wakes up that they are put back on her feet. She knows she can't go outside without shoes on, and she never wants to miss a chance to go outside.

She still loves music and is adding new steps to her dance routines daily. She will walk around with her hands on her hips and tapping her toes at any hint of music.

Those are the highlights I can think of. I'm sure there's more, but she'll be 17 months by the time I post this if I don't hit publish right now!

15 months

Hard to believe that 15 months have gone by since L was born!

She is a busy bee these days! She walks very steadily and I'm sure we're close to running! LOL! The boys had a cooking class that met once/week for 4 weeks and I really noticed how her walking has improved during that time. We just waited for them at the community center during their class, so she wandered the halls and flirted with all the people visiting the community center (which is also a senior center. Those women just wanted to eat her up and she ate up all the attention!) I realized how 4 weeks ago she was still pretty wobbly and wanted to hold my hand quite a bit. Yesterday, she wanted nothing to do with holding hands and was raring to go -- up and down and up and down the long breezeway -- only stopping to wave and chat with anyone who might catch her eye.

She also loves going to the library, but she won't sit in her stroller while I look for books! She wants to walk, and take books off the shelves, and talk with anyone who crosses her path.

I mentioned a few posts back about how friendly she is, and it continues to astound me. Most other kids are completely taken aback by her - but she plows right on, trying to hug them, trying to talk to them, trying to play. She has no fear!

She eats heartily and pretty much anything. She sleeps a solid 9-10 hours a night and naps once a day (like her father, she doesn't seem to need much sleep.) She still nurses a few times a day. She's still short when I compare her to other kids, but she's solid.

She uses a few signs regularly (eat, drink, finished, more, milk, no.) She doesn't have many understandable words, but she gets her point across. She seems to have a special fondness for N, and the fondness is reciprocated. I think those two are going to get into lots of trouble together in the future!

20 / 20

I took N for his well-child-visit today (just a couple months late!) He weighed 46 3/4 lbs and is 46 3/4 inches tall. How funny is that? His vision and hearing both tested as perfect, which upset C since he felt that he shouldn't be the only kid in the family wearing glasses. LOL!

No other issues, so it'll probably be a year until he visits again!

14 months

L turned 14 months yesterday. She has spent the last month learning to walk, and really caught on in the last week. She toddles around unsteadily, and reaches out for anyone's hand to help steady her walk. She is an excellent climber, however, and has no problem climbing up onto her brother's beds or the couch.

She is still an amazingly happy baby. She is friendly, and will flirt, smile and wave at just about anybody. She is always amazed at seeing another baby/toddler and gets very excited when we pass one in the library or elsewhere.

She has a healthy, hearty appetite and is adventurous enough to try most foods. She eats a solid 3 meals a day, plus snacks, and still nurses 3-4 times a day. She is definitely growing!

She clearly says "UP" and "HI!" Other words are obvious only to family. She can clearly sign "EAT", which is added to "FINISHED". She continues to nod and shake her head adamantly to express "YES" and "NO." She babbles quite a bit and carries on conversations with herself in the mirror regularly.

She likes to empty containers and fill them up again. She absolutely adores music! She will bop her head and dance to pretty much any music that is playing. She loves it when N sings to her and will often prompt him by saying "baa baa baa?" so he will sing "Baa Baa Black Sheep" to her.

She is funny and likes to be the center of attention. She will call loudly and wave her arms if she thinks nobody is paying attention to her. She likes to go places, but doesn't like getting into her carseat this month.

No new teeth again this month, but with 8 she has plenty. I'm expecting her to make some language leaps in the next few months now that she has started walking.

13 months

Our little girl is 13 months old today.

She eats everything we offer her -- with the exception of vegetables these days. You can see her to the left after enjoying a triple berry smoothie!

She isn't walking, but can stand on her own and does a fair share of deep knee bends. She spreads her legs so far apart when she stands that as she tries to move forward, she falls to the floor. We're just waiting for that first step, and I know she'll be running before we know it.

She can climb up stairs with no fear, and laughs hysterically from the top and waits for someone to bring her back down the steps.

She loves to look at books and to have books read to her. She especially loves books with flaps, books with photographs of babies, and a Care Bears book that has a moon that lights up when pushed.

She doesn't sleep through the night, but I'm trying hard to help her do so. She outgrew the co-sleeper that was attached to her bed, so DH put together one of our cribs. It's in our room (we don't have a room for her -- and the real estate market crash means we have no equity left in our home which has put a damper on our plan for an addition -- our house lost over $50K in value in the last 6 months . . . ), but a few steps away from our bed. She starts out the night in her crib, but ends up in our bed between 1 and 3AM. Unfortunately, that means I usually end up with 25% of my body hanging off the bed and waking up with a crumpled spine. This is the first time we've had a toddler and haven't had an extra bed in the house -- with C & N I was usually sleeping part of the night in our spare bed. I'm not sure what the answer is, but it may involve me sleeping on the floor for the next couple months.

We are trying to enclose our back patio to make room for our office and then give her a room of her own. Unfortunately, we can't afford to do even this at the moment. If we do that, I will move our futon back from my parents home and put it in her bedroom and we'll have an extra bed again!

But, back to my youngest! She is finally over her illnesses over the last month -- (ear infections and then a staph infection) and is much happier.

She nods and shakes her head appropriately. She waves. She uses the sign for "finished". She uses a sign for "yes" (which is similar to finished, but she uses only one hand.) She grunts a lot to express her desires (see video here.) She's a very friendly child and interacts with most people who come in contact with her.

She loves all types of music, including N singing to her. She bops her head and dances along whenever she hears a beat of any kind.

It's so much fun watching her grow and learn new things.

N is 6!

My second child turned 6 last week!

He has had a love of construction vehicles for most of his life, so when I saw this cake in a recent Family Fun magazine, I knew I had to make it for him this year! He loved it, and I'm happy with the way it turned out.

N has an enthusiasm for life, boundless energy, a positive spirit and a deep love for his family.

He has a strong attachment to a scruffy stuffed lamb named Mickey and has an imaginary friend named May who has been part of his life for as long as I can remember. He & his brother also have a very elaborate imaginary land that they play in called "MickeyLand" where the most amazing things occur (like a real dinosaur park, and the ability to fly!)

He loves to snuggle and is free with hugs and kisses. He has to be on the move at all times, and doesn't have much patience for anything that requires him to sit still. He loves to dig in the backyard and build small structures.

He is extremely helpful, and will be the first to volunteer when help is needed. He often runs through the house when he hears his name called, and shouts "At Your Service!!" when asked to complete a task. When L was born, he put himself in charge of making sure I always had a drink so I could have plenty of "mommy milk."

His brother is his best friend, and he can't fathom the idea of spending much time apart from him. He has told me all year that the only reason he bothers with the enrichment program is so that he can spend lunch and recess with his brother. He is the first to jump into my husband's arms when he comes home at night to welcome him home.

Six years ago we welcomed him into the world and I'm grateful to be his mom!

L at almost one

I realized I haven't done a milestone post about L in a while.

She's 11 months, 2 weeks and still an absolute joy.

She claps, blows kisses, and loves peek-a-boo.

She speed-crawls, but doesn't stand independently or try to walk (other than cruise). She is starting to use various things like a walker, though, so we might see about getting her one for her 1st birthday. I really like this wagon/push toy.

We haven't yet found a food that she won't eat. She isn't interested in being fed mushed up foods, though! She'd much rather feed herself. She prefers to drink from cups that aren't spill-proof (like Tupperware cups with sippy lids), but has recently figured out how to drink successfully from those cups that are spill-proof (they require suction when she'd prefer it to just pour in her mouth.) She still nurses 5-7 times a day so I feel like I'm always preparing food, serving food, cleaning up after meals or nursing her.

She recently had a big growth spurt and pretty much skipped over 9 month clothing into 12 month sizes. I swear she literally grew before my eyes one night -- I put her in the highchair for dinner, and by the time she finished eating she had popped 2 of the snaps on her shirt.

She's likes to empty things out, but isn't interested in putting things back yet. She especially enjoys emptying my wallet -- going into each pocket and crevice to complete remove everything. She also likes our phones and remotes and gets tickled pink when the phone rings as she holds it. (yes, I'm guilty of calling my cell from our land line just to watch her giggle in amazement!)

She takes at least one solid nap a day, usually 2. She doesn't sleep through the night, but since she still sleeps with us, I couldn't tell you when or how often she does wake up. My best guess is that she sleeps from 9:30/10 until about 4 most nights, and then after she eats she sleeps until 7 or 8.

milestones

Last Wednesday, C lost his other front tooth while at his enrichment program. It has left him with a delightful gap-toothed smile.

Around the same time, L sprouted her 6th tooth -- giving her 4 across the top.

L's favorite game of the moment is peek-a-boo and she will spend countless minutes covering her head with whatever is nearby in hopes someone will squeal "peek-a-boo!!" Thankfully, her brothers are still enamored of her, so they comply quite regularly.

She showed me today that she knows how to climb when she climbed the stepstool someone had left in front of the pantry. Not 10 minutes later, she escaped out the back door and was crawling over the rocks to find the boys. I think she may be a little monkey.

She prefers sleepers without feet, mainly because she likes to hold onto her toes while she's nursing down at night. Footed sleepers frustrate that desire. Unfortunately, I bought a pack of 3 on clearance and can't find any more.

N is blossoming academically. He recently started a 1st grade math book and a 1st grade spelling book. He is clearly ready for both. His handwriting has gotten much better and he's willing to write in lowercase. His reading is getting better each day and he is able to get through early readers with very little assistance. He also complains MUCH less than a few months ago about doing schoolwork.

what is she eating?

Someone asked me what L is eating these days, and I thought I'd post it here so I can remember in the future.

She is nursing 5-10 times a day.

She lets me feed her yogurt and some jarred fruits and vegetables. She much prefers to feed herself however!

She likes brown rice, shredded cheese, pancakes, waffles, peas, cubed pears, cut up bananas, sweet potato spears, mashed potatoes, small pasta, toast, Gerber puffs, cheerios, cubed cooked carrots . . . and whatever else I can cut up small enough for her to eat!

She needs help still drinking from a cup, and does not like the cups that are not open. I don't think she understands the sucking part required from the leak-proof style.

As sick as she's felt lately, her appetite hasn't really suffered.

standing alone!

Development hasn't stopped with illness! L was on the bed with us last night while we were watching a show and was on her knees and then pulling up while holding on to the headboard.

And, then, she was standing independently! It lasted just a few seconds, but I'm sure that she'll start standing for longer periods and her first steps are close at hand!

I keep teasing DH that she'll take her first steps while he's gone (he leaves for his cruise next Sunday.) She just may . . . but somehow I think she'll wait for Daddy to come home.

C took his first steps right before he turned 11 months old. DH wanted him to take his first steps in our own home (we had been renting) and we moved into our house when he was 10 months and a couple weeks. A week later, he took his first steps!

N waited until he was 13 months old to walk.

9m checkup

L had her 9 month checkup today. She weighed 16 lbs 4 oz and is 27" long. That puts her around 25% for weight and almost 50% for height. She gained 3 lbs 2 oz and 2" in 3 months, which is a pretty good gain for her! At 6 months, she had been hovering around the 10% percentile for both height & weight.

She had a finger prick for hemoglobin and her polio vaccine. She didn't cry at either, which surprised both the nurse and me. When I talked to my mom this afternoon, she said I never cried at shots either. My sister, on the other hand, would get hysterical.

Her length means we need to start looking for a new carseat -- one that can sit backwards (she'll be that way until she's over 20 lbs) but that is tall enough for her height.

sometimes a change is needed

There are times when what has worked in the past, no longer works. This had been the case with getting the boys to stay in their beds after bedtime. I'm embarrassed to say how long I kept trying the same thing -- and how long it just didn't work anymore!

I'm happy to say that we've finally turned a corner. Almost a month ago I started a chart for both boys. If they stayed in their bed for 30 days after being tucked in (not counting bathroom needs or illness), they would earn something they coveted. (C chose a book, N chose a safari truck) A little over 2 weeks ago the motions were in place so that they no longer shared a bedroom.

In 3 days, C should receive his book. In a little over a week, N should receive his truck. (N had a bit of a backtrack and we had to start his chart over.) Bedtime is pretty much understood again -- when they are tucked in (after bath, books, drinks, snacks, and prayers) they stay in bed. C falls asleep within minutes, while N tends to stay awake much longer. The difference, however, is that he stays in his bed. When they shared a room, they would talk and play and keep each other awake. They spend plenty of time together during the day, we decided that nighttime togetherness was just too much.

This has made evenings much more pleasant. DH & I are able to watch adult shows without interruption. I am able to relax and get some much needed downtime after a day of caretaking.

Our mornings are much easier now. Schooling is going much better now! Temper tantrums, arguments and fighting have decreased dramatically (among all 3 of us!)

We also decided that N was through with wearing pull-ups at night in the last month. C had been motivated to move into underpants at night, but N just wasn't willing to give up the convenience. With C, we went through a process where he had to have a dry pull-up in the morning for 7 days, then could move into underpants. He was motivated and it happened. With N, we went cold turkey. He did have a few accidents, but he's been dry for a couple weeks now and has no desire to go back to pull-ups. He just needed a little push and I'm glad that DH gave it to him.

There was a part of me that wanted the boys to continue sharing a room. The reality right now is that it was hindering sleep for both of them and causing havoc throughout our day (and night!) DH & I are still trying to plan for a room for L, but are not in a hurry to move her out of our bedroom, so we have time for a plan.

We haven't moved all the toys back in the house. I'm going very slowly . . . and it is helping them keep what they do have neat. The new arrangement is helping N gain a bit of independence (for too long now he has refused to get dressed alone in his room - finally he is willing to do tasks in his room without me or C with him.)

There have been lots of changes in our household in the last month. But, they have made for a much more peaceful household! Letting go can make way for so much more!

more teeth

L has been having trouble getting comfortable to sleep, and has been unusually cranky the last couple days. On a hunch, I just ran my fingers along her gums and felt one of her top teeth about to break through.

It explains the crankiness! Now, if only I could remember where I put those teething tablets?

ETA: She has THREE teeth trying to break through on the top -- one has just a sliver through, the other two are pushing against her gums. I did find the teething tablets, but she is miserable. poor thing :(

C well child visit

Since this has been such a good saving place for milestone information, I'm posting about C's well child visit today.

It's a couple months late (he turned 7 mid-November), but there have been doctor changes, and maternity leaves, and illness in our own house that kept us from earlier appointments.

He is 47 lbs, and 48" tall. That puts him in the 25% for weight, and 50% for height. He has charted like that since birth, although his weight sometimes creeps closer to 50%.

His asthma is well controlled and we made only minor adjustments to his medication schedule.

His hearing is perfect. The enrichment program he attends is part of the public school system, and they recently sent home a letter that he needed further testing for his hearing. I'm guessing they caught him on an off-day, because there was no issue at all with his hearing today.

His eyesight is terrible. They actually did the test 4 different times, because they couldn't believe the results. I felt like a bad mom -- but I have KNOWN that we needed to get his eyes checked, but finances and his lack of complaining allowed me to put it off. I need to call around for the best deal and get it taken care of this week. My eyes have changed since L's birth, but I guess I'll squint for a few more months yet!

While there, I also put L on the scale. She weighed 15 lbs, 15 oz fully dressed - so she's at least over 15 lbs undressed these days!

sitting up

L has been crawling farther and farther each day. Today she went from a crawling position to sitting up by herself. She's very confident pulling herself up to standing and cruising along furniture.

It's so much fun watching her grow and develop. The boys are so excited to watch her learn new things as well -- they are almost as fun to watch!

forward movement

I forgot to post a few days ago when it first happened, but L has figured out how to crawl! She's not fast yet, and she has to be motivated, but she's done it enough times to say that she is now a crawler!

milestones

L's first tooth came through on Saturday. It's one of the lower front teeth, and I think that's why her cheeks are bright red at the moment (apparently bright red cheeks can be a symptom of teething.)

N asked DH to take off the training wheels on Saturday and is successfully riding his 2-wheeler! It took him about 10 minutes after the training wheels were removed to get the hang of it. Of course, he's still a bit wobbly, but he's doing great!