Gus and Tracy's bahay: February 2010

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Good, Bad, Ugly

The good: I've had a few days with nothing pressing to do. Great times with the kids and time to start spring cleaning (planning on that process taking a long time with two mobile kiddos!)

The bad: Haven't showered for those few days. Two days, I think, maybe three!

The ugly: I've worked out all of those days. Okay, I think that's more than ugly. Better go shower!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Six months

Emie turned six months on February 8th!

Who needs fancy teething toys when your older brother keeps you supplied with duplo train tracks to chew on!

Okay, once in a while Mommy gives me my own toys to play with.

I'm one content, smiley girl . . . don't see much reason to get upset.

Hi Mommy! Wanna play?

Emie is, in fact, a very happy girl. She rarely gets upset and usually only cries when she's tired. She's grown up a lot since four months!

She started solid foods! She's had a lot of different foods and so far has liked nearly everything I've tried. I think her favorites are bananas, peas, apples and squash. She wasn't a huge fan of avocado, but ate a decent amount.
She rolls all over the place, just started sitting on her own, can get up on all fours, scoots backwards on her tummy, stands with little support, plays with toys, and chews on her feet all the time.
She's a thumb sucker and tummy sleeper.
She loves her exersaucer. I can't really put her in her bouncy chair or bumbo anymore because she finds a way to get out of both. Quite the little escape artist! The exercise mat is out too as she collapses it on herself all the time.
She loves to hang out in my sling. She's very content to be close to Mommy.
She sleeps 10-12 hours a night and takes 2 naps. Yay!
She is not very verbal right now, mainly just squeals and says "mmm" when you feed her.
She doesn't really giggle yet either, but she has such a sweet smile, especially right after she's done nursing.
She loves a good bath! She kicks her feet and splashes with her hands. I can't wait to take her swimming this summer. I'm not sure how I'll do it with both kiddos though - any suggestions?

Well, that's my Emie girl! Thanks for humoring me as I record some thoughts about my kiddos. I'm terrible at baby books, so hopefully this will at least give me some records of their development.

Two

Nathan turned two on December 29th (yes, I'm a bit late on this one!). I thought I'd give a little update on what he is up to now. With this little boy it is more a question of what isn't he up to as he is always on the go. Here are a few of his favorites and his tricks.

He loves all things with wheels - trucks, cars, trains, etc. Whenever I'm driving alone and I see a firetruck or a bus or a construction site I get a little sad because I know that if my little boy were with me, he'd be beside himself with excitement.
He loves all types of sensorimotor play - clay, sand, paint, snow, helping me beat eggs or mix pancake batter, etc.
He has gotten very verbal in the last few months and now speaks in sentences. One funny little quirk is that when he's working on a new word, he tends to say it in a British accent at first. We have no idea why. I was mummy for a long time until he perfected mommy.
He loves to read books with Mommy. Recently though, he prefers to read them himself :(
He runs, climbs, jumps, can go up stairs by himself without a rail and is working on his somersault (I've nearly vomited several times demonstrating this one for him!).
He has started liking TV or movies in the last few months. His favorite cartoons are Bob the Builder, Mickey Mouse and Handy Manny. Whenever he persuades me to let him watch Handy Manny he goes and gets his wooden toolbox toy and baseball cap.
He knows his colors, shapes, and most of his letters and numbers
He is still very attached to his sock monkey named "monkey" (we're really creative here!) and sucks his first finger to fall asleep.
He's going "potty" some of the time, but still wears diapers all of the time.
He is very dramatic and can throw some of the best tantrums I've ever seen (we're talking 45 mins!), but thankfully they are becoming fewer and farther between these days.
He sleeps 11-12 hours at night and takes a 2-4 hour nap in the afternoon.
He's a decent eater some of the time and a really picky eater some of the time. Favorite foods are chicken nuggets, hotdogs, string cheese, yogurt, carrots, grapes, toast, avocado, rice, soup, and anything sweet or chocolate.
He loves to pray. He wants to pray constantly and will list off the people he loves.
He's still a peanut according to "the chart". He weighs 24lbs and is 34.5 inches tall. I don't know how I'll manage to keep his pants from falling down once he gives up diapers.

Well, I think that about covers it. Here are some recent pictures of fun with modeling clay. Yes, I've decided to be the kind of Mom that allows him to mix his colors once in a while!

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Fun Winter Days

Entertaining a toddler in the winter is always a challenge. This winter we've tried out a few of the children's museums in the area. Nathan and I went to the DuPage museum as a special Mommy and Natey date for his birthday and I took both of the kids to the Kohl's museum to burn some energy. We had a great time!

Emie slept peacefully in my sling.