Elijah's 1 Year Appt

On December 13, I took Elijah in for his 1 year appt. I know, I know, he was closer to 13 months, but it was better than the first appt they gave me which was in January!  So, keep in mind the stats were taken on a kid a little older than the curves were supposedly developed for, but whatever.

Height = 32 inches (off the curve, so reported as >98%ile)

Weight = 26 lbs, 6.4 oz (98%ile)

Head = 46.8 cm (60%ile)

First off, he was great at the office.  Dr. Andy quickly noticed he's walking, to which I replied he's actually running now.  That was met with surprise! :) I pointed out that Elijah seems to like walking around on his tip toes (which was demonstrated), and I was told to keep an eye on this but since he can obviously put his feet down flat (some kids can't, but Eli also demonstrated this), all is most likely fine there.  I think he just likes to show off his good balance. He does say a few words, as previously blogged about, and all in all he is developing great.  He is completely on milk now, and we are working on getting rid of the bottles as we speak.  Dr. Andy suggested ditching them before 13 months. I had a good cry about this last night (my baby isn't a baby anymore), but it is time to move on.  Plus it is easier on us to just do it ourselves instead of involve the daycare with these things, and with the holidays, we have the best possible opportunity because he's home for over a solid week.  I will also mention that his weight is probably a bit higher than reported.  Little man had diarrhea all week and was consuming little in the way of food for 4 days prior to the appointment. I had weighed him at a friends house a few weeks prior, and with clothes on he was at closer to 27.5 lbs.  He is definitely big and healthy.  And adorable to boot!

I have not yet mentioned this was my first visit with both boys. I was so nervous about having to take Jack with me, but it worked out better for the rest of my day to have them both. So we sucked it up, and actually Jack was AMAZING.  I gave him a snack, which he shared with Elijah the whole time, handing him one piece after another while not spilling the rest. A miracle on both counts. He held Elijah's hand when it was time for Dr. Andy to look him over.  Jack took his flu shot first, before his brother, which was so brave of him. He laid down calmly in the nurses lap while she gave him the nose dose. He cried a little, but quickly calmed down so he could hold Elijah's hand while Elijah got his shots. He even picked out a nice sticker for his brother. It was incredible and adorable. My boys are generally good together, but that was amazing to witness.  I hope I can recall that memory when they aren't being so nice to each other. 

God has blessed us! 

Play-Doh fun

Jack is home with me today, and we are anxiously awaiting daddy's return. And the cold weather called for some Play-Doh. Nice tractor mommy!

New Found Pride

There is a new little boy at daycare who started just a couple days ago.  He is two, and apparently he is already very fond of Jack.  When I dropped Elijah off this morning, Jack sat in the car and waited so he could return home with me to share our one-on-one day.  When I walked in with Elijah, the little boy ran to see who was entering the door, looked up at me with sad eyes and said "where's Jack?" I walked over to sign Eli in and answered the little boy, telling him Jack was staying home with me today, but that he'd return tomorrow.  He seemed satisfied.

As I signed Elijah in, I spoke with Alena (not sure I'm spelling that right).  I said something along the lines of how little Leo seems to enjoy Jack, but that it's probably nice for all the kids to get a break from Jack, as he typically dictates the days activites and bosses people around.  I don't think I will ever forget her response.  She said "it takes a lot to be a leader."  I smiled and agreed, but it took a few minutes to really sink in.  As I was driving home thinking more about what she said, I found that I was suddenly more proud of Jack.  I am proud of him everyday, but in that moment, my heart swelled a little more with pride, knowing she was right.  It takes a special personality to lead, and to do so while making friends instead of enemies.  Admittedly I had wondered if Jack's leadership was sometimes a nuisance among other kids.  I will never wonder about this again.  He is special, and we are all blessed to have him just as he is!  After all, someone needs to lead, and I'd be silly to be anything but proud that my son seems to do so quite well.

Elijah Communicates

It seems like the last week has included some communication strides for the little man in the house.  All of a sudden, he is communicating in a way that is unmistakable.  It is a combination of tactics, but it is very effective.  He says some things, the newest ones include "booh" for book (he'll even bring me one and back up into my lap and sit down, which I think is the cutest), "app" for apple (which he loves to consume), and he might be saying "ma" for me and "da" for dad (needs to be confirmed yet).  He is starting to enjoy animal noises too. He says "ah ah" for a monkey, "zzz" for bee, and my favorites are to hear him roar like a lion and trumpet like an elephant while simultaneously lifting an arm like a trunk. :)  

He has also developed a few of his own signs, which crack me up.  If you ask him if he's hungry or wants to eat, he puts his cute little pointer finger right into his mouth with puckered up lips, as if to say "yes, put some food in here". Then you sit him in his chair and when he sees what you're preparing, he points to his tray, as if to say, "I want that right here".  He is yelling more frequently, usually when he wants picked up.  We will have to continue working on "up please". He refuses to sign milk and has stopped signing night night.  But he is generally a dream to put to bed.  So happy to be laid down in his crib.  In fact, the other night when I laid him down and went to rub his back, he rolled over and pushed my arm away, then turned back over.  Just leave me alone, mom.

In addition to communicating with us, he seems to understand more, or at least is beginning to obey a little better.  He can come to the top of a step, and will sit and turn around when told to do so (most of the time). We find ourselves telling him to "sit down" frequently, so he is beginning to respond by sitting in chairs or in the bathtub, both of which have always been expected but rarely willingly adhered to.

He also is cutting his first two molars. Guess those sharp canines can wait for later.  This makes him a little more fussy, and he chews on his fingers, but I can generally tell when it's really bothering him and a little ibuprofen goes a long way.

Happy 1st Birthday Elijah

Our little man turned 1 today!  I know it is cliche, but it's hard to believe how fast this last year has gone.  It seems to have slipped by.  And with joy and sadness we celebrate Elijah's first birthday.

It seems like it wasn't that long ago we thought this little man was coming early and I was put on bed rest. He seemed so eager.  I made it to term, then to 38 weeks and 2 days, and my water broke. Had we only known 9 weeks earlier that I would be induced to complete labor. Thinking back, I wonder if I needed the Pitocin had they checked me earlier and found I still had some fluid, cause when that fluid was released, so was the flood gates of labor and birth.  But our little baby boy was here, safe and sound, and best of all, healthy.

The last year has been filled with a whole bunch of "new" things.  Even though we witnessed many "firsts" wih Jack, everything different with Elijah.  He was on a rapid pace of development. He would often surprise us with his balance and agility: from when he pulled himself up even before crawling, when he would crab walk on all fours, when he gracefully began walking, when he decided climbing was a good idea.  His ability seemed uncanny.

I also understood that many 2nd kids don't talk as early.  Elijah isn't really talking, but he communicates really well.  He's been saying "uh oh" for some time, and "bye" sounds really close, but the other word he seems close to getting out is "Ozzie", which is at least a clear 2 syllables. That boy LOVES that dog! Jack was alway disinterested, but not Eli. "Ma" and "Da" are also close.  But like I said earlier! he communicates.  The Elijah at 11 Month post describes his signing, as he does a little of that too.  I figured he'd do more screaming in an effort to be understood, but that's not really his style.

He seems smart in other ways too, frequently absorbing and mimicking. I hope to remember how at like 9 months, when I gave him a brush, he put it up on his head.  He would put a phone to his head too (or a tv remote - easy mistake). Now he seems to know what remotes are for, hats go on the head too (though not for very long), he backs up to sit in my lap to read a book (though you can't linger on any one page for very long as the attention span doesn't allow for that), and he roars when he sees his new little lion.  So cute.

The birthday stuff... We had family and a few friends over to celebrate on Sunday.  It was a nice gathering, but Elijah was definitely overwhelmed with all the people.  We had to work really hard to get a couple smiles out of him, and he clung to me any chance he got (admittedly I sort of liked it for the day).  But he seemed to like the cupcake, though he would have chosen to forgo the signing probably. He leaned toward me, but no tears thankfully.  At least he loved Thomas!

What a fun event.  What a blessed life we lead. I thank God for Elijah everyday!

Dangerous, yet Graceful

Elijah's physical capabilities amaze us all the time. Enjoy!

This one Jack demands attention, but the camera is still rolling.

Happy Halloween

We had a nice Halloween today, and the first holiday of this busy holiday season was a success!  Jack went to Michelle's house for a Halloween party, while Elijah stayed home to hang out with momma. Midway through the day, I received a text with a photo of Jack at the party, and I was told he had an epic meltdown when he saw that Reyna, his very best buddy at daycare, had a stethoscope with her costume.  Guess that conjured up rolling tears and a massive fit.  But, besides that, he was a happy camper.  He got 3 pieces of candy, and brought an entire brown bag full of candy home with him. No, we didn't need that, but oh well.

Elijah and I had to go get the candy for the trick or treaters, and spent some time outside raking leaves.  Don't know why I bother, as the wind was just blowing more into our yard simultaneously.  I do love fall.

After dinner, we rounded everyone up, put the costumes on the boys, and headed out for some trick or treating.

We told Jack about what you say when people answer their door, and had him practice.  We told him that if he didn't say "trick or treat" loud enough for the people to hear him, he wouldn't get candy.  It was fun to watch the progression of his understanding, from being shy and hiding behind our legs (first house), to reaching in and grabbing the candy himself (oddly enough, also at the first house). He slowly opened up with the neighbors, and the whole process. Sometimes he would get to the door, we'd ask him, "Jack, what do you say?" He would think hard, like he knew it was something unique, and most of the time he'd say those special 3 little words.  But sometimes, when he just couldn't remember in that moment, he'd quietly say "please."  So cute!

Elijah was a cute little lion, protecting us on our adventure.  He wanted to walk and lead the pride, but he liked to go in the wrong direction.  By then end, he was getting pretty good at walking up the neighbor's driveways, and I can envision the complications that will follow with a simple walk around the block. :)

We returned home after hitting maybe 15 houses, Jack got a piece of candy, and we played a bit while handing out a few more treats to other neighborhood kids.  It was more difficult to keep everyone inside while passing out candy, so I was thankful there weren't too many more headed to our door. Jack was eager to hand out candy too, which was fun to see.

When I put Jack in his bed tonight, he told me he wants to go trick or treating again tomorrow.  I told him it would have to wait until next Halloween.

Elijah at 11 Months

It's hard to believe that we will soon be celebrating Elijah's first birthday.  He is such a happy kid, and we are blessed beyond words.  He isn't the best little sleeper, but the saving grace is that he is super happy, even when he's tired.  The caveat there is that he's better with distractions, and we have plenty of those coming his way.

Right now he is doing all sorts of fun things.  He signs a little, mainly "all done" and "night night", though we are pretty sure he signs "night night" when he wants milk as he associates the two.  With Jack, we fought hard to separate drinking milk from it's time to go to bed, but Elijah seems to do better with the cue for nap time.  Elijah says a couple words, or sounds anyway.  He does the "ah oh" when he drops things, and seems to say "hi", especially when he holds a phone to his ear.  It can be one of our phones, or the tv remote, or a play phone, but they all go right to his ear. Elijah mimics other things too, like when given a brush, he attempts to brush his hair.  He loves peek a boo, and loves wrapping himself in the curtains when playing. He'll fall down and then crawl his way out, and then he just lights up when you say, "there's Elijah".  Elijah is also walking steady, hands down and chest out.  It is so cute to watch him strut his stuff.  He also climbs on anything.  The new favorites include the fireplace and the little wooden chairs that go with the kid table.  And not just climb, but then stand up on the dangerous object.  Scares me to death!  He is finally making a little progress on sitting down and turning around to come down steps, which has been a challenge because he started walking so soon. It seemed easier to teach a crawler this trick than a walker.

The other thing I will mention, which has incredibly surprised me, is that Elijah is undoubtedly the leader.  I figured he would follow Jack around and try to keep up, but really Elijah has his own interests, and will gladly leave the crowd to pursue them.  I have watched him interact with Jack, and with other kids when Jack isn't present, and he is happy going to doing his own thing.  Maybe it's a #2 thing...? Or maybe it's just his personality.  But more surprising is watching Jack drop what he's doing to join Elijah.  This might be because Jack wants in on the attention that Elijah gets, but he does it even when no attention is really being awarded.  For instance, Elijah will start pushing around a chair, and Jack will grab the other one and follow Eli around the house (sometimes it's stealing Eli's chair for negative attention, but a lot of times it's grabbing another one just to join in the fun).  I think Jack likes the companionship, and Elijah is okay either way.  I know Elijah enjoys Jack, and Jack can really get Elijah laughing, but Eli knows what he wants to do, and does it regardless of who else is in.

This last year has flown by, and we have had such a busy summer. We are now trying to make the most of the nicer weather on the days we have it, and enjoy the daylight, which fades too quickly everyday.  We are not looking forward to daylight savings time ending, and dark evenings which will mean we spend way more time indoors.

Last Sunday, we decided to go to the library and get some new books.  We arrived before it opened, so we killed some time walking around the outdoor mall at South Glenn.  The weather was cool, but we had a good time.  Following are the photos to mark the fun outing, as well as Eli at 11 months.

London

It feels like I have a list of things I want to accomplish everyday, and blogging is always on that list. But to no avail. The few times I've posted just don't begin to tell of the family happenings of this summer. Sad.  But no time like the present to get back at it.  I have a lot to catch up on.

For tonight we'll start with a trip to London. Justin was asked to attend a company manager's training seminar there, held October 1-2.  We decided to make the most of it.  We requested his company flat for a week (which was comfortable, free of charge, and located in Teddington which is about a 30 minute train ride from the city center) and we booked my flight on miles. One of the few perks of Justin's travels.  A rather inexpensive way to see London.

We got there Saturday morning (very little sleep on the airplane), and headed to the flat. We had rented a car, which we were glad we had because when we got to the place, the keys were no where to be found. Luckily we didn't have to lug our bags around while we killed some time waiting for some keys to arrive. I did take a brief nap in the car too while we waited. I was so tired! Once we got into the room, we showered, decided to return the car (come to find out it was really more hassle and expense than it was worth), and then headed to the city. We went toward the water to get a glimpse of Big. Ben and the London Eye (didn't ride, it's cool but dang that thing moves slow) and we stumbled upon a little festival where vendors had set up tents to sell their food and drinks.  The sun was setting and it felt like dinner time, so we ate and enjoyed the evening before heading back to Teddington. 

The next 2 days included lots of sleep and other tourist attractions including Westminster Abby and The National Gallery.  Both were great to see. We also enjoyed the Somerset House one evening, which was so quiet at night, and the fountains were stilling running.  Seemed like a fountain show just for us. Justin then started his work seminar, which turned out to be quite intense. The first day he was there, I slept in and then went to see Kensington Palace and returned to the gallery for some more time with the art.  I joined him and his colleagues for dinner, and that was day 4.  Day 5 I stayed in Teddington, worked a little, went to the library which had a peaceful garden (the weather was great while we were there - cloudy and humid, but very little rain, which we'd expected it to rain the whole time).  The last day of our trip we visited Tower Bridge and Hampton Court (among other stops) and we saw a show, Wicked.  That was a fun new experience.  We even hit up an awesome 5-story toy store, Hamleys, as we wanted to bring something back for the kiddos.

The next day we gladly headed home to retrieve our little boys.  They stayed with Grandma and Papa all week, and everyone seemed to so really well there, aside from 5am wake ups everyday.  Sorry mom and dad!!! They were all glad to see us. I think :)

Wouldn't be complete without a couple photos.  Forgive the quality, as I don't have the energy right now to download and attach the ones taken with the real camera, and iPhones don't do very well in low light.

Elijah Walks, and the Fun Begins

Over the course of the last week or so, Elijah has taken a few steps here and there.  Mostly they have been unbalanced teetering.  I've encouraged him to walk to me, and he'll take a step or two and lean out for me to catch him.  I always do, which is good because he would probably get pretty injured if I didn't.  While on our vacation in Portland (posts to come soon), he took a couple steps from the deck to a walking toy he wanted. We knew he was getting close.

In the last day or so, he's found his balance.  So tonight, we witnessed him walk across the room on a couple occasions, and of course needed the camera immediately.  He seems to really like walking, and I think it will soon be his preferred method of self propulsion.

Jack's Excitement

We had been telling Jack about the upcoming trip to Portland to see Justin's family.  He was really excited, and would mention the trip to anyone who would listen.  Here, he'll tell you about it...

With a Walker

Elijah has begun pushing objects as he walks.  It began with our little plastic shopping cart a few days ago, and we held it to keep it from going too quickly, afraid he would eat it.  Now he is not only walking while pushing objects (as seen in the following video with Elijah pushing a stool), but he is really not happy when the object stops moving.  At the beginning of this video you see him protesting.  This is because he hadn't quite realized I'd rotated him around so he could continue.  Truth is, this was the third time I had pivoted him so he could continue pushing the stool.  And then you get to witness yet another fit when he reaches the wall. He later did walk around the stool himself once to push back the direction whence he came, but it might be a while before he figures out he can always do that.  And then, maybe he'll learn that new trick tomorrow, and I'd better be on my toes.

On the topic of tempers, our poor kids had no hope in receiving the gift of natural patience.  We will just have to work very hard to acquire some.

Lazy Sunday Morning

Since we did mass on Saturday evening with the boys (which actually worked out pretty well), we were able to relax Sunday morning. Justin and I really didn't want to get out of bed, and the boys entertained themselves for a little bit to help.  Just had to share!

Watching and absorbing

Participating

Hamming it up :0)

Unexpected Toys

Electric toothbrushes are cool when mommy gives them to me while on!

Leg protectors

Yesterday, when Elijah came home from daycare, his poor little legs just looked raw from crawling around all day. So this morning, Justin put him in pants before sending him off. As I had a little "spare" time this morning, I decided to make a pair of leg protectors.  I followed a tutorial I found on Pinterest (my first completed Pinterest project I think).  There were a couple hiccups, primarily from my lack of sewing experience, but it turned out ok. I tried the first pair on, and they fit! So I proceeded to make another pair. They are made out of long adult socks, so I had one more pair to use. At the completion of these, Jack seemed to like them as arm warmers, aka sleeves. :)

The second pair has some pink, which I may try to cover using one of the suggestions on the site. But it seems like a lot more work (even though it is only one more seam per sock). I'm not above putting my son in a little neon pink. And obviously Jack doesn't mind :)

Elijah is Baptized

On July 7, 2013, Elijah George was baptized into the Catholic Church.  His baptism had some similarities to Jack's, as well as some differences.  Unlike Jack, Elijah was baptized as part of the weekly mass, and he was the only baby baptized at that particular time.  He was baptized by the new priest in the parish, Father Scott Bailey, who was ordained in May 2013, and had been at Saint Francis Cabrini for only 3 weeks. In fact, it was Father Scott's first baptism during mass EVER.  It was such a beautiful mass, complete with great readings and a nice homily.

Elijah wore the same outfit Jack did, which was unique and special because the traditional white baptismal garment was made by my mother, and includes fabric from her wedding gown.  Very special to us all! She made Elijah a new bonnet, which he didn't wear for long as he despises anything on his head, but we did get a good photo with it on.  We consider Elijah to have two sets of Godparents, Grandma and Papa and Carole and Peter Saylor, and are especially happy he has such a large, loving family supporting him and us within the church.  

It was a smaller gathering this time, comprised almost entirely of family.  Elijah did great through church, especially considering it was during his normal nap time. He got a little fussy at the end, but held it together so that we could go up at the end of mass for a blessing for mom and dad. He even held together for a couple photos after mass!  Then he fell asleep on the drive home, transferred to his bed, and slept through the entire party following the baptism. :)

We feel so deeply blessed, and know that our family is a beautiful gift from God.  We pray that our boys will grow up knowing God, and will recognize His presence in their lives.  We have a sense of relief now that Elijah has been baptized in this faith, and we pray that, with the help of the church and the support of our family and friends, we can show these boys what it means to be faithful.

Thanks to Intrigue Photography for being there to photograph this event for us (more photos can be found at our Picasa).  And a special THANKS to Auntie Carrie for helping take care of Jack so that we could really be present for Elijah's special day.

On a side note, I will forever remember looking up during Elijah's baptism, and seeing Jack sitting at the edge of the baptismal font next to Ava.  It was such an adorable image, to see him calmly watching his brother's big event.

The Good Life

Today was a pretty standard Saturday in the Buckmaster house.  Eli starts off the day waking up early, only to be fed and put back to sleep by Sonia around 5 ish.  Jack wakes up at 6 something moaning and groaning and lies in bed for a good 30 minutes till he starts acting like he really wants to get out (never actually sitting up).   It's the norm, or about as close to what normal is around here.  The boys never sleep long enough, and Sonia and I go back and forth on who should get up with who, and who should get to sleep just a blink or two longer.  We never go to bed early enough and there's always something that doesn't get done around the house that is only important to Sonia (insert Sonia frowny face here ;) ).

Jack and I made french toast and had a good time goofing around while we're at it.  Coffee, orange juice, maple syrup and kiwi come with it.  Sonia and Eli saunter down thirty minutes later and start in on their breakfast.

Once everyone is awake and fed we start to figure out what to do with our day.  Well today there was really only one option... we got a new bike seat for Jack as the mini seat he used to ride up front was now too small.  He doesn't love sitting in the trailer with his brother enough to go more than 2 miles without a breakdown and a remaining 2+ miles of whining.  Granted Eli is pretty grabby, and Jack doesn't love being smashed in there with him.  Although, when you look back at them while riding and you see Eli's hands across Jack's body grabbing his water bottle or cracker it's pretty funny, but yes I could see how it would be bothersome.  It's like peering into a looking glass 30 years ago and seeing my older brother cry out to my parents how I was trying to steal something of his... which may have happened a couple of thousand times.   So ultimately we decided to get a kid seat to go on the back of the bike that was new Jack sized, with room to grow.  It came in Thursday, I got back in town Friday, and we spent Friday night and Saturday morning doing a bit of work to get everything mounted.  Finally, we have an opportunity to test it out and so we pack up a lunch and headed to writers vista park, off Highline canal, a couple of miles from our house.  

Typically, Jack is up front in the mini seat, or in the trailer with Eli.  This time Eli is up front and Jack is in the new back seat.  The first noticeable thing is silence.  Oh silence with children is priceless!  Jack was quiet (by quiet I mean really quiet... no whining, or talking)!  Which if you know Jack it is very unusual any time, let alone on a bike ride with the whole family.  Half way to the park I can feel his helmet on my back and I asked Sonia (who was riding next to me) if he was goofing around or something.  She said no he was fine, but that he was just leaning forward.  Well he wasn't just leaning forward he was sleeping.  Ha!  Hilarious, Jack sleeping on a bike ride... totally unheard of. 

 Well we get to the park and had to wake up Mr. cranky pants, because after a twenty minute snooze he was a bit grumpy.  Our kids aren't the happiest risers, and if that is a genetic condition it is most certainly passed down by me.

At the park, we had a nice lunch, relaxed in the shade, and then loaded up and headed back to the house.  On the way back we were getting a bit close to nap time, so I was expecting the wheels to fall off (figuratively) and everyone to be crying by the time we were home.  Again, I was pleasantly surprised.  No one cried, but not everyone stayed awake.  This time it was Eli.  His head started to get a bit wobbly until he silently just tucked his head and started to snooze.  It was pretty cute.  I think with all the stuff we haul with the kids, the trailer will still come in very handy, but for now the kids are staying on the bike.  You can't buy a family bike ride that is that peaceful.  

For all the chaos that comes with two little kids we really only have first world problems.  We never go hungry (although we may eat over the kitchen sink on occasion), always have a bed to sleep in, and the only stress or anxiety comes from illness, or fear of illness, and maybe a bad day or week at work.  If we need help we call family and friends and someone is always there.  I feel like many places in the world our standard Saturday could be the best day ever.  We're very blessed.  Sonia and I are grateful for the life we have every day.  

Jack's 2 Year Appointment

Jack and I went to the doctor's office today.  We took Elijah to Michelle's house and then went to the doctor.  Jack even told Sally that we were bringing Elijah to Shelly's house, and then we were going to the doctor appointment (he said appointment!).  We got there and Jack did great.  He stretched out well and sat on the scale for the nurse.  She told me we had a linebacker on our hands, and how often times kids that look like Jack, tall and thick, grow up and remain tall and thick. :)  He let the nurse listen to his heart and he let Dr. Beverly look at his teeth and his ears.  He was super pleasant.

Dr. Beverly asked me all the questions about his development.  She asked if he had 50 words, and I laughed.  Yep!  Though he certainly didn't say 50 words while we were there.  He really is a shy kid, and I'm beginning to understand that I need to expose him to more opportunities to open up, especially around other kids.  I won't push him to do anything he feels uncomfortable about doing, and will be sure he knows I'm there to help him, but I need to expose him and make sure he has the opportunities for interaction.  He does so well around the kids he knows, and it surprises the daycare ladies when I tell them how shy he behaves in unfamiliar situations. I digress...

Jack was 36 inches and weight 31lbs 12.6oz (both are 80th percentile).  He is healthy, and we are blessed.

I leave you with a video of Jack reading.  When he reads this particular page of this book, I get a kick of how he always tells me that the van is "actually a car, but it's a van."  This particular night it took it to a new level, and I just love how he uses the word "actually".  And he probably says 50 words in this video alone!

Elijah's Mobility Improves

There really is no stopping this kid, and it seems there will be no slowing him down either.  As I mentioned earlier, he pulled up before he crawled.  And tonight he was on a roll.  I actually had to pull him back 3 times to start over because he'd be over to the tub ready to pull up before I could get the camera rolling. And I barely caught the crawling on this round.  He's just getting so quick.  And you get to witness him dropping his hand with reckless abandon.  Usually he stays up for a second, but this time he fell.  No worries, he'll just pull himself right back up. ;)

Jack's cameo: throwing golf balls which I had asked him not to do.  Oh well.

Doe a Deer

Jack has really begun singing songs, and I adore it.  His favorites seem to be "Doe a Deer" (from The Sound of Music - I've sung this to him since he was a baby), "Old McDonald" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".  But he will do short bits of "The Wheels on the Bus" and his ABCs.  He can get most of this ABCs but he is currently forgetting T U and V, and LMNO sounds an awful lot like "Elmo".

With "Doe a Deer", he's been singing parts of it for a long time.  He'd do the Do, Me and Fa lines, and just repeat them over and over. But all of a sudden he added in the Ray, So, Fa and Te lines.  It's amazing how some things just seem to come together with no notice.

I have been trying very hard to get Jack singing a song on video.  I know I have to be sly about it, or he'll totally clam up and won't continue.  My attempts have not been totally unfruitful, but I can't seem to get the whole song.  This one turned out pretty good, but was still cut short.  

Hopefully I can lock the whole songs in my memory.

Elijah Is Mobile!

That's right!! He's already trying to keep up. My quiet, calm, happy little guy is becoming ever more assertive, and mobile! And he's doing it all at once!

I believe the first thing to come was actually Elijah pulling himself to a standing position. He had been pulling up with some assistance probably 2 or 3 weeks ago, and would stand (albeit quite wobbly) for a little bit.  But then on Thursday we witnessed him pull up using our big garden toy.  Then he was pulling up on the edge of the bathtub. Crazy fast!

Then about 1 week ago, we watched him tuck his knees under his body, and push back into a seated position. Now we'll find him sitting in his crib when we go to pick him up :)

And in the last couple days, he's begun crawling. It wasn't like Jack, who suddenly just got it and was off. It's a slower progression, but I'm certain he'll really be going in a week or so.  

One thing is for certain... Life just got a lot more chaotic!  And wonderful.  We are so blessed.

Jack Turns 2!

    

Today was Jack's 2nd birthday, and it was a good one.  We woke up, Jack took cookies to daycare to share with the other kids (though he reportedly didn't really like them), then we came home to celebrate as a family.  Grandma and Papa came over for dinner, which was comprised of daddy's special homemade pizza and green beans. :)  And of course we opened presents. I would say his favorite was the lawn mower given to him by Grandma and Papa.  He drove that thing all evening over the front and back yards, and didn't insist on taking his car outside to "mow the grass."  So exciting that he now has the appropriate equipment for lawn cutting (though I adore witnessing his imagination as well).

We will celebrate his birthday with friends and family this coming Sunday at a nearby park, and we all look forward to that!

My 6 Month Realization!

I want to start by updating on Elijah's 6 month stats, as that was what I had intended on writing about...

Elijah had his 6 month well visit a little over a week ago (the Friday before Memorial day), and he did great.  The appointment was scheduled  during his morning nap, which messed up naps for the whole day, but that was okay seeing as he was his normal happy self and we were bound to mess with his nap schedule anyway for the holiday weekend.  Elijah was 19lbs 10.2oz (85%ile) and 27 1/2 inches long (80%ile).  He got 2 shots, cried for less than 10 seconds, and we went about our day.  Daddy was able to join us this time at the appointment, so that was fun.


As I began writing this blog, I wanted to review Jack's 6 month update.  Elijah has consistently been a little bigger than Jack was, but unfortunately I was unable to find what I was looking for (I didn't comb through too hard either, as I know this comparison means very little).  However, I did find this excerpt:  
"I'm fairly certain we have an active, persistent, and vocal little guy on our hands.  Sometimes I think he might be a little shy, but those episodes are becoming more rare.  I still get some good quality snuggle time, and I'm trying to enjoy that to it's fullest while it still lasts!"

Amazing how much comes through so young!  Jack is VERY active, VERY persistent, and if you've seen Jack lately (and stuck around for more than 30 minutes), you would likely have witnessed how VERY chatty he is.  He will narrate his entire day if someone is listening, and will still narrate 3/4 of his day if no one is. :)  As for the slightly shy part, he's taken to ducking behind and between my legs when first meeting someone, and he goes mute.  Justin and I joke about how it's the only time of the day he stops talking, and how we need to get together with other people for the vocal break.  Jack still likes to snuggle on occasion, but he's too busy to devout much time to it.  But he likes to read in your lap, so that's pretty good snuggle time right there.


So, I'm curious to see if Elijah now will have similar characteristics to Elijah a year from now.  Elijah is so sweet and so happy, and he can just brighten your day when he looks at you and smiles.  He doesn't babble all that much, but I hear that's normal for 2nd children to be a quieter than their siblings.  When he does have a complaint, he lets us know.  Also, he adores his brother.  It is sometimes difficult to get Elijah to look at me, to make eye contact, but it seems Jack never has that problem with him.  Jack is be able to make Eli smile and laugh at will, and Eli will crank his head to watch whatever Jack is doing.  This is particularly obvious in the car, as Elijah will successfully lift his head from his seat to watch his older brother.  We are starting to read more to Elijah now, and he seems to like the books.  He is also eating more foods now (rice cereal, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, prunes, mango, peas), and I think he'll prefer solid foods to milk, as feeding him a bottle is a real chore.  He'd so much rather be looking at something else (he'll shake his head violently trying to clear the bottle and your hand from his view).  He is strong, can stand if your supporting his balance, and he sits well balanced.  He usually only tips over if a loud noise causes him to startle, but when he falls, he doesn't complain.  He can spin around on his stomach with ease, and is always reaching for objects to play with, as he seems like a curious little guy.

We are so fortunate to have 2 beautiful, healthy little boys. I am excited to see who they become, but I hope they dont grow up too quickly. 

Story Time

About 2 weeks ago, as I was getting the boys ready for a day at daycare, we had a little story time. We often ask Jack to get something for his brother (which he nearly always does), or share with Eli. This particular morning I mentioned Elijah would probably like it if Jack read to him. I took a photo of the event and posted it on Facebook. My poor mom, who doesn't have a Facebook account (lucky her!), had to hear from all her siblings how adorable this picture was and not be able to see it. So, here it is:

I also took a little video of story time. I will warn you, it is over 2 minutes long (I usually try to keep video lengths at bay - not this time). I think it's just the cutest little video, but then I'm biased!  There is a cute little brother hug toward the end!  Followed by a book toss of course.

  

Elijah is 6 Months!

Today Elijah turned 6 months old.  Here's the latest and greatest:

• He can sit up on his own pretty well.  You set him down, sitting up, and he'll hang out like that for a while.  When he finally falls over, usually because he's reaching for something, he takes it very well, assuming he's well rested.  I won't leave him unattended sitting on the wood floor, but anywhere else is fair game.
• Elijah can roll over all directions with ease.  He is becoming mobile faster than we are prepared for.
• He seems to like the rice cereal, but hasn't seemed all that interested in other food.  We have only tried sweet potatoes and carrots.  I think maybe I'll try fruit next - banana, apple or pear.  Maybe he'll take to that.
• He has 2 teeth, and it seems teething is affecting his night-time sleeping habits.  Or at least I hope that's what is affecting his sleeping habits, as then it will be a temporary thing.  And yet I hope it isn't hurting him too badly.
• Elijah loves to watch Jack.  Jack makes him laugh by doing anything, or nothing at all.  He is generally really a happy kid, except when tired.  Then he tends to flail all over the place.
• His 6 month doctor's appointment is next week.  Can't wait to weigh the little guy!
• He has very blonde hair now, and like Jack, I couldn't tell you what color his eyes are.  Maybe a little bluer than Jacks, they are more grey than anything.

Thanks, Sammy, for letting me borrow your t-shirt!

Mission Accomplished

I've been working on my picture wall for probably 6 weeks now.  It's amazing how long certain projects can take when you have kiddos, especially projects that make noise (like hammers and nails).  But I've wanted to hang photos of family up our stairwell for years now, so I decided to make it happen.  And the final product, drum roll please...

I will still shift a few pictures around when I get a couple more printed off, but all-in-all, I think it turned out nice.  I'm happy.

First Family Bike Ride

Yesterday was the perfect day for a family bike ride.  Up until now, we haven't wanted to put Elijah in the bike trailer as he seemed too little and unable to support his body well enough for a ride.  But last week, one of our friends, Ross, told us about an infant conversion kit that fits into the bike trailer (Ross doesn't have kids, but clearly pays attention to information his parent friends share - he'll make such an amazing dad one day!).  Of course, Justin immediately looked it up and bought it the next day. :)  The kit wasn't designed for the trailer we have, so we had to make a few modifications.  A house of engineers can figure that out.

We got the trailer all set up for the ride in the morning, and when the kids woke from their afternoon naps, we headed out.  We rode along the Highline Canal Trail, and I got to enjoy the "fun bike ride" that Jack is always talking about.  We saw about 12 horses, 10 ducks, quite a few dogs, and even a bunch of chickens.  The weather was perfect, and at the end of our ride was a park.  We got out, ate a light snack, and Jack got to play on the slides and watch the other kids.

Daddy got to tow an extra 60 lbs. +/-

 Watching the big kids on the playground.

Ready to head home.

As we were riding, I mentioned to Justin how I would love to freeze this moment in time.  Jack is talking so much now, seemingly absorbing new words daily.  Yet he rarely talks back (for now).  Elijah is just super happy and flexible.  He was so happy and calm in the bike trailer, even though the two of them are so closely packed in that thing.  Jack held Elijah's hand as we rode to the park, I think to offer Elijah support. They get along so well.  On the way home it started to sprinkle, so we rode back without stopping.  We pointed things out along the trip, but kept moving.  Both the boys were pretty quite, and when we got home, we realized Eli had fallen asleep.  Guess he was warm and comfortable.  Justin pulled him out of the trailer, and got a little snuggle time with the sleeping baby.

Though bike riding is not my strong suit, I can sincerely say I had a wonderful time with my family.  I look forward to the many rides that hopefully lie in our future. Justin gave my legs quite the workout as I tried desperately to keep up, and I wasn't towing all the extra weight - guess we'll have to weigh him down a little more next time.