Cute baby alert! This guy has got to be the cutest baby boy I've ever seen in my life!
He and I have been taking walks in the evenings lately and he loves it. He gets niiiiiice and comfy!
He is a crazy, climbing fool...here he is after climbing onto the desk chair, then onto the desk, then up in the windowsill (to watch Daddy cut grass). He also enjoys climbing onto the train table to sit and play with the trains...
He loves chairs that he can climb into on his own...he's totally taken over Lucy's Disney princess couch and we all now call it "Max's couch."
We've had a bedtime breakthrough with him and we're loving life...after 15 months of putting him to sleep before laying him in bed, for the past month we've been sticking him in his bed completely awake...and he goes to sleep!!! This is a phenomenon that we never really experienced with Lucy. We were still rocking her to sleep before putting her in bed until she moved out of the crib (and we still struggle at bedtime with her but that's another story...)
We ask him if he's ready for bed and he usually says "yah!" and grabs his blanket and sleep sheep. Even when he shakes his head no to the bedtime question, he doesn't put up a fight when we pick him and his things up. We take him into his room, say goodnight, lay him in his bed and leave...and he goes to sleep! This may not seem like a big deal to most, but we are just amazed (and so grateful!)!! Now if only he could teach his sister to do the same!
He still sleeps in the swing for naps at Ms. Shelly's house and she may try the pack-n-play again soon now that he's gotten so much better at home but they're sticking with the swing for now.
We had the chance to test away-from-home-sleep over the weekend (at Donna's house for Granny's birthday party) but it didn't go too well...I laid him down and left the room right away since that's what I've been doing at home but he cried right away. I went back in there and he laid down but jumped up every time he heard a sound...the unfamiliar surroundings of B's room plus the party sounds got the best of him so we headed home and he went straight to sleep when I put him in his own room and bed.
He's addicted to his blanket (any blanket will do) and his sleep sheep and really gravitates to them when he's sleepy. He's so funny...he still doesn't say much (though he still frequently barks when he sees a dog or we mention one and he makes tons of other sounds) but he lets us know what's on his mind! When he's hungry, he grabs a bib and brings it to us to put it on him and if we say, "It's not time to eat right now" - let's just say, he doesn't take it well...
He's learned the sign for "more" and is trying to say the word as he signs it. He says "shoes" though not very clearly. He's saying Lucy's name, though again it isn't too clear - at first it sounded like "Eeee" and now it sounds closer to "Luce" which makes big sister pretty happy. He says "yah" and shakes his head for no. The thing he says (or means to say) most often is "I don't know." He'll sort of shrug his shoulders and put his hands up and say, "No?" when he doesn't know the answer to something. He says "drink" and "mum" and "dada" - we're getting there...it's so fun to hear different sounds/words every day!
He still sleeps in the swing for naps at Ms. Shelly's house and she may try the pack-n-play again soon now that he's gotten so much better at home but they're sticking with the swing for now.
We had the chance to test away-from-home-sleep over the weekend (at Donna's house for Granny's birthday party) but it didn't go too well...I laid him down and left the room right away since that's what I've been doing at home but he cried right away. I went back in there and he laid down but jumped up every time he heard a sound...the unfamiliar surroundings of B's room plus the party sounds got the best of him so we headed home and he went straight to sleep when I put him in his own room and bed.
He's addicted to his blanket (any blanket will do) and his sleep sheep and really gravitates to them when he's sleepy. He's so funny...he still doesn't say much (though he still frequently barks when he sees a dog or we mention one and he makes tons of other sounds) but he lets us know what's on his mind! When he's hungry, he grabs a bib and brings it to us to put it on him and if we say, "It's not time to eat right now" - let's just say, he doesn't take it well...
He's learned the sign for "more" and is trying to say the word as he signs it. He says "shoes" though not very clearly. He's saying Lucy's name, though again it isn't too clear - at first it sounded like "Eeee" and now it sounds closer to "Luce" which makes big sister pretty happy. He says "yah" and shakes his head for no. The thing he says (or means to say) most often is "I don't know." He'll sort of shrug his shoulders and put his hands up and say, "No?" when he doesn't know the answer to something. He says "drink" and "mum" and "dada" - we're getting there...it's so fun to hear different sounds/words every day!
He's such a cute, sweet, funny, friendly, happy, snugly, loving boy!
He loves: kisses from his mama, playing ball (he often mixes it up - by putting a soccer ball on a baseball tee and hitting it with a golf club, for example), being outside, his big sister Lucy, anything that makes music, dancing, pushing things (strollers, grocery carts), coloring, dogs, drinking milk and eating, and climbing! He's also pretty obsessed with shoes. Whenever he comes across a pair at home, he either hands them to us to put on his feet (if they're his) or he throws them at the owner.
Some of his favorite foods are sausage, turkey dogs, spaghetti, fruit, green beans, baked beans, pasta salad, crackers/bread, yogurt. He's discovered ketchup and basically feels like he needs it at every meal...
His little personality is really starting to come through and he's a charming little gentleman! He's not always great at patience or controlling his temper, though...some works-in-progress include: sharing, not pulling hair when frustrated (or just when he feels like starting some shit...), and throwing food when he's finished or doesn't want something...he's been in time out quite a few times at home lately, and several times at the sitter's house, too. At home, we stick him in his bed with a stern, "No throwing food!" but he usually doesn't care...(which of course gets even more frustrating for me!).
As I've mentioned, we've had some bedtime struggles with our sweet little Lucygirl...
Most nights, she's very good about going potty and brushing teeth and goes upstairs without much of a fight. Often, she's even good during the whole getting-in-bed-saying-goodnight ordeal. But when mom or dad try to leave the room, all hell breaks loose.
Surprisingly, she usually stays in bed (though not always) but she definitely does not stay quiet. We stick to the same routine each night and we keep the chart up-to-date and she gets a reward each time she has 3 nights in a row of all stickers. We do not make empty threats (one night last, I threatened to take her special bedtime buddy, Giraffey, away for the rest of the week. It seemed to work and I was relieved...I told Dave, "I don't know why I said that and I hope she doesn't call again because I will feel so bad taking Giraffey away for so long!" but a minute later, she started screaming again and I had to take the damn giraffe and felt horrible). We know she is tired by bedtime but to be sure, Dave has started playing with her in the evenings - practicing soccer, riding her bike, playing in the backyard - a lot to make sure she's worn out. She loves her Frozen stickers and she seems proud when updating her chart...we feel like we're doing everything we should be doing so I guess we'll just keep on keepin' on...
One night, she started with the arguing and screaming a lot earlier than usual - at bath time. I took Max for a walk and let Dave deal with the wild woman and she never really stopped. When Max and I got back, she was screaming in bed and Max was already asleep so we stuck him in our bed and let her scream her face off until she finally fell asleep and we relocated Max at that point...
She can be so cute and sweet, though!
They had Spirit Week at school recently and she got pretty into "mis-match day:"
She's such a sweet big sister to Max. She talks to and plays with him in the car and when she says, "Hiiiiii, Maxy!" when we pick him up from Ms. Shelly's in the evenings, it melts my heart! She's so happy to see him and anxious to make him smile!
There's plenty of "No Maxy, no Maxy, noooooooo!" and "Get away, Maxy!" but there's enough sweet mixed with the sour to make up for it.
She loves: her BFF Ava, playing with Daddy, reading her Highlights magazine with Mom, playing with toys (they're getting crazier...what the heck are shopkins?!? What is the point? GranJan was trying to ask her these same questions the other day and it was pretty funny, "They're just toys, GranJan - you just play with them!"), and being an artist.
She recently started soccer. Cleo, the soccer star, excitedly asked her, "So you're playing soccer?!" and I clarified: "Well, she's on a soccer team..."
Sunday, September 13 was the first practice and game and she was soooo excited while getting ready. She loves that black "super fast" shirt and I got her some new soccer shorts and was pumped to find the cleats and shin guards at the kids consignment sale I went to the day before. She was feeling and looking awesome and Dave got some cool pics.
We got to the field and she was still excited and her coach gave her green shirt to her to put on. I helped her and left her with her teammates and all seemed like it would go well...
But within minutes, she was crying and I headed out there. Her hair was stuck in her shirt and was itchy. I pulled it out and hoped for the best as I turned and walked back off the field.
But sadly, it was "game over" before it ever began for Lucy...
She stood there and cried or just looked down until her coach came over to talk to her for several minutes. Then a teammate tried talking to her. Then I went back out. Then an assistant coach tried. Finally, Dave had to literally carry her off the field. She didn't want to be out there but didn't want to walk off the field, either...
We were hoping things would go a little better in week two. She wouldn't even sit with her team or pay attention to the game last week (perhaps for fear they'd try to make her go in and play?) until the very end. Week two brought a very slight improvement. She was excited again while getting ready and all week, she'd told us she was going to play. She let me lead her out to the field with her teammates but then she turned into a statue...the other girls took turns kicking their balls to the goal and then practiced throwing fouled balls back in...Lucy and I stood and watched.
When it was time for the game, she sat near her team but said she wasn't going to play.
I count it as a baby-steps-win because there was no crying, she sat with her team (well, pretty close anyway) & she didn't freak when I left her there to go sit with the other fans, and she actually went onto the field to do the "good game" hand slaps with her team. Maybe next week she'll get a little further?
Dave practiced with her through the week last week and will do so again this week...we shall see!
He loves: kisses from his mama, playing ball (he often mixes it up - by putting a soccer ball on a baseball tee and hitting it with a golf club, for example), being outside, his big sister Lucy, anything that makes music, dancing, pushing things (strollers, grocery carts), coloring, dogs, drinking milk and eating, and climbing! He's also pretty obsessed with shoes. Whenever he comes across a pair at home, he either hands them to us to put on his feet (if they're his) or he throws them at the owner.
Some of his favorite foods are sausage, turkey dogs, spaghetti, fruit, green beans, baked beans, pasta salad, crackers/bread, yogurt. He's discovered ketchup and basically feels like he needs it at every meal...
His little personality is really starting to come through and he's a charming little gentleman! He's not always great at patience or controlling his temper, though...some works-in-progress include: sharing, not pulling hair when frustrated (or just when he feels like starting some shit...), and throwing food when he's finished or doesn't want something...he's been in time out quite a few times at home lately, and several times at the sitter's house, too. At home, we stick him in his bed with a stern, "No throwing food!" but he usually doesn't care...(which of course gets even more frustrating for me!).
As I've mentioned, we've had some bedtime struggles with our sweet little Lucygirl...
Most nights, she's very good about going potty and brushing teeth and goes upstairs without much of a fight. Often, she's even good during the whole getting-in-bed-saying-goodnight ordeal. But when mom or dad try to leave the room, all hell breaks loose.
Surprisingly, she usually stays in bed (though not always) but she definitely does not stay quiet. We stick to the same routine each night and we keep the chart up-to-date and she gets a reward each time she has 3 nights in a row of all stickers. We do not make empty threats (one night last, I threatened to take her special bedtime buddy, Giraffey, away for the rest of the week. It seemed to work and I was relieved...I told Dave, "I don't know why I said that and I hope she doesn't call again because I will feel so bad taking Giraffey away for so long!" but a minute later, she started screaming again and I had to take the damn giraffe and felt horrible). We know she is tired by bedtime but to be sure, Dave has started playing with her in the evenings - practicing soccer, riding her bike, playing in the backyard - a lot to make sure she's worn out. She loves her Frozen stickers and she seems proud when updating her chart...we feel like we're doing everything we should be doing so I guess we'll just keep on keepin' on...
One night, she started with the arguing and screaming a lot earlier than usual - at bath time. I took Max for a walk and let Dave deal with the wild woman and she never really stopped. When Max and I got back, she was screaming in bed and Max was already asleep so we stuck him in our bed and let her scream her face off until she finally fell asleep and we relocated Max at that point...
They had Spirit Week at school recently and she got pretty into "mis-match day:"
She's such a sweet big sister to Max. She talks to and plays with him in the car and when she says, "Hiiiiii, Maxy!" when we pick him up from Ms. Shelly's in the evenings, it melts my heart! She's so happy to see him and anxious to make him smile!
There's plenty of "No Maxy, no Maxy, noooooooo!" and "Get away, Maxy!" but there's enough sweet mixed with the sour to make up for it.
She loves: her BFF Ava, playing with Daddy, reading her Highlights magazine with Mom, playing with toys (they're getting crazier...what the heck are shopkins?!? What is the point? GranJan was trying to ask her these same questions the other day and it was pretty funny, "They're just toys, GranJan - you just play with them!"), and being an artist.
 |
| How cute is this pic Dave took!??! He made her pose like she would for a real soccer picture! |
Sunday, September 13 was the first practice and game and she was soooo excited while getting ready. She loves that black "super fast" shirt and I got her some new soccer shorts and was pumped to find the cleats and shin guards at the kids consignment sale I went to the day before. She was feeling and looking awesome and Dave got some cool pics.
But within minutes, she was crying and I headed out there. Her hair was stuck in her shirt and was itchy. I pulled it out and hoped for the best as I turned and walked back off the field.
But sadly, it was "game over" before it ever began for Lucy...
She stood there and cried or just looked down until her coach came over to talk to her for several minutes. Then a teammate tried talking to her. Then I went back out. Then an assistant coach tried. Finally, Dave had to literally carry her off the field. She didn't want to be out there but didn't want to walk off the field, either...
We were hoping things would go a little better in week two. She wouldn't even sit with her team or pay attention to the game last week (perhaps for fear they'd try to make her go in and play?) until the very end. Week two brought a very slight improvement. She was excited again while getting ready and all week, she'd told us she was going to play. She let me lead her out to the field with her teammates but then she turned into a statue...the other girls took turns kicking their balls to the goal and then practiced throwing fouled balls back in...Lucy and I stood and watched.
When it was time for the game, she sat near her team but said she wasn't going to play.
I count it as a baby-steps-win because there was no crying, she sat with her team (well, pretty close anyway) & she didn't freak when I left her there to go sit with the other fans, and she actually went onto the field to do the "good game" hand slaps with her team. Maybe next week she'll get a little further?
 |
| There's my little soccer star to the left... So not exactly with her teammates but not as far away as last week! |
