Watermelon yummm...

Jacob's first self-feed fruit!

Train ride at breakfast!

Piano Playing

 

First Steps?

Jacob pivoted yesterday.  He took one step (with his left foot).  He took another step (With his left foot).  He took ANOTHER step (with his left foot).  And then sat down.

Not linear, but surely first steps...

Here's a video of him pushing his sister's stroller.  So, yeah, he's pretty close to walking.  It doesn't provide much walking help, as you'll see at the end...

Big boy

Cutie pie

My big girl...

Nine months ago

Hard to believe this was nine months ago. Sleep deprivation does tricky things with time.

These days Kate and Jacob play together, crawling around panting like dogs, or racing competing push toys. Kate feeds him and teaches him important words like "duck" ("duh" in baby).

Kate is a little girl. Almost four, she writes all the time, carrying around a notebook to write letters in or important observations. She can write many numbers and several words. 

Last night she and Paul played Candy Land together. I couldn't believe my little girl was sitting playing a boardgame. 

We are looking forward to May. Paul works for home this summer and will be around to play much more. Kate is going to be home this summer before starting at her new school in the fall.  She will be in a part time 9-1:30 sweet play-based program Tuesday to Thursday and a Spanish immersion on Mondays. 

Baby food

Since Jacob eats about 10 oz of food a meal, we are in the business of making our own baby food...

Playing Doctor

Suddenly, Kate is everyone's doctor.  We are all at the mercy of the monkeys that are in our ears. It's a little scary to have a monkey in my ear.  She got it out but I'm still a little freaked about the whole thing.

High Time

In these few moments of quiet... perhaps it's time to give you more than a one liner...

Newest developments...
- Jacob is sleeping 7pm - 5:30am, nursing, then getting up again around 7am.  We accomplished this by one night of crying post-RSV.  Feels good (not the crying, but the sleep).
- Weaning off of the mid-day "meal"
- Jacob's eating finger foods easily and prefers that now:  cheerios, sweet potatoes, cooked fruit, bananas, etc...
- Starting to take his formula out of a sippy cup instead of a bottle.
- Kate wrote out "Thank Q"  on a card yesterday.  I spelled "thank" from the kitchen as she wrote all the letters by herself and then added the "Q" at the end -- cracked me up...
- We have finally... finally... gotten our routine down... Daddy P is up and on his way to work by 6am.  I am getting back in bed after nursing Jacob around then and hide for a few more minutes.  Kate wanders in around 6:30am if I'm lucky.  I get up and brush my teeth and throw on clothes.  We get Jacob up, dress the kids, feed Elly and start breakfast.  By 8am we're out the door to school.  Then home, play with Jacob a bit, and he naps.  I get dressed for work at that point, and the nanny shows up.  I leave, work... half the days Paul meets them at home at 5pm and I get home in time to kiss cheeks for bed.  The other half I stay home with Jacob all day, play, clean, grocery shop, play some more, read, eat, and then pick up Kate at 3:30.  We go on a walk together or play outside until I have to start dinner.  Daddy P rolls in around 5:30pm and if he's lucky dinner's ready.  If not, he takes the kids outside to play while I cook (my "me" time which I love).  Then family time after dinner, baths and bed!  That will all change in one month...

In one month we will start keeping Kate home for the summer.  Daddy P is off for the summer (yay teaching!) and we'll have a full house.  We shall see how that changes up my happy little routine... :)  I'm looking forward to more play days... and then -- what Kate doesn't yet know -- Kate starts at a new school in September that is closer to home, cheaper, and only a part-time day... It's a beautiful little school and I'm really looking forward to being able to walk her to school... Right now it takes me almost an hour to get her to school, drop her off and get back home when all is said and done...

Alright.  Time for my "me" time... sorry peeps!  More later!

Same dogs, different day...

Just two doggies...

I stand corrected... THREE...

New Swingset

Daddy P, with the help of Anne (and her mom!), put together a swingset we snapped up for Kate.  It's seen its share of love, but there's no complaining when you inherit a free swingset.  It took all of Saturday for Paul and Anne to take it apart, but only a few hours on Sunday to get it up for the kids to play on.  It is a HUGE hit.  I have been wanting one for Kate for ages, but it just wasn't in the budget, so when I saw this dude giving one away for free I was all over it.  He apparently bought the house and being a single older guy didn't really see a need for a swingset.  He has no idea how happy he made these kids!


Getting the layout

Seriousness

Prepping for the crossbeam

Kate and Claire trying out the seesaw

Jacob checking out the slide

Kate enjoyed zooming down and yelling "weeee!"

We even added Jacob's swing!

Girls up top!

Jacob

This is the picture Kate taped up on Jacob's door.  Notice that it is anatomically correct. She said she didn't make arms because it was nap time...lol...

Happy Sunday

May your day be bright and goofy! 

Paul spent about four hours taking apart a swingset we inherited and our friend Anne is nice enough to help assemble today. We shall see how that goes.  I think I am more excited than Kate!