Birthday Party Pictures

Violet: 5 months and 1+week

I am so embarrassed how few pictures I've taken the last 2 months.  I MUST do better!

So much Fun!...other than nights that is!  Violet is loving life, and is overall a super happy little girl!  She loves her momma and looks for me when she hears my voice, but LOVES her daddy too, and laughs so hard for him.  Big Brother Benjamin is right there on the top of her list of favorite people, and its very nice when he will play with his trains, or run, or ANYTHING right in front of her, to keep her entertained!

Nights were starting to get better, and then earlier this week, she slept through the night 3 times in a row!  then she got a runny nose and had a bad night, followed by the worst night ever.  Tonights she's been sleeping for an hour and a half already, so there we're guaranteed to be better off than last night!  YAY (I should be sleeping now, and will most definitely regret my decision!)  We go to Minnesota next week, and then CO for a week, so I'm not getting too worked up about a schedule or habit.  My goal is just to be able to go 2+ hrs between feedings...the rest is optional!

Violet is SO aware of everything around her, and wants to grab it all!  She's quick and has a death grip, and I'm not used to this new found talent of hers, so I have spilled frequently the last two weeks.  She can roll over both ways, but I've only witnessed tummy to back, and seen the results of back to tummy.  She scoots around in a circle quite well (on her tummy) and I'm afraid she's going to be a fast crawler.  Hopefully not!

My least favorite thing about our current stage, even more than the lack of sleep, is experimenting with her vocal chords.  I can cure the sleep problem with coffee, but her ear piercing screams, happy or sad, are maddening... especially when Benjamin copies!

Well off the top of my head, thats all the interesting facts for the month.  I'll be surprised if we don't have teeth by 6 months (Part of me wants them to wait so I keep my baby, and part of me wants them to hurry up so I don't have a slobbery, sad little girl!)  I love watching her personality pop out more and more, and also have so much joy, watching Benjamin love her more and more!

Its going to be a great summer!

2 Incredible Years

Benjamins 2nd Birthday

We woke up on this Thursday morning a little earlier than normal.  I wish it was because of excitement for your birthday, but really, I think you and your sister are both teething!  :(  It was a great morning and you got to watch BOZ (dvd) while mommy and daddy figured out some summer calendar/to do details.

I made your FAVORITE lunch, grilled cheese and tomato soup, (technically the soup was left over from the day before, but you didn't complain).  Your getting great at eating soup and usually ask for "more more more" when we're done.  The last 4 or 5 bites of your sandwich took me by surprise and as I watched from the kitcen, you stuffed all of them in your mouth.  I was kinda mean and made you chew and drink milk until you could swallow them.  :)  

After lunch you were very tired so I asked if you wanted to go to bed and you started walking to your bedroom.  It was a very unusual, and very rough nap experience.  All together, Your sister screaming(happily but loudly), me hearing you rip the pages of your book, and your pesky gums/teeth, it took over an hour to get to sleep.  However you did eventually nod off. (I was panicking that our birthday evening was going to be ruined by a tired little boy!)

After your nap we went grocery shopping.  While bagging the groceries, you saw a itsy bitsy bug, and FREAKED out.  Other than your current obsession and fear of bugs, you were a great shopper.  We went to Flowerama afterwards and bought you four balloons.  They are one of your favorite things right now!  Thankfully the sales woman gave us 4 for the price of 3, because the blue one popped right when we got home!

For supper we went to Hickory Park with some friends.  We should have gone earlier, because after waiting to be seated, and waiting for our food, you and Devon were ready for bed.  Afternoon watching both your eyes get VERY heavy, they perked right up when it was time for ice cream!

You got your very own scoop of ice cream with a candle! (I helped you blow it out after 5 tries)

Benjamin, you are SO fun right now.  Your vocabulary is exploding, with single words, and you are slowly putting two words together.  Your comprehension is so fun to watch develop.  Today, I was explaining to you how and why we stop for cars, thinking how ridiculous I was for waisting my breath when you had no idea what i was saying.  On our trip home from the park, you then tried to stop for EVERY car, stationary or moving.  Then I tried to explain we only stopped for the moving cars, and you tried to stop for every moving car on Lincoln Way.  Too bad you don't have a better teacher!

You continue to love to read, but also love imagining things, especially pretending everything is a phone.  You are so energetic and will run from our front door to the kitchen door for 5 - 30 minutes, yelling "run run run".  You love looking out the window and finding a bug (as long as its outside), a car (or any other vehicle), or birds.  You love to play "chase", to be scared, to be tickled, and to "help" me work out.  Your discovering the  magic of chalk, and love making "snakes".  In fact, thats all you make! :

We still love our ABC's, but are starting to figure out numbers.  You finally acknowledge the #1 (for FOREVER you would repeat any number but #1, and if you counted on your own, it was "2, 6, 9, 2, 6, 9".  Things are starting to click, and I don't think it will be long till you can count using numbers 1-9!  Another favorite thing of ours (at least your mom and dad and Nana,) is singing familiar songs and having you fill in words.  "Jesus Loves ___" is our favorite. :)

So far we aren't horrible at sharing, but don't have a lot of experience with it, so I'm sure that challenge is coming up!  Your whining more than before, but when it gets really bad, and deep breaths don't work, you are usually cured of the whiny disease by two minutes in your crib...Some days are much better than others!  You have gone through a stage the last 3 or 4 months being o.k. with Dad putting you down for bed, and not mom.  I like to think its that you just are too sad to watch me leave your room, but were not sure...This week we had our first success in a very long time, so hopefully its only up from here!

I could keep writing for a very long time, Benjamin, but your little sister has been a pistol the last two nights, and I'm exhausted.  Your daddy and I love you so very much.  We are so thankful God blessed us with you, and pray that He gives us wisdom as we help you "grow in wisdom and stature with God and men!"

stats

BENJAMIN: 2 YR APPT

• height - 35.5 inches (78%)
• weight - 29.5 lbs (71%)
• head - 49.4 cm (75%)

VIOLET: 4 MONTH APPT

• height - 24.5 inches (41%)
• weight - 14 lbs (43%)
• head - 40.3 cm (19%)

4 + months

Baby #2 = forgetful mom!

Violet is now 4 months 1 week and 3 days.  For awhile i was using the excuse of a needy infant filling my time, but I'm coming to the realization that really I just don't make good use of my time.  I'm not sure that I plan to do anything to change it, its just a current reality! :)

Back to Violet...She's so great.  Really.  I look at her a lot and ask her if she knows what a pretty baby girl she is.  (You can only fill their head with such things for so long before you create a monster, and I think I'm still in the "safe zone". )  She has the best smile that uses her entire face.  Her eyebrows are super expressive, and I just love it!

We began to pass around a family cold over spring break, and Violet had it the longest.  She wasn't able to get rid of her mucus, and it was rough.  After sleeping through the night for appx 6 weeks she stopped when she was sick.  She woke herself up coughing and probably was hungry as I was doing LOTS of short feedings (the long ones always ended in throwing up!)  Two nights ago she slept through the night again, but last night was tough, waking up every hour or two. oh well!

Violet LOVES her toes, and her thumb.  She lays on her back with her feet in the air most the time, and chews her thumb, and sometimes her whole fist, more than she sucks it...silly girl.  She is a big fan of her brother, and could watch him play for quite some time...Especially when he pays attention to her!  She's babbling more and grabbing onto everything with a death grip.

I think Miss Violet Ann is getting teeth, but they may take their sweet time to appear.  Thankfully we found a pain killer for her that doesn't have the vomiting affect that Tylenol did.  I'm not ready for Violet to have teeth. Benjamin got them at her age, but I feel like its all down hill after teeth, and it will officially end her infant stage.  Not Acceptable!

She Loves her daddy, and is doing better when momma goes to work.  Violet still won't take a pacifier or bottle, so I never leave for too long, but now she's just a mommas girl for the purpose of nourishment and not for all her attention.  :)

Violet has no schedule to speak of.  I would comment on that, but I'll save my current thoughts for an entirely different blog!

So long for now!  Nap time came to a close early.