7 Months!

Andrew turned 7 months old yesterday. I can hardly believe it. I feel like he's practically a year old but Joe points out that it's really closer to 6 months than a year. I feel like he's grown up so much more quickly with Amelia. He's changed a LOT over the last three months!!

He is still pretty easy going but he's definitely finding out what he wants and expressing his desires. For instance, he has decided that he hates the high chair. He'll eat okay but when he's done, he's DONE. He's very observant and wants to see anything, he can't eat if he knows there's something more interesting going on. He loves TV which is scary since I didn't even let Amelia WATCH TV until she was almost 2 but Andrew absolutely loves Elmo and the little dragon/lizard puppet on Baby Einsteins. He seriously goes nuts when he sees them! I really don't like to let him watch too much tv but there are days (especially when we've been working toward potty training Amelia) that he's watched more than his fair share...

He has 7 teeth already and the 8th is slowly making it's way out. I'm hoping that this teething thing will be out of the way fairly quickly! He was sleeping through the night until a few weeks ago when all the sudden he decided that he wanted to eat at 11 or 12. I'm not sure if it's teething or a growth spurt but I'm hoping that it ends soon! He's also been going to bed REALLY early (like 6:00PM!) so we have been trying to keep him up a little longer so that he will sleep better. Last night he woke up at 11 and ate a bottle and then had another bottle at 5:30AM then slept until 7:30AM. Not a HORRIBLE schedule but I'd like to go back to the all-night routine!

He had his 6 month checkup last week. He's 29 inches long and 20.5 pounds. He has outgrown his infant carrier at 6 months even though I took him out of it well before then because he was too heavy! It puts him around the 95th percentile for height and 85th for weight. Another BIG child! He seems to be doing well in all respects.

Andrew can crawl backward on his hands and knees but hasn't figured out to go forward yet. He can crawl pretty much anywhere he wants to go. His favorite things to do right now are tear up any coloring books or magazines that he finds lying around. He also loves storytime at the library. He will sit and listen to the stories and songs better than Amelia EVER did :-) Another thing Andrew enjoys is his mesh feeder. I like to put things like apples and grapes in it for him to chew on while we eat dinner. Amelia is really his favorite form of entertainment when it comes down to it. He laughs at her all the time. Amelia just looks at me and says "Oodrew's funny!" Amelia is still pretty possessive over her toys but she's more than willing to find toys for Andrew or help Mom out by getting a burp cloth or a bink. Overall I'd say that they are both great kids (of course I'm a bit biased!)

I can't believe how fast these past few months have flown by. They really are small for such a short time!

Potty Training... 20 Days Later :-)

So the potty training thing has definitely had it's ups and downs. When we started, Amelia really had a fear of actually "going" on the potty. I didn't think that the timing was right, and when I talked to the pediatrician she said not to push it, that she wasn't ready. So I settled for putting cloth trainers on her so she could at least feel when she had gone to hopefully ease into the process. She soon got on track and actually began to get more excited when she went. Once we started on Saturday I never went back to diapers. She's been using the potty more often than NOT over the last week or so and has had VERY few accidents over the last 4 or 5 days.

I would say that we are approximately 75% there. She still needs to work on getting #2 in the potty and going when we are out and about. She did SO well on Tuesday when we went to South Portland. It's a 45 minute drive and although we needed to stop at a gas station halfway there Amelia was dry the entire day. She did have an accident during the way back while she was sleeping in the car. We'll get there! My goal was to be trained by Christmas but we are well ahead of the game! She had NO accidents yesterday but then had TWO accidents while we were at my aunt's house this morning so it seems to be touch and go. I'm so proud of her though. We have been so busy the past couple of weeks and I know that if we can just get some time where we are just HOME for two or three days in a row she will have it mastered!! Originally I had waited because everything I read says that it's more difficult to potty train a child when a NEW baby enters the picture and I really wasn't in a hurry to potty train at that point, but it's actually been difficult to try to keep Andrew occupied while Amelia is constantly going to the bathroom... it would have been easier had Andrew been a little younger and I could have just popped him in the swing for a bit. Oh well, he's been very good about it and even sits in his Bumbo in the bathroom with us if need be!

Ah well, Amelia is proud and can master everything about the process from undressing and redressing to turning on the water and washing her hands. If I could TRUST her in the bathroom by herself she really wouldn't even need me in there except that there would be toilet paper all over the place and soap and water everywhere!

Potty Training, Day 1.

We finally decided to take the plunge and get Amelia to use the potty. I hadn't been in a rush to train her but since her pals Natalie and Grace are both starting the process I figured now was as good a time as any! I started by reading "Potty Train Your Child in a Day" and gleaned some tactics here and there. I got her potty and put it in the living room and filled Amelia full of juice and watched what happened. She sat on the potty for over an hour watching an Elmo Potty Video, drinking juice, and reading books about going to the bathroom. She didn't go at all, she got up to turn the light on in the Dining Room and... well, you can guess what happened. I needed her to go on the potty at least once so that I could do the victory dance! We gave up for the day. Today she sat on the potty once and then later went again on the "big" potty. I was so proud. I danced all around, gave her a sticker on her potty chart, called the grandparents, and she got 2 skittles. And then nothing. After naptime she had one more "victory" but many more misses. At one point while I was changing Andrew, Amelia peed in her pants, took off her undies and was sitting on the potty when I came out. So she is taking some strides :-) She's also very capable of putting her undies on and off, wiping, flushing, and washing her hands quite independently. I'm going to focus as hard as I can for the next few weeks and hope that it works!

Orlando Vacation!

Well we made the plane ride yesterday ALMOST without a hitch. When we got to the condo Joe realized that he didn't have his work laptop bag (which also contained the kids' birth certificates and Joe's cell phone). Luckily, the next day, we got a call from the car rental place reporting that they found the bag! Disaster averted.

Today we decided to go to Disney. We arrived at Magic Kingdom around 10:00AM but didn't quite make it into the park until past 11:00AM. We knew it would probably be a short day. We ended up taking Amelia to the Country Bear Show, It's a Small World After All, and the Carousel. She saw part of the parade as well. The highlight for Amelia was actually the box of popcorn I got her after we got done our first "diaper changing" trip. She fed the birds with her popcorn and that seemed to be her fondest memory of the day! As we were heading toward the monorail to get back to the car around 3:00 PM, Amelia fell fast asleep in her stroller. Even half a day is a LONG time for a 2 year old! Andrew pretty much stayed in the Baby Center most of the time where it was cooler. I stayed with him part of the time and then my dad took over. He was such a good boy all day though! I just worry about him getting too warm. When we got back to the Condo Amelia went swimming with her mom and Aunts. She LOVED the water and Auntie Crystal taught her how to jump into the pool. She kept saying Again! Again! We aren't sure what we are doing tomorrow so we'll have to wait and see what the day has in store. I wish I had taken pictures of Amelia in the pool, but I didn't think to bring my camera!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Day 2 and another day at Disney. Andrew stayed with Joe and went to the convention Center while the girls spent the day at Hollywood Studios. I felt like it was too hot for Andrew to be outside and I didn't want him to get sunburned since according to his pediatrician he's not supposed to wear sunscreen for another 2 months. The first thing Crystal, Becca, and I did was try the Tower of Terror. It was fun but Becca came off with a very frightened look on her face! Amelia and I went to see "Voyage of the Little Mermaid". Amelia LOVED all the singing but was a little scared when Ursula came out. She hasn't seen the movie so the whole thing was very new to her.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Today we headed to the Orange County Convention Center to see some of the General Assembly activities. Andrew and Amelia got to meet some of our friends who hadn't seen them in a while! It was so awesome to see Megan and Sherwin as well as Andy and Angela! We really miss everyone! There were still a few people we haven't seen yet but hopefully we'll get to touch base before the week ends. Some are staying for the whole Assembly (which is actually 2 weeks long) but I think I'll be glad to head home after a week--that's just a little too much "vacation" for me! Outings like this are much more complicated with kids!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Today was the best day so far. Joe, Crystal, Becca, Amelia and I all went to Seaworld. I had never been before and I absolutely loved it! The weather was beautiful (albeit very warm of course) and I especially loved all the shows. Crystal and Becca went on the water ride right away while Joe, Amelia and I waited to squirt them with the "geysers". Amelia got to see Shamu and even has a little Shamu toy as a souvenir. I think that's the only souvenir we got from the whole trip.



Joe boasted the highest score for a song on Guitar Hero and I think that was HIS highlight of the whole trip.

Amelia seemed to enjoy the dolphin show, but when we went to the Shamu Show and got DRENCHED when Shamu splashed us, Amelia looked at me and said "No More?". LOL. I'm surprised she still likes Shamu!

At the end of the day we all scored some ice cream -- well, almost all of us, Amelia fell asleep in the stroller as we headed out of the park.

Sunday June 28, 2009

Today we all went to church at the General Assembly. There were over 20,000 people present at the service. We go to sit with Dave and Jess and their daughter Hannah. How awesome to see many friends from college and Kansas City. I didn't spend a lot of time at GAC so I didn't see as much as I wanted to but I know that Joe had an awesome time there. I wish that I had seen Heather and baby Meg but I hope to catch up with them soon!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Today we went to Animal Kingdom. What a blast! Once again, Andrew stayed with Daddy while the girls went out. Amelia LOVED seeing all the animals. She really seemed to enjoy the safari ride. We went to see the "It's tough to be a bug" show but Amelia wasn't very interested and her 3D glasses kept falling off! She seemed a little scared when the big bug came out. Becca was also scared by the show. My mom and I loved it though!

Crystal and I rode the roller coaster twice since we had gotten four fastpasses. Becca was too scared to even try it!

Tonight Joe and I went on our special date night. We went to Texas De Brazil per recommendation of Doug Lane. It was completely amazing. I especially enjoyed the salad bar but all the meats were delicious as well. Joe and I don't go out to eat often (VERY rarely actually) so this was a really special treat. We even share a crème brûlée for dessert! Yum!



Pictures from the Safari:



Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Today was the adventure home. We had to be up at 4:30 AM to pack and be ready to head to the airport around 5:30. We were behind schedule but made it to the plane on time. Unfortunately, the flight was delayed by over an hour because of thunderstorms on the Georgia/Florida border. Luckily we were able to get a route over the ocean and made it home by 3:00PM. What a LONG day. It will definitely take a few days to catch up on sleep but what a fun vacation we had!

Turning A Corner

I spend too much time wondering if I'm doing right by my kids and whether or not they will be "normal". I worried for a long time why Amelia wasn't talking yet when some of her peers were saying full fledged sentences. I worried when it looked like Andrew wasn't making eye contact with his mommy and not wanting to be held as much as Amelia did. I'm slowly learning after seeing the differences between Amelia and Andrew that every child is so unique (and special!). I just love watching both my babies grow.



Amelia is growing up way too fast for my liking. I can't believe she will be turning two next week. The little girl that didn't talk much now talks in partial sentences and talks NONSTOP! She lays in bed at night and says her alphabet or her numbers (sometimes up to 12!) as she's falling asleep. Joe thinks she's brilliant but I'm just so thankful that I can understand her! After supper tonight I asked, "Amelia, do you want a fruit cup?" and she responded "Yes!" Then Joe piped up with, "Amelia, do you want any Wolverines?" and received an equally enthusiastic response. While she ate her fruit cup in its entirety, we're not quite sure what she would have done with a wolverine. Just the fact that when she's done eating she now says "All done Mom" (or "All Done Julie" which she gets from Alisha) just fills my heart with joy.

She picked up Joe's laptop bag this morning and looks at me and says "Daddy's purse?". It was just too cute. Amelia has also been very interested in names lately and I believe she knows about 80% of the congregation of our rather small church. I'm so proud of her and so excited to see what she does next.

She loves doing "flips" (somersaults) every time someone walks into the house, and occasionally on demand. She also chants, "Jump!" and will hop from one end of the house to the other. We are hoping to bring her to a tumbling class this summer. I can't wait to see what else she gets "into."

And then there's Andrew. He goes by "Oodrew" 99% of the time. I can already tell that he's going to be my sweet and loveable boy. I love his smile. I love his tiny giggle. I love that he likes to look at his big sister. I would say that I can't wait to see him learning to walk but I'm not quite ready for that yet. I already know that these kiddos are going to grow up too fast!

I feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful family. I love that Joe helps me put the kids to bed at night. I know that Amelia enjoys her "Daddy Fun Time" in the evenings too. I feel blessed that I can stay home and watch them grow and mature. I pray that Joe and I will be Godly parents to our children and provide for them the love and support that will make them successful and joyful human beings. What an honor it is to be a parent!

First Haircut

I finally broke down and got Amelia's hair cut. It isn't quite what I expected, but I'm so glad to have her hair out of her eyes. We'll keep getting it trimmed and hopefully her hair will get a bit thicker as she grows older. She did a GREAT job being still!

Here's the Before:

The during:


... and the After!

Build-A-Bear

I have started watching my best friend's children full time as of May 12, and needless to say with a 5 year old, 2 year old, 3 month old, and 2 month old, I don't get out of the house much. I wanted to take Alisha (5) to Build-A-Bear for her birthday since she is pretty much OBSESSED with stuffed animals and had never been. I thought that Amelia would enjoy it as well and that could be part of her birthday present from Mommy and Daddy. Unfortunately I couldn't find the time to take them without taking all four children, which is completely impossible since I can't even fit them in my car.

So where am I going with this? I sent Joe to take them on one of his recent trips to South Portland! He had to pick up a desk at his parent's house and I said there was no reason he couldn't take the girls. He only agreed because he knew that his mom had the day off and would likely go with him to help.

I'm sad I couldn't see the fun that they had but I know that a good time was had by all :-)

The day started out at Breakfast with Joe's family at Thorton's:

Joe's sister Sara and her husband Adam are visiting from England for a couple weeks. What a great picture of the whole family together (plus my dad and Alisha):

Amelia and Alisha have no idea what the day has in store for them...
Sara pushed Alisha and Amelia around on the wagon




Then on to Build-A-Bear!



Amelia was quite tired by the end of the day! Her little dog is named "bear". Not sure why... Auntie Sara helped Amelia pick out the outfit (she loves sheep for some reason). Alisha got a panda bear named "Ashley".