Third Week of January 2015

Emmalyn had her 9 month check up.  I can't believe that the next time we will be back at the doctor's she will be 1!

She was a happy camper

Here's the questionnaire I filled out on her development.

She had her finger pricked and picked at that bandaid after until she got it off.

Here's her stats from her 9 month visit:

Weight: 14 lbs 7 oz, 3rd Percentile

Height: 25.5 in, 1st Percentile

Head: 16.8 in, 19th Percentile 

She dropped in every area but her pediatrician didn't even bring that up.  He said she was healthy and her development was excellent.  1st percentile on height!!!  Sheesh, my tiny little princess.

After her Dr's visit, we went to the grocery store and I put her in the shopping cart seat for the very first time.

Video - Excited to be in the shopping cart!

Poor girl had to get one shot

Maxwell reading books with daddy before bedtime

Go BYU!

Enjoying ice cream, even though it's winter

Fun family time at the bowling alley

We brought along Landen with us

Maxwell helping the boys

The best leg warmers for black lights!

Lining up his shot

Video - Maxwell totally gets how important it is to aim the ball at the pins, watch him adjust the ramp for his shot

Playing a little at the arcade after our bowling game was over.  This is something Peter's family always does when they bowl.  I don't remember ever doing the arcade with my family.  

Everyone had a fun time! It's fun to get a chance to hang out with just Landen.

Maxwell wrote the names of everyone in his family on his white board.

Dad is in the top left corner, Mom in the bottom left, Emmalyn on the bottom right, and Max is just above that.  He's doing a great job learning how to write his letters.

I took the kids to the park on a sunny Sunday afternoon to get some time outside of the house.  We first enjoyed some snacks on the blanket before Maxwell and I pitched some balls for Maxwell to hit and then we went to the playground.

 I let Emmalyn "walk" around for the first time really

If you watch closely, she will stand on her own for a second or two every once in awhile when she's not paying attention to what she's doing but I can't get her to do it on command or anything like that.

Maxwell is finally getting big enough that he can sort of use this toy in the way it was intended.  I still think this toy, while fun, shouldn't be at the park because it's so easy for little fingers to be pinched between the rollers.  I get incredibly nervous watching him each time he gets on it.

Video - Maxwell has Chinese class once a week at Montessori.  Here's a couple of the things he has learned to say in Chinese...

Having fun kicking the ball in the media room

Uh oh, she's getting to the point that she can start grabbing things off the kids table.

So glad she doesn't have my nose!

Maxwell wanted to take a picture of me holding this ornament he made at school with his school picture - it's a mitten

Max drew this, it's the first time he's drawn a true person with limbs, hair, etc.

Sweet baby sleeping in her crib! (She's wiggling her arms out of the swaddle blanket now.)  She wants to sleep on her belly even though we put her to sleep on her back.  We've let her have the pillow because that's how she wants to sleep and since she can easily roll over now, I feel like it's not a danger anymore.

This week we finally buckled down (thanks Peter for making us do it) and started sleep training Emmalyn in her crib (after we lowered it).  Brittany started it during the day and we now have to keep it going.  The first night it took about 15 minutes to get her down.  She was soooooo mad at us but then once she fell asleep she slept until 3 am!  At that point Peter got up to help her go back to sleep (it couldn't be me or she would want to nurse) until 5.  When she got up at 5 I got her, nursed her, and then let her stay in our bed.  It was pretty exciting that she slept that long without me having to help her.  

I was so proud of Maxwell today.  I went to read to his class (which I do on the first Tuesday of every month during their library time) and he always cries when I leave.  It's so sad and usually Ms. Cynthia has to distract him or something when I sneak out.  Anyway, so this morning on the way to school he talked about how he was going to cry when I had to leave after reading to his class because he would miss me.  I suggested that instead of crying he could say, "Goodbye Momma, have a good day".  I tried to get him to practice it with me but he wouldn't.  However, when it was time for me to leave after reading to his class he came up to me and said it with a big smile and was okay!!!!  I was so proud of him!  (Oh man, try reading to a bunch of 3-5 year olds during winter - - you'll have a lot of nose pickers looking at you while you read.  Ew.)

2 Month Checkup

Life is getting better and we are having more fun the further we get from the newborn phase.

How can you resist this cute smile?!

I pump in the mornings after I nurse her so that I can start building up my supply of frozen breast milk.  I really enjoy the time I get to engage with her while I'm a captive audience.  

2 month doctor visit

She's so tiny

Max was a good boy and entertained himself with books

I fill out a developmental questionnaire at each of her well visits.  I took a pic of the pages so that I could look back and know what she was doing at that age.  I did something similar for Max at his visits but I didn't ever think to document the responses until recently, bummer!

Emmalyn's Pediatrician was a little concerned initially with her size and then he looked at me and asked how tall I was.  He ended up saying that maybe she was just evening out from where her weight was when she was born and she is just going to be little.  So even though she dropped in percentile he wasn't completely concerned because she wasn't gaunt and seemed healthy for her size.  He did want me to come back when she was 3 months just to do a weight check and ensure she was gaining weight.

Here's her stats from her 2 month visit:

Weight: 9 lbs 2 oz, 3rd Percentile

Height: 21.5 in, 8th Percentile

Head: 14.8, 22nd Percentile

I took both kids to Costco (LOVE the big shopping carts and the samples!)

Emmalyn got 2 shots and one oral vaccine.  She cried, of course, and the nurse said that I could stay and nurse her if I wanted.  I thought that was a great idea.  She was so mad after the shots and only calmed down when I nursed her.  So I comforted her for a few minutes before we packed up and left which wasn't great because as soon as I stopped nursing her she was mad again.  I wish Max's pediatrician would have recommended the same thing when he was going through all those shots.  It's not fun and made me feel better to comfort her and calm her down after the shots.

I was worried we were in for a rough night after the shots but she did good.  She cried a little bit in pain and she got a little bit of a fever so we gave her some Tylenol but that was it.  No big fussiness or problems sleeping.  She did want to be held a lot.

With the doctor's visit and then Costco, Max didn't end up taking a nap today.  So he wasn't being a great listening.  At one point we were in the car and he wouldn't stop touching the overhead light.  I got so frustrated and had such a short temper, that I yelled at him.  I couldn't believe it when it came out of my mouth.  I'm not a yelling mom.  Sure I talk sternly but I don't yell.  I don't want to be a mom who yells. Ugh.  I'm still learning how to deal with two kids and all that goes along with that, clearly.  I felt really bad and apologized to Max later.  

Man, our weeks sure are starting to be more full.  This week alone, we had a play date with Jessica and C, went to the splash park, went to the pool, had swimming lessons, went to the library, Pediatrician visit, and Costco!  That's a lot for me/us!

Max and his cousins having a pillow fight.  We're lucky to have his best friends living with us.  :)

A pic courtesy of Max??

I got Max a pre-k workbook so he could do "homework".

Emmalyn enjoying being a part of me cooking

Bought shoes online for the first time ever.   They are a little wide but I like them and they are a comfy alternative to frumpy flip flops.

Video - This kid's dancing CRACKS me up.  He's so funny.  He LOVES wearing this hat over his face.

We went to another dessert and wine tasting to enjoy the amazing creations from my friend Tida.  The stuff her and her partner come up with is seriously delicious and beautiful too!  Peter was being good so that meant I got to enjoy his goodies for him.  It was really really really enjoyable to be out on a "date" in the company of great friends, enjoying treats and small adult beverages.

I love hanging out with Jess/John and Tida/Jason.  Jessica and John are looking to move back to MN to be closer to family.  I can completely understand that but will be really sad to have them so far away.  We built a great friendship/support system over the past 3 years.

I am completely exhausted and sort of tired of the "routine" you have when you have a 2 month old and a 2 year old.  However, tonight I met a couple who had just given birth and lost their baby girl.  They learned fairly early in the pregnancy that their daughter had a condition that would be fatal and she would only live for minutes or hours after birth.  They continued through the pregnancy knowing this and planning for it.  So when their daughter was born, they cherished every second they got with her.  They told me in hours and minutes how much time they got with her.  I couldn't believe they had experienced such a tragedy weeks ago and were out, spending time with friends, continuing their lives and talking openly and calmly about all this.  They were pretty incredible people and their story was very humbling and grounding for me.  It was a good reminder of how lucky I am to have Emmalyn.  Yes, I'm tired.  Yes, I'm stressed.  Yes, I'm overwhelmed.  But larger than all that, I'm blessed to have my baby girl.

My Emmalyn cuddles and kisses meant more to me that night.

Max got invited to a 2 yr old birthday party for one of the boys in his Kindermusik class.  We took a wagon ride to get to the party location.  This party was really nice.  (I told Peter that just the money they spent for on just the 30 nice gourmet pizzas i.e. not Dominoes or Little Caesars... was more than I would have spent on a party TOTAL.

Max "got" to go on his first pony ride.  We made him do it.  He was not happy.

I had to stay next to him the entire time.  He cried for about half the ride and then sat their silently for the rest.

There was a petting zoo, too!

A little painting time at home.

Found Maxwell cuddle up with his BYU Teddy Bear one night.  So  sweet.

I took both kids to the library and let Max take a couple extra rides on the elevator.

I have been babying my tomato plants.  I was soooo excited when I saw that FINALLY a couple of flowers had turned into fruit.  I had 2 tomatoes growing!!!  Then, one day Peter comes in after playing with the boys outside and tells me that I'm going to be really mad.  I couldn't imagine what he was talking about, but came to learn that they were kicking the soccer ball and Hayden kicked it (accidentally) right into my tomato plant and the two tomatoes were knocked off the plant way before they were ripe.  I wasn't mad...things happen.  I was sad though.  So here are my two tomatoes.  They weren't full size yet and far to green to ever ripen up. RIP tomatoes.  :(  (ARGH!!! Am I ever going to have success with tomatoes in Texas?!)

My two little tomatoes

Our family went to the athletic center and I was going to go swimming with Max while Emmalyn hung out by us and Peter worked out.  Well, the pool was closed because it was a thunder storm.  I wanted Peter to still be able to work out so we decided to put Max in the child care so that at least he could play and would be bored waiting for Peter to finish.  This was the first time we ever have put Max in a child care/day care situation.  He was upset and crying but the staff took him and we walked out.  I sat in the lobby with Emmalyn just hanging out and enjoying some quiet time. 

I wanted to go check on Max and make sure he was okay about 15 minutes later.  I didn't want to lug the car seat with me and the child care center was just down the hallway from the lobby.  So, I asked this group of teenage boys that were right next to us waiting for their ride if they would watch her for just one minute while I went to check on my son.  (Now - here's where I'm semi-irrational.  I had to keep reassuring myself that Emmalyn was going to be okay with these teenagers for a few minutes.  I had to silence my worries that they would hurt her or take her or let someone else take her.  Of course none of these scenarios are rational or likely, but they are possible.)  I let them know that they didn't need to do anything but just watch her and she'd be fine.  They said yes and I went to check on Max.

He was doing fine (they let him watch TV, of course he was fine).  It took me less than 60 seconds to check on him but when I came out of the kids club, I saw these cool, teenage jocks all huddled around the baby.  One of them had sat down on the floor in front of her and the rest were all huddled over her cooing at her.  It really made me smile.   These tough kids had turned into a bunch of softies and were all engrossed in my sweet baby.  It was pretty funny.  :)  As soon as I got back they quickly moved away and went back to being cool.

The teenage boys

Emmalyn just hung out sleeping.  She how she was holding in her binky?

Eventually she relaxed her fingers.

Updates on the kids:
Emmalyn -

• She now rubs her eyes when she's tired
• She has been sleeping for 6 to 7 hours at night but unfortunately the clock on this stretch of time starts between 5 pm and 7 pm.  Aside from that she is going 4 hours between nursing.
• She is so much fun when she's HAPPY!
• After nursing and when she's on her changing table are the magic moments when we get lots of coos and smiles.
• She loves to watch her big brother.
• She LOVES baths!

Max - 

• He is enjoying pretend play
• He's not the perfectly behaved kid anymore.  He struggles to listen (Obey), he hits and screams when Landen invades his space or takes his toys.  He cries if he doesn't get his way sometimes and especially when he's tired.
• He will see the clean up song when he's cleaning up and is usually good about cleaning up.
• He seems so grown up lately - he's bigger, doing more things by himself, is helping out more and talking more.
• He still calls his daddy "Peter" more than "Daddy" and is starting to call me "Kallie" more often. - -  this continues to bother some of those around us but it doesn't bother us.
• Max is really good at talking but struggles with a couple sounds.  His "L's" are pronounced as "W's" and instead of saying the "TH" sound, he says "D".
• A couple cute things he says - - Instead of saying "slippery" he says "swippity" and "girls" is more like "girruhls".  He "cu-can-cumber" for "cucumber" and instead of staying "upside down" he says "upside over"
• Max is realizing that words are all over and he can read more than just books.  He will read signs and numbers he sees on the road, will read the signs inside and outside of stores, and he will read the numbers and letters off of license plates.