Fall 2012 Summary

Alex's 15-month check-up at 16 months
Alex weighs 24 pounds and is 30.5" tall, which puts him at the 25th percentile across the board (even his head circumference). The boy is perfectly proportional. Just like his sisters did as toddlers, he has slowed down a lot but still has a nice upward curve to his growth. He still weighs two pounds less than Cora (but Cora somehow feels lighter--I guess it's the distribution of the weight).

He has been having some problems with getting secondary ear infections after colds. He has had three ear infections since June so now we are looking into the possibility of getting tubes put into his ears. The doctor has assured us that there is nothing wrong other than his Eustachian tubes just aren't doing what they need to do. He has another cold right now so I'll take him into get his ears looked at in the next couple days.

He is continuing to talk more. Last night when we were up for a couple hours in the middle of the night due to a fever, he enjoyed practicing saying "ay-oh" for hello (about a hundred times). He loves looking at books, stacking blocks and bricks, zooming cars and throwing balls. He also loves being outside and cries miserably when we take him back inside.

Kindergarten
After much worrying, anticipation, weeping and gnashing of teeth (all on my part), Eva successfully started kindergarten. I spent so much time mourning it before it happened that I shed only a few tears on the actual day. Eva took a couple weeks to adjust to her new schedule (waking up early, early lunch time) but loved it from the start and is still doing really well. She sees a lot of old friends from pre-school and has also made many new friends. I had the opportunity to chaperone the walking field trip to the fire station last week and had a lot of fun seeing Eva in her new environment.

Pre-School
Cora started attending a 3-year old program two days a week. Since she doesn't spend too much time without me, I was concerned she would have a rough transition but on the first day she happily skipped into the class, hugged the teacher and forgot to hug me. She absolutely loves it and has so much fun with her new friends.

Leslie
I'm adjusting to our new schedule. It took a while to get used to everything but it is going well. More than anything, I wasn't sure how to deal with my afternoons. During summer, Alex and Cora (sometimes) would nap and I would make Eva take some rest and reading time upstairs--it gave me a nice break. I now have it figured out so that I get about 30 minutes without kids before Eva comes home from school. We tried a few after-school routines with Eva but I think we have it figured out: she comes home, gets unpacked, has a snack, does homework and chores, and then can play or watch a show.

Matt
Matt walks Eva to school every morning and enjoys their time together. He recently landscaped our front and side yards--it looks amazing!

Things Kids Say

So much catching up to do (but we'll do that another time). Let's just focus on today.

Cora's funnies today:
We encountered a really big fluffy dog today and Cora said, "He's quite big!"

"I've been sitting here for ages."

Looking at herself in the mirror she said, "My hair is so long, It's crazy long!"


The girls really like it when Matt and I tell them stories from our childhood.  Tonight Matt was telling them about when he was 13 and had his first job as a caddy. He told about the specifics of the job and then he explained that he would wake up before the rest of his family, get himself ready, and bike a few miles to the country club. With total shock Eva exclaimed, "How did you reach your breakfast?" I guess those of us who are fully grown take some things for granted.

Alex didn't say too much today but he used his new word a lot.  Just last week he started saying "Hi." This morning he was repeatedly yelling out the window "Hi-yeee."  His communication skills are really picking up.  A couple weeks ago he signed "more book" and he has started to make the sign for "bird."  Last night when I tucked him into bed he said, "Ba-ba" for bye-bye.

Stats from latest check-ups

Cora and Alex had their well visits at the doctor in June.  Everyone is doing very well.

Cora is 35.25 inches tall and weighs a whopping 27 pounds!  She has grown nearly 2 inches and gained 5 pounds in the past year.  I forgot to record where she falls within the charts for percentiles but she continues to "follow her own curve" (true for her growth as it is for her life).  She is definitely filling out (finally) and is still freakishly strong for her size (at 9 months her pediatrician said I wouldn't have to worry about her ever getting mugged).  She has really taken to drawing and trying to write letters lately.  She starts gymnastics and soccer this week--we'll see how she does.

Alex is 29 inches tall and weighs 22 pounds 8 ounces.  Six months ago I was sure he would have blown past Cora's weight by now but he has definitely slowed down and is in the 50th percentile for height, weight and head circumference.  He still doesn't have a lot to say but seems to be honing his gross motor skills.  He really likes to climb and I've found him on top of the girls' small table a couple times in the past few days (push your chairs in, girls!).  He likes to dance, throw things, push things, kick things--you know, "boy" stuff.  His hair is turning blonde and curly just like Cora's did at this age and he looks just like a little cherub strutting around the house.

1, 3, 5

It's been a while since my last post.  Life over the past month has been a whirlwind of activity.  In a nutshell, here's what happened: Cora turned 3; we flew to Colorado to attend my brother's wedding; Alex turned 1; Matt's parents came to visit; we took the training wheels off Eva's bike; we had a huge bash to celebrate Cora's & Alex's birthdays; and Eva finished preschool; and Eva discovered her first loose tooth on her first day of summer break.  Busy, busy, busy.

Getting to the end of Eva's school year was such an achievement for me.  No more trips to school twice a day with all three kids and now we can actually respect Alex's sleep schedule.  Thank God it's over!  Here are some pictures of our family over the past month.  Enjoy!

Alex practices walking in May.  His walking to crawling percentage is currently about

90% walking and 10% crawling.

Cora turned 3 on May 27.  She'll perfect her candle-blowing technique by her 4th birthday.

Cora swinging outside the home we rented in Colorado.

Family hike. The snow-capped mountain in the back is the Continental Divide.

Alex woke up at 4:00 a.m. EVERY DAY while we were in Colorado.

It made for some very long days and for two very tired parents.

Getting ready for some mountain-top nuptials.

Celebrating after the wedding.

Alex is offered a carrot cake cupcake at 6:00 a.m. for his birthday breakfast.  He started his first

birthday in Colorado at 4:00 a.m. (mountain time), flew for 2 hours, spent 5 hours in the

Minneapolis airport, flew another 2 hours and ended it at home at 11:00 p.m. EST.  He was

awake for a ridiculous amount of time on his first birthday.

Getting some energy out (or possibly just losing his mind from fatigue) at the Minneapolis airport.

Oh, look!  It's June 3rd and we're STILL at the Minneapolis airport.

Eva poses dangerously close to her frosting-covered little brother.

Celebrating with her Highness.

Bounce house fun in our backyard!

It's really hard to get a group picture.

Thanks again to Matt's parents for coming out to help and to visit.

Eva showing off her ready-for-kindergarten skills.

Eva after her end of year ceremony. She still had two days of school after this

in which they could "do whatever they want" and had a "buffet at snack time."

Safety first--even when eating mashed potatoes.

The last day of school...FINALLY!

Also, a shout out to my sling--I couldn't have managed without wearing it!

Eva LOVES her teachers!

More from the mouth of Cora

On Tuesday, Cora threw up a couple of times (that was fun).  Last night, Matt was asking how Cora's day went and I said it was "pretty good."  Cora was listening and said, "No, it was bad. I woke up from my nap and threw up and then I died."

Today, she was also very encouraging in the car raising a fist up and saying, "Go, Mama, go!"

Emerging Toddler

Alex is just two months away from his first birthday and it is starting to show. The infant is morphing into a toddler in so many ways.

Verbal
I think we have a first word! He gives lovely kisses (when he's in the mood) and will plant a nice, French-style one on me and then say "tsss" for kiss (it was one of Cora's first words, too). And when he doesn't want to give me the kiss I've asked for, he sometimes shakes his head no. Other than that, he does vocalize but overall is a pretty quiet guy. There are yells and shrieks and some da-da-da-das but I've been preparing myself for the fact that boys are typically less verbal than girls.

Physical
He is one fast crawler and can get into trouble quickly--the gates are all back up in the house. He isn't walking but cruises the furniture really well and has stood alone for a few seconds. We've busted out the push-style walker and he can use it but is more interested in the toys on it. He has a mean little full-body dance that he does and he claps a lot. He is signing "all done" and has even signed "bath" once.

He is crazy strong and getting his diaper or clothes changed has become an exhausting venture. He has to be distracted with a toy, pinned with a leg, or corralled in his crib just to get the job done. He has also discovered that it's fun to drop things (his cup, his spoon, his fork, food, etc.) and it's really fun when someone gives them back to you just to be dropped again.

Food
A couple of weeks ago, Alex decided he was done with us putting food in his mouth with a spoon. He will sometimes drink yogurt or pureed soup from a cup we offer but if he doesn't put it in his mouth, it's not going in. We also have some luck with loading a fork for him and he may choose to put that in his mouth. The last few days he is barely eating (we get one pathetic meal into him if we're lucky) but it looks like he's cutting his top two teeth so that may have something to do with it.

He still nurses four times a day and I know he's not starving or dehydrated. He loves meat and shovels it in (with lots of mmm-mmmm-mmmm), likes cheese (though he didn't this morning), likes carbs, likes cauliflower and broccoli, and usually shuns any fruit offered to him. Bring on the picky toddler! Mostly, he likes to try to eat what we eat.

People
He loves his sisters, especially Eva who will play with him and hold him under his armpits to walk. If he hears the girls and can't see them, he is desperate to find them. He loves his daddy and gives Matt lots of smiles and cuddles when he gets home. The other day we were playing at a friend's house and Alex kept trying to kiss and grab their youngest son who is just a couple months older than he is. He really responds to the Skype sounds on the computer and comes booking over on all fours to see the person on the computer.

Proper Authorization

Lately, Cora has taken to saying to Matt, "Can I please have a cookie (or whatever she wants at the time)? MY MOM SAID I CAN." Today, she turned around and used this on me. Stinker.

Also, as we were getting into the car after dropping Eva off at school Cora said, "I miss my father and my sister." So sweet when she wants to be.

Play ball!

And because we can't get enough of our giggly guy, here he is having fun playing with Dzia-dzia (what the kids call Matt's dad).

Alex feeds the dog

Alex discovers cause and effect and that it's a whole lot of fun to feed the dog. Pardon my silly voice and giggles in the background--I'm a fool for this boy.

5-year and 9-Month Checkups

I took Eva and Alex in for their checkups this morning. Everything went well until Eva received her three shots--there were many, many tears. They're both doing very well.

Eva's Stats:
39 pounds
42.5 inches

Eva is right around the 50th percentile for height, weight and BMI. She also had her eyes checked and had 20/20 vision in her right eye and 20/30 vision in her left. She is up to date on her immunizations and is ready for kindergarten.

Alex's Stats:
21 pounds 12 ounces
28.5 inches

Alex's crazy rate of growth has definitely slowed down, which is good because he has blown through more clothing and sizes than I thought possible for a boy of just 9-months old (I just bought him his first 12-18/18-month size clothing). He is currently around the 60th-65th percentile for weight and is in the 50th percentile for height.

Game Changer

Alex is figuring out how to crawl. He's been able to pivot on his stomach for quite a while now but now he is really pushing up on his hands and is making progress (mostly backward for now). He is also rocking on his hands and knees. Regardless of his trouble moving in a forward direction, the boy is really getting around and will soon be getting into trouble. These pictures were taken within a span of two minutes.

I feel compelled to explain that my brown and gold paisley chair typically does not live in my blue family room. The Christmas tree is currently in the place where this chair usually lives. Also, we try not to expose Alex to tv but it was the Rose Parade so we had to make an exception.

Pausing to take a break. Crawling is hard work!

Oooh! What is this?