We've been working on a little bit of French with John Paul, mostly just because he's REALLY interested in "Wuds in Fwench!" His greatest successes have been body parts and numbers - he can already count to 20 on his own.
While walking up the stairs to take a bath, he started counting each step. "One... Two... Fwee..." Then he stopped, turned around and looked at us, and continued, "Un... Deux... Twah..." All the way up to twenty (skipping 16, Andrew reminds me), on his own!
Andrew considers this a failure. I think it's hilarious.
Just another Catholic mom blog - crazy, blessed, happy, silly!
En Francais!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Most of my facebook statuses are John Paul related. I kind of figured that it'd be a good way of keeping track of the amusing things he says/does. But I realized that it's really hard to go back and look at old status updates! So I'm going to start copying and pasting here so I don't lose these gems. We'll start with this week and work backwards.
7/27:
(A note on this one: One of his "good" ideas later that day was to eat about 20 cherries, pits and all. We discovered the next morning that cherry pits pass through toddlers with nary a care!)
7/13:
7/27:
This morning's "good" ideas, courtesy John Paul:
1. Crawling under the jumperoo while Cecilia is playing in it.
2. Jumping next to the wall with crayons in hand.
...
3. Going to book club naked (this one was NOT accomplished, thank goodness).
Ah, to understand a toddler's mental processes...
1. Crawling under the jumperoo while Cecilia is playing in it.
2. Jumping next to the wall with crayons in hand.
...
3. Going to book club naked (this one was NOT accomplished, thank goodness).
Ah, to understand a toddler's mental processes...
(A note on this one: One of his "good" ideas later that day was to eat about 20 cherries, pits and all. We discovered the next morning that cherry pits pass through toddlers with nary a care!)
7/13:
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Cecilia is 6 months today! The greatest challenge that comes with this age is convincing John Paul that Cecilia is NOT "Faff munfs ode" (five months old). He is rather upset that we keep correcting him...
She is 27.25 inches (94th%), about 16.5 pounds (64th%) and her head is in the 93rd%. At first I freaked out a little that her weight is so low compared to her head and height, but then I realized that it's still above average... She and John Paul both have tended to be long and lean, not a whole lot of excess chunk on these kids.
The nurse practitioner told us that we should be giving vitamin D drops and iron-fortified cereals. I smiled and nodded. Not gonna happen. I don't understand this whole vitamin D trend - it's really not proven to be beneficial except in places where there is very little exposure to natural sunlight. And don't even get me started on baby cereals...
Our first *real* foray into solid foods (in which she was given food that she was actually capable of consuming, rather than chewing/sucking on) was today. I think this series of pictures sums up the experience:
She is 27.25 inches (94th%), about 16.5 pounds (64th%) and her head is in the 93rd%. At first I freaked out a little that her weight is so low compared to her head and height, but then I realized that it's still above average... She and John Paul both have tended to be long and lean, not a whole lot of excess chunk on these kids.
The nurse practitioner told us that we should be giving vitamin D drops and iron-fortified cereals. I smiled and nodded. Not gonna happen. I don't understand this whole vitamin D trend - it's really not proven to be beneficial except in places where there is very little exposure to natural sunlight. And don't even get me started on baby cereals...
Our first *real* foray into solid foods (in which she was given food that she was actually capable of consuming, rather than chewing/sucking on) was today. I think this series of pictures sums up the experience:
"Finally, something BESIDES toys while I sit in this high chair. Wait, this feels like FOOD!"
"Hmm... I like it inside this teether thing... But it's still pretty hard to grab."
"I mean, this fork is pretty tasty... But I knocked the peach off before I had a chance to taste it."
"WAIT! Hold up you guys, I got something in my MOUTH and it is not a fork..."
"THIS DOES NOT TASTE GOOD!"
"GET IT OUT OF MY MOUTH BEFORE I PUKE!"
"Well... Maybe I'll try a little more..."
I think she managed to get a little bit down her throat. Not a traumatic experience, not a rousing success. I'm thinking we'll try banana tomorrow, but we'll see what we have lying around that's ready to be eaten.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
10. His favorite shape is a trapezoid.
9. He can be kept occupied for an entire shopping trip with addition flashcards.
8. His favorite playground activity is marching on the equipment while chanting the ABCs.
7. He corrects his teacher in music class for singing the words to a song out of order.
6. His favorite way to postpone naptime is to name as many saints as possible, asking for intercession ("Sane Joe-fuff, pway fo us! Sane Ann, pway fo us!").
5. He likes to read adult books solely for the page numbers ("Sheven... Twenty-nine... NINETY-FWEE!!!")
4. He bursts into song in the bathtub, serenading us with, "Math Is Everywhere!"
3. He is difficult to get in the car at home because he's busy calling out the numbers of every house on the street ("Numbah sixteen house! Numbah twenty house!").
2. He refuses to color like a normal child, instead handing a parent the crayons and demanding that certain numbers, letters, or shapes be drawn for his entertainment ("Pay-wa-gwam! (parallelogram) AND hegasson (hexagon). Numbah six! J! Lettah K! Lettah H!").
1. He brings his mom a magnadoodle several times a day asking for more "Addin' pweeeez!" (more adding, please!).
9. He can be kept occupied for an entire shopping trip with addition flashcards.
8. His favorite playground activity is marching on the equipment while chanting the ABCs.
7. He corrects his teacher in music class for singing the words to a song out of order.
6. His favorite way to postpone naptime is to name as many saints as possible, asking for intercession ("Sane Joe-fuff, pway fo us! Sane Ann, pway fo us!").
5. He likes to read adult books solely for the page numbers ("Sheven... Twenty-nine... NINETY-FWEE!!!")
4. He bursts into song in the bathtub, serenading us with, "Math Is Everywhere!"
3. He is difficult to get in the car at home because he's busy calling out the numbers of every house on the street ("Numbah sixteen house! Numbah twenty house!").
2. He refuses to color like a normal child, instead handing a parent the crayons and demanding that certain numbers, letters, or shapes be drawn for his entertainment ("Pay-wa-gwam! (parallelogram) AND hegasson (hexagon). Numbah six! J! Lettah K! Lettah H!").
1. He brings his mom a magnadoodle several times a day asking for more "Addin' pweeeez!" (more adding, please!).
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Okay I'll admit it, if you told me the local nature center would be FUN, I probably would have laughed.
I don't really like getting dirty, I don't particularly like animals or anything like that... But John Paul has forced me to seek out opportunities that aren't necessarily what I would think of as fun. He had a lot of fun at the aquarium, but I knew that we could find free fun for him that was similar.
We headed to Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale this morning. He LOVED it!
They have a large outdoor play area, but it was too humid for me so we stayed indoors. There was still plenty to do! John Paul immediately climbed up into the observation tower.
A mirror, Cecilia's personal favorite...
And all sorts of touch-and-feel exhibits, books, and educational tools. We'll definitely be going back soon! Hopefully the weather will cool down some day so we'll be able to check out the outdoor area. John Paul is a BIG fan of getting extremely dirty, so I'm sure he'll love it!
I don't really like getting dirty, I don't particularly like animals or anything like that... But John Paul has forced me to seek out opportunities that aren't necessarily what I would think of as fun. He had a lot of fun at the aquarium, but I knew that we could find free fun for him that was similar.
We headed to Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale this morning. He LOVED it!
They have a large outdoor play area, but it was too humid for me so we stayed indoors. There was still plenty to do! John Paul immediately climbed up into the observation tower.
There were a few turtles and snakes in various enclosures (he may or may not have been more excited about the turtle cutouts...).
A giant hollow log that both kids could crawl through!
Large cuddly stuffed animals.
A felt wall with all sorts of animals to stick on.
TONS of animal dress-up costumes.
And all sorts of touch-and-feel exhibits, books, and educational tools. We'll definitely be going back soon! Hopefully the weather will cool down some day so we'll be able to check out the outdoor area. John Paul is a BIG fan of getting extremely dirty, so I'm sure he'll love it!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Andrew and I have been wanting to head to Baltimore for a while to check out the aquarium, especially since kids under 3 are free. We had friends from Chicago who were in Philly for the weekend, so we met them halfway and made a day of it.
First up was mass at the Basilica ("Basiwka!" John Paul loudly exclaimed all through mass. Not his best behavior, by far...), where I saw perhaps the highest percentage of people in shorts/jeans/other completely inappropriate mass attire that I've ever seen at a Sunday mass. And that includes college masses and Saturday vigils. I was rather confused... Maybe there were lots of tourists who absolutely couldn't fit anything else in their suitcases?
It was pretty though, and John Paul loved talking about the flowers on the dome.
He kept talking about how the turtles were going to cracks... I'm not sure why, but he loved it. It felt a lot like parts of the National Zoo.
Then we got to see lots of colorful fish in another display. This is my favorite picture from the whole experience:
John Paul was getting pretty restless and he was OBSESSED with the escalators and moving walkways. They don't allow strollers (too many escalators and moving walkways) and he isn't willing to ride on my back for long, so we missed a fair amount of quite a few exhibits because he ran to the escalator once it was in view.
Luckily we reached the children's area once the restlessness hit its peak. Here was his favorite part of the whole aquarium:
A sand table with shells. Pretty sure we could buy one of those for less than the cost of admission for two adults.
Cecilia spent most of the time in a carrier either on my back or Andrew's front. We let her out in the children's area and she had fun playing with a water bottle. The best part for her? A footstool. She LOVED it.
John Paul's second favorite part of the whole aquarium?
The letters in the jellyfish exhibit. He freaked out when we told him it was time to leave.
Overall, it was an underwhelming experience. We finished the jellyfish exhibit and thought there must be more. Nope. I don't think we'll be going back anytime soon. I was expecting it to be as awesome as the Shedd Aquarium, but it left a lot to be desired. Thankfully we were there primarily to see friends, so it was a worthwhile experience. If it hadn't been for them, I think we would have been much more disappointed.
We timed it so that Cecilia would fall asleep on the way home. Surprisingly, John Paul decided to sleep as well. I suppose that was to be expected, given the lack of stroller.
So the kids had fun, we had fun, and John Paul is still talking about it:
"BasIWka!" "Yes, we went to the Basilica" "Shews and sand. SHEWS AND SAND!" "And then we played with shells and sand at the aquarium." "Matt. MATT MATT MATT MATT!" "Yes, we saw Matt." "Pweeeeeeeeeeeeez!" "And Margaret?" "Mawgwit. Mawgwit. MAWGWIT! Fish song!" And then I had to sing the goldfish song over and over... Glad that's what sticks with him about our visit to Baltimore.
First up was mass at the Basilica ("Basiwka!" John Paul loudly exclaimed all through mass. Not his best behavior, by far...), where I saw perhaps the highest percentage of people in shorts/jeans/other completely inappropriate mass attire that I've ever seen at a Sunday mass. And that includes college masses and Saturday vigils. I was rather confused... Maybe there were lots of tourists who absolutely couldn't fit anything else in their suitcases?
It was pretty though, and John Paul loved talking about the flowers on the dome.
We headed to lunch, and then we were off to the aquarium!
I think we saw the best exhibit first, so I really expected a lot once we finished with the Australia section. John Paul loved the turtles.
He kept talking about how the turtles were going to cracks... I'm not sure why, but he loved it. It felt a lot like parts of the National Zoo.
Then we got to see lots of colorful fish in another display. This is my favorite picture from the whole experience:
John Paul was getting pretty restless and he was OBSESSED with the escalators and moving walkways. They don't allow strollers (too many escalators and moving walkways) and he isn't willing to ride on my back for long, so we missed a fair amount of quite a few exhibits because he ran to the escalator once it was in view.
Luckily we reached the children's area once the restlessness hit its peak. Here was his favorite part of the whole aquarium:
A sand table with shells. Pretty sure we could buy one of those for less than the cost of admission for two adults.
Cecilia spent most of the time in a carrier either on my back or Andrew's front. We let her out in the children's area and she had fun playing with a water bottle. The best part for her? A footstool. She LOVED it.
John Paul's second favorite part of the whole aquarium?
The letters in the jellyfish exhibit. He freaked out when we told him it was time to leave.
Overall, it was an underwhelming experience. We finished the jellyfish exhibit and thought there must be more. Nope. I don't think we'll be going back anytime soon. I was expecting it to be as awesome as the Shedd Aquarium, but it left a lot to be desired. Thankfully we were there primarily to see friends, so it was a worthwhile experience. If it hadn't been for them, I think we would have been much more disappointed.
We timed it so that Cecilia would fall asleep on the way home. Surprisingly, John Paul decided to sleep as well. I suppose that was to be expected, given the lack of stroller.
So the kids had fun, we had fun, and John Paul is still talking about it:
"BasIWka!" "Yes, we went to the Basilica" "Shews and sand. SHEWS AND SAND!" "And then we played with shells and sand at the aquarium." "Matt. MATT MATT MATT MATT!" "Yes, we saw Matt." "Pweeeeeeeeeeeeez!" "And Margaret?" "Mawgwit. Mawgwit. MAWGWIT! Fish song!" And then I had to sing the goldfish song over and over... Glad that's what sticks with him about our visit to Baltimore.
Slow eater...
John Paul has been sitting in his high chair eating lunch for 45 minutes. He's still not done. I'm cutting him off soon.
Seriously, is it really necessary to eat each. Individual. Noodle. Separately? Not getting him Pad Thai again (we went to Noodles & Co. last night)...
He's started to be really anti-food that has things touching it. He had a piece of carrot with a piece of red cabbage stuck to it. He peeled the red cabbage off to eat each piece separately. Huh?
Sometimes I wish he would just shovel the food into his mouth so we could start naptime already!
Seriously, is it really necessary to eat each. Individual. Noodle. Separately? Not getting him Pad Thai again (we went to Noodles & Co. last night)...
He's started to be really anti-food that has things touching it. He had a piece of carrot with a piece of red cabbage stuck to it. He peeled the red cabbage off to eat each piece separately. Huh?
Sometimes I wish he would just shovel the food into his mouth so we could start naptime already!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
I decided to start teaching John Paul addition the other day, since he's had mastery of numbers for months now. We used his little magnadoodle to help get the basic vocabulary down - plus sign, equal sign, etc. Obviously the short attention span doesn't help, so we talked about "Plus 1" for a while, and what that means. He didn't get it immediately, of course. We used fingers, plastic easter eggs, coasters... And then I thought we were done for the day.
Until I heard, "Addin'! Pwus one EQWUWS! ADdin'!" Finally I realized he wanted to do more addition! He brought me the magnadoodle and basket of eggs and we practiced some more. He's been asking for more "ADdin'" several times a day since, but even with the number line I printed out, it hasn't quite been getting into his head.
Yesterday at Target, though, we found some addition flashcards in the dollar section. Those were his "treat" that he got to play with while we were going through the store. It was a little ridiculous how happy they made him - "PWUS one EQWUWS!!! ADDIN'!!!" And then he started "getting" it... He sat through the entire grocery section talking to us, saying, "One pwus one eqwuuuuuuws... TWO! AND! Two pwus one eqwuuuuuuuws... FWEE!" And so on and so forth up through 22 +1, which was apparently his limit.
Sometimes I'm sad that he's so huge for his age, because it doesn't look as impressive when he does these things and people think he's 3. But I suppose that would be impressive for a 3-year-old, too.
I have a feeling that if we end up not being able to homeschool him, he's going to be a little bit bored once he gets in a real classroom...
Until I heard, "Addin'! Pwus one EQWUWS! ADdin'!" Finally I realized he wanted to do more addition! He brought me the magnadoodle and basket of eggs and we practiced some more. He's been asking for more "ADdin'" several times a day since, but even with the number line I printed out, it hasn't quite been getting into his head.
Yesterday at Target, though, we found some addition flashcards in the dollar section. Those were his "treat" that he got to play with while we were going through the store. It was a little ridiculous how happy they made him - "PWUS one EQWUWS!!! ADDIN'!!!" And then he started "getting" it... He sat through the entire grocery section talking to us, saying, "One pwus one eqwuuuuuuws... TWO! AND! Two pwus one eqwuuuuuuuws... FWEE!" And so on and so forth up through 22 +1, which was apparently his limit.
Sometimes I'm sad that he's so huge for his age, because it doesn't look as impressive when he does these things and people think he's 3. But I suppose that would be impressive for a 3-year-old, too.
I have a feeling that if we end up not being able to homeschool him, he's going to be a little bit bored once he gets in a real classroom...
Friday, July 22, 2011
(I wrote this a month ago and forgot to post it!)
We do lots of improvisation in our house, mainly based on the same songs. We change lots of words to make songs more family-centered. For instance, today we sang "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly" inserting John Paul, Mom, Baby Cee-yah, and Dad. John Paul, of course, was the instigator. "Waaaass o-wady swawwow Joh PAW! Oh NO!" To get the real effect, you have to squeak in a very high voice whenever there are capital letters. Today she swallowed the numbers 0-10 as well. We have also added rather a lot of new verses to "The Wheels On the Bus" - Baby Cee-yah says, "Hi, John Paul!" and Dad blows lots of kisses, for instance.
One of my favorites is the variety of verses we have to the tune of "Frere Jacques." It all started when he wanted to read another book before bedtime instead of having a song. How did I remedy this? The request was for "The Fuzzy Duckling," so I made it into a song. The words? "Fuzzy duckling, fuzzy duckling, fuzzy duck. Fuzzy duck. Fuzzy fuzzy duckling, fuzzy fuzzy duckling, fuzzy duck, fuzzy duck." To the tune of "Frere Jacques." Other variations? "Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Pot. Harry Pot. Harry Harry Potter, etc..." Also the word elevator. And really anything with four syllables. John Paul has started specifically requesting these non-songs during the day. I get a kick out of it because as soon as I start singing he starts up with his latest dance move - very slowly spinning around in circles while lightly stomping and waving his hands.
At mass one Saturday morning he decided to start making up his own variations. Unfortunately, shouting one's new song in the middle of the consecration is not the best mass behavior. "Baby CEE-yah, baby CEE-yah baby CEE! Baby CEE! Baby baby CEE-yah, baby baby CEE-yah, baby cee. Baby cee."
His favorite song to sing with me for a while was "I Wonder" (at least I think that's what it's called) from Sleeping Beauty. It's the most adorable thing ever when he does it - he actually manages a fair amount of tunefulness, his range having reached approximately 5 notes. "Sing I WONder, Mom! One, two, fwee, weddy, sing I WONnnnder... I WONnnnder..." and on and on. He's also pretty successful singing "I've Got the Joy" and "Jesus I Adore You" with me, particularly at bedtime. And when he starts singing these songs on his own... This is what makes me want to install a hidden camera - he won't perform for the camera, but he loves singing to himself. I love watching these new skills emerge!
We do lots of improvisation in our house, mainly based on the same songs. We change lots of words to make songs more family-centered. For instance, today we sang "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly" inserting John Paul, Mom, Baby Cee-yah, and Dad. John Paul, of course, was the instigator. "Waaaass o-wady swawwow Joh PAW! Oh NO!" To get the real effect, you have to squeak in a very high voice whenever there are capital letters. Today she swallowed the numbers 0-10 as well. We have also added rather a lot of new verses to "The Wheels On the Bus" - Baby Cee-yah says, "Hi, John Paul!" and Dad blows lots of kisses, for instance.
One of my favorites is the variety of verses we have to the tune of "Frere Jacques." It all started when he wanted to read another book before bedtime instead of having a song. How did I remedy this? The request was for "The Fuzzy Duckling," so I made it into a song. The words? "Fuzzy duckling, fuzzy duckling, fuzzy duck. Fuzzy duck. Fuzzy fuzzy duckling, fuzzy fuzzy duckling, fuzzy duck, fuzzy duck." To the tune of "Frere Jacques." Other variations? "Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Pot. Harry Pot. Harry Harry Potter, etc..." Also the word elevator. And really anything with four syllables. John Paul has started specifically requesting these non-songs during the day. I get a kick out of it because as soon as I start singing he starts up with his latest dance move - very slowly spinning around in circles while lightly stomping and waving his hands.
At mass one Saturday morning he decided to start making up his own variations. Unfortunately, shouting one's new song in the middle of the consecration is not the best mass behavior. "Baby CEE-yah, baby CEE-yah baby CEE! Baby CEE! Baby baby CEE-yah, baby baby CEE-yah, baby cee. Baby cee."
His favorite song to sing with me for a while was "I Wonder" (at least I think that's what it's called) from Sleeping Beauty. It's the most adorable thing ever when he does it - he actually manages a fair amount of tunefulness, his range having reached approximately 5 notes. "Sing I WONder, Mom! One, two, fwee, weddy, sing I WONnnnder... I WONnnnder..." and on and on. He's also pretty successful singing "I've Got the Joy" and "Jesus I Adore You" with me, particularly at bedtime. And when he starts singing these songs on his own... This is what makes me want to install a hidden camera - he won't perform for the camera, but he loves singing to himself. I love watching these new skills emerge!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
John Paul got a toy for his birthday that he is OBSESSED with. It's my fault, I picked it out. But...
It is loud. Very loud. And he just presses the buttons over and over again. And if he can't find it, he freaks out whining, "New dwawin' TOOOOY" over and over again, getting more and more high-pitched. Even if it's on the floor in front of him and he is just happening not to look down.
Needless to say, this makes naptime difficult. Yesterday I had him put the toy down for a nap on the couch, but he wasn't totally having it. So today while he whined about new drawing toy, I asked him if he wanted new drawing toy to take a nap.
He went silent. He took it over to the couch and laid it down, waiting expectantly for a blanket.
Be very quiet. New drawing toy is taking a nap.
And he went upstairs with no problem after that. This is a trick I would expect to work with dolls or stuffed toys. An electronic letter toy? Apparently it needs a nap, too...
It is loud. Very loud. And he just presses the buttons over and over again. And if he can't find it, he freaks out whining, "New dwawin' TOOOOY" over and over again, getting more and more high-pitched. Even if it's on the floor in front of him and he is just happening not to look down.
Needless to say, this makes naptime difficult. Yesterday I had him put the toy down for a nap on the couch, but he wasn't totally having it. So today while he whined about new drawing toy, I asked him if he wanted new drawing toy to take a nap.
He went silent. He took it over to the couch and laid it down, waiting expectantly for a blanket.
Be very quiet. New drawing toy is taking a nap.
And he went upstairs with no problem after that. This is a trick I would expect to work with dolls or stuffed toys. An electronic letter toy? Apparently it needs a nap, too...
A long day...
I've been awake since 5:30. Cecilia decided that she would rather blow raspberries than sleep.
Ugh.
We put her in her swing for like, 20 minutes. Didn't work. I kept hoping Andrew would just take her downstairs so I could sleep, because he always says he can't fall back to sleep after he wakes up. No luck. I took her downstairs at 6. And Andrew didn't even go back to sleep! Not fair.
John Paul woke up at 6:30, probably because Andrew was showering. He ran to the clock in our room and shouted, "SEVEN NIRTY-FWEE!" If only. Then he corrected him self. "SIX NIRTY-FWEE! SIX NIRTY FWEE! YAAAAAAAAAAY!" He clapped his hands enthusiastically and came running back to his room.
Ugh. If only 6:33 were "Yay." If only we had actually gotten to sleep that late.
Cecilia is already down for her first nap at 7:30. I don't know what this is going to do to our plans for the rest of the day...
So now John Paul and I are on potty watch while we read. We've read 8 books already... He keeps crouching and saying, "Pooooooping..." so I take off his diaper and put him on the potty, and then he changes his mind. He told me now he wants to be naked, so maybe that'll help things? We're definitely getting closer - if I put him in a diaper without a cover he tells me when he's peeing and wants to be changed immediately.
And our playground plans for today aren't gonna happen since it's already 82 out and we weren't gonna go for another hour.
Ugh.
It can only get better, right?
Ugh.
We put her in her swing for like, 20 minutes. Didn't work. I kept hoping Andrew would just take her downstairs so I could sleep, because he always says he can't fall back to sleep after he wakes up. No luck. I took her downstairs at 6. And Andrew didn't even go back to sleep! Not fair.
John Paul woke up at 6:30, probably because Andrew was showering. He ran to the clock in our room and shouted, "SEVEN NIRTY-FWEE!" If only. Then he corrected him self. "SIX NIRTY-FWEE! SIX NIRTY FWEE! YAAAAAAAAAAY!" He clapped his hands enthusiastically and came running back to his room.
Ugh. If only 6:33 were "Yay." If only we had actually gotten to sleep that late.
Cecilia is already down for her first nap at 7:30. I don't know what this is going to do to our plans for the rest of the day...
So now John Paul and I are on potty watch while we read. We've read 8 books already... He keeps crouching and saying, "Pooooooping..." so I take off his diaper and put him on the potty, and then he changes his mind. He told me now he wants to be naked, so maybe that'll help things? We're definitely getting closer - if I put him in a diaper without a cover he tells me when he's peeing and wants to be changed immediately.
And our playground plans for today aren't gonna happen since it's already 82 out and we weren't gonna go for another hour.
Ugh.
It can only get better, right?
Monday, July 18, 2011
I think that right now the proper term for Cecilia's crawling progress is "scrambling." It's pretty amusing to watch - I put her down on the floor with a few toys around her, she immediately flips over and takes inventory, pivoting towards the object of desire. Then she gets up on her hands and knees (or toes) and very deliberately FLINGS herself towards it, often bellyflopping only a few inches. She immediately gets her arms out from under her and repeats until she has gotten far enough. And somehow she's gotten ridiculously fast, as inefficient as it may seem...
Getting closer!
Almost!
She's gotten particularly fast at this when I leave my computer on the floor. Looks like we're not watching Hulu together anymore...
In other news, John Paul had his 2-year checkup today. He's still on the bigger side of the growth charts - 88th percentile for height, 78th for weight, 99th for head circumference (let's face it, this is never going to change. It's time to start investing in super-sized hats...). I was so proud of how both of the kids did - he was extremely cooperative (the nurse said one of the most cooperative 2-year-olds she's ever met) and didn't even cry when he got his shots! We had been practicing with a toy doctor's kit his godfather gave him, so he lay back very nicely and held his toy syringe in one hand and a bottle of star sprinkles (his bribe) in the other hand.
First shot. A little whine.
Second shot. "Mmmmmmm all done! ALL DONE!" Not a single tear, just let me know that he wasn't having anymore. He was due for 4 - we haven't had any since his 12-month checkup, but I thought 2 was enough in one day. Then he very happily sat there eating star sprinkles while he got bandaids. And Cecilia chilled in her car seat chewing on a book every time I had to put her down. It seems that it's a lot easier taking both kids to the doctor when they're not actually sick! Her checkup is in a couple of weeks, hopefully it will go just as smoothly!
See that little head in the background? She's coming!
Almost!
She's gotten particularly fast at this when I leave my computer on the floor. Looks like we're not watching Hulu together anymore...
In other news, John Paul had his 2-year checkup today. He's still on the bigger side of the growth charts - 88th percentile for height, 78th for weight, 99th for head circumference (let's face it, this is never going to change. It's time to start investing in super-sized hats...). I was so proud of how both of the kids did - he was extremely cooperative (the nurse said one of the most cooperative 2-year-olds she's ever met) and didn't even cry when he got his shots! We had been practicing with a toy doctor's kit his godfather gave him, so he lay back very nicely and held his toy syringe in one hand and a bottle of star sprinkles (his bribe) in the other hand.
First shot. A little whine.
Second shot. "Mmmmmmm all done! ALL DONE!" Not a single tear, just let me know that he wasn't having anymore. He was due for 4 - we haven't had any since his 12-month checkup, but I thought 2 was enough in one day. Then he very happily sat there eating star sprinkles while he got bandaids. And Cecilia chilled in her car seat chewing on a book every time I had to put her down. It seems that it's a lot easier taking both kids to the doctor when they're not actually sick! Her checkup is in a couple of weeks, hopefully it will go just as smoothly!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
We didn't really do a 1st birthday party for John Paul - I was feeling gross in my first trimester of pregnancy, Andrew was studying for the bar, and we were still living in Williamsburg, too far from anyone we would have invited. So I was excited to do a "real" birthday party this year. But at the same time, I realized that anything actual would probably just be overwhelming. The ultimate decision? A little time at the playground with family, and then back home for hot dogs and cupcakes.
I think he was super-excited to have (almost) all his family members in one place. He kept looking around and saying, "Mom! And. Dad! And. Baby Cee-yah! And. Gwamma! And. GwandDADdy! And Uggo Dumtwuck! And Gwampa! And Ficky!" over and over again.
We came home and played doctor for a while (a gift from his godfather). We're practicing for his appointment on Monday - he hasn't gotten shots in a year (we are negligent parents...) and I'm not looking forward to how that goes! The toy syringe is one of his favorite parts - he keeps stabbing himself in the leg yelling, "Shot! Shot!"
And of course, the aftermath was our little lunging baby's dream - small chewable toys all over the floor!
I think he was super-excited to have (almost) all his family members in one place. He kept looking around and saying, "Mom! And. Dad! And. Baby Cee-yah! And. Gwamma! And. GwandDADdy! And Uggo Dumtwuck! And Gwampa! And Ficky!" over and over again.
I made multicolored funfetti cupcakes with chocolate icing and star sprinkles. All he cared about were the stars. Next year we're getting him sprinkles for his birthday and that's it.
The reason to invite more people to his next birthday party? A box of cake mix makes minimum 24 cupcakes. There were only 8 people there who were eating solid foods. I may or may not have had a cupcake for breakfast.
He LOVED opening his presents. So did Cecilia. She chose yesterday to perfect her lunge - she's not yet crawling, but she gets up on her hands and knees and FLINGS herself forward, moving a few inches at a time.
We ended up with so much excitement that naptime didn't happen - too many presents to play with! So we headed to the pool as our last exciting act of the day. That kid LOVES the pool. As soon as I told him we were going he ran to the door saying, "Big pool! And. Little pool! And. Big pool! And. Little pool!" In the bathtub every night he tells me he's in the little pool. If only it weren't so ridiculously hot all the time, we might go a little more often. And it's also rather a lot of work to take TWO kids to the pool.
We came home and played doctor for a while (a gift from his godfather). We're practicing for his appointment on Monday - he hasn't gotten shots in a year (we are negligent parents...) and I'm not looking forward to how that goes! The toy syringe is one of his favorite parts - he keeps stabbing himself in the leg yelling, "Shot! Shot!"
And of course, the aftermath was our little lunging baby's dream - small chewable toys all over the floor!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Okay, he might not really understand what a birthday is, but I figured I'd try to make this a good one for John Paul.
He woke up VERY cheerful. Score! We started off the day by getting dressed. Someone decided to pull a pair of plaid shorts out of his drawer and try to put them on while naked. He did actually manage to put his legs through the waistband, but got stuck with both legs in one hole. He fell down several times before he whined for me to come help.
His outfit of choice? One swim shoe and a pair of training pants (he is VERY excited by training pants and always wants to wear his "undah-wear").
And the after:
Possibly the biggest breakfast he's ever actually eaten. Kiddo loves mango! He grabbed some peel off the counter before I finished cutting it up and ate that. Maybe I don't need to bother peeling them?
Then my very big boy pooped in the potty and got a treat (well, I caught him when he was about to poop on the floor and plopped him on the potty). Is it really that hard to keep a hershey kiss in your mouth? Apparently...
Some kids get excited by life-sized characters at amusement parks. Mine gets excited by ampersands.
We headed to the playground after that - he had a blast jumping on the bridge, and decided to be the friendliest kid ever. "Hi! Hi kids! Two kids - hi two kids! Kids wunnin'. Hi kids wunnin'!"
He got half a cupcake after dinner, but was mostly concerned with picking the star sprinkles off and eating the icing. Of course it was not a neat affair.
Then we headed to St. Raymond's for mass. He did TERRIBLY two weeks ago at the same mass, but this time he did very VERY well. He whispered when I told him to whisper, and we only had a couple of instances of him running out of the pew. His two loudest disturbances:
"Pwiest! Hi pwiest!" (when the priest got up to give the homily)
"Sane Waymond. Pwe-fo-us. Teh-wezz. Pwe-fo-us. May-way. Pwe-fo-us." (St. Raymond, pray for us, St. Therese, Mary) He had left the pew to go look at the religious statues.
When those are the biggest issues during mass, things are pretty great.
All in all, a pretty awesome day. We sang Happy Birthday to him MANY times and he loved it. Next up: A birthday party at the playground with BALLOONS! And cupcakes with star sprinkles. And hot dogs. What could be better?
He woke up VERY cheerful. Score! We started off the day by getting dressed. Someone decided to pull a pair of plaid shorts out of his drawer and try to put them on while naked. He did actually manage to put his legs through the waistband, but got stuck with both legs in one hole. He fell down several times before he whined for me to come help.
His outfit of choice? One swim shoe and a pair of training pants (he is VERY excited by training pants and always wants to wear his "undah-wear").
Apparently he decided to strike a model pose...
He had a very tasty breakfast - I got him a mango as a birthday treat (wild, right?), cooked him an egg, and gave him some banana bread. Sure, it sounds simple, but normally he just has a banana and milk. This is the before:
Possibly the biggest breakfast he's ever actually eaten. Kiddo loves mango! He grabbed some peel off the counter before I finished cutting it up and ate that. Maybe I don't need to bother peeling them?
Then my very big boy pooped in the potty and got a treat (well, I caught him when he was about to poop on the floor and plopped him on the potty). Is it really that hard to keep a hershey kiss in your mouth? Apparently...
He decided to have a wrestling match with Cecilia (which means she tried to crawl and play by herself and he mauled her while trying to kiss her).
The face says it all.
Then we headed to the bookstore to get his free birthday cookie (mostly mine, but I let him have some) and use a coupon to get him a new book. As usual, he was VERY excited about the ampersand. For some reason, he decided to hug it this time...
Some kids get excited by life-sized characters at amusement parks. Mine gets excited by ampersands.
We headed to the playground after that - he had a blast jumping on the bridge, and decided to be the friendliest kid ever. "Hi! Hi kids! Two kids - hi two kids! Kids wunnin'. Hi kids wunnin'!"
He got half a cupcake after dinner, but was mostly concerned with picking the star sprinkles off and eating the icing. Of course it was not a neat affair.
Then we headed to St. Raymond's for mass. He did TERRIBLY two weeks ago at the same mass, but this time he did very VERY well. He whispered when I told him to whisper, and we only had a couple of instances of him running out of the pew. His two loudest disturbances:
"Pwiest! Hi pwiest!" (when the priest got up to give the homily)
"Sane Waymond. Pwe-fo-us. Teh-wezz. Pwe-fo-us. May-way. Pwe-fo-us." (St. Raymond, pray for us, St. Therese, Mary) He had left the pew to go look at the religious statues.
When those are the biggest issues during mass, things are pretty great.
All in all, a pretty awesome day. We sang Happy Birthday to him MANY times and he loved it. Next up: A birthday party at the playground with BALLOONS! And cupcakes with star sprinkles. And hot dogs. What could be better?
Friday, July 15, 2011
Remember this tiny baby?
And this adorable little munchkin?
2 weeks
And this adorable little munchkin?
3 months
And this bubbling boy?
4 months
We've gone from crawling
6 months
To cruising
7 months
To walking with assistance
9 months
And walking (or falling) with none!
10 months
We've visited strange and exotic locations
12 months at Notre Dame
And had quite a bit of fun with Dad!
13 months
We've mastered the mischievous look
16 months
As well as the angelic
17 months, after his first haircut
We've gone from a family of 3 to a family of 4
18 months
We've learned that few things are more fun than younger siblings
20 months
And that sometimes you need to get rid of your sister before you can get a good picture...
23 months
I can't believe what a big boy we have! He's speaking in complete, fairly complex sentences ("Baby Cee-yah sittin' on-a bed. John Paw and Mom-a sittin' in-a chair."), "singing" tons of songs, including his ABCs, counting on his own up to 60, counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s, keeping a great steady beat, and eating everything he can get his hands on.
I find myself getting sad as we pass each distinct stage, but at least we have another baby to remind us of all those milestones as she grows! I'm so proud of what a great big brother John Paul is, and happy that we're doing an okay job of playing this parenting game.
Tomorrow is going be an exciting day - he'll get to see most of his favorite people at his birthday party (well, favorite family members), and I think I'll have a good picture post of his birthday activities. I can't believe he's 2!