Eva sits!

But only when she's watching her big sister being silly.  Otherwise, it's fall over-rama.

5 Months Down, 7 Months to Go

Little Eva turns 5 months this week.  Last week was the week the switch flipped and she started interacting with the world.  She started smiling to solicit connection and reaction from people.  She started to grab for all and anything new and interesting.  She started grabbing her little feet and toes and rocking back and forth in the happy baby yoga pose.  We started rice cereal.  She started laughing and being ticklish. It was a big week.

With all this new awareness, comes great parenting rewards.  I love going to get her from a nap or in the morning because her whole little body shivers with excitement.  When I talk to her, she really focuses and I feel like we're starting to connect in more than just a baby and nursing mother kind of way.  I see her starting to reach out to connect with others (literally...she'll swing her little arm towards someones face to touch their cheek or grab their nose).

On the down side, sleep has been challenging recently.  She continues to wake and immediately fall back asleep once fed or comforted so that's not the problem.  It's the frequency of times she's waking at night.  We were down to twice a night but the number started to creep back up to 4-ish times.  And unlike my sleeping baby, it takes me longer to turn my adult brain off and head back to sleep.

This stage is so frustrating for these issues.  Is it the lack of schedule we just haven't been able to keep recently?  Is it that she's ready for more food and that she's just not getting enough from nursing?  Is it teething pains?  Is it all these new skills and awareness of the world?  Sigh.  I'll just never know and just have to find a way to get thru the phase.  (While remembering to "enjoy" it because it goes fast...as I'm frequently reminded)

As for Ellie, she's 3 1/2 this month.  Half way thru the "crazy" year.  We feel like we live with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.  Her emotional roller coasters were really tough at first.  But with much counseling and coaching from family, friends and teachers, we've learned to embrace the craziness and just to have fun.  Because when Ellie is happy, there is nothing better.

I've got moves

Eva's had a big week.  She's found her toes.  She's started to laugh and be ticklish.  She's just looking and being more of a baby.


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Eva update

All's well in Eva land.  She's a happy 4 month old now.  She talks up a storm.  Loves to be in the mix and is sitting in a chair like things (exersaucer, highchairs, etc).  She's locking her little hands together and gnawing like crazy on those things.  Toes and legs are also interesting when diaper's being changed.

Sleep is so-so...no consistent napping or bed times.  But she continues to only wake for feedings and then is back off to the land of nod.  I feel much more refreshed these days.

As for special talents, she seems to really like books.  She likes to grasp for the pages and try to turn them.  She also seems drawn to toys that have some kind of turning element (like tumblers).  She's gotten really good at getting them to spin.

Her personality is still pretty chill and patient.  She'll let us know if she has any really strong opinions but that's pretty far and few between.

Latest stats from the Dr include, 16lbs (80% percentile), 25" (65% percentile) and head circumference 16.5ins (80% percentile).

Wrestling

I really appreciate when Ellie's preschool teachers give us personal notes about the time Ellie spends with them.  We're always so curious to know what she's like for others.  Fortunately or unfortunately, we seem to get "special" treatment like whining, tantrums,etc so it's neat to "see" Ellie the way the world sees her.  I'm sharing today's note because it's a good record of how others see her and of who she is at this point of her little life.

Hi Braden and Ann Marie,

In my previous email, I told you that Ellie has been playing with some different children than she usually chooses.  Well, today is proof! :)  The boys in our group were very interested in rough-and-tumble play ("wrestling").  The only time we allow this type of play at school is when a teacher can be supervising the wrestling AT ALL TIMES, without distraction to make sure it is continuously safe.  The children also need to be on the mats in the big basement.  As the boys were wrestling, Ellie was watching them and then came to me and said, "I want a turn!"  I told her the rules (i.e. no hitting/kicking/pulling clothes/etc.), and she chose to wrestle with Jonah.  I also warn the children that if they choose to wrestle, they could get hurt.  Attached is a picture of her cheering on the other children, as well as two pictures of Ellie wrestling with Jonah!  I think she might have some of daddy in her. :)  This was a great risk-taking opportunity for Ellie to participate in!  She was all smiles the whole time and wanted lots of turns. :)

Lots of parents have commented to me about how friendly and happy Ellie is.  She is one of the most social, kind, helpful, loving children I know!  On Monday in the bookroom, Ellie noticed a book with pages torn out.  She went and got blue masking tape and scissors to fix it. Bless her heart! :)  I explained that we should find clear tape so we could still see the pictures.  What a great problem-solver she is! :D

Soooo sleepy

Eva is getting so big that she is struggling to get comfortable in anyone's arms.  Lately she has taken to burrowing into my elbow and supporting her head on my arm.  Looks uncomfortable to me - but at least she can breathe :-)

Little Eva isn't so Little

What a great month we've had!  Eva started sleeping through the night in 6-8hr stretches.  Well rested parenting is so much more fun than the sleep deprived, caffeine

driven parenting :)  It's been a long time (including uncomfortable pregnancy sleeping) that I've been able to sleep 6-8hrs!!!!  I'm in love ;)

It's been great fun watching the family unit start to form.  Ellie loves her little sister.  She's always so excited to see little Eva and responds with hugs, kisses and lots of affection.  I'm still a wreck most of the time though.  Ellie's like Bam-Bam and just doesn't know her own strength.  Her hugs end up being neck squeezes or full body assaults.  But most of the time, Eva responds with coos and smiles for her sister.  It's still an amazing process for me to observe.  Kids respond to and watch other children differently than they do adults.

Other fun Eva facts from this month.  She's just recently started to grasp at objects.  When we nurse, her little feet and toes play with the arms of chairs (versus just dangling).  When she wakes up, she just started "talking" with sweet coos and sounds instead of crying.  (It's such a nicer way to be woken up in the middle of the night)  She weighed 13lbs on Jan 3 (76% percentile) and moved up to size 2 diapers and some 9 month clothes.  She's rubbed off a patch of hair on the back of her head.  But more, blonder hair is growing in all over.  She can now sit in her excersaucer and paw at the toys.  We made it through a round of colds really well!!!  She still doesn't like pacifiers or bottles or formula :(

3 months

Weekend up north

Had a great weekend up north.  It was Eva's first!!  Although it rained most of Saturday, we still found time to ride snowmobiles, hike, snowshoe and build a snow-fort.

Baby it's cold outside

Literally -9 deg f today and Ellie insisted on going outside. . . without pants.  Uncle Travis used to call daddy a polar bear - looks like Ellie got the same blood.

I've got a "Mom"

I was tickling Ellie's back while she was catching up on her Wild Kratts.  When I finished, she handed me her scribble pad....with the word Mom on it...how cool and validating.  It's Ellie's love language.  She's not snuggly but very thoughtful.

Side note...she's been totally into breaking down words into letters.  It feels like the beginning of reading...although it's been a longggg time since I learned to read so who knows.  ;-)


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Partied Out

This picture is today @ 5pm with bedroom lights on.  Holiday parties started Dec 22 and have continued everyday since.  Today was our first day home with nothing to do and Ellie wandered into her bedroom and silently fell asleep.  


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Some days I feel like I'm losing the parenting battles...and other days I'm winning :-)  Ellie just came back from Trader Joe's with these hand picked flowers.  She handed them to me and said..."You're my best Momma ever. I thought they would make you happy."  I melt and am recharged enough to continue the parenting fight for a happy, healthy family...content sigh.

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Yummm...fingers

Eva just found her fingers in the last hour!  She's tested them out a couple times.  So begins the everything going in the mouth phase...

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2 months old

It is amazing.  This week she transformed from a newborn to a baby.

I'm Calling It...Eva's a Baby

I've noticed the last couple of days Eva looking and acting more like a baby than a newborn.  Her face and body are full, round and easy to hold in a "sitting" position.  Her head wobbles on occasion versus all the time.  She's "talking" throughout the day.  She's slept in 5-6hr chunks the last two nights.

So I'm calling it...after 8 weeks and 6 days, Eva is a baby!  She's left her newborn sleepiness and is going to be filling our days practicing grasping, cooing and eventually rolling.  Oh the fun we have ahead :)  Merry Christmas to us.

Twins

Can you tell who is who?  Need a hint?  Uncle Don and Aunt Nancy haven't met Eva yet.







  (Ellie's in the top picture and Eva's the bottom.  Ellie is about a month older in the picture)

You lose

I don't remember if I written about Ellie's competitive streak or not.  But it's becoming more and more evident that it's part of her programming.  It started with things like "I'm the leader, you walk behind me."  I thought it was part of her 2 year old independence.  Until a recent trip to a kids store...

The store had placed a number of toys out for kids to play with while parents shopped.  A little boy about the same age began to play with Ellie.  They found a car track set and started racing little wooden cars.  Each time the cars finished zooming down the track, Ellie loudly announced "You LOSE, I win!".  Sigh.  I applaud her zest for being good at things but come on...do you really need to win all the time? 

This will be a very "interesting" trait to manage... 

A peanut sat on a railroad track. .

I See You

Video of Eva's new gear...holding her head and engaging the world :-)


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