Smarty Pants

Mermaid Lizzy

This kid.  It's amazing how kids grow both physically and cognitively.  Elizabeth picks up things so quickly - she is just So. Smart.

At almost 14 months Elizabeth weighs around 24 lbs.  She has 8 teeth on the top and 6 on the bottom.  She does plenty of baby talk but does say mama, dada & bye-bye.  She has moments when she'll say a word once or twice but then we won't hear it again.  I'm pretty sure she heard us say Seahawks (SB CHAMPS!) so much this past month that she has started saying it too.  Now she's using a lot of the "k" and "t" sounds.  

Just this evening she pointed her popsicle at me and said something that at first sounded Russian to me.  But I finally figured out she was saying "cut".  She wanted me to cut the wrapper down.  Every time she would eat it too short I would ask "Do you want me to cut it?" and she would hold it out.  By the 3rd time she was asking me!  "Cut"!  SO SMART.  

Earlier she was walking around with my pajamas shirt, cuddling with it and when she walked passed me I noticed her nose was running so I said "Oh Elizabeth, you have mocos" and so she turned her head into my shirt and blew her nose!  I'm pretty sure Aaron STILL isn't sure how to properly blow his nose and he's 5!  LOL.

Elizabeth walks well and she loves to be outside.  I like to try and go pick up Aaron early so it gives me enough time to allow Elizabeth to walk from the car to the classroom to pick Aaron up.  She loves it.  She walks around his classroom and all his little preschool buddies and love her.  Even the teacher and T.A.s want to pick her up.  One mom actually holds her and kisses her!  Surprisingly, I'm not bothered by it.  (Well, not that much anyway.)

As you can tell from the picture, she also loves the water!  She's so funny because she'll just lay down in the water on her belly -- no worries, no hesitancy.  And she kicks and turns.  I'll lay her down in shallow water on her back sometimes and she just laughs and kicks.  She has no fear!  Elizabeth is also a climber.  She tries to climb on her brother's toys and furniture and get on his foot stool.  I mean, I really gotta watch this one all the time.  

But I think what she loves most is FOOD!  Hahaha!  This baby girl can eat!  I mean, you'd think she would be bigger than her brother was at the same age but Aaron was a chunk!  And Lizzy really isn't.  I mean, she's got baby chub, but she's not like Aaron was.  And yet you can't eat a damn thing in front of her without her yelling at you and reaching out for it.  No joke.  I think she's only turned away food 2 or 3 times.  I pretty much have to portion control her meals sometimes because she'd just keep eating!  You can see her belly expanding!  haha!

But honestly, Elizabeth is such a smart & happy baby! She's doing wonderfully.  We hope you are too!  

    

These little fish are growing

Eating solids - 6 months

Elizabeth went in for her 6 month check up and boy, is this chick growing!  Elizabeth is 19 lbs (90%), 27 1/2 inches (95%), head circumference of 17 3/4 (98%), wears a size 3 diaper, size 9 month clothing and 12 month in pjs!  Big girl!

We have just started her on solids and are still not quite on a regular schedule with it.  She seems to want it sometimes and then not others.  And sometimes it's just like she has no idea what to do with it.  But we're going to keep trying!  I've only tried the rice cereal once, but have tried a few of the fruit and fruit combo organic baby food and have given her mashed up bananas at home and organic apple sauce.  

Elizabeth's teeth are coming in and her mouth is hurting baaaaaad right now.  She has the bottom two already poked through and I'm pretty sure the top left one is coming through too.  It looks like we might have another Aaron on our hands.  He got all of his teeth super quick and close to each other (time wise).  We having teething toys, rings for the freezer and I give her wet wash clothes (frozen and non) to help her.  We also use the teething tablets and I have a teething bracelet that a cousin gave me.  She pretty much chews up anything she can, including me and Josh!

Even with all this though, she's a pretty happy baby!

Blowing in the wind.

Aaron is also doing pretty well, though extremely bored at home with mama and baby.  We're hoping perhaps he can start at public pre-school this coming school year.  He's happy to have his daddy home these past few days and even that has changed his behavior a little (very little) bit.

Today, separately and without knowing, Josh and I both asked Aaron what he wanted to be when he grew up.  When I asked it was at the dinner table and we were all there.  At first he said he wanted to be an elephant.  So when I explained to him what I meant by the question, and gave him several examples he settled on veterinarian.  After going over it again and again in his head a few times, I think he liked the idea even more and reconfirmed this great idea to us.  When he grows up to be like, 8 yrs old, he wants to be an elephant.  But then after that, a vet for sure!  He says he might even have to live in the forest because he'll have too many animals to take care of.  He loves animals, watches Planet Earth over and over again, knows the names of really strange and random animals and dinosaurs and even knows if they are herbivores, carnivores or omnivores.  I think he'd be a wonderful vet!  Now if only we could get him to stop chasing the dog!!!!

Vampire Aaron

Vampire Aaron

A: Mom, where do vampires come from?

Me: Well Aaron, vampires haven't really been proven to actually exist but if they did, they supposedly originated from Transylvania, which is in Romania, which is in Europe.

A: Well MOM, I want to be a vampire.  I want to be a vampire so I can turn into a bat when I sleep.  But that means I have to be bitten by a vampire.  

Me: Yes, I guess it does.

A: So I want to go to Transylvania but you have to come with me to protect me.

Me: Protect you from what?  

A: Vampires!

Me: Well, buddy, you can't become a vampire if you're scared of vampires!  That's silly.  

A: Well, I want you to go with me anyway.

Me: Ok, sure.  I've always wanted to go to Transylvania.

Like mother, like son I suppose.  

5 minutes later.......

A: Mom, where is Transylvania again?

Me: Europe.

A: YOU'RE WHAT??

What a goofball!  Vampire Goofball -- I guess. 

           

Growing Up Healthy - 4 months

Elizabeth Grace - 4 months old

Elizabeth went for her 4 month check up 2 days ago and baby girl is catching up to her brother quickly!

Lizzy baby is 25 1/4 inches long (85%), 16 1/3 lbs (90%) and her head circumference is 16 3/4 (85%)!  The NP says she's looking great and if we want, we can start her on solids.  I'm not sure we're ready, but Elizabeth sure does smack her lips and lick her chops when anyone eats in front of her!  LOL.  I think once I decide what I want to start on, we might try that soon.

She's currently wearing 6-9 months in clothes but I think in the one pieces (like pjs) we'll have to move to 9 months soon.  She literally went through ONE jumbo box of size 2 diapers and now she is on size 3.  She's definitely going to be in need of new stuff soon.

She still tries super hard to turn over whenever she is on her back, but besides that one time, hasn't been able to do it on her own yet.  She gets just the top half around.  She sits up pretty well with help and she's getting a little bit better at tummy time.  

Elizabeth loves, loves, to laugh at her brother.  She just stares at him and watches him.  And whenever he laughs, so does she.  It's pretty adorable.  I only wish Aaron was more calm, gentle and aware around her.  (sigh)  She loves when anyone sings to her too.  

On March 1st, I moved her into her room finally.  She's been sleeping through the night for some time now, but since we're still missing things in her room (like a proper room/floor lamp & a changing pad cover) I held off on it.  Finally I just decided to make the move and she's been doing so well!  She wakes up happy.  I think that might have something to do with the colorful bedding, pink walls and owl mobile!  Once I feel like the room is complete, I'll have to take some pictures.

Until then........   Hope you all are just as happy and healthy as Elizabeth!  

  
   

This guy cracks me up

This morning I felt like being a good mom and, you know, feeding everyone.  I made Aaron scrabbled eggs, toast and put some yogurt on the side.  For some reason Aaron still wants to eat everything with his hands even though he's 4 years old so half the stuff still ends up on the floor.  And so we had this conversation this morning:

Aaron, you should try not to drop eggs on the floor because Ulrich is allergic to chicken.

Eggs are chicken?!!!

Yes Aaron, eggs are baby chickens.

So I'm eating baby chicken?!  (Hands on throat and gag face)
Eggs are baby chicken?!  *Gag Gag!*  You mean like, gobble gobble, baby chicken?

Aaron, you eat chicken from the store!  That's chicken - what do you think that is?!  And no actually - a turkey says gobble gobble.  

Well what does a chicken say?

Chickens go more like cluck cluck.

Oh.  Ok.  

And he finished his entire breakfast.  Baby chickens and all.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal - ECK!

I'm guessing he isn't a fan of cinnamon just yet.......

First Shower

Today Aaron took his very first shower with me! I was kind of nervous, worried about holding his slippery little body standing in the shower but it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Of course keeping his bath chair in the shower with us helped considerably!

Aaron is doing much better with his gas and reflux, though it does still effect him some. I think he'll grow out of it by 6 months like everyone says.

He is definitely doing a lot more laughing and giggling, which is just wonderful. It's so heartwarming to hear him laugh. The first time I got him laughing by kissing his neck, he would laugh and then I would laugh because it was SO cute that he was laughing and then we'd do it all over again! I can tickle him sometimes and just get him in a giggle fit! It's adorable.

This past weekend my BFF Stephanie from Sacramento came to visit us and she was so sweet. She took him right up and shared all the baby responsibilities - of course she has 2 children of her own! She also bought him a Light & Sound Aquarium for his crib and she bought some bowls and spoons so she could help me try and feed him oatmeal for the first time. He's still young, and I'm not planning on supplementing the cereal for formula just yet but I do want him to get used to eating. So Steph made a small amount for him and at first he kind of just held it in his mouth and looked at us but as soon as he figured out it was food, he took right to it! So now every once in awhile I will feed him a bit of baby cereal before I give him is bottle.

He also recently got a swing from his Aunt Kathy and he does like the glider motion of it. Unfortunately the stupid thing stops on the glider motion even though the motor is on, so we're going to have to see if we can exchange it.

Other than that, he's growing and growing. I can't believe the difference 3 months makes! I'll keep my camera clicking for you all!