I can't believe that we are getting ready to celebrate a new year again already! The first half of this year was a blur. By June things finally seemed to settle down and I had adjusted to getting some regular sleep again! Here are some highlights from the year:
January - There were two highlights this month - both involving travel. I took my first road trip to my parents with the kids (and Sammy) by myself. My dad kindly met me halfway. For the most part it all went smoothly. I also took a road trip by myself to Madison for a girls' weekend with my best friend. It was fun to get away from the kids and take a little break.
February - Edith's first Valentine's day! Uncas and I had a date night - an actual night away from the kids. Eddie also was able to build his first snowman.
March - Eddie turns 2! The weather was amazing - like 80 degrees, so we spent a lot of time outside! I made an orange dinosaur cake per his request.
April - The biggest highlight was Edith starting to sleep through the night! I never thought we would see this happen so soon, but it did and she continues to be a great night time sleeper - thank goodness! Also her first Easter.
May - I drove down to my parents so we could have a garage sale with them. The sale itself was ok, but we had a lot of fun with family and friends there. Edith also took her first steps there which was really exciting. I was elected secretary for the local MOMS Club that I joined when Eddie turned one. We also got our backyard play system or our playground as Eddie calls it. Installed just in time for summer!
June - Busy month with Father's Day, my birthday and of course, Edith's first birthday. Unfortunately the poor girl was sick, but we still had fun celebrating it. Uncas also left his job and some of his favorite co-workers ever to contract at Best Buy, making his commute about 5 minutes!
July - It was hot, hot, hot outside in July. We spent a lot of time playing in water in our yard. The other big event/milestone was having Eddie get rid of his nuks! This was tough for him and I know he still misses them, but the transition wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.
August - Vacation time! We took two vacations this month. One down to Iowa with Uncas's side of the family for a weekend. Our "big" vacation was in northern WI with my parents. We stayed at a "vacation" house and played at the beach. Daddy and Grandpa Ron got to fish, well, at least they spent a lot of time on the boat! We can't wait to go back again this year!
September - Eddie started going to a Friday morning out program. He eats lunch there and his room is a little more structured. We call it school for him and he loves it. He also, finally, got his hair cut for the very first time, at age 2 and 1/2!
October - Another big milestone for Eddie this month - his big boy bed! We moved him out of his crib and happily he likes to stay in bed (knock on wood!) We also spent all month preparing for Halloween. Eddie dressed up as Bob the Builder and Edith was Wendy - Bob's helper. Pretty easy costumes and they still play with them/in them!
November - This month was our month of illness. We had at least one sick person, usually more, in the house all month long! The kids and I went on a road trip to IL for a week and had a lot of fun seeing family and friends. Thanksgiving was a low-key event due to illness, but we made the most of it. Uncas left his contract position for a full-time job at a start-up company. He likes the work, however his commute is a bit longer.
December - That brings us to this month. Christmas was a month long preparation and the kids loved decorating, eating chocolate from their advent calendar and baking and eating cookies! I was excited to get my new oven to bake those cookies! We are ending the month with a few colds, but we were thankful for a healthy and fun Christmas!
As I sit back and reflect on the year, I am reminded of how blessed we truly are. I am grateful for our family and friends, old and new, who have been there to support us. It's been tough at times with the kids, but this year I finally feel like the fog has lifted now that we are out of the baby stage. I believe it's really the fact that we are getting some good sleep!
I look forward to many more fun times and memories for 2013! I hope everyone has a fun and safe New Years!!!!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
18 Months!
Wow! My baby girl is a year and a half! I can actually say that I believe it. Over these past few months she is really starting to turn into a little girl. It's a little sad that our baby is growing up, but she still likes to hug and snuggle, so it makes the transition easier. Here are some updates with Edith:
Sleep - We are still doing great in this category. She goes to bed around 7 pm and sleeps until 6:30-7 each morning. She only takes one nap a day. Usually she goes down right after lunch (often times she be "all done" and requests to go "night-night"), around 12:30 and sleeps until 2. On a good days maybe until 3. She falls asleep fairly quickly and often will play in her crib for a while with her gang of puppies and babies and blankets when she wakes up. She still has a nuk when she goes to sleep, but they stay in her crib.
Eating - She is our savory child. She'll eat sweet stuff, but she prefers cheese. She also likes spicy food and has discovered dipping things into sauces. She does amazing with a fork and spoon. Sometimes she sits at the table with a placemat. It's still a little high for her, but she likes it. When we have messier foods, she uses her tray. She doesn't love milk all the time, but that's ok. She doesn't have the hang of drinking from a regular cup, so it's still sippy cup. We have to watch her during snack time because she likes to steal from her brother when he isn't looking!
Moving - Edith can definitely keep up with Eddie. She is tall enough now to "drive" his little car. She also likes to run around with her stroller. She can jump with two feet and likes to twirl around when she dances. Last week she kept twirling, falling down dizzy and then getting back up and doing it all over again!
Playing - We have a girly-girl on our hands. She loves her babies. And her bags. And her phones. And putting her phones in her bags. She likes to wear necklaces and glasses and brush her hair. And the phones - she has so many. I think she got this one from her mama! She also likes to play trains with Eddie and with his cars too. She builds stuff with him and she loves to sit and play with duplos just as much as Eddie. She also likes playing with the toy kitchen and feeding Uncas and I with all types of food. She likes books, although it has to be on her terms for when she'll actually sit still for them.
Communication - This one is a talker! I remember thinking that she has started talking a bit later than Eddie, but I actually think that she is surpassing him from when he was 18 months. She knows lots of words and is already starting to put them together (referenced in my post a couple of weeks ago). I love being able to communicate with her and I love hearing her adorable little voice. She still will whine and point, but it's becoming less and less frequent (thank goodness!) She also does a great job saying "thank you" and also saying "please" when she needs something. She still won't say Sammy, which I find funny since that was like Eddie's first word. She basically understands everything we say and will respond to yes or no questions. She is getting quite animated with her responses too which is hilarious. She knows the color blue and if you ask her what color something is, she will always respond with blue. It cracks me up, so I often quiz her. I think she is also starting to understand pink. We'll just keep practicing!
Other - Edith has a very strong personality. She loves her mama and her daddy and Eddie. Outside of that circle, it can take some time for her to warm up. She does better in small groups, but most strangers she'll stare at them and give them the look. She has some separation issues with me, but starting in January, she'll be joining Eddie at "school" on Friday mornings. I'm hoping this will help some. I want everyone to see the Edith that we know. She's funny and loves to laugh and make us laugh. But, she is also quick to throw herself on the floor and cry and scream if she doesn't want to do something. Her little "fits" don't usually last long. Sometimes it's because she can't communicate what she wants and sometimes I know she is testing us. Mostly I find it funny, especially because she will drop anywhere and act as though the world is ending!
I love this stage of exploration and learning about the world through a toddlers eyes. I love watching Edith and Eddie play together. They adore each other. She always asks me about him if he's not around. I truly believe she is 1 and 1/2 going on 10 or maybe 13! We love her silly antics and we can't wait to see what she will come up with next!
Sleep - We are still doing great in this category. She goes to bed around 7 pm and sleeps until 6:30-7 each morning. She only takes one nap a day. Usually she goes down right after lunch (often times she be "all done" and requests to go "night-night"), around 12:30 and sleeps until 2. On a good days maybe until 3. She falls asleep fairly quickly and often will play in her crib for a while with her gang of puppies and babies and blankets when she wakes up. She still has a nuk when she goes to sleep, but they stay in her crib.
Eating - She is our savory child. She'll eat sweet stuff, but she prefers cheese. She also likes spicy food and has discovered dipping things into sauces. She does amazing with a fork and spoon. Sometimes she sits at the table with a placemat. It's still a little high for her, but she likes it. When we have messier foods, she uses her tray. She doesn't love milk all the time, but that's ok. She doesn't have the hang of drinking from a regular cup, so it's still sippy cup. We have to watch her during snack time because she likes to steal from her brother when he isn't looking!
Moving - Edith can definitely keep up with Eddie. She is tall enough now to "drive" his little car. She also likes to run around with her stroller. She can jump with two feet and likes to twirl around when she dances. Last week she kept twirling, falling down dizzy and then getting back up and doing it all over again!
Playing - We have a girly-girl on our hands. She loves her babies. And her bags. And her phones. And putting her phones in her bags. She likes to wear necklaces and glasses and brush her hair. And the phones - she has so many. I think she got this one from her mama! She also likes to play trains with Eddie and with his cars too. She builds stuff with him and she loves to sit and play with duplos just as much as Eddie. She also likes playing with the toy kitchen and feeding Uncas and I with all types of food. She likes books, although it has to be on her terms for when she'll actually sit still for them.
Communication - This one is a talker! I remember thinking that she has started talking a bit later than Eddie, but I actually think that she is surpassing him from when he was 18 months. She knows lots of words and is already starting to put them together (referenced in my post a couple of weeks ago). I love being able to communicate with her and I love hearing her adorable little voice. She still will whine and point, but it's becoming less and less frequent (thank goodness!) She also does a great job saying "thank you" and also saying "please" when she needs something. She still won't say Sammy, which I find funny since that was like Eddie's first word. She basically understands everything we say and will respond to yes or no questions. She is getting quite animated with her responses too which is hilarious. She knows the color blue and if you ask her what color something is, she will always respond with blue. It cracks me up, so I often quiz her. I think she is also starting to understand pink. We'll just keep practicing!
Other - Edith has a very strong personality. She loves her mama and her daddy and Eddie. Outside of that circle, it can take some time for her to warm up. She does better in small groups, but most strangers she'll stare at them and give them the look. She has some separation issues with me, but starting in January, she'll be joining Eddie at "school" on Friday mornings. I'm hoping this will help some. I want everyone to see the Edith that we know. She's funny and loves to laugh and make us laugh. But, she is also quick to throw herself on the floor and cry and scream if she doesn't want to do something. Her little "fits" don't usually last long. Sometimes it's because she can't communicate what she wants and sometimes I know she is testing us. Mostly I find it funny, especially because she will drop anywhere and act as though the world is ending!
I love this stage of exploration and learning about the world through a toddlers eyes. I love watching Edith and Eddie play together. They adore each other. She always asks me about him if he's not around. I truly believe she is 1 and 1/2 going on 10 or maybe 13! We love her silly antics and we can't wait to see what she will come up with next!
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| Wearing 2 necklaces and phone in bag! |
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| Loading up stroller with animals to go for a walk! |
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| Swimming with Eddie in their "pool" with their babies! |
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas from our family to yours! Hope everyone has a fun and happy day today. We started a new tradition this year. On Saturday we made gingerbread cookies together. The kids really had a lot of fun and Uncas and I did too!
We put on our aprons and set off making and baking the cookies. It went pretty well as Uncas and Edith teamed up while Eddie and I worked together.
I did most of the rolling and cutting out, but then Uncas stepped in while I managed the cookies in the oven. Eddie really like eating the cookie dough. Edith was more interested in her snack and making the dough into little balls.
We made the cookies in the morning. While the kids were taking their nap, I made the royal icing and got everything prepped for decorating. I made up one batch of icing and divided it into three colors - white, green, and red. I made sure we had 2 piping bags of each color. When the kids woke up, we popped some popcorn and set to work at the dining room table. This time the girls stuck together while Eddie and Uncas worked together.
I was pretty pleased with the outcome. The kids weren't super into decorating - they wanted to eat the cookies. We made some really tiny people, that we would frost and then promptly shove in our mouths. Uncas and I mainly ended up decorating the cookies, but that's ok. I have a feeling next year they'll get the hang of it!
Here is the end result:
We put on our aprons and set off making and baking the cookies. It went pretty well as Uncas and Edith teamed up while Eddie and I worked together.
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| Edith helping squeeze the piping bag. |
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| Eddie eating popcorn with one hand and decorating with the other! |
Here is the end result:
Monday, December 24, 2012
My Favorite Kind of Tree
That tree would be one you can eat! Like a cookie in the shape of a tree. I'm totally borrowing from my friend Lisa. She made these trees last year and I decided to make them this year. I documented all the steps.
First you start with some cookies. I find it best to make these during naptime or else I would be down a few cookies!
Then you whip up a batch of royal icing. And then you start outlining the trees.
After they are outlined, you can flood the cookies.
After this step, I leave the cookies to set overnight. You could stop here because they look pretty nice and they taste just as well. But then the fun starts - decorating the trees! First you add some garland.
Then come the ornaments (or lights):
And finally you can top them with stars.
I tried a few different types of decorations before I settled on the ones I made above. Here are my "practice" cookies. It's always good to have a few of these, so you can eat them and then give away the "nice" ones!
First you start with some cookies. I find it best to make these during naptime or else I would be down a few cookies!
After this step, I leave the cookies to set overnight. You could stop here because they look pretty nice and they taste just as well. But then the fun starts - decorating the trees! First you add some garland.
Then come the ornaments (or lights):
And finally you can top them with stars.
Friday, December 21, 2012
"Help this Mama"
Edith is already trying to string words together! Her latest this week is "help this mama", meaning "help me with this mama." It's adorable and cute and I can't get enough of her!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Holiday Tradition - Baking Cookies
My favorite holiday tradition growing up was baking cookies with my mom. We have continued that tradition even now that I am an adult. Some years we were able to make a ton of cookies in one weekend. But now with the kids, we made two batches. It was still a lot of fun and I love that we are continuing the tradition with my kids. Both Edith and Eddie had so much fun decorating the sugar cookies. The thing to remember right now is to have a sense of humor and lots of patience (and a broom on hand!). I can't wait to do this again next year!
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| Hey - who is this sneaking in to help out? |
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