Our big boy turned one year old this week. Due to an outbreak of the flu in our house celebrating was kept to a minimum. Grandma Ione and Grandpa Chuck came up for the weekend and the kids had a wonderful time playing with them, but you could see that Chuck and Ione definitely got worn out!!!
About one week before Haven turned one, Grace turned 2 and a half. They are almost exactly 18 months apart. So to celebrate both their milestones with all of you, here are some things you should know about Haven and Grace.
Haven is BIG BOY!!!
And we mean that in every sense of the word. He had his "well baby" visit to the doctor last week and he is, as you can see, very healthy. Here are some of the vital statistics:
- Haven is 22lb/6oz--that puts him in the 95th percentile for weight.
- He is 31 inches tall--that's 85th percentile in height.
- His head is in the 97th percentile in circumference.
- All that head makes for one smart baby!!!
- He is walking--he started about 1 week before his birthday and now he off to the races.
- He is talking--he has about 20 words that he speaks, signs, or sometimes both, including: mama, daddy, hat, all done, bubble, apple, ball, belly, tickle, dog, go, milk, more.
- He will mimic just about any word you say to him. Yesterday he said octopus! No, really!!!
- He sleeps like a dream--takes a good long nap and sleeps straight through the night with no interruptions from about 8:30pm to 8:00am.
- He eats like a horse--loves potatoes, pasta, anything with spaghetti sauce on it, beans and rice, cookies, ice cream--ok the only thing that he really doesn't like are eggs.
- He is the cuddliest, most affectionate, happiest little guy ever. He is smiles that dimply smile all the time.
- He loves his sister and follows her everywhere.
- He likes to dance and has started to sort of make singing noises when Grace sings.
- If I say "give Mama a kiss" he puts his lips on my face and makes this adorable humming sound. He also will throw kisses. He is full of love!!!
- Not to suggest our little darling doesn't have a less pleasant side: he is a climber (never a good quality in a one year old), he gets very angry and flops around like he is having a seizure when you try to change his diaper or get him dressed, he is incredibly noisy and sometimes screams a horrible terradactyl sort of screaching noise, he likes to pull Brian's chest hairs (I think that is sort of amusing, but Brian does not), and he is constantly mashing his food into his hair.
- But in general is "the most wonderful baby in the world" and such an extraordinary blessing to our family.
Sweet and Sour Grace
Two and a half is a very different age from one, and Grace has embraced it with real gusto!!! For better and for worse!!! She is still an incredibly sweet and sensitive little girl, but all of a sudden she is not a baby anymore, she really is a little girl. And she makes me wonder sometimes--are all two year olds bipolar???
- Grace is still tall for her age. I don't know her exact measurements, but she is taller than all the other girls in her play group
- She is skinny as a bamboo shoot! Her 2t pants are too loose, but also too short! It was no big deal this summer because she was usually in dresses, but now that the weather is getting cooler, I'm not sure what to do about her bottoms.
- She is skinny because she eats like a finicky hummingbird. And just like a hummingbird she would probably choose to eat nothing but sugar (I think that must be Brian's fault)
- She does love milk, bread, cheese (especially blue cheese, weird), noodles, and peas.
- She does not like anything hot. If she sees steam coming off of her food she will not ever eat it, even after it has clearly cooled off.
- In spite of her bizarre diet, she seems to be very healthy and she has amazing energy.
- Speaking of energy, Grace never sleeps. She only sleeps about 11 hours on a good night and she does not nap. Plus, she is an extremely restless sleeper and she talks, moans, thrashes around in her sleep. This has been our biggest struggle with her. She has never, since coming home, been a good sleeper. But now she can express herself quite clearly and she tells us every night "I no tired, I no sleepy", "Turn the light on", "Watch TV", etc, etc, etc. I am always ready to drop long before Grace is ready! Brian is trying to put her to sleep right now, so I am typing as quietly as I can. I should be returning a call to my mother, but Grace will not go to sleep if she hears my voice.
- Grace now talks almost constantly if she is at home with me and Brian, but she is still quiet out in public (which isn't a terrible thing, sometimes its nice to have some quiet)
- She loves to sing especially Twinkle Twinkle.
- She knows the upper and lowercase alphabet and she is starting to acquire few sight words. Her favorite video is "Hooked on Phonics".
- She can count to 10 and usually to 20.
- She loves books and cons us into reading 5 or 6 a night. She has The Lorax memorized and she can practically read it outloud with you.
- Grace is sort of potty trained. If we are at home she is in good shape, but she will not use public toilets.
- She has become very affectionate. She gives lots of hugs and kisses and she tells Brian, me, and even Haven that she loves us. It melts my heart everytime.
- She does have quite a temper, especially when she is getting close to bedtime.
- She really loves her brother and is so sweet and affectionate with him sometimes--when she is not attacking him and taking toys away from him.
- She is convinced that everything on the planet belongs to her.
- She is very sensitive, easy to cry, easily gets her feelings hurt.
- She has a great sense of humor. She laughs all the time and loves to jump and wrestle and dance!
- In spite of the sour bites from time to time, Grace is sweet, silly, funny, and she fills me up with so much joy!
Well, those are my fabulous kids. My amazing Grace and my safe Haven. My angels! My heart!!!
