Levi is 6 Months!

Within one week my baby turned three and my babiest baby turned six months. HALF OF A YEAR. Help. They are nearly moving out. What is happening?!?  (For the record, I am much better with the second child. Bryan has yet to find me in bed sobbing because Levi passed another milestone. But still! Six months is a big deal!)

Little Man is slightly taller than Izzie at this age, and about a pound and a half lighter.  He seems like quite the lightweight.  But he is hitting the big kids foods pretty hard.  In the last week we started to do one or two meals of rice cereal and a fruit or veggie a day.  He has also tried bits of real bananas and real peas, and loves his MumMums (air crackers).  Rolling over is quick as a flash now (still just back to tummy, but he can go either direction).  He is getting much better at sitting, though he isn't completely independent at this yet.  And he has an opinion that he shares occasionally.  Still pretty laid back, but he makes himself known every now and then. 

This piano must always be thrown on the floor.  Always.

Sock pulling off and toe chewing is a new favorite pastime.  

His scooting is coming much more productive.  From
under the play gym to where he is in just a couple minutes.  

Eating some banana.  "FLAVOR!  Where have you been hiding this?!"

He is included in Izzie's play a lot.  His opinion on this is yet to be
determined.  Here, Levi got an invite into Izzie and Dan's fort.

"This is my shocked face."  All through Sam's one day.

Finger painting at school.  He is the youngest in his
room and the teachers said he was the most focused.

At Morrill Hall for sister's birthday.  Always so patient for her outings.

Eating some peas.

Besties

Only 54% for weight.  Who's kid is this?

Did I mention he is relaxed?

   

Isabel is 3!

Happy Birthday, dear Isabel.  You have been the sunshine of our lives for 3 glorious years, and we are so blessed to have you.  I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that your daddy and I look at each other every once in awhile and say things like, "We don't deserve her!" or "How did we get so lucky?".  Because, regardless of the normal bumps that come along with parenting a toddler (now a little girl!), you are remarkable.  We love you SO MUCH.  These are the words we picked to describe you, and they could not be more fitting...

INDEPENDENT.  You have always wanted to do things on your own.  You have never been a cuddle bug, and you have rarely been tentative.  You like to try things yourself and have always been pushing to do  more than we think you should!  You are not a daredevil or a risk taker -- you won't do the slides at play lands and hate being tossed in the air or turned upside down -- but you are not afraid.  You just know who you are and what you like and are perfectly fine cooking dinner on the first level of the play land while everyone else runs up and down like crazy monkeys.  You even talk to kids you don't know while you're in there and ask them about themselves.  You ARE brave -- it's just a different kind of bravery.  And I love that about you.  

SMART.  Oh, my darling, how you blow our minds sometimes with the things you say and do.  Just the other day you were coloring in your coloring book, pointed at the number 3, and said, "Look, Mommy!  A three!  Just like I'm going to be!"  You know so many of your letters, love doing puzzles with lots of pieces, and have the vocabulary of an eight year old.  "Mommy, I'm frustrated so I'm just going to need some time, okay?"  Sometimes I forgot you are still just a little one, and get into arguments trying to reason with you before I realize that you still are so young!  

AMAZING.  Everything about you is exciting and fun for us.  You make us laugh daily.  You impress us with the way you love your brother.  You are protective our your cousins.  You invent new games.  You are a hilarious storyteller.  You STILL love to read and will sit with your stacks of books forever it seems.  Even when you're naughty, most of the time we can see it is just your strong will finding its way, and we are excited to see the person you are becoming.  You don't give out hugs easily or quickly, but you will talk to most anyone.  The other day we were making bread and ran out of eggs.  I sent you to the neighbors by yourself (I was watching from the doorstep) and you didn't look back once.  You walked across the driveways, rang their doorbell, asked "Can we have an egg?" and went inside.  When you came back out, you smiled at them and waved, and the neighbor said you two had chatted all about our predicament.  You amaze us.  

BEAUTIFUL.  Your outsides are gorgeous -- your beautiful blue eyes, bright smile, and long blonde hair.  But your heart is the most beautiful thing about you.  You are tender, loving, and sweet.  You care deeply about the people in your life ("We are a family, right?!") and love spending time with those you love.

ENTHUSIASTIC.  Almost every suggestion is met with an enthusiastic, "Okay!".  You are game for most anything and genuinely excited about doing things.  You are bubbly and happy and it is contagious.  "Should we do this?  Yeah?  Wouldn't it be SO NEAT?"  Your daycare teachers tell me that "everyone wants to do what Izzie does" and I think this is part of the reason why.  You make everything sound fun!

LOVEABLE.  We could not love you more.  End of story.  

My Peeps

Don't be jealous.  These are the people I hang out with on a daily basis.  Who am I kidding?  You're going to be jealous.  LOOK AT THEM.  How did Bryan and I get lucky enough to have these people?!?

Sickness and School

The sweetest little sweet pea there ever was had his first day of school at the beginning of this month. He was darling and delightful...and (like his sister before him) refused to nap.  The main problem is probably that they will only put him down on his back, and this pumpkin has been a tummy sleeper since six weeks.  He typically takes a 1.5 hour nap in the morning and a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon.  Here he is, at school, quickly cramming in a 20 minute nap on the floor at 2pm after refusing to sleep all day.  But he wouldn't let go of his toy...

So tired.  Must...hold...on...

There is hope, however.  This little nugget ROLLED OVER.  I laid him on his back on the floor, turned to play with Izzie, and when I looked again he was on his tummy.  I didn't actually witness it, but apart from a miracle, which seems highly improbable and also a little useless, I think we have to assume he did it on his own.  Now, to teach him to do it when they lay him in his crib for nap at school...

This seems like a lot of screaming for flopping around and accidentally ending here.  But...thanks?

This picture is important.  Remember this picture.  This is the picture of my darlings kissing and hugging and snuggling and laughing two inches from each other's faces on a Wednesday.  

"Mommy!  He likes to lick my face!"

And this is my daughter on that Saturday.  Stomach flu.

This is my son on that Sunday.  Influenza.  Turns out, they are not the same type of flu and my bitties can infect each other.  No worries, they hardly ever share germs...OH, WAIT.  Please remember that picture I told you to remember.  Yikes.

And this was our quarantined, infected home.  A lot of pajamas were worn.  A lot of books were read.   And this girlie watched more movies than she has in her lifetime.  

But, don't worry!  We found other ways to entertain ourselves.  Can YOU spot the Tylenol bottle?  Who says being sick can't be fun?  Especially when it's medicine time for your brother and your mom is slightly crazy from being homebound with two sick kids.  Good times!

And this was more fun.  She was better -- no puking or fever -- and fell asleep.  In my arms.  FOR THIRTY MINUTES.  This might be the last time it will ever happen, so I would like to document it.  This child does not snuggle and likes to sleep in her bed.  Have I mentioned that this does not happen?  I ate it up...before slipping out from under her and enjoying the first ten minutes in three days without a child or two clinging to me in some form or fashion.  Doubly delightful.

Finally, BOTH kids are well and going to school (we somehow managed to avoid them infecting each other).  And buddy is wearing his kicks (Daddy bought them for Caden one-hundred years ago and now it's our turn to use them).  Gotta look good.

Because I can't help myself...

This is what I make my friends do, because I can't help myself.  COME ON.  How cute is this?  I love when I can force people in my life to reenact special moments.  They are almost exactly the same age in these pictures (the kids, not the Dans).  Big thanks to Uncle Dan for going along with my special kind of crazy - at least I didn't ask him to change clothes or go tanning (July vs. January, folks).

Clearly, Izzie was bigger.  And clearly, my kids don't really look anything alike.  At all.  There are moments where their expressions are the same, and they have the same uni-length fingers and fuzzy hair.  But that's about it. Oh! Their eyes - their beautiful blue eyes surrounded by a dark blue outer rim. Exact same coloring. And they are gorgeous.

Please note Dan's bracelet in the bottom picture.  Made by Izzie, worn by him (in public) on numerous occasions.  Because that is the wonderful kind of adopted uncle that he is.  And she adores him for it.