Potty Update

Campbell has really turned a corner on the whole potty training thing. She now willingly goes "tinkle" on the potty with usually 1 or maybe 2 wet pull ups a day. I think what helped us turn the corner was enticing (aka bribing) her with little prizes (thank you to KJ & J for the good tip!). When she goes, she gets to pick a little prize - thank goodness for the $1 bargain bins at Target! But even cheaper for me is that the prize she now picks every time is a few pieces of fruit snacks.

It's pretty funny how every time she goes, she exclaims loudly: "I'm starting to go tinkle!!!"

I still have to remind her to go, but a few times she's told us she had to go. And even better, a couple mornings she's woken up with a completely dry diaper. I think her best effort was that she stayed dry the whole drive up north to Nana & Papa's house. She was so excited to go there that I couldn't get her to sit on the potty before we left. She said that she'd go when she got to Nana & Papa's house - and she did!

The next hurdle will be getting her to go poop on the potty....don't worry I'll be sure to share with the world when it happens! I promise there will just be words, no pictures. ha! ha! :)

9 months

Happy 9 month birthday Mr. Blake! I feel like I'm constantly saying this, but I'll say it again. Where does the time go?

A bit of a rough birthday for the little guy...

At ECFE, the teachers say that there is a separation anxiety peak at 9 months - and Blake's timing is impeccable. He wants his Mama. He's perfectly happy alone with Gabe, but if Blake catches sight of me, he looses it. 

For the first time today, Blake was scared of the vacuum cleaner. I was holding him, but he was crying and clinging onto my shoulder like a little monkey, so I set him down. He was standing up & holding onto the footstool watching me and whimpering while I was trying to rush & finish. Then I realized he was trembling he was so scared. He looked so pitiful... in a twisted way, it was kind of funny. Sorry Blake. 

Yesterday morning as we were laying in bed Blake kept saying 'Da' (meaning Dada) and crawling over to Gabe. It's funny how he wants me so bad, but said 'Da' first. I heard somewhere that babies are able to say 'Dada' first because they only have to use their tongue and therefore it's an easier sound to make. And in order to say 'Mama' you need to use your lips too. Or maybe that's just something they say to make Moms feel better. So if you are keeping meticulous track like I am, Blake has in fact doubled his vocabulary. He can now say 'hi' and 'Da'. 

Life is hard as a 9 month old! But not too hard....he got to cuddle with 'Da' and watch the football game this afternoon. As you can see, Gabe was more into the game than Blake was.

Blake's stats at his 9 month well baby exam:

• weight: 20 lbs 10 oz (50%)
• height: 28.5 in (60%)
• head size: 18.5 in (75%)

I was a bit worried about what the doctor would say about Blake still not sitting. She didn't seem concerned about it since he is crawling & pulling himself up to standing. He just doesn't want to be still long enough to sit, he wants to be on the move.

Stick Boy

Blake is obsessed with sticks. He loves to stand at the base of the steps & bang the steps with a drumstick. Or hit toys around the room with it. Future hockey player or drummer? Or do boys just love sticks?

Blake is pulling himself up to standing onto EVERYTHING (steps, chairs, couch, toys, the slide, dishwasher, me) and crawling up a couple steps now. It sure does make life more challenging chasing after him & trying to keep him safe. I'm a bit worried he's going to be an early walker like his sister. Doesn't he know it'd be easier for me if he just wanted to stay put! haha!

UPDATE: Here's a picture of Campbell doing the same thing on 3.12.08, so I thought I'd put it up. Campbell did this at 7 months & since Blake is almost 9....maybe I have a few months grace period before he walks!

I recently started giving Blake a bath in the big tub instead of the infant tub. For the first couple times, he laid perfectly still on his back - I think he was wondering what the heck was going on. Then today he turned over & starting splashing. He thought he was really something else!

Happy 2010

J & A hosted a nice party & we had a great time as usual with our friends. There were 5 kids ages 3 and under! I was feeling a bit sentimental this year - I couldn't get over how it'd been 10 years since the Millennium Party. A lot has changed, but a lot is the same as well - like how many New Year's parties have we worn these hats?!?

Campbell-isms & Little Song Bird

Campbell has taken a verbal leap. She doesn't have that little baby sing-song voice like she used to (I'm so sad!). Gabe and I were watching some video from April & we couldn't believe how little she looked, how short her hair was & how her voice had changed. I've been accumulating on little scraps of paper the things she says, and I'm finally getting around to getting them on the blog..

• I can't believe the booster (seat) is so dirty.
• Eigh, eigh, eigh (I don't know exactly how to spell it...but do you know that expression? She sounds like an old Finish lady saying it - hilarious!)
• (After throwing food on the floor) Oh that's fine, Mama, you can clean it up by yourself.
• (As she's running by me) Mama, I don't have time to talk to you.
• I'm busy so I can't play with you guys now.
  
• Not now, I'm working on my project. 
  
• Mama, thank you for being so patient. (I feel better about this one than the previous three.)
  
• (This morning as we are looking out our front window at our first substantial snowfall.) Campbell: YE-AH! There's enough snow! (I was thinking she was going to say to build a snowman because that's what she's been wanting to do & I keep telling her we need more snow.) Me: Enough for what? Campbell: Now there is enough snow for winter!
  
• The snow is bEAUtiful (She really accentuates the EAU)
• Um, I love it! (Eating oatmeal - or "oakmeal" as she has been calling it lately)
• It's upside up! (I think she either meant right side up or upside down.)
• Driving by the daycare she used to go to. Gabe: That's where you went to daycare when you a little baby. Campbell: Yeah, that's where I went when I was Blake's age, when I was Campbell Palmer.
  
• I just gave the lamp a kiss. That sure nice of me. 
• I put labels on our toy boxes & Campbell came downstairs in the morning, took one look at the boxes & said: Hey Mama! The boxes got names!
• I gave Campbell a little snack of cereal & I snuck (or so I thought) a chocolate covered almond for myself. She looked at me & said: What you got there, Missy?
• The rule for you is not to take off my bandage. (She had a band-aid on her leg & didn't want me to take it off.)
• That's what I'm whining about! (When I figured out she wanted yogurt for breakfast.)
• Are you kidding me? I'm just kidding you & kidding you! (She was teasing me.)
• Now let's see here... 
• Me: I wonder what time it is? Campbell: I think it's 30 o'clock. 
• Campbell already has a better sense of direction than I do - thank goodness! The other day we stopped to get some coffee in a strip mall a bit off the highway. I stayed in the car with the kids & Gabe went in. While we were waiting, Campbell pointed over to the road we exited onto from the highway and said "Mama, is this the way close to the road?
• Not too shabby breakfast (Meaning, this isn't too shabby of a breakfast.)
• Naps and time outs make me feel better. And sometimes make me sneeze.
• Me: What song do you want to sing to Blake? Campbell: Ah, Ah, Ah sticks 'n' snakes. (I have no idea where she came up with that, but isn't it just the perfect song for a boy!?!)
  
• (She started singing out of the blue while sitting on the potty.) Ah, Ah, Ah Grammy Sharon is the best. 

All of a sudden, something clicked with Campbell because she started randomly singing songs on her own. Is there anything sweeter than a 2 year old singing? I don't think so - it sounds like a little angel.Some favorites include:

• Twinkle, twinkle. 
• Songs from ECFE Class: Tick tock and the Name chant (Campbell's here today, Campbell's here today...yea...Campbell!). 
• Clean up song. 
• Old McDonald. 
• I'm a Little Teapot.
  
• some lines from Hey, Soul Sister...she said something like "soul sister on the radio".( I almost dropped over from that one. It's the song that plays on my blog, but I swear to you I hadn't played it in at least 2 weeks. But when I first put it on the blog we were dancing to it so it must have made an impression on her.)
  

I've been trying to think of words to describe Campbell's personality. I thought it was interesting to hear how Campbell's ECFE teacher referred to her the other day, when she said something along the lines of this: "She's not a child that does something halfheartedly. She goes all the way with her emotions."  And she sure does! Lately she's been learning to name her emotions, telling me that she's "so sad" (and puts her head down and makes a very sad looking face) and "so nervous". And she's "so happy" when I tell her it's nap time (meaning she doesn't think she needs a nap because she's magically not tired/cranky all of a sudden).

Campbell was very quiet for a while & this is what I found. Why wouldn't you put stickers all over your body & in your hair?!?

I just realized Campbell doesn't have pants on in any of these pictures. Yes, she does wear pants (when we're in public), but we've been working on the potty training thing.

Blake's First Christmas

Blake's first Christmas! Although I don't think he ever got a chance to even hold a present due to Campbell being so excited to open (everyone's) presents. Campbell kept saying 'oh my goodness' whenever she'd open a present - it was pretty funny.

It was a fun, action packed (6 parties in 4 days) Christmas. The kids did great. Especially Blake - we drug him around everywhere and even if he was tired/hungry/wet - he didn't complain - what a trooper! 

Campbell figured out how the whole Christmas thing works this year - basically she got presents everywhere she went for days on end. It's going to take a while to recover & get back to our normal life. Weeks afterward, Campbell is still asking me if it's Christmas again yet. And she plays a game where she wants help opening (alot of) pretend presents.

 

 

 

First Word - Hi

I was taking a nap & heard a bunch of commotion coming from downstairs. Nana & Papa had gotten Blake to say his FIRST WORD! He was waving & saying "hhhhhhiiiiiiiii". So sweet!