3 Yr/11 Month Stats

5T/boys size 4 clothes
Size 10 shoes

HEALTH: Had 100-101 fever for two days, no other symptoms.

NEW TRICKS:

• Gets completely dressed all by himself, puts shoes away, puts clothes in hamper.
• Gets out of bed to go pee in the morning then goes back to bed (he used to sit there and holler, "I HAVE TO PEEEEEEE!" until we came in and got him up!)

FAVORITE FOODS:
Harper out-eats him and just about every meal.

FAVORITE BOOKS:
I think I'm going to start getting him chapter books--he really follows stories/plots now and enjoys that. Starting to sound out words with help.

FAVORITE TOYS/ACTIVITIES:

• This isn't necessarily a favorite activity, but he is very accurate at hitting the baseball off his tee. If he's in the mood, he will do this over and over.
• Loves riding his bike "really fast."
• Watching Bugs Bunny (Looney Toons) and carryiing around a toy carrot saying, "What's up, Doc?"
• Manipulating his Bumblebee transformer. (I had no idea it took 19 steps for it to "transform." Seriously??!!)
• Playing w/ his Automoblox and Kid K'Nex blocks; building anything.

DAILY ROUTINE:
Up at 7-7:30 (we bought a clock that you can set to change colors at a certain time to indicate that it's okay to get out of bed! He has yet to actually stay in bed until that time--7:30--so we're working on it....) Still naps just about every day from 12:30-2ish. To bed at 8:30.

FAVORITE SONGS:
We discovered the 1996 hit "Come On Ride It" (the train song) by Quad City DJ's and Brax loves it. Or maybe I just still really love it!
I've noticed that he will sing the words to songs we listen to on his own... I'm glad we listen to KLOVE!

DISLIKES:
Time out, being woken up.

MOMENTS I DON'T WANT TO FORGET:
Our first campout!!! Saturday, June 11. The weather was PERFECT, not too hot, a little breeze. We got stuff to make smores (GIANT marshmallows) and roasted them over the grill! Brax took one bite of the chocolate, started gagging and puked on the patio. That didn't stop him though! He helped me put up our cheapy Wal-Mart tent (which surprisingly only took about 10 minutes) and we put blankets and pillows down in it. He had a blast going in and out, zipping and unzipping the door. We made popcorn and ate it in the tent while we watched a movie on my computer. Finally at about 10pm we tried to go to sleep, but at 10:30 he requested to go in to his own bed! We obliged.... hopefully next time we'll make it all night!

At Wal-Mart grocery shopping. He ALWAYS begs to go look at the trains the minute we walk in. This time, he said, "Momma, you can look at whatever you want to. I can wait to look at trains 'cause I'm a big boy now. I was just little last night [this means any time in the past tense to him] and that's why I kept asking to go to the trains. We can look at them whenever you want to...." I could not believe my ears!!! Who was this kid?! My little boy is growing up so fast.

When we went to see Cars 2. We brought snacks and got popcorn and an Icee... he was so patient waiting in line for almost an hour to get in. During the movie he was leaning against me and I had my hand on his chest. The movie was so intense and exciting I could feel his heart beating out of his chest! His little hands were shaking as he nervously picked at his finger nails... I asked him if he was okay, he said he was fine, and that he liked the movie! Guess he likes the action flicks!

BRAXISMS:

• "I'm talking to you, honey."
• "You look so pretty, Momma. Are you going out?"
• "MOMMAAAA!!!! I missed you while you were at work today!" (He says this every time I go! Almost makes going to work worth it when I see how excited he is when I walk in the door.)
• "I don't wanna get big and get married. I don't want to live with anyone else but you!" (Cute now, but I'm hoping he outgrows this...LOL!)
• He really wants to know "why" and the reasoning behind what I tell him to do or not do. He'll say "why" and when I say "because I said so," he'll will say, "NO Momma, you have to tell me WHY!!!!"
  

17 Month Stats

18 Month Clothes, Size 4 diaper, Size 5 shoes
9 teeth erupted (got #B and #I this month-upper molars-both in one week!!)

HEALTH: Other than teething, she has been fine.

NEW TRICKS:

• Runs! (speed walks, anyway)
• Feeds herself with a spoon and fork.
• Can go down the stairs forward holding onto the rail. (I still prefer the backwards-on-her-tummy method!)
• Tries to wash her hair (and Brax's).
• Wipes her tray after she eats.
• Gets Kleenexes and wipes her nose.
• Eats her food without me having to cut it up.
• Likes to sit on the potty (no action, just likes to say pee pee and sit there).
• Pours water on her face in the bathtub, also lays on both her tummy and back and kicks.
• Down to one nap.
  

NEW VOCAB:

• "be-be" (blanket)
• "buh-buh" (bubbles)
• "Bubba" (bubba/Brax)
• "buh" (bow)
• "fis" (fish)
• "mow mow" (meow-meow/cat)
• "gobba gobba" (gobble gobble/turkey)
• "baa baa" (sheep)
• "maa maa" (goat)
• "puh-puh" (purple)
• "nak" (snack)
• "kaka" (cracker and color)
• "kick" (kick)
• "gagel" (bagel)
• "gogo" (yogurt)
• "bebes" (blueberries)
• "bib"
• "sees" (cheese)
• "ga kub" (golf club)
• "fuf" (soft)
• "o-ma" (oh man!) (i'm pretty sure she is saying this and that she got it from Brax!)
• "doo doo" (noodles)
  

FAVORITE FOODS:
Just about anything still. LOVES bananas.

FAVORITE BOOKS:
My First Words, One Fish Two Fish, Goodnight Moon, 10 Little Ladybugs

FAVORITE TOYS/ACTIVITIES:

• Drumming. She LOVES to drum on anything--her drum set, pots and pans, her tray in her chair... Sister's got some rhythm! She loves to dance, too.
• Water--swimming, bathtime. She puts her face in the water, and kicks like crazy.
• Riding her trike (foot powered), especially when Brax pushes her around.
• Rolling on top of her big ball, sitting on it and bouncing.
• Flipping light switches on and off.
• Talking on the phone (whether there's anyone there or not!!)
• Snuggling her blanket. She will pull her blanket out and drag it to the couch and want to sit in your lap and snuggle (along with her nite-nite, which will be gone in the next month or two!)
• Watching Fresh Beat Band.
• Watching sports on TV and clapping whenever the fans clap.
• Coloring (then tearing up the paper).
• Playing with Brax's screwdrivers... "fixing" stuff.
  

DAILY ROUTINE:
Up at 7:30-8, breakfast. Snack at 9:30-10. Lunch at 11:30. Nap at 12-2ish. Snack at 2:30. Dinner at 5:30. Bath at 7:00. Books/to bed at 7:30.

FAVORITE SONGS:
Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, any FBB songs.

DISLIKES:
Diaper changes, brushing teeth.

MOMENTS I DON'T WANT TO FORGET:
How she does that great belly laugh when you tickle her.
How she looks at you with a really disconcerted look on her face sometimes, like she just wants a little sympathy.
Her scrunchy nose smile.
How she sits in the bath tub with her legs out in front of her and rubs her legs and kicks them really straight up and down. And then rolls over and over in the tub, playing in the water.
How she bites and head butts Brax if he gets on her nerves for too long.
How she is so relaxed in her stroller when we go for walks.
How she walks with her hands out behind her sometimes.
How she plays peek-a-boo with herself in her crib when she wakes up, putting blankets on her head and pulling them off.

3 Yr/10 Month Stats

35 Lbs.
42 1/2 inches tall
5t shirts, 4t shorts. Can wear boys size 4/small stuff too.
Size 10 shoe.

HEALTH: 5/8-noticed his left ear was bleeding and very smelly. 5/13-woke up crying at night, ear bleeding again. Started ear drops. Stuffy nose, up all night the next night. 5/15-to urgent care, ear bleeding a lot. Dx ear infection, started Augmentin.

NEW TRICKS:

• So confident on his bike now!
• Does "exercises" on his big ball.
• Takes dishes to the sink w/out being told. (Most of the time!)

MOMENTS I DON'T WANT TO FORGET:
Trip to Cali. Brax was such a great traveler, and a big help. He slept on the plane quite a bit, and rode on the stroller while helping me hold the bags and carseat on it as well! It was actually really fun traveling with him. The best day ever was when we went to San Francisco to spend the day with my friend Vanessa. We packed alot of fun in that one day, and I would say that besides the day he was born, it was my favorite day with my little guy!

The day he hid a box of diapers in his cardboard house when I brought them in from the store. I had no idea. I went back to the store thinking I was crazy and had left them there! A couple days later they reappeared, and that's when he finally told me he had hidden them. He thought it was hilarious.

BRAXISMS:

• Said the bird feeder must have peanut butter in it because the birds haven't eaten any.
• Talking about a girl at school-"She is a dumb girl and talks too much at circle time."
• Spilled his milk on the carpet as he was carrying it to the sink. Quickly said he was sorry and that he wanted to unspill it. So sweet. I was glad I didn't get mad at him!
• Touched the rail the garage door slides up and down on, got grease on his hand. Started dry heaving when he showed it to me, then puked in the driveway. I couldn't quit laughing!
• Called me "sweet girl" one night as I was tucking him in.
• Saw a picture of Harper when she was a little baby-asked if that was "our old baby."
  

16 Month Stats

Didn't weigh/measure this month.
18 month clothes, Size 4/5 shoes, Size 4 diapers.
7 teeth-got #N while we were in California

HEALTH: Twice this month Harper woke up a few nights crying. I think it was teeth or just a cold. One day she had a 101.7 fever, then 3 days later broke out it a bad rash all over her neck/trunk area. I think it was rosceola. Not much to do about it but ride it out, it lasted 3 days or so.

NEW TRICKS:

• Feeds her babies
• Will lay down for a diaper change when instructed to do so.
• Will sometimes cooperate for tooth brushing.
• Puts her diaper in the trash.
• Getting great at walking.
• No longer takes a bottle as of May 5. She pretty much weaned herself.
  

NEW VOCAB:

• Says "ahhh" after every sip.
• "Minna?" (This translates into "what's that?" Don't know where she got it, but she consistently says it with a question mark when she points at something.)
• "gobba gobba" (what a turkey says)
• "bumpy" (about the avacado we were inspecting at the store)
• "key"
• "nak" (snack)
• "hat"

FAVORITE FOODS:
Anything. Just like momma! Eats a waffle and blueberries every morning, LOVES bananas, yogurt, meat sticks, ANY veggies...

FAVORITE BOOKS:
10 Little Babies, My First Word Book, 10 Little Ladybugs.

FAVORITE TOYS/ACTIVITIES:

• Drawing on the doodle pro.
• Hanging her washcloth on the hook in the bathtub.
• Pushing her stroller.
• Riding her tricycle (especially when Brax pushes her)

DAILY ROUTINE:
Up at 7:30-8, breakfast. Still transitioning between one and two naps, so every day is a little different! To bed at 7:30.

FAVORITE SONGS:
Still loves her Fresh Beat Band and any music. Waves her arms around, bobs up and down.

DISLIKES:
Diaper changes, teeth brushing.

MOMENTS I DON'T WANT TO FORGET:
Her last bottle. Thursday, May 5, I gave her a bottle at bed time (we had cut out the bottle at nap time last month.) She was only taking a few ounces, so I knew the time was coming! I tried holding her "like a baby" and feeding her her bottle, wanting to savor the moment knowing it was probably the last, but she was just so over it! She pushed it away and wanted to read books. Although I was a little sad, I was so proud of her! The next night we went out and had a babysitter that put her to bed, and she didn't take ANY of the bottle from her. So I took that as our cue to get rid of them completely. And that was that!

Our trip to California. She was a little high maintenance with the mommy-attachment. The only other person she would go to (in my presence, anyway) was my step-mom. Other than that, she was great! She slept well and pretty much stayed on our time. She LOVED the beach! It was cool and rainy but it didn't phase Harper! She enjoyed playing in the sand.