James continues to be a baby of extremes. He's either so happy that it's contagious or...well...he's not. He has been very clingy with me and cries any time I put him down or walk away or walk through the room without picking him up. He's better for other people and when we are away from the house. Actually he loves being out&about and is very good in the grocery store or running other errands. For example, he's been putting up a difficult fuss during meals at home... every meal; we decided to visit a restaurant for lunch after playing at the park one Saturday and James made it through the restaurant lunch with a happy hyper smile the whole time.
There isn't anything that James won't try to pull himself up with; curtains, Claire, Brooks, and Daddy's leg hair are all fair game. He's very good at walking himself around while holding onto something, and can make quick laps around the coffee table when there's a toy or radio on the other side. He's also done very well with the wooden walker and can move it around quite a good distance. James may be getting pretty confident with the walker because he's made it a personal mission to figure out how to move Claire's little baby stroller while standing too.
James has two teeth now. The second one came in sometime in early August. We've caught him sucking his thumb in his crib but that's really the only time we see him do that anymore. James can wave at just a vocal prompt now. He usually gets excited and decides it's more fun to wave with both hands. He loves to get an object and bang it on the coffee table or other similar surfaces. He is starting to enjoy books and turning the pages. "Zoom Buggy" is his favorite book. He rocks or bounces whenever he hears music. James still loves his big sister and wants to be right with her every time she's around.
Getting James to eat has been tricky. He will eat most any pureed food I prepare including green beans, broccoli and asparagus, but only if he has puffs or crackers to eat at the same time. Finding finger foods that he will eat has been very challenging. Of course he loves the puffs and other baby prepackaged snacks, but otherwise shredded cheese is the only other finger food that he'll eat consistently. We keep trying though!
James is sleeping better. He usually wakes up between 5:30 and 6:30. If it's early enough, I can nurse him and he'll go back to sleep until about 7, but often when he wakes up, he's ready to play. Most nights he still has one period of crying but usually will fall back asleep after 10-20 minutes. Naps are still inconsistent and just depend on the circumstances of any given day. Generally he takes 2 or 3 naps ranging from 45 to 90 minutes. He nurses five times most days, eats three meals in his highchair and sometimes has a morning snack. He is in 12 month clothes and size 3 diapers.
Claire talks and sings ALL day long. She asks many-many-many questions, constantly narrates everything she is doing, sings all the songs she knows, makes up new songs, and changes the lyrics to songs. We often struggle to keep a straight face because with every subsequent question her pitch gets higher and higher until it's as high as she can manage. She also has started to use a sweet gentle voice for talking to James. When we tell her that she can't do something or go somewhere, she often responds very calmly: "Maybe tomorrow" or "Maybe later."
Preschool has become a favorite activity for Claire; she has been five times by now. The first time started with tears, but this most recent time she practically ran into the room and never looked back. On the walk from the car to her classroom, she told everyone we passed "I'm going to preschool!" She is getting to do some craft projects, have circle time, play in centers, go to music, and play at either the indoor or outdoor playground. I once asked her if she went to the "inside playground" and she quickly said "the indoor playground!" So far, her teachers have been great and she seems to really enjoy herself.
Claire has been promoted to another building for Sunday School this month and now gets to join all 2-4 year olds for a little worship service where they sings songs and hear a Bible story. She was marching all around the driveway last Sunday afternoon singing something about "Marching in the Spirit" that she much have learned during that time.
Claire is definitely a two-year old, complete with the tantrums and fits that go along with that age. She has started protesting nap and bedtime. One day last week after being put down for a nap, she spent about 10 minutes screaming. After deciding that screaming wasn't working, she started saying "I have a boo-boo" over and over. This then transitioned into repetitions of "I have a boo-boo on my leg" and "I have a boo-boo on my eye." She tried several things before finally giving in to the nap. (When we went out for a weekend evening, we warned the babysitter that Claire might start talking about a false "boo-boo" in bed. Sure enough, Claire gave it a try and - had it not been for the warning - it would've worked).
Claire LOVES to play with her dollhouse. She also enjoys "Candy Land" and "Chutes and Ladders" board games but at this point they're more about playing with the pieces than actually playing the game. Both Claire and James like to play in my pantry. James pulls out things and explores the sounds they make. Claire takes the spices and seasonings out and runs over to her play kitchen where she pretends to use them to make food--cupcakes are the current favorite. She is very sweet with her dolls and stuffed animals, feeding them and taking them on stroller rides. Her imagination is really blossoming.
Eating and sleeping (with the exception of the protests at bedtime) are still great for Claire. She usually eats everything I put on her plate. Favorite foods include yogurt, crackers, PB&J sandwiches, carrots, bananas, blackberries, and corn on the cob. She has recently started eating salads (likes for them to have croutons and craisins). We save desserts for special occasions. She always wants more food after a meal, saying "I want something else. I'm still hungry." Claire sleeps from about 8 pm until 8 am most nights. She doesn't always nap in the afternoon, but when she does, it's usually 2 to 3 hours. If she doesn't nap, she talks to herself in her crib. She's also been able to have a quiet playtime alone in her room.
Our fall schedule is coming together and providing fun outings and more structure for our weeks. I'm teaching two Kindermusik classes on Mondays. One is for babies and one is for toddlers. I'm planning on keeping James or Claire with me for the appropriate class so that we can enjoy the time together. Claire has preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We will resume Community Bible Study and my MOPS group in the next few weeks. I also hope to teach a few piano students one night a week. We keep busy, but both kids seem to really enjoy our adventures--and by the time I get the logistics of diaper bags and snacks and strollers and sippy cups and carseats and timing all together, it truly is an adventure!
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