James 15 Months, Claire 34 Months

Can I have a drum-roll please? *Insert drum-roll sound here* I am happy to announce that James is sleeping through the night!!!!  It was a long 14 month process, but we made it!  We didn't change anything or do anything differently.  We had tried everything and pretty much given up hope.  He's a very light sleeper and still wakes up and cries, but those times have gotten shorter and more sporadic and I haven't had to go in to comfort him or listen to hours of crying for a few weeks now.  It is such a relief to be through that rough stage.

James has really had a fun month.  He is able to communicate with us so much more.  He's added many new words and a few new signs (drink, up, more).  He understand the phrase "Can you say...?" and will try to imitate what he hears--often getting it pretty close.  James loves to play with puzzles now.  He has transitioned from just taking the pieces out to being able to work most of them.  He shows remarkable patience as he sits at the activity table working puzzle after puzzle.  He also loves books--especially if there is a truck or tractor involved.  James get a kick out of peek-a-boo and loves to peek into a room, laugh, disappear down the hall and reappear a minute later to repeat the process.  He adores Claire and is constantly trying to hug/tackle her.

James is an incredibly picky eater.  We have to sneak fruits and veggies into his yogurt or oatmeal, and even then he often rejects it.  He eats raisins, oatmeal, yogurt, and cheese consistently, but we never know about anything else.  I just continue to offer the healthy food and look forward to the day when we can bribe negotiate with him.

James has eight teeth (plus the tips of two molars poking through), wears size 18 month clothing, and size 4 diapers.  He sleeps from about 7:45 pm until about 7:00 am and naps for about 90 minutes each afternoon.  Every sleep period begins and ends with crying, and he often wakes up quite grumpy.

Claire is growing up right before our eyes.  This month she went on her first date with Daddy.  Pictures will follow.  Claire asks questions about everything--mainly "Why?"  She is always thinking.  Two funny conversations from this month:

Me: Well we probably won't go to see him for several days.
Claire: How do you count to several?

And following a discussion about the Fruit of the Spirit, she said "Goodness is when you cough."  It took me a minute to figure out that I must say "Goodness!" if she coughs really hard.

Claire plays very very well independently.  She can play with something for long stretches of time and her imagination works hard.  Claire has started working her first "real" puzzles.  She also enjoys books, dolls, play food, her reusable sticker games, and her dollhouse.

Claire wears size 3T clothing and is in diapers at night.  She sleeps from 8:00 pm until about 7:30 am.  She doesn't always nap, but when she does, it's usually over two hours.