Whew! The last two weeks have been rough. We've had 2-3 different bugs that have hit us all hard with a wide range of symptoms--including a stomach bug. I think I can finally say that we are all feeling better.
Ethan is such a sweet, happy little guy. He is quick to give a big smile--especially to James. He has a little bit of a laugh now and is ticklish on his tummy. He can sit up by himself pretty well and this is his favorite way to play. He likes to sort through a basket of toys. He still enjoys his pacifier and can maneuver it into his mouth pretty well if he sees it dangling nearby.. He's in that stage where he examines an object all over and puts it in his mouth if at all possible. At his six month checkup, he was just shy of 20 pounds; as of last week, he's up to 22 pounds. He sits up well in a grocery buggy and enjoys looking around. It takes me at least an extra 10 minutes to shop now because so many people stop to talk to him and tell me how cute he is! Ethan has enjoyed every type of food we've fed him, including asparagus, green beans, and squash. He enjoys the baby rice crackers and puffs. He seemed to catch on to these quicker than James or Claire did. Ethan sleeps from 7:30 until about 5:00 and then again until 7:00 each morning after a little snack. He takes two 30 minute naps every day. I have learned that he will take a long afternoon nap if he gets to cuddle with me on our bed. This isn't always practical, but it sure is nice when we can. Ethan is wearing size 3 diapers and size 12 month clothing.
James constantly amazes me with what comes out of his mouth. This morning, when I asked him if he wanted my help he said "No thank you. I do it myself." He tells me about things in great detail and wonderfully complete and complex sentences. He can also be very stubborn. Several times now, when he's been caught being mischievous, he'll avoid eye contact and say "Go away Mommy." James is adventurous on the playground and his body is starting to catch up to his interest in climbing things; we supervise accordingly so he's safe (especially with bigger children running around) but he definitely has more confidence and coordination to get his hands and feet in the right places. Inside, he plays pretend with little people or dinosaurs or cars and selects who is the mommy, daddy and baby. He has them talk to each other and says things like "'Go inside,' Daddy said;" which is the same style of 'storytelling' or 'narration' dialogue that we saw Claire doing at his age. He's developing a good little imagination. James is now sitting in the booster seat at meals since Ethan is in the high chair. He's doing pretty well and is learning how to carry his dishes to the counter at the end of a meal. James usually sleeps from 8:00 pm until 7:00 am. He only naps about 3 days a week but is pretty grumpy on the days where he doesn't. He is still a picky eater who pretty much loves something and eats every bite or refuses to touch it (goes along with how we always call him our child of extremes). James is wearing size 2T clothing and size 5 diapers.
Claire has hit some big milestones this month as she's started writing letters and sounding out some three-letter words. I think the LeapReader that we got her for Christmas has helped us direct her learning in a fun way. I know the writing is also being reinforced at preschool. Things are starting to click and she realizes that it's fun to read and write and draw pictures of actual objects. Claire loves to play dress up--either herself or her dolls or magnet dolls. I got out a box of spring/summer clothing for her closet today and let her play with the clothes during her quiet time. She was in dress up heaven! She told me that she played ballerina, Cinderella, and wedding. She enjoys playing with James but often asks to play alone in her room. She does love James though. Each child has a heart on her classroom door that says who they picked to be their Valentine. Claire's says, "Claire wants James to be her Valentine." Her teachers have said that she talks about James a lot at school.
Speaking of preschool, there has been a major change for Claire. One of her teachers, "Ms. Mona" had a blood clot that caused her a brain hemorrhage (forgive me if I'm getting the medical terminology wrong). She spent several days in the ICU and is recovering at home now. Lots of therapy and rehab required. Mona is young and very athletic, so everyone was completely shocked by this. Claire has a new teacher in her class now and we've spent a lot of time praying for Ms. Mona.
Claire doesn't ask "why" questions as often anymore, but she did stump me with one the other day. She was frustrated that two blocks weren't fitting together the way that she wanted. I wasn't able to help her because the blocks weren't designed to do what she wanted. She asked me if God could make the blocks fit together right.
Claire is a smart, sweet little girl. She can be stubborn and quick to tears, but she can be a lot of fun. She still talks nonstop, even if there's no one to listen! Claire rarely naps but is happy to play alone in her room for quiet time every day. She sleeps very soundly from 8:30 pm until around 7:45. She is wearing size 5 clothing.
No comments:
Post a Comment