Well I've gotten a little behind with these "monthly" updates. It's part due to the fact that the kids aren't changing as much month to month anymore, and it's part due to the fact that my life is a little crazy right now. It's the good kind of crazy but crazy nonetheless. December was a very fun month because the kids enjoyed every aspect of the Christmas season with so much excitement and enthusiasm. We still laugh about driving in the car one evening and James shouting from the backseat "Look! A! Candy! Cane!" after he saw a mailbox decoration. January was cold and dreary but it was nice to be back into our normal routine with preschool and Bible study. So far February has had a few glimpses of spring that have allowed for some much needed outdoor play. Matt has begun work in James' room (adding lighting and outlets, finishing the baseboards, adding crown molding, painting, etc). The pregnancy is going well, but at 26 weeks I would have to say that this has probably been my hardest pregnancy as far as feeling run down and sick. Then again, it could simply be that I'm exhausted from taking care of a 4, 3, and 1 year old every day!
Ethan is talking more and more. He babbles all day long, especially in the car when it sounds like he's making up his own little songs. He has many recognizable (at least to me) words and has begun to put two words together, including "Bye Bye Dada," "Hi Brooks," "Ah ah (monkey) shirt," "Mama shoe," and "Choo choo book". It has taken him a long time to make a "b" sound so it's been "doot" for "book" and "dede" for "baby" but he's starting to replace these. The big kids have been into telling knock knock jokes and Ethan wants to as well. He will say (and then begin to scream) "knack knack" until someone says "who's there?" He then has a punch line of gibberish that he's very proud of. Ethan says "Ho ho ho" for anything resembling Santa. At meal time he's always happy to announce to everyone "Suppertime!" which sounds like "Cha-cha-cha!" but we all know what he's saying.
Ethan loves books and wants me to read to him all day long. He no longer wants to sit on my lap but cuddles up right next to me on the couch or in a chair. This must be because of my growing belly because he's fine to sit on anyone else's lap. Ethan understands so much and completes simple tasks with such joy and enthusiasm. He loves to clean up and sings "Clean up, clean up" all on his own. He also claps for himself quite often. He likes to slide and is fearless about climbing after older kids on tall playground equipment at the park. He likes to drive little cars around on the floor or coffee table. He likes to get a plastic toy tub in the kitchen and push it along the floor as fast as he can until he hits a cabinet, laughs, and turns around in another direction. He also enjoys climbing in the tubs. He loves to have his sippy cup of milk and asks for it at the refrigerator multiple times every day. When looking for something, he holds his little hands up in the way that adults do. Ethan understands when he doesn't have my undivided attention and will repeat a phrase until I acknowledge him, sometimes even shouting "MAMA!" in the middle of his repetitions. At his 18 month checkup in late January, Ethan weighed 27 pounds, 5 ounces (90th percentile) and measured 32.5 inches tall (50th percentile).
James' imagination is really developing for pretend play. He loves to play this way with Claire. Even though they get into plenty of little squabbles, they seem to truly enjoy each other's company. I can tell when they've been apart during the morning, that they are more resistant to being alone in their rooms and want to play together. In fact James (who doesn't nap anymore) often sneaks into Claire's room during quiet time. James enjoys preschool and is quite willing to tell me about it and answer questions about his day. He is very proud of any artwork that he brings home. He complains about his tummy hurting at least five times a day. It's a little hard telling when there's a legitimate issue but usually these complaints coincide with bedtime or him needing to clean up or get dressed, so I know he's probably just fine. James asks me every day if it's May in anticipation of Baby's arrival. James likes toy cars and trains, puzzles, blocks, reading books and playing with the LeapReader.
Claire continues to do well at preschool. She too is very proud of her artwork that she brings home. There is a "Letter Bag" at preschool that the children take turn filling with objects from home. Her teachers were impressed with Claire's ability to come up with hints for her classmates to guess what the objects were as she revealed them. She still has a very vivid imagination and especially loves to play with her dolls (Barbie and dollhouse, not so much baby dolls). We are having her practice reading every night. It can be painful to sit through at the end of a long day, but she's showing improvement and has made it though several Level 1 reading books from the library. (Her memory is so good that I have to get library books for it to be true reading.) Claire loves AWANA Bible club at church and seems to look forward to seeing certain friends at preschool and church.
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