Holiday Run down- part 1

Sorry for the lack of posts, but truthfully, I'm not that sorry. It has been nice taking a real holiday break and enjoying our free time and children. We have been spending our nights relaxing, watching movies we have wanted to see for the past year, and watching the home movies of our kids that we had taken earlier in the day. Its been really lovely. 

So to rewind, we prepped for the holidays with a little bit of cookie making. We made my favorite, gooey butter. Dono and Reese were such good helpers, and best of all, neither one of them really liked the finished product! Donovan took one bite of a cookie and SPIT IT OUT! So, I did what any good mother would do and ate their share.

This is the first year since college that I got to be off work all of the holidays. Let me tell you, a girl could get used to this! Christmas eve we went to Tom's parents for our family Christmas exchange. Poor Donovan started feeling bad that day and came down with the stomach bug. He only had one bout of sickness but really did not take it well. He did manage to have a great time over all though. Reese was very cute and also enjoyed her day. After she got her baby doll present though, we could have stopped all other presents. She didn't really care about anything after that. 

Both kids enjoyed their role in passing out present helpers. 

They both got these awesome glasses you look through and it makes every point of light either a snowman or  a snowflake. They liked it but the big kids (Tom and I) thought it was the coolest thing we had ever seen!

Reese didn't have that baby out of the package for 1 minute before it was in the high chair drinking a bottle.

Uncle Nick and Aunt Anna got matching hats.

I can't say enough about how much I love Reese's cheese face.

"Pime out"

It is never a good sign when your one and a half year old is so familiar with time out (or "pime out" as she calls it) that she walks over and puts herself in the chosen location when you are casually mentioning a story regarding time out to someone else.

This is how cute and pathetic said 19 month old looks in pime out.

Her outfit was her choice. Kitty socks over footie pajamas. My kids are such the fashionistas right now.

But back to time out, I don't think Donovan had been in time out more than 5 times at her age, although time does wonders to a memory. Reese is there almost daily at least once for hitting, biting, spiting, you name it. She is so used to it that she has now started putting her Elmo doll in time out too. She tells me as she is putting him in the hockey net, "Pime out" and then when I ask her why he is in time out she tells me "biting". So apparently Elmo has that problem now too.

I do love when she gets out of time out though. Anyone who goes in time out has to apologize to whoever they offended. Then they have to give that person a hug and kiss (if that person is receptive). Reese bit Donovan on the back the other day and got more of his shirt than anything. So after she got out of time out she had to go apologize. It went like this:

Me: "Reese, what do you need to tell Donovan?"
Reese: "Fawwy"
Me: "Good job Reese"
Reese: "Biting" (apparently the apology wasn't over. Pulls Donovan's shirt out) "Shirt"

It was the most specific sorry she had ever given, all by herself. Usually it's just a "sorry" and then me filling in the rest but that one she did all by herself. But this time she was sorry for biting Donovan's shirt and it was perfectly communicated.

What I came home to tonight

Yeah they are crazy. Also, the only reason Donovan isn't wearing his Spider man costume (which he has been wearing non-stop since Friday night (even sleeping)) was the fact that he wore it over his footie pajamas to his hair cut today and got it covered in spiky hair so it had to be washed. And no, they did not actually swim or go to a pool today.

We are blessed

Not a day goes by that I don't think about how blessed Tom and I are. When sad things happen in the world it just amplifies that feeling. We are so lucky to have our wonderful children. Tonight we hugged them longer, took more pictures and enjoyed the laughter more. Here are some of my favorites from tonight.

Yes, you saw it correctly. Donovan was dressed in his Halloween costume tonight. For some reason, inspiration struck and he wanted to wear his costume. He even talked Reese into putting her's on. "Reese, do you want to wear your owl costume with me?"  He is showing his muscles in both these pictures.

Reese is trying to show her muscles in this one. Looks like we need to practice that one.

My favorite picture. It should be yours now too.

Spiderman was very busy. After sprinting around the house showing us how fast he was, he cooked himself and his sister dinner (chicken nuggies). And no, his eyes were not open in this picture because sometimes you smile so big and your eyes close, duh. 

After dinner was more running, a small collision with some injuries and blood, and then bath time. Donovan has recently become a big fan of laying on his back so his ears are under water, then starting a random conversation with you so he can hear himself and you talk. I love how much he loves it. I also love that Reese tries to do it too now, but I have to make sure to keep an eye on her and catch her head as she would go all the way under water if she slipped.

After bath was some you tube watching, snuggles and bed time. Donovan wanted to wear his Spiderman costume to bed, and had it on over his footie pajammies until he was brushing his teeth and changed his mind. A perfect night with my two babies. It is little nights like these that I am so thankful for. 

My beautiful daughter

It is late and I need to be in bed, however, I know that we have some family members that check this blog regularly and are not going to be happy without a recent post so here it is.

 A picture of my beautiful daughter after swimming over Thanksgiving break. I love those eyes. They are going to be trouble. Maybe not so much for me, but for any future suitors for her. Good luck saying no to those.

We are very busy now. We have lots to do before Christmas (including put up our Christmas tree and get lost of presents bought) and I am working around 50 hours a week and still trying to save sometime for my kids and myself. So forgive me for the lack of posts for now. I promise, mid January when a co-worker returns from maternity leave, it will get better. Until then, posts will be sporadic. But know that we are all well, and I will try to at least do a weekly post.

Oh and also this is Ellen posting from Tom's sign on. Long story, mostly computer related, but it's still me unless it starts with "dad post".

I-phone picture purge

My favorite handy man.

A sweet picture Miss Amanda sent me of Reese snuggling with Nick while they watched the birds one morning.

Gatorade mustache.

 

How Miss Reese eats a sucker.

 

My favorite part about when the kids pretend they are kitties or doggies.

 

Super Dono!

 

Beautiful butterfly.

 

Breakfast and girl talk with Grammie.

 

I love this face.

 

If you come over to our house, chances are, you will see Reese like this. She is OBSESSED with going "pee pee". Really what that means, is she wants to run around the basement naked, and every so often sit down on the little potty for approximately 3 seconds before streaking off.  Don't you dare deny her this pleasure. She will scream and cry until you take her clothes and diaper off and let her "pee".

Reese, "aka Alfalfa" and her buddy Nick.

 

The text I got from Miss Amanda on this one was, "Letting me know she got a booger..."

 

And on this one, "Very proud of her booger!"

 

Pictures from "Fun Friday" with Grammie Q today. Breakfast and cartoons in the basement.

 

Silly times and Reese sneezing eggs.

 

And last but not least, FORT TIME!

18 month stats

Here are Reese's stats from her Dr.'s appt 2 Fridays ago:

Height: 33.25 inches
Weight: 23 lbs
Head circumference: 19.35 inches

I don't have exact percentages as someone (*cough cough Dad *cough cough) forgot to get those. But from baby center they say her height is 75-90%, weight is 25-50% and head circumference is 95%.

Tom said Reese did awesome at her appt. She laid there for her exam and smiled at the Dr. while he was poking around on her and listening to her chest. When the Dr. asked how her speech was she said, "Doctor!" so he said, "Well that answers that question." Donovan went to the appt to to get a flu mist dose, which is what we prepared him for. However once they got there the nurse told Tom that he had to get the shot as he had a cold. He got the shot and Tom said that he got a little upset, mostly a big frown and couple tears but no big crying.  Then they gave Reese her one shot, and Tom said she made no reaction at all, except for looking at her arm and back at the nurse. The nurse that gave Reese her shot asked Donovan if he was brave like Reese when he got his shot and he shook his head a said no. Points for honesty.

Happy 18 month birthday Reese!

Reese is 1 and a half. When did that happen? She is so big! This is what she is up to/all about Reese at 1.5:

Shoe size: 5 (starting to get into 6s)
Diaper: Size 3
Clothes: 18 month
Teeth: Just popped her 11th on Saturday

Sleeping: She has recently transitioned to 1 nap a day (mostly). She still hasn't figured out that the one nap should be a long one, and it is typically 1.5- 1hr 45 when it needs to be over two at least. She gets up for a sippy cup of "mout" (milk) between 5-6 about 50% of days now and the rest she is just sleeping straight through until she wakes up for good. Usually between 6:45 and 7:30.

Eating: She still eats the squeezie baby foods most days. I would say she averages 1 or less a day. Otherwise she eats what we eat. She is a little pickier than Donovan was (or that I remember he was) at this age. Her favorites right now are berries, green beans, and mostly, crackers, chicken nuggets and fruit snacks, or "nacks".  She drinks on average, 3 sippies full of warm milk a day. Yes, she still requires her milk to be warm. We are suckers.

Showing off her prized Owl bank which she has since broken into 1 million pieces.

Fun on the slide at the park.

Speech: Reese is talking, talking, talking. I have no idea how many words she knows. If I had to guess, I would guess in the 200s? She is starting to say sentences. She says, "I see you ______" as she is spying on you, as well as "I did it!" and "He hiding".  There is still a lot of stuff that she says that we have no idea what she is saying, but overall she can get her thoughts across pretty well.

Other business: Reese is back to her momma's girl ways. She is distraught when Donovan sits on my lap and makes her feelings well known on the subject. She and Donovan got in a fight last night over who got to sit in my lap and there was legit hair pulling and head pushing from Reese. She is a feisty one when she feels she needs to be.

Reese is getting in to playing pretend and I love it. She will pick up the phone and "Call" her grandma (my mom). Every time she calls someone, it's "Maw-Maw" (that's how she says "grandma". But my mom is not really a maw-maw. Maw-maws are 85 years old minimum and my mom is not that). She pretends to be a kitty and a doggy and will meow and bark appropriately. She held an Elmo doll in the bath tonight against her body like a baby and rocked it. So cute. She will make us "coffee" and will put her purse on her shoulder and tell us "bye".

She has more lovies than any kid I know, even Donovan. She would not let me leave her room this morning with out Kitty 1, kitty 2, puppy, baby and nigh-nigh (her blanket). Her current favorites are her 2 kittys and her night-night. She has almost climbed out of her crib multiple times, but has been stopped by one of us before she gets all the way out because we don't want her to know that she can do this. She has climbed out of her pack and play at both her baby sitters and her grammie's house.

She gets in time out way more than Donovan at this age and does pretty well when she goes there. She cries and screams but doesn't get up. She LOVES her bath time. She loves to lay down in the bath. She is really into "peeing". She requests us to take her diaper and pants off so she can go pee, but then she never pees, but it isn't for lack of trying. She tries about 10 times and then we get tired of waiting for her to pee on the floor and we put her diaper back on. She is very into animals and her favorites are hippos and rhinos currently. She also loves to color and prefers to use markers to crayons.

Reese can do a somersault! She did it twice on film for the first time a couple weeks ago. I'll see if Tom will post it some other time. She constantly is making us laugh.  Tonight she earned herself a bonus bath because she was putting spaghetti noodles in her hair and saying "hair!" like the noodles were her hair. She also lays across things that are a little high off the ground and puts her feet up in the air and tells us she is "flying". She loves to wrestle with Tom and Donovan on our bed. She makes the funniest faces for when she thinks things are cold or heavy. It is the same, straining face and I laugh every time.

Her "heavy" and "cold" face.

First painting project at Ms. Amanda's.

Hanging at the park with Grammie Q.

Mid day bath fun with best bud Nicholas.

Enjoying her cupcake at Ms. Amanda's.

I think that rounds out the latest with our new 1.5 year old. She goes to the Dr. on Friday so we will have more measurements and her official 1.5 yr picture then, if not before. 

Thanks for making our life so fun Reese. Life if never dull with a firecracker like you around. We love you!