Random Ramblings

OK, cell phone purge and catch up time...(Funny that it took me until the night after my first day back at work to find time to do this.)

*Dan, his dad, and our neighbor Kevin beat all odds and put together a new massive playset in one day for the kids after our new fence was installed. Ian was clearly beside himself with excitement.

*Then we had a surprise visit from one of our German friends, Michael, and his mom, Eve. They were on a cross country trip and discovered the Twins were playing the Red Sox, so they altered their route and came for the game and the visit. While they were in town, we took them to the Dakota County Fair for a very cultural experience. Anja absolutely loved the fair (well, the rides anyway - the giant slide and Ferris wheel were her favorites) and playing with Michael and Eve. The only wet spot on their visit? When Anja attempted to use the urinal in a biffy again. This time she mistook Dan's foot and sandal for the urinal. But at least this time she had the right, well, you know.

*Token hysterical picture of Ian when he first discovered his feet.
*Anja had her first trip to the dentist. This was the before picture.
There were no after pictures. It didn't go well.

*And, of course, what summer would be complete without several trips to the zoo with our friends Lyla and Rowan? (Can you tell which one is Ian?)

*My sister needed to take 2 of her kids to an event for the day about a week ago, but needed someone to watch her youngest kiddos. So in a stroke of genius, we decided that I would watch Gabby (4), Liam (3), Anja (2) and Ian (5 months). It started off all innocent...

...but it actually went really well. I do, however, have a new and profound appreciation for any moms or daycare providers who watch 4+ kids. I don't know how you do it. I got lucky because Ian fell asleep for a large portion of it. Thank god for my Moby wrap!

*Ah, my bathing beauties. Anja still is scared of baths, but will take a shower. Odd. And she still loves to be wrapped up as a "burrito baby" after every shower.

Ian, on the other hand, looks like he's had a few burritos.
*Token picture of my goofy family. Love 'em.

*Since Dan had never been to the Children's Museum and Anja loved the one in Chicago so much, we took her there a week ago. She had a great time, especially in the water area.

*Anja had a several weeks when she was boycotting naps. I settled for "rest time" in her room. But on some rare occasions, she actually fell asleep. Including a few days ago when she was watching a show and asked me, "Mommy? You turn that off, please?" and immediately fell asleep for an hour and a half on the couch with her special kitty. (swoon)

*For one last hurrah, I took the kiddos to a new park with their friends Lyla and Rowan and their dad. Although you can't tell from the second picture, the swinging twins was one of the highlights for all 4 kiddos. And got lots of funny looks from the other people there.

*This past weekend, we made a quick visit to Wisconsin for a family wedding. Anja had a blast since she is currently obsessed with weddings.

Ian enjoyed himself, too. Especially trying to keep up with his older cousin (10 weeks his senior).

*Is it a bird, is it a plane? Can't tell? Just ask Anja to go outside with her ever-so-fashionable Mickey undies, sock mittens, and 'noculars and she'll figure it out for ya!

*And finally, today was my first day back at work which means the kids were in daycare for the first time together. Anja hadn't been since the beginning of June. But both did well and no crying issues for anyone in the family! And after we picked them up, Ian decided today was a good day to enter the world of sitting unassisted for a longer period of time. A few days ago it was only for 10 seconds or so, but tonight he managed to go for a few minutes while playing. Go little man! He was probably just trying to get a new trick to show off for Uncle Mike who arrived in town this morning for a visit.

Biffy

Tonight, Dan and I took Anja to a park. After a bit, she needed to use the bathroom. Dan volunteered to take her to the biffy. It was her first time. A momentous occasion, obviously.

Upon their return, Dan mentioned that she refused to use the regular toilet inside and asked to use the urinal. Who could blame her really? Dan acquiesced and held her up so she could use it.

Suddenly he heard the hard to mistake plunking sound of a no-longer-constipated toddler relieving herself.

Advancements

Great strides are being made in our household.

Ian is starting to sleep a little longer at night. ::knocks on wood:: We're in the 6-8 hours per night range now. He's also slowing down on the eating front, at least in frequency. Now it's just every 2-3 hours during the day! Well, usually. He hasn't stopped growing, though, as evident in this picture of Ian and our friends' baby.

Baby Liam was born a few days after Ian, but started off his life over 2 pounds heavier. Ian has now surpassed Liam. Impressive or disturbing? You decide.

Anja is now able to ride her trike without help, which is great for our backs.

And she also appears to be a successful graduate of the first ever Potty Training Boot Camp that was held this past weekend. Saturday and Sunday were a bit rough, but it all clicked on Monday and she was able to repeat the completely dry day again today! Go, Anja! And in an effort to be well prepared for another graduation in, say, 16 years, I snapped this lovely photo which beautifully combines her two most recent accomplishments. And her new love for the Little Critter books.

Donations for her future psychiatric treatment are now being accepted.

Numbers

Yesterday, we decided it was time to start potty training a bit more in ernest by putting Anja in her Dora undies and bringing out her Elmo potty chair while she played outside.

4 hours, 1 pair of pants, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of socks, and 2 pairs of underwear later, she was back in a diaper.

I think we'll wait for a good solid few days to really attempt it. But first we'll need to re-up our supply of sunscreen since I'll pretty much force her to be outside in just her underwear for the entire day. I may let her come inside for nap time. But only if she bribes me with brownies first.

And today was Ian's 2 month appointment. The fact that I fed him before leaving the house, was nursing him when the doctor arrived and then again after the shots should probably be an indication that he's a good eater. At all well check-ups, we get a little colored piece of paper with the "this is what you should know about your kid at this age" info, plus all of their height, weight and head circumference stats. (Side note: Do people really care how big their kid's head is after it's born? Doctors, okay, that makes sense. But do I really care how big my baby's noggin is in comparison to other 2 month olds?) Anyway, this piece of paper had the following line on it: "A well-nourished 2 month old is usually 3-4 pounds above birthweight and has gained 1 1/2 - 2 inches in length."

Today, Ian weighed in at 14 lb 3 oz (95+%) and 24 inches long (90%). For those not up on his growth stats, Ian has gained over 6 1/2 pounds and is 3 inches longer.

I'd say he's well-nourished, wouldn't you?

In an eerie coincidence, I have to stop writing. Ian's hungry. Again.

Way Behind/Far Ahead

Between Ian's constant hunger and the German group arriving a week ago, I have been a little busy, hence I am way behind on the blog. Here's a quick recap of some major happenings in our world:

We had lots of visitors. This picture of Ian looking like he's hung over from milk is probably one of the last pictures we have of him wearing newborn sized clothing. This was also the same day that Anja's friend Lyla and her family came over. May have been one of the first times that I have seen two toddlers actually play together instead of near each other. It is also an example of why my photography skills are no where near my sister's or our friend, Alison's. Please note the foot in the bottom of the picture. I rock. And am too lazy to go back and crop it now.

Awww, Ian's first 0-3 month outfit. You can't tell, but it's a short sleeved romper. Remember those few days when it was around 75 degrees around 2 weeks ago? Yeah. It's snowing as I'm typing this. Yay, Minnesota.
1st self portrait of the fam. I love the look on Ian's face. He must know what he was born into.
I also took Anja for a tour of what will likely be her preschool next year. I can't believe she's old enough for that already! She misses the cut off for some programs by 4 days, but Lakeville's program said to bring her on in for a tour and they'd see how it went. So Anja, Ian and I went for a visit last Friday to check out the class that she would be in. She LOVED it and has been begging to go back ever since. She knows she has to be fully potty trained to go, so every time she uses the bathroom, she thinks we can pick up and head right to the school. At least she's motivated! But the director of the program and the various teachers were very impressed with her, so it looks like we won't have any issues with sending her. Assuming she does finally finish potty training, that is! She joined in on the singing and dancing, play time, chatted with the teachers and kids, and showed off her vocabulary to all the right people. It was nice to hear a professional tell me that Anja is very advanced for her age. (Yes, I am tooting my own horn on her behalf - deal with it.)

And last week, a group of 35 German teenagers and their chaperones arrived for their 3 week stay. We've had a large number of issues already, but we've been able to solve them all quickly so far. So much for maternity leave, eh? Luckily for us, the chaperone staying with us, Isi, is awesome and very helpful. Plus Anja loved her from the very first day, so that's even better!

And now I am off to go finish the laundry that resulted from Ian's first up-to-the-shoulders blow out that caught Dan by surprise last night.

Let the fun continue!