Milestones

Every day things happen around our house that make me think, "Ooh, that'd be good for the blog." The catch 22 of the fact that so many funny and random things happen around here is that I rarely have time to sit down and put them into said blog. Here's my attempt at remembering things over the past few weeks and regurgitating them for you in no particular order.

Anja has gotten very good at using the bathroom and telling us when she needs to go and what she has accomplished when she's done.

*While driving to WI, we had her in a diaper since it was over a 2 hr trip. She refused to go in the diaper and always managed to only need a bathroom when there wasn't one for another 30 miles. But she always held it. And then she informed us, "I'm upset. Sometimes it's hard to be patient waiting for a bathroom." Um. What? Did my 2 year old just say that? I wish she could communicate more clearly. She's so difficult to understand and she never expresses herself.

*The following things have been uttered after a #2. (It's descriptive, so skip ahead or don't say I didn't warn you!) "Look, Mommy! I pooped a moon!" (It was crescent shaped, I'll grant her that.) "Look, Daddy! I made a Christmas tree!" (I wasn't in the room, but could hear that one from the living room. I didn't want to know why she thought that. I will say that she doesn't think it's a Christmas tree unless it has multicolored lights.) "Oooh, look! Corn!" So proud.

ECFE and swimming classes are going well. She loves going to school and likes swimming class once I am in the water with her. In related news, she now prefers showers over baths. Odd kid.

Oh, and Anja's still growing taller, but is still only 30 pounds. But the dress that she's wearing in this picture was actually a dress when we bought it a month before this picture.

We brought it with us to Ian's baptism and put it on her once we got there, only to realize that it was now more of a tunic. We had to leave her shorts on. We were in a church, after all, for a very serious ceremony.

Pastor Steve was awesome, as always. He did Anja's baptism, as well. To give you an idea of the kind of pastor that he is, he invited the kids to try out the water (and didn't say anything when Liam was splashing around a bit, enjoying the coolness on a warm day).

And when Ian screamed his head off the entire ceremony (hungry, as usual), he told us how his own daughter was the worst he's ever heard during a baptism.

Afterwards, the kids were running around the chapel and instead of getting upset, he commented that there was no reason to be upset at the kids for playing because Jesus wouldn't have been, either.

Just like Anja's baptism, short and sweet were the themes of the day, followed by a very classy dinner at Grundy's in the game room. Best baptism plan ever. The day would've been perfect if Auntie/Godmother Kimmie could have made it, but we're glad she's feeling better now!

Ian with his Mommy and 3 Godparents (Uncle Mike, Auntie Kim, and Auntie Jill).

Anja looks unnaturally short in this one because she's trying to hide. As Dan recently pointed out to me, I barely have to bend at the waist to pick her up because she's so tall.

Did I mention that Pastor Steve also performed our wedding 4 years ago? We celebrated in style our anniversary night. Chipotle. We made up for it the next night - Solera and a show. Good stuff.

The day before the baptism, we celebrated my Dad's 70th birthday. Lookin' good, Boppa! (The flames are not photoshopped, believe it or not.)

Whenever we go to my parents' house, it's tradition for my Dad and I to weigh Ian. Remember that Anja weighs 30 pounds and is nearly 3 years old? Ian's trying hard to catch up. He's already 17 pounds. No wonder my orthopedic surgeon told me I have tennis elbow.

Other randomness:

-Anja today described her Uncle Matt to my Mom. "Uncle Matt is a troublemaker." She's a smart girl, that one!

-Ian is really starting to like the idea of toys and even enjoyed the Exersaucer for the first time today and could already grab the sun.

-Anja is still a big helper, but has moved past helping with diaper changes. Tonight she helped me bathe Ian. She washed his belly, legs, and feet and did a decent job of it, too!

-Anja's working hard at her numbers and letters. She's been able to say them for awhile, but now she's working on recognizing them on things like my shirts and signs.

1st Day of ECFE

Today was Anja's first day of ECFE. We talked Anja's best friend, Lyla, into going, too. Her dad too more convincing than Lyla. But since Anja and I have a weekly tradition of going to Caribou for oatmeal, coffee, and milk, we added it to today's activities. So after a quick trip to Caribou, where we like to take funny faces pictures to send to Daddy, we packed back up in the car and headed to "Anja's school."

I have deemed the entire class a success for two major reasons.

#1 - There was no crying or complaining. At least not from Anja. Ian's crying and complaining was minimal.

#2 - She left in the same outfit she arrived in. Considering there was snack time with little cups, painting, and she's potty training, I am quite pleased.

Anja and Lyla were definitely 2 of the most independent kids there in a class of all 2 year olds. There were a lot of thumb suckers and kids scared of a bear song. Whatever. Our kids are so much better than your kids. ::sticks out tongue:: I was a bit surprised that they played individually and weren't always stuck like glue to each other.

In the car after leaving, I asked Anja what her favorite thing about school was.

"My fav'ite thing's my friend. Lyla is my best friend."

And after lunch with Daddy and a quick trip to Target (is there such a thing?), Ian and I headed home for a much needed nap before Anja's "mermaid" lesson tonight. (Did you know that Anja will scream if you try to get her to float on her back during a swim lesson, but if you tell her the mermaids do it, it's suddenly cool?)

Yin and Yang

Anja has a new morning routine. She demands to hold Ian in his glider while I get dressed. Luckily, I have no issues with this since it means I don't have to argue with her about getting up and dressed, since that's the prerequisite for holding him. She also tells me to go get my phone and take their picture. So I'm developing quite the collection of pictures that all look the same, just with different clothes.

But the diva-ness is strong with this one.

She will let you know if the outfit you had picked out for her is unacceptable.

She will tell you, "Mommy, you a mess!" And sometimes means it.

She can grab the attention of the other neighborhood kids and make them do whatever she says. Even getting the older kids, boys included, to play in her "Dora house" for hours. And tell them when they're doing it wrong. Which, of course, is often.

Yesterday, I was looking at a new baby nail clipper I had purchased. She instructed me to put it away since it was for her and Ian. I was not allowed to touch it. I asked her the usual, "Anja, are you being bossy?" And for the first time, she responded honestly. "Yes. Daniel say I'm bossy." (Yes, Kim B, she still tells us how Daniel tells her this regularly. Or did once several months ago. Hard to say.)

And when she tried to get Boppa to play on her "scoot scoot" (think small ride on toy for a 1 yr old) and her thought she meant her scooter, he was quickly corrected. "No, Boppa! You're too big! You'd break it and I be mad!" Points for honesty and understanding emotions?

But at the end of the day, she is still a sweet, young lady who loves her baby brother, who, for his part, is as calm and chill as his sister is bossy and active. Definitely yin and yang.

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.

'Ginia and 'Sota

My family vacations in royal style every other year. We rough it by staying in some gorgeous giant rental home directly on the beach on an ocean somewhere. This year it was a 10 bedroom home with 2 pools and a theater room in Virginia Beach. Yup, life is rough. Kudos to my nieces, Bella and Sophie, for all of their research in finding the place and to Nana for creating and maintaining the tradition and never settling. I mean, seriously, check this place out.

The first day, we checked out Williamsburg for a bit, but other than that, the only time our little foursome left the house was to go get fresh seafood and get together with Dan's cousins. Anja lived and breathed the beach and the indoor pool. Yup, indoor. It was that kind of a house. Auntie Kimmie brought Anja one of the Coast Guard approved floatation devices that allows you to still swim. They're goofy lookin', but I highly recommend them if you have a toddler or young kid as independent as ours. It was a life saver. Pun intended.

So here are a few pictures of our 'Ginia trip (as Anja calls it).

Williamsburg:

Anja and Uncle Mike

Anja in jail
Like my hat?

At the beach house:

Cousin Liam holding Ian for the first time

Ian's first dip in the pool (It was a bit humid in the pool room, so the lens fogged up quickly.)
Anja swimming with her goofy floatation device
Headin' to the beach. Anja still loves the swim diaper we bought her in Germany last year.
Photo shoot with my whole fam

Ian discovering grass. Gotta love the gnats. They wanted in on the photo shoot, too.
The four siblings
Anja and Cousin Liam were two peas in a pod. Their favorite room in the house was the theater.
Anja's first trip to the beach. At least the first time she was old enough to remember. She loved the waves!
Anja diggin' in the sand with Liam and Uncle Won. Playing in the sand was probably her favorite activity.

Still lovin' the suit

Pizza night. Auntie Kimmie and Uncle Mark helped the kiddos make their own pizzas. Anja put mushrooms and pineapple on hers. And then ate the rest of the bowl of pineapple.

Mmmmm...dinner.

Or it would've been if we hadn't let Anja see it while it was still alive. Once the cooked version made it to my plate, Anja immediately teared up and proclaimed "No, Mommy! You can't eat the crab! No eatin' the crab!" Oh well. Hopefully she won't make the connection with pig and cow anytime soon. Apparently she doesn't care about chicken.

Ian with one of his Godparents: Auntie Kimmie. Ian is lucky to have all 3 of my siblings as Godparents!

We did have to come home to 'Sota a day earlier than everyone else. Here's why:

My folks and friend, Andy, joined us for the festivities. I think Dan was excited to have back-up since the ceremony didn't start until 7:30pm and the doctoral degrees weren't awarded until around 9:15.

Andy, Ian and I

A view of the back. I don't think the hood was designed for short folk like myself. It stopped about a foot above the hem of the (incredibly hot) robe.

My advisor and program directors

Immediately upon finding me after the ceremony, Anja ran up to me, squealing, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy! Look at YOOOUU!" Apparently she thought I looked funny. Then she told me that she saw me on the big screen and that I had been playing hide and seek with her on the big screen. But then they put a big scarf on me and she found me. Nana reported that she was jumping up and down, yelling "Mommy!" over and over. I'm very glad she was there (and still awake!)

And to add to the list of accomplishments from this weekend, Ian rolled over for the first time! And I caught it on video! Go, little man, go!

Catch all

Since I've been a slacker (again), AND then Blogger went down for a few days, it's catch up time.

A few weeks ago, we noticed that Anja was starting to show signs that she was perhaps a wee bit jealous of Ian's extended stay in our home. On 2 separate occasions, Dan and I both took her swimming and to the LifeTime "pool restaurant," as she calls it. That little Life Café is apparently her favorite place in the world to eat. They give her PB & J, fruit, Sun Chips, and a juice pouch. She then gets to enjoy the tasty goodness while talking to the respective parent and watching TV. There are two TVs in the café - 1 plays ESPN, the other shows the news. Anja prefers watching ESPN, especially if they're playing foofball (Football) or, in a pinch, baseball. When ESPN isn't up to snuff, she'll watch the news. The last time I took her, it was a big news day due to major events the day before. She looked at the TV and asked why Daddy was on TV. Anja thinks any picture of a man with dark hair and a beard is a picture of daddy. Can you guess who it was? Yep, it was this guy. Dan took it well. Ahh, quality programing on Girls' Night Out.

Seeing that the swimming helped, I arranged with our daycare to do a swap for a few hours in the morning every Thursday. So I drop Ian off and then take Anja out for a bit. We can go wherever she wants, as long as it's open at that time of the morning. Where does she choose to go every time?

"I wanna go to Caribou Coffee Place, Mommy! I wan oatmeal and milk. You can have coffee. You need coffee."

If only her baby brother tolerated caffeine. Sigh.

She loves it there so much, she wanted to go there again this week and was upset when someone was at our table. This satanic looking photo is actually her getting ready to enjoy a spoonful of oatmeal. It was too funny to photoshop.

But, despite slowing down on the weight gaining front, Ian's growing incredibly fast and has started growing out of size 0-3 already. Shouldn't be surprised, I guess, since at last check a few weeks ago, he weighed in at 13 pounds. Just look at this belly, purposely stuffed into a German t-shirt that translates to "cookie annihilator."

The big belly is made only cuter when he has his perpetually scared look on his face. And here he is in one of our favorite outfits that Anja also wore. Based upon the full length pants looking like high waters, it's time to retire the outfit permanently.

He did finally turn a corner in the play area, though, which is fun. A week ago, he hated his play mat. Now he loves it and giggles when he can get the music going by kicking the thing.

And his first smiling video for your entertainment. In typical fashion, the full out giggling started immediately whenever I stopped recording. Yes, the video is sideways. Deal with it. I need to go get the kiddos ready for a toddler pajama party at Anja's friend Lyla's house. We're going to party all the way until nap time!