Connor {2 Years, 3 Months}

Weight: 29lbs (my measurement)

Length: still need to measure him

Accomplishments:
Says three words at a time
Remembers places when we drive/walk by them
Recognizes and says certain colors - yellow, green, white
Starting to say his own name (tawn-er)
Starting to recognize and say various letters

Who knew that talking makes one seem so grown up?!? Seriously. Connor is talking so much these days and it makes him seem so much more grown up. When he knows what something is, he says it over and over for me. Like he wants me to know he knows. So freaking cute! The other night in the bath, he was using "dad's soap" as he reminded me over and over. He started holding it up and saying something over and over, but I couldn't quite figure out what. Then I realized he was saying "white". And he was correct, the bar of soap is white. Like I said before, too freaking cute. And probably only something a mom would find freaking cute. I know. I am a little over the top.

Some of Connor's favorite things include trains, books and Chuck the truck. He is definitely a train boy. He likes watching trains (both real and cartoon), he likes playing with trains, he likes reading about trains. Connor loves all his books. And he certainly has a collection. Of course, he will still fixate on one book and want it read over and over again until I finally refuse to read it. And I often find him looking thru his books by himself. It makes me a proud mama. Now Chuck the truck, this is a rather new obsession. He got a Chuck video for Christmas and a few toys and the obsession began. I limit his tv viewing anyway, but I really have to now that Chuck is in the picture. He always wants to watch Chuck.

After I wrote about Connor constantly getting out of his bed, he switched on me again. He is back to staying in his crib. Though, he isn't back to taking naps every day.  I still put him down for a nap every day, but some days he just lays there and talks to himself...he can also reach his bookshelf from his bed, so brings in some books with him. Because of the lack of naps, sometimes he is really tired. On Monday night, he kept falling asleep at the dinner table and bobbing his head. When his head would fall, it would wake him up. And I think because I kept laughing, every time he would do it, he would laugh too. It was funny and sad all at the same time.

Connor is starting to get really possessive and having a hard time sharing. He doesn't want Isla to play with certain toys and he really has trouble when playing with other kids. But, I think that is just a part of growing up. I can't believe how much and how fast my little man is growing up...

On a side note, can you believe Connor is still sporting the same shirt a year later? Talk about value for my money!

Isla {4 Months}

 

Weight: 14lbs, 13oz

Length: 24.5 inches

Accomplishments:
Rubs her eyes when tired
Looks at herself in the mirror & smiles
Follows people around the room with her eyes

Every time I take Isla to the doctor, her pediatrician always comments on how proportional she is. Such a weird compliment(?) but maybe most kids don't have height, weight and head all around the same percentile. Isla is holding strong just above the 80th percentile. She sure is putting her older brother to shame!

The last few nights, Isla has been going to bed in her own bed. This is growth people! In fact, the other night Isla slept in her own bed from 8pm until 5am! Before this she was waking numerous times a night (sometimes every hour), so was hogging our bed snugging in bed with us a lot. Needless to say, its nice to have our bed back and its nice to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. I'm crossing my fingers this continues!

Isla is a smiler. All she needs is for someone to smile at her and she flashes her huge toothless grin right back. And she is becoming more generous with her laughs. A sure way of getting her to laugh is by kissing her cheek. I'm not sure why that is SO FUNNY, but to her it is. And those baby smiles man, they do something to you! They make me like putty in her hands.

Isla loves watching her brother play. She will follow him around the room with her eyes. She'll even arch her back to look behind her to keep watching him. She also likes watching me and Ian. But I am pretty sure Connor is her favorite.

Bath time is still a huge hit with Isla. We are mostly bathing her with Connor these days. Its just easier to kill two birds with one stone. She likes to splash water all over the place. And if a toy gets close enough, she likes to suck on those too.

Speaking of toys, she is playing with them more and more everyday. She already had been pulling on ones dangling above her, but she has now managed to pick a few up and get them to her mouth. Of course, everything goes in her mouth these days, her clothes included. Whatever she can get in her hands and get to her mouth - other people's fingers, her clothes, her fist, her wrist (which seems to be her favorite) - she does. 

It's Raining!!!

I've only been waiting since uh, October for a good rain! Woot, woot!

With no plans to go anywhere, I dressed up Connor and we went in the backyard to play. He had so much fun and didn't want to come back in the house.

Finally, after about half an hour, he came to me and said "hands". His hands were freezing. Then and only then was he willing to come inside and warm up. Even inside, he didn't want to take his rain gear off. But with the promise of being able to play in the rain again later, he conceeded.

Even if the rain is only supposed to last the day, I still love and appreciate it. 

What I Wore {five}

Going out two Fridays in a row? Very unusual for this mom of two. Heck, it was unusual when I just had one too! But, all my friends seem to be growing up and two Fridays in a row I had 30th birthday parties to attend. This one requested that we dress up, so I obliged.

Dress: Diesel

Cardigan: hand me down

Belt: from Scotland

Shoes: Banana Republic

This entire outfit is all stuff I've had for years. Ian bought me the dress for my birthday a few years ago. In fact, I wore it to my birthday dinner in 2008. And I normally don't wear belts on my mid-section, or over a sweater for that matter, but tried it and though it turned out well. Ian even said he wished he was going out with me looking like that! Awww...

Sleepy Girl

I am a seriously cruel mom.

The other night, I noticed Isla starting to fall asleep in her bumbo. Rather than be nice and take her out, I watched and smiled. It was cute though. Her eyes started to glaze over. Her head tilted to the side. Then her eyes shut. That's when I ran and grabbed the camera!

 

Don't judge. You know you would have done the same thing. And don't worry, I took her out as soon as I was done taking pictures.

How I Met Your Father {one}

Kids, have I told you how I met your father? I haven't? It's a good story...

In case you haven't guessed it, I have decided to tell mine and Ian's "story". I realized the other night, the details are already starting to get fuzzy, so I thought I should write it down before I forget too much more.


I originally met Ian in the fall of 1998. It wasn't a particularly great first encounter. I remember I was having a bad day. And my friends were all "Our friend Ian has a half day at school and is bringing us lunch." And I was like, "Uh, well good for you guys. I guess I will stick to my normal, cafeteria food." And so I met Ian. Like I said, nothing special.

Over the next few months, we hung out a few times. There was the famous (and thankfully finally-no-longer-talked-about) curb hitting incident. I popped my car tire on a curb in his neighborhood. 'Nuff said. Really? I know that is not enough said for such an embarrassing moment in my life. We were hanging out with a group of people somewhere, don't remember where. Like I said, the details are getting fuzzy. Anyway, we all decided to go back to Ian's house. He started weaving us all over the freaking place (I didn't know where he lived). Anyway, my friend that was in the car with me told me to make a u-turn. And me, thinking that the curbs were the kind you can drive up on (like in my neighborhood), steered full speed on to the curb. Yeah, it didn't go so well. Neighbors came out and stared. Ian's dad came. My dad came and explained to me how to change the tire. So, I had to change the tire while everyone in the whole freaking world watched. Not my proudest moment. And seriously, I was reminded of this moment for years to come. Usually by adults. My friends didn't seem to care. But every time it came up, inside it pissed me off and I wanted to scream. "Didn't you ever do anything stupid?!?" But I'm over it. So over it.

Our friendship progressed passed the "curb hitting incident". Can't remember too much, the details are fuzzy. But I do remember "it all began" one night because my friend was a flake. You see, we were all supposed to hang out. She was nowhere to be found. So Ian asked if I still wanted to hang out, which I did. And that is the night that I became smitten...

Some point after that, Ian invited me to meet him at Subway on his break from work. Romantic, right? His parents came to work to visit him and they found out he was at Subway on his break. So, they came in to say hi. His mom later told me she was like "Who is that girl with my son?" Apparently she didn't yet remember me from the curb hitting incident.Of course, back then I was only her son's friend...not a threat. wink, wink.

Anyway, Ian ended up inviting me to his prom. In case you are wondering, he asked me over the phone. I remember I had butterflies in my stomach and was so-freaking-excited. Before prom, yet after Ian asked me to prom, I went with him to sadie hawkins at his school. That was the night we took our first picture together...

In the spring of 1999, we went to Ian's prom (which really was a banquet as he went to a Christian school that didn't condone dancing). I showed up in the same dress as his best friend's date. Apparently she was not happy about it. I could have cared less. On our way home, Ian was driving like a jackass a little fast and got pulled over. Of course, he didn't get a ticket. I swear I don't get how he can always get out of tickets.

The following weekend, Ian was going to another prom with another girl named Jessica. Seriously?!? He told me it wasn't a big deal. The night before, we hung out. When he was dropping me off at home, he leaned in and kissed me. Super quick. Left me a little dumbfounded. Once I got in the house (it was hard finding the house key. I had freaking just been kissed by Ian for the first time!), I called my friends. They came over and we talked about that kiss over and over. That was May 7, 1999.

The Poop Situation

I walked in to get Connor up from his nap the other day (yep, he is back to staying in his crib. Crazy kid!) and instantly noticed he didn't have any pants on.

So I started surveying the room looking for his pants...he had thrown most of his bedding out of his bed too. When I found his pants, I noticed his diaper on the ground next to them. This was a first. He has never taken his diaper off before.

As I am walking toward the crib, I realize he is standing in the corner saying "yucky poop" and pointing to the smallest turd known to man that he had pooped in his bed. The funny thing about this is we have been working on him pooping in the potty...you know, kind of pooping on demand. Obviously he mustered up all his strength to poop one out in his bed. Cute and gross all at the same time.

And guess what? I am that mom. I took a picture of it. And yep, I am posting it for all to see. Hey, at least I am warning you! So I present to you, the smallest turd ever.

While I was trying to take a picture of it, he kept leaning over looking at it. So funny! And yes, gross. Who knew poop could be so interesting?!?