2 weeks from ONE YEAR OLD

Dear John,

My sweet, sweet, baby J. I am so sorry. I had every intention of documenting your life here, but that's just not happening. We are busy with you and your sister and working and holidays and day to day that this just keeps getting pushed aside.

You are crawling. Fast. When we found out we were having a boy, everyone warned us that boys are a handful, but I quickly dismissed it, saying that Annie was a really busy and active kid and I couldn't imagine a boy being much different. Well. Let's just say, you are much different.

Let's just say, you are excellent at hazard identification. You notice/seek out the most dangerous things possible. Things Annie never glanced twice at. Things I would never even think could be a hazard until I see you slowly creeping up towards it, eyeing me over your shoulder to see if I am watching.

For example: The Christmas Tree. We put it up on Friday. I worried about you pulling the tree down on top of you because what baby wouldn't be fascinated with the hundreds of sparkling, ACCESSIBLE twinkle lights. I anticipated pulling you away from the tree 157 times the first day, you being drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

What actually happened: You didn't even give it a second glance. It would have been impossible for you to care less about the tree. You were, however, immediately drawn to the electric cord leading from the tree to the wall.

So that's awesome.

Thankfully you are more interested in the sooty fireplace tools than the fireplace itself. For now.

As they say, you are all boy. You love to get dirty and are always on the move. That, I was prepared for, thanks to your big sister. You no longer want to be held. You want to be crawling or climbing. You love slides and to crawl on top of Annie's chair. You love your cow blankie SERIOUSLY. If it's not in your hand, you are grunting around until you find it.

You are a bit more of a picky eater than your sister was at this age. But then, there's zero consistency. You will like something one day, and then make a face at it the next. The only thing you have not turned your nose up at yet is cantaloupe. Go figure.

You still take a bottle 3-4 times a day. You eat about 60% table food and still like baby foods/purees. You take two naps, usually 1-2 hours a piece. You are still in size 4 diapers. You have four bottom teeth and two top teeth, with a third making its way through as I type this.

You are loud and funny and sweet and cuddly (sometimes). Annie loves you SO much and you love her. You look for her every morning and always want to play with her. You all have started "play fighting" where she chases you and presses your bottom into the ground when she catches you. You howl with laughter and think it's the funniest thing ever. It has aged me about 10 years. I guess this is only the beginning. 



Thirty years from now I want to remember your "fuzzy duck" hair, how you think it's so funny when I pretend your socks are stuck and smell your feet and make a big production about how stinky they are. I want to remember how much you love the bath and how every night before bed I lay your cow over my shoulder and you lay your head down and we say our prayers before I put you in your crib. I want to remember how much you love music and dancing and how you do this little wiggle dance when you are eating something you really like.

I love you, sweet boy.

~mom

This Time, With Feeling

There are few things I have delighted in more than watching a child learn the English language. And with the start of school, Annie is learning all sorts of new, fun words. She now says exciting things like "frustrated" and "suffocate" and "emergency". I am not sure exactly what is going on at school. We are kind of on a "don't ask/don't tell" policy at this point.

Along with learning new words comes learning proper inflection, which is probably my favorite. Annie is very enthusiastic about almost everything and so random words are always getting screamed or stretcccchhhheeed ouuuuuuuttt. Or stretched out while screaming. It's awesome.

Yesterday we were headed out to pick up a doll that will assist her in learning how to perform basic tasks like zipping zippers and buttoning buttons. Because God forbid her parents help her with that. (the doll won't bleed when she starts swinging out of frustration -fun new word- when she can't button her shirt properly) Every man for themselves and all that.

We missed the turn for our house and Annie asked where we were going:

Me: to pick up something

Annie: What? A sooo-prise? For me?

Me: I guess it's a surprise. I am not sure how you are going to feel about it.

Annie: Oh mom, I am sure I will feel A LOT about it.

The doll made it home. After one failed attempt at buttoning the button, and a swift jab to the doll's midsection (frustration), it sits on our dining room table.

Turns out, she didn't feel a lot about it. So frustrating.



A documented first, almost 10 months

Dear John,

While there have been loads of firsts for you already (first solids-4 months, first rolling over-around 6 months, first tooth-7.5 months), almost none of it has been documented here. I remember I documented the first time your sister shed HER FIRST TEAR. That's some serious first time parent crap right there. But yet you bounce blissfully along, undocumented in all your cute glory. I am so sorry, sweet boy.

I don't think the documentation will get any better since you are fully mobile now. As of last week (9.5 months), you are fully mobile and into EVERYTHING. My once docile little hunk is now seemingly incapable of sitting still. And you love to stand. No more time to sit and play with toys. Everything must be reached and once that particular item is obtained, you move on to something else almost instantly.

In light of the changing weather and your new mobility, I figured it was time for some shoes. Now I should add that I had received multiple pairs of cute and fashionable shoes as hand me downs from other friends, but let's just say they didn't quite fit your...ahem...robust foot situation. We needed professional assistance so the fam headed out to the local children's shoe experts this weekend.

You hated it.

Ha-TED it. I am sure those in the front of the store thought you were getting your vaccines or something by how hard you were crying. The salesperson said she had never seen a reaction like that and was clearly troubled by the exchange and said she wasn't going to sleep that night because of how you wailed every time she came near. They had exactly one pair of shoes in stock that fit your perfect portly peds. They wouldn't normally be my first choice, but you wear them well.

Rick said he was just thrilled they had something that fit and didn't emerge from the back with two burlap sacks and a roll of duct tape.

Sporting the size five, double wides, almost in need of a Velcro extension.

And I am not going to dwell on how big you look in them. You are, and will always be, my baby. 

An Outing

Fall in our house is full of outings. Carnivals, zoo trips, playgrounds. You name it. Anything to be outside when it's not one billion, or zero, degrees outside. This past weekend was one of our favorites, the Best of Missouri fair at the Botanical Gardens. There's a ton of good food, beers, talented artists (who knew there were so many woodworkers in Missouri???), and then, as if that's not enough, there's a whole setup for the kids. We were there for a good four hours. Thanks to my incorrect interpretation of a map, there was no southern exit from the park, so we walked the ENTIRE garden. For the last hour I was cautious with the kids as it was dangerously close to (and then past) nap time, Annie was running on fumes from samples of toffee, and John had been in the stroller on and off for three hours.

But there were no melt downs. Annie ran and ran and looked at bridges and fish and beautiful flowers and John strolled and it was basically the perfect day. I even asked Annie if she was getting tired and she said "Yes, and I think I am getting angry". But she never actually got angry. 

J and I hung out in the pumpkin patch while annie got her face painted.

"Mommy! That fish got me!"

Rick had to pretend like he didn't place her in this tree himself when approached by the garden staff. It's every man for himself in this family.

I mean, she milked.a.cow. "I squeezed it really hard. There was no milk. That cow might be broken."

Further proof that Annie really isn't afraid of (or grossed out by) anything.

J again escapes the stroller to pose for the camera.

So until the weather turns horrible, we will be squeezing the life out of St. Louis in the fall. Then you probably won't hear from us for 4-5 months.

John-8.5 months

Oh sweet, sweet, John. I am so sorry. I really have every intention of posting more about you. But you and your sister keep me so busy.

Here are some updates:

-you (as of about 7.5 months) now have TWO bottom teeth. They just popped up one day, no real fuss.

-you have had a LOT of colds/runny noses. I don't know what's going on with it, but I am ready for it to stop, and I am sure you are too. When you see me coming toward you with the nose sucker thing, you are not happy.

-But that really is the only time you are not happy. You are a delightful, squishy little human. People seem to be drawn to you, particularly in the grocery store, where your ample thighs are grabbed and cheeks are pinched by complete strangers. This might account for some of the colds you are always getting.

-You are eating "real" foods now. You seem to prefer veggies over super sweet things, and make a face like you are eating a lemon when you tried watermelon for the first time. All hilariously adorable.

-You are in size three diapers, but you could probably go up to a four. You are not small. You have been out of your pumpkin seat for about a month now because you exceeded the 22 pound weight limit. To think I was once worried about you gaining weight makes me chuckle now.

You adore your big sister and she adores you. The other night you were fussing at bedtime and I heard her start to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to you. You stopped immediately. Heart.Busted.

You are such a sweet little man. You love playing with toys and are content to just sit between my legs and roll things around. Your absolute favorite thing is my keys and then my cell phone. Again, could be why you constantly have colds. Poor, neglected second children. At least we are building your immune system!

You love riding in the stroller. I took you for a 45 minute walk on Sunday. I was convinced you were asleep because I didn't hear a peep from you. But no, you were awake the whole time, just being a really good boy. This is a huge change for us, since big sister did NOT like the stroller.

You are great at sitting up and are making moves to get into a crawling position, but no official crawling yet. I am guessing that will start within the next month or so. I am not in any hurry for that nonsense.

You are my sweet, snugly, smiley boy. I don't ever want to forget how you place your hand on the side of my face when I hold you before bed, or how you laugh when I rub your tummy when I am giving you a bottle, or how you are so proud of yourself when you clap, or how you look around the room for your sister first thing in the morning and smile really big when you find her, or how excited you get when you get a good bounce going in your exersaucer. Thank you for making our family complete.

I love you to pieces, sweet boy.

~mom

These Days-3 years&2 months, and almost 7 months old

It's been a while.

There's a lot going on but not a lot happening. It's this crazy limbo of there being lots of sleep but not enough sleep. It's very strange. Annie still naps for 1-2 hours a day. John seems to be going the wrong direction with the naps and most days takes four short naps a day. We are constantly busy, but with exactly what I can't say.

There are trips to the pool. The store, the park, the mall. On hot days we seek out water and air conditioning. We go to "daddy work" before it opens. We eat cheese noodles and grapes and crackers and yogurt. John now eats baby food and is getting really good at it. We are finished with breast feeding, which is a good thing. I think (more on this later, maybe). Annie and John are still cohabitating and that is working for now.

Life feels a bit like we are trapped in a huge bounce house together, jumping off the walls and barely missing each other. Kind of like we are narrowly avoiding major collisions again and again. It's a really weird feeling. Fun but also terrifying.

Summer is in full swing. The weather has been blessedly mild.

We are continuing to hit the carnivals. Annie can ride most of the kid rides by herself this year, which is saving us approximately $12,000.

I think this might be the first family photo together since we were in the hospital with John. Thanks, Debbie!!!

I am still working on getting Annie and John's nap to synch up in the afternoon. If she falls asleep first, I don't have the courage to let him fall asleep on his own in their room, lest he start squawking and wake her up. So we cuddle on the bed until he's out and then I move him. I don't hate it.

Annie is big into her toys these days. As is everything with my girl, it's all or nothing. She is currently hoarding topless princess Barbie dolls. I have no idea where 90% of their actual outfits went. I am sure I will find them when she goes off to college. John has probably eaten all their little glittery princess shoes.

If this seems frantic, it's because it is. Hopefully more later.

Annie-3 Years Old

Dear Annie,

I have drafted this letter about 1,000 times in my head so I figured it is time to put it down officially or it won't ever happen. You are three. 

The problem is, I don't even know where to begin.

You are awesome. You are funny. You know you are funny. You have even said "I like to make people laugh, mom." You are smart and one of the most observant people I have ever met. You notice when I change my makeup or if I already own an article of clothing similar to one I am eyeing at the mall. "You already have that shirt, Mom" is a common phrase uttered by you as I try to build up my collection of navy and white striped shirts in time for summer.

I knew you would be a great big sister, but I really thought that would just be when John got older. I had no idea. No idea. When he cries, you sing "twinkle twinkle wittle star" and he is instantly soothed. You make him laugh like no one else can. He is your biggest fan and it makes my heart hurt a bit to think about it. You always want to hold him and he loves being by your side.

This marked your first official year at "school" and you won the hearts of all your teachers and made some good friends. You never once looked back as I dropped you off and asked every day "Is today a school day?" You love being around people and playing games. You wait for "the girls" on our street to come home from school and make yourself visible in the front yard so they know you are available to participate in their activities.

You want so much to be "bigger". You want "big teef like yours, Mom!" and it always depresses you when you realize that you still can't master the monkey bars.

But you keep trying. You sing the Daniel Tiger song "Try try try try try it again. Keep trying, you'll get beh-eh-ter!" I have even caught you saying "I think I can!" when faced with an especially daunting task. Sometimes you get discouraged, and some tears are shed, but you never give up; you just resolve to try again another day. I can't tell you how proud this makes me. You are strong, confident and brave, and I love watching you try new things.

We are working on talking about our feelings, much to your Dad's dismay. You do a pretty good job of telling me when you are angry or your feelings are hurt, but we've had some hiccups. You pulled my hair the other night as I was leaning over to kiss you and I yanked my hair away and said NO PULLING HAIR! You immediately burst into tears and said I hurt your feelings.



I feel like I am just rambling because there is so much I want to capture. I can't believe I am so blessed to have such a wonderful daughter. You light up every day and I can't wait for you to get up every morning. Your Dad and I (and John!) adore you more than we could ever say. Thank you for being "my Annie".

I love you, sweet girl.

Mom