Teething & Walking

Hannah's two top central incisors finally surfaced just before Thanksgiving, and Leah sprung a new top tooth as well to the side of her already prominent middle chompers. You'd think Joseph was teething too with all the fingers and things he's been shoving into his mouth (then again, he also shoves his hands into his pants, but no foreign objects yet) Both girls are also getting more interested in walking, though in totally different ways. Leah enjoys holding your hand and walking her way across the room in a diagonal sort of manner, pushing on a toy for support, and carefully navigating the single step needed to cross from a table to a couch. Hannah takes a different approach. She stands up on her own without holding anything and then balances herself before taking several steps, falling down, and starting over. Last night she made it almost 10 before her hands hit the ground! Though both girls seem to appreciate applause, which generates a lovely view of their latest teeth. Tickling also works on the girls and Joseph.

Bathtime Buddies

It's usually easiest to give the girls baths at the same time.....that is....assuming you have two pairs of hands around. And it's usually a very emotional beginning and end to the activity. The minute they hear the bathtub running they start squealing and squawking and if they aren't confined in their chairs they make a mad dash for the open bathroom door (which is usually closed because of their fetish with the tub). Then when you take them into their room to get striped down and de-diapered they are screaming and crying like crazy, as if to say "how could you, how could you run that bathtub and not have it be for me". And then, when being carried to the bathroom the chubby legs are kicking with excitement and the squealing returns. The squealing and glee usually continues in the tub, followed by splashing and bubble eating. They don't enjoy having their hair rinsed and usually try to crawl away or scale the wall, but then the fun returns and there is even more amazement and wonder when they hear the sound of the water draining (as they usually quickly crawl to that end of the tub to see what is going on). Though oddly they don't associate this noise with the end of bath time, as they are still very much happy and into the whole water experience. But take them out of the tub and brace yourself.....the screaming begins and doesn't stop until there's a thumb in the mouth (Leah) or you are done putting on onesies, diapers, and pajamas and are holding someone in your arms (Hannah). We made sure to do this last night before Jay left for a work trip today. I'll do them separately during the week, which is a whole different kind of emotional experience.

Ladies Looking Older, Hannah Getting Better?

And not only are they looking older, but they are acting like older babies too. Last saturday (10/30) Hannah was having fun standing up (from sitting) on her own, and decided to bust out her side step! Then on Monday (11/1) she started taking forward steps at daycare. Leah is not as interested in practicing such things, but she did get her second top tooth (her right) that same weekend. And Hannah is working on her first top tooth as I type. Doctor says it should be within the next day that one breaks through! And why were we at the doctor? Well it seems Hannah managed to get Roseolla and the makings of a yeast infection all while trying to cut a tooth. Which for Hannah we now know equals not wanting to eat or drink and sleeping all the time. Leah handled Roseolla with a bit more grace a few weeks back, but in Hannah's defense she had a bit more going on all at once and didn't have the luxury of a built in pacifier....Leah's thumb. Leah in fact sometimes debates whether she should suck her thumb or reach for an object that she wants, like a ball. She frequently tries to do both at the same time but then discovers it doesn't work out so well and she usually chooses her thumb. Hopefully Hannah will be back to her happy self soon and dancing like Elaine all over the place (she waves her arms all over the place like she's going to whack someone whenever a song she likes is playing)....and maybe even go back to taking steps again!

Joseph Quotes

Joseph is always a good source for amusement and lately some of his statements have been so funny I just had to write them down to share:

• You are interrupting me (while I was already in conversation and he was trying to say something very important, so important that I no longer recall what it was)
• I am being very patient with you (while waiting for us to finish dinner so that he could put on his costume and go trick or treating)
• I just spit my medicine in the toilet (upstairs, after telling me downstairs that he didn't think he needed anymore but I gave him some anyway)

All of these were actually quotes from me first, except for the last one. I don't believe I have ever informed anyone that I just spit my medicine in the toilet.

Halloween Fun Part 2

Halloween Fun Part 1 took place in Winona a few weeks ago with all the little cousins and a fantastically decorated yard that Joseph just couldn't get enough of. And now available on a blog near you are pictures from Halloween Part 2. We actually are part of two neighborhoods, one Milwaukee and one Wauwatosa, and they both know how to do Halloween up right which means two nights in a row of trick or treating for Joseph and one big party for Jessica and Jay (Hannah and Leah don't know what they're missing yet).

Halloween Fun Part 1

Recent Events

10/16 - Hannah stands on her own without support
10/18 - The girls have their last bottle, all sippy cups baby!
10/19 - Leah has 102 degree fever AND her top left tooth breaks through
10/21 - Leah gets a rash all over and it was not the tooth causing the fever...Roseolla is the culprit!
10/22 - Hannah says "buh bye" as we are leaving the house (they both also say "more" now for more food)
10/22 - We take all the kids out to dinner (an event!). Girls stay awake past 7pm! (but go to bed at 6pm the next night)
10/23 - Hannah and Leah get fitted for first pair of shoes (seen in photos)

Just Joseph

So rarely is it just Joseph and me, but a few evening this week we've had some fun time after the girl's have gone to bed, and today we went to the dentist together while the girls were at daycare. He was pretty excited to get his teeth cleaned while watching Curious George. And he did everything he was told for getting xrays, floss, and fluoride. Apparently he listens better than some 6yr olds! (imagine my surprise) Our evenings have been the most fun (mornings never stood a chance....I'm always tired or rushed and typically there are either tears or poo involved) One night we looked out front and got to see all the Halloween decorations outside. Joseph is a HUGE fan of all the skeletons, spider webs, ghosts, and spooky things on display everywhere we go. (He also enjoys Old McDonalds. Not the song, but the fast food place. They have good hangleburgers there.) The other morning I was getting a bit frustrated with him because he kept talking like a baby while I was trying to get everyone in their jackets and out of the house, and like five times I asked him to stop talking like a baby, each time my tone getting a little more harsh and finally he said very calmly "Mommy, maybe I should just stop talking". So cute. And then I felt bad so on the way to school I told him if he was good that day that we could have a pajama party at night. So after the girls were in their cribs, Joseph and I put on our jammies, popped some popcorn, had some gogurt (threw an apple into the mix for added nutritional value, Joseph's favorite fruit) and watched a show (Franklin on Nick Jr). We topped it all of with a Franklin book followed by a Frog and Toad story before calling it a night. It's been a good week for Joseph, but tommorrow will be even better because Daddy comes home, and let me tell you, we are all pretty excited about that.

Hannah & Leah 1 Year Stats

Hannah Lu
Head: 46cm (80%)
Weight: 23lbs 3oz (80%)
Height: 31 inches (95%)
















Leah Rose
Head: 45cm (50%)
Weight: 22lbs 8ozs (75%)
Height: 30.5 inches (90%)

Hannah and Leah Turn One!

Has it been a year already? Even though it seems so long ago that I was enjoying my extended stay at Waukesha Memorial, the twelve months with Hannah and Leah as part of our family have gone by pretty fast. We don't need red nail polish on Hannah's big toe any longer to tell them apart, and even though early on I thought it was Leah who had a mark in her diaper area (which later turned out to be poo) it is Hannah who ended up with a birthmark on her hip. For now they appear to have Jay's hazel eyes, just like Joseph. (and in our family hazel means dark grey, with perhaps a fleck of brown or green. Quite the genetic mystery really). Leah is our first thumb sucker, and was more interested in that than she was her very first cake (my daughter? If I wasn't there I might not believe it) Hannah on the other hand demolished her first cake with such an urgency that we needed to take it away for fear that she would actually consume the entire thing (clearly she takes more after me, whereas Leah's interest in cake more resembles that of Jay). Our once itty bitty little baby girls are not so little any more! It's been a fun year watching them grow and interact with each other and everything around them. Can't wait to see what's next! Happy Birthday Hannah & Leah!

More Fall Fun

All Smiles

And what's not to smile about? We're down to one bottle a day (the it's 6am and I'm awake and hungry bottle), no more packing bottles and food for daycare (oh how we love that daycare has a kitchen), gone are the days of buying formula (this is the only scenario in which I think milk is the most amazing drink on earth), we take naps after lunch each day (that's right, all three kids sleep for at least one common hour each afternoon....sometimes two!), and we have made it a few weeks without any unexpected visits to the doctor (knocking on wood as I type). Truly smileriffic.

Fall Fun

We've had lots of fun this week playing in leaves, looking for pumpkins, and enjoying the nice weather in Winona. Surprising, but even though my birthday is in the spring I think I have decided that Fall is in fact my favorite season. Colorful trees, cool but warm temps, fires outside, candles inside, Halloween and turkeys and pumpkin pie. Spring may have my birthday, but everything else is pretty much crap. Oh wait....there's Joseph's birthday too...and Frittata on Easter and Matzo Ball Soup and Brisket for Passover....hmmmm. I'm still sticking with Fall.

Things that make you go hmmmmm...

• Joseph is terrified of eyedrops, as in screaming and refusing to open his eyes
• Leah lays down under tables and behind furniture when she is tired (on belly, thumb in mouth)
• Hannah clings to my arms and squeezes to no end whenever I try to hand her to someone else

Mama and Dada

We are pretty sure that Hannah and Leah are saying "mama" and "dada". Or these just happen to be the next logical phase of sounds after "ra ra ra ra". Not sure I will count it as their first words yet, but Leah's "mama" is pretty clear, and so is Hannah's "dada". (Clearly they've made their picks.) Leah has turned into quite the eater over the past month, she eats as though she is in competition with her sister, even though Hannah has a completely separate chair and tray of food, well at least at home. At daycare they had to be separated at meal time because Leah kept taking Hannah's food. I'm guessing at their one year weigh in Leah will have caught up to her not so bigger, bigger sister. They are down to two bottles a day and loving the three meals plus two snacks. (Sometimes a third snack to promote happiness and reduce screaming.) Their eyes are still what I am calling hazel (dark grey with a ring of light brown around the pupils), but we think their hair is starting to look more golden. Still straight as can be! Leah is starting to suck her thumb more and more...it used to be a sign of sleepiness but now I think in general she uses it to calm herself down. Around 4pm each day at daycare she crawls up a little ramp and into a pit of stuffed animals and lays there on her back cuddling with her thumb in her mouth (this is after crying of course). I can't seem to remember when we took Joseph's pacifier away, but I hesitate to pull the plug on Hannah's. I think he was able to talk, so he must have been older. Are other people's memories better than this? Seriously, I can keep track of a zillion things I need to do in a given day but can't for the life of me remember details like this. Perhaps my brain has run out of long term storage. (Note to self: clean out brain).