EVB: 3 Years + 2 Months

Miss Ellen has, for the most part, been very well-behaved lately, which reaffirms we're (hopefully) past the batshit-crazy, possessed-by-the-devil, foaming-at-the-mouth phase of tantrums she went through in recent months. In fact, Ellen has been downright sweet the majority of her waking hours these past few weeks!

She continues to amaze us with her vocabulary, inflection and quick wit during conversation, and her imagination and ability to entertain herself are phenomenal. EVB is also taking greater interest in her sister, which is nice, but we find ourselves playing defense for poor June. Ellen loves to hug her sister. Hard. She also thinks it's totally acceptable to try to ride on June's back as June crawls around the floor. We're also busy trying to keep little 3-year-old fingers out of June's eyes, ears, nose and mouth. "Gentle!" is the word we're using most with Ellen right now. :)

And, off course, Ellen's sense of humor is still amazing. Some funny things from her mouth this past month:

• "I better go to the bathroom so my bladder wont't hurt."
• "Oh no you don't, Junie," when June is crawling toward something Ellen deems off-limits to her sister.
• "When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut ... then I want to grow into a doctor and a mom, but right now I'm just a little kid."

2012 Christmas Festivities

The girls had a fabulous time celebrating the holidays this year ... It was June's first Christmas and Ellen's FOURTH Christmas, if you can believe it! (Granted, EVB was all of two months old for her first Christmas back in 2009.) Our family was on the go for a good week or so as we gathered with extended family and friends as well as both sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Here are some pictures of all the fun we had:

Trying to get a picture of June's sweet little baby neck ...

but she turned around and posed for the camera instead. :)

Note: I am typically anti-baby headbands, but June looked cute in Ellen's hair accessory (which just so happened to coordinate with her outfit!)

The sad "Christmas corner" of our rental townhouse. Not fully pictured: our even sadder looking "mantle" (aka stockings hung from 3M Command Hooks stuck to the wall)

JEB: 9 Months Old!

Little June Bug has now been on the outside as long as she was on the inside (give or take a few days)! June is continuing to grow and develop just as she should ... Here's what's she up to these days:

• Getting into a sitting position from her tummy
• Starting to pull herself up in her crib
• Improving her crawling technique
• Waving more and more
• Relishing in the joy of throwing things off of her highchair tray and onto the floor
• Refusing to take a bottle of milk (I think she's been spoiled by always having Mom around when it's time for a drink!)
• Still eating food three times a day (cereal for breakfast, cereal/fruit for lunch, and meat/veggies for dinner). She continues to eat pureed food, but can handle shredded cheese, cut-up bananas, soft-cooked veggie/chicken pieces, graham crackers, cheerios and rice cakes. June also continues to nurse four times a day with an occasional session or two during the night if those pesky teeth (or more recently a cold) wake her up. (We're trying to get back on track with sleeping through the night!) June is still taking two naps each day, too.
• Preferring to sleep on her tummy (though we still put her to sleep on her back)
• Graduating to a "big girl" car seat after Mom & Dad decided that she's just too heavy to keep lugging around in her infant carrier
• Riding like a big kid in the Target shopping cart
• Wearing 9-month or 6-12-month clothes (we finally packed away the last of the 3-6- and 6-month clothes), Size 3 diapers and mostly Size 3 shoes She still wears a few pairs of Size 2 shoes.)
• STILL working on those first teeth. I cannot believe at least one hasn't poke through yet, but it can't be long because I can see the tops of several pearly whites just beneath her gum.

We'll find out June's official weight and height in a few days when she has her 9-month appointment!

So much for getting a picture to show June's length!

We are remembering just how much we love this age and delighting in everything our little peanut does. :)

Sisters with Santa

Ellen & June survived their first trip together to visit Santa Claus. There were no tears this year, but Ellen was a bit apprehensive (or as she puts it, "Santa was a little shy"). However, we were able to convince her to stand next to Santa's reindeer, Donner, to remain in frame for the photo. June Bug was content as could be ... I think she was mesmerized by Santa's big, white beard!

EVB: 3 Years + 1 Month

So far, Miss EVB is doing a great job of being 3 years old. She's as funny as ever and maturing before our very eyes. Here's what she's been up to this past month:

• Surviving her first visit to the dentist: I was worried since Ellen has a bit of a fear of dentists due to "Finding Nemo" (She also calls scuba divers "dentists" thanks to the Pixar flick ...), but she did GREAT. Ellen was super cooperative for Jenna, who cleaned her teeth, and for Dr. Jon. (It helped that she got to watch "Super Why" the entire time she was in the chair!) EVB was thrilled to pick out a new toothbrush when she was done and she even got her very own "dentist floss." Ever since her appointment, Ellen has been obsessed with brushing and flossing her 18 pearly white teeth.
• Continuing to rock at potty training: I think it's pretty safe to say Ellen is potty trained, with the exception of a few slip-ups at nap/bedtime when she continues to wear a Pull-up. We've even braved longer outings in "big girl unders" and Ellen has stayed dry! At this point, I think Mom and Dad are the only ones with any hesitation about going sans the security Pull-up in public. 
• Eating like she has a tapeworm: Ellen's appetite has been insane lately. She's never been one to want food between meals, but lately there have been constant requests for snacks and second helpings at most meals. I'm thinking she must be hitting a growth spurt. :)
• Getting geared up for the holidays: Ellen had a lot of fun celebrating with her extended family on Thanksgiving. Coming off the heels of Halloween, Ellen informed us that for Thanksgiving, she was going to "just go as Ellen." ... Ellen is getting into the spirit of the next holiday by listening to Christmas songs and then singing them while she putters around the house. Her currents fave is "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas." She's also looking forward to decorating the tree with "do-nah-ments." :)

Post-nap hair as crazy as ever ...

So brave in the dentist's chair!

Enjoying a film at the Como Zoo (Ellen insisted on watching this documentary for 10 minutes before I was able to coax her away ... )

JEB: 8 Months Old!

Little Junie B. is 8 months old! She's continuing to check off some major milestones from her list and is just as sweet and happy as ever. Here's what's she's been up to lately ...

• Crawling: June is officially mobile. And fast! She's quickly turning her modified army crawl/inchworm thing into a very efficient mode of transportation. (In a matter of about two seconds yesterday, June scooted across the room and pulled over a big plant ... A good reminder for us to do some baby-proofing!) One bummer side effect of crawling: red, raw knees and elbows. :(
• Self-Feeding: Just this week, June has figured out how to pick up puffs and Cheerios from her highchair tray and get them into her mouth. She's working on her pincer grasp, but still packs her little snacks in to her tiny palm and then shoves her fist into her mouth. Junie has also started to drink water out of a sippy cup like a big girl.
• Waving: June is just starting to get this. It's a little half-hearted and infrequent, but we're working on it!
• Yelling: June has been expressing herself with lots of happy screams these days. It's noisy, but super cute. (She's also starting to make a few "mama" sounds. Yea!)
• Big-Girl Bathing: Now that June is sitting up completely independently, she can go in the ducky tub (one of my favorite baby items)!
• Teething (still): Everything goes into June's mouth these days. It's been a long wait for those first teeth to completely pop through, but I'll be surprised if they don't appear within the next month.

June is still eating food three times a day (baby oatmeal for breakfast, a fruit mix and/or yogurt for lunch, and some sort of veggie or meat concoction for dinner) plus a few snacks of puffs or cheerios. She's also eating cut-up bananas and recently tried shredded cheese. I'm also continuing to nurse June four times a day.

JEB is still rocking it in the sleep department: 12 hours (usually) uninterrupted at night and two naps (one at 9 a.m. and one at 1 p.m.) plus a third nap (around 4:30 p.m.) when she needs it.

Our peanut is still wearing size 3 diapers, 6-12 month clothes, size 2 or 3-6 month shoes. I'd venture to guess she weighs about 18 pounds.

We sometimes take June's temperament for granted. She is always so happy and smiling, she puts up with her big sister's antics, and she's content to just go with the flow. We couldn't possibly love this little girl any more than we do!

EVB: Swimming Lessons (Take 2)

Ellen started a new swimming class a couple of weeks ago. We were a little nervous about how she'd do since our first attempt at lessons last January was an epic failure. Lo and behold, Little Miss E. did a great job starting with the first class.

I think a few things are working in our favor this time around: Ellen is eight months older than she was for her first attempt (and, therefore, more comfortable doing things without Mom or Dad right by her side); the YMCA swim class seems much more organized than the community education class (duh, you get what you pay for ...); and the instructor/student ratio is awesome (as in 1:1, possibly 1:2)!

So far, Ellen is having lots of fun acclimating to the water and she'd even learning a few skills (front and back floats, "doggy paws," kicking, jumping in, etc.). It's been so much fun watching her venture out on her own without us and it's a bittersweet reminder that our little girl is growing up.

Practicing proper back float form ...

EVB listening to her teachers, Mr. Andre & Ms. Caitlin.

Practicing kicks!

Halloween 2012

Pumpkin Junie

This year, we opted for hammering golf tees in to our pumpkins instead of carving them since we didn't hand out candy or do the whole trick-or-treating at our temporary housing complex. Ellen loved it!

Cupcake

Cupcake & Pumpkin

First Halloween together!

Love this girl!

Trick-or-treating in Omma & Boppa's neighborhood

Ellen is 3!

Holy moly, Miss Ellen is 3 year old?! How did that happen? EVB kicked off her special day with a yummy takeout breakfast from Panera. (Ellen loves their "muffies.") We celebrated with just the four of us during the morning hours and then headed to Grammy & Grandpa's house for the big par-tay. Ellen chose the theme of her party (Minnie Mouse) and was super excited about her cake and the party decor.  EVB had a blast playing with her cousins and opening some very generous gifts from her family members.

So, what is Ellen up to at the three-year mark? Here's a brief list:

• Talking non-stop (still). Ellen has always been verbal and she's showing no signs of slowing down. She's like a little sponge the way she absorbs the words, phrases and inflections from the various conversations she's exposed to ... She talks like a little adult. :)
• Sassing and defying Mom & Dad. While this is often time funny (sometimes in hindsight), it certainly is not fun. Ellen is one stubborn little lady who loves a good power struggle and having the last word. While I'm sure this behavior is somewhat normal for her age, we're trying (desperately) to nip it in the bud ... especially since it tends to segue into a tantrum.
• Embracing her artistic side. Ellen is starting to gravitate to art projects and coloring more than she has tended to in the past. She's been practicing using scissors, glue/glue sticks and paint brushes, which has been fun.
• Flossing her teeth. Ellen has discovered a love for "dentist floss" and loves using it on Mom's teeth as well as her own. I'm glad she's a fan because we plan to visit the dentist for the first time very soon. :)
• Playing with her sister. Ellen and June continue to interact more and more. Their "conversations" seem to increase at the same rate as June's mobility. It's a lot of fun to observe!
• Potty training. I'd say Ellen is potty trained during waking hours. She wears big girl "unders" at home and for shorter errands, but Mom & Dad are still working up the courage to leave the house for extended periods of time without Ellen wearing a Pull-up. :)
• Still working on writing her letters, primarily the letters in her name. (Ellen has nearly perfected the "E-l-l" of her name and is working on making the "e-n" more legible.
• Still counting to 20 or 30 (depending on her mood). She does this almost flawlessly, with the exception of forgetting 13 or 14 every once in awhile. (I think Ellen can recognize numbers up to 10 or 11.)
• Making phone calls. Ellen loves to dial the phone by herself. She has memorized Omma & Boppa's number and scolds me if I try to help her with the number when she calls them most mornings.
• Showing more independence when it comes to daily tasks (helping herself in the bathroom, clearing her  dishes from the table, putting her dirty laundry in the basket, etc.)
• Waking up too early. We struggle to get Ellen to remain quietly in her bed/bedroom later than 6 or 6:30 in the morning. We're planning to get her her own digital clock to help her with waiting until a more reasonable time to wake up for the day. (Ellen continues to nap for at least a couple of hours each afternoon and turns in for the night between 8 and 9 p.m.)

So, I guess this list isn't necessarily brief, and I could probably continue to add to it, but I think I covered the big things. Oh, and at her recent 3-year-old checkup Ellen weighed 31 pounds and was 36 inches tall. :)

Ellen was not in the mood for sitting still, so this is the best official monthly photo I could get ...

Ellen LOVES her new princess castle from Mom & Dad! (June gave her the princesses that go with it)

Ellen's Minnie Mouse cake. Yum!

The birthday girl was a little self-conscious when everyone was singing "Happy Birthday" :0

 

Opening presents ...

Ellen with all her cousins (and June)!

 Feeding "Catalina Emerson," EVB's new Cabbage Patch Kid.

Sweet little 3-year-old.

JEB: 7 Month Old!

Little June is getting SO big! At 7 months old, here's what our little redhead is up to:

• "Talking": Junie has started chatting a lot more, making "dada" and "baba" sounds as well as a noise that sounds a little bit like "hi."
• Laughing: Our little monkey is still super smiley and always up for a good belly laugh.
• Teething ... still: There seem to be lots of teeth just waiting to pop through, but no full-fledged teeth just yet. The tips of June's upper canine teeth are still the only ones that have started to poke through.
• Sleeping 12 hours!: June spontaneously slept all night two nights in a row a couple of weeks ago ... Once we knew that she could do it, we decided to help reinforce this behavior. So, no more middle-of-the-night feeding! Woo hoo! June now sleeps about 12 hours at night and continues to take two naps during the day (one at about 9 a.m. and the other at about 1 p.m.).
• Eating like a champ: Although we omitted the 2 a.m. snack, June is getting plenty to eat during normal waking hours. I nurse her at about 7 or 7:30 a..m. when she wakes up, then again at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and once more at about 7 p.m. before she goes to sleep. June also eats solids at approximately 8:30 a.m. (rice cereal or oatmeal), 12:30 p.m. (typically some sort of fruit) and 5:30 p.m. (most often vegetables). June takes at least one jar/pouch of store-bought baby food or 2-3 cubes of homemade food at each feeding. At this point, I think she's had all single foods and is working her way through stage 2 foods like meat/veggies combos. We've also tried whole milk yogurt. June seems to prefer the veggies and meats, unlike Ellen who favored the sweeter fruits. :)
• Trying to crawl: JEB has mastered a 360-degree movement on her tummy to get to a toy or other object that is out of her reach. She wiggles her little body and does a bit of an army crawl. She's also been getting up on her knees and rocking back and forth, so full-on crawling is probably right around the corner!
• Raking her fingers: June rakes her little fingers on just about every surface (when she does this on her highchair tray it looks kind of like she's playing the piano!). It's super cute and we love catching her doing this. I especially love when she does it to the back of my arm when I'm carrying her. :) This raking motion helps June find and grasp toys, her paci, etc. (I love that she can find and insert her paci all by herself now!)
• Sitting up (almost) independently: June has just about mastered sitting up on her own; she still topples over sometimes, but her little body is getting stronger each and every day.
• Growing/packing on the pounds: June's chub is still in full effect and we're slowly phasing out the 3- to 6-month clothes in exchange for more 6- to 12-month tops and bottoms. She's also started wearing shoes now that the weather is getting cooler and is currently in a size 2. And, we've officially transitioned to size 3 diapers.

Life with our June Bug gets better and better each day ... Her sweet demeanor and priceless smile make us so incredibly happy and remind us just how lucky we are. xo

G.G. B.

Goofball :)

This girl wakes up smiling!

Gettin' squeaky clean ...

A little light reading ...

Sweet potatoes for our sweet potato ...

and teething!