10 Months

My sweet little baby keeps on truckin' toward her first birthday--she is now officially 10 months old. Adrienne is such a darling, sensitive, happy little person. Though I am perpetually tired and fantasize about lots of time to myself, I secretly love that I am clearly her favorite person. She is a momma's girl for sure, and always snuggles into me as she shyly smiles at anyone that approaches. A few facts about our charming 10 month old girl...

-Adrienne is such a good eater. She hasn't met much she doesn't like, and I hope this continues. I am counting on her to convince Jillian to try new things via peer pressure! Avocados are still her favorite. If you do not keep her tray well-stocked, or don't get the food in her mouth fast enough via spoon, she will start shrieking her trademark shrill scream. It is unbelievably loud, and it gets her results quickly. She is down to nursing four times a day.

-Adrienne is doing much better in the sleep department. She goes to bed around 7, and usually gets up about 5-5:30 to eat. She falls right back to sleep and gets up around 7-7:30. I'll take it. Morning naps are so sporadic, and often impossible, that I have been just focusing on a good afternoon nap at an earlier time. She will usually sleep 2-3 hours in this situation. If I am home and put her down for a morning nap, I often have trouble getting her down in the afternoon, so I'm thinking we are close to dropping it all together. I am good with that, too.

-Adrienne is at that stage of dangerous, curious exploration. She does not like to be confined in the "baby jail" or exersaucer, and is happiest when I let her roam free around the house. This of course requires my constant supervision, and adding Jillian to the mix complicates the scenario. She likes to engage Adrienne in rough play, or give her toys that are unsafe. We are working on keeping hands to ourselves, and not man-handling our little sister! Adrienne is cruising on furniture and loves to play in standing. She has more of my cautious personality, however, and resists walking while her hands are held. She quickly plops down and attempts to crawl. Last week I tried to get her to stand alone, which she did for about 3 seconds before realizing she was doing it. At that point, she got a terrified look on her face and reached for me. Such a difference from her thrill-seeking big sister. This week, she discovered that those shiny round knobs on the kitchen cabinets serve a purpose, and so my secret is out: there are fun things to explore behind those doors!
I guess it's time for us to discuss official baby-proofing in this house.

-Adrienne is making lots of sounds, and babbles away constantly. She can say "hi", and "more" ("mmmmoh") appropriately, and will imitate "mama", "dada", and "Shhhhh" ("ssssss"). She plays peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake, and smiles continuously to flash her 6 (almost 7) teeth. I took some videos during dinner last week that I found to be especially cute--I think they really show how interactive she is.

I am so biased, I know, but I think this baby as is adorable as they come. Can't get enough of her sweet spirit.

3 1/2

Today is Jillian's half birthday, so I thought perhaps it would be fitting to summarize her development at this time. If I had to describe Jillian in one word it would be this: independent. This kid, like so many others her age, thrives on every opportunity to do any task by herself. She is so passionate about her independence that she will fight me tooth and nail over every. little.tiny. thing. Often the battle ensues so quickly that I do not realize it is happening until it is too late--then I am stuck in a tough spot: hold my ground and risk allowing day-ruining battles over silly, non-important things, or give in and prove to her that she, the child, controls the house. I most often choose the former out of desire to drive home the point that the adults rule in our roost, but wish I had let more things go to begin with. It is such a tangled web some days! I digress....
I'll say it again. Jillian is independent. She insists on choosing her own clothing (100% of the time it involves something with a ruffle...be it a tunic, dress, skirt, or tutu. In the absence of such items she insists she "can't spin"). Jillian knows how to match colors rather well, but she hasn't quite learned how to match colors AND patterns together. In her mind, stripes match stripes, whether they be red on top and green on bottom, or pink and pink. Recently, she decided she can brush her own teeth, wipe her own bottom, wash her own hands (with soap), wash herself in the tub, buckle her car seat straps, open her own juice box, and do her own hair. Any resistance on my part results in teenage-like emotional drama that will hear no explanation for my reasoning and cannot consider compromise. It is during these moments that I am reminded she is just three. I often forget because of her astounding verbal and cognitive abilities, but her emotions are intensely (and I do mean intense) age appropriate.

A few more words to describe my 3 1/2 year old Jillian......

 ...Imaginative. She is heavy into dress-up and pretend play. In recent days, she has enjoyed putting on her swim suit, spreading out a large blanket, and pretending to swim in the pool. On Friday, we had lunch at "the beach" (on a beach towel in the kitchen). I often find her wearing pajamas mid-day as she talks about it being night time and goes through our bedtime routine with her stuffed animals. I am tempted to start hiding her fairy wings from her, because she also likes to pretend she can fly . This means jumping off of steps (usually while wearing a long princess-type gown along with the wings) and I can just envision her taking a big fall as she trips on the gown. I do not think the presence of wings will save her from that tumble.

....Performer. She loves to sing in the car (and I usually hear, "Mom, I want to listen to Taylor Swift" coming from the backseat) and can carry a tune with the best of them. She is also an Adele fan. I am certainly doing my best to make sure my girls have my taste in music, because the thought of listening to kid music all the time in the car does not appeal to the singer in me at all. We like to belt out some soulful tunes together, and it warms my heart to peer into the rear view mirror and see Jillian bop along to the beat as she sings and hear Adrienne laugh at her. Ice skating is still a popular topic, and she often "skates" through Target and spins around the living room shouting "Watch me!". She certainly isn't bashful about attention from others.

....Smart. Regarding more "academic" type skills, Jillian appears to know all of her letters. She can identify them accurately most all of the time. She is very interested in what letter words begin with and can tell you what each person's name in our family begins with. Phonics is a popular discussion, and she likes to try and figure out the sounds the letters make. She is pretty good with s, a, u, k, j, and m, and is usually pretty close with several others (i.e. confusing b and d). Jillian is able to make a 'J' (usually backwards) and and 'i' to begin her name. If you are on our birthday card list, you can bet she's made you a "Jillian original" and signed her name before we seal the card. Her memory is unbelievable, and I just can't fathom how she can recall so many details from so long ago with such precision.

....Energetic. Just typing about this characteristic makes me tired. Jillian has an absolutely endless supply of energy. She is moving, unless asleep (and even then she is all over her bed). Period. I am certain that she keeps moving, despite obvious fatigue in the afternoon/evening, in attempt to somehow try to counteract that fatigue. Walking really isn't her thing. She prefers to run, spin, and jump her way through life. Matt and I always joke that it is easy to tell when Jillian is getting sick, because she slows down and becomes unusually compliant. It sets off our "spidey sense".

....Observant. She  notices everything going on around her, and indulges her curiosity as she riddles you with question after question after question, or commentary about the subject. "What's she doing?" "Why does he have a bandaid on his hand?" "Where is that man going?" "Hey, that car is just like ours" "Oh, there's where we had pizza last time".

....Routinized. She gets this from her mother. I like routine and unknowingly infuse it into just about every task. The downside of this is that Jillian has a tough time going with the flow, and little changes often bring big frustration. She always wants Cheerios for breakfast, asks for Matt to bathe her, requests me to read a story at bedtime and I am not allowed to leave the room until we sing "Jesus Loves Me" (as we have done every single night since about 4 months old), talk about our day, and count to ten in Spanish (I don't even remember how that got started...).

....A conversationalist. She likes to talk about everything, share her feelings, and express herself without abandon. In the last couple of days I have heard some good ones.
-When asked why she doesn't listen to me (after running away from me in the parking lot of the RAC): "Because I want what I want!". I have no words.
-In Target after church today: "Mom I really missed my family when you were married and didn't have me yet. I missed you then. Because God didn't make me yet."
-When climbing into bed with me this morning: "Good morning, Mom! How was your sleep yester-night? Let's talk about the big mall!"

I could type all day about our one-of-a-kind girl, but think I've covered the main stuff. Jillian is charging ahead to her fourth birthday at record speed....and that is just so hard to believe.

Heaven

To begin this post, I will just be truthful and say that it was not a good day. Irritable mom. Cranky, teething baby. Disobedient preschooler. We all feed off each other, and the fires were blazing today. I often think about the intensities of motherhood--the extreme joy that makes your heart nearly burst, and the feeling of despair over negative interactions that cause continual questioning of your parenting abilities and choices. Today was a polarizing kind of day, where I was taken to both of the above extremes several times, and often within a short time span. It is so easy for me to focus on the negative aspects, but the point of this post is really to share the high point that made me feel so hopeful about the heart of my limit-testing, spirited child. It began during the only real moment that Jillian and I were alone together. Adrienne was contently playing in her "baby jail" as I worked on dinner. Jillian had been out back playing on her swingset, but decided she was done. I enlisted her help to set the table, and she was eager to oblige this request for the first time. As we were working away, she just casually brought up the subject of heaven. I know we have talked about heaven before, but on very light terms--mostly just mentioning that is where my Grammy is, Anita is, etc. She came to this conversation armed with some heavy truths--though she couldn't tell me what the Bible story at school was today when I asked her earlier, this certainly must have been the topic.

J: "Mom, I know how to get to heaven".
Me: (completely caught off guard) "Really? Tell me."
J: "Well, you have to have Jesus in your heart".
Me: "That's right, Jillian. How do you get Jesus in your heart?"
J: "I don't know, Mom. He just gets there. Heaven is where you go when you die. I don't want to die, Mom."
Me: "Well, everyone dies eventually Jillian. I hope that doesn't happen for a very long time."
J: "It's sad because people aren't on Earth anymore then."
Me: (trying to think quickly) "The people left on Earth are sad when someone dies because we love them and miss them, but when you die you get to be with Jesus. And that is a good thing."
J: "Yeah, because you can take walks with him and do stuff with him. That's great!"
Me: "Jillian, do you want to know how to get Jesus in your heart?"
J: "Yes"
Me: "All you have to do is just ask him to be in your heart, and he will be there."
J: (looking down into her shirt, which just so happened to have a big 'ol heart on the front of it...) "Yeah, Mom, he is right here. He is down here in my heart. And I have a heart on my shirt!"

I think I need to ask for her help in the kitchen more often.

Ice Show

Matt won father of the year when he took Jillian to the local figure skating club's annual ice skating show this afternoon. This was a much-anticipated event that just happened to closely coincide with our recent discussion about ice skating. After having an absolutely rotten behavior day yesterday, Matt told Jillian he just couldn't take her to the show last night. It crushed him to do that, but it was necessary. Lucky for Jillian, she had another chance this afternoon, and we were pleased to observe improved behavior. So, Matt and Jillian got their best ice skating watching clothes on after lunch and headed to the arena.

Do you like Jillian's gloves? She insisted she wear these when I told her it might be a bit chilly in the ice arena. She had the time of her life while seated in the front row devouring her first bag of cotton candy. She is now certain she wants to be an ice skater when she grows up. I guess her first request of being a "princess" when she is older is now down on the list.

In other big news this weekend, Adrienne has officially outgrown her infant car seat (by height limit of 29"), so she was moved to the rear facing convertible (aka big girl) car seat. That move tugged at my heart strings a bit. Sniff, sniff....

Moms and Muffins

I had the pleasure of attending Moms and Muffins at Jillian's preschool this morning. Luckily, Grammy and Grandad were here to keep Adrienne so I could have some time with just my big girl. Jillian was so excited to have me accompany her to school. She requested to wear a skirt and agreed to pose for a picture just before we left.

Just as the name implies, Moms and Muffins is a time for moms to come visit the classroom and enjoy a snack with the kids. When we arrived, we sat down to have a delicious snack of (you guessed it) muffins, donut holes, and apple juice. Jillian insisted on sitting with her friend, Beckett.

After a quick snack, we headed over to do a craft. It was a sweet activity that required me to trace my hand, and then have Jillian stamp hers inside mine.

We enjoyed a bit of free reading time in the circle, and Jillian was eager to read me some of her favorite books

Beckett caught a snuggle with his mom, Kim, who is a friend of mine (Beckett's dad also happens to be a radiologist friend of Matt's)

To close our time, the kids sang us some of their circle time songs and Mrs Maijala read a tear-jerker story called "Along Came You". I have since ordered it because it is such a cute, appropriate story about how children change every piece of your life. I happened to stumble upon a video of this book being read aloud, so thought I'd include it as a conclusion to this post. Moms, grab a tissue before watching!

Photo Shoot

As it turns out, the wait for the photos I spoke of in my previous post was short. Some of them are great, and some are not (as we would certainly expect when trying to photograph 2 small children, 1 of whom was rather uncooperative during the shoot...take a guess who that was.) Here are some of my faves, outside of those two I posted of Adrienne yesterday.

Teaser

My friend, Rachel, came out to our house to take some 9 month pics of Adrienne last week. While she was at it, I had her take some of all of us since Matt was off and it is rare to have a photo of the whole family. I will get the CD later this week, but she sent me a couple pics of A last night as a teaser of sorts (well, because I needed one to send to church by today for the upcoming child dedication slide show). I don't think she could possibly be any cuter, and I love that she looks so smashing in my very favorite color.

Ice Dreams

Matt started something last night. I'm not exactly sure how the conversation at dinner began, but it ended with Jillian learning about ice skating and developing a sudden passion for it. Matt showed her You Tube clips of several figure skaters (and the ultimate in little girl heaven: Disney Princesses on ice), and she was absolutely mesmerized. Completely fixated as I have never before seen, wheels clearly turning at a rapid rate, she said, "I want to do that". Convinced she is now a pro skater, she put on a show just before bath, using slippers for skates. We decided we should post this video so that we can refer back to it in case our twirl-loving, determined, passionate, intense little girl does in fact really "do that" someday.

Easter

We enjoyed a pretty low key Easter, as Matt was stuck working most of the day. He always seems to draw the short straw on this holiday, and I really can't think of the last Easter he had completely free. Anyhow, the girls and I spent our tenth (yep, I counted) consecutive day together with no structured activities as Spring Break came to a close. We dabbled in the kitchen most of the day preparing for dinner, and passing time until Matt got home. About three o'clock we heard the doorbell ring. Seconds later Matt came in through the garage full of excitement as he told Jillian he just saw the Easter bunny in our driveway (actually, he told her he almost hit him with his car). She quickly ran outside to check.

 We must have just missed him, but he did leave behind some Easter goodies.

 Jillian quizzed her dad about the close encounter with the EB, and listened intently to him recount the story.

 Then she was ready to check out the goods

 She gave them a smile of approval.

When Adrienne woke from her nap, Jillian kindly assisted her in checking out her basket, and I did my best to get some cute shots of the sisters on Adrienne's first Easter.

 After snapping about thirty, I got the one I wanted. Bingo.

Our dinner guests soon arrived, and we enjoyed the evening with friends. The Easter Bunny even thought to hide some eggs for the big kids. They were hid so well that both a radiologist and an orthopedic surgeon combined were unable to recover them all. Ha!

The egg hunters: Will, Rachel, and Jillian

Scouring the yard

Opening the egg carefully so the quarters wouldn't escape!

We closed out the evening with laughs all around as the dads forced the moms to try driving the lawn tractor. I never would have suspected to be so entertained by that activity, but the novelty of this machinery for Matt just hasn't worn off  yet. As the author of this blog I reserve the right to leave those rather hilarious video clips out of this post. Happy Easter to all!

Milk Source

Jillian had an impromptu lesson on the source of milk this afternoon. She was enjoying her snack of a cereal bar and milk when she suddenly asked, "Mom, is your milk white?" I confirmed her inquiry, and told her that a mom's milk is white. Her question caught me off guard and made me realize that she probably didn't know where the milk we buy at the store comes from. So I told her. "Jillian, did you know that the milk you drink comes from a cow?" I wish I had thought to record this moment because the look on her face as she processed this was priceless. Then she simply burst into a fit of giggles, "What? A cow?" (more laughing) "Does a cow have boobies? I confirmed: "Yes, they are called udders" I told her they were lower on a cow's stomach than on a mom, and suggested she go find her small toy cow (a recent purchase at Fleet Farm) so I could show her. She retrieved the cow, which unfortunately did not help us out...seems it is void of any sort of gender identification. I pointed to the general area where udders are found and she blurted out, "You mean the milk comes from its bottom? Eww!!"
I must have finally effectively cleared up any confusion because she went right back to drinking her milk.

Gas It Up

Jillian has recently spent a lot of time with Matt out in the garage, so she has become acquainted with the air pump (that he used to pump tires on a lawn aerator and my baby jogger), the gas can (that he used to gas the mower), and her bike (she can finally propel herself--separate post to be devoted to that accomplishment!). Last night she decided to test her knowledge of the interaction of the items:

J: (while pointing to her rear bike tire) "Dad, I need you to gas this up".
Matt: "What?"
J: "My bike needs some gas, Dad. Wait, I can do it"
We just watched and giggled as she retrieved the air pump and proceeded to try and "gas up" her bike.

9 Month Stats

Adrienne had her 9 month well-child check this morning, and since it is Spring Break week around here, Jillian came along for the ride. Adrienne weighs 18 lbs 8 oz (43%) and 28.5 inches long (78%). Her head circumference came in at 78% as well. Jillian was very disappointed to learn that Adrienne didn't need any shots at this visit, as she was prepared to hold her hand so they didn't hurt. Dr. V and I chatted about the sleep subject, and she kindly reminded me that Adrienne does not need me in the night anymore, and eats plenty during the day to fill her up for a full night's sleep. That was just the ammunition I needed to firm up my expectations. I have been soft in recent weeks out of fatigue, frustration, and the desire to preserve as much sleep for everyone in our house as possible. It's time for me to put forth a bit of tough love and prevail in this arena...always easier said than done!

Swimming Lessons

Jillian had her first swimming lesson this afternoon. She was incredibly excited about this, and I am so thankful that she isn't afraid of the water (though her lack of inhibition makes me quite nervous). She enjoyed meeting her instructor (Nicole), and had a fun half-hour in the water with 1:1 attention. I caught a few clips of some things they tried together as Nicole assessed Jillian's ability level.

When the lesson was over she said, "Mom, I just loved that!!" She is already looking forward to next Monday's lesson.

Goo

Adrienne melts my heart frequently with her sweetness, but tonight she just turned it straight to a mush of goo in one instant. I was nursing her at bedtime as usual when she reached up to play with my hair. This happens occasionally, and I find it to be one of those mothering moments that makes all the hard stuff seem worth it at the end of the day. She could have stopped there and I would have had my "feel good" moment to last me awhile. But she didn't. She suddenly looked up at me, stopped nursing, smiled, put her arm around my neck, and literally sat up to give me a big 'ol kiss. Instant tears from this mom. I am going to try and remember that moment when she is a teenager and professes her undying hatred for me.