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39th Month Newsletter (Beatrix)

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

Dearest Trixie,

This month you are 39 months old!  You’re getting so big, although you tell me al of the time: “when I am big I’l…”.  It’s really funny, when I’m big I’ll stay up late like Mama, I’ll cook dinner like Mama.  When you’re big, sweet girl, but until then, please stay my little girl.  I’m rather in love with her.

SO big news this month.  Daddy and I have agreed to send you to two preschools in the fall!  Two!  I’m scared.  This all came about because when I toured my presumably number one choice I was unahppy with the teacher at the school and some of the parents that were there as well, but I applied anyhow.  So then you and I went and toured another school and you and I loved it.  (You’ve loved every school.)  Unfortunatly the one I loved is quite a way away and would be a pain to get you there and back 2 or 3 times a week.  Then we all went and toured another school that has a more acedemic focus and we liked that one as well, so we applied, and were admitted.  So at this time we were admitted to two schools.  I was still torn which one to send you to.  The acedemic one would really challenge you, and you loved the classroom, and I think you would do well.  You really enjoy sitting and practicing your letters and doing other such acedemic activites, but in the more play based school, you’d also enjoy it becasue at least a dozen of your friends will be there.  (I counted it’s between 12-15 of your friends) So it will just be a big thrice weekly playdate for you.  And here was my dilemma, the school that will challenge you acedemically, which you are still young for, but will love, or the school which I am not really too keen on becasue of the teacher, but on the other hand, excited for because I’ll get to work with my friends and you’ll get to play with yours.  So Daddy and I decided to put you in both schools, with the play based one we have to wait to see what days of the week you’ll go, if they don’t match what we can do, then we won’t go to that school  But as of now, you’re going to two preschools in the fall.  You’re excited.  I’m sad that our non routine life will end.  I really wanted to homeschool you, but Daddy didn’t like that idea and you loved going to the tours of the preschools so much that I figured we’d give it a try.  Perhaps we’ll home school from kindergarten.

This month we also went camping on the beach over Mother’s Day.  It was really fun!  We were able to break in our new tent and air mattresses.  You had a lot of fun playing with a new friend and splashing around in the ocean.  You are such a water baby!  Even now you will still charge into the waves with no fear, despite them being crazy!  Luckily Daddy stays with you and holds your hand.  More than once a wave tossed you into the beach, and each time you jumped back up sputtering and spitting, ready for more.  Crazy girl!  I was cleaning sand out of your ears for days!  I’m glad that you had fun though, and that you love camping so much.  I am getting much better at not needing to wipe the dirt off of you as we camp, but I still love baby wipes.

I’ve signed you up for ballet for the summer, including a princess ballet camp!  You’re so excited for it!  Two things you love, ballet and princesses.  I’m pretty sure it will just increase your princess love to unmanagable levels.  I guess that will mean another trip to Disney sooner than later!

This month we went to the pediatirican for one of Hudson’s well baby visits and you came along (as you always do) and as we got there you asked if you were going to get a needle.  I told you that you weren’t, and you were upset!  It seems as though you like needles.  I’m pretty sure this qualifies you to be one of the strangest girls out there, but no less loveable.  I think you like the needles so much because you get to be brave and talk about being brave and then the nuses give you as many stickers as you would like.  Also since you’ve only at two needles at most at one time you don’t really fear them, so you arne’t scared of them and don’t have bad associations with them.  Anyhow during the appointment the Doctor and I were talking about needles for Hudson and it came up that you could be due for one too, so we did one, and the nurses were so impressed at how well you handled them.  The nurse even commented that perhaps I am on to something with my delayed and selective vaccination schedule.  You were happy becuase you walked away with several princess stickers.

My sweet girl, I love you so much.  I wish I could slow time, but on the other hand I am so anxious to see who you will become.

Love,

Mama.

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15 Month newsletter (Hudson)

Monday, August 8th, 2011

Dearest Hudson,

Little guy you’re getting so big!  You’re 15 months now!

This month has been a busy one, as always.

Lately you’ve started climbing so much more than you sister ever did at this age.  I was always scared of her climbing the back of the couch, since it’s backed up on a railing that drops down a flight of stairs.  However she never tried to climb the couch, so your Daddy and I stopped worrying.  Then you came along!  In one day I caught you 3 times from going over, and I am not over dramatizing this.  3 times I caugt you, once time I had to run from the kitchen and caught you by your ankle as you hung over the back of the railing.  I was so scared.  You thought it was grreat fun.  Dinner didn’t get made that night and Daddy and I did some baby proofing and now we have an ugly peice of wood behind the couch to act as a temporary wall to prevent you from plummeting to your death, literally.  Luckily it’s working and you don’t try to climb over the couch any more, and I can go back to my regularily scheduled heartbeats.  (I think I aged 20 years that day!)   I had hoped that you taking gymnastics would cure you of your climbing, and in theory it could have, but instead it’s made you a much more efficient climber!  Little Dude you keep me on my toes!

This month you cut some more teeth, but you were much more stealthy about it.  In the past when you’ve cut teeth, it’s been an ordeal, but with your first set of molars, they just kind of appeared.  You were a little more fussy, but not nearly as bad as before.  It’s hard to not compare you to your sister who at this time was just starting to cut teeth, and here you have a whole mouthful.  Sadly they’re crowded like your sisters.  I forsee a lot of orthodontia in your future.  Sorry Bud.  You enjoy brushing your teeth and will diligently brush away when it’s time every day.  Daddy and I have to wrestle your tooth brush away from you when you’re done though, I guess I sholdn’t complain about that though.

A couple weeks ago we were at a playdate at a friends house and you were so entranced by the orange tree, that I showed you an orange on it, and together we picked it.  Then as you tried to chomp on it right away, I quickly washed it, so you could play with it.  I didn’t expect that you would do much to it, but you went to town on that orange.  You ate through the skin and pith into the orange!  I was sure that you’d lose interest when you got to the bitter and thick pith, but you kept trucking on, and ate a good portion of the skin.  Your face and shirt was covered in orange oil and you smelled lovely.  After I washed your face I noticed that the orange oils had irritated your skin on your face.  It went away after a couple of hours, but you had an interesting clown smile for a while.  I guess it’s safe to say that you love citrus, but it’s not so fond of you!

We went to the aquarium this month and you are finally old enough to really appreciate the fish and sea creatures.  I don’t think you have a favourite animal yet, but you were especially entranced by the large aquariums where you could stand up right next to the glass and watch the giant fish swim by.  I’m glad that your Daddy and I have decided to keep a membership to the aquarium, you and your sister seem to be fish lovers!  It was so sweet to watch you together standing, in awe, at the glass.

This past month there have been a few really hot days.  On one of the days we were having lunch outside and you were fussy the whole time, despite eating food you loved, and then when we went inside to the air conditioned fro yo store, you were immediatly happy.  It seems you have the same tolerance of the heat as I do.  As in no tolerance!  We went out again to a park one day and it was hot and you grumbled the whole time and were happy in the air conditioned car.  It’s nice to know I have an ally in my dislike of the heat.  It’s probably for the best since you have the same skin tone as me and we burn burn burn, whereas Sister and Daddy don’t have the same affliction.

Another milestone this month is that you finally started walking!  You finally let go and started walking.  Just like we predicted, you walked without any issue, in fact you’re running and dancing.  I guess you just had to realize you could do it.  Now if everything was so easy for you.  I have my sights on potty training!

You’re still not talking much, but you are roaring like a dinosaur.  It seems you’ve been bit by the dinosaur bug like your sister, and you’ll roar whenever you see one, which is often becasue of all of the dinosaur books and toys we have in the house.  Your roar is really cute too, it sounds like “roooo-aaa-eeerrreee”.  Also in terms of dolls you love baby dolls, especially Trixie’s small lady bug Cabbage Patch Doll.  It’s been proclaimed your doll since you love it so much.  It makes car ride more bearable for everyone and you tote it around when we’re doing errands.  Ahhh a boy and his dolly.  So sweet.

So my sweet boy, you are adorable.  All evidence points to the adorable nature of you.

I’m a lucky Mama.

 

Love always,

Mama

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38th Month Newsletter (Beatrix)

Monday, August 8th, 2011

Dear Princess Trixie.

Did you notice your title?  You tell me nearly daily that you are a princess, so I’ve pretty much just added it to your title.  You love it.  Depending on what colour you are wearing determines which princess you are, for example Cinderella wears blue, Aurora wears pink, Belle wears yellow, etc.  (With the exception being Jasmine wears pants.)  Some days  you are just Princess Trixie, I like those days best.

This month we had an Easter Party for our mom’s group and you had so much fun with your friends.  I arranged for the Easter Bunny to be there and I was happy to see that you were not scared of him at all, but you were much more focused on the egg hunt.  (Daddy and I stuffed nearly 500 eggs for this party!)  It was adorable to see you and all of your little buddies line up to dash away, on cue, to go and hunt the eggs.  I think you made out pretty well, and you were overjoyed to learn that some of the eggs had chocolate in them.  It was amusing to see you and a bunch of your friends all sitting in the field with your bright eggs scattered around you, with your empty bag next to you, frantically opening or shaking eggs to find the chocolate.  Funny kids!  Next year I think I”ll have to move away from the scattering the eggs method of hiding them to actually hiding them, since they were all “found” and collected rather quickly.

This month I’ve started to really see how social you are.  I love how you will say hi to other children that you may not know, and how you will befriend other children at the park and play with them, regardless of their age.  I think you have this way of drawing other children too you.  I forsee a social butterfly in my future, which will be interesting for me to foster, because I was such an introvert as a child, and in many ways, still am!  You are fearless with your interpersonal encounters, it’s really amazing to watch, I’m not really sure where it comes from!

We’ve started a new family tradition this month.  We’ve had a couple family date nights.  We’ll all go for dinner and then do something together, generally walk around Target and look at the things you and Hudson are interested in.  You love it!  Also you and I have started having more Trixie and Mama dates, which you also love!  One day after a dinner with Hudson and Daddy we sent them away and you and I went to paint ceramics.  You painted a mug  and a plaque for the Grandmas.  You were very decisive in your paint selection, and shockingly it wasn’t all pink!  And you were determined to do it yourself, and you did!  I think your objects are pretty, and I’m sure the Grandmas will agree.  You’ve asked to go back a couple times; you are so creative, which I do know where that came from– me!

A little while ago I went to get my hair cut and you were adamant that I not cut it short.  So I kept it long for you.  Every night you still want to play with my hair as you fall asleep, then sleep with a handful crumpled in your wee hand.  You’re still really gentle, and I’m still amazed that my hair is holding strong as your only lovie.  Recently you’ve decided that you don’t want anything in your hair, which makes me a little twitchy since you end up with ragamuffin hair an hour after waking up.  I love how you’re a Princess, but you are not a frills and lace princess, you’re more of a practical princess, although to this end, how about you let me pull back your hair, so it out of your face, okay?

Luckily thought, I can pull your hair back for gymnastics and ballet.  Recently in gymnastics you were awarded a participation ribbon, and you were so proud, you slept with it for 2 nights!  Then that weekend there was a gymnastics olympics at the gym and you participated.  You were really cute showing off your skills, then at the end you were awarded a participation medal, and again, there was a lot of cute and you stood on the platform to get your medal.  Perhaps a precersor to 2024?

Sweet Girl,

you are amazing, I am so proud of the little person you’re turning in to.  We are going to have so much fun!

Love,

Mama.

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14th Month Newsletter (Hudson)

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

Hudson!   My sweet baby boy!  You’re 14 months old now! 

I feel a little silly about predicting when you were 8 months old that you would walk soon, and here we are, 6 months later and still not walking.  I know that one day you will just let go of our hands and walk.  I’m sure it will happen, just like that.  Until then, I should appreciate that you’re still crawling and still easy to catch, I”m sure one day you’ll be running and be so fast!  (please remember to stay close to me, especially around cars.)

It was Trixie’s 3rd birthday party this month.  We had a party at her gymnastics gym and you were overjoyed that I let you play too!  Until now you’ve only watched Trixie do her gymnastics, but now that you’ve had a taste, I dont’ think I’ll be able to keep you in the carrier in her classes any more.  At the party you played hard, your favourite was to hang from the bars.  There was so much pride in your little baby eyes, and you giggled so much!  You also loved the trampoline, which you sat on and I bounced you, and you loved to climb over all of the wedges and such.  Then during the lunch afterwards you fell asleep in Daddy’s arms.  Such a tired little guy!  It was really adorable and I’m pretty sure you made a lot of the Mamas there want a sweet baby boy,  just like you!

I gave you your first haircut this month.  Your bangs were starting to get in your eyes, so I trimmed them up a little.  To me, they look a little awkward, no one seems to agree.  I think they are too straight, too engineered, I like the more natural look on you.  And since we’re on the topic of hair, I’m not cutting yours for a long time.  (Other than keeping your bangs out of your eyes.)  Oh I love your baby curls and I love the blonde.  I’m pretty sure once I cut the curls off they will be gone for ever, just like Trixie’s were.  I think you can pull off the shaggy boy look, and it helps that we live in California!

Hudson, sweet boy, you are still amazing everyone with your eating abilities!  You can eat!  For St.Patrick’s day we had corned beef and I’m pretty sure you ate half of the roast!  Well not quite, but Daddy and I could not keep your plate full enough with corned beef.  You weren’t so keen on the cabbage and potatoes, but you did taste them for us, then went back to the corned beef, which you systematically stuffed away. 

Besides corned beef you love to eat all veggies raw, especially cucumber and sugar snap peas.  You love fruit as well, and Daddy and I laugh that you prefer garnish over all other fruits, so I think it’s safe to say that melon is your favourite fruit.  Also I can always count on you to eat chicken and drink a bottle. 

You’re still sleeping with Daddy and I at night, and sister is with us most nights as well.  You and Trixie jockey for the sweet spot next to me throughout the night, you sleep best with your warm little self squished next to me.   You wake 2 times a night on average, generally around 2 and 5 or 6am, we give you a bottle and you go right back to sleep.  You’ve been waking for the day around 8am, and then napping with your sister around 1 or 2, although if we’re in the car around 11:30, you’ll take your nap then.  Bedtime starts at 8:30 and you’re generally asleep by 9:15pm, sometimes later.   When you wake in the mornings you always make you way over me (sometimes by crawling over your sister, who’s still sleeping), wake me and we have a cuddle, then you wiggle your way out of bed and cruise around the room.  You like to play in my night stand and drink my water, then you’ll spend some time giving me all of the things on my stand, so I can line them up on the bed.  Then you’ll make your way over to Daddy’s night stand where the matchbox cars are stashed.  You’ll play with those for a while, mostly driving them up and down Daddy, making an adorable brrrum brrrrum sound.  Generally by now Trixie’s woken up and we’re all awake and ready to get on with the day.  You love the morning shower and will announce “sow-yer” when Daddy says it’s shower time.  You and Trixie start a shower with Daddy, then when he’s done I get in with you both, so you get a double long shower.   You hate to get out of the shower, but do like to go rifling through your carefully organized drawer with Daddy to choose your outfit.  Mostly you poke around and grab what’s on top.   I think you’re pretty adorable in whatever you wear, and lucky for me you have no preferences, but you do love shoes.  (You are my child after all!)

As always you are a mellow little guy.  You’ve won so many hearts, flirting with everyone wherever you go.  I am such a lucky Mama!

Love,

Mama.

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37th Month Newsletter (Beatrix)

Saturday, April 16th, 2011

Dearest Trixie,

You’re 37 months old now!  I’m starting to feel that these love letters are starting to get redundant for you, but I’m going to keep doing them.  I hope you appreciate them when you are older. 

You’re not changing as much month by month as you used to, you know, since you’re a big girl now.  A lot of your changes now are in behaviour and how quickly you’re learning your world around you.  I am shocked every day at something you’ll say, you are learning so much and you are so bright.  For instance you love to watch “Thomas the Train” so for your (heavily limited) TV time you often ask for Thomas, but recently you’ve started asking for talking Thomas, which confused me.  So Daddy explained that in the newer episodes Thomas’s mouth moves when he talks.  I never noticed!  But you did, such a small thing but you caught on!  You are so aware of everything.  I have to make sure I am consistent with all I do with you, because you’re so quick to notice any deviation, which you will store away to remind me when it is most suitable for you.  However, I don’t find you are manipulating me, you’re just aware. 

We had a big change this month.  We went to have your bangs cut!  I was finding that you would rather wear your hair down, but you rarely complained when I did your hair, so there was no reason for me to cut it short, since I’ve always said that if I had a little girl who complained about having her hair brushed I’d keep it shorter for her comfort.  You don’t complain and love having long princess hair, (it’s just below your shoulders right now), but it’s always in your face, so with your bangs cut you can wear it down and it’s not hiding your pretty face.  It’s win win, although I’ll have to keep your bangs trimmed, but I should be able to do that.  I’ve already practiced on your brother and he doesn’t look too bad!  You love your new hair and tell me that it’s big girl hair and that it helps you do the big girl stuff in gymnastics.  You take such pride in your bangs and I often see you smoothing them down, except when you’re made at me, you’ll push them up onto your head.  Preschooler defiance is fun!

Another big milestone this month is that I’ve registered you for preschool.  I am still torn what to do with you for school.  I want to homeschool you, but you want to go to school so badly.  So we’ll try and we’ll reassess when you go to kindergarten.  Daddy and I have chosen a private academic preschool for you, which is a big shocker for so many people to hear.  I was sure I was going to put you into a play based co op preschool, but there were so many reasons for the academic one.  The co op one we looked at was lovely, but I can’t take your brother there with me, so we’d have to find a babysitter for him, and if we have another baby I’d get very little time off from the school to be home with the baby, which doesn’t work for our family.  There were some other reasons we didn’t choose the co op school as well, but they’re not as important as having to find 2 babysitters for Hudson and the potential newborn.  Also the private school has an afternoon option and another bonus for this school is that you could go to that campus until grade 5 and then another campus until grade 8.  As for it being academic and not play based, I think you can handle it.  You’re so gregarious that you dont’ really need this preschool time to pull you out of your shell.  So the choice was made.  If it doesn’t work out, it’s okay we can change schools.  I think you’ll love it.  You’ve been with me to the school a couple of times when I’ve had to drop off some papers and you are so excited and proud that we’re at your school.  Now I just need to accept that idea that you’re going to be going to school.  I guess I am a strange Mama, I don’t really want to spend time away from you, I like having you as my little sidekick everywhere I go!

In your gymnastics and ballet you are doing amazing!  I get compliments from your ballet teacher at how excited you are in class and how well you have been behaving.  In gymnastics we have been working towards you doing the class without me so that Hudson can take a class at the same time, and he will need my help.  You’re excited for Hudson to take a class so you’re really trying hard to not need me there.  You were so proud when you learned to walk the beam without holding my hand, and every class I watch you try so hard to try to climb the obsticles without my help so that you can do it by yourself.  I love seeing the pride in your eyes, as you stand on top of your most recent conquest.  Also in gymnastics you have become so comfortable with all of your teachers and the facility, you are so at home there.  I’m really glad that Daddy and I enrolled you in the classes.  Perhaps you’ll be a 2024 olympian.  No pressure though!

My sweet Trixie-Love.  You are a dream child.  I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned how blessed I am, but I cannot believe my luck that I have you, your brother and your daddy in my life.  I must have done something right sometime to deserve you all now. 

Love always and forever.
Mama.

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13th month newsletter (Hudson)

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

Dearest Hudson,

You’re 13 months old now!

The big news is that you’re still not walking!  You will take a couple of steps, but not a lot, but what is odd for me is that you’ll pivot while standing to reach another spot to hold.  I think you’re close, so so close.  I’ve noticed that when you are with your friends and they’re walking you’re more likely to try to walk.  It’s nice to see that peer pressure is already starting to affect you!

This past month as been busy as ever.  We went to Disneyland to celebrate Trixie’s third birthday, so you also got an introduction to the happiest place on earth.  You did quite well.  The princesses didn’t amuse you as much as they did Trixie, but you are as much of a dare devil as she is.  You loved every ride we took you on except the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.  You didn’t like the drop at the start of it, but the dancing pirates throughout amused you.  We all rode the Ferris wheel and were crazy enough to ride the gondola that wasn’t fixed in place so it would move more as the wheel turned.  I screamed like a small child, and you giggled, despite being in my tightly clenching arms.  I don’t understand why you and your sister were okay flying through space like that, I suspect it has something to do with being related to your father. 

Other highlights of the Disney trip for you were: meeting Mickey, you loved him!  Watching the fireworks and riding the carosel over and over.  I am really amazed at how well you did.  I guess schlepping you around on your sister’s schedule has taught you to sleep anywhere, and you did.  You had plenty of stroller naps and were just as happy there, wrapped in my jacket as you would have been in bed.  I think we should go back, and lucky for you, Trixie is planning to go there for your third birthday.

This month saw you catch another cold.  I’ve reminded you that you need to stop licking your friends, but apparently they are delicious!  You haven’t really gotten terribly sick, just a runny nose and a cough.  Nothing to worry about, but enough to be annoying.  On the good side though, you’ve become okay with me wiping your  nose, as long as I say “nose nose nose nose” as I approach you with a tissue.  You giggle, let me wipe and then try to grab the tissue, presuably to eat it, since you’re a connesuer of paper, tasty, tasty paper.

You are trying your hardest to talk, still refusing to sign, depite knowing many of them.  You know the signs for: water, all done, milk, more, eat and orange.  You sign none of them.  You do try to say: flower, measuring spoon, and pretty whatever else I will tell you.  You’re like a tiny baby parrot, trying to mimic me, with pretty good results.  The most shocking was “measuring spoon”.  I was making bread and you were not happy with me doing it, so to appease you I sat you on the counter and handed you the measuring spoons, and said “measuring spoons” and you repeated it.  My sweet little blond parrot.  You can say: mama, dada, all done, el-oh (hello), waa (water) and ungh.  Pretty expessive if you ask me. 

You eat.  A lot.  Happily.

You’re still my little drummer boy.  I can give you the little toy drum and the drum sticks and you’ll amuse yourself for a while.  Along with your ratta tat tatting, you like to chew on the drum sticks.  Perhaps you are a connesuer of them, along with paper.  I blame your new teeth, you now have 7 and are working on your 8th (the top two next to your front teeth on either side).  You also love your cars and will brum brum brum them all over the floor, or in the morning all over the bed and me. 

You are still sleeping with Daddy and I and most nights, Trixie.  Your prefernce is to sleep next to me, but you are often shoved over by Trixie, but you get your revenge when she is deeply asleep, you’ll roll over her and work your way next to me.  Or your go the top route, over her head to get to me.  Then you sleep much better.  So far you’re still waking 1-2 times a night, generally around 2am and 6am, Daddy gives you a bottle and you go back to sleep until 8amish, then you stoke my arm or hair until I wake up and you insist we play.  First you try to spill my water, then you try to upend my night table, and around then I pass you off to Daddy who opens his night table to reveal the cars.  You’ll play cars for a while and then work your way around the bed back to me to try to spill my water and upend my night table.  By then we’re all up and getting ready for a shower, which you must have and will not let anyone even breathe the word shower with out including you.  Between your sister and you, neither Daddy nor I can have a shower alone, I guess it’s a great way to save water! 

I noted when Trixie was about this age that it was so fun to have a newly one year old, and I am having the same fun now.  I love to see you explore your world and really learn what’s going on.  It’s so fun to be on this journey with you.

I love you my sweet boy! 

Love,

Mama.

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36th Month Newsletter (Beatrix)

Friday, March 18th, 2011

Dear Trixie,

You are now 3 years old, so we’re moving from toddler to preschooler, despite me not being sure you will attend preschool in the fall, but hey, we’ll go with it.

To celebrate your third birthday, Daddy and I took you and your brother to Disneyland, where your toddler turned preschooler mind was blown.  There was everything there to blow your mind, princesses, rides and Mickey Mouse shaped lollypops.  I think Disney will be known as preschooler heaven! 

The lead up to the trip was gruelling for you, but you did get to learn all about a calendar and you got to experience for the first time how slowly time can crawl when you want something to happen.  Every time we would get into the car you’d ask if we were going to Dis-uh-ney, and every time, except once I had to tell you, “not yet”.  You remained optimistic though, which is pretty much your personality.  You are a happy go lucky girl, who has a horrible time listening to me, despite me being sure that you can actually hear me.  I’ve been assured that it’s normal, that the “terrible twos” (which you never seemed to suffer from), are just a ploy to distract us from what is to come.  I still won’t call you terrible, but you can be trying for me.  So I remind myself that you are 3, and I check myself, but golly, when I have to ask you 5 times to hold my hand in a parking lot, my head explodes just a little bit. 

This past month you’ve become more confident and less dependant on me.  You’ve always had an invisible tether to me, never drifting from me more than 5 or so feet in a strange place, and now it’s gone.  You’ll just go and explore, despite my requests that you stay close.  Again with the exploding Mama head.  I don’t want to instill a fear of strangers or people into you, but sweet girl, you cannot just wander away from me like that!  There have been a few occasions where I am torn: chase after the belligerent wandering child, waking the sleeping baby in the stroller, or shout across a sea of people for you to “come back right now!”  It’s lose-lose either way.  Also the snotty looks from the single ladies at the table next to me doesn’t bring out the cordial neighbourly vibe in me either.   I think, though, that you are starting to understand that you need to stay where we can see each other.  Also I will always be grateful for other random moms who will help out as I chase after you in a parking lot as you are running to the store you love, without remembering the rules.  Every day is a new adventure!

As always your eating is the same, but you are healthy!  You are small though.  For a while as a toddler you were 50% for height and weight, and now you’re back to what you were as a baby– petite.  You are 6% for height and 28%ish for weight, but this is to be expected, so I am not panicking.  You’re perfect. 

Your vocabulary is huge.  I have no idea where it should be, but people who meet you for the first time often comment that you don’t talk like a 3 year old, and I tend to agree.  Also you are polite, which makes me happy.  I know there is some disagreement if a child should learn please, thank you and such.  I think you should learn them, even if you don’t really understand true gratitude, but it’s a social thing, and when you thank a strange lady for holding a door for you, she smiles and is happy.  You have learned to use the exaggerated “pleeeeeeeease” if you want something, so the manners lessons have benefitted you too!  In terms of grammar yours is mostly correct, but you do misuse ‘because’ which is so cute.  For example I’ll hear you venting your frustrations with whatever and I’ll say to you, “are you upset?” and you’ll reply “because my….”  It’s amusing to me.

You’re still in gymnastics and ballet, and you still love them both.  In gymnastics we’re working on you doing a seat drop on a tampoline, which is when you land on your bum then bounce back up to your feet.  This is a pretty hard skill for your level and you’re not quite there yet.  You are becoming more fearless in gymnastics, you’re no longer scared of the cargo net and will climb it until I tell you it’s time to come down, and you have no fear of the pits.  You have started just throwing yourself off of the rings though, where in the past you have hung on and enjoyed the swing.  Fianlly, we’re working towards you being able to take the class without me so that Hudson can take a class at the same time.  You would like him to be in gymnastics too, but sometimes you’re not quite ready to not have me around, which is fine, we can wait a little while still.  In ballet you’re working hard on being able to hop on one foot.  I find you often standing on one foot at home and trying to hop; so much concentration on one small face!  I hope that the time to choose between the two doesn’t come soon, you love them both so much!

Sweetie Girl, these past 3 years have been pretty outstanding.  I can’t believe that I am a Mama to a 3 year old!  I still find myself waking up at night, amazed, that I have you in my life.  I am blessed. 

love always and forever,

Mama.

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12th month newsletter

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

Hudson!  You’re a whole year old! 

So now we say goodbye to infant Hudson and hello to toddler Hudson!  Busy, busy toddler Hudson!

This past month, like every month has been busy.  We returned from Canada and were all hit with a stomach bug, and you seemed to get it the worst.  But being the little trooper you are, I never had a grumpy little guy on my hands.  You soldiered on puking, pooping and playing, with a couple extra naps thrown in for good measure.  Now that we’re on the other side of all of the sicknesses, I’m relieved.  We’re all fine and have stronger immune systems, although I wouldn’t wish any of our ills on anyone!

You are still not walking, but so close, so so close!  I maintain that if you would just let go and forget to hang on, you’d be walking just fine.  Since you’ve mastered the proper crawl, you’re as fast as ever, but I do have some warning with your “slap slap slap” as you crawl along the floor.  That gives me time to close the dishwasher since you’re always coming to help, and by help I mean climb onto the open door, or spin the jet spinner thing below the top shelf.  Or you’re looking for knives, you have a weird thing about knives, perhaps it’s blades, you do love all propellers….

I’ve discovered that you are going to keep me on my toes, more than I expected.  I think this month has been the month of climbing!  You’ve climbed the stool in the kitchen, to reach anything you can on the counter, which is generally a knife that I’ve left there, seemingly out of your reach.  You’ll climb the big recliner, and scare the crap out of me as I suspect you’ll go over the top and land on your head, you’ll climb the back of the couch, freaking me out because I’m scared you’ll go over the railing and fall down the stairs.  You’ll climb the chairs to the toddler table, then you rock them as hard as you can, which did make you fall once.  There was blood.  You’ll climb on to your sisters bed, whether she’s in it or not, you’ll climb where ever you can, often resulting in my blood pressure going up.  I think I need to get you into gymnastics sooner than I thought, perhaps that will help you with your climbing!

You still don’t sign much.  I think you burned out on all of your signing at five months when you mastered “milk”, now you just look at me when I sign something to you, with a silly little glimmer in your eye and reach for whatever I am trying to get to to as for “more” of.  I think it makes sense that you don’t want to sign, no one else does, well all talk, and so you’re trying as well.  You babble all of the time, we’ll have whole conversations where I will say something and you’ll reply, in some German-Klingon approximation of a word or words and we’ll go on like that for a while.  Then you’ll sing or yell, mostly yell, it’s one of your favourite things to do, and you do it well with your sister, you both like to yell, in unison.  Perhaps it’s cute?

For Christmas Daddy and I got a Rock band set, complete with the drums.  And you love them!  Since you’ve learned about drums you’re often found with some make shift sticks rocking out to some Klingon folk song in your head.  Sometimes if we’re really lucky you’ll sing too.  The cute is pretty intense in those situations.

Daddy and I have had discussions about your hair now that you’re one year old.  I want to let it grow and see what happens, I love your wispy blond locks.  Daddy want to cut them since they are touching your ears.  Luckily for you and I, Daddy doesn’t really much care, so I’m going to leave them grow, so far it looks like you have a curl pattern similar to your sister, curly along the sides and back, but straight on top.  I can’t stop playing with your hair when you are sitting still with me, and I love it best when it’s all tousled.  Dang you’re cute!  I don’t foresee myself using hair clips in it, and I’ll keep your bangs trimmed, but I’m going to let you have baby boy hippy hair for a while.  The cute will be monumental!

I have some good news!  You’ve stopped your pinching!  I’ve managed to transition you from pinching me to stroking me for comfort.  I found you pinched when you were cuddly or nervous, which lead me to believe it was for comfort.  You didn’t do it in response to something, like if you were angry.  So we worked on you stroking instead of pinching, and you do it now.  I often wake up to you stroking my arm or face in your sleep.  It’s so sweet, and one of the best ways to wake up.  You still pinch if you are stressed, and we’re working on that, but that’s pretty rare, and a reminder generally helps, although sometimes your stroking becomes a little aggressive and a little slappy, but that’s so much better than the pinching and bruising!

Dearest Hudson, this past year has been amazing.  You’ve shown me new levels of mellow baby, and introduced me to parenting two children.  You’ve made it so easy on Daddy and I that we’re planning for you to be a big brother soon.  If experience shows us anything we’re in for more fun, and I bet that you will be an amazing big brother.  I can’t wait for our family to be finished and for all of my children to grow up together and be best friends. 

This past month I’ve found myself often thinking of your twin.  I like to think that s/he is still with you, like a guardian angel.  Perhaps that’s why you’re such a great climber?

My sweet boy, I’ve said it before and will a dozens more times, I am so blessed to have you in my life.  I can’t believe I’ve won the jackpot two times now.  Life is good.

I love you!

Mama.

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35th month newsletter (Beatrix)

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Dear Trixie.

You’re 35 months old now, so I guess this is your last month of being a toddler and moving on to being a preschooler.  Although I’m not totally convinced on what we’re going to do with you in the fall, you might be a homeschooled preschooler.  I have no idea. 

I think of you often as a 3 year old, and you will tell everyone that you’re “two and three”, while showing the appropriate fingers.  You’re asking for a princess themed birthday party, and are so excited to go to Dis-uh-ney land for your birthday.  (Daddy finally relented and we’re all going.)   You’re excited because you are all about princesses, still.  Now while you are obsessed with princesses you have recently learned about Spiderman and you will pretend to fly around the house, like a princess Spiderman.  I think that you might not get too sucked into the princess world. 

You were excited for Christmas, and especially excited to learn that Santa did deliver a doll house for you to California (we were in Canada).  I can often find you playing with your doll house, and I love to go and peek on the lives of your dolls, to see what you have them up to.  I love that you will leave them positioned, sitting on the couch, at the table, lying in bed, in the bath or looking out the window.  Perhaps you have a little of the crazy that I have, where somethings just have to be right. 

Lately you’ve decided that you can dress yourself and it’s amusing to see the outfits you put together.  There is always some pink, always a dress, generally some leggings and sometimes socks.  I think you’re genius with your ability to mix patterns, stripes and solids.  I love the smiles that you get from people when we are out in public.  And you are so proud of yourself, taking such pride in what you choose and how you accessorize. 

Last month I talked about how you were fully potty learned.  I may have spoken too soon.  You seem to be having a lot of accidents lately.  I find that you get busy with what you are doing and forget to go, or you are being defiant.  It’s a recent set back and we’re still working out the details of what’s going on with you.  In just the past couple weeks you’ve had a personality shift, you’ve become more defiant, headstrong.  Which is maddening to me, but on the other hand comes with more independence for you too.  I think that you’re lapse in potty learning is part of this.  So we’re working through it.  We’ve just taken a step back, and are going back to the basics, potty learning 102, if you may.  Hopefully we’ll be back to the potty learning, the advanced classes, soon. 

Recently you’ve also started being more assertive with your brother.  He’s so interested in everything you do, and it fustrates you.  So you lash out at him.   We talk a lot about how he’s going to be interested in what you’re doing, and you need to work through it, I hope I’m giving you some good tools to help, because I know how hard it can be to have a little brother.  You still love him like crazy though, and I still have to remind you to love on him with a little less vigour.  He adores you though, and wants to be just like you.  I bet he’ll be wearing your dresses sooner than later, with your help.  The sweetest thing you do for him is sing to him when he is upset, it always calms him down and always melts my heart.

As always you are in love with books.  You would sit for hours if someone would read to you for that long.  I’ve even read you some chapter books and you love them.  I have such big plans for us and books, so much reading, so many adventures.  It’s exciting!  Your favourite book is a big Disney princess book you have.  It weighs a couple pounds and has so many stories in it.  I love that you are so into the book.  I think that it will help you cultivate a healthy and life long love for children’s literature.  You like to read your books to Hudson too, and you’re helping him to love books as well. 

Much to Daddy’s happiness you enjoy video games and games on the iPad.  For Christmas Grandma Walsh gave you a couple of Wii games and you love to play them with Daddy.  They are a little advanced for you, but Daddy helps a lot.  With the iPad, you need no assistance.  It’s a little funny that you’re able to work it so well.  But I guess that was Apple’s intention.  Daddy has even gotten you a game for the computer, and you’ll sit on his lap and play it.  I think that perhaps you might be the next engineer in the family. 

Sweet girl.  This has been a busy month, lots of growing and border testing.  Lots of deep breaths and defiant stances.  But it’s okay.  I am enjoying watching you grow and learn.  I’m glad you’re not a pushover and that you question everything.  I do miss my sweet baby with the long dark lashes and the red pouty lips, but this feisty preschooler is amazing.  We have so much fun waiting for us!

love,

Mama.

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11 month newsletter (Hudson)

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

Dear Hudson,

You’re 11 months now and in your last month of being a baby.  You’re still not walking, so you’re not yet a toddler in the real sense of the word either.  I’m pretty sure you can walk if you would just forget to hang on and walk, but I won’t push you, I figure the less mobile you are the less trouble you can get into!

This month you learned to crawl!  It’s funny to say that right after wondering when you will walk, but since you were 5 months old you’ve been slithering, sliding around on your belly doing the army crawl, but this past month you pulled up and started crawling on your hands and knees.  You’re still as fast as ever, so I’m not sure if you will walk soon or not.  But again, that’s okay!

For Christmas this year we went to Canada and our trip was unlucky!  You and your sister both got a bad cold while we were there and yours especially worried me.  Since you’re young and have never had a cold you didn’t know how to cough, so you were just horribly congested, with lots of wheezing.  It was scary for me, since I wasn’t home with easy access to your doctor, or without access to all of my home remedies which may have helped.  For the first night of your cold I sat up all night with you in a reclining chair so it was easier for you to breathe.  You didn’t sleep all that well, but I think you slept better than you would have lying down.  It was a long night, but by the next day you were doing a little better.  I was able to talk to your doctor and was given some good news and told to follow my mommy instincts, which made me happy.  You did get better and learned how to cough, which made me so happy.  I am grateful that you are so healthy and were able to shake this cold so quickly.  Unfortunately you did share it with some of your cousins, but they’re healthy kids too.

Over the holidays we traveled to Kelowna to see some other cousins and the first night we were there you took a tumble on a tile floor and landed face first on your mouth.  You tore your frenulum and pushed your front teeth in a little.  There was a lot of blood and it was scary for everyone.  You cried some but were amazingly resiliant to it all.  Now that the swelling is down I think your teeth are a little more crooked, but Dr. Google assures Daddy and I that you will be fine and your teeth should be too.  So this is one of the reasons that I am okay with you not walking yet.  I did not like seeing all of that blood coming from my baby!  So I would like for you to not have any more accidents….

For Christmas Daddy and I got you a baby doll, whom you love and give lots of kisses, and the traditional box of kleenex, which you happily tore into and pulled all of the kleenex from.  We also gave you a couple other toys, but those were your favourites. 

The topic of what to do with you hair has been discussed by your Daddy and I a lot.  Your hair is growing so fast, and I love it so much.  I want to wait and see what it will do, sometimes I think it will be curly, but sometimes it looks like it’ll stay straight.  Daddy would like to keep it off of your ears.  We’ll see, I think we’ll wait until you are at least 2 for your first haircut, besides we live in California, the land of surfers and hippies!  I think you can get away with long hair, at least for a little while.

Your Daddy and I have been working diligently with you on baby sign language, but you are a stubborn fellow and just don’t want to sign.  I know you know the signs because you will reach for water when we sign it or get excited when we sign “milk” or “more”.  When we try to get you to sign “more” you try to say it, mostly it sounds like “mo”.  So perhaps you just want to talk?  Daddy has been working with you on how to sign “touchdown” and you have mastered that one, which you also follow up with “tah dow!”, it’s so cute.  Also it’s official your first words other than Mama and Dah-dae is touchdown.  Funny little boy.  You sure make your Daddy proud!  You’re also babbling more, lots of “dodle dodle” and “doidle doidle” and when you say these your little tongue pokes out of your mouth.  It’s adorable!

Although I think that you can be a little stubborn sometimes, I see that you are really caring and affectionate.  You give me lots of kisses, and will spend a lot of time just sitting next to the cat or dog, loving on them as much as they will allow it.  You do try to be gentle, but the buggy nature of Chachi’s eyes are sometimes too much for you and you might have to try to give them a little poke.  Chachi returns the favour with a warning nibble followed up by lots of puppy kisses.  Bonsai will just walk away if he feels you are getting too rough with him.  You receive a lot of loving from your sister and you tolerate it well.  I often find you in the clutches of one of her monster hugs, and you often have the smear of lip balm across the side your face from  your sister’s kisses.

Sweet boy!  Soon you will be one year old!  I’m looking forward to see who you will be, but I am sad that my little tiny boy is growing up.  Such a sweet, sweet boy.  I’m such a lucky Mama!

love always!

Mama.

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