Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Caleb: 15 Months

Caleb Asher Grant turned 15 months on January 27....I cannot believe my little boy is 15 months!  I did a post a few weeks ago (Caleb Lately, 14 months-ish) so this is just to fill in the gaps!

Official Stats:
Height:  33.25 inches (99.68%)
Weight:  26 lbs 11 oz (90.64%)
Head: 48 cm (80.31%)
Diaper: Full time size 5
Clothing:  2t/24 month shirt and 18 month pants

Schedule (remember Addison is in the mix too, hence why some of these things take forever):
  • 8:00-8:30 AM Wake up, get dressed, straighten bed
  • 8:15-9:00 AM  Breakfast
  • 9:30-10:00 AM Sibling time in Playroom
  • 10:00-10:15 AM Blanket time (we just started this, see below)
  • 10:15-10:30 AM Structured time with Mommy
  • 10:30-11:45/12:00 PM Nap
  • 12:00-12:30 PM Depending on lunch prep, Sibling time in rooms or PLay with Mommy
  • 12:30-1:15 PM Lunch
  • 1:15-1:45 PM Playpen time
  • 1:45-2:15 PM Learning Time
  • 2:00-2:30 PM Structured playtime with mommy
  • 2:30-4:30/5:00 PM Nap
  • 4:30/5:00-5:30 PM Playtime with Daddy
  • 5:30-6:30 PM Dinner
  • 6:30-7:30 PM Family Time
  • 7:30-8:00 PM Bedtime routine (bath, pjs, brush teeth, bible story, pray, to bed)
This is the general schedule during the week, I plan on posting the detailed one with Addison and Caleb's routine side by side soon.  I have had it handwritten for a while and am currently working on transferring it to excel.

Mobility:  We have a walker....full time!  Man I am busy now!

Teeth:  His incisors are cutting and after those all that's left is 2 year molars.  Whew...I am ready for teeth to be over!

Reflux:  We are almost weaned from his reflux meds and then we can try dairy a good bit!








Addison Lately

Oh my (not so little) Addison Joy; she is a complete JOY to be around almost all the time!  She is maturing and growing so much these days that I hardly know what to blog about her because as soon as I write it, she is going to have moved past it.

Words I would use to describe Addison lately....
  • Intelligent
  • Articulate
  • Kind
  • Dramatic
  • Inquisitive
  • Loving/Compassionate
  • Rule Follower
  • People Pleaser
  • Routine Driven
  • Helper
  • Bossy (mostly with her little brother)
  • Thoughtful
  • Funny...likes to make mommy smile
Size:  She weighs right around 32 lbs.  She absolutely must wear a 4T shirt and is between 3T and 4T fora pants (it depends on the brand and the wasit since she is so narrow).  Size 8.5-9 shoe, if I am not mistaken and anything else is also a 4T (undies, socks, etc).  She is LONG and LEAN, as she has been since 12 months.

Vocabulary:  She constructs complex sentences and tries to use proper tenses (she asks for help when she is not sure).  Addison even asks what words MEAN, so strange!  

Reading:  Reading is still her most favorite activity; if she had it her way she would sit and read books all day (MUCH like her Uncle Mateo) however, we have to get her active too!!  After having a book read to her only once or twice she has much of it memorized.  She can even sit and listen to chapter books so long even Mommy and Daddy get tired of reading :)  She simply amazes me.

General Learning:  Any opportunity to learn and Addison seizes it.  She loves learning where things come from, how they are made, what they say, how your spell things, practicing letters, learning how to make colors, reading...anything that resembles knowledge acquisition and she is all over it.

Potty:  She has been fully day time potty training since September.  She wakes up from about half her naps dry and occasionally in the morning.  Nighttime/sleep potty training is FAR FAR from being on my radar and will stay that way!  We have had set backs and challenges in the process, but like most learning things with Addison, it was fairly easy---in hindsight.  Like many toddlers, she tries to hold it until the last second which sometimes leads to a tiny accident therefore, we tend to ask her to potty every couple hours.  She tells us too.

Sleep:  She is still a champion sleeper, however she has learned a few stall tactics and seems to pull them out at very inconvenient times.  Consistency in the routine heading to bed decreases most issues.  She still sleeps about 12 hours at night and naps 2-2.5 hours during the day; she has always been on the high side of sleep needs.

Crib:  She still happily sleeps in a crib and despite a week in a toddler bed at my parents house.  When asked about a bed without sides like her friend Alexis has or she had at Mia and Papa's she says "Mommy I like this crib with edges".  We are in no hurry but yet have no concerns when the time comes to transition her.  She did fabulous at my parents house--never got out once.  I feel like if this is done too early, sleep problems could arise!

Eating:  Addison eats a very well balanced meal without much prompting however the past few weeks as Caleb has been using utensils (an clearly needing lots of help) she has had some regressions in her independence particularly when Daddy is home.  She still drinks whole milk since her weight is not an issue at all--she is built just like her daddy, long and lean.

Independence:  This has been a slow and steady learning curve for her.  When I am in sight she has always preferred to spend time with me.  At school drop off and Sunday school she has finally stopped shedding those few tears...finally.  But its all about consistency of place and people---any other place we take her for childcare (or at our own house) she gets upset but quickly recovers.  Thus she continues with room time (formerly playpen time) and blanket time (we just started this again so she could encourage Caleb as he learns it).

Favorite Activities:  IPad time, sibling time, tag books, Little People Princess castle, reading/being read to, art is still high on her list, but much to my dismay shes becoming a bit of a perfectionist so she prefers to do it WITH ME.

Discipline:  Time out in the corner, facing the wall and loss of privileges has been the most effective lately.  Spanking comes into play when she needs immediate correction or we are not in an appropaite place for time out.  Loss of privilege only works when there is little to no delay, so we cannot do that when we are not at home very effectively.

School:  She goes to a Mother's Day out two days a week but is changing to a new school in the fall with more emphasis on school readiness.  She needs a greater intellectual challenge!  Her current school offers their preschool on different days than the mothers day out which Caleb will attend---they need to be gone at the same times.  I LOVE her current school, but she needs something a little more focused.  I am excited about her school next year--low student/teacher ratio, small, quiet, perfect for her!

My Sweet Little Joy: 
 I have always said your name is so appropriate because you truly are a JOY to us and others.  Your  for knowledge and learning is inspiring and hope you keep that learning spirit about you.  It warms my heart to see how much love and concern you have for your little brother, your friends and others.  You have your daddy's compassion and caring spirit and I am so thankful for that!  Its funny how you teach ME to be compassionate my little one.

That simple sign and three little words "I love you" almost brings tears to my eyes each time you say it (you just came up to me and said it just now).  I never get tired of hearing it and I hope you know that I love you "to the moon and back".  Disciplining you is so difficult because I just want to enjoy every moment with you, but I hope that one day you will understand that our desire is for you to ultimately love and obey God which means we have to teach and discipline you towards that.  I try my hardest to explain to you each time out and spanking that I do these things in LOVE, but it is so hard to explain my little darling.  I can only have the faith that you will understand.  

I love you more than any other little girl in the entire world and I hope and pray that you feel that love each and every day.  I fail sometimes and act unloving, but those are opportunities for you to see that I too am far from perfect.  Addison, you are an absolutely beautiful young lady....beautiful....inside and out.  I am VERY proud of the person you are becoming and I hope you know how proud I am---sometimes I almost burst with pride!  One day you will read this and I hope you sense my love, pride and joy I have for you.  Much Love, Your imperfect mommy




 Music time with "Bubarooni San Francisco Treat"

 Music time with "Bubarooni San Francisco Treat"

Outing with Mommy and a special juice treat!

Tea time in the tub...that Daddy is creative!

Tea time in the tub...that Daddy is creative!

Fun with friends

Library Fun!
 
I never let her destroy a room, but she was "making Caleb a birthday party"

 
My little loves!

Sweet kisses from big sis!

Coloring together


Holding baby Cameron!



Family movie night!

Snuggle time!

YAYNESS!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Grant Family Rules

We strive to connect our disciple and family rules to scripture. Sometimes even I need to reminded that this disciplining business (which is SO hard to do every moment of the day, 7 days a week) is something God called me to do. And thus birthed the Grant Gang Rules! These rules are/will be posted in our playroom where we spend the most time. We can refer to the rules each time we remind the children (mostly Addison right now) how to behave. It helps us be consistent too; we can refer to the same rule and the same scripture every time.

The whole family helped decorate and glue (mostly Addison) the rules in the board.




-Love and obey The Lord with all your heart. Matthew 22:37
-Obey your mother and father. Ephesians 6:1
-Be kind to others. Ephesians 4:32
-A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17

We have one more to add about forgiveness, just not sure exactly what we want it to say yet.

I don't know about y'all but discipline is hard, especially when done consistently! I hope the rules and scriptures hanging on the wall will help guide us and encourage us on this journey!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday, January 21, 2013

Children's Museum Omaha

Today Matthew was off work so we decided to go to the Children's Museum with two other families...what fun!

We have the two overall older kids of the two families (one is 2.5 yrs and 7 months and the other is 2.5 yrs and 1 week) and sadly we were the last to arrive!!!! We are always late. We used up all our timeliness yesterday when we arrived early to church and our evening bible study. Besides we are not fast movers in the morning. Anyway...here are some pictures of the fun!


Fun at the water table


He loved the slide!


The water table was a hit with all the little ones!


Full sized bus!



Taking a ride


Taking a ride!


How photogenic is this little guy?!


He was showing Caleb how to drive.


Giving Caleb a turn, sweet thing!


In the police car!


Daddy must show them the computer of course!


Her face painting. She was so still!



What a fun day full of family and friends and you know it's a good day when the kids sleep ALL afternoon!!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday, January 18, 2013

Addison Writing

When did she figure out how to do this!!?

YouTube Video

I am so proud of her!


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Caleb Lately, 14ish Months


Where has the time gone?  My gooberlicous giggling baby boy isnt a baby anymore---he is a toddler.  It is official, he has graduated from babyhood, watch out world!

Weight: 26.2 lbs
Height: Catching up to sister
Diaper Size: 5 (note:  Addison never wore a five, ha)
*His 15 month well check is in about two weeks, so I will have some good stats by then*

Mobility:  Although he crawls 75% of the time and 25% walking, I anticipate he will be mostly walking within a week.  He took his time getting there but once he set his mind to it---he went from walking two steps to running within two days.

Dairy "allergy":  Oh the dairy challenges abound.  First things first, we are weaning from reflex medicine.  He is taking a level that is just at a therapeutic level every other day.  Once h is total off it, we will do a dairy challenge.  Up until now, he has only had dairy baked in things and he can only have it in extreme moderation.  We will start with low fat milk which is supposed to be tolerated as well as lactaid free whole milk. We are looking forward to putting this dairy issue behind us.

Sign Language:  He LOVES his sign language, picks up signs after demonstrating 3-5 times and in fact prefers signs.  Our pediatrician counts every sign as a word when they inquire about for verbal development, WOOT!  I LOVE that about our pedi...sign language IS a language people!

Verbal:  While he understands nearly everything that comes out of your mouth, his language development is fairly limited.  He can say mama, daddy, Addy, ball, bear, bean, baby, pi (piper), BE (his snuggle blanket), more, kay kay (Caleb), dah (dog), I think that is it.  He is slow and steady....that is his mantra.

Independence:  Caleb enjoys his independent play time every day and loves to play without mommy ESPECIALLY when HE is alone...no Addison.  He is MUCH better at playing alone at this age than Addison was.  So interesting how different they are.

Sleep:  He sleeps fantastic at night and does well with naps when we have stable routine.  The nature of a second child is they have to flow more with their schedule; he flows great--I just don't always remember that.  I will post about his napping schedule after our well visit in two weeks.

Teeth:  Working on the last molar...so that 11 he has in.

Liquid Feedings:  Tonight was the last night we did a bedtime feeding.  We held onto the feeding since Almond milk has a mere 60 calories per serving vs. Whole milk with 120 or formula with about 100 or more per serving.  It was not my preference to keep it this long, but its not about me and its not about looking like a perfect mom.  I am sad to see this draw to a close, but excited about the future with two TODDLERS!!!

Eating:  When no teeth hurt and it is just mommy and Caleb he is a fantastic eater.  When there is an audience (really just Daddy and Addison) he likes to put on a food strike show.  We draw the line in the sand and do not offer alternative meals, but it's hard not to cave to those big beautiful brown eyes.

Personality:  Oh my...Caleb.  Where to begin?  His smile, goober giggle and eyes will absolutely make the worst day brighter.  He is strong willed, knows what he wants when he wants and lets you know.  Once he can articulate himself that may not be a bad quality.  He is a lover not a fighter--when in doubt he wants to snuggle with you.  Caleb chooses mommy's lap and hug over any other and I think that will stick for a while. His curiosity and thoughtfulness helps him learn quickly.

Nicknames: Bub (from Cal-UB), bub-a-rooni, bub-a-rooni San Francisco treat

My Dear Sweet Caleb Asher:  There is never a dull moment with you.  You keep Mommy on her toes...and her knees a lot.  Since the day you were born I have shared with so many others about how you teach me so much; that is one thing that has not changed.  You teach me about grace each day and I am sorry that I sometimes have to learn the hard way.

You are growing up so quickly.  I often find myself searching frantically for the pause button.  The depth of my admiration and love for you will never be able to be put into words, just know that I love you my sweetness in a way that I will love no other.  Caleb, you challenge me ways I never thought I would overcome, you bring me such huge joy that I think I will burst sometimes, you have reminded me that I need my Savior more than any other, you have taught me LOVE.  We have been through a lot, you and I...unknown allergies, reflux, raging separation anxiety, moving, breast feeding woes, transitions...we have battle wounds that I wouldn't trade for all the money in the world.

I love you Caleb Asher Grant and I look forward (although not too quickly) to the days when I can share with you all that you have taught me.  And Caleb...keep being who you are because God made you perfectly; he will always love you and so will I.  And maybe...just maybe all these notes I leave you on this blog will help you forgive me in all the many, many ways I fail you but yet how I dearly I loved you and still love you.  Thank you, Thank you heavenly father for choosing me to be the mother to this beautiful little boy!


Well thats Caleb lately...tomorrow (or the next day) its Addison lately!!!!!)!!!!

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Fancy Fork Work

My little boy is growing up too fast, he can even use a fork on his own now. He might even try to use it more than his big sister! Check it out!

I actually think the best part is finally capturing the "uh oo" instead of "uh oh". I am going to die when he out grows that!

YouTube Video

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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Our 2012 Christmas

For Santa.  This was the message Addison dictated for me!
Addison's friend Alexis (and her family) spent Christmas eve with us and Addison wanted to be sure Alexis was included in the cookies to Santa.


Santa came!
Both: Kitchen, shopping cart and play food
Addison:  Magnetic "paper" dolls, flip flops, a shirt, hair bands and bubble bath
Caleb: Singing puppy, race track and soccer ball
We are fortunate to have a great second hand store right down the road so we saved a lot of money this Christmas!
Addison's Santa

Note back to kids from Santa!

Wake up Addy!

Hugs!

Pumpkin French Toast Bake on Christmas morning!


Echo microphone

This was the first toy Caleb has really liked to walk behind


Thank you Granma and Granpa

Thank you Lyla

Thank you Mia and Papa!



This is a few days after Christmas, but I love them both in their chairs from Mia!

Racing the cars!

We did not realize how much Caleb would love the kitchen already!

My huggable sweet little boy!

Christmas morning!

Go Caleb Go...GO GO GO!

PRINCESS CASTLE!!!!

Whoppie cushion!