February 6, 2012: 15 months and 3.5 years!

Bryn is 15 months old!  She's (finally) 20 lbs 8 oz (14th%) and 30 inches (37th%).  Petite but growing well!

She eats everything and is weaning off the bottle.  She drinks her milk out of her sippy or regular cup, but still taking one 'baba' at night before bed.  She is also weaning off her pacifier 'pipe'!  She is only using it at nighttime as well. Hopefully we'll drop the bottle and pipe in the next month.  Feels like her last two ties to really being a baby, and they are almost gone!  Not that I miss cleaning those bottles :) We were happy to report to our doctor that she has one tooth and is finally walking, meeting her milestones.  As far as her language development, she is very advanced, following in Liam and Pres' footsteps...she has at least 50+ words and says two word phrases like 'up mama', 'mo puff' (more puffs), and 'note know' (I don't know...which she uses correctly when I ask where something/someone is!).  Some are only understood by us, but she will talk to everyone!  Here's some of my favorite ones: 'putti' (pretty), 'uh huh' or 'yeeeeessh' (yes), 'sooz' (shoes), 'jak' (jacket), 'tray' (trade...as in trade Liam a toy), 'Reeceeee' (her classmate Reece who is a few months younger and she LOVES!), 'goo gurr' (good girl...which she repeats when we say it), 'wok' (walk...which she demands when you attempt to carry her), 'hep' (help), 'oh no', 'bump bump' (which she says when she falls or bumps into something...she says this phrase alot!), 'mote mote' (remote), and 'side' (slide) to name a few.  Bryn can also recognize and say 'Door' (Dora), 'bah pah' (backpack...also from Dora), and 'Ehmo' (Elmo).  Bryn also looks at us and says 'poo poo'...and she is right!!  For a few weeks now, she is telling us when she goes.  Mal was so excited and wanted to put her right on the potty when she first started this...of course I had to remind her that most kids have to walk before they potty train :)  I'm not doing anything yet except giving her lots of praise for telling us when she goes.  But I'm very hopefully she will train early :)  And my absolute favorite thing that Bryn says is 'bahht' (Batman)...she says this when she sees Batman on Liam's books AND this is what she calls Liam now!!  She has never said his name and still won't try, but we finally figured out what she was saying when she would point to him and say 'bahht'. To be fair he does dress and act as Batman and I guess she decided that was just easier to say!  

Now that I've bragged enough, there is one teeny, tiny flaw in our otherwise perfect baby ;)  SHE.DOES.NOT.SLEEP.  Since right before Christmas we have probably only had a handful of full nights of sleep.  As my pediatrician nicely reminded me yesterday, you can't stop teeth.  Urgh, I hate to hear her so sad and we do try to let her cry it out. Some nights she will go an hour or more :(   Some nights (tonight) I am blogging at midnight because I just went up to rock her again and am awake still.  Sometimes we are up watching Dora at 4am :) And a few blessed nights we get this..snuggled with pipe and Zulu...

Bryn is still very much a daddy's girl...as soon as she hears the door chime she is up and running to meet daddy at the door!  And since she is obsessed with 'sooz', her daddy's are some of her favorites to play in...

Being a toddler, means she gets to join in some of Liam's playgroup fun...like the ride at bounce house..

And because she thinks she is a walking pro (after 2 weeks), Bryn loved 'hiking' at the Nature Reserve!  We've gone a few times in this warm winter weather, and both kids love walking the trails and waving at all the dogs.

At 3.5 years old Liam is all boy.  He loves climbing, playing outside, super heroes, board games, math, jokes, puzzles, outer space, and all sports.  He can write! We have been helping him to spell so he can write cards and letter.  At school he is currently studying the continents and shapes such as a cylinder and triangle prism (??) Here are another few signs that he is growing up too fast:  1. He smells like a wet puppy dog at the end of everyday (don't worry there's a shower or bath EVERY night :) 2. I am having to stain stick all his clothes to remove grass/food/dirt stains 3. I have found wood chips in his hair and rocks in the dryer multiple times.

Despite being a very active and fun-loving boy, Liam is still very sweet and sensitive.  The other day at playgroup, he asked for a snack.  I gave him his granola bar which he unwrapped.  Then he looked at all his friends and asked if he could share with them...he even asked each mom before giving a piece to the child.  It just melted me to see him think of others and offer his whole snack to his friends.  It's amazing to see him learning compassion and empathy, which he is patiently learning to use with his sister as well.  Yes, we still have tears way too often.  We are trying to reinforce staying calm, not getting upset and working things out.  He has not had to sit in time out in a very long time, but does occasionally lose privileges (such as a favorite show or leap pad) for crying and 'fussing at mommy and daddy'.  Liam has been very healthy except for the last 6 weeks when he's had 2 ear infections, a sinus infection and conjunctivitis.  We are currently on another round of antibiotics for his latest ear infection  :(  As he told me today, 'Talk in my other ear mom, this one hurts to hear'.  Liam is 34 lbs and seems to be growing like a weed!  He's still our adventurous eater and I usually have no idea where he puts his 2nd or 3rd helpings.  Even though he was not a great sleeper as a baby, he is an amazing sleeper now.  Still taking 1.5-2 hour nap daily and does not wake once at night despite the teething toddler down the hall...he def got my sleeping genes :)

Despite that I am loving my photography course, I have no photos from my camera as you can tell.  It's def my busy season at work and Nick just started a new jobsite as the project manager.  We are so proud of him, especially how well he always balances his crazy 12-14 hour days with family time...like leaving early on Weds so I can go to my camera class :)  Hopefully once we are all healthy and I have a few more techniques under my belt, I'll get some cute pics.  Anyway here's a few more fun cell phone pics from the last week or so...

Liam at family game night...

Liam went to his first Dallas Stars (hockey) game with Nick last weekend and had a blast.  Here they are ready to go, poor Bryn was so sad crying at the garage door.  She forgot quickly though once she got to go over to Mallie/Dallie's for movie night ;)

Nick texted me from the game...he stayed up really late but it was worth it!

Apparently he ate popcorn the entire time, including the car ride home :)  He did tell me his favorite part was "when the team skated fast and shooted the puck in the goal and the goal keeper missed it!!" All screamed at me while jumping up and down in true boy fashion!

Here is Liam at Meha and Daniel's Superbowl party...this weekend we celebrated the Superbowl and Dallie's birthday, which meant lots of cake for Liam..

Here are the kids this afternoon.  Even though I keep saying it, I can't believe it's so nice out!  We are so fortunate to get to continue playing outside.  I have no idea what the actual temperature is, just that it feels like a cool LA day, which I LOVE!