Say What?

The first video clip is of Mia from just a couple of days ago.

The 2nd video is of Allison from a few weeks ago. She loves talking on the phone to Nana and Papa. If Allison is in a bad mood and I need a distraction, I will call my parents so she can talk to them.

The third video is of Allison when she was five and a half months old. Notice Mia is wearing the same pajamas (at only three and a half months).

18 Months Old

Another big milestone has occurred in our household - Allison is 18 months old. We have a full-fledged toddler on our hands. She runs, climbs, laughs...screams, and is beginning to show signs of temper tantrums. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

All in all, we love watching Allison grow up. She is so funny and we get a kick out of her discovering new things, including how to climb into Amelia's toy box. Over the past six months, she has learned how to walk, run, and her latest thing, walking backwards. The discovery of her belly button has been very fascinating to her, and she is also very interested in other people's belly buttons as well. Allison also knows where her eyes and her mouth are located. She isn't quite sure about her nose and ears.

We play hide-and-go seek, which consists of me either hiding behind the couch or around the corner as you enter the kitchen. Although my spots are quite predictable, it brings Allison great excitement when she finds me. She knows that when she finds me, I will tickle her belly, so she cautiously walks up to my hiding spots while covering her belly with her hands with a look of anticipation on her face.

While she only has a few words that she says clearly, Allison "talks" like crazy. She will gladly tell you about her day if you give her a minute of your attention. She loves talking to her Nana and Papa on the phone. We are hoping that recognizable words will start coming soon.

Allison loves getting kisses, but don't expect one in return. While she doesn't do kisses, she will gladly give you a "hug" by placing her head on you... a "lean and hug".

Finally, Allison loves her little sister Amelia. She likes laying next to Mia on the floor. We just have to be careful she doesn't roll over on her. Keeping Mia up high doesn't always guarantee safety either. One day I ran into the kitchen to put something in the oven. As soon as I heard Mia's swing stop, I knew that Allison was up to no good. When I ran into the living room, I caught Allison trying to climb into Amelia's swing - with Amelia already in it. My yelling "NO, NO, NO - don't you EVEN think about it" didn't deter Allison as she proceeded to climb right into Amelia's lap. This brought a time-out, which we have started to introduce to her these past few weeks. Did I mention toddlerhood includes yelling and temper tantrums?

Bath Time

We are Surviving

We are on to week two of me going back to work and the girls at daycare. So far it has been going pretty well. It seems that Allison is getting used to it all. We were very lucky to find a wonderful daycare provider, Deb, who is our friend's sister-in-law.

Deb is very patient with Allison and Allison has taken a liking to Deb. When Brian dropped Allison off today, she was a little whiny, but rather than clinging onto Brian, she instead held onto Deb's leg until Deb picked her up. Deb even bought food that she knows Allison likes, including hummus, which was morning snack for today.

Amelia is doing good with it all as well - she is basically along for the ride. She is very tired by the evening though, which makes it tough for Brian and I, since she wants to be held all the time and is very fussy.

Brian has been doing a great job at getting the kids ready in the morning. Since I have to be on the road by 7 am and don't get home until 6 pm, he is left with the drop-off and pick-up of the kids from daycare. I know it is tough to get them both out of the house at the same time, especially in the morning when you are rushed. He also has dinner ready for me when I come home.

The hardest thing will be that I have to work eight hours a week at home. Last week, Allison didn't nap during her "nap period", so that meant I had to work late at night. Hopefully this isn't a weekly occurrence.

I want to thank everyone who has checked-in with me to see how we are doing. I really appreciate your emails, phone calls, and comments on the blog. It helps to know that we have family and friends that care so much.

3 Months Old

Amelia turned three months old last Tuesday (I know, I'm a little late on this post). She is starting to develop a personality which has been fun to see. She loves to smile when Brian and I talk to her. She likes her sister, but isn't completely comfortable with Allison getting too close, which I don't blame Amelia. She actually cringes when Allison gets too close - just waiting to get poked or "tapped" (Allison's idea of a love tap). She is cooing and making more noises.

Amelia is a wonderful eater; she eats five ounces per feeding. We will probably bump her up to six ounces soon. With all this eating going on, we have had to pack away her 0-3 month clothes and pull out the 3-6 month size. With Carters clothing, she is in size 6-month, which cracks me up. She seems too young to be in that size.

One great benefit of Amelia being able to drink larger portions during the day is that she sleeps wonderfully at night. For the most part she has been sleeping through the night (STTN) since 6 weeks old. I haven't dared to say that she is STTN because I kept thinking it was a phase. Allison didn't SSTN until she was six months old, so I was fully prepared to be waking up in the middle of the night for several months. We do have an occasional night where she wakes up for a feeding, but that is fine by me. I can handle it once a week. Nap time still needs to be worked on though. She is a cat napper. I need to get better about getting her on a schedule.

Amelia still has a full head of hair. I think it has thinned out a little; you can see her scalp. It has also lightened up a bit. I'm always afraid at bath time when I wash her hair that one day it is going to rinse all away.

We are looking forward to seeing what the next month brings us - we are hoping for many more smiles and her first laugh.

A Message on Day Two

It's me Allison,

Just wanted you to know I am having an even better day today. I have only had one crying spell and have played with my new friends. I wore a pretty pink dress-up dress and watched them dance. I did not want to dance, just watched. Mia has slept alot this morning again. Deb sure wishes she would play a little so she could see her awake. she kisses her alot too like you guys do. We just had lunch and I ate all my mandarin oranges and some french fries but none of my hot dog. I will try better on Friday. I like it here but am glad we get to spend two days together. Love Ya,Allison and Mia

P.s. Don't work to hard.

A Message From Allison

I just received a message from Allison from daycare.


Hi Mom and Dad,
Just wanted to let you know that I am still being very good. I ate some of my lunch not a lot but I'm sure I will tomorrow. I read books and built a tower with blocks. Then we danced to Jacks. That was fun. Amelia has been sleeping since about 10:30 and drank a bottle. I cannot wait till she is older and can play with me. I hope you are both having a good day too. Please know that I am good. I still miss you though. Any questions call Deb.See ya soon.

Love,Allison and Amelia

Brian said that Allison cried hard when he dropped her off, but Deb was able to calm her down. The real test is going on right now...nap time. She isn't a good sleeper in strange places, so I foresee a cry fest happening. Hopefully in a few days she gets used to nap time.