Friday, August 26, 2011

Faith August - 28 Months

Let me start by saying I love this age!  It is trying and we certainly have our days but overall, I love this age!  Faith is learning and doing so much (including challenging my consistancy and determination) and we are having such a great time.  She is displaying some oldest child OCD tendencies in lining up stuff but it is cute.
Sleeping:
Faith still sleeps really well.  Some nights it she is still singing to herself at 9pm but rarely after that.  She usually wakes aroun 7:45 but is quiet until I go get her at 8.  Her naps are usually about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Eating:
Faith loves food and is a great eater.  We do have some meals where she just won't eat what is being served.  On those nights I will tell her when the meal is over and at that time I take her plate away and she eats again at the next meal.  She is drinking 1% milk from her cup (which she has been doing for several months but this is the first time I am blogging about her).  For the most part she eats everything willingly other than broccoli and any kind of roast.  She loves to dip her food: in syrup, ketchup, sour cream, anything, she just likes to dip.  I have been careful to only serve condiments with food that normally is served with them and by normally I mean that if I eat that food with a condiment then she get it too!  This past week in St Louis we went to Qdoba and I ordered her a mini chicken quesadilla with some sour cream as a side.  She ate all the sour cream and Rebekah ate the quesadilla!
Play:
Faith does great with solo play and recently I have ceased to put the baby gate up at her door bur actually shut the door and she does great.  She loves her dolls, specifically:
Sally Lynn and Her Camping Adventure Little People http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Little-People-Adventure/dp/B000NW77U6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314392089&sr=8-1,
Wheeee is Cars  http://www.amazon.com/B-68621-Wheeee-ls/dp/B002YITFWK/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1314392150&sr=1-1
Wooden Dolls  http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Wooden-Family-Doll/dp/B0006NUI76/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1314392457&sr=1-1
Dress Up Dollies (this is the Langhaugs toy)  http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Magnetic-Dress-Up/dp/B0012GV1HM/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1314392457&sr=1-2
Also, she LOVES a Bible Story song book that we get from the Langhaugs... unfortunatly I haven't been able to find this awesome book to purchase our own and someday (what a sad day it will be) we will be separated from the Langhaugs and won't have access to this book.  This book got her really interested it Bible songs and motivated me to buy a CD of 120 Bible songs on Itunes and she listens to that during solo play and on the long drives we've taken this month, one to Ozark and one to St Louis.  Her favorite songs this month have been "Jesus Loves Me" and "The Lord's Army"
Skills:
Faith talks up a storm; learning new words all the time.  She speaks in full sentences, knows about half the alphabet on site, and loves to be read to (She and I love Karma Wilson and Audrey Wood books).  It amazes me how much she remembers from our Bible stories.  She continues to refer to herself in the second person; about 2 months ago she was consistantly referring to herself in the the third person.  We are working on her using "I" instead of "you" and she definitly knows "mine"!
She really wants to jump and I am having a hard time teaching her how to do this.  She "jumps" into the pool but it really is more like a belly flop but she really enjoys it! 
She loves helping me cook and really loves "making the trays" for Rebekah's food, although as Rebekah eats fewer and fewer purees we don't do that as much. 
She continues to help me with chores and breaking up vacuuming throughout the day has helped her stay engaged with that chore.  She really likes her lawnmower and with Frank gone we've had a few opportunities to "help" me mow the yard.  We've also been washing the cars and she enjoys that as well.
Travel:
We've been to Ozark twice since Frank left and Faith has a great time there, not only spending time with her grandparents but also feeding the chickens and cows and picking tomatoes and onions.  We also went to St Louis last week and she had a ton of stuff to do there, most of which was heartily enjoyed, except for the late naps and bedtmie.


Our Schedule:
0800 - Wake, eat breakfast, change for the day
0900 - Bible story, outdoor time (walk, playing in the backyard)
1015 - Snack
1030 - Craft
1100 - Chore and Make Lunch
1200 - Lunch
1230 - Dishes or Kitchen Play
1300 - Silent Sustained Reading (or run errands)
1330 - Sister Play and Reading
1400 - Nap
1600 - Snack
1630 - Solo Play
1730 - Help with Dinner Prep if needed
1800 - Dinner
1845 - After Dinner Activity (Park, Freeplay, Waterplay)
1915 - Bath, Bible Story, in Bed o/a 2001







Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Going to St Louis

I grabbed the girls (and my Walther PPK) at 0500 on Thursday morning and drove to St Louis.  The drive up there was great; we took US 67, stopped in Poplar Bluff, MO at the awesome McDonalds where the girls had a blast playing in the playland and arrived at the Dalrymples house just before naptime.  I finished the audiobook version of Truman by David McCoullough on the way so it was even a productive.
Frog slide at the Mascouta Pool
Shopping at TJs
While in town I stayed up late almost every night talking to Danielle, had dinner with the Browns and their girls, spent an entire day with the Morse family, shopped at Trader Joe's, hung out at the Magic House with the Kerfoots who'd driven in from DC, went to a Cardinals game, and even managed to see Frank's grandparents twice.  Now that I am back, I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation!  It was a wonderful trip and I am so glad that I went.  It was so nice to see our friends and family.  The girls did great despite missed naps and late bedtimes.  We rolled in this morning about 2am and needless to say I am still exhausted but it was still worth it. 
Faith got to do so much, I am not sure she could tell you her favorite!  The Mascouta pool with Danielle and Piper was definitly a hit.  The bounce house at the Morse's was hand clapping excitement; the Magic House was AWESOME; the shopping cart at Trader Joe's is still being talked about, as are the Dalrymples and Great Grandma and Pop.  She had an excellent time.  Rebekah was a trooper although she was on the losing end of missing naps but she still did great and really improved her crawling skills while we were there.  I think for her the best part was Lilly and Lola who were her constant companions at Obie and Danielle's house but of course I never could get it on video becuase the dogs would stop making her laugh as soon as I turned the camera on!  The below pictures are at the Lewis and Clark exhibit of the Magic House.  Rebekah didn't want to get dressed up but both Claire Kerfoot and Faith dressed as Sacagawea!

Rebekah Joy - 10 Months, 2 Weeks, 2 Days

I missed posting this on Monday so I am making up for it a few days later.  For a good portion of this week we were in St Louis / Southern IL visiting Frank's grandparents and our friends from our time stationed there 2005-2009.  So as a result of travel, which started last Thursday, and visits with friends and family, which consumed all our time, sleep was off, solo play didn't happen, and there were some nights where bedtimes were slipped.  I put her in a 9 month onesie today!
Eating:
She is enjoying yogurt a little more.  It is still not her favorite but she tolerates it.  Her "more" sign has been more and more consistant which has made meal time so much more pleasant!  I have continued supplementing with formula at every nursing session.
Sleep:
Travel made for a tired baby as morning naps were missed a few days of our trip but her afternoon naps were good.  She started waking around 6am but falling back asleep until close to 8.  She is really only up long enough to wake me!
Skills:
Like I said, her "more" is awesome and she is so proud of herself everytime she does it.  She is thinking about "all done" as well.  She is not crawling in the traditional method but she sure does get around.  She gets up on all 4s but then reverts back to the scooting around on her butt and doing the splits, leaning forward to get what she wants and pushing herself back up and sitting up again, still in the splits: it all looks so graceful.
Play:
Still hates solo play.  There were no occasions to do it in St Louis but I don't think it is the suspension of it for the last week that is making today difficult, I think she just hates it.  She does okay if I leave her alone in a place that she has never done solo play before so I know it is just a mental block.  Surely she must get it eventually!  Rebekah loves the pool, continues to love balls and books.
 Here is Rebekah at the Magic House in St Louis enjoying the bubbles being created when her sister played the piano!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Rebekah Joy - 10 Months, 1 Week Summary

I am going to try and update Rebekah's summary once a week (or at least twice a month) as she is changing so much at this age!
Sleeping:
Rebekah and I have been sick for the entire week and she has been sleeping in her carseat because of it.  I finally got some decongestion drops for her this weekend and that seemed to help quite a bit.  Her morning nap is lasting a little over an hour and her afternoon nap is pretty close to 2!  She continues to fall asleep quickly and as her health improves so does her sleep.
Eating:
I have been giving her mainly formula this week as I have been on steriods and antibiotics.  It has helped me see her milk intake.  Today I started nursing her again and supplemented after breakfast and lunch and she took 2oz of formula at each of those.  I think we are getting close to the end of purees as she loves to feed herself. 
Skills:
When I got her up from her morning nap today, Rebekah was sitting up in her crib!  I wasn't watching the monitor but I think this is how it happened... She spreads her legs and leans her body forward, scoots on her belly and then backs herself up with her hands and sits back up.  Her other exciting skill was putting toys away!  She was so proud of herself, it was really cute.
Play:
She still hates solo play.  But, I am persistant and will eventually win this battle.

Here are Brock and Rebekah playing with the new toys I got at Rhea Lana's.  Both the large and small rainmakers were a big hit with both kids. 

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Days of Creation

 
For the last 2 1/2 weeks our Bible story and craft has been on Creation.  We have read through portions of Genesis 1 and the first few verses of chapter 2 to hit on each day.  There were a ton of craft ideas out there for helping to teach the Creation story.  We did a few overall crafts to include coloring (of course), a creation mobile, and a creation wheel. For the individual days of creation we colored the 1st day for which I don't have a picture.  The Second Day we made a tissue paper Sea and cottonball Heaven: 

The Third day we made foam flowers; Faith named them after herself, Rebekah, and Mama.

The Fourth day we painted paper plates with tempura and brushes to represent the sun, moon, and stars. 

The Fifth Day we made the fowl of the air (tp rolls and feathers).  Snack that afternoon was blue jello with red swedish fish; it was nasty but she loved it!
 

For the Sixth Day, I printed out pictures of animals which she glued to poster board, to include a picture of our family, which was her favorite part. 

As for the story, she loves the "and there was light" verse and repeats it to Rebekah everytime we read it with her.  We have been doing this story for 2 1/2 weeks and it is certainly time to move on.  This evening during Bible story time, she opened the Bible and started repeating that Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the preist of Midian (Ex 3:1).  She had a hard time with the words father-in-law, but she knew what she was saying and that it was there in the Bible.  We did the story from Exodus 3 over a month ago, I was very impressed by her memory!


Rebekah Joy - 10 Month Summary

Rebekah is 10 months old today. 
Overall she is a pretty happy baby, with one exception, that being solo play time.  She loves the toys, she loves the music, and she is fine being left alone, except during solo play time.  She doesn't cry non-stop during it now as she was doing for months 6-8 but it is sporadic right now.  The last 2 days actually were done without a sound but today we are back to off and on reminders that she doesn't want to be in there.  Because I believe in teaching children to play by themselves, both for their benefit and mine, she will continue to have solo playtime, everyday, until she learns to love it as Faith does.  I don't wish to romanticize"the good ol' days" so I am reminded that Faith had issues with solo play as well and she grew out of them, Rebekah will also, but it does force extreme consistancy on my part!
Sleeping:
Rebekah has been sick for the last week, just like me, and for that reason has been sleeping in her carseat at night and for her afternoon nap (I have been sleeping in our recliner).  She has been waking to cough several times at night and the carseat has helped a little with congestion.  The afternoon nap has been going fine as usual, in her carseat.  I am tempted to move her out of her carseat for this nap but I am in no hurry... she sleeps all night in her bed, and takes a decent morning nap in her crib as well so I know she will get there.
Eating:
Rebekah loves to feed herself.  Breakfast and lunch we have milk first followed by pureed food and then finger foods.  At dinner she knows there is no milk (she is currently getting milk at 4pm snack), and she is less interested in the pureed stuff and more in what we are eating, so dinner has been challenging some nights, especially if she spies an avocado on the table.  She is doing better with yogurt; when yogurt is served in the morning I give it to her before milk and make her think there is nothing else offered to her (i.e., I don't put any other foods in her view).  I have had the best success with the Trader Joe's European Style whole milk organic yogurt, she will usually take a few tablespoons of this without too much angst.  She tried raspberries today - not a fan.  Currently b/c I am on this steriod pack for my never ending sinus infection, I can't nurse her so she is on formula and a little bit of frozen breast milk.  It has been interesting this week to see about how much milk she is really taking in.  For the last few days we've done 6oz at breakfast, 4oz at lunch, 4oz at snack, and 6oz at bedtime.  She is not nearly as intersted in the lunch and snack bottles as she is the breakfast and bedtime. 
Play:
Solo play remains a challenge but one we tackle everyday.  I haven't instuted blanket time yet as she is not crawling but she is on the verge so it something I need to start.  She loves balls, books, and anything that can go in her mouth.  Additionally she enjoys the Manhattan Toy's Bird House she got for Christmas and the rainmaker toys I got her at the consignment event 2 weeks ago.  A ball trumps every other toy though.  She also "talks" a great deal to her toys; it is really cute to listen to her. 
Skills:
Like I said, she isn't crawling yet but she sure scoots around a great deal on her tummy and goes in circles until she gets where she thinks she wants to be.  She is leaning forward a great deal and just can't quite figure out what to do with her right leg but she'll get there.  She waves "hello" and "good-bye" constantly.  Her first baby sign was "more" and she is improving in using it more regularly.  We are continuing to work on "milk", "all done", and "please". 
Schedule:
0800 - Wake up and breakfast (Somedays she is up closer to 7 but she is quiet until 8 and being sick has taken its toll on wake up times)  If we get to skype with Daddy it is here and she recognizes his voice and waves to him on the computer.
0900 - Bible reading and then outside time where she usually plays with balls if we aren't on a walk
1015 - Nap (usually sleeps until 1130 or 1145)
1200 - Lunch
1245 - Kitchen time
1300 - Tummy / skills practice time / free play
1330 - Sister play and reading
1400 - Nap
1600 - Snack, solo play, Mama time
1800 - Dinner
After dinner, depending on the night we will go to the park, hang out outside, be at church, or do some last minute chores
1915 - Bath, bottle, bed