Pony rides??? We don't need no stinkin' pony rides...

We took the kids to a party for Kree yesterday. It was pretty fun. I am about to go overboard with some photos, but it is as efficient of a way I can think of to get web some of the photos. Since she was away for work...



There was pizza and snow cones.



There were automated cars that sisters got to cruise around in.













Jake played the "in and out of the car" game for about 25 minutes:











There was a pony for the b-day girl and all her friends...



That our kids wanted nothing to do with:



Jake got the closest of the 3 of them; and when i tried to put him on the saddle, he crossed his legs and lifted them higher than his head... I got him out of there before his screeching scared the pony...



Most of the other kids all had a turn:






Cam got very worried when the pony headed back towards her:



See Mac's finger in her mouth? She was VERY distressed that the pony had to wear a hat:



She kept asking: "He has to have a HAT on?"



I tried to get some glamor shots of Mac-Attack and the convertible:









And then she took her cousin for a ride:









They got muddy and it was a super fun party!!!

That's all I'm saying.

Bionic ears

Today was a pretty stressful day.
There was snow all the way to work and so the kids went to "Nana day care".
Work was very stressful and draining.
The ride home was pouring slushy, sleety rain.
I got to Nana and Papa's house late and the kids had already eaten and taken baths. When I walked in the door, my sister called out, "Hi, Web." I heard everyone, but saw no one. Everyone was in the master bedroom or master bath.

But from somewhere deep in the house, Cam started shouting, "TEE TEE" "TEE TEE"...

Cameron is always the one that sees us first. Jake will take his sweet time greeting us at day care, sometimes he is completely unphased at the sights or sounds of his moms, but Cameron hears us before she sees us and shouts the minute she does either. We get a loud, cheerful "KAY-TEE!!!" or "TEE TEE!!!" I thought that was the height of her "excited voice", but the other day I was at day care when my sister arrived, and the intensity of the greeting was at least tripled: "MOMMY!!!"

Jake and Mac are having some ear trouble that is affecting both of their hearing capabilities right now, but Cam's ears make up for the deficits. She's like eagle ears. It's very cute.

Christmas Time

We have tried, without success, to have Mackenzie sit with Santa for a photo. She will watch from a distance and wave at him but she doesn't want to get too close. It is strange because she asks random people (e.g., waitresses) to pick her up.

For months she has said she wants santa to bring her a camera...and then quickly asked for binkies. Binkies? "Yes, for Cameron" Then when we asked if she would ask for something for Jake she said "Yes, Ernie"

Today talking to her on the phone we asked if she was going to see Santa with Nana and Papa and if she would sit on his lap "I like him, but I do not want to sit on his lap"

Wordsmith

Cameron has an insane vocab. She has at least 8 to 12 words: mama, dada, TT, papa, nana, owl, alligator, me, sister (her mom can probably add others) that she uses appropriately and consistently.

The really amusing thing is, she points and wants you to tell her the name for everything, as if she's taking it all in and later will write a dictionary.

When Cam and Jake were about 6 months old, I was worried that Cam was going to get steam-rolled. She was very content, and happy, kind of passive; And there was Mac, all demanding and verbal and mobile; and there was Jake the boy, with two mommmies fawning, the only nephew of Cam and Mac's parents, etc. But lately, Cam has shown she can advocate for herself. She has found her voice literally and figuratively and usually uses it to get the attention she desires.

I don't hear her shouting or screaming for personal attention as much as to get you to tell her what things are...

Typical example: Last night we went to Cheshire to play, eat dinner, and have "cousin joint bath time." I had Cam and Jake in the tub together and Katy got her dried and dressed, while I got him dried and dressed. Then there was a brief period of chaos where Jake was fussing, Mackenzie was demanding her share of the attention, and Cam was just screeching. As sometimes happens, I was attending to the other two saying to Cam, "one minute honey," but her screeching, turning to shouting and yelling at fever pitch. Finally I turned to see her with her hand outstretched, showing me a red shoe, telling me, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH AAAAHHHGGGGGHHHHHH AAAAHHH, AAAAAGGGHGGH."

I replied in all caps: "A SHOE. YES, CAMERON, THAT'S A SHOE."

Immediately, she was silent. She gave a half shrug and tilt of the head as if to say, "That's all I wanted to know," and put the shoe back in the closet.

Most of Cam's noise in my experience is associated with her trying to get you to tell her the names of things. She seems to like words.

New Words, New Teeth

So we are up to 6 tooth sprouts and at least four words
- Elmo
- Dora
- Aligator (al-ate-or)
- Baby

Yes folks - no mama, no dada - URG

Kissing cousins

This week, they put the kids in the one year old room. It would have been traumatic for Jake's mommies if Cameron had not gone in there with him. There are all these new rules about sleeping and eating and wearing shoes... At home, Jake is a little bit of a mess. Twice, he's going to bed before 7pm which makes me very sad b/c it means I am seeing him less than an hour at night and about 1.5 hours in the morning (which is not my best time of the day.)

Yesterday, I brought Jake to day care and he saw Cam for the first time in 2 days (His grannies have been in town watching him at home since his birthday.) Well, Cammie saw me and started crawling at break-neck pace. And Jake started crawling towards her as well. I was nervous that when they met each other he might swat at her or something because he's been a little rambunctious lately. But, when they met up, they both sat up, faced each other and clapped. Then they put their foreheads together and each put their hands on the cheeks of the other. I had to turn away to keep from weeping. It might have been the sweetest thing I have ever seen.

Then, quite unable to drive away at that moment, I stalled by going into the 2 year old room to see Mac. She dropped her spoon and RAN to give me the biggest hug. And the hundreds of hours of driving I've done to put this kid in day care with his cousins is instantly some of the best time I've spent.

5 Teeth

We are at five teeth right now. They are coming in at a snails pace. Three on the bottom including the middle two. Two on the top - middle right and the one to right of that one.

Your smile has changed very much. It is much more gummy but you need to really look to see the teeth as they still haven't fallen yet.

You are a great baby. Your sleeping isn't that great - going to bed around 9 (sometimes with a nap after school and sometimes just becuase we want to snuggle you a little extra) and then waking by 6. They are transitioning you at school so you only have one nap now (most days). It is tough for you but it will be nice when both of you go to take a nap at the same time.

You continue to be a very happy and playful baby. You are getting around super fact by foot. Can go up and down the step in the playroom and are cruisng on the furniture. For toys you still really like your leap frog table and LOVE legos. You obviously aren't really building things but you race to them if they are out. Next in line would be blocks. You are also faciliated by remotes (like most kids).

We are convinced you are talking. You say things like Elmo, Dora, Baby, Kenzie, Hello - - strange since you don't make a conscious choice to say Mama or Dada yet - maybe we are hearing things but truly you make noises for Elmo, Dora, Baby, Kenzie, Hello that seem in line with those words and in the right context. Only time will tell I guess.

You are eating more table food now and so far so good. You are also switching to milk and we are planning to only send in one bottle to school and will give you a bottle before bed - otherwise you are prompted to sippie cups.

XOXO

Teeth

Yesterday I felt a second tooth pop. If you are looking at you, it is the bottom one to the left. Then to the right a gap, and to the right again another tooth that appeared about a week ago. I have to think the one in the middle is coming soon. You are going to look even cuter with teeth, they seem to be like you, petite but adorable.

You are talking up a storm. At day care they are convinced you said apple "aaa ple". It sounds like it but it is more mimic that true word association. Today, Aunt Katy was convinced you said Sister.

We had a good day today helping TT and KT get their house ready to sell. The cousins played pretty well together. You rarely fussed, only when Jacob or Mackenzie took your toy away (well probabaly only 1/4 of the times they took it away). It won't be long before you are grabbing things away like the others!

You haven't been sleeping well lately. You go down between 7-8 and go to bed easily BUT then in the middle of the night you are waking up. It is as you within your "da" you are saying "hay, let's go play legos". It is a struggle for us especially because your sister isn't sleeping great either and you are beginnign to wake each other up on a daily basis.

We will hope for a full night of zzzzs tonight!

Camilicious

Everytime I go to post I realize how time is flying by. For two weeks now you have been in your crib with the matteress down. When we first put you in there you were so smaller and just stared around like a girl in prison...looking and touching the bars that were previously hidden by the winnie the pooh bumper in your crib. Now, about two weeks later you move around in there are ALMOST pull yourself up to stand.

It has been 10 days since you officially crawled. You were moble before in your reach, move butt, shuffle, reach, dive forward, sit, move butt, shuffle act...but then Thursday night (10 days ago) you crawled. You aren't on all 4s...you can tell your knees don't love that...you are more of a wounded soldier (a term we use fondly to describe you method) on foot, dragging the other leg behind.

You are a little explorer, different from your sis, enjoying the feeling of sand on your feet, loving the touch of grass but also knowing a soft blanket is better than a rough rug any day of the week.

You continue to wave and give smiles to just about anyone who gives you attention. You have tons of sounds and test your vocal cords and your different volumes and noises often. You are still a conent baby and tolerate your sisters touching and poking pretty well. You always end up crying or squalking - but guess you need to get used to it now :-)

Dinner time is fun. You love yogurt and most baby food. But so far you are vegetarian. One night of meat (which you ate in record time), then a major vomit, and since then no meat. Aunt TT even made you baby food - fit enough for a queen with spices and rice and meat - you took one bite (well not even!), spit it back at me and wouldn't open your mouth again until morning. Guess I better brush up on my veggie skills for you and your sister.

Love you, Mom

Crib & Crawl

You have been in your crib with the lower matters for about 1 week and so far so good. The first time we put you in your grabbed the bars and pulled your head close, looking like a prisoners but loving every minute of it. It made me instantly think that you may be a girl that loves change...who knows :-)

You are eating well - starting people food slightly - a little pasta and rice yesterday. And Jacob will be sharing some chicken from Aunt Tracy tomorrow. But you seem to love everything so far but you like to eat quickly so we try to slow you down.

You are so close to crawling it is crazy...who knows maybe today will be your day. You slither back and get on all fours and you get around pretty good, lunging and then shimming and then lunging and then shimming. You can just about get anything you want but you aren't really yet crawling.

You are the bomb! I will miss you being little but can't wait for you to grow and change before our eyes.

xoxo
Teri

Cock-a-who

Last week I was away for work and you were sick with a virus. To make matters more difficult Daddy hurt his back and therefore you were in Nana's capable hands all week. You had a temperature, were lathargic, you just weren't your happy self. You didn't sleep and you winced through the night according to Nana. I felt awful that I was not there to hold you and love you but I know you were in good hands. To top it off you also have a diaper rash which was or has become a yeast infection. You dealt with everyone wonderfully - - and are back in tip top shape this week.

You are definately more vocal everyday...laughing the most when you are playing with Mackenzie.

You will slither backwards but still no forward motion yet. You will roll (minimally) and go from back to tummy to sitting. You also sometimes will get onto all fours like you are just going to take off and crawl across the room but not yet.

You will pull yourself up with just one fingers worth of help and stand pretty well against the couch or a supportive toy.

You are still a great baby...requiring a bit more time and energy as you now squalk when we leave you for even a minute - but frankly I think that is a good thing for us - especially Mackenzie!