Milestones and Updates

Lucy

Age: 6 months (exactly)
Weight: 18 lbs (75-90%)
Length: 26.5 in (75%)
Head: 17 in (75%)
Teeth: 1
Cuteness: Off the Charts

I haven't been posting about Lucy much because I don't even know where to begin in describing what a wonderful baby she is. I'm just trying to enjoy every moment. She is so good natured and easy going, we really hit the baby jackpot. Did I mention that she transitioned to sleeping unswaddled without a peep? And that no crying-it-out was necessary to teach her to fall asleep on her own? First night unswaddled we laid her down in her crib awake after bath, jammies and a story, and she fell asleep, just like that. And has been doing it ever since. She is happy and growing and cute and, well, what more could you ask for in a baby?

Latest accomplishments for Lucy include learning to sit up on her own (not to the point where I can plop her down on the floor and walk away, of course) and cutting her first tooth (first felt by the parental fingertip meter on October 21, 2009. For the record, it is the front right bottom tooth). On the solid food front, she has tried and liked: bananas, carrots, sweet potato, peas, butternut squash, avocado (mixed with banana), mango (also mixed with banana). We are staying away from pears and apples as they seemed to aggravate her reflux a bit, and cereals haven't gone over well digestively. By our next visit to the doctor's office at nine months, Lucy will probably be eating things like little bits of pancake and other table foods. When the doctor mentioned that, I actually teared up like an idiot because good god, my BABY can't be almost old enough for REAL food, can she??

The last week or so of photo-taking has focused mostly on Finn for birthday reasons, so I don't have much to share of Lucy. But here is a pic snapped right after I discovered Lucy's tooth popping through:



Finn

Age: 3 years
Weight: 31 lbs (50%)
Height: 37 1/4 in (50%)
Teeth: All 20 accounted for, and time for his first visit to the Dentist!
Cuteness: Ranges from Ogre to Off the Charts, depending on mood

It's been a busy couple of weeks for Finn. He went to his first Chuck E. Cheese birthday party, battled a cough for the last week, and turned 3. Social development-wise, he's been kind of a crab. Moody and cranky, and very fond of saying NO. To anything we ask him to do. To much of what his teachers ask him to do, too. All fairly normal behaviors, but annoying enough that M. had to have an impromptu "conference" with one of Finn's teachers about it. Some of it is learned behavior from watching some of the older kids in his new classroom, I'm sure. But the child clearly has a bit of the stinker in him. He still gives hugs and kisses voluntarily, but is just as likely to tell you that he doesn't like you. We're working on teaching him some tact...

In the "skills" department, Finn is learning to recognize his letters and numbers, and he is starting to write some of them, too. School is working very hard on the letter "A" with him, with some success. He can write an "F," and knows how to spell his name (though not write the whole thing). He has been quite the goofball, making up his own nonsense words and telling jokes. Some of the jokes make no sense at all, but some are actually funny. Friday was Finn's 3-year check up (and Lucy's 6 month, hence the stats), and it was the first time he was weighed on a regular scale and measured for height instead of length (standing up instead of lying down). Sigh and sniff, he's getting so big!

Yesterday marked Finn's first real birthday party. 11 kids and 10 adults all squeezed into our living room/dining room when pouring rain and thunderstorms ruined our plans to have the party at a local park. It worked out for the best, though, as it gave everyone something to do on a very yucky day. The kids all had fun playing with Finn's toys, and when it was all over the house didn't look too trashed, so I'd say it was a success all around.

Cuteness level quite high here, no ogres in sight

At a local farm. The hole was so small his head got stuck

Training it

Modeling with the stack-o-presents he received during our little family celebration on his actual birthday

A favorite new toy that M. picked out - Monster Truck

"The Snail and the Whale" by Julia Donaldson is also going over quite well

Blowing out three candles

A sweet new ride from Grammy and Bumpa. Now he just needs to learn to pedal (don't be fooled by the photo, this bike still needs parent power to move).

Finn's birthday cake. Of course all of the brand new toys he received over the last few days pale in comparison, in his mind, to the cheap plastic Mater and Lightening McQueen that came on his cake.

Singing Happy Birthday during Finn's party

Tearing into his new presents with an audience of friends