Oh Clement!

...and if you are Catholic, go ahead and admit it, when you saw that you immediately thought: "oh loving, oh sweet Virgin Mary."  ;-D  Gemma giggles every time we pray the "Hail Holy Queen" now.  One day she asked me, "If we had a girl, would we say a different name in that prayer?"  I love the way her brain works. 

But I digress.  Good grief!  I can't believe baby boy is going to be a month this weekend.  Seriously?!  I mean, the newborn phase went fast with the other two.  But this time?  Oh my heavens.  A blink.  Nothing more.  Absolutely ridiculous I tell you.  I've made peace, and I'm cool (now) with him getting bigger and all.  But wow, unbelievable.

Clem is such a good baby.  He fits right in with our family and does a great job at putting up with the crazy shenanigans his older siblings pull on an hourly (or more often) basis.  As mellow a baby Kolbe was, Clem is every bit as mellow if not more-so.  It's like he knows he's just kind of along for the ride at this point, with two others under the age of five in our house.  He is just so sweet, we all love him very much.

Some things about him:

• He smacks his lips very sweetly when he is hungry.  Typically during the night I wake up to lip-smacking beside me, he usually doesn't even escalate to a cry. 
• He is loooooooooooong.  His 3-9 month size onesies are already a stretch.  Part of that is the cloth dipes, but still, he is just a longy everywhere...arms, legs, torso, even his TOES are long!  I need to weigh him as well, I know he has gained a lot since birth, and he wasn't particularly small then.
• He likes being worn and is often happy in his bouncy chair as well.  
• Still not a super huge fan of baths, but he likes having warm water poured over him.
• He's given us a few sweet smiles, but nothing incredibly "meaningful".  He definitely gets more interactive every day though.  When he is awake he is very quiet and alert, just taking it all in.
• His sis and bro really like holding him.  Gemma can actually be quite helpful in this department...it is interesting (and exciting) getting a taste of the help she will [hopefully] be in years to come.
• He wrinkles his forehead the same way Gemma did when she was a baby.  Soooooo cute.

That's about all I suppose.  I could gush more, but maybe I should just save it for the baby book.  ;-D  Here are a few pics to share from the past month.

SMILE!

We like our cloth diapers!!

After bathtime

WE LOVE YOU CLEMENT!!!!!

Family update - April 2012

When I said quarterly I wasn't kidding.  The kids are constantly growing and changing, here are a few things they've been up to and into of late:

GEMMA (4yrs 3months)

• She has quite the imagination.  She'll spend hours with her pretend friends (Hen, Duck, Owl, Cat, Schroeder, Hoots and Bee) and a pile of random household items.  She'll play on the deck with a bucket and a tape measure and a bunch of leaves.  Or in the living room with pillows and plastic eggs and buttons.  If I'm lucky and he's acquiescent, Kolbe will often join in and they really have lots of fun together.  As badly as they can fight (and oooohhhhh sometimes it's bad), they can be very good friends as well.  I am so glad they have each other.
• She makes up songs (and dances all over the house to them) about anything and everything. 
• She has recently given up her nap.  For several months she had been "napping" but not sleeping, and one day she was just playing so nicely on her own (while Kolbe napped) that I just didn't bother to put her down for her nap.  And she kind of liked that.  A lot.  So much that she is pretty adamant about not taking a nap now.  Occasionally I'll make her lie down for a bit, but for the most part she just plays on her own, or we work together on workbooks (we like these as well) or other learning activities that require some one-on-one time.  It's been a nice change.
• She likes making picnics with her toy food in the basement, and is quite elaborate with her table setting.
• She's getting pretty good with scissors (we're currently going through this book), and her drawings are growing more and more intricate all the time.  Kid art is so great.  The front of our fridge is never dull.
• Ohhhh the drama.  Every little cut, scrape, hangnail, etc. has become a big deal recently.  A verrrry biiiiig deeeaaallllll.  Her tantrums can be pretty dramatic as well.  Whew!  Heaven help this mama.
• Gemma is in the 99th %ile for her height at 44.5 inches.  She weighs 36.5 lbs.

KOLBE (2yrs 3months)

• His speech has been improving by leaps and bounds.  Still nowhere close to where Gemma was at this age (or probably where most kids are at 2 1/4 yrs) but he's progressing.  He's using more new words every day and starting to form small sentences when communicating.  Some of his "catch phrases"... He is very polite, "peas" is added to almost every request, quickly followed by a "shoont-yoo mammy" (or daddy or whomever) when said request is fulfilled.  It's so cute.  When he wants something it's "ahhshumpeas" (I want some please), which he will repeat over and over very quickly, getting more demanding the more times he says it.  Aaron and I are so amused by this we've started saying it as well.  "Ball hiiiiiiiigh", when he wants to go out on the driveway and play ball with daddy.  He likes it when daddy throws the ball up high in the air.  And when making the Sign of the Cross or blessing himself he says, "Fah-ver, Ahmen."  He pronounces his name "Babby" (short a, as in apple), and will often emphatically state "Babby do, Babby DO," when he wants to do something on his own.  Which is pretty often.
• He seems to be a natural athlete.  He throws and catches well (for a two-year-old), loves to shoot baskets and is trying his darndest to learn how to dribble.
• He has really started to enjoy being read to, and will absolutely pitch a fit if he doesn't get the three stories of his choosing before bed.  Dah-er Seuss and Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb are all-time faves, and he likes to pick a few of his own books out at the library now each week.
• Strong will.  This kid has grown a strong will since turning two.  And mind of his own.  Wow.  I was hoping maybe it would just be Gemma.  Oh well, I'm sure it will serve him well some day, if it doesn't drive me to insanity first.
• He loves doing whatever big sis is doing. 
• He has actually slept through the night, in his own bed, several times in the past month.  Not too regularly, but he's done it nonetheless!  And his nights have really gotten so much better, he often doesn't crawl in bed with us until 5:30 or 6:00 AM.  It works.  We'll see how things go once he starts sharing a room with Gemma (on the "to do"  list here in the near future) and even more so once baby arrives... 
• He recently cut his first 2yr molar.  I'm hoping the others are not too far behind and we can get this teething thing out of the way with him.  Before it's time to do it again with the baby.  Oh teething. 
• Kolbe weighs 29 lbs.

Aaron is doing well.  The nice, early spring has given him a chance to (for the most part) revive the yard after last summer's horribleness, and he has plans to refinish the deck in the coming months.  Next time I do an update there will probably be a third child (outside utero) on whom to update!!  For now, baby is doing well as is mama, although it is beginning to be more and more obvious that I've hit the third trimester.  Time really is flying!!  We are set with cloth diapers and other baby supplies, and I feel like I have enough boy or girl clothes (even though this baby is "off-season") to get us started, so we really are ready.  Just trying to mentally prepare myself for labor and delivery now.  I know it's still several months off, but those thoughts are definitely beginning to creep into my mind.  Like I said, time flies.  I recently did my first sewing project for the baby -- a light-weight receiving blanket -- so I'll end with a picture of that.

Monthly update - January 2012

For whatever reason I have really been dragging my feet on doing an update, and then I did this one and it sat in my drafts forever.  But I really do like looking back at these and seeing what the kids were up to at certain ages, so on I trudge, maybe quarterly updates would be a more achievable goal though in the future...

Gemma - 4yrs

• The day of her fourth birthday she informed me should could wipe herself, wash her own hands and no longer needed my help in the bathroom because she was "a big girl".  This has been really nice.
• She's getting really good at writing her (capital) letters, and will often ask me how to spell certain words.  She loves writing "letters" to people.  Santa brought her a whole box of envelopes for Christmas for this specific purpose.  
• Her latest favorite thing to play with is pillows.  She will get all the pillows from the whole house and build some formation and then play with/in it for long amounts of time, typically Kolbe is included in this as well.  Sometimes I wonder why we have toys...
• Biting.  I am embarrassed to say we are still having issues intermittently with her biting Kolbe.  (This has spiked terribly recently.)  She does it reactiveIy when she is angry or frustrated with him and really gives no thought to any consequences (of which there have been plenty that vary greatly) so I am really at a loss as to how we should handle this.  Advice?  Please??
• She is very good at drawing people and animals.  Well, as good as a four-year-old can be anyways.  But she gets the whole placement of facial features, arms, legs, etc. and I always love seeing what she comes up with. 
• She's getting pretty handy with scissors.
• She got a new fish (first part of Feb.).  We decided to go with a Betta as we were having many issues with dead guppies.  She named him "Flowercup".

Kolbe - 2yrs

• This kid has grown an opinion and a personality in the past few months.  Wow.
• Still loves ball-balls, is learning to say the names of different balls and correctly identify them.
• His speech is really starting to improve.  Still not really speaking in sentences (at all) but he's saying a lot of new words in context each day and will combine two words if you work with him on it.  He repeats a lot, though not always correctly.  He's so cute and fun.
• He likes trudging around in Aaron's or my shoes.
• He is infatuated with the stepstool.  Heaven help us all.  (Said stepstool has been stored on a closet shelf since the writing of this post.)
• He and Aaron have developed a very intricate morning routine that involves bananas and Sportscenter and a sip of coffee.  I'm always a little sad when Kolbe sleeps later than normal and misses out on this.
• It's hard to believe Kolbe is 2.  It's even harder to believe that when Gemma was his age we were bringing home a new baby (him)!  July will be fun.

Gemma 4yrs and Kolbe 2yrs

Monthly update - November 2011

Gemma Grace - 3 yrs 10 months

It has been a really good month with Gemma.  Something has changed. Of course, she still has her moments, but overall things have just been good.  Thank you Jesus.  She likes playing with duplos and dressing up in her "party dress" (play-clothes).  She has a game she plays with Kolbe where she gets two laundry baskets and puts the playsilks in one and pretends it is his crib, and the toys in another and pretends it's his toy box.  He is surprisingly acquiescent to this little charade and plays along quite nicely most of the time.  She also likes to play that Kolbe is her kitten named "Biscuit," and this little game will often go on all morning or afternoon.  Again, he is quite cooperative when it comes to playing along with all this. Maybe he doesn't know any better.  She likes to play "buttons and eggs," which consists of getting the buttons out, putting one in each plastic Easter egg, building a nest with the playsilks, her blankie and/or the laundry baskets and then either putting them in the "incubator" or being the cat who hatches the eggs (I kid you not) and then oooooohing and ahhhhing over the baby chicks and making everyone else do the same once they "hatch".  She plays this multiple times a week.  It is fun watching her imagination develop.  She is also very obsessed with "tag."  She likes folding things, and will often fold a basket of towels and rags if I let it sit around where she can see it.  She is very meticulous.  She likes to do this best when she can "surprise" me, and will often say, "mommy, don't look,"  half-a-dozen times while she is folding, and then make a big deal when she is finished.  And then I have to act all surprised and excited, et al.  It's fun.  She's cute.  Still enjoying our preschool at home.  She likes the crafts and learning words in sign-language, and is really learning the letter sounds quite well.  She does pretty good drawing letters on her magnadoodle, but I really haven't forced the writing issue much.  Just letting her take the lead with her interests when it comes to that mainly.  Okay, that's all I suppose.

Kolbe James - 22 months

Have I mentioned how snuggly this kid is?  Wow, he is a snuggler.  Not a huge month for him really, he is saying more words though, and beginning to communicate more with words which is nice.  It's cute to hear him "talk."  He's yet to string two words together though (unless "ball-ball" counts, ;-D which he loves to proudly point out when he's wearing one of his numerous "ball-ball" shirts); mainly just a word here or there to convey his wants/needs.  It works.  For the little talking that he does though, I am completely amazed at what he understands.  He's kind of leveled out on the potty progress.  He did so well back in September, and then regressed a whole bunch, and now we're somewhere in the middle.  It definitely makes more sense to have him in diapers, but he uses the potty on a regular basis several times a day, sometimes at his request sometimes at mine, and pretty much exclusively poops in the toilet.  We got one of those little toilet seats that sits on top of the regular toilet and he seems to get a kick out of that.  I like the fact that I don't have to clean out the potty chair.  I'm really liking our bumGenius diapers for this stage.  Much easier on and off than a prefold and cover for sure.  He is becoming quite the playmate with his big sis, and it is cute to watch them together.  He wants to copy everything she does.  I love to see him doing so much pretend play.  Gemma just didn't get that when she was his age, she didn't have a built-in playmate (because let's face it, mommy doesn't count).  She has even taught him to fake-sneeze and it is so hilarious!  He has started watching Little Bear with her, which is funny to me because at that age Gemma wasn't watching any TV on her own.  I'm not a huge fan of him watching TV this young, but what do you do?  There are only certain times of day we turn the TV on though, so it's not too big a deal. Ahhhhh TV how I love to hate you, or hate to love you, or something...  Kolbe really enjoys playing with markers and painting and other craft-type activities, and he has gotten remarkably better at being not quite so scary-crazy with the art supplies. That has been a welcome reprieve.  And that's all, folks.  Here's to December!!!

Gemma - 3yrs 10 months; Kolbe - 22 months

Monthly update - October 2011

Gemma Grace - 3 years, 9 months

• oh Gemma Gemma Gemma, I love you but sometimes you make me want to lose my mind.  Your strong, obstinate will, your stubbornness, your mind of your own...I know these will serve you well one day but right now they are about to push me over the edge.
• She's really starting to enjoy playing with other kids at the park and in the neighborhood.  She even played outdoors at the neighbor's (while we were outside in our yard) by herself for about 20 minutes one evening, which was a big step for her.  
• she really enjoys playing with our duplo blocks.  a lot.
• she loves figuring out what letter words start with.  dozens of words a day.  she also likes signing words and letters.
• she likes gluing a lot.
• she is really enjoying her art class at the local Art Museum.  It is a super neat program.
• she and Kolbe have both been enjoying Story Time at the library.  Have I mentioned how much I love the library?!
• when they get along, she and Kolbe are really becoming very good playmates

Kolbe James - 21 months

• I already blogged about where we are with the potty, you can read about it here if you missed that post.  Basically, we are back in dipes for the most part but he still has a definite interest in the potty and goes on the potty typically several times a day.  Just not as much as he used to.  I'm just kind of letting him take the lead on this.  Since letting go is so easy for me (HA!)
• he is finally starting to say more words and repeat things.  little by little.
• Kolbe has developed a huge attachment to his blankie which he calls "ball-ball", his binkie which he calls "deendee", and an old doll of Gemma's that he calls "baaaabeeeeeeeeee". When he's ready for his nap or bed, he will run back to his room yelling, "ball-ball, deendee, ball-ball, deendee, baaaabeeeeeee".  It's cute, but I had kind of hoped we could avoid the huge attachment to things.  (We're still working on getting rid of the binkie with Gemma.)  He drags the baby doll around a good portion of the day as well, and is a good little daddy. 
• He is very good at puzzles and matching.  We have this vehicles matching puzzle and he can do it correctly all by himself.  If he puts a piece in the wrong slot (every piece fits in every slot), he will look at it funny, take it out and put it where it belongs.
• He night-weaned on his own a couple weeks ago, but now he is back to nursing during the night, usually just once towards morning though, so it works.  He still wakes up at least once during the night and then sleeps with us.  Some nights are better than others.  I'd like to get him staying all night in his own nroom at some point soon, but to do that we're going to need a bed in which Aaron or I could lie down with him.  The converted-crib toddler-bed + bedrail just isn't quite big enough for an adult.  ;-D
• He has started saying "Daddy" and it is about the sweetest thing you've ever heard.  He even says it when we drive past daddy's office, which is very cute. 
• He is just the height that I can rest my hand on his head while he's walking.  I don't know why, but I love doing this. 
• He loves his little baby cousin so much, it is cute watching him with a baby. 

Monthly update - September 2011

Gemma - 3 years, 8 months

• She often yells "Watch out the log!" when she is playing.  Due to the context in which she uses it, we believe she means "watch out below!"  I'm not sure where she got this, or why she says "the log", but we all find it very amusing and will randomly yell this for no reason now. 
• she has started making her bed by herself and is capable of dressing herself as well.  typically though she likes assistance with both of these chores.
• she loves to help me fold rags and towels (and formerly diapers). this is actually very helpful!
• oh the nail-biting.  it is awful.  she bites them until the bleed.  toes too.  urrrggghhhhh!
• she is really enjoying our preschool at home and gets very excited for our Circle Time each morning. 
• she says the funniest things.  one day on the way into the library she picked up a leaf and said, "don't worry mom, it's not poop it's just a leaf."  really Gemma, thanks for the PSA.
• she can be sooooooooo mean to Kolbe it makes me insane.  and then she can turn around and be sooooooooo sweet to him.  GAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• still working working working on being a good listener.
• Gemma weighs 35lbs, wears size 10/10.5 shoes and is in 4T pants and and size 4-5 tops

Kolbe - 20 months

This has been a HUGE month for Kolbe

• He has learned to use the potty full-time during the day (and even stays dry for naps on a semi-regular basis)!!!  Completely his idea.  The first part of September he started going consistently every morning and when he woke up from his nap...he's done this on and off for the past 6-8 months.  Then all of a sudden he was wanting to go other times and keeping his diapers dry almost all the time and it got to the point that it just seemed ridiculous to put him in a diaper so I got him some underwear and he's been doing great.  He tells us when he needs to go by signing "potty" and is always very proud of his accomplishments (which include #1 and #2!!).  He usually has a few accidents a day, but they have all stayed contained and he often is successful about a dozen times a day (he really likes going a little bit very frequently).  He wears Gerber training pants (from Target baby section) with Dappi nylon pants over them.  I also ordered two Bummis trainers and two Kissa's waterproof pocket training pants that work well on their own or stuffed with a Hemp Babies insert.  I use these instead of a diaper for naps and when we're out and about.  He does pretty good at holding it and is not a fan of going on a big (adult size) toilet.  At any rate, we are SO VERY proud of our big little boy!!!
• We have converted his crib into a toddler bed and this seems to be going well.  He's been acting like such a big boy lately, it just seems as if we should treat him as one too.  He seemed very ready for a "big boy" bed.
• HE HAS ALL HIS EYE TEETH!!!!!!!!!!!!  No more teething until 2yr molars!!!!  His sleep seems to be reflecting this, YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• He has cut way back on his nursing in the past month.  I decided to attempt to kind of day wean him and it was way easier than I thought it would be.  It took about 1-2 days of distracting him when he asked to nurse and he has for the most part quit asking.  I am certainly not against him nursing during the day, and of course would nurse him if he were hurt or sick and needed to, but it just seemed like it was time.  It felt right.  And it's been good for both of us.  He still nurses before bed and during the night but he seems to be cutting back on that considerably as well and usually only nurses once (closer to morning than bedtime).
• He has finally started saying some words.  Not many, but he says more, bear, banana (nana), cheese, book, mama, poop (in reference to needing to perform a bodily function) and Gemma on a fairly regular basis.  And of course "ball-ball"!
• he can now climb up the play-fixture at the park and go down the "big slide" all by himself!  He has so much fun trying to keep up with big sis at the park, and she enjoys having a more active playmate.
• he loves throwing rocks in the pond soooooo much
• Aaron put him to bed one night!  That was the first time he'd gone to bed ever without nursing/for someone other than me.  And it was apparently a fluke because it hasn't happened since.
• his favorite food is sushi.
• still snuggly as ever.  snuggling on my lap as I type this in fact (he just woke up from a nap).
• he does well at following simple instructions ("Go put this in the recycling." "Bring me the pillow." etc.) 
• Kolbe weighs 27 lbs, wears size 6.5/7 shoes and is in 24months and 2T clothing

Gemma, 3yrs 8mos. -- Kolbe, 20 months

We've all been enjoying the autumn weather SO much...just soaking it up with trips to the zoo, park outings, nature walks and time on the deck.  What a great time of year!

Thanks for checking in with us.

Monthly update - August 2011

Gemma Grace - 3 yrs, 7 months.

• she has discovered dress up clothes
• she can write most of her uppercase letters and her name with a little help
• her legs are full of summertime bruises
• I have caught her saying "mommy, I love your dinner" several evenings when we're eating.  I thought I'd never live to see the day...
• speaking of thinking I'd never live to see the day...she requested pigtails one day...and actually followed through!!!!  but it was short-lived.  she took them out after a few hours and hasn't wanted them since.  I do have pictorial proof however.
• she's very good at riding her tricycle
• not only is she biting her fingernails, but her toenails as well. ugh.

 

Kolbe James - 19 months

• he is starting to understand the concept of puzzles and likes to do our farm animal chunky puzzle, complete with making all the animal noises himself!
• still not talking, except for "ball-ball", but as mentioned above, he does well with animal sounds.  his latest two are the lion and the snake
• he understands a lot and still uses a handful of signs, so this helps a lot with communication
• he likes to copy whatever big sis is doing, and often gets quite upset if it's something he can't do (IE play with markers)
• he is still pottying consistently at least once a day in his potty chair.  his awareness amazes me.  Gemma never had that with potty until she learned to use the potty full-time.
• he got his first full haircut...top and everything
• he has started enjoying books more, and will sit and look at them on his own for awhile if they interest him, and even sit for longer spans when I'm reading to Gemma
• he still doesn't have any of his eye teeth. grrrrrrrrrr, come on teeth!!!
• he looooooves "helping" me unload the dishwasher

Really a pretty slow month all in all, not much new I guess!  We're enjoying the cool(er) weather.  Still spend some time in the kiddie-pool on the deck after naps, but not as much now that it's not as hot (we were hitting it every day there for awhile).  We've taken several trips to the zoo, the jungle is always a fave!  We enjoy evening walks and time at the park.  We have two new cousins...little baby boys, one on each side of the family.  Gemma and Kolbe have started playing (fairly) well together for longer periods of time which is super great.  Sometimes Gemma even invites (errr, demands) that Kolbe come play in her room.  At any rate, it is good to see them entertaining eachother more and more.  As always, life is good at our house. 

Gemma - 3yrs 7 months and Kolbe - 19 months in their jammies

Monthly update - July 2011

GEMMA - 3.5 yrs

• she often likes to say "very very" as a descriptor, but she pronounces it "rary rary".  it is "rary rary" cute.
• she has started pretending with toys/animals/dolls etc. and will make them talk to her and each other. she loves to play with our duplo train and small plastic animals.  she will spend 20-30 minutes lining everything up just right.  i always enjoy watching her play independently.
• she is a very good girl in lots of aspects, but lately she has not been listening well at all and has begun to sass.  i know i need to work on consistency and patience and calmness (and a whole slew of other things) but this behavior is very frustrating to me.
• she inherited a guppy from our neighbor.  we fish-sat for a week, and when they got back they said we could keep the fish, tank (2 or 3 gallon), filter, supplies, everything!  (I think they were looking for an excuse to get rid of it...)  Gemma was so excited, she'd actually just been asking about getting a fish.  the guppy has since been joined by two other guppies and a plecostomus (we've only had to replace two so far, thank goodness for Petco's 30 day guarantee) and she really seems to enjoy the fish, who live on her dresser.  their names are mommy, daddy, Gemma and Kolbe.  clever, I know. 
• she has started biting her nails.  shudder.
• she really enjoys signing and is currently learning the finger alphabet and enjoys using signs when she talks and plays
• she likes for me to write out the letters of the alphabet (or her name, or Kolbe's name, etc.) and then she traces them with a marker

 

KOLBE - 18 months

• he knows what "time to go" means, and will toddle out to the laundry room and get his shoes from our shoe-holder and bring them to you when you say this
• when he doesn't want something, he will shake his head no and make a growling sound.  it is very funny, and we often ask him questions just to hear him do this.
• he loves books with pictures of animals in them.  he has three consistent board-books at our house that are his favorite.  he especially likes cats and ducks, and makes these two sounds very well
• he had another haircut the day after he turned 18 mos.  trimmed the back again and a little of the poofy stuff that stuck straight up on his double (yes double) crown
• he is developing an opinion about things, but is still fairly easy-going overall
• he likes to nurse.  a lot.
• the only word he says?  ball-ball.  still.  once in a great while we'll catch a mama or dada, but for now all the world's a ball.  thank goodness for his signing though, he is able to communicate with us through that fairly well and it makes things soooo much easier!
• he has been successfully using the potty once a day fairly regularly (not every day), typically in the morning right after he wakes up or right after his nap.  he signs "potty" and brings me his potty chair.  so cute.  i have no high hopes for early potty-learning, but he definitely has an awareness of the whole thing and I'm thrilled about that.  he typically signs "potty" when he potties, poops or toots in his diaper.  and if he toots, he giggles as well. 
• he likes to "sing along" when we do morning prayers.
• still sleeping well enough in his bed or on his or our floor.  or in our bed...  once his eye-teeth come in I will probably begin thinking about night-weaning.  any tips? (Gemma night-weaned on her own at about 17 months). 

Gemma - 3.5yrs & Kolbe - 1.5yrs
July 2011