Laila's Well Check

Laila's 19 month appointment

Weight: 20 lbs 1 oz (23%)
Height: 30 1/2 inches (25%)
Head circ: 18 1/2 inches (75%)

Laila is growing up too fast for my baby.  She is hitting all her milestones, except she is not talking very much in a language we understand.  She has A LOT to say, but it is all mumbling.  She does have about 10 words.  I told the doctor I was a bit concerned and he said not to worry until her 2 year appointment.  Well Laila did not appreciate me talking smack about her, so she decided to say 2 new words when we got home.  She showed me.

Myann and Shane stats

Shane stats 7 1/2 years old
Weight 58 lbs (75%)
Height 50 1/2 inches (75%)
BMI 16 (50%)

Shane is our amazing kid and biggest helper.  He is a tad bit obsessed with his "screens" but we work with it. He loves his books and reads through series faster than I can keep up. He is partially through the Percy Jackson series and picks up the random other series here and there.

Myann stats 6 years old
Weight 46 lbs (50%)
Height 46 inches (50%)
BMI 15.4 (50%)

Myann is our best hope so far for a cleaner and organizer in the family. She loves to clean once she gets going. She is the only child who regularly cleans her room without being asked and makes her bed everyday without being asked. She is quickly learning to read and enjoying the new world that reading opens up to her.

Some kids see figures in clouds...

Some kids see clouds shaped liked horses or puppies, well Anders sees poop shaped liked families.  I am so thankful the kid finally potty trained, but I am slightly fearful every time he poops, I have to get a description of who or what his poop looks like.  Quit reading now if you are already disgusted.  But this is too funny to not save for posterity.  I fully intend to embarrass him one day as he rereads this in his teenage years. So today his poop was a family, a mommy, daddy, and baby.  2 larger turds and one small one.  Last night he had a baby Laila poop, a single small poop.  Yesterday morning it was a giant whale poop - I will leave that to your imagination. Honestly I can not remember the first poop he described, but it started about 2 weeks ago, and since then I am forced to look at his poop and listen to what he thinks they look like before he flushes.  The have been puppies, green bushes, superheroes.... (thankfully I have blocked out most of them). Tomorrow I am worried after he ate an entire can of black olives this afternoon.  I do not recall reading this in the "mom" job description.  So every time my stomach slightly lurches when I am forced to look at his poop, I remind myself that I could be changing his enormous diaper, so I am thankful.    

Anders' 4 year stats

Anders and Laila had a combined well check up.
Anders is still our big boy.  He has really thinned out, but he is rock solid. Still sweet as can be.  He is learning to write his name, but may sign like daddy, since he seems to only care about the first and last letters. 

Weight:  44 lbs.  (90%)
Height:  42 1/4 inches (90%)
BMI: 17.25 (85%)

He is still a charmer and continues his, "You are the best (insert title here) ever!" 

Laila's 15 month stats

Laila started walking about 2 weeks ago.  It was pretty exciting and she has been quite proud of herself. 

Her doctor appointment today went well. She is still our little bean.
Weight: 18 lbs. 3 oz. (25%)
Height: 29 1/2 inches (25%)
Head circ: 18 1/2 (80%)

She still has a big head. I guess she needs a big head for those big eyes.

She thinks she is such a big girl and can do anything the big kids can do now.

Our Thor

Amazingly enough, there are many days I regret not giving in to Brian when he wanted to name Anders "Thor".  I wanted to avoid teasing and I wanted a name that started with an "A". My brother always called him Thor and addressed all his birthday cards to Thor.  So in some ways, he is Thor.  Today Brian explained to Anders that he wanted to name him Thor and Anders said that would be cool.  Brian texted me to tell me what he said and I texted back that we could always change his name.  Brian told Anders that mommy said we could change his name, so he said he would be Thor for a little while, but then he wanted to be called Hulk Smash!  He is on a big Hulk kick right now. In fact, pretty sure he will be Hulk for Halloween.  He wanted to be Thor, but I told him we did Thor 2 years ago.  He was the cutest Thor ever though, so I would gladly repeat that costume.

Other Anders news, it has taken him until almost the age of 4, but he is finally potty training and succeeding.  He was sabotaged last summer in potty training by the birth of Laila. He wanted to stay my baby and that translated into refusing to use the potty.  It has been a long road, very frustrating at times.  We decided to take a break while in Texas, though he did great pooping in the potty at my friend, Tricia's house.  I think her fully potty trained 3 year old made Anders feel the need to step up his game. However, within 3 days of being home, he started using the potty on his own and has been a rockstar ever since.  Huge, huge, huge!

Anders has been obsessed with when he "turns a new number". He is so excited to be 4.  I guess he feels like he has been 3 for long enough. We are also really focusing on getting him ready for preschool.  A few months ago Shane decided Anders was getting too old to say his "L's" like "W's".  He still said "I wuv you" and "Waiwa is my baby."  Shane started working with him.  When Anders slows down and really thinks about the words he can do his "L's".  I know he needs to better develop his speech, but a little part of me will be sad when he no longer says I wuv you and baby Waiwa.  

He is still our little entertainer. He loves having his picture taken and will ham it up for the camera.  He will commonly say to us or whoever is around, "You need snuggles?", or "I have not given you snuggles today."  He is still our gentle giant.

Laila is 1!

My beautiful baby girl is 1!  How did this year go by so quickly.  Knowing she was my last baby I have tried to savor this year and enjoy every moment. We have also NOT encouraged her to develop. I know, horrible to say, but Brian's joke every time she tried to pull up was to tell me to knock her down. Neither of us are ready for her to be a toddler.  We want our baby to stay a baby as long as possible; however, she is the youngest of 4, so she is ready to do what the big kids do.  She pretty much skipped baby food. She loved baby cereal, but never took more than a bite of baby food every time I offered it. She went straight to eating what we ate for dinner, just chopped up small.  Broccoli was one of her firsts and remains her favorite. She loves all proteins and most veggies, particularly carrots, green beans, peas, and broccoli.  Not sure how it happened, but she dislikes most fruits. She likes bananas, and firmer fruits like apples and melon.  Hopefully that will change because we are a berry family.

Despite our efforts to keep her a baby, she began pulling up at 10 months.  While we were in Texas, she mastered pulling up and has even begun taking steps while holding on.  She was signing "more" and "all done" at 10 months and now she does "hat", "please", "drink", and "eat".  Sometimes when she really wants something and is trying to convey her need, she will run through all her signs. Ice cream brings on this response, she's my girl in that respect. So far her only consistent words are mama and dada.  She has been overheard saying Gampa and up, but I can not get her to say it on command.  Tonight she threw down food and said "uh oh".

Laila is a sweet baby and still loves to give love. She goes in for kisses and hugs and just snuggles into your body in general.  I am savoring these moments most, because I know it will not last long. We are still nursing, but that too seems to be coming to an end.   I do not think we will make it to Anders record of nursing until he was 20 months. Laila is too interested in what is going on to nurse in a room of people.  She has those huge eyes just taking everything in.  Not a day passes without someone commenting on her huge eyes and how they are wide open and checking out the world.  She is spoiled and wants to be held or within a few feet of me at all times, but still has a sweet disposition.  She loves her brothers and sister and is quick to give them love and attention when they are around. 

We learned on the Texas trip that she is not a car sleeper, but is content to sit in the car for most of the time. She goes easily to other people and really bonded with her grandmas this trip.

A few days ago we gave her a cupcake when my mom was in town.  She loved us singing happy birthday to her, but was less impressed with the cupcake.

So on her birthday, we took her for frozen yogurt after dinner.  I think you can tell she liked it better.

Forget the spoon, I'll just drink it.

Oops, did I get some on my face?