Jaunary 2010 Wrap-Up

New tradition - the wrap-up.  From youngest to oldest, bulleted for ease!

Connor

• On the first day of this year, Connor moved into his own bedroom.  From the start, he slept great - he didn't have any transition issues.  His current sleep schedule is in bed by 8 PM, up around 11:30ish to eat, up again at 5:45ish to eat, up for the day at 8 AM.  Not to bad for a kid who wouldn't sleep longer than 2 hours for the longest time.
• His eating is a bit wierd right now.  He's transitioning and wants to eat more than he currently is, but he doesn't like anything.  He eats yogurt with oatmeal, waffles, cherrios, goldfish, graham crackers and gerber fruits and veggies.  He won't eat whole fruits and veggies or even mashed up fruits and veggies.  Oh no - it must be the strained crap.  We also discovered that, for now, Connor has an egg allergy.  That sucks. 
• Connor is still breast feeding.  He's eating about 8 ounces of milk during the day and perhaps another 8 at night from the breast.  Connor still very much loves his breast feeding time and while he's slowing down a bit, he's not showing any signs of fully weaning. 
• Connor is wearing 18 month clothes and they fit perfectly.  He's going to outgrow them soon. 
• We bought his first pair of shoes this month - size 4 double wides.  We had to spend $50 on them...ridiculous for infant shoes.  But he needed something to be able to walk around outside. 
• He says Momma and Bye Bye clearly.  He mimics the sounds for many other words - the most clear of them being "Bailey" and "All Done".  Those words will come next.  He's babbling up a storm - seriously talking.  He has full-on conversations with us - and we talk back.  We love his conversations.
• Without doubt, his favorite person right now is Bailey.  He needs Kelly and I...but he LOVES Bailey.  He looks for her, gets weird when she is not around and worries about her when she's crying or in trouble.  He chases her.  He annoys her and delights her and they are perfect siblings. 
• His favorite toys are any that make music.  The child is a music lover of the highest order.  He dances.  He waves his arms.  He gets low.  He's awesome. 
• His personality is hard to describe in a bullet - he's in the most loving, honest phase that I have seen children go through.  He's wide open right now - all love and tears and joy and frustration.  He's on the cusp of a major development and growth spurt that will leave him talking and mastering the most difficult challenges...but he's not there yet.  And so he's easily frustrated, but loves so hard!  He's such a sweet little love bug, until he's not.  It's that honest, pure stage where nothing that he feels is hidden and he's not yet trying to manipulate anything or anyone.  He just exists in our family and makes his presence and needs known.  He's our "Connor Buddy" and we all love him dearly. 

Bailey

• Potty training is at a full stop this month.  We got tired of buying pullups and having her use them like diapers.  She knows what to do, how to do it and what it feels like when she needs to go pee or poop.  She simply chooses not to go or tell us, so we assume that she is not yet ready.  We're not pushing it.  She knows that when she is ready, we're all over it and she'll get to pick out her own pretty panties.
• Bailey is adjusting to being a "stay-at-home" kid wonderfully.  She hasn't missed her friends at all - at least, not in any way that she has expressed to me.  She just loves being at home with me and Connor. 
• Her favorite food is mac and cheese.  Distant seconds are turkey hotdogs, chicken nuggets, McCain smiles, corn and all manner of fruit.  She loves eggs and pancakes for breakfast.  She usually wants cheese or fruity cherrios for snacks.  To drink she asks for water and juice equally...but she only gets water.  Juice is limited.  Occassionally she'll drink milk, but it's not her favorite. 
• She is wearing 4T pants and shirts right now.  Size 9 shoes.  He is a big girl - tall and well proportioned. 
• She is a phenomenal speaker - she can master any word thown her way and speaks clearly and without pronounciation problems. 
• She watches way more TV than I am comfortable with - her current favorite is the Mickey Mouse Club.  She loves them and would do nothing more than watch them all day - I have to prevent that. 
• Of the activities we do, her favorite is Library day.  She adores the library.
• Her BFF is Maleah.  She would spend every waking minute with Maleah if she could.  She told me the other day that she "loves going to Maleah's house every day"!
• Her imagination has taken off.  She plays independantly for long stretches of time and comes up with some of the funniest games.  I love to listen to her play.  It gives me insights into our parenting.
• We have allowed her to make the house her own for the first time.  She is allowed to go upstairs without us, as long as she tells us she is going.  And while she hasn't yet figured it out, the doHerthingy is off her bedroom door and she could come out of her room whenever she wanted to.
• Timeouts are the only effective means of punishing Bailey.  And she knows that the "count to three" means that she will lose a priviledge.  She hates losing things, so it usually works.
• Her personality right now is hot and cold.  But it's deliberate.  She knows how to manipulate.  And she does it.  Often.  She is also extremely loving and sweet right now.  Watching her with Connor is equal parts terrifying and heartbreaking in it's sweetness.  She's an amazing big sister. 
• I am her favorite person.  She is addicted to me.  I don't mind.

I was going to do updates for me and Kelly, but those will have to wait.  I'm exhausted and need to go to bed.