all things RYAN : 3 years

My sweet baby is 3 years old.  Where did the time go.  He is an absolute delight.  He continues to be a relatively calm kiddo.  He is thoughtful of others and their belongings.  I think his gross motor skills are above average and I think that has a lot to do with playing with older neighborhood kids.  The bottom line is I think he's an amazing little guy.

Stats:  32.5 pounds (75%), 40 inches (95%)
This is a year gain of 4 pounds and 4.5 inches.

~ Ryan talks nonstop.  NONSTOP.  In addition to the constant 'why's', we also hear 'what's your reason for this or that'.  It can be exhausting.  And all this from a little boy who was behind the speech curve a year and a half ago.

He can't say 'L's' and occasionally stutters when he gets excited, both of which I realize are normal for his age.

~ He's been riding a tricycle for 6+ months and a bike with training wheels for 3+ months.  And now he rides his birthday present, a 3 when scooter, like a champion.

~ He's had a dramatic increase in confidence on the playground.  Seriously, a once timid little boy is now a climbing, sliding, jumping big boy!

~ He wears 3T.  It's a constant struggle to find pants small enough around the waist yet long enough for Mr. 95th percentile.

~ Ryan often wants equal attention with the babies.  For example, if the babies are crying, he will fake cry too.  Or if he watches me dress his brother, he wants me to dress him the same.  Sometimes I allow for it, others I reinforce he's a bog boy and the babies are just that, babies.

~ He's a good eater, for a 3 year old.  Currently he loves hotdogs, salmon and rice, fruit cocktail (with cherries, of course), and butter and cheese sandwiches (gag).

~ He now stands to pee.  Yep, I went there.  Hey, it was a big deal in our house.  It makes things go much quicker but watch out if he looses his focus.

While on the topic of potty, Ryan doesn't wear a diaper at nap but does overnight.  I think he'd be fine, but if he were to have an accident, I'm confident he would NOT let us know.  He won't get out of his bed for anything.  A trial is in order soon. 

~ Thankfully he still takes a nap.  Usually a 3 hour nap.  And bedtime routine is as it's been for the last year.  He and Chris go upstairs at precisely 7pm for a bath.  Once in his jammies with teeth brushed, he finds and says goodnight to Nonna.  Then he finds me and the 3 of us read 2 stories before hugs and kisses and a final goodnight. 

~ Just like his little brothers, he loves to give kisses and hugs.  He often says 'snuggle me'.  Who could refuse?

~ He loves to point out school buses, mail trucks, construction vehicles, and convertibles.

~ Ryan can draw circles and lines and draw simple patterns like the sun, the moon, or a rainbow.  And the boy loves himself some stickers.  I find it funny that he will stick stickers on top of each other rather than spread out over the paper.   Stamps and glue are also fun.

~ He asks others if they'd like some of what he's having.  For instance, he asked for some grapes and then asked if his babysitter would like some too.  It's so polite. 

~ Speaking of polite, he seems to be slipping on his 'pleases'.  Reminders are often necessary.

~ He loves to play with his brothers though he sometimes gets frustrated when they don't follow his orders.  He can often be heard asking one of the twins if they'd like to play with him.  And he often bargins, on behlf of the twins, to get them to stay up later so he can play more with them.  The downside is he's starting to forget how to play by himself. 

~ He's a very social little guy. He loves to talk and ask questions with everyone.  With that said, he's still occasionally shy.

~ As always, he is still one of the three most loved little boys!

all things ETHAN & OWEN : 1 YEAR

Ethan and Owen are best buds.  They clearly love playing with each other and with their big brother.  Ahh, brotherly love.  They are such sweet, loving babies.  And they are a handful!

Owen
21 pounds (50%), 29 3/4 inches (50%), HC 18 1/2 inches (75%)
That's a total gain of just over 16 pounds and almost 11 inches.
   
Ethan
22.13 pounds (75%), 31 1/2  inches (95%), HC 18 3/4 inches (85%)
That's a total gain of just over 16 pounds and 12 1/2 inches.

~ Ethan took his first steps on his first birthday.  What are the odds, right?  In true twin form, Owen took his first steps only 2 days afterwards.  FYI, Ryan took his first steps the day after his first birthday...so exactly in between the littles.

~ Owen tends to make a scrunchy face to show less favorable opinions.  Ryan used to make a similar face but it was mostly him being silly.

~ They still nap twice a day.  Sometimes naps last 2+ hours, other times barely an hour. 

- E -

~ Owen likes to get up a bit earlier than his roommate.  Ethan, like his Mama, prefers to sleep in.  This seems to be changing as I type.

~ Both boys despise after bath routine.  They try and escape the entire time I try to diaper, lotion, and dress them.  It's exhausting.  As soon as its over they are happy as can be.

~ Ethan loves eating!  He'll eat almost anything...quickly.  On the other hand, Owen prefers to eat slowly (unless its fruit which he shovels in his mouth). 

- E feeding O cereal -

~ Owen has a lovey.  It's a little, tan, elephant blankey.  He NEEDS it to sleep and he's happy to keep it in bed. 

- O -

~ Ethan seamlessly switched to milk and off of prevcid.  Owen took a little longer but is now off prevacid and drinking milk like his little brother.  

~ Both wave.  It's funny, they have two very different waves.  Hard to describe.

~ Both clap.  Especially when people say 'yea' or 'good job'.

~ Owen has 6 teeth, Ethan has 7.  Both are working on more.

~ The twins are super affectionate.  They kiss each other, big brother, Nonna, Daddy, and me all the time.  I particularly like when Ryan comes in their room to get them up and Ethan leans across the crib to give Ryan a sloppy wet kiss.  Kisses are always a part of bedtime routine too.  Sometimes if they have already put their thumbs in their mouths, at bedtime, instead of giving kisses they lean their heads towards giving permission for whomever to kiss them.

~ Ethan has a fondness for balls.  He will carry a small soccer ball around the house.  He's also good at rolling it back and forth. 

~ They are little furniture movers.  They push anything that's not nailed down.  It makes for quite a decorating style.      

~ The boys each got a cupcake on their birthday.  Ethan, true to Ethan fashion, devoured it.  Owen, on the other hand, put his hands in it and burst out crying.  We had to clean him off just to calm him down.  There was a re-do a couple weeks later at their party and Owen did much better the second time around.  He ate it like a chocolate champ.
   

~ These boys are still 2 of the 3 most loved little boys in the whole world!

all things OWEN & ETHAN : 10 & 11 months

First, a reminder that 'all things :  x months' is written when that month starts not ends.  So, this post is written about the babies as they turn 11 months.  The countdown to their first birthday has begun!

- E, O -

10 months

~ Ethan cut his top 4 teeth at the same time...almost.  He actually cut his top incisors prior to his top front teeth...little vampire.  This was the first time any of the boys had any problems with teething.  Nothing that a bit of Tylenol and some extra snuggling couldn't fix.  Fortunately and surprisingly he never had any problems sleeping.  Thank goodness.

~ Owen got his first stomach bug.  He threw up for a couple days.  It was so pitiful.

~ Normally I bathe the twins separately.  It's virtually impossible to bathe them together by myself.  Not only do they crawl all over the tub, try knocking each other over, attempt to scale the walls, and constantly try to escape, but the logistics of taking 2 naked babies out of the tub are just a nightmare.  However, when Chris is home we put them in together.  As you can see they love the company.



~ As the boys have become more mobile we've had to start some basic disciplining.  That basically entails the word 'no'.  At first Ethan just looked at me and smiled, but he's started to respond a bit more appropriately.  Owen, on the other hand, didn't even have the decency to turn back.  I actually started wondering about his hearing.  Turns out he just has extremely selective hearing.  Typical boy!

- Owen -

~ They've speed up!  Crawling that is.  It's out of control.

~ They both put most anything in their mouths.  This may seem normal for babies but Ryan didn't do this so its foreign to me.  When Ryan found a piece of trash on the floor he would hand it to me not eat it!  WHY? I try to keep the floors clean but I swear they find it faster than I can sweep it.  At least Owen lets me swipe it out, Ethan chomps my finger!

~ Both boys are starting to walk by means of pushing things.  Anything.  Everything.



~ Owen loves to take each and every book off the book shelf.  Sometimes he stops to look at the cover before he throws it to the floor, sometimes not.  Ethan has another love for books.  He loves to chew them.  Do you know what big brother did with books at this age?  Flipped the pages!  That's right, he looked at the pictures...ahh...simple times.

~ They've become much more interactive with each other and with Ryan.  I just love watching then play!

~ They are 2 of the 3 most loved boys in all the world!

all things OWEN & ETHAN : 8 & 9 months

My blue eyed boys are 9 months old!  Where oh where does the time go?  Both boys are so sweet. Seriously, scrumptious!  And they are so very different from one another.  Here's what they're up to...

9 month stats

Owen 20 lbs |  Ethan 22 lbs

As for height, I didn't measure and we've yet to make it to the doc yet, but what I will say is Ethan is by far taller than Owen.

- 9 months -

E, O

~ Ethan is fast.  He started army crawling at 7 months and full blown crawling by 8 months.  He's now gone vertical.  Pulling up on e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.  Crawling up and into the fireplace.  Yup.  And we can't contain him.  We can't gate him anywhere because if we gated anything we would be gating Ryan in or out as well.  So, for now, one eye must always be on Ethan!

~ Owen's not far behind.  He skipped the army crawl and went straight to the worm.  That's right.  The worm.  He gets up on his hands and knees, as if he's going to crawl, but instead falls forward, and then repeats for motion.  I can't say I've seen it before. 

While Owen isn't pulling straight up on things like the couch or crib, he is pulling upwards on shorter things like the fireplace hearth and the low coffee table shelf (which he crawled onto).  Though he's incredibly mobile he has yet to master the transition from sitting to laying and vice versa.  

- O -

~ When Ethan wants me,  he finds me, comes to me, and asks me to pick him up.  When Owen wants me, he stays where ever he is and cries until I come get him.   

~ They're both putting their arms up to be picked up.  I love this upgraded communication!

~ They both love to eat.  They're eating a ton of homemade baby food, mum mums, and puffs.  And bananas and other fruits in mesh baby feeders.  The only thing they've refused is a zucchini, carrot, salmon puree, but I plan to retry with more carrots, we'll see.   

Ethan started eating yogurt.  Due to a milk allergy, Owen has to wait until after he's 1 to reintroduce milk products.  I already make a whopping mess when I feed the boys, when I have 2 bowls and 2 spoons, it's twice the mess (yes, normally they share a spoon, gross I know).  

- E -

~ The babies sleep in same room (but nap in separate rooms).  On the rare occasion when one wakes at night, the other, usually, sleeps through it.  However, they usually wake together in the morning.  This means both babies want to be picked up as soon as they see me.  Taking turns is not a lesson easily learned in infancy.  However, I've learned to pick them up, together, from their cribs (think about the logistics of that for a minute).  

~ Owen got 3 more teeth for a total of 4 (his bottom 2 first, then his top 2).  Ethan has his bottom 2 teeth.  All with little effort!

- O -

~ I heard Owen laughing and when I looked to see what was so funny it was Ethan crawling on top of him.  I have no idea why this was so funny but then Ethan started laughing too.  It looked very uncomfortable for Owen but if both boys were that happy, who am I to break up the fun?

~ Owen will hold his own bottle.  Ethan will not. 

- E -

~ Both boys spend their days smiling, 'talking', and playing and they still nap at least twice a day.   Naps last anywhere from 1 to 3 hours.  I do my best to keep them on the same nap schedule.  They do their best to keep opposite nap schedules.

~ They are still 2 of the 3 most loved boys in all the world!

- Bonus -

~ As Ryan got older and more mobile I quickly realized how difficult it was to capture his monthly 'chair' picture.  That is, without him lunging off or attempting to climb over, etc..  Well, multiply that by 2, cause the twins are a hot mess on the chair.  Here are some outtakes...

"Jump!"

"Feet!"

"Sit here" said Chris repeatedly

 "Daddy is so funny"

 "Ethan's yummy"

uh...

 "Enough mom"

Wallpaper Begone

We're certainly not in a position to 'redo' our bathroom but there's just no excuse not to remove outdated wallpaper, add a fresh coat of paint, and update a few fixtures.

Then...

And Now...

The bathroom cabinets and trim were a tan, cream color and now they're a crisp white.  

And Chris replaced the hinges with hidden ones which I think makes a huge difference.  

And this these awful part ceramic, part plastic fixtures are no more.  

And the matching, filthy, loose outlets also received an update!

But, of course, the biggest difference is the wallpaper is GONE!  

Now if we can just get some stuff on the walls.

The same situation applies to our kitchen.  A redo would be fantastic but isn't in the cards.  The wallpaper wasn't as cooperative and had to be covered rather than removed.  Either way, it's GONE!

Then...

Now...

The walls are a pale gray (the kinda look blue on my computer).  Next up, wallpaper removal from the downstairs half bath and upstairs hall bath!

Ryan's 1st day of Preschool

First let me express how intense the hunt for the perfect preschool is.  There are at least 350 in the area and everyone recommends a different one.  So I jumped right in.  I was looking for a couple logistical elements and then simply a good vibe.  After touring half a dozen or so I finally found the winner.  All Saints. It came with a glowing recommendation from our neighbor.

I was originally looking for a spot for fall, but they had a spring semester spot and we took it.   I've learned Ryan does well when 'prepped' so I did just that.  For a week or so prior to the first day I repeatedly discussed the in's and out's of preschool, mainly how parents drop off and pick up the children.  You have to realize Ryan has never been dropped off anywhere.  Ever.  So, I was concerned.  Well, I must have made my point because the day before the first day I said, "what will happen when mommy takes you to preschool?"  R: in the most bored voice ever, "you will drop me off, you will go home, I will play with the children, then you will pick me up."  That's right grasshopper.

That morning he was so excited.  So excited he actually said, "I'm so excited".  But then again he was also excited to wear his 'button shirt'...

He couldn't have done better!  He walked right in.  The teacher took his hand and in he went.  I actually had to ask him for a kiss goodbye.  He didn't look back.  The teachers said it was as if he'd been in preschool his whole life, that he just went with the flow.  That's my boy.  When I picked him up he said, "you picked me up".  That's right, just as planned!

Day 2, just as successful!  What can I say?  The kids a rockstar.

Potty Time

Written December 2012

We initiated "potty training" on 12.13.12.  Ryan was a month shy of 2 and 1/2. I was prepared for the worst. Constant accidents, messy clothes, etc. Well, I'm happy to report I was worried for nothing. I shouldn't be surprised. Ryan's yet to give us much trouble with anything.

As for the the potty, we explained what was going to happen (we'd been prepping him for a month), we had him go naked from the waste down for 3 days (easy to see when he needed to go and easy to get on the potty), and we kept a potty near his play area. In 3 days he had only one partial accident (started peeing but then stopped, held it, and finished on the potty). He pooped in the potty on day 3. On the 5th day we ventured out to a playdate. Success.

While we do frequently remind him, he mostly tells us when he needs to go. It's been a week and complete success! Every time he 'goes' potty he gets to take a picture with my camera (his choice for a reward). Mostly he takes pictures of his success (yes, it's gross but he's a boy and it's working).

I love that we said no more diapers and never turned back (except for sleeping). He looks like such a big boy in his undies. Each day he gets to choose which pair of underwear he wants to wear. He always goes for his boxer briefs over his non-boxer briefs. I don't know if he likes the colors or style better but his tooshie is darn cute in them.

Updated February 1st, 2013

Ryan has continued to amaze me.  He had one accident at home and one at preschool (but I blame the adults, myself included, for this one).  That's it!  He mostly goes #2 in the potty (the boy loves us to do the poopy dance and he loves himself a 'poopy treat', aka a Hershey Kiss).  He does wear diapers during nap and at bedtime.  The only issue I have with this is he sometime uses these times to go #2.

- Super adorable boxer briefs with a ball cap, cell phone, and tennis shoes.  That's my boy! -

Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better transition.  Let's hope the littles are as easy!