Family Living: Abbott Style

My sweet baby is now an 18 month toddler.  And it is a blast He is officially weaned. Had our first overnight trip without the kids and it went awesome. Separation anxiety is finally easing up He is happy and silly He plays rough with sister. REALLY into animals.  He sleeps well and takes 1 nap a day. He is really into daddy right now. He is learning more and more words every day.  ' He says No, even when he means yes,  And it is totally cute. He has zero interest in tv.

I couldn't possible truly capture out last year in a single blog post.  But I will do my best.  I will likely fall short of painting an accurate picture. First, I have to be honest.  Looking through Haley's pictures today REALLY made me want another baby...for a fleeting second.  And then it went away, She is now a little girl. No longer a toddler.  A little girl.  Almost a school age girl. She is sweet. Happy.  Enthusiastic. Bright.  Strong. I have full conversations with Haley. I can reason with her and often talk her down from tantrums She still loves to read.  I hope she always has a passion for books She enjoys puzzles She took some tumbling lessons and is now in swimming.  So far, I think she enjoys swimming more.  She looks very zen during her lessons. She likes to be independent and likes to do things on her own. She enjoys going to AWANAS on Wednesday nigh...

"Can I sit on your lap...." Yes... The answer is yes . And will always be  yes. Shortly following the newborn stage, my darling daughter would express a distaste for being held. She was my busy and independent girl from the littlest of ages.  I felt robbed.  She wouldn't even allow me to rock her to sleep.  Some of the best advice I ever got in parenting is "parent the child you have, not the child you want them to be."  Now, I know how that sounds.  I love and have loved my Haley, as is.  But I had a certain expectation of how I envisioned parenthood, and there was a real let down for me when I had a daughter who simply rejected the simple affectionate gesture of being held.   Haley is now quickly approaching 4 and a new stage has approached us.  Cuddling with Haley.  Finally she is asking for affection.  Finally she is asking to be held.  Finally she is asking for cuddles.  And my heart couldn't be happie...

It has been awhile since I have been raw and candid.  Or even written on a regular basis.  But when I reflect, I get so much joy of looking back and re-reading the different stages we have gone through.  So here is a snap-shot of where we are.   It's January.  Another new year. Cabin fever has set in, and today has felt like a total failure.  It is out of Owen's nature to be extremely temperamental.  It is not, however, out of his nature to be clingy. Today, I experienced both. All. Day. Long.  Which, with two children now, is tough.  I can't take the crying and fussiness, so I can't really blame Haley when she acts out---acts out in frustration, acts out wanting attention, acts out because of sensory overload. By the end of the night I was drained.  I was vacuuming the floor--feeling very woe is me.  I reflected on the moments where I snapped at my kids--shamefully in front of YMCA employees.  Shamefully in front of strangers...

   Owen at 1 Year Couldn't have asked for a more mild mannered kid.  Such a lover. Eating three meals a day.  Loves cheese, fruit, and meat.  Also made it an entire year breastfeeding, meeting my goal for us!  Loves to play with sister and vice versa.  He is a pretty good sport about his typical high strung toddler of a sister.  (He takes her abuse well) He gives the best open mouth kisses. Loves to play peek-a-boo Says a handful of words. A decent sleeper. Stands unassisted for a couple seconds and has attempted a few steps.  Walking is somewhere on the horizon.  Smiles A LOT Loves playing with daddy.  They want to rough house and I am a typical mom about it. 

Owen's 11th Month Owen is now on to some finger foods, some table foods, and breast milk.  My goal was to nurse at least a year so we are closing in on that milestone.  He nurses between 3-5 times a day and is still a chunky monkey. He mimics a lot of sounds.  I find myself asking, "Did he just say _____?" a lot.  I am pretty sure he tries to say Drake and Haley.  He says hi, hello, mama, mom, dada, clearly.   He pulls himself up on everything and holds on with one hand.  He is not standing alone yet but he seems to slowly be getting closer to mastering the basics he will need for walking.  He is certainly getting more stability and control. He is SO sweet.  Gives open mouth kisses on the face.   He loves his sister and even rough houses a bit. He out grew his baby carrier and is now in a rear facing big kid car seat.  He is a decent sleeper but doesn't like sleeping anywhere other than his crib.  He...

Owen's 10th Month Owen gained another 2 lbs in 2 months and grew 2 inches.  We are still nursing and he is also eating a little bit of everything.  I need to really start working with a sippy cup. (23 lbs 4 oz) He says ma-ma and da-da He pulls himself up on everything and holds on with one hand.   He is very laid back and all smiles.  He loves the dog, his sister, and his sister's dollhouse. He is still in 18 months clothing He sleeps well. He is becoming more animated and aware of the world around him.  Doing a lot of mimicking. How the rest of us are doing I can't believe it has been 10 months already.   Haley is doing better with little brother now that she is earning stickers and rewards for being a good big sister.  It has been a hard transition. Other than that, it has been same-o really.  We are all just ready for the fall!