Wednesday: sitting

Joshua has gotten pretty good at sitting!

I kind of feel with Isaac I noticed little parts of milestones (like when he could sit for 2 seconds and for 10 seconds and for 30 seconds).  With Joshua the little milestones might get noticed, but then when he hits a big one, like sitting for 30 seconds today, I'm so surprised.

But...we'll try to get more sitting practice in the rotation now too. :)  (And he isn't wearing shorts.  They're just overalls that ride up when he sits.)

Tuesday: grumpy

I was grumpy today.  About many unrelated things.  I just couldn't completely snap out of it, although the short afternoon nap did help a bit.

Tomorrow's a new day.  Hooray.  I also plan on posting about the weekend as my brother and his family was here and we did many fun things, but dealing with the pictures is just too much for tonight.

Friday: cleaning, rolling, smiles

Today was the cleaning day.  It went about like I expected...rather annoying.  But I'm done now, so that's wonderful.  The house isn't in excellent order, but it is sufficient.  The toilets are cleaned, it is mostly picked up, all the presents are wrapped and I pretended to work on the floors.  Also, I got a delivery while I was going outside to bring in the trash can.  The guy said that he was with FedEx and I said ok.  It made sense.  But then as he was coming up to give me the package I realized he was in a Budget rental truck.  "Oh boy," I thought.  But it was too late to hide behind the door.  Luckily, it was a FedEx delivery.  I was surprised that they were so behind on deliveries that they needed to rent trucks, but I guess whatever works!

Joshua started doing a wonderful job rolling over yesterday; a real roll from starting with his hands by his sides.  So I thought that I'd get a video of him doing it.  The first video starts with him halfway rolled over.  The second one goes for a minute without him rolling over.  So...no video today.  Also, after his evening nap he woke up and gave the longest smiles that I've seen.  They just stayed on his face.  It was wonderful.

Thursday: cooking day

Today was our cooking day.  We made banana bread, pretzel/kiss sandwiches, apple puree, and chicken taco.  For doing that and watching two children, I feel rather accomplished today.  Although it is nice that Isaac likes to help.  He did get a very little burn when he accidentally touched a hot pan though.  I warned him it was hot, but didn't move it back far enough (because there wasn't enough room).  We put his hand in water and put neosporin and a band-aid on it...it was the perfect way to learn about hot items.  A small hurt, but now he knows why we always warn him about hot things.

We also went to the store so we could make the above items.  On the way there we had the following conversation.

Amanda: "What do you think we'll get at Meijer?"

Isaac: "Um...Hmm...new knife-es?"

A: "What?  No.  Try again."

I: "Cheese?"

A: "Yes, we're getting some cheese."

It should be noted that I thought he was going to say donuts or chocolate milk.  I've never talked about getting new knives.

Tomorrow is cleaning day.  And, if needed, bran muffin day.  Isaac likes to bake more than clean. :)

Wednesday: Isaac

We learned that Isaac can now open the refridgerator door!  We learned this when he couldn't wait to eat lunch yesterday and I was feeding Joshua.  So I told him to make it himself.  He still isn't great at spreading the peanut butter or jelly, but he got everything out.

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Every once in a while Isaac will give you a big hug and say "I love you so much."  It melts my heart.

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Isaac happily shared his ice cream with me today.  I had only asked for one bite; it was his idea to share the rest.  I wasn't about to say no. :D

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Isaac's been rather bad at being quiet during rest time, so I've decided that if Isaac is awake I really should be awake too...there's no point in trying to take a nap.  But wow, was I dragging around 5pm today.  The goal is to spend the hour doing things I would otherwise do at night (so not necessarily to work) and go to bed earlier.  I'm not really sure how well it's going to work out, but I need to try.

Tuesday: 20 weeks

I took Joshua's 20 week pictures yesterday.

Even though it is winter he goes barefoot in the house a lot.  They just don't stay on!

His hair is just starting to grow back.  And I finally caught a partial smile.

Today we got the rest of his vaccines.  He was extra tired and really cranky around 5:45 (just as Ben walked in the door, of course.)  I decided to give him some Tylenol and I think it helped.  He was smiling again a half hour later.

Monday: candy canes

I now understand why my dad hated candy canes when we were growing up.  Children just get sticky.  And kids crunch instead of savor.  And the cheap ones really don't taste very good.  And they get sharp.

Isaac managed to get a little one and I gave him a little piece of it.  I took a little bit too.  His piece hurt him.  The rest of the candy cane is hiding, even though he wants more.

Sunday: dragon hunting

Isaac went giant dragon hunting this evening.

In order to dragon hunt, you put your "gobbles" (i.e., goggles) in front of your eyes and go around looking for giant dragons.  When you find them, you step on them.  (Yes...you step on them.  It doesn't seem like they're all that giant if you can just step on them, but I guess it's a matter of scale.)

The biggest problem with his gobbles was that he couldn't see anything with them on, so he kept running into stuff.  Ben had a pair of goggles too, but instead of dragon hunting the two of us just laughed a lot.

Saturday: presents

We started wrapping presents.  Isaac happily loved to help and ripped the tape.

He later told Ben that it was Ben's birthday but that it was a surprise.  But then, it's still currently a surprise to Isaac so he wouldn't have been able to tell Ben even if he wanted to.

Friday: more photo shoot

I tried once more it get a good picture of Joshua before I had to return the boxes.  He wouldn't smile for me, but this one isn't too bad.

Isaac wanted in on the action too, so we took just a few pictures with him.  He's in his black shirt.  Black is his favorite color, no question.  Conversations usually go like this.  "[That thing] is black!"  "It sure is." "I like it."  By default, since his favorite color is black mine is white.  Even though I've told him it is blue.  I've kind of given up at this point and just accept that my favorite color is white.

Thursday: a photo shoot

Here's how today's photo shoot went...

Isaac had to be convinced to stand in a box. (Which I proceeded to cut out of most of the pictures, but it kept him in one spot.)

Both boys look at me!  But I cut off Isaac's arm.

Joshua looks at me, Isaac looks at something in the distance.

Joshua decides the wrapping paper is more interesting and ignores me for several pictures.

Isaac is cute; Joshua is still ignoring me.

Isaac decides he's done with this pose.

They switch boxes.  It doesn't work.

Joshua still likes the wrapping paper; Isaac has disappeared.

Joshua looks at me!  Too bad only Isaac's foot is in the picture.

Isaac plays the "don't look at Mom" game while his feet are in the box.  This set up didn't really work.

OH NO!  I realize that Isaac was supposed to have taken off his zip.  All the good ones that we might have had are not going to work.

Back to standing in boxes.  And everyone is looking at me.  This might be the one that gets used.

Isaac got bored of that pose quickly again...back to sitting on the stool.

Joshua decides to put his feet up.

Joshua slips down a bit too much.  Time to move everyone around again.

Joshua has had enough.  Let's try for just Isaac.  He's been making some weird faces.

I think he looks so grown up in this picture.  I wouldn't be surprised if this is the picture where, when looking back at pictures ten years from now, you start to recognize that it is Isaac because it looks like him as an adult too.  Hmm.  That's hard to put in words, but hopefully you know what I mean.  He stops looking like a small person and starts looking like Isaac.

Wednesday: 19 weeks

Oops...I forgot to get Joshua's 19 week pictures.  So I did it this morning and forgot to take his bib off.  Oh well.

Joshua had his four month checkup this week and didn't grow quite as much as expected.  He weighs 13.3 pounds (dropping from 18% to 9%) and is 25 inches tall (50% to 25%).  However, his weight to height ratio was on a good curve, so the doctor wasn't too worried.

He also started talking a ton this week!  Wow, it is like a switch turned on.

Isaac got his blanket out too.

I tried getting some pictures by the Christmas tree in our first round of pictures.  Trying to get both boys looking at the camera with their eyes open and Isaac having a good smile and having it not be blurry is impossible.  Impossible!

And the "all of us" picture of the day.

Tuesday: conversations with Isaac

Isaac: Do you want to go this way [left, toward nothing in particular] or this way [right, toward the Christmas tree]?
Ben: left
Isaac: Which way do I want to go?
Amanda: right
Isaac: What way do you want to go?
Amanda: right, like you
Isaac: No, you want to go with Dad.

Isaac, this time with his hands pointing up and down: Which way do you want to go?
Amanda: Up (as I think, finally, an easy question.  I know I want to go up.)
Isaac: No, you don't have wings.  You can go down.

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Isaac, coming to find us around 9pm: It's wake up time!  There's no one.
Amanda: no one?  What do you mean?
Isaac: no one.  Time to wake up.
Ben: What are you talking about?
Isaac: There's no one.
Isaac finally pointed at a clock.
Amanda: oh!  No, that's only for nap time.  This is big sleep time.  You need to go back to bed.

It took Isaac about five more minutes to go back to bed as he got stuck several times.  Lately his rest time has started around 1pm or a bit earlier, so I've told him he can get out of bed when there's no 1 on the clock.  He picked it up very quickly.  Very quickly.

Monday: snowmen and holes

Isaac colored this snowman at the library.  It's probably his best drawing yet.  The snowman has two eyes (although they're hard to see) that are circles and in the right spot, a mouth in the right spot, and he mostly colored in the lines.  And he did the I all by himself.

After the library, we went to the doctor's office and, as Isaac says, "Joshua got a little hole."  As normal people would say, Joshua got a shot.  I'm a little annoyed because the records got all messed up and so instead of getting two shots he was only able to get one and we'll have to go back.  Joshua did pretty well for the rest of the day, but once early evening came around he was done.

Sunday: this and that

Here is Isaac making one of his many phone calls.  He often will also talk about his location, but forgot to do so this time.


Amanda: Who's on the phone?
Isaac: Other CC
A: Ok.
I: This one is loud, k?
A: Ok, we'll be quiet.
I: Hello! Whose [there]?  Oh other CC.  How are you [to]day CC?  Uh, pretty good CC.  Bye-bye.  [Hang] up.

I tried to get Joshua talking too, but he was rather silent when the video was on.

We're borrowing some boxes for pictures...Flurry likes them too.

I gave Joshua a bath tonight and Isaac "helped".  Usually he stays by the bathtub and just plays with the toys, but this time he kept bringing more and more toys into the kitchen and now it is a disaster area.  Joshua also splashed a ton more than usual; I bet about a quarter of the water ended up outside the bathtub.  However, both boys were happy for the time, so I went with it.

Saturday: P

Amanda: we're going to your cousins' house for pizza tonight.
Isaac has a look of great delight!
Issac: I love pretzels!

Friday: Leah and Ethan

We visited our friends again today!  It's so fun to have two boys that can somewhat play by themselves.

Today they played outside with their lawnmowers.

Leah and Joshua spent all of lunch time looking at each other.  Leah left for a few moments and Joshua was so sad.  He was also in a bouncy seat and had things to kick with his feet which he seemed to love.

Thursday: noggin bops

Noggin bops (wind-up toys) have been a big hit in the house...for both boys.  Although Isaac calls them robots.  I suppose they do sort of look like robots.

Joshua tried really hard to grab them.  He succeeded once.  (This was also the time I realized that someone had changed the exposure settings on my camera, which could contribute to why I've been having a hard time getting good pictures without the flash.)

Isaac's two pictures of the day were "of all of us and the robots."

Also, the exersaucer has been great for having the boys play "together" a bit more.  Isaac likes to run around it and play with the toys, and Joshua watches.

Tuesday: 35 months

Isaac is 35 months old.  I know, it's a weird milestone.  I feel weird every time I write it.  But he's still changing so much that it's nice to have a quick update.

Sleeping - he is still nicely sleeping until at least 7:15 most mornings.  We're working on getting him to get out of bed and go to the bathroom without me telling him to do so.  The number of naps is quickly declining though.  At the beginning of the month is was about two days out of three.  Now it's one day out of three.  We still have rest time though!!  And there are a few advantages to him not needing a nap...life is easier to schedule, especially with all the holiday things happening.

Pretend - Little Monster still shows up sometimes and he still does a lot with traps.  I think the biggest thing this month is getting "stuck".  As in, his feet are stuck to the floor when he doesn't want to do something.  He's been doing this for a while, but this month seemed especially bad.  Jumping and hopping tend to get him unstuck.  He also really likes to celebrate birthdays.

Eating - I've noticed that if I change how something is delivered, he'll start to eat things that he wasn't.  Spinach?  Puree it.  Yogurt?  Back in the bowl this month.

Praying - Isaac still thanks God for Jesus and thunder and lightning every time, but sometimes he includes "nothing" too.  "Thank you for nothing."  We're not really sure what to do about it, so we usually laugh behind our hands.

Potty training - not great, but not too bad.  I feel like we're getting close.  He's usually accident free during the day, but the last hour or so is when there is a problem.  But I usually forget to help remind him in that last hour too.

Singing - Isaac has started singing more this month, and often things I didn't realize he was actually paying attention to quite a while ago, including "Pop goes the weasel" and some songs from story time at the library.  His "Happy Birthday" song melts my heart too.

Lawyering - I get lawyered so often.  He was eating the cookie part of his snack and I asked him to go to the bathroom when his cookie was done, so he put down his cookie and ate the rest of his snack first.  Or when most of his body was on the bed and I needed to put his socks on, so I asked him to put his feet on the bed.  He got off the bed and put just his feet on, which really didn't make it any easier to get his socks on.