Monday, June 30, 2014

August Gabrielle- 1 and 1/2 years old!

Table dancin'

Happy Boy

Now it is June, and when I look back on his 15 months blog, all of those things are still going on.  Still loves music and dances, but more.   Still loves his shoes.  But, I think he wants them on just so he's ready to go out the door when sister does.  Still loves books and being read to, but more.  His favorite books are "Go, Dog, Go" Dr Suess's "ABC's", and "Hop on Pop"; the Corduroy series.

Building castles

And I don't know if I missed it in the 15 month blog- but August loves balls.  He loves to play with them, hold them, confiscate them if he sees someone else has them.  He loves to carry little choking- hazard size bouncy balls, or even just a marble.  They are often hidden away in his chubby little fist and I don't know they are there.  August tries to engage me in conversations about balls, but all he can contribute is single word "Ball."  He has even chuckled and grinned as he drifted off to sleep in my arms and uttered "Ball."
Daddy push-ups

August is a pretty coordinated little guy; he can run.  He and sister often run a play chase in circles around the house.  They also still love to play jumping and falling on the couch.  August figured out how to ride sister's scooter, so we got him one with a shorter handle bar.

Getting his groove on

We went to the beach at the end of May.  I was told Gus had already had Hand Foot Mouth disease at his 1 year appointment, but he got a different strain with a very pronounced texbook rash while we were on our family vacation.  So for the second year in a town, he spent most of the beach vacation feeling lousy.

Body Parts
Big mess in the carseat

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Isla Rose, 4 years old

The title to this blog is a total shocker- 4 years old!  She's a solid pre-schooler now.  Isla has been very excited about her upcoming birthday and birthday party.

Swinging after Yoga class

Things Isla has said recently that made me laugh:
When I asked her if she wanted a ponytail today, she said "No, a bum."
Isla started parroting me and I have realized I say "actually" a lot.  Jason has been trying to get her to say "indubitably."  He said it and at a time Isla was irritated and she replied "No-doobily!"  When I asked if she wiped her bottom after going potty, "Unfortunately, I did not wipe my bottom."

Cast going on


What's she into these days:  Isla loves her arts/ crafts.  She can play around with a pad of paper or sticker page for hours.  She is still reinacting Valentines Day and gives out little notes to everyone all the time.  There has also been a doll revival in this house, and she spends a lot of time taking care of her little dollies.  She continues to take swim lessons, dance/ gymnastics, and Yoga classes.

This is how to slide with a cast


Isla has a "caretaker" quality about her.  She is kind and sweet towards younger, or even just the shier kids she is around.  She has been good about our "no grabbing" policy, and does not take things out of her brother's hands.

Last day being 3

We are so happy with Isla's Austin preschool.  She loves her school, and is happy to go there every day.  She even started telling me for the past few months, "I love my school."  Music to my ears.
Cast still on

Isla broke her arm about a month before her 4th birthday.  She was holding her dolls in her right arm, and in a rush to get outside, Jason tripped her, and she fell onto her left arm, breaking her distal radius.  She mostly seemed entertained by the whole ordeal.  I negotiated her cast coming off just before her B-day.
Cast coming off


For Isla's 4th birthday, we had a party at our house.  Grandma and Grandpa Dino and Dolores visited.  Our special activity was the band "The Que Pastas" came and gave a concert on our deck.  We miss the 3 year-old who was unhindered by social norms and into her skunks and sharks.  Now Isla is into the princesses.  I steared her towards Tinkerbell for the birthday party decor.  She's all girl and loves to wear pretty dresses and accessorizing.  
4 today!

Easter Hunt

Finding Fairy Houses


Tuesday, February 25, 2014

August Gabrielle, 15 months old

Finger of Demand (FOD):  Right after his 1st birthday, I noticed August started pointing.  We were at a Mammal Exhibit at the Bullock museum, and he started running around pointing at the things he saw.  But that chubby little index quickly changed from "I see something, do you see it too?" to "I want that now!"  And it is accompanied with a little squeak-grunt.  Sometimes he pulls that FOD out and starts firing before he really even knows what he wants.

"Shoes"  August has a few words right now.  He often imitates   He approximates "shoes," with "shh-s" sound.  He makes "k-k" sounds for the cats.  Also, he does a pretty clear "All Done."  He knows what I mean when I saw "brush teeth" and "bath time" and heads to the bathroom.  "Uh-oh" is still be best and most frequently said word, and he says "uh-oh" a lot, like 100 times a day.  We have also been doing signs with him, and he has a few down- "more" "car" "hat" "shoes."

Swinging at the park


Sister games:  August loves playing with his sister.  There favorite games are bouncing/ wresting on the couch, catch and throw ball, and "the object of my desire is the object you currently hold in your hands."  The last game never ends well.  August cries every day when his sister leaves for school.  Right now one of August's favorite things to do it to climb up on the arm of the sofa and jump off.  He does his own little version of "one, two, three" and then jumps/ falls.

Just down the slide

I decided that I should not short August on activities because he is the 2nd child, and we started a little mommy-baby swim class.  He loves to swim and in not adverse to going under the water.  He has figured out how to blow bubbles, and does little kicks.  He also practices these skills in the bathtub.  When the bathtub is filling up, he often tries to climb on in fully clothed, because he's that excited for his bath.
Riding the scoot scoot

We have also continued to do the Music Together classes.  I love seeing the gregarious side of his personality.  He walks around and visits the other kids in the class, almost like a little host, giving everyone a little face time.  He also visits other mommy laps, and assumes he has an open invitation to sit down on whomever he would like.  So far, no rejections.  August also loves dogs, and people have actually commented that he is good with them.   He gives good pets and doggie hugs.

Grocery shopping with 2


August had the most awful goopy runny nose for 3 months straight, Dec-Feb.  It has been a full time job wiping his nose.  All the congestion and the junky cough that goes with it has certainly not helped in the sleep department.  He also rounded out the year with a 3rd stomach flu which struck on Christmas Eve.  The past year has been an bad year for illness at our house.  Hopefully we've had everything, and next the next year will be very healthy.

My favorite thing right now:  It really is a hoot watching this little guy get down and boogy to music.  But, I have to say my favorite thing right now is when August picks a book off the shelf, and comes to find me, holding it out.  I drop whatever I'm doing, sit down on the floor, then he turns his little behind towards me and plops down on my lap so we can read together.