My how they are growing. There are so many times when I think, “I have got to write that down.” Well, here are some things lately that I just don’t want to forget about my kids and the stage that they are in… for now.
Anastasia Grace (4 1/2 years old)
Ana’s independence is really coming out right now. She wants to make her own decisions and do things without help. This ranges from what she chooses to wear for the day to going to the refrigerator and helping herself to whatever she pleases without permission. She is definitely learning boundaries. It is a fun and difficult time. On one hand, I love to see her getting bigger and learning to do things on her own. On the other hand, she can sometimes be a little too big for her britches. That is part of learning.
I have started asking Ana to do help with some chores now. One of her main chores (that I love) is that she hangs socks for me. I don’t have a dryer. Everything is line-dried here.
A couple of weeks ago Greg and I had a date night. Ana has always been such a daddy’s girl and wants the same amount of attention that her daddy gives to me. She told Greg that she really wanted to go. Greg promised to take her on a special date the next week. Ana was so excited when I picked her up from school. I loved our conversation. She told me exactly what they were going to do. I explained to her that when a boy asks her on a date, he decides where he will take her. If he wants to ask, she needs to wait for that to happen. When we got home she insisted that she needed to wear her scarf (it was in the 80’s outside). It dawned on me a little while later that I had worn a scarf on my date with Greg. She had it in her head that scarves are what the girl wears when going on a date. Greg took her to McDonald’s and then gave her a choice: popcorn and a movie or games and ice cream. She chose the games and ice cream.
One evening we were eating dinner and the subject of coffee came up. Ana looked at Greg and asked, “Daddy, I want a crapuccino.” (I guess she took capuccino and frapuccino and mixed them up.)
Ana has been ultra-sensitive about things since Cohen entered the picture.
Ana is so sweet and loving as the big sister. She talks to Maggie and Cohen like she is a momma. She gets home from school and immediately says to Maggie, (in high pitched voice) “Hi sweetie! How was you day? Are you happy to see Nana?” And they hug. Precious. I will have Cohen laughing, and she will want to take over. She wants to be sure that I know when she has made him smile or laugh. She is such a big help to me as the oldest.
She still loves art. And I continue to be impressed with her ability. I know I am biased, but this is something she freehanded and colored after we studied the story of Daniel last Sunday:
It has really struck me lately how she is following in my footsteps. She really does watch what I do. The scarf story above is one of many examples of this. I like to go up on our rooftop to do my quiet time. I keep a prayer journal and love the chance to get away from the house noise. One afternoon I was journaling, and Ana came up to the roof to see what I was doing. I took the time to explain my journal and why I do it. She said, “I want to write a prayer to God!” I suggested that since she couldn’t write quite yet to draw a picture for God. It was a sweet moment to share with her. I pray that I can be ever mindful of the little eyes that watch me.
Margaret Kathryn (2 years old)
Maggie is something else. She loves people, and she is a talker! We cannot get her to be quiet at times. She gets an idea in her head and says it or asks it over and over again.
Just recently I got out all of Ana’s old 2T clothes. Maggie loves wearing dresses. She also loves her Elmo apparrel. We will find her shoes, Ana’s shoes, and our shoes all over their room and the TV area because Maggie loves to try all of them on. She loves accessories.
She heard someone say Amen after singing once, and now she wants to say it after every song we sing with the church. Our church group calls her “Hermana Amen.” And she is just that. After every song we sing together she says it and we all repeat after her. Hilarious.
Her talking is exploding. It is amazing to me how she has already picked up on so much Spanish. She says “gracias,” “no mas,” and “si.” She seems to always understand Manuela when she talks with her. My favorite is hearing her call people by name. Some of my faves: Budiff and Bedo (Judith and Alfredo), Bela (Manuela), Anamam (Abraham), Evina (Etelvina), Dido (Cirilo)…
She loves watching Barney, Backyardigans, Elmo, and Max and Ruby. Here is how our conversation goes every morning after I wake her up: Maggie, “Momma, juice peez.” Me, “OK, we have to get dressed first.” Mags, “Momma, I wanna mawch Bawney.” Me, “Not right now Maggie.” Mags, “Melmo?”… “nanawhns” (Backyardigans)… “Muby (Ruby), Momma.” every.morning.
The girl loves eggs. She would eat 3 every morning if I fixed them for her. She also drinks her weight in whatever we give her. Her favorite beverages are juice, nokna bilk (chocolate milk), and doke (coke)–which she doesn’t get very often.
She is definitely in the “mine” stage. She doesn’t even like it if I prop Cohen up on her pillow. “My peellow, Momma!”
She wants to be so much like Ana. I love seeing them together. It is a great blessing to have two girls in close age. They share a bedroom and that has worked very well so far. Many nights they get into trouble for giggling and playing too late. I look forward to seeing them grow up together.
Cohen Timothy (4 going on 5 months)
I have decided that this is not my favorite stage of babyhood. He is in between the sleeping all the time stage and sitting up and playing with toys stage. He is right on the verge of sitting up by himself for long periods of time. I sit him on the couch and he holds himself still for long increments of time. He has just started trying to grasp objects in front of him but he can’t figure out how to hang on to them. He also has been caught sucking his thumb. We still swaddle him and use a pacifier so he hasn’t gotten much of a chance to be a thumbsucker yet.
Unlike the girls he HATES to have his diaper changed at night. He cries like I am hurting him every.single.time. It always makes me laugh because he is so delirious. All I have to do, though, is change him, nurse him, and put him back in the bed. He goes rigtht back to sleep.
He is almost sitting up. He can roll from his belly to one side.
I am going to give him rice cereal very soon. It is much earlier than with the girls, but my babycenter email says that a child needs to be 4-6 months, double their birth weight (which Cohen is more than double), able to sit up fairly well (check), and takes an interest in you eating (latest development).
His hair is growing out, but he is definitely sporting the beginnings of a comb over and rat tail. We will be sure to trim those before they get too long. 🙂
