3 and 20

Out of the past 6 weeks, I was sick for 4 and a half of them, Shilo for about 2.5, Kayley 4 weeks and Andrew about 2. We are so happy we are all healthy now! We were sick of being sick and so out of commission. Plus our household has been a wee bit cranky… But now we’re past that and trying to find our balance once again, or at least as much balance you can have with a constantly changing 3 month old and rambunctious 20 month old. 

Visiting the doctor on Jan 1st. What a way to start the new year.

Kayley has entered more into the “terrible two” stage of life. She is constantly trying to figure out the world around her, her boundaries, and how she fits into it. We thus have had a lot of “nononononono!” conversations, tears of frustration, and pouting. Hmm I wonder who’s side of the family she got the pouting from… But somehow we make it through the hardest of days even when our patience is wearing thin. To help get through some of the tough times that inevitably arise during the day we have found telling Kayley to take a deep breath and/or have a sip from her sippy helps to calm her down. We have also implemented timeouts for when she is really not listening and obeying, but instead trying to see if she can be in charge of the situation the way she wants to be. We have a special place for timeouts in our home, and we move her blue chair there when necessary. Then she has to sit while facing the wall for anywhere from 10 seconds to about a minute depending on if she actually sits or if she keeps trying to get up. We end the time by talking about why she was on time out, telling her we love her, and then praying about the situation. She then gets to move the blue chair out of the timeout spot and carry it to the play area (which she likes to do). 

 

Kayley is also testing her physical abilities. She loved to see how fast she can run, crawl and spin. Jumping and dancing are two of her favorite physical activities, and I have lost track of how many time she had somersaulted or jumped off the couch when I was either attending  to Shilo or had my back turned for a split second. Thankfully we haven’t had any real accidents or ouchies, and I do have to admit that I loved jumping down the stairs and off the couch when I was little too. One time my brother Tim even talked me into doing somersaults down the stairs. It was supper fun until my head hit the wall at the base of the stairs...

At least when she jumps off the couch she puts pillows down to jump on first

Shilo is becoming quite fond of her fists and fingers. She has always and still does enjoy sucking on her paci, but her little hands are becoming a new love of hers. She is also starting to love being in a standing position. She has always loved watching the world around her and this has becoming the new way she wants to take it in. Having her stand and stretch and bounce her legs is one of the best ways to currently calm her down (not counting her paci).

Nom nom nom

 I think Shilo is going to be a daddy’s girl. She really likes to give Andrew big smiles, and he has been the only one to truly make her laugh. She has blessed me with little heh hehs, but has blessed Andrew by outright giggling at least three time.

Shilo continues to be our little giant. At only three months old some of her 6 month clothes are starting to fit perfectly, which means she will probably grow out of them sooner rather than later. It’s most likely due to how much the little one likes to eat. I call her my little hobbit (minus the hairy feet) because of her big appetite. Though with the rate she’s growing she’ll grow too tall for the nickname soon.

Sisters:

Hanging out with Mama

Reading with Dada

Tummy time! Kayley didn't want Shilo doing it alone.