Monday, March 11, 2013

Pre-Sibling Rivalry

We've started talking to the kids about their baby brother. So far, they are just starting to get it. Here is an awesome video of Piper trying to "tuck in" baby brother with a wipe, which resulted in a little scuffle with Fletch. Excuse my general whale-like state. Bedrest does nothing for one's figure or fashion sense.


Saturday, March 2, 2013

2.5 Years Old

Yesterday, the kids turned 2.5 years old. I can't believe it. That just seems so old to me. Time is really starting to fly by. 

Since I"m on bedrest, Eric bravely took them to the pediatrician, and lived to tell. He said they did great. I was a little worried because before they left, Piper told me, “I’m going to the doctor's, and it’s not going to hurt, and I’ll be very brave. I won’t be scared." Not sure where she learned to make all those associations, but it was so sweet. 

The doctor declared them happy and healthy, although Fletch remains a beast. Here are their stats (taken standing on the regular doctor's scale--the kids are getting so big they no longer get measured on the baby scale):


Fletch: 
6 months: 27 inches (66%), 18lbs 12oz (68%)
9 months: 28.5 inches (59.9%), 22lbs 7.7oz (79.4%)
12 months: 30.5 inches (74%), 24 lbs 10 oz (76%)
15 months: 31.5 inches (64%), 27 lbs 8.5 oz (86%)

18 months: 34 inches (93%), 29 lbs (95%)
21 months: 34 inches (although measured at home so maybe not accurate), 32 lbs (93%)
24 months: 35.75 inches (71%), 33.4 lbs (97%)
30 months: 37 inches (85%), 37 lbs (97%)

Piper: 

6 months: 25 inches (19%), 15lbs 11oz (39%)
9 months: 27.75 inches (57.9%), 17lbs 13.7oz (32.5%)
12 months: 30 inches (79%), 20 lbs 1.9 oz (34%)
15 months: 31.25 (76%), 23 lbs 1 oz (55%) 

18 months: 32.5 inches (73%), 24 lbs (87%)
21 months: 32.5 inches (again, measured at home), 26.4 lbs (63%)
24 months: 34.75 inches (71%), 27.6 lbs (75%)
30 months: 37 inches (85%), 30 lbs (66%)

So, what are the kids up to at 30 months. Here is a little recap:

Fletch:

A year ago at this time, Fletch had zero words and barely recognized it when we called his name. After a year in speech therapy (which we just graduated from), he's now our little chatterbox. I swear he talks more than Piper. He knows hundreds, if not thousands or words, including more Thomas characters than I could ever memorize, and is saying 3, 4, 5+-word sentences. He just loves to talk and for people to listen to him. 

Fletch is also really into pretend play. He loves to wear his pirate and superhero costumes and zoom around the house. He also loves to set up his Thomas trains and make them talk to each other or start little battles between his Jake and the Neverland Pirates figures and Captain Hook. His imagination has really taken off and it's blown me away. 


In addition to trains and pirates, Fletch loves snowmen (he's still singing Frosty the Snowman, several months after the holidays), helicopters, planes, and dinosaurs. For a while, he was sleeping with several Thomas trains, but when it started to get out of control with the number of trains required for slumber, we transitioned him  to sleeping with two dinosaurs, which has worked out much better. 


Speaking of sleep, for the past few months, Fletch has been having trouble going to sleep at night, often requiring us to tuck him in many, many times before he'd relax. Over the past few weeks, we've transitioned them to a later bedtime at 7:30pm, and now he just needs to be tucked in once or twice and he's out (knock on wood). I think he just didn't need to go to sleep so early and he was so busy learning so many words, that he couldn't sleep.


All in all, Fletch remains our sweet, cuddly boy, with a slight mischievous side that is coming out more and more. I can't wait to see what comes next for him.


Piper:

Oh my little Sweet Pea. She just kills me every day with how smart and beautiful she is. There is nothing that can get by Piper, so don't bother trying anything. She's practically speaking in full paragraphs these days, and loves nothing more than telling you what to do or other commands. 

Like Fletch, Piper is very into pretend play but in different ways. She prefers to do things like Mommy and Daddy do them, like ask me to "hold still like a statue" and brush and style my hair, just like I do with her. She also loves helping Eric cook, particularly on weekend mornings when he makes pancakes. As soon as you ask her to help cook, she comes running in. 


Piper is a collector, and may need to be featured on Hoarders someday. She just loves to figure out what toys belong to her, and collect all her stuff in various place. Her main hoard is the Ikea circus tent. Toys that go in there are rarely seen or played with again. Cleaning it out is like excavating a landfill with layers of various toys you haven't seen in days or weeks. You'll also find lots of mini-Piper hoards around the house, such as between the couch cushions or under pillows. And, now she's trying to rope Fletch into her game by creating small hoards for him of the toys she's deemed are his. . 


Like me, Piper loves her sleep. She happilly goes to bed every night, snuggling in tight with her lovey trifecta of Diego, BearHead Jones, and Dollie, along with whatever stuff she's decided to pile into her crib that day. She loves getting cozy in her blanket and being left alone with her toys. 


Piper is also my snuggle bug in the mornings. When she wakes up, she needs a good 10-15 minutes of snuggling in the glider before she's ready to get dressed and carry on for the day. I love it because she's so happy to sit next to me or on my lap and just enjoy the moment and quiet.

Piper is my sweet little girl with a lot of sass. She's going to take on the world someday, I can feel it.

P&F Together: 

For a long time, P&F just sort of coexisted. They didn't interact much or really even acknowledge each other. Honestly, it worried me for a while. These days, however, they full on love each other, with Fletch being particularly attached to Piper: At bedtime, they need to go through this complicated routine that only they understand of saying goodnight and I love you to one another. If Eric takes Fletch out to the car first, he freaks out that Piper might not be coming. Piper doesn't get quite as concerned about Fletch, but she loves to give him hugs and kisses, especially if she's hurt is feelings or upset him. 

They also are playing more and more games together. I love hearing Piper say, "Fletchie-boy, come here." and Fletch respond with "Pipu, I'm coming" and then following Piper into the living room to do something. They particularly love to "make dinner" together, where they set up all their pretend food on their toddler table and then sit down to "eat" together. 


They also love to play tag with one another and chase each other around and around until they both collapse in a fit of giggles. It's just the cutest thing ever. I love the bond between them, although it's already starting to make me worried for a day when/if we have to split them up for school.

While 2.5-years old is REALLY challenging at times, full of whiining, tantrums, and crying, it's also full of so many funny, sweet, warm, playful moments that really make up for it.