Sunday, March 25, 2012
Chloe the First
Chloe may be the 3rd child in this family but she has earned herself a couple of "firsts" and/or "earliests".
After all the things people told me about how much easier it would be to have a girl, how much easier girls are at the younger ages, I gotta tell you- I have some data that challenges those ideas.
1. Chloe is the first (and still only) child to put a toy or any unsuitable object in the toilet.
2. Chloe is the first to break one of our blinds. They are just inexpensive mini-blinds but STILL! They were all perfectly intact until about a month ago.
3. Chloe is by far the most independent in terms of dressing herself and feeding herself. ME DO! she screams. In fact, she is likely to have herself completely dressed while one or both boys is still half naked, staring at a cartoon and/or whining that they need help.
4. Chloe has mastered how to open the baby gates far earlier than her brothers. Ditto for the buckles on her stroller and booster seat.
5. Chloe wants to sit at the table without the aid of a booster or high chair. Both of my boys were content with their seating options at each stage. I had to switch to a different booster because Chloe really does need the booster to sit comfortably at the table but it had better be something she approves of. Many thanks to my friend Toni for passing on her spare cooshee seat.
6. Chloe is the first to smuggle lots of little things in her pockets. Legos are a favorite. Today's find was a Ghostbusters matchbox car in the pocket of her white cardigan. Michael or Liam might have the occasional rock or spare change but I never know what I'll find in Chloe's pockets!
7. She is on track to be the earliest to potty train but I know that is fairly common with girls. Potty training is a work in progress so we'll see how she does. I think she has the physical ability but I'm not yet convinced she has the "paying attention" part down. I am letting her lead the process because I do NOT want to get into a power struggle with this little lady!
I know there are other examples I am forgetting about but I think this gives you the general idea.
Chloe puts on a shy girl routine in public but at home? She rules the roost!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Name That Tune
See if you can guess what Christmas song Chloe is singing before Mike chimes in at the end...
Monday, December 12, 2011
Chloe at 2
Here is my transition back to blogging post...
Dearest Chloe Jane,
Oh, my little girl! You are a wonder! Everyday, I find something new to adore about you. I can't really say that you are all that different from your brothers- it's not a night and day comparison. But you have your own unique vibe, just as both of your brothers do.
One of the most notable things for me, as your mommy, is that you bring out a different side of me as a parent. I had never felt left out of the boys club that existed in this house before you came along. Truth be told, I kind of liked being the only female in the household. But since your arrival, it's been very cool to have a girlfriend around.
I often feel like you and I have some wonderful secret that we share. Like, hey, these boys just don't get this. I am certain that it is my imagination at work but it's fun anyway!
In some ways, you are very girly. You definitely like compliments, you can be very dainty about things, you know how to pull the "I'm little and delicate" card when needed. At the same time, you can hold your own with the boys. You do not shy away from a fight. Half of the time, one or both of your brothers are crying because you've taken a toy or bestowed a bite. You are not one to come running to mommy or daddy as your first line of defense. You like to take care of business.
You like to take care of lots of things: clean up, passing on orders, correcting me when I'm not doing something correctly. It is hilarious but I hope you don't allow an insistence on things being just so to get the best of you.
You love to sing, dance, play, run, scream, color, laugh, CLIMB, prove me wrong, get naked, get dressed, give hugs and "tisses", talk on the phone, pee on the potty, sneak over to the laptop, boss your brothers, and play outside. You also love stories and puzzles.
You are a versatile playmate who can go from matchbox cars to dolls to kitchen to train table to whatever land of make believe your brothers are creating. You are quick to pick up on things...nothing gets by you. You are a great companion for any type of shopping or eating. As much as you love being in the middle of the action, you very willingly take a nap and I enjoy the story time lead-in to that.
You do NOT love being scolded or placed in timeout. You make the saddest pouty face. I almost can't take it.
You have lots of words, more than I can count. My favorite thing right now is that you always finish your thought about what you don't want to do with the word "anymore". Example: No see Santa anymoh! You also get very indignant if I put up the gate to the kitchen and don't let you in. You say, "Mommy, you yocka (lock) me out". It is funny and heartbreaking all at once. I could really go on and on about all the little things that make you who you are at 2.
My sassy little lady....My lovebug and my sweetheart.
Beautiful Chloe Jane,
I can't wait to see what's next!
Love you,
Mommy
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Chloe- 2 year old check up
height: 34 inches
weight: 22lbs 11ounces
head: 19 inches
Percentiles are: 55/6/71
Yes, that's right- she is in the SIXTH percentile for weight. We aren't used to looking at that end of the curve! See Liam's 2 year old check up here
After reviewing everything, she is on track and she is gaining weight so it's nothing to be concerned about. The only recommendation is that she can stay on whole milk for a little bit longer.
Chloe was a trooper- she didn't cry or even flinch while getting 2 vaccines. I really can't believe she is TWO years old & I can't even bring myself to write a 2 year post for her just yet.
Keeping it short and sweet for now :)
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Happy!
| Our tradition of birthday pancakes in the morning |
| Later on in the afternoon...cake time. My friend made 'Hello Kitty' cake pops ( right in the front of the above pic). They were a hit! |
| Above, Chloe with her brothers & cousins |
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Chloe chatter
Some words/phrases that Chloe likes to say...
Me! or Me first! (me fuhwst)
Bless you -name of sneezer-!
Mommydaddy (she just runs both of our names together so her bases are covered)
Leelee is now Liam
Michael might be called: Michael, Mikey, MeMike
Right here (to tell you where she wants something or where something is)
(I can't even type out what it sounds like, maybe something like "ite ear")
Do Do (meaning that she wants to do it herself)
Co-ee (chloe)
Help me please!
side (outside)
Pee!!!!
baby
med-cee (medicine, yes she asks for it if her teeth hurt)
love you!
and that last one is my favorite :)
Saturday, August 6, 2011
August 2011 Updates- Chloe edition
Chloe
*Chloe is a wild woman. She does not want to be left out of anything. I'm surprised she actually naps but I think she knows she needs to maintain her stamina to get the most out of her evening time. She runs, jumps, laughs, plays monster, hordes matchbox cars, dances & screams with excitement. She knocks over lego structures in one swipe. She yells at the boys and gives them a little smack if they don't fall in line...she's a real peach.
*She wants to do everything herself. I admire her independence, I just wish she'd get a little more coordinated with eating yogurt and oatmeal. She is by FAR the messiest eater of the bunch. She also wants to dress herself, sit on the potty (oh and the REAL potty, not the potty chair...also, it doesn't matter if any pee actually comes out). She gets toilet paper, wipes, washes her hands, the whole routine. She clearly feels she needs no supervision while on the stairs. We call her the "milk maid" because when the kids get their milk cups at night, Chloe insists on serving that nightcap.
*We discovered this week that she is beginning to cut her 2 year molars...I suspected an ear infection b/c those teeth were not even on my radar yet. A visit to the doctor suggested that the top molars are starting to put on the pressure. All the kids have gone through the various rounds of teething early but I thought this was too early, even in our experience. This stage of teething makes for one crabby baby!
*Chloe has lots of words now and is doing a great job with saying "peese" and "kank koo". She likes talking on the phone & is pretty friendly, given her age. She also likes making animal sounds and blowing kisses. Despite the yelling and smacking, she also showers her big brothers with lots of hugs and kisses.
*She is a bundle of energy! She has loved the pool this summer, splashing & kicking...and of course jumping in! In a couple of days, we are hoping to FINALLY make it to the beach. I can't wait to see her reaction- she loved it last year so I'm hoping that hasn't changed. I have a feeling we'll have to keep her from charging right into the ocean!
Those are the things that are standing out to me right now but before I close...
On another note:
*I am still waiting to here if I will get called for an interview for a local school district job. I actually called the HR department on Tuesday to get an idea of where they are in the process. They are still reviewing resumes so while that doesn't guarantee that I WILL get called for an interview, at least I know I'm not out of the running just yet.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
What's Going On?
*Birthday photos that had been lost (by me deleting them ALL from the camera in error) have been retrieved and burned to a CD for a mere $30...worth every penny because they were important birthday moments and we have some nice little traditions that I like having snapshots of.
*On the morning of June 15th, Chloe told Mike "Pee" and proceeded to pee on the potty first thing in the morning. She occasionally likes to repeat that trick. She says "Pee!!! Pee!!!!", she runs to the potty chair, trying to take off her shorts and diaper like a lunatic. She has been dry overnight and generally pees on the potty 1-3 times each day. She also pooped on the floor following her bath last week...with no announcement. I happened to see what was happening and caught the "item" with a wipe before it hit the carpet. It was interesting and luckily not too gross. Then Chloe got the #2 in the right spot on Monday...where did this child come from?
*Related to the above...I'm totally not ready to manage taking another child to a public bathroom but am happy she is so interested and that she gets the basic idea. If the trend continues, she might be out of dipes far earlier than her brothers. We'll see, I'm in no rush but I don't want to discourage her either.
*Michael and Liam have been going to Vacation Bible School since Sunday. In the evening from 6-8pm. It's pretty cool. They are learning different bible stories and the timing couldn't be better. It's a nice change of pace for them and a really nice break for us!
*The boys have also been doing swim lessons since late April. Chloe did one round of "mommy and me" lessons but I opted to skip this session and just practice with her on our own. I think I will pick up with her again at the end of summer when she is a little older and is more agreeable to the situation. She LOVES the water but not so much the lesson setting.
*We took the boys to their very first movie theater experience on Monday...we saw Cars 2. It was definitely entertaining but some of the stuff wasn't so great for 4 and 5 year olds (in my humble opinion). I'm not super-strict about what the kids view but this movie had a bond-like quality to it and there were lots of guns/gadgets and some violence. I don't think any permanent damage was done but I'll be looking at our movie choices a little more carefully for theater experiences. I know my kids are going to see violence at some point but I wish it wasn't so prominent in the context of a movie that is supposed to be for kids...or is it? If you're FB friends with me, you saw my review/rant. Lesson learned for me!
*OH wait...and the biggest news of the week is THIS: Mike got a full time job!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He starts on Tuesday and we are so excited/relieved/thankful that a great opportunity has finally come through. Now I've got to work on getting a part time job that will gel with his schedule but at least one of us is back on track & we are hoping that means things are looking up on the financial front for us :)
That's it for now...I am reading "Under the Banner of Heaven" about the history of the Mormon faith...it's a very interesting book, albeit a tough read for me who can cruise through most books in no time. I'm totally sucked into it but it requires my complete attention so I can't sneak in a chapter with the kids around.
Monday, May 16, 2011
18 months
Friday, November 19, 2010
Chloe 1 year stats
Anyway, Chloe had her one year well visit & all is well.
Here is how she measures up:
Height: 29 and 3/4 inches
Weight: 19lbs, 5ozs
Head: 18 and 1/4 inches
Percentiles are 70/22/82 respectively
I only post the percentile things for reference- I don't worry over them.
And since I didn't blog at the time of one year stats for the boys, here you go:
Michael
Hght- 30 and 1/4 inches
Wght- 23lbs, 14.5ozs
Head- 18 and 3/8 inches
Liam
Hght- 32 and 1/2 inches
Wght- 27lbs, 13 ozs
Head- 19 and 1/2 inches
This post is all numbers but there you have it. It's always so interesting to me to see how they grow :)
Have a great weekend...maybe I can squeeze in some "wordless weekend" posts!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Walk This Way
Saturday, July 24, 2010
It's like a heat WAVE...
As if the heat itself isn't enough, the humidity is the thing that really kills me. I mean, yes, it's REALLY hot. But I can't stand when you feel disgusting the second you open your front door.
The weather aside, the real purpose of this post is to introduce you to Princess Chloe and her wave. Please disregard the two little princes arguing in the background...
Saturday, July 10, 2010
3 tidbits
*During the past few days, Chloe has decided to clap her hands and roll over (not at the same time). She has been waving for about a month which is so cute- she does the princess wave- I've got to try and catch some of that on video!
*We went through a phase a couple of months ago where Kelly Clarkson was #1 on our weekly top 40 requested car songs. Specifically, 'My life would suck without you'. Yeah, I probably shouldn't have them listen to this but by the time I thought of it, Michael and Liam were singing the entire song. Anyways...there is one part that says "I know that I've got issues but you're pretty messed up too". One day out of nowhere, Michael asks me, "Mommy, why are her tissues all messed up?"
*A couple of days ago, Michael was in the bathroom, doing his business (#2) and I'm not sure how this happened but Liam ended up in the bathroom too. I don't object to this as long as Michael is okay with it--I am hoping that Liam will realize that he too can go on the potty. Michael still needs some help with wiping but it took me a minute to get to him b/c I was in the midst of changing Chloe. Through the door I hear Michael say, "It's okay Mommy, Liam is wiping me". Sure enough, I opened the door and Liam had a potty wipe and was wiping Michael's backside. I couldn't hold back my laughter. But seriously, Liam can effectively assist his brother with the toilet but he can't get on board himself??
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Tired...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
6 Months Baby!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Looking back...
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Baby Mozart in Training
A little music for you... please ignore my annoying voice
Chloe was officially 4 months old on March 12th and is the apple of everyone's eye- including her brothers who love to make her smile. She smiles all the time and has been cooing alot- making her voice heard amidst the thunder of Michael and Liam. We are eager to hear her first true laugh although a few brief chuckles have slipped out :)
Her check up at the pediatrician was all good and she weighed in at 13lbs, 9.5oz and is 24 inches long. If you adjust for her early arrival, her weight is in the 80%ile...crazy how my little lady bug has grown. She just tried some rice cereal for the first time today and I think she is going to enjoy exploring solid foods. Here is a clip of her trying out cereal- you also get a peak at her pretty little smile :) Don't mind Liam's background conversation with me about wiping his hands...
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Chloe's Baptism
There was supposed to be one other baby baptized the same day but it turned out that it was just Chloe. This was a really nice thing because the priest- who also baptized Michael and Liam- really spoke to us personally & seemed genuinely happy to celebrate this special occasion with us. He involved all of the kids in the baptism and he even accepted our invitation to join us for the after party.
As a side note, I know that organized religion (especially the Catholic church) takes alot of hits for being greedy and I know that reputation has been earned. However, I can tell you that we give very little to our church in terms of monetary contributions- because we aren't able to- but the pastor is a very sweet, sincere person and has never treated us with anything but kindness. He knows our family and always asks how I am doing, if I am getting enough sleep, etc.
A good priest and just a nice person... I feel very fortunate because I have heard some horror stories from parishes surrounding ours...anywho...
The ceremony was beautiful and the party afterwards was lots of fun. While we are responsible for introducing religion to our children, I know that one day they will need to choose for themselves. They will have to evaluate their own belief system, their own moral code...that's not always easy. My hope is that we are giving them a foundation to build on. I don't expect them to just go along with it because it happens to be part of our family's tradition. I want them to question, to think and to do more than just follow the routine. I hope it helps them navigate this crazy world!!
Oh and here are just a few photos from the day...
With our little Chloe
With Godparents- Matt and Meme
(Mike's brother and sister)
At the church with all the kids-this photo made me think of the Duggars...LOL
The little guy in the hat is my great-nephew if you can believe it!!
Our little Chloe in her dress- you can't tell here but the fabric has shamrocks on it which I loved!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
A Special Day
I am very excited for her to receive this special blessing and sacrament.
I will post photos at some point this week- with any luck ;)
I didn't get to post about her recent 2 month check up.
She is doing great and here are her stats:
Weight: 9lbs, 14oz
Length: 21.75 inches
My little piglet is growing and growing!!
Have a great Sunday :)
