Colin - 28 month update

I can't believe how fast the time has gone - once a little baby, he is now a BIG BOY!!!!

About Colin - he is a VERY active 2 year old with a very strong opinion on what he wants, and what he does not want. We are very proud of Colin and his sleep habits - loves to have naps and go to bed at night - however now that he has linked getting out of bed with the ability to leave his room, we are having to bring him back to his room (this morning it was at 3 am).

Passions

• Trains
• Balls
• Froggie (will often give Froggie the same hello reaction as mom or dad)
• Quaker Oatmeal - Strawberries & Cream
• Going outside!
• Water

Likes

• Curious George
• Pasta (rice pasta with meat sauce)
• Bananas
• Post Oatmeal Squares cereal; Cheerios
• Graham Crackers - Honey Bees
• Bath time - his sister must join him for this
• Having his sister chase him around the house (both Anna and Colin will laugh at this one)
• Ketchup and Ranch dressing for dipping (will eat more of this than of the food being dipped)

Dislikes

• Most veggies (although pureed baby food is still a like)
• Rice
• Sweet Potatoes (strange since this used to be a favourite)
• Too much structure - wants to do what he wants when he wants.
• Being left to play by himself (always wants someone there with him)

Choo Choo Bob's

Recently we discovered Choo Choo Bob's in St Paul. They have the best store for little boys (especially those that love trains). Colin played and played (around and around the table we went) with the trains and met a few new friends.

Even Daddy rekindled his love for trains! What a store.....

A drop out already?

The big decision of the week - should we withdraw Colin out of Tumbling?

During week 1 - Colin loved the activities but did not like the structure. He hated it when he had to wait in line and listen to the teacher. I had to take him kicking and screaming out of the room several times. To make me feel even worse, he was the only one in the class that was like this. The teacher asked if he was an "at home kid" and when I told her he was, the conclusion was "that must be it - he is not used to structure".

So week 2 rolls around and I was travelling and Deric did not want to have a babysitter for Anna two nights in a row. Week 3 was this week and Colin was not feeling well so we did not go.

Am I sending a bad message???? Part of me wants to plow through this structure thing, but also wonder if waiting until the next term would be better (starts in mid March). Hmmmm...

A new phase....

I hope this is a new phase!!!!

Colin last night was exhausted, so as usually, I said it was time to cuddle with froggie (his well loved blanket). He agreed and went up to his room and climb into his crib. Normal so far.

A few minutes later, I hear THUMP THUMP - Colin is out of his crib and coming down the stairs. I go up and tell him it is time to go to bed and bring him back upstairs. Now he says "No Froggie, not tired" - yeah right! I try to put him in his crib again with no luck! Thinking what else I could do - I say let's both go to bed - we both head over to the air mattress that is set up in Anna's new room. So far so good, but he keeps looking over at me to see if I am still there.

Eventually he falls asleep (so do I). At midnight, I wake up and decide to move to my own bed - and hoping that Colin will stay put. At 2 am, I awake to THUMP THUMP - Colin once again coming down the stairs. I meet him in the kitchen and he is says "milk and TV". I give into the milk but say that we are going back to bed. But not wanting to sleep on the air mattress, I bring him into our bed to sleep (did I mention he came down with no pacifier or froggie). We all fall asleep again until 5 am, where Colin announces that it is time to watch George (Curious George). Ahhh..... We manage to claim froggie and pacifier instead and coax back into our bed where he slept until 7 am.

I am praying that tonight will be normal - he is supposed to be the good sleeper!!!!

Away from Home

This week I am in San Francisco all week. This isn't all bad in itself since I love the city and the climate is much easier to handle.

Here are a few random thoughts that have gone through my head since yesterday.

• I sometimes find myself wondering why don't I live here, where I could walk outside everyday without having to bundle up. Then I speak to the moms that are local and hear that they have over a 1 hour commute (one way).
• Every one's definition of cold is different - yesterday someone told me to stay inside since it was COLD outside. Yet it is 55 degrees warmer here than in Minneapolis.
• Why did I chose to leave my family for a whole week! At the time, 3 days of training plus a weekend getaway with my husband sounded like a good idea. I miss the chaos of home!
• All I want to do is hum (yum) my way through breakfast, lunch and dinner. Colin, Anna and I start our meals off by taking a bit and saying hmmmm or yummmm. Then it folds into each of us saying it and mimicking the others. Deric usually sits across the room laughing at us - it is so random, yet orchestrated.

Don't they say we will all grow from our experiences?????

Dining out update

YEAH..... our dining out experience was a success.

Who knew ice could be so entertaining. Colin spent most of the time transfering ice from a plate to a cup and then back again using a spoon. I also had a bag full of goodies - the typical snacks, drink and toys. In the end he didn't eat much of the food served, but did enjoy the mango drink and chocolate milk.

Dining out

Deric and I love to dine out - one of the reasons we were happy to move to Minneapolis!

However, lately we have foregone restaurants since Colin does not like to sit still. I think the last successful restaurant visit was right before Anna was born and it took us and a few others to keep Colin entertained and sitting at the table. After Anna, one of us wold be walking outside with Colin trying to avoid a tantrum scene.

Tonight we are going to try a Restaurant!!!! I hope it goes well and we will once again be able to eat out.

Wish us luck....

Indoor Sledding?

Who says you have to go outside to sled....

Somehow our sled ended up in the house and has become a main activity. Colin and Anna do a good job at taking turns, but both love their rides. Believe it or not - it is Anna that opposes to taking turns, she would gladly be the only one that rides; and Colin does not to ride with Anna!

Healthy Growing Girl

Anna had her 9 month check up today - here are the stats

Height - 26.75 inches (25-50th percentile)
Weight - 17.2 lbs (also 25-50th percentile)
Head size - 17.75 inches (90th percentile)

Comments from our Doctor:

• Wow she is a busy little girl (and we think she is laid back and calm in comparison to her brother)
• She can stand so well! (my problem is that she wants to stand all the time yet does not want to hold on - a princess maybe????
• She sleeps how long??? Her reaction when I told her Anna sleeps between 11 and 12 hours a night plus 2 naps during the day)

Interesting facts about Anna....

• Favourite person is Colin - when she sees him her whole face lights up and starts to Belly Laugh
• Favourite kind of animal - Cats. She will start to laugh when she sees a cat (dog not so much)
• Favourite stuffed animal - bunny rabbit that makes noise. He always gets kisses and cuddles from Anna
• Favourite food - peach yogurt; Mango & Pears
• Least favourite food - pureed peas (gag reflux)

My Fair Weather Child

I have had an inkling lately that Colin was a fair weather child the past couple of weeks - that was CONFIRMED yesterday!!!!

Over the past couple of weeks I would bundle Colin up to go and play outside. He doesn't mind too much - will walk around a little, and plays some in the snow. However, he doesn't laugh like normal and just looks at me like "what are we doing out here". He also does not like it when his feet disappear nor will he let go of my hand while walking!

So, yesterday it was 45 degrees outside and wonderfully refreshing. Colin steps out the door to say bye to someone and instantly runs back inside yelling "Out, Out"! So Colin and I put our shoes and coats on and went for our walk - only now, he ran down the sidewalk shouting with glee! He was also going up to our neighbours house to see if people would come out to see him and would say hi to every person and dog we saw along our trip. Let's just say, he had a lot of fun and did not want it to end.

I think Colin will not be impressed when it starts to get colder again later this week..... Tough life living in Minnesota!

New Friends

Deric's friend Bill is here with his daughter Sarah. Colin and Sarah hit it off right away and have been running ever since she arrived. She has even taught Colin a few new tricks this week - jumping off the top of slide, spitting water all over the place & climbing over the back of the couch to name a few.

However - the laughs have be plentiful and I even caught a few moments on camera (I am especially proud of the kisses!)

My Princess Bean is 9 months!!!!

My little princess is growing fast and is already 9 months old!!!

Here are a few of her milestones

• Slept through the night at 6 weeks of age - and this meant 6 am for her versus the 5 am we set for her brother
• Adjusted to life with a brother - you have to be much quicker with him around. She has learned to quickly grab for the things she wants and try to take things back from Colin once he has claimed them. The rivalry has begun....
• Began sitting up at 51/2 months
• Said dada very early on, but not mama until she was almost 7 months - is this a trend since Colin said mama first...
• Began eating solid food at 5 months - loves her fruits!
• Has been thinking about crawling - will go backwards and usually end up under a couch, or just scoot on her butt.
• Ate her first solid vegetable - celery stick last week!

Just so we remember - here is my Princess on April 3!

And here she is today! Oh my have we grown....

Happy Birthday Anna Christine!!!! I love you lots and lots, Mommy

Goal Setting

One thing that I have learned from work - when setting goals, sharing them with others to show commitment. So here are a few of my goals for this year - and throughout the year I compare notes and see how I am doing...

• Lose my baby tummy - yes the weight is gone, but a bulge still exists. To do this, I aim to work out 3+ times a week (beating my current 2)
• Personal Training - to step up my work outs, I want to incorporate some additional weights and variety. Thinking this will give me the motivation (and a different perspective)
• Eat more fruits and vegetables!
• Get a promotion at work - I know this is somewhat out of my control. But since last year was focused on Colin and Anna, I think this would be the time to focus a little more on work and achieve the next level...
• Visit the zoo and the children's museum both and hopefully more than once - something I want to do more often with Colin to expand his experiences. This is where Deric and I differ (so he will be my barrier....).

So let's see how I do....

Back to work

I am back to work with mixed feelings. I was really enjoying my time at home, spending time with kids and Deric. I had a lot of fun over the past week and a half, but now that I am back to work I can appreciate why I come to work everyday.

Things I love about being at work

• Able to enjoy a cup of coffee in silence if I want - no tugging, no Curious George, no nothing
• Being inspired by all the great people I work with - like Heidi (my VP) who always has a smile on her face and has the time to talk JoAnne who always can put things into perspective, or Trisha who is positive about everything and always seems to accomplish everything. Everyone makes me what to do even more with my life!
• Having an adult conversation with others - today my collegues were discussing politics (which is NOT a topic for me), but it was still hilarious to hear the viewpoints
• Being with other Moms - makes me reflect on my life as a mom and what a great and sometimes challenging family I have
• Having my mind challenged - beyond figuring out what Colin was really trying to say
• Able to sit down and complete something from start to finish without being interrupted

Things I miss when I am at work

• Anna's shaking of her arms when she wants to be picked up!
• Colin's infectious laugh - how can you not help yourself and laugh too?
• Playing on the floor - ball, slide, whatever
• Cuddles from either Colin or Anna - which I do not get everyday but love them when I get them!
• Nap time

But what I love the most about my day - walking back into the house after being gone and both kids being excited to see me. Anna will start shaking her arms and Colin will run to me and say "Hey... Mom!!!" and then start laughing. This is enough to put a smile on my face no matter the kind of day I have had.

Happy New Year

What a great year! Here is a small recap of 2007

• Anna was born April 3!!! A beautiful girl to cherish and love.
• Colin turned 2! Uh oh spaghetti-os....
• Construction on our house began (and still continues). Should be done by the end of January.
• I got a new job in Strategy and Innovation (no longer in a lab playing with food) - I miss all the samples....
• Cousin Bennie was born on May 10th! Bennie and Anna are only 5 weeks apart and get along famously!
• We purchased a lake home - and love it! I look forward to all the memories.....
• Family vacations to Victoria BC, Ontario (cottage), and Missouri (Lake of Ozark, Columbia and Kansas City)
• Daddy and Colin had a boys weekend at home, while the girls went to celebrate Grandpa's 70th birthday in November. For us girls, it was a great getaway weekend.
• We have discovered that Colin is a fair weather child - loves being outside as long as he does not need to wear boots and mitts. Anna on the other hand loves the toboggan - will she be a true Minesotian?

What a year. What I love the most is watching Colin and Anna grow up. It iss truly an awarding experience to be a mom. Colin's laugh will engage the whole room making everyone else laugh, includeing me. He makes up new games everyday and continues to surprise us. Anna at the moment is learning to crawl and seems to make it to her toys near by scooting on her butt. She will also charm the room with her smile and bright blue eyes!

I look forward to another great year full of love, laughter and good health!