Camo Kid

This one's for his dad...

SNOW!

Natalie enjoyed the snow this morning...

What's new? Glad you asked...

Here's a brief update on some exciting kid stuff:

First, Jameson (7.5 weeks):

• He's sleeping like a champ in his big boy crib. Usually wakes up 2 times/night to eat but sometimes I get lucky and it's only one!
• He started really smiling this past week. And "talking". He has the cutest little smile that I've been trying to capture on video (stay tuned...)
• He's growing! I have no idea how much he weighs right now, but it's obvious he's putting on the pounds like a nice and healthy baby boy should! He's outgrown the cute newborn clothes and is wearing mostly 3-month size already. Guess all that sleeping is paying off!
• Still spitting up. Ugh.
• We've tried both a bottle and a binkie. He's not too keen on either but will chew on them out of curiosity for a while.
•  Unfortunately, his hair is getting thinner. And, it might just be my imagination, but in the sunlight, I see a golden glimmer on his head. So far, eyes are still very blue. Am I really going to have another blonde-haired, blue-eyed child?!? Time will tell...

And then there's Natalie (2 years and 4 months). She's growing and learning so fast that I don't know where to begin...

• Last night she counted to 10. Granted, she skipped the number 7 but still, we were so surprised and proud! Maybe she's just superstitious...
• Loves to sing! Her faves are the alphabet song (although she usually sings the condensed version which goes "ABCDEFG, next time won't you sing with me". And sometimes she intermixes a little "Twinkle twinkle little star" since they have the same tune. She also likes "Old McFarmer had a cow" and "Head, shoulders, knees and toes"
• And of course, she still loves to dance. She took her first "dance" class last week and LOVED it. 
• Her vocabulary and speaking skills are amazing. Nearly every day she says something (in the correct context) that I didn't know she knew. Again, I need to capture it on video soon!
• We struggle with listening and obeying all the time. But I hear that's a 2-year old thing, right? I'm currently on chapter 2 of "How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk". Desperate times call for desperate measures (in the form of best selling self-help books!)
• She is a great big sister and has a very maternal instinct toward her baby brother. I've caught her trying to pick him up, change his (very messy!) diaper, clean his nose, and other "mommy" jobs. She's very loving and enjoys giving him kisses and calling him "sweetheart" and "sweetie pie". On the other hand, she often also scolds him when he spits up or poops in his diaper (despite our constant explanations about what babies do). I really like the fact that she will go fetch whatever we may need, like a clean blanket or bib from Jameson's room. She's a big help!
• Ironically, as she scolds her brother for not using the potty, Natalie is still not potty trained. She regressed the week Jameson was born and I thought she'd go back to it by now. Not so! She goes in the potty maybe 1/2 or 2/3 of the time, depending on the day. I'd love to have one of them out of diapers!

Here is a picture of a helpless Jameson after his big sister decided to decorate him with stickers this weekend. Boy is he in for it...

Halloween 09!

Just a little late with these photos, but here are our two little trick-or-treaters in their costumes...

Jameson was a cute little skunk. If this costume looks familiar, it's because it was the costume I made for Natalie's first Halloween. And the hand-me-downs have begun! 

We got a little creative for Natalie's costume. Some people thought she was Rainbow Brite. One person asked if she was Punky Brewster. And Jeramy thought she looked like she should be in a Gay Pride parade. But Natalie labeled herself a "Rainbow Princess" and especially loved the spray in color in her hair. That was fun to wash out! 

Our Halloween festivities began with trick-or-treating in the Old Mill District and attending the Fred's annual Halloween party. We begged for more candy in their neighborhood until it got too cold then enjoyed a potluck dinner and endured the sugar-induced rambunctiousness of the kids. Oh yeah, and we watched the Ducks kill USC (the Beavers already played and won earlier in the day). 

On our way home, Natalie actually said "Mommy, I'm tired" and asked to go to bed. I was worried about the time change, but with all the excitement of a late Halloween night, she slept in until 7am (which was really 8am)! 

The next day, Grandma and Pa Yost came for a quick day visit. Natalie entertained them and Jameson was awake and alert nearly all day, much to their delight. 

All in all, it was a great weekend! Better start on next year's costumes now so I'm not as behind as I was this year!