Monday, May 4, 2009

Annie has been reaching some milestones in the past couple of weeks. Some are milestones all babies reach, and others are those that my babies reach and make me feel like they are growing up too fast. First of all, she is really sitting up on her own. She isn't completely trust-worthy and definately needs her boppy piloow around her... but for the most part, she can sit and play for several minutes at a time. I think she really likes being able to sit up like a big kid and watch everyone running around. She's very entertained. In fact, sometimes, too entertained. When something makes her laugh or very excited, she arches her back and flips herself backwards... hence the need for the boppy.

On Saturday she took her first 'Duck Tub'. This has become a rite of passage in our house. When the baby is old enough to sit up well, we inflate the old duck tub (given to Jack as a shower gift) and give them their first 'sitting up' bath. Annie, as the others, LOVED this experience. She couldn't believe that she was able to slpash around with her hands and see her little feet in the tub. Jack and Mallie got in on the action (of course) and helped and we very excited as well. They showed her how to make the duck 'quick' by squeezing it's beak. The whole thing was a huge party in the bathroom. Duck tubs are great fun for the kids.... but ended up making the mom feel like she was going to cry because her little baby is old enough for a duck tub.

Finally, Annie has become a BIT of a cuddler. When she is sleepy, i pull her little legs up into her chest and she puts her head down on my shoulders. I feel like I see babies do this all the time with their mommies... but Annie has never been one to rest her head on my shoulder... I think she's too afraid of missing somthing going on. Anyway, she'll lay her head on my shoulder and put her face right in my neck. I nuzzle her and chat with her really softly and when i lift up my face to see what she's doing, she is usually smiling, with her pacifier in her mouth and closing her eyes. To me, it seems like the ultimately relaxing thing for her. At least, I'd have to feel pretty relaxed to be smiling with my eyes closed!!!

Annie is also becoming a little chatter box.. or at least she enjoys yelling a lot. She's not much of a babbler yet... but she does like the sound of her own voice. So she does long, drawn out 'aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh's' ALL the time. Yesterday, she started to do it in church and Tommy had to take her out. Once she starts, there's no stopping her. She isn't unhappy... just wants to hear herself.

I was scolding Jack the other day for jumping on the couch and told him that if he did it again, he'd be in serious trouble. Mallie, with her pac in her mouth, repeated me, "SERIOUS TROUBLE!' clear as day.

Mallie has been spitting when she's angry. If Jack does something to make her mad, she yells at him, "Bad JOT!" and then goes, "pppptttffft". She has also physically attacked him a couple of times, leaving scratches on his face. When I go in to break up the fight and discipline them, he tells me, "It's OK Mom, I'm OK" because he doesn't like it when I discipline Mallie.

We drove to the Eastside yesterday for a party and when I looked in the back seat to check on Jack and Mallie, they were holding hands as they sat in their carseats.

Jack and Mallie have been more than sweet to Annie lately. They greet each morning with kisses and sweet things to say "Hiiiii Yi-yi!!! You uuuuup??? I yuv you!!!' shaking their heads and making google eyes at her. She LOVES this!!! Especially from Jack. She cannot get enoug of her brother.

Annie, almost without fail, tends to get very fussy right as we sit down to eat dinner every night. I hvae been pulling her highchair up behind Mallie and she takes it from there. Mallie plays pee-a-boo, shakes her toys at her, talks to her, etc. And Annie sits there and babbles to Mallie and belly laughs. Since this started, Mallie has not been eating her dinners... but atl least the two of them are happy!!!

Jack has started a new thing... Timmy was over and we were sitting on the deck the other day. Timmy said, "This is really nice out here", to which Jack replied, "Isn't it, Timmy?" Then the next day I said, "Mallie, you're so cute" and Jack said, "Isn't she Mom?" I'm not sure where we picked this one up.

He also has been hesitant to try new things at school. Mrs. Pachettie and Mrs. Krueger have been working on this. At Grandpals day the other day (which Papa attended), the kid greeted the Grandpals by holding hands and singing "The More We get Together". Jack just sat with Papa at this part and said, "I'm not doing this part".... and told me when he got home that he didn't sing that song cause he was 'a little shy' which is his excuse for not trying new things!?

Jack started mini-kickers soccer last week. I have never seen him so excited for anything in his life. He couldn't eat breakfast and when he was 'done' he ran upstairs and dressed himself (which I've been trying to get him to do for months!) in his soccer shorts. He was totally excited and was the first one on the field, running around, kicking the ball as the other kids signed in. He is pretty good, too!!!

Mallie has been a huge helper around here lately. She jumps to help me with the laundry (or yawndee as she calls it). She pretends to shake out the shirts and towels like I do. She loves to help dust and wash things.

Mallie knows the words to "Frosty the Snowman'...especially the last word to each line. The best is when she sings, "He led them down the streets of town right to the traffic" and she yells "COP!!!" It never gets old!

Jack has learned from this song and calls the 'cops', 'caps'. We were sitting in a parking lot waiting for Tommy the other day and a police car pulled in. Jack yelled, "Look Mom! The caps are coming!!"