Alexander's 9 month Check-up

On January 4 Alexander had his 9 check-up, which I was most curious about I love to hear how much they have grown.

Alexander was
28 1/4 inches tall putting him in the 50% for height
weighed exactly 17 lbs putting him in the 5% for his weight (last visit we were in the 10% but he started crawling between now and then)
his head was 46 cm in the 60%.

It's so cool to watch how different kids can be in the same stages.

Cameron
weighed 17lbs 12oz
was 29 1/2 in long
his head was 46cm also.

Terrilyn
weighed in at 16lbs 13oz
was 28 in long
her head was 47 1/2 cm round.

They all were crawling by then but he must feel a need to keep up with the older kids because he seems way more active and into way more trouble. But here are some pictures of him pulling himself up onto things. The box pictures were the funniest because the kids came running into the other room all excited saying "Alex climbed on top of the box" in my head I'm thinking what box and how high is he? But he was so funny just laying on it singing away.

Here are some pictures of him stuck under Cameron's Spider Man table..very funny because he wasn't upset just frustrated he couldn't get out.

Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with my sister and Conner a little early because he was going to his dads. When we were trying to decide what to get Alonna's boyfriend John for Christmas Jeremy came across this "John Deere" t-shirt and thought it was a great joke, then a bit later we found an actual John Deere tractor to go along with it.
Ever since the Transformer movie came out and all the toys with it Jeremy has been after the concept Camaro version of BumbleBee and to no avail. But mom, Alonna and I were on the lookout for it and in the process bought every other type of BumbleBee toy we came across some were quite juvenile. I finally found one and bought it hoping he wouldn't find one before Christmas and buy it, because there would have been no talking him out of it. Alonna wrapped them for him to open progressively, so that the first one he opened was a stuffed reversible one. Then one that only transforms by popping up its head and zooming across the floor, my mom found a miniature one and then finally the long sought after concept Camaro BumbleBee(sorry no picture of that I don't know why). Cameron much too his dismay is not allowed to touch it with out Jeremy's presence. The pictures of Terrilyn having a break down is due to no more presents left to open and this is after she opened all of mine one of Conner's and one of Alexander's. Funny stuff.
Christmas morning found the kids really excited to open up more gifts...and thanks to a couple of very generous secret Santa's that filled in where we couldn't. We found ourselves very blessed and couldn't have asked for a better Christmas.

Cameron's Pancake Breakfast Christmas Party at Preschool

OK, so you heard about Terrilyn's little accident at preschool the morning of this party but here are some pictures that I took while we were there. It was a lot of fun they made pancakes and potatoes, sausage, and fruit was brought in. They played a couple of games one of which i wish I would have taken pictures of but I helped get ready for it so my fingers were goopy...but we put Vaseline on their faces and then they raced to the pile of cotton balls and smashed them on their faces to create Santa beards. The last thing they did was open their gifts if you were going to participate you had to bring in a gift for whatever sex you were under $5. Cameron picked out some cool cars that he was all excited about...well he unwrapped a Go Diego Go Puzzle and was most put out. I felt bad but how do you teach them to accept things gratefully even when its not wanted?

Cameron's teachers adore Alexander and always fight over who can hold him and he fell asleep while Mrs Elana was holding him.

Christmas Letter Pictures

Pooping on the Potty

This is a post only a parent can love...
I was typing up the previous post about Terrilyn's potty training when all of a sudden I could hear lots of noise and commotion in the bathroom. I walk in there and Terrilyn is sitting on her little potty and Cameron is playing with the toys in the bath tub entertaining her. She looks up at me and says "mommy i pooping eeeuuyyyy!" It was so funny. He had even turned the fan on for her which by the way was good because it was smelly in there. But she went in there all on her own YEAH!!!! I realize now I probably should have taken a picture to post with this oh well.

Potty Training Day Adventure

So the other day I decided that I was done changing 2 sets of diapers every day, it was now time to get Terrilyn potty trained. It was Christmas break so no leaving the house to get Cameron and as long as I am in the car lets go run some errands...this should be perfect right?

Well its the holiday weekend, Walmart is going to be crazy for the next week or so staying home should be easy until I look into the fridge and "UH OH" we will be out of milk tomorrow and I do need some things for that Christmas dinner we will be having with Alonna and for that Christmas morning brunch we are having with the Curtis'. Curses! I need to go to Walmart. So the morning of Cameron's preschool party...as long as I am out I better head over to Walmart.

Now, I am one that bypasses the whole pull-up thing because for me they seem just like a diaper and I do the underwear that is like the cloth diapers, kind of thing enough to not make a huge pee puddle below.

Well she was doing pretty good and when all of Cameron's classmates went for their potty break Terrilyn wanted to go along also but wouldn't go any further than the door because it was so loud and echoed. Later after we had cleaned up from the pancake breakfast I couldn't see her well thats because she was sitting on the floor behind a table in a pile of pee. So when school was over we went home to change clothes and go to Wal-mart.

It was as crazy as I had expected and I did my shopping and got in line, waited and as I am putting it on the conveyor belt I realized there were some things I forgot so back in I go and back to another line and just when we are the next ones in line Terrilyn needs to go the bathroom but I am stuck with a cart full of groceries I already bought and next to check out on a couple of things I tell her just a minute and as we are about to put those last few things up to be paid for she starts crying (now she is standing in the back of the cart and there are some plastic storage containers that I bought under her) I rush to her and pick her up (to save my bagged groceries) as pee goes everywhere on the plastic containers and the floor. Meanwhile there is a line of people behind me and Alexander has decided that it is time to get fussy and I am trying to take off her wet panties, mop up the pee that's on the floor and the plastic boxes, with paper towels. Its my turn now I quickly (well as fast as the old lady checking us out would go)check out. During this Terrilyn who is in a little cotton dress is holding it up with her bare behind exposed for one and all in Wal-mart to see. Luckily I had just bought some new pink "panties" (currently we had 3 little boy pairs 3 white and 3 girlie) So I am walking out the doors when the plastic containers go spilling off the cart and Teriyln is making a break for it across the parking lot and a really nice teenage gal offers to help carry them to my car...keep in mind I had only hurriedly dried them off and they were still a little wet and I just didn't have the heart to tell her that they were wet because my daughter had peed on them because I needed the help to my car. This is where you think "whew just off to home and we are done"

But the van is acting up and we stop by Hungry Howies to have Jeremy take a look at it and the kids want pizza. So inside we go to eat a late lunch...Terrilyn is making faces "are you going poop?" more faces and a nod so we rush off to the back of the store to the bathroom with Alexander in tow and I sit him in the corner by the utility shelves away from the toilet and slide Terrilyn on the toilet which smears poop everywhere. The bathroom is freezing and she is shaking and says she is done. So I clean up the toilet and out we go to finish our pizza (now into pair #2 of new panties). Out to the van and I am strapping Alexander into his seat and staring through the van at Terrilyn who is standing on the other side making a face about to cry and saying "uh oh" I walk around and she is standing in a puddle of pee. Now it is really time to go home because that is pair #3 of new panties and the last I have.

I am happy to report however that since then we have done GREAT just a few minor incidents but for the most part we are well on our way to being potty trained. She even has only wet the bed once :) Yeah!!!