Happy New Year

My favorite "thing" from 2013:




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Leo's crawling! He's been army crawling/worming around for a few weeks now, but today he started crawling up on all fours! I guess his one armed planks finally made him strong enough (everyone comments on how crazy strong he is!). We're so proud and worried at the same time. Now nothing's off limits!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Snow!

This was the first year that Maya could really play and have fun in the snow!

She liked it but said she felt "heavy" in her snow gear!

And Leo- who nicely napped while we played outside!

Santa 2013

At least no one is crying in this year's picture...

I even bribed Maya.  I told her that she could play in the playground at the mall if she didn't cry.  Well, she didn't cry, but she didn't smile either.  She also had to sit on my lap, I'm on a stool leaning out of the picture.  You can see my jeans and hand.  I could tell she was going to freak out so I gave in on that.  Leo was fine.  He did pull Santa's beard really hard (thank goodness it was the real Santa!) and was looking everywhere but at the photographer.  

*Edit:  Maya asked Santa for "Hallie & Chilly" (from Doc McStuffins) and said Leo wanted a Lion.  As we were leaving she said, "But wait, Santa needs to give me my Hallie and Chilly!"  She thought that by asking him for those items she would get them right then and there!

Here's the 2011 Santa post and the 2012 Santa post.  

Maybe 2014 will be the lucky year?  

Maya's "Big Girl Bed"

Maya recently transitioned to her "big girl bed."  We were going to leave her in her crib as she's never tried to climb out but she began asking for a "big girl bed."  One day after her nap, we took the front piece off of her crib, installed the toddler rail, and poof "big girl bed."  I'm happy to report that it's been a smooth transition, except for a few refused naps.

Here she is posing with her "big girl bed" before her first night sleeping in it!

Family Pictures

Our good friend Ben is a budding photographer.  He was in town for Thanksgiving and was looking for some practice. We happily asked if he'd swing by our place to take some pictures.

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

This year we went to my brother and sister-in-law's new house to celebrate Thanksgiving.  The kids had a great time eating at the little kids' table and playing together!  We're so thankful for all of the new little ones in our family, for a healthy family, and our new home!  I'm very thankful to spend another year at home with my kids this year!

Leo is 6 Months Old

Leo turned 6 months old on November 25th!  I can't believe he's half way to his 1st birthday!  

 

This month Leo:

-grew two bottom teeth (and let us hear about it)

-started to roll as a means of transportation all over the house

-began to really love hanging out in his jungle gym play mat- he especially loves the hanging monkey

-started to try and crawl- he's almost there!

-became really NOISY!

-began sitting unassisted for very brief periods of time

-began eating solids.  He's loved everything!

Leo you are STRONG.  Our pediatrician can't believe how strong you are and says you are going to keep us running!  She said that you're very alert, engaged and make great eye contact.

Stats:  

-weight:  15lbs (10%)

- height:  28.5 inches (99%) 

Happy half birthday buddy!  

A Day out with Thomas

Maya and her cousin Alex have been really into Thomas the Tank Engine recently.  My sister-in-law, brother and I decided to take all of the kids to the Strasburg Railroad to ride on Thomas.   It was fun but Maya was really nervous about riding the bus from the parking lot to the train station and then the big loud trains seemed to scare her as well.  In fact, I was the mom carrying a screaming toddler onto the train while baby wearing an infant.  She did settle down toward the end but refused professional pictures with Thomas and Sir Topham Hat... maybe another year.  Leo was cool as a cucumber with the whole ordeal.

Leo the Mover

He's really trying to figure out the crawling forward thing! He's almost there!







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Maya's Collarbone 0: kitchen chair/floor 1

Broken clavicle :(. This occurred immediately following me insisting that she eat at least one pea before getting up to watch Doc McStuffins. I may never ask her to eat a vegetable again...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Leo's First Experience Eating Solids

He ended up grabbing the spoon and trying to feed himself!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Leo the Rolling Machine

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Dave's Birthday

This weekend we celebrated Dave's birthday. To jumpstart the weekend I ventured into Philadelphia with the kids to take Dave out to lunch!










Maya liked these mannequins at the Comcast Center.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Halloween 2013

Happy Halloween!

This year we were a superhero family!  Maya was Batgirl.  Leo was Superman.  Dave was Batman and I was Wonder Woman.  We had fun trick-or-treating in our new neighborhood and were pleasantly surprised to find out there are more young kids around than we realized.  Maya seemed to have fun, except for when she declared that she wanted to stop trick-or-treating mid neighborhood because she wanted to go home and eat her candy!

You can see last year's Halloween pictures here and Maya's first Halloween pictures here.

Maya is 2 and a half!

The terrible twos really haven't been terrible.  Dave and I are both loving Maya's age.  She's such a little person now.  She's funny, inquisitive and sweet.  She's a fabulous big sister and acts like a little mommy.  She loves to bring Leo his toys and pacifier when he's upset.  She tells him to not cry and to not worry and that "Mommy and Daddy will take care of him."  She asks to hug and hold him all of the time!  She also enjoys helping with his bath time!

Recently at a restaurant the waitress brought her a pancake with a smiley face on it.  I looked at it and said "Look, your pancake is happy!" and Maya said "I want everyone to be happy!" Our waitress seriously had tears in her eyes.  

She loves to ask questions and recently asked me what was sweet.  I started naming sweet foods and then she said, "And Maya, I'M sweet!"   :)

Maya was a trooper at her doctor's appointment.  She got her flu shot without even batting an eye during a sick appointment for Leo.  Then at her check up she asked for a shot.  Her pediatrician said that was a first!  

Right now she loves to play with her Doctor kit, her baby dolls, her dollhouse, and play instruments.  She loves going to her KinderMusik class and makes me so proud as she's such a good little listener there!  She also enjoys attending story time at the local library!

She seems to have a great visual memory and really takes our conversations to heart.  She even knows almost all of her letters now and can tell you things that begin with most letters and can count to 30!  She's also almost fully potty trained!!!  

Leo is 5 Months Old

Little Leo is already 5 months old!

Leo this month you started rolling belly to back and back to belly well.  Interestingly, you seemed to master rolling back to belly first, in your crib, which is backwards.  You'd do this at night and then get annoyed and scream that you were on your belly!

This month you started grabbing things really well. You love to play in your jumperoo and on your jungle gym mat! You tolerate your Bumbo seat for short intervals but try to throw yourself out of it.  You also LOVE to watch your big sister Maya.  You give her your best laughs.  You  became much more smiley this month too!

You had your 4 month check up a bit late to coordinate with Maya's 2.5 year appointment.  You made the Dr. laugh when you tooted and then laughed at yourself.  She also found it entertaining that when she stood you up you tried to move your legs like you could walk.  She said that you're an exceptionally engaged baby and that's probably why you can't stand your car seat! You are a long lean baby.  You are in the 98% for height and 10% for weight!

We're excited to see what new skills you master this month!

Little reader

I love that Maya lays in her crib and reads now.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fall Fun

New House- outside

So... the last few months have been crazy.  Between February and August we sold our townhouse, endlessly searched for a house for ourselves with little luck, moved in with my mom, had a baby, and finally found and moved into a new house!  We're enjoying it and learning how to deal with maintaining the outside and inside of a house.  We first needed to tackle outside projects.  Here's what the outside of our house looked like before we had a bunch of trees and underbrush removed because it was infested with poison ivy.  I think we probably shouldn't have gone so overboard with the removal, but now we have clean slate to landscape.  Of course, we know have little privacy until we re-landscape.  Our lot is quite beautiful- it's a flag lot with a long long driveway which I think will be a blast for the kids.  We immediately added a fence for the dogs on a portion of the lot and are envisioning a pool in the future in the other area.  After pictures will have to come after grass grows and some trees are planted!  It's going to be a slow process.  The lot is really tucked away but the house is part of a cul-de-sac.  I've been putting on my high rain boots as I've been watering the grass seed and as I walk toward the house in my rain boots I always feel like I should see a horse galloping by.

Branches no longer overhang the house.  Chop-chop- although it looks pretty in this picture doesn't it...

Our very very very long driveway.  We had some branches removed as well as the underbrush so now more grass will border the drive.  I love that I can leave Maya outside and run inside quickly and not have to worry about her!

Maya's favorite spot to play is in the driveway.  The shrubbery in the picture above is gone- replaced with grass.

There is an old barn/farm behind our house.  The deer love to lay within its fence.  Maya loves to watch them.

Our new fence!  We selected it to match our next door neighbors fence since we border their fence.

Side of our back yard where we may put some type of pool one day.  A great spot for sports!

Some woods on our property- there are little paths in the woods that lead up to neighbors' houses- one of these houses has a pool- we MUST meet these neighbors :) 

We had all of plants and trees in this picture ripped out... now I miss it a bit.. it looks nice in the picture but it looked a mess in person and had poison ivy.  The removal has really opened up the front of our house. What we didn't realize what that this was all on a steep slope- but hey now we have a great sledding spot!