Tiny Dancer, Little Gymnast

I figured it was time for a Lexi Update!

Lexi,

You are loving dance and gymnastics right now! When we first started dance, I was a bit skeptical because you were ALL over the place. You are one of the younger ones in your class, but you absolutely love being around your friends. Your best friend in your class is Abigail. You are so sweet to her, and try to hug and hold her hand, or help her with whatever your teachers are asking the class to do. It cracks me up every time. I still think you're pretty wild for dance class, but you aren't the only one, and you have fun so we will continue it until you show you don't have interest. You pretty much do everything at a fast pace....they ask you to hop across the room, you hop a few, then run the rest....they ask you to walk across the rope, you walk halfway, runt he rest...haha! Not too long ago, was visitor week and we honestly thought you would shut down and not do anything because you would get nervous from all the people in your classroom. You definitely surprised us, and participated in your cute little dance! We all loved it and cheered you on!

Pictures from visitor week:

Peek-a-Boo song

"I see you!"

You have loved gymnastics since your first class, and always ask to go. It is a buddy and me class, so you're not as wild in this class since I can kind of keep your attention. Your favorite things at gymnastics are the trampolines, balance beams, ladder, and playing catch with the balls. You've improved so much since your first day, and I love how we are able to work on your motor skills, vision therapy, crossing the midline, and social skills all in one place! I had never really thought about gymnastics in the educational perspective until we started this class, and it is so beneficial! You have become a better jumper too! I've loved watching you jump with both legs coming down at different times to both feet leaving the floor at the same time.

Kason usually hangs out with Nana or Daddy on the sidelines watching and cheering you on during class. You love having an audience! Your class changes every 6 weeks or so as enrollment changes so you don't have any one particular friend that you discuss more than another. You've loved all of your teachers, especially Miss Suzi! I don't have near as many pictures of gymnastics since most of the time we take video. You can climb the ropes in the ball pit so fast, especially when you do not want to get out! ;) Sometimes the bridge makes you nervous because part of it needs repaired so it looks scary to you and the rest of the kids, but you enjoy sliding down into the balls and hiding. You also have been brave and jumped off of the tall platform into the foam pit, and went into the pit from the rope swing. You love going upstairs and jumping or climbing the ladder. I love our gymnastics days, and we have so much fun together!

Can't wait to see what other activities we get to experience with you! So fun!!

We love you sweet girl!

Kason- 8 Months (October 7)

My sweet little man,

You're 8 months old!!! You are SO stinking sweet, fun, adorable, and cuddly! Your favorite things this month have been cups, cars/trucks, laugh and learn puppy, remotes, and phones. You love to be sang to and your favorite song is the "Itsy bitsy spider." You smile every time I sing it to you.

You also love our laugh and learn puppy. You really love any of those stuffed animals that sing/dance. It's pretty funny right now how excited you get over them when they are activated. You're itching to crawl. You get frustrated sometimes, and i'm 99% sure it is because you just want to MOVE. You can get where you want to pretty easily by scooting slowly, but still not in the position to crawl.

You think Lexi is the funniest thing! She can just look at you, smile, and say hi, and you crack up every time! You also love to just go through baskets of things, toys, cups, etc. I love this age because it is when you really start to explore everything around you...so fun!

You are still not the greatest eater when it comes to solids, but we are getting better....slowly. Your favorite things right now include the pouches of organic veggies/fruits and any kind of bread or bagel. I am still not too concerned. We will cross that bridge of figuring out what to do to get you to eat better when we have to. That won't be until you're at least a year though, so we have time.

We are so in love with you, and truly do not know what we would do without you. We're so excited to take you to the pumpkin patch and experience the holiday season with you and your sister.

We love you to the moon and back!

XOXO,
Mommy, Daddy, & Lexi

Kason-7 months (September 7)

Kason,

You get sweeter, cuter, and more fun with each passing day. That doesn't meant I have accepted the rate at which you are getting older, but I am instead embracing this rapid pace we are at, and enjoying every second with you and your sister. We went for your 6 month well-child check. Yes, we were a month late since we went late for your four month, but that's okay. Here are your stats:

Weight- 17 pounds (25%)
Height- 27 1/4 (50%)

You're healthy and growing, and your doctor is pleased. You're sitting well now and you love to play while sitting. Your favorite toys are cups, balls, and anything that lights up or plays music. You still love the remote so we bought you a toy one that you enjoy. You also love to try to sneakily get our phones.

You are not the best eater (for table foods). You act like we are torturing you to get you to even try some stuff. I discussed this with your pediatrician and he wasn't concerned. We will just continue to try until you decide you like to eat. With your sister, I know I would have been stressed to the max, but I know now that 'Under one is just for fun!'

You're the biggest cuddle bug when you're sleepy. Actually, you love to be held all the time. I know that day is coming when you want down to crawl and run all over the place, so I take advantage of it. We still rock the Ergo everywhere we go. I'm convinced it is your favorite place to be. You still adore your big sister. I'm pretty sure she is your biggest fan as well. You two crack each other up. She always looks for you too. When you're asleep, she asks me, "Where's Kason?" If she knows I'm going to put you down for your nap, she tells me, "No. Kason doesn't want to go to sleep." She's your biggest advocate. Ha!

You roll like such a champ. Still not crawling yet, but you definitely know how to get from point A to point B if you want to. You are SO stinking strong too! You're still a little talker. You say dadadadada, mamamama, and you sing. You like to sing yourself to sleep in the car. It is SO funny! We are just so thrilled and blessed with the blessing you are to our little family. We cannot imagine our lives without you, and look forward to the next month of your sweet life.

We love you to the moon and back!

xoxo

Mommy & Daddy

Kason- 6 Months (August 7)

My sweet little man,

You are a whole half a year old!!! I thought time flew with your big sister, but it flies even more so with the second baby! Oh. My. Word. I am pinching myself writing this post. Here goes...

You are the sweetest little guy. You smile at everyone you see, and your whole face lights up! Cliche, I know...but I can say that, because I'm your mom. You and your sister both have big blue eyes that make me melt each and every time. One of my favorite things that has been happening this month is seeing the interactions between Lexi and you. You have been cracking up at her when she is being goofy and wild. It is adorable, but don't even think about taking notes!  ; )You are a busy little guy these days. When we hold you to stand, you prefer to jump! It is pretty funny, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't make us a tad nervous for when you and your sister are both mobile. Busy, busy, busy...

I stay very busy keeping up with the two of you throughout the day. I am just so blessed by this opportunity though. I know how fast you will grow up, and I am lucky to get to see each milestone, and spend these sweet days with you. I have been getting asked a lot lately if I will ever go back to teaching (probably because it is the beginning of a new school year). The answer is yes, but I have the rest of my life to teach. Like I said before, these years fly by, and I am too selfish to give you and your sister up all day to someone else.

Your favorite toys these days are still your o'ball, sophie the giraffe, mr. duck, and really just about anything else you can get your hands on. You love your play mat, black and white learning cards, being read to, and your stacking cups. We started you on solids this month. Your first food was sweet potatoes. You were not a fan! We will try it again soon though. You have also had avocado and banana. Your favorite so far? Avocado! We make your food...well, we actually haven't had to do much yet because all three of those foods are easy to prepare.

We won't go for your stats until next month because we went for your 4 month checkup a month late, so we aren't due to go back just yet. You are still babbling away...dadadada, mamma, blahblahblah. You have the sweetest little voice! I just love listening to you talk. Let's talk about sleep...you do like your sleep, but you do fight it (imagine that!). You typically sleep 4 hour stretches at night, sometimes better, sometimes worse. People often ask how I function on such little sleep, but it's easy to respond...look at your sweet and cute little face! You're worth every hour of sleep we lose. I know one day you will sleep through the night, and I'm in no rush to make you do something you're not ready for.

I want time to slow down, but I also know of all the fun that is to come! We are so blessed by you, and hope you grow to realize how much we love and adore you. Your daddy and I talk a lot about how we may be a little 'extreme' in the parenting department. We don't share our kids well, and we will sacrifice a lot of our time for you, but that's how I think it should be. Our priorities changed when we had you and Lexi, and we never knew we could love like we do now! We thank our God for you each and every day.

XOXO,
Mommy, Daddy, & Lexi

Lexi Update!

Since we quit doing monthly updates with you once you turned two, I still wanted to have a record of things you are doing/saying/learning.

You started gymnastics right after you turned two. You absolutely love it!! We look forward to gymnastics day all week long! Your teachers love you because you repeat everything they say while processing it. Touch your toes...touch your toes! Jump up...jump up! It is hilarious! Your favorite thing to do at gymnastics is the ball pit, balance beam, trampoline, and ladder. You aren't a big fan of the bars yet, which they say is pretty typical for your age since you haven't developed that upper body strength.

Potty training- We really were in no rush to potty train you as I believe I've written about before. We tried with you shortly after Kason was born, but then quickly realized it was too much too soon. Well, one morning in July, you woke up dry so I decided to make you sit at your little Minnie Mouse potty. You did, and we just took your lead from there...you had two accidents that morning, and we haven't looked back since. Absolutely crazy! I realize all my babies may not all be this easy, but you sure have spoiled us!

We also started you in dance class in August. You have only been to one class so far, but it provided enough entertainment for us to last us a whole year! Absolutely hilarious...I was crying from laughing so hard. Of course, as your parents, we think everything you do is adorable, but this took the cake. You were all over the place, and we realized that with you being in gymnastics for a few months before dance, that you really weren't able to separate your love for jumping from the squats/bends/whatever you call them (I'm not a dancer) in dance class. We'll work on that! ; ) The good thing about dance class is you are only with two year olds. In gymnastics, you're the youngest by far as most of the kids are already 3, and some 3 1/2. You love to socialize at these classes though, and we love that you're getting that experience.

You still love to learn, and we work on different things each day, but I do not make it a strict lesson or time frame. I let you take the lead and we go from there. You love and request 'wearning  (learning) time.'

You're all girl, but you are one tough cookie! We know when you are truly hurt because you cry, but times when we think you will for sure be hurting, you surprise us. I can tell when you really want to cry because something hurts, but you fight the tears back. 

You say so many funny things. It is still so amazing how your little brain processes things. I keep a running list of things you say in the notes section on my phone so we can look back and laugh. Here are just a few (okay, maybe more than a few) of the things you have been saying lately...

I go to school when I get big enough.

I miss my friends.

June one more...marshmallow??

I get a bike!

Move it LoLo

I need my pink bucket (after leaving Nana's work...you remembered from almost a year ago that the last time we had visited nana's work was for trick or treating, and you had a pink pumpkin bucket)

Daddy go to work? Daddy stay home!

Go! Go! Go to gymnastics! (telling me because she wasn't happy with me about something)

It's ok Nana. Don't cry. Lexi will be back.

Mama, you sad? You need Nana?

Baby's sad. Baby needs his mama.

Kason be a prince for Halloween. I be Sofia.

It's ok Kason. Almost there! Almost there, Kason.

Mama, we go to church? (Whispering...)I gotta be quiet in church. We gotta sing in church. (Yelling)Twinkle twinkle wittle star!!!

Daddy, you buy a fish for Lexi please? Pretty please??

Not your turn yet Mama...lexi's turn. It's almost your turn.

Mama, I say hi to my friends?

Me: Lexi, I like your shirt Lexi: It says happy, happy, happy!

Me: What was that? Lexi: Excuse me. I tooted.

While looking at Nana's phone--Nana and PopPop on cation. Grand Canyon, see??

I still sick! I need medicine.

While giving me a checkup...Take a deep breath for me. Now breathe out. I hear a murmur.

Kason, let's go home!

Here mama, I made you a drink of water.

Coco made this for me. For Lexi. No mama, Lexi's not done yet.

Your birthday's coming up!! You want to eat birthday cake??

I go eye doctor. They not hurt me.

When you fell on the ladder at gymnastics...Me: What do you want to do next? Lexi: I do ladder. It won't hurt me.

Mama, don't touch those diapers. They have poo poo. Mama, those diapers dirty.

I hide-n-seek!

Coco buy present. Lexi. At store.

No. I don't want daddy to go to work. I wanna see him.

Major's sick. He needs medicine.

Mama's sick, Lexi sick, Daddy sick, Kason sick. We're all sick. We need feel better.

I'll save the rest for just recording in your journal, but we just cannot get enough of you and your sweet little heart! It is so much fun watching you grow, but we still wish we could freeze time. We love you sweet pumpkin to the moon and back!

XOXO,

Mommy, Daddy, & Kason

Kason-5 Months (July 7)

Sweet Kason,

You are 5 months old! Your little personality is really starting to show. I know I say this often, but you are the sweetest little thing, and your baby blues? They melt me. You sure are learning new things a lot here lately...just this past month you have rolled from back to tummy several times (strong little thing!), babbled mamamamama, and your eye-hand coordination is awesome! You reached for and grabbed a baby carrot. We will start you on solids at the end of this month, and I'm pretty certain you will love it! We shall see...

You and your big sister have a special bond. You still light up at the sight of her, that is until she 'forgets' to be gentle. She is sweet to you most of the time, and it makes my heart so happy seeing the two of you interact. I hope you two always love each other, and realize the special bond siblings have. A sibling is one of the best gifts!

Your favorite toys this month are Mr. Duck, Sophie the Giraffe, your crinkly book, and your monkey lovey, or I should say your 'ee-ee.' Thats what lexi calls all monkeys, including yours, so I can't help but call it that. You still love books and to be read to! You are still EBF,  and still a fast eater. You love your sleep, but you aren't very good at falling asleep because you fight it. I don't blame you though. Your daddy still fights his sleep ! ; ) You do fall asleep pretty easily in the car, and in my arms, or the ERGO. You LOOOOOOVE the ERGO. I love carrying you in it too! We like to grocery shop, nap in church, play outside, and do chores around the house with it.

You sleep pretty good at night. I know lots of people talk about how their babies sleep 10-12 straight hours through the night. I know that that just isn't in the cards for my babies, and I am perfectly okay with that. You wake 1-2 times to eat on most nights. We haven't quite transitioned you from bassinet to crib yet because your little feet hit the bare crib rails and wake you, so we will wait until we get some breathable bumpers.



Your stats from this month (since we were late on our 4 mo. checkup)

Weight- 15.2 lbs (10%)
Height-          in. (75%) (I need to go back and look this up)
Head- not sure on measurement, but it was 50%
Diaper- size 2
Clothes- 3-6 Months

Looks like you got your mama's build, and your daddy's height...



We love and adore you so much! We continue to look forward to watching you grow, explore, and learn each day! You have filled our lives with so much more love and joy than I could have ever imagined!

XOXO,
Mommy, Daddy, & lexi