Tag: firsts

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Kids/Parenting

Getting bigger

I haven’t blogged about my kids in a while, it seems, and then they’re growing up so fast, I don’t know where to start!

This morning, Rachel used the couch to stand up for the first time! This is her last week, using the rocking chair (also the true first):

She’s still growing, but not quite as fast as she used to be. She was almost average sized at 4 months (a first for one of my children!), but at 6 (really 7) months, she was closer to the 35th percentile in weight. (Height was at the 98th percentile, but since she’s not abnormally long/tall, the doctor and I think that was probably a mis-measure.)

Rebecca is growing, too! She’s officially two and a half today. Lately she seems to be speaking much more clearly. For example, she doesn’t say “pea’ bu’ saas” but “peadut butter sammatch.” She still doesn’t say her r’s, favoring y’s and w’s instead. (“Diapehy” is a favorite of mine.)

She started having serious problems with bedhead, so I tried to get her to use scrunchies. If I did her hair “wike Tinkie Behww!” or to match mine (“We matsh?”), she was excited to let me touch her hair (a first!). I got her a few scrunchies at the dollar store last week, and she lets me do her hair almost every day now.

Hayden is learning new words. He likes to sound out words often these days (Last night: “G-g-g-gum. G! Gummmmm. M!”). He loves preschool, especially when it’s our turn to teach/host. He’s also experimenting with more photography, because he saw the Newborn Photographer I hired to take him pictures (revolving around his latest favorite toy) and self-portraiture.

Warning: extreme closeup!

I fear I’ve created a monster, though: last week, I showed him the folder of Internet bookmarks I had just for him. I showed him how to open the browser. I showed him which link (of the 2-3) led to PBS Kids games. And now all he wants to do is play on the computer! (We have a few rules, of course: he has to ask first and get off whenever we tell him to.) It’s a little annoying during a lot of the day, but makes for a quieter quiet time. (And Rebecca happily taking naps again is helping with that, too!)

I love that they’re growing and discovering new things ad getting more independent, but I’m always sad to feel their early childhood slipping away.

What milestones have your kids hit recently?

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Kids/Parenting

Hayden’s first camping trip

A few weeks ago, Ryan (and our neighbors) took Hayden on his first camping trip.

Kids Sept-Oct 2009 014

Although he wasn’t interested in eating marshmallows that were all “mewty,” and, thus, s’mores, though he whined about coming home pretty much all night, and despite one smashed finger, Hayden pretty much loved it.

Kids Sept-Oct 2009 022

He’s asked to go camping almost every weekend since then.

Any fun firsts for you lately?

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Kids/Parenting

Important firsts

Rebecca has been hard at work on perfecting her walking. She’s gotten up to a record of about 8-9 steps, but most of her journeys begin (and end) with a single step.

Here are some of her first assisted steps, from about a month ago:

Hayden, not to be outdone, is working on some of his own firsts. Can you tell what this one is?

That’s right—it’s his first commercial jingle! He composed this all on his own (after hearing his parents quoting the Psych episode for about a week). Guess what he got for lunch that day?

What big accomplishments/career moves have your kids made lately?

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Kids/Parenting

Hayden’s first prayer

Hayden reached another milestone this week. While he’s made a play attempt or two at praying, he usually pretends to be shy when I try to help him through a prayer. Until Tuesday night.

Hayden was at the table getting ready to eat, I was getting ready to leave to visit someone from church and Ryan was getting his dinner. We reminded Hayden that we needed to say a prayer, and he dutifully folded his arms.

And then we heard what he was saying. “Hebely fader. Hebely fader. Hebely fader.”

Ryan and I quickly folded our arms and walked into the dining room. “Thank you for this day,” I prompted him.

Hayden snuggling Marty at 26 months“Dates day.”

“Thank you for this food.”

“Dates fud.”

“Please bless it.”

“P’ease b’ess.”

“In the name of Jesus Christ.”

Blank look.

“In the name of Jesus Christ,” I tried again.

Blank look.

This could be simpler for a two-year-old, I guess. “Jesus,” I tried.

He knew that one. “Dee sa.”

“Amen.”

“Amin.”

Not bad!

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Kids/Parenting

My favorite topic, of course: Hayden

Can I just say that Hayden has been just all kinds of cute lately?

We spent over two weeks visiting my family—and Hayden was really good on the plane both ways! On the very last leg of our trip, he fell asleep on the plane. They’d arranged for him to have his own seat (not a very full flight), and by the time we reached cruising altitude, he was out. A few minutes later, he slumped over. I caught him in time to make Marty his pillow—and he slept for virtually all of the flight.

He’s also getting to be quite the talker. He repeats lots of words (my sisters started teaching him colors), but he’s also started repeating lots of words. However, most of his speech is still gibberish (emphatic, emotive gibberish, though).

What’s going on in your children’s lives right now? What accomplishments are you proud of?

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Kids/Parenting

My top Hayden milestone this month

Hayden is reaching new firsts all the time. His vocabulary, or at least the syllables that he repeats, is growing all the time. Among the more useful words: “Ditty” (kitty), “deetee” (TV), and “boopoos” (poopoo).

He’s also getting better with his motor skills. He’s fitting shaped blocks into the right holes, helping put on his clothes (or even putting them on himself) and all kinds of fun things. Here he is wearing my hat. My shoes are another favorite of his.

Hayden in my hat

But my favorite milestone of Hayden’s this month came when we were looking at an alphabet book. On the endpapers, they have the full alphabet printed. I was pointing to the ‘H,’ telling Hayden that “H is for Hayden.”

He looked at me and said, “Hay-dee.”

But now I’m wondering—is he trying to tell me that he prefers his nickname?