They keep growing and growing.

Loki recently had his 18 month check up.  While he has grown taller in the last 3 months, he has gained no weight.  He's actually gained no weight in the last 6 months, but they say he is still O.K.

We've made in-roads to him sleeping through the night, as long as I don't care when he wakes up.  Good think I'm a morning person.

Right now, Loki loves anything having to do with trucks, cars, planes and dancing.  Put on some music and show him a book with an airplane, and he'll be happy for a good long while.

Words so far for Loki at 18 months:
beep (means car), bup (means truck), airplane (he says this clearly, go figure), geeene (Jeanne), welcome (means thank you, Jeanne got these two confused for almost a year, which I think is hilarious), this (he will point at something or bring me to something and say 'this'', when he wants something specific), up, down, open, close, "All Aboard!", choo choo (means train), efant (elephant).

Jeanne has been growing taller and taller too.  I had thought we would have plenty of clothes for the coming fall for Jeanne, as I bought her all 3T clothes last winter, and they were all large on her.  I was fine with rolling the sleeves up and the cuffs of her pants knowing she could wear them all the next fall/winter.  Well.....that isn't happening.  All of her shirts and pants are too short on her, in both the arms and legs.  So we have to go get all 4T clothing for her.  Yay.

In other news, it seems we are liekly to visit our family in Missouri for Thanksgiving.

Some pictures:

Playing with Marbles, each kid treats them differently.  Jeanne organizes them.

And makes a marble run for them using train tracks.

Getting ready for bed with Grandma.

Baby Rave or a.k.a glow in the dark bath time.

Loki 15 months old

Well, it's 4:00 in the morning, and since I'm up I figured I would write an entry.  Loki is now 15 months old and has changed so much in just the last 3 months. His ability to communicate, understand and respond to spoken and sign language has increased immensely.  He is also a much happier *toddler*.  Although, as my fist sentence states, we are still having some difficulty in the sleep department.  We did have quite a good stretch of him sleeping all through the night, but he has been waking at 4:40, every morning.  This morning, however, is earlier.  I'm frankly just sick of it.


Words Loki can speak at 15 months:
Mama, Dada, No, Elmo, au revoir, yo gabba gabba

Words Loki can understand at 15 months:
dog, cat, thirsty, hungry, diaper, walk, woobie, 'brush your teeth', 'bath time', play, 'climb your chair'

Words Loki can sign:
fish, potty, thirsty, nurse, ball, please, all done, bird, dog, cat, goodbye

Words Loki can speak in French!:
Au revoir, la poisson (fish)

At his 15th month visit Loki:
weighed: 20 pounds 8 ounces, which puts him in the 5th percentile
length: 30", 25th percentile

Jeanne also went for a well visit:
weighs 30 pounds
height: 37.75" 50th percentile

March 21, 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOKI SAGE!

At 8:56 pm this evening last year you were born.  At 8:59pm, you were taken from me and brought to the NICU unit.  All that matters now is that we fought to take you home with us and won.  The first moment your sister saw you, she gave you a kiss.  Your observant eyes were always searching for your mommy, even in the first days.

 We named you perfectly, and love every breath you take.  You came during a very difficult year for us, and all the challenges we had, brought us all closer as a family.

I will never forget the first time you smiled at me Loki.  Your face beamed, and I could feel myself being brought out of a deep, dark place.  Thank you for coming to get me.  I wake each morning, waiting to see your smiling face now.


Words he understands:
Mama, Daddy, Jeanne, wake up, more, thirsty, water, beans, play, friends, 'at work'

Words he can speak:
Mama, Daddy, (he's working hard on jeanne, it sounds like 'eene')

Signs he makes on his own:
Daddy, more, hello, all done

Signs he understands:
water, thirsty, home (I think)

Valentine's Day

Yeah, I don't celebrate it.  We don't exchange gifts or cards on most holiday's.

I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity, to well, you know, talk about the people I love.

My husband is a wonderful partner. 

He is kind, loving, supportive, funny and a great father.  Thank you babe, for all that you do for this family.

Jeanne is a bouncing, curious, stubborn, giggling little girl.  I love to steal away moments with her to read her a book or do a puzzle with her.  I miss our time alone together, and I think we both appreciate the limited alone time we do get.  She loves to give hugs and I love to get them.

Loki's personality has been emerging so much lately.  He has been playing more with his sister, and loves to mimic you.  Listening to him giggle makes all of us smile.  He has shown us his first sign this week, the sign for "Daddy".  He uses and understands  the word "Mama" and "Daddy" correctly, and he has made his own sign up for "More", despite us all showing him over and over again.  He prefers to bang his tray one handed.  He also thinks this is hilarious. 


I am very grateful to have found such a loving man and to have such a wonderful family.

Jeanne: A Year in Review

Hubbers and I got caught up looking at old videos of Jeanne, and I thought I  would put some of our favorites all in one post.


February 2010
HA DA!
I said I want it CLOSED

March 2010
Raspberries!!! You might want a napkin...

May 2010
I love how she waves daddy away towards the end
Jeanne walks all by herself a day before her first birthday

June 2010
Birthday presents!

July 2010
rainbows
Jeanne reading outloud

August 2010
No, I want to go in there!

October 2010
Not really OF Jeanne, but she was having a blast with me

November 2010
Come here daddy!

December 2010
Frosty Card makes her giggle and dance.

We love you!

Next year, we'll have another bugger in the videos!  How exciting!

Words: 15 months 3rd week

I just can't keep up with words Jeanne can understand anymore, as it seems she understands whole sentences, and even new phrases.  One day, while sitting on our patio and sharing an apple, she kept coming back to me and spitting the skin into my hand.  I discarded it.  The third time, I said, "If you don't want to eat the skin, just throw it over the edge". I did not use a hand gesture when I said this.  She turned around and put the skin over the side of the patio.  I gasped.  Those we all new words!  I understand when she puts together words I repeat all the time like bath, car, TV, tree etc, but 'throw it over the edge' is just not part of our daily speech.

So here are words are can speak (some so new, even Daddy hasn't heard them yet!) 13 for a
grand total of 37!  See here for information on language development in toddlers.  Looks like we're right on track! toddler milestones
cold, boy, girl, 'saw-ery'= strawberry, cat, wolf, (and howling like a wolf!), down, open, puff, cracker, clock, cookie, boo boo, poop, truck, cheese (which sounds just like juice, but said at the appropriate time)

Words she can speak  Words Jeanne can speak previous: 21
Juice, bye-bye, yum, "O's", Abby, star, cheese, bib, 'nana'= banana, hot, up, Elmo, Mama, Dada, Hi, Bye, wow, caw caw (sound of a crow), woof woof, uh oh, hey

Words Jeanne can understand previous:
nose, check, hair, hungry, outside, car, go, shower, strawberry, cous cous, puff, cookie, water, hose, diaper, star, 'put back', 'go outside', 'play', 'sleep time', toes, cherry, toys, stand-up, sit down, 'come here'

Words Jeanne can sign previous: all done, thirsty, hungry,  milk, more, potty NEW: want
 OK, I've got to get to bed!

Words at almost 14 months

Words Jeanne can speak:
hot, up, Elmo, Mama, Dada, Hi, Bye, wow, caw caw (sound of a crow), woof woof, uh oh, hey

Words Jeanne can understand:
nose, check, hair, hungry, outside, car, go, shower, strawberry, cous cous, puff, cookie, water, hose, diaper

Words Jeanne can sign:
thirsty, hungry,  milk, more, potty