Legos Past and Present

Dear Peep, 
We had a great morning!  We woke up earlier than usual.  Daddy was off work and sleeping in so you and I made our way into the living room.  We pulled out the Legos and discussed what we might build.  You decided we should build a fort of some kind, which transitioned into an animal study center complete with camera manned outlooks and a system of allowing well behaved animals to enter the gates and a top notch wind powered data collection system.  You decided that we must not ever put out the red flag, as that means to kill the animals on sight, not something you wanted to do under any circumstances.  It was fun and about of an half hour in remnants of my 8 year old self playing Legos all day with Uncle Gary and my cousin Rick were inching in. As a kid we had a lot of building pieces and all the special pieces we assigned values to to be bartered and exchanged for better building pieces.  What I found today was a major stock pile of all the special pieces we would have appraised at top value.  A treasure chest of little clear colored pieces, swivels, big wheels, antenna, satalites, computer components and walkie talkies; all major scores.  

Grandma P did great finding this batch for you at a garage sale.  Now, we need to bolster the building parts if we are going to play Legos for an hour plus with more frequency.  I loved working with you and your high level of creativity connected with solving the problems one might encounter in the real world.  After we finished our project Daddy awoke and you had to show him.  He was equally impressed with our architecture and concept for animals.  You also asked me to take a photo of you with it to post on Facebook.  Yikes!  Your world is sure different than mine was growing up. 

You're quite a Lego buddy.  I'm the luckiest mom ever.
Love, Mama

Hazel's 1 year Check Up

Dear Peach, 
You're growing strong!  You had your one year appointment and shots last week.  It is really your 13 month but that didn't save ya from getting poked.  You've made a lot of progress in your PT and OT.  While you're still a bit behind in your strength, endurance and motor skills you're above on track for your cognitive and problem solving.  You're a funny little cat.  We've caught you multiple times trying to write on the walls!  Lucky for you and us you can't get the lid off the markers just yet.  You like to play keep away games and give the dolly that WW brought you for your birthday snuggles.  Though you may still be learning some motor skills, like walking, you are a super on beat dancer with interesting moves.  

Today you showed a lot of love to some hardcore punk songs.  Daddy and I weren't too proud of your natural head banging skills.  Any beat you hear you make yours and start moving.  The other day Grandpa Tim and Bahboo were beating on the wall trying to figure out an electrical issue and you liked that just as well.  When you're not dancing you're getting Mommy to help you stand up.  You like when I count and as your legs start to melt you propel yourself for me.  

You're also using some signs; all done, more, night night, I love you.  Knowing a few signs doesn't keep you from using your voice; mama, daddy, Hi Daddy, bye, night night, duck, I love you, and one day you said bye grandma when Grandma P was leaving.  You're a smart cookie.  One day the remote fell on the floor and the batteries popped out.  I made my way to pick it up and you had put the batteries back in.  You know what every day items are used for too.  If you ask where the eyes, legs, mouth, and nose are on your dolly you will point them out to me.  You still only have two teeth by I think my next month you have the edges of your two top front teeth poking down.  So, at the doctor, you weighed in the 25th to 50th % and your height is in the 50th to 75th %, a study curve this far.  I know one thing, you are the most lovey baby lady.  Your joyfulness brings us and so many such happiness. 
Love, Mama

Best Face Forward

Dear Peach,
Last weekend you faced forward for the first time.  You took it like a big girl.  No problem for you.  With giggles and lots of raspberries blown you and Henry enjoyed yourselves.  Henry didn't like it when we turned his seat around.  I think it felt so different to him.  I caught Henry a couple of times trying to hold your hand.

You took it all in in your usually laid back style.
Love, Mama

Take Initiative!

Dear Henny, 
You are amazing.  I already knew this but you've really stepped things up in recent months.  You've become such a caring and helpful big brother.  You find so many ways to make Hazel flip out squealing and laughing.  You've also really taken on chores lately that impress me.  Often you remind me to take out the trash and when you get home from preschool on Tuesdays you run out (sometimes without me asking) bring the cans back up to the garage.  The other day you wanted some ice cream and I gave you four tasks to do when you were ready... bring up the trash cans, pick up some sticks in the yard, fill the water up in the fountain and pick up your laundry and put it in the hamper.  You came in and rested a bit then I was looking for you... I look out the back window and see you walking from the side yard to the back wood pile with a handful of sticks.  

You came in the back door and went out the front and started the hose, came back in the front door went back to your room and came walking down the hall with an armful of laundry.  

You came out of the laundry room, returned to the front and turned off the hose and walked to the driveway and pulled up the trash cans and recycling.  

I was so impressed!  You organized your work load and had it all completed in 15 minutes!  

I felt a lot of pride and I took pictures out the window.  The other day I looked at the living room and said, "Man we need to get this straightened up so we can have dance time when Daddy gets home."  I went in the other room to change Hazel.  I came back to find you had picked up all the toys and books and put the in the toy box.  You were sitting on the couch waiting for dance time.  !!! 

You offer to help, you do things to be a part of how the house works without being asked and you do a great job.  Man!  I am a lucky Mama for so many reasons.  My workin' buddy!

Love, Mama

Piggie Wiggie!

Dear Hazie!
Today I did your hair in pigtails and it was the most amazing thing ever!  Who put this little girl in my house?  Baby is sayin' bye bye (literally you said bye to Daddy today as he left for work and the Physical Therapist as she was leaving our session) and figuratively...I am starting my pile of Hazels.  You're an amazing little baby lady.  So funny and so pretty.  Your PT and OT today could hardly take your cuteness with the little fountains of hair pointing out the sides of your head.  You're starting to throw in some fiestiness too.  This is refreshing, yet a little shocking.  You grabbed the fork out of my hand at dinner on Monday and threw it to the side because you were done eating the cheese.  

You were trying to use the brush on your own.

All you really need to do is sign all done, but who knows when you're really done because you EAT AND EAT AND EAT.  You're signing when you're sleepy, you want more, you're all done, and I love you.  The other day you sat on the floor for several minutes making a plastic alligator bite your big toe, to which you'd let out a good giggle, over and over again.  

Though you don't yet stand on your own or walk you did cruise three steps today.  You're off of formula and on to milk with no fanfare or battle...Oh crap, that's all for now, you just climbed up on to the fire place. 

Love, Mama

Cousins

Dear Henny, 
In my life some of the most important people have been my cousins.  We played and had so much fun as kids.  I could never wait until the next time we would get to hang out.  Now as adults we support each other through births, adoptions, marriages and hardships.  You have two first cousins and, if my count is correct, you have 10 second cousins that you see with regularity...there are lots of birth cousins you occasionally get to play with, and other second cousins whom you also get to occasionally play with.  It is your first cousin Jonny that you can't stop talking about.  What had the good fortune of having him near us about an hour and a half away.  It has been a hard transition for you to have him move back to Florida for school this year and to live with his mama.  You miss him and talk about him constantly.  You've tried to convince Bahboo to dig a tunnel directly to Jonny's.  It does make you very excited that in February you'll get to go to Grandpa Tim and Trish's in Florida and we hope to work out a visit to Jonny Cakes'.  I should get in contact with his mom Michelle when we know more of the plan while there.  It would be great to have you able to run on a Florida beach together.  You did have a fabulous summer together.  You played together as much as possible, traveled to Chicago and tried to out jump each other on the diving board at Grandma P's and Bahboo's.  So here are some photos of the two cousins who can't get enough of each other.  Love, Mama

Sharing Henry's Birthday together

BB Gun

Pool Time with Bahboo

Aliens in a strange land

Lake Michigan

Cuddling on a cool beach

Castles with 2nd cousin Jospeh

Shedd Aquarium

Robot dancing in the Chicago Skyline

Riding the 4 person bike at Navy Pier

Playing in a Chicago Fountain

Buddies warming up on the hot concrete in Chicago

'Buddies!

First Hazel Haircut

Dear Hazel, 
Just before your birthday we took you to Tamara at Boomerang to get your first haircut.  It was pretty tame... Your hair wasn't that long but the texture kind of changed all at once and it was hanging in your face down your nose, making it difficult for you to see when you are crawling.  It was quick.  You stood at the couch and she went... snip, snip, snip... and it was all over!  And you looked cute and I could see your sweetie pie face.  There were a few barely there wisps to put in two plastic bags, one for us and one for WW.  

Love the look of it.  The first hairstyle of many.  At least someday the perm trend won't make you a victim.  haha You're such a beauty. 
Love, Mama     

*Henry's first haircut.