labor pains

Six years ago our labor pains looks like this:




Tonight they look like this:

Does he speak?

Egan, our poor little second child. Does he speak? We aren't sure. It is POSSIBLE that he says 'momma' and 'car.' With Elena, at age 14 months, she clearly said 'cracker' to Jake (and then on the phone to me because I was on a business trip at the time). We knew she had started talking, in part because she never stopped. By 18 months she was linking 2-3 words together for simple sentences. Egan has focused on other things. Like learning to pry the safety caps off of the outlets and climbing on to the top 'bunk' of elena's trundle bed (4 ft high) by pushing the bench up and using it as a ladder. There are other significant differences. Egan is very obsessive about putting things away. He gets out shoes or toys and then insists that they are put away. Anyone who knows elena know that this is not one of her traits! He loves coloring now and painting. And that paci is never out of his mouth for very long.

We'll have new pictures up soon from our great weekend with KBXM.

Chop Chop

At almost 18 months, Egan's hair finally grew into a mullet. We can't remember when Elena had her first haircut, we think Nana did it. But this time we were left to our own devices. So we plopped him into the high chair in the kitchen, bribed him with animal crackers and tried not to draw blood. Jake took the first attempt and we got rid of the bitty boy mullet out back.


Then there was crying (but no blood).



I took another round off from around the ears and on the top...but we don't have a finished photo.

It turn out...well it turned out shorter. There are certainly obvious chops - it looks a bit like we let Elena take a try. Not too bad for a first attempt. Elena said, 'He looks kinda funny. Actually, he looks like Xander!' (we think she mean it in a good way!)

Egan update

Egan, our little bitty boy dare devil...First the bitty boy part. Egan is a little guy. He's STILL wearing 9 month clothes! In fact today he wore his 9 mo cords, I knew this because we didn't have to roll the pants up.

Now the dare devil part...Egan started to walk in December and is really a climber. This weekend he taught himself to climb UP his slide (a little help from his sister on technique and initially putting her hands under his feet). Now he can climb to the top and is quite proud of himself.


Though quite clingy to momma right now, when he's set on being put down, there is no stopping him. He took off at Elena's school winter carnival, dashing through all the other 'big' (huge to him!) kids to reach the candle pin bowling...pushing big kids out of the way. Look out! I guess having a 4 year older sister toughens you up.

He's still not talking, but quite able to communicate what he needs and wants. He gets his paints and paper out, puts them on his high chair then stands at the sink yelling until someone gets him water and his brush to paint with. If you ask him 'where is your vest/shoes/ducky' he will go and get it right away.

Here is a fun recent picture - Scott and Brenda came to visit for a pigeon show. We went to a schmorgesborg (how do you spell that?--anyway it's long hand for a PA dutch style buffet). I made the mistake of letting him have a dish of whipped cream....see

Elena update

Ok - I know it has been FOREVER. People have probably stopped even checking! but I'm going to try and be better.

So here is a quick snap shot of Elena....

Elena loves to play waitress. On Saturday we went to the restaurant supply store in Reading (I love those stores!). She was very good and didn't ask for anything in spite of extreme temptation. So before we checked out I let her pick out a 'real' waitress tray. Then I noticed that they had plastic menu covers. So I got one for her. She promptly came home and made menus...see



Hamburger
Cheese Pizza
Pepperoni pizza
Pizza pocket




drink menu

Hot Chocolate

(kids-at bottom of list)
Tea
Water
Milk
Chocolate Milk

(Grown-up-at bottom)
Tea
Coffee
Decaf Coffee
Cappuccino

Chocolate Chip icecream
Vanilla icecream



She wrote it all on her own with no help spelling.

It's really fun to see her finally writing. She's been 'writing for years (pretend) and it has always been a big part of her dramatic play. She's doing a bit of sight words reading, but mostly at home she likes to be read to. We have just started the Laura Engels Wilder series and are having so much fun reading that together.