WDP: 12 Months (1 year)

Wren,
Happy Birthday sweet girl.

One year ago right this moment, I though I was in labor.  They sent me home, only for my water to break the next morning.  When you are a Mom, if that's what you choose to do, you will realize how wild it is to look back over the first year of your child's life.  You went from tiny being in my stomach to this walking bundle of personality. I am so glad you quit crying all the time too!

Wrenny, you are such a fun little girl.  You are happy and curious.  You love to try to figure things out.  You are strong-willed and like to get your way.  You refuse to sign even though you know how, because you know I already know what you want.  We, you and me, and very tight.  I don't ever let you cry or whine or be without.  I like to jump to your every whim and usually it's okay.

You did fall back into a crummy sleeping patter for FOUR MONTHS.  I simply could not listen to you cry.  Daddy agreed that it was terrible.  You cried like someone was trying to hurt you.  No one was.  Finally I was tired enough to listen to it and I let you cry for HOURS on end.  That lasted four nights.  Now you sleep.  You are a smart girl.

You are also fun to take out.  You love to be outside and you love music.  If we can find a patio with music (and a playscape for brother), you are golden.

You also love to eat.  We aren't sure if lactose is a problem yet, but we just feed you until we are concerned that you might pop. You love fruit, meat, and carbs.  You LOVE macaroni and cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt.

Oh, and WE MADE IT.  I successfully nursed you for a year (As a side, I have been either pregnant or nursing for 4 years!).  I have slowly started weaning you, but am in no hurry.

You are so close to walking that it is silly.  You take 8-10 steps at the most, but are scared.  I bet you will be walking by Christmas though.

Sissy (that's what we call you 85% of the time), you have changed our family in so many way.  We now have pink and ruffles everywhere.  We have another little person to entertain, who also entertains us.  We care and dream and love even more.  We absolutely love you.

Love,
Mom

NAP: 34 Months

Dear Nash,

What a fun month it has been.  Well, beside the illness, that is.  You have had a language explosion!  You are also finding things you really love, which is fun to be a part of.

So, you had croup a few weeks ago and then a secondary infection.  But, you are much better.  You are super into Legos and dinosaurs, though right now, everything is about Legos.  I cannot believe that you are not even three and these tiny pieces are everywhere!  You love them.  You sit at your table and play with them for long stretches.  We bring a bucket of them to dinner and you just hang out and play with them.  Legos are the greatest, except when I step on them!

You are very busy still.  You love to play outside and go to school.  You like to climb the most, but kicking the soccer ball, and running around come in close.

You sleep awesome at night, but not so much for naps.  I get about 3 naps a week, despite how hard I run you.  If you don't nap, you almost always sleep later in the day and that never goes well.  Today, I caved and gave you cake after a late nap just to cheer you up!  Great parenting.

You love your friends and family.  You love "Daddy Kevin" and sissy and I know you love "Mom".  You constantly talk about Luke and Davis   In fact, today you told me you wanted them for Christmas.  You chat about Mimi and Buddy, Grammy and Grampy, SueSue and Mikey, and Midge and Uncle Matt too. You LOVE your peeps.  You are also into your friends.  You seem to like sweet-hearted friends and click well with a few boys and all of our co-op girls.  You are not into playing with aggressive boys so much (though you have your days).

Right now, you say thinks like "Mom, please" and "Please Stop doing that".  You are also speaking in similes   That really gets me. Your memory is really good.  You have started singing as well.  Rudolph and Jingle Bells are faves.

Nashy, I so love you.  You entertain me like crazy.  You crack us up and keep us on our toes.  I wish you would nap more.

Love,

Mom

WDP: 11 Months

Wrenny,

Little girl, you are so beautiful and cuddly, and yummy.  Several times each day Daddy and I just squeeze on you.  It's a good thing you love it!

These days your number one priority is being with your family.  Cruising (walking while holding on to anything) comes in a close second. Eating is totally third.  You are specific about what you like: puffs, ham, yogurt, fruit, cheerios, and pouch vegetables. That's pretty much it.  Occasionally, we can get you to try what we are having for dinner, but you mostly just refuse to eat it. I am still nursing you several times a day and have not really begun the weaning process.  I just don't have the drive to stop and neither do you.  I know I will start giving you cow's milk soon, and that should help us both.

Developmentally, you say Mama and Dada.  Mostly Mama.  You sign more, all done, dog, and bye bye.  You turn off lights and give high fives.  You copy lots of things that we do like trying to build blocks, talk toys out and put them back in, and fins things when we hide them.

You absolutely love your brother and light up when you see him.  You also really love the pugs.

Your sleeping is not so great.  A couple of months ago you started waking up at 4 am to eat.  You haven't stopped.  I feed you and then let you sleep in my bed.  Needless to say, I am tired.  But, your crying is so incredibly sad.  You full on bawl and I can't stand it.  Soon enough I will be tired enough to handle it though.

You have been crawling some, though you much prefer to cruise or be taken places.  Crawling is for the birds, oh wait.

Your birthday is in two weeks.  I simply cannot believe one year ago I was preparing for my little girl's birth. Today, you are a bright-eyed, little round-faced baby.  I had no idea what wonder you would bring into our lives.

I love you,
Mom

Thanksgiving 2012

Nash absolutely had croup in these pictures, so he got to hold Sissy for about 30 seconds.  My little turkeys.

Halloween 2012: Sick Kids Edition

NAP: 33 Months

Dear Nash,
Mommy is very late again.  Son, this has been a very long and exhausting month. First, the entire family had one form or another of a nasty stomach virus.  You and Daddy had it the worst.  You were the first to go down and when you would vomit, you say, "I spit it out."  Poor little guy.  Then we had a week or so of decent health when croup came on like a freight train.  After an exhausting night of trying to decide whether or not to take you to the hospital, my gut kicked in and I drove your sweet, gasping little self to the Children's Hospital at 2 am.  After a few breathing treatments and a steroid, we got to go home.  That was a tough little time for you and I was so proud of how brave you were. I do have to tell you though that you resisted your breathing treatments with all of your might.  You are very strong-willed.  Now, you have a secondary infection and are on antibiotics.  I pray you feel much better soon.

This month we also visited Houston, where you played with your best friends and cousins, Luke and Davis.  You really love those guys.  You got to stay in their room and have a sleepover.  You played like such a big boy.  Then we spent a couple of days at Mimi and Buddy's where you hung out with your grandparents and Mikey and SueSue.  You sure know how to make your way around their property and all of the things to do.  Don't tell Buddy, but you threw every pine cone on the property into the pond.

You also spent some time with Grammy and Grampy.  Your new favorite thing to do at their house is yard work.  You love pulling weeds,  wearing gloves, and helping Grampy.  They say they work you like a little Polack.  See, they can say that because you and Grampy and Daddy are Polacks.  Wrenny too.

You are loving school.  You remember your rules: "No hitting, no kicking, no throwing toys."  Most of all though: you love dinosaurs.  You know so many.  You carry them around with you.  You work on the dinosaur puzzle multiple times a day. You pretend like you are a dinosaur sometimes too.

Oh and behaviorally, you are all two right now.  You are testing everything. When I ask you to stop something and you keep doing it, I usually threaten to take something away or send you to time out.  You then offer me the thing or offer to go to time out.  Then when I say okay, you freak out!  Or when I put you in the stroller, you say you want to walk.  Then when I say okay, you say,"no, stroller!"  Oh, to be two.

Nashy, tonight you came searching for me to give me a hug and a kiss.  I know this will not last forever, but I relish your love and sweet side.  I also know how much you are learning by testing us.  You are growing into such a big, little guy.

I love you son,
Mom

One Trick Wonder