Micah is TWO!!

It felt like the blink of an eye, but our little man is now officially two years old!.  We did not have a party for him this year, but we did have a lot of fun to celebrate his special day.  No presents or cake, just a day with his family.  :)

We were camping at Golden Ears Provincial Park leading up to his birthday.  We had beautiful weather our whole trip, but woke up that morning to quite a bit of rain.  We packed everything up and headed home to get dry.  We tried singing "Happy Birthday" to him, but each time he would rapidly shake his head, say "no!" and try to push us away.  I don't think he realizes how FUN birthdays are yet.

August 13th just happened to be Pirate Pack Day at Whitespot, so the kids decided this would be the best place to celebrate.  A portion of each Pirate Pack sold goes to help a kid with a disability or life-threatening illness get to experience summer camp at Zajac Ranch.  Awesome!  Even us parents got to order a Pirate Pack.  Micah was pretty thrilled and he ate everything in the boat...except the ice-cream.

 

I cannot believe what a sweet little guy that Micah is.  He has definitely started acting like an independent little man and I can see that the baby of last year is officially gone.  He is starting to talk more and is putting a couple of 2-word sentences together.  He is still animal obsessed....mostly with dogs.  We have to stop and say "hi" to every dog we see.  He has dropped his afternoon nap almost completely now, but sleeps well at night.  He has discovered stuffed animals and won't go to sleep without them.  He knows each of them by name. 

When we pray together as a family, he covers his eyes with his hands and waits for the "amen".  So cute!  You can see him peeking through his fingers and watching what everyone else is doing.

His favorite outfit is his basketball tank and shorts.  If it is available, he chooses to wear this always. 

 

He has discovered movies.  He LOVES Finding Nemo ("Meemo") and would watch it everyday if I let him.  He has also discovered hitting, which I am not too proud of.  It doesn't help that his brother and sisters laugh at him when he does it.  :(  He hates getting dirty, prefers not to wear shoes and has finally found one meat he likes to eat (ham)! 

 

 

I look forward to the next year of development for Micah.  He is a joy to be around and we love him so much!

Shaylah's 8 year old update

Shaylah turned 8 years old in March, so this is a little late.  She is helping me with this post.

Favorite color:  turquoise (green/blue)
Favorite food:  any junk food, but especially ice cream cake.  She also loves fruit of any kind, vanilla yogurt and cereal.  Breakfast is her best meal of the day.  She struggles to eat at dinner time.
Favorite song:  Let it Go (from the movie Frozen).  This is an improvement from "You Don't Know You're  Beautiful" by One Direction.
Favorite item to wear:  stretchy headbands (and her black pants)
Favorite school subject:  PE
Favorite sport:  She says soccer, but she complains about playing it for most of the season.  :)  She has a mean swing in softball too and loves to play either catcher or first base.  So sad the season just finished!
Favorite pastime:  She says play on the laptop, but truthfully she reads any spare moment she has.  She goes through a chapter book every day.  I have recently turned her to some longer books.  She is currently reading Anne of Green Gables and is loving it as much as I did as a kid.
Size:  wears 12 or 14, depending on the brand for clothes;  shoes size 4.5. She weighed in at 77 pounds this week and is as tall as my shoulder.  This kid grows like crazy!  She is taller than any of the grade 3 boys that were in her 2/3 split this year.
Worst habit:  sucking on her hair.  She does this constantly.  I have started making her shower every morning, just so that I don't have to comb through the sticky, knotted sections that she creates each day.
Marsalie's favorite trait:  a tie between her laugh and her freckles.  She is the only kid with freckles (which I adore!) and she is constantly giggling (much like her mother).
Dislikes:brushing her hair, wearing socks and shoes, tomato sauce, her brother Caelan (most annoying sibling, according to her)
Favorite electronic gadget: LAPTOP!!!!!  (Apparently she really likes the computer). :)
Favorite print: LEOPARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!             (I guess she really likes this too) :)

Shaylah is full of joy (most of the time).  She is a night owl, preferring to stay up late and sleep in.  She wants to be a famous pop star when she grows up and loves animals.  She likes to stay busy and is always asking to join more sports and/or classes.  This past year she took part in soccer, piano lessons, swimming lessons, softball, clay class, cross country running, and GEMS (Girls Everywhere Meeting the Saviour).  I have had to say "no" to ballet, karate, singing lessons and every other whim that crosses her mind.

She was in a grade 2/3 split this year and had the bonus of an enrichment teacher once a week at school.  She had a much better year emotionally this year, after separating her from a "friend" who gave her a really hard time last year.  I have made the same request for next year as well.  She is definitely a Mama's girl and we have a really close relationship, which I treasure.  This girl is one of the greatest joys of my life and I am so grateful that I get to be her Mom!

22 months

Micah is almost 2 (and totally acting like it!).  He has learned a few things this past month that I wish he hadn't.

1.  He has learned how to climb out of his crib.  The first time it happened I was totally confused.  I had placed him in his crib only to find him crawling down the stairs a few minutes later.  I put him back in his crib, waited outside his room and then heard him knocking on the door.  Such a munchkin!
2.  He has learned to hit people if they don't give him what he wants.  Not cool!
3.  He is peeing in the potty.  Yes, this is NOT something I want to happen!  Once he is out of diapers, he is no longer my baby and I am not ready to accept that just yet.  It is only once or twice a day and totally at his insistence.  I am sure if I encouraged it more, it would happen quite quickly.  Did I mention that I am not ready for this yet?  One thing to note is that he can only pee once he is totally naked.  Even the socks have to be removed.  :)
4.  He is dropping his daily nap.  Oh, how I dreaded this time of life, but knew it was coming.  None of the other kids napped past age 2.

I hate this growing up stuff.  I just want to bottle him up and keep him this age forever.  He is such a joy and so sweet.  I am so grateful for this little man in our family.

21 months

This little man is such a joy.  The "goofiness" in his personality is getting stronger each week and it is fun to watch.  His latest antic is to scream as LOUD as he can in the grocery store and then laugh hysterically when I say "no".  This is then repeated over and over again.  If I ignore him, he just keeps screaming.  He thinks it is hilarious.  Me?  Not so much.  :)

He has decided that he is no longer a baby.  He refuses to sit in a highchair, so he is now sitting at a regular chair at the table.  He does not like sippy cups, so he is drinking from a regular cup.  He prefers to walk instead of being placed in the stroller.  Basically, he does everything and anything that the big kids do.

He loves to help me in the garden as I am weeding and planting.  He has his own little set of gloves and tools and he digs and pulls weeds right alongside me.  It is so sweet.

New words keeps coming.  He actually put his first 2-word sentence together this week.  I asked him where Daddy was and he replied "Daddy up".  He was right...Daddy was upstairs!  If I ask the kids "who wants _____?", he raises his hand and yells "me!".  Doesn't matter what the item is, he just usually thinks he wants it.  :)

He is not such a big fan of swimming anymore.  Not sure what changed there, since he used to love it.  He does love sitting in the hot tub though.  His parents are both OK with taking baby duty at that point.

He has finally discovered the television.  Not sure I'm too happy with that discovery, but he likes to sit on the couch between his sisters and watch cartoons.  He doesn't have a favorite show yet, but his face lights up when the TV is turned on.

He currently weighs about 25 pounds, wears size 24 months for clothes and size 6 for shoes.  He is full of joy and is very active all the time.  We think he looks like Johnny out of all the kids and seems to have his personality too.  I love this kid!

Spring

Spring has finally arrived in Vancouver and here are a few of our highlights so far....

Ashlyn lost her first (and second a few days later) tooth in March!

 

 

Shaylah turned 8 years old!  She had a home party this year with 8 of her friends.  It was the last day of school before Spring Break and the girls ate pizza and sushi for dinner and then watched "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2" in their pyjamas.  Easy party for me to plan!  We always do "no present" parties for her friends, so after the movie they danced and played limbo until the parents showed up.  Her big request for a present this year was a pogo stick and she has gotten really good at it.

 

 

 

Visits with Great Gran and having a tea party.  Great Gran turned 96 years old this year and she is amazing.  She is my mom's mom and I so appreciate having her in my life.  She gives the best tea parties for the kids (with real tea and homemade oatcakes) and they LOVE going to visit her.

 

 

 

Spring has also brought a start to a whole new set of activities.  We have given up soccer for t-ball (Ashlyn and Caelan), softball (Shaylah) and swimming lessons.  The kids continue to do basketball, piano lessons, GEMS (girls) and Beavers (Caelan).  Life is busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

 



 

 

 



 

 

 



20 months

Once again, I am really late with this post.  Micah will be 21 months in less than a week!

(the newest softball player in our family)

I am understanding his language more every day.  New words include "more", "wow", "milk", "up". There are probably more I can't think of right now.  He finally says "do-og", instead of "doda".  His gestures and ability to get his needs met have increased significantly.  He constantly has a runny nose, and with his delayed speech, I wonder if he has the same ear fluid issues that his big brother had.  Only time will tell!

(he loves bubbles!)

 

He is just as happy with Dad as he is with Mom, which is a first for my kids.  The others wouldn't let Daddy do anything for them and only wanted Mama (still do!).  He officially sleeps through the night consistently now and still takes 2-3 hour naps each day, usually starting at noon.  He is cuddly and so sweet.  He loves to move, sing, dance, climb....anything active.  He rarely sits in a highchair anymore, but would rather sit at the table like a big boy.  He can drink from a normal cup and use a fork/spoon very proficiently.

(discovering chocolate at Easter)

We are currently battling his first flu bug, which is not fun, especially when I have it too.  I think we brought it back from Disneyland.

(enjoying popsicles in our favorite snack location...on our new deck)

Life is so much more fun with this little man.  I cherish every day with him at home.  My work is currently undergoing some changes, where I may be asked to work more hours.  I am not so sure that I want to miss out on more time with him while he is little.  Prayer would be greatly appreciated as I may have to make an important decision very soon with regard to working more or not working at all.  I am still not sure what the right answer is!

Disneyland 2014

We just got back last night from our trip to Disneyland. I wanted to post a few pictures and thoughts while things were still fresh in my mind.

Our trip was fantastic.  We actually hit California during a heat wave, so it was HOT (low to mid-30's the whole trip).  It was so wonderful.  We came home every afternoon for a quick swim and some dinner before heading back for more rides.  We stayed at a Residence Inn Marriott and had breakfast and dinner included each day.  It was perfect for the kids and the shuttle ride to and from the park was quick and easy.  We brought our own lunches into the park, since Target was right across the street from our hotel.

We thought we would have fewer crowds because it is currently off-season at Disneyland, but we were wrong.  I think the combination of shorter park hours, rides under re-furbishment (and therefor closed) and the hot weather, made the park feel extra busy.  I have been a couple of times in the late fall and I would always recommend that time of year.  The weather is still warm, it is way less crowded and all the rides are open. 

We got really good at the FastPass system though, which I have never had to use before (the last time we went to Disney we just walked on rides without having any wait times).  We also discovered the Rider Swap system, which was pretty much the only benefit of having a little one that could not go on the rides with us.  Here is how it worked:  the majority of our group would use a FastPass to get into the ride.  At the entrance of the ride, one person would stay behind with the baby and request a Rider Swap card.  That person could then use their unused FastPass and take 3 guests (usually the 3 kids) on another ride without waiting in the regular line.  The kids got double the amount of riding in without the long waits.  It was great.  I should say though, that even with the FastPass, we were often waiting 20-30 minutes for each ride.  It was better than the 2 hour waits for the regular lines though!

Doing Disneyland with a baby is not easy.  It would probably be better if you had other little ones with you or no other kids at all.  It was hard having one baby trying to keep up with 3 older kids.  Micah could not go on most of the rides that they wanted to go on.  Alternatively, the big kids did not want to go on the baby rides.  There was always one person who had to stay behind with Micah and not go on a ride with the group.  If we go to Disneyland again, we will wait until everyone is 48 inches so that everyone can stay together.  It was a good experience for him though and he loved the rides he was allowed to go on.  It was fun to watch his excitement.  I was also surprised at how much he loved the Disney characters.  He was not afraid of them at all and was happy to meet them.  He is such an easy-going baby and travelled so well for both flights and during the week, despite missing naps and getting to bed really late.

We were thankful that Grammy and Grampy could come with us.  Although Ashlyn and Caelan were allowed on most rides, they were not allowed to ride by themselves.  We needed the extra adults just to get everybody on the rides.

Shaylah had no fear on rides.  Her 3 favorite rides included California Screamin, Tower of Terror and Space Mountain.  I was pretty happy to go with her each time.  :)  Ashlyn loved the MatterHorn and Caelan loved Star Tours and learning how to fight Darth Vader.  His favorite souvenir was his light saber.  Micah liked anything that moved, including the shuttle ride to and from the park.  He did not care!  His favorite souvenir was a Goofy doll that he picked out himself.  The girls each bought a pair of hoop earrings with Mickey Mouse shaped birthstones.

 
We did not meet any of the princesses this trip.  Anna and Elsa from Frozen had 4.5 hour waits to meet them.  Crazy that people actually stood in line that long to get a picture and autograph!  Our last visit to Disneyland centred all around meeting the princesses, so it was interesting to see how the kids had changed.  This time it was all about the rides.  I made them meet and get autographs from the main Disney characters, but they would have been happy without it. 

We are all happy to be home in the rain today.  The rain means our 2 baseball games have been cancelled today and we all kind of need the day at home to recover.  Shaylah ended up getting the flu on our last Disney day and did not even come to the park.  Poor girl.  At least the rest of us stayed healthy!

Happy Star Wars Day!  May the Fourth be with you!

19 months and counting

Micah is almost 20 months old, so I am quickly trying to write down some of his 19 month milestones before it is too late. So here goes....

Language: he is finally learning some words! Here is his list. "Doda" (doggy); "Dow" (down); "Ep" (yep) combined with a big nod of the head; "Mama"; "Dad"; "two" (always said after I say "one"); "Mou"(mouth) as he points to his lips. The words have started to come on more quickly this week, so hopefully he will keep the trend going. He understands most of what I say, as well as what our nanny says to him in Spanish (which is the only language she speaks to him).

 

Sleep: he slept through the night 3 days in a row last week. I thought we had finally made it! It was all just a trick though. He has been up again the last 2 nights. :( He is napping later in the day now (noon - 2pm), which makes it so much easier to get errands done in the morning. His bedtime is 8pm and he usually sleeps until 7:30am.

Size: he is wearing size 24 months clothes, size 4 diapers and size 5.5 shoes.

 

Personality: He loves to be with the big kids. He watches them very closely and tries to do everything that they do, especially on the playground. He has no fear and loves to climb. If he sees a camera, he scrunches up his nose and makes a funny cheesy grin. It means that I don't have very many good pictures of him actually smiling! If I can't get him to eat something that I want him to eat, I just pretend that it is mine. If I am eating it, then he automatically wants it. Works every time! He loves to give hugs and is great at cuddling. He is just sweet and I can't imagine life without him. :)

18 month check-up

Micah had his 18 month check-up at the doctor yesterday. He weighed in at 10.35kg (or 22 pounds) and is 80 cm long. He is around the 50th percentile for both! His developmental milestones are right on track, even though I thought his speech might be a little slow. :). He only has about 4 spoken words, but he is making lots of different sounds and definitely gets his needs/wants known.

His favorite things:
- his Mama. I am definitely number one in his life.
- breast feeding. There is no plan to stop this anytime soon, since he loves it so much (and to be honest, so do I)
- playing outside. This kid loves the freedom of doing his own thing. He is so independent on the playground now, especially climbing up to and going down the slide.
- waking his sisters up in the morning. He loves to climb right up onto their beds and make sure they are getting up for the day!

- baths. This has always been a favorite thing.
- pulling his hair. He is not a thumb sucker, but he does like to grab his hair and hold onto it for soothing purposes. He needs a haircut, but I am worried I will take away his security blanket!















- shoes. He is constantly going to the shoes and trying on different pairs.
  - dogs. He can spot a dog a mile away and always calls to them and points. He loves it when dogs give him kisses and will happily stop and say hello to every friendly animal. His favorite dog will always be his Jackpot though.

His least favorite things:
- going to bed. When asked if he would like to go "night night", he always shakes his head no, no matter how tired he is.
- coming inside from playing. This always elicits a tantrum from him. :)
- eating meat. He still won't touch it.

17 months old

Time is flying by much too quickly for my liking.

 

Micah is 17.5 months old right now and I was just realizing that he is exactly the same age that Shaylah was when the twins were born.  I cannot imagine how I managed 2 babies and a toddler without any outside help.  It is a good thing that I have absolutely no recollection of that year of my life!  Micah still seems like such a baby to me, yet I remember Shaylah as being such a big girl back then.  It is amazing how life circumstances can change your perspective on things.

Micah is seriously the sweetest baby ever.  He loves to cuddle, he gets so excited when Johnny gets home from work, he smiles easily and he is rarely cranky.  He is finally sleeping through the night (except the occasional 4am wake-up).  He loves to feed himself with a fork/spoon and drink from a regular cup (sippy cups aren't his thing!).  His favorite toys are his Home Depot drill and table saw (the plastic kind, of course).

(Helping Daddy put up new blinds on the windows)

 

 He still doesn't say much verbally, but he loves to sign for "milk", "open", "up", "all done".  I am sure he would do more signs, I just haven't taught him any more.  I must look some up soon!  He follows simple commands, such as "go get your jacket or boots", "clean up" and "go put it away".  He is choosing what he wants to eat mainly by vigorously shaking his head "no" for most things I put in front of him....he is so picky.  He loves the playground at the school and climbs and slides independently while waiting for the kids to get out of school.  He has a couple of ride-on toys that he loves.  I am thinking it might be time to get out the tricycle and see what he does with it.  I am thankful that he has been healthy so far...no flu or bad colds yet!

He is growing so fast and I am not quite ready for it to happen!  Slow down Micah, I want to keep you little a while longer.  :)