Monday, January 26, 2015

Science and Sweet potatoes


Dear Maya and Emi,

The weather has been making us a little crazy around here lately, and as I type this it's probably getting worse. We're expecting 'snowpocalypse 2015' overnight through tomorrow and it's thrown a wrench in our plans, but maybe some good will come out of it, too.

We had been planning a day trip for tomorrow to kick off our series of staycation-y winter activities, but once we heard the storm forecast we swapped it for a visit to the children's science museum yesterday. Maya, you loved the animals and you got to touch two snakes. You also enjoyed doing some crafts, using the building toys, organizing the life-size Light Bright board, making new friends at the Magnetic Ball Wall, and watching a chemistry movie with mommy inside the dome theater.






Emi, you're becoming funnier and more mobile. You babble a lot and say "mama" and "baba" every day. There's also this hysterical thing you do where you start 'singing' and then suddenly drop your tone so low that your voice gets all gravelly. Sometimes mommy joins you and I swear you give me a sign with your eyes when you're going to make the switch. As far as movement, you're not crawling yet but you're using rolls, kicks, and arching of your back to slowly make your way around.




Also, Emi, this afternoon you ate sweet potatoes for the first time and loved them. So far you've eaten everything with such gusto and you really can't seem to get enough. Mommy had to snap a few pictures and when I just looked at them on my computer, one of them immediately reminded me of something. I looked back into my folders from 2010 and, sure enough, found a very similar photo of Maya when she was 6 months, 13 days old--compared to your 6 months, 8 days...Sisters much??


Speaking of sisters, today (hopefully) marks the first day that you two share a room! Naptime didn't go well at all but the two of you have been sleeping pretty well so far tonight. Emi, you still get up once a night to nurse and you get up early in the morning, but Maya, you're such a good sleeper that hopefully it won't bother you too much. Fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly so that mommy and daddy don't have to tiptoe around in the evenings anymore!




Well, mommy is going to get some rest. Love you both!



Monday, January 19, 2015

Little Emi's half birthday


Dear Maya and Emi,

It's been a little while since the last post, but that flu really threw mommy for a loop. Now that I'm finally better we're trying to get back on track with a lot of things that fell by the wayside: Maya's vegetable consumption, Emi's tummy time, and less screen time for everyone!






Emi, you turned 6 months yesterday. Happy half birthday! Today was your checkup with the doctor and overall you had a clean bill of health, but our one concern is that you lost a little weight. Maya lost a few ounces at about the same age, too, so mommy is confident that we'll get past this.











The other day you had your first taste of solid food, and boy, did you love it! Mommy wasn't entirely sure what to do about the baby-led feeding idea the pediatrician mentioned. When you repeatedly took the spoon out of our hands to get the avocado in your mouth as fast as you possibly could, we realized it will work out just fine. Today you had some banana and acted the same way. Hopefully your gusto will carry over into nursing and you'll gain some weight soon!









Maya, you've been loving "school" with mommy and practicing your letters, but when we ask you to try to sound out a word you usually clam right up. The other day I was arranging your bath letters and found that you had memorized the word "cat," but when mommy switched the "t" out for an "r" and asked what the new word was, you answered "mouse." You are so funny! Mommy has a feeling you are just doubting yourself and once you decide to, you'll be reading like crazy. No pressure, though!






Well, mommy is going to get some rest now. Love you both!


Friday, January 9, 2015

Rainbow art birthday party


Dear Maya and Emi,

Mommy has a lot of catching up to do in this blog post. I would've done it earlier in the week but I've been in bed with the flu and only now is the medicine doing enough that I can sit up with the laptop! Luckily, daddy has been off work and you two have (mostly) been good for him while I recover.




It's been coldcoldCOLD so we've been staying mostly indoors. Maya, one day you convinced Aunt Rhi to make you a bow and arrow to play with while you watched the old Disney "Robin Hood" on Netflix. Several days we had dance parties in our pajamas, made even better by the rainbows coming from the disco ball prism hanging in the window. Mommy loves that even though you both have lots of new toys to play with, you're still entertained by simple things. Emi, for you that's your feet!






Grandpa came to visit last weekend for the big party. When you two awoke on Saturday morning we went downstairs to have our Christmas with him. Maya, you loved 'helping' him open his gifts and of course you liked opening your own. Emi, you had lots of giggles to share, too.




Maya, you chose to have a rainbow art theme for your birthday party this year. Mommy got a custom shirt and secondhand skirt for you, then found some day-glo tights in the dresser. You picked out this Rainbow Brite-ish outfit for Emi, but it was too cold for her to wear out of the house.






We had the party at a restaurant for a change and it was great! We used rainbow tablecloths from our friend Rebecca and daddy made a giant paintbrush and palette out of cardboard for the display. Maya, you used the new airbrush kit you got for Christmas to make abstract art on mini canvases which we put on tiny easels as party favors. For the kids in the crowd, we printed out some artist coloring sheets to go with crayons, markers, and stickers. Mommy made funfetti cupcakes and a tie-dye mini cake with ombre frosting for the candles. Everything was super colorful to say the least!

 



 





We had such a good time with our family and friends. Emi, you fell asleep during the party, but surprisingly without any fussing to speak of. Maya, you were a little crazy running around with bunches of balloons, but you did manage to thank everyone for their wonderful gifts. You received so many different art supplies that we should be stocked for the next year at least! We are so grateful for everyone who came to celebrate with us!




 
 










Well, that's enough for one post! Love you both!