Llama, Grandma, Pajama Enigma

Dear Maya and Emi,

Snow. Blustery snow, picturesque snow, clumpy snow, powdery snow, drifting snow. Snow, snow, snow. And low temperatures. Lots of low temperatures. That's what we've been dealing with still and are forecast to keep dealing with for a while. Aside from you going outside occasionally to shovel or stock wood with daddy, Maya, you two have been inside a lot. And we do have a bit of cabin fever, okay more than a bit, but we've been doing some fun things, too.

• Emi, you've been playing more, moving more, and eating more (peaches, green peas, etc.)

• Maya you saw a llama at the library (or more importantly, you saw your sweet Wyatt)

• Grandma and Papa Stan visited--Maya, you chose a snowman theme for Grandma's birthday

And now, to close this post, mommy has proud moments to share about each of you from this week. Maya, within a span of an afternoon you managed to master two words we'd never heard you use before--the word "seaport" to describe Cabot Cove just seconds in to a "Murder She Wrote" episode, and the phrase "Seriously?" complete with the sarcastic inflection of a teenager. Holy moly!

Emi, after going back and forth between sleeping okay and not so okay this week, you picked last night to wow us. You slept from 6:15pm to 5:50am, nursed briefly and then went back to bed until 7:30 at which point you and your sister started chattering in your beds and even harmonizing with each other. Yippeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Fingers crossed for a repeat tonight! Love you both!

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!

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!