First Sign and First Word

On Saturday, April 21, Eli did his first sign language sign - "more." I wasn't sure if I was going to do sign language with him simply because I didn't have the time. But about three or four weeks before, I decided to give it a shot. He picked it up very quickly! It took Tali a very long time (a couple of months) before she got the hang of it.

So on that day, Eli signed for more strawberries. Eight days later, he said his first word - "more." As with most milestones, I missed it. H was sitting at the table with Eli, who was signing for more when he also said it. I didn't get the pleasure of hearing his first word until three days later.

Unlike Tali, who couldn't wait to speak, Eli only speaks when necessary. So his one word is only used occasionally. When I get it on video, I'll post it. For now, here is a video of him signing.

Big Girl Bed

Last night was Tali's first night in a big girl bed. While most kids move to a bed somewhere between the age of 2 and 3, we felt she wasn't ready at that time. So when she first climbed out of the crib, we installed a crib tent. It kept her safely inside until it was time. With the move to the new house, we felt it was best for her to be in the crib for a while until she was fully comfortable here (and we had time to install a baby gate at the top of the stairs).

For the past month or two, I've been regularly asking Tali if she was ready to sleep in a big girl bed. Every time I asked, she told me now. So we kept her in the crib. This week, at almost 3 1/2 years old, she said yes! So Saturday, after her nap, H turned her crib into a big girl bed. Tali watched, full of excitement. As soon as it was finished, she grabbed a pillow, climbed in and asked for a sheet! For those of you who don't know, Tali would not allow ANYTHING inside her crib other than her security blanket. If we tried to give her a pillow or blanket, she would scream! To her, the crib was meant to empty, just as it was when she was a baby. So when Tali asked for a sheet, I was shocked and completely unprepared. We had nothing for her. I dug into her armoire and found a few fleece baby blankets that, if you put them all together would cover her.

The rest of the afternoon all Tali wanted to do was play in her big girl bed. She was so excited! However, once it was time to put her down for the night things changed. After H read to her and tucked her in, she began to freak out. He calmed her before she left the room but it didn't last long. One re-covering her (these blankets are so small that they come off when she moves - time to buy a sheet!) and trip to the potty later and she seemed to calm down. She called out for me a few more times but it was quick and I didn't go in. Then she fell asleep and slept through the night.

Before we put her down, I gave just one rule: no getting out of bed once you are tucked in. If you need something, call for Mommy or Daddy. Last night, she listened. But I'm sure it's just a matter of time before she realizes how easy it is to simply walk out of her room and into ours.


PS She slept until 8:00 a.m. (blankets curled up next to her pillow) this morning. Too bad Eli woke up at 5:30 a.m. Can't win them all, I guess. 

Scooter

Eli is almost 11 months old and, for some reason, he never learned how to crawl. Instead, he scoots around the floor on his tushie, using is hands to pull his body across. Basically, he moves like someone who has lost movement in their lower body. Most people find it funny and cute. Tali also thinks its funny and regularly has scooting races with him around the house. It makes Eli laugh (sorry for the jumpy video - the Flip isn't great for recording and walking at the same time).

I'm so used to the scooting by now that to me it is just normal. But for those of you who don't see Eli that often, I thought you'd like to get a glimpse into how he moves around. Note, that I am trying to teach him how to crawl (doctor's orders), but he prefers this method. At least it's provided me and Tali with a fun nickname for him: Scooter.

Tickling and Teething

Having a bad day? No problem. Take two minutes to watch some video of me tickling Eli. It'll make you smile. Promise.

"Annie"

Tali and Jackson watching "Annie" this morning.

Tali's new favorite movie is Annie, probably because it has a dog in it. She requests this movie often and sings the songs all day. But, like any other three year old, she doesn't know all of the words correctly. Her favorite song is "Dumb Dog." But since Tali has never heard the word "dumb" before, she sings it as "Dog Dog." She sings this song to Jackson at least five times a day and it makes me laugh every time.

The Benefits to Waking Up Before 6:00 a.m.

Tali and Eli playing with "Aunt Cara's blocks" in the kitchen while I cleaned.

This morning, Tali and Eli woke up at 5:50 a.m. Yes, that's early for us. About an hour and a half early. But, I got so much more done today because of it.

Before school I:

fed the kids breakfast
did a load of laundry
got the kids dressed (and myself)
taught Tali how to make our bed
cleaned the kitchen
made a grocery list and most of our weekly menu
took Jackson on a walk

And, we still made it to school on time. Amazing! Not that I'm hoping for a repeat performance tomorrow, but it was nice to have one day of numerous accomplishments before 9:00 a.m.

Our First Vegetable Garden

We recently did some more landscaping in our backyard and decided to include a 7-bed vegetable garden. We hope this will be a fun thing for the kids as they grow up. As I've never gardened before, it's going to be a great learning experience for me. I'm starting a bit late in the game this year so we'll what grows. I don't have high expectations for my first year. It'll take a few years before I really know what I'm doing.

Today, I decided a fun activity would be to start planting the seeds with Tali. Ha! I sometimes forget that she's three and likes to make a mess. I also forget how chaotic it can be to try and get something done with her. Throw in a furniture delivery and it was all out chaos. But, Tali had a great time.


I had about ten seed packets and Tali really wanted to plant carrots. With everything going on, I didn't read the package. These are supposed to go directly into the ground so that the roots are straight. Oh well. If they grow, we'll enjoy some crooked carrots. A fun reminder of our very first gardening experience together.

Ha!

I quickly ran down to our boiler room to get some information off of our well and when I came back upstairs, this is what I found. (He was fully dressed, with a bib, when I left him.) I must've been gone for no more than a minute!

PS Yes, I know I need to write more. A lot more. It's just still so crazy here that I can never seem to find the time. When my kids get older, someone please tell them that I loved them and they were cared for at this age. I was just too busy to record it.

Mohawk!

Everyone is always telling me that I need to sculpt Eli's hair into a mohawk.  I agree. He has the perfect hair for it. But, I never seem to find the time. Today he woke up from his nap with a mini-mohawk. This will have to do for now.

First Tooth!

Eli got his first tooth about a week and a half ago. It's so cute out there all by itself. It's not fully out yet, but it's very visible. His second tooth cut through this past Saturday, right next to the first. You can't see it unless you peer inside his mouth, but trust me, it's there. The third and fourth teeth (on top, to match the bottoms) aren't far behind. Tali didn't get her first tooth until after she was one so this is one area where he's beat her.