Pink Fish

We had salmon for dinner the other night and we were really surprised when Caroline said she wanted some of the "pink fish" since she is usually so picky. She put it in her mouth, made a face and then quickly took it back out again.  

Mommy: What's the matter? 

Caroline: I don't like it.

Daddy: Why not?

Caroline: I don't know. I'm just a kid.

Relax

When Caroline has her little freak-outs, you know the ones that happen when I forget and open the front door instead of waiting for her, or if, god forbid, I turn on the bathroom light, without her doing it- I usually find myself saying, "Caroline, RELAX. It's OK!" Well we were in the grocery store the other day and in a hurry. Well Mommy was in a hurry and caroline was following behind, taking her time. I kept turning around saying, "Come on Honey! We're late! We have to hurry!" Caroline doesn't pick up the pace at all and I hear her behind me saying, "I am Mommy, RELAX!" 

Catching Up on Eleanor

Eleanor is 14 weeks now! She finally just got her 8 week shots yesterday and had a well check-up. The doctors did not want to give her her shots until they knew that the RSV and ear infection were totally cleared. Eleanor is doing really well. She weighs 14 lbs, 3 oz. (90%), and is 23 1/2" (50-75%). Her doctor was surprised to see that she can already bring both her hands together (she is always trying to fit both in her mouth since she won't take a pacifier.) and said that she has great muscle control and is a very strong baby. She even keep trying to roll over on to her left side.  Everyone who works at the pediatrician's office was very excited to see her come in for a well check-up since we had been there so often when she was sick.

She definitely has her preferences for who should be holding her. She often gives Daddy a hard time when Mommy tries to slip out, but she (and Daddy) are doing better! I am back to tutoring (only 3 hours a week though) and Eleanor has yet to be with the babysitter for more than 15 min. before she is brought done to me crying. The minute I take her from our sitter and put her in the bouncy seat next to me, she is immediately silent. Hmmm...definitely something we'll have to work on.  

Eleanor loves to practice smiling, cooing and will laugh out loud, especially when Daddy is kissing her cheeks. Today when she was in her bouncy seat, she reached out over and over again to touch one of the attached toys. That was the first time I had seen her do that. 

Caroline still very much loves her sister. She wants to help change her diaper (she'll run and get her stool from the bathroom and bring it into Eleanor's room, so she can reach the changing table and put the adhesive tabs across Eleanor's diaper) and help give her a bath. She STILL wants to climb on top of her to hug her, so we have to watch that!

I am going to try to attach some video of Eleanor so we'll see how it goes...

 

OK, So you will DEFINITELY have to excuse my voice being so annoyingly babyish-next time, i'll have the camera, FAR away from my mouth! : )

Funny Little Caroline Things

How funny is this...Caroline calls McDonald's the restaurant, "Ol McDonald's". We were in Walmart the other day and we stopped at the McDonald's inside and while we were shopping after she asked me "Where did Ol' McDonald's go?"

Caroline got a talking baby doll for Christmas and the baby keeps saying things like "I love you Mommy" and "Mommy play with me". Every time the doll says "Mommy" Caroline gets so frustrated and says in a very annoyed voice "Her is NOT calling ME mommy. I are NOT her MOMMY!". 

Whoa...

So "Ganma" and "Ganpa" give Caroline this stuffed globe as one of her Christmas presents. She brings it over to Brett and says "Look Daddy, this is Texas" and proceeds to turn the globe over and over until she carefully places her finger directly on Texas. Brett is so surprised since the only time we have showed Caroline where Texas is was on a wooden jigsaw puzzle she has of the United States (which was also given to her by my parents). Then Brett tells her to show me and she brings the globe to me upside down and turns it around and around, decides it's upside down and turns it over and once again, places her finger on Texas. Thanks "Ganma" and "Ganpa"! Keep bringing on those educational toys...I smell college scholarship! : )

"Ganpa's Birthday"

Thurs. night before my dad left we celebrated his Jan. 1 birthday. We ordered out Chinese food, had some cheesecake and put back up the birthday decorations. Caroline had tons of fun singing "Happy Birthday" and blowing out "Ganpa's" candle-twice!

Christmas Day

Spreading "Reindeer Food" in the backyard with Daddy
Setting out cookies and chocolate milk for Santa and carrots fro Rudolph
Tree on Christmas morning
Opening Presents
Eleanor, Santa's Little Helper

In spite of all the sickness going on in this family the week before and the week of Christmas, Caroline still had a wonderful Christmas day. It was so much fun to see her getting ready for Santa Claus (baked cookies for Santa with Mommy, spreading "reindeer food" that she made at preschool in the backyard for Rudolph, setting out the cookies with milk and carrots -for Rudolph by the fireplace). SHe was so excited on CHristmas Even when she went to bed. Christmas morning Caroline woke up and found all the presents under the tree. She was very excited to find a scooter on the tree and yes, she did also receive her fishing pole and a "phone to call her shapes", along with many other things, too. Eleanor slept through present opening, but I'm sure Caroline will catch her up to speed in order to prepare her for next Christmas! "Ganma" and "Ganpa" and Aunt Willys and Uncle Stan came over in the morning to open presents. Christmas night we had dinner out with everyone and we sat my contagious girls on the very opposite end of a very long table from my brother, sister-in-law and baby niece who would soon be leaving to go to France and on to Angola and did not need to be sick, too. All in all, even though the girls were sick, it went much better than expected. It was so much fun to watch Caroline really "get" Christmas for the first time.