Most moms share my feeling of being totally enamored with my children (I mean, they are enamored with their OWN children, not mine...smile). Bailey, as my first born, will always hold such a special place in my heart and I continue to watch her grow up so beautifully. Nolan steals my heart every day, and I find myself falling more and more in love with that little guy. Here are a few updates on each of them:
Bailey
-She is reading and writing so well! I particularly love reading her "story prompt" pages from school. I think they are so telling about her thoughts and feelings. For instance, I now know that she thinks it's a really special moment we share when we make cookies together. AND she thinks my cookies are the most delicious EVER! I won't tell her that some people make cookies from scratch rather than spooning already-made dough onto a sheet and cooking!!
-I've always known she is a bit more like me than Jason. From the emotions to the bossiness to the need to be right all the time....yep. Lately she's become very hard on herself when she can't master a skill the first time. I try to calm her down and tell her that it's not important for her to be perfect at everything, especially the first time.....all the while remembering how hard it was for me when I wasn't good at something as a child.
-She is toothless as she's missing her two top front teeth. The big teeth are nowhere in sight, but I have my suspicions that things won't be pretty once they grow in, so I actually prefer toothless. We are saving money for the orthodontist. :-)
Nolan
Having always been a great sleeper, we are now facing 1) extreme nap reluctance, and 2) a refusal to sleep in his own bed or, when we win, needing to sleep with the light on. I blame Halloween for the latter, as he fears monsters. Sometimes a sweep of his room to slay the monsters helps, and other times he's just plain scared. He does reassure himself by offering, "Monsters are NOT real, momma." Sometimes, however, there's a bit of a question mark at the end of the statement, rather than a period.
-He's a man of extremes. Sometimes he's the most lovable kid you've ever seen, offering kisses, hugs and effusive "I love yous." Other times, he snubs people without batting an eye. Further, he's learned the art of hurting your feelings on purpose, sometimes saying "I don't love you" with a devilish grin. He'll change his tune when you act sad, though.
-His speech is getting a lot better and we can carry on a fairly good conversation with him. There are still times, however, when we're stumped and this leads to major frustration and potentially a temper tantrum. He'll say "I can't say something" when he isn't able to articulate his thoughts or when we don't understand him.
-Most people comment on how high pitched his voice is. I don't notice it as much, but he does sound a little like Mickey Mouse. :-) I think this is so funny since people have always commented on how LOW and raspy Bailey's voice is.
-His forehead scar doesn't seem to be fading a bit. Most days it doesn't bother me because I can put it all in perspective....it's such a tiny minor thing compared to so many other things in the world. But, I do hope it fades as he ages because it's pretty noticeable and still quite red.
That's it for now....here's a pic of the kids from our recent family pictures!
