6 Months

Weight: 16lb 6oz (50%)

Height: 26.25in (75%)

Makenzie is such a bundle of joy at 6months! I often wish I had a little more mommy-daughter time without Shane around (I currently get very little) so I could just focus on enjoying her and her smiles. Course, I think she is beginning to think she has to compete with Shane for my attention. She seems to be speaking up more as if to remind me she is still there.

I find it so difficult to spread my time between two kids. After Makenzie was born I was amazed at how much love I really had to give, and that it was impossible for me to love either one of them more than the other. At the same time it seemed impossible for me to love them more than I already did. But now I am struggling with feeling like I show that love enough to each of them. Whenever I start focusing on the one, I feel like some how I am neglecting the other and they are bound to feel unloved. One of my biggest fears in life is for my children to grow up not having a firm knowledge that their mother loves them more than anything in the world. I need time for myself and my husband, but how do I know that each person in my family is getting enough from me to assure they don't think of themselves as second best? I imagine it will be a lifetime pursuit, so I how do I not stress over it everyday?

Here are some things Makenzie is up to these days:

1. Rolling Over (finally!) - She actually rolled over completely on her own for the first time at her 6month doctor appt :D
2. She rarely sleeps anywhere but her crib - It causes a lot of stress when we can't be home all day long for her to nap. I must be doing something to cause this because Shane was the same way. On the other hand, she is REALLY easy to put to bed in the crib. I'm still not sure if it is a good trade off or a bad one.
3. Giggling more and more - I am amazed at how easy it is to make her giggle sometimes. Probably because Shane didn't really laugh or giggle until he was like a year old. Makenzie starts giggling sometimes just when I look at her.
4. She is amazingly happy - It makes me wonder if she is just going to be one of those super bubbly girls because she gets so excited at just about everything. When I go in to get her out of bed in the morning you'd think the circus came to town.
5. Bounces herself in her bouncer - She has done this for quite some time, but has become quite proficient at it now. You might even call her an expert ;) I never have to bounce her myself anymore.
6. Still absolutely refuses the bottle - I am not trying to wean her anything, but it sure would be nice to just leave her home with dad every now and then. Or go on a date without her.
7. Her hair is growing back - however, it is growing back a lot lighter than the hair she was born with. This makes me a little sad because I loved her dark hair. In fact even before we had her, I told Adam I wanted her to have his dark hair. Don't get me wrong I do like my hair color and a little red head smith girl would have been darling, but there is something absolutely beautiful about dark brunette hair.
8. Eats solid food - See pictures below - We skipped rice cereal and went straight to prunes. She didn't seem to dig them too much (surprise, surprise). We tried again a couple days later with bananas and she did great! I've only got after pictures of her first meal because Adam wasn't home to be on camera duty. I think she was happy I was calling it quits ;)

Makenzie

It has been a way too long since I have posted pictures of our sweet little girl. So here is the latest on Makenzie.

At four months old Makenzie weighed 14lb 6oz and was 25.25inches long. She turns 6 months old on December 9th, but her 6 month appointment isn't until mid-December so those are her most recent stats.

Makenzie has started doing some new things over the last month and a half. She has discovered her hands and is learning how to use them. She loves to grab and play with her feet, which is really cute. If we put a toy within arms reach then she will often grab it and start playing with it. If it is just out of her reach, she just looks at it :) She is not rolling over yet, but I'm not really worried about it.

Makenzie is such a happy girl and doesn't really mind much of anything as long as she isn't tired or hungry. She absolutely LOVES people. She likes to "talk" back and forth with me. Makenzie really likes Shane too. She gets so excited when he "helps" push her in the swing. I can't nurse her in the same room as him most of the time because she just cranks her head to watch what he is doing.

Something funny about Makenzie: She's got thunder thighs like you've never seen! You really can't see them in any of these pictures, but I have never seen leg rolls like hers.

This is what sharing is like in our house:

Trick or Treating and Tears

Yesterday while I was working on Shane's Halloween costume Adam decided to carve pumpkins with Shane. Shane was a little hesitant at first especially about slimeing(sp?) his hands to scoop out the seeds. I think he was excited anyway though because he saw the face Adam drew on the pumpkin before carving, which just happen to look similar to the face on the bucket Adam had given Shane for Trick or Treating. Shane had a lot of fun "helping" Adam carve.


In Columbus, Ohio when Halloween falls on the weekend, trick or treating is scheduled for the Thursday before. I've heard that it is to make it safer for kids, but I've recently heard some other reasons too. They call it Beggars Night. So yesterday evening we hopped over to the local "little provo" so Shane could trick or treat with his friends. As we were getting ready to head out the door Shane saw the bowl of candy on the floor. He very excitedly filled his bucket with ALL of it.

Here is a picture of Adam and Shane just before heading out to trick or treat:
(If it isn't obvious, Shane is Alfalfa and Adam is his dad.)

This was Shane's very first time trick or treating. We didn't go last year because we were traveling or something, so it didn't work out. Shane was in a pretty grumpy mood all day; to add to it (since it has been many years since I went trick or treating) I failed to consider the weather, which was very cold and windy. Grumpy child + shivering cold + being "forced" toward "scary" adults = child with face full of tears (see pictures below). The only thing that kept him going was that for some strange reason these grown-ups were giving him candy.


Needless to say we didn't stay out trick or treating for long. In fact I think Shane only went up to three doors. We went home, got some hot chocolate and started defrosting Shane's hands. As traumatic as this experience appeared to be for Shane, he perked right up when he pulled a sucker out of his bucket and I told him he could go ahead and eat it.

The green pumpkin bucket is now Shane's new most prized possession. He toted it around the house all day after Adam bought it for him. He was even more excited about carrying it around once he had candy in it. Later that night when it was time for bed I explained to Shane that he wouldn't be able to take his bucket to bed with him. After many attempts, he was unwilling to give the bucket up so I had to force it out of his hands. He immediately became hysterical. I knew he would start crying, but wow! This was one of the biggest tantrums he has ever thrown. He was completely inconsolable. When he refused to calm down to read bedtime stories with me, I told him to let me know when he was ready to read and walked out of the room. It was another 5-10 minutes before he finally decided to stop screaming and flailing his body around.

Tonight was our Church's halloween party. I was excited because it would be a chance for Shane to "trick or treat" inside where it is warm. Sadly, we had to stay home because Shane came down with some virus. Oh well.

Next year's costume: Eskimo.

Pumpkin Picking

Shane, Makenzie and I went pumpkin picking with some gals from church this month. We had a great time despite Shane apparently being deaf while we were there. He ran around like crazy and responded very little to anything I said or asked. And when I say didn't respond I mean he didn't even look at me half the time I tried talking to him or calling his name, so strange. It was very frustrating, but he had so much fun!

Shane has actually been really into pumpkins this last month. Well, at the pumpkin patch it wasn't the pumpkins that stole the show. It was the giant slide and pile of dirt :) Boys will be boys.

Every time Shane came down this large slide, he came tumbling out like a rock. I went down with him once, but we didn't get a picture. He didn't want to go down anymore after that, so I gave up.

Fall Leaves

I know what you are thinking..."That pile of leaves is the wussiest pile of leaves I have ever seen." It's true, but did Shane know the difference? Nope.

Speech

So Shane has made some great improvements over the last couple of months. Ever since his 2 year doctor check-up when it was determined that Shane's verbal communication was very delayed, we started encouraging more words. I didn't tell him not to use his sign language I just didn't encourage it anymore and instead encouraged real words. Well, today he has probably at least double is verbal vocabulary. And even though most things that come out of his mouth sound like Russian, he does actually try to say SO much more. Before he wouldn't even TRY. Shane definitely requires an interpreter and frustration is common, but progress is being made. That makes me happy.

Shane finally got into speech therapy. We had an evaluation done a while back and they said his verbal communication was at the level of 12-15months old. We were on the waiting list for therapy for 1-2 months. He gets to go to therapy once a week for 30minutes. I am really excited to see how it helps him. What I hope he gets out of it is better articulation. He seems to have a really hard time saying certain sounds and forming words correctly. More words will come with time; I am not particularly worried about that.

Because of Shane's delayed speech and history of many ear infections, we had his hearing tested. It had been two weeks since his last ear infection and the pediatrician felt that was enough recovery time. It was determined by the audiologist that he had fluid in his ears, and marginal test results. We were referred to an ENT. We went to the ENT and he said Shane's ears looked fine and that there was no fluid. He does not recommend tubes at this time, but it might be something to consider next time he gets an ear infection. Apparently it took Shane longer than 2 weeks to fully recover from his ear infection. I haven't talked to the pediatrician yet about the ENT visit, but based on what the ENT said it seems inevitable that Shane will get ear tubes at some point this winter.

Amber's personal diagnosis: A while back I noticed a plateau/slight decline in the progress Shane was making with his speech, then suddenly he picked it back up again. After the ENT visit I thought back. I think Shane's lack of progress coincides with the time period that Shane had his last ear infection and recovery time afterward. I can't be sure because kids can go backward and forward on things for various reasons, but it makes sense that during Shane's ear infections and the recovery time afterward when he still has fluid in his ears, that his hearing isn't as good. IF this is true (which is a big if), it seems to me that would be a good explanation for his delayed speech. After the age of 12months language learning really kicks into high gear. Well right after Shane turned one we went into winter time, which is when Shane had lots of ear infections. Maybe my theory is right, but maybe I am dead wrong. I don't think I will ever really know.

This experience has made me more sympathetic (or empathetic?) to moms who are constantly searching for an explanation to why their kids are the way they are. I often find myself doing the same thing, always wanting an explanation, a reason, something to blame for why Shane doesn't talk (much). But when it comes down to it, there might not be a reason. I just have to accept the way Shane is and not worry about it. I am able to do that more and more as time passes, but it is difficult when it causes us both so much frustration at times. It is good practice for the future though, because there will always be something other kids are better at. He can't be good at everything. I have to be okay with that. I should feel blessed because at least this challenge will eventually pass. It will take some time, but it will pass. Not all parents can say that. It is a blessing that I can.

Toddler Bed

This summer Adam made Shane a toddler bed. Yup, that's right, Adam built it himself. This was Adam's very first woodworking project and it turned out great!!

You can find the plans here.

Shane LOVES his new bed. Yes we did go through about a month of transition time until he was truly acclimated to it, but he always loved it from the start. For awhile it was sitting in our garage while Adam stained it. Every time we'd walk past it to go into the house I'd tell Shane that daddy was making him a bed, a bed just for him. So he had a little bit of time to internalize the idea before actually having to make the switch.

I was so crazy excited for Shane to try out his new bed, that I started putting him in it two days before going on vacation, yeah dumb. We used the pack n' play on vacation. He apparently can climb out of it now because he did twice. He didn't the rest of the time we were there which was a huge relief. I couldn't go back to the crib when we got back from vacation. It probably made it a little harder for Shane (and ultimately me too), but if I went back to the crib, then he would always think that was an option and that was not going to happen.

So we kept at it once we got home from vacation. Makenzie was still sleeping in a bassinet in the living room. I completely emptied out the crib, mattress and all to try to help his detachment from it. I put his mattress and all his special night time things on his new bed. Every time I put him to bed I set aside plenty of time to really focus on winding Shane down. I would go through the normal bedtime routine and then give him extra cuddling and even sing several songs to him while he laid in bed. I did this until he stopped asking for them, which was about 3-4 weeks. The first few days I would leave his room and he would be quiet in his bed for about 5 min. Then he would casually walk out of his room with his blankie and sit on the couch with us to watch TV. He gave us no unusual facial expression. For him, it all seemed completely normal. So we would put him back in bed and out again he came. Every time we put him back in bed he was calm and happy. He waved goodnight to us and blew us kisses. We repeated this a couple of times and then just locked his door (we turned the door knob around). He cried at the door for about 10min and then climbed back in bed and went to sleep. That was how it went every night for about 2 weeks-ish. Then suddenly he didn't try to come out anymore. He would actually stay in bed and quietly go to sleep. He will still come out of his room every once in a while after I put him to bed, but it is usually pretty easy to get him to go back to bed.

The hardest part of this transition was the middle of the night. Once he started sleeping in the toddler bed, Shane was waking up more often than Makenzie was. My sleep deprivation was caused more by him waking in the middle of the night than anything else. He would walk into my room and over to my side of the bed (not dad's) with his blanket and occasionally his pillow in his hands. He would start tugging on my arm and as soon as I woke up he would attempt to climb into bed with me. I'd pull him into my bed, snuggle up with him and fall asleep. Course I couldn't sleep much with a two year old in my bed so when I'd wake up 10-15 minutes later I'd carry him back to his bed. He always went willingly as long as he got to snuggle for a few minutes. Honestly, I kind of ate it up for while because Shane has never been much of a cuddle bug. I think I enjoyed the cuddling as much as he did.

Ultimately, I was tired. All day long. I couldn't take the multiple wakings during the night anymore. From some great advice from my sister I realized I was only encouraging Shane when I'd pull him into bed with me. So as much as I loved snuggling with him and as hard as it was, I pulled the plug. No more getting into mom's bed in the middle of the night. If Shane woke up, I didn't say anything. I simply carried him back to his room, tucked him back in and left. This carried on for several nights. So I tried something else my sister suggested: explain what needs to happen BEFORE it happens, not in the heat of the moment. When I put Shane down for the first time at bedtime I sat and explained to him that if he wakes up during the night he should not come and wake up mom and dad but stay in his bed and just go back to sleep. The first time I told him that he looked heart-broken. I repeated the instructions every night at bedtime and during the night continued to just put him back to bed without snuggling and without a word. Today, Shane rarely comes into our room at night. We are not sure if he wakes up or not, but as long as he is going back to sleep on his own, we are completely happy.

Occasionally, Shane starts crying in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. He doesn't get out of his bed, he just lays there crying. I go in to calm him down, but he doesn't want anything to do with anyone or anything. Finally, I just pick him up out of bed and rock with him and he instantly calms down and snuggles right up to me. He never did this when he slept in his crib. I think it might be nightmares or nightares and that it is just a coincidence that they are happening now that he switched beds. Who knows. It is hard, as a mom, to watch him cry and not know what to do.

Life (continued)

Warning: Potty Talk (TMI)

So awhile back I purchased a potty seat. One of those seats you put on the big toilet so your child doesn't fall into the porcelain pool of nasty. It is called the "Cushie Tushie." I wasn't expecting or planning on starting potty training. I just wanted to be prepared for when Shane became more interested in using the toilet. Shane is quite use to seeing Adam and I use the bathroom. Adam is a guy so closing the door just takes too much effort and if I close the door, Shane screams as if someone stole his baseball bat from him (his bat being one of his most prized possessions at the moment). The upside is that I never have to flush the toilet when he is around, what a great helper.

Whenever I bring something new home other than groceries Shane is just like most children, very interested and eager to help open it. The Cushie Tushie was no different. I opened it up and put it on the toilet. I explained to him what it was and what it was for and then asked him if he wanted to sit on it. He nodded his head yes and immediately started pulling his pants down (he might have just been looking for an excuse to get naked). 2 seconds later he was "all done." I wasn't surprised. The Cushie Tushie has a handy little hook to hang it up while not in use, so I hung it up by the toilet and that was the end. Since then, every time Shane comes to me grabbing his diaper I ask him if he needs a diaper change. Of course he always says no. Then I ask him if he needs to go sit on the toilet like mom and dad. He always says no and I say Ok and move on.

Yesterday, we had a few of Shane's friends over for our weekly babysitting group. All of the kids are older than Shane by almost a year and completely potty trained. One of the little girls let me know she needed to go to the bathroom. So I took her into the bathroom to help her since our toilet is rather large and tall compared to most. Shane followed us in and I tried to wave him out, but he refused. The little girl probably couldn't have cared less, but I felt Shane needed to learn that he couldn't watch everyone go to the bathroom. So I shuffled him out and closed the door with me inside just in case more help was needed. Shane went nuts and just screamed outside the door. This was not just a stolen baseball bat, this was stolen baseball bat, baseball and baseball glove. I opened the door and tried to explain to him why he couldn't come in. The whole time I was talking he was trying to look around me to see what was going on in the bathroom.

Today Shane came to me whining, grabbing his diaper. I asked him if he needed to sit on the toilet and he nodded his head YES! I was amazed and 100% happy to oblige. When I took off his diaper there was a small pellet of poo, which means this wasn't just another one of Shane's joy rides on the cushie tushie. I sat him on the toilet and I acted happy and excited for this "fun" experience. He started crying. Not because he wanted down, but because it hurt. I felt bed, but the only answer was either hug him tight on the toilet or hug him tight on my lap. I chose toilet. So I hugged him tight, encouraging him to push it out and then he would feel better. He kept on crying and saying no. A minute or two later, I asked him if he wanted a drink, didn't wait for a reply and immediately told him I'd go get him some milk (this sounds mean, but it is his ultimate comfort food). So I head off to quickly fill a cup of milk. While I am pouring the milk Shane stops crying and all I hear is, "Yay."

Yay is right!! My boy pooped in the toilet for the very first time!!! I think I praised him more than I ever have before. Of course I still gave him the milk. He totally deserved it! He seemed happy with him self afterward. So did the sweet little girl from babysitting group inspire Shane? If she did, I am so grateful! I see pull-ups and "Cars" underwear in my future. Strangely enough that makes me so happy!

Was this a long enough potty story for you? Hope so ;)

Life

Today was a beautiful day. Up until about 4:30pm when a torrential rain storm hit. It was short lived, but so nasty. Unfortunately, I was at Wal-mart checking out right when it hit. The wind was so strong, and the rain was REALLY heavy. There was lightening, thunder and tornado sirens. Flower pots were flying off the tables outside the store. I joined the crowd hovering by the door waiting to see if it would let up. After about 5 minutes I decided waiting for the rain to lighten up with a two year old and a baby was not likely to be a positive situation. Kids are not particularly patient and Makenzie was already fussy. So I thought I'd brave the storm and head to my car. I was parked close anyway. 5 seconds out in the rain and Shane starts freaking out pointing back to the store entrance. I immediately think he dropped his most beloved miniature football. So I rush back inside. Just those 5 seconds outside and we were already half-way drenched. Shane did not loose his football; it was safely tucked away next to Makenzie's leg in her carseat. In fact he hadn't lost anything. He freaked out because he desperately wanted to return to the warm, dry store. I don't blame him but I wasn't about to sit in the store for 30 minutes waiting. Fortunately, a kind soul came up to me and offered to watch the kids so I could run to get the car and pull up to the front of the store. Normally leaving Shane with a stranger and quickly running out would leave Shane in a flood of tears. However, he didn't seem to get too upset this time. Why? Probably because he knew where I was going and certainly didn't want to join me. By the time I got the kids and groceries in the car I was so wet I looked like I had been running through sprinklers. The weather scared Makenzie pretty good. She cried most of the way home. After holding her for a short while and putting her in her bouncer at home, she was perfectly fine.



A few weeks ago, the kids and I ran a little errand after dinner. We were going to buy a filing cabinet from someone advertising on Craigslist. I put the cabinet in the car and Shane refused to get in the car. He proceeded to pick up sticks and rocks, throw them and run around. I figured it would do him some good if we went to a near by park to let him run around and get some energy out. So using my handy, dandy GPS I located a nearby park. It was a really cool park that I had never been to before. It reminded me of a park I used to go to as a kid while visiting my Grandparents in Medford, OR. The picture to the right is an example of what the park was like. So we start walking towards the park and there is a cute little girls soccer team busy practicing. Shane sees the balls and yells "Ball!" and starts running for one. I stop him and explain to him that they are not our balls and we can't play with them. So we continue on to the the playground with Shane of course looking back at the balls longingly. After a while of playing, Makenzie gets hungry and needs to nurse. I didn't have our double stroller with me so I couldn't strap Shane in and let him wail like I have done before. So I try to convince Shane he needs to take a break and sit with me while I nurse Makenzie. What was I thinking?! Convince a two year old to sit for 10 minutes?! Obviously it didn't work. So I proceed to nurse Makenzie while attempting to keep an eye on Shane. As you can imagine from looking at the above picture, keeping track of a small child at this park was difficult. For a while Shane was a little intimidated by the playground and stuck relatively close by. I look down at Makenzie, look back up and of course Shane is gone. I think oh he'll pop back up with his lime green shirt any second now. A minute passes and I still don't see a lime green shirt. Suddenly I remember the soccer team and I panic. So I stand up with baby still attached and rush out of the playgroup towards the grass. I see Shane standing near all the little girls, looking up at the coach as he slowly sort of shirks away. I see the coach, ball in hand (obviously retrieved from Shane's hands), motioning to Shane and telling him to basically go away (I couldn't hear what he actually said). So as I stand there on the sidewalk with baby still attached, I yell Shane's name. I finally get his attention (and everyone else's attention) and tell him to come over to the playground. The coach recognizes that I am his mom. I yell to him "Sorry" and he yells back something like "that's ok I was just wondering who he belonged to," all while standing there nursing. Of course I have a cover over me, but I imagine it was obvious to at least most of the people there what was going on underneath. I was pretty much horrified when I realized what had transpired. When we got home and I told Adam the story it was just funny. Lessons? 1. Never take both kids to the park without double stroller. 2. If little dude runs off while nursing little dudette, DETACH immediately before chasing after little dude.



To be continued...

Kulula Airlines

This kind of post is not normal for me. However, this email my dad sent me about Kulula Airlines was HILARIOUS! I just had to share. Hopefully, it makes you laugh as much as it did Adam and I.

Kulula is a South African airline that doesn't take itself too seriously. Check out their new livery!

What a pity Kulula doesn't fly internationally - We should support them if only for their humor - so typically South African.

Kulula airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been reported:

- On a Kulula flight, there is no assigned seating, you sit where you want. Passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing when a flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it."

- On another flight with a very "senior" flight crew, the pilot said "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."

- On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have."

- After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in the Karoo, a flight attendant announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a flight like that, I'm sure everything has shifted."

- "Welcome aboard Kulula 271 to Port Elizabeth. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt. If you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."

- "In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child traveling with you, secure your own mask before assisting with theirs. If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favorite."

- Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you or your money more than Kulula Airlines."

- "Your seat cushions can be used for flotation; in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."

- "As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses..."

- From the pilot during his welcome message: "Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight."

- On Kulula flight 255 just after a very hard landing in Cape Town, the flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault. It was the asphalt.

- After an extremely hard landing, on a particularly windy day, the flight attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City. Please remain in you seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate."

- "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

- Kulula airlines has a policy which requires the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exit, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline." A pilot said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a came. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?" "Why, no ma'am," said the pilot. The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"

- "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. Once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."

- Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube we hope you'll think of Kulula Airways."

- "Ladies and Gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section is outside on the wing. If you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."

2 Years Old!

Shane turned 2 on August 22nd. We had a small little shindig for him that included cake and presents. We had one of Adam's classmates/friends over for dinner whose wife and two sons were out of town.

Shane still doesn't really understand what birthdays are so I am sure he didn't mind that we didn't have a big party for him. Maybe next year :)

Here is a slide show of birthday pictures:




These pictures are just recent pictures of Shane.

State Fair

Unfortunately, Shane only got to ride one or two rides at the state fair because he was 1 1/2 inches too short. I was really kind of upset that they wouldn't let him on because Shane is totally big enough to handle the rides we wanted to put him on and he REALLY wanted to ride them. Oh well.

He did get to go on this huge slide a couple of times (to use up the tickets I bought). They didn't have a height requirement for this ride, just an age requirement. Yes Shane wasn't quite 2, but the teenagers taking tickets didn't ask and didn't care. Shane LOVED this slide. I have to admit it was pretty intense for me. On some of the bumps we caught some air and I definitely wasn't expecting it. Shane wanted to do it over and over again. If you click on the pictures to blow them up, you can see Shane's HUGE smile.
I turned Shane into my slave laborer (just kidding).

Shane loves to help me do dishes. He helps me unload the dishwasher and helps scrub what's in the sink. He is a great helper.

For our own memories and family history, here is a little about Shane at 2 years old:

Weight: 27lbs (40%)
Height: 35.5in (75%)

-Speaks very little english, but is fluent in russian. At least that is what is sounds like :) We call him our little Stalin. He often starts chattering to himself like he is practicing a speech or something. He likes to use his hands while he talks (just like Adam). He does say about 10 words or so (some more consistent than others and some needing interpretation): Mom, Dad, please, cheese, Jesus, shoes, ball, door, more, yeah, no, uh-oh, dump truck... I think that might be it. Speech therapy starts this week.

-Loves to "horse around". He jumps off the couch and chairs onto the bare floor and loves it. I try to teach him he needs pillows on the ground first. He likes to stand on our bed and then just fall. He LOVES any kind of wrestling or throwing around with dad. Piggy back rides, horsey rides, chase, tickling... If he is standing on the couch and we are sitting on the flour he likes to jump on us without warning. The only way you can tell what is coming is because he stands really still for a few seconds with his arms stretched out.

-Shane is in love with the movie Cars. Curious George was his first favorite. He wouldn't watch anything else. Then it was Finding Nemo. Ever since I introduced him to Lightening McQueen, it has been love at first sight. He asks to watch it just about everyday. To let me know what he wants he points to the TV and then makes a race car sound while waving his arms by his side really fast as if he has a car in each hand and he is racing them. It is pretty funny to watch. When I smile at him and ask him if he wants to watch Cars, he starts giggling with excitement. We are currently trying to reduce our amount of movie watching. To help I bought him a lightening McQueen matchbox car (birthday present) and a Cars storybook that has buttons that make sounds on the side.

-Shane loves to be outside doing just about anything. He especially likes to help me weed. Since our backyard is fenced in, sometimes I let him go out there and play on his own while I make dinner or something. He goes out and then comes back in trying to hand me my gardening tools. I ask him if he wants me to come weed with him and again he giggles with excitement. He also likes to collect rocks and put them in dump truck or bulldozer.

-Shane is in a toddler bed now. Story and pictures to come.

-He is currently having issues with boundaries/limits. He used to stop when I asked him to if he was about to run into the street. Now he just looks back at me with an evil grin and keeps going. It terrifies me. The evil grin comes out every time he is about to do something he knows I won't like. I am just trying to be consistent with discipline. I think he is very slowly coming around. He doesn't like time-out so if I threaten him with it, he will normally stop his bad behavior.

-Not even close to potty training yet.

-Loves his sister, but occasionally does mean big brother things. Like yesterday I found him kneeling down in front of her, spitting in her face. She wasn't crying, just wincing with every blow. He thought it was pretty fun. Poor girl.

-I don't think he knows any letters, colors or shapes. :(

-Asks for more after Adam checks his ears for ear infections. :)

-Likes to help me push Makenzie in her stroller.

-Loves to give hugs and kisses. If he gives one person a hug and kiss, he has to give EVERYONE a hug and kiss.

-Is a bit of a mama's boy. He loves his daddy, but has to have me put him to bed, clean him up after meals, comfort him when he is hurt, and anything else that has to do with day to day care. He is really good about saying goodbye to dad when he has to leave, but when I leave he has a melt down. I don't think it is because he particularly attached to me; I think it is because he is so used to me doing EVERYTHING for him. Sadly, Dad isn't about to be more available.

-Can't handle being alone or doing much by himself. When he wakes up in the morning you'd think he would go straight for the toys. Nope, he walks out of his room and starts calling my name, "mom, mom, mom." If I am doing house work he will take his toys and/or books and follow me around the house and just play next to me (or stand there and whine) while I clean. When he wants to color, he wants me to color with him. He starts handing me crayons. Playing cars and trucks means he has a car/truck and I have a car/truck and we are both on our hands and knees driving them around the house. (He also likes it when "my car" starts chasing him).

Makenzie's blessing in Dallas, TX

We paid a visit to Adam's parents in Dallas, TX this month. They are there serving a mission. We decided to bless Makenzie while we were there since they can't travel to Columbus. Some of our good friends who now live in Dallas were also able to come to Makenzie's blessing. It was a great day!

We had a wonderful quiet week spent getting to know Grandma and Grandpa, playing with cousin Allie and swimming. What more could a kid ask for? Shane LOVED the pool. Sorry no pictures in the pool.

We also visited our friends! Sadly, we didn't get any pictures with them either because I forgot I even had my camera with me. Even worse, we ended the week with Shane, Makenzie and I all catching a cold. Upon getting home, we also discovered that Shane had an ear infection that ruptured. However, we still had a great time!! Thanks family and friends for letting us come!

Grandma reading to Shane.

Showing off big muscles.

Snuggling and playing with cousin Allie who was also visiting.
Trying on Grandpa's biking gear.

Blessing Day:
(Ok admittedly these pictures were taken later, but they still represent the day)

The blessing dress is the same dress I was blessed in. The blanket behind Makenzie is the blanket my mom knitted for me when I was born.
Me in my blessing dress. 5 days old.