Hutch Marshall - 10 months

 

 

I'm gonna go ahead and say it. He's a genius. This guy has really blossomed over the last month, hitting milestone after milestone. Reminding me so much of his sister, especially the part where he's going to do things on his own schedule, his own way. I just assumed he wouldn't speak till he was 5 (boy and second child, you know) and he's totally proved me wrong. I had also assumed he would just never crawl. After all, his sister does everything for him.

He is such a love bug and is happiest when he's with his people. He's especially enamored with his daddy. His expression and flailing arms when Jordan gets home every day are priceless. And if Jordan doesn't pick him up first, or tries to give him back to me, he let's us all know LOUDLY that he disapproves.

He is a clown. He loves to make us laugh and to laugh when we are laughing. He's obsessed with all things musical.

The sleeping is still questionable. Whatever, man.

Weight:  19 pounds
Length: 26.5 inches

New things:

• The talking. It's unreal. First word at 9.5 months was definitely mama. Followed by dada. And then his favorite word ... Adda or sometimes Addie. He calls for her anytime he wakes up and she's not yet up or when he's away from her. We were at the doctor recently, without her, and he kept looking around saying Adda? Adda? Next was Izzy. This is so bittersweet as we said goodbye to our precious dog just a few days ago. I love that he learned her name before she left this earth (Izzy was his sister's second word). And that he would bark back at her anytime she barked. He also says bye bye (complete with the wave) and uh-oh. He's tried to say book, bubble and milk (which is always yelled at me ... usually sounds like Ma! Ma!)
• The crawling. Once he figured it out, there was no turning back. He is FAST! He never stays where I put him anymore ... He's very proud of his newfound independence. And his ability to hide from us.
• Pulling up on all manner of things. His preference is to pull up on his people. Usually pulls up to his knees, but sometimes his feet.
• He rocks the downward dog pose
• Clapping. He does it constantly. If we say hands or clap or sing pattycake or say yay ... any chance he gets to clap, he's on it.
• Eating all finger foods. He pretty much loves everything - even chicken these days. Avocado is still a no-go.
• Drinking from a sippy cup! Hallelujah! He can even do it by himself.
• That drinking from a cup means he's doing SO much better at school. He's eating well, drinking his milk ( and consequently not quite so frantic to see me when I pick him up) and taking naps. Praise Jesus. That school thing was pretty touch-and-go for awhile. I continue to be SO thankful for his wonderful teachers who love him so and are so patient with him.

 

 

Likes: 

• Dancing. Listening to any music. Holding Jordan's jam box or a phone and rocking out to the music playing. Homie can always find the beat.
• Giggling. He and Addie will start laughing at each other and can't stop.
• Chasing his sister. :)
• Still loves his jumper. He's especially fond of the ones at school. He jumped himself right to sleep in one last Sunday.
• His four-legged friends. Even until her last day,  Izzy was so tolerant of him. Even Mia will snuggle him, briefly.
• Going to the library. He loves the stories, the music and all the people to look at.
• I think I can finally say he likes school and church. Finally.
• He still likes to nurse, but we've dropped another feeding and unless he's sleepy or feeling bad, he's not interested for long. I'm thankful, and a little sad, that he's self-weaning.
• Eating. I think pancakes and banana are his favorite.
• His sister. He totally misses her when he's away from her. She can do anything to him and he thinks it's hilarious. Someday he'll learn to fight back, but for now he's content with her attention.
• Doors. He has a serious door obsession. He finds any open door and swings it back and forth, back and forth. Several times a day, he shuts himself in his room and lays against his door so I have to very carefully push it open to get him out. He thinks it's hilarious.
• Toilets. His father's son?

 

Dislikes:

• Being alone in the middle of the night.
• Having anything taken away from him, including things like dirt or sticks that he's trying to eat.

Addison Mae - 3 years, 2 months

My best girl. Who is a big preschooler now!
 I feel like my baby has grown up so much in the past two months. Addie was a jumble of excitement and nerves in anticipation of preschool (which reminds me of no one else I know). She loved going to Cookie Lookie to see her classroom and "meet" her teacher, who is actually the mom of one of her school friends. We had to instruct her that she had to call the teacher by her name, instead of "Tucker's mommy." She cried when we had to leave Cookie Lookie, saying, "but I wanted to eat dinner here and spend the night."


She did great at her first drop off, with just a few tears. Her teacher is just fabulous and has had glowing remarks about how my girl is as close to perfect as you can get. Apparently she saves all her sassiness, orneriness and inability to listen for her momma. Which is fine by me. She has learned so much in the past six weeks - I am just amazed. I am constantly hearing her singing a new song, telling a story or writing/drawing something she's learned at school. She is such a little sponge.
 
This past month was marked by an adenoidectomy and replacing ear tubes. A little rough on all of us, but we're thankful and hopeful it will keep her feeling better. She's also made great strides with her reflux and asthma. We love her pulmonologist and feel like we're finally on a course of meds that's keeping everything under control.

Addie continues to be the world's best big sister. Which in no way means that she doesn't often (intentionally) smack, push or pinch her brother. But she sure does love him, and most of the time is so good and gentle with him.

Weight: 30 pounds
Length: 36.5 inches

 New things:

• Such awesome sound and letter recognition. She can almost always tell us what words start with when sounding them out. And she is writing so well, sometimes what she draws even resembles letters. :)
• Preschool! She's doing so great and loving all the activities. She loves going to chapel once a week, and talking about the Bible verse. They concentrate on a letter each week, and we love playing a game where we name everything we can that starts with that letter. Apparently all the teachers love her, too. Reminds me a little of someone I used to know :)
• Adenoid removal and new tubes. Fingers crossed this will give us an easier cold and flu season.
• Back to gymnastics, which she just loves.

Likes:

• Playing pretend. Coming up with new names for all of us. Playing school, doctor, grocery store, Sonic, anything where we get to pretend. When we told her about her surgery, she reacted by immediately wanting to play pretend. "Mommy, I will be the doctor. I'm putting a mask on your and I'm going to take your add-e-nudes out."
• All Disney movies. I've successfully removed TV watching, for the most part, other than movies. New obsessions are Tangled, Pete's Dragon and Homeward Bound.
• Singing songs from school, including the song they sing when getting ready for chapel and a song about mommies, which I suspect is for the special VIP Mom's Day coming up later this month.
• Her bubs. One of my very favorite moments of the two of them happened at the library when they had parachute play. All the kids got on the parachute and the parents pulled it around, merry-go-round style. Hutch was so nervous and clung to her for dear life. She held on tight and talked/sang to him to calm him. They are so precious.
• Cooking and baking
• Gardening and watering. Especially with Grammie.
• Going shopping, only if we're buying stuff for her. Carter's and Daniel's are her faves.
• Taylor Swift's new song. And dance parties.
• Painting, coloring and crafting. Making bird feeders.
• Crazy 8s and her Snail Race game.
• Our nightly frog and moon finding routine.
• Daddy's new fire pit, especially when it involves roasting marshmallows.
• Pete the Cat books.
• All things in preparation for fall and Halloween
• Watching OSU football. And getting videos from Grammie of Bullet.

. 

Dislikes:

• Her brother getting all the attention.
• Being by herself, which usually means time out.