Hutch Marshall - 2 years, 9 months

This boy of mine keeps me on my toes. And sometimes makes me want to scream. Always makes me laugh. And fills my heart with joy. We recently went on a date to have some time just the two of us. He loved going to dinner, going to the cupcake place and picking out some new books at the bookstore. It's funny how different he is when it's just the two of us. We're all pretty sad about sister going to school every day this fall, but I'm really excited to spend more one-on-one time with my big boy. And also to see his relationship with his baby brother develop.

Hutch is almost always so good with Weston. He calls him "my baby" and loves to show him toys (also take them away) and hug and kiss him. He's enjoyed starting music class again, though I occasionally have to bribe him with snacks after to get him to participate. He liked going to school this summer once a week, and is really excited to have his same two teachers this fall. He calls it "Ms Carolyn and Ms Tami's school." At his meet-the-teacher, they told me he's the youngest in the class, but behaviorally and academically seems much older. As long as he behaves for them and saves his crazy for me, I'm happy! He's almost potty trained ... occasionally has an accident and doesn't always keep diapers dry during nap time. But he's leaps and bounds ahead of where I thought he'd be. Lots of "pecial tweets" helped. 

He still loves to do everything sister does and wants to be just like her. He loved watching her play basketball, and was a little disappointed when soccer season started that he's still not old enough to play (in the spring he will be). He also loves going to watch her at dance class, though it may be that he knows he gets snacks and screen time during it that he actually loves. 

Hutch LOVES to talk. All the time. About everything. His teacher told me that although he's fairly reserved at school, he does narrate everything happening to her. Sounds just like him!! He loves to go to restaurants, Target and Sams. Really he loves to go anywhere. He loves to swim, although his time in the pool is usually short (and then, shocker, he wants to get out and have a snack). We haven't attempted much swimming without his life jacket this summer, but he is pretty confident with it on and will happily jump off the side or diving board on his own. Especially if that's what sister is doing.

Weight:  ~29 pounds
Length: 26.5 inches

New things:

• Almost totally potty trained! Yippee! 
• Helping cook - his favorite to help with are eggs, pancakes and grilled cheese. He also loves sister's new Easy Bake Oven.
• Talking about his birthday in "Becember" constantly. Asking how soon it will get here. Talking about his party and presents. Currently he just wants to invite friends Micah and Brooks. When I took him to the fire station where we're considering having his party, the fireman turned on the lights and he was so scared it might get loud that he freaked out screaming and crying. Sooooo ... perhaps we'll find another party venue.
• Gaining a little more independence and asserting himself more with his sister. Sometimes this means hitting or biting her. But often just declaring what he wants to play instead of always going along with her. 
• Practicing leaps and shuffle steps with sister.
• Recognizing the letter H.
• Checking out "iPads" from the library. Really, they are handheld videos with built in episodes of Sesame Street, etc. He just calls it his iPad.
• Getting out of bed on his own in the morning and coming downstairs. 

Likes: 

• One-on-one time with mommy or daddy. Although he usually spends the whole time asking where sister is.
• Chuck-E-Cheese's. We introduced him when sister wanted to go this summer and now he talks about it all the time.
• A recent trip with daddy and sister to a kids Home Depot workshop where they built whiteboards
• Going to the zoo. Although it's mostly about the snacks.
• Playing babies or prince with his sister. 
• Watching movies, which he asks to do constantly and then can only stay still to watch for approximately 10 minutes.
• Asking constantly when we can go on an airplane
• Cousins Julia and Lila, who visited this summer
• Pecial tweets and snacks in general
• Getting a cookie at the grocery store from the ladies who adore him. He has excellent manners and asks very sweetly
• Ms Ginger at music class
• Going swimming naked. And/or running around the back yard naked
• Watching the guys pouring concrete and building our new back patio. He's obsessed.
• Being read books
• Shoes. He's obsessed with putting his shoes on, although he can't exactly do it himself
• Singing songs on the radio. Or asking for "my music" in the car
• Carbs
• Asking daddy when it will be Saturday and they can make pancakes
• 
  

Dislikes:

• Being asked to go potty
• Eating meals. Snacks are great, but when it comes to mealtime, this guy is definitely a 2-year-old
• Not getting a cookie or car cart at the grocery store
• Being away from sister

Weston James - 8 months

My kids are all pretty much exactly the same. Busy. Talkative. Silly. Snuggly. This one is no different. It amazes me how much like his brother and sister he is, including wanting to be right in the middle of everything. And wanting ALL the attention. 

He's getting anywhere he wants to go with a mixture of army and traditional crawling. Pulling up occasionally, usually to his knees, but sometimes into a downward dog position or all the way to his feet. He loves to stand just holding our hands. 

He has two teeth! And man are they sharp! Looks like more on the way soon. He's loving pureed everything. When we gave him a puff recently, he gagged dramatically till he vomited (a la sister). So pureed for now. Although he did eat some bits of mushed up cracker and very tiny pieces of ripe mango today and didn't protest too much. His favorites are banana, pear and apple. He's also pretty fond of squash, mango, peaches, zucchini, broccoli and peas. He's learned to drink from a sippee cup (with help - otherwise, he just bangs it all over his tray, sprays milk everywhere and giggles hysterically). He also took a whole 3 oz bottle from Jordan recently. Who is this kid?!?

We've weaned off colic meds and reflux meds down to just once a day. Progress, y'all. 

He's loved going to music class with brother (and sister until she starts school). He grins, eats all the instruments and crawls all around. He cries when it's over. Hutch has loved having someone little to show things to. He's also just started dancing when he hears music. Be still my heart. His favorite toys are anything with wheels he can spin and anything that makes noise or music. Also all kitchen utensils. His chewy highchair toys are No. 1 right now. 
Lots of babbling that sounds like actual words?!?! He's super close to talking. 

Weight: 20ish pounds
Length: 27 inches

New things:

• Pulling up. And getting stuck on his knees or halfway up and getting very confused. He especially loves to pull himself up on me, holding my shirt, knee, finger, arm, whatever he can get. He also pulls up to knees on the couch. And to feet on his toy box.
• This kid can downward dog with the best of them. 
• Teeth! Bottom left came in about a week ago, and bottom right a few days ago.
• Trying "real" food. And protesting.
• Drinking milk from a sippee cup
• Waving. Oh, it's the cutest little baby wave where he thinks he are waving at you but really he is waving back at himself. He'll wave when we wave to him, or even when we just say Hi.
• Dropping a mid-morning feeding. Most days.
• Declaring when he's ready to nurse by rubbing his head on me, biting or licking my arm/shirt/neck/chest, pulling on my clothing, etc.
• Babbling that sounds like talking. His favorite sounds are "dada," "Adda," "Lola," and "pawpaw." He will repeat when we ask him to (if he's feeling like it). And often says dada and Adda in reference to them, or when we're talking about them. 
• Dancing when he hears music. A la his brother. And going to music class.
• Napping just twice a day, most days.
• Crying and protesting if we take something away from him (usually something he's not supposed to have or something he's trying to eat)

Likes:

• Lola. He loves to find her, poke her face, grab her feet or ears and in general just watch and laugh at her. She's very tolerant of him.
• Constantly trying to dive out of our arms or climb up our bodies. He is SO STRONG.
• Mimicking us or repeating sounds. He especially does this when someone coughs or he yells/kids yell. He thinks it's so funny.
• Reading books. And by reading I mean chewing on them.
• Holding a ball in his feet. Circus baby (see, they are all the same)
• Watching TV. He has been particularly intrigued by football today.
• Hutch. Weston has always had a fondness for his sister, but he's really become more and more taken with brother (he just doesn't hold still as well as sister). He loves to touch his glasses, grab his arm or hair and climb all over him. 
• Bathtime with brother and sister.
• Getting hot boxes
• Any toys that belong to brother and sister. Especially if he's not supposed to have them. He loves Addie's dollhouse.
• Jewelry on others. He'll try to remove and/or get in his mouth. He particularly loves my orange earrings
• His paci and sucking his thumb. 
• Being in the carrier (because he's touching mama). Although if he's facing outward, he is constantly looking back or trying to turn around to make sure I'm still there.
• Girls.
• Going to the grocery story in the carrier and trying to touch all the produce with hands and feet. Or rip produce bags out of my hands. Such a helper.
• Shoes. Not on his own feet, but anyone else's shoes lying around that he can hold or lick.

Dislikes:

• Wearing shoes
• Being covered to nurse
• The church nursery. Man, they are so good and so good to him, but he's having a hard time with it. I'm thankful we decided to wait on Mothers Day Out till January
• When brother and/or sister are gone
• When mommy leaves.