Kids are Funny

I can't belive that Matthew only knew four words as of August 27th (last major kid update). He now can say so many things! He even combines words on occasion--do teeth--for example, when he would like to brush his teeth. He LOVES to brush his teeth....which really means just sucking off the toothpaste and walking around chewing on his toothbrush. He can say: mommy, daddy, hi, sister, down, nurse (although he's being weaned), dog, teeth, poo-poo (which he DOES say at appropriate times), book, ball, that, do that, phone, do phone, bath, socks, shoe, nose, eye, and I can't think of what else right now. He's getting easier to communicate with, that's for sure.

Yesterday, Matthew picked up my cell phone and said, "Do phone. Daddy." So we called daddy at work. It's amazing to me how much of an agenda he has already at 15 months of age. When Ashlyn was his age, I was in denial, but I see it with him. Ashlyn was doing a puzzle yesterday afternoon and Matthew went up behind her and started patting her back and laughing. She said, "He loves me. I love you, too Matthew." It was one of those sweet mommy moments (although, that VERY morning she was emphatically telling me that she did not like her brother. She is fickle).

Ashlyn is pretty funny, too. We are reading a story about Jesus' birth right now for Christmas. The book starts out saying, "Why do we give presents at Christmas? Because it's Jesus' birthday!" So she says, "Mom, do you think Jesus would give me one of his presents?" We bought a little toy nativity, and have been acting out the story. It is funny to watch her modify it.

We found a bunch of toys and books of mine in a box in the basement and have been pulling those out to play with and read. One of those toys was a rubberband gun, and she has been pointing it at me incessantly, unloaded, saying, "FREEZE!" One night this week, she wanted to take it to bed with her so that when daddy checked on her she could tell him to freeze. A little practical joker!

Gluten-Free Stuff

Well, it seems that more and more people are going gluten-free these days. It's a bummer to find out you can't eat that little protein found in wheat, barley and rye, but the good news is that there are so many good products out there now. I remember baking Christmas cookies the first year I was diagnosed and bringing them to Christmas Eve at my Grandmother's house. No one ate them. They were totally gross! Thankfully, that is not the case today.

A friend of a friend was asking for some good product info, so I'm just going to list products I know to be good.

Chebe Bread--is totally yummy, although not totally nutritious. It's a cheesy bread roll, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. We only eat about half of it in a sitting, so we have taken to freezing the uncooked dough and it freezes well. It also makes good pizza crust, calzones, breadsticks, and if you roll it out very thin--cheddar crackers. We order it by the case. www.chebe.com

Bob's Red Mill--they make a few good bread mixes. We regularly make, slice and freeze the Homemade Wonderful GF Bread and the Hearty Whole Grain GF bread. We have also tried the cornbread mix, which is also good. I would not recommend the pancake mix or the all purpose baking mix. They taste bitter to me. The Chocolate chip cookie mix is another one I would not recommend. The dough is difficult to work with and I think the cookies are just too sweet. www.bobsredmill.com. The brownie mix is fantastic. Several people on unrestricted diets have told me they are the best brownies they have had. You can find a lot of these in the natural foods section of the regular grocery store, and the commissary is carrying them now, which is so great!

Pamela's--I buy the Pamela's GF Pancake and Baking mix in the largest bag available. It makes yummy pancakes, waffles and cakes (Pamela's also has mixes specifically for cakes, which are good as well). There are tons of recipes on their website (www.Pamelasproducts.com). You can make just about anything with this mix and everything I have made has turned out beautifully...it's great to have on hand.

Betty Crocker--I love that mainstream companies are going gluten-free also! For sweets, the Betty Crocker mixes are pretty good.

Pasta--Tinkyada is very good and so is Bionaturae. I would not recommend DeBoles.

Kid Update

Matthew is walking! He took his first unassisted step yesterday and will walk if he's holding on to someone's finger. He also has four words now: mama, dada (or daeeee!), hi, and--yesterday--ball! I think I may have heard him say "poo" at an appropriate time a few times, but I'm not sure. When will he say his sister's name?? We are trying to push his bedtime back so that he doesn't wake up so early. We are having some success so far, but the darn creaky floors are a problem. He can clap his hands, and signal when he is all done eating. When Matthew wants something, he reaches for it--both arms outstretched-- and he kicks his feet and says, "Mm, Mm, Mmmmm." It is pretty clear what he would like.

Ashlyn said her first official prayer on Monday. I was having a rotten day and was unbuckling her from her carseat, muttering about how we were running late, and she said, "Mommy, should I pray for you?" After I said yes, she said, "Dear God, please help mommy be nice to mommy." Can you believe that?? Sweet little girl! She knows all her letters and the sounds, with the exception of two or three that she mixes up, and she can count to 12. She also has a few books memorized...it is really cute to watch her read her version of Goodnight Moon or Fancy Nancy.

Choices

It is so hard to be a mom these days. Not that my mother and her generation did not have any struggles, just different ones. I am talking about the sheer amount of choice I am faced with every day in how to spend my time. Finding better, healthier recipes to feed my family, researching toys and activities to provide the most stimulating environment for my children, doing the basics around the house, organizing memories, sharing encouragement and information through a blog.

If one friend is very good at cooking, I adopt that standard for myself. And if another is very good at creating activities for her children, I adopt that standard for myself. And if another is very good at something else, I adopt that as a standard for myself too. Before you know it, I am trying to achieve the same standard that it takes five women's time and talent to do! Did the Lord place this yoke upon me or did I willingly take it from the world?

What does the Lord require of me? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with my God. That's it. Now that is a yoke that I can live with. Again, God's word breathes sanity into my life!

A few quick stories

It has been a busy month, and I keep meaning to put up a post. So here is one, imperfect and probably incomplete, but at least it's something!

Ashlyn is potty trained! Once we figured out that she equated underpants with a diaper, it went very smoothly. She was bare-butted for a few days, but then she was trained very quickly. She wakes up dry from naps and even overnight most times. Going number 2 on the potty can be dramatic...and we must allow at least 15 minutes for her to realize that she is not getting off the potty until she produces something and she does with the rare exception.

Matthew is crawling very well (and very quickly) and is steadily ruining his sister's world. She has been into puzzles lately and now only does them at the kitchen table to avoid her brother meddling with it. He is into everything, much more so than she was at this age. After Ashlyn used the potty yesterday, we were washing her hands when Matthew decided to chuck a toy in the potty. I thought it was a fluke, and began to wash said toy when he chucked ANOTHER toy in the potty. So now when we head to the bathroom, Matthew crawls excitedly down the hallway--squealing with delight--and we know what he wants to do. I spend the duration of the potty time trying to guard Ashlyn from her brother's attempts to access the potty and then when she is done, I immediately close the lid of the potty. "Rats, foiled again!" says Matthew.

We have seen a lot of our family over the past month. Mark's grandmother was in town for a few days, so we stayed with his parents for a visit. My mom visited for a long weekend and then about a week later, my dad stayed with us for a few days as well. The kiddos got pretty spoiled with grandparents and it was a lot of fun. Here are some pictures.

Here is Grandma Wendy with the boy...visited late May.

Here is Grandpa Dave with Ashlyn on the metro after a visit downtown. Below is Matthew snoozing in the stroller on the metro ride home also...tired kids!

Ashlyn modeling her play doh necklace. She really just happened to pose like this!

Grandpa Dave holding out the 2 pound bass that Ashlyn caught on her Barbie fishing pole...the only decent fish of the day! Daddy was so proud of her!

Matthew and Grandma Ruth snuggling a little.

A Big Day!

Well, it was a big day in the Harris household...Matthew turned 8 months old today and began to crawl. He might have first crawled yesterday but I didn't see...I put him down on a blanket with some toys and a few minutes later he was across the room trying to eat the dirt out of my houseplant. Hmmm...

Then this morning, he and Ashlyn were playing and she put down her cup of juice. He wanted it. He got up on all fours. He rocked once and then crawled...hand moved almost simultaneously with the opposite leg. Then again. Then again. He GOT the cup of juice! Here is a re-enactment of the episode...

Pig Tails and Patience

Ashlyn must always be in pigtails. For some reason--maybe because she can speak so well, or maybe because I see her so much as a "little person"--I sometimes forget that she is two. And then my expectations get all out of whack and when she does something that is typical of a two-year-old, like walking very slowly right in front of me or wanting to splash water everywhere, I get all annoyed. Putting her in pigtails helps. When she is in pigtails, it is easier to remember that she is my little girl and then I expect her to do these things. She must always wear pigtails!

We are loving shore duty. Daddy is home most days by 5:30, and we even get to see him in the morning before he leaves! We are like bona-fide normal people. Mark is taking the metro in to town and is enjoying his work...and the nice gym that he gets to use every day at lunch right there in the building.

Matthew is working on crawling still. He gets up on all fours and rocks away. When I get him after naps, he is usually rocking, (or pulling down the bumper to see me come in). He is still the happiest baby I've ever met, although lately he's been tired. We are trying to get him to sleep from his 9 PM feeding until around 5. Last night he made it until 6! He's tired because he cries a little, but he is crying less each night and hopefully soon he will not wake up at all. He is a sweetheart...he wants to hold my hand while he nurses.

Ashlyn is doing great. Although she is definitely two. She is teething a molar these days and is exceptionally whiny. She is into learning about letters these days. The other day when I got her after her "nap," she confessed that she did not sleep. I asked her, "You did not take a nap?" And she replies, "No, I just goofed off."

New Pictures

Here are some recent pics:

Matthew is up on all fours and rocking...and whining because he can't crawl yet.

Ashlyn is playing momma to her bunny. She likes to take him for walks.

Mark deserves "Dad of Year" for risking life and limb for this swing.

Ashlyn pushing Matthew in the swing. Awww.

Grandma Wendy getting giggles.

Matthew can sit up all by himself...but occasionally still falls over.

The boppy is a nice bumper.

Uncle Mitch stayed with us for a few weeks in Jan/Feb

while he completed a course in Norfolk.

Mark and I in February on our way to the Mighty Ike's dining out.

Grandma Wendy with ALL of her grandkids...Rose and Piper

came up for a weekend while Mitch was staying with us.

Ashlyn with her new sunglasses...thanks Aunt Rose!

Settled In

I've been getting threatened by the grandparents...post some more videos! More pictures! We moved and it was busy, but things are settling down again and we're beginning to get into a routine. Matthew is really trying to crawl and Ashlyn is talking more than ever. She will repeat whatever she is saying incessantly until it is acknowledged.

We are trying to get Matthew to sleep a 6 to 7 hour stretch at night, and he has made it two out of four nights. I guess I shouldn't say that 'he' made it since I was the one caving on the nights he didn't make it. I always doubt that he got enough milk during the day...one of the pitfalls of breastfeeding. I am also too slow in starting solids...but the boy doesn't seem all that interested in eating. Hmmm...

We recently made a quick trip to Tennessee to see Mark's grandmother and my mom, aunt and uncle. It was a fun trip and the drive wasn't too bad. I figured out how to recline Ashlyn's carseat so she truly had a La-Z-Boy. She was quite comfortable, but still didn't sleep that well in the car. The video was taken there...Grandma Wenny goofing off with the boy.

Moving Again!

I am in disbelief that we are moving again in just a few short weeks. Yikes. Two years certainly flew by, and with the exception of when I moved away from Charleston, I have never been so reluctant to leave. I love living here. The neighbors are great, church is great, friends are great. So is the house...yes, now that I have it the way I want it, we are moving. Blah!

Enough whining. I am just going to put up some recent pics and a video to show you that we are still alive and kicking. Photo 1: we have begun to "do" Ashlyn's hair. This was necessitated by the craziness of the fro at times...it's so curly! The picture shows her first 'do. Ashlyn is not only my parrot but is also the narrator of everything. She is declarer of the obvious. She is my talkative two-year-old. Her new favorite thing to do is run around singing the songs in her new video..."Nana song?" she'll ask. Then she will run around singing, "Yes, we have no nanas...we have no nanas today!" That's bananas, to you and me. See the video. She is sleeping better: an amazing 13 hours at night and a nap!

Matthew is sleeping about the same. He has discovered that he has arms and legs. He grabs at everything, and more than once a day I find he's grabbed my hair. He is also working on sitting up...doing some pretty impressive abdominal workouts--I know I couldn't hold the positions he holds for half as long. Babies amaze me. They aren't lazy; they're so excited to discover new things.

Look Who's Talking!

Mr. Matthew is growing up so fast. It's hard to believe that he's almost four months old already! He can roll over from his tummy to his back, do a small pushup and bear a lot of weight on his legs. The past few days, he has been talking up a storm! He's so excited about it that he stays up at night talking to himself. Cute, but not at 5 AM. If you talk back to him, he will just keep on going and going. He can sit up in a Bumbo chair, too (see picture). Matthew LOVES his swing right now, just like Ashlyn did at that age. For fun, I've attached a video of Ashlyn at 4 months and Matthew at 4 months in the same swing down below. It's hard to tell who is who, except that one is in pink and one is in blue. :-)

Ashlyn is getting ready to go potty. We bought her some training underwear and pull-ups a few weeks ago even though she wasn't interested (she would always say "no" if you asked her if she wanted to go on the potty), but tonight she asked to sit on the potty without prompting. After about twenty minutes on the potty, I bribed her with chocolate (it was bedtime and she still wanted to try). I went downstairs to get the chocolate, leaving her on the potty and when I returned, she was standing up looking in the potty and she had gone number 1. Bunny did a celebration dance and Ashlyn got her bite of chocolate (the entire Hershey's kiss!). If we weren't going to the Children's museum tomorrow, I'd totally spend the whole day training her. I think we'll put on the undies tomorrow afternoon and try to go potty every 30 minutes or so...hopefully that is often enough. We'll see!

I never really posted any pictures from the rest of our holidays...after my mom and Greg left, my cousin Teri visited with her husband, Josh, and her two kiddos (Hunter, 3 and Nathanael 9 months). Ashlyn and Matthew had a blast playing with their two cousins. Here's a picture of Mark and Matthew watching some James Bond movie. This is the best way to get Matthew to do tummy time...he really likes TV in general, not just James Bond.

Hunter was like a rock star to Ashlyn, going on the potty and going down the big slides at Kangaroo Jacks. She was terrified at Kangaroo Jacks for all but about five minutes when she actually jumped a little bit. Mostly, she wanted to "watch Hunter do it"! Having four kids in the house was a bit hectic, but it a great visit and we had a great time!

After Teri left, Mark's parents came up for New Year's. This visit was much more low-key, but we had a great time visiting with them. Ashlyn was sad to see Mimi and Baba go home, and she half expected someone else to arrive later that day because we'd just had three different families visit!

Ashlyn-isms and More Sleep!

After lights out the other night, Mark and I were cracking up reciting Ashlyn's favorite things to say. For example: "Turn wight on," when we get up in the morning or "It's durwy (dirty)" when her favorite cup is in the sink. Also, when her baby brother is in the swing: "Turn mobile on" or "The mobile stopped." She's the mobile police; she never lets it stop.

Randomly throughout the day, she says, "I like chocolate?" Really, she means that she would like some chocolate...it can't hurt to ask, right? Over the past several weeks, her daddy has been home and she's seen him a few times without his shirt. Guess what she says? "Daddy no have boobies no nurse Maffhew." Gotta love that.

We have been letting Matthew cry a bit at night...since Thanksgiving that boy has been waking up about every three hours at night. Talk about a relapse! I humored him because at first he had a cold and then I thought maybe it was a growth spurt. Any growth spurt he might have been having is surely over now, so we are going for a 5 or 6 hour stretch like he used to do. The first night was miserable...he cried for almost 2 hours. The next night was much better, about 10 minutes. I am feeding him around midnight and then around 5. I feel so much better with a long stretch of sleep. And that stinker will smile at me and want to play each time he is up. He is such a sweet smiley boy!