Happy Belated 14 Months!

We have had a busy start to the new year. Last Tuesday, we had our first swimming lessons. Fortunately, we have family in town with an infant who also thought swimming lessons would be fun. So, when we combine all the babies and mommies and daddies, we have the right mix of adults and babies!

I thought the kids would take to the water immediately. They love splashing during bath time. Adilenne spent the first 20 minutes crying and trying to climb into my body. Will displayed a mixed look of disgust and apprehension until about the last five minutes. Not surprisingly, my little daredevil Lila had no problems taking to the water. I suspect that the lessons will become more fun for them as they get more acquainted with the new surroundings. And, not to be left out, our baby cousin was fantastic, the baby star of the class.

The kids have changed so much, even since Christmas. Adilenne and Will have chosen walking as the primary mode of transport. (Lila is still not quite standing on her own yet. She'll get there!) They have all become little mimics, which is hilarious. The girls love to say "uh, oh." It is so cute! Adilenne also likes to say "night, night," "me," and "whoa." Everyone says "mamma" and "dadda" but have a strong preference for calling us both "dadda."

Signing is going well. Adilenne is the most consistent signer. She signs "more," "eat," and "all done." Lila knows those signs, but she uses them less as she is less emphatic about getting what she wants. Will is not interested in signing yet. We'll keep trying.

Adilenne is also quickly perfecting her tantrums. She pretend cries and then thrashes around, giving us a quick look to see if we are witnessing her displeasure. I was suprised to see Adilenne asserting herself so early. That's my girl!

Visit to Christmas Past and Present

1st Haircuts

Today I took the kids for their first haircuts. I felt a bit over-charged for Will's. Just teasing. Only the girls went. They did great, although Addie kept forcefully removing the stylist's hands from her head. Miss Addie is an opinionated girl. She knows just how she likes things to be!

We had a fantastic holiday with friends and family. I have added some holiday pictures to the flickr site.

At Home Photo Session

Not to be out done by brother Will, Addie is now walking, too! Will is finally cutting a tooth, an incisor (I think). Anyway, I may be the proud mother of a boy with fangs, Count William. I sure hope some other teeth come in quickly!

The kids got to play with the gifts under the tree today. Our nanny captured a lot of great expressions. Note that the tree does not have any decorations on the lower two-thirds, It's just easier this way!

Happy Age-Adjusted First Birthday!

Will is celebrating the day by walking! He has been taking steps since last week, but yesterday he really started to get it. Go Will! The girls are also showing off by signing "more." Addie uses the sign more frequently, which is not surprsing given her love for food.

Happy Birthday Daddy and Get Well Lila!!!

We had an eventful weekend. Derek celebrated his 41st birthday (just teasing..30th, but he claims to be so wise...). Some friends watched the kiddos, and Derek and I enjoyed dinner and a movie. I was so excited to see a movie. I have seen two movies in two years, the most recent being Juno. So, the movie could have been awful, and I would have still enjoyed it. But, Reese did not disappoint.

Lila finished out the weekend with a spill off the rocking horse that left her with a broken collar bone. We did not think much of the fall. The kiddos have had lots of small spills as they move to the upright position. But, Miss Lila seemed really irritable. I thought that she was getting my cold. So, what do we do? We wrestle her into her winter coat, strap her into her carseat, and head out to the mall for a couple hours of shopping. We thought that we were passing the time. Ouch, we tortured her! This morning, she was still cranky and then we realized that she has spent little time crawling. Then, it dawned on us...


The diagnosis came quickly, within minutes of seeing the doctor. Of course, we confirmed with x-rays. There's not too much to do for a 13-month child but put her arm in a sling. She tolerates it pretty well. The doctor said that she should do a good job herself limiting her activity over the next few weeks. Clearly, she does not know Lila as we do. She is a very determined little girl.

So, don't tell, but Santa got the kids giant climbing blocks for Christmas. They seemed like a good idea a few days ago.

Oh, Addie Pants...

The girl cracks me up. She mimics everything. I have a cold with a cough. Every time I cough, she coughs. It sure makes me feel better! A few days ago, she took her first real steps. Addie can take about four or five steps before losing her balance. Her face just beams as she toddles to us. She is so proud, and so are we!