Family Pictures 2014

We had Kristin take family photos again for Connor's one year and our Christmas card pictures. The pictures came out awesome… except for the Christmas jammie pictures because I didn't realize I had bought "girl" jammies for both the kids. Oops. They were red, white and navy so I thought they were gender neutral but as I was putting Connor's shirt on at the shoot I realized there was scalloped "lace" around the collar and wrists. Fail.

November 2014

Happy Birthday Connor! This past year has flown. I feel like I'm always saying that but it's true. I need to find a way to slow things down and enjoy this time when the kids are little because it is going by way too fast!

We spent Thanksgiving and Connor's birthday in San Antonio this year with Nanny, Grumpa, Allen, Tucker, Lauren, Erin and all the cousins. It was pretty crazy with all the babies but so fun to finally meet the twins! I only left the house once but I felt like I was busy the entire time. That's what five little ones under the age of four will do!

We let Connor and Brynn have smash cakes together which was pretty uneventful. Neither one did very much damage.

Mimi, Papa and Uncle Matt came to visit us before Thanksgiving. It was fun to see them and spend some relaxing time together. I also used their visit to get a bunch of appointments knocked out ;)

-- Connor at 11 Months -- 

You are talking quite a bit more. You are using Mama, Dada, and ba-ba (bye-bye) a lot more as well as  saying doggie (da-da with different inflection) and ba (ball)

Taking some steps between things if we ask you to, you took off once and fell on your face so you haven't done that again. I love how you throw hands up in the air for balance.

You are measuring pretty small. The pediatrician said you are following a typically pattern for breastfed babies (your weight is dropping below the standard curve) which wouldn't be note worthy but you have fallen off the chart and we need to make sure you have gained some weight by your next appointment. You are somewhere below the 5% for weight… but still measuring 90% for head!

Most mornings you have yogurt for breakfast along with some cut up fruit and cheerios. Lunch and dinner tend to be an assortment of leftovers. You aren't eating a ton of finger foods but you have been experimenting with it.

Your sleep hasn't changed very much -- naps are still about an hour a piece around 9:30 and 2:30 and you sleep from around 6:30 to sometime between 4 and 5 before needing to nurse and then waking for the day around 6.

October 2014

Aurora washing away hitting her brother

Aurora is doing a bit better at preschool. Drop off is still pretty hit or miss but there are starting to be days that she doesn't cry when I leave. For now I'll count that as a win. It has also been fun to see them celebrating some of the Jewish holidays. They did a little activity where they washed away something they were sorry for -- Aurora washed away hitting her brother…by accident ;)

Washing clothes at Four Mile Farm

Feeding the goats

Her class went on a field trip to a historic farm in Denver which was a blast. They got to see what the life of a pioneer was like and meet a bunch of farm animals. I used to walk by Four Mile Farm when we lived in the apartment but I had know idea how much fun it was!

We went to Florida for a wedding and a little family vacation time. The ocean was beautiful but it was  too cold to get in. The kids enjoyed some sand time though -- it was Connor's first time! He wasn't sure about the feel of it on his feet but he loved picking it up and putting it in a bucket.

First time in the sand!

Aurora took Matt to the Dad's Breakfast at her school which was so fun for her. She loved getting to show her Dada her school, her classroom and her teachers. Matt also enjoyed the experience, especially  seeing Aurora's portfolio in the classroom and hearing Miss Jennifer tell him that Aurora's negotiation skills are "legendary." Glad to know she doesn't just do that with us! 

Dad's Breakfast at Temple Emanuel

Aurora and Dad at the breakfast

Matt and I got TWO real date nights! We went to the Broncos game and also to a concert at the Grizzly Rose. It was fun to get out and spend some time with other adults. We went to the Grizzly Rose with our friends Tom and Jennifer and two of their friends. 

Broncos Game

John Michael Montgomery at the Grizzly Rose

This year for Halloween Aurora decided she wanted to be a pink leopard. I have no idea where that idea came from but she has been talking about it for months. Definitely not an easy costume to make, but I did it. Fake fun is no fun! Aurora and Matt went trick or treating on our street and she got to keep the number of candies of how old she is which thankfully she found completely reasonable.

Pink leopards say roar!

Squirrels ate our pumpkin...

-- Connor at 11 Months --

Scarlet Fever! Yes, it still exists and he's got it! Luckily we noticed a difference about 24 hours after starting antibiotics. Now Dada and Rora can't call you "Baby Outbreak" anymore!

Cut your two top teeth

Cruising all over the place and you have started wanting to walk around holding our hands.

You are saying "mama" "dada" "ba-ba" while you are waving goodbye and "no no no!"

Naps are an hour a piece around 9:30 and 2. You generally sleep until about 5 before needing to nurse and then sleep for another 45-60 minutes.

You won't let your Dada put you back to sleep at all anymore. You just start screaming your head off if he goes to you in the middle of the night :(

September 2014

September was mostly just settling in at preschool. Aurora has been having a very rough time with drop off so her amazing teacher, Miss Jennifer, suggested we come 10 minutes early to let Aurora settle in. It is still not perfect but there is no more kicking and screaming. I'll take that as a win.

Aurora and her buddy Gwen at Temple

Matt and I decided to look for a condo rental in the mountains this year. Aurora is going to be starting ski school and it is way to far to drive up and back in one day. A friend of mine has a cabin in Blue River (just south of Breckenridge) that they don't use very often so we went up for the weekend to check it out.

We also hit the mountains for Pete & Nicole's wedding. Miss Lauren came up to watch the kids so both Matt and I got to attend the wedding together! It was a beautiful wedding in Beaver Creek and so much fun.

Breckenridge

-- Connor at 10 Months --

You are pulling up and starting to cruise! Your sister says she can't wait until she can walk around with you :)

You are a pickier eater than your sister, but I think you are eating more volume than she did at this age.

We finally figured out that you have eczema which is causing the scaly patches of skin on your back and shoulders. We put a humidifier in your room and have stopped giving you a nightly bath which have both helped a ton.

2 naps a day -- one around 9:30 and the other around 2.

You are finally sleeping at night! You go down around 6:30, wake at 5 to eat and then go back to sleep until about 6:30. After a few night with Dada on duty you seemed to have decided that it isn't worth the trouble to wake up if you aren't going to get fed.

August 2014

We started August off with the Color Run, well Matt and Ror did the Color Run because I was home with Connor and a hurt back. Ugh. They had so much fun tho! Aurora loved getting painted with all the pretty colors and also getting some one on one time with her Dada.

Aurora went to soccer camp the week before school started so she could try out a new sport and also get some more exposure to new teachers. She loved it! I don't know that we will be signing her up for soccer anytime soon but she had a good time with Coach Cat.

My little girl is now officially a preschooler! How on earth is that possible? The transition has been a little rocky but when I pick her up at the end of the day she always tells me how much fun she had so I think after a few weeks she will be settled in and there won't be anymore tears.

We finally got Connor's 6 month pictures taken… a few months late. I looked for a long time to try to find a photographer that would give us the digital files but wasn't going to cost a fortune. I did and she was fabulous!

Connor 9 Months

Connor Man, you are mobile! You started the month off by constantly moving from sitting to table top to sitting again. I thought maybe you were going to start doing some down dogs like your sister did before she started crawling…and then you just took off!

You started sitting yourself up from your belly the day before you started crawling. It's like you just needed that last little bit of strength or coordination to be able to do all the things you had been wanting to do for quite a while.

You are starting to eat more solids both in different types and in quantity. You are eating plain yogurt almost every day for breakfast, usually sweet potato or something from the fridge for lunch and then some of whatever we are having for dinner.

You have started playing peekaboo with us which is absolutely hysterical. For a long time you have laughed if we played peekaboo but now you will hold things up in front of your face to hide.

You are still sleeping from about 7pm to 6 or 6:30am and waking up 3 times at night. You are STILL in that awkward place where two naps isn't enough and three is too many. I think the problem is that you aren't sleeping long enough at either nap which makes your last awake stretch to be wayyyy too long. You are up roughly 2 1/2 hours before your first nap and 3 until your second, sleeping 45 min to 1 hour a piece.