February 2015

We have had some really warm weather lately. I think we had a whole week of 70 or 80 degree days which were lovely; however, only make the return of the cold that much harder. The kids loved playing outside and digging in the dirt.

Unfortunately preschool isn't going well. The stress usually starts as soon as Aurora wakes up and ends with her hysterically crying when I drop her off at Temple. It is completely exhausting and I feel terrible that she is so unhappy for so much of each school day. If she was happy and content after I left that would be one thing but apparently she is usually sad for quite a while.

We celebrated Matt's birthday! Unfortunately we didn't get to celebrate on his actual birthday because I picked Aurora up from school to find her a complete disaster complaining of her ears. I took her to the pediatrician and she had an ear infection in both ears. Poor girl!

Connor got his first haircut! He was so cooperative and looks like such a big boy now!

We finished ski school! Getting Aurora to her lesson was pretty brutal but luckily we ended on a good note. She left her last class saying how much fun she had and that she wanted to come back next year. She may feel differently when next year actually rolls around… but for now I'll take it!

-- Connor at 14 months --

You are finally eating a little bit more. I think part of the problem lately may have been your teeth. When you are being extraordinarily picky you will still usually eat soft things like packets and yogurt so I'm wondering if your mouth just gets really tender. Even though you won't eat most things, you are obsessed with banana. Any time you see them you shout "nana!" over and over again until we give you some ;)

You have picked up your second nap again.

You are finally not screeching so much. You can now yell "mama!" whenever you wants something.

For Valentine's Day your Dada got you and Aurora giant bears which you both love. You especially love "attacking" them by walking over, shouting "ahhhhhhhhh" and throwing yourself on top of them. It's hysterical.

You have recently discovered a love of books. You want to be read to all the time and will often sit by yourself and look through them. You also like to point to the pictures and "talk" to them.

New words :: gig git (get it), ma "moose"

January 2015

First time on the magic carpet

This month has been pretty quiet for us aside from traveling to the condo most weekends for ski school.  Being up at the condo is starting to feel much easier -- packing is getting somewhat routine and we finally got our new furniture at the condo. It looks so much better! It finally feels like a home and not a hotel. The wall art still needs some work but we will get there.

Taking the kids out to breakfast by myself

Ski school has been going well for Aurora. One of the little boys in her preschool class is also in her ski school class which I think helps a ton. Aurora and Beckett have apparently become good friends. She gets excited to see him and apparently they hold hands everywhere they go ;)

We had friends from New Canaan come out to ski for a weekend. Nicole and Tyler brought there two boys, Henri and Andrew and stayed at our condo. Unfortunately circumstances made it so we were only able to visit on Saturday but it was still really nice to see them. Aurora and Henri were good friends when we lived in Connecticut and it was fun to see how well they got along even after all this time.

We finally figured out our preschool plan and got our applications in. I am so lucky Matt is good at filling out applications because it would have been a huge burden for me to do on my own. Aurora has already had her visit at Inspire and we both absolutely loved it. I think she would do much better in a smaller school like Inspire. We are still having a lot of issues getting Aurora to go to Temple without lots of tears and distress. We find out about Inspire February first while Graland and Ricks will tell us in early March.

Unfortunately we lost our lovely babysitter this month. Miss Lauren got an internship at CU Medical Center so she no longer has time to come to us during the day. She will continue to come one evening a week but I am going to have to find a new daytime sitter.

-- Connor at 13 months --

You are walking! Right at the beginning of the month you decided you had figured it out enough and have been walking ever since. You almost never choose to crawl anymore. It's hysterical to watch you, your Dada and I say you walk like a big old grizzly bear because you will crawl for a little and then stand up and hold your arms way up over your head and wander about.

You are a leaky disgusting mess lately. Both your nose and mouth have been running almost all month. I think you are getting new teeth and I wonder if that has something to do with the fact that you are eating almost nothing lately. You will eat bananas, yogurt and sweet potatoes but not much else.

It also could have something to do with the fact that you have been super cranky lately. It doesn't help anything that you have been fighting your second nap. It has been almost two weeks since you started refusing it. I really hope you aren't giving it up for real but only time will tell. Needless to say you have been a total disaster by bedtime.

You have quite a few words now -- "ba" ball, "mama," "dada," "Ro-ro" Aurora, "da-da" doggie, "nana" banana, "ch" cheese, "boh" book

Playing outside in the random 70 degree winter weather

You still sign "more" "all done" and now "please" which is quite cute

December 2014

Rora started ski school. She is pretty excited about her all pink outfit! She will be going almost every Saturday in December, January and February so it will be interesting to see what she is able to do at the end of the season. So far it has been ugly getting her out the door but she seems happy and says she had fun at class when we pick her up.

We traveled to see Nanny and Grumpa twice this month! Once in Farmington and once at their new place in Scotsdale. Both were quick trips but fun. I flew down to Farmington ahead of Matt to give the kids enough time to settle 

Scotsdale was an even quicker trip. We were only there for one full day and two half days but we still got in some good visiting. We took the kids to the train museum and got to ride in a small kid sized train all around the property.

We have been meeting with an educational councilor to try to figure out what on earth we want to do with Aurora for pre-k next year and then kindergarten after that. It has been helpful but we are still undecided exactly what to do. The politics of school applications is stressful!

We went to see Santa! I am not sure if Aurora was more excited about seeing Santa or about visiting the Frozen Ice Palace ;) Unfortunately I planned poorly and went the morning of the 23rd. The line was enormous. I think it took us about 2 hours to get into the Ice Palace and then meet Santa.

We had a great Christmas. We didn't travel on Christmas Day this year which was so nice. We got to relax at the house all day. I will say though, you know your children have too many presents when they ask to take two breaks before they can get through opening them all!

We started trying to teach Aurora to read a few months ago and even though she has been asking to learn for over a year she hasn't been interested since starting preschool. Recently we picked up her learn to read book again and have been making some good progress.

-- Connor at 12 months -- 

You are almost walking! I think you are totally capable but you haven't quite got the confidence to take off yet. You can walk between things and you are starting to choose to walk from one thing to the next but you won't just start walking unless your destination is close. Actually you did just take off once but landed on your face so I think that dissuaded you for a while!

You are also talking a lot more. You can sign "all done" and "more"

You are becoming such a picky eater it is driving me crazy. I am not quite sure how to deal with it so for now I am just continuing to offer you choices which you hardly ever eat… I think if you could live on sweet potato, banana and yogurt you would be a happy camper!

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 :(