Updates on the kiddos

Sydney at nearly 3 years:

• Is good at trying our patience and making us stifle laughter at her antics at the same time.
• Cannot get enough of all things "Pooh." And Tigger.
• Has that awesome toddler voice that mispronounces 40% of her vocabulary.
• Literally has been mistaken for four years old...and that was like, six months ago. The kid is not short.
• ADORES her brother. At times, not too gently.
• Somehow has this sympathy power over Boscoe: when she is whiny crying, he'll bust out in this howl along with her until she stops. This has just started to happen over the past few months, so I don't know if it's something about how he hears her tone right now or what, but, oh. my. gosh.
• Loves to dance. Incorporates a galloping move rather frequently.
• Has somehow become a vegetarian this past year. No chicken. No steak. Will not touch salmon with a 10-foot pole. But eagerly takes her "witamins."
• Is all about watching "cooking" with me. The Food Network's littlest fan. Asks for Sunny Anderson and Giada by name.
• Is just starting to recognize words in books. "You" is the first and favorite one to find and point to with gusto on any given page, TV screen, street sign...
• Already a little conniver. She has her daddy's salesmanship skills for sure. Case in point:

"Syd, are you all done eating?"

"Yes."

"Then it's time to go upstairs for your nap."

A pause. "No...I mean... Ask me that again."

Sigh. "Are you all done eating?"

"No!"

Literally IN the chair.

Crazy girl.

Elijah at 7 1/2 months:

• Is easy, easy, easy. One laid-back dude. Sleeps whenever, wherever. (See below.) Squeals like a velociraptor - remember that stage?
• Can kinda sit up on his own. Rolls all over tarnation and can lift his chest up really high when on his stomach, but so far, no movement toward crawling yet.
• Is a thumbsucker. About a month ago, just dropped the binkie in favor of his right thumb and never looked back.
• Thinks Sydney is just the BOMB. Ever heard of that comparison to sliced bread? Yeah, that about covers it. Follows her with his eyes whenever she is in the room (Funny: with Sydney, I remember that role fell to ME...) We have a case of idol worship on our hands.
• Is now eating solid food like a champ. We started him on his six-month birthday but it's really just fallen into place in the last week or so. We've now sampled (in order): rice cereal, oatmeal, avocado, banana, applesauce, carrots, zucchini, peaches and broccoli. He's like, singlehandedly consuming our garden.

Sleep exhibit A.


Sleep exhibit B. This is on his bedroom floor where he conked out like this for 2 hours.

Happy little eater. With Syd, I could reuse bibs a few times before washing...not with this guy.

He looks so long in his bassinet!