An update on the kids at 3 and 1

Our kids are changing and growing and doing funny things so fast I can barely keep up with describing it as it happens. A snapshot into our kids' personalities and preferences at this stage in life:

* Sydney *

• I don't know that I ever included this information on the blog from her 3-year appointment. Her stats at three years old... Weight: 34 1/2 lbs (82nd percentile); Height: 40 1/2 inches (98th percentile); BP: 96/62.



• She's become a very picky eater, refusing meat altogether...with the exceptions of ham and bacon. She does still drink milk in great quantities. Sweets are acceptable, of course. However, if you ask her what her favorite food is, the same answer invariably comes back: Raisin Bran. I don't know.



• When she gets good news - we tell her we're about to let her watch one of her shows or she's about to see one of her friends - she verbalizes her glee every time: "Yay, I'm really excited!"
  


• Sometime she can't find the right word or phrase as soon as she wants to say it, so strange, inventive combinations come out instead. The other day, she meant to ask "Why?" and it came out as "What because?"



• Her favorite thing lately has been read-along CDs. She'll sit in bed and "read" Curious George or whatever it is while the voice reads to her - very freeing for us, I must say. (Except that she'll completely memorize the story, so when she does want one of us to read it to her and we're tempted to skip over lengthy parts, she'll call us on it every time and then recite the exact words we "forgot.") She's discovered the repeat feature on the CD player, too, so her accompanying request is "over and over."



• Daddy is her hands-down favorite parent right now. He likes this, except when it's him she begs for again and again during bedtime struggles.



• She sometimes has trouble waiting for Elijah to wake up from his nap. I've more than once come to find his door open and her inside his crib with him, both giggling incessantly.



• Being a semi-veteran of the doctor/ER/hospital scene comes in handy as she plays with her toy doctor's kit. She will often sit with you, administering several "shots" in your arm at one sitting, earnestly reminding you, "Now you have to be brave. It's just a little poke."



• Distraction is a handy tool at this age: if she's sour-faced or seems on the verge of looking for trouble, I'll say, "Hey, I want to show you something special." And then it's time to think quickly. I'll sit her on my knees and teach her a childish nonsense song from the past like 'Miss Mary Mack' or dredge up some new trinket I've hidden away for just such a moment. So now, whenever bored and listless, she'll wander over to me and whine, "Mama, I want to see something special." Motivation for a mom to stay creative.
  

* Elijah *

• His 1-year stats... Weight: 21 lbs, 4 oz (26th percentile); Height: 31 3/4 inches (94th percentile); Head circumference: 46.5 (54th percentile).
  


• He's sporting seven teeth: four up top and three on the bottom, making for a perpetually lopsided grin. I like it.



• He's a great sleeper. Nap 1: 10:30 - 12:30 or 1 p.m. Nap 2: 3:30 - 4:30 or 5 p.m. Nighttime: 7:30 p.m. - 8:20 a.m.



• Not so universally accepting of any and all foods like Syd was at the beginning, but definitely embracing table foods. He's a great double-fister.



• Still a complete sweetheart. The guy is just flat-out lovable. He never cries for long. Quick to grin, happy with anybody, unabashedly entertained by his big sister and a tough cookie when knocked around by her. His maybe favorite thing in the world right now is taking a bath with her and splashing the heck out of each other.



• He is oh, so active. Crawling everywhere at great speed has given way to bringing himself to a wobbly stand and grabbing himself along the furniture with great determination. Walking is soon to come.



• Big on clapping, letting out high-pitched happy 'man screams' and moving my hands around to play peekaboo with him.



• We say it all the time: this kid loves with his head. You're cuddling with him and you're both grinning and wrestling around a bit and all of a sudden he just launches his big melon right at your face. *oof*



• No words yet, but very vocal anyway. He's got this constant stream of husky little boy chatter going on as he plays and explores, as he chases after Sydney and romps around the dog, as he makes his way over to me to lift his right hand in the air and stare up at me with those voluminous eyes, a sure "ask" to pick him up.
  
  

Loving these two!