Tough Decisions for Sylvie...

Sylvie officially joined the bipedal club yesterday, and she has discovered that one of the joys of walking is being able to carry things with you.  Unfortunately, she only has two hands, so sometimes tough decisions have to be made.

*Warning*
 *Naked Baby Video*



Sadly, none of those animals could join her in the bathtub, so her internal battle was all for naught.

A new family member!

Meet Lexi, G and Kristin's new house bunny!

The girls and I were enamored, and Lexi didn't seem to mind us too much.

Sylvie thought that looked like a good place to lay, too (but she didn't fit)!

Sylvie was actually really quiet and calm around the bunny.  Elsie, however, really wanted to show off her (very loud) hopping skills for Lexi, so it took a little while before the bunny warmed up to the big kid. 

Sylvie Harriet is 11 months!

Even with a bad cold and 103.5 temp Sylvie is a happy girl if she can sit with Daddy and read her Spot book!

Health and growth:

Sylvie now weights 16lbs, 10oz (11%) and stretches to 28.25 inches (63%) (for those interested, Elsie weighed 16lbs, 12oz (4%) and stretched to 27.5 inches (12%) at this age).  She wears size 3 diapers (when she uses disposables), and wears 6-12 month clothes and size 2 shoes.

Sylvie still wakes three or four times a night to eat, and consistently takes 1-2 naps a day, totaling about 2 hours. 

Sylvie continued to work on her teeth, successfully growing her upper lateral incisors ("fangs"), but not central incisors (though we think they are on their way).  That brings the total tooth count up to 4!  I was just looking back and realized that Elsie has 7 teeth at this point- wow! 

She has begun to navigate going down stairs on her own, though we limit her to the front two steps and prefer to be there to spot her.

We went to an open gym session on her 11-month birthday, and she LOVED being able to crawl around on the training floor chasing balls, climbing up and down towers of mats, and bouncing on trampolines, all while keeping one eye on her big sister.  When we went back a week later for Elsie's gymnastics class, she was not very happy that she had to stay in the observation room instead of playing on the gym floor!

She is well on her way to walking, and on numerous occasions has taken three or four steps on her own when she is otherwise distracted by play.  The problem now is that she is a very fast crawler, and doesn't seem motivated to work on walking when it is faster and easier to crawl.

She LOVES reading books, her favorite one being a lift-the-flap "Spot the Dog" book.

She also loves to play- peekaboo, hiding toys for her to find, and "sharing" nuks or toys are a few favorites.  When Elsie is willing, Sylvie will happily sit next to her to "play together" for hours (Elsie usually gets fed up with her little sister's interference long before Sylvie is bored, though).



Communication:

Words Sylvie says: Mama, Dada, mamama (milk), ja (yes)
Signs Sylvie does: good-bye and hello (waving), no, "all done", yes (clapping), "high 5"
Signs and words Sylvie understands: no, "sit down", bounce (jump), dance

Watch me grow:

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

  

And just for fun, Elsie at 11 months:

January Miscellany

Sylvie is thrilled when Elsie and her friend, Edie, include her in their game at the Children's Museum.

While cuddling in bed:
"Mama, I can hear your heart beep!"

"Mama, I don't like my eyelashes.  I don't like their color.  I have red eyelashes, and I really wanted pink eyelashes."

Sylvie is all smiles after stealing my book club's chocolate cake pan from the recycling bin.

Speaking about a hairy-armed stranger at Costco (and no, I don't think he heard her): 
"Mama, that man has lots of fur just like my daddy has lots of fur!"

"Mama, Kermit needs a friend.  He doesn't like Daddy's car, because Kermit is green and Daddy's car isn't green.  We need to look for another green car just like Kermit, because Kermit is lonely."

"Mama!  I was sitting by the edge of the bed, and I got scared because I though I was going to fall off!  But I didn't!  And my heart was talking to me!  It said, 'Beep beep, I am scared so I will go faster!'   Mama, did you know that sometimes my heart talks to me?"

Elsie's page from her class book on transportation, and her creative story about an imaginary train ride!

After insisting on going to sleep in her sleeping bag, in her bed: 
 "Daddy?  Can you help me take my sleeping bag out of my bed?  My sleeping bag is not very comfortable when I am wearing a tutu and monster shoes."

Going to bed after a two-day birthday visit with Grandma RJ: 
 "Mama, I think I am going to be very disappointed when I wake up tomorrow and Grandma RJ isn't here.  I think I miss her very much."

Sylvie shows off her construction worker garb, courtesy Ben's birthday party!

Miss Waitress

 Elsie has really liked helping lately, from sweeping the floor to washing potatoes.  She is also expected to carry her dinner plate to the counter when she is finished eating dinner.  The other night Elsie cleared not only her plate, but also Josie's and my plate (one in each hand).    Brief conversation went like this:

Andy: Well thank you Miss Waitress!

Elsie: I am NOT Miss Waitress I am Miss Elsie Rose Cooper!

Sylvie learns to drive.

Sylvie has discovered our Cozy Coupe, and she thinks it is just about the best thing in the world.  Peeking through the doors, honking the horn, climbing on the seat to look out the rear window...hours of fun.

Let's go driving in my car!

When Daddy pushes me, I go REALLY fast!

Update from Sylvie: "Now that I've been driving for a few days, I am starting to make some choices Mama thinks are a little dangerous, like standing on the seat and driving, or putting a foot on the dashboard, or standing up and looking out the rear window.  I told Mama I would work on making safer choices when she is around." 

Christmas in Pictures (with the Johnsons and Murrays)

Christmas In Pictures (with Grandma RJ and Grandma Dorothy)

Elsie's First Big-Kid Play Date!

"I can go in by myself, Mama, okay?"

All smiles on the way to the Caponi's front door.

Elsie stayed for dinner, and even had an after-dinner cookie tea party before we came to pick her up.  She was sad that she wasn't going to spend the night- I guess our big kid is growing up!