So this happened...

Taking care of Lexi.

 Recently the girls were given the job of taking care of their cousin, Lexi Rabbit, for a weekend.

Elsie and Lexi had a great partnership, in which Lexi allowed herself to be petted just long enough for Elsie to get settled on the ground before she ran off again.

Sylvie, on the other hand, seems to be something of a bunny whisperer (or perhaps Lexi thought she was a bunny in that fuzzy white sweater?).  Whatever the reason, Lexi liked to follow Sylvie around the room, and calmly submitted to all types of toddler petting with no complaints.

Sylvie's first birthday!

Elsie made Sylvie a birthday banner.

It didn't start 'til Daddy came home with the cake and pizzas!

Playing with Annie (the hat didn't last long).

Partying with Auntie Kristin.

Yummy cake!

You guys sure this is for eating?

Look, guys...we're gonna need more cake.  Lots more cake...

Playing with new jewelry from Huck and Lily.

Pictures from Sylvie's first year.

There were a few tears...but only because Sylvie walked behind the table and got stuck.

Five minutes left in the party, and we found Sylvie had shut herself in the bathroom with her milk bottle.  I guess she needed some alone time after such a wild party...or she was embarrassed of her frosting-encrusted hair-do!

February Miscellany

While sitting on the potty:
Mama: "Elsie, are you finished pooping yet?"
Elsie:  "No.  More poopers are coming.  Go, boona, go!  Go, boona, go!  You can do it!

Daddy:  "Elsie, why are you out of bed?  What's wrong?"
Elsie:  "Daddy, you know what's wrong!  Can't you see that I am wiggling?"

***

Watching Olympic figure skater Gracie Gold perform a triple-triple combination:
"Mama, I don't think she is making safe choices!"

"Daddy"

Discussing possible Night Time Monster Encounters with Daddy before bed:
"If it is a STINKY monster, but it is also a NICE monster, then I can just make the monster take a bath so it won't be stinky any more!"

***

Valentine's Day candy means that Elsie has been introduced to the concept that she sometimes gets dessert when she finishes dinner.  After finishing a giant monster cookie at the coffee shop with Miss Heather:
"Mama, since I finished my whole cookie, now do I get to pick out a treat?"

Sylvie Harriet is ONE!

Mama, this is funny!

...but Olivia Pig and I need to go now...

Health and growth:

Sylvie now weights 17.0 lbs (3%) and stretches to 29.75 inches (70%) (for those interested, Elsie weighed 17lbs, 4oz (3%) and stretched to 28.5 inches (25%) at this age).  She wears size 3 diapers (when she uses disposables), 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 has 6 teeth, and we suspect her one-year molars are on their way. 

Sylvie started walking a week before her birthday.  She'd been toying with the idea for months, but aside from a few steps here or there, she was perfectly happy to (speedily) crawl around.  The big change started with a Friday play date with 20-month-old Junia, during which Sylvie seemed quite interested in this "big but not so big" kid and how she moved around.  Over the next two days, she practiced scooting along furniture, then taking a few steps on her own all the time.  By Sunday night, Sylvie was successfully standing up, walking, and sitting down again whenever she wanted to.  What a big girl!  Turns out all she needed was the proper motivation!

Other things our big (little!) girl enjoys these days:
-knocking over towers
-dancing to toys that play music
-pulling books off of book shelves
-bath time and water play
-mimicking anything Elsie does
-exploring kitchen cabinets
-hugging stuffed animals

Communication:

Words Sylvie says: Ma (mama), Da (Daddy), mamama (milk), ja (yes)
Signs Sylvie does: good-bye and hello (waving), "all done", yes (clapping), "high 5", eat
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

12 months

And just for fun, Elsie at one:

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!