We're (all) growing!!

Mary Louise and David are getting so very big - both figuratively and literally. They are well into 2T clothing. David can still pull off an 18 or 24 month shirt as they tend to be long and he's thin so width is certainly not a problem - and of course shorts are a whole different story - thank goodness it's warm again because his pants were all too short while his waist hasn't grown at all. Dapper Snappers have become our "go to" fix all to keep his bottom covered while out (this after having him run around after church one Sunday and having 2 elderly ladies giggle and come to get me because "your boy is running about with his pants around his ankles!"). Anyhow, Mary Louise is a pretty perfect 2T currently and I'd expect her to remain so for at least another year.

We went shopping yesterday in a search for the one thing I consistently purchase when needed...(all of their clothing is purchased online during end of season sales a year ahead of time. I collect the next size in a storage bin and have it on hand when they outgrow a size. This way, we save- the rock bottom prices are often much better than consignment - and there is no frantic trip to the store.) SHOES. Ah my nemesis. David has his dear daddy's feet: impossible to fit. Mary Louise is relatively easy - she's just narrow so we stick to a certain, very few brands. David, however, has cinder blocks for feet - cute ones - but have you every tried to fit a shoe on a square??

So, yesterday, we tried. I at least get them to the store for proper measurements (ML is a 6.5 and David is a 6 so we typically try one half size up). Mary Louise was successful - and pretty skinkin' entertaining. They rode in their stroller to the shoe department of Dillard's. (we're pretty limited here as far as shopping). The sales woman walks over and Mary Louise suddenly announces, "My want PINK sooos Mommy, peeeese?!"  That, my friends, is a gal who knows what she wants. Of course we looked at pink shoes. She pranced around and ran in circles in her pink Converse and pink patent Stride Rite Sandals and was just pleases as could be as we purchased her lot of pink spring and summer shoes. Sweet David, on the other hand, couldn't even fit into shoes that we technically a full size above his measurements. No one routinely stocks wide widths here. So, after trying one more boutique -type store, we called it quits. That's about all Mary Louise and David (and Momma and Sugs for that matter) can take for a Sunday afternoon - even with Daddy there to lend a hand!

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I took pause today as I received the information on an insurance claim for my last ultrasound: reason: excessive fetal growth. Ha - a bit much. While at the store, the sales lady kept staring at my belly. Finally, she asked my due date. I responded, "May 13th". She stared, quietly, for another moment. I added, "it's a big baby." "Yeah," she said, puzzled, "you're pretty out there..." Thanks lady, you're the second one this week to point out how big I am. Really, I hadn't noticed what with having my belly bump the counter while I felt sure I was still about 3 feet away. At least she didn't try to rub me and make a wish!

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Mary Louise and David have NOT stopped eating for days now. Really. They eat breakfast from about 6am until around 10. They finish up the last bites around 10:30 and start asking to "EAT momma EAT!!!" again around 11:30. They eat off and on until around 1, again about 3 and slow towards 5 which is when we gear up to do our bed time routine. Sound early? It is. We draw out bath time over an hour and read as many books as it takes while Mary Louise and David wind down in bed. They do go to bed early - before 7 usually. But letting them stay up later only earns us extra grumpy time the following day (as opposed to time sleeping in). No naps, early bed time = a little quiet time for Mommy at the end of the day. Win.

The big news of the week for us is that while Mere and Pops were visiting this weekend, Brent and I finally set Mary Louise and David up in their very own "big kid" room. They have a full size bed with the box spring removed (lower mattress), a single bed so that, if they choose, they can have their own sleeping space, and they are no longer in a room that connects to the master. Ok, so they are like 4 feet down the hall - but it's the furthest they've had to travel to get to us...ever. They've slept there for 2 nights and, all things considered, it's gone well. They still wake about twice nightly - sometimes 3 times. We are certainly going through an adjustment - they have to figure out where they are when they wake. But I'm sure things will settle again soon. I read to them in a rocking chair by their bed now as opposed to lying down with them. In truth, I miss the extra snuggles, but think this is best as I'll be trying to nurse, read and wrangle very soon and I'll need the extra mobility I get with sitting away from the kids trying to sleep. When we go up the stairs, Mary Louise and David get so excited to march into their "bery own big woom!" with a "boo-tee-ful bed!" so it seems, for now, that this change is positive. Brent and I are hoping to finish things up this coming weekend by turning his old office (which is right next door to the "big kid" room and connects internally with a doorway) into a play / reading room and putting the last touches on his office (which is now in the little room connected the kids used to sleep in). If you're wondering, we will use a co-sleeper attached to the bed for the baby.

I've recovered a bit from last week's parental beat down. We had evaluations on Monday, then David had home therapy on Tuesday and Thursday as his therapist was sick the week prior and needed to make up a session. Then he had private therapy on Friday. Thursday, his home therapist confidently told me that David had started out at a 1 year old level of speech back in September but was now at a 2 year old level. I tried to respectfully disagree, but she was pretty insistent. We agreed, above all, that he is making progress. She informed me that if I refused the "Head Start" program here, that she didn't have any other recommendations for me.

I decided that I just needed a break from all of the school opinions and opted to follow up that Friday with his private therapist.

I went in thinking I was some sort of lone ranger - but knew David acted more like himself at private therapy than he ever did with evaluations or even his home therapist. I spoke with his private therapist for 30 minutes. She said that their basic criteria for 3 year old speech was that the child could freely and spontaneously string 3 or more words together. Not only does he routinely do that, but he typically strings 5 words together - but it can be difficult to understand if he's too excited or tired. His private ST also said that after I'd voiced some concern a couple of weeks ago, she'd talked to the other 2 therapists that worked there. He has seen both of them on occasion- enough for them to have an opinion. The bottom line: he is showing some language delay, but is otherwise doing well.

This weekend, I reviewed 2 and 3 year old schooling curricula in our area - noting the goals of the programs. David and Mary Louise participate (at home) in all focal areas of the 2 year old class and have already achieved or are in the process of learning the 3 year old scholastic goals of our first choice school. They both fall notably short in one area - potty training. Even if we were interested in schooling, I have yet to find a program that even accepts diapered children after age 2.

Again, I can't even believe I'm still talking about this...thank you so much for all of the support.

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Today was absolutely gorgeous! I hung the diapers on the line to dry (because I'm all pioneer like that...P.S., Brent and I made our own laundry detergent Sunday afternoon - romantic right?), and we dressed for a morning at the Children's Museum. We spent an hour there - it was surprisingly busy so Mary Louise and David tired quickly. They did really really well with the other children though before finally getting overwhelmed and hungry after just over and hour. We opted to have a picnic by the lake, played at the park, and walked along the water for anther 2 hours or so. Mary Louise serenaded us with her own rendition of "Jingle Bells"- over and over and over again.

I did aim to get them good and tired with all of the activity - but I ended up good and tired myself. We came home rosey cheeked and happy. I took my blood pressure when we walked in the door - just to make sure we were ALL doing just fine - 114/76 - nice. After a walk, chasing my littles around the park and museum, and loading up for the very short ride home, I'd say that's solid.

Happy 30 weeks and 1 day to us!! I'd better run - little Miss, "my yike pink" is about to paint a table with hummus and the green bean is really thinking about spitting juice at "Monkey George" on the television...

xo,
Heather