7/15/08

Katie can't get enough of these cousins.

3 Month Pictures

First laugh!!

Isn't he handsome! I am astounded by how fast he is changing & growing. I just got him to laugh for the first time. He had a tiny laugh here and there before but this one was a full out laugh. I found a tickle spot on his lower back and got him to laugh. So much fun!!! He is such a sweet little guy!!







Wild Turkeys?!!

Sometimes we get a few visitors in our yard. It is really fun to show Katie.

4th of July pictures

Thank you Tami for urging me to post. : ) But first some ventilation will take place: I've tried a couple times to post these pics but something either was frustrating me with the blog site or a kid needed my attention (can you believe it?). I've been really stressed out lately. Some of you know we're trying to see a short sale through on our old place. Stressful indeed. Also the unit underneath our house has been vacant for a month and a half. This unit helps us pay for this mortgage... blah...blah...blah

Ok now for the pictures. The first picture shows how JD spent most of the day. We appreciated it.
The little girl with Katie is Maddie. She's Mary's (formerly Dewindt) little cutie. The last pictures are of the infamous "party hat."

Slept through the night!!!

For two nights in a row JD has slept 8 hours
straight. I think it is due to the fact that he was swaddled really well by his Daddy. I felt like a superstitious athlete yesterday when I had my husband reswaddle him making sure that he was in the same blanket as the night before. Here is my happy little guy.



















Here is a happy Katie getting ready for a ride to the Hendrens.








JD does not like tummy time. Savannah has mastered the skill. Vienna too! : )






This is the newest Hendren with JD. She was born about as big as JD was 2 and a half months earlier

Terrible two already?!

Katie is 22 months old. She pushed her cousin Ember last week. Since then she has pushed my friend's little boy down and made him cry and pushed our neighbor's little boy. Her Dad secretly finds this funny. It is mortifying to me however. My sweet little girl... I am struggling to know what to do with her and I am frustrated as she has begun whining a lot more, saying no, pulling on me to go the opposite direction that I want her to go. I have swatted her behind (she didn't care. She had plenty of padding and didn't bat an eye.) but I don't really like doing that. I put her in time out and she thinks it is a game. Karina said that she is probably acting out to get attention because of JD. (She had been doing so well at first. I guess she finally figured out he was here to stay.) So I have been doing a lot of reading about it and now am trying to process it. First someone said, "Behavior is neither good nor bad. It is exploration." Interesting way to think about it. Here are some suggestions that I have been reading about.
1. Distraction
2. Whisper
3. Use your "VOICE OF GOD" when they're in danger.
4. Load them up with positive reinforcement and attention when they're doing something good.
5. Say "it is not ok to ... Let's... instead"
6. Prevention.
7. Play with them to get them to do what you want. Make it fun.
8. Make sure they are well-rested and well-fed.
(The last two days have been worse than others and she missed her naps both days. Not that I didn't try to get her down, she just wasn't having it.) Finally today I had a plan of attack: take her outside right after breakfast and wear her out! It worked. (Thank God.) She has been out for over 2 hours.

I've been working on #4 but I can always do better.

Any other suggestions out there?