Saturday, January 10, 2015

The Terrible Twos.......Meh!

Well we are almost out of the twos and I have to say I loved being the mom of two year olds. What a fun age. Watching you grow and start talking has really taken our relationship to a new level and was so much fun. There isn't much cuter than your 2 year holding your hand or telling you they love you. I hear three is much more difficult and I believe it because for the most part now you listen to what we say and follow our instructions. I know that can't continue to happen.

Hudson
You now prefer to be called Bear. Basically your name has morphed from Huddy Buddy, to Huddy Bear, to Hud Bear, to Bear. It is funny how that kind of thing happens. You are still my little shadow and love your mom. You also have a new best friend Brooke who mommy watches during the day to help supplement our bills. You call her a princess and look out for her. She was sick this week with a double ear infection and woke you up out of your sleep. You called for me to get you and when I got to your room you said "mom, I need to get to Brooke, she needs me, My Brookie needs me". You rubbed her back and cuddled up close to her and told her she was going to be okay. You are the sweetest little guy I know.
You have just started getting a bit naughty though. I guess it is the almost being 3 thing. You tell me know and test my authority. Too bad you are so adorable and I have a hard time not smiling and giving in.
Diapers
The most amazing thing happened last month. A few weeks before Christmas you decided to potty train yourself. I had intended to wait until you were 3, thinking it would be quicker, but you woke up one day and said no more diapers. You meant it when you said no more diapers. You don't nap with them or use them at night. It still amazes me. You have had a handful of poop accidents and maybe 2 or 3 wet pants but I think that is to be expected. Every accident was a mistake, either you couldn't get your pants off, had an accident in your sleep, or had an upset tummy.  It has been over a month and we can go anywhere and not even have to consider bringing a diaper. I don't even carry an extra set of clothing for you. It is remarkable.

Food
Ugh, your eating habits are terrible. You want to eat Nutrigrain bars and drink milk all day. We have to basically force you to eat anything remotely healthy and you will throw yourself down on the ground having a fit when you aren't allowed a prepackaged crappy snack. I am wrong for even having them in the house.
Sleep
You are still a great sleeper and this month you moved to a big boy bed. Mommy found a great deal on a used bunkbed and couldn't resist. I know you are young to be in such a big bed but you love it and you were still in your crib which didn't make sense because you are fully potty trained. There wasn't much of a problem changing you to a big boy bed but you do kick up a bit more of a fuss going to sleep. No big deal we just stay consistent and you don't have a choice but to sleep :)

Speech
Your speech has come a long way. I don't know if anyone else understands you but I do, You are really able to communicate now and I get everything you are saying. For the most part it even makes sense....haha. You speak primarily it 3-5 word sentences now. You also use sentences with 6 to 8 words but not as often. You are still about 6 months behind in speech but progressing daily. Your receptive language is spot on you just seem to get your point across using as few words as possible. Daddy says he appreciates it and there is nothing wrong with a quiet guy. You FINALLY counted to 10. For some reason mommy was focused on this and it drove me crazy that you would just say one and then 3 and no other numbers. You still mix the order sometimes but you know the names of the numbers. You don't recognize written numbers or letters but you will get there. You have started to sing a bit but often get the order of the words backwards and just repeat what your brother is singing.
Development
You have known your colours and shapes for at least 6 months now, you have a word for everything and you communicate your thoughts and feeling pretty well. You have a vivid imagine and like to role play. You also like imaginative play games and talk a lot about monsters. You still aren't interested in dressing yourself but you can get your pjs and clothing off. You also like to put any shoes on you can find. You aren't able to recognize any letters or numbers yet but we just got you a leap pad and you seem to be interested in working on those skills. You have just started to sing a little bit and do sign "abcd" and then kind of repeat Fynn as he sings the song. Like I mentioned you can count to 10 and even know some bigger numbers you just don't always get them in the right order.

Fynn
Fynn you are still my moody guy. You still wake up from naps and often scream and yell at me. It is hard for you to shake it when you are upset and you have had your share of time outs. Luckily you have even more happy moments. You are funny and becoming more social with "the guys". Mommy started doing home daycare to supplement our income and you have really enjoying having the kids around (well 2 of the 3 anyways....haha). It is great to see you come out of your shell and make some new friends. You do not like it when it gets too loud and you prefer to be in small groups. Although you don't mind making lots of noise.
Food
Mommy needs to get better at introducing you to new foods. I think you get bored of what I offer you to eat. I get in a cooking rut and then you get in an eating rut. You love peanut butter on bread (not toasted as you like to remind me). I was shocked and disappointed in myself at everything you ate in Costco the other day. You were testing everything I handed you and loving it. It made me mad at myself for not insisting you eat more than I serve you. I must not push you hard enough because I never imagined you would eat the things you were lapping up. You also like snacks like your brother but also appreciate a meal a lot more than he does. You sit with daddy and I at the table and love impressing us with your "table manners'.
Sleep
I read my sleep post from 6 months ago and I am happy to say you consistently sleep through the night again. I don't even remember the stage when you didn't. Although daddy probably got up with you. You also got a big boy this month although sometimes you chose to sleep in Hudson's room on his new bunk bed. I have been saying it for a few  months but I am really going to have to shorten your nap because bedtime is getting too late.
Speech
You never shut up. That sum it up....haha. You can count up to 40, you know your alphabet and colours and shapes. You sing songs, you can recite pages from your favourite books. You even know phrases and songs from your favourite tv shows (oops that is probably bad parenting, oh well). Your friends who started up ahead of you in speech are pretty much on par with you now. You consistently talk it 5+ word sentences.
General Development
Your brother potty trained himself this month and you refuse. You like your diapers and aren't as interested in change as Hudson. Hudson says diapers are for babies but you truly don't care. Although recently you have been leaving the room to poop and insist on a new diaper as soon as you pee. I think these are very good signs. As I mentioned we bought you leap pads for your birthday (given early so you can use them with ease on our trip to Florida) and you amaze me. It is day one with them and you can pick out certain numbers and letters with no prompting. You can recognize all of the numbers from 1-10 without hesitation and about half of the letters of the alphabet. You are also very good with numbers and shapes.

Well guys, next month you will be turning 3. I am both excited and scared of this next chapter in our lives together :)


Saturday, July 19, 2014

29 Months

It seems weird to still be counting months to describe the boys' ages. I don't refer to them that way in my every day life it is just strange. I thought I would take a quick second to update things here because they seem to be growing and changing so much lately.

Hudson
You have changed so much this past month. Suddenly out of nowhere you are a total momma's boy and don't want to leave my side. No longer are you attached to daddy and I love the extra snuggles. I feel badly however that you often cry when I leave the room and that you are no longer as independent. I know it is just a stage but you used to be so confident and love to meet new people. Don't get me wrong you are still smiley and friendly but you don't like it if mommy is not close by.

Sleep
You are still a great sleeper and nothing much has changed since last month. Mommy is still letting you nap too long and this results in late bedtimes.
Food
As far as eating goes you really aren't a great eater anymore. That isn't necessarily a new thing but it isn't getting much better. You would love to live on snacks or more specifically popsicles and it is not a good thing. You do still love meat but you literally eat one meal a day and then snack the rest of the time. Summer seems to make things more casual and I feel guilty because I am a bit lax about letting you snack, especially when we have guests

Speech
You are still coming along but I still notice some deficits (sorry baby nothing major just noting things). Your receptive language is awesome and you follow story lines and t.v shows better than any 2 year I know. You have words for everything it is just that you don't always string them together. You also don't pronounce things as clearly as I expect but you are so adorable I love your little voice. You talk much more now, even when people are around. You are stringing tons of 2 and some 3 word sentences. You still aren't really counting, you don't sing and you don't really know your abcs but that will come.

Fynn
Holy cow you are blossoming. You are like a real little guy now. You communicate your feelings and wants so well. You literally get complete thoughts out and it makes life so much easier. You still test boundaries and unfortunately whine a lot but I love this stage. You crack me up.

Sleep
ahhhhhhhh.............you are driving us crazy. You literally wake up at least once a night screaming. Why??????? You even had a week where you woke up multiple times like when you were an infant. It is so frustrating.

Food
You are a great eater and you like trying new foods, especially if daddy and I are the ones eating it.

Speech
Like I mentioned you are talking up a storm and we can really communicate with you. You can tell us complex ideas, feelings and wants and it s pretty cool. You are also VERY demanding.....haha. This week you sang your first song. I didn't even really know that you were paying attention when I sang. However today you literally sang "twinkle twinkle little star" with your daddy and knew 90% of the song. You also complete lines in some of your favourite stories. It is so cool, I can read the first part of a sentence and you can complete the last 2-3 words. Eeek, it is currently 1am (I know I should be sleeping) and you are crying out. I don't get why that happens :(
As I mentioned in previous posts you can count to 20 and yesterday out of nowhere (well I guess not nowhere, again we sing a song that must have taught you this) you counting backwards from 10-1. My jaw literally dropped....haha.







Tuesday, June 17, 2014

28 months (I haven't posted in a while)

I have been terrible about posting but thought I would take a quick minute to update some information about the boys. They are still busy guys that love outings and keep us on our toes. They love the park, throwing rocks on the beach, and playdates with their friends.
Hudson
Huddy Buddy you recently had a growth spurt and when I picked you up from your nap you looked older to me.
Sleep-You are still a great sleeper, especially at naptime. Often I have to wake you up because you would be happy to have a 4 hour nap daily. We moved bedtime back so that we could do afternoon/evening outings but when you nap that long bedtime tends to get pushed even further back. You are such a cuddly guy and you love your blue blanket and sleeping with your teddy bear.
Eating-In the past few months you have become a snack monster and you try your best to exist on only junk. Mommy had to eliminate prepackaged (as much as possible) crap because that's all you wanted to eat. Not to mention your obsession with popsicles. You do still like meat but it is a challenge to get you to eat "real meals" in general.
Speech-You are talking a lot more and catching up. Although when we are around other people you often point to objects and are much quieter than at home. You now say Fynn's name (probably for the last 2 months or so) instead of just referring to him as brother. You have a ton of words and now talk in 2, 3 and even 4 word "sentences". You still use as few words as possible to get your point across though. You still don't really count to 10 although you do seem to know many numbers you just won't count in sequence. You do know most of your colours (red, blue, yellow, orange, pink purple) although you mix them up occasionally.
Fynn
Man are you ever talking, sometimes we miss the days of speech delay.....haha. You talk non stop and it is super loud. You also like to parent your brother which we are trying to teach you is not your responsibility.
Food- You are a great eater and seem to be eating all of the time. You will try new things and you just really seem to enjoy food in general.
Sleep-Ugh you seem to call out every night these days. We have to go in and settle you down. It is just a quick back rub or an adjustment of your blanket but it certainly not ideal. You also generally wake up screaming and are not very pleasant for the first few minutes you are up. You yell at us and often get upset. I wish we knew how to calm you down but for now we just give you space and you come around.
Speech-you are no longer considered delayed in speech (although I don't think you ever actually qualified for that). Like I mentioned before you talk all of the time. You count to 20, know all of your colours and shapes and boss mommy and Hudson around every chance you get. You aren't interested in learning songs though and although you know some letters you refuse to sing the song.








Thursday, April 3, 2014

Our first Photo Shoot!

So I decided to finally hire a photographer to take the boys' pictures because although I take a lot of pictures they aren't always great pictures. I wish I had done it sooner but for some reason I could never get organized to make it a priority. Anyways the day started out terribly but the pictures turned out pretty cute. The day before Fynn fell and got a fat lip and the day of Hudson refused to get into the shot until we brought the photographers dog in the room. Not once did either of them break a smile but what did I expect from two boys that just turned 2....lol.








Tuesday, February 18, 2014

TWO!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, wow, wow, when did this happen. My boys are turning 2 tomorrow and I don't think I am ready for that. I thought the first year of their life was going to be the most challenging with the majority of the ups and down and it turns out I am in for quite a ride. Like others before me have said every stage (age) has its ups and downs and I realized that the first year was actually cake compared to the second. Both were amazing but very different. Actually the most difficult stage was from 14-19 months when the boys were fully mobile and into everything. They constantly tested boundaries and I had to worry about their safety ALL of the time. Now they are still testing boundaries but because they can comfortable go up and down stairs and get on and off of things I can take a deep breath (once is a while).
Hudson
Those long eye lashes, furrowed brows and adorable grin are impossible to resist. You are so darn cute and you know how to use that. You are strong willed and even though your brother might be a bit bigger and a tiny bit faster you NEVER miss a beat. You get what you want and often take what is your brother's. For some reason your brother's food and toys appeal to you and you can't resist taking them. You love to test boundaries and you have had your fair share of time outs in these last couple of months. You are also our snuggle bug and you love daddy. I mean LOVE daddy, if you had it your way you would be in his arms all day every day. You two have a special bond and it is so adorable to watch. You also love your blankets (not as much as your daddy of course) and I can you Linus because you love to drag them around the house with you. Often you even lay on the floor and snuggle up on your blanket to relax, pretty darn cute if you ask me. You can't get enough of water, you could play in the sink for hours,  you are not happy when water play time is over. Holy cow you have a pair of lungs on you and you let us know when you aren't happy......lol. You love playing with your train table but it isn't good when your brother joins you. Somehow you always seem to want the same trains and an argument usually ensues. When you play with it alone though you have a blast and it is so fun to watch.
Sleep
You are still a great sleeper and you go to bed at night by 7pm and wake up anytime between 7 and 8am. You went down to one nap this year and your naps last anywhere from 2.5-3 hours. Actually sometimes I even have to wake you up so it doesn't interfere with bedtime. You like to sleep with your fingers through your blanket and unlike you brother you are happy when you get up and you after chat and play in your crib.
You love your brother and whenever you wake up or he isn't in the room you are looking for him. You literally say "brutha" thousands of times per day.
Motor Skills
You starting walking right around your first birthday and you have been on the go ever since. You like to climb almost as much as your brother and you love to press buttons.
Verbal
Your speech was a bit of a concern for mommy (I worry too much) and she took you to see a speech therapist. The speech therapist thought you might be a bit behind but she wasn't overly worried. We were offered some advice on how to encourage speech and given an option to do speech therapy. Right around that time you started talking more so mommy decided to wait and watch to see how you progressed on your own
                          Hudson eating a snack at the play group we go to :)
                                    Hudson with a messy spaghetti face
                                             Hudson cheering on team Canada in the hockey game today

                                             Hudson colouring (and licking the marker)

Fynn
My little wild man, you are still you own guy. You are independent but love your "brutha" at the same time. You bring him soothers if he is upset and you rub his back. When mommy asks you to share you are very good about letting your brother have a turn (Hudson is still working on that.....lol). You still whine but it isn't constant (unless you are sick). You are still incredibly busy and there is never a dull moment when you are around. You walk on your tip toes and because of that you have the most defined calf muscles of any 2 I have ever met. You are really into books and puzzles right now. Your favourite book is "I love Trucks" and you love doing puzzles with daddy. You can get pretty frustrated when you can't figure things out. You like to try to play with the trains but you often put too many in a line so when you go over a bridge they all fall apart. This makes you very upset and you generally launch one (or more) across the room. We are working on that. You love bath time and when we are all having a long day mommy sometimes gives you more than one bath just to keep you occupied.
Sleep
You don't seem to need as much sleep as your brother and although you also go to sleep at 7pm you wake up like clock work right at 7am (I am not complaining). Your naps are shorter than your brother's and you usually wake up after 1.5-2.5 hours. It works out fine though because you guys are in different rooms and mommy doesn't mind some extra one on one time with you. You aren't quite as adaptable as your brother when it comes to sleep in general. If we go off of our schedule you don't do well and often wake up in the night. Also if you are sick you wake up multiple times.
Motor Skills
You are very physical and don't have any fear. You climb everything and I don't really worry about you falling (although I worry what you will get into). A couple of times I have gone to get Hudson upstairs and come back to find you jumping on the pub table. I now make you come up with me because I worry for your safety. You and your brother are obsessed with daddy's coffee maker. You drag the kitchen chairs to the counter and press all of the buttons and insert the cartridge to make the coffee. Mommy bought you your own toy coffee maker but you weren't fooled and still wanted the real thing. You also have a huge fascination with the humidifiers in your rooms. You take it apart and splash in the water, it drives me crazy....lol. Another thing you love to do is push your step stools around and flick lights up and down :)
Speech
Your speech was also a bit behind but in the last week you seem to be saying tons and learning multiple words per day. It is like you are making up for lost time. I love that you are talking more because I am really learning how and what you are thinking.

Words
Hi, bye, daddy, mommy, poppa, pop, brother, up, cracker, cookie, water, car, truck, bus, more, bubble, no, book, all gone, pee pee, poop, diaper, birdie, duck, banana, apple, soother, ball, that, this, dog. downstairs, wow, uh oh, buddy, tv. hot, light, dirty, oh no, cheese, go, choo choo, two, ho ho ho (for santa), bounce, bath, jump, pizza, Cole, Sam, mouse, floor, fall, moo (cow), ssss (snake), grrr (lion), bad, teeth, meatball, thank you, please, hockey, meow (cat), share, me, heater, oval, star




Big Boy Rooms

We moved into our house in April of last year and we didn't have much money to decorate. We basically moved in, slapped a couple of pictures on the wall and that was it. With the boys' second birthday coming up and knowing we had almost been in the house for a year we started to start on their rooms. We are still on a very limited budget so instead of asking for toys and games for the boys (they have a ton) we asked for room décor. I really like how they are looking.
 
 
Hudson's Room
 
 I found this awesome shop online and my sister gave the boys each a name plate for outside of their room for Christmas. I loved the colours so much I decided to use it as inspiration for their rooms. The theme of their rooms is now  transportation because I didn't stick to the initial car theme.
This is my favourite angle of the room :)
                              The route 66 sign and tractor are tin and eventually I would love it if that entire little area had tin signs covering it (not in the budget right now)
   I had the hardest time finding ANYTHING to cover these windows, for now they are just those easy fit shades in a beige colour but eventually I would like to get custom made blinds in a cool pattern. I am also thinking about doing some book shelves across the bottom of that wall
                       This is the glider from their nursery I would prefer to get a new chair but one step at a time. My friend Kim ordered Hudson a red hand carved Play sign for above his little chalk board
 My sister's friend made that cool ruler growth chart in the corner
 These are the vintage cars that were the inspiration for their nursery



Fynn's Room



                       My friend Kim also bought Fynn a sign that says READ in orange to go next to his book case and over his bean bag chair
                              This believe sign was given to me when I was trying to conceive
                        Fynn's personalized pillow bought by my sister for his first birthday