updates with bad cell phone pix

our updates:

Stella is itchin' to walk. At playspaces she happily stumbles along behind anything she can push, and she has regained the newborn death-grip on your fingers as she goose-steps around the house with you.






She is also eating more and more of our food at mealtimes. Last night she had some of Jeff's Quorn cutlet and she's had our rice and beans and french toast and Sophia's scrambled eggs and sausage. And she's trying to use a utensil to feed herself too. All this comes at the pain of her bad habit of putting one foot up on the table toward the end of her meal. This was the same problem we had with Sophia, and I am tired of it. I'd rather have new bad habits, especially when we had no good solution the first time around.

Stella is now only nursing 2 times a day - first thing in the morning and at bedtime. She stills wakes at least once a night, I am sure that part of that has to do with the back-to-back colds we all have been getting, and the teething (she still only has two on the bottom!).





Sophia claims to want a scooter for Christmas, but she is well beyond the 4 wheel sitting down and pushing with her feet vehicles. I came back to preschool yesterday and found her on a BIKE. She wasn't fully able to pedal by herself yet, but almost!







Now if we could only get her to LISTEN to us. I know we can't really expect her to since she is a "Terrible" two year old, but it would be sooooo nice if she would.

I'm amazed at how long she can go around the house without a diaper on and without the need to use the potty. She clearly has bladder control, but she almost never tells us that she wants to use the potty if she is wearing a diaper. I think we are going to have to talk up the pull-ups and see if the "do it myself" aspect helps. She is perfectly capable of removing her pants and diaper, but of course can't put a regular diaper back on.

I've started returning to a more adult schedule - staying up after the kids go to bed, it's too bad that our basement is SO INCREDIBLY COLD! I find it hard to get anything creative done because I am huddled under three fleece blankets.