Claire, age 4 part 1

4 years old

Feb 15 - July 15

For the first half of being 4, Claire wrapped up a number of things.  She finished out her school year in the 3's class with Ms. Jan.  She also capped off her first year of ballet with two recital performances.  And she completed her second season of soccer.

School went well.  She seems to be on target with those early academic skills.  She's attempting to write her name, drawing people, learning letter sounds.  She is pretty good with rhyming and working on phonemic awareness with activities like hearing d-og and realizing that makes dog.  As an early 4 year old, she's hit or miss with this skill.  She might say C-at = mat.  We are working are being consistent with counting above 10.  She tends to skip 15.  When I said "Oh, poor 15.  You keep skipping him.  You're going to hurt his feelings!"  And she tells me, "Mama, 15 is just a number.  It's not real!"  Jeff calls her the most literal 4 year old ever.  And that's why.

Her progress report from school noted that she was impatient with friends and upset when things don't go her way.  I talked to her teacher about it and she gave an example of Claire being almost unable to breathe she was crying so hard because there some confusion about a sandwich with her classmate.  We were seeing different things at home.  Being demanding, not using manners, overly dramatic in response to small disappointment or injuries.  But shortly after the progress report we started seeing heightened emotionality and frustration at home.  She would flip out about the smallest and most unpredictable things.  That piece has gotten better but overreactions are still common.

Ballet:

Claire seemed to enjoy her ballet class.  Her class ended up performing in two recitals and Claire did great!  Well, great for a 4 year old.  The whole class was all over the place in the most adorable way! But no nerves from her, no being overwhelmed being on stage.  She did however, get VERY overwhelmed by the group of family waiting her greet her after the performance.  She clung to me and didn't want to take say hello, take flowers, or let grandparents take pictures.  I think she have needed some food.  We came home for my birthday celebration after her recital and she perked right up after a quiet ride home and some snacks.

Claire loves soccer.  She seems to be shaping up as a casual player, interested in the fun and social aspects.  And the snacks!  This season she did soccer with the Y in the micro league.  Which meant practice and games happened one right after the other Saturday mornings.  It certainly helped me that there was only one commitment a week when dragging the little two along. But I don't think it did much for Claire's skill.  And the games were a little chaotic as they split the team in two and have them playing back and forth between two fields. Claire had a busy summer!  We had many local outings (Piedmont park, Acworth Beach, boat ride on Allatoona, Amicalola falls. trips to the pool).  There were also multiple camping trips with Grammi and Paaps and weekends spent at their house.  We took a roadtrip to Chicago in July.  And Claire did multiple week-long summer camps to keep her busy.  She did a princess dance camp at her ballet studio, science camp and learn to swim camp at the Y, and an art camp at a local art place.  She loved every minute of all of them! Funny quips and conversations: C: You know my favorite team?  The tigers

Me: What do they play?

C; I don't know. Football?  Or soccer or something?

Customizing her toy Violet: 

J: Claire what's your favorite animal? 

C: Uh, a giraffe!  With a tutu!  (her animal from Build a Bear)

I show her a selection of applesauce pouches:

I want "Breadstick apple"!

(The cinnamon applesauce had an image of a cinnamon stick)

Harmonica =  a honnica 

When I grow up, we'll have 3 mommies and 3 daddies!  (She does not want to live in a different house and thinks she and her siblings will all live here forever)

C: One more night at Grammi's and then I'll be done. 

(the next day): Can I spend the night at Grammi's?

C: Why don't you take your ring off daddy?

J: Because it says I'm married to mama

C: (looks closely) I don't see where it says that.

J: It doesn't say it. That's what it means. 

After seeing football helmet decals in Johnny's 

C: Peregrine falcon is my favorite team!  

(Peregrine falcon, Atlanta Falcons.  Maybe science will be her thing, not sports) 

Jeff: Claire are you coloring in the lines?

C: I just lose my mind sometimes. 

Mama, want to help me color ?

I love to but I have to clean .  We need a cleaning robot can you make one?

I don't know how

Maybe when you're older

How about Ellie can be the lady that cleans and you can help me

Does she know how?

No, when she's bigger

(We are talking about trees)

C: I have special ears so I can hear what the trees are saying to each other (when they blow in the wind)

Me: ?????

C: On the next Valentines Daniel will be my valentine because I like him.

Daddy can be yours, me and Daniel can be Ellie's.

How bout that mama?  Three valentimers and two valentimers?

Followed almost immediately by

"Have you ever heard of a poopoo and peepee cake ? That's ewwwy!"

C: Why doesn't daddy take it slow when eating?

Me: He's just used to eating fast

C: That's just how Jesus made him?

(singing) Baby you're a firework! Catch a fish and now you're herk.

New power wheels jeep at Grammi's = "gondola" 

Daddy! So listen. Actually, what you do is (yammers on about sticker craft). 

Want to be a clown when I grow up. But I don't know how to juggle

Exclamations:

Oh craters!

It's hot as a toe

She also uses like a lot in her speech!

Sweet big sister

Chopping cucumber

Silly girl!

Loves board games
(especially with Peco from school)

writing her name!

New bike!

Family portrait

Queen of the world!

6 months

Sweet six month old boy!

This month is all about the expanding world of food and lots of motor development! Also, lots of firsts like first cold, first bath with his sisters, sitting in a shopping cart, boat ride and more!

Motor:

Development happens quickly this month! Mastered sitting and just started crawling by the end of the month.

6/5-Sitting for more than a few seconds! Up to a minute or so!.

6/18- Much better with sitting! Can sit for multiple minutes but still needs a spotter because he'll topple.

6/21: Crawling: has arm motion bit can't get legs figured out. Rocks back and forth. Or moves arms then collapsed and army crawls. Scooting around on his belly pretty good though.

Starting to figure out how to switch between army crawling and sitting and back. Gets stuck one leg forward, one leg back

6/29- Finally figured out crawling! Progressed a little each day from army crawling. First he'd move his arms in a forward motion and then collapse. Then he started hopping legs his legs forward. Then he finally gets the one by one motion

Food:

6/1- Daniel has green beans. Puréed and canned. Likes both.

Mmmm, green beans two ways!

6/18- has eggs! Loves them the first day! At little less enthusiastic the next time, but still eats them.

He has also had: peaches, zucchini, Cheerios, peas, carrots, and 2 tiny bites of rotisserie chicken

And he's starting to have breakfast and dinner instead of just dinner because he fussed when we were eating without him!

Sleep:

In general, he is going down between 8-8:30, is up between 5-6 to eat, and then sleeps until 7:30-8:30. He naps 2-3 times a day. At night he usually nurses to sleep. For naps, he likes to do the same, but I'm starting to cut back on that. He'll cry for a few minutes in his crib and then go out.

Vocalizations:

More noises this month. He often sounds like a little pterodactyl with squawks and squeals.

sounds: Uh blah/gah/dah

Says "meh meh" that sounds like mama

Sizing:

6 or 9 month clothes, size 2 diapers

First cold.  Look at that boogery nose!

Everybody loves the exersaucer!

Getting big!

Look ma!  I'm sitting!

Not a fan of the hat

A visit to Amicalola falls

On a boat ride!  

Playing roll the ball with Claire and me

Claire wanted a picture with him

Mommy let me play at the mall playspace!

Riding in the shopping cart!

Avocados are a little messy 

Handsome!

Sitting in a high chair on Father's Day

Snoozin' in the car seat

Bath time with the girls
This happened because he decided to poop all over himself!

Claire has Daniel giving her tiger a ride!

5 months

5 months: May 2015
In mid May I wrote: "Daniel is often up two times a night lately (1-2 am and 4-5 am). I don't think he needs to eat both times, but I feed him anyway if he is crying so we can back to sleep. Some nights he's only up once and he's had occasional nights where he sleeps through, and sometimes he wakes up and plays in his bed for a while. I keep the monitor off at night now. I can hear him if he cries, but I don't need to wake up to listen to him babbling in his crib. Once I get tired enough of the night wake ups I'll do cry it out with him. But I'm not there yet. Ellie was up 4 times a night at this age so I got fed up much quicker!

For going to sleep, he usually falls asleep nursing around 8. But sometimes he will want to play for a while instead. So I let him play for half an hour and then try again.  Or he wants to be asleep but didn't stay that way after nursing. On a good night, I'll just put him in bed and let him cry for 5-10 minutes and then he's out.

We are having nap issues in that the only way he goes to sleep is to either nurse or to cry himself to sleep in his crib. He's given up the paci.  Nothing else soothes him.  He doesn't settle for rocking, patting, etc. So boob or crying is it.  He's still doing 4 short naps most days so that is a pain. I hate listening to that crying wondering how long until he gives in and sleeps!"

By the end of the month, sleep did get better.   The last week of the month he was sleeping until about 6 am.  He would usually eat and go back to sleep.  Which was rough on me when I needed to be up 30 minutes later but I know most people aren't going to be sympathetic about my 7 am wakeup time.  :)

Movement: He has no interest in sitting. He will arch himself back if you try to put him in a sitting position. He much prefers standing (with support, of course).  He loves the exersaucer.  He's got rolling down.   He has been inch worming himself for a few weeks by pushing with his feet when on his belly. Then he started pushing himself up on knees and elbows. By the last week of the month, he figures out army crawling.

Vocalizations:

Glah,hah, heh

Yelling, squealing, pterodactyl noises

Food: May 19th was Daniel's first time in the high chair!  His first food was bananas, both mashed and in chunks.  This month he also experienced applesauce, sweet potato, avocado, baby puffs, and watermelon.  He loved it all and is a very enthusiastic eater!

Other:
Chewing on hands, toes

Very smiley guy in general and especially when watching Claire

Fun in the exersaucer

Mom, I'm trying to play here!

Playing on the floor at Grammi's

Everybody loves Paaps' Harley blanket
(made from Harley shirts by Auntie Jamie)

Big grin!

5 months, yeah!!

Two of my favorite boys!

Up on elbows and knees

Wants to crawl so bad

Snoozing baby

Playing in the high chair

First meal in the high chair!

Rocking the first outfit mommy ever bought for me,
back when I was a tiny bean in her tummy

Enjoying a family visit to Piedmont park

Daniel's first picnic

Grass?  I can eat this right?

Sweet potatoes are delicious!

Bath time!

Army crawling around the living room

In Marietta square on Mommy's birthday