once again…

Well, once again, i’m a bit of a slacker.  Here’s all the news…..in cliff notes format:

• A couple weeks ago – Logan had tubes put in and his andenoids taken out.  Was sick for about 3 days – from that or a virus, who knows…made for an exciting spring break. 🙂  But, he’s sleeping better!!!
• Leia, at the same time, had tubes put in and her frenulum clipped.  she can now stick out her tongue past her lower lip!!!!  YAHOO!!!!  She recovered like a rock star.

On her developmental front:

• She has 2 teeth
• she is 11 months old
• she says the following:  dada, mama/nana, gogo, kitty, all done, down(this is the clearest word), uh (for up), uh-oh, giggle/tickle (first real word)
• She is imitating lots of other sounds – but really loves to screeeeeeeeech.  wow
• she is a huge drama queen
• Loves to dance – i mean, LOVES to dance – she goes crazy when she hears the opening song to spongebob
• Has a very strict opinion of her own – not sure where she gets that
• Crawls like a rock star – doesn’t go up the stairs yet – but she did go up awhile back and fell down 2, so I think she’s shell shocked on that one
• Has to be in the middle of everything – and is already tormenting Logan – pushing him in the face, yelling if he’s on my lap, etc
• eats about anything in sight.  Loves:  yogurt, oatmeal, bananas, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, toast, turkey, ham, chicken, peas, asparagus, squash, sweet potatoes, baked potatoes (only with butter and sour cream tho).  Really loves powdered donuts thanks to her Aunt Julie
• Drinks from an open cup okay – I have to help her hold it.  She can drink from a sippy cup..no straw yet.

I’m sure that there is lots more – just cant think of it…except for the video you will see below. 🙂

And Logan’s update:

• He’s finally telling us what he does in school more – today he told me that he was the line leader – but he doesn’t get to lead the teachers – his teacher is still in front of him. 
• his teacher told me last week that he was the song leader and was SO excited – but insisted that HE would be the ONLY one that could sing.  wow. 
• LOVES his day care – gets to rough house with the boys – plays basketball jumps arond and goes crazy
• All about skateboards lately – pretty sure he needs a big one (he has one that is his size)
• Just had a massive growth spurt – we saw it coming as he was eating everything he coudl get his hands on – an about 3 extra meals a day.    Then complained about his legs hurting.  And lo an behold – today, a shirt he had on 2 weeks ago – welll, WAY too short in the arms.  Look out kohls, here we come.
• He also had a massive hair growth spurt – we knew it got really long – but saw a picture from when we went to the hospital only 2 weeks ago – and sheesh!!!!  it’s a crazy afro!!!
• His language is pretty much constant.  some days, my ears get tired – but I love his cute little voice.  He talks and talks and talks.
• He got some sunflower seeds from the babysitter – and we planted them in the window sill.  He said he’s waiting for them to get big so he can plant them outside and then they will make sun.
• In his garden this year, he has said we will plant the following:  carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, spinach.  we are going to need a bigger garden.
• Stil my sweet little love bug! 

And here is the BIG news – accompanied by a video…

Leia took her first steps!!!!

A discussion with Logan

As we were leaving the babysitters house this morning, after dropping off Leia…we had the following discussion.

L:  Mommy, what planet do they (the babysitters fam) live on?

me:  Earth, Logan, like you.

pause….

L:  Well, you know, Tate  (his cousin) lives on Mars.

Me:  No, Tate also lives on earth – he just lives in Nebraska, not in Kansas.

L:  No…he TOLD me – he lives on Mars.

Me:  I’m pretty sure he was joking with you, Though – Mars is a long ways away.

L:  No….mom, I’m pretty sure he’s not joking.  He said he lives on Mars, and then comes back to visit us at Grandmas house out of town.

Me: Really.  Isn’t that a long trip for him?

L:  Yes.  It’s out of town at grandma’s house.  He does – he lives on Mars, you know.

Me:  okay.

Let’s see if I can post some videos….

This is Leia Jamming out in her one woman band

A couple examples of her speech development – and personality. 🙂

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And Logan’s dancing to Phineas and Ferb.

My baby is NOT tiny

Everyone that sees her says – wow – she’s so small!  She’s not.  and I have proof. 🙂  Her 9 month appointment was today – and she weighs 18 pounds and 15 ounces – 50th percentile, thank you very much.  Her height is now 28 and 3/8 inches, which is in the 75th percentile!  YEAH!  go Leia, go!  She’s doing great – except the fact that she has ANOTHER ear infection – on the tail end of finishing augmentin last weekend – she already has another – in both ears.  SO…guess who my pediatrician wants me to call?  The ENT.  Tubes, here we come.  What a dif it makes to go to a pediatrician who listens to me, instead of the doctor I had with Logan who said no, no, no – tubes aren’t necessary, etc etc…ugh.  Anyway.   the poor baby has been screaming in the middle of the night – through the night in pain.  between the ears and the 2 teeth that are JUST about to pop through on the bottom – she’s hurting.   Beyond that – I can’t remember if I did the developmental highlights in my last post – pretty sure I did.  her newest thing is to say ‘tickle tickle’ – well, she whispers it – pretty funny.  I have some videos -but they aren’t embedding correctly – so look for those soon!

Ways to get out of going to bed.

the other night, Logan was STALLING to get into bed. Well, no – he was IN bed – just NOT going to sleep. He was singing, he was too hot, he needed sleeping socks, he was not tired, he was thirsty. Finally, at about 9:30 (I shut his door at 8), he is calling me from his room. I went up, irritation blazing…..and he said ‘Mom! I accidentally wiped a booger on my bed…so i can’t sleep in it.’

Original, Logan. Original..

To my sister.

Well, the point has been made – I need to post.  So, 3 days after my sister’s birthday, I post, in honor of her.  🙂  Yeah, November..that was a LOOONG time ago.  Let’s see…what’s happened since then, my avid readers?  Well, we won a family trip to disneyworld – all expense paid – but sold it so we could go spend time in Manhattan.   Then, we were listening to the radio, and won a new car!   After that, we cleaned the entire house, and I am now completely organized – there is never any clutter.  Both the kids put all theri stuff away with no prompting, Logan now has a job, and brings in plenty to support his candy habit.  Leia has taken up tennis, and she really loves doing that – she’s really good.  Ralph bought me a giant 3K diamond for christmas, which i put on a hair clip. 

Yeah, i know, none of it is true – but wouldn’t it blow to read my blog if that’s how it always was?  We did go spend a lot of time in Manhattan for Christmas – that was fun – the entire family was there – well, the entire Struve family, anyway.  In early december, Leia started to crawl.  Look out world, she’s mobile….and she means it.  She will NOT be left out or behind.  It’s pretty funny when she does her ‘run’ crawl – like when Logan is chasing her, or when she’s super excited…or when she’s naked and trying to escape the diaper.  She’s a pretty funny little gal, let me tell you.  Since Christmas, she is now pulling herself up and cruising – and then going in between furniture that is close together.  Her new trick that she loves to do is to hold on while reaching down to the floor.  She’s pretty proud of herself. 

Let’s see, what else does she do – she says ‘uh-oh’, approximates/signs and uses ‘all done’ appropriately, plays patty cake, initiates games, pulls everyone’s hair, and her latest is to approximate ‘tickle tickle’.  It’s pretty funny.  She also signs ‘more’.  That’s my girl.  She’s a load of fun.  VERY different personality than Logan.  While he would sit and stare at something to figure it out, Leia takes it and throws it in the bilibo to see if it spins.  Does she have teeth?  no.  But, she does eat about anything in sight.  who needs teeth when you can gum it!!

She and Logan LOOOVE each other though.  Logan is all about his little sister, or ‘destructobaby’ as he calls her.  So far, he’s been quite patient with her…ahem…’help’….but i’m sure that time is coming when the frustration hits max point.  He’s getting so big it makes me feel sad.  Yes, I know it’s inevitable, but he’s thinning out and looking more 4-ish.  The chubby kid face is there, but not the same kind – it’s thinning out and changing too.  He is still loving school – although we’ve already started answering ‘nothing’ or ‘i can’t remember’ every time I asked him what he did.  His one true addiction is screens, unfortunately.  The ipod, his VTech reader, whatever he can get his hands on.  But beyond that, he’s been into iron man, cars, skateboards, and he’s pretty sure he needs anything that is ‘as seen on tv’.  cutie.

well, it’s not overly exciting, but there’s a post for you.  My computer is WAY slow lately and so I can’t get the videos to load – but they will come too.  oh yes.  they will come too.

This kid….

Last night, Logan woke up at about 2AM crying.  I went in to see what the deal was…he said his tummy hurt.  It’s actually pretty common – with the reflux, so I went to get him some tums.  When I came back, i gave it to him, and he said ‘I probably know why my tummy hurts.’  why? ‘Because I was running super fast.  I think I probably should just walk and my tummy won’t hurt.’  Ha!  Well, that might work.  I might add that after he said that, he fell RIGHT back to sleep.  I mean, instantly.

Baby girl has been screeching at me.  I mean, when she wants something, it’s this high pitched scream.  I have it on video – It will get posted eventually.  Wow.  So, we are working on breaking that one.  Egads!!!  She is up on her hands and knees almost all the time now – she can ALMOST go from there to sitting – but not quite.  She scoots backwards constantly (getting her feet stuck under furniture), and occasionally will throw herself forward.  Half of me wants her to take that first crawl, and the other half would prefer her not.

Halloween

So, I ask Logan a couple months ago – what he wants to be for Halloween.  After a couple seconds, he says “Merlin – from King arthur movie”  that would be sword in the stone – at that time, his favorite.  He then thought for a minute and said ‘And, leia needs to be archimedes the owl…she can sit on my hat.’.  egads. 

So, i asked again a couple weeks down the line, and he said the same thing -and then stated that we needed to go to grandmas house to get the costume made. 🙂   Yeah right – like I would work that far in advance.  We finished the costumes on halloween.  BUT – in my quest to keep on making their costumes, they turned out pretty dang cute, if I do say so myself. 

Our halloween tradition is to always go over to my brother’s house – and go trick or treating with his family.  he calls us about an hour before and says that the youngest just threw up.  BUT – their informant told them that she was outside eating candy all day from prior trick or treating.  So, we aren’t worried – we just figure we’ll come on over anyway and she’ll be fine.  Got in their house – and about 5 minutes later – she’s back up in the bathroom.  oh yeah – not candy.  Poor baby had to miss trick or treating.  So, we set off without her.  😦

The first house – SCARY.  Mainly because it has a jayhawk on the door – but also some scary stuff.  logan is freaked out, and his super awesome uncle does the ‘BOO’ to scare him – sending him into hysterics, and he said he is NOT going trick or treating.  NOT GOING.  We convinced him that the houses aren’t all scary.  And we start off again.  At one point just down the block, Logan states ‘And we will not go to any of those houses with the white jayhawk on it anymore…it’s too scary’. 🙂 

so, from there – he was a trooper – leia fell asleep – as expected!  Here are the pics:

um…..

Wow – i’m a big ole slacker.  when’s the last post?  well, a LONG time ago.  Lots has happened, i’m sure of it.  what it is?  Who knows.  We are generally boring around here – but hey – I still have to let everyone know!!

We’ll start with Ms. Leia.  6 months old now.  We go for her 6 month check up tomorrow.  She is sitting up on her own and when put on her hands and knees can stay there for about 10-15 seconds before she face plants.  She has gotten up on her hands and knees from her tummy – but not consistently yet.  Sleeping through the night?  No.  Teeth?  No.  Eating?  YES!  Holy guacamole (which she loves).  She loves to eat.  But she cannot be bothered with silly baby food.  she wants the real thing.  Salad, chicken, tacos….whatever we have.  So – she’s gnawed on cooked sweet potatoes, avocados (a favorite), and banana.  She also loves to eat – in the baby food realm that she WILL eat:  squash with corn, plain squash (thanks grandma kathy!), sweet potatoes, plums and cereal, lentils, chicken, ham, oatmeal with apples, applesauce, green beans and peas (sometimes!).  This girl can put it back.  just like her mother. 

Logan got his first ‘report card’ at conferences.  He his proficient at ALMOST all the 3 year old skills.  His self portrait was adorable – but he does need to work on turn taking and sharing.  shocker.  Apparenly he just talks the other person into submission.  Sounds about right, doesn’t it?

Logan's first Cereal

Leia's First cereal

oh. my. gosh.

So….Leia is a screecher.  She doesn’t giggle, she will guffaw – and mostly just screech.  And let met tell you, she LOVES her brother – if she can’t see him, she will yell at us – she is constantly trying to see him, get to where she can see him, and talk to him.  In that line, there is nobody who can get the same reactions that Logan can out of her – and in the past couple of days, she’s really been vocalizing to him – and to all of us.  She will be heard.  I don’t know where she gets that.    Anyway, we took a couple videos of it this weeknd – and I actually meshed 2 together for you.  Make sure you watch the end part – where Leia was having a great time ‘attacking’ her big bro.