Audrey: September (14 months)

Most days this is my vantage point of Audrey.

Clinging to my leg, dress or shirt. She has gotten very steady pulling herself up to standing and easing her way back down to the floor. She has officially given up the Army crawl (sad face) and crawls on her knees. She is like one of those battery operated puppy toys .... she will be crawling like a maniac towards the stairs and I'll pick her up, turn her around and as soon as she touches down again she is of at top speed again. She is very independent and is content to be away from me as long as SHE is the one to move away. If I leave her to go to the bathroom she has a meltdown. Figures ;)

This kid hates hats. Hates them. Hence this face. It could also be the above 90 temps, but whatever. She pulls her hats off almost instantly unless I distract her and get her to forget she has one on her head.

I can finally do two ponies. REAL ponies and They. Are. Adorable. I am trying to slowly get her off bottles and onto sippy cups, but she looks so old in this picture I may have to let her keep the bottle a bit longer.

Audrey is not quick to smile and seems to be quite a serious baby. When she does smile she smiles with her whole body squealing, giggling, clapping her hands and that little dimple makes an appearance.

Audrey loves music. It can be a song you sing to her or pounding on the floor in rhythm like a drum she will start to sway. She has done this from the very beginning.

She is so in love with our cat, Sampson. He tried to hide himself in the towel bin (and Devon blocked him in with towels to hide him from her), but she quickly removed the towels and went in after him. If she is having a crying fit, all I have to do is get her little face close to his fur and she giggles and returns to a happy baby.

Downdog Audrey.

At her last appointment Audrey was 60% for weight (down from 90%), 70% for head size and 80% for height so she has started to lean out a bit over these past few months.

Viva Las Vegas!

Baby bum.

Road trippin' to Vegas.

Devon and Audrey are going through a bit of a rough patch right now. I feel like I say that every month! What gives me hope that they will get along is he has given her a nickname that he has come up with all on his own .... Aud.

Devon: August

Since the Castle had to be torn down due to structural damages beyond repair, we periodically make Devon forts out of pillows or chairs and sheets. One of his favorite books is Custard the Dragon and he wants to be in a "nice safe cage", so Devon likes to have us make him a "cage" out of blankets and pillows on our bed. I wish he would call it a nest. I can just see us at the grocery store,"Mom, when we get home can you put me in my cage?" Oye. Devon hardly leaves the house with out a gun in hand. When I told him we were going to a play date at Roman's house the first thing he asked with if he could play with his gun.

Although he has let go of his 3.5 hour naps (ahhhhh, it was good while it lasted) Devon has "resting time" everyday for at least two hours. That may seem like a long time, but he does often fall asleep for an hour after playing toys for an hour so I think is a good balance. He doesn't have to sleep (which is why I don't call it nap time), but he has to stay in his bed and play quietly. I moved the bulk of his toys out into the living room and left his puppets, Mr. Potato Head, books, balls, tractors and blocks in the trundle storage. His loophole for not getting out of bed is pulling out the trundle and playing with his toys while sitting in it. Sigh.

Mr. Devon Head

Super Stretchy Devon

This t-shirt used to be mine. I never wore it, but it's super soft and the perfect night shirt length so I gave it to Devon. It has sushi on it and says "This is how we roll."

Devon loves going to Grandma and Grandpa's house every week. He loves to wear this feathery crown and was happy to sit with Grandma and stack dominoes. What outfit is complete without some sunglasses and at least two swords? He has been going through a strange phase lately, but I think it only happens when Joe and I are around. No matter what the question/statement is, if it comes from someone other than Joe and I Devon will give the opposite response.
Grandma: "Devon, you are such a smart boy!"
Devon: "No I'm not a smart boy!"
I don't know where this is coming from, but he stopped doing it when I left and my Mom babysat and he also stopped when Pops and Abuela took him out to dinner. He is such a sweet boy for Joe and I that I hope he snaps out of this soon so people don't think he's always this ornery.

Devon is potty training again and it has been SO much easier this time around that I wish I would have waited. He still has accidents, but when he does he says,"Mom, I need a towel." Me: "What for?" Devon: "I peed on the floor and I need to clean it up. There, that's better." He still won't #2, but at least he only does that in a pull up. I got him a really nice "light saver" and I set it out on the counter so he can see it as incentive to "go" ;)

Joe is always on the lookout for desert creatures to show the kids and this bat ended up on the porch. Which means that Joe caught it and showed it to the kids. This is one creepy little animal. It hissed and bared its' tiny teeth.

Devon loves to go to "jumping class" and is easily the sweatiest kid there! He jumps and runs and climbs like his little life depends on it. It's probably the only the day of the week that he actually falls asleep right away for nap.

Devon was so happy to help blow up balloons for his little sisters birthday.

Devon LOVES doing art projects. We color with markers, cut paper, paint or glue every day at least once. He is very specific about me making him a pallet on a paper plate and says,"It's poopin'." when I squeeze the reluctant paint from the tube.

The End.

Audrey: August (13 months)

Audrey can crawl! She still does it in her own, unique way, but she gets around (mostly) with her belly off the ground. She loves to walk around as I hold her hands and pulls herself up to stand. She doesn't walk along the couch by herself, but I prefer that so I can make sure to be there with her when she walks.
"Not so sure I like this gymnastics class."

"I'm still on the fence. Although, I do get to stand up and crawl and play with other kids."

"OK, I like it."

Joe is so good about exposing the kids to nature. He takes them out and they help with the garden, but when he sees something cool he brings it in so the kids can see it up close. So far he's caught a bunny, endless lizards, a king snake, hawk moth, HUGE grasshopper, June bug, cuchara, tortoise and a bat.

Audrey has started to feel better with her teeth this month and is less cranky. Her one year molars came through and that has helped ease some of the pain. She had 8 teeth coming in all at once. That's right. 8.

I try and do art projects with the kids every day. Audrey doesn't seem as into it as Devon was at this age so I don't push it, but I still want her to try things. She really enjoys playing toys, chasing the cat and watching cartoons.

Audrey can do cool tricks, too! She also has this uncanny ability to scream. Like, REALLY scream when she's upset. It's not a long scream, more of a "Hey! I don't like what is happening here and I need attention RIGHT! NOW!" type of scream.

Audrey is such a good eater. It is stress free feeding her. She loves to eat fruit snacks, pasta, nectarines, blueberries, carrots, lunch meat and cereal. She will often point at you and giggle with delight if you touch her index finger with your index finger.

Her hair has gotten so much lighter and less curly over the past few months. It is really growing in the back and finally covering the bald spot she rubbed off ;) Audrey can say Mom, Mama, no and poop ;) Nice. She doesn't say no very often and she only said poop once, but it was clear as a bell. Audrey is such a delightful baby and I love to kiss her cheeks and blow raspberries on her belly. We love this sweet little girl!

The End.

Devon: July

This little boy is growing up! People can't believe he is only two since he is so tall and speaks so well. When it comes to food, however, he is very much his age. Devon has good and bad eating days. Some days he won't eat anything until dinner (with milk being the only exception) and other days he eats three meals plus snacks. He really likes Chinese food so we try to keep that on hand. Love those udon noodles!

Wouldn't swing without protective eye wear and a gun. Why wouldn't you want to constantly wear glasses that turn everything blue?

So happy wearing Daddy's glasses.

"Don't I look smart?"

"Hmmmm. Lemme think about it."

"Thinking."

"Still thinking. Let's discuss this at another time."

This is Stewart Little. He was our wild, desert bunny for nearly two months. I spotted this little guy in our garden and Joe caught it. It was so hot and he was so lethargic that we didn't think that he would make it more than a few days. But, with a little kitten milk, some rest and daily snuggling he was well enough and we let him go back into the desert.

We also, briefly, had a desert tortoise that Devon named Pascale. I had to get a picture of "The tortoise and the hare."

"Look, Mom! I'm an astronaut!)

At story time they read books about horses and then gave each kid one of these ponies and had them gallop around the room. Cuteness overload!

Devon is still very much into "cool tricks". Instead of saying,"Mom, watch me! Watch me!" He is a little more convincing with,"Mom, watch my cool trick!" You might get an actual cool trick so you have to watch every time just in case ;) At the very least you get giggles and an eyebrow raise so that's good, too.

Devon is generally a very pleasant boy and is happy to stay home playing toys, watching movies, coloring or painting. I try to take the kids out every morning to get out of the house to the Children's Museum or the grocery store, but the most fun we have is finding stuff around the house and making something out of it. Sew some crafting feathers to an elastic headband and BAM! .... instant crown.

Devon is still in the phase where he wants whatever Audrey is holding. It can be a toy, a chewed on straw or the wrapper that the straw came in. If she has it .... he wants it and usually takes it. I haven't figured out what tactic works so he will be more willing to share, but we are working on it daily and I'm guessing it's something he grows out of.

Devon loves guns, swords, knives, kung fu, fighting and tools. He is a very masculine little kid. He usually totes a gun when we go to the grocery store. And when I say "gun" I mean a scale size double barrel shot gun with sound effects, thanks Aunt Crystal and Uncle Jordan. I am always surprised at the people who play along and pretend to die when he shoots them. I am more surprised when people ignore him completely. And it never fails that I get looks, and sometimes comments, about letting him have a toy gun. As if they can't believe I allow it. Newsflash: It's. A. TOY!!!!!

He loves to play Play Doh! and make tortillas, balls and noodles. He squeezed this purple Play Doh! in between him fingers and said,"Look, Mom! A dinosaur!"