4/2/2014 - 15 months old

I was waiting for last Monday's doctors appt to write our update....  and of course, it's already Wednesday before I sit down and start typing! And now the following Monday before I might actually get this out!

Weights:
Mac 20 pounds; 11th percentile (for the record, this is what I had guessed in advance!)
Paisley 16.2 lbs (1.19%)
Catherine 16.6 (1.955)

Lengths: - noted that they are rolling, wiggly monsters at the doctors office right now, so I'm very suspicious about the accuracy of the lay down and mark the paper measurements...

Mac - 30.9 inches  (37%)
Paisley - 28.3 inches (1.99%)
Catherine- 29 inches (27%)

While I'll agree that Catherine is taller than Paisley, I think it's a greater difference than marked.

Head Circumference
Mac - 18.7 inches (69%) - yup!  he's  a McGuire....
Paisley - 17.7 (30%)
Catherine 17.7 (30%)

The Doctor's office has become an interesting destination for us lately.... On the appointments with all three of them, they "fear the worst"  and immediately start crying when someone enters the room.... First one, then the next, then the next...  Just sitting on the scale is of major concern.  No singing, snacks or mommy antics will distract them.  I told Dr. B.  that one day we will be able to have a nice conversation and they won't fear him.  I don't think he fully believes me.

Everyone watching as Dr. b enters the room- you can see his toes...

However, if there is just one of them... as I have had far too many opportunities this last month.  No tears, all smiles.  The magic of mommy's undivided attention and being carried and cuddled.

We ended the stomach bug (per the last blog) with a small cold.  Ended the small cold with Catherine's 1st ear infection (left side) and pink eye.  Ended pink eye with a viral throat and a cough.  Ended viral throat and a cough with Catherine's 2&3rd ear infections (both sides).  And here we are with some lingering coughing and the second round of antibiotics.  The house has officially transitioned off of cow's milk for the minimum of until everyone's congestion is gone, but I'm thinking of a more permanent switch....

At this month's doctors appt we discussed:
Words -  none yet, but lots of babbling and some imitation
Pointing - at the Doctor's visit, Paisley was the only one who had mastered it... Mac waited a full 24 hours and then nailed it.
Eating - everyone is doing great and 90% of meals are finger feeds... with some easy baby food pouches thrown in.  This months milestone, taking bites.  Catherine still likes to stuff a little bit, but Mac and Paisley can manage to take bites of a bar that's similar in texture to a fig newton.

Breakfast is usually eggs (mostly yolks) and maybe a little cheese/yogurt/waffle/avocado
Lunch/Dinner have a veggie, (Mac still loves sweet potato; Catherine doesn't), a protein (chicken, meatballs, black beans) and fruits are always welcome (bananas, apples, Cristiana shared her kiwi with Paisley the other day)

Mac continues to be smiley the majority of his life...  He's cutting a bottom and a top tooth right now (7&8) so sometimes needs a little Motrin to help him get over his fussiness.  But even in the midst of it, can be cajoled into a smile.  When he's upset, he likes to throw himself backward and put out his lip.

He's doing his best to stand for long periods.  Pulling up, stand, fall down, repeat.   And so proud of himself looking around for praise.  He can keep up with the girls crawling, and is all over the house.  He likes to initiate a chase game, crawling away when you call him, then turning back and grinning, before crawling a little farther.  He finds this especially funny when it's time to change his diaper.

When he's upset, he's generally the one flail himself backwards. And enjoys being the tallest so he can bonk his head on the wall behind the high chairs.  The girls promptly try to imitate, but with no success. 

He loves his books and will sit contentedly pulling one out of the basket paging through and then getting another.  He loves being held, but is the least helpful, letting us do most of the hauling of his 20 pounds.

Napping in mommys bed.

Waiting for lunch.

Preparing for Easter

Catherine is also pulling up and letting go, but with less confidence than Mac.  She is however much more confident at exploring and testing the distance away from mommy.  She's in love with boxes right now; climbing in, climbing out.  She and Mac are frequently in the tunnel and giggling together.  She had mastered what I like to call the "angry babble"... When Paisley instigates she will drop to her knees with a "nenenennanananana".

She continues to be a great eater... And still avoids most orange foods.  Her "monkey" is her lovey blanket and she continues to remain very attached with a thumb in her mouth.  She also loooooves to sit on your knee, drop him to the floor and then be flown through the air to retrieve him.  A game she could play for hours.  She responds well to "come here" and "where's monkey".  

Climbing in boxes

Even tiny ones 

At victory, where big brother Zachary works

Testing her independence across Decatur square

Paisley is gaining independence by the day.  She took her first real steps on March 26th, their 15 month birthday.  It took a few days of gaining confidence , but she's successfully doing walking and crawling 50/50.  Darren's says she'll be running by the time I get home.

With all the illnesses, her (our) sleep has regressed, so I'm going to address that after I get back from a few days of R&R.

She watches and tries to imitate Catherine and Macs antics, but her preferred location is still up on a hip.  We joke that she likes a higher view point.

She has finally started attaching to her lovey "bear", but her nighttime ritual begins with emptying out her crib to everything on the floor.

Napping with daddy.

On the move.

It's much easier to get the toys from inside the box.

Everyone loves push toys these days, and toy snatching is often thwarted by having one of them push the other.

We've had a few new adventures lately.  Two play dates to our local inflatables "hippo hop" where all 3 really like being in the bouncy house, and exploring all over.

And they've started spending 3 hours at a local daycare ( while I am working onsite).  This transition is hard on all of us, and I'm working on making it a lil easier for them by tweaking the transition.  Surprisingly, paisley seems to be the easier with it, enjoying the toys and the music time especially. 

 

First day at daycare.

Life continues to move too fast, with every day full and busy.  The house continues to look like a tornado hit it... And our faces continue to be full of smiles.

Until next time,

Take care,

Julie