Happy 3 to Elise!!

Birthday morning!

Cute little 2 1/2-year-old Elise. We all just loved her--although she would be quick to correct you if you called her that. "No, I'm big!"

Yes, Sweetie, you are big.

Bigger than her years. Elise will confidently strike up meaningful conversations with anyone--not letting her small stature deter her from speaking as an equal, and asking real questions. She understands patience and sharing better than most kindergarteners. Her sense of humor keeps us laughing with her, not at her. Elise keeps up with the big neighbor girls and Kalina's friends, completely clueless that she's kind of too young to really be able to do that very well.

"Happy birthday to me!"

No, in fact, Elise seems to have no idea that for many people, 2 1/2 means tantrums, whining, making giant messes and breaking stuff. Not that she's not capable--she simply has many better things to do. Most of the time, anyway.

And now she's three! For us, that's meant three years of pure sunshine in our house. Elise is about as pleasant a little person as one can be--sweet, sincere, easygoing and pretty much hilarious.

The ever-helpful big sister. 

And what else? Elise's jumping skills are unmatched, as is her arm strength, as is her smile. She can count to 18, as long as she skips anything after 12. She takes singing and dancing very seriously, often solemnly making up words to songs about upstairs and downstairs, puppies, and more, as well as performing "ballet." She "reads," "writes" and draws pictures using much more imagination than realism, but the realism is certainly on its way. Elise loves to participate in any project or activity--but she also knows when to ask for help, including from God Himself. She knows how to follow rules, but also thinks it's pretty entertaining to break them--even if Mommy doesn't. She loves people, and is comfortable with kids and grownups of any age, except, possibly, pre-verbal toddlers, who she likes to chase relentlessly (we're working on that). But she's equally happy playing on her own--or, more likely, with her animals or her favorite little doll, Ellie. And she'll listen to stories for more time than I usually have to sit down and read them.

Were you wondering what was in the
dog-shaped package in the first picture?
It's Hoppy Bunny!

Elise loves a little bit of adventure, but not too much. Some of her best adventures happen in her mind with Pink Bear--they duo is often known to catch a family of snakes, deer, bears, etc. on their way home from work and put them in cages. Or drive to a hotel for a vacation. Or fly to the moon.

In fact, as you'll find if you ever have a conversation with her, Elise and Pink Bear have lifetimes worth of experiences and adventures spanning every possible topic. She'll confidently tell you stories to match and surpass anything you've ever done. So if you rode in a hot air balloon, she probably did too. And ate ice cream while on board, and talked to a bird, and then it turned into a boat and they went under water and saw a shark. And Pink Bear was scared, so they hid, and then threw purple rocks at the shark. And so on.

Kalina took this picture of me
and my birthday girl!

She's happiest when pretending to be a baby animal--usually a kitten, bear or penguin, and can spend entire days "in character," happily indulged by her big sister.

And, in fact, Elise is very often happy! She always has been, and I hope she always will be.

Elise at three often lives in two worlds--the "big kid" world and the "little kid" one, which often involves stretching back into babyhood on soft pink blankie, holding soft pink bear and recharging. Aw!

As you can see, we've so much to celebrate in little Elise!

A tea party with the new tea set!

And it was quite the celebration. Marked by Grandma and Grandpa's arrival in town the night before, the morning launched us into a flurry of activity as we opened a present (a "Hoppy Bunny" Elise can bounce on), welcomed Grandma and Grandpa, and got Kalina out the door for preschool. And for a few hours, Elise had Grandma and Grandpa all to herself. The weather not being particularly friendly, Elise decided she wanted to take them to the mall play area, where she showed off all manner of tricks, particularly her amazing jumping skills.

A low-key afternoon of playtime and purple-frosted graham crackers led into evening, when Daddy's return home from work kicked off the big celebration. And what are the top two things on any 3-year-old's mind when it's her birthday? Presents! Cake! She dug into both with little restraint and few manners, which I probably hadn't done a good enough job preparing her for. There's always next year--or Christmas--right?

We all enjoyed sitting back and watching her, except good-natured, ever-helpful big sister Kalina, who easily forgets that Elise really is big enough to help herself to her gifts. Not that I can blame Kalina--after all, the gifts were every big as exciting to a 5-year-old as to a 3-year-old. Elise weathered the "help" in stride, as did Kalina weather the gentle admonitions of, "It's Elise's birthday, Sweetie!"

And fortunately, when you share a house with your favorite playmate, you know that you'll get to share in the spoils when it's all over. My favorite comment of the evening: "Kalina, we got some Little People!" Because isn't everything more fun with a sister?

The fun could've lasted all night, but we weren't about to let it, knowing we had several big grandparent-filled days ahead--and a rainbow kitten pony party with a couple little friends!

Elise and friends at her party

Nothing says 3 like rainbows, kittens and ponies--not, at least, according to Elise. We'd planned her party for Saturday morning and invited two sets of sister, all roughly near Elise's age (actually, one is almost Kalina's age but gets along great with Elise). The night before, the younger of each set had to bow out due to illness. With enough distraction, however, Elise was still excited.

Now, why would I be crazy enough to let my 3-year-old have a themed birthday party with friends despite the fact that there's a newborn in the house? I'm not sure of any reason other than that I probably am a little crazy. Besides, it's not really any harder to plan a tri-themed party than a single theme, and lots of the supplies and activities (and even the playlist) could be reused from Kalina's.

Not sure I've ever seen him prouder.

In fact, Elise has been planning her party ever since Kalina started planning hers, a fact that not only pretty much forced me to give her a party (because how could you tell a 3-year-old who thinks she's 5 that she can't have a birthday party even though her sister did three months ago?), but ensured the rainbow paper chains and extra party hats didn't get tossed. I began stocking up on pony napkins, kitten plates, and more, making sure each theme was well represented. Easy-peasy.

We'd filled treat bags and made lemon cupcakes, and pretty soon we were welcoming guests. Our first activity was to fill pony necklaces with layers of rainbow-colored sand. Rainbows and ponies. Check and check.

Pinning the tail on Rainbow Dash,
and winning!

Then we moved on to Pin the Tail On Rainbow Dash (a favorite My Little Pony pony). Daddy provided the stunning artwork for this activity, a feat he was as proud of as his thesis. And rightly so! The only mistake, according to Elise, is that Rainbow Dash wasn't purple like she'd wanted. Because Rainbow Dash isn't, in fact, purple. And then we did the Rainbow Walk--back by popular request.

After some pizza, we pulled out the cupcakes. The kids' cupcakes were topped with My Little Ponies, courtesy of ebay. And the uproar began. Each child singled out a pony they wanted, and while there were no arguments, the sugar-filled treats' desirability rose exponentially.

We could barely convince the girl that we needed to put candles on her cupcake, light them, sing to her, and have her blow them out before she could begin the process of choosing her cupcake, plucking off the pony and licking the frosting off. (Appropriately, this is how each girl claimed her pony. She licked it.) How do you convince the birthday girl to wait through all the once-fun-now-tedious traditions before claiming her prize? Certainly not with a timeout. We barely managed. And the house didn't burn down, either. Elise sang Happy Birthday the loudest of everyone there before digging in.

Order of operations: 1. blow
out candles. 2. take
cupcake.

After a few presents and some final playtime, it was time to say goodbye. Another great year, and another great party!

Special thanks to Grandma for holding the baby in a dark, quiet room the ENTIRE time so that Mommy could join in Elise's ENTIRE special party--and Naomi would survive it germ-free! We saved her a pony.

Special thanks, also, to Kalina, who patiently watched as Elise received all the attention, most of the gifts and the first turn for everything, and who mostly politely allowed other people to choose various goodies she'd earmarked, and who through it all, once I believe choking back disappointed tears, managed to smile graciously and help her little sister enjoy a lovely third birthday.

Does Elise feel 3 yet? She does not. "I still feel like I'm 2 1/2." Elise mentions every so often that she's still growing into 3.

I suppose when 2 1/2 is so much fun, there's no hurry to be 3! I'm not in a hurry, either.

Happy birthday Elise, love you!

World's Cutest Baby version 3.0
1 month old!

Pediatrician visit!

Naomi had her 1-month appointment! (1 month of sweet newbornhood--gone. 1 month of new baby smell--gone. 1 month of sleep deprivation--gone. You win some, you lose some.)

I've learned that Naomi does not like the car after all. Not even a little bit, as Elise would say. Naomi is happiest (read: the only time when she is not crying) when she is swaddled and held while the holder is actively walking around and possibly bouncing; or eating, or asleep. She also doesn't mind the five minutes after a diaper change. Unfortunately, these conditions describe a car ride not at all, unless she happens to be asleep, which she finds mighty tricky unless she's swaddled.

As we'd been to preschool twice and Target once already before the appointment, Naomi had had a stressful morning (as had I).

She didn't mind the scale, and she didn't mind the exam table too much. The rest of the trip, except for the brief amount of time I was able to get her to sleep in the waiting room, she minded very much.

Especially the shot, as everyone in the entire office and waiting room soon found out. A sympathetic stranger helped carry the carseat while I tried to console my littlest and wrangle my middle away from rolling around on the germy floor or hurting my oldest. Success eluded me. This was not a shining moment, but it was a very long one.

All the misery aside, Naomi now weighs an even eight pounds and is 21 inches long. Growing like a champ, but still in newborn clothes (cute!). Her mean diaper rash has finally found a solution. The doctor wondered if she'd smiled, yet, and I think she has--a couple days ago I noticed a grin that I couldn't quite attribute to just gas. Or maybe it was just because I really, really needed it to not just be gas.

After her shot, Naomi took a giant nap or two, and was finally back to her usual self by evening, when I held her for five hours straight (minus diaper changes) to keep her happy. And when Naomi's happy, we're all happy!

Elise's first preschool! And so much more...

Elise the preschooler!

About a month ago, we bought Elise a backpack. It's just her size and looks like a puppy. She (reluctantly) takes it off to bathe and sleep, and also to pack and repack several times a day. And last Tuesday, for the first time, she wore it to preschool!

Elise's teacher had requested that a parent accompany each student on the first day, and it almost killed me not to be the one to attend. Considering, though, that the germs in a 3-year-old classroom could do quite a number on the newborn, it wouldn't have been responsible. So Daddy got to go to preschool instead!

Here's the official report:

No, I did not bribe them.

Elise's version: "We had cookies for snack! With sprinkles!" It took a lot of prying to get anything more out of her since all other activities paled in comparison, but I did learn that she made a friend (Margot), and they did circle time, went outside and read stories about cookies. They did not do a craft.

Matt's version: "I have no idea how the teacher will be able to wrangle all those kids by herself."

Elise, for her part, was a step ahead in that she already knew how to stand in line without wandering away. This is a learned skill; it comes instinctively to very few toddlers, apparently. Matt couldn't blame her when she saw the other kids dashing off and considered, for a moment, joining them. I am already imagining the other bad habits she will have the opportunity to pick up.

Three sisters! Two smiles.

Elise has been yearning for the preschool playground ever since we first dropped Kalina off a year ago. As an official student herself, she finally got to play! She loved the tire swing, and had no interest in the sandbox for whatever reason.

Later in the week, I learned that the kids actually did do a craft--they'd glued paper chocolate chips onto a paper cookie. It fell out of her backpack, and that's the only reason I know.

Happy and awake at the same time?!?
Another one of those little-celebrated
milestones.

The girl can't wait to go back, and nearly cried when she learned she couldn't until the next Tuesday. ("Mommy preschool," which included baking cookies with m&ms and chocolate chips, however, proved to be an excellent diversion--and Naomi miraculously managed to sleep through the entire project). I'm not sure she knew, though, that Daddy won't be coming with her every time, and this revelation rendered her, in her words, "scared."

Elise's initial preschool success wasn't completely out of the blue. After all, she had a big sister to reassure her ("We can wave to each other if we see each other, and I'll play with you on the playground, Elise!"), and we'd played "circle time" at home, complete with backpacks and cubbies. (Playing preschool will be convenient, as I can already tell, since they let me be the teacher and they do whatever their
"teacher" tells them. "Now, class, it's cleanup time!" and, "Now it's teacher naptime!" I'm imagining the possibilities.) We've been taking turns and waiting patiently since birth. And really, what more do you need to know when you're not even three years old?
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First day of pre-K for Kalina:

No tears. No tears!!! NO TEARS!!! Need I say more?

(Yes, I do need to say more: Kalina has a lovely teacher, and has had lovely projects already--like finding a nature item and writing clues about it, and getting every family member to trace their hand on a piece of posterboard. She's starting Spanish after school, and will continue piano lessons after school, too. Fortunately, school only lasts 2 1/2 hours three times a week, so we're not overdoing it.)

_______________________________

Tummy time on a blanket made by
a friend.

Second day of preschool/pre-K:

I knew I'd have my work cut out for me today. Not only would it be my first day completely solo, but I'd have to get Kalina to preschool, pick her up, rush the girls home for a quick lunch, rush out to the pediatrician's office, and return home in time for a late "downtime." All while dodging germs with a newborn. And letting the 2-year-old "help" carry the carseat through crowded hallways.

Yup, it was too much. We were early for Kalina's drop-off (yes, you read that right--early!), although we had forgotten her backpack and the favorite book she was supposed to bring. The book that she had remembered to pack all by herself. We were right on time to pick her up--with one exception. Spanish had already started! I wasn't the only parent who didn't realize they'd be starting Spanish on the second day of school when we'd only signed her up the day before. It threw me for a loop, I won't deny. Nevertheless, I was glad they were already digging in, and I reasoned we could still make it home in time for me to fix a proper "car lunch" of cheese, cracker and apple. Kalina was happy to see us, and we accompanied her to the Spanish classroom.

Naomi's first bath! The big sisters
helped make sure she had a few toys.

Naomi was hungry! No matter, Kalina's sweet piano teacher (who works at her preschool) whisked us into her classroom and let us hang out there. Elise spotted the large blue rug the kids sit on for music class, and immediately became a baby duckling. She swam and splashed quite happily while I threw her food (mostly Goldfish crackers and cake), and didn't want to leave when it was time to go get the diapering supplies from the car.

Clean diaper in place and dirty cloth one stashed safely away, we waited for Kalina's class to end. And waited. And waited. Don't get me wrong--I'm glad she's getting plenty of Spanish education. But by the time we'd returned to our van, we had exactly enough time for me to dash into the house, grab some crackers to toss at the big girls and refill my water bottle, and dash back.

Thank goodness Naomi loves to nap in the car, is all I can say.

By the time we returned home from the pediatrician, we were all ready for a good long nap. No one, of course, took one (except the baby, who was by now so stressed out from all her adventures that she spent the next day and a half sleeping, nights excluded.).
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Does it look like Naomi's
smiling while Elise pets
her soft head?

Pediatrician visit for Naomi!

Naomi is growing cuter by the day (which is saying a lot--she started out pretty adorable!), and growing bigger, too! At her 2-week appointment, she weighed 6 lbs., 7 ounces (well over her birth weight!) and had grown an inch, to be 19 inches long. It's astounding to me how a baby can grow an inch in two weeks.

After we verified that Naomi does not like the scale any more than her Mommy does (or her big sisters at that age), we discussed the fact that Naomi was cosleeping because she won't sleep alone in her crib at night (and only on occasion during the day). The doctor frowned a bit and we discussed other options, but wouldn't she have frowned more if I'd told her the baby was crying by herself in the crib all night? Any veteran parent knows that the crib is where you put a baby to wake her up for feedings! Nevertheless, we're certainly making an effort, as Noami is no longer the quiet, peaceful sleeper she was last week.

We learned that the cute but sometimes alarming squeaky wheezy noises she makes are simply her vocal cords adjusting. Better get them primed and ready, Baby, because you'll have two big sister chatterboxes to keep up with!

And that was all! We'll see the doctor again in a couple weeks for the 1-month visit.

At home, we've learned that Naomi might be a bit sensitive, but (new this week!) is content to calmly scope out her surroundings for a good five to ten minutes when her needs are met. She's starting to like lights, and loves being swaddled and riding in the car. She makes the cutest little almost purring/cooing noises when she feels the need to make noise, but not unhappy noise. The baby also seems to enjoy tummy time, which has been known to calm her down more than once. I believe she'd like to sleep on her tummy, but the mean doctor (who we actually really like) says she can't. She actually does not like pacifiers, however, so that might change up our sleep journey a bit, for better or worse. Stay tuned, because you know I'll keep you posted.

Naomi can also recognize the word milk. Twice now, I've mentioned the word to her and she's stopped mid-cry. She smiles in her sleep, and laughed in her sleep for the first time today.

As for sleep, she's getting better at sleeping in her crib during the day, but either she's scared of the dark or we're simply not patient enough to give her a good chance to sleep there on her own at night. Occasionally she has lots of trouble settling down to sleep, and will be awake and fussy for hours, but often when she does she'll sleep for a healthy amount of time and even settle herself a bit. Except when she doesn't. And other than dealing with pacifiers, I anticipate exactly the same ups and downs we've had with the previous two, despite the fact that we really are working to instill good habits from an early age.

Big sisters are still in love with her. What do they love most? Seeing the contents of her diaper. But they also enjoy keeping her company during tummy time, singing her little songs, and climbing on her crib and handing her toys while helping me put her down for her nap.
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Nothing is ever quiet at our house! But it is very, very cute.