Saturday, December 27, 2014

Sprout is Two Years Old!

Today Sprout is two years old!


Guys, Sprout is two!  Along with wishing people a "happy day!" she has been proudly holding up her thumb and index finger and announcing "Me two!" to anyone who asks.

-I know I've said this the past few months at least, but LANGUAGE EXPLOSION.  She is talking so much now.  My favourite phrase she is now saying is "Luf you Mama."  She is saying many other phrases such as, "May I (be) 'cused?" at the dinner table and usually "Time for a baff?" shortly after that.  She often says "Tanks, Mama" (or whoever) after she has been helped with something, which is so sweet.  And while she has the usual toddler stubborn streak, she is mostly sweet, sweet, sweet.

-I'm pretty sure I've also said this before, but she is funny.  She is a joker and likes to get a laugh out of people.  Her big thing the past little bit has been fake burping and then saying "'Cuse me!"  I don't know where she learned it or how she decided  it was funny, but it obvious she does it to get a laugh/reaction from us.  Her brother, of course, thinks it's hilarious.  Sometimes we can't help but chuckle.

-She's pretty opinionated about her clothing and will go into her drawer to pick out what she wants to wear.  She has many cute outfits, but seems to prefer a mismatched look.  She loves "Anna" dresses and spinning around in them.  She's also got at thing for shoes.  I think we're in for it. ;)

-She is solidly in 2T tops and somewhere between 18m and 24m/2T pants.  Shoe size is a 6.  (Her feet are enormous!)

-Her hair is getting long, but does not like having it fussed with.  Most days I try to brush it so it's not to tangly or crunchy from food that gets stuck in there and just let it be.  She will occasionally put up with my sticking it in her signature side half-pony.

-This month she has LOVED playing with peg puzzles.  We have one in particular where the pictures are drawn under where the pieces fit which she will do almost daily.

-The Bean likes building tall towers out of various types of blocks and Sprout likes knocking them down.  Understandably, he's not thrilled with this.  We're trying teacher her that she has to ask before knocking his towers down and that she can build her own to knock down.  You can imagine how successful we've been, but still we try.  (We often remind The Bean that he did the same at her age, and tell him that we used to feel the same way he does now when he knocked down our towers.)

-She still loves playing with her "babies."  She has a few of her own, a few that she shares with her brother, and one that are his that she seems to have adopted from The Bean.  She got two strollers, one baby carrier, three sets of dolly diaper bags, a feeding set and an adorable high chair for her birthday/Christmas.  Yes, she is spoiled, and yes, people who know her know that she loves her babies.

-Art continues to be a huge draw (no pun intended) for her.  She will happily colour, paint, or do Playdoh for extended periods of time.

-Other loved activities include dancing, spinning, splashing (in puddles and the bathtub), ice skating(!), jumping off of something and being caught mid-air, playing on the tablet/watching The Bean play on the tablet, and reading books/having books read to her.

-Eating has been going really well.  Breakfasts aren't big, but otherwise she eats a good variety of foods in reasonable quantities.  Cheese is probably her favourite food.

-Sleep... well... it is what it is.  She seems to be falling asleep around 8ish.  Usually fusses, but puts herself back down around midnight, and ends up in our room anywhere between 2:30 and 4:30am.  Most days she's up for the day around 6:30am.  She was napping well (2+ hours) for my sister, but the past week with me at home she has been really fighting going down.

-She is definitely very attached to me, but loves Mommy, The Bean, and other family members.  Lately she has been all about my cousin, Paul.

It's definitely hard for us to wrap our heads around the fact that our daughter is two.  Older than The Bean was when she was born.  Still our baby, but not a baby anymore.  A little person growing into herself more and more each day.  It's such a privilege to be her parent.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Crafty Goodness!

On Tuesday evening I was super-excited to open our mailbox and see a package inside.  Even before seeing the return address I knew what it was!  Our craft exchange!  

Mama et Maman sent the sweetest wooly crafts for us to enjoy.  




The three ornaments are hanging on our tree and the little toy owl, who I've named Eggnog, is being given lots of affection from the two littles.

Thank you Mama et Maman!

Hope everyone else receives their packages soon and shares them on their blogs.  I'll try to do a "round up" post here over the holidays.

Now off to bed!

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Slowly But Surely (Project 52 Catch Up)

This'll be an incredibly photo-heavy post.  Not entirely caught up yet, but getting there.  Some of these feel like such a long time ago already.

Week 37


The Bean: In the playground with a stick.  This is serious business.
Sprout: Climbing and posing.

Week 38



The Bean: First shaved ice of the season.
Sprout: In the woods.

Week 39


The Bean: Busy building.
Sprout: Artist at work.

Week 40


The Bean: He wanted a jet pack.
Sprout: Doll baby.

Week 41



The Bean: Hauling water at the Brickworks.
Sprout: Fall hiking.

Week 42


The Bean: Picking the perfect pumpkin.
Sprout: Made it her mission to finish this apple.

Week 43


The Bean: The Bean and Merrylegs meet again.
Sprout: Enjoying her favourite food: hotdogs. 

Week 44 


The Bean: Decorating the pumpkin the day after Halloween.  Because some years are like that.
Sprout: Cutest kitty on the block.

Week 45



The Bean: Leaf pile giggles.
Sprout: Leaf thrower.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Comparing Kids

Sprout is 18 days away from her second birthday.  This is exactly how old The Bean was on the day she was born.  This "milestone" has been on my mind for quite a while now.  What would it be like if we were bring another baby home now?  (For the record: There will be no more babies.) How have the past two years gone by so quickly?  And how is our baby girl possibly the same age as her big brother was when she was born.  She is our baby.  He was so big.

The Bean (with Grandma and Grandpa) meeting Sprout for the first time.
Looking back, he really wasn't so big.  I suppose when comparing him to a newborn he was, but he really was just a little guy still.  Maybe because we have him now to compare her to, but Sprout just seems younger than he was at this same age.  Looking back he was doing a lot of the same things that she does now.  Hitting similar milestones.  It just felt so different.

I'm an identical twin.  I've always been sensitive to sibling comparisons.  Still, I find it nearly impossible not to compare our two.  I mean right from the get go we compared them in terms of their size.  (The Bean's 5lbs 10oz to Sprout's 9lbs.)  We compared their sleep.  We compared their eating patterns.  How do you not?  The Bean is our frame of reference.

That's not to say we compare one as "better" and one as "worse"  (though the Bean was a better sleeper ;) ) but we do compare.

I think that for all their differences we're fortunate that our kids are both loving and kind and affectionate and interactive and smart and active and funny and silly.  Similar, yet both so full of their very own unique personalities.  It is such a privilege to be witness to who they are and how they've grown.