ONE

Esther turned one year old last Friday. I still can't believe how fast the time has gone by. It seems like yesterday that we were FLYING down the freeway trying to make it to the hospital, rushing inside, almost delivering in triage, and then three pushes later, out she came. Her life, much like her birth, has been a whirlwind. It has all happened so fast. Here's what she's up to...

- She LOVES to eat. Brian lovingly refers to her as the garbage disposal. She literally will eat ANYTHING. She already eats a wider variety of foods than Noah. And if you are eating something and not sharing with her, get ready for the screeching. She eats all table foods, no baby foods or formula. She is getting to the point where she doesn't want to be fed anything becasue she wants to do it herself (aka applesauce, yogurt and anything else that requires a spoon and is very messy). She eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a couple snacks in between. She does not like to go very long between eating sessions, and she will let you know when she is ready for more. In almost every other aspect of her life she is very laid back and not in any rush to accomplish new things, but when it comes to food... She is quite advanced. :)

- She is pulling up. She started doing that over Christmas. In the last few days, she has started letting go and standing on her own for a brief time. She can also walk, very slowly, behind our little push walker thing or with someone holding her hands. Slowly but surely she is getting there. I think she at least has a taste for walking and seems to want to do it.

- She takes two naps a day most days. Some days, she will scream or play through her morning nap, but most days she sleeps at least for a little bit. I am not ready to let go of the morning nap just yet. I just keep thinking about life in May and know it will come in handy then. She goes to bed at night around 7:30-8:00. Once she decides she is ready to go down, SHE IS READY. She does not want to play, she doesn't want to read books, she doesn't want to rock. She just wants you to put her in the bed and walk away. She has always been very good about going to sleep. She sleeps with her pacis. She likes to have one in her mouth and one in her hand. She seems way more attached to them at night than Noah was. Should be fun to take them away some day. :)

- She says a few words. I think she says Mama nad Dada, but it is never on command. She definitely says "Uh-Oh," "Go," and "Yea!" I think she says something that means banana also. We have been told that she also says 'ball,' ' hey,' and 'book,' but we have not witnessed these. Apparently she becomes much more talkative at my friend's house. I guess she figures we are stuck with her and there is no need to try to impress us. :) She also is very good at pointing to what she wants.

- She is very shy around people she doesn't know and large crowds, which is very different from her brother, but around us and those she is familiar with, she is pretty animated. It kind of makes you feel special when you see how quiet she is around others and know that if it were just you, she would be talking up a storm.

- She loves her family, but especially, her brother and her Daddy. She prefers me over others, but if Brian is around she does not want me at all. We were in a restaurant the other day and I was holding her. She saw him across the room and started fussing, pointing at him, and trying to get down. It is pretty sweet to watch her with Brian and see how excited she gets when he is around. Her other favorite person is Noah. They love each other so much and love to antagonize one another maybe even more. Esther seems all sweet and innocent, but the first thing she does when Noah wakes up, is go after his prized toy and act so proud of herself and victorious when he is screaming and crying that she is taking his stuff. It is a tiring but funny battle to watch.

- Her favorite toy right now is a purse that she got for her birthday that plays music and has a phone, mirror, bracelet, and credit card in it (starting her off early). She loves to pull all the pieces out and put them back in. Her favorite one is the phone and she loves to take the bracelet on and off too. She LOVES to dance. Anytime music is playing, she is dancing and when it stops, she will scream to let you know that she wants it back on.

She has been such a joy to have in the past year. She has always been sweet and kind of quiet, but in the last few weeks, we are really seeing her personality emerge which is so much fun. She makes us all laugh. So far, she is not nearly as strong willed as her brother, but she definitely has a mind of her own and is not afraid to let you know it if you are doing something she doesn't like. I love this stage where they are developing into their own person and can't wait to see what she will be like. We love you so much Esther and can't wait to get to know you even better!!!

Three Years Old

Noah turned three on Monday. I can't believe it has already been three years since he was born. I can remember coming home from my doctor's appointment where she told us that she would like to induce me because my blood pressure was high and crying. Crying because I was afraid and didn't know if I was ready for the challenges of being a parent. I can remember loading in the car that night to go to the hospital. I remember family coming in that night and the next day. I remember the excitement of the next day and the anticipation of your arrival (I had a really good epidural so it was actually fun and exciting). I remember how long that day of labor was and being so tired of waiting at the end of the day. I remember you finally coming and how hard it was and then you were here. I remember the next hour being a blur as they took you out of the room to resucitate you because you weren't doing very well after your tight nuchal cord. I remember you coming back into my room with lines in, wide eyed, and looking like you were ready to eat. I held your hand and then they took you to the nursery. Your Daddy was really nervous and worried about you, but I knew you would be okay. I got moved to my other room and pretty much passed out from exhaustion, but your Dad went to check on you because he didn't want you to be alone and wanted you to know that we were here for you. It all seems like yesterday... and now you're three.

The last three years have been some of the best of our lives. They have not always been easy. You have definitely been a challenge along the way, especially in the last six months, but they have been very rewarding. Just when I am at the height of my frustration and don't think I can handle anymore, you will melt my heart by snuggling up to me and saying "Mommy I wuv you." One night recently, Daddy was at work, Esther had been screaming in her bed, and you kept getting up. I was tired because we had been working on potty training which is EXHAUSTING. I was at the end of my rope and just started crying. You got out of bed, once again, saw me crying, and said, "Mommy you are sad? My teetee in the potty will make you happy." I couldn't help but laugh through the tears. I love you so much Noah.

Here is what you are up to these days:

- As I said before, you are a challenge. You never want to do things because we suggest them and have to figure things out on your own. We keep telling ourselves that someday, your strong-willed, independent spirit is going to make you a great man and leader, but for now it can be very trying and difficult. It is hard to be patient and watch you struggle through things, but I am learning.

- You go to "school" one morning a week and you love it. Everytime we drop you off, you just march on in and never look back, but you are always super excitd to see us when we pick you up.

- Your vocabulary is pretty amazing and you can annunciate quite well. It always makes me laugh when you break out some new word that you have heard somewhere that makes you sound so big.

- You love your family. In the past, you were definitely a Daddy's boy. I feel like recently you enjoy your time with Mommy more, but as soon as Daddy gets home from work, Mommy is once again forgotten. I love watching you wrestle and play with your daddy. You also love your sister. Bringing Esther into the family was a hard adjustment for you, but you love her so much now and miss her when she is not there. It is still hard for you when she goes after your toys. You try to stop her by pulling on her legs, screaming at her, or just tackling her, but you are getting much better at sharing with her. Inspite of your quarreling, you are so protective of her. If ever anyone gets too close to her, you are always there to make sure she is okay. She is so blessed to have such a good big brother.

- You continue to be a picky eater. You love mac and cheese, yellow rice, spaghetti, most fruits, and most vegetables. You still refuse to eat anything potato, don't care for fried foods, or casseroles. It still makes cooking a challenge, but we are all healthier because of it I am sure.

- We are working on potty training now. You have pretty much got it down, but you still do not like to poop on the potty. Slowly but surely we are getting you warmed up to it. It, like most changes with you, has been a huge challenge.

- You love to play with trains, cars, and airplanes or playing soccer, teeball, or 'golfballs' outside. You love playing with all your dogs and bears that you sleep with. Every morning, you come into our room carrying 'Baby Doggie' (Your favorite), 'Mommy Doggie' (a plastic dog with a pull string), Wishbone (the bear we bought for you in Gatlinburg, your second favorite), and polar bear. You quickly deposit them and run back to get 'Daddy Doggie' and 'Brian Doggie'. You have such original names. :) Every night, we have to make sure they are all in your bed, along with your giant shark. There is barely enough room for you left in the tiny toddler bed you are still sleeping in.

- You still take a nap most days, but you can go without. You just start getting crazy and have to go down early that night.

- You love to help out in the kitchen. You always take out the silverware and it surprisingly always ends up in the correct spot... You are pretty meticulous like your mom. Anytime I am making anything, you are always there pulling a chair up to help. You like to help me switch the laundry over and you always take care of Rudy, making sure he has plenty of food and treats. You try to help out with Esther too and as much as it is not normally helpful, it is very sweet.

We love you! Happy Birthday!