More Bad Parenting!

So Eric watches the Red Sox a lot on NESN and one of their commercials is for a super absorbent cloth. He saw Andrew's car washing cloth in the car and Eric said "hey look, we have a Sham-wow."

Accident Free

Ellie's 1st Day with NO ACCIDENTS and me not having to ask her to go to the potty. yay!!!

"Bug Light"

Today at lunch the kids were doing "cheers" with their milk cups when Eric said "Ellie, let's pretend our milk is bug light." Are we bad parents!!!!

Watermelon/Sleep...maybe

Tonight Eric told me "Mom, this is the best watermelon I've had in years."

I just put James down in the pack and play alone for the night with just a musical fish soother and HE FELL ASLEEP. I realize this should have been accomplished way before 4 months but he always falls asleep in the swing, bouncy swing, our lap.. so this is a big step!

Loooong Day

James' has the cutest smile ever! I think this is so he can cry every time we put him down and get away with it. I just can't let him cry it out, I hate hearing him so sad.

Eric's new Pastime

Much to my dismay I found the bathroom trash can full of pee today. He finally admitted it... YUCK!

Potty Training Day 4/James' Cast

Still in underwear... still having accidents but no backtracking!

james got his cast off! His foot has a few blisters on it but he is doing great. His phys therapy is now once per week too.

No Apologies

Eric was playing and ended up hitting Tia (Uncle Jon's mom Patty's dog) yesterday. We said it was ok but he had to say he was sorry and he pointed out "why would I apologize to a dog."

Potty Day 2

Ellie potty training! Hooray... finally!!! Yesterday was "U Day" (underwear day) I've had the day on the calendar for a couple weeks so she knew it was coming. I put underwear on her yesterday but she wouldn't pee all day until Eric, not me, went into the bathroom with her. She had a couple accidents but I stuck to my guns.. no more diapers! Today we did the same thing and she peed and pooped on the toilet, even peed at the Chateau and Nanny's house. 2 accidents today but she isreally starting to announce when she has to go.
Not to be outdone, Eric just got out of bed to tell me he went to the bathroom at night.. usually he does this without an announcement.
They are getting so big. I am so proud of Ellie and relieved too!

Ellie is 3 Now

Ellie turned 3 today. She had a huge party with lots of friends and family. She got a dollhouse and a bunch of girl toys. The best thing was making the cake with her, she loves baking. Daddy refilled her sandbox with new sand, she would spend forever in there playing. One of my favorite things about Ellie is that she can sit in the sand in a gorgeous dress without a care in the world.
We also got to show everyone our new kitchen today! It was a big hit. It is amazing with all the space and places to put things. It really has made a big difference.

Ellie has a wicked accent

Today I took the kids to the Science Museum with Kate and Enrique, who is up this weekend for Ellie's party. We spent some time trying to get her to say a few things like "four more doors", which comes out like "foah moah doahs". We could make a whole vocabulary lesson from her funny words. She is going to have the full accent if we don't stop her.

Tiny Little Memories

We took the kids to the Walpole fireworks tonight. It was fun, Ellie announced that the fireworks were "tiny little memories." We thought she was being very philosophical but then she said "little squares like my memory game."

Sweet Little Ellie... or not

Today I said "I love your dress, you look so pretty."
And she replied "well you don't mom."

Hardware

For the next couple of weeks, he will look like Eric did at this age. Not as severe though.

Raccoon Hair?

Tonight Andrew and I had wine with dinner and Eric thought it was juice. So I let him sniff it to prove it was wine and he said "eeewww that smells like raccoon hair." Where he came up with that I don't know.

Cry

Eric told Ellie if you don't give me a turn in that chair I'm gonna make you cry. She didn't move so he looked at her and said "cry" so she did.

Did I mention they were fighting over James' baby bumbo seat!!!

Afternoon Drinks

With the basement fridge accessible from outside now, Eric asked if he could go in and get a water bottle and I said sure could he get me a root beer. He came back a few minutes later and said "we're all out of root beer so I got you a beer." I didn't think a Miller Lite was appropriate for 2 pm on a wednesday but it was thoughtful of him anyways.

Long Afternoon Ahead

Ellie just informed me that naptime is canceled for today!

James' Foot Update

**James is getting his first leg cast or "boot" as we call it on June 25**

Went to Childrens today for James' appointment with Dr. Zimbler, the ortho who sees Eric for his clubfoot. James has clubfoot too but not as severe. It is called metatarsus adductus, defined as:

Metatarsus adductus is a foot deformity. The bones in the middle of the foot bend in toward the body. This is exactly what we saw on the xray,

Eric has true clubfoot or "talipes equinovarus" which is defined as:

The common ("classic") form of clubfoot. Talipes is made up of the Latin talus (ankle) + pes (foot). Equino- indicates the heel is elevated (like a horse's) and -varus indicates it is turned inward. With this type of clubfoot, the foot is turned in sharply and the person seems to be walking on their ankle. Eric's achilles tendon was actually too short and needed to be stretched.

While Eric had surgery, corrective shoes with a bar and casts for 5 months, James outlook is 1-2 months of casting and no surgery. James also has Torticollis, where one side of neck has weaker muscles, causing his head to slouch toward side which could develop a flat spot. Eric had this too, all we need to do is position him correctly and physical therapy.

Eric's doctor called him a "poster child for Children's hospital orthopedics" so hopefully James will be too.

All of these problems are attributed to "position in the womb" so I guess as a mother, it's one more thing for me to feel guilty about :)

Today James weighed 12 lb. 6 oz.

Harmonica

Actual song lyric: "I play the HARMONICA"

Ellie's Version "I play the KERMONITER"

Eric's Response "Ellie, it's not Kermoniter it's FRAMONICA"

Purple House

Ellie: When I'm bigger I'm gonna have a purple house and you can come visit me there."
Mom: "Wow! Are you going to have any kids in your purple house."
Ellie: "I'm gonna have kids when I'm big but I'm not sharing my toys with them."

Monitor

Eric made a drawing that looked like a rainbow with all of the lines red. I asked him what it was and he said "That's Ellie crying on the baby monitor."

Sweet Baby James

At 9 weeks old James is 11 lbs 8 oz. and 23.5 inches tall. He has grown 4 pounds since he was born. He is still nursing every 2-3 hours which is tough for me but I know he needs it. He is a sweet baby who loves to be held and being warm. He likes the swing, has no interest in toys yet. His favorite calming activity is staring out the window or going outside. He likes to be carried around in the Baby Bjorn and taking baths.
The ortho (Dr. Zimbler) thinks James may need a few casts like Eric had because he is too strong for his brace and can move his foot inside it. Whatever happens we know how great Eric's foot turned out so we aren't too worried.

Finally Some Sleep

James is on a more normal schedule these days, so there is some sleep to be had. Unfortunately I am up doing stuff until after 12 every night, so I am always tired.

Eric's Special Night

The Celtics are in the playoffs and Eric is getting into watching sports more. Lately he has been watching baseball and basketball, understanding the names, and memorizing the players by number. He know every member of the sox and most of the Celtics. Today I told him that if he behaved and took a nap, I'd take him to watch the Celtics at Jon and Lindsay's place, because i knew they'd watch. So he did what we told him and then asked about it and clung to me all afternoon, waiting for the game to start. We went over to watch and he pretty much paid attention the whole time. As the game went on, he got more interested, and by 11:15pm he was jumping up and down in front of the TV yelling "score" when they made a shot, and even during replays. Even though they lost, he didn't stop cheering until we left. Even in the driveway and the ride back, he was talking sense. At one point he reminded me that "college kids go to bars" and told me he already knows everything. Now let's see if he sleeps any later than 6:30 tomorrow.

Science Museum

Took E&E to the museum today while the house got cleaned up. They of course loved it and dragged me all over, never spending more than 30 seconds looking at the same thing. I got us tickets to the butterfly exhibit and the 3-d theater, both of which were fun. Ironically the most iteresting thing all day was the magnetic bead art, wich wasn't really scientific. I had to make excuses up just o leave than station. We had a snack, ran up the musical staircase, weighed ourselves on Jupiter, then left. So far the membership seems like a good idea.

1st Sleepover

Tonight we went to Lindsay and Jon's to celebrate Lindsay's 26th bday. We put their PJs on before we left and Andrew joked that we'd pick them up tomorrow. The kids liked the idea and so they stayed over on a mattress. They had sooooo much fun and didn't miss us at all (sniff sniff.) Lindsay and Jon are great babysitters... of course the kids cam home spoiled and wanting a dog :) The kids can't stop talking about how much fun they had. Thanks again guys!

Boy Wonder

Eric never ceases to amaze us. Today we were playing on the computer and not only did he take over using the touchpad mouse, he was able to navigate through the entire webpage and reached the highest level of the puzzle game he was playing. Then he amazed us even more by reading numbers like 752, 345, 621.. all of the scores in the game.

All 3 Sleeping

As a mom of 3 I don't have much time these days. Amazingly, all 3 are asleep, fed and bathed. I can finally have my tea and I feel accomplished having swept the floor, put the toys away, and set the coffee pot for tomorrow. Lots of caffeine these days. Having 3 kids is so rewarding and I really feel like James has been a perfect addition to our family. I was very scared and am still overwhelmed on an hourly basis but I actually do have peaceful times like now. Maybe I can squeeze in a shower before James wakes up... big maybe :)

Ellie's Typical Phone Call

Hi (Kate, Enrique, Nannie, Denise and Linda, Grandmom, etc)
I'm doing good.
My mom's doing good.
My dad's doing good.
Eric's doing good.
My baby named James is doing good.
Bye.

James Drew Gregory

On Monday, March 24, Andrew stayed home from work to help out with the kids. We took them to music class and the park and then spent the afternoon napping. At 4:30 I started having contractions 5 minutes apart. i called the hospital and they said to come in so Lindsay came over to take care of Eric and Ellie. We went to the hospital at 6pm.
When I got to the hospital I was dilated 4-5cm and was thrilled to hear we weren't going home! They guessed he would be born close to midnight. I did get an epidural and they broke my water. Dr. Terrazi was the doctor on call and he was great. After 4 hours I started pushing at 10:00 and James was born at 10:30. We spent most of my labor reading a baby name book and finally decided on James.
It was the first time I didn't have stitches or tears so I am having a much better recovery. Since James was born so late I stayed 3 nights. Andrew and I even got to have a "date" in the hospital, he brought us dinner and a movie.
James is an adorable baby with fine light brown hair and a cute dimple on one side. He barely ever cries and has been sleeping pretty much since birth. Eric and Ellie have adjusted great so far and can't get enough of him.
We are so happy with the new baby and how smoothly things have been. Can't give enough credit to Andrew, he really has taken on a lot of taking care of Eric and Ellie and the the house.

Eric Turns 4

We had Eric's party at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum which turned out great! The kids and I made a green snake cake with a bundt pan. Eric had a bunch of friends, some from school. They had time to look around the museum and then had a snake/turtle demonstration. The big hit of Eric's bday was the real turtle from Auntie Lindsay and Uncle Jon which he named "Mack" after the Cars movie.

Climber.... scary!

I still can't believe what eric did this morning... we let him go downstairs to play and he got a chair and put a stool on top of it to climb onto the hutch and get a pack of snakes for his bday party from the very top! we found out after the fact and he showed us exactly what he did... so no more solo play downstairs anymore!

The Big ?

So today Eric asked me "How do moms get babies in their tummies?" For now he was okay with "when they really want to have a baby they start to grow one in their tummy." Can't wait to see what he asks when his baby brother is actually here!

Our Names

Ellie calls us by our first names when she wants our attention. She calls me Anrew.

Contractions

Today I was having contractions so I went to the hospital. I was dehydrated from being sick so the IV stopped them. The baby is healthy and happy and kicking away. Now if only we could find a name for him. 8 more weeks but who's counting :)

Xylo-phone

Ellie loves musical instruments. She was playing with a xylophone and asked me "Is this a piano Mom?" I said "No that's a xylophone" so she said "Oh" and picked up the stick part of it and held it to her ear and said "Hello..Dad"

Christmas Vacation

We have had such a fun Christmas vacation. The week before Christmas we had 2 snowstorms so the kids finally got to make their first snowman. (Andrew's first too!) Andrew's mom was here for a week and it was awesome to have her here. We went to the Museum of Science and the Rainforest Cafe and did lots of Christmas shopping. Every morning they would come down the stairs and see if Grandmom was up. Luckily she's an early riser.
The kids were so excited on Christmas morning. The favorite gifts this year were clothes and a stroller for the Tricia dolls, cars for Eric, Tinkertoys, a Dora Lego house, and puzzles. Andrew and Eric have been puzzle addicts this vacation. They did 4 ocean puzzles (500 pieces each) that they are going to hang up in Eric's room.
We also went bowling with Dad and the kids. Ellie calls it "balling" and was more impressed with the snacks but Eric really got into it.
Andrew and I went away overnight and Auntie Lindsay and Uncle Jon took them to the Children's Museum and the mall.

I Like My New Bed Dad!

That's all Ellie keeps saying over and over. She is very excited because she just moved from a crib to a toddler bed and Eric is in a twin bed. They were so adorable, jumping up and down and arranging their new big beds.

Let it Snow

Today we had our first big snow of the season... about 8 inches. When I picked Eric up at school the first thing he did was to try to catch the snowflakes with his tongue. Ellie is very excited about her pink flowered snow pants, she was no problem to get geared up to go outside. Eric, the more cautious one, was not too happy about putting on snow pants but finally came outside with us. They both took turns shoveling and loved stomping in the snow. It is supposed to snow again this weekend so we'll have plenty of time for a snowman!

Personalities

i thought I would write about the kids' personalities so I can see down the line how much they stayed the same from 2 and 3 years old.

Eric at 3: very smart, amazing memory, loving, stubborn, huge vocabulary, talkative, comfortable with adults, rough on the playground, tentative about trying new things, lets Ellie take the lead, very good with numbers and letters
loves: singing, animals, vehicles, stories, building towers and pyramids, puzzles

Ellie at 2: very smart, talkative, loving, sweet, notices how people look (i. I like your shirt mommy), girly: loves purple, pink, bracelets, dresses, artisitic, go-getter, adventurous, has no fear, very friendly
loves: crayons, baby dolls, stories, dancing, building with blocks

The Pledge

I can't believe at 3 years old Eric has learned the Pledge of Allegiance. Andrew and I were shocked when he just started saying it one day.

It's A....

BOY!!!! I thought for sure we were having a girl because I have been so sick. But now it makes sense, all the meat and salt cravings. We had a 14 week ultrasound and the tech said "we usually can't tell the gender at this stage." And then all of a sudden at the same time we noticed that it was obviously a boy!
We told the kids and Eric said he wanted a girl and Ellie said she was having a sister.. sorry baby boy!

Cousin Mikey is Born!!!!

Baby Mikey was born on October 12, a little early! We are so excited about having a new baby in the family. Here is his own blog
mikeycsworld.blogspot.com

Potty Time Age 3 1/2

Today we were driving in the car and I let Eric look through one of my catalog of kids' stuff. He told us he really wanted the animals on the animal page. So Andrew said "If you poop on the potty, you can have them." Eric told us he would do it right when we got home. We laughed it off but sure enough, he did it! After months of trying everything, he did it all on his own. Andrew was off to buy those animals!!

Apple Picking

We took the kids to Honeypot Hill with Mom, Julie, Lindsay, Rachel, and Jon. They had a blast!!! They loved the hayride and got a kick out of Jon climbing the ladder into the trees. We caught Ellie biting every apple and putting them back into the bag. The highlight for Eric was feeding the goats.

First Day of School

Today was Eric's first day of school. He was very nervous and cried when we dropped him off but his teacher called after 20 min and said he was fine. He loves the trains and sitting on the carpet. He said even though he liked it, he's not sure if he's going back!

Cute Sayings

Eric always tells people " Do you want to know what I'm into? I'm into snakes, lizards, dinosaurs and horses."

He loved "dinosaurus rex."

What a PAIN IT IS

We were out to eat and Eric kicked his shoes off under the table. So when he had to go to the bathroom (for the third time) I said "See what a PAIN IT IS to keep putting your shoes back on." And he responded "Mommy, did you just say Penis!!!"

Ellie's 2 Year Checkup

Ellis is 26 lb 7 oz.
She is 33 inches tall.
She got a big bruise on her arm from her shot.

Eric's iron is still low, he had it tested again at the lab so hopefully it is just genetically low.

Birthday Girl

Here's a pic of Ellie celebrating her birthday in Asheville with her cousins. They did a great job decorating the cupcakes!
i can't believe Ellie is 2 now! She is such a chatterbox, counting, singing.. the kids are so much fun.

A-B-C

On Friday we were getting in the car after getting hot running around outside with Erics friends, Katelyn and Matthew. Eric said "Mommy, I'm so hot, you gotta turn on the ABC."

Potty Time

Eric wore underwear for the first time last Tuesday. He has been in underwear since then except for nap and bedtime. An accident here and there but otherwise he is doing great. He does say "I only want to pee in the potty... no brown stuff." Ellie calls underwear "diaperwear."

Weight Update

Ellie 22 Months 25 lbs 6 oz
Eric 38 Months 33 lbs

This week Eric had the croup and Ellie had a double ear infection.. yuck!!!

Eric Can Read (sort of)

Eric asked me to read him the Rainbow Fish so I said "let me just go get some water and then I'll start", while I was in the kitchen I heard him start the story by himself. Andrew snuck out the video camera and we taped him reading the entire book from memory. It was so amazing how he remembered every word on the page.

Cute Things

The kids have been doing and saying so many cute things lately. They are amazing! So smart and sweet.

Ellie: found a little green shamrock on the the floor and carries it around singing Happy Birthday

Eric: has been helping Andrew garden lately and they were searching for "vermiculite" to use in the dirt mix and it has become Eric's favorite word

Ellie: was at the library music show standing in the middle of all the kids singing and jumping and getting all the attention

Ellie: instead of no says "no way"

Eric: convinced Papa that 1 and 1 make 11 not 2

Wedding

The wedding was, or course, beautiful. The flower girl and ring bearer stole the show! It was the sweetest thing when they announced "Flowergirl Miss Katelyn Flynne escorted by ringbearer Mr. Eric Gregory." They marched out so proud of themselves. At rehearsal they just ran around so we were a little nervous.
Eric loved riding in the limo. He was amazed that they had cups and a TV inside.

Dingle Dangle

What Ellie calls a rectangle :)

Ellie Can Count

3-5-6-7-8-9-10-14

We Have a 3 Year Old!

Eric turned 3! He had an awesome time. The night before his birthday we had our only real snowstorm of the season.
It also snowed the night before he was born so it brought back memories. On the night of his birthday we took him to
Bugaboo Creek, a fun restaurant with talking animals. He had a great time and loved the restaurant staff singing and bringing him a cake. He is eagerly awaiting his Thomas the Tank engine party on Friday

Ring Bearer

Julie and Mike are getting married, yay!! Eric is the ring bearer and he describes it like this "I'm gonna bring the rings and the pillow for everyone to sleep on." Ha!

Ellie's Dictionary

Eggy=Eric
Eyyee=Ellie
Macadee=Mac&Cheese (used to be macabuncabunca)
Dadidah=telephone
Eindy Deindy=Baby Einstein
DDD=DVD or any TV
Barndee=Barney
Diggety=digger
Jackety=jacket
Brocabee=brocolli
Bebbies=strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
Uppity=upstairs
Under(unda)=tunnel
Bubbadye=butterfly
Bugabee=ladybug
Bumbadee=Bumble Bee

Eric Lost a Tooth

When we were at Lindsay's house watching the Patriots game, Eric fell off the couch and hit the coffee table. He lost one of his top teeth. Now he will have a hole there for the next few years :( He doesn't seem too fazed. 3 new cars seems to be worth a tooth for him. He got xrays today and his mouth is okay.

Counting

Ellie thinks every number is "numba 9" or "eighteee." She copies Eric a lot lately. Eric knows all his numbers and letters and will be going to his preschool open house in a couple weeks.

Tough Girl

I took Ellie for her 15 month checkup and the doc asked me how she was doing. I said fine, except she had a runny nore for about 4-5 days. Well he checked her out and she has a double ear infection!! No fever, cring, sleeplessness or anything. He said some babies handle it better than others. Now she is on amoxicillin. She is 21 lb 10 ounces and 31 inches long.
The kids had macaroni for dinner and I love making that for them because Ellie calls it "maca-bunca-bunca-bunca"

I'd Be Happy To

I asked Eric to help me put his books away in his room and he said "I'd be happy to." So sweet.
He is getting smarter by the minute. The other day we were driving and he said " we have cans and bottles?" because we were driving on the same road where we always return them.
Ellie is a chatterbox these days. Some of her words are: duckadee (just her favorite word), biddee=banana, appida=applesauce, ducky, doggie, puppy (most animals) beeba (zebra and giraffe)

Numbers

Eric is 29 months.. he can count to 10. He calls 12 "two teen". He notices the numbers everywhere we go and carries his number puzzle with him.

We've Got Another Walker

Ellie started walking! She is taking steps, turning corners and getting into everything.
We are having such a fun summer that there has been no time for blogging.
Eric is such a chatterbox and loves it when anyone visits. Tonight he visited 3 neighbors and ran into one of his little friends on a walk.
He calls his sister Ellie Belly or Ellie Boo and moves quickly from kisses to sibling rivalry.

Happy Birthday Baby Ellie

Ellie Rose turned 1 year old today! She celebrated with a party on Sunday with a lot of friends and family. She liked the cake but didn't get too messy and she crawled around and played with all of her gifts.
Today we went into the North End and to see the USS Constitution with Grandmom and Pop Pop. Ellie and Eric behaved so well. They loved riding the train. Ellie entertained everyone by screaming ba..ba..ba...ba...ba the entire time! We had a funny time at the restaurant when Eric wanted a binky but refused to use Ellie's purple one. When Pop Pop produced a "new" purple one a little later Eric took it, no problem. Too funny! They both loved eating pasta and Italian bread.
Ellie is surprising us every minute with new words. She can say Daddy, Mum Mum (the cracker, not the person,) Eric (Ikey), Ellie, dog, duck, bike, baba, yucky. She is getting braver and leans over and lets go and stands for a few seconds. She took a step the other night.
Tonight we ate brownies and sang to Ellie again. We even had to sing a sound of "Happy Ellie's Birthday to Eric."

First Big Boo Boo

Eric has been so lucky to not have been injured at all yet. Today we went to the Sprinkler Park and he came running over telling me he got a bump. I asked where and he said "my ankle" and I kept looking but didn't see anything. So he sat on the bench wrapped in a towel looking very sad for about 15 minutes and then jumped at the chance to go home when I asked. When we got to the car his shorts pulled up a little and I saw he had skinned his knee which was hiding under his shorts. Poor little guy was so brave!

I'm a Red Sox

So much has been happening lately.
Eric has started calling Ellie Baby Elle. They are doing good. Already a few sibling moments like Eric pulling her down when she is trying to stand and Ellie laughing hysterically whenever he cries. They love each other so much. Eric invited her outside today, saying "Come outside Baby Aya, eat the grass."
We went to Chicago for the weekend and left them with Nannie and Papa for the first time. They had fun going to Castle Island and South Shore Plaza. It was time to have some time alone and the wedding was great!!
The cutest thing Eric has been doing is swinging his bat very seriously and saying "I'm a Red Sox." He winds up to pitch and pretends to slide into the bases. He wants to watch the Sox every night. Definitely a sports enthusiast.
Ellie's first word seems to be "Hi," she says it all the time. Maybe a social butterfly!

Baby Aya

I know sometime Eric will stop calling Ellie Baby Aya but I hope it's not any time soon. It is so cute to hear him say it. Whether it's "No Baby Aya" or "Love you baby Aya" it makes me laugh all the time.
Eric finally got outside with his friends today after 8 days of rain. He loves the sandbox and the swings. Ellie was trying to eat the grass so there is no way she's going in the sandbox for a while. She'll probably be walking by her birthday, now she is crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything. No teeth yet..

Upwords

I jumped in the shower while the kids were watching a DVD and came out to see that Eric found our Upwords game under the bed and had the tiles spread out everywhere!!! Now the game is his favorite toy. He stacks up the letters, lays them out on the board, recites the ones he knows. He even knows Ellie can't have the tiles and says "only on the bed" when he takes the box out. So far he can recognize A, B, C, O, U, Q, W, E and I. He can also count 1-4 now which is an improvement from 1-2-9-10.

Standing Up

Ellie can stand up in her crib now. It is still such a surprise to see her standing when we go in to get her. Today I heard Eric say "Good Morning Baby Aya" and the response I heard was her jumping up and down on her crib mattress. So sweet!

2 Year/9 Month Doctor Visits

Eric- 35 inches tall weighs 28 lbs. low iron but otherwise fine
Ellie-27 inches tall weighs 18 lbs. 10 oz. perfectly healthy

Uh Oh Milk Mama

Eric made a long sentence this morning "Uh Oh Milk Mama, Eric Gregory did it."
He said this after spilling his cereal milk all over himself and his chair.
In other kitchen news, Ellie is eating Cheerios, pieces of bread, crackers, and baby food fruits. She will not eat any veggies!

Laughing Together

Today in the car, Eric was kicking his legs and moving his head side-to-side singing and Ellie started laughing. So he kept doing it and they were cracking up laughing together. It was so sweet because it was really the first time that they really paid attention to each other without anyone else involved.

Happy Birthday to Eric

Eric had an awesome 2nd birthday. He wore his special green shirt with a car on it that he picked out himself. He had 5 friends over and they ate cupcakes and played with cars. Eric got Wiggles, Thomas the Train and basketball balloons.
We had his family party today and he was so excited! He ate more cake and clapped and sang along with everyone. He got so many presents but he seems to love his remote control car from Auntie Julie and his basketball from Auntie Carole and Roger!

True Love

True love is when a little boy falls asleep clutching a mini basketball and a mini football. Soooo sweet.

8 months and Almost 2

Only one more week until Eric's birthday! He is getting very excited. Ask him how old he will be and he says "one for baby Aya" and "2 Eric." He is starting to sing Happy Birthday and Ring Around the Rosy.
Ellie is 8 months now. She is starting to talk saying da, da, da, da. I guess Mama is never a first word! She has a little personality now.
Lately the kids have been playing in the pack and play together. I know Eric is a little old for this but he is jealous when she is in there so now they go in together.
Eric's latest phrases are: By the way, oh man, don't do that, please, thank you, welcome, and my favorite "love you" which he said for the first time on Valetines Day!

Talking Machine

Yes, Eric is a talking machine!!! He repeats everything and is chatting every minute. Some of our favorite words of his are lambourghini, fire truck, mango, basketball, snow shovel, tuna. We just like that he can answer a question... or do we? (no, no, no, and no)
Ellie is the sweetest baby ever. She just sits and watches Eric all day and is never demanding or fussy unless she needs a bottle. Her favorites these days are the jumper, exersaucer, and her new highchair. She can roll over both ways now and is getting dangerously close to crawling. She grabs anything in sight to chew on, especially matchboxes, gotta watch out. No teeth yet. One more month until we have a two-year-old!

Holidays

The holidays were a blast. We spent Christmas day at Gay Street and at Auntie Carole's for dinner. The kids were both so good all day. Eric definitely has the hang of opening gifts. He hopefully says 'car' as he rips each one open. He pulled the tree down a couple weeks ago. He was just too mesmerized by it.
We drove down to North Carolina to visit Tina, Mike and the kids. We had such a great time. We went hiking and went to a nature conservatory. We walked through Asheville downtown in the pouring rain. Eric loves spending time with his cousins and the dog is still talking about them. The kids took a bath together while we were there and amazingly Eric joined them. We have Marley and Allysun to thank for teaching Eric that baths are fun, he practically jumps in with his clothes on now. We miss them already.
Not much else new, may be a quiet few months. The countdown to the Terrible Twos begins.

Time is Flying

So much has happened since my last entry. Ellie is 5 1/2 months now. I have weaned her onto formula because she was eating a million times a day. She now eats baby food and oatmeal or rice cereal. She loves her Exersaucer, Jumper, and just lying on the floor playing.
Eric is 21 months. He is so active. Still into cars along with trains, scooters, and anything that moves. He is talking so much now and repeating a lot. He calls his sister "Baby Aya." His milk is "nookie." The two things closest to his heart, binky and blankie, he can say very clearly.
Eric got to play out in the snow for the first time. He wasn't too sure at first, but soon he was following Daddy around trying to get the shovel. The Boston Globe will be publishing a picture I sent in of Eric reaching up for the snow shovel.
We all went to Disney World while we were down in Florida for Thanksgiving/Jerry and Lisa's wedding. Eric got to go on the Indy Speedway with Daddy and Ellie was most excited about It's A Small World. Eric is obsessed with his grandparents' dog Chloe. He longing calls "Chlope" everytime he sees a picture of a dog.
In other news, Eric pulled down the Christmas tree the other day. He was shocked himself and stays away from it now for the most part. Aside from a few broken ornaments there was no harm done. (Next year tabletop tree!)
The kids are both sleeping in their room now. When Ellie waked up crying Eric either sleeps through or sits up in crib and says "Aya" over and over to alert us of her crying. What a sweet brother already.
At Ellie's 5 month appointment she weighed 15lb 7oz and was 26 inches tall.... which is the height limit for her carrier. Yikes! How will we carry two kids out of the car without the carrier...we'll see.
Everyone is getting excited for Christmas!

3 Months Old

Ellie just turned three months old! I can't believe it. She is awake so much now. She loves the Kick and Play seat and she likes being talked to. She is always smiling and laughing. I have a feeling she'll be a chatterbox. She is just starting to grip things and Eric likes to put Legos and cars in her little hands to hold.
Eric says more words now than I can list. Last night he pointed out the window and said "dark." I think he saves up words and says them when we least expect it. He is also on a hunger strike. He will only eat what he wants when he wants. He broke his two favorite plates by balancing them on his head after finishing. Eating is a big game now so we are hoping for his appetite to return soon. It has been raining the past 2 days so we have been stuck inside.
Last night was the first night we needed the heat on so today Eric got three new pairs of feety PJ's. (thanks Nannie!) Ellie has a ton already.
Getting ready for our big trip to Atlanta this weekend! (1 1/2 day trip)

Philadephia Trip

We took the kids to visit Grandpop, Aunt Barbara, and Uncle Ted last weekend. They were amazing in the car, both very well behaved and slept most of the time. Eric had such a fun time playing with everyone. Grandpop got Eric some new cars and a track. We were also able to take both kids out to dinner. We had a great trip!
It rained all day today so we didn't do much. We did go to playgroup this morning where Eric got to play with playdough and markers. He was really upset about the marker on his hands and kept trying to rub it off. He had spaghetti for dinner which I think is his favorite. He calls it "Gegi."
Miss Ellie has alternated sleeping and smiling all day. Eric has fun pointing out her nose, mouth, hands, etc.

Doctor- 18 Month Visit

Today we went to see Dr. Daley for Eric's 18 month visit. He is 24 lb. 11 oz. and 33 inches long. (more than 1/2 as tall as mommy!) He is tall for his age and weight is average. Dr. Daley said Eric is one of the best behaved 18 month olds she has seen. She said this before the tantrum caused by the bandaid. There was no problem with Eric having his finger pricked for his iron test but he was adamant that he did not want that bandaid! He flirted with the nurses, blowing them goodbye kisses.
This morning we went to see Music with Phillip which was suprisingly relaxing for Mommy because Eric just sat on my lap the whole time watching instead of running around like a madman. Ellie is smiling away in her kick and play. She slept through Philip's music and the doctor's office but now that Eric is in bed... Ellie is thinking PARTY!

Eric's words of the day: oval, crab

Pickles

Today Andrew made homemade dill pickles. I am very impressed because it was quite an undertaking. He got cucumbers from my dad's garden, a recipe from the 1930s, dill from our garden, and mason jars. He even had to immerse the full jars in boiling water. Can't wait to try them.
Eric is 18 months, 1 1/2 today! I can't believe it. Everyone says how they grow so fast but you don't realize it until you have your own. We just came back from the mall where Eric was very excited about the American flags everywhere. He loves to point and say 'ga' which means 'star.' He also got Nannie to buy him a new car.
Ellie is doing great. She seems like she is going to be super happy like her brother. We certainly hope so.
Funny Eric moment of the day: I was half under the bed helping Andrew adjust the mattress and all of a sudden I was screaming because cold water was running all over my head, neck, and back. Eric managed to unscrew a bottle of water and pour it on me!!!

Igee, Zygote and Other Eric Words

Eric is obsessed with oranges, or should I say 'igees.' He loves them. When he wants a snack he will run up to the fridge and say 'igee.' 'Igee' and 'taxi' are my two favorite Eric words. Here are a couple of other things he can say:
car, dog, kitty, purple, mama, dada, nannie, papa, auntie, cow, star, puffs, Kix, apple, bubbles, kite, Kate, moon, Ellie, more, help, belly, nose, eyes, neck, moon, sky, ear, and zygote. (repeated when we were talking about him being in London as a zygote.) Now that he is a repeater he can say a lot more than this.
Some funny pronunciations:
Lego-gegu Lindsay-Gigi
moon-mmmm star-ga
car-cah cah dog-dog dog
kitty-kiki taxi-tacky

Haircut

The kids are getting cuter by the day. Eric is running every minute now, lining up his fleet of cars and pointing out all the things he recognizes. Eric’s favorite things are stars and cars. He notices every American flag and says ‘ga.’ We read Goodnight Moon every night and so last night Eric looked out the front window waving and smiling, his first time seeing the real moon. Daddy gave Eric a haircut yesterday. The long curls have been buzzed off and Eric looks like such a grown up boy now. Very cute. Ellie is growing like a weed and eating as much as she can. She is a smiler like her brother and loves to be talked to.

Tot Lot

Andrew took Eric to the Tot Lot to play today. We have been taking him to the park all summer. I tried to go a couple times a week. In June it was hard. I had to bring Rachel because I couldn't move being pregnant with Ellie. Watching Eric at the playground really shows how much he has grown. Before he wouldn't go near the slide or bridges. Now he is so confident, climbing all over everything. He carefully watches the bigger kids and follows what they do. Eric's favorite things to do at the park now are dig in the sand and go on the seesaw with Mommy. One day last week, Eric was following two older girls around dancing and showing off... a ladies man already!

Blueberries, Kayaking, and More

Just came back from Maine, where we went to visit Becky's Mom's B&B. It was a great inn at a great location in Southwest Harbor. We did a lot of walking and sightseeing. What a beautiful area! Andrew went kayaking with Rich and Becky had to go save them when they got stuck. Eric loved going on a hike.. he tried to pick up big boulders along the trail. We went to Acadia National Park. Andrew and I loved all the scenery but I think Eric was most impressed with the toy store that had dozens of the same mini-hummer that he has.
The kids were both so well behaved in the car and on the trip. Eric loved showing his cars to everyone and setting them up in a line over and over. Eric was especially impressed by the amount of blueberries in Maine. Ellie slept practically the whole trip but we did take some pics to show she went along.
The last night we went out to a lobster place by the water. We paid in three separate groups so they put a star on each of our receipts to show we were together. Imagine Eric's excitement at seeing those stars! Poor Ellie had one of her first major meltdowns at the restaurant so Mommy had to walk her around outside.
We had a really great time!!

Car Car

We are adjusting to life with two children. Eric is very sweet to Ellie but doesn’t quite know how to be gentle. He calls her Aya. Ellie seems like she can already sleep through lots of noise. She is only fussy when she is hungry and is a sleepy baby who likes to be all bundled up. Eric is definitely into the car phase. Has a ton of toy cars and keeps getting more from everyone and loves to sit in his car seat and say ‘car car.’ Very cute!

Ellie Rose is Here!!

Ellie Rose is here! Ellie was born on July 6, 2005, a rainy, cold Wednesday. I woke up in the morning with contractions that were about 3 minutes apart. We picked up Auntie Rachel to watch Eric and then we went to the hospital where I got hooked up to the monitors and an IV. I was just glad that I was dilated to 5cm so I wouldn’t be sent home again. (We had a false alarm on June 22nd) The nurse predicted Ellie would be born by 2pm… not the case. I had contractions all day and they started to get painful in the afternoon so I had an epidural. Andrew noticed that my epidural was leaking on the floor. I knew something was up because I could still feel my legs and with Eric I couldn’t. Anyways, they hooked it back up again but I was already 8cm and the doctor decided to break my water at 5pm. The doctor had me lie on my left side to try to get Ellie to turn a little bit but she didn’t like that and started moving around a lot which was very painful for me!! So I needed oxygen because I was crying and in a lot of pain. The contractions were really painful and all of a sudden I felt like pushing. Dr. Diaz came in (the same doctor who delivered Eric) and I was screaming and crying.. she told me to stop crying and get mad and push her out. After 3 pushes and a ton of pain Ellie came out crying! She was 19 inches, 6 pounds 13 ounces. Perfect. 9 and 9 for Apgar scores. Andrew got us a Lazy Man Lobster dinner from the Chateau and we ate it together in the hospital to celebrate. Dad said when they were babysitting Eric the night Ellie was born Eric dragged over my dad’s coat and Eric’s little yellow water shoes and said ‘Mama’ because he wanted to go see me. What a sweet boy he is. We are so lucky to have Eric and now Ellie!

Chatty Eric

Eric and Daddy went to Florida for the weekend to visit his grandparents and aunts. He had so much fun! I missed you a ton. Daddy said Eric was an angel on the plane. We went to a MOMS Club meeting today and you played with playdough and crayons. You love crayons. Luckily the playdough was edible because you had to taste it. Tomorrow I am going to the hospital for a non-stress test to make sure everything is okay with the baby. I think Eric has a little cold, probably because the weather has been crazy. 2 days ago it was 90 degrees and now it is 50. Wow! You have been talking a lot saying ‘car’ ‘cracker’ ‘mama’ and ‘dada.’ I think your dog fascination has been replaced by one for cars.

Food Shopping

Eric is such a sweet baby. He is starting to give hugs and kisses to me and Daddy. Today was a fun day. We went food shopping and he was content with a bagel and a piece of cheese while I was shopping. The cashiers were so impressed with him waving at them and smiling on our way out. We went to visit Eric's great grandmother and he spent a lot of time playing with two little cars she had. Then we went to Nannie and Papa’s for dinner and then we came home and spent some time playing before bed. Eric's baby sister has been kicking me a lot the past few days just like you did. We’ll see if she too is an early arrival!

It's A.....

GIRL!!! Eric is going to have a baby sister. She is very healthy and already 3 pounds. I was just small because she is low. (an early arrival perhaps?) Today is Mother's Day and we just came back from Mom and Dad's where we had breakfast. Eric loved the pancakes and fruit. Being pregnant, I loved everything! We have started buying a few pink things for the baby but aren't sure about a name yet. Eric is still asleep after 3 hours... wow!

Another Active Baby

Amazing how much these alike these two pregnancies have been. We have another ultrasound next week because I am 'measuring small,' the same thing they said about Eric. Funny, I think 20 lbs. is a pretty good weight gain for me. Hopefully this time the baby won't be hiding. Eric is running around everywhere and starting to climb. He can say car, dog, mama, dad, straw and cough.

Happy Birthday Eric

Today we celebrated Eric's first birthday. We had a great time. I made an Elmo cake and Eric had so much fun digging into that. (What was I thinking--red frosting!!!!) At first he only poked at the frosting but quickly figured it out. There were about 30 friends and family to celebrate. Amazingly Eric loved his balloons. We thought he would be scared since he ran away from the Valentines balloons. Daddy and I got Eric a little chair for his birthday. Now that he is mobile, though, he doesn't want much to do with a chair. The living room is covered with birthday loot. Papa noticed Eric's third tooth poking through today. That must be why there is drool everywhere. Eric was so tired after the long party. In other news-- Eric's sibling decided to cross it's legs during the ultrasound and make us wait to find out!

Side to Side Dancing

So hard to believe that Eric will be 1 in two weeks. He is doing so much now, walking, climbing stairs, dancing. What an active baby! Eric loves everyone and everything and always has a big smile. We went to story hour today at the library. Eric loved it- especially the music and dancing- I love his 'side to side' move. Our new baby is coming in July. We will find out the sex next month. I am thinking it is another boy but who knows. Time to throw in some laundry while Eric is peaceful in his crib.

1st Blog

I guess this is like a journal; I've never 'blogged' before. I did keep a pregnancy journal for Eric so this one will be for the "peanut" and Eric. I found out I was pregnant a couple weeks ago when I was feeling really tired and nauseous. Also, I was and still am eating a ton! I am eight weeks along. A little scary since Eric is 9 months old today but really exciting.
Speaking of the little guy, he is napping and unfortunately has no idea that he is getting four shots at his checkup in an hour. He is usually pretty good. I just hate how the nurse has the mom hold the poor kid's arms down. Makes me look the mean one. Oh well. I can't wait to see how much he weighs. My guess is 23 pounds and 29 inches long. He was 6lbs 11 oz and 20 inches at birth so he has come a long way! He is also sprouting his first two teeth (bottom middle.)
Well I am off to get Eric's lunch ready and pack the diaper bag (tylenol most important)

**Added Eric's Birth Story that I found in my email**