Happy 6 Month Birthday, Joey!

Joey's six-month appointment was quite eventful, as we sought cover from tornado sirens not once, but twice during the visit!

Joey weighs 16 pounds, and measures 27.5 inches - for a 25% growth reading.  He got his shots, including his combo flu/H1N1 shot, and did great.  He seems to be hitting all of his milestones, and the doctor was pleased with everything.  He slept a lot more today than usual, and ran a slight temperature at the end of the day at daycare.  Luckily, they know to chalk that up to his shots, and so he is able to return to daycare tomorrow!  Typically, children have to be fever-free for 24 hours before returning.

He is army crawling, but he has found his knees and rocks....so that should be coming soon.  He is eating fruits & veggies (Level 1), wearing 3-6 month clothes (bigger tops than bottoms - seems he has his sister's waist...), Size Two diapers, and puts EVERYthing in his mouth.  He likes to look in the mirror, watch football with Daddy, and sleeps basically through the night.  The doc did say that his getting up in the middle of the night for a cuddle is pretty common at this age, as he's learning more about "separation."  He is a very happy baby, and generally smiles with and flirts with all in his path. The doctor said that now that he's hit six months, his eye color (blue/green) will likely stick.  We need to work with him more on sitting (not sitting up on his own, but staying sitting if placed there)...I say he does it, but of course he wouldn't do it at the doctor. 

He will go back in one month for the other half of his flu shot, and then the doctor will see him back at nine months - at which point we should be looking at finger foods and sippy cups (according to the doc)!  Where does the time go?????

Fun Weekend!

Friday night, we had Grace over for some weekend-starting play.  Melanie and Grace explored all of the toys in the play room; they were like new toys to BOTH of them, since we haven't been in there much this summer!  We are very blessed to have found such a great family who basically share a backyard with us....Mel & Grace get along great, and the parents have a lot in common too!

Saturday AND Sunday, both of the kids took a nap...drumroll, please..... AT THE SAME TIME!!!  That was quite magical.

We started our Saturday evening with a trip to the Shaffers to visit with Jenny, Cindy, and Susie and their three newborns....and we got to visit with Laura & Ali as well.

Saturday evening we were blessed to help my cousin Megan & Shawn start their new life together.  I was remiss in getting a photo OF the happy couple, but below are some highlights of the evening.  Melanie and Molly were dancing MACHINES.  Molly did the moonwalk and the worm....Melanie just worked her little booty off trying to keep up!  They started dancing to the "background music" during dinner and didn't stop until we removed them from the premises!  At one point, we changed Mel to her pajamas, and we were in the back restroom.  I asked Melanie if she knew what she was going to do next (go home). She said "yes" - I said "what?" - she answered "DANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and bee-lined for the dance floor in her pajamas....

Sunday Gigi & Poppy stopped by on their way home from the Purdue beating in Columbus, OH.  Melanie was THRILLED to see them, as she hadn't seen them in about two weeks.  Joey, of course, was also excited.  Mel slept right through the timeframe go to the Zionsville Lions' Park pumpkin patch/hayride.

Nymgastics

We are going to Round Two at Interactive Academy in the Parent/Tot gymnastics class.  This is the credit that was applied to our account last fall when I decided after 2 or 3 sessions that Melanie wasn't quite ready for gymnastics - and then we had a successful winter at Gymboree.  We did Gymboree up until it got nice out, and then dropped out of all organized play for the summer so we could spend as much time as possible outdoors. 

Tonight's session - held every Tuesday for 45 minutes - went relatively well.  Melanie had an awful lot of energy going into the class - so her attention span was hard to contain.  However, she was able to do everything asked of her (even if not right on cue). 

One highlight was when she took her leotard off in the middle of class, insisting that her tights be removed from her body.  Once I took her tights off and put her leotard back on, she was fine.  She has made sure I know that next week she will wear pants with her "pink dress with a hairboat on it."  She was calling kids by their names without having been introduced to them (just picking up on what their moms were calling them).  When we left and I asked what her favorite part of gymnastics was, and she said "making new friends."  She, of course, spoke to no one in class.  I thought her answer was awesome though -she's making friends on her own terms.  She can name about four of the girls that were there tonight.  At one point in the session, she saw another class of older girls sitting against the wall drinking water out of those paper cones.  She went over, grabbed a cone, poured her own cup of water from the water cooler, and sat against the wall to drink it.  On the way there, she kept talking about putting her coat and shoes in the cubby.  I thought she was getting confused with going to school, until I asked her if she meant the cubby at gymnastics.  She said yes, that's what she means, and she clearly remembered the cubbies once we got there. 

All in all, the first trip was a success.  We're keeping our fingers crossed we can keep this up!

Perfect Fall Weekend!

We spent all weekend outdoors...playing in the yard, going to the Zoo (Saturday), going to the Pumpkin Patch (Sunday), going to the park, watching Grace's family carve a pumpkin, and generally enjoying a perfect fall weekend.  We have been working on learning the letter P this weekend - pancakes, pumpkins, park, Paula, Poppy/Pawpaw, pictures, popcorn (a main staple this weekend), playing....P is a fun fall word! 

The BIG news of the weekend is that Joey is CRAWLING!! He hasn't found his knees quite yet, but he is inching along very well!! Between his rolling, pivoting, and army-crawling, nothing is off-limits! He loves to put anything in his mouth, so Melanie has been tasked with not dropping ANY food in the house. This picture depicts the scene of....I left the room with Joey ensconsed in the blue pillow shown in the lower right corner. This is where I found him. One minor example of how this kid is moving...since he is the second child, we'll just see if any of this gets on video :) 

Joey did such a great job in the nursery at church this morning that two people gave me their phone numbers and offered to babysit. They haven't met the other half of that offer :)

 
The zoo was fun, especially since we haven't been in a while.  Melanie was so excited for the dolphin show that she wore her dolphin shirt; but then we had to leave the show early since she was so uninterested.  Some days the show is great, some days not so much.  Even for adults.  We rode the train, the carousel, saw all Melanie's favorite animals, checked out all the Halloween decorations, and played on the playground.  When Paula asked what Mel did at the zoo, she said "ate a turkey sandwich and apple slices."  Joe was a bit bitter that he had just learned to move, and then we packed him up in his carseat all day. 

On the "hay ride" (sans hay) at the pumpkin patch, I looked down and caught Mel and Joe holding hands - Mel was on Jeff's lap and Joey was on mine.  I also caught her licking his head today (and licking Jeff's headlight), but who's counting?  We got to the pumpkin patch, all ready to have Joey strapped to me, and realized "mother of the year" forgot to bring a hat or any shade for the baby.  So we improvised with something Mel got at last week's pumpkin patch/safety session at Clarian North!

As for Melanie, her sleeping is getting better (knock on wood).  The last two nights, not only did she sleep through the night, but she didn't even cry when we left her room.  Big progress; let's hope it continues!  Saturday she was up at 6am, but Sunday she slept until 8am!

We still don't know what these two Worzala kiddos will be for Halloween - Melanie is supposed to be choosing for both of them, and it changes every day.  Today she said she's just going to wear her pumpkin shirt. 

Melanie is getting into what everyone's NAMES are.  She's learned that Mommy & Daddy's names are Angie & Jeff - and wants to know our full names - and makes me recite Julie, Matt, Gigi, Grandma, Pawpaw, Poppy, Matt, Randy, Cory, .... you get the picture - everyone's FULL names - first, middle, last.  She has now mastered saying "Worzala" but if she's not up to it she'll say "ala."

Random

My last post was about the furnace being on, and last night we had to turn the a/c on!  Yes, it's gorgeous outside.  The kids' rooms were a little hot, so we had to cool it down a bit.  We've been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather by spending time outdoors - Mel can't stay inside when it's this nice outside.  She has gotten to spend several evenings over the last week playing with Grace, with Aya added in for good measure every once in a while.  Tonight, she and Grace ran to each other through the back yards, (with Mel yelling "I'm coming, Gracie!!") - when they reached each other, she & Grace had a whole conversation that I could tell you nothing about.  Very cute.  On the way to Aya's in the wagon last week, they talked all the way there and back.  Already swapping stories about clothes and boys?  :)

Mel & Jeff went to the pumpkin patch on Saturday.  This is Mel's third straight year to go to this one - at Clarian North.  Highlights included seeing a pony, hugging scarecrows, getting a fireman's hat, meeting Boomer (from the Pacers), and getting a free pumpkin.  Meanwhile, I was in Frankfort judging my second annual Clinton County Jr. Miss program.  Once again, I feel very happy with our selection, and think Clinton County will rock the state competition!

Sunday was spent around the house; outside, of course - as well as running errands and getting things done.  Mel and I went to Sunday School (a feat after my staying out with my friends until past 2am on Saturday night...) and enjoyed a no-nap-for-Mel day.  She's still hit or miss about sleeping through the night.  She did very well for a few nights, and then last night I slept on her floor from 1:30am on.  She was able to report to Daddy this morning "I don't get a sticker today."  We have been trying to incentvize her to sleep by using Dora stickers....

Joey is miserable during dinner time.  He wants to eat (but gags on his cereal, forcing Mel to yell "HE DOESN'T LIKE IT!!").  So we've ramped up his cereal eating by adding some fruits in.  With Melanie, I was crazy following the rules about doing veggies first.  Amazing how things change.  Tonight he was a total champ with his banana/cereal combo.  His teacher today was telling me that he always just laughs at the kids in the class who are crying.  Much like he does to Mel at home - I love it!

Mel's new favorite phrase is "Oh, Man!"  As in, "Mel, what did you get all over the floor?"  "Oh, Man!"  Or when our neighbor Paula's birthday was yesterday, and when Mel asked about Tom's birthday, I told her it wasn't until June.  "Oh, Man!"  Jeff took her to get french fries on Saturday, but it was still technically breakfast time at McDonald's "Oh, Man!"  She has been working on her letters - tonight I wrote various names on the sidewalk in chalk (my interpretation when Melanie says "Draw Melanie" - I write her name.  Because I can't draw).  She knew a lot of the letters of the names I wrote!  Slowly but surely.....

We are trying to decide what to be for Halloween.  Thanks to Molly & Melanie, Joey has about 6 costumes to choose from.  Melanie is allowed to choose for both her and him, and her choices change daily.  Stay tuned!

Fall Has Arrived

Sunday evening when we went to turn on our furnace, it wasn't working.  Luckily it wasn't TOO cold outside, but with Joey not being able to use blankets unsupervised, it made for a chilly night - Jeff reported that it was 64 degrees in Joey's room Monday morning.  We got it fixed for under $60(!!) on Monday, and we're back to warm around here.  The above pic is from our Friday evening walk.  Note the thumb in the mouth.

Weekend

We had a fun weekend, mostly in Frankfort.  Melanie and I went to my cousin Megan's bridal shower on Saturday afternoon; Julie and Gigi were also there.  Afterward, we met Jeff & Joey and the rest of the Doans back at my parents' house for dinner.  Laura Mullen joined us too - amid the chaos of three screaming children :)  Mel and Molly, as always, had a fabulous time together.  They loved that they were wearing matching outfits, and then were so excited to change into their jammies together.  We stayed the night there, and headed back Sunday morning for nursery duty (Mel assisted me).  Sunday was spent running errands and getting things done around the house.  Mel enjoyed a trip to the library's play room on Sunday afternoon too.