6 months old?!

The latest in a series of "where the heck did the time go?!" moments, Iris is suddenly 6 months old. 26 weeks. Half a year.

She had her 6-month check-up yesterday. 13 lb 8 oz (10%-ile), 26" (61%-ile). She got her vaccines and everything looks good!

We started her on some oatmeal cereal last week, which she seems to enjoy. She grabs my hand and pulls on it to get the spoon to her mouth. The first time she was fed, she seemed a bit skeptical, but immediately caught on (see pictures below). She had peas for the first time last night. Much less impressed with those.

She's been doing fantastic on her tummy time. Set her on her back and she almost immediately turns to her side and over on her tummy. Her teacher at daycare informed me that she surprised herself last week by managing to propel herself forward for a toy. I have a feeling my immobile baby won't stay that way for long. Her big milestone recently is sitting. We didn't use the Boppy at all for her at home, but she's able to sit up for minutes without toppling over. (For comparison, Felix was over 6 months old before he was able to sit up for 30 seconds at a time.) Must be those strong abs of hers. She's also made a big leap in "talking". She goes on big streaks where she practices her B, F, and V sounds (like in the video below). I think it's cute, but I'm a little biased. :o)

Felix's imagination has been going wild. He is a firm believer in monsters, ghosts, Spiderman, Santa Claus, and Bigfoots (yes, plural). He believes any cloud in the sky could spawn a tornado. He believes Mr. Noodle is creepy (we may have planted the seed on that one). He believes shooting is an acceptable way to deal with naughty things (argh!). And above all, he believes that he is the Master of the house. We've been struggling a bit to correct this notion reasonably. (Man, 3 year olds are incredibly egocentric!) He has tantrums when he doesn't get his way or when we make unreasonable requests (like asking him to try to use the potty). This is a phase that can end, and soon! He does do an excellent job of sharing, though, and we've tried to get him involved in meal preparation, which he enjoys. We're trying to wean him off the notion that treats are a necessary part of his daily food intake. We're making some progress - he'll ask for oranges and apples instead, which we are happy to give.

On the home front, we seem to be getting our reality check for the short, mild winter we had last year. We've been cooped up inside too long, and it shows. We're all constantly sick and crabby. The sooner the snow melts and we can get back outside, the better! But alas, there always seems to be snow in the forecast just when things are starting to look promising for a good thaw.

We have made a change for the better, though. I never really thought it possible, but we cut our cable on the 22nd and went internet-only. We rarely watched anything but sporting events live, and realized that the majority of the shows we recorded were available the next day online somewhere anyway. So, we got a Roku (better picture quality and access to many 'channels'), bought a lifetime subscription to Playon (easy access to most of the channels we watch including sports channels), signed up for Amazon Prime in addition to our Netflix and Hulu access, hooked up a pair of rabbit ears for the local channels and we're good to go! Last weekend was our first big test... and we got through it just fine! No more mindless TV on in the background. Now we have to be more conscious of what we put on. We have a TED Talk channel, on which we watched several interesting, short talks (Nick's already hooked). We've added several science shows to our queues to share with Felix. And to top it off, the Roku model we got has a built-in Angry Birds game that even Felix can play. It's also making us go old-school more often, like when we listened to a Badger basketball game on the radio a few nights ago.

Under the category of "what the?!", I learned that the video I posted on YouTube of Felix singing Bruder Jakob/Frere Jacque back when he was a little over 2 years old (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPPk-aRFOak) has had over 1,135 views, with over half in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. That's pretty cool!

And finally, because it's just so darn cute... a picture Iris's teacher took of her at daycare. Happy Friday!

Felix: 3.5 yrs & Iris: 6 mos

Deep in Winter

Just when we warm up and it looks like the snow will finally melt, we get slammed by more snow. And since neither my car nor my disposition can adequately handle the snow, spring can't come soon enough.

We've had some trouble with Felix and his behavior at home lately. Some kids go through the "No!"s at 2 years old. Mine waited until 3.5, it seems. I got some advice from a coworker, and Nick and I are now reading Peaceful Parent, Happy Child. So far, it's helped us to cut back on our end-of-our-wits yelling (now reserved only for when he's about to do something we don't like that involves Iris). He still has rough patches where he completely ignores us, but things are improving. He also has been under the weather with a persistent cold, so that hasn't helped him be the bright, sunny boy he normally is.

Iris is still a long, skinny little peanut. She's now an accomplished roller (back to front, to her left only), and constantly wants to be upright. You put her on her back, and she instantly starts tensing her abs to try to sit up. The exersaucer, Johnny Jump Up and being held upright in my arms are her favorite places to be. Unfortunately, she's also had a persistent cold for a solid month, which seems to have migrated to her ear. Cranky baby. At least she tolerates being desnuffled, and yesterday's doctor's appointment showed that she doesn't currently have an ear infection. She had been sleeping pretty well on her own in her own room for a while. Oh, and to mention something that will inevitably change - she is so completely smiley when I wake her up in the morning. It's like she's thinking, "Oh, Mama! You're still here! That makes me so happy!" Aw.

This past Sunday, we went to the Madison Children's Museum. We had an extra ticket (thanks, Groupon!), and took Cassie along with us. We first went when Felix was 2, and I think he was a bit overwhelmed with everything. This time around, he was everywhere. All the vehicles were the biggest hits. The little cars, the airplane cockpit, the wooden Jeep - he kept going from one to another and back again. Iris was pretty interested as well. Nick carried her in the Bjorn so she could look out and see everything as well.

Felix: 3.5 yrs & Iris: 5 mos

To Iris at 4 months old

I just wanted to write a little note to our peanut, marking what she's like at 4 months old.

Dear Iris,

You are so darling. I love the half smiles you give me as you suck on your fingers while I hold you on my lap. I love your silly, inhaling giggles when I pretend to eat your hands, when I squeal when you grab my face or when I lift you up to make you fly like a butterfly. You're so happy in the morning when I wake you. I love to hear you coo. You're normally so content that it's surprising when you get fussy. You get excited and fwump your arms and legs when you hear your bath running. It definitely isn't your favorite thing, but you let us clear you nose when you have a cold, and I can tell it makes you feel better afterward. Your eyes get so great big when I carry you into a darkened area. You smile at Felix when he comes near you, and we can tell how very much he loves you back. You love to stand up and look around even though you're so wobbly. You are such a delight. I would have many more babies if they were all like you're been so far.

So much love to you, my daughter,
Your Mama

Home for the Holidays

Christmas has come and gone. We had lovely visits from both sides of our family and from Santa Claus as well. We didn't really want to perpetuate the Santa Claus myth for Felix, but decided we didn't want him ruining it for other kids at day care. (Yeah, we're those parents.) Felix got lots of lovely toys that he's been playing with during our time home together.

I had planned on taking the days after Christmas off and keeping the kids home for a week. And then it snowed... a lot. We got about 20 inches here on the 21st, which canceled school and day care on Thursday and Friday. We'll end up being at home for nearly two weeks together which has been fun. We've played in the snow and with Felix's play kitchen, and gone to the Y a couple times. It's actually been nice to settle into a bit of a routine with everyone home for so many days straight.

Iris had her 4 month check-up on Thursday. She's now 11 lb 7 oz, and 24.5". Long and skinny. Everything looks good for her. She's starting to figure her hands out, fwumping them against her sides and flailing at hanging toys. She really likes to be upright. Unfortunately, she's had a cold and gone through a growth spurt lately, which hasn't made her many feedings easy, but things are getting better. She also has been pretty quiet recently - not much cooing from her. I hope she starts again once she's done with this cold.

Felix has been enjoying the holiday season. We did have a bit of a struggle leaving cookies for Santa - Felix wanted to eat the cookies himself. He sure loves Iris, but we've had to be vigilant that he doesn't try to pick her up or squash her. Loves her a bit too much. :o) One of the toys he got was a tornado machine that makes a little whirlpool in a plastic container. It came with a DVD of an episode of Stormchasers which he has watched at least once a day since he got it. Now being a tornado chaser is on his radar as a potential career option.

Felix: 3 yrs & Iris: 4 mos

Season's Greetings!

It's that time of year again when we look back on everything that occurred during the past year and look forward to the next.

The anticipation and arrival of our little Iris Morgan was our biggest news of the year. She arrived on August 30th, and has made the last few months a joy. It feels like our family might just be complete now. :o)

We've witnessed love this year, attending two weddings. We've had sadness, losing a two people close to us. And the Badgers are going back to the Rose Bowl - hopefully for a win this time around!

We look forward to the next year and all the adventures it has in store for us. We are excited for all of the firsts that Iris has in store, watching Felix grow and learn, and our jobs providing new challenges and opportunities. We also look forward to all the time spent with family and friends! Cheers!

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Back to Work Again

I knew it couldn't and wouldn't last, but on Monday, I returned to work. It hasn't been as bad as the last time - I'm returning to a better situation, and I've been through it once before. On top of that, I am still nursing Iris through the day because the day care is only a few blocks from my office. It's such a pleasure to be able to see her twice during the day and get a smile from her. :o) So far, things are working out. We're out of the house by 6:30 am and get home around 4 pm for quality time.

Iris is now 14 weeks old and completely lovely. Her personality is more laid back than Felix (evidenced by the fact that she's not screaming her head off waiting for me to get over to feed her). She's already quite the talker - it must be a girl thing. :o) She goes on huge cooing streaks, especially when I'm singing. I wish I could freeze her in time right now, because she's just so adorable.

I've been reading Harry Potter to Iris for her bedtime feeding, just like I did with Felix. I got through the first three books with Felix, so let's see how far we get with her. She's also sleeping great. Most nights, she wakes up only once, and will go as long as 9 hours before waking. Wow.

Felix is very excited about Christmas and winter in general. I'm trying to teach him Christmas carols, and he is excited about Santa coming. He asked me today if I would build a snowman with him. Gladly, sweetie, when we have some snow!

Stay tuned for our Christmas card!

Felix: 3 yrs & Iris: 3 mos

"I'm Elmo"

Felix has quite the imagination. On several occasions, he's told us his name is either Lightning, Elmo, or Bucky. He'll only answer to those names, stating quite seriously, "I'm not Felix, Mama; I'm Elmo." Just warning you... :o)

We've had some challenges talking with Felix, so I found the book How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk. It's been around about as long as I have, so it must have some good advice to still be published now. At the very least, it's nice to have a game plan when talking to him so it keeps us calmer.

Iris is doing very well - getting bigger; smiling, cooing and laughing (well, it sounds more like a gasp) often; and starting to settle into a routine. That's great, because it will make it easier when she joins Felix at daycare in a few weeks (sob!). I'm not excited to go back, but I plan on nursing her since her daycare is so close to work and I will get to see her more than I saw Felix. She's also sleeping well - last night, she slept for over 9 hours straight! Very happy about that - let's see see how the next few nights go. She also likes "flying" as you can see in the picture.

This year, we are so thankful for our healthy little Iris and great big brother Felix, our family and friends, and all the good things we have to look forward to in the coming year.

Felix: 3 yrs & Iris: 11 wks