Pete? Repeat.

It is already the middle of April! How/when did that happen?

How is it possible that in six short weeks my babies will be turning four and two respectively?

I know it is true because LP has entered the "Why?" phase and has to know the reasons behind the universe's secrets...as well as more mundane things.

For example, last night she was looking in the full length mirror in our upstairs hallway as she brushed her hair and asked, "Aren't I beautiful?" The Hoos and I were amused, and embarrassed, "Well, yes, you are, LP, but you really shouldn't be saying so."

"Why not?"

Well, because it is rude."

"Why?"

"Umm...you can say 'thank you' if someone else says you are beautiful, you can - and should - think that you are beautiful and say it to yourself, but you shouldn't really say it out loud."

"Why?"

AK, on the other hand, is in the "I do it!" phase. Fortunately for us, she is not quite as persistent as her sister was at her age. She will try something a few times and if she can't seem to get it she will call out, "Need help!" and allow you to lend a hand. As long as you do it on her terms.

For example, putting on her shoes. She only likes to do this while standing up. The only assistance you can provide is helping her maintain her balance as she shoves her foot into the shoe. The only way you can help her balance is by holding her hand. You can only hold her left hand with your right hand while she puts on the right shoe and vice versa for the other shoe.

First of all, isn't is AMAZING how these developmental phases work? My post about LP doing everything herself was almost exactly two years ago.

Second, I am so screwed...

No Secrets

As the Hoos and I watch AK develop and grow, we struggle to remember LP achieving the same milestones. Without the evidence of my blog, I think we would swear that LP was born talking. She is a sponge, using words I didn't realize she knew and sharing facts and information at opportune and inopportune times.

For example, yesterday, she had lengthy phone conversations (from the pot, natch) with both the Hoos and my parents. Fortunately, our household secrets were not part of the equation - for once.

"Leo asks me to sit next to him. And I say 'okay, Leo, but you can't hit me or push me or pinch me' and he says that he won't, but THEN HE DOES! Every morning Leo's mom says to him, 'Leo, be a good boy today.' But it doesn't work!"

For the record, AK also talks incessantly. We do not always understand her, but she definitely thinks she is saying something that I should understand, as she will repeat phrases until I figure out what she means. Part of the challenge is that we continue to try to compare LP's and AK's development. I know we shouldn't, especially with our awful memories, but it is the only hands-on kid knowledge that we have. With AK's history of ear infections, we are not sure if it is impacting her speech as her pronunciation is far from perfect - is it a development thing or a delay? (ACK! Too much thinking!) Who know?

Yesterday, we went to the ENT to discuss the possibility of getting tubes for AK. At this point we can continue to wait and see if she will need them and not worry about any permanent damage to her speech and hearing. A reasonable approach since we have had a decent amount of time since her last infection and her nightly Claritin regimen seems to be keeping infections at bay.

Alas, tubes or any other solution won't impact her volume control. It is just a toddler thing. A horrible, unpleasant toddler thing. No one likes hearing "MOMMMMYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!" screeched at the top of their kid's lungs. Even if she does do it to the tune of Tarzan's "Ahhhhhhhh-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-aaahhhhhhhhh" call. Hoping that will go away when I can understand her better...

Just Another Day

I know that there are people out there (all two of you) that are just itching for new and exciting postings. I am sorry to disappoint, really, there just isn't too much happening. Or at least nothing that I can write succinctly about. Here are some snippets of life in our house over the past week or so.

Last night both girls picked out a piece of Halloween candy from the basket to have as dessert. LP chose Whoppers (three malt balls) and I gave AK a Kit-Kat. While they chowed down, I left the room to get paper towels to clean them off and shortly thereafter I heard a little squeak from AK and called out, "What's going on in there?" LP's response, "I'm just sharing AK's candy." Nice.

A bit later LP called my parents and said to my dad, "Guess who likes chocolate? Me and [AK]!" Shocking.

My grandmother sent the girls Halloween cards, one of which "sings" the Hampster Dance (they use the 'P', I know that isn't how you spell it!). AK LOVES it. She gets so disappointed when the music stops and hasn't quite figured out how to get it to restart.

AK has started shrieking to get our attention. It is awful. To make matters worse, LP mocks her and follows her lead (jealousy? attention getting?), so I occasionally have two screamers. I know that once AK has a better handle on her communication skills she will use words instead of sounds, but it really sucks and is horribly embarrassing in public. And hopefully LP will knock it off.

LP is incredibly verbal and talks up a blue streak about all sorts of things to just about anyone that will listen. One of her latest features is baby talk. I know it seems silly to say that a three-year old has regular talk and baby talk, but LP does. She usually speaks very clearly and uses good size words and sentences. When I call her on talking like a baby she insists that it is because she has something in her mouth. This kid is a piece of work and I have a feeling that as soon as her sister catches up they two of them will leave me dizzy most of the time.

Putting it Together

An awesome thing about being a mom is watching your kids put it all together - bringing things they have learned in the past, at school, from family and friends to bear on current situations. I still can't really get used to it.

Yesterday as I drove the girls home from school we passed a home that had been razed several months ago. We call it "the knock down house." I pointed out to LP that there was a truck (a bulldozer maybe?) on the lawn, meaning that the home was going to be rebuilt soon.

"Mommy, I wish our house was knocked down so that we could have a truck." When I replied that we wouldn't have a place to sleep if our home was knocked down her quick response was, "Well, mommy, then we could sleep in a sukkah."

For those of you out there wondering what a sukkah is, it is a temporary shelter, built for Sukkot, a Jewish holiday that starts this Friday and celebrates (among other things) a successful harvest. You are supposed to eat in the sukkah and sleep out underneath the stars (the roof is open on purpose so you can see the stars).

When I mentioned it to the Hoos, letting him know that his conversation with her at services on Monday made an impression, he responded, "I didn't show her the Sukkah at the synagogue. I showed it to AK." We have no idea how LP made this connection. We haven't read any books about the holiday recently and when we asked her where she came up with this she replied mysteriously, "From somewhere."

And, on Sunday night as I was getting the diaper bag ready for attending synagogue the next day, LP asked if we would eat at synagogue. When I told her that Yom Kippur is not an eating holiday, rather, it is a day when many Jewish people don't eat (okay, I said "fast" but the Hoos told me I was being confusing, so I switched words), she started rearranging the diaper bag, removing the juice boxes and snacks stowed in it.

How did I create such a smart, thoughtful, wonderful child? Awesome.

A Mile a Minute

Fortunately, the blog title DOES NOT have to do with how fast AK is walking - yet. But last night she was pulling herself into a standing position from the middle of the floor, taking a few steps, falling down and pulling herself back up again. It is only a matter of time before crawling becomes totally passé.

In addition to the walking, yesterday AK learned how to turn on the faucets in the bath tub. Which is a fun challenge when you are bathing two adorable little girls at once. I am like a defensive lineman, trying to keep two slippery little girls from injuring each other, getting burned, and drenching my entire bathroom (AK's new bath time fun includes scooping water up in her hands and tossing it out of the tub - her hands are small, but she is fast!).

At the playground AK has also started climbing the stairs by herself, crawling over to the slide, righting herself and attempting to go down feet first without assistance. I am constantly climbing up and down the steps, riding the slide and moving as fast as I can to make sure she doesn't jump out of an opening, fall down an opening, bang the back of her head on the slide, whack her face into the railing, get stepped on by any of the other rugrats enjoying the playground, or get smothered by LP who tries to catch her at the bottom of the slide.

Who needs to go to the gym?

These Feet Were Made for Walking

My little AK is on the move!

My back is sore from holding her little hands the entire weekend so she could take in the world from an upright position. She only opted to crawl if she really wanted to get somewhere fast. In addition to exploring with Mommy hovering above holding her hands, we spent a lot of time having her walk between us as we stood a few feet a part - taking maybe four or five steps at a time before lunging at whoever she was walking toward.

Then, last night as we stood in the kitchen, I decided to take it a bit further. I would set her up facing me and then as she walked I would move backward. She practically walked across the entire kitchen! She then walked about 12-15 steps on her own between us before becoming unsure of herself and dropping back into a crawl position.

She was so proud of herself, laughing and clapping. LP was also really impressed, hugging her little sister and saying, "I can't believe she is doing so great!"

Of course every time we tried to videotape she would fall down, but she is really getting it! And she wore herself out - getting cranky a half hour earlier than usual and insisting on bath and bed before 8pm. Not that I am complaining, because she wore me out too!

Food Chasing

A couple of weeks ago AK started getting into a sitting position by herself. We realized this when we went in to her room while trying to get her to nap and saw her on her knees holding on to the crib rail. Needless to say we immediately lowered the crib.

She has been getting around no problem, mostly by stretching, sitting up, stretching sitting up (repeat) until she has what she wants or scooting backwards. This is very different from LP, a world class roller. LP would roll all over he house - from room to room even. AK started rolling a few weeks earlier than LP, but never really used it as a mode of transportation.

Last night AK really got moving and grooving forward. Shockingly (note sarcasm) it was in an effort to stalk my dinner.

The Hoos was late getting home last night so I was eating my turkey meatloaf and baked sweet potato on the floor of the living room while playing with the girls. LP instantly was upon me, stealing my fork so she could eat my potato "like a grown up"(e.g., WITH A FORK). Never mind that both girls had just eaten.

AK decided she wanted in on the action and so I moved my plate out of her reach. "Out of her reach" is no longer an option, apparently, because she just chased it down and attempted to shovel meatloaf into her mouth with her cute little fingers. Every time I moved my plate, baby girl followed.

I am in for it now.

As an aside, last night I just cut up a Morningstar Chik N Patty and put it on a plate with ketchup and melon and put it in front of LP without saying anything. I am always trying to get her to eat more protein. Amazingly, she just ate it! Didn't refuse it, ask for pasta (her usual dinner of choice), just ate more than half of it. I am going to have to try this strategy more often!

The Short End of the Stick

The guilt is eating away at me. As you have surely noticed my last few posts have focused on LP. She has obviously had quite a significant accomplishment over the last few days and we are thrilled to pieces with her. Unfortunately, poor little AK has been getting the short shrift.

It is necessary to reap praise and congratulations on LP to reinforce her potty success. Couple this with the fact that I have to visit the bathroom with her every time she needs to use the toilet. And finally, consider that LP likes to "help, " so instead of watching me make cookies from a prime position on the floor (e.g., AK in her ExerSaucer) she actively participates.

I feel awful.

Especially since AK is starting to notice that fun things are going on and she is just a passive bystander. Now, when I leave the room to help LP in the bathroom she cries out for me. It seriously sounds like, "Hey! Don't forget about me. Your other daughter. The cute little one with the fuzzy head."

I try to spend time focusing on AK, but it is hard when LP is around. She is a constant whirlwind of activity and requests. She distracts both AK and me. On the other hand, she is often really awesome to sister. Trying to play with her and teach her things. Yesterday she complained to me, "Mommy, AK won't play this puzzle with me."

I know that AK will be asking for and getting her own in just a few short months. Can you moms out there with more than one kid just remind me that they all turn out okay, don't resent you or each other and that this is totally normal?

Big Mouth

LP is talking up a storm these days. She remembers everything and repeats it in the correct context (although not always at the most appropriate of times). Some recent additions to her repertoire:

• "Oh my goodness gracious!" She told me that her friend Addie taught her this one.
• "Girls have tushies; Boys have peanuts." This little gem was shared during circle time at school. She went on to confirm for everyone that boys do not have tushies.
• "Jesus Christ! I need new pants." At least we were alone in our home office when she yelled this out - she thought her pants were too tight.
• "I am sad." Me: Why? "You hurt my feelings." How? "You pushed me." I then launched into a discussion about lying that totally went over her head.
• "Baby is not listening to me. BABY DO YOU HEAR MY WORDS?!" Her poor poor baby dolls.
• Yesterday when she refused to stay on her cot during nap time and Miss Shauna threatened to tell Mommy, she responded, "And tell Daddy. And AK." Fresh, fresh, fresh.
• "I don't need a bath, I don't have a rash." You try convincing a two year old that these two things have nothing to do with one another.

Oh, and in addition to a big mouth, my little muffin has a big knot on her head. Apparently one of the teachers accidentally kicked her in the head during gym class the other day. The knot was never pretty, but yesterday her eyes got little smudges on the inside corners and look a little swollen. I still haven't exactly figured out exactly how this happened but it involved uneven bars and a dismount and LP sneaking up under the bars. According to the incident report they gave her ice and "LTC". I hope they mean TLC.

The Evolution of Advice

Yesterday AK had her 4 month check up. As expected, she is fantabulous. She is 13 pounds, 11 ounces and 24.5 inches long. She will be starting cereal this week: 1-2 tablespoons mixed with an ounce of water.

According to LP's baby book, at her 4 month check up she weighed 16 pounds, 1 ounce, and was the same length. She also started cereal at this point, 1-2 tablespoons mixed with breastmilk.

According to my baby book, I was 13 pounds, 1 ounce and 24 inches long. And eating chicken and veal.

Getting Oriented

After ignoring the request to send four bottles in for AK instead of just three, I received a new request on yesterday's daily sheet, "Please get larger nipples, [AK] gets frustrated when the milk doesn't come out fast enough and she then falls asleep."

First of all, thank you very much for noticing my nips, I think they are large enough considering they are the size of tea saucers; second of all, fine, whatever, I will get faster flowing nipples. I know that she is a fast eater at home and despite the fact that the nipples on the Nuby bottles are supposed to be "vari-flow", I can understand if a different nipple might better mimic the boob. In fact, I picked some Dr. Brown's stage 2 standard nipples at WalMart this morning.

On the positive side, last night was the open house at LP's and AK's school. We got to meet and greet with the teachers and other parents and hear more about their classrooms. Since there is only one of me and two classrooms for me to visit (the Hoos had an event for work last night, so even with the in-laws baby-sitting I was still on my own), I sent the majority of my time in LP's room. I did the infant room when LP was in it.

Regardless of time spent, Miss Louise and the other teachers in AK's room did inform me that they think she is on the cusp of holding her own bottle. That is pretty awesome in my opinion. They also let me know that she is adorable and very alert. What can I say, I make awesome babies?

LP's classroom required me to sit in a very uncomfortable toddler-sized chair. What is it about those chairs that make my kidneys ache? I was pleased to learn more about LP's teachers and day-to-day activities. I got the impression that everyone thinks LP is as cool and cute a kid as I do. But I would probably think that even if it wasn't true. Apparently at school when they wake the kids up after nap time, all they have to say to LP is, "Do you want to go potty?" and she jumps up and runs to it. If I ask if she wants to go potty she typically ignores me.

A good outcome was that the teachers offered to share their lesson plans and song lyrics so we can try to keep up at home. I always feel like a moron when LP requests a song that I don't know - except for "Hamda," a title she has given to a Hebrew song that I likely wouldn't sing even if I could - it is part of the Hoos' repertoire anyway. I just hope they have some songs other than five little monkeys jumping on the bed or swinging in the trees. They are already killing me.

One Trick Ponies

LP's trick of the day is that she pees on the potty beautifully - but only at school. Yesterday, for the second day in a row, she peed on the potty FOUR times. At home, not so much. At least she has learned to pull down the pull-ups and reuse them when there isn't pee in them instead of tossing them. Maybe it will save me some green.

Dee is just the opposite. She rolls like a superstar at home; I think they don't believe me at school, because she hasn't done it there once. Of course, this could be because they don't put her on the floor much. Most of the other kids are bigger and they are afraid the boys will steamroll her if they put her on the floor. While I understand, I still think it is important for her to get tummy time and floor play. Today they assured me that they would work it out next week when a teacher returns from vacation.

My trick is staying sane. I am not really good at it.

I'm a Survivor

Seriously, I just lived through LP's worst ever tantrum. She found a ball at the playground and wanted it, didn't want it, didn't want to look at it, but didn't want to leave it, didn't want it in the car, didn't want anyone else to have it...sweet lord, why do children have so much energy to focus on negativity?

My strategy was to ignore her. Not sure if that is what is recommended, but it worked. She was ready for lunch after 45 minutes and only cried for 2 minutes before passing out into her nap.

On the bright side - Dee has started rolling over! She goes from her back to her belly repeatedly and even manages to get her hand out from underneath her and raise her head up. My precocious little one did well at school this morning, "She is so sweet" according to the note from her teacher. So far she has not shown any problems taking the bottle or adapting to the new environment. I am guessing that the infant room seems downright quiet after outlasting an LP tantrum.