Hopie Update

Hope continues to grow up.  It is hard to believe that two years ago she was my little baby.  Some Hope tidbits:

Hope loves sketti, french fries, chicken nuggets, mac-n-cheese, and most of all fruit and cheese.

Hope knows her shapes and colors.  Well except the hard shapes like octagon and colors like salmon and magenta.

I have no idea how well Hope can count.  She has counted to fourteen, but doesn't regularly.  She usually skips a number or so.  She recognizes some numbers, but I'm not sure which ones.  She has pointed out '4' and '5' but she really has no interest in showing off what she knows.

The same is true with letters.  She has pointed out some letters such as 'D' 'M' 'G' 'P' 'S' 'B' 'J' 'O' and 'L.'  But, again, she really has no interest in showing off what she knows.  She knows some upper and lower case, but instead of saying upper and lower she says Mommy and Baby.

Hope loves to put puzzles together.  She likes a puzzle app I have on my phone.  She also likes to take my phone to play other games and take pictures and watch videos on YouTube.

Hope loves animals.  Every baby animal needs to be with its Momma.

Hope has used the potty once.  It was a beautiful moment.  I am anxiously waiting for a repeat performance. 

Hope loves Dora the Explorer.

Hope loves bedtime stories.  We usually read four or five - or however many until I fall asleep.  Once in a while she falls asleep first.

Hope has an answer for everything.  For example, our conversation last night after she threw some blueberry stems on the floor:

Me: Hope, no.  They go in the trash, not on the floor.

Hope: That's ok.  The ants will eat them.

Me: No.  The ants live and eat outside.  We don't feed them inside.

Hope: Then the dogs will get them.

Me: No, Abby and Morgan went home.

Hope (after going to get a stuffed dog): This dog will eat them

Common Hope quotes:

"Daddy take it" - what she says when she can't find something.

"I do it myself" - yes, she is two.

"Mommy, snuggle me" - my personal favorite

"No, Hopie's fine" - for when I want to change her diaper.

"Let's go! Let's go!" or "I did it! I did it!" - from Dora

"It's delicious!"

"That's perfect!"

"Good-bye! Good Luck!  Be careful and look for cars!" - on her way to a pretend shopping trip or a pretend trip to the office.

A few recent photos:

Little Miss Beautiful

Hope has discovered my make-up:

Little Pony

Juliana's hair is long enough for a little pony tail - even with a bow!



- Posted by Karen using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Local Farm Fair

One evening last week we took the girls to a local farm fair.  Hope saw a lot of her favorite things.

Sheep

 Cows

 Pigs

 Soda (which for some reason she calls ice)

 A nice Steelers colored chair for our patio

 Juliana slept most of the time.

 Bubbles

 A tractor pull

 Eventually Juliana woke up.

 Test driving a John Deere

 Feeding carrots to the goats.

Three Months, Three Days

Actually, these photos were taken yesterday when Juliana was about three months, three days, and three hours old. 

Juliana smiles and talks all the time.  She likes to talk to us, Hope and stuffed animals.  She is mixing in some consonant sounds with her vowels now. 

Juliana is an overall great sleeper.  She has been sleeping ~ 9 hours a night.  We had a little set back this week when she was up every night at 3 a.m., but I think she was just reminding my of who my real boss is during my first week back to work.  She slept 9 and a half hours last night, so maybe we are back on track.

Juliana's hands are together and close to, if not in her mouth most of the time.  She is starting to reach out and grab things and she studies her hands and feet.

Juliana is pretty laid back most of the time.  When she is fussy, a walk around or rocking or bouncing her usually takes care of it.  But, when she is hungry, look out!  She gives a little warning then has a warm up period, but when she is done waiting, you know it.  She also lets me know when it is time to start the bedtime routine.

Her hair is close to being able to put it in a little pony tail.  I was able to put a little pony tail in Hope's hair at 3 months.  Juliana's is just a little shorter than Hope's was, but it is thicker and covers her head.  She also has some serious volume.

Here are links to some photos of Hope at 3 months:

Hope at Three Months

More of Hope at Three Months

A video of Hope and Juliana:



Hello Abby!

We have another special guest. Abby is staying with us while Heather and Dale visit Alaska (same as Nancy - they do not know each other at all - how coincidental is that?). Joe picked her up today. It is like they have never left. It will be a fun, but hectic, two weeks.


- Posted by Karen using BlogPress from my iPhone

Good Morning From Morgan

Just like old times, Morgan laid on the bed and watched me get ready for work this morning.



- Posted by Karen using BlogPress from my iPhone