9 Month Annibirthery (and post #100!)

On Thanksgiving Russell turned 9 months old.

He is crawling. Under things. Over things. Around things. Between things. Which ever way is the most difficult and the chances of getting stuck are higher. I am loving it. It is so fun to watch him and see how he is observing things and trying to figure them out.

Tonight he decided to tackle stairs - going up - while I was near. He did really well. We then, as a team, practiced going down the stairs safely.

Russell has started saying "mama", although only when he is under duress. I'll take what I can get. He is also working on the sign for "more". It's promising.

We took these photos when we got home from Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone was a little stuffed and a little tired. Made for a chuckle of a photo shoot.

Mae SO wanted in on the picture. It took everything she had to stay to one side. Kind of. 

But mom! My sister is right there. I want to get her!

Etta wanted in on the action in a more grown up way.

Smile!

They have SO much fun together. (Most of the time.)

Lost cause at this point.

Etta at nine months.

Mae at nine months.

So Russell seems to be more "advanced" in the gross motor skills department than either girl was. He can go into sitting position, crawl AND pull himself up. All with no problem or hesitation. Is that a boy thing or a third child thing? Maybe a bit of both. He has more hair than both girls - combined. Probably more hair than Etta had a one! The more kids we get the more fun the photo sessions are. Never a dull moment and we are loving every moment of it!

*Edited to add*:
Weight - 17 lbs., 12 oz. = 23%
Height - 27.5" = 9%
Head circumference - 45 cm. = 40%

Cuddles

Mae was battling a cold for a couple of weeks in early November. And she still would benefit from a nap most days. But, alas, she doesn't really like to lie down. But if daddy is willing to take a nap too, then it works out.

Good bye sweet friends

Grandpa Steve has been having some lung issues and was under doctor's orders to get rid of all of the chickens and pigeons. While I am not exactly sure what happened to all of them, I know they no longer reside at the Wicks'. So Bob took the girls up to say a sad goodbye.

Goldie - Mae's chicken

Kramer - Etta's chicken

Group shot. They sure did love those chickens. (But Bob most of all.)

Halloween

Here are the pics that I promised ... last week.

Halloween was pretty fun this year. Every year it gets just a little bit better.

The girls were more involved with the pumpkin carving this year. A bit. They still aren't' super hip on the pumpkin guts. But they're getting there. And we trick or treated in our neighborhood again. Many, many dark houses. And after about 3 Mae said, "I just want to go home, eat Skittles and go to bed!" Jackie & Rachel took Etta and they continued for awhile. Overall it was a really fun day.

Mae intent on Bob's creation.

Etta & Steve discussing the plans for her pumpkin. Her Wicks genes were really coming through.

More watching. Bob trying not to make his "lawn mowing" face.

Group shot! Bob & I are going to miss The Girls very much. They are incredible with our kids. [Note: When Etta was a baby both girls refused to hold her. They held Mae when she was a bit bigger and now have no problem playing with Russell. Amazing what a few years and a couple of babies will do. Although they still aren't thrilled about babies...]

Happy Halloween!

2008

2009

2010

2011 - Pumpkins

Costumes

2012

8 Month Annibirthery

One month. Really? I didn't blog for a month? Well, it happens.

Today is Russell's 8 month annibirthery.

8 months?

Where did the time go?

Oh wait. I know where it's been. It's been playing, sleeping, preserving, playing, cleaning, playing, cooking, school, lessons, school, playing, traveling, living life.

It's been fun.

Russell is a pretty incredible 8 month old. He is "the happiest baby" that everyone has ever seen. And I have to agree. He's not just a happy baby in public. He's a happy baby 99% of the time. If he sees a bottle and you aren't getting it to him quick enough he voices his displeasure. Or if he is very, very tired he can be grumpy. But besides that? Pretty pleasant.

He is now king of his domain and likes to explore. He is still a little tentative, for a few minutes, in a new situation, but he usually mans up and starts crawling around. He is attracted to open doors and electrical cords. Must be a boy thing.

His current favorite game is to play "catch" with a racquet ball ball by himself. He will push it away from himself and then crawl it down and push it again. He was also very enamored with glow sticks at the harvest party Saturday night. If he gets intent on something he can do it for a really long time. [Side note: When he first started rolling he would make his way to the edge of the area rug and then proceed to slap the hardwood with an open palm and enjoy the ensuing sound. He would do this for 20, 35, 40 minutes before moving on...]

He pulled himself up in his crib last weekend which precipitated Bob having to lower it to its lowest point. He hasn't pulled himself up on anything else, although he likes to climb on anything that is equivalent to one step. Ie: step stools, toys, my legs if I'm on the floor...

The girls still love him. Mae's relationship is kind of love/hate right now. She loves him but doesn't want him to touch any toys. Her immediate answer is to put everything up on the couches. Can't wait to see what she comes up with once he is pulling himself to standing at the couches and can reach said toys.

I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to get this shot because every time I laid him on the ground he started to roll. So I called for reinforcements. In the mean time I just put the camera up and started gabbing at him. He is a Camera. Hog.

I had already gotten a good shot but Mae wanted in on the action. I think he is going to catch her size-wise sooner than later.

He was ready to pose for me during pumpkin carving too. He had just finished enjoying a graham cracker snack.

Making sure to get those last crumbs.

Cheese! (Ball...)

Hi Mom!! Great shot of his four teeth. "Two on the bottom and two on the top" Mae always tells people.

Sneak peek at the pumpkins we carved. More pics to follow tomorrow.

Etta at 8 months.

Mae at 8 months.

7 Month Annibirthery

Well, Saturday was Russell's 7 month annibirthery. We were at UI Homecoming, and although I told pretty much every person we saw that he was seven months TODAY, it slipped my mind to take his picture. Oops.

St. Maries band. Pixar extravaganza.

All sorts of characters. So fun!

Updated family pic. At least one child is looking at the camera.

Chillin' in a bin.

Also enjoyed the bins.

Go Horns! I'm Spiderman! I'm 3! So many options.

Yay! Bin!

Is that a camera? I had better laugh!

Double chin and two teeth. Could he be any cuter?

And he even cooperated when I pulled his legs down.

Oh my gosh. What is happening here? Who are these crazy characters?

Sibs.

Etta at 7 months.

Mae at 7 months.

For as much as they all look alike, they really don't. The double chin is there for all of them. (Thanks, mommy.) But Russell is definitely his own kid. For starters he has WAY more hair than either girl did at seven months. (Lucky him. Isn't it always that way for boys?!) And he's just more . . . boy. And I think he has Bob's oblong head - not my round one. 

Russell is crawling. Full out crawling at seven months. The girls did not crawl until later. He's not fast yet. But it's more that he's not in a hurry. He sees something he likes or wants to explore and he moseys on over. And of course his favorite things are the fire place and the shoe pile. And maybe chewing on a carpet corner. Yum. But the girls love him and he loves the girls. Mae doesn't really like it when he "gets off the carpet" (the area rug), but she'll need to get over that.

He is still a very good sleeper - naps and at night. And while he is quite scheduled, he can still go with the flow. Very important when you have a sister in school. He is laid back and fun. What more could you want in a baby?

Little Man

Who definitely loves the camera.

Bluest of blue eyes.

Smile always at the ready.

Preparing to crawl.
(Which he now does like a champ.)

Oop. Heard the camera. Must pose.

Seriously cute.

Friends

They are on their way to becoming best of friends!

As Russell is becoming more mobile Mae isn't super sure about sharing her stuff, but for the most part they really like each other.

A couple mornings a week we load up and go for a stroll. Russell loves to be outside and Mae loves to ride in the stroller.

They are both very camera happy.

I was taking pictures of Russell in the crawling position and Mae decided she needed in on that action also.

She was teaching him how to say, "Cheese!"

Twin hood-sters.

Three Years Old!

Mae is three years old.

I can hardly believe it.

I can't, for the life of me, remember her as a baby. Kind of. In that hazy, I'm-not-as-bad-of-a-parent-as-I-sound kind of way.

Bob and I were just talking today about how she doesn't gradually go through stages. One second she is at one stage and the next second she has moved on. Started crawling in July - walking the beginning on September. A three word vocabulary in August - full comprehensive sentences before Christmas.

Toddler yesterday. Big girl today.

Mae is a hoot. Funny. Naturally funny. She has a dry sense on humor and can make me laugh no matter what mood I'm in.

She is also very intuitive when it comes to feelings. No matter how hard I try to hide my feelings (usually anger or sadness) from her, she just knows. "Why're you sad, Mom?" "Are you angry?" She just knows.

She idolizes Etta and wants to annoy the heck out of her at the same time. Many times I have to separate them to different floors because Etta has lashed out at the annoyance and has made Mae cry. Mae's cries can turn instantly from wails of hurt to wails of, "But I want to play with Etta!!" Enough to make me pull my hair most days.

But they do play together...sometimes...and it is pretty adorable. One of Mae's favorite games is "Dad and Kid". Etta's the dad and Mae's the kid. Just a few weeks ago she always wanted to be the baby, but Etta kept saying it was nap time so then Mae changed to being the kid. She knows her stuff.

And boy does she love Russell. Or her "LeeLee" as she calls him. She wants to see him first thing every time he wakes up from a nap or she has been out and about with out him. She loves to play with him and make him giggle. She also likes to mount the walker behind him while he is cruising. Not my favorite game.

Mae is a true joy and a light in our lives.

She likes to be the center of attention. Until she is the center of attention.

She thought is was hilarious that we were singing to her. Just to HER!

She loves frosting. And candy. And pickles.

Getting close to being able to eat the cake - not share the cake. (Word World reference.)

Frosting face.

When I bake with the girls I make them pull their hair back. (Another reason why Etta is glad her hair is short now.) A pony tail just makes her look so much older for some reason. I wish that she would let me do it more.

Her stats at 3 years:

Weight: 29.5 lbs

Height: 36.75 inches

Etta at 3 years.