Cold Turkey

Despite the appearance of this first picture, Katherine did not take a pacifier. She was much more interested in it once Caroline was into it. In face, Katherine did not take a pacifier or bottle, just mom.

With Caroline it was my goal for her to take both a bottle and a paci. Luckily she cooperated with both. We still did not use bottles often but it was nice that she would take them if I needed to leave her with someone else (most of the time).

I don't remember exactly when she started to take a paci, probably about 2-3 months.

From then on her paci was tethered to her by a clip almost all the time.

I remember we lost 2 pacis on the same weekend last December but since then we have managed to survive with only 2, the purple clip and the beaded clip. We would lose one for awhile but it would always show up again.

By the way, we loved the beaded clip(there are several designs). It was a Christmas present from Grammy. It was the only clip that would actually work.

Most of the time we did not clip the pacis on but it made it easier for her to manage and for us to find on the floor.

I have been wanting to get rid of the pacifier since her birthday but it seemed we were always sick or traveling or there was something going on that I thought she needed it. And, I just dreaded the process.

Recently though I noticed that she rarely fell asleep with the paci. I would put it in her crib and when she woke up and would cry, it would be with the paci in her mouth. So, it was doing little to pacify her.

And then in the daytime she would get tired of it and take it out of her mouth, walk to me and give it to me.

So, a week ago I decided to just stop giving it to her. It has been easy and really not an issue at all. We just went cold turkey. I did not make it something for just in the crib or just in the car. The only time I have let her have it was at Mother's Day Out because she does horribly there. But they said it did not help so we will probably not use it again.

I am so glad I went ahead and took that thing away before she was old enough to really protest. She has been fine without it and it is really just a germ magnet.

Bye Bye Paci!

Fairest one of all

Today Caroline and I met her friend Elizabeth and mom Sarah at a pumpkin patch at a neighborhood church. The goal was to get cute photos in (one of her) Halloween costumes. Aren't they so cute?

Halloween party at school

We started going to a new preschool this year and have loved it. One thing I love is all of the parent involvement and extra activities. Today was the Halloween party and as the room mother I was able to attend.

First we did a craft where the kids painted small pumpkins with glue and then sprinkled it with glitter. We did not know how it would go but they did great. Some kids dumped their glitter in one big glob on top and others sprinkled it all around.

These two handsome boys are Reece and Grayson. I have known their moms for awhile, mainly through blogging and common friends. In fact, Reece's mom was the photographer when Caroline was born and Kirsten would have been my back up doula but she had a new baby of her own. Anyway, this year the boys are in Katherine's class so now she is becoming friends with them, at least as much as she allows herself to be friends with any boy. :)

Caroline was at the party and before I noticed she had started painting a pumpkin on her own. I think next time I will seen alternate plans for Caroline.

Next we had a snack. There was fruit, popcorn, cookies and juice.

The Arbo with Friends

We went to the Arboretum with some of Sam's friends from college. Katherine loved that they have a 5 year old, Ava to play with. It was another beautiful day to play at the Arboretum and enjoy the pumpkin patch.

Just another day

at the Arboretum!

Friday we returned to the Arboretum Pumpkin Patch with the MOPS group at my church. Of course we took more photos.

This time Nana was with me and that helped to have an extra hand.

The kids are so mobile that it is hard to get a photo of the two of them together.

I thought this picture of the 4 of us was great. Too bad both kids spilled yogurt all over their shirt.

15 months

Caroline, you are now 15 months old. This month you have changed the most in your communications. It is like all of a sudden you realized that you could communicate so you are adding words and signs daily to what you know. Of course at this point very few of your words are clear and apparent to strangers but in context and with consistency I know what you are saying.

Here are the words that you say (after translated to normal English):

bow, sticker, key, hot dog, baby, drink, book, ball, duck, dog, cat, bird, mama, dada, yeah, up-oh, diaper, shhh (quiet), hot, baby, cheese, eat, hat and I know I am leaving some out. The funniest one is that if I ask you a question and you want to say "yes", you say "yea yea". It is cute now because it is a verbal approximation but we will be working to change that to a yes and eventually a yes ma'am as soon as we can. You are just starting to get into animal sounds and right now know that a cow says "moo" and a bee says "buzzzzz".

You have really caught on to sign language this month as well. Your favorite books to read are the sign language ones and you imitate all of the pictures. There are numerous signs that I will show you once and then you will use it on your own later. The signs you know are: milk, eat, more, all done, please, thank you, duck, bird, dog, cat, fish, crocodile, rabbit hat, toothbrush, diaper, and quiet. You have made up your own sign for a "boo-boo" by patting your head and by far the most useful is when you do the sign and say "diaper" when you need a new diaper. The cutest one is when you sign "please" when you want something.

I think that the reason your language has really taken off this month is because this month you finally decided that you enjoy books. As a second child it seemed that things were often so chaotic that you were rushed to bed without reading. You rarely sat still for a book. Something magically changed and now you love books. When I go to your room to put you to bed you run to your bookshelf, remove a few books and put them on the glider for me to read. I used to nurse you while I read a book but now if the light is on you do not want to nurse, you want to read. I love it. I think it really is helping your language because we are pointing out different objects and I tell you what they are and show you the signs. You had no clue what a crocodile was until this week when they started showing up in books.

Your hair has gotten a lot longer and I am starting to see some curl to the end. It still blows my mind that I would have 2 daughters with curl in their hair. You certainly did not get it from me. People also constantly comment on how "toe-head" you are. I guess your hair really is a lot lighter than Katherine's.

You love to be with your big sister and you imitate everything she does. You love to play dress up already. Shhh-when Katherine was at school I let you put on her recital tutu. You were so proud.

You are quite the climber and can climb all the way up the ladder of our swing set and go down the tall slide without any help. Of course we don't let you do it without our help but you are amazingly capable. You really like to climb pretty much anything. You climb into the high chair, on the furniture, playground equipment, whatever you can. And yet, the worst injury of the month was when you fell just walking down the side walk. You are one tough girl though and did not cry much.

You are not just a good walker but you are fast and really pretty much running now as well. You and Katherine love to play chase around the house. You can also walk backwards, spin around and you try to jump though it is more of a bounce right now. You love to dance, stomp and clap. It is so cute to see what you do when the music comes on.

Your have had a stubborn streak appear lately. You do not want to get in your high chair and can arch your back in such a way that I literally cannot get you it. I have to just lay you on the ground and ignore you until you complete your temper tantrum. You also have been known to throw a fit about getting into your car seat. That is not fun when we have somewhere to go.

For some reason you are still obsessed with Hooligan's food and water bowl. You especially like to splash in her outside water bowl. I don't know what it is about the dog food but almost daily I find a piece in your mouth. I have actually found up to 10 pieces in there at once! You do love your puppy and you love to pet her.

We are about ready to give up your paci. I have been ready for a few months but it seems that something keeps coming up like sickness, travel or starting Mother's Day Out so we keep putting it off. You do not need it to fall asleep anymore and if you wake up in the middle of the night crying, it is usually already in your mouth doing nothing to soothe you. In the day you will often take it out and hand it to me when you don't want it anymore. The only time I may still let you have it is at Mother's Day Out. You have been having a really hard time there and I have had to pick you up early a few times.

I am also more ready to wean you but my Dr. and I talked about waiting until after flu season. So, if you wean yourself by then that is fine but I won't try until after Christmas.

Speaking of the doctor, we went in for your 15 month well visit this week only it was also a sick visit. You have been sick a few times this month and this time it was a fever. You weighed 19lb 5oz - 10%, were 30.5 in tall - 50%, and you had a head circumference of 45.3cm -40%. So you are still a petite gal and are not yet able to turn around in your car seat. That is fine with me though as you are safer facing backwards and we did not turn Katherine around until 21 months.

You have a recent obsession with washing your hands. I am not sure where it came from but any time anyone is in the bathroom you want to wash your hands. You know the whole routine - soap, water and towel. I guess with flu and other sicknesses going around it can't hurt.

You are a snuggler and I love that. You love to give hugs and kisses and it is so cute to watch you and Katherine snuggle and hug.

You are eating great and usually eat what we eat. You love just about anything and will try almost anything. If you don't like something you take it out of your mouth and try to hand it to me.

You are not sleeping that well right now. You are in the midst of the transition from 2 naps to 1. That means I never know for sure when you will fall asleep or how long a nap will last. You usually are ready to conk out around 11:30 or 12 which is a horrible time because we are usually headed home from something and you fall asleep in the car. At night you go to bed easily but lately you have been waking up a lot. I can get you back to sleep either snuggling or nursing but you usually wake back up when I put you in your crib. What you really want is to sleep with mommy and daddy. In fact, you will point to our room when we pick you up. We have given in enough that you know it is an option but I am tired of it.

Caroline, you are so much fun. I can't wait to see what you do this month.

Note: This month our camera broke so there are not as many photos as usual to choose from. So, most of these photos have been posted on the blog already and do not relate to what I am talking about but they are cute photos of Caroline for her baby book that I will make from the blog someday.