The kids

Wow, have I been a blogging bum or what? Life has been busy, what can I say?

Better grab some popcorn. This is gonna be long!

RYAN is 9 months old! He had his check up last Monday and all is (mostly) well. This little guy must burn a lot of calories getting around because he has only gained 3 ounces since his 6 month check up! At 16 lbs., 9 oz. he falls into the 1st percentile for weight! Yes, you heard me right. 1%!!! And 28 inches in length puts him in the 40th percentile for height. He's a petite little guy to say the least. Despite Ryan's mobility most likely explaining the lack of weight gain, the pediatrician was mildly concerned and suggested I start supplementing with formula. :( I was not happy to hear this. I'll admit it. It's a total pride thing. Chloe never tasted an ounce of formula and I hoped I'd be able to say the same for Ryan. I realize though, that it really isn't a big deal. I am so fortunate to have been able to nurse both of my children without issues. I have plenty of friends who have yearned for that and for whatever reason haven't been able to, and my heart goes out to them. I'm STILL nursing Ryan and plan to for as long as I can, just throwing an extra bottle of formula into the mix as needed. He's doing great with table foods and jarred stuff. Still no teeth, but I'm expecting to see the first break through any day.









Ryan is drawn to destruction. It's as simple as that. I'll be surprised if his first word isn't "No!" with the number of times a day he hears it! His latest favorite thing would have to be the knobs on the receiver. He is constantly messing with them, which doesn't go over so well when big sister is watching her daily dose of 'Tom and Jerry'. When he sees a cupboard open, he races to it, and if there's time, will pull out everything within reach, then proceed to climb in! He's standing up against anything that will support him, and sometimes things that won't support him too. He's also putting anything and everything in his mouth! Appearance and texture don't matter. If it's within reach, it's gonna go in the mouth! The other day I found two of those plastic googly eyes in his diaper! They weren't just placed there - they were fully digested! How he managed to swallow those without choking is beyond me! He's also started walking on all fours with his bum in the air. He's a funny, sneaky, mischievous boy who keeps me very busy!





Not much has changed with CHLOE. She continues to make us crazy. She also makes us laugh A LOT, so I guess it all evens out.



Here are some of the funny things she's come up with lately:

"Daddy kicked my bum and it hurt! That's why I'm serious! I'm serious about that!"

"Is it hot? It's definitely hot! That hot's a little warm!"

"Um, excuse me. Um, Mommy, I love you and Ryan, but he's more spensive." (expensive)

"Can I try yours to see if it's slurpeeier than mine?" (referring to my slurpee)

"I'm just teasin' around!"

"Let's make it for a run!"

"Soup turns into poop!" {slight pause} "...AND lettuce!"

As you can see, she picks up on a lot of what we say and then tries to mimic us, even if it isn't in the right context. It's hilarious. Whenever I say "shoot" or "dangit", she'll say, "Did you just say...?" as if I repeated a forbidden word.

She has mastered the art of talking back. She always has to have the last word, and sometimes our arguments get pretty heated before I realize how ridiculous it is that we're even arguing at all! She just knows how to push the right buttons. She'll say stuff like, "Well if you're gonna blah blah blah, I'm not gonna be your friend anymore!", or "..."I'm not gonna share with you!" She's also said the famous phrase, "Life isn't fair!" Tonight she was mad at Neil and said, "We're not best friends anymore!" then ran to her room in tears.

I cannot get over how smart she is. She has a crazy good memory and will ask about the most random past times, sometimes things that go back as far as 18 months ago! She loves being read to more than she ever has, and is constantly bringing books to me and begging to sit on my lap while I read. One skill that's really caught my attention lately is her ability to recognize musical instruments! It isn't anything I went out of my way to teach her, she just knows them! We'll be in the car listening to something, and she'll out of the blue say, "Is that a violin?" - AND - 95% of the time, she's right! I have tested her knowledge and she has been able to pick out a piano, flute, violin, trumpet and saxophone (which she'll often refer to as, "what Uncle D plays" if she can't remember the word itself). Perhaps we have a little musician on our hands! I'm sure the Halliday side of the family wouldn't mind that!

Chloe passed swim lessons with flying colors! To say she loved them would be a huge understatement. When her last class ended I think I was just as sad as she was, for her sake. It was fun for her to have something to look forward to every day. Here are a couple pictures I got of her during the last week of lessons. We'll definitely be enrolling her in more classes come Fall.







One of my favorite things about Chloe is the overwhelming joy she finds in the simple things of life.



Ladybugs (or just about any bugs), a tiny flower (whether vibrant or wilted), or a new treat in the pantry are just a few examples. It's inspiring to me to watch her eyes get big and mouth open wide with a smile. She makes me want to enjoy the little things more and to not stress the big things as much. Her simple optimism and cheerful little voice make it so easy to feel happy, and to love her.

How could you not love this blue eyed blonde!

These two sweet kiddos of mine have so much fun together. Ryan is old enough now that he and Chloe can actually play together. He often wanders into her room looking for her, and they end up playing together for several minutes at a time, 100% entertained. It's so fulfilling witnessing the bond that is growing between my two children. They are sure to be best friends.

So that's the latest with these two cutie pies. Forgive me for being a bad blogger lately. Life has just been too busy! It seems I've had something going on every day for as long as I can think back! And the coming weeks aren't looking much better. Oh well. I suppose keeping busy keeps me out of trouble. :) Hope you're all well. More updates to come soon, including Neil's last house projects and my photography. Changed my photo blog address, by the way. Now it's http://www.valeriandersenphotography.blogspot.com/. Be watching it. I finished some senior pictures last Saturday and did some family portraits Sunday evening. Am hoping to get some of those posted by tomorrow night.

Hope you're all having a happy week!