Life Updates

So. The main event of the past two weeks have been the aforementioned transition of Gabriel sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's walk-in closet, falling asleep either out by the computer on the floor or with Mommy laying down with him, to going to bed at the same time as Baby Israel, in Baby Israel's room, without Mommy laying down with him to put him to sleep. It took about 7-8 nights for the screeching to stop, and a lot of tears from Mommy, and figuring out what worked and what didn't, but now it is over and done and he is always asleep within 15 minutes after settling down. Israel, on the other hand, clatter-bangs around for a while before settling down. But the transition is complete, and we are ready for the new new baby to take up his new home in Mommy and Daddy's closet. Mommy and Daddy's closet is APPARENTLY a hoppin' joint.

He got a "robot dinosaur" as his requested reward for doing so well in the adjustment.

I decided it was time for boy updates, since I keep having new things to add.

Gabe -

Is now fully out of diapers. I had kept him in a diaper at night for a while after he was potty trained, because he would still pee during the night. But he has been in underwear for a few weeks now and we are saving even more diaper money! I still have not gotten over the marvel of him being potty-trained, even though he has been since March. I LOVE IT, and still tell him what a GOOD JOB!!!! he does going in the potty.

Today he used the word "slithered". We were at the Salisbury Zoo and he was talking about a snake. I was very impressed.

He still uses "y" sounds or "n" sounds for "l". Lips is "yips". Look is "yook". Like is "yike".

His lessons right now include not whining and asking nicely for things.

He really enjoys singing songs. I LOVE to hear his little voice piping out a ditty. :) It's just so cute.

He loves to listen to books and stories, or make up stories. He talks a lot about dinosaurs and lightening. He adores his dinosaur underwear.

He is still very social, and loves any event or occasion where he can see other children.

Israel -

Is using some sentences, but is generally hard to understand if you don't know him. His favorite words/phrases are: "Ahwandat!!" (I want that!!) "Ahwanchoos!!" (I want juice!!) "Ni-oh-no!" (I don't know!) This one is accompanied with shrugging shoulders and upraised hands.

He understands a lot of what you tell him, even though he can't communicate it all back.

He loves ducks and "KAK!!"'s very loudly and urgently whenever he sees a duckish object/picture until you acknowledge that, yes, there is a duck!! He is also the same with woo-woo's (dogs). Those are his two classifications of mammals - birds and animals, aside from the loud "NEOOOWW!!" he gives upon spotting a kitty-cat.

He has recently joined the tackle football games that Gabe plays, and can bring his older brother down, much to his older brother's delight.

Life is basically over and just a big, meaningless disaster every time I don't give him juice with chocolate syrup and/or strawberry syrup in it. He will lie on the ground and cry broken-heartedly each time. What on earth, child? I have, perhaps, once aquiesed and bemusedly put a drop of syrup in his diluted juice (blech!!), but have recently begun hiding the syrups and allowing one juice per day.

He still loves tromping around in shoes. He also enjoys hats. And rocking chairs and rocking horses.

He is a very happy-go-lucky boy who really enjoys doing anything and everything his brother is doing.

He is still so STURDY and can accidently deliver some serious wallops. The last time I laid down with him in his crib and he was agitating around, I felt like I was in there with a stampeding buffalo and was in real danger of being trampled upon and suffering serious injury. :)

His lessons currently include that "no!" means "no!"