24 Months Old Sitting Up and big brother undies

Dear Nathan and Hannah,

This week was pretty tame. Ama came to visit for a few days and we went to a Pirate-themed birthday party this past weekend. We totally forgot to take a picture of Nathan, but he looked really cute dressed up like a pirate. 

 Hannah is starting to sit up a bit better. She will sit up on her own for about 5 seconds before flopping over. She is also getting pretty good at grabbing things.

 Nathan can now go through the whole day (except during sleep time) in undies. The only times that he will have an accident is when we forget to take him to the bathroom every 30-40 minutes or so. He's done this for 2 days now. We even braved going out sans diaper these two days. Nathan still won't tell us that he needs to go, but he will go when we put him on the potty and he almost always insists on wearing undies now. Even when we put him in diapers, he will want to wear undies over the diapers.

Funny thing happened the other day while we were watching the super bowl. We were all sitting in the living room watching the game when Nathan asks if he could go inside the TV and play football. We explained to him that he can't go inside the TV and even if he could, it would be a bit too dangerous. A few moments later, he rolls his scooter and helmet over to the living room and start to put on his helmet. Daddy and I both looked at each other, puzzled over why Nathan was putting on his helmet. Did he want to go outside to play? Suddenly, it hit both of us and we realized that Nathan wanted to be like the helmet-wear-football players.

 Nathan is a very gentle big brother and Hannah continues to just admire Nathan so much. For the most part, they play separately, but there are some sweet moments like this occasionally.

 Hannah is proud because she is reading just like her big brother is. Notice how well she is sitting up?

 And then at some point, Nathan wants his own book. Soon each kid is content reading their own book until...

 We've been working with Nathan on sharing toys and what to say when other kids take his toys away. We don't like it when Nathan simply whines and screams and cries when he wants a toy, or when one gets taken away from him. He is starting to be more mindful to use his words, but we are far from where we would like him to be.

One of Hannah's favorite times of the day is bath time. She loves to splash around in the tub and suck water from her washcloth.

 Afterwards, we dry off, get a massage, and get our jammies on. Hannah likes to suck on her toes during this time.

 Sleep update: Hannah is sleeping from about 8-8, waking up for a dreamfeed around 10:30, again at 3ish and then again at 6 or 7. When I put her down to sleep she is awake and will be able to fall asleep on her own if she is in her crib. If we are out and I lay her down somewhere, I have to pat her a bit and she will fall asleep. The only times she fights sleep is when I wake her up from a car nap, which causes her to become overtired, but with an older brother, sometimes that is inevitable.

Hannah is liking the jumpy chair. She likes it when I bounce her up and down. I can get some good belly laughs when I do that. She also likes to be lifted up in the air. Hannah is just such a sweet baby with a wonderfully calm disposition. How did I become so blessed to have such wonderful children?

So I've decided to take you two to Taiwan in a couple of months to visit family. It's the perfect time because I'll have Ama to help out with the flight there. Hannah is able to sit in a bassinet in the plane and flies "free" (10% of airfare + taxes). Nathan's language is budding and could use the extra exposure to Mandarin.

I think the total travel time is going to be just around 24 hours. First, we travel from Austin to San Francisco on a 4 hour flight with a 3.5 hour layover; perfect for a relaxed lunch and enough time for Nathan to run around. Then we board the plane for a 14 hour flight to Taipei. Right now Nathan, Hannah and I are sitting together in a bulkhead row, and Ama is sitting 4 rows behind us. (She will be traveling with us from San Francisco to Taiwan, but will be returning earlier than we will.) I wish we could've gotten her a seat next to us, but this will have to do. I've been doing lots of research on flying internationally alone with a toddler and a baby and can't seem to find a blogger who has done so, so perhaps I will have to make a post about it after the crazy trip is over. I am pretty sure the flights will be miserable, but I will try to stay calm throughout it because I know that in the end, this family time will be worth it. (Not to mention all the yummy food that Taiwan is known for). I will be sure to take lots of pictures to document our trip. I have about 2.5 months to prepare for the trip and I know it will be here in a blink of an eye.

We are planning on bringing a nicer umbrella stroller, 2 wheeled suitcases (to check), one small carry on bag, diaper bag, ergo baby carrier, and maybe the pack-and-play (checking). We will pretty much be using public transportation (yes, Nathan, that includes lots of trains) while we are there so we won't be bringing any carseats. If you are reading this and have any tips for traveling with multiples or traveling long flights, please pass them along. This mama wants to be as prepared as possible.

Until next week.

Love,
Mommy