Week 72.3: Fun Times with a 16 Month Old

Dear Hannah, 

This is the golden age of being a little kid. You are exploring, learning, communicating, and are becoming more independent. Sometimes you will throw your head back in a tantrum, or complain by pretend crying after I tell you "no." 

You have been eating a bit better now that I'm limiting the amount of milk that I give you. You love your dairy products, but they are messing with your appetite for other nutritious foods. 

This week you have been into eating cereal in milk. Before you just ate dry cereal, but one day while you saw Hannah eat, it took you awhile, but you finally were able to communicate that you wanted cereal in a bowl, with milk, sitting on a regular chair, not your high chair. 

Call me the toddler whisperer! 

You guys have been pretty interested in playing with the duplos. I took them out of the closet and you guys have been building all sorts of neat things with them lately.

Hailey, you like to sit in the middle of a pile and just kick your feet back and forth to make the duplo pieces clang and clatter against each other.

On Wednesday, our friends came over and we decorated sugar cookies and brownies for a nursing home. We had keep some of the cookies for ourselves because someone got a little crazy with the finger licking...

Right now the dynamic between you guys is as follows:

Nathan and Hannah: Love/hate relationship. One moment you are best friends, and another moment someone's feelings get hurt (or physically gets hurt) and someone wants the other person to move with another family. Ouch...you guys are harsh!

Hannah and Hailey: Hannah you love to play with Hailey, but you sometimes annoy her by being too overwhelming. Hailey will definitely let you know when you are doing something that she doesn't like, but sometimes it seems like you don't get the clue. 

And Hannah, you aren't exactly being the best example for Hannah. Between your screaming, grabbing things out of her hands, and climbing into the crib, I have a feeling that the two of you will be a little bit of trouble makers together. Just yesterday morning, I heard you go into Hailey's room, so I checked the monitor, only to find this:

Nathan and Hailey: Nathan, you like to do things to make her laugh, but most of the time you just don't want her near you because she will mess up whatever you are working on. We have various barricades set up throughout the house solely to protect your stuff from Hailey. 

The weather has been absolutely amazing the past few days. Friday the weather reached 90 degrees! One day I decided to trick you guys into going on a hike through the woods behind our house. Of course when I mentioned it, Nathan was very against the idea of a hike and Hannah was exactly the opposite. So then I suggested that we bring some nets to see if we can catch the fish in the creek. 1) I very well knew that there was not going to be any fish but I knew that it would be the carrot that would entice you both to come outside. 2) It worked. 

 The nets got snagged by the pokey shrubs, but you guys eventually got the hang of walking with them. I just had to take this picture, but I couldn't get Hailey (who is on my back) in the picture. Can you believe that this is behind our house? This time of the year is really the only time I would go back there because 1) there are no mosquitoes, 2) the water is flowing, and 3) most of the brush is dormant, so it's fairly clear to walk through the woods.

 You guys looked and looked, but no fish. We did, however find a deer skeleton. Overall, Hannah loved the hike and Nathan you pretty much complained most of the way but deep down inside, I know you enjoyed it.

When I suggested that we go out a few days later, you both were pretty excited, and this time, we actually caught a little minnow in the lake!

On Friday we went to Zilker park in the morning. Hailey, you are quite the dare devil and was completely happy with swinging super duper high! I was paying close attention to look for the slightest sign of fear, but you just held on and smiled as Nathan pumped you both higher and higher. At some point, you were pretty much suspended at an 8:00 position (with 6:00 being at rest) and finally started looking slightly nervous. Nathan read the face and slowed down and immediately you were OK again.

Well, this week will be a bit more low key as we have a break in the martial arts schedule.

With Love,
Mommy