15 months

Connor is officially 15 months as of the 16th of November!   I'm technically not too late, as I started this post awhile ago, but just never got around to finishing it.

Connor has a sweet personality, but also tends to get a bit feisty when it comes to his sister or when he doesn't get what he wants. This boy loves a good song and often wants me singing throughout the day. We sing to him before putting him to bed for naps and at bedtime.  He is quite picky and we usually have to go through 5-10 songs to get the one he wants!

In addition to singing, Connor has really gotten into reading.  His favorite books are: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Brown Bear Brown Bear, or Howie.  He will get books, bring them over to us, and sit down.  He is very impatient and doesn't like it when we read books to Elli.

Connor's favorite game is chase.  He loves it when you chase him and usually giggles the whole time.  Lately, he's also gotten into hiding.  Connor is also quite the dancer....as soon as music comes on you can expect that he's dancing.

That boy has some rhythm!!

Connor continues to go to bed around 7:30 and he typically wakes up anywhere from 7:00 to 8:30.  His naps are usually 2 to 3 hours long.  However, one reason I haven't gotten around to finishing up this blog is the fact that Connor has been sick and our wonderful naps have either been cut down to 30 minutes or in half....as in today and I completely blame the albuterol for that one....more on that later!

We had Connor's 15 month well-visit last Tuesday and he checked out perfectly.  He is 20 lbs 6 oz (10-25the percentile...and he's not really 20 lbs. anymore....lost some weight since then...poor kid) and 31 inches long (50th percentile).  He is also in the 50th to 75th percentile for head circumference.  Connor still turns his right leg out while walking from when it was broken, but the Dr. doesn't seem concerned at all about it....he'll check on it again at his 18 mo. appointment.  He received his MMR and chicken pox vaccination and had a finger prick.  It was a rough appointment from the very start for Connor....he's not so much a doctor fan!  He is working on all 4 molars right now in addition to some more teeth!  He is repeating/saying the following words, "dada, papa, all done, open, up, ball, down, cookie, tractor, cracker, yes."

 As far as Connor's health, he has had quite the week.  We've made 2 trips to the dr. and go back again next week.  The doctors are thinking that Connor has bronchiolitis right now, but said that it is very likely that he will be diagnosed with asthma in the future when he is a bit older.  He is on breathing treatments 3 times a day and an oral steroid 2 times a day.  Although the breathing treatments aren't really helping with the wheezing, the doctors do feel that it is helping him breathe better.  I'm really, really hoping this helps him feel better soon.  I feel horrible for Connor, but lets be honest....this mama can only take so much fussiness and little to no napping (oh and not to mention....the one good nap he had yesterday was ruined by the fact that I had to wake him up and take him to the dr. appointment).  So from here on out, we've been instructed to give Connor breathing treatments whenever we hear the wheezing, which has happened at least 3 other times since his bout with RSV/brochiolitis back in February.

He sits pretty well for the treatments!!

Connor really is such a joy to have!  

Elli's Sayings

So....I have been working on this post since the beginning of October!  I forgot about it and then realized I'd better just post what I have before I completely forget about it for good!  Elli is the funniest kid (no bias either....she really is that funny :)  )  And I wanted to write some things down before I forget all the funny things she has said.

Elli....

*"I'll put on my princess dress and I'll look beauuuuutiful!"

*We were getting Connor dressed for church on Sunday morning and she says "You look handsome, bubby"

*In reference to the ring I gave her to wear she says "Is this expensive?"

*On the way home from school she says "I want to show Nana and Papa my leaf I made.  They'll look at it and say Wowza"

*Our friend had emergency surgery on Monday and Elli said "Did she have back surgery like Uncle Aaron?" She now thinks everyone that is having surgery is having back surgery.

*"Mom, do you not feel good?  Do you want a toy?  Can I come snuggle you?"

* An everyday quote, "When is Daddy going to be home?  When Daddy gets home I'm gonna give him a big hug and smooch."

*The other day she was getting in the kitchen cabinets while standing on a chair.  She wasn't supposed to be up there, so I was telling her to get down and that she shouldn't be in there.  I walk away and she turns around and yells "This is ridiculous!"

*"Bubby gets a blue one and I get a pink one."  "When I'm a little boy, I'll get a blue one" Me: "No Elli, you'll never be a boy."

* Looking out the window at the garbage truck, "I'll never be a boy."

* Me: "Elli, you need to go potty."  Elli: "I'll try, but I probably won't go."

* Scott and Elli on a walk.  Elli: "I like your pants, Daddy."  Scott: "Oh well thank you"....they proceeded to tell each other how much they liked each other's articles of clothing and thanking each other for it the whole walk.

* Scott and Elli looking at the horses in our neighborhood.  Elli: "I wish I could be a horse and eat the grass."  "I wish I could be in there."  "I wish you would walk back by yourself." (talking to scott)

*While I'm changing Connor's diaper she says, "His poop smells AMAZING." I said, "I think you mean it smells yucky."  Maybe we should work on vocabulary....

*In the mornings while talking to Scott, "Dad, I wonder what our plan is for the day."

Decorating the Christmas Tree

This past Sunday we decorated our house for Christmas!  We tend to always do it early and since all of the local suburbs of Columbus were doing their tree lighting, we thought we might as well do ours!  

The kids were so, so, so excited!

Connor insisted on wearing the santa hat.  Really, he did!  

He has taken off more ornaments than he's put on. And to him, the balls on the tree are actual balls you throw.  I think he's broken a total of 5 decorations so far and I'm sure there will be many more!

Elli got to put the santa hat on our tree.  She was really excited.  We still don't have an angel tree topper.  We looked years ago and just never found one we really liked.

We've gotten Elli so confused about what holiday is coming next.  On Sunday, she thought Santa was coming that day.  And then this morning she asked me if Christmas is already over.  I'm starting to feel a bit bad about putting our decorations up before Thanksgiving!  We've been trying to read books and talk about Thanksgiving, but she is so focused on Christmas right now.

Elliana's First Haircut

This past Saturday, Nana L. and I took the kids to get their haircut.  This was Elli's first haircut and she wasn't as excited as I thought she was going to be to get it done!  The place was packed and I'm so glad I had some help with me.  While I was with one kid, Nana L. was with the other.  

Before pictures....

During the haircut.  She had to be bribed with a sucker.

And after.  This picture makes it look like she's got a 1980's feather cut....she doesn't!  But now her hair is relatively even!  Scott couldn't tell a difference!

Christmas Card Pictures

This year we didn't want to hassle with getting the kids' pictures taken for Christmas cards.  We figured we'd try and do them ourselves.  As you can see, we won't be using any of these pictures....I think we'll just use pictures we already have....

Random Pictures

Sometimes we take random pictures before church....

 Connor's last day in the cast!!  See him walking!

 I found Connor on the stairs!  He's been putting himself in time out! 

Birthday Bash

Last weekend, we went to Indianapolis to celebrate a special 3 year olds birthday.  Kensley turned 3 years old on Sunday.  

Here are some pictures from the weekend....

 Notice Elli's lips?  The party was a "blue" theme....

 Kensley loves her some Connor

 Connor loved the balloons

 Elli was obsessed with this dress!  Kensley got it for a birthday gift as a 'dress-up' dress.  Elli thinks it's a bride's dress and keeps talking about how 'beeeeauuutiful' it is and how she can wear it whenever she goes to Kensley's house.

 Helping blow out the candles.  Notice the cake?? It took me FOREVER to ice that on Saturday before the party.

 I'm sure one day this picture will embarrass them

 Movie night with Kensley's new Tinker bell movie- Luckily Elli liked it because she is getting the same thing for her b-day!

On Sunday, we went to Mcdonalds to play in the play area.  Then it was back to the house for naps.   

While Scott and Jeremy were at the Colts game, we took the kids to the mall to play after they woke up.

 Elli and Kensley LOVED playing together!  We might even be arranging for a special trip with the 2 of them to Nana and Papa B.'s here soon.

After Jeremy and Scott got back from the game, we had a quick dinner at the mall.  They brought Kensley out ice cream and we started singing to her....

Happy Birthday, Kens!  Elli is now already talking about her birthday!

Halloween Night

We had less then ideal conditions for trick-or-treating on Halloween night, but we still had a good time!  It was rainy and very cold!  Connor lasted about 30 minutes out in the rain, but Elli went for 1 hour and 45 minutes.  She had a great time.  Here are some quotes from Elli that Scott wrote down from the night: 

•  “What you being” (she would ask people as they opened the door to give her candy or other kids)
•    "Trick or treat, happy Halloween" (she said this at every door)
• "Thank you" (after they gave her candy)
•   "Are we going to the next house"
• "I don’t think they're home, their lights aren't on"
•  "Can I have this candy…"
•   If she would see a Halloween decoration, she would tell the people “we don’t have that, but we got bella at home. She's a good dog." 

See this look.....he gives it to me when he is trying to hide!