September 2009 Archives

Today was crazy day at school and the girls were super excited (although Sarah didn't even have school today--and her school wasn't having crazy day anyway!).

Anna wanted to get her hair cut because it was getting too tangled and hard to brush in the mornings. Sarah thought she wanted to get her hair cut, too, but chickened out when it was her turn to sit in the chair.

Sarah suddenly cared about not getting messy today.

Sarah cried at drop-off on Wednesday but today she just got a little teary-eyed. Henry went in for a couple of immunizations today and it was the first time he noticed his shots. He was so sad. It's a good thing he doesn't realize that he's going in for some more in a couple of weeks. Poor little guy.

Henry weighs 6.72 kg (14 lbs 13oz) and is 62cm (24.4 inches) long.

The strange thing about Henry's appointment today was instead of laying him on the table like his last visit and like they would in the US, Henry sat on my lap and the doctor gave him the same "exam" as Anna & Sarah. Which is to say he listened to Henry's heart, looked in his ears and throat, and felt his tummy. That was it. End of exam. This is very strange to me. They also don't measure his head here so I have to remember to do that this weekend!

Henry is two months old today! He is so smiley and social and I think he is so much more so than the girls were at this age. He is such a little sweetheart and has been easy to take along to school this week in the sling. He still is an awesome sleeper at night (waking once now) and goes down pretty well during the day for naps. BUT he doesn't nap quite long enough in his bed though so I do have to pop him into the Hostling for 30-45 minutes several times per day. Sarah likes to imitate me when I'm rocking him in the sling and it's super cute!

I wanted to have Sarah make a leaf garland like Anna did two years ago when we moved here and I knew Anna would want to, too, so I cut out enough for both girls to work on it. I set Sarah up with it and she refused, saying, "I want to do it with my sister! I will do it with her when she gets home." She seemed a little bored with just me today so I hope that means drop-off at school will go better tomorrow. Anna was super excited that I had a craft ready for her to do when she got home this afternoon and spent a long time coloring. I'll string them up and take a picture of their garlands later on.

Today was my first day out with all three kids and it went amazingly well. The girls were on the see-saw at OIS and a little girl said, "Hi, Sarah!" It was her new friend from Playschool, Michelle. It was a strange moment for me to witness Sarah's social life developing. Sarah did cry when I dropped her off today so I hope that goes better (she didn't cry the other times I dropped her off maybe because I didn't have Henry with me?).

I read The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear to Henry today and he was chatting and laughing at the book. I'm trying to start the reading before nap-time routine but he's not really into it yet (so I am reciting Goodnight, Moon while I wrap him in his blanket).

Thankfully, I have Craig bringing Sarah home from Playschool and Anna is taking the bus home every day from school. This makes everything much easier!

Craig & Anna took Anita to the airport and I stayed home with Henry & Sarah. I think we're in a much better place than we were when my mom left probably partly because Anna & Sarah are going to school now and partly because Henry is a few weeks older and more "organized" with his day routine. Thank you for everything you've done to help us get to this point, Nana!

This is how we've been sharing a room with Henry the past eight weeks. I will post a picture of his room once it is set up next week.

The sweet card Anna made for Craig & me for our anniversary. ("Happy Anniversary Mommy Daddy From Stars" and you can see she drew each of us on the card... from right to left is Craig, me, Henry, Anna, & then Sarah with red hair (Henry has black).

Craig & I have been married ten years today!

Sorry this is fuzzy, I took it through the screen.

Sarah showing off her new walking shoes with "Jacques" (formerly known as "Mater" but he's been Jacques for much longer now so I think that's going to stick).

Summer is coming to an end already, I think we'll take down the terrace pool after this weekend. I think the girls went into the big, apartment pool for the last time last weekend. Nana leaves for Colorado on Saturday and we'll be left to fend for ourselves as a family of five without a granny-nanny or a nana-nanny to help out. We are so lucky that our moms were able to come out for so long to help out.

Lookin' good on the griddle!

I can't imagine why we never made English muffins before. We have missed them for so long and they are so easy to make! I imagine we'll have them at least once per week now.

Craig & Anna went to Anna's back-to-school night. I think she was super excited to show Craig around her classroom and for him to meet her teacher.

I keep forgetting to write here how well Sarah is doing in the big pool with her swim vest. She hasn't taken any swimming lessons yet but is a little daredevil so has just gone for it. She has really improved a lot since I went with her last (in early July). Swim lessons are one thing I'm really looking forward to having the kids do when we move back to Texas next year!

We made some homemade pretzels today. I hadn't made them since the first year we were in Korea and forgot how much we loved them! The girls liked rolling out the strips.

Anna played with the palace that Nana made for her for a long time today.

Waking up on the couch.

Baking oatmeal cookies. Sarah loves to help but she's quick and sneaky always looking for an opportunity to "taste."

Sarah loves Henry!

I haven't seen this for about a month!

Sarah took a monster bite of ice cream!

Craig picked up Sarah from school today and the report was that she was talking her teachers' ears off! She had a good day at school and told me that she took turns on the swing with her "school friends." She is so funny and it is crazy how she and Anna are so different! The girls are alike in that they "don't remember" what they did at school that day. Apparently Sarah's second day of school wore her out though: she took a nap today for the first time in a month!

Anna told me a while ago that she would start talking at school when she is five. I'm not sure why she's going to wait until then but I hope her teacher can convince her a little earlier. Anna seems to really like her teacher this year and is having a lot of fun in her class. She has taken the bus to school once and home twice and I wonder how many days it will be before I'm not totally worried about her finding her way to the Wombats line in the morning and finding the bus driver in the afternoon.

Anna is waving to me & Sarah as she leaves on the bus from our apartment to school. I think I was more nervous than she was!

He is getting too long for some of his swaddling blankets (notice his toes poking out).

It is really strange to not have Anna at home for lunch; I think it will take a while to get used to our new routines this fall.

I couldn't resist taking this lady's picture as she walked past Prince Coffee, sorry, Lady.

Today was Anna's and Sarah's first day of school. We started out by taking Anna to the Wombats classroom. This year I won't take her up each morning, instead she will line up with her teacher outside and walk up with her class when the bell rings. We found her cubby and made a name tag and then the kids sat on the mat and waved goodbye to their parents. I could see that Anna was nervous but she was brave and reports back that she had a good day. She is going five days a week from 8:30-2:45 (until 2:30 on Fridays). Tomorrow will be another big deal since she is going to take the bus to and from school (!!).

After we said goodbye to Anna, Sarah and I walked over to Playschool. When we got to school, we put her outside shoes in her cubby and put on her fancy new sparkly indoor shoes. Sarah went straight to a rocking horse and started to play. One of her teachers came to play with her and I said goodbye. Sarah looked up and waved goodbye and that was that. When I picked her up from school, Sarah saw me with Henry and got a super big smile and said, "that's my new baby!" I could tell she had been crying and her teachers said they took her for a walk outside until she told them she was thirsty. But she had settled down and was fine when I came to get her. It was so strange to walk into the Playschool and see Sarah sitting in the same chairs Anna used to when I went to pick her up (and with Henry in the sling just like Sarah used to be). Sarah will go to school Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:45-12.

As for Henry, Anita, & I, we went to the silk store with Karen & Alfred and then to Prince Coffee before we had to pick up Sarah. Today was kind of crazy with running back to school all day and I don't think I could have done it without Anita here! Hopefully we'll figure out our routine before she leaves.

I took the girls into town today to buy some new indoor shoes for school tomorrow and (obviously wishing she were wearing her new shoes and not her old ones) in the car on the way home this is the conversation I had with Sarah.

Sarah said, "I've got two problems....."
Becky: "Oh, really? What are they?"
Sarah, pointing to her feet, "It's these shoes!" (her old ones)

How did she get so hilarious is what I want to know!

The girls were pretending the couch was a firetruck and they put on their seatbelts to go to a fire.

The girls helped Nana in the kitchen this afternoon.

Henry is getting more fun already at only six weeks! He is definitely getting more social and I think he gives out more smiles than either of the girls did at this age. He has still been easy at night (with the occasional gas-bubble causing a ruckus at 4 in the morning) and this past week Anita & I have gotten him on a 2.5-3 hour schedule instead of the 2-hour schedule he had been on. Last night he ate at 6:45 and didn't wake up to eat again until 1:45 (usually it's closer to 12)! He woke again at 5 but I think I could have had him wait until 6 to eat since he didn't eat very much/very well at 5. This was very nice and I am sure I'm greedy for hoping he does it again tonight! He is having a hard time taking decent naps during the day unless he's being held which is fine while Anita is here but I imagine he'll be taking a lot of naps in the sling after she leaves until he learns to stay asleep longer than 30-45 minutes in the crib.

Anna is wearing her star necklace, shoes, earrings, & ring. She was a wide variety of people today but every name she called herself had "star" in it. Sarah has been "Click the Mouse" from the kids' Click Magazine or Timon from The Lion King most recently. The girls change who they are (what their name is) so many times per day it is hard to keep track and I often just ask "who are you?" when I'm talking to them because they get so upset/offended when you get it wrong. Today on the way home from the store in the car Sarah asked, "who am I now?" So even she gets confused! I told her if she was ever in doubt she could just go by "Sarah" to which she replied, "No! I'm Click right now."

I can't resist a picture of a baby-yawn.

I guess he is meant to look more serious here.

Henry has really started noticing his black-and-white books and smiling at the pictures in them (he likes a picture of a seal and a panda the best) and also really smiling at us and making some cooing/"talking" noises. It's hard to believe but this kid is just going to keep getting cuter!