They Just Can't Coexist

I only want one thing at this point in my life. It is a picture of my two beautiful children together- happy and smiling. A picture where neither child is pulling on the other, trying to get in my arms, or crying. What, dear god, do I have to do to accomplish this?
The following is a display of my failure.

Easter 2011. What is Sylvie doing, giving Wade the Heimlich??

Mother's Day 2011


August 2011

Sylvie's Third Birthday. Not happening.
...the most recent. Beach trip 2011. sigh.

Gender

Sylvie is learning the difference between boy's and girl's. Our conversation the other day:
Sylvie: Mama, you're a girl.
Mama: That's right Sylvie.
S: Daddy, you're a boy!
Mama: That's correct. And Sylvie, what is Wade?
S: Wade...I think.... Wade is a Big Boy.

Three.

I took Sylvie to get her hair cut for the first time last week. I was a bit apprehensive, she has been a little bit of a devil recently. I was not sure how she would act with someone cutting her hair. So I prepped her and decided to take her one night when she was in a good mood and my parenting confidence was high (it is RARE when all these things line up. I had to take advantage of it!). There were two kids in front of us. She occupied herself by laying around on the floor of the salon, playing catch with her doll and me, and running around. I tried to keep her in one area of the room. I only got a few looks from the other mom that was there.
Finally it was Sylvie’s turn. She went right up to the hairdresser and choose the Buzz Lightyear car to sit in. She acted so grown up, I couldn’t believe it. Sylvie turned her head every way the hairdresser asked. She listened and was quite and in awe. The whole time she had her little pout face on that she was born with. Here in front of me sat the exact person that used to be my baby, but she was all grown up. I took one million pictures, of course, and I cannot get over how her little face looks so young when just minutes before she was looking so old to me. Yes, there were tears in my eyes. How am I going to make it as she grows older, if I cannot even handle a hair cut??
This girl will be three on Monday. She has no more baby fat, except in her cheeks at some angles. She is tall. She fake laughs. She talks all the time. She loves and hugs and kisses. She still takes care of her dolls. She now goes to bed with no problems (JINX). She pushes her brother. She knows how to use my (her) iPad better than I do. She recognizes letters and numbers. She knows her name begins with an S. She loves happy birthdays. She specifically asked for a Barbie Princess bike for her birthday. She doesn’t eat dinner but wants a banana (bobana) an hour later.

Sylvie-isms

I need to start writing this stuff down!

Bananas are BaBanas. So Cute.

She was so thrilled that I painted her toe nails bright pink that she thanked me three times in the span of an hour.

Everything has to do with birthdays. Every dress she owns is her birthday dress.

Daddy is her friend. (She informed me I was her friend the other day, finally).

I met Wade-o one year ago today. He completed my little family and my heart. He brings happiness, sensitivity and danger into our home. This was all foretold the second he was born when Ralph and I were elated with the happiness of his birth, warmed by his sweetness and scared to death by his silence. He is a trooper and has taught me patience, understanding and love all over again. He has also giving the greatest gift to Sylvie and made her a big sister. Happy Birthday to our little (ha…) Wade!

My dear Wade, I love everything about you. The things about you that I never want to forget are (I am sure this list will grow as I think of more):

the way you cry until you get your bottle in the morning. the way you tummy is always showing. the way you look like a 2 year old in size. your laugh and squint-y smile eyes (smize). the way you love when your sister hugs you. your fearlessness when climbing the chair in our living room. your pout-y bottom lip. your sensitivity when you know we are talking about you. the way you get upset when you are not eating the same food we are eating. the way you let me hold you at night (please don't ever stop this!). the way you go right to sleep at 7pm. the way you play in your crib until sylvie wakes up in the morning. the way you splash in the bath. the way you only say dada (hinthint). your love of all things firetruck. your small feet. your beautiful blue eyes. your low crawl. the way you have turned into a little boy these past two weeks, and not just a baby.

Sylvie

2 years and 9 months old

is potty trained! (jinx....)

-except at night and nap time

I take no applause for potty training my child- thank you day care!
Her favorite phrases are : 'no', 'i know', 'not you', and 'oh man'

loves to play outside after dinner

Princess and the Frog is out- is into Toy Story now

Thankfully she is over her Barney phase (also thankfully it went FAST)

doesn't like to go to bedwakes up screaming at least once a night

tries to talk us into letting her sleep in our bed every night

still doesn't like to go to school

is shy

plays by herself mostly (when do I need to worry about this?)

loves to make her brother laugh

can get dressed herself- with prompting

loves bathtime!

doesn't like to eat dinner too much anymore

her favorite foods are pizza, broccoli, rottisserie chicken, cheese, pancakes

wears size 2t-4t clothes and size 7 shoes

has enough clothes and shoes to wardrobe 3 kids

can't wait for our beach vacay

is still the sweetest girl i know

gets frustrated a lot

moves around to much/ fast to get her picture taken!

wants to be a princess

b/c of Tivo- thinks she can watch any show she wants at anytime

loves to play with my iPad. I am amazed she knows exactly what to do with it and how to turn it on

is the most beautiful girl i have ever seen!

Wade

11 months and 1 week old

has ear tubes and i feel like he can hear so much better!

started saying other phrases, occasionally, besides dada

somes mama sometimes, when he is upset mostly

has blue eyes

loves to go swinging!

has two teeth and two molars coming in at once

bit his finger so hard it bled last night, bc of his painful teething

not gonna lie, i feel bad for the little guy

-has is 5th stomach virus

has his first birthday party in 3 1/2 weeks!

loves to laugh

cries after his last bottle of the day

goes to bed easily

wakes up at least once a night

loves to torment his sister already

mostly plays with girly, pink toys

splashes in the bathtub

pulls my hair

is a handful, will not sit still!

is a tad bit sensitive

Signs of Summer

The first sign of Summer- it's too hot already. Not sure I will make it. :)
Sylvie likes to play outside at all hours of the day. Now that she is old enough I can just open the sliding door and send her out to our backyard. She usually takes the kitty and one of her dolls. Christmas Baby is her favorite right now. They go everywhere together.
Obviously we are original when naming the dolls. Sylvie already had a baby named Baby when she got this doll for Christmas, so we named her Christmas Baby. We also have a Laylie, which is just 'baby' before Sylvie could say 'baby' properly.

Wade gets really upset when Sylvie is outside and he is not. He cries at the screen door till I give in and go outside, and melt, with them.