3 years old

Our spunky, opinionated, and hilarious girl is 3! Two was filled with so much change; she is now very much a little girl. She has stories to tell and opinions to give, both of which she's not shy to share. She can be quiet and observant when put in a new situation but once she warms up to a person or place, she is as happy as can be.

School has been so wonderful for Gabriella. She has a little place that is just hers now and has blossomed so much in just a few months. She adores her teachers and has a few "best friends" including Jacob, Tyler, Finley, Jack, and Natalie. We had them over for a small birthday celebration and listening to a group of 3 year olds talk is one of the funniest things in the world.

Gabriella's favorite things include arts and crafts, imaginary play with characters and dolls, and any sort of messy play (finger painting, splashing, bubbles, etc.). She's very much into princesses as well even though she's never watched a full Disney movie. (That being said, when I asked what she wanted to be for Halloween she said a Prince. And when I asked what she would wear she replied "Nothing. I will be a naked prince running down the road". Ahhh three year olds).

It took her a few months to really start enjoying her role as a big sister but now she is great. She can make Elliot laugh harder than anyone else and talks now about how she wants to share a room and a bunk bed with him like Peppa Pig does with her little brother.

We went through a rough patch over the summer with big tantrums and a lot of sleep problems. We weren't really sure what was going on and discussed possible developmental/ emotional things with our pediatrician. He gave us a lot of good guidance and tips on getting through that stage. He believed that the tantrums were actually being caused by some fine motor skill delays which were causing her to get really frustrated with herself.  Giving her a little extra attention when we saw her getting worked up as well as giving positive reinforcement has really helped.
 
If I've learned anything over the past 3 years it's that every age and stage has it's ups and downs. I know 3 will bring it's fair share of challenges but I love how we can have conversations now and her stories and ideas can be so funny and great to hear. I can't wait to see what else this year brings!

6 months old- Elliot vs Gabriella

Our big boy turned 6 months old last week! I love seeing how different Elliot is compared to Gabriella. I know so many of their differences are because she was so early but it still makes me laugh to compare.

At 6 months old Gabby weighed 11 pounds and 11 ounces.  Today at his 6 month appointment Elliot weighs 19 pounds and is 28 inches long! He is in the 90th percentile for both compared to his sister's 5th :) He's wearing mostly 12 month clothes and size 5 diapers.

He is now sitting independently for short amounts of time. Each time he sits he gets better and better at it and I'm sure a week or two from now he'll be very stable. On his stomach he is trying to figure out crawling. He knows how to roll to get things but he's definitely working on moving. Right now he'll lift his bum up in the air but instead of getting his belly off of the floor too, he ends up pushing his head into the floor which just makes him mad. And honestly, I love the sitting stage but he can hold off crawling for a little longer.... it's nice to put him in one spot and know that he won't get too far too quickly.

He's eating 2-3 times a day, all purees. I tried a puff the other day but he's not quite ready for those yet. Soon enough. He's gone through most fruits and vegetables and his favorites are peas, carrots, apples, and pears. He's not the biggest fan of sweet potatoes by themselves but when they are mixed with another vegetable he seems to like them more. We'll start trying more proteins over the next month including some meats, beans, and egg yolks. I'm sure by 7- 7 1/2 months he'll be ready for less purees and more pieces of little foods.

We're still keeping him milk-free because of his allergy but will try milk products that are cooked (ie: breads made with butter or milk, vegetables cooked with a small amount of butter, etc) as he approaches 9-10 months. The majority of kids outgrow the allergy entirely by the time they are 1 so only time will tell what happens for us!

He is learning how to get attention (yell louder than his sister!) and he can be whining and fussing so loud and then you look at him or pick him up and he gives the goofiest grin because he's gotten what he wants. He is cuddly and sweet and I can't wait to see what his personality will be like as he continues to grow!

Happy October! We'll have a 3 year old soon!!