Silas turns 15 months....a month ago.

Today is Silas' 16 month birthday. But I'm so far behind that I'm going to start with his 15 month birthday when he went in for his official 15 month check-up. I'll put the month of November together chronologically. The end of this post is where I'll say what he's doing now....

At his 15 month check up, Silas weighed 22 lbs. 10 oz. That is the 30th percentile. He was 32 inches long, which was the 95th percentile. He's going to be long and lean. He also continued to have a big melon keeping him in the 90th percentile. Since he was not yet walking, the pediatrician said if he wasn't walking by 16 months, we would need to call in Early Childhood Intervention to help.

For Halloween, the kids were Cinderella and her mouse friend, Gus. They were might cute.

My friends, Kandice and Jackie, walked in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day. We went out to the cheering station to watch them. We were out there for over 2 hours waiting. We finally had to leave before seeing them (we had no idea when they would be by) because we were due for a playdate. Despite not seeing them, we had an amazing experience watching the walkers. I was certainly touched and got teary-eyed multiple times. As we were driving off, I spotted my friends. I flipped a u-turn and headed back to see if I could spot them again. I pulled up next to them long enough to tell them that I was so proud of them. What an amazing experience!

Silas spent the entire month of November sick. Literally my second week of work, he has been sick. I feel like the world's worst mother. It started with a diarrhea bug. Then he developed a wicked cough that required two weeks of the nebulizer. Then he got a double ear infection. Just as he finished his antibiotics, he got another virus giving him fever and congestion (he still has it). The nebulizer treatments are torture because they take so long. Jim gave him his treatments most of the time. A couple of nights, he was so exhausted, he fell asleep mid-treatment. Poor guy. :(

Nakey boy.

She just looked so adorable this day that I had to take a quick pic before we walked out the door.

Amba has been teaching Silas to sign "more." Here we are trying to get him to do it. He does it at first (when he points to the palm of his hand).

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Although he is still not walking, he is a pro with the walker. He picks it up and moves it whatever direction he needs it to go. He could totally walk at this point, but was just too nervous to let go alone. He's been standing alone (mainly in the bathtub of all places) for a couple of months now. He'll walk when we hold his hand, but when we let go, he sits right down. Which is so weird considering the way he's been scaling the furniture for several months.

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He looked so sweet, I had to take a pic.

Daddy and Silas taking Myspace pics.

We went to MommyJan's for early Thanksgiving (the Sunday before). Silas loved Wyatt's shopping cart.

Vivien, Wyatt, and Silas eating their Thanksgiving lunch.

This is pretty cool. Silas is eating in the high chair that belonged to MommyJan when she was a baby. Granted, it's a huge safety hazard, but still cool.

My kids love to hang out in the laundry basket. Now I just need to teach them how to do laundry. I'm sure I was doing laundry by Vivien's age.

We went to our friends' house on the real Thanksgiving. We had a nice group of different families celebrating together.

Silas loves to give kisses. He's been giving them for a while, but lately, he's been giving them unsolicited.

Okay....at 16 months.... Silas has taken a couple of steps on his own several times now. He's still really nervous. He shakes his head and says, "uh-uh" when he is about to do something he knows he's not supposed to. He also does it when you ask him certain questions: "Do you love Daddy?" "Uh-uh." He also just started nodding his head "yes" and I swear he does it in context. He brings his shoes over for me to put them on. He points to the snack cabinet when he wants something. He's currently working on 2 teeth. He's about 24 lbs. He thinks Speedy is the coolest thing in the world. He loves to give him kisses. He blows kisses all of the time, especially when it's time to go to bed. When I drop him off at Amba's, Juniper gets so excited and blows him kisses. She cries when he leaves. He is such a delight. We love him so much!

I think that summarizes November. Stay tuned because a certain big girl is turning 5 in a couple of weeks. I think I'll go sob in the corner now....

What a whirlwind!

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. I started back to work two weeks ago. Then last week, we all got sick in some way or another. The kids and I each had some form of a tummy bug. Jim got a cold. The transition has been difficult and tiring. It's hard to see my kids so little. They are mostly adjusting fine. Vivien has gotten emotional a bit and has also acted out some. But mostly, they are fine. Here is a little bit of a photo recap of the month.

Silas sure loves Donkey. Although he doesn't always like when Donkey talks to him.

Vivien accidentally bit her finger. She kept showing me, so I told her to hold on while I took a picture. She was a bit incensed since, "we don't normally take pics of our boo-boos, mom."

We went to Juniper's first birthday party where she and Silas devoured some literature.

Sebastian took Vivien on a scooter ride. You can tell how much she loves him.

Amba said she gave them both bottles of kefir to drink while she ran to the bathroom. She figured it would keep them busy for a couple of minutes. When she came back, Juniper had removed the nipple from her bottle and the kids were happily playing in the mess. I have to send two sets of clothes with Silas, because he invariably gets himself all wet.

This is a random picture from the Target shopping cart, but I had to get a shot of Vivien's outfit.

Handsome guy swinging in the backyard.

Vivien is finally fitting on her bike well. I feel bad because our sidewalks slant a bit, so it's really hard for her to pedal.

Silas and Daddy.

Mom's first day of work.

I love how much they love each other. I'm going to be sad when they start fighting all of the time.

Jim took the kids to see his mom on my first day of work. This was his behind the back shot of the two kids knocked out.

I took Vivien and Silas to a chili cook-off my boss was in charge of. They had fun.

Jim sat in the closest chair he could find to watch the Cowboys game at our friends' house.

To My Family

Dear Vivien and Silas (and Jim),

Tomorrow, I will head back to work full-time for the first time since I took maternity leave a few days before Vivien's birth. It was a decision that Daddy and I did not make hastily. We have worked very hard for a long time to make things work, and have somehow managed to do it for quite a while. But the time is now here that we can no longer do it while keeping a happy and healthy household.

Please know that in making this decision, very specific things had to fall into place before I would agree to it. Namely, I was very particular about who would take care of you and if Vivien could still go to Mother's Day Out. The only way I could leave you at this age, Silas, was if Amba was able to care for you. She was Vivien's second mother while I was in school. She is the very personification of the Eternal Mother, and I know she loves you two as if you were part of her family. We also wanted to make sure we were able to stay where we are living so that you can attend the best public schools around.

I have felt a lot of emotions in preparation for this new journey. I have shed many tears over the thought of being away from you children so many hours of each day. But we are going to make this work. Our time together will be well-spent and filled with love. Grammy had to go to work when Aunt Becky and I were young, and we always knew how much she loved us. Daddy and I will make sure that you will always know how important you are to us.

Vivien, I am so grateful for the nearly five years I've had at home with you. I am not even remotely the same person I was five years ago because of what you have taught me about myself. We have certainly had our struggles, which undoubtedly stem from the fact that we are exactly alike. But I am so proud of being able to watch you grow from a sick little baby into a beautiful, intelligent girl who will be heading off to kindergarten next year. You have given me purpose in this life. I hope that I can serve as a positive example as not only a mother, but as a woman with a strong work ethic. I learned that very thing from Grammy, and I believe it has served me well as an adult. I wish the same for you. I know you are going to light the world on fire.

Silas, the thought of leaving you has terrorized my soul, as you are still so young. I fear that you will forget I'm your mama, since you will spend more time daily with Amba than me. I fear that you will not get as close to me as Vivien has. I'm sad that chances are pretty good I will not get to see your first steps. When I think about it, I feel so sad. I am so sorry that I can't be here with you longer. But what I can do is love you as fiercely as I always have, continue to nourish you, and know that you are in excellent care when I'm away. I will make a point to know you as well as I know your sister. Our family was not complete until you entered the world. You have made the three of us so happy. The joy that you and Vivien share when you are together makes my heart swell.

Jim, remember how hard it was to adjust when I became a stay-at-home mom? Finding that balance was so hard. We had intended for me to go back to work. It was so hard at first. I was struggling with losing my sense of identity. You were feeling a lot of pressure being the sole source of income. I can't believe we made it almost 5 years. We have really pooled our resources and made it happen. I can't thank you enough for sacrificing your own sanity so that our kids could get the best possible start we could give them. You have not only been the best provider, but you never felt that your responsibilities ended with providing a paycheck. You have been the best father imaginable and the best partner I could ask for. You have been respectful to me when I have needed a break. You supported my decision to go back to school. You were my biggest cheerleader. You have made considerable personal sacrifices from selling your beloved truck to driving the hoopty Lexus. You stand behind my often unconventional parenting ideas, and put your faith in the fact that I will always do what's best for our children. You are the best man I know.

I love each one of you so much and I know we are going to be fine. It's going to be a tough start, but if anyone can do it, we can.

Love,
Mom

Open House

This week was very busy. Time really flies these days. On Monday, we had fun hanging out on a blanket in our front yard. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the temperature was just right. We brought some toys and the camera out and soaked up the Vitamin D.

Vivien took this photo of herself.

We have this corral that goes with a tractor set Aunt Becky got Vivien for her 2nd birthday. Every time Silas sees it, he puts it around his neck (he does the same with my underwear when I'm in the shower...). On this particular morning, he also found his way to the easel and scraped dried paint bits out of the paint cup holders. Naturally, he then put the paint bits in his mouth. Top it off with footed pajamas and you have got the cutest little mischief-maker.

Vivien's school had open house on Tuesday night. We got to go in and see her classroom. The picture on the bottom right was one she painted.

The monkey in the middle is one she made.

On our way out, I had Jim snap a pic of the kids with me.

I'm still in the process of looking for a full-time job. I went to a career fair at my university on Wednesday. It was a total bust. Hopefully, I will find something soon. It has been pretty tough on me to go through this process.

When I was pregnant with Vivien, I bought Jim the Donkey from Shrek. He thought it was so funny. The Donkey talks. When we first showed it to Silas, he was not enthusiastic about it at all. He was under the impression that stuffed animals should not talk. But then he warmed up to it and now gives him hugs and kisses.

We turned Silas' carseat around this weekend. I wanted to hold out for as long as possible since it's safer to keep kids rear-facing, but he is very fussy in the car. Any trip over 15 minutes is miserable. I finally decided to give it a shot. If he's still miserable facing forward, we'll turn him back around. But if he is happier, then it is much safer to have a mom who isn't unnerved.

Oktober in September

Enjoy some randomness...

Vivien has a newly-developed fear of storms. I knew it was just a matter of time. She's terrified the power will go out and it will be dark. We had a few storms a couple of weeks ago and Vivien was nervous about going to bed. I told her she could sleep on the couch for a bit before she went to her bed. I couldn't resist taking a pic.

Silas was enjoying a snack in front of a full audience.

Silas has no fear when it comes to the water. Vivien was much more cautious at this age. She still doesn't like to get her face wet.

So sweet!

We went to Oktoberfest in Addison with the Wright family.

Here is Vivien with Frankie riding the $3 ride.

I was probably the only one who really enjoyed this part. Doing the dances reminded me of when we went to German Park in Indianapolis as a kid. My mom is from Germany, so I am always comforted by the German traditions.

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Jennifer treated Vivien to a snow cone. It was so hot out, the snow cone was a welcome treat!

The kids ended up sick the rest of the week. Vivien ran a nearly 105 degree temperature Tuesday night. Silas never got that high, but he had one too. Vivien started with a rash on Friday, so I think she had Roseola.

I gave a bag of clothes to a friend, who in turn gave us this handmade mei tai. We love it so much!

I found Vivien wearing the baby, playing computer games. The baby "talks," so Vivien was comforting her while she played. I tried to get a video, but she started hamming up as soon as I came around. It was very cute, though.

Silas wanted to play with the baby, too.

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I LOVE babies in footed pajamas! Here is Silas dribbling water all over his sleeper.

We painted with sidewalk chalk paint. It was all fun and games until Silas picked up the bowls. His leg and feet were dyed blue. I was waiting for CPS to call me.

Vivien made a sun!

Yes, there is something green in his mouth.
Yum, a piece of chalk!



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