Oct 13-19: Rolling Over

I'm going to start this week's post with a funny story that happened on Friday afternoon at the end of our very long week.  After Erik had woken up from his nap, he and I went outside to get the mail.  We pulled out his wagon and just walked around for awhile.  I decided that I should check to see if Elin had woken up from her nap, so I made Erik come back inside with me.  He was NOT pleased by this and threw a tantrum by the garage door while I got Elin up and changed her diaper.  Erik's tantrums generally consist of him crying or screaming while standing in front of whatever he may want at the time and pawing at it - whether that is a door or your legs.  I got Elin ready and took her outside with Erik, along with her boppy & a pillow so that she could sit in the wagon while Erik pulled it around the driveway.  Before going into the house to get Elin, he had thought this was a great idea.  However, once I got the Elin & her support system set up in the wagon, Erik threw another tantrum.  Crazy kid.  I decided we were done with being outside and gathered up a screaming Erik & a bewildered Elin - only to realize that Erik had locked us out!!  Sometime during his tantrum at the garage door, he had managed to flip the lock on the handle.  AAHHH.  I didn't have a key to that door on me, but thankfully I did have my cellphone.  Kent had to come home a bit earlier than he had planned to rescue us!  What's so maddening is that I had checked the lock on the door when I went outside with Erik the first time to make sure it wasn't locked, but didn't think I needed to check it the second time!

The boy does love his sunglasses!

Erik likes to tell us to "C'mon, c'mon" while wiggling his fingers at us to follow him!

A closer look at his "c'mon" hand motion

Elin ready for her wagon ride that never materialized

Okay, back to the earlier part of the week.  Just as I finished writing last week's post about Elin "sitting" up by herself, she showed me her latest trick!  I had her lying on the floor next to me as I worked on my laptop and she rolled over from her back to her tummy!  I was able to grab my phone & get a few pictures of the event - they are a bit blurry, though!

She is attacking all her milestones with a vengeance.  She taught herself how to sleep through the night about 2 weeks ago.  I was going to do "sleep training" on her while Kent was on his business trip the first week of October (that way only 1 parent has to listen to the baby cry).  She must have heard Kent and I talking about it because the night before Kent left, she slept through the entire night.  No effort required on my part!  Since then, she has consistently slept 9-11 hours each night; she has only woken up a couple times around 4:30AM but after squawking for about 2 minutes, she is back asleep!  What an amazing baby!  So far, girl babies are definitely easier than boy babies!!

This week has been a very busy one with Kent working long hours.  I've also had to go into the office to assist with some work projects as part of my resignation agreement.  There have been a lot of late nights for Kent and I.  Unfortunately, the stress this week was compounded with both kids getting colds and then I got a nasty 24-hour flu virus.  I was completely miserable from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday; it really is not fun being sick and having to take care of 2 kids.  I hope not to do that again for a long time!

To end on a happy note, Erik has decided this week that he wants Elin to play with him.  He has started asking (or rather telling) Elin to sit next to him, to stand up, to walk to another chair, to hold certain tosy, etc.  It is very cute, but I'm not sure how many times I'll have to explain that Elin can't do anything of those things yet before he will understand me!!  Erik is a very sweet little boy most of the time.  He can be very solicitous of our needs.  The other day, I made a noise when I walked into another room and in just a few seconds, Erik had come running into the room after me, asking "Are you ok? Ok, Mama?"  He walked up to me and gave me a pat on back, while looking at him with deep concern.  It was too cute.  He will also ask if Kent or I have any owies and will want us to kiss it better - even if the owie is on ourselves!

Other cute sayings that he has been saying lately:  "Uppa-side-down" (only Kent can do this for Erik - thank goodness);  "C'mon, C'mon!" (see pictures above for a visual of this one); "Two more, two more" (he says this when he wants something like snacks or Curious George videos.  He says it in a sing-song voice while wiggling his fingers trying to get just the first 2 to stand up.)

Erik trying to be like Curious George & use his feet to hold food.  Thankfully, he didn't attempt this trick with actual food!

Sept 29-Oct 12: Sitting up

We have had a very busy past two weeks!  We have had several trips to a local park with duck pond and playground, we went to a library's story time, Erik & Kelli got hair cuts, Elin had a dermatology appointment about the rash on her face (it was gone 2 days after getting medicine - yay!), Kent rode in a 100-mile charity bike ride, we hosted our first Sabbath lunch with our friends the Huffman's (I wasn't sure I would be able to pull it off, but I managed it!!), we had a play-date with Lexi and Zoey Davis (the girls are the same ages as Erik & Elin), we had family pictures for Elin's 3 month milestone (is there anything more stressful?) and we met with Nicki, Juliette and Leif Bromme to introduce Juliette to our kids as a potential baby-sitter.

The busiest part of it was the 4 day business trip that Kent had from Monday, Sept 30 through Thursday, Oct 3.  If I had known about his trip earlier, I would have begged one of the grandparents to come spend the week with me!  Thankfully, I did survive the week, but I have a whole new appreciation for single parents.  I learned how to do a joint bath with both kids in our big soaker tub with Elin in her personal baby tub - Erik loved it and has requested his bath to be with Elin several times since then!  He likes to supervise the baby's activities and report on her to me!  He is very good at telling me when Elin is sucking on her fingers by yelling out "No fingers in mous!"  He has actually helped me avoid several upchuck situations!  Thankfully, since figuring out why Elin was puking, we've only had 1 more instance.  Of course, that one happened at the park - just after we got to the playground area - and by the time I got Elin into the bathroom to clean her up, she had also had a diaper blow-out!  AAHHH.  That took some time to clean up in the park bathroom while also convincing Erik that it was fun to stand around in the bathroom not touching anything or looking in the cracks of the stalls at other Moms!

Elin's big achievement from the past 2 weeks is that she is sitting up (almost)!!!!  She has gotten so good at holding up her head and sitting upright while on our laps.  I put her on the floor this past Monday, Oct 7, and the result is posted below!  She is folded nearly in half, but I am counting this as officially sitting up!!  She is also working very hard on rolling over from her back to her tummy - she can get halfway onto her side, but she is getting so close!

 Erik's latest achievement is that he has figured out how to take pictures on my iPhone.  He rarely actually gets his subject in the frame, but he loves to walk around with the phone clicking the button.  Here are a few of his pictures:

We have had some funny stories that have happened over the past few weeks.  The first is that Erik has asked for a few new story books to be read to him at bedtime.  He always asks for Kent to read to him and no matter how hard Kent tries to hide a particular book or ask for another story, Erik keeps pulling out a book about...American patriotic songs!!  Ha, ha.  Kent does a wonderful & admirable job and he sings each song.  I love hearing Kent's rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner and Home on the Range come through the intercom system that we use to monitor Erik's room!!  The first night, Kent started the national anthem a bit too high and had to switch octaves midway through!  Too funny!!

The second funny story happened last week on Sabbath morning.  I've gotten into the necessary habit of nursing Elin wherever Erik is playing in the house.  That morning, Erik wanted to play in his room after getting out of bed, so I sat down to nurse Elin in the chair in that room.  Erik watched for a little bit and then started saying it was his turn to feed the baby. He even used "Please" - which normally means that he can have what he is asking for!  I tried to explain that only Mommy could feed Baby Elin, but Erik just kept asking.  After I switched sides, Erik climbed into the chair on the same side I was nursing, lifted his shirt up over his chest and then demanded that "Baby, suck it!"  It was too funny; I did eventually put Elin in his lap in the nursing position, but she wouldn't nurse!!

Some recent pictures of the kids:

Erik playing "night, night" with Elin

Siblings

Cuddling siblings with their "boppas"

A common sight for a two-year old!! (He wanted my camera to take pictures)

Elin & Kelli at Sabbath School (Elin is in a dress from Nana)

Sept 15-28: 3 Months Old

Elin is 3 months old!  It is a common saying, but time goes by so fast!!  At her 3-month appointment this week, she weighed in at 13 lb 2 oz and measured 24 inches - both are in the 75th percentiles.  She is growing much faster than Erik; he didn't reach those measurements until he was 4 months old!  The heat rash that she has had on her face is 99% gone, which I am so thankful for.  She now only gets a few red bumps if she has to be in the carseat for long periods of time or when she gets really upset and cries.  We are doing the clothing switch-over this week to the 3-6 month sizes.  So sad to see the teeny tiny clothes go away.  Shockingly, started to think this week that maybe I would want a third child just so that I could have another teeny tiny baby, but then I snapped out of those crazy thoughts!

At 3 months, Elin loves to cuddle, she pushes her face into my neck as she goes to sleep and holds my hand while she nurses.  She is our little noise maker: she mumbles, moans and grumbles her way into sleep, wakes up with grunts, stretches and toots, spends her days squealing, cooing and giggling.  She is definitely a girl and is getting in her 20,000 words/day!!  She started laughing around Sept 19 and she smiles whenever someone makes eye contact with her.  She is becoming more active and constantly moves while nursing during the day - with her upper arm moving, her feet churning and her head going forward and back (that part is rather annoying!)  

Erik seems to achieve new accomplishments every single day so it is hard to remember all the new things that he is learning.  Erik still loves Elin; he especially loves to touch his "baby seester" when she is sleeping in the swing; he also likes to touch her cheeks and say "Baby Cuuutte" or "baby fragile".  Of course, he usually says the latter phrase while squeezing her arm or pounding on her leg.  He is also becoming a great big brother and helps to monitor Elin for me while driving in the car:  he will tell me if she is sleeping and whether she is sucking on her fingers.  He will then tell her "Elin, no hands in mou's" (see story below for information on why that is important)! 

Erik wants Kent and I to "hold you" and he will pull on my shirt or pants until I pick him up.  He really likes it when I hold both him & Elin so that he can put his arm around Elin's shoulders!  He loves to pull his Thomas the Train back-pack around the house.  He also loves to go through the cabinet under my bathroom sink and play with my bottles, cans and toiletry bags.  He will haul 2 bags in particular all over the house.  He is learning to identify his colors; most items start out as Blue or "Lellow", but he is definitely getting better at telling us the correct color.  He has also decided that he loves books again.  He went through several months where he didn't want to be read to or to look at his books.  Now, he begs for a few stories before bedtime and has actually started telling us what the next word or line says in his favorite book - "The Foot Book" by Dr. Seuss.  

Lest you think I only notice the happy moments or that my children can do no wrong, here are a few not so fun moments that occurred in the last 2 weeks.

1. Elin has discovered her fingers and loves to wave her arm around while watching her hand.  She is getting very good at grasping objects and pulling things to her mouth.  All good things.  However, she has discovered that she can suck on her fingers and that if she sucks on just the first 2 fingers and holds them just so, she can actually make herself puke!  She loves to see Mama scream and scramble around trying to find a cloth, blanket, anything to catch the ensuing onslaught!  She especially likes to do this stunt in the middle of supper preparations or when I am seriously multi-tasking.  I now keep an active & constant look-out for fingers in her mouth.  I've gotten pretty good at catching the early signs of gagging and silent heaves.  I live in fear of her puking all over me when I have her in the front carrier while shopping!!

Elin demonstrating her new trick

2. Erik is demonstrating his stubborn streak (what? where did he get that from?!  The answer is KENT!!).  If his requests aren't immediately granted, much crying, screaming and foot stamping occurs.  He rarely gets on the ground to throw a tantrum, but he dances in place, pulls on our clothes and cries.  He has also decided that he is a food snob and he will only eat a few things, such as pancakes, yogurt (calls it minnert or yonurt), cheerios, strawberries, chips, pasta (but this can be rejected), cereal and some pouches of pureed fruits/veggies (these can also be rejected on a whim).  I did anticipate that my children would be picky eaters since I was/am a picky eater myself but I never expected such limitations.  You might think that this limited diet would make mealtimes easier to plan for, but the guilt that I suffer every time I see all the food in the kitchen that he won't eat makes it rather stressful!  That and the fact that Erik will most often refuse to eat unless he can watch Curious George videos.  Talk about guilt heaping upon guilt!  My child is hooked on videos at 2 years old!  Yikes!

Tummy Time!

3 Months Old - so solemn!

3 Months Old - happier now!

Erik at 3 Months Old - for comparison.  They look just a bit alike, don't they?!

Aug 25-Sept 14: A Lake Vacation!

Elin has taken her first airplane trip - and, of course, we completely forgot to get a picture of her in the plane or the airport!  We packed up what seemed to be our entire house and spent the Labor Day vacation at the LeNoue cabin on Otter Tail Lake in Minnesota.  For nearly his entire life, Kent has spent part of his summer at this cabin with his LeNoue branch of the family. We have been there for a long weekend at least once a year since we started dating.  However, we hadn't been back since May 2011 when we visited while I was pregnant with Erik.  Kent was having severe withdrawals, so we arranged a trip to cure his blues.

Both Erik & Elin did very well on the 3-hour plane ride and subsequent 3-hour car ride to the lake.  Erik got a bit squirmy & fussy after a few hours on the plane, but Kent was a trooper and always managed to distract him from a full-blown meltdown.  I lucked out and had the easy child with Elin.  She nursed on take-off and landing and then slept the majority of the trip, which meant that I got to sleep!  I woke up a few times and noticed that Kent was having to work really hard with Erik, but always went right back to sleep - ha, ha!  

It was a wonderful and relaxing trip for me; poor Kent had board meetings the day after we got back, so he had to spend quite a bit of time working on his presentations while we were there (lots of late nights & early mornings).  Erik loved the lake and all the outdoor activities; he especially loved to walk on the dock to look at the boats. He would frequently ask for a boat ride; thankfully, while on the boat, he was always very quiet, willing to wear his life jacket and happy to sit with/next to Kent or I. That is, until the very last boat ride, when he nearly flung himself off the back of the boat trying to be funny.  He was sitting by me; he had been a bit antsy, so I had a hand on the back of his life jacket the entire time.  I think he was completely embarrassed when I hauled him onto my lap and gave him a stern talking to!  Ha, ha - won't be the last time that I ruin his fun and embarrass him at the same time!!

We spent our week doing as many water sports and outdoor activities as possible.  Kent had to be in 7th heaven - he was able to Windsurf, Water-ski, Fish, Kayak, drive the Boat and go Sailing!  Erik tried as hard as a 2-year old can to keep up with Kent!  He wanted to be outside all the time; thankfully, he was very good about following the rules and always having an adult with him on the dock or near the water's edge.  Kent gave Erik his first lesson in kite-flying, which Erik absolutely loved.  Kent & his dad actually rigged a kite up to a fishing pole to make it easier to hold onto and to reel in & out.  I thought it was ingenious!

We were able to see alot of Kent's relatives while we were there, including all of his aunts & uncles except Aunt Peggy.  We were also very happy that we were able to stop in St. Paul and see Kent's sister & brother-in-law, Natalie & Casey Malmquist.  Casey was in a house explosion back in July and has been at a hospital for the past 2 months.  He has experienced many miracles in the past weeks and is healing so much better than expected.  We thought he looked great!!  He had a grafting surgery the day before we arrived, so we only visited with them for a short time on the first day of our trip.  We drove back to the cities the evening before our flight home so that we could spend more time with Casey & Natalie.  Casey had undergone a marked improvement during that week; he was discharged from the hospital and was staying with friends nearby so that he could maintain his outpatient visits.  His friends, Charlie & Janine, were very gracious and opened their home to us for the night as well.  We were able to visit with everyone and Charlie took us all for a boat ride on Lake Minnetonka.
 
There are so many things that I'm sure I've forgotten to write about.  Suffice it to say that we had a wonderful time and enjoyed seeing all our extended family.

We are back home and back in the swing of things.  This means, of course, that I am once again super late in posting updates to this blog.  You would be surprised by how often during the day I think about the blog and what I am going to write/say on my next post.  Clearly, with my rather sleep-deprived state, I forgot about 90% of what I plan to write, plus I never have as much free time during the day or evening to spend on my computer as I think I will.  I need some sort of brain dictation machine!

Erik and his Daddy in the airport

Look at all that luggage!

Kent taking Erik for a kayak ride

Kent & Elin taking a nap

Grandma & Erik helping Elin with her tummy time

Johnson men: 2 watching videos and 1 sleeping

Our Family

Aunt Marsha, Kent, Erik, Grandma, Elin, Grandpa & Uncle George

Aunt Darlene

Hard to see, but Kent & Erik are flying a kite using a fishing pole!

Kent & Uncle George sailing

Erik "Fishing"

Kent & Erik on a boat ride

Aug 18-25: 2 Months old

We have had a few changes in our lives this past week - Erik changed rooms at his daycare, Elin turned 2 months old and I made a major career decision.

This past week I made the decision to not return to work at the end of my maternity leave (though, I will probably be part-time for awhile to train my replacement).  Being a stay-at-home Mom is something that I've always wanted to do, but things didn't work out when we had Erik.  Everything seemed to "line up" this time and so I get to stay home with my kids!!  It was very difficult to leave Erik at daycare, even knowing that he enjoyed himself and was learning a lot.  Kent and I have also been struggling to keep up with all the demands at work and home, so it will be good to have someone managing the home front, so to speak.  It was harder to made the final decision than I was anticipating and so, being a procrastinator, I delayed as long as I could before having to decide.  I will definitely miss the work environment and all my co-workers.  But I'm very excited about staying at home and spending lots of time with my babies!

Erik goes to daycare at the local Jewish Community Center and they function their daycare program in the same manner as a school.  The daycare calendar is the same as the school year and the babies & toddlers in the daycare program change rooms in August when the new school year starts.  Erik moved to a new daycare room on August 19 for 2-years-old.  Since I'm now staying at home, we switched him to the part-time program, so he only goes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.  He really enjoys the range of activities that the JCC offers.

Erik's latest accomplishment is counting and singing.  He will pull items out of a box or bag while counting and then put them back in, counting them again. He generally does pretty good with his numbers up to 12, but prefers to have someone count with him.  He will also often skip 1 and 2 and start his counting with "free, four, five, etc".  He will also skip nine at times.  Kent normally does the night time routine with Erik of bath time, pajamas, prayer and milk.  I try to get there for the prayer and final goodnights.  Then Kent will cuddle with Erik on his chair while Erik drinks his milk before putting him into his bed.  We play a music CD of instrumental hymns and Kent began singing the words to the "Jesus Loves Me" song.  Erik can now sing the song almost entirely through; but he usually will just sing the last word of each line!  It is so cute to hear him singing the song.  I've tried to sing with him during the day, but he has decided that singing means bedtime, so when I start to sing, he will wave his arm at me and say "Mama, no singing"!  I hope that it's not because he hates my singing!!!

Erik with one of his teachers, Ms. Abreu

Elin turned 2 months old this week; at her monthly doctor appointment, she weighed in at 11 pounds, 4 ounces and is now 22 inches long.  Both measurements are on the 50th percentile line of the growth charts.  Elin's latest accomplishments are increased arm movements and cooing.  She has captured the toys on her carseat on a couple different occasions and been able to drag them closer to her.  She has always been vocal and, in the past week, she has started to coo, gurgle and "talk".  She loves it when someone will get close and talk to her.  She will smile and coo to them.  She and I have carried on several "conversations".  She has told me that her favorite things are eating, sleeping and getting hugs from Big Brother Erik!

Elin at 2 Months Old

Erik, Daddy and Elin

Our 2 kiddos: Erik 2 yrs old, Elin 2 months old.  I love the expression on her face!

We were able to visit with some of our favorite people, Katelyn & Karli Pettijohn, before they head back up to Southern for another school year.  Katelyn & Karli used to babysit Erik before they left us for Southern, so it was fun to introduce them to Elin.  We couldn't manage a picture with both kids, so the below photo is only with Erik.

Katelyn and Karli Pettijohn

Random Photos of the Week:

Kent & Erik at Sabbath School

My Little Man!

Aug 4-17: Auntie Kirsti and Swimming Lessons

Uh oh, seems like I'm falling back into bad habits again!  Two weeks between posts - not great for me.  The past 2 weeks have been very busy with my sister, Kirstin Elliott, coming for a visit and Erik starting swimming lessons in addition to all our regular activities.  Some other highlights of the past 2 weeks is that Erik has started playing "Pretend" games lately like "Nap Time" and "Frog" (this consists of Erik saying ribbit and jumping like a frog), Kent had a thrilling shopping experience with Erik (see story below) and Erik peed in the potty for the very first time on August 6!  Erik will ask to sit on the potty every night before his bath and occasionally at random times throughout the day.  I try to let him sit on it since he is showing interest in the potty.  Nothing has happened yet, so when he started to tinkle, he and I were both very surprised!  There hasn't been any activity since but Erik is getting a little better at telling us when he has pooped.  We hope that he'll soon start to tell us before he goes poo-poo!

Elin has developed a rash on her face and upper chest, so there aren't any super recent pictures of her for this post.  I'm pretty sure that it is heat related as it flairs up after she's been outside or when she cries for awhile.  The rash also is concentrated in the areas where her face rests against my arm when I hold her.  Apparently, Elin has inherited my intolerance of heat.  She has always been a "warm" baby - I can't put her in the sleeper pajamas anymore because she would be so hot during the night.  Elin has her next doctor's appointment in the next few days; I hope that I can get an official diagnosis and treatment.

Auntie Kirsti came to visit us and to meet Baby Elin from Friday, August 2 through Monday, August 5.     It was a quick weekend visit, but it was super fun to see her.  Elin was such a sweet little girl that she almost convinced Kirstin to have another little baby - Kirstin said that sanity prevailed though.  I think that if Kirstin had stayed just one more day we would have fully convinced her to give Erik and Elin another cousin!!!  While Kirstin was here, she was able to go with me and the kids to a Children's Storytime at the local Leu Gardens.  The storytime is held once a month; it was a madhouse!  I couldn't believe how many people showed up for it.  I decided it had to be because it was the last event before the new school year starting.   I'm not sure if I'll attempt another one for awhile.

In other Erik news, we finally decided to enroll Erik in swimming lessons.  He hadn't really wanted to get in the pool earlier this year but thankfully developed an interest in swimming when we had all the grandparents here in July.  I enrolled Erik in a course of 8 swim lessons at the Jewish Community Center where he goes to daycare.  He cried the entire 30 minutes of the first lesson; I was in an adjacent building where I could watch the lesson and I could hear him even inside the building!  The 2nd day was better in that he only cried for the first 5 minutes or so.  I was worried that he would throw a tantrum when he realized where we were going, but he walked to the pool willingly enough but then wanted me to hold him when we into the pool area.  Each day was better until I was actually able to stay by the pool for the last few lessons.  Kent took Erik to his 8th and last lesson and Erik cried throughout the entire lesson again!  Oops.  Erik's teacher, Miss Lacey, thought that Erik did a great job; he was floating on his back by himself during Lesson #7.  However, he could certainly benefit from more lessons, so we will try to keep up with the lessons.  The JCC may actually add a pool heater this year which would allow them to keep their pool open year-round.  That would be great & convenient since Erik is there already!

As mentioned above, Kent took Erik shopping for new shoes a few weeks ago.  He had quite the experience and learned a few lessons!  I can't wait to see what happens when he takes 2 kids out by himself!!  Here is Kent's story, in his words:

Shoe shopping with Erik

Erik needed some bigger shoes a few weeks ago, so I volunteered to take him shopping on Sunday morning since Kelli and Elin had planned to attend a baby shower.  So Erik and I headed down to the outlets at about 10:15 to check out a couple shoe stores.  The plan was to park close to the store and zip in and get back to the car in short order to get back in time for lunch and nap.

I couldn't remember exactly where the store was, but I remembered that the last time I came we parked in the back so that must be an okay option I thought.  I also decided that due to the speed at which I would be performing this errand and my strategic parking that I could skip the stroller.  Upon arriving I also decided that I didn't want to be burdened by the diaper bag since I didn't have the stroller.  So I got Erik out of the car, threw in a little snack and we were on our way.

Fortunately, there was a mall directory right away to help me know which way to go.  It took me a bit to locate the shoe store I came for, mostly because it was on the opposite side of the mall!  Well, perhaps I should have spent a couple minutes scouting the parking lot at home! This outdoor outlet mall is sizeable.  The criss cross route I would need to take would be the equivalent of 3-4 city blocks.  Erik weighs about thirty pounds, but having him walk that far wasn't an option.  So after an unscheduled stop to check out a hat, we finally arrived at the shoe store, with me having worked up a decent sweat and Erik feeling like he'd just been carried half way back home.  

Inside the shore store now...there is no one to help me measure Erik's foot so I decide I'll try on my own...in between trying to get him to keep his foot still, I tried to decipher the ridiculously busy measuring capabilities of this device.  I'm sure I knew his shoe size in 3 foreign countries before I decided which set of numbers I should be using.  The shoes Erik's size are located within a couple rows in the back of the store.  While I was mostly disappointed with the initial selections that appeared to be available, Erik seemed to have a few favorites, which consisted of anything in a box!  

I quickly scanned the boxes looking for anything in Erik's size, but it seemed like I was in the wrong area, so after dissuading Erik out of trying on some blinking lightning McQueen shoes, we moved over a row and started investigating some more promising territory where I hit paydirt!  I quickly started checking out what styles they had in Erik's size, which required me to open several boxes as things were very disorganized.  After becoming a little self absorbed, I happened to look over at Erik and noticed that he had successfully tried on some more blinking shoes!  Good job, but he had about 5 or 6 boxes pulled off the shelf with shoes scattered all over!  Oh no, I thought, I'll have to figure out which go in which boxes!  Now I knew why I couldn't find anything in the proper place in this section...some other parents hadn't properly restricted their children from shopping either. As I started reassembling the boxes, I became aware of an unpleasant aroma that I quickly identified as emanating from Erik's diaper!  Ugh...This was a very unfortunate turn of events since I had left all his gear back at the car!  This wasn't a totally cavalier move since he had already pooped in the morning and typically doesn't go twice...but so much for typical.

So after keeping closer tabs on him while I tried to find some kind of option, he started fussing and crying because I wasn't letting him clear the shelves anymore!  I finally decided to give him the snack I brought, which seemed to pacify him while I sorted through some more options.  The rice cookie in one hand seemed to temper his constant desire to rip boxes off the shelf, but unfortunately he decided that he would play "keep away" from me and not stay close to where I was!  So after what seemed like an eternity of trying to keep track of him and looking for the right size, I finally decided on a pair (as I wasn't leaving without something).  Then to top it off, we had to wait in line for about 10 minutes to check out.

I was feeling bad for Erik having to have a poopy diaper for the remainder of the shopping and the long walk back to the car so on the way to the next store where I was hoping to buy him a pair of crocs, I happened to see a restroom.  I decided that I would relieve him of his dirty diaper and chance him wetting before we got back to the car.  So after I did a diaper change without wipes that would have made McGyver proud, we hurried to the croc store, which was fortunately nearby and on the way back to the car.  I told Erik there was no peeing or popping until we got back to the car.  :-)

At the croc store Erik seemed to like pretty much everything that he saw there too!! I decided to keep holding him in this store, so I had only one hand to shop and put back everything that he took off the shelves.  Yes...definitely take the stroller next time!!  Crocs aren't in boxes but various types of holders on display racks.  For every croc I looked at he had pulled off two.  Once I identified his size he picked a nice blue color that I liked for him.  I also wanted a pair so had to put him down to try things on...which resulted in at least a half dozen that Erik tried on.  It was a great relief to decide on a pair for myself and head to the checkout, where again I waited for 10 min, wondering if my arm would suddenly become very warm and wet.  Needless to say, I had the same thoughts on the way back to the car.  

After the high-speed dodge-and-walk around the numerous shoppers, we finally arrived back at the car.  Erik had decided to have a bladder of steel at the right time...and at least made me feel good about one decision I had made that morning!  It was way past lunch time now and I was just leaving the mall.  So while Erik ate some chips that I threw into the car at the last minute on the way out the door, I reflected on the way home that perhaps I had learned several lessons in shopping with toddlers that I could use going forward, with the most important being let Kelli do it.

Random Pictures:

Erik with a construction hat, which was the party favor at his birthday party 

Erik & Elin playing "Nap Time" - one of Erik's favorite games right now

Erik loving on poor little Elin.  Erik has decided that he doesn't like clothes lately

Jul 28-Aug 3: Erik is 2 Years Old!

We have achieved several major milestones this week with both of our kiddos - Erik turned 2 years old (wow, where did the time go?!) and Elin gifted us with her first smile AND her first full night's sleep!!

Erik had multiple celebrations that spanned the month of July to commemorate his 2nd birthday.  The celebrations began when both sets of grandparents were here at the beginning of the month and they ended this weekend with a pool party that was shared with our good friend, Kieran Cochran, who turned 5 this year.  In between these 2 celebrations, Erik has had a small, intimate family-only dinner & presents, a cupcake party for his friends at daycare and a public acknowledgement at Sabbath School!  By the time we were done with all the partying, Erik seems to have grasped that birthdays are special and that they include singing, presents and cake!  He now asks for cake for his afternoon snack and I have caught him softly singing Happy Birthday to himself a few times!!  We are working on holding up 2 fingers and saying "I'm Two!" when he is asked how old he is.   Here are a few pictures from Sabbath School and the pool party.

Erik refused to sit in the Birthday chair and then was scared of the candles.  Glad we won't have a pyromaniac to deal with at home!

Kent & Erik posing with the Construction Cake at the pool party

Erik got a lot of sports equipment for his birthday this year, including a soccer ball, a soccer goal & net and a t-ball stand.  I've included a few pictures of Erik playing with his new toys and testing out a possible new sport.  Another new development for Erik that happened in the last week or so is that he appears to be showing some interest in potty-training.  He asks to sit on the potty most nights prior to his bath and will occasionally make a "potty" face while he sits there (I think that is due more to the laughter he gets out of Kent or I than anything else).  No activity yet, but I'm pleased that he is starting to think through the process.

Soccer Ball

Soccer ball and a bat - a new sport?!

Cute Sayings:
1. Watert - he just recently started adding the extra T on the end of the word Water; we aren't sure why, but it is awfully cute.
2. Oh, Sorry! - this one pops out whenever he thinks that he is underfoot and getting in the way.  He seems to use this when, really, he shouldn't be the one apologizing and then is stubbornly silent when we ask him to say "Sorry" for being bad.
3. Dear Jesus...I wub you. Amen! - Erik's bedtime and mealtime prayers are becoming more of a habit for him.  He will usually repeat the last word or two of each sentence, but almost always will say these words each time.  He also checks during the prayer to be sure that everyone else has stopped what they are doing, folded their hands and closed their eyes.  If he finds a wayward soul, he will put a stop to t the entire proceedings until everyone is praying together.
4. Hello Baby Sister - there are several variations on this phrase with "E-lin" replacing sister or he will point to his chest and say "Erik's Baby" or "Erik's baby sister".  He will repeat his chosen phrase, over and over, until someone takes pity and acknowledges his statement and repeated it back to him!  He surely does love his baby sister!


The World of Elin is changing by leaps and bounds recently.  Elin still spends most of her day sleeping (preferably while someone is holding her), but she is also starting to track movements around her while she is awake.  She will turn her head side to side to watch someone or something and she can also turn her head to the opposite side when she hears something interesting that isn't right in front of her.  She loves to snuggle and be cuddled and is beginning to hang on when being held - whether it is a fist grabbing onto my hair or her arm or hand draped over my shoulder and squeezing to stay close.  I realize these actions are unconscious ones on her part, but they warm my heart nonetheless (even the hair pulling)!  Elin holds her hands in tightly closed fists less and less - she will spread out her little fingers and knead them on whatever object is nearby (which is where I get the hanging onto my shoulder claim).  

One of Elin's two major accomplishments this week is that she smiled at me for the 1st smile on Sunday, July 28.  I leaned over her to pick her up from her crib and got a smile in response.  I did get witnesses later in the morning when I attended the baby shower for Corey Grodack and Elin smiled at me as I was taking her out of the carseat!  Since then, she has smiled more often and Kent was skilled enough to get a picture of one of her first smiles (I tried, but was completely unsuccessful).  The second major accomplishment is that Elin has officially slept through the night - at 6 weeks old!  She has given me a few nights where she would sleep for 5 and a half hours, but then on Friday, Aug 2, she slept for a full 7 hours.  I was actually able to give her a dream feed half way through this time period, but she never woke up, so I'm calling it!  I am not expecting 7 plus hours of sleep every night yet, but I'm very hopeful that it will come soon!

Elin's happy smiles!