May came and went. I honestly can't believe we're in June and that my baby will be a year old next month!! Wow! I try to cherish every moment with my kids - some days are rough between fussy kids, illnesses, lots of disciplining (and instruction) and the snowball effect of one thing after the next going wrong, but I LOVE MY KIDS! The tough days are definitely worth the blessing of having them in my life and getting to experience all their new discoveries and joys with them. It's such a blessing!
We have seen such a change in Jenna over the past few months. She's definitely growing up and becoming a little girl (where did my baby go?!?). She talks all the time and says the funniest things. She's also a very good mimic and we'll catch her repeating things we never even realized we said, like, "You're the best", and "Oh Mommy (with a sigh)". When I heard her say things like that, I would think, "Where in the world did she hear that?" And then later I'd catch myself saying the very same things (with the same vocal expressions too). I realized that whenever Jenna did something nice I would tell her that she's the best and when she made a mess or did something she shouldn't, I would say, "Oh Jenna..." (with a sigh of course). Haha! So it's funny hearing her repeat us and say things exactly like we say them.
We've also seen a change in Jenna's attitude. She's more obedient (thank you Lord!), loving, and gentle. She treats her brother so well (most of the time) and I can tell she truly loves him. For instance, tonight I was feeding Grant his bottle and she came in and gently kissed his legs, arm, and forehead, and gently stroked his cheek. As she was doing that, she had a sweet smile on her face. It melted my heart! I think they'll be good buddies here soon. :) But of course, she is still a typical 2-year old and has her moments of pushing, pulling, and hitting. Plus she believes wholeheartedly that EVERYTHING is hers, so if Grant takes "her" toys she gets very frustrated. I've found making her take turns with Grant is very helpful. It's better than me just saying, "You need to share" because she doesn't really understand what that means. But if we sit down and act it out, then it seems to hit home. I'll say, "Okay, it's Grant's turn to (fill in the blank)...and now it's Jenna's turn." She seems to really like that. She'll even say when she's done, "Gant's turn" and then "I turn". Haha!
Jenna has also started playing by herself more. Whew! That's been the biggest relief for me. She's actually playing now and not just getting into things she shouldn't. Literally the past 6-8 months she would never play and was always in search of what she could get into that was "off limits". So to see her playing by herself, is HUGE! She really enjoys playing with the "Little People" toys. I've collected some and my mom's given me some that we've found at garage sales. She'll sit and talk for the people and move them around the different buildings that we have. It's so sweet to watch her play.
Jenna also loves the outdoors. I hear, "Mommy, I go outside" about a million times a day. Even if it's raining, she'll try to convince me to let her out by saying, "Mommy, it's nice out." I'm glad the warm weather is finally here and that the rain has stopped so we can enjoy the outdoors. Jenna's also a climber. I'm always catching her climbing on our fence, her playset out back, chairs, couches, and toys. And she likes to "swing" on things. She'll hold on, lift her feet off the ground, and swing her body. Drew and I have talked about getting a dome climber for her to climb and swing on. I think she'd really enjoy it.
Grant, Grant, Grant...oh my what a busy boy he is! Grant is 10 months old and after a long break of no milestones or changes, he seems to be getting through a lot of milestones all at once! He's now crawling ALL OVER THE PLACE and getting faster each day. He'll sit up, spin around in the same spot using his heels, and then start crawling somewhere else. He's also pulling himself up to a standing position and has let go a few times so he stands by himself. AND, he's "walking" with a walking toy. Drew and I were convinced he would be a late walker just because it took him so long to crawl, but now I'm not so sure. It seems like once he started crawling, he just took off with everything else. Haha!
He also has 5 teeth now - 3 on top, 2 on the bottom with 2 more about to pop through. He looks so much older now with all these teeth in his mouth. And of course he's drooling like crazy with all his teething. I can't seem to keep his chin dry so he's starting to get a little rash from all the drool and his shirt is always soaked in front.
He hasn't spoken any words yet, although I hear him say, "Mamama" and "Dadadada" at times, especially when he wants our attention. And he's become a big screamer. He has the LOUDEST, SHRILLEST scream I've ever heard. It is literally ear piercing. And he seems to always be the loudest at the dinner table, so Drew and I have realized that our conversation will just have to wait until afterward. :) But he's such a sweetheart. He has such an easy smile and his whole face lights up. He has a sweet giggle that comes out when we kiss his neck or back, when he spots Bailey (his favorite toy...poor Bailey) or when his sister is near him (he LOVES her!).
I think Grant is going to be that child that goes into a room and dumps everything out. He just loves making a mess and there's always a path of destruction where he was. He likes to play with puzzles - he's not actually putting the pieces back, but he likes pulling them out and holding them - they have the big knobs to hold onto. He also seems to always gravitate to whatever Jenna's playing with, which results in a very upset toddler. :) So at this point I try to keep him distracted with other toys so Jenna can play with hers, especially since he just destroys whatever she's built or put together.
Grant also seems to enjoy the outdoors and especially likes his swing in the backyard. I guess we'll soon find out just how much the kids enjoy the outdoors because our family's going tent camping at the end of June. Drew and I are looking forward to it. We really enjoy camping and know those are memories the kids will treasure.
We've had a great month and I look forward to our adventures in June! We have the Troy Strawberry Festival this weekend. We're planning on taking the kids to the parade Saturday morning. Then our church's VBS in a week. Drew is doing video and I'm helping in the 2-3 year old class, which means I'll be with Jenna. And then we have our camping trip the following weekend. Lots of fun ahead!
...And after...yep, he's a dumper. Just likes to take everything off the shelves and dump things out...and then he moves on to the next thing. Funny boy!
