Jumperoo

Kira started to use the jumper and is loving it!  She was a little unsure at first, but daddy and Max chanted, "Kira, Kira, Kira" and that did the trick.  Her feet do not even reach the floor and she cannot jump, but the independently upright position is new and exciting.  She has spent a lot of time the past two days just hanging out in the jumper, viewing the world from a whole new perspective.  Since her most recent world has been watching her big brother sit on the potty, she must appreciate the change of scenery.

Best Valentine's Day present from Aunt Arielle!  Personalized mouse ears for the sweetest mice.  Max and Kira really, really love them.  They just don't know it yet.

A view from the sidelines of Max and his greatest pal on Earth.  Lately Max has been asking if Pawley is a boy or girl.  He asked if Pawley's tail was his penis.  For a few days Max asked if Pawley could be a girl and we told him Pawley can be whatever he wants.  Today he was a boy.

Valentines

We smile for cupcakes 

Max had a blast at Gracie's 2nd birthday party.  He danced with the ballet instructor and ran around with the boys chasing balloons.  Most importantly, he stayed dry!

Kira had a great time at the party, too.  She enjoys hearing people talk about what a great baby she is!

Getting crafty on Valentine's Day morning 

Max prefers to paint his face

Max's baby in the jumper- Pawley.

Virginia is for...

Lovers!

Tessa and Kira win the award for playing the nicest together.  Good work, baby girls!

Duet

Sweet girl ready for her friends to come for Valentine's Day dinner 

When it is (below) freezing outside we stay indoors and play dress up.  Kira tried on Max's t-shirt; they both look equally loveable and very similar. 

Champion in [potty] training

School Valentine's Day lunch complete with the "love cake" rice crispy treat Max made for his friends.  On the way home from school Max said, "I had such a great time today!  I love Miss Miranda so so much.  I gave her a big hug". 

Pajama Day at school...plus Valentine's Day with a side of pirate style. 

Dry day!!

Max stayed dry all day!  When mommy picked him up at school Max shouted, "change my poopy!", but he had not gone. He saved it for the tub.

While Max's underwear stayed dry, Kira's shirt did just the opposite.  Just pretend the spit-up spots are extra hearts.  Kira's smile certainly warrants some extra love.

Max enjoyed Sesame Street while mommy worried about the couch getting wet.

"I need more goldfish!" demanded the potty prince from his throne.  Potty training SO fun.

Day one: no diapers

After Max stayed dry all morning, we decided to have him go diaper-less all day.  We were going to wait until the weekend, but he has done a great job of staying dry and using the potty, without any help, for the past two mornings, so best to keep the momentum moving.  Max went to school with his potty (and lots of extra underwear and pants), because who doesn't walk around town with their own smiley face-talking toilet?  Max did a fantastic job and went on the potty too many times to count.  He only had one accident at school and two at home in the afternoon.  Max happened to be standing (mid-temper tantrum) in daddy's shoes during one incident.  Mommy advised him to keep that fun fact a secret, but as soon as Max heard daddy come home he screamed out (with an enormous smile), "Daddy!  Your black dress shoes are soaking wet because I went pee pee in them!"  It should be noted that, "the black shoes are not my favorite," so perhaps that is why Max did the deed in them.  

As expected, potty training will fuel the fire of an always fragile bedtime routine.  Max waited until his overnight diaper was on to go number two; totally understandable (glad he got it out!). He also wanted to go on the potty an hour after lights out.  Good/bad/long nights continue.

Kira was hard at play on the playmat today.  She smiles and giggles at the birds as they circle around above her and she kicks the elephant.  Her legs are definitely getting strong and taking her places- all over her crib while completely swaddled!  

Who is wearing underwater?! "Me!"

Max helped give Kira a bath this morning and he noticed some differences...

"How is Kira going to use the potty if she doesn't have a penis?" asked an inquisitive big brother.  

Potty progress

Max scaled the big potty this morning all by himself.  The climb up and the pee pee were successful!  He also went on the little potty downstairs, but agreed to wear a diaper to school since he is not officially (fingers crossed) ditching the diapers for good until this weekend.  So far his absolute favorite thing is the grossest thing: dumping the pee from the little potty into the big potty.  He insists on carefully (so far) carrying, what equates to a "bedpan", to the potty himself.  That will be real fun when he goes number two.  "Do the potty dance!" he quickly says when he makes in the potty.  After school he took his diaper off for the rest of the day and kept his underwear dry.  At one point mommy went upstairs and left Max alone for 30 seconds.  "Look at this pee pee!" she heard, expecting to return to an accident.  But she was happily wrong!  Max was already en route to the big potty, bedpan in hand, to make a deposit.  As to not leave baby Kira out of all this potty talk, it should be noted that she has successfully kept all of her waste within the confines of her diaper.  That too, is an accomplishment.

Max ran into Kira's room this morning to hang these freshly completely letters he spied in the den.  Of course it was 6am and she was still asleep.  "I NEED these letters for MY room!" later cried the boy who has an entire [and more decorated] alphabet on his wall.  "But you have ALL the letters Max," said mommy.

Little sister is already wearing 6 month pjs!

"I want those brown [multigrain] waffles."

On Friday we went to Chick fil A and Max got a blue balloon.  On the car ride home, out of no where, all of the air fizzled out; Max has not stopped taking about it since.  Now he has a replacement and we can move on.  Maybe.

Musical Monday

Max loves to move his chair right as close to Kira as he can and play the guitar.  Poor girl needs a helmet, but she loves it just as much as he does.

Once again, Max woke up and wanted to  sit on the potty, but this time he actually went!  Yay!  After a celebratory song and dance, he said, "I want to poppy in my diaper."   Baby steps.  He was very excited to get his "little potty" after school, and he pee-peed in that, too!  Yay...until he poured the fruit juice of his labor all over the floor.  His pseudo-potty trained heart was in the right place.

The Virginian New York/Florida fan

Pinocchio

Max has been giving out a lot of love and a few lies.  He loves everyone and he tells them so, and he likes to give "one more hug" when he says goodbye for school.  "I love you SOO much," coming from the General is the greatest.  

He is also doing a better job of keeping his composure when mommy leaves him.  "I didn't cry for you!" he says with pride when mommy comes home.  

Max's tall tales are becoming quite colorful.  Today he told grandma that his finger was red because, "mommy cut it with the safety scissors".  At least they were the safety scissors.  No. Not true!  It was from his pink, strawberry bagel. 

Looking at the back of mommy's phone while she takes a million photos is exhausting!!

Kira is getting huge!  She is definitely bigger than Max at three months old, but with less hair.  She still looks similar to Max and she spits up like him, too.  The little lady soaks her clothes a few times a day, but it is okay because it gives her an excuse to wear more cute outfits everyday.  Most importantly, the spit-up does not bother her at all as she continues to be the an easy-going and happy baby girl.

Reenacting in Tot Shabbat 

Max was happy to help deposit money in Kira's new piggy bank.  He was also very quick to look for a way to get the money back out.  He found "all the money" (approximately $0.60 cents) on the basement floor and graciously gifted it to Kira.

Player

Morning story time selfie 

Why did mommy tell Max about cereal and milk? So she would have more to clean up, no doubt.  After wearing his Santa pjs last night, Max woke up saying, "ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas.  Come sit on my lap!"

Max put himself in time out after he hit Kira.  He said he hit her so he could go to time out.  

This jersery fits like a glove!