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In Which We Update

Time really does fly when you're having fun, but even so, January has been a long month! 

We are on the cusp of birthday season which means that over the next few months the Hilton's will be comprised of a two year old, a 31 year old, a (gulp!) 30 year old, a 7 year old, and a 1 year old. Hard to imagine!


So here is a snapshot of now, before everything changes. 


Madi is mobile! She can roll easily from back to front or front to back, and does so constantly. Bedtime has become of bit of an issue since a) she has trouble staying still long enough to fall asleep, and b) the bumper that should be in place to protect her rolling head from hitting the bars is constantly being pulled down. We've had to take out everything but her bedtime lovey, which makes the crib look very lonely and cold, but gives her lots of room to wiggle. 


She has two little teeth peeking through her bottom gums and started eating solids earlier this month. Her diet now consists of apples, oatmeal, rice cakes (mum mums), peas, avocado  and bananas. Over the next month I plan to introduce yellow squash, sweet potatoes, and green beans. Maybe another cereal too, we'll see. She's a great eater. Perhaps I feel a little guilty for how she ended up on formula so quickly (that's a story for another time, probably already told in an earlier blog!) or perhaps it's because I'm doing so much better with cooking all our meals. Either way, Madi is getting home made baby food! 


Another interesting new trait Madi has developed recently is separation anxiety. She knows her immediate family - Mommy, Daddy, Nana, Bob Bob, Aunt Jenna, and Uncle Brett - but gets a look of absolute panic in her eyes when we try to pass her off to the nursery. I've always been puzzled by separation anxiety. Brooklyn had it pretty early on. Grayson rarely shows signs of it and is mostly only upset because he's being confined or asked to change, not because he is being separated. Hmmm. I wonder what that means. On a related note, I am not so secretly pleased to say that I am most definitely her favorite of all people. :0) 


Grayson's favorite words are "No Way!" (said in his loudest, most demanding voice). His language sort of exploded over the holidays, and now it is fun seeing how his thoughts come out in words. They may not be the clearest words in the world, but he gets his point across!


"Elmo" can mean anything from "I want to watch one of my Elmo videos", "I'd like an Elmo fork/spoon/plate", "Look, there's something related to Elmo!", to "This is my Elmo doll. Give him a hug/kiss." Likewise, "Choo Choo" means just about anything related to trains, Thomas the Tank Engine, or Chuggington. Through absolutely no prompting on my part, Brooklyn is known to him as "Sissy" and Madi is "baby". Also, somewhat ironically, Nana is known to him as "Nanny" which is funny because he can actually say "nana", he just prefers to use the term for banana. Aunt Jenna (which he is capable of saying) has been shortened to "mom". We don't know why. Uncle Brett remains unnamed, despite the fact that he is a favorite play mate. 

Brooklyn is, as always, a delightful, energetic little girl with a flair for the dramatic. She loves her family and friends and just wants to be involved in whatever is going on at the moment. Sometimes I do wish she were a little more oblivious. For example, right now the adults in her life are all watching their weight. We are counting points and portion sizes and talking through why we ate this or wanted this, etc, etc. Brooklyn has picked up that and wants to be a part of the conversation. I'm afraid she's going to develop an imaginary eating disorder before long! 


We are all making a concerted effort to spend more quality time with friends (and when I say "we all" I mostly mean me - the schedule keeper and ultimate yay/nay sayer of any given event). I am a somewhat shy person; I don't really like to put myself out there, so if there is an excuse or even the possibility of an excuse to stay home, I tend to take it. But for the sake of my kids and my own adult sanity, I am doing what I can to get over the hurdles. So if you want to play - just ask, I'll find a way to make it happen!

Life continues to be crazy, chaotic, and constantly changing. This is without a doubt a difficult but precious season of life and we are doing our best to enjoy the little characters who make it so crazy! 



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