To be Two

As I was watching Sylvie play the other day I thought to myself how fun it must be to be two. I don't think I remember anything from that age but it sure looks like an amazing age to be. There are so many things Sylvie learns in one day. And the joy she finds in such little things is amazing. She can stand at the kitchen sink playing in the water for hours, play endless rounds of peek-a-boo, and give kiss after kiss to Jeremy, Grace, and me. Sometimes I can't even figure out what she's smiling or laughing at. There are times when she will just burst out laughing and run down the hall. What prompted that? Other times she'll look at me and say whatever word is on her mind with excitement she can't contain. Sometimes that word is something as simple as the bow in her hair. When was the last time I took that much joy in just being? And the fun of being the size of a two year old! Yes, it would be scary to be so small. But it would also mean Daddy can swoop you up with one arm and in an instant you're in flight. It's amazing how easily Sylvie is comforted simply by our presence, a smile, or a hug. This must be the faith Jesus was referring to in Mark 10:15. I'm just reminded now I need to be comforted that easily by God's presence. I need to continue to trust Jesus with the faith and trust of a child, for I am a child of God.

I love...

This morning we were all hanging out playing and talking. We've been trying to teach Sylvie about using more than one word to convey her message. "I want juice please" vs. "juice" is the most common 'repeat after me' exercise. But this morning it went like this...

Jeremy: I
Sylvie: I
J: love
S: love
J: you
S: mommy!!

What a fun surprise!!

Speed Racer

When you live in Chicago and have a toddler you have to get pretty creative during the winter months. We've gone from playing in the water at the sink to pushing our little sister around in a basket.

Gracie hates the pacifier today.

Getting to Know Grace

I can't believe it's already been 2 months since Grace came into our lives. So much has happened during that time. We're still getting to know each other. And she's still getting used to life on the outside. Just when we think we've figured out how to make her happy she changes her mind. The past two nights she's been up until around 2 am. It seems that after her 8 or 9 pm feeding she just wants to be awake. And not the kind of awake that is content to sit in her bouncy seat or swing or even our arms. The kind of awake that takes constant rocking, bouncing, cooing, back flips (you name it, we've tried it) to keep the screams and tears at bay. Last night was a little different though. Grace took a pacifier!! And not just for a couple minutes either. Until last night the longest she's ever used a pacifier was maybe 3 minutes. But I gave it to her around 9 pm and she was still going to town after 1 am. And during all that time she slept maybe 2 minutes. While the pacifier did require almost constant babysitting to keep it in it was much more relaxing than any other late night we've had. As long as she had the pacifier she was happy. And by the end of the night she started to figure out how to keep it in with her fist. And what surprises me even more is she took it again this morning and it helped her be happy in her boppy for awhile. So, once we can get her GERD, cow's milk irritation, pacifier, and night/day figured out we'll be set! ;-) We're so blessed to have her and every smile is an exciting adventure.

Here is our beautiful little ballerina.

Pretty in pink and ready for church.

The first of many fun rides on Daddy's shoulders.

Fun With Sylvie

We have been having so much fun with Sylvie lately. Her speaking ability has really developed these past few weeks and we're understanding so much more of what she says. She loves to label everything, especially when she first wakes up. She's done this since she learned her first signs but now that she has so many words it's quite a chatty morning. As soon as she's up she's labeling everything, "Light! Bug! Monkey! Light! Light! Daddy! Mommy! Grace! Juice! Juice! Juice! Butter! (meaning peanut butter) Chair! Table! Feet! Belly!" And the list goes on. While we're thrilled she is speaking more clearly, this advanced pronunciation has also shown up in the middle of the night. Sylvie has always woken up at some point in the night and cried a little. She has always been able to put herself back to sleep too. However, now that she says our names clearly she cries them clearly. . . at 4 am. So, now with a more distinct invitation for us to come to her room it's becoming much more difficult to ignore. She is also not going back to sleep as quickly and seems to cry harder. Any suggestions?
In the above picture Sylvie is helping do the dishes. We had a great evening. She helped make the cornbread for dinner, pouring the mix and the milk into the bowl and stirring it all around. Then she helped wash the dishes. She particularly enjoyed rinsing one cup again and again. Any Chapman reading this will recognize her "Mom Mom Tongue". It was out in full force wiggling around as she concentrated on those dishes.
While waiting for the cornbread to cook Sylvie and Jeremy had a dance. We thought it was so sweet how she put her hand on his shoulder.