Peyton's Telling Us Something

At nearly 14 months, Peyton's communication skills are getting much better. She's learning sign language at school and using a closed fist (and sometimes an open and closed fist as you can see in the video) to ask for milk. Lately, she's also been making her way to the refrigerator when she wants something to drink.

She can say "night, night" and she is becoming skilled at letting Austen know when he's made her mad by taking away a toy that she has been using. She also has started to protect those toys. If she sees him coming for the grab, she'll guard it like a basketball player would, tucking it low to her side and hovering over it.

Peyton's going to be tough...there's no doubt about it. She has a brother who likes to love on her a little too roughly but she takes it all in stride and actually relishes the attention she gets from him no matter how rough. Her daddy, says that's the way he likes his girls....ones who can dress up and be girlie but then run with the boys too -- and even show them up sometimes!

Munchkins Make Me Feel Better

So my normally healthy four-year old has had a rough four weeks. He has been sent home from school on three separate occasions with fevers and has been home during each of those episodes for two and three days at a time.

Tom and I have gotten to spend a lot of quality time with Austen (well in between trying to keep our day jobs), and we certainly relish that but it's getting a little tiresome to be constantly battling a raging fever. Luckily, the most recent go round with the fever was a less than 12-hour show but he still couldn't go to school the next day as they have a rule you must be fever-free for 24 hours before returning.

At any rate, Austen, now the picture of perfect health, looks at me after Tom takes Peyton to school that morning and says..."Munchkins make me feel better!" As in mom, you need to go to the Dunkin Donuts across the street and buy me some munchkins to eat since I am at home with you today!

Needless to say I didn't. But we did walk to Starbucks later and I bought him a hot chocolate!

The Big Snow

So about a week and a half ago, Chicago received one of its biggest snowfalls. We had 22 inches in the city. Since I have lived in Illinois, this was by far the biggest snow day. Work and school let out early and most were closed for a good day or two, some three. The amount of snow that fell within an hour was unbelievable but what was even more of a once in a lifetime experience was the wind. It was brutal - whipping and whirling that snow around. The "thundersnow" was also something I may never see/hear again in my lifetime. It was like a thunderstorm with snow with booming thunder and lightning. It was incredible.

After being stuck inside all day we decided to take a short walk around the block. We let Austen and Adler play in a nearby park. Both of them loving the deep snow and the chance to make angels - one a little boy, another his dog. It was a Norman Rockwell kind of photo moment.

Peyton Likes

People often ask me what Peyton is up to lately. In the first two years of life there are so many important milestones being reached that as soon as she meets one milestone she is off trying to reach the next - from smiling to sitting up to crawling and first words and first step.

So first things first...walking. She has taken a few tentative steps on her own and delights in being able to do this but she has decided not to tire herself out too much taking more than a few steps at a time. And sometimes if she doesn't feel like walking, she won't no matter how much you prod her.

Talking...like most babies, she understands more than she is able to communicate. She recognizes her name, likes looking at pictures of herself and quickly identifies daddy, Austen and Adler with a turn of the head. She will sometime say hi, bye, dada, and is working on mama and Adler (which now sounds like aaaahh-er!).

She has a growing interest in Adler. She delights in seeing her and feeding her food! Of course this is all the things Peyton doesn't want to eat off of her plate. Adler is her new best friend, parked out under her high chair. Although Adler needs to be careful because Peyton is also known to whip her sippy cup off her tray onto the floor and Adler has gotten hit with it a few times. I guess she feels a few lumps are worth some extra morsels of food! Peyton also has learned Adler's commands and tells her down by pointing at the floor.

Eating...Peyton likes to feed herself. She loves waffles and pancakes and Rice Krispy Treats. Really anything her brother is eating, she better also have! She likes meat and some vegetables. Her absolute favorite is mac and cheese. She really shovels that in by the fistfuls. Of course she loves cookies too. When you say do you want a cookie, her eyes shift to the cookie jar.



At 13 months, she is a much better sleeper overall than Austen was and by far easier to put down as she rarely fusses when it's time for bed. I can't wait to see her progress during the next few months. I'm sure she'll keep us on our toes!