Midweek Smiles

This week there has been some progress made at the Collett house, and some regression.  In terms of regression, our 9 month olds have now decided that they no longer sleep through the night...ugh.  Jack has been waking up around 2-3 the past couple of weeks. He wakes up and talks, and when we go into his room to give him his pacifier, he grins and laughs and sings to us. The boy is not sleepy at all. He takes about 30 minutes to go back to sleep. We would let him just talk and sing until he fell back to sleep, but the last two nights he's woken Harper up as well. Last night Tony and I gave both kiddos a bottle at 3am. What happened to our little peaceful babies who slept 12 hours just a month ago?  We gave Jack and Harper an ounce more in each bottle today (Harper was hit or miss on finishing them), and we're hoping this helps them sleep better.

Now for the progress!  When I look at Jack, I realize just how much better he's feeling since he's recovered from his stomach virus. I love to see that little man smile and this week, he has been a grinning fool. He has also figured out how to put his thumb inside his pacifier and chew his pacifier and his thumb at the same time. The look of satisfaction at this discovery made me laugh. He's such a sweet boy.

Harper's progress this week comes in the form of big movement...upward movement. Our little Harper climbed all of the stairs today, without any boosts or help from anyone. She has learned to grab onto the carpet and pull herself with her upper body and then sneak her knee onto the step and press herself up. I was amazed that she climbed all the steps today, and did it so quickly. She's never made it past the first three steps, so she was very proud of herself when she reached the top of the stairs. Abby was so worried about Harper climbing the stairs that she decided to supervise and came and sat next to Harper and paced back and forth while Harper moved up and down. The big challenge now is teaching her to come back down the steps- not her favorite thing.  We now have a child gate at the bottom of the stairs. This girl can only get upstairs under adult supervision.Here are some actions shots of the little climber at work...

Weekend Wedding

The Frisco Colletts packed up this weekend and headed to Arlington to celebrate the wedding of one of my best friends, Lindsay. She and I have been friends for close to twenty years, and I was very blessed to be included in the wedding. So, while Tony and I were doing wedding things, Nana and Pop kept Harper and Jack, and Great Granny and Aunt Becky kept them so we could all go to the wedding. Here's a picture of Tony and I from the big night- so fun!

While we were in Arlington, the kids spent their time playing and exploring the house, they both really enjoy going outside, and Nana and Pop even took them for a walk. We went to church Sunday morning- the kids were so well behaved. Jack sat next to Tony and was very interested in crinkling the paper of church bulletin, while Harper sat with me and played with her carseat the majority of the time. Both kids loved watching people come by and smile at them, they smiled back and babbled with enthusiasm. 

Look Mimi- She's in tights!

When we got home from church, we had lunch, and I was giving Harper a little bit of my food off of my finger when I noticed...she cut a tooth!  I know she didn't have a tooth poking through on Saturday morning when I gave her her medicine, but by Sunday and lunch, it had appeared. We thought this might explain why Harper threw a huge fit while Great Granny and Aunt Becky were keeping the kids on Saturday night. I think it's pretty funny that Harper cut her tooth first because the pediatrician told us a week ago that Jack would have a tooth "any day now" but Harper was "further behind her brother"- she fooled the doctor. 

We got home from Arlington this afternoon and did somethings around the house. I looked up to find the kids playing with each other (and Harper sitting down), so I thought I needed to document this moment. I also documented the aftermath...not sure how this happened, but while I was getting Harper in her high chair, Jack ended up like this...

I also thought I would get some pictures of the kids eating tonight because they're doing a few new things. First, they now eat "puffs"- some rice puffed cereal that they can pick up themselves. Here's a picture of Harper with a puff in her mouth- I thought it looked like two hillbilly front teeth!

The kids are also drinking water now out of a sippy cup and both seem to be figuring out how to get the cup to their mouths by themselves. We're still working on drinking without spilling everything or letting it all run out of their mouths. 

Harper has also decided that she likes to bite the spoon when she eats- I couldn't resist posting this one.

Here are a couple of other shots from our trip to Nana and Pop's- enjoy!

This dress has pockets!

My handsome date

Playing with Nana

Playing with Pop

Silly Harper

Harper is the focus of the blog tonight. She loves to explore everything around her, and she is a patient observer of the world. It scares me sometimes how persistent she is- that girl will work and work at something until she gets it. I look at this little girl and I am in awe of all the things she has accomplished and she continues to learn. She surprises me everyday. So, here are a few shots of our little surprise girl- check out that cute little smile...

9 Months Old

I know, I know a day late, but we have a good reason- I'll get to that in a moment...

First, Happy 9 Month Birthday to Harper and Jack! They are very busy these days and Tony and I were thankful we both got some time off of work to spend the day with them and take the kids to the doctor for their wellness check up.  Here are their stats:

Jack:

Height- 27 in. 

Weight- 16 lbs 12 oz 

Head Circumfrence-18 in. 

Overall Development- A+

Jack is getting some more tummy time these days and is starting to get up on his knees a little more, so we think he'll be figuring out this crawling thing soon. Our pediatrician also said that Jack is getting ready to cut his first tooth any day now, which would explain the endless drool. The doctor was happy with his overall growth and was very impressed that he gained 4oz in a week, despite having a nasty stomach bug. We must be doing something right!

Harper:

Height- 25.5 in. 

Weight- 13lbs 4 oz 

Head Circumference- 17.5 in. 

Overall Development- A+

Our pediatrican was very happy with Harper. She said that she's gaining weight (praise God!) and loooking much better at the 9 month appointment than she did at the 6 month appointment. The doctor was also impressed with the strides Harper has made in her development. She said that her head shape looked pretty good, but we need a little more therapy for the torticollis, so we have a referal for that. Harper's eating is her big improvement; she is back on the growth charts and seems to be enjoying her meals. We couldn't imagine a few months ago that we would be in the place, but we are so happy to be here.

Alright, drumroll please....we didn't get a chance to take pictures of the kiddos and post them yesterday, because we were at teh car dealership buying a mini van. Yes, we are now middle aged, uncool, and super practical. I shouldn't complain though, because the ride is nice, the options are pretty cool, and I get both kids in and out without having a struggle.

Happy 9 month birthday Harper and Jack, enjoy your new ride!

Our Weekend in Pictures

What a difference a week makes. Last weekend, Tony and I were taking care of a very sick boy and juggling middle of the night feedings again. This weekend, Tony and I chased around two very active, smiling kiddos. I am so thankful that our house is back to "normal"and that little man is feeling so well that he was standing on his own playing today. I helped him pull up, but he kept himself up and played; they're both getting so big.

Saturday, the kids and I went to Arlington so I could get my haircut and Jack and Harper could see Nana, Pop, and Great Granny. Here's a picture of Harper having fun with Granny. She would squeal and grin when Granny talked to her. Jack also has a good time in Arlington and especially enjoyed swinging in the swing while we ate lunch.

The weather was beautiful on Sunday and we took advantage of it. Jack was up around 6:30 and he and I sat out on the back porch while he ate his morning bottle. The breeze was cool and I wrapped him up in a blanket so we could enjoy the sunrise. Abby was just beside herself that she had company on her morning yard patrol and she was even more excited when we decided to take a family walk this afternoon. Tony and I made sure everyone had on hats and we headed out to soak up the sun. I am very much ready for fall and all the cool, crisp air that it will bring!

We also ran errands today and did things around the house. Here's a shot of Harper helping me fold clothes (and by "help" I mean that she took the folded laundry and unfolded it and threw it on the floor). Tony had some quailty time with the kiddos this weekend too. He managed to sneak in a nap with Harper and a good conversation with Jack.

 We also took baths tonight- Jack loves splashing around in the tub and trying to hit all the bubbles. Harper is starting to get some hair and when I took off her hooded towel tonight, this is what her hair looked like (I didn't touch it- just took the picture). 

We sign off tonight with big hopes for our Rangers tomorrow: Go Rangers! Beat the Ray

Feels So Good Feelin' Good Again

Jack and I are both finally feeling better; the stomach bug that had us down lasted a week and it was rough. Our poor little guy spent most of the week sleeping, fussing, and wanting to be held. We went through two bottles of Pedialyte and had a middle of the night feedings, but I am happy to report that Jack is currently playing on the floor smiling after finishing his last bottle. I am also back up and running after spending a few days living off of Sprite and crackers.

While Jack was resting, Harper was on the move. She learned so many new things this week, so I thought I'd just update in pictures. We are so happy our household is healthy again.

Checking on Jack when he was sick 

Nurse Harper

From sitting straight to standing by grabbing the playmat 

Walking from the door to the plant using the wall

Trying to clim into the chair with brother

Looking for toys at the bottom of the toy box