Potty Update

Conner has been doing so good, we are so very proud of him!

In the past 18 days he has been accident free (and when I say accident I mine just pee pee thank goodness) for 15 of those days. 3 accidents at this stage I think is pretty good. I mean he's been use to just peeing in his diaper whenever he wanted for 2 1/2 years, so when playing or in a different environment I could see how he would forget that he can't just do that anymore.

• He is now holding it longer; when we started an hour was the tops he could hold it and he's pretty much doubled that now.
• He's now telling us when he has to go (most the time) rather than us telling him it's a potty break all the time.
• We've also gotten use to public restrooms...Boy I can't wait until we teach him to stand up to pee so he doesn't have to touch the toilets all the time....thank goodness for boys :)

I also had my first humorous public restroom experience. A few days ago the whole fam went to Meijer for a few odds and ends and just after checking out Conner tells us he has to go potty. So off we go....well, it wasn't just pee pee. He was tooting quite loudly and then following that with a laugh and I tooted :) Then some very loud pushing sounds and a very loud happy I went Ucky. I of course was congratulating him all along with a huge smile on my face. I think the lady next to us was happy for the diversion since I believe she was doing the same thing :) I'm sure I have many more of these fun stories in my future, but thought I would share my first one. :)

Talking back.....

What!!!! Conner is not even 3 yet and I'm already having to deal with talking back. I thought I had a good 5 years still????

My sister in law had warned me about this but I guess you aren't prepared until it actually happens. This week Conner surprised me when after asking for a snack right before lunch, I said no and his response was YES I CAN! It wasn't even just the words he said, it was with a mouth on him too! What did you say! Well, it's happened a few more times since, so I'm going to have to put a big stop to this soon! Oh the joys of parenting :)

On a good note we had our first library laptime this week. I started taking Conner to our local library classes when he was about 9 months and continued until right before Morgan was born. He was going through one of those stages of not listening and rough play. We had to leave early quite a few times because he wasn't be nice, so I decided it was becoming too much for me at the time....and I was 8 months pregnant :) Now that Morgan is 7 months old I wanted her to experience this too since it always brought so much joy to Conner. Plus, I'm always looking for ways for Conner to interact with other kids, so I was going to sign them up for the laptime. At first, I wasn't too sure since the class was right during Morgan's morning nap but I decided it was only once a week and she is able to get about a half hour before we go and boy am I glad we did. Conner absolutely LOVED it!! It was so wonderful watching my little man playing along with all the other kids, jumping, signing, reading and just playing. There is a teacher to interact with the toddlers so Conner was off in the middle of the room just enjoying himself and this allowed for me to have some one on one with Morgan during the songs just like when I brought Conner to the babytime classes when he was little. I originally thought this would be more for Conner but it turned out to be great for them both. This will be nice to be able to get out of the house during the winter months.

A Wagon for Two

I've been waiting for this for a while. It was always so hard taking a walk with the two kids and myself during the day because Conner is just too big for the double stroller (it was like pushing a 100lb stroller around) and Morgan was too small for the wagon so I had to take Morgan in the single stroller and Conner walking along with me.....let's just say I wasn't burning any calories this way (very slow walk) :) When Morgan was smaller I could put her in the baby carrier and pull the wagon. Now that she is a big girl they both sit so nice in the wagon. Thank goodness for seat belts!

Here are a few pics of our first walk this week. We only made it around the block but we will work our way up for longer walks soon :)

Can't get enough of those puffs

Morgan has started self feeding herself gerber puffs and can't get enough!

A few days ago she finally figured out that after she picked up the puffs in her hands they could go in her mouth. She figured this out at dinner a few nights ago and by morning she was a pro! I can't keep them on her tray long enough. :) I'll put a handful down and try to get breakfast or lunch for Conner ready and within minutes they are all gone and she wants more :) This has been helpful since they keep her very happy as long as she can keep eating...that's my girl!

Ma Ma

Today I finally heard it......mama. She says it almost like she means it although I'm sure it's just babble now. Conner use to say it when he wanted to be picked up or get out of his crib and Morgan seems to be doing the same....it's almost a whine mamamama. I guess they figure if I say this mommy comes :) Smart kids!!

BA BA BA BA

Can this qualify as a word??

Oh how I wish I knew how to upload video from our recorder!!! Morgan has been babbling away lately, a little more than normal. My mom said she said Ma Ma the other week but I didn't really hear it, but today it was unmistakable. She is now saying BA BA BA BA and I got it on tape to prove to daddy :)

It's so cute, she kind of sucks her lower lip in while saying it.....these moments are priceless!!!

****If anyone viewing this knows how to upload/download video from a Sony Handycam DVD recorder....please help!

I'm stuck...

under the chair! Morgan has been rolling and pushing herself around everywhere lately and she finds herself in the oddest places sometimes. Yesterday she was playing around on the ground while I quick loaded the dishwasher, Conner was napping so I like to let her have free rain of the floor while he's not there. This is how I found her a few minutes later! Of course I grabbed the camera thinking this was too cute...took a few pics and then pulled her out only to watch her push herself right back in the same spot not even 1 minutes later. What a silly, I'm really going to have to watch her once she's crawling and moving around more, she probably could have pushed herself all the way under :)

6 Month Check-up

Morgan had her 6 month check up this week. She's doing great and the doctor has no concerns. She can be checked for peanut allergies at 1 1/2 which I'm looking forward to....since we have no peanut/nuts in the house she will not be exposed to it. Especially if when Conner is retested at 5 and he's still allergic, but it would be nice to know if she is as well. I guess the chances are higher that she will have a food allergy :( So no eggs til 2 and no peanuts til 3!!!! Either way it will be nice to know early what to keep away from her.


This appointment couldn't have come at a better time for me...Morgan has been sleeping horrible this past week, waking up three/four times a night screaming only wanting to be held or rocked. At first I thought it was gas since she was adjusting to cereal and food, usually she's a decent sleeper and if she wakes up it's because she can't find her paci, but as soon as she has it she's back asleep. So I started putting a little prune juice in her bottle once to twice a day to help her out, which it did in that area but the screaming continued. It's been four maybe five nights in a row so I know something isn't right.....either she's teething or has an ear infection. So I was ready to find out what was the problem! I was praying it wasn't an ear infection, since she was giving me no signs that her ears hurt. I've also never had to deal with that with Conner and I've heard from parents that have and it sounds no fun. Well sure enough her ears are clear but she has her top FOUR teeth coming in. My poor baby!!!!!!!! A little Motrin before bed and she sleeps like a baby again. She must have been in lots of pain :(

Morgan gained 2 lbs and 2 inches in 2 months. She now weighs 16lbs 2oz (75%) and is 26 1/2 (50%) inches long. The funny thing is Conner weighed more and was longer when he was 4 months old. What a chunker! Check out their stats on the left side of the blog. Conner was a whopping 4 1/2 lbs heavier and a few inches longer.

Yikes!!!

OK, so I've been known to talk (sometimes walk) in my sleep :) When I was younger my sister thought it was funny to try and tell me stories and see if I believed them in the morning. Sometimes I would find myself in a different room, even the shower in the middle of the night (thankfully whenever I woke up I knew it was a dream and would just go back to sleep). Ryan doesn't like it so much because it just wakes him up and he says I make no sense at all and am not even really saying words. Yes I'm truely weird!!!

Anyway there is a point to this story.....this morning I woke up to Conner talking on the monitor and usually I let him talk for a few minutes to slowly wake up (he's like his mom in that area). So after I woke up myself I came downstairs and opened his door to find him sound asleep.....OK, no big deal he must have fallen back asleep. So since Morgan isn't up yet I head back upstairs to lay in bed (it's so dark and rainy right now it's so nice to just relax). As soon as I lay down he starts talking again....I smile and head back downstairs to once again find him face down sleeping away. OH NO.....he's taking after me and talking in his sleep!

I feel like Conner is growing up so fast, so I decided to look back at his baby pictures to remember how tiny he use to be. What a cutie!!

I decided to put together a slide show of pictures I took each month from his birth til now, man that time has just flown by!!!! It's hard to believe he was once so small. I love his big blue eyes and long eyelashes in some of these pics!!! Hope you enjoy!

The Years Fly by: Conner James Haartman

No kids allowed!!

This past weekend my cousin got married so Ryan and I had a much needed night out without the kids. We didn't stay out too late, but it was nice eating dinner, having a few drinks and just talking with adults only :)

Of course Conner and Morgan didn't even notice we were gone since Auntie Jesse and Grandma Kristi were babysitting. (I could be sitting right next to them when Auntie Jesse is around and they wouldn't even know I was there...they love Jesse). The report was they were perfect angels :)

Here are a few pics from the evening.

Grandma Duerr, Bryan, Jennifer, Mom, Dick, Me, and Ryan

Jennifer and Bryan
Sisters
Bryan and Ryan (two studs)

As if it wasn't enough....

...that my little girl had her first cheerio and first big girl bath last week. Morgan decided to wow us all....here she is standing all by her little self and loving every minute of it!!! Of course I'm always right there beside her because she doesn't understand that her feet move yet but she loves standing.

About a month ago I got this old toy out of storage. Conner loved this toy when he was little (it was given to us by my step mom from my little sister Jesse when she was little). Some of the little baby toys I had out for Morgan just weren't that exciting for her lately so I thought this would be something new and exciting and boy was I right....if she spots this from across the room she locks eyes and wiggles like crazy trying to get closer. Needless to say this toy has occupied Morgan, Conner and mommy (or daddy) for my hours lately.

First....

Cheerio

Morgan has been eating her baby food so well lately and loves to sit at the table with us for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yesterday while eating lunch she seemed to want to eat too, even though she wasn't due for her bottle for a little while, so I pulled out the old Cheerio box and let her try them. Of course I am one of those mom's that is always worrying about chocking so she only got little pieces of Cheerios at first...they got a little bigger after I saw she was doing so well. She was just chewing away with her gums and smiling, loving every bit. I gave her a few more during breakfast this morning and she is now starting to grab them in her hand....not yet getting the idea she can put them in her mouth herself but I'm sure that isn't too far away.

Big Girl Bath

Morgan is sitting up on her own so well I decided to let her take a bath in the bathtub instead of her tiny little baby bath tub. Grandma Haartman mentioned she looked like she had outgrown it this past weekend so it must be time to put it away :) Morgan loved sitting up by herself in the water and playing with the toys....even Conner joined her and we got two baths done in the time of one :) She is growing up way too quick!!

Diapers vs. Boxer Briefs.....and the winner is

Boxer Briefs!!!!!

My little man is officially potty trained and loving the freedom of big boy undies. My original goal of being diaper free by the end of the summer started to seem a little too high of expectations, so I decided not to put a time limit on it.....all of a sudden it just clicked for Conner. He had been going #2 on the potty for some time now. About a week and a half ago he started going on the potty about every hour and was staying dry in between, so 4 days ago I said your ready for undies!!!!

He is now in boxer briefs (picked out by daddy) and is doing wonderful. He still wears a diaper at night but I'm not too set on getting rid of that yet. I am sooooo proud of my big boy....I almost can't believe it's true :)

Here's a pic of my little man in his new undies.....he looks so skinny without that big old bulky diaper :) (He really didn't want me to take his picture so I had to do it while he watched his morning cartoon)

Labor Day Weekend

Grandma Haartman came to stay with us for Labor Day Weekend and of course when she comes we pack the days with lots of fun. Since the summer was coming to an end and the weather was beautiful we spent a lot of time outside in the sun. What a wonderful Weekend!!!

Thursday night she took us out to dinner which was very yummy and then some swing set playing before bedtime.

Friday was another beautiful day so we headed for the zoo. We had been one other time this summer but Conner acted like it was his first visit, soooo interested in all the animals. We actually saw a few animals we much have missed on our first trip. Conner's favorite remains to be the Giant Bird Cage that he can walk into and feed the birds from a stick. Coming in second is the reptile building...not sure where he gets that interest since I absolutely hate snakes and spiders. My little adventurest even touched the stingrays, and brushed the baby goats....almost a camel ride but changed his mind at the last minute :) We finished a wonderful day at the zoo with no other than an ice cream cone! Later after supper we went to the park and spent a little time at Millennium beach....what a busy day with no nap. Conner slept like a baby!!!

Saturday was bright and sunny so we set off for Millennium Beach. This was the last weekend it would be open so we thought we would get some use out of our membership before they closed; and what a beautiful day for it. Conner found some friends to play in the sand with and Morgan absolutely loved the water. This was the first time she actually got into it, splashing away with her hands...her feet just going a mile a minute and didn't even care one bit she was splashing herself in the face. We finished the night off at McDonalds place area for some downtime for the adults.

splashing Grandma

Sunday was yet another hot day but we were so tired from the previous days we kind of took it easy playing at a park and a good dinner and pool time at Grammy and Papa Bruneaus.

Monday morning Grandma headed home and we finished the weekend off with lots of fun with friends at Lake Michigan. Holly and Andy Williams were staying at a beautiful cottage on Lake Michigan and were so gracious to invite the gang out for some fun in the sun and a BBQ. Conner had a ball in Lake Michigan with all the waves. Morgan wasn't too sure about it but loved the little kiddie pools filled with nice warm water. The kids had lots of fun playing with each other...they are at such a perfect age they play so well together. After lunch most the kids took a nap and the adults were able to relax and enjoy a few cocktails....the ladies catching some sun and the men playing football in the water.


Can't believe it's the end of summer but what a Wonderful Weekend to end with!!!! Looking forward to fall but not winter!

My new playmate

Conner has been really starting to enjoy including Morgan when he plays. She is becoming more active and eager to play that he enjoys the interaction. Of course Morgan just adores her older brother!!! Here are a few examples:

The other night while swinging on the swing set Morgan was just lounging while Conner played around her. At one point he got close to her swing and she let out a huge squeal. Conner got a kick out of it and started pushing her on the swing, each time he pushed her she would squeal and giggle. I of course ran to get the recorder so no pictures but got it on tape. One of these days I'll figure out how to upload video.

Here are a few pics of Conner including Morgan while he played with his new dinosaurs. It was so adorable. He would ask....want it? and hold the dinosaur there until she could grab it....then he would tell himself Good Job Conner!! One of those moments that are so magical for a parent and absolutely priceless.