Snapshot - Kid's Milestones - 7 months and 3 years

We were hanging out at home on the floor yesterday snapping some pics.  Looking at the first pic below made me realize that I should really jot down some notes on what the kids are up to these days because they've been busy and it's been cool, really cool.

Paul - Just last week you preferred to be hanging out on your back.  Now, you are sitting up alone and that's all you want to do.  Still no teeth, just enough daily drool to fill a kiddie pool.  Your first toy preference?  The  stuffed Tiger you're holding in this picture below.  You enjoy making dinosaur sounds and rocking a little when I sing.   You seem to like pulling your sister's hair now, not so cool.  You like to sleep on your stomach and suck your thumb for comfort as you doze off.  First thing that always takes my breath away looking at you are your eyes, your big blue eyes.  Something about them draws me in every time I look at them and my heart melts a little bit.

Elise - you are so wonderfully smiley.  I didn't know babies could smile so much until you arrived.  You don't want to sit up yet and prefer rather to scoot, roll, and rock.  You are impressively fast and can move far without being able to officially crawl yet but any moment you will be crawling. You have 2 teeth and cute curls by each of your ears.  Whether it's your eyes, head, or body, you are always on the move.  You love the door bouncer, spinning around giggling the whole time.  You don't like sitting but you like to do planks.  Go figure.

You two are on to a new eating routine, solids twice a day now to go with two long naps and four times on the boob, sleeping most of the way through the night with a bit of crying around 5 then drifting back off into la-la land for another couple of hours.  Dinner time is still a work in progress with the two of you being tired and not wanting to let the rest of us eat and chat as we want. 

Lily - It's been a big week for you.  You now sleep in a big girl bed and you're back to peeing and pooping in the potty.  It seems like this time might be it.  You wanting to carry the potty with you on the train to the park to show it off to strangers is my sign that the time has come.  You are hopping on one foot and trying out some new dance moves.  You are getting to know more letters and numbers by sight, more in English than German, but your German is growing really fast.  You are afraid of dogs these days and not so nice to our cats but you are overall very sweet to Paul and Elise and more and more helpful in between some oh so impressive voice-hoarsing meltdowns.