Six Month Appointment

Penelope had her six month appointment this morning, at 6 months and 3 weeks. Here are her stats:

Weight: 16 pounds 12.5 ounces (just over the 50th percentile)
Length: 26.5 inches (75th percentile)
Head Circumference: 16.5 inches (25th percentile)

The pediatrician said that she is doing great. Her ear infection is finally gone and everything else checked out great. We do think that Penelope has allergies. She has been congested now for about a month (which leads to ear infections), and after being outside for a good bit this past Saturday she woke up with red, swollen eyes on Sunday. Rosemary used to do the same thing until we started her on Claritin. The pediatrician said that we can get Penelope started on some Claritin and see if that helps. We finished up the appointment with 4 shots, and although they really upset her when she got them, she was okay in no time.

You can tell that Penelope doesn't feel that great today after her appointment -- but part of that could very well be due to the fact that her other bottom tooth has finally made an appearance. She did sleep all night last night, so maybe now that the tooth has popped through she'll sleep well tonight, too. When we put her down tonight I heard a little singing and squealing, but it's been pretty quiet up there since then.

Bedtime

It seems like funny things usually happen at bedtime. For instance, last night, Piper demanded that Gary get her a clean blanket (which, by the way, is pronounced "kwee wookie"). It wasn't so much that she was demanding the clean blanket, it was how she was demanding the clean blanket. The armoire in their bedroom is full of blankets. Gary was standing at the armoire trying to figure out which blanket she wanted, and Piper was getting really frustrated with him. She was looking at him like he was being intentionally difficult, and was holding her hands up toward him and repeatedly demanding the "kwee wookie" just as if she was instead saying, "Just give me a clean blanket. That's it! Just a clean blanket." At one point Gary said, "I'm trying! I'm trying! Just give me a chance. Geez." It was hilarious. I'm afraid that Gary is going to have a lot of women telling him what to do.

The latest change in our bedroom routine is that the kids climb into their cribs by themselves. Yes, they can climb into their cribs. Why they haven't figured out that they could climb out of the cribs I don't know, but I'm not questioning it too much right now. I don't think that we're ready for big boy and girl beds just because I think the kids would spend a lot of time playing instead of sleeping, but I think we are getting close. Maybe in a few more months, around their third birthday.

I think Penelope is still working on her other tooth. She got up around 1:30 this morning, but thankfully went back down pretty easily. I think that she's working on that other bottom tooth. I guess we'll find out soon enough. Tomorrow is Penelope's 6-month appointment (3 weeks late due to the snow) and so I'll have some stats for tomorrow night's post!

Good night, blogworld.  Let's see if I can make it three nights in a row tomorrow. . . .

31 Project, Fruit, and a Tooth!

So I have a couple of friends (Cathy and Brian) who are doing a 365 project, which means that they take and post at least one photo per day for an entire year. I think it's awesome -- but I know that I'm not ready to make that sort of a commitment! Maybe another year. . . . Anyway. I was thinking earlier today about how something blogworthy seems to happen each day, but I rarely actually write the blog post -- and then the moment is lost and likely eventually forgotten. I've decided that for March I'm going to do a blog post each day. Most of them won't have photos, and more than likely most of them won't have a coherent subject. But I'm going to give it a shot. I'm calling this my 31 Project. So here's my first one:

On the topic of notable conversations, as soon as the kids finish their dinner, they start telling us, "I need cake!" If we tell them we don't have cake, they suggest, "Cookie?" Last night the kids ate their pot roast and veggies so well that we let them have dessert, which was Goldfish S'mores. If you don't already know, Goldfish S'mores are a combination of chocolate goldfish, graham cracker goldfish, and little marshmallow fish. The girls were holding up the marshmallow fish and saying, "Candy!!" Henry said, "No.  Fruit!" I guess that's one way to justify dessert.

As far as notable events, Penelope has had two ear infections in the last 3 weeks. For each ear infection, she woke up once or twice each night for a week or so. The only way to get her to go back to sleep is to nurse her back to sleep, which I've been doing. I'm pretty tired. I did get two nights off, then last night it started back up again. I was immediately worried that it was the ear infection bothering her when it should be getting better. But this morning I found the reason for last night's wakings -- A TOOTH! Penelope's bottom left tooth is poking through, and it looks like the right tooth is not far behind. Gary said that she's ready for her first steak now. Now I'm hoping for a good night's sleep for everyone tonight. . . .

Penelope and Daddy Ready for Church

When we got ready for church the other weekend, I put Penelope in an absolutely adorable outfit from my Aunt Janice.  She looked fabulous!  So great, in fact, that we had a quick photo shoot before we left for church.

I just love the expression on her face.  I so wish I knew what she was thinking!

Bathtime

I really wanted to name this post “Rub A Dub Dub, Four Kids in a Tub” but I felt like that title is a little overdone on blog posts about bathtime.  Regardless, we are now bathing all four kids together.  So far everyone seems to really enjoy it (despite the look on Henry’s face in this photo), and I especially like the free time I get downstairs to finish up dinner while Gary is bathing everyone!

Big Girl Haircuts

The kids got their first (and second and third) haircuts at Sweet & Sassy, which has unfortunately now closed.  We tried another spot for haircuts after that, and although they did a good job with Henry, they did a straight trim across the bottom for the girls, then charged us full haircut price.  I decided that I could just buy a pair of scissors and do the same thing myself.  So, the last time I got my hair done, I asked my hair guy, Clay, what he thought about my plan.  Basically, he said that he was sure that I could give the girls the same haircut that they got at the last salon, but that the girls probably needed a better haircut than that!  That made a lot of sense.  In anticipation of this post, I tried to remember how long Clay has been doing my hair, but I can’t even remember.  He did my hair before he opened his own place, Orbit Salon.  Probably around 10 years, I’d imagine.  So, when he recommended that someone else at Orbit Salon do the girls’ hair, I listened.  And I made an appointment with Peter on my way out.

This past Saturday was the girls’ haircut appointments.  I can’t tell you how freaking cute I think it is that they got a call to confirm their hair appointments.  Love it.  Anyway, on Saturday morning Piper, Rosemary, and I left Henry and Penelope with Gary at home and headed to the salon.  We had been talking about getting their hair cut for a couple of days, and they were pretty excited.  As soon as we walked in the door of the salon, however, the girls became very solemn.  I decided that Piper should get her hair cut first – because Piper is usually okay with that sort of thing, and usually Rosemary will do whatever Piper does.  So, Piper took the chair, got a cape, and Peter got started. 

Piper pretty much performed as expected.  She was pretty serious, but she let Peter do what he needed to do.  While Rosemary was sitting there watching Piper get her hair cut, I asked Rosemary if she was excited.  In response, she put a hand up to her hair.  Initially, I assumed it was because she was contemplating the fantastic haircut she was going to get.

As time passed, though, I started to think that Rosemary may not be still be on board with the whole haircut thing.

After Piper’s haircut, she and Peter posed for an “after” shot.

Then it was Rosemary’s turn for her haircut.  To be completely honest, there was about a minute there where I thought we’d be leaving without a haircut.  I offered my phone, my keys, and finally started telling Rosemary that I’d give her candy if she’d sit down.  She never actually sat down in the chair, or got a cape, or anything else, but with a lot of effort on Peter’s part, she got a haircut.  She did have to take a few calls during her haircut, though. . . .

And by the end she was comfortable enough to let me take an “after” shot. In fact, by the time the haircut was over, Rosemary wanted her bow back in her hair, and insisted that Peter put it back in her hair. 

The best part of it all is that I LOVE their haircuts!  Peter did a great job.  We will definitely have him cut the girls’ hair for as long as he is willing!