.:Reece–3.5 Years:.

Where to start with our Reecie?

Reece is a sassy spitfire and a total sweetheart all rolled into one! She definitely keeps us on our toes! Reece is a talker. She is constantly saying, “Look, Mom!” or “What?” or “Why?” or a myriad of other questions. She loves to talk and share stories, and sometimes she just cracks me up with what’s going on in that little head of hers. Reece also has quite the imagination. I absolutely LOVE to catch her and listen in when she is in the middle of a make believe scenario. She frequently uses names of characters from movies and tv shows she watches, and I notice her doing/saying a lot of things that I do/say, especially when she is playing with her baby dolls. Guess I better be careful! It is amazing how much she absorbs without us really realizing it.

Reece loves to sing and dance. I am always amazed at how quickly she can learn the words to songs. We listen to Primary songs (jazzed up) in the car most of the time, and we get to hear re-mixes every nite as she is laying in bed. It is fun to listen to her sing in the car. She is definitely a Stewart at heart – total performer! Love showing off, loves singing and dancing, and loves being the center of attention! She is in dance again with some of her little friends, and it’s cute to watch her.

Like I said in Remi’s post, Reece and Rem are just best buds. Nothing makes me happier than seeing and hearing them playing well together. It always cracks me up how Reece calls Remi, “Rem” like we do. She tries to use logic when talking to Remi, like we do with her, and she just looks out for her. Of course, there are the usual problems with sharing (which are gracing our house right now with all the new birthday toys!) but overall they really just have a lot of fun together.

Reece also loves Harper to pieces. She loves to make Harper smile, and loves to give Harper her binky. It is really nice to be able to have Reece go help Harper if she is fussing and I am trying to get Remi dressed or something! She’s a great little helper, and just so sweet. Reece is always so proud of both of her sisters, frequently telling people how cute they are. Can it please always stay this way??

Reece is a girly girl, through and through! It is rare to find her without a princess dress on if we are at home. She always wears one to play in, and usually wears one over her jammies to bed as well. Lately, she will put on a dress, along with some jewelry, ‘glass slippers’, and a crown and then either just come stand by you with a little smile on her face until you notice her and comment how beautiful she looks, or will just tap you and smile shyly at you. It’s pretty cute.

Reece is a hoarder. She loves to collect things, and keep them from Remi – and everyone else. Some of the usual hoarded items: ‘lips’, magnets, bracelets, happy meal toys, and basically just any small thing.

If you couldn’t tell by the pictures so far, Reece loves to have her picture taken! She is always asking us to take pictures of her, and also loves to take pictures using the camera or the tablet. I’m sure a little camera for her is in her future!

Reece is in a little joy school this year, and she loves to learn! She loves practicing counting (makes it up to around 15) and loves to sing her abc’s. She’s been really interested in recognizing her letters lately, and almost always knows the names of letters. She likes to ‘count’ (as she calls it) by spelling out signs that she sees. We’re working on knowing examples of what each letter stands for. She’s just eating it up!

Reece definitely has her sassy moments, along with some fantastic tantrums. I find that I don’t have tons of patience for them, and I need to be better about that and helping her work through her feelings. I was talking with my friend about a reward system she is going to start with her son, and I’m thinking something like that might work well for Reece. She responds really well to positive things, and shuts down when I react negatively.

Reece is extremely polite! It is rare that she doesn’t say thank you when someone helps her or gets something for her. Even at Halloween, people were so impressed that she said thank you on her own (which is sad that lots of kids don’t!) When I get frustrated or upset at something she does, a lot of the time she will say sorry right away, and even does so if I’m frustrated with something that she had nothing to do with!

We just love our Reecie girl. I feel bad because sometimes I think I expect too much from her since she is the oldest. I need to remind myself often that she is only three and a half, and still very young herself. She really is a smart, helpful little girl, and we’re just so grateful she’s part of our family!!!

At 3.5 years old, Reece likes:

- baths

- books

- movies

- treats

- dressing up

- princesses

- Rapunzel anything!

- playing with Remi

- making Harper smile

- hoarding things

- lips

- purses

- dolls

- ‘nite nite’ (blanket)

- playing with friends

- going to school

- practicing numbers and letters

- talking!

- climbing

- jumping

- chasing

- singing

- dancing

- Primary

- playing games on the tablet

- taking pictures

- helping in the kitchen

- wearing skirts/dresses
- saying prayers

At 3.5 years old, Reece does not like:

- sharing

- being told ‘no’

- not getting her way

- taking naps

- going to bed (it often takes her 1+ hours to fall asleep, no matter when I get her up from her nap!)

We love our Reecie girl!

.:Remi–2 Years Old:.

Oh, the Remster.

This girl is such a joy in our lives. She is turning into such a little girl now, and I can hardly stand it!

Remi absolutely loves playing with Reece. They play so well together most of the time. Remi seems to have learned her place and usually has no qualms about giving up whatever Reece wants. She is great at sharing, and giving things back to others. She and Reece will just run around the house together, giggling like crazy. I’m not sure there’s a much sweeter sound. Sometimes they will go in their room, close the doors, and I’ll go in there to find them sitting on the bed, carrying on in some little imaginary scenario. It’s really sweet, and I love how much they love each other.

Remi has also become very interested in Harper. She is always going over to Harper and talking to her, which makes Harper smile. Which then makes Remi excited! It is so sweet.

Remi is very good about putting things back where they belong. If she is at home, she has to return toys or movies where she got them from (usually). If she gets a toy out at the store, she won’t just leave it somewhere random like I try to get her to, but she will go find the aisle that she got it from and put it away in the right spot. It is a good habit that I need to encourage!

She is also always very concerned about closing doors. If I leave the pantry door open, she shuts it. If I leave the fridge open, she closes it. For some reason, she just loves to close the doors! Remi has started this new thing where she will say, ‘bye, bye’ and close the door, immediately open it up and say, ‘hi!’, and then keep repeating the process until you are done in whatever room has the door. Whenever Reece goes into a room and closes the door, Remi will knock on it. I don’t know why, but it cracks me up!

Remi is our eater! She is the queen of shoving as much food in her mouth as she can. Fruit snacks? They all go in at once. Fruit roll up? Crams it all in. She hasn’t quite learned how to savor food, but she sure knows how to enjoy it! She also loves her popcorn at Target, and if she ever drops any, or sees any on the floor, she often picks it up and eats it before I can stop her. Hey, she’s had a deer bone in her mouth, so I figure she’s fine.

Remi’s speech is slowly improving. She says more words than she used to, and I also think she probably says more than we give her credit for because we probably don’t listen as hard because we aren’t expecting as much. Whether it’s real words or babbling, she always has plenty to say!

Remi loves to squeeze into little nooks and smaller places to sit. She has always loved this, and her new baby doll crib is no exception!

Rem-a-lem appreciates a good back tickle like no other. If you ever start to tickle her arms, neck, back, legs – anywhere! – she goes immediately still. If you ever want to get in her good graces, just try giving her a little tickle and she’s yours. She is always tickling herself, too. She’ll lift her shirt up and tickle her belly while she watches movies, or will do her legs and arms if she’s just sitting somewhere. It’s really cute and really funny! I so understand!

Some other random facts about Remi: she can fall asleep anywhere (sitting up, in a shopping cart, head on the table when out to eat, really, anywhere!), she does a self soothing thing where she rocks against the couch or chair when she is tired, she sleeps on her tummy most of the time, she has the deepest laugh ever, she loves being cheesey, her hair is very curly, and she is just too cute!

Basically, Remi is just a beautiful, sweet, feisty little lady, and she is growing up entirely too fast!

At two years old, Remi likes:

- tickling back, arms, lets, etc.

- snacks/treats/eating

- movies

- books

- pushing things (i.e. stroller, cart, etc.)

- playing with Reece

- making Harper smile

- playing dress up

- rocking

- fruit

- closing doors

- being outside

- going up and down stairs

- popcorn

- baths

- chasing

- climbing

- dancing

- laying on the floor….anywhere (gross!)

- wrestling with Reece

At two years old, Remi does not like:

- being in the cart/stroller

- having things taken away

- getting her head wet

- being told ‘no’

Happy Birthday our sweet little Rem!

.:Harper’s Four Month Stats:.

This sweet thing weighed in at 11 pounds, 11 ounces which is the 11th percentile. (Good day for the number 11!)

 

Her length was 25.25 inches, which is the 83rd percentile.

 

Long and lean!

 

 

She definitely didn’t get that from me.

.:Harper–Four Months:.

Four months! Wow!

Harper has just turned into the happiest, sweetest little baby. She always has a smile for you! Doesn’t that dimple just kill you?

Harper loves to interact with people. She’s turned into quite the talker, and we have lots of little conversations throughout the day. Sometimes it’s a lower sound, other times she squeals. I can’t get enough of hearing it; it never gets old! She also still enjoys my singing, so I love getting a reaction out of her that way.

She really has become more independent lately. I usually rotate her through her play mat, chair, and swing throughout the day. She often just ends up watching her sisters run around, being all wild! She’ll be in the thick of it soon enough!

Harper is not a fan of the Bumbo yet. Which means I need to put her in it more. She doesn’t last much longer than a few minutes before she’s wanting out.

She is rolling over from tummy to back about 60-70% of the time. Sometimes she gets stuck still, though. She’s really close – I think anyway – to going from back to tummy. She rolls up on her side, and stretches her head and neck and looks like she’s about there. No more leaving her on the couch or changing table!

Harper girl likes her binky fine enough, but what she really loves is sucking on her hands. She is always getting those hands up by her face, even when she’s swaddled. She also gets a grip on things – not on purpose – but if it touches her hand, she grabs it, and it’s tough to get her to let go!

Reece and Remi are super interested in Harper all of the sudden. They are constantly giving in her face, talking to her, smiling at her, and just loving on her. It’s really sweet. I know they are going to be the best of friends!

Harper is still a nuzzler, but not quite as much as she was before. Probably just because she is starting to get more interested in what’s going on around her. But when it’s time to start winding down to go to sleep, she’s nuzzling and rubbing her face into you.

Her schedule is about the same as it was. I’ve been trying to get her doing more set naps when we are at home. She still wakes up after 45 minutes. Sometimes, if I go in right away and rock her, she’ll go back to sleep. Reece and Remi both started taking better naps around four months old, so I’m hoping it starts soon! She generally only gets up once during the nite, and while it’s not that bad, I sure wouldn’t mind if she wanted to stop that.

She’s just our beautiful, sweet, little babe and I think it’s safe to say that we’re all enamored with her.

At four months, Harper likes:

- smiling

- talking

- Mommy singing

- rolling (when she can!)

- watching her sisters

-  binky

- sucking on her hands

- play mat

- Baby Einstein

- eating

- being held

- interacting

At four months, Harper does not like:

- being in car seat for too long

- being left alone for too long

- taking real naps

.:Valentine's Day:.

Valentine's Day this year was mostly just fun because the girls were so excited about it. 

Josh surprised us by having us wake up to three beautiful bouquets of flowers on the dining room table for all of his girls. They were gorgeous and smelled amazing!

We had just a normal day at home, which included some friends dropping off some Valentines for the girls. It was on a Tuesday this year, which is Josh's late nite at work, so the girls and I had a special dinner of chocolate pancakes and fruit. To be honest, the pancakes weren't amazing, but we all enjoyed the glaze on top of them. 

After we ate, I loaded up the girls so that we could go pick up Josh from work (his car was in the shop). We swung by In 'N Out to grab some dinner for Josh. I would have done Five Guys, which we both like better, but In 'N Out has a drive thru, so it won out. We picked him up, and then came home so the girls could open all of their Valentine goodies. 

They all got cards for grandparents with some spending money. I think they were more excited to put it in the piggy bank than anything! Can't really complain about that!

We had little goodie baskets for them, and they loved opening everything up. Holidays are seriously so much more fun with kiddos. 

And the Harpster was around for everything, too, just laying around, being cute. You know, the usual.