To catch up...

...well, not really catch up, I guess, but update. We have been sick around here. I'm still fighting my bronchitis stuff (on my 2nd med and still coughing like crazy), DH is experiencing allergy stuff and poor Megan has some sort of upper respiratory yuck. She started meds on Friday and we seem to see an improvement already. She has not been sleeping well (when can when you can't breath and feel yucky?). I spent the entire week sleeping on the floor in her room. It was easier to be there to "ssshhh" than having to jump out of bed and run across the hall to do it. And when she's fussing literally (at times) every few minutes, I would have just laid down and have to be back up again. Needless to say everyone is sleep deprived around here. It's been a tough week.

Let see...a few things noteworthy of late:

• Megan weighs 25 lbs 5 oz. They didn't measure her height, but I know she has grown. She has already grown out of some of the clothes we got her for Christmas and is entering into size 18 months.
• She is coloring now. We've tried numerous times, but she just had no interest what-so-ever. But lately, she's really enjoying it. Today she liked to take all the colors out of the box, organize them on the paper, then put them all back in the box. Then promptly take them back out. Whatever makes her happy! She is attracted to the red, fuschia and purple colors. In fact one day a few weeks ago, I gave her a few colors to chose from (blue, purple, pink and red, maybe--I don't remember exactly), she grabbed the blue one and threw it--literally threw it. Well, she wasn't interested in the blue one! It was quite funny.
• She is using a fork some, if we help her stab the food on it. She's tried a spoon, but she insists on turning it before getting it to her mouth, so keeping the food on it--and getting it off in her mouth when it's turned is tough.
• She's also eating off a plate. I know that sounds basic, but when I had tried in the past, she would grab the plate and throw it. I hadn't tried for a long time, and decided I should again. She's doing fairly well with it. I can't say that we haven't attempted to throw it, but it hasn't happened too often.
• She's decided she's "too old" for the Nuby sippy cups. I'm not sure when it started, but she would refuse to drink and I couldn't figure out how to get to. So, I decided I'd try the hard topped ones (like the playtex or gerber ones) to see if she'd drink out of them. BINGO! Yep, loves them. Really I think her favorite are the disposable ones, but they leak REALLY bad. I'll let her drink out of them at the table, but not anywhere else.
• She's decided water isn't cool. I've always kept water in a cup in the LR so she could get a drink anytime she wanted. If it dripped or whatever, I really didn't care since it was just water. But now she won't drink it unless there is some juice in there. I hope this passes quickly! I don't give her much juice, but just enough--I guess--to give it some flavor.
• She's starting to pick out her hair clips. Last week I thought I'd give her a choice to pick out which hair clip she wanted to wear (she had a choice of 2). When she picked it, it appeared that she doesn't pull it out! And I've been combing her hair with her sitting on the bathroom vanity so she can see. It sure helps her keep her head still! We started using a kid-friendly detangler on the back and it sure has helped keep it from snarling and looking all frizzy after nap. It does, however, kind of make her curls so flat in the back .

We've just marked Megan being 20 months old (I can't believe we almost have a 2 year old!). And we are coming up on marking 10 months home! How time flies!!!!

School update

Right-after-school photo

I know, I'm late, but this week has been C-R-A-Z-Y. It was topped off with me getting hives on Monday night from the antibiotic I had been taking for 10 days. It was bad. I'm still a little itchy in my hair and behind my ears, but its manageable (although no fun!) compared to what it was Monday night. I've had hives from meds before, but this time was much worse than last time. I had them on my face--including my eye lids--besides all over my neck and torso. I think last time was on day 10, too. ugh.

I meant to take a picture BEFORE we went to school and I completely forgot, so I took one as soon as we got home (hence the blankey in the photo!). Megan did really well. We had planned on her being there for just 30 minutes. But, when I went to get her after 30 minutes, she was playing well (she didn't see me!), so I left and returned 30 minutes later. When I got there, she was crying (I could hear her when I walked in the door). She had been fine doing her own thing, but the teacher had just checked her diaper and I guess it was a reminder that Mom wasn't there. I don't know. Anyways, we came home. She hung on to blankey for about 20 minutes or so after we got home, then she dropped it and was fine. She then took a TWO HOUR nap! At an hour and half, I checked on her and she had not even moved. She was exhausted!

So, today was School: day 2. The plan was for her to be there an hour. She did well. They had music which she loved, of course. There are more kids there on Wednesdays. The teacher just said, there are more boys and it would overwhelm her sometimes (aka boys are rowdy!). So the teacher would simply take her into the hall to give her some space. She had her blankey and paci when I got there. There were signs she had been crying before and she was whimpering when I got there. She was glad to see me. She is really tired today, too. Between the stress of school, getting up early and not having a morning nap, I think she'll sleep pretty well this afternoon!

All Sorts of Stuff.

So a few things from the past few weeks...

Not only does she like peas for dinner, but she
likes to "chew" on her peas from her play kitchen, too!

She LOVES to steal the Swiffer and drag it all over the house.
(Can't wait until she can use it to clean!)

Took this picture tonight before bed.
It's so hard to get a photo of her smiling right now.
(Can't wait until that phase is over!)

Things have been so busy. I'm still attempting to recover from an upper respiratory infection of some kind. Spring semester starts on the 20th; we're using a new book, so I've been updating my class. Megan is beginning to object to her morning nap...which is problematic when she's still up between 4-5am. She only has 1 incisor left to cut (thank goodness!). Oh, and the most important thing happening right now...Megan is starting school (aka Mother's Day Out) on Monday! We're going to take it slow at the beginning, but she'll be going 2 days a week. Hopefully, she'll adjust quickly because I need time to work on school while she's at school. I think she will enjoy it when she realizes it's okay to be without mom. I'm happy to report that one of her play friends, Bethany, will be starting school with her, too, and they will be in the same class. I'm so grateful that the girls will be together!

I'll post more on her first day of school next week.

And Now it's 2009

We had lots of fun in SD (well except when I got the stomach virus, which thankfully was short lived!). Here's a few photos...

Auntie Jodi, Cousin Ashley & Megan

Uncle Keith & Megan making "ornery eyes" at each other

NanaLin, Cousin Brooklyn & Megan

Cousin Brady & Megan "negotiating" just how close he could sit by her
(he was constantly trying to steal kisses, which was not approved by the princess!)

Auntie Katie & Megan

What a year 2008 was. We have marked 9 months Megan has been with us...and we are just a month away from the first anniversary of seeing her sweet precious face. Boy has time flown!