Yep, I’m a month late, but here is the Lauren/Monkey picture.

Lauren has been trying new foods and is getting better at eating purees.  She’s slowly increasing her formula intake to a more acceptable amount.  She’s also gotten three teeth this month!  She’s been a little cranky, but nothing too bad.  Hope that continues as the other 17 make their way through.

In the past couple months, she has started stringing some consonants and vowels together.  She’s also starting to scoot a little when on her back.  Her gross motor skills are a little delayed, so we are starting to focus on those skills a little more.

After one month without diapers, I am ecstatic to report that Logan is a rock star using the potty! He is able to hold it for several minutes until we get to a potty. And, he’s gone 10 nights straight without a nighttime accident!!!! I can not express how proud I am of that little man. Way to go, Logan!!!

The family is definitely taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather.  A couple of videos to illustrate:

Also, we’ve finally gotten a chance to use the tunnel/tent/house combo that Grandpa and Nona Johnson gave Logan for Christmas.  In combination with the pirate ship that Cousins Aidan and Alec gave him, our front yard is the place to play for the neighborhood kids these days.

Well, we jumped into the potty training pool head first last week.  A friend (thanks, Jen!!) recommended Lora Jensen’s 3-Day Potty Training Method.  She is a mom of 8 who has perfected the art of potty training.  Basically, you throw away all diapers and use only undies (no Pull-Ups).  I admit I was quite skeptical because Logan was showing no signs of readiness, but I was ready to make an attempt.  Day 1 was quite the learning experience.  He had several accidents, and I admit, I was a little discouraged after that.  However, I was determined to stick with it.  Day 2 was much better!  He had a couple accidents in the morning, and then was accident-free from about 10am on.  He even stayed dry during nap time!!  Finally, Day 3 was 100% successful!  He made it to the potty each time.  This weekend brought a little setback when we went outside to play, but he’s getting better.

Nighttime is a big challenge.  Lora insists that you should not resort to diapers or Pull-Ups ever.  I’m giving it a few more days and then I think I might get some pull-ups.  It’s been 6 days and we had one night of dry success.  I’m getting real sick of washing his bedding every morning, but also want to give him the chance to learn to stay dry.

I’m so proud of him for this huge accomplishment!  Next up: getting rid of the paci.  I’m going to wait a few months until he’s used to this potty thing and then tackle that.  Stay tuned…

Last weekend, our subdivision hosted an Easter egg hunt.  Lauren relaxed in her stroller while Logan went looking for eggs.  It only took about 10 minutes, but I think he had fun.

Mommy and Logan before the big hunt

Making sure we only have a dozen

After the hunt

For Easter, we went to my Grandma Grotti’s house.  Logan had a ball playing outside with his cousins.  Here, he’s testing out his new Buzz Lightyear bubble gun on Aidan.

Logan and Lauren with their cousins, Alec and Aidan

Excellent cookies, Aunt Tricia!

Pretty girl!

This was the best family photo we could get.  Not bad considering we have a 2.5 year old and an 8 month old.  Happy Easter, everyone!

I took Lauren in to the doctor’s office yesterday for a weight check.  I am happy to report that she gained one pound in a month!  If you remember, she only gained 10 oz the previous two months, so it is quite clear that her switching to formula has been just what she needed.  We’ve also continued to introduce solids.  She clearly loves applesauce, but is not such a fan of acorn squash.  Next up: peas.

This past week graced us with amazing spring weather.  We spent many hours playing at the park and outside at home.  Here is one video of Logan in our backyard.  Climbing this rock wall was something that he couldn’t even attempt on his own in the fall and now, as you can see, he is quite good.  What a big boy!!

I don’t even know where to start with this update.  Logan surprises us daily with all he can do and say.  He’s becoming quite the little man right before our eyes.

As I’ve said before, he has mastered all his letter recognition and has now started spelling things out when he sees words.  He can spell his own name.  He is also starting to learn the sounds of letters.  He still has a little trouble counting to 20 (skipping 13,15,16), but is doing a great job counting objects.  We’ve recently introduced him to board games.  He loves to play Candy Land and Hi-Ho Cherry-o.  We tried Chutes and Ladders, but he’s not ready for that one yet.  There doesn’t seem to be enough going on with that game to hold his attention.

Before Christmas, we transitioned Logan into his big-boy bed.  This has not been my favorite thing to do, but he’s getting better.

He’s still attending his pre-preschool classes.  He’s currently going once a week for 45 minutes, however, he’ll soon be increasing to 2 days a week for an hour each.  I also got him registered for a 3-year old preschool through the park district beginning in the fall.  He’ll attend twice a week for two hours each.  I can’t believe that he’s already old enough for preschool.  It won’t be long before I’m walking him to Kindergarten!

He is such a precious little boy!  He continues to be an amazing big brother.  I only hope that lasts once Lauren starts going after his toys.   He makes me laugh all the time, yet already knows how to push some of my buttons.  Some days are a challenge.  He’s picking up on so much vocabulary and ways to respond to his feelings.  People have told me that 3-year olds are more of a challenge than 2s, and I’m already starting to understand that to be true.  With his growing vocabulary, he attempts to argue with me and yell right back at me when I’m reprimanding him.  Good times.  The hardest part sometimes is trying not to laugh at him when I should be mad at him.  His responses and reactions are just too funny sometimes.

With only 5 months to go before he turns three, we have two more big milestones to cross – potty training and getting rid of the paci.  I am not sure he’s ready to potty train yet, but I think I may take the plunge  and attempt it in the next month.  He has never told me that he has to go potty, but I may just jump in cold turkey and see how he does.  He’s a smart boy, so he may surprise me.  We went out and bought big boy undies, so he’s set with Spider-Man, Batman/Superman, Super Why and Manny undies.  In terms of the paci, he really only gets it during nap and bed times.  I’ve tried talking to him about passing them on to other babies, but he says “No”.  We’ll hold off on that one for a little longer.

To finish off this post, here’s my most recent favorite pic of my three favorite people.  I’m one lucky gal!

Wow!  So much has changed since I last updated, just prior to Lauren’s 4-month well doctor visit.  First of all, here are the past three Monkey pics.

As you can see, it’s not always easy to get her to smile for the camera, but that is getting better.

When I took her for her 6-month doctor well visit, we found that she had only gained 10oz in 2 months.  Prior to that visit, I was noticing a change in my milk supply.  So, we decided that it was time to wean her on to formula.  It took a few days for her to accept her new “food”, but she is doing great with it now.  The doctor wanted her to come in for a weight check 10 days after her well visit.  She gained 7oz in those 10 days, so clearly the formula was helping.  Although I was ready to stop nursing, it was tough for me to accept the fact that I couldn’t provide for my daughter.  However, in the end, this is better for her and for me.  Ross and I have both noticed a change in her personality.  She easily smiles now and is an all-around happier baby.  She is drinking close to the recommended daily amount and has started real food.  So far, she’s had pears, prunes, and apples.  She’s unsure about the foreign substances in her mouth, but she’s starting to get the hang of it.  Next up: acorn and butternut squash.

In terms of physical development, we are still waiting for her to sit unassisted and roll over.  However, I think both of these things are going to happen in the next couple of weeks.  She’s getting stronger when sitting, and she’s really moving around when on her back and belly to get that little body around.  I have a feeling that she’s saving up all her energy and will shock us by doing both of those things (and possibly starting to scoot around) at the same time.  In the meantime, she likes to play on her exercise mat, and she still loves sitting in her bouncy seat (talking to the fish and bubbles) and swing.  She’s starting to understand the concept of the exersaucer, but isn’t as much of a fan of it as Logan was.

She also likes to hang out in her Bumbo seat, especially when I’m cooking dinner.

One final picture for now: sitting like a big girl in her high chair.  Bring on the food, Mommy!

I have been HORRIBLE about keeping up with this blog!!!  I am very sorry to our family and friends who visit the site, hoping to see updates on the Johnson kids.  From this point forward, my goal is to at least post Lauren’s monthly updates and periodic updates on Logan.

Logan can’t wait for baseball season!