Present wrapping time

Wrapping with 3 little Helpers is easier than I anticipated. Motherhood has taught me patience above all else. I couldn't have done this a few years ago!
I love my girls.

WYSIWYG

Toque, winter coat, snow pants, and gumboots.

Laundry helper jr.

I heard Solveig climb the stair while I was in the kitchen cleaning up. I could hear her babbling to herself on the monitor so I knew she was ok. When she got quiet I went to investigate … guess it was nap time.

Officially crawling?

Solveig has been army crawling for a few months but the other day I noticed she was spending more and more time crawling hands and knees. It's official my baby crawls and spiderman baby is gone.

Has anyone seen Maizies Ouf Ouf?

I haven't heard Ouf Ouf since yesterday morning. Today I asked Maizie who Ouf Ouf was and she said Fia. All day today she's only said Fia, it's the end of an era. Maizie is growing up.

What happens when I'm at work??

And why does my daughters diaper have an RCMP "say NO to drugs" sticker in the bum?

Helping?

Maizie wanted to help with me with everything I did today.  I'd emptied the dryer and had left her in charge of moving the clothes from the washer into the dryer while I ran downstairs to check on Sofia and Solveig.  It took me a minute to find her when I came back upstairs but the giggling gave it away!

First sleepover

Last night the girls all slept in the same room for the first time.  It lasted for about 5 hrs, when Solveig got hungry.  Her crying didn't wake up the other girls though so that's promising for the future.

4.5

Sofia is 4.5 today! Her sense of humour has really been developing. I taught her a joke on Halloween and she told it to me today. Proving her memory is better than mine! "when does a skeleton laugh? When someone tickles his funny bone."

And the hilarity continued tonight at supper. Sofia was making Grant and I laugh even though she was supposed to be eating. The line that slayed us the most was "Dad, you make me funny". OMG she is such a funny girl lately. 

We've always said that if Sofia understands a word then she can use it.  Today she said "Tough luck" then she said "I can say tough luck because I know what it means. It means when you don't want to do something but you have to do it anyway. That's tough luck."  I'm impressed. Grant nor I have taught her that, it's all her.  I guess I'll be hearing a lot of 'tough luck Mum' in my future.

Team Dybdal

Sofia and Maizie are chanting "Daddy come home. Daddy come home. Together we're a team and we're missing one". They started it all on their own. I can't help bur wonder that they heard it somewhere but I really hope it's their own. I have been referring to team work and encouraging them to be good team members often lately. Maybe they listen?

Get up Stand up

This girl is awesome. Upon reflection I think it's been about 2 weeks she's been pulling herself up to standing. She's quite adept at it now. One of her new fave activities is pulling books off the bookshelf. Although it feels like we just got over that phase with Maizie the smile on Sols face while she does it is worth the extra cleanup.

I'm predicting walking by Christmas but I hope I'm wrong and she waits until closer to her first birthday. She's only 7.5 months afterall! Sofia and Maizie were both around 14 months when they started walking independently. I think Solveig will beat them. Maizie was a mess of goose eggs and bruises for a long time. I'm not sure I can handle that again, it hurt my heart to see her all battered. At least Solveig will be learning inside and in winter layers and not outside on pavement in summer clothes!

Solveig at 12 weeks

Although these pictures were taken with she was 11 weeks old and I'll be taking her to get weighed on the 17th and she'll be 13 weeks old I thought I would do a post about what Miss Solveig is doing these days.

Apparently I didn't make it back to post this because today is October 22 and Solveig is 7 months old... ah well better late then never and these pictures are worth posting.

Love

I love watching my daughters grow and learn.... Today Solveig learned her tongue sticks out. I looked over at her and she was sticking her tongue out, she pulled it back and and laughed! I was awesome.

I'm really enjoying every day with her. She's learned to sit herself up and has become super quick at it. she's working hard to coordinate her knee movement with her hand/arm movement in regards to crawling but she just spidermans it mostly.

Maizie on the other hand is into singing and dancing and reciting books. I amazed how quickly she went from a few words to hundreds!

Sofia is really into practicing her piano and that's so great to listen to too.

Must go make silly faces at Solveig!

Auntie Tracy & Uncle Andrews' Wedding

Maizie getting ready?

I asked Sofia to put on her tights and come downstairs. Maizie came downstairs a few minutes later like this; a pair of tights on each leg.  She proceeded to put on my heels and clomp around the house.

 But of course there was a fire truck on site.

 It was sunny but very chilly. 

 Sofia and Maizie were flower girls. Ethan and Beckett were ring bearers. The kids did a really great job. Ethan was very serious about his job and Beckett seemed to be too. Sofia and Maizie held hands the whole time.  There was a bit of twirling with the girls but they did a good job.  Ethan and Beckett delivered the rings (via pumpkin) and headed off to sit with their Dad.  Sofia and Maizie needed coaxing away... I had to go up and take them by the hand and lead them back to our seats. Sofia was just standing back watching but Maizie had found herself a spot right in front of the JP and between Tracy and Andrew.

The wedding was lovely and the reception was a lot of fun. It made a big imprint on the girls and all day today they were playing "Marriage". They were taking turns wearing things on their head, veil style, and walking around holding hands.

I had a funny conversation with Maizie tonight.
Maizie "I go Mumma. I play Marriage."
Me "Oh who are you going to marry?"
Maizie "Ummm I marry Ted."
Me "Oh and is Ted tall or short?"
Maizie "Ted tall"
Me "and what colour hair does Ted have? Black, yellow, brown?"
Maizie "Ummm blue 'air"
Me "OH! and what colour eyes does Ted have?"
Maizie "Ummm pink. Ted 'as pink eyes"
Me "I think we are going to have to talk to Daddy about this Ted character before you rush off and get married!"

The odd thing is we don't know anybody named Ted.  Most names around here are 'reused' names eg. Sofias favourite stuffies are Uncle Andrew the panda bear and Tracy the cat.  I don't know where Ted came from. How fantastic for a couple of little girls to participate in their Aunt and Uncles wedding.

Riding a Horse

Our nephew Vincent turned 5 in Sept and he got to go horseback riding for his 'party'.  

Elijah, Sofia, & Vincent

Sofia navigating the obstacle course

Trail riding

She looks like a natural

Grant took her and I stayed home with Maizie and Solveig. I really wanted to go and watch but Maizie was too young to go and so we thought it was best I stay home with her.  Sofia had a lot of fun and so we are hoping to be able to take her back and do it again.

First Tooth

I first felt Solveigs first tooth on Maizies birthday Sept 20.

Bottom right. Followed about 2 weeks later but the bottom left.

Soccer!!

Every Saturday for the foreseeable future. Sofia is really enjoying herself. She's very focused on technique and not goal hungry yet. Come on out and join us cheering "go teal go"

Maizie having a nap at Sofias first soccer game.

Sofias first soccer game.

She was chanting "Go Team GO!"

Solveig enjoying some sun at Sofias first game.

There's an app for that!

Of course there is. I'm finding myself a bit short for time when it comes to uploading pictures from my phone or camera to the computer and then onto the blog. Luck would have it that there's an app for that! Thanks Heather for introducing me to blogger. I should be able to get more pictures of the girls and life posted.

"Smile Maizie"

"Smile Sofia"

"Smile Solveig"

Big day

Solveig is growing up fast! This last week her crawling has gotten faster and more directional. She's still using an army crawling method but is spending more time on her knees trying to coordinate her movements. Today she crawled, wiggled, and shimmied from the living room all the way into the kitchen.

In other news she is about an inch away from sitting herself up. She rolls up onto her hip and gets herself to about 80% upright before her arm is just too short.  Oh wait, I'm not kidding, as I typed that last sentence she figured it out! That was crazy. I was watching her as I was typing and she sat herself up! OMG OMG what a day! She has the biggest hugest grin on her face right now.

Her other big development today was she pulled herself to standing. I put her in the rubbermaid tote in the bathroom while I showered and she used the sides of it to pull herself to standing. (side note that's the same way/time/place Maizie first pulled herself up.)

She is a week away from being 7 months.  Alright, better run she's flipped back onto her belly and is headed down the hallway again.

Sitting Pretty

In the same week Solveig turned 5 months she showed us she could sit up!

Maizie is 2

I'm having a hard time believing that 2 years ago right now I was holding a tiny precious 6.5lb baby.  I know that with every year that passes it will be even harder harder to remember and believe.

Maizie was my teeny tiny, she still seems to be but her fierce personality makes up for it.  Maizies vocabulary has exploded in the last couple of months.  She went from one word, points, and grunts to 3 and 4 word sentences over night.  She seems to have skipped the "me do" and says "I do it" or even "I'll do it".  She is headstrong and surprisingly independent.  In a crowd of kids Maizie can usually be found on the outskirts doing her own thing.  She has the amazing ability to block out all the craziness around her and do what makes her happy.

6 months old

Weight: 19.5 lbs
Length: 26.75"

Solveig has had a big month!  She started sitting upon her own on, each day for a little longer.  She began saying Dadadada and has since added mamamamama and nananana to her vocabulary.  She rolls all around the living room and even pushes herself backwards and pulls herself forward.  She's capable of moving herself any where she fancies going.  Right now her favourite place seems to be in the front entry way chewing on shoes.  This girl has a big shoe fetish, I find her sucking on her sisters shoes a few times a day.

Solveig has been sitting at the supper table with us for the last week.

Her first official food was rice.  She's also had the chance to learn about cucumber, green beans, potatoes, yams, carrots, and celery.  The cucumber and green beans were from our garden so I was extra happy to watch her gumming them!

Solveig has an infectious giggle and loves getting tickles from her Daddy.  She is sensitive to her sisters and if one of them is crying she'll often join in.  She is very happy and easy going.  She's proving to be a bit of a thrill seeker and likes to be bounced and swooshed around.  Pretending to drop her always gets the biggest giggles.

I'm excited to watch more personality emerge in the coming months.

Sleep

Mostly Solveig.  She was lucky enough to find a couple of volunteers to nap with her.

And when she couldn't find anyone to nap with her she was content to nap in the jolly jumper.

I guess Maizie didn't want to be left out of the fun.  Maizie has decided that she no longer needs to nap.  Problem is she falls asleep randomly now.  Like in the middle of supper ... or like 5 minutes ago... she just crawled into my lap and fell asleep.   It's been about a week since she's had an official nap but more days than not she's fallen asleep at some point some where during the day.  I'm sure it will work itself out, I am trying to remember to be patient with her.

I need sleep.  This morning I put 2 sippy cups on the counter beside my coffee mug.  I pour milk into the sippy cups and cream into my mug.  Then took the coffee pot down and filled all 3 cups... ugh! I know that my tiredness is not going to last forever. I know that one day my kids will sleep through the night. I am thankful that my kids keep me away while they are inside my house. I realize it will be worse when they are teens and I am awake waiting for them to come home/worrying about them being away from the house.  I really do require sleep in larger increments than I'm getting currently.  Hopefully next week will be better, if not next week then next month...

Bye Bye Baby

and hello little girl.  Today we had a lady come to our house and cut our hair.  Maizie was great, she sat nice and still while I read her Paperbag Princess.