First Day of School / Ballet

I realize that this is a bit anticlimactic since the first day of school was actually two months ago, but here are some pics none the less.   Gabby is now a full-time student.  She goes 5 days a week, from 8:30 - 3:00.  She LOVES everything about school.

After the first photo above was taken, she decided that she had to have a picture taken with her new favorite jacket.  Pink = love.

While Claire was disappointed to not be starting school yet, she was very happy to finally stop watching ballet and start participating herself.

Gabby tries to teach Claire everything she knows.

The true excitement came when Claire was able to join her friend, Reese, and go to their first class!

Gabby's 1st Year of School

With June came the end of school, which for Gabby was a sad, rather than joyous event.  She LOVES school and everything about it, especially the friends she has been able to make.  Below are some of the activities she was involved in throughout the year.  (Her teachers were kind enough to send the parents photos from their year.)  

Here is her class photo, including the principal, her two French teachers and her English teacher.

Dans la classe.

In the classroom.

En bibliothèque.

Finding books at the library and reading books in the classroom.

En récréation & la salle de sport.

Recess & gym class.

Groupe bleu.

Gabby's "blue group" doing art, taste tests and following recipes.

Halloween, goûter Noël, concert Ammulette.

Halloween, Christmas celebration snack (a croissant of course) and dancing to the songs of performers who traveled from France.

La spectacle.

At her school show, Gabby performed as a ladybug and did a cute hip-swinging dance on the stage.

Sortie scolaire.

Field trip to the Seattle Children's Theater.  I was lucky enough to be a driver on this field trip and it was so cute to see them love every minute of the performance.  No one in the theater kept a single reaction to themselves.  :)  But they all behaved well and had a fun time.

La kermesse.

At the end of the year, the school has an annual carnival, with lots of booths and activities for the whole family.  Pictured here is Claire on a pony.  Gabby decided not to ride the pony again this year, which was not a huge surprise.

Gabrielle had an amazing first year of school and is looking forward to returning in September!

Moment of the Month

I suppose the most shocking moment of the month for January goes to Claire.  The day after she turned 18 months, the girls were playing hide-and-seek in the bathroom closet and came across Gabby's old training toilet. You would think it was a buried treasure chest, the way they were so excited about it.  The next thing I know, Claire is sitting on the toilet and going pee!

We all assumed it was just a stroke of luck, but when she asked to go again later, she did it again - almost instantly - and has continued to do so 3-5 times a day since then (for almost a week now) with mostly dry diapers.  I am a little confused because I still have her mentally categorized as a baby (it seems with each child you think they are comparably younger and capable of less, perhaps because you aren't looking so anxiously towards the next milestone).  So I guess I am being dragged into potty-training, ready or not.  The funny thing is that we thought that Claire would be our difficult child to train because she finds so much joy in doing the opposite of what we want her to do - oh, wait - she is doing just that.  Plus, this is only the beginning....

10 Meter Triathalon

Triathalon from Jennefer Boyer on Vimeo.

Claire took her first steps last week! Here is video coverage of many firsts, put together into an intense race. She will be 11 months old at the end of this week. What a champion!

May

Since I appear to be a bit behind in the blogging world, I am going to do a quick month review via photos.  The great thing about posting photos that are nearly two months old is that you realize how quickly your children develop and change.  In May...

Claire started eating normal solids on her own.

(Now we can't get her to stop.)

Claire began cruising around the house, holding on to anything she could in order to follow her big sister's footsteps. (Now she is walking on her own.)

(How does she even make some of these faces??)

Meanwhile, Gabby worked on her drawing skills.  Below is a picture I walked in the room to discover her drawing.  She says they are Mommy & Daddy.  Well, at least she got the cheeks right.

She is getting great at writing letters completely on her own.  She'll even write her name without me having to tell her which letter comes next.  

This was a card she made for Meme's birthday.  

Otherwise, the girls just had a great month playing together and with friends.

Brooklyn & Gabby

Van & Gabby

(Great photos courtesy of Ashley.)

The highlight of the month for Jason and I was going on a date to see the broadway performance of Mary Poppins.  It was a such a fun and impressive show to see!

The Benefits of Sitting

 I can't believe the above photo was taken almost 2 months ago, but since then, grocery shopping has become so much easier.  Claire starting sitting up and now she can ride in the sporty car/cart at the store, instead of being lugged around in the Bjorn.  I do my best to not take down every display as we turn corners in our extra-long-and-incredibly-difficult-to-steer vehicle.

Her first time driving was truly exhausting.  If Gabby looks a bit awkward in the picture below, it is because I told her not to move or Claire would fall over and wake up.  Gabby was an awesome headrest and held still for the next 15 minutes while we finished up.

Our much more recent first, was the move from the baby bath tub to the real thing.  Complete with a sibling and toys.  Claire had a great time splashing any and all.

She wasn't so sure about having pictures of her taken sans clothes, however, as can be seen by her expression.

Claire's First Solids

In our attempts to help her sleep longer at night, we gave Claire her first rice cereal when she was just over 4 months old.  This 30-second clip is the result.

2

Yes, our little girl turned two on October 27th (I am just a bit behind).  It is hard to remember our life without Gabrielle, yet at the same time, we can't believe she is already two years old and so independent.  She is an absolute sweetheart and we feel so blessed to have her in our family.

Some milestones Gabby has reached at age two:

• Weight: 31lbs 10oz (92nd percentile).  Height: 34 1/2 inches (65th percentile).  Predicted height as an adult: 5'9".  [Wouldn't you love it if someone posted your weight and percentile for your birthday every year?  Good thing she doesn't know that I am doing this yet.  Hehe.]
• Talking - really talking.  I am not sure if there is anything she can't communicate.  6-, 7-, 8-word sentences are not rare at all.  Most of her "r"s and some "l"s still sound like "w"s, but it is kind of cute that she calls Claire "Cwaire".  She has even mastered those confusing pronouns to use "I", "you", etc. and gets most prepositions right - "on", "in", "over"....
• She understands what I say in French, although she does not speak French very often anymore without encouragement, with the exception of some words that really stuck.  But she somehow knows the difference between French & English.
• She sings songs all day long.  She knows at least half a dozen songs by herself and sings others with me.  Here are videos of her singing the alphabet and "I am a Child of God" (taken the week of her birthday).

• She is completely potty-trained.  Hooray!!  Even at night.  She wears underwear 24/7.  Although, for a while she had us worried.  Remember how I posted about how she was totally constipated because she didn't want to go "caca" in the toilet?  Well, we found a reward that worked: fruit snacks.  She got a package of princess or Dora fruit snacks every time she went caca.  It began working so well that she literally would go caca every time she went pee, 7-8 times per day.  She is skillful like that.  I can't understand how, but voila.  She earned those fruit snacks!  We quickly had to downgrade to a Reeses Pieces chocolate each time she went before we made her sick.
• Gabby loves to draw and color.  Her favorite thing to do is use a real pen and make a bunch of connected w's to look like she is writing words.  Then she tells us what she wrote.  She also draws each member of her extended family.  The arms and legs are rarely in the right place, but apparently that's how we look to her.
• Physically, she loves to run and especially jump.  I am seriously hoping we don't have a future circus star in our home.  She jumps so high.  And everywhere we go.  We would get her a little trampoline, but that would be dangerous considering what she does without one.  She loves to slide, but hates to swing.  Stairs are not an obstacle for her at all, even without a railing.
• Gabby is very social.  Much more so than Jason or I ever were at her age.  She doesn't seem to notice that people are different ages and that a random adult may not want to play blocks with her or hear the details of her most recent experience on the toilet.  She invites all and tells all.  She counts down to playdates and other social events.
• Her characteristics include a bit of perfectionism and organization.  I certainly don't complain about these things, but Jason is convinced that she has OCD because she won't let him leave cupboard doors open or otherwise leave things out of place.  :)  She is very obedient and helpful.  She spends her day trying to help me sweep or getting things for me.
• She is also an amazing sister.  I am still in shock that she can be so good to Claire.  She calls Claire her "best friend" and everywhere we go she introduces Claire over and over to those we pass, "This is Cwaire.  This is Cwaire."  (Which can get a little old at the grocery store).  She is unselfish and so sincere with her sister.  They play and laugh together all day.  It warms our hearts.

Please excuse this long, boring entry.  Since I am a horrible journal writer, I am planning to have this blog printed once each year.  So this may be the closest Gabby gets to knowing what she was doing at age two.

We celebrated the day of her birthday by going to the park.

Then, when Daddy came home, Gabby got to open her presents.

Much better reactions this year than last.

Dentist

Gabby had her first dentist check-up recently.  She did AWESOME!  Seriously.  I thought she would not be cooperative about some stranger sticking their hands in her mouth, but she opened wide and did everything they said to do.  She loved that she got to wear sunglasses (to shade her eyes from the bright lights), got to choose some toys and her favorite part was that she got to bring home a new toothbrush and toothpaste.  She actually wants to go again.  I don't even know any adults who want to go to the dentist.

Gabby's 2nd Birthday Party

On October 23rd, we celebrated Gabby's second birthday with some of her friends.  We had a ladybug theme, complete with very strange-looking homemade ladybug cupcakes (sometimes I forget that I am not a very crafty mom).  For games, we had coloring and dot stickers on ladybug pages, a ladybug hunt (searching the house for ladybug cutouts with licorice on the back), and pin-the-dot-on-the-ladybug (which turned out to be a bit confusing for the two-year-old crowd).  All in all, Gabby had a great time and hopefully the other kids did, too!

Ice cream push-ups.  The cleaner way to go.

 Opening gifts.  She LOVES every single gift she received.

 Even Claire had a fun time hanging out.

Gabby with her new doll, a gift from Tori.

After the party was over, Gabby explained to Claire that one day she too will get to have a birthday party.

Potty Training

We prepared for the worst.  We even covered our carpet with plastic (the kind moving companies stick down to protect the carpet when you move).  Gabby selected her mini-toilet.  We stocked up on stickers and Reeses Pieces, cleaning supplies, and underwear.  I read 3 potty-training books and Gabby studied her "Once Upon a Potty" book.

Day 1:  We let her go free around the house in her "culotte"/underwear and a t-shirt.  2 accidents.

Day 2:  Still roaming free.  1/2 accident before she stopped and ran to the toilet.

Day 3:  No accidents.  In fact since day 1, she didn't even let a drop out overnight.  She has just been waking us up at 5AM to go pee then goes back to bed.

Day 4:  Did I mention any poop or "caca" yet?  No, I did not.  That is because our child has so much control of her bodily functions that she is now constipated.  She spent the day fighting her urges to go.  I even offered her a diaper, just to relieve the problem before she makes herself sick, but she insisted on sitting on the toilet... for hours.

Day 5:  At last, a bowel movement.  Not a pretty one.

Day 8:  She still has not had a pee accident since day 2, but certainly is not comfortable yet with the caca.  We spent the entire day (literally) going back and forth to her toilet every few minutes to try to poop.  (This is especially fun to do while you are simultaneously nursing and running up the stairs, by the way.)  It eventually comes, but not without a lot of effort.  Poor thing.  And (fun for us!) the 4-5AM toilet awakenings continue.

In summary, we are glad that we spent money and time covering the carpet with plastic since that meant she would never actually have an accident anywhere close to carpet.  Sigh.  We are pleased with her continued eagerness to go pee, without even being reminded these days.  We just hope that she recovers from the stubbornness she inherited from her parents.  

Yesterday, she was still sore and when I told her that I was sorry her bottom hurt she looked at me seriously, nodded, and said, "Dada fix it."  Well, why not?  He fixes everything else around the house and even her elbow when it came out of place (Nursemaid's Elbow).  Why wouldn't he fix her bottom, too?

Introducing Claire

(The above proof is a photo we bought from the photographer who took pics at the hospital.)

Claire Evelyn Boyer has finally arrived! (Okay, it was a week ago - July 30th - but it took me a while to find any time to post, let alone sleep.) We chose the name "Evelyn" after two of Jason's grandmothers. After deciding on "Claire", we discovered that his maternal grandmother's name was Evelyn Claire and his great-grandmother's first name was Claire. It was meant to be.

If you have any interest in the random details leading up to Claire's birth, read on. If not, just scan ahead for more pics. (I have a tendency to give more info than anyone actually cares about.)

Wed 4pm: OB appt. on my due date. Dilated to 4cm. Schedule induction for Friday morning at 5am!

Wed 5pm: Call Jason’s parents. They schedule flight to come in Thursday night. Jason has office reschedule all of his patients for next Thursday & Friday.

Wed 11pm: Go to sleep with the comfort of knowing that no matter how much pain and discomfort I am in, I only have to make it 1 ½ more days.

Thur 11am: Dr.’s office calls to schedule check-up for Monday. I explain that I am being induced tomorrow, so no need for an appt. They inform me that no, they are not sure why they told me that the schedule was completely open for me to be induced, as it is actually completely full. I will have to be induced next Wednesday instead.

Thur 11:05am: I freak out. You don’t mess with a pregnant woman like that. The thought of waiting another 6 days is not an option. I had mentally prepared myself for tomorrow. The in-laws bought their tickets. Jason’s patients have all been rescheduled. But most importantly, my emotional state is not stable.

Thur 6pm: My body convinces Claire that we are not waiting another week. The time has come, whether they can schedule me in or not. Contractions begin about 10 minutes apart.

Fri 12am: Jason’s parents arrive, just in time to watch Gabby.

Fri 4am: Contractions are finally 4-5 minutes apart and more and more intense. We leave for the hospital.

Fri 4:30am: As soon as I lay down on the bed for them to measure my contractions, they are suddenly farther apart and less intense. They look at me like I don’t know what I am doing and send us home. They do not seem to care that when I stand up to leave, a huge puddle of blood appears on the floor. “Maybe we’ll see you later this weekend,” the nurse says. Eh?? Later this weekend? I don’t think so.

Fri 5:30am: We drive home with me in agony. I have not eaten or slept all night and I am urgently craving a sausage and egg muffin. The restaurants are not open yet. My pain doubles at the disappointment, which is clearly a personal attack from the restaurant industry.

Fri 7:30am: Okay, so this is what they were talking about when they said labor pains are one of the worst pains a person can experience. Contractions are 2 minutes apart. The thought crosses my mind that maybe I should just deliver at home to prove to them that they should not have turned me away. On second thought, there is a slight chance that my plan may be much worse on me than them. Fine. Off to the hospital again.

Fri 8am: Arrive at hospital with contractions 1 minute apart. I am a true disaster complete with tears and I tell myself, “At least I will never see anyone here again.” Then the nurse comes to rush me to my room. She leans over me in the wheel chair. “Jen?” – perfect – an old friend from high school that I haven’t seen for 13 years. She will be my nurse through the entire delivery. Needless to say, I am not much for reminiscing and small talk as she helps me undress. (No offense, Mey, I was just in a little shock, but you were an awesome nurse.)

Fri 9:55am: Claire Evelyn Boyer arrives before I have time to realize that I am in the hospital. She is perfect! And, I admit, the pain instantly seems trivial once I see her face and hold her in my arms. Welcome home, Claire!

The first few moments of Claire's life.

8lbs, 8oz. 20inches. Thank goodness we did not let her grow another week!

Jason experiments with his wicked photography skills.

The Boyer cheeks prevail again!

The sisters meet each other. Gabby has been such a gentle and loving sister. [Note: That is Gabby's arm around Claire, not my runt arm, as it appears.]

More pics from the photographer at the hospital:

Our growing family arrives home. (I promise, despite the illusion, this is the day after Claire's birth and I am not actually 7 months pregnant again.)

Curiosity.

Jason's parents keep Gabby busy with things like hiking to Bridal Veil Falls.

Gabby had a great time with Noni & Papa B and we ate better than we have for a LONG time. Thank you for all of the help!

I will get back into photo mode and take some better pictures of Claire soon. And I may even eventually post them....