Trent: Weight: 24 pounds, 11 ounces - gained 16 pounds, 2 ounces [wowza!] Height: 32.5" - grew 12" Drew: Weight: 19 pounds, 7 ounces - gained 10 pounds, 7 ounces Height: 31" - grew 11" Paige: Weight: 20 pounds, 15 ounces - gained 11 pounds Height: 31" - grew 11" Once again, Drew and Paige are just about the same size. Brent and I both do not think Paige seems as petite as she is, but that's probably because Drew was so skinny! I guess a pound and a half makes a difference at this age, ha! Trent was also really skinny for his age, but geez, he'd gained so much more than the girls. And he isn't really too much taller than the girls either! And I didn't remember how BLONDE Trent was back then! He and Drew have basically the same hair color now, but Drew was always darker from birth onward. Paige doesn't seem quite so blonde when you see these pictures. I'm guessing she'll darken up too. I love the pictures I picked for comparisons - my babies all so happy! Because they all make ME so happy!
Holy smokes! We have an 18-month-old! Paige is most definitely a big girl and not a baby - it is so amazing how much she has grown and changed in the last few months. She continues to just be the most joyful child, and we couldn't love her more.
Stats: Weight: 20 pounds, 15 ozs. {25%} Height: 31" {25%} Head circumference: 45.5 cm {30%} Diaper: size 3, 1 snap down in cloth and 2 or 3 across Clothing size: 12-18 months in everything but some things are too big Shoe size: 5 or 5.5 -Let's start with the most amazing thing that has happened - Paige is pretty much potty-trained!!! She has been wearing panties whenever she is awake for over a week with maybe 1 accident/day. She tells me when she needs to poop, but she isn't always so good with pee. We've even gone in public in panties! This AMAZES me. -She says close to 50 words and signs a lot too. She just started showing interest in Baby Signing Time and went from no interest to obsessed really quickly! -Paige eats and eats and eats. She loves food! She has a great diet - loves fruits and veggies but has also been introduced to Babs' suckers and loves those too. {grin} The only food she doesn't like is pickles. She REALLY loves ketchup, ha. -She is obsessed with her siblings and says 'Sis-ser' or 'Bubba' a million times a day. -Paige knows who all her people are. She likes to point out her people or their things {she'll point to my car and say 'Mama'}. -She can name a handful of body parts {hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, toes, head}. She likes to poke me as she says them - I have to be quick to get my eyes closed! -She LOVES to be sung to and she loves dancing. She dictates what songs I can sing - Trent did that at this age too. 2 nights ago she said 'happy' about 10 times {'If You're Happy and You Know It'}, so cute. -Paige is a little artist. She draws all the time and holds a pen/pencil/crayon with the correct grip which is very cool to see. Unfortunately, we have evidence of her artwork on a few walls. -She has 12 teeth with 4 poking through {her vampire teeth as Drew calls them}. -Paige still loves water. Some days she'll take multiple baths in one day. She also scares the crap out of me at the pool - I bought her a life vest because she won't stay in the float and will literally just walk off the side of the pool. -She's been sleeping through the night for about 6 weeks solidly. AMAZING! Sleeps probably 12 hours/night and goes down around 7:30. She takes on average a 3-hour nap. -We are still nursing, but she isn't obsessed like Drew. She nurses around sleep - going down and waking up. -She loves to be outside - blowing bubbles, playing with balls or her water table, riding in the wagon {or really more pushing it}. -She still doesn't care too much about books. A lot of times she will just hold them herself! -Paige does the cutest thing when we ask 'where...' - like 'Where is Daddy?' She'll scrunch up her arms and look around. SO CUTE. I say all the time we should have named our little love Joy instead of Paige because she is just pure joy. She is so happy, so fun, so sweet - we are all smitten with her! She is one lucky little girl who has so many people wrapped around her little finger. I can't wait to see who she grows up to be! XOXO
I don't want to be one of those whiny women that complain about feeling fat and gross as she eats donuts, but if the shoe fits... {grin} Within about 8 weeks of Paige's arrival, I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight - which was about 15 pounds heavier than I wanted to be - but that was largely due to my post-partum anxiety. I was so anxious I couldn't eat. Brent would bring home anything he thought might entice me to eat, but it would take me hours to force anything down. I don't recommend PPA as a weight loss plan since it is the worst experience I've had the pleasure of repeating 3 times, but it certainly took the weight off! Unfortunately, when I started Zoloft, the side effects caused me to gain weight. I didn't really care when I first started gaining weight because I was so happy to feel better, but 30 pounds later, I wasn't happy anymore! It's been 9 months since I realized how much weight I'd gained, and I fluctuate between having lost 10-15 pounds. That's IT. Yes, I'm happy to have lost weight, but I'm definitely NOT happy with my weight. Food, as always, is my problem. I've been exercising at Orange Theory Fitness for about the same 9 months and jogging some at home. BUT bad food is my downfall. I honestly believe I know more than the average person about food and what is good for us and what is bad. I just have no ability to execute - I do not know how to teach myself moderation. Alcoholism runs in my dad's side of the family, and I think food, and really sugar, is my vice {and I don't say that in jest}. All that to say...I've joined a 6-week program - this week is a prep week - that combines:
intermittent fasting - I'll eat 8 hours in a 24-hour period
carb cycling - some days are low carb, some days are regular
macro counting - I've never done this before and hate tracking food, but I've heard once you get in a habit of it, it becomes really natural. And we're using the My Fitness Pal app which has been really user-friendly and easy so far
variety of exercise - some days are interval training, some are heavy weight days, all depending on the type of food day we're having - I do plan to continue with Orange Theory, so we'll see how that all works
Yesterday was my first day to follow the low-carb rules, and I didn't hit my categories for anything - too few carbs, too little fat, too little protein - but I know it's a learning curve, and I'll get there. I was really hungry at bedtime which is NOT supposed to be the norm, and I'm excited that there are only 2 low carb days - definitely makes it feel manageable. It's also cool because the creator talks a lot about how there are no foods that are off-limits. There are days you can't have things - like no/very little fruit on low carb days - but if you want a donut on a regular day, you can have it. The saying is 'if it fits my macros' ha. I'm hopeful that this is how I can finally learn balance...eek, time shall tell!
The program ends the day before my 38th birthday, and I hope to see really good results. And that I don't let my birthday derail me, ha! I will probably give an update at the halfway point and the end, so we shall see!
As of last Friday, another school year has come to a close! We sputtered to the end of the year and have already been enjoying summer - not packing lunches, sleeping in {a teensy bit}, staying in pjs all day if we want {or being naked if you're talking about Paige}, and lots of pool time!
When Trent started 3rd grade, he was at CMS in the same class he'd been in the previous 2 years. We moved him in January to Goodwater Montessori where he finished the lower elementary cycle. He limped along the last month of school - lots of fighting, he got sent home twice, not a whole lot of work being done - but he survived. He made a few really good friends and was mostly happy there.
First day of 3rd grade
Moving Up Ceremony!
{A little ceremony for the kids moving to Upper Elementary - 4th-6th grades}
Trent and Mrs. Worcester - she had great patience with Trent!
Drew had a great last year at CMS. Next year, she'll go to Goodwater and will be starting Kindergarten! That is technically the last year in Children's House {3 years old - Kindergarten}, and her favorite assistant is there, so we're hoping Drew gets in her class. This year she has really blossomed with a love of learning - she's really doing good with math and beginning grammar. She loves to work on spelling and early reading. She can read some words and CANNOT wait to put it all together.
First day!!
Last day! She's so big!
Little Miss Paige will be the lone Gurley at CMS next year - I'll have 2 dropoffs and pickups for AT LEAST 2 more years {SOB}, but I'm also not quite ready to say goodbye either, ha. She started the year in the infant class and moved up in early winter to the toddler class, called Casita, where she will stay until around 3. She has the same teacher Drew did and has LOVED it. She JUMPS out of the car to get to class, loves to wear her backpack, and is so independent!
End of year party
2 Gurley gurls
We have 2 months off and things are going good so far. It's always a bit stressful at first figuring out our routine and putting childcare together. We have a new babysitter this year, but she's in high school, so we hope to use her for years to come. But there's been a lot of painting, coloring/drawing, swimming, game playing, and general silliness. I love that working from home allows me to have the kids home in the summer! I can't believe next year I'll have a 4th grader and a Kindergartener!
