Kid journal

This post is a journal entry in progress. I'll write about Tori and Eli after Christmas.

Maggie

-She has been sleeping at least eight hours a night. I know! It's so incredibly wonderful. Now if Jonah would sleep in.

-Maggie just started smiling (Dec. 16th). We could see that she was trying before that - she would look at us intently and move her head and facial features like she really wanted to. I love baby smiles - and noises, and smell.

-With my other kids, I can see now how things that I noticed even when they were little babies were indicative of what they would be like later. (Tori, for example, didn't smile easily or quickly when she was a baby, which is typical of her shy, tentative nature.) So, I already find myself watching for Maggie quirks that will show me what my girl will be like. So far, it looks like she'll be a happy but impatient, sleepy child. :)

-Growing up, we had a series of children's books about a girl named Maggie Muggins, so that's my nickname for Maggie. Jonah called her "Maggie Muffins" until recently. I also call her "baby" which has been my primary nickname for all of my babies until the arrival of the next one was imminent, and then I'd make myself stop so it wouldn't be confusing. (Jonah stopped wanting to be called "baby" earlier.) Maybe Maggie will keep the nickname for longer.



Jonah

-When Jonah wakes up or is tired, he always puts his cheek against mine as I carry him. I love his cheeks.

-Jonah will sometimes pretend to talk on the phone to John and he'll always say, "Hi, Sweetie..." because he hears me call John that on the phone. (He doesn't say it any other time.)

-Jonah always brings two cars or figures to me and says, "Which one you want to be? This one - this one? Tell me." He often ends questions with "tell me" now. Anyway, you choose your guy (or the one he wants to give you) and then the burden of the interaction is all on you. His guy just responds. So, I'll say, "I'm a red car" and he'll say, "I'm a green car." "Let's go to the zoo," "OK."etc. It would get a little old, if I weren't such a great mom. :)

-Lately Jonah has been willfully destructive to a degree that's pretty shocking. He squirted toothpaste all over the counter and sink, spread graham crackers all around the living room and stepped on them, spread yogurt on the table and kitchen chair, cut a whole in his cute shirt and a blanket, etc. He'll always say, "Sorry!" immediately after, but it doesn't sound sincere. We realized that it has mostly been since Maggie came. Poor little buddy. And poor us.

-When Jonah is getting into some food he shouldn't or being secretive somewhere, I'll say, "Jonah, what are you doing?" and he'll hold up his index finger and sternly say, "Don't tell me!" which always makes me laugh.

-When Jonah isn't satisfied with something, he'll say in frustration, "That not perfect!"

-Jonah is always putting small cars or toys in containers. He filled up the Halloween buckets, Christmas stockings and gift bags, etc. with various small toys.