Kellan is 2!

Spring is almost here, and that means Kellan is having a birthday! He's currently napping after enjoying some lunch and playtime at Chick-Fil-A today. So what can I say about my little man today...he is such a joy! So different from his sister in so many ways, but such an energetic personality just like her!

He is active, busy, on the go. He goes full speed ahead at everything he does (scaring Marlon and I most of the time!)--he is a boy through and through.

He enjoys playing outside, riding his little bike, chasing bubbles, and kicking balls of course.

He still sleeps with "lovey", "buddy", and blanket.

He can count pretty well up to around 16 or 17. He recognizes most letters and is practicing singing the ABCs. (he does like to sing the chorus of the "New York" song (not sure what it's really called) by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z though!) He also sings along with one of the songs on one of his Thomas the Train videos.

His favorite show is Chuggington (he enjoys singing along to this theme song as well), and he LOVES to watch someone play anything on the Wii. He's a great cheerleader when Alex plays (as you can see from the video on the previous post!)

He knows most of his colors--we're still working on brown, black and white (I would consider those boring colors that aren't too much fun to learn about, so I guess that's why I haven't focused on them!)

One favorite thing he and Alex like to do is collect all the pillows/cushions from around the house, pile them up in the living room and jump and climb all over them.

He is beginning to like coloring.

He seems to be going through a phase of not eating much. His appetite has definitely slowed down significantly (fortunately he was eating a ton before, so it's not a big deal!). I have to force him to finish even half of most of his meals. I'm sure his eating will pick up again eventually. He still loves fruit--blueberries, canteloupe, bananas, mandarin oranges, pineapples!

He started taking a gymnastics class (a mommy and me one) last week and he really enjoyed it, so that's kind of our birthday gift to him. We'll go to class once a week on Friday mornings through May! He gets to run around, bounce on the trampoline, climb on the balance beam, and play in the foam pit...all right up his alley!

Yesterday he was being really quiet while Alex and I were working on his birthday cake, and when I went looking for him I saw that he had taken Sophie's dog treats into my room (they were in a canister in the pantry), emptied the entire container on the floor and had hidden treats all over my room (we found one in my sink, one in the bathtub, bathroom, under the bed, etc.) Fortunately the container was getting pretty close to empty so Sophie didn't eat too many. Guess I should be grateful I didn't catch him eating them too!

We will be having all of our family in for the weekend to celebrate his birthday with a train party, so we're excited to see everyone! Tonight we will celebrate by having some chinese food for dinner and enjoying his special St. Patty's day cake with some friends.

Happy Birthday little man! We love watching you grow (although we feel it's happening way too fast!!).

Kellan-23 months

One more month until Kellan turns 2! He has continued to change this past month--I would probably say that in the past 2 months he has really begun to develop from a communication standpoint, becoming more verbal and more clear in his speaking. He's had an eventful month with getting his first set of stitches 2 days ago...and I have a feeling it may not be his last! (**Beware that this post may contain some graphic photos J) He is just such an active little boy, fearless in his play, and we often cringe as we watch him run head first into things, diving on the floor, knocking things over. He's been fortunate to not injure himself more often, and we're thankful for that! Here's what he's up to:

-He continues to improve on learning his colors. He is great at identifying green (thanks to his book where he learns about green train Percy!), blue, and does pretty well with yellow and orange.

-He loves to sing his version of ABC's (he has a long way to go!), and he is able to identify the letters M, O, E, and L consistently.

-He is still enjoying practicing his soccer skills. He has perfected the art of a one-touch pass (he's clearly left footed), and has been able to drop kick some of his lighter, smaller balls. I am waiting to catch some footage of him playing on my new Flip video camera that Marlon got me so I can post it to share!

-As I referenced above, he got his first set of stitches (technically only one stitch) 2 days ago after falling onto one of his favorite toys, a plastic racing ramp for little cars. His lip split and bled immediately and we made the decision to take him to Urgent Care (it was in the evening so the dr was closed). I can't say I enjoyed watching them give him a needle in his lip, or holding him down (with the help of 2 other nurses) while the doctor stuck what appeared to be a small fishing hook through his lip to stitch him. We had Marlon keep Alex out in the hall to prevent traumatizing her! He kept crying "Get up Mommy" and "Stand up, Mommy", letting me know he wanted me to pick him up. As soon as he was done and I was able to hold him, he calmed down. They gave him a bunch of stickers, which he wanted us to put on his shirt and his pants, and he had a few left over that he clutched tightly in his hands for the rest of the evening. We were in and out in less than 25 minutes, and he's dealt with the stitch pretty well. The doctor said with his age she expected that he would probably pull or chew on the stitch, and she said it would probably be out within a few days, although she would like to see it stay in for 7-10 days. The stitch is not a self-dissolving one, so I will have to remove it myself in a few days if he hasn't pulled it out by then. Oh the joys of having a boy!

In the waiting room with daddy, checking out his stickers

Arriving at home, sitting with his sticker collection

A close up of the big boo boo!

Here is the culprit toy (the one in the center) that he hit his lip on. It’s his favorite toy these days-he and Alex like to race cars down the track. He also like to put his cars on his train track and push them around.


We are planning a train themed birthday for him next month, and we're looking forward to having the family and cousins here with us to celebrate!

Oh--can't forget to mention that at 23 months Kellan had his first trip to the dentist with Alex yesterday (the morning after getting stitches!). He got a quick check up and a gentle brushing with flouride, and he was very excited to ride the train, get more stickers, and play with the trains in the waiting room and the play area. Alex also had a great visit (despite crying pretty hard for the 2 minutes it took the dentist to look in her mouth and brush her teeth!)--she still was unsure about whether or not a drill may appear at any moment--hopefully by her next visit she will realize that regular check-ups are not at all painful!

Not forgetting about big sister Alex, she got to go on a little Valentine's Day date with her daddy to the WVU women's basketball game. She had a good time (especially because she got a special treat of cotton candy!).

Big sister and little brother snuggling on the beanbag chair together (I tried to capture the moment quickly before it disappeared!) The kids have been spending a lot more time together since Alex has been home from school so much due to the snow--I think Kellan really enjoys having his sister around to play with!

Kellan at 22 months

Our little man is only 2 months away from turning 2 years old! He is such a joy to have around--he makes me laugh out loud every day with something he says or does. He and Alex have become great playmates. They love being chased by daddy, running around the house shrieking and squealing. No new pictures since we've been hangin out at home most days, not doing anything exciting! Here's some of what he's been up to:

-He is counting up to 13 most of the time. We are still working on letters of the alphabet---he can say random sections of the ABC's. He's improving with his colors (his favorites to say and point out are blue and orange).

-He loves reading--his favorites books right now are his new train books that he got for christmas and "That's not my tractor"

-He still loves trains and playing/throwing/kicking balls.

-He is all boy--he loves to sit and watch sports with his daddy--soccer, basketball, football...he will shout out "SCORE!" when someone scores a goal or makes a basket. I see the watching of many Eagles games with Marlon in his future!

-He's becoming much more verbal--he still sometimes calls me Jenn to get my attention--he thinks it's funny now. He loves telling Sophie what to do by saying "GET DOWN SOAP-E", "STOP SOAP-E", "C'mere Soap-E". He loves giving Sophie "cookies".

-He loves looking at pictures and naming all of our family members. He names everyone but Renee (sorry Nay--not sure why he gets so hung up on your name! We're working on it with him!).

-His eating habits are still the same--he loves him some fruit! Blueberries, bananas, pineapple, you name it! He doesn't like cheese or sandwiches. He loves chicken and steak, rice, yogurt, green beans and peas. He is pretty much his sister's polar opposite!

-He is still drooling pretty consistently (Which is VERY annoying!) but we're hoping he will outgrow it. I'm pretty sure it isn't just teething (although it does seem like sometimes it isn't too bad and other times it's ridiculous, so that could make it worse from time to time). I think he just isn't swallowing when he needs to so all the saliva just comes out of his mouth. We plan to look into getting him scoped at the ENT if he hasn't improved by his 2 year dr's appt. Our pediatrician hasn't been concerned but it's just frustrating to still deal with him soaking shirts and dripping saliva onto anything he plays with!

-He is wearing 18-24 month clothes and a size 5 or 5 1/2 shoe (I know, the boy has little feet!)

-He enjoys TV but not as much as his sister. He likes watching Max and Ruby with Alex--he calls it MA RUDY and it sounds so cute! He also likes Sesame Street and Word World.

We have enjoyed 22 months with this little guy and can't wait to celebrate with him in March as he turns 2! We love you Kellan!

Kellan-20 months

It's hard to believe Kellan is only 4 months away from turning 2!! Where has the time gone?? He continues to grow and develop with each passing day-over the past few weeks his vocabulary has really exploded, so it's been fun to hear him communicate more! Here's what he's up to at 20 months:

-He LOVES trains-likes to say "train" and "chugga-chugga" and "choo choo". Along with kicking and throwing balls, trains is probably his next favorite thing! He still loves running and dribbling a ball with his feet. He loves to say soccer ball, but it comes out sounding like "soppa ball".

-He's started to say more words, and he's learning to use them in the appropriate settings, like stuck, push, pull, open, close, up, down. He likes to talk about cars and trucks, loves to read books, and LOVES playing with his big sister. Just the other day he started calling me "jenn" if I didn't answer to "mommy"--now he thinks it's funny to call me Jenn. He follows Marlon and I around constantly saying "mommy" and "daddy" over and over again to get our attention. Yesterday he really seemed to pick up counting--he's gone from saying no numbers at all to counting to 8 on his own, and I think he'll probably be counting to 10 within a few days at this rate! We're working on colors and the ABCs, too.

-He still loves to dance. He still enjoys when Marlon turns on the I-Pod and plays music--the two of them dance around the family (sometimes Alex and I will join in!)

-He's still a good eater, although he has stopped drinking a lot of milk. He loves orange juice, and has recently started enjoying raisins. He likes eating the gerber graduates ravioli, and he loves Yobaby 3 in 1 yogurt meals. He loves pineapple and has started enjoying scrambled eggs. He continues to not be a very big fan of bread. He won't eat toast or sandwiches either.

-He loves going to the park and playing outside. He loves bubbles and his current favorite book is "I Know a Rhino" (a book his sister also loved!).

-He has such a sweet personality but is sometimes too aggressive when he plays (he likes to throw toys around the room and they sometimes hit other people!), so he is learning to say "Sorry".

-He will say "Bye" and "Love You" when we leave, and he will give hugs and kisses.

-He still loves his "lovie", and now also likes to carry around another stuffed toy (we call him lovie's friend) and a blanket. He still sucks his thumb when in bed to help himself fall asleep-we are seeing the first signs of his poor thumb being cracked and red from all the sucking he's doing!

He is a sweet boy and we're enjoying watching him turn into a little boy--Alex is loving having a companion to play with (except for when they're fighting!).

Kellan---18 months

This little guy is now 18 months old!

Here's what Kellan is up to these days...

-He loves his big sister and they really enjoy playing together, tackling each other on the floor.

-He continues to learn new words and follows directions (most of the time!), like "Put that toy in the bucket" or "Go give this to your sister".

-He loves to brush his teeth (he has a mouthful now--not sure how many but he's got a ton of molars and a bunch of other teeth--unfortunately he has now started drooling AGAIN--soaking shirts every day--when will it end??!!) and practice using the potty.

-He enjoys using a straw and eats well (has done this for a few months now) with a spoon and fork.

-He loves popsicles (we'll be sad to see summer go!), lollipops, and graham crackers (when he says crackers, it comes out sounding like "brackee".

-Aside from kicking a soccer ball around, his next favorite thing to play with is probably cars and trains. He loves the train table and geotrax that my mom has at her house (guess what someone is getting for christmas?!) and that his cousin Nolan has. He really is ALL BOY!

-He is dealing with separation anxiety/stranger anxiety a lot these days. He takes a while to warm up to new people, people he doesn't see frequently, and is more intimidated by males than females. Once he feels comfortable, though, he's becoming quite the ham. He loves acting goofy, being silly, and running around like a crazy kid.

-He has known how to say "NO" for a while, and he's really starting to use it! If you try to take something from him, he will say "Uh-Uh" or "No" while shaking his head.

-We're dealing with the issue of him throwing toys--not in a mean or angry way, but as a form of play. He loves to fling toys across the room--big ones, small ones, hard ones, soft ones...you have to stay clear to avoid getting hit. I'm continuously telling him "No throwing" and "Be Gentle" but although he says OK (pronounced "UUUUHH-k"), he continues to do it. I don't know how to get through to him--I'm going to attempt trying timeouts with him, although I don't know how well he will understand them quite yet. I really don't think he's doing it to be defiant, I think he's just all boy and seems to have a bit more of an aggressive style of playing!

-He loves to take baths (and to say "bath") and loves to play with bubbles and balloons.

-He goes for his 18 mo. appt. next week so I will update you with his weight and height, but he's still definitely on the short side! He fits in his current age for clothes (has been wearing 12-18 months for a while, and wears a lot of 18 month shirts and shorts).

-He loves to hang on the couch with his daddy--he and daddy have a special bond, and he will sit happily with him for a long time while watching tv or resting--he never does that with mommy--with me, he just wants to go, go, go!

He continues to be a sweet, fun-loving boy--we just can't get enough of him!

17 months

I'm a few days behind, but wanted to post some notes about Kellan at 17 months! I missed his 16 month post, so we'll just have a 2 month summary here!

My little guy is beginning to become a big handful! I remember these days with Alex--they begin to perfect the art of throwing a tantrum (and man, can Kellan throw some good ones!). He wants to climb on anything and everything (even though he needs a little help getting up onto things since he's still a little short!)--he has learned to stand on top of his toys to get on the coffee table, the couches, etc. He wants to stand up and as many times as I take him down, tell him NO, he gets right back up, often ends up falling off, then wants to do it all over again...my stubborn, bull-headed little man! He is very strong and when he throws a tantrum he likes to toss his body on the floor--I just try to clear the area around him so he doesn't do any serious damage to himself while in tantrum mode! He just doesn't like to be told that he can't do something--that's pretty much what it boils down to! Guess I can't blame him--I don't really like being told NO either.

He is saying more words and is adding "Sophie" and "Alex" to his list. He is identifying some animal sounds ("Quack Quack" is his favorite, "Woof Woof" for dogs, "Meow" for cats, "Tweet Tweet" for birds). He makes the "Choo Choo" and "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo!" sounds for a train, "Vroom" sounds for cars and trucks. He says "Elmo", "Brady" (the boy I babysit) and "Wow", too. I know there are more but they are escaping me at the moment!

He's becoming slightly more picky with his eating, although he still eats a great variety of food and loves his fruits the best! He doesn't seem to care for breads and cheeses too much--he tends to not want sandwiches, bread, biscuits/rolls, crackers, pizza, or cheese. He loves pasta though! Sometimes I will make him a meal that I know he's eaten before and when I set it in front of him he will look at it, shake his head, and say "Uh-Uh, No", and that's it--he won't eat it! It can get frustrating but fortunately it hasn't been happening too often.

He enjoys looking at picture books and is starting to learn to identify different objects. I know I definitely don't read with him nearly as much as I did with Alex but I'm trying to do better!

We found out recently that he is allergic to our dog! We were pretty surprised by that, and we are trying to determine how much it actually is affecting him. We don't seem to notice any really obvious symptoms so at this point we have no plans to get rid of the dog, but we are looking into putting harwood floors in the living room to help remove some of the dander.

He is a pretty big momma's boy and particularly when we are in unfamiliar territory he will follow on my heels and cry when I disappear. It can be frustrating at times but I'm trying to remind myself that soon enough he'll be a big boy and want nothing to do with me, so I'm trying to enjoy it!

He has become a pretty good sleeper as he's gotten older. When he was a baby he didn't take long naps--they were usually only 45 min-1 hr, but now he's doing much better. He usually sleeps at night from 7:30/7:45 until around 7:00 am, and he typically takes 1 1/2 hr-2 hr. nap in the afternoon.

He is learning his body parts--he knows head, nose, mouth (he can say "mouth" too), feet, toes. We are working on the "Head, Shoulders", Knees and Toes" song.

He loves to do the motions for Itsy, Bitsy Spider. He bounces along when you sing songs.

He loves to dance--he seems to prefer hip hop or something with a good beat. Marlon will put his apple TV on to play his IPod music through our TV and they will get some good dancing in!

Over the past few days he has started babbling a bunch of nonsense in a conversational manner. He will talk to you, muttering a bunch of stuff you can't understand, as if he's trying to tell you something. It's cute to watch him chatter about something, almost as if he's telling you about his day, or what's on his mind. He tends to do it right when he wakes up (maybe he's telling us about his dreams?!).

He has a minor obsession with TV--particularly in the car with the DVD player. He doesn't really watch a ton of TV in the house but if it is on and then gets turned off, he will say "OH NO" and go grab the remote and bring it to me. (does this mean we watch too much tv in our house?!)

I'm enjoying being able to be at home with him and spend quality time with him. He is a fun little boy and we love him dearly!