ninety percent

Pearl took her first steps at the end of April and hasn't looked back.

Today (less than a month later), she is walking about 90% of the time ...  Yet, it is still strange to see her ambling down the hall, or across the room on two feet!  And, although she is showing plenty of signs to the contrary, it is hard to shake the image of her being my little baby.

It feels like I brought her home from the hospital just yesterday ...  And made the adjustment from "mom of one" to "mom of two."

But time is flying by.

My baby is quickly entering the "toddler" phase.

(Seriously?!)

It is mind-boggling the difference a year can make.

pearl's first year

She may be approaching the fourteen month mark, but it's never too late (as evidenced by Malcolm's second year video) to post a slideshow of some of her memorable moments ...



It's hard to remember the time before she was part of our family!

The amount of love I have for this little girl is indescribable ...

pearl: twelve months

(I know I've missed her actual birthday by over a week, but I wanted the "official" measurements from her one year well check to wrap up these posts)

This past year has flown on by ... 

And yet it feels as if an eternity has passed when I go back and look at the very first monthly post about my baby girl.

She has changed so much in such a short amount of time, and is really growing into a spunky little girl before my very eyes.

These photos of her (on her actual birthday) enjoying her "Birthday Blizzard" from her aunt (my sister) make it so extremely evident.

Stats:

Height: 29 inches

Weight: 8 pounds 5 ounces

 

Before long, this little lady will have left babyhood behind her ...  But with each new milestone, come new adventures, so I think I can handle it!

 

*Check out Pearl's eleventh month here.

pearl: eleven months

So, I realize that this has been a very Pearl-centric week ...  But, it's that time again.

Another month has passed us by!

I know I say pretty much the same thing in every one of these posts, but Pearl's personality is really, really starting to show.  It's like a baby hits that ninth month and BAM! they come into their own.

But, I love getting to see all of her little quirks ...

She is spunky (getting into everything, especially things that aren't hers), and cuddly, and loud.

If you turn your attention away for a second, Girl let's you know about it!

She is also quite the little eater (as evidenced by Monday's post), and is getting to the point where she only wants to have what we're having.  This has led to quite a few interesting meals, but has also shown us just how much she is changing before our eyes.

Stats:

Height: 29 inches

Weight: 18 pounds

My little girl is growing up!

*Pearl's tenth month is here.

progress (maybe?)

With the arrival of February came the realization that Malcolm's actually been working at the whole toilet training thing for a full month.

So, although, last time I said I wouldn't talk toilet training around these parts, I feel the need for a brief update.

I think we've made some progress.

Maybe?

Hopefully?

I mean, Malcolm knew what to do from Day 1 on this little adventure ...  It literally only took one accident in his real underpants for him to realize that he needed to let us know when it "was time."

Just one.

So, the kid gets it.

He understands the feeling of having to go.

He knows how to make it to his little potty, pull down his pants, and do it.

He hasn't, to date, had an accident outside of our home.

The (only) issue is whether or not he feels like following through ...  Or cutting his losses and just making a mess of himself.

It's completely up to him.

On his whim.

And it's killing me!

Call me a control freak, but when it comes to loved ones, especially my children, I have an major drive to do whatever it takes to keep those close to me (Malcolm, in this case) happy.

So, when Malcolm was an infant, it meant keeping his belly full and his bottom dry ...

When he became mobile, it meant keeping him safe during his many explorations ...

When he was a toddler, it meant helping him learn to communicate his needs and wants.

And now that he is a three-year-old, it means teaching him the skills he'll need to go off to pre-school on his own (away from me!) this coming fall. 

I always thought that once a child was "trained" and understood the concept of using the toilet (with the exception of regression during times of stress), that the "teaching" part was over. 

Success! 

Job well done!

On to the next milestone!

But, at least for us, this process has been much more than that.

Yes, at its most basic, it's learning to use the toilet ...

But it's also a lesson in trust ... For me and my son.

Me trusting him that he'll let me know when he has to go (and not nagging him constantly throughout the day) ...  And him trusting me that I'll still be there no matter what (even if he does have a messy accident).

So, while I appreciate the conversations where he just chatters on an on while sitting on the toilet, and I like having to fold all the tiny underpants that make it through the wash each week ...  I'm so ready to feel like the "training" portion is over.

I'm not sure when it will hit me that we are done, and he is good to go ...

Maybe when there have been no day time accidents for longer than a month? 

Or two?

After all of this, I truly hope I get a (lengthy) break before Miss Pearl is ready to drop the diapers on her end ...

pearl: ten months

I feel like I was just writing Pearl's nine month post ...

But, yet, another month has flown right on by!

I'm not sure if it's because we had some (minimal) down time during the holidays, and therefore, have been able to just sit and watch our little lady, but Pearl has so many new tricks.

She pulls up on things like a pro ...

In her crib, at the coffee table, in front of the TV, by the refrigerator, against the wall ...  Anywhere and everywhere will do!  So very, very soon, Malcolm will have trouble keeping his things out of her reach (and then the real fun will begin). 

(Foreshadowing of things to come?)

She joins us for dinner, and is eating real food with the rest of us ...  Bananas, noodles, cereal, beans, chunks of boiled vegetables (and, of course, cookies).

She is noisy ...  Constantly jabbering (or shouting) away.  I wouldn't be surprised if a true first word was right around the corner!

She now waves "hello" ...  Just the other day, the husband was pumping gas and peeked in through the van window (as he tends to do) to make faces at the kids.  He could barely see Pearl, her tiny face peering out between the edge of her carrier and its handle, but slowly and surely, she raised her little hand to wave at him.

Stats:

Height: 28.5 inches

Weight: 16 pounds

Little girl is turning into just that ...  A little girl!

It's crazy to think that she'll be one in exactly two months ...

pearl: nine months

Sometimes it's hard for me to believe, but Pearl's ninth month has come and gone!

(Admittedly, this post is a little late because I wanted to wait for her official height and weight measurements from yesterday's well check.) 

Maybe it is because she is baby #2, so all of our attention can't go to her, but Pearl seems to be a bit more mischievous than Malcolm was at the same age ...

(Go figure that our girl would be the handful!)

She loves to crawl (slow and steady like the tortoise from the familiar fable) and easily gets to wherever she chooses.

She always has to see what her brother is doing (or, probably more importantly, what he is playing with) ...  And while, there can be a bit of brother/sister conflict, a sweet little relationship is forming right before our eyes!  It is so fun to see Pearl smile when she sees her big brother, or when she goes to "play" with him.

Even if it is always on his terms.

Although she has a lot of spunk and (already!) has a bit of an independent streak going, she is also super snuggly and loves a good cuddle when she is feeling sleepy (and sometimes when she's not). 

She is definitely a gift to our family during this holiday season ...

And every single day of the year!

Stats:

Height: 28 inches

Weight: 14 pounds 11 ounces

*Check out Pearl's eight month post here.

pearl: eight months

Although Pearl officially turned eight months old yesterday, I decided to keep it separate from the "fashion" post and give my little girl two days in the spotlight.

That's not to say she doesn't get the spotlight around here ...

As a mobile baby who loves to explore and shout and make her presence known, she definitely gets her share of the attention (especially while Malcolm is napping ... Since they rarely like to overlap that sort of thing anymore).

Her personality just continues to blossom.

She can quickly go from loud and rambunctious to pensive and cuddly ...  And she is laughably goofy.

Stats:

Height: 27.5 inches

Weight: 16 pounds

She definitely fits right in with the rest of us!

*See Pearl's seventh month, here.

on the move

It's official.

"Layered" onesie: Circo (thrifted for $0.50)

Ruffled leggings: Just One Year (pack of two for $8.00)

Socks: Walmart (pack of ten for $6.00)

Pearl has (abruptly) moved from the "crawl with a purpose" phase to the "crawl because I can" phase.

Gone are the days of my little girl moving only to obtain an object, and then sit happily with it.

Now she is a full-fledged mover ...

A curious little creature that wants to get into everything and explore everywhere!

And, as a result, (as her onesie in these photos states) she has turned into quite the attention hog.

I can't take my eyes off of her for a second!

The real fun has begun!

pearl: seven months

Even though this post is all about Pearl, I wanted to reminisce for a moment ...

When Malcolm was seven months old, I was just starting up this blog, and one of my early posts contained a picture of him wearing the same Ghostbusters tee-shirt.

It blows my mind to see my little girl, now seven months old herself, sporting the same thing (in the same spot of the back yard!), and looking equally adorable ...

Stats:

Height: 27 inches

Weight: 14 pounds

She is getting so big.

*See Pearl's sixth month, here.

almost mobile

Malcolm seemed pretty "normal" to me in terms of his development (talking notwithstanding) so it is crazy that Pearl seems to be plowing along at warp speed ...

Malcolm perfected sitting with no support at the seven month mark.

Pearl had it down in under six and a half.

Fleece Shirt: Child of Mine (thrifted for $0.50)

Pants: Carter's (thrifted for $1.00 as part of a two piece set)

Socks: Unknown brand (gift)

And crawling?

Malcolm was a little over eight months old when he started.

I think Pearl will get there a bit sooner.

She's almost there as it is ...  Doing that rocking back and forth thing all day long.

I guess all this just goes to show that you really and truly can't compare your children to one another!

Each one is different and unique.

Each one will develop that the pace that is right for him/her ...  Even if, as the Mom, you wish they'd stay little (and, probably more importantly, where you put them!) for just a bit longer.

year three

There is a major benefit to having a husband who is borderline obsessed with movie scores ... I've got plenty of instrumental themes to choose from when I construct these yearly slideshow/videos of my kiddos!

And, after my dismal performance with last year's video, I'm on the ball and actually posting Malcolm's third year within a month of him turning three!

pearl: six months

Have we reached the half year mark already?

Wasn't she just turning five months old only yesterday?

It may be cliche (okay, it definitely is cliche), but time certainly flies when you're having fun ...  And my days are much more fun with this sweet, little girl in them!

Stats:

Height: 26.25 inches

Weight: 13 pounds 13 ounces

Not only that, but it is all too easy to lose myself in those blue eyes of hers ...

better with age

Rumor has it, I celebrated by thirtieth birthday last week.

The big 3-0.

(Luckily, my special day was a bit less eventful than last year!)

I have been told by many people that this upcoming decade of my life will be the best ...  But, if I think back on them, my twenties were pretty darn good.

I graduated from college.

I (jointly) bought a house.

I got married to the love of my life.

I took some pretty awesome trips (to Colorado, and Mexico, and Florida, most recently, Jamaica).

I birthed my first child ...

And then my second.

I earned my Master's degree.

There are lots of wonderful memories all wrapped up into ten years!

Of course, there were the not-so-great moments, too ...  But, overall, I certainly can't complain about my twenties!

My thirties have some big shoes to fill!

pearl: five months

Another month gone and the "roar!" on her onesie is quite appropriate.

Although she is still the sweetest little thing, her spunky personality is coming out in full force.

She recently discovered her toes, and her fingers (almost) never leave her mouth ...

She loves to get on her belly and roll or wiggle her way across the room (I never see how she does it!) ...

She is forever entertained by her brother and always has to see what he is up to ...

Stats:

Height: 26 inches

Weight: 13 pounds

She is far from the "infant" stage and plowing right on into babyhood ...  Each month that we spend together is better than the next!

*See Pearl's fourth month, here.