at the doctor

Simon went in for his 18 month appointment today. He weighed in at 25 pounds (25-50%) and measured 34 inches (75-90%). No surprises. Typical for my children... tall and skinny. The doctor commented on his easy going personality. She said that it seems like I am doing a fine job, always nice to hear a compliment on my mothering skills.

Simon "officially" started nursery on Sunday. I say officially because he has been going full-time for about the past month (and on and off since we got home from Utah). Michael serves in nursery and with my calling keeping me busy each Sunday he has taken Simon in with him to help me out. Sunday was the first time I didn't feel guilty having him in there since he was officially eighteen months old. I asked Michael to snap some pictures of him on his first day of nursery. He said it was hard to get Simon to stand still because he was so excited to in and play. I guess we won't have a hard transition this time around.

I think I mentioned this in his 18 month post, but Simon loves to hide. Here is picture proof that he will find anywhere to hide.

eighteen months

Simon is eighteen months old today. We are so extremely blessed to have this little boy in our family. Everyday I find myself thanking my Heavenly Father for the wonderful, beautiful children he sent to us. Simon is a fun, playful little boy. He loves all things boy; cars, balls, airplanes, trains, etc. Simon is a talker. He is really great at communicating. I rarely find myself at a loss for what he is saying. If I don't understand, I tell him to show me and he will take me where he needs something.

Although Simon is the sweetest boy, he is starting to perfect the tantrum throwing. He is such a momma's boy and prefers me to everyone else. Sometimes his cuteness is hard to say no to.

Simon tantrum from Vanessa Bishop on Vimeo.

Some other fun things about Simon:

*He loves to hide. Especially if you are telling him to come get dressed or change his diaper. He will run and hide anywhere he can find.

*He loves Dora (which is so funny because Miriam loved Diego at his age).

*The first thing he says/signs in the morning is "hungry".

*Simon loves to help with the laundry. He pushes the baskets and put the clothes in the washer.

*He is actually really sensitive. He doesn't like to get in trouble or have his feelings hurt.

*The first thing he asks for in the car is "dance". Simon loves music. He is particularly a fan of "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen and "Drive By" by Train.

Tall and Skinny...

...just like his Dad. We went to the doctor today for Simon's 15 month check-up. He has lost a lot of weight from all the running around he does now. He is about 24 pounds (it was hard to get an accurate reading because he wouldn't hold still) and 32 inches tall. That is the 25th-50th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. No surprise on my end.

Simon is the king of getting himself stuck in weird places. The picture below only represents one of the times he got stuck under the table at my parents house. I have no idea how he got in there and why he didn't learn the first time. Because of all his maneuvers one of his new words is "stuck", go figure. He thoroughly enjoys his new found freedom of walking/running/climbing everywhere.

Simon's vocabulary is growing everyday. It is really funny to see him try to copy words we say. Miriam was never really a mimic-er, so this is new to me. He loves animals and animal sounds. He brings me a book and asks for the animal he knows is on a page in that book. He favorite animals include camel, llama, and cow.

I am amazed at how quickly kids learn during this stage of life. One example that comes to mind; before we left for Utah Simon didn't really understand how to use the iPad. Now if you open his game for him he can push the animals he wants to see very precisely... and he isn't even 18 months old yet.

I sure enjoy being Simon's mom. He is an amazing little boy. The fun never ends.

fourteen months

This month I feel like it hit me. Simon isn't a baby anymore. At fourteen months Simon...

...tries to join Miriam in the bathroom.

...loves to smile for the camera.

...climbs to help Miriam brush her teeth.

(he fell two seconds after I took this picture)

...always wants up.

 my little Mama's boy

Simon's language is developing rapidly. Every day he is learning new words and signs. It is hard to keep up a list, but here is my attempt (I am sure there are some missing)...

New words: Up, Grandma, Shoe, On, Cheese, Jesus, Book, Hat

New signs: Hungry, Baby, Bye, Potty, Bath, Hat

Simon loves music and dancing. He goes crazy when Miriam gets out Hullabaloo. He loves singing and acting out the songs during story-time at the library. Whenever we have music on in the car he is bobbing his head up and down.

Simon has started to walk a little bit more (just the past couple of days). He can stand up and take a few steps. He tries to go so fast that he still falls a lot, but he is getting the hang of it.  Okay, so I wrote all of that a couple of days ago. This week our little Simon has started to walk. Here are a couple of videos.

(taken Monday June 4th)
Simon Learning to Walk from Vanessa Bishop on Vimeo.

(taken Friday June 8th)
 
Simon walking on the grass from Vanessa Bishop on Vimeo.

thirteen months

Simon at 13 months:

I know when Simon is tired and ready for his morning nap. He always finds me and then wants to be held until I put him to bed. When I ask him if he is ready to go nigh' night he gets really excited. Simon does not like to be tired. Stranger anxiety has hit big time for Simon. He is more of a mama's boy than ever.

Simon is picking up sign language. However, he is more verbal than Miriam was. He repeats what I say more than signing. These are the words he says and knows what they mean (repeats correctly each time): Mom, Dad, Miriam, Ball, Baby, Bye, Banana, More, Bird. These are the words he knows the sign for: More, Eat, Milk, Please, Thank You, All Done, Dog, Airplane, Bird, Nice. 

Simon signing from Vanessa Bishop on Vimeo.

Simon has starting letting go of the furniture to stand. He won't take steps, but thinks he is pretty special when he is standing alone. When he is standing I hold out my hands and tell him to walk, he just sits down and laughs. He is also getting pretty brave by trying to climb. I can't believe how tall he is and what he can reach.

Simon sits with his legs crossed all the time. He has done this ever since he starting sitting. I think it is funny how he looks so relaxed sitting crossed legged.

 

Talk about an obsession with belly buttons! Simon loves himself a belly button.

This is what you get if you tell Simon to smile:

Simon always has to have two things in his hands. The two favorite things include: two matchbox cars, Miriam's salt and pepper shakers, Dora's baby brother and sister, and the blue and green stacking rings. Simon likes to wear hats and he will keep them on if you tell him to. We even got a comment at church this week how they were amazed he kept it on... even if it doesn't last all day.

Simon is such handsome guy and his personality is so fun. I love having our little boy in our family.

Simon's Birthday

We had such a fun filled day celebrating Easter (more on that later) and Simon's birthday all in one day. Simon wasn't really interested in opening presents. He loved ripping the paper for a while, but his focus didn't last long. Miriam was more than willing to help him open presents.

 

I am not very good at letting my kids get messy, plus we made red velvet cake (not exactly kid friendly), so the cake eating was a delicate process. Simon didn't know the difference. He enjoyed every last bite of cake.

Today we headed to the doctor to see how much Simon has grown. Here are his ever important one year stats: Weight - 23 lbs & Height - 30 1/2 inches. Looks like he is turning into a tall skinny boy like his Dad. Simon is such a fun, sweet boy. I am amazed by how much he is becoming aware of his surroundings. He loves to point at everything he sees. He can spot airplanes and birds like no other. Simon is also becoming very vocal. His excitement leads to grunts and squeals. If he is in the right mood he will copy any word/sound you make. His favorites are ball, Mama, and bath... he also says these words the most. We love our little one year old boy.

Simon: Birth to One Year

A Year in the Life of Simon. Enjoy!

Music - Rob Taylor Reach Out

Matthew West Safe and Sound

eleven months

Simon is eleven months old today! I feel as though eleven months is anti-climatic when he is so close to his first birthday. Simon is sure a fun boy. I love watching the difference between Miriam and Simon. He is definitely all boy. He has been so excited to be able to be outside this week. It is like a whole new world has opened up to him.

Simon:

*puts the phone up to his ear and says hello
*gives the best hugs
*almost has one more tooth (for a total of 7)
*almost sleeps through the night (wakes up once)
*wants to open every drawer and cupboard in the house
*loves to crawl under tables and chairs
*points at everything
*likes to have 2 things in his hands at all times
*will taste/eat almost anything you give him
*babbles a lot, but I am not sure I can say what his first word is yet
*is getting so tall
*is wearing all 18 months clothes
*has a hard time sitting still
*intently explores the world around him
*loves to push Miriam's shopping cart

ten months

Simon is ten months old. Hooray! 

He is getting so big and I see him slowly turning from a baby to toddler 

(not yet though, he is still my baby).

 

We had a rough month with Simon. 

He got four more teeth this month, all on top. 

He was not a happy camper for a couple of weeks.

Luckily we all made it through. 

Simon loves to play and is crawling like a pro. 

He likes to follow Miriam and I around the house.

 

Simon's new favorite thing to do is to pull up and stand next to whatever he can.

 He thinks he is so big.

One of his favorites is the bathtub.

He still has a hard time getting down.

He cries when he needs rescued.

Simon has personality galore.

He is starting to mimic sounds and actions.

He loves me to sing "Popcorn Popping".

He tries to follow what I am doing.

Simon is starting to understand the difference in words.

He definitely knows what I am saying when I ask,

"Where's Miriam?".

 He looks all around for her.

We love this little boy!

What joy he brings to our family!

Miriam and Simon visit the doctor

Miriam is three years old so it was time for her annual well-child visit. Since I know how much everyone loves hearing how big my kids are, here you go (or it might be because I want to look back and remember for myself). Miriam is 39 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds. She is in the 75 percentile for both height and weight, so she is proportionate. I just had a thought, how long before it won't be kosher to tell you all how much my daughter weighs. It won't be long before she won't want this information shared. For now, she has no choice.

Simon is nine months old and to make things easier on myself I took him for his well-child visit at the same time as Miriam ("smart mom" move for me). Simon is 29 inches tall and weighs 22 pounds. He is also in the 75 percentile for both height and weight, proportionate as well.

I am so happy to have two healthy children. They are both growing and developing really well. Miriam and Simon are happy kids and really love each other... most of the time. I feel so blessed to have them in my life.

By the way this is post number 300. Go me.

nine months

We are only three months away from Simon's first birthday. Craziness! He is growing so fast. His personality is really starting to shine through. He gets a lot of attention from women wherever we go. His big blue eyes and chubby cheeks get them every time. What a charmer!

So much has changed this past month for Simon. He now had two teeth on bottom (see above picture) and one on top that is ready to break through very soon. He is learning how to feed himself. He is trying all kinds of new food. Our biggest development over here this past month...

...Simon can scoot.

He even ended up under the table today.

Taking pictures has become a game. As in let's see if I can get away from Mom. This is why I am thankful for digital. I take a million pictures and hope I get a good one. I was sure today was a bust, but after looking through all of them it is hard to pick just a couple to post.

For lack of a better term some "fun facts" about Simon:
*He loves the swiffer-vac. Every time I turn it on to sweep he gets super excited.
*Every time we bathe him he wants to climb out of the tub, so we just have to lay him on his back.
*He takes off his right shoe every time we get in the car.
*He is wearing 12-18 months clothes. I hope I have enough to last through the winter before he grows out of them.
*He is sleeping through the night, YAY! I count ten hours (about 8:00 to 6:00) then back to sleep until 7:30 as sleeping through the night.
*We are still working on teaching Simon new signs and hope he catches on as well as Miriam.

NOTE: nine month appointment next Monday... stats to come...

eight months

Our (not so little) boy is 8 months old today. He is getting so big, so fast. Every month that goes by I find it hard to believe he is getting closer and closer to turning one. Simon finally figured out how to sit up this past month and that makes it so he is more content to just sit and play for a while on his own. It is crazy how sitting up changes their world. He loves to play and explore his toys more. He can see what is going on around him.


It is getting harder to change his diaper and get him dressed. He is still easily distracted by a toy or a song. He definitely wants to be on the move, but I am more than happy that he is not crawling yet. He loves to play on our bed and wrestle with Miriam. He has started imitating sounds you make. He especially loves copying Miriam and always wants to play with whatever she has.


Simon is just such a happy content baby. His continuous smiles can be so infectious. He is definitely a momma's boy. He wants to be close to me for most of the day. He always finds a way to get my attention and knows how to get me to pick him up. He is just such a cutie pie!