The Handley Family: October 2012

Weekly Update - saying "dada" & "nana"

Week of October 5, 2012

Addie's Weekly Photo

Cooper's Weekly Photo

All about Addie

Growing Girl - We've noticed a lot of Addie's clothes getting shorter on her. Luckily, mommy's cousin sent a lot of things with us when we visited with her in Illinois. Right now Addison is teetering between a 2T and 3T. Her shoes are between a 5 and 6. Our last doctors appointment indicated that she's still "average" as far as her size goes.

Sleeps anywhere - Traveling for nearly two weeks and being in a different bed each week would pose a problem for many toddlers... not this one. Addison can sleep just about anywhere and isn't picky about lighting either. Since day one, we made sure not to get her used to having a nightlight or specific blanket. The only think Addie MUST have when she sleeps is her pacifier. We WILL be breaking her of that soon, but haven't yet.

All about Cooper

Saying "dada"..."nana": Of course "mama" was the first word that we noticed out of Cooper, but he is now showing that he has other favorites. Over the last week, Cooper has been saying "dada" and "nana" repeatedly. It was very heartwarming for Shane and Nana to hear Coop finally say their names.

Acid Reflux: Around a month ago, we tried to wean Coop off his Prevacid. His doctor advised that we should wait at least another month before trying again since it was not a success. Despite being on the meds, we still can't sit him upright in certain positions (otherwise he spits up).

More photos from the week:

So stinkin cute!

She loves this hat

Playing in the front yard

Playing with our GIANT dog

Coop.... bird watching by the window

He loves looking outside

Weekly Update - Illinois trip continued....

Week of September 28, 2012

Addie's Weekly Photo:

Cooper's Weekly Photo:

After our trip to visit with Robin last week, we decided to make the extra trip to visit with mom's friend from school (Kelli) and while we were at it, we would visit with Nana while she was looking after Uncle Joe's and Aunt Diana's house/pets. The kids were probably exhausted from being away from home but didn't show any disappointment in continuing our trip further north.

All about Addie:

Potty Training: Addie has done so well with her potty training, despite being away from home. We decided to get a diaper back on her though because we were spending more time than usual in the car and I didn't want her feeling like she needed to "hold it" for several hours on end. Even though she had her diaper on, she still notified me on several occasions that she needed to "go". It was reassuring that she was still conscientious about using the toilet, instead of her diaper.

Dress Up: I bought a few toys while we were on our road trip, to keep the girls entertained since we didn't bring many of our own toys. So many places have their Halloween costumes out already and I spotted some really cute gowns that would be fun for "dress up" for the girls. Addie and AV had so much fun trying on the gowns and parading around, showing them off (see pics below).

All about Cooper:

Sleeping positions: We are finding Cooper moving onto his side more often lately. We will place him on his belly initially, but within minutes, he is on his side! I'm guessing he likes sleeping on his side/back more than his belly now.

Face grabber: If you get your face anywhere near Cooper, he will latch on! It's so funny because he will hold onto your face by placing both hands on either side and pull you in. We got him on camera several times this week doing it and it cracked us up every time!

More photos from the week:

We stopped at a pumpkin festival while

we were in Illinois

The girls were able to play on a

bounce house with slides and climbing

Nana hung out with Cooper and

enjoyed all of the sights

Cooper seemed to thoroughly

enjoy himself!! :)

The girls... best pals!!

Coop loves his Nana!!

Enjoying one of MANY drumsticks while

we were away from home....

Too funny!

Addie and AV playing dress up.

Addie adored herself in the mirror!

Future bride and bridesmaid? ;)

The girls hanging out by the waterfall and water tower

in Rosemont (near mom's old place)

Nana reading a story to the girls

Coop playing with mommy's phone

Cousin Ashley came for a visit while we were

staying with mom in Chicago

The girls trying to steal pumpkins!! HAAAA

Weekly Update - Illinois Roadtrip

Week of September 21, 2012

Addie's Weekly Photo

Cooper's Weekly Photo

This week, we made a road trip to visit "Aunt" Robin in Illinois. We brought cousin AV along with us which was a real treat for the girls! Before we got to Morton, we stopped through Normal, IL to visit with Grandma Raube. It had been several months since we had seen grandma. Unlike the last time we visited, the kids were in good spirits. We ordered some Avantis and hung out for a while before we made our way to Robin's. The visit was a really good time. The girls always have such a good time together and I'm starting to think that Cooper and Keaton are going to be buddies for life. Every time those two are around each other, they interact so nicely!

All about Addie:

Meltdowns: Addison has begun what I would consider a small dose of terrible two's. She will stomp her feet when sometimes when she doesn't get her way or when things just aren't going her way. We've done our best to correct the behavior and the fits have faded a bit. She will still have them occasionally, but usually it's just when she's very sleepy.

All about Cooper:

Bottle Fidgeting: Coop loves to fidget with his bottle while he's eating. Although it's adorable and pretty funny to watch, it can be a bit frustrating because he will lose control of the bottle and we will need to be on standby at all times to retrieve it!! LOL
More photos from the week:

More pictures from the week:

Addie loving her little brother!