130+26 Weeks (2.5 Years + 6 Months)

It has been a rather eventful week, with visits here from uncles and cousins, a trip to the ER for Carmen, and her first carnival.  Carmen's uncle Beau (my cousin) came down for a visit with his wife Jenny, and then my cousin Emma came down with her brood as well.  Carmen loved having the kids around to play with, and made me hopeful that she will enjoy school when she starts back again next week (the bullies will no longer be there, so I figure I might try her out there again). 

 As I said, she also had a trip to the ER - it was the evening and just before bed, Jeffrey was at work and I was in the kitchen.  Carmie was in the loungeroom watching her Dora, and she came out running, yelling to me to hurry hurry, and that her nose hurt.  She then told me that she put a piece of dried apricot up there!  I tipped her head back, but couldn't see anything, but she kept crying, begging me to make her feel better.  It must have been pushed up really far!  I called Mum and Geoff to come down, as Arley was sleeping for the night already, and Mum and I took Carmen to the hospital.  While we were in the waiting room, her nose started running.  Then I saw something in her nose, and Mum pulled at it, and what do you know, out popped a piece of dried apricot!  I can't even imagine the relief she felt when the pressure of that in her little nose was gone!  She did say she will never do it again.  Silly twit!

Carmie also went to her first little carnival.  She LOVED it, had an absolute blast.  Her favourite was the little merry-go-round.  She must have gone on it 5 or 6 times.  And somehow she didn't see the giant lollipops and fairy floss (cotton candy), so I was relieved.  She played the clowns, and went on the jumping castle, and was the happiest little girl around.

She is also going through a stage where she wants me to copy her every move.  Her favourite thing is to say, "Do this Mummy" and then I have to copy her exactly.  She is also going through a very annoying stage where she calls me into her bedroom every night after I put her to bed, over and over again.  It's driving me nuts.  I ignored her for 40 minutes tonight, until she got very upset.  Does anyone have any tactics I can use?

Little Arley is doing great.  He has learnt to sleep on his tummy, so we had no cries out last night to flip him over.  He is almost sitting up, and he has found his voice, spending most of his awake time saying, "Gaaaaaaaa gaaaaaaaa gaaaaaa."  It is his only word, besides blowing raspberries.  He is very happy, and eating well.  I have an appointment for him with a pediatrician this week, as he has a raspy throat (he has always had it), so we'll see how that goes.  He just turned 6 months yesterday (Carmen is 2.5 years!), so I feel like we are over the big hurdles.   The first 6 months wasn't as tough as I thought it would be.

All is well here in the Willbanks house.  I hope everyone has had a lovely start to 2014!

At the carnival:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp6dyb2FGmI&feature=youtu.be

Little monster:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKgn10ed23o&feature=youtu.be

 "Do this Mummy."

 The infamous dried apricot

 At the carnival

Little Carmonster

 At Narrawallee Inlet

 Cousins