Small Smiles

Today we had the first dentist appointment for both kids. It went surprisingly well. I was prepared for terror and tears, but the dental hygenist did such a good job of explaining and being patient that it went great.
Gracie was such a big girl, opening wide and doing exactly what she was supposed to. She was proud to tell me that she had 20 teeth. They brushed her teeth with cookie dough flavored tooth paste and then painted on some flouride. For being so brave she got a new toothbrush, some sparkly toothpaste, a sand-timer (to make sure she brushes for a full 2 minutes -yeah right), a balloon animal and a silly band!!! It was like Christmas.
Lincoln, being only one year old, was not so brave. He was happy to sit on my lap and look at and feel all the dental tools, but not so into it when it came to opening his mouth. The only thing he was forced to do was let Dr. Lambert look at his 'snagle tooth.' The doc said it's probably not a big deal, we just have to wait until his permanent teeth come in (which should be normally shaped). As a side note: Linc still got all the same prizes as Grace.
All in all, I'd say it was a success. Yearly doctors check-ups coming up next . . .

A Grandma Break-Through

So, if you remember back - about 18 months ago - you will recall that Grandma was the one who initiated Grace's potty-training experience. We happened to be out, and while Grandma was babysitting Grace repeatedly peed on the potty.
WELL -- tonight we were with Grandma & Grandpa, waiting to have dinner at Red Lobster when, lo and behold, she got Lincoln to pee & poo on the potty. (The story is that Grace had to pee, so Grandma took both kids on an adventure to the bathrooms; where Grace went, then Grandma went and when Lincoln was asked, "Do you want to sit on the potty?" he said "Yes" and did.)
I don't know what magic she uses, but I think we'll stick with this system. Grandma gets the ball rolling and then I just buy some pull-ups and take it from there.
Not that I'm really sure Linc is ready to be potty trained, but it's a start anyway. Hooray!!

I'm A Big Boy Now

We "rennovated" the nursery today to be a better fit for our growing boy. Grace and Linc helped daddy take the crib apart and install the big boy bed. I was nervous about how it would go, but he went down without any problems and has been sleeping like a . . . . kid :)

Long time coming

I just realized it's been a little while since I put up some pictures. So, here are a few random shots from the past couple of weeks:

About 3 seconds after this elaborate tea party was set up and photographed, Linc ripped the head off the only male guest . . . poor Ken

Working on and playing in our cardboard house

Loving the snow!

Note the static hair caused by Daddy's tent :)

Karma

For quite some time now we've been struggling to get Lincoln to eat a better variety of fresh fruits and veggies. He frequently refuses to eat the following:
blueberries
strawberries
carrots
melon (of any kind)
cucumbers
tomatoes
salad
and on and on.
But tonight's epic battle will go down in history; all over CARROTS and DIP. Lincoln spent a very long time in his high chair while daddy tried to get him to eat two raw carrots. After about one hour of butting heads - and long after everyone else had finished their meal and left the table - we believed that Lincoln had swallowed the last of his veggies.
Hours go by, and now it's time to get ready for bed. As I'm putting on his pj's and tickling his bare belly, I see a splinter of orange peak out from his gappy grin. Upon further inspection, I discover that our little chipmunk has managed to pull one over on his old man. There, in the pocket of his cheek is 1/2 of a slobbery baby carrot!
I didn't know whether to be irate or impressed. He had hidden this deception through two hours of tent building, book reading, and valentine making - all the while sucking his numm. Amazing.
In conclusion: he continued to refuse to eat the %$*# thing and was put to bed without a bedtime book. When Nana and Papa hear this tale they will no doubt say that I have begun to enjoy my just desserts.