Quick Peek

This is just a quick peek at what we've been doing lately! Having lots of fun with Grand-Dad and Gran-Nan!!

Hope your holidays are going well!

Canaan Funnies

So, are these just funny because I am his mom? I hope not. So, I am sharing them! Hope you enjoy seeing a tiny bit of our ever-interesting lives!

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Canaan: What is that?

Shelby: An algebra book. Scary, isn't it?

Canaan: Yep.

Then he came to stand next to me: Mom, I'm scared!! (and he was serious!)

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Canaan: Max, do you want to play with Ramone? (a car)

Pause

Canaan: No? If you don't say you want it, then you don't get it!

I had to step in. He is such a stinker; he knows his brother can't talk!

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Mom: Don't drink the bath water!

Canaan: I'm just licking it and then spitting it back out.

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After all our company left after Thanksgiving:

Canaan: Max is sad they left.

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When jumping off two stairs in our new apartment: Mom, watch me fly! Wait. I haven't flewed. I flew!

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Canaan: Sometimes I see my fingernails...and I want to eat them!

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Canaan: Mom, is the house going to stay up all by itself? Because I want it to.

Me: What do you mean?

Canaan: I don't know.

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Dad: What are your eyes for?

Canaan: To see.

Dad: What do you do with your nose?

Canaan: You get buggers out!

Dad: No, for smelling!

Dad: What is your bottom for?

Canaan: For pooping!

Dad: No, for sitting on!

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Canaan: Why is the snow brown?

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At nap time, I was in the room next door to the boys. They weren't sleeping, they were gabbing. First, it started with Max, making coo-ing sounds. Then I could faintly hear Canaan talking. This went on for a while until I went in there and laid Max back down (who now stands in his bed), and told Canaan he needed to be quite.

Canaan: I was just tellin' him about how we lived in Moscow.

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I was carrying both Max and Canaan. We have this tradition that when either Dad or I carry them both, we find a mirror and look in it, and say: "Who is that? It is my two favorite boys in the whole wide world." The funny, is that last time I was carrying them, Canaan told me: Mommy, you're heavy for Max and I!

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Growing Up

Canaan is growing up so much. I don't remember when I felt like he moved from the baby to toddler stage, but I feel like he is growing out of the toddler stage and into the little boys stage already! That isn't supposed to happen right after they turn 3 years old! But, he just seems so much older these days!

Canaan is getting taller, his hair is getting thicker, little by little, and he is becoming more responsible and mature. Plus, he is just smart, but I feel he has always been smart for his age! :)

Canaan comes in and wakes us up each morning, telling us it is time to get up! If it is earlier than normal, we have him crawl in bed with us, or, like this morning, he can sit on our window sill and look out the window at the cars driving by. Canaan helps me unload our dishwasher each day. Now that we have one, it is his job to put away all the forks, spoons, and utensils. He still throws away Max's diapers for me, even stopping from playing to do it. We have a calendar and a chart that shows his 'jobs'. Plus he gets some stickers for being an extra big helper when I need it. He is learning to make his bed, can almost completely dress himself (this is one area I have felt he has been a bit behind in- but I don't push it), and when we come in from outside, he can take off his shoes, coat and hat. He hangs up his coat, all by himself, and puts his hat up. He is very observant and listens to everything Daddy and I talk about, even when we don't realize it. He is quick to see Max pick up something he shouldn't have and take small things from him that he tries to eat. Canaan is learning how to make his bed, and we have recently started 'reading time' where we read a book together, and then he sits quietly with me for 15-20 minutes reading, while I have time to read too. This has been great and he is so good about it!

In addition, Canaan helps me set the table, can take his dishes to the sink, cleans up ALL of his and Max's toys at night (or during the day before company), and uses the restroom and washes his hands all by himself (except for wiping). He just carries his little stool around and turns on lights and uses to reach the sink himself! He is SUCH a big boy! Plus, I can talk to him more now and reason things out with him. He even answers more and more with yes ma'm or yes sir, please and thank you- on his own. Or he will ask, "May I please ______."Lately we have been trying to work on patience, even though this is so hard. We just feel that it is best learned young. Makes life as an adult much calmer and peaceful!

Another thing, Canaan is a participant with us in church and small group. He also loves Bible class and looks forward to it all. He sits still with us, or in his own chair (as pictured below) and will hold his own song book when we sing, or Bible when we are reading. He sings songs with us and has a few favorites that are memorized. While we were in the States for 2 weeks when my grandmother passed away, he learned the choruses for Leaning on the Everlasting Arm and one other song, which name has slipped my mind! He still requests the King of Kings song (We Will Glorify) when given a chance, and even knows parts of several songs in Russian, now that we are doing church in Russian! It is just amazing to see him sing and try to participate with us during church, as well as him pray with us at home. His prayers are even more relevant, as he has started including things that we have done recently in his prayers. For example, "Thank you for Eileen coming here"- which is what he prayed last night at dinner after Eileen arrived in from Rostov, Russia (who is staying with us a few days).

Canaan still likes to line up his alphabet cards on his own (though some letters are set backward), and still writes his name- he has progressed to getting all the letters in one line recently! And, as you can see in the pictures, he still loves to line up his cars!

As a little boy, Canaan loves to run! He runs through our house and runs (or crawls with Max) in circles around the table. He loves running and climbing outside. He likes to draw at short intervals, and loves to work puzzles (around 12-25 pieces he can do on his own). He loves to still read. With us and on his own look at the pictures. He has several books memorized, which he loves to read to Malachi or Silas when they come over (picture below). Skipping is fun for him too. Sometimes we skip together down the sidewalk, much to people's amusement, since we live more in a buisness district, than a residential one!

Canaan still takes about a 90 min nap each day, and sleeps about 11 hours at night.

We are just so proud of him and what a sweet little man he is becoming! Of course, he is still a little boy and far from perfect, but we love him so much and are so proud! He still has a stubborn streak, but every month is learning to curb it better. He likes to chew his fingernails, which we are working on, as well as a bit of a whining problem, especially when tired. But overall, he is just growing up perfect, in our minds! :)

Crawling and more

Max is crawling everywhere these days. He is quite good at it, too! And he absolutely loves being on the floor and going where he wants! Some things, you can just tell, even from a baby.

Max is now a bit over 10 months. He is even starting to pull up on things. He has tried pulling up on things for over a week now, but he made it into a standing position all by himself for the first time just 2 days ago! Wow. He will be taking off walking before I know it.

Max continues to grow and smile and be just a wonderful baby. He's had some fussy periods (fussy for him, but normal for most babies), but mainly it is due to sickness. He has had a bit of a cough and sniffles recently, but is finally getting better. But most of the time, he just hangs out content and happy. Well, I guess he doesn't like it when we tell him 'no.' But who does? He is not as stubborn as Canaan was (and is), but stops doing what he ask. However, he looks at us with this incredible poochy-lip frown and fusses at us to let us know he didn't like us ruining his fun. He also does this when I have to dig small, unknown objects from his mouth. Oh, the way our lives change when the babies begin to get around!

Max still has just 2 teeth. Funny, but no others have decided to pop up yet. In time.... He loves to kiss our chins, though he likes to test those teeth out sometimes too. I have been having to smack his mouth recently because he keeps biting everything and everyone. Maybe new teeth are trying to come through!

Max says 4 words, no new ones recently. Ma-ma, Da-da, ba-ba (bye-bye- but rarely says this), and Na-na (night-night- he tells us this one a lot when he is tired).

Max has found a new love: balls. Canaan was never very 'into' balls, but Max loves chasing them around the livingroom and bathtub. He will even slip in the tub, trying to chase a ball, and dunk his head under the water, but not cry. He seems to like music; if he is a bit fussy, this calms him. He likes stuffed animals too. Canaan wasn't a big fan of these either, but Max loves to cuddle and hug stuffed animals! Like Canaan, Max loves pulling our animal magnets off the fridge. I keep them low enough for him, and he likes to play with them. They are wonderful for when I am in the kitchen cooking and he joins me. They keep him occupied for a while. Of course, then he just moves on to measuring cups, or something else fun and noisy! Also, a favorite of Canaan, he still loves playing with cars. I think this is more because of Canaan! Too cute.

Max is actually nursing less during the day now. He really eats every meal with us and loves to eat! Sometimes he can tell we are feeding him something different and objects. We finally have a high chair for him, thanks to our team! We were waiting til we got moved to get one, and he is really happy. Funny how babies that young can have such preferences, but he does. I can tell a difference in how he likes to sit up, at our level, at the table, versus lower, in a walker, which is what we used before we had the high chair. But, he really has cut back on day-time nursing, though in the evenings and early mornings he has some 'good' feeding times (meaning he eats all of 10-12 minutes instead of 5)!

Well, that is all I can think of for now. Here are some pics of my precious boy!

Becoming Brothers

Well, though they've been brothers for 10 months now, Canaan and Max are starting to interact more with each other now. This is mainly due to Max getting old enough to do things on his own with Canaan. So, I have snapped a few pictures recently of them doing thing together. Max adores his big brother, and Canaan has started enjoying some actually playing 'with' Max. They crawl, chasing each other around the kitchen table. They play with cars together, with Canaan continuing to do better about sharing and giving Max toys to play with. Canaan reads, and sometimes Max sits near and listens. The love splashing in the bath together. Max sleeps better with Canaan is napping in the same room with him, except for those rare times with Canaan doesn't feel like sleeping and wakes him up talking out-loud! And Max loves to crawl on top of Canaan, which he is still getting used to! But, it all warms my heart! I love watching them become brothers at heart more each day!