Maria:
Our little baby girl is about to be a year old!!! That’s right - a year!!! She finally started crawling about 2 months ago, and that quickly turned into pulling up on things and cruising around. She is now taking steps, that’s right folks, WALKING, and she is just about letting go and moving quickly from place it place. Can you believe it? She has 4 teeth and 2 coming in on top. You would never know she is cutting two teeth though, she is so happy and pleasant.

Maria loves to play now. She doesn’t want to sit and be held much at all. If you want to cuddle with her you have to do so while she is having her bottle or asleep. She is holding her bottle all by herself now which took her a good while - even with fancy bottles with handles, grooves, holders, all the like. She didn’t care - but as of last week she is holding her bottle just fine on her own.

Elisa:
Our first grader is doing her very best in school. She is great at spelling, math and science and is really working hard in reading. She is able to read beginner books and sound things out. She understands how money works and what each coin is worth with no problem. Elisa struggles with staying on task both at school and at home. It can sometimes get very frustrating to have to constantly tell her or remind her what she is supposed to be doing, but we have met with her teacher and all have a plan we are working on which includes rewards and incentives. She is keeping a diary now, enjoys writing notes and got this awesome dollhouse from Nana J that she is absolutely in love with. Sometimes I can’t get her away from it for anything!!!

Sarah:
Little Blondie has finally started talking fluently now. She can also repeat things you say to her, and answer questions as well. It took Sarah a while but she is really trying to talk now. In addition, Sarah LOVES the alphabet and LOVES EVEN MORE to have stories read to her. She has a Dr. Suess alphabet book complete with silly rhymes for each letter and we probably read it three times a day. The good thing about that crazy book is that most of the little poems about the letters end with saying the sounds and she is picking them up as we read it. Sarah also has an alphabet puzzle that she is AWESOME at putting together. She also loves to have you write letters on the Magna Doodle and tell her what they are so she can repeat them. Her little head of hair is turning golden/strawberry/dark blonde which amazes me each time I see it. Who knew that I would have a blond headed child? Heehee!

Special Note: SARAH GOES PEEPEE ON THE POTTY NOW!!! She has been doing so for a few weeks, mostly right before bathtime, but occasionally during the day at Miss Sue’s house as well! Hopefully we are on our way to potty training because diapers are just too expensive!

Stephen:
Our baby boy is really finding his place in this world. He enjoys telling everyone what to do, copying and repeating everything I say including when I give orders to another child, and telling his sisters when to stop doing something or to give him something or to get down from something. He rules with an iron fist! He still has a winning smile and can totally get out of trouble with that grin on occasion. Stephen is really into basketball which we have in the living room now and he also loves the LeapPad Nana gave him which allows him to play music on it as well as listen to stories and the letters of the alphabet. He likes to sing and LOVES the Wiggles. He can say the alphabet - sure you can’t understand all of the letters but he has the tune down and does know quite a bit of letters…and he can also sing plenty of songs. My personal favorite was at lunch today when the kids were eating chicken noodle soup and Elisa wanted to know how it was made. I went ahead and told her and Stephen busted out into “Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup with a soda on the side” IT WAS HILARIOUS! We hadn’t even been singing it! He loves to bob his head to mommy’s rap music which daddy hates. He’s our little music man! Oh, and he could care less about the potty. Hopefully he will get the hint once Sarah starts going regularly.

That’s it - there is a Coyle update for March. Look for another update after our Maria’s first birthday extravaganza!!!!!