But what about Annika's adventures??

This blog has been Declan-heavy lately, so let me catch you up on Annika's life.

She's a big sister and she takes the responsibility very seriously. She insists that he likes to be tickled on his feet (though I agree he is ticklish, not sure he likes it), wants to be patted on the back...vigorously (true, actually) and is awfully annoying when he cries and cannot be consoled (also true). She told us last night that "Baby bro keeps waking me up!" but I actually think she wasn't ready to go to bed.

Bed time is a little different for her. She had a monitor in her room until just last week, when we finally weaned her. Having two kids on a monitor wasn't something I was personally into, and she's old enough to get out of bed if the situation warrants. The issue is that she thinks all situations warrant it.

"Mommy, Declan is keeping me awake."

"Daddy, I want new stuffed animals."

"I have to go pee." (a legitimate reason to get up, but often times it's just a few trickles...another stall tactic).

"Mommy, I have just one thing to say to you....are there mummies?"

She has friends at school - two girls for the most part, but one that she is particularly enamoured with. She told me "I hug her soooo tight, and she asks me to stop, but I can't help it!!!" My baby has a friend crush! Literally. We had a talk about personal boundaries, but not sure it took.

Speaking of boundaries, according to her, Declan doesn't have any. Whether he's feeding, sleeping, crying, pooping, taking a bath...all of his activities are fair game for her to jump in and rub his head (vigorously) or hug him sooooo tight or tickles his feet, etc...you get the idea. She's madly in love with him and her preschooler ways don't really understand quite yet how to tone it down. But I am so grateful for how much she loves him. She is not jealous at all. She just wants him to be her toy.

We are trying to teach her to swim this year, but she really just wants to hang out in the pool. She's not a fan of ....learning. We'll keep trying, but thinking she might have to get group lessons so she'll succumb to peer pressure. Ahh, the American way.

She is very much into art. Loves to paint, play with Play-Doh and draw most anything. She's also into 3-D art where she'll glue an item to a paper and then draw around it. Her Nana says she has a great sense of color, and I have to agree. I need to get her a portfolio to keep these pictures...they're all over my house and I have no idea what to do with them.

Her 4th birthday is coming up quick and she talks about her birthday party a lot. She also knows what she wants to be for Halloween this year - a cat.