Siblings

Jack and NonaJane are entering a new phase of 'sibling-hood'. NonaJane is no longer 'the baby'.  She doesn't have to drink milk all the time, she doesn't try to eat/choke on all of Jack's toys (Well kind of. She does like to chew and slobber on them, but she doesn't try to actually EAT them anymore.)  She can walk, run, talk, dance, climb, celebrate, and PLAY!  Jack and NonaJane are finally really playing together.  The other day they sat in Jack's room and played with his trains for over 30 minutes without any type of prodding from me.  NonaJane thinks Jack is hilarious, and she has the wildest sense of humor. I mean, she laughs when he knocks her over, when he screams in her ear, when he tries to run from her, or lock her in the pantry.... wait a minute. Those are all bad things.  Weird.  I know, but they actually do have a good time too.  He makes silly noises and faces, then she tries to imitate them.  He taught her how to blow bubbles in the bathtub, how to make all the little toys and gadgets open and close, how to make a really tall tower- then how to kick it into oblivion.  He seems to be getting the big brother thing down. We find ourselves yelling at him a lot to be 'GENTLE', or to 'QUIT trying to rip your sister's arm off'!  But despite these actions, NonaJane adores her brother Jack about as much as I do.  Which is why I try so desperately to explain to him that whatever he does, she wants to do.  If he hits, then she hits. If he screams, she screams.  I never had this pressure when I was little because I too was the baby sister. I have spent my life adoring my big brothers, so I know how much Jack really means to her.  It breaks my heart when I see him treat her badly, but I know she doesn't see it.  She can't see anything but the good in him.  Jack has already become her hero.  The other day I sent him to time-out after he hit her.  He was crying, so without hesitation, Nona went and joined him in timeout.  She had forgiven him before he ever even hit her.
Having a second child definitely came with extra stress and work, but the sense of pride and joy I see in my children has grown exponentially.

playing chase...in her bumblebee costume

lounging in their movie chairs

 This girl knows how to party. Giant hello kitty ice-cream wasn't enough, we had to get in the swing too :) Trust me, this did not end well. Luckily we were outside... no harm done.
An update on NonaJane: she is now 16 1/2 months old and according to the doctors office she is in the 96% for height (thinking they must have mis-measured... she doesn't look that tall to us).  She weighs in at 20 pounds (roughly 30%).  Her vocabulary is ever expanding, but her list so far includes: Mom, Dad, mess, Jack Jack, Nona, NO, uh oh, yes, this, hi, bye, done, cheese (for taking pictures), more, ball, duck, quack, door, dog, and go.  It seems like she is starting to mimic all kinds of words. Each day it is so much fun waiting to see what she will say next!