Merry Christmas in the Feisty house

Christmas was such a wonderful experience this year.  Santa visited the very good S boys, bring A exactly what he asked him for, "A fixed Buzz Lightyear."  He brought E this fun caterpillar--your press down on him and he scoots across the floor.

We went to Church on Christmas morning, and A kept asking when we would have cupcakes and sing happy birthday to Jesus.  We didn't last through the WHOLE Mass, since A got fidgety and E wasn't super happy either, but we did stay through Communion.

The whole family came over for Christmas--Grammi and Grampy, Bepah, Mom Mom, and Aunt Karen were here.  A had a lot of fun handing out everyone's presents, but especially liked opening presents.  His excitement about the day was so exciting to watch and be a part of.

We had a very wonderful holiday around here!

Height

There are a lot of factors by which I measure A's height.  The amount of belly showing tells me he's grown out of his shirts, for example.  Today, he showed us that he can turn a standard light switch on and off.  Without a stool, or the little lightswitch doohickey I bought. 

Long time, no post!

Nearly a month with no posts around here.  Anyway, things are going very well around here as we speed our way into the holidays.

E turns 8 months old today!!  His sleeping habits continue to vary pretty much by day, but today was the first time I was able to transfer him from the car (during his daily daycare run nap) to the crib.  I was shocked, and was on edge the entire time, just waiting for him to wake up, but he slept almost 2 full hours.  This kid LOVES to eat, and there still hasn't been a food he hasn't liked.  He loves to stick out his tongue, and I think this is a signal that he's happy.

He adores his Mommy and brother best, but Daddy gets giggles ALL the time now.  E also adores the cats; taking him to see them will end pretty much any random crying spell.  He's getting very interested in reaching for things--placemats and shoes are his favorites.  E is also getting more and more adept at going from sitting to belly.  Still just the two teeth. 

We now bathe the two boys together in the same bathtub, and it's really funny how different they are in the tub.  A HATES to have water on his head and still SCREAMS when it's time to wash his head.  E, however, is unfazed, even when it goes in his eyes or whatever.  We can squirt him with the toys and he has no problem.  His favorite bath toy is this duck, named Bob:

He loves to hold it and chew on the parts that stick out.

As for Mr. A, he continues to relish the Big Brother role:

We do have some tough times around here with tantrums, and some days take way longer to get out of the house than others, but for the most part, he is a very good listener, is helpful with his brother and around the house, and is a whole bundle of fun. 

We've noticed he is getting so much better with coloring--he holds the crayon nearly perfectly, and is much more controlled than he used to be.  He even is able to color inside the lines.

He is taking karate at school, which seems to have resulted in a love for sliding across floors on his knees.  This is a little bit of a problem at his SOCCER class, when this is his preferred method of going after the ball.  He doesn't really TELL us what happened at karate, but he says he has fun there.

Now that fencing season is here again, we are alone more often than not.  A, of course, really misses Daddy, but we spend E's naptime baking cookies!

He's really into Santa, which means he's always looking for him this holiday season.  He keeps wanting to know if Santa is coming tonight.  He wasn't really into talking to Santa at the mall, and neither boy really got a big smile, but we got a picture with no one screaming so I was happy enough.  This is from Santa's visit to A's school.

This kid is pretty musical.  Play a song once or twice, and he'll be singing along with the chorus.  In fact, he can now sing the University of Delaware fight song.  (I've sung it more times in the two months since homecoming than in the previous 10 years...maybe in the previous 30 years even).

My hubby is awesome

I've always thought that my husband is awesome, but it really hit me the other day, when he forgot to do something.

That's right, he forgot to do something.  I forget what we were talking about, but he told me he changed a diaper and that he forgot to empty the poop.  Let me back up and give you some back story.

First, when using cloth diapers, you shake the poop into the toilet (as an aside, the cloth diaper mommas say you're supposed to do this with disposables too, which makes sense when you consider it rains on trash dumps, and the rain spreads diseases, etc, but they also say even the disposable packages say to do it, but I've yet to find a package that does) once the baby has started solids.

Second, M was not on board with cloth diapering at the beginning.  He reluctantly said to give it a try, but that he wasn't shaking poop. 

Well, now he shakes poop. 

As another aside, this was my fear as we started our cloth diapering experience, and though we haven't started meats yet, it isn't so very bad.  It's way less gross than when A had accidents during potty training.

Three

We've heard from so many people that the Terrible Twos is really untrue; it's three that's the worrisome age.

Whoo boy were they right.

A is so sweet, so loving, such an incredible good brother, so helpful.
And then he's not.  He somehow has stopped listening (sometimes), and his often uttered, "Don't talk to me," "You're not my friend," and "I wasn't talking to you" make me want to throw a tantrum of my own.  Also infuriating?  "I don't WANT to," "I can't do it (as in I can't walk, I can't put on my socks, etc.)

Today, we went to swimming class, and M made a comment that he was surprised I started getting ready so early, then said he understood why. 

But nonetheless, this kid is so loveable.  He's taken my "I eat your face" to new levels, and he bites us with no teeth.  Adorable.  We love singing silly songs, and I try to use his silliness to an advantage as we are trying to get out of the house in the morning.  Sometimes it works; sometimes it just slows us down further.  I so so so love hugs and kisses and cuddles every night at bedtime.  Yesterday, we all slept in a bit (!!) and A came into our room, wanting to cuddle.  Aww!

This all frightens me as we head into all Mommy, all the time season.....

Toofer #2

E's second tooth has sprouted!  Can't feel it, but it can definitely be seen!
He's chomping on everything--my attempts to give him water in a sippy have been met with him chewing on the spout.

We have a tooth!

So much has been happening around here, I just haven't posted about it all!
E started babbling sometime last week, and I just love it.  He favors the "duh duh duh" sound, which, of course, thrills Daddy endlessly.
Today we discovered his first tooth!!  Waaay earlier than his brother's first tooth.
He's been fighting off a cold (and losing) for almost 2 weeks now, and it really interrupted his sleep.  We were at the point that he only woke once in the night but this cold/teething threw that all off.  But his current sleep schedule is pretty manageable too, and this is with the recent turning back of the clocks.
Asleep by 7ish
Wake up for a feeding around 2
Wake up for a feeding/diaper change around 5
Up for the day around 7
Nap from 9-10:30
Nap from 1-3

And while things are not nearly as exciting in the world of A, this kid is growing.  It's very noticeable that all of the sudden, he's much taller.  His speech has gotten so much more clear, and he just comes out with the funniest things (like his dead ringer of M saying, "You can see just fine" because A always says he can't see if the light isn't on, regardless of how much light is coming in from elsewhere).  The other day, he said he wanted his hair like a boy at school (who has a mohawk) so, despite months and months and months of him CRYING and SCREAMING when he even THOUGHT we were spiking his hair, he asked for spikey hair last night.  So, spikey hair he got.

He also went to school this way today (with gel in his hair, no less... my kid wears products at THREE!), though we had some troubles in communication when he said he wanted his hair like the boy at school, but I couldn't figure out what he meant (I believe he wanted the red hair dye the boy had used for Halloween)--we got it acceptable to A anyway.

This weekend, we went to Delaware for homecoming.  A came home going on and on about the marchers, though he didn't actually get to see the band perform.  The game was at 3 this year, which meant the boys didn't take afternoon naps.  A had a meltdown right around halftime, so the boys also didn't see Mommy play in the band or see postgame either.  Next year will be better for everyone, I'm sure. 

This year, A has really taken to the mascots.  He was ALL about YouDee and Baby Blue this year, and even wanted to go say hi to the Chick Fil A cow that was walking around.  In fact, he was sleeping on M when YouDee came RIGHT NEXT TO US and M said to me, "he's going to be so upset that he's asleep and YouDee came right next to us!"  A woke right up, and this was the best picture I could get:

So, A came home from Delaware with a YouDee doll and a hat (that matches his YouDee tshirt).  He kept asking me to sing the Delaware songs.  M is convinced A is going to Delaware.

Halloween

Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.  ~Marc Brown

E at 6 months

E had his 6 month appointment today.  The doctor said he is perfect, and seemed surprised that he is already showing some stranger anxiety (I thought to myself, "I'm kinda sure he's crying because you're poking and prodding him, not because you're a stranger).

He is still charting small, 14.08lbs (about 10th percentile) and 25.2" (5th percentile).

He loves his feeties!
He's become a sitting up champ.
When he wants my attention, he coughs.
Loves to stare at his brother
Loves to pet Mitten, and will stare at her whenever she's in the room
Generally sleeps for an 8 hour stretch at night.

When it comes to food, this kid loves him some solids.  He took a few days to come around to green beans, but otherwise, we have yet to encounter a solid food he doesn't like.  He's had:  rice cereal, oatmeal, green beans, winter squash, banana, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and loves them all!


We're still struggling to figure out a nap system...  he falls asleep on the ride to and from daycare, which throws off his morning nap and I'm lucky if he stays down for half an hour.  The afternoon nap sometimes works and sometimes doesn't, but then he's wanting a nap around dinnertime.

Off to see the Wizard

Tonight, A started watching The Wizard of Oz for the first time.  So far, he's enjoying it.  He wanted to know if he could eat the Munchkins.

The other day, I was wearing my UD sweatshirt, and he said, "Grammi has that shirt!"

Hahahahahahahaha....

"A, it's time for lunch!"
" Sucking my thumb is my lunch!"

:PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Yesterday, E began to blow raspberries.  I forgot that today was the 29th, so change the "today is September 28th" to the 29th.

Enjoy!

Five Month Weight Check

At his four month appointment, the doctor was concerned when E dropped from the 25th percentile to the 5th percentile in both height and weight.  He told me to start him on solids and come back at five months for a weight check.

I started him slowly on solids, because I've read many things about holding off until the baby is 6 months, but didn't feel like dealing with any crap if he didn't put on weight.

Today was his follow up weight/height check and he remains in the 5th percentile for both height and weight.  The doctor told me that it's really nothing to be concerned about, because he didn't drop any further.  He said something about for the first four or so months, the baby's size is based on the size of the placenta, and so there could be a change after that point when the baby's natural size takes over.  "So, he's just meant to be in the 5th percentile?  He's just a small baby?"  I asked.  He said, "Yup.  He's just a small baby."

OK, then.  I'm not sure why the other doctor made such a big deal about it, and if I was a first time mom, I'd probably have been freaking out, but I digress.

Days like this.

I don't like days like this, days when E wakes before A.  Yesterday was great--A woke first, started squeaking his bed rail, which woke me.  He came into my room, got a little cuddle time, and we went downstairs to start breakfast when E started to wake.  He woke up giggling.  As a result, we had a fairly smooth day, though A got dropped off to daycare later.

Today, however, went something like this:
E wakes for a feeding at 5, we both go back to sleep.  He wakes again at 5:45, goes back to sleep, I get in the shower.  He wakes up while I'm in the shower but starts cooing.  Ok, he's up but he's happy.  I finish my shower, get dressed, etc, then go get him up.  He wakes up A at 6:30.  So, E and I are both ready for the day pretty much by the time A wakes up.  By the time A is finished his breakfast and starting to get dressed (when I HAVE to put E down somewhere), E has realized that he's still sleepy and starts to scream....  for about 20 minutes until we get in the car and get on our way.

Luckily, however, E is napping today.  This means Mommy not only got started at a more reasonable time, but also that Mommy gets some things done.  HOORAY!

So there are definite plusses to a day like this, especially if E is willing to take that precious nap!

E at 5 months

At five months, it appears that E is falling into a routine. His bedtime routine starts around 6 (depending on the dinner situation--I've had a few cold meals this week) and he's asleep by 7. He typically sleeps until about 2, and for the past few days has been sleeping until around 6:30.

Naps, however, are the opposite of routine. He is a classic cat napper, and wakes as soon as the car stops or he is placed in his crib. Even an attempt at nap today in his swing lasted a whole 20 minutes.

We've mostly stuck with cereals for solids, which he likes, but the few other foods we've given him haven't gone over too well. He does stick out his tongue at these.

He loves to sit in his bouncey seat and play with the dangling toys. He leans forward to grab onto them.

If he's on his back playing, he puts his legs up in the air.

He loves to be thrown in the air.

He loves to giggle and cuddle.


He throws up a LOT.

He loves the outside; it will calm him down from a panic pretty much instantly.

Mommy still gets the biggest smiles, though Big Brother FASCINATES him.

He is showing signs of teething--gnawing on everything, most especially cloths, drooling--but if his brother is any indication, we won't be seeing any actual teeth until around February!

So what would it be?

A friend posted this video, called Reflections on Motherhood, on facebook the other day. The question posed to a bunch of moms was, what would you tell yourself if you could go back to right before you had your first baby? After I dried my eyes, I thought about what I'd tell myself...

• There will be days that you will cry more than he will.
• This little charmer will not let you be the strict rule setter you thought you'd be.
• Don't forget that a momma who is happy/fed/showered/doesn't have to pee takes much better care of a baby than one who isn't. Take care of yourself!
• You will learn to interpret his cries. And then you won't be able to figure out what they mean again.
• Find Mommy friends and a good babysitter!
  

Dare to compare

I am told ALL the time how much my boys look alike. While I think they look similar, I don't really think that E is A's "spitting, spitting image," as I was told by one of the women at the gym nursery who remembers A.






Can't deny that they are brothers when you look at their jawlines--but then you look at their chins and it's totally different!

A's awesome report!

M told me that A's teacher called him "The Perfect child."

Wow!! I knew this kid is good, but WOW!

She said that when it's naptime, he takes a nap with no complaints. When it's lunchtime, he eats and he eats it all. When it's art time, he does his art.

YAY for A!

Sleep

As I mentioned before, since M and A returned to school, I have been trying to get E onto a nap routine and napping in his crib (he has slept in his crib since we came home from the hospital at nighttime). This has been met with varying degrees of success, and an attempt yesterday to take him for a study proved how difficult his schedule is to predict. Nonetheless, I was encouraged when I was able yesterday to have him take a 2 hour nap in his crib. The encouragement was for naught, however, as slept for a solid 7 hours (till 2am,) then decided to be AWAKE for 2 hours.

I've decided to be very diligent about recording his day, which can be a real PITA, but it's probably important to figuring out when he wants to nap as well as predicting his schedule.

When A was about this age, I tried a sleep training method (for naps only at this age) called "The Ferber method." It sucked, though it seems to have worked really really well for him and he's an awesome sleeper. Because it sucked, I decided to try something gentler, and have been reading a book that was recommended called The No Cry Sleep Solution. I'm not sure how well this one is working, but it's sort of manageable and I don't have to listen to my poor little baby cry all day long.

These days, naps usually consist of quiet time, with either some lullabies on or the sounds of waves or rain. I nurse him for about half an hour and then rock or pat him to sleep. I have discovered that he burrows his head into the crook of my arm, so I've been putting my shirt in there with him. The benefit is that I'm reading while we do this, so I'm going very quickly through my very long book.

E

This week, I have been using the quiet house to try to teach E to take naps in his crib. We have had varying degrees of success. One day, he took a 2 hour nap there. Today, the most I got out of him was 25 minutes. I tried everything and did little more than nurse and rock him all day. I got frustrated, but nonetheless, I got SO many smiles from this child despite his awful sleepiness.

They say that a child who naps well will sleep well. He didn't sleep well last night, so I'm hoping that a child who DOESN'T nap well will sleep well too.

A

A has become a little Mommy/Grampy. He always wants to know, "What song is this?" and when I teach him a song, he picks it up right away. This morning, he was even singing along to "We Built this City," which is on a frequent rotation, but I didn't teach him.

This morning, I decided to teach him Roadhouse Blues. He told me "The Baby doesn't WANT to roll, Mommy. It makes him SAD."

I suspect that this is a musically inclined child.

Fishing!

On Tuesday, the boys and I went to G&G's, and A had his first fishing trip! He had a great time, and even caught some fish! Now, when we go over bumps in the car, he says, "It's just like a ROLLER COASTER!" and I somehow know exactly where he got that one....

Since I recently took almost everything from my car, I forgot many of the things I typically keep in there--like a hat for A. So, Grampy improvised and loaned him a fishing hat!

Back to School, part 2

M started work today. As a one car family for the moment, we all got up and out of the house at 6:30. Bleary eyed, we dropped M off, took A to school, got COFFEE, and came home. E was on his face, against the crib rail, and with his butt in the air when I went in. He woke up well and was very talkative on the car ride.

A's school has gone through several moves but have now landed in their permanent location. It is GORGEOUS. Everything is brand new, and his classroom even has a cool oatmeal sensory table. They have a potty in each room, and the toys are so cool--several play kitchens and some other things i don't remember. He starts today with his new teacher; I left a message for her to remind him to use the potty every once in awhile... I hope that will force him to go and maybe no accidents (though he had no accidents yesterday).

I don't know yet what today holds for E and me, but I hope to get him back on a regular schedule without his brother waking him and without a thousand errands to run. I also hope to get him napping in his crib this month.

Back to School.

A went back to school on Monday, though he took yesterday off to hang out with G&G! They have not yet made the transition to their NEW building, though today is the last day there. He did very well, though he refused to use the potty and had an accident.

When they make the switch to the new building, he starts with his NEW TEACHER! His last teacher was wonderful--he learned so much from her (in her thank you note, M wrote, I can identify my letters, say my ABCs, and recognize Dunkin Donuts wherever we go!).

So, it's time for back to school!

I get....

I know this little family who has started a blog. They are trying to turn their hard times into better times for others and always look on the bright side. Recently, the father in this family wrote a post that's been on my mind a lot lately, about not what struggles we have, but about what we GET to do.

Although I generally think things will work out and be ok, I have a hard time looking at the positive. But here they are--many of my frustrations at this time turned into what I GET to have in my life.

• I get to hear my grandmother's voice light up as she talks on the phone to my 3 year old.
• I get more outside time than I would otherwise
• I get extra snuggle time at 1, 4, and 7am
• I get a husband who not only brings extra money into the house, but also gets to do activities he loves to do
• I get to jump on the bed
• I get the luxury of having the internet in my home
• I get "friends and family that I respect, when I think I'm too good, they put me in check"
  

Thank you to the M Family for helping me to look on the bright side!

Peanut

E had his four month well visit yesterday. It turns out, he's a little peanut. He's dropped from the 25th percentile at 2 months to the 5th percentile at 4 months for both height and weight. The doctor is a little concerned, but suspects starting solids will change that.

I tried to take his four month picture this morning (it got lost in the shuffle of leaving for Pittsburgh on his actual four month iversary), but he wasn't in the mood.

At four months, E:

• LOVES Mommy
  
• Is amazed by A
• Smiles so much, he's earned the name of Smiley ER
• Does a great job of holding up his head
  
• Sucks on his middle and ring finger, usually on the left hand
• Really likes the Intellitainer
• Loves to be held, walked, and to see the outside
• Is starting to chew on fingers as well as suck on them
• Refuses a pacifier

As far as sleeping goes, he is almost to the 6 hour stretch mark. Last night, he went to sleep around 7:30 and slept until after 1am, woke again sometime after 4, then woke for the morning sometime around 7:30. Not bad.

Mommy needs a cocktail.

I remember when A was around 4 months, I felt like he did nothing but scream at me. All day.

Well, here we are. E is "around" 4 months. And I feel like he's doing nothing but screaming all day.

He usually takes a good, solid morning nap. Today? No morning nap. I finally ran to the store while A took HIS nap and got him to sleep. He slept for the ride there, while I shopped, woke up a little bit while in the non moving car, slept again for the ride home, then asleep.

We tried everything--boob, change, walking, more boob, burping, dancing, singing.

I finally got a little of my super sweet boy as we started the bedtime routine--while I got A dressed, I put E on A's bed. He looked at the fan spinning and just cooed. I read a book, and he just smiled and cooed. Figuring things were going well and that A was pretty neglected today, I told A to get another book. As he chose one, the fussing began again.

The good news is that it was fairly easy to get him down to sleep. I like it when it's fairly easy getting him to sleep. I hope that it's not one of those every 2 hours up nights, though.

This face, though, makes it worth it.

While we're talking about E, we baptized him on Sunday and it was a wonderful day! Both boys were so well behaved and we had a wonderful meal. It was so great to see everyone and to celebrate our little boy.

Plus, how awesome is it to have a picture like this?

THREE

A turned THREE last week. What an exciting day; G&G took the boys to see a baseball game and the fireworks. Unfortunately, the game ran into lots of extra innings, and they got home just as the fireworks started (we can hear them at our house).

The big excitement for A was his big party. He chose a Spiderman theme, so I tried to incorporate the theme as much as I could without going nuts and still appealing to the adults in the crowd. I am most proud of my Spiderman cupcakes. A had a great time seeing family and friends, and this weekend kept asking when he's going to have a Cars party.

The big news is that, despite all the cool presents he got for his birthday, he REALLY wanted the (free) Batman I had been promising him if he went #2 on the potty. The day after his party, he got it (despite having an accident that morning). He did it again the next day for another (free) Batman. I spoke with his doctor at his appointment who suggested a few things, both dietary and behavioral. It took a few more days and a few more accidents, but we had a big success yesterday.... but it also took a LOT of rewards.

Yesterday, his rewards included: getting to wear his pants again (hey, I don't like cleaning poopy underpants--it's much easier to clean a hardwood floor!), getting to watch tv again (the doctor's suggestion was that everything stops when it seems like he's getting ready to go. I think this is what REALLY caused the success since we were in the middle of his movie time), getting to pick a prize from "Mommy's bag of tricks"--he chose a Cars bouncey ball, and a jelly bean. At some point, he wanted to be left alone, so I did. Meanwhile, he unrolled the entire roll of TP, BUT this distracted him enough from the task at hand.

YAY, A!

Boobs.

I took an online survey today about breastfeeding and whether today's moms were pressured to do it. Everyone says that "breast is best," which makes the mom who decides not to even try it feel guilty.

I went into breastfeeding with eyes wide open that this was more likely not to work than to work. I was then pleasantly surprised when it DID work, with few problems. And then it worked well for a second child, again with few problems (so far, knocking on wood!). We mainly made this choice because of the health benefits to the baby, but cost was a big huge factor for us too. There are a ton of other reasons that never would've occurred to me:
1. The gaze. E just looks at me with this adoring gaze--Oh Earth Mother, thank you for this nourishment!
2. The poop. It washes out sooo much easier.
3. The waist. Breastfeeding requires more calories than even being pregnant, so the waist whittles faster than you can say Royale with Cheese.
4. The boobs. Breastfeeding is supposed to help protect the mother from breast cancer.
5. The cheeks. "Booby juice" has given my A chipmunk cheeks, and E seems to be on the way to them too (slower, but still there).
6. The smell. The pediatrician at the hospital made me supplement E with formula. I was awed by the smell of his spit up, and the color was gray.
7. The portability. At the grocery store today, E was crying his eyes out. The man in front of me told me that it happened to them lots of times that they were out at baby's feeding time, and they "had a lot of oh shit moments." It's just not the same when Mommy is right there and baby can be fed any time.


None of this is to say that I think formula feeding is a bad choice. I was formula fed! Both my boys have been formula fed! There is a certain tie to the baby that feeding via Mommy's body locks you into--being away from the baby for pretty much any amount of time requires a LOT of planning (will I be home before the baby wants to eat? Do I have enough milk defrosted? When/where will I pump while I'm away?). The things that go into the body require a lot more thought--how much booze (I love that there is now a TEST STRIP, which is used to determine if Mom has had a little too much fun to nurse her babe!), which medicines.

Argh, now I'm rambling. The short of it: I'm so happy that I am able to breastfeed my baby. I feel so fortunate that it works well for us and that we have the means for me to stay home with him and do it. I in no way think I'm a better mom for it, or that my kids will be better because of it.

(One, short, aside... the mom of my students once confided in me she did extended breastfeeding for both of her kids. Her son and daughter were two of the smartest kids with whom I've ever worked. Coincidence? Dunno. She definitely thought there was something to it, though)

The time has come

I promised myself I would return to the gym at 6 weeks postpartum. But then the buts set in- the gym gave me till July 19 to not have to pay & we needed that $, E couldn't go in till 2 months, where would I find time? Today, though, my membership is no longer frozen & I have no excuse.

We WERE doing lots of walks around the neighborhood, but then it got too hot & disgusting.

The interesting thing is that # on the scale. Not trying to brag, but I am very lucky there. The #, of course, means nothing to my jiggle or the width of my hips (I look like oe of those "Botticelli Babes" for sure).

So now it's just a matter of finding the time when M is around (so we don't have to pay the babysitting service).

Wish me luck!

Big Brother

I cannot believe that in less than 2 weeks, A will be a three year old. We hear a lot of "I'm gonna do it MYSELF!" and the other day, he made me teary when he screamed "Leave me ALONE" at me. At the same time, he can be so incredibly sweet, giving hugs to Little Brother and saying, "That's MY baby!" He is such a good helper--he loves to help cook dinner and will help Daddy do just about anything.

When we ask him why he did something, the most common response? Because I did.

He continues to favor Daddy...a LOT. The difference between now and when Little Brother was born is that he will now give me some love. And he says "I love you" OFTEN. It warms the cockles of my heart.

His singing voice is not the greatest you've ever heard, but he picks up on lyrics to songs pretty quickly. If it's just us, he will ask to hear "The Hey La Song," (aka: The Best of What's Around) and can sing the whole first verse. Here he is, singing La La La La Lemon. Apologies for my shushing Little Brother, and that you can't hear the original so well, because it's hilarious--he's waiting for the lyric that comes after La La La... (Ok, that's coming later...the upload isn't working well)

We're preparing for his third birthday party in a few weeks. I took him to the party store and asked him to pick from all the choices for invitations, and he chose Spiderman. This choice always brings to mind this. (Spiderman. Irving Spiderman). I walked into the house today with a bag from the Disney Store. He asked, "Is that for my party?" I told him no, it was a gift for someone else. I asked if he thought the other kid would like it and he said yes. So, of course, I asked if HE wanted it (the bag) and he said yes! This kid loves him some Mickey Mouse! (And Toy Story; they were on the bag too!)

Rockin

Check out Breastfeeding Momma's review and giveaway of Rockin Green (I use it for my diapers, and have used it on stinky, stained socks with great success!).

Update

On Thursday, we saw a pediatric orthopedist about A's collarbone. After about a five minute appointment, we found out he no longer needs to wear the sling or brace, and that it takes kids his age about 4 weeks to heal. That's about it. He looked at the xrays from the hospital (as an aside, technology? Freaking awesome! We forgot the disc with the xrays at home [as if that wasn't cool enough...] and so the doctor was able to access the records online from the hospital. Sweet!). We have an appointment in two weeks to take more xrays and to see how things are healing.

He does still have a slight bruise, but it is no longer scary colors. He doesn't seem to be really holding back as much as he was, and we even put him on some boardwalk rides with success. Phew!

The potty.

We have reached the point at potty learning where A no longer wants to wear diapers! He wore underpants to bed last night, and it was fine...until it wasn't. He came into our room at his normal wake up time wet and soiled. Going #2 has been problematic. He holds it. We give him prunes. He holds it and his pee until he can't hold it anymore. Embarrassing is this situation in a restaurant when he started SCREAMING like we were burning him.

He is getting pretty good about telling us when he has to go, and is good about holding it...so far.

It's getting better, although we still have a long way to go...

Ouch.

This morning started like many mornings around here, with A waking too early and coming into our room. The strange thing (which we were too sleepy to really take note of) was that he was crying and that he readily went back to bed when I asked him to.

He woke up and started his day, and told M he had a boo boo, pointing to his neck. M took this to mean he had a sore throat, which made sense since A has a drippy nose and M woke up feeling sick. He had a cold. He even fell asleep on the couch around 10am.

Later in the morning, M said to me, "I think we have a problem." He figured out that it wasn't a sore throat, but that A was having pain in his neck area. He also noticed a red mark on his ear on the same side. A had fallen out of bed. We put him down for his nap. He napped for a really longer than normal amount of time, and when I went to get him up from it, I decided it was time to call the doctor. He was having a hard time getting out of the bed, was still telling me his shoulder hurt, and I was worried. So, I called the doctor's office and was told to speak with a nurse. She suggested that we go to the ER since they have xrays.

Rave for RWJ in New Brunswick. We were surprised to discover they have a special pediatric emergency area. Despite the large number of people in the ER's waiting room, we were taken within 20 minutes of arriving. They have a special little people triage area, too, with stickers and other fun stuff around.

When he was examined by the nurse, he was raising his arm and doing things we couldn't get him to do. I was pretty sure that we had just overreacted and that he was fine with just a bruise. The doctor came in, and he wouldn't really move his arm so much for her. She sent him for an xray. It turned out his has a decent sized break in his collarbone.

He is in a sling for potentially 6 weeks. It's July 6. Six weeks from now is about the middle of August--he'll be confined for almost the entire summer.

I'm taking hope from a friend whose son is a little bit older and went through the same thing last month. She told me it was 3 weeks from falling out of bed to full recovery. Hopefully it will be the same way for A.

Sigh.

Of course I'm beating myself up over this one; shouldn't have taken the rails off his crib so early is the biggest echo in my head right now. But, my boy sure is a trooper. He's already aware of his limitations, and got upset with me when I tried to lay down to read his book--Mommy, we have to sit UP!

Independence at G & G's

We went to Mom and Dad's house for the weekend in celebration on the Fourth. For whatever reason, we managed to avoid traffic every time! Wahoo! We did a ton of exciting things with the boys, although I don't think E got a whole lot out of it...

• Grampy took M & A on the boat to Party Island. They walked and walked and walked. Not so much swimming, but lots of wading, shell picking, and digging.
• G & G watched E so we could take A to his FIRST MOVIE in the theater! We went to see Toy Story 3, which M & I loved and A just enjoyed the whole experience. He told us today that he wanted to watch TS3, and was upset (Why??) that we couldn't do it for him. Of course we got him popcorn for his first movie!
• 
• We took A to Fantasy Island to ride the rides. He had a blast in the arcade, just pushing buttons and looking at everything. E enjoyed the arcade too; flashing lights and colors worked well for him. A really wanted to go on the big pirate ship, and we didn't have the time to take him on the little pirate ship. The rides he DID go on were the carousel, the trucks, teacups (shrieking with laughter on this one!), the Dragon roller coaster (Daddy said they both loved this one), the cars, and the Honey Bees. We had to deal with a pretty substantial tantrum as we left, though. He didn't WANT to leave; he wanted to go back NOOOOOW.
• 
• We went to a Fourth of July party. A went in the pool (so did E!), but had the most fun playing with a girl who was a little bit older. They had so much fun together, running around, splashing in the pool. For the most part, he was good about sharing, although there were definitely a few instances of issues. We decided to stay for the fireworks, keeping A up until WELL past his bedtime. He did great, and asked everyone "which one do you like? I like the Blue ones!" We also kept E up, but he slept through the whole thing in my arms.

Cloth diapers.

E wears cloth diapers. It started from the desire to preserve the environment, but I figured there was no way it was a financially smart decision. Then I did some research, and the claims are that cloth diapering can save thousands over disposable diapers. One website even made some claim that one can go through a whole package of wipes during a particularly bad diaper change session--an experience I never had with A, so I had a hard time believing it.

Then I thought about the numbers. Size 1 diapers cost about 19 cents each, and wipes cost about 3 cents each. For ten diaper changes a day, that's $2.20 a day. To recoup the costs of cloth diapers and accessories so far, if I can keep this going for 8 months, we've broken even. Anything beyond that is gravy. Then, I can theoretically sell these babies when our diapering days are over.

I also read (and this was the big push for me with E) that cloth diapers can reduce (or even eliminate) diaper rash. E had a persistent and painful looking rash from about a week old. His pediatrician recommended using a washcloth instead of wipes, saying that even the sensitive ones can irritate a sensitive bum. The washcloth method wasn't helping, so we switched to Huggies naturals diapers, which helped a little bit. But switching to cloth cleared it up overnight.

It hasn't been all peaches and cream. M was not on board, mostly because he isn't interested in dealing with poop. I'm worried about how this will play out when E gets to solids. I'm assured it's "not that bad." We shall see. In places I've looked, cloth diaper moms say that you're supposed to put poop in the toilet for a disposable diaper anyway, that it says right on the package (I looked, and couldn't find it on the diapers I have). That makes sense, but seriously? How many people do that? I've been doing it for A's diapers since reading that, and it's helped with odors especially with this super hot weather we're having.

Additionally, E gets upset when he gets wet. Not a bad thing, I suppose, but it's not something we dealt with while A was young--he never really complained about a wet or soiled diaper. Thus, it was easy to forget to change him, creating other problems.

And despite not being in FAVOR of the switch, M has been on BOARD with the switch.

A very important message.

We will be spending Independence Day in a popular New Jersey summer destination. Having spent the early years of my driving career working and living in that same destination, I saw lots of late night drunk driving. As a new driver, it was frightening. Now that I am a mother, I'm not behind the wheel all that often at those crazy hours, but I also know now that late night is not the only time people make the bad decision to get behind the wheel after drinking.

I pledge that I will not be driving under the influence on July 4!

Take the pledge. Save a life.

Together We Can Spread the Message
Stay Sober Stay Alive
July 4, 2010

1. Simply pledge your driving sobriety this Independence Day by noting your blog URL and blog name.

2. At the bottom of this “Blog Hop” you will see text in which you can grab the code for this McLinky. Simply click the link and copy and paste the code into your very own blog post’s HTML section. Then click “compose” and copy and paste this pledge, adding your own message to the top as I did above. Copy the pledge from “together we can stay alive” above.

3. Follow the host Hollywood Chic [-first on the linky-] of this Independence Day Pledge for more information on the Department of Transportation, Buzz Driving, and Stats.

Also an optional badge was created to spread greater awareness and linked to this pledge, please wear it proudly until July 5, 2010 when this pledge will close.

The Eagle has Landed.

When Neil Armstrong said that the Eagle had landed 41 summers ago, I don't think he meant pooping on the potty. But around here, pooping on the potty is certainly one small step for man...and all that jazz.

I had picked up a few toys from freecycle for A, and decided these would become potty rewards. When we start hardcore on July 5, my plan was to make a chart and for so many stickers on that chart, A would get to pick a toy from a bag. He found one of those toys in the garage and started playing with it (my master plan was unbeknownst to Daddy, who let him play with it). Amazing agreeable kid that he is, he willingly gave it back to us and agreed to getting it as a potty reward.

So, Daddy decided to go in little steps and told A if he had NO accidents all day today, he could get his spaceship back. No surprise, #1 was no real problem. He really didn't tell us when he HAD to go, but went every time we told him it was time with no issue--including out at a store.

The very big deal came around 10am, when he said, "I have to go potty," and just let loose. As if this wasn't a big enough deal as it is, he went ALL day with NO accidents! So proud of my little A!!

You do? Or not?

This morning, A has been all about questions, as you might expect from a smart about to be 3 year old boy. But I've noticed these questions are choices, which is something new.

• Now? Or not yet?
• Do you like this? Or not?

Just made me chuckle.

Happy Father's Day and Happy 2 months to E!

E is two months old today! To celebrate, he, along with his brother, father, and grandfather, are at a minor league baseball game today. It appears E has been sleeping the whole time, which is certainly for the best considering it's probably about 90 degrees out there.



And since I love to show how different my boys are, here's A at 8 weeks:



To celebrate Father's Day, I took advantage of an awesome deal for portraits.








And, having paid for the shirts, the boys are wearing them today (interestingly, A would only wear it when I told him E would be wearing his as well). Since A "helped" me take E's two month shots, he wanted in on the brotherly action too.

Things E Likes

At 8 weeks, there are quite a few preferences E has.

1. The car. He loves to go for car rides, and falls asleep really fast. No surprise here; don't ALL babies love the car?
2. His monkeys. He has a pack n play with a mobile that has monkeys. He reaches for them and coos at them. (As an aside, A loves to turn ON the monkeys for E... a way to keep them BOTH entertained!)
3. Running water. He was screaming as we gave him his bath, but as soon as we turned on the water, he was a happy both.
4. Being naked. His witching hour is from 7-8pm typically. If we strip him down to his diaper, it generally leads to a short reprieve. When M strips him down to change him for bed, this is a surefire way for Daddy to get some smiles.
5. Being outside. M used to take A for walks around the house when he was a baby, hoping to instill in him a love of nature. E, however, is very much soothed by being outside. This is yet another way M tries to deal with the witching hour. Another thing that's like a switch, taking E from fussy to happy.
   

The End.

Day 2 is over. A was amazing all day today. After my most recent post, he soiled his underpants; those little droppings were just the accidental comings...
I really worry about what will happen tomorrow, when he returns to school. I don't think they will be up for taking him to the potty every 30 minutes, but who knows. He is allowed 2 accidents in his underwear, and then it's back to pullups.

M and I are just tuckered out, and may go to bed when we put E down at 9. I said to him that we need to plan ahead for next weekend and either get takeout or have meals prepared and ready to go. This has been so much worse for us, cooking wise, than when E came home (and after Grammi left!). His response was "let's get takeout now. I know I don't feel like cooking or cleaning up, and you look like you don't feel like cooking." He thinks it's the having to get up every 30 minutes, combined with being a cheerleader, added to it's not even 30 minutes of sitting down (we took him on the :00 and the :30 of every hour...like I said, one time I came out of the bathroom at :21.)

All the trials and tribulations, though, and A is just doing fabulously at this. He hasn't put up (much of) a fight when we tell him it's time to go to the potty. Now it's just a matter of getting him to tell us when he has to go and to actually go #2 on the pot.

An interesting method.

So, we just had an awesome trip to the potty. (Now there's a phrase I never expected to say/think). (Oh, and being about the potty, you can imagine where this is going...you've been warned).

It seems that A won't go for M, but will for me. He was originally on the little potty, but I convinced him to go on the big one (thankfully....you'll find out why in a minute). I got him up there and he got going. Somewhere along the way, he said there was a shark in the toilet. I expect this would freak some kids out, but I told him to shoot it (how I've gotten him to pee), and it worked like a charm. We ended up throwing every character in the ADS lexicon into the toilet, as well as his shirt, the wall, his M&Ms, his stool, etc etc etc into the toilet so he could shoot them. This also allowed him to go #2 on the potty! (if you've never cleaned poop out of a kiddie potty, it's definitely much much better to use the big one!) He told me the first one was Mommy... gross, but I rolled with it and asked if he could make a Daddy--he did, making an Alex and an Evan as well. Yeah, I was grossed out too, but I'll do the song and dance if it makes this easier.

In the end, this process took 20 minutes. I couldn't believe it.

Tales from the Potty

We (I) decided it was time to get A on the potty seriously and consistently. His daycare teacher recommended sending him into school in underwear last Monday, but M decided against it. Friday, we went to the store and let him pick out his underwear (Marvel comics), then started in earnest on Saturday. It went fairly well, even as we went out and ran some errands. Except those errands caused Mommy to be distracted and we ended up falling off our every 30 min schedule. So, we had a couple accidents, one of them was major. Of course the major one was on our last pair of underpants, our last pair of pants, and got all over his socks and shoes. Poor kid had to walk through the mall in a tshirt and diaper. That's it. I then somehow managed to push the stroller and carry A to the car--serves me right.

Today has been going a little bit better; we haven't yet left the house. The good thing about yesterday's fiasco is that he was using a regular big person potty (which is what they use at school), so today we have mostly been using the regular big person potty too. We've discovered that he's holding back and not letting everything go, which could explain the few accidents he's had between the 30 minute mark. A problem that I can't figure out how to correct, other than promising him a goody for each time he pushes a little more out.

This is quite an extravaganza, but I can't believe that my baby is growing up and using the potty. SNIFFLE!

Rockin Green giveaway

Rockin Green soap rocks! My New Life as Mom is giving away a bag of RG Laundry soap! Check it out here!

Turn on the charn

I love that E is becoming more communicative. When I'm not looking, he'll make a little...grunt?... to get me to look then give me a big smile. Love it!

First smile

E first smiled at me right around 3 weeks...he cooed at me too. What a sweet sound. Yesterday, he giggled at me too--another first. Today, I got a smile on camera! Alas, it was on my cell phone, and so the picture quality is terrible.

Memorial Day weekend

The proof is in the pudding-we need to stay @ G&G's more often. When A was about 4 weeks old, we went there for a Labor Day party. He slept an extraordinarily long time-i don't remember how long it was. At almost 6 weeks old, E stayed over after going down for Memorial Day. He slept until 4am. That's 6 hours. Yes, I checked to make sure he was still breathing before 4 am.

Our return home also meant sitting in traffic on the GSP. Of course, we had a screaming E on our hands when we stopped going at sufficient speeds. A took care of it for us, though, saying, "Shhh, E! Big brother is here!". Awww.

Big, bad, umbi

That stinky (literally and figuratively) umbi is gone! M played with it a bit, and during a diaper change, I decided to just yank on it till it came off. It took some tugging, but it did! It lasted almost 6 weeks, but it is no more!

As an aside, a mom at a party this weekend saw E's still attached and told me she saved her kid's. I now know what a 6 week old umbi looks and smells like, and can only imagine how gross one that's been saved would be!

I wish I could bottle it up.

Jim Croce famously sang about wanting to put time in a bottle. While that would be nice (21 sounds like a good age to me! Err, but give me a little bit more wisdom, mkay?), I really wish I could put certain things in a bottle. Sure, we have wonderful technology that allows us to capture a smile or even a sound, but that never seems to be just right. I keep trying to capture E smiling, yet he doesn't look the SAME in a picture as he does in real life. And, when he's smiling at me, I can't get the camera in the right place to really get his sweet expression. I wish I could bottle the sound of him cooing. I wish I could capture the way A is with E. I wish I could get that perfect and adorable giggle that A makes. Of course, you just never have the camera ready when these things happen, and also, could you really enjoy them if you're busy getting just the right shot?

The umbi that just won't quit.

E still has his umbilical stump. A lost his right around 3 weeks, but yet E's is hanging on as we approach the 6 week mark. I was moving it around a bit yesterday when I caught a whiff of yuckiness. So, I called the doctor (who had advised me at his 4 week appointment to call if it was still there by Friday--tomorrow) and made an appointment. It's not infected and there's no problem, but she said to call again if it was still around by Tuesday or Wednesday. She also gave me some iodine swabs to stop it from getting infected.

He also has a decent case of heat rash.

But, he was weighed and continues to gain weight. Today, he was 9.9 lbs.

(This was Thursday)

One month stats

Today was E's first official visit to the pediatrician. It went really well! She's a tiny bit concerned that he still has his umbilical stump and said to give a call if it's still sticking around in a week.

His length has been...inconsistent, but hopefully now using the same standards and tools, things should be better.
He was 21" at birth.
He was 19.29" at 6 days.
He was 21.06" today.

Hmm. Makes me wonder about the weight issues we had in the hospital.

At 6 days, he weight 7.04lbs. Today, he weight 9.11lbs. YAY, he's bigger than A was at birth!

At 6 days, he was in the 10th percentile for height and weight. Today, he's in the 25th. His growth is perfectly on the curve.

No shots today; that comes next month....

Unfortunately for me, I was unable to schedule early August appointments for both boys, since E doesn't get a 3 month appointment but A does need a 3 year appointment. Hooray for multiple trips.

"How does the baby sleep?"

The parenting experts tell us not to instruct our children to "be good," because what on EARTH does that mean?

Yet, I am frequently asked if my 4 week old is a "good" baby. How could he be a bad baby? I want to reply, "Well, he hasn't used the f bomb yet, but he's given me a few good punches...."

On a related note, pretty much everyone asks how he's sleeping. I'm not answering this one anymore. I know it (generally) comes from a place of concern--people know the newborn months are tough, and wonder if Mom is sleeping (even though before 6 weeks, odds are good she's home and napping when the baby does)--but I went ahead and answered it, twice, yesterday only to have the roughest night with E yet. This, of course, is by no means a comparison to those poor souls whose children "never sleep," but it was not what we're used to.

He woke at 1:30, and M asked me if it was time to feed him. I said, no, I just fed him.... although I had no idea what time that was (he generally has his first waking at 1:30, but I was positive I had gotten up and fed him before then). So M went in and soothed him back to sleep. He woke again around 2:30, at which point I went in and fed him. I came back, laid down and he started to cry again. M asked me when I had last fed him, to which I replied, "I just got back; I have been in bed for five minutes." Around 4:30, A woke up--M got this one and was able to get him back to sleep, only to lay in bed for 10 minutes before his alarm. I don't envy him. I'm not sure when I next fed E after that 2:30ish feeding, but there was a pretty consistent pattern of hourly.

And then, we got in the car. I needed to actually go to Trenton to pick up his birth certificate, because I needed it quickly for another form, but also because getting a money order is a PITA when cash and a not so bad drive will do just fine. I fed and changed him before we left, we ran errands, etc etc, we were gone around 3 hours, and he only fussed once. YAY, CAR!

So, I jinxed myself on the sleep thing (DESPITE KNOCKING ON WOOD!).

I know what comes next, because these things are always cyclical (I once asked a friend, "When do they stop asking how married life is?" and her response is "Around the time they start asking when you're going to have kids." Sure enough...)... next comes, "Is he sleeping through the night?" Ahh, that badge of honor, to have your child sleep through the night. When your child ISN'T, this question sure does make it feel like a competition (even, again, if it's meant with the best of intentions and concern for Mom).

So, into the mental bucket of things to do or not do for/to a new mom this goes!

3 weeks...

E is quite a little sleeper. We put him down in his crib between 9:30 and 10, and his usual wakings after that are around 1:30, around 4:30, around 7:30, and around 9. How lucky am I!

A continues to love his baby brother. The other day, he woke as I was getting back into bed. When I went in to him, he asked me, "Where's the baby?" I'm back to reading his bedtime stories, and love that cuddle time with both boys.

M commented yesterday that we are starting to see what E will look like as a little boy. I don't know how true that is, but he then went on to say that it looks like we each have "our" own boy... As I've probably said before, A definitely favors him (although definitely has parts of me too) while E favors me/my family. We keep wondering if E's blue eyes will stay, but the boys even have "their" parents' blood type. I don't know about temperamentwise, as E is the most contented, easy-going baby I think I've ever met---that's not to say he doesnt have a temper, because boy he sure does get mad--but on a regular everyday basis, he's very content!

Meeting E.

A lot of mothers get pictures of the moments they meet their newborns. No one took pictures of that for me--being knocked out when he was born, dazed when I first met him (they apparently brought him to me when I was in recovery and even tried getting him to nurse), and no one was around when I was finally cognizant and they first brought him to me to take that picture. I do remember being awed at this teensy tiny little boy of mine. It was clear to me immediately that while he was so similar to his big brother, he was very different too. His nature is also so similar but yet so different too. His cry is very different.

I feel so fortunate to again have this time to be home with E, like I had with A.

Life with 2

Things around here continue to go well, as we motor toward E's three week...mark? birthday? anniversary? E's eyes continue to be greyish-blue... I read online that that could mean they'll be pretty much any color and may not be "set" until his first birthday.

Everyone wants to know how A is doing. He's really doing GREAT! He's pretty fascinated by his little brother, and loves to give him a kiss and a "head hug," as I like to call them. He gets plenty of attention, probably because he's still going to daycare so his routine isn't really all the different from before E arrived, although now Daddy drops him off and picks him up much more frequently than Mommy does.

He does sometimes shy away from Mommy. I think he's a little mad at me, simply because I haven't been able to be as involved in his routine--I used to give him his baths and for awhile, M had to do them... I used to read him his bedtime story, and Daddy had to take that one over for awhile too. It's amazing how much life changes when you can only go up and down the stairs once a day. But, now that I CAN do the steps, I'm trying to get myself back into his routine and things have been much better.

Of course, when a new baby arrives, everyone comments on or wants to know who the baby looks like. In the beginning, pretty much everyone thought he looked like A, and a lot of the nurses at the hospital said he looked like me. M, however, thought he really DIDN'T look like A, that is, not until he looked at A's baby books again. Now, he definitely resembles A, but certainly looks like his own self!

E loves to be held. If I put him down, I generally get about 5 minutes to do something before he's crying. Sometimes, he'll stay asleep a little bit longer, and sometimes he'll just hang out and be content. Most times, though, he's screaming bloody murder. He's a great sleeper... a typical night involves getting him ready for bed around 9:30, him waking around 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and then getting up for the day. Which means that I get a good amount of sleep, waking around 7, showering, eating, pumping.

He's had a pretty bad diaper rash. When we saw the pediatrician at one week, he suggested using wet washcloths instead of baby wipes. That hasn't helped. We had some size one Huggies Pure and Natural diapers around... I started using those, wondering if maybe he had an allergy to the Pampers we were using. They're too big, and we've had some leakage issues, but it looks like the rash is finally getting better. Yes, two days after I bought a big box of Pampers.

We've had quite a few nights of just me and the two boys... the other night, I was alone and had to give A a bath. That was quite an adventure, and I was plenty exhausted after that (I am still recovering from major surgery). I'm somehow managing to keep the house not completely disgusting, although some days it's much worse than others (of course, this is the downstairs, which is where I spend most of my time and which Mom did a great job of keeping clean and straight while she was here--the upstairs, however, needs some tlc... when there's time, someone to watch the boys and/or E will let me put him down).

2 weeks

We are now two weeks into E's young life! I had my two week incision check today, and all looks well. My labor with E was a very different experience than labor with A, but it turned out to be very similar too in that both boys were in the posterior position (spine to my spine) and had to come out via c section. I'm really proud for having tried, though, and now the picture of A's birth is a little bit clearer too.

E is a good little eater, and sleeps well at night too. I wish I could bottle his smell! As of right now, he has blue gray eyes, and is long and thin! He loves to be held, which can make getting things done around the house tough.

A has been so very good with E--he loves to play with him, give him hugs and kisses, and if E is in the swing, we can be pretty certain he's also holding one of A's toys. Usually, A calls E "Baby," as in "Here, Baby, play with this," and we keep trying to get him to call E by name. He hasn't, however, been so keen on Mommy. I guess it's understandable, since I was in the hospital for several days and haven't been able to do a lot of our usual routines.

But, things have been great in the S household!! Pictures coming soon!

Bunny Ears

Somewhere along the way, my friend Susie suggested making it a tradition to put A in his bunny ears every year.

I couldn't find them this year, so no shots were taken.

Then, I found them... a few days after Easter, but the pictures came out very cute nonetheless. That second picture very much proves, though, that A is looking more and more like Daddy every day.

Your reference shots, by the way:

2008:


2009:

(MIA, since Picture People seem to have changed their hosting site all around... I know I have this around somewhere...)