Lately, before her bath, R has been having fun running around the house with her shirt pulled up on her head so that it hangs like a wig. She insists that we take her picture almost every time. 
Friday, November 27, 2009
Pre-Bath Picture Time
Lately, before her bath, R has been having fun running around the house with her shirt pulled up on her head so that it hangs like a wig. She insists that we take her picture almost every time.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
We have so much to be thankful for this year--so many wonderful blessings.
My favorites: that RUS is here and healthy and thriving, and that R is such an amazing child to spend our days with. We were specially blessed with many opportunities to see family this year, and we're so thankful for all of the time we've been able to spend with those near and dear to our hearts.
We got to celebrate Thanksgiving twice this month, first with a Tofurkey and a bountiful feast with Grammie and Grampie two weekends ago when they were in town
and then again today with a delicious potpie, more sweet potato cornbread, and brussels sprouts, as a family of four.
My favorites: that RUS is here and healthy and thriving, and that R is such an amazing child to spend our days with. We were specially blessed with many opportunities to see family this year, and we're so thankful for all of the time we've been able to spend with those near and dear to our hearts.
We got to celebrate Thanksgiving twice this month, first with a Tofurkey and a bountiful feast with Grammie and Grampie two weekends ago when they were in town
and then again today with a delicious potpie, more sweet potato cornbread, and brussels sprouts, as a family of four.
Legs
J, getting up from the floor after reading R a story as she sat on his outstretched legs: "Ooh, my legs are asleep!"
R: "My legs are TIRED!"
R: "My legs are TIRED!"
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A House Full!!!
For the first five weeks of RUS's life, we had a constant influx of visitors. First it was Grammie, who was in town for the birth. Grampie came down from CT that Friday. Then on Saturday, four days after RUS's arrival, Surf, Cali, and Little T came by and stayed through early Sunday afternoon. Grammie stayed with us until Halloween weekend, when Grampie, GiGi and PopPop also came by. We had one full day at home, and then our house was bursting at the seams with seven members of my family-- my parents, Local Hero, his girlfriend, M--, my sister-in-law, M, and our nephews G and Trucker-- all staying at our house.
Family Photos
We had some family photos taken the other week and the photographer posted a sneak peek up on her blog. Go check it out here!
Turning the Corner
Things have gotten a LOT better sleep-wise around here. We can lay RUS down to sleep at night in his bassinet and he's sleeping for good stretches. This has made a HUGE difference in how well we sleep-- there's something about holding a baby all night that is not entirely restful.
RUS is looking bigger and bigger. We weighed him yesterday and he is 10 lbs 11 oz, up about another 1/2 lb from his 1-month check up a week ago. He is chunking up, and totally looking more like an infant than a newborn. He's lost just about all of his newborn look, and boy is he cute.
I have a slew of posts I want to make-- including one about my family's visit and all the photos I have from that visit, and some cute things R has been saying and doing lately. I'll just add one thing here. You know how I told you she's been saying "I get bigger" lately? Well, the other day she wanted to eat food with her hands and we told her to use utensils instead. She did, and then said, "I eat with my hands when I get smaller?"
RUS is looking bigger and bigger. We weighed him yesterday and he is 10 lbs 11 oz, up about another 1/2 lb from his 1-month check up a week ago. He is chunking up, and totally looking more like an infant than a newborn. He's lost just about all of his newborn look, and boy is he cute.
I have a slew of posts I want to make-- including one about my family's visit and all the photos I have from that visit, and some cute things R has been saying and doing lately. I'll just add one thing here. You know how I told you she's been saying "I get bigger" lately? Well, the other day she wanted to eat food with her hands and we told her to use utensils instead. She did, and then said, "I eat with my hands when I get smaller?"
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
"I Get Bigger"
Last week or a couple weeks ago now, J was trying to get R to stay on the potty one day so he started teaching her how to snap. She can totally do the hand movement, but she doesn't exert enough force to make her finger slap on to her palm in order to make the snapping sound. He told her she could do it when she got bigger.
Later that day she announced to me, "I can't snap."
I told her she could and started trying to teach her (not having been privy to J and R's earlier conversation). She kept insisting she could not snap, and then said, "I can do it when I get bigger."
So the last week or so she's been saying, "When I get bigger?" in response to just about everything she's not allowed or able to do.
Yesterday at the dinner table we were all talking about whistling, and I told J he had to be the one to teach R how to whistle, because I can't whistle at all.
R looks at me and says, "When you get bigger, Mommy!"
Later that day she announced to me, "I can't snap."
I told her she could and started trying to teach her (not having been privy to J and R's earlier conversation). She kept insisting she could not snap, and then said, "I can do it when I get bigger."
So the last week or so she's been saying, "When I get bigger?" in response to just about everything she's not allowed or able to do.
Yesterday at the dinner table we were all talking about whistling, and I told J he had to be the one to teach R how to whistle, because I can't whistle at all.
R looks at me and says, "When you get bigger, Mommy!"
Some RUS Tidbits
In keeping with my commitment to writing down "the boring stuff", here are some tidbits about RUS's first month.
--He hates the pacifier and will not take one. We have tried four different kinds, at various times, when he's calm, when he's upset, when he's half-sleeping, when he's wide-awake, all to no avail. He does not like the thing. He chews on it a bit and spits it out almost immediately. If he is upset, he gets more upset at being offered a pacifier. Sometimes his gag reflex is activated and he looks as if he's going to choke or throw up. They really are not working.
--Just in the past week and a half or so I've been watching his hands unfurl more. At first when he would be nursing, he would have his fists laying on my chest, but now his hand is usually open and he often grabs at my finger.
--Smiles have been coming more often but I'm not sure we're seeing fully-social smiles yet. I'm waiting on those, they're my favorite.
--When he is doing tummy time, which he actually doesn't seem to mind at all, he can already lift his head up and turn and look in more than one direction with his head up. Granted, he can't do it for very long, but he's got terrific head/neck control for a 5-week-old, in my opinion!
--He still, at 5 weeks, does not sleep well when he is not being held. We've had some success at laying him down in the bassinet after he's fallen asleep, but then he tends to make a LOT of noise-- grunting, groaning, moving around, kicking, etc. He's not awake-- his eyes are closed and he doesn't open them-- but he's definitely not as peaceful a sleeper as he is when he's in someone's arms.
--He hates the pacifier and will not take one. We have tried four different kinds, at various times, when he's calm, when he's upset, when he's half-sleeping, when he's wide-awake, all to no avail. He does not like the thing. He chews on it a bit and spits it out almost immediately. If he is upset, he gets more upset at being offered a pacifier. Sometimes his gag reflex is activated and he looks as if he's going to choke or throw up. They really are not working.
--Just in the past week and a half or so I've been watching his hands unfurl more. At first when he would be nursing, he would have his fists laying on my chest, but now his hand is usually open and he often grabs at my finger.
--Smiles have been coming more often but I'm not sure we're seeing fully-social smiles yet. I'm waiting on those, they're my favorite.
--When he is doing tummy time, which he actually doesn't seem to mind at all, he can already lift his head up and turn and look in more than one direction with his head up. Granted, he can't do it for very long, but he's got terrific head/neck control for a 5-week-old, in my opinion!
--He still, at 5 weeks, does not sleep well when he is not being held. We've had some success at laying him down in the bassinet after he's fallen asleep, but then he tends to make a LOT of noise-- grunting, groaning, moving around, kicking, etc. He's not awake-- his eyes are closed and he doesn't open them-- but he's definitely not as peaceful a sleeper as he is when he's in someone's arms.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Growing!
We have officially moved RUS out of his newborn-size clothing! He still fits into some of it, but it's tight, and the 3-month stuff is only a little big.
RUS 1 month
Dear RUS,
You are one month old. You've survived your first month, spending 90% of it laying in someone's arms, sleeping, yawning, grunting, or looking around contentedly. You are a (mostly) happy baby as long as we've got you in our arms.
Over the last week or so we've been able to lay you down in your crib or bassinet to watch your mobiles, but you still don't really sleep well unless someone is holding you, so we do an awful lot of that.
One of the strangest things about having a second baby is the feeling that even though you've done this before, you kind of haven't. I feel as if I'm learning all over again what it means to have a little baby. Thank goodness for your Aunt M, who gave us some great tips about recognizing when you have gas, and how to exercise those pesky gas bubbles out of you.
You love to look around at things and people, and you eat like a champ! We expect you to have made big gains in the weight department at your 1-month checkup. Everybody thinks you look like Daddy although as you develop we are seeing your individual features distinguish themselves. For now, it looks as if you'll have your dad's dark blue eyes (of course, knowing that your eyes can still change) and his cowlick!
Love,
Mama
UPDATE: We had your 1-month well baby appointment today and you are 10 lbs 3 oz, for a 3 lb weight gain since your 1-week check! You are also 22", having grown 2.5 inches since birth.
You are one month old. You've survived your first month, spending 90% of it laying in someone's arms, sleeping, yawning, grunting, or looking around contentedly. You are a (mostly) happy baby as long as we've got you in our arms.
Over the last week or so we've been able to lay you down in your crib or bassinet to watch your mobiles, but you still don't really sleep well unless someone is holding you, so we do an awful lot of that.
One of the strangest things about having a second baby is the feeling that even though you've done this before, you kind of haven't. I feel as if I'm learning all over again what it means to have a little baby. Thank goodness for your Aunt M, who gave us some great tips about recognizing when you have gas, and how to exercise those pesky gas bubbles out of you.
You love to look around at things and people, and you eat like a champ! We expect you to have made big gains in the weight department at your 1-month checkup. Everybody thinks you look like Daddy although as you develop we are seeing your individual features distinguish themselves. For now, it looks as if you'll have your dad's dark blue eyes (of course, knowing that your eyes can still change) and his cowlick!
Love,
Mama
UPDATE: We had your 1-month well baby appointment today and you are 10 lbs 3 oz, for a 3 lb weight gain since your 1-week check! You are also 22", having grown 2.5 inches since birth.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Drawing . . .
the sky!
There are a lot more pictures and blog posts coming in the next few days-- as I can get to them-- but here is one photo of R playing with this awesome Fisher-Price magnetic doodle thing that her cousin G brought when my family came to visit the first week of November. R had a blast with this thing and she really got a kick out of drawing and erasing things on it. We have a mini magnadoodle, but we might have to snag one of these larger ones for her, especially for long car rides!
There are a lot more pictures and blog posts coming in the next few days-- as I can get to them-- but here is one photo of R playing with this awesome Fisher-Price magnetic doodle thing that her cousin G brought when my family came to visit the first week of November. R had a blast with this thing and she really got a kick out of drawing and erasing things on it. We have a mini magnadoodle, but we might have to snag one of these larger ones for her, especially for long car rides!
Cousins!
Mine, this time--my only girl cousins on my dad's side. Seeing them made me wish all over again that we lived closer. They are so great. R had a blast with them--showing off all her toys and wearing some foot rattles she got when she was born.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
R 28 and 29 months
Dear R,
I may need to start calling this your "bimonthly newsletter" since that's been the pattern with the last two. I'll do my best to stay on track from here on out, though. I actually started a draft of this last month but then things got wild once your little brother was born!
Before he came, we were seeing lots of new developments in terms of your ever-growing independence. Grammie was in town visiting from the end of September through the end of October, and you and she quickly developed a great morning routine. The two of you would get up around 5 or 5:30 a.m. and she'd brew a pot of coffee while hanging out with you eating cold cereal for breakfast. You're quite good at eating cereal with a spoon, although I have yet to see you eat a complete bowl without getting at least a few handfuls of cereal.
One of your favorite things to do during breakfast is drink the milk out of your bowl. It's so cute. What is slightly less cute are the tantrums you throw--and the yelling that we're sure the entire neighborhood can hear--about the most arbitrary things in the mornings. It could be as simple as you requesting a bowl of "Daddy cereal" and someone guessing wrong exactly what kind of cereal "Daddy cereal" is. You certainly aren't the most chipper creature in the morning.
It's even worse if you've leaked out of your diaper and we have to try to wrestle you out of your pajamas before you've had food. Yikes.
But even better than watching you assert your new-found independence is hearing you tell stories, and to practice "reading" every chance you get. When we read stories at night, you almost always pull two books off the shelf, one for me to read and one for you to read. At first when you did this, I thought you wanted us both to sit silently and read our individual books together. But what you really want is for me to read my book aloud while you hold yours and occasionally flip through the pages. Then we switch books, and you "read" my book while I read yours.
You're getting very interested in imaginative play, and your favorite the last few months has been to put one of your dolls in one of your baby strollers and make one of the following announcements, while you leave whatever room you happen to be in (usually either your room or the living room):
"I put the babies in the stroller"
"I going bye byes"
"I going to the restaurant/aquarium/store"
You love all things baby-related. We bought you some items to help you take care of your babies, including a Fisher-Price doctor's kit (almost identical to one that I had growing up) and Grammie got you a new, more realistic-feeling baby doll for after RUS was born. Unfortunately, while you found these items lots of fun, and have played with them a bunch, they really don't distract you from wanting-- all the time-- to hold RUS. When we try to encourage you to imitate Mommy or Daddy by doing a similar thing that we're doing with your babies, you get very upset and say, "NO! I want to hold that baby!"
Other things you've told us many times over the last two months:
"Shh! The babies are sleeping," after laying your dolls down on various blankets around your room and/or the living room. You also frequently drag your baby crib out of your room down to the living room and watch your dolls sleep in it.
Now that we've moved, we're a little farther away from work (only about a 25-minute walk, really, but less convenient than the previous 7-minute walk) and we drop Daddy off in the mornings before heading to day care. You like to imagine that you're the one doing the dropping off, rather than the one being dropped off, as you sometimes announce "I drop Mommy off at school!"
Imitation is the word of the day here. I'm having a BLAST teaching you new signs almost every day. We don't really use them in everyday conversation, but it's great seeing you be able to move your fingers and imitate what I'm doing with my hands. I've been practicing signs most when we read together at night, although this is sometimes hard because I'm often holding the book at the same time. We also remember during meal times, but we haven't been really consistent with it. You regularly use the sign for "full" as you indicate that you're "all done" at the dinner table. You also like using various animal and color hand signs but not regularly. You've really been practicing the alphabet though, and I'm proud to say you can actually form signs for just about every letter and number although I'm not sure if you know them all yet. You definitely know "R" though!
Love,
Mama
I may need to start calling this your "bimonthly newsletter" since that's been the pattern with the last two. I'll do my best to stay on track from here on out, though. I actually started a draft of this last month but then things got wild once your little brother was born!
Before he came, we were seeing lots of new developments in terms of your ever-growing independence. Grammie was in town visiting from the end of September through the end of October, and you and she quickly developed a great morning routine. The two of you would get up around 5 or 5:30 a.m. and she'd brew a pot of coffee while hanging out with you eating cold cereal for breakfast. You're quite good at eating cereal with a spoon, although I have yet to see you eat a complete bowl without getting at least a few handfuls of cereal.
One of your favorite things to do during breakfast is drink the milk out of your bowl. It's so cute. What is slightly less cute are the tantrums you throw--and the yelling that we're sure the entire neighborhood can hear--about the most arbitrary things in the mornings. It could be as simple as you requesting a bowl of "Daddy cereal" and someone guessing wrong exactly what kind of cereal "Daddy cereal" is. You certainly aren't the most chipper creature in the morning.
It's even worse if you've leaked out of your diaper and we have to try to wrestle you out of your pajamas before you've had food. Yikes.
But even better than watching you assert your new-found independence is hearing you tell stories, and to practice "reading" every chance you get. When we read stories at night, you almost always pull two books off the shelf, one for me to read and one for you to read. At first when you did this, I thought you wanted us both to sit silently and read our individual books together. But what you really want is for me to read my book aloud while you hold yours and occasionally flip through the pages. Then we switch books, and you "read" my book while I read yours.
You're getting very interested in imaginative play, and your favorite the last few months has been to put one of your dolls in one of your baby strollers and make one of the following announcements, while you leave whatever room you happen to be in (usually either your room or the living room):
"I put the babies in the stroller"
"I going bye byes"
"I going to the restaurant/aquarium/store"
You love all things baby-related. We bought you some items to help you take care of your babies, including a Fisher-Price doctor's kit (almost identical to one that I had growing up) and Grammie got you a new, more realistic-feeling baby doll for after RUS was born. Unfortunately, while you found these items lots of fun, and have played with them a bunch, they really don't distract you from wanting-- all the time-- to hold RUS. When we try to encourage you to imitate Mommy or Daddy by doing a similar thing that we're doing with your babies, you get very upset and say, "NO! I want to hold that baby!"
Other things you've told us many times over the last two months:
"Shh! The babies are sleeping," after laying your dolls down on various blankets around your room and/or the living room. You also frequently drag your baby crib out of your room down to the living room and watch your dolls sleep in it.
Now that we've moved, we're a little farther away from work (only about a 25-minute walk, really, but less convenient than the previous 7-minute walk) and we drop Daddy off in the mornings before heading to day care. You like to imagine that you're the one doing the dropping off, rather than the one being dropped off, as you sometimes announce "I drop Mommy off at school!"
Imitation is the word of the day here. I'm having a BLAST teaching you new signs almost every day. We don't really use them in everyday conversation, but it's great seeing you be able to move your fingers and imitate what I'm doing with my hands. I've been practicing signs most when we read together at night, although this is sometimes hard because I'm often holding the book at the same time. We also remember during meal times, but we haven't been really consistent with it. You regularly use the sign for "full" as you indicate that you're "all done" at the dinner table. You also like using various animal and color hand signs but not regularly. You've really been practicing the alphabet though, and I'm proud to say you can actually form signs for just about every letter and number although I'm not sure if you know them all yet. You definitely know "R" though!
Love,
Mama
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Rough Day
Today was difficult.
RUS did not sleep last night--he was wide awake at 2 a.m. until after 4, so, of course J and I were alternating being awake, too.
R has a cold and spent a lot of today insisting on being held and moaning. We think her 2-year molars may be coming in.
RUS spent a lot of today not napping and being fussy. He took his best, sustained nap at 4:45 p.m.
R did not nap at all.
RUS is going through a growth spurt and wanting to nurse A Lot.
Sigh. Tonight will be better, right?
RUS did not sleep last night--he was wide awake at 2 a.m. until after 4, so, of course J and I were alternating being awake, too.
R has a cold and spent a lot of today insisting on being held and moaning. We think her 2-year molars may be coming in.
RUS spent a lot of today not napping and being fussy. He took his best, sustained nap at 4:45 p.m.
R did not nap at all.
RUS is going through a growth spurt and wanting to nurse A Lot.
Sigh. Tonight will be better, right?
Friday, November 6, 2009
Feeling Like a First-Time Mom All Over Again
Since RUS has been born, I've been playing the memory game... the one where I go, "Did R do this when she was 3 weeks old? What did J and I do when R did X, Y, or Z? How did we handle this or that thing?"
So now I have new advice for first-time moms. Keep a journal. Write stuff down. Boring stuff. Stuff like "All I have done today is hold the baby: I held him from 8-9:30 and then got up to pee."
And other stuff like "When nursing in bed, I like using the Boppy as well as the brown pillow under my left arm."
And of course not to forget stuff like "The sling in the baby tub is just for when you are sponge bathing them. You can use the newborn side as soon as you are ready to bathe the baby."
For the record-- I did RUS's first immersion bath today. It went well, I think. He looks so cute when his hair gets washed. It fluffs out and looks lighter and more brown. When it is dirty it gets slightly greasy and looks darker--almost black.
I really can't believe how much I don't remember about taking care of a newborn.
More on this soon, but I also don't remember much about taking care of a 9-month-old! We had a ball with our nephews this week-- Trucker is 9 months!!-- and I kept thinking to myself, "I can't remember when R was doing this stuff." And dang if I didn't start this blog until she was almost 1. Boo.
Not making that mistake this time.
So now I have new advice for first-time moms. Keep a journal. Write stuff down. Boring stuff. Stuff like "All I have done today is hold the baby: I held him from 8-9:30 and then got up to pee."
And other stuff like "When nursing in bed, I like using the Boppy as well as the brown pillow under my left arm."
And of course not to forget stuff like "The sling in the baby tub is just for when you are sponge bathing them. You can use the newborn side as soon as you are ready to bathe the baby."
For the record-- I did RUS's first immersion bath today. It went well, I think. He looks so cute when his hair gets washed. It fluffs out and looks lighter and more brown. When it is dirty it gets slightly greasy and looks darker--almost black.
I really can't believe how much I don't remember about taking care of a newborn.
More on this soon, but I also don't remember much about taking care of a 9-month-old! We had a ball with our nephews this week-- Trucker is 9 months!!-- and I kept thinking to myself, "I can't remember when R was doing this stuff." And dang if I didn't start this blog until she was almost 1. Boo.
Not making that mistake this time.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
More Halloween Fun
Halloween was a big production in our house this year, It all started with pumpkin carving-- Grampie bought three small pumpkins from the grocery store, and a few days before Halloween, Grammie, R, and J carved them up. I abstained from the carving because I was feeding RUS and then holding him while he slept. He really sleeps best when someone is holding him, so we do a lot of that. In fact, I am typing this blog entry one-handed with him in my arms.Scooping out seeds! We roasted them the next morning. Yum!
I love R's faces. It's kind of hard to get a photo of her where she is looking at the camera and not making a ridiculous face.
R, as you might have guessed, is not to be trusted with sharp implements so she spent her time using a small plastic poker-thing to poke holes in the tops of the pumpkins. The funniest moment of the day was when Grammie snapped the poker-thing J had been using and R got hysterical. She was so upset! And kept saying over and over, "Grammie broke Daddy's poker!" and wailing. It took quite a bit of reassuring to convince her that it was okay and that J wasn't upset about it.
Finished products!
And here's R after returning from trick-or-treating on Halloween. She made out with a TON of candy!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Some recent photos of RUS
RUS at 11 days old....
a few days later...
and on Halloween with GiGi, 2.5 weeks old
a few days later...
and on Halloween with GiGi, 2.5 weeks old
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween!
R was a scarecrow for Halloween this year. Here she is wearing her costume at our town's annual Halloween Parade, after which there was trick-or-treating at a bunch of local businesses.
We found most of the items for her costume in the dollar bins at Target, and Grammie skillfully arranged the raffia/straw around her shirt and hat. I love it!
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