Chunky Monkey

Our boy continues to grow and grow. At his 2 month appointment he weighed in at 16.6 pounds which is off the charts ("over 97th percentile") and his length has caught up a bit and he is in the 50th percentile. And we thought our girl was a big baby. As you can tell from pictures he has a nice extra layer to keep him warm this winter. He has blown by his early clothes and is about out of the 3 month size.Here he is with his teacher on his first day of school. Age: 9 weeks

We had Eleanor's 1.5 year appointment the same day ans she is in the 95th percentile in weight and height. The doc did find that she had an ear infection so she is taking bubblegum flavored medicine, which she loves.

She continues to have a interest in what Jack is doing and has started mimicking what we do by taking care of her baby. She likes to feed her baby, burp him, and change his diapers over and over and over . . .

Last Day

Today is my last day home alone with my son Jack. It has made me somewhat reflective and put me in a blog-writing mood. Getting to be a mom full time is something I have enjoyed. It's given Jack and I time to get to know one another. But, I know this much about myself: I need to work outside the home. I love my job, my co-workers, my works' purpose. I also know that leaving every day makes me a better mom. So, after 9 weeks, it has come to an end. I'll miss our days together JC, but don't worry, we'll have lots of special time together as you grow.

Jack will start Goddard on Monday and Nora's teachers told me they will take her down to visit him from time to time. She will love that. I'll check in next week and let you know how the new schedule is working, how getting back to work is working, and when on earth the house chores get done (my best guess? On the weekends or after kids are asleep).

Adjusting to Baby Brother

Since everyone asks how Nora is doing with a new baby brother, I thought I would show you. She is doing great, for the most part....she hugs, kisses, and loves on him as much as we will let her. And we let her, so that she feels connected to him, despite the petrie dish of germs she comes home from school as everyday. He needs to build his immune system anyway, right?

There has been one sort-of interesting thing... She wants to sit and be "in" his things, evidence below:In his vibrating chair. No vibrations or music needed, just likes to be in there yanking the dangling bunny down from its apparatus.

And, here she is in his Pack 'n' Play, which we used extensively with a newborn Eleanor for changing diapers and taking naps. Turns out with an 18 month old on the loose, it can be pretty dangerous for a newborn. Eleanor would come up to it and shake it vigorously while Jack was inside. She never did it for more than a second, but needless to say, the P 'n' P is now upstairs and used only when Nora is at school.
Nora's biggest hurdle to overcome with her baby brother is in not knowing that she is big and Jack is small. That his limbs do not move like a doll's limbs (she pulls at them in any random angle she pleases). And, that Mommy's and Daddy's attention is better when focused on one child rather than both at the same time.

But, despite the abuse she inflicts on him, Nora is ultra protective of Jack. Just yesterday, I took him in to meet his new teachers and then picked up Nora in her classroom. Well, she shoved 3 different kids away from the stroller when they came close to see Jack. While I corrected her to be nice to her friends, I was glad that she cared about him (even if it is just a possession thing and not a love thing). For being 17 months apart, Nora is doing great with him. So, we're all adjusting. One more week off and I am back to work, so we'll see how hectic life gets then.

Talking

The last few weeks Eleanor's spoken vocabulary has been increasing daily. She started by trying to repeat words we would say, but recently has started saying new words on her own. For example, in the tub the other day she said "bubbles" without any prompting. Everyday more caveman grunts are replaced with words.

It would be impossible to make a complete list of everything she has said or tried to say, but currently her three favorite words are, "Jack!"(always said with great vigor), "Momma" (usually repeated over and over), and "nooooooo" (said in a sing song fashion with a head shake).


Jackson continues to develop and has started tracking our voices and movement. If he could run I'm sure he would whenever he heard "Jack!" as EKG can be a bit over zealous in her affection for her brother.