6 months

Dear Daughter,
Half a year. MAN OH MAN. I won't lie, lately I have felt this weird compulsion to start planning your 1st birthday.. but then I'd stop myself and say 'no, you crazy fool, it's WAY too early for that!'.. but then wait.. it's not. It's 6 months away! (which, in my corrupted over-punctual mind, is the perfect time to start planning something like this) Should I also start pre-registration for Harvard? It almost feels that way, time is just slipping through my fingers. I wish you didn't have so many delicious baby fat-rolls and I wish you didn't smell as good as you do, because damn. It's going to be gone someday! Your rolls will slowly thin out and your baby-lavender Aveeno soap/baby smell will be replaced with a distinct mixture of Play Doh and cheetos. And that makes me a little weepy.
On a more positive note, you are doing so many new things, I can't keep up. For one, you are a bonafied totally professional unassisted sitter. I don't think Andrew was a pro at this until closer to 7 months, so the fact that you achieved this about a week before turning 6 months old sort of scares me. You hear about girls being early developers than boys, and you even read about it in the preachy over-informative baby development books. And it's scary! Because who wants a 9 month old that can walk??! NOT I. I know, when Andrew was a little on the later side of walking/crawling, I was so annoyingly anxious and sometimes-frustrated, but looking back, man I had it made! I'll take later development over early any day of the week. I don't think you're hearing me on this, though. You're very likely to be walking before your first birthday, and even more likely to be doing our taxes by Kindergarten.
When I put you down in the middle of the living room, sitting up, surrounded by fun toys to grab (and knaw on) so that I can go do dishes or some other quick chore, you often are just fine until you look up and see me somewhere else. You'll make eye contact with me (or I'll be a total noob and call your name to get you to look up, what am I thinking?!?!) and then just lose it. Sad sad sobbing, of the 'why did you abandon me foooorever?!?' variety. And it's SO CUTE. With Andrew, I remember this phase, and it annoyed me, not going to lie. The constant clinginess. But you know, subsequent babies are awesome in that a healthy dose of perspective comes free with package! I know this stage is so fleeting, and you're crying because you want to be around me! How adorable and just awesome is that! It makes it even more awesome when your brother acts out on such a regular basis that clearly, he must have a vengeful pact to put me in the nuthouse. So your obsession with being around me is way more than flattering. It's renewing.
O yes, something noteworthy, your source of food has drastically changed recently. From tap to bottle. It started to become slightly challenging to nurse you, for many reasons.. I knew I would be infinitely happier/saner if I weaned you to bottles. You went probably a good 3 months though of TOTALLY refusing all bottles. You might deign to take a whole ounce, sometimes, if you were starving and the stars were aligned properly. But for the most part, no. You also physically gagged at the taste of just 1/4th formula to 3/4th breastmilk mixture. Long boring story short, after spending much money on much bottles, you finally started taking one. Naturally, the bottle we started with (and thankfully were in high supply of, thanks to secondhand from Andrew) The fact that you now take five 5-6-ounce bottles of 100% formula in a 24 hour period still seems like a small miracle to me. My boobs are still not the dried up lifeless pancakes I was hoping they'd be by now, but I gotta be patient. They'll get the memo eventually.
You think Andrew is hilarious. No matter what he does. He has a very specific intonation of 'Peeeekabooooo' and you die. Every time. He has no regard whatsoever for your personal space, and while this GREATLY annoyed me at first (for while I love you (differently but) equally, you are a baby and he is a germy preschooler), I now have found several parts about it to be oh so grateful for. Like how you grab at his face, because that's just what you do, and he never gets irritated with this. He just ducks and covers or puts your hands elsewhere..  I know all too soon, you'll be going for his hair but not in a curious innocent kind of way. Instead of laughter, I'm sure to hear 'I'm telling!'..  so I'll savor this stage we're in.
You do an indescribably cute pig snort. Yep - total 100% pig snort. You scrunch up your nose and sort of breathe really heavy and fast..  SO adorable. I have plenty of videos of this, of course with me saying 'who's mommy's little piggy???'..  I am saving these little gems specifically for your prom date.
You hate outfit changes. Pulling and pushing your flailing little body into the cutest of clothes is quite the Olympic feat. You often cry - but it's just the cutest cry ever. So high-pitched and just dripping with annoyance over the cruel injustices of outfit changes.. I laugh every time.
You weighed in at your 6 month appointment at 17 pounds 12 ounces. And 27 and 3/4 inches. 99th percentile for height and 88th for weight. Hearty stock.
You nap three times a day still. Always around 9am, then again around 12 or 12:30, then again between 3 and 4. Your last nap of the day will definitely be the first to go - once we attempt to put you on two naps a day. You go to bed almost every night around 7:40. You get a bath every night, too. Totally not necessary, but we are very much creatures of habit, and let's face it: a chubby naked wet baby is the best kind of baby.
You are being very slow about solids.. not ever truly eager to shovel in the puree presented to you.. but we tried puffs yesterday, and they went well. Not at all like the first time I gave one to Andrew, whenst he gagged and then vomited all over himself. You looked confused, but happily let it dissolve in your toothless mouth..  success! You also are a whiz at the straw cup. We're just going to skip traditional sippy cups altogether, lessen the odds of a lisp and all that, so your quick study of the straw has been very helpful. It's that 'voracious suck' (God I love saying that) that all those lactation consultants marveled over..  you sucked the latex glove right off one of those ladies' fingers, as a 2 day old baby, so is it any surprise you know what to do with a straw?!














You are just the most gorgeous, sweeeeeeetest little nugget of baby girl that ever was. You bring me daily joy and laughter and I love you SO SO much. Happy half-year.

Recently

To both my kiddos,
You are both so precious to me. There's always so much going on in your day-to-day development that it's hard to sit down and hope I remember it all. And scribbling down quick notes when I think of them always just passes me by. Too much in one day. I'll just wing it as I usually do....
Avery:

You are 5.5 months as I type this. You are just a big nugget of delicious-ness. To say you are the most edible baby that ever was is a serious understatement. I kiss your round cheeks and your fleshy neck ALL day long. You now grab your feet when on the changing table, I think you just discovered you had them. Also while changing, you twist and turn and go stiff-legged.. so it's become semi-challenging. I can imagine as time passes that it will only get worse. We used the changing table with Andrew up until he was out of diapers (2 yrs 4 mts old), never really having to use the floor as most do, because of physical challenges, and being on the go. I think this might not be the case with you! The changing table might not see it to age 2!
You look so so much like my mother, moreso every passing day. You look like her when you make certain faces, you look like her from the side, you look like her while you sleep. And it's not just me who knows this, plenty of others have commented. It's amazing to me.. I miss my mother so much, and I still don't really display any photos of her around the house. Maybe one on the fridge, because it's just too hard. I actually prefer how crazy-busy life keeps me that I can't ever sit and dwell on the deep loss I know is there.. so I haven't made much effort to surround myself with her image. But, you. You remind me so much of her.. and it's not one bit painful. It's absolutely incredible. God makes all babies perfect in their own way, and special.. but I think He made you look like her with every intention to keep her here with us, because her time on Earth was just far too short. We get to see her everyday, in you, and my gosh that just makes me want to cry just writing that. You are so special, you have no idea. It also makes me laugh sometimes, when you are being a fussy little toot at the most inopportune times (think: dinner burning, toddler misbehaving, doorbell ringing, cue your cries!) and you look like a mini version of my mother. Sometimes you are also my mother's revenge!
You are so in love with Andrew. Every Tues and Thurs at preschool pick-up time, if you are awake, you absolutely light up at the sight of him, in the backseat of the car. I swear, I can't get you to smile that huge and genuine ALL day.. just the sight of him and you just radiate. He plays little games with you, specifically the 'Where's Avery' game..  he turns opposite from you, saying 'Wheeere's Avery.. where's Avery?!?'.. then turns really fast and says 'There you ARE!'.. and you smile SO big. When he can get a real laugh out of you, he is so proud of himself. It's really something.

Right now, you love to be held... I think you are in the midst of your first separation-anxiety phase.. one of many, if you are anything like Andrew was! I remember our old pediatrician telling us something (3 years ago, with him) that seemed so brilliant, yet so commonsense.. for us to really be diligent with saying 'I'll be right back!' every time we left the room, if for 30 seconds or 3 minutes.. to always say that. So we've been trying to do that a lot. If you start fussing when we have to leave your sight, 9 times out of 10, Andrew will come barrelling in to console you.. usually saying 'it's ok Avery! don't worry!!!'.. or 'I'll take care of you!'..   He does this also, in the car, if you start to fuss a few miles before home (or our destination).. he'll say 'we're allllmost there! it's ok!'
But for as sweet as Andrew is with you, he is also a tad rough at times. I think he wants to really see how far he can go, how much he can get away with.. he tries to roll you over, which we have to repeat ourselves daily that this is NOT OKAY, and he likes to hover over you - very nerve wracking considering how large he is. He also has pulled on your arms/legs while we are carrying you.. or pushed down a bit too hard on your belly.. all of this has not yet made you cry or even fuss.. so clearly he hasn't hurt you yet. But is is exhausting on my end, constantly reiterating to be gentle... 
You just started sleeping on your belly. This gets us more sleep, which is no surprise really..  we've just always been too nervous to intentionally place your on your belly. Now you do it all on your own. And we never flip you back over, unless you wake up crying.. and even then, we roll you on your side. I don't think I ever saw Andrew sleep on his stomach as a baby, so this is new territory!
You started blowing raspberries right at 4.5 months. It was a pretty big obsession for a few days, then it tapered off and you didn't do it for a few weeks. I am glad it's not a huge obsession anymore, because trying to get you to have a focused nursing session during that time was all but impossible. Yes, you blew raspberries upon my nipples. It was sometimes messy.  :>/ 
You aren't what I consider a 'drooler'. Andrew was. Our person was always covered in his drool.. his outfits always adorned with a soaked drool bib. You really don't drool that much, but I know that can change overnight! Speaking of drool, you have one tooth I know is coming in..  it's been a white spot on your gums for about 2 months now. Slowly but surely!
You can sit up for just a few seconds on your own, before falling backwards or forwards (or to the side!).. I don't know why I am encouraging this mobility, as I know it leads to MORE mobility.. but it's pretty cute. I think the girth of your thighs will serve you well in anchoring you to the ground, when you are truly ready to sit by yourself.
I can't believe you will be 6 months old in just a few weeks..  half a year. It seems like nothing, in the grand scheme of things, 6 months IS a very short time.. but when I look at the helpless little squawking newborn you were just a handful of months ago, to the roll-y little nugget of joy you are now?? Makes my head spin a little...
Andrew: Child. What can I say? That I've considered selling you on ebay lately? That I've screamed into a pillow at the end of one brutal day with you? That we have just ordered 2 (maybe 3?) discipline books on amazon, because we feel completely out of our league? So. You've been.. a challenge. One curve-ball of discipline needs after another. And all of this following about 3 years of near-perfect, who am I kidding ANGELIC, behavior..  and oh yes, also following the birth of your little sister. So to say I am tired.. well, that's just a ridiculous understatement. Last night was the first night in ohhhhh.. a year? that you got up in the middle of the night, requiring both of us to come negotiate you going back to sleep. It was also the night that Avery decided to throw us a super long sleep stretch, so that makes perfect sense right? Pretty standard, I hear.
I don't know what it is, really. I think we have let a few misbehaviors slide, because we were focused too much on 'picking our battles', given the huge life change you were experiencing with a new sibling. All those misbehaviors gave way to new ones, and snowball effect blah blah blah. Or maybe it's an age thing? I really have no idea and I'm honestly too tired to venture guesses. All I know is, you are not very pleasant to be around a lot of the time. I'm sorry, but let's just stop beating around the bush! It doesn't mean we don't love you any less right now.. but kid? Sometimes we don't like you very much. You seem to make it a point to be as loud as possible, all. the. time. When we ask you to please use an inside-voice, you sometimes cackle in our faces. Your tantrums have reached epic proportions.. it would shock the neighbors, that is for sure. One fatal mistake on my behalf, such as ohhhh I dunno, turning the TV off before bedtime (after allowing YOU to do it, but you stalling, and me giving you way too many chances) and it's ScreamFest 2011. Top of the lungs, body thrown into the middle of the hall, refusing and and all requests (demands) regarding bath/bedtime. Add in a tired fussy baby who unfortunately has to take a bath after you, and it's some goooood times over here!
Two main problems we are dealing with: knowing the difference between on purpose and an accident. And lying. They sort of intertwine, am I right? You lie. A lot. About little inconsequential things, but still. And when I catch you in a lie - and of course, say the word 'lie' - you maniacally laugh.. as you think the word 'lie' is the funniest word ever. You say it, laugh hysterically, repeat 10 times before I can get your attention to move on. Its... maddening. And when I finally got my point across to please not DO THAT, you said 'la'.. and laughed. After calling you on it, you said 'but I didn't say LIE! I said la!'... Oh child. I am in for it, am I not???!
As I type this, (you are outside w/your father and sister) you are ringing the doorbell incessantly, laughing like a nutjob for the entire street to hear. I cannot catch a break, even separated by brick walls. 

I could literally go on for pages.. you do so much that irritates all of us these days. But just tonight, at dinner, you thanked me, unprompted, as you do every night. You stopped eating, looked at me, and said 'thank you for dinner!'..  And when your father got home, you immediately asked him how his day was. Totally unprompted and from the bottom of your heart. You have your moments, and lots of them.. but we still know how lucky we are. We won't call SuperNanny... yet.

3.5 years

Dear Andrew,
You are just about 3 and a half years old. I know I do the monthly letters to your sister, but I don't want you to feel slighted (years from now, when you will hopefully read these). I could do monthly letters to you too, but I think we all know it's much easier to do with a baby, when their development changes in leaps in bounds in a matter of days and weeks. Quite a few things have changed with you though, these past few months that should definitely be recorded.

You are getting so much more outgoing! You have always been a little ham (or turkey) at home, but it's always been a struggle to get you to engage other kids your age. You have always loved kids your age, but moreso in a passive way.. observing and laughing at them.. not a lot of active engaging. Lately, you are very quick to say hello and they you are THREE! and your name.. and 'dragonflies are good, because they don't sting you.. they're not wasps..' and etc etc. It's funny to watch you at the park, because if you see a kid your age, you go right up to them and just say whatever comes to your mind first. I am so proud of you, doing this. It's been a long time coming. But also apprehensive. When you put yourself out there, you always run the risk of some little bratty kid making fun of you, or saying they don't give a flying fart about dragonflies. I guess this is the beginning of letting you go though, letting you put yourself out there and deal with the sometimes unfair rejection. Speaking of, I had to let you do this one big-kid ladder thing, too. The other kid you met wanted to do it with you, and you, being a pretty stringent rule-follower, told him 'no, I can't. I'm not 10 yet!' .. See, this certain ladder is maaaybe age-appropriate for a 5-6 year old, not a 3 year old. So I threw out some big number to you, saying you could do it when you were 10. When the kid asked you to do it, I yelled over to you that you could give it a try - and sure enough, you scaled that big scary ladder with no problem. Over and over and over.
You will see a kid while we're at the store and look up at me and say 'I wanna talk to them'.. and I'll either say 'ok sure' or 'hmm... he looks pretty busy...' (which translates to: 'he looks like he might be a real turd and I'd rather you not run the risk of having your feelings hurt') Just the other day at the park, you approached a group of 7 (!!) year olds, because you felt the extremely strong urge to warn them of gum on the slide. I was worried that they would look at you like a little 3-year old pest, but they surprised me and asked if you wanted to play with them. They said 'we'll play easy on you.. we're playing angels and devils.. you can be an angel.. they're good!'... I think you smiled and just looked at them, having no idea what 'angels and devils' was.
All this outgoing behavior hasn't yet transferred over to preschool though. Kids you have known for over a year now still get the silent treatment from you. You talk about them endlessly at home, giving me the little-kid-scoop (gossip!), but you are virtually mute when you are with them. I don't understand this, but then there's quite a bit about kids I don't understand.

You love love LOVE to make Avery smile. In the backseat, you have a perfect view of her, and she you. You literally do not have to do a thing, and you elicit the biggest grins and noises from her. I do use it to my advantage, at home, when I need to get things done. If I can sense she's nearing fussiness, and I have chores I need to accomplish, I'll ask you to please sing her a song or make her smile. It always works and always buys me a few spare minutes.

This summer has been absolutely cruel with the heat, and the past week has finally shown us some comfortable temps. We have spent a lot of time outside and at parks, and you just go nuts. You have SO much energy pent up, and I do feel guilty for that. It's hard for me to run and play with you with a little baby on my hip, but you have seemed to forgive and forget for all the lack of physical play this summer. Recently, I taught you something with the sole intention of ooging your father out (one must get their kicks)... I taught you that giving someone a kiss on each cheek was called a French Kiss - which is NOT a huge stretch, as it's widely known that the French do love their social cheek kissing. Anyways, you love to grab my face at night when I tuck you in, kiss one cheek, then the other, and say 'Fwench Kiss!'
More bedtime related cuteness: our routine is pajamas, pick out a book, read, then sing our 'God Our Father' song, then do prayers. When we pray, your routine is to say all you're thankful for - you always start by saying 'Daddy and Mommy and Avery and Andrew (must include yourself!)' and you'll sometimes say 'thinking and loving and having fun..and a good house, good food, outside playing, bubbles..' and then the last part will change nightly, usually something fun you saw/did/ate that day. Then the very last part of prayer-time, I ask you what we can ask God for help with, and you'll relate some current issue to that part... maybe you accidentally hit Avery, so you'll say 'help with not hitting and being sweet'.. or 'listening to mommy better'. Or something particular to that day's events. And then sometimes you're so tired you just recite all the good things you're thankful for over again. It all works, God cares and so do I!

We recently started soccer with you, and it's a work in progress! You really don't love to sweat, so if it's a hot game or practice day? Forget it. If it's mild out, we can cross our fingers that you might run or think about kicking the ball. At the game yesterday, you ran! You RAN! The game prior to that one, you were stationary. Totally at a stand-still. So we think this is a 100% improvement. :) We're optimistic you might kick it over the course of the season. You are sometimes zoned out completely during a game (and on the field), but really, I don't blame you. Parents are yelling at each of their kids, and there's just SO much going on. It's all but impossible for a 3 year old to focus. But, when the coach calls your name and gives you directions, you are quick to follow them. And your spirit is just so positive - always high-fiving and thumbs-upping and excited to play more. Makes us so proud.

You love to randomly say 'when I was a baby, I would say __ like this: ___' - example: 'When I was a baby, I would say Breakfast like this: BREAK!' or 'When I was a baby, I would say Sandwich like this: SAND!' And you'll erupt with laughter over this little funny of yours. You think it's just hilarious to say how you used to say a word as a baby - taking the first syllable of it. 

You weighed in at 36 pounds at the dr office the other day. You are around 40 inches tall. At this pace, you will outweigh your father by 20 pounds by around the age of 10. And tower over him by the age of 8. I hope you are kind and take him for piggy-back rides when he asks nicely.

You wear mostly 3T. Some shirts are 4T and 5T though - if they run small. This still amazes me, because I can vividly remember seeing 4T shirts in the store, when you were a baby, and thinking Noooooo... he'll NEVER be that big. Impossible. Oh yes, this might embarrass you, but you still wear a size 2T-3T undies (the same size when you first sported them a year ago when we potty-trained you).. tiny heiny.  Just like your father.

You are seemingly going through a growth spurt. For lunch the other day, you downed your usual 3 veggie-chicken nuggets, plus veggie sticks, a cheese stick, a plum, and a banana. Sometimes I think you're stalling getting out of your chair and cleaning up when you ask for more food (after the food I put before you gets inhaled), but no.. you're really truly hungry! To test to see if you're hungry or just stalling, I'll offer you something you might not normally ask for (a banana, usually) and most times you'll say 'meh, can I have chips instead?' And I'll always say 'banana or nothing'.. and I know you're hungry, because you always resign yourself to the banana and wolf it down. I fear for our bank account when you are a hungry growing teenager.

Your current favorite song is I Walk The Line - no, not the original by Johnny Cash. We listen to Joaquin. You also love the oldies station. When the song Penny Lane came on the other day, you instantly said 'Hey that's the Beatles!' - I am 100% sure you've never heard that song, but your ear for their music is just that spot-on. But, you went on to say the next 4 songs were The Beatles, too. ;)

You are quite particular about your routine, too. Always have been really. But lately, if I do something (almost always in the interest of time) out of the routine, you REALLY let me know you don't like this. For example: teeth brushing. You always hop up on the stool, grab the toothbrush, and turn the water on (then I get the toothpaste.. etc.).. If you are moving at a snail's pace, and I deign to grab the toothbrush or turn the water on, I cannot simply say 'oops sorry!' and give you the toothbrush. No. You put the toothbrush BACK in the holder and then get it. Or you must turn the water back off - then YOU must turn it back on. I'm becoming more wise to the fact that it actually takes LESS time if I let you go about your occasional snail's pace at things.



I won't lie, kid. These past 6 months have been WAY more difficult than I ever anticipated. You have been throwing some tantrums (mild, but frequent) and showing some fierce defiance that I never saw coming. Add a baby to the mix, and you have some long days. People (mothers) always warned me that 3 was way worse than 2. And I now believe them. But you know? I still am most definitely in the lucky camp. You have such a sweet good heart, and such a desire to please and make us proud. You are so full of life and fun and silliness, how can I wish this age away? Before long, all this energy will be replaced with an adult desire to sit in front of a tv or computer, and I'll long for your boundless energy. The same little boy, so mad over having to put his shoes on and laying flat on the floor crying over this fact might someday show passive indifference over going places with me. Embarrassment, even. I'd rather have the meltdown, thanks. I'll close my eyes and picture you giving me a Fwench Kiss, and I will very much miss these days.

4 months

Dear Avery, 

My sweet girl is 4 months old!! So many new things..  let's list them:

* So chatty. Lots of funny drawn out sounds... especially when you are on your back on the playmat and life is carrying on around you (meaning, you aren't getting 100% of our attention). Also when we are in the car and you are supposed to be napping. I think your brother really believes you are talking JUST to him, which is adorable.

* You are waking less at night - but, I really don't want to go into too much detail here. I know I know.. the jinx isn't real!!! But sometimes, oh my GOD it so IS REAL. So, maybe we'll re-cap your sleep in a few months. Or never. But, for the sake of documenting milestones of sorts, I will say that we ditched the swaddle about a week and a half ago. You were busting out of it every 2-3 hours, and so we bit the bullet, starting with 2 days of swaddle-free naps. It has gone well!

* You weighed in at 16 pounds 1 oz at your 4 month appointment. Your brother, at the same age, weighed 16 pounds 7 ounces. So, not very different. You clocked in taller though. You were 95th percentile in weight, and 100th percentile in height. And your head circumference was 16.5 - which is funny, because I never really knew the significance of head circumference before.. and now I do! Ordering girly headbands online!! They always ask for head circumference. So yes, all medical things aside, I now find this measurement quite useful.

* You are still nursing.. still hating on most fake nipples. You'll take a pacifier sometimes - but ONLY when it's right before you take a nap. And ONLY if you see it first and deign to accept it - if we put it in your mouth, sight unseen (or if you're already crying) - forget it! Bottles are always a crapshoot at best, which makes leaving you with your father always stressful for me... but.... what're ya gonna do?? This has become my mantra of sorts, because we've exhausted all recommended methods/ideas to get you to take a bottle more consistently. Eh. What are ya gonna do???! I'm just grateful you nurse well. We went through a 2 week period recently where you were quite difficult (roughly the exact same age your brother was weaned completely!), but things are back to normal now.

* You love to be held. Way more than your brother ever did. He never loved to be held 'like a baby' (cradle position).. but you love it. You look so relaxed and just at peace, being held by whomever.. chilling out. 

* You are grabbing at things - but not all the time. Your little fists are still so tightly clenched all the time.. when we dangle an object/toy in front of you - you stop and focus on it, then you sort of rake it closer to you using more of your arms than your hands. You get frustrated sometimes when you clearly WANT to hold something, but just can't. 

* You really love to be held during dinner time. We had usually put you in the bouncer while we ate - so we could all eat a little easier... but you just fuss and squawk and kick your legs so furiously, and we can just feel you staring us down - we always end up picking you up and holding you, sitting up on one of our legs while we eat. Then, you are just calm as can be - watching all of us intently.

* You just recently showed some fear over the hair-dryer. Every time I turned it on, you would cry SO hard and would look so scared/sad. It was beyond cute, obviously, but I'll be wearing my hair wavy for a while I think.

* Just the past few days you have wanted to bear weight on your stubby little legs. It's the cutest thing EVER. And you are solid, too! You lock those legs and you don't move an inch! (and when you do this, the rolls and dimples are just that much more prominent and edible..)

* You wear mostly all 6-9 month clothes. Definitely outgrown your 3 month stash - and most all of the 3-6 month sizes, too. We've put you in several size 12 months things, and they fit well. At this rate, I'll be shopping in the toddler section WELL before you are toddling.

You're the most beautiful little 4 month old we know, we love you!

Hair Today......... Gone Tomorrow

 

Just wanted to do a quick comparison of my kids.


No, not anything developmental.. nothing that would give them any extra ammo against me in adult therapy sessions. Hair loss. Both my babies have lost the majority of their baby-bird-soft hair at approximately the same age. Right around 3 months old. (Yes, I too have lost copious amounts of hair at this exact same time, but you will not find me posting side-by-side pics of the return of my receding hairline.) Neither are stomach sleepers, so their tossing and turning in the crib/bouncer/car-seat have much to do with the sides being totally lost. The hair, for Andrew at least, returns in a few months.. And, so far, the moms of little girls I've talked to? They all say long hair is so overrated. The washing.. styling.. etc etc..   I'll take some bald sides for as long as I can get them!

The last two pics are Andrew. His hair loss was a lot more pronounced. Mange-like, even.

3 months

Dear Daughter,

You are actually 3 months and 3 days old, as I type this. With Andrew, I typically had monthly update posts written in draft a day or two ahead of time, ready to click publish. And then off I went, with smug satisfaction, to eat a hot breakfast while I made mealplans for the week, right before I, ya know, exercised or something. Times have changed!
So, here are a few things about being 3 months old:
It's really a cute cute age. I know, how can I say one age is cuter than another? They are ALL so cute. But, I think 3 months really marks the end of the newborn-stage. I know, sad that that stage is over and all.. but now you smile and laugh a bit and are just generally more aware that you are ALIVE. You look at things and follow everything with your eyes and really just take it all in.
Your new way of laughing is just beyond cute. You open your mouth and make this 'huh huh huh' sound.. and sometimes we get a BIG hiccup of laughter. The louder we get, doing whatever we're doing to make you laugh, the louder you get. These magical moments end the same way 99% of the time. The volume level of the fun we're having intrigues your brother to come and say something like 'mommy? mommy?? mooommmmy?!?! guess what?? MOMMY??!'... wherein I am forced to break the moment with you to attend to the obviously critically important thing he has to tell me. 'Yes Andrew?'.. 'MOMMY! I found.. A HAIR!' Moment over.
Bathtime is still just the best time of day. Even if you are fussing prior to bathtime (which is more rare these days, thank goodness), you immediately become the smiliest most zen baby ever, in the tub. And the way you lock eyes with me the entire time? Heart MELTING. You look at me seriously the ENTIRE time, and I love love love it. And if I sing (bathroom acoustics make me sound so much less horrid), you smile so big. A wet smiley baby is just the best kind of baby, if you ask me. Other than a baby that's been sleeping 10 hours.. but that's asking for quite a bit.
You are so very responsive to us talking to you. You make this one sound quite a bit - a /K/ sound, but more.. raspy. You need more saliva in your throat to make it the right way.. I know this because I've told others to do the /K/ sound, and they do, but not quite right, and you don't respond to it the same way. I'm your mother, so I insitinctively know how to do this special raspy sound you love. It's what mothers do.
You smile so very big whenever we initiate conversation with you. And just today you did the BIGGEST belly laughs I've ever seen - I was holding both your hands and shaking them pretty wildly. So of course I go for the camera. Try to recreate the scene.. and.. nothing. I think it's a lesson I should learn better, to just live in the damn moment and forget about the camera sometimes.
You are also losing copious amounts of hair, which is par for the course for a 3 month old. I am also losing copious amounts of hair. So it's nice that we can share this little indignity together. I know yours will grow back beautifully, and as for me, I know I'll have some weird/cute little baby-hairs for a while.

You are slowly but surely starting to grab things.. although right now it's still a very spastic sort of raking motion to your mouth. I'll dangle a toy in front of you and you'll spazz for a moment, then slow your arms down to rake it towards your face.. maybe 50% of the time it makes it all the way. I know in a matter of just weeks you'll have this move down and be shoveling everything in your wake into your little mouth.
You nap about 3 or 4 times a day. Each nap is anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour. We haven't really gotten longer than that lately. You stay awake for roughly 1.5 hours between naps, but sometimes it's shorter than that. I can tell pretty well when you're going glassy-eyed and need to go back down again. Still swaddled. No regretting that! At night, you'll typically go between 4 and 6 hours for the first sleep stretch, then up to eat, then another 3-4 hour stretch. Then after that last stretch, you get to sleep in the bouncer in our room.. it's just our way of being super lazy at the end of the night and ensuring you sleep past 6am. Bouncer trumps crib every time. Some nights are good, others not so good...  last night being the latter, due to my poor decision to drink large amounts of Diet Dr Pepper late in the day (I thought it was caffeine free! I swears!)
You have lately gotten a little bit picky about your source of food. You've forgone the bottle, screaming bloody murder at even the scent of a fake nipple HOW DARE US???! And even with food from the source, you sometimes reject it, only wanting to be fed by me in bed, laying down side by side. Which of course, is just awesome and very relaxing, but not so conducive to life with a 3 year old, who has been 'plugged in' far more often than not because of recent life changes. It'll change in a matter of days though, I am sure.

See? That's the cool thing about 2nd children. Perspective. I admit, I do still get a tiny bit dramatic when we hit a difficult stage.. thinking it will surely last FOR-EVER, but I do have a small amount more perspective with you than I did with your brother. I know how the bad are all just stages.. which means the good are, too - so be grateful for ALL the good. All ebb and flow and whatnot, and you pull the rug out from under us all the time. We have to be on our toes, and it's wonderful. Your sweet little laugh makes any difficult stage so very bearable. :)

July

Here's a little juxtaposition (how often does one get to use that word?!) of my children. One is happy. Needing very little more than the dusty rotating blades of a ceiling fan to coax a gummy delicious smile from. Simply happy to be alive. And absolutely edible when in just a diaper. The other? Mad. Opinionated. Misunderstood (or so he'd claim). Very much the definition of ALL those 'been there done that' parents who have scared other younger mothers about '3 being the new 2'. THEY WERE RIGHT. Those two's were not so terrible, no, not at all. They were downright terrific. The 3's truly are a force to be reckoned with. Thankfully, he isn't the only child anymore, and I don't have the time to cater to his tantrums that happen when the wind changes. He gets the time-out chair. Or sent to his room. And 9 times out of 10, when told he has to leave my presence, he pastes on a fake smile and says 'I'm ready to act right now'. Ok, great. He can stay. Until 4.5 minutes later when the cycle repeats. Some days are veeeery very long. Some days are great though, and the tantrums are very minimal. He truly is a sweet child at heart, and I think a lot of the frustration comes from simply plain ol' boundary testing. He wants to see exactly how far he can push us (me) now, knowing our attention is split with a new little person in the house. And now that he can simply talk to us like a regular little person, with very little lost in translation, well.. he has opinions. On just about everything. But doesn't everyone? He's not a two-year old anymore, he's a little adult. A miniature grown-up with no concept of volume control and a propensity to tell strangers how big his last poop was. Oh, and also to tell strangers that he's sick, following a forced cough, successfully making me look like Mother Of The Year, for taking her sad, sick (but SO NOT) little toddler out into the world. Or, The Gap.
We like to say that our children are on opposing good/bad behavior years. For Andrew, birth to 1 year was good. (yes, exhausting and challenging, but cute babies really can do no wrong) 1 year to 2 years was a little iffy... particularly the last half of the year. LOTS of meltdowns and whatnot. Year 2 to 3 was AWESOME. Just cute and aiming to please and a sweet willing sponge ready to learn and give us kisses and hugs and high-fives. You see the pattern here? Alternating years. I am already betting my chips that Year 3 to 4 is going to challenge us. For HIM. But for her? We are going to totally rock the Year 0 to 1, because cute babies DO NO WRONG! So, we are just grateful that they are on an alternating schedule..  I am not sure we'd fare so well if they were both in the middle of 'off years'.

Sigh, it's not all public embarrassments and manipulative behaviors around here. There's baby back rolls. Lots of them. So, life isn't all that bad. We like to keep her in just a diaper (ok, I do. It's just me with the fat-roll obsession) as much as possible in the evenings, and I just.. gosh.. I want to EAT THEM. The thigh rolls are pretty juicy, too. She has one very noticeable extra roll on her left arm and left thigh.. not really sure what that is about. Perhaps my milk is settling more on her left side? She's got the trademark 2-4 month old bald-patch look going on, and I'm really shocked that I haven't followed suit yet. I remember beginning to lose my hair at the same exact time that Andrew lost his. I am sure I'm not far behind. Super sexy receding hairline, here I come!