Sam's growing up!

Sam, you are SUCH a character.  You're latest mind-blowing comment was when you jumped into bed with us and asked "What's beyond space?"  When I explained that it was outer space, you looked at me like I was crazy and said "No, BEYOND outer space."  I don't know where you get these amazing ideas, but you are sure full of them.

You are also finding your challenging voice.  When I made you dinner one night, you took one look at it and said, "Mom, you made the absolute WRONG dinner!"  Ouch!

This morning you woke up and dressed yourself in FULL pirate regalia, including the parrot on your shoulder.  After school you came home and dressed up in the same outfit.  You are truly pirate at heart!!

You are becoming quite an amazing artist - your drawings blow us all away.  The level of detail you use is astonishing.  You are VERY particular about how things should look often taking over if me or Dad is drawing with you!  You love drawing skeletons, pirates, pumpkins, spooky scenes, and pictures of our family.  We both think you may become an artist.  You've said that's what you want to be when you grow up.... well, an artist AND a pirate!

You are really taking your role as big brother seriously - playing with and talking to Nicholas all the time.  Nicholas just lights up when he sees you.  You do dances for him, make sure he doesn't roll onto dangerous things, and are always sharing your (safe) toys with him.   Nicholas couldn't hope for a sweeter big brother!

We are so proud of you.

Nicholas is crawling

Nicholas, you've made that leap into crawling!  It's still an army-style belly crawl, but you can surely get around.  Today, you crawled across your room to check out the trash can.  Before now, you were taking full advantage of rolling - using it as your preferred mode of transportation.  But now, it's all about the belly crawl.  You can get up on your hands and knees, but you haven't quite mastered the actual crawl.

You are such as joy to be around!  All smiles all the time.  You are fascinated with food - watching us eat all the time.  Tonight you took your first bite of real big boy food -- pieces of cooked carrot and meat.

Dad and I spent tonight looking at old pictures of Sam when he was a baby.  You look JUST like Sam did at your same age.  We are wondering what you will look like when you get older... will you look just like Sam as you get older too?  Our boys are SO handsome!  We love you guys.   xoxo

Nicholas and Mom at the beach

Nicholas,
we are together with Auny Chrissy, Stuart, Nana, and Rop Pop at Rehobeth Beach. [Sam and Daddy are at home.  As Sam put it: "Mommy, sometimes me and Daddy just need some time together!"]  It's my last week of maternity leave and I'm so sad to leave you at home.  You are such a love.  Your smile lights up my day... every day.  I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to love another baby as much as I love Sam, but my heart seems to have doubled in size.  I love Sam more and more each day, and I love you more and more each day.  I don't know how that happens, but it sure is true!   I've enjoyed the last 4.5 months with you so much.  From the day you were born, you seem to just have settled in to life outside of the womb.  You find your routines (binky and blanket = nap, 8:00 bedtime, breakfast and dinner solid food with the family) and you just smile all day.  You don't cry - it's weird, but you don't.  You wimper if you are hungry or tired, but otherwise you're happy!  You have this coy look you give me - I love it.  You chatter all the time, with your voice, with your eyes, with your hands.  it's like you know exactly what's going on, but you cant quite express it.  I can't wait until you can talk so I can hear what you are thinking. 
I love you so much, Nicholas.  I'll be thinking of you every day at work!!

xxxooo
Mom

Sam-isms

Sam, today I think you were feeling a bit displaced by Nicholas. 

The scene: we are about to sit down to dinner.  Dad is changing Nicholas. 

You say "is the guy who likes the baby going to eat dinner with us?"  

My poor Sam!!!  We love you SOOO much and will make sure we give you lots and lots of kisses so you don't feel left out.  


xxoo
Mom

NCS - you cried

Nicholas,
You cried for the first time today when I left the house.  I guess you're getting to know your mama.  I love that so much!!!

And you slept for 12 hours last night.  Daddy gave you a jar of pears and you conked out at 730!  Didn't even wake up for your rice bottle.  Must have been all the excitement of Hurricane Irene and lack of power in the house.  Whatever it was, you woke up on your belly smiling and happy when Sam and I went to get you!

Xxoo
Mom

Nicholas - three months old

Nicholas,

You are now three months old.  I don't think I've ever met a happier baby.  Really.  You just light up whenever anyone smiles at you, you love to smile, and you're "talking" already.  We coo back and forth and it really feels like we're having a conversation.  You are so expressive.

You've hit some terrific milestones.  

1. I've stopped nursing you.  You LOVE the bottle - I guess it's more satisfying.  Nursing has been a challenge for me (it was the same way with Sam, too), but even so, I miss it.  It's a special bond that only Mother-Baby share. 
2. We gave you your first tiny taste of bananas the other day.  You loved them - hardly spit out a spoonful.   Over the next month, we'll give you some little tastes and by 4 or 5 months, you'll be eating like a champ.
3. You are playing with toys.
4. You are rolling from your belly to your back and occassionally from your back to your belly.
5. You are standing up (holding our fingers) and holding your head up.
6. You slept thru the night twice so far.  Dad and I have our fingers crossed that it becomes a pattern :)

 Before you hit #6 milestone, I would sit up at night nursing and think about you and Sam and what kind of boys/men I hope you become.  I want to teach you both how to be polite, engaging, creative, and inquisitive.  I want to teach you how to treat women.  I want to teach you how change a tire, light a fire, pitch a tent, marvel at the world around you, laugh, and hug.   I also want to teach you how to question the "norm" and challenge the status quo.  I want you to become leaders... in anything.  Lead yourself, lead your peers, lead your community, lead the country, lead the world.  What you choose is up to you, but make sure that whatever it is, you love it and you do it well.  You can be ANYTHING you dream of and I hope you both take that opportunity and make the most of it.

I can't wait to watch you turn into the incredible people I know you will become.

Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease

Boys,

We all got hand-foot-mouth disease.  It's a pretty common child virus that results in high fevers, malaise, sores in hands, feet, mouth (go figure!) and was completely miserable for the three of us (Daddy avoided it!).   You all were troopers.   Sam, you got it first - probably from camp - and woke up from the afternoon nap with ouchy swollen cheeks!  Nicholas, you were hit a couple of days later with a 103 fever and hardly able to take a bottle because your mouth or throat hurt so badly.  Coincidentally, I was weaning you, so you were barely nursing at that point either.  Poor dear.  It was the first time I saw you really cranky.  At three months old, you have barely cried.  You are just the happiest baby ever.  You smile, coo, and play all day. 

During the illness, I revisited the dosage for Tylenol for you, Nicholas... it turns out that on those LA-Baltimore flights (to LA, home for Stuart's birth, back to LA, and home again), I was not only giving you Ibuprofen (which is not recommended for kids under 6 months), but I was dosing you like a 25lb kid (you weighed about 13lbs)!  OOOOOPS!  I told your pediatrician about my mistake and she was not worried, but said prolonged ibuprofen use can cause damage.  Wow, I must have grabbed the wrong bottle.  Neither Dad nor I realized it.   Anyway, i guess that explains you sleeping through all four flights.  Sorry sweetheart, but thanks for sleeping  ;)

I love you guys SO much.
Mom