2 years / 11 week update

Big boy swagger

My big boy is two years old!  He's no longer my little baby, although I still like smooching and cuddling with him as if he were.  He's already starting to pull away from these moments of affection, so I've got to enjoy it while I still can! He even began calling me "Jane" lately.  Where has my Momma's boy gone? :(

Atlantic City Boardwalk

Ocean Grove, NJ

We've had a busy month, trying to take advantage of the summertime as much as possible.  And since Shaggy's between jobs, it's been awesome to have him around to take day trips together and also relieve me from some of my maternity leave loneliness.  We spent one night in Atlantic City with Shaggy's mom, one night at my parents' place in central NJ, and a few nights at the Jersey Shore with the Rhees.  Preparing for each trip and dealing with the inevitable meltdowns (the kids and mine!) was stressful...but each trip got progressively easier.  I guess it's true that it just takes practice and acceptance of the craziness...and in the end, seeing how happy the kids are makes it all worth it.  Josiah had a blast soaking in all the new things - amusement park rides, the beach (hates the ocean, loves playing with sand), the zoo, strawberry picking, etc.  He's at such a fun age of wonder and discovery that it's been awesome having time to experience that together.  

Josiah continues to pick up new words and phrases each day and is able to cobble together sentences (clumsy, but cute!) to express what he wants.  Some of these include: "help...I stuck", "hey e'body", "whatchu doing?", "gimme diffent one", "mommy, sit!", "I sad, I cwy", "I make a mess", "eat in house", "oh boy oh boy","you betcha", "Tootles will help us" (based on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show), etc.  While it's amazing how much he can say, he's still limited of course.  I can't wait until can understand the concept of time and consequences.  Until then, he wants what he wants NOW.  While probably a bit too late, we're trying to be firmer with him and will soon embark on disciplinary tactics like 'time outs'.  The hardest part will be actually following through and not just resorting to turning on a YouTube video to appease him.  Next month...

Summertime fun!

A big milestone this month is that we are finally binky free!  I took the advice of a friend and just cut his pacifiers and dealt with the confusion and rage for just a few days...and soon enough, he just stopped asking for them.  Miracle!. Of course, he found a quick replacement in his musical seahorse doll, but I'll take that as long as he doesn't shove it in his mouth!  Next challenge - potty training!  He's had a couple successful tries at the potty, but to be honest, I don't know if I have the patience/stamina to continue right now.  Although changing diapers is super annoying and smelly, it's also nice to have an accident-free (usually) option.  I realize it's my reluctance to try new things that's often holding us back!


SAMANTHA - 11 weeks:
The plight of the second child...with everything going on with Josiah, we often find ourselves not spending enough time doting and playing with Samantha!  That's partly due to the fact that she sleeps SO MUCH.  I know people say to be thankful for a sleepy baby, but really, it seems excessive how much time she spends with her eyes closed.  Around 8 weeks, she started sleeping through the night, sometimes even in 10 hour stretches!  I feel obnoxious complaining about this, but I get anxious that she's not eating enough.  I know, I know...she's fat.  But seriously, she never expresses hunger and actually has been having occasional bouts of vomiting (even projectile!) after just 10 minutes of slow drinking.  It really boggles my mind that she is still putting on weight, so I spend my days/nights worrying about her eating.  I think she may have reflux like her brother did at this age, so we're contemplating whether not to try Zantac.  I just hope she outgrows this soon - the vomiting always takes me by surprise and makes me so upset.  It's hard to know what's causing it too, and since I'm her food source,  I feel so responsible.  The current theory is spicy food, so I'm trying to cut it out completely and hope that helps.  Yet another reason why my commitment to breastfeeding is dwindling...but trying to hold on as long as I can.  That's a whole other topic for another day...

On happier news, Samantha's begun to smile and coo.  She likes hearing voices, and in fact, was babbling like crazy during a recent church service. She continues to have a sweet and calm disposition (when she's awake, that is)...but then will go from 0 to 60 all of a sudden and go berserk!  She had a recent meltdown at the beach when she heard the crashing of the waves, and she turned completely purple and started convulsing.  I hope this isn't an indication of her personality.  If so, don't mess with my little girl!

I'm enjoying these early months, but also eager to see her grow up and her personality emerge.  While some things are reminders of Josiah as a small baby, there are so many differences too.  For example, Josiah was a voracious eater, pooper, and a noisy baby overall (remember his constant squeaking and dancing feet?). Samantha is much quieter, yet also more forceful when she needs to be.  When she's upset or constipated, she lets you know with a sharp cry and strong kick of her foot!

On me...every day is still super hard and taxing on my physical energy and emotional state.  But similar to my early comment, time and acceptance has been the key to getting through each day.  Someone once told me that these are the "hunker down years" and that we just have to power through it.  That's been helpful for me to remember since that also means that the difficulty of it all will soon pass....and yet, new challenges will come!  I realize that as hard as this has been, it's also been really sweet and precious too.  The moral of the story is to enjoy every phase, even in its craziness, and not let it slip by.  I hope to stay true to that in my last month home before returning to work.  It's only going to get harder, but I pray that God grant me the grace and capacity to somehow handle it all, and even take time to enjoy it!