One Month.

Our little pork roast of a son is officially a month old today! Time has certainly flown, and it often feels like he's been here forever. I am still sort of in disbelief that he's here, and that he's ours, and that he's as sweet as he is.

Overall, he's a good baby, other than when he's got gas issues. He's started to sleep some longer chunks at night, usually from 9pm until 1 or 2am. Then he spends an hour eating and goes back to sleep until 6 or 7 in the morning. By 7, we've usually got our little Miss up and about, and sometimes peeking into the nursery. The first thing she wants to do every morning is check on Adam, hold him and kiss him. I'm so glad that she's so in love with him.

He continues to gain weight like a champ, and nurse well. I feel like it's my reward for the nightmare that was nursing Elizabeth during most of the first year. If he doesn't fall asleep eating, he will consent to fall asleep while sucking on a binky, but you have to hold it in for him (lazy!) The good news is that a binky is not his dad's finger. We are all grateful for that! He's also taken a bottle every weekend for the past few weeks, and we'll continue to work with him on that, so I don't end up trapped with him like I was with Ellie.

So overall, a great little Piglet. He's starting to be more alert, and beginning to make eye contact. I can't wait to see how his little personality develops in the months to come.

Our two little gifts. I love that Ellie's pigtails turn into one big curl.

Lazy Sunday.

We are having a pretty banner day here at the Fords, after a couple of tough ones due to Adam's overwhelming gassiness and need to burp his brains out.

This morning we went for a full scale family walk, leaving from our house. We've been driving to the trail and parking to save me a mile of uphill walking, but today I felt like I could take it on, and I did! Pushing both melons in their stroller, no less! It was a good feeling.

Tim suggested we try to take our brood out for lunch, and after feeding Adam into a coma, and making Ellie promise that she'd be a good listener and not whine, we headed out for sushi. And it was DELICIOUS. Everyone enjoyed. Ellie had quite the spread

She also enjoyed playing around with her daddy

She was overwhelmingly a good girl, for which I was grateful. Meanwhile the other day I discovered the key to feeding oneself while also keeping a newborn happy. Step one, put him in the Ergo. Step two, put a napkin over his head to protect him from potential spillage. Step three, chow down.

See? He is pleased.

After lunch I made Tim go to JC Penny and buy some new pants. He said we shouldn't risk it, but I promised it would be quick and fun, and it was the best shopping trip ever. I shoved him in a dressing room and threw pants over the top and meanwhile, Ellie stared at herself in the mirror and danced around and admired her dress and jelly shoes. Adam slept. And now Tim finally has some new shorts - the ones he's been wearing every weekend for years were purchased in preparation for our trip to China. In 2007. Ellie also got a chance to go up and down the escalator while I paid for everything. She was so delighted for the expedition, and I laughed because I could hear her little Muppet voice across the store.

Both kids are now napping, and I ventured out for a pedicure. Hopefully everyone will remain in good spirits when they awake from nap time. But no matter what, at least we have a good morning to remember!

30.

Can you believe it? Little Miss Elizabeth Rosemarie is officially two and a half years old, as of yesterday. Is she pleased about it?

Umm... not really. I mean, she does hate to have her picture taken.

This is the best one I got

With the aid of a piece of candy

At two and a half, Ellie can:
-count most of the way to 20
-spell her name
-identify her name, and a few others (mama, daddy, etc) and recognizes a couple of letters
-She loves to pick out her own clothes (favorite items include her purple striped shirt, her Eiffel Tower shirt, various tutu skirts, her bee dress and her blue lace dress)
-She loves her brother most of all, and wants to see him and hold him first thing in the morning. She shushes him when he cries, loves to tell him bless you when he sneezes, and is very concerned when he poops or needs food.
-Her favorite books include If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, Color Kittens, Baby Dear and Little Bear Goes to Sleep
-Favorite songs are any Miss Elena song, Single Ladies, "The Book Song" (aka the opening song from Book of Mormon), Pineapple Princess and Call Me Maybe
-Favorite shows are Daniel Tiger and Poppy Cat
-She loves to dance, play catch and play with blocks. Still very into coloring, both with crayons and chalk.
-Favorite animal is still bunnies. BUNNIES FOREVER AND ALWAYS!
-Favorite foods are yogurt, anything she can dip into a sauce (waffles, hamburgers, french fries), peanut butter sandwiches, and turkey roll ups. And any sort of dessert item - ice cream, whipped cream, cake, cupcakes. She feels all parties MUST involve cake.
-She's taking one nap a day, and sleeping well at night. She loves her new room, and especially a new quilt she just received that has a plush underside (aka: "softee.")

She loves climbing and exploring, and spending time with her grandparents. However, her greatest joy is every day when her daddy comes home from work and she can run screaming to him for a hug.

She is our #1 most darling girl.

Likes and Dislikes.

Another day, another dollar. Or diaper, whichever.

Adam continues to be a pretty good baby, but an easy newborn is still a newborn. Every time I lay down with him at night, I hope that THIS will be the time he sleeps 4-5 hours. And then two hours later on the dot, he's awake, farting and hungry. His favorite time to be awake is 3-5am. Not just during those hours, but all of those hours. The good news is he's cute.

He enjoys:
-eating
-snuggling
-burping like a grown man
-farting like a grown man
-squealing like a piglet
-growing some delightful fat rolls
-riding in the ergo
-grunting
-sleeping with his arms unswaddled so he can flail around
-eating and then farting again
-cuddling with his sister
-trying to hold his own head up

He does not enjoy:
-being forced to stop eating in order to burp
-having his diaper changed
-getting put into his car seat
-being put down
-driving in stop and go traffic
-sleeping for any significant period of time
-getting bathed

Ellie continues to be very funny and sweet with him, though a little overwrought overall. It's hard because I'm low on sleep and patience, and am trying to remember that you get out what you put in, so the more time I can spend being understanding or affectionate is only going to benefit all of us. It's hard to be understanding when she's being an unreasonable two year old though. I can't believe she'll be two and a half in a few days! (I also REALLY cannot believe that when our moms had two and a half year olds, they also had full on one year old children as well. The idea of that makes me want to go lay face down in a ditch.) She is obsessed with reading, especially when used as a stalling technique before bed time. She's started drinking from an open cup, and is obsessed with having "cereal with milk" in the morning. She loves green vegetables, but calls asparagus "beans." Delicious, delicious asparagus beans. The older she gets, the more of a Grizz's girl she is, and so it's been very nice in the afternoon to go over there and watch the two of them play (even if they are pretty terrible at keeping the volume at a reasonable level.)

We are continuing to muddle through, thanks to lots of help from the grandparents and Tim. I've been able to shower every morning and am getting back to my walking routine, so life is not too terrible.

Snuggly Bugs.

Week two of our regular life, with Tim back at work. This morning felt much less overwhelming, even though it was busier (and I slept less last night. I swear, if this kid doesn't quit pooping himself every two hours on the dot, I'm going to cut him back to three square meals a day and no meals or snacks past 7pm!) Ellie had a great day at preschool, and brought home a picture for our fridge. What more could you want? Adam and I went on a nice walk, and then ran a few errands. Perfect!

This is how our morning began. Be still my heart.

We also had a nice family walk yesterday, though like a dolt, I forgot Adam's bear hat in the house. So, he wore a hand me down.

Pink carseat, pink sweater, he rocks them all. Also, I love this afghan. My mom made the center part, and the granny squares on the edges were made by my Grandma Pat before she died. It is the perfect blanket for wrapping up a baby in a stroller.

See? Everyone loves it (three month old Ellie. Someone give that kid a wheelbarrow for her big head.)

Two.

So we're okay, we're fine
Baby I'm here to stop your crying
Chase all the ghosts from your head
I'm stronger than the monsters beneath your bed
Smarter than the tricks played on your heart
Look at them together then we'll take them apart
Adding up the total of a love that's true
Multiply life by the power of two

Hippie Baby.

Adam is generally a pretty agreeable little man, and a good enough sleeper, but sometimes he's awake at inopportune times. Like, right when we all sit down to dinner. The good news is we've discovered that putting him in the Ergo carrier and swaying for a few minutes will calm him back to sleep almost instantly. I think it helps that his favorite sleeping position is on my chest with his head over my heart.

It also helps in that it leaves me with both hands free. Which allows me to do things like carry a diaper bag and an angry toddler who starts sobbing about how she doesn't want to leave Panera, she wants to stay there FOREVER. Good thing my csection has healed, yipes.

Hard to believe that not that long ago, my big toddler girl was a little hippie baby too.