It's Christmas!

Here are our little squirts on Santa's knee. Santa looked picture perfect in all 30 shots they took. This one was the best one of the kids...but if you know EJ, this is not a happy face, it is a precursor to a scream! All-in-all we were very proud of our brave little ones. EJ just wanted back with momma, Will asked for a fast car, I'm sure they'll both get exactly what they want for Christmas.

Halloween Twenty Ten

Today was EJ's first Halloween and Will's third (can you believe it?!). This is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays. Will can (and does) repeat everything we say, so he quickly grasped all the Halloween words..."pumpkin", "happy pumpkins" (aka jack-o-lanterns), "trick-or-treat", "ghost", "boo", and "vampire".

The kiddos were Tinkerbell and Peter Pan. Yes, I will be matching their costumes for as long as I can get away with it!! They had a good time at a few Halloween parties then went trick-or-treating. Will did a fantastic job ringing doorbells and asking for candy. He even said trick-or-treat and thank you (along with "more candy" and a few attempts to enter neighbor's homes). What fun!

Happy Halloween.

Bubbles

Playing bubbles is one of Will's favorite things to do right now. The activity only lasts 10 minutes or so (like most activities at this age). But it is good clean fun. Here's a picture of Will surrounded by bubbles made from his new bubble machine. I highly recommend a bubble machine - cheap, easy, and it'll keep you from blacking out on the lawn from blowing bubbles.

EJ Days: Hi Sweetie

I guess I call EJ "sweetie" a lot since Will now says "hi sweetie" to her in a high pitch. Elizabeth is just a touch past 5 months old and she's nothing like the newborn we brought home this past winter.

What is she up to now...well,
- She eats baby food! That's been a big change for us in the last month. This means mom spends a lot of time feeding children. She didn't take to it right away, but she has the hang of it now!
- More grins and happy waking. It is so refreshing to have the baby wake up happy. More often than not now she wakes and just chats to herself (a stark contrast to the newborn wake crying thing). She also smiles and laughs more. She thinks kids, especially Will, are exceptionally funny.
- Over 17lbs, and she has the thighs to prove it. EJ is in the 90th percentile for weight and head circumference. She is off the charts for height at 26 inches. Her growth has been amazing...baby growth at this age is just incredible.

Some other interesting things about my sweetie...
1. Mom is #1 (we'll see how long that lasts)
2. She's not good at rolling over (note size which I imagine makes this hard for her). She's trying and I'm not complaining about having her stay put for now.
3. You have to earn her smiles. She'll check you out, up and down before you get a big toothless grin.
4. She clings. At this age Will was already pushing away from us (he's never been a big cuddler). My fingers are crossed that she'll be a cuddle bug for me for a long time!

My Little Animal

22 months old, where does the time go? Our little animal is full of energy. Will is tons of fun and is of course keeping us on our toes.

Some of my favorite bits about my buddy right now are:
- His blooming sense of humor like how he's been trying to balance a spoon off the tip of his nose. He calls it a "cool trick" (pretty sure he saw this on Yo Gabba Gabba). He also tries to do it with other toys. He also beeps when he walks backwards, like a truck in reverse.
- He can say his full name. He's also exceptionally good at learning and using other people's names.
- Sentences!!! Yes, he uses two, three, and sometimes four word sentences. I love it! We are starting to have little conversations. He understands so much of what I say. This is good and bad you know :).

There are a few phrases we hear a lot right now that I know I will forget if I don't jot them down here.
1. Ah vee voo = I love you
2. Ree ree to you = Read it to you (which should be "read it to me")
3. Right there = Right there (he's grasping the concept of here and there)
4. Ah loo ah loo = we have no idea! He says it in response to the question "do you understand?", clearly we don't.

No!

We knew the time would arrive - our little prince has found the correct use of the word "no". I've been expecting this since he was 10 months old, thinking that at any moment we'd hear that word thrown back at us.

Thankfully we haven't had any fits or tantrums, but Will started using "no" at lunch when I asked him to take a bite of mashed potatoes. He just turned his little head away from the spoon and gave me a curt little "no". Can the terrible twos begin at 20 months? I'm guessing the answer is "yes".

EJ Days: What Are You Laughing At?

Today, on one of the most perfect days this spring, we took a big family walk around town. We took the kids down to the heart of New Freedom, stopped by the post office and a farmer's market. Will got to see the inside of a real train caboose and mom and dad tucked into some omlettes at the Railroad Cafe. We of course passed by the police station and let Will count all of the police cars then headed home.

Elizabeth, our gem, was as quiet as a mouse during our two and a half hour trek around town. I was a little suprised she was awake when we got home. She kept an eye on Will while he played, ate his lunch, then headed off to his naptime. She kept herself busy watching those fancy new hands of hers and was all smiles with mommy during some playtime. Then out of no where, she laughed. Mom and dad both heard it loud and clear, twice. A laugh. Awesome.

EJ Days: Newborn Summary

That's it, it's over, EJ's newborn days are gone. She turned three months old on May Day and she's all grown up now. (Well, not quite, but we are starting to see more and more personality!). We're just loving our little cheeky monkey.

Highlights:
- She is all sweetness. She loves to be held and to be around us. When we are on the go, she's a doll and rarely complains.
- She's a big sleeper, four naps a day. We get about an hour of waketime between sleep. When social hour is up, she shouts, tosses her head from side to side then falls asleep. Eat, play, sleep, repeat - ah, life with a baby.
- Her hand is her favorite thing. As soon as she wakes up, she wants to chew on her right fist. My bet is on a righty.
- Tummy time is a breeze. She's lifting her head, arching her back, pulling her legs off the ground and even rocking just a little. Despite my hopes for a late mover, I think she'll be rolling earlier than Will did. Darn.
- EJ eats like a champ and has grown like a weed. She's all cheek, belly, and leg rolls. You can't help but give her a squeeze.

Mama skills:
- I can feed a baby, undress a baby (diaper, clothing, swaddle), and redress a baby in less than 25 minutes, in the middle of the night, without turning on a light or causing a single baby cry. If this were a sport (and I think it should be), I would be a shoe-in for the Olympic team.
- I have mastered the art of watching two kids under two all day and all night. I made it four nights while Andy was on a trip for business. The kids survived, I survived, and we were all happy when dad returned. Actually, I loved it. We had lots of fun, kisses, and cuddles, but it sure is easier and even more fun with dad around!

Sneaky, sneaky!

I think the king of our castle has begun to appreciate the element of surprise.

Will's normal approach to our cat Tuxedo is one of laughter, top speed running, shouting "cat, cat, cat", but not today. This is the closest Will has gotten to our cat Tuxedo since he has been a toddler (without Tux sprinting the opposite direction). Our exceptionally patient Himalayan is perched in his only remaining safe haven on our main floor. It is safe no longer. Tux will have to retreat to the basement if he wants peace and quiet.

Look at those sneaky eyes. Watch out Tux, Will is gonna getcha!

EJ Days: Off the Charts

Alas, EJ's newborn days are quickly coming to an end. She has just passed the 12 week mark and on May Day, she will be three months old. Sigh.

Last week EJ went to her two month check-up with Dr. Campbell. If you can't tell from the picture, she's had no problem gaining weight and growing. What a cutie, and check out those cool leg warmers!

EJ is off the charts at 14.5 lbs and over the 90th percentile in height at 24 inches long. How on earth did Andy and I make such tall children? I can only imagine these two will taper off at some point.

Love you doll!

EJ Days: First smiles!

This has been a pretty awesome week with EJ, namely because of the smiles. They don't come all the time, but with the right song (ABCs work well), I can get a few grins. Here's the first smile I caught on film. Amazing how this little toothless smile makes me forget about not having slept a full night in over two months. Well, maybe "forget" is too strong of a word to use. Regardless, the glimpse into infanthood is refreshing. Welcome to the world of playtime EJ.

EJ Days: First Coos

Not only is my little girl starting to grow into her cheeks (yes, she still has a long way to go), but the past two days she's started to have little conversations with me. After nearly 10 weeks of nothing more than newborn cries and sighs, she's started to coo.

Andy called her "massive" yesterday. I agree, I think she's nearing fourteen pounds, she was born under eight. That's a whole lot growing in two months. It's bittersweet watching her grow. I know the milestones will come fast and furious from here on out and that her newborn days (and nights) are coming to an end.

There's No Such Thing As Squirrels

Now that the weather is nice, we've been able to get out of the house on some walks around the hood. A few weeks ago the boys returned from a long walk to report that there is no such thing as squirrels.

Seemingly, in the eyes of our toddler, squirrels are really cats, and there are hundreds of them in our neck of the woods. Will pointed out all of the cats for dad, thank you very much.

At 19 months old, the world is fascinating. His vocabulary grows every day and his pronunciation improves each week. Some of our favorite words are:
- "choo-choo", heaven help us, we hear this hundreds of times a day
- "yellow", which has about a dozen "l"s in it
- "cracker", currently pronounced "kack-kah"
- "stop", used in the car and stroller at every stop sign, and in the house just for fun
- "yes", new this week, paired frequently with "no", pronounced a little like "jess"


And of course there are words we now spell rather than say including:
- "bath" - be prepared to provide one if you mention it
- "fish" - must be followed by a trip to the basement to visit the fish tank for 3 milliseconds and 30 minutes of tearing up the basement
- "outside" - pleads for "out, out, out" will follow, be prepared for moderate to energetic emotional protests when returning back indoors

Happy Easter!

What a great start to spring. It was a beautiful Easter Sunday and the Easter bunny was good to the kids. We couldn't have asked for better weather.

Will had his first egg hunt in the front yard. He found all the eggs (8 of them), and quickly figured out that there were goodies inside each one. Top prize was a cookie and it made his morning. It was amazing how fast he got the concept...running around collecting all the eggs, cracking them open, eating the goodie, and stacking the eggs in his Easter basket. Very cool.

EJ got a basket too, but didn't do the egg hunt...next year, next year. She did get dressed up and looked darn cute.



Happy Easter.

EJ Days: Month Two Summary

One of my favorite gals (Stephanie) says "the days are long, the weeks fly by", so true with a newborn in the house. Here's a recap of our second month with Miss Elizabeth.

Highlights:
- First month check-up went great. By 6 weeks old, EJ had grown nearly 2 inches and gained like 3 1/2 lbs bringing our little princess to over 11 lbs. Week 7 and 8 were definitely a growth spurt, and I'm guessing she's getting close to 14lbs. Next check up is later in April.
- Sleep, and lots of it. She stays awake for only 40 - 50 minutes at a time, then back off to the land of nod.
- EJ eats every three hours during the day, but has taken to only one visit a night from mom. She rang in her second month with her first 8 hour stretch of sleep. Yipppeee!
- Physically (aside from growing, growing, growing), EJ has started to flash little social smiles (yet to be caught on film). She also waves her arms at objects. We're a long way from crawling, thank goodness :).
- Will is EJ's favorite person, hands down. He always gets a smile, and she turns towards him, tracking him around the room, every time she hears his voice.
- EJ loves having the boys at home. I can tell a huge difference in her alertness. She loves listening to them and watching them. It also means she gets overstimulated / overtired quickly when the guys are around. She'll be able to hang in no time, I have no doubt about that!

Being mommy:
- I'm outnumbered! Starting this week, I've been on my own two days a week with EJ and Will. Will is at daycare three days a week now while I have one-on-one time with EJ. I survived, and so did both the kids. All you full time stay at home moms, rock on, it is hard work.
- I'm ready for happy baby - you know, the ones in ads. From waking (which is always with grunts and cries, no coos yet) to playtime (we don't really play yet, just cuddle, stare at each other, and change diapers)...I'm ready for some interaction and a lot more smiles.
- No rock hard abs. In fact, my abs are shot. No matter what exercising I do, I end up with sore abs. The price for having two babies 17 months apart. I'm on it, but it'll be a while!
- I can do this. I've made it through full days with both kids on my own (and enjoyed it!). I've taken them both for a walk on my own (and enjoyed it). I've taken them both to the doctor, together on my own (and could do it again, but wouldn't enjoy it). I would never choose to parent solo and LOVE having Andy as a partner in this parenthood experience, but I can do a day start to finish on my own and go anywhere I need to get. It's empowering.

Silly odds and ends (that may bore you readers, but I want to remember about this month):
- Newborn clothes are packed away, and we are almost done with the 0 - 3 month clothes. Boo-hoo. Say it isn't so.
- Look at those cheeks. EJ reminds me so much of Will. Same cheeks, same nose, same thighs, same hair (or lack there of - sorry EJ), and similar dimple in the chin. Precious, but I'm bias of course.
- Eating has just gotten easy. EJ is fast now, 25 minutes from start to finish for most feedings. Ah, so much better than 45+ minutes!
- EJ's 6-week growth spurt lasted about two weeks. One day would be eat, eat, eat, followed by a day of sleep. Then repeat, again, and again. I think we are past it now, until the next one!
- Cross my fingers, it's been at least a week since a serious head to toe soaking in baby spit up. It's nice not to have to change her clothes (and mine) every time she eats.
- How long do we use the infant carrier?? It's convenient, but it's already getting heavy!

That's it for now :). Happy two months sweetheart.

EJ Days: Month One Summary

Hello little lady! Today marks Elizabeth's one month birthday. Happy birthday princess.

EJ is growing quickly and having two really makes time go by even faster than before. Here's a recap of the last month in our world.

Highlights:
- EJ eats about every three hours (sometimes she goes a little longer at night, but not quite four hours yet).
- She's met Dr. Campbell, but her first big check up isn't for another two weeks (stats to come!).
- She can track objects with her eyes, and even turns her head to look at light, noises, voices, and faces.
- Head control has a long way to go, but every time she is awake, she does more and more lifting and turning. We started tummy time the last week of this month to help encourage that even more.
- She likes to be held. Will (even today) could take us or leave us for the most part. He's generally very independent. Mommy has her fingers crossed this little one will turn out to be a cuddler.
- I've fallen in love with her. It happens fast.

What we forgot about newborns (EJ quickly refreshed our memory):
- They are small. Even at 7lbs 12oz, EJ looked tiny those first few days. Everything is tiny, the head, the hands, the feet, the diapers! We don't remember Will ever being so small - but he was the exact same size just a year and a half ago.
- They sleep a lot, but not at night. The first two weeks EJ had her nights and days mixed up (standard newborn feature). It made for some long nights, but that passed quickly. Even though EJ is only awake for a few hours a day, she is sure to wake up every three hours for a visit with mommy (thank you sweetheart, I miss you too). Will preferred to see me every 90 minutes, so I'm thankful for (and encouraging of) the rhythm EJ has fallen into this first month.
- Endless laundry. I was a bit neurotic with Will and washed his stuff often, but EJ has a nice little spit-up habit requiring a load nearly every day. I have stopped counting the number of times she has managed to soak her outfit, blanket, burp cloth, and mom. Gross. BTW - Ryan, if you read this - I have NO IDEA how you ever managed cloth diapers on a newborn. Your washer must have been running non-stop.
- Crying. Yep, they cry. About everything. Newborns do NOT like to have their diapers changed, and they do NOT like wardrobe changes. They cry when they are hungry, they cry when they are tired. Sometimes they cry just because they want to be held, or moved, or for no reason at all. Dad says he doesn't remember, but she cries far less than number one did at this age. Although I hear it several times a day, EJ really doesn't cry much and when she does, she settles pretty easy.

What is different in round two:
- Early eviction. Newborns are noisy little things, even when sound asleep. Will got a month pass in our bedroom, EJ got one night (EJ, you can hold this against us later if you'd like, but you seem very happy in your own room).
- Man-on-man defense. So it begins. We were warned. Given EJ sleeps for like 17 hours a day right now, I can only imagine what we are in for a year from now.
- Less panic. At our first doctor's visit with Will we had dozens of questions. With EJ, we just wanted to hear the doctor say "she's healthy". Although we've forgotten lots about this newborn time, we are much more confident about what is "normal". She eats, she sleeps, she poops, she cries some, and we can see her growing before our eyes. Exactly what a newborn should do.
- Parent directed routine from day one. With Will we followed his lead every minute of the day and night for his first month. With EJ, we've tried to guide the pattern of her day more. We've followed an eat, play, sleep schedule with her from week one. Far less chaos in our world, and I think contributes to our ability to meet her needs when she does cry.
- A little crying is okay. When EJ and Will are tired, sometimes they cry. (Don't hate me attachment parents, but we're okay if our babies cry at the start of a nap for a few minutes.) With Will I rushed to him every time he made a peep - I thought my heart was going to break anytime he cried. With EJ, I have more confidence about what is causing the crying, and faith that the crying will end if we address it correctly. When she's tired, given a few minutes on her own, she falls right to sleep (for hours!).

Overall a great first month with our new little girl.

What an 17 Month Old Does...

The Cowx clan is adjusting well to life with a second baby. Our little science experiment (aka Will) continues to entertain and amaze us. For those of you not living with a toddler...here's some of the things he's up to now.

Physically:
- Approximately 34" tall.
- 26lbs (official weigh in this month at his first ever sick visit to the doctor's office).
- Walks and runs.
- Stomps feet and squeals when excited.
- Climbs up onto the ottomans and couch (sort of), thank goodness he is NOT climbing out of the crib yet!

Interests:
- Trains (or "choo-choo"), cars, and anything with buttons (DVD player, cell phone, remote controls, hand vacuum, drill, camera)
- The TV - yes, it starts this early. His favorite this week is a video called "Opposites", he of course also still loves the "Baby Signing Time" video series.
- Watching himself (in videos), or seeing himself in the mirror.

Vocabulary:
- There are new words every day. We are amazed with how much he comprehends and is now trying to verbalize. Current count of about 50 single words.
- Will also signs lots, which helps us understand what he wants. In addition to the words he says, there are another couple dozen that he recognizes and/or uses.

Cool Tricks:
- Opinionated. He has preferences and he's not afraid to tell us what he wants and doesn't want.
- Singing along to nursery rhymes.
- Identifying body parts. He can point to about a dozen different body parts when asked. He is particularly fond of noses and belly buttons. He also has just learned "butt"...lovely.