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.

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!

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.

Is It Different This Time Around?

Six weeks away from meeting our second baby means I've had a 34 weeks to think about what's different about this pregnancy than my first.

I'm not sure what I expected, but here's some reflection on the last 8 months.

Obsession:
- Far less this time around (with my first pregnancy I remember being fearful of breathing in the fumes at the nail salon).
- My thoughts about the baby are just that - more thinking about the baby joining our family and if it will be a girl or a boy, less fixation on being pregnant. Guess I know what to expect now which is exciting.
- No baby or delivery classes. We survived the first and the memories are still pretty fresh so we're good, no need for a refresher.
- I took pictures every week of my growing belly from 20(isk) weeks on with Will. I think I've done one set with #2. That makes me a little sad.

Preparation:
- We're weeks away from the big arrival and just ordered the baby furniture two days ago. Will's room was completely finished by the time I hit 32 weeks.
- Additionally, the registry is short, we're talking double stroller and diapers, that's pretty much it. I chalk this up to what Andy and I learned with Will...all you really need for the first few weeks are some diapers, a small set of clothes, a pack-n-play (or somewhere for the baby to sleep), and the infant car seat. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we have ALL the baby gear from Will..it's all still current and up to safety standards which has made preparing the house for number two nearly an afterthought.

Physical:
- Weight gain has been nearly identical, but I wish now I had gotten really buff in the nine months between pregnancies. The extra 25lbs is wearing on me and I could tell a big difference after just the first 10lbs. We could also blame it on chasing around a one year old while being pregnant - not something I would recommend for the weary.
- Of course I also "popped" much earlier in my pregnancy (like at 10 weeks!) which I think a lot of moms say about the second pregnancy.
- Other small differences..I was so hungry my first trimester, I also had a lot more headaches then (that passed), and baby Cowx #2 sits differently than Will did - he or she has a favorite spot just to the right of and above my belly button.
- Oh, and the last difference, far fewer hiccups with baby #2. I wonder if that means he or she will have fewer than Will once he or she arrives (Will still gets hiccups almost daily, but it's usually from laughing too hard).

I know the next few weeks will go by exceptionally fast and soon enough I will have forgotten all of these things and replaced them with thoughts of our newborn baby girl or boy.

The Big F-O-U-R Month Birthday

What a big day in the Cowx house today. It's January 5th and we both returned to work (with the rest of the world!!). Holly Jean is back to work full time this week - it's the first full work week since August - can you believe it!

So, since Mom and Dad are both back to the grindstone, Will was off to daycare for the first day today. He had a wonderful time with Mrs. Karen and was extra chatty tonight after all of his new experiences.

Oh, and how can we forget - it's the 5th of the month which means Will turned another month old today. He's now four months old - our big boy! We celebrated the day with an introduction to "solid" foods. After his normal dinner tonight, we busted out the rice cereal and got started. Will made a really good effort (go figure, our natural born eater), but he did end up with quite a puddle of goo on his bib and shirt. What fun, our little man is growing up so quickly!

Here he is all ready to go to Mrs. Karen's. (Check out the blue lunchbox and the crazy-mom list in Will's lap.)

What am I supposed to be doing here? (Will's first big-boy bite to eat.)

Do you remember when he was the same size as the duck? Holy cow - what a big boy!!

Mom Cleans The Floors

So Andy can no longer say that I've never cleaned the floors. Will really doesn't like Tummy Time but we're working on it. Here's a little trick I pulled out of the hat today. Check out the glance Will gives his dad near the end of the video - priceless. Let's just hope he doesn't turn us in to the authorities!

Just In Time

Today we finished wrapping Christmas gifts and helped Will with preparations for Santa. Will was worried for a while that Mom wasn't going to get his Christmas stocking done and hung, but no fear, it is finished and hung by the fireplace for St. Nick.

This Christmas stocking was made from a YarnCraft Kit purchased at my local yarn shop - Black Sheep Yarn in Cockeysville, MD. They run $25 a piece and are well worth every penny. The pattern is simple and it comes with all the yarn you need. It looks super cute on the mantle and will for years to come!

Rolling Over Practice

Coming up on the development milestones is rolling over. Will hasn't shown much interest in tummy time or rolling over, but that's not stopping mom from practicing!

Here's a practice session - clearly mom is having more fun than Will.

Gobble, Gobble...

Thanksgiving week has been lots of fun in the Cowx house. Holly Jean is on her last week of maternity leave and Geordie has been off all week. Here are some of the highlights...


Will breaks in his highchair...
We've given the highchair a few brief tries, but it hasn't been Will's cup of tea. This week, we tried it again and Will was all game. He ate dinner with us a few times including Thanksgiving supper (well, Will sat while Mom and Dad ate).

What's that you're eating Dad?

Lincoln and Emma visit...
The Pixlers made a trip up to New Freedom on Wednesday night for a chat and dinner. We had a fun time learning about what is in store for us over the next few years. Lincoln and Emma were a delight and Will was fascinated.

Here are a couple pictures of Will and Emma flirting. It was too cute!

Will turns 12 weeks old...
Our little man is growing up so fast. He turned 12 weeks old today and here's what we all have to say...

Geordie says: Uggg, I just put my hand in his poo
Holly Jean says: Come on little man, you can do it, just keep on sleepin'
Billy the Kid says: uuuuuuhh, aaaaahh

Happy 12 week birthday baby boy!

Will's First Babysitter

November 21st marks a big milestone for Geordie and Holly Jean. Five years ago we started dating (it's also the anniversary for England winning the Rugby World Cup in case you don't recognize the date).

We planned a special day out for just the two of us. Ms. Lynda (our neighbor and friend) helped us make the date happen - she came over to watch Will. Mom and Dad caught the new James Bond movie and grabbed a nice lunch together while Will enjoyed his first every babysitter.

Ms. Lynda and Will had a wonderful time together and so did Mom and Dad - thank you Lynda!!

Here's a picture of Will with Mom ready to go on her date.

Shopping, Again!?

Will and Mom went out on maneuvers today (you can see exactly how thrilled Will was). Top on the list was the knitting shop in Hunt Valley. We wanted to show off Will in his hoodie (he's got it on here in the picture). All the knitting ladies were in the shop and Will got to show off his outfit - they were very impressed.

We also picked up a little kit for a Christmas stocking. Mom and her little brother had personalized knit stockings growing up, so Will gets one too! Mom's gotta get busy knitting to have it ready in time for Santa!

Will Singing The ABCs

Will is just starting to find his voice. He really likes the alphabet song and it usually gets him singing right along. Here's a video of Will at 10 weeks old singing his ABCs with mom!

Happy Halloween

The 2nd Annual LaHatte Halloween Party was tonight. Costumes are mandatory for all attendees. We thought long and hard about just the right outfits for the five of us (Nana, Granda, Holly Jean, Geordie and Will). After scrapping Harry Potter and the TeleTubbies, we came up with a groovy idea...Austin Powers.

Leading role of Austin Powers is played by Billy Cowx.

He is accompanied by his girlfriend from The Spy That Shagged Me, Felicity Shagwell, aka Irene Cowx.

Mom turned up as Foxxy Cleopatra (Holly pulls off a full afro nearly as well as Beyonce in Goldmember).

And no movie would be complete without a villain, say hello to Dr. Evil - Andy is a spitting image, complete with his own Mini-Me accessory (Will).

Will was the only underage person at the neighborhood get together. The costumes were a hit and the whole family looked great.

Boo!

Halloween is just around the corner. Today we carved pumpkins (Will isn't very good with a knife yet). Holly Jean did the designs, Nana did the scraping out (the messy bit) and the finishing details, Geordie handled the carving, Billy supervised and Will just looked cute (as always).

Here are a couple of pics from the day plus a few of his Halloween outfits.

Ladies Man

Liz and Miss Rhian came to visit today for lunch. The girls drove all the way up to Pennsylvania to hang out with Mom and Will. Liz and I had to snap a few photos - we had both the kids awake and in a great mood at the same time! I'm not sure we could have done it if we had planned it - but the picture proves we did it!

Will of course enjoyed the time with Rhian and it was a good time for Mom and Liz to catch up!

The Little Striped Sweater

I started this sweater for Will before we knew when he'd arrive or if he was going to be a little girl or boy. It was nearly finished when he arrived, but still need a few hours of work. I've finally fit in some time to finalize the sweater and it turned out great. I can't wait for him to be big enough to wear it!

For those knitters out there, the sweater is made with Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo yarn using the Hooded Striped Top (3 month) pattern in the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino book.

Downtown Boy

Will's week of social visits continues...

Today we hit downtown Baltimore - a first for Will. Our first stop was the Pixler home where we had lunch, a nap and a little play time with Emily, Clay, Emma and Lincoln.

Will didn't have much to Emma (he's kinda shy with the older ladies), but I'm sure they'll find lots to talk about in the future (heaven knows Emily and mom don't run out of stuff to chat about!). Here's a picture of Emily with Will.

EJ & Will

After saying goodbye to the Pixlers, we stopped by to see Lauren and her new baby girl Elena Grace. Will and Elena slept together (well, you can see that from the picture now can't you!).

Elena Grace & William James

Will slept most of the day - I'm sure we'll pay for that later tonight. We had a good time visiting B-more, I know we'll be back soon!

Hello Rhian!

Photo to come, stay tuned!

Liz O'Connor and I know each other from work. We've passed some major milestones together in the past few years:

- we got engaged at the same time,
- we were both married a month apart,
- we got pregnant within days of one another,
- and we became first time moms in the same month.

Liz and I always have tons to share and chat about!

This week Will is making social visits. He kicked off the week by meeting Rhian, Liz's two-week old precious little girl. We all had lunch (thank you grandma Denise) and got a tour of the brand new, beautiful O'Connor home. Liz and I swapped stories and shared some of our favorite mommy stuff.

Liz looks great and she and Rhian are all settled in.Will and I had a blast!

Flying Solo

Andy has gone back to work and Mimi has gone home. So that means I'm on my own this week with Will. I'm not sure how other first-time moms feel, but I was one scared girl on Monday morning!

Well, it's Friday now and dad is home for the weekend (thank goodness!). We survived the week and Will hasn't fired me yet. We took a walk most days and even ran a few local errands. We also went for a visit at Karen's which Will and mom really enjoyed.

The toughest part of the week was missing Andy and knowing Andy is missing out on the time with Will. Thank goodness for our fabulous neighbors who have made this week so easy for us with lots of yummy food. They've helped make our evenings a breeze so we can enjoy time together before heading off to bed each night.

Turns out I can fly solo with Will - I still need lots of practice, but there is plenty of time for that over the next few months.

Check These Wheels Out

We finished the week with Mimi by heading down to Towson to Picture People. Will was born in Towson two weeks ago, but hasn't been back until today.

We had our first family portrait taken
and some solo pics of Will shot as well. In true unpredictable baby fashion, Will fussed and cried during the entire photo shoot. Once he got some additional grub from mom in the Nordstrom ladies lounge, he was sweet as pie. Too late for the pictures, but the ride home was quiet!

The best part of the trip was breaking in the stroller. Check out the Mountain Buggy Urban! This set up just has Will's infant carrier in the frame. When he gets a little bigger, he'll be sporting a red seat and we'll be sure to show it off on the blog.