Sunday, March 30, 2008

3 Months


Moses turned 3 months old last week. The 4th trimester is over and according to Dr. Harvey Karp, Moses is "readier" for the big bad world...and he is defintiely the "happiest baby on the block." This little guy is just about the best. He wakes with smiles and has developed a solid giggle. He's easy to be around 98% of the time and is full of love. He still responds best to big sister Ella entering a room. And she enters with hugs and kisses and snuggles just for her little brother. Sibling love is in full effect!

This week Moses found his feet but we're not yet sure that he understands that they're connected to his legs, which are connected to his body. And he hasn't gotten them into his mouth yet. That's coming. He's full of drool as if he's getting teeth but we're pretty sure he's not. It's just the big adorable bottom lip. He wakes up once over night and once early in the morning and that seems to be it for now. And he goes right back to sleep!
It feels like he's been around forever and like he's going to be a baby for less time than Ella ever was. Thinking back to when Ella was a baby we kind of wish it was the other way around. We love this growing personality.

And don't forget...just 9 months to do your Christmas shopping.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Morning Snuggles


Don't Worry

There is an awake adult in the house...taking the picture.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

skid-a-ma-rink-ee-dink-ee-dink

Ella's First Photograph

She pointed and she pressed the button. She captured a CLOSE-UP of her very best friend, Dewey.

Smile Festival


Cousins

Moses is exactly one week older than his cousin Judah. It appears for a while that older will be the most accurate adjective to use when comparing the two. Judah is clearly bigger. A lot bigger given the 7 day difference.
Size differences aside, these guys are already good buddies and will surely grow up happily together. Here they are enjoying a snuggle.
Here their competitive dads work quickly on trying to become the favorite Uncle.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Moses at 8 Weeks


Believe that! 8 weeks. The little guy has been around for 8 weeks and we are all basically totally used to him being around--as if we started as a family of 4. He just does his thing and we do our thing and everyone seems to get along fine. I realize that may sound boring but our world is far from boring these days.

Moses is a happy, happy boy and in the last few weeks he's become full of smiles and "agoos." He even continues to work on his "Ella" sounding noise. When he says it, she doesn't seem to miss a beat as she responds, "Yes Moses." That's cute! He can really carry on a conversation with his smiles and verbiage.

The sleeping is going really well and we continue to pinch ourselves each morning just wondering if we're really that different as parents or if he's just that different a baby from his big sister. He naps when he needs to without much of a fuss and he sleeps for long stretches of the night and after each one goes right back to sleep. He's been practicing putting himself back to sleep after an early nap wake up with a decent amount of success. If he doesn't fall back asleep he seems perfectly happy to just sit and talk by himself for a while anyway. These are the behaviors that baby sleep books are made of. Let's hope he keeps this up.

He's super-strong with his neck and his legs and can roll half way over. When he figures out what to do with his bottom arm he'll be all over the place. He likes to socialize a lot but he also really likes his time on his own just looking around and taking in the world.

Today is the end of a 4-day weekend for me and he hasn't cried a single tear in the days I've been home.

All that and Moses is about the cutest thing you ever did see.

We love you like you've been around forever, little guy. We all do...Mom, Dad, Big Sister, and hairy older dog brother. And we love you more each day you change and grow and become more and more wonderful to be around.

A Visit From Grammie and Poppi

We just had a wonderful visit from Grammie and Poppi. We celebrated Poppi's birthday, they got to know little Mo a little better, and we just had a whole lot of fun. Some of our fun was very active. See exercises with Grammie above. Some of our fun was just Sunday style chillin. See Poppi and Ella reading below.
Thanks for a great visit! Come again soon, please.

Our Official Endorsement

Here's hoping that the cutest Barak Obama supporter in all the land helps carry momentum for our guy and we wrap this thing up soon.

After all, "We are what we've been waiting for!"

Saturday, February 09, 2008

My Turn

Big sister, you talk and talk and talk all day long. Boy can a 3-year-old talk.
I don't say much but when it is my turn I want to be heard! My turn! Shhhh...Agooooooooh!



Moses at 6 weeks





Full of smiles and absolutely adorable. Check out this little guy!!!

Napping



Look at these sleepy twins...


Proud Bubby and Zaida

Here's a picture from Bubby and Zaida's visit from a few weeks back. Here they are with all 5 of their beautiful grandchildren with special hugs for the two new little ones. Thanks for being so wonderful with them all!

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

An Eye for Beauty

Ella to Moses:
You are so beautiful I could just look at you all day!

Ella to Me (5 minutes later, after a trip to the bathroom, with a piece of toilet paper in her hand):
Daddy, this piece of toilet paper is really beautiful!

That's all true.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Perspective

Ella's pretty tall, huh?

Only 11 Months to Do Your Christmas Shopping...

...And Happy 1 Month Birthday, Moses!

He's beginning to smile!
He's still yawning and sleeping a lot but also awake and happy a lot, a lot, a lot. Time flies when you've got two kids in the house...and when you're having so much fun!

See some Mo' pictures at Flickr

Monday, January 14, 2008

Spoiled

We are closing out Week 3 of Life with Moses, and we have to say, its great! Yes, were a bit sleepy, and chances are good that at least two of us (Mo + someone else) are covered in spit-up at any given moment but if thats all weve got to complain about, we are pretty darn lucky. In fact, the 5 of us are feeling positively awash with gratitude these days.

For example, we are thankful for... (Dont worry, this is not a substitute for thank-you cards- our mothers taught us better than that!)

Our families! Grammie and Poppi and Uncle B got more than they bargained for when they showed up for Christmas! Thanks for coming, and staying, and cooking, and cleaning, and playing, and taking the 2-4am Mo shift followed closely by the 6-8am Ella shift. Then, as if we werent spoiled enough, Steve and Marlyn arrived to feed us even more and play grocery store at 6am with a very chipper toddler. And, of course, we also appreciate all of the warm thoughts from the rest of our families who havent yet trekked to Durham.

Our friends, who have filled up our email inboxes, our voicemail (sorry, but as you know, we just dont answer the phone so much at least now we have an excuse!), and our refrigerator these past few weeks. Thanks for the visits, the free babysitting (especially Josh and Rachels midnight visit so the Harrises could some see brand-new Moses!), and the tasty food.

Anna (who helped us welcome Ella into the world), who drove all the way from DC at 4am for what turned out not to be labor after all sorry for the false alarm! Don’t worry, Moses says hell still be your special buddy even though you didnt get to catch him.

Sharon, my original badass natural childbirth inspiration, who spent her Christmas night at the hospital helping us keep our cool as Moses made his appearance. We just always feel better when Sharons around, and Zach didnt have to cut the cord. (Note: Ive been trying to think of a way to include a Moses' birth story on this blog, but just cant do it without including lots of things that some of our gentle readers simply dont want to hear about. But if you want to hear more about the adventure of Mos wondrous, intense, fabulously unmedicated birth, you know where to find us.) As if that werent enough, Sharon was also nice enough to have a baby just one week after us, so we can look forward to the dynamic cousin duo of Moses and Judah (look out, NC, something tells me theyre going to be trouble!).

Ella, who has welcomed little Moses with grace and love, and hasnt minded sharing the spotlight one bit. She thinks his world revolves around her (which will be true eventually once the one-track-milk-mind expands a bit)- every time he cries, she saysHe wants me! Hes saying ELLA! and every time he smiles she says,Hes dreaming about me!

And, of course, Moses, who is just such a nice little guy we can’t believe it. Aside from being absolutely adorable and snuggly, hes quite agreeable, and is happy to hang out, sleep, and eat without fussing much at all.

Whew! Lots of love going on around here. Come by and soak it in!

And check in on some more new pictures here

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

First Time Big Sister

Having a first time big sister in the house is an awful lot like having first time parents in the house. We see a lot of our old selves in the way Ella worries on Moses. And the way we've changed is highlighted by Ella's adorable behaviors.
When Moses makes a little peep from his bassinet Ella races over and announces he needs to be picked up. We leave him until he gets loud and would you believe that sometimes he falls back asleep. Who knew?
When Moses moves his mouth in the slightest Ella announces that he must be hungry--immediately. We wait until it is time to eat. Sometimes he stops fussing and waits happily until it is time to eat. Who knew?
When Moses is sitting in his chair or his bassinet or his co-sleeper Ella just sits around and stares at him. We let him be.
Every chance she gets, Ella volunteers to hold Moses--sometimes putting off the important things in life like using the bathroom and taking naps.
Again, we're glad to let him be.
And he's doing incredibly. He's happy, healthy, eating, sleeping, well loved and snuggled.

Ella, we're in awe of your love, thoughtfulness, and worry--and we totally get it. We love being second time parents rather than first timers and we love watching you obsess like we did with you. I guess we taught you well. Thanks for being such an awesome big sister so far. Moses is a lucky little guy.

Who does he look like?

Here is Ella trying to look like Moses.

Here's Ella at a few weeks old.

And here's Moses at 1 week old. I think a strong case can be made that these two are related and that Moses looks a lot like his big sister. Lucky guy!