A big brother's job

Eli was so so proud to be cleaning Ewan's exersaucer with Grandma. He kept saying, "We need to clean this for baby Ewan" and "This is a lot of work!" and "Mommy will be so proud!"

Meta-morph-o-SIS!

Funny stories about Eli:

1. In the car the other day, Eli was practicing his pronunciation. With the word "metamorphosis."


2. We were playing in the backyard (OK, Mama was sitting on her butt and Eli was running back and forth to the supermarket to buy food!) Eli asked if I wanted eggs.

Mama: "Yes, I love eggs!"

Eli: "What kind of eggs?"

Mama: "Poached, please."

Eli: "I can't get you poached cuz why they only have those at the farmer's market and I am going to the supermarket. How about scrambled?"


3. One day when I was eating leftovers from a restaurant for lunch, Eli couldn't stop asking me questions about them. Why didn't I finish my food at the restaurant?; Why was I too full?; and why did I bring them home? After going around and around about it for quite some time, Eli said, "I know! You should have waited for a long time and then the food would go into your legs and you would have room in your stomach for more food!"


4. Over dinner one night, Eli asked Daddy why he had to go to work the next day. Daddy said he needed to make some money. Eli said, "So you can buy...(waving his left arm for emphasis while he thinks of the word)...ingredients for pancakes?"

Ewan is 4 months old!

Dear sweet Ewan is 4 months old today.

He still has his super blue-blue eyes, and they follow anything in front of him, especially brother Eli.

Ewan is still crazy about his bath and shakes his right leg so much that he splashes water all over Mama and the floor. (He takes a bath in the infant tub on our dining room table.)

He is fairly easy to distract unless something is really wrong. For the past few days I've been able to stop his fussing by singing him "Ally Bally Bee." He just stares at me with a little smile on his face.

A little over a week again, Ewan started sitting in his exersaucer. He can only stand it for about 20-30 minutes, but he really likes the different perspective. And his neck and back muscles are getting much stronger.

Partly because he is a big guy, and partly because he is in cloth diapers, Ewan now wears 6-month clothing.

For the past two weeks he has been drooling like crazy, probably in anticipation of some teeth on the bottom. (although I bet we don't see them for a few months!)

Happy birthday sweet Ewan!

Eli is Eli

I just love that my toddler makes me laugh (when I am not pulling my hair out!)

Here are a few funny stories:

A few nights ago, I asked Eli if he wanted to help me give Ewan a bath. This is usually something Eli asks if he can do, especially if it is past time for his own bath. Instead of yelling "Yes!" like I expected, he said in all seriousness, "I can help you just a little bit and then I have to run buck naked. Sorry."

When he was putting broccoli on the ground and laughing wildly when Zula ate it, I asked him to stop feeding Zula. He said, "I'm not feeding Zula, I just put food down on the ground for her to eat."

When he was screeching some nursery rhymes at the top of his lungs, I asked him to please sing more softly. He said he didn't want to. But he came up with a great solution: going into another room and closing the door. Except he decided to go into the hall closet. After a few minutes of loud singing, Eli came out and said, "It's too dark. I can't see my words!"

Yesterday, when we were reading books upstairs, he said he wanted to read Babar. I told him the book was downstairs and I asked him to get it. He said, "No, you get it. And don't dawdle, cuz why you might get hurt."

Gymnastics

On Thursday mornings, Ewan and I take Eli to a gymnastics class. It's called Tumble Tykes. Eli doesn't love it but he likes all of the fun mats and the balance beam.

Pajama party

I just think it is adorable when Eli and Ewan wear the same pajamas.

Too practical

I love to pretend with Eli. Lately, I've been asking him if he wants to ride in a space ship when we get in the car. (It also has the added benefit of getting him in his car seat and buckled in faster.) But it seems that he can't just play along anymore -- he has to point out why the car isn't a spaceship or whatever.

Yesterday I asked if we should take a boat or a spaceship to the store. He enthusiastically said "Boat!" but when I was strapping him in his seat, Eli said, "This is a car Mommy. Boats don't have wheels."

It's not that he won't pretend anymore: he pretends he is building or fixing something every day, but he definitely likes to point out the discrepancies.

Bummer. I liked taking a space ship to the grocery store!

Cookies for cows

Last night the whole family took a lovely walk in the neighborhood. Except for Ewan, we all ate an oatmeal raisin cookie on the walk. Eli was in heaven. He kept commenting on the cookie and how much he liked cookies.

I told him that he liked cookies so much that he would probably like one even made out of dirt and leaves and grass!

Eli: "No Mommy, I won't like that cookie cuz why I'm not a cow!"

Three months old!

Ewan is three months old today.

He is much more aware of the world around him. He is especially aware of his family and flashes huge toothless grins at Eli, Mama and Daddy when he is happy. He is happy a lot more often now than a month ago, and his favorite things to do are bathing and taking walks with the family.

Happy Birthday sweet Ewan!

Laughing

Michael had Ewan laughing, actually laughing, tonight. Michael was tickling him before bath.

Construction buddies

Two days ago, Eli wanted to build a sidewalk in his playroom with his brother. He even gave Ewan a construction hat and drill!

Their first real interaction

Tonight at the dinner table, Ewan spit up forcefully. We all laughed, and Eli said "Don't spit up baby!"

Ewan laughed, which encouraged Eli. Eli kept telling Ewan not to spit up and Ewan kept giving Eli these huge smiles.

We loved it and can't wait for more interactions :)

My boys

Bathtime beats all other activities (besides nursing!)

Ewan absolutely loves his bath. Plop him in the bath -- even mid-scream -- and he is all smiles. Tonight I kept him in for 20 minutes because he was so happy.

Big bro, little bro

Summer mittens

When we left for a walk after dinner the other night, I asked Eli if he wanted a jacket.

"No, don't need one. I have my mittens."

Painting

Our painting sessions take longer to prepare for and clean up after than the actual painting time. That will change soon though, I think, so for now I am just excited when he says he wants to paint!

Probiotics

Full disclosure: The following is an ad for probiotics.

Michael and I read a study about the use of L. reuteri for colicky infants. The results were astounding and I immediately went to the store and got some for Ewan.

He is now a different baby. He smiles more, sits in our arms content, takes power naps in the middle of the afternoon, and today he fell asleep in the baby bjorn carrier and stayed asleep after I moved him to his carseat!

Many trips...

So despite having a new (colicky) baby, we managed to get out of the house more than I expected we would. We took two day trips to the coast before our coast vacation, a trip to the zoo, and a couple of short hiking trips. I'm not saying it was easy, but I'm glad we did it.

Mill Creek afternoon

We found a lovely spot along Mill Creek to throw rocks in the water and float a boat. We ate a yummy lunch and enjoyed one of the last days of summer!