Fun with Nana and Pops

I tried a new recipe the other night and invited Nana and Pops to be my guinea pigs . . . it was yummy! After we all had seconds, Lincoln and Beau got in lots of playtime. Beau was so sweet and talked and gooed at Nana. He's so happy - all you have to do is say Lincoln's name and he smiles right away!

Pops and Lincoln took full advantage of their alone time, and I heard lots of giggles from the playroom. Beau joined them for a bit and looked intently at the scissors and cutting that was going on. I already have two pairs of scissors so there shouldn't be any "sharing" issues later! (Yes, I'm aware that Lincoln has on a Mardi Gras necklace. It's kind of a constant around here!!!!)

Lincoln loves the scissors but hasn't mastered them yet. He positions them correctly then kind of pushes them across the page and tears. Also, he switches hands regularly. No indication of lefty or right yet.

Thanks for coming over for dinner, Nana and Pops. It was fun!

Happy and Happy

Whew, what a week it's been! I went back to work full-time this week, just as Lincoln came down with his virus. Beau went to school each day and really loved it! What a relief! He has Lincoln's old baby teachers, and they are so excited to take care of Beau too. He is sweet to them, takes good long naps in his crib there, and loves to watch the other babies play. I guessed that there were less germs in the baby room than at our house this week, so Beau didn't get the "stay at home" treatment that Linc was getting. Every time I was at school with Beau, he was smiling and happy. The teachers are always comparing how different he is from Lincoln, and it's so nice that they really know our family. We slowly nursed Lincoln back to health with lots of help from Nana. I'm happy to report that he's back to bossing us around and playing like a madman. Linc is back! He's suffering from too much attention-itis and needs to get back to his normal routine of the school day. Nana tried to mimic it today with recess and art, but he needs the structure of his teachers and friends. So happy he's better! I took a few pics tonight after Mi Cocina of my sweet boys.

Beau had some big belly laughs tonight that I'll try to get on video soon. It was the best few moments ever . . . Lincoln and Beau laughing together. Just what a Mommy needed after a stressful week.

Happy and Sick

Beau is such a happy kid these days! He's really loving the jeep, and I always get huge smiles when he's playing there. He likes his mat, tummy time, the bumbo and the jeep . . . and I've been carrying him in the (off-brand) Baby Bjorn lately, which he's really starting to like. Being carried facing out is definitely the way to go, so the carrier helps me to have more use of my hands. What a sweet, happy kid!

Lincoln is a sick kid these days! He woke up on Sunday morning with a fever that kept fluctuating between 99 and 101. Ibuprofen seemed to help ease his uncomfortableness so he tried to have fun and play, but he just wasn't his usual silly, on the go self. We read lots of books and worked lots of puzzles to keep occupied. I felt so sorry for him because his little eyes were dark and sad. I told Kevin he looked like a skinny little "fill in the blank poor Eastern European country" orphan. Surely we can find something to make him feel better.

Monday was worse so a trip to see Dr. K was in order, as his fever reached 102.5. Kevin got the news that it was a virus that made him have a sore throat and a fever, but it should only last a few days . . . and there was no medicine to help other than Ibuprofen or Tylenol. Poor kid! He got to watch Follow That Bird a few times and eat two cinnamon rolls and strawberries for dinner, and he loved it! We also learned that this is a pretty contagious virus, so Beau better watch out. I've said many prayers for a speedy recovery for Lincoln and a free pass for Beau. I know Beau's gonna get sick either on his own or because of Lincoln, but he's just so little right now. I can't please him with puzzles, Big Bird or pastries yet!

Hanging in the Jeep

Check out Beau so happy in the Jeep! He loves it because he gets to be upright and check things out. He just "hangs" because his feet don't touch all the way!

Beau is 3 Months Old

There's a big difference in a two month old and a three month old. Beau is so much stronger and reactive than just one month ago. He is such a happy kid and really watches everything going on around him. Lincoln provides him with lots of entertainment and always offers to inspect his toys. Here are Beau's three month stats:

Weight - 14 1/2 pounds - He's pretty hefty all around! I put on an outfit that Lincoln wore at three months, but I could barely get the shirt to stay down over his belly! He doesn't seem too big though, just really filled out. I'm just barely keeping up with him, even though I'm drinking lots of Mother's Milk tea.

Height - 24 1/2 inches - I think his height is proportionate to his size, and he looks totally normal to me.

Sleeping - Beau is a good little napper and sleeps great at night, too. He usually hits the sack at 9:00 pm and sleeps until 7:30 am. Nice, huh? His naps are totally different than Linc's were at this age . . . he actually takes them! Linc was already in his 30 minute nap phase, but Beau is much better. He takes three each day of over an hour each and a little mini snooze before dinner. I count this as major success!

Fun stuff - Beau really likes sitting in the Bumbo. He always likes to be facing out to see what's going on. Linc and I sit down and play so he can check out the puzzles or books we're playing with.

He's recently started grasping a toy that I offer him. Usually the keys or a rattle. Lincoln was so proud of him when he noticed, and told me "Beau hold the toy, Mommy. Yay!" Tummy time is still pretty easy, and Beau kind of rolls over. It's not the prettiest thing, but he can do it. See that big belly's not in the way too much!Bathtime is always fun! Even if Beau's been really fussy while Lincoln gets his bath, he always cheers up when it's his turn. He goos and smiles the most while in the tub! I'm thinking we're gonna need to find a more sturdy bath place soon. Sometimes he gets excited and tries to stand up in the reclining tub, and he's getting pretty strong! I'll have to research that one.I'd say we're all doing great, and that we've had a good three months. I love the bond between these brothers and how they always look to each other. I had a vision of Linc at 4 and Beau at 2 the other day, and I can't wait for them to really get to enjoy each other. But in the mean time, we'll take each day as a chance to grow and love a little more.

Sunny Day

It was really hot and sunny this weekend, so we busted out the sunglasses! Lincoln loves to wear sunglasses! I wouldn't say that he's an expert at putting them on correctly, but he doesn't seem to mind!

Much to Lincoln's amazement, I put a pair on Beau too! He thought that was pretty funny, and Beau didn't seem to mind much.

Just for fun . . . here's a picture of Lincoln wearing the baby sunglasses at about 4 months old. What a funny pair of brothers!

Sleeping Beauty

Lincoln is a crazy sleeper - I mean he's out like a light and sleeps very soundly, but he must do a lot of moving around before he gets comfy! I know I'm tempting fate, but I can't help but take a picture of the strange ways I find him! I check on him before I go to bed each night, and I always leave the room with a smile on my face.

I don't take many pictures of Beau sleeping because (1) he might be more sensitive to the flash and (2) he's all wrapped up in the velcro swaddler. Lincoln, however, keeps me laughing!

Bumbo Time

Beau's a pretty strong kid and holds himself up well, so we got out the Bumbo to see if he was interested. He really enjoyed sitting up and checking things out! I think he sat in it longer tonight than Lincoln ever did!

After a few minutes, Lincoln came over to see what all the fuss was about. Of course he needed to sit right with us and check it all out. So sweet that he gave Beau a hug. I promise this wasn't staged . . . he's always attacking Beau with big hugs!

Pool Time

Now that the weather's warm, it's time to hang at the pool! We went to the Park Pool last weekend for Linc's first dip in the water since last summer. I wasn't sure how he'd do, but he warmed up pretty quickly. We got in the baby pool and sat on the side. Of course he needed his bucket and truck on the other side, so I told him to walk over and get it. He was skeptical when I stood him up in the water alone, but I told him it was just like walking. For the next hour everytime he took a step, he said "just like walking". Funny!

Since we had so much fun at our pool, we headed to a pool party on Monday at the Toman's. All of Linc's girlfriends were there, so he had a blast. They did lots of splashing! Kevin was on Beau duty inside for most of the afternoon. He had a short nap so Kev came out to snap a few pictures.

While Beau didn't do any swimming, he did lots of being cute! His little smile is the sweetest thing in the world, and I love that I don't have to work hard for one anymore. He smiles and talks all the time! He's a pretty happy kid, and I'm thankful for that.