Ian

Here is some of what Ian has been up to lately. During these activities, Joseph was most likely to have been sleeping. Or eating.

Drinking Orange Julius. Scott has made this a Saturday morning tradition. Ian calls it "yummy drink".

Good to the last drop.

Finding and then kicking back with "Daddy's buttons". They are forbidden, and therefore he loves them.

Rearranging the furniture, hiding cars under the cushions, and then taking a nap with "Da bunny an' da binkie"

Growing another mullet.Haircut number 2. He did not remain calm during this procedure. Helping Daddy with the dishes, i.e. banging a whisk on the sink. Check out the new haircut.

Nursery

Here is Ian on his first day of nursery

Ian is now old enough to begin nursery at our church, which means that now we only have to wrestle to keep him calm and quiet for the first meeting, and then he gets to go off to learn about Jesus and play and eat snacks for the remaining two hours with a bunch of other kids his age. Scott and I have spent the last 9 months of church pacing the halls with Ian, dreaming of the day when Ian would begin nursery. And yet, like some other anticipated milestones I can think of, this transition was heart wrenching for me.

After all, Ian and I have spent very little of his 19.5 months apart. I have been the primary overseer of his learning and growth. And I like it that way. It is hard for me to know that when he goes to nursery, there is a part of his life that I will know so little about. His teachers (who I hear are wonderful) will teach him things. He'll play with other kids (and sometimes they might be mean to him!) and I won't be there to watch. He has only been there once, and he has already come home singing songs that someone else taught him. My baby is growing up. From this point onward, I will have less and less control and influence in his life. His world will continue to expand. It hasn't helped that I have had nightmares of going to pick Ian up from nursery, only to discover that the nursery leaders let some kidnapper pick Ian up after nursery. I know this nursery thing is far more dramatic for me than for many mothers. But tell me... am I the only one who felt this way?

As I sat at home with Joseph while Ian and Scott were at church last Sunday, I actually found myself watching the clock, thinking... "Okay, it's 3:13. Sacrament meeting is over and now they are walking to nursery." "Now it's 3:50. Ian is totally in nursery." "It's 5:05, Scott is probably going to pick him up right now!" Thankfully, Scott knows and loves me, and called at 5:10 pm on his way home from church to report that Ian loved nursery and was coming home safe and sound.

Don't get me wrong -- nursery is going to be great for me. I am thrilled to be going to Sunday School and Relief Society tomorrow, knowing that I will be able to stay more than the first 4 minutes. (Of course, the countdown begins for Joseph to become the squirmer/screamer who we pace the halls with.)

And I am relieved that Ian has taken to nursery quite readily. He actually could have started going to nursery almost two months ago, but between the hurricane, Stake and General Conference, and a new baby in the family, we just haven't been to church much. So there wasn't any easing Ian into nursery like I had expected. And I'd been prepared for Ian to have a hard time with the adjustment, too. But Scott tells me Ian was eager to play from the beginning, and after changing Ian's diaper and bringing him back to nursery, Ian just marched right back in and didn't look back. This kid was supposed to be going through separation anxiety. But apparently nursery is cool enough to make a kid forget his parents.

Hopefully I will be able to drop Ian off at nursery tomorrow and not linger by the door for the next 2 hours. Heaven help me when Ian starts all-day Kindergarten.

5 weeks Old

Joseph is now nearly 6 weeks old. Here are some stats from his one month appointment, though the measurements were taken when he was 5 weeks old.

Weight: 11lbs 4.5 oz, 90%
Height: 22 1/4 ", 75%
Head Circ: 15, 50%

Joseph has gained 3 lbs in just 3 weeks, and has grown an inch and a half since birth! It is fun to see his cheeks fill out, and now that he feels sturdier, I worry less about what Ian can do to him.

While Ian is working on being "gentle" and "soft" when he touches Joseph, these sentiments usually surface after he has flung a block at Joseph, or pretended --oops-- actually, stepped on Joseph's back during 'tummy time'. I love that after Ian is scolded for his treatment toward Joseph, Ian always gets a sympathetic look and then makes a motion like he is tousling Joseph's hair. Which is really funny, because Joseph is completely bald, except for a fringe of dark hair that hangs around the back of his head.

Here, Joseph was snuggled up on Scott's lap, when Ian come over and rearranged things to make room for himself.

Ian looks comfy, and Joseph looks like he doesn't care that he isn't.

But actually, I think Ian likes Joseph these days, and is always quick to notify me when he hears Joseph over the baby monitor: "Baby Joseph sad. Joseph cry." Followed by "Go get him. Right back. Hurry Hurry." It is fun to see Ian taking on what seems like a watchful big brother's role. He even offers Joseph his binkie, a privilege rarely granted to anyone else.

These days, Joseph is developing a more regular eating and sleeping schedule. It emerged on it's own, but I like it, so I have been careful to enforce it. He usually wakes up just before 7 am, and begins a cycle of eat, 'play' for 1 hour, sleep for 2, then do it again. He does this until around 7 pm, at which point he eats every 3.5 to 6 (!) hours and then goes immediately back to sleep. And thank goodness for it-- I have learned that I am quite tied to the regularity and dependability of schedules, and the whole irregularity of newborness had been hard for me. Without a schedule how on earth do you know what they are crying for?! And when you can sneak away to use the restroom? Or take a nap? So now that we near the 6 week mark, we are all feeling a little more normal. Finally! Phew! I think we can do this two-kid thing after all!

Here is Ian enjoying his favorite pastime; building "big, big, bunny house". Notice his favorite rabbit lounging inside.

Halloween 2008

Ian was delighted to start the day by putting on his beloved "Boo Shirt", given to him by our good friend Susan. The ghost on it lights up with orange lights when the shirt moves. I have heard almost daily request for the shirt since he received it, and every time we opened Ian's closet in the last month, Ian has shrieked with excitement for his "Boo Shirt".

Our good friend's Sarah and Ryan gave Joseph this "Baby's First" shirt. Their little boy Andrew, who is a month older than Joseph, has a matching one.
Here is our puppy. Remember our puppy from last year?
We took the boys to our ward Trunk or Treat, where families backed their cars into spaces at the church parking lot, and the kids Trick or Treated to all the decorated car trunks. It was so fun to see Ian Trick or Treating for the first time. He was a little too shy to say "Trick or Treat" like we had practiced, but he did enjoy himself.

Here are Joseph and Andrew. It was fun to get out and see some of our friends and introduce them to Joseph.

What a Cool Kid

I want to brag about my little Ian. Several nights ago, Scott asked Ian to pray at dinner time. And he did! Scott helped Ian with what to say (with Ian giggling every few sentences) and then Ian completed the prayer with "Jesus Christ, Amen!" all by himself. He has since done it two more times, with help. I am so proud!

Ian has been clasping his hands for prayers for a while now, but kneeling down for a prayer before bedtime is a newer skill. Several nights ago, I heard Ian get up and roam around the room during his bedtime prayer, but I peaked to see him drop to his knees and fold his arms just as Scott finished the prayer. What a little sneak! Several weeks ago, I went to get Ian up in the morning and he was kneeling in his crib with his little hands clasped and he kept saying "Pear! Pear!" Wearing his blue stripped footy PJs, it was adorable.

Last night we noticed Ian had quickly learned many of the words to some new children's songs. So we decided to test him and see if he had already learned the words to some of the songs we have been singing since his infancy. Sure enough, when we sang the first part of a line from "I am a Child of God," and then paused, Ian would smile and then complete the last few words of the line! He knows almost the entire first verse of that and several other primary songs. All those days singing the same songs over and over and over and over again... it wasn't in vain!