Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Evan et al. at two weeks

Things are going very well with our little family of four. We are certainly busy with all the eating and diapering and cuddling that a newborn needs. Plus his big brother is pretty busy playing golf (traditional and disc), helping Daddy with the grocery shopping, and managing his fleet of Matchbox cars. Oh, and there's a little bit of laundry to keep up with. (Thanks Matt!)

We went to our pediatrician for Evan's two-week (plus two days) check-up, which involved his first weight check since he was two days old. We were blown away to find out he weighs an amazing 10 lbs 8 oz! His doctor said her goal is for babies to regain their birth weight by two weeks. Um, Evan exceeded that by 1 lb 11 oz. We're so proud.

I am hesitant to declare Evan an easy baby, but I will say that he settles pretty consistently by simply being held and/or nursed (usually the latter!). We've also had success with Matt walking him in the Baby Bjorn. At about 10 days old he started being a little fussier in the evening, roughly 5-8pm. But we've found that walks, swaddling and occasionally a pacifier are helpful during this time. Nights have gone pretty well too. Evan wakes about every 3-4 hours at night to eat and goes down pretty easily after being fed, changed and swaddled. During the day, he eats every 2-3 hours and has wakeful periods mid-morning and early evening; otherwise, he eats and naps, eats and naps. Mercifully, Tobin has taken to sleeping until 7 or 7:30am (after a couple of months of waking at 6am), so we're getting some decent rest. I try to nap with Tobin midday to get some extra sleep and alone time with him. I would say that recovery for me this time around has gone more quickly. Apart from the fatigue from the night waking, I feel pretty good.

That's how we're doing at two weeks into this adventure. I feel like we're working really hard, and there's only about an hour at the of each day (when I should probably be in bed already!) when Matt and I get to converse or just hang out. Of course, the wonderful blessing of two healthy, beautiful boys makes it all worth it. I am tired, but so grateful.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Evan Reid, the name . . . & the compromise

When selecting Evan's name, Matt and I followed the same basic formula we used with Tobin's name: a name we liked plus a name with a family connection. Evan is simply a name we came to love. It is Welsh for John, which means "God is gracious." Reid is the maiden name of my wonderful great grandmother (my dad's mother's mother), who was known by friends and family, even her grandchildren and great grandchildren, simply as Dody. Dody was so dear to me. She lived with my dad's parents, so I got to see her about as often as I saw them growing up. When I stayed at my grandparents', I often slept with her, and was treated to her very imaginative bedtime stories. My grandparents and Dody moved just down the street from us in Columbus when I was in high school, so I got to spend even more time with her up until her death in March 1995, my senior year in high school. Even though she was 98 at the time, I was really caught off guard by her passing and missed her terribly. Dody was a woman who absolutely delighted in her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren; it was impossible not to reciprocate. To know her was truly to love her.

As you may recall, Tobin wanted to call his brother Tobin Chevy. In hindsight, we may have played this up a bit much. I guess it was too hard not to, since it was so hilarious and clever. When Aunt Ashley told Tobin his brother's name was Evan Reid, he informed her very seriously that, no, his name is Tobin Chevy. When T came to see us at the hospital to meet Evan, he again argued with us, almost tearfully, about his name. We suggested that Tobin Chevy could be Baby Brother's car name, but his people name was Evan Reid. This was acceptable to Tobin. Around here these days, Tobin refers to Evan as Baby Brother, Evan, and sometimes a sing-songy "Evan Weed." And Mama and Daddy even affectionately call him Chevy sometimes.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

For the sake of comparison

It's a proven, successful parenting strategy to constantly compare your younger child(ren) to your first. Just ask any second or third child. Given that, why not engage in it at the 10-day mark? I've tried to find similar angles for you to compare. I think they look significantly different, but I spend lots of time around them. What do you think? (Here's where you use the comments).

First attempt:
Tobin:
wide awake in a sleeper.
Evan:
one week old
Second attempt:
Evan:
hi baby brother

Tobin:
and he was a big baby?

Friday, July 03, 2009

What's your job?

One of the bedtime stories we read to Tobin is "Bedtime for Frances," a story about a little-girl badger who doesn't want to go to sleep. When she wakes her dad up late at night to ask why the wind is moving her curtains, he tells her it's the wind's job to move the curtains and that he has to sleep because he has a job. He tells Frances it is her job to sleep and go to school, reminding her that there are consequences for not doing one's job. That book has led Tobin to ask what our jobs are. He asks regularly what someone's (or something's) job is.

We have told Tobin that Evan's job is to sleep, eat, pee, poop, and grow so he can get big to play with us. Here is a video of Evan struggling with the first of the aforementioned jobs.

Summer activities

Tobin has entered a new phase in playing. He has always been a pretty cautious kid. Lately though, as he has gained confidence in his physical abilities, he has taken on more difficult physical challenges. He likes to run with me when I take him out in the jogging stroller. He likes to jump off small walls and steps. He likes to climb at playgrounds--and not just climb the steps to the slide. One playground near us has a kids' climbing wall about 9 feet tall. He hasn't made it to the top yet, but I don't think it will be long. The vertical climb he completes in the video here is 7 or 8 feet up onto the play structure. This is now his preferred method of reaching the slides.

Even the kind of play he has been enjoying for a while has taken on a new direction. He loves to hit his plastic golf balls in the yard, but has only lately become interested in getting them in the hole. We count how many strokes it takes to get the ball in the hole. He knows 2 and 3 are very good, but doesn't really get discouraged until 6 or 7. He has actually beaten me two times straight up. He scored a 2 at the distance you see in the video when I scored a 3. Another time, he made it in three shots while I took 4 (hey, it's a tricky fairway and green!).

Enjoy the video. Tobin and I had a lot of fun making it..

Tobin in Training from matt smith on Vimeo.