big brother

6.30.2011
Posted by Shannon Marie
Ever since I can remember I've been quite fascinated with the concept of having twins. Maybe because there aren't any in my family and I grew up knowing very few sets, but whatever the case, I've always thought to myself how miraculous and exciting (and scary) a thing it would be to suddenly find out the peanut you are carrying is actually peanut-s. Nevertheless, I have to admit to the sense of calm I've felt (both times) when the ultrasound technician proclaimed: "looks like there's just one."


This time around (knowing a little more about what to expect...or worry about) I had already begun having the all-telling (if real-life means being chased, laying an egg, and having triplets) pregnancy dreams. After that last one, I woke up a little more jarred than normal -- what exactly would we do if suddenly our soon-to-be little family of 4 was actually going to be SIX! I read somewhere recently about the rate of twins and it was actually higher than I expected (knowing very little about it in the first place). Mommy brain + Pregnancy brain is not allowing me to recall the exact statistic, but I believe it was somewhere around 1 in 32? And, seeing as I've known a lot of friends, colleagues, and acquaintences to get knocked up recently, I figured I'd know about more sets of twins. Who's next?


Speaking of ultrasounds -- Husband and I have pretty different views of pregnancy, aside from the glaringly obvious fact that I'm the one that goes through it and he, well, isn't. Two positive pregnancy tests and a few of the early tell-tale signs aren't nearly enough for him to 'believe' it. The heartbeat on the other hand, well that's undeniable! We had the ultimate pleasure of having Harper with us this time. Surreal to say the very least.


It's still sinking in that less than 7 months from now we'll be a family of 4 and a Stella. It is indeed just one. I'm sick as can be. And, ecstatic that means things are progressing as they should. Oh, and for the record -- strangers need not point out that it's typically unexpected to have children one year apart -- the sizes of 'Big Brother' clothing pointed that out for us plain and simple. The abundance of 2T and 3T sizes are a testament to the fact that we may be doing things on the fast track, but that's just fine with us. You can, however, always count on the world wide web to help you find just what you need...



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sweet (potato) smiles

6.29.2011
Posted by Shannon Marie
It's pretty mind-blowing the changes that happen in a mere six months. At this point I can (thankfully) remember every little detail and I much prefer it that way. I realize over time I may lose some of the little moments -- the feeling of H on my chest when he first entered the world (ok, I better not lose that one), the snorts he makes when you play airplane with him, the crazy heights he reaches in his Jumperoo -- but continue to remember the milestones. And, that's ok. Just as I change his picture on my laptop background near weekly, I realize it's not possible to store every bit of every moment forever, just important to make sure we cherish every moment as its happeneing. On to another type of mush...






H has begun the journey into eating 'real' food. That's right, solids. We waited until he was 5 1/2 months -- the non-interest coupled with my own 'I'm not ready for him to make this next big step yet' (yes, I'm being selfish) made for a perfect transition, though. He was already becoming interested in what we were eating by this point and boy did he ever love that spoon. The cereal on the spoon...well, every once in a while he'd take a swallow. It only took a couple tries for him to get the drift. Trying to feed him after he'd already eaten as suggested and making sure he wasn't 'way hungry' -- not ideal for us. More like: 'I only want this stuff when I'm hungry otherwise you enjoy wiping it off of anything and everything I can drool it on'. Please and thank you (he's polite in his defiance already, what can I say?). We've now moved on to sweet potatoes and let's just say, our assumption that he'd like something that even remotely has some taste was an accurate one. He sure loves him some sweet potatoes. Every tiny bite.




Here are just a few more of H's favorite things to do these days:


  • Talk -- my, oh my, is he a talker. Most talkative in his class say the ladies from school.

  • Play with balloons -- (supervised, of course) um, cheap and never-ending entertainment?

  • Try to crawl -- emphasis on the 'try'. He's got the leg part down...the arms not so much. If there were an award for most graceful face plant, though, my little munchkin would have it in his clammy little lint-filled hands in a heartbeat.

  • Speaking of handling an award -- boy, does he every like to (insist on) turning the pages during story time. Let's just say more than a few books don't make a whole lot of sense anymore around the bottom right corner of the page. Grab, pull, turn (rip?), and repeat. It's a science, really.

  • Jumping -- I can distinctly remember the dinner table conversations between Husband and I even before we found out we'd be adding a little peanut to the equation and the wholehearted declarations that we refused to 'junk' our house with 'plastic things'. All I can say for myself is: watch your step when you come over and I should probably buy stock in Fisher Price. The kid loves to jump. He uses a couple college textbooks for an extra boost -- hello, 5-10th percentile on the height chart, you aren't doing much for my bouncing abilities...International Business and Economics have him covered, though. And bounce, and bounce...

  • He loves playing with toys, his tootsies, and anything else he can get his hands on -- and he's discovered his 'parts'...enough said...

  • Smiling, hugging -- I mean, what kind of mother would I be without adding in here that he has to be the sweetest baby ever in existence, right?

  • Sitting up all by himself -- where did my little bobble-head go so quickly?

  • Sleeping through the night -- Hallelujah! And, I have to input my two cents about this one, too, since what kind of mother would I be without doling out my parenting opinion when it isn't asked for? They figure it out and do it when they want to. Short and simple. Forget the books, the training, and everything else that worked for your co-worker's aunt's brother's cousin's wife. What teenager do you know that doesn't know how to sleep through the night? Kidding. Sort of. Really, though, contrary to the (sometimes irrational and not-so-nice) thoughts running through you head at 3 or 4am, your child is not going to be 'that child' that never slept a good night until he was 2. He's young. And, telling you he needs something. And, at some point he'll stop needing those somethings, start sleeping well, and then start needing new somethings. Revel in the fact that we are all going through it. At some point, they figure it out.

Every day is an adventure. One we enjoy so much, we've hopped back on (never got off?) the baby train. Our new addition will officially be joining the clan in January. And, Husband and I officially must be physically separated one specific weekend for -- well, ever...

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