Life is Good

What happened to the last month? Oh that's right...a whirlwind of sleepless nights with a teething toddler, early morning feedings, lots of poopy diapers, a perpetual mountain of laundry, dark circles under our eyes, and here we are in mid-October! But seriously, life with 2 babies under 2 definitely has its challenges, but each day has so many wonderful moments. The lack of sleep, the being spit up on just as we're ready to walk out the door, the poopy diaper blow-outs coming from such a tiny and ladylike girl...none of that really matters. Some good concealer, a lifetime supply of baby wipes, and a large box of OxyClean have helped solve most of the problems I face on a daily basis. Oh, and coffee or caffeine of some sort...

But the kids...oh the kids!! Nathan is just the most adorable boy. He's happy 99.9 percent of the time and is such a great helper--to me, to John, and especially to Abigail. He must watch us care for her an awful lot, because he knows exactly what to do when she's upset! And if the thing she needs (binky or whatever) isn't within his reach, he starts "telling" us what to do...in his own way, of course...with lots of hand gestures. So cute. He's finally mastered the art of climbing onto the couch...and the first time he did it, his sense of accomplishment was awesome! Now he scampers up to see the garbage man on Monday mornings or just to check out whatever noise he might hear down in the parking lot area. Cute! His first tumble and subsequent need for stitches has been relatively easy. He cried, sure, but mostly I think he was just tired and wanted to go back to sleep. He cried a bit at the ER while they stitched him up, but that was more from having to be strapped down on the "Papoose Board" (definitely not PC...had a picture of an "Indian" baby with a feather headdress and everything!) and having strangers in his face than from being in pain. We went out for breakfast afterward and he was his giggling, smiling self immediately. Definitely resilient!

Nathan's Latest Tricks
Us: What does a sheep say? Nathan: Ba-ba
Us: What does a doggie say? Nathan: Woo-woo (barely moving his mouth...so cute!)
Climbing up on the step stool...and knowing that moving said step stool opens up his world tremendously!
"Swimming" in the bathtub...laying down on his tummy and stretching out
Eating raisins like they're going out of style!
Doing hand motions to songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and laughing and clapping when the song is done
Sitting still for up to 10 minutes for story time at the library or circle time at our Wednesday class for 1-year-olds
Obsessed with machines and tools of all types--he'd watch the washing machine all day if I'd let him!
Desperate to help in the kitchen, no matter what the job--will put the plastic containers away while I'm unloading the dishwasher, will add ingredients to a bowl to be mixed, loves holding and exploring veggies and fruits of all sorts...a regular chef in training!
Knows how to unscrew the lids on my spice jars...after the rosemary got dumped out onto the living room carpet, the spice jars found a new home out of his reach

And Miss Abigail...I could eat her with a spoon! I love my time with her...the way she smiles and coos just melts my heart! She is a dream baby...eats and sleeps predictably and even when she's crying, there are only a few options for what's causing the problem. Mostly she wants to snuggle (hence her nickname, Snuggle Monkey), eat, have a clean diaper, and be entertained. She's even starting to hate the car less, which is a definite bonus! She's found both of her hands and usually manages to successfully suck on a thumb or finger when she needs to pacify herself. She's rolled over twice now from her tummy to her back...the first time was definitely a fluke (she was off balance and over she went) but the second time was all her!

Abigail's Latest Cuteness
Weighs over 13 lbs.
Is over 23 inches long
Wears 6-month size clothing...she's too long for smaller stuff!
Smiles and coos for a long time after she's fed and changed
Loves to watch the mobile
Hardly flinched when she got her first round of shots at 2 months...and had no reaction whatsoever the rest of the day...so easy-going!
Is dainty, ladylike, and cute as a button...but man can she toot! She's been mistaken for adults in our house!

Every night, during that hour or two before we go to bed when both kids are asleep and the house is quiet, John and I sit in the dimly lit living room in our state of exhaustion and we talk about how amazing it is to have these 2 kids. Sure, it's hard. Sure, we're tired. Sure, the house has never been in quite this state of disarray. But my goodness, we are blessed! The other day after Nathan got up from his nap, we were sitting on the floor in the living room and I was feeding Abigail. Nathan was sitting by me, playing, and I was overcome with the thought of how much I love these 2 precious gifts. The phrase, "My heart swells" doesn't begin to describe the feeling I had...I looked at the two of them--both babies in their own way--and was so indescribably thankful for them. I watch them sleep and wonder what we ever did to deserve them. Life really is good...