Early morning thoughts

Oh how I wish I could write as I did with Bradley. It's a combination of Clark having much shorter middle of the night feeds and also no free time to sit at the computer during the day. Any free time I have is allocated to sleep, showering, television, paper books, or chores (in that order usually).

Clark is stil adorable and smiley but as he has become more alert, he has grown into skepticism and judgment as Bradley did. Grumpy faced with judgy eyes, he tries to figure out this crazy world. 

Bradley continues to be a sweet big brother, reading to Clark, giving kisses, bringing him toys (only baby toys!) and asking how he's feeling. It melts me.

And like that, Clark is done and I'm itching to go lie in bed and catch a few zzzzs before morning comes all too fast. Probably an hour or two before either Bradley sings until I come see him it Clark cries for me to come get him. 

Of course

Of course, since I wrote it out into the internet how great my baby sleeps, he throws me for a loop! Not sure what's happening but he's having trouble falling asleep, needing way more rocking than usual. And he's sleeping just 5 hours at a time. Where's my 8 hours?!

(Added for honesty.)

Clark Arthur, twelve weeks

With Bradley, all his updates were on the month exactly. The second born? Well, I've got to write when I can. If it's not a two month update, it's an almost three month update but not quite so we can count by weeks. Hell, even this kid's doctor appointments have been off. It must be hard being second.

Bradley adores little Clark. He's always bringing him pacifiers and blankets. Bradley likes to tel Clark that he can't play with some toys because he's a baby. Bradley likes to ask Clark to say hello and tries to teach him to say I love you. Clark is tough and can handle all the big hugs and kisses Bradley gives him.

Clark is certainly a better baby in the last week. It's like he realized how to sleep and stay sleeping and everything was sunny. I didn't want to write about his sleep until he had a full week of consistency - otherwise it's a fluke. Hopefully I won't be jinxing his sleep to write about it, either. 

At 11 weeks, Clark started sleeping through the night. In the moment, eleven weeks feels like forever! Like too long to get here. But, typing it out, I know it's crazy early. I've become one of those mothers I hate reading about online because her baby sleeps so well so young. What. The. Heck.  And by sleeping through the night, I mean what sleep experts say: 6-8 hours. He will sleep anywhere from 6-8 hours, then 4-5 hours which if I'm lucky puts me at morning. If I'm unlucky, puts me at 6 and I either can put him down until 8 or just deal with a happy awake baby until Bradley gets up.

Clark is still super happy. He loves all the things Bradley hated: baths, changing diapers, changing clothes, tummy time, being in his car seat. He is always smiling. He even started laughing! It makes everything awesome to hear baby laughs.

Clark is wearing Bradley's 6-12 month clothes. He's a giant! I can't believe it. These are clothes Bradley wore when  he was 7 months, 10 months, a year old. It is so very bizarre.

He is nursing like a champ. He nurses in the morning when he wakes, at 9, at 12, at 4 and at bedtime 6:30pm, then again at 1-3am whenever he wakes. It is so much less than Bradley did. He also refuses to snack. And he won't fall asleep at the boob, prefers a pacifier. Very different than Bradley.

Clark can follow us around the room with his eyes. He can grab and hold toys for a few seconds. He has found his hands and loves to chew on them. 

We took him to see his first movie this weekend. We took Bradley right at three months, so maybe a week later than Clark. He did great! He was awake at the beginning, nursed, took a pacifier and fell asleep for the whole movie. It was awesome sitting as a family of four enjoying a day at the movies. Hopefully, there's more days like that ahead of us.

Overall, he's a way happier, more relaxed baby than I've ever had. He's fitting in nicely. 

Two month stats: 

Clark (2 month, 1 week adjusted percentiles)

Head is 16 inches (82%)

weight is 13 lbs 3 oz (60%) 

height is a whopping 25 inches (98%)

Bradley (2 month exactly)

Head is 16 inches (90%)

Weight, 13 lbs 1 oz (70%)

Height 23 inches (70%)

Bradley Douglas, two and a half years

Oh, this sweet boy. I really love this age. He speaks so well, plays independently and loves so fiercely. 

He loves routine and likes to predict what will happen next. Every morning, he lays in bed singing to himself occasionally hollering for "Mama Mama come get me!" We made a big deal out of staying in his room when we first transitioned to his big boy bed and thankfully, he's been obedient! I'm terrified of him standing inches from my face and waking me up by breathing into my sleeping face. So far, we have avoided it.

He likes to eat Cheerios and fruit for breakfast with a cup of milk. He now gets the box of cereal from the pantry and brings it to me.

He still takes a glorious 2.5-3 hour afternoon nap. I love him so much for this. He also loves to cuddle after his nap, and since Clark isn't usually up, I happily oblige. I climb into his tiny bed and let him pet my hair while we talk about his toys or the clouds or whatever he is thinking about. 

He wears size 2T shirts and some 3T shirts. His pants are all 18-24 month. His shoes are size 9. He loves his purple converse. He will only wear his green and brown snow boots when it's snowing...obviously.  He has one jacket because it's the only jacket he will wear. It's green, and it was near impossible to find. I ordered it online from Lands End and he loves it. Thankfully!

Bradley loves music. He loves to listen to music, play instruments and watch music videos on YouTube. We have a cd of Disney songs that we listen to, and whenever a song comes on, he will immediately identify the song title and what movie it's from. If he has seen the movie, he usually asks me if I see it. For example, the Lion King opening song with Africian words. "Mama, do you see the giraffes?" I was totally confused at first. He sees the movie whenever he hears the songs. It's really interesting.

His favorite toy is easily Legos. He loves Duplos mostly for the animals. He has also taken Duplo pieces and assigned them to be fruit and vegetables. For example, a green piece is a cucumber. A black cube is a blackberry. Very abstrzgy and super interesting to watch. He loves new packs of Legos but really, they are for Bryan. Bryan will build the set while Bradley holds the instructions saying, "Hmmm what piece do we need?" 

Bradley is very into imaginative play. When he's not acting out scenarios with his Duplo animals, he's playing with dinosaurs or farm animals. They all talk and usually are loving to each other. He has also recently started pretending that his fingers are animals. 

He loves to play with his blankets. He will pretend they are a ball or a whale or a nest. He has an interesting imagination.

My parents bought him a kitchen for Christmas and he play with it daily! He likes to make dinners, go grocery shopping and plant things in a garden. 

For a long time, Bradley was obsessed with the Muffins video by the same guy who made OMG Shoez on YouTube. He would quote it and hold up an imaginary muffin. He loved to come up with other made up muffins like Kermit muffin or chair muffin or Apple Cinnamon Chex muffin, basically anything could be a muffin. He has (sadly) moved on.

He likes tv too. More than movies right now. He's into Daniel Toger and SuperWhy mostly. Occasionally he will watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (ughhh). He's watched more tv than usual because of Clark, but he's over the recommended age so I don't feel bad about it. Bryan says not to care but I do! 

Bradley is hit or miss at dinner time. He loves white rice, almost any vegetable if it is raw, cooked broccoli, corn, spaghetti, French fries (ha who doesn't?), hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, any cheese, all fruit, and any cracker. We give him a simpler version of our dinner. Sometimes he eats it, sometimes he doesn't. We try not to care, but it is annoying sometimes. He eats a big breakfast and a big lunch everyday so it's not like he's starving! 

Overal, he's pretty good. We had a strong tantrum six months from 20 months to 26 months. Basically, since Clark was born, he's been so good! There was a rough week about a month ago where he didn't want to get out of the car when we got home. But I let him tantrum and he got over it eventually. 

He is very lovey. He loves to give kisses to me and Bryan and Clark.

He has so much love to give! He loves hugs and will randomly say, "I love you mom!" It is really sweet. I don't want to forget these moments! 

Day in our life: 2.5 year Bradley and 11 week Clark

Clark is now two months adorable. He's smiley and very relaxed. He finally has a reliable schedule and just this week started sleeping longer.

He wakes around 6:30-7:00am and so does Bradley. Clark has a small breakfast and is content to hang out while we all eat breakfast and play Legos.

He takes a short nap from 8:00-8:45 while I get ready to go, and when he wakes up, we pack up the car and head out for the day. We drive Bryan to work everyday and then usually go somewhere fun like the library or a friends house, or somewhere necessary like the grocery store or Target. Clark naps sometime in there for about 30-45 minutes.

We try to be home by 10;30-11 so we can play. Clark nurses then I make lunch and Clark hangs out doing tummy time. We eat lunch and watch an episode or two of Daniel Tiger or SuperWhy. Then, I rock Clark to sleep, swaddled and one arm out. When he's asleep, I play a little longer with Bradley and then get him ready for a nap.

Both boys are asleep by 12:30-1pm. I hurry to bed myself to try to catch some sleep. Usually, I can nap at least an hour, sometimes 2.5-3 hours. Bradley reliably sleeps 2.5-3 hours. Clark usually sleeps 3-4 hours but sometimes needs a pacifier replacement sometime in that time. It is lovely.

Bradley wakes around 3:30 and we play together in his room until Clark wakes up. I nurse Clark while Bradley reads books to us. After this, we all play on the floor together for an hour.

Then j set Bradley up with the iPad and some games while I put Clark in the moby to make dinner. Bryan gets home around 5:45-6pm. Bradley helps me set the table when dinner is ready and usually we have dinner coming to the table just as Bryan gets home (how 1950s). 

We eat dinner while Clark watches, and then when we are done, I nurse Clark and Bryan and Bradley clean up. Clark takes a short cat nap while we do bedtime routine with Bradley: bath, pajamas, brush teeth and read three books. Bradley is in bed by 6:30-6:45.

Clark wakes, nurse, swaddled and put him down. He sleeps for 5-6 hours and we got down to the bSement to watch tv, enjoy some adult beverages and hang out.

Clark wakes up around 1-2am, then 4-4:30, then 6:30-7am. I'm hoping to drop the 4am wake up soon, but I know he's still young. 

Little things I don't want to forget

Tonight, I gave Clark a bath in the bathtub. Nothing made Bradley want to bathe more than seeing someone else enjoy the bubbles. He hops in and proceeds to help me bathe Clark...by dumping a cup full of water on his face. Poor baby Clark didn't know what hit him! He blinked, cried, gagged and coughed. The first bad bath experience as this baby just loves baths.

At night, we put Bradley to bed first and then I swaddle and rock Clark to sleep. Their rooms are next to each other, separated by a bathroom and with both doors cracked open, I always hear Bradley singing to himself in the dark. His current jams are: Everything is Great (Muppet Movie 2011), Old McDonald/Daniel Tiger/Mickey and Donald had a Farm, and Everything is Awesome (Lego Movie).

Clark is the most smiley baby. He smiles when he wakes up, smiles when he sleeps, smiles when he's in his car seat, when he's in a wrap, when he's laying on the floor. He loves diaper changes and baths: two things Bradley as a baby (and now) hated! I don't know how a baby can smile this much. Bryan jokes that Bradley is a mini him and Clark is a mini me.

I've been cooking all our meals. We haven't gone out to eat since January 15. Aside from Bryan's weekly Wednesday lunch with his colleagues, that is. With a mortgage and the uncertainty of Bryan teaching in the summer, we are cutting back as much as possible. Surprisingly, 8/10 meals that I make have been hits! I'm impressing even myself.

Clark Arthur: seven weeks old

Clark is adorable. He is just so cute. I haven't held but one newborn since Bradley and all the cute of newborn cuddles is not lost on me.

I'll need to write about his birth, but I'll go ahead and say that of all three of if (Bryan, Bradley and myself), Bradley was the one to never skip a beat. He welcomed baby Clark like he was always here. He talks in a high pitched voice when he talks about Clark or to Clark. He gives hugs and kisses and toys. Clearly, he was meant to be a big brother.

Clark is a champ. Little dude is rocking all of Bradley's hand me downs, including the crib. I did buy new sheets and redecorate so instead of monsters, his nursery is nautical. 

Clark's absolute favorite thing is to be held. He doesn't discriminate how or by whom. He just wants to feel the love. Hold him and he won't care about dirty diapers, eating, being cold, being hot, or a house on fire. He's quite a cuddler. I like to joke that he thinks he's a firstborn.

Like Bradley, we've been putting Clark to sleep in his crib at night and for naps. He has been a much less sleepy baby than Bradley usually sleeping 1.5-2 hours. Just at six weeks, his naps started teaching three hours and his first sleep of the night is 4-5 hours long. It is hard having a newborn who doesn't sleep for long stretches when I've been sleeping through the night for two years now, since Bradley was seven months old. I am very ready for longer stretches that just HAVE to be on the horizon.

That being said, Clark is a very happy newborn. He really doesn't cry except to tel us he's awake from a nap, that he has a dirty diaper and rarely (usually 4-5 hrs between feedings) that he's hungry. Mostly, he just wants to be held. Whereas Bradley would cry often and I could fix any problem with a boob, Clark refuses to eat unless he's hungry and won't be calmed by extra nursings, just cuddles.

Clark smiled for the first time (for real) at five weeks! I couldn't believe it, and neither could Bryan. We have a very smiley baby! What? We didn't know they actually existed. Turns out they do. And every time it's adorable. I have not gotten used to his smiles in these two weeks and each time has me scrambling for a camera like I've just sighted Big Foot.

Clark rolled over for the first time yesterday, right at 7 weeks! I couldn't believe it. Bryan was there and Clark was doing tummy time and all of a sudden he flipped to his back. This is so crazy! I have to look it up but it must have taken Bradley at least another month or two do roll over. I wouldn't have believed Clark did it except that I was there.

Clark is already on a schedule that he created. He wakes at 7-7:30, eats plays and then naps from 8:30-10:30. Eat and play, naps from 12-3 (on great days) or 12-2 then 2:30-4 (on good days), then eats and plays until 5. He naps in the bouncer while we eat dinner and is usually up at 6 to share in the chaos of bedtime routine. Most nights both kids are asleep in their beds by 7. Clark has been sleeping until about midnight, then is up at 3:30, 5 and then 7. A lot of sleep but never enough in a row.

His stats for one month and 11 days:

Height 23 inches (92%)

Weight 10 lbs 15 oz (55%)

Head Circumference 15 inches (66%)

Compared to Bradley at one month exactly:

Height 21 inches (50%)

Weight 9 lbs 9 oz (75%)

Head Circumference 15 inches (90%)