My boys

A new do

After waiting and waiting, it was finally time.  Aiden hasn’t had a haircut since I evened out his mohawk (which was when it was still cold outside!).  Scott decided we all needed to look our best for the upcoming Swine is Divine, so he took him to get a new do this weekend.  Even though he didn’t enjoy his haircut quite as much as he did the first time around, I must say he is looking pretty cute!

My favorite time of day

Some days are pretty tough.  Some days just plain stink.  And some days end with you putting your 20 month old in time-out 4 times in 30 minutes while your newborn screams because you can’t sufficiently nurse him because you have to discipline the other one for things like climbing into the newborn’s crib or kicking the dog or standing on the newborn’s swing.  Purely hypothetically speaking…not that this happened to us tonight.

So I will choose to remember happier times.  The photo below is my favorite time of day.  It doesn’t occur that often but when it does, it warms my heart.

Family story time

Princess Elizabeth

On Thursday evening, Scott came upstairs as I was getting into bed and said that there was something wrong with Bruno.  He was shaking, lethargic, and acting more skittish than usual.  He also wouldn’t sit with us – a definite cue that something was up.  So after thorough inspection, we found that he had a red bump on his bum.  After a conversation with the vet and a trip to the vet (by Scott) at 10:30 pm, poor Bruno had to have his bum lanced in order to open up a clogged anal gland.  Poor poor little Bruno.  So now he is on antibiotics, he has to have warm compresses on his bum twice per day, and he has an Elizabethan collar…thus the nickname, Princess Elizabeth.  Nothing says pitiful like the following:

Tummy time

Court has figured out that tummy time is much easier if he just gives in and falls asleep.  He also wiggles into a ball and tries to scrunch up into the fetal position.

A big day with a funny ending

Yesterday was a big day for building my confidence as a mom of two.  Scott had to be at work early and had small group that evening (for those of you who don’t know, Scott and Crazy Dave lead a youth group at church every Wednesday…I know, yikes!).  And I had signed up to host Aiden’s playgroup that afternoon.  Feeling somewhat overwhelmed at my day on Tuesday night as I headed to bed, I braced myself for a busy day.  But I managed to handle the morning routine (dressing, bathing, feeding, nursing Court) with us ready by 9am, prepared a yummy spread and a fun place for playgroup to happen, and went through the nighttime routine without a hitch as well.  I was feeling a bit like a supermom and very proud of myself.  (I realize that every mother in America with 2 kids does this everyday but I’m still on a learning curve so I get to have a proud moment, right?!)

Then came the funny ending.  Court had just finished his bath and I was drying him off.  I looked over at Aiden who was sitting in the bathtub as the water drained.  He made a funny face and I knew what was going to happen next.  “Do you have to poopie?” I asked.  He looked at me while grunting and said, “Poopie.”  I put Court on the floor in his towel and by the time I got to Aiden, there was poo in the tub.  Then he stood up and stepped in it.  Seriously?!  Once I put him on the potty and got his foot cleaned, he pointed at the bathtub and said “poopie” approximately 500 times.  All I could say was, “Yes, I know son, you poopied in the bathtub. ”  I just had to laugh.  You can’t make up stuff like that! Hilarious!!

Aiden showing off at playgroup.

Aiden's friend, Quinn, at playgroup.

Robert, Quinn, and Aiden

Court and his favorite duckie

Four weeks

Today, Court is officially four weeks old.  I am trying to fully immerse myself in his tiny baby-ness in case this is our last baby.  His soft skin, baby smell, tiny feet and hands, little noises, etc are all so precious.  You can’t beat a newborn sleeping on your chest while swinging on a porch swing in the fresh late-summer air.  But enough nostalgia, here are some of the many faces of baby Court!

Smiley

Content

Pensive

Saying "Peace"

My best friend, Jess, used to say her son, Charlie, looked like he was throwing up gang signs when he was first born. Apparently, Court has already joined this baby gang too.

Outspoken

Semi-sleepy

Really sleepy

Party party party

This past weekend, Aiden had two birthday parties to attend and we braved the crowds with two children to go to the BBQ, Blues, and Brews festival here in Charlotte.  The boys were both very well-behaved, we ate lots of yummy food and cake, and Scott and I were highly entertained the entire time.  What more can a family of 4 ask for?!

What an addition this would be to the Swine is Divine, right?!

Court wasn't so impressed with the BBQ festival. Even the wiener dog and the pig races couldn't wake him from his slumber.

At Robert and Philip's birthday party; Aiden doesn't really like ice cream (I think it's too cold) but he really likes the ice cream truck!

At Liam's birthday party. Fun in the sun.

What a little star!

P.S. In regards to the photo header of Court, I think this picture is hilarious.  Scott hates it when he crosses his eyes but I think it is adorable when he tries so hard to keep us in focus and his little eyes go all googley.  But to make Scott feel better, I just wanted to clarify, he isn’t cross-eyed all the time 🙂

A little obsession

Aiden is a little obsessed with trucks and buses.  If you are in the car with him and come anywhere in the vicinity of a bus, he will scream “BUS” and scare the bejesus out of you.  If you hear any type of siren, he mimics the sound at the top of his lungs and then screams “Ambulance” or “Fire truck.”  And heaven forbid you come across a construction site…you get the idea – “Dump truck” or “Bulldozer” or (my favorite) “Excavator.”  Man, you just gotta love a little boy.

Bub and Pop brought Aiden some of Scott's old diggers. It was love at first sight.

Milestones

This weekend was one full of milestones.  Well, really only two milestones, but two big ones nonetheless.

1.  Court’s belly button fell off.  It had been hanging on for dear life for like a week and I went to change his diaper and there it was floating around in his onesie.  I realize that it might not sound like a true milestone, but when you are only two weeks old, not much is happening other than eating, sleeping, pooping and crying.  And that cord was attached to him for 40 long weeks – so it’s a milestone to us.

2.  Aiden figured out how to climb (read:  fall) out of his crib.  After Aiden woke a bit early from his nap on Saturday, Scott laid down beside his crib to try to convince Aiden to go back to sleep for a few more minutes.  Scott said he looked up and saw Aiden standing and looking over the crib rail.  Scott didn’t think anything of it and closed his eyes.  He said that less than 1 second later, Aiden landed on his chest!  We knew this day was coming…but what the heck do we do now?!