Boys

Malcolm is 14 pounds and 9 ounces. He is 25 inches long. He wears 3-6 month clothes except in sleepers, which are 6-9 month. He eats very well and sleeps pretty well too. He is usually a very cheerful boy, but his shots made him very grumpy. However, by Friday he was completely back to his normal happy self, content to lay on the floor while I work and grin at me whenever I look at him.

He is so different from Eamon. The doctor noticed it too. Malcolm was laying on the table grinning and giggling. Eamon was standing watching him, quiet and serious. This isn't to say Eamon is always serious, in fact, he is a very funny little boy, but he seems to take after his father when in social settings. He likes being home and in small groups of people, but get easily overwhelmed in new or different places or around lots of people. Malcolm on the other hand will smile at whoever smiles at him. He giggles and coos to people at church, in the store, or wherever we are. But is obvious already that they like each other.

When Eamon sits next to me while I am nursing, Malcolm will tip his head back so he can watch what Eamon is doing. And often when Malcolm cries, Eamon shares his Silky with him. This melts my heart because Silky is Eamon's greatest comfort when he is hurt or sad, and to see him share it that way is so sweet. There have been several times when Eamon is playing with Malcolm and it looks like he is being rough, but just as I am about to say, "Be gentle," Malcolm breaks out into a laugh. So I say, "Make sure you aren't hurting him," instead. Of course, there are times when Eamon doesn't want Malcolm to play with his baby toys, or they both want Mommy and they don't want to share her, but those times are really rather rare.

Malcolm can roll over from his belly to his back, but he doesn't always enjoy doing it. He actually doesn't mind being on his belly to play or look around. He has been trying to roll from his back to his belly too, but hasn't quite managed it. His favorite game is trying to put everything in his mouth, but the doctor says the teeth are still far below the surface of his gums. He also enjoys being lifted into the air, standing up, and being tickled. He is very ticklish so when I take off his shirt or clean him up during a diaper change, he giggles and squirms. Recently he has been "koala-ing" onto our arms - wrapping his arms and legs around our arm and holding on, trying to sit up. He is getting better at holding himself in a sitting position, but he still falls over if I am not holding on to him.

Eamon speaks in complete sentences now. He seems to have grasped personal pronouns, and is understanding verb tenses better. The way he uses, "for me" is pretty cute: "Some trailmix for me?" or "Drawing for me?" He even tells jokes from time to time and he is beginning to get some of our humor. Whether or not he knows why, he is very good at making us laugh. Perhaps the most relieving development has been his ability to put himself back to sleep better. So even when he comes to us in the night, we can take him back to bed, kiss him and let him be, we don't have to stay there until he falls back asleep. He seems to be finally getting used to the house/recovering from the move, although, he doesn't like being anywhere without me. He did go to a friends house so I could work on Christmas presents and he keeps asking to have some of his little friends to his house, "Edmund come to Eamon's house?"

Today we enjoyed being in our Church's Christmas Program and now that he has seen some presents, Eamon is getting excited for Christmas. We hope you all have a lovely holiday.

Merry Christmas!

I Meant to Write...

I just realized how long it has been since I wrote on my blog. It is sad because so much has happened and there were so many funny things that would have been great to record, but I can't remember them now. But "omittance is no quittance."

So Merry Christmas! I love the season of Advent. This is the second year we have celebrated it as a family. And the first one where we will be home the entire time. We were able to do the reading at our church for the second week of Advent, and we have a special part in the Christmas program. Eamon is getting excited though I don't think he knows what for exactly. He knows Christmas is coming, but he doesn't know what that means.

On the Feast of St. Nicholas, he put his shoes by the front door and when he woke up he found a pear in one and a candy cane in the other. It was his first candy cane. He loves them now. We decorated our tree (and living room) and he help (make a mess) but he likes the lights and the candles and various decorations all about. He also like reading the Christmas books we borrowed from the library.

Malcolm also likes the lights and the music that we play. I left him in the room with the Messiah playing and he sat there contentedly for quite a while. Then he was very fussy when I turned off the music. He tries to grab the lights, but then realizes they are too far away and just stares at them.

In other news, the only room that isn't somewhat unpacked is our bedroom/my office. The other rooms are not completely unpacked and settled in, but they have come a long way. There aren't boxes everywhere and I know where most everything is. My sew room is also set up, and the things that go in storage (clothes, bedding, decorations, etc.) are in their places. And my kitchen wants to be re-organized now that I have used it for a little over a month. However, I feel that I can take a little bit of a break from the house to celebrate Christmas now.

Tomorrow is Malcolm's 4 month appointment, so I will do a boys update soon. And post some pictures when I get them off my camera. Life rushes on. Good night for now.