Life Lessons With Nate & Seth: Thumbs Are Not For Sucking

Hi. My name is Nate and I really like my pacifier. I like it a lot. You may have noticed this about me from many of the pictures on this blog. But recently I discovered something even better...

– Well, hello there!



– Wonder how far I can fit this in my mouth.



– Oh, 'bout that far. Good stuff.



– Uh-oh. My mommy says fingers and pacifiers are OK, but thumbs are not for sucking. That's how this thing ended up back in my mouth.



– What a spoilsport that mommy is! And Seth? Let's just say he's not too impressed with any of this either.



– See? Not impressed at all!

Mommy note: The discovery and love of the go anywhere "pacifier" is a new development. For now, if I see a thumb in the mouth it gets replaced straight away with the pacifier – but as you all know you can't watch them 24/7. This past week it's not been uncommon to find Nate in the nursery asleep with his thumb still half in his mouth. I'm not sure we can do a whole lot at this point, but I'll be doing some research in the meantime – this is definitely a habit that I'd prefer not develop only because I know it's a powerful one to break later. There was a baby "expert" on TV the other day who said, "You can always throw away a pacifier but you can't throw away a thumb". Good point. Of course, I missed the rest of what he had to say because I was busy with the babies, so if you have a helpful suggestion please leave it in comments.

- L.

In The Jungle. The Mighty Jungle.

The lion is not sleepy at all actually.



The new Fisher Price Rainforest 1-2-3 Musical Gym proved to be too much temptation for Zed – who has been shy about lurking in the nursery since M. chased her out after a particularly stealthy attack on his ankles. You can't really blame her for bravely venturing in once again to have a peek at the dangling butterflies though.

Oh yes, and the babies seem to like it too. ; )

- Why hello there Madame Butterfly!



– Pardon me while I knock you out. BAM!



– Hey mommy, did you see all this neat stuff?



– There's this. And there's this. And there's this thing over here that does this.



– It's all so exciting, it makes my face go like this:



Ha! Well, the reviews are in and it looks like it's a hit all around. Now get out of the nursery Zed!

- L.

Q: War. What Is It Good For?

A: Developing motor skills as it turns out, if the war is a tug-of-war with your brother and a colorful octopus.



This morning after making the octopus dance until my arms just about fell off, I attached it to the boys' bouncy seats to see if they had any interest in grabbing at his colorful legs and do-dads. It took a little work for Nate and Seth to get the idea, but once they did...

Well, you can pretty much see the moment when Nate realized he was holding onto one of the legs all by himself.



Look mommy!



And once Seth got a sturdy grip on the rings, he didn't want to let go.



Victory is mine!



In the end, it was a draw as all parties fell asleep before the epic battle was over.



I wonder if my babies have any idea just how incredibly adorable they are and how much fun it is being their mommy every single day.

- L.

Growing Like Weeds*

We had our monthly check up and weigh-in appointment at the pediatrician this afternoon and everyone is doing fantastic. At exactly 12 weeks old today, the boys stats are as follows:

Nate: 11.45 lbs. or 11 lbs. 7 oz. (5.19 kg) | 23.4 in. (59.5 cm)

Seth: 10.75 lbs. or 10 lbs. 12 oz. (4.86 kg) | 23.6 in. (60 cm)

So basically Nate, who was almost 3/4 of a pound smaller at birth is now 3/4 of a pound larger – I imagine you all can guess how he spends his time. ; )

Seriously though, everyone is doing excellent and both boys are on schedule developmentally. They are tracking things/people with their eyes, making smiles (lots of them!), reaching for things, etc. All the usual stuff.

We'll be back again in a month or so for another check-up – until then, I'll continue posting plenty of cute over here.

- L.

*Really, really cute weeds of course.

Yellow: We Look Good In It

Speaking of matching outfits, I finally found some yellow sleepers for Nate and Seth that I like. There hasn't been too much selection until lately but perhaps the warmer weather is bringing out the spring colours. Of course, with all the growing the boys have been doing lately, they fit into these outfits better than expected – and by that I mean they look like they will be outgrowing them really soon. I figured I'd better get some pics while I could!

Everyone had just finished lunch since I learned early on to never, ever try to take photos of a hungry baby. Nate nodded off by the time I got the camera out, but here he is with a little milk froth on his lips.



You might not think this is as cute as I do, but to me it's adorable. Of course I wiped it off afterwards and got this:



I think he's saying, "Oh mom, leave me alone!". So I did. : )



What a cutie!

Seth on the other hand was still awake and looking rather serious after his meal.



So I picked him up...



... and voila – smiles from my gorgeous boy!



Later that afternoon, we enjoyed some tummy time:



... and some playtime with colorful new friends.



Wheeee!



- L.

My Words: They Taste Good

To everyone who remembers how I said I wouldn't be one to dress my boys the same: I lied. I totally do it. All the time. And I love it.

Eating my own words however, is not nearly as fun. I decided to enjoy mine with a glass of Sibling Rivalry red Saturday night after the boys were asleep. It turned out to be a nice pairing.



I just hope it's the only kind of sibling rivalry we'll be seeing around our home.

- L.

When Did This Happen?

"Out with the old and in with the new", they say.



Cleaning out Nate and Seth's closet last weekend to make room for new outfits was an eye-opener as to how much our boys have grown in 11 short weeks. I kept pulling out tiny onesies and marveling with M. about how wee our babies once were. Then came the tiny pants – I can't believe they ever fit into some of these outfits! We had a good laugh, but of course it was kind of bittersweet too, especially for a sentimental mommy like me.

The boys have also graduated from their 4 oz. bottles to 8 oz. bottles – granted, they're only being filled to 4.5 oz. for now, but it was definitely time for the larger size as their 3 month growth spurt grows near (I think it's already started actually).



A few weeks ago a snippet from the poem Song For A Fifth Child made its way into the comments section of a previous post. This is the full version:

I hope my child looks back on today
And remembers a Mom who had time to play;
There will be years for cleaning and cooking,

But children grow up when we are not looking.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow
Cause babies grow fast, we learn to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep!
I'm cuddling my baby and babies don't keep.

– Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

The only thing I'd add is that even when you are mindful, there will still be a point when you look around and ask, when did this happen? And how did it all go by so fast?

*sigh*

- L.