Mel & Joey Update

Mel continues to looooove her baby brother; sometimes a little too much.  When she wants to see him, sitting back and enjoying the view is just not enough for her.  She needs to be in his face, climbing on him, and generally getting into trouble.  She likes to greet him with a "Heeeey Buddy!"  The other morning as I was getting them both ready for daycare, she climbed on top of him, got in his face and said "Good morning, Joey.  How are you?  I'm good.  Did you sleep good?  That's good."  Such a good big sister :)  While we were eating dinner tonight, she was on the couch with him, so I went in to check what was going on.  She was on one end, and he was on the other.  She was covering her face with her hands and his face with her feet (gross, I know) - but she was playing peek-a-boo with him.  Later tonight, however, she got a time-out AND got banned from the ice cream she was looking forward to because she attempted to pull the pillow out from under him while he was on the couch.  Could have been disastrous had Jeff not intervened in the nick of time.  In the top photo above, she was thrilled that "Joey asleep my arm!" 

She occasionally shows a little jealousy, but never by acting out to him.  She'll tell me which shoulder I should put Joey on and which one she gets - she likes to be unloaded from the car first, and occasionally she'll have me hold her "like a baby" or pretend to feed her a bottle.  I indulge these few things, as I know she just needs some comforting :)  She does take her role as big sister very seriously, though, and often reminds me that she is one.  When she wants to, she will be helpful by bringing me a diaper or putting bottles in the sink for me.

Mel & Mom's Bonding Day

I decided Melanie & I needed a day to ourselves, which is why Joey went to daycare on Tuesday, before starting "for real" on Friday.  We had a really fun time together at the zoo with Suzi & Wyatt.  My camera broke while there, but it was fun to spend one-on-one time with her, and be able to take her places we can't always go when Joey is with us.  She rode the carousel twice - it's the first time she sat on one of the moving animals.  She played in the splash park, saw the "cheetahs night-night" (they were sleeping), played on the playground, rode the train, saw the dolphin show, and did a great job all day. 

Joey joins Noah's Ark

Joey went to daycare for the first time on Tuesday, June 29. He did a great job at his first day!  All he did was sleep & eat, and it was great for him to be cared for by the same people who have known Melanie since she was 12 weeks old!  He was then home with me Wednesday & Thursday, and he returned on Friday, my first day back to work.  Mel was SO excited to take her baby brother to school with her.  The above picture is of him on his very first day.

Happy Two Month Birthday, Joey!

Joseph turned 2 months old, and he got his shots today!  He weighs 11 pounds, 8.5 ounces (47%) and is 23 1/4 inches (64%!) 

He continues to be a very easy-going baby.  People tell me that this is because he is a boy.  However, I think it's because he's the second child.  He has to be a little more patient - and tolerant, particularly of his big sister! 

He is still eating 3-4 ounces every 3 hours.  He has made it two random nights with only one overnight feeding, but we're not close to going all night yet.  He's in size one diapers, 0-3 month clothes, and is a generally happy baby.  He smiles a lot!  He loves his pacifier and his swing.  It has been so fun staying home and getting to know him for the past two months! 

My maternity leave is rapidly coming to an end, and time will tell how everything will go sending both kids to daycare and juggling everything.  In a way I'm anxious to get back to "normal" since I know I have to return to work.  In many other ways, I'm sad my time at home is coming to an end.  I will miss cuddling & napping with Joey during the weekdays while Daddy & Melanie are gone!

TURN ON THE LIGHTS!!!

Jeff and I have been homeowners for over five years now.  First in Lake Zurich, and now in Carmel.  I have often thought how odd it was that we have NEVER lost power (other than a flicker here and there).  Tonight, we lost power.  However, it was only for about 45 minutes.  But, as you know, when you don't have power, you aren't sure how long it will last.  And since dinner was in the oven, it was 6000 degrees outside, and we don't have but one flashlight in the house, and it was getting darker outside, I was starting to get nervous. 

At first, Melanie just kept yelling at us to turn the lights back on.  Once I let her flip all the switches and realize they just weren't coming back on ("God decided to turn off our lights tonight"), she calmed down.  Then she discovered the candles & flashlight.  She tried to blow out the candles, and she was singing "Happy Birthday."  Gotta give the girl credit - anything to try to get cake!!

The power came on just in time to put the finishing touches on Jeff's AMAZING ribs, get Melanie to bed, and set everyone's mind at ease.  During the outage, Jeff & Mel went to the store, and Mel was excited to report that she got her head wet (from the rain) and that it was dark.

First Sleepover!

Saturday night, we had Molly stay the night, and we had so much fun!  (As long as Jeff's not the one you're asking).  I picked Molly up in Frankfort and the girls & I went to lunch with Gigi.  From there we went to the Little Boy Boone contest in the Lebanon park to watch Wyatt wow the crowd with his super-cuteness.  Then, to escape the heat, we played indoors at our house for a while before BOTH girls (and Joey!!) napped!  It was completely unexpected and fabulous! 

After dinner, we headed BACK to the Lebanon park for the Flying Toasters concert.  The girls did a great job hanging out in their wagon and on our blanket, sharing with Cayden & Cambell Carter, before deciding it was time to shake their booties.  They cut a rug out on the dance "floor" - and enjoyed hanging out with Bella, Lily, and Wyatt (even if they didn't express their enjoyment by actually including them in their dances!)  After several songs, they took each others' hand, and walked back over to our chairs/blanket, and it was clear it was time to go home. 

Once we got home, it was straight to the tub for these filthy girls, and then they went STRAIGHT to bed!  Another miracle!  Granted, it was about 1.5 hours past Mel's bedtime, and they were both run ragged, but I had been nervous about their combined energy when together! 

In the morning, amidst the playing, we had breakfast, we made cookies, and then we finally hit a wall in spending time together - I'm sure all reading this remember this wall.  You are loving hanging out with your BFF.  Everything is wonderful.  You play, you share, you argue a little bit.... and then.  Then, nothing either of you does is right.  You want to yell at each other and hit each other.  It's time to separate!  Luckily Gigi arrived in the nick of time - and still Mel is talking about how much fun she had on her sleepover!! 

Jeff's New Utopia

Jeff got lucky this week and got to play a round of golf at Crooked Stick.  According to him, this is a nicer course than Pinehurst or some of the other really nice courses he's played.  And he only had to go down the street for it!   I thought it was worth reporting on since he has taken the summer off of his one true hobby, due to impending double-childcare costs :)  At least, if he got on a course this summer, it was the "Best Ever!!"