Terrific toddlerhood.

Eliza is doing so many new things!  Her vocabulary is growing rapidly, and it seems as though she understands virtually everything I say.  I really have to watch my mouth!

Also–anyone have any tips on how I can prevent her from removing the barrette from her hair?

She loves to rock and sing to her babydoll.

She recently learned how to dip things in ketchup. Her culinary world just expanded!

She LOVED Sam the cockatoo at the botanical gardens yesterday.

“Hello!”

I asked her if she’d like to share some ice cream with me. This was her interpretation of that.

Can’t forget to include sweet little Jed! Look at those chunky little thighs! He still wants to cuddle all day long.

A few more of my faves from the newborn session.

 

A few of my faves from the newborn photo session.

Our photographer was so sweet and talented!  I’ll post more next week:)

Je suis tres fatigue.

Well Jed had a better night last night.  Instead of staying awake for a three-hour block, he decided to wake up once an hour (from 1:00am-6:00am) instead!  Turns out this sleep cycle works for newborns but isn’t optimal for adults!  Who knew?!  He did sleep for large chunks of time during the day today, which was very considerate of him, but Eliza was (of course) always awake during those very times.

Even though the sleep deprivation causes me to feel delirious and strangely disembodied, we still manage to have a great time during the day.  I owe our survival to coffee, prayers, and Sesame Street.

Eliza and I did enjoy watching this video over and over (the end is the best part).  Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Easter Sunday.

We had a splendid Easter!  We would have loved to have spent the day with family, but since that wasn’t feasible, we had a nice time right here in Corpus.  I brought Eliza to church with me while Jimmy stayed home with Jed (Jimmy had to work later that afternoon).  Since Eliza’s least favorite thing in the world is to be confined to my lap, I figured we’d last maybe 15 minutes at the most.  Surprisingly, she lasted an entire hour (with a constant stream of diversions to keep her occupied).  She amused herself by handing objects to a kind older gentleman sitting beside her.  I think he may have been bored, too:)

 

And this handsome lil fella has outgrown newborn diapers and almost outgrown newborn clothes!  How is he a month old already?

 

In other news, he hosted a party at our house yesterday morning from 1:30am until 4:30am. I was his only guest. It was a blast.

Checking out her surprises from the Easter bunny!

She devoured a chocolate bunny then jumped on the couch for 20 minutes.  Please don’t judge me…I don’t normally give her candy!

That afternoon, we were invited to a friend’s house for a fun Easter celebration:

Hanging out with her baby buddies.

Looking dapper, as usual.

An Easter selfie with my favorite little dude!

Good Friday!

Good Friday was very good indeed because JJ, Papa, and Aunt Jana came to visit!  Oh, how we love to see them!

LOVE this!

We had dinner with our good friends Evan, Amanda, and Riley that evening:

Hangin’ with Riley.

One of the girls got ahold of a bag of pita chips and created their own appetizer.

 

Happy Easter from the babies!

 

His eyes are always on his sister.

 

 

Well hello there, Easter Bunny!

Eliza was delighted to observe him from a distance, but she was less enthused about sitting on his lap:

Jed was too little to pose with the Easter bunny, but he was happy to pose with this adorable sock monkey from Uncle Danny and Aunt Michele:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siblings.

Many people have asked how Eliza is adjusting to being a big sister.  To be honest, Jimmy and I feared the worst–we expected lots of jealousy and tantrums.  I’m happy to report that she has proven us wrong, at least for the time being!  She’s fascinated with Jed–she’s very gentle with him, she loves to talk to him, and she shares her toys and snacks with him.  When he gets fussy, she immediately says, “Baby!” and crawls toward his bassinet to check on him.  She even gives him hugs and kisses, which is the sweetest thing ever!  She has quickly learned to amuse herself or watch patiently while I’m tending to him.  In fact, her overall temperament has changed for the better!  I know there will be plenty of challenging behavior (from both of them) in the future, but I’m very grateful for the happy present!

Having two babies is certainly difficult, as you can imagine, but I’m absolutely loving it.  Jed isn’t even close to sleeping through the night yet, but I’m surviving because of Jimmy (and his cooperative work schedule) and coffee.  We’re gradually developing a rhythm to the day and really bonding as a family of four, which has been a wonderful experience.  The day seems to fly by…I almost feel like I’m teaching again!

By far the most difficult thing is taking them out and about by myself.  It can be daunting, but I’ve found that my confidence increases with each trip.  We’re going to attempt Wal-Mart tomorrow…I’ll let you know how it goes!  I really hope to pick back up with our weekday social schedule as soon as possible.  Eliza and I both miss our activities and friends!

Great pic taken by Uncle Michael.

She’s obsessed with this crown! Thanks so much, Nicole R.!

What is he plotting in his sleep?

 

Jed meets Uncle Michael!

We’re so glad Uncle Michael made it to Corpus for a visit this weekend.  The kids adore him:)

 

 

 

Being silly with Daddy: