dear little prince | two months
dear little prince,
you are two months old. and boy oh boy did that fly by. you are such a big boy now. it is crazy to look at pictures of you (what we do after you are down for the night and we are missing your little face) from only a few weeks ago and see such incredible changes. you have always been quite the handsome man, but now... rolls of baby chub. a fuller face. wider eyes. more expressions. personality popping though. wow. it is going by so quickly, already. please don't be a teenager too soon... for many reasons. but a primary one being that your papa hasn't invested enough in your food-fund yet. it's going to take a boatload to feed you, isn't it? mr. ihavealmostdoubledmybirthweightattwomonthsold. sheesh.
speaking of doubling your birth weight, you are a wonderful eater. and you are a quality over quantity sort of guy. you eat quickly and like to get to the full-fat stuff as quickly as possible. i feel like this time around, i must be producing cream or something. you don't eat for long but you just keep packing on the pounds! bravo. we must be doing something right. and since this moo-cow mama of yours has a serious freezer stash of milk, your papa has gotten in on the feeding fun too. it is pretty sweet to watch you two chilling on the couch while you enjoy your bottle. oh, the sporting events and snacks you will enjoy together...
and it is worth a mention that at two months old, you are less than four pounds shy of your sister's weight at a year. hilarious how different you two are. and yet, you are amazingly similar. and speaking of comparisons, your spit up moments are drastically different than elinor's. she used to spit up or dribble after each meal. just enough for me to have to clean up. you manage to keep your stuff down. but when you get too worked up before eating (like, when i put you in your car seat and try to take you somewhere in this ridiculous heat before your feeding time...) then you tend to overeat which is no bueno. you will finish eating and go to burp and give me the widest eyes before aggressively spitting up what seems like your entire meal. then you smile at me and coo and are totally happy. completely unfazed by what just took place. thankfully, you don't do this too often. because, yikes. you are pretty intense, little man.
you are a big fan of consistency and routine. you like your space and home and the right temperature and your own bed and the correct swaddle. everything, just so. seriously persnickety. but i understand. in fact, we all understand. our little crew loves a good schedule and plan. and we love our time at home. especially in this wretched heat. our last few outings have been peppered with your uncharacteristic and oh-so-sad whimpers and yells that let us know you are hot and bothered and tired and ready to be at home in your bed with your noise machine and cozy swaddle and AC blowing. but you are a trooper. and i love that you feel most at ease at home. we do too. and i hope that you always think of home as your sanctuary.
okay, routine. your day looks like this:
6:30am | wake to eat then playtime
7:30am | diaper change and cuddles while i sing then swaddled and down for a nap
9:30am | wake to eat then playtime
10:30am | diaper change and cuddles while i sing then swaddled and down for a nap
12:30m | wake to eat then playtime
1:30pm | diaper change and cuddles while i sing then swaddled and down for a nap
3:30pm | wake to eat then playtime
4:30pm | diaper change and cuddles while i sing then swaddled and down for a nap
6:00pm | wake to eat then playtime
7:00pm | diaper change and cuddles while i sing then swaddled and down for a nap
8:30pm | wake to eat then diaper change and essential oils and cuddles while i sing, then swaddled and down for the night
would you look at that. ten hours at night! yes yes yes. and in the next month or so, we will shift your schedule once again to get you on a 7:30pm - 7:30am night sleep schedule. can i get an AMEN for two kiddos on the same 12 hour sleep schedule?! just think of the late night popcorn and bubbly the parents will consume...
you are such a darling little man. you have the softest head. you have a long torso that we hope will translate into a swimming superstar. you have discovered your fingers and love to make fists and suck away. the thumb has stayed tucked in for now but you are having fun exploring your other digits. you love to stretch out and do they funniest superman pose. and we sure think you are super.
you take your time waking. easing into the day and pausing before you eat to flirt and be sweet. and once you are sleepy after playtime, you curl up under my collarbone and nuzzle away as i take you upstairs for naptime. and you love to grab my shirt or hair or finger or anything in reach when i am holding you. so that pretty much melts me.
you love to stare at lights and the ceiling fan and anything up in the sky. and then, your gaze returns to us and you give us the biggest smile. your smile is beguiling and you give them liberally, these days. it is amazing. you have this killer half-wink side-glance when you smirk and i am obsessed. we are in big trouble, you little flirt. so cheeky and darling.
you like to glare at the dogs and stare at your toys and blow bubbles at your big sister. you follow bright objects and coo and goo and and ooh and aww and grunt and growl. you move your head toward sounds and music. you are so wiggly and active and head-bobby and you love to launch off of my lap when i am burping you. and speaking of burps, those sure are hearty. as are your "toot sounds" which elinor thinks are pretty hilarious.
you are so strong and intense. determined and intentional. you focus on your toys and punch them deliberately. you kick. you flip-flop from side to side and do push-ups on your forearms. you are a rockstar little powerhouse.
you are such a happy and content baby. you rarely cry. and when you do, i know what you mean and there is always a solid reason. your extended sheep-like baaaaa sound while we are playing is my cue that you are finished being awake and are ready for your nap. your grunting snort cough only comes when i wake you from sleep and you are letting me know to quit messing around and get down to eating time. you also have a disgruntled waaaahhh sound when you are too worked up and trying to calm yourself down for your nap. that's the scary one. it is forceful and loud, but quick. a burst of fury to get it out and then, you are out. you treat us to one session of that a day. usually if you have played too hard with your sister before your nap or if there is something disrupting your routine. and if you have gone all day without a little episode then you fit in a little fit right before you fall asleep for your final evening nap time.
it is amazing to watch as your brain connects the dots and as you absorb more of the world around you. making connections and understanding your surroundings. it is remarkable. and we are so so smitten. happy two months, ridley noble.
all my love,
mama
and here's the greatest p.s. there ever was...MORE BABY PICTURES! i took a million shots and figured i would start the post with the smiling ones. but there were SO MANY MORE outtake gems that were too good to leave on the cutting room floor. our little man is such a charmer. and definitely expressive. please a handful more, after the jump.
