Monday, May 27, 2013

Exersaucer

Micah finally got to play in the Exersaucer this weekend.  He didn't quite know what to make of it at first, but he's really beginning to enjoy looking at and touching the farm animals.

Levi is teaching Micah the names of the animals

Navel gazing

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Motherhood is sweet

Micah's activity level has really taken off during the past few days.  He is reaching for things and successfully grasping them.  He can reach out and touch my face.  What makes me laugh is how eagerly he tries to get items into his mouth.  He'll stare at something, open his mouth wide, and his whole body quivers.  Then he'll reach out his hands and swipe at the toy, usually missing, but he lands his fist right in his mouth and bites it with a vengeance.  It's great to see him working so hard, but I feel bad that he usually just gets his fist!  It's pretty cute, though.

And today Levi made my heart go pitter-pat.  After his nap, he turned on his Raffi CD, sat on his bed, and just listened to most of it.  Later on, I was absent-mindedly singing one of the songs: "All I really need is a song in heart and love in my family."  I asked Levi if there was love in his family, and he said, "Yeah."  I elaborated: "Mommy and Daddy love Levi.  Mommy and Daddy love Micah.  Micah loves Levi.  Does Levi love Micah?"  "Yeah."  "Does Levi love Mommy?"  "Yeah."  "Does Levi love Daddy?"  "Yeah."  And then a minute later he finished with, "Levi loves Mommy."  I cried.

I may spend my days stepping over toys, getting spit up on, and cleaning up all manner of messes.  I may spend my nights trying, unsuccessfully, to get caught up on all the other little things that need doing.  But motherhood is sweet.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Four Months Old

Micah is four months old now, and I think he is such a cutie!  He has had some rough days lately--messed up schedule due to Choral Union events--so he isn't always happy, but when he smiles he absolutely lights up a room.  He went to his four-month check-up on Monday, and he is a perfectly healthy boy.  He weighed 14 pounds, 8.5 ounces (about 50th percentile), measured 25.5 inches long (about 60th percentile), and his head circumference was 41 cm. (about 25th percentile).  He's not quite as hefty as Levi was at this age, so maybe Micah will take after Nathan's side of the family.
 
Last week Micah really started enjoying standing up.  He can support his own weight for several minutes at a time.  Just this morning he turned over from back to front!  Below is a picture to document that milestone.

 
Micah is also getting better at grapsing objects.  We discovered that these plastic maracas are easy for him to hold.  Levi thinks it's just great to take turns holding and shaking them.  The boys are interested in each other and are starting to be able to play together!


Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Nothing Much

Levi sits in his reading chair and peruses--not the newspaper--his 1998 Sesame Street calendar

Love the bike helmet!  Let's try riding the bike sometime!

At Bob's surprise 70th birthday party, Levi spent a lot of time with Marie discussing her string of white beads and the red beads he got out of the pinata.  It was so sweet!  Oh, and, doesn't every 70-year-old need a pinata at his birthday party?!?!

Auntie Ann was visiting again.  So fun!

Levi loves GG's new place!  Every time we go to visit, he pushes the buttons to open the front door and elevator, he examines the fish in the aquarium, he points out the machines in the common laundry room, and he plays with all of GG's toys.  Here the two of them are playing with tiny Noah's Ark animals.
Today I took the boys to DeCoursey park.  We walked around the duck pond, Levi on foot and Micah in the Bjorn, then Levi played at the playground.  Later in the afternoon, the boys helped me make a cherry pie.  (Again, Levi was on foot, and Micah was in the Bjorn.)  I was proud of Levi for only eating one sugar-coated cherry and just the leftover scraps of pastry.  This was probably the most successful cooking project we've ever done together.  Well . . . the process was good, and the clean-up was easy.  The actual final product was pretty bad!  I've never made a cherry pie--or even, I think, a double-crust pie--and the filling came out ridicously soupy.  Oh well!  Live and learn!