I'm trying to make the effort to post entries regularly again with the hopes that once I go back to work I'll continue at least a little. A few things from this week...

 

Eric had his two month check up on Tuesday. He's fallen on the charts at bit: 12lb 9oz (75%), 24in (85%). Maybe he just had a really quick growth spurt in his first month. The doc says no worries unless he stops growing; I'm pretty confident that that will not be an issue. I can't believe it'll be two months before we get an update on his size again! He got a lot of immunizations; two shots (combos) and oral rotavirus. He's amazing with the shots - his one month shot was no biggie, and the same thing this time. He kind of cries out/yelps and that's it. No fussing, no real crying, and certainly no hysterics ala Kate. Pretty cool. The doc said that he looks great and was impressed with his head control and his standing. He was showing off.

 

The pediatrician office is across the street from a fun playground, so we stopped by to play before the appt.  I told Kate that we might be able to return after the appt depending on how the shots went. So, after the easy shots I asked her if she wanted to go to the playground or go home since it was almost lunchtime. Playground, no surprise. Now, this time at the playground Eric is awake and hungry, so I'm busy with his bottle and then holding him, so I tell her to play by herself and I'll watch (normally I kind of walk around the equipment with her and listen to her narrrate her activities). Well, she decided that she wanted to go on a set of (low) monkey bars. No way, not happening - everytime she tries them she freaks out because she's hanging too high, and this time I'm holding Eric. I keep telling her no, from a ways away, and she starts getting a bit tantrum-y about it. Fine, I walk over and tell her why I'm saying no, and she's still insisting that she wants to do it, won't be scared, etc. Lots of other moms are witnessing this. So, I hoist her up the few inches she needs from the ladder (with Eric in my other arm), she grabs on, and almost instantly lets go. Argh! I catch her, but the damage is done - she's sobbing because it was scary. No shit! It's scary everytime, just like I was telling her (normally I de-emphasize that it was scary last time so that she'll keep trying things, but with Eric in my arms I took a different approach this time). Of course all of the other moms are smiling because it's sooo predictable. As we're walking away I say, do you want to play on something else? And she says, "I want to go home and have lunch. My peanut butter and jelly sandwich will help me not cry." So cute! And, true to her word, she scarfed down her lunch and stopped crying - and she pointed out afterward that the sandwich helped her not cry. And then yesterday she says, remember when my peanut butter and jelly sandwich helped me not cry? I think the phrasing is hysterical.

 

Tomorrow is my mom's last day of work!!! I'm so excited for all of us to start on this new phase together, and I'm really hoping next week goes smoothly so that she doesn't start questioning what she's doing right off the bat.  Eric is all set with his bottle routine - he went from one to two to three bottles a day over the last few weeks. I'm pretty much fed up with the constant feed/express, feed/express, feed/express routine - I feel like I'm constantly futzing around with milk all day! It's way worse than just nursing him, but I know that it's been in everyone's best interest to get him used to the routine in advance. I've got a nice supply of milk frozen now, too, so my mom should never have to stress about needing more than I've left in bottles for her. I'm a little nervous about forcing the pumping routine into my work day, but I think it'll be ok on most days; there will inevitably be days where I'm running around and getting those couple of minutes will be a challenge.

 

OK, that's enough from me - it's tiime for bed! We're going to a nearby farm with Claire and Molly in the morning...