Somehow a month has passed since Zachary joined our family. It has been a bit of a whirlwind as Brian and I have tried to get our bearings as parents of "two under two" and Sophie has tried to adjust to having some competition around. For the most part, we have had a great month. There have been lots of sweet moments when Sophie wanted to snuggle Zach, show him toys, feed him pretend snacks, or play peek-a-boo with him. There have also been plenty of moments where she asked us to "put the baby away" or "put baby Zachawee in the chair" or requested that I hand him over to Daddy. Since Sophie is still nursing, we spend a good deal of time trying to figure out how to get everyone's feeding needs met. Usually we take turns, and Sophie is mostly fine with that as long as she gets at least as many turns as Zachary does. Sometimes, though, both of them desperately need milk at the same time and I have to figure out how to juggle them into some sort of semi-comfortable arrangement so they can have what Sophie calls "both milks" or "two milks." Awkward yogic contortions aside, it's very sweet, because Sophie will often stroke Zach on the arm while he stares up at her, wide-eyed, and all is calm in our world for a few moments. One of Sophie's favorite activities is helping me burp the baby after he eats. I'm not sure if it's because she likes having an excuse to whack him on the back or because she loves it when her efforts produce a satisfying belch, but it's good times for all of us!
Comic relief is what is getting us through our hectic days lately. One of the things that always brightens our day is hearing Sophie sing songs or say her little rhymes, something she does with increasing frequency and inventiveness. She knows lots of songs and nursery rhymes, and many more she is familiar with but needs to fill in with her own lyrics. Today she was helping me empty the silverware from the dishwasher and she came up with the following arrangement (to the tune of Frere Jacques): "Socks and spoons on, Socks and spoons on; Yes he is, Yes he is; Henry is sleeping, Henry is sleeping; Yes he is, Yes he is." And then later as she was climbing the stairs, she modified "Clap-clap-clap your hands" to "Up-up-up a hill, up a hill together." If she isn't narrating her way through the day, she's singing about it like she's in some sort of musical, and it keeps us constantly amused. Last week we had an hour-plus car ride and she talked/sang to herself nearly the entire way without pause. Who needs a radio with this kid around?
Zachary has been busy growing like mad. At his four week check-up, he was up to 9 lbs-14 oz, which means he has gained nearly three pounds in just a month. And a lot of it seems to be in his cheeks! It's amazing how the little newborn outfits that he was swimming in those first few days are now close to being too small. His neck is getting really strong, and his eyes are focusing and tracking quite a bit. And he has been starting to give us little glimpses of his smile, which is really fun. He's awake a little more of each day, though sleeping is still his #1 priority. I wish I could say the rest of us were catching some good Zzzzz's, too, but that's not the case. Oh well, like all new parents, we're getting used to sleep deprivation as a way of life. Good thing these kids are so cute or we'd be tempted to trade them for a good night's sleep! Just kidding. Mostly. =)