The last week in September, Granny & Opa stopped out for the week and stayed with us. It was great having them for the entire week. Finn was over the moon that she has double the attention directed at her. They stayed until a Friday morning. That means that they were able to attend her gymnastics class on Thursday night. Finn made sure to show off in front of them. And the stories of how cute she was were told over and over again later that evening.
Before they took off on Friday morning, we got in a family photo, including Munk outside our front door. It was a great visit!
Three generations of Irish boys
She is already quite the photographer and loves taking photos.
So this is what it's like when I'm always putting my camera in their face...
Life with two children under three isn't relaxing. But gosh, most times it is so rewarding. That picture up there? That's my girl. It's almost like I took a snapshot of my memory of her. When I imagine my little girl, that photo is almost exactly how I picture her. The slight smile and the gap between her front teeth. The way her head cocks to the side when she is trying to explain something. Her gorgeous eyes shining with life. And her hair always wild despite my efforts to tame it.
This photo right here? It's my snapshot of my little Fish. I can even hear the shouts that he is shrieking out (just look at his sister's face and you can imagine yourself the decibels that come out of that little one). His beautiful eyes also sparkle with life. His little hands are a blur (because when he gets a BIG feeling either happy or angry, those hands & wrist start to twist). And his hair is fluffed in the wind, almost exactly the same as when I puff a big breath of air at his hair line to get him to giggle.
Life with two isn't a walk in the park -- especially at the ages that we are at currently. Both seem to be in the "no-one-can-do-it-but-mama" phase, which usually ends my day with a dirty house and frazzled nerves. And while my social life is far from active right now, I'm finally okay with it. Because as I look at these photos, I know that I'm living in a special time in my life. My kids will never, ever been little twice and I don't want to give up a minute of it. I'm lucky enough to be home with them -- and sometimes while I watch them sleep, I still don't think that there is enough time for me to spend with them. Trust me when I say that there are plenty of times when I just wish for them to sleep, wanting a minute of my own, a minute to breath without someone crying for my hugs or my attention. But when they do finally fall asleep, I just want to freeze that moment in time and hold onto them little bodies that are constantly getting bigger just a second longer, breath in the smell of their heads, and sit in that moment forever.
This right here is our "winking" face.
I know that I'm in the easy years right now. I'm in the years where all they need is my love and kisses. Soon it will get more difficult. Then I'll have to start directing them and pushing them on the path to being their own persons. I know that will be very mental taxing -- just as these years are so physically taxing. But while I'm exhausted and my house in shambles, I won't give up an opportunity to snuggle with them for an extra moment. My house can be clean when they are in school and my social life can have a pulse again then. I'm living in this moment in time and enjoying it.
---Unscientifically, Fish is weighing in at 22.4 pounds. And he is 30 inches long! ---We have moved him into size 4 diapers! Size 4!!! Finn is currently still in size 4 (bedtime only)!!!! Jeez louise, big dude! At 8 months, he is in the same size diapers as his big sister! (which makes buying diapers really easy now)
---He is currently in size 9-12 month tops and but the length of the bottoms are too short. They fit around the waist, but are serious high-waters, which wouldn't be terrible during warmer months. But now that autumn is arriving, we need to put him into 12-18 month pants. He has been in 12-18 month jeans for the last couple of months and they fit a little snug (which I'm not understanding). ---We are still breastfeeding and doing great. Save one thing -- he has finally reached that period where everything is more interesting than eating. And EVERY SINGLE TIME I try to feed him, he start to nurse, hears something behind him, and then becomes so distracted looking around that he no longer wants to eat.
---This kid can EAT! He eats anything that I put in front of him. He is eating all the fruits and veggies that are recommended for a baby up to eight months. But that wasn't enough for him. So we now feed him directly off our plates. He is eating pork, chicken, & beef. He is eating noodles (not well), bread, bagels, french fries. I think that I am going to have to get a job just to feed this kid when he gets older. No far, he hasn't found a food that he hasn't liked... ---Fish is a good sleeper. He sleeps still sleeps with us. And he is starting to sleep more -- he will now get up around 4am to eat. Sometimes he gets up earlier and feeds a lot through the night. But most of the time, it's about 3am -- 4am that is when he wakes up for the first time. He is also still quite the napper. He takes a nap about 90 minutes to 2 hours after getting up. If this first nap isn't longer than 45 minutes, he will take another nap in the morning. He also takes a longer nap in the afternoon. He has cut out his evening nap -- which he still needs, but refuses to nap.
---Buddy has his two bottom teeth. He is beginning to pull at his ears again, so I'm wondering if the top ones are going to be sprouting out in the next month or so. I can't feel them yet and don't see any signs on his gums. ---He is not crawling yet. He will sit up and reach and stretch over, trying to get whatever is out of his reach. He will get up on all fours from a sitting position and start rocking. But he can't seem to figure out how to get his foot past his other knee to move his feet behind him yet. He is also a big scooter and can get to wherever he needs to go -- but is still very slow at doing this. (This last fact doesn't make his sister very happy as he is now starting to get into HER things.) ---He is also starting to try and pull himself up onto things. He isn't pulling himself up on furniture yet. But he will pull himself up to a kneeing position on his pack 'n play, on the side railing of Finn's bed, and also on my lap.
---He is a big talker. Lots of squeals and screeches. He is also starting to do lots of "baba" and "dada", which are the cutest things ever. ---He is such a little sponge with regards to vocabulary. He knows the cats and dogs names as well as Finn's and his own. He recognizes and understands lots of words. ---He is also a big clapper. He claps most of the time after screeching. He is also a big "wrist roller". When he gets really excited about something (either good or bad), his arms and wrists start to roll all over the place. I can always tell when his angry cries are really getting out of hand, because his arms will really get going when he is very mad. And it's also cute to see him get so excited when I come over and extend my arms to pick him up -- his wrists start going the moment he sees my arms out to come and scoop him up. ---The newest development? Kisses -- the boy can give some mean kisses. If you are holding him and make kissing sounds, he will lean over and give you a big smooch!
Please ignore my AWFUL singing (I promise that I won't quit my day job) -- apparently someone really loves the original and also thinks that Mama is a BAD BAD BAD singer. (Watch him dancing (i.e. wrist twisting) until I start to sing and then he tries to sing)
Playing with the keyboard that Opa gave her
My dear, dear Munky
Munky & Fish
Finn's claddagh ring
Fish falling over on the bed
Trying to make macarons
Finn's view leaving the zoo
Trying to take a selfie with Mama
Deep truth
Dinner time!
Learning all about spoon power
Kitchen floor antics
Kitchen floor tea party -- everyone was invited
Fish gets very excited about bath time -- the squeals can be heard 'round the block
Every Fish loves a bath
Going to an alumni watch party for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team
My girl
My beaus
Little Hawkeye cheerleader
Cheering for the Hawks
Finn had her first chicken wing!
Nailed it! (And ate the whole darn thing!!!!)
My boy
Daddy dressed her
Fish's Irish is coming out! Digging on the tea biscuits.
She loved her new leotards for gymnastics -- we had to put it on the moment it got taken out of the package.
We hit up the Farmpark last week -- some docile lazy sheep
We did this same photo about a year ago. See here -- someone has grown!
There were ponies loose in the arena -- they were Finn's size.
Pony love
Trying to get a photo with Rosie the Goat. She had different ideas.
Rose had an appetite. An appetite for our map!!!!!!!!! And she got it!!!!!
After that, Fish wasn't too sure about Rosie.
Best smell in the whole entire world -- EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Baby chicken under a heat lamp)
