EMMETT: Emmett is 3 and a half months old! I can't believe it. At his 2 month appt on 3/1, Emmett was measured at 24.75 inches (98th percentile!) and 12 lbs 8 oz (60th percentile). At his gastroenterology appointment on 3/21, he weighed 13 lbs 7 oz. Which is more than Miri weighed at 6 months! Needless to say, he is growing well!
Emmett continues to be plagued with nighttime colic, but we are hoping we're starting to see the tail end of it. Nights are still not easy, but we do feel like things are S-L-O-W-L-Y but surely getting better. He still has multiple fussy periods between about 9 PM and 7AM, but whereas they used to be full-out inconsolable crying which often escalated to absolute SCREAMING, now he is at least consolable much of the time with a pacifier and firm pressure on his chest. Things definitely appear to be getting incrementally better, although it seems like we'll go two tiny steps forward and then a medium-sized step backwards. We have also been dealing with swaddle weaning the past week, as Emmett can easily roll to his side now and it may not be long til he can get to his tummy, so obviously being swaddled arm-less is now somewhat of a danger, although it still helps him fall and stay asleep better. But even with that being thrown in, it does seem the colic is decreasing. The pediatric gastroenterologist feels he should improve greatly or age out of it entirely between 4 and 5 months. I hope this is all a distant memory soon. He's such a happy boy by nature; it breaks our hearts to see him miserable at night and really not be able to do much of anything about it.
I am so incredibly smitten with this boy. He has the BEST smile in the world! It makes me so happy to see that gorgeous gummy grin, his dimple, and the way those baby blues light up. I am obviously biased, but I think he is an exceptionally beautiful baby boy. He coos and giggles now, both of which are just delightful. He does quite well with his tummy time and can hold his chest and head up for long periods of time. He LOVES lying on his back and grabbing at the dangling animals above his play mat. He also gets a huge kick out of looking at himself in the mirror. He has also enjoyed some babywearing with Daddy in the Baby Bjorn for walks on the few days it was decent enough to get out for some fresh air.
MIRIAM: Miri is officially 2.5 now and getting closer to 3 every day! Despite being in the midst of the so-called "terrible twos," her terrible moments are pretty few and far between. She is pretty much a constant ray of sunshine. She is sunny and funny and sweet as pie. I am still in awe of the enormous privilege of being her mom. If ever I questioned that God has a plan for me, Miriam is proof. The two years of disappointment and heartbreak while waiting for her are now just a drop in the pail compared to the tremendous amount of joy she's given us in the past two years.
Miriam continues to love going to school, and she continues to be loved right back by her teachers. She tells us her favorite part of school is "circle time," and she loves to be the teacher and play circle time at home. Which means she tells me or Jason to "sit criss-cross applesauce, zip your mouth, and click your ears." And then we have to sit silently while she "reads" us a book while holding it up in such a way that we can see the pictures. It is so incredibly cute! She talks about her teachers and friends from school all the time. Her best friend continues to be a little girl named Adelyn, whom she has been best friends with since the ripe old age of about 14 months. Adelyn is always there before Miriam in the morning, and when Jason brings Miri in, Adelyn comes up to her and the two give each other big hugs. So sweet!
Miriam is warming back up to me again. I'm getting lots more hugs and kisses and smiles and invitations to play. The scowls and rejections have dropped way way down, and we are really enjoying lots of fun Mommy/Miri playtime again these days while Emmett naps. I am so glad to be back in her good graces! As mentioned, she has really turned into a Daddy's girl now too though. She is so sad when Jason "goes to work" (i.e., the basement) and so incredibly happy when he "comes home." And she is the most amazing big sister. She loves Emmett to pieces and gives him lots of hugs and kisses. She likes to show him toys and help him with his tummy time and even asks to be walked down to the infant room at daycare on occasion to visit him. We are so proud of her.
VISIT FROM GRAMMA AND G-PA:
Right before I went back to work, Gramma and G-pa came from SC for a visit! It was G-pa's first time meeting Emmett, since he had the flu and was unable to come with Gramma in January. We had a very lovely visit; it is always so great to be able to be together. It is tough living so far away, but it sure makes the time together all the more special. Both kids were super happy for lots of playtime, stories, snuggles, and more with their grandparents. Since it was the weekend before Easter, Gramma and G-pa got to be here for Miri's first Easter egg dyeing. She was a big fan of that! Art + eggs (one of her favorite foods) = happiness for Miriam!
Miri and Emmett even got to have ALL of their grandparents over at the same time! There was no shortage of attention for either kid with 4 doting grandparents!
EASTER:
We had a lovely Easter weekend. On Saturday, we enjoyed a visit with Adam, Rochelle, Kaden, and Charlotte. We hadn't seem them since Christmastime, so it was obviously really great to get to spend time together and, of course, to introduce them to Emmett! It is going to be really fun for Emmett and Charlotte to grow up as buddies, since they are only 12 days apart. And Miri is absolutely enamored with her big cousin Kaden. When we had to say goodbye, Miri was yelling "Kaden, I love you! I love you, Kaden!" for several minutes in the direction that she'd seen them leave. Can't wait for our next visit with the Rymer family! Also congrats to them on their new home, which they closed on and moved into last week! I'm hoping we will be able to figure out a weekend to visit them in MN this summer and see their new crib (complete with swimming pool!).
Easter Sunday was a ton of fun, although a quiet one spent just with the 4 of us (oh wait, 5 of us... we were dogsitting Izzy while my parents were in Key West, lucky ducks). Miri had been so excited for WEEKS for the Easter Bunny, and the Easter Bunny did not disappoint! The Bunny was good to us again this year, even Jason and me. That Easter Bunny even carefully selected dairy-free treats for me, as I am currently on a total dairy elimination diet in an attempt to help lessen Emmett's reflux and colic. What a thoughtful Easter Bunny! Miriam sooo enjoyed hunting for her eggs and checking to see what the treat/ surprise in each one was. She showed great perseverance and found all 24 eggs! Jason and I then managed to get all 4 of us dressed up and to the church on time for Easter mass, and both kids did a great job behaving themselves at church. That felt like an enormous success! Ever since then, Miri has decided that the hymn "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" is a great lullaby and frequently asks for it as her lullaby. :) It was a very blessed and wonderful day.
