Life Lately

Chris and Eliot are off on a run followed by a beach trip to the bay.  I'm pretty jealous since I can't go on adventures yet, but I plan to catch up on some cleaning and rest up with the littlest guy.  Jack sleeps a lot, which is really different than what I remember with Eliot.  Eliot would nap, but just little cat naps here and there for about fifteen minutes.  Jack, though?  He is wide awake for a few hours at a time and then clonks out.  He makes for a really easy newborn.

Honestly, the hardest thing about Jack is the time after feeding.  He looks so peaceful and sleepy after he has eaten, but I know I have to keep him sitting up or else he will surely begin to cry.  A lot.  His tummy seems to hurt and he spits up a bit, but I'm thankful we can nurse or else I know it'd be worse.  He'll likely grow out of it, and I don't think his spit up is acidic, but I'll definitely be mentioning it to the doctor again on Tuesday for his two-week check up.

The past few days have been filled with lots of "firsts".  First baths for the boys together (well, Eliot was in the tub and Jack was in his whale tub on the floor).  First rounds of tummy time for Jack, and Eliot loves to lay with him.  First rounds of sleep smiles.  First brothers' story sessions with Dad.

For July Fourth, we spent some time playing by the pool and eating snow cones.  Chris had iced coffee instead....  Then we went to my parents' house where Chris and Eliot had more pool time with the cousins and I sat inside with Jack.  I don't want to let him get too hot, you know.  We had dinner and then Eliot and his cousins played with sparklers.  Eliot was getting quite sleepy around nine, but we let him stay up to see some firecrackers go off in my parents' neighborhood.  We left just in time to get home and our neighbors were setting off some pretty impressive firecrackers too, so we watched those and did more sparklers until around 10:30 pm when I took Eliot to bed.

I think Chris and Eliot have gotten over the worst of that nasty cold for now.  And then I woke up feeling achy and overall bleh.  Yep, I had a low fever again.  This thing just won't go away.  My parents (who also got the cold when I did) kept warning me that they were having little "relapses" of sickness, so to keep an eye out.  I didn't want to believe it, but here I am feeling crummy again.  However, it's not like I can go anywhere anyway at this point, so I'm not missing out on much.  I just hope Jack doesn't get it, but we're still nursing, so he should be good.

I'm so in love with having these two boys.  I worried about how I could love two, but it has come natural and easy.  I didn't expect to notice their differences so much and appreciate those differences.  I hold Jack so much that when I pick up Eliot, I am amazed by how sturdy he is.  I knew he wouldn't be the "baby" of the family anymore, but I thought I'd always see him that way since he was my first baby.  However, he seems so big.  I didn't expect that.  I love Eliot for the sweet and funny things he says, how he loves to play rough and also cuddle, and for his independent spirit.  I love Jack for his beautiful, soft gaze, his soft skin, his tolerance for being poked, his easy-going nature, and his passion for drinking milk.  I love Eliot and Jack together--I love how Eliot counts Jack's fingers and asks to "pet" him, and I love how Jack just stares at Eliot in wonder.  A lot of people said a lot of negative things about having two kids, especially with two boys, and I know there will be hard days, but right now it is nothing but beautiful to me.