Family Tree(s)

In December 2014, when Iver was just five days old, we took advantage of a sunny day to hike in Arcata's Redwood Community Forest. 

This is our little family then:

After a long rainy stretch this January, we had a nice week of sun, which dried things out enough to want to make another outing to the forest near Redwood Park's playground.

Here is our little (especially in front of the giant redwoods) (but bigger) family now:

 

 (note the same red jacket on me--just right for "winter" in Northern California!)

Selfie series

It's so awe-inspiring to walk among these giant trees!  What a special place we get to call home!

Eat My Words!

Niall (normally an excellent solids-eater) refused dinner on this date, but wanted to devour the pages of my OBGYN Green Journal (cellulose is easily digested, right?). Nom Nom!

Vus' Blues

Since I haven't posted a "matching" picture in a while of my boys/men, here is one! Iver loves to match his clothes to what others are wearing, and made us dig out this striped onesie for Niall to match him at school.

Niall's 11-month update

At 11 months, Niall:

-  Probably weighs about 18 lbs (~10%). He is in mostly 9-12 month clothing but he fits some 6-month outfits

- Has fair skin, big eyes, long eyelashes, two dimples, and four teeth (two lower and the top two busted through right around New Year's).

 - is still exclusively breastmilk-fed, drinking pumped milk at daycare and nursing at home (he went through a biting phase, but thankfully has stopped). He's a great solids-eater about 3x per day (plus snacks) and loves to self-feed finger foods, so we are nearly off purees and onto soft and cut- or ground-up versions of what we're eating (except I challenged him too much with pico de gallo). He loves yogurt, cheese, pasta, Bamba peanut snacks, most fruits/veggies especially bananas, porridge/cereal, and water in a cup.

- is in cloth diapers during the day (with flushable liners) and size 3 overnight Huggies at night. He usually poops on the potty in the AM and then at least once or twice more during the day.

 - is doing great at the infant room at daycare. He has some stranger anxiety but is very sweet, mellow, smiley, and cuddly with most adults.

- is an extremely fast crawler and very grabby. He pulls up, cruises, pushes a walker toy, and can briefly free stand. He loves to play/mess with Iver's artwork, toys, Pepper, and Pepper's water. He smiles, laughs, giggles, squeals. He says "mom" or "mama" most often of all his little words. He can sign "all done," "more," and "dog," (as well as a fist-rolling sign which we can't interpret) and claps on Vietnamese command (or when he poops and we cheer), which is really cute.

- sleeps in a crib in Iver's room (as of 12/23). After a bath and a nursing session, he goes to bed in his footie pajamas and sleep sack between 7 and 7:30 p.m. within a few minutes of being put in his crib drowsy, and wakes up between 5 and 6 a.m. (sometimes waking his brother up). He takes two naps-- usually around 9 a.m. (or three hours after waking) and 2 p.m.,the morning one usually 1-2 hours and the afternoon one 45-60 minutes long. He is a GREAT sleeper (we are very thankful!).

- loves walks in the stroller or in the front-facing carrier, splashing in the bath (especially with big brother), and being tickled.

Showing off his teeth!

Our Angel baby

Clap, Clap, Clap

Walking with a push-walker

I can't believe our *baby* is almost one!

Here is what Iver was doing at 11 mo.

Babysitting (by?) Grandpa (and Grandma)

When we were in Minnesota in October, my cousin Allison gave one (or both?) of the boys (I can't really remember) this really cute and funny board book, How to Babysit a Grandpa, by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish. Niall loves holding it and looking at the pictures.  Iver has loved reading it at bedtime and enjoys it so much that he requested that I purchase its partner, How to Babysit a Grandma (and I complied, although he's getting a used copy).

We were extremely fortunate to have Kelvin's parents with us during the past two weeks, due to the daycare closure stretch around the holidays based on the public schools' schedule but with us having to work every other non-actual-holiday weekday other than Christmas and New Year's Day, and my being on call for the Christmas weekend.  While Iver's behavior was a bit rough late in the day on the (majority of) days he refused to nap, and Niall fought K's mom for sleep one day, leaving her a bit exasperated,  Bà nội and Ông nội, who are truly star babysitters (and don't mind being "babysat") in addition to awesome home helpers and cooks, did really well with them and really saved our day(s) and sanity.

 

 

Come back soon to be babysat, Bà nội and Ông nội!

New (Year, Roommates, Teeth, Tricks)

2018 was a bit of a blur.   It was busy at work and at home. Following politics continued to be stressful (although there were silver linings). Sleep deprivation makes me feel spacey and not that joyous. We welcomed a sweet baby but lost my 95-year-old Grandmother.  I was asleep by 8:55 on New Year's Eve.

As of last weekend (after Niall was sleeping through the night for a couple of weeks, which seemed to not be a fluke), we moved him in with Iver, and the brothers are now roommates.  It's going pretty well. They (and, therefore we) both slept until after 6 a.m. on Christmas morning, but usually, someone wakes up by 5:30 a.m. and it's not always our always early-rising firstborn, who is pretty good at sneaking out.   I asked Iver how he liked sharing a room with his brother and he responded, "Well, it's ok. Except I don't like when he wakes me up early." (Sorry, buddy. Now you know how we've felt since you were born.) Last night, we heard screaming from Niall at 2 a.m. (which has to be pretty loud for us to hear from our bedroom), which we think is due to new teeth (the top two just busted through so even though he wanted them for Christmas, he got them for New Year's), but somehow and inexplicably, Iver slept through it.

Niall's been signing "milk," "more" (which is sometimes clapping) and "all done," in addition to this unidentified hand motion.

Just-turned-four Iver has also been impressing us with his reading. He has an incredible memory, so I'm not sure how much of his "reading" is actually word identification, but he can definitely pick out words on signs, church bulletins, etc. and can write many names and words that belong on greeting cards (he loves writing Thank you and Birthday messages). He has been following along with books we read, and here is him reading "Pete (the Cat) at the Beach" at bedtime.

I'm hopeful that 2019 will bring good news and good sleep!