Thanksgiving Turkeys and Six-Week Smiles

Last Week was your first Thanksgiving, Julia! And your third, if you're keeping count, Aidan.

We got to spend a lot of quality time with Aunt Rebekka and Uncle Ross, who came in all the way from California to see us.

We wore hats, we went to the arboretum, we went to playgrounds, we went to Mimi and Pops' house, we went to Gigi and Pa's house. We saw family left and right, and people came flocking in just to meet you, miss Julia!

You and Rebekka shared several special moments.

As did you and Uncle Ross!

You even got to briefly meet all your Sugarland cousins and Uncle Dana and Aunt Mendi as they stopped by on their drive to Arkansas.

You got to meet your Great Grandpa (Pa) and Great Grandma (Gigi), as well as Uncle Phil and your cousins Steven and Lacey. Plus you took a great nap on Baba's chest.

We had a great Thanksgiving, but considering you were only 6 weeks old on the day of, you really didn't get to appreciate the gorge fest in its entirety. But, here's proof you were there...right behind the cranberry sauce.

Aidan, you rocked Thanksgiving too: Wearing olives on your fingers...

 

Wearing out the furniture in Mimi and Pops' dining room:

 And wearing your 'newsies' hat, which you asked to wear.

 And then picking one out for Daddy.

 And then serendipitously matching Pops too!

And then dressing the whole ensemble down to the bare basics.

And wearing us out! Being two can be serious business.

But it has its serious benefits too.

Daddy and Aidan. Daddy on the right.

 You even got to hang out and go exploring on Uncle Phil's farm.

But, more important that what we did or didn't do, was that we were together, as family. And together, we were!

Brothers and Sisters:

Uncles and Nephews/Aunts and Nieces:

Parents and Children:

 

You know, special family, sharing special memories, even if they sometimes started acting like turkeys. 

You know...family!

FAMILY!!!!

And one of the specialist of the special moments we got to share as a family was that miss Julia, as a 6 week old baby, you started SMILING and really reacting to grown-up's voices and faces over Thanksgiving break. Everyone was so amazed by your beautiful smile!

So, to all you Turkeys, Smile!

Pickles, Cravings (and Ravings of a Super-Powered Olfactory)

Your Mom's pregnancy continues to go swimmingly- all signs point to a strong, healthy pregnancy.

Unfortunately, this means a bit of an irrational, weak, odd Mommy!

I came home from work on Friday and your Mom was starving. She wanted burgers. And only burgers. So, we went off to burgers.

(Aidan, you did really well at the burger place- chowing down on some free Sweet Potato chips while we stood in line (so much so, that the cashier gave you your own basket of them to enjoy!); you ate almost a whole 1/2 pound patty, vegetables and pickles, pickles, pickles!! But, you're not the only one in the family who loves pickles. Your brother or sister (and your mom)love pickles too. I like them as well, but this ain't about me.)

Your Mom notified me that for lunch on Friday she literally craved and ate the ultimate in cliche pregnancy dishes: pickles and ice cream. Pistachio ice cream. And cottage cheese. And then bagel bites.


2/26/2012:



The cravings are coming fast and furious. One minute she's chowing down on some Long John Silvers, the next she's got the shiver-me-timbers. "As long as I'm eating, " your mommy said, "the nausea goes away." So eat she does.

On Saturday your Mom craved again. This time it was for...wait for it...dill pickle flavored ice cream from this store at the mall. So, we wound up at the mall, and until she got said popcorn, the only word she could say was "popcorn."

A sample conversation went like this:

Aaron: Ooh, this color suit looks good. What do you think?
Holly: Popcorn.
Aidan: Mama?
Holly: Popcorn.
Aaron: Where are we going?
Holly: Popcorn.
Aaron: Can we stop at H&M on the w--
Holly: Popcorn.

So, luckily, before our conversations got any better, the got a large bag of the stuff. It's quite gross. It tastes like 'scratch and sniff pickle' flavoring was dumped all over a bag of popcorn. Your brother loved it, though. Your mom loved it, and ate piece after piece for a few hours. But, the next day, she couldn't even look at the stuff.

The craving was leaving. On top of the cravings, we also have some ravings. She's not mad, your mother; just nauseus and trying to cope...by buying and wearing special nausea-lessening black wrist bands. Fashion statement aside...she's wearing wrist bands! I was 'uncool' when I wore my awesome wristbands that came with my long-gone Scion XD. But your Mom makes them look...cool...crazy cool. But, apparently, the pressure points on the bottom of the wrist DO help relive nausea...or at least the placebo works. Because, she's not as sick!

But, the pregnancy has continued to heighten her sense of smell. Which isn't good because your brother's been sick, and been on these super sweet-tasting antibiotics which do wonders to...well...doo. Luckily, I was able to change most of these not-so-good-nappies over the weekend...but she might just have to pull her shirt up over her nose if it happens while I'm at work.

But that might not help either. All day yesterday she was going crazy, and actually a bit upset, because Aidan had lost his 'smell.' "He smells like daycare, doesn't he? And it's making me sick! Smell him! Smell Aidan!" Between diapers and daycare, you might think your brother stinks- but he most certainly does not (okay, well, diapers don't smell great, but that's universal). While folding towels later that evening, your mom's super sleuthing nose later discovered that it was, in fact, the laundry detergent that was upsetting the sensitive smeller.

So, between shielding a direct line between my outward breaths while talking, thinking Aidan lost his smell and telling me that the dogs need baths badly (which they do), noone in the Weinstein household is safe from the ravings of the super-powered smeller!

Hopefully you're enojying your accomodations though-- from the way your mom is nauseating and smelling, it seems that you've settled in quite nicely to your womb room and made yourself quite at home.

You are about 6 weeks along now, and about the size of a sweet pea.



Although things aren't smelling so sweet out here (to some of us), we just can't stop thinking about you.

Six Week Report Card

We're nearing the end of your sixth week of life here on Earth and, as my K-12 training has taught me, 6 weeks is the perfect period of time in which to grade someone's performance and give them a report card.

GROWTH: A+
First of all, I'm still trying to get over the fact that you've grown from this:

To this:

To this:

To this!

And now, to this!

But, the amazing growing baby continues to amaze! Just yesterday, your Mom put the blue pair of socks that we brought with us to the hospital on your tiny, teeny feet. And, guess what? At the hospital, those things slipped off your feet as easily as if they were made of ice...and yesterday they fit snuggly! You're already growing into your socks!

That's pretty crazy, considering that I still remember being psyched about seeing your feet like this: And now look at those feet!

When we took those pictures about four weeks ago your feet were about as long as my index finger. Now they're way longer!

BATH TIME: A+

Let's just say that ever since your umbilical cord fell off, Sesame Street has been correct: Bath time IS so much fun. You like it a lot more now that we can get your belly wet and keep you clean. In fact, your Mom and I are kinda getting to be like old pros at bath time. Well, mostly your mom. I'm getting really good at filming bath time and warming the towel up in the dryer and catching your slippery little self as your Mom hands you to me!

DISCOVERING: A+

Wow, this one's been really coming along this week alone. When babies are born they don't know their heads from their hands or their Beatles from their Stones (well, maybe YOU know the Beatles, with parents like us!) But, recently you've started discovering that you have arms and hands and that, yes, they are yours for you to use how you see fit!

Last week you took your Mommy's glasses off (though I maintain that was a happy accident).

Yesterday while Mommy was kissing your feet, you reached up and touched her hair.

You totally grabbed my hand on day 1, but that was just a reflex. But grabbing things consciously- while not quite there yet- is developing nicely. Check out how you manipulated this Sheep toy your Auntie Deborah got you!

Now, of course, you may just be thrashing to get the thing off of you, but I like to think you were hugging it!

Most impressive, though, is that we've caught you "self-soothing" by sucking on your forearm, your entire hand and even your thumb. This is great for everyone! If you can self soothe, then you can put yourself back to sleep if you wake up. But, also, knowing where your hands and arms are located at all times is a pretty important life skill to master, so you're making major headway this week!

CUDDLING: A+

'Nuff Said.

Sleeping (without someone underneath you): A -

This used to be a big concern...would you ever be able to sleep for more than an hour without your mother or me underneath you? That would have been really awkward when you went to college.

But, recently, you've been able to sleep longer and longer without someone underneath you. In fact, I'm happy to report, that last night you slept in the Cradle your Nanneh made you all by yourself from 10:00pm to 1:am. In fact, you were sleeping so hard that I had to wake you up to feed you! (which I know I'm not supposed to do, but if I let you go too much longer, I would have gotten no sleep at all, and then I wouldn't have had all this energy to write this blog post today!)

You are improving day by day on your sleeping. And trust us, in this family, you'll need your sleep. We're tiring.

UPDATE! Just got this message and pictures from your Mommy: "You'll be happy to know that little monster is taking his nap in his cradle! Now let's hope that the mail man doesn't come by now and make the dogs go crazy and wake him up!!"

Yes indeed, we all hold our breath around mail delivery time as Preston and Toby have declared all Mail Men (and women) their mortal enemies, and feel the need to tell them that loudly...through the door. Everytime the mail-dog bark- aidan awakes situation happens, your Mom tells the dogs that they are one step closer to being punted to the back yard.

I know, I know...I was surprised that your Mom knew what punting was too!

Smiling: A+

Two days ago when I came home from work you smiled at me. This was not gas. I repeat NOT gas. It was a real smile, and you've been doing it more and more ever since!

Pictures will be coming soon, as soon as we can readily predict your smiles!

Not too bad, son! In your first 6 weeks, you are a Straight A student! Keep this up and you'll be Valedictorian of your class (though, Toby and Preston are really going to have to fight it out to get Salutatorian status).

I can't wait to see what the next 6 weeks brings!