2 Months Update (Levi)

I know, I know, I shouldn't be surprised at how fast time flies, but it's still amazing how quickly babies grow. In the midst of busy life where Ava and Noah are often the more demanding kids, needing actual attention (yes, Levi needs to eat, but let's be honest, babies are a little bit boring), I try to find moments to pay real attention to Levi and this quickly passing infant stage. I'm trying to soak it all in, to take mental snapshots, to remember all the little details, knowing very well that it's impossible to remember everything. Every day there's a new memory, and there will be new little details to remember, and I will be excited about all of the new things he will learn and discover, and memories of the first smile, the first little sounds, the cries, the rooting, the baby hick-ups, the funny faces, his smell, will all fade away. And that's okay. I guess the best I can do is to enjoy it all in the moment and not be caught up in mom guilt when I feel like I should empty the dishwasher instead of taking a nap with a baby cuddled up next to me. 

Levi is two month old today. 

At night, he loves to sleep next to me, preferably with his face comfortably rested on my boob. Ha. Since we co-sleep I am not sure how often he wakes up at night, but I'm guessing about twice after he goes to bed late, at the same time I do usually. 

He naps better swaddled up though he fights the swaddle and so I don't use it all that often. He naps best sleeping on me or in the Ergo and would prefer to be held and snuggled all day, getting fussy quickly when I lay him down on his own, even when he's in his bouncer or car seat where he can see what's going on.

Levi doesn't love car rides and cries more often than I would like on the way to and from daycare. After we pick up Noah and Ava, Noah's job is to make sure Levi has his pacifier (or, as Noah prefers, Noah's finger) to suck on which usually calms him down. 

He enjoys bath time and LOVES getting his hair washed. He had a bit of cradle cap and I helped remove it by washing his hair a few times. I'd swaddle him up and let the water run through his hair at the kitchen sink and Levi relaxed instantly every time, loving the head massage. 

He was born weighing 7 lbs 6 oz and weighed 12 lbs 6 oz at his two months check up. As of this week, he officially outgrew his 3 months clothes and is wearing size 6 months for the most part. He feels and looks chubbier too; less like a newborn and more and more like a baby. He supports his head really well and loves to be in an upright position. 

We don't yet get too many smiles, but at 6 weeks old, he started smiling and cooing at us. I can't wait for him to start interacting with us more and more. 

Tomorrow, he will be on his first airplane ride to Nebraska. 

My body is nowhere back to my normal, but I'm starting to fit into some of my clothes again which is great. I'm in no rush to loose all of the baby weight except for the fact that I miss wearing my normal clothes. I'm starting to get sick of leggings and nursing tanks, as comfortable as they are, so I was very excited when I was able to close the button on a pair of jeans the other day. 

A quick update on big brother and sister, too: Noah will be celebrating his fourth birthday in one month. He'll be spending all of July in Nebraska on his grandparents' farm. He still loves to read books and listen to music. As a very typical three year old, he has a million questions about the world and wants to understand how everything works. As much as I love it, sometimes it can be a bit much when every sentence is followed up with "but why?". He's a happy kid in preschool, according to his teachers, his favorite thing there is to read books. He loves playing with his friends but sometimes gets so caught up in his own world that he doesn't always recognize others' feelings. Noah has had his own pet, a goldfish named Luke, since Christmas and has successfully and unexpectedly managed to keep him alive for six months now. He likes to argue whenever he gets a chance, offering deals, and questioning our decisions. Again, I love that he is so articulate and is learning to have a discussion, but it also means he often has a really hard time simply doing what he is told and I don't always have the energy to deal with it in the most patient way. 

Ava is 21 months old. She is a little copy cat and looks up to her big brother all the time. She loves imitating him and loves it when she gets his attention and they play together. She is so sweet, always aware if others around her are sad or hurt, at home and at daycare, and wants to make everyone feel better. That doesn't mean she doesn't have her "naughty" moments. Just as much, she loves to play little games, tease her brother, and be goofy at the dinner table. She only has a few words, but it seems like she is adding new ones pretty frequently now, and does a pretty good job communicating what she needs even with her limited vocabulary. She knows what she wants and I love that about her. It might seem like I'm often giving in when she decides she wants to wear a different pair of shoes, but I want to encourage her independence and her speaking up for what she wants. "No" is probably her favorite word right now - as it should be at this age. She also says water ("wawa"), tummy ("Bau" for German bauch), poopy ("beepi" or "kacki" in German), down ("dow"), fish ("fsss"), baby, mama, papa, please, more (both in German and English), and probably a few more that I can't think of or that I haven't recognized as words. Ava loves pasta, bagels, pizza, and yogurt, but will also eat a lot of other foods, including fruits and vegetables.