Catching Up

This is going to be a picture heavy post, but I think that’s what most people prefer anyway, right? We started painting Shayla’s “big girl” room back in November. It’s very hard to get painting done when she’s around, so we tried to give her her own paintbrush to “help.” It only worked for a very short amount of time, but she thought that “painting” was pretty great. Painting her room ended up being a pretty labor intensive project as we did stripes, and taping is a pain, but David finished up the last of it after Easton was born. We got the curtains up that I made back before he was born. Now we just have to get her a bed and dresser and we will get her moved in.

(11-12-11)

Here she is in all her ghetto glory. Talking on daddy’s phone with mommy’s shoes and no pants. (11-14-11)

These were taken the day we brought Easton home. (12-3-11) My parents came over to bring Shayla back.

I got Shayla a new doll so that she could have her own boy baby to take care of.

12-5-11 Shayla loves her baby brother. 

12-7-11

12-7-11  Just trying to get some pics of the little guy, and he gives me some pretty good little faces. 

12-8-2011 We each keep a pair of shoes by the bottom step. Shayla had brought them in the family room, and I asked her to put them away. This is what I found when I came by later. Not quite the way I meant, but she did a pretty good job.

12-9-2011 Easton likes to watch the lights and animals on his bouncer. He really likes the music it plays too. He often gets upset when it turns off. 

12-9-2011 We ordered beef from the same company that we get the chicken in bulk from. David was impressed at the size of these. 

12-13-2011 

12-16-2011 This is the Lion King pose.

12-16-2011 I love his face in this picture

12-17-2011 Caught him sucking his thumb. Don’t think I’ve seen him do it since.

   12-18-2011 Reading books with Grandpa Merrill

12-18-2011 Easton’s first visit to Grandma Reed

12-19-2011

12-19-2011 I put this beanie on Easton because we were going outside. It was a little big…and looks a bit like a turban. :)

12-26-2011 Easton in his new outfit

12-28-2011 I put Easton down for some tummy time, and it quickly turned into naptime.

1-1-2012 Little boy actually seems to enjoy bathtime.

1-6-2012

1-8-2012 Cute boy

1-8-2012 Cute girl

1-8-2012 Shayla was “helping” with dishes

  1-9-2012 Shayla can’t leave Easton alone, whether he’s in his swing or bouncer. If he spits up, she runs to the bathroom grabs some toilet paper, then throws it in his lap. Here she was actually being very kind and sharing her baby and blankie with him. Usually she picks the random toys that she doesn’t care so much about to share.

1-11-2012 Shayla shared a book with Easton

1-12-2012 Shayla really loves to hold Easton and to give him kisses and hugs. He doesn’t always enjoy it as much.

1-15-2012 The little guy has been smiling at us for a couple weeks now. It’s just so hard to catch on camera, especially when our camera is so ancient.

Easton has been a very good little baby so far. He is easier than Shayla was. Not that she was a hard baby, but she had a hard time sleeping anywhere other than my arms. It was hard to get anything done because every time I set her down she would start crying. Easton is pretty content just about anywhere I put him. He really likes the music on both his swing and bouncer. He is still waking up several times at night, but he always falls right back to sleep after a feeding. The biggest problem we’re having is that he is a grunter just like Shayla was. Some days are worse than others, but there have been nights where he’s grunting and groaning for hours after a feeding. This often leads to a lot of spitting up as well, and tired parents in the morning. I’m hoping this part doesn’t last much longer.

Shayla has been adjusting fairly well. She has been sick with this cold/cough thing since before he was born, so it has been hard to tell if her grumpiness and temper tantrums are due to not feeling well or to the lack of attention. One funny thing she’s started doing recently after said temper tantrums, and she’s finally calmed down: she will say “Shay-ya happy now.” Mom and dad are much happier now too.

Right around dinner time she always starts whining “Mommy hold you” (which means hold me), and she repeats this over and over. and over. (Literally like 100 times). It breaks my heart (or makes me want to scream, depending on the day), but I can’t hold her and cook dinner at the same time.

She is still talking up a storm. She repeats everything that we say to her. After a particularly gluttonous meal, David mentioned something about being fat. Shayla says '”Daddy fat.” Then she points at me and says “Mommy fat.”

We have been having her say prayer at dinnertime, and her personal prayers at night (when we remember). She does quite well.

One funny thing with Easton.  She calls him a “big girl.” She loves to mother him, even though she’s usually in his face and waking him up. She’s always giving him kisses, or shoving a pacifier (fac-fier) back into his mouth.

Shayla can be a really good eater when she wants to be. She has learned (from her daddy), that she likes to have ranch on everything. She usually licks it off the vegetable, and then asks for more. She also loves salsa (even when it’s hot), or cheese, or salt and pepper. Any sort of topping that you can put on food, she has to have it. She also cannot have her water without you putting ice in it first. At least she is good at telling us thank you afterwards.

She likes to dance and jump. Only recently has she actually started to get her feet off the floor when jumping. Most of the time, it was just a glorified squat.

Speaking of dinner. It’s that time…