Peter is One Month Old

I'm writing this post a day late and what a difference a day makes. Yesterday was a great day. Jill, Peter and I hung out on the porch at Nana's. The weather was beautiful and Jill blew bubbles and played on the lawn. She also talked over the fence with Mr. Penkus, a favorite neighbor of ours. Becky and I used to chat over the fence with him when we were little girls, too. But we called him Mr. Pinky Tuscadero until my mom told us to stop.

Also, Jill, Peter, and I went to meet Jill's teacher at the Montessori school yesterday. Jill loved the fish in the lobby and she was very interested in all the toys Miss Deborah showed her. We did great until it was time to leave. Miss Deborah said, "Jill, would you like to hold my hand and walk to your Mommy's car?" Jill growled, "No!" and shook her head in a rage. Miss Deborah, I'd like you to meet Jill. Great! Jill has been so good lately but dragging her away from a bunch of new toys at lunch time was too much for her to bear.

So yesterday was great, but today was crazy! Right before Bryan left for work, Jill pulled his travel mug off the counter. It hit her on the head and spilled the (thankfully not too hot) coffee all over her. She was scared and screaming crying. I got her cleaned up and calmed down. She was recovering in my lap when Peter started screaming. As Bryan ran out the door he sang, "La la lala. La la lala, Mommy's world!" I was still in a frumpy nightgown with my hair uncombed and spit up on my neck. Pretty glamorous. But really, thank God that coffee wasn't hot enough to burn Jill. We relearned a big lesson about leaving things within her reach.

Starting off with a bang, the day continued in pretty much the same vein. Exciting news though, today Peter had his one month well-baby visit. He weighed in at 11 lbs 13 oz (90th %) and measured 22 1/2 inches long (80th %). The doctor called him a bruiser so it has been medically declared that Peter is a big big guy. I feel validated because carrying him around (plus the occasional wrestling match with Jill) is breaking my back! Jill was a preemie, but still she wasn't 12 lbs until she was 4 months old.

Some notes about Peter... We've told you he's big, cute, and messy. Most days he enjoys being carried around in the baby carrier, though today he enjoyed the swing for a while. Jill likes to push him and we have to remind her to push gently. On her own she would give him a ride that rivals the Pirate Ship at Canobie Lake Park. Bryan shouted a warning to Peter last weekend, "Hold on, Peter! You're going to get the ride of your life!"

Peter doesn't sleep much in the day and he's pretty fussy right now. The doctor warned us that his crankiness would probably peak at six weeks of age and then taper off as he reached 12 weeks. This is so different from Jill who still thought she was in the womb at 6 weeks! Anyway, at night Peter sleeps from 8:00-11:30 and then is up at around 2:30AM and 6:00AM for feedings. Hopefully that 2:30AM feeding will start moving back soon.

Notes about Jill... She loves her brother!! She is always resting her head on him, saying, "Awwww. I like him!" She likes to try to give him his pacifier and cover him with blankets. She thinks those two actions are cure alls.

Jill has been sharp as a tack lately. Monday morning, Bryan's parents, his sister, and her friend Erin were leaving after a weekend visit. When Jill woke up she said, "Grammie and Pa fly airplane to Mississippi." Umm, yeah, but how did Jill know that? Did she check their itinerary before going to bed? P.S. I'll post pictures from the visit soon.

Then yesterday Bryan was rushing out the door to work. Jill told my mom that he forgot his keys, seconds later he was back to pick them up. I think we should ask Jill to start keeping track of Bryan's calendar and meetings. She can make calls and say, "Please hold for Bryan Cavener." Hey, Bryan is so busy that I think he could use some administrative help.

I think right now I have to remember the details of the really good days and know the tough ones won't last forever. It's funny when you're busy and sleep deprived how the days are really long but the weeks go by so fast!