Feeding Fanatic

Benjamin's been a pretty good eater and tends to think that every time he wakes up, he is about to die from hunger. He was good at latching on right from the start (I had some problems with positioning, though). Yesterday he decided it was great to eat EVERY hour and to bite down hard. Yikes!

My poor body is recovering today and he's been a little gentler, thank goodness.

'N Sync

Jacob wanted to dance tonight, so we put in 'N Sync's CD. Yes, it's a little embarrassing to own this CD, but it's actually pretty good! We hadn't listened to it before tonight because I only purchased it because I love the song, "Bye Bye Bye."

Jacob danced and danced and danced. It was so cute!!! Greg took some video, so I'm going to try to post that on here.

So You Think You Can Dance ...

Greg and I are completely addicted to So You Think You Can Dance. We LOVE it. We let Jacob watch a little bit of it last night, and he's now going around trying to be a breaker. He does a spin and then does a half handstand and then does split jumps. It's pretty funny and a little impressive!

Benjamin is a Sleeper!

Last night, Benjamin slept from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. He nursed from 11-11:30 and was up until about 11:45 p.m. He didn't wake up again until 4:00 a.m.! We were then up until around 5:00 a.m., and then he slept again until 7:00 a.m. WOW!!! :) He ate briefly at 7:00 a.m. and then again at 9:00 a.m., and he's asleep now.

Playing Outside

Today we went outside for a walk. Jacob wanted to go to the playground, so he could "see all of [his] new friends." There were 7 or so older kids (ranging from probably 8-11 years old) playing. One of the girls, Abby, said, "Is Jacob going to play? Does he want to play Red Rover?" He did.

(Jacob just learned how to play Red Rover, Tag, and Freeze Tag this week.)

The kids were so good! When it's his turn to run, they always let him break through. The kids don't try to break through where Jacob is, and if they have to, they go really slowly and don't break through. I was really impressed by how careful they were with him.

Jumping Right In

This blog starts with Jacob already 3 1/2 years old, so obviously there will be many missing stories (I might fill some of them in later). But, something is better than nothing, so I'll just jump in and get going!

Baby Benjamin is sleeping. So far, he's a very peaceful baby and he doesn't ask for much -- just food, warmth, and a dry diaper.

Jacob is down for a much-needed nap. My parents spent the last few days here helping me keep Jacob entertained and allowing me to rest after having Benjamin. They stayed in a nearby hotel with a pool. Jacob has always enjoyed the pool, but has until now been very cautious. During this visit, Jacob suddenly became ready to swim on his own (with water wings). He's been swimming laps, jumping in, and having a great time.

Since Benjamin's arrival, Jacob has been alternating between being clingy and showing a newfound sense of independence. He is growing up so fast, and as my husband said last night, maybe a little too fast for himself.

Jacob now wants to get himself dressed completely on his own. He wants to get himself ready for naptime and bedtime on his own, and wants to close the door himself and tuck himself in most of the time. He's always had issues with his bedroom (he doesn't like it and thinks it is scary), but now is ready to sleep outside of his "tent," which is the comforter we have hanging over his bed -- he sleeps on the lower bunk.

Jacob isn't a big fan of uncertainty, and all of the changes involved with a new baby definitely fall into that category. He's pushing himself to be as grown up as possible, which is both admirable and a little sad at the same time.

I was very grateful for a few minutes of Jacob just letting himself be 3 years old last night. I clipped his nails after his bath and he cuddled against me as we sat on the couch for a few minutes before he went to bed. It wasn't very long, but I'll take what I can get.

** Photo courtesy of Indy Photography. http://www.myspace.com/indyphotography **

Benjamin's Photo Shoot

My sister-in-law, Heidi, is trying to launch a new photography business, Indy Photography (www.myspace.com/indyphotography). She is building her portfolio right now by taking photos of new babies! So, when she asked if she could photograph Benjamin, we were happy to get some extra photos of him. :)

Benjamin decided to be a typical infant and cried throughout the shoot, wanted to be fed, and pooped twice. All of this coming from a child who was sleeping 20+ hours a day at that point.

We did note that he's very good at rolling from his back to his side!