Well, Mr. Zane, somehow you are three months old.  I don't know where this last month has gone - it's been quick!  We just got back from your special 3 month appointment, and you only weighed 16 lbs 11 oz, which surprised me more than just about anything else in the past three months, because I was betting on close to 20 lbs.  You are 25" long, which is just huge. 

The doctor was pleased with how your socialization has progressed, your smiles and responses.  However, he's still concerned about your vision, so we're going to see a pediatric opthamologist this week.  Babies in glasses are just precious, so if you need them, I won't be too sad. 

Yesterday, you started school.  Several weeks ago, I learned that my job had been eliminated, so we weren't really sure what we were going to do.  For now, you'll be going to school 2-3 days a week while I concentrate on trying to find a new job.  The market is crummy, but hopefully something will crop up soon.  If not, then you and your sister will get to stay home with Mommy all day, every day!  yay!  But we'll give it a few months. 

Your first day of school started out ok - it was hard to leave you, but I knew that since you were with Ada's old teacher that you were in good hands.  I stayed for about an hour, got you to sleep, then came home to work.  And yes, I took a nap.  I called at lunchtime and learned that you hadn't taken much nap, but that's not completely unusual.  Then at 3:30, the school called to tell me there had been a mixup with your bottles, and you had gotten another baby's milk.  This scared me a lot, and I ran right out there to pick you up.  I know it's fine, but it made me feel helpless and reminded me that I have no control over what happens to you or Ada when you're not with me.  This is not a good feeling for a mommy.  However, I quickly got over the freak out, got you home, and you went right to sleep while Ada and I fixed dinner.

Because this month has gone so quickly, I don't even know if I remember what's new with you.  You have started smiling more often, and even laughed a few days ago.  That was the best sound in the whole world.  You have started cooing, and talk to yourself a lot- including last night from 2:45-5:00 a.m.  Usually, you sleep through the night, which is just fantastically wonderful.  You still get very crabby if you don't get your bottle RIGHT WHEN YOU WANT IT, but you calm down immediately once it's in your mouth.  You have started watching Baby Einstein, but (perhaps because of the vision issues) you don't stay engaged for very long.  You still aren't sure what to make of Aggie, who has taken to exploring you a little more - but you don't get upset when she kisses you. You have discovered your hands, and try to fit both of them in your mouth at the same time - this usually doesn't work.

You have been very tolerant of your sister, who, if we don't watch her every single second, will do things like give you her baby doll's pacifier, or put her sunglasses on you, or pop a bottle in your mouth.  She really loves you a lot, and I know you will be great friends.

Here are a few pictures of your first day at school. 

With Ada after getting ready: 

Hanging on the Boppy, where Ada used to spend all her time: 

Finally asleep, so Mommy could leave: 

Dear Zane-

Somehow, you have turned 2 months old.  In some ways, it feels like you've been part of our family forever - two months can be a very long time, especially  when so little sleep is involved. I am pleased to say, however, that it is 6:00 a.m. right now, and you have been asleep since about 9:30 p.m.!  Amazing!  Of course, I should be asleep, but I had to go check on you to make sure you're still breathing (you are) - but I only checked 3 times last night, so that's progress, too.

You are a really good baby - you rarely cry, unless you are hungry.  You are hungry a lot, though. We try and try and try to comfort you in other ways - holding, rocking, walking, swaying, shushing, swaddling, swinging, all the things that worked for your sister.  But typically, the only thing that will calm you down is more bottle.  Often, you'll just take a sip or two, your eyes will flutter in that "Oh!  This is my idea of heaven!" way of yours, and then you will fall asleep.  Preciousness.

You have a very strong head, and you would absolutely fit in at a ... .... .... hmmmm, I must be getting old, because I can't think of any current head-banger bands... but you would fit in at a Metallica concert.   I remember having what felt like whiplash for weeks after seeing them (a million years ago), but I think your head bobbing skills already far exceed any I ever had.

We took you to the zoo for the first time this weekend.  You really weren't all that impressed, but I expect that in a year or so you might like it a little better.  I think that was probably the last zoo trip for a few months, as the temperatures are just getting ridiculous, although since I am not working, you and I might go during the week when they start opening at 7:00 a.m.

 I apologize for the fact that we have to take you for your two month appointment today - there will be shots.  But they really are for your own good, and I promise you won't remember them in 20 years.  I am predicting that you weigh 15 1/2 pounds, which frankly is pretty huge.  Your sister weighs 32 pounds, so you have almost caught up to her. 

Almost time to get you up, which is such a shame.

Love- Mama

Hanging out in your crib: 

At the zoo: 

Dear Ada-

 Today, you turn 2 1/2.  That's almost 3!  Soon you'll have to learn to say "I'm 3!" instead of "I'm 2!", which will be fine, and so will "I'm 4!", but I'm a little worried about 5 and 6, because you always skip over them when you do your numbers.  1, 2, 3, 4,  7, 8, 9, 10- I guess we need to work on that.

You continue to be a delight, although you have some definite testing-your-parents moments.  I think that's part of being 2 (and 1/2), but sometimes it is very hard for Mommy to deal with, especially when she is by herself and Baby Zane is crying at the same time.  You are becoming very mischevious, and sometimes get this glimmer in your eye and half of your mouth turns up into a smile, and I know we are in for it.  

You are asserting yourself more and more.  Every morning, you throw a fit if Daddy picks out something to wear that isn't just what you want.  You have taken to refusing to wear jean shorts (NO JEAN! NO JEAN!), and I have to tell you that it was nearly impossible to get you to wear your new shoes when your old shoes were wet (from you falling in the pool, but that's another story).  

You are taking great delight in your little brother, and last week when I went to your school for Mother's Day fruit party, you showed some of your friends how to pet his feet - but you very clearly told them that he was "MY Baby Zane!", lest they try to keep him for themselves.  We are trying to work on the concept of "our", because you have become very possessive of things that you will need to learn to share, like bowls and silverware, toys, and Daddy's money.

Since Daddy got his new big car, you seem to enjoy going to school a little more - probably because you get to watch Elmo DVDs on the way there.  THis is something I swore I did not want, but I have to say that I find it to be not so bad.  And Elmo is educational, right?

You are communicating more and more, and are using 5-6 word sentences.  And they make sense!  I think you're almost ready for Smith (although I guess you can go to Harvard if you must).  You love puzzles, and are getting pretty good at them.  You know that you do the corners first, which is more that Mommy usually remembers.  You have a big floor puzzle with animals on it- you have started doing it UPSIDE DOWN, so that it's all white, no pictures.  If that isn't genius, I don't know what is. 

You are still very affectionate, and in fact seem to get more so with each passing day.  You love to give "Big 'ug" (we need to work on pronouncing "h" sounds), and your kisses, while pretty slobbery, are some of the best.  You are quick to giggle, and your belly laughs are contagious.

Anyway, welcome to the world of "closer to 3 than to 2" - I think it's going to be a good half year for all of us.

Love- Mama 

With your friends at the Mother's Day fruit party: 

On your fiftieth helping of cantalope:

PS- yes I realize that all these photos are already posted on Facebook.  It's easier, faster, less work, etc., maybe I'll get new photos here first someday, but unlikely. :) 

Second babies definitely get the short end of the stick, including less blogging.  We certainly don't love him any less, there is just so much less time when you throw a toddler into the mix!

Anyway, things here are going ok.  The jaundice is completely gone, and the growth spurt that I was far too tired to blog about (eating just about every single hour of every single day for 5-6 days!) is also over.  I don't know that we've hit a routine yet, but about 80% of the time he'll go 3 hours between waking up, so basically he'll wake, get a diaper, eat, and go back to sleep four about 2 or 2 1/2 hours.  There are times when he doesn't want to go back to sleep, and those times are usually spent hanging out looking around, listening to his mobile or his lullaby seahorse - and once again, the swing that Aunt Susie sent for Ada is proving to be a godsend for those times when he just won't go to sleep or hang out.  We didn't have it with Ada until she was about 7 weeks old, so missed some of the early benefits.  

As you might have guessed based on his 3 hour schedule, REM sleep isn't really happening for me these days, although Ron talked me into letting him do the first feeding the other night and I think I got three straight hours which was amazing.  The hormones are still raging, but hopefully will be evening out soon.

We hired a postpartum doula to come in 2 days a week for a few hours a day, if nothing else to take care of Zane while I get a few hours of sleep.  She'll also be able to help out with some light housekeeping, or can run errands, or any number of things to help me be a better mama to Zane and Ada, and hopefully I can start taking back over some of the daily chores that Ron has had to do all by himself.

Anyway, Zane is a good baby - we really are blessed with some great kids.  I guess I need a little more sleep before I can write anything more profound than that.

TOmorrow we'll have Ada's first Easter egg hunt.  Grandma Vicki and Aunt Dianne are coming over in the morning for cinammon rolls and bacon, and then we'll do the hunt.  I think she'll have a blast, although she has a slight fever tonight- hopefully it will be gone by the morning.

Here's Zane a few days ago, he found his thumb:

Zane is nine days old - the time has both flown and creeped by.  It was a pretty traumatic weekend.  On Friday, our pediatrician expressed concern about Zane's jaundice, which had been low when we left the hospital.  Ron took him to get a blood test on Saturday morning, and the results were 19.6 - at 20.0, they consider hospitalization.  Needless to say, we were a little freaked.  The pedi ordered a biliblanket, which Zane was to stay on as much as possible. It gave him a nice blue glow, if nothing else:

On Sunday, we had to go to Phx Children's Hospital Urgent Care to have him retested- it was a ridiculous ordeal.  They wanted to take blood via vein, instead of a heel stick, and apparently Zane has inherited Mama's veins.  They dug and dug, Zane and I cried and cried.  Ron made them stop, and after one more try they went ahead and did a heel stick.  The level had gone down to 16.3, which was fantastic news.  We retested on Tuesday, and we're now down to 12.6, so he's off the blanket and is pinking up quite nicely.  He is also awake a lot more, and pooping like a champ.  Hooray!

There's really not a lot to report.  Ron is basically sole caregiver for Ada, and my life is in 2-3 hour feeding chunks.  We have to wake him at least every 3 hours, and often he wakes up before that.  If I recall correctly, this goes on for a few more weeks, and then he can go 4-5 hours between feedings.  For now, I'm a walking zombie.  

Physically, the effects of birthing a 10 pound baby aren't as bad as one would have thought.  I'm still a little achy all over, and I have a pinched nerve in my shoulder, but I really don't feel all that bad.  With Ada, it was a million times worse (thanks to her being sunny side up).  I have been able to do some things around the house, and drove myself to the chiro this afternoon.  By next week, I'm hoping to be far more mobile, and Zane and I can start spending some mornings at the zoo.  Maybe.

That's about all I have energy to write.  I'll try to get his birth story up soon - it was quite an adventure!  

Here he is this afternoon:

 You can see how orange he is here,napping with Daddy and Ada:

Ada found his car seat.  Believe it or not, she's still within the weight range for this seat, although obviously is much taller than allowed.