I finally got Kate laughing on video. The best of it is right at the beginning of the clip...The rest is of her giving half-hearted chuckles, but cute nonetheless (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgxdjTuvkl0)
The rest of his scars have healed really well, though you can still see some discoloration of the skin, especially on the outside of is upper arm. His chest also has some discoloration but it is hardly noticeable.
And having your 4 month old jump on the bed with your 2 and a half year old. Well, it makes for fun blog material, doesn't it? Here's the youtube link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClfOpi7HBeg)
Kate really loves to do whatever her big brother is doing. Do you hear her squeal and giggle? She will also often follow him with her eyes all over the living room from her swing or bouncy seat. I have a feeling she will be quite an annoyance to Ethan when they're older!
Kate's playtime is rather limited! She can only stay awake for about an hour before she wants to take a nap again. By the time I feed her and change her diaper she has a half hour left to "exercise" on her play mat, or enjoy a ride in her swing.
Apparently, Ethan likes her play mat, too. He'll often lie down underneath the toybar and swat at a few things himself. Here's the closest thing to a laugh I could get on video. Several weeks ago we heard her belly laugh for the first time, but we haven't heard it since. However, the little chuckles we hear now and then are enjoyable enough! I wonder what we can do to get that belly laugh going again...
Nearly four months have gone by, and I feel like I don't know this little girl just yet. She spends most of her day sleeping! Little by little I see bits of a personality coming out, though. For instance, tonight we decided to get burgers for dinner, so we went to the local Steak N Shake. To maximize the brief hour of her waketime, we decided to feed her at the restaurant. David and Ethan went inside to get a table and place our orders while I stayed in the car to nurse her. By the time she was done eating, our orders arrived. The minute I sat down to bite into a now cold hamburger, she began to get upset. This was a surprise to me, because we've taken her out to eat before. As I looked at her face she seemed bothered by the bright lights, the bustle of the restaurant and unfamiliar setting. Nobody likes an upset baby! Luckily, after some cuddles and bouncing on my knee she was content enough that we could finish our meal. We finished it quickly!
She was upset on the short car ride home, too. But the minute we returned home, placed her in her crib and turned on her familiar musical mobile, she began to coo contentedly. She really likes to be around the stuff and people she knows best (she doesn't like strangers much either). Perhaps she's a bit of a homebody like me. And perhaps she just likes to have a normal routine, just like her daddy.
We've had a lot of cold weather and snow here in the midwest. Combine that with a newborn that sleeps more than she's awake, and you have a lovely recipe for cabin fever! I've had to get creative about entertaining Ethan.
Am I a bad mom for sending my kid out in the snow while I sit inside sipping a cup of coffee?? Ha ha ha...
We finally got to take some nice photos of the kids thanks to our friends Anthony and Carrie. Anthony has been working on his photography for a while now, and he agreed to take us on pro bono, ha ha ha! We'll have to start paying him soon since he takes wonderful pictures! Click here to see some more of our favorites from the session (or copy and paste the following link in your browser: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=59468&l=36f9c&id=610621963 ).
Christmas morning at the Snyders! It's been a full morning with presents for the kids. And we're not even done yet! Ethan saw the presents this morning but wasn't very curious about them. First he watched Curious George, then he ate breakfast. By that time, I had to feed Kate, then get everybody ready for Christmas Day mass at the Catholic church my parents attend while here. By 11:45 am we were back home and ready to open up the gifts. But once he found what he really wanted, he didn't want to open any more gifts! After lunch we managed to get him to open a few more, but not all of them! Right now, Ethan is taking his afternoon nap and hopefully we'll finish the last round of presents.
It's easy to lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas. Just last night, I fell victim to this. Preparing a special dinner, taking care of a baby, and making sure family members are comfortable is a lot of work! I wasn't able to get as much preparation done as I had hoped, and so come 4pm I was spent, stressed, and a little mad to be quite honest! My chocolate trifle wasn't done, dinner wasn't started, and plans for Christmas Eve services had to be cancelled because of a fussy baby. I was able to sneak away for 15 minutes and decompress, when I realized I was having a Martha and Mary moment. You know the story, right? It can be found in the gospel of Luke, Chapter 10, verses 38-42:
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Oh, how I am Martha! There's nothing wrong with what she was doing. After all, opening your home to people is a good thing. But it started to get in the way of what was truly important--the gift that God gave to us through His Son. I pray next year, I will remember the lesson Jesus taught Martha.
