October 17, 2009
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A Mostly Derek-Centric Entry
Poor Derek ... as the second child (and a same-gender one who came closely on the heels of the first child, at that), he doesn't get nearly as much time in the spotlight (bloglight?) as Jack did. And, having been pregnant and tending to a newborn for some portion of four consecutive years, exhaustion tends to trump guilt, so that the days slip by with nary a mention of Derek on my blog. But, it finally got to me today, as Derek smiled and giggled at me. I have this adorable, sweet-smelling three-month-old baby -- something that I will most likely never have again -- and I need to show him off! (Not to mention, I have been utterly remiss in updating my blog.) So, here are some recent pictures.
Smiling up a storm at my mom
He was giggling and sticking out his tongue
Three months old and getting big!
Cute brothers. Jack didn't want Derek sitting too close to him, though, and he was very intent on watching Curious George
All snuggly after a bath
As you can tell from the pictures, Derek is a pretty mellow baby. He has his moments, of course, but he's very patient when I need to set him down in the bouncy seat for a little while. Derek also sleeps nearly 12 hours a night, usually from 6:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. or so. (Yes, I know I'm lucky! And no, I'm not sure what the secret is ... it just happened with both Jack and Derek. I'm sure I have something coming to me to balance the scales, though.) He LOVES to watch Jack run around. It's funny, even at this young of an age, I feel like I can see Derek's personality, and how it differs from Jack's. At three months, Jack was very loud when he giggled (or cried). On the other hand, Derek laughs softly, and he gives us a few minutes of polite, soft crying before setting into loud wails. Anyway, he's really becoming a delightful little guy, and I can tell he and Jack will be great friends. Whenever Derek bats successfully at one of the toys on his bouncy seat, Jack will stop whatever he's doing, clap, and say, "Good job, Dee-Dee!" (Mandarin for "little brother.")
Speaking of Jack (you knew I wouldn't be able to get through a whole entry without mentioning my little devil!), I've decided to enroll him in preschool as of November 3. I had already signed up for a spot next fall, when Jack will be three. I was pretty firm about not starting until then -- I just feel like kids only have this short amount of time where they're just at home, without being shuttled off to school. But, it's clear that Jack is ready. Since Derek's arrival, I've had less time to devote one-on-one to him, and he's spent a lot of hours glued to the TV. I don't have much TV-related guilt, but, well, there has to be a more productive activity for Jack. And I don't mean "productive" as in "educational"; just pure fun. I used to take Jack to the playground a lot, but the playground near us has more treacherous equipment, and we need to supervise Jack pretty closely when he's on it, which is hard to do when you also need to tend to a newborn. I could put Derek in a sling, but that leaves me unable to really help Jack when he's on the playground equipment. I'm in a mom's group, and we have weekly playdates, and Jack and I also go to My Gym (a toddler gym class) each Wednesday, but it's not enough. Jack and I read a lot, and we color, but that's the extent of my craftiness. As much as I want to be, I'm not one of those creative moms. A loving mom? Yes. A fun mom? An organized mom? I'd like to think so. But a creative, crafty one? Not so much. Jack is, well, bored. The most exciting event on a daily basis is going to the grocery store. He loves being around other kids, and I know the stimulation will be good for him. It's the same preschool that June went to, actually. Jack will be going just two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon. It will be a good transition to the three-day-a-week schedule that he's signed up for for next year, too. I'm a wee bit sad that my little boy is heading to preschool, but it is definitely a good thing. I'll have some alone time with Derek two days a week, maybe get a little more work done, and Jack will have something other than playing with his same old toys at home! Now we'll have playdates on Monday, preschool Tuesday and Thursday, and My Gym on Wednesday afternoon. All things that Derek can tag along to (except for preschool, of course), which is nice. Of course, I'll update after his first day, which is coming up in a few weeks.
OK, I'll stop my novel. Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone has great weekends!
Comments (6)
Derek is, of course, an ADORABLE baby. And I think preschool for Jack is an awesome idea!! Good for you! I hope the transition goes smoothly. Would be normal to see some behavior issues or crabbiness/clinginess as he settles in, but I'm sure he'll do GREAT.
Gosh, Beverly!! You are very lucky to have both boys sleeping through the night at an early age! Remember how I asked for advice with Aaron? So, seriously, what's your secret? Do you swaddle Derek when he sleeps? I want Jordan to start sleeping through the night early.
Oh yeah, thank you so much for your response about potty training. Can't wait to read your post about Jack's first day at preschool!!
@Jamie - I'm really not sure there's any secret! Yes, I do swaddle Derek, and I swaddled Jack, too. With both boys I used the SwaddleMe blanket until about four months old. I also leave them in the crib on their own, in their own room, as soon as they're drowsy. That way they learn to fall asleep on their own, and they're not disturbed by the sounds of us turning over as we sleep, walking around the room, etc. Obviously I don't let them cry it out when they're really young, but I don't pick them up if they're just whimpering or making little noises (when they're REALLY newborns, of course I pick 'em up and feed them as soon as they start rooting!). That being said, though, I do think I lucked out and just had two good night sleepers. See, that's another reason to stop at 2. I don't really know that my luck will hold out for a third child to be a good sleeper!
Hi Beverly! Everytime I look at the great, expressive pictures you post, I can't help but think you guys either have the amazing patience to take a lot of pictures or your children are intuitively responsive to cameras. I also notice that they are starting to really resemble each other now that Derek's older. I think it's a great idea for Jack to enroll in preschool; the social experiences will be good for him, let alone the fact that it will free up some of your time for Derek and chores. As for your perceived lack of craftiness... Um... I think toddlers are generally not very crafty, and once he's older (i.e. when he draw a semi-straight line and can maneuver a blunted tip pair of scissors), you'll have more ideas than you know what to do with them. =)
how many pounds is he now? hiow much does he drink per feeding?
@noraelle - Amy! I've missed you. I'll be writing you soon. As always, thank you for your thoughtful comments!
@luvlyac - I don't know how many pounds exactly, since our next pediatrician appt isn't until early Nov. But based on my unofficial weighing at home, he's 14.5 pounds. As for how much he drinks per feeding, it's usually between 5-6 ozs. Before bedtime, it's about 8 oz. He drinks about 5-6 times a day.
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