Well, it's that time again. The time when I wrack my brain for anything I may have left out for last month. Since we already covered Valentine's Day, there isn't much else to report for the month of February. So I guess I will just take a moment to talk about how we are adjusting as a family of four.
Overall, it has been so much fun adding Jacob to our family. He really is a delight. It is adorable watching Alexander try and hug or cuddle Jacob. You can tell that Alexander really adores his brother. Of course, there are moments, in the middle of the night, where we miss a full night's rest, but he is totally worth it. I have to say that our lives haven't really changed that much. The biggest challenge is trying to get out of the house. The doctor encouraged us to keep him inside for at least the first two months, due to flu season. At Jacob's two month check-up, she continued to encourage us to keep him in for another month or two. It can be hard wanting to take the boys to places like the aquarium or church, when she has advised us to stay home. We are doing our best to make every day fun though. Last week, Scott and I had a movie night with Alexander and Jacob. We bought Ice Age 3, and some popcorn and candy and ate the treats while watching the movie. It was fun having a movie night all together, even if we couldn't get out.
Scott and I are also trying to go on walks every day after he gets off work. it really helps us to not feel so shut in the house and helps me not to go stir crazy. We bundle up the boys, put them in the double stroller and walk around our neighborhood. Luckily, the view near our apartment is gorgeous. It has been nice taking a little time each day to go on a walk. Alexander loves the fresh air, and it also gives Scott and I time to connect after work. We will talk about the day we had and just enjoy each other's company. Even though the boys are with us, since they are occupied by the walk, it feels like it is just the two of us. Of course, sometimes Alexander gets impatient, and we have to take him out of the stroller and let him walk or carry him, but all in all it is a good time. Luckily, it is finally starting to warm up a little too, which will motivate us to be more consistent with our walks.
Okay, so now let's talk about how the boys have grown this month. Alexander had two new teeth break through this month (his canines). So he has been particularly cranky this month. He would wake up screaming during a nap or in the middle of the night, because he was in so much pain. Poor little guy! I am hoping that since his teeth have made the initial break through, that he will start to feel better. It can be tough caring for a newborn with another child teething.
Alexander is also continuing to develop his vocabulary. His favorite word right now is "meow." He loves to say meow to cats and whenever he sees animals (like monkeys) that even look remotely like cats. It is adorable! He loves to say "rah" when we sees dragon toys. Too cute! He says "more" for anything he seems to want more of. He is really starting to explore new sounds too. It wont be long before our little man is talking non-stop.
Alexander is also getting more and more coordinated every day. He loves to climb all over Daddy and even does piggy back rides on Daddy. Mommy is too nervous to try that just yet! He loves doing all the motions when we sing "If You're Happy and You Know It." He also loves kicking balls and riding on his big car. He even likes to dump tons of toys on the floor and then try to push his big car over them. It is cute to see him discovering new things.
Jacob is developing quite nicely too! Whenever we take him into the doctor he is in the 70th percentiles for height and weight. He is a little chunk and we just love to gobble him up! He has started smiling and cooing a ton. I do have to say that he gives me the most coos and smiles (of course I do spend the most time with him, but that is just a coincidence)! It is so adorable looking down at his tiny little face and seeing those great big smiles! He seems to be adjusting more to this crazy world too. He can finally bathe without freaking out, and diaper changes and clothing changes are much happier now too. He is even starting to nap better and sleep for longer stretches at night. He usually sleeps at least 6 hours for the first stretch at night. And he is napping better on his own, which gives me more play time with Alexander. I really feel like we are starting to fall into a routine during the day. It is nice to feel like life is starting to have it's own sense of order again. I do have to say that I never realized how much I crave order and schedules until I had my kiddos. It is amazing how nice it feels to know what is coming next and to have a sense of stability to our day. I usually let them fall into their own natural sleeping schedules and build around that, but it is nice to have some order nonetheless.
Scott has been busy this month working. It seems like he spent many nights staying late at work, but luckily he is always home by 6:30 at the latest. It was hard having him work late with Jacob being so little, but luckily it was only for a short time. His boss and coworkers constantly thank him and tell him what a great job he is doing. It is so great to see him so loved and appreciated.
To help us adjust to being a family of four, Scott and I have decided to give each other one "fun night" a week. This is a time where one of us can do whatever we want for the evening. We can stay home and pursue a hobby or get out and do something fun. I think it has helped us both not to feel overwhelmed with the kids. We love them so very much, but everyone needs a break sometimes. So Scott has been enjoying going to play his Magic card game. He goes by himself, and sometimes with coworkers. He has also been enjoying his artwork. We moved his desk into the living room and he has been working on using his bamboo pad to draw art on the computer. He is getting better every day. I have a few fun things I have been doing. Once a month I go to play Bunco (a dice game) with some friends from church. I look forward to it every month! It is a fun social time, and I usually do pretty well. I also have been enjoying taking times to blog and am currently working on turning last year's blog entries into a book. I also have aspirations to do more sewing, but am still trying to figure out the new machine my mother bought me.
Well, I guess I will close by leaving you with a few more pictures. First I would like to do another picture comparison. These two are pictures of Alexander and Jacob at about the same age: 2 months old. See if you can guess which picture is of which boy!
Did you guess which one was Alexander and which one was Jacob? The one on the top is Jacob, and below it, is Alexander. They really do look so much alike!
Okay these last two pictures are a few more that were taken of Jacob this month. Enjoy!
Well, I think that about covers the fun things we have been up to during the month of February. Tune in next time for Jacob's Blessing :)
On Sunday, March 2, 2013, we blessed our sweet little boy, Jacob Russell Richins. It was such a sweet and sacred event. Scott did the blessing, and his Dad, Grandpa, best friend, Andy, and the Bishop, joined in the circle. I tried to remember all that was said, so that I could write it down. I am sure I forgot a few things, but here are the things I remember being said, " You are blessed to come to a family who loves you very much. You are surrounded by friends and family who love you. You will be blessed to have a strong testimony. In time you will have a desire to serve a mission and share that testimony with others. I bless you with faith and confidence. You will learn to recognize the Spirit and it's promptings. I bless you with love and compassion towards others. In time you will find a wife and marry in the temple and start your own family." I am sure there were many other great things said, but that is all I can remember.
During Sacrament Meeting, I bore my testimony. It had been several months since the last time I bore my testimony, so it was nice to do it again. I thought it would be fun to bare my testimony since it was the day of the blessing and since Scott's family was there too. It was funny because another mom whose child had just been blessed went up to bare her testimony at the same time I did. We just sat there waiting to share, holding our little boys. It was the sweetest moment I have ever had waiting to bare my testimony. Anyway, I shared my testimony and don't really remember much of what I said. I do know that I got pretty emotional and did share that I feel so completely blessed. When I think of my life just ten years ago, it was pretty tough. But now I have an amazing husband and two sweet boys. I have the gospel, and so much joy in my life. I really am one lucky girl! Anyway, it was nice to bare my testimony on the day of Jacob's blessing.
