Baby Blog

Ok, so will you be totally mad at me if this is more of a bullet point list of what we have been doing and how the boys have changed in the past two months rather than a narrative? I promise to go back to the regular format next month, but… Christmastime craziness is about to overtake us and I fear if I don’t write this today, it will never get written.

So here is what we have been up to in the past two months:
– Parent helping twice at CNS, once dad and once mom. Mini muffins (zucchini and pumpkin) were a big hit with the class.
– Archer’s baptism at St. Mary’s Church in Charlestown. He was mostly happy throughout and Sebastien did well too. Jared and Margaret are Archer’s godparents – lucky boy! Then we had everyone back to our house afterward for a catered lunch. (So much easier than cooking. Outsourcing all the way!) Pictures below:

– Alabama Shakes concert date night. We got there just in time for the band and left about ¾ of the way through. Can’t say we have much stamina for late nights these days! But it was fun to be out solo for at least a couple of hours!
– Two duds of Thursday morning college babysitters who showed up a total of 2 out of 6 times.
– Holy Cross alumni soccer game. Sebastien spent most of the time down on the field with daddy while I tried to keep Archer happy in the stands.
– CNS Homecoming family dance. In the parking lot of CNS where Sebastien danced like a wild man and pizza partied with his buddies.
– Ringling Brothers Circus. Thought we might have to leave after ten minutes when Sebastien looked pretty skeptical, but we told him how none of the circus folks would come up into the stands and it was just like watching a movie and he calmed down. I think his favorite part was when they shot the guy out of the cannon! (The clowns were definitely his least favorite part.)
– Isabel’s birthday party at Jump On In. Sebastien LOVED the bouncy houses and did great right up until the end. We chalked it up to being hungry, overdue for a nap and probably over stimulated. We booked the same place for his birthday, but picked a slightly earlier time.
– Wilson Farms spooky hayride and cider donuts. Another big hit that Sebastien talked about for a few weeks. Also where he discovered his love of candy corn.
– Dim sum lunch with Avery and William and families. William and Sebastien were crazy men, playing under the tables and tackling each other, while Avery looked on like he thought they were both nuts.
– Dinner and play date with Nate and Connor’s families, friends from CNS.
– Trick-or-treating and lunch at the Pru with our Charlestown friends.
– Costume parade and trick-or-treating at the Monument. Sebastien was a race car driver and Archer was a sock monkey. Sebastien loved all aspects of Halloween and we had a great night, save for one minor fall on the way home which popped his beloved balloon animal.
– Swimming classes on Saturday mornings with daddy and gymnastics with Miss Erica on Wednesday mornings with mommy (and Archer in the ergo).
– A speech screening at pre-school followed by a full speech evaluation and recommended speech therapy for Sebastien. Full developmental eval (and second opinion?) to come in December. Will see where this leads us…
– BSO family concert (Peter and the Wolf) for Sebastien and daddy. Sebastien loved seeing and hearing all the instruments, especially the gong.
– Football Sunday at the Machado’s with the Lagreca’s, O’Donnell’s, and Tats and Ashley. Eight kids (and seven of them boys) under the age of 4! Both fun and crazy!
– Boston Public Library Gala. Another night out and another thanks to Rara and Papa for babysitting the boys.
– Thanksgiving trip to AZ. Rented a pontoon boat for an afternoon on the water, visited a ghost town, went to the rodeo, spent time at the pool and the playground, went in the hot tub and roasted marshmallows, visited with family and ate lots of good meals.

Sebastien, you:
– have a real sense of humor these days. (Me: Sebastien, do you think they will have a trapeze at the circus? S: Tra-carrots.)
– have renamed your brother ‘Parcher Parcher’ and call him only that or ‘Baby Archer’ all the time. He may still be called Baby Archer when he’s like 15.
– have been head butting us. Ouch. You’re also a little rough with Arch. We’re working on using “gentle hands” and praising you when you treat him nicely, but the poor kid has taken quite a few hits to the head and the face and even bites to the toes when you get a little over-excited.
– started saying, “…downer and downer and downer,” like when the food goes into your stomach. I don’t correct you because I think it’s kind of adorable.
– like to tell us who is a girl or a lady and who is a boy and think it’s SO funny to purposely mix them up. Also think it’s really funny to sing the goodbye song with all the wrong names.
– have had a bit of a rough few months, between a new baby brother, age two and a half and starting school. I have been reading lots of parenting books trying to figure you out and find the best way to communicate with you. I think we’re coming out the other side, though, and I’m looking forward to three.

Archer, you:
– are a new, EASY! HAPPY! baby after some trips to the chiropractor. Not sure if it’s the adjustments or that you’ve just gotten a bit older, but there has definitely been a marked improvement in your attitude towards life.
– suddenly love the animals on your bouncy seat and spend lots of time watching them and kicking your legs.
– have found your hands and figured out how to get them to your mouth. Now if you would only stop knocking your pacifier out…
– give us lots of smiles and laughed for me for the first time (which I got on video). I was making kissing noises and zooming in toward you and you thought it was hysterical.
– love when anyone sings to you.
– have moved out of our bed at night and into the pack and play. I am sleeping much better without fear of rolling on top of you, although you are still waking up several times a night to eat. Luckily you go right back to sleep afterward, but I’m pretty sure some gentle sleep training is in your future.

Next up, Christmas!!