Calan and Evan

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Highlights this month:

• Calan starts Pre-K
• Evan needs more food?!
• Visits from long lost friends and family

September is an interesting month of the year: It seems to mark the end of summer, but it’s not because the weather changes.  It’s the end of a season however, when you think about what changes for the kids and the modes of their lives. Calan and Evan are obviously very young now, but we feel the change all around us. It’s the transition away from late nights, looser routines and impromptu meet-ups with friends. September shows up and school goes into full swing, moods change, and routines and schedules take the place of more leisurely habits. Of course there’s nothing leisurely about having an infant and a four-year-old but its easy to see the September momentum swing as we look all around us.

That said, schedules don’t always have to be filled with structured, school-year type obligations. We made sure to continue making time for fun, friends, family and connections for us and the kids.

Calan

Preschool: Calan started Pre-K at the beginning of the month for his second year at Pleasant Valley Christian School. Going two days a week, plus his extra “Monday Funday”, he has two new teachers this year. Since he knew both of them from last year already, there wasn’t too much “new” for Calan to get used like in his first year. Nevertheless, it’d been three months since going to school. Calan did great in his return, with only a couple clingly moments at drop-off in the first week or so.  Pick-ups tell the full story though, as he was usually filled with the excitement of the day and in good (but tiring) spirits. We also finally came to as good of agreement we can feel comfortable with regarding the school’s policies for handling Calan’s peanut allergy. 😉

In addition to preschool, we set up some standing “play dates” with friends during the week. On Wednesday, Calan goes across the street to hang with Leah and Maddie. Heidi helps Leah with her piano while Calan and Maddie have fun watching shows in spanish with Sandy. Then on Friday, Calan gets to go see his buddy Jake at his house. The two always have a “wild” time together jumping on the trampoline outside or cruising around Jake’s house at the wheels of their imaginations.

Uncle Colin visits: Our dear friend Colin came to visit on a warm Saturday this month. As always, we have a really great time clowning around, laughing, philosophizing about life, work and relationships and eating an abundant of delicious food with Colin. Calan and Colin definitely pulled their weight in the clowning around department. Colin came to visit a couple years ago when Calan was two. They really hit it off then, wrestling, exploring and making games out of pretty much any situation. This visit picked up right where they left off. The day was perfect for swimming and running around outside and of course wrestling and playing inside on the carpeted floors. Colin must’ve bench pressed Calan more than a hundred times throughout the day. 😉 It was fun just to let Calan be a kid…and us to be kids along with him too.

New wardrobe: One thing we’ve noticed in the last year is that while Calan has been growing, he’s been able to continue wearing many of the same clothes. This is great, but he never really had that many outfits to begin with. In other words, his late-toddler wardrobe didn’t exactly leave a lot of pieces to choose from. Aside from some generous outfits provided from Gran along the way, Calan was in need of some new threads as the new school year commenced. So, we got the idea to go find a used “lot” somewhere of his current size of clothes. Ebay had a few but shipping costs a bit. Fortunately, someone on Craigslist had an ad, and they lived five minutes away. In the end, Calan scored 85 pieces of warm and cold weather clothing for a hundred bucks. Not bad. He’s had fun the last few weeks trying on different outfits each day. Of course, September is the warmest month of the year, so his favorite attire of underwear-only still wins out most times around the house.

Cousins Susan, Todd and James visit: At the end of the month, we had a short visit from Heidi’s cousin Susan in from Tucson. Susan and Todd’s son James, who is eight, came with them. Funny, that it had been more than eight years since we last saw them at their house in GA, where they were living at the time. James was six weeks old then, so it was fun seeing him again. We had a great time visiting, eating and watching Calan and James become fast buddies. Those guys had a small band going with Calan on drums and James on piano – good stuff. Calan enjoyed showing James some of his toys and trains, and sharing a fast and furious game of tag and hide-and-seek in the back yard. The visit came to an end far too quickly, but we definitely cherished the short time with them and can only hope we can get together much sooner than the eight years it’d been since the last time.

Annie:  One of Heidi’s long-time students Jackie had been watching Calan on Monday afternoons for much of this year (except the summer months) after our previous nanny Katie moved on to her new job. As it turned out, Jackie was able to find a new position that was closer to home. That opened the door for Calan’s new Monday friend, Annie. The best part is that she’s just across the streeet, the younger sister of our neighborhood friend Sandy. Even though Calan has preschool on Monday afternoon, it’s nice for him to have a chance to hang with someone else before Mama and Dada get back home. Annie is looking forward to getting to know Calan more too, but is definitely loving taking care of baby Evan. 🙂

Evan

Evan continues to delight us with his little milestones. His smiling and cute baby giggles come more and more these days. You really do forget about any difficultly that comes with caring for a little being in these moments. It’s great too that these are the little bits that we’ll always remember, while the challenges of the times will fade away.

One aspect we’d like to forget sooner than later is Evan’s sleeping habits during this month. At some point, his nighttime sleeping cycle fell off, and waking several times in the night to nurse became more the norm. The shorter stretches of sleeping and waking up to eat told us he isn’t getting enough to eat during the day. But what was confusing was that he was already eating quite a bit. For example, he’ll chug around 40oz. of milk per day, and pediatricians will tell you other babies his age usually only require 24-32 ounces in a day. So, even though it’s early we decided (with his doctor’s approval), to start adding powdered rice cereal to his milk. We even started some “solid” foods with mushed up banana and peas to supplement the diet further. This came with mixed results. You could even say a bit of a back-fire because Evan’s system adjusting to the new foods certainly didn’t make him comfortable, and we were in for some rough patches for a few days. We say that Evan is really in “no man’s land” right now because he needs more food apparently, but isn’t totally ready for hearty, solid foods yet either.

We also continue to figure out the best, rough sleeping and awake schedule for Evan during the daytime.  In particular in the early evening as he winds down. It’s a tough balance between getting the right food at the right time, then soothing him off to bed before his overtired “crankiness” takes over. Combine that with getting Calan transitioned from his late afternoon activities into dinner and then his own bedtime can be tricky. Dada feels this on the nights when Mama isn’t home yet from work. We know we’ll keep making adjustments and things will get better and better each week.

When Evan is all fed and in between naps, he definitely likes to play and have fun. He’s learning to control his hands and grip small objects intenionally ever so slightly, and it’s fun to see him pick up little rings and toys. He also responds more to stimuli, especially when he finds it funny. Dada making funny noises, or Mama poking, bopping or kissing his face are some of his favorites. It’s fun though when he starts laughing when you aren’t expecting it. For example, Calan and Dada played “Ball Game” recently where we toss big, inflatable balls back and forth on the stairs. Seeing the big, colored balls bouncing about up and down the stairwell got Evan cracking up sometimes. With a simultaneous emotional excitement from Calan during the game, it just melts a Dada’s heart. It’s good to all be happy at the same time. 🙂

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Highlights this month:

• Calan turns 4 and has a party
• Calan gets into writing letters and spelling
• Evan comes along for the ride;)

Of course the biggest event this month was Calan’s fourth birthday. Calan anticipated his party and his actual birthday with both excitement and patience as he literally counted and acknowledged each day that led up to August 10. First though would be his birthday party the day before and the return of Gran and Grandpa to see Calan turn four years old. 

This month, we would also adjust to new, but familiar routines as Heidi gradually returned back to teaching. Not unlike the end of her maternity leave with Calan almost four years ago, this time around came with the same flavor of highs and lows. It’s nice to get back to the students she loves, but it’s challenging to add work into the mix of caring for a family with a new addition.

Calan

Turning four and birthday party: Calan fell in love with the movie (and book) “Planes – Wings Around the Globe” earlier in the summer. He’d spent hours playing with some of the Planes characters he received during Gran’s visit ;), flying them through the virtual skies within our house almost every day . So it seemed fitting that he would want a birthday party theme all about…well, Planes. This of course meant finding all the appropriate decorations to make this Planes party come to life. As popular as it is and being Disney, this wasn’t too hard. Heidi did a great job of securing the basics: cupcakes, table cloths, plates, plastic ware, napkins, party favors and balloons with matching color ribbon. The most important piece though? Cake. Not as easy… Buying a Planes cake wouldn’t be so bad, but finding one without the possibility of peanut contamination is where the catch is. This meant making one from scratch. Calan also requested a cake with strawberries inside, and so, Heidi was up for the baking task. Through much research, careful planning and dedication, Heidi managed to bake and decorate the perfect Planes cake. Complete with the main character Dusty perched on top, Calan absolutely loved it.  Great job, Mama! “Piece of cake”, right? 😉 

As for the party, it was just right. Warm weather, a backyard pool and a relativity small group of close friends made for a perfect afternoon. The kids all had fun playing in the water and around the yard, and enjoyed the Little Ceasar’s pizzas we put out. The pizzas are what make the food portion of the actual party incredibly easy. Another way we made this pool party easier on ourselves was to hire a lifeguard to watch over the kids as they played in the pool. This allowed all of the adults to relax and enjoy visiting with each other. And of course, Calan enjoyed opening up some really great presents from everyone at the end of the party.

Spelling and Letters: One developmental highlight this month is Calan really starting to show an interest in letters. In particular, he began having fun learning how to write multiple letters on the chalkboard in his room. Once he got the hang of a few, he was eager to write some basic words out. In addition, he started to venture into more serious spelling than ever before with his little colored, magnetic letters. He’s had the letters for a while now, and in the past, he was content to just spell “cat” or his favorite creation “EHBBe”. But suddenly, he took an interest in learning how to spell other words. For instance, one morning he grabbed some flash cards and proceeded to find the letters to spell the words “gestures” and “furious”. He does most of his writing and spelling in the mornings, where he seems to have the greatest patience and reserve for when difficulty arises… such as wanting to spell bigger words off the top of his head for the first time.

Spending time with friends: Socially, Calan continues to get more comfortable with his peers. We have consistently hung out with neighbors and have hosted small pool parties with friends at least once a week. Summer is so great for this. Along with other play dates here and there,  it’s been fun to watch Calan interact and just be a “kid” with friends. Since most of the neighbors are older, these friends are anywhere from 3 to 9 years old. While he gets a long with them all, he usually does the best with kids a couple years older than he is. He always looks forward to going outside and joining them for bike rides, swimming, games and general kid craziness whenever possible. This is something that wasn’t always easy for him when he was younger, so we’re glad he’s having fun.

Going to New York? As his second year of preschool approached, and new fall routines began to be planned out such as returning to violin lessons, Calan began to talk about his likeness for the violin again. In fact, for a couple weeks, he consistently mentioned to us that he was going to New York with his violin. Here is a transcription of one such monologue:

“I’m going to New York on Tuesday to learn lessons on my violin. But before it’s Tuesday we have to do a lot of stuff to get ready. You need to go put on your New York clothes and while you do that I’ll put on my New York clothes and then I will get my violin and put it around my back. But first, I need to pack it up.” We’re not sure where he got this idea from, but we fully support him in this ambition;) Who knows, could this just be a premonition?

Calan also continues to be a great big brother. He’s usually very helpful when it comes to “Baby E”, always aware of his baby brother and how he’s doing. He often has conversations with Evan or with us about Evan. One time, he caught us off guard when he suddenly asked: “What time was it that baby brother first wasn’t here?” We loved the trick question and all shared a smile as he knew he was being cute.

Air Show: One final event Calan had fun with this summer was attending the big Camarillo Air Show that’s put on here a few miles from our house each year. He really loved seeing all the different planes up close and the tricks they did in the sky. He especially loved the “smoke” that they would make as they zoomed around the sky, going every which way. Throw in a helicopter that flies upside down and a plane that consists of only a single wing, and you’ve got some fun entertainment – but ask Calan what his favorite part of the show was, and he’ll tell you it was the 10-minute wagon ride we took from the parking lot to the entrance. 😉

Evan 

There’s not a whole lot to say about Evan other than that we’re reminded every day that we couldn’t ask for a more special little guy. He continues to be healthy and doing all the baby stuff he’s supposed to (sleeping, eating, looking cute and getting us to change his diapers). It definitely keeps us busy and somewhere in a state between tired and exhausted.

As for having a second newborn/infant, this time around we are much busier when you factor in all the usual activities you do with the older sibling. And as every parent of multiple children will tell you, the baby simply has to come along for the ride. Evan is always there for the little things we do with Calan each day, like sitting right next to his older brother at meal times (which Calan loves), or being positioned nearby while Calan plays with his toys (and Mama and/or Dada prepare a meal), or hanging with us as we do Calan’s bedtime routine, including reading a book sometimes. He also joins Calan for other activities such as swimming, sitting poolside in his bouncy seat while Calan and Dada splash around, or when we join up with the neighbors in their front or back yards for a late afternoon “hangout”. And even during play dates, Evan tags along while his big brother plays and socializes with a buddy. He’s a trooper and is usually pretty happy hanging out or sleeping during these outings. And of course, when Calan is napping or has gone to bad, that’s when we get a chance to be with just Evan. Aside from feedings, we love playing with Evan. One favorite is lying down next to him on his mat and initiating tickling games. This brings us and Evan lots of smiles. You just can’t beat that.

Sleeping:
Evan’s sleeping remains a bit erratic in the day but mostly good at night this month. He’d done a few streaks of good nights where he’d slept for 7-9 hours. Heidi especially loved that. He’s still pretty young though, so it’s normal to have those nights where he’s up a couple of times. The daytime has been a bit more unpredictable. There is no real consistent nap time or length, and we kind of go with his needs at the moment making sure to manage any fussiness associated with getting tired. The biggest struggles are getting him to fall asleep when he seems to be fighting it – it’s as if he’s so tired it hurts! One method we have down that works much of the time during the day is holding/rocking him with his “binky” until he gets past the stuggle and begins to calm down and drift. At that point, we transfer him and his heavy eyelids to his swing. The other part of daytime sleeping we wish we could help him out with more is staying asleep for longer than 20-30 mins. We know he needs more in a given nap, but many times he’s wide awake before he should be. We have faith he’ll continue to improve as the weeks go by. We also started putting him down for his first night-time sleep “shift” in his crib in his room, instead of downstairs in the swing. This has worked about half the time so far – he either stays asleep there until his late-night bottle with Dada, or if he can’t calm down, we bring him back to the swing while we watch our 30-45 mins. of night-time TV.

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Highlights this month:

• Gran and Grandpa go back to Oregon
• Calan gets with swimming and explores his new likeness for hiking
• Evan seems to double in size and works toward “doing his nights”

Before the first week of July was complete, Gran and Grandpa left for home and left us on our own. Heidi’s mom had been with us for nearly six weeks, so for the first time, we took full control of the reigns of caring for two children. The end of an era so to speak of a family of only three, and the beginning of new, even more fulfilling one. So much is the same the second time around with a baby, yet so much is different. No longer could we just easily trade-off caring for just one little being…it’s full on tag-team city. As so many parents do, we quickly learned to juggle and work together to care for two little people with nearly constant needs and attention…all the time wondering how in the heck people do this with three, four and more. We can safely agree two is a nice place to stop. 🙂

While not a summer filled with family activities, adventures and outword-bound experiences (for obvious reasons), no summer will ever be the same, we’re sure. The time has been filled with countless tender moments, watching our two boys together and the regular squeezing and kissing that comes with holding your own tiny baby as he looks up at you or sleeps peacefully.  And in light of our tag teaming previously mentioned, there were still plenty of strategic activities where Calan and Dada got out of the house so Mama could focus on Baby Evan, making meals or hopefully get some rest.

Calan
Swimming: Despite not really getting into his swim classes last month, the little guy finally got comfortable again in the “big” pool. The keys to this seemed to be letting him make the decision on when to actually “go swimming”, let him “be” while he’s in the water, and of course dawning a floaty vest. It also helped seeing his friend Declan from two doors down, who is also three, swim in the “big pool”. Whatever the ingredients for success, it’s been nice seeing Calan have fun in the water. He really enjoys floating, kicking and splashing around in the backyard pool. He doesn’t go every day, but two or three times a week seems to give him his fill. It’s also been great centering his eagerness for swimming around small pool parties with friends. Several visitors, including Declan, Benni, and Jake (plus brothers) have come over to cool off in the pool this month, giving Calan a chance to both see his friends and have more practice being in the water. He even seems to choose the pool over going to the beach where the waves are still a little scary. One outing we made to cool off in the water though was to the neighborhood to the west of us (Village at the Park). They have a small “splash pad” with several fountains raining out water when you push a button. In his typical fashion, Calan was completely content with just pushing the buttons and standing under the refreshing spray, while the other children there ran all around and slid down the park slides with slippery, wet bodies. It looked like a lot of fun, but Calan knows what he likes for sure, and you can rarely convince him to try for more in the moment.

Hiking: Calan has often asked Dada if he could go hiking. He’ll point toward the small mountains near our house and ask which mountain we can climb. Well, we finally went, and to our surprise he raced up the trail as soon as his feet hit the ground. Our first outing took us to a more difficult hillside, with steep inclines that even Dada had to carefully negotiate. That didn’t stop Calan though. He instinctively sunk low to the ground and crawled like a bear up the sharp angles of the rocky trail. When we got to a stopping point, he asked how we were able to get so high. You could tell he was hooked, as he made the connection with climbing up the trail with getting up high and seeing the “ants on the freeway way over there”. Another sign of being hooked was when we got down, he immediately wanted to go back up. We went on a second hike to a spot in Newbury Park where you could do more walking than climbing, and he ran along the path like a cross-country racer. Now, there are two things we need to change as we go forward on these hikes: First, a good pair of hiking shoes. And second, finding a way to keep the flies away. Ultimately, Calan can’t stand the little flies that buzz around your face and ears on the bushy hillsides. Perhaps there is something to repel them during these warm summer hikes (?) so Calan can focus on having fun instead of flapping his arms at the persistent flying creatures when he’s finally had enough of them.

Speaking of warm summer… it’s been a bit of a consistently warmer and muggier July this year. We all have our ways to keep cool of course, but Heidi had to laugh when she recently found Calan’s hamper practically empty after many days since doing his laundry. It tells you obviously the kid needs to not wear the same pair of underwear two or more days in a row(!) but also that he is simply not wearing a lot of clothes in general. And it’s true… going through pictures this month, there were clearly more shots of Calan wearing only underwear versus at least some kind of outfit. We have definitely just become accustomed to Calan hanging around the house in his tighty-(“Thomas”, “Cars”, etc. themed”)-whiteys. Clearly one area where Mama and Dada are happy enough to leave a battle alone and let this guy have his freedom.

Another point of entertainment for us from Calan recently is how he talks about dates and numbers. We’re not entirely sure what’s behind it, but it usally has to do with either his age, a distance, a year, or a number on a train. Most notable is his “1971”. This, we think, is a diesel engine…and he believes it is coming and that he will get it. He also talks a lot about turning four…and then five. But then these monologues will usually take on a goofy twist and something comes out like “Did you know the 145 is in the 60s, and it comes for 40 hours when the 41 is way ahead of the track. So, my 1945 is just like my 1962 and the 1921 for the south, did you know that? Those engines are gonna come in five years at Christmas.”  Is it possible his head is picking up a signal from a nearby train traffic coordinator? hmm

Earlier in the month Dada asked Calan what his top-10 favorite things to do were. He played along for fun, and the following are the answers he gave:

1. Play with trains
2. Play with cars
3. Play with friends
4. Have more planes
5. Love everybody
6. Write messages on the computer (although he rarely does this)
7. Look at pictures
8. Eat
9. Play in quiet time (previously afternoon nap time)
10. Go to bed at nap time (contradiction to#9 lol)

As July came to an end though, it was clear is new favorite thing was counting the days until his birthday and party. He is definitely looking forward to it. Mama is as well, as she quickly found out planning for even a small, simple party has enough variables to make planning and preparations a bit of dedicated project.

Evan 
We know that newborn babies don’t keep their lean figures for long, and Evan is no exception. He seems to be growing so fast that if you go for more than a few hours without seeing him, he looks visibly larger when you see him again. We’re convinced this is not an optical illusion either, as confirmed by how quickly he’s stopped fitting into newborn and other small onesies. It’s bitter sweet to look at an outfit we once saw Calan wear for what felt like weeks (and in fact it was!), and think how both boys have now outgrown it. It’s clear though that with Calan being born two weeks early, and Evan a week late, Evan only wore some stuff once or twice before it became too tight.

It finally came time for Evan to try a bottle this month as Mama going back to work is just around the corner. He took right to it, and was a complete natural. He doesn’t seem to be picky when it comes to the bottle type or temperature of the warmed up milk. Calan on the other hand had to have his bottles just right, or he’d let you know. The fun things about bottles this time around is that so far, if Mama is away during the day and it’s time to feed Evan, Calan is quick to ask if he can give the bottle to his baby brother. Of course, it’s one of the cutest sites you’ll see in our house. Dada also looks forward to starting the bonding tradition of giving Evan his late night bottle before both go to sleep for the night.

Evan’s sleep patterns are beginning to improve as expected. A little more consistency definitely started creeping in this month. Longer nights of 6-7 or even more hours are thankfully more common. Sleeping during the day is still a bit erratic but little by little he’ll get in his rhythm and find a schedule that’s good for him…and mom and dad!

Other expected developments this month included Evan revealing his smile to us. You can usually get him to show it if you tickle his cheek and say “Hi, cheeky-cheeky”. He also likes to look around the room when there are a lot of people and activity. He finds this amusing and will sometimes grin as he bounces his big eyes around the room. And of course we love his little coos and other baby sounds. Sometimes you think he’s trying to say something, and it’s true that some of the cute sounds he’s making are just letting us know he’s happy. Evan’s baby acne also cleared up by the end of the month. So, until he’s a teenager, he’ll probably be clear of that. Also, his hair seems to be staying in. Unlike Calan, who lost his initial fuzzy head (and started over), Evan’s seems to be getting ever so thicker and darker. We’ll all be wondering what coloring he’ll end up with. No matter what he’ll be our “Little E” with many similarities to his big brother but for sure his own person as he continues to grow and grow.

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June Highlights

• Baby Evan is born (Calan becomes a big brother!)
• Calan finishes his first year of pre-school
• Calan completes his first “group” swimming lessons
• Gran continues her stay with us, giving us invaluable love and support

It goes without saying that June 2014 will be one of our most memorable months ever with the birth of our second son Evan. Calan’s baby brother was born June 6th at 10:00am at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks. Parents always say it, but this little guy melted our hearts from the moment we saw him. Sweetness hardly describes the feeling we had seeing Evan come into the world and the hours that followed while we cared for and stared at this precious new gem. Of course, bathing in all the wonder of a newborn is only part of the story. Heidi was incredible, laboring and delivering Evan naturally without any hiccups. She is truly Dada’s superhero!

Calan
Calan definitely anticipated finally becoming a big brother. He waited patiently for his baby “bruvfer” (a long, enduring pregnancy for Mama, and an extra week after the due-date), and was ready to meet Evan as soon as he could. He instantly took to the baby, smiling and cooing over him when he arrived with Gran at the hospital. Seeing the two boys together for the first time is a one-of-kind moment, with feelings washing over that you just can’t describe. Calan continues to be the most loving and helpful big brother any parent could ask for.

Just before Evan arrived, we helped celebrate the conclusion of Calan’s first year of preschool. He had a fun day, getting to wear pajamas and eating a special pancake morning snack. For a while now, when Calan puts on his pajama bottoms he makes sure they are inside-out. That way the tag can stick out in the rear. He calls this his “tag tail”, and it’s very important it be there. We explained this quickly to his teacher, Mrs. Means, when she noticed this funny style.

Calan got to meet up with his friend Jacob regularly this month as the two boys both enrolled in group swimming lessons at the Pleasant Valley Aquatic Center. Calan was not always thrilled with getting in the chilly water though. In fact he often told us that “swimming is not my favorite”. He was a good sport though, getting in the water each day and going through the motions. The exception though was when he was asked to swim on his back with the instructor (or, “swimming upside-down” as he calls it). He especially didn’t mind going to swimming because many days he got to play in the park with Jake and/or be treated to chicken nuggets on the way home. While he’s still not very comfortable with the water and didn’t officially pass his class (lol), it was still good to see him get a little more accepting of it after the two-weeks.

Practicing physical skills may not be Calan’s primary interest, but it’s worth noting this month that Calan recently learned how to swing on his own. He still likes to be pushed, but it’s been fun giving him a couple starter pushes and watching him pump his arms and extend his legs to keep up the pace. A big lover of swinging, he’s our little pendulum in the park for sure. Oh, and he still prefers getting to the park on his old stand-by balance bike. A couple trips on the pedal bike with training wheels, and he decided it was too hard negotiating the ridges in the gutter when crossing the street. That’s ok, whatever keeps the guy calm and happy.

Speaking of calm and happy, we continue to work on helping Calan cope with his “upset” emotions. Like many kids his age, he can be a high spirited guy when it comes to having things go the way he intends or expects them to. At three and four years old, you have this ability to know exactly what you want but sometimes a very limited ability to handle yourself when you don’t get what you want. 😉 Most of the time he’s fine embracing his independence, but the world does have its boundaries. As parents we’re learning to help Calan deal with the heavy emotions that sometimes come when things don’t quite go his way. We’re working to do this through loving support and guidance, instead of countering with like emotions or with actions that push him away to go figure out these intense feelings on his own — something his little brain isn’t quite ready to do! We hope that over time, he’ll learn that love and respect truly go both ways and that cooperation and compromise should come from those instead of fear of punishment and a cycle of angry feelings. Yes, we have our work cut out for both ourselves AND Calan but we can’t think of anything more important.

Evan
What can you say…the first weeks of Evan’s life have gone by quickly. I’m sure this has a lot to with being second-time parents. Although difficult on many levels, there is an edge of easiness this time around. It’s true what they say, that no two children (babies) are the same, even if they’re siblings.

We can safely say Evan is more settled overall when it comes to sleeping habits and “sooth-ability”.  Now, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been countless hours of lost sleep for Mama and bags of dirty diapers, but overall it’s been a little less challenging in the first few weeks as compared to Calan. Keeping busy with child number one and having the much appreciated help from Gran have no doubt also played their parts.

So far, it’s been fun watching baby Evan during his awake times. He seems to be very alert at this early stage, which his pediatrician promptly noticed. Big eyes looking all around, always capture our gaze.

It’s especially entertaining to watch him with Calan. His older brother seems to really love babies, and his baby brother is no exception. Calan lights up when Evan comes into the room or when he greets him at his bassinet after a nap. The two will look at each other as Calan leans in close speaking softly and reaching for tiny body parts gently. In fact. they’ve already created their first game: Calan will position his head close to Evan, and within a matter of seconds a little arm or hand will graze Calan’s head or face, which causes Calan to smile with glee proclaiming “He got me!”.

We look forward to watching Evan in these early weeks as he continues to change rapidly. Already, the slight newborn is starting to give way to the inevitable chunky baby body he’ll have before too long. We can tell he’ll have one heck of a cute smile based on his accidental smiles, and we can’t wait when he does them for real in the near future.