Nate & Ellie: Ellie's Belly (and other tales of woe...)

So here we are....5 weeks into new baby and doing well overall. Ellie turns out to have some belly issues as did Nathan, though I can't tell if they are better or worse than his because the blur of crying makes my brain turn to mush. She definitely has gas and reflux so we got a low dose of reflux medicine as we wait to see the gastroenterologist on November 3rd (does the doctor know how hard it is to wait over a month to see her when your baby only sleeps on top of you?!) The other night after a screaming bout at 2am, we resorted to Colic Calm gripe water which knocked her out in minutes. Of course we couldn't tell if she was knocked out because she had been crying for so long, because Daddy was cuddling her, or because she farted and pooped enough to relax....The crying is very inconsistent, however, which is why I think she is better than Nathan. Sleeping is inconsistent too. After initially sleeping most of the day, she is now not sleeping at all during the day (catnaps here and there only when she is held) and sleeping a lot at night. I guess I will take the nighttime sleeping if I have to choose as I feel like a rockstar today - last night was her best night...she only woke up one time to eat - but now today she is sleeping most of the day! I just can't win, and I guess I should remember that you can't control or predict babies and I should just give up trying. Ellie is definitely Daddy's little girl already and melts into his arms whenever he holds her. I can rock and jiggle and cuddle for hours trying to get her to sleep and it takes him only a minute of his warmth and cuddling and she falls fast asleep. I see the preference already!

Nathan is waking up at night as well. We can't tell if his sleep disturbances are a result of the changes in his life or his thumb....Since his thumb injury he has been to see an orthopedic surgeon who indicated that the break was worse than we thought and so he has to wear his splint for a month. He expects a full recovery, however, and says little ones bounce back much faster than adults. We went thursday to have his stitches out, and as always, Nathan impressed the doctors with how good and attentive he was. He is a trooper and the thumb is really not slowing him down at all - he is still riding his scooter and tricycle all over the place and jumping and running as usual. The other day he had a big achievement of putting his shoes and socks on all by himself (one handed practically no less). He is going through a phase of "me too" and "me do" with everything, to push his independence and the fact that he is a "big boy." Now if we could only get him potty trained. There is something seriously wrong with changing a teeny poopy diaper and then moving on to man-sized poops with your 37 pound 2 and 1/2 year old. Potty training is my goal before returning to work (among other things). Could be problematic considering most days I barely am able to cross one thing off of my "to do" list.

So all is well in the Evans household. Still crazy busy, still not a moment when we are not holding or tending to at least one kid but I wouldn't have it any other way. Scott and I marvel at our blessings every day and how lucky we are to have a great family and two wonderful kids. Now we are preparing for Halloween - Nathan is going to be a bee. We spend our evenings "pumpkin hunting" and I think he is really going to enjoy trick or treating. He is really enjoying opening all of Ellie's baby presents so Christmas is going to be a riot. We'll have to wrangle our presents out of his hands!

Nathan and Ellie - all the pictures have him in them because he never leaves her side...still a great big brother! Though Ellie is not so sure about this sitting up stuff.