Life as a Family of Four!

So, how are we adjusting to life as a foursome, now that we've been on our own a little over a week?? The short answer is that we have our ups and downs.

The good side is that Ryan continues to be a very mellow baby. It's easy to read his cues to know when he's hungry, tired, or needing to burp. He's an excellent eater. He takes good naps during the day and goes right back to sleep after nursing at night. It's nice to be doing the parenting thing for the second time and to know a little more about what to expect (and to know that this time of not enough sleep for us WILL end). We feel a little more confident parenting a newborn this second go-around, and it's such a blessing to have two of us working together to share ideas and encourage one another. We're happy that Ian continues to be a doting big brother. He gives Ryan hundreds of kisses each day and has very specific ways he wants to help (watching diaper changes from the top of the exercise bike, picking out new outfits when Ryan needs a change of clothes, starting and stopping the swing, laying down with Ryan during tummy time, etc.) He gets very excited when Ryan watches him or when he does something that stops Ryan's crying. He thought it was GREAT when Ryan burped after he patted Ryan's back. He loves Ryan to pieces and is very protective when someone else is holding him. We've also been extremely blessed by the help of friends. We've been getting meals delivered every other day or so (what a blessing to not have to worry about cooking!), and a good friend had Ian over to play with her son one morning last week so Kim could catch up on some sleep and small projects (thanks, Kati!).

The not-so-good side?? Aside from the lack of sleep that results when a newborn gets up three times every night (and sometimes more), we've been having a tough time knowing how to parent Ian. Ian has been having a hard adjustment with sharing Momma and Daddy. He's been acting out a lot more -- throwing tantrums, testing the rules, refusing to do things that we've asked (He's often "stuck" and "can't move" when it's time to wash his hands before a meal.), acting like a baby, and generally being disagreeable (even to some of his favorite things and activities). We've seen a lot more tears (especially when asked to do something new, like moving to a new Sunday school classroom). We've certainly been trying to show more grace and compassion (after all, his whole world has been turned upside down), but we don't want to let him get away with talking sassily or not following directions. But, it's certainly hard to be patient when you're sleep deprived!  It's also tough to know how much of his behavior changes can be attributed to his new big brother role ...and how much is just "being three." We continue to pray for God's wisdom as we parent -- and for plenty of opportunities for one-on-one, encouraging time with Ian as well. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, too -- and feel free to offer any suggestions you might have, too.

But, even though we've had our share of hard times with Ian these past weeks, we've also had plenty of laughs and fun times, too. The other day, Ian said that he wanted to do something "on Tuesday." To try to capture the teachable moment, Kim asked Ian what other days of the week he knew. With a gleam in his eye, he said, "Threesday," "Foursday," "Fivesday," and laughed and laughed at his own sense of humor.  We chuckle even when he's not TRYING to be funny, too. While getting out our devotion book, Ian asked Momma to read the story where the "birthmark" (bookmark) was. So cute!

We've also been trying to think of fun and/or new things for Ian to do ...

One thing that hasn't changed is Ian's love for stories. He constantly asks, "Tell me a story about Ian being a big brother." He likes to hear the same stories over and over. We've been taking advantage of the stories to include important information -- like our address and phone number. He now knows his whole address, including zip code, as well as Momma's cell phone number. To celebrate his knowledge, Ian got to call Momma from Daddy's cell phone.  It was cute to listen to him from the other room, repeating the phone number and adding an extra digit each time, "2-TWO! 28-EIGHT! 281-ONE!" as he typed.

He kept busy one morning doing lots and lots of painting.

We also enrolled him in swimming lessons with his two-year-old Sunday school teacher (and lifeguard), Ms. Amber.

Ms. Amber helped Ian "rocket" out of the water after going underwater together.

Ian and the other two boys in his class "monkey walked" along the perimeter of the pool. These two pictures captured moments that Ian actually enjoyed (okay, tolerated) the lesson. He was crying most of the other parts of the lesson, saying that he was cold and asking if he could get out of the pool. Thankfully, Ms. Amber knows just how to handle three-year-olds.

Of course, Ian spends some time each day holding and "playing" with Ryan.

We've also started taking family walks a few evenings a week. This sit 'n' stand stroller has been perfect. Ian will sometimes walk alongside the stroller but mainly likes to sit on the bench or stand up on the platform. Ian also likes to take his spray bottle along on the walks and spray fire hydrants, plants, and mailboxes along the way. Ryan seems to like being outside, too.

Ryan has been focusing a lot better lately. He'll gaze at certain objects for long periods of time and can track moving objects (like the ones on this mobile).

Ian liked splashing in all of the rain that we got this week!

Here's Ryan with his future wife, Lillie, as well as our good friends Chris and Lauren. :)

And, we'll close with a funny video of Ian's new skill.