2 months old

(maybe if I open this web page next time I come back to my computer to quickly order something from Amazon (about the only time it gets used these days) I'll remember to jot my thoughts down)

Oh look, it worked!  Not even 20 hours later I'm back to check email and here I am.

Here is the update for how we've adjusted as a family of 5....

Evan: goes back to work tomorrow and has loved his time off. We have decided that every company needs to give their employees 2 weeks off for a health break every few years.  Not just vacation but time to be at home, eat healthy meals while not running from meeting to meeting, have legitimate time to get fresh air, and work our, and spend time with your family every day.  It's good for the soul but it's also good for your health.  He's going back to work refreshed happier,  and a few lbs lighter.

Sarah: Has loved having Evan home and the company/companionship.  I'll admit summer maternity leave was not what i expected it to be.  A lot of activities are restrictive due to the ages of our kids.  Wesley can't do things with out supervision/help and having the infant limits my ability to help.  BUT we got in lots of cool fun things anyway and I'm slowly getting back in to the habit of back to school (remembering bed time, remembering to bathe the kids, remembering to wake people up in time to get ready and to school)  However I'm getting to bed earlier since the boys go to bed earlier which means waking up is a little easier.

Walter: has Mrs. Whipple for 1st grade.   She's not THE teacher like his K teacher was but she's good and Walter thinks she's funny.  She was a teacher years ago and then raised her family.  For the last 2 years was a half time aid so this is her first year back in a a classroom and it shows.  He has a shocking 20 kids in his class (amazing!!) and one 1 "best friend" but that's OK because they all get together at recess and at night/over the weekend. He's getting more in to Parkour which he takes 2 times a week and has drastically improved at soccer.  His team actually knows what they are doing now, there is distinct offense and defense and they look great.  It's going to be a fun season with 4 Spiritridge teams so lots of friends to play against.   Next week he starts a running program to run 25 miles before the Seattle marathon on Thanksgiving weekend.  He has to run approximately 2.5 miles per week.  Another mom and I are organizing it so I'm really anxious to see how it works, if the kids fizzle out or if they keep it up through the next 2 months.

Wesley; is two and half, need I say more?  He's our struggle at the moment.  He's a joy and so much fun to be around until he's not and then he's REALLY not.  He thrives on positive 1:1 attention and we have to remember than when things start to go sideways.  He also adores his brother who is starting to want to play without him.  A few times this week he got the privilege of playing outside with the big kids and they kindly included him in their games.  He's going to miss his daddy being home with him.  His current obsessions are ninja's trains (thomas), Chuck Trucks and anything Walter likes.

Elaina: Now two months old!
She's 11# on the nose (42% down from 81%) and 24 inches tall (96%, same as she was last month)
She's sleeping "through the night" about 3-5 nights a week.  She's up sometime between 5am and 7am, depending on when she went down for the night.  We get about 5 hour stretches out of her.  She takes a bottle like a champ, hot cold, fast, slow, no big deal to this girl.  She's rather dramatic.  When she has a need the entire neighborhood knows about it.  She doesn't like her car seat very much which makes car rides stressful for us all but we are learning it's typically a crime of opportunity.  She has to be 100%  dry, fed,, but not just fed, so her food has settled,  and sufficiently entertained for it to go well.  She smiles and mimics faces, especially if Walter or daddy are involved.  She likes to walk, but not run in the stroller, a lesson hard learned when we were out for a run and 1.5 miles away from home when girlfriend wasn't havin it.

We had her 2 month appt this week.  It was at 3pm which is in the middle of nap time.  and she got shots and she kept getting woken up and stripped naked.  So she was grumpy and a wreck.  She's got a bit of cradle cap too.  I decided I now want a female pediatrician, who also has kids similar ages.  I want someone who's more "current" and less "medical".  He thought for sure she's an unhappy baby and it's probably because of something in my milk and so let's just switch to special formula  that is anti-allergen and will make her a "whole new baby".  I'm not happy about it, i didn't ask!   I didn't go in there stressed out lookng or a solution to make her a "whole new baby".  So now we are switching.  And I have 5 cans of expensive formula in case we need it.

Our Home: is running as well as can be expected.  I'm thrilled the kids can put away their own laundry, get out dishes, set the table and put away dishes.  Walter helps put away the groceries.  I've outsourced everything I can.  We get milk diary, bread, eggs, and fresh fruits and veggies delivered.  We now have coffee, vitamins, granola, quest bars and hand full of school lunch appropriate food delivered monthly through amazon in addition to diapers.  We are meal planning through our freezer stash on nights when it's not OK to grill.  I'm going to be really sad when grilling season is over.

Did I write about our trip to Oregon yet?  we had a great time.  There is so much to do in Oregon it's really sad we haven't done more of it yet.  We have ideas on our next few trips!

Here are the pictures!
https://plus.google.com/photos/106280478432104370538/albums/6053989558898325633?authkey=CL3U7vPqlt6Teg