Status Update: Two Months After Mega Baby

I didn't write about this when G2 was born, possibly because having two kids dramatically reduced my capacity to do anything but take care of two kids, but our son was a big newborn. Not scary big, but big. Nine pounds, three ounces--90th percentile-big.

Interestingly, we were given no indication during Hollie's pregnancy that this was the case (a marked contrast to LG's time in utero). He measured right-on-the-money average at every single checkup; until the day he was to be born, when a concerned nurse suggested a last-minute ultrasound to check if he might be on the large side. One scan later, she estimated his weight at 9 lbs, 6 oz; remarkably close to the truth, given how inaccurate full-term ultrasounds usually are.

All of that said, he didn't look big. When you compare pictures of LG and G2 at one-day old, there's not much difference.

Yeah, so I see some differences now, but in the first 24 hours, I would've sworn it was the same kid.

Fast forward two months, and they still look remarkably similar. I'd often wondered whether or not my kids would resemble each other, mostly because my brothers and I didn't (at least not when we were kids. Now that we're all bald, there's no doubt we're related.)

And that brings us to his two-month checkup. Four shots, one oral vaccine, and couple of measurements. For all his initial bigness, and as much as he seems bigger that I remember LG being, he's nearly average.

For those of you who don't speak metric, that's 12 lbs 1 oz, or 58th percentile. 

Similarly, his length is 23 1/2 inches, for 53rd percentile.

And for all the other milestones that matter, things are right on track. One thing I don't remember from when LG was an infant was how quickly certain things happen. For instance, one day G2 wasn't tracking faces, and the next day he was. One day he didn't really grab things, and the next day he could. I remember being aware of transitions with LG in a way that I'm not with G2, and I don't know whether or not the in-between spots were in my imagination.

Or maybe he's transitioning from one milestone to the next while I'm watching his sister. He's only been around two months, and they've already worked out the art of misdirection.

Who? Me?

Sibling Sixth Sense

Mama filling in for Matt since he got tired of me bugging him to write the next post. It's been a little more than 8 weeks since our family welcomed G2 and we're in the swing of things now. A lot of fun stuff is going on with G2, but what I really want to preserve for posterity is the relationship that is developing between my first and second (and last) born.

Obviously, at this point, the relationship is a little one-sided. G2 is a bit preoccupied with holding his head up and sleeping 18 hours a day, so networking with the under-3 set in the house is not high on his list of priorities. LG more than makes up for it. She's very, very verbal. Very. This makes temper tantrums particularly trying; and bargaining for simple things like eating food and sleeping to stay alive becomes the better part of one's day. That aside, the fact that this girl can talk makes life more interesting around the ol' Griffatolo homestead. Conversations are more lively with non sequiturs peppering the landscape like happy little trees. We have 20 minute jam sessions where we are introduced to songs centering around unicorns whatever inanimate object is closest the toddler. And, we know exactly who ate paint and who hit who and who had a time-out at school. (Taylor, I'm looking at you...) But, by far, the best thing right now is when LG talks to and for her brother.

These interactions of several different varieties:

1. Machine-gun Greetings
These may be the most annoying in the moment, but really show the depth of a toddler's love for her brother (and misunderstanding of the limitations of infants.) LG will wake up in the morning and the second she sees her brother, it's a loop of: "Good morning, G2* Good morning, G2. Good morning, G2. etc." all the while gently poking him in his alarmingly soft head.

*She does not call him G2. That would be weird. She has a nickname for him that will embarrass the heck out of him when he's older. Score.

There are variations: "I love you, G2. I love you, G2. I love you, G2. etc." "How you doing, G2? How you doing, G2? How you doing, G2? etc." "Are you hungry, G2? Are you hungry, G2? Are you hungry, G2? etc." Each time the phrase is uttered, it is spoken with the same cadence with only the briefest pause between each phrase.

As a parent, I want her to feel like she's being heard. I want to validate her feelings for her brother. I want to reward her for kindness towards her kin. Mostly, I just want her to stop repeating herself and give me a moment's peace. So I respond, "Good morning, LG.*" Oh, the wrath! "I WAS TALKING TO G2!" If I gently try to explain that G2 cannot answer her because he can't talk, but I'm sure he would like to wish her good morning/love her back/report on the status of his hunger, it only fans the tiny flames of her rage. 

*I do not call her LG.  That would be weird. 

2. Nanny, Nanny Boo Boo
This type of interaction might be my favorite. It seriously makes me laugh every time. With the exception of the above example, LG has figured out pretty quickly that G2 cannot do all the things she can do. He can't eat the things she eats, he can't go on the potty like she can, he can't paint a picture like she does. And she sweetly lets him know about it every chance she gets. Each meal, poor G2 is reminded that he cannot have sausage because he doesn't have any teeth. He is reminded he can't go potty because he'll fall in. He can't paint because he can't hold a paint brush. Occasionally, she follows it up with "you can when you're bigger," but it's perfunctory. She seems to take some joy in reminding him of his infantile shortcomings.

It should be noted that G2 is taking it all in stride. I am, however, not looking forward to the day when the English language no longer eludes him and he doesn't take too kindly to a big sister telling him what he can and cannot do. But, as a good friend likes to me remind me, that's a problem for Future Hollie.  Sucker.

3. What a Baby Wants
This is the most frequent interaction. LG knows what G2 wants. She knows what he's thinking and feeling and is kind enough to share his inner workings with us, her clueless parents. It's helpful. How else would I know that G2 really wants a cookie or that his favorite Beatle is Ringo? (True stories...) Some helpful lists in case we call on you to babysit and LG is not around to translate:

Things G2 wants (according to LG)
cookies
to watch Wonder Pets
Play Doh
to not be held by Mama so Mama can play with LG
stuffed caterpillar
books (read by LG of course)
pancakes
milk (so LG can watch TV while Mama's busy feeding him)
bouncy seat
milkshake
to be rocked furiously in his swing by a toddler

Things G2 likes (according to LG)
trees
singing (by LG)
Ringo Starr
Strawberry Shortcake toothbrushes

She also has a long list of things G2 doesn't like. However, I think she cheats on that one because she just waits until he cries and calls out the obvious stuff- being his car seat, sun in his eyes, loud singing from a toddler. Pfftt, I can do that.

I am very much looking forward to G2 eventually holding his own in these conversations. Though, I suppose, he may never learn to talk. Why would he need to? He'll be happy enough brushing his teeth with his Stawberry Shortcake toothbrush to"Octopus's Garden" after his dinner of cookies and milkshakes.

I'll show you who's too little...