Brotherly love

Forgot to include a picture of both boys on Paul's 1 month update. Stephen is getting a little better about being gentle and was very into holding Paul yesterday. He got upset when I took Paul off his lap.

"Feet" - Stephen loves tickling Paul's feet.

Luckily, Paul is very tolerant of his big brother.

My little monkey

Today we went to an indoor playground so Stephen could climb and run in some air conditioning. We are on our 5th day of 100+ temperatures so we have not been outside to play lately. He had a blast!

1 month old!

Paul is one month old today! He is such a good little baby. His awake time is increasing everyday. I love watching his bright eyes looking around. He is still quite the little wiggle worm. I'll have to get a video of his wiggly arms and legs. Paul's little cheeks are getting chubbier which adds to his cuteness. He got his 1-month pictures taken yesterday. He was a very good little model. His big brother had to be bribed with Goldfish to take a picture with little brother. We got some cute pictures that I'm looking forward to sharing.

Paul James - 1 month old

Future Rock Star

I got my guitar out the other day, and Stephen had a blast playing it!

Adventures with 2 boys

I survived my first major adventures with two boys this week. On Monday we went on a shopping trip which had three stops, including grocery shopping! Stephen was a very good boy about staying with Mommy as we walked through the parking lots. Today we went to daily Mass. Once again, Stephen was very good and didn't try to escape the pew until after Communion. We are looking forward to more adventures!

What Stephen's been up to

Stephen has been a busy little boy. Here's some of what he's been doing...
   
  ...mowing the patio...

 ...splashing in the water...

He did not want to get in the pool but enjoyed splashing.

 ...playing the guitar...

 ...playing with his cars...

 ...saying "cheese" for the camera...

 ...riding his bike.

A tough guy

Stephen is helping Paul to become a tough guy. Here's a picture of the most recent scratches Stephen has inflicted on Paul.

A trip to the zoo

We ventured to the zoo yesterday. It was a warm day, but we enjoyed our little outing. Cousin Morgan accompanied us to Stephen's delight. She had him giggling almost the whole way there. The highlights of our trip were seeing a 2-month-old leopard on her first day on display, giraffes, a swimming elephant, and the flamingos. We're looking forward to more trips to the zoo this summer.

the baby leopard

Morgan and Stephen watch the flamingos.

Paul enjoyed the zoo trip as well.

Father's Day 2012

Stephen and Paul love their Daddy!!

Lots and lots of fire trucks

On Saturday we got to go to a fire truck parade! Every year our town has a fire truck muster which starts with a parade. Stephen liked seeing them but the horns were a little loud for him. :) Then we went and wandered around the area where they all parked. It was a pretty neat experience for a little boy.

Waiting for the fire trucks with Daddy

Here they come!

Look at all those fire trucks!

Driving a fire truck

9 days old

I decided to take Paul's picture with a stuffed monkey each month to show his growth. I think I'm also going to try to take a picture of the boys together.

Paul James - 9 days old

Stephen loves his little brother!

Stephen and trucks

Steve brought this paper full of trucks home, and Stephen loves looking at it.

Stephen and Grandpa

Stephen LOVED spending time with Grandpa G., especially when they went outside.

The first days at home

We came home from the hospital on Monday afternoon. We were greeted by flowers that Stephen had picked out and a picture he colored for us.

Grandma and Grandpa G. and Aunt Amy stayed with us until Friday morning. Stephen had a great time playing with them. They were a big help with keeping things going around the house while we adjusted to being the parents of two boys.

Paul is gradually figuring out his days and nights. He's had a few days where he would prefer to sleep rather than eat, but his awake time is increasing. I love seeing his bright eyes looking around. He's been a good baby so far and only cries when he is really hungry or getting his diaper changed. Paul had his first bath on Tuesday. Stephen got to help wash his toes.

Stephen loves his baby brother...sometimes a little too much. We've been working on the meaning of "gentle." He always likes to know where the baby is. He is trying to be a good helper for Mommy, and I'm trying to let him be my helper.

Paul is quickly learning to protect himself from big brother. :)