A Note from Mom

I've decided to change the title of our blog to include Cody, and we'll use this as a way to update friends and family on our entire family instead of just Nate as we've been doing so far.

We've been a family of four for almost two weeks now, and we're feeling fairly settled into regular life again. Nate's been a super big brother, giving Cody lots of hugs and kisses and being extremely gentle and caring towards his little brother. Nate calls him "little dude" and tells Cody not to worry and strokes his head when he starts to cry. Nathan's listening abilities have taken a hit since we brought home Cody - thus, a few more time-outs each day - but we have little to complain about. He's doing great with all the changes.

Cody was a marathon eater for the first few nights home, wanting to feed for 3 or 4 hours straight in the middle of the night. He seems to have caught up with his hunger and has now been sleeping great at night! We go to sleep around 11pm/midnight, and I have to wake him at 5 or 6am to eat again. A far cry from my experience with Nate as a newborn; I'm thankful for the sleep each night! We heard that often the second is completely opposite from the firstborn, and we've discovered this to be true with regards to Cody's digestive system. He's spit up only once so far and I'm enjoying not having to change my clothes after each feeding! Nate was a puker... We never left the house without several extra items of clothing to change into.

We've been spoiled with meals brought over by friends and family, as well as gifts and just time spent with us, and getting to know Cody. We feel so privileged to have such special people in our lives! This has especially allowed us to enjoy time together as a family, and not feel so overwhelmed with the day-to-day tasks that need to get done. Our home is a disaster, but it's not a priority and we know that our boys will only be this little for a short time. We have had a few moments of "what have we gotten ourselves into?!" when both boys are melting down and we're too worn out to effectively deal with it, but for the most part being a family of four is better than we could ever have expected.

Big Changes

Life at the Baerg house has changed in many ways since I last blogged. We moved from our townhouse to a house at the end of June. I LOOOOVE having so much more space to run around! I even have my own playroom in the basement where I can make as big a mess as I want! It's so great. And I've been enjoying having a backyard and even a playground just beyond that.

The other huge change in our lives is my little baby brother who arrived a few days ago, on July 13th! Cody Michael (Michael named after my great grandpa who I only met once; he passed away last July). He was born after a very long wait at the hospital, weighing in at 7 lbs just like me, and almost 2 feet tall! I love my baby brother. When my parents brought him home from the hospital, I couldn't wait to show him his room, and just sit and look at him, stroking his cheek and singing my favourite songs to him. I even got to hold him a few times already. I'm going to teach him so many fun things! While Cody was on his way and my parents were at the hospital, I got to spend lots of special time with my grandpa and grandma Baerg, and my grandma Horban came over for a sleepover two nights in a row! What a great time I had, just me and my grandparents! I'm glad my mom and dad are home, though, and we're getting used to being a family of four now... Sleep deprivation and all! I've especially loved having my dad around all the time, since he took over a week off of work. He and I have done a lot of special things together since Cody arrived, and I've loved every minute of it!

Nate Do It!

I'm on a mission to declare my independence, now that I consider myself to be a big boy. This means daily struggles to convince everyone that I can do everything by myself. Or, in my own words: "Nate do it!" I get a furrowed brow and there's severe determination in my expression as I attempt to take over every task on my own. And then I get very frustrated when it doesn't go over so well, and I need help. One day I won't have to ask for help anymore... I can't wait for that!

I also reject any idea that's not my own. And then I change my mind, because then it's officially my own idea. So, for example, should my mom offer me some milk, I say no thanks. But when she closes the fridge door, I get upset. Because I want milk. But only because I thought of it, not because she suggested it. It's very important to recognize the difference! It drives my parents crazy! That's half the fun.

But in all my frustration for independence comes major accomplishments, which I am very proud of. I can (for the most part) put on my own clothes, drink (with very little spillage) from a big boy cup, climb into my car seat, and I can build the most amazing block towers, houses and cranes. Here are a few pictures taken at my request during one of those proud moments:

A Day in the Life of Nate

Our lives are about to be turned upside down in just a couple months, with the expected arrival of my sibling! So I thought I'd take a moment to make note of my usual daily routine, before the new little person arrives and disrupts everything! It's probably not the most riveting blog you'll ever read, but it's worth documenting, just the same.

On an average day, I'm up around 7:30 or 8am. My mom and I enjoy morning hugs and a bit of play time before munching on some toast and cereal for breakfast. After breaky, we play a little more and then once my room is all set up with my road rug and other toys I enjoy quiet play time while my mom has a shower. Then we cozy up on the couch for a little snack (half an apple for me, and a muffin & coffee for my mom) and watch a TV show... usually Wilbur and Berenstein Bears. Mondays we go grocery shopping, and Fridays we have regular playdates, but on Tue/Wed/Thu we try to get out to the park or go for a walk or visit the library. Then it's lunch time - my favourite meal of the day, between grilled cheese, spiderman noodles, pita pizzas and kraft dinner - and after that my mom and I play a little more before cleaning up all the toys in my room and cuddle together with a few books. Naptime is at 2pm, and I usually rest for 1.5 - 2 hrs. I have a hard time waking up from my nap (some might even call me grumpy!) so I get another little snack of a few crackers and watch a little more TV. This is when my dad gets home, and we get to run around together, wrestle and play some b-ball while my mom makes dinner. If I'm a good eater at dinner (this meal is a struggle for me - I don't like all the veggies we have to eat!) then we sometimes go out as a family after, either for a walk or to the park if it's nice out, or just to Superstore or Wal-Mart... I get to walk down the toy aisles without holding anyone's hand! Then I have quiet reading time on my bed for 10-15 minutes at 7pm, once I'm in my jammies and have brushed my teeth. I love quiet reading time - it winds me down from the day's activities. And then my mom or dad tuck me in and I'm asleep no later than 8pm! I love my daily activities; I'm a kid who thrives on predictability, so I sure hope the next little Baerg will let me keep my routine.

BBQ's & B-Ball

Warm & sunny spring weather has finally arrived (well, most days at least) and so we've been breaking out the BBQ any chance we get. I assist my dad by keeping him company on the patio - he lets me wear his hat and we munch on snacks together. I love it! I jump at the chance to be mommy's or daddy's little helper, so being the BBQ assistant has become my specialty.

My parents thought it was time to purchase a basketball hoop for my room, since I'm quite the fanatic. I love it so much, I used to ask people to make a hoop with their arms just so I could dunk. That became very tiring for anyone playing with me, so this hoop was a great investment for our family. My dad also introduced me to Michael Jordan. He's the greatest! We watch a special DVD my dad has on Jordan, and I can't get enough!

The Wonderful World of Make Believe

In the past couple weeks my imagination has taken over my world, and it's so much fun! I love pretend play, especially with my best bud monkeys, Petie and Cuddle Monkey! They are a part of all my activities each day, including some meal times (they share a chair at the table, and I give them some of my food), pretend bed times, when I read books, and play basketball and soccer. If someone else is playing with us like my mom or dad, I tell them what the monkeys should say and what they should do. Along with my imagination comes a great opportunity for me to play by myself for at least a good half hour each day. Between my Thomas trains, 'road rug' with toy cars and all my Little People characters, I keep myself quite entertained.

I'm also very into the alphabet lately. Although when I sing the ABC song, all the letters tend to sound like 'C'! And I love to count... but I prefer to only name the numbers 2, 3, 4, and 6. I'm developing quite the singing voice. My current favourites are the ABC song, the Thomas song, the Doodlebops theme song and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I'm working on a few others I plan to debut in the next few weeks. I also LOVE to dance! The music has to be very loud and upbeat. And then watch out - I've got some crazy moves.

Here are a few pics of what I've been up to recently.

Big Boy Bed!

I am officially in my big boy bed, and loving it! When I first saw that it was just my size covered in a big bright blanket, I was super excited about it, and pretended to sleep in it even though it wasn't time to go to bed. I was stoked to be able to sleep without bars! But when it was actually time to go to bed that night, I was quite upset. It took me a few nights to get used to the idea that this was my new bed, but now I love it and I'm so proud to show it off to all our visitors. I've slowly realized the freedom I have with my new bed, and I will often play and read books for up to an hour when I'm put down for a nap. And when I get up in the morning I just hop out of bed and play quietly for awhile. So I'm liking this change and all the freedom that it brings!