Batting those eyelashes

James has the curliest, longest eyelashes of all of us. I have no clue where he gets them. But they always make me smile when they flutter on me. I have started swaddling him and letting him cry a bit for his naps (which made an enormous difference right away), but as I lay him down and swaddle him he always smiles and bats his eyelashes at me. NO matter how tired he is - he is committed to fighting sleep as long as possible and that move always works.

Oh and PS his eyes are still blue. I think they just might stick. So far his eyes are the only thing that makes him look different from his brother. Otherwise they are twins. Right down to the profile.

Sidekick

One of the many quandaries related to having two children is the issue of strollers. Do I need a double and if so, what kind? I covet a double BOB jog stroller (I have been known to say that is the reason for me having another baby) but do I really NEED it, especially since we don't leave the house in the 100+ degree heat that has finally broken? Should I just get another umbrella stroller and attach it to my current on?

Enter the Orbit Sidekick. I am borrowing my sister's Orbit G2 stroller, which I "suggested" she purchase and I just knew with as fancy as it is, it had  to have some sort of toddler attachment or way to make it a double stroller. Sure enough they make a "Sidekick" which is basically a skateboard attached to the wheel of the stroller, complete with handle for the child to hold onto. Just the coolness of this alone made me buy it. And the irony that James is in fact Zach's sidekick is not lost on me as well.

Zach loves it. He thinks he is so big riding his skateboard and he gets just as much attention as James when we go places. He was uncertain at first as you can see from the video of our test run, but has embraced it now. My sister questioned if I had in fact done this myself, which she would not put past me to some how rig a skateboard to her stroller. I reassured her that no, it is an actual product and totally removable too.

Hook 'Em

Here are our two littlest Longhorns ready for the first UT game of the season. Well the one that we could actually watch. Thanks to Aunt Vickie for the matching jerseys!

James has the lower lip out which means the second after I took this he started to scream. I did have to get the boys arranged properly which took a while...he will soon get used to it, I am sure.

Line of Sight

James is getting more and more interested in looking around the rooms he is in and staring hard at his surroundings. Some of his favorite staring points are the sun on his play mat, the curtains in our room and now; himself.

Guess who figured out there was a mirror up there? Though he looks slightly unsure about what he is viewing...

2 Months

Keeping with the trend of doing things before his big brother, James has gone ahead and chubbed up faster too. Check out those thighs and double chin! I would like all that chub to help him sleep more at night....

He has started to smile but it is hard to catch. He is super smiley first thing in the morning, sometimes working in a little giggle. He really is a happy, fun baby. He is very alert the one hour out of 3 that he is awake. He likes to sit in his papasan bouncer (that doesn't bounce anymore) and watch Zach eat dinner or chat with me while I check email. But he really prefers for you to hold him and talk to him - who doesn't? He has started to move his mouth like he wants to talk and make little cooing sounds. He still has blue eyes and crazy long eyelashes. It looks like he is using Latisse.

We love him to pieces, I can't stop kissing and squeezing him. Even big brother Zachary who, when I told him to get off his brother as he was squishing him told me, "Mommy I am a blanket and James is cold." What can I say to that?

Obviously I said, "get off your brother", but metaphorically speaking it was sweet.

Favorites

One of the fun things about James wearing all of Zach's hand-me-downs is that I get to see them again and I do have my favorites. There are also a fair amount of ones that I don't know why I did not give away the first time....sleep deprivation, I blame so much on you.

My favorite onesie in this 3-6 month size (because that is where my 2 month old is now), is this alligator one from the Wall's friends the Pelikans. I did wonder at the time why they didn't send one with a Pelican on it...but perhaps that would have been too obvious. Anyway, Zach picked it out this morning for James to wear and it looks just as good as it did two years ago.

Round 1

Round 2

Splash Day

Back when I was giant and pregnant at the end of June, I was also out of my mind as I volunteered to be the parent helper at Zach's school's Splash Day. Splash Day is basically just a day where they wear their swim suits and run through slip n slides and blow up pools. I wanted to do it as I was already on leave and obviously don't get to do these things when I work.

But oh was it hot. Not as sweltering as now...but still plenty hot. And having James kicking in my belly and heating me up was not helping. But Zach was thrilled I was there - and truthfully I was too! I just had to go home and elevate and rest for the rest of the day. It was at 10:15 in the morning.

 This is Zach's girlfriend Abby. Obviously he likes her as 

she was the only girl in a two piece.

Since I am too lazy to have a towel with Zach's name on it,

he uses one from when I was little with my name on it.

Last picture of me before James was born. 

I am just going to pretend I looked better in real life.

Feel free to do the same.