Brotherly Love

We took Noah to have blood work done and it turns out he is anemic (or was) and needed to take a daily iron supplement.  He hates it, and we think it makes him irritable and awake.  Apparently term babies gather their store of iron during the third trimester - enough to last them until they start eating cereal at 6 months.  

We have really tried to have quality time with Ethan.  We picked up hamburgers from Sandy's (mmm) after the blood work and played at a nearby park.  I love the view of the Austin skyline from all angles of this park.

I got my snuggler.  He wants to be held all the time!  Such a sweetie.

Ethan is all about playing with Noah.  Here he is tickling Noah's belly.  Noah flaps his arms, and Ethan says that means Noah likes it and he keeps doing it.  I love to see his heart for his brother.

Anytime Noah makes a noise, Ethan tries to give him the paci.  Even if Noah isn't crying, but just making normal newborn noises.  I've had to start implementing a do not touch Noah's paci rule.

because this is what ultimately happens!

Here Ethan is saying Noah is trying to tickle him. I love it!

The nakedness is due to potty training.  He is potty trained, I just haven't been brave enough to risk taking him out of the house in just underwear.  Here he was refusing to put underwear on after going potty and I was in the middle of taking pictures of Noah, and Ethan wanted to be in the picture to.  Ah, a glimpse of the fun that is to come.

Brotherly Love

 Ethan is so helpful with Noah.  (Please excuse the pantless picture.  He is potty training.)  He loves to help Noah swing.

While Phil was at SXSW, Mimi came to help.  I prayed for a snuggly baby and apparently REALLY got what I was asking for.  Noah wants to be held ALL the time.  He's up there now fussing because I put him down long enough to complete this post with two hands.

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E's first time holding his brother.

Ice cream with daddy on the porch.

Petting the kangaroo (a Joey, he corrects me) at the Austin Rodeo. 

My friend Bethany and her son Hayden with Ethan.  She was  a huge help that day.  

Ethan is doing better at entertaining himself while I care for Noah.  He is really into challenging puzzles.  This one is a 28 piece Dora one I got at Target for $1.  He put it together all by himself!  So proud.

I made delicious cornbread to go with our chili yesterday.  In memory of my G-ma, I made cornbread, sugar and milk that night.  Mmm 

Last days of leaves

Somehow learned to swing on the regular swings.  He's even pretty good at pumping his feet to gain momentum and keep going.  Awesome!

Swinging together

Enjoying the leaves.  Yes, we need to seriously mow and mulch them up.

Still working on playing by himself.  This is what happened when he finally did.  He also 'painted' his finger nails purple.  He was fascinated when he saw my toenails were painted dark.  He kept saying, "momma that SILLY!"

Sleeps in the swing!  He loves to be in all the action and cries when I try to lay him down upstairs during the day.  Who can sleep with Ethan yelling about...but this seems to be what Noah wants.  I forget that he is as used to Ethan's voice and Phil's or mine.  Yesterday Noah was crying and I told Ethan to go sing him a song, and he stood right here by the swing and sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  Then he patted his arm and said, "it ok baby noah, momma coming".

Playtime

Since Noah is home, I'd thought this blog would be laid to rest.  However, my family has enjoyed hearing about the happenings up here, so I promised to keep this blog going and share all that we are up to.  So, welcome to the newly repurposed Coffman family blog.  (If your not interested in following along, you can delete this blog from your reader, I won't be offended and honestly, I won't know.  There's no way for me to track those kinds of things.  ;)

No one from my small group was able to attend our New Parent's class baby shower.  They through me one instead last Monday night.  It was so very beautiful!  Of course, I didn't remember to take pictures of the balloons and table set up - but it was very very sweet (literally).  Thank you friends! 

Sleeping in Daddy's arms

Ethan loves to help.  I had to buy him a taller stool so he could reach our counters.  Here we are making a dessert for  Daddy.

Ms. Bonnie and Ethan's MDO classroom. 

 Playing play dough has become so much more fun with an imagination.  Here we are making a birthday cake and singing happy birthday to 'all the family'.  Notice how perfectly spaced the white 'icing' and candles are.

Having to stay home and avoid large crowds for Noah's sake has started to wear on me.  Ethan loves going to the park, and we do try to go once a week, but he definitely needs his outdoor play more often.  My mom went in with us to buy E a playground.  Here almost every guy from our small group came to help out.  It was a HUGE job and an even bigger blessing.  They even worked through the drizzle.  We are very blessed to have our community. 

In progress...  It's completed now.  We still need to stain it, and get much requested wheel so Ethan can "drive to Africa" and replace one of those swings with a bucket type swing.   Overall it is the perfect height and size.  Ethan begs to go slide.  I love it.  Thanks MOM! 

Noah all snuggled in my homemade (by Morgan V) Moby wrap.  can you see a sweet little hand?  He'll sleep in there for hours.  So not like Ethan.  :)

Enjoying the beautiful weather.  Finger painting!  

Playing with Daddy.  

Fat and Happy

The day we brought N home.  

Ethan has been great at learning to occupy himself while I help Noah.  He truly built that train track mostly by himself.  He was so happy - running around it saying, "I DID IT! I DID IT! LOOK AT ME!"  I had to take a picture.

 Our family.

 Ethan loves Noah.  He'll go to him and give him kisses while he sleeps.  Here he wanted me to take a picture of him with Noah. I forgot what we started laughing about, but I love that I captured his silly personality.

And, Ethan has decided he wants to potty train.  When we are home, he wants to be "all naked".  It was so cold last week, that I decided he needs to at least wear underwear.  We have few accidents, and he is great at telling me he needs to go "poo poo potty", though sometimes he means he needs to pee.  Terminology mix up aside, I am so proud of him!  We love this "too cool" pose he struck.

Noah now weighs 6 lbs. 5 oz. as of Tuesday.  He is growing so extremely well.  He is also sleeping 4 hour stretches sometimes, so it's promising that we'll get even better nights sleep in the coming weeks as he gets bigger.  We are all very very thankful.