Thank Heaven for Little Boys, Their Dads, and Week 34!

So, after my dramatic post the other day, things have taken a turn for the better. Brady has dazzled us with newly learned lessons, ie: finally taking the initiative to feed himself, given us a much easier time at night, and one Mr. Zachary Jankowski has really come through in the clutch for me.

Enjoying his breakfast!

We had been hoping that Brady would show some interest in feeding himself before the baby came as to make mealtime with a toddler and an infant a little easier, and fortunately, he has. He's always been pretty chill/lazy when it comes to trying out new things that require extra physical effort: crawling, walking, holding his cup, etc. He figures as long as one of us suckers will cater to him, he won't have to expend the energy.  We've opted to lay low and wait until it appears that the new feat is his idea, rather than prodding from the parents, and it's worked for the most part. This whole self-feeding thing has come at a great time! Don't get me wrong, he's been shoving food in his face with his chubby little hands for months now; but he's finally turned on by the notion of silverware. So much so that each time he successfully forks in a bite, we all have to stop what we're doing and clap. And if you don't celebrate with him, he lets you know. Loudly.

Very proud of himself!

In addition to his fork act, Brady has also been practicing going to sleep like a normal little boy again. For this, we are oh-so-grateful! The past few nights have only required the usual bedtime routine and ONE tuck-in. That's quite a concept for these parents who were growing accustom to revisiting the boy's bedroom 3-5 different times before he would finally go to sleep. Although a few of his morning wake-up calls have come a bit earlier (6:45 am on Saturday...), we're not complaining!

These two events deserve a hearty AMEN, like the ones that Brady shared in church on Sunday. He also shared the fact that he remembered Father Mike's name (by yelling out, "MIKE!" during the homily...) and applauding the choir's efforts with vigorous clapping and "YAYs!!" after each song. I do believe it's the first time anyone has ever applauded our choir, and if you heard them, you'd know why. As per usual, though, he began bidding everyone a farewell before the mass was actually over: "Bye bye, church!"

He's still on his golf kick, so much so that he's broken a few clubs as a result of his maniacal swinging. Zach has had to duct tape them to endure Brady's practice sessions. We'll see how long they last...

Sheer concentration...

Preparing to smash the ball into the wall. We will need to rebuild once he moves out.

His "I'm awesome" face.

Both of my boys have been super fabulously fantastic ever since I shared my pregnancy woes. Zach says he's on the hunt for "some really big shirts" since I keep complaining that all of mine are too tight :-) I'm not sure where exactly he'll find these shirts, but he keeps telling me that "People are fat 12 months out of the year, so we should be able to find something for your 9th month of pregnancy!" Zachary also graced us with homemade French toast twice this weekend AND he took care of Brady's bedtime routine last night, allowing me the time for a calming, candle-lit bath. I don't know which was better: the food or the bath. Next time, I'll have to try eating the food IN the bath.

My "little" cousin, Lauren, before her Freshman/Sophomore Dance.

We finally scheduled our just-in-case repeat c-section. If Baby J-2 decides to bake longer than the doctors deem necessary, he/she will be born on May 18th around 7:30 am. In other baby preparation, I washed the crib bedding and some clothes this weekend; what a trip folding up those teeny onesies! I really don't think I remember how small a newborn is! We also set up the swing and Pack-in-Play so Brady can get used to them. He asked once to sit in the swing, we explained it was for babies, and with disdain in his voice, he said, "Babies. Bech." Zach has him on a "if it's for a baby, you don't want anything to do with it" kick. Let's hope that attitude doesn't translate into "you don't want anything to do with the baby!"

34 Weeks!

So here's hoping that weeks 34 - 40 continue to be as splendid as these past few days have been. Granted, I still want to wear a toga (or a tent...), but each time the baby moves I'm reminded of how amazing this whole growing-a-kid thing really is. It's a pretty awesome job and despite my temporary fall from pregnancy grace, I do appreciate the whole experience.