7 weeks old

i can't believe the boys have turned 7 weeks old. they've grown like weeds. they've swapped personalities. they've turned our lives upside down, in a good way. every time we think we know something about them, they change it up on us just to keep us on our toes. gone are the days when these boys just slept and ate!

here are some things that are for sure, though (or at least i think they are): both our boys are incredibly physical. let's just say active is an understatement. and they are active in the scrappy sort of way. they both are holding up their heads almost completely. they both can push from a squat to a standing position when they have your shoulder for support (they do this when we are burping them). they both can lift their heads, shoulders and chest when on their tummies. they are awesome in their car seats and go for errands and appointments with ease. they also hate it when we put them to sleep. they want to be up and part of the action, despite how tired they actually are. good thing their parents know better and enforce nap time pretty strickly. their wake up routines are hilarious and they make some of the most outrageous faces and stretches on earth, which i hope they never outgrow. they also both take after their father, for better and for worse, and are now on zantac for acid reflux. apparantly heartburn runs in the family.

abel jacob

our sweet lil' abel jacob is not so little anymore and is quickly catching up with his brother. he weighed 7lb 11oz last tuesday and is consistently gaining over an once a day. he smiled for the first time yesterday, st. patty's day. he loves having zerberts blown on his tummy and his cheeks tickled. he also is a big fan of the foot massage. he's still a talker and is cooing and yelping more and more every day. he is the ultimate snuggle bunny and really doesn't like being put down (who would!). mom and dad have resorted to wearing the bjorn around the house with him because the swing, the bouncy seat, his crib and the boppy just won't do. he is also a kung fu master, particularly the praying mantis variety, and practices after every feeding. while he doesn't love tummy time and often gets frustrated, he almost crawled the other day (i know parents exaggerate, but i'm not making this up). he was grunting so hard while he was trying, i actually thought he was going to will himself across the mat!

oskar herse

oz man finally busted through the 8 lb mark last weigh-in (8lb 1oz)! he's still a trooper when it comes to less than delightful doctor's visits, etc. and makes everyone believe he is the mellowest baby on earth. little do they know... oskar is very vocal when it comes to his needs. he doesn't just fuss to let you know he wants something - he bursts out in an immediate lip-quivering wail. but he's pretty easy to calm and also to put to sleep, especially in his swing and even in his crib. he loves baths. he's a voracious eater and resembles a barracuda when going in for the boob. taking after his father again, he's losing most of his hair. but you can see very blonde fuzz growing in its place. ozzy has an amazing gymnastics talent already. when jordan swings him up in the air, he can hold his body completely horizontal, straight as a board, for ten seconds! in gymnastics, we call this a planche. you can also call it a superman. his strength even impressed the lactation specialist, who at our last consult proclaimed, "you better get this boy in gymnastics as soon as possible, he's got such strong legs!" when content, oz moves his arms around like he's conducting a symphony or singing an aria. he also has an incredible grip and has grabbed onto things like the leg of the stuffed animal giraffe on his activity mat and won't let go (and does this as i'm lifting him out resulting in the mat getting dragged across the room).

someone said caring for a young baby is kind of like living in the movie "groundhog day." our reality is far from that. every day is a unique adventure we wouldn't miss for the world.