A letter to My Three Sons

(Max and Benny holding Andrew a few weeks ago)

Dear cute boys,

As we have talked about, I'm going back to work starting early tomorrow morning. My 12 week maternity leave is up, and they really want me back (shucks). But I have mixed feelings -- on the one hand, I love what I do. I love being on two radio stations, and I love the new opportunities to be on TV and write for the newspaper. It's a great company and I work with great people.

Plus they have great benefits. And health insurance.

But on the other hand, I have really loved these past 3 months at home with all of you.

Max, I liked walking to school in the morning with you if the baby wasn't nursing at the time. I like poking around the house with you, Benny, my little shadow. And I love curling up next to your warm little soft body, Andrew, around 6 AM when I bring you into bed with me.

But don't worry my boys. Daddy will be with you. He will continue making your lunches, Max, and walking you to school. He'll just take your brothers along each time now. I'll pick you up when school's out at 3 PM.

He will continue to be your morning buddy, Benny. And Andrew, don't worry, Daddy already knows how to handle a bottle and he always has hugged and rocked you just right. I'll pump for as long as you want it. Or a year, whichever comes first.

So I won't be there when you wake up because I have to leave reeeaaallly early. But I'll be there at lunchtime. Just be good for Daddy. Let him get some work done -- he has to help people get mortgages. And Benny and Andrew, if you could take a nap with me that would be great! Please? Cool.

I love you all.

Mommy

Updates

I took Andrew back to the doctor to check on his ear infection. The right ear is improving, but now the left ear is infected. I feel so bad for him! Poor baby.

He's also still congested, and sounds like he's purring sometimes. His doctor doesn't like to see ear infections in a baby this young (he's 12 weeks old on Saturday). We have to go back again in two weeks for another check. The Dr says it could be from his stuffed up nose, or it could be an allergy. But if it doesn't clear up Andrew may have to go to an Ear Nose and Throat Specialist, and maybe we would have to get tubes put in. Gulp.

We have another round of antibiotics now for him to take morning and night. I have to tilt his head back, and slowly drip it into the back of his throat, then rub his neck so he swallows and doesn't push it back out with his tongue. It's quite the ordeal.

But the good news is he is otherwise healthy and smiles and coos and nurses just fine. He's now 15 pounds 5 ounces, meaning in 2 weeks he gained 13 ounces!

Update #2

He's doing great in his own crib. I will admit I cried a little the first night he wasn't in the bassinet, but he has been sleeping 6 hours in a row across the hall. I put a humidifier in there and I really think it's helping him. JB is sleeping again, which he needs.

The ears however are messing up my attempts to teach Andrew to fall asleep on his own. If I lay him down and he cries, I quickly scoop him up again because I'm not sure if his ears are bothering him.

Update #3

It snowed again earlier this week. Lame. But it's melting fast and we have beautiful blue skies. The kindergarten teachers called with a recorded message saying "Today will be a snow day." Being from Missouri, I thought for a second they must have canceled school or something. Then the message continued, saying for the kids to bring their sleds and snow boots because for recess they were going to go sledding. Oh, that kind of snow day! They never cancel school in Utah I have found.

Max had a blast. He rushed to school and the kids all quickly compared sleds and chattered away about their big day ahead. His poor teacher is a saint, because when Max gets excited, he gets loud. Very loud.

Benny's stats (and I'm a liar)

Benny had his well-child checkup recently. At 3 years, 2 months old he is 37 pounds (89th percentile) and almost 42 inches tall (99th percentile). His body mass index is 15, which is 25th percentile. He's getting taller and skinnier.

He had a shot in his leg, the Prevnar vaccine, and JB says he did really well. When he came home he announced, "I manned up mom."

Just for kicks we measured ourselves on the wall in the laundry room. Max is almost 49 inches tall, JB is 6'2" and I am 5'6".

Wait, 5'6"? I've been saying 5'7" for years. Years and years.

Well, I guess it's not the only thing that's not quite true on my Driver License. "Honest officer, I just had a baby! And I stopped dying my hair...."

Sledding (for the last time?)

It snowed a bunch last week then melted a few days later. But the day of the snowfall was perfect for Max and Benny to go sledding down the perfect hill near their cousins' house. JB took along the close-up camera lens; I stayed home because I'm ignoring winter and refuse to believe it still continues. I also didn't think the baby wanted to go sledding.

Isn't my niece Jane the cutest thing?

So's my Benny-boy. I love this picture.

Here is a great action shot of Emily and Benny hitting the slopes together.

Another pose from my funny Max.

They then all trooped inside for hot chocolate, and now want me to make it "just like Aunt Collette."

A letter to my baby

Dear Andrew Rockwell,

Thank you so much for sleeping 6 hours in a row the other night! (Hurrah, cheer, yippee). The only problem is, you did it after staying up until midnight. If you don't remember, you were grumpy and colicky the whole time (boo, hiss). You are 11 weeks old tomorrow; it's time to end the evening cranks.

Also, you are kind of loud when you sleep. I know it's not your fault you have a cold; that loving 3-year-old older brother of yours just can't seem to keep his hands off your face. But it's affecting my sleep. I keep leaning over to peer into the bassinet but you are sleeping soundly. Just loudly.

And about the bassinet -- you are getting too chubby for it! The warning label says it has a 15 pound weight limit. I kept Benny in it until he was 5 months old (see this post and this post from three years ago), and he also being a chubby baby may have weakened the joints a bit. That and we accidentally piled stuff on top of it when it was in storage. It's a teensy bit wobbly.

So here's the deal. Tonight we are going to start a bedtime routine, say around 7:30 or 8 after those older boys are tucked into their beds downstairs. And we are going to try putting you in the crib across the hall from our bedroom upstairs. I say try, because this momma is a big softie and will probably let you come back into my room. Probably into my bed. But, as you've noticed, your father is over 6 feet tall, and he gets kind of crowded out when you are in there. So bear with me cute stuff, here we go.

Love,

your momma

Picking sides?

My sweet Max.

JB took the boys to Thrift Town the other day, site of many a good find (like Benny's football helmet, snow boots, and pants for our quickly growing boys). Max found a University of Utah sweatshirt and begged for it. He has been wearing it for the last few days. He told me that now he could be just like Daddy and Papa.

Benny we already know loves the Utes. He can sing their entire fight song, which is something longtime members of the Crimson Club cannot do.

That's fine if my boys like the U. They can even go there (if they pay for it). All I ask is that they don't hate BYU. It would crush me.

Two Months

Andrew had his two month appointment yesterday. He weighs 14 pounds 8 ounces (95th percentile) and is 24 inches long (82nd percentile). The doctor said, "Well he sure knows how to eat!" Benny weighed 14 lb 12 oz and Max weighed 13 pounds at this age, so obviously I make them big and they get bigger.

We've been dealing with some Thrush, which is no fun for baby and me. He's been congested too and getting better -- but the doctor found an ear infection! He says it's rare for breastfed babies this young to get an ear infection. No wonder he's been so sad sometimes.

His shots also made him so sad, but he did fine the rest of the day, even with me giving him Tylenol for the shots, his medicine for the yeast, his medicine for the ear infection, and his regular dose of Vitamin D.

I just love this baby so much. He smiles, makes eye contact, and I heard a giggle the other day. He can roll from his tummy to his back -- he just lifts up that head, squirms and plops right over. When I lament that he must do some tummy time, JB says, "You couldn't lay on your stomach when you were pregnant! Look at our boy." It's true, he is chubby. I want to put butter and jam on those cheeks and just eat them.