Eau de Bebe

Francesca says that Finn's poop smells like buttered popcorn ...

late night

Finn has been shifting to a more daytime schedule, having his long awake ending around 9. But last night he was up from 12-3, squirming and stretching. It was nice in a way since I felt like I hadn't spent as much time with him as I wanted. But he kept acting a little hungry so had to pass him to his Mama a few times. His umbilical cord came off, his belly button looks just like a nozzle on a blow up mattress :)

Week 2

Finn is starting to shift to a more daytime schedule. He has long periods (like an hour or more) of awake time where he looks very intently. Sometimes he gets excited and starts huffing and puffing a little :) Very prone to hiccups, very loud intense hiccups (he had them twice while he was being delivered) but they don't seem to bother him at all, just continues to watch the world. He does not like diaper changes, only time he really gets annoyed, but so far he seems pretty mellow, takes a while to work him up, and even when he's sad he doesn't cry loud.

Day 4

Rough night last night, Oliver really wanted to get in bed with us but of course there is no room. Spent all day dealing with hastle, getting the newborn screening at the hospital & going and filling out paperwork for Finn's birth certificate.

Oliver covered his shirt with return address stickers out of some junk mail then told us: "I'm pretty, these are my feathers to impress the girls" "Are you a turkey?" "Yes, and Daddy is to, we're female turkey's and you and Grandma are the girls!"

here's Finn @ 4 days (not doing much, but at least he's awake)

1st week

Been going great, and fast. We keep noticing differences between Finn & Oliver when he was tiny, which is of course our only other reference for having a new baby. Finn seems sensitive to sound, often startling a little when Oliver jumps big or dumps out his toys. Finn eyes are so deep & dark, I can't tell if they are silver or blue or brown they are so dark and desaturated and very shiny, they seem mirrored. Oliver is doing great with him, eager to run and bring pillows or diapers to Mama to help. Oliver comes up and yanks off Finn's hat so that he can pet his head once then wanders off again. When Oliver saw Finn's umbilical stump he asked "is Finn's penis going to fall off?". So far has been going well, I have been taking Oliver out every day to get his jumping beans out, and he has Grandma Jill here to give him lots of attention. Finn is good, as evidence of his "very advancedness" by the 2nd day he had already pulled the trick of pooping a little, getting his diaper changed, then pooping a lot right away in the new one, peeing all over his daddy while getting his diaper changed, and he's able to hold his head up for short amounts of time. Nights are going fine, first night Francesca held him and was afraid to sleep, so I walked with him for an hour and half to let her sleep. Second night was similar but not as bad. Third night Francesca was sleeping with him in bed so she slept pretty well. Somehow Finn and Oliver are already teaming up on us, with both boys needing their mama at the same time. Last night Oliver wound up in bed with us, so we had a cuddle train Finn, Mama, Oliver, and me with a little scrap of blanket. But Finn and Oliver both slept pretty well last night, Finn seems to be starting to shift over to a more diurnal schedule. Maybe it's because our 3 year old is so hearty in his screaming and crying, but Finn seems to cry quietly and softly, doesn't work up very fast, and when he is crying isn't very loud. He dislikes diaper changes, but sometimes seems to revel in it when the spaceheater is blasting out his legs, he stretches out and looks content. Seems a sweet boy, I'm looking forwards to discovering who he will be, and looking forwards to seeing what his face will look like. Francesca is doing well, she's feeling really well, but we walked 2 houses down the street and that exhausted her, so she is doing a good job of taking it easy (counter to her nature.) I'm glad that Marcos was able to come up and meet his new nephew on his first day (sunday). It has been great having the mama's group bring us dinners. And having Jill here (and my parents next week) I think is a great start for integrating the brothers, having 2 weeks for mama to heal & Oliver to get lots of attention before we're all on our own. So everythings going along well.

Finn!!!

Finn Avram Soriano 11/28/2010 8lbs 9oz 20 inches 14 inch head

Common sayings of Oliver

"Don't be scared my Darlings" to the cats as he bolts into the bed room and proceeds to leap about the bed

"I'll just eat the cold" in response to being informed it's cold out and he should put on a sweater

"whatsaid?" or "why" the almost instantaneous response to anything said

He loves to play mechanic (or occasionally Dr. or Vet) where he brings an adult a car (or doll) and the adult has to fix it. Usually if asked what's wrong the vehicle he says "when it goes the wheels fall off"

Another game is to build an imaginary house. Variously using all of his vehicles he brings loads of material to the center of the rug, where he and I will then mime putting together the pieces (smooth the ground, put on floor joists, screw together pipes, hold up walls while he nails them on, paint the walls using his pretend plastic tools, put on the roof joists and roof. Often if he's in charge of what comes next the final step after the roof goes on is the foundation.

He often calls a large leap from the coffee table or something "a trick"

He likes wrestling with me, calling it a "rough game". But typically he prefers specific actions to just amorphous wrestling (which doesn't count apparently). There's "pile driver" (the name suggested by Auntie GG I think) where I hold him horizontally above the bed and drop him. There's "steamroller" where I log roll back and forth across him. There's "jackhammer" where I hold him and shake him into the mattress (always with a lot giggles). Occasionally I make a pizza out of him by stretching him out, and rolling him back and forth, maybe chopping him up like a vegetable. Often I push him around with my head on the mattress (like a hound dog) which always makes him very ticklish.

Usually if he sees me with his toothbrush, or pajamas he squawks and starts running all around, playing a 1 sided game of escape when we are trying to get him to bed.

Lately if we play blocks I hand him blocks 1 at a time and he says he's making a road, and will carefully put all the blocks down in a big flat 1block high shape (looking more like a parking lot)

If we tell him it's dark and time for sleeping he tells us "I see through the dark" and "I will sleep with my eyes open"