A Few Goodmans: September 2013

Tired as we may be, it has been another wonderful month with our little Jonah and Tessa. A vacation, High Holidays, and some work on the computer delayed us a bit. Thanks for reading!

Growth:

Tessa now weighs 10 pounds 9 ounces (50^th percentile), has a length of 21.5 inches (25^th percentile), and a head circumference of 39cm (50^th percentile). She is growing very noticeably; holding her is a new experience basically every week! Jonah continues to grow as well, but, of course, no new measurements for a while.

Sleep:

Jonah got to try out a big boy bed on vacation this month. It went pretty well, except he has now learned that he can get himself out of the bed when he wants and came walking down the hall at 4 am with heavy eyelids mumbling “I’m all done sleepin’.” He was clearly not. For the last few weeks, when he wakes up he will talk to himself in bed for a little while, then we’ll hear a crescendo of little thuds followed by “Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy! Hi Tessa!” It’s certainly an adjustment after going after him for the past 27 months. He is so excited to see Tessa in the morning, it takes a lot of effort to keep him from waking her when he pats her head and talks to her.

Tessa is rocking the overnight about as well as one can at her age. At 6 weeks she did a few longer stretches around 6 hours, and at 8 weeks she has been pretty consistent with 7-8 hours between feedings. We so appreciate that after she eats, she drifts right back to sleep for a few more hours. Now we just need to get ourselves to bed earlier or get her sleeping in a little later so that we begin to feel the effects. By day, she seems to get sleepy about an hour after she wakes up and takes a longer nap mid-day when Jonah does. She falls asleep pretty easily and likes her pacifier, swaddle, Sleep Sheep, and Rock n’ Play.

Eating:

Jonah announced to us this month, “I love to eat everything!” and he’s right too! He doesn’t think twice to try anything on his plate and seems to enjoy it all. He has a particular affinity for the dried fruits still, as well as his favorite lunch: tofu corn dogs. He loves having a picnic, whether it’s the food trucks at Columbus Commons on Thursdays or sandwiches on the beach. His restaurant etiquette is quite good; we have been explaining the process of who does what jobs in a restaurant and what is happening while we wait for food. He loves washing hands while we wait and has just started ordering his own meals. There’s something undeniably cute about “I’d like a spinach burger, please” and “I’m still eating.” The latter of those is a popular phrase of his since he gets his eating speed from Pa. The kid will sit at a table and eat for longer than his parents! He has also discovered salt and pepper are on every table, and loves to request them and give each a shake. A few times.

Helping in the kitchen

Getting ready to order, at Cafe Istanbul

Packed up the leftovers himself, at Aladdin's. Don't worry, we didn't really steal plates.

Loving a picnic and live jazz

Loving the salt and pepper at Grandma and Grandpa's

Tessa is a strong eater too, nursing every 2-4 hours by day with a longer stretch mid-day and at night. She took her first bottle this month like a champ, so followed it up with another 3 throughout the month. What a relief that she does it so well! We call her our little laundry-maker or our little camel because some of that milk makes an encore appearance, but she’s not bothered by spitting up and it isn’t usually a large quantity.

Already helping in the kitchen

Eating on the beach

Eating at the park

Practicing how to give a bottle with "doll"

She succeeded with the bottle, so Mommy and Daddy
got to go to Ashley and Brett's wedding without worry

Personality:

Jonah also announced this month, after chatting away incessantly in the back seat, “I love to talk.” When he’s somewhere new or among unfamiliar company, he can be quiet as he absorbs everything. Once he’s warmed up, it’s like someone pulled the string on his back and he’ll talk and talk and talk. Sometimes he’s narrating what he sees. Other times he’s reminiscing about who he played with, where he went, or something he saw. Quite often lately he is singing his favorite songs of the moment, the ABCs; Happy Birthday in English, then Hebrew; Ring Around the Rosie, complete with movements; and Twinkle Twinkle. Jonah is our little noticer. He isn’t easily hurried, and has incredible observation skills. Sometimes it is something simple and beautiful, like seeing the moon and observing that it looks like it is following him when he walks. This week he noticed some sand had blown across his path and pointed down saying “I love this.” He has further grasped what it means to love, and has been telling us lots of things and people that he loves, from his family, to the beach, to vacation. His observations can also be funny, as we hear him trying to make sense of the world. Julian commented that a pale tomato on his salad was sad looking…Jonah gazed at it and said, “The tomato is not cryin’.” A garden statue at Grandma and Grandpa’s had yellow and red eyes and he commented, “This guy has catsup and mustard in the eyes.” The flip-side to all this cuteness occurs during the noon hour. When it’s time to get ready for lunch and get ready for nap, he can get this wild look in his eyes, a devilish grin, and a strong desire to stall and push our buttons. Of course that’s the same time that Tessa seems to be wanting to nurse or require more attention. It is difficult and trying to be honest. Lindsay had been struggling to do it alone, so sometimes Mimi comes to help, and lately Julian has come home from work during that time. We think it’s just part of being 2, and we are thankful that this behavior is pretty isolated. Some of Jonah’s cute uses of language are starting a sentence with “Should we…”, using “ummm” when he’s thinking, calling his toy bank a “piggy boink,” playing with “escavaytas” (excavators), asking for “unna one” (other one), singing “Now you know my ABCs” at the end of the alphabet, and asking “doggy not get too dark” so you don’t tuck doggy under the covers all the way. He particularly likes to play with his train in the loft, the police car and fire truck, and watch “Grover talking to the sheep” on Sesame Street.

Jonah loves to run in circles with you

"Jumping X and I" from gymnastics

Practicing straddle from gymnastics

Loves a garbage truck!

Loves all books, new and old, over and over

Enjoying warm weather out at the water table

Jonah likes to water the plants

He still really likes the vacuum

Brushing Tessa's hair

"I want a pike"

Loves wearing our shoes

First walk with the wagon and Moby wrap

He likes to line up his animals for a picture. "Cheeeese!"

So clever. Told us "This guy does have ketsup and mustard in the eyes"

Being a toddler. Reading a book in the driver's seat with hair tie. Normal ;)

Jonah really likes to share books with Tessa

Enjoying one of many cars and trucks. Police car is extra special to him right now.

He told me "we are doing tummy time"

Tessa is an easy-going gal. She’s doesn’t cry much unless she’s particularly hungry or overly tired.

Milestones: Jonah has been exercising his independence, or desire for such independence at least. Ironically, the thing that upsets him most is if we “remove the audience” mid-tantrum, as our pediatrician recommends. If he’s whining and spinning out of control, if we say we are going to step away and take a time-out, he begs that we return and then starts following directions. Physically, he has been getting some nice air-time when he jumps, walk down and up the stairs with one foot per step, and he’s a very good climber. We hope one of these months we will have some progress to report on potty use. Until then, we offer and encourage him gently. Jonah has 10 nesting blocks, which he loves to play with. He has made some tall towers in the past, and has just now managed to stack all 10 blocks up into a 3-ft tower.

Jumping over some waves

He put the blocks in that order and stacked them himself!

Tessa can hold her head up pretty well when we hold her upright and when she’s on her tummy, she’s beginning to lift it enough to turn it from one side to the other. She has rolled tummy to back 3 times. She has started locking eyes with us and sometimes responds to our smiles with one of her own. It’s such a joyous moment! She can look at her reflection in a mirror and smile and coo for 15 minutes. She must know how pretty she is!

At her 2 month appointment

After shots and milk

Lift-off!

Events:
Grandma and Grandpa came to visit at the beginning of the month. We had fun re-creating a pose from when Jonah was born and taking a few fresh shots.

He's a little bigger than the 5 # dude he was 2 years ago!

Tessa got to "watch" her first OSU game. She's decked out accordingly in an Homage script Ohio T, skinny jeans, and scarlet and grey bow. She's ready for freshman year.

Sillies

Jonah and Ainsley enjoyed a fun play date

At Greek Festival and their first Bexley HS football game in one night

Haircut in a tractor

Lindsay's Aunt Maggie and cousins Abby and Paige came to town when we were celebrating Julian's birthday. We were so happy to get to see them! We had a great time at the Clipper's baseball game.

Jonah started in a new classroom at the JCC. He is now in the Teddy Bear Room 3 half days per week. When we pick him up, he enjoys telling us about what all they did. He particularly enjoys being with friends, playing with trucks, and going to Shabbat assembly on Fridays.

Checking out the toys in the new classroom

We are so thankful that we were able to take a vacation this month. We drove to Detroit for Rosh Hashanah with Grandma and Grandpa. We made it there with one stop to nurse Tessa. Jonah was so excited to dip apples in honey using the plate he crafted at school. We all attended services, although Jonah most enjoyed walking around outside the synagogue with Grandma and Tessa nursed through the sermon. We continued on to South Haven where we rented a home which used to be Mendelson’s Resort, where Lindsay’s Mom, her siblings, Ma, and Pa stayed many years ago. It was a short walk to the beach, which was wonderful. Jonah enjoyed building sandcastles, making sand pancakes, playing in the water and jumping over the waves, eating sandwiches, looking at seagulls and boats, and watching the sun set. Tessa slept, ate, and looked around peacefully. We enjoyed taking them to a large wooden playground in the area, as well as to some local restaurants.