Big Brother, Little Brother

Well, it has been almost three weeks since Tate has made his appearance and we are absolutely loving having him here! And, there must be something about having a newborn in the house that makes one recognize how grown-up an older sibling seems. So here are some updates on Big Brother and Little Brother.

Landon - The biggest news is that potty training is going beautifully! Yes, it probably was not ideal to go gung-ho with potty training with a newborn in the house, but Alan and I had procrastinated long enough. With the incentive of receiving toy cars for every time he pooped on the toilet (his biggest challenge), Landon rose to the occasion! He has been staying dry/clean for just about 2 weeks now and has even been staying dry at night!

Yesterday, when Landon was getting dressed, he wanted me to do the buttons on his polo shirt. Because I was doing the dishes, I couldn't tend to him right away. Next thing I know, he had done the buttons all by himself - for the first time ever.

Landon continues to blossom verbally. As a one year old, he talked a lot. Now, it's almost non-stop and when he gets excited about something the decibel level increases. And although he's been singing the ABC's for quite some time and has been counting for just as long, now he's starting to recognize letters, numbers, and letter sounds (the other day he told me, "Mommy, mmm, Mommy starts with the letter M"). I'm very excited because this summer I'm going to be doing some home-schooling work with him and I think he's really going to enjoy some of the things I've already found.

Tate - So much like his big brother was as an infant, yet uniquely Tate. As I type this, he is sleeping in a wrap, all snug and cozy. He very much loves to cuddle and be held. He's been sleeping very well; generally he'll go down about 9 or 10 pm and be up for the day at 5 am. Mommy is extremely grateful for this! When he is awake, he's very alert and loves to check things out with his big, blue(!) eyes. He's very strong and often pops his head up when being held over our shoulders. He still has a head full of black hair and, as of now, doesn't appear to be losing any of it.

We've been adjusting fairly well with our big and little boys and are excited to see how they continue to develop into their own beings and in their relationship with one another!