Ada's 4th Month

You are such a happy baby girl! My favorite part of the day is walking into your room and you greeting me with a gummy grin! That's right little girl - you're sleeping in your own room. I am so proud of you! You also slept through the night for the first time this month. 8pm-8am. I woke up and ran into your room to make sure you were still breathing. You had flipped to your belly but were fast asleep with your thumb in your mouth.

I couldn't help it! I love that face!

You've gotten much better in the car this month. We had to drive to Grand Rapids for a wedding and you made it up until the last 10 minutes before getting upset. You would rather ride in the City Select stroller because you can watch Madelyn and also keep an eye on Mom and Dad. You do okay in the Bob but I have to keep it moving and give you the ipod to listen to. You are fascinated by your sister and love when she gets right up in your face. You greet her with a smile every time.

We moved you up to the size small diapers. I started wearing you on my back in the Ergo. You much prefer that to any front carry wraps.

You have started laughing! Oh how I love that sound! I can usually get one by kissing your neck. You just love sitting and watching your family and are generally content as long as we don't leave you alone in a room.

We've been meeting up with all the babies from your birth class and it is nice to have some time with you. I also like that you are getting your own group of babies to spend time with and hopefully we have the beginning of some friendships here.

You've really started putting inflection in your babbles this month and you definitely want to be part of the conversation. I could sit and talk with you all day Miss. Bug.

Right now you love Mama cuddles and I love giving them to you. One benefit of being the second baby is that I know how quickly your babyhood will fly by and as a result I am always willing to give you that extra snuggle. I rock you to sleep every single night and watch you drift off with your thumb in your mouth. I am trying to carve that image into my memory. You look so peaceful.

We broke out the jumperoo and you LOVE it! I think we finally found your toy. You've also started going in your swing again and are fascinated by the toys that are attached to it now. You are always watching and learning. You are also rolling both ways now which means if I step out of the room, you are never where I left you when I get back.

Madelyn's 22nd Month

Girl! You never stop moving. Never. I've had a blast with you this month! You've got all your teeth now except for those last 4 molars. I have a feeling they are moving though because you've had your fingers in your mouth nonstop. I suspect you have allergies as well. Right about the time your Uncle Caleb's confirmed allergies were driving him crazy you started getting a runny nose, were sneezing like crazy and had red eyes - poor little lady!

Poor girl is extra sensitive to mosquitos!

You are starting to get into arts and crafts this month. Loving crayons and coloring, stringing beads, and playing with musical instruments we check out from the library. You can even hold your pencil correctly! You've also been embracing the break in the heat we've had and been exercising those little legs of yours. You've gotten better at climbing and jumping and we even started gymnastics class this month. Gymnastics seems to be a perfect fit for you right now. You have the freedom to run around like a crazy woman and you just bounce off of all the equipment without hurting yourself. Plus we end the class with bubbles,  parachutes and a stamp - your favorite class activities.

A Very Hungry Caterpillar themed lunch

You have made some pretty big strides in language this month and most people are able to understand what you are saying now. You are still obsessed with Finding Nemo and we let you watch a few minutes before bed. Every night after you get your jammies on, you beeline for the living room, grab the remote and bring it to the nearest person to turn on "ishhh, ishhh, ishhh". You then bounce up and down, beyond giddy until it starts. We are working on expanding your movie choices since Dad and I have memorized Finding Nemo. A close second right now is Lady and the Tramp. You have zero interest in the Disney Princess movies.

The day you discovered stickers! and your hair discovered volume!

Favorite food right now is cheese. You would eat it all day, every day if I would just let you. Anytime you catch one of us in the fridge, you come running and open up the cheese drawer and point until we give you a string cheese. You've also started bringing us bananas out of the cabinet when you want one. Big news - you've started drinking milk and can ask for it by name! You also love peas still frozen. Forget thawing them, you want 'em right outta the bag.

Your personality cracks me up on a daily basis. You love to count but can't articulate the numbers. I know you are counting because I see you moving your fingers and using the same inflections in your voice that people use when they count with you. Your favorite thing to do is to count 1,2,3 and then scream. We probably shouldn't encourage it but it is hilarious. You can match colors but haven't quite figured out the names of each color. Your favorite toy is your colored shape sorter. You also have started doing the actions to your favorite songs - "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "The Hokey Pokey". You have been quite a lover this month and won't go to bed without giving everyone in the house a goodnight kiss. I taught you eskimo kisses and you love doing those as well.

Last bit of news - your eyes are hazel! I thought you were going to keep your blue eyes but they have slowly been changing and I looked at you this month and you definitely have hazel eyes. Just like your mama!

Gangster with her pacifier army!

Nap Time

This is what nap time at the Barish household sounds like:

Loving Two

I found this blurb on the internet just after Ada was born. At the time, I was struggling with some pretty big feelings of guilt over Madelyn having to share my attention. This poem gave me hope at the time and now I can read it and realize how true it is. I already can't imagine not having both of my girls and watching them together makes emotion bubble up inside of me. I feel like I gave each of them a truly awesome gift.

 

Loving Two

As I walk along holding your 2-year-old hand, basking in the glow of our magical relationship. Suddenly I feel a kick from within, as if to remind me that our time alone is limited. And I wonder: How could I ever love another child as I love you?

 

Then she is born, and I watch you. I watch the pain you feel at having to share me as you've never shared me before. I hear you telling me in your own way, "Please love only me" And I hear myself telling you in mine,"I can't," knowing, in fact, that I never can again. You cry. I cry with you. I almost see our new baby as an intruder on the precious relationship we once shared. A relationship we can never quite have again.

 

But then, barely noticing, I find myself attached to that new being, and feeling almost guilty. I'm afraid to let you see me enjoying her -- as though I am betraying you.

But then I notice your resentment change, first to curiosity, then to protectiveness, finally to genuine affection. More days pass, and we are settling into a new routine. The memory of days with just the two of us is fading fast. But something else is replacing those wonderful times we shared, just we two.

 

There are new times -- only now, we are three. I watch the love between you grow, the way you look at each other, touch each other. I watch how she adores you -- as I have for so long. I see how excited you are by each of her new accomplishments.

 

And I begin to realize that I haven't taken something from you, I've given something to you. I notice that I am no longer afraid to share my love openly with both of you. I find that my love for each of you is as different as you are, but equally strong.

And my question is finally answered, to my amazement. Yes, I can love another child as much as I love you -- only differently.

 

And although I realize that you may have to share my time, I now know you'll never share my love. There's enough of that for both of you -- you each have your own supply. I love you -- both. And I thank you both for blessing my life.