Fourth Trimester

They say that the first three months of life are really like the "fourth trimester" - the extra three months that babies need to fully make the transition from womb to world.  Here at the conclusion of our fourth trimester, Leo has settled, and we've settled as a family.

During these first months, Leo did not just "pull up a chair" and sit quietly in the back of the meeting.  He definitely was very vocal and very present from the start.  We've had challenges that we did not have with Owen: lots of spitting up, very fussy periods, short stretches of sleep.  As Bill noted early on, he doesn't really cry, it's more like yelling.  If he wants to go down for a nap, he starts vocalizing in his loudest possible voice, "AHHHHH AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHAAAAAAA."  I really respect and admire this about Leo.  In fact, I LOVE him even more for it.  He might be our second son and a little brother, but he will get his fair share of the pie, damn it.  He WILL be heard and attended to.

And the smiles!  Oh my god, the SMILES!!  They are amazing.  Like a giant flood light filling up the whole room.  (I don't catch any in the session presented below - he was at the tail end of his awake time and started zoning out toward the end - but smile photos coming soon...)  There has been more than one occasion when I'm dead tired, spit up all in my hair, and he flashes me one of his open-mouthed grins, and I can't help but crack up...

There are some sweet ones of Owen and Leo here as well.  Owen is a spectacular big brother...