Misc.

If you spend some time around Garrett you'll find that he has a fun, active imagination. The other day Steve found Garrett pulling his "horse trailer" (red wagon) around. To help him out, Steve found a piece of wire and hooked up the trailer to Garrett's "pickup" (tricycle), and Garrett had a ball driving around the back yard!
Last week Garrett had his 2 year appointment to see his doctor. We were able to add Reece to Garrett's appointment so that his doctor (who had been out of town the month of July) could meet Reece and check him out. Both boys are healthy & growing! Reece has grown an additional 3 inches and 4 pounds since birth - making him an 11 pound baby! Aren't those chubby cheeks adorable??At the appointment, we also discovered that the crying/fussy spells and painful-looking gas that Reece has been displaying are all forms of the dreaded COLIC.
We were fortunate to avoid this the first time-around with Garrett, but over the past week, the big baby C-Word has definitely rocked our world. Though it has been a frustrating and trying time for us, it is good to know that there is nothing wrong with Reece. We are quickly realizing that from around 5 pm - 7 pm every evening, we will have to endure the worst of the seemingly never-ending howls and fussiness coming from our tiny little guy. But we also know that after that time, it's all downhill, and Reece will soon be restfully sleeping for 3-4 hours at a time through the night. We are also comforted with the knowledge that colic is temporary and will (hopefully) be over before long.


Garrett continues to love on his brother, and hasn't shown any signs of aggression or hostility towards Reece (as I'd been warned might happen). On the contrary, he loves to give kisses, pat his back to burp him, and can't get enough of his fingers and toes!
Sometimes we have to remind Garrett to be gentle...
...but for the most part, he continues to be a proud big brother!
Our biggest obstacle now has been trying to teach Garrett the difference between his "inside voice" and his "outside voice". He doesn't seem to understand that it's not necessary to holler a request across the house when mama or daddy are standing right next to him! Fortunately Reece is accustomed to the noise of our home, and doesn't seem to be bothered by it. But it can be frustrating when Garrett chooses to use his entire lung capacity to voice his many different "boy" noises and grunts that are perfectly normal, but hard on the ears at times.
Any suggestions for a quieter home would be greatly appreciated! :-)