Getting the hang of things

Sam is 7 weeks old today and it feels like we are getting the hang of the 2 boys thing. Nothing is perfect and hardly anything is predictable, so maybe what I mean is we have accepted the chaos - yeah that's probably what I mean. Things feel a little more manageable as we learn what soothes Sam and how to let Casey help (holding the diaper and the powder for diaper changes and finding the pacifier are his specialties). I have been home alone with both of them more and we do ok. As long as they don't melt down at the same time, we are totally fine. Maybe having a play date with a friend who has 4 kids has helped put things in perspective too. They are all great kids, but sometimes its good to get a sense of other people's chaos to see that your own is doable.
Casey *might* be moving in a positive direction behavior wise - I don't want to speak to soon. Last Sunday was the worst day EVER for he and I and this week has been SO MUCH better. He is still his sweet self like 90% of the time, but that other 10% can be pretty rough. Jeff and I have decided his greatest crime is that he spent the first 22 months of his life convincing us we were great parents! And if you, like us, fall for that - believing your kid is "good" because of something you did - then the inevitable toddlerness can be pretty devastating. So now we know that the temperment of our children is not about us, and its both humbling and helpful to learn that.
Sam is smiling at us! He did it a few days ago for me, and then for Jeff and his biggest smile yet came this morning for Casey - it was pretty cool! We have not caught the fullness of it with the camera yet, but I can tell you it's a gorgeous smile. Here are some face shots.

Getting a kiss from Casey


Warming up to a smile ...


Our best shot so far - we will keep trying!