Growing

Violet is growing fast. Her cheeks are filling in, and she's starting to get a little chub in her legs. It seemed like she was just a little peanut for awhile and then, almost overnight, she started feeling heavy in my arms. She has officially outgrown her first sleeper, although most of her newborn outfits are still big on her. I'm glad of it, because there are still so many we haven't been able to put her in because the weather hasn't cooperated.

Speaking of growing, Jack must be going through a growth spurt. In the past few days, he has become an eating machine. People are constantly telling me that he looks taller to them. I can't see it, but he does seem more grown-up to me lately. Maybe it's because the gulf between him and the baby is so wide.

It's fun to hear all the funny things that he says. He recites whole chunks of dialog from his Thomas the Tank Engine videos. Sometimes, he'll just throw in a word that he's heard, even though it's clear he's not using it correctly. He drew something the other day, and he told me it was a "large California." Then he drew something else and told me it was a "sensitive going." This morning, he told me that he "discovered" that he wanted three stars instead of two on his star chart.

I love how much Jack is loving his little sister. If I'm not carrying her when I come downstairs in the morning, the first thing he says to me is, "Where's baby sister?" And then he runs to go see her. He's still not great about not shouting in her face or poking her while she's sleeping. He is constantly touching her head and her hands, and sometimes has to be reminded that he needs to be gentle.

I realized the other day that this month also marks the one-year anniversary of the beginning of "the troubles" that we had with Jack. What a difference a year makes. I distinctly remember two horrendous play dates we had last April, one at the Science Center and another at the Flower Fields. This year, we revisited both places, and the difference in him is amazing. He was playing with other kids, having fun, and not having any of the awful freak-out temper tantrums or shoving incidents that made last year so incredibly stressful for me.

I imagine it's a combination of the services he's received and his age that has caused this turnaround, but I'm so glad the worst of that is over. Not that he doesn't still have his moments - he definitely has to work on the screaming when he's upset, and sharing is a skill that still needs further refinement - but he's so much better at appropriately communicating when he's uncomfortable or frustrated.

That being said, May has been a historically difficult month for us with Jack. At least this time around, Tom will be home with us. I'm hopeful that having him here will ease any growing pains that we may experience as we continue to settle into our new family.