The View from Our Window

The crazy thing is, I'm so used to hearing fire trucks (there is a station down the street from us) that I didn't even realize our building was surrounded by them until friends started calling to check and see if we were okay. Then I looked out the window and saw this. Actually, I saw firemen climbing that ladder (to the 10th floor), smoke billowing out of the windows and bricks falling -- but couldn't pick my jaw up off the floor in time to get a picture of that.

Fortunately, smoke rises and we're on the second floor. Unfortunately -- we are stuck. And poor Jack R. is stuck with us. They aren't letting anyone in the building -- so if you leave you are out for good. And I don't have a good way to get any information. Right now I am just hoping that no one was inside that apartment at the time of the fire.

Harper Kate - Six Weeks

Harper Kate's Six-Week Stats:

Nighttime Sleep -- She's a champ. She regularly sleeps a 6 hour+ stretch. Chris and I can't believe our good luck. We have a six week old and feel human at the same time -- has that ever, in the history of time, happened before?

Daytime Sleep -- It is hit or miss. Sometimes she'll stay awake for an entire day, collapsing into frantic tears of exhaustion at five or six in the evening. Sometimes she'll nap for hours. This can be slightly frustrating as far as getting anything done during the day, but with the way she sleeps at night, who can complain?

Favorite Activity -- Hands down staring at the framed scrapbook paper I have hanging above the couch. Often I will sit down with her and she'll look up, focus on the paper and get a huge grin like, "yes! I have been waiting to look at this all day!"

Least Favorite Activity -- Tummy time. It is just such hard work!

Personality -- She is social, social, social. She's been smiling since three weeks and has recently started cooing. She loves to stare at Chris and I and talk and talk. She continues to be easy-going and sweet -- though she is a bit more vocal about her dislikes these days (ie, tummy time).

Me -- I'm definitely still figuring this two kid thing out. My house is a wreck. We've been eating Trader Joe's frozen food for every meal. And I literally wore the same shirt for 48 hours straight this week. And all I can think is, "my mom did this nine times. NINE TIMES!" Amazing.

"We both fit!"

Elliot is not yet willing to give up his crib, but he has informed me that he is open to sharing it.

Sleep

Boy, do I miss it. Harper gave up sleeping during the day about two weeks ago. She gets by on 10 to 15 minute catnaps all day. This is a complete pain in the butt, but I thought, hey, at least she sleeps at night. As a newborn, she slept five hour stretches. Sometimes six. Then she went down to four. Then three. And the past couple of nights I haven't gotten more than a 1.5 hour stretch of sleep. So now I have a very good-natured little girl that never sleeps. And she has a mom that turns into a crying, crazy wreck on no sleep. And that mom has a husband who goes back to work this week.

Kill me now.

(I should add that I at least I don't have two other kids that have the flu right now. E, you are my hero.)

Apple Picking

We went through a hay tunnel, climbed a hay pyramid, jumped in a bounce house, rode on a pony, lost and then found our camera, and changed a $50 diaper (the charge for returning our Zip Car late -- good thing Harper is worth it.) All in all, a great day.

Elliot Has Been Abducted by Aliens

Or, at least, I'm pretty sure that's what has happened. Because last night my super-picky-eater-since-birth, scream-through-meals child ate his orange chicken without complaint, asked if he could please have some asparagus, and then said (and I'm not kidding), "thank you, Mom, for making me dinner."

The aliens can keep old Elliot. I like the new one.

(On a more serious note -- thank you Manhattan First ward for being the best ward in the church and providing us with two weeks of meals after Harper was born. I MADE Elliot eat every one and he's been a good sport about trying new foods ever since. You guys made my year! And have very likely saved Elliot from scurvy. I love you.)