We are tired, folks. With Tess yelping through the night thanks to evil molars and Remy “the siren” predictably howling at 2:59 am, we’ve stopped looking forward to nights and instead daydream about what six straight hours feels like. I even asked Dave a few days ago if we ever felt rested when Tess was sleeping through the night before Remy joined us. As the family sleep junkie, I swear I couldn’t remember. (For the record, he swears we did.)

Thanks to Auntie Sue, we’ve turned a corner! She recommend we add a feeding, so for the last few nights Remy ate at 7-9-11pm. We were dubious with our little urper, but he slept through seven hours two nights, then six! the random 5-hour stints have delighted us, but nothing compares to an actual night of sleep. The first time he woke up at 7am, hearing the howl plastered a grin across my face! We’ve been more ambitious socially of late (by which I do not mean we are climbing ladders; more staying out way past our bedtimes!), so his magical sleep experiments could not have come at a better time.

We’re very aware of second child syndrome in this house, and as I look back at the blog milestones, I keep thinking of dad teasing us and saying,

You’ll record every dirty diaper for Tess and will forget every detail a year later! The second kid, you’re too busy.

Well, as the family mule (stubborn and I kick), I was determined not to do that. What I didn’t realize is what the trade-off is. With Tess, we constantly worried about health, development, eyesight, motor skills – everything! With Remy, our worries have abated. Our boy is a healthy little dude, so when I have time with him I’m playing, snuggling and laughing! Not recording every tiny first, it’s true, but enjoying them instead. So second child syndrome isn’t a bad thing in my eyes; it’s just a shift in how we interact.

Tess in the meantime is trying out utensils. I only wish we could’ve gotten a video of her eating quinoa last night: she’d stab the spoon into the bowl (upside-down despite my best intervention), shove it in her mouth like if she moved faster maybe she’d get something on there (a fairly sound theory), and would then get annoyed and grab a fistful. You can imagine how successful that technique is with food the texture of couscous. By the end, Tess, Stella her food shadow and the floor were all coated with delicious specks.

In other news, Tess is walking! That’s right folks, we’re now under attack by a mobile little being. She took multiple unsupported steps today in order to secure bribes we offered with glee. So excited we could be here to see her!

In summary, happy parents and babies in this house! One less guilt trip, lots more laughter and sleep, and a beautiful summer stretching out ahead of us.