Mark of Fridays: Mr. Big Hands Rides a Bike

Mark is very exicted that it has finally warmed up enough--we broke 50 degrees!  Woo hoo!--to go out and ride the bike he got for Christmas.  In fact, he rode it so fast his hands got cold and he had to borrow mom's gloves. 

Two Month Anne-iversary

The numbers:  North of 12 pounds (we don't go to the doctor until next week, so mom & dad are guessing), 21 1/2 inches.

Best friends:  Well, I really like being cradle-held and bopped around the room with my binky in my mouth.  Mom and dad keep telling me they have backaches (see my 90th percentile weight, above) and try to avoid doing this for me (whiners).  So I'm pretty much best friends with anyone who will... as long as I don't, in the process, lose sight of my mom or dad.  Now that I can see, I want to make sure they're nearby at all times.

Enemies: 7:00 PM.  I have an internal anger alarm clock that goes off at this time every evening.  Normally, I'm a totally content baby who can tolerate pretty much everything.  Then 7:00 hits and I'm mad at the world for about an hour.  My mom and dad wouldn't mind this so much--they say it wears me out for bedtime--if my big brother didn't use my yelling as a cue to start yelling, too.  Evenings at our house are pretty loud.


Despite the look on his face, Mark asked to be
included in this photo



Favorite place: I'm happiest when mom or dad is snuggling me, but my car seat is pretty great, too.  It's very snuggly and warm, almost like being held.  If mom or dad puts me in there, they might not hear from me for hours. 

Things I like: Eating (of course), being held, stretching out on my back and kicking my legs, having a "conversation" with anyone who will listen.  This involves lots of direct eye contact and cooing, smiling, and gurgling from me.  I also sort-of like peeing on my grandma.  For some reason, she likes to do the stretching out and kicking thing when I have my diaper off.

Things I don't like: Winter (Why won't it go away already?  Doesn't it know I've hardly seen the outdoors?), anyone who drops my binky. 

Major accomplishments:  Smiling (It's great!  It makes everyone else smile, too!), lifting my head all the way up while I'm on my tummy.  I usually sleep for one 4-6 hour stretch each night.  Then I eat and go right back to sleep.

Mark of Fridays: Shower Hair

When Mark draws people, they almost always have lines going straight up from the tops of their heads.  He calls this "shower hair."  Pretty much everyone he draws has shower hair.  The picture on the right might explain why.

As a side note, we're working to come up with a new name for "Mark of Fridays."  Doesn't seem fitting now that Mark has a sister.  We're open to suggestions.

Quotation Mark Monday: Anne is not fun

Matt: "Mark, you're such a great big brother. Do you like being a brother?"
Mark: "Yeah!"
Matt: "What do you like about Anne?"
Mark: "Nothing."
Matt: "Nothing? Isn't she nice and isn't she pretty?"
Mark: "Yeah, but she's not very much fun."
Matt: "No, I guess she's not very much fun  for you, huh?"
Mark: "But she will probably be fun soon!"

Smile, Darn Ya

Check out the new trick the Pretty Girl learned this week.  As it turns out, whenever she smiles, we all do.

Quotation Mark: Kings

After Lynne told Mark to put away his toys.
"I don't want to do that! You are being as mean as King Herod."
After that outburst, Matt walked Mark upstairs and had a discussion about how we talk to people, and how it's not nice to call people 'mean'. (Even if you make historical reference.) To which Mark replies:
"I'll make a better decision, Dad. I'll tell mom she's being as nice as King David."

One Month Anne-iversary

Best friends:  Mom, Dad, big brother Mark.  My grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and anyone else who likes to snuggle me.

Enemies: Anyone who wants to change my diaper.  It's cold out!  Why would they want to do that?  I am equally offended by people who bundle me up to take me outside.

Favorite place: In dad's arms.

Things I like: Eating (the first few ounces of the bottle, anyway), sleeping, being walked around the room.  Bright lights.  I also enjoy when my brother teaches me things--my letters, numbers (Spanish and English), the planets in the solar system.  I just look at him and pretend I know what he's talking about.

Things I don't like: Being burped (takes away from eating time), block towers.  They're very colorful, but they always seem to crash down.  Very startling.

Major accomplishments: One-upped my brother in terms of length and width at birth (by one ounce and one inch--sweet!)  Disconnected from my umbilical cord. Can lift and turn my head.  Sleep in my crib, on my back.  Once dirtied three diapers in ten minutes.