The thing I hate most about blogging is trying to get back to it after a long absence. It’s like working out again after a long period of neglect, painful but necessary in order to move forward.

So, while I’d love to have some witty, engaging story-arch that brings everyone briskly along from the point of Isaac’s birth right up to where we are now, alas I don’t. What I do have are a couple of glimpses as to what life is like for us now, living with a three month old and a (nearly) three year old.

It’s busy. I don’t know why in the world we ever thought that life with a single, immobile, nonverbal infant was challenging… but boy, what were we thinking? I have a hard time imagining how parents with more than 2 kids do this. I mean, honestly, intentionally outnumbering yourselves?!? That’s just asking for trouble.

I’ve particularly enjoyed the time that I’ve spent with Joel these last few months. For better or worse, I’ve kind of “taken the lead” in parenting him since Isaac has come into our lives. Part of that is circumstantial… Sarah is breast-feeding and Isaac just needs more attention from her. It won’t always be that way but right now it is. Joel and I have shared a few fun, special days together recently and for that I am very thankful.

Isaac is amazing. So familiar, so similar and yet definitely unique. Generally speaking, this kid is a happy kid. He’s already taken to smiling and cooing at us (which I suppose is pretty normal for a three month old). We’ve noticed that he’s a lot easier to calm than Joel seemed at this age. If he’s crying it means he’s either hungry, tired or needs changing. Period. I know that’s what people say about all babies but I distinctly remember evenings with Joel where he just seemed to wail for hours on end for no apparent reason and no amount of rocking, nursing, soothing or coercing would convince him to do otherwise.

We’ll see how it plays out when they’re both teenagers.

So now, here we are at present day. Overlooking the glaring absence of the last several month’s worth of blog posts we press on, into the future.

And for no good reason here are some EXTEME CLOSE-UPS!!!!!

WHOAAAAHH!!!

Joel Extreme Closeup

Isaac Extreme Closeup