Boys updates, 4 months and 22 months

Going to try to get this post done before they both wake up. We all have colds and have been dealing with sick kids since the day Matthew went in for a 'well visit', he had a vaccine reaction (103 fever) that night and we haven't all been well since. He had 2 days of fevers from it, then was ok, but the next evening Luke came up with a fever and had it off-with tylenol- and on all weekend. Monday we went back to the ped this time for Luke's fever, which was finally gone for good by the time we went in. He had a red throat but not strep, no ear infection or anything. Matthew's nose was a bit runny that day, by Wednesday we all had colds that have included fevers off and on again. It has been a blast. Now my dad has the stomach flu and gave it to my mom...we were just with my mom yesterday morning for breakfast. We already did the stomach flu back in Nov., we all had it but maybe not Matthew, it was MISERABLE. We gave it to my mom so I am worried we may get it especially since our immune systems have taken a beating from our current colds. Please no flu!!!) Anyway, that's what we've been doing for the most part with a mix of birthday parties and baby showers and busy stuff thrown in.

Matthew was 4 months at  the end of Feb. He has rolled both ways. He loves sitting up looking around, assisted. (I need to bring the exersaucer and jumperoo up soon.) He "talks" and loves to smile and laugh. Luke fascinates him and was making him laugh-unintentionally- last night while he was eating dinner. It was adorable. He has started to like baths instead of hating them. Not sleeping through the night but not up long enough that it's a big deal. He is using his hands and grabbing stuff a lot. I can't believe how fast this is going, it went fast with Luke too, but this is even crazier. Although some days do feel REALLYYYY LONG, not so much because of Matthew. He is much smaller than Luke was, he doesn't seem like he eats as often, or for as long, but he's gaining weight and doing well, so it's all good. I think his weight was like 37%ile and height 42%ile, he is about 14 lbs. Overall, he's mostly mellow, although he does have some moments where almost nothing makes him happy.

I have to admit that my least favorite age ever is from about 15ish months to 20ish months. In daycare we called this room the "pretoddlers" and no one ever wanted to work in there. They don't yet have the reasoning and verbal skills of toddlers, but they aren't really babies either. They know "no" but don't really care to comply, etc. ANYWAY, I see more and more signs every day that Luke is leaving that stage and it makes me so happy! I am sad that he is growing so fast but so excited to have a two year old of my very own, the two year old room was always my FAVORITE.

Luke.Luke.Luke. He asks "whatsthat" 18 million thousand times a day, sometimes the first thing he says/does when he opens his eyes. Often to things he already knows, like Matthew, "baby". Right when we got back from Florida he started pointing at Matt and saying "what's that?" and we'd ask him, "what is that?" (poor baby), and Luke will say, "That's my brother". SO CUTE. He is all over Matthew a lot, touching his hands, feet, face, patting his back, etc. So I guess they are friends. We were at a store with a friend with Matt in my stroller and Luke holding my hand, she pushed the stroller ahead for me and Luke did not like that at all, so a bit protective already. He still LOVES dogs, and ducks, and fish. (So tired of those dang Eric Carle books!)  We fed ducks at the lake yesterday and I had to drag him away, after a half hour, kicking and screaming and crying. He is also obsessed with coloring and drawing and stickers. And just being outside. He recognizes not actual letters but when he sees a letter he'll point and say "A""E""O", etc., a few handful of letter names, he's recognized them in books and his bathtub letters. (Not the correct letters, unless by totally random coincidence, he just has connected the dots that those lines/shapes are A's, etc.) He also says "thank" and "your welc" unprompted and in correct contexts (ie. he just handed me some mail he pulled down from the table, I said thank you, he responded "your welc"). So funny and random, we made no effort to teach him that yet except modeling it. (Usually if we ask him to say something, like "hi", he doesn't/won't, has to be his idea I guess...stubborn boy.)

He is a big kid, about 34 lbs and tall, he still loves to cuddle. Still rearfacing comfortably in his car seat, he usually doesn't fight getting into the car these days unless it's leaving the park or whatever.
He is a disaster for our house, good at picking up if we ask him but he is constantly scattering random stuff EVERYWHERE like all day long. Thank god it's spring.

More pictures to come but this one will have to do because both kids are now awake: