Wow. Time just keeps slipping right on by, and I just keep not posting anything here. *sighs* So here’s some things:

• Week before last, Ian and Leah’s Arizona Grandma (a.k.a. my mom) came to visit for a week. Ian greatly enjoyed having another Grandma around to run ragged, and Shawna got a bit of a break from having to deal with two little people on my first week back to work.
• Leah is growing well, having put on about 2 more pounds in the last couple of weeks. She hasn’t been officially measured since her 2-week doctor’s appointment, but we’re approximating with the bathroom scale. She’s definitely not malnourished.
• Her eyes have stayed blue, and in the sunlight, what little hair she has is almost red; definitely much more red than Ian’s was. She seems to possibly have an allergy to something in her environment, possibly one of Shawna’s bath products, as she’s been getting a rash on her face after being held. The pediatrician’s office wasn’t too worried about it, but we’ll check back with them at her 6 week appointment.
• Ian is definitely taking the idea being a 2-year-old to heart, including the “wanting to be independent and do things for himself but not being dexterous enough or physically able to do things”, the “random mood swings and tantrums for no particular reason”, and the “strong opinions about what type of diaper, what pajamas, or what shirt to wear today”. I’m sort of envisioning this as being what having a teenager is like, except a teenager you can’t necessarily pick up and carry into their bedroom with, “I’m sorry, but you are going to bed now, and you’re not wearing your galoshes to bed.” We’re all learning the art of picking our battles, though.
• On the other hand, Ian is also becoming much more interested in creative play, crayons and Play-doh, building towers, squirt bottles, and other such. He also likes to “help” with many of the everyday things around the house - some of which (taking out the trash, doing the laundry, scooping the litterboxes) he is actually helpful with, and others of which (loading the dishwasher, vacuuming, doing dishes, putting ice in the glasses for dinner) he is questionably helpful with, but is quite offended if he is not allowed to help.
• We’ve determined that going out to eat (formerly one of our favorite pastimes) is probably something which is best limited to special occasions when trying to do so with two little people. In general, though, this will probably be a good thing for our wallets and our waistlines.
• Other random milestones: Ian and Leah attended their first They Might Be Giants concert at the KC Jiggle Jam; Justin (and Ian and Grandma Sue) participated in the Urban Photo Safari; Leah turned one month old; Shawna had her first night out without the kids tonight, and everyone is still in one piece.

That will be all. I’ll try to get more pictures posted soon.