Emily goes to preschool on Mondays which means Mark gets some undivided attention. I snapped this pic while Emily was at school. I'll let the picture speak for itself.

The last few weeks have gone by so fast and I have a few exciting milestones to report. Mark has been doing really well and so far I would say having a newborn is easier the second time around. Of course things are significantly more hectic and demanding with two kids than it was with just one - but the baby part itself is easier this time.

So, my first bit of exciting news is that Mark is now sleeping for 6-7 hour stretches at night. (just the last two nights but I'm optimistic) Hooray! The next exciting news is that Emily is starting to be potty trained. She actually asked to sit on her potty lastnight after her bath. Mark was in his bouncy seat in the next room at that time screaming through the bath so I went to get him soon as I could. By the time I got him Emily was running around diaperless so in the rush I forgot to check her potty. I didnt notice until later that she had completed such a big milestone. So sorry Emily! But she did it and I'm very excited about the possibility of a repeat performance soon!

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We had kind of a rough start to the morning, but then I discovered Mark likes the carrier and everything is much easier now! And the sun is finally out. Hooray!

The weekends have been a little more low key since Mark has arrived on the scene. But we still manage to have a lot of fun. We're looking forward to heading to Austin soon to see the family there and the new member of the Ingle's. In the meantime I promised some great grandparents fresh pictures to tide them over. Here's some shots of us playing inside since the weather has been so bad. Looking forward to some sunshine soon, hopefully next week...

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It's been two weeks since Mark was born and I'm pretty sure some day things will slow down enough for us to catch our breath. This has likely been the ultimate crash course in multi-child parenting. (Exclusive of anyone who has been blessed with multiples; may God have mercy on your soul.) While it has been very busy and somewhat hectic at times I can definitely say that we have enjoyed it all. And I can say that because I'm not the one getting up every few hours to feed the little one. Caroline has been amazing as usual and I continue to be awed by her toughness and devotion to our family. Mark and Emily are so lucky to have her as their mom.

Since getting Mark and Caroline home from the hospital on Wednesday the 22nd we have been going non-stop. Thursday Mark went to his pediatrician for the first time, all good there. The next day we had my parents and Great-Grandma Lesem over to our house to celebrate Christmas and then went to Christmas Eve service at The Journey while Caroline's parents watched Mark. We celebrated Christmas Day with Caroline's parents and brother. Carol always makes our family Chrismas's together incredibly special and this year was no exception. Even with all the time she spent caring for Caroline and Mark she still made sure that Christmas day was perfect for the whole family.

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