Giant steps for the JT family today! After a really sleepless night filled with DH and me saying "did the other ones do this?" over and over again (Benjamin drank and fussed seemingly all night long), I brought the older boys to my mom's. She then drove us to Northbrook Court, where I signed Jake and Danny up for Snippets.

Now, you all know there was no such thing when we were kids. Nowadays, our kids get treated like mini royalty, with fancy cars instead of barber chairs, hair products that smell like candy, and movies to watch while they're clipped. Why, you ask, did I put my family through this for $17 each plus tip? Because Danny has had owl-like hair horns while cowlicks grow out, and every time we have to cut his hair, he really freaks out. My mom has been begging me to get the boys "real" haircuts instead of having me or DH hack away at them in the bathtub.

I fully expected Danny to throw a class-A tantrum in Snippets, but shockingly, he was amazing. The stylist (Sandy, if you must know) was wonderful. She did Jacob first, and he barely flinched at all. Danny watched him from a red fire truck two stations down. He wasn't much impressed by Jacob's calm, but the fact that a younger boy came in and had his hair cut with no gushes of blood definitely impressed him.

They came out with adorable haircuts, smiling faces, and lollipopped mouths. We hit Baby Gap to buy the only baby socks that actually stay on babies' feet, and then let the boys play in the indoor playground until we couldn't stand the crowds anymore.

After I got the boys home, I wrapped the baby up and took him to the pediatrician for his checkup. His jaundice is much improved, and he has gotten safely bigger -- he's up to 8 lbs, 12 oz (!!) and grew an inch since last week, to 20 1/4 inches. We did get permission to take him to New York, but we're not allowed to let other kids around him, let other people hold him, etc. We practically have to wrap ourselves and him in Purell and Saran Wrap, and then just hope for the best.

Tomorrow, the boys have a playdate -- finally, since I've kind of quarantined us all since the baby was born -- and then we'll have to see what the New Year brings!