The Tale of A Million Cell Phones

Little Man has a penchant for destroying cells phones, which doesn't track with his personality.  He is a sensitive boy who gets upset when I cry, is the first to run to Peanut with a binky if he is fussy, likes to make people happy and typically announces their happiness is because of him, chases butterflies and gives hugs to just about everyone (sorry, I know everyone likes to think they get special hugs from him but the truth is that he hugged a random child at the mall last week).  So back to his penchant for destroying cell phones.  First, let's catalog them....

1.  He threw his babysitter's phone in the toilet

2.  He threw Papa Bear's phone in the toilet ( I know you think that he has a penchant for throwing things in the toilet, not cell phones but keep reading.)

3.  He poured ginger ale on my cell phone (this might have been a case of unlucky placement of the phone accidentally under the drink he was dumping out)

4.  He threw/dropped my replacement phone down in the kitchen and broke the speakers

5.  He dropped the next replacement phone in my cup of coffee

Count them people, we are at 5 very expensive cell phones destroyed by Little Man. We have tried everything.  He has his own (fake) cell phone he can play with.  We have a no touching Mama's cell phone rule.  We installed toilet locks (this did cut down significantly on the items lost to the porcelain god).  But his ninja like reflexes have proven too much for the cell phones in our house.  We are not giving up.  More rules will be made, timeout will be sat in for breaking the rules, insurance for cell phones will be purchased...but we will prevail.

A Mother Of Boys

There are certain facts that must be faced by mother's of boys.  

1.  Bugs and small animals will be brought into the house with the intention of being pets or food for other pets.  

2.  Dirt is for scooping, eating and rolling in.

3.  If it can be climbed, it will be climbed.

4.  If it can't be climbed, a way will be found to climb it.

5.  Bruises are an accessory 

6.  The superman cape and rain boots are not a fashion statement, it is just what they will wear for a week straight

7.  Peeing on a bush is a right of passage and will be done at the first possible opportunity (and will cheered on by Papa despite the pee going on the bush, the deck and my shoes)

Can you tell which inevitable fact took place today?  That's right #7.  Little Man was playing in the backyard with all of his water toys and was soaked and grass stained.  So we stripped him naked to hose him off AND he pees in an impressive arch on the bush. He then was cheered by Papa Bear and so continued to pee but was moving around so he could get multiple targets.  His Uncle Mark would be so proud - he always said one of the best things about being a boy is being able to write your name in the snow.  We are one step closer.

(and yes, I know that a bunch of these things can pertain to girls as well - but I only have boys and the story worked better this way :)

The Second Child Syndrome

Papa Bear and I are doing our best to do for Peanut just was we have done for Little Man.  I am going to nurse him for at least a year, we take a thousand pictures of him, he is sleeping in our room for the first 6-7 weeks, I will make his baby food, he is held and loved at all times... but there are still some differences that mark him as our second.  A prime example occurred the other night.

Peanut is a great sleeper... unless he has to poop.  If he is working on his business he grunts and bleats much like a goat.  It is loud and very hard to sleep through and can go on for hours.  So the other night after his 4:00 am feeding, after an hour or so of his goat like bleating, he finally pooped.  I changed his diaper on the pad we have on the floor of our room.  He was laying there in his pajamas, fed, asleep and in a clean diaper and his little body was just so relaxed.  I contemplated picking him up and putting him in his bassinet and I just couldn't bother him (I didn't want to risk him waking up and doing more bleating).  SO I just left him on the changing mat on the floor to sleep.  I woke Papa Bear up and said " Peanut is on the floor, don't step on him".  Bless his heart, he didn't even question me.  He just said ok and went back to sleep.  The differences are small and the sign of a more relaxed parent.  But I got some great sleep the rest of the night and so did he!

A Walk in the Woods

Today we went to Mason District Park and took a walk/hike in the woods, then we got a little lost in the woods and then we walked a little (a lot) more and then we found a concert of Indian music and danced and then we cut through the woods where there is no path (stroller and all) and then we found our way back to the park where we climbed the rock wall and then we went home.  It was a lot of fun and Little Man (never knowing we were a little lost) hiked the whole time.  


Well he danced through part of it because we could hear the Indian music through the trees, it was the breadcrumbs that led us back to where we needed to be.

And then Little Man climbed the rock wall like it was no big thing.

And of course, Peanut slept through the entire thing and was just as oblivious of getting a little lost.

It wasn't our first Family Fun Activity as a family of four (we went to the zoo when Peanut was only 2 weeks old) but it was our first Family Fun Hike and it won't be our last.  But next time I won't give Papa Bear a hard time about studying the map of the hiking paths - who knew that it was the only one we would come across!!

And this picture has nothing to do with anything - but he is just so adorable I couldn't resist.

European SIzes?

Peanut is one month today (Happy One Month Birthday) so why is it that he no longer fits in his 0-3 months clothes?  Are these European sizes or just clothes made for dolls? I weighed him this morning and he is at least 11 pounds (he will get his official weigh in at the doctors on Monday).  0-3 months clothing is made for up to 12 pounds – so I call for a resize or maybe even a husky 0-3 month line.  Or maybe these are sized to make my baby feel fat or at least make me feel like my little boy is growing up too fast.  All I know is that I was so sad today as I was putting away his littlest clothes already.  Yes, his 3-6 month clothes are super cute (thanks Amy and Luke) but I am just not ready.  Little Man also made this progression into the next size around one month (he was 12 pounds 6 ounces) but I wasn’t as aware of losing the littleness.  I just didn’t get that first it is moving up in sizes of clothing and then it is crawling and walking and then they are no longer a baby but a little boy and it just seems to all happen way to fast and it starts with switching to the 3-6 month clothes so why can’t I just have a little longer with the tiny clothes???  Alas, we feel it is wrong to keep him in skin tight onsies and pants that leave waist marks on him – so up we go to the next size.  But I still think they should call them 0-1 month clothes for my boys!!

Magical Money Making Printer??

Recently Little Man received a play kitchen for his birthday.  He loves going grocery shopping and making food for Peanut and me.  Peanut and I have to buy the meals from him as he makes them (and he charges some high fees).  So I printed some play money from our printer and laminated them for us to use in this game.  He loves his “moneys”.  

The other day I was talking to Papa Bear and we were discussing something that we wanted to buy but we weren’t sure if we had enough money.  Little Man (who is always listening to our conversations while he plays) walked right up to the printer and said “Make more moneys Mama”.  We laughed at his innocence and maybe a little about his criminal mindset of counterfeiting and tried to explain that we can’t make real money on the printer.  I thought it was forgotten but today he walked up to the printer and said “thank you printer for my moneys”.  

So I guess he thinks that we don’t know what we are talking about and that he has a special relationship with the printer that it only gives him money.

Teaming Up on Me!

As the only female in a house full of males I knew that one day they would team up on me.  I had no idea it would start so early.  The day was going smoothly - the boys slept well, slept in even, we went to the Nature Center and then to a playground.  We came home and played in the yard, had lunch and then it happened.  Peanut was sleeping in the swing and Little Man was ready for his nap. But then Little Man couldn't fall asleep and Peanut woke up screaming.  I left Little Man to fend for himself to find a starving Peanut very worked up.  I did a quick feed for Peanut and put him in his crib to go back to Little Man (who was crying for me).  I tucked Little Man back in and he was almost asleep when Peanut starting crying due to the hiccups.  Little Man was back up and Peanut was screaming and I wanted to join them in the crying and screaming.  But then one settled and the other settled and the world righted itself.  Wow I need a nap!!

On a totally unrelated note, Little Man (who has hated eating rice every time we have tried to give it to him) decided tonight that he loves rice and ate all of my rice.  

On one more totally unrelated note, Peanut is not the size of a peanut anymore...we are thinking his new nickname should be Watermelon or at least Cantaloupe.  He is really chunking up.

Picture by Carol E. Hayes Photography

www.carolhayesphotography.com

Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned While Taking 2 Kids Grocery Shopping for the First Time:

1.  When the nice man at the register asks if you need help to the car, swallow your pride and say yes.  There is no shame in asking for help especially if you picked the wrong cart (see lesson 2).

2.  Do not use the video cart!  Even though the idea of a video cart seems like the best way to entertain your 2 year old - DON'T DO IT.  The video carts apparently lock up at the exit and so you have either carry both children and all your groceries in hand OR switch carts putting your infant and groceries in the new cart and carrying the 2 year old on your hip.  NOT worth the video cart.

3.  The proper order of loading groceries, Little Man and Peanut into the car is very important.  The proper order is LITTLE MAN FIRST!  Putting Little Man down and asking him to keep his hand on the car led to the scariest moment of the day/week/year.... as he (keeping his hand on the car as instructed) ran around and around the car out of my sight.  He now says "hand on car, NO move, mama scared".

4.  Do not go to the grocery store hungry if you plan on trying to lose the pregnancy weight!  Betty Crocker is evil!

Happy Due Date to Peanut!

Today I welcomed Peanut into the world of "newborn" and out of the world of "premie"! It is nice to be back on familiar ground.  I have been at a loss on how to deal with a lot of the premie behavior, but I KNOW newborn.  He has had a much more alert day today and is currently playing on his playmat, hitting the hanging toys and staring at himself in the mirror.  It is his 3rd long stretch (read 1-2 hours each time) of awake time today.  It is nice to see the deep blue color of his eyes for more than a few minutes, to see him track an object for a few seconds, to see the rolls start to build on his arms and legs (and boy are they building), and most of all to see him have typical newborn movements and behaviors.  

So Happy Due Date 4 weeks after you came into this world my precious Peanut.  You are lifting your head up occasionally, exploring your limbs and making friends with your reflection in the mirror.  You are all that is perfect and pure in this world and I love every second that I get to steal with you.  If I don't hold you as much as I did your brother when he was your age, I'm sorry, if I don't pay as much attention to you as I did your brother when he was your age, I'm sorry.  I do try to do for you what I did for him, but I DO love you as much as I do your brother.

Love, Mama

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

Need I Say More??

Little Manese

Little Man talks non-stop these days and most (or at least a lot) of it is understandable. But some needs some interpretation so in an attempt to help interpret, but really to capture the adorable translation necessary for understanding Little Man I made this list. It is not all inclusive and I will probably add to it over time.

Up Moon Mama = I love you up to the moon, Mama

Applejuice = Octopus (this is one of my favorites)

True Ray = Fly Away (as in the birds fly away)

Beet = Feet

Box = Fox

Dup = Cup

Nardinal = Cardinal

Ditty = Cookie

Vity Vity = Very Very

Nane = Crane

Mys = Mine (as in yours and mys)

Toe Wuzzies – Toe Fuzzies

Tank Ewe – Thank You

Nummy – Tummy

Outelle - Outside

Des = Yes (although more and more it is sounding correct, which is a little sad because I love how he says it)

Boo = Blue

Bed = Red

Neen = Green

Lello = Yellow

Monies - Coins needed to operate ride on toys and candy machines

Papa up Baby LJ, Mama up me = this is self explanatory, but it is what he says most often now when I have been holding Logan for a while.

Like Riding a Bike

I got to watch Little Man pedal his bike on his own for the first time today.  He and Papa Bear have been working on this particular skill for a while and today he got it (and he was finally tall enough to reach the pedals).  He was just so proud of himself and it was written all over his face.  He would go forwards and backwards and then get stuck and start it all over again.

The funniest part for us is that he hasn't mastered the skill of steering AND pedaling at the same time.  So if he is working his feet he often times will run into the mailbox/trees or off the sidewalk.  Hopefully he will be able to do both soon and we can start cruising the neighborhood on wheels instead of on foot.  I just can't believe how big and self-sufficient he is becoming.

The Peanut Scare and the Lesson Learned

When I had Little Man I was very very overprotective, especially in the beginning.  A lot of people gave me a hard time about how many times I made people wash their hands, the hand sanitizer that I carried around, the way I wiped down and lysoled public tables etc.  This time around, I really was making an attempt to relax as much as I could and be a more laid back kind of mom.  I was succeeding in my laid back approach, taking the boys to the zoo, mall and other places I would never have ventured when Little Man was an infant.   

SO with that backstory, here is the story of the blessing in disguise.  Yesterday I had a very big scare.  Little Man was goofing around and hit Peanut on the top of his head right on his soft spot.  A few minutes later Peanut started projectile vomiting and after checking his temp we called the pediatrician.  We rushed right in.  It turns out that the two were totally unrelated and that Little Man's inclusion of Peanut in Duck Duck Goose would not cause any damage.  BIG SIGH! But the temp was concerning to the doctor and I learned that if his temp goes up over 100.4 as an infant, he would be hospitalized and given a total septic work-up which would include a spinal tap.  So after taking a deep breath when I learned that my 2 year old didn't break my 3 week old, I freaked out all over again about the possible hospitalization and spinal tap!  Well thankfully his temp was low enough to send us home with instructions to watch him and keep taking his temp and he has recovered.  BUT because I am used to a 2 year old who can tolerate a temp, if his temp and vomiting hadn't been paired with Little Man's Duck Duck Goose tap I would never have taken his temperature as seriously and wouldn't have rushed to the doctor.  SO ANOTHER BIG SIGH!  I know God has a plan and that He is in control of all things - but it is another thing to see His hand in your daily trauma.  It is a beautiful thing to take a very scary situation and see the silver lining, the lesson even.  Now I am a semi-relaxed, hyper-vigilant, overprotective mother of two and very confident that it is exactly as I am supposed to be.    

Ornithology or ABC's??

I try not to be the mom that compares her children with other children, at least not in the oh my son is better than yours kind of way.  And what helps me achieve this (other than God's grace) is the fact that Little Man follows the beat of his own drum.  My friends kid's are starting to count to ten and identify their letters.  And while I work with him on his numbers and letters, his interests lie elsewhere.  Ornithology is his thing.  Yes, that is right, I did say that my 2 year old is a amateur ornithologist.  He can currently identify a cardinal, sparrow, mourning dove, tufted titmouse, woodpecker, robin, owl, and chickadee.  In addition to being able to identify these birds when he sees them in our backyard he can also tell you what some of their calls are.  (Robin's say Tut Tut Tut).  And not to continue with my bragging, but I will - he is also an expert squirrel chaser awayer. (yes, I know that is not a word but I am talking about a 2 year old after all)  So this saves me from having to say at the playground, "How many birds can your child identify" and be that awful comparison bragging mom that I don't want to be because let's face it, they would just look at me like I am crazy.  So they tell me about how high their child counts (although, I should mention Little Man can count to 5 in Spanish, wait am I bragging?) or how many letters they know and I quietly smile and tell them how great that is and know that my Little Man has his own interests and loves to watch the birds and learn all of their names and calls.  He follows his own drum and it is so wonderful to be a spectator and participant in his awesome and amazing world.

Not Complaining, Just Tired

I am tired, beat, done for, done in, drained, drooping, fatigued, flagging, petered out, played out, pooped, knackered, run down, weary, worn out.  

But I am not complaining, I had a great day and even got a nap.  My mom is here helping this week and she took care of Little Man all afternoon running him (and herself) ragged.  Papa Bear got home as soon as he could after his first day away from the boys.  And we got to spend most of the morning at a very good friends house.  So I am not complaining.  Just stating the very very clear fact that I am really really tired (and all those other synonyms for tired).  

I think I forgot how exhausting taking care of an infant can be (even an angel like Peanut) and adding Little Man for the equation (even with my mom's help) makes it that much more exhausting ( I am using that word a lot, maybe too much).  But again, I am not complaining, I had a great day, a wonderful day.  It couldn't have been a better day considering Papa Bear had to go back to work (which makes me so sad and I miss him every second).

And tomorrow we get to do it all again and I will try to have a little more energy by the time the clock strikes whatever time it is that I can get to bed.

Santa vs. The Easter Bunny

So Santa wasn't very popular this year despite the fact that he gave Little Man trains and a train table.

BUT

  

The Easter Bunny is IN!  He was high fived and even eventually hugged (although not on camera) and all for a few eggs of chocolate. 

I guess what they say is true, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!  Sorry Santa!

Confident in Your Self Worth

I love that Little Man doesn't have any confusion about how important he is to me, especially as we have Peanut taking some of my time and attention.  Last night as I was reading him his books before bed, he looked at me and said "Mama happy because of me!"  Just simply stated this as a fact as confident as can be.  I gave him a big hug and told him he was absolutely right and that I am happy because of him.  Then I asked him if he knew how much I love him and he said "Up moon Mama, love up moon".  I laughed because I obviously didn't need to convince him of anything he already knew that I loved him all the way to the moon.  It is nice to know that even with our new family addition, Little Man is supremely confident in his self worth and his place in this family!

Recipe for Disaster??? Best Time Ever!

If you had asked me this morning, I would have told you that today was not going to be a good day.  In fact, I would have told you it was going to be a horrible, awful, step in dog poo and forget your umbrella in the rain kind of day.  Good thing no one asked me, because I would have been very wrong. It all started out with Peanut having horrible gas that kept him up all night and Little Man waking up every time Peanut screamed, which was often, so none of us got very much sleep. We had plans to go to the zoo and it seemed that walking the hills at the National Zoo might not be the best idea after a total of 2 hours sleep. But off we went anyway.

And I am so glad that we did!

Peanut slept in our super cool Phil and Ted's stroller that I couldn't do without and Little Man had the time of his life. He got to see monies (monkeys), roars (lions), grrrs (bears), limons (lemurs), brrreerrs (elephants) and much much more. We were so surprised with his limitless energy, lack of crankiness and non-stop chatter on so little sleep. I got to rest occasionally as all Mama Bear's 2 weeks postpartum should do while Papa Bear carted Little Man on his shoulders to see the apes and small mammal house etc. Little Man even stayed awake the whole drive home to have lunch, take a nap and then go back outside to play.

It was the perfect outing as a new family of 4 and now we know we can do it. I walked away from the day feeling like Super Mama Bear, the mama who can lift 2 children in one arm, fight her way through throngs of people so her Little Man gets the best view of the SilverBack Gorilla and change 2 diapers at the same time while balancing snacks and sippy cups on her head. I can do this! (with a little....ok, maybe a lot of help from Papa Bear!)

The Big Salami!

Today we went to BJ’s to get diapers for the boys. The trip was immediately preceded by dinner and dessert for Papa Bear’s birthday so needless to say Little Man was on sugar overload. We let him run through the large aisles in an attempt to burn it all off before bedtime. In his explorations he came across a large log of salami and picked it up to proudly display it to his Papa. Papa Bear immediately responded to his young son with “wow, what a big salami you have”. Little Man thought that was a great response and took it upon himself to run up to a total stranger and announce “ I have a big salami” while clutching his giant piece of meat. With both parents practically on the floor laughing he was spurred on to chase that stranger down the aisle running after her, meat in hand, yelling “ I have a big salami, I have a big salami”. I know we don’t need to encourage our precocious two year old to be chasing strangers, meat in hand and yelling anything at them….but it was just too priceless to stop. The stranger was very gracious as we apologized to her and rerouted Little Man to instead trying to carry large packs of diapers for us. Anything to burn off that sugar!!!