4 Months

Today is Little Miss's four month birthday, and I'm posting about it on time, for once.  She is spending Her big day doing what She loves best, sitting in my lap.  Sleeping off a fever, unfortunately, since for Her 4 month birthday what we got Her was a bunch of shots in her chub-a-lub-legs.  Poor baby.  But it's just as well She gets some extra rest.  It's been a busy month. 

For one thing, there has been a major accomplishment.  She rolled!  It may not seem so huge, but if you were stuck on your tummy like a legless tortoise staring all the time at the floor, and suddenly had the power to increase your view of the world by like 340 degrees, well.  You would be as proud of yourself as Miss is, grinning wildly as She leeeeaaaaans- whoa wait kinda scary go back! Steady.  Ok. Leaaaaaaannnns....teeters....kick! Ahh!  And She's over.  Arms out wide to take in the new scope of Her view.  That was fun.  Time for a wiggly, bouncy glory dance!

For another thing, She's been growing and growing.  As of yesterday She weighed in at about 13.5 lb.  She's in the 50-60% percentile for everything, and that round little belly fits just right into several of Her big sister's skirts.  Aw.  Sharing clothes already! 

Little Miss is over the newborn sit-back-and-check-things-out stage.  Way over.  She is ALL about getting involved now.  She can reach out and grab things, or bop them.  Especially noses.  She can kick a rattle or the tub water with a focused vigor that makes me wonder if She knows She's not going anywhere.  She responds to Her name by turning and smiling, and to anyone laughing by joining in, as if She gets the joke.

The thing She adores most is to be talked to.  Speak directly to Little Miss and She will light up like an incandescent bulb on a power surge.  She gasps and wiggles.  Coos and giggles.  As if to say, "Why! Are you talking to meeee? To ME? Yes! Thank you! Thank you for noticing me!" 

A favorite game around here is one we call "laugh the baby".  In this game, Little One comes up close to Little Miss's face, and says: "Ah-goo!  Ah-goo!"  And Miss cracks. Up.  It virtually never fails.  Ah-goo is the most hilarious joke ever, and Little One tells it like no one else can.  It sends Miss into fits of belly laughs and gets us all rolling. 

She has all the signs of being an even bigger talker than Little One and I, which is saying something.   She talks and talks in Her little grunting, cooing baby language, watching your face for a reaction. Then waits for your response.  "Oh really, Little Miss? Tell me more!" And She does.  We can chat back and forth like this for ages, and She never runs out of stories to tell.  She's very expressive about it, using bouncy, cheerful tones when She's having fun.

Telling me off when She isn't.  Seriously, She does.  If I let Her go too long when She's been doing Her little polite "excuse me, I need something" cough, long enough it turns to a cry, She tells me how unacceptable my behavior was as She calms down.  Even with a pacifier in Her mouth, She keeps on- "Mmmp fffth mm ggmmuuh hhu!"  With a serious frown.  It's all baby talk, but the inflection makes it sound for all the world like what She means is, "And another thing! An outrage!"
She forgives quickly, though.  She is still one of the easiest babies ever to soothe and placate.

With one exception.  The dark, dooming, dastardly, devastating...CAR SEAT dungeon.  To Little Miss, nothing is as tortuous as being strapped into this wicked device.  She's never been fond.  But after our trip to Florida (where we spent several days doing not much else but driving around, getting popped in and out of that thing and being stuck in it for hours) She has developed a truly angry grudge.  She only has to see the car seat to start crying.  It certainly makes outings an adventure.

It is moderated a bit by the application of Her most essential accessory.  The pacifier.
I tell you, that thing really does live up to its name.  I remember that despite my hesitancy in letting Little One even have one, it wasn't hard at all to take it away.  With Miss, I anticipate a bit more drama when that day comes.  She has a true addiction.   She has even learned to take it out, turn it this way and that admiringly, and pop it back in.  Unless She drops it, and then look out.

Other loves and likes?  She's not a fan of water and bathtimes, but She's warming up to them.  She's not huge on being held by a Not Mommy, but She tolerates most people well if She's not hungry or tired, and She's getting a good admiration for Her Daddy.
She doesn't take kindly to a bottle, though J can usually charm Her into taking one if needed.
She has - completely on Her own- developed a nice sleeping schedule (nap at 9:30am and 1:30pm, bedtime at 8pm sharp), and She doesn't much appreciate it being tampered with.  Unfortunately, with all that is going on these days it often is.  She rubs Her eyes and complains a bit about not being in Her own bed, but generally falls asleep wherever we are.
Other than that, the whole rest of the world is nothing but loves.  She loves people talking to Her, Her sister shaking rattles and singing for Her, the dogs walking by, the wind on Her face, anything to see or touch or hear.  The world, it seems, is Miss's oyster.

She has earned the nickname "smiley", because 89% of the time, that's just what She is.  The girl LOVES to grin and laugh.  She finds most anything amusing.  Her fussing is so mild, it's often easy to overlook entirely, and Her good moods outnumber Her sour ones exponentially.  Maybe it's a necessary survival mechanism as the second child in a crazy household, maybe it's just Her innate personality.  Maybe it's that between me, J, Little One, and friends, She is so surrounded by loving adoration.  Whatever the cause, Little Miss is a generally and genuinely happy, happy baby. 

And much like slobber, Her happiness can't help but rub off on us all.
Happy Birthday to Little Miss!
You're a ray of chubby, drooly sunshine, and we love you.

Gift of a Daddy

My mom sewed a nightgown for Little One.  It's light and cool and soft, blue and white, lacey at the top.  I'm cuddling Miss while J gives Little One Her bath and gets Her all ready for bed.  I hear them talking when they make their way down the hall to kiss Miss and I goodnight.

LO: "Oooh, look Dada! I have on my so pretty dress!"
J: "It is  pretty!  Actually.  You make it pretty, because you're in it, and you are pretty." 

They come through the door and Little One reaches out for me, Her fingers are wiggly with anticipation- She has something to tell me.

"Mommy! I'm pretty!"

She says it with the wide, grinning joy of having just discovered something amazing.  Like the first time She said "look, a real rainbow!" Like being told the package in the mail is for Her, like the first time She tried a somersault and it came out perfect.
She giggles and kisses me.  She hugs Her sister and nuzzles into Her.

"You pretty too, Miss." 

Little Miss wiggles.  Little One skips off for story time, swishing the nightgown.  She doesn't just look pretty. She IS pretty.  She goes to bed with that treasure shining in Her mind.

I work hard for my children.  I do everything I can to give everything I can to them.  But I am utterly convinced that the best thing I have ever, ever done for my babies, is give them J for a Daddy. 

Wild Duck Chase

I know I know. 
I don't write, I never call. 
I'm not trying to break up with blogging just yet, it's just.....it's not you, blog, it's me.
It's my unfortunate inability to be doing more than 5 things at once.  You're not the only thing I've abandoned, blog.  Tons of stuff has fallen by the wayside, just ask my sewing project languishing downstairs in a perpetual limbo.  Doomed. 
Our little family is going through one of those spots you come by in life that I sort of love (exciting, busy, full of new things) and sort of hate (stressful, busy, full of new things).  We have a lot up in the air.  But for those who keep mentioning this blog and then going "ahem...." (which hey it's nice to know someone likes to stop by) here's a rundown of what's keeping me from what I'd rather be doing; typing random thoughts out while drinking coffee and neglecting the laundry. 

- Little Miss and I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Florida, where we ran around like rats trying to find a hole to hide in before a storm, looking for a place to live.  On short-term lease.  With two large dogs. And a budget.  Ha.  I think we found something, but it's still tenuous whether we will get it or not. 

- We still have no one to rent our house when we go, which is a little disconcerting.  Paying for TWO places to live in will severely cut into my chocolate budget.

- We are considering finding a new home for one of our dogs.  That is a long and complicated story, which I swear has nothing to do with the fact that I was cleaning vomit-kibble out of the rug yesterday.

- My grandparents are in bad shape.  A recent incident has had them both in a hospital setting in the last week. The future is unresolved, but looks like a rough road either way.  I am agonizing over not being there.  Why doesn't everyone I love follow me around and live next-door?  WHY? Do I smell funny.  Could be.

- Little One, at the tail end of another fever, is starting preschool soon.  HOLY COW.  Getting all the papers and stuff in order is nothing compared to the mess my head is in, trying to wrap itself around the idea that my baby is big enough for school.

- Little One's doctors also have a new concern about Her health (She doesn't like us to get bored). We have more tests (if only they were shoes instead.  We never have enough shoes, always too many tests) coming up this month and I am trying so. hard. not to freak out until we know for sure what's going on. Unfortunately, me trying not to worry is like that dog trick where you put a treat on their nose and tell them to "leave it". 

- We have either been out of town or had someone staying with us for the last month and a half. A good thing, seriously, but the pile of laundry to be folded has become large enough for its own time zone.

- The Navy has been messing with us a little.  J was supposed to be spending this next month in a tropical medicine course, ending with a charity trip to Honduras. Pretty awesome! Except the day before he was supposed to start, Navy discovered that the hospital didn't have enough trauma surgery residents to cover all the patients.  So they thought, hmm.  Who is smart enough to pretend to be a surgeon when they're not?  J! And just like that- no class, no trip.  He's now on trauma surgery, and we have no idea what his schedule will be like, or even exactly when they will let him out to make our move.

- We had originally planned for Miss and I to meet him in Honduras after his mission was up, and travel around a bit.   That's off now, of course, so we are considering whether we can do a trip of some other sort or not. 

- Because of the Navy being a little wishywashy, along with unknowns about when we can rent out our place, when we can get into a new place, and considering preschool start dates and such, we're still figuring out when to schedule the move and how/when to get all of us and our stuff down there. 

- Life is just busy, Peanuts, isn't it? Even when other stuff is going on, all the life stuff keeps at you.  It's all, "what do you think I'm going to sit around and wait for you to sort yourself out? I'm Life! I go on.  It's my trademark.  If fact while we've had this conversation, I've seen to it that the dishwasher is full, your daughter is eating a rubber band, your oil needs to be changed, the phone is ringing, and you are late for Spanish Class.  Ha!"

- And a partridge in a pear tree.

So.  Plenty of these are good things, or will be.  The rest will sort themselves out in the next few weeks I think.  But we are pretty busy and a bit crazed getting all our ducks in a row.  I mean Peanuts. Seriously, have you ever tried to get ducks into a row???  They do not cooperate.  Ours have sort of run amok, it seems.  But we'll round them up eventually, more or less. And in the meantime I'm just happy that in the scheme of things, these are what I have to worry about. 
We've got a lot of ducks.  But they're mostly docile, so far. 

What's Up

So here's the thing.  We are moving. SOON. We are moving in barely over a month- that's just a few short summer weeks- and have you ever noticed how hourglass sand runs faster at the end? When it's reached the skinny, squeezy part and your heart goes faster too because you're like, "AH!" No time left!
We're at that part.
For the last month or so, I've been eying that sand level, noticing it getting terribly low.  At some point it hit me and I suddenly realized that we are leaving this place we have called home for our entire married life, our entire parenting life.  A place that, let's just be honest here, happens to be one of the best ones in at least the whole country. 
Don't get me wrong.  I'm excited about moving.  We've been here 5 years which is really too long for me to be in one spot.  Maybe this is why I enjoy toddlers so much.  I identify with the restless, instinctive rebellion against staying put and holding still. 
But I'll put it this way; if I had to stay somewhere, I might very well choose here.  I love this area.  Short train ride to the best city ever, short drive to the pastoral hills.  Eclectic diversity, a million things to do.  Clean streets but unlimited resources.  Free museums.  Cultural significance. Natural beauty. 
I might not have been so lovey about it in February.  (Another reason I'm thrilled with heading to Florida before the leaves turn.) 
So J and I started thinking we have to do all the things we never got around to! While we were just whiling away our time here, doing lazy things like working 60 hour weeks and raising small children. 
So I haven't been on the computer much because I haven't been home much.  I've been dragging my poor babies all over the city and tri-state area. Determined to see the sights and take in the events we can't skip because we're tired and can always go next year.  Determined to spend as much time as possible with the dear friends we are going to miss waaaaaaaay too much.
We'll never do it all.  In between the doing of DC Stuff there is also copious doing of laundry.  There are all those regular things to be bothered with- washing floors and chopping vegetables and weeding the garden.  There have been birthdays and mothers and fathers days and visiting guests and trips out of town.  There are gymnastics classes and Spanish classes and dog training classes.  There is the continuing parade of doctors appointments for Little One the medical mystery girl.  Don't even get me started on that.
It's all just been a crazy ride down to that skinny part in the hourglass; racing from one thing to the next trying not to miss anything.  And now we are there and definitely feeling the squeeze.  I'll share some stories of our little adventures as soon as I can.  For you, and for me to remember this precious time; this lovely place.  I'll do it next the time, like today, the kids sleep late and I can type between the gym and breakfast.  I can't say when that will be, exactly, but I can do this:

So at least you know we're having fun.

Or it was just a minor alien abduction

Just so you know, I am not dead. Or anything. It's just that there has been an earthquake, which split my house in three pieces, and my laptop got stuck on the other side of the gaping chasm. So I couldn't type. Or also, it could just be that I have been very busy. Or that I have been caught beneath an avalanche of laundry and had to survive for two weeks on sock lint, and have only just-miraculously- toiled out from under 7 metric tons of onesies. Some of these options are more likely than others. But take your pick. I wiil be back soon with either pictures of my fractured dining room, tales of my harrowing (but 100 per cent cotton) adventure, or stuff more boring than all that. In the meantime, don't worry. Not dead. Ok worry a tiny bit. I like to pretend all 4 of you Peanuts miss me.

3 Month Birthday

While we've been busy planning a move and all that, Little Miss has been busy too.  It's a lot of work growing up, changing from a larval little newborn into a real and actual baby.  Especially when there is so much cuteness to exude every. goshdarn. second. But somehow, She's pulling it off, and Miss's third month was full of new discoveries.

Like, for instance, Her feet.  Well it started with Her hands, really, and then whatever was in them.  That was pretty exciting.  But then the feet! Whoa.  It was love at first sight, Peanuts.  Miss and Her feet have a Thing going on, now.  It's casual.  They don't exactly set up dates or anything. But they meet each other in passing sometimes, run into each other here and there, and it's always like, "Why! Hellooo there.  Tee.  Tee hee.  How ya been?" They hang out.

They're not exclusive, though.  Miss also has interludes with hands, my shoulder, the hem of Her dress.  In addition to any toys or objects bestowed upon Her by Her sister.  She's quite the flirt.

And Peanuts, She is QUITE the flirt.  The teasing kind.   Little Miss has a very good understanding of what is Mommy and what is not.  She is rather partial about who holds Her, most of the time.  But She is more than willing to gurgle, coo, grin and giggle at the whole rest of the world so long as She's doing it from Mommy's lap.

In fact, smiling and giggling is what She does best.  Miss gets a bit fussy in the evenings, but otherwise She continues to be a happy, smiley baby, easy to please and to tote around.  She still sleeps like a champ and is growing like crazy. Her legs look almost as if they have begun to melt, dripping with rolls of chub.  I love it. Love.

The other two major additions this month were the Coo- which She especially loves to regale Little Miss with- and a self-manufactured lubricating and disinfecting compound, with which to coat the entire planet. To facilitate the all-important task of chewing that world.  DROOL.  Beware holdling Miss when She's in a chewing mood.  You WILL get slimed.

But you also will get rewarded with warm, squishy baby snuggles and full body smiles.  Little Miss may occasionally fuss, in the evening a bit or if She reaaaally needs something, but when you average those moments out with all the others, it is just a mathematical fact that She is an absolute joy. 

Happy Belated 3 Month Birthday to you Little Miss!  I may have been late in writing it all down, but it's only because my hands are too busy holding you every chance I get.  We love you!

Happy Father's Day

Little Miss Big Stuff

I know it is not right to compare siblings.  Right?  Isn't that not right? I guess I don't actually know that you're not supposed to compare, but I think I might have read it one time in a magazine or something.  Don't compare.  But look, I can't help it.  The are so alike! They are so very different!
It's just one more way for me to obsess over every tiny detail of my children and be awed and amazed and celebratory over all of it.  And Peanuts that is what I do best, is it not? Or we wouldn't all be here.
So I compare.  For example:
Sleeping- Little One, colic, hated sleeping alone.  Little Miss, sleeping through the night, happy as a clam in Her cradle.
Tummy Time- Little One, so strong as a newborn, pushing up to holler at me.  Little Miss, who gives one half-hearted effort at lifting Her head and then curls up and passes out. 
Diapers - Little One had me wondering what all the parents complained about.  Miss, going through ALL the cloth diapers every day. 
Cuddles- Little One had to be right up under my chin, trying to wiggle right through me to the other side.  She could never get close enough.  Little Miss hates that. She needs Her head up over your shoulder, to see the world.  She's not a huge cuddler, exactly, but just wants to be held, toted around. 
Toys -  Little One loved the bounce chair.  Miss barely tolerates it.
Babble- At this age, Little One was already cooing and squealing all the livelong day. A sign of things to come, I suppose.  Miss is a bit more chill.  She only coos when spoken to, but then She's all smiles and giggles. 
But the biggest difference? The one I can just not get over?  The one I keep mentioning to everyone I see because my goodness how can these two be related and be so un-alike?
Let me just demonstrate.
Here is Little Miss, two months old now. 

Isn't She cute?  Aw.  Look at that adorable little dress.  Yes.  The dress. 
Now, here is Little One.

In the exact same dress.  NINE AND A HALF months old.
And not filling it out quite as nicely as miss does, I might add. 
One thing they will always have in common, though, as far as I'm concerned? Both just perfect.

Lost and Found

When J and I came back from Ethiopia, we came back with four kids.
We were bringing them to their new adoptive families.  The trip was pretty amazing.  Not just because EVERYTHING went wrong and we still had the best time of our lives, but because we got to see the world through such new eyes.  Things like escalators and elevators and plastic forks, headphones and cabin lights, seat belts and automatically flushing toilets were incredible wonders.  Flying through the air was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.  Everything was curious.  Where do the bags go when they disappear into the wall on that moving belt?  What is the point of walking through a doorway when there are no walls around it?  Where are all these people going?
The children, who had never seen any of this before, had no idea what crazy thing would be coming next, and could barely understand a word anyone around them said, were amazingly flexible and brave.  FAR more than any adult I know would have been.
Immigration gave us a hard time.  So we missed a flight and got stuck, camped on a dark, empty terminal floor until J finally found someone to help us.  We took a shuttle bus. Spent some time in a hotel lobby.  Another bus, to another hotel.  Just a few hours later, woke the kids up for another bus, another plane.  They didn't understand where we were going, why, when it would ever end, when they could sleep.  They just trusted.
They followed us around, their lives in our hands.  Though we'd only known them a matter of weeks, their world revolved around us for those four days.  And ours revolved around them.
Which made it really hard to let them go when it was all over.  Despite the joy of seeing them in their families, it was a bittersweet thing to have to say goodbye and continue our journey with the overly quiet company of just each other. 
Three of the four kids were siblings being adopted into one awesome family.  We were lucky enough to get to spend some time with them at the airport, getting to know the family and sharing what we knew.  The little one is a picky eater. But she'll never turn down a banana.  The middle one needs a hand to hold when anything is new.  The older one wanders, keep an eye on him.  Enjoy the giardia. ha.  We are lucky enough that we still hear updates from this family, keeping in touch through christmas cards and the occasional letter.   
But the oldest of the bunch, an 8 year old girl, was going on her own way. 
When we arrived in DC, there was a rush of hugs and tears and where is the blue backpack? Where are his visa papers? Someone needs to pee!  Smile for the camera! And suddenly I turned around and her new mother had her by the hand. 
I'm a teacher, she said.  I've learned that the best way to handle these things is to just walk away quick. Thanks.
And then she did. By the time her words sunk in and I blinked, she was halfway down the corridor. The little girl trailing behind, pulled gently by the hand.  Looking back at us. Crying. 
Maybe the mom was right. But that image has haunted me sometimes.  I have always regretted the fact that I didn't really get to say goodbye. Didn't step away from the rush in time to reassure her, hug her.  We've always wondered what became of her.  Did she like her school? Did she get her cavity filled? Is she happy? She comes up sometimes.  But she was gone so fast, there was no time to give her mom our email, no time to blurt out "keep in touch!" No way to know where she might be. 
Except we forgot about the pictures.
The kids at the home loved seeing pictures of themselves, it was a novelty.  So as a parting gift and to help them remember us, J and I had our picture taken with every child. We gave them each a copy of their photo with us, and on the back we wrote a note to the child and included our email. 
The kids treated them like baseball cards.  They traded with their friends, they traded other small treasures to collect more than one, they hid them away in secret places.  By the time we left just a couple days later, not many of the kids still had the picture we had given them.  It made us laugh. 
So we never considered the fact that this little girl we had brought to America and watched walk away might have kept hers. 
But she did.
And a few days ago, a little miracle arrived in my inbox. 
Do you remember me? She asked.  I remember you.  She told us about her life, her mom and her friends and her trip back to Ethiopia where she survived a car crash. She likes to play volleyball.  She gets good grades.
Thank you for bringing me here, she said.  Thank you. 
We've emailed back and forth now and it's come to light that the confusion and fear I thought I saw on her face as she was leaving us was real.  Somewhere between the language barrier and the overwhelming-ness of a journey across the world, there had been a terrible misunderstanding.
She had thought that J and I were her parents.
Until suddenly a stranger was leading her away into the giant, engulfing unknown.  I can't imagine.
What I can tell from her emails is that she and her mom are close, that she has great friends, and that she has grown to be a very eloquent young lady.  I'm happy for those things and for the open line of communication to learn more about this person who was a part of our lives for such a short but intense time. 
Isn't it amazing how sometimes the smallest moments can hit you so hard that they leave a dent forever?  Isn't it crazy how some people orbit around in your life for years without being noticed much, and some just brush past you but in doing so change you to your core?  And isn't it incredible how the world is so big, so full to teeming and busy and spinning that we sometimes lose each other.  But then sometimes, find each other again.   

Zoo Isms

When the weather started warming up, we took advantage by taking the girls out to the National Zoo.
The cheetahs in this zoo are imprisoned under cruel and unusual punishment.  Somebody ought to get PETA or Amnesty on this.  They are tortured all day.  Their enclosure is right next to- like sharing a fence with- the zebras.  And it's not a wall, it's a fence.  So the cheetahs can see them, even walk right up to them (and those cheeky zebras know the fence is there. The were hanging out grazing right up against the division, just to rub it in) but they cant get to them. 
When we arrived, a poor tortured cheetah was pacing, wearing a rut in the earth by the zebras. 

Little One: "I see a chee-tah! What him doin', Dada?"
J: "I think he's looking at the zebras over there".
LO: "Yeah! Cheetah is sayin', 'Hi zebra! Hi guys! Come here, want pat you!"

...Yeah...I'm sure that's what the Cheetah wanted.  To pat the zebras. It's possible. Maybe the cheetahs are going veg like this alligator here, having his salad for lunch.  

Or maybe that's his clever camouflage for hunting tourists. 
Well the gator and the cheetah weren't the only ones that suffered disappointment that day.  Near the Alligator, we saw a Komodo Dragon.
I was a bit behind Little One and J, so when I caught up to them at the glass, I asked,
"whatcha looking at now, Little One?"
She replied with Her arms out wide, the answer was so big. "Mommy! DRAGON!"
But Her arms fell limp then, as She turned back to the reptile looking a bit bewildered, looking disappointed. 
"But Mommy... is not flyin'!  No is flying with wings in the sky, Mommy.  This dragon jus'...sittin' there."

We cheered Her up by going to see the lion cubs and listed to daddy lion roar.  He was impressive. 

 

See?  She's Impressed.

The Magic of Glen Echo

Glen Echo is an awesome park which used to be an amusement park back in the 20's.  None of the rides are still there except the carousel, which still runs with the original calliope and has been gorgeously restored. 
The rest of the park is re-purposed, but it's still a great place to take a kids on a nice afternoon.
We had a great time there on Family Day, when they opened up the park and had lots of special activities and presentations. 
I should say, Little One went- on a date- I and chaperoned.  She flirted shamelessly with O, rode the carousel, tore around the playground, played T-ball, played with musical instruments and puppets, watched magic and comedy shows, was awed by the Irish dancers, hula-hooped, did arts and crafts, and generally ran amok. 
Her favorite part I think was this interactive folk dance workshop, where She kept up with the big kids and grinned and laughed the whole time.
When these other girls invited Her to join their little circle, She just beamed.  It's amazing how even though She is so little, it is so good for my heart to see Her feeling included and making friends.  And having such a blast. We stayed over 5 hours. 
But.  I do have to say that magic shows are maybe not the best entertainment for two year olds.  It might inspire them.  And the problem is that two year olds really are magic. 
It's true!  For example.  If they put a piece of, oh I dunno, pear perhaps, into- for instance- their EAR, guess what!? It really will disappear.  It will!
Good thing we have a magic Daddy with a magic dr. kit at home to make it re-appear.  Because we almost spent a magic few hours in the ER for a piece of pear.
I guess I should just be grateful it wasn't a bunny.

Little One Knows All The VIPs

Last month, J was blessed with an "elective" rotation.  Two weeks in which, other than some mandatory meetings, and one day he volunteered to work for a friend (is it me, or is volunteering to work for your friend always a really nice thing to do...except on your anniversary? Hmm) he was allowed to choose what he wanted to do with his work time.
He could elect to spend some extra time in the ICU, for example, or in cardiology perhaps.  Lucky for me, he 'elected' to stay home.  Woo hoo!
I'm not going to lie.  We are losers a little bit, and spent a lot of that time doing chores and projects around the house.  But J did get to do some fun things with friends,  I had some time to myself, and we had some good family fun too.
One Thursday, for example, we had a great day in the city.

Lincoln's Hat

We took both girls into DC and spent the morning at the American History Museum.

The Greensboro Sit-In Counter!

Waiting for the bus

Then we had lunch at the Old Post Office Pavillion,

Old Post Office Pavilion

And spent the afternoon flying a kite on the Washington Monument Hill.

The weather was rainy in the morning, and gorgeous with a nice breeze in the afternoon, just perfect for us.  And lucky for us, the tornadoes that hit Maryland that day missed us by miles.

It was nice just being together all day, and Little One in particular just had a blast. 
At the "mews-wee-um" we got to see the original star-spangled banner, a really cool exhibit on transportation with actual trains, busses, boats, and cars, and a visiting exhibit about Abraham Lincoln.
Little One entertained Herself by trying to pick out which of the pictures on each wall was "Ween-kin".  The mole was kind of a giveaway.
Although She really doesn't understand yet who Abe Lincoln is, She surprised us by informing us that She does have the inside scoop on another member of that presidential family.

Little One: "and Mamma, who that?"
C: "That's his wife, Mary Lincoln."
LO: "Mary?"
C: "Yes, Mary Lincoln." 
LO: "OH! Mommy, I know her!"
C: "You do?"
LO: "Oh! Yes! I know this girl! This MARY! Have a little lamb."  

2 months

What the? Was there a month that just happened? Where is it? Did you see it?  It just flashed by!  I find it hard to believe that whole month really was here and left before I even noticed it, but the calendar says that Little Miss is Two Months Old, and so I guess it did.
Miss has been busy this month, growing mostly. 
She has developed these absolutely fabulous rolls in Her thighs which give Her the appearance of a nice round dumpling.  Her newborn rash is gone, thankfully, and Her dimples (on both sets of cheeks) are in full heart-melting effect. 
In the last month, Little Miss has been working hard at becoming a Baby, instead of a larval newborn, and has made some serious efforts in three areas:
One- communications. 
This girl wants so much to just have a nice chat about the weather. Or whatever.  She focuses hard on your mouth as you speak, furrows Her brow in concentration, shapes Her lips in whatever shape yours are in- or as close as She can get them- and then coos.  She has the coo!
In Her case, it mostly goes, "Ah-goo!"  and then She grins in pride. 
And She grins a lot.  This is one smiley baby.  All She really needs is eye contact and a hello to break out the dimples.  Sing a song, make funny noises/faces, or laugh at something and She will add full-body giggles to the smile.  Little One still holds the record for most baby smiles and giggles racked up, but we've all been lucky enough to experience them.  It's like having rays of sunshine beam in through your eyes and shoot through to your toes and out your fingertips, just filling you with light. Is there anything better than hearing your child laugh?  No.  Even really good chocolate can just not compete.  
Two- Physical attention.
"Hey! Hey look at me! I'm awake! I'm all big and two months old, and I don't just sleep all the time anymore!  I'd like to be entertained now please or preferably cuddled.  Oooohh....in fact, cuddled.  Yes.  Only that will do.  Cuddle me or I will crinkle up in a pathetic, sad-faced little heap and pop out my trembly lip and actually say, 'Waah!'" 
Little Miss wants only one thing in life, really, which is just to be carried around. 
My mei tai is an absolute life essential to me at this point.  Without it no meals would get made, no laundry or housekeeping done, no swings pushed at the playground, nada.   It frees up my hands and also tranquilizes Little Miss, who can't seem to stay awake in that thing for longer than 2 minute stretches, max.  She looooves it.  Especially if I put Her in so that Her head flops back a little.  Enough for Her to be really comfy and for strangers at the market to warn me that Her head is falling off.
Three- Schedules.
Little Miss doesn't know what the matter is with us disorganized people that we just make things all up as we go.  Because She, for one, would prefer to have a PDA and digital alarm and stick to the schedule people!  With no help from me- except that I just sort of go with it- Little Miss has sorted Herself into a very regular bed time- (extra cuddles DEMANDED at 8pm, out cold in the cradle by 8:30) and sleeps through the night until I wake Her to feed at 4:30.  Then back to sleep till 6:30. 
She has also chosen regular nap times, which I would be wise to encourage, but I tend to ignore when I have other plans.  Bad C!  Because if Little Miss had Her way, She would take a nice solid nap at 9:30 and at 2pm (when Little One sleeps) every day, besides Her carrier-comas.  She'd rather be rocked to sleep, but She's perfectly happy to just be put down with a pacifier.  Sleep times are an exception to the cuddle me all day rule. 
Oh, but the pacifier.  Consider this foreshadowing.  I think this friendly little piece of plastic will become a formidable enemy in the future.  I hope I'm wrong.  But you can go ahead and mark those words, Peanuts, because I see an addiction coming on.  She displays several of the signs already.  We'll see. 
Other than that lurking shadow, though, we are sailing through the weeks because Little Miss is such a breeze.  Not that I'm biased, but She really is the easiest baby I've ever cared for, and ties Her sister for the most fun.  At two months, I finally feel like I'm getting the hang of two Littles, and we have evolved a new 'normal' in the By The Way household.  I can honestly say that I am having the time of my life.  Happy Birthday, Little Miss!  You are two wonderful. 

Must Be Nice

Recently, at a family function, a nameless person who may or may not be related to me by blood or marriage was commiserating with fellow working moms about the dumbness of bosses.  She turned to me and made the following statement,

 "I guess you caught yourself a rich doctor, good for you. Must be nice.  Must be nice to be able to just stay home and do whatever you want".  

A lot of things flashed through my head. Most of them started with, "actually".
Like: Actually, I caught myself an accounting clerk. 
Actually, he's been a student the whole time I've known him- and we make ends meet- but I'm a long, long way from hiring myself a cabana boy.
Actually, I don't get to do whatever I want.  I'm too busy doing a job that you pay other people to do.  Only, actually, I don't get vacation time. Or sick days.  Or lunch breaks. Or bathroom breaks.
Actually I handle a lot of poo and slobber and it's not that glamorous.
Actually, J works really hard to become a doctor.  So hard that I barely see him.  So hard that he leaves while it's still dark and might not get home until 9 at night, if he gets to come home for the night at all. Which he often doesn't, even on weekends.  And sometimes he is gone altogether for weeks and weeks at a time.
So, actually, the majority of the time I am effectively a single parent, and might go days without having even one adult conversation, or leaving the house, and I have to scrub random stains out of a white coat regularly which really grosses me out and if you think we haven't both paid our dues towards this whole "doctor" business think again. Missy.
Actually. Staying home with kids can be exhausting, mind-numbing, even degrading, and having a husband in medical school can be isolating, frustrating, and stressful.  Actually, it's not exactly a vacation.
Sometimes I think it must be nice to get to wear good clothes and drink a cup of coffee during a quiet commute in the morning.  To get to use your intelligence and education to achieve something that wont be literally eaten the next time you dare to attempt a phone call. Must be nice to be able to take a phone call.  Sometimes I think it must be nice to have co-workers to talk to, about anything that is not Dora the freaking Explorer.
Must be nice to eat dinner with your husband, or to see him at all while you are both conscious. Must be nice to let someone else take over the potty training, the picking up the same puzzle 500 times, the wiping of snot, the answering of "why" for awhile.  And I can't remember, but I bet it must be really nice to go into a restroom, close the door, and pee. All by yourself.  Actually.
I thought all these things in just a flash, Peanuts, I did.  But you know, that was a loaded comment she shot me.  It was, and I decided, hey. Forget all that canned and trite "staying home is work too" business.  I decided to really give her a piece of my mind. And I did! I was brutally honest.  I said, 
"Actually. Yes! It is."

Wishfull Thinking

This morning at breakfast:

Little One: "Whatcha got in there, mamma? This a nut?"

C: "Yes, it is. Don't get too close."

Little One: "What his name this kin-da nut?"

C: "It's an almond."

LO: "Oooh. A all-mon.  I can't have this, mommy?"

C: "No, Little One.  I'm sorry, but you can't have it. It is a nut."

LO (hopefully): "I can han have this when I grow up bigger mommy!"

C(as brightly as possible): "I sure hope so!"

LO (downcast): "I can't try this all-mon now.  I'm still jus' too wittle."

C: "Well, that's true.  But you can eat lots of other yummy things. And you are growing! You're getting bigger all the time! If you eat your good food and drink your milk, you'll just keep growing and growing!"

LO (cheered): "Thas' right mommy! I can eat my good breakfast! I can grow tall like the wall, and then I can sometime get all growed up, maybe eat a nut!" 


I hope so.  The odds are not good, that She will be able to eat nuts or grow as tall as the wall.  But then again, odds are really just a benchmark, right? Something to give us a tangible and finite goal. To surpass.

Easter

Our Easter was like a plastic egg crammed with peeps and cadburry mini-eggs.  It was jam-packed, and very sweet.
The day before Easter we went to a big carnival/Easter party on base.  Little One did actually get to pat several Easter bunnies, which was a big highlight for Her.
She played some games and won prizes, gathered up lots of eggs, and even.  And even got to eat something you are all going to just die when you hear I allowed Her to eat.

Oh yes.  Three years ago, if you had shown me this scene from the future, I'd have popped you one and called you a liar.  But what can I say?  It was a carnival. She loved it.  I'm not even sorry.
The next day we got up early and got on our "princess ballerina" clothes and went to church.  But not just any church! We went to mass at the National Cathedral, which we have always wanted to do.  It is really a breathtaking building, and the service was beautiful.
We got there just before it started and it was full of good Holiday Catholics.  But thanks to the cuteness of the Littles in their princess ballerina dresses, an usher motioned to us secretively and brought us up to some seats right in front of the altar.  Little One like the songs, She liked the banners flying during the processional, She loved the giant organ.  She deeply appreciated the huge silver urns used for pouring the communion wine.  These guys tea party in style. She did well behaving, considering the early hour and skipped breakfast.  In the end, She said She'd have preferred a playground with swings and a sand box to that fancy "singing show", but it was still a grand experience for all of us. Even Little Miss, who slept through the whole thing.

After, J surprised all his girls by taking us out to breakfast. Despite the fact that something (we're guessing Her fruit salad shared a cutting board or knife with some strawberries) gave Little One some massive hives and a puffy eye, we all enjoyed the patio and lovely weather and the yummy organic food.  Little One especially loved that dogs were allowed on the patio and that She was allowed to wander into the courtyard to dance and twirl in Her dress.

We went home and found that the Easter Bunny had visited, despite our dogs standing guard.  Little One opened Her basket, and hunted eggs in the back yard, exclaiming "EGG!" every time She found one.

 

After a quick lunch we packed up and drove down to Southern Maryland for Js family Easter party.  Another giant egg hunt, another goody-filled basket, more candy than could ever be consumed by anyone, and as much yummy food.  Little One had a great time playing with Her cousins, and after hunting eggs, exploring the farm, chasing peacocks, jumping on a trampoline, and making "pies" in the sand box, the princess dress definitely got its use. 

Little Miss was passed from aunt to aunt all afternoon. I barely held Her but She was never put down for a minute, so She was a happy little bunny too.
J and I had a great time eating too much and talking with family.  We drove over to visit his grandmother and introduced Her to Little Miss before finally heading home. We tucked our Easter princesses into bed around 1am.
And ate their candy.

Hope that yours was happy, too!

Warning: An Animal Was Harmed In The Making of This Post

Out walking in DC the other day, a terrible thing happened.
If you know me, you know how poorly I handle these kinds of things.  It was a squirrel.
A little black one.  It was crossing the road.
 The SUV didn't bother to slow down. Didn't bother to swerve a tiny bit.  It just ran over the little squirrel and barreled right on.
Why do people do that, Peanuts? I will never understand.  How could anyone cause an innocent living thing pain and suffering and just not care? I'll never get it.
In Maryland, there is a wildlife rescue center I can call when things like this happen.  I have their emergency number in my glove box.  I have been known to scoop critters up and rush them to animal hospitals.  But I don't have such a number for DC wildlife, and there are risks of bites and diseases and frightening when the babies are around.
So I watched it happen, and the car drive away, watched the little thing struggle to the edge of the street, and try over and over to jump up the curb. Too injured to make it.  I should have done something, Peanuts.  Something.  But I didn't know what to do, and I knew I wouldn't save it.  So I froze.  I stood there with my eyes wide and my hands over my mouth (don't ask me why I do that when I'm horrified, I just do) and did something that was of no use at all to the squirrel or anyone else. 
I cried.
Little One saw me, and it scared Her.
"Mommy! Mommy you cryin? Oh mommy! What matter?! What happen mommy!?! Mommy mommy, come here.  Come! Mommy come here, hold mine hand!"
J saw how worried She was, and lifted Her from the stroller, held Her to me so I could comfort Her worry.  She reached out.
I folded Her in, resting Her on my left hip, Her leg tucked right up underneath Little Miss in the front pack.  She wrapped Her arms around my neck, leaned Her head against my ear, and crooned to me.
"Mommy, mommy, there.  It ok, mommy.  You be ok mommy. I'm here."
She was patting my back.  
"Mommy, it's ok this quir-rel.  You can pet some doggies! You can sometime pet a kitty, mommy.  You can pat mine ducky! And...and...you can have a candy.  You can.  You can have some water, like this, from this little bottle here, mine bottle.  I can share it you mommy, you can just have that.  And mommy you can have a flow-er! Can have a big,  TWO flowers!  And we can do some dancin'."
She put Her left hand on my cheek and turned my face to look at Her.
"I can dance wif you momma.  And you can snuggle with Little Miss.  You can."
She looked me square in the eye.   
"See, mommy? See? Lots of things, can make you happy."
She wrapped both arms around my neck and laid Her head on my shoulder.  We walked and She held me in that hug. Then She tilted Her chin up, just a little, to whisper in my ear.
"I love you, mommy. Be ok." 
How strange and overwhelming to have been shown both the best and the worst of life and humanity within two minutes.
There is callousness and suffering in this world. All around.
But there are also two year olds. 

Turning The Other Cheek

There were some really unruly twins on the playground.  One snatched Little One's doll from me and played with it awhile. When she dropped it, I picked it up.  Unruly came over and without a word, tried to yank it from my hands.  She was shocked when I did not let go.  I told her she was welcome to ask Little One if she could play with it.  She yanked harder. I said no.  She threw a screaming, crying, kicking fit.  Later, I watched her pick up a handful of dirt, and throw it in her grandmothers face.
So I watched, without intervening but with some trepidation, as she noticed Little One using an evergreen branch as a pretend broom, and charged over to Her.  As I had guessed, she ripped the branch right out of Little One's hands and started sweeping.  Uh oh. What would Little One do?  Would She cry? Fight back? Say something?
She stood there stunned for a sec. Watched the girl sweeping with Her branch.  Then She turned to me. And with a big grin, all excited, She cried, "look! I can share! Yay!" 

Some days She picks Her nose. Some days She gets three time-outs. But some days, are like this.