Mommy Time

On Thursday morning, I had some time alone with Brian.

After dropping Beth and Amy off at school, I brought Erin over to Aunt Michelle's house for a much-anticipated trip to the zoo with her cousin, Alyssa. I then drove home with three empty car seats, and a snoozing Brian in the back seat. I had been eagerly awaiting this quiet time with my little boy, and knew just how I wanted to spend this hour alone with him.

I wanted to take a walk. A real walk. The kind of walk I used to take when Beth was a baby...the kind of walk that can truly be considered "exercise". Nowadays, when I push the stroller through the neighborhood, I am simultaneously trying to corral my three bike-riders over to the side of the road. We move along at a snail's pace, and I spend more time picking up tipped-over bikes and kissing skinned knees than actually walking.

But this day would be different. By the time I returned home, I had about one hour to spend with Brian, before heading back to pick up Amy from preschool. I quickly fed him some cereal, and scooped him into his stroller for our trek around the neighborhood. Brian began to fuss, but I was sure that he would soon settle down and enjoy the stroll. We headed off.

His fussing got louder and louder. Soon, his weak cries turned to wails. Then the wails turned to hysterical screams. I began to walk faster, hoping to lull Brian to sleep. But the faster I walked, the louder he cried. Finally, I realized that the walk was not going to happen as planned, and I turned towards home.

I felt frustrated and a bit angry. I had been waiting for this "time alone with Brian" for a week, and it was not at all the quiet, serene experience that I had hoped for. I trudged home with my screaming little boy, and parked the stroller in the garage. I sat down on the steps and took a good look at the baby.

Brian has been fighting a head cold for about a week now, and it's been complicated by a bout with conjunctivitis in both eyes. Combine that with the three immunizations that he received on Wednesday, and it's pretty clear why he was so unhappy. He sat in his stroller with his nose and eyes running, and his cheeks bright red with the low-grade fever he's been fighting since receiving those shots. He looked up at me with those sad eyes, and I melted.

I had been so focused on "my time alone with Brian", and I somehow forgot that it was also "Brian's time alone with me". We still had a half hour left before we needed to pick up Amy, so we headed inside. I drew up a warm bath in Brian's tub, and plopped him in. He smiled and splashed, while I cleaned his little face. Then I plucked him from the tub, dried him off, and rubbed his sore legs with lotion before dressing him in a fresh outfit. We snuggled in his rocking chair for a few minutes, while he played with a new board book.

In the end, my time alone with Brian was perfect. I enjoyed precious time with my little guy, and we did something that made both of us happy.

I couldn't have planned it any better.

On The Money

Well, my goodness. I am duly impressed. With all the various heights and weights that were picked, someone actually guessed both the height and weight perfectly.

And so, if you have any plans to play the lottery anytime soon, I would highly recommend that you consult with Uncle Hank and Aunt Michelle before choosing your numbers. Brian weighed 21.5 pounds, and was 27.5 inches long. Congratulations to Hank and Michelle. Your autographed photo will be arriving soon.

Aunt Cara was mighty close also, guessing 21 pounds, 2 ounces, and 27.5 inches long. Aunt Susan correctly guessed the weight, and quite a few people guessed 27.5 inches for the height. Thanks to everyone for playing! If I had posted my own guess, I would have been pretty far off, since I really thought that he was at least 23 pounds!

Brian quite enjoyed his visit to the pediatrician's office, cooing and babbling and flirting with all the nurses. Unfortunately he had to receive 3 shots, but he was very brave. He let out a quick, startled shout, and then returned to his calm, happy mood within seconds. I've never had that experience before!

Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! We took a trip to visit Grandma and Pop, and the girls all enjoyed taking a ride on Pop's motor boat, collecting seashells, and being thoroughly spoiled. Brian was as good as gold during the entire trip, and the kids all slept very soundly when we returned home on Monday night. Now, we're trying to keep Beth focused on these last few weeks of school, which is not easy when the temperatures are soaring, and the sunshine is calling! Only two more weeks remain until she is officially a "first grader"! Summer is almost here!!

Only A Few More Hours Left...

...to guess the number of jelly beans...I mean, guess the weight and height of baby Brian. His appointment is tomorrow morning, so I'll post the results as soon as I can find a quiet moment!

A Contest! A Contest!

Next Wednesday, Brian has his six-month-checkup. He will actually be 6.5 months old at that time, and Dan and I are already taking bets about his height and weight. I thought that the rest of you might like to join in the fun, and take a guess too. Feel free to post your guess in the comment section below. I know that some of you have mentioned that the new blogger makes it more difficult to post comments without a g-mail account, but I think you can easily post by using the "anonymous" choice. Just make sure you put your name in with your comment so I give proper credit! If you just can't make the comments work, you can email your guess to me directly.

The winner will receive an autographed, full-color photo of Brian.

A few key points to keep in mind:

1. The average six-month-old baby boy (50th percentile) weighs about 17 pounds, and is about 26 inches long.

2. Brian is definitely not your average baby boy.

3. At 4 months old, Brian weighed 18.5 pounds, and was 26.5 inches long.

4. At almost-three-years-old, Erin weighs somewhere between 27-28 pounds.

5. Lately, I've noticed that Erin feels significantly lighter than her baby brother. I don't think she actually is lighter, but because she's not quite as floppy, she certainly feels lighter. I would imagine that Brian's weight is pretty darn close to Erin's.

Even all of you lurkers are welcome to join in with a guess. I know you're out there because my site-meter shows an awful lot of hits each day...there must be some strangers out there! I've included a photo to help with your guessing. Don't forget to include height and weight! Good luck, and may the best aunt/uncle/grandparent/cousin/friend win!!!

Words Of Wisdom From Beth...

...If you have a super-loose tooth, and the little girl next door suggests that you put one end of your jump-rope into your mouth and bite down really hard, while she takes the other end and runs as fast as she can in the opposite direction, you might want to think really carefully about the consequences before agreeing to try it.

Unfortunately, I listened to my pal. The end result was lots of blood, quite a bit of pain, and (worst of all) a tooth that flew into the air and got lost somewhere in our back yard. Daddy spent about 20 minutes crawling around on the grass with me in a desperate search to locate my tooth, but in the end we agreed that it was a lost cause. So, we wrote a letter to the tooth fairy explaining our dilemma, and she actually still came!

I think we'll throw that jump rope away, though. It's a bit...messy.

Imagine All The People...

Erin loves to play with her "Little People" figures. She props them up around a plastic table, and supplies them with tea party treats and accessories. She will play with these characters for long stretches of time, imagining various scenarios, and changing the tea-time seating arrangements. Yesterday I took a good look at her set-up, and had to smile. Her box of People contains figures from a variety of sets, including the Christmas manger set, the farm scene, and Beth's doll-house characters. They all seem to get along fine, and don't seem at all upset about being thrown into one container together. And so, Baby Jesus reclines at table (literally) next to a construction worker and a farmer, while a teenager waits on the sidelines with a cell-phone in hand.

You can also see the "waiting line" that forms at the edge of the table each time. Erin has grasped the concept of "waiting your turn" in a restaurant, so these cued-up characters periodically rotate into the chairs around the table. Note that there is even a turkey, complete with brightly-colored feathers, patiently waiting his turn to attend the party.

I often read child-rearing articles which lament the lack of imaginative free-play time among today's youth. Stuck in front of the TV, apparently today's overweight children are unable to entertain themselves by using their toys and their minds. And so, I show you these photos to prove that imaginative drama is still alive and well...at least here at our house.

Brian Want A Cracker?!

Last night, we gave Brian his first "biter biscuit". Dan bought a box of zwieback toast, and when Brian began fussing during dinnertime, we decided to let him try a cracker.

Dan put the cracker into Brian's hand, and he stared at it for a few seconds. Then he began to vigorously shake it up and down, obviously thinking it was some sort of unusual rattle. When it failed to make any noises, he transferred it to his left hand and tried again. Still no satisfying rattling sounds. His face fell, and he began to cry once again.

So Dan helped him bring the cracker to his mouth. He made a horrible face, and pulled the dry, crusty cracker away from his lips. After banging it on his tray a few times, he again put it into his mouth. He repeated the cycle multiple times, stopping to try the rattle trick every so often, until the cracker finally became mushy enough for him to taste.

His eyes lit up. Aha! This was some sort of food! Within minutes, smashed toast was caked in his hair, all over his clothes, between his fingers, and on his eyes, mouth and nose. We were kept busy making sure that no small "choking hazard" pieces made it into his mouth whole, and, while he seemed to enjoy this new experience immensely, it certainly didn't make dinner any more quiet and peaceful for the rest of us.

I'm not sure he actually really ingested any of the cracker, since it seemed that there was an awful lot of mush on his high chair, clothing and body. He needed a full bath and change of clothing once dinner was over. So for now, I've put the crackers up on a shelf for later use. I think we'll stick with the pureed fruits and veggies for a bit longer...

Hugs and Kisses

This afternoon, as we walked to the bus stop, Amy fell. Deeply involved in her storytelling, she failed to notice the pothole in front of her, and she crashed down onto her knees. It took about 20 seconds for the shock factor to fade, and then the screams began. Both knees were cut and bleeding, and dirt and small pebbles clung to her legs. She ran to me for comforting, and I picked up my 35 pound four-and-a-half year old and held her close. Her tears covered my shirt, and her sobs filled my ears, while I stroked her hair and tried in vain to comfort her. Finally, I managed to distract her with the promise of a band-aid upon our arrival back at home, and after she dried her tears we continued our trek towards Beth's bus stop.

While waiting for the bus to arrive, we chatted with a friend whose daughter is also on Beth's bus. Kerry's two younger daughters were running and playing, when suddenly her two-year-old crashed to the ground. I witnessed a scene similar to the one I had just experienced with Amy, as Savannah ran to her mother for some cuddles and love, and Kerry soothed her daughter's tears with kisses and band-aid promises.

This is what Mothers do.

Sometimes I try to hold back a bit before rushing in to rescue the girls after each little injury, because I want them to learn not to become upset about every little bump and bruise. But I also know that, as Amy grows older, life's hurts and difficulties will become more difficult to "kiss away". Amy may be one of my "big kids", but she's still only four-years-old. She still needs lots of cuddles and hugs, and I hope that whenever she runs to me for help, I can remain patient and remember how traumatic such events can be when you're so small.

Tonight, Amy is tucked into bed with band-aids on both knees. And tonight, I thank God for problems that can still be resolved with a band-aid...and a few kisses and hugs, too.

Reality Check

Back in January, Amy declared her belief that Grampy and God were the only two beings that "knew everything".

Now, as a four-and-a-half-year-old, she is growing a bit wiser herself. Today, she informed me of the following:

"Mommy, I used to think that Grampy knew just as much as God. Now, I know that isn't really true. God's the only one that knows everything. Grampy just knows so much that it sometimes seems like he knows everything."

Message From Brian

Now that Brian has become quite adept at eating solid foods, he is offering some words of wisdom for any of his younger, less-experienced readers, who may be about to embark on the "fruit and cereal" journey soon.

1. Plain rice cereal is pretty bland. However, some of the fruits that Mom and Dad mix in with the cereal are quite tasty, especially the bananas, peaches and pears. When you get these on your spoon, make sure you smile and gurgle, so that the grown-ups realize how much you enjoy them. That way, you'll receive them more often.

2. On the other hand, most of the smashed vegetables are quite vile. When Mom and Dad try to give you carrots, turn your head to the side. If they try to follow you with the spoon, turn to the other side. Repeat a few times, but if your parents are persistent, you might as well give in. Carrots might not be great, but they are better than some of the other options.

3. When it comes to peas and green beans, I absolutely refuse, and I suggest you do the same. I simply clamp my lips shut, and if that doesn't work, I scream. And scream. And scream. It usually works.

4. If Mom or Dad lets go of your hand for even a split second, seize the opportunity. Grab the food-filled spoon and squish the food between your fingers. Then, before the grown-up can react, run your fingers through your hair. The peas and green beans may not taste good, but they make great hair gel. They become hard and crunchy within minutes, and are very difficult to clean.

5. Sometimes, when your belly gets really full, it becomes difficult to stay awake. I've actually fallen sound asleep in my high chair, mid-spoonful. That's okay. You can finish lunch after you have a good nap.

6. Always reward the grown-ups with your biggest, tooth-less smiles. This makes feeding-time fun for Mom and Dad, too...

Good Luck!