Eight Months

Dear Nathan,

You know what I just realized? Eight months sounds awfully old. You're not exactly that little newborn baby anymore. But while I miss him, I love you so much more.
You have a great personality. The more I get to see of your personality, the more I like it. You are still a happy baby, and you're letting me capture more and more of your deliriously happy moments with the camera. In fact, sometimes I think you ham it up for the camera a bit. It makes for some great pictures and really shows everybody who reads the blog who you really are.

At the same time, you are completely sweet. You still love snuggling, almost as much as you love playing with your toys. And boy do you love your brother. It cracks me up to watch you with Patrick. You constantly reach for him, desperate to communicate to him how much you look up to him through a simple touch of his hand or his hair. His response? To push you away, sometimes kind of roughly. That doesn't change your feelings about him, though. If anything, it only makes you more eager to get him the next time.

You have also started picking up on his emotions. When he laughs, you do too. Sometimes you'll even laugh at things without him around that he has laughed at before. I think you're laughing because it must be funny since Patrick thinks so. Of course, the other side of the coin happens too. Some of your saddest cries, with the biggest crocodile tears, happen only because your brother is crying. At times like that, all I can do is sigh and smile that you're close enough to share emotions and not worry that both of my boys are crying like the world is ending.

This was also the month of the teeth, especially the last two weeks. You were sprouting a whole mouthful of them at once. As of now, you have three top teeth and one more slowpoke still waiting to make its way through the gums. This round of teething was certainly worse for both of us. You woke up lots at night needing comfort, which I was happy to provide, even when I could barely keep my eyes open. Still, you never had long crying spurts; you were just too uncomfortable to sleep. Now that they're in the past, I think I'll always fondly remember those long wakeful hours in the dead of night spent holding you in front of the TV while we waited on the latest round of medicine to take effect. And you have come out of the teething a still-sweet, toothy baby. You love showing off your new teeth with your huge grins.

Something else I can't forget to mention this month is your grabbiness. You have certainly figured out what those hands are for, and you are always using them to grab something. It's cute, but also kind of frustrating. I can't carry you around the house anymore while I'm carrying anything else, or else it will take everything I have to keep you in my arms as you reach as far as possible to grab what else I'm carrying. I think your favorite objects to grab are the remote control and my cell phone--proof you're your daddy's child. Considering how often these objects you grab end up in your mouth, I think you'll be ready to find foods you can feed yourself soon. I can't believe you could already be ready for that! Didn't you just start eating solid foods?

Your physical growth is starting to taper off, however. You still eat like crazy, but your metabolism must be speeding up or something (probably from all the squirming, kicking, and general moving you do) because you're not gaining weight as quickly as I would expect you to. In fact, I think at your nine-month check-up next month we will find that your weight is at a lower percentile than it has been in the past. I guess it's to be expected though; none of the rest of the family is of an average size, so eventually your growth would slow down too. At least you still have those adorable chunky thighs, though, even if the rest of you is looking a little more trim.

I'm afraid sometimes I spoil you, Nathan. I probably did the same with Patrick at this age, but I've forgotten by now. But how can I refuse anything you want, when you ask with that charming grin? I'd do anything for you, and happily. I just love you so much, more than I ever thought possible. You make my day when you look up at me and flash me that smile, and I know in that toothy moment that you love me just as much.

Love,

Mommy

Giggle Wednesday

Any of you stressing here in the middle of the week...say because of end-of-school insanity or something (ahem)...Patrick thought you could use a giggle or two. Or some uproarious laughter.

I don't think he was doing the disco, but you never can tell with this one.

The clothes weren't cute enough on him; the dinosaur had to wear them too.

For months and months, I've been concerned that Patrick couldn't point to different body parts like all the milestones say he should. He could point to his belly button and eventually say it, but that was it. Of course, I never could tell if he couldn't do that or just wouldn't. Lately he has started naming his toes, but I still didn't know if he actually knew more body parts than this. Apparently he just couldn't do things the normal way.

"Patrick, where's your nose?"

"No!"

"Patrick, where's your eye?"
"Eyyyyyyye!"

"Patrick, where's your mouth?"

"Mouf!"

"Yummy, toes!" (Yes, this is an actual quote from him--translated anyway.)

And Five

This morning tooth number five cut through Nathan's gums. It's one of the top teeth just next to the middle two. I think we need just one more top tooth before this round of teething is over. The two bottom teeth that were threatening to cut seem to have receded again. They'll probably show up next time.

...And Four

That's right. Early this morning when he woke me up from the pain, I noticed that the very corner of the other top middle tooth had broken through the gums. Now we only have two more top ones to go and maybe life can return to normal. As long as more don't decide to make an appearance between now and then. Once they get a little farther in, I'll make sure to get a picture to show them off.

Today Brings #3

After many sleepless nights over the last week or so, Nathan finally sprouted tooth #3 this morning, the top middle right one. He still has three more on the top that feel like they will cut at any moment. I suspect we won't actually get a break from the teething until that happens, but maybe he got a little bit of relief this morning when it finally cut.

Random Pictures

I've been collecting pictures that I've wanted to post, but none of them related, so I've been putting it off. Well, it's time to show them off, even if they seem totally random together.

I was testing out my flash that was being finicky, and Matt decided to be silly for me. I'm glad the flash worked after all!

This dinosaur is his new favorite stuffed animal. He carries it around much of the day and refuses to sleep without his "di-uh-suh."

He also decided randomly the other day that he wanted to be a hat boy. For someone who has refused to wear a hat his entire life, this is hilarious to me. He even insisted on wearing this hat to the grocery store the other day.

Patrick got a gift when I got the box of birthday presents from my parents last week. He used this box as his little house all day long. He actually had fun closing himself up totally in the box and would get frustrated if he couldn't keep all the flaps closed. I felt like an awful mom closing up my kid in a tiny box, but that's what he wanted!

I don't remember learning to sit with my legs crossed this young. Isn't that something that's usually taught, not done instinctively?

I have several cute Amber pictures I haven't gotten around to posting. She's just such a cutie and loves posing for me.

Hehe. He was getting frustrated that he couldn't get the other sandal on, so he put on his boot instead. I love his unique sense of style.

Amber curled up on the couch

A hilarious doggy yawn

The Dreaded 29

Yesterday I celebrated the last birthday I will celebrate for a long time...29. From here on out, I guess I just get to celebrate 29 again and again, right? Is that how it works? I finally caught up to my mom's age!

We didn't do too much to celebrate, but I did have several presents and cards to open and Matt is taking me on a shopping spree for new clothes. I've already gotten some stuff, but he doesn't think that's nearly enough yet. Have I mentioned how much I love my husband?

Matt also followed through with a new tradition we started two years ago on my birthday--taking pictures of me with Patrick. This year, though, the photo shoot was much more complicated with two boys to figure in, especially when one of them has trouble sitting still. I'm quite impressed with some of the shots he managed to capture. (By the way, if you want to see last year's go here, and the year before's pictures are here.)

A Toothy Grin

Any minute now, my two-toothed baby could sprout up to four more teeth. I thought I'd better let him show off the two he has before that happens.

Thirty-One Months

Dear Patrick,

This month, more than any other we've been through yet, you are two. All of a sudden, every little thing you do reminds me of just how two you really are. For months, I've been telling myself that it was great that you weren't quite normal, that you didn't do a lot of things the way a normal two-year-old would, tantrums notwithstanding of course.
Then this month, you must have finally finished reading the two-year-old's handbook that someone slipped you awhile back. You also must have been taking copious notes, because it is all so typical two-year-old.

Every day, your daddy gets home from work to be greeted with all the hilarious stories of your antics for the day. It's everything from wearing sunglasses at the lunch table to "feeding" your little brother to walking around using the ring stacker's rings as shoes. At the same time, I attempt to remember all your new words from the day, and I'm finding it difficult to remember them all. Your language has taken off that much that I'd have to follow you around with a notebook (one of your favorite words, by the way, thanks to your friends Steve and Blue) to keep track of them all.

You have two new favorite activities from the month. One is clearly a stereotypical two-year-old's favorite show: Blue's Clues. You ask for it during breakfast, long before you've eaten your fill, and you continue to ask for it as soon as one episode ends. We could easily watch episode after episode all day long. You even talk to Steve now, getting upset with him when he can't see that clue that's right there. Come on, Steve! I'm two and I can see that!

I love that it's helping your vocabulary. You've learned to identify trees (twees) from Steve, as well as what crayons (cwahs) are used for. I have to watch the show with you so that I'll be able to interpret what new words you use during the day, because the odds are that if you didn't just repeat what I said, it was something you learned from Steve.

In fact, your language is catching up so well that your ECI teacher is impressed each time she shows up. Yesterday we got to boast that you finally said your own name, just Monday night. She gives us an assignment of something to work on over the next couple of weeks until we see her again, and each time you master the concept easily. I think she's about ready to boot you out of the program because you're going to be communicating at a far advanced level if they keep up this work.

She also taught you the wonders of coloring yesterday. You've colored occasionally before, but you embraced the concept yesterday, insisting on coloring all day long. Technically, though, you insisted I color all day long. You've developed a passion for circles in particular, and you spent the day forcing the crayon into my hand so I could draw another circle for you, something you don't quite have the motor skills for yet. Then you walked around with your masterpiece, trying to hang it on the wall. I gave you a magnet and showed you how to make it stick on the fridge, but you got quite frustrated when it didn't work on the wall. We eventually compromised by hanging it on the fridge out of your reach, but that only happened after many tears.

Despite the tantrum yesterday, though, they haven't been quite as bad recently. At least you usually have a reason for your tantrums. Either something isn't working the way you want it to or you're not getting your way. I suspect that you're communicating well enough now that communication frustrations are rarely the cause of your tantrums any longer. Now you're upset because even though you've effectively communicated what you wanted, you still don't always get whatever it is you want. I know it's a hard lesson to learn, that the world doesn't revolve around your desires, but I have faith that you will learn it eventually.

Despite the occasional tantrums, I still love the little boy you're growing into. You are a lot of fun with a hilarious (although sometimes cruel) sense of humor. Yet you can be just as sweet as you can be funny. You love all of us in your family with an exuberance that warms my heart. You are smart and observant and insistent upon cleanliness. All of this makes you into the unique you I've come to know and love so well over the last two and a half years. And I know that as you continue to mature and grow, you will teach me to love you even more and in new ways than I ever thought possible.

Love,
Mommy

A Story in Pictures

Background: Sometimes when I'm making dinner and Matt's not available (like when he's away on a business trip), I let Nathan play in his high chair until we're all ready to eat. This evening, Patrick took it upon himself to start feeding Nathan while I got our meals ready.

And yes, if you look closely, you'll see the food is still closed. Only imaginary food ended up on the spoon or in Nathan's mouth.

"Here, Nathan! Try this!"

"Cool! Look what I found. Thanks, Patrick!"

"No, Gaga! Take that out of your mouth. I can't feed you if you have the spoon!"

Fulfilled Expectations

I'll never forget one day when I was a math teacher. As we all gathered in the math department office to eat lunch, several teachers started an intellectual discussion about derivatives, the unit circle, and other, more complicated math issues. They quickly left me behind with their far superior knowledge, but all I could do was start giggling. Unable to see what was so funny about derivatives, they asked me why I was laughing. "Because this is what our students think we must talk about over lunch!"

And ever since then I've noticed occasions in my life when things have happened exactly as people would picture them, as I would picture them. There was the day when I held Patrick for the first time, and looking down at that tiny body looking up at me and feeling the complete awe that I was a mother and this was the child I had waited so long to meet--that was absolutely how I expected to feel (even if none of the rest of the birth was at all as I'd expected). It was the same when the nurses placed a gooey Nathan on my belly moments after his birth, and I felt this surge of love for him, my first words to him being, "I love you, little Nathan."

Then yesterday, I looked over at Patrick having lunch and realized that it was exactly how I expected life with a two-year-old to be.
He even gave me a cheesy grin (get it? he's eating a grilled cheese) to complete the look.

Just Like Mommy

I wish. This latest cute thing Patrick does...we have no idea where he came up with it.

I noticed this morning that he wasn't using his bat like a normal bat. He was walking around with it making a "Ssss" noise. I couldn't figure out what he was doing until he leaned down and made a wiping motion on the floor.

He was "cleaning" with the bat as his cleaning solution. He even started telling me about how he was going to "clee uh" (clean up).

Now I understand where he got the phrase "clean up," since we've said that to him pretty often, especially after meals. But I don't know the last time he's seen me clean with some sort of cleaning solution. On the rare occasions that happens, he's taking a nap. My best guess would be that he has a great memory and can recall the times he helped me clean our glass-topped coffee table. That hasn't happened when he helped probably since Nathan was born, but I guess it's possible he remembers cleaning with me like that. It certainly seemed to make an impression at the time.

Either way, all this pretend play sure makes me out to be a good mommy--taking care of diapers, baths, and feeding, as well as plenty of cleaning. I hope that's really how he sees me!

Patrick-isms

Although Patrick's vocabulary is still growing by leaps and bounds, he still insists on calling his brother Gaga. It's so common to hear now that sometimes I slip and call him Gaga around Patrick. At least we both understand each other, right?

Lately, though, this has become much funnier. You see, Nathan has learned how to say his name. Along with the "mama"s, "baba"s, "nana"s, and "dada"s, he can now say "gagaga." I wish I could believe he was imitating his brother or actually saying his own name, but it's cute even if it is just another random sound he's learned to make.

I particularly love when Nathan happens to spout into a round of "gagaga"s at the same time that Patrick is talking about his gaga.

Speaking of some of Patrick's favorite words, I got creative the other day and combined a few of those favorite words to come up with a new lunch for him. He's grown tired of our usual quick lunches and was in need of something to switch up the routine. So I pulled out the tortillas and a slice of American cheese and made him a super easy, impromptu quesadilla.

Unfortunately, Patrick refuses to associate this new meal with the quesadillas his daddy makes so well. He refuses to call it a quesadilla (which, yes, he can and does say). Instead it's a tortilla with cheese. Yesterday that was a "toeteechee." Today it's more mature--a "toeteeya uh chee."

It's great that something so incredibly simple has not only filled his belly better than any other meal in quite some time but is helping improve his vocabulary too. Although I can't help but wonder if we eat Mexican food too much when his limited vocabulary includes both "quesadilla" AND "tortilla."