Baby girl

February 28, 2005, 9:30 pm

Lily had her 6th month appointment last Friday. She is now 17 pounds 2 ounces and 26 1/4 inches long. She got 2 shots, and she didn't cry at all. She watched the nurse until she left the room. The nurse commented that Lily wasn't very happy with her. Lily had a very serious look on her face.

Here is Lily enjoying her bath this evening:

She has almost outgrown her little tub, so I'm getting her a bath chair next. I can't wait to bathe Noah and Lily together. Scrub-a-dub-dub, two cubs in a tub.

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Dr. Noah

February 28, 2005, 9:27 pm

Noah is all better. I am so relieved.

We went to the Dr.'s office 4 times last week. To keep Noah out of the hospital, he had to be checked every 24 hours until his pulse ox was better. So Noah spent a lot of time with doctors and nurses.

At one visit he asked the nurse if he could have some paper and a pen like her (as she was writing in his chart). So she made him a special chart to take home and gave him a pen. He loves this chart and pen, and he sleeps with it every night.

Noah started playing doctor after his first visit. He would get out some stuffed animals and his doctor's kit and chart and pen. It was very sweet to watch. All of his patients seemed to be doing fine (no fevers, lungs sounded good, good pulse ox), so I think he's an excellent doctor.

Here is a picture of Noah checking out Little Sammy--his stuffed animal that we named after our big Sammy...

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What a Papa

February 23, 2005, 8:19 am

I'm going to take some time to compliment Nathan's parenting abilities. He's such a great Papa. When I started dating him almost 15 years ago, I thought he was SOOO CUTE. I didn't realize I had also picked out a man who would make an amazing father.

Nathan is involved 100% with the kids. I think all fathers should be like this, but I know they aren't. Nathan often takes both kids to the grocery store or to Borders by himself. He is up as much as me when the kids are awake in the middle of the night. The minute he walks in the door from work he starts playing with the kids. He loves it. He couldn't imagine it any other way.

Sometimes in the middle of the night Noah will wake up and yell, "PAPA! PAPA!" That always makes me so happy. I have told friends this, and they have said it would make them sad if their child didn't always yell for them at night. Are they crazy???

And here is what prompted me to write this blog: Last night Noah was coughing like crazy and upset because he is so sick with pneumonia. Nathan went in there to lay with him. Then I heard a strange noise--kind of a swishing noise. So I waited a while and then went to check on them. Nathan was asleep in his sleeping bag on the floor next to Noah's bed. What a Papa...

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Pneumonia

February 22, 2005, 9:07 pm

Truly, we can't catch a break in this house. Noah has pneumonia now. He has had a high fever since Sunday, so we took him to the doctor today. Pneumonia. Nice. Noah had pneumonia when he was 2 and was hospitalized. The experience was awful for me. I became germaphobic and scared to death whenever Noah sniffled after that. And here we go again.

But despite his fever and cough, Noah is such a sweet kid. He becomes very polite when sick. He says thank you and please a little too much. He also has had some revelations about Sam while in a somewhat confused, feverish state. He said out of the blue, "Well, we only have one dog now." And then he told me, "We need to buy another Sammy, but I want it to be small so that I can carry it around."

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A mother's confessions

February 21, 2005, 8:27 pm

Sometimes I pull Noah's pants up as far as they will go and then play a game like soccer with him and laugh the whole time over how absurd he looks. Such a nerd. He loves that I'm laughing and has no idea why.

My favorite game to play involves lying in bed with Noah. I try to find games where I can just lay there. I'm really very lazy--something few people realize but boy does Nathan know it.

When Noah and I play hide-and-seek I count to about 100. Again, the laziness.

I love the Wiggles. I got teary eyed when they came out on stage at their concert.

I always keep my eyes closed when Noah comes into the room in the morning. I'm really good at faking like I'm sleeping.

I am actually interested in the different Pokemon. I bought Noah a book with lots of Pokemon listed, and I find myself reading it very seriously and trying to memorize the names.

I have no problem having Noah watch movies on the portable DVD player for 9 straight hours when we're traveling. Not a hint of guilt.

I feed Noah hotdogs. I have since he was 1. They are his favorite food, and I don't care.

I don't always feed Noah breakfast. I'm a dietitian and stress the importance of breakfast, but he's not a breakfast eater so I often just give in and let him ask for food at 10.

I always tell Noah that I'm just going to the bathroom and I'll be back in 5 minutes. I usually end up doing other things. Now Noah often follows me upstairs to monitor me and make sure I come right back down after going to the bathroom.

I let Lily try a popsicle today.

That's all I can think of right now. I feel much better...

Next?

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Noah's dog

February 20, 2005, 10:42 am

Noah used to tell me that Sam was his dog and Jack was my dog. Since Sam has always been the better dog, I would act put out and upset that I ended up with Jack. This always made Noah laugh. And he would insist that Sam was indeed his dog.

Noah had a sweet relationship with Sam. If he thought Sam was feeling bad he would cover her up with his special blankie. He did this often to make her feel better.




And sometimes he would put his blanket on her head just to be funny. Sam was always such a tolerant dog.


Noah loves to take picture of Sam and Jack. Here is one of my favorites that he took of Sam:



So I've been crying off and on for the past week and a lot the past 2 days. It really bothers Noah. We have tried to explain to him that Sam is gone. Yesterday I told him that I would miss Sam, and his response was simply, "Yes, but you're not going to cry anymore, right?"

Noah did give Sam one last hug, and then he looked at me and said, "But she's MY dog." And that broke my heart.

But Nathan and I have realized that Noah is really too young to understand the finality of death, and we don't want to upset him. After spending lots of time explaining to Noah that Sam is gone forever, Noah asked us yesterday out of the blue, "So when is Sammy coming home?"

Here is my very favorite picture of Noah and his dog. He requested that I take this picture. He was so excited to have a picture of him and Sam...and of course his popsicle.


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My 6 month babies

February 16, 2005, 9:21 pm

Many people comment when I'm out with the kids that they look "like twins." I do see similarities between the two (big blue eyes, long eye lashes, blond hair, same shaped head), but there are lots of differences too.

Today is Lily's 1/2 year birthday. It's hard for me to believe that she's 6 months old. These 6 months have gone pretty fast, and she is so much smaller than Noah was at 6 months that I have to remind myself of her age.

Check 'em out:


Do you know who is who?

I should hope so!

I miss that huge Noah baby head. Lily seems so petite, but look who she's being compared to (sorry Noah).

So I have been reflecting back on the 6 months and comparing the kids as I always do. They are very different babies. Here are some things I've thought of today:

Lily loves the swing, and Noah could not stand it.

Noah loved the bouncy seat, and Lily doesn't really like it (indifferent really).

Noah didn't like peaches, and they seem to be Lily's favorite.

Noah slept on his back with his arms over his head, and Lily sleeps on her tummy with her arms by her head.

Noah nursed all the time, and Lily nurses just a little...

Noah weighed 21 pounds at 6 months, and Lily weighs 16 pounds (see above).

Noah never bit me while nursing--he didn't get a tooth until 11 months but even then he never tried. Lily doesn't have teeth yet, but she already bites me. Then she laughs. I'm in trouble.

Noah wasn't interesting in solids until 6 months or so, but Lily has been watching us eat since she was 2 months old and loved her first bite of solids at 4 months.

That about covers it. But they do have similarities. They both love baths and water. I could bathe them both every day, and they would love that (Noah likes to bathe multiple times each day). And they both love sweet potatoes as babies, but I can't get Noah to eat sweet potatoes now.

So we'll see how this brother and sister turn out and what personalities develop. We already have a good idea about Noah's personality, but Lily may still surprise us...

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Jason Waterfalls

February 7, 2005, 11:52 pm

My favorite incorrect lyric from Noah is the following:

Nathan and Noah were in the car with the radio on listening to TLC (I'm not sure why) singing "Don't go chasing waterfalls."

Noah said to Nathan, "Jason! This song is about Jason!"

I love it..."Don't go Jason waterfalls."

Then today in the car Noah and I were listening to Uncle Kracker (of course) sing a song with the lyric, "I'm no stranger to shame."

Noah asks me, "Who is shame?"

I respond, "Well, shame isn't a person but a feeling...like if you do something you shouldn't and you feel bad about it."

Noah says, "No, SHANE. That boy that was with my cousin."

I ask, "What cousin?"

Noah says, "Kayla!"

Well it turns out that Noah met a boy named Shane who is a friend of his cousin Kayla...back in November...for about 5 minutes. But somehow he remembered the guy's name and thought Uncle Kracker was singing, "I'm no stranger to Shane."

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Cribbits and Soup

February 6, 2005, 5:25 pm

I'm not proud to say this, but I'm a huge Uncle Kracker fan. I got Nathan an Uncle Kracker cd for his birthday, and it has become mine. And now I have all three of his cds. He looks nothing like the type of singers I usually enjoy, his music has country and rap influences, and he spells his name with a K. Nonetheless, I love his music.

Anyway, I listen to his cds in the car all the time. Noah knows most of the songs, and I get such a kick out of watching him in the rear view mirror as he sings along. He even has his favorite songs which he requests.

But Noah doesn't always get the lyrics right, and one day I was listening to a song that has the line, "I don't need no critics. I don't need no suits. I just need somebody who will tell me the truth."

In the backseat Noah was belting out, "I don't need no cribbits! I don't need no soup!"

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Flying angel

February 5, 2005, 5:41 pm

Last weekend Lily and I went to NYC to visit Janelle and Troy. I had to see Janelle at the height of her pregnancy (she looks fantastic) and attend one of her baby showers (lots of cute tiny baby clothes).

So this meant that I was taking Lily with me as she still depends on me for most of her nutritional needs. Of course this was Lily's first plane trip.

Lily was a minor celebrity on the airplanes and at the airports. At one point I had her on a walkway at an airport and approximately 10 people passed us and all said, "AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW." It was comical. People helped me carry her carseat and stopped to talk and offer advice. I met a man at the Detroit airport named Gabriel who told me his life story and had tears in his eyes as he gazed down at Lily.

Lily was perfect on the planes. She ate and slept. People commented on all 4 flights that they didn't know a baby was on the plane.

And in about 6 weeks Lily and I are flying back to New York to meet my nephew. We can't wait.

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Mmmm Yogurt

February 5, 2005, 5:23 pm

I was sitting at the kitchen table with Noah having a snack. Noah was enjoying some strawberry yogurt. He was looking at the container very seriously, and then he said, "You know what's in this, Mom?"

Mama: "No, what?"


Noah: (Pretending to read the container) "Well, let's see...there's strawberries. Pink strawberries. And milk. And strawberries. And glass. Hmmm (wrinkles nose up). I guess they squeeze the juice out of glass. And cement. And salt. And more strawberries. (Smirks) AND cookies. That's it."

Mama: "Tasty."

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