*Insert cute picture of the boys in green here*
Let's pretend I made adorable shamrock shaped sandwiches for lunch, died our chicken green for dinner and led Ben on a challenging, educational and super fun scavenger hunt for leprechaun treasure. 'Cause I didn't. We didn't do a darn thing for St. Patricks day because a-I am barely Irish and b-I am not Catholic and don't really know who St. Patrick was. What I did do was feel annoyed at the news making festivities of a holiday none of those drunk on cheap green beer in their "Kiss Me I'm Irish" shirts could recite the origin of.
Then I did an online quiz on post partum depression because I am never this bitter and usually welcome a colour themed holiday with no pressure to make a big meal that requires me to rewash the knives to get the watermarks off. I should LOVE st. Patricks day...it SHOULD be my favorite. Like groundhog day. But, it just isn't.
Easter though...that is another story. And the boys, well hang onto your socks...
hint...they have matching ties...
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Overheard
While I was downstairs I left Jacob in his bassinet upstairs in the family room with Ben. This is what I heard;
"Hi baby Jacob. I am Ben. You are Baby Jacob. We are brothers. You see the firetruck? Here. You see the amleeance? Here. You see the police car? Here. I like all these cars. Yup. I do. I show you these fings. I show you alllllll the fings. Okay Baby Jacob?"
Oh my, the firsts of many moments I wished for are coming daily now. As I imagined them growing together as brothers these are the treasures I will hold close to my heart as the two boys I love fall in love with each other. I hope Ben will always be as loving, compassionate and kind to "his baby" as he is today. I hope Jacob always looks at him with those big blue eyes as awestruck as he does today.
This morning Jacob was crying in the car seat. Really crying. This is a very rare occurrence and I am not sure Ben has even experienced this before that moment.
"Please-a Mommy. Baby Jacob is crying so much. Please-a help him Mommy"!
When I explained that I would certainly help him just as soon as I was able to stop the van he proceeded to explain this softly, sweetly and gently to his brother.
"It's okay Baby Jacob. Mommy is going to get you your Nuby (soother), then you will feel better, okay?"
Jacob stopped crying.
"Hi baby Jacob. I am Ben. You are Baby Jacob. We are brothers. You see the firetruck? Here. You see the amleeance? Here. You see the police car? Here. I like all these cars. Yup. I do. I show you these fings. I show you alllllll the fings. Okay Baby Jacob?"
Oh my, the firsts of many moments I wished for are coming daily now. As I imagined them growing together as brothers these are the treasures I will hold close to my heart as the two boys I love fall in love with each other. I hope Ben will always be as loving, compassionate and kind to "his baby" as he is today. I hope Jacob always looks at him with those big blue eyes as awestruck as he does today.
This morning Jacob was crying in the car seat. Really crying. This is a very rare occurrence and I am not sure Ben has even experienced this before that moment.
"Please-a Mommy. Baby Jacob is crying so much. Please-a help him Mommy"!
When I explained that I would certainly help him just as soon as I was able to stop the van he proceeded to explain this softly, sweetly and gently to his brother.
"It's okay Baby Jacob. Mommy is going to get you your Nuby (soother), then you will feel better, okay?"
Jacob stopped crying.
The Bead.
Ben made a beautiful bead bracelet today at preschool. He chose each bead very carefully and arranged all 5 in a precise order only he was quite sure of. He wore it proudly on his wrist all morning. And into bed.
This is where it gets ugly.
I hear him suddenly cry loudly from his bedroom, where usually he is very happy to be. Because this is so unusual I ran into his room. He was so upset it took him at least five minutes to be able to speak.
"Ben, can you please tell Mommy what is wrong?"
"Nooooot yeeeeet".
we wait. He cries on my shoulder. The snot spot growing by the minute.
"Please Ben, if you can't tell me I will have to put you back in your bed for a minute while I get a kleenex to blow your nose".
"Nooooo Kleenex! The bead might get more stuck!"
WHAT????
There is was. Shoved up as far as it could go, a pretty green bead.
I tried my finger. I tried a cue tip. I tried tweezers. Then I called the Doctor.
I could hear the smile in the receptionists voice.
"A bead you say?"
"Yes a bead. I can't get it".
"How old did you say he was?"
"two".
"mmmmm". (smile)
I know this is a right of passage. I just didn't want to spend my afternoon in the doctors office with bead boy. The Doctor could see him in a hour. Okay I had an hour to work with. I had to call Jon home from work to hold him down (he's little but boy is he strong. I took one kick to the head to know I needed back up).
Smart man that he is, Jon immediately suggested a crochet hook. OF COURSE! It was out in seconds.
"Ben are you ever going to put beads in your nose again"?
"Yes".
mmmm.
- On another note...about ten minutes after our afternoon excitement my Mother calls. Better known as Grammie. As a prelude I need to explain that there was very few limits placed on me as a child. I came and went virtually as I pleased, we triple belted in the backseat regularly, I roamed the neighbourhood, wore skinned knees as fashion statements and had a sibling with a photo album devoted to his broken bones and injuries requiring more than 3 stitches. My mother was not neglectful in the least but she was prone to the attitude of "kids will be kids" and "they have to learn somehow".
Then she had grandchildren.
the sun rises and sets on these children and she can't talk to me on the phone if one of them is so much as whimpering in the background.
"Ohhhhh Jenn, call me back when he isn't crying, I can't hear him cry".
"He's not crying mom, it was a hiccup".
"Ohhhhh it sounded like crying. Call me later".
To exemplify the degree of helicopter grand mothering she exhibits Ben was playing with a bungee cord recently when she was here. As he was swinging it around his head Grammie looked at me in horror.
"Jenn! He can't play with that! Aren't you going to take it from him?!"
"Um no... He's fine mom. What could possibly happen?" I examined the short cord with two blunt peices of soft rounded rubber ends. I still couldn't see the danger in his impromptu lasso.
"Jenn! He could catch his eye with that hook and rip his eyeball out!"
Oh well, other than that of course. (Really, there was NO WAY this was going to happen.)
So I made the mistake of telling her the bead story.
"OH MY GOSH JENN!!!!OH MY OH MY OH MY! IS HE OKAY????"
"Yes mom, he is fine it was just a bead". I made the huge judgement error that she would have found humor in this story.
"Jenn, it is not JUST a bead. Don't you know he could have sniffed it up to his BRAIN!"
"No mom, he could not have. It was too big to go up to his brain".
"Well gee jenn, I don't know. It sounds like it could have been bad. Really bad. Ohhhh my. I have to go now."
Then she hung up.
And here I thought it was just a bead!
This is where it gets ugly.
I hear him suddenly cry loudly from his bedroom, where usually he is very happy to be. Because this is so unusual I ran into his room. He was so upset it took him at least five minutes to be able to speak.
"Ben, can you please tell Mommy what is wrong?"
"Nooooot yeeeeet".
we wait. He cries on my shoulder. The snot spot growing by the minute.
"Please Ben, if you can't tell me I will have to put you back in your bed for a minute while I get a kleenex to blow your nose".
"Nooooo Kleenex! The bead might get more stuck!"
WHAT????
There is was. Shoved up as far as it could go, a pretty green bead.
I tried my finger. I tried a cue tip. I tried tweezers. Then I called the Doctor.
I could hear the smile in the receptionists voice.
"A bead you say?"
"Yes a bead. I can't get it".
"How old did you say he was?"
"two".
"mmmmm". (smile)
I know this is a right of passage. I just didn't want to spend my afternoon in the doctors office with bead boy. The Doctor could see him in a hour. Okay I had an hour to work with. I had to call Jon home from work to hold him down (he's little but boy is he strong. I took one kick to the head to know I needed back up).
Smart man that he is, Jon immediately suggested a crochet hook. OF COURSE! It was out in seconds.
"Ben are you ever going to put beads in your nose again"?
"Yes".
mmmm.
- On another note...about ten minutes after our afternoon excitement my Mother calls. Better known as Grammie. As a prelude I need to explain that there was very few limits placed on me as a child. I came and went virtually as I pleased, we triple belted in the backseat regularly, I roamed the neighbourhood, wore skinned knees as fashion statements and had a sibling with a photo album devoted to his broken bones and injuries requiring more than 3 stitches. My mother was not neglectful in the least but she was prone to the attitude of "kids will be kids" and "they have to learn somehow".
Then she had grandchildren.
the sun rises and sets on these children and she can't talk to me on the phone if one of them is so much as whimpering in the background.
"Ohhhhh Jenn, call me back when he isn't crying, I can't hear him cry".
"He's not crying mom, it was a hiccup".
"Ohhhhh it sounded like crying. Call me later".
To exemplify the degree of helicopter grand mothering she exhibits Ben was playing with a bungee cord recently when she was here. As he was swinging it around his head Grammie looked at me in horror.
"Jenn! He can't play with that! Aren't you going to take it from him?!"
"Um no... He's fine mom. What could possibly happen?" I examined the short cord with two blunt peices of soft rounded rubber ends. I still couldn't see the danger in his impromptu lasso.
"Jenn! He could catch his eye with that hook and rip his eyeball out!"
Oh well, other than that of course. (Really, there was NO WAY this was going to happen.)
So I made the mistake of telling her the bead story.
"OH MY GOSH JENN!!!!OH MY OH MY OH MY! IS HE OKAY????"
"Yes mom, he is fine it was just a bead". I made the huge judgement error that she would have found humor in this story.
"Jenn, it is not JUST a bead. Don't you know he could have sniffed it up to his BRAIN!"
"No mom, he could not have. It was too big to go up to his brain".
"Well gee jenn, I don't know. It sounds like it could have been bad. Really bad. Ohhhh my. I have to go now."
Then she hung up.
And here I thought it was just a bead!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
2 Months Old
Jacob! This is your Mother speaking- STOP GROWING THIS INSTANT!!!!
I took Ben and Jake to a play gym this morning and when I told a woman who asked his age she said "Oh my he is awfully smiley and alert for only 2 months, what a big boy"!
Then I smacked her mouth.
Just kidding. But I wanted to. She put an end to my denial. The squishy newborn was a thing of last week. On a positive note this week brought coos and smiles that melt my heart and make my eyes well up (because as we know I am the suckiest of sucks when it pertains to these little boys).
So here are two facts for two months...
1- Jacob is gorgeous. Seriously not just because I am his Mommy do I say this. I can stare at this kid all day. He is so ....symetrical....so detailed... so cherubic looking, there is just no other way to describe him. Of course even though I know it, I still like hearing it so don't stop telling me. I won't let it go to his head, I promise.
2- What a gentle, sweet little spirit he is. He is so soft and quiet. He rarely makes a peep, very rarely cries and when he does it is a polite little whimper as if to say "I am so sorry to have bothered you, if you get a spare moment I was wondering if I couldn't trouble you for some food..." (in my head he has a British accent...just so you know). I can't wait to see who this little boy grows into!
Oh Jakey... stay mommy's little squishy baby forever. Okay?
I took Ben and Jake to a play gym this morning and when I told a woman who asked his age she said "Oh my he is awfully smiley and alert for only 2 months, what a big boy"!
Then I smacked her mouth.
Just kidding. But I wanted to. She put an end to my denial. The squishy newborn was a thing of last week. On a positive note this week brought coos and smiles that melt my heart and make my eyes well up (because as we know I am the suckiest of sucks when it pertains to these little boys).
So here are two facts for two months...
1- Jacob is gorgeous. Seriously not just because I am his Mommy do I say this. I can stare at this kid all day. He is so ....symetrical....so detailed... so cherubic looking, there is just no other way to describe him. Of course even though I know it, I still like hearing it so don't stop telling me. I won't let it go to his head, I promise.
2- What a gentle, sweet little spirit he is. He is so soft and quiet. He rarely makes a peep, very rarely cries and when he does it is a polite little whimper as if to say "I am so sorry to have bothered you, if you get a spare moment I was wondering if I couldn't trouble you for some food..." (in my head he has a British accent...just so you know). I can't wait to see who this little boy grows into!
Oh Jakey... stay mommy's little squishy baby forever. Okay?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
God Bless Jacob
This past Sunday we celebrated Jacob at church with his Blessing. He is introduced in this way to the congregation and given a prayer of blessings by his Father. Jon did a beautiful job once again.
Mr. Independent
Personal hygiene is a big issue in our home. Ben currently acts as though he is being tortured with such inhumane devices as the hairbrush, nail clippers, shampoo and facecloth. He screams and cries, arches his back and needs at least two parents to assist.
Tonight however...we made big strides.
I caught him trying to cut his own toenails! Huh.
Tonight however...we made big strides.
I caught him trying to cut his own toenails! Huh.
Real Dad's Wear Babies
This is a Moby Wrap...they are great for dad's to experience what pregnancy may have been like as it allows the baby to be worn very close. Well...pregnancy without the other 1000 symptoms and of course removal of the baby is a significantly easier process...
Anyway, Jacob loves it and fortunately Jon is a very hands on (or off in this case...)Dad and will try out all the carriers no matter how "girly" he deems them.
I read an article (yes ANOTHER one...) on how wearing babies stimulates brain development as they are touched a lot more than babies who are not. They cry much less and their needs are met faster. Babies are worn close to their parent for much of the first year of their life and beyond all around the world. They are able to observe from a secure place where they are safe and easily comforted. They have the constant physical contact that they crave and it makes for a very strong bond between parent and child.
In our continent it is not uncommon for a baby to be picked up from their crib, placed in a car seat carrier, placed in the stroller, back in the carseat, home to the highchair for lunch, then the rotation from excersaucer, jumperoo, bumbo and then into the swing for a nap. With all the contraptions available to the busy modern parent makes it possible for a baby to not have to be picked up all day long. Instead of being wrapped in arms they are cradled in plastic. I fear Ben spent more time then I would have liked in his early days with this same common routine, becuase I didn't know of the alternative.
I have worn Jacob from the day he was born and it has proven to be a wonderful transition from womb to world. He is close to me all the time and is always content. He is such a relaxed baby and is free to drift in and out of sleep as he likes. Often I will look down to notice he is awake and wide eyed, taking in the day from the security of my chest. As he is getting older I can tell when he wants to move around more when he starts flexing his legs in the wrap. Recently happy to kick around under his play mat for a while. When he is finished his exercise he lets me know with a little whimper that he is ready to come back to my arms. It is interesting as I learn to follow his cues that he knows exactly what is good for him at what time. He is more aware of what his natural needs are then I am, I simply have to understand his communication. I am feeling like I am being a more effective parent this time with Jacob and baby wearing has been at the root of this.
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