I Thought So!

I re-read my post from yesterday. In it I mentioned that Henry was on the verge of walking.

Yeah.

Yesterday afternoon Henry turned away from the window where he was standing and took his first step into my arms.

It's hard to describe the emotions that come bubbling up from such a feat. In that single step he moved away from babyhood to toddlerhood. With that single step he reminded me that he will be my last baby and he's not going to be a baby for much longer. I'll call him a baby until he is truly walking- not just a step here and there, but now that he's realized that he, too, has this gift of bi-pedal ambulation, he's been all about practicing.

That is, when he's not being pinned by his brother.

I Being Noxious!

We all officially have cabin fever. It's February 23, we've seen the sun maybe twice since November and the kids have taken up Big Time Wrestling as their main hobby.

Our new slogan is "As long as nobody's actually bleeding, it's OK."

Seriously- the kids (remember that they're only 1 and 2) have taken up full-contact wrestling as a way of relieving the constant boredom. Screaming is a common background noise if you call our house.

And before you start thinking of other things to do, bear in mind that we take them outside to play. We go to the mall. And to the pool. And to the park. And we separate them and take them on separate excursions in the afternoon (one of the major benefits of Nate's schedule.) The kids are bored roughly 5 minutes after we return from any outing. We've also bought them new toys and taken them to the library every week. Still they are bored.

Sometimes if Henry is hollering, I'll make eye contact with Ted who is often laying across Henry, pinning him to the floor, and he'll slide off Henry and say to me "Be Nice to your Brother!" And sometimes I'll say to Ted "Quit being obnoxious." He looks at me with pride and replies, "I being noxious!"

Well, yeah- you are being noxious.

Spring is around the corner- the corner is a little farther away than I'd like, but March in Ohio brings the occasional glorious 70 degree day. We'll be able to go to the park and actually use the slides once or twice in March. I can't wait. neither can the kids. Henry is on the verge of walking and I know that chasing them around the park will be a two-person job this summer, but at least we'll be outside. We'll be able to let the kids play in the sandbox on the balcony and run around in the yard. Hopefully the screaming will subside. There's a lot of laughter too- they really do enjoy rough-housing with each other- the screaming is what is trying though.

In the meantime I'll be stuck inside for the most part with the relentless baby and Ted. We'll be watching the snow fall and I'll be peeling them apart when it appears that blood will soon be flowing. Henry will be getting into everything- emptying trash buckets and trying to reach the toilet. Ted will be trying to relieve his boredom.

How will Ted do that? By being noxious.

Sweet Relief

It's been going on for three weeks now, so I am going to commit it to writing.


Henry is sleeping through the night.


In case you didn't hear that, HENRY IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!



Something changed- I have no idea what it was, but Henry suddenly went from waking up 2-4 times a night to a child who sleeps through. I now have my patience and energy back. The bags under my eyes are fading and I've returned to the level of competence I used to enjoy. I am fairly sure that my days of going to the grocery store without a list are behind me, but at least now I am well-rested enough that I don't forget half of the things written on the list that I have in my hand while I shop.

Woo Hoo!

What a Difference a Haircut Makes

Henry transformed from a baby to a little boy yesterday.

The "after" picture isn't great, but it's the best we have at the moment. We'll take him for professional pictures sometime within the next week.