My Ears Need A Break

Seriously. Wow. Cannot express enough to those of you who have not seen Maddux in the last two weeks just how loud she is. And piercing. And resonating. Her 'new' voice is used in good times and bad, when she's happy or sad. Or bored. Or tickled. Or tired. Or hungry. Or joyful. Do you see a trend? I've seen other 'spirited' babies before. And those with the more loud (or obnoxious, take your pick) babies, I had pity on. I've never heard of a way to teach a baby to NOT use their God-given voice. I've done all the obvious things I can think of: not giving her immediate love/attention in a positive way when she screeches, calmly responding to her in a quiet voice, asking her ever-so-politely to use her "inside voice", like I do with Eli. But she's six months old. So 90% of that 'training' is not going to change her a bit. Until it does, I am starting to look for earplugs. Eli and Lehr will just have to go back to using sign language with me.

Dooom-back!!!

That's Eli's newest word. He went to bed saying it last night and he's used it several times each hour today. This weekend, Grandpa "Head" and Nana (great-grandma) came to visit the kids. Grandpa Ed brought many drums and other percussive instruments for Eli to try out and a few for the kids to keep. Eli now has his very own Doumbek and he loves it! Another great gift Eli received was his very own set of boomwhackers. He had quite a blast hitting his own head with these to make music. After he experimented with all of the new instruments, Eli had his first trip to a drum store. Lehr said it was quite a challenge to keep Eli from touching any and every (expensive) piece of equipment.

Maddux enjoyed all of the drum concerts taking place in our house this weekend. She jumped in her Johnny-Jumper and provided a vocal accompaniment. At several times the noise level was very very loud. It wasn't Eli and the drums that made it unbearable though; Maddux has seriously reached a new level of loudness... Good luck to anyone who is stuck in a small space with her in the near future!

For those that don't know, "Eli" is just his nickname: Eli is actually 'the fifth'. This weekend we had 'the third' (Grandpa Head), 'the fourth' (Lehr), and 'the fifth' (Eli) all drumming on drums in our house.

The Power of Prayer

Quick background: I have a friend who suffered a house fire this week. She lost her dog, whom she loved to pieces, but she is incredibly positive and very grateful that her family is safe because they were not home at the time of the fire.

When I received this news on Thursday, I told Eli and we said a quick prayer. (With a two-year old, everything has to be quick!) Then on our way to walk yesterday morning, I asked Eli to say another prayer with me in the car. Keep in mind, these are short, 'watered-down' (for Eli's sake) prayers. Last night before bed, Eli and I did the usual pre-sleep prayer, thanking God for things like hoops and Elmo. (I did not include my friend and her family at this time.) As soon as we said 'amen', Eli looked at me with a very concerned expression and said "pray. gen. (again) fire." I thanked him for reminding me and we said a quick prayer for the family. Once again, after we said 'amen', he said, "pray. gen. doggie. house burn down." Eli was so serious in all of this. He seemed so concerned about this family and the loss of their dog. I told him that the family includes a little boy his age, so maybe that hit home with him. He kept asking me, "carpet burn down? toys burn down?" Listening to my son pray for a family and show heart-felt concern for their loss brought me to tears. (And as Lehr can tell you, that's not an easy thing to do!) I hope he is always this sensitive towards others!

Random Friday Thoughts

We put a bulletin board up in Eli's room last night. He loved picking out photos of friends to attach to the board. One in particular (he and Cooper drinking water in a restaurant) had him in stitches; he kept telling me, "Cooper funny!!" as he laughed.

Eli is still really sweet to Maddux, but he was a little rough with her yesterday during blanket time. I had her propped up with a toy surrounded by pillows. She can sit upright, but she tends to arch her back and fall down, so I pad her immediate area. At one point, she was on her back, but lifting her head like she was trying to do a sit-up. Eli pushed her forehead back down and gave her a toy. He wants her to play hoops with him though, and he loves to read or sing to her when she's crying. And feeding Maddux is just the cat's meow, as far as Eli's concerned. He'll even name the food: "E-I feed Mannex ah-ca-do?" "Baby eat oat-meel. E-I do it?" This morning he had her in absolute hysterics (laughing, that is) on the way home from our walk. Eli was talking basketball (big shocker) and saying the number "five". (For some reason he thinks his jersey is #5, even though it reads, "08".) Hearing Eli say "ffff-eye-vv" just cracked Maddex up...she couldn't stop giggling!

**Quick Update: Lehr just informed me that when Eli and he went to the Hawks game the other night, Lehr gave Eli a choice between getting the basketball or the jersey for #5 (I assume since Eli is 'the fifth'). Eli chose the basketball instead, which is smart to me considering he got the "8" jersey for free. This is most likely the reason Eli keeps telling me his jersey says "fff-eye-vv".

The Same, Yet Different

Eli and Maddux have SO much in common. And then at times they are so different. In an effort to keep all of their similarities and differences straight, I thought I'd make a list:

Same:
- They both fall asleep unassisted 99% of the time. And they both like to fall asleep in their crib, not being held.
- They both have more energy than they know what to do with. From the moment Eli wakes up, he hits the ground running and doesn't stop until he is nestled in his crib. Maddux is turning out to be the same way. While I'm nursing her at 8AM, she pushes her legs against my leg or the chair constantly, letting me know she is ready to jump NOW.
- They both like their food. Maddux didn't and doesn't nurse long, but she is just efficient, because she's obviously getting the calories. And now that she eats 'solids', she seems to gobble up anything and everything I serve her, much like her brother.
- My favorite: both kids are way happy. 24-7. People comment to me about this all the time too, so it's not just from a Mommy's perspective. (In truth, I see not-happy times, but that's usually due to Eli not getting what he wants, of course.)
- Both Eli and Maddux were born with very little hair, and they stay(ed) that way. Eli was still barely growing hair on his first birthday and it looks like Maddux is following suit. She has a little more than he did at her age, but no where near enough to even think about putting a hair-clip or bow in.
- They both love books. Eli still 'reads' on his own in blanket time, and he loves loves loves to have books before (and after) naptime and bedtime. Maddux seems to really enjoy this too.
- Both kids learned to roll from their backs to their stomachs first. And both refuse(d) to learn to get themselves back on their stomachs, so they whine(d) and complained like a reverse-turtle, stuck in an uncomfortable position until someone assists them. Once I roll(ed) them to their backs, they would immediately flip to their stomachs again.

Different:
- Eli maybe spit-up two or three times in his entire two years of life, and those instances were maybe due to an extra large burp after a meal. Maddux, on the other hand, spits up at least ten times each day (no exaggeration) and there is no telling when or where she will strike. The problem with that lately is she refuses to stay on her back when you put her down. She just has to roll onto her stomach. When she does, she promptly spits up. (This is a warning to anyone who might be watching her in the next year or so. If you put her on your carpet, USE A TOWEL OR BLANKET under her. Otherwise you, like us, will be cleaning your carpet.)
- Eli was never a drooler. When he is/was teething, you'd see a little wet spot on his shirt from time to time, but even that was rare. Maddux is a BIG drooler. Especially now that she's teething.
- Eli didn't really find his voice until six-months or so. Maddux has been a loudmouth since three months. And when I say loud, I mean LOUD. I took her to Publix while Eli was at school this morning and people stopped and stared every chance they got. This girl will not be a wallflower!
- Eli was never a snuggler. He wouldn't fall asleep on your shoulder and he didn't like to be rocked to sleep or held to be calm or anything. Only now that he's a little older does he sometimes cuddle with me when he's tired. Maddux isn't a huge snuggler, but she's much more than Eli was. She likes to fall asleep in her crib too, but I think you could rock her to sleep without too much protest. And she'll snuggle against your chest and such her thumb when the mood strikes her too.

Love and Basketball

For Eli, they are these words are interchangeable because to him, love IS basketball. And last night Lehr loved Eli. He got some last minute tickets for box/suite seats to the Hawks game. He told me around lunchtime, but we decided to surprise Eli at the last moment. Uncle D ended up going with them (I opted to stay home with Maddux so the boys could stay as late as Eli's attention span would allow), which made it even more special for Eli. Lehr said he sat quietly and watched very intently while the game was in play. They gave out free jerseys to kids and, of course, Eli got a souvenir basketball too. It was all Eli could talk about this morning when I got him up for school. He asked to wear his jersey, but given how large it is, we decided the jersey would be for home only.

Times Like These....

They make it all SO worth the struggles! Eli is so good with Maddux 90% of the time. I just came across a picture in my phone from early December: Eli pulled a step-stool up to the exersaucer and was reading a book to Maddux. This happened while I was in the kitchen making dinner, so I almost missed it. Most mornings or after-nap-times, Eli and Maddux will hang out in his crib for a few minutes while I get diapers, shoes, or whatever ready for the next part of our day. He is so sweet to her, rubbing her head and saying, "Hi Baby!" He still can't pronounce her name perfectly, so most of the time "Man-nex" is what comes out of his mouth. Today he read "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" to her while they both sat in the rocking chair. He tried to show her how to drum on the book like he does. And he includes her in his obsession with music too. Before bath time we usually turn on some music and jam. Now that Eli has a guitar and drums, he'll happily give one to Maddie while he uses the other. No prompting to share necessary. Of course Maddux loves Eli too. No matter what he does, she wants to watch and be a part of it. Life is good.

Another Distress Call

Any and all advice welcome.

How do those of you who are or have been parents of toddlers get them to stay in time out? Before the holidays it seemed we were making big progress with this. Eli needed reminding, but for the most part, he'd stay in his corner or on his stair for the two-minute time out without problem. Now it's as though he's never been required to do this before. I know what our parenting philosophy suggests, but it's not working right now, so I'm looking for suggestions. And while I would love to hear from all parents, I'm particularly interested in the 'tricks' for boys. I'm realizing more and more that boys and girls are completely different 'animals', and though girls have their challenges too, I think this is one area I'll struggle with more for Eli than I will for Maddux.

So bring it.....what do you have for me?

Color Me Happy

Eli has been distinguishing colors much better recently. For a long time now, he'd just reply 'orange' if you asked him anything about colors. I know they've been working on this with him at school, so between there and home he's making some connections. The other day, when we saw the horse, I asked him what color it was and he told me, "Horsey. Brown." I asked him if it was orange? Again, Eli said, "No. brown." Then I caught him listing colors and pointing (correctly) to them on a coloring book cover a few days ago. He didn't know I was watching. As soon as I asked him to list the colors again, he played the 'orange' or 'brown' game.

Oga Baby

Eli has started to say words beginning with a "y" or "u" recently, but he uses an "oo" (like "too") sound instead. He runs up to me while I'm cooking each day and says, "Mommy ooze patula?" or "E-I ooze it?" The bizarre looks on people's faces are worth it when he starts talking about oozing...makes me want to reinforce his pronunciation.

Eli's most recent mis-use of the y-sound is "Oh-ga". I recently started back at yoga and Eli loves when I go, just so he can say "oh-ga". "Mommy oh-ga mat is?" "E-I oh-ga?" This morning while Maddux was sleeping I popped in a kids' "oh-ga" DVD so Eli could participate. He wasn't very into actually doing the poses until they got to down dog. He loved that, he could say it, and after a few seconds, he started to walk while in the pose. Strange bird indeed.....

Maddux, The Giant

Maddux had her 6-month well-check with the pediatrician this morning. She did great while the nurse measured her, weighed her, and filled out the paperwork. Even though she was overdue for a nap, she did everything 'cute' in her bag of tricks to entertain and gain attention from the nurse. (Poor, neglected Maddux...no one loves her, right?) My little not-so-little girl weighed in at 16lb. 10oz, putting her in the 75th percentile for weight. If you'll recall, her first week of life had her at less than the 1oth percentile, which meant we had to go to the doctor at 5-days to have a weight check. As for height, Maddux is 27 1/4" long (tall), putting her at (drum roll, please) the 95th percentile! Wow! Considering her mom (me) measures at 5'1" on a 'tall' day, that's saying a lot. If she doesn't even out soon, she'll be taller than her brother before long.

As soon as the doctor came in, she saw Mad Dog bouncing up and down on my lap and said, "You have a Johnny-Jumper at home, don't you?" She could tell that was not the first time Maddux jumped like that! Everything else checked out great. I'm making an appointment with a pediatric eye specialist soon to move forward with correcting Maddux's tear-duct issue. Of course, today and yesterday her eye looked really 'dry', so by the time the appointment rolls around, it'll probably be fixed on its own.

Bobble-Head

My new favorite thing about Eli is his question-asking procedure. He will phrase his request in the form of an Eli-question (Daddy pay hoops E-I?, translated to, Will Daddy play hoops with Eli?), and then he'll raise his eye brows and nod up and down while he waits for an answer. He doesn't nod until he's done asking though, and he will nod until you give him an answer. As if he's trying to telepathically influence your answer. As if he doesn't realize he's nodding. I'm trying desperately to capture this on video as I never want to forget it.

All The Pretty Little Ponies

Eli had an appointment with the orthotic this morning to get a bigger shoe. All is well and he got his bar extended while we were there also. Afterwards we went for a quick walk near the polo fields, where there is always a chance we'll see a few horses from afar. We walked and then met Tyler and his mom for another loop before packing up to head home. Just as I was shutting the trunk, three horses clip-clopped down the street (with riders). I pulled Eli back out of the car and let him watch as they walked by us to the polo field gate. One rider offered for him to pet her horse. Holy Moly was Eli excited!! He barely touched the horse near his nose, but the smile on his face the whole way home was proof that his day was made. (He was so proud of himself; I heard "E-I pet horsey." from the backseat several times before we got home.)

Since I had to wake Eli so early this morning for his appointment, lunch was earlier than usual. We ate as soon as we got home, and given the beautiful weather today (high of 70), we ate on the back porch. Eli loves this and Maddux seemed to enjoy it as well. I took the opportunity to snap a few dozen shots of Maddux, as I haven't done a 'photo shoot' with her in several weeks.

Hey Mike!

I've scoured the internet from Google to imdb to YouTube and back again and I cannot find the clip which spawned this family inside joke Lehr and I have. Sometime after the first Austin Powers movie came out, Mike Myers did an interview (possibly Inside the Actors Studio) during which he told of a story that happened with a fan while shooting the film. The (inebriated) fan kept calling out to Myers, saying "Hey Mike!!" Over and over again, following them for quite some time. Finally Myers gave in and yelled back to him, "WHAT?!?!" Without missing a beat, the fan responded, "Drink beer!" My storytelling is poor at best, but the original telling (per Myers) was so humorous that Lehr and I often have this call and answer whenever beer is present. Apparently we have no shame in passing that on to our kids because now, almost without fail, Eli will say "Hey Mike!" when he sees someone drinking from a beer bottle. Kids say the darnedest things!

Toe Jam

Maddux loves loves loves to chew on her toes. Her favorite place to do that is in the bathtub, as she's lying down at such an angle that her toes are very easily accessible. Last week while the kids were in the bath (We usually put Maddie's tub in the big tub with Eli and they both love it.), Eli saw her doing this and said, "Baby eat toes." And then he lifted up his foot and did the same. You know I've been trying to get a good picture of this, but once Eli picks up his foot, Maddux loses her grip, or vice versa.

Talky Talkerson

Seriously. My ears need a break. I love that Maddux is so happy and always so excited when I get down on the floor to play with her, but seriously. How loud can one (LITTLE!) person be? As usual, she stopped 'performing' when I turned on the camera, but this afternoon Maddux started something new. Now she will move her mouth in different shapes to make different sounds. Up until today, it was usually just her tongue or lips that made different (zerbert-ish) noises. Today she opened and closed several times in one breath to create a 'ya-ya' or 'da-da' sound. And if you're wondering what she is so intently staring at in this video, it's her own reflection in the mirror.

Big Boy

I'm one of 'those' moms now. The ones that use the phrase "big boy" in almost every sentence. Eli has been using his toddler 'tude for the last week since our company left in almost every situation. Yesterday he did it while the kids were eating breakfast. I was feeding Maddux pears and Eli was eating his cereal. Which he always does. Every day. For a year or so now. Of course he wanted me to help him eat his cereal, I'm sure because he saw me feeding Maddux hers. Sometimes I will indulge him a little in this, but he was particularly whiny and not even asking me to help, but rather demanding. So I heard myself say to him, "Eli, I'm feeding your sister because she's a baby and she can't eat by herself. You're a big boy and you can. Big boys also get to play hoops and run bases and cook. Babies can't do those things. Now do you want to be a big boy or a baby?" Lucky for me he chose correctly (this time).

Eli's latest new word is 'trong'. He will pick something up to carry it and tell me, "heavy", as he has for many months now. Then he'll say, "Eli trong." (strong) This morning I carried him out of the Target cart and to the car and he said, "E-I heavy. Mommy trong." Love it. Here's a shot of him flexing his muscles for me.

Picture Perfect

Our day has definitely not been that, but this moment was. Eli and I played hoops in the garage (it was below 30 today) while Maddux took her morning nap. When she woke up, I had Eli do blanket time while I nursed her. As usual, when she finished, I placed her on her blanket (next to Eli) for the remainder of the time left on the buzzer. I came to the computer to check my email and heard Eli talking to Maddie. He was giving her a toy and then she rolled over. Seconds later I heard him move and turned around to find the scene in the picture. How sweet was he to go lie down next to her, in the same position she was in so they could 'hang out'.

Happy 6-Months, Mad Dog!

I can't believe you've already been here for six whole months! Even though the time flew by, you've grown so much in that time. You're wearing 9-12 month clothing (and fitting in it quite well), you're babbling up a storm, you're eating solid foods, and you're rolling over all the time! Your favorite things to do are be with your brother, jump and take a bath, in that order. Any time I place you in close proximity to Eli your face lights up. When I bring you into his room in the morning or after his nap, he asks, "Baby, nigh-nigh?", which means he wants you to lie down in the crib with him to snuggle. You seem to love this as much as he does. Jumping is a full-contact sport when we put you in the jump-n-go contraption downstairs. You bounce back and forth in the doorway for a long time before calling 'uncle'. And bath time means you can reach and eat your toes. Since that is a good thing for you, 7:30PM is one of your favorite times of the day. Even if you are extremely tired, as soon as we put you in the water you become happy and talkative.

You recently learned how to roll from your back onto your stomach; the trick is that you have difficulty rolling onto your back. (The opposite turtle dilemma.) You are oh-so proud of yourself when you roll over and you usually push your head way up into the air, up-dog style.

Maddux, you are an amazingly happy baby and you've won over the hearts of everyone in your family. I love how you snuggle into my neck when you are sleepy; you are sweetness personified! Happy Half-Birthday, big girl!

Read It.

"E-I read it?" "Mommy read it?" I must hear these phrases a dozen times each day. Eli loves to read..always has. But in the last month he's become more into reading for an audience. I'm sure it has to do with his exposure to group reading at school. He'll prop up Elmo or Howie (the doll in the picture) and say "E-I read Elmo/Howie." Then he'll open a book and turn a few pages.

Back to the teeth, as always. Eli's had a better day today, but the last two days were pretty rough on him. I swear if these molars don't pop soon I'm going to call a doctor to see if they can somehow give him a nerve block until the pain goes away. Even eating, which is an all-time favorite activity of Eli's, causes him pain. At least once each meal he takes a bite of something and then frowns and grabs his teeth as he looks at me and says, "Teef hurt!"