You know...

You know you're raising your child in the northeast when...
...you sing itsy-bitsy spider and your son stops you and says, 'Mommy, not spid-er.  Spi-dah!'
...having read books about the seasons, your child comments spontaneously on a 40-degree day, 'Mommy, it's spring!' (And sadly, you agree because it does feel downright balmy.)
...your child doesn't miss going outside on rainy days because he's been conditioned to stay indoors for at least 7 months of the year.
...your child thinks you live in a 'FUGE!' house even when it's only ~1600 square feet.

Something to occupy a rainy day...

A little night music

Yum.

Brother brigade

Bad background, dirty faces and clothes, oh yeah.  But the cute cuts through all of that!

Asher is sooooo close to crawling.  He is rocking on his hands and knees all the time.  He also does this amazing move where he extends his arms all the way and then pushes up onto his toes, with his bum in the air, so all that's touching the ground is hands and toes.  It's just a matter of getting some arm and leg movement coordinated now.  He's also starting to tip over from sitting when he wants to grab something just out of reach. 

We are in a time of good brother relations for the moment.  Owen is mostly loving having a little brother (if you exclude the issue of Asher trying to hold a toy...granted, a large exclusion).  What has been so cute of late is the time just before Asher goes to bed.  Owen, Asher and I head up to Mommy and Daddy's room (where Asher sleeps stopped from being able to see we're sharing the room by a loveseat in front of his crib) and Asher knows what's coming and starts to do whole-body convulsions and squeals with delight.  Then comes the fun...Asher lays on the bed getting his diaper and jammies while Owen jumps like a jackrabbit next to him.  Every time Owen jumps up and then lands flat on his back, Asher lets out the most delicious belly-giggle, and this makes Owen follow suit.  Then, once Asher's dressed, I hold him under the arms, stand him up, and they jump together.  Owen falls, then I lay Asher on his chest so they're face to face, and they get each other giggling til they're nearly winded.  It's adorable.  I hope it's just as fun for the parents of different-gendered siblings, because this budding relationship is something to watch.  All the time now, if Asher is sitting alone in a room for a moment, I will catch Owen going in, sitting next to him, putting his arm around his shoulders and explaining something to him about the world.  Or, giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek.  The only thing better than one uber-cute kid, is two together...when they're getting along ;)

Owen fell on his face somehow today--I didn't see it happen--and not only puffed up his top lip pretty good, but the little bit of webbed skin that is between the top lip and the upper gum pulled off of his gum about 1/8".  It really didn't look too bad aside from a little blood, but Owen was not happy about it to say the least.  But an hour and a McD's milkshake later and he was back to normal.

Mom and Dad are both here now (Mom arrived yesterday), so Owen is enjoying some more Nunu time.  Nunu, however, does not carry butterscotch discs in her pockets.  So Grandpa is still getting plenty of attention, or at least his pockets are ;)  When his treatments are over, it is going to be a lonely house...I really enjoy having the adult company around, and being able to exchange a sympathetic look with him when the chillins are acting up is worth a lot to a harried mom.  But I will gladly give up his company since it will mean an end to this grueling daily infusion schedule...blech.  He is hanging in there amazingly.

Owen and I had a sweet, sweet bedtime tonight.  He just wanted to cuddle and kiss my face and sing and rock.  He has started calling me 'mom' instead of mommy sometimes (seemingly spontaneously) and it is kind of funny to hear.  He is a sweetheart, and it's absolutely awe-provoking to develop depth in this relationship with my own child.  What can possibly top moments when your child opens up to you, talks about things that are on his mind and expresses his love...it's remarkable.  People always sort of reference how these things change with boys when they get older, but I'm going to operate as if that isn't true, and see if it isn't just self-fulfilling prophecy ;)  Not that I guess my 16 year old son should be laying kisses all over my face, but I hope we can still sit and commune in a special way. 

Oh, that was sappy.  But true! 

Glorious day

What a GORGEOUS day.  The weather could not possibly have been better.  We had a wonderful outdoor playdate with most of the Robinsons today, and Owen and Nathan seemed to have fun actually playing *together*, not just side by side.  Kicking the ball back and forth was especially smile-inducing, and a little trampoline bouncing at the neighbors wasn't bad either.  Definite success!

I want to record a little stage that Owen is going through...the question stage.  I think he is mimicking the way adults always ask kids questions.  Isn't it strange that I don't usually say, 'Look Owen, there's a red balloon over there.'  Instead I say, 'Hey Owen, what's that? What color is it? Isn't that neat?'  I suppose I do it in order to get him involved in the conversation and talking to me.  Anyway, now Owen asks these sort of questions CONSTANTLY.  Some of the time he's really asking a question, and quite often he's making an observation in question form.  My whole day is spent listening to...
Mommy, is that bulldozer yellow?
Is that kid very sad?
Is that a big, tall building?
Are we in the grocery store?
Is mommy making supper?
Is that my favorite book?

Oh my, it really is cute, but I have to admit I do tire of the constant stream.  Sometimes I break and start saying, 'You tell me, Owen...*is* the bulldozer yellow??'  But I know he is in a precious stage of sorting out all of this information about the world that he takes in daily.  The other manifestation of his intense power of observation is that I can virtually no longer read him a book.  Just today I realized why reading books to him for the last 2 weeks has been an entirely painful experience for me...I cannot read more than 2 words in a row before he is asking a question about something he sees on the page.  That sounds harmless enough but have you ever tried to read a book to someone only to be interrupted every 3rd word??  It becomes frustrating.  I was not really conscious of it as it was happening, but I've been snapping at him and getting frustrated and losing my temper when we read books because of it!  Today I was finally paying enough attention to realize what was going on and I just stopped reading and we paged through books talking about the pictures and answering questions about the scenes and it was SO much more pleasant.  At some point we'll start reading again and practicing the ability to listen, too, but for now it's fun again to look at books together. 

I do not get enough sleep.  I would be a much better mother if I slept more.  So I'm going to head off to bed now!  But not before mentioning that Asher has been up for hours every night the last couple nights.  Misery!!  If I don't nurse him (and we don't think it a good idea to add night feedings for a 7-mo. old when we are already trying to phase his one feeding out completely) and Reuel doesn't pick him up (which only causes him to fully wake up and stare Reuel in the face rather than go back to sleep), patting him or trying to comfort him in the crib is 100% ineffective...just makes him madder.  So, all we can do is let him find his way back to sleep...amid crying.  It is heartbreaking.  I know in my head that a few nights of this, and he will stop waking up again, but in the middle of it you start to doubt...I really, really hope tonight is the last because I've been dangerously close to picking him up and nursing him extra.  It's so easy in the short term, but we know from Owen (when I did that sort of thing) that he will just keep waking up for it :P  He's headed to the Dr. tomorrow because he's had some never-ending drainage and chest congestion following a cold a looong time ago and maybe some of this night behavior is from a lingering problem.  Just want to rule that out.

Off to bed.

A humdrum house moment

A little video from around the house:  http://vimeo.com/10275198

May I just say that my Dad is one tough nut to crack.  I would not like to see a lesser person try for a day what he is putting up with for many days on end.  I will not embarrass him with too much attention, but whoa.  Let's give credit where credit is due.  'Nuff said.

Ay, ay, ay.

Beautiful spring day today!  We spent the afternoon outdoors.  Asher got his first mouthful of grass, and Owen pedaled (one 'l' or two?) madly around the driveway.  I took Asher inside to feed him and Owen stayed outside to play.  After a while I hear Owen yelling...

'Moooooommy!  MOMMY!  Moooooommy!  Where are you mommy?!!!'
[Mommy ignores for a while]
[Owen runs in]
MOMMY, MOMMY, I NEED YOU!!!!
Owen, I'm a little busy right now.  What do you need big boy?
Mommy, I can't reach the axe.  I need the axe. (Owen is obsessed with all tools, and garage tools are as cool as they come.)
Um, Owen...NO.  Axes are not for boys.  Only Daddy uses the axe.  I'm sorry.
[Frustrated boy decides whether to make a scene, surprisingly decides not to and leaves.]
[Time elapses.  Boy returns.]
Moooooommmy!!!  I need help!
What, Owen?
Mommy, can you reach me the hatchet?

Ok, I don't know the difference between an axe and a hatchet.  Owen probably does at this point.  If he doesn't, has he gotten to the point of trying to get what he wants by finessing vocabulary??  I would honestly not be surprised.  But of course all of that is beside the point.  My 2 year old is asking to play with axes and hatchets when I leave him alone outside.  I think I will have to watch him a little more closely this summer than last, when he wasn't quite so exploratory.  Bummer!

just a couple

I keep FORGETTING all of these gems that Owen is cranking out lately.  I tend to not write *any* down because I can't remember *all* of them.  That's stupid.  So here's a couple from recently.

Owen's new adjectival phrase used frequently to describe things he finds especially exciting:  'big, giant, amazing.'
As in, 'Mommy, where are Daddy's big, giant, amazing earmuffs?'  'Mommy, those big, giant, amazing cookies are so yummy!'

Tonight at bedtime--
Mommy are you a husband?
No, Owen I'm a wife.  Only boys are husbands.  Daddy is a husband. 
I want to be a husband.
You can be a husband when you grow up and find a girl to marry!
Reuel:  Where are you going to find a nice girl to marry Owen?
Owen:  In the garage.
Reuel:  Really?  Where did you say you would look for a girl to marry?
Owen:  Yeah, I'll look in the garage.

After returning from a morning out with Grandpa:  'Mommy, Gwampa and I went on a...secret adventure! [jumping up as high as he can while telling me].  We ate lunch together and we went playing!!

Mommy, look how big my hands are!  They got bigger when I was sleeping!  And my arms and my toes and my tongue and my ears and my brain and my tummy and my legs did too!  Asher is still a little baby but I am BIG!

(Turn away, those of delicate sensibilities)
After a day playing out in the late winter (still cold, but not mind-numbingly so), Owen comes in with a drippy nose and arms outstretched in front of him.  I ask him what's wrong with his arms.
'Mommy, my sweatshirt needs to go in the washing machine.  My arms are all boogery.'

A brief Asher update
Asher has really ramped up the social interactivity lately.  As in, he does NOT want to be left alone.  I thought he was pretty differently temperamented than Owen (and he is still to some extent), but lately all the memories are flooding back...what a fusser!  It must be something about my mothering, hmpf.  These days he is happy on his own for 10 minutes, but then the fuss-fuss stops, and just ramps up to a cry if ignored.  If I keep him constantly engaged in something new that he's never seen before he can last longer, but that is just about as much work as picking him up and rescuing him.  So, he's wearing me out more than he did the first 6 months.  But, on the other side of the coin he is super-cute and what a smile and a belly laugh when we play with him!  I've started bathing the boys together thanks to the bath seat Lorin sent for Christmas for Asher, and they are absolutely adorable playing together...Asher just lights up when we go to the bathroom and I start the water.  He LOVES his food.  I don't think Owen ate as much baby food in his lifetime as Asher's eaten in a month.  If you sit him in his high chair before you have his bowl of food prepared, watch out, he will throw a baby tantrum until the first bite is in his mouth.  What's really hilarious is to watch him with his self-feeders (little mesh bags that you can put fresh foods in to let them chew on and not choke).  He starts crying when he sees that you're preparing one for him and acts like he's going to starve if it doesn't get into his mouth IMMEDIATELY!  And if he drops it?  Oh my, the world has come to and end....meltdown.  Methinks this fat infant might not slim down to the same degree his elder brother did ;)  In the vocal development arena, Asher is babbling up a storm and will sometimes mimic sounds I make.  I've started a few signs and he is very attentive to them!  I see him playing with opening and closing his fingers while he's watching and I could have sworn he was making one of the signs I've been doing...but nah, couldn't be.  Motor skills-wise, we're at a plateau.  He's been pushing up on hands and knees for a good, long time, but doesn't move much past that.  He spins in circles, ooches backwards, and if I leave the room, he can somehow manage to move most of the way across the room, but not with a formal crawl.  I think that may be some of the fussiness right now...has the mental capacity to know he wants to MOVE, but hasn't yet gotten ambitious enough to figure out how, just fusses til someone does it for him!  Right now, Asher's sleeping ~5:30pm til 6am (one nursing between 2 and 4am), and two 1 to 1.5hr naps, 9am and 12:45pm usually.  His naps still don't seem like enough to get him through the day quite often, but it's the best we manage to do! 

VT pix

A couple of shots of Reuel after a fresh snowfall in VT at Stowe, skiing with Danny Dig.  He said it was perfect winter wonderland, with every branch and surface coated with snow.  Pretty!

Silence isn't golden...it's white

(Title credits:  Gail Spain)

Well, Owen has his intermittent bouts of self-entertainment, interspersed with bouts of severe mommy-clingy non-independence.  Lately we're in a self-entertaining period, which is pretty nice!  That may be mostly a result of having more people around to do fun things with him and then he doesn't get bored and just start hanging on my leg whining in anticipation of me entertaining him.  The safest independent play seems to involve him going and engaging with a toy or project, and running back and forth every few minutes checking in to tell me about what he's doing, or to get help where he's stuck.  The other type of independent play involves engagement in a task that he knows is probably not endorsed by us, but not so out of bounds that he will get in major trouble.  These playtimes are absolutely the most fun, most engaging ever for him, and whenever they are happening...SILENCE!  A conspicuous lack of Owen-sound anywhere.  This morning Dad and I were at the table after breakfast chatting, Asher was playing in his high chair, and I realized I hadn't heard Owen for a while.  Called upstairs and he was there, and I asked if everything was OK and he said, 'Oh yeah, Mommy!' (his new phrase of late).  As we continued to sit and not hear a peep from him, I knew it was trouble, but chose to enjoy the childcare break anyway.  Then I heard a yelp and ran to see what was up...mouthful of shaving cream.  He was NOT enjoying that part of his little project.  Here's what we found:

Well, it involved some cleanup and a dollar's worth of shaving cream, but I guess I still don't mind a few creative projects here and there (even though I didn't tell him that). 

Owen and naps...nightmare.  Done with the crib at naptime, and that's meant no naps for 2 weeks.  He was about to fall over exhausted today but did he fight his nap as much as ever...YES!  Tooth and nail.  Finally after 2 weeks of losing I won today and got him to sleep by staying with him (I don't think he'll ever do it on his own again at this point).  Of course, as soon as that was all over I came downstairs and now Asher woke early and is crying.  Will he wake up Owen?  Ah well, life with little ones.

A couple more great pictures taken by Reuel:

Long time no blog...Asher video

We've been immensely enjoying my parents' and Deb's visit while they were checking out medical facilities and programs here in Boston.  What joy to be all together under one roof (except for Deb having to sleep on the couch...how wonderfully tolerant she is).  The reason my Dad is here STINKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, but we are so glad that we get to spend 2 months with him here while he gets treatment in the city and looking forward to that part a whole, whole lot.  Maybe he can even lend us some parenting wisdom as he gets to experience the circus every day along with us...  (Oh wait, I don't want my kids to turn out like me!!  Maybe we should steer clear of his advice...ha!) 

Quickly spliced together a few clips of Asher this evening, for the viewing pleasure of any interested parties:
http://vimeo.com/9993920

Sending prayers up for my Dad for not-too-bad side effects tomorrow and following!!