Bathtub conversation

Lucy,

No pictures with this again, but regardless, I had to put this one down in writing for posterity. Tonight, I was giving Sam a bath (possibly because that was the only thing that was keeping him from screaming bloody murder--tonight was not a good night! And funnily enough, he doesn't usually like baths, but tonight, he was calm.) You, as usual, were the big helper (which you have started calling yourself recently, "Mom, I'm the BIG HELPER.") and were trying to wash his tiny body with your hands, so I let you wash his feet. Daddy was encouraging you to play "this little piggy" with his toes, which you have always like to do to our toes. I was washing Sam's body with a washcloth, and you happened to notice his, well...how to put this delicately...male part.

WARNING--THERE IS NOTHING DELICATE ABOUT THE REST OF THIS POST!

You inquired of Daddy and I, "What's that?" I was prepared for this moment, and calmed responded, "That is his penis." And I was planning on leaving it at that. You said, "Oh," paused for a moment, and then said, "I don't have a weenis." Daddy and I looked at each other, stifled a giggle at your very cute pronounciation, and said, "No, you're right, you don't." I again foolishly thought the conversation was over, until you proceeded with, "Ben has a weenis. But I don't have one. And Lydia doesn't have a weenis." You were quite serious, and quite correct, I might add, but it was just too cute to hear those kind of proclamations out of your mouth at almost 32 months old.

You then tried to tickle Sam's "weenis" to which Daddy responded, "We don't tickle boy's penises, Lucy." I'm pretty sure he didn't think he would have to tell you that so early in your life. Ah, the things that we have learned by being your parents. :) And that was that...but I'm pretty sure that this conversation will crack you up when you are older....MUCH older...in the meantime, it gave Daddy and I a much needed smile and a break from Sam's fussing.

love,
Mommy/Mom/Jennie

Nee-ha!!!

Lucy,

You crack both Daddy and I up. You are hysterical! One of your latest exploits was riding the horse in Sam's room. It came from Aunt Christi and Uncle Tom and you were scared of it for a long time, but now you love it. I don't know where you figured out that you were supposed to say "yee-ha" when you were riding it, but you spontaneously started yelling it, and thankfully Daddy had his ipod to record the image for all posterity. However, your "yee-ha" came out as "mee-ha" or "nee-ha", which makes it even funnier.

You amuse us every day. You have a knack of driving us crazy and then sidling up to us and asking in a sweet voice, "Are you happy, Mommy?" And then once you do what I've been asking you to do (over and over again!), you ask me, "Are you happy NOW, Mommy?" I have to give you points for gumption. Happy Friday!

love,
Mommy/Mom/Jennie

P.S. To all you blog readers, make sure you comment. It's nice to know who is reading it, and I'm hoping to hear from you all!

Smiles-they make it all worthwhile...

Sam, you made the last few weeks of sleepless days and rough nights worthwhile with these smiles! I figured it was worth it to share it with the world because it made ME so happy--how could it not inspire world peace? And there you are again...not sleeping. :)

love,

Mommy/Mom/Jennie

Spring has sprung!

I would have some pictures in this post if it were not for my slippery fingers. I dropped our camera and broke the lens! Lucy and Sam, we were finally able to go to the playground for the first time this season/year yesterday evening. After a "dipping" dinner (homemade chicken fingers, oven fries and sauteed zucchini), we headed out to the playground so that Lucy could tackle the slides. We weren't the only ones with that idea--the playground was busy with tons of kids.

Lucy, you had no fear and all of a sudden, I found you at the top of one of the biggest slides there! Last year, you were terrified of the slides and swings, and this year, no fear on the slides. You certainly don't share my aversion to heights. Even Annabelle made a new friend--a boxer/pitbull mix named Jimmy. All in all, it was a great night--it was so nice to get outside.

Sam, you have not been sleeping during the day for more than 20 minute intervals, so when you were sleeping after dinner, we didn't want to wake you up. We instead kept you in your swaddle, strapped you in your carseat/stroller and started our walk! The pediatrician thinks that perhaps your acid reflux is bothering you which is why you wake up 20 minutes into a nap, so we're going to give a few different things a try. In the meantime, I spend my days rocking and swaddling and nursing you in an attempt to get you to sleep!

Lucy, you have started to say, "Mommy, thank you for making dinner!" each night, and it makes me grin from ear to ear. You're also clearing your dishes from the table and insisting on rinsing them. I am not going to argue with that, although you are usually pretty sopping wet after that task.

This weekend, Alie took pictures for us of you guys for us. I can't wait to see them! We were able to go to Faust Park on Saturday afternoon and play with all sorts of new friends--Izzy and Andy, Oliver, Abby and Keira, Mikey and Spencer and Toby. It was quite the crew, and Lucy, you were so excited to play soccer for a little bit! We had cupcakes and cake to celebrate Kelly and Alie's birthdays, and we played all afternoon. It was great! Then that evening, we had to clean you up Lucy--Sam had stayed clean of course, but you had been digging in the dirt and playing everywhere. We also ran into your friend Tyler (from Ms. Sheri's) and Clary, who was photographing a wedding. Lucy, you have been asking about your friends from the park since then!

You can see some of the pictures that Alie took at www.shutterbugdigitalimages.blogspot.com

In the meantime, there won't be any pictures with this post. There are some on the camera that I'm waiting to pull off to post, so this post might get some additional pictures if I can ever upload them.

love,
Mommy/Jennie/Mom

Lots of fun--end of March

Lucy, you insisted upon holding Sam this morning. He wasn't very happy, so you soothed him with, "It's OK. It's OK. It's OK. I'm here! It's OK. Ohhhhhhhhhhh, Sam!" You have also perfected your name--Lucy Iberson. :)

Daddy reading to Lucy while he holds Sam this past week. It's a Max and Ruby book that we found that we got from the Harpers when you were younger, Lucy. You've recently seen Max and Ruby on TV, so you were excited about the book.

Since you've turned one month Sam and since you've turned 31 months Lucy, we've done lots of new things...

We had our Parents as Teachers person over, Lucy--you impressed her, as usual. You love playing the games that Mrs. Leslie brings, and we are so proud of how you knock her socks off. You've finally gotten used to her and really open up when she arrives. It is so cute how you love all of the homemade games and learning tools she brings--you didn't want her to leave this time and gave her a kiss and a hug when she left.

You also spontaneously tell us that you "love" us...it is too cute! And last night, you told Daddy that "he was the best!" I think he just about exploded he was so thrilled.

It is opening day for the Cardinals, so in honor of that, here is a picture of you in your daddy's Cardinals hat (he got it from our friend Gayle when he got his MBA--it is embroidered with Master Baseball Authority--get it?!)

Aunt Denise and Uncle Chris came over for dinner and to meet Sam. Lucy, you were very excited to see them! Great Aunt Teresa and Great Uncle Tom were driving through town and came to meet Sam and hug Lucy--they were so thrilled to see both of you as they only get to see you once or twice a year.Sam, you haven't been sleeping well recently (or really much at all), so this is my reminder of how cute you are when you are sleeping. Let's work on that, huh?

Lucy, you scraped your knee at Ms. Sheri's and are so excited about the sparkly band-aids that we put on it each day. Let's work on you eating breakfast more quickly, OK?! But you are doing a FABULOUS job of going on the potty--we are so proud of you for that! Your sticker chart is exploding with stickers!

Sam--1 month

1 month...you can't eat that cupcake just yet, Sam!!! (Lucy will take care of it for you!)

Yes, your shirt is pink. I like to think that manly men can pull off pink. Your dad can!

Look at your adorable 1 month feet!

This is you after your first bath (for some reason I can't move this picture down like I would like to):

This is what I looked like right before you came and joined our family! Sam, What a month it's been! From your arrival to now, it feels like you have been with us forever. We ALL loving cuddling with you and holding you. I am constantly laughing at your perplexed face that you make all the time, like you're just not sure about this whole gig. You are such a beautiful little boy--I am so in love with you! From the moment you were born crying, you were put into my arms and immediately calmed down. I loved that about you! I hope that throughout your life, you will come to your daddy and I for comfort. Your big sister Lucy loves you just as much as daddy and I do. She is a big help to me with you. I think you guys will be great friends later on in life. It will be interesting to see if you look like your grandpa... or your papa (Big Sam and Little Sam!)... Or someone else like your sister or daddy or me...or just like yourself!

You've had a lot happen in the last month. When we brought you home from the hospital... you were a bit jaundiced, so you had to have phototherapy at home to help get rid of the bilirubin in your system. Lucy did her best to make you feel comfortable on the bili bed, even if you hated it, by sharing one of her favorite dolls with you. It was the doll that Ms. Sheri gave to her for being a big sister! You were only on the bed from Tuesday through Thursday night, but we hated that you were on it because we couldn't hold you all day like we would have liked. You've had a steady stream of well-wishers since you were born, which has been amazing. Tons of people have come to greet and meet you! Mimi came and stayed for a whole week to help out with you and Lucy, and I loved every minute of it! While she was here, you had your first tornado warning (we all went down into the basement until about midnight--both you and your sister didn't want to go to sleep after that), and Aunt Kitty came to visit, as did Aunt Susie. Mimi and Juju babysat so that Mommy and Daddy could get out together for the first time since you were born. You also had another first--a trip to Cunetto's for lunch on Friday before Mimi left! Yippee! Already you are enjoying Italian food. (Well, Mommy was...)

You met lots of new possible friends--Emily, Dan and baby Alex came over, as did Jill, Jesse and Darcy (Lucy loved having her friend over), and Christy, Larry and Marin. Melissa, Steve and Elia came to meet you right after you were born, as did Tony Grillo (in the hospital!)

You have already rolled over from front to back (you hate tummy time!), and you coo at me all the time, which I love. You are now 8 lbs. 2 oz (at your 1 month appointment) and 21 1/4" long (which puts you at the 15% and 45% percentiles, respectively. Your noggin is 35.5, which is at the 10%, which is about where your sister was at this stage). This is you in your Miracle Blanket, which we wish was a bit more miraculous, as you are not sleeping as well as we'd like. But that is a post for another time. Right now, I feed you at 10 p.m.ish, 1:30 a.m.ish, 5 a.m.ish, and then again right when Lucy and Daddy are getting ready to head out the door.

My maternity leave and special time with you is going too quickly! I love you so much.

love,

Mommy

Lucy--31 months

Dear Lucy,
You are 31 months now--time has flown exponentially. There were days when I could not imagine the little girl you'd become, and now those days are here...you are no longer a baby or even a toddler. You really feel like a little girl.

You absolutely have your own personality. Not a day goes by that daddy and I don't look at each other and stifle grins or laughs at some of the hysterical things you say or do. (This is you hamming it up for the camera with your ubiquitous Barbie, which is actually Aurora/Sleeping Beauty. She watches you eat and sleep these days.)What we love most about this last month has been watching you fall in love with your baby brother. You call him "baby Sam" or "baby brother" or "baby brother Sam" all the time, and frankly, you'd spend your whole day holding him, kissing him or reading to him if we let you. You just haven't quite perfected the "gentle" maneuver of holding him properly quite yet, but you're working on it. You have exhibited very little jealousy--you do vie for attention when visitors are here, but by and large, you have been very accepting of a new life in the house. My favorite phrase from you in the last week has been "I know, I know, I know" said in a soothing tone of voice whenever Sam cries. It's what I say to Sam (why do we think we have to validate an infant's feelings?!) when he's upset, but I didn't even realize it until I heard it coming out of your mouth.

You are sick today--you came down with a fever last night, but it hasn't stopped you much. You definitely want to cuddle more than you usually do (which is not saying much as you are not a cuddler) but with a little Zyrtec and Tylenol, you've perked right up. I think the princess chicken noodle soup helped out, as did the juice. You don't normally get treats like that from your culinarily draconian mommy! But today is a special day since we're all home together. Last week you and I went to Dr. Westfall's house for his annual St. Paddy's Day party.

We have been so impressed with how you've potty trained over the last two weeks. In one weekend, you put on big girl underwear and haven't looked back. You wear pullups for naps and evenings, but other than that, you are in underwear. It's impressive!!!! You pooped on the potty today (you have been hesitant to do this, so we're working on it), and you immediately said, "Let's call Papa!" You know, as we all do, that Papa LOVES to talk about poop and would be duly impressed.

You have also LOVED all of the visitors we've had recently, and almost every night ask, "Who is coming to my house tonight?" I think you'll be disappointed when the trail of visitors dissipates.

You've been having night terrors at night, and it breaks daddy and my heart to hear you cry out, so our pediatrician (Dr. Graham, who you love), has suggested that we wake you up an hour or so after you've gone to sleep. It has seemed to help! You still have nightmares, though--the most recent have included the "light" monster and monsters in general. We're trying to teach you to scare those monsters away!

You are very into emotions right now. You can tell when daddy or I are angry with you, and you say sweetly to us, "Mommy, are you happy?" when you know perfectly well that we are not. And then when you do what we ask, you'll say, "Are you happy now?" And then we have to laugh and say yes. You want to know why people in books are scared or happy or mad or sad. You also have a fascination with "who made this", and you're quickly learning that God makes the things that we eat (vegetables, fruits).

You do cute things that surprise us every day. You are a talking machine (hmmmm, I wonder where you get that?), and you say adorable things like, "Mommy, I love you!" or "You're the best!" each day. You like going out to restaurants to eat, but you are equally complimentary of my cooking at home, ("Mom, this is good.")

You are getting big so fast--I can't believe it!

You went to a birthday party this month-the first one not hosted at someone's house. You went to Monkey Joe's and bounced around there. You had a great time, but it took you a bit to warm up to all of the craziness there!

You are into lots of pretend play.
This was one of our favorite videos recently.


Lucy, we love you SO much.

Mommy and Daddy