No No Drama

It seems that my kids always know when to pull my strings and make me just cringe and get frustrated when I've had a very long day. Tonight, they were both in rare form, fighting for my undivided attention and whining and crying at every whim. I can probably blame it on the weekend of late nights and complete lack of schedule as we visited family out of town. But I think in general Mondays are always rough for all of us. How can I truly expect them to just bounce back after two days of debauchery? Their hesitation going to school and their complete joy when I get them in the afternoons is always the tug-of-war I deal with daily. Maybe it's nights like these that remind me that I need to be a little more patient and to not let their tears get to me so much. Because when I hold them close and they lay their heads on my shoulders and chest, I am reminded that their patience with ME is quite forgiveable and always welcome.

Every little bit

It seems every time I turn the corner, a new bill or expense creeps up. People always told me that when you start having kids, all of your disposable income disappears. But how does this happen? Each month, we pay the bills before they're even due - a la a budget. But then toward the end of the month, right around the time it gets close to payday, we start to count our pennies.

What Is Wrong?

The worst feeling you can ever have as a parent is not knowing what the heck is wrong with your baby. Tonight I had one of those moments shortly after putting Y to bed. We had gone through our usual routine - dinner, bath and a bottle then off to bed. Before he even finished his bottle, he was fast asleep. I thought, that was easy. About an hour later though, our little boy was screaming his head off, standing in his crib as if he had had the worst nightmare of his young life. I immediately picked him up to console him, but he didn't want any of it. He just cried and tossed and turned in my arms. We tried walking and rocking and that didn't seem to appease him either. My head was already killing me and his screams just added on to the blood-pumping ache in my neck and forehead. After 15 minutes of this, he finally laid his head on my chest and let out a delightful, yet hearty belch. A few seconds after that, he let out a mini-burp and all was well. The poor little fella had some pent up gas that just wasn't moving, and he was NOT happy. Good to know sometimes, even when we don't know what to do, that our little ones will promptly let us know, in their own unique ways, that you just have to give it some time.

One Two Step

In what seemed like an overnight reality, our son has started walking. The first few steps were few and far between - he would walk along furniture and let got for just an infstant to take a mini-step. Then he decided out of the blue that he would string it all together and BAM - the walking began.

I don't know seriously how this happened. I mean, I do, but not really. We coaxed him daily, and put things slightly out of his reach to entice him. I knew he enjoyed watching his sister run around him and tease him when she had something that she wanted. He very much enjoyed walking along the couch and reaching for things. But to see his eyes light up when he picks himself up from the ground and step toward you is an amazing sight. He is typically all smiles and wobbly feet - but he definitely enjoys the freedom walking brings.

What began as a one-two step is now a full-on gallop from point A to point B. He sort of looks like an 80-year old man shuffling to get his favorite chair, but his spirit is all baby, with a grin of six teeth to show you his sheer delight.