Just Overheard

Me: Guys? Are you cleaning up and putting everything back in the craft jar?
CJP: No, we took a break.
Me: How come?
CJP: We took a break from cleaning up for a few minutes so we could make a mess.
Me: Oh. Okay then.

And then this gem: Cordelia hands me something small, sticky, and yellow.
CML: Can you please throw this away for me?
Me: Um, sure...what is it? 
CML: It's gunk. From my nose.

Puzzling and Chatting

Sister Act

I love this whole series. 

 I can't wait til they BOTH have pigtails! :) 

Emma Elisabeth, one month old

 

Here's Cordelia, in the same onesie...they could be sisters! :) 

One Month(ish)-iversary

* Caveat: I started this post two days ago, on her actual one-month birthday.

Well, we made it to one month! This is when all sorts of wonderful, well-meaning people start saying things like, "Oh, you've made it through the first few weeks. Starting to settle in to your new routine? Hopefully now you're starting to get more sleep!" I sort of pity them, and sort of want to punch them, and also want to cry a little. : ) In my experience, this is the point at which things start getting harder, not easier. The sleep deprivation is more acute and the adrenaline has worn off, so you feel it more. The baby is awake much, much, much more than those first drowsy, quiet weeks. The other children resent and resist you more with each passing day. You finally get them to bed at night, look back over the day and realize you've done....nothing. Not one thing except keep everyone fed, bathed, and alive. This produces less of a sense of accomplishment than you might think. And just when you start to breathe in the quiet, the baby starts the customary two-hour crying jag. Things settle down around 11:00...you figure you have til at least 1:30 to sleep...but when you wake up again for the 4:30 feeding you realize that's it for sleep, because Cody will be up in about 45 minutes, and the cycle will begin again. Sometimes it feels funny, sometimes harrowing. And then you remind yourself to keep putting one foot in front of the other, because before too long, Emma will be sleeping through the night and throwing her own special tantrums during the day. : )

Anyway, Jonathan is away for five days for the first of several work/book promotion trips (YAY!!!). My amazing parents came to the rescue this weekend, basically taking over C&C during daytime hours so I can nurse Emma. Which I did 21 times yesterday, and 24 times on Sunday, in case anyone is keeping track on a really cool baby app. Emma has doubled in size, but this is much less satisfying to the rest of us, since the weather has been sucky and so have the children. (If you're reading this and it's 2023, children, know that I still loved you, even if you hated me.) Last night, Emma and I fell asleep around 10:30. At 11:30 Cordelia woke up because, "I'm sad, and I have to pee." I had to put Emma down (she will only sleep if she's being held) to tend to Cora, so by the time I got back down she was crying. We got back to sleep around 12:45. At 1:30, Cody woke up with a stuffed nose. I put Emma down. I went up. He refused to blow it. A scuffle ensued. Then he, too, had to pee. As I was running down to calm Emma I heard, "MOM! The TOILET is BROKEN!" 

This job is awesome. : ) 

But seriously, folks...my parents are awesome. Dad's back in NJ but while he was here Cordelia only had eyes for him -- and Emma opened her eyes for him. Here are a few highlights. 

Just Overheard

So the kids are big into "The Birth of Christ" music -- more on that anon, but it's a lovely contemporary choral work with which they are obsessed. Anyway, one of the lines is "...and of His kingdom there shall be no end/there shall be no end." Cordelia is singing along and I realize she's singing, "And in His kingdom there shall be no ham!/There shall be no ham!"

Also, they call Zacharaiah "the bad guy" because he rejects what Gabriel has to say. It's hilarious. : )

Robbie to the Rescue

 

 Thank you, GT and GR! Because this is officially the longest. Winter. EVER. Bless you!

Today's Dose of Cuteness

...is brought to you by Emma Elisabeth.

  And, gas. 

Rainy Days and Mondays

It's been raining for 6 days, both kids are sick (not Emma so far, knock wood laminate), and it turns out that cabin fever is not a good recipe for helping a 2 1/2 year old adjust to having a sister. She's been struggling. So we are finding happy, normal moments where we can...like baking and demolition! 

Thank you, Grandma Robbie, for sending your Christmas gifts with the understanding that they could be opened on a rainy, icky day in the winter, when we needed a distraction. Boy, did we. And it worked! :) 

These Eyes...

...do open! A lot more often and for longer than a week ago, heaven help us. Well, not always for a long time.

2:20

2:22

2:22.50

 

2:23

2:24 

2:24.50

CML's First Haircut

So, in spite of JVL's vehement, emotional protestations, Cordelia's hair has gotten out of control. It touches her plumber's crack when it's wet. And she hates having it washed, because that means it will have to be combed...ouch. More vehement, emotional protestations. I finally convinced them it was time for Miss Amina to give her a trim. (Naturally, Cody was so thrilled to see her that he got a haircut too, even though he didn't actually need one.)

Cordelia was...displeased. This is the aftermath of her salon hairwash, though which she cried, screamed, and clung to me, wailing, "I need COMFORT!" She was determined not to be a good sport (a theme in our house since 12/27/12).

 

Yet it turned out...it wasn't so bad. Miss Amina had this awesome brush that detangled her hair without so much as a wince. (They sold them. For $13.99. For a child's brush. We bought one. Electric pink.)

 And there were three-way mirrors, so she really got to enjoy the show. 

 Then she had her hair dried for the first time and loved it. Hopsy had her fur dried, too. 

 Then Miss Amina gave her a pretty barrette...

...and yes, she could be a child model. If only we lived in NYC, and I were crazy. 

The best part of all was that I gave her my twisty towel, which she can use from now on after her baths. She loved it, and wore it for two hours. ; )