Growing

Maybe it is Spring heading into Summer, maybe it is being surrounded by children who seem to grow an inch overnight, but I have been thinking of all the growing going on around me lately.



Let me start with Matthew. At his one year check up, the doctor was very concerned that he had only gained ONE pound since his six month check up. In fact, for the "little man" who started at the top of the weight chart when he was born, he is now not even on it. I admit, I was concerned, but I really was thinking that it all had to do with him being sick for practically six months and all the antibiotics he had been on during that time for his ears that, er, gave him the runs (I'm sorry- there is no nice way to describe it!). Anyway, even though our beloved doctor really wanted to go ahead and start running some tests, she decided to give me another month with the condition that I keep a food journal and if he hadn't gained any more weight in a month, the gauntlet would fall.



Well, praise God that last week at the check up he had gained a couple of ounces, which under the circumstances (he had some sort of stomach virus for about 10 days) was acceptable. I am to bring him in again in another 6 weeks and I'm sure he will have gained more weight. After all, as I told our doctor, he eats like a pig! He routinely out-eats Grace, and on a number of occasions has matched what I ate. This is what I had in mind as I am telling her how much he loves to eat:



I admit it, the table doesn't always get cleaned up right away after a meal. There is on occasion a potty emergency, a phone call, or I just get distracted and plumb forget. Matthew has never been one to pass up food, so seeing that he left some on his tray, he decides to help me out by cleaning up for me. I just happened to catch him in the act. Hey, could be worse. He could be eating off the floor again!


This year we decided to finally grow that garden we have talked about since we first moved in five years ago. My Dad and Erik built the frame, Erik hauled in the dirt and added our compost, and then he and Grace bought the plants on a "Daddy date". Have you heard of the book about the $64 tomato? Basically this man starts a garden, and after all the materials, the plants, the dirt, the fertilizer, he figures out that his one tomato cost him $64. I think he got his inspiration from our little plot here:

After all the time and work this project has taken, I'm sure it would have been easier just to go to the grocery store! But it sure wouldn't have been as much fun (well, fun for me- all I had to do was stick the plants in the ground!). And these three were about as helpful as you can see:
Now this is a father's love: he lets his daughter eat the $64 strawberry! :)
Oh, I forgot one last tidbit. Matthew is finally all weaned. I dropped the dreaded evening feeding last week, and he hardly complained. He even let Daddy put him to bed! Now that is an accomplishment for a mama's boy.

And lest you think this is one of those "clever" blogs (like you could be so fooled!) that ends a blog about growing by telling you I am pregnant, let me put your fears at ease. :) I am not! That would fall under the crazy mommy category right now! However, I do have a funny story to end with.

Grace telling Daddy at dinner: "Well, I am going to have a baby in my belly, and Mommy is going to have a baby in her belly."

(Me, side glance to Erik, "No, honey, don't panic, I'm not pregnant!")

Grace: "We are going to have Matthew, me, one boy and one girl." After pausing for just a moment, she says "We are going to need more mommies and daddies!"

Amen to that, sister! I couldn't stop laughing at her perceptiveness!

Anybody need a miracle?

Grace and I had the most hilarious (to me) conversation in the car today. She had been "reading" in her Bible about when Jesus brought the little girl back to life. She informed me that she could bring someone back to life. When I told her that was called a miracle and it was something that only Jesus could do, she still insisted that she could do it. I tried not to laugh, but I also didn't want her to be sacrilegious, so we continued talking about it. Sometimes it just doesn't pay to argue with a kid. The final result was that she decided maybe she couldn't do it now, but when she turned four she could. Um hm.

Future theologian

Grace: "Mommy and Daddy love me."

"Yes, we do!"

Grace: "God loves me too."

"Yes, you are right."

Grace: "But, where is He?"

Ah, the deep ponderings of a 2 1/2 year old. I was wondering when the tough questions would start!

(P.S. Grace just assumes that those who love her most- Mommy, Daddy and grandparents come and dote on her. I'm sure she is wondering when God is going to show up and do her puzzle with her like everyone else!)

The little day

Future and Mr. Josaih Richard :)

The other night I told Grace to go to sleep because we had a big day tomorrow.

"What's a big day?" she asked.

"It's when you have a lot to do or a big place to go," I said.

"How about a little day instead?" was her answer.

Our Big Day started with a 6:00 feeding for Matthew, then shower for Mommy, breakfast for everyone, and then a 9:00 feeding for Matthew. (No wonder Grace is always asking if it is time for Matthew to eat or sleep. That's really all the kid does.)

Then we loaded up the last few items (I have learned to pre-load the car the night before, and have a list of anything else, like drinks, that need to be put in last minute) and headed off to the... ZOO! The plan was to meet up with two of our friends and their kids for a few hours. We have a zoo pass, so I wasn't too concerned if we didn't last long. You see, I had two things against me:

1. Matthew had only taken one bottle before, and was rather particular about which brand, so I didn't have high hopes that he would easily take his second try. And I haven't quite re-learned the knack to nursing in public yet.


2. We don't own a double stroller, so poor Grace was going to walk the entire time. I thought about putting Grace in the stroller and Matthew in the baby carrier, but it was hot and sunny and he doesn't have a hat (note to self- get one!) and I didn't want him to get sunburned. I also didn't think he would sleep in it since he hasn't been carried in it before and will not typically fall asleep in someone's arms.

So off we went. Bless that child's heart- both of them- Matthew took his bottle and Grace walked the entire zoo, never complaining and happy the whole time. And this is Cincinnati, so it is a hilly zoo! We ended the day with ice cream and the kids both promptly fell asleep in the car ride home.

Once home, I transferred Grace to her bed and fed Matthew again. Erik called to say he was stuck at work, and would be home late, as in late. At 6pm I woke Grace up from her nap (hey, she walked a whole zoo for crying out loud!). Turns out she had wet the bed, so we did the world's quickest bath because we were supposed to be at small group at 7:00 and I still had to feed both kids. Grace and I scarfed our mac n' cheese (I told you Erik was still at work so this was my dinner idea) because Matthew had just woken up to eat, again. He decides to take his time with this one, instead of being his characteristically quick nurser, and we arrive at small group at 7:20. Hey, we made it. Grace decides to cry going in with the other kids, and I have pity on the poor kid (hey, she walked a whole zoo for crying out loud!) so she does her sticker book and entertains herself with my purse while sitting with the adults.

At 9:20 Matthew decides he has had enough of his pacifier and would prefer the real thing, and lets the world know by screaming his head off. Grace and I hurry home, to find that Daddy is still MIA.

OK, what does a modern mom do with this dilemma of a tired child past bedtime and screaming infant? Give the toddler a cookie from small group, stick her in front of a 'Mister Rogers' that has been previously recorded on TV and let the baby eat. At 10, we finally head upstairs to get Grace to bed, although she thought watching Mister Rogers with a cookie was fine by her. At 10:15 I have a crying baby again who would also like to be in his bed, and a crying toddler who would like to stay up later and do who knows what. Maybe that cookie wasn't such a good idea.

Enter Daddy, who saves the day, er night, by getting home and taking care of the toddler. Baby goes to bed. Then, Mommy and Daddy get to eat a McDonalds flurry that Daddy picked up on the way home, courtesy of Towers Perrin. We fall into bed sometime around 11. I think I remember Erik talking about something but I was already in dream land.

Yes, Grace, how about a Little Day tomorrow?