Fearless

Ethanisms

Ethan's verbal skills continue to grow in all kinds of new and interesting ways.  Here's a few fun phrases from recent days.

- "I dreamed last night that there was a tiny grinch in our house trying to steal our Christmas.  But he was a fake grinch and he couldn't get our stuff because he was magnical and he was stuck to the fridgerator."  Magnical meaning magnetic.  Magnet is also pronounced magnic around here.

- Jody: "Ethan, be careful with that Easter Egg Dye."
- Ethan: "Why?  If it spills on the counter is it stayable?"  Meaning, does it stain?

- At dinner, I request that Ethan eat his lentil soup.  He says, "Yum!  It's so delicious.  Can we save it so I can have some tomorrow?"  This is his way of saying that he appreciates my effort and wants to like it but does not actually like it.  I say, "There's plenty!  You can eat your whole bowl tonight and still have enough for tomorrow!"  This is a transparent ploy to get him to eat the soup, to which he replies, "Hurray but ... "

- "Are these re-sposable?"  This means reusable, as opposed to disposable.

- He calls us Jody and Jeremy.  Sometimes when I say "Daddy" he clarifies, "You mean Jeremy?"
 

Big brother love

Ethan is such a care-taker for his little bro.  Examples:

• Tonight when a visitor was trying to comfort Sam, he told her, "You should pat his tummy and tell him "shush" in his ear.  But he might need some boob."
• He picked up the camera today and said, "I'd like to take a picture of cute little Sammy."
• Sam was screaming a few days ago and I was ignoring him for a moment to help Ethan get dressed.  We were clearly all stressed by the screaming and Ethan said, "Just take care of Sammy first!"
• Every morning Ethan rushes in (when the sheep clock wakes up) and immediately insists on climbing into bed with us and Sam and cuddling his little bro.  He wraps his arms around the little nut and covers him in kisses and squishes his cheeks (often too vigorously) and tries to hoist Sam right onto his own toddler belly.  It is so, so sweet. 

Two Sad Kids, Two Half-Mamas

Today was a long day of errands and appointments with a sick Ethan and a fussy Sam, followed by some challenging solo parenting time this evening.  We are approaching the 6 week mark, where bambinos "find their voice" - or their heart-breaking wail, as is often the case.  Don't get me wrong - Sam is easier to comfort than many babies (certainly easier than Ethan) and spends most of the day blissfully sleeping and nursing.  But we are hearing the wail more and more often (especially during the 6-8 PM witching hour) and it makes my hair stand up like nothing else.  When my baby cries, it consumes 90% of my brain, the other 10% left for breathing and standing upright and making sure Ethan doesn't run into the street. 

So tonight, while Ethan is all sick and pathetic, wanting only cuddles, whimpering occasionally, barely eating, and Sam is alternating between screaming my ear off and chewing my nipple to shreds, I am trying to show them both love and comfort with a nearly non-functional brain filled with ringing baby screams.  How on earth do you balance two needy kids?  I feel like I'm doing half of what I want to for each of them.  I keep telling Ethan I can't hold him, color with him, play hide-and-seek with him because Sam needs me.  I keep breaking the shush-bounce-pat ritual with Sam mid-wail to boost Ethan onto the counter (his favorite perch while I'm cooking dinner and he's feeling poorly) or get him a drink or try for a moment to snuggle him and make him feel like I am at least partially present.  I strive to avoid mama guilt always, and trust that I am doing my best in the moment.  But man, I felt like a crazy half-mama for these guys tonight.  Thanks to papa, some boob and a few library books, they are both sleeping now.  Sweet peace.

At home with the boys

 

  

Lego Creations #2

Papa-inspired and Ethan-modified Truck

This little thing...

...it sprays...

...WATER!

R2-D2 inspired robot

An Ethan-built water sprayer truck

Dragon... [Made by Papa]

Early Spring

Despite the fact that is forebodes the coming environmental apocalypse and demise of the habitability our wonderful planet, Jody, Ethan, and I danced while Rome burned and enjoyed the beauty of a week of beautiful weather.

This shirt is a hand-me-down SCORE... but now it appears to be lost!?

These pink boots are the footwear of choice so far this spring... BONUS: Ethan can put them on entirely himself.

Errrrrrr!