Baby On A Swing

Yeah, we're up to here with colds and various and sundry broken appliances, so no, this is not a written post. Anyway, Kevin took the boys to the park last night and got this video on his phone:

He may have a cold, but he still loves to swing. I ask you, is there anything cuter than a giggling baby?

I think not.

Best Laid Plans

Six months ago today Kieran was born in the very room where I am typing this post. I had all kind of plans to do a big half-birthday post today. Then life, as it has a tendency to do, got in the way of those plans.

I wrote this post last September.

Today was carbon copy of that day. Same squirrels, same acorns, same puffy clouds in the sky. The same sick boy. The only difference is that now there's a baby brother who has the cold, too, and now I'm feeling feverish and scratchy-throated. The half-birthday post will have to wait, along with the one detailing how much certain Lemurs love school (oh, I hope he can go Tuesday - I really don't want to be the meanie who makes him stay home!)

Stay tuned - when we are reasonably virus-free around here, I'll post the Six Months of Brotherhood Half-Birthday post.

The First Pun

Liam came running into the kitchen...

"Mommy! Come, Mommy! I have baby cows on the backs of my legs."

Me: "What???"

Liam: "You know, like baby elephants?"

Me: "What???"

Liam (holding out his leg in exasperation): "See???"

And he pointed to the...

Me: "Oh! I get it! You have calves on your legs!"

Liam: "Yeah! It's all a bad joke!"

And then he ran off, leaving me to fret over whether he has inherited my sense of humor or that of my father-in-law.

(Sorry, Pop-Pop.)

Hey, I think The Lemur is a funny guy!

One Way To Pay For College

Liam (who's been attending La Leche League meetings since he was eight weeks old) saw a woman bottle-feeding her baby...

Liam: "Why is that baby not drinking from his mommy?"

Me: "Well, not every mommy nurses her baby."

Liam (eyes wide open): "Why?"

Me: "There are lots of reasons."

Liam considered this for a moment....

Liam: "Mommy?"

Me: "Yes?"

Liam: "You need to go over there and show her how to nurse her baby. Or else you could nurse the baby yourself. I don't think he likes that bottle."

How much do you think I could contribute to the boys' college fund if I signed on as a wetnurse or impromptu lactation consultant?

Mm Mm Mm Mm Milestone!

The last couple of weeks, Kieran has been begging for food whenever he sees us eating. Although he's a couple of weeks shy of six months, we decided to go ahead and offer him some simple foods anyway. It was the right decision. He proved he was more than ready for solids the first night when he grabbed the spoon right out of my hand and stuck it in his mouth on his own. On the first try. And then got mad because using a spoon slows down his dinner. So we opted for Plan B - Baby-Led Weaning.*

We handed him an entire banana. This is what ensued:

"Thank Heaven! Finally someone recognizes that I AM HUNGRY! I will not be trifled with!"

"Wowza, these banana thingies are slippery!"

"OK, OK, I think I've got it...

...mmmmmmmm! Delicious!"

A whole new world is opening up for one starving baby!

**********

*No, we're not weaning in the "stop nursing" sense. We're all about extended breastfeeding over here. Baby-Led Weaning is a method of introducing solid foods in which babies are started with true solids, not purees or mushes. The theory is that if the baby can get the food to his mouth and gum it, then he's better off nutritionally and not at increased risk for choking. And since Kieran has a hissy fit about using spoons as anything other than toys, clearly he's on board with this plan.

The Seasons Meet

The leaves from our redbud trees have started to turn yellow and fall to the ground. I found this one atop summer's last crepe myrtle blooms. Soon all the blooms will be gone. The yard will go from summery pinks and purples to the oranges and reds of fall.

Inspired by this post at Jo(e)'s place.

Two Milestones

He got his first wheels 18 months ago. That trike was fiercely loved, but alas, the lad finally outgrew his first love. This weekend we went bike shopping at a real bike store and brought home this beauty. I would call it a "two-wheeler," but Liam insists it is a "training wheeler." He called his old trike "Thomas." The name of the new bike has yet to be revealed. But the relationship is off to a great start, and despite a couple of falls and one skinned knee, he's been out riding several times a day since he brought his new love home.

Despite weeks of insisting, "I never, ever want to go to school," Mr. Leaping Lemur attended his first morning of nursery school today. He had a good time once he realized that a) the playground includes a rope swing for flying, and b) his teacher was wearing Disney Crocs "just! like! mine! (except mine are yellow)!"

The true test will occur tomorrow as today parents were invited to tag along for the morning. Tomorrow will be the first day with just the children and the teachers, but Liam did say he thought everything would be fine as long as he could wear his Crocs to school. Wish us luck!

Truth From A Three-Year-Old

Liam: "Why does Daddy go to work in the mornings?"

Me: "Because he likes his job and because it earns money for us."

Liam: "Well, see, that's not what he said."

Me: "No? What did he say?"

Liam: "He said he goes to work because the people there actually listen to him."

Me (laughing): "Well, I see...maybe he was talking to himself, or he was joking?"

Liam: "No, I don't think so. You know me, I never listen to anyone!"

One thing I will say for three-year-olds - you'll get the truth, whether you want it or not!

Enter The Sibling Rivalry

Quote 1:

"Mommy, I want you all to myself this day. I think Daddy should take Kieran to work with him."

Quote 2:

(After Kieran let out a series of happy baby shrieks)

"See. Mommy? I'm the big boy and I know how to control myself."

I guess the baby brother honeymoon is over. Yikes.