Destruction Is Exhausting

I took these pictures about thirty seconds ago. There had been a lot of noise upstairs followed by an eerie silence.

Sam had worked so intently at completely destroying his room he simply ran out of energy. He is totally unconscious.

Oh, Sam. Looking at that room makes me want to pass out, too.

Open Wide

Sam had his first dentist appointment today. I've been thinking of nothing but BRINGING MY CAMERA since yesterday. Sure enough, trying to get out the door with two kids made me forget it.

Luckily, that was the worst part of the appointment. Sam was awesome. We had only scheduled an exam as a 3-year-old's temperament is not consistent enough to plan for a cleaning. But Sam was great. He did everything they asked. He rode the chair, opened wide, and kept his hands on his stomach. He did kick the dentist in the head, though. Sam was kind of bent in half in the chair, leaned way back, and the dentist was leaned over Sam's mouth. They were telling him what a great job he was doing and he kicked his leg with glee - catching the dentist directly above his right ear. The dentist said that was a first for him. Whoops.

Sam was such a natural they went ahead with the cleaning. He did that perfectly, too. He was so excited when he got to choose a new toothbrush. He walked out with a whole bag full of toys. I'm not even sure what is in there.

Sam was a great patient and I couldn't have been happier with the office we chose. Proof of how great they are - THEY had a camera!

What A Difference Birth Order Makes

I have spent a lot of time thinking about the differences between Sam and Matilda. It is obvious that they are very different people. I can't help but wonder if that has to do with the way I treat them.

My mom came to stay with me after Sam was born. One afternoon I let her watch him while I attempted to take a nap. It was no use - I didn't know then that I wouldn't sleep for a year - so I wandered out to the kitchen. My mom was washing dishes and I didn't see Sam.

Instantly worried, I said, "Where is Sam?"

"Taking a nap downstairs," Mom said easily.

I was horrified. HORRIFIED. I really believed that the moment Sam slept without someone watching his every breath that he would become a victim of SIDS. Starting to the stairs, I demanded, "Where is he sleeping?"

"On the guest bed," my bewildered mom answered.

I almost fainted. She had put my newborn on a bed. He could fall right off and suffer permanent brain damage. I ran downstairs and snatched up my baby - who had been peacefully sleeping, safely in the middle of the bed.

It's so different for me this time. I am so thankful I haven't gone crazy the way I did with Sam. Matilda is still happily sleeping in her crib without anyone watching her breathe. The best part is when she is sleeping - I'm sleeping, too!

This morning Matilda woke up a bit earlier than I would have liked. I got her out of her crib and brought her into my room. I snuggled her next to me and tried to wake up. Matilda doesn't like being reined in. After a few moments of struggling with her I finally let her go. She happily wriggled and rolled around on the bed. Suddenly - I don't know how it happened - her little body slipped right out of view. She had fallen off the bed!

I calmly sat up and leaned over the side of the bed. I burst out laughing when I saw her. She was lying there, neither hurt nor scared, but looking somewhat put out by the situation. She'd fallen headfirst off my bed and ended up just slightly annoyed.

She's fine, of course. I will definitely keep a closer eye on her from now on - I don't intend to encourage either of my kids to fall on their heads if it's not necessary. Sam has grown up brave and secure in his bubble - and I see Matilda feeling brave and secure with her freedom.

Maybe they're not so different after all.

Getting Around

These pictures, taken about a week ago, were shot as close together as my camera allows. Matilda can cross a room in ten seconds and she's only getting faster. Yesterday she spent most of the day on her hands and knees, crawling backwards. I figure I have a day or two before she'll be crawling forward at top speed.

God, give me strength.

Learning Curve

Matilda was included with some of the festivities last Saturday. She is only six months old so she doesn't yet understand that going to Papa and Grandma's house is a very good thing. That's why she looks less than impressed in these pictures.

She'll figure it out!

Elgin Cheese Days...

...with Papa and Grandma Susan.

Food - Finally!

Matilda was finally given cereal on Sunday night. I waited until we were all home so Eric could take pictures. I didn't do any pictures of firsts with Sam and am feeling the need to make up for it with Matilda.

She of course loved the whole thing. Eating is good.

She looks exhausted, doesn't she? (Thanks, Tali and Joy, for the great highchair! She loves being in it.)

Six Months Old

Miss Matilda Jane is six months old! It usually feels like she has been with us forever, but sometimes I blink and wonder where my baby went.

Matilda had her six-month appointment on Thursday. There were no surprises - she's a healthy baby! We also got the go-ahead to start her on cereal. Sam started cereal at four months but Matilda's doctor suggested we wait until six months, "what with her weight being what it is." Now both her height and weight are in the 97th percentile. She's in proportion! Sam has been between the 95th and 100th percentile his whole life, too.

Matilda at six months old. Look at those two little teeth! The girl is ready to eat!

Quitting Time

Yesterday I took the kids on a quick errand. We weren't gone long and didn't go far from home. It was still enough time for Sam to fall asleep in the car.

Yelling as loud as I could I managed to coax Sam out of the car. He gathered Big Bird and Cookie Monster and headed inside. I got Matilda and my few bags and went in after him. In 20 seconds, he had ended up like this:

Asleep. On the stairs.

I took those pictures and then tried to wake him up. I pulled and shouted and bribed but he was out. I struggled for several minutes, and the best I got was this:

See how he moved down one step?

I finally gave up, decided to call that one step a victory for me, and left him there. He took an hour long nap at the bottom of our stairs - and I had an hour to myself!

Involuntary Snuggling

As I've said, Matilda is a rolling machine. She can almost roll too fast for me to catch her. This morning Sam was on the kitchen floor watching Curious George as I cleaned up. Matilda rolled out of the living room - directly onto Sam. She was mid-roll when her back landed right on his side. Without even blinking he simply put his arm around her and held her.

Sam is Joe Cool...Matilda still isn't quite sure what is going on.

Matilda notices the TV...

...and decides her brother may have a good thing going here.

Truly Happy

One would think I could come up with a more clever way to describe the peace and sense of completeness I feel when I'm around my friends from college. However, every time I am with them I catch myself thinking, "This is how it feels to be truly happy."

My friends are brilliant, hilarious, giving people. I have been blessed by them a million times over. We are in four different states but I think we do a fair job of seeing each other. It is not nearly enough, of course, but they've never stopped making me feel like I was a high priority to them.

We've gone on to advanced degrees, travel, marriages, parenthood, and a few impressively successful careers. It's a far cry from spending every waking (and sleeping) moment together like we did at Waldorf. But somehow we've managed to grow closer instead of further apart.

I love them. I miss them. I am thankful every day for their friendship.

Our group shots require a bit more effort these days. I see that Tali, ever the organizer, is the one asking Sam to join the group. Meanwhile, Beckett is wielding a toy pulled off of Matilda's exersaucer.

L-R: Emilie and Matilda, Tali and Beckett, Ben, Amy and Nolan, Joy, and Sam

I wish someone had told me to sit on the other arm of the chair, and that Sam had been in the shot and cooperating, but otherwise I love this picture. Look at those faces! Truly happy.

Highway To...Well, You Know

Yesterday afternoon Sam, Matilda, and I had a four-hour drive home. We were all on our third day of little to no sleep. We set off on our journey and I told myself to just keep my eyes forward and remind myself that eventually we'd be home.

The kids fell asleep right away and were both out for two hours. When they woke up we stopped for a late lunch. Matilda had a bottle and Sam and I got fast food to go. I was feeling good about our trip. We had an hour left and then Matilda started crying.

She was CRYING-crying. The angry, screaming, vibrato cry of a furious baby. Sam tried giving her a nuk and singing songs. Nothing he did helped her so he started crying. I was so upset and wanted so badly to get out of that car but we were only an hour from home! I thought stopping would just prolong our agony. So forward I went - into road construction.

The four lanes of 90 were down to two. Traffic was slowed to about 45 mph. Completely exhausted, I had to concentrate on keeping my car in the narrow corridor between the orange cones. Matilda continued to scream and then I heard Sam's little voice trying to tell me something.

"What?" I yelled into the backseat, not wanting to take my eyes off the road.

"My food needs to come out!" Sam yelled back. In the rear-view mirror I saw him holding his stomach.

"Sam!" I yelled, still trying to make myself heard over Matilda's screaming. "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?"

"Well, it's okay," he said. "But my food is going to come out."

"SAM!" I said again. "If there was ever a time I needed you to be specific, it is now! What is your food going to do?"

"BARF!" Sam yelled as loud as he could.

I passed the empty fast-food bag back to him. White-knuckling the steering wheel I concentrated on staying on the road as Matilda cried as if her heart was broken and Sam held his face in an empty Burger King bag.

Never again.

And She's Off!

Matilda is a master roller. She can shoot across the living room in ten seconds. She gets her momentum going by heaving her chubby thighs and then there is no stopping her. I am truly amazed by her sense of direction. No matter where she is when she starts she manages to be under the coffee table within three minutes.

I don't have any pictures of the rolling...here she is on a bed!

Hungry Man

It's my own fault.

Sam stopped taking naps the same week he turned 3. I love being with him but I really miss having that break from each other. When it feels like a break is needed I will let Sam watch a show in the kitchen and I'll come downstairs to do something equally mindless. He knows not to bother me during this time.

About 20 minutes ago I set Sam up with a snack and headed downstairs. Five minutes ago I went up to check on him.

Okay, still sitting at the table in his Batman pajamas. Animal crackers in front of him. But - what is this? What is going on with the huge container next to his crackers?

"I'm eating breakbast," Sam explained. He had managed to get himself a trough of cereal. There has to be at least 4 or 5 cups of Cheerios in there. It is nearly as full with milk.

I'm horrified by the wasted food, but really, what am I going to do? There's no saving it now. I just took pictures and let him continue to eat.

The snack I gave him looks pretty insignificant compared to what he really wanted, doesn't it?