Also big enough for the Bumbo.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
the head and the heart
Last night we saw The Head and the Heart at a free Celebrate Brooklyn concert in Prospect Park. It. Was. Awesome. They are a really fun group to see live. If you include the two encores, I think they performed their entire album. Here are a few (okay, a lot) of my favorites via YouTube:
Cats and Dogs & Coeur D'Alene
Ghosts
Lost in My Mind
Down in the Valley
Sounds Like Hallelujah
Rivers and Roads
Are you hooked yet?
Lost in the Trees opened the show. I'm not as big a fan of them as Blake is, but this song is pretty good:
Golden Eyelids
Friday, July 27, 2012
reasons to be happy
1. There's a free concert in Prospect Park tonight.
2. Blake and I are going.
3. But the boys (all three of them) are not because
4. We hired a babysitter.
Which can mean only one thing:
5. Blake and I are [finally] going on a [long overdue] date!
Even Matthew's happy:
What's that? You want an encore? Well, okay.
(If that giggle doesn't make you grin, I don't know what will.)
2. Blake and I are going.
3. But the boys (all three of them) are not because
4. We hired a babysitter.
Which can mean only one thing:
5. Blake and I are [finally] going on a [long overdue] date!
Even Matthew's happy:
What's that? You want an encore? Well, okay.
(If that giggle doesn't make you grin, I don't know what will.)
Thursday, July 26, 2012
middle child
And then there's Caleb.
He hasn't had a birthday recently. He hasn't been to the doctor. While he loves and is fascinated by his baby brother, he certainly isn't Matthew's number one fan. He isn't verbal enough to be saying off-the-wall hilarious things like Garrett. He hasn't been to school yet, and won't start for another year. He isn't constantly checking adorable milestones off his developmental to-do list. He isn't brand new in the family anymore. He isn't a visitor from out of town. And consequently he hasn't been featured much recently on this blog.
But he's here. Oh, he's here. He's just become the Middle Child.
He's having a hard time adjusting to his shifted placement in the family, and Blake and I are having a hard time keeping him from getting lost. His age (he turns 3 next month) isn't helping matters either. His methods of clawing for attention are hard not to notice. He'll wet his pants and forget (i.e. refuse) to do things he proved months ago that he could. He hits and pushes and throws things, yells and talks back, and finds a disturbing sense of pleasure in being blatantly disobedient.
I'm sure that his behavior is not uncommon for a child in his position, but it's wearing me out, and is inhibiting my ability to respond to him appropriately and give him the positive attention he craves. We're running in circles, and digging ourselves a trench that is getting increasingly difficult to climb out of.
He's not always so impossible, though, and when he's in a mood to get attention in a more positive way, he suddenly becomes very charming. Some of his current quirks include a fear of parked cars (which means he must always be walking on the "building side" of the sidewalk, and as such is constantly forcing Garrett to trade places with him as they walk next to me through the neighborhood), and nodding his head in agreement when we whisper to him the lines for his bedtime prayers rather than saying them (this is mostly because he's too lazy/addicted to take his fingers out of his mouth long enough to speak).
While he can be remarkably rude, he can also be pleasantly polite. He recognizes when someone does him a favor and in return favors them with a "dink," which is Calebese for "thanks." He can even be agreeable when he wants to be, like this morning when Garrett instinctively freaked out because Caleb was unknowingly standing in his way and, instead of freaking out in return, Caleb politely moved over and asked, "There. That better, Dahrett?"
He's a surprisingly hard worker -- last weekend at our ward service project he mulched trees with the best of them, long after Garrett pooped out. And he's good at putting his toys away when he's finished playing with them.
He's always aware of his surroundings and will act in such a way as to make the most of any situation. For example, he tunes in closely whenever Garrett gets in trouble and will seize the opportunity to be a schmooze. He also picks up on needs for kindness: when one of his brothers gets upset, the first thing he does is run to retrieve their blanket (because everyone knows that a silky blanket goes a long way in making things better).
And he's incredibly cuddly and jumps at the opportunity an available lap affords. The laps are not always as available as he thinks they are, and sometimes he plops down painfully hard. But I still want to squeeze him tight when it's my lap he chooses so that he knows he's not as lost in the middle as he might think he is.
He hasn't had a birthday recently. He hasn't been to the doctor. While he loves and is fascinated by his baby brother, he certainly isn't Matthew's number one fan. He isn't verbal enough to be saying off-the-wall hilarious things like Garrett. He hasn't been to school yet, and won't start for another year. He isn't constantly checking adorable milestones off his developmental to-do list. He isn't brand new in the family anymore. He isn't a visitor from out of town. And consequently he hasn't been featured much recently on this blog.
But he's here. Oh, he's here. He's just become the Middle Child.
He's having a hard time adjusting to his shifted placement in the family, and Blake and I are having a hard time keeping him from getting lost. His age (he turns 3 next month) isn't helping matters either. His methods of clawing for attention are hard not to notice. He'll wet his pants and forget (i.e. refuse) to do things he proved months ago that he could. He hits and pushes and throws things, yells and talks back, and finds a disturbing sense of pleasure in being blatantly disobedient.
I'm sure that his behavior is not uncommon for a child in his position, but it's wearing me out, and is inhibiting my ability to respond to him appropriately and give him the positive attention he craves. We're running in circles, and digging ourselves a trench that is getting increasingly difficult to climb out of.
He's not always so impossible, though, and when he's in a mood to get attention in a more positive way, he suddenly becomes very charming. Some of his current quirks include a fear of parked cars (which means he must always be walking on the "building side" of the sidewalk, and as such is constantly forcing Garrett to trade places with him as they walk next to me through the neighborhood), and nodding his head in agreement when we whisper to him the lines for his bedtime prayers rather than saying them (this is mostly because he's too lazy/addicted to take his fingers out of his mouth long enough to speak).
While he can be remarkably rude, he can also be pleasantly polite. He recognizes when someone does him a favor and in return favors them with a "dink," which is Calebese for "thanks." He can even be agreeable when he wants to be, like this morning when Garrett instinctively freaked out because Caleb was unknowingly standing in his way and, instead of freaking out in return, Caleb politely moved over and asked, "There. That better, Dahrett?"
He's a surprisingly hard worker -- last weekend at our ward service project he mulched trees with the best of them, long after Garrett pooped out. And he's good at putting his toys away when he's finished playing with them.
He's always aware of his surroundings and will act in such a way as to make the most of any situation. For example, he tunes in closely whenever Garrett gets in trouble and will seize the opportunity to be a schmooze. He also picks up on needs for kindness: when one of his brothers gets upset, the first thing he does is run to retrieve their blanket (because everyone knows that a silky blanket goes a long way in making things better).
And he's incredibly cuddly and jumps at the opportunity an available lap affords. The laps are not always as available as he thinks they are, and sometimes he plops down painfully hard. But I still want to squeeze him tight when it's my lap he chooses so that he knows he's not as lost in the middle as he might think he is.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
three months
Dear Matthew,
Three months of age is a magical time, and you have done some magical things in the last few weeks. First and foremost, you began to smile socially. Though you gave us a few sneak peaks earlier, your best grins arrived right on target for your gestational age, when you were about 10 weeks old. You dole out these prized smiles whenever you are happy, and you are happiest when you are in a fresh diaper (if I want to catch you in action, I need to keep the camera by the diaper basket), as well as when someone talks to you. Following closely on the heels of this milestone, you found your voice, and just behind your contented coos came the occasional sounds of the beginning of your laugh -- you are already very ticklish.
You are developing an intense personality. You grab me and hold on intensely, and you cry and writhe with unspeakable anguish. You find it so difficult to relax, especially while eating when you stiffen straight as a board in my arms. Gas pains rip through your maturing little system, and it hurts to see you so uncomfortable and frustrates me to be unable to do much about it. Your eyes also manifest your intensity. Once you have fixed on an object, you follow it devotedly as whatever it is moves about the room. I especially love when you focus intently on me as I feed you. Whoever said you couldn't truly bond with your baby if you fed him bottles was obviously very wrong. When you are in the mood to be pleasant, you even do that with an intensity that helps me to keep pushing forward. And when after your tummy is full and you look up at me and smile with a preciousness that is beyond words, I'm able to briefly forget all of the hard times.
People have been telling me more lately that you look so much like Caleb, and so long as I'm able to get past those cheeks, I have to agree. You act like him as well. You like what you like and are stubbornly inflexible. Like Caleb, you never truly figured out the binky and so, like Caleb, you have opted for your always-available fingers. You've chosen your thumb, and the more hand-mouth coordination you gain, the more of a champion thumb-sucker you become.
Every day with you and your brothers is an adventure, and most of the time I feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants. But despite that we've been able to establish some semblance of a routine, thanks in large part to the fact that you've done so much growing (you've already doubled your birth weight!). You sleep almost entirely through the night, waking only once sometime between 5 and 7 to eat, and then you fall back asleep for a short time more. We've also been working on securing a regular afternoon nap in your own bed, but aside from that, your downtime consists of catnaps wherever you find yourself overcome with exhaustion and is usually at the mercy of your brothers.
Matthew, I love you -- intensely. Your father loves you, too, and so do both of your brothers. Keep those smiles coming!
Love,
Mama
Friday, July 20, 2012
interpreter
Do children understand each other better than adults understand them? I sometimes think that they might. Garrett is often correctly interpreting things that Caleb has trouble verbally communicating to us, and sometimes Caleb clears up some of the more difficult to comprehend things that Garrett says.
But it's not just actual talking that they attempt to interpret. This morning Garrett got really excited when Matthew started cooing. "Mom!" he called to me from the other room. "Mom! Did you hear that? Matthew said 'hello'!"
While I could hear the coos as well as Garrett's excitement, I wasn't there to actually witness their "conversation," so for all I know Matthew could actually have been attempting to greet his brother, in his own infantile and otherwise incomprehensible way.
But then again, perhaps Matthew's coos really were just vocalized sounds coming out of his mouth because when, a few minutes later, Garrett caught him cooing again, he called out to me, "Mom! Matthew's talking again! He said he wants to go to the Fire Museum! And the Children's Museum! He wants to do that -- that's what he say!"
Obviously Matthew's verbalization skills are grossly undeveloped at this point, and apparently Garrett's listening comprehension skills are also still maturing. Or, more likely, his ability to interpret is heavily influenced by his own desires.
But it's not just actual talking that they attempt to interpret. This morning Garrett got really excited when Matthew started cooing. "Mom!" he called to me from the other room. "Mom! Did you hear that? Matthew said 'hello'!"
While I could hear the coos as well as Garrett's excitement, I wasn't there to actually witness their "conversation," so for all I know Matthew could actually have been attempting to greet his brother, in his own infantile and otherwise incomprehensible way.
But then again, perhaps Matthew's coos really were just vocalized sounds coming out of his mouth because when, a few minutes later, Garrett caught him cooing again, he called out to me, "Mom! Matthew's talking again! He said he wants to go to the Fire Museum! And the Children's Museum! He wants to do that -- that's what he say!"
Obviously Matthew's verbalization skills are grossly undeveloped at this point, and apparently Garrett's listening comprehension skills are also still maturing. Or, more likely, his ability to interpret is heavily influenced by his own desires.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
his number one fan
For admission into Matthew's Fan Club, applicants must:
1. Spend their free time in Matthew's face talking in a high pitched baby voice.
2. Ask him where his "smiler" is at any opportune moments throughout the day.
3. Chant "You're the best baby ever," even when he gets fussy.
4. Quickly fetch things like new diapers, burp cloths, and any number of other necessary items as needed. Also take finished bottles back to the kitchen sink and dirty diapers to the garbage without having to be asked twice.
5. Play with or comfort him whenever Mom needs someone to "help Matthew be happy."
6. Share their toys, even if he doesn't know what to do with them yet.
7. Be willing to alter their schedule in favor of his at a moment's notice.
Garrett happily does all of these things and more, which is why, in addition to his high-ranking membership in the club, he is also
Matthew's #1 Fan.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
slurp
Free Slurpee Day, 7-11-2012
The special 7.11 ounce cup is the perfect size for two thirsty little boys on a hot July day.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
more doctor visits
For a group of people who have not been sick, our family sure has had a lot of doctor appointments lately. They've been well visits and follow-ups, mostly, with one that was prescribed for investigative purposes.
Yesterday I took Garrett in for his 5-year well check-up. The highlight for him was, oddly, getting to give a urine sample. The highlight for me was hearing that he continues to grow just fine. The low point for both of us was making sure he was up to date with his shots for Kindergarten. At least now he's done with vaccines until he turns 10. He passed his eye exam with 20/30 vision, which is fine for someone his age. However, if it doesn't improve over the next year, we'll be visiting an optometrist. (And if it doesn't happen next year, it will eventually; his genetics have already doomed him to be dealt poor eyesight.)
Here are his current stats:
Weight: 38 lbs
Height: 43 inches
He's hovering right around the 50th percentile for both, which is right on par for his growth record. And he's got one more inch of free ridership on New York City public transportation.
To mark his 5-year milestone even further, this morning we discovered that his first baby tooth is loose. I always thought that children lost their baby teeth in a pattern similar to how they grew them, and since Garrett's first tooth didn't sprout until he was about 10 months old, I was sure he wouldn't lose his first tooth until near the end of his Kindergarten year. But now it's looking like he'll start school with a bottom one missing. While I'm a little surprised at this development (and a little sad that the first phase of his awkward years has just about started), Garrett couldn't be more thrilled.
***
You may recall that at Matthew's 2-month appointment, the pediatrician heard a heart murmur. He suspected that it was innocent, or at most something that would correct itself with time. But just to make sure, he referred us to a pediatric cardiologist, who we visited this morning. Matthew was a trooper through both an EKG and a sonogram. The EKG read normally, and even though even I could see and hear the heart murmur on the sonogram, everything is ultimately fine. The doctor was Indian, and it was a little challenging to understand him through his accent, but apparently the cause of the murmur is completely normal -- you can hear it in some kids and in others you can't, and Matthew apparently falls in the former category.
As a part of routine procedure, Matthew's measurements were taken. And oh my, has he grown! Here's where he's currently at:
Weight: 13 lbs 14 oz
Length: 23 3/4 inches
It's hard to believe that this nearly 14 pound hulk was born prematurely 2 1/2 months ago, and such a relief that he is healthy and growing.
Yesterday I took Garrett in for his 5-year well check-up. The highlight for him was, oddly, getting to give a urine sample. The highlight for me was hearing that he continues to grow just fine. The low point for both of us was making sure he was up to date with his shots for Kindergarten. At least now he's done with vaccines until he turns 10. He passed his eye exam with 20/30 vision, which is fine for someone his age. However, if it doesn't improve over the next year, we'll be visiting an optometrist. (And if it doesn't happen next year, it will eventually; his genetics have already doomed him to be dealt poor eyesight.)
Here are his current stats:
Weight: 38 lbs
Height: 43 inches
He's hovering right around the 50th percentile for both, which is right on par for his growth record. And he's got one more inch of free ridership on New York City public transportation.
To mark his 5-year milestone even further, this morning we discovered that his first baby tooth is loose. I always thought that children lost their baby teeth in a pattern similar to how they grew them, and since Garrett's first tooth didn't sprout until he was about 10 months old, I was sure he wouldn't lose his first tooth until near the end of his Kindergarten year. But now it's looking like he'll start school with a bottom one missing. While I'm a little surprised at this development (and a little sad that the first phase of his awkward years has just about started), Garrett couldn't be more thrilled.
Garrett's silly streak has reached a new level: he makes this face whenever I pull out the camera, and he thinks it's hilarious to call people "dude."
***
You may recall that at Matthew's 2-month appointment, the pediatrician heard a heart murmur. He suspected that it was innocent, or at most something that would correct itself with time. But just to make sure, he referred us to a pediatric cardiologist, who we visited this morning. Matthew was a trooper through both an EKG and a sonogram. The EKG read normally, and even though even I could see and hear the heart murmur on the sonogram, everything is ultimately fine. The doctor was Indian, and it was a little challenging to understand him through his accent, but apparently the cause of the murmur is completely normal -- you can hear it in some kids and in others you can't, and Matthew apparently falls in the former category.
As a part of routine procedure, Matthew's measurements were taken. And oh my, has he grown! Here's where he's currently at:
Weight: 13 lbs 14 oz
Length: 23 3/4 inches
It's hard to believe that this nearly 14 pound hulk was born prematurely 2 1/2 months ago, and such a relief that he is healthy and growing.
Judging by how often his thumb has found its way to his mouth recently, I think we might have produced another finger sucker.
Friday, July 6, 2012
smiley face
They were a long time coming, but Matthew's social smiles are finally here! They arrived right on target for a baby of his gestational age, which, due to his premature birth, was about a month later than they typically appear in a full-term baby. It was hard to wait for them, and I am overjoyed (and slightly relieved) whenever he gives me that grin. He mostly only smiles when I change him, which says a great deal about just how much he loves a clean diaper, and there's something about them that make him look even more like his brothers than he already did. They certainly brighten my day as much as they brighten his face.
midnight train from georgia
They didn't take a train, and they arrived in the middle of a Monday afternoon, but even so, my brother Riley, came up from Georgia to spend the week with us in Brooklyn with his wife, Chelsea, and their daughter, Chloe in tow. Even though it was cramped in our tiny apartment and the heatwave we're currently riding just about did us in, we had a great time. On Tuesday we rode the Staten Island Ferry for views of the Statue of Liberty followed by a visit to the 9/11 Memorial. On Wednesday they joined us on our treks to New Jersey for barbecue and Coney Island for fireworks. By Thursday we all crashed in an exhausted heap, only making it out in the morning to play in the nearby playground sprinklers.
For those of you who know Riley, you know that he has a dominant personality. He kept me in stitches most of the time with his spot-on impersonations (his imitation of Garrett is particularly fantastic) and storytelling (his recitation of Dumb and Dumber for those, like me, who still haven't seen it, was probably funnier than the movie itself). And even though she is much, much quieter than her husband, I was able to learn a little more about Chelsea (or "Aunt Katie," as Garrett kept accidentally calling her) beyond her impressive ability to put up with Riley on a daily basis, like, for example, she really loves to read. We should swap book lists sometime, Chelsea!
And there's Chloe -- Queen Chloe. She is a hoot. I hadn't seen her since she was about three months old and now, at 17 months, she totally rules the roost. She has entered one of those difficult toddler phases that entails a lot of screaming. One night at dinner, in response to one her meltdowns, Garrett said, "Um, I think it's time for Baby Chloe to go home now."
But in spite of the screaming, she is adorable. She makes the most hilarious stinky face. And it was so hard not to laugh at her ability to get lost and anxious every time she found herself in our teeny tiny hallway. I suppose that, despite the itty bitty square footage, it can make for a daunting fork in the road for someone who still isn't walking yet.
Riley, Chelsea, and Chloe at the 9/11 Memorial
Thursday, in a nutshell
For those of you who know Riley, you know that he has a dominant personality. He kept me in stitches most of the time with his spot-on impersonations (his imitation of Garrett is particularly fantastic) and storytelling (his recitation of Dumb and Dumber for those, like me, who still haven't seen it, was probably funnier than the movie itself). And even though she is much, much quieter than her husband, I was able to learn a little more about Chelsea (or "Aunt Katie," as Garrett kept accidentally calling her) beyond her impressive ability to put up with Riley on a daily basis, like, for example, she really loves to read. We should swap book lists sometime, Chelsea!
And there's Chloe -- Queen Chloe. She is a hoot. I hadn't seen her since she was about three months old and now, at 17 months, she totally rules the roost. She has entered one of those difficult toddler phases that entails a lot of screaming. One night at dinner, in response to one her meltdowns, Garrett said, "Um, I think it's time for Baby Chloe to go home now."
But in spite of the screaming, she is adorable. She makes the most hilarious stinky face. And it was so hard not to laugh at her ability to get lost and anxious every time she found herself in our teeny tiny hallway. I suppose that, despite the itty bitty square footage, it can make for a daunting fork in the road for someone who still isn't walking yet.
Queen Chloe
Just when we were all warming up to each other, it was time for them to go home. They headed out early this morning and have two days in the car (with Chloe) to look forward to. It was awesome of them to drive up to see us, and I sincerely hope we get to see them again soon.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
the fourth
We originally had grand plans to trek up to the Jersey side of the Hudson River to watch the Macy's fireworks, but after much consideration (along with an acceptance of the fact that between us we have too many small children to make such a feat enjoyable) we decided to bag that idea and save it for another time. So instead we said goodbye to our friends in the early evening and headed back to Brooklyn where we opted instead to watch the fireworks launched after the Brooklyn Cyclone's home game at Coney Island. The boardwalk was packed with people who made those of us wearing shorts and t-shirts feel incredibly overdressed, and it took a bit of effort to keep our group together. But in the end we found an ideal spot to park our crew and watch the fireworks show. It was no Macy's display, but Garrett and Caleb were still absolutely mesmerized, and even Matthew woke up briefly and watched with his big bug eyes.
Everyone crashed as soon as we got home, and rightfully so. It was a long but fulfilling day. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
announcing matthew
I love the way Matthew's birth announcements turned out. They were another collaborative effort between me and my design-savvy friend, Ashley (I supplied the ideas, she realized them with talent). I wanted to again capitalize on the location of his birth in the design of the announcement, and Matthew's just might rival Caleb's in this regard. His features the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the majesty of whose towers and suspension is something we've developed something of a love affair with in the time that we've lived here. This bridge connects Staten Island with Brooklyn and is a very prominently visible icon in our neighborhood. And since Matthew is one of its newest residents we thought that featuring it in his announcement would be a fun way to announce his birth.
The photos we included along with it were taken by Adam, another one of our talented friends. (He is the same Adam responsible for the family photos we had taken last fall.) On the morning of the photo shoot Matthew was his typical self, which is to say he was pretty fussy. But like I've said before, Adam is a skilled photographer and as such was able to capture some of his brief calm moments. Quite a few of the photos he got of all three boys were so incredibly darling that I just couldn't resist including one of them alongside Matthew's portrait.
The photos we included along with it were taken by Adam, another one of our talented friends. (He is the same Adam responsible for the family photos we had taken last fall.) On the morning of the photo shoot Matthew was his typical self, which is to say he was pretty fussy. But like I've said before, Adam is a skilled photographer and as such was able to capture some of his brief calm moments. Quite a few of the photos he got of all three boys were so incredibly darling that I just couldn't resist including one of them alongside Matthew's portrait.
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