Nora came upstairs with Willis this morning, and I was finishing getting dressed (I grabbed a shower before the kids knew I was awake). When she came into the room, she asked me, "Mom, are you going to sleep all day?"
Do you know what time it was? 6:30 a.m.
Willis didn't even tell her to ask me that.
I heard Nora playing with a little, toy nativity that we have. She was singing, "And wonders of His love, and wonders of His love . . ."
It melts the heart!
Yesterday prior to 1 p.m. was a bit nutty for this moi. I got the kids all dressed and ready, and I loaded them in the car. We went over to Nora's school where Henry and I were able to catch ten minutes of Nora's little Christmas program (which was really neat—she actually sang the songs!). Then, Henry and I had to leave because I had scheduled Henry's 15-month-old checkup for that day (Nora's program was originally supposed to happen on Tuesday).
The wait at the doctor's office is always long (no matter what kind of doctor it is, it seems), so things took a heck of a lot longer than I had hoped. Plus, the doctor discovered that Henry has an ear infection, and it's even possible that Henry has had this ear infection for a long time.
How stinking sad is that? I had no idea. The kid wakes in the night, but I always assumed it was his general crankiness, teething, or the fact that he always seems to be really wet at night any time he wakes. He also never tugs at his ears. He does wipe out a lot, though, and I figured that had to do with his toddler wobbliness and the fact that he runs too fast trying to keep up with Nora.
The doctor did mention that Henry looked pretty healthy otherwise, and the doctor even cracked up as he came in because Henry was just in a diaper (as requested by the nurse) and was running amuck and squealing throughout the exam room. Our boy is up to 32.25 inches in height, and he was 23.12 pounds. What does that mean? I don't know. On the percentile chart thinger, his height is between the 75 and 90th percentile, and his weight is between the 25 and 50th percentile. What does that mean? I don't really know, either.
Oh, and while I was checking out at the doctor's office, Henry ran down the hallway, tripped on his own two feet, and face-planted directly into the wall . . . right before a live, studio audience. He has a perma-bruise on his forehead these days.
We got out of the doctor's office a little before 11, and I had just enough time to drop of Henry's prescription at CVS and spend 20 minutes at the grocery store before I had to get Nora. I didn't get everything I wanted to get, but I think I got everything I needed to get me through at least part of the weekend.
After I grabbed Nora from preschool, I got the kids back home, got their boots and coats off, and then, I remembered that I needed to go pick up Henry's prescription. So, I put their coats and boots back on, and I stuck them back in the car (where Henry arched his back and fought me a bit). I went through the CVS drive-through, and I picked up Henry's prescription. When I got it back home, I read the instructions, and then, I busted open the medicine to see if it smelled as scary as it looked. It did. Acid death. Plus, I noticed that they didn't even include any sort of dispenser with the medication. This was a bit irritating.
So, I called CVS and asked if I could get some flavor put in Henry's medication and get a dispenser. They said it was possible (it's $2.99 for flavor, by the way). The only thing was, I had to be able to get back over there and have it done. I waited until Willis got home, and I ran out to do it right then so I could give Henry his first dose of meds with dinner.
Last night, Henry actually slept through the night for the first time in several months, I think. I don't know if it was the huge morning we had, if it was the medication, or the fact that he's just probably sick. We'll see, I guess. I kind-of doubt that it had anything to do with the medicine—it's really too soon for antibiotics to be kicking in just yet, I think.
So, yeah. This all happened, and we still have close to two feet of snow on the ground. The roads are plowed, but they're not fantastic. It was neat. I was really tired after that morning yesterday, too, so Henry sleeping through the night was highly welcomed. Willis and I also went to bed prior to 8 p.m. last night without any sort of shame (the kids were in bed by 7 p.m., as always). It was a good idea.
There's no way we could be older and have kids. This bizness is exhausting.
Henry doesn't get many posts devoted just to him these days. I guess that's what happens when I'm chasing him around the house, keeping him from death. (You thought I was going to say, "I guess that's what happens when the second baby comes," didn't you?)
He has begun to talk lately, and I just have to get these words down somewhere. (I did it for Nora on here, so I may as well be consistent with this.)
He seems to understand a lot more than what he can say. He answers, "Yeah," or, "No," to questions I ask him, and usually, the answer seems to be appropriate.
He thinks it's pretty stinking funny to do things that his mother tells him specifically not to do. (He seriously gets this wicked, little grin on his face. He also has an evil laugh.)
He loves to hug on his sister AND drive her nuts, and sometimes, he likes to do those things simultaneously. Sometimes, driving her nuts involves penguin-snatching.
He loves to play with cars. He dances. He sings. He plays with the toy kitchen. He loves to love on dolls and stuffed animals. He also likes to make a particular beanie baby kitten "MEOW!"
When he and Nora get chuckling, you can't tell who is who just by listening.
He's really quirky, and likes things just so.
He also likes to wear necklaces. He likes to wear head bands as necklaces, too.
He likes to stand on his head.
He still doesn't really sleep through the night.
He wipes his own nose with tissues or a wash cloth (much like Nora did at that age).
He loves baths—especially with his sister. (It's not creepy or gross yet, people.)
He loves books, and demands that you read them. Like now.
He loves the snow. (And, somehow, I have no snow pants for him, but I do have boots!)
He loves his dad.
He tries to be just like his sister. Most of the time.
He's got some great-sounding baby gibberish, and he gibber-jabbers a lot when he's playing by himself.
He freaks out when something isn't going his way, and he likes to throw things and make huge messes. Nora went through that, too, I think. (When he does this, we always laugh and go, "Henry SMASH!")
He gives hugs. He gives kisses. (He even goes, "Mmmmm," when he gives kisses!)
He has a funny, little strut when he walks, and that's something I hope I'll always be able to recall in my mind whenever I want.
We've been getting some serious snow the past several days. Want to know how much? Check out our photos:
Nora took some pictures a couple of days ago. I thought I'd share some.
Yes. That mirror is gross.
She's probably gathering evidence against Henry here.
He's next to the diaper pail. He's probably about to pull out some dirty diapers.
She made him think better of it.
So, instead, he went into the bathroom and raised heck. I removed him.
Then, he climbed up on my (torn!) office chair at some point.
We went outside, too. I took these pictures.
Henry wanted to shovel.
Nora shoveled the driveway.
He was complaining about his lack of thumbs. (They aren't in the thumb holes.)
That's how much snow we've got.
This was the last shot I could get before the battery died.
They do love them some snow.
We didn't get to make the 18-hour car trip out to Maryland to see my fam this year, so we had our own, little fun at home this Thanksgiving weekend.
They're ready to go get the Christmas Tree (Black Friday) from Garwood.
I couldn't really get them to stop moving.
They're checking out some of the trees at Garwood.
Listening to a guy talk about fishing on Black Friday.
Willis and Henry listen to the same guy talk about fishing on Black Friday. (We got a free bag of apples and a free gallon of cider with our tree purchase.)
The kids climb on some furniture.
My annual Martha Stewart wreath that I make from tree clippings every year. I call it a Martha Stewart wreath because I think Martha would be proud. My horticulture class really came in handy with regard to stuff like this.
Willis reads I Love You, Stinky Face to Henry.
Henry stops to say, "Cheese!"
Post-Thanksgiving coma.
He was double-fisting, and his little eyes were closing.
There's something so sweet and, yet, so sad about a kid passing out at the table.
The stockings are hanged and the tree is up!
This picture was taken shortly after Nora located her missing penguin (3 days). Yes. The penguin she's actually holding is the one that was missing.
He's multitasking. He's also wearing a pink headband around his neck. I don't know. It's his "thing," I guess.
He wanted to wear the back pack, and yet, once he had it on, he still wasn't completely satisfied.
Well, he was a little of the time.
It was darned near impossible to get a photo of him with that back pack.
Back pack. Reading. It all goes together—in more ways than one.
He really gets into reading right now. He's rather vocal. See how serious he is?
I haven't done a Hey, It's Okay Tuesday post in awhile, but today slapped me particularly hard. So, I felt the need to rant it, bullet-style.
Sara and Amber are the ones behind all this, and if you want to know what the heck that means, go take a peek at their stuff.
And, yes. I'm aware that it's Thursday. Live a little.
Hey, It's Okay . . .
To stand there and just blink for an entire minute to absorb the fact that you just shattered a dresser drawer all over the floor—just because you pulled it out a little too eagerly.
To let your kid play with your keys in the store, even if you know you're going to come outside to find that the back hatch is open, the car is unlocked, and the car is (and has been) running the whole time.
To want to kiss an old lady square on the mouth for helping you carry your bags to your car. (I was at CVS, and they have made it impossible to take a cart into the parking lot. So, shopping with wee Henry is a serious challenge if I end up with more than just a few bags. Let's just say, we were exploding out of the front of the store when the poor woman saw me and offered to help.) Isn't it me that's supposed to be helping the old lady, anyway? Sheesh.
To believe in some sort of force that makes people in a fairly empty store stand right in front of what you need. Forever.
To have no idea how your shopping list ended up not in your purse when you specifically remembered to put it in there.
If your 15 month old apparently knows how to bust into the cabinet and get himself a snack. (Henry polished off the remainder of a box of graham crackers this morning while I was fixing that shattered dresser drawer.)
If you practically have a hot flash (of rage) because your dog breaks out of a double-latched gate. (Apparently, our back yard is just not enough. What's more: it has to hurt him when he breaks out. I can't even imagine how he does it without hurting himself. He is not an intelligent creature.)
If the fact that you couldn't find your keys anywhere when you were trying to get your kid to preschool didn't actually stand out that much in the scheme of all the stupid things that happened this morning. (Willis accidentally left them in a sweatshirt in our bedroom. I had to call him to figure out where they were. I had to look up the number to call him, too.)
To go nearly mad because you cannot, for the life of you, find a set of keys (the fact that these keys are missing led to the key disaster of the morning, by the way) and a penguin in your house. And, by golly, they are under this roof somewhere. (Nora keeps whining, "Mommy! Where's my baby penguin?")
If you want to type, "Get a room!" when people profess their love on Facebook.
If you are so excited about actually having tickets/plans/child care to go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 that it nearly hurts. In a good way. I just hope I can make it through the whole movie without having to pee.
We've had a new fridge for about a month. Here's what it looks like. (It's a Frigidaire.)
The one thing about it that has been creeping me out is that it makes a knocking noise every now and then. It literally sounds like someone is knocking on the side of the fridge.
I tried to capture it in a recording. Nora reports on what she hears at the end.
After much research (and an email and a phone call), I discovered that this noise is apparently normal. Who knew? Weird stuff. I guess it's the new technology/refrigerant or something. Huh.
We went to the park yesterday (November 11th!), and I took some pictures.
This is Nora's friend, Brooklynn, from school.
We were trying to get them to pose together, and this is what they did.
Back at home, Willi read to Nora.
It was pretty cute.
While Daddy and Nora were busy, this is what Henry and I did.
He was actually saying, "Cheese!"
He's a serious goof ball, now.
Look at his nose!
We have a pretty good time, all of us.
Gotta run!
