First Tooth and Toddler Bed

Wow, it's been a big night at the Peacock Coop.  I don't know why, but for some reason I absolutely HAD TO set up Avery's big girl bed.  Maybe I figured it would be like ripping off a Band Aid - do it quickly and don't make a big deal of it, and it won't be a big deal to her.  She loves it and took to it great, particularly enjoying jumping in it and climbing in and out, in and out, in and out.... and repeat.  She hadn't taken a nap in three days straight, and I thought perhaps the nap era was over, but now that it's a big girl bed, she puts herself to bed.... and my heart breaks a little, missing that sweet weight of our little girl in my lap as I read her bedtime stories.  Surely my snuggling days with her aren't yet completely over.

Meanwhile, Riggs has been having a sleep regression, waking up every two to four hours.  Last night was an every other hour night, and when he woke at 3:30, I told Mike, "Either this is a huge brain blast or teething."  Sure enough, this morning his first tooth has popped out, bottom front left, AND he's pulling up on the coffee table.  Two birds with one stone!  Maybe with the help of a little Motrin, we'll all sleep better tonight.

First tooth and first night in a toddler bed.  I sure know how to pack in the milestones.  

These babies are SO much fun right now.  It's exhausting, hard, heartrending work, but incredible.  Avery is really talking and telling us the most interesting things.  Her vocabulary is huge, and she doesn't bat an eye at four-syllable..... and -letter..... words. Riggs is crawling all over the place, particularly to electrical cords and Dante's food dish.  

 Gosh.  I'm blessed.

Just a few here and theres

I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just start typing.  Right now both babies are napping and Mike's sleeping off the midnight shift.  There's a Diet Coke on the table next to me, surrounded by crumbs from the last brownie.  The washer and dryer are performing their usual hum and tumble in the utility room, and all is right with the world.

We went blueberry picking the other day.  Riggs snoozed in the sling while Avery picked every green blueberry she could find.  

 And Avery adores the zoo.  It was such a hit we decided to buy a family year membership.  Maybe once the kiddos wake up we'll take everybody to the splash pad.  The tiger slide is a big favorite, as was the train.  When we went through the tunnel, Avery insists she wasn't scared, but her eyes became so big you could see white all around the iris.

As I sit holding one or both babies, I hope to have developed the habit of jotting down funny, sweet, good memories (there are so many it's hard to remember them all) on my cell phone to write in more detail.  Here are a few of the latest goings-on:

 - Riggs giggles when we suck out his nose or wipe his face.  He thinks it's hysterical and belly laughs so hard it's difficult to accomplish the task.  Maybe that's all part of his plan.

 - When I ask Avery for a kiss, she always plants a big happy smiling one right square on my lips.  I guess it's because she sees Daddy and me kissing like that, and I don't mind.  My heart melts into a puddle when she then turns to Riggs and says, "Riggs kiss," planting one gently on his head.

 - I have to bathe both kids together.  I could just bathe Avery, but if Riggs is in the bathtub, so must she be. After a few moments of sheer panic on my part, she's proven to be very soft with her brother, and I always let her help me bathe him.  I'll sit him up and hold him while she scrubs his back, and he comes out squeaky clean every time.

 - Avery has an impressive grasp on the English language, but sometimes her enunciation could use a little work.  A few months ago she and I were in the Kroger.  I turned around to find her standing in the seat of the buggy and immediately said, "Avery!  Sit sit sit!" which of course she repeated enthusiastically and loudly... only from her mouth it sounded like "Shit shit shit!"  And of course one of my DAR sisters was right around the corner.  You should hear her say, "fork."

 - She counts too: "One, two, fee, six!"

 - Her favorite songs to sing are Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the ABC song, Jesus Muvs Me, and the Itsy Bitsy Speyter.  She loves "speyters" so much she often asks me to draw one.  There's a worn-out cardboard box in the living room right now with a spider army drawn all over it.

 - And to my surprise, she has memorized several of her board books already, including Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, I'm a Big Sister, I am a Bunny,  Happy Birthday Little Pookie, and Goodnight Moon.

 - The other day Mike was in his underwear, looking for his pajama bottoms.  He leaned over, and Avery's patted his butt with her little hand and in her sweet 2-year-old voice proudly said, "Daddy panties."

 - Riggs contentedly hangs out in my lap or his Moses basket and takes note.

Life as of Late

Oh hey guys.  Guess what.  I had a baby.  It's a boy and his name is Riggs Michael.

We love him.

So does his big sister.  Actually, she's more over-the-moon-completely-enamored-and-infatuated with him.  We're eating it up.

Birth was completely natural and went exactly the way I wanted it.  We arrived at the hospital around 9 AM, and he was here at 10:46.  It snowed that morning, March 2, and it snowed on Avery's birthday as well this year.  Snow on both my babies' birthdays in the year 2013.

It was pretty hard work.  I'm hoping to post the (extremely) detailed story here sometime when both babies are napping again.  You can see more photos taken by the talented Jess Bollaert here:

Life with two has its moments, but most are unbelievably sweet and wonderful.  Avery is coming into her own, has a great vocabulary (including "octopust," "kaynket," and "pantyrolls" instead of ponytails), and has the sweetest, smartest, most clever and funny personality.  The other day she insisted that the dog says "beep," and I could tell in her eyes that she was having a fun time kidding me.  We're working on manners such as yes ma'am, please, and thank you, and potty training is slow but steady.  I almost took a photo of her first, ah, deposit.

 She's incredibly, heart-stoppingly sweet with her little brother, for which I am eternally grateful.

 So many times I've thought to sit down and write about the cute, wonderful, funny, intense things that have happened in the past few months, but as you might imagine time to sit down is rare.  I will try to make an effort, but in the meantime, please know that we're having the time of our lives.

Jaunt to Gulf Shores

We recently realized that in her 20 months on this planet, Avery has never set foot on the beach.  Neither has her daddy, for that matter, and so without further ado, we decided to make a last-minute last-ditch quick trip to the coast for one final summer fling.  

Mike was only off for four days, and we literally wrung every last drop of fun out of those four days as was possible.  He worked Wednesday night, so he came home Thursday morning and slept for a few hours, then I threw everybody in the car and drove straight to Fish River Grill #2 in Foley to have supper.    Since I'd been to Orange Beach with the girls a couple of years ago, I was designated tour guide.  Avery was a doll on the way down and behaved remarkably well during dinner.  Mike had fried oysters, and I had the fried alligator - it might have been our favorite meal that weekend.

 Then we drove on down to #609 in Crystal Towers, our lovely home away from home.  Mike had booked it last minute, and we were lucky enough to have an entire side of the complex all to ourselves.  When we first walked in, Avery and I genuinely said "WOW!" back and forth to each other.  It was awfully cute, and the condo really was that nice.  Avery's room even had its own balcony with views of the Little Lagoon behind us.  The kitchen and living room had huge picture windows of the beach, and the living room and master bedrooms had sliding glass doors that opened to a lovely, wide balcony.  It was perfect.

 The next morning we had breakfast, slathered up with sunscreen, and headed to the beach.  Our first unfortunate surprise: Avery.  HATES.  Sand.  Despises it.  Has absolutely nothing to do with it.  Cannot tolerate the stuff and is quite frankly shocked and horrified that we would even consider walking on it.  The photo below is the ONLY time she took a few steps on the beach, and even that was under duress.

 So the morning was spent with either Mike or me carting the baby around on our hips or sitting in the water with her on our laps.  We headed up to the condo for sandwiches for lunch and a nap for the baby, then headed back down for another try on the beach.  Once again, sand was a no-go for the little monster.  I found myself enormously grateful to Mike for having the foresight to book a place with such a fabulous pool.

 We decided Friday would be our best bet to eat out, so we loaded up in the car and drove a little while Avery took a nap in the backseat.  We decided on the Original Oyster House for dinner but had to take home to-go boxes after an hour and a half wait and complete meltdown from the kiddo.  She had too big of a day and was done.

 Then Saturday we once again went through the sunscreen ritual and headed for the beach.  On the way home, we noticed that though we had a little bit of sun, none of us burned at all.  Mike and I contributed it to our being so careful with Avery.  Friday afternoon I had picked up some little booties for her to wear on the beach in the hopes that would calm her distaste for sand, but no luck.  We were able to distract her fairly well with snacks on our beach mats, so she wasn't literally on top of us the whole time, and she really enjoyed pointing at the seagulls.

For lunch we went to Papa Rocco's for burgers, and Saturday afternoon was spent with the baby taking a nap back at the condo while Mike and I watched Georgia Tech beat Virginia.  It was a really great game.  Then we took a quick walk on the beach, where we took some family photos, and decided on takeout from S&S Seafood Market for dinner.  Wow.  That was right up there with our top favorite places to eat.  I had the creole snapper, and Mike had Greek trigger fish.  The boxes were also piled high with onion rings, hush puppies, and fries.

After Avery went to sleep Saturday night, Mike and I stayed up to watch The Woman in Black, a chillingly terrifying movie with Daniel Radcliffe.  It was the perfect beachside ghost story, and after it was over I just had to go check on the baby.  But I was too spooked to go alone, so armed with a flashlight, Mike and I crept through the condo like two bad little kids ourselves.  She opened her eyes and looked at us as if to say, "What are you crazy people doing?" and we scampered away.

 Sunday morning was spent poolside, which Avery quite adored.  She had a thing about the darker squares on the pavement and wanted to stop and step on each and every one.  Once again, lunch and a nap at the condo, and then we headed to Tanger, where Mike and I bought each other's birthday gifts.  I'm entirely too excited about mine but will have to wait 'till November.

 On our way back from Tanger, we stopped by Bella Luna Pizza for a Mona Lisa with green bell peppers.  Delicious.  We headed back to the condo to pack everything up and settle in for the night, watching the Simpsons just like we do at home.  Then Monday morning we took another quick walk on the beach, and on our way home, we dropped in to Cafe Beignets for breakfast.

It was the perfect quick little getaway, just the three of us, with several life lessons learned along the way.  All in all, it was a happy time, and we can't wait to go back.  Mark Twain said, "I have found that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them," and after this weekend, I'm most certain that I desperately love these two.

An Evening with Sir Elton John

At 8 PM on the evening of Tuesday, September 11, Mike and I joined several thousand close friends at the Coliseum for a sold-out show by none other than Sir Elton John.  The concert was awesome.  At 65 years old, the man still knows how to rock it out, sitting down to that piano and playing it within an inch of its life for over 2 1/2 hours without even breaking a sweat.  I swear, Elton John finds performance just as natural as breathing.  

 Our seats in Section AG were really neat - it was even better than having a backstage pass because there were no seats in front of us, and we had a birds' eye view of everything going on behind the scenes.  We even caught the two cellists taking photos of each other with Elton in the background.  It was the first concert of this tour in the US, so perhaps they were just as startstruck as we were.

I was thrilled to see these two guys perform live, as I discovered them via Pandora months ago and have considered downloading several of their songs.  It was a happy surprise to see them come onstage. After a prelude by the Two Cellists of Smooth Criminal, With or Without You, and Highway to Hell, we watched Elton enter the Coliseum behind the stage, sit at his piano, and start his setlist.

 The photo just doesn't do our seats justice.  We could see Elton's facial expressions as he sang - he tends to raise his eyebrows whenever he opens his mouth really big.  We could even see the backup dancers' shoes.

• 1. Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting 
  2. Bennie and the Jets 
  3. Holiday Inn 
  4. Grey Seal 
  5. Levon 
  6. Tiny Dancer 
  7. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters (This was in tribute to 9/11.)
  8. Philadelphia Freedom 
  9. Candle in the Wind (Mike cuddled up to me during this one.)
  10. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 
  11. Rocket Man 
  12. Hey Ahab 
  13. I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues 
  14. Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding 
  15. Sad Songs (Say So Much) 
  16. Daniel 
  17. Nikita 
      (solo)
  18. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word 
      (solo)
  19. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me 
  20. I'm Still Standing 
  21. The Bitch Is Back 
  22. Crocodile Rock (Elton started this one off with a finger-pop in his mouth, and he made us sing the "lalalaaaaas".)
  23. Encore:
  23. Your Song 

 It was an awful lot of fun, and I'm so glad Mike and I were able to go.  I saw him and his piano - no band - in 1999 and scored his autograph, so this time I was more than happy to watch the crowd from a little more of a distance.

Talking the Talk

Well, Baby Girl has started talking.  I mean, really talking.  So far, like a character in a children's show, she does the kind of communication that only her daddy and I can understand, but she's currently able to give us a fairly clear understanding of what she's trying to convey.  We smell what she's stepping in.

About a week ago Mike kept her while I had my hair cut.  Upon returning, I asked her what she & Daddy did.  She responded with her version of "moo," which never makes it to the "ooooo" part - it's just a big, long, loud, "MMMMMMM!"  Somewhat shocked, Mike said they had just been reading a book with a cow in it.

This afternoon she insisted on taking one of her books to bed with her as she took a nap.  I watched on the video monitor as she read to herself.  Though I couldn't see the book, I knew which page she was "reading" from the sequence of moos, quacks, snorts (that she literally makes through her nose), barks (oof oof! She has a little stuffed dog that she named Oof Oof.), meows, squeaks, etc.  Our current favorite books are Little Blue Truck, Goodnight Gorilla, and I am a Bunny.

So we know the kiddo CAN communicate.  And perhaps more importantly, she can understand.  Her pediatrician asked if she would retrieve a book from her room if we asked her to do so.  I said yes, but the rest of the story is that her action depended completely upon whether or not that activity agreed with her current agenda.  Like an old dog, she tends to have selective hearing.  At 20 pounds, 10 ounces and 32 inches long, she's still in the 25th percentile for weight and 75th for height, so I suppose she's taller & skinnier than 75% of her peers.

Oh, the teeth.  Her canines have given us worlds more troubles than the 1 year molars ever did.  Her pediatrician took one look at her and prescribed Tylenol with Codeine.  Yikes.  But I have to admit to resorting to its use once in a while, and only at night, when there are no distractions from the pain.

You know, like helping Mama work out....

The kiddo is into everything.

And really enjoying her new wardrobe from her Auntie Asher.  Apparently she inherited the dancing-on-the-table gene from her mama.

Though she has no set bedtime, our nightly ritual is to brush teeth, wash face, put on a clean diaper & onesie, and read a few books.  Then I turn out the lights, and we rock, cuddle, and nurse while I sing our lullaby, Till There Was You, say the Lord's Prayer and Now I Lay You and put her to bed.  But is that when she goes to sleep?  Oh no.  After that Mike and I turn on the video monitor and sit back to watch the Avery Show, in which she rolls around, flails around the bed, makes her nest, and snuggles and settles in, a process that often takes up to an hour.  For instance, I put her to bed at 8:30 tonight after she rubbed her eyes for the second time.  It's 10:13 as I type, and she just settled in for a late summer's nap.

Maybe I should put her to bed with books more often.....

18 Months

Dear Sweet, Baby Girl,

18 months ago today we were cuddled up in a twin-sized bed with Daddy.  You were in my arms, snoozing away, and Daddy and I were watching an episode of The X-Files on my cell phone.  Full from my Wendy's fried chicken sandwich combo with a real Coke, I fell asleep and snoozed on Daddy's shoulder.  It was a lovely rainy afternoon, just the three of us.  

Since then, you have grown into such an independent, intelligent, CURIOUS, sensitive, charming, impish, sweet, whirlwind of activity punctuated by naps.  You have figured out how to open the back door, but fortunately you can't do it if the deadbolt is locked.  This is very frustrating for you.  Though you don't actually speak much, you have your own language that only I can understand.  "Da!" is either Daddy or goodbye, and you blow kisses like an American Indian gives a war cry.  You wave goodbye to everybody, but your favorite time of day is when Daddy comes home.  You grab my index finger and lead me, running, to the front door.  I have to hold you and Dante back until he has the vehicle parked.  Then you run out to greet him, and he gives you his coffee thermos to carry inside for him, which you do with glee.

 We have bought an annual membership to the MS Children's Museum, and right now your favorite exhibit is the Storytime one, in which you can explore some of your favorite books like Peter Rabbit and Clifford.  We still go to the pool, but lately you like playing around the concrete apron more than jumping in.  That might be because it's so hot lately the pool feels more like bathwater.  We took you on your first boat outing up the Pearl River a couple of months ago, and though you adored the wind in your hair, you weren't so fond of the life jacket or the sand.  You have never met a shoe you didn't like, and now you're actually walking around in Mommy's high heels.

 You have become a big helper, putting toys away, organizing and straightening, and generally trying to keep things tidy.  Yesterday we opened the mail in the living room floor.  You dumped your blocks out and put the empty envelopes & junk mail into the block box, which was lovely - I just dumped that into the recycle bin.  You like to lead and be led places, and it charms my heart when you grab my index finger to take me where you want to go.  The other day you wanted me to play with you on my cell phone, so you took my finger and touched it to the screen.  Several times a day you come to me with a book in hand, and we usually stop whatever we're doing to take time for a story.

 You still adore electronics, and you regularly find yourself in hot water for messing with things you know you shouldn't, like cell phones, remote controls, cable boxes, and most recently the noise machine in your bedroom.  I've tried to fulfill that urge of yours with electronic toys that you can't mess up, and you generally seem to enjoy that.  Your favorite foods are still corn on the cob, raisins, English peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and anything cheese - cheese nips, cheezy poofs, macaroni & cheese, string cheese.  If you see the cheezy poofs bag, you simply MUST have some, reaching out endearingly toward it and saying "ees?"

Dante delights in playing tug-o-war with you with his favorite toy Foxer.  He'll bring Foxer to you, and you'll pull and pull, and sometimes he'll let you go, resulting in your falling on your well-diaper-padded booty.  This makes you howl with glee and giggles.  You are most ticklish behind your thighs (which aren't so chunky at all anymore and have lost their rolls, only to gain a tan), and sometimes you tickle Mommy back. You make every day bright and happy, and though it's hard to believe, we love you more and more.