Tuesday, October 27, 2009

What's new with Henry and Molly?

  • Henry is quite dramatic and funny. I was helping him in the bathroom recently pull up his underwear. He said to me "Ouch Mommy, you twisted my penis like a pretzel!"
  • He gives long explanations. He always ends it by saying "This is how you do it."
  • He has been trying to teach Molly how to walk. She is a bit of a reluctant student, I think he is a bit exasperated by her. He holds onto the coffee table and says "Mommy, tell Molly to watch me let go." Remember, I am his translator to Molly. And then he walks off. "See Molly? This is how you do it."
  • He has started saying "Oh Dammit!" when he drops something. Since I can't control my laughing, he now says it with a very growling voice. "Ohhhhhh Daammmmmmmmitt." I have tried my best to ignore it and tell him it isn't a nice word. We now have the agreement that although it is very funny, he can't say it around his friends. Quite the role model aren't I?
  • Molly has started trying to bite Henry to ward off his advances. All I can say is that it has been a long time coming!
  • I have had to rescue Molly twice in the past week as she tries to swim underwater in the bathtub. She sputters and chokes and then is furious that I won't put her back in the water. We have a crazy little lady on our hands we think.
  • Molly has a few new tricks at the table. She likes to chew something a few times and then just let it drop out of her mouth. Or, I catch her sitting in her high chair deliberately dropping things on the floor. I guess this is her version of feeding things she doesn't like to the dog.
  • When Molly is done or just bored, she likes to start swinging her arms wildly, sending all of her food flying. She then bangs and hurls her cup for dramatic measure. She also likes to spit out whatever liquid she is drinking, just for fun.
  • Molly now officially cruises the furniture. She has been pulling up and standing for a while, but now she moves her tiny little feet. Over the past few days she has gotten very brave and moves from object to object.
  • Unlike Henry at this age (and still) she plays very well by herself. She crawls from room to room and entertains herself. Sometimes I have to go looking for her. She takes any opportunity to race to the bathroom and pull the toilet paper.
  • Today, Henry burst out with a short cry during his nap. I didn't get up because he stopped right away. Molly disappeared for a minute so I went to check on her. She had crawled to their room and pushed open the door. I think she was checking on him! My own little Lassie.
  • I came into the living room recently and Molly was standing at the table with Henry's peanut butter and jelly sandwich in her hands, munching away happily. I guess she was hungry and I guess she is not allergic to peanuts. I kid, she had already had a peanut that Henry fed her about 6 months ago.
  • I swear that I have heard her say "Hi Dad." I know that isn't that reliable, since I am a born exaggerator (the apple doesn't fall far) but Adam heard it as well.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Happy Birthday Henry!

Dear Henry,

Today is your third birthday. I can no longer deny that you are not a baby or that you are just on the cusp of boyhood. Since I am with you so much, I don't notice the changes in you happening, but in retrospect I can see how far you have come in the past year.

You speak in full sentences and have real opinions. You tell jokes that are actually funny. You have friends of your own. You sleep in a bed and use the toilet. You run like the wind, climb like a billy goat and hang from the monkey bars like a circus boy. You attend soccer and gymnastics alone. You sit and read books to yourself and play little made up games without me. You pick out your own clothing, dress yourself and put on your own shoes. You like to get your own snacks from the refrigerator.

The biggest change that has happened in your life this year is that you became a big brother. When I was pregnant, I thought that you would merely tolerate having a sibling. I will be honest and admit that I thought you would have a hard time sharing our attention. I could not have been more wrong. Seeing you and Molly together has been one of my greatest joys in life. Most of the time, you are incredibly sweet to her. You are always hugging her, kissing her and playing with her. I overhear you calling her "sweetie" and telling her you love her. She is the only person in our family that you will say that to unprompted. I hear you encouraging her and coaching her along. It makes me so happy to know that you will always have each other to lean on.

You are a wonderful boy. You are always willing to share your things and help your friends. You never push or hit other kids and are always willing to take turns. You have such a sweet and happy nature and are such a joy to be around. I laugh when you sing your made up songs or change the words to the old standards. I love that you refuse to give me a straight answer when I am asking you a dumb question. Your dancing and guitar playing are hilarious. I love that you told me that the Memory game was "very bad (i.e. boring)" and that you told someone you were seven years old today. Today, Molly was climbing on Daddy and you said, "Molly, that isn't a mountain. It's Daddy's belly!" Really, I can't make the stuff up.

I was watching you and Molly playing in the tub tonight and thinking of the day you were born. Our life changed for the better in that instant. You make us proud every day and we love you so much.

Friday, October 02, 2009

My Crazy Girl

Although Molly still just babbles, she definitely makes her needs known. She says Mama with definite intent of who she means and Neh Neh when she wants to nurse. She is starting to lift her arms when she wants to be picked up and you cannot mistake when she wants to get out of her high chair.

I pity poor Adam when he is stuck with her and she wants her mama. She will not give him an inch and screams her fool head of until she gets what she wants. As soon as I pick her up she goes silent and smiles. This is only at night when she wants to come to bed with us, the rest of the time she adores her Daddy. I usually drop her into the bed while I finish brushing and getting ready for bed. Adam is trying to sleep and has little miss looney bird screaming next to him.

Recently, I dropped her into her bed awake for her nap. She protested for a minute or so and then stopped. I peeked my head in to check on her and she was sitting up waiting for me. As soon as she saw me she got a big smile on her face and started clapping.

She now wants everything that Henry has, no matter how appropriate it is for babies. Henry didn't have juice for a very long time while Molly gets her very own juice box. Not that I want to give her one but they sight of her sitting in front of Henry begging and pleading melts my heart. Oh, and the screaming moves things along as well. She also had her first lick of a lollipop today compliments of her brother but I want no part of that one.

She even has a trick. We play together on my bed after she wakes from her nap. I say "Night night Molly!" and she laughs and buries her face into the pillow. She feeds off of my laughter and then won't stop doing it. She is quite the little ham already.