The long absence

We'll see how long Maggie stays asleep while I type with both hands - what a luxury!

Maggie will be 4 weeks old on Thursday. It still doesn't seem real to either Jeffry or I. Maybe once life slows down a little bit - ha ha, like that's going to happen anytime soon. I have managed to make a few notes, so now I'll fill those in.

Highlights during my blogging absence ....

Jack was in his room for a nap. I heard a strange noise and asked him what he was doing. He said; "I rub a leg." Not feeling like we'd gotten the whole story, we went in to find out what he was doing. He'd gotten the sunscreen off the top of his dresser and was (just as he said) rubbing it on his legs. As Jeffry helped me get things and son cleaned up, Jack informed us he had "Ice cream rub a leg." I think he knows it's sunscreen now, and not ice cream.

One of his other antics is to run around the "loop" in our house - through the kitchen, his room, the living and dining area saying; "Superhero" or "Superman" with his fist raised.

On the way home from our vacation in Vergas, MN, he realized the power of the words; "I need to go potty." Not that he actually has to go potty or will go, but he knows those are magic words. We have good days (yesterday) and bad days (today) when it comes to training.

Before we left for our trip, I told Leesha to make a note that we needed to pack his "Maggie Doodle" (Magna Doodle - the little screen with the magnetic pen).

While on vacation, one of the many things he enjoyed playing with were some coasters. He asked me what they were. I told him they were coasters. He looked at his cousin Caelyn (age 5.5) and asked; "Can you say coasters?" just like we ask him about new words all the time.

For those of you that check regularly, you already know about his birthday phone call with his cousin Simon. We'll have to do it again sometime with both sides recording the conversation on camera. It was very cute. He kept looking at the phone as though it were Simon. Jack's birthday went by with little other fanfare. We'd done a party up at the lake for all the cousins, and his actual birthday was right after the vacation and another reunion, so I was just too tired to do anything else. It's a good thing he's only 2, because he doesn't care yet.

Maggie decided to eat right before we headed home from our vacation. We'd had enough chasing Jack around and dealing with his not wanting to eat, so we were in the parked car waiting for Maggie to finish and listening to Rush. I was sitting there with Maggie, then got out at one point. Jack said; "Mom, you sit a you seat." When I did get in the car, he said; "Good listener Mom!" Well, I guess he's heard that before.

When I was a baby, my family made up a song ... Cara Joy we love you, Cara Joy we love you. All the time we love you, little Cara Joy. With each of my kids, I've sung their names with the same tune. Jack has been overheard singing "Maggie Mae we love you ..."

A new baby means new stuff in the house - the bouncy seat is back, the carseat is inside, rather than out in the car, etc. Jack loves the bouncy seat and has informed me; "I sitting Margaret's bouncy seat backwards." We've been trying to teach him about 'in front of", "behind", "beside", etc. I guess it's a good thing we have two exersaucers - not because we won't have to transport a single one up or down the stairs, but because Jack will want to be in one if Maggie is in one.

Maggie tends to look to the right and simultaneously kick her right leg. On the rare occasions we've gotten her to look left, only once have we noted a left leg kick.

Jack has told Maggie; "Don' worry." when she's crying and I haven't gotten to her yet.

Jeffry cleaned up what I refer to as his "lair". It looks so nice when that happens. He felt bad that I didn't notice it for about 2 days, but I think that's because I wasn't downstairs.

Jeffry has changed Maggie a couple of times. At least one of those, she peed in the process. It's happened to me too.

That's it for the highlights, here's some more mundane stuff ...

We've enjoyed lots of time with family. My sister and her family returned to Thailand a week ago tomorrow. Their visits were wonderful, but a definite whirlwind. Caryn has an amazing energy and activity level. I guess being 8.5 months pregnant and recently delivered while she was here may have accounted for my lack of energy. We're looking forward to their next visit when the kids are older. Maybe if they move fom Thailand and get jobs in Europe, we'll actually be able to visit them ...

During our vacation, our carpenter friend re-finished our living/dining/hall floors. Jeffry and I moved all the furniture out so Jon could work. What a [lovely birthday] surprise when we got home to find all the furniture back where it belonged thanks to Willis West!

Jeffry was amazing on our trip. He was basically on "Jack watch". Jack, like any little one, wanted to keep up with all the big cousins. Activities weren't always toddler friendly, and nobody was old enough to keep an eye on him. Jeffry was very busy. Guess that legitimizes how he got naps and I didn't take any.

On our way up to the cabins, Maggie had a screaming episode. It started just outside of Sauk Centre and continued for about 10 minutes. We pulled over at one point, then I had Jeffry turn around so we could all eat at McDonalds. Otherwise, she was great on the trip. It was really exciting for us to ride alongside a train for a good chunk of one of the highways. Most fun for Jack - or that's what we think.

Jack didn't like the water much. Jeffry tried taking him in the lake a couple of times, but we think it was too cold. Good thing he didn't seem too disturbed when he fell in face first. I was glad he had the life vest on as it gave me a good means of retrieving him from the water.

It was great to spend my birthday with my whole family. I don't know how long it's been since I last had that blessing. We went out for pizza and took the kids miniature golfing on a warm day. Just days later, we got to see all but 2 cousins on my mom's side of the family. Another whirlwind trying to keep track of Jack, but good nontheless.

Sunday was a trip! Jeffry stayed home with napping Jack while Maggie and I got groceries. All was going well until the last few things on our list when she started screaming. That made for slow unloading of the cart as I held her. At one point, when I'd put her back in her carseat, she started coughing from her screaming and the lady behind me in line thought she was choking and jumped to her aide. I think the other lady had more of a start than I did. Thankfully the staff were willing and available to pack the groceries up while I nursed her. Paid and loaded, we carefully made our way out to the car where another lady came to help me load the car.

And, now, I think I'm all caught up.