No bottle, No thank you!

The third time was not the charm for Ezra with the bottle tonight. Cary and I went out to see the next to last Harry Potter movie, leaving the boys with Grandma and Grandpa. Avi threw a total fit when we left, clinging to my leg and screaming "Mama, Mama." We could hear him from the car. What in the world was so bad about being left with his beloved grandparents is not understandable, but he was furious and beside himself.

Ezra did very well until they tried to give him a bottle. He wanted none of that, and like the other two times, just got angrier and angrier. Clearly not taking the bottle, Mom tried to console him in other ways which of course worked and he finally fell asleep, but not before Avi made a suggestion of his own as to how Mom should care for Ezra. He said to her, "Gramma, why don't you just show him your big nipple. That will make him feel better." When Mom wasn't game, he suggested that his grandpa do it.

Avi also declared to Mom tonight as he was being put to bed, "My daddy goes to work, and I love my daddy and he loves me."

We skyped with Jenn and Colin tonight. Noah was completely obnoxious, sticking his whole head right in the camera so that no one can see anything but his hair. When exactly is he going to grow out of that?

Defiance with a Smile

I say to Avi, "Get in the car and go directly to your seat and get in it. Do not go to the back of the car." It's very clear that he has heard me. What does he do? He gets in and goes to the backseat and puts on one of the belts. If this was the only time he did something like that in a day it wouldn't be such a big deal, or even five times, but how about a couple dozen times a day. Constant clear CLEAR communciation. Total and complete defiance in return all day long. It's defiance with a smile and plenty of laughter on his part, but it's defiance nonetheless.

Talking and Reading

Ezra is the most verbal 3-month old I have ever known. When he's not sleeping if you engage him in a conversation, he just erupts with sounds.

Cary and I have been taking turns reading the first Harry Potter book to Noah, starting this past week. I can't believe he's already nearly seven! And old enough for Harry Potter. I had to stop reading to Noah for a bit this evening because we couldn't get Ezra to stop "talking" while I was reading. He clearly thought it was time to dialogue and had stuff to say, which was a little distracting while trying to read a dramatic scene about a showdown between Hagrid and the Dursleys.

Speaking of reading... We also told Noah that he was old enough to stay up reading after we tuck him in for as long as he wants as long as he is quietly reading in bed. Only on vacation when we have nothing scheduled the next morning of course. He's pretty excited about the new privilege. And what a reader he has become! It comes in very handy when I have him read to Avi now!

Powerful Imagination

Today Noah managed to convince Avi that he was going to go and battle a monster upstairs all by himself and that Avi should stay downstairs with his daddy to be safe - all in an attempt to get upstairs alone so he could have the opportunity to finish watching Indiana Jones. Avi's overactive imagination made it all possible.

The same imagination has also made it possible to institute a new shoe policy/practice on the back stairs - a masking taped and labeled space for both boys to place their shoes so I don't have to keep stepping over them in the middle of the stairs. I told them that the shoe monster comes out of the little hole in the steps and eats shoes that aren't in the right place. It's all Avi can talk about now.

That is to say if he's not talking about his brain and how his brain does or doesn't let him do certain things. I.e. "I know how to write, I learned it at school, but my brain won't let me do it right." You've got to say it with the right little emphatic stretched out whiny voice though.

Fun Times

Noah was sick most of the weekend. Multiple spells of projectile midnight vomiting in two beds = four loads of laundry. Fun times. Add outside temperatures in the 90s and seven months pregnant. Cary worked all weekend on the roasting third floor (probably 90 easily up there) doing demo in the old laundry room, sweat dripping off his face. And he hates working in anything about 70 degrees!

Noah has picked up a horrible new habit of putting his hands in his mouth constantly. I’ve been on him about it relentlessly, but I can’t get him to stop. I’m convinced that whatever bug he got was a result of this new practice, as no one else has been sick and he hasn’t been around anyone else really. Hopefully this will be enough to convince him to stop it.

Avi is still awake. It’s 9:34. I left his bedroom the first time after three stories at about 8:10. We’ve had five trips to the bathroom. He manages to pee each time. How does he eek out more urine every few minutes? Noah used to do the same thing at this age Cary remembers.

Summer of Waiting

Big milestone for Noah: Yesterday, I had him walk to Chris and Julie’s all by himself to return the pack n’ play in the wagon. I called Julie to arrange the whole thing of course and she knew when he was walking out the door, but still a big deal. He left with a handful of peanut M&Ms and a whole load of adrenaline. He was so proud of himself upon his return. He’s been walking across the street to Nancy and Js for months now, and has been riding his bike around the block (not crossing streets) for a few months too, but this was a new level of independence to be sure.

I’ve been pushing him to answer the phone more and make a few phone calls too. Today he did such a great job of calling Aidan’s house and asking for a playdate. He talked with Rich (who happened to be his Tball coach) and clearly explained why he was calling and left a good message with his phone number and everything. He was very loathe to do it, and again, felt really impressed with himself when finished.

Avi continues to be hilarious. Not necessarily easy, but there’s never a dull moment. Yesterday morning he was half-naked on our bedroom floor after using the toilet. I wasn’t really paying attention to him until I heard him start to whine and get upset because his “penis won’t go back down.” I had to get underwear on him to get him to stop playing with it long enough to help him out. He calmed down only temporarily and started to have the old conversation comparing his body to mommy’s and daddy’s bodies and discussing who has penises and why nipples look different and whatnot. Then he began to get very upset again, this time declaring that he didn’t want a penis because he wanted to be like mommy. There’s a twist on the whole Freudian thing! I think however it was because the darn thing was taking awhile to relax and he thought it might be more trouble than it was worth.

Less than 30 minutes later, he was eating a waffle, and blowing my mind with his brilliance as he discovered letters in his waffle. He first noticed that the grid lines on his waffle bite that I had cut up, made and H. It took me a little while to interpret what he was saying as he can’t make the “ch” sound which you need to say “H.” But he finally got his idea across to me. Then he discovered an “A” where the curve of the waffle grid brought the upper part of an “H” together, making it look more like a crooked “A.” Then a “B.” He was excited to be finding all the letters. For each one, I asked him if he wanted me to clean them up a bit by cutting off the excess parts of the waffle bit. I did and he was pleased. Then he found “R.” I did the same thing, without asking that time. He went into hysterics. He didn’t want me to cut it. It was too late. I apologized. Profusely. Again and again, but it didn’t make any difference. He was beside himself with frustration. That temper tantrum lasted at least 15 minutes. It’s a roller coaster around here.

Last week, Avi was playing in his room and I noticed that Lily was asleep on his bed. When I went in later he was trying to tell me something about Lily sleeping. I didn’t think anything much of it as I had seen her asleep on the bed. “Yes, Avi, I know she was sleeping on your bed.” But he persisted and so I listened more closely. Something about closet? It dawned on me to check the closet and sure enough there she was shut in the closet asleep. Who knows how long she might have been trapped in there if I hadn’t figured out what he was trying to tell me.

#3 (Is it Ezra?)

I think that’s your name little one. But I don’t want to be official about it yet. Anyhow, you are moving more and more inside me. Of course, I’ve been feeling you move since 13 weeks or so, but I kept saying how calm you were compared to Avi. That may still be the case, but as I write this, you are doing some major calisthenics and making my tummy feel as tight as ever. Today in step aerobics class I had to leave FOUR times to pee. We have 11 weeks to go, but I’d be fine if you want to come a couple of weeks early. I look forward to knowing you. Will you be as strong-willed as your brothers or will you give me a break?