The Great Indoors

Well, my new resolve to get us out of the house and having new, interesting, educational experiences was put to the test its first week out of the gate. The first part of the week, Charlie was sick with a mystery fever (teething?), and we were forced to stay indoors; the second part of the week it was snow that kept us inside, snow and a pretty vicious head cold for me. Fortunately (for us), the boys' Aunt Carrie and cousin baby Dylan came to visit and stayed for the entire week, so we had some great company while we were trapped inside. We did venture out Monday (to Target) and Thursday (to Panera and Kroger), but none of those places is exactly what I envisioned last week when I said I wanted to cultivate in the boys, and I quote, the "importance of gathering experiences, rather than things, for use in their lives' journeys." Mostly we were gathering things when we were at Target and Panera and Kroger. So, was this week some kind of a challenge, Life?? Was it? Well, this coming week, you are on! (I'm totally bluffing, the only interesting things I have planned for the coming week are a Valentine's Day dance in Nashville on Monday and play dates on Tuesday and Wednesday.)

It was an eye-opening experience to watch Carrie (Russell's brother's wife) with Dylan, their seven-month-old first-born son. It took me back to the days when it was Henry and me against the world, and I could give him my undivided attention twenty-four hours a day. Carrie is fantastic at being a mother, truly a natural, and she never loses her cool. I, on the other hand, feel like mothering two children at once is an effort much of the time and am inwardly second-guessing myself at every turn. My inner dialogue goes something like this: "Oh God, is this the right way to stop Henry from beating Charlie about the head? Is there a right way? Am I interfering too much in their interactions? Will Charlie grow up feeling hostile and defensive? Is it normal that Charlie spends longish chunks of time just shredding paper or gnawing play food out of the little shopping cart? Didn't I hold Henry more at this age?" I'm reading books on sibling rivalry and time management in an effort to ensure that both boys get sufficient attention, but it is quite a balancing act! Things will be easier (I tell myself) when Charlie is weaned and sleeping for longer stretches at night. And things are already easier than when Charlie was first born, for sure!

Very quickly, since Charlie just woke up from his nap and is sitting next to me chewing on my cell phone, here are the interesting things the boys are doing and saying at this moment in our lives.

Henry: He is very interested in smelling things, and by things I mean mostly perfumed things. Deodorants, makeup, candles, soaps. I don't know what to make of this; maybe his olfactory faculties are undergoing some sort of sensory-specific growth spurt. Can growth spurts be restricted to a certain sense? I've never heard of this. This may be related to last fall's fascination with spices...he actually started a spice collection and, during November and December, when asked what he would like to do (Park? Play?) his response was always, "Go to the store and look at spices." He actually got a spice (paprika) in his Christmas stocking. Spice Fest 2010 has passed, though, and now he wants to go to the store and look at deodorants. I draw the line at a deodorant collection, though, although I did buy him a three-pack of scented lip glosses one day. He has also mastered the expression, "I changed my mind," and uses it liberally. And he has picked up on my frequent use of "actually," though he seems to think it means "also." As in (before bed at night), "Good night, Mommy. Actually, I love you very much."

Charlie: He stands alone for five seconds at a time now, unassisted! His babbling has really increased in volume and frequency this week, but he still favors, "Ga ga ga GA!" I'm not positive, but I think he tries to give kisses now. Or at least, when I say, "Charlie, can you give me a kiss?" he leans toward me with his mouth open wide, tongue out. Kind of like kissing a puppy, but sweeter and doesn't make me gag. He also has started coming over to me, leaning in, getting on his knees, and grabbing me, as if to say, "Pick me UP!" More subtle than Henry's "Pick me up right NOW, Mommy!" but I try to accommodate him as often as I can. For the past few weeks, Charlie has been shaking his head "No no no no" and smiling. He clearly understands the concept of "no," though he openly flouts it as often as possible. He just does the head shaking trick for laughs, which it always draws in abundance. Finally, we've started planning a small birthday party for him next month when he turns one. I want to make as big a deal out of his first birthday as we did of Henry's, but part of me (the sleep-deprived part) thinks, "He's a baby, he won't even remember!" I tell that part of me to go take a hike, though, and try to think about what he might like on his cake.