I confess...

...that I will wait to eat the yummiest foods until Babykins isn't in the room.

I further confess that I tell myself this is to keep Babykins from eating too much junk food...but really I just don't want to share.

I'm a bad, bad mommy.

My new favorite phrases

The older Babykins gets, the more she busts out some cute phrases.

A few months ago, she started using these gems:

(Whenever something didn't go as planned): Oh, man.
(When she wanted to watch her video, and thought a cute approach would help her cause): How about (clap) Mary Poppins!
(If Hubbykins or I hurt ourselves): You alright there?
(Always a favorite): I love you SO much.
(Pointing to my pregnant tummy): Shhh...baby's sleeping.

Lately, though, I've been hearing Babykins parroting back things I say to her on a regular basis:

(When we give her two choices, and she's not sure she likes either one): Let's talk about this.
(When I try to hurry her along during a rambling explanation): You need to be patient when I tell you something, Mama.
(When she doesn't want to stop playing to do what I've asked of her): Just wait one minute.
(And, one of my favorites, her version of "because"): Somecause
(When I tell her not to do something, but she plans on doing it anyway): I just be careful.

If nothing else, I've learned to watch what I say around a 2 1/2 year-old...

Grizzle Bear

Babyroo is the noisiest sleeper ever.  He doesn't just lie quietly while he sleeps.  He squirms.  He grunts.  He groans.  He growls.  I was trying to explain this to the nurse, and the only word I could think of to describe his behavior was "rootch."  I knew there was no way she would know what that word meant, and I was too tired to think of a way to translate it, so she unfortunately didn't understand the full breadth of noisiness I was trying to describe.

A couple days later I was reading some baby literature and came across the word "grizzle."  It was the absolute perfect word to describe Babyroo's behavior!  Since then, he has officially become our Grizzle Bear.  In the last 5 weeks, I have come to figure out a rough pattern of what his grunts and growls stand for.  I wish I could show you a pie chart, but since I can't, here's the bullet point breakdown:

• 50% of the time: I'm trying to fart/poop
• 20% of the time: Now that I've cleared out space, I want to nurse
• 20% of the time: Now that I've nursed, I need to spit up
• 10% of the time: I don't need anything, I just don't want those big people in the bed next to me to sleep

Mission accomplished, Babyroo, mission accomplished.

Things you don't want to hear

Most parents will agree that the top 2 things you don't want to hear from your kids are:
1) a sudden, unexplained shriek from the room where your kids are playing, and
2) (perhaps even more concerning) a sudden, unexplained silence from the room where your kids are playing.

This week, I added a third thing to the list.  Babykins, Babyroo, and I were all in the bedroom together. Babykins was coloring, and Babyroo was lying on the bed looking out the window.  Babyroo had started to fuss a bit, so I quick ran to another room to get my nursing pillow.  While I was gone (for all of 30 seconds) the fussing turned into full crying.  At which point I hear Babykins call, "Don't worry, Mama!  I'll pick him up!"  Post-partum healing be damned, I yelled out, "No!" and sprinted into that room.

Luckily, Babykins had changed tactics and had her finger in Babyroo's mouth, hoping he would start to suck on it.  He wasn't thrilled, but it was quite possibly the best thing I'd seen all day.  What a good helper.

Mama and Babykins discuss ballet classes

Babykins likes to dance.  Anytime music comes on, whether it's real music, a TV theme show, or someone singing, Babykins breaks out in dance.  And I'm not just talking about little kid, bouncing around dancing.  Babykins twists her legs, shakes her booty, and throws her arms in the air.

Hubbykins and I decided it might be time to start Babykins in some dance classes.  I found a local dance school that takes 2 1/2 year-olds and was excited to tell Babykins about this great new opportunity.

Me: Babykins, would you like to take dance classes?
Babykins: What's that?
Me: That's where you go to a special school with other little girls and a teacher shows you how to dance.
Babykins: I don't want to go to dance class.
Me (surprised): Why not?
Babykins: I already know how to dance!  I dance beautifully!

At least we know we've instilled a healthy (or excessive?) dose of self confidence in her...

Fashionisto

Ok, so I'm not completely sure that "fashionisto" is a word, but I've come to realize that's what my 3-week-old baby boy is.  At first, I thought his clothes were getting dirty so often just because he's a baby, and babies get their clothes dirty.  But then I realized he's spitting up and peeing on his clothes on purpose, so that he has an excuse to wear and show off multiple cute outfits a day!  I'm on to you Babyroo...

Who Needs Sleep?

Although the verses don't really apply, I dedicate the chorus of this song to everyone who has, or has ever had, a newborn who doesn't sleep...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4pqqzFWedc

(Not So) Stick Figures

This actually happened before Babyroo was born.

Although I got the feeling Babykins didn't really remember me pre-pregnancy, she was definitely well aware of my large belly.  One day when I was 8 months pregnant, we were sitting outside doing chalk drawings, when I started to draw our family in stick figures.

I started with Babykins.  She got curly hair as her distinguishing feature.  Next, I moved on to Hubbykins.  Babykins informed me I had to draw him bigger than the Babykins figure.  Yes, we have a very smart toddler.  As I was drawing Hubbykins' arms, Babykins requested that I draw them so their stick figures were holding hands.  She's also a very sweet toddler.  Last, I moved on to drawing myself.  I was almost done, when Babykins declared, "No, Mama!  Your picture needs a BIG belly!"  She then insisted I draw a big circle for my belly, after which she was satisfied that we were all accurately represented in our pictures.  Sigh...