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...

A Return to Nursing

Babykins nursed for 22 months.  In fact, the only reason I was finally able to finish weaning her is because I got pregnant with Babyroo.

Babykins is now a big, bad 30-monther, and hasn’t thought about nursing in a long time.  So when Babyroo came home from the hospital, and nursed for the first time, Babykins was intrigued.  What exactly was going on?

I explained that her baby brother couldn’t eat big kid food, yet, so he had to get all of his food as mommy milk.  Babykins thought about this for a minute, then nodded her head wisely.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  I had been waiting for old memories of the joy of nursing to surface, leading to a jealous melt down.

Just as I finished my sigh, Babykins looked at me and asked, “I nurse?”  I said no, explaining that she was a big girl, and big girls don’t nurse.  Luckily, Babykins likes being a big girl, so she just agreed and wandered away.

But the topic of nursing stayed on her mind, and she has carefully observed Babyroo.

Which led to this exchange the other night as I was nursing Babyroo while Babykins ate her dinner:

Babykins: Baby brother nursing?

Me: Yes.  He’s having his dinner, just like you!  (At this point, I moved Babyroo from one side to the other.)

Babykins: Baby brother switch sides?

Me: Yes.

Babykins (pointing): That side has milk, and the other side has food?

Me: No, they both just have milk.

Babykins (looking disappointed): Oh.  (Thinks for a minute.) Mama!  You’re full of milk!

“Mama, you’re full of milk!,” has become a standard phrase now for Babykins when she sees Babyroo nursing.  I’m just waiting for her to yell this loudly the first time we nurse in public.

Baby Boy Diapers

First, I would like to thank a good friend who suggested that since we live in Australia, Babyboo should more accurately be called Babyroo.  I love it!  The name is changed.

Babykins is mostly potty trained these days.  She still wears a diaper at night, and has the occasional accident during the day, but for the most part, she has joined the ranks of the toilet-using elite.

As a result, Hubbykins and I are a little out of practice when it comes to diapering...especially when it comes to diapering a new born.  How hard can it be, though, right?  We did it just 2 1/2 years ago, and teenage girls everywhere do it for $5 an hour.  It should be simple.

But it's not.

For the first week of his life, every diaper I put on Babyroo leaked.  Usually on me.  While we were nursing.  We went through a lot of clothes.

But the leaking wasn't really the hard part.  What really got us was that little boys have different parts than little girls.  And their parts can move.  Hubbykins and I have heard the stories of flying pee, so we've tried to be very attentive to covering Babyroo up while changing him.  It was going well.  We were successful diaper changers!

And then one day the cover slipped off.  As I waited for the inevitable pee assault, something surprising happened.  Instead of peeing on me or Hubbykins, Babyroo somehow managed to pee on his own face.  I had no idea this was possible.  Let the new round of parenting surprises begin!

We Interrupt Your Normal Blog for an Important Announcement

This blog has always been about my daughter, Babykins.  And over the last few months I've been a slacker about updating it.  I have a good excuse, though.  I've been pregnant.  And moving to a new continent.  And did I mention pregnant?

As pregnancies often do, this one has resulted in a baby!  I'm pleased to announce that Babykins has a new little brother.  Babyboo was born on October 12, 2012 in Australia.  He was one day past his due date, but he made up for coming late by coming fast.  After only 1 1/2 hours of labor, we had a 50 cm, 3.728 kilo baby boy (for those of you who don't want to do the conversion, that's approximately 20 inches and 8 pounds, 3 ounces).

For the record, that's how big Babykins was on her one month birthday.  So as far as I'm concerned, I essentially birthed a one-month-old baby in the time it takes to stand in line at the DMV.  Be impressed...be very impressed.

Moving forward, this blog will contain the adventures of both Babykins and Babyboo.  I already have a good supply of stories, so stay tuned!

Bad manners

Babykins is about as polite as a 2 year old can be.  She says "please" and "thank you" and will say "bless you" when you sneeze.

Then while we were in Puerto Rico, a man stuck his tongue out at her.  She stuck hers out in return, he laughed, and they quickly started a game that consisted entirely of sticking their tongues out at each other.

And since then, Babykins has stuck her tongue out at just about everyone we meet.  Unfortunately, everyone thinks it's adorable.  Which encourages her.  Which leads to more tongue sticking outing.  Which, in the words of Mary Poppins, leads to "chaos, anarchy, moral disintegration!  In short, you have a ghastly mess."

Despite our best efforts, Babykins continues to stick her tongue out at every person who makes eye contact.  There goes our well-mannered toddler.  Sigh...

And then a miracle happened...

We put Babykins down in her bed, gave her kisses, said "Goodnight", climbed into our own bed, and she fell asleep.  By herself.  Just like that.  Miracles do happen.