not for the squeamish

Saturday was supposed to be my fun day...as it was, I wish I'd just stayed in bed that day. I woke up that morning feeling sick in the throat and had to cancel going to a party that afternoon and my catch-up with Shanna that evening. When I started feeling a little better, Mike and I decided to take the kids for a walk around the neighborhood and to play at this park near our house. On the way back from the park, Mike and I were rambling on about the future as many of our conversations while we walk lead to this subject and out of nowhere, my foot was pierced (I felt a crunch) by this very sharp, very rusty, very long carpenter nail that was discarded in front a newly-constructed house. The theory that we have is that the stroller flipped the nail up and my foot amazingly smashed down at just the wrong moment. I had never had anything like this happen before, so how are you to know what to do? My(and Mike's) first reaction was to try and pull it out. Unfortunately, the shoe had a death grip on the nail and it wouldn't budge. Next, Mike called my parents and frantically told them to "just come" not giving them any details as to why they heard my crying/hyperventalating in the background. They thought we had been hit by a car or something, of course. Trey was also upset by this point saying, "mommy doin? oh no!"(this of course made me cry even harder) Once they arrived, my mom drove me to the ER and Mike, my dad and the boys all met me there. To remove the "subcutaneous foreign body", first they had to cut the shoe(they couldn't pull the nail through the shoe or it might have gotten stuck and relodged in my foot. At this point, I didn't care what they did...i can always buy new shoes) Next, they gave me a tetnus shot, sedated(with morphine and something else) me to the point where I no longer knew anything I was doing besides the breathing excercises I learned for childbirth. Then, they gave the ol, "one, two, three, PULL!!" move and it was out! When I got home, Trey noticed my foot and asked, "booboo?" It's exactly what I mentioned in a previous entry, honed missiles!!! Now at least he says, "booboo? no no no". Anyhow, I just wanted to pass this little fun day along for all of you and let you know that I am now part of that elite group who have been impaled by a nail. I know you are oh-so-jealous!! I put these pictures on here to memorialze the event and to thank my mom in advance for all the help she is going to give me this week while I, like batman, will hobble. I also want to say that Mike has been amazing, too. He took care of everything this weekend and helped me so much in the hospital. It was like giving birth all over again. He is a great partner. Ok, that's enough for today.

May your foot(and unfound hand) rest in peace Batman. Upon discovering Batman(his current beloved object perhaps only second to "key") with a severed-at-the-ankle foot, Trey was somewhat confused..."oh no...baaman...kay, baaman? Kay??" I actually think he found the foot first, which is kind of sick. Being the equal-opportunity mother I fancy myself to be, I don't want him to think Batman is out of commission simply because he has to hobble...I just say, "look, batman can still run! runrunrunrun!" (and then I realize that I truly have become insane so that my children can be sane) This seems to be another one of those life lessons we run accross from time to time...kind of like the time his balloon got away and floated at warp speed into the heavens. He talked about that one for weeks, "oh no...where boon go?" Maybe that kind of loss is the most he's ever experienced...oh the finality of it!!
To this day, when he sees a balloon, he'll mention it, saying, "uh-oh. where boon go?"

I've put a picture on here of Abe and his trusty index finger. A few weeks ago, I noticed him just sitting in his high-chair with it fully extended. It just looks so bizarre to me...like it has a mind of it's own. He's not even really thinking about doing it, but it looks as if he's checking to see where the air currents are headed. All of the resteraunt pictures on here are from Chili's. It's sad when your 22 month old assumes you are going to eat every time you get in the car to go do something. It's even sadder when you pull into the chili's or cracker barrel parking lot and they squeal with delight, saying, "EAT!!!" I'm a good mom in other ways... I promise!!

Friday morning in Florida and I finally turned the heat on for the first time today. I guess I felt a little guilty yesterday when the babies woke up with frostbitten toes and noses (Trey hates wearing socks to bed...I have a suspicion that he enjoys running the tag of his cherished blanket through his toes as his nightly ritual...oh the quirks of toddlerdom!)

Lucky Mike is off to Epcot on a school trip today. Originally I was going to meet up with him there, but it all got too complicated to coordinate how Abe was going to get his milk(In case you didn't notice in my earlier chronicles, he really doesn't take the bottle as I'd hoped). So, for this trip, I won't get to enjoy the Epcot delights(mostly I just go for the food in each country...oh and that sweet girl in Japan who makes those bird candles.."a beak, tweet, tweet". I could stand and watch her for minutes!) One day, we will brave the theme parks with kids in tow, but I have no death wish to do that any time soon. Long waits and even longer whining present a mammoth hurdle in my mind.

In the dental frontier of my life, I got 2 fillings yesterday and am still a little sore today. As I lay there in the torture chair looking at the dead bugs in the florescent lights(why don't they clean those! ? As if a patient has trust in you when faced with death...even if it is bugs!?) I thought to myself, "at least those wasps don't have to get a shot in the gums!" Why is it when you have any kind of medical procedure, your children are like honed missles targeting that area? Same thing when I had a c-section...a knee to the incision...and this time, an elbow or headcrash into the exact point of pain in the jaw. Well, I guess all of this dental pain could be to remind me of the pain of cutting teeth. Poor dears don't even know that it will get better. They just assume that life as they know it will continue with tooth pain and endless drool! I suppose I should explain some of the pictures on here. Starting from the top: a classic example of Trey during his day...pantsless(he's found he likes to pull them off now...nonstop fun!), chewing on something(probably chose the flower because he knows he's not supposed to chew on the identical ones we have in baby class at church...classic defiance...like I care if he chews on the one at home without the germs!)while trying to manuever himself into an im possibly tight chair (he is, probably like most toddlers, constantly experimenting with these types of situations, if there is a way to accomplish the seemingly impossible(even if it means bruises and blind will), he is going to do it). Although, I'd like to say that I'm always open to these kinds of learning experiences(by the way, this example is as tame as they come...I won't have the camera out taking pictures when we find that he's cut his tongue with a razor while "brushing his teeth"), I'll have to admit that most of time, I approach the situations with a little more skepicism(as only mothers can, i suppose).
The rest of the pictures are fairly self-explanatory. As you can see, we started the christmas festivities promptly after the annual fatfest(see other family picture around the thanksgiving table). Trey and Abe love(and I mean relish) the christmas lights and decorations. Nothing is better to really enjoy the holidays than to spend it with awe-struck children. There is also a picture of Abe, in sheer playing concentration. Mike and I were just commenting yesterday on how much we love when he is sitting upright...belly full and pooched. The last picture here of him is when he crawled into the kitchen. He likes to find himself in there so that he can kick the cabinets as hard as is possible for a baby (see earlier sentence about babies hurting my sore jaw). Well, for all of you who have suffered through this incredible saga of a blog entry, I applaud you for enduring my meanderings. Ta-Ta!

Check out those molars!! Trey has got quite a set of teeth! Obviously, I will notice them all the more since, for me, each one is a little monument to an ever-common trial of parenting. Teething days. All of a sudden, my usually amiable toddler is whisked away and replaced by an unrelenting whine-box full of contradictory flailings in the supermarket and emotional highs and lows only experienced by pregnant women. And when they are done? back to the sweet, curious boy that has captured my heart.

Both of the boys are feeling better now, although I think we've discovered that Trey has a reaction to penicillin....rashes and fun indicators like that. In other daily events, I have begun the long process of weaning Abe...sneaking in one bottle during the afternoon every day. Sad to say, that he is not all embracing of the idea, but every day he seems to get a little more experienced with the bottle...poor little guy. I just keep saying to myself, "it's now or later". These days there are just so many firey hoops to jump through. Catch me when the boys are 12/13 or 17/18 and I'll probably think these days were a cake walk(you older parents are probably winking knowingly as you read this).


The pictures on here are of our trip North(why would we ever go south? swamps and alligators?). We had a really fun trip. First of all, the boys were precious cherubs during the car ride(which eliminates my primary stress of travelling). They either peacefully looked at a books or toys or went to sleep. Of course, Mike and I couldn't believe our good fortune....we get to talk? or listen to music? or sleep? or read? YES TO ALL! As you can see from all of these pictures, we stayed busy doing really fun, perfect fall weather-type things. We went to a park and played and rode a mini-train and a huge carosel(both the boys decided they wanted to be held mid-ride...why wouldn't they like going warp speed surrounded by creepy, flare-nosed horses and tusky, turn-of-the-century bobbing boars? I just don't know!??) Mike is reaching for his inner-child in one of the pictures(via metal sand-digging device). I don't remember ever having anything this cool at the playground when I was little! In this same historic park, there was a statue devoted to the Andy Griffith Show. Growing up loving this show(and having so many family members who did also), I had to get a bunch of pictures of it. Isn't the plaque great? Afterward, we went to this college-town burger place which was soooo delicious. Trey looks so old eating his big hamburger all by himself. Twas just yesterday, he was like Abe, all puree and no chunks.
Oh yeah, and the wedding was great too. I mean, it was beautiful and the food was good and the vows were meaningful. They both seem very in love....like most freshly-married folks I know. Though those times where exciting, I really wouldn't want to trade those early days for the comfortable, lived-in(like your favorite pair of jeans) moments we have now.
Well, as usual, I'll end this blog to go get a restless Abe. We are off to meet some people at the mall to play today.

The babies snot is a sherbert/key lime pie-tinted green these days. We all trekked to the doctor yesterday and she informed me that they both have ear infections and Abe in particular has got a bit of a "rattle" when she put that freakishly cold stethoscope on his chest. So, now we are armed with some antibiotics. Initially, I just thought I was lucky enough to have them both teething at once...alas, only when the stars align perfectly am I blessed with such a treat! However, they both started getting coughs which isn't the normal fare for a teether. We leave go to NC for a wedding on Thursday when Mike gets home, so you know we are already starting to get our gear together (YEAH...sure we are.). Grandma and Granddad are going to meet us there and graciously be our babysitters while we go have a "grown-up" night. I just hope I can remember not to break into any kids songs and remember how to have an adult conversation. In Abe news, he responded to twinkle twinkle little star(there I go with the kid's songs) by raising up his arm yesterday. At first, I thought it was a fluke, but he kept doing it. Later, when I tried to do it, he acted like "i'm not a trained monkey, mother dearest!" and just grinned at me. It's the first time he's really mimicked something, I've done, so needless to say I was excited. Besides mouth sounds, Trey's first thing I really remember was saying "bye-bye". We were at thanksgiving in VA and he just started waving. It's so great that Abe's starting to be at that stage. Let the fun begin(or I guess I should say, continue).

1. So, there are a few things Trey is learning these days: walk around Abe instead of on him. Don't bite Abe (or mommy, or daddy, or vegas). Pat Abe's hair (versus braining him). Mostly, Trey is actually becoming sort of fond of his little protege. When I go to get him out of bed in the morning or after a nap, he asks "Ab-buhh? nap?" Whereas he used to just say, "AB", he now really tries to pronounce his name like he hears us saying it ..either that or he say "bruddey"(aka brother). Of course, along with this new attention to his sib, he gained a little kernel of jealousy. If I'm feeding Abe or showing him a toy, Trey just kind of appears from no where(kind of like that butler in "mr. deeds"....."very sneaky"). These pictures are from this last week. The hat that Trey is placing carefully on the horse is part of my costume...you know, the basic nose-attatched-to-the-glasses complete with mustache and huge brows costume that is probably the saddest excuse for a costume...I got the hat to make it a little more authentic. I don't know how long Trey had ridden in the car with that chocolate on his face before we noticed it. I gave him a bite of cookie(the kid would be able to sense sweets through a ziploc bag inside of a tupperware container in a big chest that was buried at the center of the earth...."cookie???????") and many miles later turned around to discover his "remnants".
   
   
   This spooky pumpkin is our contribution to the neighborhood halloween decorations. Mike and Trey had a good time carving it (Mike had the knife, Trey pulled the goo and seeds out). Trey was pulled in two directions...he loved getting his hands in the pumpkin, but he was a little grossed out at the same time....maybe we keep him too clean. You can never have too many pictures on here of little Abe on his belly. Tomorrow we are going to go to Pasco's annual flapjack festival. Every visitor gets a free flapjack and for my money you can't beat the bigger than life walking pancakes in the parade. If you are so inclined, check out the link(below) and see them for yourselves.
   
   
   http://www.centralpascochamber.com/?page=fjfest

Here are the halloween costume pictures!! As you can see, we opted for the store-bought ease. We've known that Abe was going to be Yoda basically since he was born. His wrinkly newborn face always seemed to resemble the old jedi(I guess most mothers could say that about their newborns....although, maybe we are the only one's who openly embrace the idea).

Trey's costume is another story. For any of you that know anything about Dora the Explorer, I was intending on making a "Swiper" costume("Sewing for dummies" style). However, due to equal parts procrastination and having absolutely no time anyway, I only achieved the initial cutting-the-pieces-of-fabric chore. My sewing machine still sits covered in dust(and good intentions) in the closet. So, no big deal...we let Trey pick out his costume and of course he loves the ever-popular, ever-commercialized(not to say I don't love him) Elmo (I was cookie monster when I was his age, so we'll just say he's carrying on the Sesame tradition) . So far the thing has been more fun for him to carry around than to wear. He was excited to climb inside at first and then, I think the bizzare notion of being inside of Elmo started to sink in. He couldn't evacuate soon enough, so I stuffed it with some blankets to make him less flimsy(note the last picture of Trey handing Elmo the frisbee). In one of the pictures, you can see how interested Vegas(our dog) is in the costume.


My brother and his lovely, new wife Sarah haven't been represented on here yet, so I thought I'd put one of them with Abe(and their dog, Marley)



There are some other random pictures on here of everyday goings-on. There is a picture at the mall where we attempt to let Trey play on the figures without having heart attacks when he falls.

In one picture, Abe is learning the basics of drumming with Nonna and then there is another one where Trey, Abe and Vegas reveled in the blanket I laid down on the floor(what a novel idea! Why didn't I think of covering this hard pergo sooner?)


Well, that is all for now. I want to take this opportunity to apologize for my rampant use of Elipses ( ). It's my favorite way to talk, I suppose (in tangents...there I go again!!) and I'm sure not the easiest way to read. Anyhow, I'm not saying it's going to stop (you'll just have to fish through them :)).

the life and times

Mike is home today for our undeserved hurricane day. The day is so nice, I couldn't make it any prettier. Currently, he is feeding Abe some baby food out of a jar...of course, I pushed for the real stuff like moms often do("why don't you just mash up a real banana?") To this question, I got the typical dad resistance("dad's do jar food" translated "dad's do the easiest thing"). As long as he's feeding him, i'm not complaining. I'm putting some pictures on here from our recent trip to VA. As you can see, we stayed pretty busy. We went to our first family pumpkin patch...Yaay!
Trey was like a little robot repeating the word, "punkink", "PUNKINK". Besides the abundance of pumpkin picture opps, he got to pet some smelly, confused goats, which he calls "boats". I tried to just shut my mind and let him experience them despite their poop-covered noses. As you can see, our attempt to get a posed picture by the pumpkin turned into toddler chaos(Note Trey planning his escape and Abe looking desperate and disheveled, missing sock and all). I'd say the big hit of the day was the hayride...sludging through the mucky muck and getting to see all of the cartoon characters that Trey knows of..."Elmo, Dora, Cookie Monster" etc.... Anyway, it took us a week to get caught up to speed from the trip, which is why it takes me a lifetime to post on here. I won't even go into the monumentally horrendous ordeal of a plane ride. For any of you who haved braved the "friendly skies" with your toddler in tow, you know how trying it can be...I honestly felt like I was drowning and gasping for air for 2 and a half hours. Only this week, did 2 teeth sprout on the bottom of Trey's mouth, explaining the mystifying travel behavior last week. Ok, well, Mike has got the "day-off" itch right now and is hinting loudly that he wants to spend our time away from all things computer, so I'm off for now. Look forward to halloween costume pictures in the future!!

Elmo told me to do it!

Hello to all... Well, this past weekend, Mike and I took Trey to see Elmo and the cast of Sesame Street do their thing at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Here are some photos of the stage and a very enthralled Trey. I'm so torn when we go to these things. I sort of want to watch the characters(which must seem so bizarre and real to a child), but I am compelled to keep checking Trey's face to see what he finds neat or terrifying or boring. When the show started, Trey couldn't have been more excited and of course I got my share of goosebumps(I don't know why I always get so emotional at these kinds of things...I guess it's the kind of things I couldn't wait to do with my own kids, so I get kind of caught up in the moment). During one of the songs, the ever-famous, giant, purple "count" came down into the audience. We were on the very end so we could have reached out and given the beloved Sesame veteran a high-5 or tripped him if we were so inclined to ruin the fun. When Trey saw that he was coming close, he got a look which was somewhat hard to read. It said, "Yesss!!! He's coming over here to me!" and amazingly enough, it could have also said, "get away, you evil vampire!" It's like he didn't know weather or not to let the "stranger anxiety" of a toddler kick in...after all, he does come to our house every day at 10 a.m. We actually left about 10 minutes early because the novelty of it had well worn off for Trey(He was actually saying "go? go?"). Well, today is library day again. Our adventure there starts at 10(for Abe) and 11(for Trey). Yesterday was the "long day" with Mike at night class, so we went to the pool for a while and in the evening went down to the delicious PF Changs. After that, we went and played at the play area in the mall where Trey wanted to "spin"(aka make himself so dizzy he can't stand up anymore) on top of a very high climbing figure(a big newsreporter's hat). Once my heart stopped coding, I let him run around and say his "goodbyes" before we left. There are a couple of other pictures I put on here. One is of a damp checkbook which Trey dutifully put in the "kink"(his word for sink). I've been asking him to put his dirty cups in there when he finishes his milk and he loves doing it, so I guess I probably should expect to find more than just cups from time to time. After we found it floating in the greasy pan, Mike said "the funny thing is, you probably thanked him for doing it". After hearing the "klunk" in the "kink", I probably did tell him what a good boy he was for putting things away. All laundry sorters will appreciate the other picture posted here....it is a testament of the mystery of socks. Where do they go? This image is of the "hopefully-they-will-turn-up-in-a-later-load" unmatched socks. I bet there is some kind of thrifty craft which would put these leftovers to use, but I've already tried the sock puppet thing.