rasberries, hair, teeth and a bat

These are some more recent pictures. Of special note is the beloved bat, Abe's new pearly whites(if you look close, they are on the bottom), Abe's outrageously punk hairstyle and a picture of him mid-rasberry. It's a little unbalanced when it comes to per-child picture today, but it just so happens that I had a bunch of Abe to post. Thankfully, he is content to roll all over the floor here in the laundry/playroom/catch-all room with me while I write this. Last night, he got his chubby little leg stuck in between the bars of the crib and was in hysterics for about 30 minutes of our harried soothing techniques. He was doing that involuntary sucking-in cry that is oh so pathetic. Yesterday and the day before, we went to a local pool in the morning and the boys loved it! Trey just kept saying "wat-y" and shaking his hands like he does when he's excited. The pool is ultra cool...it has a gradual slope like a beach, so he can just walk right in. Now, we just have to teach him to swim. Abe loved it too. He just kept splashing and kicking and cooing. We are going to go again with Mike on Saturday morning, so I should have some pictures of it(hopefully, I will remember the camera this time). Also, on Tuesday, I took them both to this kids program at the library which they both seemed to really enjoy(and I did too cause I might meet a few other moms to hang out with). Alright, well, Abe's limit has been reached so I'd better hop to it.

clean house

I'm lounging here after a day's work. Actually, today went by really fast. One minute I was stuffing Abe's face with some concoction from gerber and the next thing I knew, Trey was getting his teeth brushed and saying "nigh-night"... About this whole babies-learning-how-to-eat thing. It is one of the things I will not miss when I'm looking back later when they are say, 16. It was not any better when Trey was choking down his "trainer puffs". We thought we were crossing the finish line on that goal when along comes Abe in all his sweet ignorance. When I try to give him a bite of these "stage 3" foods, he's gives me this look like, "why is there a chunk in my food? Didn't you properly puree it?" Then he proceeds to not chew it and gag repeatedly on it. Of course, I like to uselessly ask, "okay? okay?" as if he could or would answer me. I can't wait until he can eat STEAK. I forgot to mention earlier that Trey's favorite food is now pancakes. I also forgot to mention that he calls them "k-cakes" just like his dad used to a million years ago. When we went to Mimi's cafe on friday, he got pancakes in the shape of Mickey Mouse and boy did he like em. A symphony of "mmmmm-MMM-MMMmmms". Tonight we went to the mall to play at the "germpit" (phrase is courtesy of Mike's aunt Carol...so true, so true). It was great until this little girl a couple of years older than Trey came up to him and stared him down while saying something really mean. I couldn't really tell what she said, but she got her point across (using her eyebrows in the mean v-shape). I don't think Trey minded too much, but he wasn't resisting the stroller when we finally did leave. I guess there will be a few more instances like this in his future, but I don't want to have to see them(cause I don't want to feel that mother hen instinct kick in where my eyes fill up with boiling blood...yikes!). I'll leave you with that lovely imagery.

Amish food

This is actually a picture from Fayetteville and has nothing to do with today's blog thoughts, but I thought it would be a good one to share with the world(or at least the world that reads this blog). Smile, people! My mom and I ventured South on I-75 today for some prime outlet shopping and delectable Amish food. When I say "Amish food", of course what I really mean is "Amish desserts". Oh, to be cursed with the love of food! Primarily, I am smitten with any dessert with a chocolate and peanut butter combination(I won't even delve into the fluffy whip cream topping). And here is where my pathetic state starts to unravel before your eyes(and Mike starts to groan in misery because he thinks he doesn't have these attatchments to food and thinks my cravings are really over the top). Trey really liked my pie which he calls "cake" and said "mmm-MMMM". After that tasty detour, on we went to the outlet mall. We probably walked a mile with that should-be-tossed-out-of-a-ten-story-building stroller in the slight drizzling rain. While I was perusing all of the things that I had no money to buy, I thought, "at least we are out of the house and the company's good". Trey was fascinated with the occasional bird and fountain(aka: huge bathtub) and Abe looked like a dog with his head stuck out the car window...completely mellowed by the breeze(as if he's not mellow enough!). My plan for Trey to nap on the way home wasn't really what he had in mind, so when we got home 3 hrs. later than his usual naptime, he was pretty peeved that he had to lay down. The toddler life is so rough sometimes. At least there is "key" to hold onto.

the plague

It seems we have been inundated with reptiles. This frog has been hanging out(literally) on our back door, waiting for a tasty bug to cross paths with his mouth. As if that weren't enough, we have had a resident lizard in the house for, I think, about a month....that is until yesterday. I was in the bathroom and I noticed Vegas sniffing the door hinge(which isn't unusual...he's constantly sniffing). As I did a double take, I realized there was a lizard pancake, complete with severed tail and blood. Oh, the horror!!! I have no stomach for those kinds of massacres. Needless to say, I made Mike take care of it. When I got up this morning, it was miraculously gone(I'd like to think it was to lizard heaven...). In Trey news, he has a new favorite song. The classic(and repetitive), "oh where, oh where has my little dog gone..." . In a classic Trey way, he has only picked up the first part..."oh wheyr, oh wheyr...". It reminds me of our childhood cockatiel, Sunshine(r.i.p.), when she could only sing the first part of the Andy Griffith whistle. Over and over, we would hear her belt it out while she feverishly bobbed her head. The way Trey sings it isn't exactly like that, but it is so sweet how he tries so hard to make the word "where" sound right. It still kind of sounds stuck in his throat. Abe is now officially on the move. No longer are the days here where he lays on his back and looks around. He has finally got some motivation to roll from hither to yon(a little pre-generational lingo for you). I'll lay him down and the next thing I know, he is on the other side of the room(usually nearing some painful corner of an appliance). In other good Abe news, I think I can say that he is officially sleeping through the night. In correlation with that, I'm having some crazy REM sleep dreams. I forgot what dream world was like! It's so great! Abe's teeth have finally crested the gums, so now it's smooth sailing until the next set come in. Well, as usual, I'm going to end this blogging moment cause Abe's nap is over and he is babbling at me through the monitor...."yaaah, yah, yaaaaahhh-yaaah-yaah.....*rasberry noise*".

the day, thursday

"like silence she stands; like laughter she falls". What a great first line to a song. I heard that today on the IPOD while I was walking. That "shuffle songs" option is one of the greatest inventions, ever!! Kudos, Apple people! Anyhow. Abe and I are hanging out now while big brother is fast asleep. He's telling me what to write as I type...."now say, 'Abe is so sweet and smart and I'm going to give him unlimited milk and bananas...oh and attention!' " . Well....something along those lines. I do think he and Trey both love their alone time with their parents. Although, he gives a happy wiggle-giggle combo when he sees Trey in the mornings. I'm going to put some pictures on here of our day. Trey watching Sesame street, trying on Mike's jacket and Abe in nothing but a diaper and rice cereal(for some reason, they look a little blurry..?) . Mike doesn't have class tonight! Yippeee! I'm sure he's as glad to not have class as we are to spend some time with him.

no show

Well, I just found out the concert was postponed. Guess we won't be having that reprieve after all. Oh well.

a shopping trip worth forgetting

This is a long week. Usually the minutes fly by, but this week, the seconds are slamming by...leaving very heavy impressions. As a result, I'm trying to find anything and everything to make the time more valuble for me and the boys. On monday afternoon, Mike had class so we tried our first time at the gym together...them in the daycare, me in a torture class(although grueling, it's still much better and faster than a torture machine). During the last five minutes, one of front desk clerks came in and whispered "jenny" into the teachers ear. Once the teacher blared my name through her microphone, I made my way to the nursery, where Abe was a basket case and Trey looked really ready to go (he was actually trying to get in the stroller!). Needless to say, we went home. Yesterday afternoon, Mike had conferences so I ventured to the store for much-needed groceries. They don't have any carts to accomodate both babies, so I ended up hauling them in the impossible-to-turn-limo-stroller. So then I have two options: try and fit everything in one hand-held basket or drag a shopping cart behind me while trying to steer the beastly stroller. I tried both. Carrying the basket on my arm almost left a bruise and dragging the other was not happening either. Finally I jury-rigged(a term I just discovered the meaning of on my new favorite website: www.wikipedia.org ) the basket onto the stroller and got some relief. At one point it occured to me that if Trey or Abe was just a little bit older, they would have been supremely embarrassed at the sight of their frazzled, unshowered mother trying to balance all of those groceries. Luckily, they are still not to the point of caring and even if they were, Trey would have been too distracted by his bleeding hangnail(which he wouldn't keep a bandaid on) muttering "oh-no, hand, oh-no". I guess I should have felt some kind of twinge of shame, but I decided we needed the groceries more....they need sustenance!!! Tonight, Mike and I are going with Shanna and Shands to the Coldplay concert. It is the much needed break in our schedule that I've been craving in this everlasting week. We are leaving my dad in charge of both babies. He's being a really good sport about it...I guess he's up to the challenge. He is a really good and hearty cornbread.

more photos

These are some photos from our trip last weekend (Labor day) to TN. Enjoy! (The website is acting up and "not responding" so I will try and add more later)

home again, home again, jiggity-jig

We are safe and sound in good ol Tampa. We walked out into the parking lot and inhaled the official stinky swamp smell. AHHHHH... Our trip was really great(albiet extremely short and hard to say goodbye). Goodbyes are so difficult cause you just want to squeeze whatever time you have left from your visit. After we parted ways from Peggy and Rick, we went and found the least congested part of the southwest terminal so that I could feed Abe and Trey could burn off some energy. His run is hilarious. Watching him want to go as fast as he could last night, it reminded me of the "fast-walking" competetion at the olympics. Both of his feet are not off the ground at the same time yet. Once we got on the plane, both of the boys were so visibly tired and luckily Abe went right to sleep. Trey, however, did not. He watched Elmo and Einstein half of the time and then, when his heavy little lids could not resist gravity any longer, fell asleep during the last 5 mintues. Great, huh? It's so nice for him to be awakened by the jolt and screeching tires of the plane landing....it's jarring enough when you are awake and ready for it! I'm going to put some pictures from our trip to Brookfield Zoo in Chicago and some other random shots from the visiting. Abe seems to have gained a months worth of developmental changes over this past weekend. I guess he just needs to be mentally stimulated like a flower needs water. Speaking of him, I hear some talking upstairs....naptime is over for him and playtime is over for me.

the road trip

Amid rising gas prices and possible scarcity, we are planning to forge ahead to Fayetteville, TN. We haven't been there to see them in a shame of a time...I think it's been over a year... they've still never seen Abe and Trey was just starting to roll over the last time we were there. That feels like a million years ago. We'll see how the trip fares. It's always interesting with babies...and now all of this disaster makes things even stickier. I can't help to be overcome with emotions when I see the images of destruction in the gulf coast area. Of course, we feel extremely fortunate that we were spared the hurricane and that we are comfortably in our still-standing houses. It's something that I can't quite fathom. The heat, lack of everything, loss of loved ones, etc. I wish there was something more that I can do besides donations. When something like this happens, you just want to physically help. So anyhow, we are embarking on our journey north tonight after Mike get's done with work. We'll get as far as we can and then stay in any available hotel (hopefully they won't be as scarce as the gas!). Well, I'm off to get the babies up any minute now and begin our day!