Beauty and the Beast

On Saturday night, we got to see Beauty and the Beast at the Muny. This is the first time that Lily has been to the Muny, mainly because the shows do not start until after 8:00 pm. The Muny is the oldest and largest outdoor theater in the country. I was an usher there when I was in high school, and Suzanne worked in concessions when she was in high school. My parents now have season tickets (with rockin' seats). Obviously, we are big fans of the Muny. If you come to St. Louis, and don't see a show at the Muny, you've really missed out on one of the most amazing places in the city. I am so glad that my parents took us to many theater productions when we were young and instilled in us an appreciation for this art form. I was so happy to be able to share this experience with Lily and hope to create many more memories with her there in years to come.

Pre-show excitement

Unfortunately, the late start time was just too much for Lily. She fell sound asleep shortly after the intermission. This is not surprising since she is asleep by 7:30 on most nights, but I was hoping she would be able to see Belle in her "yellow dress". (She really wanted to see the yellow dress.) Maybe next time!

Friday at the zoo

Lily was pining to be the same height as the Pygmy Goat so we had to call upon the aid of a super-large bow.

So very hoppy


Lily must try them all, of course.


Warning: Wild child at the wheel.

The dynamic duo

Lily and Sammi (my cousin's daughter) chilaxin' during a lunch break

Last Friday, we met my mom, 2 aunts, 2 cousins, my grandpa and little Sammi at the zoo for some fun family time. We went early so it wasn't too hot yet (and the Children's Zoo if free the first hour that the zoo is open!) It was a great day, and I really hope that this family day at the zoo becomes an annual summer tradition.

8-months and counting

William is now officially 8 months old - wow! I was so much better at giving monthly updates for Lily, but somehow that just hasn't happened for William. Here is the update for now...

At 8 months, William is still doing the army crawl. Lily was crawling on all fours with ease by this point, but the truth is that William gets around just as quickly and effectively as Lily did. So, he may decide to skip the more traditional crawling altogether. He has also only pulled up a handful of times, but he does love to be in the standing position and would like nothing more than to figure out that walking thing.

As far as eating and sleeping goes, if we were at home all day, his schedule would look something like this:
7 am - Wake up and breastfeed
8 am - 4 oz. pureed food
9:30 am - Bottle
9:30 - 11:30 am - Nap
11:30 - Breastfeed
12 noon - 4 oz. pureed food
1:30 pm - Bottle
1:30 - 3:30 pm - Nap
3:30 pm - Breastfeed
5 pm - 4 oz. pureed food
6 pm - Breastfeed
7 pm - Bottle
7 pm - 7 am - Sleep

Of course, we rarely stay at home all day, but his schedule usually is a close variation of this.

William has started a new habit of waking up 1/2 hour after we lay him down for the night. At first, we attempted to soothe and console him but found that our efforts were fruitless. So we now let him "cry it out" for a little while, and he goes back to sleep and stays asleep the rest of the night. It is just one of those mysteries that will probably never be solved.

William's hair has started growing in a little (from the center out). It is hard to tell its true color or to know if it is going to be curly or not. His eyebrows are so light that I think he is going to be a very light or sandy brown, if not blond. I'm really, really hoping for curls but that remains to be seen.

Lily also had teeth by the time she was 8 months, but we we still have no teefers with William. I know that many books say that babies can now handle cooked and finely chopped bits of food, but I am not comfortable with that until he has teeth. So, for now we will stick with pureed fruits and vegetables, although I may start giving him some more roughly mashed bananas or avocados. I like to wait for meats until around 9 months, so that will be coming next month.

As far as toys go, William seems to be drawn to toys that roll - anything with wheels - which is amazing to me. Almost exclusively, William has all the same toys that Lily had as a baby. Yet, he is drawn to the more "boyish" toys. It could be just a difference between children, but there is something to be said about natural gender differences in toy selection.

William continues to be a truly happy baby that will smile for anyone and everyone. He engages people with his eyes in a way that is truly remarkable. We've had several funny experiences in stores with William. In one store, a woman followed us through the store and tried several different ways to get around me and the cart to reach Carl holding William. Then she asked to hold him! In another store, I had a woman grab my arm, look into my eyes, and say very seriously, "You have truly beautiful children." As their mother, I'm not going to disagree, but if you could say it without touching me, that would be great.

William also seems to have something about him that I can only describe as emotional intelligence. I know it may sound crazy, but when I went to pick him up yesterday morning, he could sense that something was wrong with me. He didn't reach out to me and smile like he does every single morning. Instead, he stared at me in a way that almost made me cry. He looked so deeply into my eyes and the concern that I could see in him was amazing. I don't think I'll ever forget his expression in that moment.

One thing is certain. William has captured the hearts of EVERYONE in this family. Because of his consistent, pleasant disposition, it is hard to be around him and not be joyful.

Ready for homeostasis at home

So we've been through a little bit of a rough patch here lately. Carl's emergency gall bladder surgery was followed by an insect or spider bite on my left arm which turned into Cellulitis. Then, we went swimming on Father's Day which may have contributed to the ear infection that I developed on Monday. The Cellulitis was annoying, but the ear infection has been nothing short of horrible. I've been on some heavy-duty pain killers and feeling totally out of it. Thanks to my mom and dad who have stepped in several times to save the day during this time. There are not a lot of things that have caused me as much pain as the ear infection, but having to "pump and dump" due to the pain killers runs a close second to the infection.

Liquid gold down the drain

Playmates

Hanging out in Lily's fort

Scrub-a-dub-dub...brother and sister in the tub


Teaching William the finer points of chess

And thus concludes a 12-year mystery

Way back when, when Carl and I had just begun dating at Lake Forest College, Carl had an "episode" one summer day. It involved severe abdominal cramping/chest pains accompanied by vomiting that eventually led us to the hospital. Many tests later, no answers were found regarding the source of the pain. A second visit, years later, to the ER for the same symptoms resulted in the removal of a perfectly fine appendix. The symptoms have popped up probably close to 10 times in 12 years and resulted in about 5 trips to the ER.

Our latest episode occurred at about 2 am this morning. I've just returned from the hospital where Carl was admitted and finally we have the answer: a completely obstructed, non-functioning, stoned-filled gall bladder which has now been removed and to which we can forever say good riddens. It is such a relief to finally have an answer to this problem that plagued us for so long. In hindsight, it may seem like a simple answer, but the symptoms mimicked cardiac problems and with a family history of cardiac issues, this was often a front-runner in diagnoses. Carl is now recovering from the surgery, and besides some uncomfortable after-effects, he seems to be doing just fine. All I can hope is that this begins a new chapter for Carl, one in which no more parts of his body have to be removed!

New ways to distract while making dinner

Puffs

Water in a sippy cup

Our first cooking club playdate

The spread: kid-friendly dishes

One of the more creative mom's work


The kids enjoying the fare


Heading outside for some water play. Who says you can't eat and swim? Not these moms!


Checking out the sand table


William and his friend enjoying watching the activity while relaxing in the shade.

Last Friday we had our first cooking club playdate. We had 7 moms and 12 kids in attendance (not including the 2 on the way - one of which is now here!), so I would say that it was a success. All the moms brought kid-friendly dishes - along with the recipes to add to our collections - while the kids enjoyed a fun-in-the-sun playdate. A perfect way to pass the day!

Mary and Katie have been in town since Tuesday so we have been going non-stop since they arrived. I've taken about 150 pictures since they got here so there are many pictures to come, but tomorrow is one of our craziest, busiest days yet....so off to bed I go!

Faceplant

Before

After

My poor little baby fell while running and unfortunately broke her fall with her face. She was running too fast and didn't have time to get her hands out in front of her so she looks like she has been participating in some preschool version of fight club. Right after she fell, she kept apologizing which was so sad. I'm not sure why she does this when she gets hurt. I reassured her that she had nothing to be sorry for and that I just wanted her to feel better. Then she asked through her tears, "Is it really bad?" I told her it was okay, but I hightailed it home in order to put ice on the massive bump that was already forming on her forehead. This happened last week and luckily she already looks much better...all part of the childhood experience I suppose. One thing is certain: the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

Terradog turns 7!

Happy birthday to our furry family member.