Sunday, May 13, 2012

What a mom notices...


Avery

Runs around the backyard with the spray bottle trying to squirt birds

We are surprised by his increasing vocabulary.  He picks up on words said in passing and then later inserts them into his sentences.  Lately, he has been using “South Africa” and “Mexico”.

He made up a new song he called “Do Man Stuff”.  One of the verses included the lyrics “pow animals” (“pow” is Avery’s word for “shoot”), “pow a deer” and “saw some wood”.  The song “Do Girl Stuff” included the lyric “sew a shirt” and “the baby grows up into a mommy and the mommy gets to be a grandma”.

Our family held a garage sale one weekend.  Avery was trying to help.  He entertained customers by tickling them with a blade of grass as they walked by.  One woman was looking as some shirts we had for sale.  Avery told her “You are WAY too big for those!”  Thankfully, the woman was a good sport and didn’t seem offended.

“Pigs are my favorite animal because they are nice.”

Sometimes I peek in his room to pause and watch him sleep.  It amazes me how quickly he has grown, and how we have the responsibility to shape their early life experience.  I pray that we are diligent to offer them our best effort in doing so.

I laugh watching Avery perform the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse hotdog dance in his Lightning McQueen slippers and airplane pajamas.

I had a sore on my leg.  Avery pointed to it with a concerned look on his face and said, “Mommy, is that a sore?  A sore like an eagle sore (soar)?”

Avery poked two holes in a half piece of bread to make it like a cassette.  He asked if he could put it in the CD player.  It struck me how clever he was to even think of that.

My hair tends to shed a lot, and Clint teases me about finding it in his laundry and around the house.  Avery says that “Mommy’s hair leaks” (it “leaks” out).

He finds the greatest pleasure in entertaining people - making them laugh or smile.  I am thankful how he now tries to do this for Aileen too.  She responds with delight sometimes, even more so than when she interacts with us as her parents.  I hope Avery and Aileen will develop a special bond with one another.


Aileen

Her eyelashes are almost as long as her mommy’s.
                                                                                                    
Sometimes I pause to watch her sleep.  She is so peaceful and beautiful.  Her head fits in my hand, and she seems to give me her complete trust.

I laugh hearing Clint sing Weird Al Yankovic songs to Aileen trying to soothe her to sleep.

Many times other people’s first comment about Aileen is “Wow, look at all that hair!”.

She is less expressive than Avery was when he was her age.  Overall, her personality is less intense.  Her crying and vocal sounds are softer and more airy.  Sometimes it looks like she smiles with her eyes even though her mouth is expressionless.

Gives us a one-sided grin with a milk bubble at the corner of her mouth.

She spits up and hiccups a lot.

The way her hair sticks up in the back is quirky and cute.

When I place my hand on her head, I notice that my skin is showing some subtle signs of aging with creases and loss of elasticity.  Her skin in contrast is perfect – smooth, plump, rosy pink and delicate.