Matthew left yesterday for his trip that goes between Toledo and Mexico. While he was here with us in Orlando, he worked very hard, trimming trees, mowing the lawn, shimming and sealing the base of the toilet again, changing diapers, entertaining Thomas, and somehow getting him to eat! Thomas' appetite has increased dramatically, to my astonishment. And now he is actually eating, and napping well, and waking up happy! It's so great! Next on the agenda: eating well in the highchair and tackling the 5:00am wakeup!
After a long absence, Thomas' "mamamamamama" is back. He is also blowing raspberries again ... without showing tongue! I can't figure out how he does it! It's a "mystery raspberry." Matthew can do it, though, and sometimes they have "raspberry conversations" --- Thomas will quietly raspberry, then Matthew will reply in kind, and then Thomas, and then Matthew answers back.... it's very cute!
These days we are taking a stroller ride every day in the morning around our neighborhood. Thomas always enjoys hanging onto the bar and staring at everything -- and not always at what I think is interesting, i.e. cats, dogs, squirrels, planes, ducks, .... Sometimes I'll spend a whole minute trying to point out something like a duck on the sidewalk in front of him while his gaze is fixed on who knows what in the opposite direction! It's great to get out of the house during a pleasant part of the day when it's not too hot and there aren't many people or cars about, and it soothes Thomas when he's getting too tired. I also take him once every day or two or three out and about around town. Sometimes the grocery store, sometimes to Borders, sometimes to Nursery Rhyme Time at the library. I don't know if he enjoys it as much as I do, but it saves my sanity!
On Saturday we babysat our friend Ava's children, five-year-Coe and her 16-month-old girl Kaeya. It was only for a few hours, but was it an experience! I think I would have been a lot more nervous babysitting them if I hadn't had such recent experience with five-year-old Katie in New Zealand! Thank you, Katie! They were good kids, and it was like looking into the future to see what Thomas would be able to do: toddling, communicating, getting up onto the couch by himself, giving toys to people ... and it was like looking into an alternate universe to see what life would be like if he had a different temperament. Kaeya waited so calmly and patiently for me to be done with diaper changes/getting her into the car seat/shopping! Wow! Where were the wiggles, the struggles, the shrieks? It was amazing, and I was a little jealous of Ava! But, we are who we are, and that is that!
Matthew left yesterday for his trip that goes between Toledo and Mexico. While he was here with us in Orlando, he worked very hard, trimming trees, mowing the lawn, shimming and sealing the base of the toilet again, changing diapers, entertaining Thomas, and somehow getting him to eat! Thomas' appetite has increased dramatically, to my astonishment. And now he is actually eating, and napping well, and waking up happy! It's so great! Next on the agenda: eating well in the highchair and tackling the 5:00am wakeup!
After a long absence, Thomas' "mamamamamama" is back. He is also blowing raspberries again ... without showing tongue! I can't figure out how he does it! It's a "mystery raspberry." Matthew can do it, though, and sometimes they have "raspberry conversations" --- Thomas will quietly raspberry, then Matthew will reply in kind, and then Thomas, and then Matthew answers back.... it's very cute! 
These days we are taking a stroller ride every day in the morning around our neighborhood. Thomas always enjoys hanging onto the bar and staring at everything -- and not always at what I think is interesting, i.e. cats, dogs, squirrels, planes, ducks, .... Sometimes I'll spend a whole minute trying to point out something like a duck on the sidewalk in front of him while his gaze is fixed on who knows what in the opposite direction! It's great to get out of the house during a pleasant part of the day when it's not too hot and there aren't many people or cars about, and it soothes Thomas when he's getting too tired. I also take him once every day or two or three out and about around town. Sometimes the grocery store, sometimes to Borders, sometimes to Nursery Rhyme Time at the library. I don't know if he enjoys it as much as I do, but it saves my sanity!
On Saturday we babysat our friend Ava's children, five-year-Coe and her 16-month-old girl Kaeya. It was only for a few hours, but was it an experience! I think I would have been a lot more nervous babysitting them if I hadn't had such recent experience with five-year-old Katie in New Zealand! Thank you, Katie! They were good kids, and it was like looking into the future to see what Thomas would be able to do: toddling, communicating, getting up onto the couch by himself, giving toys to people ... and it was like looking into an alternate universe to see what life would be like if he had a different temperament. Kaeya waited so calmly and patiently for me to be done with diaper changes/getting her into the car seat/shopping! Wow! Where were the wiggles, the struggles, the shrieks? It was amazing, and I was a little jealous of Ava! But, we are who we are, and that is that!
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