i like dirt. i like it. i like it. i like it.

this afternoon we were playing on the deck - gotta get outside even though its a million degrees - and i got a cute little video of porter scooping dirt from a pot into his dump truck... but now it wont let me upload it because its like 3 seconds too long or something. boo blogger. boo. at the end of the video i ask him if he likes dirt and he just says 'i like dirt. i like it. i like it. i like it.' i think that about sums the boy up.

and here is mary mae proving to us that we always hold on too long to certain phases. i think its time to pack up the snuggle nest. don't worry, she was still breathing. last night was her first night in her crib... that's because she wouldnt go to sleep until 230am, so i laid with her in the guest bed (in her room) until i was finally able to take her to her crib. wowzah. coffee never tasted so good.



is summer over yet?

8 weeks!

mary mae at 8 weeks... looking an awful lot like her brother . that post was when he was 3 months... so a little older, but i really think their faces look so much alike. she's much girlier, of course. shes a champ- just being carted around here and there following her brother to the park in the 105 degree heat and never being bothered. as long as she's in the sling, she's happy... so she lives in the sling.

pummus!

no idea why he pronounces his 'h' with a 'p'... but this kid loves hummus! we make it a lot, but today we made it a little different with some roasted red peppers. loved it. if you don't have a magic bullet, you need one. (thanks, rhoda!)



also, here is a link to some adorable pics of porter and one of his lady friends, sarah. she has been a doll to play with lately!

life is good.

Success!!

All this getting out and about might be catching up with him - yesterday he took almost a FOUR HOUR nap. That's right. He slept from 1:30-5:15. I finally walked in and turned off his noise maker and that is what woke him up. I hope we are getting over this sleeping hump and he is realizing that this is a napping house. Momma doesn't nap, but all children in this house must nap, so momma can do all the things she wants to do sans children.

Thank you.

(naps are also good for development, yes... that is also why we take them.)

Here are 2 cell phone pics from today. Mary Mae hangin out while brother runs all about the 'my gym' and brother bear holding his ears while she screamed in the car on the way home fighting her nap. (Do we see a pattern here?) She finally gave in...





This picture makes me laugh so hard though - If that child only knew how terrible he was in the car for the 18 months of his life he would not be holding his ears looking at her - he would be grovelling at my feet, apologizing for doing the same thing for almost two years.

Motherhood. Its awesome.

update

He did take a nap yesterday - from 330-5. Not what I would call ideal, but Ill take it. Last night he asked to go to sleep in his big boy bed - and then cried at 9:00 (well over an hour after we put him down). I went to check on him and he was in the pack n play with all his things except one (the reason he was crying) He needed me to get it for him.... and he went back to snoozing.

Let me be clear - this means he put himself in the pack n play... and gathered all his things to make his little nest. Amazing.

Today we went to a party at a splash park and played hard - He is sleeping like an angel right now.

I know no one cares about these details, but I think someday I will want to remember how hilarious this time was. Fighting the sleep in the pack n play so much that we take our clothes off one day and throw everything we know and love as far away as possible... and not 3 hours later, get out of bed, put everything we know and love into the pack n play and climb in to sleep all night long. Two year olds are the most interesting humans.

Here is a cell phone pic from the party today. Fun in the sun!

complete refusal.

So, this is a true story from the front lines. Porter has always loved his naps. He has hardly cried for them - and once he's down he's usually out for quite a while. Well, he has recently started an all out protest of them. Is this normal? My goal this week was to get us out and about everyday before 10 - do something fun and tiring - and be back by nap time. Well, this seems to be backfiring. He has completely refused his hap. I have heard people say that before and thought, refused? Who refuses a nap? You leave them in there long enough and they go to sleep.

Well...

Monday, I walked him back and disciplined him again and again for an hour and half, until finally I realized we was going to keep getting up no matter what. What did I do? I set up the pack n play and put him in it - much like a cage, I suppose. He cried for 30 minutes and fell asleep.

Since that day, he has waned his pack n play more than his 'big boy bed' for each sleep. He still fights it, doesn't want to go, cries a while - but eventually gives in.

Today is another story.

Today, it is 3:23. He is still not asleep. I put him in his pack n play at 1:15 where he seemed to settle in without too much fuss. Then I heard banging (feet perhaps? I really need a video monitor) and he started to amp up to a yell. I went in a few different times with reasoning strategies. This is why we nap - you have to get strong - are your teeth hurting? - you need some tylenol? We rocked, we sang, we snuggled, we tucked in. Each time I left he would scream but I thought we were getting closer.

10 minutes ago, I walked in and what I saw astounded me. Porter had folded up the pad that goes in the bottom of the pack n play (the only thing that gives it a floor and keeps you from standing on a flimsy sheet of canvas). He had removed the sheet and thrown it. All of his bedtime cuddly things were thrown about (there are quite a few these days). Blanket was half way across the room. Monkey, beloved monkey, was no where to be seen. Here's the real kicker - his clothes were off. Shirt on one side of the room, shorts on the other. And diaper dangling by one tiny hook of velcro. His man parts were slightly exposed and he was shouting 'My diaper is off!!!!' (like he was surprised). I wish I had taken a picture, but I didn't want to make him think it was funny... I calmly re dressed him, gave him a fresh diaper, got the pack n play all fresh and ready with all his comforts, rocked him, and put his sorry butt back in there.

Am I crazy?

My child is disrobing himself and starting to destroy things, but I REALLY don't want to give in and let him know that that behavior means no nap. This might be one of those moments where most moms would be like, well, I guess he doesn't want to nap today... I am not there yet.

I just wanted to document this. Still standing strong at 3:30 - about to go see if he's fallen asleep. Updates to come.

the challenge

here's the truth about these last few weeks... mary mae has been a dream. porter has been ROUGH. i love him no different, but i suppose it needs to be documented that he is having a tough time loving this new addition to our family.

when she is snoozing, or swinging he loves her.

when she is nursing, or being burped, or being swaddled or rocked... he HATES her. and me.

we are working on it. trying different approaches, but still trying to find some consistency.

this has been our biggest challenge - willing and ready to hear all mom's ideas.