Spring forward

Evie and "baby" Michael

Well, it's March in Chicago.  Usually that means absolutely nothing, other than another winter month.  This year though we've been pleasantly surprised by sunny days and warmer weather (one day was even close to 70!).  It has done wonders for everyone's sanity.  Though this week is back down in the 40s and we had 5 inches of snow the other day, it is still so pleasant and you can tell people have hope for what's to come. 

Cora, 5 months

Cora turned 5 months old a few weeks ago.  Time continues to fly.

Evie, 5 months

Having two means there is no down time.  I can't even imagine or begin to understand what life is like for people who have more than two.  A few of my friends are already asking me when number 3 will be coming.  The answer is never. At least not for the foreseeable future.  I cannot wrap my head around how I could be a good mom to more than these two lovely little girls.

Flossing her teeth naked,
instead of napping

Evie's teacher, Mrs. Candace informed me that the other day in the middle of music class there was a pause, and Evie used that time to stand and announce to her peers "I do not pee on my pillow ANY more!"  Apparently there were nods of approval and even a few rounds of applause.  The music teacher was utterly bewildered.  Mrs. Candace knew what the deal was, and smiled approvingly toward Evie.  You see, a few weeks back I put Evie down for one of her infamous "naps".  It started rather dramatically with her purposely running around the house with food in her mouth after I'd explained to her that wasn't safe, then me taking away the food, then her purposely trying to clog the toilet with a whole roll of toilet paper, and then me dragging her up the stairs kicking and screaming and her telling me she wanted daddy.  I locked her door and took a deep breath. We needed some time apart.  Evie used that time to first shred a library book and then pee on her pillow.  When I came to get her an hour later, she told me she'd done it and showed me the wet spot.  She had also peed on her blanket.  Seriously?  I am not sure the hour apart was worth it.  I had to think of a natural consequence, and decided that she needed an immediate shower with cold water and that she couldn't

Evie wanted to be twins

have a pillow or blanket to sleep with that night.  Harsh? Perhaps.  Logical?  I thought so.  Around 5am we heard her rummaging through her room and thought we'd give her another chance with a pillow.  Feeling a bit guilty for having taken hers away originally, and since hers was still drying from the wash, we gave her one of the nice guest room pillows.  And then we watched in disbelief as she took it to the middle of her floor, pulled down her pull-up and pjs and peed right on it.  Fan-freaking-tastic.  The following day I asked her teacher if she had any suggestions.  Evie was standing there when I asked about it.  Mrs. Candace looked her square in the eye and said "Oh Evie, I am SO sorry to hear about this." It hasn't happened since.  In fact, about once a week, Evie tells me she's going to let Mrs. Candace know she doesn't pee on her pillow ANYmore.  I'm totally keeping the tattle-taleing the teacher in my back pocket if another totally unacceptable behavior pops up.  In the meantime, it's kindof a riot to see how proud she is to continuasly not pee on her pillow.  Baby steps. 

After nap, Evie dressed herself in her greenest
outfit for St. Patrick's Day

I read an article today about parenting, and it was going along with the cliche message most parenting articles have  of "this too shall pass", and "be grateful", and "the days are long but the years are short".  But the mom writing this article put it exactly right:  "The baby years are short. Like 5 minutes... underwater".  Exactly!  You're drowning.  It's physically and emotionally exhausting.  It's one of the first articles about young parents I've seen to really acknowledge this fact.  She's a mom of 3 teens and talks about how those years also have their challenges, but at least she appreciates that this stage right now can be utterly brutal and amazing and horrifying and amazing and disgusting and amazing and well, you get the point.  Just felt nice to be acknowledged. 

In the world of baby Cora, she has been screeching and cooing and yelling dadadadadada constantly.  I guess she already sees she's going to have to be a talker to stand a chance in this family.  She's full of big smiles and so much love.  She watches Evie eagerly.  She has good nights and bad and good days and bad, but overall she's just such a little love bug and we feel so blessed to have her.  I want to eat her up.  A friend told me the other day she had such a pleasantly shaped head. 

What a funny thing to say.  But so true.  It's almost perfectly round, complemented by her chubby pink cheeks and blue eyes and big smile.  In my state of total sleep deprivation I admitted that "I know most parents think their kids are the cutest things in the world, but I really kind of think she is." To which this friend smiled, laughed and said "yah, I might even go so far as to say she is cuter than my kids ever were."  I was immediately embarrassed for what I'd just said, but so loved the way she handled it.  And then she proceeded to pick up Cora and smooch her chubby cheeks.  Maybe she meant what she said...