Two firsts...

It was a pouring rainy first day of daylight savings time. Drew decided today would be the best day to not nap, destroy my willpower, AND shove something up his nose for the first time. It happened at snacktime, when I made some popcorn for us. He found an unpopped kernel in his bowl, which of course I should have pulled out but apparently I failed to. All innocently, he asked, "Mommy, what is this?" and I told him what it was and that he wasn't to put it in his mouth and to give it to me. To his credit, he did not put it in his mouth. However, he immediately placed it ever so delicately into hsi left nostril, and then waited to see how I would handle it. I calmly pushed it out of his nose, threw is in the trash, and told him that if he ever, ever, ever shoved anything up his nose again I was taking away his toys. Calm heads did not prevail there.

Then, as I tucked him in, he said, "Mommy, I'm scared." I asked him what was scaring him, and he pointed to the closet. He informed me that there was a monster in there. I checked, showed him, and swore I would never let a monster in there. No threats this time. Apparently the beer I drank at dinner had diminished my propensity for flagrant threats which I would likely never keep.

Things Tucker will smear on himself - Sunday edition

Tucker is still fantastically awesome. Today has been an especially, um, tactile day, and here's a brief list of the stuff he's covered himself in so far...

1. banana
2. syrup
3. baby cereal/peaches
4. syrup again
5. french toast
6. baby spaghetti

It's all over his face, in his hair, etc. Incredibly adorable, but also sticky as the dickens. Good thing he loves the bath - I see one in his near future...

Music and my boys

This evening was a lot of fun. There have been all kinds if crazy predictions of the looming snowstorm (will it actually be historic??) and we were in a bit of a pre-snow tizzy while getting dinner together. So we sat down to porky pasta and ate together. Connor fell asleep at the table very nicely. Tucker sat in his chair at the other end and ate some baby food (turkey and sweet potatoes, I think) and Drew inhaled the pasta as fast as he could. Lord, that child loves spaghetti.

After dinner, Lee pulled out the guitar, and we sang "I'm Yours" together. Drew danced and sang the "yourssssss-ah" parts - his favorites. Tucker looked at the guitar in abject wonder. Connor continued to sleep.

Lee moved on to "Wanted (Dead or Alive)", and I noticed as we started singing the song that Connor started smiling in his sleep, and smiled for the whole first verse and chorus. Connor has a lifeling history with that song. When I was expecting him, I was also practicing for the band's anniversary, and we had decided to pull that song out and sing it. Fast forward a few months, and I discovered that the best song to soothe my cranky newborn Connor was "Wanted (Dead or Alive") which was simultaneously awesome and so very sad. I'm sure he doesn't know why that song makes him smile, but it sure made me glad to know that it's still something that brings him joy.

After bathtime, Drew serenaded me with some Swedish Chef music (bork bork bork!) and then Puff the Magic Dragon. Nothing in this world makes me happier than hearing him sing a song and be so proud of himself. I guess if I was an author I would be excited when he wrote something, or an artist, when he drew a discernable object. But I'm a singer, so to hear him sing proves to me that I have managed to pass something along that he can share with anyone and everyone he chooses. I hope they find it as wonderful as I do.

Now, if only he inherited my projection abilities...

Tucker's happy..

And he knows it! Know how I know? He claps his hands!!

I'll try to get video later, and will add it in. But big milestone. So excited. I think I'll go clap my hands :)

Hide and Go Seek

So tonight, we introduced Drew to the tenets of Hide and Go Seek. Drew counted to ten thusly:
"Ten, Eleven, Four, Six...ready or not, here I come!" and tore off in search of Lee. A minute later, I heard him say this: "Babe. You're killing me." when he couldn't find Lee.

Oh, sweet Lord. I wouldn't say he's the funniest child, because they are all funny. But he is so far winning in the funniest child of mine list.

Connor and tests

Part of being Connor's mom is getting him to and through a lot of tests. Today he is having an EEG, a brain-wave test. He has had a lot of these, starting in April 2004 to diagnose his condition. So I'm sitting here on a guerney with him and remembering all the tests. EEGs, EKGs, spinal tap, MRIs, x-rays, blood tests. He's only 5, but he's been through a battery. And he's fantastic during them. A total trooper. Of course, numerous tests happened when he was still very, very small so he slept right through them, but since then...trooper.

In case you haven't had one (and I hope you haven't had cause) an EEG consists of 26 electrodes being adhered to your skin all over your head (and one on your heart) using a waxy substance to make them stick and conduct the electric patterns. Then, your head is wrapped with gauze like a mummy, so that the electrodes don't slip around. Connor does not like things on his head. We may not understand a lot of his likes and dislikes, but this one is quite apparent. He DOES NOT like things on his head. But one they are on, he drifted off to sleep and they recorded how his brain was operating. Each time I try to go in with controlled expectations. Every time a small part of me fails in that, and I go in with "he's healed?" expectations. Now I have to wait until Election Day to find out how it was, and what that means for his medications, and his quality of life.

For those who didn't know him then, the spinal tap was the worst. He was six weeks old, and he was so resistant to the test that first, he ripped out the IV they'd put in, then he held his breath. His oxygen levels dropped, and all hell broke loose in the ER. Once we knew he was all right (at that time - it was pre-diagnosis) it was funny. Of course, before we knew he was all right, it was an agonizing 20 minutes of hallway waiting.

I hope my guy doesn't have to do too many more tests, but the reality is that he will need maintenance EEGs for the foreseeable future. But you know what? He's still fantastic, and each EEG has been better than the previous one. We're still looking forward to a 100% clear EEG, and from what I've been told we are pretty close. I wonder how much closer this one is.

Where, oh where, did September go?

Oh, wait, that's right! It was spent moving, and being sick (all of us!!) and then work and school starting and on and on and on and on!!

The last weekend of August we moved back home, newly expanded and fantastic. We are incredibly happy! We did all get sick the first week home, but somehow managed to survive. A few more things to be set up, a few items to be hung, and we should be settled!

In addition to that, Connor started kingergarten at Glebe Elementary, and he's had such a wonderful transition! His day is much longer now, and he's exhausted every night. It's marvelous! I have pages of work from school already, and it's only been 3 weeks.

The following week, Drew started school as well, and the first night we were treated to a two minute monologue of "and then I...and then I...and then I..."s from him. I had to turn around from the table I was laughing so hard.

Tucker is almost 6 months old and is still bald and toothless and happy as a clam! He laughs ALL THE TIME. It's so much fun! Of course, Drew isn't so hot at the behaving himself thing right now, and I know that little T will one day be like Drew in this way, but for now I'm in complete new-mom denial and expect that Tucker will always be wonderful, wonderful.

Tucker is also no longer the youngest baby in my extended family. Baby Felix joined the larger family yesterday, and there are several more babies on the way. Very exciting time for my family, that is for sure.

All right. Time to start making some Thomas the Tank Engine magic in preparation of Drew's birthday party...