Growth

Umh. Daddy? Don't you think I need a bigger changing table?

Itinerary for Neenee's visit

M: What should we do when NeeNee gets here?

n: Paint toes green. Take off blue.

n: Watch Lilo and Stitch.

Scary Playdoh

M: We're making a birdnest with eggs.
n: And then we eat them.

n: Can you make snake? Can you make Boom (scary lion from Aladdin)? I take his eyes off.

Association is not causation, again

I went to the children's museum a couple months ago. And two days later I had a belly virus. I went to the children's museum on Saturday, and I had a belly virus last night. Mamma and Daddy suspect I caught some germs at the museum. But I refuse to believe them until they show me tangible proof. I think Daddy working late at night makes me sick. Debate.

Ewan 10. Mamma 0.

Mamma, your swaddle-fu is weak. You are persistent though. I was too exhausted to break my swaddle the 11th time you tried. Hopefully Daddy doesn't have to teach tomorrow night. His fu is strong.

Letter from Mamma and Daddy

Dear darling children,
We very much appreciated you both having a good night sleep on Friday. Ewan, you did an amazing job going 12 hours between nursings and not waking until 6am. And than you still napped for another 2 hours. That was a great change from your nursing at 1am and 4am. And Nina we really loved that you just went to sleep instead of opening your bedroom door repeatedly for 2 hours and then waking throughout the night with night-terrors. That you both let us sleep in until 8am was very refreshing. Please do more.
Love, Mamma & Daddy

Shower

I don't sit in the tub. I haven't for almost 6 months. I'm still concerned of poopoo in the water. I stand. Just like Mamma and Daddy in the shower.

Cereal

Oh thank you - finally - more food!
Spoon in mouth. Okay. I get it.
Well, maybe I need to practice some more. I keep pushing the food out of my mouth.
Let me help you get the food in faster Mamma.
DO NOT HOLD ME BACK FROM MY FOOD WOMAN. GIVE ME THAT SPOON!

I lied

About that not needing cereal thing. Yeah. I lied. I'm hungry. I just don't like to complain. But this morning after Mamma fed me at 8:40am, I still downed a full bottle accidentally given to me at 9:40am. Because. I'm a MacBensen eating machine!

I win

Staring contests with cameras are easy to win. They always blink first.

Double ear infection

It's no fun being sick. Especially when it makes you tired and do silly things like biting your Mamma's arm. It's a good thing Mamma doesn't hold a grudge and loves me unconditionally. I love Mamma.

Grrr

Daycare is great, but it leaves me so exhausted I fall asleep within 2 hours of getting home. Hardly anytime to see Mamma and Daddy, especially as they're not great company at 5am.

Princess Nina

I finally have a throne to fulfill the princess role bestowed upon me by my NeeNee, and Mamma and Daddy want me to go weewee or woowoo in it? I think not. I'll sit on it and await my crown instead.

Connections

It's nice to have friends who love photography. Thanks Uncle Ryan!

Toilet training

I've decided to skip using the potty in my toilet training. I'm going straight to trying out the toilet. Unfortunately, Bedstebear thinks the toilet is his personal swimming pool. I wish he'd learn to dry off before he comes to bed with me.

Red-handed

Why no. I didn't have a blue lollipop. Why do you ask?

5 months!

For my fifth mirthday, Uncle Billy came to visit! Now I get to show off my occasional rolls, frequent smiles, and bilingual speech. But most of all, I get to show off my great communication skills with Mamma and Daddy. I'm super good at letting them know with just a quiet squawk when I'm tired, hungry or in need of cuddles. Some might say that Mamma and Daddy are just better at reading baby cues -- but I know the truth. I'm just a laid-back-kind-of-guy. Want more proof? I cried for only one second when I had my shots last week.

I'm undecided about whether I want to start rice cereal yet. While I can hold myself upright sitting for a bit, I don't think I'm a fan of falling face first into my food. That, and I only just started to feel hungry after Mamma feeds me. But my fingers and toes are great snack food.

I love my soothie. It really really helps me to get to sleep. That and some swinging in Daddy's arms. And an occasional swaddle is helping me to sleep longer at night. But because one of my naps is interrupted by having to go home from daycare, I'm usually crashing at 6:30pm.

It's okay

It must be hard being a big sister and not the baby anymore. But I don't mind sharing. As long as I get fed, rest and passing glancing smiles, I'm good. I know she loves me. That's really all a little brother needs.

NO MORE TRANSITIONS!!!

I'M DONE! NO MORE! New brother. Leaving Sharon. Moving. New house. Daddy's new job. New daycare. BFF leaves my daycare room. New bedroom. New bed. I'm done.

M: Mamma will go to work, and then Nina will have fun with her friends at daycare.

n: How about Mamma go, and then Nina cry.

M: How about Mamma read two books and then Nina have fun at daycare.

n: How about Nina cry two times.

Secret food stash

This silly diet of milk just isn't filling enough. Good thing I have my secret stash of leftovers hidden on Gator's feet.

Still life

I'm developing my talent.

Dinosaurs

I speak Terradactyl. My sister's working on becoming bilingual.

Nap time

M: Did you nap?

n: I read a story with words.

M: Did you read the words?

n: I sure did.

The things I'll say to avoid napping

n: Daddy, I want to watch football with you. Okay?

She started it

I WANT TO SLEEP WITH MAMMA!!!!

Airplanes

Flying makes my armpits hurt.

Toy preference

My playroom has paints and trains and puzzles and blocks and pens and dress-up and snorkels and playdough and kitchens and music and books and lots of lots of toys. But do you know my favoritest thing to play with? Opening and closing the playroom door!

FHWAAAAA

Depression hurts

My BFF of one week, Lucy, is moving far far far away, to a new room at daycare. We've been thick as thieves this last week. I don't know if I'll ever get over this. There's no way anyone can ever replace her.

Fashion

This vintage onesie dropped in Fall'07. It might be old, but my uncle's fashions never go out of style.

On a roll

What did I roll from back to front to get closer too? Not the mirror, although I do love to look at myself. The potty! That, and drumming sounds. Like my sister and Daddy, I have an innate love of the beat.

Debate

Ewan and I are debating what's better on a hot summer evening. Thumbs or ice cream. I'll give him a couple of years to see that I win.

Wildly inappropriate

Mamma unfairly takes pictures of me pooping.
Yup. I'm still pooping. Are you happy Mamma?
Oooohhhh, I'm feeling better now.
Do you believe this Eli? All my private moments captured on film for the amusement of my parents.

Not the baby

Even though my brother is almost as big as me, he's the baby. So it was about time I gave him the baby room and moved up into my own big girl room. Which I did 4 nights ago. And so far, I haven't looked back. Gone is the baby crib. Now I sleep on a big bed. I'm a big girl now!

I'm not sick

I would like to take credit for sleeping 9 hours straight last night. That had nothing to do with me being sick. Throwing up once and getting lots of good sleep does not mean I'm sick. Association is not causation.

Note to self

No Boom before bed. I scared Boom. Boom gives me night-terrors. I scared Boom last night. I still love Boom. But no Boom before bed.

I LOVE DAYCARE!!!!!

I love Lucy she's my new BFF and we're Ladybugs together and I love painting and pushing shopping carts and talking on the phone and going to the park outside I love love love daycare Ewan comes to visit and sometimes we're outside together but not today because he was sick and stayed home and when Mamma and Daddy come and pick me up I'm so tired and happy and excited and daycare is AWESOME!!!

Ahead of schedule

No daycare for me today. I could have gone with my low-grade fever. But once I added on diarrhea and vomit, I'm not allowed in. But looking at me you wouldn't know I was sick. Silly rules.

Advice to all babies out there. If you get sick, you don't get the evil needles! Or else you just delay it by a couple of days. But either way, I got out of getting my shots today!

And while some would say I'm a big boy (I'm the size of my sister when she was 6.5 months old), I prefer to think that she was just a little girl.

Health insurance

I didn't want to get sick when I didn't have local health care. So I waited until today when my local care kicked in and when I knew I already had a regular doctor appointment for tomorrow. No sense in adding to Mamma and Daddy's stress.