Well, I certainly have fallen off the blogging mark when it comes to recording Tyler's milestones, especially in comparison to his sister. Lately by the time we get them to bed I usually just want to vegetate in front of the TV and take a break from parenthood for a few minutes. So, first teeth, sitting up, pulling up, crawling... all have gone undocumented. Today I put the big iron gate up to keep him away from the stairs and wondered where the heck the last ten months have gone!
TyTy has some very sweet personality traits that I did want to remember to document though. Lately, all I have to do is put a blanket on my shoulder at nap time or night time, and that is his cue to snuggle in while I sing to him - as long as he is tired enough. It is the best thing ever. I could sit there for an hour like that if he would let me. It really helps to fill the empty mommy tank. He also has started to develop his own little sense of humor. Tonight it took him over 30 minutes to get through a bottle because he decided he wanted to "share" with mommy. Every time I pretended to slurp some milk he erupted in giggles. Then he would take a couple of sips and do it again. Repeat x50!
KK's developments lately primarily revolve around artistic endeavors and vocabulary. Her coloring abilities are quite amazing for her age - lots of patience and attention to detail - and she draws some beautiful and creative pictures too. Last week she painted four separate pictures: a tornado, a cave, planets, and hands... all from her own imagination with no suggestions from mom. It would be great if I had one to post right now... I have a big pile to scan but again there is - as mentioned at the beginning of this blog post - that pesky time/energy issue in life lately. She also loves to use and mis-use large words and I really need to try to make a list. It would make for a really entertaining and memorable post. Recently she told me her bangs were preventative and I therefore couldn't cut them. She also likes to talk a lot about responsibilities and how being a mommy, big sister, etc is a "big responsibility." She talks pretty much non-stop most days so my brain does get a little fried and I am sure I miss some great nuggets sometimes. Many sentences start with one of the following: "Mommy, I need to tell you something...." "Mommy are you listening?" "Mommy...mommy.....mommy......mommy......mommy"
And now mommy must go to bed.
Last Saturday, Katelynn was thrilled to get her first pet - a bright blue Betta fish that she named Norman Mackenzie. Norman from one of her favorite books; Mackenzie because "it's such a beautiful name." Her friends Bobby and Lindsay had both acquired similar fish a couple weeks prior. Once mommy and daddy saw that they only required a $20 "Betta kit" and no fancy filtration systems, we were pretty easy to cajole into the purchase.
Norman Mackenzie died this morning, just 4 days after KK so proudly brought him home.
Last night I noticed that he wasn't looking so hot. He was in a strange position within his plastic plant and did not swim to the top to get his food. I convinced myself that fish sleep... Then this morning I became more concerned as he was sitting all the way at the bottom of the tank. Two hours later he was upside down.
Now the question became what to do? My little girl has a pretty sensitive heart. As a mommy, I really wanted to just avoid this whole reality-of-death situation and forever protect her innocence. I decided to leave Norman in his tank; she hadn't been paying too much attention to him and perhaps I could execute a switcheroo tomorrow when my babysitter is here. However, tonight KK decided to check in on Norman. A sweet little voice asked: "Mommy, is he sick?" Mommy's heart sank. I told her the truth.
She seemed to be in shock, absorbing the whole situation and making sad little statements like "He was such a kind fish" and "He just swam around happily and was nice to me." Eventually one big tear rolled down her cheek and lots of assurances followed that we would get a new fish just like him tomorrow. After books/prayers/songs with both mommy and daddy, she was left with her own thoughts in her room. Later she appeared in the kitchen, acting strangely. When I pressed her a bit about what was wrong, she burst into tears and said "It's just that my fish died, mommy!"
Poor sweet girl. Poor Norman. RIP Norman. And may God protect my little girl's tender heart.... and please, please keep Norman Mackenzie II alive a little longer.
