21 minutes

that's how long it took to cradle, comfort, soothe, cajole Teddy into believing he doesn't need a bottle at 4::14AM, he can wait until 6 or 7.  He's back down now sucking his pacifier.  Let's pray he stays asleep.

It's 2AM

and I awake.  I see this precious little baby and I have to hold him.  I pick Teddy up , cradle him in my arms, and it hits me.  Before He spoke the world into existence, He knew this moment would happen.  And that no one He had created before me or after me could do what I was dong in this very moment which is being a mother to Teddy.  I am humbled and amazed by that.  And very, very grateful.

From newborn to baby

Teddy used to wake up and immediately start crying because he was ready to eat.  Let me clarify, Teddy's waking up is a process, first the wiggling starts, then the stretching of arms, then his glove/sock covered hands try to run his fingers through his hair (except he has no hair and his tiny non-existent nails than scratch his bald hair, thus the gloves), he opens his eyes and then starts crying.

But now he does his wake up ritual and lies quietly, trying to take his socks off his hands.  He's got that one down pat.  And after his hands are free, he eats those little fingers and just chills.  Up to five minutes, he can lie quietly in bed until he realizes he woke up because he was hungry.

I used to take him into the kitchen with me to fix his bottle, but no longer because now he recognizes his bottle and starts squirming to get to it.  He wants his food and he wants it NOW!

He can scoot across the bed, when he's in the mood.  Ugh!  He even talks.  UGH!!  He coos, makes sounds, and that leads to making words, words leads to phrases and phrases to sentences and then the next thing you have is a talking, walking, thinking thought person who says things like, "Hey, give me all your jewelry and gold and we can make a golden calf."  Yep, he turns into one of those Israelites.

I tried to build a wall of silence around him, but people kept talking to him.  The world would be an okay place if people didn't start talking until they were 10.  How great would that be.  Jory is away at the greatest college in the world, Concordia College (Go Cobbers!) and I'm skypeing with the frosh and Teddy jumps into the picture talking to Jory.  Jory would be blown away hearing his little brother talk for the first time.  He'd be happy, I'd be happy because I would only have eight years of someone talking to me before he left for college.  Win, win all around.  But no, people insist on talking to Teddy and now this.  Can you believe I once was dying for Jory to talk?  Poor simple, naive first time mother, what did she know.  I posted on a parenting site cause Jory wouldn't say "mommy", and now sometimes that name is called and I ignored it.  First timers are crazy and cute.

My cone of silence around Teddy was a genius idea, if only others had supported me, particularly BTDT parents

We had an unusual Saturday

It crossed my mind to take the kids to see Captain America, so I can stay in the loop for Avengers 2.  If I had another boy his name would be Joss.  So with Aunt Brenda and Vandy in town visiting, we pull into the theater.  AB hops out the car to see when the next showing is and tells me.  I hop out the car and buy the tickets and discover she got the time for the 3D showing.  I love my kids but I'm not buying $16 to see a movie.  8:40, hmm, I'm going to lose the baby and maybe Rowan with that showtime but I went for it.  And while we were on an unusual Saturday kick, they even got McD's for dinner.

Quick meal at home, change into pants for the Irish twins, and we were out the door to pick up my Wing Stop wings.  Heavens knows how long I would have had to wait had I not phoned in my order earlier.  Oh wait, I waited longer than the girl who was ordering as I paid for the order I had called in.  Wings Stop on a weekend night is not a place to go, unless you have nothing but time on your hands.  Finally got my order and jumped in the car. 

Vandy and Jory went ahead to get popcorn, while I grabbed Teddy's quilt and the girls and went in search for seats.  The only spot available for us all to seat together was first row or second.  The girls were all for the front row, AB wanted the second and so that's where we sat.  At times that was a dizzying feat, but we made it through and got a nice shout out to Pulp Fiction.  If I had another son named Joss, his middle name would have to be Quentin.  Surprisingly enough Layla was the only one to fall asleep and since she couldn't find a comfortable position on me, she sat in her own chair and slept.

I only had to shush Rowan and JOry once.  Rowan seemingly wanted to have a conversation with Aunt Brenda.  I'm sure she was asking questions about the movie.  She loves asking questions about a movie or show, she knows you're both watching for the first time together.  And who knows what Jory was saying to Vandy, but I told him to pipe down, it's a movie.

Good movie, I like Chris Evans as Captain.  I think Black Widow needs her own movie.  Scarlett's coldness works well for an action hero.

By 11:30 we were home and Jory and Vandy were outside trying to see stars with Jory's new telescope he bought with his allowance money.  Not sure how much you can see or how far you can see with a $9 portable telescope, but maybe I'll be surprised one night.

Look who is

holding a pacifier in his mouth by himself.  Look who is holding his own bottle for ten seconds.  I don't think my tiny terrorist has any intention of keeping the paci in his mouth long term, but the holding the bottle thing, well we might be on our way to somewhere new.  If only hands could come out of his gloves more.  One day, when we grow hair, we'll be glove free.

I'm waking up

I feel it in my bones

Enough to make my systems blow

Welcome to the new age

To the new age

Welcome to the new age

To the new age

4:30AM, 4AM, 5AM, 6:30AM, 7:30AM.....welcome to the new age of almost four months where my Teddy bear sleeps straight through the night with an 8:30PMish bedtime.

It's not just a new age of sleeping, it's one where he's learned how to pull off the gloves on his hands, socks of his hands.  Oma rewarded him for this and laughed.  I explained babies who are basically bald and have vampire type nails that grow at a vampire rate cannot be rewarded for their newly learned trick cause it leads to more scabs in the top of his head and now that we have some more muscle control on his face too.  From me, he got his first reprimand.  Jory got his first reprimand when I took some paper out of his hand and reared back, not wanting me to take it from him.  He had to be about five or six months old at the time.  Layla got her first reprimand cause she decided to talk during either the singing portion or judges' critique on Ameican Idol, poor girl had only been home less than two weeks.  I can't remember Rowan's.

Teddy now can play with the toys that hang over his head while he's in his bouncer and while he's in his swing.  And by play, I mean hit.

These little hands that used to be closed are now opened more than they are closed, it's amazing to watch.  I think we've let the newborness behind and moving to the baby stage.  My little terrorist, who let me sit through a whole church service (he has down that since the first Sunday he was home) yesterday is getting older.  He fails those legs and arms, he knows he has them.  He's trying to scoot, which is interesting cause he hasn't rolled over yet.

The stretching has begun which means it's wake up time and some will want to be fed, a little boy who slept almost to 7AM.  He's making eye contac, I better go before the crying starts and he wakes up my baby.

I'm waking up

I feel it in my bones

Enough to make my systems blow

Welcome to the new age

To the new age

Welcome to the new age

To the new age

Best Teacher Moment Ever...

When you give your kids a painting to write about for art history and you totally miss the fact that Raphael's toddler cousins John and Jesus are showing their penises and the day care worker has to tell you.  ROCK STAR moment!