We're Growing

I down loaded 15 photos and 15 video's off our camera's last night. My urge is to put them all in one long blog, but then you wouldn't come back. I am still not sure how this blog thing works. I wanna talk and I wanna show pictures and I am tempted to have the pictures "tell" stories. After all, a picture is worth 0.001 words.

Never get me wrong, I love having all girls. I don't feel incomplete or as if my seed was somehow feminine. And I don't think I worry about daughters, in the stereo-typical male way...of what happens when she brings her first snot nosed punk home. And I don't think there will be a natural or inevitable break between me and them.
But I do want them to be interested in sports. One of my proudest moments took place in August on vacation when I was fishing in a boat and Nyssa was riding in another boat, as she passed away from me she yelled, "Go Cubs." It

was like meatloaf for the soul. (Last night we
completed the first 2 verses of Go Cubs Go together, at her behest. I can not wait for summer!)
So my gifts to her in the last year, (the ones I most care about?) have been sports related. I gave her the bat and a sack of whiffle balls for her birthday, and for Christmas a indoor/outdoor basketball set to grow into.
(Full disclosure, the two other gifts I most care about are a tea-set, and an over-sized pad of paper to draw on. So you worried girls out there can just shove it.)
I was out of town when these pictures were taken, so the Jim Edmonds foot placement and the Roberto Clemente hand placement are not my doing, but I am still proud. Oh, and yesterday as we were leaving she asked to be wrapped up in our Cubs flag, ala this picture... Which was taken right after the Cubs Clinched the NL Central, when I gave myself over to true belief that the Cubs would make some postseason hay. Of course they didn't. So we had to put away our Steve Goodman CD, and wrap the flag around the flagpole, not my beanpole. Until pitchers and catchers reported, and last years wounds could be put behind us. Behind us, but not healed.

By rights, this should be a different post. But how can you ever say what is right? Coming up this week are going to be picture after picture of sisters behaving sweetly. Or at least sister behaving sweetly, for although Leila suddenly has a personality and is constantly expressive, she is neither sweet nor sour. Merely hungry or fed/sleepy or alert. (That is not right. She is sweet, she loves to smile at you, and is about to start laughing. But she is not sour, merely hungry or sleepy)
Nyssa on the other hand is 99.3% of the time amazing. She really loves and cares for and takes care of her sister. Early on, when Leila was just a burrito in a blanket, Nyssa would insist on kissing her before bedtime, and that quickly became part of the bedtime ritual. Now that I think of it, the .7% of the time she has not been sweet and loving came the day beforeNyssa was diagnosed with an ear infection. So maybe her rambunctiousness was more a result of that than jealousy or anything.

Although Nyssa does stake out her turf. The little bowls we feed cereal in (stay tuned for photos/video's) are now Nyssa's bowls. The doll which she said was Leila's became hers after Leila began playing with it, and she does like to say, "No Leila. No." Or, "We DON'T spit up Leila."

I am sitting here trying to think of what next to say, how best to describe the Nyssa and Leila's relationship. Maybe it is as simple as Leila never cries because of Nyssa and Nyssa never tries to make her cry. Because I think babies can be antagonistic/or antagonized, they can be touchy about having their personal space invaded, they can try to invade other spaces...and maybe Leila will get there, but right now she's not even close. Like I said at the start, my impulse is to stack photo on video on photo (as I've done before) and overwhelm you with treacle, but ultimately I want to impress on you how great the girls are (and I want photo's available for later in the week when I have more to say) So I will end with this video as proof...

Apparently this isn't going to upload. but if it had, is that not proof of sweetness? Consider how much spit is being left on Nyssa's cheek...Loads! And she doesn't care at all.

Just pictures

2 posts today. I have a longer rambely post below, but here are a bunch of photos first.






























This was a bird I watched for 20 min. outside our kitchen window. It was eating a mouse or something, and when it was done, it spent 5 min. cleaning its beak and each one of its toes. Then it lifted its tail, took a poop, and flew away.



We do not have a picture, but we spent last Saturday night getting a family hair cut. It was Nyssa's first and she was great! She really tried to sit still and let the barbra do her work.



Like I say below, the weather has been much better as of late. Here is Nyssa getting ready for school one rainy and warm morning, wearing the rain jacket that Auntie Elizabeth and Amanda sent her for Christmas. The boots too were free, a handmedown from Tricia and Aysha.

Oldies.

I tried last night to get a little bit of work done which meant that Nyssa and I sat around and looked at old video. We came across these oldies but goodies: It is amazing to think that these video's are just about a year old. Nyssa is not just different than she is here, she is a whole new species.



We've had a real break in the weather recently. We've seen the sun, and the temperatures have not only approached the 30's, they have occasionally surpassed them. Which is nice. We've been able to play outside, to shovel and even go for a walk or two.

Nyssa continues to be a great great great big sister. Although now that Leila is grabbing and sucking on things, Nyssa is a little less tolerant. She is also tiring of us telling her to be careful of Leila. And maybe we tell her that to often.?. Last night Nyssa was hugging and hugging Leila so that it seemed more like she was smothering her, and I said, "careful." to which Nyssa replied petulantly, "I was just hugging her."




Otherwise, we are pretty much just moving along. The nice weather and slightly longer days help. Katy bought Leila a scrap book over the weekend, and also began to write in the journal we got for her. These will be the first notes we leave for Leila about her early life...compared to the copious scribbling we did for Nyssa. Some of that is that I have moved my writing here, and elsewhere. But also, it is consistent with the theme, of my disassociation from Leila. It is, I think, a natural separation. I spend 85% of my family time with Nyssa, entertaining her, watching her as she falls asleep, telling her to knock it off and to sit up straight and the get that god damn toy out of her mouth, that I feel like I don't see Leila all that much. The time I do see her is from 9-11pm, when she is usually sleepy or asleep. That is changing, and will continue to change, but when I was away for the weekend, it was Nyssa that I thought about, felt guilty for not being with, and was most excited to see. Again, I think this is natural. I do think Leila knows who I am, I am not positive of this, but I think she does. But I don't think she really gets presence/absence yet. "Daddy!" she thinks, when I show up. "Ceiling!" she thinks when I go away.
Unless of course food is involved. We have not given her solid food yet. We will in the next couple of weeks, but she is completely interested in food, and follows whatever you are eating from plate to mouth. It is great fun to sit at teh table, Nyssa at the head of the table in her big girl chair, Katy and I sitting across from each other, and Leila sitting on top of the table in her Baby Bumbo watching the three of us eat. Eating is to family like seeds are to soil.
The pictures embedded to the right, are of Nyssa with our dog Macy. Macy is Nyssa's favorite, although, and maybe because, it does not exactly go both ways.
The next picture is my friend Sally's child, Maya, holding Leila at the Superbowl. The next one is of Maya and her sister Mesa. We spent Superbowl with them, and the girls got along really well. Maya and Mesa are fantastic hosts.

A Little Nudity 2

We took Leila back to the Dr. today to get her ears checked. They looked fine, although one looked, "A little fuzzy" meaning their was some irritation...probably on the outs (Hopefully). While we were in the waiting room there was a cloying and preachy video for parents to be. In one scene they are changing a newborn, and the producers of the video fuzzed out the crotch (when they turned the baby over, there was no fuzzy bottom) which struck me as completely ridiculous. i was reminded of the Nike Commercial with LaDainian Tomlinson and Troy Polamalu, following them from the womb until a collision on the football field. Maybe it is a fine commercial but in the second section, you see LT as a toddler running out of the bathroom, his hair full of shampoo, while wearing a diaper.
Why this prudishness over kids bodies? What are we hiding? You can not flip through the channels of your TV without a scnene (without 10 scenes really) of a women trapped in a violent situation, most often those situations are full of sexual violence. This is somehow okay, but it is improper to the innocent, scientific, sex parts of infants?
Anyways. Here is a picture of Nyssa eating on the potty.
She is doing really well on the potty, although now we've entered into the boredom phase, where she'd rather not go, where she puts off going and waits till the last second. swo thats not as fun. But she woke up this morning at 4:30, and when I went to check and see what was the matter, she told me she had to go potty. So that is pretty cool. She's got an enlarged prostate just like her old man!

Jealousy.

My friend Heather (Hi Heather!) just had twins. They are really cute and by all reports doing really well.
But that doesn't stop me from being jealous. Looking at the photo, it is impossible to not think of these two siblings as being bff's like forever.

But Heather isn't the only too cooler for school kid around, as this photo shows, I now have twin daughters too.














And here is one of my pretty Noodle and I. She's been really snuggely the last couple of days. Which is nice. Last night Katy asked, "Can you hold Leila?" and Nyssa said, "No, because your hands are full." and jumped into my arms. It was much more sweet than bratty.

Some Items

A friend of mine asked me yesterday if there were any baby items that I (we) really like. I love to give advice, and since someone asked for it, I thought I'd give a top of the head list of valuable baby things.
However I am currently unable to upload any pictures so Erghh.
Okay, now, here we go. Click on the picture to link to a product site...Hows that for tech savvy!?!

1) The Bundleme by JJ Cole is a fuzzy sack that fits under and over the baby (therefore it is a sack). It zips on the side and allows easy intro and exit for your infant. As a result of this product Leila has gone through one of the ten coldest winters in Iowa without wearing a jacket or bunting. We simply put a hat on her, strap her in and when we are walking place the folded flap up over her head. On the really cold mornings we throw a blanket in with her and she seems toasty and warm. I have seen and used other car seat covers and this one is by far the best.




2) We do not actually own the "LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Table." but borrowed one from our friends Tricia and John. Nyssa loved to pull herself up on the semi-sturdy table and play all kinds of relatively entertaining sounds. The table has a jazzy repitiore, including a scatty 1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10. And a nice dueling banjo's feature. At 40 bucks it is a little pricey for 2 months play, and I am debating whether or not to get one for Leila, but that doesn't mean I don't reconmend it for all you Ritch New Yorkers.





3) We did not have this item, a Yoga Ball, when we had Nyssa, but how we wish we did! With Nyssa we'd spend hours on our feet rocking and bouncing and shushing her trying to get her to settle down. Now, in relative comfort, we sit on the ball and bounce gently (and occasionally not so gently) up and down. It is amazing how well this settles Leila down. At worst, using the Yoga ball in combination with item #4 does the trick.


4) If all else fails and Leila is inconsolable (and now, even if she is just fussy for a couple of
minutes) we throw on the vacum and she raqpidly transforms into a docil drueling idiot. Not quite, but the transformation is stark and a litle spooky. It is as if she is unable to resist the vacum's soothing pull. These are not our vacums, but like the picture we own two vacums, figuring why burn the engine out on our new vacum, when we already had an old clunker that could be usede as a giant passifier.
The vacum has an added benefit of antagonizing both of the dogs and limiting conversation between Katy and I.
Now for the reason most of you are really here: a picture of the kids.

Apparently Nyssa wants to emulate as many movie/pop stars as possible:
















6) The Munchkin Rubber Duck is the perfect middle step between an infant tub and the real thing. If you have had a baby in the past two years (and we had our shit together enough to get you a present) there is a good chance this is what we sent you. As the text bubble says, "Squeeze my bill and hear me quack."








7)Elizabeth Mitchell, You Are My Little Bird, this is a wonderful CD that we've been playing for Nyssa just about since she was born. Unlike most kids music, Elizabeth Mitchell has crafted 3 thoughtful, creative and beautiful records. They are sweet without being saccharin. While You Are My Little Bird is by far the best of the CD's that by no means diminishes the other two. By the way, one thing I'd like to do here is to place a song or two, i've tried but can't seem to figure out how, any ideas?

I've gotten the chance over the last two weeks to spend some quality 1 on 1 time with Nyssa, and it has been really fun. For instance we spent a part of Sunday sledding at the local golf course. I was mindful that she was 2 and gentle and so I took an easy grade and went down with her.
However the hill was complete ice and so we still managed to gain significant speed, and crash at the bottom. I held Nyssa up above me as I slid through the rough ice, and I never made a sound as I began to bleed. I wanted Nyssa to think this was fun. She didn't.
"I don't want to sled anymore." she said.
"This is fun" I said. And I got on the sled and went further down the hill. Once then Twice.
"You want to try that?" I pushed her and she took the hill twice, humoring me.
"I want to go to the park." She said pointing to school playground across the street.
I would have gone, but Katy was going to be picking us up, and without a phone I couldn't have told her where we were.
So I pulled Nyssa back up to the top of the big hill, "I don't want to go down the hill," she said.
So I pulled her around and around the top of the hill. There was no one else there watch, no one to emulate, and so nothing to do. I was hot crunching through the ice, but Nyssa riding diaper-less, on the sled was cold. Katy would be coming when she came, and not a second sooner. I had not given up on sledding. I walked to the edge of a slight incline. To me, it looked like Nyssa would travel 20 feet and stop. Without saying anything, I gave her a push.
And away she went. As I was watching her, the smooth trail I sent her down suddenly became ragged with bumps. "Don't fall" I winced as she headed for a large divit. She passed right by it and kept going. She was going fast and showing no sign of slowing down. It was like a movie scene, there was my daughter sledding off towards the 18th hole, showing no inclination to stop.
I wanted to stand and watch her, it was funny as hell, but I knew she'd be upset so I started to run down the hill. Nyssa turned around to look for me, "Daddy!" she yelled as she began to slow down. I wish I had video, because it was outstanding.
She was fine, I played up how far she'd gone and how fast she'd gone. I offered her my scarf to keep her warm. And she told me, "No more big hills." as I dragged her back to the parking lot to wait for Katy.
I do not have a video our sledding adventure, but I do have this video showing how sweet Nyssa is to Leila, and how big Leila is getting.


Last night Katy had to take Leila to the Doctor for an ear infection. So Nyssa and I were sitting around and playing "Goodnight Moon" the board game. As I was teaching her about 3 Card Monte she began to talk about one of her classmates penis'.
"Preteem, gets to lower his penis down," she started and I was worried about where she was going, "and goto the potty standing up."
She talked about his penise for a while and then I asked, "Do you have a penis?" I knew she knew she didn't, but I wanted to hear what she thought she had. Nothing, as it happens.
"No," she said. "I have buns." (That cracked me up. Even more so because she was futzing around on the potty the other day and I asked what she was doing and she said, "scratching my ass." so apparently her bottom vocabulary is pretty far advanced)
And although there is the British, and their calling the Vagina a fanny, I didn't want Nyssa walking around thinking she lacked anything. So I said, "you don't have a penis, but you do have a vagina."
But I didn't draw a picture or anything so I'm not sure if she knows where what she has is.