Five things make a post.

[rivka]

1. We went to the pediatrician yesterday for a two-week checkup. Colin now weighs 8 pounds, 4 ounces, so he's more than regained his birth weight and is continuing to gain almost an ounce a day. Everything else looks good as well. Words cannot begin to express how relieved I am by all this good weight gain. Hilariously, it prompted my dad to divulge his former theory, not previously shared with me, that I was anatomically unable to breastfeed, perhaps because I was so - how did he put it? - "overly ample."

2. After the pediatrician's office we went to the bra shop. I am more relieved than I can say to report that I haven't actually gotten any larger - my bra was just worn out and needed to be replaced. Poor Alex kept taking little pink lacy things off the racks and bringing them to me, not understanding that those don't come in Mama's gargantuan size. Or in nursing styles.

3. Alex has hit the full flower of the asking-questions stage, OMG. On the one hand, it's good to have her preferred mode of interaction be something I can do with my hands full of baby. On the other hand, these constant questions are killing me. They range from the interesting but difficult to answer - "Mommy, why did people in England think they could tell people in America what to do?" (in reference to the American Revolution) - to the maddening extended-hypothetical - "What if me and Zoe and Leo climbed a tree and got stuck and couldn't get down, and you and Miss Emily and Miss Suzanne were on the other side of a high wall?" "We would get a ladder and climb over the wall and come get you." "Well, what if the branches were too light and you couldn't climb up, and what if we were up there for ten hours?" - to the utterly confounding - "Mommy, what does 'of' mean?" And there are dozens of them per hour. It would kind of be nice if she had a little less intellectual curiosity.

4. Our new couch is ready! I just called and arranged for the old couch to be picked up by the Salvation Army on Tuesday. (Yes, I know, ordinarily I wouldn't do business with the Salvation Army either. But in this case I consider that I'm accepting a service from them, not giving them anything.) Now I just have to call the furniture store and arrange for the new couch to be delivered on Wednesday. I am so excited! And grateful that Colin doesn't really spit up.

5. Have some Michael-and-Colin goodness to make up for the Mamacentric photo in the last post.

Comments

[timill]

Seen this? http://twolumps.net/d/20090216.html

[eeyorerin]

Oh, he's got what my family calls "porcupine hair" in that picture with Michael. So cute!

[mizchalmers.livejournal.com]

Now that is an absurdly sweet baby.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

I once thought that, for a child like Alex, you could draw a picture.

"Alex, this ugly bug represents a problem that wants to hurt you badly."

(Another little thing.)

"And sometimes, this is how you feel... like the bug is (almost?) as big as you are."

(BIG, BIG, BIG thing.)

"And this is how much your mommy and daddy love you, and how much they are able to solve problems that want to hurt you. Someday, you'll be able to handle all the bugs on your own, but in the meantime, mommy and daddy are here, and always thinking about what could bug you next time."

(I have no idea if the language/images I'm using are appropriate. And for some kids, it'd be awful - "great, mommy's treating me like I'm a little kid again!". But I do wonder if this or something similar would satisfy a child's logic about bad things that could happen. "Yes, you can think of scary things, but mommies and daddies can, too, and they're bigger and able to solve problems... even when the problems are really, really hard.")

(The Runaway Bunny comes to mind for a similar theme.)

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to come up with an elegant definition for "of" and all I can think of is this. It shows that something belongs to or goes with or is part of something. Like page of a book, end of school, daughter of Rivka and Michael.

[(Anonymous)]

"Mommy, what does 'of' mean?"

If you came up with even a remotely coherent answer for this, on the spot, in your newborn-induced sleep deprivation, then we who are not worthy bow down!

[jane-dark.livejournal.com]

I think I would have said that "of" is one of the words that people use to connect ideas together -- sort of like glue for language. And it can be invoked again for other prepositions/conjunctions/etc. if she asks what "which" or "that" mean.

I'm curious about what you did tell her, but I suspect you've got far more to do right now. In any case, she's splendid, Colin is beautiful, and I wish you all the best. I found you a little while ago through a reference to the unusual chameleon anecdote.

[bosssio.livejournal.com]

Gush! baby and daddy! great photo!!!!!

My standard response to questions I don't feel like answering is "what do you think?" and then get them talking about options, ideas, etc.

[selki.livejournal.com]

Is Alex to the point where you could show her how to look at least some of these things up (like "of" or The French and Indian Wars)?