And cat makes 5

Our semi-neurotic cat, Karly, has been on "vacation" at my mom's house since a few months before Abigail was born. We loved Karly but just thought that having two babies and a cat might be a bit much for awhile. A few months turned into more and then we moved...and our current house didn't allow pets. When it came time to renew our lease last month, I made a pitch to the management company in the off-chance the owners might change their minds. Much to our surprise, the owners agreed to a cat!

The day to bring Karly home has been much-anticipated by one Nathan Ko. "Karly's coming to my house?" "We need to buy her food to eat at the store." "She needs a bowl for her food." "I want to show Karly my toys." And on and on it's gone! Sunday we woke up and decided that bringing Karly home would be a good thing to do...and that unleashed Nathan's excitement! We set about making a list of things we'd need to buy at the pet store. He, of course, was thrilled to sit down with his own pen and paper and "write" his list. So cute...

We drove to Sacramento, stopped at Target (the cool, independent pet shop down here is closed on Sundays, darnit), and then spent the afternoon at my mom's before putting Karly in her carrier and loading her into the car.

Now normally, Karly H.A.T.E.S. to travel, so you can imagine the return trip both John and I were anticipating. But instead, picture two little people bundled up in their jammies, snuggled with their animals and blankies for the trip home. Nestled ever-so-securely between their car seats sat one elderly cat in her purple carrier. Atop that carrier lay two pudgy toddler hands, one each from Nathan and Abigail, both gently patting the carrier and saying in the sweetest voices, "Hi Karly" and "It's okay, Karly." The usual panicky meowing was so much calmer and eventually all three went to sleep...Abigail with her hand still outstretched to comfort the kitty she so desperately wants to squeeze.

Conversations of the Day

(Discussing what to have for lunch while driving in the car)

Me: How about ABC soup and peanut butter and jelly?

N: Yeah, that sounds good. (Thinking...) How about Cars soup (noodles shaped like Cars characters...total gimmick)? I don't like ABC soup...it has 'eewww' stuffs in it.

Me: What is 'eeww' stuff?

N: Vegetables...Cars soup doesn't have vegetables in it.

Me: (Trying sooo hard not to crack up and wondering what happened to my "all foods are delicious, even the healthy ones" boy...guess he's really growing up!)

Later in the afternoon, while pretending to be a fireman...

(Carrying bicycle pump around) Look Mommy, this is my hose!

I know, I need my jacket! (Runs off to get fireman raincoat).

Can you help me put it on, Mommy? (I help so he can put his arms into the sleeves and I pull the hood on...I purposefully leave the clasping to him because he always wants to do that himself)

Looks at me "Mommy, help me with the seat belts!" (love it!!)

Uses his bike pump/fire hose a few times and then exclaims, "I need a mask!"

(Me thinking on my feet)I grab a paper cup, some yarn, and voila! A real fireman! He worked on figuring out some sort of air tank next, but we never did come up with anything...he was happy enough with his get-up though...so fun!

Life in Snippets

Yes, it's been ages. Yes, there is sooo much to share. No, I don't have time for that right now. But it did occur to me one day this week that posting my news on Facebook is fun and all...but will I have access to all of it later? Since my life right now is one of constant doing/cleaning/cooking/running/folding/playing.... I'm not all that consistent with chronicling my children's baby- and toddlerhoods. Yeah, I know everyone says they have that problem when the second kid comes along, but literally...Nathan hardly has any photos in an album, Abigail has almost no photos of herself printed (there are photos, don't worry), and I fear that I'll turn around and they'll be off to college and I'll have nothing documented (or worse, that my mommy-brain will be permanent and irreversible so I won't even remember that I raised them!)! So, snippets it is for now...

Sweet Boy

It was bedtime and I was talking with Nathan about the upcoming events of Reno Grandpa's memorial service, in the best 2-year-old language I could. Since the kids will stay home while we go to the memorial service itself, I focused on the luncheon afterward. I told him we were having a big party to celebrate that Grandpa is in heaven now with God. His little face lit up and he said with such excitement, "Is God coming to my house??" May he always love parties this much, may he always remember his Grandpa, and may he always always always want God to come to his house.

We're Back!

Well, here I am trying to get back into the blogging groove! It's been a LONG time...

For a quick recap, here's what the kids have been up to:

NATHAN...
...talks constantly
...is SO stinking tall, wearing 3T clothes
...is starting to be afraid of things and "little bit scary" is a commonly heard phrase in our house these days...the dark, shadows, the doorbell, dogs, swimming pools (especially the shadows the rippling water makes on the pool bottom)...and more I'm sure!
...is very "independent" and wants to do most things "by self"
...is teaching me patience!!
...can climb the tallest, scariest play structures (which is really scary for me when I'm not hovering right there to catch him!)
...desperately wants to ride a bike and can almost reach the pedals on his trike with his shoes on (so we hear, "Shoes on please" a lot!)
...is obsessed with fire engines and construction equipment and can name SO many different kinds of trucks!
...is so sweet with his sister, taking her by the hand and saying, "Come on Abby let's go pway". He gets her water cup or her beloved blanket or just about anything...such a sweet guy!
...loves trains and prefers real ones over Thomas
...can count to 20 or so more or less correctly, depending on his mood
...is so mechanically minded...he is all about anything he can take apart or put together
...has such a sensitive side...and all the good/bad that entails
...has graduated to "big boy cups" from b-o-t-t-l-e-s (yes, we spell that word now since they've been forever banished from our house)
...unfortunately, since getting rid of the b-o-t-t-l-e-s, napping has ceased entirely! A very very sad day for me! We still have "rest time" but it's not totally working for me just yet...
...is so totally fun right now!

Meanwhile, Miss Abigail...
...is curious and very much the go-getter that her brother isn't
...climbs like a monkey! Luckily she's still in her crib (please pray that she'll still be there for another year or so!) but somehow escaped the play pen this morning while I was in the shower...
...LOVES her brother
...is very strong and rough, not quite what I expected for a girl. "Gentle" is still something she hasn't mastered
...wants to do whatever Nathan is doing and gets very frustrated when her little body/mind can't
...is so smiley
...is a bit of a picky eater, or at least is very particular about how things are given to her
...Has 11 teeth and the 12th one is on the way and is wreaking all kinds of havoc on my sleep right now!
...is still nursing, though I'm trying to encourage her otherwise
...is the size of the average 19-month-old
...puts everything in her mouth
...likes to color and is good at it
...says Mommy, Daddy, wa-wa, baby, berry (strawberry addict), doggy
...understands a lot and can follow directions (go give this to Daddy, etc.)
...loves loves loves to brush her teeth with her Elmo toothbrush
...takes 1 nap on most days, about 2 hours long
...sleeps great at night usually, from about 7-6am
...is our little Abby-cakes, Absy-Doodle, Absigail, Abi-dactyl (a la pteradactyl, especially if she's in a shrieking mood), Lady Abigail, "Abidail" a la Nathan...our sweet little 1-year-old girl!

The Little Miss is 8 months

I was nursing Abigail the other day while Nathan was napping, and I was taking advantage of some one-on-one time with her (which is rare somehow). We sang songs and I told her a bunch of nursery rhymes. She thought one was particulary funny and would grin (as best as she could while still nursing) and look up at me with a big smile in her eyes. Eventually when she was done, she sat up, looked and me and gave me the biggest, slobbery raspberry ever, with a huge smile. I cracked up and gave her one back and the giggle fest began. We had a raspberry "conversation" for a minute or so, laughing and enjoying a special time together.

Chatterbox

So Nathan's been talking up a storm lately and I have serious Mommy guilt for not recording his "firsts" better. I'm trying to give myself some slack for having 2 babies right now, but the guilt persists. A quick blog entry to chronicle some of his vocabulary.

Cruising through Target to get Abigail a sun hat, we passed by the lingerie section and several displays of bras, whereby he declared, "Booboo!" (Yes, the boy could probably operate my breast pump on his own...)

Yight, yadder--light, ladder

Da-do--Caillou (one of his favorite cartoons)

Deedee--cookie

Deet--cake

Night night--anyone (real or in a book) who has their eyes closed

Dide--outside

Part--park

Tut--truck

Tar--car

Dadoom--vacuum (which he grabs several times a day, unprompted!)

He's still very "French" in that words that start with "h" he leaves off the initial sound...so "hose" is "ose", "house" is "ouse", etc. Cute!

It is boggling my mind that he will be 2 in a few weeks. How is that possible????