Doctor, Doctor, Gimme the News...

This afternoon we made another trip to the pediatrician since C was running a high fevor, was coughing constantly, and didn't eat his breakfast or lunch. He's fine but will be out of preschool for the rest of the week. It was only 3 weeks ago that he got out of the hospital from a bout with pneumonia. Yes, I know I should have posted about that incident by now. Oh well. Another trip to the doctor gets me to do it. Besides, I'm sure almost all of you know it already from T's running updates on Facebook. It took forever for me to blog and I'm already behind. Don't worry, I won't move over to Facebook; once I do it, it would clearly no longer be cool.

C's temp on Sunday went up to 103. We got it down and he was fine yesterday. But it went up again to 103 today, plus the unremitting coughing. Last month, he had temps of 106 and 105 and went through several days of medical tests. All of which came back negative. Then his breathing got fast and shallow. We took him to the emergency room and the chest xray showed pneunomia (where it hadn't three days earlier). Fortunately, it was spring break week for both T and I. T stayed with him at the hospital the whole time while I traveled back and forth. T supervised the nurses and doctors and used lots of medical terminology so that they would ask her whether she was a nurse or a doctor. Come on, average parents drop medical jargon all the time, don't they? She was in her element and I would get the evil eye for stating the obvious (that happens in class too). Once we were able to get C out of bed to ride in the "racing car" (to which we could attach his monitor and oxygen tank), he was fine. Then he could also go to the playroom. By the time he was released, he seemed perfectly normal. Three cheers for being young and resiliant!

My C story of the week, which I record here for posterity and his future embarassment occured last Saturday when I was trying to prepare him for nap. He didn't want to go potty before his nap, but mean old Ba carried him into the bathroom and held him on the tiolet. He struggled and squirmed and then started peeing. On the shower curtain. Then he started to shift his weight, making a semicircle across the bathroom floor. Then he hit me. Oh well, I never got the "first spraying" story when he was an infant, so I get it now. I got a washcloth and made him help me clean it up. About 2 hours later that afternoon, out of the blue, he says to me, "Ba, Sorry I go pee pee on floor." Wow! I told told him that resisting going to the potty when he really had to go was the problem, not the fact that he went on the floor (or on me!). Nevertheless, I was quite surprised that he would bring it up on his own several hours later and apologize without prompting. It's nice to have those kinds of happy endings. And infants who pee on their parents can't apologize so I have a unique twist to my "Dad got peed on" story.

For better or worse, T did not get a picture of that episode to post for you. In fact, remarkably, I don't think we've taken any photos since the snowman post of last month. So you're stuck reading Ba's incisive observations (alternative interpretation: long-winded, pendantic and Seinfeldian commentaries on trivia) rather than achieving your real purpose of visiting the site to see a new picture of C. Rest assured, T will find a reason to take photos before long. She'll probably be at the door with the camera the next time I take the poor boy to the bathroom...

The Snowman Cometh

The Blizzard of '09 has struck! On March 1, no less. It was C's third snow day of the winter. The first two were pitiful dustings. This one was 4-5 inches.

We went outside early in the morning before the snow turned to slop. C wanted to make a snowman, but the snow was a bit on the icy side to roll so I didn't think it was going to work. But we kept piling it up and smooshing it together. Then T did her artistry and what an excellent snowman we made! When asked what the snowman's name was, C answered, "Snowman."

One of the top all-time C anecdotes occurred about two weeks ago. We were going to a birthday party of a friend of C after church. As C was getting dressed for church, we reminded him of the party. C says, "Cake now." (I wish!). E looked at his watch and said "Not now. In three hours." C looked at his wrist, as if he was wearing a watch, and said, "Clock says, Cake Now." I need that clock!

Sweethearts

With Valentine's Day approaching, I spoke w/ C to help him understand the concept of Valentines and "sweethearts." I told him that Ba and he were my sweethearts and that he and I were Ba's sweethearts. So then, I asked C who his sweetheart was. He smiled and said, "My sister."

Tonight, as we were helping C prepare for bed (as per our usual routine) and asked C which books he would like to read. He looked at us, pointed to the small books in his bookcase and said, "small books for baby sister."

We are still "waitlisted" to receive a referral's for C's baby sister. Most likely, we are looking at a 6 1/2 month wait (we're now in month 4). But, in the meantime, it's nice to know that C is looking forward to being a big brother (at least until he has to share his toys...).

I found this picture from our VBS last summer and thought it was perfect for this Valentine's Day blog entry. It allowed me to appreciate all the wonderful gifts we have received, both as a couple and (more importantly) as a family.

As we continue to wait to grow as a family, so too grows our love for each other...

Colin and the Bears

Storytime, preschooler style. We'll let the video speak for itself!

A New Year

Well, 2009 has officially arrived and it only took Mum-mum until January 19th to upload the Christmas pictures. This month has found Ba and Mum-mum returning to full-time employment, C extending his day at preschool, and a return to temperatures that are just way too cold.

Like all good preschoolers, C has learned many new and interesting ways to push Ba's buttons (bathtime being the primary culprit) - a feat Mum-mum thought could never happen (goes to further solidify my theory that children hold a Ph.D. in psychology). It's truly interesting to see the thought processes of a 3-year-old (and actions, of course...C is currently "streaking" down the hall in the buff, pretending to be Spiderman).

With C, it's never truly a boring moment in our home. You never know what he's going to say (or do) next. Whether it's pretending a golf club is an umbrella (for which Ba is required to sing a new version of "Singin' in the Rain") or pretending to be a dragon (surprisingly enough, the Halloween costume still fits), C is quite inventive indeed, as evidenced by his using the "Gator Golf" club as a pool stick:

E joked yesterday that C is turning into our Biblical literalist. In Sunday School (and Children's Church), the kids learned about Jesus being baptised by John the Baptist and the spirit of God descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove. So, after the lessons, the kids were given time to color pictures (based on the lesson). In addition to coloring, at Children's Church C was given a dove sticker to place on his picture. So where did he put his sticker? On Jesus' head and face, of course...Unfortunately, Ba accidentally recycled the wrong picture so no photos.

Here are a few highlights from Christmas. Hope you enjoy!

Cousin A, Uncle K, and C having fun in the Christmas snow


Cousin A and C goofin' around


C's breaking out his inner rock star


And you thought C got it from Mum-mum...


Mirror, mirror on the wall. Guess who's stocking is biggest of all?

White Christmas

We had a White Christmas! What a rare treat! PA had snow before we arrived; then ice on top of the snow. So even though it was warmer than freezing most days we were there, the snow didn't melt until after Christmas Day. We were able to take advantage by getting the sled out and taking C and Cousin A sledding. With the ice crust on top, sledding was fast. C and A also could sled on their bums because they weren't heavy enough to break through the crust--just sit them on the hill, push, and let them go! C doesn't have winter boots, so Oma wrapped his feet in plastic bread bags (two layers of course) to protect his feet. Uncle K insisted on being buried in the snow... You'll note that the evidence clearly shows that E is placing blocks of ice on the ground rather than on K.

We all had lots of fun. On Christmas Day, we traveled to E's aunt P and uncle J's place for a family dinner. C got to use his new backseat DVD monitor to watch movies during the travel. He thus slept less than usual! C played with second cousins R and L. Aunt J, Uncle K and Cousins A and H arrived on Friday and we got to open even more presents. C got toys, DVDs, books, puzzles, clothes, a subscription to an animal magazine, a pig pillow (if this sounds bad, H got a "skunk" pillow according to Opa--it's a penguin, but Opa is from PA and figures if its back and white, it's a skunk). He should be set for a while...or at least until Sunday when Oma found another puzzle for him...

C had lots of fun running around basement--that is, making Ba and Opa be "monsters" and chase him in circles around the basement. He has to run in the basement, because, as he puts it: "Oma no run upstairs." He also loved to play hide and seek with Ba and Opa, though, good kid that he is, he always tells us where he is going before he goes there to hide! When Cousin A arrived, we also got to march around the basement and sample their "cooking."

Aunt J reported that A cried for almost an hour during their ride home to NJ because she wanted to play more with C. On one hand, it's terrible that they don't get to see each other more often; on the other, it's remarkable how--when we are able to get together-- they immediately pick back up as if it hadn't been months since they last saw one another.

A Month in Pictures

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. I accept the challenge! Right--if you took me seriously, you'd have quit reading by now. Actually you would have quit reading several dozen posts ago...

We had a good Thanksgiving with E's family in PA. There was snow on the ground when we arrived and a bit of snow one evening. Ba and Opa took Ba's old sled out of the attic, and of course, that was a jinx and the snow didn't amount to anything. From Thanksgiving Day, here's C with Cousin A, and second-cousins R and L. Cousin C-A-R-L--hold on, that's T's side of the family...

We returned for Cousin H's Birthday party. We went bowling. The kids strategically used the gutter bumpers (when I first typed it, I said butter gumpers. Not sure why that seems funny.) to score almost as well as (if not better than, in some cases) T and E. Our next series of photos captures C's learning the essence of American bowling...the give 'em h!@# reaction!

Last weekend was the first Christmas Spectacular at Advent. It wasn't technically called the Spectacular, but T was directing... C and other little ones were lambs. Check out the cute hats. Ba got to be a shepherd. Last time he was in a Christmas pagent was probably in middle school at Christ Lutheran in Lewisburg. That pagent was outside (yes, in December in PA) with live animals. It was always a highlight of the Xmas season--mainly because people came to see Mary get thrown off the donkey and see the sheep poop on the church lawn. I can't remember what my part was back then...probably a shepherd. Which would mean I've been type-cast and should give up on getting a weightier role. I think I should aspire to be Herod, not only because he is the curmudgeon of the Christmas story, but also because he has the best song in Jesus Christ Superstar. The kids were extremely well behaved at Advent's Christmas Spectacular, even through the long dress rehearsal. So I didn't have to use my crook on them.


C is starting to get the gist of Christmas (that is, the cultural not the religious Christmas--a true American). When he sees pictures of Santa Claus, he says "Christmas!" When asked what Santa is bringing him for Christmas, he says "Christmas presents!" T keeps correcting him and telling him to make specific demands for presents. Next, she will inform him, as has me, that practical gifts do not count as Christmas presents. I suppose that would be the literalist Biblical stance as I don't think many people would consider giving a newborn baby frankincense, gold, and myrrh as particularly practical or useful gifts. Hello--he needs DESIGNER swaddling clothes! So now I'm on the lookout for more impractical and useless items (true Americans!) to distribute as gifts. So when you get one of these from me and think, "This is really out of character", at least you will know why. Not that it will help you figure out what to do with my impractical and useless gift.

We put up a Christmas tree for the first time last weekend. It was our usual scenario of pratfalls and near disasters. First, we couldn't find the base for the tree and were convinced that we'd lost our minds. Once we gave up looking for it and decided to put up the rest of the decorations, E found it--in the bottom of the bag which contained the rest of the decorations. Even better...as we were removing the tree sections from the attic, one of the wires for the tree lights was cut by the attic hinge (of course it had to be the largest section). So, countless minutes (or is that hours, I lost track) later, a long section of lights was surgically extracted from the pre-lit tree to avoid electrocution. E noted the multiple twisties used by the manufacturer to secure the lights in place (I can see Great Ma smiling down from Heaven and giving her seal of approval for their excellent use of twist ties). Fortunately we had other white lights to use in their place. C helped to decorate by placing ornaments on the tree.

C has been greatly amused by the TV newcasts showing the clip of the Iraqi reporter throwing his shoes at President Bush...over and over. He doesn't seem to understand that it is the same incident being replayed incessantly because it is good visual. He thinks there is an epidemic of "bad people" throwing shoes. Come to think of it, there's been such a world-wide reaction to it that it may become an epidemic. I better be prepared to duck quickly when I return to class...

Just in case you were wondering, yes Virginia there is a Mum-Mum and she does exist:
Happy Holidays!

OBA-MAMA

Ok, so we're really slow getting this one posted... The evening of Monday November 3 (the night before the election for those of you whose lives do not revolve around Election Day), Barack Obama came to UNC Charlotte. Despite my professional and personal interest in politics, I rarely go to rallies because they are a huge waste of time. You have to wait in huge lines, the candidates are always really late, you can barely see them and they say the same things you've heard many times on TV. But when the next president of the United States is showing up on YOUR campus, 4 measely miles from your house, on the night before the election, you really do have to go--to avoid kicking yourself in butt for the rest of your life out of regret that you had the opportunity and didn't go, if nothing else. And, when you have a child, you want to be able to tell them, "You were there when..."

So T left work after her early afternoon meeting and we all went to campus. On the way, we told C he was going to see Obama and tried to get him to say it. The closest we got was Obamama, which to C was probably like saying Oh Ba (dad) Mama (mom), which wouldn't make a whole lot of sense, but his parents often ask him to do things or say things that don't make any sense.

I expected long lines when we got to campus but I didn't expect the tremendously long lines we found. Fortunately, we found colleagues from the poli sci dept and were able to jump in line with them. (I had tried to get VIP tickets earlier in the day from the university PR dept, but despite all the media work I do for them, they put me in my place and told me I wasn't really a VIP. Humph!) Anyway, the line was probably about a mile long--so by skipping in line, we only had to go about half a mile. And then it started to rain. And once we got to the field in which the rally would be held, it started to pour. And, of course, Obama was an hour late, so we had to stand there in the cold rain just waiting for something to happen and wondering at what point we should cut our losses and save our child from pneumonia. T and I put C on the ground--much to his displeasure--and made a human umbrella over top of him. It's all part of the story right? Getting drenched just adds to the adventure. And by the time we're 60 and telling the story, there will have been flooding, trees splintered with lightening, and Republicans wailing for forgiveness for having voted for W. See, it gets more interesting every time I tell it!

Let's review. I hate rallies because there are too many people (Yes, there were!), you have to spend way too much time at them (Yes, we did!), the candidates are always late (Yes, they are!), you can't see them (Yes, we could see a little hand motion waving when he first appeared on stage, then he disappeared into the background of people and signs behind him. We were about 300 yards away with people crammed into one another the whole way to the stage.), and they give the same speech you've already heard many times (Yes, he did! With one key exception. His grandmother passed away that morning and he gave a moving tribute to her in the beginning of the speech. The newspaper reported that he cried throughout that section of the speech, but we were too far away to see that. His voice was normal--how he could give such a tribute and not let his voice crack is pretty amazing.) Was it worth going? You're darn right it was! How many times in your life do you get to be present for HISTORY?

And election night was pretty sweet too! I've got to give Obama credit. When reporters asked me during the summer whether he would really pour all those resources into NC and whether it would really be competitive, I said he would be wasting his money. As it turns out, he had plenty of money to waste, but in this case, it paid off. And Elizabeth Dole lost to a Godless American. So North Carolinians voted for an atheist and a Muslim anti-christ in the same election!? Wow, the Bible Belt sure ain't what it's cracked up to be. Times they are a changin'!

Here's a great picture of C and me at the rally. Gotta love C's natural smile in this photo. Did I mention we were really wet?

Gotcha Day! Our first anniversary

Gotcha-Day! It's been one year already...how time flies... (I'm stalling to think of another cliche to work in here...)

We went to Lang Van tonight to celebrate with Vietnamese food. When we got home, we gave Colin his first Gotcha Day presents that we collected in Vietnam: some sandals and a stuffed toy rooster (he was born in year of the rooster) from the Sapa region of Vietnam, made by the Hmong. A photo of Colin and said rooster should appear at the end of this post. We then watched videos of our trip last year. Colin was interested in the parts in which he starred, not so much interest in the sections without him. But I got some exercise being chased around the house by him during those sections.

Last night was our first Halloween. Colin wanted to go as a dinosaur--that would be the other picture--and we found a bright green dragon costume for him (Go Green Dragons! Wow, I haven't said that in a really, really long time. That was a "shout-out" to all the Lewisburg High School graduates in the audience. "Shout-out!?" Now I'm sounding like Sarah Palin, you-betcha. Yikes!) The costume cost more than all of my Halloween costumes combined. He had a good time walking throught the neighborhood with his friends N&N (cue picture of N and C trick or treating together). Both T and I went along since there weren't many kids out when we left, so we could both enjoy his visits with the neighbors. Then I returned to the house to pass out candy. C joined soon after and took over candy duties. He kept his costume on and seemed to enjoy giving candy away as much as he did recieving it. I don't think we had as many trick or treaters as in past years (and T got a lot more candy) so now, when combined with C's haul from Halloween and "trunk or treat" at church the previous week, we have lots and lots of candy.

Oma and Opa were down last week and we all had lots of fun. It was a different kind of visit with them since we didn't actually go anywhere or see anything. Yet somehow the 5 days went by very quickly. Time flies when everybody gets a turn wearing the blue monster outfit and chasing everyone else around the house 14 times a day.

We had our first parent-teacher conference with his pre-school teacher this week. C is doing very well in everything, including math. He gets that from T, not me.

Now go vote!

Dinosaurs and Dragons Galore...

Just think, one year ago this very evening, E and I were in our hotel room in Vinh Long, nervously (well, me anyway...) anticipating the next day when we would finally meet our son. For me, Halloween will always be a day of "treats," since October 31st was the first day when we finally met our son in person.

For his first "official" Halloween as a member of the "clan," C is celebrating in a style that is all "3-year-old boy." After explaining the concept of Halloween (or the best attempt Mom-Mom could muster), C decided he wanted to be a "dinosaur," complete w/ the required "ROAR" (cue sound effects). So, last Friday, C, Ba, Opa, and Mum-Mum trekked to a local costume shop for some costume shopping (like I need a reason to shop, right?). Without blowing the budget, C selected a really cute dragon costume, complete with purple "spikes" on the back and wings (yeah, I know, technically not a dinosaur...but if C is happy, then we're all happy).

Move forward 24 hours, C "debuts" his costume at our church's "Trunk or Treat" Fall Festival. That kid is too darned cute, I tell ya'. But, we'll let you be the judge.



We'll be posting more pics later. Stay tuned...

If the punishment fits...

When C gets time outs--which is rare--it's generally because C has not listened to Mum-Mum or Ba. Tonight, C earned a time out for various antics (imagine a bare bottom and diaper waving around in the air like a lasso) while Ba was trying to put on C's diaper. After much fanfare, Ba placed on said diaper and pajama pants. But like the true preschooler C is growing into, the antics began again when it was time for Ba to put on C's pajama shirt. Said antics ended when C began hugging the toilet seat cover. Ba asked, "C, do you need a time out?" C looked up, looked Ba directly in the eyes, and matter-of-factly stated, "Yes." C then proceeded to walk out of the bathroom and sat down on the edge of the stairs, leaving Ba in the bathroom, simultaneously amused and flabbergasted in the bathroom.

After time served, Ba sat down next to C. The following conversation took place:

Ba (trying to maintain a straight face): "Why did you give yourself a time out?"
C: "I don't know."
Ba (repeating the question): "Why did you give yourself a time out?."
C: "I'm thinking..."

Well, at least he's thinking...Ba then repeated his conversation from the end of time out #1 about C needing to listen to Mum-Mum and Ba.

Most evenings, Ba has been in charge of nightly baths. Typically, after C's bath, B serenades C with favorite lullabies. Ba always concludes his set with "Edelweis" - signaling that it's time for C to have his diaper put on. The past couple of nights, C has started interupting, "Edelweis." Once Ba gets to the line, "blossom of snow...", C says "Snow man", gets down from Ba's lap, and walks out in the hallway to make snow angels in the carpet. Ba just figured out what words in "Edelweis" were triggering C's need to make snow angels. After all, C's never actually made a snow angel in snow, nor seen one made. We live North Carolina where it rarely snows and sleet angels just don't have the same cache. But then again, there's no Edelweis here either so I guess C's free to make up whatever dance movements he wants...apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein.

C has been doing well in pre-school. He's in his third week now. C's teacher told Ba (on day 3) that C should be moved up to the next level as soon as C is potty trained. That's always good to hear. C is making progress in potty training. In fact, he's made pretty good progress...given that C's only been trying it with his "big boy underpants" for two weeks. He's now telling us consistently that he needs to go poopy and probably hasn't had a "Code Brown" in his diaper for about a month. C's also telling us that he needs to go pee-pee about half the time. Initially, C resisted sitting on the potty. Now, this didn't mean that C didn't have to go...in fact, often we found ourselves cleaning up spills immediately after C removed himself from the toilet seat. Now, C's resistance to expel the contents of his bladder typically means that he does not have to go.

C's becoming more chatty, both in person and on the phone. Happily, Mum-Mum and Ba can interpret most of his conversations through our familiarity with the pronunciation of his key words.

C is a creature of habit and takes time to adjust to changes in his bedtime routine. Typically, C's bedtime routine consists of his choosing books of the evening for his reading pleasure. After said books are read, C gives obligatory kisses and hugs, then will turn on his nightime music on the CD player, crawl over Mum-Mum and Ba (simultaneously, there can't be a space between the parents...), turn off the light, and crawl into bed. Nighttime prayers are said and the non-bathing parent sits on the carpet until C fell asleep.

The past couple of weeks, C's been able to fall asleep without Mum-Mum or Ba having to be in the room. After prayers and his obligatory blessings of the neighborhood houses (Jordon's house, Nate's house, Shane's house...), we tell him we'll be in our bedroom or downstairs, etc. Sometimes, after a few minutes, C's head will pop up and we'll hear "See you." Whereupon, one of us calls out to C (reminding him where we are) or (if C is not appeased by this answer) makes an appearance in the doorway (to which C says "Oh. Okay." and lays back down). C's also been falling asleep much faster than he ever did, though this is probably the result of pre-school exhaustion than Mum-Mum and Ba's new going-to-bed strategies.

Child of God

Here I am, with a few precious moments available to finally upload the video from C's baptism. I was especially thrilled that my friend M and her husband D sang a beautiful song called, "You Are Loved." This song was so very appropriate in describing our love for C and how truly blessed we are to be his parents.

The video is entitled, "Child of God," in honor of the baptism banner that Oma made for C. We hope that this video is a blessing to you as well.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Three!

So, while I'm waiting for the baptism video to upload, I thought I'd create a quick entry and upload pics of "the cake." A few months ago, I took a cake decorating class at Queens and finally had a chance to put those "mad decorating skills" to work. My initial cake plan fell through when "Aunt W" had to go out of town to help her son move into his new digs. So, I engaged my right brain and, well to be honest, probably bit off more than I could chew (but then again, that tends to be my norm, rather than an exception to the rule).

After a two day labor of love, C's birthday cake was complete. I was very happy w/ the results - both for the main cake (Noah's Ark) and C's "smash cake." Of course, I must give sincerest thanks to Gail at Cheesecake Etc. for providing the yummy frosting I used to decorate C's cakes.

C's 3rd Birthday Cake...aka "The Ark"


Our Birthday Boy!

We're Happy and We Know It

Mum-mum is elevating the level of her geekiness by learning how to post videos. Here is Cousin A & C to entertain you w/ their delightful rendition of, "If You're Happy and You Know It" (featuring Opa, Ba, and Mum-mum):

He's a travelin' man...

The past two weeks have certainly been an adventure for Mum-Mum's and our hero. As the southern summer swealtering heat kicked in, the Di Man seemed to develop profuse perspiration at the scalpline and accelerated growth of kryptonite-laced mullet hair. Mum-Mum had to decide whether to swim in a pool of bodily fluids or buzz the Di Man's head.

After being refueled, Mum-Mum received a tip regarding whom to trust with her son's precious locks. So, off our duo went to a Vietnamese hair salon (via making a wrong turn from the restaurant and Mum-Mum being irritated that her GPS wasn't cooperating...adding a few extra miles on "Goldie Hyundai" (the Mum-Mum mobile -- think Bat Mobile w/o all the cool gadgets, black color, or two men in tights).

After receiving the obligatory "ooh, he big" comments from the salon staff, the "hair master" takes the Di Man into the chair and hypnotizes him with the memorizing sounds of Thomas the Train and Curious George. A short time later, the mullet is gone, Mum-mum is recovering from the shock of her son aging at least a year in a few moments time. The Di Man had a new 'do. When turned toward the mirror and asked if he liked his hair, the Di Man smiled and replied, "Yep.".

That night, after washing and drying the 'do, the Di Man further accentuated his new looks by pointing to a container of hair gel, had Mum-Mum apply the product, said "I do it," which was immediately followed by the Di Man's hands flying up into hair to style his hair into a "faux-hawk."

The following week found the Di Man crossing the Mason-Dixon line to spend a week with "Opa" and "Oma" (that's grandpa and grandma to you non-German people) in the Poconos for a bit of family fun. The Di Man was a featured "assistant" on stage in a magic show (with Mum-Mum's assistance, of course) and both Mum-Mum and the Di Man being drenched by a rogue water balloon (courtesy of Ba). Oh yes...the Di Man celebrated his first 4th of July as an American citizen by eating hot dogs and discovering a fascination with fireworks and the big "BOOM" they created (which, apparently is not as scary as the "boom" of thunder - for which Mum-Mum had to carefully explain as "the thunder in the sky talking very loudly in it's 'outside voice'"). We'll blog more about that trip at another time!

Having his 3 year-old-cousin as a partner in crime durign the trip certainly boosted the Di Man's vocabulary but not his desire to become potty trained (much to Mum-Mum's chagrin). Speaking of vocabulary...after arriving back to the Homestead, Ba, Mum-Mum and the Di Man discovered that the cat had several "accidents" on the futon, for which the Di Man pointed to the cat and responded, "Bad Cat, No Potty There" (immediately Mum-Mum began counting the number of words on her fingers and was amazed that the Di Man put his first FIVE word sentence together).

When the "accidents" continued for the second day after arriving home (no use of a clean litter box & several icky hairballs vomits later)...Mum-Mum whisked kitty away, explaining that kitty (well, technically I guess the kitty is actually a senior citizen these days...we're still waiting for her AARP card) was going to the "cat doctor."

A diagnosis of UTI & allergic dermatitis (kitty was literally bald under her chin w/ some skin breakdown & scabbing), antibiotics, laxatives, flea/tick treatment (yep, somehow our INDOOR cat acquired allergic dermatitis from flea bites...and worse yet, the Di Man's calves were covered in wheals -- that's whelts for those living south of the Mason-Dixon line -- thank goodness for 1% hydrocortisone cream and Calamine lotion), and $300 credit charge later...Mum-Mum had to explain that Bella really wasn't a "bad kitty"; that, in actuality, she actually was a good kitty and had a "boo-boo that hurt" when she tried to potty.

After arriving home, the Di Man developed a VERY active imagination (you know, he probably already had this before but now has an arsenal of English words to tell Ba and Mum-Mum what he's thinking about). Apparently, the Di Man found intrigue in breaking out his inner actor, and began pretending to be a cat, complete with "meows" and requests for Ba and Mum-Mum to "pet." What's a Mum-Mum to do but smile, laugh, pet the "kitty," and enjoy the ongoing saga of the Di Man?

This past weekend, the Di Man found himself surrounded by two beautiful girls (his cousins H & J) and Aunt Kiki (apparently Ba and Mum-Mum aren't the only ones w/ aliases). It was the first time C had met his Cousin J (who turned 7 on the 5th of this month). He had a blast & good times were had by all. Thanks to H & J, our pint-sized hero now asks to play "Woh-zee" (that's Ring-around-the-Rosie in Colinese). He also played (but didn't quite get the hang of) "Duck Duck Goose" and "Hide 'n Go Seek." Of course, the "Blue Monster" paid another visit to the Heb homestead (all of C's playmates in his Monday playgroup know to which I speak). Mum-mum made some very yummy burgers (courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa - thank you Food Network) for lunch and we enjoyed time spent w/ the extended family.

Yesterday, while the house was being "bombed" by our pest control service, C and Mum-Mum spent the afternoon w/ Aunt W & Uncle J. That evening, we were treated to some very YUMMY dinner courtesy of the dynamic duo!

So, here we are...home for almost eight months. Life is never dull, that's for sure!

C & Cousin A enjoying a yummy breakfast in the Poconos

Cousin J, C, and Cousin H "goofin' around"

Seven Months...

Hi everyone!

It's naptime and Mum-mum has time to blog. Tomorrow, the Di Man will have been home with us for seven months. It's amazing to see how much he's grown (both physically and developmentally) since he arrived home. He is, for the most part, a very happy, well-adjusted little boy. Ba and Mum-mum have learned that life is never perfect and C does exert his attempts to overthrow and thwart the Heb Republic through his mini-meltdowns (especially when he is extremely tired --- but heck, I'm probably the same when I'm tired...one cranky Mum-mum, just ask Ba).

In the seven months that we've been home, we've seen this little boy more fully develop his personality. He is such an affectionate and loving little boy. Mum-mum is enjoying receiving as many kisses as possible before C grows up & kissing his mom becomes "uncool." Kisses are required each time he is buckled into his carseat, before leaving for the destination.

We have a great deal of respect for single parents. Having E with me as an incredibly attentive parent has been a blessing. We are truly partners in the full sense of the word. At first, Colin needed both of us with him at night to fall asleep (remember at the care center, the kids were never alone - someone was always there with him, both the kids and care caregivers). He couldn't fall asleep in the crib & had to have a blanket on the floor w/ his pillow. We'd have to lay beside him until he fell asleep, then put him in the bed. Consistency was so very important (and tends to still be the case...although if we've been out, C has fallen asleep as long as one of us was in the room with him). As he grew in his feelings of security and trust of us, we were able to transition to him falling asleep in the crib (one very long hour of C crying/sobbing/standing in the crib) w/ both of us sitting on the floor beside the crib, to his new "big boy car bed," to only needing one of us to be with him as he falls asleep. Even in seven months, C cannot fall asleep without one of us being in the room. But, you know what, that's okay w/ me. One day, he won't need us to tuck him in tight, say prayers, or be with him as he falls asleep.

C is also strongly opinionated (like most toddlers I know). He definitely has his preferences in foods/drinks/toys & whether Mum-Mum or Ba is the one who gives him a bath (or puts him to bed - E and I alternate...if I help C w/ bath, E puts him to bed, and vice versa). Last night, C had a meltdown when I suggested that Ba give him a bath & Mum-mum put him to bed (he was insistent on the opposite - and let the screaming begin...so, after about five minutes of sobbing and reaching through the banister railings, it's time to go calm, soothe, and transition into bath). That was okay until Mum-mum informed him that it was time to wash his hair...for which C puckered out his lips and (clearly) and firmly stated (w/ arms folded across his chest), "No hair wash Mum-mum." When Mum-mum insisted C would have his hair washed, she quickly became deluged with water, courtesy of a Dixie-cup water grenade launcher. Talk about Baptism by fire...A two-minute time out (including simple but firm words of reprimand from Mum-mum and Ba), and a hair wash later, Happy Boy returned when Mum-mum and Ba wrapped C with his towel, Ba began rocking him (part of C's bathtime ritual), and he serenaded with "Adelweiss" and "Rock a Bye Baby" (for which he looked at us and said "More!" and smiled).

So in essence, in these months we've learned how important is truly is to learn our child's personality. C thrives in an environment where there is structure (w/ some flexibility being okay...he doesn't meltdown if he isn't in bed at the same time each night...the time change helped us learn that). At the same time, we're getting better at knowing when he's reaching the boiling point and usually can intervene before he bubbles over and melts. C reacts well to distraction (this has come in handy so many times in the past seven months) and knowing the "rules." (I dare say that C has this personality trait because as the oldest in his care center in VL - surrounded by infants - C aspires to be the "enforcer").

He's also very patient (appropriate, seeing that his middle name means 'patient' in VN), especially w/ language. There are times he uses jargon (happens w/ toddlers when they have around 50 words established in their vocabulary) and we don't always fully understand what he's saying. Early on, we worked with him to "show me" what he wanted if we couldn't understand what he was saying. So now, if we don't understand, he says, "show me" and then shows us what he wants.

I am a strong believer in using sign langauge to help in language transition. Early on, I learned a few signs for the most important words (eat, drink, stop, no, more, all done, thank you, cracker, etc.) and when teaching, used the VN word (if I knew it), the sign, and the English word (in that order). He learned the signs (or at least his version of the signs) so quickly. In those early days, the signs were extremely beneficial in keeping both his and our sanity.

We have been fortunate that C has not shown signs of institutional delays. The VL care center was very small, so Colin received so much positive attention and care from his nannies. I personally feel the care he received was one of the reasons he transitioned as well as he did.

You know, we have been so very blessed to be C's parents. Each day is truly a new adventure. The past seven months have passed so very quickly (much faster than I could have ever imagined) and I can only look forward to the lessons and experiences we have yet to gain!

Happy Fathers Day!

I had my first Fathers' Day yesterday. It capped a big week. My parents were down from PA and C kept us all busy.

Wednesday, we went to the Carolina Raptor Center to see lots of big birds. C especially liked the owls. (Today, I had to draw four of them for him). On Thursday, Grandpa ("Pa"), Grandma ("Ma") and I ("Ba") went to the spraygrounds at a nearby park. It's basically a large series of fountains for kids to run through and get wet. It wasn't sunny when we arrived and the water was cool, so it took a long time for C to play in the water. Borrowing a squirt gun from other kids and using it to shoot grandma helped--as did the sun's appearance and the attendant 10 degree jump in the temp. Once he started playing with the jets of water, he had a good ole time. On Friday, we (T was working Thurs & Fri) went to the Whitewater center and walked the trail around the rapids. Several kayakers and rafters were in the water, so there was lots to see to keep us entertained. Saturday, we went to the NC zoo in Ashboro. I've always enjoyed going to zoos. This time, I had the added bonus of going as a dad and enjoying watching C's reactions to the animals. He loved the giraffes, the chimps, and the lizards (oh yeah, and the owl). The otter was mauling a fish close-up when we arrived there--that was a good show! C said, "Eat fish." Yeah, but I prefer my cooked (and without the eyeballs and guts). The sea lions were especially entertaining as we could view them swimming from an underwater viewing area. As they would swim just past us on the other side of the glass, C would do a giddy dance. Very entertaining. We are happy to report to Cousin A that we found the elephant! C was really a good sport. We planned to stay until about 2, but he was having such a great time that we stayed until 4 (and of course, T and grandma needed ice cream before we went home).

(Sea) lions & tigers & bears...oh my!

Sunday was the big day. Though it was Father's Day, that is not what made it the big day. C was baptized. Not only were my parents there, but T's mom and sister and niece H were there too. Pastor W showed C the font, let him test the water, and put some water on his head before the service so he would know what was coming and would be cool with it during the service. He was perfectly composed--during the practice run. During the main event, he refused to go to Pastor W (no surprise), then loudly said "no" when Pastor W tried to put water on his head. The congregation was greatly amused. (And let's face it, the main reason people pay attention during baptisms is to see the antics of the child. Populists that we are, we'll give them some mayhem! Next week, lions and circuses!) At this point, T relieved me of my duties holding C to ensure that the remainder of the ceremony would go more smoothly. Pastor W encouraged C to put his hand in the water to assure him that it was not "hot" and this put him sufficiently at ease so the Pastor could get three scoops on his head. Then Pastor W got out the oil for C's forehead and discovered that toddlers' heads swivel very quickly and make difficult targets. T's friends sung a special anthem in honor of C which added greatly to the meaningfulness of the occasion.

And then, being good Lutherans, we ate! We had the whole family and our good friends J&W (I know they've been jealous of me being "E" for these many months) over for a cookout. For dessert, W brought a strawberry Charl, which for those of you aren't culinary experts is a Charlotte without enough lady fingers to cover the top. (Mobsters probably have a different name for it when someone is missing some digits.) T, however, was concerned that a few missing lady fingers would ruin my fathers' day so had to break out the cake she had baked (well at the insistence of her sister - who does not like strawberry desserts--or most fruit desserts for that matter). Lest you think that we would be too full to eat a second dessert, T&W strategically took 3 or 4 hours to make the icing, so that we would have room (savvy planning!). Two desserts--good deal any day!

C made a storybook from the Playhouse Disney website for he and I to color together as my Fathers' Day present. He made and painted a ceramic handprint for grandpa's present. My card featured a giraffe, grandpa's featured cars. Good evidence that he picked them out; and the other evidence was that when we opened the cards, he wanted to keep the cards (he liked them so much)!

Sunday evening we went to the Charlotte Symphony (why someone would name the symphony after the cake in the preceding paragraph is entirely unclear to me. The tuba players, however, seemed to have all of their fingers...). Grandma and Grandpa, as long time musicians, were stunned and impressed that 10,000 people would show up for an orchestral concert. Of course, 10,000 show up to eat, yak, and gawk at others who are eating, drinking and gawking; the music is somewhat incidental. Usually we rely on the conductor to provide the comic relief--and he didn't let us down--but C and his new friend A danced the night away, much to our amusement. Let the record show that he did not dance the Macarena. There is still some sanity in this world!

"Ma, 'raf..." ("Look Grandma, there's a giraffe" in Colinese).

So You Think You Can Dance?

Today was house cleaning day for everyone, C included. The good thing about this age is that if we ask, "Do you want to help Ba and Mum-mum," you receive an emphatic "YES" or C's newest catch-phrase, "Yeah, sure." So very stinkin' cute, indeed. Let's hope this trend continues through the teen years.

So, C wanted to help Ba clean the floors. In true toddler fashion, C loved dunking "his" cloth into the water but made sure Ba knew the water was hot. That boy was a lean-mean-cleanin' machine, no doubt about it.

Normally, when we are doing a bottom to top cleaning of the house, I play music, usually a CD. Today's selection was Stevie Wonder's Greatest Hits. Well, let's just say after hearing a few of the groovin' tunes by Stevie, C decided he needed to get his groove on. He ran from the kitchen, into the living room, and shook his tail feathers with an impromptu dance partay. I thought to myself, "this MUST be documented for posterity" (or least Grandpa and Grandma), ran upstairs, grabbed the video camera, ran downstairs, and caught C in the act (well, part of the act...he apparently gets stage fright when Mum-mum has any electronic equipment at the ready).

My plan was to upload the video to You Tube and link but...aghast, we don't have the necessary equipment to transfer the video to the computer. Bleh! Guess I know what that means...Gotta get my geek on!

Elmo's World...

Okay, so apparently I'm going through another metamorphosis thanks to E's last post. I am now (well, for now until C decides to change my name again - it's hard to say what will change more, my name or my hair) drum roll please..."Mum-mum." Phonetically speaking, E is technically more accurate in his spelling of my name. Plus, you have to admit, "Mum-mum" looks too darned cute for words.

Anyway, C's calendar was full today. After a leisurely breakfast w/ Ba, Mum-mum awoke to hear the giggles rising from the room below. "The boys" were sitting on the futon in the "playroom" where C was thoroughly engrossed in Ba's interpretative reading of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" (guess he's holding out Homer for bedtime...) and just how hungry that "pill" (Colin-ese for caterpillar) was. In my haze of waking at the early hour of 7 am (note, Mum-mum is the night owl of the family...that's what I get for having a Mom who worked waaay too many years of night shifts; second note, note the time of this blog entry...), I dust the cobwebs out of my ears to hear C clearly stating the colors of most of the things the "pill" is eating. Yes, our favorite Di Man has mastered most of his basic colors and becomes giddy, sometimes celebrating with his "Happy C Dance" (think Snoopy folks), as he triumphantly names colors of objects.

E is attending a workshop on teaching large classes all week, so Mum-mum and the Di Man are tag teaming for toddler fun. Today's festivities started with a not-so-silent protest regarding Mum-mum's choice for C's attire, capitalized by the now infamous, "I do it" chant for toddler autonomy and solidarity. Fortunately, C's attention was diverted toward a very strange (yet, strangely entertaining) show called, "The Upside Down Show" on Noggin...and Mum-mum was able to help the C man dress while the main characters of the show were searching for a rogue, cowbell.

Mondays are typically playgroup days from 10-12 but Mum-mom and C had to make a brief detour to Mum-mum's office to make sure no students had shown up for a class she had been scheduled to teach. Guess no one wanted to take a class from 9-1:30 pm on Mondays for 10 weeks this summer, eh?

Anyway, C and his trusty sidekick (driver, chaperone, concierge...take your pick) arrived to playgroup at a local park around 10:30 to celebrate S's and J's (two brothers) birthdays. S turns 3 this month. J turns 1 this month also. Playgroup also meant C got to play with his other buddies: M, K, and A. There were also some new friends as well. C quite enjoyed his fruit & piece of Elmo cake (sans Dorothy, of course). Agog and aghast...it was very windy and cool in the shade (and Mum-mum had forgotten C's jacket). So, what's a mom to do? Why remove her jacket and place said jacket on her son. At first, it looked like C was wearing a straight jacket (V-8 moment...why didn't I take a picture?) until the sleeves were rolled up.

My tropical prince still does get chilly more easily than me (as manifested by him saying "cold" and doing his shiver dance...not to be confused w/ the Happy C Dance).

So, after yummy food at the birthday party...it was time to return home for a much needed nap - albeit a much shorter powernap than his usual marathons of slumber. This afternoon found us searching for more "pills" and sandbox fun.

The evening's festivities concluded with an introduction to the "Potty Book," complete with magnetic stickers that can be used to celebrate the expulsion of bodily fluids into the porcelain goddess (hey, it has been awhile since our last poop reference, don't cha know...), sharing of a homemade strawberry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream (or "keem" - in Colin-ese), for which C dictated who would receive the next bite..."C" "Ba" "C" "Mum-mum" "C" "Ba" "C" "C" "Mum-mum"...you get the drift.

Now for the pictures....

Note the fabulous haircut C received this past Saturday.

If only Mum-mum could interpret toddler-ese...she's sure there would be an answer to life, the universe, and everything!

And we'll have fun, fun, fun until our Mommies take our sandbox away...

Happy Mum-Mum Day!

Happy Mum-mum Day (in Colin-ese) to all you moms out there. As a Mother's Day present, the mysterious E is making a guest cameo reappearance on the blog. And having just entered his spring semester grades, he has a few minutes to write before having to respond to dozens of emails from mystified students who don't understand how they could rarely attend class, not study for exams, not turn in assignments, and be unfairly given a failing grade in the class. (Actually, the ones with failing grades are usually too lazy to protest; it's the Ds and Cs that respond...).

C's langauge is improving steadily. This seems to be helping him be more open and at ease in public. His lastest gems include: "Whoa Cool" and telling a white lie to Ba (that is, saying "No", when asked if he knows that Ba is just making up words to a song--then giggling after his response).

The picture below is from the Lee Chapel at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. We stopped there for an educational break on the way back from PA last week. Robert E. Lee and family are buried in the crypt below the chapel. Lee was president of the university following the Civil War and spent his last five years of life there. The photo is from the chapel itself, where an addition was built to house a marble statue of Lee. The chapel is plastered with signs stating "No photographs", but the docent allowed visitors to take one. Colin decided to cover his face as I started to snap our one photo. I decided to take it anyway, knowing that it would be a good goofy and one that we could use to embarass him as he got older: "We could take one photo, and look what you did!" T (the southern belle) thinks he is hiding his face to avoid association with the confederate paraphanalia in the picture.


It was prophesized that C would enter the "mine" and "I do it phase." That day has come to pass. C has developed a vendetta to create his toddler autonomy. Now, if that autonomy will transform itself into potty training, Ba and Mum-mum will be set.

With the recent warm weather, C has enjoyed going outside frequently to look for "more pill" --that is, more caterpillers. He is now consistently naming the basic colors. He imitates his mother by turning ordinary objects into microphones and singing. He imitates his father by reading Plato's Republic on weekends. Next month: The Iliad and The Odyssey.


C, Mum-mum, and Ba really enjoyed our first Mother's Day! Fortunately, unlike her birthday, no puking was involved. C even made mum-mum a special card at church this morning. With his gratuitous use of the glue stick, there are extra, extra special add-ons that are sure to warm Mum-mum's heart for years to come...