Prettiest. girl. ever.
Because you can make them wear a ribbon on their head like they’re a pretty little present. It’s like getting a present every day. And presents are awesome.
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kids inc
Despite the insanity of having kids back to back, I’m more convinced than ever that it’s really awesome to have a sibling to grow up with. Spacing out the gap is easier on the parents but the bigger the age difference, the tougher it is for them to be best friends. I always wished I had a twin to play with, but having a brother who was a year older was pretty cool too.
As a kid, you can spend 15 minutes fussing over a baby, but after a while, you want to play with kids your age. And when you’re a teenager, it’s not cool when your 7-year-old kid sister wants to tag along on your outings with your friends, especially if you’re going out with a boy you’re trying to impress.
So I’m really glad the kids are taking well to each other.
Top 5 saccharine sweet sibling moments ever.
1. When Kirsten cries, Tru will drop his toys and go over to pat her on the head. It sometimes makes it worse but 100 points for effort.
2. Having them sit down and talk to each other. It’s like they’re having a real conversation.
3. The way baby girl gazes at Tru like he’s the coolest kid she’s ever seen. “That’s my big brother, y’all.”
4. The first thing Tru does when he wakes up is to look for Kirsten and give her a kiss.
5. On a good day, Tru will offer his precious blankie to her for 10 seconds before he grabs it back. I’m working on the duration, but sharing the blanket is a big deal because nobody touches the blanket. Nobody.
Ok, comic time!
I’ve forgotten what a messy affair introducing solids to a baby is. Kirsten started her first meal of baby rice a couple of days ago at 18 weeks, 2 weeks earlier than Tru. It’s even messier because her tiny mouth is so small that most of the cereal dribbles out before it even gets in. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she’s not ready but I’ve done this before, so I’m like an expert on weaning now.
With the first kid, you’re stumbling in the dark, not sure if it’s too early to start solids, whether it will cause indigestion or hives. You panic at the slightest sniffle and rush him to the hospital. The first sign of teething sends you into overdrive because at first, you don’t know why your perfect little baby is cranky and acting like a monster.
That’s what comes from being a second-time mom. Experience. And bigger boobs. But mostly the first one. This time, you see all the signs coming from a mile off. Baby girl has been in a foul mood the past few days, refusing to nap and wanting to be carried all the time. She used to entertain herself talking to her friends (cot mobile) but it was impossible to put her down even for a minute. When Tru went through a similar phase a year ago, I was flustered and frustrated after a day but this time, I was cool. Relatively.
Slight temperature, fussiness, finger chomping, drooling, all classic signs of teething, so I put some ice cubes into a baby feeder to soothe her sore gums. Worked like a charm.
She’s also been licking her lips every time she sees us eating, so I figured it was time to bring out the baby rice. It just confirms my theory that my kids are foodies. I have friends who, if they could, would take a pill to meet their entire day’s nutritional needs. To them, eating is for sustenance. Kinda like crapping and flossing. (I’m sure there are people who derive immense pleasure from these activities, but most of us just do it cos we have to)
My kids, on the other hand, LOVE TO EAT. Kirsten took to the baby rice like a fish to water. She chomped down every last bit and started screaming when it was all gone. My 18-week-old baby. Screaming for more Healthy Times brown rice cereal. I know some folks advocate introducing solids after 6 months, but when it comes to food, my girl is way ahead of the pack. Less than a week in, she’s on half a bowl of cereal (ok, a really tiny bowl) twice a day. I think those juicy rolls on her thighs are going to explode.
Food makes me smile
Incidentally, every time I feed baby girl, Tru goes into a frenzy. Seeing his sister slurp up every bite, he seems to think plain baby rice is like manna from heaven. When he sees me taking out the bowl, he’ll point to it and go eat, eat, eat, EAT, EATTTT! Next time I want him to eat his broccoli, I’ll pretend to make Kirsten eat it first to see if it works.
Just when this motherhood thing seems like it is as good as it gets, it suddenly gets better when you least expect it and it makes you feel all woggly inside.
Moments like these make you remember why you wanted to be a mom in the first place. When these moments come knocking, I write it down so that when it gets really bad and I feel like stabbing someone with a fork, I make myself take deep breaths and read it over and over again until I feel my blood pressure come back down.
Kirsten: please don't crush me
Kirsten: now I will eat your brains
1. Tru saying I love you for the first time. I tell him that about 500 times a day and I just assumed it was too difficult to say. He was busy doing his rounds in the living room one day when he walked over to me, cocked his head to one side and said I love you in the sweetest little baby voice. It could have been I need more cookies, but I’m almost certain he *meant* I love you.
2. Watching the kids and hug and kiss each other. Most of the time, Tru squeezes Kirsten too hard and makes her shriek but deep down inside, she really loves the attention from her big brother. It’s probably a shriek of delight.
3. Snuggly time. I put both kids together on my bed and tumble around and hug them real tight until they turn a little blue before I let them pause for air. Rinse and repeat.
4. Hearing Kirsten giggle. She’s got a deep, rumbly chuckle for such a sweet little baby. The only thing that sets her off is when Daddy goes “Ooohhhhhhhh” in her face. (Doesn’t work for mama) It’s terribly lame and there’s nothing funny about that but she clearly thinks it’s hilarious.
5. When Tru offers me the last piece of his favorite biscuit. He’s probably figured out that we’ll give him 2 more pieces extra for “sharing” so when he’s down to his last one, he needs to make it multiply. Still, brownie points for offering it to me.
6. No matter how awful she feels, baby girl will always stop and flash me a smile whenever I pick her up.
7. Surprise hugs. Makes me feel oh-so-special.
8. Group hugs. Right after we high-five and chest-bump each other.
9. Doing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Hot Dog dance with Tru in the living room. He also rocks the same moves to Lady Gaga. It’s a riot.
10. When he suddenly breaks into song and makes me follow his lead. Usually I have no idea what he’s singing so I just go watermelon, watermelon and it always works.
Some days you wonder what could possibly make being a mother worth it. I must be a raving lunatic to trade my entire life for a couple of baby giggles and snuggles. Then they surprise you and you know you really did get the better end of the bargain.
Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! So me sister came bearin’ gifts from Paris, ‘n one ‘o them included ’tis full ‘o awe scurvy pirate chest wit’ real pirate lovely booty. It comes wit’ a dress up pirate kit, a treasure map, a sword ‘n a compass.
- Pirate booty
I ain’t shout I encourage piratin’ as a viable career in th’ future, but then again, if he’s a really jolly buccaneer then we’ll be RICH so I be not rulin’ it out completely. So in other words, I be predictin’ I be Arrr if either one ‘o them can pick up some swashbucklin’ moves ‘n locate th’ in the scurvy dog Davy Jones’ treasure chest. Savvy?
Yo ho ho ‘n a bottle ‘o spiced rum!
- me big scurvy pirate
- me wee lovely buccaneer
kids inc, motherhood
Yet another post about how great my kids are. Also, I really miss Bubbles.
October 28, 2009Before I became a mom, I used to hear other parents talk about how their newborn has such a sparkling personality and I would roll my eyes so far back into my head they would get lodged there for days. Seeing that all they do is drink milk and sleep, I’m pretty certain my pet hamster, Bubbles (God bless her soul) had more of a personality. That was until she got really old and she fell off the top storey of her massive apartment and her eye popped out and she lost the will to live. I spent my last $100 on her surgery and she died the next day but it all worked out because I was too heartbroken to eat for the rest of the month anyway.
And I wasn’t sure about the whole nature/nurture debate. I thought that a kid’s personality is largely shaped by the environment they grow up in, but then how do you explain the fact that siblings can grow up with the same parents and turn out completely different.
Now with 2 kids, I’m almost completely certain that a parent can only do so much and children are not as some claim, a blank canvas for parents to create a masterpiece on. They come out all perfectly packaged and the most we can do is add a couple of finishing touches here and there. So really, if my kids grow up to be brats, it’s got NOTHING to do with me.
Just take my kids for example. They are as different as they come. Tru is a hardcore adrenaline junkie. He needs to be entertained every second of every day and he can’t sit still even for a while. There’s a little voice inside his head telling him that life is too good to waste maintaining the status quo so he’s always out seeking for a new adventure. He’s also gotta be at the center of attention all the time.
When they're not looking, I'm going in head first
Kirsten is a little more unassuming. Totally like me in that regard. She homely and likes her equilibrium maintained. And she’s happy to blend into the background while her brother demands all my attention. If she could talk, she’ll be all like, “It’s ok mom, you can hang out with Tru. I’ll just lie here and watch my mobile quietly. Then when I’m tired I’ll go to sleep on my own without fussing.” Not that she doesn’t like the attention. When she gets some quality alone time with mama, she beams and beams like it’s Christmas morning.
I like my bed
These days, I try to give them equal portions of my time but truth is, the bulk of it goes to Tru. I have to constantly make sure he’s not in any mortal danger because it is incredible how he can hurt himself with the most harmless objects like a a piece of tissue. He can stuff it into his ears or dip into the toilet bowl and then eat it or use it to strangle himself. It just blows my mind.
But I think they’re good for each other. Tru’s really gentle with Kirsten and he will kiss and pat her on the head when she’s upset. And you should see the look of adoration he gets from her. If they grow up to be best friends, I wouldn’t have much to complain about.
I really like talking to kids. It’s so different from talking to adults because there’s none of that being politically correct nonsense. They don’t beat around the bush and they say it like it is.
Then you grow up and start using euphemisms and double entendres and satire to say something that seems perfectly innocuous but it’s far nastier than just coming out and calling a spade a spade. And sometimes I get so sick of it that I’d much rather be spending my time talking to children. Also because they crack me up.
I have a friend’s kid who’s like the smartest 8-year-old I know. She’s like totally my kind of kid. Smart, witty and insanely hilarious.
Tru's best friends in the whole world
The awesome thing about 8-year-olds is that they are old enough to really understand stuff and they don’t give two hoots about being politically correct.
Joie: Sometimes I wish I could be a boy. It’s tough being a girl.
Me: It’s fun to be a girl. You can do all sorts of girly stuff.
Joie: No, girls have to get pregnant and give birth. And boys just sit around and play computer games and drink coffee.
Me: Yeah, you’re right. It totally sucks to be a girl.
***
Joie: What are your favorite subjects in school?
Me: Well I liked Literature and a little bit of History. Not so good at Math.
Joie: I like dead bodies.
*stunned silence*
Me: You like what again?
Joie: You know, dead… like died?
Me: Why, why would that even be relevant to the conversation?
Joie: You get to cut up dead bodies.
Me: Ohhhhhhh, like in biology and pre-med. I guess that is kinda cool. You get to cut up frogs and hamsters.
Joie: Can I don’t cut up my hammie?
Me: I’m pretty sure that can be arranged.
***
Joie: Did you watch this show last week where the guy got trapped in the mountains and died and woke up after 4 days?
Me: Er, no. Is it like a true story?
Joie: Ya, it’s a true story. He was frozen and he really died. Then he came back to life after 4 days. And his brain wasn’t working.
Me: Like Jesus? Except that it was like 3 days instead of 4.
Joie: Not really like Jesus. Jesus wasn’t frozen, you know.
Me: Excellent point. Jesus is way cooler.
