New Post-It note:Don't leave pens in the baby's crib!

Before anyone calls Social Services, the subject header is a joke. You see, Baby Paige has not been a good nurser or bottle feeder since day 1. We recently discovered that this could perhaps be caused by some yeasty oral thrush and have started this treatment. 1st person to point out it took 10+ weeks for us to solve this wins a prize! (Stupid parents!!) Anyway, the treatment is one purple popsicle per night (another joke, I've got bags of 'em!) No, it's called Gentian Violet and it's a tad messy. We've taken to calling her Baby Joker; it's easier for Baxter to pronounce anyway. Another 4 days of this and hopefully we'll be in the clear.

Baxter update: He has graduated from crying in the morning to be released from his pen to calls of MOM-MA! DAD-DY! It's quite a cute development and that leads me to another topic-when do we transition him to the "Big-Boy Bed". We've learned of multiple opinions on this subject from a) leave him in the crib indefinitely, can't beat the "cage-like" characteristics! b)Throw a mattress or some blankets on the floor like a hostel. It'll teach him humility. Our personal favorite is c)Wait till he tries to climb out of his crib. To this, my sister-in-law responds, "So, you wait until he potentially falls 3-4 feet to the hard wood floor and then you give him a nice safe alternative." It's kinda like toddler fear factor! Rappel successfully down the crib and you win! Maybe I'll just Gerry-rig higher sides on the crib and leave him in it until he gets his drivers license....

See you on the playground!

Why do they hate me so?

We as parents are constantly looking to our children for a sign that they genuinely like us for who we are and not because we hold the key to the cracker cupboard. It took me three long months with Baxter to learn how to control this insanity. Back when he was still pretty wet behind the ears, we did not see eye to eye. He cried constantly and wouldn't give me the time of day. I would come home from work and give 110% in my greeting. His response: nothing. Do you know who I am? Without me, dear boy, you are nothing! You will learn some proper manners and respond courteously when I ask you in a sing-song voice, "Whose my wittle man?" Meanwhile, Jennie had no issues; she was in love and could bond with Baxter while sleeping. Of course, I blamed nursing. He was a hungry little tank and she could feed him with her own body. To top it off, this nursing thing helped her lose all sorts of weight without even trying! Meanwhile, I would hide in the basement, drowning my angst in a bowl of ice cream while waiting for my fat pants to come out of the dryer. I use to think, "If I could just have one boob, just one, I'd be so powerful!"
After a while, we (I) figured out how to deal with it and everything has been grand since. Now Paige comes along and the roles have flipped. I seem to be able to get gigantic smiles out of her while Jennie is an allergen for the little girl; getting her to cry and writhe her body anytime she comes near. I know there is no logical or scientific reason to believe this, but still..... Here’s a recent pic of the kids.

See you on the playground!