Sheesh! It's a good thing it took four tries before having a boy because I may very well have stopped sooner!!! Nah, I'm just kidding. But I am absolutely AMAZED at the difference between Ethan and my other three girls.
Ethan's attention span is rather comical. My girls LOVED when I would talk to them and move my hands in slow movements... yeah, not Ethan. He figures I'm not moving fast enough or doing anything terribly interesting. He would rather roll all over the place until he reaches Anika's toy stroller, bench press it a few times (I am NOT kidding), knock himself in the face (and be AMUSED by that) and proceed in examining the wheels intently and other structural details.
Are you kidding me?
And the kid is secretly Bam-Bam from the Flinstones! He lifts his legs simultaneously in the air and pounds them to the ground so hard that his pelvis cannot help but get lifted! Oh yes, you should see my eyes bug out of my head when I am observing my son. It is a whole new world with him and I find myself NOT knowing how to engage him other than being rough with him, letting him roll around freely and getting into absolutely all the things he shouldn't be. (Oh dear Lord, this is one kid who can be delayed in walking as long as possible!!!)
And sign language? At this point, Anika would sign "milk" and "diaper" and "more" but Ethan just wants to grab my hands and shove them in his mouth. And the little guy has NO concept of the word "GENTLE". From day one, he has GRABBED forcefully all things within his reach. Anyone who has held him knows first hand, right Linda? Remember your lip he nearly yanked across the room? I will never need lip enhancers (not that I'd ever get them anyways) because Ethan keeps my lips rather swollen from his Ethan-grasp-of-death.
Tonight, I laid him on his back in the tub and he proceeded to do his bam-bam leg pounding thing and he watched with a serious look as the water splashed higher and higher as he kicked harder and harder... the bathroom was a total mess! Again, my eyes were huge as I watched this little bundle of mass destruction pound every ounce of his being into the little bit of water that remained in the bathtub. All of this while Anika blinked patiently while getting water in the face as she looked at her bath book and played with some toys. She is quite tolerant of her little brother.
Oh, and my girls always LOVED the funny faces I would make and the silly dance moves etc... Ethan looks at me so seriously. To get him to crack a smile is so rewarding because you have to work EXTRA hard to get it! But when you do... man o man, talk about melting heart moment. All is forgiven and redeemed in those moments.
The higher you throw him in the air, the happier he is. The more you bounce him roughly on your lap, the more he laughs. The rougher you are with him, the more content he is.
Is this right, folks? Yes, I just called you folks... someone cue the barn music and get ready for a ho-down!
All of this to say THANK YOU for your prayers, for renewed energy, for a happier Ethan (although every time I write that, he has to go and prove me wrong the next few days) and for those redeeming moments that make me wonder if I should delete my last entry.
And thank you to my two Cindys! (My cousin and the other is/was my birthing trainer) The two of you always have such encouraging words to share. I just had to say thank you for wanting to help out!! And of course my dear sister, Diane, from BC... despite your incredibly hectic life, you make time to touch base on my life via this blog and always leave words of wisdom and comfort... I love you so much! All of you who reach out and share wisdom either through leaving comments or emailing me directly, you are absolute treasures!
Keep praying that I learn quickly how to mother a boy, as it is clearly NOT the same as raising girls. No wonder Duane's number one memory of his mother is of her yelling "GO OUTSIDE!!!" I'd better start practicing with Duane! Hee hee hee!
2 comments:
You're welcome Rita! You are an inspiration. Love and prayers to and for you!
Your cousin,
Je t'aime aussi Rita! Merci!!
One idea re: coordinating the help family and friends may be able to provide is to specifically outline when it's needed. Create a weekly sign up sheet on your blog for babysitting requirements so that you can get much needed sleep and to the many other tasks on a mother's "to-do" list. And include on the sheet when help with meals is needed the most in a given week (this will likely change from week to week i.e. when you have the older two with you, etc.). You'd also have to include a link to your favourite recipes. Others may want to prepare meals from scratch at home and bring them over OR they may want to use your approved ingredients to prepare a meal in your home (the latter may be more realistic in which case your menu plan and recipes would have to be available (not necessarily electronically either which simplifies it for you)). You may want to outline a "cooking fest" where on a Sunday afternoon, anyone interested can sign up to join you to create large batches of chili, spaghetti sauce, soups, etc. to freeze for later meals.
So, for example, you may outline a standing request in a table that Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM you'd be open to having someone over to care for the children. This way others can sign up and plan accordingly (ensuring no overlap). It allows you to plan as well knowing when specific support will be there. The sign up process can simply be an e-mail to you, and then you can provide any required details off-line and update the blog on-line with that signed-up person's name. Same thing with meals, perhaps Fridays are your toughest days to get suppers ready (okay, okay, I'm sure everyday is tough! :-) )- helpers could sign up to show up and prepare all that's needed.
I wish I was in MB to actively participate! I'm sure you and your family will receive wonderful support.
Love,
Diane
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