Doing Better

Noah has been a lot more pleasant to be around today. Yesterday he needed almost constant attention and today he could play on his own. The bad news is that we are getting some work done on our house which may affect his nap time. I'm kind of counting on that time since Amanda is going to take Lily to dance class then.

He is starting to pull himself up. It is not uncommon to find him slowly trying to ascend the steps. Yesterday he pulled himself up to standing using the couch. Yes, there is trouble ahead for us now. It's especially tough with all of Lily's little toys hither and yon.

Baby Dracula

Noah has teeth coming in and he is grouchy about it. The problem is that it looks like the incisors on the sides are coming in, but the two front teeth will be a bit delayed. He's probably going to end up with fangs for a little while. I wonder if he'll still get so many comments at stores?

He's been wearing Amanda out a little bit, but nothing like big sister did.

Independence Day Adventure

We had an interesting time trying to see fireworks tonight. Lily was excited to get there, so we arrived at the park around 7:00. The problem was that we didn't have anything to do for the next two hours. Fortunately, we ran into some people we knew from church who invited us to their camp. They had been there since 2:00 with a bunch of friends they meet every year for the 4th. We were overwhelmed by their hospitality. Lily was overwhelmed by the boys squirting her with water guns. However, she did get over that and start playing.

Lily really had to go potty, but refused. I tried to take her, but some boys in the men's room scared her. I eventually had to give her the ultimatum that she either go potty or we go home. She ended up going with one of the people we just met that night. Strange that she wouldn't go with the woman she knew from church.

As I sat their chatting with my new friends I found myself enjoying a breeze that had picked up. I wondered if it was going to storm, but realized that there were no storm predictions in the forecast. The wind got more and more intense. Eventually some people started to scatter. Someone nearby showed us the weather radar. There was a huge red blob just west of where we were. We thanked everyone for their hospitality and started to move toward our car.

We walked through the leading edge of the storm, but got in our car before the skies really opened up. Just to give you a sense of perspective on this storm, it started about 90 minutes ago and hasn't lost any steam.

It all turned into a great adventure and Lily got to stay up until close to 10:00 PM. She wanted to see purple fireworks, which I couldn't promise. However, she did get to see some purple lightning. She had a good time even though she didn't see the fireworks. There will be other chances.

A New Sound

Noah had me a little bit scared this morning because I heard a faint crunching sound coming from his mouth. He had been on the floor and who knows what Lily may have left on it. I ran my finger through his mouth a couple of times, but didn't find anything.

It turns out that he is enjoying the feeling of rubbing his upper tooth against his lower teeth. The upper tooth is an incisor, but not one of the two front. It feels like some more may be coming in as well.

He is less crabby today, which is good.

Lily and I plan to do fireworks tonight. Stay tuned...

Our Little Grouch

Noah has had a rough couple of days. It seems pretty certain that he has been cutting a tooth. He's got all the signs of it, including a pretty sour disposition. You know there is something wrong when he won't eat much. It's strange to have him generally grouchy.

Lily has been trying to tell us what she will and won't do. We've had to have some words about it. Hopefully she will start to get it soon. If it's not one thing with her it's another.

I'm going to offer to take Lily to see fireworks tomorrow. I don't know if she will go for it or not, but it's worth asking her. I think she'll be a combination of terrified and exhillirated if we go.

Mr. Mom

Amanda was laid up with something today, so I had to take the day off work. Most of the time with Lily was spent playing LEGO Star Wars 2. We actually have 100% of the game completed, which feels good in a way. It is also a little disheartening when I see that over 40 hours of my life have gone into that game. Still, Lily has really enjoyed it.

Noah has been kind of snotty today and we think that it may be tooth-related. He was pretty good when I took them out for some post-lunch errands. It sure is easier running errands on a Wednesday afternoon than a Saturday!

The good news is that Amanda seems to be on the mend. I should be able to get back to work tomorrow.

A New Cheese

I actually got Lily to eat some colby jack today. I insisted that she try some of Noah's. The first tiny bit was done through clenched teeth and she nearly spit it out. Then as she finished the small bite she decided that she liked it. Lily is also eating my chickpea and black bean hummus now. We're making some progress, though there are still mealtime challenges. One thing is for sure -- that girl has a temper on her!