More Nathanisms

"Is that a I goodea?"

(When asking if something is a good idea.)

"Mommy cut my tails!"

(After having his nails clipped by Cat.)

"That looks like a giraffe/circle/football/rainbow/etc.!"

(Finding shapes in poop)

"Hi coffee! You are coffee! Today is coffee! Old MacDonald had a coffee!"

(The idea of using "coffee" as a multi-purpose noun evidently spread like wildfire at preschool.)

"I'm going to put you in the trash!"

(Another weird -ism picked up at preschool)

"Beep beep! Get outta my way, people!"

(Used indiscriminately when "driving" the shopping cart car at the grocery store.)

The Beginning of the End

It's all over.  Liam learned to crawl this weekend, so whatever shreds of sanity were remaining for us up to now, they'll soon be gone.  The calm, collected demeanor that we once had before children will be replaced by a twitchy, skittish nervousness deriving from the constant need to monitor two ambulatory children.

Before the darkness sets in, I'll share some long overdue pictures of Liam's third through ninth months (yes, it's really been that long). Some things, such as a few of his funny facial expressions, have changed over the months, but many things haven't. His blanket fixation developed early and his love for Nathan has been there from the beginning. He finds Nathan endlessly entertaining, though he acts as though he sometimes needs some personal space, something that Nathan doesn't always offer. It's not unusual for us to have to tell Nathan to back off of Liam, when he's either talking to Liam right up in his face or hugging him to the point that Liam tips over. Liam's talent for gymnastics is also still quite strong; it's not uncommon for us to find him with a leg hanging out over the top of the high chair when we're out to eat. He's growing up fast, but it's hard to tell who he looks like. Cynthia sees some elements of Nathan in him, but apart from perhaps his nose, it's hard to see what he'll look like as he gets older. Only time will tell.

A Typical Evening

This should make it pretty clear why peace and quiet come at a premium in our house.

Nocturnal Ventral/Dorsal Reversals

Liam is rolling over from his back to his stomach now, and he's at that unfortunate stage where he rolls over to one side, freaks himself out, and can't figure out how to get back. At 4:45 this morning, he decided that he was due for a flip. That was questionable timing, since both of us could have used a bit more quiet time. He'll probably be crawling before we know it.

First Report Card

Nathan finished his first day at preschool today and he came home with a positive report card:

Nathan's first day went very well.  He was very nice to his friends and interacted with them.  He was happy and adjusted very well.
Today we talked about motion in the ocean--waves and other water currents--we counted our numbers and learned words starting with A, B, and C.

He's now going to a preschool about a block from the hospital where Cat works.  Judging by the neighborhood, you might think that the lessons might be more like "how to hotwire a Buick" or "proper concealment of open alcohol containers from law enforcement," but according to Cat (I haven't seen the place yet), the preschool is very clean and well-maintained.  It's surrounded by hospitals, so a lot of the kids who go to preschool there appear to be children of hospital employees that work nearby.  I'll admit that I was terribly worried for Nathan over the weekend and was concerned that there could be a repeat of his first days in day care, when he cried horribly every morning during the first week.  However, Cat reported to me that when she dropped Nathan off, he simply said "bye Mommy!" and took off into the classroom.  It sounds like he adjusted just fine.  Tomorrow he goes back to Cynthia's for a day with Liam and then back to preschool for the rest of the week.

On Board of Piece of History

Buddy (aka, Grandpa B) and I had a great experience on Saturday; we got to take a cruise on the S.S. John W. Brown, a restored World War II Liberty Ship. The S.S. John W. Brown was built in 54 days in 1942 and made nine voyages during the war and several more after. She started out by delivering supplies to the Soviets and ended up participating in the Anzio Invasion in Italy and D-Day. After the war, the ship was converted to a floating school in New York and was active in that capacity until 1982. In 1988, it was towed down to Baltimore for restoration by the non-profit group that operates it today. We were two of the five hundred or so people on board that day for one of the three sailings that the ship makes each year.

The trip started on a pier in Baltimore, just off I-95. We climbed up the gangway and picked up some breakfast before exploring the ship to find a good spot to set up our chairs. Before getting underway, the guests of honor arrived. Impersonators for President Franklin Roosevelt and General Douglas McArthur arrived in a 1930's convertible and an Army jeep, respectively. "McArthur" was decked out in period military costume and "FDR" was even hoisted onto the ship in his wheelchair, with a stern warning from the bridge beforehand that "there will be no photographs of the President in his wheelchair". During the cruise, the impersonators reenacted the famous speeches of their characters, with "FDR" reciting the speech that the real President Roosevelt gave on the day after the Pearl Harbor attack.

After leaving port, the ship sailed down the Patapsco River (I looked for the docks that were the setting for much of the second season of The Wire), around Fort McHenry, and out into the Chesapeake. While the ship was underway, Buddy and I checked out the ship, including the upper decks with the machine guns and the big 5-inch gun that was used to defend the ship. Most of the ship was open for inspection, including the bridge, several of the bunks (3 men to a bunk), and the engine room. The guide and the announcer warned visitors that the temperatures in the engine room could reach up to 130 degrees and that the ladders in the engine room were steep, so it was not a tour for the faint of heart. Buddy and I both made it down to the upper level of the engine room, where the top of the triple-expansion steam engine could be seen, but Buddy wisely opted against seeing just how hot and cramped the lower level really was. On the lower level, I was able to peer in and see the operating parts of the engine, all of which are open. The enormous piston rods (probably 4-6 inches in diameter) cycle up and down into the boiler at a fast clip. The pace was surprising, since I had read that the men maintaining the engine would stick their hands into the moving machinery, feeling the bearings for excessive heat and applying oil as needed. The young guy who was in the engine room learning how to maintain it told me that the old timers--the ones who were old enough to have served on the ship during the war or shortly thereafter--still stuck their hands in to check the moving parts. It seemed to me like a good way to earn the nickname, "Stumpy".

After a while on the water, we reached our turnaround point, which was within sight of the Bay Bridge, just north of Annapolis. The ship came to a stop and we waited for the aircraft to arrive. Part of the cruise was an airshow involving aircraft from World War II: a Japanese Zero, a Japanese dive bomber, a P-51 Mustang, a small spotter plane, and a big B-25 bomber. The heat and the lack of a good breeze was starting to get to us, but then the spotter plane arrived for a few passes alongside the ship before rising to a higher altitude to maintain radio contact with the tower and to guide the other planes in. Not long after that, the Zero and the Japanese dive bomber flew in and began buzzing the ship. The noise and excitement of the planes' "attacks" made us wonder how terrifying it must have been to be fired upon by such planes or to have one approach and not veer off at the last minute like the planes in the air show did. After several close passes alongside the ship, the Japanese planes broke off to deal with the P-51 Mustang that came to chase them away. The P-51 is a magnificent aircraft; it made some close flybys of the ship, showing off for the passengers. Finally, the big bomber arrived and flew low and loud over the ship several times before heading back home. Once the air show concluded, we turned back and headed towards Baltimore.

All in all, it was a great trip. Apart from some hot spots, especially when we idled near the Bay Bridge waiting for the aircraft, the weather was good. There was a cool breeze for much of the trip and it was nice to be out on the water taking in the scenery. There was also no shortage of boats to see, many of which approached the ship in the Bay to watch the air show. By our calculations, at 42 gallons per mile, the ship burned a good 1,200 or so gallons of fuel for the voyage, so that goes a long way towards explaining the ticket cost. With 500 people on board, we also concluded that the sailors manning a Liberty Ship during the war probably preferred voyages hauling cargo over those transporting 450 troops and their gear to the war theater. Emblematic of the ever-increasing age of World War II veterans, the ship was greeted at port by an ambulance. However, in true Buddy fashion, we managed to slip through the crowds and were the first car off the docks at the end of the trip. Not a bad end to a six-hour tour.

Liam Rolls Over

Liam passed a milestone this past weekend; he learned to roll over from his stomach to his back:

Grandma and Grandpa B were visiting this weekend, so they were on hand to see it. As you can tell, he definitely enjoyed the excitement that followed his accomplishment.

Oh, My Aching Back/Ribs/Skull

I haven't seen all of the movie, The Wrestler, but one scene I do remember is where Mickey Rourke's character has just finished a match and is in the locker room being attended to by a medic. The medic is busily stitching up large gashes and removing staples and broken glass from Rourke's skin. That could be me in four years.  After story time tonight, Nathan and I spent some time roughhousing on the bed. One move he especially enjoys now is standing up on my chest or my back. Having him stand on my back is usually like an intense massage, but tonight was different. Instead of falling off to the side like he usually does, tonight, he jumped up, pulled his legs up, and landed on his knees with one knee in my upper back and the other at the back of my skull. Playtime quickly ended and Nathan brushed his teeth and climbed into bed while I checked for dizziness and disorientation. If this continues, Nathan may well have a career in the WWF and my brain may someday help the NFL learn about the insidious nature of head injuries.

The Pizza Crust Bandit

What's wrong with this picture?

Don't see it?  Look a little closer:

Now what member of the family would leave bite marks that size? They don't look like mouse bites. Hmmm...it's an impenetrable mystery.

Potty Training Indicators

This is how you know you REALLY need to get serious about potty training: you are awakened at 6:30 in the morning by a kid who is naked from the waist down.  Upon entering his room to get him dressed, you find that he has removed his pants, removed his diaper, climbed up on the changing table, opened the box of wipes, cleaned himself off, climbed down from the changing table, and put the diaper and wipes into the Diaper Genie.  (The rock climbing wall on the neighborhood playground has apparently taught Nathan that a drawer pull is a sufficiently large foothold for climbing.)  Time to stop procrastinating and get the boy trained.

Enter at Your Own Risk

There's a scene in The Hangover when the roofies that the guys gave Mike Tyson's tiger have worn off and the animal is thrashing around in the back seat of their Mercedes shredding the upholstery.  (If you haven't seen the movie, no, I'm not drunk, it really does happen.)  That's sort of how Nathan and I felt this morning.  Liam was in a foul mood this morning, so the Monday routine of leaving for work and daycare was punctuated by Liam's shrill, piercing screams.  It continued after Cat put his car seat in my car, so Nathan and me were standing outside the car with an unspoken "you first" sentiment hanging in the air.  We both braved the echo chamber and climbed in the car, but thankfully, the noise stopped as soon as we started moving.  With the combined aural damage inflicted on me by Nathan and his brother, one thing I have to look forward to when they reach adulthood is the ability to annoy them by cranking up the volume on the television to wholly inappropriate levels.  It's going to be great!

Soothing Songs

When Nathan was little, his favorite song was Poker Face by Lady Gaga.  When it came on the radio, he would jump up and down in his crib in excitement.  So far, Liam's favorite song seems to be Smile by Lily Allen and performed by the cast of Glee.  When he's crying and screaming, it almost never fails to calm him down.  I guess neither of the two kids listens to the lyrics.

Flashbacks

So much for being low maintenance.  After an initial honeymoon, Liam has proven to be just as much of a handful as Nathan, and in some ways, even more so.  One particular difference that keeps us (well, Cat mostly) busy is Liam's almost constant need to be held.  A ride in the swing or some quiet time in the cradle is not sufficient.  He must be held!  And rocked!  Now!  This often results in one of us (again, mostly Cat) walking around for much of the day with Liam in the Baby Bjorn.  Cat has even developed a reflexive habit of bouncing up and down on her feet in response to the sound of Liam crying, something she caught herself doing at Target today while Liam was sitting in the cart.  Both of us will probably have very strong calf muscles after a few months of this.

I'm also starting to remember some of the things that I had blocked out of my mind from when Nathan was a baby.  Things like falling asleep on the chair downstairs with Nathan in my lap (now happening sometimes with Liam).  Or wearing earplugs while I did certain things with Nathan (probably something I should be doing with Liam to prevent further hearing loss).  Or bath time being an awful experience (oh yeah, THAT'S what the earplugs are for).  One nice change is that Liam is somewhat more tolerant of noises as we're taking him upstairs to bed in the evenings.  With Nathan, the slightest squeak in the floor was enough to wake him up, so exiting his bedroom became an exercise in balance and dexterity trying to avoid the squeaky spots in the floor.  This is less of a problem now not only because of Liam's temperament, but also because our remodeling work upstairs coupled with two hundred or so deck screws in the subfloor has made the floors upstairs solid and nearly silent.  It's reassuring to know that I don't have to keep a mental map of which floor tiles to avoid stepping on late at night.

New Pictures of Liam

The new pictures in the album are from the photo company that came to our hospital room after Liam was born. They catch you at a moment of weakness; just days after your new baby is born and shortly before you're discharged, they snap some quick pictures and guilt you into buying a photo package or CD.  After all, when will you ever get your new baby into the photo studio once you leave the hospital?  And, of course, there are "convenient" packages to buy replete with birth announcements, stationery, pictures, and all sorts of other crap memorabilia.  Who could resist?  Not us, evidently.

One For Me, One For Her

Ever since Nathan started saying, "no, I want hold Daddy hand," whenever we get out of the car, Cat has wanted a mama's boy to call her own.  It appears that her wish may have been granted.  After I come home in the evenings, Liam can be sleeping peacefully or sitting happy as a clam in her lap.  However, within a few minutes of her handing him off to me, he becomes terribly annoyed and starts crying.  It doesn't matter if I change him into a clean diaper or pick him up shortly after he's been fed, he doesn't want to have anything to do with me.  As soon as I hand him off to her, though, he's just fine.  At least I still have Nathan.

The two boys are still getting along fine.  Nathan frequently asks to hold Liam via the "me carry him" command.  We're trying to get him in the habit of washing his hands before holding Liam, partially for Liam's benefit, but mostly since they probably need it, anyway.  It typically doesn't take long, though, before Nathan says, "you can carry him."  When he's playing in the living room, Nathan periodically takes breaks to come over and pat Liam on the head or give some words of encouragement ("that's OK, boy") when Liam's crying.  Liam is now getting over a cold of some sort.  I'm not sure if his coughing and congestion has been due to the sudden temperature changes we're going through or the three-foot-tall infection vector that we have in the house, but the humidifier and plenty of rest seem to have helped.  He has now surpassed Nathan's birth weight (it only took him about two weeks) and he's growing steadily.  Last night was a good night, sleep-wise; only one wake up.  Let's hope it continues.

Liam's Birth

William (Liam) Boone Fore was born at 5:45 am on February 9th, 2011, weighing in at 7 pounds 11 ounces and measuring 20.25 inches long.  He arrived much more quickly than Nathan did; he showed up just over four hours after Cat was admitted to the hospital.  We are all back home now and Cat is feeling quite well, considering.  Nathan, Nana, and Papa came to visit us in the hospital on Wednesday morning and Nathan got to hold his baby brother.  The only hint of jealousy came earlier today, when Nathan refused to share his Thomas the Tank Engine toy with Liam, though I don't think Liam minded too much.  Nathan stayed with Nana and Papa while we were at the hospital and he has had a great time with them.  Contrary to our worst fears, it doesn't sound like he kept them up until all hours of the night (or at least that's what we've been led to believe).  Cat's parents arrive next week to provide some additional help.

So far, Liam seems to be pretty easygoing.  He's eating well and sleeping well, fitting in a few three and four hour naps at the hospital.  His cries also seem to be quieter than Nathan, though we could just be conditioned to the noise now.  Tonight and this weekend will give us a better picture of how manageable a boy he is.  Cat is feeling much better now and is in less pain now than she was at this time after Nathan's birth, so maybe she will be able to bounce back more easily this time around.  Perhaps a trip to the sushi restaurant next Friday?  We'll have a full table.

Nathan Linguistics

Nathan's talking a lot now, but some of his sentences occasionally need a little translation or interpretation.  Here's a sampling of some of his greatest hits:

"Daddy, you can go faster." - Used to indicate a clear lane ahead on the beltway.

"Daddy, slow down!" - Used to indicate that I was going too fast for conditions when entering the HOV lane on the beltway.

"Nana, Papa, Jerry, Claudia, go time out." - Spoken at random as names come to mind.

"Bye bye, Banana!" - Spoken after spending the afternoon at day care playing with a girl named Brianna.

"Never, never, never!" - Spoken as he threw his ball back and forth up and down the hallway, clearly mocking the severe scolding that he had received the previous day from his mother.

"Hi, I'm Nathan!  What are you doing?" - Spoken to neighbors, pizza delivery men, random people on the street, other shoppers at stores, etc.

"Shut up, Piper!" - Shouted in imitation of his mother, who became fed up with a neighbor's barking dog one night.

"That's not nice." - Spoken when told not to say "shut up."

"I want go upstairs" or "I want go downstairs" - Can be used interchangeably to mean "go upstairs" or "go downstairs."  Downstairs may be referred to as upstairs and vice versa.

"Daddy, be quiet!  Bad daddy, go time out." - Spoken when I make too much noise sawing, hammering, or otherwise working on the house.