grandma time

the last week, sandy has been home from florida for a grandbaby fix. distance is hard on everyone. we miss having our grandmas around. the boys have all sorts of tricks to demonstrate again and again and there is nothing like grandma's patience and attention. ayla is rapidly growing and developing, and it breaks my heart that no grandmas are here to witness. i miss the support of a grandma unique to a grandma, a woman who thinks your kids are exceptionally advanced and adorable. so a brief visit from grandma lampen was welcomed by all.



the majority of her interactions with maxer and bear involved putting them in jail. this is a game of chase in which grandma attempts to trap and drag children to the couch and keep them there. though i am slightly concerned with the fervency in which my kids desire and request to be in jail, i adored seeing the joy and hearing the giggles. unfortunately, grandma lampen's back was giving her some trouble, so this particular favored activity was hard on her!



yesterday, maxer got to spend some sacred one on one time with grandma while i took the littles to the dr. oh, he was cherished by grandma lampen! she braved the michigan weather to take him on a walk around her condo. they colored, conversed, and considered their time together something very special.



while maxer was getting some special attention from grandma lampen, bear and baby ayla were getting some special attention from dr lund and nurse chris. somehow, i scheduled an afternoon appointment and that was a mistake as the wait was incredibley lengthy and my kids incredibley crabby/tired. upon arrival, bear immediately began insisting on a sticker. he asked this of everyone, nurses, patients, check in peeps. then he shoved the stickers he located on his own into the face of any and all passers by. the most fun was getting to utilize girl stickers! i recieved a hello kitty sticky, ayla sported a my little pony sticker. even girly stickers are cute cute cute. after five minutes of down time in the patient room, bear began plotting and attempting escape. he managed once, but i quickly deterred him to the bathroom and then bathed him in purel. i mostly entertained him by taking pics of him on my new phone.



at long last, dr lund determined bear's ears appeared much the same as they did the last two times i shelled out cash for a dr's visit; fluid filled and pinkish- but not treatment worthy. ayla received a delightful report; dr lund even referred to ayla as a pretty little rosebud. that she is!! bear watched intently and with relief as ayla's chubby little legs were poked and his were spared.



my heart is light with the knowledge that my baby girl is developing and growing so well. 17 lbs, 6 oz, 26 1/4 inches of pure baby perfection. thank you jesus!



ayla is still working through the vomiting after eating rice and gagging during her oatmeal meals. fruits and veggies are allright, so we are focusing on those and she continues to nurse like a champ. clearly her weight is not suffering, she has rolls to prove it!



let me conclude this post with a bedtime story stoy. while reading to maxer last night, i pointed to a glass of what i assumed was pop in the story we were reading. it was brownish in color and had ice cubes in it. while i regret ever giving maxer his first taste of soda, he is a big fan. therefore, i drew his attention to that particular aspect in the picture, hoping to ellicit a smile of shared appreciation of coke. instead, his response to my question "what does that look like" was "uuuh, poop juice?"