Was it because it’s a Monday?  Or because it’s mid-August and everyone is ready for the heat to subside?  I don’t know why, but as they say tritely, “It was one of those days.”

This folks, is a picture of Holden enjoying a vanilla milkshake, mere seconds before throwing up all over himself, the table, the chair, me, the stroller, and the patio at our local florist/ice cream parlor (yes, all of your floral needs can be met while licking a peanut butter cup ice cream cone):

It came out of nowhere.  H had been fine all morning.  Before lunch, I took both kids with me to the chiropractor so I could get my hips adjusted.  I’ve been having a lot of hip pain lately, partly from having loose joints and ligaments post-pregnancy, and partly from sleeping on a very old mattress that needs replacing.  (yes, my dreams of running a 10K in September have been dashed by my chiropractor, who says I need to scale back on my running).  Ok, not great news especially because the little bit of exercise I am getting is what is keeping me going….but I’ll manage, right?  So I continue with my day.  I take the boys to the library, then go home and fix them lunch.  I make Holden pasta, and he eats TWO bowls.  While this is happening, (and I am not paying any attention to how much H is eating), E basically screams for an hour because his gums are giving him pain.  I finally get him calmed down enough to sleep for 30 minutes, and when he wakes up, H is ready to try the new ice cream parlor he’s been dying to go to all summer.  We go….and H takes two tiny sips of milkshake.  And then vomit happens.  I ended up tossing both of our shakes in the trash, because with such a mess on my hands, I couldn’t manage to pack up our treats to eat later.  I cleaned up the table and chair with E’s burp cloth, packed my screaming baby and my vomit-covered preschooler into the hot car, and then ran inside to the florist to explain that my son had vomited everywhere, that I had tried to clean it up myself, that I was sorry, and that they should probably break out the garden hose to finish the job.

Yuck.

So now feeling thoroughly embarrassed (and smelling a little sour), I drive my unhappy children back to the house, where I bathed and nursed them, and feel thankful that at least Holden’s pricey new summer shoes are machine-washable.

Little E turned 4 months old yesterday, on the same day that my Mom celebrated her 60th birthday.  He’s such a little love.  He’s making all sorts of vocalizations, just babbling and cooing and being a cute little duck.  Recently, he has begun laughing at Holden.  I mean, REALLY laughing, as in chortling and losing his breath.  It’s hilarious.  He’s enjoying tummy time, and he’s starting to be able to scooch himself along on both his tummy and his back.  Teeth are starting to come in ALREADY….he’s drooling like crazy all the time, and is constantly sucking or chewing on something.  I can see a little spot on his lower gum where his first tooth is starting to poke through.  Amazing!   I’ve had to resort to acetaminophen on a couple of occasions just to ease the pain enough for him to get some much-needed sleep.  He sits at the table with us during meals now, and uses his booster seat so that he can watch all of the excitement.  He is also taking a keen interest in our food now; he watches us closely as we bring each bite of food to our mouths.  But he is still not ready for solids yet.  In complete contrast to his big brother, he’s given us many nights of uninterrupted sleep.  On nights where his gums aren’t bothering him, he’ll sleep an 11-hour stretch!  Wow!  Am I really this lucky?!  Yes.  E is also sitting on my lap for all of the books I read to H, so he gets exposed to lots and lots of language.  He seems to like looking at the pictures and listening to my voice, and at a minimum, he’s fond of sitting on my lap and sharing some snuggles with me and his big brother.  E is showing us more and more of who he is every day—and I am so privileged to be able to watch my happy, sensitive, engaging, and funny little guy grow up before my very eyes.