The Same

I can't believe my little Charlie is almost three years old. Even though I have another baby now, I still feel like he's my baby. I just love my kids to bits. They are just the sweetest things. I don't know how I'm ever going to give them up to their wives. I know I'm getting ahead of myself... but I can't think of a time when I'll be ready to let them go out on their own, though I'm already having to let go with Davey who is only five... he has another life at school, separate from me and I long to be part of it. Though I'm not ready to home school him or anything. I'm getting way off track here. Okay, back to my little Charlie and the reson for this post. As he gets closer to three, he is growing out of toddler-hood. It is amazing to me to watch him play with Davey and his friends like he's just one of them. And he definitely thinks he is...

Last night Dave was sitting with the older kids at the kitchen table having a bedtime snack and telling them how lucky they were to have little brothers. Charlie's comment was, "I'm not little! See, we're just the same (standing by Davey and trying to measure against him)." That is certainly what he thinks!

Another cute little Charlie moment - Dave asked Charlie, "Do you know why I love you?" His answer, "Because I'm a bear." We've called him our little Charlie-bear since he was born and I guess he's convinced. Silly little boy.

Recipe for Homemade Dimples

It's really simple! And, no, I didn't mean to say 'dumplings.'

All you have to do is bang your cheek really hard.

In this case, Davey was running around Grandma and Grandpa Paulson's house, tripped and broke his fall with the coffee table. As the bruise dissipated (it covered almost his whole cheek and stayed for weeks - it was a hard fall), I couldn't believe the dimple I saw. And its a very pronounced one you can see even when he is just talking. Now I guess he just needs another fall to even himself out!

Before

After

Charlie, Charlie, Quite Contrary

When my mother was visiting, she helped me pin-point what I would call a very poignant part of Charlie's personality - he is a contrarian. Where do you think he gets that? (Hint: not me!) Here's an example from last night...

Before bedtime, we were reading the story of Samuel Smith, the first missionary for the Church. When he was traveling he was refused lodging by an innkeeper who accused him of being a liar when he told him of the origin of the Book of Mormon.

Charlie's comment was, "Then I would spit on him."
Me, "But that's not a nice thing to do. We have to be nice to other people."
Charlie, "Then I would hit him. Or get him a poke (he recently got a flu shot)."
Me, "But Charlie, Jesus taught us that even if people aren't nice to us, we still need to be nice to them."
Charlie, "Jesus told me, but I said 'NO!'"

We are going to have our hands full with this little guy...

I'm a Fenugreek Addict

After I was sick and my milk supply dropped significantly (basically vanished), I had heard of fenugreek being used for this so I started taking it. And I don't want to stop! It has this side effect... it makes you smell sweet... like maple syrup! The first time I took it I had eaten oatmeal for breakfast and thought I was tasting the brown sugar but hoping it was the pills... and it was. Now that my milk supply is finally reestablished (it took forever) I can't get myself to stop taking it. Because now when I sweat, I smell like pancakes... tell me, would you want to quit?

Teething Already...

A few weeks ago, when Henry was about 11 weeks, he started drooling like crazy. Neither of my other two kids ever drooled much at all, to my delight. But Henry is a drooler. I was sure it was way too early to be associated with teething, but now I don't think so. He is 15 weeks now, still drooling all the time and chewing with abandon on everything he can get his gums on. I think he's on track to have his first tooth at 4 months like Davey did....

Is This Really My Life?

Yesterday I found myself asking myself this question twice. I was sitting on the couch nursing Henry, my mother was in the living room reading a book, as was Dave, who had come home early from work. It was after school and Davey had two friends over. Two men were in my house changing the light bulbs and two housemaids/nannies (mine and one of my friend's) were watching over the children. The scene was busy and almost chaotic but the adults in my household were serene and relaxing (though I count nursing as working, really).

A couple hours later I found myself walking through the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel with my husband carrying the baby in his car seat and my maid carrying his bouncy chair and diaper bag. I was all dressed up and carrying only my purse. We were going to dinner with one of the suppliers Dave manages the contract with and other spouses. Henry doesn't take a bottle and we needed him nearby so we had him and the nanny stay in one of the supplier's rooms while we were at dinner. As I was walking in, I was thinking, is this really my life?

I am spoiled here. And its my life for now, but not forever. And I'll enjoy it while I have it! :) (though feel a little guilty too...)

School

A cute pic of Davey running the "jewelry store" his class made. Downloaded from the school's website.

Checkup

At Henry's checkup (1 month 10 days) he weighed 9 lbs 4.5 oz (21%), was 21.5 in tall (29%), and his head circumference was 38.25 cm (35%).

My Three Sons

When I Grow Up...

For a long time, maybe the last year/year and a half, Davey has said he wants to be a pilot when he grows up. Then the last week of school one of his classmates' father came in to tell them about his job as a pilot flying an Airbus. Well, that got Davey thinking about driving busses. After that he switched to wanting to drive a bus, but quickly reconsidered to a mini-bus. He likes the mini-bus better because they can drive faster and thus less people will honk at them, according to him.

As we drove around the crowded streets of Abu Dhabi, Davey talked about his dream all the time. It was cute to hear him say how he was going to drive them wherever Dave and I were living. That way he could take us anywhere we wanted to go and he could help us if our car broke down. But he wasn't going to get to see us very much because he'd be working all the time. If he had a day off, though, he would see us.

Two days ago when we walked off the plane, having arrived back in Bahrain, and got on the bus taking us to the terminal, he had a moment of crisis. A very concerned Davey said, "I just don't know what I want to do when I grow up. Maybe I can try all the different jobs and see what I like. First, I'll try what Daddy does and if I like it I will do that."

I'm not sure what's prompting him to be so concerned about this, but its fun to hear him considering all the options.