Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Irish Twins


Reflecting

It's weird having two kids. It makes me feel older than having one kid. But it's nice. Both kids know that they're not the center of the Universe. And both kids have one more person in their lives who will forever and ever love them unconditionally.

My goodness, is Anna an amazing big sister. She protects Emmy. She calls out, "It's okay, Emmy! I know, Emmy, shhhh, shhhh..." when she hears Emmy through the monitor waking from a nap. She brings her toys, and she takes away toys that aren't safe for her ("No, Emmy! No markers! Not for babies!") And sometimes she takes away toys that are perfectly safe but are also perfectly appealing to two-year-olds who miss being little babies. But that's okay. When I give her the Look, she gives the toy back. Usually.

I am definitely the Looking kind of parent. I have a Look for everything. The give.that.back Look. The did.you.just.push.me/Emmy/Daddy? Look. The do.not.move.another.inch.with.that.10-inch.chef's.knife Look. And most of my Looks work. And I think it's because I also have Looks she can love. I have a you.are.a.very,very,very.good.sister Look (when I catch her playing peekaboo with an otherwise fussy Emmy.) I have a my.kid.is.brilliant Look (when she reads herself The Little Engine that Could, "Puff, puff, chug, chug, ding dong, ding dong.") I have a could.you.be.any.cuter?! Look (when she daintily applies deodorant to both armpits and places the cap back ever so carefully.)

And she imitates these Looks. She has a Mad Face. And an Aren't I Cute? Face. And a Mommy!!!!! Daddy Just Said No to Something You Always Let Me Do! Face. That one's priceless. Her mouth hangs open, and her eyes get very wide, and you expect a 14 year-old's gum snapping, "This is todully un-faaaair!" to come out.

Speaking of this. I have been worrying lately. See, I use Looks for a lot of my parenting, and I think I can't expect it to work forever. I have been so careful to be positive towards her, and to nurture her independence, and to help her to believe that she is a good girl. A competent girl. And I am starting to think that she feels boundless. She thinks there is nothing she can't do--like adding the spices from the little jars to whatever I'm cooking. And running the mixer while we make cookies. And changing Emmy's diaper. And carrying full cups of steaming hot coffee to me. And walking all by herself through the parking lot into the grocery store. And cleaning the toilet. She wants so badly to be helpful, and to do everything Mommy does. And she is so, so, so good. But more and more often, she doesn't accept when I give a Look, or when I say, "no." Or, as is happening sadly often, when I yell, "Anna! I said NO! That is DANGEROUS!" She still doesn't stop.

So I'm afraid that I allowed her to do too much--that I should have made her believe that only adults add spices to food. And that mixers are NEVER to be touched. And that only Mommy changes Emmy's diaper. And that grown-ups' cups are too heavy to hold, whether there is something hot or cold in them. And that she cannot walk anywhere EVER without holding my hand. But what a sad life that sounds like. And, of course, the toilet brush and bottle of toilet bowl cleaner should be locked in a cabinet out of her reach (though to be fair to me, it IS a childproof bottle, and she does know not to touch it.)

And I guess I'm hoping that all two-year-olds feel boundless, and all of them want to do everything they see, whether they have been made to feel competent or not. And I can hope that she really IS competent.

But she's starting to scare me.

Emmy: second tooth

Because I don't have a baby book (and wouldn't write in it even if I did): let the record show that Emmy's second tooth is very clearly through the gum as of today, 7/1/2008. Now, we could see it right under the gum but it wasn't technically cut as of 6/28/2008 AM. So somewhere in there she got a tooth. I can't recall the last time I checked before this morning. Oh well.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Oops, I did it again


Wow. 7 months have gone by.


Emmy cut her first tooth today. Lower left front tooth.


She is wickedly cute.