A little something about babies 1 and 2

Baby 1, also known as Meghan, is our lovely daughter. On Monday night, her soccer team that I coach had a scrimmage with another local team. We had a slow start, but in the end our team won 5-4. Meg scored one of those goals. Earlier in the game, while she was goalie, she had a meltdown. Meg tends to take any criticism or correction or coaching as a report card on her life, defining who she is. Because of this, she has a really hard time with responsibility, even with accidents. During these incidents, I am sad for her, mad that she can't accept simple responsibility, and (ashamedly) embarrassed when others are watching. We try to remember to talk to her about this stuff when she is nowhere near it and not during the event, which never works. Things are slowly changing.

But, this isn't all my baby is about. And Monday night, she showed how much more. It takes us 15-20 minutes to drive home after soccer. Usually this is a great time for us to chat and catch up on the day and our plans. Because she was in a great mood (who isn't after scoring a goal), I brought up responsibility for our actions and the consequences, even if they are unintended. The talk went so well that we even talked about choosing our battles, another issue. Because we also discussed a friend of hers, we ended up talking about Girl Scouts and Encampment in the Spring, and she asked the big question, "Mommy, will you be going this year?" Some background: Meg has gone for the last two years, accompanied by me. I knew that she wasn't going to like the truth, and I had been hoping that this question wouldn't come up for a while.

Of course, I told her that I probably wouldn't be able to go because I would have to feed the baby. I was a little more graphic and tried to let her know that I wasn't choosing the baby over her, but that I am the baby's bottle. My baby cried that she didn't want to go without me. I wanted to cry with her. It took the next ten minutes to calm her down by peppering the conversation with some joking and a dose of reality: at camp, she is rarely with me. I also let her know that I would come and get her if she was sick. Sigh. Hard night, right?

No. While walking on the deck to the front door, Meg said the sweetest thing, "Mommy, maybe I'll want to stay home and not leave the baby." And, if that's what she decides, it's ok with me.

That would be a great place to end, but I also mentioned Baby 2 in my title, and I can't leave my sweet Jakey out. To know Jake is to know Blues Clues -- intimately -- line by line. His favorite of late is actually an episode of Blue's Room (and now the theme song is stuck in my head again). In it, the characters decide to act out their version of Little Red Riding Hood. Blue is Red, of course, and Joe is the Big Bad Wolf. Red is bringing banana bread to her grandma, and the wolf loves banana bread. Jake's favorite line? "Take (the) banana bread," emphasized with fists grabbing that imaginary bread to his chest. A rather loud wolf howl follows. Describing it does not do justice to how cute he is. Brian has recorded him and made it the ringtone for when I call his cell.

Now Meg is reading in bed, and Jake wanted "bwanket" which is bed with us. And, I am the last one up which means it is time to go to bed ... after I take my bp med, take my bp, take the rest of my meds, close down for the night, etc.

Sleep well, and if you have babies, enjoy them and the details of your lives with them.