Deep Thoughts

Despite my Jack Handy reference, I feel a need to have a serious post.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day thinking I was too busy to commerate the 9/11 anniversary. Sure, I heard the echos of the tributes in the Sunday sermon, NPR, at the football games, and on Facebook posts...but I was too distracted to soak it all in. That is, until I turned on the TV last night.

I caught a documentary I had seen back in 2001 - the one where the camera crew was actually in the towers that day, intending to document the life of FDNY fireman throughout a 9 month period. It took me a while to realize I had already seen it. I can't believe that I could even forget it. But somehow I did.

And that made me worry a little bit. How could that day seem like yesterday but at the same time seem so hazy to me? Then I started to reflect again on my personal experience with the day...and I realized how much I forgot about what I actually lived through.

So, in the interest of this blog being a way for me to remember - and for my kids to know their past - I figured I'd document what I experienced that day - in my past. At least before I forget even more.

We had been married for barely two months, and I hadn't yet been a full year at my job. I remember the exact spot I heard the first reports - in my car, driving down Pennsylvania, not quite to my office in downtown Indianapolis. I was listening to Bob & Tom, when Tom announced the news that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. Bob and Tom are never serious, so the tone made me realize quickly that something wasn't quite right. Nevertheless, it was one of those moments where, yeah, I was sad for those people in lower Manhattan, but it seemed like just another far-off news story.

After that my memory starts to fail me. I actually had to look up the times when everything occured to see how it paired with what I remember. So, the following is really my best guess. As I've been listening to the recounts this anniversary week, I've been wondering why I was so late to work. It was 8:48, after all, and I was still a newbie who arrived on time. It wasn't until today that I realized that Indiana was still on Central time.

When I got to my office on the 12th floor, the TVs were on as usual. Instead of market news on CNBC, the news coverage was on. I used to park about 4 blocks away to save money, so I can only assume that by the time I arrived, they were reporting that the second plane had already hit.

I checked some e-mails and thankfully received one from a friend who lived nearby. She was safe, but could see the smoke from her apartment. It was around this time that I remember hearing all the reports of people jumping from dozens of floors up. Yes, I was only on Floor 12, but that was still way higher than I wanted to be at that point. I wondered why my coworkers weren't more freaked out and was glad when I convinced at least one woman to join me in the coffee shop downstairs...on the ground floor at least.

The TV was on in the coffee shop. I'm not sure whether it was there that I heard about the Pentagon or if it was the tower collapse or both. Either way, it was enough to make me want to get the hell out of downtown. My coworker went back upstairs, but I told her that I was going home. I didn't care if I had work to do or not - I had a feeling that no work was going to be happening for anyone anyway.

By the time I logged in to my work e-mail from home, they had decided to let all of my coworkers leave. I was also able to exhale a little after hearing back from another friend who lived in Tribeca. She saw the first plane crash from her bedroom window. At that point, we had grown apart as friends, it was still numbing to me to think about my childhood friend in the middle of all of that, unable to even go back to her home for days. I still have the e-mails saved, even though we haven't corrsponded in years. She wrote to me in the coming weeks about returning to an empty neighborhood, except the National Guard troops and her authorized neighbors. A few weeks later, she told me about all the work it took to clean up dust from her floors, furniture, and clothes from when the towers fell.

I spent the rest of the day planted in front of the TV. By the time Jason got home from school, I felt like I had to get out and do something. I gave him the choice - go give blood or go to church. Thanks to his fear of blood and needles, we ended up at Our Lady of Mount Carmel that evening.

So, kids, that's where I was. Over the next ten years, I'm sure my memories will fade more. I'll look back on this antiquated medium called a blog and be thankful that I can at least have something to tell my 13 and 10 year old boys.

And I'll remember.

Oh, God.

As an addendum to the Miles-isms, I thought I'd add some of Miles' recent musings on God. We say the same set of prayers every night ("Now I lay me..."), but I can't really remember the last time we made it all the way through without a question. Some of them are truly sweet or profound. (Why does God make the dark? Does God have feet?)

I even get quotes from the Bible, mostly from the movies at day care Bible Time. Miles told me the big elaborate story of when Satan tests Jesus. Of course, it was in much simpler words (The Devil was mean to Jesus), but he got the details right (the desert, up on a high mountain, up on a really, really tall building aka the temple). Then he told me, "And Jesus said, 'Man cannot live on bread alone.'"

But the best, of course, are the funny ones. A personal favorite: "Why is his name Jesus? I think that's a funny name because it sounds like 'Cheesy'!" Also, "Does God make bathrooms?"

On to Marshall news. He's getting really close to sitting up on his own, but I wouldn't call it official yet. He's also showing lots of interest in us eating lately and tries to steal our food if he's sitting on our lap. We're sticking with the doc's advice and waiting until he turns 6 months to start solids. I'd like to say it's because we're giving his intestines time to mature, but we're really just lazy and like the fact that the doctor gave us a pass to wait a little longer.

He also is getting much more tolerant of baths and is really having fun splashing. Here's last night's post-bath pic:







Most of all, Marshall loves watching his big brother Miles. Nobody can make him laugh quite like Big Bro:

We're also still getting pumped for football season:



Miles even made me put these stickers on his face this morning before day care. Wonder what his teachers think of me?

Miles-isms

Lately, Miles has just been churning out the funniest stories. I always read the "funny things my kid said" section of Parents Magazine, and none of them even compare to how hilarious my kid can be.

Scene 1
We're on our way to Frosty Boy. For those of you who haven't been around "our parts", it the cutest little dairy bar outside of Ohio. For some reason, I never realized that outside of Northwest Ohio, there isn't a seasonal walk-up ice cream place in every little town. Well, we're one of the fortunate few here in the Hoosier state, and they also have KRUNCH KOTE! Sorry, my mind drifted to the creamy deliciousness of the FB. I guess I was telling a story about Miles, wasn't I?

Anyhoo, I ask Miles what kind of ice cream he's going to get today.

He answers, "Ba-niwwa".

I say, "Mmmmmm....vanilla! Good choice!"

He says, "No Mommy, it's not VA-NIL-la, it's BA-NI-WAH!"

I acquiesce (yes, I looked that up to make sure I spelled it right - and I did!) and pull up to the drive-thru window. I tell the girl, "One vanilla kiddie cone, and.."

I'm interrupted by Miles, "NO. BA-niwwa!"

So I shrug and tell the smirking teenager, "Sorry, one Baniwwa kiddie cone please."


Scene 2
Miles picks up his toy cell phone, and I ask him who he is talking to. He makes up some stories about talking to various grandparents and all the new toys they are going to buy for him.

Then I ask him, "What are they saying now?"

He says, "Leave a message, hang up, or press 1 for more options."



Scene 3
Miles, Marshall, and I are having a nice quiet breakfast. We've all just woken up and are a little groggy, but things are generally smooth sailing compared to some of the tantrums that have been thrown over me pulling out the wrong sippy cup or refusing to give candy for breakfast. We're eating our "Bee Cheerios" in relative silence when Miles calmly states, "Mommy, I'm freakin' out."

Me (chuckling): "You are?"

Miles (nodding): "Mmm-hmm. I am freakin' out."

Me: "What does freakin' out mean?"

Miles: "It means I'm farting a lot."


So, now you all have another code phrase - no need to use tooting, ripping it, or "there are ducks in here" (thanks, Uncle Bub). Just say you're "freakin' out"!

Everyday pics: Miles helping Daddy with the yard work and brotherly love:

Pre-School and Pre-Season

Yesterday was Miles' first day of pre-school - what a big boy!



He got his own cool binder to take with him each day in his backpack. His teacher said he did a great job and listened well during their story time that day. We were a little worried about how he'd do without his nap, but his sheet said he got a "green light" for the day. He zonked out in the car on the way home and was pretty cranky at dinner, but if that's what it takes so he's good for Ms. Tara, then so be it! We went to a "fancy" restaurant (Cheesecake Factory) to celebrate, and he chose Banana Cream Cheesecake for dessert. Yum!

We're also gearing up for Colts season around here:



Miles is already a true blue fan, but Marshall should also be into it this season, thanks to the extra "Marshall" connections. Peyton Manning named his son Marshall, who was born about a week after our Marshall. Those Mannings, always copying the Kahls. Plus, Marshall Faulk was recently "inducted" into the Football Hall of Fame. I refuse to use the correct term, "enshrined". I mean, I like football, but I wouldn't exactly put these guys in the same league as saints and presidents.

So, that's it for now. Hell might freeze over if I post TWO long blog posts in one week!

Themeless

My English teachers might tsk me for not having a theme to this post, but everyone needs a little randomness in their life sometimes, right?

First off, Marshall's 4-month stats:

• Height: 25 1/4 inches (70%)
  
• Weight: 15 pounds, 7 ounces (50%)
  
• Head: 10%
  

It's not surprising that his head is so small...it's consistent, which is all that matters. I'm comforted by the fact that I just read in this month's Parents Magazine what I already knew - head size does not equal IQ size. What IS surprising is that his weight is only in the 50th percentile. Based on comments ("Was Miles THAT chunky?" "Sure doesn't look like HE'S starving!"), I thought we'd have another buddha baby on our hands. I guess he just stores it all up in his cheeks like his mama and brother.




We took a short family trip to the Indiana State Fair last week. It's been pretty scary to think about after the stage collapse there. Jason's band performed right exactly where it fell, only a week before. When we were there as a family last Tuesday, we left the infield parking in the shadow of the grandstands, just as a storm was rolling in. We never made it to the midway rides, but Miles had a great time eating a giant corn dog (NEVER Uncle Davy!!) and pretending to be a farmer.




We had all kinds of fun this past weekend on a trip down to the Kentucky Kahls. On the way down, we blew some credit card points at the Embassy Suites in Louisville. It was a slow start for both boys, but they really enjoyed swimming in the pool. I think it helped that Miles was showed up by a little girl his age, swimming on her own. Miles was also very impressed with the room ("They have a BATHTUB in here!"). He felt especially big when he got to sleep all night in his "couch bed" (aka the pull-out sofa) in the "suite" part of the room.



While the daddies were out golfing, the girls and little boys enjoyed some fun at the playground at the State Park. Marshall and Gavin tried out the swings. Gavin was much more amused than his cousin.




And, finally, on the way home, we met the other cousin for a baseball game: Louisville Bats vs. Indy Indians. Miles did a good job cheering for the Indians, even though everyone else was cheering for the hometown Bats. Guess he's not afraid to be obnoxious when it comes to his team - like Father like Son! Marshall also had fun, although his camera-hating face doesn't quite show it here:




Next up: Miles' first day of preschool is tomorrow!

Camera Shy

Marshall is four months old today! I've been trying my hardest to capture the world's most adorable picture to show you just how cute he is. Unfortunately, Marshall is camera shy. This kid smiles about 90% of his waking hours, but when I try to take a picture of him, I usually get a look like this:



We also get full-on giggles and "chatting" much of the time...but have we been able to capture them? Nooooooooo. Here's some cuteness that'll have to suffice - but just know that it's only a sliver of what camera-shy-boy usually does:



In other Marshall news, Daddy and Miles saw Marshall roll over last week. I've yet to see it, but I've seen a lot of close calls. He is getting very good at tummy time, especially when we put him in front of his zoo. He also has been spending a little time in his high chair, although we won't start solids until after his doctor's appointment next week. He still slides over most of the time, but he really loves hanging out with the family at dinner time.



Marshall has taken a new-found interest in his feet, but he's also really starting to enjoy actually playing with toys. Here's a new favorite...I think Miles enjoys it as much as Marshall does:



Miles has some new accomplishments too, mostly when it comes to vocabulary. He is really into rhyming now. We even get really creative ones:

Daddy: "We should go to the library after dinner."

Mommy: "That's a great idea!"

Miles: "Hey! 'That's a great idea' and 'quesadilla' rhyme!" (Note: We were having brinner, not quesadillas for dinner, so he came up with that one on his own.)

Most notably, his new vocabulary words include variations upon "stinky", "yucky", or "poop". I try to explain that we should only talk about poop in the bathroom, which backfired on me last night. After a random barrage of inappropriate words which brushing his teeth, I shot Miles the death glare. He fired back, "But Mommy, we're in the bathroom!" Touche, young man. So I got to hear a 3 minute chorus of "stinky poopy, stinky poopy." Yay. Boys.

A Day in the Life

I admit it. This blog is becoming a chore. I just keep plugging along though, mostly for Marshall's sake. I don't want him to Google himself in 20 years and stumble upon this in some ramshackle archive of days-gone-by, only to wonder, "Why did she document every fart Miles ever made, but there's nothing about me?" So, I soldier on.

I was thinking - Nursing Mom semi-alone with her thoughts way too often - that I've been getting too much into the events and have been missing the daily snippets of cutness. So, why not just document a Day in the Life? Here was mine today...

Marshall woke up, ready to eat at 5am. It was a relatively good night's sleep, minus the one SIDS alarm beep at 1am. I made a drowsy decision to turn off the motion sensor after that - no thanks to Jason, who actually fell asleep after I posed the question, "But what if he really does stop breathing?" Since the switch to the big crib on Monday night, Marshall rolled himself off the pad at least a dozen times, so I felt mostly ok about it.

So after the feeding (and showering and hair drying, all by 6am), I laid back down for a quick snooze before Miles came into our room. The new King-sized bed meant that we could all three fit now, and Miles picked Daddy's side for a snuggle. After tossing and turning and Snuggy Bear twirling, we got a "Time to go downstaiwrs and eat buh-wrek-fist?" I feigned sleep so Jason took Boy #1. I got a whole 20 minutes of glorious slumber before Boy #2 started cooing in the monitor. I got a huge smile when I peeked into Marshall's crib to get him - the same smile he gave me upon peeing all over the kitchen floor during his diaper change. How can you be mad at a face like this?



Because I decided to sneak in one more feeding before leaving for work, we had a little extra morning family time, with more snuggles on the couch. Miles gave me an impromptu, "I love you, Mommy!" Unsolicited and before I have to be at work all day? The best!

Work was, well, work. It's great being back in the office (SO much better seeing sunlight during the day!), but I had a ton to do. And then there's the mommy guilt. No lunches, no outings because of my extra time in the New Mothers' room. Thankfully, I did get a couple calls in to Jason while he is still home with Marshall and got to hear his cooing over the phone. I was on my way to getting out of there at a decent hour when my computer froze up. Although I enjoyed the especially chatty help desk technician, I didn't dig leaving right at the height of rush hour, which more than doubled my commute home.

After an hour and 15 minutes in traffic I was ready to be home...and Jason immediately thrust a fussy Marshall into my arms to be fed before I could even take my shoes off. So, I ate dinner with one hand (yay for DiGiorno!) and fed Marshall with another, all while responding to approximately 37 Mommy-watch-thdisses while Miles played with his monster trucks.

Marshall and I then joined Daddy and Miles in the front yard, who had their mitts out and were tossing the ol' baseball around. A beautiful father-son moment for sure, but I think Jason was secretly practicing for his first time on a field in 20 years for tonight's church league softball game. Miles was very proud of his throwing (mostly left-handed) and even caught a few balls.

We asked Miles who got to put him to bed tonight. He dramatically tossed glances between me and Jason and said, "Ummmmm...anyone!" After prodding, I was the lucky winner. I sneakily brushed each of Miles teeth by getting him to sing opera with me, then I pulled a nice mom (or tired mom?) and let him sleep in his clothes. We started "Are You My Mother?" and Miles pointed out the question mark on the cover...only to later call it the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mouse-ka-tool. After the book, he asked me to sing a song about Snorts. When I said I didn't know one, he made one up himself, and I tagged along a variation. We sang our usual night songs, but tonight was a special comedy routine, with Miles discovering the hilarity of squishing up my face during the rendition. I explained he couldn't do that during prayers - prayers are serious - and then he proceeded to insert the term "yucky head" in the middle of the recitation.

Marshall was asleep as Jason was leaving for softball, so I got 10 minutes to myself on the computer before it was time for another Boy Bedtime Bash. For the second night in a row, Mr. Smiley thought it was funny to kick, kick, kick then laugh when I snapped his pajamas completely up, only to be one button off at the end. Thankfully, tonight was a calm night, and he was asleep like his big bro before dark.

Now, on to my date with Doogie Howser M.D. before Jason comes home.

Next post...more events to come.