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.

To Sum It Up

Highlights from the last month:

The boys had their well-child visits to the doctor. Miles was 34 pounds (75%) and 38.5 inches tall (75%). Marshall chunked up to 11 pounds 8 ounces (50%) and was 22 inches (less than 25%)...I think they measured the height wrong because his pants sure seem shorter!

Marshall was baptized on May 28 - Uncle Craig is Marshall's godfather and Aunt Ashley is his godmother. He was a great baby - slept through the whole baptism. Miles was very proud to help hold Marshall's baptismal candle.

We celebrated Miles' birthday a little early that next day. Miles was in awe of his Hot Wheels cake and everyone singing Happy Birthday to him:

After Daddy finished up school and graduation, we headed up to the lake. Marshall got to meet Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Woodling and Great Aunt Cindy for the first time.

We took advantage of a nice cool day to go to Cedar Point. Miles was slightly traumatized by the bumper cars - maybe we should have told him that people bump into you on bumper cars? Despite that, we all had a great time:

Miles celebrated his actual birthday (the big three!) with cake and ice cream at Nana & Papa's. Aunt Katrina made the cool Toy Story cake, and Great-Grandma and -Grandpa Hornsby joined in the celebration too.

We spent Daddy's birthday at the Detroit Tigers' game. Miles put on a show for the crowd by repeating everything that the people shouting at the players said. Of course, he also reprised, "Hey Batta Batta."

On the way home, we stopped at the Falks to meet their latest addition. Little Elaina was born a month after Marshall, so we now have two prospects for a Falk-Kahl wedding!

We had a nice stay-cation last week with an Indy Indians baseball game and bowling. Miles loved that Mommy, Daddy, and Marshall came with him on his school field trip to the zoo. He also had fun playing there with his best buddy Colin on the playground and watching the animals with his girlfriend Scarlett (sorry, Janelle!).

I had a great birthday just hanging out with my boys. I got a cool Wii game that has you dance along to Broadway hits...and Miles and Daddy just had to try it out too. Miles' favorite is the "Lion King" song (Oh I Just Can't Wait to Be King).

This week has been a fun week of firsts. Marshall decided to give me a going-back-to-work present by sleeping through the night for the first time...sort of. Starting at 4am, I got a up a couple of times to pop his paci, but I didn't have to wake to feed him until 6am! He also just had his first laugh today. Didn't quite catch it, but here's our video attempt:

And just some final everyday cute pictures!

Twister Tales

Talk about family togetherness - our little family experienced an interesting first last night. We took cover during a tornado warning...in the coat closet!

When we first bought the house, it made me a little nervous that there was no basement. Every house I'd ever lived in had a basement...and a basement that was fun to hang out in at that. As a kid, I always thought it was pretty cool to get to stay up past my bedtime, watching TV or playing with my toys.

My boys will not think it's quite as cool. The only fun in their tornado hiding place will be Christmas decorations and winter coats. After last night, some of those might be disappearing to the garage too. That's because neither Daddy nor Keno could fit in our hiding space.

I will say that - sitting in the dark, watching both boys sleeping - I never felt more like a family. That's a nice romantic view of motherhood, snuggling my two sleeping angels. But what about when those "angels" grow ganglier and surlier and don't want to spend the night in the closet with their mom?

Until then, I can enjoy their little faces. Despite the midnight crying, tantrums, puking, and potty issues...I sure do love these boys: