We're Goin' to the Zoo

The Minnesota Zoo has been our good friend these past few months when we've needed an escape from the most unwelcoming weather.  Louie most loves the fish and water tanks.  Sawyer loves the sharks, and running around, and the monkeys, and running around, and the farm babies and.......you get the idea.  In addition to all the obvious reasons why we love the zoo, I love going because I come out feeling like super mom.  Chasing around the Sawyer Dart with a baby strapped to my chest is no leisurely day, just out visiting with animals, but along with the exhaustion I feel empowered that I can manage to wrangle (relatively) good behavior and a good time for both my babes.  Having two kiddos has been a pretty smooth adjustment for me, or at least it was once I realized that life with two wouldn't always be smooth. It's pretty hectic, actually. And on a daily basis it would be easy to feel like there's not enough Mama to go around, but rather than feel inadequate I look for ways to gain these little victories, like the zoo, and use some of that empowerment to propel me through the rough spots that inevitably pop up here and there. Amazingly, even with a few bumps and hectic speeds, we're able to achieve a pretty good ride in the end.

Elouise at 5 months

Thank you, Temptations, for singing the song of Elouise. My girl, she is pure sunshine.

  

What Elouise Thinks About Solid Food

So yeah, I'm preeeeeeetty sure, solids are not her thing. We've had some very definite "No's!" for cereal, carrot puree, peach puree, bread, and cheerios.  Green beans and apples were at least sampled, gnawed on, then spat back out.  The only food that has emerged a winner and received the prize of digestion? Pureed sweet potatoes.

That makes one child who eats everything BUT sweet potatoes, and one child who refuses to eat anything BUT sweet potatoes. 

Elouise at 4 months

weight: 16.5 lbs  height: 27 in (!!! that's over the 100%ile) head: 16.9 in

She's found her voice, found her feet, and has finally found it acceptable to chew on things other than fingers.  She continues to be the most wonderful company for me and Sawyer; she's usually up for whatever we've got going.  And she is pleasant to boot.  When I took her in for her 4 month check-up, I though that she had been acting "off" for a few days and was worried that something was wrong with her mouth, and sure enough, she had thrush.  But the day before she had skipped  two naps and still found it in herself to smile and smile and sit pleasantly all through Easter lunch at Jeff's aunt's home.  And the day before that she obligingly joined us on the egg hunt, and the day before that, scooted around the zoo with us all. I'm thinking that she's going to be one tough cookie when she wants to be.

Sometimes, she is not so tough. And it's usually when her little girly feelings are hurt, most often by Sawyer. If he takes her toy or accidentally whacks her, and particularly when he's upset with her and gets in her little face and roars his big dinosaur roar at her, she. will. melt. down.  It's hard to console her and bring her back round to her equilibrium without a little help from the offending party of one.  We've found that sweet apologies and kisses from Sawyer help a great deal, which amazes me nearly every time she settles back down after getting a brotherly hug. I'm also amazed at the existence of her girly feelings. There is truly a difference between how she reacts and how Sawyer would react-and I love seeing and learning about all of her originality.  She is such a treat.