Henry's First Walk

I know it probably sounds overly ambitious, but after bringing Henry home from the hospital Sunday afternoon, we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. It was a lovely day, and we wanted both boys to get some fresh air.

I'm still recovering from my c-section on Thursday, but I've had a number of surgeries, and one thing I know for sure is that the more you move around and get light exercise, the sooner you recover. I get stiff and very sore if I sit around too much after surgery. Greg is home from work this week, but next week I'll be alone with both boys, so I figure I had better recover pretty quickly. My plan is to go for a walk everyday, and walk a little farther each time, so that I get my energy back.

Nick is really trying to be a good big brother, and he wanted to push the stroller, so we let him. He seems to like Henry and be interested in him, but he quickly becomes frustrated when any situation or conversation is not about him. I think that's pretty typical of two-year-olds; they tend to be self-centered anyway, and Nick thinks the world revolves around him. (You mean it doesn't?)

Nick has so much energy, and he tends to run ahead when we go for walks. Thank goodness he's been trained to stay on the sidewalk, and Greg keeps a very close eye on him. I still think I'm going to use a tether (baby leash) when I go for walks by myself with both kids. Nick is not obedient enough to stay right by me, and I'm not fast enough to chase him down.

We don't have that problem with Henry, at least not yet. He looked around a lot, then settled down for a nap. I think the motion of the stroller soothed him. It's a little to think that in two years, Henry will be running around picking up sticks, just like his big brother does. I'll have to make sure to enjoy his snuggly babyhood as much as possible.

We walked for about a half-hour yesterday, then a little longer today. I'd guess we did at least a half-mile, if not more. It felt good to be out of the house, getting a little bit of fresh air and exercise. I'm in training, you see--in training for chasing a two-year-old while carrying a newborn. Now that is an aerobic workout.   : )

In some ways, boys are all the same. . .

. . . they love climbing on things, and sticking out their tongues.

Slides are all well and good. . .

. . . but climbing up them is even more cool.

Little boys love to play with their toys, but a stick makes the best toy. If a little boy is holding a stick, it will always be used as a weapon. Nicholas used this particular stick to bang on the slide, the wood chips, and his daddy's left leg.

Nick was very sad that he couldn't spend the weekend outside due to the rain. In fact, except for a short walk with daddy today, he stayed inside all weekend. Poor guy kept saying "Outside!?" and then looking at us with his puppy dog eyes. He must've pointed towards the door a thousand times, and he is tall enough now to hang on the doorknob and try to turn it. I was kind of sad, too, because I couldn't work in the garden. Instead, I got the whole master bedroom, bathroom and closet cleaned (with help) and did what seemed like seven million loads of laundry.

Boring weekend, but I'm excited for dinner tonight. My husband is grilling us carne asada with peppers, green onions, and mushrooms over brown rice. He already made homemade guacamole. I love when Greg cooks from the Williams-Sonoma Mexican Cookbook. My mouth is watering already. I'll leave you with a video of Greg taking Nick down the slide.

Little Boys and Sticks

It must be a "boy" thing. Something about a nice stick just lying there on the ground inspires a young man to pick it up and swing it around wildly. Even a 1 year old knows how to start a mock sword battle with a stick.

Nick observed the little boy next door (he's maybe 8 or 9) playing Star Wars a few days ago with his friend, and he was enthralled. The light saber battle was incredibly exciting to him. Nick even tried to join in the fight with his own stick, running madly toward the battle with a shriek of sheer glee.

A few days later, Nick picked up the stick and instantly remembered what to do with it. There were no adversaries around, but that was okay for him. Nicholas fought his imaginary fencing battle across the yard.

I guess you can't argue with biology. My little man is definitely, well, a little man. He loves to push trucks around and make "vroom" sounds, and then bang them into things. Knocking down towers is loads of fun for him, and Nick thinks it's hilarious when his daddy fakes injuries. And now he likes to use sticks as weapons. Typical. My son already has a longer attention span than I do when it comes to things like basketball games.

I'm actually okay with Nick being into the "guy" sorts of things. I'm just trying to keep it balanced. I love how he also likes to steal the broom from the kitchen and pretend to sweep. I like the way he hugs his stuffed animals (when he's not whacking them with sticks) and gives them kisses. Most of all, I adore how Nick insists on sitting on the kitchen floor when Greg or I cook, stirring imaginary ingredients in a bowl.

Nick can be whatever type of guy he wants to be, but I want to make sure he's a well-rounded gentleman, just like his daddy. Greg is an excellent cook, and he cleans more than I do. We've probably each changed about the same number of diapers, because we divide up child care responsibilities. Our little family certainly doesn't follow traditional gender roles, and I'm hoping Nick doesn't grow up with strict ideas about what mommies do and daddies do. When Nick finds a stick, though, the caveman in him comes out, and he's all boy. Frankly, it's rather cute.