Micronaxx

Finn gets to be a funnier, wackier dude as the days go by:

• Lately he’s started pointing at (seemingly) random things and excitedly declaring, “Imp! Imp!” Presumably he’s not seeing lots of lesser demons running around, so we’re kind of puzzled and charmed. In particular he identifies the little thermometer strip in Henry’s tub as “Imp.”
• Speaking of that tub, Finn and I (and now Mom-O) like to play a game with the little valve in the bottom. We’ll unplug it, and I’ll reach through with two fingers that make a little biting motion. Finn yells “Coyote!!” and braves its maw with his fingers. The coyote celebrates success by howling (despite its mouthful of finger), much to Finn’s delight.
• In an old episode of Star Trek, the human captain yells “KeeBLAH!” (“Goodbye”) at his Klingon crewman, who gruffly replies, “Goodbye, sir.” Well, you can guess what exchange Finny and I have been having lately, especially on his changing table. Audio file to follow. 🙂

Mom-o’s sister Laura is visiting while Dad-o is off with the boys on a trip to Death Valley (an annual pilgrimage to partake in all things macho and dusty). We are having a good time with the boys, cramming in some girl-time after the guys go to sleep.
Auntie Laura is a big hit with Mr. Finn. She has been showering him with gifts–Thomas-related toys handed down from cousin Charlie, Halloween costumes from Charlie and Patrick, and some fun Spider Man plates, utensils, and a placemat to make eating even more of an adventure :D. Finn’s favorite toy so far is the “Jungle Blocks!”–some jungle-themed plastic blocks that come with their own plastic waterfall, and most importantly, their own CAVE! (“Kinda Dark!” exclaims Finny, while putting the lion and monkey in the cave.) He has dubbed some of the cylindrical blocks “smokestacks” based on his recently acquired knowledge of steam engines.
We are finally catching a break with Mr. Henry when it comes to naps. Yesterday he had 2 really long naps, after over a week of 30- or 40-minute ones. Whew. So he’s better rested, and Mom-o is a little more relaxed as well.
Laura and Finny are in the backyard “fixing” the Cozy Coupe with Finny’s ever-present toy pliers while I catch up on some domestic stuff–like dishes and blog entries!

I can’t believe I’m writing this because it seems impossible for it to be true, but get this: Henry has two teeth breaking on through to the other side! He’s not even three months old! He’s been working so hard at grabbing things and aiming them towards his mouth, and he’s really been chewing on his fingers (and ours) a lot the past few days. Both John and I thought we might’ve felt something sharp in his mouth over the weekend, and today I confirmed our suspicions. I took a peek at his lower gumline, and lo and behold, his two front center teeth have started to emerge!
So, no wonder he’s been having trouble sleeping and has been more enthusiastic about getting things into his mouth. Teething in addition to a growth spurt has gotta throw a little guy for quite a loop. Once I discovered the teeth, I gave him some Baby T (Tylenol) before his nap, and it seemed to work–he actually slept for about an hour and a half, by far the longest nap he’s had in several days.
[For those playing along at home, note that Henry has beaten Finn to the tooth-punch by a full month. Of course, I’m acutely aware of how ridiculous it is to suggest that this is a contest of any sort, or that the timing of these developments means anything. On the other hand, well played, Goonie. 🙂 –J.]

Henry has embarked upon his 12-week growth spurt with a vengeance, and he is taking me along as prisoner…figuratively shackled to his hungry mouth and growing little pot belly, slave to his wakefulness. We are on day 2 of innumerable and frequent feedings, and (I kid you not) exactly 37-minute naps. About four 37-minute naps per day so far. Ugh.
I’ve abandoned trying to do anything productive until we’re through this phase since I only get short breaks every couple hours. So far the good news is that his night sleep is still good so I do get a break then. And I happily admit that he is becoming much more animated and alert when he’s awake. His little hands are busy swatting at nearby objects, and his eyes sparkle when he starts cooing and making conversation with us.
I’m glad he’s a healthy little guy and is interested in being a more participative member of the family. I’ll just be glad when we’re back to decent napping so Mom-o can regain her grip on things!

We’ve been starting to settle into a little “bedtime” routine with Henry, even though bedtime ranges anywhere from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. depending on our little guy’s internal clock. Part of the routine is bathtime. We do Henry’s bath in the kitchen, using a little infant tub–he hasn’t yet graduated to the sink or real bathtub. That will come when he’s able to sit up. In the meantime, here is a little gallery (HTML) of pics from one of his recent baths. He seems to like them, as his post-suds smiles attest.
Oh–and there are a couple of pics of Henry and Dad-O enjoying Notre Dame’s victory over Michigan State yesterday afternoon.