Eight, etc.

Today is Ben and my eighth wedding anniversary. We had some friends over for dinner on Saturday night, and when I mentioned our anniversary our friend Alex said that it seemed like we'd been married a lot longer than eight years. Ben, of course, had a "witty" comeback to that statement. I think it seems longer because although we've only been married for eight years, we've been together for 13. That is a long time, I suppose.

We are not doing anything for our anniversary. I mean, it is on a Tuesday night and we have two small children. If I had my act together I would have planned something for this weekend, hired a babysitter, made a dinner reservation. I didn't do that. Maybe next year. Or for our tenth. I want to take a trip for our tenth. Maybe back to Hawaii, where we went for our honeymoon.

***

We may not do anything for our anniversary, but Ben always does a good job on Mother's Day. This year was no different. Cards, brunch, mimosas, and a pot of flowers that Clare helped him plant. It was a nice day. I didn't do any cooking or dishes. I did, however, change a very dirty diaper and my clothes shortly after this photo was taken. Well, no one said motherhood was glamorous. I wouldn't trade these two in for anything, though, even a day wear my clothes stay clean from beginning to end.

***

And now, just because it makes me happy, a video of Christopher. Clare is the only person who can make him laugh like this. And what, you might be wondering, was so hysterically funny? Well, Clare was crumpling up an index card. I bet you didn't know that was the height of comedy in the mind of a 7-month-old. Behold:

Seven Months

Baby's first ear infection plus teeth number five and six have given our smiley boy a few reasons to frown this month.  He is pretty tough, though, overall. The other day I got a bit of Christopher's neck flab caught in a zipper (I was horrified) and he only cried for about 10 seconds. Clare would have been distraught for hours.

He is still trying to crawl and is still working on sitting up. His balance has improved a lot since last month. He can now sit up on his own for long periods of time, and usually only falls when his sister topples him over. Again, he doesn't mind this much at all. I suppose he doesn't have too far to fall.

Oh, the best news from this month is that he finally FINALLY took a bottle. This is such a relief for me, because I can leave the house for longer periods of time without feeling guilty. Last weekend I had TWO social outings. It was amazing.

His face is getting more expressive, and he is looking more and more like Clare. He is just thrilled beyond belief when his daddy comes home from work. He grunts with excitement and kicks his legs. He does the same thing when he is about to nurse. 

He has started eating solid foods, all fruits and vegetables. He's liked everything, but his favorites so far seem to be green beans and mangoes. We suspect he has a dairy allergy, which his doctor said he will probably outgrow by the time he turns one. The worst thing about this alleged allergy, in my opinion, is that I have to quit my fairly hardcore dairy habit. Sob. I have to admit, though, that since I cut out it of my diet his eczema has improved considerably, and he is not spitting up nearly as much. I thought I would just eat goat cheese instead of cow's milk cheese, but I really just don't like it. I don't know why. I used to love it. For some reason, though, it just tastes like dirty soap. Sob, again. 

Dietary restrictions aside, I really like this age. Christopher is showing his personality. He is funny and loving. But he doesn't talk back, unlike some almost three-year-olds I could mention. I know it won't be long before he'll be just as verbal as his big sister. I'll enjoy his wordless chatter while it lasts.

Goofballs.

He was happy to sit in his booster chair.

Until he wasn't.

First bites of food - butternut squash. I think Clare made the exact same face.

Yum?