Hot Time, Summer in the City

Milo and Nora still aren't eating much, but there isn't a whole lot we can do about that. They had half of their 6 month shots and spent the day after that vomiting. Then yesterday and today Nora has also been vomiting, and Milo has been unhappy, so they seem to have a bug. So much for weight gain; right now we just need to get through this. I've decided that I can't spend every day freaked out about how little they are eating. I can't make them eat when they don't want to eat.

Nora's sleep is getting a little bit better in the sense that she can once again put herself to sleep instead of being rocked to sleep. She is still waking at night but I've decided I need to slowly wean her off her night feeding before trying to do any sleep training. It seems a little harsh to just cut her off from eating at night all at once. This is probably my way of procrastinating. When I feed her earlier in the night (or a little less), she does eat much, much better in the morning. When she has a solid night feeding, or eats at 2 a.m. or later, she doesn't want to eat in the morning.

One time I took her in to bed with me to see if that could perhaps be a solution to this sleep stuff. I think Nora might sleep fine with us if she had to. She woke a lot, but went back to sleep very easily, probably because I was right there to give her a pacifier before she even fully woke up. The problem is that I didn't sleep a wink with her glommed on to me, stuck to my side like a barnacle, her little fist constantly reaching out and grabbing my hair, twisting it in her vice-like grip. Or, alternatively, she'd scrape her razor-sharp fingernails across my face, pinching my lips, hooking her thumb into my nose. I don't know if she slept better than she sleeps in her room with Milo, it's hard to tell.

Both babies have coughs.

Milo spent some time sitting up like a big boy in his booster seat this evening. They aren't sitting up on their own yet, but it's only a matter of time. Milo seemed to enjoy his booster seat experience.

It's summer, thank God. Summer means the scent of barbecue in the air when we walk through the neighborhood in the evening. Summer means watermelon and lemonade. Playing outside on the grass under the dappled shade of the maple tree. Jogging on the bike path through tufts of dandelion slowly drifting in the air.

Summer means lunch outdoors at the union terrace, watching the sailboats on the lake. Softball games every Wednesday evening at the park in front of our house. The sharp scent of freshly cut grass, the drone of a lawnmower in the distance, and fireflies lighting up in the yard at dusk. Summer means the low rumble of thunder in the distance, and the sweet relief of a rainstorm bringing the temperatures down for a while.

Here in the city, summer means humid days and warm nights. When we travel up north, summer is a different animal. It means walks through the shaded woods, long afternoons on the boat, cold dips in the lake, bonfires at night, and card games with cocktails. Summer means exciting nighttime boat rides, bundled up in our warmest clothes. This summer will bring a lot of firsts for Nora and Milo: first boat ride, first time playing in the water, first time playing with a dog, first long car trip, first time sleeping away from home.

Some day, we'll get to see their first time fishing with Grandpa, first ride in the speedboat with Uncle Ken, first time waterskiing, first night in a tent. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

No baby pictures this time because they're too sick and miserable, and we're too busy cleaning up soiled sheets to use the camera. Instead I'll post a picture that Jake recently took in our garden.