Georgia Aquarium

GG and Papa visited recently and prior to their arrival Little I told me that he wanted to go to the pool with GG and Papa. I told him that it was too cold out, so we'd have to go somewhere else, like the science museum, to which Little I responded, "Fish." I was amazed that he remembered the fish from the McWane Center. So, I thought it would be neat to show him the pictures of the fish from our visit on the computer. Then in looking for videos of fish online, I discovered the Georgia Aquarium's website with a live webcam of their 6.3 million gallon Ocean Voyager tank. Little I was hooked. He was especially interested in the sharks and stingrays, which he told me he wanted to "pat." I remembered there was a kids area at the aquarium that allowed kids to touch rays and little sand sharks, so I started talking it up. We even started a game: my arm is the shark that slowly comes to take a bite out of Little I; all the while I hum "Jaws" music; then Little I swats my hand and the arm-shark retreats with a yelp. (Repeat as necessary).

We went down to the museum on a friday, so it was not too busy, and met up with our cousin John Andrew and aunt Ellie. The entrance of the aquarium has two walls of fast-swimming tuna. When we stepped through the door, Little I saw the fish, hopped out of my arms, and was off like a shot to get a closer look at the fish. When we actually started on the Ocean Voyager exhibit, Little I pushed his way to the front of the crowd and pressed his face against the glass to watch the various fish, rays, and sharks.

Unfortunately, Little I had already been running on adrenaline, not sleep, and became overwhelmed before the end of the exhibit. While we got to see the Tropical Diver, we knew we were running short on time. We made a quick trip to the kids' area, the Georgia Explorer, only to discover that Little I was not very proficient at only using "two fingers" when trying to touch to rays, shrimp, etc. It is also hard for a toddler to remember not to put his hands in his mouth until after he gets to a sink...so we gathered our things, popped "Finding Nemo" into the van's dvd player, and said goodbye to the fish, to the sharks, and to the stingrays.

"I got smiles"

No, Mr. C didn't say that, he actually said, "I got gas..."! At two months Mr. C isn't just smiling when he has gas, however. He smiles and coos responsively to Mom E and me. Even big brother brings the smiles out from Mr. C. He loves his bouncy seat and, of course, ceiling fans. We're working on going to sleep without the bouncy seat and have hopes that Mr. C will soon decide to sleep through more of the night than just the first five hours. But with a face like this, we're in no position to complain.

"I got booger"

It was a revelation from Little I. He has boogers. We're learning a lot these days. We're learning our shapes, colors, numbers, and even letters. We're learning how to string words together, like the title of this entry. We recently took a trip to the McWane Science Center, where Little I was thrilled to see the fish, play with blocks that stuck to glass, pilot a rocket ship, watch a train, jump on a giant piano keyboard, put colored pegs in holes, and just generally run and explore. Here are a few pictures from the trip that show Little I having fun. My favorite word that Little I now says is "pentagon." Yes, he's advanced. Mom E's favorite word is still "kooker" (for cookie).

I'm Six Weeks Old!

Many of you have asked for updated pictures of Mr. C, so here are a few, including these where Mr. C is sporting a onesie made especially for him by his aunt Anne.

Thank You Friends and Family!

I wanted to just say thank you to all our friends and family who have helped us--and continue to help us--with the transition from one to two children. Obviously, the biggest help came from GG who spent three weeks with us, doing everything from cooking to cleaning to sewing to babysitting. We cannot thank you enough. Others have prayed for us, called us to make sure we're doing okay, visited us, and offered to bring food. These all raise our spirits and it has been a big help for Mom E to not have to worry about meals these first few weeks. I certainly don't mind sampling others' culinary talents at all!

Oh, and the picture above? That was taken after some friends brought over some Italian food, complete with Italian bread which Little I decided to abscond with. Mom E and I looked up and wondered where the bread went. And where was Little I? He was in the dining room munching on the end of the loaf!