Monday, February 18, 2008
The Creative Art of Parenting. Or, "How many adults does it take to soak a toe?"
Doctor's orders: soak Caleb's foot 3x a day in order to help get rid of an infection on his big toe.
Leah's orders: Jonathan, please soak Caleb's toe while I eat a second dinner.
The following pictures show the event that ensued: first Jonathan tried to hold Caleb's foot in the container of warm water by himself, but of course Caleb decided to resist. So he asked our friend Margarita, who was over for dinner, to help him. She held the container while Jonathan attempted (with BOTH hands) to keep the 2 inch foot under water. After a few minutes I could tell Jonathan was getting frustrated because he yelled out, "The only part of his foot that won't stay under water is THAT TOE!" He re-gripped Caleb's foot so that he could use his pointer finger to keep his big toe under the water, and all was good for about 3 seconds. Then, Caleb started to cry. (He couldn't have had better timing if I'd paid him!) Jonathan wanted me to get the pacifier, but I was too busy snapping pictures and laughing hysterically to be of any use so I told him to get creative. In order to keep the squirmy 2 month-old from falling he had to reach around and put the palm of his hand on Caleb's forehead, and his pinky finger in his mouth. Finally, Caleb was calm. The doctor said to soak his toe for 20 minutes at a time, but I think we were all satisfied with the 43 seconds we got. There's always next time...
Leah's orders: Jonathan, please soak Caleb's toe while I eat a second dinner.
The following pictures show the event that ensued: first Jonathan tried to hold Caleb's foot in the container of warm water by himself, but of course Caleb decided to resist. So he asked our friend Margarita, who was over for dinner, to help him. She held the container while Jonathan attempted (with BOTH hands) to keep the 2 inch foot under water. After a few minutes I could tell Jonathan was getting frustrated because he yelled out, "The only part of his foot that won't stay under water is THAT TOE!" He re-gripped Caleb's foot so that he could use his pointer finger to keep his big toe under the water, and all was good for about 3 seconds. Then, Caleb started to cry. (He couldn't have had better timing if I'd paid him!) Jonathan wanted me to get the pacifier, but I was too busy snapping pictures and laughing hysterically to be of any use so I told him to get creative. In order to keep the squirmy 2 month-old from falling he had to reach around and put the palm of his hand on Caleb's forehead, and his pinky finger in his mouth. Finally, Caleb was calm. The doctor said to soak his toe for 20 minutes at a time, but I think we were all satisfied with the 43 seconds we got. There's always next time...
The Genius Machine
My momma bought Caleb a play mat, which is a brightly colored blanket with 2 semicircles that arch over it. Attached to the semicircles are toys that crinkle, rattle, snap, crackle, & pop. There's also a mirror and a smiley-faced sun that plays classical music. If you are completely confused at this odd sounding mat you can skip the awkward description and look right at the pictures below to get a better sense of what it is.
Anyway, Jonathan calls it The Genius Machine because, as he so eloquently stated, "He just LOOKS like he's learning!" (That's actually the PG version of what he said, but this is a family friendly blog so PG is all you get.) When we put him down on the mat he stares at the toys and waves his little arms and legs. And while most people would think he is saying "Eh! Eh!," Jonathan and I knowingly translate that into: "Mother! Father! What an exquisite contraption this is. I feel smarter by the minute!"
Yesterday morning Jonathan put Caleb in The Genius Machine, uncurled his fist, and attached his plump fingers to one of the rattles. After Jonathan let go the fist stayed there! I of course jumped up to grab my phone and desperately started taking pictures before he let go. 20 seconds and 10 pictures later he was still holding on so I ran for the regular camera. Another 20 seconds later he was STILL attached to the rattle! He ultimately held on for about 2 minutes, at which point he started to fuss (complete with the rattle in his hand), as if to say, "Hey! How do I get my hand off this thing?" What a peanut he is.
Anyway, Jonathan calls it The Genius Machine because, as he so eloquently stated, "He just LOOKS like he's learning!" (That's actually the PG version of what he said, but this is a family friendly blog so PG is all you get.) When we put him down on the mat he stares at the toys and waves his little arms and legs. And while most people would think he is saying "Eh! Eh!," Jonathan and I knowingly translate that into: "Mother! Father! What an exquisite contraption this is. I feel smarter by the minute!"
Yesterday morning Jonathan put Caleb in The Genius Machine, uncurled his fist, and attached his plump fingers to one of the rattles. After Jonathan let go the fist stayed there! I of course jumped up to grab my phone and desperately started taking pictures before he let go. 20 seconds and 10 pictures later he was still holding on so I ran for the regular camera. Another 20 seconds later he was STILL attached to the rattle! He ultimately held on for about 2 minutes, at which point he started to fuss (complete with the rattle in his hand), as if to say, "Hey! How do I get my hand off this thing?" What a peanut he is.
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