You're never fully dressed...
The title of this post is my lame, Broadway musical attempt to link the two quick bits of news that I have to report:
1. The girls have basically outgrown all of their preemie and just-born clothes, and have moved into the realm of "Newborn" and 0-3 month fashions. Granted, some of them are still much too big, especially on Clio, who can often be found with both legs worming their way into one leg of her sleeper. But the Gerber Sleep-and-Plays that the girls have worn almost exclusively until now are stretched to the max. In a way this is exciting. (They're growing, they're actually growing!) At the same time, it's a little sad. Soon they'll cease to be little, curled up bundles of newborn, light enough to cradle in one arm, and become bonafide babies. And then toddlers. And next thing we know they'll be sneaking in after curfew chewing gum to hide the liquor on their breath just in case we're waiting up. I'm trying to savor these last newborn days even as I'm looking forward to the next phase of babyhood.
2. Elsa is starting to smile! At first we weren't sure...was it gas? Facial muscle experimentation? Our own wishful thinking? But now it seems quite certain. When she's in the mood -- usually right after a good feeding -- she will respond to persistent, maniacal grinning and cooing by an adult with a very cute little grin. Not every time, mind you. But enough. It's the bomb. Of course, now we find ourselves obsessing over the fact that Clio isn't smiling yet; in fact she's not really so great at the whole eye contact thing, instead sticking mainly to kewpie-doll style side glances and wandering surveys of the ceiling and walls. We've diagnosed her as autistic, blind, mentally challenged, perpetually stoned, etc., when in reality she's probably just a week or two behind her sister, and we have no reason to be worried.
Anyway, we're still down visiting A's parents, but when we're home, I'll post an Elsa smile captured on film this morning.
1. The girls have basically outgrown all of their preemie and just-born clothes, and have moved into the realm of "Newborn" and 0-3 month fashions. Granted, some of them are still much too big, especially on Clio, who can often be found with both legs worming their way into one leg of her sleeper. But the Gerber Sleep-and-Plays that the girls have worn almost exclusively until now are stretched to the max. In a way this is exciting. (They're growing, they're actually growing!) At the same time, it's a little sad. Soon they'll cease to be little, curled up bundles of newborn, light enough to cradle in one arm, and become bonafide babies. And then toddlers. And next thing we know they'll be sneaking in after curfew chewing gum to hide the liquor on their breath just in case we're waiting up. I'm trying to savor these last newborn days even as I'm looking forward to the next phase of babyhood.
2. Elsa is starting to smile! At first we weren't sure...was it gas? Facial muscle experimentation? Our own wishful thinking? But now it seems quite certain. When she's in the mood -- usually right after a good feeding -- she will respond to persistent, maniacal grinning and cooing by an adult with a very cute little grin. Not every time, mind you. But enough. It's the bomb. Of course, now we find ourselves obsessing over the fact that Clio isn't smiling yet; in fact she's not really so great at the whole eye contact thing, instead sticking mainly to kewpie-doll style side glances and wandering surveys of the ceiling and walls. We've diagnosed her as autistic, blind, mentally challenged, perpetually stoned, etc., when in reality she's probably just a week or two behind her sister, and we have no reason to be worried.
Anyway, we're still down visiting A's parents, but when we're home, I'll post an Elsa smile captured on film this morning.
posted by Jane at 12:43 PM
5 Comments:
I hope you're saving copies of your posts for the bambinos, so they can blackmail you for beer money when they're 17.
I first read "when WE come home chewing gum to hide the alcohol and THEY'RE waiting up".
hmmm. Nice image.
If baby farts aren't the answer to world peace, certainly those first baby smiles are...buster
I diagnose Clio as having ennui. Rather than an insensitivity to emotional subtleties of the world (a la autism), it is instead an acute sensitivity to others' suffering. Yes, she has detected that the Bush administration is still in office. She's a prodigy!
Fortunately, Elsa's natural ebullience will help distract Clio from said ennui and will thus prevent her from becoming a poet. (Just kidding, poets!)
This ends my diagnosis.
Jane-I have been reading your blog obsessively since about October. I am the mother of twin girls born on Dec. 28th too! When I got home from the hospital I was eager to check your blog to see if you had your girls yet and to my surprise you had them the same day and I was 2 wks. behind you. Anyway its been really fun following your posts since I can relate to nearly everything your experiencing. I am always laughing out loud, calling my husband in to read it too and have even cried when I found it wasn't only me.
Hi Anonymous -- thanks so much for reading, and congrats on the birth of your girls! It's cool to know there's another pair out there with the same birthday. Hope you're hanging in there and having fun, too.
SER -- I am confident in your diagnosis. Thank you. But does it mean Elsa's going to be a Republican? Dear Lord.
I remember when my kiddos stopped wearing their newborn and preemie sizes -- when they were first in them it was hard to imagine and suddenly they seem giant. I still haven't been able to give any of them away, though. At least there are more options for cute things in bigger sizes.
Those first smiles are so rewarding -- and so, so hard earned! My daughter was probably a week or two behind my son in eye contact and smiling, too, but now we can't stop her (even at 3:30 AM). I'm sure you're right that she'll catch up, and probably beat her sister to other milestones. Glad you are all well and thanks for the continued updates. Even though we're only a couple of months ahead, it's fun to be reminded of where we've been.
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