More Jo Moments

1.
Daddy: "You look so pretty today, Josephine."
Josephine: "I AM."

2.
Josephine: "Girls like pink. Boys like blue. Girls don't like blue. I like pink. I girl."
Despite this dissertation on gender and color, she recently renamed her baby doll - the one in the pink dress, formerly Betsy - Baby Sam, also sometimes called Princess Sam. I guess exceptions can be made...

3.
Josephine, pointing out the car window to the woods along the highway: "No wild things, no."
Mom: "Wild things? What are you saying?"
Jo: "No wild things in there, no."
"Oh, like the book? Right, no wild things in there. But there are raccoons - "
Jo: "And hippos."

4. It's hard to keep track of all the new words and concepts that are spilling out with increasing ferocity everyday, but one of my latest favorites is "I decorating!" Seems like just yesterday we were thrilled with two syllable words! ha!

5. Holding a pink paper butterfly: "This is angel-caterpillar, mommy. Angel-caterpillar flying. Is sharp!"

Baby Sam Interrupts Jo's Blog!!!

Welcome to New Baby Sam - some random Jo moments

i just love this.

These are out of order - just a few favorites from the last few days. Josephine helping Daddy change Sam's diaper - a good wipe supplier!

She was wary at first, but then, she always is in new situations.

Family portrait! Where everyone is gorgeous, and I look like a bloated schoolmarm toad. hee. Seriously, though: Josephine is gorgeous, no?
I love this expression. She became so tender and sweet toward Our Baby.
Bonding with Daddy.
In new Big Sister shirt.
Proud and drowsy mother.

Getting my hair done in the hospital bed.

Suddenly, having the tiny Sam around, Jo seems HUGE and amazingly articulate. Sam and I have been home for a couple days now, and I'm so glad to be here. It was hard being away, even though I loved the room service. Great to be back for moments like these:

1. I said, "Josephine went boom!" and she said, "I SLIDE, actually."

2. Woke up this morning to Sean asking frantically, "Josephine, where is the poo? Where is it?" Apparently, while diaperless, the dirty deed was done - traces of, but not the actual evidence to be found...

3. "I Santa - big Santa. Bring present for me: hairbrush. For Sam: bottle. For Billy: bone. For dad-dad (grandad): toy."

4. "Where's Our Baby? Drinking his milk. Mouse baby. Baby funny. I love Our Baby."

She is definitely ready for Sam to play... his funny faces and noises make her laugh, and she's fascinated with his nursing, and she's been helping Daddy cook and wash dishes, and she loves to pet Sam's head (I do, too - it's the softest thing ever)... and even though I sense there are moments of emotional frustration - "I mad!" she told us today - the fact that she's been able to talk and she's been patient while I feed him and can't play as hard as I used to - well, she's been really tolerant. We're so, so proud of her. It's a time of transition, and as my friend told me today, "all change involves loss - even good change." So far, we've all had our emotional moments, but we're all so happy Sam is here.

5. Jo had me draw pictures of the family. "Draw Daddy. Draw Mommy. Draw Jo. Draw Sam." Seeing that Billy, our dog, wasn't being included - he usually is, though no doubt his ranking has slipped another notch with the addition of Sam - Sean asked, "Who else, Jo? Who's missing from the picture?" Silence. More prompting: "Who is in this room but not in the picture? Who isn't here?" Another pause. Then, with conviction: "Rug. Draw rug."

Poor Billy.

Superbowl + Toddler= a crazy night

1. We start off peacefully, eating snacks. The commercials are not so great - and some of them are kind of violent. Mommy gets sick from eating too much.

2. Second quarter: Jo gets in trouble. She's hyper and won't listen. She's removed her diaper and is running around the house. The team takes a time out. Josephine: "I time out in my bedroom."

Halftime show: Daddy dances to Tom Petty. Josephine cuts and rips bits of paper all over the living room.

3. Third quarter: She's been feeding, diapering, and occasionally beating up her baby doll all day. She and the baby "climb climb" the couch and "slide slide" down together, again and again. "Baby little. I big," she tells me. At first she refuses to help clean up the mess, but after some the threat of no books at bedtime and some tickles, she's very helpful. She even asks for a paper towel so she can clean up spilt water. During some crucial parts of the game, instead of glued to the set I am engaged in a tea party. Jo loves serving "hot tea" like her Daddy drinks.

4. The Giants score the game-winning touchdown. Sean and I are on our feet, cheering and clapping. Josephine is yelling: Look at me! Mommy, I did it! As she sumersaults over and over. We cheer for her, too.

Post-game celebration: Josephine treats us to a "ballet" performance - only it is the strangest, funniest thing I've ever seen - if you've ever seen the Elaine Dance on Seinfeld - kind of like that, mixed in with some running in place "She's a Maniac"and "round and around, boom" - Sean and I both laughing so hard we have tears coming out of our eyes - trying to hide it, of course, - am still giggling - it is awesome.

It was a really good Superbowl - a scrappy contest that came down to the last few minutes - and the dominant Patriots lost to the underdogs - but the whole thing was really a sideshow to the Josephine Extravaganza, which is exhausting, frustrating, comical, and beautiful - and better than any sport, because everyone wins.