Dandelions and the giant baby

Sometimes it takes a four-year-old to revive you from the coma-like state in which you wander through your busy, hectic day. Sometimes I'm really on auto pilot, and that's simply so I can accomplish everything I need to and to make sure all three Things have food, clothing, clean diapers, and oxygen. I'd like to smell the roses every single day, but I just don't have time. Or I don't make time.

Today as we were driving home from preschool, Peter looks at a large empty field we pass on our drive. It's completely jam packed full of dandelions and is bright yellow. There are literally thousands of them. Pete says "look at all those dandelions mommy . . . they cover that field like a blanket and are so beautiful". As a grass enthusiast who has been on my hands and knees more than I'd like lately yanking out those precious little yellow weeds from my own lawn, I was completely struck by his comment. Any child would think this perennial herbaceous plant is a beautiful, sunshine-y yellow flower, while any adult would consider it a complex weed. I decided to spend the rest of my day focusing on the hidden beauties I often miss as the minutes pass by into hours.

And I did promise an update on the giant baby, aka, Thing Three. She is a healthy, vibrant, pleasant four month old today. She tipped the scales at Dr. Cooper's office at 16 lbs 9 oz and is just over 24 inches long. So she is officially only a few ounces shy of Pete's weight at 12 months!! Impressive. I asked the ridiculous question "am I over-feeding her?" to which the doctor assured me that it is not possible to feed a breast-fed baby too much, that her weight will taper off soon and the rapid gaining will slow down. I follow the feed-on-demand philosophy so I feed Leah whenever she seems to want it, or I at least offer her a breast and let her decide. But she sleeps through the night, so it's not like she's nursing 24 hours a day or anything. So after the dandelions I decided to just sit back, relax, and enjoy my robust and chubby "giant" baby.

And relish in the satisfaction that, NO, she does not need to be expelled from her Peg Perego infant carrier car seat just yet (the seat's limit is up to 20 lbs, or 26 inches long, whichever comes first). That horrid switch from portable baby able to be taken anywhere asleep, to baby in convertible car seat from which you must wrench the little body from in earnest, trying not to wake up and disturb said baby. When the time comes I'm thinking of putting Pete or David into this Britax Frontier(which I learned from a fellow gardener is going to be available in Canada in June or July - WOWFANTASTICWOW) and having Leah move into the Alpha Omega.

But for now, another month or two of car seat freedom for me!!!