This is what I call The Late Night Crew. From the left, going clockwise: Big Pillow, Sheep, Bear, Pig, Cupcake Pillow, and their fearless leader, Adeline. This crew might go to bed at 7:00 PM, but they’ve been known to stay up singing and chatting until 9:00 PM. This toddler and her “aninals” or “babies” can grind out an all-nighter with the best of them, as long as she’s had her energy drink (apple juice) and an after-dinner snack, “walwinds” (almonds).
So, how did an afternoon of drawing pictures with Papa’s favorite pen go from this:
To terrible in just moments? Well, after I took the picture above, I decided that we should put Adeline in a play (read: stained, one-size too small, about to be thrown out) shirt. So, I changed her shirt and started to unload the dishwasher while she ran in circles in the dining room. I looked out as she spun, tripped, and hit her face on her step-stool. I knew instantly that it was an E.R. visit sort of hit. Sure enough, when she looked up at me, stunned and crying, her mouth was bleeding profusely, both inside and out. Thinking that she put her tooth through her lip, we quickly gathered supplies (diaper bag, insurance card, a coat for her, and a paper towel to catch streams of blood), screaming Adeline, and headed out the door to the Oconomowoc Emergency Room.
Part-way there, Adeline stopped screaming and bleeding (as much), started signing ‘tree’, and said “Uh, Oh!” When we got to the E.R. she was pleasant, answered all the questions the receptionist asked with “No.”, promptly screamed when she saw a nurse in blue scrubs (like the nurses who give shots at her doctor’s office wear), and proceeded to be calmed with not one, not two, but three Dora the Explorer stickers. We were called back very quickly, the nurse was kind as she checked Adeline’s vitals, and the nurse practitioner, Stephanie, was in the room in no time. Adeline played, ran, signed, talked and schmoozed the nurses as Stephanie told us that stitches were inevitable. Luckily, the tooth had not gone through her lip, but she did have a large gash across the lip. If we left it to heal on its own, it would probably do so improperly and she would have a large scar for the rest of her life. So, stitches it was.
Have you ever seen a toddler get stitches? It’s not pretty…at all. While the nurses gathered the papoose, Adeline jumped and played. I swept her in my arms and said, “I’m so sorry, Love. Are you ready?” She replied, “Doh!” So, doh we did. I laid her down , they swaddled her in the papoose (with industrial strength Velcro, I might add), she screamed. Stephanie injected a numbing agent into Adeline’s lip, and then, pop! Out came Adeline’s hand. No joke. This kid is a fighter, I’m telling you. She hit the syringe, knocking it loose in Stephanie’s hand. Luckily, enough of the agent went in, they readjusted Liners, and proceeded to stitch, well, try to stitch. Adeline is a wiggler- always has been. She did barrel rolls in my tummy for hours on end when I was pregnant and is an accomplished crib traveler when she sleeps. The very first time I changed her diaper, hours after birth, she tried to lift her head up and has done it every diaper change since. She doesn’t hold still, and that papoose was a nightmare for her.
So, she bit the nurse practitioner, sucked in her lip so it was impossible to stitch, and thrashed her head from side to side despite the grown woman holding her down. Can you hear the pride in my tone? My girl is strong! We’ll work on submission later.
Finally Papa held her head and chanted liturgical tones into her little ear while she received two stitches. Me? I cried and begged the prayers of every saint I’ve ever heard of. About the time I ran out of potential intercessors, the Velcro was peeled off of that sweaty, little angel, and the recovery began. An orange popsicle from the nurses, chocolate custard from Culvers, and a few french fries later (I swear we don’t let her eat like this…ever!) and the girl was as good as new…in spirit. Not so much physically.
She looks how I felt.
After this photo was snapped we cleaned her up, did her alphabet puzzle, and whisked her up to bath and bedtime. She went down without a fight, and with Baby Orajel for her incoming tooth, Tylenol for the pain, triple antibiotic ointment for the wound, and one stuffed pig for comfort. What a girl.
Now, because I’m not one for shock value, and I have a pretty weak stomach, I’ve saved the close-up for the end. Fair warning- it’s below.
– Adeline used to prefer showers, but lately she loves taking baths. Maybe a bit too much. Early this week I was running her bath and she was standing next to me (she had already finished throwing her bath toys in one by one). The next thing I know, I feel her pushing on my arm. I looked over and found that she had over-zealously climbed into the bathtub with her dress and tights on. She was mad we made her get out and disrobe.
– Adeline learned this week to (sort of intelligibly) say, “Good day!” while nodding at the person she is saying it to.
– I also figured out this week how to get her to eat a sandwich with meat on it. I use a duck cookie-cutter to cut out the sandwich. Works like a charm. However, she now asks for a sandwich by saying, “Duck!”
– We had an awesome “Just Girls” day today while Papa heads to Nashville – shopping, lunch, and playing in the ginormous playhouse in the living room. In order to not feel jealous of Matthew, though, we’re referring to Nashotah as Nashvegas for the weekend.
Mama and Toupee-wearing Adeline
Do you do stuff like this at your house, too?
Also, if you remember the scary incident Matthew was involved in, I’ve got a bit of an update. It seems there’s been a string of Gamestop robberies in and around Milwaukee. It seems that in many of the incidents, the robber has been making people get down on the ground while he robbed the clerks at gunpoint. That didn’t happen in the robbery Matthew was in. Last night there was another Gamestop robbery. This time the police pursued the robber, cornered him, and then he opened fire on them. Ultimately he was shot and killed. Police believe he was the same person involved in the robbery Matthew was at. Here’s a link to an article about the crimes.
The Scene: Bath-time at the Moore’s.
Papa (practicing for the future): “Adeline, are you doing drugs?”
Adeline: “No.”
Papa: “Are you a drug mule?” (Not sure where this came from…)
Adeline: “No.”
Papa: “Do you run with a motorcycle gang?”
Adeline: “No.”
Papa: “What about an outlaw motorcycle gang?”
Adeline: Pause… (Explanatorily) “Manash a toopa dash…
Good thing he asked.
– This week Adeline has attached herself to her baby doll and can now say “baby” instead of “deba”.
– She can repeat each letter in the alphabet after you say them very clearly to her.
– We made pudding finger paints on Thursday. She had a blast!
– Matthew received blessing from His Eminence to attend Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in the fall!
– Today Adeline and I went to The Children’s Play Gallery, then Papa took us out for dinner. It was a wonderful day!
When we’re bored in the Moore household (well, when Adeline is bored), we dance. Pandora’s toddler radio, XM radio, or iPod comes out and we dance, dance, dance. Well, friends, I’m tired of dancing! Sit down, then, you say? Alas, I cannot. Adeline will pull, push, and try to stand me up. A dance party is not complete unless you have a partner.
That being said, I’m looking for good, creative ideas for things to do with a rather rambunctious, smart eighteen-month old. Resources, ideas, whatever, I’d love to hear what you do or have done. This weather stinks and our attitudes are heading that direction, too.
This is what happens when "we're" bored.
So, what do you all do to keep your sanity in these winter months?
I am an Orthodox Christian, wife of Matthew, and mama of Adeline. I love the Church, my family, reading, writing, sewing, knitting, and telling you about all of it.
Tracks by Louise Erdrich
Whither Shall I go? 