Minnesota Visit

Ever since he was a baby, Ollie has been talking himself to sleep at naptime and bedtime. It's so funny to listen to him. At a recent nap, this is what he was drowsily chanting as he fell asleep: "Snack, snack, snacks.

I love snacks.

Snack, snack, snacks.

But Daddy telled me

I couldn't buy any snacks."

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Indie is now doing a pretty good job of talking (not quite like Ollie at a year old...but definitely holding his own!). It's miraculous to see/hear babies accomplish all of these new skills no matter when they occur! Indie's favorite words include: Waz that, this (which is used for anything he wants), Mama, Dada, nana (banana), he also has an interesting sound that we think refers to Ollie...sort of a squealed Ahheeee, duck, quack quack, bye bye, jhaboo (we have no idea what this means...but it is used A LOT, da (means head), nigh nigh (night night), beep beep, babeh (baby), ah done (all done), cup, and peekaboo.

Back home in North Carolina.

Eight Month Old Indie Leif

Ollie continues to invent new ways of making bedtime last as long as possible. His latest? On the rare evening that both of his parents are home for bedtime, his daddy will usually be the first to tuck him in. When I go up to say good night a few minutes later, Ollie will inevitably say, "Daddy didn't pray with me," meaning...he and I need to say prayers together. Of course, he and his daddy did say prayers together; he just wants to stay up later. This is the first time I can remember that Ollie has intentionally said something to mislead one of us. He is normally painfully honest. (For example, if we catch him doing something he's not supposed to be doing and ask, "Ollie, what are you doing?" Instead of saying, "Nothing," or telling us something that is untrue, he always tells us exactly what he was up to...even though he knows we will make him stop once he tells us.) Anyway, I've never heard of a kid fibbing so that he could pray more!

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Speaking of prayers, Ollie's had some pretty funny ones lately. Here's one: "Dear God, (random, made up Ollie noises that sound like a cassette tape in fast forward)." I interrupt to ask him to please translate into words that I, too, might understand. He continues, "I said I was thankful for you, Mama. And...Dear God, Thank you for my family. Please love us. We love our house, but I miss our old house. We're going back there someday, but I can't bring my bed because there's not enough room, and I can't bring the ceiling fan or the ceiling or the dvd player cord or all of our outlet covers. Amen."

Indie loves to nuzzle anything soft.

A trip to the aquarium.

Daddy and Ollie ride the carousel. Ollie was sooo excited! Indie was excited, too.