Hands Full

Now that May is here in beautiful, sunny force, I often take Finn and Gigi for a stroller ride to look for motorcycles and take a nap, respectively. Every time we pass someone on one of our walks, they inevitably say the same thing, "You've got your hands full!"  Sometimes it said in the shocked, disapproving tone of those who tell me to stop having children, because two is plenty and I've got my matching boy/girl set (I truly do not understand this reasoning.  "One of each! You're done!" Since when did children become collectible items?)  Other times, they have a congratulatory, "what a beautiful brood," sort of tone.  Most times, whether they've experienced it or not, people are a little surprised to remember that one person can handle two babies under two (never mind my friends who have three under three!).


The truth is that most of the time around here I do have my hands, both literally and metaphorically, full.  Cleaning is a grand production, rarely attempted on any but the smallest and most necessary scale (there's a reason I have a whole day of the week dedicated to laundry).  I feel rather accomplished when all three of us are clean, dressed, and fed before 11.  Baking has become a special occasion rather than a "happens too often for our waistlines" problem.  And, to make the adjustment to two children harder, Finn is on his third ear infection in less than three months.

 But having my hands full means I also have a life full in so many other ways.  My arms are not just full of laundry (okay, really full of diaper laundry), but also full with  a smiling baby or a cuddly toddler(or, on many occasions that make it difficult to navigate stairs, both). I have days full of meaningful, if repetitive, work (keep children alive is hard, man, not to mention clean and happy).  Our house often feels full of crying, funny smells, and crumbs, but, more importantly, the beginning of a life of happy memories of a loving, if crazy, family.

That's why I will try to keep my arms and heart open, now matter how full my hands seem, to the family God wants to give me, even if it seems overwhelming now.

And now another update on the trouble babies:

Genevieve, [aka Gigi, Muffin, Princess, Girly, Dolly, Cupcake, or Finn's creative nickname "Muffincakes" ] is coming up fast on three months. With a little bit of help from bulky  cloth diapers, she has outgrown her 0-3 month size clothes, which means Mama gets to pillage *ahem* buy the next size of darling dresses from Mom2Mom sales to her heart's content.  She smiles a lot now, especially at her favorite brother, who has mostly abandoned his attempts at sororicide. She's getting stronger and more alert every day, but continues to be mostly placid and happy.  She can definitely put away the milkies, though, and she's got the neck rolls to prove it.

Finn has continued to gain vocabulary exponentially every day and is starting to converse like a real, if silly and motorcycle-obssessed, human being.  He loves spending all his time outside or on the front porch, on the lookout for animals, like the elusive "munny rabbit" and birdies, and anything with an engine, including lawnmowers.  He's also started singing along to the songs he requests like "Baby 'luga" and "Happy 'day!."  (When Daddy sings in German, he just makes up syllables.)  He can climb our rickety swingset and go down the slide "self," which is, coincidentally, how he likes to do everything now.  He also loves to dance the "Pokey Pokey" on any and all occasions.  He really is becoming a help, albeit a slow and distracted one, with Gigi  and seems genuinely to love her. ("Poor Gigi,  missed you," he told her when we got back to my sister's house the other day.)  I can't believe my baby is the big brother now and so close to being two.

Today is: The Feast of St.Victor Maurus, the day before Ascension Thursday
Mama is Reading: Freddy and Fredericka by Mark Helprin (Why did no one tell me how hilarious this book is?) and The New Collected Poems of Wendell Berry  [We can walk to the library now!] 
Finn is: almost 22 months old

 Gigi is: 11 weeks old