A Date with My Boys

Evan had his 4 month well baby check-up today. (What, he's 5 months? Oops.) It went great; all the nurses oohed and ahhed over him, and our doctor said his physical development and the sounds he makes are very advanced for his age. I know it's probably part of their job description to fuss over the babies but it doesn't make it any less fun to hear! The shots were a bummer. It feels so mean because he has no idea what is happening or why people are hurting him. I've also been starting to freak out because of all the negative press about vaccines lately but the doctor reassured us that there have been many, many studies that have shown no correlation between the vaccines and autism or other serious side effects. It's scary that we are working so hard to keep these precious children safe but there are so many variables that are out of our control.

A friend offered to watch Ethan so I could run errands in (relative) peace but I wanted to bring him. I am truly enjoying his company these days. His language has taken off in the last few weeks. His sentences are perfect and he can think logically enough to really answer questions and carry on an actual conversation. He likes to act like animals. One day his friend was here and he kept roaring in her face. I told him she didn't like it and if he kept acting like a lion he would have to play by himself. He looked right at her and made another loud noise. I snapped at hin and he said "I'm an elephant!"

He barked like a puppy while we were at the doctor's office. Everyone played along, scratching his head and telling him what a cute doggie he was. He had to get some blood drawn and afterwards the doctor gave him a sticker. He stuck it in his mouth and started chewing! I fished most of it out and reminded him that stickers aren't food. "It's puppy food!" he protested.

All in all, we had a great day. We went out for Chinese before the appointment. Evan sat on my lap and chewed on a straw while Ethan consumed more than his body weight in lo mein noodles and veggies. "More broccoli, please," he kept requesting. (Whose kid is that?!) Between the two of us, we filled and cleaned five plates from the buffet. Evan watched longingly. He seems like he's really wishing for food these days but maybe it's just because he puts everything in his mouth. Both boys behaved perfectly and we lingered at the table for more than an hour. It may be a few years til I can go on another date with Matt but going out on the town with my little guys is pretty amazing, too!