Life, Liberty and the Pursuit....

So tonight as he's settling down to go to sleep Liam says to me:
"Your not a very happy mom."
"Why not?"
"Well, when you have a baby your not very happy?"
"Why not?"
"Because you don't feel good when your having a baby."
"Well it's true it's hard to be cheerful when I don't feel good."
"What does cheerful mean?"
"Acting happy."
"Oh.  Yeah."

Today I took Liam to get his haircut.  We went to the barber shop - the place that gives lolipops AND has toys.  Although he didn't get to play with the toys because the barber didn't have any other customers when we got there.  I commented to the barber that I don't know why it always takes me so long to get in there, but I know why, really.  The actual haircut process is quick and painless and he does such a good job.  But Liam always smells like he got dropped in a vat of Old Spice afterwards and the smell persists for days in spite of any number of hair washes.  That smell does weird and not wonderful things to my nervous system.  It really bugs me.  But if I don't get an actual migraine I will put up with it considering the advantages I listed above.  But I will probably wait way too long before getting Liam in for the next haircut.

Also today we discovered that Liam's digestive system doesn't do so well with lots of fresh blueberries.  After a quick trip to the bathroom he told me he had "fast poop."  He was afraid that he had gotten my morning sickness and thought that maybe he shouldn't go to preschool.  Indeed, every time he ate anything he felt the need to sit on the pot, but he didn't actually poop right away - if at all.  Really seemed like more of an irritation than an actual virus.  So I sent him despite his reservations, mentioning to some of the student/teachers at his preschool that maybe he should just skip snack.  Reportedly the main teacher told him about the BRAT diet and since they were having toast today anyway he ad some of that and part of a banana and was fine.  Thankfully.

So after preschool we went for a walk in spite of a cold wind.  (What's known in these parts as a brisk breeze.)  Liam had been campaigning to go to the park when I picked him up, and when I offered playing on the back deck (with the sandbox) or going for a walk he was much more excited about the walk.  The sun felt great.  But that breeze really tripped us up.  Liam spotted the camera in my purse and wanted to take some pictures, but after a few he was ready to tuck his hands back into his sleeves and hunker back down in the wagon.

The sidewalk less taken.  With the wagon handle for perspective.  Can you see the flag on the front of the house?  If this were a crime show they could calculate wind speed and direction from the angle of the stripes.  Just saying.

After supper it was time for the first of the attempting-to-get-the-Old-Spice-out-of-his-hair showers.  He wanted to take a bath, but I told him a shower would be better because it would mean that those little hairs from the haircut wouldn't be floating around in the water and get back on him.  He laughed when he got into the tub because the water splashing from the shower tickled him.  Then the washcloth tickled him.  He said he wished he could stay under the shower water for his whole life because it kept him so warm.  I said I could understand that feeling.  Finally, he thought he looked hilarious wrapped up in his towel - "like a hotdog."  He had great fun imagining what his life would be like if he were actually a hotdog.  Or a food cook which means a cook entirely made out of food - in this case broccoli.  I don't know why.  asking was beyond me.  He concluded that a shower had turned out to be "much more enjoyable" than he had thought it would be.

So I guess we just have to find happiness and comfort where we can and put up with the hassles when they come.  This morning Liam got to put his hand on my belly and feel the baby moving for the first time.  He looked pretty blissful and said, "The baby's getting strong!"