Nosy Neighbour

Meet Merlin--eventually, everyone does. Merlin is the very friendly, and bratty, black cat from next door who prowls the yards via a network of hedges with regular stops at our front window (and occassionally, the back patio) in an attempt to woo our irresistable tortie Maggie (Minnie, the protective big sister, is usually parked nearby to make sure he doesn't get too close).


Today, the boys got a front row introduction as, while propped up to take in all the action outside (it was a nice day and the street was teeming with cellphone-and-Starbucks-equipped humanity, but none of them remotely interested in the real estate for sale), Merlin popped up to demonstrate enhancements to his usual head-butt-and-strut routine, which never fails to attract Maggie's attention.


But when I stepped out to take a photo, he dashed off...not that he's afraid of me--Merlin has scaled me like I was a tree trunk on several occassions.











The show over, the boys must've felt leaning up on the furniture was too much like exercise, and cried to be put back in their chairs. Maggie and Minnie retreated to the back windows to eyeball the steady stream of finches, pigeons, squirrels, and neighbourhood strays that make our place an ideal location for the next "Dr. Doolittle"....

They Now Weigh More Than The Cats!

Another checkup with Dr. P this morning--she was pleased to find the dynamic duo in good spirits and officially cured of their pesky colds.

The weather improving, we didn't have to navigate the heap of winter boots that usually blocks the doorway into the waiting room, and the earlier hour allowed us to beat the rush that by 10 am had filled every seat and was snaking down the hall.

First, the weigh-in: Nathaniel is now 11 pounds, 9 oz, with Carter just a little behind as expected at 11 pounds, 7 oz. Yes, we've already decided to start investing in some larger sizes...

Unfortunately for them--and us--it was also time for another round of RSV shots (that's Respiratory Syncytial Virus--with all this newly accrued medical knowledge I feel like I can start writing episodes of "House"), which made them irritable for the rest of the day.

And it's amazing to realize that this coming week is the first since the boys were delivered in which we've got a five-day stretch without a single appointment or visitor...except for Merlin, of course...

...which brings me to--

Floats Like A Butterfly...

For a fellow who's only recently mastered the art of propping his own head up, Carter seems awfully impressed with his physical prowess today, and seems to be challenging his brother to an arm wrestle. Nathaniel takes the diplomatic route and chooses to simply ignore him, which is not easy to do at such cramped quarters. Truth is, I'm not sure who would win--they're both powerful lefties, and I wouldn't bet my money against Nathaniel's one pound advantage over Carter...

Stridor--ever heard of it? Me neither, but the Wiki defines it as the high-pitched sound heard when a child breaths in, signifying an obstruction or narrowing in his upper airway. No doubt our knowledge of the medical lexicon will greatly expand as the boys grow up and develop who-knows-what...

For most of the week, Nathaniel and Carter have been exhibiting the odd cough--nothing steady, but definitely causing them (and us!) some grief, esp. at night. Nathaniel's cough was more persistent, and much more severe than that of his brother's. After a restless Tuesday night, in which he had difficulty sleeping, we arranged a last-minute appointment with Dr. Papadouris Wednesday afternoon...

Upon examination, she concluded that it was simply a mild cold for each of them, but in Nathaniel's instance, the fact that his cough disappeared entirely when he was laying on his stomach and was present only when on his back had her suspect the ailment listed above. She scheduled an X-ray for Nathaniel at Sick Kids for the next morning to make sure there was nothing physically wrong with his breathing passage.

So Thursday morning, Lidia and Nathaniel went through with the x-ray and within an hour, Dr. P called us with the results. A major relief: no physical problem was detected, so it's purely a viral situation. She advised that if Nathaniel's cough didn't subside over the day, that she'd give him a mild steroid to help ease his difficult breathing (given that DS children have somewhat weaker muscle tone and might need a bit of boost).

Although his evening bath seemed to clear up what remained of his congestion, overnight Nathaniel's breathing once again became laboured so in the morning, Lidia took him back to Dr. P's office for the steroid prescription--their second frenzied trek through Toronto morning traffic in a row. It was worth it, though--the single shot of dexamethasone cleared it all up in about six hours, and in the days since then, Nathaniel has exhibited nary a hiccup or sniffle...

On the other hand, I've been mainlining Neo Citrin since Thursday and have only succeeded in doping myself up into a permanent waking coma. Wonder if I can convincingly forge Dr. P's signature to get a shot of that steroid for myself...?

Spending our way out of the recession, one head-hugger at a time...

At our last visit to expert paediatrician Dr. Papadouris she suggested we get head support pillows for the boys to try and re-shape their heads, which are a little off-centre due to the "Back to Sleep" philosophy -- laying our little dudes on their backs to help lessen the chances of SIDS but in the process reshaping their soft little noggins. So I combined a visit to Nonna's with a shopping trip to the local mall, a monster called Square One, which has a Wal-Mart (my preferred baby stuff supplier of the moment).

With a little patience we got the car seats in the Snap 'N Go and strolled past many shops, the boys sleepily oblivious to the rampant consumerism around them. That is, until we arrived at the mecca of recession spending. I managed to steer through the Wal-Mart with the boys still blissfully unaware of the swarm of activity around them... until we reached the checkout. Then Carter woke up, looked around, scrunched up his face and promptly started crying. To which, I thought, well, isn't that how everyone feels when they're in a checkout line at Wal-Mart?

Nonna decided the best course of action was to minimize the trauma and take them outside to wait for me to pay up. After that we headed home as Nonna was a bit tired, and we had a very nice visit with neighbor Norma, her daughter Nancy and grandson Ethan, who was fascinated while I fed Nathaniel. As much as going shopping can be a total pain, I'm glad the weather is finally nice enough for us to see the big wide world around us.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

There's an old saying that says "if nothing is going well, call your grandmother". That's a philosophy I've long believed,but there's another old proverb that says the reason grandparents and their grandchildren get along so well is because they have a common enemy. Hey, what'd I do?

Anyway, Grandma celebrates a birthday today and the boys are sending a hearty greeting all the way up north to the Ottawa Valley, which they plan to visit soon, now that the weather has finally turned for the better. In the meantime, we've got Easter weekend penciled in as a long-overdue reunion...

Happy Birthday, Aunt Wendy!

You're only a few years away from cool birthday cards made from construction paper and the finest Crayola (and the boys can use whatever they want, too!)...

Towel Off And Take Five

"Tummy time" is tough work when you're only ten pounds--heck, by my rough calculation, half of that's probably your head alone! And it's the raising/lowering/turning of said noggin that's one of the key "gross motor skill" exercises prescribed to Nathaniel by Joey. But that doesn't let Carter off the hook--despite his protests...

Here's a shot of the dynamic duo after a particularly arduous session...next up: the yoga ball (photos to come)...

Good Luck, Joey

A bittersweet day, one that marked Joey's last visit. He's off to explore another avenue of his career--providing physio services to the aged, but doesn't rule out working with children again. He and Nathaniel forged an immediate and wonderful rapport and whomever takes over his position will have considerable shoes to fill. Of course, Nathaniel gets along with everybody, but I'll be sure to keep photos and videos well-preserved so one day we can show him one of the many people who was so important early in his life...

Happy Wanderers

Today at around 1pm--following Joey's final visit--the boys were wide awake, the sun was shining, the cruel wind chill all but non-existent, and their father was hopped up on caffeine and in no great hurry to return to his duties in the television trenches--so what better excuse for the dynamic duo to make their long-overdue neighbourhood debut?


It was a decidedly low-key affair--why invite any more pandemonium into the already turbulent mean streets of downtown Toronto?







Saddling up in the trusty Snap-And-Go with Lidia as their pilot and navigator, the boys snoozed for the entirety of the tour, which took them along a gloriously balmy King Street West...

...past their old man's workplace...(from where he was taking an extended lunch...shhhhhh...)


...but not without attracting a number of admiring passers-by (this would occur at about every intersection)...this fellow-new-mom didn't take me up on my offer to have a drag (she might have misunderstood that I was referring to a race ala "Rebel Without A Cause", and not the sensitive issue of public smoking)...


...then north on Bathurst, past the ultra-cool toy store (where their father has already dropped some serious coin)...


...and around the corner onto fashionable Queen Street West, where I picked up a quickie Pizza Pizza combo for lunch (and took advantage of the stroller's handy storage compartment)...


...where traffic was surprisingly easy to navigate...(but over time, the damage done to our wheels from the streetcar tracks will likely inspire a lawsuit--boys, your college is paid for!)




...the boys will know cool shops like The Magic Pony collectibles store and gallery soon enough...

After a brief stop at the ATM (and no less than three additional admirers!), it was time to return to the comparatively bucolic quiet of Adelaide Street....


Enjoy the sweet ride, boyos--it doesn't get any better than this!

Matching Set...

Here's Lookin' At You (kids)...

No news to report today--but that's no excuse not to post more pics of the boys! Enjoy, everyone!

Gas, Food, Lodging...

I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to mutter some soppy, time-worn homily like "they grow up this fast"...but the truth is, they do...


Today was a banner day for the boys in more ways than one: for those keeping score, 11:15 am marked the end of dynamic duo's official third month on the face of this earth. Seems like only yesterday they came into the world crying, kicking, and peeing---and well, I suppose nothing much has changed in either of those departments, really...

But they are growing--both Carter and Nathaniel have surpassed the ten-pound mark (more than doubling their birth weights!) and as a result their once cozy co-sleeper has become as crowded as a Tokyo subway car during rush hour.

Today, Lidia decided to give each of them a "test nap" in their cribs, which have sat largely vacant since I first slapped them together in a panic the week they were born, and have served largely as new hiding spots for Minnie and Maggie. When I got home from work, Carter was snoozing contentedly under his jungle animal mobile, and Nathaniel was wide-eyed and excited by the hovering characters from A.A. Milne's classic Pooh (of course, they're both too young to properly appreciate the "Batman: Animated Series" cel and storyboards and Alex Ross-autographed issue of "X-Men #500" I've got framed over their cribs).

By late-evening though, after some tummy time on the jungle playset, they were restless and crying out for their familiar roost--and that's perfectly fine by me...there's plenty of time for everything...no need to rush...

Dedicated Followers Of Fashion

Carter and Nathaniel ventured outside of their humble downtown abode to visit their Nonna in Mississauga today, requiring a change from their usual vestments into something more appropriate for public display (not to mention current weather conditions, which range from the merely "chilly" to "sub-Arctic"). The boys have a jam-packed wardrobe, thanks to the generosity of family and friends, and now that they're steadily gaining weight, they actually can fit into most of it!