Hallie has been having a ball asking Gup to tell her stories. She kept him going, with very few breaks, the whole way to C’ville and back today. Gup grew up in Madison, WI but his family had a farm in nearby Middleton. So for every animal story Hallie requested–”Gup, do you have any [[insert animal, i.e. cow, pig, horse, squirrel, snake, skunk, etc.]] stories?”–Gup had at least one and often several to share.
I loved listening to Hallie soak up stories I remember hearing. Included in today’s session were tales about Gup’s friend getting scraped off the back of Gup’s horse, Eagle (formerly “Judy”), under a low branch; Gup trying so hard to leap onto the back of their Shetland pony that he went right on over and landed on his nose (not broken, but pretty painful); Gup’s collie Lassie pulling a wagon with “three generations of cats” in the neighborhood parade; the dramatic trek Gup’s cat Fluffy made to get herself home from another farm–12 miles back to Madison over the course of several months; the infamous Willie Platz getting bucked off the back of Gup’s horse and racing around saying “My butt hurts! My butt hurts!”; the neighbor who was always the first responder when nearby cows got loose and began roaming their Madison neighborhood; and many, many more.
Poor Gup was about to lose his voice before the trip was over. Hallie would ask as he ended each story, “Is that the end of that story?” [[brief pause]] “Do you have any stories about [[insert animal]]?” She’s a lucky girl to have a Gup who can keep up with her love of tales. I trust she’ll get to hear many of these over and over again. It probably won’t be long until she’s telling them herself!
We got to meet Wesley Neil Swanson today–on his actual birth day! Wes arrived at 12:22 am and weighed in at 8 lbs 1 oz.–exactly what his cousin Travis weighed and exactly what T’s cousin Davis weighed!
After 17 hours of labor and 2 hours of pushing with no drugs, Anna had to have a c-section. Wes’s head was too big (he’s definitely a Swanson!) and he was turned so that he wasn’t budging. Anna was an absolute trouper and it sounds like David was a great coach. I’m in awe of how well she did. And though they are exhausted, they are beyond thrilled to have their little guy with them.
Gum was there all day yesterday and well into the night before crashing at David and Anna’s house with Grant and Gruncle Naylor. Gup and the kids and I drove down this morning. The kids weren’t allowed in but Gup and I got to hold Wes and snap a few pictures. Wes has been completely conked and nothing seems to wake him. I remember nurses turning Travis upside down, stripping him, etc. They’re trying all the tricks with Wes. Hopefully by tomorrow he’ll perk up and get down to the business of nursing.
Wes arrived with low blood sugar and some fluid in his lungs (I think). One helping of formula, which he sucked from a bottle “like a Hoover” and a bit of time seem to have cleared up both issues. Anna’s already talked with the lactation consultant and I’m sure she’ll get good help through her now-extended hospital stay.
If they go home on Friday as they think they might, the kids and I will probably stop through C’ville on our way back to Raleigh. I know Mark will be jealous, but he’ll get a chance to meet his nephew soon enough. Hallie is soo excited about meeting Wes. She was a great sport about traveling all that way and not getting to see him. So I hope she can see him in a few days. Travis, who is likely to most enjoy having this new partner in crime, is pretty clueless. But he did enjoy playing in the waiting room and going “brrm brrm” about every car he saw drive by 8 floors below.
We thought this morning that today would be Wesley’s birthday. Anna and David checked into the UVA hospital some time around 8 or 9 am. It’s now 11:10 pm, and as far as we know, Wes is still not here. Gum and Grant Suzzanne and Gruncle Ralph are all in C’ville. Hallie and T and Gup and I are planning to drive down tomorrow morning, assuming Wesley makes his appearance by then. We can’t wait to meet you, Wes!
Hallie took a long nap yesterday afternoon. She didn’t complain at all about her normal bedtime, as I thought she might. But she didn’t fall asleep right away, either.
About 30 minutes after lights out, I could hear her singing away. I got the monitor and shared it with Gum and Gup. First we heard a nonsense song. Then we heard her count to 10 to the tune of Frere Jacques. Then we heard her do the same thing again–but this time in French!
We got a good chuckle, and I went back to getting ready for bed. I left the monitor on and had to pop out a few minutes later to tell my parents that now she was singing the names of all the colors–in Spanish. She kept up the songs, in one language or another, until I turned out my light at 10:30. That was a full 90 minutes after she was left in her room. Who knows how much longer she chattered on?
During Hallie’s outing with Gum yesterday the subject of opera came up. Hallie, whose main exposure to opera is a mention of it in her I’m a Little Teapot book, declared that she didn’t like it. Gum explained that opera is just singing everything you would say and that it’s really pretty neat.
Fastfoward to dinner this evening. While I got dinner ready, everyone else sang and danced in the den to a kids’ cable music station. Somehow, Gum decided it would be a good idea for us to have our own opera by singing (only singing) all the way through dinner.
The results, predictably, were hilarious and ridiculous and quite a lot of fun. Hallie got really into it and was very good at singing about her broccoli and tortellini and all sorts of other stuff. By the end, Travis was even getting into the act. Though his funniest contribution by far was his emphatic, “Yeah!” when Gum mentioned our singing was almost over.
The opera carried over to bathtime, where it became a water opera. Beforehand, Hallie went streaking naked around the upstairs, performing expressive arm movements and announcing the start of the water opera.
Singing all your conversation is rather exhausting, and I was rather relieved when it came to an end. I’ll bet Hallie has a much more positive impression of opera now. It’s too bad it’s so far removed from reality–or talent!
Hallie gave us quite a ride yesterday evening, but we’re none the wiser about how to avoid a repeat. She and Gum had an outing yesterday that ran into naptime. Gum kept checking with Hallie before each activity and Hallie would say she wanted to go. Before the last stop, which was to be a toystore no less, Hallie decided she was tired and wanted to head home for a nap.
Home they came, and she fell asleep around 3:30 or 4 after some chatter and other antics. I went to wake her around 6, and it took about 25 minutes to even get her to stir. She perked up, though, and seemed fine before dinner. While we were eating, Gum asked her to pass something to Gup. Hallie messed around and goofed off and wouldn’t do it. When I asked her to do it, she continued her show. I asked her to apologize to Gup for taking so long and she wouldn’t. When I stuck to my guns, what started as a minor incident turned into a full out fit. She kept saying she was “too tired” and couldn’t do what I asked.
Making a long story slightly shorter, Hallie spent a good while wailing in the den while we tried to eat. She finally calmed down and eventually mumbled “sorry” to Gup. Our battle over eating continued a bit longer, but by the time dinner was cleared she was back to normal. When I talked to her about it, she couldn’t tell me why she acted that way or how we could avoid it.
I’m not presenting the dynamics very well, but it was a cross between a power struggle and an exhausted girl who had backed herself into a corner. I kept trying to give her choices and ways to move on, but she wasn’t having any of it. I’m still not sure what I did right or wrong, and it’s frustrating not to have learned something from the experience.
Actually, I thought I’d learned something. We were determiend to avoid a repeat by getting her home for a nap this afternoon. We had a short museum visit and got her home in plenty of time. She spent her whole naptime popping out to ask when she could get up. I finally let her out, and she was delightful all afternoon and evening. Who knows what made the difference? All I could do was smack my forehead when I heard her cheerfully tell her daddy and her Great Great Uncle Doyle on the phone, “I just woke up from my nap!” I think she truly thought that some of the time she was still in the playhouse she was asleep.
Hallie’s favorite parts: Riding up and down the escalators, watching two minutes of a movie in a “theater”, and eating our brought-from-home snack in the food court.
Travis’s favorite parts: Pushing the stroller around, pushing buttons on the elevator, pushing the button on the water fountain, and checking out the construction equipment for an exhibit in progress.
Gup and I enjoyed our outing downtown today. As far as the kids were concerned, I think we could have gone to the local mall and they’d never have known the difference. Travis did do his airplane sign madly a few times. And Hallie liked the movies of the aircraft carriers in action. But overall I think they weren’t quite ready to appreciate what the museum offered. Next time we’ll give the Natural History museum a try and see if some of the animal exhibits are more engaging. Those were a hit with Hallie the last time around.
The kids and I are safe and sound in Virginia. It was a long trip, but they couldn’t have been any better. We chatted and sang and they played with toys. We even made it with only an hour of video time. Travis enjoyed the headphones for the first 20 minutes but then moved on to other things. Hallie watched her Noodlebug video and part of a Thomas one before getting bored and asking me to turn it off. That’s a first!
We broke up the trip with a stop in Charlottesville, where we had lunch with Aunt Anna and Uncle David and Gum and Wesley (sort of). Wesley should be making his appearance any day now, and not soon enough for Anna!
It took no time for Hallie and Travis to be right at home here. Travis was a little intimidated by Belle and Monty’s exuberant greeting, but within a day he’s barely paying attention to them.
We have a couple visits with my friends and their kids planned while we’re here. And I think we’re going to hit some DC museums on Sunday. I can’t imagine what Travis will think of the Air and Space Museum, given his love of airplanes.
If the weather cooperates tomorrow, we may hit a park or a playground. We’re really enjoying our time with Gum and Gup. Gum is determined that Travis won’t leave here until he’s saying “Gum” (or some version of it) himself.
More to come as our adventures continue.
I’m in Sydney, Australia on business until the end of the month. During a busy day conducting partner training, I got the chance to sneak out to phone home. Kelly was right in the middle of getting the kids settled for bed and was thrilled I called.
She wasn’t the only one thrilled, though, as Hallie and I had a nice long chat. After that it was Travis’s turn, during which he “told” me about his day.
Once Kelly was on the line I really got a special treat. She told me how Hallie was just beaming during our call, and how Travis did his little “happy dance” shuffle-step during his turn. Though I was calling from the other side of the world, I could picture both reactions as if I was there. I don’t think I stopped smiling the rest of the day!
I like to travel and build new business relationships but its hard being away from Kelly and the kids for so long. Phone calls like this one take me right back home, if only for a little while.
I’ve thought countless times over the last two months about what would have happened if I had a full-time job. I would literally have had to take off the better part of two months for one reason or another. I’ve had a freelance project going for the last month. It’s been challenging to get meet deadlines with sick kids (or sick self). But boy what a difference from having to take sick or hurt kids to day care or worrying about all the time I was missing at an office. I feel truly, truly lucky that I didn’t have to juggle that, too!
