Grandemonium

"Pandemonium" takes on a whole new meaning when grandparents are involved. Last weekend in Iowa, both of Finn's grandmas were around when we were bathing him and getting him ready to go out for supper, and pandemonium ensued. There was excitement over fat baby legs, his undeniable level of adorableness, cute baby clothes...the list goes on. Finn drank it up. We did a lot of eye rolling. Then, Jason pronounced it "Gran-demonium," or the chaos that surrounds multiple grandparents when near a grandchild.

Her Day's Coming

Addy's desire for attention is now greater than her annoyance with Finn. She often hops up on us when we are holding him and makes herself comfortable. Finn has started reaching for her. The Geneva Convention does not prohibit cat torture and Finn knows it.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

At only four months, Finn has a definite sense of what he likes and what he doesn't. He never hesitates to tell us how he feels.

The Good:

• Soft and furry. This includes miscellaneous toys, cashmere sweaters, and Addy the cat. (She'll get hers. Jason can't wait.)
• That baby in the mirror, whoever he is. What a good friend.
• Black & white chicken, always up for a car ride.
• Binkie. (Need I say more?)
• Prunes.
• Playing on the bed before work every morning.
• The changing table - a good vantage point.
• Baths, and nakedness in general.
• Daycare, mostly Claire.
• Reading
• The turquoise elephant
• The yellow phone
• All four stations: high chair, swing, bouncy seat, jumperoo.

The Bad:

• Long sleeves inside long sleeves. It's like a straightjacket.
• Waiting. For anything.
• Waking up.
• The Sandman.
• Being burped.
• Being held (current phase).

The Ugly:

• Tummy time, a torture dreamed up by child-rearing experts to make Happy Finn Inconsolable Finn.

Hopefully, the Good continues to outweigh the Bad and the Ugly.