Wednesday, March 8, 2017

A Smidgen of Stuff

Photo Feb 14, 7 09 19 AM

Little Hansie boy is eight weeks old. He smiles and makes small sounds. He can hold his head up. His legs aren’t purely skin and bone anymore. And he’s lost that puffiness under his eyes. Still, for all of that, he seems quite newborn-like. But in another eight weeks? I imagine he will be all baby and not a bit newborn. May as well start filling out college applications.

Photo Feb 23, 3 22 41 AMPhoto Mar 03, 5 22 39 AMPhoto Feb 25, 1 21 50 AM

Daisy and Goldie are in the school play. And Abe is running track. Which all means that I never see my older children at all. (Nor, selfishly, do I have their help with dinner and babies and the like!)

IMG_4292_edited-1Photo Feb 24, 9 42 55 AMPhoto Mar 04, 6 19 29 AMPhoto Feb 24, 9 44 49 AM

But, I did dazzle my older children twice recently. Once when I promptly replied, after hearing Abe grumble something about needing to find what neurotransmitter was involved with the parasympathetic nervous system, that it was norepinephrine he was after. And again when Abe asked Daisy if she knew the chemical equation for sugar and I spouted (before I even knew I was saying it), “C6-H12-O6”. It was interesting – reciting those small, near-forgotten facts to my children when knowing them at all reminded me so much of a very different me. The one who was often sitting in the university library studying nervous systems and chemical compositions while her children . . . didn’t exist at all. At least not in this mortal realm. What was that person doing here? In my home? Telling that near-forgotten information to my nine children?

Photo Feb 17, 7 58 07 AMPhoto Feb 23, 1 42 31 PM

I don’t know. But knowing all about norepinephrine is much less of an interesting accomplishment to me these days than the more recent improvement in my patience. It has improved. A lot. And it’s because oh my goodness I’ve been given so much practice. Mostly from dear Mette (bless her heart) who is quite literally clinging to my legs and sobbing most of the day.

Photo Mar 02, 2 47 55 AMPhoto Mar 02, 2 48 51 AMPhoto Mar 02, 2 51 30 AMPhoto Mar 02, 2 51 09 AMPhoto Mar 02, 2 51 03 AM

Anyway. Over and out. I’m off to clean up a jar of spilled peanuts (of all things).

IMG_4309_edited-1IMG_4310_edited-1IMG_4319_edited-1

3 comments:

Val said...

Hey Nancy, while all your photos/kids look just amazing, this last picture of little Hansie is just killing me...sooooo cute!!! :)

Kara said...

❤️❤️❤️

Marilyn said...

Sure love those baby feeties! And his "oh, I just CAN'T" flopped-over pose in the last picture. It seems like yesterday when those were Mette-feet I was admiring! Hard to believe that poor little clinging burr was so recently someone you could just...set down wherever you wanted! Ha! But I love that you are able to see your own patience grow (at such cost!). It is so often so hard to see growth and change in ourselves, I've prayed for that gift. Still hoping for it. :)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...