Made in Thailand: Family of Four

Whew! Let's see how many minutes I can squeeze into this sitting at the computer before I'm called to action by someone! We've been on our own now for about a week, and we are slowly but surely getting the hang of things. We've had a few bumps, like Tom's impending kidney stone, and more than a few meltdowns, but I am feeling successful at this moment, so I'm going to enjoy it while I can! Tom needed some time to get some work done this morning at the computer, so I had the challenge of meeting the needs of both Kaj and Leif for a solid chunk of time entirely on my own. We spent our first block at the sand and water table, which we keep on the balcony outside our bedrooms. Kaj played quite independently for over an hour making "hot cocoa" for mom and serving Mingus bowl after bowl of water. I was able to put Leif in Kaj's crib for some of the time just a few feet away, but I was also able to hold him as needed since Kaj was so absorbed in his play. Next block: Playdate with Emina at teacher housing. We played on the playground for awhile, and then moved upstairs when the heat started coming on too strong. We're just entering the hot season, so outdoors at noon is a no-no with a new babe in tow.

After a couple of fussier days, Leif has been a trooper all day. We've had some nights lately where he has been up every hour or two, which has been a big challenge. He is easily unsettled by extra air, and even with our best attempts at burping, usually wakes himself u

p shortly after each feeding due to what appears to be discomfort. We're still learning. Last night was better, but his longest periods of consolidated sleep are still during the day, but I to wake him when he's sleeping well. He always sleeps better on nights of good day sleep. I'm back to school in three weeks, so I hope we have a little better handle on successful strategies with his night feeding/burping routine/lack of routine by then.

On a tangent, today at lunch we somehow got talking about string instruments, and Tom asked Kaj if he would like to play a string instrument in a few years. He said, "No, daddy. Kaj play bassoon!" We should have known better, since he is obsessed with the opening to the Chinese

Dance from the Nutcracker and "Grandpapa's Theme" (don't you dare forget the double "pa" or you will be corrected) from Peter and the Wolf. N0w for the photos...

Kaj making the most of our living room pillows before a swim