The sounds of Spring
I am relaxing in my bed at 9pm on a Monday night. I open my bedroom window and the sounds of frogs and crickets rush in. It's amazing - the sound, the volume. There must be thousands out there in our woods and pond. As I take in the sweet sounds of Spring, I watch my belly bounce with the kicks of the baby growing inside. Tomorrow I am 30 weeks pregnant, just 10 more to go. Newborns are hard. Hard. But I think of Luke and Benny and can't believe I will have another baby to love so deeply.
My sweet baby boys are snuggled in their bed together, fast asleep, Lukey in the clothes he wore with his daddy to the golf course tonight (he won't take them off) and Benny in a PJ top and only his diaper because he refuses to wear pants. At times you can hear them snore a little, but always the sweet sound of their steady breathing. Ben might have his 2 fingers in his mouth, sucking. Or maybe they've fallen out. His blankie is nearby no matter what his position or where he ends up rolling to on the bed. Luke starts his sleep pattern on his right side, always. He is facing the little castle tent he got for his forth birthday, where his most treasured belongings sleep for the night. Tonight the tent sleeps his Taylormade golf hat, his box of Legos with the rocket and rescue boats half assembled, and his "new" (from a garage sale new) red hot rod car missing two of the four wheels. I check on the boys often at night, just to stare at their little bodies in amazement and maybe giggle at a funny position I find one of them in.
Benny stayed home with me tonight while Luke and Paul went to the golf course. We went for a long stroller walk - first to see the horsies next door (Benny waves to them and says in a funny, deep voice "Hi Guys!" He calls everyone and everything "Guys" lately). After a few minutes we turned around and headed toward Green Lake. What a gorgeous night - warm, no bugs, no wind. Just sounds of Spring. We saw 5 deer and heard them gracefully jump through the grass into the woods . We saw so many geese, flying right over our heads, and heard their honking. We saw birdies and heard their tweeting and chirping. We saw puppies and heard their barks. We walked to the public access on the lake and we saw ducks and heard their quacks. We saw loons and heard their pretty calls. We stopped for each sound, to pause and listen, and Benny would ask "what sound Geese?" And I'd tell him they honk and we'd both make a honking sound. Then "what sound birdie?" And I'd tell him they tweet and we'd both make a tweeting sound. Then "what sound airplane?" And I did my best to imitate the jet that had just flown overhead. Benny repeated my sound and I thought we didn't do too bad. And so it went with each new sound we encountered. We walked and talked and listened and saw - for a long time. It was a special time together.
The past few days I took the boys in the jogger stroller and rollerbladed to the Spicer Playground. I'm sure I was quite a site - with my big belly pushing two 40 lb kids in a double jogger stroller along the lake. But how could I resist after FINALLY experiencing the beautiful weather, after months and months of snow and ice and cold and stuck-indoors feelings. I enjoyed every minute of it (no matter who saw me and thought I was a crazy woman), and so did the boys. Such an odd dichotomy - here I was rollerblading in a tank top and shorts, 77 degrees, sweat dripping from my forehead, sunburn on my face and arms, and as I zip along the lake pushing the boys we see a huge Green Lake covered with 2 feet of ice. Such an oddness to it all.
Ben turns two years old on Wednesday, May 1st. It is hard to believe we left our lives in the Twin Cities 2 years ago already. It feels like yesterday. Despite his reservations when we brought Ben home from the hospital, Luke has now grown to love Ben with a depth that only a brother could have. Ben is his best friend. I find my heart bursting with joy when I see the boys interacting as best friends. Fights are not absent, but despite them, these two boys love each other so much. I will write more about my sweet Ben turning two in another post.
For now I will sign off, along with the sounds of crickets and frogs singing their songs of Spring through my window.
God Bless,
Nikki
My sweet baby boys are snuggled in their bed together, fast asleep, Lukey in the clothes he wore with his daddy to the golf course tonight (he won't take them off) and Benny in a PJ top and only his diaper because he refuses to wear pants. At times you can hear them snore a little, but always the sweet sound of their steady breathing. Ben might have his 2 fingers in his mouth, sucking. Or maybe they've fallen out. His blankie is nearby no matter what his position or where he ends up rolling to on the bed. Luke starts his sleep pattern on his right side, always. He is facing the little castle tent he got for his forth birthday, where his most treasured belongings sleep for the night. Tonight the tent sleeps his Taylormade golf hat, his box of Legos with the rocket and rescue boats half assembled, and his "new" (from a garage sale new) red hot rod car missing two of the four wheels. I check on the boys often at night, just to stare at their little bodies in amazement and maybe giggle at a funny position I find one of them in.
Benny stayed home with me tonight while Luke and Paul went to the golf course. We went for a long stroller walk - first to see the horsies next door (Benny waves to them and says in a funny, deep voice "Hi Guys!" He calls everyone and everything "Guys" lately). After a few minutes we turned around and headed toward Green Lake. What a gorgeous night - warm, no bugs, no wind. Just sounds of Spring. We saw 5 deer and heard them gracefully jump through the grass into the woods . We saw so many geese, flying right over our heads, and heard their honking. We saw birdies and heard their tweeting and chirping. We saw puppies and heard their barks. We walked to the public access on the lake and we saw ducks and heard their quacks. We saw loons and heard their pretty calls. We stopped for each sound, to pause and listen, and Benny would ask "what sound Geese?" And I'd tell him they honk and we'd both make a honking sound. Then "what sound birdie?" And I'd tell him they tweet and we'd both make a tweeting sound. Then "what sound airplane?" And I did my best to imitate the jet that had just flown overhead. Benny repeated my sound and I thought we didn't do too bad. And so it went with each new sound we encountered. We walked and talked and listened and saw - for a long time. It was a special time together.
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| First is a video of Benny saying hi to the horsies earlier today. Next, our walk tonight, after stopping to observe some birdies. Love this boy! |
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| At the playground the boys look out over the ice-covered lake. |
For now I will sign off, along with the sounds of crickets and frogs singing their songs of Spring through my window.
God Bless,
Nikki
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