Sincerity and the splintering sort of pain

I’m beginning to believe you can’t get through life without having your heart broken at least a handful of times but not all heartbreaks are the romantic sort. Broken friendships can hurt just as much. I was reminded of this the other day, of a friendship I thought as solid as the ground I walk upon, that one day, was gone- without a trace or explanation. Years ago I wrote about the risk of trust:

When I decide to trust someone, it's me putting my heart in my hands, cradling it carefully and placing it on the floor. They can turn and step upon it, they can pick it up and cradle it. It's frightening to be this vulnerable.

Its the risk you take allowing someone into the deepest chambers of your trust. Sometimes the risk pays off, as my dear friends are testaments to, but other times you're rewarded with splinters as someone walks right on it without looking back. While you can pull out the splinter, the thing with splinters? A small piece always remains.

Waleed and I had a play-date today with the lovely 'Murgdan' and her beautiful son- who if its possible is even more precious in person. Not only was it nice to meet a nice down-to-earth mama, it was amazing to see the two babies interact, banging their cookies on the table, tugging each other's shirts, hands, [and sometimes hair] and smiling at one another, with curiosity and without guile- simply sincerity- because as babies- they are the living embodiment of sincerity stripped of manipulations and pretense with no designs to hurt anyone. Unadulterated.

Children this young hold their hearts in their hands open to the world with no conception that someone can crush it- until it happens. As a former teacher of children too small to read, I know it starts young, and as his mother I'm terrified of the day it happens. Seeing the object of my splintered pain from the past, I looked at my son, grinning his toothless grin, I couldn't help but silently hope: may you never be hurt by the changing winds of the hearts of others, and more importantly may you never ever be the cause of someone else's splintering kind of pain.

Three Beautiful Things Thursday

One. We just came back from a trip to Miami to attend a friend's wedding. While Waleed is always a giddy kid, on the plane? He's so excited he can barely contain himself. Literally. He's a squirmy, tongue-wagging puppy determined to befriend every single person on the plane. And while this alternative is preferable to a screeching hysterical baby in a contained space- a baby who becomes as squirmy as a wet guppy fish did leave me mildly exhausted. Still I'm fortunate he's a good traveler and strolled happily through my brother's Coconut Grove neighborhood [where we just, you know, casually, like its no big deal had brunch at the table next to Queen Latifah!!! who Waleed was also determined to befriend until he caught sight of his rarely revealed toes and proceeded to have his own unique brunch] Most trips with Waleed make me thrilled to quickly get back home, but this time- though its definitely more work traveling with a baby, it felt like we might slowly be getting the hang of it.

random lovely wall art while wandering CocoGrove

Two. I grew up in South Florida and spent most of my childhood weekends with my family at the beach. Once I could drive, I went myself finding a spot under a shade tree [hey I'm desi] and enjoying a solitary lunch as I watched the waves. The beach is a place for me to think, to people watch, to daydream, to center myself- sitting on a sandy shore watching the waves crash fills me with a particular sort of peace I can never fully replicate anywhere else. So naturally I couldn't wait to take my son to the beach. To watch him take his first tender steps into the sand, to dip his feet in the salty sea.

Except- he hated it.

Like, any attempt to get him near the sand [which wasn't hot] made him scream so loud and with such fury that people stared at us like we were dangling a koala bear upside down in heart-shaped boxers to a crowd of appreciative alligators. Which we so weren't.

Still, it was nice to be at the beach, to see him wear his bucket hat, play with his aunt, and to know now while he's too young to realize that South Beach is apparently cool with nude sunbathing and opt for more child-friendly beaches next time we visit.

The calm before the 'feet touched sand'

Three. Unlike some people lucky enough to have family in the same city as them, its the three of us most of the time. Being with family reminds me that as much as he's my son, he's a nephew and a grandchild and so dearly and deeply loved. The wedding was ninety minutes north so we spent the night there and one of my brothers came up also to spend maximum time with us and to babysit Waleed once bedtime approached so we could enjoy the wedding. I wonder what it must be like to have family in town who you can lean on like this all the time. Still, so grateful we have this at all regardless of how many hours away it may be. I am so blessed that he is so loved- and I hope and pray he will grow up knowing the unconditional love of his extended family because I'm well aware that is something not everyone has and a gift you just can't take for granted.

Mamu and Waleed

101*** things to do with my child

Unlike many expectant mamas who start decorating the nursery and stocking up on baby clothes well before the little one makes their debut, too aware of the things that could go wrong I felt hesitant to break out the paintbrush and the blue paint until I was certain all would be well [by which point I was way too busy with a newborn to get back to painting anything blue or otherwise]. Still, in one area I indulged: daydreaming of the things I would do with my little one once he arrived. Thus, this list. My hope is to capture each moment with a picture or memento and make a scrapbook for him to have always. I reached 91 before his birth but now am stuck, and since 101 sounds for some nonsensical reason, so much nicer than 91, I thought I'd share my list in case you wanted to make one too or found anything on here helpful and in the hopes you can give me suggestions to finish the list! Like my 101 in 1001 I plan to update from time-to-time here, its a birth to five years list, [though  I'm woefully behind on updating that list, come to think of it]. Thanks for any suggestions you may have!

*** Thanks for all the awesome suggestions- adding them all to the list so you can also use them should you wish- I know I will be, and if you have any please share!***


101 things to do with you

1. Go to the zoo with you.
2. Read you bedtime stories.
3. Play hopscotch together.
4. Push you on the swings.
5. Go down the slides with you at the park.
6. Go for a bike ride.
7. Fly a kite.
8. Make cookies together. You can mix.
9. Go to Disney World
10. Play in the water with you
11. Sing you a lullaby
12. Color in a coloring book with you
13. Feed the ducks
14. Take you trick or treating
15. Blow out birthday candles with you
16. Play peek-a-boo
17. Face paint
18. Get you a balloon animal
19. Visit the Children's Museum of Atlanta
20. Grow tomatoes together
21. Make pottery together
22. Jump on a trampoline
23. Make a sandcastle
24. Play hide and seek
25. Throw you a birthday party
26. Drive around to see Christmas lights
27. Go kayaking or a boat ride
28. Watch Mary Poppins
29. Watch Aladdin
30. Make sand art
31. Collect sea shells
32. Get a library card
33. Ice skate
34. Go sledding or snow tubing
35. Make a snow man
36. Grow a plant/flower together
37. Sing "You are my Sunshine" together
38. Dress you in shalwar kamiz
39. Celebrate Eid together
40. Pray with you
41. Take you on a play date
42. Get you a free cookie from Publix
43. Push you in the little "Car buggies" at the grocery store
44. Picnic in the park
45. Measure your height on the wall
46. Watch fireflies
47. Lie on the grass and figure out the shapes the clouds make
48. Show you the big and little dipper
49. Dress you up in a horribly embarrassing cute outfit
50. Take a formal family portrait with you
51. Go to a story time reading at the library
52. Eat elaborate ice cream Sundaes together
53. Visit the Georgia Aquarium
54. Run in the water at Centennial Olympic Park
55. Play Chutes and Ladders
56. Ski bowl
57. Go bowling
58. Try sushi with chopsticks (cooked sushi!)
59. Carve a pumpkin together.
60. Dance with you!
61. Frame your art work
62. Watch birds at our bird feeder
63. Make food animals with you
64. Roast marshmallows
65. Find Waldo
66. Teach you to ride a bike
67. Play mini-golf
68. Go to a circus
69. Play puppets with you
70. Make an alphabet book
71. Read nursery rhymes
72. Watch a waterfall
73. Jump in raked fall leaves
74. Learn your arabic alphabet
75. Make a puzzle with you
76. Get a DVD season of Sesame Street to watch together
77. Blow bubbles
78. Play Memory
79. Squeeze lemons/oranges for lemonade/orange juice
80. Play tic-tac-toe
81. Throw a frisbee
82. Jump rope
83. Walk on balance beams at the park
84. Make popsicles
86. Give you a bubble bath with a rubber ducky
87. Finger paint
88. Skip rocks in the lake
89. Visit NASA space center
90. Go fruit picking
91. Watch the moon for one whole moon cycle with pictures
92. Making play-doh creations [Susan]
93. Eating from the ice cream truck [Susan]
94. Run barefoot through the grass with you [Susan]
95. Climb a tree with you [Susan]
96. Take a train ride with you [A]
97. Visit an observatory [A]
98. Watch classic cartoons like Nemo and Lion King [A]
99. Have a lemonade stand [Marie]
100. Catch fireflies [Marie]
101. Go on a fishing trip [Marie]
102. Feed the ducks at the local lake [Marie]
103. Watch a play together [awomanmyage] 
104. Visit an art gallery [awomanmyage]
105. Make snow angels [awomanmyage]
106. Blow raspberries together [awomanmyage]
107. Go hiking together [Banshee] 
108. Build-A-Bear together [Banshee] 
109. Visit a farm/petting zoo [Banshee] 
110. Race sticks downstream [Banshee] 
111. Visit the state fair [Banshee] 
112. Plant flowers and watch them grow [Maria] 

On plagiarism and copying without consent

I hate it when people plagiarize me. Its an issue I face regularly and one that frustrates me to no end. And when I get frustrated I get quite inarticulate resulting in half-written posts of They stole my stuff! Gah! Don't do that! Which, while effectively capturing my emotional reaction hardly does anything for anyone. But now, at the most recent known act of plagiarism [because I'm sure there's more I just don't know about] I feel the need to write this post and articulate the issue as best as I can because, inarticulate or not, I need to just say it: stealing stuff? Not okay.

1. Spammers. They cut and paste, stick it on a weird site and slather it with ads for all sorts of random questionable things [and girls girls girls right by you!].This happens so regularly its exhausting and at the moment I don't have the energy to get them all to stop.

2. Impersonators. I'm not talking about posts here and there [though that happens too] I'm talking about people actively cut and pasting my content, creating their own personal blog and pretending to live my life. All my posts, all posing as theirs. One person did this for such a long time they built quite a following. I have no idea why someone would want to do this as they were not revenue generating blogs. The blogs have since been discontinued with apologies from one of the people for doing so, and while I know this person still reads [and yes we're 'cool' which is why I'm not naming you] it needs to be mentioned here because its still wrong and if you're in my shoes you can understand that it certainly felt very disturbing.

3. Organizations stealing my stuff. This is the most recent incident- and irks me most because these are 'reputable' sites simply taking my posts, usually the more researched ones, and posting them verbatim as though I'm a contributor. If you want to hire me to write for you- lemme know. If you want to post it to your site gratis, ask me. What I love about these sites is that when you approach them, they act as though they did you a favor by posting your content without knowledge or consent. The person who stole my stuff with ads all around the article actually insisted they were doing me a favor by pasting my work on their site and posting the information to make it appear I freelanced for them. I know I'm not the only one this happens to as the Cooks Source scandal made clear, but it boggles my mind nonetheless.

Some quick facts and resources about stealing stuff:

• Just because its online does not mean its part of the public domain free for the looting. [But the copyright logo I've posted a picture of? Public domain] 
• As of 1989 you don't have to put a (c) for copyright protection or specify anywhere that your stuff is copyrighted. Original work is inherently protected. Even on-line.
• Plagiarism is using someone's original work and posing it as your own. Even if you rephrase it. Even if you stole an itty bitty part of it. It's stealing.
• You can quote and link to posts/articles [much like I'm doing now] though not so large a quote as to get to the heart of the entire article/post. 
• Though this is an older article, and I'm sure by now, there are tons more high-tech ways to discover copy-cats- I've found his tips useful, particularly in getting an offending party to cease and desist.

Trust me, I'm honored if you like what I have to say- but to steal my writing- to pretend its yours- or to cut and paste onto your sites for hits and revenue without consent and/or proper credit is not just impolite it's against the law. And while I understand that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, my writing? Please don't copy. Just don't.

Aisha's 'sort-of-cry' sleep solution [patent pending]

I've written about my child's sleep issues [and by direct consequence- my sleep issues] at length and the difficulty of waking up multiple times and the resulting oatmeal brain I was sporting for weeks on end. I'm happy to share that we've gone from tearful up-down-pat-down to him passing out once his head hits the lambskin, and from 5-6 wakings to 1-2. [though there are certainly days that are exceptions to the new rule]. Awesome? doesn't begin to describe it.

I thought once I got to the my baby sleeps! stage I would, in the vein of sleep experts everywhere, [or at least how I imagine them to be] write a long and fanciful post with glasses perched on the bridge of my nose, sipping tea and elucidating pearls of wisdom on how I, Aisha, successfully put her baby to sleep- and how you can too! Except the truth? I have no clue what happened. One day we were all in tears at bed time- and then one day- we weren't. While I'm not sure what happened I'll share the top six theories floating around our home in the hopes that maybe something here will click for you if you are likewise struggling and searching for advice as desperately as I once was. And, if you have your own tried and true method, please do share!

Theory #1: The Sorta Cry Sleep Solution. When the night wakings became six nightly, cry-it-out became a serious consideration. I read up on it, blogged about it, talked to parents who did it, [and batted off parents who accused me of not appreciating my child enough for even thinking about doing it] and then finally one night, did it. We put him down at 8pm and per his pediatrician's suggestion, did five minute intervals of crying and pat-downs. It was awful. To those of you who've done this for weeks on end- you have incredible resolve because we learned that first night of heart-wrenching soul-crushing tears that we were not cry-it-out folks and after an hour of straight screams K went upstairs and patted him to sleep. . . and then. . . he slept until six am. [though I spent the entire night waiting for him to wake up anyminutenow]The next night, when he began wailing five minutes after going down for the night, while we agreed we wouldn't do cry-it-out again, we decided to take Kate's suggestion and let him cry for ten minutes- and ten minutes only- just enough to get him tired and then pat him/rock him whatever he needed. But then, at minute eight? He fell asleep. The day after, same drill and at minute three? Asleep. The next night? He lay down for the night, closed his eyes, and fell asleep- no. battle. at. all. Did this mean we did cry-it-out and it worked? We're not sure since we were told cry-it-out took days, not. . . day. Still, there were other things that coincided that could have had a part to play such as. . .

Theory #2: More feeding. When we switched to more solids in his diet, his doctor said a solids meal replaced a breastfeeding session. This led to him eating solids all day except first thing in the morning and right before bedtime [and then every two hours all night long]. Getting some baby recipes from Superfoods I was struck by the suggested feeding schedule which incorporated nursing snacks in between solid meals and decided to give it a try. I believe this goes a long way to make sure he gets his  required milk daily and may be contributing to his curbed demands for feedings at night. 

Theory #3: His own room. I wanted him to go to his own room once he slept six hour stretches since I didn't want to get up and trekk to another room every two hours all night long but his sleep stretches began lengthening once he went to his own room and while I expected him to fight and cry about the change in environment- he actually liked it. We're not sure why though we suspect the window in our room by his crib was drafty leaving him chilly at night. Whoops. Big whoops.

Theory #4: Noisy Fan. Our heater went kaput this month and space heaters were sold out everywhere so in an effort to keep the kiddo warm we got a heating fan. It was noisy and we worried he wouldn't sleep- but it seems like it soothes him- blocks out chatter and clatter downstairs and could have a lot to do with this whole sleep solution.

Theory #5: Routine. While we had a routine: diaper and PJ change, nursing and bed, I now include story time and lullabies and I can tell once he sees me pull out the book that he knows sleep is soon at hand. At first he would look at the book and begin squirming and crying, now he smiles with a look of resignation as though he's accepting this nightly fate. Even if this has nothing to do with it, I do love reading with my baby.

Theory #6: None of the Above. While I can't find it online, many have told me that something clicks around 8-9 months with sleep regulating not from the stomach but instead from the brain. So really, it could be as simple as, it was simply time.

The biggest thing I learned from the entire saga is to trust my instincts. I respect the sleep experts but I'm a Waleed-expert. Its important to read the books if they help you feel better but remember the buck stops with you and you know more than you realize. In any case, I hope something here helps someone reading- and if not- I hope this gives a bleary eyed parent reading this post some hope that maybe one day, their bundle of never sleeping joy will one day also find slumber.

Three Beautiful Things Thursday

One. Since our carpet is old and our crawling kid thinks he's a scavenger catfish, we're getting new flooring and are considering hardwood. The choices are staggering: oak, maple, cherry, vertical or horizontal, 3/4 inch versus 5/16, solid versus engineered, glued directly to cement or installed on a floating subfloor. We've been a bit stressed out due to a number of things going kaput at the same time but when I think about a floating subfloor I can't help but grin as I imagine a whimsical floor floating up and down upon marshmallow clouds. Who wouldn't want a floor like that? Floating subfloor seems to also accurately describe my son's fluid ever changing sleeping habits of late. As it turns out we don't actually need a floating subfloor which is just as well since how could the real thing ever live up to the image in my mind's eye? Still its nice to be getting new flooring and imagining the floating subfloors that might have been.  [Do you think hardwood wins over carpet any day? The cost difference is staggering and I kind of like carpet for its softness when a toddling child falls, but I've heard for resale hardwood is better].

Two. As I mentioned before I'm quite into Asian cooking lately [not my kind of Asian- 'Kikkoman and Sriracha' Asian]. I normally make Asian-inspired noodle dishes with Vermicelli but on my last trip to the local market I picked up rice noodles. Today I made my favorite chicken satay dish [just double the peanut sauce recipe, substitute chicken for beef, and add salt and pepper] and used the rice noodles. The ones I bought had no instructions and I almost boiled them the regular noodle way but luckily caught myself in time and asked Chef Google [who is way cooler than Doctor Google who is a bit of a hysterical the 'sky is falling' sort].  As it turns out you don't boil rice noodles, you sort of swirl them in hot water. The end result tasted like Pad Thai I'd pay decent money for at a restaurant. While rice noodles are way more work than simply tossing some wheat-based noodles in a pot of water- the end result? So worth it.

Three. We went to a friend's daughter's birthday party at The Little Gym. Waleed had so much fun and I realized I needed to make an extra effort to socialize him with other kids. I looked into my local play gym but the cost is a bit prohibitive [for me] at nearly $90/month for 45 minute once a week sessions but the local library has weekly storytime sessions for kids two and under [and free to boot]. I felt silly as I carried my nine-month-old baby into a room I imagined filled with roaming toddlers but to my surprise the packed room was full of kids exactly Waleed's age. Though he spent the majority of time entrenched in a staring contest with a very adorable ten month old girl,  he laughed, he bounced, he wiggled at the songs, in short- he loved it. Will definitely be including this in our weekly rotation. Now if I can only figure out how to befriend the fellow mamas in the group so Waleed can make friends. I felt like I was at a dating mixer. I mean, how does one do this? What are the standard pick-up lines to find cool moms with nine-month-old-ish babies? [And 'Murgdan'- play date soon?!]

So in sum: floating subfloors [and new flooring in general], rice noodles, and libraries with potential playmates. A pretty fantastic Thursday indeed. Hope you had a beautiful day. 

Happy Nine Month Birthday

Dear Waleed,

Yesterday you turned nine months old. Its amazing to see you go from the tiny baby who hardly noticed the cupcakes in our monthly photo shoot to the now squealing, lunging little boy who requires a two-man team to prop a simple cupcake with which we mark the passage of your months. Still, while nostalgia is inevitable, I'm doing my best not to look too far backwards, and not crane my neck to look too far ahead because then I just might miss all this, and there is so much going on right here, right now.

We got snowed in this month for five days. Just the three of us with no place to go, nothing else to do, but spend time with each other. You Abu scooped you up each morning as soon as you awoke, playing, wrestling, reading with you and letting me get a few precious extra moments of rest. Looking back those days feels magical.

You also got your own room this month. It was a decision fraught with tears [all mine] but as it turns out you love your own room. So much so that in the early morning hours when I would bring you to bed to co-sleep with us, you protest, requesting some space of your own in your crib. I'm glad you're happy- but I miss watching you sleep tucked next to me.

Still, I give you your space, so I'm not sure why you picked up the phone this month and called 911 which led to an awkward conversation with an understanding dispatcher who I needed to convince that I was truly in no danger and that all was well, really. Needless to say we'll have to find a different household appliance for you to play with.

Your Nana is going on a trip to Pakistan later this month to see his mother. Its not the safest place to visit so I worry. I called him to tell him just this. To which he responded what if it was you waiting on the other end of the world for Waleed to come see you. To which, after wiping the tears from my eyes, I thought a) well played Nana and b) Waleed? You will not move to the other side of the world- EVER- are we clear?

Its hard to imagine this though. Hard to imagine a day that you will be all grown up and not permanently affixed on my hip, or clutching my legs. I always knew how much I would love you but there are no words for how it feels to be loved by you. Sincerity is a rare commodity in this world, more precious than gold, but you? You are sincerity personified. Which is why when your eyes light up when I enter the room, when you squeal and scurry towards me planting slobbery kisses all over my face- you love me without manipulation and complications, simply with every ounce of your being- and it never ceases to blow me away. 

I've had my heart broken a few times in the past few years, and it was through the pain that I learned that a broken heart aches in a physical place within you. Now, my heart is so full its bursting at the seams unable to be contained. It took having you, for me to realize that this aching is from the deepest part within me-  until you came around I did not know a soul is an actual tangible thing with a physical location within, but now? I feel it everytime I look at you.

Love,

Your Mama

Friday Roundup Linkety Link

The fooding: Homemade pretzels feel so intimidating to tackle but she makes it look simple. Psyched to try making them this weekend!

The youtube: I never liked Elmo. I felt like he hijacked the Sesame Street of my childhood but this video of him with Ricky Gervais doing a lullaby is as adorable as the after interview is hilarious. 

The parenting: I'm not sure why but this research study that shows kids know how to use smart phones and laptops before they can tie their shoes or ride a bike, troubles me. It seems sad and yet Waleed certainly sees me on the laptop more than he sees me gallivanting around on a bicycle so it seems only logical. I guess.

The creative: Speaking of technology, its my biggest challenge to writing with discipline. This beautiful article talks about the importance of disconnecting, letting the dishes stay dirty, and finding time to pursue creativity.

The reading: How did I miss goodreads? I'm woefully behind updating my book reviews but its a great way to organize. I especially love my "to read" list which ensures I won't forget the books I want to read. Best of all? You can connect with friends, check out their recommendations and get great reading ideas. Are you on it? I'm aishacs at gmail dot com [or tell me how to find you]

The social networking: LOVED this post about studies showing that while social networking may be good for social networking facebook might be making us sad. Studies show men use facebook to share articles and ideas while women use it to show off how awesome their lives are. I'm dude-like in what I enjoy about facebook but most people aren't and it can get exhausting getting updates of people one upping each other on the regular. I try to sift through- but this article leaves me again in the eternal debate of ridding myself of it once and for all.

The writing: Love this article with pieces from many different writers and their perspectives on the actual act of writing. The answers are surprising as they talk honestly about their fears, the difficult to self discipline and how even though writers love to write- well, sometimes we hate it too. 

And some more writing: Love this post about not only 'owning' the fact that you're a writer, but great tips on how to be a successful one.

The mommy blogging: I'm not sure when I began reading Courtney's blog but her posts about her son Tripp, who has EB, a rare skin disorder, are inspiring and unfortunately, lately heartwrenching. She could use some kind words sent her way.

The contest: If you're interested in the $25 CSN Store giveaway, entries end at 12am EST tonight. [Details here] If you win and I don't have an e-mail address I'll post your name here so you can reach me. If I don't hear from you within 24 hours I'll move to the next person on the list.

And the winner using random.org is: [Muslim Wife's Kitchen!]

Happy Friday y'all! Thoughts? Any cool links you found this week?

Aisha the. . . mommy blogger?

Recently a few people said they like my 'new blog' to which I said [thank you!] and how is a six year old blog new? To which they said its a mommy blog now which prompted me to look at my recent posts and while I do write about other topics like chai, journaling, and random stuff I do write a lot about motherhood. Am I a mommy blogger?

It's not that being a 'mommy blogger' is a bad thing. Far from it. Most of the blogs on my google reader are blogs written by mothers about motherhood but its interesting to consider it my label since I began this blog writing about teaching at a very dysfunctional school, then the trials and tribulations of law school, and as an attorney, and writing, with all sorts of other topics such as being desi, traveling, current events, book and movie reviews in the rotation as well. I wrote here long before motherhood was even a concept and its possible I will write here long after I've resolved my child-related sleeping woes. [on that note, how long does one blog? Do you have an end-date for yourself?]

Being Waleed's mother is a huge part of my life but its not the only part of my identity and I hope that my writing, as well as the life I live, reflect that. Whether you read me now in the current evolution of this blog or well before motherhood arrived, thank you. How do you see yourself as a blogger? Do you embrace the term 'mommy blogger' or a different term altogether?

See Ma? Teething!

I set him down for a second to grab some folded towels and returned to him staring at me with a desperate expression doing what I can only logically conclude is a very earnest dental exam with my reading light to prove he in fact teething and to please please please not do cry-it-out. [Or to prove he is not teething and will infact grow these phantom teeth we keep waiting for when he's seventeen years old and not a moment before. Could go either way really.]

In other news, the sleeping thing is improving- a lot. Will update the how and the why as soon as I'm certain this is not a passing fad but a really truly sticky situation! [fingers, toes, eyes, crossed that it is!]