We Did Well Until Bathtime...

...and then Carter split his chin open on the bathtub. Yes, I get an "F" for my first day on my own as a mom of two.

It wasn't even a chaotic moment. I wasn't being pulled in two different directions. Grace and I were simply sitting on the bathroom floor while Carter took a bath. He kept standing up and marching around the tub, and I continually told him he might slip and hit his head. I actually said that he could knock his teeth out, and Carter thought that was funny. Then, the irony of it all, is that as he stepped forward for me to get him out, he slipped and slammed his chin on the side of the tub. Blood began dripping from his chin (which confused me at first because I assumed he had hurt his tongue or teeth). While Carter didn't cry long, he most definitely has a deep gash in his chin. Our neighbor (a doctor) came over to look, and he insisted Carter doesn't need stitches. But Scott is with him, as I write, at the Children's Hospital's after hours clinic so they can bandage our son up. I think Carter got the point that he needs to listen to his mommy. And I still feel like crying because it's always traumatic for a mom to see her child get injured.

Other than our bath catastrophe, our day went pretty well. It wasn't easy by any stretch, but I also didn't feel like pulling my hair out. The hardest part was balancing attention toward Carter and Grace. Carter wanted to be held this morning, and this would cause Grace to have a fit. Then I'd hold her a for while, and Carter would be upset. I know it will get a bit easier as Grace learns I can love them both, and Carter adjusts to the idea of us being back home for good.

The little guy didn't want to go to school today. He refused to get dressed, so I assumed he was delaying the journey to Mother's Day Out. I asked him if this was the case. He said, "Mmmhmm." My reply was, "I know you'd rather stay home with us, but you'll have fun at school. And you'll get bored running errands with me and your sister. Let's get you dressed and then we'll talk."

As soon as I pulled up his shorts, Carter said, "Talk?"

Me..."Okay bud, what do you want to talk about?"

"School."

"You don't want to go to school?"

"No. Home?"

"You want to stay home? How about you go to school for a little bit, and I'll pick you up early. I know you'll have a good time playing with your friends."

He ended up doing great. His teacher said he had fun and was well-behaved.

Grace fell asleep in the car while running errands, so she ended up not taking a nap. It was frustrating not to have any time to myself the entire day, but that's part of being a mom and dying to self.

Last night, as I laid next to Virginia Grace so she would fall asleep, I whispered, "Wo ai ni," which means "I love you." While I've said this to her many times, I've never gotten the reaction I got last night. Her eyes darted up to meet mine and lit up, and she gave me the biggest smile. A few seconds later, I repeated the words, and she looked back quickly and giggled with delight. I realized that she truly understood my words, and it was amazing to see her response!

Here are a few pics from this afternoon. I have a lot more pictures of Grace than Carter...my son has suddenly begun refusing to pose for the camera. Have we reached the "too cool stage" already??