two tests

OK. Micah took Serenity and JT downhill skiing Tuesday. I hadn't realized until then how much help Serenity is to me with Helen! Without her, I couldn't get the fire going downstairs, so we relied on space heaters. Without her, I couldn't get Helen's hair treated with the anti-fungal shampoo. It was time to make supper. I put Helen in her adorable little playpen from Aunt Barbara right in the middle of the kitchen. She cried and cried. But I had 12 potatoes to peel, so I talked to her and tried to reassure her, but she was clearly upset. And I had been told that she doesn't cry unless she is poopy, hungry, or tired. But she pushed away a bottle, and she already took a nap. She wasn't stinky... I failed the first test. After hurriedly peeling the potatoes, I picked up my teary little girl to find that she DID have a messy diaper. And I felt so bad! She went to bed at 7:30, no problem. I was reading a history book to Enoch and Cappy that they have been begging for, when we heard Helen crying. I finished the page and went to check. Not poopy. So I made a bottle. She downed a SECOND bottle! Then she went right to sleep (FOR 11 HOURS!). So I passed the second test, whew!
and Helen learned to make a new smacking sound with her lips. We have literally had hours of fun with her mimicking the fun noise.