Austen Famous Rodey

Asked what 'MOM' spells, Austen answered "Lucinda!"

Austen loves Beyonce's hit song, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It). She first heard it on the radio during a car ride with Mama. Later, while driving with Dada, Austen requested to hear "Mama's song" which she sang as the "Oh oh oh oh" song. Dada figured it out and played it (yeah iPhone!).
Now, after seeing the video a few times, Austen requests to watch the "Ho Ho Ho" song. If you don't understand what song, she sings a verse for you: "If you like it shoulda put a bing on it...ho ho ho...like it shoulda put a...ho ho ho."

She also spells her name. It's fun to listen to her "pretend" spellings ('pretend' and 'delicate' are two words she's been batting around lately). She's currently asking Dada how to spell 'boy' 'toy' 'red' and 'squiggly.'

Austen helps knead the dough for Grandma Mindy, who's making aloo pronti. Like many true artists, Austen has quirky demands: she must work on the floor.

Tonight Dada overheard Austen talking to Mama, reminding her of when Gage was in her belly ... as if she would ever forget the torture of pregnancy. Mommy reminded Austen that she too was once in Mama's belly. Earlier in the day, Austen told her friends that Dada and Chacha were once in Grandma Mindy's belly. Babies are on her mind.

Austen now has an opinion about what she wants to wear. A "princess dress" (which Mommy says is actually a Little House on the Prairie dress) with yellow stockings and black patent leather shoes? Perfect! Austen's reputation for being a forward-thinking snazzy dresser (Chasing Fireflies Catalog) is going out the window.

Austen told Davinder he wasn't allowed to get his ear pierced and Mommy couldn't help but notice that her emphatic 'No!' sounded a lot like Mommy's. The little dictator is good at telling people what to do in a an extremely authoritative tone. Of course, she's shy and reserved around "older" kids (read: six year olds).

Davinder and Lucinda went to see Big Night on their first date. In the movie, two brothers, Primo and Segundo, start an authentic Italian restaurant and struggle to keep their family business afloat. In the final scenes, they fight on a beach and then make up by cooking breakfast together. Big Night is now one of Davinder's all-time favorite movies, so of course he's renamed the kids Prima and Segundo. Yesterday Austen was helping to push Gage in a stroller and yelling "Segundo, Segundo ..." with Dada.


Recent twitter updates:

lloydheat: Great job sugundo hardly a peep during call. Now doing strike training. Sugundo crazy baby Dr. Lu all sleeping (about 3 hours ago from twitterrific)

lloydheat: Holding feeding changing segundo while on conf call on mute (about 5 hours ago from twitterrific)

davinder_r: Crazy baby (Segundo & Mama) are hangin with auntie heather today, who's visiting/working/planning house sale/planning to move/etc (about 9 hours ago from twitterrific)

When thinking about what life would be like with two kids, I never considered the possibility that having Austen around would help with the baby. She makes cute comments: "Uh oh, he got sad" when he's getting fussy, Her sympathetic commentary makes it easier to deal with baby Gage's crying. She says "shhhhh" to try to sooth him and turns on his swing, talks to him and offers to feed him by holding his bottle. She seems to accept that he needs to be taken care of, usually without complaining about the attention he gets. She also discusses issues like what he can eat. When talking about how he only drinks milk and can't have a lollipop, she suggested that maybe he could have one when he's older: "Maybe when he's 2 he can eat a lollipop too."

When Austen hears Gage crying in the middle of the night, she calls out to mom and dad.

Austen's three imaginary friends, who are convenient when assigning blame for things, like marker lines on the carpet. Austen talks to her imaginary friends and now they even talk back (in a cute high-pitched voice).

Austen couldn't resist another chance to make a snowman with her friend, Aavonna...in the dark.




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