Lenore at 16 Months

16 Months Old

Today is Lenore's 16 month birthday, and it dawned on me the other evening that she normally would have to celebrate such an occasion on March 1. Today is Leap Day!

We started the day/week out at the pediatrician's office this morning. I was on the fence about whether to take her in, once I realized her thick, yellow-greenish snot has been around for two weeks. I decided to take her, and it turns out it's just a cold. :( Her ears had a little bit of fluid but no pus, and a strep test came back negative. The doctor said since it's been so long, we could try antibiotics for a sinus infection, but I decided to just wait it out and see if we can clear her up with saline and the NoseFrida (snot sucker). Unfortunately we had to wait in the room for an hour before seeing the doctor, so it's kind of a crummy way to start our week, but oh well.

She weighed 26.5 pounds [75th-90th percentile] and was 31.5 inches tall [50th to 75th percentile] this morning.

What she's been up to:

• She's had this runny nose for a few weeks now, and before that, she was in a lot of teething pain. I still haven't seen any new teeth, but they're apparently on their way. Must be those terrible, awful molars coming through.
• She is sleeping well (probably from feeling crummy). She's still going between one to two naps a day, depending on the day. If we have to pick Lewis up at 12, I keep her up until after lunch. On days when he stays until 2, she'll take a mid-morning nap that is usually 10:30-1:30ish, and that's it for the day. If her morning nap lasts 3 hours, that's all we'll do, but she's had a few days of napping 1 1/2 hours in the morning and again in the afternoon. She is clear with communicating her napping needs, way more so than Lewis ever was.
• Her appetite has been a little puny from the snot, but she continues to eat pretty well. She HAS started to throw food on the ground once she's finished, which is super annoying. She has also started gagging herself at mealtimes, which I remember Lewis doing as well. I haven't seen her do it since last week, so hopefully she's forgotten about it.
• At certain times of the day, she might point to a banana, go to the pantry and grabs raisins and bread, and wants in the fridge. All at once, in that moment, she wants it all (though she rarely eats much of it, she is very demanding). She eats way more than Lewis does, overall, though he drinks milk and she still doesn't. 
• She's getting better at feeding herself with a spoon. She's got the scooping part down pretty well, but then she flips the spoon over and dumps out its contents half of the time. She's getting there, though.
• I might have said this last month--she loves to pick up little pieces of trash, dog hair, etc. around the house and take them to the trash. She loves to 'clean up' with a wash cloth or paper towel--she'll wipe her face and her body, wipe off her high chair, clean the floor. 
• She is back to waving. The other day, I was at the computer and she was playing next to me (we were by the front window), and I saw that Kevin was pulling in the driveway. I said, 'Who is here?' She looked out the window and started full-body waving like crazy, saying 'Dadadadadada!' The cutest thing.
• She doesn't say much beyond an occasional Dada, Bubba, or Mama. She has started trying to say Peter and Hattie--she'll point to one and say 'Buttah' for Peter or '___' for Hattie (I forget). She's got shrieking down pat. Otherwise, she gets around pointing and grunting at us. Oh, she also says 'woof' when reading one of her peek-a-boo books. Two cute, little 'boof boof' and that's it. 
• She looooves to play outside. I keep having to wipe down her shoes because they're constantly covered in mud. Or her socks or pajama feet. I did find some outdoor shoes for her over the weekend, so we'll try to keep those as the designated muddy shoes. I'm definitely looking forward to consistently nicer weather because Mama loves being outside, too!
• In clothing, she is still wearing 18 months for the most part (a few sleepers are getting snug). She has a few smaller 24 months/2T pieces that are working, too.
• Current Tooth Count: still 12, but I expect some molars to make their grand entrance soon.

Lewis at FIVE!

Five Years Old

----------Updated 2/23/16 with doctor's appointment findings:

His stats from the doctor:
Height: 46 5/8 inches [96.4th percentile]
Weight: 54.1 pounds [99.6th percentile]

His appointment went very well. They tested his urine and blood and screened his vision, hearing, blood pressure, handwriting, colors, walking on toes/walking on heels, touching his toes (to check for scoliosis), and a few other things I'm probably forgetting. It took longer than any appointment we've been to, but Lewis seemed to enjoy the tasks, except for the finger prick. He was VERY brave while the nurse pricked and then squeezed his finger, but after she left, he was VERY upset that there was a hole left in his finger. I'm talking sobbing tears, upset about why there had to be a hole left in his finger. I tried to calmly explain to him that his body would repair the hole right away (definitely by bath time), but he was soooo upset! 'But why does there have to be a hooooole?!' Thankfully all looked back to normal by bath time--phew!

All checked out well except for his iron. It was just a little low (11.8, and the minimum should be 12), so we are going to get him back on a multivitamin with iron. He didn't have to get any shots and is up-to-date until 2022!
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It's hard to believe that Lewis is turning five years old. My memories are a little foggy from his birth day now that time has passed and Lenore has joined our family, but it definitely feels hard to believe he's been with us for five years. Kevin and I have been parents for five years! [Ten years, if you count the dogs, I suppose. ;)] 

Here's what he's been up to lately:

• He is doing very well at preschool. We had a parent-teacher conference in the fall, and they said he was pretty much on track, as far as Kindergarten-preparedness goes. At the time, he did need to work on gripping a pencil and using scissors, so we've been working on those. He's just starting to want to color and draw more--it's just not been something he's been interested in before. His handwriting needs some fine-tuning, as well. In time. ;)
• We have applied to his elementary school, which is a whole process here in Louisville, even with the public schools. Everyone lives within a cluster, and you rank your choice of schools within your cluster, and you hope that you get your #1 (or #2) choice. Our #1 is just a mile away from our house, so I really hope we get it. There is a more well-touted school in our cluster that we hope others will try for, so that should leave us a better chance of getting into ours. We will find out in March, I think.
• He has played soccer at school last fall and this spring, and we are going to sign up for T-ball this summer with one of his buddies. I need to sign him up for swim lessons, again, too.
• He very much loves his trains. He caught Hand Foot Mouth disease at school right before Christmas break, so we were home in quarantine for a week, and his love of trains kind of got re-energized then. He spent hours working quietly and built the most elaborate set-ups. He can be so meticulous and patient when he is in the train zone, unless he gets frustrated or Lenore gets too close. We actually got him a beginner's model train set for his birthday that is meant for a slightly older age group, but he can handle it.
• He loves to play outside in the yard, either digging in the dirt or playing in the sandbox. He likes to pretend that he's camping, and he loves when we build a real campfire. He loves to collect things he finds outside in the yard and/or on bike rides, and he brings them home and puts them in a treasure box (a small box he made at school). He has feathers, acorns, rocks, pine cones, etc.
• He does have some angry outbursts at times, which are usually followed by a big hug. I feel like he is definitely working through how to express his emotions properly, so we work on using our words. Sometimes he tries to hit or kick/trip Lenore or twirl her hair aggressively, hits a toy, shrieks, or stomps around. We, of course, are trying to teach him that it's not okay to put his hands onto other people out of aggression, but it's an ongoing battle. He has twirled my hair and her hair as a comfort thing for a while now, which is fine, but it's not fine when he pulls her hair as he does it.
• He has started saying he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. We have started seeing a particular fire truck more often on our way to/from school, one with a REALLY long ladder on top, and he wants to have the job of the 2nd driver of that truck. Someone sits on the top of the back of the truck to help the truck turn corners.
• He's starting to try to tell jokes, which is funny in itself. He hasn't quite gotten the comedic timing down yet, but he's trying. And he cracks himself up, just walking around saying silly words.

Outtakes from this morning:

 Snuggles

His CHEESE Face

Lewis's Favorite Things at 5!

What is your favorite...

...color?
red and blue (It was just red for a while--blue has been a recent addition.)

...toy?
my Polar Express train

...stuffed animal?
my big brown puppy dog in my bedroom (The one we take monthly/yearly pictures with)

...thing to sleep with?
same as above

...fruit?
grapes

...vegetable?
broccoli and  carrots

...cereal?
Lucky Charms (he hasn't had them for a long time--he has a bowl of Cheerios most mornings these days) 

...thing to eat for breakfast?
Cheerios with milk and plain Cheerios ('plain' meaning just dry, without milk)

...thing to eat for lunch?
peanut butter and jelly

...dessert?
candy

...candy?
Skittles

...drink?
chocolate milk, especially from Red Robin (We just went there the other day.)

...restaurant?
New McDonald's PlayPlace (His first answer, which is skewed because they have a cool new play area.)
McAlister's Deli (He likes to eat there because they make a mean PB&J.)

...animal?
tigers (This is a new one. We went to the zoo a few weekends ago, and he laid down on some rocks by the tiger exhibit and starting roaring at people. It was pretty funny!)

...book?
Superhero ABCs (He and Kevin read this every night at bedtime. He identifies the letter, and Kevin reads the alliterative superhero's name.)

...song?
The ABC Song

...game/sport?
Riding my bike

...TV show?
Paw Patrol

...movie?
I think I love Monsters University.

...thing to do outside?
Play in the snow (It's snowing as I'm asking him these...)

...place to shop?
Toys R Us

...shirt/outfit?
I think I love the Star Wars shirt that I got for my birthday.

What do you want to eat for your birthday dinner?
Brownies
Chicken Banana Butt
Banana Bread
(That answer pretty much sums up my life with him these days...)

Who is your best friend?
Mathilda and Lily

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A firefighter


Here are his answers from Age 4.

Here are Age 3.

Lenore at 15 Months

15 Months Old

I have officially lost track of how old Lenore is. I was telling people in the airport that she was 14 1/2 months (which was true at the time), then I convinced myself she was already 15 months. Now I realize she is just turning 15 months. Whatever. Who's counting, anyway? ;)

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Update added 2/4/16 after her 15-month check-up:

Her stats (from the pediatrician's office):
Height: 30.88 inches [60th percentile]
Weight: 24 pounds, 15 ounces [90th percentile]
Head Size: 48 centimeters, which is smaller than a few visits ago [95th percentile] 

The doctor said her head didn't shrink--rather, there must have been some wiggling at that other appointment...she lay perfectly still today. They did a recheck of her iron, and it's still hanging around the same low number. Not off the charts, low, just at the lowest end of normal. She'd refused the iron drops I was supposed to try around Thanksgiving, so I hadn't been giving her anything since then. We are now going to see if she will take a chewable multivitamin with iron because they supposedly taste better. She hated the drops from the start and spit them out--I tried to hide them in applesauce, which she refused (how do they know?!), and in OJ, which she wouldn't drink because she doesn't drink juice.

She did have to get two shots today, MMR and Chickenpox. She was such a tough girl! Didn't flinch for the first, but let out one wail and a few tears for the second, then was fine. I'm not sure when we go back--it's either at 18 months or 2 years. We will see the cardiologist again in July-ish, one year from our previous appointment. The dr. said she didn't hear any sort of a murmur today, so that's fantastic!

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What she's doing this month:

• She had another ear infection a few weeks ago, so we went in to have it rechecked after the antibiotics (to make sure it went away), and it was on its way out (one ear still had some fluid). She has a 15 month check-up coming up in the next few weeks, so hopefully everything checks out fine then, as well.
• Sleep is good. She sleeps overnight from 7:30-7ish, and she's working on consolidating her naps from 2 to 1. Some days she takes two shorter naps, and some days she takes a 3+ hour nap right in the middle of the day. If it's a 2-nap day, sometimes her second nap is creeping too close to bedtime, so I'll probably start to try to get her to just nap midday or right after lunch, going forward. We'll see--depends on the day.
• Eating is still going well. She still isn't big on avocado (too slimy) or hot dogs, but most everything else, she's very enthusiastic about. She is starting to show interest in feeding herself with a spoon, so we've started practicing with oatmeal this past week.
• She is not drinking milk, and the pediatrician said that's ok (when we were in for her ear infection a few weeks ago). She said some kids just don't have a taste for it, but to keep offering it sporadically, and she will eventually drink it. I just have to make sure she's getting other forms of calcium, which she is.
• She has started shaking her head when we ask her a question, which is adorable and hilarious. The only way she shakes is side-to-side, though, so she says 'No' to everything we ask, even though we're pretty sure she means to say 'Yes.' She'll get there--it's totally cute.
• We flew to Boise a few weeks ago to see my sister and her family, and the plane rides went as well as one can expect from a crazy lively toddler. There was crying and screaming, there was a poopy diaper onboard, there was kicking and bucking out of my arms, but we survived. I was so thankful to have my mom there to help me with Lenore while my dad helped with Lewis (Lew was an old pro).
• She runs and climbs with excitement. She can even hike up her leg and get on the couch if I'm there for her to grab onto to pull herself up that last little bit. She gets down from the couch safely, for the most part (on her belly, feet first), but stairs have become an issue. I was trying to teach her to stay on her belly and go down feet first, but she hasn't caught on. Rather, she climbs up to the top, turns around, and tries to just walk down like a grown-up. It's terrifying, and it needs to stop while I'm home by myself. She has figured out that she can move aside our temporary gate (a couple of storage totes), so I have ordered and plan to install proper baby gates on the top and bottom of the stairs. Even though they might not be there for long, I need the peace of mind to know she is safe and secure on each floor of the house.
• She loves books! Still the touch and feel ones, lift the flap, and anything sparkly.
• She really loves Mickey and Minnie Mouse! She will find a DVD and point to one of them and say something, and then giggles when I say, 'Mickey! Minnie!' Some of her diapers have them, as well, so she loves pointing at those.
• As far as speaking, she seems to say 'Bah!' a lot. Lewis was 'Dah,' she is 'Bah.' Other words are:
• Wa-wa for water.
• Bah-bah for bottle (of water or milk).
• Buh-buh for Bubba Lew.
• Bah for banana, bed, book, blanket, but also coat, shoes, socks (and most everything else).
• Muh-muh-muh for more (I think).
• Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma for Mama.
• I guess we use context clues to figure out her various forms of Bah. :) Beyond that, she does a lot of grunting and pointing and is getting her point across to us somehow. She's not really saying much, usually.
• She is officially weaned, as of January 4th. I didn't really plan on it--I had a meeting the 5th that lasted until bedtime, so I planned to rush home to do our bedtime routine. When I called Kevin to check in, he said that he'd already put her to bed and that she was going to sleep! The next night, I was doing bedtime solo, but I went ahead and subbed in a couple of books instead of nursing, and she went to sleep. It has just continued after that, so it felt kind of unexpected, not knowing that the last time was really the LAST time. Ever. It feels strange, but I am so happy that I was able to stay with it for Lenore and for Lewis. My old, beat-up nursing pillow already went away with the trash, which was bittersweet (we'd been through so much!). It feels nice to be done, though.
• She's had some dry skin the past few weeks, so I've been putting lotion on her at times. She cackles and loves it, and it cracks me up.
• Also cold weather-related, she loves her coat! She loves to wear it around the house, she loves to carry it around at school (and at home). One particularly crazy night, I'd changed a leaky diaper and left her pants off (since it was almost bath/bedtime), but kept the coat on, so she had dinner in her coat and a diaper.
• She also loves her new shoes--I was having trouble keeping some hand-me-downs on her because she could undo the velcro too easily, so I decided to get some new ones when it was really, really cold a few weeks ago. She LOVES them. At first, she'd march around the house in them, so proudly.
• I finally cut the back of her hair right before we left for Boise. It was looking pretty mullet-ish, so I just wanted to get rid of a few of the longer sections and leave the top and sides to grow out. I cut across, horizontally, but next time I'll go in with little snips vertically, instead. There were a few obvious hack marks when I was finished. ;)
• School continues to go well. She has moved to a different morning of the week from last fall, so she's in with two other babies instead of just one. I think it's going well, though I bet the teacher has her hands full!
• She is wearing 18 months clothing, but I went through her 24 months/2T winter stuff the other day to see if anything will fit her. We seem to wear the same 3 or 4 outfits over and over, so I think it's time to spruce it up a little.
• Current Tooth Count: 12

Lewis the Truest, Vol. XXIV

I have a notebook in my car where I jot these down, and I have fallen behind on typing them up. This one might be longer than usual, and most of them involve a Christmas theme.


I think I posted this on facebook, but I don't think I posted it here. We were driving in the car one day, and he asked:

Lewis: Mooom. Are all of the roads in the world connected to Louisville?


I thought it was a very high level of thinking for a young guy. Despite oceans and islands unreachable by bridges, I told him that we could probably drive from one end of the continent to the other. It really got me thinking--I love questions like that, especially coming from Lewis.

----------

Before Christmas, amidst our all-Christmas-radio-music, all-the-time phase:

Lewis: sniff sniff sniff, sniff sniff sniff
Me: sniff sniff sniff
Lewis: NO! I'M DOING THAT!
Me: Oh, I thought I'd sniff to see what you were sniffing.
Lewis: NO, I'm singing Jingle Bells with my nose!
Me: Ohhhh!

Hysterical.

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On our way home from picking out our Christmas tree this year, we were driving along the same road where Kevin had gotten pulled over a few years ago (on the way TO picking up our Christmas tree). I think the speed limit drops from 40 to 25 or 30 mph, and he didn't drop his speed. The officer did not give us a ticket, just a verbal warning, and we were telling Lewis about it on our way to pick out the tree this year. So on the way home:

Lewis: Dad got a speeding ticket here a few years ago. How did you escape jail, Dad?


:) He's on a police and jail kick right now. It was just cute and a teachable moment.

----------

After his Christmas party at school, he brought home a goody bag that had a small notepad in it. He asked for a pen and was jotting things down on his 'Christmas List.' When he was done, there were a bunch of squiggles on the page:

Me: Did you write out what you want for Christmas?
Lew: Yes.
Me: What does it say?
Lew: A digger. A fire truck with a ladder and remote control. A remote-controlled airplane. The Polar Express. A biplane. A hovercraft. A new bath toy. Another remote-controlled airplane. And a slide.
Me: Oh, my!


He had decided months ago that he wanted a digger that he saw at Costco, and he stood firm all along (even as I tried to talk him out of it because I thought he might be too big for it). Alas, it was all he wanted, so it was what he got. I don't know where he came up with some of that other stuff. A hovercraft? Where would he have even seen one of those? Grandma and Grandpa T. did find him a cool remote-controlled plane (for which we need to order new propellers because we have crashed too many times and broken the two or three replacement propellers already). :)

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Walking out of a store somewhere, Lewis screamed, loudly (which he has been doing occasionally, but I've been ignoring him):

Lewis: SCREAM!
Me: Lewis, stop the screaming.
Lewis: Actually, I'm an eagle.
Me: Well, in that case...


Again, how does he know what an eagle sounds like? I bet his birds-of-prey-loving cousin, Juniper, is going to love making eagle sounds with him next week (we're going for a visit). We'll have to make sure they're either outside or in a separate room where we don't have to hear them at 100% volume. :)

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And just this evening, as we were snuggling in the front seat of the car in the garage while Lenore was napping in the back seat (he was sitting on my lap...there was a lot of closeness going on, let me tell you):

Lewis: Open your mouth! (done, hesitantly) I can see your jewelries! (His word for fillings, which is darling.)

Then he hugged me and said:

Lew: I love you, Mom. Can we stay like this forever?


He can be so sweet. He can also be so not sweet, but for tonight, he was sweet.

Lenore at 14 Months

14 Months Old

I finally emailed it to myself, downloaded it to the computer, and uploaded it to the website. It feels so-2010 with all of the technology around me right now, but I can't figure out why the usual method isn't working. Anyway, it's here, and it was from the 29th, and it's a hilariously not-even-looking-at-the-camera picture, which is exactly the kind of days we are having as of late. I'm just going to leave it be. It makes me smile. :)

It seems like I was just writing her 13 month post--time continues to fly, and I'm still trying to keep up. I did take her picture this morning, but I'm unable to add it to this post for whatever reason. (My phone pictures aren't showing up through the web version, and I don't remember my password to Blogger to try to use the app--why are there so many passwords to remember in this world?) We are heading to Indianapolis to spend time with my parents, so I'll have to add pictures when we get back tomorrow evening. 

Update: I've been trying to add a $%&*&%^#% picture, but my phone isn't aligning with my computer, and I'm at a loss. Maybe it's Blogger? Maybe it's me? Maybe I'm losing my mind? For now, I am walking away until they (my phone and computer) can work it out.

For now, here's what she's been up to:

• She is supposed to be taking Iron supplementation drops, but she hates the taste of them. And when she hates something, she is impossible to convince, otherwise. ;) I'll see what her doctor says at the 15 month check-up--I looked back at the results, and she's on the low end of the 'normal' range, so it's not like she's totally bottoming out.
• She also continues to not care for cow's milk. I have, as of a few weeks ago, officially stopped daytime breastfeeding (we dropped the two pre-nap feedings). I offer sippy cups of milk throughout the day, and she might take a sip here and there, but she prefers water. She does still nurse first thing in the morning and last thing of the day, but that's it. Another thing to ask about (how much milk she's supposed to be having each day).
• She does continue to eat pretty well. She's started being a bit more dramatic at mealtimes, at times, towards the end when she is finished. She has this broad, quick, sweeping motion she does with one of her hands, and that can send her food a-flying across the room. The dogs love it, but it drives me nuts. (Especially when paired with Lewis's complaining about what I've made for dinner, always.)
• She continues to walk, run, and climb like a wild woman. She's starting to learn to get down safely from things (i.e. the couch, a few stairs, etc.). She'll start down the stairs on her belly, and then she might turn around and attempt to walk down them like a grown-person (which is a very bad idea). But, it's a start.
• She and Lewis have started playing better and better together. Lew is always surprising me with his attempts at sharing and being sweet to her and trying to include her in his playing. Of course he still gets frustrated with her, but he has really been working on it.
• She is such a joy, most of the time. She has started this little giggle a la Beavis or Butthead, and it just warms my heart.
• In contrast, when she is sad, she is soooo sad. She flips out her lower lip and her eyes well up with tears, and it's just heartbreaking. She's especially needing-of-a-snuggle immediately after nap time (especially in the afternoon). The only thing that helps is for me to pick her up, so there are a lot of one-handed dinners made. She is on my hip quite a lot through the day, as I think about it (not that I mind, most of the time).
• Current Tooth Count: 12

Lewis the Truest, Vol. XXIII

We have been listening to Christmas music since November 1st--that's when one of the radio stations made the switch to playing it 24 hours/day, and Lew is a big fan. Every time we get in the car, 'Is this the Christmas station?' They've also been practicing at school for their Christmas program, so he's been walking around the house, singing:

Lewis: Sa-hyan-ta Claus is comin' to town, Sa-hyan-ta Claus is comin' to town...

He belts it out with the sweetest Southern twang. He has made up the words to a few songs, as well. I'm very much looking forward to the Christmas program.

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We went out to a Christmas train exhibit last weekend, and on the way home, Kevin was reading a few parts from the brochure for the place we visited:

Kevin: They have over a mile of hiking trails, passing through woodlands and a beaver dam.
Lewis: A BEAVER DAY-UM?

It was hilarious at the time for Kevin and I.

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On the way home from the train exhibit, we were driving through a wooded area.

Me: See how all of the trees have lost their leaves except for the bright yellow-green shrubs? Isn't that interesting? Those shrubs are invasive and aren't supposed to be there--they are bush honeysuckle. That's what I worked to remove when I volunteered with the Olmsted people.
(a second of silence)
Lewis: Are you talking to me, Mom?
Kevin: Yea, I was wondering the same thing!
Me: Nevermind...I'll just keep these things to myself.

It was funny and pretty typical of most days--I feel like I'm talking to a wall. ;)

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Last night at dinner, I served the kids some chicken and steamed carrot sticks. Lewis was already eating his carrots, so I put some more on his plate.

Mama: Did you know that carrots help you see better?
Lewis: Why?
Mama: They have beta-carotene in them, which makes your vision sharper.
Lewis: Oh.
Mama: That's why rabbits have such good eyesight--they like to eat carrots. They rely on their eyesight to look out for predators, their large ears to listen for predators, and then they use their strong legs to run away quickly, if needed. (I'm sure he stopped listening after the first sentence...)

A few minutes later, he was attempting to eat an entire handful at the same time.

Lewis (with his mouth full): I'm eating a hundred of them!
Mama: Ohh, your eye sight should be really sharp, then.
Lewis (after chewing and swallowing): How long does it take to tell the difference?
Mama: I don't know--does anything look sharper or clearer to you?
Lewis (looking around): No.
Mama: Well, I guess we'll just have to keep eating more carrots!

It was so cute. :)