Good and Bad

Bad: AJU5 woke up at 6am yesterday
Good: AJU1 got her out of bed, giving me at least 15 more minutes in bed
Bad: Spilling an entire cup of apple juice on the floor as we were getting ready to eat breakfast.
Bad: AJU5 taking me telling her to stay out of the juice badly (read tantrum ensued)
Good: Both kids resting before church, giving AJU1 and I time to clean the family room.
Good: AJU1 sitting with us at church, allowing us to get both kids asleep for most of the service!
Bad: AJU5 napping during church meant she didn't want to nap when we got home (so no naps for us).
Bad: AJU1 and AJU5 having a stand off over cleaning up a large mess she made in the family room.
Good: After AJU5 finally gave up and was willing to help pick up the mess, she was ready for a nap!
Bad: On the way into evening church service, AJU5 spotted a ball outside she wanted to play with. Being told no led to a 10 minute scream-fest in the playroom at church.
Good: We had popcorn for the third night in a row. It is so cute to watch AJU5 sit in her little chair and eat popcorn!
Bad: AJU6 had some belly issues and had a hard falling asleep. It meant multiple runs up and down the stairs to get him down.
Good: Running up and down the stairs was good exercise.

And that was our day yesterday...

Almost there!

AJU5 has almost all of her capital letters down. The only ones she has any issue with are N, U, V, and Z. For U, she always says double u, but when asked to bring the U, she will bring the U (and not the W or M). Yesterday she did the Z all on her own, and the N is sometimes correct (although pronunciation is a sticking point - it comes out a lot like M). She also knows some of the lower case letters like a (and those who have basically identical upper and lower case letters). So, I think we will have no problem getting them all down by the years end. She also knows two numbers - 2 and 8. I think as AJU6 gets older (and I use the numbers for his month birthdays), we will easily get the others down.

So, AJU5 had been saying "circle and line... line and circle" for a while. I thought she was referring to shapes, as she knows what a circle is. Finally, I realized where she got it from - Word World! On the "Bed Bugs" episode, Frog gets a new bed, which of course comes as the letters b, e, and d. He is showing the bugs how to determine which is the b and which is the d (lower case) and sings a song: "Line and circle is the letter b, ... circle and line is the letter d." Now, I don't know if she has the letter part in her mind, but she knows circle and line!

Okay, now to deal witht he toddler who is trying to climb on my lap while I type... more later - someday - I don't know when...

All Good Things Must Come to an End...

Diaper changing AJU6 is no longer a safe experience. The boy peed during a diaper change for the first time this morning. He did make it over two months, so I am not complaining. And, he waited until I had almost gotten the new diaper on to do it, so I take half blame (I was having issues getting him all cleaned up because the wipes where just not picking things up). Luckily, I was over to the side so he didn't get me. He got his jammies, the changing table pad, the cabinets, and the floor though. Luckily everything is either a solid surface or washable!

But what a way to start out the morning...

Snug as Bug

A few tidbits about sleep around here:

Yesterday AJU5 fell asleep on our way home from church. I successfully got her up to and into her big girl bed asleep. This was no small feet! It involved me crawling onto the bed with her in my arms, making sure she was still asleep, and then crawling out. Unfortunately, she work about 15 minutes later and refused to nap the rest of the day. It made evening service "fun" because she was exhausted!

So, she fell asleep on the way home from evening service. But, since she was still in her nice dress and hadn't had her diaper changed in a few hours, we couldn't just drop her in the crib. So, my husband tried to wake her when he got her out of the car with no luck. He deposited her on the couch when they got inside, and I went to work changing her. She was so out that she laid ont he couch with her feet hanging out for a while. She did stir a little because getting her out of her dress was no small feet, but she never fully woke. And she slept 12 hours, so I am not oging to complain one bit!

AJU6 has had issues falling asleep the last two night. The only thing that has worked to get him asleep and to stay asleep is to lay down with him. He lays with his head on my arm, and we just snuggle for 10-15 minutes. Then, I can "deposit" him in his bed for the evening. I can get him asleep standing and rocking, but I can't keep my arms in the same exact position for 10-15 minutes, so he wakes. Luckily, the laying down works and I don't mind the snuggles!

So, I think that is it.

How have you been sleeping lately?

Lucky

When I was starting to get frustrated Wednesday evening, I realized I am lucky. I don't end up having to do it all most days or weeks. My husband is normally home by 4:30 or 5;00. He normally gets every other Friday off (as well as Saturdays and Sundays). When he travels, it is normally for one or two nights only.

I started to think of those whose husbands have to work 60 hours a week. Those families whose husband is only around on the weekends. I think of those families who work at places that don't value families. Then I realized having to do it all for a week and a half isn't that bad.

Wednesday night wasn't fun. AJU6 had 3 shots that afternoon and was not a happy camper. He just couldn't get comfortable for long because any movement in his little legs hurt him (luckily Tylenol eventually kicked in and he started to feel better. AJU5 was back at her not wanting to go to bed until every late (8;30ish), so I had two kids to wrangle when I was getting tired too. But, that was the last night of my husband's crazy work schedule at least for a little bit.

Normally if my husband has to work extra, he will do at most an hour Monday through Thursday and then work on Friday even if it is supposed to be a Friday off. But, when I hard deadline is coming up, they end up working even more than that. And, normally I don't mind the extra hours because he still gets paid overtime because he isn't staff. But, boy, with two kids it is harder!

Oh, and a little size update for AJU6:
10lbs 3.75 oz (25th percentile)
22.5 in long (over 25th percentile)
41cm+ head (nurse measured it at 41cm, but the doctor thinks it is larger than 50th percentile by look)

Two Months Old!

That's right. My little guy is 2 months old. I can't believe it. He is getting too big. Although, I do love the smiles and coos these days. Oh, and I love the sleep most nights. But, he is growing up too quickly!

Keeping Up

So, I am able to keep up with the kids day in and day out. The basics are easy - feeding, changing, sleeping, etc. Even with AJU1 working 20 hours more than he usually does last week and not0so-nice weather that kept us inside most of the time, AJU5 seemed happy. I keep up with my work-work, grading and responding to questions as they come in. But, the house is falling apart! I make dinner every night, and i have even gotten fairly good at mixing up the menu a little bit so we aren't eating grilled chicken every night. But the cleaning - yeah, that is another story.

So, today, while the kids napped, I tackled a little bit of the kitchen. All of the dishes were loaded into the dishwasher and one countertop was cleaned. I also put stuff in the toilets so I could clean them here in a little bit. I still have to tackle the dining area, as one certain toddler drops a lot of food! We did get the downstairs vacuumed on Saturday, and of course I got the laundry done. Hopefully I can get the upstairs vacuumed this week too. Our house (other than dining area and sometimes the kitchen) aren't dirty, but it just isn't totally clean. I am not a huge fan of cleaning, but it needs to be done. It has been months since we dusted. We only mop once a month if it is a good month. The showers and tubs rarely get scrubbed.

What do you have the hardest time keeping up with?

Product Review Friday - Infant Clothing/Sizing

Above is a picture of Carter sleepers in sizes NB and 3M. Can you tell which ones are NB?


Here is a hint - there are not three NB sleepers!


Any ideas?


Answer - the third and forth from the left. The fifth one is 3M! Some of them had never been washed (brand new), but the two monkey ones on the right have been washed the same number of times. The red sleeved one has been washed the most since it is a hand-me-down.

Really Carter - can't you make clothes the same size? It is bad enough trying to remember sizing differences between brands.

Wordless Wednesday - Asleep at Church

Taken two Sundays ago...

Baby Shower

So, my friends from church through AJU6 and I a baby shower. They offered to throw one before he was born, but I decided it would be more fun for all to wait until January. Since we didn't know the gender, there really wasn't much we wanted/needed before he was born! We had fun eating, fellowshipping, and opening presents. And of course, many of hte ladies got a chance to hold the guest of honor, which they loved! So, here are some pictures from Saturday!

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Me opening presents - not the flabby belly that I so hope goes away!

AJU5 with a present from little E (in the pink dress) which big friend E helped open.

The guest of honor not sure what is going on.

FAIL!

Okay, so I have so many blog ideas these days that involve pictures. But, I am never able to get the pictures taken, downloaded onto my computer, and then write a post. I used to be able to blame my husband since he did the picture downloading, but when we changed to Windows 7 and upgraded computers, that isn't an excuse. So, it is all on me.

I want to post about AJU6's baby shower on Saturday. I want to write a post about baby clothes and how even one brand can't be consistent with size. I want to show off pictures of AJU5 at the park and AJU6 playing on his mat. But, they will have to wait. I thought about downloading the pictures today, but then I realized my battery was almost dead. So, I had to charge the battery before doing anything else (currently charging). Then I have to remember to take the pictures off of the camera later today when I have a chance. I don't like to do it when AJU5 is around because she steals the camera. Yes - it is one of her favorite toys. She loves to carry it everywhere. It really makes taking pictures of her hard unless she is distracted. And, when she is distracted, I don't get good facial shots normally.

Okay, so I think that is about it. AJU5 did do well at the meeting on Friday and fairly well at church yesterday. AJU6 is letting me sleep quite a bit at night, so I am not dragging too much. And, life in general is going fairly well.

Maybe by Friday I will have good posts with pictures...

Delurking Day!

Well, it is delurking day! So, if you are reading this, please leave a comment introducing yourself (unless you are a regular commenter - then you can just say hi :) ).

In other news, things are going well here. I took the kiddos to the library today for storytime. AJU6 slept the whole time in the sling carrier whilc AJU5 behaved fairly well. It was only girls today, and all are fairly close in age (other than AJU6 of course), so they had fun running around the kids section of the library after the storytime while us moms got to talk. Then we came home for naps and lunch. After that we headed to a friend's house for the afternoon. I had my 6 wk post partum appointment (at 7 weeks because my doctor takes the beginning of January off each year), so AJU5 got to play with her friends while AJU6 and I took care of that. So, we had a busy day!

As for the post partum appointment, I have lost 24 pounds so far. I was hoping for closer to 30, but I am not going to complain too much. Hopefully the remaining 20 pounds will come up in the next few months! I have plans for more trips to the park and hopefully walks in the near future, so that should help. Oh, and maybe I will eat a little better - 3 bowls of cereal in one day is a little much I think :) Oh, and my body is still healing. I ended up with a third degree tear/episiotomy because there was such a rush to get AJU6 out (his heart rate was half of what it should have been). I knew it wasn't completely healed yet, but I was nice to hear my doctor said it is almost healed and should be 100% in the next few weeks.

Tomorrow I may be adventurous and take the kids to a meeting at work. If we go, we will leave as soon as AJU5 starts acting up. I don't have to attend because I am a part-timer, but I like to hear what is going on... So stay tuned to hear how it goes!

Genius!

Not me - AJU6! This boy is hitting milestones early, and I am loving it! Sunday night (at 6 wks 3 days), he rolled from his belly to his back on a hard surface. He had rolled off of me many times in the past, but this time he was on his blanket on the middle of a table with adult witnesses other than me! Then, just a few minutes ago I saw him holding one of his toys1 It is attached to a playmat, and he had a good grip on it. Now, to top this off, he didn't need to eat for 6 hours last night! I did have to give him his pacifier after about 2.75 hours, but that was all I had to do! And he was doing this in his bed (in the boppy pillow of course) - not ours!

He is definitely different from AJU5. I think some of it is because my life is more flexible than it was when she was this age. I don't have to go to work every morning. We aren't spending all of our nights remodeling a house. So, instead I can cuddle him a lot more. I think this is making it so he is ready to sleep at night instead of wanting more snuggle time. I can feed him every hour for 3 hours before bed without a worry.

Now, the downside of this is that he may become mobile earlier... I love it when they can play with you, but mobile means a whole new level of mommy-stress! It is so much easier when you can lay them down somewhere and not worry about them moving!

AJU5 crawled at 6.5 months... let's see when AJU6 does...

Ahhh!!!

That is what I felt like doing yesterday at church. AJU1 has been our church's AV guy, which means he sits in the little room upstairs running everything instead of downstairs with us. There have been Sundays where AJU5 has been somewhat of a handful, but it has been fairly easy to deal with really. Yesterday was not he case. First, she was going back and forth from the nursery to our pew. She was come and suck on her pacifier and drink a little and then head to the nursery. This wouldn't be too bad if she was tall enough to open the nursery door. Instead, she had to stand in front of the door and yell (because, well, she has no volume control it seems) open and then Mommy if they didn't open the door fast enough. Then, she came and sat down for a while. She wanted a hymnal, which I was happy to give her. But then she started to yell the letter she saw. Again, she has no volume control, so she was quite loud. I tried to tell her to whisper, to be quiet, to close her mouth. I tried the pacifier; I tried gently holding her mouth shut; I tried putting my hand over her mouth. Nothing worked. "Luckily" she gave up after a while and went back towards the nursery. Unfortunately, she did not go to the nursery. She went to the water fountain and yelled for me again. So, I went and got her and took her outside (we have a very small church, and there was no good place to take her inside - luckily it wasn't that cold out and she still had her jacket on). She creid to get back in. A friend offered to hold JAU6 for me, but since AJU5 was just crying and AJU6 was asleep in my arms, I kept him. At the point she was heading back in, AJU1 came out. He tried to get AJU5 to calm down, but there was no success there. So, he went back in. Eventually she did calm down, so we walked in. But, as soon as we were inside she started balling again. So, I rushed her into the small room opposite the nursery and tried to talk to her. Before too long the husband of the friend that had offered to hold AJU6 came to take over for AJU1 (he has been the back-up guy). So, AJU1 came and AJU5 calmed down again. We were able to go sit in the pew for the last song and announcements. Now, AJU5 didn't cry for two reasons at that point - eating and the sleeping! I knew half of the issue was she was tired. But, it is impossible to get her to nap unless she is totally exhausted or in her bed...

At the end of service (during announcements), my husband asked for volunteers to help with the AV things so he can be with us more weeks. The back-up man already had told him he was up for helping again (since his kids were older now so he wasn't as needed in the pew to contain them). After service, another man and two women in the church offered to learn how to help as well. So, hopefully, within the next month, we will get to the point where AJU1 will be with us most weeks (they are going to rotate working upstairs). This should make it so we can train AJU5 since there will be two of us! I won't have to juggle both kids most weeks, and both of us will be there to enforce the rules.

The hard thing for me has been the running back and forth. The nursery isn't too insulated, so letting her cry to come out isn't an option. But, trying to keep her in the pew normally resulted in crying as well. But, with two of us we should be able to contain her easier... We will see!

Ugh!

AJU5 is not sleeping well. Yesterday, she barely napped. She wanted the big girl bed, so we got everything set up there (pillow, juice, pacifiers, and blanket) only to have her exit the bed within minutes. She went back into her bed quite a few times, but she wouldn't stay. Eventually, I convinced her to try and nap in her crib. But, she didn't nap longer than 30 minutes (if she napped at all). So, MAYBE she had an hour worth of nap when she normally gets 2-3 hours yesterday. Then last night she cried just after we crawled into bed. She had been whimpering for about 30 minutes, so we gave in and went to see what she was upset about. All she wanted was to sleep with me. Now, AJU6 was having a hard time falling asleep, so he was laying on my right arm. So, "naturally" AJU5 took her spot on my right arm. Luckily I was able to free my arms and just haved them wrapped around the kids within 10 minutes. Then, I was able to turn onto my side and face AJU6 within half an hour (I can't sleep well on my back). Around midnight AJU6 woke to feed. I feed him laying down, and as "luck" would have it we ended up having to roll over. So, it was me, AJU6, AJU5, and then AJU1 who was fast asleep on about half of the bed. Eventually AJU5 woke up and asked for her bucket of all things (a little toy bucket she likes to carry around). AJU1 woke during this because she cried loudly and convinced her to go back to her bed. At 4, we heard her crying again. And, once again all she wanted was me. Since AJU6 was already occuppying the middle of the bed, I put her between me and the pack-n-play bassinet. AJU1 stuffed my body pillow along the side to make sure she didn't fall off. 4:30 rolls around, and it is time for AJU1 to get up. By this point, AJU6 had rolled/squirmed his way up against him (about a foot movement) so I have to move him first. Then we went back to sleep. At 6, AJU6 woke to eat. So, I changed him and was getting back into bed when AJU5 woke. Luckily, I was able to convince her to go back to sleep.

We think one issue she had was AJU1 forgot to put her cups in her bed for her (they made it to her room but not her bed). She has been stuffed up some at night (as have the rest of us), so she gets thirsty. And, since she didn't have any drink, she got mad. But I don't know what was up with the naps. Today she is napping in the crib (after resting in the big girl bed earlier). So, hopefully tonight will be a better night of sleep!

*Normally I try to put AJU6 down in the bassinet after he falls asleep. But, last night he wanted to nurse too close to bedtime. I hadn't had a chance to get him fully asleep first.

Wordless Wednesday - Big Girl Bunk Beds!

So Promising...

We went to the park this afternoon. It is about 1/4 mile from our house, so we just walk there. I had AJU6 in the front carrier, so I had both hands free! Going to the park (as usual) was easy. With the exception of crossing the street, I don't worry about holding AJU5's hand because the roads are not busy (and I stay on the street side in case she starts to bolt for the street). At the park there was only one or two cries, and those were very short. She even got the courage to slide down two slides completely by herself (I normally have to hold a finger). Then we started to head home after 30-45 minutes. She (amazingly) was willing to go home and wait for Daddy. That is until we got to where we had to cross the street...

I asked for a finger - she refused.
I asked if she wanted to be carried... crying started.
I carried her across the street and went to put her down.
She turned to go back to the park.
I turned her back around.
She cried some more.
She tried to bolt towards the park.
I ended up having to carry her.
I let her down after a while only to have to carry her again (bolting back to the park). Repeat a few times...

She cried after we got in the house. She asked to go to bed, so I put her in her crib with milk and juice so she could calm down. Eventually she did...

Adjusting

AJU1 went back to work today. There are no plans for holidays or vacations until at least March, so it is time to adjust to the new normal. So far - so good!

AJU5 was a handful last week at times. She has gotten very demanding and will throw a tantrum when she doesn't get her way. There is a hint that this might be partly due to teething, but we aren't sure. Last night, she was also running a temperature (or so I guessed based totally on feel), so I drugged her with Motrin. This morning she has been great. She isn't hot anymore, but she is a little stuffy. So, I drugged her with a little Benadryl before nap time :) I think the stuffiness may just be allergies ebcause AJU6 and I woke up stuffy too (but we have cleared up by now).

So, not to figure out our new "routine" during the week... School starts for me on Monday, but I have a lot of prep work to do. Library storytime starts next week. So, this week will be a good trial run of just normal days. I can figure out when it is best for me to work. I can figure out the best times to figure out what is for dinner (because I haven't had to cook much since November). Hopefully we will get "organized" so AJU5 will be happier and not take things out out AJU6...

And as for that - she kicked him Saturday morning! I had them both in my lap, and she kicked him in the head trying to get him off my lap. Luckily AJU1 and my sister were there, and she got removed from the room. She is definitely jealous of him! She has also requested to be held like a baby (laying in our arms) and requests that he be moved from places where she wants to lay/play. We also learned the hard way to not use her blanket for him EVER! I used it once to cover myself up while feeding him, and she pulled it off. Another time AJU1 had wrapped AJU6 up in it and had him laying on the couch. AJU5 tried to pull her blanket away and almost pulled him with it (luckily multiple adults were there to stop her). Ahh, the joys of two kids!

Are you getting back into the swing of things this week?

My To Do List for 2010

Hi - it is AJU5 here. Mommy is letting me publish my goals for 2010 here for everyone to read. So, here they are!

• Learn my letters and numbers. I can already point out some, so hopefully the others will be just as easy!
• Learn to use the potty.
• Sleep in my big girl bed all the time.
• Take swimming lessons.
• Visit Grandpa's farm and Grampy's lake.

I might add more later, but I am getting sleepy now. Too many things going on!

Transformation

We bought bunk beds for the kids on Monday. We got them all set up yesterday. Last night we asked AJU5 where she wanted to sleep for the night. She chose the bunk bed, but when we shut the door after putting her down for the night, she wailed. Within minutes we were able to get her down and quiet in her crib. So, today when it came time for a nap, we let her pick again. She chose the bed again, and I got her all settled. I made one slight change - I didn't shut the door completely - and she took a good nap! We didn't hear anything out of her until she woke up. So, maybe this transition thing won't be so hard...

One downside is that my sister and her family are coming for two days (Friday-Sunday). So, she won't get a choice then. She will be relegated to her crib for those two nights and one nap. But, that shouldn't set us back much if any.

Pictures to come later...

*We were able to assemble the bed almost completely on Monday. We just had to wait on installing two support boards (cordless drill needed to be charged first) and bedding...

One Month Old

An exert from his one month letter to family and friends:
Yesterday was Christmas. AJU5 opened most of my presents for me since I was content sleeping or lying in Mommy’s arms. I did help open one present, but my hands just don’t want to grab things like paper just yet! Clothe and Mommy’s necklace are fun to grab, but paper just doesn’t feel very good. The food smelled good, but Mommy wouldn’t give me any! She said I was too little to eat just yet. Maybe next year I can have some.

As for what I do when I am home, I mainly just sleep and eat. Sometimes I will “play” with AJU5 or sit and watch everyone, but normally I just like to sleep. The best place to sleep is right next to Mommy or in her arms. Daddy’s chest is also good when I get a chance to snuggle with him. I will also sleep on my side in my bed/boppy pillow, glider, or the bean bag. But, don’t try to put me down on my back! I will move and wake myself up within minutes. I can only sleep on my back when I am in my car seat or in someone’s arms. I am strong though! I can hold my head up and control it with no real problems. I can also roll off of objects from my belly to my back or from my side to my belly. I have yet to roll all the way over starting flat on the ground though. I will sleep for 3-4 hours at a time at least once or twice a day though. That gives Mommy and chance to rest supposedly. But normally I like to wake up after an hour or two so I can eat some more! I have to keep eating so I can gain weight and get bigger!

Gifts...

I keep giong back and forth. AJU6 has only two gifts from us this year - a duck in his stocking and an outfit under the tree. AJU5 has twice as many - a whole 4 presents! She has two books and a DVD set under the tree and candy in her stocking. Now, part of the reason they have so few things is because they end up with so much from family this time of year. With their birthdays and Christmas all within a month, they get lots of new things. Plus, they are at an age when they don't care who things are from and often forget about presents when they get a new one.

But, then I feel like I am a cheap-skate. AJU5's presents are worth a total of about $20. AJU6's are even less. Now, I bet AJU5 will love the things she is getting. And, I know she will have other gifts too. AJU6 will be totally oblivious to everything, so no issues there either. And, it does mean I don't feel like I am spoiling them other times of the year when I buy them things.

I guess I just wonder what we will do in a few years when they know who is buying them what and expect things. I hope to teach them to be happy with what they get, but I am almost 100% sure that I will have to spend at least a little bit more on them in the future (especially since I spend $20-25 on each of their cousins for Christmas)...

Do you feel like you spoiled your kids this year? Do you feel like you didn't get them enough?

Am I Insane?

So, we are staying home for Christmas. We decided traveling with an almost 1 month old was just not going to be any fun! Luckily, we have friends in town who aren't traveling either, so they are coming over around 12:30 Christmas day. So, it will be 4 adults, a 2 yr old, a 1 yr old, and an almost 1 month old for Christmas dinner!

So, to the insanity part... Here is what I am planning on for dinner;
Turkey (10lb)
Ham
Homemade rolls
Twice baked potatoes
Jelly salad
Olives
Green beans
Sparkling cider

Now, my husband isn't inept in the kitchen, but he is going to be busy entertaining AJU5 Christmas morning I bet... So, I get to do all of that myself - plus feed AJU6 when he is hungry! Hopefully I will survive...

First Week Home With Two Kids...

SUCCESS!!!
Last week went very well, AJU5 didn't have any more meltdowns than she had before AJU6 was born. And, only one or two was because of him! She is not a fan of the word no, so anytime she has to be told no is likely to lead to a HUGE meltdown. Luckily, she gives up fairly quickly most of the time.

We made it out of the house all but one day. We went to the grocery store, to Costco, to the post office, and to work last week. We have more errands to run today, so hopefully they will go well too. I am still "training' her in the order we get in and out of the car. I think she is afraid I am going to leave her because I have to go to the other side and get AJU6 first. Then I go back to the driver's side and get her and lock the car (yeah, no key fob thing for my economy car...). What really throws her off I think is that AJU1 gets her and I get AJU6 when we are together. So, sometimes she does get to get out immediately! But, because she has a tendency to just start walking away, I can't have her out when I get AJU6 out...

Now, I am not 100% sure what I am going to do about trying to cook dinner in the afternoons... Last week we had four friends bring over food. We still have enough left overs for at least tonight (and tomorrow's lunch), but I don't think there is enough for Tuesday night and Wednesday's lunch... So, that might be a challenge! Maybe I will go the easy route and just get a pizza!

Wordless Wednesday - Birthday Pictures

Early birthday cake (6 days early)Blowing out the candles

Digging in

Birthday Cookies

The Lick Method

And the little guy...

Two!

First, AJU5 is two today. Just over 2 years ago, she was born (i.e. 2 years and some minutes). She is getting so big, but it still feels like yesterday that she was born! We decided to skip the party this year due to AJU6, but she has already had cake. I am going to get her some cookies today, and her friends are coming over for a little bit this afternoon. So, it won't be without celebration.

In the future, I plan on doing one party for both kids. With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all of the other stuff between them, I have a feeling it will be easier to just pick one day and have one party! Plus, this way we won't have to deal with jealousy :) We will probably celebrate both birthdays with our families when we visit them for the respected holidays too, so it will only be their actual birthday that will be separate.

Today is also the first day I have both kids by myself. AJU1 has worked 4 days since AJU6 was born, but those were while his mom was still here. There are only 9 work days left for him this year, so hopefully we will survive :) Actually, it has been pretty easy so far. AJU5 woke around 6:15. AJU6 was also stirring during this time, so we all got up. After a little melt down because AJU1 was a t work, we headed downstairs. AJU5 wanted a waffle first thing, so she ate that while I started to feed AJU6. Then she was ready for her two morning shows (one Curi0us George and one W0rd World) . I fed AJU6 and then got him down for a nap. I was able to sneak upstairs and get into the bathroom before AJU5's shows were done. So, I got a shower - before noon! AJU5 met me at the bathroom door and led me downstairs. She wanted another show. I said no (saving them for feedings later), and she melted again. She asked to go to bed, so I put her in bed (knowing she wouldn't sleep). She played for a good hour in her bed! I was able to get some work done before AJU6 woke to eat some more. When she got up, she headed to find AJU6. He had of course moved since she went to her bed, so I had to assure her he was still in the house. She then proceeded to bring my his things. She ended up putting six blankets on the little guy. Luckily, she took to the fact that he would get hot with all of those blankets and left him with just two receiving blankets. Then she colored for a while before asking to go to bed again. And Again, she isn't sleeping. She is talking and singing. But, it is about nap time (within 30 minutes), so maybe she will eventually just crash...AJU6 is acting fussy. I don't know if he is hungry or just not happy... I will have to see here soon...

Expect a post with pictures in the next few days!

Check-Ups

So, AJU5 and AJU6 both had a check-up a the doctor yesterday. It was AJu5's 2 year check-up and AJU6's 2 week check-up. We started with AJu5's height and weight on the big kid scale (a first for her). She is 25th percentile in both areas - a little drop in height, but she was 25th percentile at 15 months too. Then they measured her head while I stripped AJU6 down to his diaper. Her head is still huge - 90th percentile. Then it was time for all of AJU6's measurements: 7lbs 4oz (25th percentile), 20 in (25th percentile), and 75th percentile head. Do you notice a trend?

Then I stripped AJU5 down to her diaper and filled out an autism evaluation form before the doctor came in. We decided to give AJU5 the shot of going first. She did great! She sat ont he table and was very content. Then it was AJU6's turn. He was only upset when she touched him with the cold stethoscope. Otherwise he slept the whole time! The doctor and I talked a little bit and then I got the kids dressed and got ready to go (scheduling AJU6's 2 month check-up, turning in our forms, and picking up a sticker for AJU5). The hardest part of the trip - getting AJU5 back into the car! She refused to sit in her seat. I had to use all of my strength to get her strapped in. But I won eventually and she calmed down before we got too far on the road.

I actually made it most of the morning with both of them alone. AJU1 was home, but he was working outside from 8 until almost noon. Hopefully Monday will go as smoothly... Luckily at most AJU1 was 9 days of work left this calendar year!

Different

I am seeing how big AJU5 is these days compared to her baby brother. I changed both their stinky diapers within a half hour time period, and I was shocked at just how big her diapers are! She is in a Size 4 while he is wearing newborns. When she holds him, she dwarfs him. Then I look at pictures of her at birth. She was a pound and a half bigger, and still she looked small. But, because she was in the NICU with babies half her size, I wasn't taken back with her size as much. Now I find this little guy very tiny!

I also notice the difference when I pick up AJU5 after carrying AJU6 around all day. She is definitely heavier. But, then I realize she is probably 50th percentile or smaller. She could weigh a lot more at her age! I am glad she is small though - it makes holding both of them easier.

I have had both of them in my lap quite a bit. AJU5 will want up while I am holding or nursing AJU6. Luckily, we have wide couches, so there is room for both of them. I have a feeling we will be watching a lot of TV in the near future while I nurse AJU6! It is one way to get her not to ask me to get up and go play with her. I wonder how many Curious George and Word World episodes I will have memorized by the end of winter...

Big Sister!

AJU5 is taking to having a baby around fairly well. Some times she is jealous, but those are minimal. It is normally when she wants me to do something with her and I can't because AJU6 is eating. But, if she just wants to be with me, she will climb into my lap and snuggle. So, there have been many moments with two kids in my arms! She is more than willing to help with AJU6 too. She has fetched clothes and diapers for me so far. She also noticed he was only in his diaper this morning and asked where his clothes were. So, I think we are doing well. It will be interesting to see how she does when it is only the three of us during the day though. That will be the biggest challenge I think. Right now she has someone to play with her almost all the time, so if I am busy they will take her and distract her. But, my MIL leaves in 8 days, and AJU1 will be back at work. Luckily it isn't too long until Christmas, and AJU1 gets a full week off of work then.

And as for AJU6, he is doing well. His bilirubin levels are down to 14 today, and he weighed in at 6lbs 12oz on a different scale. So, our thought that yesterday's scale was wrong are probably correct. He might have been below his birth weight yesterday, but he wasn't a full 5 oz down! Due to his dropped bilirubin levels and increased weight, he doesn't have to go to the doctor's office until his two week check-up. The doctor's office part wasn't too bad (just a weight check), but having to go to the lab and having his blood drawn wasn't fun. Although, today he cried more for the weight check than for the blood draw! I am fairly sure it was because I woke him up taking off his clothes though. For the blood draw, we just left him in his car seat and he slept through most of it (a few tears here and there, but because he was bleeding so well, they didn't have to hurt him much at all).

Now to go relax until everyone else gets back from running around town! I am getting very spoiled with a quiet house this week!

Yellow...

I am not yellow, but AJU6 sure is! He is supposed to be getting a special bili-blanket delivered to help with his jaundice. I am glad they are going with the blanket instead of the light box so I can keep holding him! Oh, and he has lost almost 5 oz since birth. I am not 100% sure that is accurate..

Now about 3 hours later than I started this I have found out there are no bili-blankets to be had in town. Nor is there any phototherapy stuff available to us for tonight at least. So, instead we will just let him be "normal" tonight and see if his levels have dropped by morning. If they go up, he might end up back in the hospital - which I will fight of course! But somewhere between 3 and 5 days they normally peak, and since he is eating and pooping well, he probably peaked today. So, that is our hope!

Pictures!

Well, That Was Not What I Expected...

Yesterday morning, shortly after I got up, I started having contractions. I was fairly certain within an hour that they were for real but that it would be a while before anything really happened. I spent most of the morning laying on the couch watching TV because it was most comfortable. If I stood up, I was guaranteed to have a contraction within a minute, and I wanted to let the rest of the family have Thanksgiving dinner. My MIL sort of rushed dinner because she could tell things were starting to speed up. I rushed my husband through pie, and we headed to the hospital about 1:30. We got to triage just after 2, and at 2:30 my doctor checked and I was at 5cm dilated and contracting every 2-3 minutes. But, the baby was still high. So, they moved me to a real room. They started the IV and were getting things ready so I could have the epidural. Around 3, I started feeling pressure and the nurse noticed that and a slight deceleration in the baby's heart rate, so she checked me. I was at 10cm and the baby had dropped completely. So, no epidural - this baby was coming out! They paged the doctor and help. From there it is a blur. They lost his heart rate. They called in support. There were tons of people in the room. And I was told to push like crazy because he was not happy inside! They used the vacuum to help, but all it did was keep him from going back up. At 3:34 pm, AJU6 was born. And, now we are home!

Details:
Sex- Male
Weight- 6lbs 11oz
Length- 19in
Head- 14 in

I will post a picture once I figure out where my husband put them on the server...

Still No Baby...

So, I thought this little one would be here by now. It's big sister showed up 4 days early, and at most this one will be 3 days early... Now I am just praying it shows up on its own! I am 4 cm dialated (3cm two weeks ago, 3.5 last week). But, as somewhat expected, this one hasn't dropped (AJU5 never did - hence the c-section). My doctor was a little surprised to see me today though - she thought I might have had the baby already too. I did find out one good thing today though - my OB will be at the hospital tomorrow (day), Friday (day), and Saturday (night). So, if I go into labor during any of these 12 hour shifts, she will still get to deliver this little one. So, now that is what I am praying for!

Mayeb I Am Glad the Baby Hasn't Come...

It has been a "fun" 24 hours. Really, it hasn't been bad, but it hasn't all been good. Yesterday morning was normal. We got up, AJU5 watched two shows while I made breakfast, put Tom in the fridge, and got some other random things done (and AJU1 slept a little and then reviewed Sunday School material). Breakfast was normal, and then AJU5 took a nap (and I showered and napped as well). Sunday School was normal - AJU5 had a few toddler moments of wanting to be a handful and not participate, but once the glue sticks came out she was perfectly fine. Church service went fine too - she snuggled for half and then played for half. After church we ran to REI to get ski tickets for February (big discount - going with friends to share child-watching). AJU5 started to doze the last few minutes before we parked. But, we kept her awake.

When we got home, we thought she would crash, but no. She laid down for about 20 minutes, but that was it. We watched the NASCAR race, and at the end she was asking to go to bed. Unfortunately, it was too late for nap but too early for bed. So, we let her watch two of her shows before heading to church. She did normal at church - and then melted down at the very end. We got everything ready as my husband went over some details for the next few weeks with Pastor (he will be out of town). AJU5 CRASHED in my arms within minutes. She stayed out even when we got home, so we just took off her skort and let her go to slep in her tights and shirt.

Now for the real fun - Midnight. AJU5 started screaming. I gave her a few minutes, but soon I realized she was not going to go back to sleep. So, I got up and went to see what the problem was. I got her out of bed and tried to explain it was still sleepy time since she wanted to go downstairs. I went and got her cup out of bed, and then I saw it - puke. It was just milk (which is what was in her cup), we I decided we would get juice downstairs, change her, and put her back to bed. She did request cheese while we were downstairs, but other than that things went as planned. She laid down, coughed a few times, and puked again. So, I got her up again (since she was crying) and changed her pillow (exchanging it for one on the guest bed) since the two in her room both had wet spots now.

So, we went downstairs and watched an episode of Curious George and gave her some medicine - Benadryl, Robitussin, and Mortin mixed together. She refused it at first from her little cup. Then she coughed again and puked again. I got the syringe medicine thing and gave her the rest of the medicine. Once George was over, she slept until her normal time. She seems perfectly normal this morning. So, I am hoping it was just the allergies that led to a cough that led to the puking. But, I want to be sure before I call over a babysitter to head to the hospital to have this little one. So, I am happy there has been no action on Junior on that front.

And. I am thankful I wasn't having to handle two kids with one sick! I would be exhausted today if that was the case. Instead, I only had to snuggle AJU5 while she watched her show. So, now I am praying this baby just comes on its own sometime in the next 7 days. If not, I will be about to go into the OR...

Product Review Friday - Overnight Diapers (Revisted)

So a month or two ago I bought the Pampers nighttime diapers instead of the Huggies because they were cheaper. Conclusion - they don't work as well! Based on weight alone, they don't hold as much as the Huggies. So, we are sticking to the Huggies brand. I did buy AJU5 a package of Pull-Ups from Costco that contains some nighttime pull-ups. Those seem to work about as well as the Huggies Overnights, although we have only used them once. We will wait until she is a little more willing to sit on a toilet before using the Pull-Ups since they are more expensive.

But, my friend put AJU5 in a standard Pampers yesterday (thanks for changing her while she was at your house), and they seem to hold more than standard Huggies or Kirtland diapers. I wish there was consistency in brands! But, then again during the day you don't need them to hold as much normally. So, the others work just fine.

Okay, enough on diapers... Now to pray that in the next 9 months AJU5 will sit on a toilet and be willing to start using one! I don't want to have two kids in diapers forever!

"Wordless" Wednesday - Painting

Busy, But Not...

I have gotten a good bit of stuff done lately, but then I don't think I have actually done that much. It started last Tuesday when I cleaned out our downstairs closet and shoe drawers. Then, Wednesday I cleaned out 6 kitchen cabinets and sanitized all of the baby bottle stuff I found in the process. Thursday was normal story time at the library and doctor's appointment, so no housework was done. Friday we rearranged AJU5's room to make way for bunk beds (when we purchase them - which might not be for a while), and I cleaned out the inside freezer (attached tot he fridge). I also went and got my hair cut (just 4 inches off the bottom - straight cut) and then went back with AJU5 to get her hair cut (making it almost one layer plus bangs instead of the mess she had). Saturday I emptied out the outside freezer (and stuffed all of that stuff into the inside freezer) and turned it off so it could defrost and did the normal laundry. I also organized AJU5's toys during the week (as I found them) so they are easier to pick up now.

On the to-do list still are cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming and mopping all appropriate floors, and organizing the pantry and "junk" drawer. Hopefully I can tackle on bathroom a day (minus the shower in ours because I can't get down to clean it well enough these days) and then the organizing pantry and drawer before Saturday. Saturday will be the big floor day, as I need AJU1 to distract AJU5 while I mop (i.e. to avoid toddler in the bucket issues). Then the house will be clean and organized for the in-laws!

But, then I think of how the in-laws house looks most of the time we go there. We end up cleaning and organizing half of the time because there is going to be a big gathering and it needs to be done. So, part of me wonders why I am spending so much time getting everything neat and organized for them. But, that is just how I am. I hate having people over when the house isn't clean!

And T minus 2 weeks until the baby is hear (if not before)! I think I am ready...

Not Superwoman...

With AJU5 I had no real pregnancy issues the last trimester. Yes, I had to get up and pee in the middle of the night and it was a little harder to get up and down, but I was definitely not complaining about any of that. I don't think physics and anatomy would allow those issues to not exist! this time around - not the case!

First, my fingers started to swell a few weeks ago. They still don't look huge thanks to my large knuckles, but I can't feel things as well and I always wake up with them asleep/tingly. I know I am definitely better off than some women in this category - but still!

Second, getting up and down is not so fun anymore. I can still do it, but don't ask me to do it too much! If I am on the floor, expect me to stay there for at least 15-20 minutes. My joints just can't take lifting this much weight over and over and over again! The same goes for getting out of low chairs. I raised my office chair one inch today, and it made the biggest difference in how my knee muscles felt. I wish I had thought of that earlier...

Third, I get other pelvic pain I never had with AJU5. This little one is punching and head-butting things AJU5 never did. Luckily, they aren't constant or even very often. But still...

One plu sto all of this - I think some of it is because this little one is sitting lower. AJU5 never dropped, so this is giving me a little hope that the VBAC will be possible. And I am definitely praying for a VBAC. AJU5 won't be able to visit me in the hospital due to the silly flu and all. So, I want to be able to come home within 48 hours if at all possible! The girl is just not used to not having mommy around... And since she won't be able to come, AJU1 will have to stay home with her once the baby is delivered so she doesn't totally lose it!

Okay, enough moaning and groaning for one morning :)

Product Review Friday - DVRs

Okay, so this post isn't about specific DVRs - it is more about how much I love being able to record TV. We actually use a program called SageTV which runs via computer to record shows. We had to pay for some hardware and a one-time purchase of software, but that is it. I know other options have monthly service charges, but I am not all researched-up on those...

So, here are the big benefits of a DVR:

• Commercial skipping. Most DVRs will mark commercials and automatically skip them. They skipping isn't always perfect, but you do get to "miss' most of the annoying commercials with no work!
• Favorites! Most DVRs allow you to record all airings of a favorite show. You may also have options as to which episodes of a favorite are recorded (like channel, time, or first-run restrictions). This means you don't have to think about when your show is on.
• Library of Shows. This is a big plus for toddlers. We record all of the Curious Georges and Word Worlds that are on our PBS station. Then, we can cycle through the list and watch them when she wants TV. Once we have watched all available episodes once, we can go through the list again. It is like having a DVD with all of the episodes on it for free1

Do you have a DVR? Do you like it?

R Bs

So, AJU5 is really liking her R Bs these days. Now, I know you may be asking what R Bs are. Well, don't you know those are letters and numbers to an almost 23 month old? Really, I don't know why she calls them that, but she is sticking with that distinction even with our reminding her they are letters and numbers.

Her second favorite show is Word World. I know the "skills" taught in the show are a little advanced for her, but she loves the animals. So, while we were at Wally World last week, I bought her a package of bathtub foam letters and numbers. They have been a hit. She will sit on the floor and rearrange them for some time. She will also bring them to us one or two at a time. And, since they come in 6 colors, we are also working identifying the colors with them as well (I think she knows some of the colors, but the concept of "color" confuses her).

Then just this week, she has taken to coming up to me and asking to sit in my lap while I am at the computer. She will hand me a crayon and tell me "R Bs" and point to the paper. I figured out she wants me to write words for her. So, There has been a lot of basic word writing going on on my part this week! Yesterday I got smart and started writing words that corresponded to items nearby. I required her to point to the item before I would write another word just to save myself some thinking! Of course, I am telling her what the words say and reading off the letters as I go - I do not expect her to read just yet!

But, on that note, she can identify PIE, DUCK, SHEEP, HAT, and BALL on Word World before they are made into their items. I know some of it is just repetition and recognition (they are in the intro/ending each time), but I think she is also doing a tiny but of sight reading. This makes me happy because reading is not a strong suit for me! I want to home school, but the whole language arts part scares me slightly because I had such a hard time with it growing up (most likely I am dyslexic although I was never tested). Now I like to read, but that didn't start until about 9 years ago!

Crafts

So, I think AJU5 is ready to start doing some more crafts around the house. She loves when their are crafts at things we go to, although there is only a 50% chance I get to take them home in one piece... So, we might be hitting Hobby Lobby today in hopes of buying some things to keep us occupied for the next few weeks. I am thinking fun foam sticker projects, glues stick projects, and possibly a paper mache project if I am ambitious...

Two weeks ago she got to make a leaf/glue stick picture at story time. Then, at home she wanted to do more but we didn't have any normal glue 9just the expensive photo glue). Luckily, I remembered that I had some clear contact paper and a bunch of small scraps from scrapbooking. She spent a good amount of time putting the pieces on the contact paper (and pealing them off and putting them back on...).

Have you tried any crafts with toddlers? Any suggestions?

T Minus 1 Month

In a month, we will be officially a family of four. That is hard to believe...
I am due in 4 weeks. The c-section is scheduled for 30 days from today...
And it doesn't feel like September was that long ago...

Things I am looking forward to:

• My hands returning to normal size. They aren't huge, but they tingle periodically and are definitely larger than before.
• Not having to pee so often.
• The end to nausea.
• The instant loss of at least 10 pounds.
• Holding an infant. I got to hold a 4 month old last Friday night, and it was so nice!

Things I wonder about:

• How AJU5 will take to being a big sister.
• How AJU5 will take to me not being home for a few days.
• How labor and delivery will go.
• How well this little one will sleep (I am praying for a good sleeper of course).
• When the baby will actually come!

Oh, and as most of you would guess - no NaBloPoMo for me this year! I would love to do it again, but the likelihood I would be successful is about 0. Especially if this little one arrives before Nov. 30...

Toddler Days...

AJU5 is having one of those days. Or let me put it this way - one of those 24 hours...

It started yesterday afternoon when she wanted to go outside. I was totally cool with this, but I insisted on shoes and a jacket (it was int he 40s here). I was "nice" and let her wear her fake crocs, but I drew the line at no jacket. I offered her three options downstairs,a nda ll were met with screams and fits. I even managed to get one on her and open the door and take her diaper out, but she stayed on the floor screaming and trying to remove the jacket. Before too long, she asked for night-night, so I put her in bed but didn't shut her door (it was 4:00). I did some laundry and around 4:30 went in to put some baby things away (nesting has minimally started). She was out!

So, I continued to put away things and at almost 5 I woke her up. AJU1 walked in within minutes, so I passed her off to him so I could make dinner. She waled until eventually he got her to calm down with Curious George on the TV (and it took about 2-3 minutes into the show for her to calm down). We decided not to force the dinner issue and ate ourselves while she finished her show. Eventually, she did eat some cheese and tortilla, so she didn't go to bed hungry at all. The rest of the evening was uneventful, and she even laid down without a peep for diaper/pajama change!

This morning started off normal. Y^es, she was unhappy when her shows were over, but she took it just fine. She relaxed in bad while I took a bath and then I gave her a bath (since she had decided not to nap like she said she wanted to). After bath, she took a nap (her request accompanied by yawns and rubbings of the eyes). So, we ended up missing storytime today.

After the nap, she played for a little bit happily, I tried to get socks on her, but she refused in a cute manner. I thought she was just playing. It is now 2 hours later -and we are still sockless... Once she went and got a pair of socks happily - they were brown. She is wearing red and black today. So, I took her back to her room, pulled out her drawer, set it ont he floor, and let her pick out a pair of socks that wouldnt' clash with her outfit. This did not work! She wanted the brown socks. So, I let her play for a little bit and tried another pair or two of socks. Eventually, I was willing to give into brown socks. But, at this point socks were completely being refused (i.e she pulls them off when I put them on). In the mix of all of this, there were also arguments about emptying the drawer in the bathroom. I let her have one item out of the drawer, but apparently that was not enough. She ended up in her bed a few times until she calmed down (she was screaming and nothing would make her happy other than letting her destroy the bathroom).

Now she is downstairs eating a banana and watching Word World. Hopefully, at the end of the show she will be willing to put on socks, shoes, and a jacket so we can run an errand! I might just have to force the issue, but I hate going to a store with a screaming toddler... But I have to go in the next few hours one way or the other...

LIttle Helper

AJU5 has become a good little helper when she wants to be. She is now taking an interest in helping make food, which is a mixed blessing. Last week she helped make breakfast burritos. She got to crack one egg and wanted to open it. Luckily I was able to catch the insides and put them in the pan before making a huge mess. Then she got to add some cheese to the pan before I served the food. Yesterday she helped make mac n' cheese. She poured the noodles and cheese powder and then got to do a couple of stirs for the final product. I thinking baking with her will be fun, but we don't bake much. It isn't that we don't like sweets. It is that if there are sweets in the house they are normally eaten at a not-so-healthy rate that we just avoid them most of the time.

She also helped outside on Saturday. First, she picked up roof shingles that AJU1 had thrown down (broken ones he had replaced). I was very grateful for this because I didn't have to bend down! Then, she helped move the big trashcan over to where AJU1 was trimming a bush and helped clean up the debris from that as well (and helped returnt he trash can to its "home").

So, I am hopeful that once Junior arrives she will continue to be a help! AJU1 will have a week off for paternity leave (and possibly more for vacation), so she should get attention. Plus, my MIL will be here for 2 weeks (and FIL for one of those weeks), so more attention for her! But, I know she will have her jealous moments. Luckily, she is already good at playing by herself!

Does your little one(s) help with chores?

Hmmm...

So, I know I had a post on my mind yesterday. But, it is gone. I blame it on being woken at 4:30 this morning by a certain toddler. And, since AJU1 is traveling for work again (left yesterday afternoon), I had to get up and watch George for an hour with her before we went back to bed. I think she was just stuffed up and needed to be upright. She napped for 2 hours, so I think we may or may not have an afternoon nap....

Oh yeah, church yesterday... Well, her friends have a case of flu in the house, so her class did not exist for Sunday School. But, she stayed in the big kid room (with me) the whole time and only asked to leave once or twice! I guess a supply of colors, PlayDoh, and a few toys was magic. Then, during service (which has been a HUGE fight the past few weeks because she wants to go up to the sound room where Daddy is or go home), she fell asleep in the pew! I could tell she was tired, but I didn't expect her to go from sitting up to laying down and asleep during one song. She did wake near the end of the sermon, but she was happy to go play in the nursery by herself until church was over. She didn't nap at all at home, so by evening service she was tired again. But, she was fairly well behaved there too! She went back and forth from the playroom a few times, but each time she was quiet about it. And, she only required me to go back there once (the VCR needed to be restarted - her music was off). So, it was a very nice day because I could actually listen at church!

Now to just make it through today and the next five weeks. Junior is doing a number on my stomach these days, so I relaly need the morning rests to prevent throwing up - which is no fun!

Mini Houdini

No, AJU5 cannot escape her crib. She doesn't even try - thank goodness! But, her left arm is very Houdini these days! She has figured out how to get it out of shirts without much effort. My question is why does she do it... And it is almost always the left arm (right arm occasionally will follow the left though).

Last night she did it with her pajamas - the footed, one-piece type that zip up and have a snap at the top. I didn't realize it until she was in bed with us for about 15 minutes and not going to sleep. Then, when I went to get her out of bed and put her back in hers, I discovered what may have been causing all the fuss! She did it again today with one of her shirts...

We can't go smaller on the shirts because many of them barely fit over her head. So, I just have to watch for naked arms periodically...

Three in the Bed...

So, AJU5 either has a cold or allergies. She is stuffed up for sure, but that is the only symptom really (other than toddler moodiness and a refusal to sleep like normal). Her temp was just slightly above normal yesterday (99.5), and she feels cool today, so I am hoping it is just allergies. But, we are staying in today for sure just to be safe!

Yesterday she napped for maybe an hour. She took about 30 minutes in the morning and then snuggled with me while watching Toy Story in the afternoon (and dozed). She asked for night-night multiple other times, but she never stayed in bed for more than 20 minutes (i.e. no napping). So, I was hoping she would be exhausted enough to sleep through the night. But no. She went down at 6;30ish and was up just before 8. We watched another episode of Curious George (I think she thought it was morning already) and she went back down before 8:30. But then she was up before 10. AJU1 was still up (had gotten home less than 30 mintues earlier from his trip), so he got her and eventually brought her to me in bed. Within minutes she was OUT - enough for me to move her over to the middle without waking her. I didn't want to move her back to bed because I had a feeling I would be up an hour later if I did. All was good until about 1:30. She had woken up some, but she just snuggled in more and would crash. At 1:30 she wanted her juice (which was in her crib), so we went and got it and returned to bed. After chugging that down, she decided it was poke mommy in the face time. After about 30 minutes of this, I hauled her to her bed! I was tired and didn't want to deal with her any more. I was prepared for some cries, but she settled right down and didn't get up until 6:30ish this morning.

The funny thing is my husband had no clue she was up for 30 minutes attacking me! He slept through the whole thing. I think he has decided the king bed was definitely worth it after last night!

Settling In

I have less than 6 weeks left of this pregnancy. And I think my body is settling into this fact. My hands a slightly swollen this time around, and the wedding ring has taken a place on the necklace until Junior arrives. I can still get it on and off, but it is snug and not always comfortable. So, I thought I would be safe and not risk ever getting it stuck.

Other than that, the only annoyances I am having are periodic nausea and waking every 2-3 hours at night to roll over. I guess I am lucky that I don't have other issues like many pregnant women do. But, yeah, I didn't think Iw ould still have to take Zofran occasionally during the 3rd trimester.

AJU5 seems to be realizing something is up too. First, she still prefers me for most things, but she wants to be with Daddy if she knows he is around (i.e. not at work). Half of the time, I am required to be in the room as well for her antics. The only time this is a problem is church on Sunday mornings. AJU1 teaches the adult Sunday school class, so I would prefer she stayed in her class instead of playing in the room where Daddy teaches. Then, during service, he runs the AV equipment. She is not allowed up there for obvious reasons, and this can be a big fight. Some days I can distract her in the nursery (although I can't leave without a long period of screams); other days I have to take her outside and try to explain that (a) we can't go home yet, and (b) Daddy is working. Unfortunately, I don't think she is listening :)

But, she is definitely seeking out my lap more often these days. She wants to snuggle up and sit with me if I am watching the TV. She wants to play "night night" and rest her head on mine at least once a day. And, starting yesterday, she is seeking out kisses. I think she had associated kisses with bedtime/naptime and therefore didn't want them when she was awake. But, now she wants them throughout the day. It is funny that some times she just leans in a asks for a kiss. Other times she tries to make the kissy lips. Either way, I am happy to oblige.

Product Review Friday - Bed!

So, we have had our new king sized bed for over a week now. Sleep still isn't perfect for either of us, but we feel that we are sleeping better than we did on the old one. Of course, being very pregnant doesn't help me sleep in the least! And AJU1 is learning to sleep on his side more than his stomach, so that is resulting in him waking more at night we think. But, all in all, it was a good purchase.

Now for the details. We looked at a lot of beds. We had test runs on Sleep Number beds and Denver Mattress beds. We laid on a few other beds at Sears. Then we looked at the numbers. A good Denver Mattress bed was more than half the price of a lower-end Sleep Number bed. The other brands really ranged in price between these two mostly. Online reviews for beds area ll over the place, so you can't get answers there (some people love the beds, others hate them). So, in the end price was the deciding factor.

We went with the Denver Mattress Doctor's Choice bed. We can buy two of these for the price of many other king beds, and the life span is supposed to be about the same. We already have one Denver Mattress bed (guest bed that used to be ours), and it wasn't bad. It was a lower end one, and we slept okay on it for about 3-4 years. And, it is still in good shape (hence why it is the guest bed - we didn't stop sleeping on it until we moved tot he master bedroom in this house and decided not to move it because we knew we wanted a king bed soon). We considered spending a little more for the one with the individually wrapped springs, but we decided against it. We don't wake too much because the other is moving (unless we get hit), so we didn't think it would be worth it.

What brand bed do you sleep on? Is it comfortable? Would you recommend it or not?

Wordless Wednesday - Random

Wordless Wednesday - Labor Day Weekend Trip

Asleep on a hotel bed

Playing with "cousins"

Playing with a big "cousin" before Great-Grandma's Memorial Service

Playing with a bunch of "cousins" after the service

Finances

So, a lot of you who comment on my blog have talked about finances lately - okay, maybe it is only two of you, but still... There are only 3-4 of you who comment regularly :)

AJU1 and I were talking on our way home from a meeting with a mortgage broker to refinance our home. We currently are at 6.15%, so when we were able to lock at 4.875% we jumped. Then the question became whether we wanted to pay the closing costs or roll them into the loan. This is where the conversation was interesting. We are not normal people. We freak out when our savings accounts are less than $1000 each (we have two of them). Right now we are building them back up after all of the home remodeling. Our closing costs will be about $5000, and we were willing to pay that up front so we aren't paying for that until we sell this house. It took us a little bit to realize that we aren't normal. Most people don't have that much in savings. Most people don't have that option.

Then, on our way to church yesterday, AJU1 mentioned the number of SUVs on the road. We have been looking at cars a little bit as mine is in need of replacement (1997 economy car). We want something bigger so we aren't trying to find space to stuff everything when we travel to visit family. So, SUVs are on the list (as are crossovers and a few station wagon-type vehicles). The price of some of them is shocking. He was wondering how people afford them. Then I reminded him that most people are up to their ears in debt. They pay the minimum on their cars and houses and credit cards. They are the ones that can't afford to refinance because they don't even have $1000 in savings needed to close most of the time.

This is why I make my students do an amortization schedule in my liberal arts math class. They actually make quite a few of them - 6 for a car and 6 for a house. They look at the effects of interest rates and paying extra. On cars, it isn't a huge deal. But on a house - wow! If you only pay $25 extra a month, you end up saving thousands over the life of the loan!

Okay, so I rambled a lot there... Hopefully it makes some sense... Feel free to share any thoughts on home finances if you would like...

MIsh Mash

• AJU5 is back on schedule and sleeping well. Well, today she refused a morning nap, but one big nap instead shouldn't be an issue. She has been down for almost 3 hours, but she was disturbed at least twice (one was the doorbell ringing). So, I think it will be a wash today!
• I had my 32 week check-up yesterday. All is good. I am gaining weight like crazy, but I can handle that. I have had a huge sweet tooth lately, so I know that is to blame! This little one might be smaller than AJU5, or so my doctor thinks. AJU5 was 8lbs 3.4oz at birth, so a little smaller isn't bad. But, my shirts don't fit well from her pregnancy and other people say I look bigger... Who knows... As my doctor said - we will see before too long :)
• The new bed is working fine. I like the extra room - I don't worry about waking AJU1 when I roll over at night! AJU5 has also determined that all three of us can lay in the bed comfortably. Luckily, she has not demanded to sleep with us yet (just play night-night). As for quality of sleep, it seems a little better. I seem a little more well rested in the morning, but I don't know for sure. There are so many things that make me at night these days...
• Story time has been funny the last two days. Yesterday, AJU5 stayed with the group most of the time, but she wasn't about to join in the walking in a circle. Instead, she sat at the corner and was a constant obstacle for other kids and parents to avoid. I tried moving her to the middle of the circle, but she just moved back to her corner! She did have to periodically get up and get a new book off of the bookshelf, but other than that she stayed and listened. Today I could tell she was tired (but had refused a nap twice in the morning). She laid down for some of it, but after 4-5 attempts at running out of the room, we gave up. Another mom/toddler pair had given up a few minutes earlier and another pair gave up shortly after we did. Something must have been in the air...
• I have been terrible at commenting on other blogs. Then I realize I have 10 or so posts open and start commenting. But, I often don't get back to the first ones I have opened. It is bad... I have things to say, but putting words down isn't always easy (i.e. brain not working)... So, if I am not commenting on your posts - that is why. I have 6 open right now...
  

Weekend Round Up

Our weekend started on Friday because AJU1 actually* got it off! We spent the day being lazy until about 3. Then we headed out for some "window" bed shopping and to grab a pizza. AJU5 of course charmed the sales people...

Saturday we got up SUPER early to attend a big event in town. Our goal was to leave at 5, and we were out of the garage by 5:15. We got to the exit we thought would be best (three entrances to the event) at 5:30. At 7, we still hadn't made it a mile to the light/turn. And, everything was about to get started. AJU5 needless to say was DONE being in the car, especially since she had downed all of her juice already while we waited. So we gave up and went home. Result: Two wasted hours and a toddler totally off her schedule! We spent the rest of the morning just hanging out. Then, after nap time we headed out for more "window" shopping. We went to two bed places and a car dealership before heading home for a relaxing evening. The only issue was that AJU5 refused to go to bed until 9pm (we tried to put her down once at 7)...

Sunday started off a little later than normal because AJU5 slept until after 6. That meant she didn't nap before church. Result: Toddler who melts down repeatedly during Sunday School and service because she needs a nap but won't fall asleep in my arms. So, needless to say she crashed in the car on the way home and had a good nap (2+ hours) when we got home. The afternoon was spent eating, catching up on reading for a class we are taking, and watching the NASCAR race. Then, AJU1 asks how much it costs to rent a UHaul to carry a king bed. Shortly there after we purchased a king bed which is to be delivered tomorrow. Hopefully we will sleep better on it than on our queen "taco" bed... Then it was off to church, etc. AJU5 did go down at her normal hour and is back on schedule LUCKILY!

*AJU1 works a 9-80 schedule, so he should have every other Friday off. But, he has been working half days many Fridays (overtime) because he is so busy there.

Story Time!

Last year, we went to story time on Thursdays at the local library (about 1 mile away). This year, we are also going to another story time at a different library in town (about 10 minutes away) on Wednesdays. Thursday story time is fairly quiet and calm. There are ten or less kids normally, and it is a mixture of books, felt stories, and songs, all geared to 0-36 month olds. Wednesday story time is not calm! There are at least 20 kids each week, if not more. The actually story time is more theme oriented with songs and books. The last 5-10 minutes the kids get to play with noise makers while music is playing.

AJU5 is not sure about the Wednesday story time! It is in the kids section of the library, but not in a separate room. Instead of joining the group, she goes to the back and reads books at one of the tables or in one of the chairs. She is always keeping an eye on things in the group, and occasionally, we will join for an activity. But, normally she is only willing to stay with the group during the noise maker part. That part she is all about participating in! She gets a couple of noise makers, uses them, and then trades them in for more! If it wasn't for her love of that part and my desire for her to be around more kids, we would probably stop going...

Thursdays are hit and miss with her cooperation. Today she did great. She stayed near me and listened most of the time. The other kids did distract her some, but that is to be expected! Other days she doesn't want anything to do with being there. I think half of it has to do with how the morning has gone and the amount of energy she has. Normally I can get her to stay with me even if she wants to go run by "bribing" her with those activities AFTER story time.

Now to see how Sunday School goes this week... Two weeks ago was a complete FAIL because her friend was having none of it. Because her friend wanted to bolt (and wouldn't stop crying), AJU5 started to cry as well. Eventually it got to the point that neither of them would calm down, so their teacher brought them over to the adult class (where they sat with us nicely). Last week she was the only one in her class (the other two were sick), so the combined the two classes. She was fine for about the first 15 minutes, but then she realized I was gone and she didn't know some of the kids (missionary kids visiting). So, she started to ask for Mommy (and her teacher brought her over). She did play nicely during our class and during service, so I didn't complain too much. This week her friend's mom is going to stay with them (since the friend is refusing to stay with any of her class-type activities lately). Hopefully that will mean both of them will stay happily in class!

How are your kids in a class/group setting? Have you had issues getting them to adjust to groups?

Change?

We think AJU5 is starting to realize things are about to change. She is becoming very attached to me these days. AJU1 got her up from a nap yesterday (I was napping on the couch at that point), and she just cried "Mommy" until she saw me. That one we are blaming partly on an unhappy belly (she went back down shortly there after to drink and rest before she was happy), but she is definitely wanting Mommy a lot more often! Luckily AJU1 is good at taking her away when I ask or he realizes I am busy. But, I wonder how she will do when I am in the hospital... She has never been away from me for more than 8-9 hours. I don't think she has ever gotten up in the morning and not seen me. I have been gone at bed time before, and that hasn't been a problem. Actually, normally AJU1 is the one that puts her in bed. I get her changed, but he puts her down and prays with her.

She will be going to a friend's house during my doctor's appointments from now on, so hopefully that might help with the Mommy needs. The going to a friend's house isn't by choice just yet though! It is mandated by the doctor's office. They aren't allowing kids during flu season... I had planned on taking her until the "longer" appointments near the end. I understand that they want to keep their patients healthy, but I also wonder if they are banning other guests as well. I know kids get a bad rap for causing the spread of germs, but I know many adults who are probably just as bad! I guess I will just have to wait and see who is in the waiting room at my next few appointments (although at some there aren't any guests as it is!).

Product Review Friday - Shopping Carts

This week we have been to three stores - Target, WalMart, and Costco. Each of these stores has shopping carts for at least two.

Target (and Lowe's) have the ones with chairs facing each other in a separate compartment. The view from said chairs is not good, and I don't really know how well they would work with two kids because the area is just so small.

WalMart has ones that face away from you, but again they are separate from the cart. These seem to work a lot better! First, they still allow for a smaller child in the cart seat (unlike the Target ones). Second, the kids have a view! Finally, they aren't fighting for space really. They are sitting next to each other, but there is ample leg room, etc.

Costco has more traditional carts, but they are wider so the seat is big enough for two. The big advantage here is that it is easier to drive/steer! You don't have an extra long cart with an extra set of wheels to try and maneuver around the store. The kids still have a view, but are facing you with these carts.

So, which do I prefer? WalMart and Costco are pretty even. If you have three smaller kids, the WalMart ones are probably best. But, they are harder to maneuver, especially when you are looking at clothes (aisles aren't too bad).

Have you tried these shopping carts? Which ones do you like?

Working Schedule?

So, last week, we might have found a schedule that works for AJU5. A schedule that means she sleeps through the night (or at least doesn't include me getting her). And, it is a schedule I can work with, although I don't think it is a typical toddler schedule! So, here it is:

Wake up between 5:30 and 6:00
Watch an episode of Curious George
Eat breakfast and watch another episode of TV (Curious George or Word World).
Play for a while
Nap (down before 8am)
Between nap and dinner time - lunch, play, run errands, etc. Some times there is an additional nap as well depending on the length of the first nap and the previous night's bed time.
Eat dinner between 4:30 and 6:30 (depending on when AJU1 gets home, etc).
Bed time sometime between 6:30 and 8:30. After dinner activities are up to her. Some times there is a bath. Some times there is another show. Some times we just play. We let her pick what she wants to do most night (i.e. when we don't have church or something else).

She did wake twice last night though. The first I think was a bad dream because she was very upset but crashed within second of me putting her on the futon. She crashed so fast I didn't even have to lay down! Then, three hours or so later I find her crawling into bed with us (no cries or anthing before that). I snuggled her for a few minutes until she was out and then moved her back to her crib where she slept for 4.5 more hours. I bet if she was in her crib, the second waking wouldn't have happened (although there may have been a few short cries instead - which means I would have been awaken either way).

The other tricks to our success:

• Leaving her door cracked when we put her down. This gives her a little more light in her room, as we keep the laundry room light on over night.
• Only giving her water to drink at night. She will sip the water when she is thirsty, but she doesn't finish the cup - ever! If we give her milk or watered down juice, she will go through up to 3 cups a night!

I do miss sleeping until 7ish in the morning, but it does mean I get a lot more done in the mornings! And, we aren't struggling so hard to get things done during the day because the nap occurs so early. So, in the long run, I think I like this schedule. The only problem is when we have to leave early in the morning for things and she doesn't get a good nap. Trying to get her to tak ea short afternoon nap is hit or miss. I can normally get her down, but when Daddy is home, she fights it a lot more! But, that just means an earlier bed time normally :)

Product Review Friday - Winter Clothes

Yesterday AJU5 and I went to Ross and Burlington Coat Factory to try and finish up her fall/winter wardrobe. We have hand-me-downs already as well as a few leftovers from last year that still fit and some jeans I bought already. But, making outfits was proving to be a challenge because the tops and bottoms didn't necessarily go together. So, I though Ross or BCF might have some inexpensive separates (I did buy one shirt at Target earlier this week too).

End Result - One long sleeve shirt, one jacket, and one package of 24 month Carter onsies (that I had looked for since early summer). I was definitely hoping for more success!

My big issue is that so much is sold as outfits! AJU5 wears a 24 month top and an 18 month bottom. So, outfits just don't work (unless I buy the shirts small and her belly shows or the pants so big her feet are completely covered). Well, Carter 18M outifts barely fit on top right now, and I am not going to spend money on something she will outgrow by December for sure. So I am stuck!

I wish there were more options! I might head back to Target next week and see if I can find any more Circo tops that go with the pants she has. I might also hit JcPenney because Okie Dokie brand items are normally separates too. But, those are the only brands I have found so far that sell the majority of their items as separates!

So, how is Fall clothes shopping going for you? Have you faced any of these challenges?

Move Ahead...

AJU1 and I decided last night to sell the futon and get AJU5 her bunk beds. We think she might be ready for the big girl bed... My original plan was to get the beds for her for her birthday, but a little thing called a possible c-section made me have second thoughts! I won't be able to lift her, so I wouldn't be able to be home alone in the morning, at nap time, or in the evening. That basically means there is no way for me to be home alone at any scheduled time because nap time can come anytime between 10:30 and 3.

Plus, she sleeps just fine on the futon with me. She does move over to snuggle with me sometimes, but other times she just stays on her side and sleeps until morning. So, I know she will be fine in a big girl bed. The biggest thing will be getting her to want to sleep on the big girl bed alone and not in her crib. We have offered the futon to her some times because she will crawl up on it and lay down at nap or bed time. But, she won't fall asleep on her own there. She just uses the futon as a delay tactic at this moment we think...

Any suggestions on how to transition her?

Oh, and as for the c-section, it is all scheduled. November 30th is the latest Junior #3 will arrive. We have to be at the hospital at 5:30 that morning if he/she has not shown up yet.

The Last 24 Hours

Yesterday, AJU5 got to go to Sunday School at our church for the first time. Supposedly she did fairly well. She wanted Mommy a few times, but her teacher was able to redirect her and get her to color like her friend fairly easily. Having her in Sunday School seems to be a HUGE blessing. Not only did I get to listen to AJU1 teach Sunday School without an almost constant interruption, I also got to listen to more of the sermon! AJU5 and her friend played in the nursery most of service happily because they had not played themselves out during Sunday School. I did have to sit int he ahll near the door to the nursery (so she could see me), but I could listen!

After church was family nap time. We each found our own place and CRASHED. It took a little bit to convince AJU5 she needed to crash, but once she was in her bed, she was out. I think it is because we had to keep her awake the last mile or so on the way home and it wound her up!. Of course AJU5 naps longer than we do, so we also got some quiet time to read, etc until she was done with her nap.

The rest of the afternoon was spent just hanging out and eating. Then, we headed to church. AJU5's friends weren't there, so she was a little silly. She carried out a few toys to the main room where we are until her daddy stopped her. We aren't talking little toys here. We are talking the Little Tikes play area toys that are almost as big as her! After church, we headed home and tried to get her to sleep. We put her down around 7:30, but at 8:15 she was still awake and calling for us. So, we let her out and watched an episode of Mythbusters as a family. Then it was definitely bedtime for all!

At 2:15 she cried, but she went back to sleep on her own. At 3:15, she cried again and didn't give up. So, I slept ont he futon with her. Around 5 AJU1 got up. By 5:30, AJU5 had heard her daddy and was up for the morning. So, we went downstairs (just after AJU1 left for work) and watched an episode of Curious George and an episode of Word World. I dozed during these because we had seen each one at least two times in the last two days! Then I turned off the TV and gave AJU5 the choices of eating, playing, or sleeping. Since she refused the eating and playing, it was to bed! She did nap though (just woke up - so she napped for about 1.5 hours). And she needed it. I did the math, and she probably slept for about 8.5 hours. Where did her 12 hour nights go? It is just now fair! Luckily, during her nap I was able to get my work done! Now I just have my homework to do today (read 6 chapters of Exodus). So, we might make it out of the house :)

How was your last 24 hours?

Watch Out!

AJU5 is a climber. And boy is she a climber! Her waist is only to office chair height, but she still manages to climb up. And today - she climbed up on the shelf around our stairs... Problem with said shelf - non-stair side is about 5 feet off the ground! And the very edge of the ground below is tile - and a step at that! Luckily, I think she was only trying to copy me. I had stepped up there to dust the railing while she made her way down. She had picked up the clothe and just made it up when I turned around...

Her other adventure - the car! She now likes to play in the car. I let her stay in if I have to get things out of the trunk. Today, I brought the bags in and put the few things in the fridge. By the time I got back to the garage (about two minutes later), she was in the driver seat and pushing the button to open the garage! I had also gathered a bag of garbage, so I had to take that out of the garage to the trash can. But, i was afraid she would "lock" me out! Luckily, I realized I still had my keys to the house, etc in my back pocket! She luckily did not press it once I was at the garbage can and was willing to give it over to me when I got back. But, the adventures are beginning for sure!

Why - Oh Why?

AJU5 isn't sleeping great at night AGAIN. The worst part - she only wants mommy! Two nights this week AJU1 has gotten up to see if he can calm her down. Both times she has come running to our bed to find me. She wants to snuggle - and that is really all she wants/needs. So, I have been sleeping with her a lot. Putting her back in bed isn't an option - she wakes within 30 minutes and cries again. So, it has been futon for us... Wednesday night she did stay in bed the whole night, so I thought we might be over it. But, no... last night I had to sleep with her again. At least is was over 2 hours later than Monday and Tuesday night... She has been napping just fine on her own. She goes down just fine on her own. So, I don't know what we can do to get her through this other than just to let time tell. We have let her cry for about 15 minutes, but it just gets louder (it starts as periodic cries and goes to a constant cry that we can only take about 2-3 minutes of). We may see if she will sleep with Daddy some tonight, but I don't know.

Saving grace - she takes good naps! I have been napping each afternoon as well, so I am not dead! But, mornings can be a little slow around her. She is getting a little more TV time than normal as a result too. I just don't have the energy to distract her before about 8:30 :)

So, here is praying that she will start sleeping through the nights again ASAP!