SLACKER!

I have been slacking on my posting. And I will blame it on three things:

1. The kids. They are active as ever and rarely do I get time to just sit at the computer and write (other than the items below).
2. Work. It is the busy time in the summer term. Almost finals, lts to grade/deal with, etc. So, this is taking most of my free time away from the kids.
3. ScrapbookSteals. They have a weekly sccrapbook challenge wehre they give you a layout and you create a page (or two). I am loving this, but again it is taking away from my computer time. But, maybe I will finish our honeymoon album before our 10th anniversary in two years (and hopefully our dating album too).

A little update on the kids:

• AJU5 still has no interest in potty training. I tried to get her to use the potty yesterday, and she was not happy about that at all (i.e. force was required to get her to sit). So, maybe in a few weeks we will try again.
• AJU6 is in love with his spoons. He crawls all over the house with one or two spoons in his hands. It does make finding him easier (if he is downstairs).
• AJU6 keeps trying to give me a heart attack by crawling to the edge of our stairs. He thinks it is funny - I don't. (No gate because it would mean a very unhappy AJU5 and because it would be a pain to install)
• AJU5 has returned to liking baths. Some days she is requesting two. If I was more adventurous, we might go to a public pool. But, two kids, alone, doesn't sound too fun :)

Maybe next week I will do better at blogging...

July Trip 2010 - Part 3

The third part of the adventure was a VBS for a Native American chapter that our church has run the past 7 or 8 years. This was my third time going, and I have enjoyed it each year. I love seeing the kids learn about God and enjoy the activities we have for them. I would show more pictures, but I decided not to post ones with other kids in them.

This leg was just the kids an I - AJU1 had to return to work. Luckily I did have help from the rest of our "mission" team with the kids when I needed it. AJU6 was passed around a lot at dinners. It was really cute seeing the male teens wanting to hold him! They were great wtih him too. As long as he didn't see me, he was happy with whoever was willing to hold him.

Each day we would get up fairly early and have breakfast at the hotel. Then, sometime between 8;30 and 9:00 we would leave for VBS (the teens and most adults left around 8). VBS ran from 10-12 (ish) each day. This year we were outside teh whole time as they were remodeling the chapter house. This meant AJU6 was stuck attached to some adult/teen ALL the time. I tried to put him down a few times,a nd he crawled right off the blanket to the dirt. And then he picked up rocks and tried to eat them. After a few attempts to get him to stop, I gave up. Luckily I had a carrier for him with me...

AJU5 did okay with her class. Some times she behaved, and other times she wanted me. But, that was to be expected. She loved the craft time the most, and finally on the last day participated in the music. I hope she does even better at our church VBS in a few weeks!

In the afternoons we went swimming at the hotel pool. AJU5 did not like her swimsuit/flotation device combo that much, but I was very thankful for it. It meant I didn't have to watch her like a hawk. If she stepped off the steps, she wouldn't go under compeltely - if she relaxed she had no issues whatsoever. Some days she was adventurous - jumping off the side of the pool without hands, floating near the steps on her own, etc. Other days she wouldn't leave the top step without me. AJU6 liked the water too - he even fell asleep in the pool one day!

The hardest part was sleeping. AJU6 cut his upper two teeth while we were there, so he wasn't a happy camper. Since I couldn't "lock" AJU5 in a room by herself, it was hard to get her to fall asleep too. Some nights she was up until 10:30. The latest we slept in was 7am. Each day both kids would fall asleep on the way back to the hotel, but they would wake up once I got them out of the van. I tried to get them to sleep/nap before swimming, but it never worked. Luckily, the both took naps from 3ish until I woke them for dinner.

I wan't wait until next year - I already miss the kids out there!

The kids and i at Wednesday evening service.

AJU5 and I at the missionaries' house at sunset (ignore the wrinkled skort - I was too lazy to iron it)

I will let you interpret this one yourself...

AJU5 with bubbles at VBS.

July Trip 2010 - Part 2

From the in-laws, we traveled to see some friends. We hadn't seen them in almost three years since they were stationed over seas with the military. The last time we saw them, both families were pregnant with their first child. Now we each have two. We were there for just over two days, and since their youngest was only 3 weeks old, we didn't do too much. We went to a park with a spray area on Friday and then just hung out on Saturday (well, the guys went window shopping for electronics, but the kids and moms stayed home). AJU5 and AJU6 loved playing with different toys, so all was good. It was really fun to see AJU5 interact with their 2 year old (4 months younger than her). Those two were a hoot! And since our friends now live within a days drive, I bet we will be seeing more of each other for sure!

AJU1 with AJU5 and Boy leaving the restaurant.

AJU6 on a trike.

AJU5 and AJU6 checking out Boy's toys before he got up on Friday.

AJU6 and boy at the spray area (AJU5 barely got near the water).

July Trip 2010 - Part 1

The first part of our trip was to the in-laws. They live on a small farm, about 30 minutes from almost anything other than other farms. So, it was almost a week of quietness - spending our days outside walking around while the "guys" worked on building a metal shop building. The temperature was cool to very nice while we were there - lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s to 80s. It was a nice relaxing way to start our "vacation." AJU5 warmed up to the cat and actually held her the last day. But, she never warmed up to the dogs completely. She actually refused to go outside on Saturday because my BILs black lab was there. She did "take pictures" of the Great Pyrenees. AJU6 on the other hand didn't have any fear about any of the animals. He let the black lab lick him; he pet the cat, and he "rode" the Great Pyrenees.

AJU5 "driving" the bail wagon

AJU3 on an OLD tractor.

AJU5 ready to play in the water and dirt - her two favorite hobbies.

AJU5 and MIL walking around the house.

Still Alive

It has been a busy week and a half - hence the lack of posts and commenting on your blogs.

Here is a little recap:

Left July 1 for the in-laws. 18 hours later - arrived at first destination

Left in-laws on July 8 for friends. 12 hours later - arrived

Left friends on July 11. 6.5 hours later arrive at mission trip VBS location.

Hopefully once I get back home I can write more. Lots of fun has been had, but I think I will be happy to be home soon!

Just Hanging Around...

Nothing too exciting going on over here. I spent a good portion of last week preparing for a scrapbooking night last night at church. I had fun but only got 4 pages done.

AJU6 is crawling all over the place. He went up four stairs on our main stair case the other day. Luckily he doesn't go near the stairs while we are upstairs or while we are in the family room. I only have to worry about the stairs when we are in the living room right now. And, yesterday and today he has decided to go down the hall instead of up. But, I don't know if that is better or not. The end of the hall is a one step down to the family room. And the stair is 2/3 tile, 1/3 laminate over concrete. So yeah, I don't want him trying them one either!

Oh, and the boy turns 7 months old today. Time is flying! He has finally started to like solids. He is often not satisfied with nursing and DEMANDS something else to eat. Currently we are working on a pea/apple/brown rice combo. I was able to "top" him off with some banana yesterday, and he ate that with out a fuss either. Oh, how much has changed in a month!

Well, off to help AJU1 organize the garage/tend to the kids. We got our outside storage shed operable last weekend, so now we can start using it! Hopefully we won't just get more stuff to fillt he garage....

Product Review Friday - Cloth Diapers Part 2

So, Monday I got a package. Iw as so excited. It contained an Econobum package (three covers and twelve prefolds), a FuzziBunz one size pocket diaper, a Bummis Swimmi diaper, and a Kushies swim diaper. Since I have only used the FuzziBunz and swim diapers once, I will just review the Econobum now.

After playing with them for a day or two, I have decided to use the Econobum package for AJU5 and stick with the GroBaby covers and Gerber DSQ prefolds for AJU6. The main reason is that the Econobum works great for AJU5, where the other option led to more leaking. AJU6 has only leaked a few times, and those I think would have happened regardless of what kind of diaper he was in! Also, the Econobums are thicker, so they look big on him.

So, here is what I like about them:
Covers are big! AJU5 is only on the middle setting (she was on the last setting for GroBaby).
The covers are easy to rinse and dry if it is a very soggy diaper.
The prefolds are very soft and hold a lot.
They don't leak until the prefold is almost completely soaked. GroBaby would leak once the "target" was soaked, but these tend to allow for more distribution of liquid.

Negatives:
Covers are fairly thin. Some reviews I read/watched were worried that the covers would tear, but I don't see that happening unless you really tugged too hard.
Bulky. The softer, more absorbent prefolds are also thicker. On AJU5, this isn't a problem. She is big enough that you don't notice. But, on AJU6 they look big.
It is made by the same people that make Flip and BumGenius diapers. This company is very strict on pricing, meaning you often can't use coupons with them (like save $5 on a purchase of $40 or more). Luckily the site I bought from had a free diaper coupon that does work (which is how I got the FuzziBunz).


For $50, I think this is a great package! It works okay for smaller babies and great for toddlers.

Escape!

AJU6 is now officially crawling and going up steps! He is ahead of his sister for sure - as she didn't start crawling until she was this age, and then it took her a few weeks to master the stairs. This weekend he mastered the one step between the dining room and living room. Today, he made the two steps from the living room to the entry. I had run upstairs to get something, and when I went downstairs to see why he was fussing, I found him in the entry trying to headbutt the post for the railing. Luckily he is still slow at crawling so we haven't had to break out the baby gates just yet!

He can also pull to a kneeling position to play. He loves a toy chair we have, and he will either kneel or get into the push-up position to play with it. It is the first thing he goes for in their room when I put him on the floor. I don't think it will be long until he truly pulls himself up to a standing position. Then, the fun will begin. Well, it already has, but I am expecting more falls and tears once he gets higher up!

Sleeping on the couch isn't terrible...

Friday night and last night I sleep part of the night on the couch. And no, AJU1 did not kick me out of bed. AJU6 (and AJU1 and AJU5) is sick. He has a head cold sort of bug, and laying flat makes it almost impossible to breathe. Both nights, I have tried and tried to get him to sleep - in his bed, in my arms, anywhere. Both nights I found success in his car seat. It keeps him reclined but not flat, and he can't escape! Our pediatrician recommended it when he had RSV, so it was on the list of things to try this time around (I have also put a pillow under the "mattress" of him pack n play so that has an incline too).

I wanted to sleep near him so I could pop the pacifier back in when he spit it out - hopefully before he was too awake to fall back asleep. So, I was relegated to the couch. For some reason he is awake for over an hour every night (while sick) between midnight and 3am. It is getting old for sure! Last night is was about an hour and a half. Then he finally agreed to sleeping in his pack n play, and slept for almost 4 hours (a huge relief).

As you can guess, I am a bit of a zombie. I was hoping AJU5 would sleep until 7 this morning, but she was up at 6. So, I put on an hour long Veggie Tales. Now to go take a nap...

Slacking and Eating

I have been slacking on my blogging lately. I can blame it on Bible studies I guess. Most of my computer/quiet time has been spent on them. The class I take at church during the Fall and Spring had extra reading to do for a month after the class was over. I need to average 2 chapters a day to get through all of that. Then, just as that class was ending, we started a Bible study on Sunday nights that has a workbook we complete during the week. Top that off with me teaching Sunday School for the next two months, and you can see where some of my time has gone. Add in a fairly mobile AJU6 who wants to just go, go, go, and yeah, not much time to blog. Well, I bet I would have time if I didn't do other things online too. But, yeah, I am addicted to Facebook too!

As for eating, AJU6 was not a huge fan of avocados to say the least. He refused more than one bite on day two and three. So, we went to bananas. He agreed to eat one slice twice a day - and that was it. Then we went to carrots. He would eat about one baby carrot twice a day. So, I was getting in one slice of banana and one to two baby carrots a day. Then yesterday I gave him some apple. He ate more than I expected - twice what I defrosted to begin with - at lunch. He ate almost the same amount at dinner. So, I think I have found a favorite. For breakfast this morning, we did carrots and apples. He ate about 2/3 of what he had eaten at lunch volume wise, so not bad! Next up - peas or beans!

Moved

AJU6 moved rooms this weekend. He is now sleeping in the guest bedroom. And I think I like this.

It all started when he slept terribly a few nights in a row. I think it was Thursday night that he cried and fussed for an hour- and nothing I did helped. So, I decided to move him to the guest room. That way only one of us would be awake with him, instead of two. So, Friday he made the big move to his own room. I start the night in our bed, and when he wakes I go deal with him. Sometimes I go back to our bed, some times I sleep on the guest bed. Sunday night I figured out what was actually the issue most likely - he is working on his top teeth! I thought it was his belly (we just started solids), but Motrin did the trick Sunday night. Since then, he is sleeping a lot better (with a dose of Motrin at night if he is being fussy). He doesn't want to co-sleep anymore, so I just put him back in his pack-n-play after he eats. Half of the time he wakes just because he needs his pacifier back. He only needed to eat twice last night, and I was very happy about that!

He is also on the move these days! He is a master of the reverse, and can now creep forward. He gets into a push-up position, and lunges forward most of the time. It isn't very affective, but it does get the job done sometimes. He just needs to get the coordination of the arms and legs, and he will be crawling. Then I will have my hands full...

Product Review Friday - Cloth Diapers (The Early Stages)

A few weeks ago, I actually ordered something from BabySteals.com - three GroBaby shells with 150 of their disposable liners. Once they arrived, I also bought a dozen Gerber Diaper Service Quality PreFolds. And so the cloth diapering began.

So far, I am not minding the change. We still use disposables for night time and if we are going to be out of the house for more than an hour or two. But, I am saving at least 4 disposables a day this way. So, in about 4 months I will have paid for what I bought (about $100 so far). I have 15 prefolds (had a few already that I used as burp clothes) and three covers, and I have realized I need more. I want at least two more covers and another dozen prefolds (or other reusable liners) so I don't have to do laundry each day. I can reuse the covers if the kids don't get too soggy or have a blow-out, but often I am ending up with both kids needing a new cover within an hour or two of each other. It takes 3-4 hours for the covers to dry (hanging up), so I either have to use a disposable or throw a cover in the dryer most of the time. I am waiting to see if BabySteals has any good steals in the next week or so though before I spend about $60 on what I still need (there are hints they are having cloth diapering things up soon).

As for work, it isn't a lot more effort for me to cloth diaper. I do have to rinse off some of AJU6's dirty diapers, but other than that, it might take me an extra 15-20 minutes a day to load the washer, take everything out and hang it up, and then fold the prefolds so I can just put them in the covers.

One thing I do like about the GroBaby covers is they are one-sized. I can use the same cover for AJU5 and AJU6. I just have to use the snaps to make it a little shorter for AJU6, and that is easy to do. I also fold the prefolds differently for each kid. The Gerber prefolds are a little too long for the covers "naturally", so I fold them the other direction for AJU5. This gives her extra material to fill where a girl natural needs it. For AJU6, I just fold down 1/3 of the diaper, giving him more absorbency where boys need it. I will probably buy the Green Mountain prefolds next, and they might be a little smaller. Hopefully they won't be quite a bulky on AJU6, as some of his shorts just don't fit over the diaper well.

And now I know some of you might be wondering why I changed - I was tired of having to buy diapers for AJU5. She is resisting potty training, and spending about $40 a month on her diapers alone was getting to be a pain. Now my diaper purchases go at least twice as far, meaning I don't have to buy them nearly as often!

REJECTED!

At church on Sunday, I was sitting in the pew with AJU5 and AJU6 during the first song. AJU6 was asleep in my arms, and AJU5 was looking at the hymnal. Then I hear the paper tearing. AJU1 had just come to sit with us, so I give him a look and point him towards AJU5. He takes the hymnal from her, and she goes crying and running to the back of the church. I hand AJU6 off to him and go after her. I am able to calm her down, and we return to the pew. I hold her for the songs, and before too long she is asleep in my arms. All is good! Then AJU6 wakes up. And he is hungry. And I didn't pack a bottle for him. So, I try to lay AJU5 down in the pew. No luck. Before too long AJU6 is really hungry (whining), so I have to trade kids with AJU1. I lay AJU5 down next to AJU1, take AJU6, and head to the back of the church to feed him. AJU1 tries to grab AJU5 and hold her, but she rejects him. She moves to the opposite side of the pew - as far away from him as she can while staying in the pew. I return from feeding AJU6 to this picture.

It has been like this a lot. Whomever has been playing or caring for AJU5 is the only parent she wants. There is no substitutions allowed in the game supposedly in her mind. The "funny" thing is that it isn't always mommy or always daddy. But, rarely will she allow us to tag in and out as needed.

I better go. AJU6 is making circle on the floor trying to get to toys. He is starting to learn that if he turns around, he can go backwards to the item he wants. This is not good....

Almost Went Crazy

So, we found out Tuesday that Jersey #2 might be discharged Wednesday, and if she wasn't discharged then she would most likely be discharged on Thursday. So, we thought we had until Thursday to get everything ready to surprise them - food, welcome home banner, etc. So, yesterday (Wednesday) morning we made plans to deliver everything Thursday morning. It was still a rush because we originally didn't expect them until Saturday at the earliest, but it was do-able. We could work on the decorations during Wednesday evening service, and we still had about 24 hours to cook. Around noon, Coach Mom posted that she was being discharged. She had also posted a question on facebook to another friend (who I knew was out of town), so I started a chat with her to answer the question. I subtly tried to push for them to return Thursday, and I was elated when she agreed. She got off Facebook, and I thought everything was fine. Then my husband called. He said they were flying back in a few hours!* I didn't believe him. So, he sent me the email with the information. I checked for myself. Then I started to panic a little. I called my two main helpers. The first one didn't answer her phones, so I called the second and relayed all of the information. We both were ready to rush and get things done and delivered in time. I called the other friend back - left a message on her cell and a message with her mom at home. Then I got to work. I have about 10 letters to make in the Welcome Home sign. Luckily, both kids were asleep! I barely got them all done and my enchiladas put together before it was time to meet to decorate/deposit food. Luckily we made it!

Of course the AJU's didn't sleep through all of my prep work. AJU5 wanted to help, and I wanted to let her play some with the paper. So, I left her in my closet with everything I didn't need and I took everything else (and AJU6) to the office to work. Unfortunately, I forgot to check and see what she could get into. She found my ink pad (for stamps), and had covered her hands. Luckily, she didn't get any on the carpet! Other than that, she had just spread things out.

It was a little crazy, but we had fun! They didn't get all of the food we had planned, but we can just deliver things as they are ready. We could have decorated more, but this means less mess for Coach Mom to clean up. We are just happy Jersey32 recovered so well that she was able to return home only 5 days after open heart surgery. We did laugh last night at church that the next time we pray for a fast recovery we will stipulate the length (let them recover in 7-10 days). We definitely learned (relearned) that God likes to laugh at our plans!

*We donated one of AJU1's free frequent flyer tickets to their family. So, when the flight was changed, the airline automatically sent AJU1 an email with the changed itinerary. It gave me about 30-45 minutes advanced notice before Coach Mom could update the journal with the news. I was very thankful for those 30-45 minutes!

Feeling Good!

First, Jersey #2 is feeling pretty good. She even startled the nurses this morning by getting out of bed all by herself (and tried to get back in alone too, but they caught her). She is really recovering well from everything, but there are still a few hurdles to cross before she can come home!

Second, a friend and I have been walking on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It has been great. The walking is making both of us feel better, and having a chance to talk to another adult is also nice. We stop at the park near the end to let the kids play, so there is an added bonus for AJU5 there.

In other news, AJU6 can now roll over. This is a mixed blessing. First, once he crawls he will be truly mobile (and he is getting close). Second, when I lay him down to sleep, he rolls over. And of course he doesn't want to sleep on his stomach, so he cries. I had to flip him three times this afternoon before he finally fell asleep. At least he isn't cranky like he was yesterday. What ended up being a 2.5 hour visit to the service shop for my car got him off schedule. He was cranky as all get out yesterday afternoon - refusing to eat because he was so tired but refusing to sleep because he was hungry.

What has been making you feel good lately?

Ramblings

First, thanks for the prayers for Jersey #2. She made it through surgery just fine, and just a little while ago she had her breathing tube removed. She is showing her strength and joy with lots of smiles and requests for food and drink (no drinks for a few hours and no food until tomorrow).

Second, AJU6's second tooth popped through yesterday. Hopefully we will have a little break before the top teeth come in. He handled the teething fairly well, but a non-teething AJU6 is less work for sure!

Third, my brother-in-law is giving me a little bit of a math work-out. He is taking college Calculus I, and I am tutoring him. We spent 3 hours last night on Skype working problems together. Unfortunately I didn't know how to do one problem (well, one part of one problem) and it wasn't in AJU1's or my calc books. Oh well.

AJU5 wants a bath - so I am bring pulled away. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Prayer Request (and Milestone)

If you ever read the comments on my blog, you might recognize the name Coach Mom. She is an IRL friend. Tomorrow, her daughter (Jersey #2) will undergo a five hour open heart surgery to replace a heart valve. Jersey #2 was born with Tetraology of Fallot, and underwent an even longer and more difficult surgery at almost 3 months old. Now she is 6.5 years old and in need of another surgery so she can be active again. Please pray for this family. Tomorrow many of us are wearing either crazy socks or rainbow colored clothes in honor of Jersey #2, as this is the type of clothing she loves to wear. If you join us, send me a picture so I can pass it on to her mom. They are going to show Jersey #2 all of the pictures to pass the time when she is stuck in bed.



In other news, AJU6 has a tooth now. You can't see it really yet, but I can feel it. I knew it was coming, but I was still surprised to feel it this morning. Hopefully he will sleep well tonight...

Injustices

Yippie! I finally was able to steal Mommy's computer so I could write a post. It is me - AJU6 - and I am here to tell you about all of the injustices in my world.

First, why is it that I can't move forward? No matter what I do, I only can spin in circles or move backwards. Occasionally I can move maybe an inch forward, but that doesn't really help. I just want to get to my toys or Mommy and Daddy!

Second, why is it that no one understands me? I say all these things, and all I get out of Mommy is "that is a good story." Hello. I am trying to tell you what I want. I am not telling a story!

Third, where is my food? I see everyone else eating around me, and all I get is plastic spoons to chew on. Why isn't there food on my spoons? Mommy was nice enough to let me suck on an apple Saturday night, but I want more!

Those are the big three. Occasionally there are other small ones, but I don't want to sound like my life is that bad.

Love,
AJU6

Busy Day

So, here is how our day went:
4l30 - AJU5 comes ot my side of the bed and hands me her duck, a blanket, and her water cup. I tell her to hold on a second so I can put AJU6 back in his bed (he is out). She goes crying to her room. Moments later AJU1's alarm goes off. After one snooze (10 minutes), he is up and getting ready for work. His plan is to take our "work" truck and pick up a trencher so he can work on the backyard in the afternoon. But, he notices that the back license plate is missing (most likely fell off), so he has to take his car and go to the DMV on the way home.
6:00 - AJU6 is awake and wants to be out of bed, so I am up for the day.
7:00- AJU5 wakes for the day.
10:00 - Head to story time. Today's topic was robots, and we got to make a robot for AJU5 to wear that had "wings" (arms).
11:30 - Leave the library and head to Costco for a few things.
1ish - Get home from Costco and try to get the kids to nap. AJU6 agrees, but AJU5 stays up until 1:45
4:00ish = AJU1 gets home after spending an extended period of time at the DMV because the computer system went down. AJU5 also wakes from her nap and AJU6 is back down for his long nap.
4AJU5 and I help AJU1 in the back yard until 5;30. Then we come inside, clean up, and get ready to go.
6:00 - Leave for an evening of indoor miniature golf with our churches "youth" group. It is more the children's group, but it was a fun evening none the less.
8:30 - Head home and get AJU5 into bed.
AJU6 is still up since he napped at the golf place, although he is about ready to crash. His bottom middle teeth are about to break through, so he is having a hard time falling asleep these days.

My Purchases

Here are the shirts I bought. I didn't iron them or anything, so that is why there are some wrinkles. Tell me what you think.