Well Toddler!

AJU5 had her 18 month check-up today. She is perfectly healthy. The only thing we have to watch for is her eyes - there is a small possibility of lazy eye, but the doctor didn't see it when she checked with the eye paddle.

Here are the stats:
32 inches tall (60th percentile)
22 lbs 5.75 oz (about 25th percentile)
48cm head circumference (75th-90th percentile)

She also behaved perfectly (other than shy and wanting to sit in the "chair" again). I was afraid she would be cranky because I had to wake her from her nap!

In other news, AJU5 has mastered putting on shoes. This is not good as we do not wear shoes in the house. Saturday she put on a mis-matched pair - one black and one white. The first time they were on the wrong feet. The second time they were on the right feet. Sunday she picked out her own shoes for church (luckily they did match) and put them on (twice ebcause AJU1 removed them when she put them on the wrong feet). Today she has put on two different shoes at different times, including one that is a snug fit (the others are all a size too big, but she doesn't mind). It will be a battle!

Home Improvement Saturday - Replacing Interior Doors

So, in this house we replaced all of the interior doors minus the furnace closet with solid wood (pine) doors. It really isn't that hard to do - although it isn't cheap to use solid wood doors as we found out (and to stain them)!

Here is how you do it:

1. Remove the trim around the existing door. Try to not damage the drywall when you pry the molding off unless you plan on replacing it (or retexturing like we did). To prevent denting the wall, first score the edge with a knife (to cut the paint). Then slide a putty knife behind your pry-bar to get the molding off. It takes time, but it isn't hard.
2. To save yourself some back-breaking work, remove the door from the hinges. You can either pull the hinge pins or unscrew one side of the hinges - it doesn't matter.
3. Now you need to remove the frame. The easiest thing to do is cut the screws/nails with a reciprocating saw. If you don't have one, you can try to just pull the frame in pieces (we did both actually - neither is too hard).
4. Now you need to clean the area up and get ready for the new door. I would recommend replacing the doors when you are going to replace the floors as well, so you don't have to worry about damaging the floors. The doors should go in first if this is the case. Make sure to vacuum the area and hammer in any nails, etc that are sticking out.
5. Now you can slide the door into place. You want to keep the actual door in the frame - do not remove it until the frame is installed! Get the door centered right to left (or where you want it). Then check for plumb (is the door leaning in any direction?).
6. Once you get one side plumb (both directions), nail or screw it into place. Nails are easier to cover (finish nails), but screws hold better. We used nails via a nail gun. Place nails or screws in two places - between the hinges. You will need to place shims between the opening and frame to keep it in the right place BEFORE you nail/screw!
   
7. Next, you need to make sure the door is square and the other side is plumb (use a level and a tape measure). Once you have this done, you can nail the other side.
8. Now you can open the door and see if it swings well. If it catches anywhere, try to figure out why and fix the problem. The easiest thing to do is cut/break the shims out and then adjust the door. Removing the shims should give you some play in the frame.
9. Once the door opens and closes smoothly, you can finish the door and frame. We removed the door at the hinges so we could stain on a horizontal surface. We have also seen people stain/finish before installing, but you runt he risk of damaging the frame this way.
10. Once the door is ready for use, you can reinstall the trim as well. Agian, if you are replacing the floor, I would wait until the floor is in before replacing the trim so it doesn't get damaged.

That's it. AJU1 actually installed some of the doors without my help, so it is a one person job if you are strong enough! But, two people are handy because it makes the leveling/plumbing easier!

(Picture is of master bath door and entry to master closet. We place on installing bi-fold doors for the closet, but we haven't yet.)

Product Review Friday - Diapers

I have only bought two brands of diapers for AJU5 - Kirkland (Costco) and Huggies - because I like to buy the huge boxes at Costco. The price for the two brands is almost identical, so I have gone back and forth as to which ones to buy. One thing I have learned is that the fitted diapers are better! The Kirkland ones now are slimmer in the leg region than the basic Huggies (Huggies Supreme are even narrower but a lot more expensive). So, we are on Kirkland diapers these days. AJU5 was having diaper leaks during nap time with the Huggies. There has only been one possible leak with the Kirklands - and that was last night. She wore the same diaper for about *18 hours, so I am not surprised! I actually excepted more of a leak than I felt (one small spot on her shorts - not completely soaked) when I got her up this morning.

So, conclusion- look for fitted diapers. You want ones than curve in around the legs to fit better and not leak. I bet they are also more comfortable because the little oens don't have to walk so bow-legged.

What is your experience with disposible diapers?

*AJU5 was so off schedule yesterday. She refused her nap, although she did rest in bed for about an hour (just didn't sleep). Then she fell asleep in the car on the way to Target (around 1:30) and spent 30 minutes sleeping in her car seat there (in the parking lot, sweating like crazy - but we needed a few things so I wasn't going home). Then she wanted night-night at 4:30. I thought she was just going to nap for an hour or two. Instead, she slept until 7:15 this morning! That is why she didn't get a diaper change and didn't sleep in pajamas.

2 in 1: Baby and Tired

So, I have two things I want to talk about. Since I have ideas for tomorrow (Product Review Friday) and Saturday (Home Improvement Saturday), I am just oging to put them in one post today :)

First, AJU5 is in love with her Baby. It is the baby doll she got for Christmas from her Grandma. She came with a bassinet, blanket, change of clothes, pillow, pacifier, and bottle. She had been feeding Baby periodically and carrying her around, but it wasn't a consistent behavior. This past week she started carrying her stuffed animals around. She insisted on carrying a bear almost her size to church with us last Wednesday. One of them must sleep with her at night (she picks which one each night - there are about 10 of them total throughout the house). The last couple of days Baby has gotten even more attention. She has gotten to ride in the tub like AJU5 does (sting attached to Rubbermaid tub that we pull up and down the hall). She got to sit in her musical chair. She got kisses! Last night, they slept together until 1am (when AJU5 awoke, snuggled with me, and then went back to bed - with a teddy bear instead). This morning, Baby got to have breakfast with us. It was not okay for Baby to sit in a chair by herself and just watch. No, she had to have a taste of waffle too! After breakfast, Baby got to swing in the infant swing and then they both went down for a rest in bed together with their "bottles." It is so cute!

In a lot of ways, I am really happy she is caring for Baby and learning what she needs. But, she still throws her and carries her by the feet, etc. So, I hope we can work on being gentle before Junior comes! I also hope she won't be too jealous - she already gets jealous of our friend's 9 month old when I help with him occasionally!

***********

Now for the tired part. The last two afternoons I have been exhausted! I wanted a nap so bad, but AJU5 is not an afternoon napper. She is a morning napper (normally 10-12). I did get her to lay down for about 30 minutes yesterday, but just as I was falling asleep she started to cry :( AJU1 has been working late all week because he has a project he must complete by tomorrow. That means he comes home, maybe eats, and then goes to bed. He is up and gone before 6am, so AJU5 is all mine all day. I think that is why I am so tired! Normally he would be heading home when I am about spent (4pm). Hopefully next week will be better. Also, I hope to move AJU5's nap to the afternoon after the 4th. We have two VBS's coming up that are in the morning. She will stay up if she is entertained (and won't complain if she has friends around). So, I think it will work. That way I can take a nap if I want each day! Unfortunately, that would mean not having as much time to get things done though... But it is a trade-off I may have to make...

Training Your Child

Yesterday's Lesson - If Mommy lets you do something enough, you think it is okay.

I am starting to win the battle on getting AJU5 to remain in the cart while shopping. When she was little and learning to walk, I had no problem letting her out and help push the cart. I knew she wasn't going anywhere. Plus, most of our shopping was at Costco where the items are too big for her to remove from shelves. Lately we have taken more trips to Albertsons, Target, and Hobby Lobby. When she gets out, it is a struggle to keep her away from the shelves! She has also "demanded" to be carried at the stores as well. We have been workingo n the carrying desire at home, but I was afraid to deal with the scream at a store. But yesterday, I got her to stay in the cart with very little crying! She still made exit manuvers, but when she did this, I would back up a little and tell her to sit down. I was far enough away that she could grab me and climb up, but I was still close enough to catch her if she did decide to jump. A few times I had to go and physically sit her back down, but she started to figure it out! Now I just hope she will continue to be well-behaved in stores!

As a treat, we got a pretzel and icee. She got to sit in my lap as we ate the pretzel and drank some of the icee (we finished the icee at home). She didn't even want to get out of the cart when we got to the car! It was such a relief (she got out when we returned the cart with no fight).

What boundaries are you working on? Anything you let you kids do when they were little that you are now trying to break?

Cleaning and Organizing

Yup, that has been the job around here lately. This past weekend I got AJU5's toys and room all done. Her room is now very orderly and easy to maintain. Her toys are mainly downstairs in the family room, and the goal is to keep them neat as well. We did sort them and put them in bins so she only has access to a few toys at a time. She is such a big fan of pulling out all of the toys and then not even playing with them! So, the bins are helping. We make sure one bin is put back (minus a toy occasionally) before she gets another bin. It seems to be working!

Now, to my desk! We have plans to replace it with a new one, but it isn't in the budget just yet (~$550 for the desk and hutch). So, organizing my desk has not been a priority. But, it is really bad! So, I have to start working on it. The biggest challenge is keeping all non-AJU5 approved items out of her reach. The hutch on my current desk is not the best for this actually. But, with bins, it should. So, that is my goal for this week. *I spent about 30 minutes and organized the small items I had thrown into bins before (to get them away from AJU5). The desk looks almost identical now, but I know it is more organized - I can find pens, pencils, and markers now! The rest will have to wait for later - AJU5 is awake :)

Oh, and I promise to post some pictures of AJU5's room this week. First, I need to take them. Then AJU1 needs to get them off the camera and return my access to our server (it is "busy" right now for some reason). But, you can see how it looks and then give me ideas as to where to put balloon things when we get those done!

Finally, AJU1 is feeling better today. There is a high likelihood it is just allergies. I am used to them, but he definitely is not. That is our thought as he woke up fine and I have been sniffling slightly more the past few days.

"Fun" Father's Day

Here is a recap of our day so far:
AJU5 wakes at 11:30pm - I go and lay down with her on the futon in her room for about 30 minutes and then put her back to bed.
AJU5 screams at 1:00am. AJU1 retrieves her and bring her to our bed.
By 1:30, AJU5 leads me to her room and we again lay on the futon. She had led both AJU1 and I to the bedroom and office during this 30 minutes.
5:30am - AJU5 is awake for the day. She wants to see Daddy, and then she leads both of us downstairs for TV watching (one of us is not good enough - that was met with lots of cries).
6:00-7:00 - I dose on the couch while AJU1 studies for Sunday School (he is the teacher) and AJU5 plays.
6:45ish - AJU1 starts breakfast while getting AJU5 a snack. I help finish breakfast when I wake up.
During breakfast, AJU1 opens his Father's Day present - bubbles and water guns. He "covers" AJU5 in bubbles after she is done eating (and still in her chair).
Then, I take a shower. When I get out of the shower, AJU5 is ready for hers (AJU1 had already started it). So, AJU1 and AJU5 both take baths (in separate tubs). After bath, AJU5 is ready for a nap.
8:30-10:15am - AJU5 and I rest. Around 9:30 AJU1 leaves for church (Sunday School is at 9:45).
We make it to church in time - nothing abnormal there (other than missing Sunday School which we did on Mother's Day for the same reason - hmmm...).
After church, AJU1 isn't feeling good. So, he heads home and AJU5 and I stop and get a take-and-bake pizza for lunch.
AJU5 snacks and goes down for another nap before the pizza is ready.
AJU1 and AJU5 both asleep...

It is 2:30 here. All quiet at least! Hopefully AJU1 will feel better when he wakes up. Hopefully AJU5 will be cheer when she gets up. Hopefully I will keep my energy/feeling fairly good up (just allergies and normal nausea).

Oh, and I hate Murphy's Law! Yesterday I returned AJU5's futon to the couch mode because we hadn't had to lay with her in over a month. It made for a long night of snuggling because she liked to lay sideways!
On top of all of this - AJU5 broke out in a rash. At first I thought it might be an allergic reaction. But, the spots I saw got better and new ones appeared. So, I think it is just heat rash!

Product Review Friday - Swim Tops

I wanted to buy AJU5 a swimsuit like this for the summer, but they do not fit her! The problem is the top. I managed to get a 3T top over her head, but it was still quite snug going on and coming off (to the point I am sure it didn't feel good). So, we are stuck with the standard one piece for away from home "swimming." I like the idea of two-piece suits, but I don't think toddlers should be showing off their bellies in public (I put her in two-piece hand-me-downs for backyard swimming). Why don't they make any with zippers or something so that kids with big heads can wear sun-protecting tops? One would think they would want as many kids as possible to be protected from the sun. But, as usual, they don't make clothes for children with large heads. Last year, the 12m one fit her (it was a little big, but not too bad - see picture at top). This year we would have to go to at least 4T for the head, and I think it would be way to big everywhere else when we actually swim.

Have you had problems with clothes in the "proper" size not fitting because one part/whole was too small?

MIssed Appointment

Okay, why can't doctor's offices call you to remind you of appointments? We missed AJU5's 18 month check-up yesterday because I had no idea what day it was this week. We scheduled it 3 months ago, and she stole the reminder card out of my wallet at some point. In the back of my mind, I thought it was Thursday, as many of her appointments have been on Thursdays. But, it was Wednesday... and I didn't call until today to find out (thinking they would call and remind us like they did last time).

I guess what I dislike the most is the inconsistency with the reminders. Some times they call, some times they don't. It is really funny when they call to remind you of your appointment when you made it less than 48 hours before! Hello - I can remember that! It is when I make the appointment weeks or months in advance that I forget. So, I have put the dates on the calendar this time! Back in March our calendars weren't up in good spots, so I didn't think about it. Plus, I hadn't played with Google's calendar yet, so I didn't think about it. I had used Outlook in the past, but I no longer use it day to day because I use gmail instead. So, today I "loaded" the lab to make the calendar appear on the main page and added all known appointments to the calendar. Hopefully we won't miss anything else this summer!

(I was able to reschedule for the 29th. She isn't due for any shots this time, so the date doesn't really matter at all!)

Room Ideas

So, earlier this week I asked Christina from Rockin' the Suburbs for advice on decorating the kids' bedroom. The plan is for them to share until AJU5 is at least 5, even if Junior #3 is a boy (Junior #3 may sleep in other rooms of the house for the first few months though). Here is her reply:
With a blank slate you're set for as much or little style as you'd like. I would keep the crib bumper you already have and get a new sheet to work with the big girl bedding you pick. I think stripes, dots and gingham would be perfect for mixing genders and you can keep it soft and neutral but still fun. If you'd like you can certainly pop a little pink or purple pillow or toss blanket on aju5's bed to give a little girl flair- pink will look wonderful with yellow, blue and green. I would add some softness to the window if you haven't already, a black out shade and fabric panels (which you can use to soften the light if you don't care to black it out all the time) I wouldn't worry a bit about miss matched pieces of furniture since the new baby will only use the baby set for so long. Save for the long term stuff and live with what you have. In terms of the walls my favorite place to start is by looking at Calendars- you get 12-16 pictures for $15 or less- a few I think would be great. Dick and Jane (soft colors) Dr. Seuss- or even what I used the little golden books. Most malls I've been in have a calendar store or a kiosk. Or, choose a favorite book and tear the pages out and frame the best ones. My favorite place for affordable frames and matting is Michael's craft store- they have 40% off sales in that dept all the time. These combined (bedding and art) should last a long time- I don't think either kid will be begging for a change even at the age of 5.

So, I started looking online at calendars because I didn't know the direction I wanted to go. I thought about going geometric "art" with a lot of color. But, the only calendar I found that fit was over $30! So, then I just went to Amazon and browsed through the wall calendars (sorted by price). After about 5 pages, I saw something that gave me an idea - hot air balloons! It fits my liking of geometrics and color. Plus, we actually have MANY digital pictures of hot air balloons. Our pictures range from single, simple balloons to some of the special shapes (there is a balloon festival in our town each year). So, I think that is where I will head. I need to pick out some pictures and then set the color theme. Basically, I could go with any color of the rainbow. I think for decor we will stick with muted primary colors (not quite pastel but not totally bright either). I have always been a fan of the primary colors - my college comforter was color block on one side with primary colors and denim on the other side.

What do you think of the idea? Christina has lots of good design ideas, so check out her blog!

Busy First Two Days of the Week

It has definitely been a full two days so far.

AJU1 left Monday for a one-night work trip. So, AJU5 got to spend a tiny bit of time with him before he left (his flight was early enough going to work was pointless but late enough that he left later than normal). I think she liked that, but she didn't like saying bye to her daddy.

Then, Monday afternoon we went to a friend's house. The mom and I had to get some planning done for our VBS's, and her kids and AJU5 are good friends (well, other than the 9 month old that AJU5 just gets jealous of if I play with). We got the schedule, crafts, worker assignments, and goodie ideas planned, so we were happy. AJU5 got to play and burn off all the energy she had. There were only two issues while we were there. First, a little tikes play house thing fell down on AJU5. I think she was pulling on it, which caused it to fall on her. Luckily, she wasn't hurt at all - just a little scared. Then, not too long after that, their dog stole a cracker out of her hand. He had snuck in when we went to rescue AJU5 from the Little Tikes incident, and stole the cracker very gently. It was just sad for AJU5 to have her cracker stolen! After we got home, she ate a little and was in bed before 6!

Tuesday started off early. She was up before 6! Luckily, after some food, she was ready for a nap before 7. After the nap, we got ready to stop by my work to pick up exams and go to Costco. She made me carry her 95% of the time in Costco - my left arm was killing me by the end. The only rest I got was when she gnawed on a spoon from the apple pie sample (she didn't want the apple pie though for some reason). After Costco, we went home and ate lunch. I then put her to bed for a short rest (she didn't sleep) before we headed to the spray park. This was our first visit there, but she had experienced spraying water both at the zoo and in our backyard (sprinklers) and loved it. We were meeting friends (the ones from Monday as well as another boy and his grandma). She had a variety of reactions to the spray park. At first, she just stood in the water enjoying it spray on her. Then she got very cold and needed to warm up, so we snuggled in the sun. Then she had a snack with her friends and enjoyed being outside. I tried to get her back in the water area, but she wasn't so sure about it. Finally, she was willing to go walk around with her friends (the bigger ones) and rediscovered the spraying-water fun. After another warm-up time/snack time, she was ready for one more excursion into the water before they closed. two hours at the spray park definitely wore her out. She fell asleep in the car on the way home and took about a 2 hour nap (I got about an hour nap even). She stayed up a little later than normal, but I didn't mind.

We don't have big plans for the rest of the week though. We have a few errands to run, but that is about it. Hopefully she won't get bored having to be home in the afternoons :)

VBAC or C-Section - C-Section or VBAC

So, Jen L asked me what my plans are for delivery with this little one. So, first let me give you the basics of AJU5's birth:

• From first contraction to getting to the hospital - 2-3 hours
• Dilated to 8 cm when we got there (3 cm about 12 hours earlier at doctor's appointment), contractions very close together
• 2-4 hours later - water broken because we thought I was fully dilated (only 9 cm actually due to another ring of cervix hidden by bag).
• Epidural soon after
• Pushing at some point that led to fetal distress (spent rest of night resting on side which caused no fetal distress - it was just the pushing). Internal contraction monitor inserted to make sure contractions were effective (which they were).
• Around 7am tried pushing again. Fetal distress continued with pushes. Baby still had not dropped.
• 9:00 hour - decision made to do c-section. I had developed an infection and was already on antibiotics. We were told baby would go to NICU for antibiotics at the least.
• 10:07 - AJU5 born. Taken to NICU - chest x-ray negative for any issues there. On antibiotics for 7 days. Off an on oxygen while in NICU (weaned twice only to have to go back on). Finally weaned off O2 at about 2.5 weeks old.

So, why did I have such a problem delivering her? It turns out she was crooked. Her head was tilted to the side instead of pointing down. This made it so she could not drop. My doctor had wondered how she would drop starting at about 36 weeks. I didn't realize all of this until almost 1 year later! I thought it was size because of my sister's history and the possibility that 8 lbs was my max (I did spred out while pregnant, so I could have delivered her if she had been positioned right).

So, now for this time. I don't think we will make a firm decision until we have to. Part of me wants to try the VBAC. I am not afraid of the risks. Our hospital and my doctor (and her collegues) are more than capable and ready to handle those. But, having the date picked out so we can have firm arrangements for AJU5 is very tempting. So, here are my current thoughts:

1. If my doctor suspects position issues again, we are jumping for the c/s.
2. If the baby comes before week 39 - VBAC attempt for sure (I would plan the c/s for Nov. 23 most likely because my doctor normally has hospital duty on Mondays).
3. Continue to pray about this and talk with my doctor until we have to make a decision. I hope to have peace with it before I tell her our plans!

Okay - that was a lot longer than I planned on. Sorry it is such a long response. Hope it answers the questions some of you have though!

Home Improvement Saturday - Refinishing Wood

So, way back when I asked for topic ideas, someone mentioned refinishing cabinets. This is something we haven't done, but we have refinished some other things.

First, it is easier to paint than to stain. Staining is messy and takes lots of prep. It only works well if you can get down to the bare wood (and the wood looks good). On the other hand, painting only takes minimal prep and can be done without removing all the old finish.

So, to paint, you need to first do a light sanding. You want to get the surface matte and clean. Hand sanding works just fine, but if it is a big project, a small random orbital sander speeds everything up (and they aren't that expensive to buy). The one thing you want to avoid is sanding so much that you remove any detail that is in the original item - otherwise you can sand for a while with no issue (i.e. don't sand so much that nothing is left of course).

Once you have it sanded, you need to get it cleaned up. If you got down to old paint or bare wood, you can just wipe or vacuum the dust off. If there is still some finish left, I would recommend TSP to remove any residue that might affect adhesion.

After you have it cleaned, then you need to prime the surface. Some would skip this step, but primer is a lot cheaper than paint! So, take the time and prime. It will make the paint look better in the long run. Between coats, feel the surface. If you are noticing ridges from the brush stokes, you might want to sand a little. This of course is up to you.

Then apply your paint. We normally do two coats of primer and two coats of paint on things, but our coats are fairly thin. I would at least do one of each.

If you wanted to stain, of course you have to get down to the bare wood, which could be a lot more sanding. Then, you have to make sure the wood looks good. Then of course you pre-stain if it is a soft wood like pine, stain, and finish. The number of coats fo stain and finish are dependent on the products you use. We went with gel stain and a poly-crylic for our trim in this course. We ended up with three coats of stain and three coats of finish to get the end product we wanted.

Any questions?

Product Review Friday - Restaurants

On our recent trip to the in-laws, we stopped for fast food on the way. McDonald's does not agree with our stomachs (beyond breakfast sandwiches that is), so we never stop at them. To keep things quick, we try to find gas station/restaurant combos. Along the way, we found Subways, Wendy's, and Arby's this way that we stopped at. The food was always fine. Getting the food was no issue too. With the exception of one small place, the "dining" room was just fine. The problem - the bathrooms! Now, these are gas stations along fairly well traveled roads (some along an interstate even). Most of them had single toilet restrooms. I think only one had a changing station for kids. What are they thinking? I just did a quick search, and I think the MSRP on the Koala changing things are $350. The site I found had them for under $200 for all varieties. I am wondering why places don't have them. It would sure make our lives easier!

As a result, we ended up changing AJU5 in the car most of the time. Luckily, she isn't willing to have a dirty diaper while sitting in her car seat. She saves that until we are done for the day! So, it was just wet diapers we were having to deal with, which are easy to change!

Up Next (or soon at least) - Diapers!

Morning Sickness and Weight Gain

Well, I am over 15 weeks pregnant, and I still get nauseous regularly. With AJU5, I thought it was over by Week 16. But, then there was the kidney infection and nausea until about Week 23. I don't know if all of that was the kidney infection/medicine or not. So, maybe it lasted until Week 23 with AJU5 - I don't know.

My battle right now is determining when to take Zofran. Twice over the last two weeks I have started to feel blah but didn't take it. It was night, I was going to bed soon, and I thought I could survive. I ended up throwing up and feeling horrible the next morning. So, I am now taking it when I start to feel that way. I don't like having to take medicine, but I think it is better than throwing up.

One way I try to deal with the morning sickness BEFORE taking the Zofran is to eat something. The problem - I gained 6 pounds in 5 weeks! I weighed 148 pounds at my first OB appointment and 154 pounds at the second. I know it is because I was eating, but that is still a lot of weight. 2-3 lounds would have been expected, as I weighed about 150 pounds when I got pregnant. So, I am trying to eat better and smarter. I bought apples and bananas at the stores this week. I also bought salad makings so my lunch meals (I normally eat two lunches) are healthier. Hopefully at my next OB appointment I won't weigh more than 155 pounds!

I am also following all of you out there that are on weight loss plans right now. I am "taking notes" on what works for after this little one comes. My goal weight is about 145, as I haven't weighed less than 140 lbs since 9th grade (and that includes the period of time I was exercises 4-6 hours a day, 5-6 days a week). So, I don't think my body would ever agree to less than 140 (and still be "healthy"). Hopefully y'all will be good inspiration!

Silly LIttle Girl

Here are some of AJU5's recent antics:

This morning I went to change her diaper for the first time (wet and dirty). I got the pajamas off, but then she bolted. As she was running down the hall, her diaper was sagging more and more. It almost wasn't on her booty any more by the time I got to her and forced her to get changed!

AJU5 seems to only be willing to drink out of a sippy cup in her bed these days. Otherwise, she refuses and asks for what we have (even if it is the same beverage). So, she has been getting water in an adult water bottle. But, because she prefers some flavor, she isn't drinking as much. Luckily, the last two days she has "asked" to go to bed and drank one full glass in solitude. As soon as she was done drinking, she asked to get out of bed...

Yesterday I forgot to grab her pacifiers off the floor after the failed nap attempt (see above drinking instead). So, she found them soon after. I told her they needed to go back to bed before we went bye-bye. Before too long, she came back with only two (she started with three). I repeated the rules, and she came back with one. Finally, after repeating the rules, she took me to her room and deposited the last one.

Finally, she is insisting on being carried a lot more than we are willing to do. So, we are training her. Last night, she tried to climb both my husband and I after we had refused to pick her up (and told her we are not carrying her). We were upstairs, so we went downstairs while she threw a tantrum. It last for about 20 minutes! Finally, she came down and had dinner. The rest of the night she didn't ask to be carried around though! This morning I had the battle again, but it hasn't been as bad. She cries when I lay her on the floor, but then she comes and sees me soon after in a good mood.

What silly antics are your kids up to?

Busy Weekend

Okay, so this week I will get back to the Product Review Friday and Home Improvement Saturday. I have topics in my head, but I didn't have time this weekend to write them. Now for why I didn't have time:

Friday's Time Line:
Morning: Breakfast, playing, then nap. During nap time, I shower and get all of my papers ready for work. I also "chat" with a colleague about one of our classes (issue had come up).
After nap - lunch then leave for work.
Spend about an hour at work coping, turning in papers, etc.
Then, head to the zoo with friends. We spent 4 hours there! Needless to say, we were both exhausted when we got home.
After zoo, ran to Papa Murphy's to get dinner
Eat, bed for AJU5, and then movie for husband and I.

Saturday's Time Line:
Pancake Breakfast (charity) at church. We are there from 7:30 until about 9:30.
Quick run to Lowe's for a few items
Nap for AJU5, laundry and organizing for me
Lunch, play time, laundry, and emptying boxes all afternoon
Another movie at night

Sunday's Time Line:
Church in the am
Then catching up on reading for a class (final later on Sunday)
Final around 5:15 (class at church over Bible)
Evening service and ice cream social at church after test
Bed!

So, as you can see, we were busy. I forgot the camera on Friday. I might try to get some pictures from our friends though. Even if I had grabbed the camera, it wouldn't have done any good- the battery was dead (and my husband hadn't told me).

How was your weekend?

Behavior

So, here are some of AJU5's recent behaviors:

1. She will now inform us when she wants to go to bed - at least some times. She will lead us to her bed and will try to climb into the crib. This isn't an every day, every sleeping time behavior, but it has repeated itself enough times to know that it is somehting she is capable of and willing to do.
2. Last night we were back at church after two weeks (since we were gone). AJU5 was not sure of it for a while. She cried and kept wanting us to hold her (something we are trying to limit because she is getting heavier, etc). Eventually, she realized something and went and played with her friends. But, I think it took a good 10-20 minutes! Luckily, I don't expect us to be gone from church that long until at least Christmas time...
3. Today I had an OB appointment. I carried her in and put her down while I checked in. She was NOT sure of where we were. She wasn't asking to be held the whole time, but she just stayed very close. I think part of it was the crowd. The midwives in the practice were running behind (my doctor was actually ahead) - most of those in the waiting room when we got there were still there when we left.
   
4. She is talking a lot more. There are definitely more words these days. She even is trying to say grandma! One problem: shoe, juice, and cheese are almost indistinguishable. Add to this that juice can refer to food or drink, and it can become a guessing game really easily! Luckily, she has put more and juice together if she wants more of what she just had. At least then I know what she wants!

Well, time to go play. I need to stop gaining weight I think (I gained 6 pounds in 5 weeks...). Now, some of the weight I gained was making up for what I lost early on throwing up and not eating much, but hopefully I won't have any more big weight gains. I did have one with AJU5, so I am not too worried (it was later though because I had issues throwing up until 20 weeks).

Wordless Wednesday - Trip Pictures

Home Again

So, I was out of town for a little over a week. That is why I didn't blog, comment, etc. We went to the in-laws where there is "high-speed" internet, but it was very slow! Also, for safety issues, I didn't want the world to know we were gone (and end up with our house broken into or something).

The trip went fine. We drove this time, and it took two days each way. On the way there, we met friends that live two miles away from us for dinner (and stayed at the same hotel). We can't seem to get together in town, so we had to arrange to meet over 600 miles away. But, it did add some fun to that leg of the journey with the periodic checks to see where each other was.

AJU5 did fairly well. There were crying fits, but normally they coincided with a need for a nap. So, we just let her cry it out until she crashed most of the time. If I didn't think she was sleepy and I had tried all of the snacks and toys we had, I sang to her. Luckily, there were few of these.

The in-laws was okay. They live in the middle of no where, so it was kind of boring. It takes about 30 minutes to get to a grocery store or any real store, so we spent most of our time just hanging out at the house. AJU5 had fun with their cat - she even would go and touch her by the end. She also loved to go out and see the dogs. She actually like their huge dog (st. bernard size, but I am not sure of the breed) better than their beagle. She did pet the big dog a few times, but she normally just liked to be close to him with us there. There was also daily walks around the yard.

The best part of the trip was the four nights we didn't have anything to do with AJU5 from when we put her to bed until we got up. All but one of those nights she didn't need tending too, and the other time she went back to sleep quickly with a little rocking. I loved being able to sleep in though! The last three nights weren't as great though. The first one she refused to go back down so we were summoned to deal with her (she ended up in bed with us). The next night we just had her in the morning because she had moved rooms and was closer to us. The final night she woke up once and required snuggling. And again I had morning detail (AJU1 slept in because we were leaving and he needed rest since he does all the driving).

Pictures will come once they are off the camera. We haven't even been home 24 hours, and it has been busy around here! First was lunch. Next there was catching up on my work (Mondays are grading days). Then there was a trip to Costco for groceries. While AJU5 and I were at the store, AJU1 started the yard work. Not too long after that was AJU5's bed time and a movie for us (now that we have a TV downstairs). I ended up sleeping with AJU5 from 11pm on, and have been trying to do work and take care of her needs all morning. Hopefully by tomorrow life will be "normal" again!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that while we were at the in-laws, AJU5 had a runny nose and was very cranky. I think it was just allergies and teeth (she is filling in between her front teeth and molars), but AJU1 also got sick. So, there was also a lot of Gilligan's Island watching during the day!