Wow!

Let's just say AJU5 surprised me this morning - and last night.

First, she went to bed without a fight - something we had been dealing with for a week or two. Then she stayed in bed even though her door wasn't shut and just played until she fell asleep. We heard her singing the Awana Cubbie song at one point.

Then, I heard her this morning playing in her room. Then I heard AJU6 whine a little bit. The next thing I knew I heard them both laughing. She had gone to his room and was playing with him. It was a lot better way to wake than two screaming kids!

Next, once she came to get me, I noticed she had on different pants than she went to bed with. She had taken her pants off with the diaper inside (I knew she COULD do that), and then put on undies and different pants. Normally I have to ask her to change in the morning after her shows.

This little girl is growing up, and part of me is happy. But, then I miss my baby at times too...

I guess someone made a mistake

AJU6 is now 9 months old, and he is as active as can be. He can stand on his own, and just this weekend figured out how to push a toy around while standing. I wouldn't not be surprised if he was truly walking before a year.

At his check-up, he weighed 15 lbs 11.25 oz and was 27 inches long. I didn't look at the growth chart too quickly, but whoever plotted it must have been wrong. Our pediatrician said he was 25th percentile in weight and 10th in height. But, he weighs less than his sister did at 9 months, and she was 10th percentile in weight! I checked online, and it shows him less than 5th percentile. Part of me wonders if the number they wrote on our paper is wrong, as he doesn't look that skinny. It actually looks like he is a little chubbier than he was at 6 months. But I don't know. He is healthy and that is all that matters.

He isn't a talker just yet, but either was his sister. Neither of them waved, but I think it is more because we aren't wavers around here. I often wonder why that is always one of the milestones they ask about - I bet kids in other parts of the world don't wave either. But again I know he understands us and he is communicating in his own way. You should see how he reacts when he sees his crackers! He is definitely telling us that is what he wants.

Enough of the rambling. It is just one of those kind of days. First day of the Fall term, stayed up too late last night, and have been busy all day... But, all is good :)

Wordless Wednesday - Friday Evening "Activity"

Puddles, and More Puddles

Yesterday AJU5 decided she wanted to wear undies like Mommy. I took this as a sign she was ready to try potty training again, especially since she fought putting on a diaper for a good 30 minutes. So, she got undies for about 2 hours yesterday before we had to leave to go somewhere. And, there were accidents of course. Luckily AJU1 "caught" the big accident and cleaned it up.

This morning she wanted undies again (she actually had to be forced into a diaper to leave yesterday and at bedtime). So, I went with it. After four puddles and no success (and one heavily used diaper at nap time), I was about to give up. I posted on Facebook asking for ideas. AJU5 knew when she had to go. She would just dribble a tiny bit on her undies and let me know. We would sit on the potty, and nothing would happen. Repeat one more time, and then there would be ahuge puddle about 15 minutes after the second attempt. Clearly the problem was actually using the potty - not knowing that she needed to go. One friend suggested trying to have her sit on the potty while watching a show and drinking Gatorade. I gave it a try. After about an hour, she went. Then, about 45 minutes later, there was another puddle - luckily that one was outside in the grass so I didn't have to clean it up.

So, we will try again tomorrow. We will start with the potty/drink/show combo first thing in the morning. Then, we will probably try another suggestion - coloring while sitting on the potty - later. We have tried books with no results, but it might be that I am just not patient enough (20-30 minutes of reading kids books can wear me out, especially when AJU6 wants to play). Hopefully she figure it out. She really wants her trike - the current carrot for potty training.

Product Review Friday - Personal Financial Software

We started using MS Money shortly after we got married. In almost 8 years, it became very easy to use, and it was user friendly (as long as you are used to Microsoft at least). Then, about a year or so ago, they stopped selling it. My husband tried to adjust something on the version we had, it we lost the ability to download our transactions from our banking companies - about a year before this would have happened otherwise. So, we had to switch. Basically, the only option out there is Quicken, so he ordered that.

We aren't huge fans of it. It is harder to reconcile the transactions. You can't easily see the number of transactions needing to be reconciled per account. It does download the transactions "well," and it tracks our spending like we want. We don't have a set budget, so that isn't important to us. Maybe if we had a strict budget it would be a better program...

*We are fortunate at this point to have surplus each month after paying our bills, groceries, tithe, and depositing a set amount in savings. That remainder then is currently being used mostly for the backyard "remodeling" which is making our credit card bleed (well, until we pay it off each month). So, in a sense we have a budget, but because we have the surplus, we don't have to stress over it or even worry about it at all.


** I know have another blog for my cloth diapering journey. If you want the url, let me know. I am using my name there (but not the kids), so I won't link to it here.

Glad That is Over

Last February I found a lump in my right breast. It felt like a cyst - and I thought there was a very good chance it was just acne (I have had ones similar a little closer to the surface before). A week or so later, AJU6 was conceived. Then, I found out I was pregnant, and it felt like it was getting bigger. So, I mentioned it to my OB/Gyn at my first appointment, and she sent me to get a breast ultrasound. She said it felt like a fibroid, but she wanted to make sure. I then of course Google fibroid and determined it was likely. The ultrasound again showed it was likely a fibroid, but it wasn't 100% certain. So, they said to come back in 3 months. Well, fibroids tend to grow with hormones related to pregnancy. So, 3 months later it was larger. That was a year ago. They decided to have me come back in 6 months - after AJU6 was born - to see what it had done. By then it was slightly smaller than it had been last August, but it was still there and fairly large. So, I got to go back this month. It is still there, but it is drastically smaller. So, that is enough evidence for them that it is just a fibroid (breastfeeding = enough hormones to allow it to still live). That means I don't have to go back to that place for 8 years (when I turn 40 for my first mammogram) or if I feel it growing again.

I didn't share it with many people because at first I wasn't ready to share the pregnancy. So, I couldn't really share the fibroid since it was most likely related. Then, I just didn't. But, before every ultrasound I would get slightly nervous. Luckily it is over. I am glad that fear is gone...

Let the Whining... I Mean Weaning Begin

I decided to "force" the pacifier weaning on Saturday. AJU5 has gotten WAY too whiny about her pacifiers, so I knew it was time. With VBS over, I was ready to take the "plunge." We had friends suggest (via my husband) cutting the tip off of the pacifier a little bit at a time until they didn't want it any more. So I tried it Saturday night before she went to bed. Well, I guess I cut too much off. She has not wanted that pacifier since that night...

She woke a few times Saturday night/Sunday morning, and finally around 5:30, I gave her a different pacifier so I could get a little more sleep. Sunday at church, I offered her the cut one, and she refused it. She fell asleep in the pew without it - snuggled up next to me. Sunday night, she told me it was broken, and when I gave it to her, she threw it. I had to lay down with her in the middle of the night to get her back to sleep, but she didn't want a pacifier.

Yesterday's nap was a challenge. She refused to go down at her normal time. Then, around 3pm, while I was busy folding clothes, she fell asleep in our bed. There were more cries out of her during her nap than normal, but she was completely pacifier free. Last night she didn't even ask for her "other" pacifiers like she did at the failed nap time. She wanted me to lay with her for a while, but eventually she went to sleep on her own. AND!!! she didn't wake us up last night with her crying. So, I think the weaning (for her) is over.

I also started keeping AJU6's pacifier in his bed unless we are leaving the house. He seems okay with this. We do occasionally have to get it out about an hour before bed time, but that is it. We have tried putting him down an hour earlier, and he refuses. He wants to snuggle and be held before bed, and he wants his pacifier then too. And, I am okay with that. Hopefully he will be easier to break of the bedtime habit than AJU5. But, only time will tell...

Is It Nap Time Yet?

This week is killing me! VBS is a lot of work. We are averaging 34 kids with under 10 adult helpers and under 10 teen helpers. Oh, and I am not counting AJU6 in those 34 kids...

Add to that a teething infant who is waking every few hours at night, and you have one tired mommy. (The boy has cute 3 teeth in less than a month, and a fourth one is coming soon)

Luckily VBS is going well. We had a great family night yesterday at church, and the kids are enjoying the whole experience. Games have been hit or miss, but that is mainly due to heat (middle group - too hot and tired to play much by their turn) and age (youngest group). Lunch has been a huge hit, and the crafts have gone well. I haven't seen much of the lesson (since there are secluded for maximum attention), but supposedly that has been going well too.

One more day... I can make it...

Famous.. Sort Of...

I had a blog post "published" on a bigger site!
http://www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com/2010/08/ready-for-anything.html
This is the site run by the owner of the cloth diaper store I have bought from (twice). Checked it out if you would like!

Splish Splash

How is it that months ago both my kids hated baths and now they yearn for them? And how did my daughter who would SCREAM when I turned the shower head on (even if she wasn't in the tub) become a girl who ASKED to take a shower with me?

AJU6 got upset one night because he didn't get a bath. He was asleep through most of AJU5s bath before church Wednesday night, so I just rinsed him off (there was a little frozen yogurt incident at Costco - both kids were a little sticky). He let me know he wanted into the tub to play too. He cried until we were out of the bathroom and on our way out the door.

AJU5 now asks for a bath at least once a day. If AJU6 is awake, she asks for him to take a bath with her. But, she also enjoys the alone bath time because then she can "paint" the tub with an old tooth brush and body wash.

Our outdoor little pool isn't getting as much use though - I think because it is so hot outside most days. I know I would rather be inside than out! And I am not crazy enough to try to take the kids to the real pool these days (alone). So, the bath has to do...

Getting Ready

Next week is our church's VBS. So, I am working on getting the kids on a good schedule for that - and it hasn't been easy. Sunday went great - AJU5 took a late nap and we had no issues. Monday was okay - a little fight to get her to actually nap after 1pm once I had pushed her passed the normal 11 or 12 - but it worked.

Then came Tuesday...

AJU1 is on a different work schedule this week because of a class he is taking at work. He now leaves just before 7am and gets home around 6pm. Well, AJU5 started to fuss at 5:30am, and he let her out of bed. So, at 6:30 when she normally gets up, she had already had her two morning shows - the shows I count on to wake up, get a shower, and check my work things (plus Facebook and Google Reader of course). To top it off, she bawled when he left because she thought he would be home all day (like the weekend). She fell asleep on our walk - in an uncomfortable position at that - long before her normal nap. She did take a nap later in the day, but it still wasn't fun.

That night she didn't sleep well. I finally realized it was because she was cold at 5am - and I had already had to comfort her twice before then. She did sleep until almost 7 - just early enough to see daddy and bawl when he left. Luckily she napped well around 12:30.

Today has been okay. Nap at 1ish, etc. Luckily AJU6 FINALLY got with the picture and napped some while she napped. The lack of simul-nap was killing me! That, and having to deal with the kids for 1-2 more waking hours by myself... at the cranky/needy hours...

Lets see if this works for next week...