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...

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...