Sunday, July 31, 2011
Happy Birthday Olivia!!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Holy photo shoot
Happy 3rd birthday to O, and Happy 6 months to A!
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Dinner Out With Kids
Stream of consciousness writing. Not sure how else to tell this story!
Friend calls. Want to go to dinner? Sure. Baby falls asleep on the way there. Perfect. At least free hands for the first few minutes of dinner. Arrive. Friend + 2 year old. Me + 3 year old, and sleeping 6 month old. Stand at the counter to order. 2 year old running like a madman around the restaurant. 3 year old staking out the "perfect" table. Which is smack against a wall with no room to maneuver.
3 year old "I need chicken, french fries, and ketchup!" We are at Moe's. That's a negative. Order. 3 year old launches herself into sleeping sister's carseat. Cue screaming baby. 3 year old- "Baby is awake!!!! Yay!!" 3 year old lays on top of sister who is even more mad now. Finish ordering. Pay. Tray, carseat with giant infant, wiggling. Change, wallet, diaper bag. Drink. Salsa. Not enough hands. Meanwhile, friend dealing with still running 2 year old.
Sit down. High chairs. Arrange kids food. Get up 5 times to get things we forgot. Baby fussing already. Wants a boob. Or a taco. Something. Not to be sitting in her carseat for sure. Kids shovel cheese quesadillas in. Moms attempt to eat before kids lose it. Once they are done eating, you know, the world follows. "I'm done!" 3 year old screams. "Let's go outside!!!!!" Runs out the door. Grab infant, run after 3 year old. Serious face to face talking to while friend tries not to laugh at my serious mom voice. "You could have been run over by a car. And mommy would be very sad." 3 year old "Let's go outside!!!!!"
Shovel more food in. Holding baby. She is grabbing EVERYTHING on the table. She may have eaten some steak. Or a bean. Not sure. She was too fast. Napkins by the dozens on the floor. 3 year old is trapped in by chairs, purposefully by me. She is not happy about that. "Let's go outside!!!!!!"
Done. Go outside. 94 degrees. 2 and 3 year olds bolt for some bushes. Cool. Moms attempt to finish conversation we started 30 minutes ago. Fail. Kids are being stabbed by thorns from said bushes. Great landscaping plan huh? Baby wants a boob. Here's a bench. 2 year old runs into traffic. 3 year old follows. 95 degrees. Attempt to nurse. Hot.as.crap. Not having any part of it. Flash a boob full on to passerby. Oh well. 2 year old returning to thorn bushes, and then into traffic.
Let's go. All of us. Bye, it's been fun. Let's do it again..... when we can pawn the kids off on the men, and go alone. And drink. A lot.
This is my life now :)
Friend calls. Want to go to dinner? Sure. Baby falls asleep on the way there. Perfect. At least free hands for the first few minutes of dinner. Arrive. Friend + 2 year old. Me + 3 year old, and sleeping 6 month old. Stand at the counter to order. 2 year old running like a madman around the restaurant. 3 year old staking out the "perfect" table. Which is smack against a wall with no room to maneuver.
3 year old "I need chicken, french fries, and ketchup!" We are at Moe's. That's a negative. Order. 3 year old launches herself into sleeping sister's carseat. Cue screaming baby. 3 year old- "Baby is awake!!!! Yay!!" 3 year old lays on top of sister who is even more mad now. Finish ordering. Pay. Tray, carseat with giant infant, wiggling. Change, wallet, diaper bag. Drink. Salsa. Not enough hands. Meanwhile, friend dealing with still running 2 year old.
Sit down. High chairs. Arrange kids food. Get up 5 times to get things we forgot. Baby fussing already. Wants a boob. Or a taco. Something. Not to be sitting in her carseat for sure. Kids shovel cheese quesadillas in. Moms attempt to eat before kids lose it. Once they are done eating, you know, the world follows. "I'm done!" 3 year old screams. "Let's go outside!!!!!" Runs out the door. Grab infant, run after 3 year old. Serious face to face talking to while friend tries not to laugh at my serious mom voice. "You could have been run over by a car. And mommy would be very sad." 3 year old "Let's go outside!!!!!"
Shovel more food in. Holding baby. She is grabbing EVERYTHING on the table. She may have eaten some steak. Or a bean. Not sure. She was too fast. Napkins by the dozens on the floor. 3 year old is trapped in by chairs, purposefully by me. She is not happy about that. "Let's go outside!!!!!!"
Done. Go outside. 94 degrees. 2 and 3 year olds bolt for some bushes. Cool. Moms attempt to finish conversation we started 30 minutes ago. Fail. Kids are being stabbed by thorns from said bushes. Great landscaping plan huh? Baby wants a boob. Here's a bench. 2 year old runs into traffic. 3 year old follows. 95 degrees. Attempt to nurse. Hot.as.crap. Not having any part of it. Flash a boob full on to passerby. Oh well. 2 year old returning to thorn bushes, and then into traffic.
Let's go. All of us. Bye, it's been fun. Let's do it again..... when we can pawn the kids off on the men, and go alone. And drink. A lot.
This is my life now :)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Some random thoughts- sleep training....
1- I am down 3 pounds since my last weight check post 6 weeks ago... that is good, but dang, I feel like it should have been more!
2- I have been buying Christmas gifts. Yeah, that's right. I mean, how much fun is it to buy 987 things in one month?! Not that much. So alas, I am scouring clearance racks when I see them, and thus far have 2 things... ok, that's not a lot. But it's only July!
I scored this adorableness for Ava on clearance from $10, for $5! For the baby who will be 11 months old at Christmas.... uhhh, that is way too old to even think about.
3- My child has stopped sleeping. We have good nights here and there, and a good night is like so:
7:30- to bed
8- be rocked again after she woke up
1/2- awake to eat
5ish- eat again, then fight mommy for about 20 minutes, then back to sleep in mommy's bed for an hour
So that's a goooood night. A bad night is like so:
7:30ish- to bed
8- up to be rocked
10- up to be rocked
11- up to be rocked, maybe eat
12- mommy usually feeds me now, and prays that it buys her some time
3- up for something
5ish- up to eat, then fight, then back to sleep in mommys bed
The bad nights are outnumbering the good lately. Oh, and don't forget, the kid takes 30 minute naps only.all.day.long.
I am tryyyying to avoid my best friend Dr. Ferber. I am. But he may come for a visit in a month or so. I just cannot take it. I can't be a good mom to both girls on no sleep. I can't spend an hour getting A to sleep, and back to sleep, only to have her wake up and be crabby 15 minutes later. It's not fair to O to make her sit alone for that time so she doesn't chance waking A up. It's not fair to A that I don't have the time to do that :::insert Mommy guilt here:::
I did Ferber with O (aka, worst sleeper ever) at 11 months and vowed to never wait that long again with a subsequent non-sleeping child. I was miserable. And it worked. Fast.
But I am still scared to do it. I just hate it for her. And I feel like it's almost my fault she is the way she is. And now I am making her pay for it to fix it. But I just don't know another way.
That said, I am trying everything that I can do (while taking care of O as well, and giving her fair time) to get her to fix this before we have to go there. But we have like, 4-5 weeks, then, I'm afraid we're going there.
We all need sleep. BTW- I do not expect her to sleep through the night. I will feed her when she is hungry, no problem. But I can't do 5 wakeups between bedtime and midnight. It just is crazy.
4- Ava is sitting up! It's probably adorable
2- I have been buying Christmas gifts. Yeah, that's right. I mean, how much fun is it to buy 987 things in one month?! Not that much. So alas, I am scouring clearance racks when I see them, and thus far have 2 things... ok, that's not a lot. But it's only July!
I scored this adorableness for Ava on clearance from $10, for $5! For the baby who will be 11 months old at Christmas.... uhhh, that is way too old to even think about.
7:30- to bed
8- be rocked again after she woke up
1/2- awake to eat
5ish- eat again, then fight mommy for about 20 minutes, then back to sleep in mommy's bed for an hour
So that's a goooood night. A bad night is like so:
7:30ish- to bed
8- up to be rocked
10- up to be rocked
11- up to be rocked, maybe eat
12- mommy usually feeds me now, and prays that it buys her some time
3- up for something
5ish- up to eat, then fight, then back to sleep in mommys bed
The bad nights are outnumbering the good lately. Oh, and don't forget, the kid takes 30 minute naps only.all.day.long.
I am tryyyying to avoid my best friend Dr. Ferber. I am. But he may come for a visit in a month or so. I just cannot take it. I can't be a good mom to both girls on no sleep. I can't spend an hour getting A to sleep, and back to sleep, only to have her wake up and be crabby 15 minutes later. It's not fair to O to make her sit alone for that time so she doesn't chance waking A up. It's not fair to A that I don't have the time to do that :::insert Mommy guilt here:::
I did Ferber with O (aka, worst sleeper ever) at 11 months and vowed to never wait that long again with a subsequent non-sleeping child. I was miserable. And it worked. Fast.
But I am still scared to do it. I just hate it for her. And I feel like it's almost my fault she is the way she is. And now I am making her pay for it to fix it. But I just don't know another way.
That said, I am trying everything that I can do (while taking care of O as well, and giving her fair time) to get her to fix this before we have to go there. But we have like, 4-5 weeks, then, I'm afraid we're going there.
We all need sleep. BTW- I do not expect her to sleep through the night. I will feed her when she is hungry, no problem. But I can't do 5 wakeups between bedtime and midnight. It just is crazy.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
I'm a CDer
Cloth diaperer, that is. Did it with O from birth-potty training (about 2y 2 months). We have done it on and off with A since birth as well, but just now at 5 months have really started doing it full time. Don't ask me why, I don't really know. Something to do with having 2 kids, getting adjusted, being exhausted, etc etc.
But we love it. I knew Matt loved it when I heard him telling his friends who were expecting all about it. "It's so easy. No big deal. Saves a lot of money." This from the guy who may or may not have laughed when I told him I wanted to do it when I was pregnant with O. Love it.
So here's how I roll with the cloth:
I use primarily BumGenius diapers. I have a few Haute Pockets also. I started using them with O when she was about 2 months old, when she grew out of her newborn stash. They are one size pocket diapers, and lasted us through potty training. Around 18 months, she started taking off her diapers, which was not fun. So I had them converted to snaps, by this lady. And she did all kinds of cute snap colors, and I lurrrrved them when they got back!
We use a diaper sprayer, and we love it. Once baby starts solids, it is a lifesaver. And 2 year old poop? Often needed to be sprayed also, cause it's big and gross. I use an el cheapo step trashcan for a diaper pail. I have 2 wetbags. I use Rockin Green detergent. With O, I used to line dry. With A, I don't have time for that mess anymore, so I use the dryer :0)
Can't believe that I am going to be able to diaper at least 2 kids using this same stash! Pretty great savings for us!
I love CDing, and you should too! Have any questions? Happy to help if I can!
Pretty cool campaign, Change 3 Things challenges parents to use 3 cloth diapers a day, instead of disposables. The impact just that small change can make is huge!!
Oh yeah, and they are dannnnng cute!
But we love it. I knew Matt loved it when I heard him telling his friends who were expecting all about it. "It's so easy. No big deal. Saves a lot of money." This from the guy who may or may not have laughed when I told him I wanted to do it when I was pregnant with O. Love it.
So here's how I roll with the cloth:
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| My set up- on the bed for changing |
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| Wipes in an old disposable wipes tub. I just use water for "solution". |
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| Bum Genius 3.0. Converted to snaps |
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| Diaper sprayer |
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| Cheapo trashcan for dirty diapers. Generic wetbag |
We use a diaper sprayer, and we love it. Once baby starts solids, it is a lifesaver. And 2 year old poop? Often needed to be sprayed also, cause it's big and gross. I use an el cheapo step trashcan for a diaper pail. I have 2 wetbags. I use Rockin Green detergent. With O, I used to line dry. With A, I don't have time for that mess anymore, so I use the dryer :0)
Can't believe that I am going to be able to diaper at least 2 kids using this same stash! Pretty great savings for us!
I love CDing, and you should too! Have any questions? Happy to help if I can!
Pretty cool campaign, Change 3 Things challenges parents to use 3 cloth diapers a day, instead of disposables. The impact just that small change can make is huge!!
Oh yeah, and they are dannnnng cute!
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| O at one year |
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| A at 3 months, same diaper :) |
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Baby Led Weaning?
So I guess this is the new "thing" that is cool in parenting. Here is some info. Long story short, I guess you give baby "real" food and let them do with it what they want. There are no purees, and no spoon feeding. You just give the kid appropriate size chunks of food, and let them feed it to themselves. The idea being that a child will eat what they want/need/like, and they will eat as much of it as they need. Instead of the parent deciding how much to give the child, etc.
So I do like some things about this idea. I like that the child is getting hands on with the food. They are given the chance to feed themselves from day 1 (of solids) and that they really get to explore different foods. As you may or may not know, solid food is rather irrelevant for the first year, and breastmilk or formula is the main source of nutrition. Food prior to a year is really for practice, and learning to like other tastes and textures. So the amount of food they get is not really important, especially at the the beginning of weaning (6ish months).
The only thing I don't like is that you aren't "allowed" to feed baby from a spoon, or feed purees. I just don't like anything that has stringent rules like that.
So I like the idea of combining the two methods. I have always made my kiddos baby food, and have started making Ava's. She is just 5 months old now, so she hasn't eaten any of it, but it's in the freezer. Sweet potatoes, beets, green beans so far. And tonight, we did avocado, in the BLW form. She has been EXTREMELY interested in our food and drinks for the last few weeks. To the point it is almost difficult to eat a meal with her around because she is trying so hard to get our food. So, we did it. And she loved it. I did put some in her mouth, and she did like it. That is also against the BLW rules :) But she also did manage to get some into her own mouth, and she seemed to have a lot of fun. And she kept her little grubby hands out of my food!
So mommas, what are your thoughts on it? And what do you plan to do?
Tomorrow, out to get sippy cups! My non-bottle loving child may just take breastmilk from a sippy! We will see! Would make my life a lot easier if she will actually drink milk when I am away....
So I do like some things about this idea. I like that the child is getting hands on with the food. They are given the chance to feed themselves from day 1 (of solids) and that they really get to explore different foods. As you may or may not know, solid food is rather irrelevant for the first year, and breastmilk or formula is the main source of nutrition. Food prior to a year is really for practice, and learning to like other tastes and textures. So the amount of food they get is not really important, especially at the the beginning of weaning (6ish months).
The only thing I don't like is that you aren't "allowed" to feed baby from a spoon, or feed purees. I just don't like anything that has stringent rules like that.
So I like the idea of combining the two methods. I have always made my kiddos baby food, and have started making Ava's. She is just 5 months old now, so she hasn't eaten any of it, but it's in the freezer. Sweet potatoes, beets, green beans so far. And tonight, we did avocado, in the BLW form. She has been EXTREMELY interested in our food and drinks for the last few weeks. To the point it is almost difficult to eat a meal with her around because she is trying so hard to get our food. So, we did it. And she loved it. I did put some in her mouth, and she did like it. That is also against the BLW rules :) But she also did manage to get some into her own mouth, and she seemed to have a lot of fun. And she kept her little grubby hands out of my food!
Tomorrow, out to get sippy cups! My non-bottle loving child may just take breastmilk from a sippy! We will see! Would make my life a lot easier if she will actually drink milk when I am away....
Friday, July 8, 2011
Living room FAIL
We have a playroom. It is upstairs. We have a kitchen. It is downstairs. As we all know, the kitchen is the heart of a home. So therefore, we end up downstairs about 80% of the time. The girls' rooms are upstairs, and ours is downstairs.
So all that to say, our living room houses a lot of toys. You can see that I *tried* at one time to organize the madness. There is a toybox (mine when I was a kid) and a shelf. There are baskets. And there is too much crap everywhere, regardless of said "organizing." Here are the issues.
1- The kid never looks in the baskets. They are mostly where I throw bits and pieces of stuff when I am cleaning up.
2- She never looks in the toybox. It is mainly there to keep things hid away that aren't being used at the time. But that means they are hidden away forever. Except once a month when she empties the whole thing cause she remembers that stuff is in there.
3- There is a giant cardboard house in my living room. She doesn't play with it right now. But if it went away, she would definitely notice.
4- There is just too much stuff. I can't get rid of anything, since I have a 5 month old who I, in theory, will never have to buy a single toy for. Ever.
Someone help! I HATE looking at all this stuff. I know some toys out with 2 kids is just inevitable. But this is ridiculous.
Oh, and did you notice the baby zone in the middle of the floor? Yeah.
So all that to say, our living room houses a lot of toys. You can see that I *tried* at one time to organize the madness. There is a toybox (mine when I was a kid) and a shelf. There are baskets. And there is too much crap everywhere, regardless of said "organizing." Here are the issues.
1- The kid never looks in the baskets. They are mostly where I throw bits and pieces of stuff when I am cleaning up.
2- She never looks in the toybox. It is mainly there to keep things hid away that aren't being used at the time. But that means they are hidden away forever. Except once a month when she empties the whole thing cause she remembers that stuff is in there.
3- There is a giant cardboard house in my living room. She doesn't play with it right now. But if it went away, she would definitely notice.
4- There is just too much stuff. I can't get rid of anything, since I have a 5 month old who I, in theory, will never have to buy a single toy for. Ever.
Someone help! I HATE looking at all this stuff. I know some toys out with 2 kids is just inevitable. But this is ridiculous.
Oh, and did you notice the baby zone in the middle of the floor? Yeah.
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| The white side table to the left belongs in DD1's room. It just got delivered. So ignore that. |
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| Mind you, yall, this is straightened up.... |
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Master bedroom FAIL
It's supposed to be this "haven" right? A nice place to relax at the end of the day. A retreat if you will. Not mine. No sirree. I need help for realz. And there is no money to be buying new stuff to redecorate. So it's a matter of rearranging, and implementing stuff we already have.
Biggest qualms- baby crap everywhere. The girls' rooms are upstairs and ours is downstairs. Seems a lot easier to keep clothes and so forth down here. At least the little one's stuff. Ok, diaper and wipes, yes. Clothes, pjs, lotion and all that? Gotta go.
The chair. I love it. I really do. It has its place here. But it gets covered in junk all the time. I think the last time I sat in it was when A was sleeping in our room, so maybe 3 months ago.
Help. Any ideas? Any cheap curtain type ideas? There are 4 windows to cover in this room. So yeah, $$$. Not sure how to go about that, or if that just isn't going to happen.
Hopefully, this post will make me really want to crack down and put all this crap away. I want this room to be nice! It is the place where we go as soon as the girls are in bed, and I want it to be nice!
Biggest qualms- baby crap everywhere. The girls' rooms are upstairs and ours is downstairs. Seems a lot easier to keep clothes and so forth down here. At least the little one's stuff. Ok, diaper and wipes, yes. Clothes, pjs, lotion and all that? Gotta go.
The chair. I love it. I really do. It has its place here. But it gets covered in junk all the time. I think the last time I sat in it was when A was sleeping in our room, so maybe 3 months ago.
Help. Any ideas? Any cheap curtain type ideas? There are 4 windows to cover in this room. So yeah, $$$. Not sure how to go about that, or if that just isn't going to happen.
Hopefully, this post will make me really want to crack down and put all this crap away. I want this room to be nice! It is the place where we go as soon as the girls are in bed, and I want it to be nice!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The 4th of July- a story in pictures
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| I'm a little bit cute |
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| Ready for the parade! |
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| I got a lotta candy! |
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| My dairy free dessert contribution. It was soooooo yummy! |
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| We need to eat 4 bowls of watermelon each |
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| Ava slept though the fireworks, only to wake up 15 minutes later. Maybe it was too quiet! |
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| Neither one of them had a nap that day, and were that weird kid-tired where they act all crazy |
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| Cousins- loving the fireworks! |
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