Btw, both boys are currently napping, which is why you have gotten two? three? new posts today. (AND I finished my new book! See post below for all the wonderful quotes I found in it!)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Breakfast...
Ben having breakfast this morning with Simon keeping him company. :)
Btw, both boys are currently napping, which is why you have gotten two? three? new posts today. (AND I finished my new book! See post below for all the wonderful quotes I found in it!)
Btw, both boys are currently napping, which is why you have gotten two? three? new posts today. (AND I finished my new book! See post below for all the wonderful quotes I found in it!)
Inside and Outside...
I took a picture of Simon sleeping yesterday... then I remembered we had an ultrasound picture from 20 weeks of him sleeping in the exact same position, with his hand up at his face. Incidentally, he also came OUT with that hand up as his face. Must be pretty comfortable... :) Anyway, thought this was pretty neat.
The Incredible Target Baby Food Coupon Scam of 2007
I ran the Target coupon scam (not really a scam, it's perfectly legit, just feels like a scam) outlined over on Val's blog.. Val and my sister-in-law were the guinea pigs and both made out quite well with no uproar from management, so I decided to give it a try myself.
I went to my Target, armed with 27 coupons. (a pultry amount compared to the number Val and my sister-in-law went in with, but my printer was running low on ink and I knew had only a short window of time in which to print and cut out the coupons, get to the Target and get home before the baby needed to be fed and Ben melted down.)
I went for mostly Stage 1 foods, the two packs that are $.92 a piece and a few Stage 2's... also the two packs. I figured those are what we'll be able to make use of sooner than later and the less time I have to store these things, the better. I also got two big boxes of the oatmeal since we'll actually start that pretty soon. (after a bad rice cereal experience with infant Ben and two days of screaming, I now use oatmeal as the starter food)
Because I went for the two-packs, I didn't do quite as well as my counterparts who got the jars for $.02 a piece, but I still made out pretty well, essentially getting them for half off. Plus, there are two in a pack, so they come out to about $.21 each. So not bad. :)
I should warn you though if you are planning on trying this soon (or again), Target is on to us and I almost wasn't allowed to do it. My cashier (Miss Anna) said that they issued a memo yesterday to only allow one coupon. I pointed out the fine print on the coupon that does NOT say "one coupon per purchase" or "per customer". So she went to the manager, who was too busy to deal with it so just let her do it. But I don't think I'd get away with it again. She said it's because of people who use coupons like that and then return the items with no receipt and get full price value (in other products) in return. Bleh. Stupid crooks.
I went to my Target, armed with 27 coupons. (a pultry amount compared to the number Val and my sister-in-law went in with, but my printer was running low on ink and I knew had only a short window of time in which to print and cut out the coupons, get to the Target and get home before the baby needed to be fed and Ben melted down.)
I went for mostly Stage 1 foods, the two packs that are $.92 a piece and a few Stage 2's... also the two packs. I figured those are what we'll be able to make use of sooner than later and the less time I have to store these things, the better. I also got two big boxes of the oatmeal since we'll actually start that pretty soon. (after a bad rice cereal experience with infant Ben and two days of screaming, I now use oatmeal as the starter food)
Because I went for the two-packs, I didn't do quite as well as my counterparts who got the jars for $.02 a piece, but I still made out pretty well, essentially getting them for half off. Plus, there are two in a pack, so they come out to about $.21 each. So not bad. :)
I should warn you though if you are planning on trying this soon (or again), Target is on to us and I almost wasn't allowed to do it. My cashier (Miss Anna) said that they issued a memo yesterday to only allow one coupon. I pointed out the fine print on the coupon that does NOT say "one coupon per purchase" or "per customer". So she went to the manager, who was too busy to deal with it so just let her do it. But I don't think I'd get away with it again. She said it's because of people who use coupons like that and then return the items with no receipt and get full price value (in other products) in return. Bleh. Stupid crooks.
Monday, July 30, 2007
New Book... Yay!
No, it's not Harry Potter. ;) It's the brand new book by Anne Lamott, Grace Eventually. I'm already mining quotes from it, as I am apt to do with her books and I wanted to share this first one I came across that caught my attention.
"... this is something I do all the time, shove bits of paper with prayers and names on them into desk drawers, little boxes, my glove compartment. I've found that when you give up on using your mind to solve a problem -- which your mind is holding on to like a dog with a chew toy -- writing it down helps turn off the terrible alertness. When you're not siphoned into the black hole of worried control and playing fretful Savior, turning the problem over to God or the elves in the glove compartment harnesses something in the universe that is bigger than you, and that just might work."
I heart Anne Lamott. :) Leslie where are you? Are you reading this book yet?
I think I'll keep adding to this post as I find other quotes I like... it may bore you all to tears (or maybe you'll find some you like!), but at least I can keep track of all of them.
-"You do what you can. Then you get out of the way, because you're not the one who does the work."
-"I wish grace and healing were more abracadabra kinds of things; also, that delicate silver bells would ring to announce grace's arrival. But no, it's clog and slog and scootch, on the floor, in silence, in the dark. I suppose that if you *were* snatched out of the mess, you'd miss the lesson; the lesson is the slog."
-"Joy is the best makeup. Joy, and good lighting."
-"I am all the ages I have ever been. You realize this at some point about you child -- even when your kid is sixteen, you can see all the ages in him, the baby wrapped up like a burrito, the one-year-old about to walk, the four-year-old napping, the ten-year-old on a trampoline..."
-"Our lives are filled with people who provoke us, especially people we love. They help us figure out our own [stuff] and why we are here."
-"I loved him immediately, sight unseen. Yet when he lay on my chest for the first time, part of me felt as if someone had given me a Martian baby to raise... and I had no owner's manual, no energy, no clue as to what I was supposed to do... the other part of me felt as though I were holding my own soul."
- "God was most showy-offy when things did not go according to my plans, which was approximately ninety percent of the time."
-"Children can connect you to the child inside you, who can still play and be silly and helpless and needy and capable of wonder. This child does not have to be yours, of course. It can be a niece or nephew, or the child of a friend. But living with a child makes the opportunity for this more likely."
-"One of the four things I know for sure about children is to savor whatever works."
-"Another of the four things I know for sure about raising kids is that most times when you overlook bad behavior, or let them blow you off when something is important to you, you injure them. You hobble their character."
-"The third of the four things I know is that if you can shine a small beam of truth on a beloved when you are arngry, it is more beneficial than hitting that beloved with a klieg light of feelings and pinning the person to the wall. I can't remember the fourth, but I put numbers 2 and 3 into practice."
-"There's such pleasure in knowing the words to a song."
-"n a fairy tale, you often have to leave the place where you have grown comfortable and travel to a fearful place full of pain, and search for what was stolen or confront the occupying villain; it takes time for the resulting changes to integrate themselves into the small, funky moments that make up our lives."
"... this is something I do all the time, shove bits of paper with prayers and names on them into desk drawers, little boxes, my glove compartment. I've found that when you give up on using your mind to solve a problem -- which your mind is holding on to like a dog with a chew toy -- writing it down helps turn off the terrible alertness. When you're not siphoned into the black hole of worried control and playing fretful Savior, turning the problem over to God or the elves in the glove compartment harnesses something in the universe that is bigger than you, and that just might work."
I heart Anne Lamott. :) Leslie where are you? Are you reading this book yet?
I think I'll keep adding to this post as I find other quotes I like... it may bore you all to tears (or maybe you'll find some you like!), but at least I can keep track of all of them.
-"You do what you can. Then you get out of the way, because you're not the one who does the work."
-"I wish grace and healing were more abracadabra kinds of things; also, that delicate silver bells would ring to announce grace's arrival. But no, it's clog and slog and scootch, on the floor, in silence, in the dark. I suppose that if you *were* snatched out of the mess, you'd miss the lesson; the lesson is the slog."
-"Joy is the best makeup. Joy, and good lighting."
-"I am all the ages I have ever been. You realize this at some point about you child -- even when your kid is sixteen, you can see all the ages in him, the baby wrapped up like a burrito, the one-year-old about to walk, the four-year-old napping, the ten-year-old on a trampoline..."
-"Our lives are filled with people who provoke us, especially people we love. They help us figure out our own [stuff] and why we are here."
-"I loved him immediately, sight unseen. Yet when he lay on my chest for the first time, part of me felt as if someone had given me a Martian baby to raise... and I had no owner's manual, no energy, no clue as to what I was supposed to do... the other part of me felt as though I were holding my own soul."
- "God was most showy-offy when things did not go according to my plans, which was approximately ninety percent of the time."
-"Children can connect you to the child inside you, who can still play and be silly and helpless and needy and capable of wonder. This child does not have to be yours, of course. It can be a niece or nephew, or the child of a friend. But living with a child makes the opportunity for this more likely."
-"One of the four things I know for sure about children is to savor whatever works."
-"Another of the four things I know for sure about raising kids is that most times when you overlook bad behavior, or let them blow you off when something is important to you, you injure them. You hobble their character."
-"The third of the four things I know is that if you can shine a small beam of truth on a beloved when you are arngry, it is more beneficial than hitting that beloved with a klieg light of feelings and pinning the person to the wall. I can't remember the fourth, but I put numbers 2 and 3 into practice."
-"There's such pleasure in knowing the words to a song."
-"n a fairy tale, you often have to leave the place where you have grown comfortable and travel to a fearful place full of pain, and search for what was stolen or confront the occupying villain; it takes time for the resulting changes to integrate themselves into the small, funky moments that make up our lives."
Sunday, July 29, 2007
We Have an 8p.m.Curphew...
Benjamin has always been quite the slave to his routine. I really can't fault him, he gets it from both Tom and myself. When I was a kid, if I wasn't in bed at exactly "eight oh oh", I'd practically have a panic attack.
For the past year or so though, he's shown himself to be a little flexible, as long as we're doing something fun. So I thought maybe this was the year for the BSO/Oregon Ridge Family Fun and Fireworks After all, they were performing Star Wars music! Yes, it would require being out until 10, but I really thought it would be fine.
And then there is the baby. My sweet, quiet, along-for-the-ride, second born. I just assumed he'd eat, sleep, look around, eat, sleep look around as he usually does.
Oh how very very wrong I turned out to be.
Don't get me wrong, it started out well! We had a picnic. Ben played on the world's coolest playground. Simon coo'ed and squealed. There were costumes in honor of the night's theme:
(Simon was annoyed because he was hungry in this picture)
Little dude fell asleep:
Then the music started...
All was still well for most of the first half... Ben was rivoted by the orchestra.
And the glow sticks, and all the other fun things his Aunt Debbie brought for him.
Then the baby, he decided he didn't so much like the loud music... and the crying began. Some of the people around us, who unfortunately, seemed to ALL have poles up their... well, you know, where poles shouldn't be, were visibly and audibly irritated by my crying baby. (don't get me started because I really REALLY wanted to yell at them... why would you come to an outdoor concert if things like crying children annoy you so very much?)
I couldn't even stand and rock him because that would have ticked them off more. I also couldn't walk him down to the indoor area where it was quiet because we were smack in the middle of a sea of about a bajillion people on blankets. So we waited with the screaming baby... waited through about a hundred themes to old westerns, Lawrence of Arabia, and the theme to Pirates of the Caribbean.... oh the screaming, it did not stop and the songs seemed like they went on firever. And then Ben announced he wanted to go home. And again, that he "REALLY wanted to home" and again, "Can we please go home now?" So just after the very last note of Pirates, we cried uncle, stood up, gathered our things, waved goodbye to everyone and bailed.
When we got home, I gave Simon a bath, new jammies and a bottle and he conked. Ben was out two seconds after hitting his bed.
We did have fun while we were there. Ben won't stop talking about the playground and he's not sad he missed the Star Wars music or the fireworks. So I guess we should consider the evening somewhat of a success... but we won't be trying it again for quite some time. Because the boys made it clear they do NOT like us messing with the routine.
For the past year or so though, he's shown himself to be a little flexible, as long as we're doing something fun. So I thought maybe this was the year for the BSO/Oregon Ridge Family Fun and Fireworks After all, they were performing Star Wars music! Yes, it would require being out until 10, but I really thought it would be fine.
And then there is the baby. My sweet, quiet, along-for-the-ride, second born. I just assumed he'd eat, sleep, look around, eat, sleep look around as he usually does.
Oh how very very wrong I turned out to be.
Don't get me wrong, it started out well! We had a picnic. Ben played on the world's coolest playground. Simon coo'ed and squealed. There were costumes in honor of the night's theme:
Little dude fell asleep:
Then the music started...
All was still well for most of the first half... Ben was rivoted by the orchestra.
And the glow sticks, and all the other fun things his Aunt Debbie brought for him.
Then the baby, he decided he didn't so much like the loud music... and the crying began. Some of the people around us, who unfortunately, seemed to ALL have poles up their... well, you know, where poles shouldn't be, were visibly and audibly irritated by my crying baby. (don't get me started because I really REALLY wanted to yell at them... why would you come to an outdoor concert if things like crying children annoy you so very much?)
I couldn't even stand and rock him because that would have ticked them off more. I also couldn't walk him down to the indoor area where it was quiet because we were smack in the middle of a sea of about a bajillion people on blankets. So we waited with the screaming baby... waited through about a hundred themes to old westerns, Lawrence of Arabia, and the theme to Pirates of the Caribbean.... oh the screaming, it did not stop and the songs seemed like they went on firever. And then Ben announced he wanted to go home. And again, that he "REALLY wanted to home" and again, "Can we please go home now?" So just after the very last note of Pirates, we cried uncle, stood up, gathered our things, waved goodbye to everyone and bailed.
When we got home, I gave Simon a bath, new jammies and a bottle and he conked. Ben was out two seconds after hitting his bed.
We did have fun while we were there. Ben won't stop talking about the playground and he's not sad he missed the Star Wars music or the fireworks. So I guess we should consider the evening somewhat of a success... but we won't be trying it again for quite some time. Because the boys made it clear they do NOT like us messing with the routine.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Second Born...
Project Sleep: Night 3 -- He Can Sleep. But Can I?
Ready for this?
He slept from 9p.m. to 4:30a.m.!!!
Of course, I was up from about 2:00- 4:30 because *I* couldn't sleep. And around 3:30, the monitor alarm went off. Never before have I moved so quickly! When I got in the room, he was scooched all up on the left side of the crib. But he had been over there before and it hadn't set the alarm off, so I'm not sure if he did briefly forget to breathe, or if the sensor just didn't pick him up. Either way,he was fine and sort of ticked off that I grabbed him and pulled him to the middle of the crib. Scared me enough though that I couldn't get back to sleep and instead, just laid in bed listening to his breathing on the monitor and running back and forth between his room and ours. Gah. I can't wait for him to be just a little older. I won't worry quite so much. (sigh)
But on the bright side, that's some serious sleep improvement. :)
He slept from 9p.m. to 4:30a.m.!!!
Of course, I was up from about 2:00- 4:30 because *I* couldn't sleep. And around 3:30, the monitor alarm went off. Never before have I moved so quickly! When I got in the room, he was scooched all up on the left side of the crib. But he had been over there before and it hadn't set the alarm off, so I'm not sure if he did briefly forget to breathe, or if the sensor just didn't pick him up. Either way,he was fine and sort of ticked off that I grabbed him and pulled him to the middle of the crib. Scared me enough though that I couldn't get back to sleep and instead, just laid in bed listening to his breathing on the monitor and running back and forth between his room and ours. Gah. I can't wait for him to be just a little older. I won't worry quite so much. (sigh)
But on the bright side, that's some serious sleep improvement. :)
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Strong!
The past few days, Simon has started being able to bear weight on his legs. (supported, obviously!) I'm sure it's one of those baby milestone things, but i'm too lazy to look it up. Anyway, he loves the new vantage point and will push up when he's in your lap until you let him stand. So darn cute. :) The first year is so fun!
Tummytime.
I take solace in the fact that this is what Benjamin did until magically, one morning around three months or so, he just picked his head up and looked around.
In other news, our latest creation is 24 inches long!
And, according to the pediatrician (who we had to see this morning, because Simon's left big toe seems to be red and swollen), he is 13.6 pounds. This little piggy went to market!
Shhh... he gets very upset when you allude to the fact that he's a little chubby. This is what he did yesterday when I said "Hey, fatty, say cheese!" ;)
Scissors, Tape and Star Wars...
Paper bag Luke
Paper bag Darth
Ben keeps making me redo parts of them because they are "not right". Also, the Darth Vader mask comes off to reveal a mangled Anakin head underneath. ;) Do I rock the arts and crafts, or what? ;)
Paper bag Darth
Ben keeps making me redo parts of them because they are "not right". Also, the Darth Vader mask comes off to reveal a mangled Anakin head underneath. ;) Do I rock the arts and crafts, or what? ;)
Project Sleep: Night 2 -- The Party Animal is Tamed...
... at least for one night.
We did the bath and bedtime routine again last night, he fell right to sleep at 8:30 again. Slept straight through until 1, then ate and went back to sleep until 5:15. (happy dance) Then (according to Tom), he took a little bit of a bottle and went back to sleep until 6:30.
Hopefully this is the beginning of some sort of pattern and not some cruel trick. That would not be very nice.
There was not much different in his daytime routine yesterday except that he was mostly awake (catnaps here and there) from 4:45 - 8:15.
Hrm... we'll see what tonight brings.
We did the bath and bedtime routine again last night, he fell right to sleep at 8:30 again. Slept straight through until 1, then ate and went back to sleep until 5:15. (happy dance) Then (according to Tom), he took a little bit of a bottle and went back to sleep until 6:30.
Hopefully this is the beginning of some sort of pattern and not some cruel trick. That would not be very nice.
There was not much different in his daytime routine yesterday except that he was mostly awake (catnaps here and there) from 4:45 - 8:15.
Hrm... we'll see what tonight brings.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Two Recaps in One! (And a Ben Funny)
Last night: Once again, Simon stayed up until 5a.m. before conking out again. Must figure out a way to fix this schedule as there is not enough coffee in the world to make up for it.
However, on the bright side, the sleeping he DID do in the crib went well and I have officially put away the Pack and Play and the nursery is finally going to get used. Hoorah!
----------------------
Ben... this morning, I couldn't look at his mop of hair any longer, so I told him I was going to cut it and I offered him one of the Star Wars figures we've been holding onto for just such an occasion. Things were going well until I took a little too much off the bangs. Eeps. Yeah, it was that bad, a true hair emergency... looked like HE had gotten a hold of the scissors and done it himself. Once again, I am up for the Mother of the Year Award.
So I packed up Simon and took him over to my parents' house and took Ben to Hair Cuttery with the promise of a SECOND figure if he would just sit still, not cry and cooperate while the lady cut his hair. It mostly worked... but because of the severity of the "problem", she had to use clippers, which freaked him out, so I whispered in his ear that he could have ANOTHER figure we had at home if he'd just keep it together while she clipped away. He did, even though he was scared. :) His hair is actually really cute now... SUPER SHORT, but I'm happy because we won't have to worry about it for quite some time.
Sadly, on the way back to pick up Simon after we stopped at home for the other Star Wars guy he had worked so hard to earn, he dropped the guy's light saber thingy in the van and we couldn't find it. I told him daddy would go look for it later, but within seconds, things spiraled downward into tantrumland and he had his figure taken away just ten minutes after he earned him. *IF* he can make it through the rest of the day without incident, he will get it back in the morning... we'll see about that. He is currently napping because lordy day did he need it.
---------------------
And the Ben funny:
This morning, Simon was playing on the floor in Ben's room.
Ben insisted(for the zillionth time) that Simon wanted his binky.
Once again, I explained that no, Simon really didn't want his binky that he doesn't like it very much.
Ben pondered this for a moment and then said, "HOW is that POSSIBLE?!"
Seriously, I have no idea where he gets this stuff...
----------------------------
And me... I'm having more coffee, which is doing me no good, but it sure tastes yummy. 8)
However, on the bright side, the sleeping he DID do in the crib went well and I have officially put away the Pack and Play and the nursery is finally going to get used. Hoorah!
----------------------
Ben... this morning, I couldn't look at his mop of hair any longer, so I told him I was going to cut it and I offered him one of the Star Wars figures we've been holding onto for just such an occasion. Things were going well until I took a little too much off the bangs. Eeps. Yeah, it was that bad, a true hair emergency... looked like HE had gotten a hold of the scissors and done it himself. Once again, I am up for the Mother of the Year Award.
So I packed up Simon and took him over to my parents' house and took Ben to Hair Cuttery with the promise of a SECOND figure if he would just sit still, not cry and cooperate while the lady cut his hair. It mostly worked... but because of the severity of the "problem", she had to use clippers, which freaked him out, so I whispered in his ear that he could have ANOTHER figure we had at home if he'd just keep it together while she clipped away. He did, even though he was scared. :) His hair is actually really cute now... SUPER SHORT, but I'm happy because we won't have to worry about it for quite some time.
Sadly, on the way back to pick up Simon after we stopped at home for the other Star Wars guy he had worked so hard to earn, he dropped the guy's light saber thingy in the van and we couldn't find it. I told him daddy would go look for it later, but within seconds, things spiraled downward into tantrumland and he had his figure taken away just ten minutes after he earned him. *IF* he can make it through the rest of the day without incident, he will get it back in the morning... we'll see about that. He is currently napping because lordy day did he need it.
---------------------
And the Ben funny:
This morning, Simon was playing on the floor in Ben's room.
Ben insisted(for the zillionth time) that Simon wanted his binky.
Once again, I explained that no, Simon really didn't want his binky that he doesn't like it very much.
Ben pondered this for a moment and then said, "HOW is that POSSIBLE?!"
Seriously, I have no idea where he gets this stuff...
----------------------------
And me... I'm having more coffee, which is doing me no good, but it sure tastes yummy. 8)
Big Boy Swing...
Ben tried out the big swings for the first time at a park we were at on Sunday. Here he is being pushed by his Uncle Taylor. See that little girl next to him? Here's what Benjamin had to say about her:
"See the girl on THAT swing? She's going FAST! She's going TOO fast and she's going to fall! (pause) You wanna watch her fall?"
Heh.
Project Sleep: Night 1 -- The Party Rages On
I started the official "bedtime routine" at 8p.m. last night and continued with it tonight. It may take months to actually sink in, but it's well underway. Warm bath, warm jammies, warm bottle, warm crib. The keyword here being "warm." Forget all that lavender nonsense the commercials try to sell you. Warm is the ticket to sleep!
Simon was awake when I put him down (also key for building those good habits for the future). He fell asleep (on his tummy) by 8:30 and slept until 2 when he got up to suck down a five-ounce bottle. The monitor did not go off once while he was asleep, though I jumped out of bed at least three times to run in his room and make sure it was working. (it was) ;)
Unfortunately, he is awake now (2:45) and wants to party like last night. He's a regular Paris Hilton, this kid. So I have instituted a new policy. He can party all he wants, but he's going to do it in his crib with his aquarium and his mobile. I figure the less interaction, the better because I'm trying to send the message that it's sleepytime, not crazy wiggly party baby time.
An aside: Maybe tomorrow night I'll dress him for the occasion.
As far as the Angelcare Monitor goes, I'm very happy with it thusfar. However, it's taking some getting used to that I have to turn it OFF when I take him out of the crib. When the baby doesn't move (or isn't in the crib) for 20 seconds, it sounds a warning beep and then about two seconds later beeps LONG AND LOUD until you turn it off. I've managed to knock everything off of Simon's shelf twice tonight trying to turn the darn thing off after it started beeping when I took him out of the crib.
I hear yawning now. Sounds promising.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the next installment of Project Sleep: Twelve Hours or Bust.
Simon was awake when I put him down (also key for building those good habits for the future). He fell asleep (on his tummy) by 8:30 and slept until 2 when he got up to suck down a five-ounce bottle. The monitor did not go off once while he was asleep, though I jumped out of bed at least three times to run in his room and make sure it was working. (it was) ;)
Unfortunately, he is awake now (2:45) and wants to party like last night. He's a regular Paris Hilton, this kid. So I have instituted a new policy. He can party all he wants, but he's going to do it in his crib with his aquarium and his mobile. I figure the less interaction, the better because I'm trying to send the message that it's sleepytime, not crazy wiggly party baby time.
An aside: Maybe tomorrow night I'll dress him for the occasion.
As far as the Angelcare Monitor goes, I'm very happy with it thusfar. However, it's taking some getting used to that I have to turn it OFF when I take him out of the crib. When the baby doesn't move (or isn't in the crib) for 20 seconds, it sounds a warning beep and then about two seconds later beeps LONG AND LOUD until you turn it off. I've managed to knock everything off of Simon's shelf twice tonight trying to turn the darn thing off after it started beeping when I took him out of the crib.
I hear yawning now. Sounds promising.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the next installment of Project Sleep: Twelve Hours or Bust.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Trial and Error...
In our quest for better sleep... or rather, sleep at times when normal people sleep, I went out today and bought two things.
1) The Angel Care Monitor. I really do not think I plan on keeping this, it was tres expensivo and we already own a perfectly adequate baby monitor. But seeing as Simon is pretty much hitting us over the head with the fact that he wants to sleep on his tummy, I thought we'd give it a try and see if it works. If so, we'll hold onto it for the next couple months just to give us peace of mind until we're past the point of sids risk.
2) A Swaddle Me blanket. Simon started busting out of the swaddle practically when we brought him home from the hospital. But THIS has velcro!! My friend Jenn is using one with her new baby and says it's great. So we'll give back sleeping one last try with this. Maybe this is the answer... and I'd much prefer a $10 answer to a $99 answer, that's for sure. Although, I just noticed they come in different sizes and I didn't even LOOK at the package I picked up to see what size it was. Gr..
I'll keep you posted on the results, if there are any. :)
p.s. The verdict is still out on the Bumbo. I lived without one last time and I'm still not seeing it as a necessary baby accoutrement. But, in its favor, it IS a very lightweight, portable thing for Simon to sit in... I can carry it from floor to floor easily and outside more easily than the bouncy seat. He likes it now for about ten minutes at a time... I can't decide if that ten minutes makes it worth keeping though. At the advice of several mom friends, l'll withhold my final judgement for another month or two.
1) The Angel Care Monitor. I really do not think I plan on keeping this, it was tres expensivo and we already own a perfectly adequate baby monitor. But seeing as Simon is pretty much hitting us over the head with the fact that he wants to sleep on his tummy, I thought we'd give it a try and see if it works. If so, we'll hold onto it for the next couple months just to give us peace of mind until we're past the point of sids risk.
2) A Swaddle Me blanket. Simon started busting out of the swaddle practically when we brought him home from the hospital. But THIS has velcro!! My friend Jenn is using one with her new baby and says it's great. So we'll give back sleeping one last try with this. Maybe this is the answer... and I'd much prefer a $10 answer to a $99 answer, that's for sure. Although, I just noticed they come in different sizes and I didn't even LOOK at the package I picked up to see what size it was. Gr..
I'll keep you posted on the results, if there are any. :)
p.s. The verdict is still out on the Bumbo. I lived without one last time and I'm still not seeing it as a necessary baby accoutrement. But, in its favor, it IS a very lightweight, portable thing for Simon to sit in... I can carry it from floor to floor easily and outside more easily than the bouncy seat. He likes it now for about ten minutes at a time... I can't decide if that ten minutes makes it worth keeping though. At the advice of several mom friends, l'll withhold my final judgement for another month or two.
The Three O'Clock Hour...
...is very popular around here.
I can't find the other battery to the remote control, so I'm sitting here playing on the internet while Simon has himself a little party on the couch. On the bright side, he did sleep from 9 - 3, so I guess that's *something*.
Right now he's all wide eyes, hiccups and wiggles. GO. TO. SLEEP.
I am trying so very hard not to wish away these first months but GOSH it's hard during nights like these. It's almost impossible to imagine that he'll ever sleep in the crib, sleep through the night or put himself to sleep. (even though I have tangible evidence in the form of the sleeping three-year-old upstairs who used to torture us with similar sleep habits)
I can't find the other battery to the remote control, so I'm sitting here playing on the internet while Simon has himself a little party on the couch. On the bright side, he did sleep from 9 - 3, so I guess that's *something*.
Right now he's all wide eyes, hiccups and wiggles. GO. TO. SLEEP.
I am trying so very hard not to wish away these first months but GOSH it's hard during nights like these. It's almost impossible to imagine that he'll ever sleep in the crib, sleep through the night or put himself to sleep. (even though I have tangible evidence in the form of the sleeping three-year-old upstairs who used to torture us with similar sleep habits)
Monday, July 23, 2007
Random Pics...
Another side by side. :) I love this outfit! (though Simon is wearing the other shirt that goes with it)
Just chillin' in the Bumbo... (look how much better he's doing with his head! Yay!)
Smiley Hungry Caterpillar! ;)
Just chillin' in the Bumbo... (look how much better he's doing with his head! Yay!)
Smiley Hungry Caterpillar! ;)
Like, I Said It's All About the Attitude...
...and last night, my attitude was BAD BAD BAD.
Simon's schedule was a little out of whack yesterday thanks to a late 3-1/2 hour nap he took because we were stuck in some of the worst traffic I have ever seen. Tom and I, both zombies from an **incredibly** long day yesterday, stayed up and played with him until about 10. Then Tom had to stay up another hour or so to try and get him to sleep.
After that, Simon woke up again at 2:30, fitfully drank his bottle and then was up and wanted to play. He also spit up half of said bottle onto my lap and I had to change BOTH of our clothes at 3:30 in the morning. At 3:45, I was near tears and put him in his crib to watch his aquarium, which he did with wide-eyed glee. I stomped into the bedroom, slammed my head into a pillow and muttered something to the effect of, "How did I give birth to TWO crappy sleepers?!?! I HATE this! He can just stay in his crib and figure it out for himself!" Tom, who today gets the award for the world's most wonderful husband, saw my sanity flying out the window and got up to take over an hour earlier than he was obligated to. I passed out in bed around 4:15.
Tom told me as he left this morning that Simon did not fall asleep until 5:30 a.m.
Seriously, I owe the man the best dinner in the world tonight. Any suggestions? I should probably also take his shift tonight because he is going to be SO tired.
If you had asked me last night if I wanted to do this again, I might have thrown something at you.
Simon's schedule was a little out of whack yesterday thanks to a late 3-1/2 hour nap he took because we were stuck in some of the worst traffic I have ever seen. Tom and I, both zombies from an **incredibly** long day yesterday, stayed up and played with him until about 10. Then Tom had to stay up another hour or so to try and get him to sleep.
After that, Simon woke up again at 2:30, fitfully drank his bottle and then was up and wanted to play. He also spit up half of said bottle onto my lap and I had to change BOTH of our clothes at 3:30 in the morning. At 3:45, I was near tears and put him in his crib to watch his aquarium, which he did with wide-eyed glee. I stomped into the bedroom, slammed my head into a pillow and muttered something to the effect of, "How did I give birth to TWO crappy sleepers?!?! I HATE this! He can just stay in his crib and figure it out for himself!" Tom, who today gets the award for the world's most wonderful husband, saw my sanity flying out the window and got up to take over an hour earlier than he was obligated to. I passed out in bed around 4:15.
Tom told me as he left this morning that Simon did not fall asleep until 5:30 a.m.
Seriously, I owe the man the best dinner in the world tonight. Any suggestions? I should probably also take his shift tonight because he is going to be SO tired.
If you had asked me last night if I wanted to do this again, I might have thrown something at you.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Great Article! :)
My "twin" mommy friend, Val posted this article about the different kinds of mommy friends and I thought it was just adorable and very well written. Check it out! And let me just say that I am so thankful for each and every one of my mommy friends because without them, I'm sure I'd go insane!
Side by Side Time!
I didn't even do this one on purpose... was just going through my pics and realized I had a picture of Benjamin at *about* the same age, wearing the same outfit, in the same bouncy seat. Weird! (no, they look nothing alike in this picture and for some reason, Simon looks like a giant!)
It's All About the Attitude...
You know, I could be annoyed that I am awake at 4:12 a.m.
But you know what? I'm not. Simon's awake, but he's happy, which thankfully, he always is when he decides to be awake in the middle of the night. (I don't know about you, but there is a HUUUUUUGE difference in my tolerance level when I am dealing with a screaming baby in the middle of the night versus a happy one) When he got up to eat at 3:30, I quickly realized (around 3:45) that he wasn't in the mood to go back to sleep. Soooo, we're just having ourselves a little party.
But you know what? I'm not. Simon's awake, but he's happy, which thankfully, he always is when he decides to be awake in the middle of the night. (I don't know about you, but there is a HUUUUUUGE difference in my tolerance level when I am dealing with a screaming baby in the middle of the night versus a happy one) When he got up to eat at 3:30, I quickly realized (around 3:45) that he wasn't in the mood to go back to sleep. Soooo, we're just having ourselves a little party.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Yes or No?
I am a cuddler – Yes! :)
I am a morning person – Yes! I throw open the blinds in the morning to greet the day and then little birdies come to sit on my finger and sing with me. I'm almost entirely serious about this. On the flipside, I am NOT a night person. I've been known to go to bed at 8:30.
I am a perfectionist – in many ways, yes... and getting worse by the day
I am an only child – No and yes (when your sibling is ten years younger than you, you may as well be!)
I am Catholic – No
I am currently in my pajamas – No
I am currently single – No
I am currently suffering from a broken heart – No
I am okay at styling other people’s hair – ew no. I hate touching other peoples' hair
I am left handed – Yes and my husband keeps hoping this gene will make it to one of our offspring. Ben is still up in the air and Simon sucks his left fist, so it's looking promising!
I am addicted to my myspace – Recently, yes. But if you tell anyone, I'll deny it
I am very shy around the opposite gender – Used to be, unless they were gay
I bite my nails – Yes
I can be paranoid at times – Are you accusing me of being paranoid?!? ::looks around suspiciously::
I currently regret something that I have said – I often regret things I say and can never stop thinking about them. In addition to being a paranoid perfectionist, I'm also a tad ocd.
I curse frequently when I get mad – Only when I am driving, which is unfortunate because I always have my kids in the car... working on that. I have lots of fun substitutes now, like "shoot monkeys" and "fluffernutter" that Ben has picked up on. Mom of the year, I am...
I like someone – I like most people, actually
I enjoy country music – I will admit to *occasionally* deriving pleasure from songs on the country station. But if you tell anyone, I'll deny this too.
I enjoy jazz music – No
I enjoy smoothies – Yes. Thanks, I want one now.
I enjoy talking on the phone – No. Hate hate HATE the phone. I communicate with very few people this way.
I have a pet – Yes. Cat and a few fish.
I have a secret that I am ashamed to reveal – See the aforementioned answers to "Are you addicted to MySpace" and "Do you enjoy country music". ;)
I have a tendency to fall for the “wrong” person – Yes. For awhile I had a streak of pining for guys who turned out to be gay. Thankfully, Tom ended that.
I have all my grandparents – No. :( (just two)
I have at least one sibling – Yes, have you seen him on tv embarassing the family lately? ;) (kidding, we are very proud... but aren't those faces disturbing?)
I have been told that I am smart – Yes. Though I have also been told I lack common sense at times.
I got higher then C’s in school – Yes. Except in math. Gah. Hated math. To this day I can hardly do the basics without my head hurting.
I had a GPA higher then 2.5 – Yes
I have broken a bone – I think I broke a toe once
I have Caller I.D. on my phone – Yes. How else would I screen out the crazies?
I have changed a lot over the past year – Physically, yes, thanks to Baby Too. Though I think I'm mostly back where I started, thank goodness.
I have done something illegal – Yes. I have definitely driven over the speed limit.
I have friends who have never seen my natural hair – No. I've never done anything to my hair.
I have had surgery – Yes. Eyes when I was a baby and had a few teeth cut out.
I have had my hair cut within the last week – Today, actually.
I have had the cops called on me - No!
I have kissed someone that I knew I shouldn’t – No
I am a morning person – Yes! I throw open the blinds in the morning to greet the day and then little birdies come to sit on my finger and sing with me. I'm almost entirely serious about this. On the flipside, I am NOT a night person. I've been known to go to bed at 8:30.
I am a perfectionist – in many ways, yes... and getting worse by the day
I am an only child – No and yes (when your sibling is ten years younger than you, you may as well be!)
I am Catholic – No
I am currently in my pajamas – No
I am currently single – No
I am currently suffering from a broken heart – No
I am okay at styling other people’s hair – ew no. I hate touching other peoples' hair
I am left handed – Yes and my husband keeps hoping this gene will make it to one of our offspring. Ben is still up in the air and Simon sucks his left fist, so it's looking promising!
I am addicted to my myspace – Recently, yes. But if you tell anyone, I'll deny it
I am very shy around the opposite gender – Used to be, unless they were gay
I bite my nails – Yes
I can be paranoid at times – Are you accusing me of being paranoid?!? ::looks around suspiciously::
I currently regret something that I have said – I often regret things I say and can never stop thinking about them. In addition to being a paranoid perfectionist, I'm also a tad ocd.
I curse frequently when I get mad – Only when I am driving, which is unfortunate because I always have my kids in the car... working on that. I have lots of fun substitutes now, like "shoot monkeys" and "fluffernutter" that Ben has picked up on. Mom of the year, I am...
I like someone – I like most people, actually
I enjoy country music – I will admit to *occasionally* deriving pleasure from songs on the country station. But if you tell anyone, I'll deny this too.
I enjoy jazz music – No
I enjoy smoothies – Yes. Thanks, I want one now.
I enjoy talking on the phone – No. Hate hate HATE the phone. I communicate with very few people this way.
I have a pet – Yes. Cat and a few fish.
I have a secret that I am ashamed to reveal – See the aforementioned answers to "Are you addicted to MySpace" and "Do you enjoy country music". ;)
I have a tendency to fall for the “wrong” person – Yes. For awhile I had a streak of pining for guys who turned out to be gay. Thankfully, Tom ended that.
I have all my grandparents – No. :( (just two)
I have at least one sibling – Yes, have you seen him on tv embarassing the family lately? ;) (kidding, we are very proud... but aren't those faces disturbing?)
I have been told that I am smart – Yes. Though I have also been told I lack common sense at times.
I got higher then C’s in school – Yes. Except in math. Gah. Hated math. To this day I can hardly do the basics without my head hurting.
I had a GPA higher then 2.5 – Yes
I have broken a bone – I think I broke a toe once
I have Caller I.D. on my phone – Yes. How else would I screen out the crazies?
I have changed a lot over the past year – Physically, yes, thanks to Baby Too. Though I think I'm mostly back where I started, thank goodness.
I have done something illegal – Yes. I have definitely driven over the speed limit.
I have friends who have never seen my natural hair – No. I've never done anything to my hair.
I have had surgery – Yes. Eyes when I was a baby and had a few teeth cut out.
I have had my hair cut within the last week – Today, actually.
I have had the cops called on me - No!
I have kissed someone that I knew I shouldn’t – No
Current Problems... Want to Help?
1) Simon is a GREAT sleeper. However, he WILL not sleep on his back. Any tricks to try to get him to be sleeping on his back, including letting him fall asleep in your arms and then attempting to place him in the crib on his back, result in his eyes popping open immediately. I let him sleep on his tummy for his naps because I can check on him every half hour or whenever I walk by the nursery. But at night is another story. He is currently still sleeping in the carseat in our room.
2) Which brings me to another problem, possibly caused by all this carseat sleeping. (or perhaps just by positioning in the womb) We're pretty sure Simon has a mild case of Torticollis. I'm sure the very observant moms among you have noticed that in most of the pictures I post of him, his head is always tilted to one side. I just noticed this last week when I walked by the pictures of him on our fridge. Now it's pretty obvious to me. As luck would have it, my neighbor's sister is a physical therapist and took a look at it while we were outside the other night. I don't think she could tell for sure because he wasn't really cooperating with looking the other direction, but told me if it is torticollis, it's no big deal and to just put him on the floor and stretch him the other way several times a day. So that's what we're doing... we're also propping his head up better when he's in his carseat. I would welcome any thoughts or advice from any of you who have dealt with this! I know it's no big deal, but it's a little freaky!
3) Val had an interesting post the other day about how you go about telling people not to do things to/with your baby that you don't want them to do. In her case someone was dipping Jordan's binky into soda and giving it to her. (!!!??) I'd have internally flipped out if someone did that with Simon, but would I have anything to them? I just don't know. I have a similar problem with one person and how they handle my babies (happened with Ben too) and I've never been able to say anything... I just sit there and stew. (if you are reading this post, it's definitely NOT you I'm talking about, so stop being paranoid).... so what do you do? Do you speak up? I mean, if someone were putting my child in danger or something, that would be a different story, but if they are just doing something that you just don't like... ??
2) Which brings me to another problem, possibly caused by all this carseat sleeping. (or perhaps just by positioning in the womb) We're pretty sure Simon has a mild case of Torticollis. I'm sure the very observant moms among you have noticed that in most of the pictures I post of him, his head is always tilted to one side. I just noticed this last week when I walked by the pictures of him on our fridge. Now it's pretty obvious to me. As luck would have it, my neighbor's sister is a physical therapist and took a look at it while we were outside the other night. I don't think she could tell for sure because he wasn't really cooperating with looking the other direction, but told me if it is torticollis, it's no big deal and to just put him on the floor and stretch him the other way several times a day. So that's what we're doing... we're also propping his head up better when he's in his carseat. I would welcome any thoughts or advice from any of you who have dealt with this! I know it's no big deal, but it's a little freaky!
3) Val had an interesting post the other day about how you go about telling people not to do things to/with your baby that you don't want them to do. In her case someone was dipping Jordan's binky into soda and giving it to her. (!!!??) I'd have internally flipped out if someone did that with Simon, but would I have anything to them? I just don't know. I have a similar problem with one person and how they handle my babies (happened with Ben too) and I've never been able to say anything... I just sit there and stew. (if you are reading this post, it's definitely NOT you I'm talking about, so stop being paranoid).... so what do you do? Do you speak up? I mean, if someone were putting my child in danger or something, that would be a different story, but if they are just doing something that you just don't like... ??
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Congratulations Are in Order....
... for Katie and family! Welcome baby Lucy! :)
My baby watch list grows ever shorter!
Still waiting on my very first little niece or nephew... (7'ish weeks to go!) As well as baby Abby. (October!) and Meg's baby girl as well! (no blog because she is lame, sorry!) ;)
My baby watch list grows ever shorter!
Still waiting on my very first little niece or nephew... (7'ish weeks to go!) As well as baby Abby. (October!) and Meg's baby girl as well! (no blog because she is lame, sorry!) ;)
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tired...
Benjamin went up to take a nap around 3p.m. Around 4:30, I heard a thump and thought it was him getting out of his bed. I waited for him to come downstairs, but he never did, so I went up to check on him and this is what I found.
Apparently, he did get out of his bed... he just never made it out the door. Poor little guy! He had just had some kind of weird allergy attack and had broken out in itchy bumps all over his wrists and legs. :( So I gave him some Benedryl before his nap... guess it has knocked him out good!
Oh, and yes, that is his Darth Vader costume he fell asleep wearing. ;)
Apparently, he did get out of his bed... he just never made it out the door. Poor little guy! He had just had some kind of weird allergy attack and had broken out in itchy bumps all over his wrists and legs. :( So I gave him some Benedryl before his nap... guess it has knocked him out good!
Oh, and yes, that is his Darth Vader costume he fell asleep wearing. ;)
The Cuteness Just Keeps Coming...
Simon laughed for the first time today! Gooooooooooosh, I love that sound!
This Post Has So Many Levels of Cuteness, I Don't Even Know Where to Start...
Cuteness Level I:
So Benjamin has hit the question asking stage... "Why?" "How?" and my favorite lately, "What does (x) mean?"
Squeee! It's adorable. ;) (except when he asks me for the 450th time why girls don't have a certain body part... "because they just DON'T, okay?")
Cuteness Level II:
Annnnyway, so every night before bed, we say prayers with him. We have a somewhat random rotation of one where he God blesses people we saw that day, one where we thank God for people or things we have, and the Lord's Prayer. (it's usually a mix of all of the above and depends on his attention span)... so the kiddo, he can recite the Lord's Prayer, which, if you ever hear it, will bring tears to your eyes it's so sweet...
Cuteness Level III:
...so two nights ago, Tom was tucking him in and he was saying the Lord's Prayer and we got to the part about tresspasses. "Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." (nevermind that our church says debts and debtors instead... just stay with me, okay?). He stopped and said, "Daddy? What are trespasses?" And Tom explained they are things we do wrong, like hitting, not sharing or throwing our toys. (you know, preschool level trespasses) Ben was satisfied with this explaination and continued...
Cuteness Level IV:
... fast forward to last night. He had gotten a time out because he threw his Memory game across the living room. An hour later, when Tom was tucking him in and was doing prayers with him. Ben finishes up and says, "Hey, I did a trespass when I threw my Memory game!" Hee! (Of course, Tom said that yes he had and explained the part about forgiveness ... but that wasn't as cute as him actually announcing that he had "did a trespass!!!" ;)
Okay yeah, so age three is hard.... but moments like those make it SO worth it. :)
So Benjamin has hit the question asking stage... "Why?" "How?" and my favorite lately, "What does (x) mean?"
Squeee! It's adorable. ;) (except when he asks me for the 450th time why girls don't have a certain body part... "because they just DON'T, okay?")
Cuteness Level II:
Annnnyway, so every night before bed, we say prayers with him. We have a somewhat random rotation of one where he God blesses people we saw that day, one where we thank God for people or things we have, and the Lord's Prayer. (it's usually a mix of all of the above and depends on his attention span)... so the kiddo, he can recite the Lord's Prayer, which, if you ever hear it, will bring tears to your eyes it's so sweet...
Cuteness Level III:
...so two nights ago, Tom was tucking him in and he was saying the Lord's Prayer and we got to the part about tresspasses. "Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." (nevermind that our church says debts and debtors instead... just stay with me, okay?). He stopped and said, "Daddy? What are trespasses?" And Tom explained they are things we do wrong, like hitting, not sharing or throwing our toys. (you know, preschool level trespasses) Ben was satisfied with this explaination and continued...
Cuteness Level IV:
... fast forward to last night. He had gotten a time out because he threw his Memory game across the living room. An hour later, when Tom was tucking him in and was doing prayers with him. Ben finishes up and says, "Hey, I did a trespass when I threw my Memory game!" Hee! (Of course, Tom said that yes he had and explained the part about forgiveness ... but that wasn't as cute as him actually announcing that he had "did a trespass!!!" ;)
Okay yeah, so age three is hard.... but moments like those make it SO worth it. :)
Sunday, July 15, 2007
"We BOTH Have Baby Brothers!!"
Benjamin and his friend Trey both have recently acquired baby brothers. Apparently this has brought out their nurturing side. ;) They kidnapped the little girls' dolls this evening and spent a good half hour walking them, burping them and dropping them on their heads on the sidewalk. It was the sweetest thing ever. (except the part where they dropped them on their heads)
Trey and his baby
Ben and HIS baby
You should have heard Ben talking to his doll too...
"It's all right... I've got you. Do you feel better now? Let's check your diaper!" I could have cried!
Trey and his baby
Ben and HIS baby
You should have heard Ben talking to his doll too...
"It's all right... I've got you. Do you feel better now? Let's check your diaper!" I could have cried!
Cute.
Shutterfly is offering this cute little personalized Alphabet Video. It's pretty cute! It created sort of a weird perma-grin on Benjamin's face though.
Heh. It's even funnier with Simon's head attached... especially the waterskiiing) ;)
Heh. It's even funnier with Simon's head attached... especially the waterskiiing) ;)
Saturday, July 14, 2007
I'll Admit that Maybe, Just Maybe, This is a (small) Part of the Problem...
The following conversation took place while we were working on the laundry room:
Tom: Why is there a Tylenol PM on top of the water heater?
Me: It has sentimental value. (goes back to vacuuming pile of dryer lint)
Tom: (confused silence)
Me: (turns off vaccum cleaner) Oh, you want to know WHY a Tylenol PM has sentimental value?
Tom: I WOULD, actually...
Me: (sigh) Remember the week before I found out I was pregnant with Ben, how I kept waking up with those stomach cramps?
Tom: Yeeeees....
Me: Well, one night, I came downstairs because they hurt so bad I couldn't sleep. I playing around on the computer and was going to take that Tylenol PM, but it had just dawned on me that I might be pregnant, so I decided not to. The next morning, I took the test and it was positive.
Tom: See, this is weird for two reasons... a) that a pill would have sentimental value and b) that it would be on top of our water heater. I can't decide which is more weird.
----------
See here's the thing, I'm really NOT a packrat, at least not now. I used to be when I was a little kid. And once I have attached any kind of sentimental value to something, I can't stand to get rid of it. So there are two giant Rubbermaid bins occupying space in my laundry room that are full of Cabbage Patch dolls, school papers and other random things from my childhood. I have reigned in this tendency A LOT in my adult life and I try to pitch things well before I attach any meaning to them. (sometimes I take this to an extreme... i.e. don't give me flowers in any kind of cutesy container because it's getting tossed out the next week) But the Tylenol PM just hung around in that computer cabinet WAY too long. I have been moving it around for three and a half years. I can't get rid of it now!
I know half of you will TOTALLY get where I am coming from and the other half of you will think I'm insane. Which are you? ;)
Tom: Why is there a Tylenol PM on top of the water heater?
Me: It has sentimental value. (goes back to vacuuming pile of dryer lint)
Tom: (confused silence)
Me: (turns off vaccum cleaner) Oh, you want to know WHY a Tylenol PM has sentimental value?
Tom: I WOULD, actually...
Me: (sigh) Remember the week before I found out I was pregnant with Ben, how I kept waking up with those stomach cramps?
Tom: Yeeeees....
Me: Well, one night, I came downstairs because they hurt so bad I couldn't sleep. I playing around on the computer and was going to take that Tylenol PM, but it had just dawned on me that I might be pregnant, so I decided not to. The next morning, I took the test and it was positive.
Tom: See, this is weird for two reasons... a) that a pill would have sentimental value and b) that it would be on top of our water heater. I can't decide which is more weird.
----------
See here's the thing, I'm really NOT a packrat, at least not now. I used to be when I was a little kid. And once I have attached any kind of sentimental value to something, I can't stand to get rid of it. So there are two giant Rubbermaid bins occupying space in my laundry room that are full of Cabbage Patch dolls, school papers and other random things from my childhood. I have reigned in this tendency A LOT in my adult life and I try to pitch things well before I attach any meaning to them. (sometimes I take this to an extreme... i.e. don't give me flowers in any kind of cutesy container because it's getting tossed out the next week) But the Tylenol PM just hung around in that computer cabinet WAY too long. I have been moving it around for three and a half years. I can't get rid of it now!
I know half of you will TOTALLY get where I am coming from and the other half of you will think I'm insane. Which are you? ;)
Project Day...
Tom and I are cleaning out the laundry room today. While this may sound like an easy feat that just requires moving some clothes and a few baskets and maybe emptying the trash and lint trap, it's going to be much more of a challenge than that. Our laundry room is ridiclously huge relative to the size of our house. It has become the place where we store pretty much anything that is not being used and can't fit in the attic; and that is unwanted but to annoying to take to the dump or too large to put on the porch for the charities.
Every once in awhile, I go in there and purge what I can, thus clearing myself a small path to get to the washing machine. Today though, today is the day we GET RID OF STUFF. I called the Salvation Army to come pick up three large pieces of furniture that I can't seem to sell. In order to even GET to said pieces of furniture and put them out back for pickup, we are forced to clean out the whole room, which is a good thing....
How are we going to do this with a three-year-old and a two-month-old in the house? NO CLUE. My plan right now is to just set up camp in the basement. Ben will play with his toys and Simon will be content sitting in his bouncy contraptions for short periods. Should be interesting.
Here's a picture of just ONE SIDE of the laundry room that I took last year. Those toys have since been packed up and moved to the attic but then were replaced by MORE toys that need to go to the attic as well as a hundred thousand other things. So the picture is not that far from accurate.
Every once in awhile, I go in there and purge what I can, thus clearing myself a small path to get to the washing machine. Today though, today is the day we GET RID OF STUFF. I called the Salvation Army to come pick up three large pieces of furniture that I can't seem to sell. In order to even GET to said pieces of furniture and put them out back for pickup, we are forced to clean out the whole room, which is a good thing....
How are we going to do this with a three-year-old and a two-month-old in the house? NO CLUE. My plan right now is to just set up camp in the basement. Ben will play with his toys and Simon will be content sitting in his bouncy contraptions for short periods. Should be interesting.
Here's a picture of just ONE SIDE of the laundry room that I took last year. Those toys have since been packed up and moved to the attic but then were replaced by MORE toys that need to go to the attic as well as a hundred thousand other things. So the picture is not that far from accurate.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Silly Survey...
Just because I'm sitting here eating lunch and playing on the computer and Ben is content wandering around the living room in his Jedi coat.
1. Do you still talk to the person you FIRST kissed?
Yes... wait, as a matter of fact, I'm married to the the first person I kissed. ;)
2. Have you ever seen your best friend cry?
I'm thinking and thinking and I'm thinking NO, actually... Unless one of the managers at our old retail job made her cry at some point.
3. Do you have anything to say to anyone?
Nah.
4. What was the last food you ate?
Turkey wrap
5. Did you get any compliments today?
Benjamin told me a draw a good "Doc" (from Cars)
6. Did you ever go to court?
Nope.
7. Whats the fifth text message in your inbox say?
No texts in my inbox...
8. Are you friends with your neighbors?
Yes! They are the greatest! :)
10. What languages do your parents speak?
English and my dad would like to think he speaks french well, but this is not the case.
11. What towns have you lived in?
Perry Hall, White Marsh, Parkville... pretty much the same 10-mile radius my entire life.
12. What's the last piercing you got?
Second holes in my ears, middle school. They are closed now. :)
14. Do you get distracted easily?
Look! A bird!
16. Do you get jealous easily?
Not often...
18. Have you ever played Spin the Bottle?
Nope.
20. Have you ever had a crush on your brother or sister's friends?
OhmyGOSH no. A) my brother is 10 years younger than I am B) He has the creepiest friends ever.
21. Have you ever gone to a beach?
Every summer and every other thanksgiving. :)
22. Have you ever had a stalker?
Heh. I have actually... and it's a funny story that I'm sure I have blogged about but don't feel like retelling at the moment.
23. Do you remember your music teacher's name from elementary?
Mrs. Heffentregger, Mr. Fox, Mr. Thompson, Dad
24. How good is your eyesight?
20/20, amazingly enough, without glasses... since I started out life farsighted with a lazy eye
25. Have you ever gone to a party?
Sure. The last one I went to was at Port Discovery. ;)
26. Would you ever want to swim with the sharks?
That'd be a no.
27. What would you say if I told you I was in love with your brother?
There is something I would love to write here, but will restrain myself on the offchance my brother (or his girlfriend) read my blog.
28. Have you ever been out of the country?
Sadly, no.
29. Have you seen one of your best friends naked?
My friend Kristi was an exhibitionist when we were younger, so yes.
30. What's the best wedding you've been to?
Mine, of course! ;)
31. Would your parents be mad if you got arrested for fighting?
They wouldn't believe you.
32. Where are your sibling(s) right now?
Either at work or hanging out with the aforementioned girlfriend.
34. What's the last dream you can remember?
?
35. Who was the last person who called you?
"Unknown Caller" Gosh I hate that guy.
36. What time did you wake up this morning?
6:58... well, actually 2:22a.m. the first time
39. What is the last item of clothing you bought?
Shirt from Old Navy
40. When was the last time you were sick?
May
41. Who's the last celebrity you touched?
does my YouTube famous brother count?
42. What's in your back pocket?
lint
43. Who is the last person you took a picture with?
Ben
44. What is the last thing you drank?
coffee
45. Last person you hugged?
Uhh... mom, maybe?
46. Do you wear colored contacts?
No
47. What were you doing at 4am this morning?
Thankfully, I was sleeping. :)
1. Do you still talk to the person you FIRST kissed?
Yes... wait, as a matter of fact, I'm married to the the first person I kissed. ;)
2. Have you ever seen your best friend cry?
I'm thinking and thinking and I'm thinking NO, actually... Unless one of the managers at our old retail job made her cry at some point.
3. Do you have anything to say to anyone?
Nah.
4. What was the last food you ate?
Turkey wrap
5. Did you get any compliments today?
Benjamin told me a draw a good "Doc" (from Cars)
6. Did you ever go to court?
Nope.
7. Whats the fifth text message in your inbox say?
No texts in my inbox...
8. Are you friends with your neighbors?
Yes! They are the greatest! :)
10. What languages do your parents speak?
English and my dad would like to think he speaks french well, but this is not the case.
11. What towns have you lived in?
Perry Hall, White Marsh, Parkville... pretty much the same 10-mile radius my entire life.
12. What's the last piercing you got?
Second holes in my ears, middle school. They are closed now. :)
14. Do you get distracted easily?
Look! A bird!
16. Do you get jealous easily?
Not often...
18. Have you ever played Spin the Bottle?
Nope.
20. Have you ever had a crush on your brother or sister's friends?
OhmyGOSH no. A) my brother is 10 years younger than I am B) He has the creepiest friends ever.
21. Have you ever gone to a beach?
Every summer and every other thanksgiving. :)
22. Have you ever had a stalker?
Heh. I have actually... and it's a funny story that I'm sure I have blogged about but don't feel like retelling at the moment.
23. Do you remember your music teacher's name from elementary?
Mrs. Heffentregger, Mr. Fox, Mr. Thompson, Dad
24. How good is your eyesight?
20/20, amazingly enough, without glasses... since I started out life farsighted with a lazy eye
25. Have you ever gone to a party?
Sure. The last one I went to was at Port Discovery. ;)
26. Would you ever want to swim with the sharks?
That'd be a no.
27. What would you say if I told you I was in love with your brother?
There is something I would love to write here, but will restrain myself on the offchance my brother (or his girlfriend) read my blog.
28. Have you ever been out of the country?
Sadly, no.
29. Have you seen one of your best friends naked?
My friend Kristi was an exhibitionist when we were younger, so yes.
30. What's the best wedding you've been to?
Mine, of course! ;)
31. Would your parents be mad if you got arrested for fighting?
They wouldn't believe you.
32. Where are your sibling(s) right now?
Either at work or hanging out with the aforementioned girlfriend.
34. What's the last dream you can remember?
?
35. Who was the last person who called you?
"Unknown Caller" Gosh I hate that guy.
36. What time did you wake up this morning?
6:58... well, actually 2:22a.m. the first time
39. What is the last item of clothing you bought?
Shirt from Old Navy
40. When was the last time you were sick?
May
41. Who's the last celebrity you touched?
does my YouTube famous brother count?
42. What's in your back pocket?
lint
43. Who is the last person you took a picture with?
Ben
44. What is the last thing you drank?
coffee
45. Last person you hugged?
Uhh... mom, maybe?
46. Do you wear colored contacts?
No
47. What were you doing at 4am this morning?
Thankfully, I was sleeping. :)
Evening Gone Bad...
Last night, when Tom got home and I still hadn't managed to get dinner ready, I suggested we go out to the little pizza place, have some dinner and then go order our floors at the nearby Home Depot. Things were going well... Simon was fed and sleeping. Ben was excited about pizza. So off we went.
We pulled into the parking lot and, as we usually do, split up, each taking a car door/child (sidenote: could someone please explain to me how life works with three kids?). I put Ben down and sent him in the direction of the sidewalk while I reached in to grab the diaper bag. In that short moment, he managed to trip UP the curb and scrape his knee. OH, the drama. Against my protests (made above the screams of "I fell on the sidewaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalk!!! I have a scraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaape!!! My knee! My knee!!! I don't want a bandaid!!!!") of, "This is not good... it will only get worse... we need to just turn around and go home." Tom decidesd we were going to continue with dinner.
(let me just add here that the "scrape" was very VERY small... it had been kissed and appropriately noted and fawned over... it was now just purely drama)
By this point Ben had gone from limping to standing on one foot, and looking comically ostrich-like. Tom scooped him up and in we went.
The screaming crescendoed as it continued, much to the pleasure of the other restaurant patrons. Tom placed our order and got Ben a Sprite, thinking the promise of a soda would get him to calm down. Silly, silly man. There was a SCRAPE for pete's sake.
I had finally had enough and told Tom to get a to-go box as I carried Ben out of the place under one arm (screaming) and Simon in the carrier with the other. On the way out, three people felt the need to comment, "He's not very happy, is he?" Thanks. Thanks for that. What tipped you off, exactly?
Ben screamed all the way home... it was truly an Emmy-award-winning performance.
We arrived home he calmed down, ate a slice of pizza and asked to go outside. So yeah it was all drama. Tom asked if I was like that as a kid. I had many quirks, but this level of drama was not one of them. Tom wants to ask his mom now if he and/or his brothers were like this.
These complete meltdowns are mentally exhausting to deal with... though amusing in hindsite. We've taken to calling Ben "drama queen", which he probably won't appreciate someday... but SHEESH. You just never know when the next performance will be.
We pulled into the parking lot and, as we usually do, split up, each taking a car door/child (sidenote: could someone please explain to me how life works with three kids?). I put Ben down and sent him in the direction of the sidewalk while I reached in to grab the diaper bag. In that short moment, he managed to trip UP the curb and scrape his knee. OH, the drama. Against my protests (made above the screams of "I fell on the sidewaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalk!!! I have a scraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaape!!! My knee! My knee!!! I don't want a bandaid!!!!") of, "This is not good... it will only get worse... we need to just turn around and go home." Tom decidesd we were going to continue with dinner.
(let me just add here that the "scrape" was very VERY small... it had been kissed and appropriately noted and fawned over... it was now just purely drama)
By this point Ben had gone from limping to standing on one foot, and looking comically ostrich-like. Tom scooped him up and in we went.
The screaming crescendoed as it continued, much to the pleasure of the other restaurant patrons. Tom placed our order and got Ben a Sprite, thinking the promise of a soda would get him to calm down. Silly, silly man. There was a SCRAPE for pete's sake.
I had finally had enough and told Tom to get a to-go box as I carried Ben out of the place under one arm (screaming) and Simon in the carrier with the other. On the way out, three people felt the need to comment, "He's not very happy, is he?" Thanks. Thanks for that. What tipped you off, exactly?
Ben screamed all the way home... it was truly an Emmy-award-winning performance.
We arrived home he calmed down, ate a slice of pizza and asked to go outside. So yeah it was all drama. Tom asked if I was like that as a kid. I had many quirks, but this level of drama was not one of them. Tom wants to ask his mom now if he and/or his brothers were like this.
These complete meltdowns are mentally exhausting to deal with... though amusing in hindsite. We've taken to calling Ben "drama queen", which he probably won't appreciate someday... but SHEESH. You just never know when the next performance will be.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Proving Once Again That the Blog Curse is Real, VERY Real...
So I blogged yesterday in Simon's little update that he is a pleasant little guy... he hasn't had any colic... he doesn't have insane screaming fits that last forever.
Fast forward to 7:30'ish last night. I had just come inside with him... he was a little upset, but I figured it was because I took him out in the 100-billion-degree heat and humidity in his footie pajamas. (I saw my neighbor's mom and ran out to find out how my neighbor and the new baby were doing, didn't plan on staying out long).
So we came in, I let him finish up his bottle and then, the fun began.
"Waa!" he said.
"What?" I asked? "Still hungry?" I offered the bottle again and he spit it out. At this point, I was already at a loss because that is ALWAYS the problem.
I changed his diaper. I walked him around. I put him down. I picked him up. I held him forward. I held him on my shoulder.
"Waa!" "Waa!" "Waa!" he said.
About 45 minutes went by and he continued to "Waa!" at me for what appeared to be no particular reason. I continued to be befuddled because, really? He wasn't hungry? Tom came inside with Benjamin at this point and I handed Simon off to him (fresh troops!) and took Ben up to get his bath.
While I was getting Ben dressed for bed, all I could hear from downstairs was...
"Waaaaaaaaaaa!!!!" "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" getting louder and louder and louder. Now, while we are no strangers to this, it's been awhile.
Finally, it dawned on me that Simon had not pooped all day. (I rock!) I ran downstairs and sent Tom up to finish bedtime and set to work.
Y'all, I spent entirely too much time last night with my finger someplace it should never have to be. And by too much time, I mean the 10 seconds it took to push a quarter of a glycerin suppository into my youngest son's bottom. But, as promised on the instructions, it produced results in 15 minutes. Good times.
He still cried on and off for another hour, but I think he was just pooped. (pun fully intended). He slept great last night and aside from being a little needy this morning (which is because, of course, I have things to do and need for him to NOT be needy this morning), all is back to normal. Hopefully Mr. Pleasant is back for good and there are no repeat performances of last night's cry-a-thon!
p.s. Have I mentioned that Offspring 2.0 doesn't take a pacifier? This has not stopped me from trying.... but he has pretty much zero interest. I've pretty much given up!
Fast forward to 7:30'ish last night. I had just come inside with him... he was a little upset, but I figured it was because I took him out in the 100-billion-degree heat and humidity in his footie pajamas. (I saw my neighbor's mom and ran out to find out how my neighbor and the new baby were doing, didn't plan on staying out long).
So we came in, I let him finish up his bottle and then, the fun began.
"Waa!" he said.
"What?" I asked? "Still hungry?" I offered the bottle again and he spit it out. At this point, I was already at a loss because that is ALWAYS the problem.
I changed his diaper. I walked him around. I put him down. I picked him up. I held him forward. I held him on my shoulder.
"Waa!" "Waa!" "Waa!" he said.
About 45 minutes went by and he continued to "Waa!" at me for what appeared to be no particular reason. I continued to be befuddled because, really? He wasn't hungry? Tom came inside with Benjamin at this point and I handed Simon off to him (fresh troops!) and took Ben up to get his bath.
While I was getting Ben dressed for bed, all I could hear from downstairs was...
"Waaaaaaaaaaa!!!!" "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" getting louder and louder and louder. Now, while we are no strangers to this, it's been awhile.
Finally, it dawned on me that Simon had not pooped all day. (I rock!) I ran downstairs and sent Tom up to finish bedtime and set to work.
Y'all, I spent entirely too much time last night with my finger someplace it should never have to be. And by too much time, I mean the 10 seconds it took to push a quarter of a glycerin suppository into my youngest son's bottom. But, as promised on the instructions, it produced results in 15 minutes. Good times.
He still cried on and off for another hour, but I think he was just pooped. (pun fully intended). He slept great last night and aside from being a little needy this morning (which is because, of course, I have things to do and need for him to NOT be needy this morning), all is back to normal. Hopefully Mr. Pleasant is back for good and there are no repeat performances of last night's cry-a-thon!
p.s. Have I mentioned that Offspring 2.0 doesn't take a pacifier? This has not stopped me from trying.... but he has pretty much zero interest. I've pretty much given up!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Happy Two Months, Baby Simon! :)
Simon is two months old today. Truly, I feel like I blinked and that happened.
The official chair pic (unless I can get a better one later!)
He is changing so much every day! He smiles huge smiles ALL day long and is just little Mr. Pleasant pretty much all the time.
He LOVES to be talked to and will coo back and stick out his tongue to try and get whoever is talking to him to do the same. One of his favorite activities though, is to lay on his little floor gym and watch the star blink and play music. Sometimes he fusses a little JUST so you'll put him down under that thing and he can stretch out.
He's gained a lot of head control, (though he is still a little wobbly sometimes) and is working on lifting his head up while he's on his tummy. This baby LOVES to be on his tummy! He especially loves sleeping on his tummy, which has presented a bit of a mommy conundrum for me. I let him nap on his belly when we're home because I can obsessively check on him, but I can't let him sleep that way at night yet... maybe when he can roll over from back to front... Ben was also a tummy sleeper early on (probably from 12 weeks or so?) and there was pretty much nothing I could do about it. It was either sleep on his tummy or he wouldn't sleep at all.
The sleeping through the night is coming along... He gets up once a night now, usually between 2 and 3... eats about five ounces and goes back to sleep until 6 or so.
Speaking of eating, I feel like I'm feeding him ALL the time. And that would be because I am. He probably takes 28-30 ounces of formula a day, but he'll take it four ounces at a time and then he'll often snack on another two ounces for an hour. Then he's hungry again three hours from when I started the first four ounces. You can see how this results in him having a bottle in his mouth ALL. DAY. LONG. But I'm not complaining! He eats! Wahoo!
My mom has nicknamed him "Moon Pie" because of his little round face that seems to just keep getting rounder and rounder and rounder. It seems to have stuck and now we're all calling him that. He also gets called "Baby Brother" a lot and, like his brother before him, "Stinky", because well, he often is. ;)
And my new monthday tradition... the side by sides. Here are the boys both at two months...
The official chair pic (unless I can get a better one later!)
He is changing so much every day! He smiles huge smiles ALL day long and is just little Mr. Pleasant pretty much all the time.
He LOVES to be talked to and will coo back and stick out his tongue to try and get whoever is talking to him to do the same. One of his favorite activities though, is to lay on his little floor gym and watch the star blink and play music. Sometimes he fusses a little JUST so you'll put him down under that thing and he can stretch out.
He's gained a lot of head control, (though he is still a little wobbly sometimes) and is working on lifting his head up while he's on his tummy. This baby LOVES to be on his tummy! He especially loves sleeping on his tummy, which has presented a bit of a mommy conundrum for me. I let him nap on his belly when we're home because I can obsessively check on him, but I can't let him sleep that way at night yet... maybe when he can roll over from back to front... Ben was also a tummy sleeper early on (probably from 12 weeks or so?) and there was pretty much nothing I could do about it. It was either sleep on his tummy or he wouldn't sleep at all.
The sleeping through the night is coming along... He gets up once a night now, usually between 2 and 3... eats about five ounces and goes back to sleep until 6 or so.
Speaking of eating, I feel like I'm feeding him ALL the time. And that would be because I am. He probably takes 28-30 ounces of formula a day, but he'll take it four ounces at a time and then he'll often snack on another two ounces for an hour. Then he's hungry again three hours from when I started the first four ounces. You can see how this results in him having a bottle in his mouth ALL. DAY. LONG. But I'm not complaining! He eats! Wahoo!
My mom has nicknamed him "Moon Pie" because of his little round face that seems to just keep getting rounder and rounder and rounder. It seems to have stuck and now we're all calling him that. He also gets called "Baby Brother" a lot and, like his brother before him, "Stinky", because well, he often is. ;)
And my new monthday tradition... the side by sides. Here are the boys both at two months...
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Sheesh.
"For the love of Pete, could someone tell my mom this is NOT developmentally appropriate?"
"And while you're at it, could you tell my big brother to stop trying to force feed me wooden pizza, already?!"
"And while you're at it, could you tell my big brother to stop trying to force feed me wooden pizza, already?!"
How to Rent Cool Baby Gadgets...
I have a little game I'm playing with Babies R Us. And frankly, I think it's quite ingenious.
When Simon was first born, I went out and bought a Snugglenest. It's a really wonderful little contraption that fits right in the middle of your bed for the baby to sleep in. You're right near them and generally get to them at night with food before the screaming starts. It makes for much better sleep for all involved. However, it's really not of much use after the first month or two. I think we used it maybe 3-4 weeks.
I have the receipt! And the box!
So I returned it!
Today I bought a Bumbo Seat.
I pretty much broke even.
The Bumbo will also probably be getting returned within 90 days... (at that point Simon will be five months and hopefully well on his way to sitting up on his own) and then what will I get???! Maybe I'll finish out the game with an exersaucer (Ben's was a three-time handmedown that I handed on down again), keep it, and call it good. ;)
When Simon was first born, I went out and bought a Snugglenest. It's a really wonderful little contraption that fits right in the middle of your bed for the baby to sleep in. You're right near them and generally get to them at night with food before the screaming starts. It makes for much better sleep for all involved. However, it's really not of much use after the first month or two. I think we used it maybe 3-4 weeks.
I have the receipt! And the box!
So I returned it!
Today I bought a Bumbo Seat.
I pretty much broke even.
The Bumbo will also probably be getting returned within 90 days... (at that point Simon will be five months and hopefully well on his way to sitting up on his own) and then what will I get???! Maybe I'll finish out the game with an exersaucer (Ben's was a three-time handmedown that I handed on down again), keep it, and call it good. ;)
Monday, July 09, 2007
School! :)
Yay! We loved the preschool and I'm in the process of filling out all the forms! Hooray! :) Now I don't feel like such a loser mom! (apparently, preschool at three is all the rage these days because of the all-day-kindergarten trend... I did not get the original memo) He starts September 6th!
He Seems Excited!
Ben, my mom and I are going to visit a potential preschool this morning! It comes highly recommended by people whose opinions I trust about this sort of thing, so I'm optimistic it will be a good fit. Plus, it has the added bonus of actually having an open spot for September! ;) Wish us luck! I'll update later!
It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood...
My neighbor Beth is having her baby today! :) Wahoo! This will be boy #8 in our 'hood! (and boy #8 in a span of three years) If we all stay here awhile, there are going to be some CAH-razy games of wiffle ball going on in a few years.
Anyway, hoping to hear later today that all went well and baby Quinn is here safe and sound. Simon can't wait to meet his new little buddy!
Anyway, hoping to hear later today that all went well and baby Quinn is here safe and sound. Simon can't wait to meet his new little buddy!
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Systems...
Curious... what is your system for storing your child/ren's outgrown clothing? I'm hoping for some inspiration...
I got the organizing bug this morning and starting digging through the tubs of baby clothes in the attic. Actually, my current system works *fairly* well. I keep an empty tub in the closet (at this point, I have one in each boy's closet) and as clothes are outgrown, I put them in it. When the tub is full, I truck it up to the attic. Like I said, it works fairly well... one big advantage is the clothes are put away in the order they are grown out of and so when you go to get them back out again, it's easy to know roughly the time frame during which each pile of clothes will fit. This is very helpful because the sizing of baby clothes is so wacky... sometimes something that says 0-3 months is just that, other times, it turns out not to fit until six months later. So those weird sized things automatically end up in box with similarly sized clothes that will fit at the same time.
Here's the downside... sometimes clothes fit for a long time and then end up in a later box. So now, when I get a new box of clothes down for Simon, I'm going to have to dig through the box ahead of it to make sure I'm not missing something that will fit. (i.e. the 12 month snowsuit... I found it two boxes down from the rest of the cold-weather stuff) So my latest organization project was to go through the tubs of clothes and label "key" things that are in them... "1st year halloween costume, snow suit, winter coat, easter outfit.."
Is there a better way? It's not like the influx of clothes is going to stop anytime soon since, even if we don't have another child or another boy, Ben still keeps getting new ones and keeps passing them down to Simon. I'm not ready purge baby stuff yet either since there's a somewhat decent chance it'll get one more go round. So an easy, efficient and well-organized system would be good to have...
We have a similar situation going on with our somewhat insane toy collection, (Peekablocks, anyone?)... so I'm desperate.
And yes, I give quite a bit away to the various charities who call her on a regular basis... so everything is as pared down as it can possibly be.
If you got through all that, good job. ;) Now, tell me your organizational secrets! I know some of you are as ocd as me... so spill them!
I got the organizing bug this morning and starting digging through the tubs of baby clothes in the attic. Actually, my current system works *fairly* well. I keep an empty tub in the closet (at this point, I have one in each boy's closet) and as clothes are outgrown, I put them in it. When the tub is full, I truck it up to the attic. Like I said, it works fairly well... one big advantage is the clothes are put away in the order they are grown out of and so when you go to get them back out again, it's easy to know roughly the time frame during which each pile of clothes will fit. This is very helpful because the sizing of baby clothes is so wacky... sometimes something that says 0-3 months is just that, other times, it turns out not to fit until six months later. So those weird sized things automatically end up in box with similarly sized clothes that will fit at the same time.
Here's the downside... sometimes clothes fit for a long time and then end up in a later box. So now, when I get a new box of clothes down for Simon, I'm going to have to dig through the box ahead of it to make sure I'm not missing something that will fit. (i.e. the 12 month snowsuit... I found it two boxes down from the rest of the cold-weather stuff) So my latest organization project was to go through the tubs of clothes and label "key" things that are in them... "1st year halloween costume, snow suit, winter coat, easter outfit.."
Is there a better way? It's not like the influx of clothes is going to stop anytime soon since, even if we don't have another child or another boy, Ben still keeps getting new ones and keeps passing them down to Simon. I'm not ready purge baby stuff yet either since there's a somewhat decent chance it'll get one more go round. So an easy, efficient and well-organized system would be good to have...
We have a similar situation going on with our somewhat insane toy collection, (Peekablocks, anyone?)... so I'm desperate.
And yes, I give quite a bit away to the various charities who call her on a regular basis... so everything is as pared down as it can possibly be.
If you got through all that, good job. ;) Now, tell me your organizational secrets! I know some of you are as ocd as me... so spill them!
Friday, July 06, 2007
Pool Day! :)
We met up with Jen, Ryan and Lily at my parents' house this afternoon. (My parents actually have the space for a nice size wading pool and a playset, unlike us.)
The boys had a blast playing together and Lily got in the action too! (that little thing sure can hold her own against two boys!!!)
The boys had a blast playing together and Lily got in the action too! (that little thing sure can hold her own against two boys!!!)
A Bit of a Lofty Title, Don't You Think?
I love that the guy who comes to measure my living room with a laser measuring tape (that does all the work and even calculates the square footage), is called a "technician". Good grief.
Oh, Is it Friday?
What a weird week... thanks to the July 4th holiday, I have no grasp on what day it is.
We spent the whole day at home yesterday waiting for the Home Depot people to come measure our first floor for the hardwood we're getting put in. Yes, they have already done this once, but apparently, if you wait four months to order it, they mysteriously LOSE your measurements. I'm more than a little annoyed. I'm especially annoyed because they NEVER SHOWED yesterday. They did finally call to say, "oops!" and "We'll see you tomorrow sometime during a really long window of time during which you must stay at home and wait for us as if you have nothing better to do." Yeah... actually, annoyed does not even begin to describe how I feel about this situation.
In Benjamin news: his mysterious allergies seem to be getting worse. He keeps breaking out in bumps all over his face... I don't think it's related to the other sun allergy thing OR to his seasonal allergies, which are in full force right now. Claritin only helps those a little and Benadryl helps temporarily to make the bumps stop itching. We are biting the bullet (and by we, I mean TOM) and taking him for the bloodwork tomorrow to get to the bottom of WHAT in our house is so offensive to his little system.
Not sure how that will go, but it has to be done. Despite the discomfort and some sleep disruption, Benjamin is in exceptionally good spirits and has been very pleasant, charming and adorable lately. :) He impressed the pediatrician the other day, during Simon's appointment, with his use of the word "cooperative". ;) He has also been having fun learning to play with his little brother. (see below)
Oh! And we may have found a preschool to get him into for the fall... more on that later, but I'm excited, because he really needs some stimulation outside of the house these days... especially with me being often preoccupied with Simon's basic needs.
In Simon news: He is eight weeks old today! He is just the happiest, most content little baby. It blows my mind how he just sort of sits around taking in the scenery. (and lets his brother put Legos on his head) He smiles and coos and makes us laugh ALL the time. He has started consistently only waking up once a night, which has been nice. I've started putting away some of the tiniest newborn clothes, which is a little sad... where did eight weeks go?!? But I'm excited to get out some of the bigger clothes I haven't seen since Benjamin was a baby! :)
Hey, remember this picture? Look at the new version! ;)
We spent the whole day at home yesterday waiting for the Home Depot people to come measure our first floor for the hardwood we're getting put in. Yes, they have already done this once, but apparently, if you wait four months to order it, they mysteriously LOSE your measurements. I'm more than a little annoyed. I'm especially annoyed because they NEVER SHOWED yesterday. They did finally call to say, "oops!" and "We'll see you tomorrow sometime during a really long window of time during which you must stay at home and wait for us as if you have nothing better to do." Yeah... actually, annoyed does not even begin to describe how I feel about this situation.
In Benjamin news: his mysterious allergies seem to be getting worse. He keeps breaking out in bumps all over his face... I don't think it's related to the other sun allergy thing OR to his seasonal allergies, which are in full force right now. Claritin only helps those a little and Benadryl helps temporarily to make the bumps stop itching. We are biting the bullet (and by we, I mean TOM) and taking him for the bloodwork tomorrow to get to the bottom of WHAT in our house is so offensive to his little system.
Not sure how that will go, but it has to be done. Despite the discomfort and some sleep disruption, Benjamin is in exceptionally good spirits and has been very pleasant, charming and adorable lately. :) He impressed the pediatrician the other day, during Simon's appointment, with his use of the word "cooperative". ;) He has also been having fun learning to play with his little brother. (see below)
Oh! And we may have found a preschool to get him into for the fall... more on that later, but I'm excited, because he really needs some stimulation outside of the house these days... especially with me being often preoccupied with Simon's basic needs.
In Simon news: He is eight weeks old today! He is just the happiest, most content little baby. It blows my mind how he just sort of sits around taking in the scenery. (and lets his brother put Legos on his head) He smiles and coos and makes us laugh ALL the time. He has started consistently only waking up once a night, which has been nice. I've started putting away some of the tiniest newborn clothes, which is a little sad... where did eight weeks go?!? But I'm excited to get out some of the bigger clothes I haven't seen since Benjamin was a baby! :)
Hey, remember this picture? Look at the new version! ;)
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Is it Weird That...
I think we have chosen a name for a future third son? I ran across a name last night that I had NEVER even considered and instantly fell in love. :D
My husband? He just shook his head as he is apt to do whenever I bring up the idea of child #3. I think he thought he'd have more time before I started bring it up on a daily basis. Poor guy.
My husband? He just shook his head as he is apt to do whenever I bring up the idea of child #3. I think he thought he'd have more time before I started bring it up on a daily basis. Poor guy.
Sleep, Sweet Sleep...
Simon is starting to randomly sleep through feedings at night now... usually, it's the one that falls during Tom's 9-2a.m. shift. How very annoying that is, let me tell you.
But last night? It was MINE!! Woohoo!
But last night? It was MINE!! Woohoo!
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
July 4th Twinsies.... ;)
I have been waiting for this moment since the day we found out we were having another boy. ;) (their big brother/baby brother shirts don't count)
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
2 Month Doctor's Appointment...
This morning was Simon's 2-month well baby visit... a dreaded four-shot appointment.
He is perfect, healthy and growing like CRAZY. He's 11-1/2 pounds (50th percentile and about a half pound bigger than Ben at the same age) and 22-1/2 inches (25th percentile). His head is a respectable 50th percentile measurement (as I have come to expect of any child who has our combined "big head" genes), though the nurse didn't tell me the exact number.
We got the usual grilling about milestones: Is he smiling? (yes) Is he laughing? (no) Is he cooing? (yes) Is he playing Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor on the piano? (we're working on it)
And she always asks how Benjamin is doing with him... and I always have the same answer: "He loves him, but sometimes he accidentally sits on his head."
She also ALWAYS asks me how I'm adjusting and if I have help. I don't know if that's a standard question for moms of more than one child or if I just look like I'm about to go off the deep end or what, but she asks me every. single. visit. And every single visit, I tell her that yes, I have plenty of help.
The four shots were painful (for both of us), but all is well now and he is dosed up on Tylenol and is sleeping.
No more until 4 months! :) Woohoo!
p.s. Did you know you can't give infant Motrin to babies less than 6 months? Is that new? I had no idea... Tylenol it is...
Here he is sleeping off the DtaP. ;)
He is perfect, healthy and growing like CRAZY. He's 11-1/2 pounds (50th percentile and about a half pound bigger than Ben at the same age) and 22-1/2 inches (25th percentile). His head is a respectable 50th percentile measurement (as I have come to expect of any child who has our combined "big head" genes), though the nurse didn't tell me the exact number.
We got the usual grilling about milestones: Is he smiling? (yes) Is he laughing? (no) Is he cooing? (yes) Is he playing Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor on the piano? (we're working on it)
And she always asks how Benjamin is doing with him... and I always have the same answer: "He loves him, but sometimes he accidentally sits on his head."
She also ALWAYS asks me how I'm adjusting and if I have help. I don't know if that's a standard question for moms of more than one child or if I just look like I'm about to go off the deep end or what, but she asks me every. single. visit. And every single visit, I tell her that yes, I have plenty of help.
The four shots were painful (for both of us), but all is well now and he is dosed up on Tylenol and is sleeping.
No more until 4 months! :) Woohoo!
p.s. Did you know you can't give infant Motrin to babies less than 6 months? Is that new? I had no idea... Tylenol it is...
Here he is sleeping off the DtaP. ;)
Monday, July 02, 2007
And There I Lay...
... on the cutting room floor. ;)
THANK GOODNESS. Also, thank goodness for TiVo, so I didn't have to sit through two hours of bad local news just to see that.
THANK GOODNESS. Also, thank goodness for TiVo, so I didn't have to sit through two hours of bad local news just to see that.
Simon's New Little Girlfriend... :)
Jenn, she is gorgeous! And looks JUST like her big brother! :) (at least, I think so... it's always a little hard to tell when they first come out) :)
