I think all you can do is laugh when this sort of thing happens. Besides, my dear husband says he can lower the curtain rod. :)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
I don't think this is supposed to happen
when you wash curtains.
I think all you can do is laugh when this sort of thing happens. Besides, my dear husband says he can lower the curtain rod. :)
I think all you can do is laugh when this sort of thing happens. Besides, my dear husband says he can lower the curtain rod. :)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
What a night!
Or morning, I guess. After the crazy nearly-10pm bedtime that the boys enjoyed last night, they were awake at 5:45am. I think Jonathan woke up then (as he often does - that child has a nutty sleep schedule) and then he turned on the light. Which of course woke Thomas up. So Gabe and I heard them giggling in their bedroom and had to decide what to do. We opted for putting them back to bed with a serious admonition to Jonathan not to turn on the light. I showed him that it was still dark outside and told him that he couldn't turn on the light or talk to Thomas until it was light outside and Thomas woke up on his own.
About half an hour later, Jonathan came into my room. This is a normal time for him to be awake, so I told him he was welcome to play in the front room with his toys, but not to go into the his bedroom or wake up Thomas. He opted to climb into bed with me instead, saying he was cold.
So much for sleeping anymore, thought I.
And then I woke up at 7:40am, sleeping child beside me. He's still asleep. Thomas is still asleep. I can't imagine what we'll do about naptime today!
About half an hour later, Jonathan came into my room. This is a normal time for him to be awake, so I told him he was welcome to play in the front room with his toys, but not to go into the his bedroom or wake up Thomas. He opted to climb into bed with me instead, saying he was cold.
So much for sleeping anymore, thought I.
And then I woke up at 7:40am, sleeping child beside me. He's still asleep. Thomas is still asleep. I can't imagine what we'll do about naptime today!
Monday, April 14, 2008
9:20pm - what are YOUR children doing?
Mine are giggling to each other. First there were many tears (neither of my children is a big fan of change); now there is giggling. Sleep doesn't seem to be on the agenda tonight!
We rearranged Jonathan's room this evening, and now it belongs to both boys. I actually really like the result:
Gabe thinks I'm nesting again. I have this mad urge to throw or give practically everything away, reorganize closets, and reorganize my life. I guess he might be right, although I can't imagine why most normal people nest right before delivery and I seem to do so regularly throughout my pregnancies.
Part of what is prompting this is a moderate case of dissatisfaction with the order/schedule/planning of my week. Suddenly I have transportation available every day, which I haven't had since before I had any children. The flip side is that the van gets about 17 mpg, and gas is nearing $3.70/gal. Also? The number of random errands on my list seems to have multiplied like rabbits!
I feel like I ought to be able to do life well with one trip out for groceries, one trip to the library and park, one trip to church, and perhaps a visit to a friend each week. That would be manageable and give us plenty of at-home time to keep up with laundry, chores, and the all-important things like playing with playdough.
Like my snail?
Jonathan did.
Maybe it is a result of being pregnant and tired, but I'd really rather spend most of my time at home doing home stuff. Playing with the kids outside, watering the garden, cooking good meals, staying on top of the laundry, keeping a clean house, cutting and pasting and playdough-ing and reading with my toddlers. Those are the things that seem real and solid and good and important.
But the errands on my list aren't made up, much as I wish they were. The fact is that to make meals I have to get groceries, and that isn't a short trip. In fact, it is usually at least two trips, because we generally go to three different stores in an attempt to keep costs down.
Add to the grocery shopping the trip to Lowes to return/exchange some house project supplies, and the dry cleaner who has had our clothes ready and waiting for two weeks now, and Jonathan's dentist appointment that I need to make (and then keep), and the fact that I've managed to outgrow my maternity clothes in under 16 weeks and need to go find some new sizes...it just all adds up.
Sometimes I think it would make more sense to do one or two errands every day, instead of trying to do them all together in one or two days. That might make it less stressful and more possible to work around two different naptimes. And it is a possibility now. On the other hand, it takes so much effort and time to get out the door for errands I wonder if I'd ever get anything done around the house?
I'd like to find a way to balance it all, to start a week with a plan and finish it well, without either dragging the kids all over town or leaving half the items to sit on my list and reproduce exponentially for the next week.
Has anyone else encountered this problem/feeling? Is it a result of my tired pregnant body and brain, or does it just come with the territory of having two toddlers? Has anyone figured out how to balance it all? Because I'm sure my husband would prefer that I figured this out before I rearrange all our closets, give away everything we own, and turn into a puddle of frustrated tears in his arms. :)
Wow, this post ended up going an entirely different direction than I originally intended. It is 9:55pm and apparently my children have passed out from exhaustion. Bedtime for me, too!
We rearranged Jonathan's room this evening, and now it belongs to both boys. I actually really like the result:
Gabe thinks I'm nesting again. I have this mad urge to throw or give practically everything away, reorganize closets, and reorganize my life. I guess he might be right, although I can't imagine why most normal people nest right before delivery and I seem to do so regularly throughout my pregnancies.
Part of what is prompting this is a moderate case of dissatisfaction with the order/schedule/planning of my week. Suddenly I have transportation available every day, which I haven't had since before I had any children. The flip side is that the van gets about 17 mpg, and gas is nearing $3.70/gal. Also? The number of random errands on my list seems to have multiplied like rabbits!
I feel like I ought to be able to do life well with one trip out for groceries, one trip to the library and park, one trip to church, and perhaps a visit to a friend each week. That would be manageable and give us plenty of at-home time to keep up with laundry, chores, and the all-important things like playing with playdough.
Like my snail?
Jonathan did.
Maybe it is a result of being pregnant and tired, but I'd really rather spend most of my time at home doing home stuff. Playing with the kids outside, watering the garden, cooking good meals, staying on top of the laundry, keeping a clean house, cutting and pasting and playdough-ing and reading with my toddlers. Those are the things that seem real and solid and good and important.
But the errands on my list aren't made up, much as I wish they were. The fact is that to make meals I have to get groceries, and that isn't a short trip. In fact, it is usually at least two trips, because we generally go to three different stores in an attempt to keep costs down.
Add to the grocery shopping the trip to Lowes to return/exchange some house project supplies, and the dry cleaner who has had our clothes ready and waiting for two weeks now, and Jonathan's dentist appointment that I need to make (and then keep), and the fact that I've managed to outgrow my maternity clothes in under 16 weeks and need to go find some new sizes...it just all adds up.
Sometimes I think it would make more sense to do one or two errands every day, instead of trying to do them all together in one or two days. That might make it less stressful and more possible to work around two different naptimes. And it is a possibility now. On the other hand, it takes so much effort and time to get out the door for errands I wonder if I'd ever get anything done around the house?
I'd like to find a way to balance it all, to start a week with a plan and finish it well, without either dragging the kids all over town or leaving half the items to sit on my list and reproduce exponentially for the next week.
Has anyone else encountered this problem/feeling? Is it a result of my tired pregnant body and brain, or does it just come with the territory of having two toddlers? Has anyone figured out how to balance it all? Because I'm sure my husband would prefer that I figured this out before I rearrange all our closets, give away everything we own, and turn into a puddle of frustrated tears in his arms. :)
Wow, this post ended up going an entirely different direction than I originally intended. It is 9:55pm and apparently my children have passed out from exhaustion. Bedtime for me, too!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Potty Training Update
Well, one year after the beginning, and about nine months after the frustration, (both of which were repeated, although not blogged, a few more times) we may actually be succeeding in the potty training venture.
Easter candy and marshmallows got us started again. And they disappeared when Jonathan turned three, replaced by this:
Jonathan gets stickers when he is successful, and he's very pleased about this. We've only had one or two small accidents this week. Today marks the end of the week, and his reward for a full sticker chart? A trip to Walmart to choose a (small!) toy. We're going to gradually extend the number of days on the chart, and eventually I know we'll be able to get away from the reward system. For now, though, this seems to be a good transition from immediate (candy) gratification to a slightly more delayed form.
Potty training with a three year old is a completely different experience from training a two year old. Even though it was his idea in the first place, I do wonder if it wouldn't have been wiser just to wait. Maybe it would have saved us a year of ups and downs and major frustrations. It will be interesting to see how (and when) Thomas approaches the idea.
Easter candy and marshmallows got us started again. And they disappeared when Jonathan turned three, replaced by this:
Jonathan gets stickers when he is successful, and he's very pleased about this. We've only had one or two small accidents this week. Today marks the end of the week, and his reward for a full sticker chart? A trip to Walmart to choose a (small!) toy. We're going to gradually extend the number of days on the chart, and eventually I know we'll be able to get away from the reward system. For now, though, this seems to be a good transition from immediate (candy) gratification to a slightly more delayed form.
Potty training with a three year old is a completely different experience from training a two year old. Even though it was his idea in the first place, I do wonder if it wouldn't have been wiser just to wait. Maybe it would have saved us a year of ups and downs and major frustrations. It will be interesting to see how (and when) Thomas approaches the idea.
Let them eat cake!
This is what happens when you leave the cake within reach of the one year old.
I think he liked it. :)
Friday, April 11, 2008
Pregnancy funnies
Have you guys checked out WifeAdvice? This is a site that can nearly always be relied upon for a good belly laugh. Particularly now, since they're discussing matters of pregnancy.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Pantry Soup
This afternoon a neighbor dropped by and stayed talking for nearly an hour. It was nice to catch up with her - she is someone I'd like to get to know better - but I lost my dinner preparation hour! So instead of the planned Sausage Rice Pilaf which I thought we'd be having, we had Pantry Soup.
1 can Progresso Light Italian Soup
1 can refried beans (thanks to Jessica for the idea to add this!)
1 can V8 juice (low sodium)
leftover vegetables from previous nights (I used about a cup of green beans)
It took five minutes, quite literally. All you do is dump, stir, and heat, and the result is surprisingly tasty. Gabe said he liked it, and commented that it seemed "meaty" even without meat. I think the beans help with that. Anyway, I thought I'd share because I'm quite sure that I'm not the only one who occasionally needs to change dinner plans on the fly. :)
1 can Progresso Light Italian Soup
1 can refried beans (thanks to Jessica for the idea to add this!)
1 can V8 juice (low sodium)
leftover vegetables from previous nights (I used about a cup of green beans)
It took five minutes, quite literally. All you do is dump, stir, and heat, and the result is surprisingly tasty. Gabe said he liked it, and commented that it seemed "meaty" even without meat. I think the beans help with that. Anyway, I thought I'd share because I'm quite sure that I'm not the only one who occasionally needs to change dinner plans on the fly. :)
Softball
Softball is a fact of life in the Moothart clan. All four siblings played on teams growing up, and a holiday barbecue isn't complete without gloves, balls, and bats. The Palmers, on the other hand, played "Palmerball". We used Whiffle balls and bats, got at least four strikes each, and fielded for Dad if we didn't happen to be on base at the time. It was great fun, but it bears little resemblance to serious softball. And the Mootharts play serious softball. They'd probably tell you it was just for fun softball, but let me tell you, when someone talks about "squaring up to the plate", throws a softball hard enough to make your hand sting (inside the glove!) and can use the bat to send the ball sailing in whichever direction he feels like? That, my friends, counts as serious softball. I'll just let you imagine the embarrassment of my first holiday barbecue with the Mootharts.
In any case, it was only a matter of time before the indoctrination began. See what Jonathan got for his third birthday?
But it is a Whiffle bat, with whiffle balls, so I'm ok with it.
I just try not to think about the logistics of shuttling lots of children around to lots of softball practices.
Besides, how could I possibly object to this kid of sweetness??
In any case, it was only a matter of time before the indoctrination began. See what Jonathan got for his third birthday?
But it is a Whiffle bat, with whiffle balls, so I'm ok with it.
I just try not to think about the logistics of shuttling lots of children around to lots of softball practices.
Besides, how could I possibly object to this kid of sweetness??
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Energy
Potentially brought on by mild desperation. I realized this morning that it isn't going to get any easier to do all the big chores I've been putting off. Right now I'm just a little off balance - do I really think that it would be better to try to climb on the counter to wash windows when I'm a few months further along?
Right.
So today after voice lessons and lunch I handed both boys a squirt bottle of water and a rag, and we cleaned. They had a blast, and I got a lot of long-overdue chores checked off my list. The house doesn't look particularly wonderful right now, because in order to do the big chores I've rather neglected the basic ones, but! The windows, blinds, and curtains are washed, three other loads of laundry have been washed and dried, the shower, tub, and shower curtain have been severely scrubbed, the medicine cabinet and under-sink cabinets have been emptied, cleaned out, and re-organized (minus all the expired junk that was collecting in there). The oven has been cleaned, and the garden is mostly weeded. On top of that, the boys have had a really good day (apparently cleaning time with Mommy is considered quality time!) and during their nap time I sewed a set of burp cloths for a friend who just had a baby, which was just fun.
Now I have just one question: why can't I be this productive every day?
Right.
So today after voice lessons and lunch I handed both boys a squirt bottle of water and a rag, and we cleaned. They had a blast, and I got a lot of long-overdue chores checked off my list. The house doesn't look particularly wonderful right now, because in order to do the big chores I've rather neglected the basic ones, but! The windows, blinds, and curtains are washed, three other loads of laundry have been washed and dried, the shower, tub, and shower curtain have been severely scrubbed, the medicine cabinet and under-sink cabinets have been emptied, cleaned out, and re-organized (minus all the expired junk that was collecting in there). The oven has been cleaned, and the garden is mostly weeded. On top of that, the boys have had a really good day (apparently cleaning time with Mommy is considered quality time!) and during their nap time I sewed a set of burp cloths for a friend who just had a baby, which was just fun.
Now I have just one question: why can't I be this productive every day?
Monday, March 31, 2008
One of these days, the baby will have to come OUT.
This fact has been bothering me since the baby first got IN. The baby has to come out, and I have to decide where I want to be when that happens. At home with a midwife? At the hospital with a doctor and an anesthesiologist? The fact that my attempted home birth last time was just that - attempted - was a strong push in favor of the hospital. (Ha - I just re-read that - no pun intended!) The thought of trying again, and failing again; dealing with that kind of pain while transporting in the car - saints and angels preserve me from such a fate (and I mean that in all seriousness.) It's enough to make a girl want to check in and get an epidural BEFORE labor starts.
On the other hand, I've now had two truly lovely awful hospital births. An unexpected, frightening, and (in retrospect) unnecessary cesarean with Jonathan, and a bedside yelling match with a doctor over a repeat cesarean with Thomas - these are not experiences that give me warm fuzzy safe feelings when I think about birthing in hospitals.
Gabe and I have talked about it extensively. He has been pro-home-birth the whole time, although absolutely willing to let me choose the hospital if that was where I'd feel more comfortable. I have oscillated back and forth many times.
Last week I went to a two hour appointment with an obstetrician. I had high hopes for being able to work with this group of doctors, because I'd had a fantastic encounter with another doctor in their group. Unfortunately, he isn't doing OB care right now, and apparently the other doctors in the group don't all share his views. I walked away from the appointment realizing that I just don't think like these people. And I don't think that I can think like these people. And we are not going to be able to work together.
They consider birth to be a disaster just waiting to happen. So the concept of walking around during labor after my water breaks? Not remotely a possibility. Never mind the fact that this eases and speeds up labor. You have to be on a monitor so that every blip in the baby's heart rate (often caused by, oh, the mother lying on her back!) can be analyzed and worried over. If lying down causes labor to stop progressing, well, they'll be happy to speed things up with Pitocin (never mind that the use of Pitocin makes the risk of uterine rupture in a VBAC labor 4-7 times more likely). There is always the operating room down the hall if that happens.
The fact is that we just aren't ever going to see birth the same way. What I think is reasonable, doctors think is dangerous. What I think is dangerous, doctors see as "managing labor". Such a relationship can't work.
So I called Sue (our midwife). I should have called Sue first, because after a twenty minute conversation I went from being worried to feeling the return of confidence. I'd forgotten how good she is at helping you remember to be confident! The fact is that I've already had a successful VBAC, under seriously less-than-ideal circumstances. I'm considered the very best candidate for another successful VBAC - even obstetricians agree on that. All the reasons why we previously chose home birth and believed it to be the safest and best option are still true. And my body has delivered a baby now, so it knows what it is doing now. The likelihood of a repeat of my last labor is very, very slim.
I'm going to be ok. This baby will come out, and it will be ok. I'm going to spend the next five or six months working on believing that it will not only be ok, it will be beautiful and joyous and good. Hard, yes. But good.
I can do this. I can.
On the other hand, I've now had two truly
Gabe and I have talked about it extensively. He has been pro-home-birth the whole time, although absolutely willing to let me choose the hospital if that was where I'd feel more comfortable. I have oscillated back and forth many times.
Last week I went to a two hour appointment with an obstetrician. I had high hopes for being able to work with this group of doctors, because I'd had a fantastic encounter with another doctor in their group. Unfortunately, he isn't doing OB care right now, and apparently the other doctors in the group don't all share his views. I walked away from the appointment realizing that I just don't think like these people. And I don't think that I can think like these people. And we are not going to be able to work together.
They consider birth to be a disaster just waiting to happen. So the concept of walking around during labor after my water breaks? Not remotely a possibility. Never mind the fact that this eases and speeds up labor. You have to be on a monitor so that every blip in the baby's heart rate (often caused by, oh, the mother lying on her back!) can be analyzed and worried over. If lying down causes labor to stop progressing, well, they'll be happy to speed things up with Pitocin (never mind that the use of Pitocin makes the risk of uterine rupture in a VBAC labor 4-7 times more likely). There is always the operating room down the hall if that happens.
The fact is that we just aren't ever going to see birth the same way. What I think is reasonable, doctors think is dangerous. What I think is dangerous, doctors see as "managing labor". Such a relationship can't work.
So I called Sue (our midwife). I should have called Sue first, because after a twenty minute conversation I went from being worried to feeling the return of confidence. I'd forgotten how good she is at helping you remember to be confident! The fact is that I've already had a successful VBAC, under seriously less-than-ideal circumstances. I'm considered the very best candidate for another successful VBAC - even obstetricians agree on that. All the reasons why we previously chose home birth and believed it to be the safest and best option are still true. And my body has delivered a baby now, so it knows what it is doing now. The likelihood of a repeat of my last labor is very, very slim.
I'm going to be ok. This baby will come out, and it will be ok. I'm going to spend the next five or six months working on believing that it will not only be ok, it will be beautiful and joyous and good. Hard, yes. But good.
I can do this. I can.
There's a BABY in Mommy's tummy!!!
So proclaims Jonathan, frequently and with great astonishment. He is fascinated by this fact, and frequently asks questions about the baby. He wants to know what her name is (we don't know the gender yet, but Jonathan is quite sure that she is a girl) and how big she is, and when she will come out. I got a few magazines with in utero pictures for him and he spends a surprising amount of time looking at them. Today he was looking at a photo of a woman in labor (pushing) and wanted to know why she was so sad. I told him that she wasn't sad, she was just working really hard to push her baby out. Of course then he wanted to know how the baby would come out. Sometimes I've worried about those kind of questions - they so often come out of nowhere - and wondered if I'd be able to answer them well. But I was really happy with the conversation today. It was good, and age-appropriate, and semi-clinical without being embarrassing. Jonathan was satisfied and I feel like we've started the first step down the road of good communication on an often tricky subject.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Lullaby Slings
Lullaby Slings (my new business and Etsy shop) is up and running! I'm sure I'll be adding things and tweaking things for some time to come (I'd like to get a nice header up in the near future) but for now I'm happy with it and I have items up for sale!
Now, just to make me all smiley inside, will you all go take a look at Lullaby Slings? And if you want to really make me happy, come back and comment to let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is also appreciated, since I really do intend this to be a side business and I'd like to do it as well as possible.
Just to tempt you, here are some things I have up:
What do you think?
Now, just to make me all smiley inside, will you all go take a look at Lullaby Slings? And if you want to really make me happy, come back and comment to let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is also appreciated, since I really do intend this to be a side business and I'd like to do it as well as possible.
Just to tempt you, here are some things I have up:
What do you think?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Template changes
I'm going to be monkeying around with the template for a few days - please excuse the funky layouts while I'm working!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Pregnancy fog
This year I am the clerk for my church's vestry meetings. These meetings can be very long - the last one was well over three hours. Sometimes I wonder how much good thinking is really happening in the last hour or so - don't you think eventually someone will start thinking "I'll just make a motion on this really quickly so that we can be done and move on and maybe, oh, adjourn sometime this week"?
In any case, I have incontrovertible evidence that my own brain wasn't doing much good thinking in the last hour of that meeting. Here is a note, taken intact from my vestry minutes:
In any case, I have incontrovertible evidence that my own brain wasn't doing much good thinking in the last hour of that meeting. Here is a note, taken intact from my vestry minutes:
Big current project: re-doing the project.Yeah, I don't know what I meant, either.
Lemon Chiffon Pie
This kind of pie is one of my favorites. It is a family tradition with a fun story: Mom captured Dad's heart with it. :) It is also reasonably simple to make, and since it doesn't require baking, it is a good dessert for big dinners when there isn't enough space in the oven!Lemon Chiffon Pie
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 c. sugar, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
4 egg yolks
1/3 c. lemon juice
2/3 c. water
1 t. grated lemon peel (just the very outer yellow part - don't use any of the white part)
4 egg whites
1/2 c. whipping cream, whipped
9" graham cracker crust
In saucepan, combine gelatin, 1/2 c. sugar, and salt. Beat together yolks, lemon juice, and water. Stir into gelatin mixture. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil and gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in lemon peel. Chill, stirring occasionally, until partially set. Beat egg whites until soft beaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 c. sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in gelatin mixture. Fold in whipped cream. Pile into cooled pastry shell. Chill until firm. Garnish with extra lemon zest. Enjoy!
Happy Easter!
We have our priorities straight around here: THIS is what Easter is all about. :)
No? Well how about this?
We had a lovely Easter weekend. It started on Saturday night with the Easter Vigil at our church. The Easter Vigil is probably what most of you think of as "Easter Sunday (morning)". Sometimes our church holds it at sunrise on Sunday, and sometimes at sunset on Saturday. This year it was at 7:05pm (sunset exactly!) and the service was designed to be very kid-friendly. The children of the parish were involved in the service, from Jonathan's job passing out taper candles as people arrived to the older children acting as lay readers and leading the prayers. It was well-organized and went beautifully, and the children did a marvelous job.
Easter Vigil is my favorite service of the year. After the long time of Lent, when we don't sing the Gloria, it tugs your heart to sing again, accompanied by everyone ringing bells or jingling their keys, "Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee!" It is a good, solid, joyous time.
There were two baptisms this year, both children of friends of mine: Jessica's daughter Bess and Ashley's new baby daughter Savannah. Bess will turn four this summer, and she was so excited about her baptism! When Fr. David asked her if she wanted to be baptized, as part of the formal liturgy, she shouted out "I do!!!" One of the things I love about our church is that whenever we have a baptism, all the children get to crowd around the font so that they can see. Fr. David always asks for their help handing him the pitcher, or the towel, or the shell, so they are involved and feel very important.
We have a great group of children at our church right now. I have noticed for some time, but was particularly struck this weekend as I watched them not only lead the service beautifully, but also help each other with such kindness. Jonathan joined them for the children's service and around the font this year. I worried a little about how he'd handle that, and if he'd get trampled in the general stampede down the aisle, but I shouldn't have. The older children take the young ones under their wings, holding hands, lifting up to help them see, directing them back to their parents pews. They are kids, and they run around and yell outside, and sometimes make noise during the service, but they are kind and gentle and it gladdens my heart to see them displaying such good character qualities.
Sunday morning we were back at church for the Easter morning mass, followed by an egg hunt for the kids. I've decided that I don't like mass "run for it!" egg hunts - even though this one was reasonably well-organized. Jonathan just wasn't sure exactly how it worked or what he was supposed to do, so everyone else got to the eggs before he did. Even though I was trying to help him, we pretty much just followed everyone else around and spotted eggs only to watch another child pick it up. Luckily a few other adults were paying attention, and one of them had some extra eggs that he "hid" after most of the stampede was over, allowing the kids at the back of the herd to have the fun of finding them at their own pace! I appreciated that. Still, it made me appreciate the way my parents did eggs hunts for us even more - they assigned each child a color, and we could only "find" eggs in that color. I don't think there is a good way to do mass egg hunts with lots of children, but this method will probably work well for our family.
Sunday evening we had Easter dinner with Gabe's mom and sister. I had hoped for a bigger gathering, but this is what worked out and we had a good time. Gabe had requested a "feast!" for Easter dinner, and I think the result was quite nice!
This is the pretty table before we loaded it down with food:
We had ham in a honey glaze,
yams,
deviled eggs,
green salad, fruit salad,
rolls, and sparkling cider. And for dessert: Irish Brownies
and Lemon Chiffon Pie.
It was nice to have our gathering at my house this year, because it meant that both boys got naps on time and went to bed on time, rather than missing both (which often happens when we drive somewhere!) Besides, I really enjoy cooking and entertaining!
There were lots of enjoyable and memorable parts of this weekend, but the one that takes the cake happened during dinner. Jonathan held out his cup (previously filled with apple cider) and asked,
No? Well how about this?
We had a lovely Easter weekend. It started on Saturday night with the Easter Vigil at our church. The Easter Vigil is probably what most of you think of as "Easter Sunday (morning)". Sometimes our church holds it at sunrise on Sunday, and sometimes at sunset on Saturday. This year it was at 7:05pm (sunset exactly!) and the service was designed to be very kid-friendly. The children of the parish were involved in the service, from Jonathan's job passing out taper candles as people arrived to the older children acting as lay readers and leading the prayers. It was well-organized and went beautifully, and the children did a marvelous job.
Easter Vigil is my favorite service of the year. After the long time of Lent, when we don't sing the Gloria, it tugs your heart to sing again, accompanied by everyone ringing bells or jingling their keys, "Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee!" It is a good, solid, joyous time.
There were two baptisms this year, both children of friends of mine: Jessica's daughter Bess and Ashley's new baby daughter Savannah. Bess will turn four this summer, and she was so excited about her baptism! When Fr. David asked her if she wanted to be baptized, as part of the formal liturgy, she shouted out "I do!!!" One of the things I love about our church is that whenever we have a baptism, all the children get to crowd around the font so that they can see. Fr. David always asks for their help handing him the pitcher, or the towel, or the shell, so they are involved and feel very important.
We have a great group of children at our church right now. I have noticed for some time, but was particularly struck this weekend as I watched them not only lead the service beautifully, but also help each other with such kindness. Jonathan joined them for the children's service and around the font this year. I worried a little about how he'd handle that, and if he'd get trampled in the general stampede down the aisle, but I shouldn't have. The older children take the young ones under their wings, holding hands, lifting up to help them see, directing them back to their parents pews. They are kids, and they run around and yell outside, and sometimes make noise during the service, but they are kind and gentle and it gladdens my heart to see them displaying such good character qualities.
Sunday morning we were back at church for the Easter morning mass, followed by an egg hunt for the kids. I've decided that I don't like mass "run for it!" egg hunts - even though this one was reasonably well-organized. Jonathan just wasn't sure exactly how it worked or what he was supposed to do, so everyone else got to the eggs before he did. Even though I was trying to help him, we pretty much just followed everyone else around and spotted eggs only to watch another child pick it up. Luckily a few other adults were paying attention, and one of them had some extra eggs that he "hid" after most of the stampede was over, allowing the kids at the back of the herd to have the fun of finding them at their own pace! I appreciated that. Still, it made me appreciate the way my parents did eggs hunts for us even more - they assigned each child a color, and we could only "find" eggs in that color. I don't think there is a good way to do mass egg hunts with lots of children, but this method will probably work well for our family.
Sunday evening we had Easter dinner with Gabe's mom and sister. I had hoped for a bigger gathering, but this is what worked out and we had a good time. Gabe had requested a "feast!" for Easter dinner, and I think the result was quite nice!
This is the pretty table before we loaded it down with food:
We had ham in a honey glaze,
yams,
deviled eggs,
green salad, fruit salad,
rolls, and sparkling cider. And for dessert: Irish Brownies
and Lemon Chiffon Pie.It was nice to have our gathering at my house this year, because it meant that both boys got naps on time and went to bed on time, rather than missing both (which often happens when we drive somewhere!) Besides, I really enjoy cooking and entertaining!There were lots of enjoyable and memorable parts of this weekend, but the one that takes the cake happened during dinner. Jonathan held out his cup (previously filled with apple cider) and asked,
Daddy, can I have some more beer?To which Abbey asked (while the rest of us choked on our own "beer")
How does he even know what that is?Good times. :)
Friday, March 21, 2008
New baby on the way!
Not mine, silly, not yet!
Dy, from the ever humorous, ever positive, ever helpful Classic Adventures is working on bringing her fifth baby into the world. She's having a very long lead-up to full-on labor, but chances are good the baby will come today or this weekend. Would you please pray for an easy birth for her, and a healthy baby? Thanks!
Dy, from the ever humorous, ever positive, ever helpful Classic Adventures is working on bringing her fifth baby into the world. She's having a very long lead-up to full-on labor, but chances are good the baby will come today or this weekend. Would you please pray for an easy birth for her, and a healthy baby? Thanks!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Bible stories, toddler style
Sometimes Bible stories get awfully mixed up in a toddler re-telling. This morning Jonathan informed me that he was "looking for God." I asked where he thought God was, and since Jonathan wasn't sure, we had a short discussion about how we can't see God, but he is always with us. This reminded Jonathan of the story of Daniel, which he's been quite immersed in lately thanks to Veggie Tales songs.
Oh, like when Daniel was in the zoo, and the lions ate him, but God sang to him and said "don't cry, I'm with you."Well, something like that, anyway. :)
Sunday, March 16, 2008
For the cooks among us
Am I the only one who walks past Williams and Sonoma at the mall and finds her feet irresistibly drawn back toward the store? Just to read the class offerings? And then just to check out that beautiful cake pan set so temptingly just inside the doorway? And then to the back of the store because sometimes, just occasionally, there is a steal on the clearance table?
Well, if I'm the only one, that's just fine, because I'll have a better chance of winning this giveaway. :)
Well, if I'm the only one, that's just fine, because I'll have a better chance of winning this giveaway. :)
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Important recall notice
I know that some of my readers enjoy wearing their babies, so I wanted to bring this to your attention:
Ellaroo infant slings are being voluntarily recalled, because the rings can bend and break, allowing the baby to fall out. The official recall notice with all the pertinent information is included below. If you bought an Ellaroo sing in the past 9 months, please check to be sure it is safe!
Also (shameless self-promotion here) if you're looking to buy a strong, safe sling (with rings safety tested up to 250 lbs!) in your favorite colors and for about half what an Ellaroo sling costs...let me know! I've just started a small business: Lullaby Slings, and I take custom orders. :)
NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2008
Release #08-215
Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 483-4902
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
Ellaroo Recalls Infant Sling Carriers Due to Fall Hazard
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary
recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using
recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Ellaroo Ring Sling Baby Carrriers
Units: About 1,200
Manufacturer: Ellaroo LLC, of McKinney, Texas
Hazard: The aluminum rings on the sling carriers can bend or break. This
can cause the fabric to slip through the rings and infants to fall out
of the carrier.
Incidents/Injuries: Ellaroo has received four reports of the rings
bending and two reports of rings breaking. No injuries have been
reported.
Description: This recall includes Ellaroo Ring Sling baby carriers with
item numbers 2101 and 2102 printed on the outside of the product box.
The Ellaroo Ring Sling has a fabric carrier with two aluminum rings that
is worn by the user to carry an infant up to 35 pounds. The carriers are
sold in mahogany, mango stone, brasilia and malay color prints. Only
sling carriers with lot numbers 03/07 and 07/04 printed on a label,
under the size label, inside the Ring Sling are included in the recall.
Sold at: Juvenile product and department stores nationwide and online,
including BabiesRUs.com, from June 2007 through February 2008 for about
$100.
Manufactured in: India
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the sling carriers and
contact Ellaroo for instructions on returning the carriers for a repair
or replacement Ring Sling.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Ellaroo at (800)
483-4902 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m CT Monday through Friday or
visit the firm's Web site at www.ellaroo.com
Monday, March 10, 2008
Perspective
I wrote this last night in a fit of self-pity and frustration. Actually it was much longer, but you can get the tone from this portion.
So today I noticed.
I noticed that Thomas naps in the morning, giving me time to pay individual attention to Jonathan as well as to have 45 minutes of peace and quiet (while Thomas is sleeping and Jonathan is having a quiet time.)
I noticed that the boys play together. Quite well, a surprising amount of the time. Yes, I have to police them a bit and break up some fights, but overall they play together happily for quite long stretches of time.
I noticed that the boys love to play outside. They will play outside for hours if I let them (and usually I do!) I can sit myself in a folding chair and keep an eye on them while reading or paying bills or other minor "desk" work.
I noticed that I have a washing machine in my house. That mountain of laundry that I cried over last night would be so much more difficult if I had to do it at a laundromat. It is ok to find it daunting at times (it really was a very big pile!) but perspective points out that I have a washing machine, a dryer, and a lovely clothes line to hang things on. And it is sunny and beautiful outside.
I noticed that both of my boys nap at the same time. I napped, too.
I noticed that I had good food in the freezer and the pantry, and it only took about 20 minutes to get a healthy spaghetti dinner on the table.
I noticed that my husband left for work early so he could come home for dinner, even though it would probably have been easier for him to sleep later, leave later, and go directly to his evening meeting. He loves us enough to come home.
I noticed that both boys go to bed at the same time, with a mostly shared routine, and that I am free to sit down and blog at 8:15pm.
I noticed that I have a pretty good life.
I know that my brand of "morning sickness" (never confined to the morning!) isn't nearly as bad as it could be. I have a friend who spent the last ten weeks vomiting everything she put in her mouth, so yes, I know that it could be much, much worse. I know that, and yet that knowledge isn't making me feel better about mine. There is nothing that makes me feel more defeated than a never-ending nausea, particularly on those days when it sends me running for the bathroom, puking up nothing.Life can look pretty dismal sometimes, can't it? Last night it looked pretty awful. Parts of today were not much better - at one point I broke down and cried on the phone to Gabe. Pregnancy hormones can get to you no matter how hard you're trying! But it is no fun to live there, moping and feeling sorry for yourself. So today I tried to look at life a little differently. First item of business: admit that this particular aspect of pregnancy really stinks. It isn't as bad as it could be, but that doesn't negate the fact that it is hard and no fun to feel nauseous most of the day. Second item of business: try to notice (and then focus on) the many things that are going well. It is so easy to overlook them in an exhausted pregnancy fog, and I think forgetting to notice the good things makes the bad things seem much more overwhelming.
So today I noticed.
I noticed that Thomas naps in the morning, giving me time to pay individual attention to Jonathan as well as to have 45 minutes of peace and quiet (while Thomas is sleeping and Jonathan is having a quiet time.)
I noticed that the boys play together. Quite well, a surprising amount of the time. Yes, I have to police them a bit and break up some fights, but overall they play together happily for quite long stretches of time.
I noticed that the boys love to play outside. They will play outside for hours if I let them (and usually I do!) I can sit myself in a folding chair and keep an eye on them while reading or paying bills or other minor "desk" work.
I noticed that I have a washing machine in my house. That mountain of laundry that I cried over last night would be so much more difficult if I had to do it at a laundromat. It is ok to find it daunting at times (it really was a very big pile!) but perspective points out that I have a washing machine, a dryer, and a lovely clothes line to hang things on. And it is sunny and beautiful outside.
I noticed that both of my boys nap at the same time. I napped, too.
I noticed that I had good food in the freezer and the pantry, and it only took about 20 minutes to get a healthy spaghetti dinner on the table.
I noticed that my husband left for work early so he could come home for dinner, even though it would probably have been easier for him to sleep later, leave later, and go directly to his evening meeting. He loves us enough to come home.
I noticed that both boys go to bed at the same time, with a mostly shared routine, and that I am free to sit down and blog at 8:15pm.
I noticed that I have a pretty good life.
Memes
Normally, I don't do memes. If I get tagged my most common response is to ignore it (I know, that isn't nice!) I thought about posting something deep about my philosophical objection to memes, but that sounded like too much work. :) The truth is, most of them don't sound interesting, or are just too much effort for the end result. So I usually don't do them. If you've tagged me for a meme, and I've ignored you, please don't hate me!
That said, Amanda tagged me recently and strangely, I found myself wanting to do this one. Perhaps because it is random, odd, and not time consuming.
THE RULES:
Look up from the computer, look around the room where you're sitting and pick up the closest book. Open the book, turn to page 123, count down to the fifth sentence on that page, and then post the next three sentences.
And no cheating - it really has to be the closest book, even if the closest book happens to be the latest bodice ripper from Harlequin. Not that I know anything about bodice rippers from Harlequin. I'm just sayin'.
The closest book to me when I read Amanda's post and saw the tag was The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John M. Gottman, Ph.D. Great! A smart book! A book that shows how very much care I am giving my marriage!
Since I haven't made it to page 123 yet, I have no explanation for this fascinating and extremely important bit of marriage advice. Perhaps you should all leave a comment providing your best theory of how this relates to making marriage work. :)
And, because I can, I shall now tag:
Jessica (who I'm sure will ignore the tag due to her crazy life with new twins!)
SlowLane (who I hope will complete this at work - and for you - change the rules a bit and use the most interesting request letter you have lying around.)
SarahMarie (who will probably give us something pithy from Chesterton or Lewis.)
Gabe (play along, dear husband - a good excerpt from Romans will be good for our souls!)
and last but not least
Elena (who needs a break from house hunting.)
Have at it!
That said, Amanda tagged me recently and strangely, I found myself wanting to do this one. Perhaps because it is random, odd, and not time consuming.
THE RULES:
Look up from the computer, look around the room where you're sitting and pick up the closest book. Open the book, turn to page 123, count down to the fifth sentence on that page, and then post the next three sentences.
And no cheating - it really has to be the closest book, even if the closest book happens to be the latest bodice ripper from Harlequin. Not that I know anything about bodice rippers from Harlequin. I'm just sayin'.
The closest book to me when I read Amanda's post and saw the tag was The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John M. Gottman, Ph.D. Great! A smart book! A book that shows how very much care I am giving my marriage!
Gilligan and Ginger are nowhere in sight - the two of you are the only survivors. One of you is injured. You have no idea where you are.
Since I haven't made it to page 123 yet, I have no explanation for this fascinating and extremely important bit of marriage advice. Perhaps you should all leave a comment providing your best theory of how this relates to making marriage work. :)
And, because I can, I shall now tag:
Jessica (who I'm sure will ignore the tag due to her crazy life with new twins!)
SlowLane (who I hope will complete this at work - and for you - change the rules a bit and use the most interesting request letter you have lying around.)
SarahMarie (who will probably give us something pithy from Chesterton or Lewis.)
Gabe (play along, dear husband - a good excerpt from Romans will be good for our souls!)
and last but not least
Elena (who needs a break from house hunting.)
Have at it!
Friday, March 07, 2008
Cactus Cuties
Anyone else heard these girls? They have the most well-developed voices that I've ever heard in children so young. This particular video is a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. I can't embed the video here (that feature was turned off for some reason) but you can see it at YouTube here.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
And...we're done.
Remember that crazy day of non-nursing last week? Well, that was it. My very last time nursing Thomas was one-side-only session. (Oh yeah, that was really fun about 12 hours later.) It was a sweet end, if unexpected. He didn't bite me that time, and when he finished nursing he smiled up at me with the sweetest look in his eyes. You know the one that just makes you want to cry and kiss and cuddle him all at once? And remember why you wanted to get pregnant again? Yeah, that one. I'm glad I have that memory as an end-note.
Since then he's been a lot needier - he needs more cuddles, more snuggles, more carrying, more rocking and singing. But I can provide most of that, and I think he'll be just fine.
Since then he's been a lot needier - he needs more cuddles, more snuggles, more carrying, more rocking and singing. But I can provide most of that, and I think he'll be just fine.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Health conscious
I've been doing a lot of thinking, lately, about the kinds of food that I'm feeding my family. I think this was prompted somewhat by glancing through a pregnancy book and realizing that I am woefully remiss in getting the daily nutrient recommendations. And that is in a family that generally eats vegetables with every dinner and fruit and veggies for snacks!
The fact is that, unless you're being very thoughtful in your planning, it is all too easy to serve a "balanced" meal without actually including many truly nutrient rich foods. For example, I could serve a pasta or rice dish, perhaps with some chicken thrown in, and a salad on the side. But if I'm being lazy and/or cheap, I used a 10 cent box of Pasta-Roni - white flour and fattening sauce - and the salad is made of light green lettuce without many added colorful ingredients (gee, who has time for all that chopping!)
On the other hand, if I planned well and had the right foods in the house, I could serve the same meal with whole wheat pasta, a chunky marinara sauce with some lean ground beef, and a dark green leafy salad with tomatoes, green peppers, red cabbage, and avocado.
Same meal, but totally different in terms of nutritive value.
Now, time for chopping is certainly an issue. So is time to drive West to Trader Joes and South-East to Henry's Marketplace - both are about 20 minutes away from my house and at least 30-40 minutes away from each other. Plus, since those are more specialty stores, I'd still need to go to Sam's Club for cheap milk, eggs, bread, and cheese (not that any of those are cheap, anymore!) and probably Vons as well for staples like peanut butter and toothpaste.
On top of that, buying healthier food like whole wheat pasta and pita bread just costs more. Particularly if compared to that 10 cent box of Pasta-Roni.
Last year when Thomas was born, I switched from cherry-picking sales at five different stores to using the Grocery Game to help me make shopping at just one store (Vons) cheaper. It was lovely to only shop at one store, with an occasional trip to Sam's Club thrown in every few weeks. It made the transition to having two kids much smoother, and I was a much happier and less stressed out Mom. Besides, the Grocery Game was just fun. I mean, who doesn't like getting free groceries? It really was a game.
But now I'm questioning whether it is still a good choice. It is hard to argue with free peanut butter, and I've picked up at least four jars for nothing this past year. On the other hand, that was Skippy peanut butter, with a hefty helping of sugar along with the peanuts. I'd rather feed my kids Laura Scudders (just plain peanuts and salt) but a jar of that costs nearly $4.
Should I switch to a healthier diet, somehow try to make the time for the extra shopping and cooking, and hope to make up the cost difference by cooking more beans, rice and potatoes? How realistic is this?
What do you think, dear readers? How have you found a balance between healthy eating, and cost of the food, and the time it takes to both buy and prepare it?
The fact is that, unless you're being very thoughtful in your planning, it is all too easy to serve a "balanced" meal without actually including many truly nutrient rich foods. For example, I could serve a pasta or rice dish, perhaps with some chicken thrown in, and a salad on the side. But if I'm being lazy and/or cheap, I used a 10 cent box of Pasta-Roni - white flour and fattening sauce - and the salad is made of light green lettuce without many added colorful ingredients (gee, who has time for all that chopping!)
On the other hand, if I planned well and had the right foods in the house, I could serve the same meal with whole wheat pasta, a chunky marinara sauce with some lean ground beef, and a dark green leafy salad with tomatoes, green peppers, red cabbage, and avocado.
Same meal, but totally different in terms of nutritive value.
Now, time for chopping is certainly an issue. So is time to drive West to Trader Joes and South-East to Henry's Marketplace - both are about 20 minutes away from my house and at least 30-40 minutes away from each other. Plus, since those are more specialty stores, I'd still need to go to Sam's Club for cheap milk, eggs, bread, and cheese (not that any of those are cheap, anymore!) and probably Vons as well for staples like peanut butter and toothpaste.
On top of that, buying healthier food like whole wheat pasta and pita bread just costs more. Particularly if compared to that 10 cent box of Pasta-Roni.
Last year when Thomas was born, I switched from cherry-picking sales at five different stores to using the Grocery Game to help me make shopping at just one store (Vons) cheaper. It was lovely to only shop at one store, with an occasional trip to Sam's Club thrown in every few weeks. It made the transition to having two kids much smoother, and I was a much happier and less stressed out Mom. Besides, the Grocery Game was just fun. I mean, who doesn't like getting free groceries? It really was a game.
But now I'm questioning whether it is still a good choice. It is hard to argue with free peanut butter, and I've picked up at least four jars for nothing this past year. On the other hand, that was Skippy peanut butter, with a hefty helping of sugar along with the peanuts. I'd rather feed my kids Laura Scudders (just plain peanuts and salt) but a jar of that costs nearly $4.
Should I switch to a healthier diet, somehow try to make the time for the extra shopping and cooking, and hope to make up the cost difference by cooking more beans, rice and potatoes? How realistic is this?
What do you think, dear readers? How have you found a balance between healthy eating, and cost of the food, and the time it takes to both buy and prepare it?
Friday, February 29, 2008
Nursing follow-up
Amber, you may have it right. :) Since posting yesterday, here is what has happened:
Bedtime nursing: Thomas bites me before he's hardly started. I respond with a loud "no no!" and he freaks out and wails. He refuses to nurse anymore, but goes to bed (surprisingly) without much fuss.
Early morning nursing: Thomas bites me right at the beginning. I respond "no!" and he cries and refuses to nurse. He goes back to sleep in his crib for another 30 minutes or so.
Morning nap nursing: Again, Thomas bites me before really starting (I wonder - perhaps I'm not letting down quickly enough and he's frustrated?) then cries when I say "no". He takes his nap without nursing and without fussing.
Afternoon nap: He falls asleep in the car and transfers!!
At this point, since he has missed FOUR nursing sessions in a row, I decide to try nursing him when he wakes up. He nurses happily on one side, and then cheerfully pushes me away.
Well then.
I am starting to wonder if my milk supply is just drying up. I didn't expect that, because I thought that nursing as frequently as we were would prevent losing my supply. On the other hand, maybe this is my body's way of protecting the pregnancy - at 10 weeks along I've not gained any weight, which is unusual for me. Maybe nursing and gestating is a bit too much multi-tasking?
Bedtime nursing: Thomas bites me before he's hardly started. I respond with a loud "no no!" and he freaks out and wails. He refuses to nurse anymore, but goes to bed (surprisingly) without much fuss.
Early morning nursing: Thomas bites me right at the beginning. I respond "no!" and he cries and refuses to nurse. He goes back to sleep in his crib for another 30 minutes or so.
Morning nap nursing: Again, Thomas bites me before really starting (I wonder - perhaps I'm not letting down quickly enough and he's frustrated?) then cries when I say "no". He takes his nap without nursing and without fussing.
Afternoon nap: He falls asleep in the car and transfers!!
At this point, since he has missed FOUR nursing sessions in a row, I decide to try nursing him when he wakes up. He nurses happily on one side, and then cheerfully pushes me away.
Well then.
I am starting to wonder if my milk supply is just drying up. I didn't expect that, because I thought that nursing as frequently as we were would prevent losing my supply. On the other hand, maybe this is my body's way of protecting the pregnancy - at 10 weeks along I've not gained any weight, which is unusual for me. Maybe nursing and gestating is a bit too much multi-tasking?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Au-naturale
Jonathan on personal hygiene and health:
"I put grass in my hair so it would be all healthy.”
To nurse or not to nurse...that is the question
And a sticky question it is, this time around.
When Jonathan was 13 months old, I got pregnant with Thomas. About 8 weeks into the pregnancy, nursing became excruciating. I had been so sure that I wanted to nurse throughout the pregnancy (heck, I was even thinking about tandem nursing!) but the pain was making me seriously resent my son. So we weaned. And he didn't care. In fact, I don't think he even noticed.
When Thomas was 11 months old, I got pregnant with Wee One. About 8 weeks into the pregnancy, nursing became excruciating. (Sound familiar?) :) But Thomas, unlike Jonathan, is not, not NOT NOT NOT!!! ready to wean. Not even close. Nursing is still a big part of his life - a comfort when he gets hurt, calming when he is fussy but not quite tired enough to sleep, cuddle time with Mommy that isn't interrupted by his big brother. He doesn't want to give that up, and I don't blame him.
So we're still nursing. Right now I'm kind of in a holding pattern - sort of an "I'll nurse this time, and then decide what to do" plan. I'm not sure that is really a plan. :) I am working towards no more night nursings - although when sleep is as dear as it is in early pregnancy, sometimes it is hard to stick to the theory knowing that he'd be asleep in ten minutes if I just nursed him...
There is a large part of me that thinks that he really does still need this, and so I ought to just bear it for his sake. Then there is that other part that jumps up and down and yells "but, but, but, OUCH!!"
I guess I'll nurse him this time and then decide what to do.
When Jonathan was 13 months old, I got pregnant with Thomas. About 8 weeks into the pregnancy, nursing became excruciating. I had been so sure that I wanted to nurse throughout the pregnancy (heck, I was even thinking about tandem nursing!) but the pain was making me seriously resent my son. So we weaned. And he didn't care. In fact, I don't think he even noticed.
When Thomas was 11 months old, I got pregnant with Wee One. About 8 weeks into the pregnancy, nursing became excruciating. (Sound familiar?) :) But Thomas, unlike Jonathan, is not, not NOT NOT NOT!!! ready to wean. Not even close. Nursing is still a big part of his life - a comfort when he gets hurt, calming when he is fussy but not quite tired enough to sleep, cuddle time with Mommy that isn't interrupted by his big brother. He doesn't want to give that up, and I don't blame him.
So we're still nursing. Right now I'm kind of in a holding pattern - sort of an "I'll nurse this time, and then decide what to do" plan. I'm not sure that is really a plan. :) I am working towards no more night nursings - although when sleep is as dear as it is in early pregnancy, sometimes it is hard to stick to the theory knowing that he'd be asleep in ten minutes if I just nursed him...
There is a large part of me that thinks that he really does still need this, and so I ought to just bear it for his sake. Then there is that other part that jumps up and down and yells "but, but, but, OUCH!!"
I guess I'll nurse him this time and then decide what to do.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Nesting already?
I do have a track record of hitting the "nesting" phase of pregnancy far earlier than the baby actually wants to show up. But don't you think 10 weeks is a little early, even for me? ;)
For whatever reason, yesterday I felt wonderful. Well, still nauseous, but not tired. It was glorious! And seriously, it felt like nesting, because every few minutes I'd see something around the house and think "I could clean that up" or "That really needs to be organized better" or "That pile of junk needs to go" and instead of those thoughts resulting in many tears and gnashing of teeth, I just went and did it.
I didn't take any "before" pictures, because I wasn't thinking about it being a major project at the time. But it turned out so beautiful that I had to take pictures. And of course what else would I do with pictures of my beautifully organized home than put them on my blog so you can all be envious? ;)
The first area was the living room. We had angled one couch so that there was a sort of "catch-all" space behind it, and boy did it catch all. Unfortunately, because our couches are low, you could still see it all. Pretty much everything that I wished was in a closet but hadn't found space for was sitting in the corner of our living room for all the world to see. You can imagine how pretty that was.
In order to clear that space up, I also had to clear out the closet in Jonathan's bedroom. This is the closet that gets all the big stuff - the baby items we're not using (like swing, bathtub, boppy, carseat, etc.) and suitcases and sleeping bags and and and. Lots of big stuff in a small space.
The result of the two projects?
A truly stuffed, but organized closet:
And a nearly empty living room corner!
The second major area(s) were my pantries. I have two pantries - one in the cabinet under a hutch in the kitchen, and the other built into the coat closet. Both had gotten rather out of control and I was having trouble remembering what I had available, much less finding it when I wanted to cook! Now, however, I know exactly what I have and exactly where it is. I also have a list of things I need to restock. I'm looking forward to not having the frustration of being in the middle of cooking dinner, only to discover that, actually, I don't have that can of diced tomatoes after all!
Today's project is to clean up my cleaning supplies area. I know that sounds ironic, but it does seem to be awfully dirty. :)
For whatever reason, yesterday I felt wonderful. Well, still nauseous, but not tired. It was glorious! And seriously, it felt like nesting, because every few minutes I'd see something around the house and think "I could clean that up" or "That really needs to be organized better" or "That pile of junk needs to go" and instead of those thoughts resulting in many tears and gnashing of teeth, I just went and did it.
I didn't take any "before" pictures, because I wasn't thinking about it being a major project at the time. But it turned out so beautiful that I had to take pictures. And of course what else would I do with pictures of my beautifully organized home than put them on my blog so you can all be envious? ;)
The first area was the living room. We had angled one couch so that there was a sort of "catch-all" space behind it, and boy did it catch all. Unfortunately, because our couches are low, you could still see it all. Pretty much everything that I wished was in a closet but hadn't found space for was sitting in the corner of our living room for all the world to see. You can imagine how pretty that was.
In order to clear that space up, I also had to clear out the closet in Jonathan's bedroom. This is the closet that gets all the big stuff - the baby items we're not using (like swing, bathtub, boppy, carseat, etc.) and suitcases and sleeping bags and and and. Lots of big stuff in a small space.
The result of the two projects?
A truly stuffed, but organized closet:
And a nearly empty living room corner!
The second major area(s) were my pantries. I have two pantries - one in the cabinet under a hutch in the kitchen, and the other built into the coat closet. Both had gotten rather out of control and I was having trouble remembering what I had available, much less finding it when I wanted to cook! Now, however, I know exactly what I have and exactly where it is. I also have a list of things I need to restock. I'm looking forward to not having the frustration of being in the middle of cooking dinner, only to discover that, actually, I don't have that can of diced tomatoes after all!
Today's project is to clean up my cleaning supplies area. I know that sounds ironic, but it does seem to be awfully dirty. :)
Springtime
Today is the first day this year that really feels like spring. The air is fresh and mildly warm, there is a friendly little breeze blowing, and a couple of birds are having a conversation in my backyard. It is the sort of day that makes you want to throw open all the windows and all the doors and welcome everyone and everything into your home. Except dirt. The boys tried very hard to bring the dirt in, but I decided that it was not quite so welcome.
We've been playing outside all morning - the boys have dug in the dirt and played with their ride-on trucks; I've hung laundry and swept and shaken rugs and mediated disputes about the ride-on trucks. Now Thomas is taking a nap and Jonathan is having a quiet time in his room; hence the time to blog. :)
Days like today remind me of how very much I like being a mom. I even found myself thinking "three won't be so hard!" this morning, and that is not a thought that has often crossed my mind recently. :) It is easy to lose sight of the big picture in the nauseous, exhausted fog that is early pregnancy. But even when I feel like puking, the fact is that I do like being a mom. I like playing with the boys and watching them play with each other. I like rocking Thomas to sleep and participating in Jonathan's very specific bedtime routine ("I'll kiss Mommy first, then Thomas, then Daddy.") I like giving them baths and enjoying their fearfully and wonderfully made bodies as they splash each other and giggle. I even like doing their laundry, particularly on days like today when hanging it out to dry is such a pleasure that I forget it is a chore.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
3rd time mommy humor
Single parenting
That's what I'm doing this weekend. :)
Last month was pretty tough on Gabe. Because of early pregnancy scares and my bout with bronchitis, he has been on something like triple duty for way too long. He'd come home from work and take over with the kids, (or sometimes stay home with the kids and try to make up the work at naptimes and at night!) and make meals, and clean up the house, and whatever else needed to be done. All the while being sweet and encouraging to me - seriously, the man never complained. Sometimes I think I married a saint - and not just the "we're all saints in Christ" kind!
Anyway, now that I'm mostly normal again (as normal as you can be in early nauseous pregnancy!) and can handle kids and (some of) the house, it was a time for change. So I packed him off for a weekend away from family responsibilities. He didn't argue at all, which rather confirms my suspicion that he needed the break!
He's spending the weekend at a little bed and breakfast in Lake Arrowhead, and he called to tell me how beautiful it is. We just might go back there for an anniversary vacation. :)
Speaking of which - do you know we've been married nearly FIVE years??? Somehow that seems like a really, really long time. And yet not long at all. Sort of like how I feel like I'm still "just out of college" and yet I have 2+ children which sounds so much older.
The weekend here, as a single parent, is actually going better than I anticipated. Jonathan wasn't happy about his Daddy leaving last night, and acted up over dinner because of it. But we switched gears and had a bath for the hour leading up to bedtime (both boys LOVE baths) and things went smoothly after that. Today has gone well, too - I think because I planned it so carefully. I'm a woman with serious tricks up her sleeve. :)
We were going to go to church tomorrow in a borrowed car, but I just realized that we forgot to take the carseats out of our car before Gabe took it away. So much for that plan! If the weather cooperates maybe we'll go for a walk down to the shopping center and have lunch out or something. I think we'll all be slightly stir crazy if we don't get out somewhere. We were going to go for a walk today, but that plan changed due to rain. With luck it will be sunny tomorrow!
Even though it is harder to parent without Gabe here, and even though I miss him and miss being able to have a weekend together, I'm awfully glad that we could send him away. He's happy and enjoying his break, and well, I'm happy because he's happy.
I think maybe I've learned something in these nearly five years together. Because I'm not sure I could have happily sent him on his way a few years ago. And now I can send him off with a smile and an honest joy in his happiness. That's progress in the "don't be selfish" arena. Marriage does seem to help rub the rough edges off your character!
Last month was pretty tough on Gabe. Because of early pregnancy scares and my bout with bronchitis, he has been on something like triple duty for way too long. He'd come home from work and take over with the kids, (or sometimes stay home with the kids and try to make up the work at naptimes and at night!) and make meals, and clean up the house, and whatever else needed to be done. All the while being sweet and encouraging to me - seriously, the man never complained. Sometimes I think I married a saint - and not just the "we're all saints in Christ" kind!
Anyway, now that I'm mostly normal again (as normal as you can be in early nauseous pregnancy!) and can handle kids and (some of) the house, it was a time for change. So I packed him off for a weekend away from family responsibilities. He didn't argue at all, which rather confirms my suspicion that he needed the break!
He's spending the weekend at a little bed and breakfast in Lake Arrowhead, and he called to tell me how beautiful it is. We just might go back there for an anniversary vacation. :)
Speaking of which - do you know we've been married nearly FIVE years??? Somehow that seems like a really, really long time. And yet not long at all. Sort of like how I feel like I'm still "just out of college" and yet I have 2+ children which sounds so much older.
The weekend here, as a single parent, is actually going better than I anticipated. Jonathan wasn't happy about his Daddy leaving last night, and acted up over dinner because of it. But we switched gears and had a bath for the hour leading up to bedtime (both boys LOVE baths) and things went smoothly after that. Today has gone well, too - I think because I planned it so carefully. I'm a woman with serious tricks up her sleeve. :)
We were going to go to church tomorrow in a borrowed car, but I just realized that we forgot to take the carseats out of our car before Gabe took it away. So much for that plan! If the weather cooperates maybe we'll go for a walk down to the shopping center and have lunch out or something. I think we'll all be slightly stir crazy if we don't get out somewhere. We were going to go for a walk today, but that plan changed due to rain. With luck it will be sunny tomorrow!
Even though it is harder to parent without Gabe here, and even though I miss him and miss being able to have a weekend together, I'm awfully glad that we could send him away. He's happy and enjoying his break, and well, I'm happy because he's happy.
I think maybe I've learned something in these nearly five years together. Because I'm not sure I could have happily sent him on his way a few years ago. And now I can send him off with a smile and an honest joy in his happiness. That's progress in the "don't be selfish" arena. Marriage does seem to help rub the rough edges off your character!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Well THAT was fast!
I just put the first pair of pants in the "well that won't fit for awhile!" box. Didn't that happen awfully fast??? I remember being pregnant for the first time, with Jonathan - I didn't have to switch clothes until I was something like 16 weeks along. This time? 9 weeks. I did think all that time working out might have helped my stomach muscles hold out just a wee bit longer than that!
Still, it does make this little baby seem a bit more real - and that is exciting. :)
Still, it does make this little baby seem a bit more real - and that is exciting. :)
Well this is a disaster.
It is 12:15AM. I am awake. My children will be waking me up in approximately seven hours, if I'm lucky. This is not good.
This evening I had a rehearsal for the spring season of the Anglican Chorale. The rehearsal lasted until nearly 9:30pm, which is definitely past my bedtime right now! Since I still had a 45-60 minute drive home, I got a cup of coffee (not decaf) in the interest of staying awake and alive on the way home. Usually I don't drink caffeine (particularly while pregnant) but this time it seemed warranted. Plus, it normally only affects me very slightly.
Not tonight. I have no idea why, but this time I have ended up with an erratic (and uncomfortable) heartrate, and utterly sleepless. I lay in bed for half an hour, got up and made a loaf of bread for the morning, then lay in bed for another hour, heart racing, mind racing, trying not to move so that Gabe could sleep.
As you can see, I have now given up. I'll check my email, complain bitterly to the world at large, and go try again.
Sigh. I am going to feel awful in the morning.
This evening I had a rehearsal for the spring season of the Anglican Chorale. The rehearsal lasted until nearly 9:30pm, which is definitely past my bedtime right now! Since I still had a 45-60 minute drive home, I got a cup of coffee (not decaf) in the interest of staying awake and alive on the way home. Usually I don't drink caffeine (particularly while pregnant) but this time it seemed warranted. Plus, it normally only affects me very slightly.
Not tonight. I have no idea why, but this time I have ended up with an erratic (and uncomfortable) heartrate, and utterly sleepless. I lay in bed for half an hour, got up and made a loaf of bread for the morning, then lay in bed for another hour, heart racing, mind racing, trying not to move so that Gabe could sleep.
As you can see, I have now given up. I'll check my email, complain bitterly to the world at large, and go try again.
Sigh. I am going to feel awful in the morning.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Belated good stuff
I wrote this out a few weeks ago and forgot to post it. Christopher (my youngest brother) came here for a week to enjoy his nephews, and we enjoyed him! While he was here I jotted this down:
Christopher and Jonathan are in the kitchen, cleaning up after breakfast. Christopher is rinsing dishes and handing them to Jonathan to put into the dishwasher. And Jonathan is singing “we work together, we do it with cooperation, we are the body of Christ” from his Psalty cd. Does it get any better than this?
Christopher and Jonathan are in the kitchen, cleaning up after breakfast. Christopher is rinsing dishes and handing them to Jonathan to put into the dishwasher. And Jonathan is singing “we work together, we do it with cooperation, we are the body of Christ” from his Psalty cd. Does it get any better than this?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
When it rains, it pours.
Actually, some real rain might improve this day considerably, as I rather like a good rainstorm.
So far today has included:
1 towed car
3 phone calls to figure out how to get the car back
185 dollars to get our car back
2 cranky children
1 mother with a stomach bug
20 million children's books read (to said cranky children)
1 novel that the mother would like to read instead
8 errands that should have been done (but can't be, lacking said car)
All things considered, perhaps I should go back to bed now and try again tomorrow!
So far today has included:
1 towed car
3 phone calls to figure out how to get the car back
185 dollars to get our car back
2 cranky children
1 mother with a stomach bug
20 million children's books read (to said cranky children)
1 novel that the mother would like to read instead
8 errands that should have been done (but can't be, lacking said car)
All things considered, perhaps I should go back to bed now and try again tomorrow!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Childbearing years
I find it strange that it is considered perfectly acceptable to assume that if a woman of childbearing years claims to be ill, she must actually be pregnant. And that if you think it, you must of course ask her. Now, I'll allow that it may often be true and she may well be pregnant. But if she is, you've just put her in a difficult position. What if it is early and she doesn't want to talk about it? I'm not saying we should return to the days of confinements and never talking EVER about how the baby showed up...but a little privacy might be good, yes?
Having had multiple miscarriages, I find that I want a few weeks of privacy, just to make sure that the pregnancy will "stick". Because if it doesn't, and everyone knows about it, then I have to spend the next month fielding "oh, how are you?" questions. And in the aftermath of a lost pregnancy, even compassion is hard to handle gracefully.
This time everything seems to be going well. Yesterday we had an ultrasound that showed a healthy, properly developing baby. And so now we will share, with joy, the news that we are expecting baby #3 in September!
And for those of you who are thinking "ha, I just knew it!" I'd like to point out that bronchitis isn't generally part of early pregnancy. :)
Having had multiple miscarriages, I find that I want a few weeks of privacy, just to make sure that the pregnancy will "stick". Because if it doesn't, and everyone knows about it, then I have to spend the next month fielding "oh, how are you?" questions. And in the aftermath of a lost pregnancy, even compassion is hard to handle gracefully.
This time everything seems to be going well. Yesterday we had an ultrasound that showed a healthy, properly developing baby. And so now we will share, with joy, the news that we are expecting baby #3 in September!
And for those of you who are thinking "ha, I just knew it!" I'd like to point out that bronchitis isn't generally part of early pregnancy. :)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
First shoes
New shoes for our little walker, courtesy of his maternal grandparents. Thanks, Mom!
He thinks they're fun, but hasn't quite figured out actually walking in them yet. :)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
One year old
Just over a year ago Thomas Nathanael joined our family.
Thomas, little bear, we love you.
Thomas, little bear, we love you.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
WFMW - online shopping edition
Yep, I'm still sick, so this is a really short post. But I couldn't resist posting a little something when I saw that today's (ok, yesterday's) WFMW is on the theme of online shopping. Because I have the best trick when it comes to online shopping:
www.retailmenot.com
Whenever I want to make a purchase online, I go there first and type in the name of the online store. Up pops a list of every available coupon code known to man, along with a percentage letting you know how often it has worked for people and comments about why it is or isn't working. More often than not I end up getting 15% off, or free shipping, or something like that. For about 30 seconds worth of work. Works for me!
For more good ideas, go visit Shannon's site. Just don't tell anyone that I sent you a day late. ;)
Also? I'm really, really sick. I think it is most likely the flu (the real one, with lots of respiratory ickiness) or pneumonia. If it isn't significantly better by tomorrow, I'm heading to the doctor. Prayer would be appreciated, not only for me but for my long-suffering husband who is trying to work, and take care of me, and take care of the (also sick) kids, and keep the house running. He's a good man, that one.
www.retailmenot.com
Whenever I want to make a purchase online, I go there first and type in the name of the online store. Up pops a list of every available coupon code known to man, along with a percentage letting you know how often it has worked for people and comments about why it is or isn't working. More often than not I end up getting 15% off, or free shipping, or something like that. For about 30 seconds worth of work. Works for me!
For more good ideas, go visit Shannon's site. Just don't tell anyone that I sent you a day late. ;)
Also? I'm really, really sick. I think it is most likely the flu (the real one, with lots of respiratory ickiness) or pneumonia. If it isn't significantly better by tomorrow, I'm heading to the doctor. Prayer would be appreciated, not only for me but for my long-suffering husband who is trying to work, and take care of me, and take care of the (also sick) kids, and keep the house running. He's a good man, that one.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Sick
Boy am I ever. Some kind of respiratory infection with a horrible cough, a sore throat, and the "if a child needs me to open my eyes or get out of bed, I'm going to die" overall awfulness.
Thank God for caring friends. Tricia (a homeschooling mom of teenagers) came over for four hours today to take care of the children so I could sleep. This is probably the best gift I have ever received.
Also, my son is learning empathy. Sort of. This conversation happened this morning:
Jonathan: "Mommy, why are your eyes closed?"
Me: "Because my eyes hurt, because I am sick."
Jonathan: "Oh. I'm sorry. I can't do anything about that."
Sweet, isn't he? :)
Thank God for caring friends. Tricia (a homeschooling mom of teenagers) came over for four hours today to take care of the children so I could sleep. This is probably the best gift I have ever received.
Also, my son is learning empathy. Sort of. This conversation happened this morning:
Jonathan: "Mommy, why are your eyes closed?"
Me: "Because my eyes hurt, because I am sick."
Jonathan: "Oh. I'm sorry. I can't do anything about that."
Sweet, isn't he? :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)