We had a rough day yesterday. 2 of the 3 kids with bedtimes were sent to bed early.
Hopefully today will be better.
With that hope, I'm starting the day off with a bit of silliness. Laughter really is the best medicine.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Silliness
We had a rough day yesterday. 2 of the 3 kids with bedtimes were sent to bed early.
Hopefully today will be better.
With that hope, I'm starting the day off with a bit of silliness. Laughter really is the best medicine.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
What Day is Today?
Last weekend I watched my sister's two boys for a couple days. Talk about busy! I was EXHAUSTED after they went home. For 2 days I had kids aged:
2 months, 2 yrs, (nearly) 5, 6, (nearly) 7, 11
Thankfully my cousin Emily came to help around dinnertime on Friday and John didn't work on Saturday, so he was around for most of the day, too. It was still
C-R-A-Z-Y! There's no way I could keep up with all of those kids all the time. Someone was always calling for me, needing something, getting hurt, etc. It was nuts, man. Makes my life with 4 kids seem pretty calm!
On Friday I packed all six kids up in my car (yup, we all fit...kinda looked like sardines back there, but at least I knew they weren't going anywhere) to go to lunch at my grandma's. All was well until I told the kids to start cleaning up so we could leave. (Maybe it's just my family, but most of our accidents seem to happen when we are leaving somewhere. Why is that??) While they were out in the garage supposedly cleaning (my grandma's garage is the playroom) I heard *THUNK* followed by much screaming. Emilia had been rocking in the kid rocker and flipped backward and thunked her head on the concrete floor. After checking her eyes for equal reactions and determining to the best of my ability that she was OK, I went to get a drink of water. When I turned back around Emilia was poking at some yellowish stuff on the floor at her feet. My first thought was, "Oh no. She threw up. This is worse than I thought."
But then I looked closer.
And looked at all of the drips around on the carpet.
Nope. Not throw up.
Baby poop.
My grandma had been holding Audra and Audra had completely filled up and overflowed her diaper. Wasn't that nice of her? :) It was all down my grandma's shirt, her sweater, her pants, on her shoes. It was in the garage, on the carpet, on the coffee table and Emilia was smearing the spots on the carpet around like finger paint. Oh, and did I mention my grandma just recently got brand new carpet?
Blue carpet + yellow baby poop = not a good thing.
I scrubbed for at least 30 minutes to get all of that crap (literally) out of the carpet. I still didn't get it all, but I wasn't getting anymore out. I'm hopeful that her cleaning lady will have better luck because otherwise I'm going to feel really bad. But I just wasn't making anymore progress on it.
Plus, the troops were restless. It was time to go.
As I was packing the kids into the car, my grandma came up to me, put her arm around my waist and said, "Good luck. I'll be praying for you. You call me if you need someone to talk to."
Nothing like a boost of confidence to send me on my way. :)
I'm happy to announce that my grandma's prayers must have worked, though, because the rest of the weekend passed without incident. Yay!
Plus, I met my goals for the weekend--we all made it out alive! :)
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One time over the weekend I gave the kids some fruit snacks. McCain picked up his bag of fruit snacks and said, "I don't like these. I am NEVER eating these."
Josiah looked at him and said, "You will if your WIFE makes you."
----------------------------
A little more about our doctor's appointment yesterday...all of my kids have been prounced "perfect." They are all growing like weeds.
Audra now weighs 14 lbs (she's only 2 months old--ack!) and is 24 inches long (she's 2 feet long already!). Emilia weighs 28 lbs and is 36.2 inches long. She's over 3 feet! Micah weighs 41 lbs and is 41.8 inches tall....in case any of you were interested.
2 months, 2 yrs, (nearly) 5, 6, (nearly) 7, 11
Thankfully my cousin Emily came to help around dinnertime on Friday and John didn't work on Saturday, so he was around for most of the day, too. It was still
C-R-A-Z-Y! There's no way I could keep up with all of those kids all the time. Someone was always calling for me, needing something, getting hurt, etc. It was nuts, man. Makes my life with 4 kids seem pretty calm!
On Friday I packed all six kids up in my car (yup, we all fit...kinda looked like sardines back there, but at least I knew they weren't going anywhere) to go to lunch at my grandma's. All was well until I told the kids to start cleaning up so we could leave. (Maybe it's just my family, but most of our accidents seem to happen when we are leaving somewhere. Why is that??) While they were out in the garage supposedly cleaning (my grandma's garage is the playroom) I heard *THUNK* followed by much screaming. Emilia had been rocking in the kid rocker and flipped backward and thunked her head on the concrete floor. After checking her eyes for equal reactions and determining to the best of my ability that she was OK, I went to get a drink of water. When I turned back around Emilia was poking at some yellowish stuff on the floor at her feet. My first thought was, "Oh no. She threw up. This is worse than I thought."
But then I looked closer.
And looked at all of the drips around on the carpet.
Nope. Not throw up.
Baby poop.
My grandma had been holding Audra and Audra had completely filled up and overflowed her diaper. Wasn't that nice of her? :) It was all down my grandma's shirt, her sweater, her pants, on her shoes. It was in the garage, on the carpet, on the coffee table and Emilia was smearing the spots on the carpet around like finger paint. Oh, and did I mention my grandma just recently got brand new carpet?
Blue carpet + yellow baby poop = not a good thing.
I scrubbed for at least 30 minutes to get all of that crap (literally) out of the carpet. I still didn't get it all, but I wasn't getting anymore out. I'm hopeful that her cleaning lady will have better luck because otherwise I'm going to feel really bad. But I just wasn't making anymore progress on it.
Plus, the troops were restless. It was time to go.
As I was packing the kids into the car, my grandma came up to me, put her arm around my waist and said, "Good luck. I'll be praying for you. You call me if you need someone to talk to."
Nothing like a boost of confidence to send me on my way. :)
I'm happy to announce that my grandma's prayers must have worked, though, because the rest of the weekend passed without incident. Yay!
Plus, I met my goals for the weekend--we all made it out alive! :)
----------------------------
One time over the weekend I gave the kids some fruit snacks. McCain picked up his bag of fruit snacks and said, "I don't like these. I am NEVER eating these."
Josiah looked at him and said, "You will if your WIFE makes you."
----------------------------
A little more about our doctor's appointment yesterday...all of my kids have been prounced "perfect." They are all growing like weeds.
Audra now weighs 14 lbs (she's only 2 months old--ack!) and is 24 inches long (she's 2 feet long already!). Emilia weighs 28 lbs and is 36.2 inches long. She's over 3 feet! Micah weighs 41 lbs and is 41.8 inches tall....in case any of you were interested.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Numbers
* 4 kids
* 1 doctor's appointment
* 2 1/2 hours of our afternoon...over 2 of which were spent in an approximate 12x12 room.
* 2 bags of toys and books
* 5 trips to the potty
* 2 finger pricks
* 2 nursing sessions
* 3 trips to the scale
* 2 toddler tantrums
* 10 shots (3 for Audra, 1 for Emilia, 1 for Josiah and 5 for Micah)
* 15 minutes of screaming baby
* 5 minutes of a screaming toddler
* 7 suckers (aka bribery)
* $90 in copays
* 5 teaspoons childrens/infant tylenol
* 1 afternoon that I'm glad is over.
* 1 doctor's appointment
* 2 1/2 hours of our afternoon...over 2 of which were spent in an approximate 12x12 room.
* 2 bags of toys and books
* 5 trips to the potty
* 2 finger pricks
* 2 nursing sessions
* 3 trips to the scale
* 2 toddler tantrums
* 10 shots (3 for Audra, 1 for Emilia, 1 for Josiah and 5 for Micah)
* 15 minutes of screaming baby
* 5 minutes of a screaming toddler
* 7 suckers (aka bribery)
* $90 in copays
* 5 teaspoons childrens/infant tylenol
* 1 afternoon that I'm glad is over.
Monday, April 26, 2010
And Now You Are Five
My Micah Man.
My mystery man. There is so much about you that I don't understand. You keep your feelings to yourself and like to learn on your own. There is much about life that you like to do on your own. And I shouldn't be surprised. After all, one of your first words was SELF (always said very empahtically).
I still remember reading, "The Great Gracie Chase" with you. You loved that book. It was the only long storybook you would sit still to listen to. I wondered what it was about that book that captured your attention so much. One day after I read, "Gracie took a walk all by herself." you sat up straight, crossed your arms in front of you and with a nod of your head and a satisfied smirk on your face you said, "SELF."
And then I knew.
I knew you'd be independent. I knew you'd want to do things your own way. I knew you wouldn't be the rule follower that your brother was. I knew that I needed to protect and nurture and grow your sense of self so that you'd always be able to go wherever it was you were led with an inner confidence to support you through the journey. I don't know if I'm doing all of that, but I'm trying.
You are a boy of extremes. Extremely happy. Extremely mad. Extremely silly. Extremely not-in-the-mood-to-be-around-other-people. Everything is your "fravorite." Anytime I make you throw away a broken toy/picture/game/marker/book/piece of clothing, you cry, "But it's my FRAVORITE!" Thankfully, it is quickly replaced by a new fravorite. And "fravorite, fravorite" translates into second fravorite. "Red is my fravorite, fravorite color." Blue still rules the roost as your true fravorite color.
You are brave. Of all of my kids, you are their champion. If someone has to sit next to a stranger somewhere, you volunteer. If someone has to ask for something, you go without hesitation. I think it must be your independence. You don't worry about what others think or are doing. You are confident and self-assured. You are not afraid of new things or new people.
You make me laugh those deep belly laughs that are so good for the soul. Most of the time I don't even realize how badly I need a good laugh until after you have had one of your extremely silly moments and made me laugh until I cry. And then I am reminded of how blessed I am to have you in my life. How lucky I am to have you as my son. How much fun you add to my everyday life. I am so thankful that I have you to remind me to let go more, worry less and that life is better with a child-like heart. You are simply an incredible person and I know my world is a better place just because you share it with me.
I love you, my Micah Man.
May you always have the courage to follow your heart, the confidence to believe in yourself and something to laugh at everyday.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
40
I wrote this post 2 months ago...before I had Audra. I just discovered it lurking in my archives. I didn't want it to get forgotten in internet/blogging Never, Neverland, so I'm 'publishing' it now.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 weeks. Once again, I'm one of the "lucky" ones to make it all the way to (and probably past) their due date. Umm....yay?? The good news is that baby is healthy and happy and growing beautifully in there. We are officially in the "any day now" part of pregnancy and that's good, too, because I'm getting pretty impatient with the waiting. But, I thought to celebrate reaching this lovely 40 week mark, I'd try to come up with 40 things that I love about life RIGHT NOW--today, even if I am big and huge and uncomfortable and impatient and...focus, Rebekah, focus. The list of things I love:
I love...
1. that I don't know if this baby is a boy or a girl. And yes, while there are times that it also drives me C*R*A*Z*Y that I don't know, I KNOW I'm going to LOVE the surprise of finding out when my baby is born.
2. seeing the clothes combinations that Emilia comes up with.
3. watching the 3 kids play together or wrestle or chase each other around the house.
4. the way Micah phrases things sometimes. He's so...HIM. He comes up with phrases or words for things that make total sense, but only he would think to call it that.
5. seeing Josiah curl up with a book and read for an hour.
6. that we've actually gotten snow this year!!
7. watching my kids dance--and dancing with them.
8. knowing that it can't be TOO much longer before I deliver the baby. At most, 2 weeks. In the grand scheme of things, that's not long at all.
9. hiding around corners and scaring the kids when they walk past (everyone except Micah because he doesn't like it)
10. feeling completely justified in not cooking dinner for over a week. Good thing the kids like sandwiches!
11. knowing that after the baby is born we'll be able to clear out a chunk of storage space by getting rid of all of the "other" gendered clothes we've been saving.
12. when the kids touch and talk to and kiss my baby belly.
13. getting to watch Josiah learn all of the things he's learning in school.
14. having no energy to do anything other than read a book. It had been a long time since I'd read a book and I've missed it!
15. having family in town to help out with the kids on days when I'm too emotional to cope.
16. watching movies with John.
17. seeing Emilia rub her belly with lotion and talk to her "baby"
18. how Emilia does "baby talk" to my belly ("Ahhh, baby...fushoo, baby") and rub it with lotion for me.
19. tickling the kids and hearing them laugh
20. when Josiah tells me I have to stop tickling him or he's going to get the hiccups. It's happened to him since he was a baby and I think it's so cute!
21. knowing that I'm not as pessimistic as I sometimes think I am since everyday I think to myself, "Maybe today is the day."
22. beginning to daydream about all of the things I will be able to eat and drink again once I have the baby.
23. Grandma days
24. that I live in the age of digital photography and can take all the pictures my heart desires.
25. watching Golden Girls reruns
26. starting to plan my garden for this year...and being optimistic that I will have the energy to keep up with it.
27. that the hair on my legs has all but stopped growing, so I don't have to try to shave around this massive belly
28. that all the kids seem to be excited about the new baby.
29. knowing I won't ever have to be 40 weeks pregnant again.
30. that my kids are (mostly) willing to help me pick stuff up off the floor since it's very hard for me to reach it
31. so far, I haven't gotten any new stretch marks.
32. that I didn't have the baby on my birthday.
33. my days of having to eat eggs for breakfast are almost over
34. that John has learned to cook a mean "over easy" egg
35. that spring is getting closer and closer
36. John and I got a bunch of free tulip bulbs last weekend
37. that I only have to come up with 3 more things that I love/am thankful for, because I've been struggling for the last 10.
38. my friends
39. that not everyone I know thinks I am crazy for having 4 kids.
40. that I KNOW no one has been pregnant forever, which means that eventually (hopefully), this baby, too, will be born and I will not be pregnant anymore. Hopefully that day will come SOON.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 weeks. Once again, I'm one of the "lucky" ones to make it all the way to (and probably past) their due date. Umm....yay?? The good news is that baby is healthy and happy and growing beautifully in there. We are officially in the "any day now" part of pregnancy and that's good, too, because I'm getting pretty impatient with the waiting. But, I thought to celebrate reaching this lovely 40 week mark, I'd try to come up with 40 things that I love about life RIGHT NOW--today, even if I am big and huge and uncomfortable and impatient and...focus, Rebekah, focus. The list of things I love:
I love...
1. that I don't know if this baby is a boy or a girl. And yes, while there are times that it also drives me C*R*A*Z*Y that I don't know, I KNOW I'm going to LOVE the surprise of finding out when my baby is born.
2. seeing the clothes combinations that Emilia comes up with.
3. watching the 3 kids play together or wrestle or chase each other around the house.
4. the way Micah phrases things sometimes. He's so...HIM. He comes up with phrases or words for things that make total sense, but only he would think to call it that.
5. seeing Josiah curl up with a book and read for an hour.
6. that we've actually gotten snow this year!!
7. watching my kids dance--and dancing with them.
8. knowing that it can't be TOO much longer before I deliver the baby. At most, 2 weeks. In the grand scheme of things, that's not long at all.
9. hiding around corners and scaring the kids when they walk past (everyone except Micah because he doesn't like it)
10. feeling completely justified in not cooking dinner for over a week. Good thing the kids like sandwiches!
11. knowing that after the baby is born we'll be able to clear out a chunk of storage space by getting rid of all of the "other" gendered clothes we've been saving.
12. when the kids touch and talk to and kiss my baby belly.
13. getting to watch Josiah learn all of the things he's learning in school.
14. having no energy to do anything other than read a book. It had been a long time since I'd read a book and I've missed it!
15. having family in town to help out with the kids on days when I'm too emotional to cope.
16. watching movies with John.
17. seeing Emilia rub her belly with lotion and talk to her "baby"
18. how Emilia does "baby talk" to my belly ("Ahhh, baby...fushoo, baby") and rub it with lotion for me.
19. tickling the kids and hearing them laugh
20. when Josiah tells me I have to stop tickling him or he's going to get the hiccups. It's happened to him since he was a baby and I think it's so cute!
21. knowing that I'm not as pessimistic as I sometimes think I am since everyday I think to myself, "Maybe today is the day."
22. beginning to daydream about all of the things I will be able to eat and drink again once I have the baby.
23. Grandma days
24. that I live in the age of digital photography and can take all the pictures my heart desires.
25. watching Golden Girls reruns
26. starting to plan my garden for this year...and being optimistic that I will have the energy to keep up with it.
27. that the hair on my legs has all but stopped growing, so I don't have to try to shave around this massive belly
28. that all the kids seem to be excited about the new baby.
29. knowing I won't ever have to be 40 weeks pregnant again.
30. that my kids are (mostly) willing to help me pick stuff up off the floor since it's very hard for me to reach it
31. so far, I haven't gotten any new stretch marks.
32. that I didn't have the baby on my birthday.
33. my days of having to eat eggs for breakfast are almost over
34. that John has learned to cook a mean "over easy" egg
35. that spring is getting closer and closer
36. John and I got a bunch of free tulip bulbs last weekend
37. that I only have to come up with 3 more things that I love/am thankful for, because I've been struggling for the last 10.
38. my friends
39. that not everyone I know thinks I am crazy for having 4 kids.
40. that I KNOW no one has been pregnant forever, which means that eventually (hopefully), this baby, too, will be born and I will not be pregnant anymore. Hopefully that day will come SOON.
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