"I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less." "Normal day, let me be aware of the treasured day you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart...let me hold you while I may."
She was kicking her feet and moving her arms like crazy!
Isn't that a cute snuggy?
Getting brave... putting his face in (the lower half, anyway.)
Trying to "sink" Daddy
Brax was all over the big pool! He told me to get out so he could do it by himself! He just kept swimming in circles, going up to other kids and saying hi.
17 weeks-first real laugh! She giggled when I was kissing and blowing on her tummy before bath time.
17 weeks-started taking 5-6 oz bottles. By 19 weeks she started taking 6-8 oz bottles, with a tablespoon of rice cereal in them 3x a day.
When she turned 4 months, we started "baby boot camp." (Letting her cry for a bit to soothe herself to sleep.) She was waking up crying like clockwork about an hour after she'd go down, wanting to be rocked back to sleep or have her nite-nite put back in her mouth. The first nite, she cried for just 30 minutes then slept from 8pm to 4am before eating again (and going back to sleep)! The next nite she cried for 50 minutes (my limit is one hour before I go in and pick her up) then slept 8-3. After that, she fussed for 15 minutes or so for a couple of nites and within a week of starting boot camp she went down by 7pm without making a peep until at least 3am for a feeding, sometimes going till 5am. Occasionally she still wakes from a nap after an hour and will fuss for a minute before finding her thumb (yes, her THUMB) and putting herself back to sleep for another hour or so.
At 17 1/2 weeks I tried feeding her rice cereal from a spoon, but she had zero interest. I tried once a week for the next couple of weeks, still no desire to bite.
17 1/2 weeks-the week of June 7... I stopped nursing her during the day and gave her bottles because she was acting annoyed like she wasn't getting enough out. By the end of that week, I started doing bottles for her middle of the nite feeding as well and also began to decrease my pumping from 4x a day to 3.
June 14-she slept from 7pm-7am! (Also woke up hoarse-virus? Was hoarse for 4 days. I was afraid she had cried during the nite and I didn't hear her and it made her lose her voice! I decided that didn't happen because when I got her up in the morning her covers were still on-she always kicks them off if she cries.)
18 1/2 weeks-started doing "superman" when she lays on her tummy.
June 17-cut out another pump. Down to 2 now-morning and nite. Nursed her one last time at her 3 am feeding... just for sentimental reasons!
19 weeks-digging her knees in when on her tummy.
19 weeks-discovered her THUMB and goes to town sucking on it! LOVES it! I would prefer that she stick to a pacifier for orthodontic reasons, but it sure is cute watching her suck on her little thumb!
19 1/2 weeks-blows "raspberries" and babbles.
19 1/2 weeks-started cereal in bottles. We had transitioned to a faster nipple at 19 weeks, so instead of it taking almost an hour for her to eat a bottle, she chugs it in 10-15 minutes!
I noticed that her ear hair fell out! (Both she and Brax were born with hair on the outer edge of their ears, like old men!) I've also noticed that the hair on her head seems to be lightening a bit.
The cutest thing ever-when I'm feeding her her last bottle before bed, she rubs circles on her head as she falls asleep. First, she puts her hand over her eye, then rubs it back over her ear and then up over her hair, then down over her forehead back to her eye. She repeats this until she just can't stay awake any longer! It's so sweet!
She does not like being outside when it's too hot or too bright (who does, right?)
DAILY ROUTINE: 7:00am-wakes up for the day 7:30-7-8 oz. bottle with 1T. rice cereal in it 8:30-nap (1-2 hours) 10:30-5-6 oz. "snack" bottle 11:00-nap (1-2 hours) 1:30pm-7-8 oz. bottle w/ 1T. rice cereal 2:00-nap (2 hours) 4:00-5-6 oz. "snack" bottle 6:00-bathtime 6:30-7-8 oz. bottle w/ 1T. cereal 7:00pm-fast asleep 3-5:00am-6-8 oz. bottle
MOMENTS I DON'T WANT TO FORGET: Her last nursing... At 3 am on a Thursday morning, she was 19 weeks old. I intended to give her a bottle but it was taking forever for Mike to warm it up and she was wailing. So I nursed her, knowing it would probably be the last time (I don't think she gets near as much out of the boob as she does a bottle). I was half asleep and I was trying so hard to stay awake and treasure the moment! I kept dozing off... but I vaguely remember it!
Last week, Harper discovered her thumb. She has always loved chewing on her fists, and would occasionally land a finger or two in her mouth to suck on, but now she has realized how nicely her thumb fits in her mouth and how much fun it is to suck on! She pretty much refuses the pacifier now and falls asleep with her thumb in her mouth.
From a dental standpoint, this is extremely undesirable for obvious orthodontic reasons. From an OCD standpoint, the slobber all over her hands and face really grosses me out. But from a mommy standpoint, it sure is cute to see something so simple make her so happy!
"What? WHAT? I'm just tasting them."
"Mmmmm... It fits just right!"
"Mother, get over it. I will suck my thumb if I want to and YOU CAN'T STOP ME."
"Maybe if I hide it she'll leave me alone..."
"OK OK! You caught me!"
"Whattya' gonna' do about it, woman?"
If that's not enough thumb sucking cuteness for you, here it is LIVE.
Has pooped on the potty a couple of times. Otherwise, poops in his Pull-Ups. Can stay dry in undies, IF we stay on top of visits to the potty. He has pretty much stopped telling us when he needs to go, and instead counts on us to do the work! I guess the novelty wore off. Potty training sucks.
Can put his velcro sandals on and take them off by himself.
Has my phone number and his birthday memorized. We are working on our address.
"Swims" by himself (with life vest on, by doing his feet in a "running" motion like he learned at swim lessons.)
NEW FOODS: Likes kiwi.
FAVORITE BOOKS: Toy Story 3.
FAVORITE TOYS/ACTIVITIES: Squirting anything, riding his bike, playing in the baby pool, watching Tom and Jerry (he belly-laughs at it--it's so cute!).
DISLIKES: He gets very annoyed if I don't get his hands COMPLETELY dry after washing them, or when I get lotion on them after bath. He also hates it if I don't keep his fingernails clipped really short--he picks at them (and his toenails) if there is any white showing! (At least he's not chewing them!) He tells me I need to clip my fingernails all the time.
MOMENTS I DON'T WANT TO FORGET: Sunday, June 6-We were just playing and listening to music and he said, "Mommy, I want to dance with you!"
BRAXISMS:
He ran into Harper's room while I was putting her to bed, right before his bathtime. He asked in his most convincing tone, "Can I sleep in your bed? That will be a GOOD idea!"
Fell of his bike and said, "I wish the concrete was SOFT."
One nite we were eating dinner and Mike was not home yet. Brax said, "Aren't we missing something?" I said, "What?" "DADDY!" he exclaimed.
He always confuses "to" with "at." For example, instead of saying, "Are we going TO the park?" he says, "Are we going AT the park?" He also always says, "There's anything not coming out!" if no pee-pee comes out (instead of, "There's nothing coming out," or "There's not anything coming out.") I think his grammatical errors are cute!
He refers to anything that has happened in the past tense as happening "last night."
"Mommy, I want a drink... We should buy a water fountain."
Made foot prints when he stepped out of the pool on the concrete. Said, "I made tip-toe prints!"
I was upstairs doing something real quick, he came running up saying, "I was taking care of Harper for you!" (I think he put her nite-nite back in her mouth.)
At swim lessons, in the water with the teacher he told her, "This place has too much water!"
In our neighborhood pool, he told me, "Get out of the water so I can do it all by my-say-elf!" (That's how he pronounces it!)
I have had this post in my "drafts" for several weeks now (7, to be exact) and have just been adding to the list as I think about things... I was writing it directed towards Brax and Harper, I guess because I want them to know someday how much joy they have brought to my life.
It was amazing--As I read thru the list I realized how many of these little "everyday" things have already passed and they have already moved on to another phase... I don't want to forget!
brax: how you wake up talking about your dreams... "i was thinking about..."
how you wake up asking for a drink of cold water from the bathroom, and looking for whatever toy you took to bed and you say "it was just hiding" when you find it
you stand at the top of the stairs and say "i want you to hold me" (you love for me to carry you down the stairs)
how you say "i want to help!" (especially when i have to get a spot out of the carpet-you love to use the brush to scrub. you also love to start the washing machine and dryer) i LOVE the way you say "help" like it's 2 syllables--"hay-elp"
how you climb in my lap naked while i'm running your bathwater and say "i want to snuggle"
how you like to squish my cheeks and make a funny face while i'm leaning over you brushing your teeth
how you say "mommy's home!" and run around all excited to see me
how you roll over and throw your arm around my neck when i'm laying with you at nite
how you say "i wanna do it by myself"---"myself" as 3 syllables--"my-say-elf"
how you make everything a spray bottle and pretend to spray me with water, making a "psssstt" sound
how you asked to hold my hand at antioch park that day
how one day at nap you had pulled out a gazillion kleenexes and when i went in you explained, "i was giving one to moose and one to wally the whale"
how you pump your arms in a very exaggerated motion when you run
how you run a few steps then take a big jump
how you run laps around the lower level of the house
how you say "i want some chocolate milk"--milk as 2 syllables--"me-ilk"
how you collect sticks everywhere we go
how you take the handle grip off your tricycle and pretend it's a microphone
how you jam out on your guitar--you make the funniest "rock star" face and stand with your legs far apart, bobbing up and down
how you love to "swim" in the bathtub (you lay on your tummy for a second, then flip over on your back, then you're done) before you insist on opening the drain yourself
how you love to have the "cold side" of your blanket on you (the silky side, vs. the chenille side)
how anytime i kneel down to put Harper in her carseat or bouncy you attack me from behind and throw your arms around my neck. i often get annoyed with this because it almost knocks me over on top of her, but deep down i know i'll miss it someday!
how when we eat ice cream, you say, "can i have some?" or "can i have a bite?" after EVERY bite. like i'm going to forget to share with you.
harper: nuzzling your soft cheeks
smelling your soft baby hair
your finger wrapped around mine while you eat
how you hold your hands by your head and hold onto your ears when you sleep
your hungry little mouth searching for food
your sweet sideways smile and the dimple in your right cheek
how you bob your head next to my cheek like you're giving me kisses
how you "talk" (first it was a screech, now it's spit bubble babbling)
how you curl your body into mine and fall asleep after i feed you
how you chew your fists (and as of late... your thumb!)
how you rub circles on your head as take your bottle before bedtime (you put your hand on your eye, then rub by your ear, up over your head, back down your forehead and over your eye again... repeating this until you are just about asleep)
Sometimes I feel like I'm in the movie "Groundhog Day," where Bill Murray wakes up to the same exact day over and over. Most of you know I'm a creature of habit--I do love routine--but at the same time, some nights I go to bed thinking about how I'll wake up only to repeat the day over again! Here is a video of one author's (Katrina Kenison) take on these "ordinary days." It made me appreciate them.
I have to remind myself that this season of life will pass before I know it. I will not always have get up in the middle of the night to feed my baby. I will not always have to set my alarm for 4:45 am (if I want to run) or 6:00 to beat the kids up so I can be ready for the day. My days will not always be full of schedules to stick to in order to avoid cranky children-eating times, nap times... The timer won't always be ticking between potty breaks... I wanted to do a blog post about what my "ordinary day" is like so that some day, when that day comes that I wake up and think, "Whoa... Where did all that time go?", I can look back and find the answer!
If I run, I get up at 4:45 am-run 5 miles from 5-6am If I don't run, I get up at 6 (even on the weekends!) 6am-Shower and get ready 6:30-Pump and eat breakfast (peanut butter toast with a banana and milk) at the same time. Also check emails/blog while I pump (I have a hands-free bra that holds the pump on and my laptop allows me to do stuff on the computer while sitting on the couch pumping! Talk about multi-tasking, right?) 7am-Kids get up around this time. Noelle gets to our house at this time on days that I work (Tues-Thurs.) I get my stuff together for work, love on the kids for a minute, then leave by 7:15. 5:00-Home from work, hurry and change clothes, play with the kids 5:30-The kids and I eat dinner (if I don't eat then, it's after 8 before I sit down again and I don't want to eat that late!) 6-7ish-Mike gets home. When he is home "early" (before 6:30!) he is so much help with the rest of the evening... 6:00-I bathe and feed Harper while Brax either watches TV or plays with Daddy if he's home. She is in bed for the night by 6:45. She wakes anywhere from 3-5am to eat, then goes back to sleep till 7am. 6:45-7:30-clean up dinner stuff, play with Brax. 7:30-Bathe Brax, read books, he is in bed by 8ish and sleeps till at least 7am, sometimes till 7:30. 8ish-SILENCE!!!! I can breathe! I shower, and get things laid out and ready for the next day. I pump and do stuff on the computer, then I am ready for sleep by 9:30!
--From 7-5 the day includes: 7:30/10:30/1:00/3:30-Harper eats 8:30/11:00/1:30-Harper naps 7:30/12-Brax eats 1:00-Brax naps
--Mondays are "fun day" where I try to take them on an outing of some kind, even if it's just to the park. I typically have all my household chores done so that day is just for them. I love the KC Parent website for finding local events that are going on.
--Tues/Wed/Thurs I work; Miss Noelle comes at 7am. She takes Brax to preschool at 8:30, picks him up at 12:30. I am home by 5. As soon as I get home on Thursday nites I immediately start laundry-I get 3 of the 7 loads I do each week washed and dried before I go to bed. (Our colors, whites, and a load of towels.) Miss Noelle vacuums the downstairs for me on Thursdays, which helps keep the high-traffic area looking decent.
--Fridays are "chore" days. I fold the laundry from the nite before, then do 3 more loads (our sheets, then the kids' loads, which I do separately. I do another load of Harper's laundry on Monday because we ALWAYS run out of clean burp cloths and bibs!) I empty the trash cans throughout the house, run and empty the dishwasher, and "spit shine" the kitchens and bathrooms. Brax has swim lessons every Friday afternoon after nap.
--Every 4-6 weeks I clean the house from top to bottom (or if I can negotiate it with my husband, I have a cleaning lady come... this usually means a trade off for more golf time!) I either clean at nite after the kids go to bed or on the weekend when Mike is home to entertain them-otherwise it takes me 3 times as long. I'd rather just do it at nite because I hate wasting time cleaning when I could be spending it with the kids. If I can clean without interruption, it takes me 3-4 hours.
--Saturdays and Sundays I try to make family time, and get out and about. Mike likes to golf at least once per weekend. Depending on our weekend plans, I go to the grocery store at some point. We've kind of been homebodies since Harper was born, but we try and get Brax out to do fun things. We'll go to a new park, play in the pool in the backyard, etc. Brax's summer weekend plans include: Family trip to Grammy and Pop Pop's in OK, Day Out With Thomas, sleepover at Aunt Laura's, neighborhood pool party, family visit to great grandparents' for the 4th of July, 2 visits from Grandpa Russ, and his 3rd B-Day party. Mike and I have been trying to do more date nights on Saturdays! I love date night! I need to incorporate more running into my weekends... right now I'm doing good to get in two 5 mile runs during the week, and I want to add a long run on Saturday or Sunday morning to prepare for a 1/2 marathon I want to do in late September. Lack of time (and motivation, if we're being honest here) and a desire for more sleep has kept me from doing this!!!!
My ordinary days! Each one is a gift, even if I don't stop to realize it. They go way too fast.
This 8 year old twin girl is going to heaven today...
She has battled cancer for 2 years. Pray for her and her family. And whatever your day holds, be thankful it is not this. Click HERE to read her CaringBridge site.
Last Saturday we went to "Day Out With Thomas" at the Midland Railway. We had gotten a ridiculous amount of rain that morning, so the grounds were a muddy swamp. If you know me, you know I am not a fan of muddy anything. Let's see some enthusiasm, buddy. This is the REAL Thomas you're standing next to!
As soon as we walked onto the grounds, Brax darted for the tent with the train tables set up in it. Since this was probably the tent with the most foot traffic, it was EXTRA sloppy. I began to stop him, but quickly decided that this would be a good time for me to get over it and get dirty. We took off our shoes and dug our toes in the mud. Yes, I said WE.
This is literally only the second time in my life that my feet have looked like this. The other time was when my country-boy cousin took me "muddin'" with him and his friends in their big trucks out in the boonies. (Which was actually really fun!)
Did I enjoy myself? Ummm, NO. I kept thinking of the parasites that were probably burrowing themselves under my toenails with each step. But Brax enjoyed himself in the mud (after a little coaxing--he is MY child, after all), and that's all that matters. I wasn't going to let my kid be the only one who didn't get to play with the trains just because it was muddy! (But it did cross my mind.)
And Mike got a few chuckles out of the deal as well. (While he stood on the DRY ground. Let's be honest here, HE doesn't like mud any more than I do.)
Riding Thomas.
I don't think we'll do DOWT again. My overall opinion is that is is highly over-rated and over-priced.
Brax has had so much fun in his baby pool! We have had so much rain it has filled it up TWICE.
In the spirit of summer, Nana Star and Papa T. sent Brax this fun talking grill! He loves to cook with me... but in the case of his new toy, he would rather pretend to squirt the mustard and ketchup all over everyone. And carry around the hot dog with his signature death grip (this, or a syringe, or a stick...) He has taken the hot dog to bed with him several times. Either way, he is having fun with it so I guess that's all that matters! HA!
Batting lessons from Dad.
Sword fight with Jace!
"I am LOVING this!"
She was kicking her feet and moving her arms like crazy!
Isn't that a cute snuggy?
Getting brave... putting his face in (the lower half, anyway.)
Trying to "sink" Daddy
Brax was all over the big pool! 
