20 Month Stats

Seriously, it feels like I just did this for 19 months... has a month gone by already?

HEIGHT/WEIGHT/TOOTH COUNT: About 35-36 inches tall, 26 lbs., 12 teeth.

PERSONALITY: For the most part, he is still pretty easy going. I know this is about the age when they start the "NO!" and "MINE!" phase, but he hasn't picked that up yet. Every now and then he'll shake his head "no," but he never says it. He transitions between activities pretty easily (with the exception of waking up-that takes him a minute!) without throwing fits, and he LOVES other children. Every time we're at the park he randomly hugs some kid (it makes my heart a little sad when one will look at him like he's crazy. I just want to yell, "HUG HIM BACK!!" Guess we all just want our kids to be loved.)

NEW VOCABULARY: baby, keys, car, water (wawa), honey, out, eat, up, go, peas, sock, help me (hepme), sit (s*it), dirt, ow, shut, toot, Sam, outside (side), okie-dokie (gogey dokey ogie), silly, in, yuck, stink (sink), swing (sing), hat, sock, book, shot (sot), pee, poop, snack (nack), door (doooo)

NEW TRICKS: Flexes his arm muscles for us like a body builder, runs in circles, loves the "fall down" part of Ring Around the Rosie, tickles other people to get them to laugh, moves his step stool to the sink so he can reach.

FAVORITE FOODS: M&M's are a new favorite (thank you, Aunt Laura ;-) ) I think I'll use them to bribe him into his next haircut...

FAVORITE PEOPLE: Other kids his size.

FAVORITE BOOKS: Inside/Outside/Upside Down, The Three Little Pigs (he cracks up when I do the "huff and puff" part)


FAVORITE TOYS: His doctor kit--he walks around poking people with the pretend syringe saying "shot? shot?" like he's giving away candy, and his Leap Frog fridge magnet alphabet letters.


FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Riding piggy back, playing outside-digging in the dirt/mulch, swinging at the park, picking up trash at the park or in people's yards (which I think is so gross).

DAILY ROUTINE: I LOVE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME! Now Brax sleeps till 7:30-8, lunch at 12, nap 12:30-3ish?, dinner at 6:30, bath/books then to bed at 8.

FAVORITE SONGS: We haven't been very musical lately since we get to play outside so much with this nice weather!

DISLIKES: Still not crazy about brushing his teeth, but he's getting better. We'll see how he does for his next "real" haircut-I'm taking him to Great Clips before Easter so he looks handsome.

FUNNY THINGS HE DID: The park by our house has a play set with a bridge leading to the slide. One day he just stood on the bridge, forcing one little 2 yr old girl to hug him before he'd let her by to go down the slide. They did this little dance about 5 times before she decided she didn't want to go down the slide that bad anymore. I was just happy she reciprocated the hugs at all! It makes him so happy to get hugs from other kids!


MOMENTS I DON'T WANT TO FORGET: Brax loves to swing at the park with me, straddling my lap with his head on my chest. I lean back and we swing swing swing, the whole time he hums and sings and giggles and squeezes his little arms around my sides. It's so stinkin' cute. Like everything, this won't last forever tho... It would be a little creepy if we did that when he's a teenager, right?

Randoms

I would just like to say that although I am completely inept when it comes to installing those incredibly frustrating child-proof latches on the cabinet doors, I successfully took apart and put back together our door knob leading out to the garage with this child-proof thingy!! I was a little impressed with myself. And very happy to know that my son can't sneak out of the house!

"I'll have this thing figured out by Wednesday."



Here's a cute one from yesterday, we were just out running errands and Brax was thrilled to be along for the ride!

BIGGGGG mistake. I let him fall asleep on the way home for about 30minutes, but then he fought tooth and nail when it was naptime a couple hours later. It's amazing what just 30 minutes of snoozing will do to re-energize a toddler...

Playin' at the Park

These pics were from St. Patty's Day.

Thank you Nana Star for the fun package, and my St. Patty's T-shirt!!

So serious...


"Whoo HOOOOO!"

Brax found this trash treasure (the remnant of a kite tail) and hung on to it for like 30 minutes! He inisted on bringing it home. He loved watching the wind blow it around.

He had a run-in with my rose bush! I cut it back the other day and he keeps trapsing thru the flower bed and trips on it. Ouch. Now when he sees it he says "Owww."

Then and Now

I took this picture the other day at the park, and had a little deja vu...I remembered the first time Brax climbed this thing at 10 months old... I couldn't believe he could do it! Now he runs and climbs all over the jungle gym.

This week...

Last summer...

Salt in the Wound

We have started getting the bills for my D&C... I really think that if you don't get to bring a baby home with you, then you shouldn't have to pay. There should be a "miscarriage/stillborn/lost-a-baby" fund that pays for all procedures pertaining to such circumstances. There is nothing worse than getting thousands of dollars of bills for a baby you didn't get to have. My hospital bill alone was almost 12k (I wasn't even there for 4 hours!). Of course our insurance helps immensely, but we will still end up paying anywhere from $2,ooo to $4,000 out of pocket once it's all said and done. Blaaahhhh. Hmmmpph. Sniff. That's all I have to say about that.

Wkend Randoms, and Utie Update

What a great weekend! Is it springtime yet??? We did get to enjoy the outdoors quite a bit, which always makes for a very happy kiddo.
As for my utie (uterus!), I found out Friday (after Thursday's hcG check) that my count has dropped from 101 to 29. That is good. I go back next Thurs. for another draw, and hopefully the count will have zeroed out by then. It should also be soon that we get the results for the chromosome screening they did on the baby. I am anxious to have all the answers, be back to normal, and start over.

Playing at the park.

What is this face????!!!

"Whatttt?"

"I see you, Momma!"

Such a happy fella'.

This rocking chair was one of the best investments we made when we bought "baby paraphanalia." It is made by Dutailier; it rocks, reclines, and glides, and is covered in very cleanable microfiber. It is extra wide, so all 3 feet of "baby" still fit across my lap! I have used this chair literally every day and every nite for 19 months now! Anyway, Brax now loves to climb in it all by himself before bathtime and peruse his books. Sometimes he'll just sit with his hands on his belly and rock away.

"Helping" me cook.

I made a junk drawer for him in the kitchen, filled with lots of stuff to play with while I'm cooking, but he always insists on being up where the action is.

WFMW-What Every Parent Should Know About Their Child's Dental Health (Repost)

I am playing "Works For Me Wednesday" again... Here's my tip (tipS) for the day. Go over to We Are That Family for more great stuff!
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I have been a dental hygienist for 5 1/2 years. Four of those years were spent in pediatric offices. Before that, I was an assistant in a pedo office. So it's fair to say that I've seen it all when it comes to children and their mouths. I've been puked on, peed on, and bitten (by someone else's kid, which is even worse than being puked on, peed on, and bitten by your own) while cleaning teeth, which I believe increases my accreditation ten-fold!

Throughout my career, I've heard lots of questions regarding how to best care for kids' teeth. So I thought I'd do a post of the basics... I will also address some common misconceptions about oral health, and give you "insider advice" on your child's trip to the dentist office.

THE BASICS:

1. DO NOT put your child in bed with a bottle of anything other than water. Milk has natural sugars in it that will cause decay just like soda pop and juice if left on the teeth. When a baby falls asleep with a bottle, the milk settles in their mouth and eats away at their teeth all night (or all nap).

Yes, this really happens:

2. Start brushing as soon as you see that first little tooth pop up. You can use a wet washcloth, or the little silicone thing that fits on your finger with soft bristles on it. Toothpaste is not necessary, but if your kid likes the taste, then be sure to use CHILDREN'S TOOTHPASTE (NO FLUORIDE! More on that later...)
Brush your child's teeth morning and night: After breakfast and after dinner (if it's a battle at the end of the nite, then just get it done when they are finished eating for the evening, rather than waiting to do it during the chaos that ensues at bedtime.) Keep a toothbrush and paste near the kitchen sink or in the hall bathroom for convenience.

3. BRUSHING TEETH IS A BATTLE YOU MUST PICK. I've heard so many parents say that their toddler "won't LET me do it... and I just CAN'T get him to brush his teeth..." As a parent of a very strong-willed, stubborn, and feisty 1 1/2 year old, I can contend that it IS possible. It is not fun or easy, but it is vital that as parents, we remember that we are the boss. Unless your child has some disorder that has caused him or her to outgrow you by the age of 5, then YES, you CAN make them do it. I am not exaggerating when I illustrate this story for you: Every nite after Brax's bath (which follows shortly after dinner), I lay him down on his bath towel. I quickly lay his arms down to his sides, and wrap the towel around him, straight-jacket style, with my upper body gently laying aross his. With my left hand, I [gently] hold his face still. With my right hand, I brush like mad. I don't yell, I don't get angry. HE does, but I just get 'er done. Believe me when I say that your child will be screaming even more if she has to have decay treated. Your kid isn't going to be scarred for life because you made her do something she doesn't want to do. They aren't crying because it hurts, they are crying because they're mad.

4. Milk and water only. No juice. That's right, no juice. (Maybe with the exception of prune or grape juice to keep the pipes moving, in which case you should dilute it with water.) And in case I really need to clarify, no soda, Propel, Kool-aid, lemonade, Gatorade, Powerade. Okay, okay, on special occasions it's not going to kill them, but keep this fact in mind:

Anytime you drink (or eat) something other than water, it takes your mouth 20 minutes to neutralize the acid and sugars you just have introduced. So IF Capri-Sun or Sunny-D is all there is at that family picnic,then make your kid chug it within 20-30 minutes.Otherwise, the timer starts over with every sip they take.Each swig equals 20 minutes of acid production on their teeth.Make sense?

Note that this "rule" applies to snacking as well.
More info? Click HERE

4. I have heard so many parents respond to a diagnosis of decay with utter shock, "But he brushes his teeth twice a day!!" Children don't have the attention span or dexterity to brush their teeth without assistance and/or supervision until about the age of seven. For boys, I believe this age limit sometimes extends well into the teen years! In other words, it is not sufficient to instruct your young child to "Go brush your teeth," and expect that they will actually do a thorough job. I typically advise that you let the child brush first, to practice, but then the parent should go back and have a turn to get the job done.

DENTAL MISCONCEPTIONS:

1. Cavities are "genetic." FALSE!

Cavities are a direct result of the bacterial breakdown of the teeth. It IS true that some teeth don't form properly (hypocalcification or hypoplasia), causing weaker enamel that is more susceptible to decay, but generally speaking if you control the bacteria, you control the decay.

Enamel Hypoplasia

Enamel Decalcification

2. It's okay to leave cavities in baby teeth untreated--they're going to fall out anyway. FALSE!

Leaving decay untreated in baby teeth is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Here are the consequences:

-The decay can cause an abscess, which is a serious infection that can migrate to jaw bones, the eyes, and in some extreme cases, the brain. An abscess typically manifests itself as a pimple-like bubble on the gums next to the affected tooth. It may be there one day and be gone the next, as it drains itself (Like when you pop a zit. Yep, it's that gross.) If a baby tooth abscesses, it usually has to be extracted. A permanent tooth with an abscess gets a root canal.

Abscess above a front tooth.

-If a tooth abscesses, it will be painful.

No one wants to see their child in pain, right?

Enough said.

-Severe infection can damage the unerupted permanent tooth.

-Keep in mind that primary molars don't usually exfoliate until age 12-14. Is it a good idea to leave decay untreated in a tooth that's going to be present for several years? Umm, no. It will abscess.

3. Every child needs extra flouride. FALSE!

-If you get city water, your child will get an adequate amount of fluoride. If you are on well water, consult your dentist to see if you need to supplement.

-Until your kid is old enough to spit out their toothpaste, use children's paste WITHOUT fluoride in it. Ingesting too much fluoride can cause fluorosis, which will mottle and discolor permanent teeth. When your child is old enough, you can use regular paste, but only a pea-sized amount.

Fluorosis

-Replace toothbrushes every 3 months.

VISITING THE DENTIST

-I recommend taking your child to a pediatric dentist for a number of reasons. First and foremost, a pedo dentist is specially trained to identify and treat problems in children's mouths. They are also especially understanding and patient when it comes to the behavior of children (which isn't always pleasant in a dental chair). A pediatric office is geared towards kids--toys, books, video games, cartoons, prizes, yummy flavors of toothpaste, etc. They are just more appealing to kids than a general dentist office would be (Who doesn't hate the smell of their dentist's office??)

-The ADA advises taking your child to the dentist by the age of one, or within 6 months of the eruption of their first tooth. Don't wait longer than age three--you want them to get used to going. I recommend taking them in for a "happy visit" first, where they just tour the office and get introduced to everything.

-Every pedo office is different when it comes to their "policy" on whether or not they allow parents to accompany their children back to the chair. In my experience, MOST children behave better WITHOUT their parent present. This allows the dental staff to forge a relationship with the child without disruption. If mom is there, it is inevitable that the child will focus on mom, and they won't hear a word the staff says. Remember that the people that work in pedo offices are there because the LIKE kids--they will take care of your baby! With that said, trust your instinct. If you don't feel comfortable with the situation, then kindly ask if you can accompany your child and promise not to interfere! This means not speaking unless spoken to! DO NOT say "Oh, baby, this won't HURT. They won't HURT you..." This just reinforces to the child that there IS a possibility of pain! Let the staff do their job.

-Know that bribing/threatening/begging your child into the chair WILL NOT WORK. As I said earlier, remember that YOU are the boss. Sometimes children don't have a choice, and visiting the dentist is one of those times. Such is life. They'll get over it. Don't waste your time negotiating if they are throwing a fit, just put them in the chair, tell them it's not an option, and get 'er done.

-You can prepare your child by reading books about visiting the dentist (you can find these at any bookstore or on amazon.com (click HERE, HERE, or HERE)

Any questions???

State of My Uterus Address

I got my results back from my blood draw/quantitative hCG test yesterday. This was done on Friday--11 days post-D&C. The hCG test measures the amount of hCG ("pregnancy" hormone) in your blood. A level of 0-5 is considered normal/not pregnant. After a miscarriage/D&C, it can take several days to several weeks for this to return to normal. My # was at 101. What does this mean? It means that it has significantly decreased (this number peaks out at around 288,ooo between the 9th and 12th week of pregnancy--I was 11 weeks), but it is not where they want it yet. So I go back on Thursday for another draw, and I'll know on Friday where my hCG level is (that would put me at 17 days post-D&C.)

IF the hormone hasn't zeroed out, then I assume they'll continue to test me weekly or bi-weekly for awhile. The concern I have in the back of my mind is this whole molar pregnancy thing. Like I said before, Doc mentioned this as a possibility due to the excess amount of blood and the large size of my uterus at the time of the D&C. However, he did not suspect this based on the last ultrasound I had, and the preliminary pathology reports did not indicate molar tissue. But we still have to wait on the chromosome test results to be sure. Of course, I have been doing way too much Googling on the subject. Here's what else I found... In my case, it would have been a partial mole (instead of complete) because there WAS a fetus.

Definition
A hydatidiform mole is a relatively rare condition in which tissue around a fertilized egg that normally would have developed into the placenta instead develops as an abnormal cluster of cells. (This is also called a molar pregnancy.) This grapelike mass forms inside of the uterus after fertilization instead of a normal embryo. A hydatidiform mole triggers a positive pregnancy test and in some cases can become cancerous.

Description
A hydatidiform mole ("hydatid" means "drop of water" and "mole" means "spot") occurs in about 1 out of every 1,500 (1/1,500) pregnancies in the United States. In some parts of Asia, however, the incidence may be as high as 1 in 200 (1/200). Molar pregnancies are most likely to occur in younger and older women (especially over age 45) than in those between ages 20-40. About 1-2% of the time a woman who has had a molar pregnancy will have a second one.
A molar pregnancy occurs when cells of the chorionic villi (tiny projections that attach the placenta to the lining of the uterus) don't develop correctly. Instead, they turn into watery clusters that can't support a growing baby. A partial molar pregnancy includes an abnormal embryo (a fertilized egg that has begun to grow) that does not survive. In a compete molar pregnancy there is a small cluster of clear blisters or pouches that don't contain an embryo.
If not removed, about 15% of moles can become cancerous. They burrow into the wall of the uterus and cause serious bleeding. Another 5% will develop into fast-growing cancers called choriocarcinomas. Some of these tumors spread very quickly outside the uterus in other parts of the body. Fortunately, cancer developing from these moles is rare and highly curable.

Causes and symptoms
The cause of hydatidiform mole is unclear; some experts believe it is caused by problems with the chromosomes (the structures inside cells that contain genetic information) in either the egg or sperm, or both. It may be associated with poor nutrition, or a problem with the ovaries or the uterus. A mole sometimes can develop from placental tissue that is left behind in the uterus after a miscarriage or childbirth.
Women with a hydatidiform mole will have a positive pregnancy test and often believe they have a normal pregnancy for the first three or four months. However, in these cases the uterus will grow abnormally fast. By the end of the third month, if not earlier, the woman will experience vaginal bleeding ranging from scant spotting to excessive bleeding. She may have hyperthyroidism (overproduction of thyroid hormones causing symptoms such as weight loss, increased appetite, and intolerance to heat). Sometimes, the grapelike cluster of cells itself will be shed with the blood during this time. Other symptoms may include severe nausea and vomiting and high blood pressure. As the pregnancy progresses, the fetus will not move and there will be no fetal heartbeat.

Diagnosis
The physician may not suspect a molar pregnancy until after the third month or later, when the absence of a fetal heartbeat together with bleeding and severe nausea and vomiting indicates something is amiss.
First, the physician will examine the woman's abdomen, feeling for any strange lumps or abnormalities in the uterus. A tubal pregnancy, which can be life threatening if not treated, will be ruled out. Then the physician will check the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that is normally produced by a placenta or a mole. Abnormally high levels of hCG together with the symptoms of vaginal bleeding, lack of fetal heartbeat, and an unusually large uterus all indicate a molar pregnancy. An ultrasound of the uterus to make sure there is no living fetus will confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment
It is extremely important to make sure that all of the mole is removed from the uterus, since it is possible that the tissue is potentially cancerous. Often, the tissue is naturally expelled by the fourth month of pregnancy. In some instances, the physician will give the woman a drug called oxytocin to trigger the release of the mole that is not spontaneously aborted.
If this does not happen, however, a vacuum aspiration can be performed to remove the mole. In a procedure similar to a dilatation and curettage (D & C), a woman is given an anesthetic (to deaden feeling during the procedure), her cervix (the structure at the bottom of the uterus) is dilated and the contents of the uterus is gently suctioned out. After the mole has been mostly removed, gentle scraping of the uterus lining is usually performed.
If the woman is older and does not want any more children, the uterus can be surgically removed (hysterectomy) instead of a vacuum aspiration because of the higher risk of cancerous moles in this age group.
Because of the cancer risk, the physician will continue to monitor the patient for at least two months after the end of a molar pregnancy. Since invasive disease is usually signaled by high levels of hCG that don't go down after the pregnancy has ended, the woman's hCG levels will be checked every two weeks. If the levels don't return to normal by that time, the mole may have become cancerous.
If the hCG level is normal, the woman's hCG will be tested each month for six months, and then every two months for a year.
If the mole has become cancerous, treatment includes removal of the cancerous issue and chemotherapy. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, radiation will be added. Specific treatment depends on how advanced the cancer is.
Women should make sure not to become pregnant within a year after hCG levels have returned to normal. If a woman were to become pregnant sooner than that, it would be difficult to tell whether the resulting high levels of hCG were caused by the pregnancy or a cancer from the mole.

Prognosis
A woman with a molar pregnancy often goes through the same emotions and sense of loss as does a woman who has a miscarriage. Most of the time, she truly believed she was pregnant and now has suffered a loss of the baby she thought she was carrying. In addition, there is the added worry that the tissue left behind could become cancerous.
In the unlikely case that the mole is cancerous the cure rate is almost 100%. As long as the uterus was not removed, it would still be possible to have a child at a later time.

Another interesting link HERE

I need to quit worrying... I have been filled with anxiety since this miscarriage. It sucks. I don't want to feel jaded every time I'm pregnant from now on. I want to feel that ignorant bliss I felt when I was pregnant with Brax. I should read the Bible more about NOT worrying and trusting in God's plan... any suggestions? Besides Prozac??!!

Weekend Update

This weekend went way too fast! Overall, it was a great one.
I had my follow up appt. with my OB on Friday (2 week post-D&C). He said everything looks OK at this point. The preliminary lab reports came back on the pregnancy tissue, and it was indicative of a "typical" miscarriage. The only thing that he was concerned with was the excessive amount of bleeding I had during the D&C, and the size of my uterus (I TOLD you it was huge!). We are now waiting on the more detailed chromosomal test results on the fetus (that's what they call it. But it was my baby.) He is slightly concerned that it may have been what's called a molar pregnancy. (click HERE for more info) So for now, we wait. It will be 2-4 more weeks for the results.
We spent a lot of time outdoors! It was wonderful. Friday morning we went for a walk and got to watch a city truck excavate a giant tree. I was even fascinated by this! Saturday we met our friends at the park. Today we worked in the yard a little, planting tulips and cutting back my rose bush. The highlight of the warm weather weekend was firing up the grill for the first time this year! The grill makes everything taste better. Thank you, Dad, for insisting that we buy one last summer!

Planting today...

I truly despise gardening. But I love how pretty flowers are!

Brax was a big helper. I had no idea what I was doing.

I'll be very surprised if the tulips actually erupt.

Brax and Isaac at the park yesterday.

Daddy and Brax checking out the things hanging off the tree.

My Sweet, Sweet Boy

Brax had a great day today, so I did too! He woke up at 6:20 happy as a clam (which isn't always the case--he is often very cranky until his oatmeal is in his belly!), so we got to spend a little QT together before I left for work at 7. I just had to get a shot of his awesome bed head-he must have slept hard! I just can't get enough sugar off him in the mornings-I repeatedly kiss his soft little cheeks over and over till I have to leave.
He took a 2 1/2 hour nap for Aunt LuLu, then I met them at My Gym. He really participated today--he sat there for circle time and did all the hand motions (instead of running around like a wild man), he flirted with another little girl there, trying to hug her several times (instead of ignoring everyone and doing his own thing) and he walked on the balance beam!!! It was really fun to watch him enjoying it so much. I was dreading having to tell everyone about my miscarriage, but I only had to tell one person. She asked how far along I was, I explained what happened, and she went on to tell me that she lost a baby in December at 11 weeks as well. It's just amazing how common it is, yet heartbreaking nevertheless.

"GOOD MORNING, MOMMA!!!"

Yummy bed head-it still smells like baby shampoo from his bath last nite.


"Bye bye, Momma! Have a good day!"

Now this I just love. I think I have mentioned on here before how sometimes when he's eating he'll take my hands and put then on his face and just nuzzle into them. He did that tonite at dinner so I grabbed the camera off the table and got a shot! I never want to forget that he does this. I know it won't last forever!

Then, after dinner, he pulled me over into the living room, guided me to the couch, brought me the remote and climbed in my lap. I swore I'd never make a habit of watching cartoons, but I sure do love snuggling on the couch! He sits in my lap, all relaxed, holding my hands, and he loves to have a blanket over us. Something else that will not last forever! (I AM glad boys grow out of this... I'd be a little weirded out if Mike wanted to lay in his mom's lap on the couch when she was in town! Ha ha ha!)

Works For Me Wednesday:When Band Aids Won't Stick

For the greatest random tips ever, click HERE to read a blog on "Works For Me Wednesday" helpful hints on anything you can imagine from real moms.

Here's my WFMW tip:

SUPER GLUE!! I've been in dentistry for almost 10 years, and anyone who is in healthcare knows that frequent handwashing and latex gloves don't mix well with BandAids on your hands/fingers! A dentist I worked for early in my career gave me a great tip--glue yourself together with Super Glue. Deep paper cuts, instrument puncture wounds, basically anything that isn't deep enough for stitches but still needs to be sealed shut and protected. It doesn't sting, and it won't poison you. I usually reapply once a day or so, because it does start to peel a little around the edges sometimes.

Random Pics, Random Dog

Fun with blankets.

We were REALLY bored this weekend with so much snow outside!

Blankets out, Brax in.

"I am so CLEVER."


The funnest fort ever, made by Momma.

It's fun to go under it, but MORE fun to smash in on top of it!

This is Scout. This is the closest we will ever get to having a dog. Little Scout snuck into our garage when I got home from work yesterday, and hid out there until Mike got home 3 hours later and found him! I had no idea he was in there-he never made a peep. Luckily, he had tags on so we called the owners and they promptly came to get him. They said he does this a lot! He's a garage bandit. I told Scout that if you come to our house, you MUST have your picture taken. He obliged.

"Babies Don't Keep"

I stole this poem from MckMama's site...

It was written in 1958 by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton, but it still holds true!

Song for a Fifth Child.

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.