A New Skill

Recently I have started baby-sitting for a 2 year old girl named Jasmine. Keeping her has taught both Savannah and I some new things. I think as a mom you are always in such a rush that you end up doing things for your kids that they could probably do themselves. This is the case I have learned with Savannah and her shoes. The first day Jasmine came and was able to put on her shoes all by herself I was amazed! She is over a year younger than Savannah and does it like a pro. I realized how nice it was just to tell her to go put them on and to be out the door. So I decided it was time for Savannah to do it on her own too. So I started by pointing out how Jasmine was "such a big girl" and having Savannah watch Jasmine. Then I started asking Savannah to try putting her shoes on too. At first she fought me and got frustrated with it. But today, my daughter learned a new skill...

She roped Jasmine into putting on her shoes for her. 

Oh my, where did I go wrong??

Savannah's Self-talk

So pretty much on a nightly basis, Savannah has a meltdown in the bathtub. She has issues with water and soap being in her face. Even when it's not, she screams that there is soap in her eyes and makes a HUGE production of being bathed. Those of you who know her well are probably not surprised :) So tonight when I went in to bathe her, I told her in a very calm and reassuring voice that I was going to get her washed and was expecting the usual. Her response was this, "I'm ready. It's not in my eyes. I'm fine." It was precious! And for the first time that I can remember did not scream and cry. I am so proud of her!! :)

I secretly am wondering if she learned the art of self-talk from me... :)

Post-Pregnancy Injustices

As most of you know, I had plenty of complaints while I was pregnant. However, I thought that everything would be resolved after the baby came. I discovered today that there are some serious post-pregnancy injustices too.

First - I am having major wardrobe issues! Being pregnant you are forced to buy really expensive and usually unattractive clothing. Then once you have the baby you don't fit into your old clothes yet but your maternity clothes don't fit either!!! As it turns out, after losing the baby weight plus an additional few pounds my old clothes still don't fit right! Things just don't go back to the way they were! And my feet grew!!! None of my shoes fit...Mike keeps asking if I need to lose more weight. Nice.

I did have a small triumph today though when I was able to wear my pre-pregnancy jeans! Unfortunately, this is when I discovered my next injustice. When I put on my jeans, I immediately thought about throwing up. I spent in the first 20+ weeks of my pregnancy in those jeans barfing my guts out. Then I thought how glad I was that I kept track of exactly how many times I puked so I could harass my child later in life about all the suffering I did on his behalf. Except that having a baby makes you completely stupid, and I have seriously forgotten the number I meticulously counted for 8 months!!!

My Children...

My son who is almost 8 weeks does nothing but sleep ALL day long...and then suddenly at about 8:00 pm just as we get our daughters into bed wakes up and wants to exercise his lungs for a few hours!!!!

Savannah on the other hand does not nap at all and spends her day harassing me to take her outside so she can catch bugs... here she is headed out onto the porch to kill a bee with a squirt bottle. And yes, those are swimmers ear plugs in her ears :)

And my oldest Kate spends most afternoons after school wearing a head lamp...

My Morning...

After being up several times with Owen last night, sleeping through my alarm, showering, getting Kate and Savannah up and dressed, and feeding Owen (who was about 15 mins overdue to eat and NOT happy), I went to the sink to give Owen a very overdue bath. This is what I saw...

  this would be last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast dishes!!!

                            So fifteen minutes and one irritated baby later...

Owen fell asleep while in the tub. Good News - my son finally has eyebrow hair and eyelashes!!! Because Owen was born three weeks early he didn't have any at first, although somehow had hair all over his head, shoulders, back, and bottom!

Doctor Appointments...

Over the last seven weeks I have literally been to the pediatrician nine times, often taking two of my kids in at a visit. Savannah has been fighting a chest/sinus infection for literally seven weeks and just started her 3rd round of antibiotics. Owen had multiple weight checks, feeding issues, and thrush. Now on his fourth formula and taking zantac his acid reflux seems to be under control. Kaitlyn, my healthy child, was only in for a medication adjustment and her yearly well exam. I left there yesterday with five prescriptions for two kids!

And Owen has his urology consultation on Friday so that makes ten! 

 

 my at home pharmacy!!

A New Perspective...

So I thought that being pregnant was the hardest thing I had ever done....

 As it turns out...having two active daughters and a new son is WAY HARDER!!!! :) 

Owen is now 7 weeks old, Kaitlyn started 3rd grade about a month ago, and Savannah has developed some seriously deadly attitude!!!! Life is hectic!! After swearing repeatedly that I would never say it, I kind of wish I was still pregnant!!! I only had 2 kids, no diapers or bottles, it was still summer so no alarms, and people waited on me hand and foot. I never realized how good I had it!!! :)