Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
The Weekend Update
Friday morning, we went to a parade, which both of the kids loved. Sammy was a little intimidated by the older children who shouldered their way past him to grab as much of the candy as they could get, but eventually he got braver and did manage to snag a few tootsie rolls. We went to a fireworks display on Friday night, and Sammy was underwhelmed, to say the least. He has been going to bed around 8:30 lately, and the fireworks didn't start until 10:00, so I think that was a big part of the problem. The good news? He slept in until 7:30 on Saturday morning. I honestly don't remember the last time he did that.
Natalie had a huge weekend. Not only did she learn how to walk, but she cut another tooth (finally! a grand total of 3 now!) and - can I get a drumroll, please - she slept through the night last night, for the first time ever! Surprisingly, I didn't even wake up to wonder why she hadn't woken up yet, so I got a very restful night's sleep.
Speaking of Natalie, let me tell you about our little drama queen. For example, this morning she wanted to play with Sammy's potty chair (yuck!) so I finally picked it up and put it where she couldn't reach it. She looked at the chair, looked at me, then flung herself face-first onto the floor and started shrieking in outrage. This exact scene plays itself out a couple of dozen times every day. I had to laugh when I picked her up from daycare on Thursday, and her daycare teacher told me they'd been calling her a "drama queen" all day. Apparently she doesn't just save those shows for me. I should also say that her teacher said that with affection - I know that's one of those things that could be taken different ways, and it all depends on the tone of voice. Trust me, every time I call her a drama queen, I am struggling to contain my laughter. I'm sure I won't find it as funny when she's a teenager, but right now I find it hilarious to see a 2 1/2-foot-tall little girl in a frilly dress flinging herself on the floor in tears over a potty chair.
And one last random story. Both kids seemed to have some sort of mild stomach bug this weekend. It didn't really seem to bother them, but it did give them yucky diapers for about half a day each. And that resulted it a really nasty-looking diaper rash apiece. Sammy's cleared up pretty quickly, but poor Natalie was still really red and sore-looking last night, so after bath I decided to let her go diaper-free in the kitchen for awhile. I gave her some crackers and cheese cubes in a bowl on the floor, and that drew Sammy's attention (for some reason, her food is always much more appetizing to him than his own food).
After about fifteen minutes, I vaguely heard Sammy say something but I was lost in my thoughts and didn't pay any attention. A few seconds later, his voice became more urgent and I snapped to attention. "Hurry up! Nye peeing all over!" he was saying, over and over. I turned to look, and there she was, sitting in a growing puddle and, unconcerned, was just about to pick up a soggy cracker to put in her mouth. That is why I kept her in the kitchen (tile floor versus carpet) for diaper-free time.
Natalie had a huge weekend. Not only did she learn how to walk, but she cut another tooth (finally! a grand total of 3 now!) and - can I get a drumroll, please - she slept through the night last night, for the first time ever! Surprisingly, I didn't even wake up to wonder why she hadn't woken up yet, so I got a very restful night's sleep.
Speaking of Natalie, let me tell you about our little drama queen. For example, this morning she wanted to play with Sammy's potty chair (yuck!) so I finally picked it up and put it where she couldn't reach it. She looked at the chair, looked at me, then flung herself face-first onto the floor and started shrieking in outrage. This exact scene plays itself out a couple of dozen times every day. I had to laugh when I picked her up from daycare on Thursday, and her daycare teacher told me they'd been calling her a "drama queen" all day. Apparently she doesn't just save those shows for me. I should also say that her teacher said that with affection - I know that's one of those things that could be taken different ways, and it all depends on the tone of voice. Trust me, every time I call her a drama queen, I am struggling to contain my laughter. I'm sure I won't find it as funny when she's a teenager, but right now I find it hilarious to see a 2 1/2-foot-tall little girl in a frilly dress flinging herself on the floor in tears over a potty chair.
And one last random story. Both kids seemed to have some sort of mild stomach bug this weekend. It didn't really seem to bother them, but it did give them yucky diapers for about half a day each. And that resulted it a really nasty-looking diaper rash apiece. Sammy's cleared up pretty quickly, but poor Natalie was still really red and sore-looking last night, so after bath I decided to let her go diaper-free in the kitchen for awhile. I gave her some crackers and cheese cubes in a bowl on the floor, and that drew Sammy's attention (for some reason, her food is always much more appetizing to him than his own food).
After about fifteen minutes, I vaguely heard Sammy say something but I was lost in my thoughts and didn't pay any attention. A few seconds later, his voice became more urgent and I snapped to attention. "Hurry up! Nye peeing all over!" he was saying, over and over. I turned to look, and there she was, sitting in a growing puddle and, unconcerned, was just about to pick up a soggy cracker to put in her mouth. That is why I kept her in the kitchen (tile floor versus carpet) for diaper-free time.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Milkmaid No More
After a long, close personal relationship with my breastpump for all but 3 months of the past 2 1/2 years, I think it is finally over between us. This wasn't how (or when) I saw it ending, but it is what it is.
I ended up weaning Sammy earlier than I wanted to, at 17 months old. At the time, I was 6 months pregnant with Natalie, and since becoming pregnant, nursing was not only painful but gave me a creepy-crawly feeling similar to hearing nails on a chalkboard. So when he started going for a day at a time without asking to nurse, it only took a little gentle encouragement on my part to wean him. I was sad about our nursing relationship ending, especially since I had hoped to nurse him until he was two years old, but I was also really ready at that point.
Then came Natalie. Since she is my last baby, I planned to nurse her as long as she wanted to, envisioning that I would have to be the one to put an end to it at some point. Wouldn't you know, she ended up being born with a mind of her own (imagine that!) and soon, the little baby who wouldn't deign to let a silicone nipple pass her lips for the first three months of her life started daycare, and learned to love and prefer the bottle. By six months old, the only time she would nurse was in the middle of the night, when she was too tired to care what method was used to deliver her milk, as long as it got into her belly, stat.
About a month ago, she stopped nursing at night. It was up to me and my trusty pump to keep her supplied with mama's milk. Unfortunately, due to renovations at work, I no longer have a private room to pump, so that set me pretty far back. Most of the time at home, it's all I can do to keep the kids fed, clean, and happy, so finding 10 minutes to sit down and hook myself up to the milkers is a near impossibility. So I ended up pumping only twice a day, which quickly went down to once. Yesterday, I realized I'm only pumping 2 oz. per day - not even half a bottle worth - and finally decided it's time to throw in the towel.
The good part? I can now finally concentrate on losing the last 10 pounds of my pregnancy weight (from my pregnancy with Sammy!) and hopefully a little more. In the past, every time I've tried to diet, my milk supply has crashed. And the next time I get a cold, I can take cold medicine. Oh, how I've missed my cold medicine over the last 2 1/2 years, in which I've averaged a cold a month during the winter months, thanks to all the viruses the kids drag home from daycare.
I suppose now I'll have to change the name of my blog...
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Here We Go Again
It's official - Natalie is now walking. Wouldn't you know it, I turned on the camcorder to capture the moment and...dead battery. It's charging now, so I'll post some video tomorrow. Assuming I haven't lost my sanity by then.
I Prefer Chocolate, Too
Grocery shopping with the kids yesterday, I was pushing the cart down the dairy aisle. When Sammy saw the eggs, he said hopefully, "Let's get the chocolate eggs today." I looked up to see that he was eyeing the brown eggs and practically drooling at the thought of all that "chocolate". If only, kid. If only.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Because I Just Don't Talk Enough About Poop
Since Natalie has outgrown the blowout stage, I rarely have share-worthy poop stories anymore. That's a good thing, from my perspective.
Warning: don't read this while you're eating. It still makes me gag to think about this.
Last night, the kids got together and hatched a diabolical plan to poop at the same time, while Ron was outside, weed-eating. I had to launch Operation Poop Removal with no backup.
I brought diapers and wipes into the bathroom, since I wanted Sammy to sit on the potty chair after he was cleaned up. I removed his diaper, used a wipe to clean him up, rolled up the used wipe so no icky surface was exposed, and set it on the rim of the bathtub for the moment while I turned to make sure he was properly positioned on the potty chair (very important when you have a boy).
I turned back to find that Natalie had picked up the used wipe and put it in her mouth, and was sucking on it like she does with washcloths. *shudder*
So, after I washed her mouth out thoroughly with soap (I'm kidding, of course, although the thought did cross my mind), it was her turn for a diaper change. She flopped around like a dying fish the entire time, which is the usual course these days.
Then it was time to dunk the diapers, a step that normally isn't necessary, but it sure was yesterday. I lifted the toilet lid, and the entire time I was dunking, Natalie was trying to grab onto the toilet rim. I don't like her to do that, since I get grossed out with the thought of all the germs that collect there in between cleanings. I held the soiled diaper with one hand, while I used my other hand to pull her away from the toilet, just to have her back at it five seconds later. Sammy tried to help me out by tackling her, which resulted in a lot of woe and tears.
Fun times.
Warning: don't read this while you're eating. It still makes me gag to think about this.
Last night, the kids got together and hatched a diabolical plan to poop at the same time, while Ron was outside, weed-eating. I had to launch Operation Poop Removal with no backup.
I brought diapers and wipes into the bathroom, since I wanted Sammy to sit on the potty chair after he was cleaned up. I removed his diaper, used a wipe to clean him up, rolled up the used wipe so no icky surface was exposed, and set it on the rim of the bathtub for the moment while I turned to make sure he was properly positioned on the potty chair (very important when you have a boy).
I turned back to find that Natalie had picked up the used wipe and put it in her mouth, and was sucking on it like she does with washcloths. *shudder*
So, after I washed her mouth out thoroughly with soap (I'm kidding, of course, although the thought did cross my mind), it was her turn for a diaper change. She flopped around like a dying fish the entire time, which is the usual course these days.
Then it was time to dunk the diapers, a step that normally isn't necessary, but it sure was yesterday. I lifted the toilet lid, and the entire time I was dunking, Natalie was trying to grab onto the toilet rim. I don't like her to do that, since I get grossed out with the thought of all the germs that collect there in between cleanings. I held the soiled diaper with one hand, while I used my other hand to pull her away from the toilet, just to have her back at it five seconds later. Sammy tried to help me out by tackling her, which resulted in a lot of woe and tears.
Fun times.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Weekend update
Saturday, in addition to being library day, is Farmer's Market day at our house. I know, we lead such a glamorous life, right? If we're feeling really crazy, we'll even end the day with a trip to Target. ;-)
So, Saturday we went to the Farmer's Market. St. Paul and Minneapolis each have their own, but we prefer St. Paul's. It's smaller, and less busy (meaning: a LOT easier to find parking), than the Minneapolis one.
I *heart* the Farmer's Market. I love the idea of supporting local farmers, and everything is fresher than the grocery store, as well as being cheaper, in most cases.
The highlight of our day, though, was stopping at Sonic after we finished at the market. Minnesota's first-ever Sonic just opened last week in St. Paul, and we were excited to try it out. Obviously, we don't get out much.
We weren't the only ones who had that idea. There was a police officer directing Sonic traffic down to the Catholic Charities parking lot down the street, where the line was forming. We were told it would be a 15-minute wait, but happily, it was more like a 5-minute wait. And it was worth it. Yum.
It seems to take a long time for Minnesota to get the good chain restaurants. I remember when our first Krispy Kreme opened up in February 2002. It's not as sad as it seems that I remember the exact date. That is when I had my lasik surgery done, and the lasik clinic was on the same block as the new Krispy Kreme. When I went in for my post-op appointment, there was a cop directing traffic that day, too, due to all the donut-hungry customers.
**********************************************************
Natalie's been having a rough couple of nights. Teething, a cold, and who-knows-what-else, means that I've been running on fumes. Yesterday, I didn't trust myself driving, so I called in to work and stayed home. Natalie and I took a 3-hour nap after we got Sammy off to daycare, and I felt almost human again after that. Sadly, last night wasn't much better, but I didn't feel like I could take another day off of work, so I muddled through as best as I could. I know some day, I'll get enough sleep again, but it's hard to imagine that right now.
**********************************************************
Lastly, yesterday afternoon, I took the kids to a local park with a swimming beach. The water close to shore was very warm, and Natalie loved playing in the sand and sitting in the water, but Sammy didn't want to have much to do with it. I'm pretty sure that was my fault, though. On the way there, I was warning him against drinking the water, since I knew that would be one of the first things he'd try. I think I went too far when I explained why I didn't want him to drink the water. I said that fish and geese and ducks poop in the water, so it isn't good to drink, and he got a horrified look on his face, right before saying "I don't think I want to go in the water."
He did put his toes in for a minute, right before saying that he wanted to go play on the playground. We climbed up the two-foot retaining wall, and I gave Sammy a little boost to help him up. I had an "awwww" moment when I heard him say, "I help you up" and turned around to see him trying to take the hand of a little girl who was about twice his size, to help her up the wall.
So, Saturday we went to the Farmer's Market. St. Paul and Minneapolis each have their own, but we prefer St. Paul's. It's smaller, and less busy (meaning: a LOT easier to find parking), than the Minneapolis one.
I *heart* the Farmer's Market. I love the idea of supporting local farmers, and everything is fresher than the grocery store, as well as being cheaper, in most cases.
The highlight of our day, though, was stopping at Sonic after we finished at the market. Minnesota's first-ever Sonic just opened last week in St. Paul, and we were excited to try it out. Obviously, we don't get out much.
We weren't the only ones who had that idea. There was a police officer directing Sonic traffic down to the Catholic Charities parking lot down the street, where the line was forming. We were told it would be a 15-minute wait, but happily, it was more like a 5-minute wait. And it was worth it. Yum.
It seems to take a long time for Minnesota to get the good chain restaurants. I remember when our first Krispy Kreme opened up in February 2002. It's not as sad as it seems that I remember the exact date. That is when I had my lasik surgery done, and the lasik clinic was on the same block as the new Krispy Kreme. When I went in for my post-op appointment, there was a cop directing traffic that day, too, due to all the donut-hungry customers.
**********************************************************
Natalie's been having a rough couple of nights. Teething, a cold, and who-knows-what-else, means that I've been running on fumes. Yesterday, I didn't trust myself driving, so I called in to work and stayed home. Natalie and I took a 3-hour nap after we got Sammy off to daycare, and I felt almost human again after that. Sadly, last night wasn't much better, but I didn't feel like I could take another day off of work, so I muddled through as best as I could. I know some day, I'll get enough sleep again, but it's hard to imagine that right now.
**********************************************************
Lastly, yesterday afternoon, I took the kids to a local park with a swimming beach. The water close to shore was very warm, and Natalie loved playing in the sand and sitting in the water, but Sammy didn't want to have much to do with it. I'm pretty sure that was my fault, though. On the way there, I was warning him against drinking the water, since I knew that would be one of the first things he'd try. I think I went too far when I explained why I didn't want him to drink the water. I said that fish and geese and ducks poop in the water, so it isn't good to drink, and he got a horrified look on his face, right before saying "I don't think I want to go in the water."
He did put his toes in for a minute, right before saying that he wanted to go play on the playground. We climbed up the two-foot retaining wall, and I gave Sammy a little boost to help him up. I had an "awwww" moment when I heard him say, "I help you up" and turned around to see him trying to take the hand of a little girl who was about twice his size, to help her up the wall.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)