Realization

My birthday was great. Peter and I went to a rock climbing wall first and then for supper. The rock climbing was much harder than the last (and only) time I did it. Although to be fair I just had a baby six weeks ago and my ankle is still kinda sucky.

For those of you with a week stomach, don't look at the following picture. I had to get a photographic evidence of the amazing pukey baby. "Happy Birthday Mama!"



I was thinking about something this evening as I was rocking with the baby. From 8:30 (if I'm lucky) (and I realize some of you would be SO happy if their kids got up at 8:30) until anywhere from 10:00pm to 12:00am (or later) I am looking after kids without a break. I know that's what being a mom is all about, yada, yada, yada, but you know what... it's getting tiring.

I was used to having some down time after Miss A would go to bed. Now it's get her to bed then spend the rest of the evening settling Baby B down. At least we can still watch television or a movie if she's not too fussy. And for the past two nights she's slept a really nice long stretch when she finally does go down.

I know this isn't going to last forever. And I also remember being so much more exhausted, frustrated, angry, etc. when A was a baby. So really, I'm doing well. Still, I'm tired. But yeah, goes with the territory, I know.

One new thing that I have mixed feelings about - Miss A has learned to use the computer. Okay, I taught her. She was interested in playing computer games so I thought I'd show her this website. At first she couldn't really do anything. I would sit with her with my hand over her hand on the mouse, showing her how to move it and which button to click. Then she started doing it on her own. This was only a few days ago. Now she can navigate all over the site, playing different games, watching videos. It's crazy. When I show her something once, she remembers. I barely have to help her anymore. She requests to play often now and I am limiting the time she spends on the computer, but... it does allow me to get stuff done. And I have to ask myself if it's better or worse than watching a bit of television. It's more interactive, improves hand/eye coordination and the games are all educational. Do I sound like I'm making excuses? Honestly, I don't think it's so bad. Mostly I am just totally amazed at how quickly she has caught on. I hope everything in life is so easy for her to learn.

Another Year Goes By

So I'm 32 today. Yep. It should be a good day. Grandma is coming over for lunch. My sister and niece are coming over to babysit tonight so Peter and I can go for supper. The baby slept through the night for the first time.

And here is my gift to all of you today. A video we took one of the first times Miss A held Baby B. She attempts to feed her and well you will see the hilarity that ensues...

Training Tales

Miss A is still going strong with the potty training. She is very proud of her bathroom accomplishments and always wants us to look at what she's done. She's been known to tell strangers that she "pooped in the potty today!" Everyone has been really polite so far, congratulating her and so forth. The other day at the park I was sitting next to a mom whose little girl A was playing with. This mom's little girl came running over to us at one point and said while pointing back at Miss A "She pooped on the potty today!" Oh boy.

Today she asked me to come to the potty with her. Her face lit up as it always does when she begins to pee. And then there was a huge fart. She looked surprised and I explained it was a big fart. She then says earnestly "Do you want to see my fart?"

It was all I could do not to burst out laughing.

Um...No

Yesterday Miss A pulled my shirt up a little to inspect my belly. She did this a lot while I was pregnant. She hasn't done it since I had B. She looked at it for a while and then asked "Is there another baby in your belly?" (I refuse to be offended by my 2 year old) "No" I told her, then asked "Would you like there to be another baby in there?" (Why would I ask this?) She nods and says "A brother one." I try not to laugh and say "Isn't a sister good enough?" She simply shakes her head no. And I mumble "Well it will have to be."

Also, regarding the potty training business, she's been in panties all week (in the daytime) with only minimal accidents. Today she is wearing two pairs at once, just because. I say whatever, more absorbency in case of an accident. And I know this is TMI but when the kid has a bowel movement it's like watching her give birth. I feel so sorry for her. No wonder she has hated going #2. Perhaps we need to eat more Bran...

Glutton for Punishment

So B wouldn't settle down until 12:30ish last night, followed by the usual night feedings. And then Miss A decided to get up at 7:30 this morning. This is the kid who NEEDS to sleep until 9:00.

Yet I am sticking to my plan to have her wear big girl panties starting today instead of pull-ups. This seems like a very bad idea considering how little sleep I've had and am likely to get anytime soon.

That said, we have had zero accidents thus far. We are going to a paddling pool this afternoon, so we'll see how that goes. So far it's been good for bribery purposes.

And now some pictures. This one's for Beth. I believe this would qualify as "smooshy face".

Face Painting Step By Step

Our La Leche League group had a 'Family Fun Day' BBQ today. There were plenty of fun things happening such as crafts and bubbles but Miss A's priority was to get her face painted.

Here are the step by step photos and the finished look.

It was so cute to watch her sit so still and look so serious.



She kept requesting the sparkles, the sparkles!



Inspecting herself in the mirror.



Smiling for the camera.

One Month Old

Hard to believe really. Doesn't she have an odd wise look about her?



added by Papa D:

Big Girl and Little Girl Developments

So Miss A has officially moved to a 'Big Girl Bed'. See here.




(Yes, that is a Barbie bedspread. Handed down from her cousin. It actually matches the room, saves me money and so on and so forth. A likes Barbies and I loved them too when I was little.)

I asked her to sit on her big girl bed and smile and this is what I got.







It's going pretty well so far, which is shocking to me. I did not think she would stay put but she has. We go through the same bedtime routine except that I lay bedside her on the bed and read to her, we pray, we sing (and at this point she often asks to go potty which is probably a stalling technique but she does actually go so I'm not going to refuse) and then when it's time for bed I kiss her, tell her I'll see her when the sun comes up (not literally) and say "Nighty, night night night night". She giggles, repeats and I turn the light off and pull the door almost closed. Done.

So far so good. Now, having said that said I will also say that I expect there will be issues... There always is. She seems to go through cycles with bedtime. Sometimes it's easy and routine goes well, sometimes she totally bucks routine and tries to pull all kinds of crap. So that is coming... I'm sure.

As for the little one. She continues to be an amazing baby. I can't believe she will be a month old tomorrow! Wow. My only complaints are her late owl tendencies as of late (she wants to stay up until almost midnight, meanwhile I'm nodding off in the chair) and her habit of overeating and then puking copious amounts. I'm not kidding. It is something to see. It comes out of her nose and mouth like a fountain. I sit there helpless, trying to catch it, fumbling for a kleenex, anything, while also trying to keep her from drowning at the same time. It's really rather ridiculous. Then we go and change all of our clothing.



I'm trying to keep up with things around here, without overdoing it and I'm trying not to feel overwhelmed. Trying to find balance with the scales weighing heavier on the 'spending time with the kids' side. I've been wanting to post for days and yet haven't until today. (And I've had to stop several times to - get paint, clean up paint, help wash hands, help brush teeth) I have dishes to put away, dishes to wash (I'm beginning to see the appeal of a dishwasher), I'd like to dust and wash the kitchen and bathroom floors and oh yeah there's that load of laundry downstairs...

Anyway. AND I read 'Breaking Dawn' which I thought was amazing and I'd love to write a review here but I'm going to wait to give people more time to read it. I recently discovered that there are fans(?) who really hated it. I of course acknowledge that everyone is entitled to their opinion but some of these people are starting a campaign encouraging people to return their books to 'send a message' to Stephanie. For pete's sake. Not only that, but some people are making ludicrous claims about things that the book is supposedly promoting. (I won't mention these because they could be considered spoilers.) Mostly this depresses me because I think it would be awful to pour your heart and soul into something, like this book, only to have people be ungrateful, misinterpret and basically crap all over your effort. You don't have to like it, just don't be so ridiculous... Rant over.

My Girls

The other day I was talking to a friend and I off handedly said "The kids" and then stopped for a second. Plural. I have kids. Wow.

Things are still going along nicely. This week will be the true test as I will be 'flying solo' starting tomorrow.

I have a terrible cough at the moment which I find incredibly irritating because it is stealing further sleep from me after I get the baby settled down in the night. I lay there hacking away, my face buried into a pillow in an attempt to disturb everyone else as little as possible. I am taking a mild cough syrup only at night as well as slathering myself with 'Vicks' and I keep 'Riccola' cough lozenges on my bedside table. I will be thrilled when it finally goes away but I'm certain sleep deprivation does nothing for the immune system and a person's ability to get healthy.

Miss A has been amazing with Baby B. At the moment she is 'reading' her a story. I am relieved that she seems to really love her sister already and I don't feel that I need to worry about her doing anything physically aggressive towards her if I'm not looking. However, she is playing the baby card with her Dad and I. She wants to be carried, is crying more, baby talking etc. She seems to especially dislike it when her Dad is carrying or holding B. She then insists that he carry or hold her also which he usually manages somehow. She sometimes does this to me as well but seems to understand a bit more when it comes to me. Perhaps because I have been unable to do certain things for/with her for a while now and so she is more used to it. For the most part I don't feel that I can really complain about her behavior much, considering the adjustment I think she's doing rather well.

*Sidenote Miss A is going to miss her playmate when he goes back to work. They play pretend all the time and she explains to him who each of them are. "I am the Mama and you are the Baby." and so on. But when she refers to him Daddy always precedes who his 'is'. For instance DaddyBaby, DaddyKitty, DaddyMonster etc.

Miss A has finally cut two (the bottom two) of her remaining molars. Sheesh. The kid has had a brutal time with teething. This might explain why she was getting up in the night last week. Seems back to normal now. (Thank GOD!)

And finally... I am totally immersed in Bella and Edward land reading the final book in the Twilight Series, 'Breaking Dawn'. I think I have been exercising incredible restraint by not getting up to read after settling Baby B back down in the middle of the night and feeling wide awake. Instead I lay in bed a while thinking about them and developing theories about what is going to happen.