of a mom of three...
1:30am: Squawker starts squawking which results in one (unsuccessful) attempt at being plugged with the paci and then straight into bed with the parents because, let's face it, I'm ready for some rest after my work week(end). Tough love will start tomorrow night. promise.
3:30am: Little girl slides into our bed announcing that she has thrown up in her bed. Quick pass off of squawker and then downstairs to make a sick bed on the couch with a promise to return shortly. Pepto in the belly. Mouth rinsed out.
3:40am: Bed is stripped and now in the basement washing sheets and comforter. Thinking: I wish Little Girl hadn't seen Baby Girl in bed with us. Also thinking: Why didn't I put the baby back in her pack 'n play instead of handing her off for her dad to snuggle? Am I an enabler?
3:55am: Back to the couch with Little Girl. Her head at one end, mine at the other. "Leg cuddles" I tell her.
4:30am: Hear squawking. Go upstairs to feed baby. Put her back in the PACK 'N PLAY. Look longingly at my comfy bed and then head back to the couch for more leg snuggles.
Unknown time: Wake up to sunlight. Head upstairs. A tousle-headed Big Girl is getting dressed and tells me "I must have fallen back to sleep." Realize it's 7am and a quick assessment tells me BG woke up on her own and only thinks she "fell back to sleep".
8:30am: Getting a shower with a curtain separating me from squawker playing in her bouncer and Little Girl rummaging through drawers and chanting "Bub-ble Bath" and "Straw-ber-ry" over and over again. I realize unintentionally that if I plug my ears and put my face into the water I can hear absolutely nothing. Amazing. I store this in my memory bank.
8:35am: Get out to find Little Girl with a gob of antibiotic cream on her forehead on a non-existent boo-boo with now-greasy hair flopping over into her face. I ignore my unpleasant thoughts and cover the spot with a band-aid.
9:20am: On laundry load #3 and think to myself...even on the bad days/nights it's really not so bad.
How's your Monday?
11.09.2009
11.06.2009
5 months
It's truly something new every day these days with Lilah! She absolutely LOVES her big sisters and laughs any time they laugh. She watches them very closely:) She has learned to jump in her johnny jump up. She has tried sweet potatoes (and liked them) and bananas (doesn't like so far).
We've had a regression in the sleep department. She has been in the cradle on top of her pack 'n play since birth and as she was reaching the weight limit, we took it off and let her sleep on the flat part of the pack 'n play. Not going so well. She (for the past week) has been in our bed by 3-4am for the past week. Yikes! I do not want her to be a co-sleeper. Not. At. All. Don't get me wrong...I love the snuggles. But #1: it's not fair to the big girls for Lilah to get to sleep in our bed and #2 I have visions of a two year old Lilah still refusing to sleep through the night in her own bed. We'll keep working on this!
She belongs to all four of us. My "little mommas" help me so much and they are just crazy about her. This past week on our way home from the dentist. Sam said, "Mom do you know why I'm crying?" I hadn't know she was crying but I turn around and see that she is. "Why?" I asked. And she told me, "Because Lilah is so cute and I don't want her to grow up. It makes me sad to think about her getting big" I'm not sure why she feels that sadness at seven but I can relate. I had to remind her of all the fun things Lilah would miss out on if she stayed small forever. I reminded big girl (and myself) that watching babies grow and change is fun not sad.
She (lilah) is very lucky to have such sweet sisters!
10.30.2009
Look what I can do...
She's not much for rolling over but she's getting better and better at this sitting thing.
Also a favorite past time is sitting in her bumbo on the table digging through the big girl's snack bowl. This and watching her rip up napkins is our entertainment every night as we sit around the dinner table.
And by the way, this is how she ALWAYS sits in her bumbo whether or not there is a bowl or napkin to entertain her. I don't know why but she's not much for sitting straight up in it. I guess she's always looking for something to do/grab! It sure does make feeding a challenge (and a mess!).
10.29.2009
October
The best month of the year, I say. We're glad most of the rain has passed and we have had some fun at the Halloween festivities going on around here.
This month for us last year was life altering. Do you remember?
Very early in the month I found out that #3 was on the way. It has been such a blessing to love on this baby girl. I hold her and know what it was like to rock ALL THREE of my girls to sleep at night.
At the end of the month last year we found out that we would be able to adopt our two big girls. It seemed like it took forever to get to that point, didn't it? And speaking of forever...it felt good to finally say it...Read Here.
Looking back, bringing the girls home was more stressful than I realized at the time. Trying to find a balance between loving them like they were my own and guarding my heart because they weren't was difficult. But our reality was as natural to us as it is to any first-time parent. I haven't always gotten in right. That's an understatement. I guess all parents feel that way sometimes. These kids are such good kids though. They can make me laugh like no other! Like yesterday Samantha giving her chest two quick closed-fist pounds and then throwing out the peace sign and being totally serious about it (I hope you get the mental image so that you can laugh too! Where do they get this stuff??). They humble me in the way that they love me and are so eager to please.
They say, "I want to be just like you when I grow up." And wow, what an undeserved compliment that is. I'm reminded of how unworthy I am of the gift God has given me in these children. I'm blessed to be chosen as their mother.
It is not uncommon for Jonathan and I to look at each other in any given situation and say...tomorrow we'll wake up and she'll be 18.
Here's to trying to remember daily how quickly it will all go by!
This month for us last year was life altering. Do you remember?
Very early in the month I found out that #3 was on the way. It has been such a blessing to love on this baby girl. I hold her and know what it was like to rock ALL THREE of my girls to sleep at night.
At the end of the month last year we found out that we would be able to adopt our two big girls. It seemed like it took forever to get to that point, didn't it? And speaking of forever...it felt good to finally say it...Read Here.
Looking back, bringing the girls home was more stressful than I realized at the time. Trying to find a balance between loving them like they were my own and guarding my heart because they weren't was difficult. But our reality was as natural to us as it is to any first-time parent. I haven't always gotten in right. That's an understatement. I guess all parents feel that way sometimes. These kids are such good kids though. They can make me laugh like no other! Like yesterday Samantha giving her chest two quick closed-fist pounds and then throwing out the peace sign and being totally serious about it (I hope you get the mental image so that you can laugh too! Where do they get this stuff??). They humble me in the way that they love me and are so eager to please.
They say, "I want to be just like you when I grow up." And wow, what an undeserved compliment that is. I'm reminded of how unworthy I am of the gift God has given me in these children. I'm blessed to be chosen as their mother.
It is not uncommon for Jonathan and I to look at each other in any given situation and say...tomorrow we'll wake up and she'll be 18.
Here's to trying to remember daily how quickly it will all go by!
10.21.2009
Over the river and through the woods...
To GG's house we went.
Working weekends has kept us away from North Alabama and my family:( This past Friday we headed that way after school. We were SO happy to be at GG's to visit! Lilah had her first sleep over (without me) on Saturday night and everyone arrived back at the house happy, bathed, and sad to see GG go on Sunday.
I had a blunder on my way back to Birmingham Saturday morning. I made it to Trussville before I realized I needed gas. Off the interstate I went and was pulling into the gas station when it occurred to me that my wallet was in Lilah's diaper bag a little over an hour away. I would like to say that is where my cell phone also was but the truth is the cell has been lost for weeks probably somewhere at the house(haven't I said I'm terrible with the cell phone?). Anyway, I didn't panic thinking surely there was some cash in the car. Nope. I was certain they wouldn't take candy or children's books as payment...I had plenty of that/those. SO, a kind man who was purchasing a cap at the gas station at 8am lent me his cell phone so that I could call my husband (who had been up all night for a youth lock in at the church) to come bail me out. He was there in record time and didn't say one think to me about it (other than, I think you can make it on time). I can say with confidence that anyone who knows me well would agree that this incidence isn't terribly surprising. I kinda do things like this. That my husband doesn't rip my head off about it...about having to drive half an hour after no sleep to buy my gas...about having to call my work FOR me because yet again I don't have a cell phone on hand...really humbles me and makes me question how I would have responded had the roles been reversed. Not so gracefully I can assure you.
Anyway, back to GG's:
(1)It feels good to be "home" even if I never actually lived in the house where my parent's now live. It's always good company and good times.
(2)When GG's around I actually exist in photographs.
Even if it is a photo of the baby crying and myself in pj's. Who cares? There will be proof one day that I was there too...that I held these babes in my arms once upon a time.
(3) When I'm there I get to be the daughter and my mom takes good care of me:) She even had a lunch packed for me. How sweet is that?
(4)She has a fun house with a closet full of toys and fun activities planned for my kids.
(5) She loves everyone the same:)
How is it already the end of another week? My mantra these days...where does the time go?
Be back soon with some Halloween fun!
Working weekends has kept us away from North Alabama and my family:( This past Friday we headed that way after school. We were SO happy to be at GG's to visit! Lilah had her first sleep over (without me) on Saturday night and everyone arrived back at the house happy, bathed, and sad to see GG go on Sunday.
I had a blunder on my way back to Birmingham Saturday morning. I made it to Trussville before I realized I needed gas. Off the interstate I went and was pulling into the gas station when it occurred to me that my wallet was in Lilah's diaper bag a little over an hour away. I would like to say that is where my cell phone also was but the truth is the cell has been lost for weeks probably somewhere at the house(haven't I said I'm terrible with the cell phone?). Anyway, I didn't panic thinking surely there was some cash in the car. Nope. I was certain they wouldn't take candy or children's books as payment...I had plenty of that/those. SO, a kind man who was purchasing a cap at the gas station at 8am lent me his cell phone so that I could call my husband (who had been up all night for a youth lock in at the church) to come bail me out. He was there in record time and didn't say one think to me about it (other than, I think you can make it on time). I can say with confidence that anyone who knows me well would agree that this incidence isn't terribly surprising. I kinda do things like this. That my husband doesn't rip my head off about it...about having to drive half an hour after no sleep to buy my gas...about having to call my work FOR me because yet again I don't have a cell phone on hand...really humbles me and makes me question how I would have responded had the roles been reversed. Not so gracefully I can assure you.
Anyway, back to GG's:
(1)It feels good to be "home" even if I never actually lived in the house where my parent's now live. It's always good company and good times.
(2)When GG's around I actually exist in photographs.
Even if it is a photo of the baby crying and myself in pj's. Who cares? There will be proof one day that I was there too...that I held these babes in my arms once upon a time.
(3) When I'm there I get to be the daughter and my mom takes good care of me:) She even had a lunch packed for me. How sweet is that?
(4)She has a fun house with a closet full of toys and fun activities planned for my kids.
(5) She loves everyone the same:)
How is it already the end of another week? My mantra these days...where does the time go?
Be back soon with some Halloween fun!
10.08.2009
Yum-Yum!
She's four months ya'll!
And because you can at four months, we tried rice cereal. Can you see the surprise on her face?!
I read a variety of things about rice cereal before giving it. The summary: Rice cereal was created in a time when formula wasn't fortified with iron. Thus, rice cereal was introduced to ensure babes were getting iron. Now formula DOES have iron and breast-fed babes get iron from moms anyway SO rice cereal isn't necessary. On the harsher (word?) more granola end...rice cereal is perhaps a bad choice as it is mainly sugar and starch. Oh well. It has calories and is an easy was to transition into solids as its consistency can be diluted/thickened and it has a low allergy possibility. We're doing it (but not stressing over it).
I also had questions about vaccinations. Questions that were firmly but nicely put to rest by our pediatrician. Bottom line to keep things short, for the most part, I'm done with the research as it relates to these things...food, shots, etc. I love this baby and want to do the best thing for her. I trust and respect our doctor. He is highly educated and competent. I will ask his advice and follow his lead as long as it feels right. All this reading and research amounts to unnecessary concern and confusion. My mom told me last night that I started rice cereal at two weeks. I'm fine. I'm not obese. I make good food choices. I have no food or drug allergies. None of the red flags for starting food early were true for me. I also got all vaccines with no ill effect.
So I'm done with that.
Lilah's stats at four months:
Length: 24 1/4 (50-75th percentile)
Weight: 11 pounds 5 ounces (10th percentile) tiny but no concern from our doc
Head circ: 16 inches (25-50th percentile)
Sleeping: typically from 7p-4:30a at which time she has a quick eat and then back to sleep until around 7:30a
10.05.2009
Eating and MJ
Our little baby girl will be four months old tomorrow and she is showing all the signs that she is ready to move on to something a little more solid to eat. She's become really interested in what we are putting in our mouths at feeding times and then cries in protest until she is fed (even if she ate an hour before). This baby is hungry! Here she is staring intently at her big sister from her Bumbo:
And while we've got a photo going of big girl, let me say that she loves Michael Jackson. Her "BFF" at school has introduced her to the King of Pop and she writes and talks about him often. I can remember listening to my sister's thriller record at around her age so it's kinda neat to show her the Beat It and Thriller videos (and yikes Thriller is scary but no bad dreams and she begs to watch it again!). It's amusing that I will be buying my oldest child a MJ album for Christmas this year. If only we had kept all those old records!
Little girl is having better days. Still doing her thing...attempting to cut clothes, drawing on her hands with marker, etc while at school but she keeps such activities to a minimum. For this we are thankful!
And while we've got a photo going of big girl, let me say that she loves Michael Jackson. Her "BFF" at school has introduced her to the King of Pop and she writes and talks about him often. I can remember listening to my sister's thriller record at around her age so it's kinda neat to show her the Beat It and Thriller videos (and yikes Thriller is scary but no bad dreams and she begs to watch it again!). It's amusing that I will be buying my oldest child a MJ album for Christmas this year. If only we had kept all those old records!
Little girl is having better days. Still doing her thing...attempting to cut clothes, drawing on her hands with marker, etc while at school but she keeps such activities to a minimum. For this we are thankful!
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