Christmas Day

I was very excited for Christmas this year. Nate is understanding the idea of wrapped gifts and it is so fun to watch him open them--although he doesn't have amazing expressions yet when he sees the toy, but he is very happy and that shines through. I had to wait awhile, though, to see this because we decided not to open presents until after his nap. He's not at the age yet where he understands the idea of Christmas and Santa and all that good stuff, so timing really didn't matter. Church service was at 10am, and so we decided it might be better to open them when he has more time to play with them and avoid a meltdown. Some days he hates leaving the house, let alone when there's new toys to play with.So we waited until after he woke up and when he came downstairs he went right to the gifts (hard not to when one of his big gifts was a tool bench). He doesn't tear into the gifts, but slowly peels away the paper, examining what is underneath. He was very happy to see the bench and some play tools. He loves when Daddy has his tools out working on something so I knew this one would be a hit. He continued to open some smaller presents while Michael and I exchanged our gifts. When he was done, he headed towards the kitchen (that's where we put his trampoline). When he saw it it's like he knew exactly what it was for: jumping, his number one activity. He got right on and started jumping and I don't think he's stopped since. No, he does play with his other toys, but he sure does love to jump. Even so much to the point it makes him sick and has thrown up a couple times on it.
I didn't make a big Christmas dinner since I make a big holiday meal when we get together with the Toppes, so we decided to "Christmas Story" it up, and headed to Chinese buffet. It was awesome. Not exactly like the movie, but still fun. May be our new tradition every year. We will see.

Christmas Celebration #2

On Christmas Eve we always go down to Mitchell to celebrate Christmas with all the extended family. This year, we decided to go to the annual Briscoe family reunion. It was good to get in that extra time to visit with family, however, our kids did not agree. Nate, of course, wanted to get into everything he couldn't. But Maddie, our normally so good child, decided that on the night she was going to meet everyone she was going to cry all night. I don't know if it was all the new faces or the big open space or just her mood that night (tired, not feeling good??), but she was completely out of character.

The night definitely smoothed out once we got to Michael's aunt's. She has a playroom in her basement so Nate could play with toys and Maddie was much happier there. So after gifts, lots of snacking on goodies, and visiting, we headed home. It's always nice to see family and spend time together. I always look forward to this time.

Painting

The more we are stuck in the house and cannot go outside to play, the more I try to come up with fun things to do with Nate. He has never painted before so I thought we would give this a try. Bust. It was going fine for the first minute, but then he wanted to hold the paint jar (up to that point I was dipping his brush in the paint and handing it to him) and I could see paint flying everywhere so that was a no, and he hates no's. I thought he might like to finger paint but he did NOT like the paint on his hand at all and I had to wipe it off right away. So our "fun" art time ended in a crying and screaming meltdown. It has been noted that we will not attempt to paint again for awhile.

Christmas Celebration #1

Dividing up the time we spend with family makes it much easier to get in quality time (and more of it!) because we don't have to rush around to everyone's houses within a day or two. So our first Christmas was with Michael's parents this past Saturday. His sister, Christy, and her family were supposed to come too but her daughter was sick. So it ended up just being us, which is okay because we will be able to see the Bunch's Christmas Eve. Nate is getting more into unwrapping presents now that he is learning that new toys are underneath all that paper. He had a good time opening his gifts and would have probably been content with just one as he stopped to play with it and left the rest of the presents. But he did come back for more and Mamaw and Papaw really spoiled him. All of us, really. It was a really good visit and a good kick off to the holiday week ahead.

The Wall Comes Down

The wall that divides the front room and the living room has been my nemesis for awhile now. It has made the living room much too small and bringing baby equipment back in makes it much smaller, if that was possible. It has also allowed Nate to be mischevous in the other room while he knew I was busy with the baby and could not see him. So tearing down the wall would create this bigger, open space where no man or toddler could hide.

The project took about 2 weeks, starting mid-November. The demolition went rather quickly but then we ran into little snags along the way. Neither of us has done any type of remodeling on our own. I remember helping Dad when I was younger with his home improvement projects, but without Dad here telling me exactly what to do, it was much different. In the end we got it done, and while it's not perfect, it is done. That's all that matters to me. We worked hard and long and had late nights, and after the carpet is installed today we will finally be able to sit back and enjoy it.

Here is what we did:

Kitchen: removed the wallpaper which also pulled up some of the paint in many areas so I had to go back and fix the walls, prime, and paint/installed all new light fixtures (ah, the ugly flourescent is gone!)/took down the blinds & we will be hanging curtains

Living/Front Room: tore down the wall which then created a sag in the soffet so we had to put in reinforcements, drywall, paint, repair the baseboard, put in new light fixtures, and install new blinds

We also scraped the popcorn ceiling and repainted it. We wall mounted the tv to get it away from little fingers as well.

Maddie-4 Months

Maddie, or Mo as I started calling her because her hair is coming in like a mohawk, is four months old today. One-third of a year. Seems to be going fast. I think I say this every month. :) She had her wellness visit today. She is doing fine. Her weight is 17lbs. 6 oz. (93%) and she is 26 1/2 inches long (100%). Not a surprise that she's a big baby. I recently moved her to 6-9 month clothing. Overall she is doing very good. Still eating every 4-5 hours and naps after being up for 2-3 hours. She has gotten very used to sleeping with Mommy and so doesn't sleep very well or long for naps in a bed. We are going to really start working on that. She also is still getting up every 2 hours at night. Dr. Harris asked how she was eating at night and she does eat like she's hungry. She suggested feeding her more often during the day, but I tried that and she spits up a lot; just too full. So she feels that Maddie really is hungry at night and I can continue the feedings. She said it was up to me, but it is fine to start feeding her cereal and see if that helps. I know it didn't do anything for Nate when we started adding cereal to his bottle. But I'm not opposed to the idea and it is something to consider. Other than that everything is going well. She is usually very content, likes to smile, and is entertained by bubby a lot...when he's not stomping on her or gouging out her eyes.

Thanksgiving

We went to Michael's parents for Thanksgiving, as is the tradition each year. Luckily we had good weather we took Hwy 46 down so it was a lovely scenic drive. Of course his mother had all the fixings and dinner was delicious! Afterwards we visited and although I don't remember everything that was discussed, I know that my sides were hurting from laughing so much. We even played "telephone" with the kids, which they loved. Nate did really well and I think as he gets older and can interact better with Christy's girls, the more fun he will have at these family gatherings. Usually it is so much work to take him anywhere that is not baby proof, but he did great and I felt like I could just relax and let him play. Of course Maddie was an angel. Next year she'll be able to eat the food with us!

I try to be thankful year round but Thanksgiving is always a time that makes me really sit and think about the things that I am blessed with. This year I would like to take time to say that I am thankful for God's love, my family & technology that keeps me connected to my family that is not close, my children and husband, good health, making good friendships, a home, and happiness.

Nate-2 Years Old

I'm not sure where to even start with this one. I guess with his wellness visit results. He is 33lbs 4oz (95%) and 36.5 inches long (95%). Everything looks good with him. Finally. What a year it has been with his skin issues. But finally having them resolved and knowing that chocolate was the culprit has done wonders. Dr. Harris can't believe how good he looks. He is a big boy and I was surprised that he is "only" 33 pounds. He feels much, much heavier. Everyone that holds him comments that he is so solid. He is in size 3T clothing.

He is sweet and loves people. He loves copying and recently has started fake sneezing. He'll do this a lot after he coughs too. His fake sneeze is more like spitting but it's funny. He also has the best fake snore I've ever heard. Where do they pick up this stuff!?! He has the cutest smile and it's the best to watch him anticipate something that he's expecting, like tickling at a certain point in a song that he knows. He gets ready for it and this smile spreads across his face. We took away the paci at 22 months because he was chewing on it and ever since bedtimes have been the worst. He cries and screams and stands at his doorway, sometimes for hours. Literally. There have been some nights when he's still up after we go to bed. It has definitely been a struggle but we should get through this stage like everything else.

He is also going through the terrible 2's. It's great. The meltdowns over the slightest things. All normal, all natural, all frustrating as all get out. I created a time out zone with a gate blocking off the back laundry area. It works great. He has learned the words time out quickly. He is also still adjusting to baby sister. While he's not really acting out anymore, there is still some jealousy and he likes to be mean to her. He will step on her or gouge out her eyes. But he can be very sweet to her as well, giving her the softest of kisses on her head.

He hates: getting dressed, getting lotioned, hats, and being told no.

He loves: his blankie, watching movies (faves are How to Train Your Dragon, Toy Story, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Up, & Tangled), jumping, his Twinkle Twinkle Little Star book, balloons, sand, sticks, baths, swinging, motorcycles, tires, and trains & cars. His favorite foods are corn dogs, pizza, bananas, fruit snacks, vanilla wafers, macaroni and cheese, orange juice, fries, mashed potatoes, and toddler meals.

He's up to about 18 words but trying to say more. The words he can say that are understandable are: mama, dada, baba, ball, good, please, owie, uh-oh, no, all gone, poo poo, baby, bye, itchy, thank you, help you, go, shoe. He says more that only I can understand like movie or light, etc.

I cannot believe my baby is 2 years old. I thought it would be difficult for me but I am enjoying every new stage. I wish time would pass by slower, but it is exciting to see what new developments he makes each day. I love my Nate so much and so glad to have this little guy in my life!

3 Months Old

Three months have gone by already! It has been a blur. Life goes by much quicker now...probably because there's never a dull moment-or a moment to rest. :)

I think there are two big things I want to remember about Maddie at 3 months. The first is that she does not sleep! Okay, she sleeps beautifully during the day. She has an hour nap every morning at 10am. A couple of hours later she has a two hour nap (on average) and then a 30 minute-hour nap in the evening. She's very structured in her naps. I can put her down when she naps and she will fall asleep in her bed on her own. Night is a different story. She still sleeps in two hour spurts. For one week I tried giving her the paci at the 2-hour mark and feeding her at the 4-hour mark. This worked well for one night. After that it was down hill and by the end of the week she was getting up every hour. I have tried swaddling (she's too big and breaks free), tummy (hates it), and even a little crying (probably not long enough because I don't like it). She likes to sleep with me and last night she slept with me the whole night. I was so exhausted I don't remember how many times she got up, but I think the stretches were a bit longer than 2 hours.

The second is that she is a mommy's girl. Big time. I had my first break away from both the kids the night before Michael's birthday. Sara watched them so that we could go out for dinner. She was a bit fussy and was ready to see her mommy by the time we got back (I think we were gone an 1 1/2 hours). This past weekend Jaime was up visiting with the boys all day. She offered to watch the kids so we could go out for dinner. I took her up on it! Maddie started crying and there was no consoling her until I got home. The same thing happens if I tuck Nate into bed at night. I am only upstairs long enough to read him a few stories, but it's that time of night that Miss Maddie needs her mommy! So I am not going to be able to go anywhere (not even upstairs!) in the evenings until she grows out of this. Yay me!

But if the sleeping and needing me are the worst things about her, then I will take them in a heartbeat! She is a good baby overall. She is smiling and has these chubby cheeks you can't help but squeeze. She really is a sweetheart.

Kiss the Pacifier Good-Bye

For awhile now, Nate has been chewing on his paci's. With Maddie and all the changes that have happened, I didn't want to take away the one thing (besides his blankie) that he loves the most--yes, even more than mom and dad. So, I've been buying new paci's often to replace the chewed up paci so he doesn't choke on the pieces. I thought that by only giving him the paci at sleepy-times that he wouldn't chew up, or at least as fast. Well, he has been and we've been talking about getting rid of them but never find the "right" time to do it. That time came on Saturday.

It all started when Nate kicked Michael and so he took his paci away (standard punishment procedure). When the time came to get it back, Nate was still crying and screaming for it. We told him to stop and say please. He refused. Over and over. Thirty minutes into it (and in complete meltdown mode) I decided that this was it. I was not about to do this again. And since he wasn't giving in and neither were we (how hard is it to say please, for crying out loud!) the paci was gone. I brought him up to bed for his nap and there he carried on for another 30 minutes, finally falling asleep. It was very difficult not to give in. This was probably one of the worst meltdowns I have ever seen from him. His poor little eyes were red and swollen from crying so hard. I wanted to give it back so badly. All I could think is, just say please!

That was Saturday and now it is Tuesday. We have had some smooth and not so smooth bedtimes. I showed him the top of the fridge (where we kept them) and told him that they were all gone. He seemed to understand that but wasn't happy about it. I think he has done a good job so far, and even with the meltdowns, it could have been and could continue to be worse. He hasn't stolen Maddie's paci and today was the first day he hasn't asked for it for his nap. And of course, you know me, part of me is sad that my baby boy is leaving one more baby thing behind.

Sleep, Sleep, and See-Ya

I never lay down for naps. Once I'm up for the day, I am up. I have to turn myself on otherwise I will not be able to function. Since Maddie was born I have had plenty of people tell me that I need to sleep when I get a chance. This is always great advice but I just never have been able to. If I do lay down then all I think about is what I need or want to do that I can't when the kids are awake. That all changed yesterday. Maddie went down for her nap at noon [which on a side note I am trying to make her fall asleep on her own for at least one nap a day to get used to it, so she fell asleep on her own in her bed] and then Nate went down at 12:30. I did a few things and then Maddie woke up at 1pm. I fed her and she fell right back to sleep. I got out my scrapbooking stuff but I just couldn't find the motivation to do it. I thought, I'll just lay on the couch for a bit, and I was OUT. It felt so good! And I guess the last 10 weeks without getting much sleep is finally catching up, because today when Nate when down for his nap, I snuggled up with Maddie on the couch and slept again. Oh my, now I'm in trouble. Can I get used to this thing called a nap? The housework will never get done! But it sure does feel good to get some extra sleep.

To keep you updated on Maddie's sleep: she slept from 8pm to 1am last night! She stirred a little when I went to bed at 10pm but didn't wake up. After that it was every 2 hours like normal, but this I feel is progress! If that first stretch of sleep just keeps getting longer and longer, pretty soon she will be sleeping through the night. Well, eventually. But I'll take any glimmer of hope. So even though I didn't get as long of a stretch, I am happy that she did and that we're on our way!

And now for the see-ya! We didn't go back to church for a few weeks after Maddie was born and when we did Nate really struggled with us leaving him in the nursery. He would cry and hang on to us. He was always fine within minutes but it was always hard to leave him like that. The last couple of weeks he just goes right in and starts playing; he could care less. Lately, he has also been the only one in the nursery since all the other boys have moved up to the 2/3 year old room. So today I decided to bring him in that room so he wouldn't be alone (it's only another month until he's 2 anyway). I thought since it was a new room he would be very clingy. Nope. He saw his friends and new toys and never looked back. While I'm glad he's not crying when I leave him, part of me wants him to. Don't grow up! Be sad when I leave! Haha! This growing up stuff is for the birds.

Poopy Hands

Because I think I've shared just about every good poopy story with you, it just wouldn't be right to not talk about the latest poop development: poopy hands. I'm not sure when exactly it started, but I do know it's been going on too long (twice is really too long and it's been plenty more than that). If Michael or I do not get to Nate's poopy diaper right away, he will. He will reach around and grab a handful of its contents and then show us. Sometimes it's better than that, he will go around grabbing other things first. Well, as I sit here after another poopy hands incident, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. This time it happened in his room, when he was supposed to be napping [on a side note I had already been up there once before because he had locked himself in the closet and was screaming]. All I know is that if he doesn't outgrow this soon, I might be trying to find 3T onesies...or a straight jacket.

Zoo & Aquarium

Every so often there is an itch to do something different; when work and life seem to be the same ol' everyday. When this happens we usually go on a little trip or vacation. With an almost 2 year old and a 2 month old, this was not going to happen this time. So, we decided to take a couple of days (spaced out a few days) and do something fun. The idea was to do things we might do on vacation but in our own "backyard". Even though it wasn't a full vacation or weekend getaway, it was still a lot.

Last Saturday we chose to go to the zoo. The weather was nice and so we thought we would take advantage of what might be one of the few nice days left this year. We went in the morning and so Nate did not get his nap. Mistake number one. Well, this really was the only mistake and the cause for all the meltdowns the rest of the day. He did have fun petting the goats, playing at the playground, and finding sticks, but he was not interested in the rest of the animals and was not happy about sitting in the stroller. There were times that he was good about holding hands and walking, but this was not the case all the time and so it resulted in lovely behavior.

Yesterday we went to the Newport Aquarium. This is a longer drive and so we left in the morning resulting in yet another day with no nap (at least not before the activities). You would think we would have learned, but nope, not us. The aquarium was beautiful but again, Nate was not interested. The frog section has an indoor play area (like a McDonald's play land) and he didn't even want to play in that, if that gives you any indication of his mood. I think this visit was worse than the zoo. There were some exhibits that he liked: the penguins and the jellyfish. He also like splashing in the shark pool until we got "lectured" that these are wild sharks and the fingers can appear like squid to the sharks and we have to follow proper petting techniques. Okay, no I don't want my child's fingers bitten off, but honestly the little bit of splashing was scaring them more than enticing. So there was another meltdown when he couldn't play in the water anymore. Thank you aquarium staff.

While it was nice to get away and do something different, until they get older we will have to plan these all day excursions AFTER nap time, even if that means just going for a little bit. We both agreed that these could have been much different experiences if that had happened. Lesson learned. :)

2 Months

Miss Madelyn is 2 months old today! My how time flies when you're exhausted! :) She's still only sleeping every 2-3 hours at night. She just started eating every 4-5 hours during the day and so the last couple of nights instead of feeding her every time she wakes up I give her the paci. The first night it worked very well and last night not as much. It takes her awhile to get settled back into sleep, and so I feel like I'm getting less sleep too (if that's possible!). But I will try and stick with it when I can (some nights I'm just so tired I do what I need to to get through the night--if that means feeding her or having her sleep with me).

She's getting better at holding up her head. She's smiling a lot and started cooing the past few days. She has found her hand and likes to gnaw on it. She's a slobber-puss and is constantly drooling. She has chubby cheeks. She is very mild mannered and can sit in her swing or bouncer seat for long periods of time (what I consider long because Nate wouldn't last very long). This is probably due to the fact that I always seem to have to put her back down because I don't have enough set of hands. There's no more fussy evenings; that lasted just during weeks 3 & 4 and then tapered away-thank goodness. She usually only cries if she's hungry or tired.

She had her wellness visit today. She is healthy and everything looks good. She is 14 lbs. 10 oz. (98%) and 22 1/4" long (98%). So, even though she started out bigger than Nate, he has her beat by a little over a pound in weight and almost an inch in height at this age. She's in size 2 diapers and 3-6 months clothing. She is growing so fast!

So Sweet

When we got Nate from the Nursery on Sunday, JoAnn told us a little story. She always gives them some cheerios for a snack. Nate was in there with another little boy and so they each had a pile on the table. Nate gobbled his up right away but the other little boy left his to go play. He kept eyeing up the pile but wouldn't take any. JoAnn told him he could have it but he still wouldn't take it until she pushed the pile of cereal in front of him. I'm so proud of him-such good manners! Although he doesn't always have good manners at home, I'm glad there are moments like this that he does.

It's weird now to say that he's in the nursery. Lately he seems like such a big boy. He's becoming so much more independent; maybe it's having a new baby that can't do anything in the house. He is taking more to Maddie. He tried to feed her food the other day. I can't remember what he was eating, but he decided she needed some too. He also likes to get down on the floor and play with her on the baby gym. When I set it down he crawls on it right away and now he requests that I put her down there with him. He looks over and just stares at her. It's so adorable.



The sleeping in the big boy bed is not going as smoothly. Last night he went right to sleep but he's had a few days this past week that were a bit rough. He will go up and holler and then play and then switch between the two until he finally falls asleep, sometimes on the floor. I guess the newness of the bed has worn off. He also is requesting his pacifier a lot more. He was doing pretty good with just having it at sleepy times but now he's wanting it about an hour out. He does not like it all when I tell him no. I think it will be awhile before we completely give it up (he eyes Maddie's paci when he doesn't have his & has taken it from her a couple times).




Oh, and one new development with his skin. We think it might be chocolate. So sad (Jaime, I know you'll be devastated by this one). One evening he had a horrible flare up and I thought about it and realized that I had given him a handful of chocolate chips. We started thinking about it and noticed that he always has skin issues and there are times that are worse than others. We are thinking that he drinks chocolate milk all the time and the little bit of chocolate in the milk probably keeps his skin bad and then when he has a bit of straight chocolate might be when his skin flares up. So we're on week two of no chocolate in his diet and his skin looks better than it has in a very long time. After this week I will give him a little chocolate and see what happens; if he gets a flare up then we know what the culprit is. It will be a bummer but much easier to manage than any of the other foods that came up (false) positive.

A (Much Needed) Super Fun Weekend

This past weekend was wonderful! And as the title says, it was in order. Last week was one long week. We were coming off a drill weekend, which makes for a long week anyway, but it was kick started Sunday with Nate getting up all night. The first time I thought it was his teeth as they have been bugging him horribly lately, so I gave him some Motrin, but he kept waking up crying. Finally around 4am when he got up crying again I brought him in bed with me. He has never slept in our bed and so he thought this was great fun. He kept looking over at me giggling. With neither of us getting any sleep I finally put him back in his bed around 5am. The rest of the week was just filled with those little things that make for long days (Monday was crying and tantrum day--all day, Tuesday the orange juice fell off the bottom of the cart at the store and spilled all over, you can see how this is going). So Michael, bless him, decided to take a half-day on Friday so we could all go up to the Children's Museum. He had never been and I had only been once when Nate was about 6 months old.

We all had so much fun! He enjoyed the sand table the most, but everything was entertaining (even the hand dryers near the water tables!). He liked the dinosaurs (of course) and the train. We took him up to the science room and even though it's designed for older children he had fun running around and just looking at things and exploring. It is definitely something we will do again. Maddie had a good time sleeping, the entire time! I couldn't believe it-5 hours! Now for her to do this at night. :)



On Saturday morning we met up with the Herter's at Appleworks. The kids had fun petting the animals, running through the woods (finding sticks), swinging on the rope swings, and "organizing" the pumpkins. Although it's still warm here, I think it was a great way to kick-off Fall, my favorite season. I am definitely looking forward to the cooler (note, cooler-not cold) weather, sweaters, baking, and all the other fun Fall activities.

Big Boy Bed

Well, Nate is in his big boy bed. We weren't going to move him until October, maybe beginning of November, but of course, things don't always go as planned. He has started chewing through his pacifiers and I knew we would need that paci during the bed change. So we stopped having the paci during the day and for about a week now he has only had it during nap time and bedtime. There are moments of meltdown over the paci but overall he has done much better without it than I thought he would. Sunday night I brought him up to bed and he laid right down. I thought this is going to be cake! But as soon as I left he started to cry and tried opening the door (I'm not sure why he didn't because he can). But within five minutes he was quiet. I checked on him later and he had crawled back into bed and went to sleep. Michael kept saying the true test will be nap time, when he's not as tired and doesn't want to stop playing. So on Monday I put him to bed, but there was minimal fussing and he was sleeping within no time! Today he cried a bit longer and opened the door, hollering to get out (we have a gate in the doorway so he can't get out of his room even if he opens the door) but again, it wasn't very long at all and he was asleep. I went up to close the door and he was in bed sleeping. I think it's so cute how he gets back in bed to go to sleep and sometimes even covers himself up with the blanket. Such a big boy! So the change over from crib to bed has been smooth, thank goodness! Now I'm sad that he's growing up. But as Michael's aunt told me, big boy bed also means that big boy potty is not far behind. That, I can deal with. :)

Month 1-Part 3

Well, somehow I survived the first month. Of course I knew I would, but whew, it has not been the easiest month. And to think Michael was home for half of it! Eek! It is a challenge to take care of two children, neither of which can really care for themselves. The hardest part is trying to take care of one when the other one is screaming for me, which is almost always. Some days are better than others. Yesterday was horrible, meltdown after meltdown and Maddie was fussier than normal during the day, and then combined with minimal sleep for the last month and it's a break down and lots of tears. And then going to bed knowing that I will be up every 2 hours and the next day it starts all over again...

I have learned a new level of exhaustion, and by the grace of God, I am able to get through each day. I have said that He gives women something after a baby is born that allows them to function on very little sleep. It is a completely different experience having a newborn with a toddler. There is no sleeping when the baby is sleeping. And finding time to get everything else done that needs to be done is a whole other issue. But somehow, the kids are fed and the house is clean, well, somewhat. :)

I had my first (I'm sure of many) shopping trips with the kids, sans Michael. It did go better than I thought it would. I think the worst part was getting home and unloading. Nate thought it would be funny to run in the street, Maddie was screaming, and I had to unload all the groceries. But I did it and I'm a little proud of myself. It was my moment where I thought, I really can do this...and maybe even do it well...eventually. :)

But then I have days like today, not so bad. Of course there's meltdowns and tantrums, and there's always crying and poop to change, but not being tested all day long is good. Very good. Plus I love my cuddle babies, and now I always have at least one that wants to cuddle with Mama. I love the smell of Maddie and so-soft skin, her little fingers and toes. I love Nate's giggles and watching him learn new things, explore, and grow. And that's what keeps me going each day.

Month 1-Part 2

Nate. Where do I start? The transition has been a difficult one for him. He was never good at sharing Mommy and Daddy's attention and so having this little creature around ALL the time has not been easy for him. He throws several more fits a day and will do things he knows are naughty just to get the attention. He doesn't seem very interested in Maddie most of the time, but every now and then will go over to check her out (looking at her feet or poking her ear-he thinks this is funny). He wants to sit on the lap of whoever has the baby and if we hand the baby off so he can sit on our lap then he no longer wants to.

I think he is going to be a good big brother. Recently he has looks of concern when she cries. He has gone over to her and rubbed her head or tried to put the pacifier back in her mouth. I think as they both get older it is going to be awesome to see them play together and to watch him look out for his little sister.

We went back to the allergist for a follow-up visit. Kind of a waste of time. I told him that I felt food was not the cause and he didn't really have much to say, except that it's hard to rule it out because there could be several variables. We won't be going back. Nate's skin seems to cycle, and he'll have flare ups and then it will get better, but never completely clears up. Right now it's not too bad and he's not itching quite as much but we are still going to see a dermatologist as the next step. When it does flare up it is horrible. He can't take baths because it hurts and diaper changes are torture and he'll itch until he's raw. So if we can get some advice and maybe different creams to use during flare ups that will help a lot.

He's still working on those back molars. I swear it's been several months and they're still not poking through the gums (I checked last night just to get my finger chopped on, which resulted in a lovely blood blister). So he is gnawing on everything and a drooly mess. Lots of new things with Nate in the last week or so. He can now climb out of his crib but has only done it a couple of times and doesn't climb out at bedtime (thank goodness!). Not sure why, especially on nights he does not want to go to bed, but am extremely grateful that he is still staying in there, nice and confined. He has started chewing through his pacifiers so yesterday I stopped the paci during the day and just for use at sleepy times. We are also getting ready to move him to his big boy bed, probably this weekend. He also has learned how to open the patio door. This makes for great fun when I'm breastfeeding and he decides to make a great escape to the yard. Luckily it's fenced and the pool is empty so he doesn't get into too much trouble. I can usually finish up feeding her and watch him out the window.

He is working on feeding himself with utensils, but is still a work in progress. He says uh-oh all day for pretty much everything. He also started saying "all gone" and "poo-poo" (of course not to tell me he has to or even that he's gone, but just when I'm changing Maddie's poopy diaper) and baby. And of course, he's still into and on everything. He is an exhausting little, er big bundle of energy.

Month 1-Part 1

I feel like there's so much to say, so I've decided to divide up this entry into 3 parts: one for Maddie, one for Nate, and one for me. I will start with Maddie.

First, I cannot believe that a month has gone by. Only 11 more of them to speed by and she will be one. Since this is our last child (still have a bit of a struggle with this one, even though I cannot imagine having another one!) I really want to take in every moment with her and soak it all in. I love her little toes and the little sounds she makes when she's sleeping (like little grunts, so cute).

For the first two weeks she was a dream baby. Very content. The 3rd and 4th weeks she was pretty fussy every evening. It seemed like nothing would make her happy, and we could get her to stop crying by changing positions or walking her, she just wasn't very happy. And now, entering into the 5th week, things are calming down a little bit. She is still fussiest in the evening, but seems to be more content than she was. She is pretty good during the day, although she still sleeps a lot. She likes to be held most of the time when she's awake, but she will sit in the swing or in the play pen and just look around for a little bit.

She eats every 2-3 hours. She was a very lazy eater and would eat a little and then be back for seconds after about 30 minutes. This is getting better too. She is also only pooping once (sometimes twice) a day. I remember Nate doing this and the doctor said it was normal, but I don't remember him doing it so young (maybe around 6 months?) and it seems strange to me that a newborn wouldn't be pooping all day long--she used to after every feeding but now it's once or twice a day. And her stats: at her two week check up she was 10lbs 3oz and about a 1/2 inch longer. Anything else I want to remember? She's a big baby (even though she's tiny to us) but she has the skinniest legs. We call her a frog. She also has funny hair. It's almost bald on top except for a small thin patch of long hair and it's a bit thicker on the sides and back. It will be nice when it all grows in normal! :) She's smiling and I don't care what anyone says, it's not gas! I love to watch her sleep, which is precisely what I'm doing now as she is lying on my while I type this up.

Madelyn Frances Riker

She is finally here! Sometimes I still can't believe it...all that time spent anxiously awaiting her arrival, but now there is no more waiting. She is finally here to love on and hold in my arms, which in fact she is doing right now. So here is her story of her birthday....

Her due date was Wednesday, July 27th, but of course she couldn't be early to the party. We made sure she wasn't too late and had the induction scheduled for Friday, July 29th. Even though I've had contractions for the last couple of months it was very infrequent and never more than just a couple at a time, at best a couple times a week. So that Tuesday when I woke up at 3am with "cramps" and still had them when Michael got up for work at 5am, I thought that this was really going to happen that day. Nope, of course not. I had contractions for 7 hours and then they just stopped. I was feeling contractions when I went in to the hospital on Friday, but nothing regular or very strong. When I was hooked up to the machine they showed up and even the nurse thought that this was going to be a quick labor (she had joked that maybe just sniffing the pitocin might be enough). I thought it would be quicker than Nate's labor, since she was my second and I was already starting at 3cm.

The pitocin was started at 8:30am. It was slow moving after that. I was only 3.5cm by 11:15am. Very disappointing. So the doctor decided to break my water and hopefully that would help get things moving along. At 12:30 I was only 4cm which was depressing, because by this time my contractions were very strong and I thought I would be making real progress. So no surprise that I opted for the epidural, which of course helped a lot. At 2:25 I was 5cm and we were all thinking that it might be a longer night than we had thought. BUT, not even an hour later (3:15) I was feeling some pressure and so the nurse checked me and sure enough, I was at 10cm and the head was right there! I pushed through 5 contractions and Miss Madelyn was born at 3:27pm.

It was amazing! We did skin to skin, so right after she was born they laid her on my chest. She instantly stopped crying. I was overjoyed to finally have my baby girl here. The rest of the afternoon/evening is a blur. Michael's parents came up to the hospital and Michael went and got Nate so he could meet his little sister. She was given a bath and I was given dinner (food finally!) and after everyone left it was just the three of us. The beginning of long nights with no sleep has begun! But we are so happy to have her here with us, after all this waiting, it was worth it. She is precious as can be. And although the first day was rough (a lot of crying) things have smoothed out and she is a very good baby.

8lbs 13oz, 21 inches long

40 Weeks

Normally I'm a very patient person, but for whatever reason, that has not been me this week. Maybe because I was tricked into thinking I was going to have her yesterday. We took a long walk in the evening and by the time I went to bed at 10pm I was starting feel some cramping. It was light and I wasn't too hopeful, thinking it was probably just being out in the heat. I woke up around midnight and was still having cramps but they were light enough that I fell back asleep. But when I woke up at 3am, the pain was sharp enough to keep me up. So I got up and played around on the computer and did some laundry. I was continuing to have contractions by the time Michael got up at 5am and so I really thought this was the real thing. I never timed them because they seemed to be very irregular. Some were closer than others and then there would be a gap in time before the next one came. The contractions were sharp and getting stronger and then around 10am they stopped. Just stopped. I kept hoping they would come back--who hopes for pain, right? but they never did. I had a doctor's appointment that afternoon. I am now 3cm dilated and 60% effaced. Progress. The doctor said it was encouraging. I should be happy with that, which I am in a way. It would have been devastating to go in and still be 1.5cm, but all I could think is I had contractions for 7 hours and not only am I not holding my baby in my arms today but I am only at 3cm. Having contractions on and off for the last 2 months and then 7 hours of it yesterday, I feel like this is the longest labor ever. I know, I'm dramatic. This is nothing. But again, this is my impatience speaking. So I guess I just need to sit back and relax and wait. If I don't have her by Friday and I have to get induced then that's what will happen and it will be okay. I know this. But it doesn't hurt to keep walking and trying, right?

39 Weeks

I'm really hoping this is the last pregnancy update. Really hoping. There were no changes at my last doctor's appointment; I'm still 1.5cm and 50%. I'm just very ready for many reasons but this heat and being as big as a whale is not a good combination. That, and I think we're both ready to meet this little girl and hold her in our arms. We have the induction scheduled for next Friday, which will be 2 days past my due date. They were willing to induce me this week, but I want to at least give her time to come out on her own, just not too much time. :) I'm still in high hopes that I won't make it one more week, but we shall see.

Nate's New Diet

For the first week after the appointment with the allergist, we tried just going with the new prescription creams and not making any changes to his diet. It was going well, very well in fact. His skin was clearing up dramatically and we thought all he needed was something to stop the whole itchy cycle (red-itch-raw-worse-more itchy). And it was doing well for about four days and then his skin had a little flare up. Nothing too bad (considering what it had been) but enough that we thought 1) the creams aren't the cure all and 2) even if they were, we don't want him on creams everyday forever. So we started the elimination diet on Sunday. This way we can rule out or find the foods that might be affecting his skin. So no milk, eggs, soy, or peanuts for a week. It has been a struggle to cook and find things he will eat. So far there have been days where I have cooked/prepared several different things without any luck. You would think he'd be starving! Which, sometimes he is hungry and will go to the pantry and request things and I have to tell him no (which breaks my heart!). So while it may not be the most nutritious of weeks, he is surviving. Starting on Sunday, we will introduce milk back into his diet for 3 days and then continue to do so with all the other foods.

So far, there doesn't seem to be much change. His skin was already clearing up pretty well by the weekend, so there isn't a noticeable decrease in eczema patches. There have been a couple of days where he doesn't itch at all and then there have been a couple that he itches like crazy (certain spots--hands, knees). So it's hard to say what's going on. Part of me still thinks those foods cannot be the cause if he's still itching and his skin hasn't cleared up completely, but I am willing to wait and see what happens by the time we are all done with this process. If I had to guess one of the foods, I might say eggs. We fed him a toddler meal one evening last week and that night he was itching pretty bad and his skin was pretty pink. There are a lot of eggs in the toddler meals so we thought it might be that. My other hypothesis is that the heat is having a large impact on his skin. It seems like ever since it started warming up it has become more of a problem, yet his diet is the same as it has been since this winter. So we will see how it goes and what happens.

38 Weeks

As it gets closer and closer I will try and keep you all updated as best I can on here. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday. I am still 1.5 cm dilated but am now 50% effaced. He did strip my membranes, but there's no guarantee that will do anything. He said if they do it each time I come in, it has the chance of moving up the date by 6 days. I'll take it! My preference would be anytime after this Sunday, since Michael and I have a date night planned. I am still feeling pretty good and she (surprisingly) is still pretty active. We have reached some pretty high temps this week with heat advisories, yet another reason I am ready to have her!

37 Weeks

Super quick update: baby is still doing well, heartbeat sounds good and still measuring on time. Dilated to 1.5 cm, so a half of a centimeter in a week, not much. I was having pretty good contractions on Monday (thought I might have a 4th of July baby!) but just the pains without producing much! And as the doctor puts it, I'm still pretty thick (hope he's talking about my cervix!). I am now at the point where I am officially ready to have her. Up until now, I thought the longer she stayed in the better. Much easier to take of Nate while she is in my womb, but now I feel like she is going to be here and I will have a toddler and newborn and so we might as well get this adventure started! Although I would like her to wait until at least 38 1/2 weeks. I will be done with everything by then. ;)

Nate's Allergies

We had Nate's appointment with the allergist yesterday afternoon. I was not looking forward to it at all and it's all I could think about all morning. But, we kept saying once it was done then we'd have some answers and could hopefully fix his skin issues. His skin has gotten so bad and he itches so much that it's raw in several places.

The doctor looked him over and he doesn't have any hives anymore, just his eczema patches. However, this doesn't mean that he's not allergic to anything. (I learned a lot yesterday) Eczema can be an indicator of food allergies so he went ahead with the skin test for milk, eggs, soybean, wheat, and peanuts. The top two that I did not want him to have were milk and eggs. All of the foods except wheat came back positive. I was devastated. Although it may not necessarily mean he is allergic to all of them, or any of them. He could just have sensitivities to those foods. As the doctor described it, it is like getting a line up of criminals and figuring out which one(s) did it. We now have our line up and we need to play some detective work to figure out which of the foods are causing his eczema. So we have to stop all the foods that tested positive for one week. Then we can introduce back in one of the foods at a time for three days and see if he has a reaction to that food. It could be all and it could be none. It will be a difficult week and already it seems impossible to come up with meals that don't contain those ingredients, but we can handle it for a week. If this turns into a permanent thing then I guess I will really have to research recipes and become a master at reading labels.

The second approach with his skin is new ointments. He should soak in the tub of plain water for 20 minutes each night. If we need to wash him then we do so at the very end and rinse him off. Within 3 minutes of getting out we have 3 different creams to put on him. We have Bactroban (antibacterial ointment) for all of the areas that are raw and he has broken skin from scratching. We have a prescription hydrocortisone cream for the other red areas. And then we will use Cetaphil lotion on the rest of the skin. None of the areas can overlap so if we put an ointment on his knee then the lotion needs to be applied around his knee. He also recommended giving him a bleach bath, but until I look into that one further, I'm not going near it. And, he gave us some medicine to basically knock him out at night so he doesn't wake up in the middle of the night scratching. I told him he sleeps fine, but I don't think he believes me. I don't like the idea of drugging my kid up every night so I don't think I'll be doing that one either. I'll just check his skin in the morning and if it looks like there was new/more scratching then I'll go from there.

So our plan of action is to start with the ointments and see what kind of effect that has on his skin before making any changes in his diet. After a few days we will start the food investigation to see which one is the real culprit. I think secretly we're hoping that the new Rx ointments are going to do the trick, but I know that probably won't be the case.

Because of Nate's runny nose and cough, the doctor did some additional environmental tests and the ones for dogs and dust mites came back positive. I guess it's not the pet hair but the dander and saliva that people are allergic to. So if we keep Nate off Sammy's chair and wash his hands after he plays with her, if he is allergic to her, that should help. We will also get him some allergen bedding covers, because that can't hurt either way. I'm a little skeptical and not as concerned with these tests coming back positive because he doesn't have a chronic runny nose. I think his runny nose might be more from teething and the cough is just from the excess drainage.

I was absolutely devastated yesterday, much more than I thought I would be. I guess I was just thinking about the actual skin test he was going to go through and not the results. But after it had sunk in some, and I had some time to process it all, it doesn't seem as horrible or impossible as I thought. Also, he could outgrow any allergies by the age of four, so it might not be something he will have to live with forever. It was just difficult for me to hear the results. Who wants this for their child? I hate the thought of him going through life with any restrictions and just want him to have a carefree childhood, but the more it all sinks in, the more I think it is doable and we can figure it out.

36 Weeks

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday. Everything is going well and measuring right on track. I think she will be smaller than Nate. I haven't gained as much weight and he was always measuring a week or two ahead. If so, it will be good to have a smaller baby! :) I'm officially in my last month! I'm anxious and excited and also very ready to be done, but then again I'm not so ready for newborn + Nate. We'll get through it but it might be a little rough at the start. A lot of people look at me and say there is no way I'm going to make it to the end. I don't think I look that big! Ha! Feel it? Yes! I am 1cm dilated but not thinned out much. I was 1cm for a month with Nate so I don't think it means much. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens!

18 Months

Although Nate is closer to turning 19 months (next week), I decided to wait until after his 18 month wellness visit to update so I could include all his stats. So I guess that's where we'll start. He's weighing in at 30 lbs 4 oz (95%) and is 35" tall (100%), which is no surprise. He is a big boy. Although I thought he would be heavier than that. He feels heavier. A lot heavier. :) His growth and development seems to be on track, even if he isn't talking a whole lot. I guess he will talk in his own time and the few words he does say (mama, dada, uh-oh, owie, please, and buh for everything else) are enough for now. The majority of the visit was to discuss his skin. What I thought was just his eczema getting worse, is not, but also hives. I can tell the difference when the doctor showed me but it's hard to tell. It all looks a lot like red splotches all over his body. It is worse in all the creases (behind knees, arms, wrists, feet, neck, etc.) and on his belly and diaper area too. I thought it was getting worse because of the heat, which the heat does have an affect on it, but since it's hives too, and not just his eczema, she is referring him to an allergist. She thinks he may have a food allergy. I was so upset to hear that. It's impossible at this point to know what food it could be because he eats everything, so hopefully the allergist will be able to help us figure it out so Nate's skin can finally clear up. He starts itching it so much that it it becomes raw and sometimes bloody. We were in Wal-Mart after his appointment and he started itching his foot. Next thing I know his foot and hands were covered in blood. I feel horrible for him and while I don't want him to have to go through allergy testing, I want to get this all figured out.

So, let's see, what about Nate? He's a silly little boy. He loves to make people laugh (doing "the Lucas" or falling down on purpose). He is very sweet. He loves his blanket and his pacifier and has an increased dependency with both these items. He used to have the paci just at nap time and bedtime, but now he requests it and of course I give in. It is much easier. Don't judge-I'm pregnant and it's hard enough! :) He loves jumping! He has really gotten into watching movies and seems to prefer this over regular cartoons on tv. I thought he would like any animated movie but he definitely has his preferences (the Toy Stories, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Astroboy are his tops) but does like some others and does not like some at all. He can show you his belly, teeth, hair, and nose, but is hit and miss and will only comply if he wants too. He pants like a dog and roars like a dinosaur (his favorite new sound to make when asked). He loves rocks. He loves picking them up and carrying them around, but recently has started throwing them--something we are working on. He seems to like carrying small things around in his hands (little animals, balls, etc.). He is a big helper and helps mommy unload the dishwasher and put away his clothes and toys (again, when he feels like complying). And of course he still loves Sammy and giving her biscuits is a treat for both of them (sometimes literally when has to taste test it before giving it to her; yummy). He does not understand that mommy is having a baby, but likes to pull up my shirt and push on my belly button. This is funny. It's even funnier when daddy joins in on the fun. We have set up the kiddie pool and hot days enjoy some water fun, which he likes, but doesn't just sit in it and play. He gets in and out and prefers the water hose to the pool, I think. And of course he is still destructive, getting in and on everything he can (which is pretty much everything now that he's figured out how to push things closer in order to climb up on the higher things like the desk or counter top). It is exhausting! He is a ball of energy. He is not a big hugger or kisser (it is exciting when he does give me a kiss when I ask, but usually limits kisses to good-byes and good-nights) but loves to cuddle. The change between 12 and 18 months is unreal and it so exciting to watch all the changes happen. Sometimes we look at him and we think he is such a little man, able to do so much! And even after 18 months, Michael and I still marvel at the fact that we made this little boy. Such a blessing in our lives!

Pregnancy Dreams

Up to this point, I haven't had any dreams about the baby or anything pregnancy related, which is weird, because I had a ton with Nate (eg. giving birth to a dog that looked like Benny and then proceeding to breastfeed it or having the baby push so hard against my stomach wall that he pushed through it like a balloon; probably a couple of the most memorable). I think last night I made up for it, having a gazillion dreams of either having the baby, being pregnant, or things I need to do after she comes. I can't really even remember what the dreams were specifically about, I just know that they were baby related, a multitude of them, and I got no sleep. I would wake up after each dream and then have trouble falling back to sleep again. Once I did, I would have another short dream and then wake up. Sooo tired today!

So while this was the first time I really dreamt about anything baby related, I have had a couple of recurring dreams this entire pregnancy. First, I have had a few zombie dreams, which is weird because I don't really watch zombie movies and don't know where they are coming from. I usually wake up scared but the last time I finally got caught, turned into a zombie myself, and then it wasn't so scary anymore. Second, I have had many variations of the same dream. I dream that I am in high school again and cannot find my locker or my classroom or it is near the end of the semester and I suddenly realize I have been missing a class the entire time and need to make up all the work. It's the strangest thing and each time the dream leaves me feeling very panicked.

I'm no dream interpreter, but it seems to me that the school dream is somewhat related to the anxiety I feel about having another baby. Don't get me wrong, I am super excited to have her, but I don't think I would be normal if I wasn't at least a bit worried. I feel like there's so much to do before she comes and I don't have enough time. And I also think when she is here I will not have any time to get anything done. It will be much different this time around, already having Nate, who to me is still a baby. I know that once I have Maddie and we get through the rough, getting used to something new part, it will eventually smooth out. Now if I could just tell my brain that when I'm sleeping. :)

Oh, and if anyone has any ideas about why I'm having zombie dreams, I'd like to hear them!

Baby Shower

Today I had amazing friends and family gather together to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Madelyn. Jaime was the hostess with the mostess for the baby shower and did a great job! We had lots of yummy food to munch on, played some fun games, and everyone was too generous with the gift giving. It was a really great afternoon. And of course I've already looked through all the absolutely adorable clothing and will probably do it several more times before it gets tucked away before she comes. I must say girl outfits are so cute and having a little girl is going to be so much fun! Even Michael thought the clothes were adorable and he could really care less (or at least he pretends to) about things like that.

The guests playing some games

opening gifts...one of the many adorable outfits

me and Jaime (here's a belly shot for all of you wanting to see the belly!)

Nate's Cough

Nate has been coughing for the last week or two, but it's been really mild. Maybe a few times a day. In the last few days it has gotten much, much worse. It is affecting his naps (boo!) and at night sometimes he breaks into coughing fights so bad that he gasps for air. It's super scary. Yesterday I took him in to the doctor. He thought it was an odd case, because there's no sign of infection or anything else that would make him cough like this. His ears are all cleared up and the two things do not seem to be related. He thought it might be allergies (he might be more prone to allergies and asthma because of his eczema). So he gave us a two-week trial supply of Singulair. My hope is that the cough goes away and stays away even when the medicine is done. I hope it's just a cold that will eventually be gone, and not allergies or something he'll have to deal with much longer.

30 Weeks

I'm now 30 weeks along. Can you believe that after this week, it will be single digits? How is this pregnancy going so fast?

So far it's been a good third trimester, although ask me again in 5 weeks; it is really only the beginning of this last leg. I have had an increase in heartburn. With Nate I think I could count the amount of times I had heartburn on one hand. Granted, it was HORRIBLE when I got it (like I thought I was having a heart attack the first time kind of bad) but still, not that often. I haven't had it recently, but a couple of weeks ago it was flaring up every few days. Tums and I became good friends. I also feel myself getting a bit more tired by midday. Now, I'm not sure if that's because I'm getting farther into the pregnancy, if it's the weather, or if it's because Michael's been gone at school for almost 2 weeks. Maybe it's all of them. I even took a couple naps when Nate did last week. I just could not make it through the day.

Maddie (yes, her name is now official--Madelyn Frances) is quite the active little girl. I don't remember Nate being quite this active. In fact, I even had a non-stress test done because he didn't move a whole lot. But she always seems to be on the go. So maybe she will be my calm child since Nate is always in overdrive. And her movements are getting much stronger too. Sometimes she'll pop the shirt right off my belly.

The other big thing (besides my belly, haha) that has changed recently is my balance. We have a baby gate in the front room that separates the entry way from the room so that Nate can't go up the stairs. I was putting my scrapbooking tote away on Saturday, and as I crossed over the gate I lost my balance and crashed. Luckily I didn't fall to the floor. The closet door was open and so the tote hit that and I fell against that. The gate also helped catch my fall because I broke the wood and the splintered piece caught my shirt (a piece of my leg too, but nothing a little band aid couldn't take care of). It was scary more than anything, and I was very lucky I didn't crash belly first on the ground. So now I am very careful when crossing over the gate, holding onto the wall and not carrying anything over.

Playing Outside

The weather on Monday was beautiful. The weather reports called for rain the rest of the week, so we made the most of the day, taking walks and playing outside almost all day. It is now Thursday and will still haven't gotten rain. So we are making the most of our time outside (after all that rain and being stuck inside for weeks, this is wonderful) playing in the morning and afternoon.

Our time outside usually consists of swinging, sliding, running around, chasing Sammy, playing in the sandbox, riding his bike, and throwing balls. Yesterday, because not only has it not rained all week but the temperature keeps rising as well, I bought him a sprinkler toy to play with. He loved it!

Pink Eye

Poor little Nate has pink eye and an ear infection. It started on Monday when he woke up with green goop in his eyes. I had to wipe his eyes all day, but no other symptoms. I always get nervous when it comes to eyes because of his eye infection at 6 months, so when it was still continuing into the evening, I decided that if it was still there in the morning, I would take him in. When he woke up on Tuesday he was all clear, and it stayed that way until the afternoon. Then both eyes became goopy again. So this morning I decided to take him no matter what he looked like. One eye was sealed shut so it was a very easy decision. The doctor said that pink eye and ear infections are connected, so it's common to see them pop up together. He is on augmentin since he had an ear infection less than 60 days ago and he can't be on amoxicllin again (first thing I learned) and also eye drops for the pink eye. When I filled the prescription I found out that the eye drops were a new medicine and so there is no generic form, costing me $50 (gotta love those drug company and doctor relationships). So I had to call the doctor to request a new prescription so I could get generic (second thing I learned was to check this before leaving). The nurse told me that had a coupon there for $25 off. Of course they do. I declined as a generic would still be cheaper. Nate was getting fussy by this time and so we just filled the augmentin and left. We'll have to go back into town to get the eye drops after his nap, but that's okay. I think we'll pick up a little toddler pool while we're in town since it's SO HOT out, but that's another post. :)

Oh, and the third thing I learned? Nate weighed in at almost 32 pounds. I think that's a 3 pound weight gain in the last two months. And here I thought it was the pregnancy making him feel heavier. Nope, he's just a hoss.

Mother's Day

It is my second Mother's Day. Michael is gone again this year so it will just be Nate and I together today. Which is okay. He is the reason I am a mother after all! So while it would be nice to have Michael home to pamper me on this day, just getting to spend the day with my son is awesome.

I went to a friend's house on Friday for her birthday and then I had a bridal shower to go to on Saturday morning. So Nate spent the night at Jaime's house. I was probably more sad to leave him than he was me, and when she called me moments after I left and all I could hear were deep belly giggles in the background, I knew this to be true.

Spending the night and next morning in the house without Michael or Nate is something that I have never done. It was too quiet and lonely and I missed my baby boy so much. It is so funny how mommies need a break from their children, but once they get one all they can do is think about and miss their children!

Nate is sleeping in (way in-it's almost 10am!) because the last couple of days exhausted him. So it has given me a chance to have some more alone Mommy time before he gets up. While I didn't have breakfast in bed, I did make myself some orange danish (my favorite) and had to seriously keep myself from eating the entire roll. It has been a nice, quiet morning but I am looking forward to seeing Nate's little smile when he wakes up.

I am so happy to be a mother. It is the best job in the whole world. I can't believe this is what I get to do in life. God has truly blessed me.

Nate's New Phase

And boy, it's a good one! He likes to scream and cry over just about anything and everything. He gets frustrated easily and screams and cries. He has started throwing things when he is mad, flopping on the ground, and hitting me (just me though, usually). I know this all about testing his limits and some of it is frustration with communication and not being able to do the things he wants, but wow, it is exhausting. We have some good moments, like when he's napping, just kidding. It's not really all the time, but in the last week it has become the majority of the time.

We have tried different techniques, but starting yesterday I decided to just ignore him. I don't react and I will leave the situation. I won't give him back his toy/item that he has thrown. This seems to be working. It's a process though. He still cries but eventually realizes that I'm not giving in. Sometimes this realization takes longer than other times, but my hope is that eventually he will get it. And separating myself from him seems to be a good punishment. He hates when I leave him, even if it's just to the other side of the room. He knows that I'm upset and not there to hold him or comfort him.

I just hate that we have to go through this stage. He is such a funny and sweet little boy. I just want him to be happy and play and enjoy life. But I understand it and I know we will get through it and even if I don't get my giggly boy all day long, I know that I will get it small fragments throughout the day. That is enough for me, for now.

Extreme Couponing

I don't know if you've seen the show on TLC called "Extreme Couponing" or not, but basically it's about these people that are very serious about their coupons. They get a large amount of coupons, watch for sales, and buy their groceries and household items for nearly nothing. They stockpile and buy mass quantities of things in order to claim they saved $x on this shopping trip. I don't know exactly how they save so much, but watching the show has inspired me to become a better shopper.

Now, I don't want to be crazy like them. They buy in such large quantities that they have items that will last them past death. I think that is crazy and wasteful. I just want to get the items we normally need but I want to pay less for them. So, I got serious today. I collected all my ads and clipped all my coupons from the Sunday paper and also printed some from the web. I don't have time to shop at all the different stores, so luckily our Walmart ad matches and I can get all the sale prices at one place.

This process took me much longer than I had expected, but I think once I get used to it, it will go much quicker and much more smoothly. After I was done making my list and setting aside the coupons I was going to use, I set off for Walmart. It took me a little longer to shop today since I was checking the prices on things. I don't want to buy things if they are on sale if I can still get the generic cheaper or if a different size is still a better deal. I am also going to start recording the prices of items we buy frequently so that I know when I see an ad price if it is a good deal or not. Hopefully this will save some time in the store in the future.

The check-out process takes much longer too. Thankfully I had a couple of men behind me that were fine with me taking a bit longer than normal and also commented on how much I saved with the price changes and coupons. This is where it gets exciting...I saved $11.38 with my coupons and $35.82 by ad matching for a grand total of $47.20! I couldn't believe it when I did the math when I got home. I feel triumphant!

I don't think I will ever become an extreme couponer, but I would like to think that I am becoming a smart shopper and saving the family some money!

Easter

Growing up, we always had a big to-do for Easter. Easter egg hunts, finding our baskets, scavenger hunts. It was awesome. Although I wasn't raised learning the real reason for Easter. Last year Nate was too young but now he's at the age where I want to start creating traditions for him like I had AND to learn the meaning of Easter. I think the message of Christ's death and Resurrection is a little over his head, so I guess we'll just stick with the eggs and candy this year.

We went to Michael's parents for Easter lunch and the egg hunt. Christy and I went out in the yard (the brief period of time that it stopped raining) and hid the eggs. We put some not so hidden eggs in the middle of the lawn for Nate. He had such a good time running around and picking up the eggs and putting them in the bag. I was kind of surprised that he got it. But it didn't take him long to figure out that these eggs had good things inside. He opened the first one and there was a shiny candy wrapper in it and then it was on! Afterwards he thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate. I wish I had some pictures but my camera is broken and I haven't been able to get a new one yet. :(

Bounce Spot

We took Nate up to Greenwood on Monday for his first trip to Bounce Spot (formerly Bouncertown). It is a place with big bouncers for him to jump on. He absolutely loved it! We took him in the toddler bouncer first, which was just his size. He enjoyed jumping (big shocker there), falling down, climbing, and sliding. We took him to the big bouncers, which he seemed to enjoy but was a bit hesitant. He was doing fine until a little kid (probably a little over 2 years old or so) decided that it would be fun to drop kick and pile drive him. His mom stated that she didn't know the rules about going in the bouncer and just kept saying "no" to him as he continued to jump all over Nate, making him cry. I told her that it would be fine to go in if she needed to get her son out, but she didn't. Nate eventually made his way back out, but was then done with the bouncers. I was pretty upset about it. She had said that he didn't know about hitting because he was an only child and there were no other siblings to hit back. Well, so is Nate and he doesn't go around beating kids up. We took him over to the arcade area and he liked running around and looking at all the machines and the lights. The he found the race cars and was in heaven. We tried to get him to get back on the bouncers, but it took him a little bit. But eventually he gained the confidence to go back and jump. He met a kid (around 4 years old) that started to play with him and they had a blast. This kid was so good with him and it just warmed my heart to see Nate so happy. What a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. Not to mention that Nate had a great nap that afternoon!

Fun with Kids

It seems like some weeks drag on and on, and then there's some, like this week, that fly right by. I cannot believe that tomorrow is Friday and the start of another weekend (I'm not complaining!). The hustle and bustle of the house really seemed to start last weekend. We have been looking for a new dining set. Two of our chairs have broken and the remaining two chairs spend most of their time out in the garage, unless they are in use. Nate has learned how to climb up on the chairs and then up on the table. Irritated with constantly telling him to get down, I decided to just eliminate the problem. So we have been looking for a new dining set with chairs that do not have rungs across the bottom. Everything is either too expensive or not made well so we still have the old one. So while we don't think the weekend was a complete waste looking, as we now know what is out there, we still have the old set. On Monday we went to the gym with Sara and her kiddos. They were so cute all running around and jumping on the trampoline together. Next time I will remember my camera! We also had another play date today with Jill and her girls here at the house. I told Nate that girls were coming over to play and to get ready because this was going to be the norm in the near future but I don't think he understood me. :) And girl or boy, it didn't matter, Nate loves playing with other kids and had a blast. The best part is the fun isn't over yet. Lucas is coming up for a sleepover tomorrow night as well. So much fun with other kids...I don't think Nate will know what to do with himself.

We're Having a Girl!

My ultrasound appointment was yesterday morning. I couldn't sleep at all the night before, like a kid before Christmas. So many things running through my mind, but top were the sex and the health. I don't worry too much about the baby's health, but before this appointment I do. I don't opt for every blood test to check for things, so this is the first chance I have to hear if something might be wrong. Second, the gender of the baby. This is something that we have been wanting to know for, well, from the beginning. And every week that goes by makes it harder and harder not to know. With Nate, I found out at 18 weeks, so having to wait until I was almost 22 weeks pregnant made it feel like a lifetime.

Michael asked me the night before what I really wanted. A girl, of course! I've always wanted a little girl--to do her hair, and dress her up, color and draw, and play with dolls. To have her hate me when she's a teenager and love me again when she's an adult. But a boy? But I would love to have another little boy. I would have a house filled with blues and cars, wrestling and pee splattered toilets. Nate would have a little brother and they would share a room and be best friends. It sounded all so wonderful that I thought maybe I rather have a boy. But, I really want a girl too. So, I guess it really could have gone either way and I truly would have been thrilled.

So I got up on the table, the tech squirted the gel on my belly and it seemed like within seconds she was using the word "her". I was in shock and disbelief (still kind of am really). I couldn't believe we were really having a little girl. So of course I cried and I'm actually getting a little teary eyed now just writing this. Now we will have one of each and it all just seems so perfect. And she's healthy! Well as far as checking for the things that they can on an ultrasound, which is a huge relief for me.

When I was 9 years old I got a little brother that I wanted to be my little sister so badly that I would dress him up and put make up on him. I am finally getting my chance to have that little girl and I am so excited. The challenge now will be not to buy every adorable outfit I see.