Seth

Seth would sit for hours putting lids on and off containers if I let him. He loves to open and close things (like the ketchup bottle), he's fascinated by putting small objects inside of larger objects, and he loves puzzles, his stacking cups, and basically any toy where he uses his fine motor skills! I think this is really interesting...I wonder what he will be when he grows up!


He played with these dry noodles for a while one long day when I was searching for things to keep him busy...I was surprised how long this activity kept him entertained. Scott and I have decided that spending money on toys isn't necessary right now when the majority of the time he's perfectly happy playing with household items!

He also likes to play with these fish bath toys in tupperware filled with water. Right now he is terrified of taking a bath (this came on all of the sudden) so we're trying to get him used to water by encouraging "water play" in other forms.

Seth sat on the potty watching the Elmo Potty Training video for a while...then he got up, squatted, and peed on the floor...oh well...at least he tried! He hasn't been as interested in going in the potty lately so we're taking a little break.

THREE...

That's how many hours of sleep I got last night. Why...you ask? Was Caleb awake all night, you wonder? Nope. Was Seth having a restless night from teething? Nope...not at all. Here is a recap of last night's events:

It was around 3:30 a.m. I had finished feeding Caleb and I was rocking him to sleep in the glider in our bedroom (that's where he sleeps). It had taken an hour from start to finish because he kept needing a diaper change every time I tried to put him down...let's just say he had no problem going to the bathroom last night. Anyway...I was rocking, rocking, rocking...gazing off, zoning out, off in la la land...staring out into the hallway and into Seth's room...when all of a sudden, to my horror, a big brown mouse climbs up the last step, walks into Seth's bedroom, makes a left hand turn, and scoots right into his closet!!! I about DIED!!!! I think my gasp woke Scott up from across the room! I frantically explained the situation to Scott and (very firmly) asked him to go check it out...now, mind you, I'm almost crying just thinking about a mouse in my baby's room! I had been working in his closet all afternoon organizing clothes and boxing up things Caleb has grown out of so I knew the little stinker had lots of hiding places (big closet..lots of cubbies, boxes, piles of clothes, etc.). Anyway--Scott came right out of his room and told me he would set a trap. Well, he meant business because 20 minutes later he finally came back up and said he had set traps all over the house. This is a guy who NEVER gets out of bed once he is asleep...even when there are noises in the house and I am pleading with him to go check on things, and even when I thought I was in labor and begged him to help me time the contractions...he just rolls over...it's not that he's being a jerk...he is just a very hard sleeper. Later I found out he actually saw the mouse in the corner of the closet when he went to investigate so I think that's what spurred him into action!

My question is this...mice climb stairs? Sixteen of them? What if I had to go downstairs in the middle of the night to get more diapers (which I do quite often) and had stepped on it or saw it run down the steps...it would have scared the crap out of me!!! I have been stomping around the house all day...trying to make my presence known...afraid one might run by me or pop out of the heating vents.
I am paranoid in my own house! I am scared, right now, as I type this because the house is too quiet and one might run by. All night long, I lay awake, worrying that the mouse was in Seth's crib, or under our bed...I even held my pee for 3 hours because I was creeped out.
Poor me. I'd much rather be dealing with spiders or bugs who just stay in the corner in their webs or in the window sills. At least they don't pee and poop everywhere they go...spreading diseases and possibly infesting your house with fleas or other disgusting parasites. Now I'll have to worry about the chance that they've already had babies.... hundreds of babies scurrying around my cupboards and under my couch and in my closets. Okay, so I exaggerate...slightly. Yes, it is nasty to have mice in those places. But if you're going to have mice, that's where they'll be...in the kitchen and on the MAIN FLOOR...or so I've always thought. I have to draw the line at mice actually climbing stairs to invade our sleeping area...there's no reason for a mouse to be in a bedroom!
The thing is is that I'm usually not super squeamish about these sort of things... I grew up in an old New England home so I am used to having some "living things" reside in the same living area as I...and I spent a year in Honduras where I ran into my fair share of large insects, lizards, frogs, bats, tarantulas, scorpions, etc. And this house is old...it was built in 1895... so I know better than to think that we are completely pest free...but seriously....dealing with critters has been an ongoing issue around here! A couple of weeks ago we heard an animal walking around our kitchen ceiling (in the eaves). The exterminator told us by the size of the hole in the roof, and by the look of the claw scratches on the side of our house, it was probably an opossum or a raccoon....which totally freaked me out...so I am already really touchy about animals nesting in my space (we boarded up the holes and haven't heard it since...but still). Am I being too much of a wimpy girl...or is this truly gross? Oh--and to my dismay...no mice in the traps this morning.

The Brighter Side

This week has been a lot better around here. I am trying to do more
"normal" things.
trying to get into a little routine around here and out of that postpartum funk that can take over and go on and on. One of the things that has helped in this area is cooking. I have cooked every night this week so far! Woo! Hoo! I have always enjoyed cooking and it feels good to be making dinner for my family again. Eight weeks of bedrest followed by ten weeks of adjusting to a newborn can put a damper on even the most devoted cook...but I am going to try to keep this going...we are so sick of take out, prepared meals from friends and family (although very appreciative) and quick meals like hot dogs, frozen pizza, spaghetti, etc. Although, I have to say, having a baby in the summer months does have perks...like grilling...we have had LOTS of grilled chicken which was an easy and healthy option for us!

Another thing I have done to try to feel "normal" again is getting dressed (in actual clothes that do not resemble pajamas) before noon. What I had been doing is waiting until both boys were napping at the same time (which on some days is never) or just staying in frumpy sweats or whatever I managed to pull out of the drawer before attending to the early morning chaos. I have also made an effort to put some make-up on and have found some clothes in my closet that fit from my transitional time after Seth...I cannot stand to be in maternity clothes any longer! So, while you would never mistake me for glamour mom Katie Holmes, I've definitely spruced it up a notch --which has done wonders for the self esteem. Go me!

Also, Caleb is out of the bassinet that we kept in our bed and is successfully sleeping in the pak-n-play now. My good friend Ruth Anna indirectly advised swaddling when talking about her own kids and we have found that helps significantly with Caleb staying asleep after he is put down. I hadn't tried it because it was so hot all summer but now that it's cooler....it's doing the trick. He is still fussing in the evening hours...but we are coping...and Scott and I are being more intentional about working together as a team when things start to feel out of control. Also, I had (as Oprah would say) a "light bulb" moment when the realization hit that Caleb does not have colic! After going through colic with Seth, our challenges with Caleb seem pretty minor in comparison.So even though he may have a fussy time each day, and have some digestive issues (who knew that poop could cause so many of our parenting woes), and he isn't the greatest sleeper...okay, he's actually an awful sleeper...things really aren't that bad....when I force myself to remember the good ol' days with Seth.

Here are some other reasons why this week is going better than last week:

1. The weather is fantastic...goodbye rain...hello sunshine!

2. Scott is not working long hours to meet a demanding deadline like last week.

3. We were able to watch two movies from Netflix after months of paying our bill and not having the time to actually watch any movies .

4. I've eaten lots of chocolate and still lost a pound...thank you breastfeeding!

5. My dear friend Shannon came by with her two adorable girls for a visit and brought me a scrumptious caramel latte...and is letting me try out her One Step Ahead double stroller all week so we can decide if we want one or not (if anyone has any recommendations for a good double stroller please let me know...I am realizing that a good stroller is my lifeline to the outside world).

6. I am caught up on laundry. And by caught up I mean it's washed, dried, folded, and put away...it's the putting away that always slows me down.

7. Seth is being a good boy even, though he is teething, and has started eating avocados again...which is great because he's barely touching anything else .

8. I have started adding dairy back into my diet and Caleb seems to be doing fine.

9. Because of reason #8 we have gone to our favorite ice cream stop twice before it closes for the winter...I had to make up for not being able to have ice cream all summer.















10. We brought the kids on an outing to Petco and watching Seth was the cutest thing ever...he is really into fish and birds and loved the kitties.

Last week hormones=bad
This week hormones=good


*I am still trying to figure out blogger with very limited time so sorry if the spacing and pictures are a little goofy...I am learning!

What's the fuss?

I've had the kind of day where you question why God ever saw you fit to be the mother of two little beings. I guess I should probably fill you in on a few details first. For the past couple of weeks Caleb has started fussing from around 7:00-11:00 p.m. Now when I say "fuss" I mean he needs to be held, changed, rocked, burped, changed, walked (did I mention changed)....basically anything that involves getting my butt off my comfy couch where I desperately just want to lounge and unwind after a long day. Ughh.

I must admit I've been a little resentful that he decides to give me a hard time right when I am the most tired and just need some down time to end my day. How dare he intrude upon MY time after I just selflessly gave to him all day. It would be way more convenient if he chose daytime hours to fuss and complain and wail and have digestive issues and spit-up all over himself and then pee all over the place while I'm changing him and then decide he's hungry again (which starts the whole dang cycle all over again)! And then when he finally drifts off to sleep I try my best to oh so gingerly place him in the pak and play....and poof....all my hard work is gone.....his eyes pop open, his legs and arms start squirming, he lets out a few good farts and yup....I am up rocking and nursing (and crying and cursing) for at least another hour! It starts all over again after his 3:00 feeding ,as well, making good sleep not very abundant in this household!

I realize right now I must sound about 10 years old....of course he's a baby, of course he is not trying to make my life hard, and of course these nightly trials are probably very common in many families with newborns....but when you're in the thick of it....you feel so isolated and tormented! Things should be getting better the older your baby gets, right? Why are we going backwards? I feel so conflicted. I keep telling myself: "you just have to get through this" while at the same time I want to treasure this time because it goes so fast. Lack of sleep makes me grumpy, dramatic, and overwhelmed...which makes me feel like a failure because I'm not all smiley and patient and...well....motherly.

Motherhood is so very confusing....I would do anything for my children....yet in moments of desperation I will also do anything for a few moments of peace and quiet and some decent sleep. My love for my children is the strongest emotion I have ever felt...yet my human and sinful nature always seems to creep in and distort that love...making it seem conditional and contingent on my happiness and what kind of day I've had with them. I guess I am learning that mothering these two little ones sometimes illuminates the best in me, with all my good intentions and hopeful prayers, while it can also bring out the worst--along with the shameful realization that I am really not all that selfless at all. Which is a pretty crappy feeling for just a few hours of sleep.

All smiles...and tears

Caleb had his two month checkup last Friday. He is in the 95th percentile for weight and the 75th percentile for height. I don't know why but hearing that your baby is fat makes a mom feel so proud! It's just a relief that he is so strong and healthy after worrying for two months that he would be premature with possible health challenges. We are so thankful!

I put Seth in these pajamas when he woke up soaked early one morning (5 a.m.) and then put him back to bed. Gee...do ya think he's grown out of them? It's amazing how quickly kids grow! He just wore these a couple of weeks before Caleb was born and they fit fine! By the way, he's crying because he wants to play in the refrigerator...I'm such a mean mom!

Caleb is smiling all the time now! Don't you just want to kiss those cheeks! He smiles like this in the middle of the night after I'm done feeding him and I just want him to nod off already!

Well, I guess he's not smiling all the time! Can't you feel the brotherly love?