What?!?

Yesterday Emma was watching a show, and the title of the episode came up. she asked me what it said, and I told her. "Truman plays ball." Emma laughed and replied, "That kills me off, mom." I looked at her confused. "What?" "That kills me off!" I looked at her, puzzled for a minute, trying to think if she was actually saying what I thought she was. "Emma, did you say that kills you off?" "Yup." "Emma, what does that mean?"

Emma's reply? "That means I don't like stones."

In what parallel universe does that make sense at all?

Final score: Kids-3, Me-1

There is a lot written about a mother's intuition. And it is true, a mother's intuition is undeniable. The ability to know what is wrong with your crying child without obvious clues is very handy. The 'spidey sense' of knowing the difference between 'good-quiet' and 'crapola-I-better-check-on-them-right-now-lest-they-encounter-potential-danger-or-future-beatings-by-me' is unexplainable by science. But what about children's intuition? I feel that some days a child's intuition is much stronger than a mother's. Yesterday went a long way towards proving that theory.

My mother's intuition has kicked in lately to the fact that Drew has a hard time falling asleep in his cradle. In fact, as soon as I lay him down, he spits up repeatedly and cries. The twins had acid reflux, so I knew what to do. Night before last, I gave him some colic tablets and put him to sleep in his swing, propped up a little. Score one point for mother's intuition, he slept for eight hours straight. However, the kids' intuition must have sensed our peaceful slumber, since the twins woke up crying about five times that night, and everyone knows that the purpose of kids' intuition is to make parent's lives more difficult. Crapola. Score 2 points for children's intuition. They are winning.

In the morning, I did my usual morning routine, giving the kids cereal in my room and put on a show while I put Drew in his bouncy seat and brought him into the bathroom with me to take a shower. I got out of the shower to hear laughter coming from my bedroom, so I figured all was fine. Mother's intuition failed, minus one point. I came out o the bathroom to find that they had somehow unearthed our umbrellas from Marty's closet and Grant had the point of one in Ben's face, yelling "HiyYah!" and making stabbing motions towards his eyes. Current score, kids-2, me-0.

I managed to save Ben and hid the umbrellas high in the closet, and quickly got dressed so as not to leave them alone any longer. I started to change Drew, his changing table is just a pad on the dresser that I am sharing with him. As I was changing Drew, his intuition kicked in to the fact that yes, this was a dresser, and if he aimed just right he was able to pee a nice arch which ricocheted off my arm and ran all down the front of the dresser, across the top of the drawers. One more point for the kids. I did my best to clean up my arm and the dresser before the pee made it into the drawers and made my clothing smell like really bad eau de toilet, but in the process Drew smeared his poopy diaper all up his back and along the backs of his arms. He really needed a bath. I turned to see what the kids were up to and found them sitting quietly, watching TV. However, my mother's intuition kicked in and I had a sudden flashback to the umbrella-wielding ninja children from earlier, I knew I could not bathe Drew and expect the other kids to keep calm and out of trouble. My only choice was to wipe him up the best I could, and promise him a bath later. Score one for me for avoiding whatever potential catastrophe would have occurred.

Yesterday was one of those days that I envy working moms. They get to dress up all pretty in clothes that don't smell like spit-up and pee, and drop their kids off somewhere where they will be taken care of, but be able to mess up someone else's house. Working moms then get stimulating adult conversations with people over three feet tall, who do not spend the day hitting each other over the head with trains. They get to return home to a house that has not been trashed in eight or so hours, with children who have missed them and want nothing more than to cuddle by the fireplace and tell their parents they love them. (Cue sappy music.)

OK, I do know that the life of a working mom is not all sunshine and roses, and working moms envy stay at home moms, since the grass is always greener on the other side of the sippy cup. (The reason the grass is greener here is because it's not really grass, but the broccoli stain on the rug that I have not had time to clean up.) I will do my best today to appreciate the fact that I can stay in my jammies all day if I choose, and that I have full control over the influences in my kids lives. Someday I will get to go to Costco by myself and have an interesting conversation with someone in line. As long as I haven't been kicked out of Costco by then...

Pray for Kayleigh

The other day I was blog-hopping when I ran across this one.

I could not believe it, the picture just brought tears to my eyes, and I started reading. Kayleigh was born June 23, 2008 three months early, and was 10.5 inches long and weighing 1lb 1oz. I spent quite a bit of time there, and I had to stop myself from spending all day. Go take a look for yourself, it is an amazing, ongoing story. The link is in the right sidebar.

Is That a Bug In Your Teeth?

This weekend, I was playing with Emma in her room, having some one-on-one girl time. She wanted to pretend we went to the hotel where we stayed over thanksgiving, and we would pretend to sleep under her bed till the next day when she would get married. Emma has a loft bed, there is a space under it about three feet high to play. We cuddled under the bed with the lights off to pretend to sleep. As we lay there in the dark, looking at the stars on her ceiling, I realized that this was one of those moments that we could just talk, true girl talk about what is in our hearts. Emma was excited about her upcoming pretend wedding, which reminded me of stories I had heard about little girls who plan their actual wedding from a very young age. I decided to see what was on her heart. I asked about her dress, which I was informed was going to be pink with sparklies all over, and her groom, who I was told was Jackson. I asked who Jackson was, and she told me he was her friend. I racked my brain, trying to place Jackson, and coming up short. "Really? Where do you know Jackson from?" "He is imaginary. He's right here." Huh. so maybe she is planning her groom, not her wedding. I pushed a little further, really wanting to see what was on her heart. "What is he like?" Emma got excited as she started to fill me in on the man of her dreams. I held her as I listened, marveling at the moment in the dark under her bed where we were just two friends sharing our dreams. "Mommy, he is nice, and he loves Jesus, and he is going to go to heaven like us and he will sit in our row." (Our row? What does she think heaven is like? I decided to let that one go for a later time and just keep her talking.) "That's great, honey. What does Jackson look like?" I remembered that in my childhood, I wanted to marry someone with brown hair and green eyes. I had forgotten about that in my dating years, but remembered after I had married Marty and realized that he had brown hair and green eyes. I wondered if she had any similar thoughts. Would this be a premonition of my future son-in-law? Her answer surprised me. "He has dark brown fur and he eats bugs."

So much for the magical moment under the bed in the dark. I was laughing so hard, she told me he was a nice monster, that he was a inch tall, and it was time to get up, since it was pretend morning time. The spell was broken and the moment had passed. I am not sure I can handle too many more heart-to-hearts with this girl.

Honest, Officer, I Am Not a Flasher!

I have never had a problem nursing in public. I am not one of those just-whip-it-out-and-feed moms, I try to be very discreet about the whole process. I try. It used to work. Until now.

I really thought that having my fourth baby would be so much easier. After nursing the twins for almost a year, just nursing one baby should be a piece of cake. At home, it really is easy. I can nurse while cooking, eating, peeing(not recommended,) breaking up fights, all kinds of things. There was one thing I did not count on in the world of nursing a singleton after twins. I forgot that I have twins.

We had finished our Costco shopping yesterday and headed to the food court area. Marty took the older kids and waited for a table while I was in line to pay for our cart full of stuff, then I went to the table that they had found and waited with all the boys while Marty and Emma went and got our food. The place was packed, typical Sunday afternoon. I needed to feed Drew, and the table we had was in the back of the area, so I was fine. For those who might not be familiar with Costco, they have a bunch of picnic style tables crammed as close together as possible. It does not make for a very private or comfortable meal, but the prices are great and it is in a warehouse, so you can't be picky. The twins were in the double stroller right behind the table along the back wall, so I sat on the side they were on, facing out into the crowd. I had Drew's blanket over my shoulder so everything would be covered. I tucked him in the blanket, and proceeded to start feeding. So far, so good.

Until all of a sudden, with no warning whatsoever, the blanket slipped off my shoulder, revealing everything to everyone around. I quickly put the blanket back, and refused to look around to see if anyone saw. I have no interest in knowing exactly who saw my business, I'd rather be ignorant on that one. I had everything positioned back where it needed to be, took a deep breath and was about to be brave enough to look around to see if anyone was still staring at me when it happened again! What was going on? I really do not want to be a flasher, but I was having a hard time keeping 'the girls' covered. Then I heard a giggle behind me. I slowly turned to see Ben right behind me, a sneaky smile on his face, and the corner of the blanket in his hand. He giggled again and gave it a tug, luckily this time I was able to catch it in time. This started a tug of war between myself and Ben, me with only one hand and twisted at a funny angle, and him in the perfect position to get me arrested for indecent exposure. It all ended with me not being able to move him or myself out of reach, but wiggling just enough to upset Drew, which made him let go of the food and subsequently get sprayed up the nose with milk. I was trying to discreetly clean the crying baby up, get him eating again, all the while clamping my chin to my left shoulder to attempt to keep the blanket in place. Ben was still laughing and tugging, and Grant was completely oblivious to everything, but was pointing and yelling at people, which was bringing some attention to the whole scenario. I am so grateful we did not know anyone there at the time, which is a rarity.

My next trip out of the house will include an investment in a great product my friend Erin has called a Hooter Hider. Anyone know where I can find one?

When You Go Looking For Adventure...

I have left the house twice since we brought baby Drew home. Once for Grant's doctor appointment, and once for Drew's. I know the life of a stay-at-home mom does not involve everyday adult interaction, but this was getting a little ridiculous. We have been purposefully avoiding the outside world to keep the kids healthy, the last thing Drew needs right now is a cold or the flu. However, for my sanity, I needed a little adventure. And what is more adventurous than Costco on a Sunday?

We decided to try and get out the door by ten. Since this is a small town, we always run into at least three people we know anywhere we go. So, add the extra time it would take to chat and we would finish Costco around lunchtime, and we could do the fabulous Costco lunch of $1.50 hot dogs and a drink, and head home by naptime. Great plan, right? We forgot one thing. We have FOUR CHILDREN and there was no way possible to get out the door by ten, since our kids have the magical ability to know when we are trying to accomplish something, and somehow communicate telepathically to try and slow us down. By whatever means necessary.

We had gotten off to a good start. Before showering, we put the boys on the potty, and Ben peed! Hooray! Most of it went in the potty, only a little went on the rug. The rugs needed to be washed anyway, so no biggie. (Wow, it is interesting what becomes "no big deal" after twins. Hey, what's a little pee, as long as it isn't on my foot?) The kids showered with me, and I had just gotten out when Marty informed me that Drew needed a new diaper, pronto. When this boy goes, you have to change it quick or it will be up his back in no time. He was on a pooping streak this morning, I changed him five times before we left. Since he was circumcised, we have to coat the front of the diaper in vaseline, and Marty does not like doing that, so all Drew's diapers are changed by me right now. (He is taking over all the twin's diapers, so don't judge him. It's all fair.) Anywhoo, I wrapped myself in a towel and proceeded to change the boy. Marty took over in the bathroom drying and diapering kids, and I had the immense joy of listening in on a one-sided conversation. This is what I heard.

Marty: "Good job going on the potty earlier, Ben. You are learning fast. What the...? No, Ben, you go poop on the potty, not while you are just standing there! OK, sit on the potty. Now, you go poop, OK? (pause) Good job, Buddy! You went poop on the potty! OK, now, we need to wipe with toilet paper, like this, see? And we put it in the potty. No, Ben, don't grab it out! Ben, no! Leave that! NO! Oh, that's disgusting! Honey, I need you right now!"

By this time, I was laughing hysterically, only imagining what was going on in there. I had finished changing Drew's diaper, but he was not fully dressed. I quickly took him off the changing table and put him in his cradle, with one leg in his clothes and the rest hanging off, and ran into the bathroom, losing my towel in the process. I found Marty holding Ben's arms out, just standing there. Ben had poop all over his hands, as well as on his chest. Apparently, he wanted to see the poop, so he lifted the toilet paper out out the potty. Then, with the other hand, he picked up the poop. Marty made him drop it, and he wiped his poopy hand across his chest. Welcome to my world, honey!

We got Ben cleaned up and did the poopy on the potty song and dance. Then Emma remembered that she had peed earlier, and wanted the song and dance as well. I was still dripping wet and Drew was just hanging out half dressed, wondering what in the world was going on. Surprisingly, we did not leave the house until 11:30. Shocker.

Have You Ever?

Here's a little ditty going around the blogosphere. You are supposed to highlight the things you have done, and supposedly this is a list of things that people should do in life before they die. Or something like that. Either way, I think things like this are fun, even if I do not like someone telling me what I need to do to be fulfilled. Let's have some fun! The stuff in red is the stuff I have done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (My brother says I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it. Nuff said.)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/ world (WooHoo! Done both!)
8. Climbed a mountain (Does a hill count? Of course, our hills would be mountains to someone in, say, Kansas!)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (See number 3)
11. Bungee jumped (No, thanks. Rubber bands break.)
12. Visited Paris (Does Paris in Vegas count?)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea(Gee, that sounds safe.)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (while driving to Spokane, no less)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked(No, thank you, I choose to live)
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (and subsequently was butted in the bum by the lamb's mom)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise(Can I count a dinner cruise?)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors(Ballard, yes. Norway and Sweden, no.)
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied(It never should take money to be truly satisfied. We're broke, but I am satisfied.)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke(With a group. And I had had a few glasses of wine. Need I remind you of number 3?)
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted(no, but those caricature guys are pretty good...)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving/ snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (But I have been in a few commercials!)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served in a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies(Oh, but I have bought my fair share...)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood/ platelets
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy(And my kids are mad that I won't let them play with it.)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Been to the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating(No, but there's a great story about when my Dad used to butcher chickens.)
88. Had chickenpox(Twice!)
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury(No, but I really want to!)
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone(who hasn't?)
99. Been stung by a bee

OK, if you want to, play along! Have fun!

Little Sweetheart

Amy came over yesterday to watch the three older kids while I took Drew to the doctor, and she stayed around for dinner. At one point, she was holding Drew and Emma was right next to her, holding Drew's hand. Emma was marveling at his long, delicate baby fingers and told Amy, "Someday, Drew is going to grow up just like the boys. And when he does, he is going to be a great man." What a sweetie!

It's a Big One!

Our doctor is fabulous. He does this thing when he looks in kids ears where he tells them he is looking for birdies, then makes the most realistic bird whistling noises while looking in their ears with the little looky-thingy. (Yes, that is the technical name. Look it up!) The kids are so enthralled by the sound that they sit very still, just listening. Our doctor is a genius. Anywhoo, Emma has been through this a lot, so she knew exactly what was going on. She was convinced that Grant's owies yesterday were because the birdies in his ears grew too big so they were pushing out and that was causing him pain. She even told the doctor her suspicions, like the little medical professional she is.

In fact, my suspicions were right and he has a raging ear infection. He is now drugged and happy, and does not seem to be in pain today. I was able to get a hold of Marty, and he was able to meet me for the appointment which was a lifesaver. Thank the Good Lord for that one! Overall, the appointment went smoothly. It did take forty minutes for the doctor to see us, but when you make a last minute appointment at the end of the day, you have to expect a delay.


Our doctor told us we were the "talk of the town" with Drew's pneumothorax, and one of the doctors who treated him in the hospital stopped in to say hi. It was actually kind of fun to see everyone, and we were back in today for Drew's two week checkup. I was able to leave the others behind, though, thanks to Amy (Thanks, Amy!) because we are not that stupid. The last thing I needed was a baby who was just circumcised, crying but being drowned out by screaming two year olds who are missing their nap, as well as the brilliant mind of the four year old telling me, "Mommy, I think Ben is crying because he is hungry. Ben, do you want a cookie?" when I have no cookies to give. Nope, wasn't going to do it.

Drew's appointment today went great. He has grown an inch and is up to 9lb 2 oz, so he is feeding well. He passed out after the appointment and has not been awake much of the day, so he is either really tired or he will be up all night. Let's hope for really tired!

So Much For BonBons...

Well, my "day off" has been called off due to illness. Grant has been spending the morning pulling on his ear and screaming. It breaks my heart to hear, "Mommy, owie ears!" over and over again when there is nothing I can do about it. He has Tylenol in him, but that only does so much. We have an appointment at the doctor at 4:30, it will be my first venture out with all four kids by myself. I just hope to God that Marty does not have an appointment then and he will be able to join me, but I haven't gotten ahold of him yet so I don't know.

I had planned this as a true day off, so no, I have not showered and yes, I am still in my jammies. I will need to shower at the kids' naptime (no nap for me!) which will be interesting since Drew might be awake then and Grant might not sleep at all. I also have to figure out the logistics of the trip. I swear, my biggest challenge in life is logistics (wait, logistics or logistical? I have a headache.) Going into the office, if I put the twins in the stroller, they will be contained, but then I have to push a stroller and carry a carseat at the same time. I can put the carseat and one twin in the stroller, but then I have to push a stroller and keep track of the other twin and the four year old. Which will mean a harness on the loose twin for safety, and I am looking at a 20 minute excursion just getting from the van into the building. Add 25 minutes to drive to the doctor's, plus the 15 minutes it will take to load everyone up at home, this is an hour to get there which will mean Drew will need to eat as soon as we hit the doctor's office. I'm overwhelmed and I haven't even started yet! Oh, well, at least it will make for good blogging later!

What Lurks Around Here

After yesterday's attempt at a nap for me was foiled, today I put the twins down and tried cleaning a little. Emma was at pre-school, and Drew was awake but content in his swing. I really did not want to relax and have Drew start fussing, so I decided to get a little work done. I figured he would be wanting attention soon, so I started by sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor. Mopping had not been done in a month. I am thrilled to finally be able to see the color of my kitchen floor! And surprisingly, it is not the color of smooshed bananas and spaghetti. Go figure. Drew was still happy but awake and I still had energy, so I tackled the living room. Why, you ask? Because seeing this every day is depressing.
For those of you who don't know my house, this is not the toy room, this is the one and only living room. We don't have a toy room, so everything stays out here. And yes, we have the kids pick up all the toys every night, but there are so many of them now it is impossible to keep it all cleaned up. (Toys, not kids. On second thought, that probably works for my kids, too.) I needed to purge. (This time I really mean toys, not kids.) I packed up two big boxes of toys to either get rid of or rotate back in later. This was so needed, we have been letting a lot go recently because of the end of the pregnancy and the new addition. For example, this is what I found under the couches.

Seriously, where does all this stuff come from? I just kept working, Drew fell asleep and stayed that way for two hours, and I got a ton of work done. This was the end result.

Yay! We can actually see the floor, and there is finally a place for everything. It was so defeating every night to see the clutter and now I feel a hundred times better. Almost like I got a nap today! I worked up an actual sweat, (losing baby weight, perhaps?) and I am officially taking tomorrow off. I will not clean, but take a nap and I just might stay in my jammies all day. Bring on the BonBons!

Do I Get to Be Crabby If I Missed My Nap?

Let's face it. Yesterday was chaotic, but that will pretty much be my life for a while. Well, minus the race car toy that "mysteriously" disappeared last night. I was so excited for being on my own yesterday, since that meant that I could take a nap at nap time. Honestly, I have been looking forward to it for a couple of days, and the thought of the afternoon slumber is what kept me going yesterday morning. So, I put the kids down, changed Drew's diaper, and cuddled up on the couch with Drew to feed him, burp him, and fall asleep with his little baby head on my chest. Really, it is the best way to fall asleep.

For the first time ever, Drew was fussy. Seriously, at nap time, when all I wanted was a snuggle and a snooze, my sweet baby would not settle down. A couple of times, I was able to just barely drift off when he would wake and start fussing again, which really only made me more tired. Of course, his fussiness only lasted till the twins woke up, then he slept for a good hour. Crapola.

I would like a nap today, but I have so much to do it is not even funny. I decided if I combine birth announcements with Christmas cards, I can send Christmas cards out late, right? But I really should get them done before Valentine's day. In the world of Tiffani Post's Lazy Mom Etiquette, that would just be tacky. (No, honey, I am not leaving you for some guy with the last name Post. It's a joke. I'll explain when you get home.)

It's almost lunchtime and my kids are not dressed yet, so I'd better get moving. Happy Tuesday!

My New Normal

Baby Drew is two weeks old! Which means the last two weeks have been filled with chaos and a constant stream of visitors. I have appreciated each and every person who has stopped by, while we were in the hospital or at home, but I need a break. I need a chance to find some new type of normal in our lives, and just be our little family. Yup, I'm stupid.

My darling husband, whom I love, got the bright idea last night to replace all the batteries in the noisy toys that have died. All at once. Every one of them. Do you know what happens when you do that? The kids are so exited about all the new level of noise that can be reached that they have a new desire to achieve the highest noise level possible, either with the toys or without. And it is really fun to take the microphone from the piano and use it to magnify the noise from the race car thingy, which basically sounds like the squeal of technical interference. Magnified. However, children are unaware of how badly that type of sound actually hurts your ears, so they try to imitate that very same sound into the microphone, which is now considered quiet and peaceful compared to the squealing of three children all trying to out-do each other in their fingernails-on-a-chalkboard annoyingness. Then they try stealing the microphone from each other, and a fight breaks out ending with trains being thrown at each other's heads.

Why today? Why the day I decide to be alone with my darling children, all four of them, do the three oldest try to drive me up the wall? And why do they do the worst fighting while I am nursing Drew, so I have to decide to either ignore them or stop the flow of tasty numminess to the baby, who will scream?

Well, I was looking for a new normal. Unfortunately, I think I found it. I gotta go sneak some batteries back out of some toys now.

I Forgot About The Baby Pool!!!

Jeez, what a loser I am. I do this fancy-scmancy baby pool, and then I completely forget to post the winners. Alrighty, then, here we go!

Drumroll, please!

And the winners are:

Shari with the date guess of January 4 at 9:10 am!

Amy at Love My Babes with the weight guess of 8 lbs 5 oz (only off by two ounces, way to go!)

And a tie between:
Holly at Snow Mommy and Tracie at Little Bearfoot Farm for the length, Holly guessed 21 inches and Tracie guessed 20 inches, we went right down the middle with 20.5 inches!

Congratulations, everyone! And your prizes are:
Really, if I can't even post the results on time, you want me to arrange prizes?!? Amy, Holly, and Tracie get links to their blogs, just click on the blog names and check out their super-cool blogs. Shari wins a shiny new paper clip. You can pick that up at Marty's desk come morning!

Congrats, everyone, and thanks for playing!

TGIF

I am tree-free!! YeeHaw!

Yesterday went well. My wonderful mother-in-law read my blog post yeaterday, and feeling sorry for me, decided to come over and help me out. First, the home-visiting nurse came to weigh Drew, and he had gained four ounces in 48 hours! Woo Hoo, the feedings are going well and he is getting enough to eat. As Dora would say, Excellente! I don't know if that's spelled right, but I'm quoting a kid, so spelling doesn't count.

Lori came just as the nurse was finishing up, and we got the tree packed up everything put away. I am so glad to not have to stare at the tree anymore, but now I can see the windows again which just reminds me how badly they need to be cleaned. Oh, well, can't win 'em all, right?

I learned something valuable today. If the twins are napping, do not change Drew in my room, as he will scream and wake up the twins. Then, the twins will not go back to sleep and I will have three cranky boys. Which is hard, since the youngest cranky boy likes to be held, and the oldest is currently constipated and wants to be rocked, and the middle cranky boy is sneaky when no one is looking. It is really hard to hold a newborn, rock a two-year old, and keep track of a sneaky boy all at the same time.

Tonight we are looking forward to relaxing and catching up on some of what's in the DVR. Wow, what we look forward to on a Friday night...

Going Solo

Last night, I checked with Marty as he has been arranging help for me lately. This was our conversation:

Me: Is your mom coming tomorrow?
Marty: No, why?
Me: Oh, I thought you said she was coming. Are you taking a half-day from work?
Marty: (Looking at me like I have two heads) No, remember? We talked about it, but my day filled up and I can't.
Me: Oh, that's right. Is anyone coming over?
Marty: Sweetie, do you not remember when I told you you would need to arrange help when you got home?
Me: (Suddenly having a vague memory of some conversation) Whoopsie!

So, at eleven last night, I decided that today would be a good a day as any to be on my own. I have to try some time, right? It is now 10:30, and I have showered (yay!) and everyone is dressed and has had breakfast. I cleaned up the mess the older kids made in my bedroom while Drew and I were in the bathroom for my shower (a laundry basket makes for a nice, portable bassinet!) I have called for Drew's two week check-up, and now I am blogging with Drew sleeping on my chest. I am still thinking that this is all way too easy, and I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. I am going to attempt taking the Christmas tree down at naptime, if I have not worn myself out by then. There is a home care nurse coming by this afternoon to weigh Drew and make sure he is gaining weight, and I really don't want the tree to still be up then. I know, it's really not a big deal, and I have as good a reason as anyone not to have done it yet, but I am feeling antsy and I want to get stuff accomplished. Besides, I really need the space and the fence to put up the swing.

Emma is wandering around in her ballerina outfit today. She slept in it last night and wants to continue to wear it today. I think she must be freezing, but she claims she is fine. Hey, less laundry for me!

The Calm Before The Storm?

I am amazed how smoothly our first night as a family of six went. Last night when we got home, the kids were loving on Drew, no signs of jealousy at all. We put the older ones down for bed and snuggled Drew for a while, he woke up around ten o'clock and was pretty awake for a couple hours. He fell asleep about two am, and I had to wake him up at seven thirty. A newborn sleeping for five and a half hours?!? This freaks me out. Is this going to be normal for him? (Please, please, pretty please?) Or is this like when we brought the twins home, and they were great for a day and a half, then the most sleep I got in the next six weeks was forty minutes? I'm praying that he is just a laid back baby.

I started this blog today at three o'clock-ish, and it is now quarter to eleven and I have one paragraph done. Whenever I had time to just sit and not do stuff, I held my little Drew and just enjoyed him. I did not realize how much I missed that with the twins, I never had time to just sit and hold a sleeping baby. It is totally different with two, if by some chance I got them to both sleep at the same time, it was hard to hold them both comfortably. If I was just holding one, I felt bad for ignoring the other, or it would only last a minute before the other was crying. I was so exhausted that I didn't really have the ability to enjoy the snuggles. I have the knowledge that this is our last baby and the newborn stage goes by so incredibly fast, so I am enjoying every minute.

My goal tomorrow is to take a shower and try to get the Christmas tree down. I'll let you know how it goes!

WE'RE HOME! WE'RE HOME!!!

I am so excited to report that we brought baby drew home today! We are thrilled to be home, the family feels complete now. We were discharged around 2:00, I had to wait a little bit for Marty to get home from work and grab the kids and head in, Emma came into the nursery with me to get Drew, and Marty stayed in the waiting room with the boys. We loaded up and headed home, and got here about 4 o'clock.
On the way home, Emma told me that when we have another baby, we won't name him until we see what he looks like. I almost drove off the road, but got over it and calmly told her that we are probably not going to have another baby, our family is complete now. She really didn't understand why till I explained that the van is full, so there is no room for another baby. Then she was OK with it. I'm glad that all these new babies are not having a negative effect on her!

The kids are excited and keep fighting over who gets to hold him. Grant especially loves holding "beebee dwoo" and both the boys have been kissing him to death.

They are very much in awe of their new brother, I hope this fascination lasts!

I realized that I do not have a bassinet, or any other place to set Drew down in the living room. He is presently sleeping in a laundry basket lined with blankets. Poor fourth babies, they get no special accessories! We still have not taken down our Christmas tree (I know, but things got crazy!) but when that comes down I will bring in the bouncy seat and get ahold of a bassinet. For now, the laundry basket will do. Well, Drew wants food, so I'll be back tomorrow!

Living on a Hope, a Prayer, and a 30 Minute Nap

We are moving in the right direction! Drew had a bit of a slow down on feeding during the night, but has picked it up again and has been at full feeds since 10:30 this morning. If this continues, he goes home tomorrow! WOO HOO!!!

We have been doing things a little differently today. Instead of requiring 75 ccs every three hours, we have just been letting him feed on demand, and making sure everything averages out to the right amount. He has been feeding every hour and a half to two hours, but getting enough in to make it work. It is great since this will be what he does at home, but I'm not getting that much sleep. Besides being up every hour and a half, the camping room I am in is next to the nurse's lounge, and they are kinda loud sometimes. Oh well, not like home will be much different, minus the cackling nurses at three am.

The nurses are truly fabulous. The nurse that has been taking care of little Drew is also the one who took care of the twins when they were in the nursery, so we have been having a good time. All the nursery nurses have been teasing me about my pink socks, this morning I had on the orange shirt but no socks, and when I explained why, they told me I would only get a shower if I wore the pink socks for the rest of the day. If this makes no sense at all, read the last post and you will get it. Anyway, I am clean, but in the pink socks. I have been getting some funny looks as I walk through the halls. I want to get a sign for my shirt that says, "My Husband Brought Me Clothes."

As far as I know, the kiddos are surviving life with Dad in charge. They went to Holly's last night so he could go to work today, but he did have them all weekend. I have resisted the urge to ask him if they ever got out of their jammies on Sunday, or if they went to Holly's in the same jammies they slept in Saturday night. I am trying not to ask if they have eaten any fruits or vegetables. I am thrilled with how wonderfully Marty has taken over care of the homefront, and he has done it without complaining. He is really doing a remarkable job, and is still smiling. I love that man.

I'm off for another nap, keep praying, and I hope to bring my boy home tomorrow!

Moving and Grooving!

Things I have learned today:

1. When going to the hospital to stay until your baby comes home, it is good to be optimistic. However, it is not good to be so optimistic that you only pack one change of clothes, or there is a chance you will spend a day in your jammies.

2. If you call your husband to bring more clothes, it is good to be very specific with him. Asking for your blue pants and a t-shirt and socks will get you blue pants, an orange t-shirt and bright pink socks. And he will do it on purpose, just to have fun, knowing you cannot get mad since you were the one who did not pack enough clothes to begin with. Then you will realize that the jammies look much better and they just might make another appearance.

3. "Camping rooms" for moms with babies in the special care nursery are smaller than prison cells, and painted about the same color.

4. Being nice to the nursing staff pays. When the rules say that camping moms do not have access to showers, but you have been nice to the nurses, they will let you shower in an empty labor room, making life much more lovely.

5. If the hospital lunch is turkey, and it is a perfect circle, find something else to eat.

6. It is sure nice to have a room to go and food to eat right here, no matter how small, cramped, and circular it all is.

OK, end of things I have learned, and update time. I met with a lactation consultant today who gave me some great tips for keeping Drew awake during feedings. The feeding I met with her Drew took 40 ccs of breastmilk, the one after that we tube fed him, but the next one he took 58 ccs, and was wanting to be fed again just two hours later. (He has been on an every three hour schedule, and usually still asleep at the start of the feed following nursing.) This is great improvement, if this continues we might get him home Tuesday!

He does have a bit of a stuffy nose right now, though. His respiration rate went up a little today and they did another x-ray but it looks good, still some fluid in his lungs, but the pneumothorax has not returned which is good. We are trying to keep his airway clear to help him breathe, since he must breathe through his nose to nurse, and being stuffed up makes it that much harder.

I gotta go feed again, I will try to update later! Thanks for the continued prayers, keep them coming!

Boobies And Books

This morning, we were finally successful in the breastfeeding department! It has been a bit of a struggle since Drew has had a pacifier for five days but no feeding, he is a little confused going back and forth. Our feed this morning, he took in 20cc of breastmilk (we weigh him before and after to see how much he gets) and he needs about 70 right now to be considered a full feed. He must be up to full feeds for 24 hours before he can go home, but right now that is the only thing keeping him in the hospital. Horray!

I am headed back to the hospital this afternoon, and do not plan on returning home without my baby. Please keep praying, I know the prayers we have received have done huge things in this situation. The doctors have mentioned numerous times how they could not believe he did not act sicker, considering how his x-rays looked. He has had a wonderful recovery, and I know it is by the grace of God. I hope to be home tomorrow with Drew, but that will depend on if he can get up to full feeds this afternoon or evening.

Meanwhile, the older kids are continuing to enjoy being home with Daddy. The book tower chairs that were so popular yesterday have continued to be a hit today. Although Marty has been able to resist knocking them down, Ben has not. Emma kept building her book tower chair, oh-so-carefully sitting on it, and Ben would run up and with pure glee, knock the books out from under her and they would both tumble to the floor in a heap of giggles and books flying everywhere. They seem to be enjoying the game, but I am not sure how long the books are going to last that way. At least my kids like books!

Slowly, But Surely

Today, Drew is doing better! The doctor told me his pneumothorax has resolved, the only remaining issue is the small amount of fluid in his lungs and his needing to feed. We attempted feeding today, but he was pretty worn out and just slept. He is getting a break and I will go back tonight to attempt another feed, then we will let them tube feed him all night and let him rest, and I will try again tomorrow. There is a possibility that he might go home Sunday if all goes well!

Meanwhile, the other kids are currently building book towers in the living room and sitting on them. Marty is having a hard time resisting the temptation to knock the towers down while the kids are on them. Some things never change...

I Got To Hold My Baby!!!

Sorry it has been a while since I gave an update! Our county is experiencing major flooding, and the Wi-Fi signal at the hospital was pretty sketchy for a while. I am home right now, I was discharged last night but baby Drew is still in the Special Care Nursery. He is definitely doing better, he had another chest x-ray this morning which showed that the air pockets have almost completely disappeared, but that he still has fluid in his lungs that needs to dissipate. He has been taken off oxygen completely (yay!) and his levels are staying up, but his respiratory rate is still a little high. I got to hold him for the fist time again yesterday, but only briefly. Today however, Marty dropped me off at the hospital on his way to work and the nurses put a recliner in his little cubicle and I just sat and held him all day long. It was pure heaven. For the first hour or so I was a little restless, thinking that I was stuck in a cubicle for nine hours. Then, I realized that when I got this little boy home we would not have time to just sit and cuddle for hours on end, so I just enjoyed the time with my son. Nine hours of no chores hanging over my head, no other distractions, just time to bond, snuggle and nap together. I loved it!

I still have not been able to feed him since his respiratory rate is high, but we are hoping tomorrow we can start feeding him. He has been getting an IV and the nurses will insert an NG tube tonight to get him some nutrients until we can attempt a real feed. We are cautiously optimistic that we will have him home Sunday or so, as long as feeding goes well.

The other kids are doing alright with this whole thing. We got them from Holly tonight and took them home, they are thrilled to be here and I think Holly is thrilled to be getting her house back. Emma misses her baby brother and gets a little emotional when she talks about him, I printed her a picture of him and she has been carrying it with her everywhere. The twins are emotional, but I think that is just the long time away from home and the fact that we did not see them for four days. They seem to not have any idea about the baby, we will see how they react when Drew comes home.

I am headed back in tomorrow to spend the day at the hospital. Please continue to pray for his recovery, we want him home soon!

Happy Birthday, Holly!

Baby Drew Update!

Hello, everyone! My wonderful sister-in-law Amy offered me her laptop so I can blog and give you all an update. Thank you Tracie, for blogging about the birth of our fabulous boy, and thank you all who have commented and are praying for him. We really appreciate the support through this unexpected time.

Like Tracie said, Andrew was born healthy, but had pooped while in the womb. The doctors are not sure if he got some meconium (baby poop) in his lungs and that is what caused the complication or if it just happened, but he ended up with a hole in his lung which caused an air bubble to escape into his chest wall. The air bubble made his right lung partially collapse, and the lung itself was pushed to the side where it shifted his heart and other lung into the other side of the chest wall. He was put into an oxygen tent and given a concentrated dose of oxygen, hoping that would help break up the air pocket and his body would re-absorb it. He has been getting x-rays a few times a day, and this morning we received the wonderful news that it looks like the air bubble is gone, and his heart and lungs are back in the right position. He is still in the oxygen tent and I have not been able to hold him since he was first born, but we are hoping to remedy that soon. They are slowly decreasing the amount of oxygen that is being pumped into the tent, and so far his oxygen levels are staying up. We went in to see him around 10:30 this morning, hoping to hold him, but his respiration rate was too high to risk it yet. We will try again after lunch. Hopefully we will be able to hold him soon and if all goes well, maybe attempt feeding him this evening. The doctor cautioned us that is anything is going to cause a setback, the feeding will since sucking puts negative pressure on his lungs, so your prayers would be appreciated this evening as we attempt to continue down this road to recovery.

Other than all of this, he is a healthy, relaxed baby. He looks like Marty and has a nice head of dark hair, and big chubby cheeks. He finally opened his eyes for me this morning, and they are blue so far. All the other kids were born with blue eyes and they turned brown within a year, so we will wait and see what happens with his eye color. He is absolutely beautiful and I will post more pictures when I get home. Thankfully, this is something that just happens to some babies, and will have no long term affects on his health. He will go home a healthy boy, and if all goes well, we might get to take him home this weekend. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, and pray for baby Andrew's full, quick recovery. Thank you for all of your support, I'll try to update when I can!

Welcome Andrew Martin Stauffer

Hi friends,

My name is Tracie. I am a good friend of Tiffani's and she asked me to be a guest blogger today and update all of you on the birth of her new son. I spent the whole day with her and was there for her through her entire labor and delivery, and it was AWESOME! Tiffani is such a trooper and so strong. She is my hero.

Andrew Martin Stauffer was born at 11:39pm on Monday, January 5th, 2009. He weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs. 7 oz. and is 20 1/2 inches long. He has chubby cheeks and fat rolls on his thighs, and a touch of hair on his head. He is gorgeous!

Labor and delivery went as expected. It was a long day for Tiffani, but no real complications. Andrew had pooped while still cozy and warm inside mom so as soon as he came out, they suctioned him out. He was having labored breathing so they took him to the nursery to do an x-ray and found that he has an air bubble pressing on one of his lungs. They have him in an oxygen tent and are trying to break up the air bubble to ease his breathing. He is ok and will be fine, but Tiffani and Marty are asking for your prayers to lift Andrew up to God to heal him quickly. Tiffani only got to hold him for a brief moment and she misses him.

Thanks for keeping updated and being a part of Tiffani's life. I know she appreciates all of you.

With love and blessings,

Tracie

Is The Asylum Quiet?

This was a conversation in our house recently:


Emma: Grant, you need to share.
Grant: No.
Emma: Yes.
Grant: No.
Emma: Yes.
Me: Kids, stop arguing!
Emma: Grant, stop arguing.
Grant: No.
Emma: Yes.
Grant: No.
Emma: Yes.


Maybe single child households aren't so bad after all!

It's Not Their Fault, But It's Stupid

I was told to call the hospital at five this morning to schedule the time for my induction. I stayed up till midnight, getting the final things done, and tossed and turned till four. I finally got up at four thirty and called, when I was told I would be penciled in at nine and they would call back at seven to confirm. I went back to bed and got a little more sleep, then got up and showered, but by seven thirty, they still had not called, so I called them back. I was told by the stupid people that they had gotten three women in since we had talked last, and that I might not be able to go in today. Stupid.

The kids are at Holly's, expecting their new baby today. Marty's dad and step mom have extended their trip till tomorrow so they can meet this little guy, and she is missing work to do so. Tracie spent the night here last night to make it easier for her to be there, and the entire family has re-arranged their schedules today, waiting for the little one to arrive. I had a rough day yesterday with all the build up to today, just to be told that they can't fit me in. I completely understand that the hospital cannot control how many people go into labor at a certain time, but I am still frustrated. I think I am going to go call my doctor and see if she can do anything about it. I'll let you all know how it goes.

One Last Day

This morning we decided to skip church and spend a final morning as a family of five. We brought the kids into bed with us when they woke, and snuggled and played and watched cartoons for two hours. I am being induced tomorrow, so tonight they are going to Holly's to spend the night. The next time they will wake up in their own beds, we will have their baby brother home, too.

I know things are going to change when this baby comes. Grant especially will have a hard time, when he wakes in the morning he likes to cuddle me and only me while he drinks his milk, he does not like Ben or Daddy too close during our time together. I sure hope this baby is content, or mornings are going to be filled with a lot of tears for a while. This is why we especially wanted to have this morning to spend together, and the kids had a great time. We now need to wash our bedding as it is filled with cereal crumbs and spilled milk, but that's OK. Some times, you just do what you have to do to make memories.

Today, my bestest friend and her family are coming over for our Christmas. I am looking forward to a day of relaxing, visiting, and letting the kids play. Tomorrow, everything changes. I feel like we are really closing a chapter in our lives, and I am a little nervous at what this new change will bring, but I know that it will be great. I just hope we get through the transition easily.

On more day as a mother of three. Ben's last day as the baby. I really think I am over thinking this. Gosh, I don't like induction. I'm cranky, I'm hormonal, and I'd much rather be surprised and not have a countdown, but I really don't want to continue to be pregnant for who knows how long. I'll get over it, and tomorrow, I will be a mother of four and everything is going to be fine.

I do not have a laptop, so I have not yet decided how I am going to post when the baby is born, but I will figure it out. Stay tuned, pictures should be coming soon!

More Christmases!

We had two more Christmases today. (No, Brenda, I did not have the baby yet. Love You!) Anywhoo, we went over to Holly's for Stauffer Christmas with Marty's dad and step mom and family. Marty's dad really likes to pick out some toy for all the men to torture the women with every year, this year it was these shooters that you pump up and they shoot foam balls at others. I am so glad that Stauffer Christmas is always at Holly's, I would have a nervous breakdown if this kind of thing was at my house. Holly is very patient and understanding. She is wonderful like that. I am not very patient and understanding, so I think I would be yelling at them to knock it off. It's a lot more fun at Holly's house.

Anyway, everyone had a blast, no one lost and eye from the shooters, and I don't believe anything got broken. We headed home and my parents came over, we were planning on seeing them Christmas Day, but the snow stopped that. The kids were still pretty riled from Stauffer Christmas, so it was a little chaotic, but that's life. We had a great time, the kids really enjoy time playing with my parents. And we kind of like them, too!

Now, the kids are in bed, and I am so exhausted from the day and still not feeling well. I am not sure if I need to go to bed, or just cry a while. I am so ready to be done with crazy hormones! At least I know it will all be over soon. Less than 48 hours left of being pregnant. I know it will not be immediate that I start feeling like myself again, but at least I will be able to brush my teeth without throwing up. I can hardly wait!

T-Minus Three Days Left

Alright, I have at the very most, three days left of being pregnant. Part of me is thrilled, I am tired, huge, and ready to be done with the lack of mobility, heartburn, peeing every forty minutes, heartburn, backache, heartburn, the list goes on.

However, I am trying to revel in these last days since (God willing) this is the last time I will be pregnant. Ever. Never again will I feel the joy of waking up in the middle of the night feeling a kiddo doing acrobatics in my belly. Never again will I experience the strange sensation of baby hiccups, and watch my belly jump. I will lose the oh-so-handy shelf for folding laundry, carrying food and hiding the lower half of my body. I will lose the ability to drop something in public, and just have to pause a moment, looking, before some stranger takes pity on me and picks it up before I try to bend over. I will lose the ability to take a nap every day and have my husband get home from work, see the chaos, and say, "You got a nap today? Good for you!" Three days. That's all I have left.

It's strange to move through stages in life. Most you don't notice. Some you do, like the transition from high school to real-life, from college to actual-real-life, since post-high-school-real-life isn't actually real life. You don't notice, really, the last time you just had to hang out at the club, you just change and that part of your life ends without much fanfare. Marriage is a big one, as well as becoming a parent. These are stages that as an adolescent, you expect to go through, knowing they will bring great change to your life. I never thought that the end of the baby stage would be a big one, but it is for me.

I am thrilled at the prospect of being forever done with diapers in a few years, the freedom of not revolving every aspect of life around nap times and schedules, and getting rid of strollers and diaper bags. However, I know this end-of-an-era will bring a little sadness, too. There will be times where I will look back at this stage of life and miss nap times, the chance to have a break in the day to myself. I will forget being up all night with teething children, and potty training (OK, I probably won't forget that for a while) and the constant mess that invades my home with no hope of ever being picked up. I will forget the fun discovery of a milk cup that has been missing for days, and the smell of trying to wash it. Who knows, I may remember all of this, but they will be fond memories of a perhaps simpler time.

It seems strange that this time in my life is actually simpler than the future may be, but I think it may be true. Yes, the day-to-day survival is a lot more complicated, but right now, I have children who love each other, who listen to me(for the most part) and who are not involved with negative influences outside our home. They look to me and Marty for guidance, and generally believe what we tell them. When we tuck them in at night, we have no worries of them sneaking out the window or having friends sneak in. Yes, this is a simpler time, and I refuse to let is pass me by while longing for something different. I will enjoy the time I have with these kids before I am no longer their number one favorite person, I will try not to complain(too much) about potty training or the mounds of laundry. As impossible as it seems, my life right now is a lot more calm than it will be in a few years, or even in a few days. I am going to enjoy my last three(ish) days as a mother of three, and know that this stage will eventually end. I'll quit rambling now, I have to pee.

Still Pregnant!

It is 2009, and I am still pregnant. I tried so hard yesterday, I actually did jumping jacks (painful) and squats (extremely difficult) to try to go into labor. Baby just isn't ready yet, so that's OK. We will wait patiently until he decides to show up. Or until Monday, when we will force him out. Which ever!

We had a blast last night for New Year's Eve. Holly's party was great, the kids got along really well and Marty only make a kid cry once. Really, it's a record. There was surprisingly little fighting and injuries between the kids, considering there were a lot of them hopped up on sugar and up past bedtime. It was pretty loud, but a happy, excited loud that just made it a great party. The kids watched the ball drop, and headed outside to pop poppers and celebrate.

We got home and had the kids in bed by 11, We kept telling Emma she stayed up till 2 o'clock in the morning east coast time. She asked, "Why do you keep saying east coast time?" I replied, "Well, it's New Year's, so that's just what you say!" She was fine with that. I wonder how many years we will get away with that one.

Marty and I watched a show until midnight. We actually almost missed the moment, I fell asleep on the couch (shocker, I know) and Marty was on the computer. He woke me saying, "It's 11:59! Change the channel!" I found the countdown with 15 seconds to go. We brought in the New Year with sparkling cider and I was asleep again before the fireworks finished on the Space Needle. Wow, we are getting old.

Today will be filled with fun times with the kids and getting the house as organized as possible. We had virgin mimosas for breakfast, and we have sparkling pink lemonade for later. I'm sure there will be football at some point (OK, at some large chunk) of the day, maybe I'll take a nap. Have a great and happy New Year's day!