Play time!

Two of the gifts that E received from Santa have been quite a hit, especially with Paul.

One was a remote controlled helicopter.  We tried to take it to the park, but apparently it's meant for indoor use.

 

The other was a drum set.  E actually has pretty good rhythm and will sing songs as he plays.  He also has started to bow after he finishes and we all applaud him.  Even G.

Christmas (and then some)

The few weeks leading up to Christmas have been rough.  We continue to battle illnesses in our home and I think they are finally starting to leave us alone for a while.  The night of the 6th, G came down with a really high fever that would spike to 104 at times.  The night of the 8th, E was vomiting. Then on Monday the 10th, G was vomiting.  I went to work on Tuesday and had to come home because I was vomiting.  We finally all healed up later that week when Paul started to feel sick.

A week later, E woke up from his nap screaming that his ear hurt.  It took him an hour to settle down from crying and I decided to call his pediatricians office.  They couldn't get us in until the next morning, but seeing as how E was acting, I decided to call the urgent care office near our house.  They said they could get him in around 5:30 that evening.  Once Paul came home, my mom stayed with G so that we could take E.  He did not want to go to the doctor's office and was crying the whole time before leaving. He settled down once we were in the car and he did great during his visit!  What was also fun was seeing the doctor that took care of me growing up walk in to take care of E. She was as great as I remember!

E was given an antibiotic to help and he seems to be doing much better.  We were able to celebrate Christmas with everyone feeling 90%.  Paul still seems to have some lingering "gunk" in his chest and throat.

We spent Christmas Eve with Paul's family at his mother's house. We opened up our gifts, had a surprise visit from Santa, and then had a yummy dinner consisting of enchiladas, tamales, and white chili.

 I love soft baby hands.

 Can you tell E isn't so sure about this "Santa"?

 Cousins

After arriving home, E helped me set out the milk (er...eggnog) and cookies for Santa.  He included an Oreo pop on Santa's plate too.

Christmas morning, we opened presents with the boys at our house.  It was fun to see E opening each gift and exclaiming, "It's just what I wanted!"  Until he opened a box of clothes.  He tossed that to the side. G seemed to enjoy opening presents for about 5 minutes.  He was much more content walking around and playing with tissue paper or old toys.

 Where's Baby?

 Santa ate up all the treats and must have given the reindeer the carrots.

My parents came by and headed to Christmas mass with us.  Can I just say that we do not go nearly enough for our kids to understand church "etiquette".  I guess that a sign we should be going more often so we can work on good behavior in church.  It wasn't anything major, other than G wanted nothing to do with being inside and wanted to play in the courtyard the whole time.  E on the other hand just wanted to go back and forth from being outside to the pew where we were sitting to the children's "cry room" where we would take G.

After mass, the boys napped and when they woke up, we went up to my sister-in-law's house for dinner.  The kids had fun, except for a few meltdowns with E because he was chasing people/dogs and making them cry so he had toys taken away.  Or when G fell face first into the leg of a table and cut open his lip.  Yeah...other than the chaos which is motherhood, it was a good time had by all!

Merry Christmas!

Severe (Working) Mommy Guilt

Again, I don't typically post about my job on here, but lately, it's had quite an effect on me. I've been working some "late" nights...ok, a lot of late nights. I'd say that for the past quarter I have been arriving at home typically around 5:00 or 5:30. Just this week, I have come home after 5 every day, and two of those days I arrived by 5:45. That doesn't include having to arrive by 7 for a staff meeting on Tuesday.

On Monday, my mom asked if I could come home any earlier. Apparently E has been asking when I'm coming home lately. She said that he usually starts asking around 3:00. Now that the sun sets earlier, it's dark by the time I get home. When she told me this, I burst into tears.

I had to stay after today to talk to parents and a child with several teachers and the principal. After the meeting ended (at 5:15), I just started to cry. All this time at work and so little time with MY children.

Not only did I already have Mommy guilt for being at work late, but today when I arrived home at 5:45, I was told that G had a fever all day. When I took his temp, it was 103.9-104.2. I gave him some Tylenol and just held him even after he fell asleep. Once he went to bed, his fever had dropped to 100.7.

I spent time in the way home (crying and) calculating how much time I had spent at work so far this week.  Over the past 4 days, I have been AT work almost 40 hours, but with travel time it is closer to 44. I know people work more than this, but for me, this is a lot. The time I have spent playing with G has totaled to about an hour. With E, it's more like 2 or 3. Even though I'm home, it's either me getting ready for work, making dinner, eating dinner, or prepping kids for bed.

I'm frustrated that I've been working so much and missing out on so much at home. I'm looking forward to being home for two weeks over Christmas. I NEED that tie with my kids and my husband. I'm struggling right now to set my priorities straight.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas!

We decorated the house over Thanksgiving weekend.  E really took on the role of decorating the tree all by himself. We had taken out the tree while the boys were napping and were able to put the lights on.  Once they had awaken, E went straight to decorating.  We didn't even have to tell him to start!

Admiring his work.

G took a bit longer to warm up to the idea of our house set up with garlands and wreaths. He doesn't like walking near/under them and will not touch them at all.  He will go up to the tree, but doesn't touch it. (Which is way better than him wanting to wreck everything on the tree instead.) At one point, G wanted to help decorate, which meant that he put an ornament on a tree branch and it would fall right to the ground.

We brought out our Elf on the Shelf to start the tradition this year. E name ours Tok (pronounced talk). E even helped me sound out and spell his name.  He's been visiting us and finding a new place to arrive each day.

Here is my attempt at catching up on what's been happening in our lives...

Damaged Toe:
Over a month ago, G dropped the iPad on his right toe. Poor little guy screamed and cried for quite some time after it happened. He would put pressure on his foot and it would start bleeding again. It turned shades of purple, blue, and black. In the last week, it started to lift and finally fell off a few days ago. He seems to be doing ok, it just doesn't look that fabulous.

Gym Time:
We had taken E to the local My Gym months ago to try out two free classes (which were parent/child). Both times we went, he cried when it was time to leave. Today I took him to The Little Gym to try out an independent class. He seemed ok, but every now and again he would look teary eyed and confused about what he should be doing.  There were only 6-7 kids in the class and two teachers.  (One of them was very involved, the other was less involved.) The teachers did a great job cheering and giving E high fives when he tried and participated.  By the end of the class, he seemed to like it. I was a bit surprised that there were a couple kids who kept leaving the class to come out and see there parents and the teachers didn't seem to do anything about it.  Not sure what was going on there. Anyway...I asked E if he like the class and he said yes, but looked rather neutral about it. After coming home, I asked him which he liked better, that place or the place with the ball pit (My Gym).  His response, "The place with the ball pit."

Fire Alarm:
Yet another incident with a fire alarm. E's preschool has fire drills and he hasn't been to happy about them. The other day, the school had fire safety day where firefighters come talk to the kids about fire safety.  Apparently, when the fire-woman started to talk, she turned on the smoke detector.  This made E cry and was inconsolable   Both of his teachers tried to calm him down and even offered him an early snack.  They couldn't get him to stop, so they had to walk him down to the office where someone else was finally able to calm him down. After talking to his teacher, I think we will be sending in ear plugs to school so that he can put them in where there is a fire drill.  Since that day, he asks if the fire alarm will sound wherever we go.

Church Carnival:
We went to the carnival at the church by our house two weeks ago. E had a blast and was so excited to ride the kiddie rides. He loved going on the helicopters, teacups, and bears.  He said his favorite ride was the teacups. (I bet he'll love them when we decide to go to Disneyland!)

G is 15 months old!

Our little G-unit is now 15 months old! When I look at him he still looks so little.  But when I see someone else hold him or me holding him in the mirror, he looks so big!

Here's what's going on with G:
- He still LOVES to dance.  If he here's even the slightest bit of music, he will start bobbing up and down, clapping his hands, or (violently) nodding his head.  Lately, he has been dancing in a circle.  His left foot is planted on the ground and he stops/turns himself with his right foot.  It's quite hilarious.

- G has been attempting to do somersaults.  He will place his hands on the ground along with the top of his head.  Then he will raise and lower his feet, but hasn't quite yet managed to push himself over.  That's where we come in!

- The little guy still can't get enough food.  He loves cheese, applesauce, and bread.  We are trying really hard to get him to eat more protein (meat, poultry, legumes) but he doesn't enjoy them just yet.  He will eat spaghetti with ground turkey, so that helps. At his last well visit, his iron levels were still low, so we are adding an iron supplement into his diet. He has become very independent when eating and uses a spoon almost all the time.

- G is still nursing.  He likes to have Mommy milk just before sleeping and when he wakes.  When I get home from work he will nurse and on the weekends when he is playing.

- He sleeps almost 12 hours each night.  There are some nights where he won't wake at all, but he usually wakes 1-2 times a night. I think I've figured out that he just wants his diaper changed. As soon as I change it, he lays very still on his changing pad and closes his eyes.  I can usually nurse him for a few minutes and he goes back to bed in his crib.

- He has been signing more, all done, and milk. I'm working on him learning more, like Mom, Dad, and brother.  (I asked E to come up with a sign for himself that we could teach G, too. He wants it to be two hands pushing away.  Maybe it's because he likes to push his brother?)

- Opening and closing the DVD player is a hit.  Except for when he gets his fingers smooshed in it. He also likes to push buttons on phones, the TV, remote controls.  He has figured out that remotes turn things on, so now when he sees a remote, he tries to turn on the TV.

- G loves to play with (and in) sand.  He runs it though his fingers, which leads to throwing it.  That then turns into throwing it on himself.  My mom said she took the boys to the park and G laid down on the sand and started rolling around in it.  Nice, huh?

- G can open doors and likes to get into things he probably shouldn't.

- He is finally starting to enjoy baths, even if he does stand the whole time playing with the water pouring out of the faucet.  Luckily for us, he doesn't cry when we pour water on his head.

- This little stinker is quiet a handful. He does things he shouldn't and laughs while he does them. Some examples include drawing on the floor with markers, running out into the street, and pinching his father. He also tries to run away from us and laughs at that too.

- He's become fascinated with the Nature picture book that we have.  There's a photo of a tarantula that E always points out to us. G has started pointing it out to us as well and says, "OH!"  He has also been on the lookout for Tok, our Elf on the Shelf.

- G is now wanting to scoot around on bikes and other vehicles that we have in the backyard. Basically, anything that involves being outside is heaven to both boys. G will also pick up the toy bat and start trying to hit and swing.

- There are now 12 teeth in the little guy's mouth.  Four front, four bottom, and four molars - one on each side, left and right.

- He has finally started to enjoy taking baths, although he stands the whole time. And sometimes he even pees. Whenever E and G take a bath together, E always asks if G will pee in the tub.  So far, it's been a 66.66% chance that it happens.

- We decorated the house with Christmas decorations.  G does not like the garlands or wreaths that hang over the doorways.  He will not go near/under them without someone with him. But I think he's getting used to them being around.

- We very much love having him in our lives.  He loves his big brother, even though he is willing to retaliate by biting or hitting him (over the head with Tupperware containers).

Happy 15 months, G!  You surprise us everyday with the incredible things you know how to do.  You've got an amazing personality and we love you!

Thinking about the future...

I'm not looking forward to the day I realize that E has stopped telling me he loves me multiple times a day, or tells me to stop doing what I'm doing because he wants to give me a kiss, or doesn't want to cuddle with me just before he goes to sleep at night.

Tonight at dinner, I sat across from him and fell in love with him all over again. There was nothing particularly special about what we were doing, other than eating as a family at Pita Jungle on a cold Saturday night.  But in one of those chaotic Mom moments of getting food ready for the kids before you can eat your own, I stopped and just looked at E. He sat there bright eyed, happy, and looking so much older than I ever remember him looking. I just thought about how handsome he is. And how lucky I am to have him. (And G. And Paul.)

I am so blessed.

G-unit update

The little guy can now clap to songs!  And he will touch his head when we sing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.  It's adorable!

Schnepf Farm

We took our 3rd annual trip to Schnepf Farm last weekend.  We met up with Paul's mom, sister Meghan and her two kids, and his sister Brighid and her boyfriend. It is so fun to see how each time we go, it's a different experience for E and for us.  This if the first time that E really noticed everything that was around.  He spied the games/rides for the first time!

E had his face painted with a ghost, but after seeing his cousin with a ghost AND a spider, he wanted a spider too.

We had talked to him about the tractor at the farm while driving and that is was so big that he could sit on it. He kept telling us to hurry because all the other kids (in the cars around us on the highway) were going to get there first and he wouldn't get a chance to ride it.  Luckily, he did get his chance!

Fun with his aunt, Brighid, Adam and cousin.

Picking out a pumpkin was more fun, since E wanted to pick up every pumpkin that he could carry.  If he came across one that was too heavy, we'd hear him call out, "Daddy! Come help!"  Each pumpkin he picked was assigned to a family member - Mommy, Daddy, brother, and Papa Lee.  G had fun at the pumpkin patch too.  He kept falling over all of the pumpkins and was covered in dirt.  That did not deter him from trying to pick up and carry the small pumpkins.

We had a lot of fun, but it is quite exhausting!  We were wiped out!

Talking and Body Part

Little G-unit is starting to become quite the communicator.  I mentioned before that when we sing Ring Around the Rosie, that he would say "ah-sh,ah-sh" during the "ashes, ashes" part.

Today, I was showing him animal pictures that are part of a puzzle.  I would say that dogs say "woof, woof". I then asked him what dogs say, he thought for a moment, then said "boh, boh".

At his afternoon snack, I couldn't tell if he was point to more cheese or crackers.  I held them both and motioned to each while saying their names.  I'm pretty sure he said "chee".

I have a feeling he's going to start having quite the vocabulary soon.

After his snack, I was singing Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes to him.  I asked him to touch his head and he did.  Then I asked if he could touch his toes and he then bent over and touched them.  I had no idea that he knew that.

I'm amazed at what I get to learn about my kids when I'm home, even if it's only on the weekends.  They're getting too smart for me!

Cabin Fever

Paul's friend, Jake, offered us his cabin in Payson so that we could go when we'd like to get away.  Since Paul had taken off this week for my fall break from school, it seemed like the perfect time.  We packed up the kids and our things, then headed out of town for a few days.

The kids napped on the way and once we got into town, we stopped to buy some groceries. We arrived, unloaded, and just enjoyed playing in and around the cabin. They have this amazing porch swing that E and I liked to sit on.  Although E kept telling me to get up and push him.  We played hide and seek, looked for bugs and animals, and checked out some pine cones.  E also declared it Pine Cone Day.

The cabin also has a big loft area upstairs with some toys.  It was nice to be able to contain the boys up there knowing that they could play and be in a safe space.  Our friend's also have two little boys, so there were plenty of appropriately aged items for them to play with. They also have a little table near the kitchen that was a perfect height for both G and E.

We made some spaghetti for dinner and then it was time for G to get to bed.  Paul had set up a pack 'n play for him to sleep in.  It took a while for him to fall asleep and have him stay asleep in the pack 'n play.  While G was sleeping, Paul, E and I made s'mores in the fireplace. They were delicious.  I guess it's a good sign as a parent when your child would rather just eat the graham crackers and takes off the chocolate and marshmallows.

As Paul was getting E to bed around 7:30, G woke up.  I tried to get him to back to bed, but I was having a really difficult time.  He would fall asleep nursing or rocking in my arms, but any movement to put him down and he was awake.  I'd try to put him down awake and he's scream.  By 10:00, Paul was going to bed and I was still up.  Even Paul had tried with no avail.

Paul moved E into the room where G had been sleeping and Paul went to sleep in there too.  I tried to get G to sleep in the bed with me in the other room, but was unsuccessful. Around 11, I asked Paul to move the pack 'n play into the room with me. G kept falling asleep in my arms, but would wake and cry when I put him down.  There were attempts to let him cry it out, but I would just start crying too when he'd reach for me. I was about ready to strap on the carrier and sleep sitting up on the couch.  At 12:45 am, I went in to wake Paul to see if he could help.  I went to lay down in the room with E and I could hear G crying and screaming.  After about 5 minutes, I heard his cries lessen and then there was silence.  Ahhh....

I was then able to fall asleep.  It seemed as though I slept for 15 minutes before Paul came in to wake me and see if I could feed G.  This was at 3:00 am.  I was able to nurse him for a bit and then he rolled around and spooned with me before he fell asleep.

E awoke at around 6:00, which woke up the rest of us, G included.

That night made Paul and I decide to come home later that day.  We made some breakfast and then headed out for a morning nature walk.  Our friend, Jake, had given us directions to two small creeks that we could take the boys to, so off we went with fishing poles in hand!  As we were walking, Paul turns to me and tells me how there have been a high number of bear attacks in Payson this year.  Awesome.  So now I became paranoid and was on the constant look out for bears.

After our walk, we let the boys play in the loft while we packed up. It was getting close to nap time and melt downs were starting to occur, so we wanted to get out of there soon.  The plan was for me to drive around for a bit so that Paul could finish getting the cabin cleaned.  The boys were in the car, most of our stuff was packed, and when I turned on the car, we heard "click, click, click".  Our battery died. Paul went to search the nearby cabins to find someone to give us a jump.  I unloaded the kids and hurried to clean.

A nice woman came to give us the jump, we loaded the boys back in and we were off...to Big O Tires.  After about 15 minutes and $100 later, we were headed back into town.  Luckily, I had made sandwiches that morning (which we were supposed to take to the fish hatchery later that day) so we ate lunch in the car ride home.

It would have been nice to stay at the cabin longer, but we enjoyed the time that we did spend away from the hot Phoenix air.