Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Christmas Faces


Hanging with Grandma, 26th of December.

Christmas Day at Natalia's (cousin's play area).

In a TuTu


Wearing a tutu has become a regular part of Kaitlyn's attire.

Kaitlyn wearing a pair of Nana's reading glasses while chewing on a snack.


Happiness Abound


He's all smiles when he is awake...Dylan is a joyful baby and I believe at the rate he is blossoming, he will be as joyful as Kaitlyn, but with a calmer and more cautious presence. I've been blessed with this one as he sleeps well, eats well, poops well, and even looks well! At two months he holds his head up with great strength, he loves to stand up and will lie in bed counting the specs in the air until he either falls asleep or gets a touch restless. If the latter the grunts start up and his bodily sounds fill the room-nothing outrageous, but enough to wake you from a deep sleep. He's chill...
This photo was taken by a friend of mine from a moms group I'm a part of and I must say I am fooling the camera tremendously. I actually look fit and trim (well, that's arguable, I know) when in reality I still weigh the hefty 190 mark and have an overstretched belly that gives me an award winning muffin top! All in due time as right now I've got smiles to enjoy and cooing sounds to entertain!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Pee Pee in the Potty

It was quite the moment. After Kaitlyn's bath she hung out in the bathroom in her birthday suit while I bathed Dylan. She occupied herself with books and bath toys all the while talking and talking. I took Dylan to Kaitlyn's room (the next door over) and as I was dressing him I got this feeling that I should check on her. When I did, I found her sitting on her potty-a usual siting these days not to pee but to sit and read (yes, I do realize she will be one who grows up to use the restroom for not only the call of duty but also to read and seek respite). I went back to tend to Dylan when shortly after I heard a sound. That type of sound that makes you rush. When I got to the bathroom door she was shaking her potty upside down and on the floor was a puddle from what she spilled out. My girl went pee-pee...pee-pee in her potty!

We did a pee-pee dance, swapped a few high fives and said 'Awesome' a number of times! Folks this maybe a one hit wonder...or a start of a new chapter! I suppose potty training should officially start tomorrow!!!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Post Bathtime Charm




Life has never been so busy. Two children under the age of two should sum it up. Actually, for those of you who are not yet a parent, and quite frankly, for those of you who have one child...it may be hard to relate. Allow me to explain:
Alarm clocks are overrated when you have a six week old who wakes you up every two to three hours to nurse. It just so happens when he finishes his last feeding of a night series, daylight has filtered into the room and as un-welcomed as an alarm, I get a jarring 'Mommy' from Kaitlyn's room. The day has officially began. Can I pee before I get her? What about getting dressed? If I don't do it now then I won't see my closet until mid-day. Oh well, 'Mommy' is even louder this time around and so off I go to get my little sunshine.

While I like to think mornings have become my favorite time of day with my children, it is truly the hardest part. Fortunately, despite any lack of sleep, within thirty minutes of Kaitlyn's 'Mommy', I'm fairly awake and consumed with comforting, cooking, feeding, talking, explaining, ... diaper changing, dressing, cleaning, playing, disciplining... the list truly goes on. Let's not forget the baby-he usually gets up and mind you he is upstairs while Kaitlyn and I are downstairs. If our staircase could talk it would request a massage. HTA (High Traffic Area) for me and the kids. Up and Down. Up and Down. One would think I could plan my day better to avoid the Up and Down, but the fact of the matter is that with two children, you can only plan so much. 16 steps. I know each one intimately.

Did I mention that Steve is sleeping during all this? Add that to the mix and it adds a slight level of strain as I try to keep everyone quiet-it doesn't work. Kaitlyn is ready for voice lessons as she warms up in the morning. You can find her often screaming a song or two. I haven't figured out the lyrics yet, but her range is quite elaborate. She also likes to whine and cry in the morning if the baby is awake with her. It's a jealous thing, but it's no quiet songbird. She is a broken record some mornings. I'm exhausted just writing this out.

Breathe.

By lunch I have reclaimed energy as I know quiet time/nap time is just around the corner for Kaitlyn and that means I will hopefully have some personal time-all dependent upon Dylan's decision to head for a nap, too. At a minimum, it will be one child to care for over two. Naptime comes and goes for me. On a rare occassion I slip into bed for a power slumber (with the exception of today...a blissful two hour nap beckoned me and I indulged) but generally naptime if both children are down means time for me to catch up on emails, surf the net for Christmas gifts, work on the MOMS Club newsletter and design birth announcements, baptism invites, holiday cards...do something creative. Then it's over, all too soon.

Second part of the day arrives and it's busy...but easier than the morning. It's pretty much focused on dinner, preparing it, eating it, cleaning it up. Then onward up the stairs for bathtime, storytime, clean-up and bed-time. Bathtime has come to be a cherished time for me as I place Dylan on a blanket and as he counts the bathroom lights Kaitlyn gets all washed up. Both are typically in their best form. It's lovely. It's not hectic. It's totally manageable.

Post bathtime, however, is another story. Kaitlyn is my bulldozer and that is her MO when she gets out of the bath. Naked butt and all she runs wild in her room. First taking her books off the shelves, tossing each one into the air like they don't matter anymore. Then it's a race to hide from me to avoid putting on a diaper and lotion. Sometimes a good bite occurs as I try to grab her and that just puts her into a timeout which results in the horrific screaming cry since she feels it's the end of the world. After a good timeout she's an angel child, obediently gets dressed and reads her books like nothing ever happened. Dylan hangs out through it all, patiently awaiting his next nursing session.

Once Kaitlyn is down then it's at least an hour holding Dylan before he is down for a good few hours. This is when I should crash. BUT, I don't. I embrace this time of the night as the only time for me. Well, it's not really for me until I finish up the dishes, tidy up the family room and keep some laundry going. When that is over, if I'm still standing, then I find some respite in my office before hitting the sack to only be awakened moments later by Dylan's grunts letting me know the cycle of night feedings, once again, has just begun.


Friday, December 4, 2009

Super Nanny Please

Photo taken at the Hodgkinson's home-Kaitlyn was dancing to the music while wearing these 3D glasses that were for viewing their Christmas tree! It was a sight to see...little miss spunky!


Where is Jo from Super Nanny? Can she come for a private session? Today Kaitlyn has bit me more times than I can count on one hand. She has tested my limits that I'm at the mercy of any advice. What I'm praying for now is a R E A L serious face. I believe she senses my nerves and strong desire to crack up when I'm scolding her. Knowing too well that if I crack a smile she will take a mile and unfortunately my emotions are worn upon my sleeve. I haven't cracked yet, but I've made a semi-smile frown and forced tears to compensate for my overwhelming desire to burst into a manic laugh! I think you would, too, if you were facing her mischievous temperament that is ever so present behind those big brown eyes.

Time out is catching on, but I'm beginning to think she likes the idea of time out, so much so, that she doesn't think twice about:
-climbing up onto the coffee table...
-dangling one leg over the side of the couch while staring right at you with her tongue peeping out the side of her mouth...ignoring my 'Kaitlyn, sit on your bottom please'...
-opening the techno cabinet (place where all our digital devices live) and ignoring any 'Kaitlyn close it shut, please'...
-biting my leg, pinching my arm, hitting my face....one thing to the next in that order.
Will this end? It's a total game and I'm totally losing.


Thursday, December 3, 2009

Wolftank






He is hairy. Hairy from head-to bottom-to toe, hence 'Wolf', and his 'Tank' is never full! Wolftank has a torso that exceeds a typical three month onesie allowance and hands that could grip a grapefruit. This child is big. He arrived big and has only grown bigger. What's to come? Will he be like his distant cousin and sport 18 month clothing by eight months? How about this hairy situation...I look forward to the hair loss to see if he does lose the trail that travels up the spine of his back and the extra coat wrapped around his ears. Shed, baby, shed! No matter, he is the world's most adorable boy. His grunts are being replaced with cooing sounds and his luxury stay in the family heirloom bassinet may come to a sudden end as conditions are projecting a crammed holiday season if he continues to sprout at such a rapid rate.

One week to the next his facial expressions change as well as his strength. Just today I noticed how long his eyelashes have become. Ladies, don't even think about it! Dylan is going to be a priest...really, his romantic future will be as heart pounding, anxiety driven for me as Kaitlyn's future will be with the guys. My palms are sweating now just thinking about it!