"I remember when you couldn't do that"

I am reminded of a song that I plan to post that is entitled, "I remember when you couldn't do that!" Trev is crawling now and pulled himself up the other day. He knows what to do with the puffy snacks now and when we eat he knows that he should be eating too.
He esp likes to get cords and wires of any variety. Also paper is a real pleaser. Cell phones, glasses and necklaces are too fun to resist. He loves faces: lips and hair are his favorite. He is entertained by his brother and sister and loves a familiar face. The dog is very exciting as well- this is a real "arm flapper" for him. His swing has become a thing of the past, just too boring I suppose to sit and watch the world go by. Thankfully he likes to sit in the stroller for walks and his high chair for dinner. He also still likes to go for rides in the car.
He has 2 teeth and is not so bald as before. It seems like in such a short period of time they make huge changes and advances. What an amazing thing- our babies growing up! Happy 7 months baby boy, you will never again eat, sleep and be as sweet as you have in the past 7 months of your life, but like our love for you, you'll keep on growing and making us smile.

Outer Darkness

So I think that I know what "outer darkness" will include for me if I happen to not get my act together and go upstairs. I understand that it would not be limited to this as I am certain there would be incomprehensible misery, but I assume that it will include feeling like it feels after working a night shift and not being able to sleep (because I have small children to look after because my babysitter text me at 11pm to cancel...again.) The nausea, the confusion, irritability, the sweating, the headache..how time moves so slowly. How the day drags and the emotions run high awaiting relief. How reasoning is not so good and irrationality is familiar. Yes, it is a pretty miserable feeling. Being awake 26 hours, sleep 6 hours, awake 17, sleep 6, awake 6, sleep 6, awake 26..etc...this is not so good of a feeling when a 6 hours sleep stent is deleted!

On a side note, I recently read an article about how working night shifts is actually carcinogenic. Also that it increases risk for diabetes, high blood pressure (3 of my 20-something co-workers (not over weight and that do exercise) are on BP meds), mood disorders and sleep disorders.

I will not say that working night shift on a crazy busy Labor/Delivery unit is hell (I do love to help moms and just love those babies), it's just that one must sleep and make an attempt to be normal afterward.

Alas, we are on the search for a new babysitter that can help us make that happen...some attempt at normalcy. Wish us luck with finding a new sitter in a speedy manner. So that all sleep possible can be had. Oh sleep, how you cure all that ails me!

Dear Utah

Dear Utah,
Oh how I miss you...and how my husband misses you. I miss your smell and your sunshine. We miss your mountains and the open spaces. We miss going into your hills and having dutch oven. Sunny misses not wearing a leash. We miss the house in that neighborhood of yours that the renters don't pay for. The kids miss the yard there and the 'club house'. I miss my job in your great town, Cedar. I miss your people and their fun. We miss our friends and family that live with you. We longingly reminisce about the memories of you. We thought that you were great and thought times were easier with you (we didn't even know Dave Ramsey when we were with you. LOL) ...until that job failed us! Steve is crazy about your hunting and mountains. We are both fond of Cedar and the other small towns of yours. We sometimes itch for you and the days of no humidity and plenty of sunshine. Just writing to tell you that today is one of those days, and we are a little sick without you! Not that Kentucky is treating us badly, not at all. We are grateful for our opportunities here and the good people here too. Just sayin'...

Your friend, Mandy

2 kids + 1 room= Pulling out hair x 10

Yesterday morning we moved the big kids into the same room, so that Trevor can have his own room to sleep in.
Zac was beside himself- he was so excited. Kept calling it a "sleep over in Jenna's room". Jenna was really quite upset, "he is going to bother me!". Steve and I knew that it would be a problem at first.
Well....it was. They were in the bed at 8pm. They were finally asleep at 10:45. After a million warnings and chances, after calm talking -tos and angry talking-tos. After fruitless spanks (go ahead Gasp..that is how we roll). After spending 5 minutes in the back yard (which didn't work bc they were excited and thought they would just jump on the tramp) and even after a story about a boy named Max who wouldn't go to bed and so was very tired and grumpy the next day, there was still no sleep. What made them sleep you say? Well Zac played with the night lite and got a little shock which freaked us all out frankly, and scared them to just shut their eyes and go to sleep! (Zac is ok by the way. A little zap is all.)
This morning Jenna said, "I feel like Max!" and Zac basically was Max this morning and is still napping now . I dread the afternoon with sleepy, grouchy Jenna. Maybe tonight they will go to bed and sleep there, without the drama of electrocution!

We thought that we would make a chart...(how many charts have I made as a mother that are collecting dust or are in a folder?) ...and if they stay in their beds 10 times we will go to Chuck E. Cheese's. We also thought that we could stagger the bedtimes. Trevor 6:30, Zac 7:30 and Jenna 8. Any ideas are welcome. BTW, there are literally 2 toys and 0 books in the bedroom now because we emptied it to move the furniture, it was just that they were playing and annoying each other, just as each predicted.

Bring on the solutions!

Well Visits

On Tuesday, Trevor and Zac both had well visits at the doctor. They both got their immunizations. I hate the shots for the bigger kids. It, oddly enough, seems more cruel as they get older. I remember Jenna getting hers before Kindergarten and now Zac getting his this year, it's awful. But he was a trooper and didn't cry even though the last one I could tell that he'd had enough. (On a side note, Steve and I were watching a show on Food network about other cultures and food, anyway, the boys and girls go through painful things as children and learn not to cry, because it shames their family to have crying. Hmmm, we would stand out there.) Focusing back on what I was saying...oh yes, the immunizations were necessary and now Zac is done until he is 11. Too bad for Trevy, he gets more in a few months.
All was well at the visit. She informed me that it appeared that Trevor "is going to keep you very busy...". Yes, this is no surprise to me. Although he has been an excellent baby, he will not be an observer as he develops. The doctor also looked to Zac and said, "it must be hereditary." I like her so much and this did not offend me. Zac has tagged along to all of Trevor's visits plus one of his own, and she knows him. It's no secret that Zac has a lot of energy in that small room. Back to her comment on Trevor...I suppose it's because every time she went to assess Trevor he would flip to his belly and try to get away. Then once flipped back to his back, he would feel something, ahh yes the paper that covers the table, looks tasty...oh then the stethoscope that looks entertaining. Oooo, a tongue depressor! I had to hold him for the assessment instead of watch the doctor wrestle him. Anyway, all things are a "go" and he is having no troubles with his milestones. The easy days, I have been telling Steve, are over. We now have a very mobile baby who can army crawl and roll with the best of them. Baby proofing the house again. It's been a little while.
He was 18 lbs and 11 oz at 6 months. 70% for weight and head. 90% for length. The runt of the family. haha. Zac and Jenna were always very big. They couldn't even plot Zac at some point for height and weight. They made a dot floating in the outerspace of the graph paper. Zac was just telling me the other day that one day he will be big like me, and I told him, "honey, you are going to be bigger than me!" This blew his mind. I love Steve's genes.

Zac is 90th%ile for height and weight. Doing well too. He likes the doctor quite a bit. I am glad to have the choice where to take my kids. I like this small practice with little waiting and good care. They know us, and that is important to me.

Anyway, enjoy the video and pictures.