Today's favorites:
Me: Wyatt, do you remember the days of the week?
W: Yes. Monday, Tuesday, Threesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, bubble bath Sunday!
*************
W: I can't find my hockey ball!
Me: Well, look in your room and under my bed.
W: I can't find it. It's not there (high drama, fyi, with much whining and pouting).
Me: We can just play with another ball.
W: But I want my hockey ball!
Me: Well, honey, I know you think I'm magic and I can find it, but this is what happens when things don't get put away where they belong. I really don't know where it is so let's just play with a different ball.
W: But you are magic!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Million Dollar Question
At dinner last night with friends, the question arose: what would you do with a million dollars? Of course we all assumed that we would have to spend it (nothing so responsible as saving for kids' educations, etc.) and it was funny because we all - stay at home moms - had similar answers. Nannies, chefs, cleaners, personal improvements, etc.
However, after more thought, I change my answer: I want a paycheck.
And with that paycheck, I might still hire help but really? I just miss a paycheck. Because somehow, collecting pay every week might validate what I'm doing on a daily basis more than anything else. How dumb is that? Don't answer. I'm aware that I should feel "paid" by Wyatt when he says, "here Mommy, you can have this ball because you're a really good mommy" and by Natalie when she beams at the sound of my voice, but last time I checked those two methods of payment can't buy a darn thing.
So that's my answer. What's yours?
However, after more thought, I change my answer: I want a paycheck.
And with that paycheck, I might still hire help but really? I just miss a paycheck. Because somehow, collecting pay every week might validate what I'm doing on a daily basis more than anything else. How dumb is that? Don't answer. I'm aware that I should feel "paid" by Wyatt when he says, "here Mommy, you can have this ball because you're a really good mommy" and by Natalie when she beams at the sound of my voice, but last time I checked those two methods of payment can't buy a darn thing.
So that's my answer. What's yours?
Sunday, July 26, 2009
It Never Gets Old
I absolutely never tire of seeing the jets. So when Jeff flew one home this weekend, we were out there waiting for him. Wyatt is getting somewhat accustomed to being on the flightline (wonder if he'll ever realize what a unique childhood he's having) but this was Natalie's first time welcoming Daddy home.
Waiting...
...there's Daddy!
Helping with the walk-around post-flight and checking out Wyatt's favorite part: the engines.
I'm hoping that Wyatt will somehow have some real memories of these days!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Today's Top Five
1. Getting to sleep while Jeff got up with Natalie.
2. An hour to myself in our house.
3. Haircut and highlight.
4. Shopping by myself. For hours.
5. Running through the sprinklers with Wyatt.
It's been a good day.
2. An hour to myself in our house.
3. Haircut and highlight.
4. Shopping by myself. For hours.
5. Running through the sprinklers with Wyatt.
It's been a good day.
Look Back
I finally took some pics off one of our cameras and they made me smile.
1. Wyatt loving Jack's birthday cupcake.
2. Natalie getting acclimated to her exersaucer.
3. Jeff's idea of a hilarious joke. Don't worry, it's fake. However, I didn't know that at first glance and let's just say it had the desired effect.
4. Me and my babies - our first joint storytime. Wyatt now loves crawling into my lap for Natalie's sleep routine.
1. Wyatt loving Jack's birthday cupcake.
2. Natalie getting acclimated to her exersaucer.
3. Jeff's idea of a hilarious joke. Don't worry, it's fake. However, I didn't know that at first glance and let's just say it had the desired effect.
4. Me and my babies - our first joint storytime. Wyatt now loves crawling into my lap for Natalie's sleep routine.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Resilient Has a New Meaning
When I posted about my kids being able to survive lights-on sleeping, I had no idea they were merely preparing for what was to come. Now I am truly thankful for their resiliency.
Miss Natalie got sick on Tuesday. Really sick. Like for a moment I thought, do I call 9-1-1? I decided that urgent care would do, so hastily packed up Wyatt, dropped him at a friend's and doubted myself all the way to the base. Had I really seen her turn blue? Because she was so pink now. And she didn't have a fever, she was breathing, probably crying because she was hungry, right? Was it really worth cancelling the zoo trip for what was sure to be a needless visit to the doctor?
It turns out if you walk into urgent care and say something along the lines of, "my four-month old turned blue but now looks fine" they take it really seriously. You get called back immediately and not to the exam rooms, but to the scarier ER section where they put sticky things all over your baby's chest in case they need to do anything heroic. And when you tell them her temp was 98.3 when you left your house but now shows up at almost 102, that raises some red flags. And it earns a full work-up. After medical procedures that make you both cry, you find out that they can only tell you her white blood cell count is elevated but they don't know why. And they don't know what the blue was about, unless it indicated the fever spiking. After hours - three? four? - and an i.v. antibiotic, they send you home but only if you promise to bring her back if anything seems strange. You assure them you will and assume you'll not see this helpful staff again.
So I picked up Wyatt, offered nuggets from Chick-fil-a (because honestly, I needed some sort of treat after that ordeal and I really wanted some iced tea) and took my family home. I got Wyatt settled at his picnic table and started rearranging my evening plans since a sitter and a trip to Williamsburg didn't seem smart. And then I looked down at my sweet girl and damn if she wasn't blue all over again.
I dropped Wyatt at another friend's (who peeked in at Natalie and, with her nursing background, said, "yeah, she's blue" before giving me a hug and taking Wyatt) and rushed back to the base. As soon as I walked in, they said, "did it happen again?" and whisked me to the back. Again. We were the show, so no less than two doctors, two nurses and three techs were attending to her, seemingly all at once. By this time, her fever was above 103, despite it having been at 99 only an hour earlier. The pediatrician informed me we'd be staying the night. The phonecalls started in earnest - how to get ahold of Jeff, did my mom need to come out, who would take Wyatt, etc. Needless to say, it was frantic and scary. My baby. My sweet baby. And why always when the husband is gone?
Honestly, I've known that I have some great friends but this tested their willingness to help and they all went above and beyond. I talked to Kristen once to give her a brief rundown of what had gone on and by the time I called her back, she had a plan in place. It involved her calling the sitter I cancelled on to watch her boys so she could bring stuff to me, taking Millie to another friend's house, then picking up Wyatt at the other friend's house before taking him back to her place for the night. Amazing. In the meantime, the lab amended its earlier findings and that told us Natalie was fighting off a UTI. At least we had a diagnosis, even though it didn't explain the blue spells. And with that, it seemed we had 24 hours at the hospital so I opted against Jeff rushing home or my mom coming out.
Thankfully they decided they didn't need to put an i.v. line back in, so with new cardiac stickers and a pulse/ox monitor taped firmly to her foot, Natalie and I were able to rest. She did great all night, even managing to smile for the nurses when they came in every four hours to poke and prod, and most importantly stayed fever-free for the night. After another dose of the high-powered antibiotics and another urine sample (thankfully not via a cath), we were back home by 4:00 yesterday. Today she seems back to her old self and had lots of smiles at the doctor's visit today.
It turns out this isn't normal, but isn't rare either. She'll have some follow-up testing in a couple of weeks to see what the full scope of the issue is and until then she'll be on antibiotics. I'm so thankful for all the good care she got and the support I got from our friends. Wyatt's pretty sure it was the best couple days of his life. He got to play with Sam & Julie, then had Chick-fil-a, then got to play with Connor and Reid, had a visit to Kiley and Drake's, then had his first sleepover with Isaac. What's not to love? He told me he missed me (and Millie, too) but that he'd like to spend the night with Isaac again. He wanted to know why I stayed home. I guess he wasn't freaked out by my freaking out!
I have learned a lot: We have great friends and a large support network for which I am incredibly thankful. I am thankful that I have a few verses memorized because they helped keep me calm when I felt very alone. I think it's interesting that the blessing we've chosen to give Natalie every night is, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Fitting in that time, let me tell you. It is miserable to see your kids hooked up to EKG's and i.v. lines. It is not fun to put your baby to sleep in a metal crib with monitors beeping. Healthy children are a blessing and even moderately ill ones are, too. All I could think of were my friends whose children have been through major surgeries, much more life-threatening stuff. How have they done it with such grace and calm?
My baby is fine. My friends tell me Wyatt was good for them. Jeff will be home soon and all will be right with the world. Incidentally, both kids had check-ups scheduled for today so I have stats: Natalie is in the 25-50%ile for both height and head circumference, 50-75%ile for weight. And, drumroll please, Wyatt is in the 10-25%ile for both height and weight! Looks like he might catch up after all.
Miss Natalie got sick on Tuesday. Really sick. Like for a moment I thought, do I call 9-1-1? I decided that urgent care would do, so hastily packed up Wyatt, dropped him at a friend's and doubted myself all the way to the base. Had I really seen her turn blue? Because she was so pink now. And she didn't have a fever, she was breathing, probably crying because she was hungry, right? Was it really worth cancelling the zoo trip for what was sure to be a needless visit to the doctor?
It turns out if you walk into urgent care and say something along the lines of, "my four-month old turned blue but now looks fine" they take it really seriously. You get called back immediately and not to the exam rooms, but to the scarier ER section where they put sticky things all over your baby's chest in case they need to do anything heroic. And when you tell them her temp was 98.3 when you left your house but now shows up at almost 102, that raises some red flags. And it earns a full work-up. After medical procedures that make you both cry, you find out that they can only tell you her white blood cell count is elevated but they don't know why. And they don't know what the blue was about, unless it indicated the fever spiking. After hours - three? four? - and an i.v. antibiotic, they send you home but only if you promise to bring her back if anything seems strange. You assure them you will and assume you'll not see this helpful staff again.
So I picked up Wyatt, offered nuggets from Chick-fil-a (because honestly, I needed some sort of treat after that ordeal and I really wanted some iced tea) and took my family home. I got Wyatt settled at his picnic table and started rearranging my evening plans since a sitter and a trip to Williamsburg didn't seem smart. And then I looked down at my sweet girl and damn if she wasn't blue all over again.
I dropped Wyatt at another friend's (who peeked in at Natalie and, with her nursing background, said, "yeah, she's blue" before giving me a hug and taking Wyatt) and rushed back to the base. As soon as I walked in, they said, "did it happen again?" and whisked me to the back. Again. We were the show, so no less than two doctors, two nurses and three techs were attending to her, seemingly all at once. By this time, her fever was above 103, despite it having been at 99 only an hour earlier. The pediatrician informed me we'd be staying the night. The phonecalls started in earnest - how to get ahold of Jeff, did my mom need to come out, who would take Wyatt, etc. Needless to say, it was frantic and scary. My baby. My sweet baby. And why always when the husband is gone?
Honestly, I've known that I have some great friends but this tested their willingness to help and they all went above and beyond. I talked to Kristen once to give her a brief rundown of what had gone on and by the time I called her back, she had a plan in place. It involved her calling the sitter I cancelled on to watch her boys so she could bring stuff to me, taking Millie to another friend's house, then picking up Wyatt at the other friend's house before taking him back to her place for the night. Amazing. In the meantime, the lab amended its earlier findings and that told us Natalie was fighting off a UTI. At least we had a diagnosis, even though it didn't explain the blue spells. And with that, it seemed we had 24 hours at the hospital so I opted against Jeff rushing home or my mom coming out.
Thankfully they decided they didn't need to put an i.v. line back in, so with new cardiac stickers and a pulse/ox monitor taped firmly to her foot, Natalie and I were able to rest. She did great all night, even managing to smile for the nurses when they came in every four hours to poke and prod, and most importantly stayed fever-free for the night. After another dose of the high-powered antibiotics and another urine sample (thankfully not via a cath), we were back home by 4:00 yesterday. Today she seems back to her old self and had lots of smiles at the doctor's visit today.
It turns out this isn't normal, but isn't rare either. She'll have some follow-up testing in a couple of weeks to see what the full scope of the issue is and until then she'll be on antibiotics. I'm so thankful for all the good care she got and the support I got from our friends. Wyatt's pretty sure it was the best couple days of his life. He got to play with Sam & Julie, then had Chick-fil-a, then got to play with Connor and Reid, had a visit to Kiley and Drake's, then had his first sleepover with Isaac. What's not to love? He told me he missed me (and Millie, too) but that he'd like to spend the night with Isaac again. He wanted to know why I stayed home. I guess he wasn't freaked out by my freaking out!
I have learned a lot: We have great friends and a large support network for which I am incredibly thankful. I am thankful that I have a few verses memorized because they helped keep me calm when I felt very alone. I think it's interesting that the blessing we've chosen to give Natalie every night is, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Fitting in that time, let me tell you. It is miserable to see your kids hooked up to EKG's and i.v. lines. It is not fun to put your baby to sleep in a metal crib with monitors beeping. Healthy children are a blessing and even moderately ill ones are, too. All I could think of were my friends whose children have been through major surgeries, much more life-threatening stuff. How have they done it with such grace and calm?
My baby is fine. My friends tell me Wyatt was good for them. Jeff will be home soon and all will be right with the world. Incidentally, both kids had check-ups scheduled for today so I have stats: Natalie is in the 25-50%ile for both height and head circumference, 50-75%ile for weight. And, drumroll please, Wyatt is in the 10-25%ile for both height and weight! Looks like he might catch up after all.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Good Thing They're Resilient
I tried a new sitter tonight. She seemed nice, even if she's a little flat-line in the personality department. I felt pretty comfortable leaving my babies with her. I was prepared - I wrote out all the bedtime instructions, phone numbers, neighbors' info, etc. and also talked through everything with her when she got here. Wyatt was excited, Natalie was almost ready for bed, so all seemed right.
I got home a few minutes ago and the new sitter seemed kind of annoyed that Natalie had stirred a few times, though did note that Wyatt went right to sleep at 8:15. No surprise there since he didn't nap today and I told her to have him in bed between 7:30 and 8. So I went up to check on my kids only to discover that it's a flat-out miracle they're asleep at all, considering their lights are on. Really? Doesn't that seem a little straightforward?
Me and my picky self are probably still hunting for another good sitter. If you know of anyone in my neighborhood, please let me know. On the flipside: at least my evening out was worth it. Thanks, kids, for taking one for the team.
I got home a few minutes ago and the new sitter seemed kind of annoyed that Natalie had stirred a few times, though did note that Wyatt went right to sleep at 8:15. No surprise there since he didn't nap today and I told her to have him in bed between 7:30 and 8. So I went up to check on my kids only to discover that it's a flat-out miracle they're asleep at all, considering their lights are on. Really? Doesn't that seem a little straightforward?
Me and my picky self are probably still hunting for another good sitter. If you know of anyone in my neighborhood, please let me know. On the flipside: at least my evening out was worth it. Thanks, kids, for taking one for the team.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Things that Have Rocked My World
1. Natalie, apparently, reads this blog and does not want to be pigeonholed into the "good baby, good sleeper" category. How do I know? Well, the last two nights have been miserable. Like newborn miserable but at least with a newborn you expect it. Not really anticipating the two-hour wakeful stint with my four-month old. So if you're reading this, sweetheart, I get it. You are unique, quirky, and will not settle for being predictable. I'm so sorry I suggested otherwise. P.S., how's that teething tablet and tylenol cocktail working for you?
2. I might have to start shopping at Wal-Mart again in the future. Horror! There was an article in today's paper about how they're pushing their vendors to participate in a quantifiable green-labeling program, something akin to nutrition labels so that we (consumers) could tell in a glance whether that product's "green" claims are true. They want it in place by 2011. Since they're the world's biggest retailer (you have to combine the #2 - #7 retailers share to add up to Wal-Mart's piece of the pie), they actually have the power to make this happen. The article makes this point by mentioning concentrated laundry detergent. Apparently that exists because Wal-Mart pushed the manufacturers to make their packaging smaller and, therefore, decrease the amount of shelf space required. Who knew? Anyway, I find the idea of the green labeling awesome. I find Wal-Mart miserable. This, I imagine, will cause some sort of dissonance in my being in the next couple of years. Maybe the military will help me out and send me somewhere without a Target so I won't have a choice anymore. Check back then to hear me gripe about no Target.
3. Speaking of Target, I can't remember the last time I was there. I know! What is up with that? I'm going to have to think of something we need so I can visit again. I mean, I'd hate for Wyatt to stop pointing out every set of concentric circles and asking if that means the item came from Target.
2. I might have to start shopping at Wal-Mart again in the future. Horror! There was an article in today's paper about how they're pushing their vendors to participate in a quantifiable green-labeling program, something akin to nutrition labels so that we (consumers) could tell in a glance whether that product's "green" claims are true. They want it in place by 2011. Since they're the world's biggest retailer (you have to combine the #2 - #7 retailers share to add up to Wal-Mart's piece of the pie), they actually have the power to make this happen. The article makes this point by mentioning concentrated laundry detergent. Apparently that exists because Wal-Mart pushed the manufacturers to make their packaging smaller and, therefore, decrease the amount of shelf space required. Who knew? Anyway, I find the idea of the green labeling awesome. I find Wal-Mart miserable. This, I imagine, will cause some sort of dissonance in my being in the next couple of years. Maybe the military will help me out and send me somewhere without a Target so I won't have a choice anymore. Check back then to hear me gripe about no Target.
3. Speaking of Target, I can't remember the last time I was there. I know! What is up with that? I'm going to have to think of something we need so I can visit again. I mean, I'd hate for Wyatt to stop pointing out every set of concentric circles and asking if that means the item came from Target.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Four Months and Other Random Bits
Natalie at four months:
1. Chews on her hands incessantly and drools like crazy. I can see the outline of the two bottom teeth; wondering how long before they pop through.
2. Has been rolling over for a few weeks. She's awesome at rolling back to tummy, not so consistent at tummy to back.
3. Is developing a more regular schedule but her morning nap is still pretty irregular. She can be counted upon for a long afternoon nap that coincides with Wyatt's so that forgives her unwillingness to sleep through the night.
4. Sleeps through the night when Jeff is planning to get up with her (this has happened on more than one occasion - stinker!)
5. LOVES her brother. She saves her best full-face smiles for him and watches every move he makes (that will haunt me, I'm sure); she also giggles for him with very little prompting.
6. Makes a sound that can only be described as growling and I don't remember Wyatt doing anything similar.
7. Doesn't love the Bumbo like Wyatt did, but is tolerant of short stints in it. She is okay with the exersaucer but, in general, is happy as long as someone is making her feel like she's a part of the action.
8. Tries to sit up all the time. If she has our hands to pull on, she'll go from laying down to standing in no time.
9. Almost touches both bumpers when she turns sideways in her crib.
10. Is outgrowing clothes faster than we can keep track of. Just this week, we've put her in two different sleepers that fit when I folded the laundry but are now too short for her.
11. Digs her baby bjorn.
12. Sleeps on her side 90% of the time; the remaining 10% is divided evenly between sleeping on her back and sleeping on her tummy. If she's at all awake when she's put in her crib, she immediately rolls to her left side.
13. Is totally easy-going until she isn't. The fuse is kind of short and we know we're being scolded when she lets out a high-pitched wail. On the upside: as soon as the need is met, she's Miss Happy-go-lucky again.
14. Reaches for toys in front of her or above her on her playmat with the intention of putting them in her mouth. She seems fairly surprised when she gets ahold of one.
15. Loves her baths and has great fun splashing about but didn't like it when I dipped her toes in the pool.
16. The swing - miracle that it is - gets little use these days. Maybe one in six days has her napping in it, otherwise she's in her bed.
17. Is wearing size 3 diapers. I mention this only because my man, Wyatt, topped out in size 4's.
18. Brings us all great joy and tolerates Wyatt's hugs and kisses quite nicely.
******
Random bits:
1. We just discovered that Dole pear cups (the ones Wyatt has been downing at a rapid rate for months) are a product of China. We find this a little disturbing, what with...well, China, and all. So I decided to do a little research on their website and discovered they don't mention China among all their international operations. Hmmmmm.....I'm curious to see if they respond to my inquiry.
2. Poll: tub v. shower in a master bath - how many of you require a bathtub in your master? We're contemplating eradicating ours; would we lose you as a buyer? Leave your answer in the comments, please. And no, there's no room for a separate tub. It's combo or nothing.
3. We had a first today at the park: I told Wyatt it was time to go and he took off running the other direction because he wanted to play on the baseball field. Rather than chase him and make it a game, I decided to load the car (stroller in, baby in) thinking it would make him decide he might miss us. No such luck so I ended up physically removing him from the field and carrying him waaaaayyy back to the car. He was appropriately disciplined but seems to find the whole thing funny. Maybe I shouldn't have worked so hard at being the non-yelling parent?
4. Poor Millie is itchy. No hives, no bumps, no visible skin issues (which could be expected for her), bath didn't help. Any ideas?
5. I'm on a mission to find multiple babysitters who are dependable and have some daytime availability. I need a haircut like you read about but can't schedule one for another 2.5 weeks when my husband is home to take care of our little people.
6. Is it bad that I'd like to hire an interior designer to make my house more....interesting? It's feeling so very blah.
7. Jeff and I booked our first non-kid vacation for Labor Day weekend. While I should be looking forward to the trip, I'm really just craving the two nights with no 2 am feeding.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Summer
We've been enjoying unseasonably cool weather and lots of outside time the last couple of weeks. While I don't have pictures from our neighborhood's annual post-4th of July shindig held last night (complete with contraband fireworks and a visit from the local police), I do have a few others. I'm wishing it could be summer all year!
Fourth of July finery. Wyatt loves getting to "hold" Natalie.
How I found W today during his nap - sacked out under his train table. I wonder how this came to pass or if it explains the loud thud I heard from downstairs. When I moved him, he had a lovely carpet pattern imprinted in his little cheek.
Fourth of July finery. Wyatt loves getting to "hold" Natalie.Wyatt enjoying his first ice cream sandwich, courtesy of the ice cream truck that drove through our neighborhood. Immediately after he finished it, he asked if he could have a cool pop from our neighbor.
How I found W today during his nap - sacked out under his train table. I wonder how this came to pass or if it explains the loud thud I heard from downstairs. When I moved him, he had a lovely carpet pattern imprinted in his little cheek.Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Lady of the Night
Alternately titled, Birth Control.
A few things you need to know before reading this:
1. Given no constraints, I prefer to sleep from 10:30pm to 7:30am. I had the grand pleasure of discovering that one glorious summer in Okinawa. Ahhh, the good ol' days.
2. Despite also needing a lot of sleep on a regular basis, Wyatt went to bed an hour late last night and then it was only after having gotten himself so worked up about taking a shower instead of a bath that he puked. And of course he'd hardly eaten any dinner.
3. I sleep with a monitor for each kid within a foot of my pillow.
What went down:
1:25 am: Millie starts whining. My first thought is to let Jeff take her out, then I remember that he's briefing a General today and also flying which trumps my sleep. I take Millie downstairs and let her out.
1:29: Millie's in; I check on Natalie for signs of wakefulness/middle of the night feed. She's out.
1:35: back in bed; drifting back to sleep.
1:45: Wyatt stirs; the sleep talk involves "Daddy, Mommy.....can I have something to eat." My mind is turning and calculating that yes, he's probably pretty hungry. Drift back to sleep.
1:55: Natalie's awake. Go downstairs to make the bottle.
2:03: While feeding Natalie, hear Wyatt start yelling for me. Realize he's fully awake and start coming up with a plan of action.
2:15: Natalie's back in bed; Wyatt has stopped yelling. Decide to take care of everything at once and go back downstairs to get Wyatt a snack. Decide on a slice of bread - not exciting enough to become a habit but filling enough to get him through.
2:18: Walk into Wyatt's room and promptly knock over a plastic bucket full of God knows what toys. It's loud. He sits upright in bed and immediately starts whining for something to eat. Feeling like a supermom, I offer up the bread.
2:19: He starts crying about how he doesn't want bread because it will be messy on his hands. He wants a fruit snack or maybe some Jell0.
2:20: I'm still trying to explain that we don't have any fruit snacks and that Jello is messier than the bread. The bread is his only option. He concedes the point and asks me to put the bread on his nightstand. He then asks me to cuddle with him.
2:25: He's settled down, I crawl out of his bed.
2:27: Ahhhh, back in bed. Beautiful sleep.
4:00: Wyatt cries out once, just enough to wake me. Drift back to sleep.
4:15: Natalie starts fussing. Go check on her and find her head against the bumper. Move her so she can go back to sleep.
4:40: Natalie wakes again. Get up and go check on her. Again. She's awfully awake and acting a little hungry. Take her with me to go mix another bottle.
4:45: Feeding Natalie in her room; she falls asleep in my arms. I put her back in bed.
4:46: She's not asleep. Pick her up again, rock her until she's asleep then put her back in bed.
4:55: Finally get back into bed.
5:30: Husband's alarm. Hear the shower and see lights in the bathroom.
5:59: Husband kisses me goodbye, thinking I'm asleep. Muster a "good luck" for him; he apologizes for waking me. Fall back to sleep within seconds.
6:15: Natalie stirs.
6:20: Wyatt yells for me. I try the ignore and hope he goes back to sleep method.
6:45: Realize Natalie is asleep but Wyatt will not fall for it. We're up for the day.
6:46: Go to Wyatt's room, he asks for his bread from his nightstand and then starts crying because it's "too bumpy." It's going to be a great day.
And all of this after I told Jeff last night, "I never mind holding Natalie in the middle of the night because I feel like I don't get to hold her enough, but it will sure be nice when both kids are in bed at 8:30 and not awake again until 6:30 or 7."
A few things you need to know before reading this:
1. Given no constraints, I prefer to sleep from 10:30pm to 7:30am. I had the grand pleasure of discovering that one glorious summer in Okinawa. Ahhh, the good ol' days.
2. Despite also needing a lot of sleep on a regular basis, Wyatt went to bed an hour late last night and then it was only after having gotten himself so worked up about taking a shower instead of a bath that he puked. And of course he'd hardly eaten any dinner.
3. I sleep with a monitor for each kid within a foot of my pillow.
What went down:
1:25 am: Millie starts whining. My first thought is to let Jeff take her out, then I remember that he's briefing a General today and also flying which trumps my sleep. I take Millie downstairs and let her out.
1:29: Millie's in; I check on Natalie for signs of wakefulness/middle of the night feed. She's out.
1:35: back in bed; drifting back to sleep.
1:45: Wyatt stirs; the sleep talk involves "Daddy, Mommy.....can I have something to eat." My mind is turning and calculating that yes, he's probably pretty hungry. Drift back to sleep.
1:55: Natalie's awake. Go downstairs to make the bottle.
2:03: While feeding Natalie, hear Wyatt start yelling for me. Realize he's fully awake and start coming up with a plan of action.
2:15: Natalie's back in bed; Wyatt has stopped yelling. Decide to take care of everything at once and go back downstairs to get Wyatt a snack. Decide on a slice of bread - not exciting enough to become a habit but filling enough to get him through.
2:18: Walk into Wyatt's room and promptly knock over a plastic bucket full of God knows what toys. It's loud. He sits upright in bed and immediately starts whining for something to eat. Feeling like a supermom, I offer up the bread.
2:19: He starts crying about how he doesn't want bread because it will be messy on his hands. He wants a fruit snack or maybe some Jell0.
2:20: I'm still trying to explain that we don't have any fruit snacks and that Jello is messier than the bread. The bread is his only option. He concedes the point and asks me to put the bread on his nightstand. He then asks me to cuddle with him.
2:25: He's settled down, I crawl out of his bed.
2:27: Ahhhh, back in bed. Beautiful sleep.
4:00: Wyatt cries out once, just enough to wake me. Drift back to sleep.
4:15: Natalie starts fussing. Go check on her and find her head against the bumper. Move her so she can go back to sleep.
4:40: Natalie wakes again. Get up and go check on her. Again. She's awfully awake and acting a little hungry. Take her with me to go mix another bottle.
4:45: Feeding Natalie in her room; she falls asleep in my arms. I put her back in bed.
4:46: She's not asleep. Pick her up again, rock her until she's asleep then put her back in bed.
4:55: Finally get back into bed.
5:30: Husband's alarm. Hear the shower and see lights in the bathroom.
5:59: Husband kisses me goodbye, thinking I'm asleep. Muster a "good luck" for him; he apologizes for waking me. Fall back to sleep within seconds.
6:15: Natalie stirs.
6:20: Wyatt yells for me. I try the ignore and hope he goes back to sleep method.
6:45: Realize Natalie is asleep but Wyatt will not fall for it. We're up for the day.
6:46: Go to Wyatt's room, he asks for his bread from his nightstand and then starts crying because it's "too bumpy." It's going to be a great day.
And all of this after I told Jeff last night, "I never mind holding Natalie in the middle of the night because I feel like I don't get to hold her enough, but it will sure be nice when both kids are in bed at 8:30 and not awake again until 6:30 or 7."
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Done. And Never to be Done Again.
On my list of things I never need to do again: Chuck E. Cheese, where a kid can be overwhelmed and the parents can be completely skeeved. Jeff and I were supposed to have date night tonight, but our sitter cancelled so we figured we'd come up with a family outing. Since it's raining and cool here, the park was out and we somehow settled upon a first trip to the magical arcade we both remembered from our childhood.
After about two minutes, I realized why my parents didn't offer to take me more often when I was a kid. That place is miserable. Now I'm sure that some are better than others, depending on the local clientele and the day you go and the time you get there, etc., etc. but I'll never be going back to find out if ours has a "better time." It was so loud that when Jeff said something about it reminding him of the eighties, I thought he'd said we were in Hades. Of course he was right either way.
Wyatt actually enjoyed the pizza but all he really wanted to do was crawl through the giant rat tubes that ran through the center of the place above all the games. Jeff made up something about how they weren't letting kids his age or size or maybe both into the tubes and that we'd have to save that for "next time." Wyatt, bless his sweet three-year-old heart, looked mildly dejected but then conceded the tubes. We spent our time (and tokens because we brilliantly bought a coupon package deal) at skee ball and the duck punch game. We came away with 91 tickets, which translated to five miniature tootsie pops and a plastic dragonfly.
The most disturbing things about Chuck E. Cheese today:
1. Chuck E. Cheese is a rat - a really large, perpetually smiling rat - who sings to kids and hawks pizza. Whose brainchild was that and why does it seem to work? He's like the antithesis of the old Pied Piper or something.
2. Grown men (and we're talking large, muscular men) competitively playing arcade games with their four-year olds because they want to max out their tickets and win the *awesome* Chuck E. Cheese prizes. I mean, haven't you always wanted a gumball machine or a giant four square ball with the rat on it?
3. The little girl who was lost for at least ten minutes. She wandered by our table once crying and alone, the next time she was with a staff member and still crying. Seriously? Who takes their kid someplace like that and doesn't become more mindful of where their child is? This girl's parents were obviously not searching like mad for her.
4. The children (eleven years old, maybe?) who were crawling up the skee ball ramp to reach under the plexiglas and hand place their balls into the 50,000 point ring so they could get a billion tickets. It's disturbing because their parents were encouraging it.
5. The five-year old boy who, when Wyatt accidentally cut in front of him to play yet another round of skee ball, got in Wyatt's face and said, "hey, boy!" in a tone sounding suspiciously like gang members in a bad movie. Nothing like going toe to toe with a kindergartener.
6. The woman who rolled in wearing a spandex, zebra print shirt and skinny jeans (both a few sizes too small) with her zebra striped stilettos and bright red lipstick.
7. The copious amounts of kids running all over the entire arcade barefoot. It's worse than grocery store feet, it's Chuck E. Cheese feet.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure some of the other parents were thinking the same things we were. I could tell by the deer in headlights look in their eyes. But the rest of them? They were there to get their money's worth from the rat. I'm seriously hoping that Wyatt will erase that place from his mind; I wish I could fully erase it from mine.
After about two minutes, I realized why my parents didn't offer to take me more often when I was a kid. That place is miserable. Now I'm sure that some are better than others, depending on the local clientele and the day you go and the time you get there, etc., etc. but I'll never be going back to find out if ours has a "better time." It was so loud that when Jeff said something about it reminding him of the eighties, I thought he'd said we were in Hades. Of course he was right either way.
Wyatt actually enjoyed the pizza but all he really wanted to do was crawl through the giant rat tubes that ran through the center of the place above all the games. Jeff made up something about how they weren't letting kids his age or size or maybe both into the tubes and that we'd have to save that for "next time." Wyatt, bless his sweet three-year-old heart, looked mildly dejected but then conceded the tubes. We spent our time (and tokens because we brilliantly bought a coupon package deal) at skee ball and the duck punch game. We came away with 91 tickets, which translated to five miniature tootsie pops and a plastic dragonfly.
The most disturbing things about Chuck E. Cheese today:
1. Chuck E. Cheese is a rat - a really large, perpetually smiling rat - who sings to kids and hawks pizza. Whose brainchild was that and why does it seem to work? He's like the antithesis of the old Pied Piper or something.
2. Grown men (and we're talking large, muscular men) competitively playing arcade games with their four-year olds because they want to max out their tickets and win the *awesome* Chuck E. Cheese prizes. I mean, haven't you always wanted a gumball machine or a giant four square ball with the rat on it?
3. The little girl who was lost for at least ten minutes. She wandered by our table once crying and alone, the next time she was with a staff member and still crying. Seriously? Who takes their kid someplace like that and doesn't become more mindful of where their child is? This girl's parents were obviously not searching like mad for her.
4. The children (eleven years old, maybe?) who were crawling up the skee ball ramp to reach under the plexiglas and hand place their balls into the 50,000 point ring so they could get a billion tickets. It's disturbing because their parents were encouraging it.
5. The five-year old boy who, when Wyatt accidentally cut in front of him to play yet another round of skee ball, got in Wyatt's face and said, "hey, boy!" in a tone sounding suspiciously like gang members in a bad movie. Nothing like going toe to toe with a kindergartener.
6. The woman who rolled in wearing a spandex, zebra print shirt and skinny jeans (both a few sizes too small) with her zebra striped stilettos and bright red lipstick.
7. The copious amounts of kids running all over the entire arcade barefoot. It's worse than grocery store feet, it's Chuck E. Cheese feet.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure some of the other parents were thinking the same things we were. I could tell by the deer in headlights look in their eyes. But the rest of them? They were there to get their money's worth from the rat. I'm seriously hoping that Wyatt will erase that place from his mind; I wish I could fully erase it from mine.
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