Amelia recently moved into 12-month clothes (*sigh*), so I've pulled out the things I have in that size. Again, almost everything is consignment or hand-me-down, and the outfits are SO CUTE!
I can already tell this one won't last long, because it's hard to get her chubby little arms through the armholes. No Spandex in this outfit.
But the details are so cute, I want to put her in it as often as possible before she outgrows it!
I know as she gets older, the clothes will get less cute and more skanky. I can't get over some of the "young girls' clothes" I see at the mall.
While I can put her in clothes like these, I'm going to count my blessings!
I never could have anticipated enjoying dressing a girl up so much.
This is the one item I bought new, and I bought it before she was born.
I bought it in a 12-month and newborn size, and she wore it the first couple of weeks of October.
And now she gets to wear it again! LOVE.
The tights. I die.
But I have no desire to buy everything new. Why should I, when there's so much cute stuff out there for sale at consignment shops and sales? Polka dots. Be still my heart:
This little Ralph Lauren number was only $11. And it came with matching bloomers. Not bad!
This is another one that won't last long, because it's not stretchy at all. But my goodness.
Do I need to tell you how precious she looks in this? You can imagine.
GRACIOUS.
May 31, 2012
May 30, 2012
Uncomfortable truths, vol. 29
1. When you pull up to the left or right of me at a four-way stopsign, you'd better be on your toes. Be ready to roll. Keep your eye on the ball. Don't be pulling forward an inch, then slamming on the brakes, then inching forward again. Pay attention! Know the order! If you stop and go, stop and go, stop and go, I am likely to go all road rage on you.
2. I know why my kids balk about brushing their teeth, because I hate brushing my teeth, too. If I could give up one personal hygiene task without suffering the consequences, that would be it. Ironic: Grayson and my sister both say that I am the most enthusiastic brusher they know.
3. I can tell just by looking at you if you're more likely to use three exclamation points at the end of a sentence than one.
4. The other day I was trying to get through that Gotye song on the radio, and I couldn't do it. I switched it to another station, and One Direction was on. And I left it there. I'm not cool enough to like Gotye, I suppose.
5. If you have one of those 13.1 or 26.2 stickers on your car, I hate you. And I'll continue to hate you until I have one of my own on my car. Then I will love you.
2. I know why my kids balk about brushing their teeth, because I hate brushing my teeth, too. If I could give up one personal hygiene task without suffering the consequences, that would be it. Ironic: Grayson and my sister both say that I am the most enthusiastic brusher they know.
3. I can tell just by looking at you if you're more likely to use three exclamation points at the end of a sentence than one.
4. The other day I was trying to get through that Gotye song on the radio, and I couldn't do it. I switched it to another station, and One Direction was on. And I left it there. I'm not cool enough to like Gotye, I suppose.
5. If you have one of those 13.1 or 26.2 stickers on your car, I hate you. And I'll continue to hate you until I have one of my own on my car. Then I will love you.
May 29, 2012
Slices of Life, Vol. 40
Amelia was having a fussy evening recently, sort of squawking in her bouncy seat while I was making supper. Nick walked by her, threw a glance her way and said, "DROP THE ACT, AMELIA."
Jake is very, very emotionally invested in Amelia's wardrobe. He and Nick both like to help me pick out what she wears each day. One might say they require "wardrobe approval," and they take it very seriously. They love it when Ms. Faye, one of Amelia's teachers, compliments what she's wearing. When I bought clothes for Amelia recently, I had them on hangers, sitting in her room.
Jake: "What are these? New clothes for Uh-mill-ee-yah?"
Me: "Yes, I'm getting ready to take the tags off and put them in her drawers."
Jake: [picks a dress up, holds it up to the side and exclaims] "Oooooh, Ms. Faye is gonna LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The other night I walked in the house, loaded down with my workout bag, laptop bag, purse and a pair of pants Amelia had pooped on in a plastic bag they'd given me at daycare. I'd just gone for a jog, then picked Nathaniel and Nick up at school. They walked ahead of me, into the kitchen.
Me: [wrinkling my nose] "What's that smell? Yuck."
Nick: "It's you."
Me: "Oh, wait. I just remembered, I'm carrying these poopy pants. That must be what I smell."
Nick: "Nope, I'm pretty sure it's you. You STINK."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jake is very, very emotionally invested in Amelia's wardrobe. He and Nick both like to help me pick out what she wears each day. One might say they require "wardrobe approval," and they take it very seriously. They love it when Ms. Faye, one of Amelia's teachers, compliments what she's wearing. When I bought clothes for Amelia recently, I had them on hangers, sitting in her room.
Jake: "What are these? New clothes for Uh-mill-ee-yah?"
Me: "Yes, I'm getting ready to take the tags off and put them in her drawers."
Jake: [picks a dress up, holds it up to the side and exclaims] "Oooooh, Ms. Faye is gonna LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The other night I walked in the house, loaded down with my workout bag, laptop bag, purse and a pair of pants Amelia had pooped on in a plastic bag they'd given me at daycare. I'd just gone for a jog, then picked Nathaniel and Nick up at school. They walked ahead of me, into the kitchen.
Me: [wrinkling my nose] "What's that smell? Yuck."
Nick: "It's you."
Me: "Oh, wait. I just remembered, I'm carrying these poopy pants. That must be what I smell."
Nick: "Nope, I'm pretty sure it's you. You STINK."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nathaniel: “The other night I found myself singing out
loud while I was listening to my iPod Touch, and I wasn’t even conscious
that I was doing it.”
Grayson: “What was a complicated sentence and a pretty big word.”
Nathaniel: “What word? ‘Conscious’?”
Grayson: “Yes.”
Nathaniel: “Eh, not really. ‘Subconscious’ is a bigger word.”
Grayson: “What was a complicated sentence and a pretty big word.”
Nathaniel: “What word? ‘Conscious’?”
Grayson: “Yes.”
Nathaniel: “Eh, not really. ‘Subconscious’ is a bigger word.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Me: “Jake? Come help us sort clothes, please! Time to do the laundry.”
Jake: [comes out of his bedroom with a finger to his temple] “I have a headache. I need to lie down. I can’t hep wight now.”
Me: [sigh] “Okay, go lie down in your bed.”
[10 minutes later, the big boys and I have finished and are downstairs in the den. Jake comes running in and jumps on the couch.]
Me: “Well. You must be feeling better.”
Jake: “Yeah, it doesn’t hut anymoah!"
One Friday, Nick and
Nathaniel each had a friend over to spend the night. They’d spent a lot
of time playing outside, but at some point Nick wanted to come in and take a
break, so he and his friend Owen were lying on the couch watching TV.
Owen: [restlessly] “C’mon, Nick … I want to go jump on the trampoline again.”
Nicholas: “Well, I’m tired. I want to finish this show.”
Owen: “NICK. I didn’t come over here to watch TV.”
Nicholas: “Well then, what DID you come over here for?”
Nick … THE HOST WITH THE MOST.
Owen: [restlessly] “C’mon, Nick … I want to go jump on the trampoline again.”
Nicholas: “Well, I’m tired. I want to finish this show.”
Owen: “NICK. I didn’t come over here to watch TV.”
Nicholas: “Well then, what DID you come over here for?”
Nick … THE HOST WITH THE MOST.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A couple of weeks ago we were tackling the weekly task of sorting the boys’ clothes from their hampers into piles to be washed. They are notorious for trying to avoid this task, but Nick and Nathaniel were helping me.
A couple of weeks ago we were tackling the weekly task of sorting the boys’ clothes from their hampers into piles to be washed. They are notorious for trying to avoid this task, but Nick and Nathaniel were helping me.
Me: “Jake? Come help us sort clothes, please! Time to do the laundry.”
Jake: [comes out of his bedroom with a finger to his temple] “I have a headache. I need to lie down. I can’t hep wight now.”
Me: [sigh] “Okay, go lie down in your bed.”
[10 minutes later, the big boys and I have finished and are downstairs in the den. Jake comes running in and jumps on the couch.]
Me: “Well. You must be feeling better.”
Jake: “Yeah, it doesn’t hut anymoah!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nick recently went on a field trip with his class, and as part of the field trip they picnicked at a local park by the lake.
Nicholas: "MOMMY. There was a guy there who was FISHING!"
Me: "Oh, really? That sounds like fun."
Nicholas: "There were all these animals there. It was SO COOL. I want to go back there and go fishing, and turtling. And goosing."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The other night, Nathaniel was scared to go upstairs and
shower alone, because he'd read some books about ghosts that day at
school and was petrified. After a few minutes of discussion, during
which I wast trying to feed Amelia and do nine other things:
Nathaniel: "Mommy, I don't wanna go upstairs alone."
Me: "Buddy. I'm here with you. I'm in the house. There are no ghosts here, and you are going to be fine. Go. Up. Stairs."
Nathaniel: "No. I'm scared."
Me: "Jake, will you go upstairs with Nathaniel and sit with him while he takes a shower?"
Jake: "Sure." [heads upstairs with sippy cup in hand]
[I hear the shower water start, and a minute later Jake's back downstairs. Followed by Nathaniel.]
Me: "Wait. Why are you both back down here?"
Jake: "I was bored. I din wanna stay up dare."
Nathaniel: "Jake came back down here. And I'm still scared."
Me: "Well, it's ridiculous that your 4-year-old brother would need to be up there with you anyway. HE'S not scared to go up there alone."
Nathaniel: "Well, HE didn't read the BOOKS!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A complete non-sequitur by Nick the other day on the way to school:
Nathaniel: "Mommy, I don't wanna go upstairs alone."
Me: "Buddy. I'm here with you. I'm in the house. There are no ghosts here, and you are going to be fine. Go. Up. Stairs."
Nathaniel: "No. I'm scared."
Me: "Jake, will you go upstairs with Nathaniel and sit with him while he takes a shower?"
Jake: "Sure." [heads upstairs with sippy cup in hand]
[I hear the shower water start, and a minute later Jake's back downstairs. Followed by Nathaniel.]
Me: "Wait. Why are you both back down here?"
Jake: "I was bored. I din wanna stay up dare."
Nathaniel: "Jake came back down here. And I'm still scared."
Me: "Well, it's ridiculous that your 4-year-old brother would need to be up there with you anyway. HE'S not scared to go up there alone."
Nathaniel: "Well, HE didn't read the BOOKS!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A complete non-sequitur by Nick the other day on the way to school:
Nicholas: “Mommy, I know a nicer way to say
‘evict.’ “
Me: “How?”
Nicholas: “I’m giving you the opportunity to
find a place to live that’s not here.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nicholas: "Mommy. I came up with a great name for the Chick-fil-A cow."
Me: "What name?"
Nicholas: "Phil."
Me: "Well, yeah. Phil's a good name."
Nicholas: "It's a GREAT name. 'Cause it sounds like the middle of Chick-FIL-A!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When we finished the 5K last month month, I was asking the boys about the experience:
Me: "So you guys left me in your dust. Completely. Did you run together the whole time?"
Nathaniel: "Nah. I dropped Nick at mile 2."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When we pulled into the driveway after the 5K, Nathaniel's classmate Juniper (also our neighbor) was waiting for us on the front porch.
Me: "Oh! Hey, Nathaniel, Juniper's here."
Nicholas: "Why's she here?"
Me: "Well, I imagine she wants to play."
Nathaniel: "No, she's here on business."
Me: "What?"
Nathaniel: "You know, that book we're writing."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nicholas: "Mommy. I came up with a great name for the Chick-fil-A cow."
Me: "What name?"
Nicholas: "Phil."
Me: "Well, yeah. Phil's a good name."
Nicholas: "It's a GREAT name. 'Cause it sounds like the middle of Chick-FIL-A!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When we finished the 5K last month month, I was asking the boys about the experience:
Me: "So you guys left me in your dust. Completely. Did you run together the whole time?"
Nathaniel: "Nah. I dropped Nick at mile 2."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When we pulled into the driveway after the 5K, Nathaniel's classmate Juniper (also our neighbor) was waiting for us on the front porch.
Me: "Oh! Hey, Nathaniel, Juniper's here."
Nicholas: "Why's she here?"
Me: "Well, I imagine she wants to play."
Nathaniel: "No, she's here on business."
Me: "What?"
Nathaniel: "You know, that book we're writing."
May 28, 2012
The other Teacher Appreciation Week gifts
There really is no better time -- NO BETTER TIME -- to share with you the Teacher Appreciation Week gifts I put together for Nathaniel's and Nick's teachers than the week after school got out.
Is there?
I thought not.
For our first- and third-grade teachers, I downloaded these printables from Eighteen25:
And then I bought dry erase markers, erasers and white frames to go with them:
Simple! And they said they loved them. They were able to count down to the last day of school with them, which I hope was fun.
In other news, my sister left this afternoon to fly home to Wyoming, so I'm officially in mourning. Please send chocolate.
Is there?
I thought not.
For our first- and third-grade teachers, I downloaded these printables from Eighteen25:
And then I bought dry erase markers, erasers and white frames to go with them:
Simple! And they said they loved them. They were able to count down to the last day of school with them, which I hope was fun.
In other news, my sister left this afternoon to fly home to Wyoming, so I'm officially in mourning. Please send chocolate.
May 25, 2012
Are we all using the same tools? Really?
There are people out there who draw like this:
And yet I am playing people in Draw Something who draw like this:
It's unfortunate, really. (Love ya, D!)
Don't forget to check out my other blog, Draw Something Awesome, for a couple of daily laughs ... or to admire people's skills. But mostly to laugh.
And yet I am playing people in Draw Something who draw like this:
It's unfortunate, really. (Love ya, D!)
Don't forget to check out my other blog, Draw Something Awesome, for a couple of daily laughs ... or to admire people's skills. But mostly to laugh.
May 24, 2012
Out of the mouths of babes
I shared a longer version of this last year around Mother's Day, but I missed that deadline this year. So instead, I'm posting it on my birthday, because my kids make me smile. Enjoy!
1. What is something I always say to you?
Jake: I love you.
Nicholas: Stop!
Nathaniel: I love you.
2. What makes me happy?
Nicholas: When I give you love.
Nathaniel: Watching Survivor together
3. What makes me sad?
Jake: Hurting me.
Nicholas: When I get hurt.
Nathaniel: When we get hurt.
4. How do I make you laugh?
Jake: You say things silly.
Nicholas: Tickling me.
5. What is my favorite thing to do?
Jake: Singing.
Nicholas: Playing with us and spending time with us.
Nathaniel: Watching Survivor with us.
6. What do I do when you're not around?
Jake: You watch TV when it's your turn.
Nicholas: Work and take care of Amelia.
Nathaniel: Play with Amelia.
7. If I become famous, what will it be for?
Jake: Singing.
Nicholas: Having too many kids.
Nathaniel: Being a movie actress.
8. What am I really good at?
Jake: Climbing.
Nicholas: Loving us.
Nathaniel: Playing with us.
9. What am I not very good at?
Jake: Climbing slippery things.
Nathaniel: Math.
10. What is my favorite food?
Jake: Vegetables like green beans.
Nicholas: Pizza or a casserole.
Nathaniel: Salad.
11. What makes you proud of me?
Nathaniel: That you're such a good mommy.
12. If I were a cartoon character, who would I be?
Nathaniel: June from Little Einsteins.
13. What do you and I do together?
Nicholas: Play Draw Something on the whiteboard.
Nathaniel: Watch Survivor
14. How are you and I alike?
Jake: We both like to climb, but you don't like to climb slippery things.
Nicholas: We both have brown hair.
15. How are you and I different?
Jake: You like to climb OVER things. I don't.
1. What is something I always say to you?
Jake: I love you.
Nicholas: Stop!
Nathaniel: I love you.
2. What makes me happy?
Nicholas: When I give you love.
Nathaniel: Watching Survivor together
3. What makes me sad?
Jake: Hurting me.
Nicholas: When I get hurt.
Nathaniel: When we get hurt.
4. How do I make you laugh?
Jake: You say things silly.
Nicholas: Tickling me.
5. What is my favorite thing to do?
Jake: Singing.
Nicholas: Playing with us and spending time with us.
Nathaniel: Watching Survivor with us.
6. What do I do when you're not around?
Jake: You watch TV when it's your turn.
Nicholas: Work and take care of Amelia.
Nathaniel: Play with Amelia.
7. If I become famous, what will it be for?
Jake: Singing.
Nicholas: Having too many kids.
Nathaniel: Being a movie actress.
8. What am I really good at?
Jake: Climbing.
Nicholas: Loving us.
Nathaniel: Playing with us.
9. What am I not very good at?
Jake: Climbing slippery things.
Nathaniel: Math.
10. What is my favorite food?
Jake: Vegetables like green beans.
Nicholas: Pizza or a casserole.
Nathaniel: Salad.
11. What makes you proud of me?
Nathaniel: That you're such a good mommy.
12. If I were a cartoon character, who would I be?
Nathaniel: June from Little Einsteins.
13. What do you and I do together?
Nicholas: Play Draw Something on the whiteboard.
Nathaniel: Watch Survivor
14. How are you and I alike?
Jake: We both like to climb, but you don't like to climb slippery things.
Nicholas: We both have brown hair.
15. How are you and I different?
Jake: You like to climb OVER things. I don't.
May 23, 2012
Bernard Pivot's questionnaire
In honor of my sister's visit this week, I thought I'd post our NO DOUBT RIVETING answers to Bernard Pivot's (pee-VOH) questionnaire, which may sound familiar to you not because you know who Pivot is, but because James Lipton asks these questions of his celebrity guests on Bravo's Inside the Actor's Studio.
And what you want to know about celebrities, you ALSO want to know about me and my sister, right? Of course you do.
1. What is your favorite word?
Sarah Ellen: bucket
Katherine: effervescent
2. What is your least favorite word?
Sarah Ellen: anus/onus (I hate onus because it reminds me of anus)
Katherine: scab
3. What turns you on?
Sarah Ellen: when someone that I desire, desires me
Katherine: humor
4. What turns you off?
Sarah Ellen: arrogant ignorance
Katherine: selfishness
5. What sound or noise do you love?
Sarah Ellen: a baby breathing
Katherine: the sound of a sleeping Amelia breathing right beside my ear
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
Sarah Ellen: the alarm clock
Katherine: a child's scream of pain
7. What is your favorite curse word?
Sarah Ellen: f*** or f***ing, really any derivation of f***
Katherine: s*** (although I rarely say it; I say "crap" out loud)
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Sarah Ellen: kayak guide
Katherine: tv show producer
9. What profession would you not like to do?
Sarah Ellen: some kind of government job, like policeman
Katherine: ice road trucker
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Sarah Ellen: It's okay.
Katherine: Everyone you ever loved is inside, and they're waiting for you at the chocolate fountain.
And what you want to know about celebrities, you ALSO want to know about me and my sister, right? Of course you do.
1. What is your favorite word?
Sarah Ellen: bucket
Katherine: effervescent
2. What is your least favorite word?
Sarah Ellen: anus/onus (I hate onus because it reminds me of anus)
Katherine: scab
3. What turns you on?
Sarah Ellen: when someone that I desire, desires me
Katherine: humor
4. What turns you off?
Sarah Ellen: arrogant ignorance
Katherine: selfishness
5. What sound or noise do you love?
Sarah Ellen: a baby breathing
Katherine: the sound of a sleeping Amelia breathing right beside my ear
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
Sarah Ellen: the alarm clock
Katherine: a child's scream of pain
7. What is your favorite curse word?
Sarah Ellen: f*** or f***ing, really any derivation of f***
Katherine: s*** (although I rarely say it; I say "crap" out loud)
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Sarah Ellen: kayak guide
Katherine: tv show producer
9. What profession would you not like to do?
Sarah Ellen: some kind of government job, like policeman
Katherine: ice road trucker
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Sarah Ellen: It's okay.
Katherine: Everyone you ever loved is inside, and they're waiting for you at the chocolate fountain.
May 22, 2012
Two items of note
1. I switched to Disqus commenting last night. Don't freak out on me ... I KNOW HOW SOME OF YOU HATE CHANGE. I hate change, too. But hopefully this is for the better. Hopefully it will allow those of you who don't have Blogger accounts to comment more easily. Give it a try. You might like it.
2. My friend Melanie and I are making a birthday trip to Nashville (with Amelia!) the weekend of June 1-3. We're meeting up with a few blog readers I've never met on Saturday for lunch and shopping, and then with another blog reader on Saturday night for supper and chatting. If you live in the area and would be interested in meeting us for brunch or lunch on Sunday before we drive back to Birmingham, let me know. We'd love to see you.
2. My friend Melanie and I are making a birthday trip to Nashville (with Amelia!) the weekend of June 1-3. We're meeting up with a few blog readers I've never met on Saturday for lunch and shopping, and then with another blog reader on Saturday night for supper and chatting. If you live in the area and would be interested in meeting us for brunch or lunch on Sunday before we drive back to Birmingham, let me know. We'd love to see you.
May 21, 2012
My amazing sister is in town
... which should explain why there wasn't a blog post early this morning.
Rest assured, we'll be busy eating lots of Reduced-fat Wheat Thins loaded with full-fat Provolone and Gouda while trying to get grins out of Amelia this week.
Oh, and I'm working while she's here, so posts may not be regular. I'll try to get her to take some pictures I can post for you. But I want to soak up as much time with her as I can, because she lives in Wyoming and we rarely get to see her.
Rest assured, we'll be busy eating lots of Reduced-fat Wheat Thins loaded with full-fat Provolone and Gouda while trying to get grins out of Amelia this week.
Oh, and I'm working while she's here, so posts may not be regular. I'll try to get her to take some pictures I can post for you. But I want to soak up as much time with her as I can, because she lives in Wyoming and we rarely get to see her.
May 18, 2012
The two greatest Tweets of the month
In the past two weeks, two giants in my life have responded to Tweets that I sent out, and both were total surprises to me.
The first one came from REESE'S (!!) when the Tweet about my recent post on Peanut Butter Cup Crescent Rolls went up. Do I need to tell you that that MADE MY LIFE?
And then last night, I Tweeted to Josh Malina (I've been a big fan since Sports Night and West Wing) that the instrumental music they lay under the scenes on his new show Scandal reminds me a lot of the ping-ping music that played while Doogie Howser was typing his journal entries back in the '80s. AND LO AND BEHOLD:
I love Twitter. I love it so much.
And by the by, if you haven't searched for "Doogie Howser" on youtube and watched a few old clips lately, you should. Treat yourself. It's Friday.
The first one came from REESE'S (!!) when the Tweet about my recent post on Peanut Butter Cup Crescent Rolls went up. Do I need to tell you that that MADE MY LIFE?
And then last night, I Tweeted to Josh Malina (I've been a big fan since Sports Night and West Wing) that the instrumental music they lay under the scenes on his new show Scandal reminds me a lot of the ping-ping music that played while Doogie Howser was typing his journal entries back in the '80s. AND LO AND BEHOLD:
I love Twitter. I love it so much.
And by the by, if you haven't searched for "Doogie Howser" on youtube and watched a few old clips lately, you should. Treat yourself. It's Friday.
May 17, 2012
Evolution
As life has gotten more complicated, somehow I've gotten more efficient. Of course, a few things MAY have fallen through the cracks as our family has evolved ...
"Hey. I'm about to leave the house ... Sorry I'm running late. Nathaniel had a major blowout so I stuck him in the tub to scrub him down and had to find a new cute outfit to put on him. I have to stop and get diapers and some organic baby food on the way over there, but I should be there in an hour."
2005
2008
“Hey. Sorry I’m running a little late. Nathaniel, Nick and Jake were wrestling on the trampoline and somehow they decided to start a Pee War. So they’re all, like, spattered with pee, but they’ll dry out. And Amelia just pooped, but I’m gonna buckle her in and let her ride over there in her poopy diaper. She’ll be fine … I’ll change her when we get there. And I’m bringing like 12 cute dresses for her so we can play Dress Up with her. I'll order some pizza for us on the way over. See you in 5!”
2003
“Hey. Sorry I’m running a little late. On the way back from
Nathaniel’s speech therapy, Nick-Nick threw up all over his seat. Had to stop
and clean it all up, and I’m running home to throw the car seat cover in the
washer. I’ll just give him a sponge-bath, grab some Pedialyte just in case, throw the extra car seat base in the
car, and we’ll be over in 45 minutes.”
“Hey. Sorry I’m running a little late … the soccer fields
were basically mud pits after all this rain, and Nathaniel and Nicholas both
fell in puddles and are completely covered in black mud. Then Jake was toddling
around on the sidelines and fell face-first into a puddle, so he’s a mess, too.
I just stripped them down to their underwear and shoved ‘em in the van, and I'm gonna drive through McDonald's and get them something to eat. We’ll be there in 15. Do you have some old
T-shirts we can throw on them?”
2012
“Hey. Sorry I’m running a little late. Nathaniel, Nick and Jake were wrestling on the trampoline and somehow they decided to start a Pee War. So they’re all, like, spattered with pee, but they’ll dry out. And Amelia just pooped, but I’m gonna buckle her in and let her ride over there in her poopy diaper. She’ll be fine … I’ll change her when we get there. And I’m bringing like 12 cute dresses for her so we can play Dress Up with her. I'll order some pizza for us on the way over. See you in 5!”
May 16, 2012
Idiot savant, or just the idiot part?
Five simple things that are really, really hard for me to do:
- Open one of those thin plastic fruit/veggie bags at the grocery store in fewer than 10 attempts
- Pour punch into a cup using a ladle without making a monumental mess
- Drink out of a water fountain without water dripping down my chin onto my shirt
- Choose the right icon to check text messages on my iPhone on the first try (I always choose the Phone icon BECAUSE THEY'RE THE EXACT SAME COLOR AND THEY SHOULD REALLY DO SOME QA ON THEIR THOUGHT PROCESS IN THAT REGARD)
- Tear the foil seal off of a cup of yogurt without getting yogurt on my hand
May 15, 2012
Scheduling and getting your baby to sleep through the night
Grrr. I've debated and debated about posting parenting advice here, but it's one of the things that people email me most about. And when I've posted something like, "Ask any question you want! I'll answer it," a number of them have always been about parenting decisions we've made.
So I'm going to answer some of them, but I'm not going to call it "parenting advice" or "mommy tips." I'm going to call it TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, which is exactly what you should feel free to do. Things I'll post about in this series will be things that have worked for our family, but may not work for every family. And just as I would never publicly pass judgment on your parenting choices, I ask that you not publicly pass ugly judgment on mine, although you're welcome to email me to discuss it or ask follow-up questions.
I thought I'd tackle the number-one topic I get asked about (and was most recently asked about by reader Kelly L., who hopes to start a family soon): how to get your baby on a schedule and get them to sleep through the night early on.
Kelly said, "Please do a post about modified BabyWise, schedules, etc. For that matter, you should do a series of posts for new/expectant moms."
So I'm starting today, and I won't do it on a set schedule, but I'll do it as questions are submitted or as ideas come to me. How's that?
I should start this topic off with a disclaimer that I have never successfully breastfed a child. I tried for weeks with our first three, and even with the help of lactation consultants, using nipple shields while pumping milk through them, and pumping in between formula feedings, none of the boys ever caught on. That wasn't at all frustrating.
Oh wait a minute YES IT WAS.
I preface the rest of this post with that information because I want you to know that I am NOT anti-nursing. I am pro-nursing. I believe it's the way God designed our bodies, and I tried really, really hard to do it with the boys. So hard that I made myself and all of them miserable. I had mean cases of the Baby Blues with them, because I denied myself so much sleep while trying to nurse and pump around-the-clock. If you can nurse, do it. But if you, like I, could not for one reason or another make it work, take heart. This isn't Pioneer Times. Formula is available, and while it's not breastmilk, it is an acceptable substitute. And my kids have turned out really smart. So far.
So. This is what worked for me as a formula-feeding mom, but I'll say that it was easier for me because I always knew to the ounce how much food my kids were getting. When you nurse, I'm sure it's more nerve-wracking because you don't want to feel like you're not giving them what they need when they want it. HOWEVER. I think scheduling can still work for you, and I'll explain why in a minute.
Before Nathaniel was born, I read BabyWise. Some people had told me it worked great for them; others said it was far too regimented and they either never tried it or gave it up, discouraged, after a few days. I read it and decided I'd just modify it to something I felt comfortable with, because I thought it was a sound philosophy in general.
Scheduling: My Philosophy
Hands-down, I attribute the fact that all of our babies slept through the night within eight weeks to the fact that we scheduled all of them. Here's what I think: I believe that babies are completely open to a schedule, just as older children and adults are. Once they're used to a schedule, they fuss less for food and are more flexible because they never have to wonder if it's coming. It's coming. And it's coming exactly when they've become accustomed to expecting it.
I think a baby's mind works sort of like this: If you get used to the idea that food only comes when you cry, then of course you're going to cry when you feel the first twinge of hunger. But if you know (or your body knows) that a meal is coming at 3:00 on the dot, and it's 2:46 now, you don't need to cry. You know you're going to be fed in about 14 minutes without even needing to ask. You're willing to play quietly or have your diaper changed without a big fuss, because you're secure in the fact that it's on its way.
There are a lot of people who feed on demand, and they're totally happy with it. But there are a lot of people who feed on demand simply because they don't understand how to schedule a baby without feeling "mean" about it, like they're withholding something from their greatest love just for the sake of convenience. And a lot of times those same moms are the ones who feel like they can't go to a movie or run to the store because the baby will need to be fed while they're gone, so they can't leave for more than an hour. So this is for those moms who want a chance to make a change ... everyone else who's happy doing it their own way is free to continue!
How I Scheduled
In the hospital
I always had really sleepy babies in the hospital. I had to wake them up to eat pretty much every time, but I fed them on demand if they were ever fussing for it. If they didn't fuss to eat every two hours, I'd wake them up and at least TRY to feed them that often, even if they didn't end up latching on or taking much.
Week 1
Again, I had REALLY sleepy babies during the first week. I remember with both Nathaniel and Nick, I'd have to try really, really hard to wake them up to eat during the day. They needed to eat at least once every three hours, but if I'd let them sleep, they'd easily go five hours without eating. But do you know what that means? If you let them do that during the day, they'll make up for it overnight! (Meaning, they'll want to eat more and sleep less overnight.) I'd say Week 1 should be an every two hours schedule for some babies (like Nathaniel and Nick), but some babies will be happy on a three-hour schedule (like Jake and Amelia). Do whatever works for your family and your child. If you have a husband who gets up at 6 a.m. for work anyway, you might go with a 6-8-10-12-2-4-6 schedule so that he can give that first bottle of the morning while you sleep.
Week 2
My babies started to wake up a little more in their second week. We were always well into a solid 12-3-6-9 schedule by then, and Jake and Amelia did great with it. I don't recall either of them ever really wanting to eat off-schedule. Nathaniel and Nick, however (and especially Nathaniel), often wanted to eat around the two-and-a-half hour mark at that age. I held them off for that final 30 minutes by cuddling and soothing. I would NEVER encourage you to just leave the baby crying on a mat or something while you checked email. When I say "hold them off," I mean hold them, kiss them, walk them around the room, comfort them. I was warming a bottle while I did this so that I could feed them as soon as it was time. (And remember, it doesn't have to be 12-3-6-9 ... it can be 2-5-8-11 or 1-4-7-10, whatever works best with your family's activities and normal wake-sleep times, especially if you have older kids to consider.)
1 Month
By 1 month of age, my babies had dropped the second overnight bottle (3 a.m.), so I was staying up late to feed them a midnight or 1 a.m. bottle (a great chance to catch up on TV shows I'd recorded or to write a blog post), and then was able to get several hours of sleep in a row before they woke up at 6 a.m. for a morning bottle. Moms who like to go to bed early could certainly go to bed after the 9 p.m. bottle and get up again at midnight before going to bed for the rest of the night, but that just isn't my style. I'm a night owl, anyway, so staying up later worked for me.
2 Months
At 2 months, we were able to move the last feeding of the night up to 11 p.m., and the babies would still sleep until morning. That's always such a magical turning point! With Amelia, by 2 months she had already dropped another bottle on her own. Super baby.
3 Months
You'll see on the charts below that Jake and Amelia, while on similar sleeping schedules at each age, were taking in drastically different amounts of formula. For example, at 3 months, Jake was taking 40 ounces a day, and Amelia was taking 30. Of course, he was 17 pounds and she was about 13 pounds, so that made sense. But my point is, I didn't do anything different with them ... I set their schedule, but they determined how much formula they took at each feeding, and each of them got whatever they needed. Jake was over 100th percentile in weight, whereas Amelia has always been 50th to 75th percentile. At this age, Jake slept 10 hours overnight, and Amelia slept nine.
4 Months
Jake was taking so much formula and weighed so much that our pediatrician recommended that we start some solids with him at 4 months. So our sumo baby was taking 32 ounces of formula a day plus solids at that point. Amelia, on the other hand, took 35 ounces of formula at 4 months and took no solids, as our ped didn't want us to start her on them until 6 months. Again, two different feeding philosophies for them at that age, but their sleep patterns were almost identical. Scheduling, I tell you!
6 Months
By 6 months with all four kids, we were happily on a blend of formula and solids, and the babies were sleeping for 11 to 12 hours overnight. Jake was eating four times a day on the 9-1-5-9 schedule, while Amelia was eating five times a day on the 9-12-3-6-9 schedule. And at 7 months, she still is. I think she'll be fine if I decide to transition her to 9-1-5-9 soon; I'm not sure why I haven't done it yet. Nathaniel and Nick were both on 9-1-5-9 at this age, too.
Modify for Nursing Babies
If you're nursing, I'd still recommend scheduling, but your feedings just may be more frequent than if you're bottle-feeding at the beginning, depending on your milk supply. In other words, if you need to feed them every hour or 90 minutes because your milk hasn't come in yet, or you have low supply, then do it. But don't feed them every 45. Wait the extra 15 or 30 minutes, cuddling and soothing while you wait so they know you're there. If you feed every 45 minutes, you'll be feeding around-the-clock and you'll never, ever get rest. And that is MISERABLE.
Pediatricians and non-scheduling moms might tell you that babies won't sleep through the night until they're at least 13 pounds because prior to that, they don't have the fat stores to keep hunger at bay for that long. I've not found that to be completely true, although I understand the logic.
Here's a recap of how it panned out for Jake:
And how it worked with Amelia:
Tools
I never trusted my memory to tell me what time my kids ate. With the first three, I used a little notebook that I kept with me all the time, and I recorded all their feedings (amounts and times) religiously. That was because if they ate at 3:07, I'd feed them again at 6:07. If they ate at 3:22, I'd want to hold them off until 6:22, not feed them again at 6:00 on the dot just because we were on a 12-3-6-9 schedule. Feeding them that 22 minutes early by accident would be contrary to the scheduling concept, you know? If I'd known about PoppySeed Paper at the time, I would have used their Feeding Pads (which they have for singlets as well as twins). So cute!
With Amelia, I had an iPhone and downloaded the Total Baby app. It allows you to track feedings times and amounts, wet and poopy diapers, and (if you're nursing) which breast you started on last time. Very handy.
I feel like this was all over the map, and I'm not sure I did a good job of explaining it. But I did the best I could without writing an actual book! Feel free to ask follow-up questions about any of it.
If you have a question for Take It or Leave It, send an email with that in the subject line to stainsofgrass (at) yahoo (dot) com.
May 14, 2012
~ Our yellow belts ~
Last week Nathaniel and Nicholas earned their yellow belts in karate!
During their test, I confirmed that all of the performance anxiety I suffered when I was in high school, performing regularly as a voice student, is still alive and well in my psyche. Only now I've been given the gift of being nervous to the point of nausea on behalf of my children.
Vicarious performance anxiety. GOOD TIMES.
I needn't have worried, as apparently they've been paying attention for the last six weeks and knew all the Japanese vocabulary and all of the techniques they were required to be able to perform on command. They sailed through. All while I was curled up in a sobbing, gagging ball in the corner.
Jake wasn't worried about the testing outcome in the least. All he wanted was for me to tie a white belt on him so he could mimic their moves on the sidelines.
And what Big Brothers do, Little Sister wants to do, too. She was quite happy rolling around on the floor with her own white belt.
And finally, at the end of the class, I got to snap a picture of our two new yellow belts. They are SO PROUD to have moved up in rank and not be at the bottom of the totem pole anymore.
But I've already told Grayson that the next time they test, he might have to take them that night. I'm not sure my heart can take the stress again.
During their test, I confirmed that all of the performance anxiety I suffered when I was in high school, performing regularly as a voice student, is still alive and well in my psyche. Only now I've been given the gift of being nervous to the point of nausea on behalf of my children.
Vicarious performance anxiety. GOOD TIMES.
I needn't have worried, as apparently they've been paying attention for the last six weeks and knew all the Japanese vocabulary and all of the techniques they were required to be able to perform on command. They sailed through. All while I was curled up in a sobbing, gagging ball in the corner.
Jake wasn't worried about the testing outcome in the least. All he wanted was for me to tie a white belt on him so he could mimic their moves on the sidelines.
And what Big Brothers do, Little Sister wants to do, too. She was quite happy rolling around on the floor with her own white belt.
And finally, at the end of the class, I got to snap a picture of our two new yellow belts. They are SO PROUD to have moved up in rank and not be at the bottom of the totem pole anymore.
But I've already told Grayson that the next time they test, he might have to take them that night. I'm not sure my heart can take the stress again.
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