More Thankful

My Thanksgiving was nice, yadda yadda.

But I would be more thankful if my entire family was not under the weather. Both girls are on antibiotics. In the last week we have paid four $25 copays at the pediatricians office:

• Monday: LP's one year check up and confirmation of an ear infection. Add to this the $30 for the antibiotic that is penicillin free and therefore not in the "cheap tier" of our insurance.
• Friday: AK doesn't like to sleep when she can't breathe through her nose. Mommy was hoping to learn about some relief for her - alas, they only recommended saline for her nose. And to call back if her fever went over 101.
• Saturday: Follow-up for both girls. LP's ear infection is gone. AK now has one. Everyone still has the snots. But you try and get a 2 year old to take fake grape flavored Dimetap. That stuff is nasty!

Oh, and no doctor appointment needed to confirm that mommy is suffering from a serious bout of the sniffles and exhaustion.

Giving Thanks

Let's keep it simple.

I am thankful for...

• My two beautiful, healthy, happy daughters;
• The Hoos, a wonderful father and husband;
• The fact that the Hoos and I both have jobs;
• The roof over our heads, in the form of our cute little house;
• The health and love of our family and friends;
• New babies (congrats to our neighbors who welcomed a daughter yesterday);
• Silly projects involving construction paper, tape and hole reinforcement stickers;
• Comfortable shoes and pants that don't need to be shortened;
• MickeyD's Sweet Tea;
• My cleaning lady, Gabby; and, finally
• Each and every hug, kiss, and peal of laughter from my girls.

Happy Thanksgiving!

First Time For Everything

On Friday I got an automated call from the girls' pediatrician reminding me about an appointment for LP today (Monday) at 9am. I stared at the phone in disbelief. Why would LP have an appointment? She was 2.5, I didn't think she had another appointment until her three year...It didn't make sense to me and I did not remember making the appointment. I called the Hoos and asked if he had made a follow up appointment when he brought LP in for her black eyes (from getting kicked in the head by the teacher a few weeks ago). He said no.

When I called the pediatrician's office for details they told me it was her 2.5 year check-up. Alrighty then...

Turns out I made the appointment on May 30, two days before AK arrived, at LP's two year check up. This is the first time I have ever forgotten an appointment I made for LP or AK.Hopefully we can just chalk this up to pregnancy brain.

In other firsts...

1. AK SLEPT FROM 8:30PM UNTIL 6:30AM LAST NIGHT!!
2. I am home alone with LP today for the first time since having AK. AK is at day care. I am happy to have time with my big girl, but am definitely missing my baby.
3. LP wore undies all morning on Saturday (and today). Even to run errands. She stayed dry. I think she must be a camel, since she never peed on the potty, despite pretending to try. I put pull-ups on for her 1pm nap and she woke up with it soaked. At least we know she has bladder control.

A Retrospective

Six weeks ago I finally finished compiling all of my blog entries for 2007 into a Blog Book, a project I thought I could start and finish during my maternity leave. I printed a couple of copies and had them cut and spiral bound at my local FedEx Office (the location formerly known as Kinkos). It ended up being a grand total of 218 5x7 pages. And it seemed to take damn near forever to put together. Mostly because on a blog you see the most current entry first, so I had to do a lot of copying and pasting to get them into the correct order. Regardless, I am quite happy with how it came out. If you want more info or want to me to email you a pdf of the final, let me know.

The most interesting thing about doing this was rereading postings from months ago. It was also weird to realize that my little AK wasn't mentioned at all last year - until about mid-November when I let on that I was pregnant. There is not one single picture of her cute little mug in the entire 2007 book - not even an ultrasound. Without the blog I wouldn't even have remembered life without her.

I am now working on my 2008 collection. And yesterday I realized that the first time LP peed on the potty was January 7, 2008. 11 months later and she still pretty much refuses to use the potty at home. Yesterday she peed in her underwear twice, or as she proudly tells people, "I peed on myself two times."

Jack Bauer Style

Back in the day, the Hoos and I were avid fans of 24. After a few seasons of watching Jack Bauer, we became addicted to Lost. Shortly thereafter we decided that one high-stress show full of cliff-hangers was all one person could stand. Needless to say, 24 fell off of our viewing radar.

However, I think AK must have gotten copies of the DVDs or something because the kid is TORTURING me (for those of you that never watched 24, the show is all about finding new ways to torture and be tortured by the protagonist, Jack Bauer, portrayed by Keifer Sutherland). She is the cutest, sweetest, most lovable little bunny munchkin. And she looks like an angel when she is sleeping. Heck, she even looks like an angel when she wakes up every 2.5-3 hours.

Last night she woke up at 1...and 4...and 6.

Sure, she doesn't cry at these times. She just kind of calls for me loudly. And when I go into her room it is incredibly adorable to see her fuzzy little head, just visible behind the bumper, telescoping around looking for me. And I wouldn't trade her and her sweetness during the day for anything. Not even some extra sleep...okay, maybe for a day...

Ummm...No

Once again AK's teacher asked me, "Do you have faster nipples at home?" And I knew that the lack of sleep was getting to me when I almost responded without thinking that they are the same speed no matter where I am.

On a positive note, when I walked into AK's class to pick her up yesterday she looked up as I opened the door and broke out into a huge grin and started laughing her deep, wonderful belly laugh. It was awesome to be recognized.

And finally, because what would a day be without a funny LP story - last night as I gave both girls a bath, I found myself saying words I never thought I would, "You don't touch another girl's [privates]."

Turning a Blind Eye

On Friday I confirmed with an optometrist that I had broken blood vessels in my left eye and while it looked nasty, there was no deeper problem. It would take two to three weeks to heal and would likely look worse before it looked better as gravity pulled the pooled blood down from the top of my eye, where it was mostly hidden by my eyelid, to the lower part of my eye.

Amazingly, my children have not noticed my condition. I know this because, first of all, no two and a half year old is polite enough to ignore it. Heck, most adults I encounter are not polite enough to ignore it, looking at me and gasping, "What happened to your eye?!"

Secondly, LP is a very empathetic person. If she sees a boo-boo, no matter how old or how nasty, she wants to kiss it. She gets upset if you don't let her kiss it. I am pretty sure that she would be kissing my eyelid every ten seconds if she had observed the injury.

As for AK, the only thing she has noticed is that I have been wearing my glasses. She frequently likes to reach up and tear them off of my head.

Today is the first day I am wearing my contacts since breaking the vessels and I am thrilled. I am realizing, however, that the glasses to some degree obscured my eye and either it looks more disgusting than ever, or I work with some pretty tactless people. Hmm...a toss up.

Delicious

FYI

The information on the girls' Daily Sheets from day care, when accurate, has the potential to be really useful.

For instance, last week when AK's sheet said that she had only drank 2.5 ounces of milk all day (while chowing down her solids), I was sufficiently warned that it would be a rough night full of feedings so that AK could make up for lost calories.

And, when LP's sheet calls out NO NAP, I know that there is a good chance that the next few hours will be not-so-pleasant for the entire family.

However, there are occasions when I am not really sure what to make of the notes on the sheet. Yesterday LP's sheet said:

During nap time [LP] likes to sit on her cot and take off her shoes and socks even though we tell her to keep them on in case of a fire drill.

I am not sure if they are passing on an anecdote or if I am supposed to try to have a conversation with LP about keeping her shoes on. I do talk to her several times a week about using her listening ears and hearing her teachers' words, but should I be specifically talking to her about her footwear?

AK also had an interesting note yesterday:

[AK] has a rattle in her chest.

This note was also accompanied by a phone call. When Miss Louise spoke to me I asked if AK was coughing or in any sort of distress and she said that my little fuzzyhead was smiling and laughing and having a good time, although her nose ran occasionally. Am I a bad mom because I am trying to pick up cues from her actions instead of her chest? Should I be rushing her to the doctor?

In addition to trying to decipher the daily sheets, I have the distinct pleasure of having burst blood vessels in my eye again. This totally sucks and makes me feel really yucky. I cursed audibly when I noticed it in the mirror while brushing my teeth last night.

These Made Me Laugh

Linda at All & Sundry posted some poems about motherhood. I was cracking up at my desk. I highly recommend checking them out. A sampling:

If you stop that screaming
I will pay you
Eleventy jillion dollars.
Really I promise
Here is a check.
_ _ _ _ _ _

Stop! Stop! Stop!
I do not like this game.
Where you pretend to be a thrashing alligator
and you are naked. On the changing table.
And I am some lady trying to put a diaper on an alligator.
Alligators don’t wear diapers.
Or was that your point?

Practicality Over Protocol

There was a time, before I had children, when I practiced proper bathroom etiquette. If I entered the ladies room and a stall was occupied with a person quietly waiting for me to leave, I would go about my business quickly. Truncating my visit, if necessary, only to return when the room was vacated.

Nowadays, time in the loo is much more precious. I never know how long I have or when I will likely be able to return. More often than not, if I do not use the facilities before leaving work I am out of luck until both girls are in bed. Unless I plan on having an audience...who likes to inspect my undergarments and critique my technique.

In other words, I have no time for niceties and politeness. From what I understand, this is not part of the "bro code". Men don't really care about bathroom protocol unless it involves standing too close. Do they actually have it right?

A Love/Hate Relationship

I can't tell if AK loves me or hates me.

She either loves me so much that she can't stand to be away from me; or hates me and wants to torture me with sleep deprivation.

She is a little over five months old and yet she refuses to sleep for more than four hours at a stretch. Occasionally we have a break-through for a night or two and I get all excited. I even refuse to blog about these little miracles for fear of jinxing myself. I shouldn't bother with the censorship.

Every night, like clockwork, AK falls asleep around 8:30. It doesn't matter if she woke up from a catnap at 8 or has been wide awake since 2, at 8:30 she conks out. This is when I think she loves me. Giving me some precious quiet time to fold laundry and make lunches without infants and toddlers under foot.

Except...

With few exceptions, every night, like clockwork, she wakes up at 12:15. And sometime in the three o'clock hour. And sometime in the 5-6 range. It doesn't matter if it is a weekday or weekend; a day I have to get up at 6:30 or that I am allowed to sleep in. This is when I think she must hate me.

Last night her sister got in on the act and at 2:45 began calling out "Daddy! Help me!" I realize that I am not Daddy, but apparently the Hoos can sleep through anything (he claims to be a light sleeper, but he is full of sh*t). I snuck into her room to find her hanging off the end of her bed. Her head is on her pillow which is resting on top of the diaper boxes we store there. Apparently she inched up her bed one inch too far. I pulled her back on to solid ground and tucked her back in. She then asked, "Sing me a song?"

Gawd, I love these little munchkins.

Let's Get This Potty Started

On Friday I had parent-teacher conferences for both girls.

AK is cute and starting to move a lot; that was basically her whole report.

Since LP is almost two and a half the teachers have a bit more to say about her. She is a great kid that is good about using her words and being independent when she wants to.

For example, when they get back from gym the first thing all the kids have to do is put their shoes and socks back on. At home, LP insists on doing this herself. At school she calls out "Help me!" I asked Miss Shauna why she thought this was. Turns out lunch is served after gym. The faster you get yourself together, the faster you can eat. Did I mention that she is wasting away? No? Well, she isn't.

As for using her words, I guess instead of asking another kid if she can play with the toy that they have, she just takes it. They want her to ask, "Are you done? No? Well, can I play with it when you are done?" Good luck with that folks!

She continues to do pretty well with potty training at school. At home she could care less. This weekend we created a potty chart and bought special stickers she could win when she used the potty. She was excited about it for all of two minutes. Then she realized that she could get free stickers - Savta (my mother-in-law) brought her a pack of stickers Friday night and Saturday she accompanied me to the bank and they gave her stickers. Sunday, the Hoos upped the ante and told her she could get her own ice cream cone Saturday night if she used the potty twice. She sat on the potty twice and I read her a million stories on the potty, but no ice cream was earned. At this point we will just wait until she is ready. Oh well.

Here is my big girl playing in the leaves. Notice that her black eyes are almost gone.

Big Mouth

LP is talking up a storm these days. She remembers everything and repeats it in the correct context (although not always at the most appropriate of times). Some recent additions to her repertoire:

• "Oh my goodness gracious!" She told me that her friend Addie taught her this one.
• "Girls have tushies; Boys have peanuts." This little gem was shared during circle time at school. She went on to confirm for everyone that boys do not have tushies.
• "Jesus Christ! I need new pants." At least we were alone in our home office when she yelled this out - she thought her pants were too tight.
• "I am sad." Me: Why? "You hurt my feelings." How? "You pushed me." I then launched into a discussion about lying that totally went over her head.
• "Baby is not listening to me. BABY DO YOU HEAR MY WORDS?!" Her poor poor baby dolls.
• Yesterday when she refused to stay on her cot during nap time and Miss Shauna threatened to tell Mommy, she responded, "And tell Daddy. And AK." Fresh, fresh, fresh.
• "I don't need a bath, I don't have a rash." You try convincing a two year old that these two things have nothing to do with one another.

Oh, and in addition to a big mouth, my little muffin has a big knot on her head. Apparently one of the teachers accidentally kicked her in the head during gym class the other day. The knot was never pretty, but yesterday her eyes got little smudges on the inside corners and look a little swollen. I still haven't exactly figured out exactly how this happened but it involved uneven bars and a dismount and LP sneaking up under the bars. According to the incident report they gave her ice and "LTC". I hope they mean TLC.

So Full

I feel so full today.

I am full of excitement at the prospect of having an intellectual as president of the United States again.

I am full of pride that Americans overcame the history and negativity of racism and bigotry to elect an African-American president.

I am full of hope that the majority of voters in Connecticut decided not to use the state constitution to limit the rights of others.

I am full of energy since AK only woke up once last night - at 2.

I am full of love for my adorable children who make each day better than the last. Meaning, let's hope that today does not include any calls from day care (yesterday I got THREE).

I am full of adoration for LP who looked through the LL Bean Kids catalogue with the Hoos this morning and pointed out all of the shoes "Mommy is going to buy me." A girl after my own heart.

I Voted Today

I set my alarm for 6am this morning so I could get up, get out and VOTE. Considering it wasn't a great night with AK, this really was tougher than it sounds.

Regardless, I am proud to say that I was a responsible citizen and exercised my right to vote. Yes, the lines were long - but not too bad. I waited for about 25 minutes. But you know what, I think long lines are a GOOD thing. People care. People who never voted before were hauling their butts over to their polling places to have their voices heard. This makes me really proud.

In addition to being proud of myself and my community, I am finding myself really emotional about the whole election. Just wondering what sort of emotion the candidates must be experiencing today. Especially Barack Obama. We really are on the cusp of something huge. How can you not be inspired...emotional...full...right now?

And to stop myself from sounding too weepy, can I just give a dirty look to the lady standing on the corner near my polling place with a sign "Vote Yes to Question 1". Question 1 is a question to allow a Constitutional Convention in Connecticut. The sole purpose for this Convention would be to ban same-sex marriages. I stared at this woman and wondered - what kind of person are you to want to deny others happiness? A person with the right to free speech. But still not the sort of person I would want to spend any time with.

A Bright Idea

Every once in a while I have a bright idea.

This morning LP really wanted to bring the balloon dog that she had gotten at Southport Brewery to school to show her friends. During Circle Time they all go around and talk about their weekends and apparently LP felt the need to have a prop. Obviously, this is a recipe for disaster. There was no way if that thing left the house it was going to come home at all - and quite likely there would be several incident reports (e.g., biting, fighting) because if it.

So, what is a mommy to do?

We took a picture and printed it for her to bring to school.

Weekend Update

Since I didn't post over the weekend, we have some catching up to do.

Friday was obviously Halloween. LP had a Storybook parade at school (this is like a Halloween parade except politically correct). Since I usually am at work and can't attend, AK and I drove over to check it out. Mistake. LP was so psyched to see me that she cried at the prospect of actually having to parade. It all worked out okay and I snuck away while she was distracted. Of course, I didn't get any pictures of her marching.

Saturday my two best friends from high school came over with their families. It was really nice to see them, even though none of us actually felt like we had time to talk to each other. Life is like that when you have five kids under three running around in an enclosed space. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and we did take a walk to Stew's. We were like some weird sort of convoy - with three strollers, one Baby Bjorn and one Baby Backpack.

LP liked showing off all of her toys and acting like she owned the place. And AK was AK, mellow and loving the company and attention. Miss Mer and KVV have some of the cutest kids on the planet. There must be something in the water at CHS.


Sunday was a chill day. Here is a pic of my and my two beauties enjoying life from the front stoop.