No More Paci

We finally did it! Well, Bailey finally did it, and all by her self. I told Bailey last week that Santa Claus wasn't going to bring her presents if she didn't throw her paci away. I know that sounds rough but I knew she was ready, she just needed a little more incentive. She has been extremely attached to pacifiers since she was a newborn. We were able limit her use over the years to nap and bed-time only. With two failed attempts to take them away I decided to let her decide when to transfer her comfort item to something more age appropriate. So yesterday she tells me she's ready to give up her paci because they were for babies. I told her to go throw it in the trash if she was ready. To my surprise she did exactly that. Then she says to me, "Can we have Christmas now?" Honestly, I didn't think she would consent so quickly, but that's just fine. Now we have had one nap and one full night without them, incident free. Yeah! I'm so glad she made that change all on her own. We are very proud of her.

Would You Like a Little Cheese with that Whine?

Time seems to be flying by lately as it always does when the holidays approach. Foster has recently had a huge growth spurt. He caught up with a higher percentile in weight and height. He seems happier, sleeps through the night, and is just easy-going all around. Of course the teething will probably change that, but for now I couldn't have it easier with a baby. I love this age. He only cries when he needs a diaper change, he's hungry, or he's tired. I can usually foresee the need before it even turns into a cry. He is laughing more and can be really vocal when Jeremy is talking with him. He smiles so much that I have a feeling when he's older he's going to get away with more mischief than Bailey ever did.

Bailey is the model big sister, being so loving and comforting to Foster. But I can recognize how she shows her jealousy now. She tries to get attention by complaining (I'm hungry, I don't like it, I've got a boo boo, I'm hot, I'm itchy) or she's always asking me for something (I want snack, want candy, want playschool, want Christmas, want Grandma, want bye-bye, want doctor...) Doctor?! Yes, she always wants to go to the doctor. When we took Foster to get shots and I got a flu shot, Bailey wanted shots too. We have such a strange child. She'll even cry when we leave the dentist or doctor sometimes. Like she didn't get poked and prodded enough to her satisfaction. Maybe I should get her a doctor kit for Christmas. I'm not going to complain about her liking the doctor but I'm constantly explaining to her that she doesn't need to go. The "I wants" are usually something I can't give her at the moment. So when I tell her "not right now" or "later" or just "no". It's crying and whining and sometimes a full on fit. She'll even pester me about being hungry when she just ate 30 min. ago. But I think what she really wants is either attention, candy, or she's really just thirsty.

We also argue about everything. I knew if I ever had a girl she would turn out just like me in the stubborn-got-to-have-it-my-way department. She is super sweet, gentle, social, and very empathetic. "Mommy, you grumpy." But she has to argue with us about EVERYTHING. Just today:

Me: "We are having apples. What are apples, fruits or vegetables?"

Bailey: "Vegetables!"

Me: "Well no, actually they are fruits."

Bailey: "No! Apples are vegetables."

Me: "No, fruit. What color are apples?"

Bailey: "Red!"

Me: "That's right. And some apples are green."

Bailey: "No, red. Apples are red!"

Me: "Right, and some are green."

Bailey: "No, apples are red mommy!" starting to cry and fuss.

Me: "Bailey, don't argue with mommy."

Bailey: "No! Noooooooo! I not!"

Me: "Ugh"

This usually ends up with her in time out or her being sent to her room because she is throwing a fit over the fact that we won't agree with her. These little episodes happen several times a day. This makes it hard for me use teachable moments with her. I'd love to be able to have conversations with her, which is what she wants, but they usually don't turn out pleasant. So now I try and avoid talking with her. "Bailey, please go find something to do." Which still ends in her whining and crying.

I know it sounds like I'm venting here and that's because I am. lol. I'm venting and I'm also accepting any advice on how to handle this, or maybe just a better perspective. What I'd really like to know is, is this just a faze or is this who she is personality-wise? Will she grow out of it? Is there any way I can change the behavior, or do I just ride it out? Should I punish the behavior, or accept it as who she is? Is this the product of how I parent her, or is it just the product of Meng spawn? IS RESISTANCE FUTILE? Ahhh, my little Menglings... love, love, love.

Well, my mother always says, "God made toddlers so darn cute so that it would be too hard to strangle them." I can relate.

Back to Reality

So our family vacation is now officially over. Jeremy is not only back at work today, he's out of town for a whole week. It's going to be difficult not having him around to help out with the kids. This last week he has been Super Dad, cooking meals, feeding and changing the baby, and even taking Bailey to the doctor. I've gotten a much needed break from daily overload of parental and household responsibilities.

Now back to reality, I'm back to doing a two man job. I've also taken on a few more projects. The baby seems to be settling into somewhat of a routine, so I've started working on getting him to sleep through the night without feedings. He's doing good so far. Thank god for the paci. A space heater in his room works great too. Oh, and I had to put a curtain up on the window to block out more light. He's been such a happy baby. We changed his formula to one that is for gassiness and it has helped a lot. He hardly cries at all now. In fact Bailey fusses and cries twice as much as Foster does. He does love to talk though. His favorite thing in the whole world is to stand up on some one's lap face to face and just laugh and talk with you. Easy to please. Bailey takes a little more work to please, but hopefully she'll find what makes her happy, besides candy. We've been encouraging her to play on her own more. I do try and create something for her to do every now and then. Yesterday she painted her mini pumpkin and I helped her decorate it. It looks like an Easter egg with all the pink and purple. She keeps asking for us to eat it. She's ready for pumpkin pie. I have to admit, so am I.

My other project is to get fit. I started a diet full of protein and vegetables and a lot less sugar. I wish I could work out more but I'll just have to walk and use my Wii Fit when I can because I'm not going to take the kids to the gym until this H1N1 scare has passed. Bailey was able to get vaccinated for H1N1 and seasonal flu but Jeremy and I can only get seasonal flu shots. Foster is too young to get any. So I'm trying to keep us all healthy. I took Bailey to the doctor today about her chronic stye problem. He's referring us to a pediatric optometrist. I have a bad feeling Foster may have the same problems with his eyes as his sister has. Since his cold two weeks ago his right eye is oozing. Probably blocked tear ducts just like Bailey had. Now I'm starting to think it's all allergy related, for both of them.

Lastly, I have a lot of video and photo projects to finish. This is the time of year when I organize and apply all the video and pictures I took over the year and make movies and albums. Can't wait to post the Halloween pictures. Bailey is going to be a monkey and Foster a banana. Should be cute.

Road Trip Slideshow

All American Road Trip

Eight states, two weeks, and one cold to share adds up to a pretty complete family road trip. We are finally home. It's good to be home and in our beds, though I have to say as crazy as it would seem traveling as far as we did with two kids we had an excellent trip. I'll try to give the best "long-story short" as I can.

We rented a Toyota Camry for our trip which saved us on gas but I was disappointed on the size. According to the rental place it's the biggest car they have that isn't an SUV. My VW Passat has more room in the back. With Bailey's DVD running and Foster's mirror hung we made our first trek to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. And we got lost. I had printed out directions from google maps just in case our GPS wasn't working. We followed the GPS which took us to the wrong location because the Pisgah Inn doesn't actually have an address on Blue Ridge Parkway, just the closest mile marker. Anyway, should have followed my printed directions. Got there a little later than expected and I almost threw up from all the winding and twisting it took to get up there, but the view was totally worth it. It truly was majestic. Our room had a balcony overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Jeremy and I vowed to come back for a stay, only without the kids. We had trout that night for the first time and it was good. The next morning we woke to crisp, cool, mountain air and made our long decent through the mountains to Tennessee. It was such a beautiful drive. I enjoyed driving those twisty roads more than riding which again was making me sick. We were pleasantly surprised by Nantahala National Forest and it's rapids flowing along side of the road. We made it to our friends the Bryants in Winchester, TN in time to enjoy their neighbor's farm, animals and homemade Pirate Punch. Bailey had a blast feeding the horse, chasing the chickens and petting the goats. The next day we spent time visiting with our friends before heading to Jackson, TN for the night. Matt took Jeremy to the Jack Daniels distillery in Linchberg while Michelle and I caught up on our "why it sucks to be an OSI wife" talk.

The kids were so great in the car. Bailey was content to watch movies, munch on snacks, and sing songs. No complaints. Foster slept most of the time. Whenever he would fuss Jeremy or I would jump in the back between the kids and feed him a bottle or talk to him until he fell asleep again. He was happy as long as the car was moving. Nursing him took too much time, so I ended up giving him bottles while we traveled and pumped at our destinations. By the time our trip was over I was only pumping once a day. I'm not even nursing anymore. Oh well, I was planning on giving it up by November anyway.

Back to the trip; when we got to our pre-reserved, via Internet hotel in Jackson it was late and we were tired. To our dismay our room was a rat hole. Old sheets and blankets with holes they were worn so thin, and dingy brown mattresses. The neighborhood was scary as well as the shower. We went to the local Walmart for supplies and dinner only to find our sandwiches to be so disgusting they were uneatable. We couldn't even enjoy the OU football game because the bad T.V. screen was shaking and spinning. To top it off, Bailey came down with a cold that night. We were happy to leave that place and decided from then on we'd just stay at Holiday Inn's the rest of the way. Off to Arkansas we went where we met up with Jeremy's Aunt Susie and Uncle bill in Russeville. We had a delightful visit with them at our hotel, and they enjoyed meeting and playing with the kids. That night Bailey's cold was the worst and kept us all up all night with her cough and stuffy nose. Poor thing. I had no doubt we were all doomed by that point to get sick. From there we drove to Sulphur, Oklahoma to see Jeremy's long time best friend Travis and his wife Kristy. Though rainy, and a bit cold, it was another beautiful drive through the hills, south of the Ozarks. The leaves were starting to change and I didn't realize AR and OK could be so lush and scenic.

Our visit at Travis's house lasted two days. They lived out in the country with lots of land and sky. The thunderstorms were dramatic and while I lay awake in bed I thought about being swept away by a tornado. Thank goodness the kids slept right through it. Travis had two puppy pointers and a cockatiel. Needless to say Bailey spent the whole visit playing and talking to the animals. No attention needed. We were fed very well with home cooked meals. In fact Jeremy and I gained about 8 lbs. each on this trip. Travis took us on a tour of the Chickasaw National Forest where he worked and the stinky sulphur spring. Beautiful old forest with creeks over flowing from the rain and a lake. We saw a deer act like nothing we'd ever seen. It darted back and forth like a playful dog trying to play with the other deer. Wish I got it on tape. It was a great visit. Collin, Travis's brother, even made an appearance and I hadn't seen him since the wedding.

Next was Alva, our main destination, where Jeremy's parents and sister are. There wasn't much to do in Alva but that was just fine because we enjoyed just being with family. Besides, it got real cold. We even saw some sleet one night. Bailey loved playing with Grandpa Roy and Grandma Rosemary who she affectionately calls Grandma Roses. Aunt Shayla was a natural at holding and feeding her baby nephew. Once again we were fed well, and once again Bailey was completely entertained by their four cats and very fat beagle. Jeremy and I got some very much needed time out without the kids. We went to the bar of course and celebrated Shayla's 21st birthday. Should have seen Jeremy dancing to "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". Total goof.

Did you know in Oklahoma the alcohol content of beer is only 3.2% and you can't bring a baby into a liquor store because they are under 21! Learn something new everyday. Obviously I tried to bring Foster in and was promptly dismissed. So I waited outside while Jeremy shopped for Shayla's birthday "right-of-passage" present. "Foster! You know you can't buy that without I.D. Shame on you. Bad baby!" Jeeezz, anyway.... We took the kids to the Henderson's and the Jones's (Travis's parents) for visits. They were so great with the kids, playing on the floor with Bailey and holding Foster. Everywhere we went, everyone we visited, it was so relaxing for us because the kids were either entertained or had free rein to "just be." Yeah! Halfway through our four day visit in Alva Foster became sick. Mostly he had a cough but his gas (maybe from different water) was most painful for him. It was nice to have family around to help out.

As quickly as we came it was time to say good-bye. It was a very tearful good-bye because just as we were getting to know each other again we knew it would be a while before another visit. But it does make those visits all the more special. On the road again we stopped in Stillwater to visit with Jeremy's old friend Amy and her husband Jay at the beloved Eskimo Joe's restaurant. Had to pick up more cups for us and the Bryants. The burgers are awesome too.

We drove till we got to Muskogee where poor Foster was at his worst and we got little sleep, but at least we got free breakfast at Holiday Inn. The next day we kept driving until we got to Memphis. Another sleepless night. Foster is choking on his drainage and Bailey is getting sassy and grumpy from lack of sleep and lack of attention. We head on over to Winchester for another stay with the Bryants who feed us amazing chili. Michelle even stayed up with me during first shift with Foster which was a nice change. The next day we were suppose to go over to Chattanooga to visit the Aquarium and stay the night in Atlanta, but with Foster coughing all over the place we decided to just head straight for home. We made it home by 9 p.m.

For the most part we only drove 5 hours or less a day (except for our last leg home). So the driving time was not very stressful at all. I'm glad we didn't bring too much stuff because we got tired of loading and unloading the car over and over. Jeremy brought gifts of homemade beer to our friends for their hospitality. And all our visits with people were completely kid tolerant. Foster is still recovering but at least we can start getting him on a schedule. I've recently been showing signs of a cold but I don't think it's hit me full force yet. So that's it. We had an amazing trip and I'm so glad we decided to drive. We saw so much. I guess my attempt to make this story short failed. Stay tuned for pictures.

Milestones

Baby Foster has accomplished so many milestones this week. It's like witnessing tiny little miracles. Since I was distracted with moving and buying a house when Bailey was this age I didn't notice these little miracles in real time as much as I do with Foster. It's all so bitter sweet though, knowing he's our last baby. All within the past 10 days Foster has:

Discovered his hands

Found his feet

Smiles and excites at our voices

Coos back at us in conversation

Can get fist to mouth

Pulls blanket to mouth for chewing

Holds paci in mouth with fist and arms

And is beginning to be entertained by toys

My favorite "miracle" is the cooing and ear-to-ear toothless grin when we talk to him. It completely melts my heart. There is no feeling that compares with that pure, innocent joy that radiates from his cute little face. I'm enjoying that innocence now before Bailey corrupts him. The other thing I'm enjoying while it lasts is that we can take him just about anywhere. We just pop him in the sling and go. We are taking him to a Beer Brewers meeting this weekend. He's real good in public and gets a lot of attention, especially if Jeremy holds him. In fact, Foster is a complete "chick-magnet" for Jeremy. The women swarm to see the little baby in the sack. I think in SC it must be a novel idea for a man to carry around a baby. You know Jeremy doesn't mind. My only thought is how proud I am to say "Yep, they're mine!" Bailey sure does get her share of attention with those bouncy curls too.

My big milestone this week is that I have secured a venue to hold my BabySigns workshops. I'm FINALLY going to teach my first class (if people sign up) in November. I'm excited and nervous of course, but mostly I'm anxious to see if I can make enough profit to keep it going and to find out if I actually enjoy it. We will see. I'm not sure which is scarier, failure to succeed or succeed and have to commit. Either way I've got to try or I'll never know, right? Just like the kids; I've got to keep hitting those milestones.

First Blog

Okay, so Aunt Pat also put the suggestion to me to start a blog but Kristy starting one actually inspired me to get my butt in gear and do it. It was a lot easier to start than I thought. I won't be blogging everyday but I'll be giving updates mostly on the kids for family and friends who are interested. This is a good way for me to keep a journal on the family happenings that the kids may or may not be interested in having when they are older. I've never blogged before so sorry if I sound rusty. Feel free to give suggestions.

Right now I feel like one of the luckiest parents in the world. Foster has been sleeping through the night for over a week, and though I know it won't be consistently this way, I do believe he will be like his sister and be a good sleeper. Parents always ask me how I do it and honestly I think it's a lot of lucky and a little mean. Mean because I let them cry. But that's life right? Suck it up! I think that's my parenting motto. "Suck it up because I have no patience and you need to toughen up for life. So what if you're only two months old!"

"Awww, he's smiling at me. How cute. Okay, I'll hold you." (snuggle, snuggle) So much for being mean.

Bailey, my toddler spawnling, has taken to being a big sister like a trooper. She loves talking about her brother.....and about kids, and cake, and Xander, and Christmas, and playschool, and...... She just LOVES to talk. I would say it's cute but it's not. It's more annoying than anything. That's probably because I spend almost every waking moment with her, and she doesn't say anything interesting. Yet. Though she is funny sometimes. Just yesterday I asked her if she farted and she bent over, stuck her butt in my face and said, "No, it's all gone. See!"

I'll get some pictures up soon.