My title is in the sense of rough week, not in the sense of it's been a week since I posted. Just to clarify.
So the week has had ups. The week had lows but in the end and about ready to start my next week, I am happy. My "Monday" at work starts on Tuesday so my week goes from Tuesday to Monday.
Here are some highlights:
Porter has been trying so hard to get this 'big boy' stuff down. He is in the throws of potty training and is doing very well. Me, on the other hand, didn't realize that at every place we stopped, he would want to check out the bathroom! It isn't a bad thing as he has had dry diapers during the day and dry undies during the day when he wears them. We are getting closer to the end goal and it is actually a little bittersweet. He really will be a 'big boy' then.
I cut Porter's hair tonight and now he suddenly looks like a preschooler. Good thing he is signed up for preschool in the fall. Oh, another sign he isn't a baby anymore.
Friday while at work, AJ texts me and asks me if I want a date night. Um, yes!! He took care of the details and by 6:00 we were driving away, kid free with no agenda! We didn't even know where we were going to eat! We ended up having an amazing time and had some quiet unwinding moments at dinner. It was bliss not having to make sure the kids were being fed and Porter had attention and Maggie wasn't throwing food. Bliss. We ended the night with a movie and felt like the adults we are. I love date night babysitting swaps!
AJ took Porter to the Ag Fest here is Salem. They had a great time doing the manly man thing. And I took Maggie clothes shopping for her. Just what girls are suppose to do!
Porter and I followed a hot air balloon that was in our neighborhood and ended up seeing it land. We had our janmies on and we hopped in the car with AJ's keys. I didn't have any ID on me or my cellphone, so no photos to document it, but it was amazing. We pulled up to watch it float only to then see it land. We jumped out of the car and watched them land it. I don't think they were planning on landing there but we saw them land and start to deflate the balloon. That is something that is on my bucket list- a hot air balloon ride.
Another cool highlight of our week is our quest for a Magnolia tree. AJ has been on the hunt and doing some research and decided the best to suit our criteria was a Magnolia Anne tree. Well, long and short, the employee at Al's Nursery had told AJ they were past their season so he would not be able to find one. Bummer. So we moved on and decided we could make do with a Magnolia Susan. We ran to Al's Nursery in Sunday and AJ was showing me the Susan's and they were huge! I then said, "What about that one?" pointing to one in the way back. AJ exclaimed, "It's a Magnolia Anne!" It was meant to be our tree. It is beautiful and we planted it in a huge pot so that if we ever move, we can still take it with us.
Our backyard with the blossoming dogwood, the blessing Magnolia, our chickens, green grass and raised bed makes me love our backyard. We acquired a new to us swing set and Maggie LOVES to swing! I am envisioning many fun afternoons spent out there as the weather gets more and more nice.
And one of the not so 'high'lights of our week was Maggie getting sick. Friday her nose started running again and she had a dry cough. I wasn't too worried but Saturday she sounded a little worse and we kept her home from church. She slept horribly on Saturday night. 12:30 and 2:30 she woke up. At 6:00 she was up for the day. It was too early. I was exhausted and she was taking short wheezy breaths. At 7:30am she went back down for a nap and slept till 10! She was exhausted. We had a bunch of errands to run and decided to watch how she was doing and decide if we should take her to our doctor's urgent care office. As the day progressed, she continued to wheeze and cry to what seemed an ear infection. We decided to take her in and I was glad we did.
Nothing too traumatic but she was wheezing so badly the doctor couldn't fully tell until they gave her a breathing treatment to help relax her airway. Once we did that, no more wheeze and she seemed so much better! The doctor sent us home with a prescription to continue the nebulizer with her at home (we did this same thing with Porter at about 10-11 months old). She also gave us a prescription for her ear if it continued to bother her which we haven't filled yet. All around, in just a day, huge improvement. She still has a rattle when she coughs and it's fully herself yet, but she was pounding the dinner tonight pretty hard, so she is close to her normal self.
It is so hard when your baby is sick but the end all was affirming of my motherly instincts. Maggie just couldn't let another cold season pass without something dramatic. Last year it was RSV with a bladder infection. Maggie knows how to go all out!
All the while that we having been dealing with Maggie, I have been fighting my own sore throat, and AJ has been fighting something as well. So yes, it has been a week, but here we go again and I can't wait to see all this week has to hold. :)
Monday, April 30, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Nostalgic
I don't consider myself nostalgic. I do have a bunch of stuff that I can't seem to part with each time we move but it isn't for nostalgic reasons. I think I may use it again someday. Anyways, not the point of my post.
I had no problem letting my sister in law and my best friend borrow and use my baby clothes. I am done having kids and look forward to passing them to my sister someday but in the mean time, it makes me happy others are able to use them. We all know babies don't wear out their clothes in those first months of life and with doting grandparents, my children do justice in wearing all those clothes they had enough. I hung on to maybe one or two item, like the outfit Porter wore to his bris. But the rest, please use!
Where an I going with this?
Well, I have a sweatshirt and a fleece jacket my mother-in-law bought me the week we spent at Dornbecker's with Maggie. It was one of my requests that she happily fulfilled. I had some clothes but that week I needed something new. Something cheery and something pink to remember my sweet baby girl by. I felt huge (remember the valet guy at the ER thought I was in labor and offered me a wheelchair!), I felt ugly and I felt sad.
I am very nostalgic with those two items of clothing. Each time I wear them, I am reminded of the blessing God gave to me. I am reminded of my sweet baby and her fight for life. I am reminded how people near and far prayed and prayed and surrounded us in prayers. I am reminded how a simple gesture as a new item of clothing blessed me. I am reminded no matter what our offering may be, God can use it in ways we don't know.
I am a bit nostalgic, I guess.
I had no problem letting my sister in law and my best friend borrow and use my baby clothes. I am done having kids and look forward to passing them to my sister someday but in the mean time, it makes me happy others are able to use them. We all know babies don't wear out their clothes in those first months of life and with doting grandparents, my children do justice in wearing all those clothes they had enough. I hung on to maybe one or two item, like the outfit Porter wore to his bris. But the rest, please use!
Where an I going with this?
Well, I have a sweatshirt and a fleece jacket my mother-in-law bought me the week we spent at Dornbecker's with Maggie. It was one of my requests that she happily fulfilled. I had some clothes but that week I needed something new. Something cheery and something pink to remember my sweet baby girl by. I felt huge (remember the valet guy at the ER thought I was in labor and offered me a wheelchair!), I felt ugly and I felt sad.
I am very nostalgic with those two items of clothing. Each time I wear them, I am reminded of the blessing God gave to me. I am reminded of my sweet baby and her fight for life. I am reminded how people near and far prayed and prayed and surrounded us in prayers. I am reminded how a simple gesture as a new item of clothing blessed me. I am reminded no matter what our offering may be, God can use it in ways we don't know.
I am a bit nostalgic, I guess.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Check out my friend's blog
A friend of mine emailed me and asked me, along with others, three things we wished we had been told before we had kids.
Here is the link: www.fullnest.net/2012/04/01/a-word-to-ya-motha/
Here is the link: www.fullnest.net/2012/04/01/a-word-to-ya-motha/
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Differences.
When Porter came in to our lives, I like a lot of other new moms, was a little scared. What if I don't know how to handle this? Or what if he is colicky? How will I survive with only a few hours sleep? Will he latch? How do you breastfeed? What on earth an I doing?
Little by little, you take each challenge on and day by day you grow a little more confidence and pretty soon, your child is walking and taking a long nap and sleeping through the night and you look up and realize, I did it! This little baby is turning in to a toddler and you suddenly realize you don't need 50 items in a gigantic diaper bag to leave the house. You can throw them in the car and off you go.
Well, about the time we made it to that place with Porter, I found out I was pregnant. And all those same thoughts and questions came back. I had Porter and his quirks as a baby figured put but what was number 2 going to be like? And how would number 1 handle it?
And just like I did with the first one, I took it one day at a time. It has had it challenges and we still are adjusting as we will be the rest of their lives, but I feel like I am really close to picking my head up and looking around and wondering where did my babies go?
Porter just turned 3 and wants to help with everything. We actually have conversations and he makes me laugh and I make him laugh. Maggie is a pistol as we have known all along after her birth. She is 14 1/2 months and really close to walking but knows full well what she wants. She is verbal, very verbal. And once she starts walking, my baby days are over. But that isn't what this post is all about. It's about how P and M are different.
I guess I was a little naive to think my kids would be similar in personality. But looking at my siblings and I, we are all very different. What was I thinking?
Porter is sweet and tender hearted. He gets hurt pretty easily but loves to snuggle. He is super active, loves sport and is very attached to his "bankie" (blanket).
Maggie on the other hand is a go getter. She loves to swing at you and hit. It is more of a love pat but she gets excited and whacks you a little too hard sometimes. She loves book and I often times find her in her room amongst the books she has pulled off her shelf. She wants to have and do everything Porter has or does but can't because she is 1 and he is 3. And she is attached to nothing.
Porter hated his carseat and we ended up turning him at 11 months. (shhhh...) Maggie is still rear facing and could care less.
Porter started crawling at 8 months, Maggie was 11. Porter walked at 14 and Maggie is almost there but may be 15 months.
Porter had very few words till he was 2 and Maggie has a bunch of words. She is also very demanding and knows how to sign all done and will do so if she doesn't want you to sing anymore or tickle her or read to her.
Porter had our undivided attention till he was 21 months. Maggie currently lives in Porter's shadow but if I had to predict, Maggie is going to be running the show with all the boys we hang out with.
We went to the beach this last week for Spring Break and the kid count was six to one, one being Maggie! She's gonna have to learn how to run with the big dogs to keep up!
It has been fun to see more and more of P and M's personalities come out. They are a lot of fun, super cute and keep me on my toes more than I ever wanted but I am blessed and thankful for both of them.
Little by little, you take each challenge on and day by day you grow a little more confidence and pretty soon, your child is walking and taking a long nap and sleeping through the night and you look up and realize, I did it! This little baby is turning in to a toddler and you suddenly realize you don't need 50 items in a gigantic diaper bag to leave the house. You can throw them in the car and off you go.
Well, about the time we made it to that place with Porter, I found out I was pregnant. And all those same thoughts and questions came back. I had Porter and his quirks as a baby figured put but what was number 2 going to be like? And how would number 1 handle it?
And just like I did with the first one, I took it one day at a time. It has had it challenges and we still are adjusting as we will be the rest of their lives, but I feel like I am really close to picking my head up and looking around and wondering where did my babies go?
Porter just turned 3 and wants to help with everything. We actually have conversations and he makes me laugh and I make him laugh. Maggie is a pistol as we have known all along after her birth. She is 14 1/2 months and really close to walking but knows full well what she wants. She is verbal, very verbal. And once she starts walking, my baby days are over. But that isn't what this post is all about. It's about how P and M are different.
I guess I was a little naive to think my kids would be similar in personality. But looking at my siblings and I, we are all very different. What was I thinking?
Porter is sweet and tender hearted. He gets hurt pretty easily but loves to snuggle. He is super active, loves sport and is very attached to his "bankie" (blanket).
Maggie on the other hand is a go getter. She loves to swing at you and hit. It is more of a love pat but she gets excited and whacks you a little too hard sometimes. She loves book and I often times find her in her room amongst the books she has pulled off her shelf. She wants to have and do everything Porter has or does but can't because she is 1 and he is 3. And she is attached to nothing.
Porter hated his carseat and we ended up turning him at 11 months. (shhhh...) Maggie is still rear facing and could care less.
Porter started crawling at 8 months, Maggie was 11. Porter walked at 14 and Maggie is almost there but may be 15 months.
Porter had very few words till he was 2 and Maggie has a bunch of words. She is also very demanding and knows how to sign all done and will do so if she doesn't want you to sing anymore or tickle her or read to her.
Porter had our undivided attention till he was 21 months. Maggie currently lives in Porter's shadow but if I had to predict, Maggie is going to be running the show with all the boys we hang out with.
We went to the beach this last week for Spring Break and the kid count was six to one, one being Maggie! She's gonna have to learn how to run with the big dogs to keep up!
It has been fun to see more and more of P and M's personalities come out. They are a lot of fun, super cute and keep me on my toes more than I ever wanted but I am blessed and thankful for both of them.
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