Sunshine and Sick Days

See this beautiful tree?  Lawson loves this tree!  He talks about it every day and is just sure it's made of snow.  We've been watching it bloom over the last week or so as the beautiful Mississippi winter weather continues on.

Unfortunately, we've been watching it through the window.

Because sickness has struck again.  Just when I thought we were all on the mend, we all started feeling sinus pressure.  Then Lawson got a fever a few nights ago and Naomi was acting a little strangely this morning... but I brushed that off.  I gave Lawson some fever reducer, loaded us all up in the Expedition and we headed out to run a few errands this morning.  A minute before parking at the first stop, Naomi started to cry.  Good thing we're almost there, I thought.  Or not.  I stopped the car, got out, opened the door and reached in to unbuckle my.... throw up   covered   child.  Seriously, covered.  And all over her brand new, beautiful, ruffly tissue tee.  I mean, my poor, poor child!  Priorities, people!  Geeze.  In actuality, she seemed fairly happy, but was sporting a nasty layer of the remnants of the apple, nuts and dried cranberries she'd just been munching on and was quite preoccupied with the mess of the situation.  She just kept repeating it over and over to me as I cleaned her up.  "Mess.  Mess.  Mess."  It was pretty pitiful and so on par with the mantra in my own head!  Thankfully, I keep the car stocked with paper towels and wipes, so I cleaned her up as well as I could, stripped her down to her undershirt and stuck her in the cart.  Yep, we were still going in. We were all the way to town and we were not going back quite yet.  I needed to buy Cliff bars in bulk.  Needed to.  Again, priorities.  Now, before you pass me off as irresponsible for taking two sick kids into public and spreading their germs all over the place, bear in mind, I used a shopping cart cover.  I also thought I only had one mildly sick child when I went.  See?  A totally responsible move on my part. We were already there in the parking lot and going back home Cliff bar-less (especially when I was able to clean her up to the point of looking like she had just spit a bite of food out on the top of her shirt) wasn't much of an option.  It seemed like a good idea to just run in really, really quick.

Until we got inside the store and Lawson announced to the first two people we passed, "Num num just throwed up and my penis really hurts."  He's obviously still reeling from the penis squishing incident and I have never made such a surely awkward transition from friendly smiling stranger to head-down-do-not-look-at-me-I'm-not-here-freak-girl with the bright red face.  Holy cow.  I can't even imagine what those people were thinking! It was a bad idea to "just run in really, really quick", after all.  I grabbed my boxes of Cliff bars and  r a n  out of that store.  Well, I paid.  And I gave Lawson the evil eye and a quick "Shhh!" every time someone got near us, but, then I ran out of there before he could inform another unsuspecting stranger of all things personal and embarrassing.  We then holed up in the house for the rest of the day.

I am exhausted from dismembering, scrubbing and then putting the Britax back together again.  I just installed Quincy's carseat on Monday and had a brief few days of satisfaction knowing I need not remove or install a carseat for at least another year.  Ha!  Luckily, I know Naomi's carseat well and the install process was fairly quick, given my girth and overall breathlessness.  I seem to have gotten most of the cranberry colored stain out of her new shirt, which pleases me to no end and I am now crossing my fingers, toes and legs in hopes that no one else gets the up-chucks.  Well, not my legs, actually.  They don't cross anymore as Quincy seems as overzealous in her preparation for D-day as I am and has left me walking like I just rode bareback down a bumpy country road.  Oh, that itch on my thigh?  No worries, Quincy will scratch it.  Yeah, it's THAT comfortable.

So, all of this has left us all tired, sicky and stuck inside watching movies and blowing bubbles.  Inside, where nary a human can walk by and hear about our squished penis and vomit issues... not so bad of a deal, perhaps.

A Change is Gonna to Come

When every laugh and every smile is just a little sweeter....

When every tear is just a little bit more sad.....

When waking up to help them fall back asleep is equal parts chore and moment to remember....

When falling asleep myself is made difficult as memories and checklists swirl about my head....

...and savoring each moment becomes a daily aspiration....

.... that's life reminding me that change is coming.  Beautiful, amazing change.

I can't wait.  And I can.  This is the part when I have to try to focus on now instead of wandering ahead in my mind.  I have the rest of my life to know how everything unfolds with Quincy and what she looks like.  But we will only be "the four of us" for a short while more.

I remember when it was only "the three of us" and I would fight the urge to run and hold Lawson while he slept and I was laying in bed worrying about how his new sister would affect his life.  I'm not so much worried this time, but I do have a better idea of what to expect.  And I expect that it will fly by.

So, I'm holding on to the little things each day.

Because really, the change has already begun.

And maybe what all of that really means... is that I'm letting go.

Lawson is Most Definitely Three

"Lawson, you are such a big boy!" currently elicits the response, "No.  I still really little." with a quick turn around a few seconds later in the form of "I really kinda a big boy!"  His world is full of inconsistencies.  All things are relative and in order to fit himself or the objects around him into that world, what was once little a while can then become huge!  One thing that is almost always huge is how big of a deal it is to have his sister interfere in any way with the building of a train or driving of a truck.  That is always a huge deal.  Playing with his toys is one thing he feels in control of and he takes that role very seriously.  Currently he is repeating, "No, Ma'am" over and over as she is trying to ride the firetruck he's playing with.  At least he's being polite! She may get just a little bit of enjoyment out of watching him get riled up, which may be just slightly entertaining to watch. 

I really think we scored with Lawson!  He is a good kid when it gets down to it.  But, whoever decided the two's were terrible had obviously not had a three year old yet.  Two is a mere warm-up for what three has to offer.  It's not to say that all the fun parts of being two aren't amplified just like the more challenging aspects, but for as much joy as three brings, it brings a lot of head pounding  er, scratching on my part.  Frustration is a daily occurrence for both of us these days as he presses firmly against every boundary he can find.  Sometimes I handle it well and other times I find myself disappointed in my reaction.  Those aggravating moments that he tests me are the perfect opportunity for learning and sometimes I just don't rise to the occasion.  Sometimes, "Lawson, seriously, for the last time, just knock it off!!!" is about as good of response as I can muster.  The good news is that somehow, something we're doing is working because he seems to know his right from wrong.  He may not always choose to do the right thing, but that's part of the "testing boundaries" phase.  You can see that he knows what he's doing is wrong and is double checking that we're paying attention and that the consequence is remaining consistent.  I do sometimes wonder who is learning more during this phase.  The child in constant need of reassurance of everyone's roles and the rules that come with that role or the parents who are forced to pick their battles and win or else find themselves overtaken by a pint sized army of mischief!  Love is a battlefield and so is parenting.

Yes, he may at times knock his sister over or hit her when she invades his playing space, but he is quick to apologize with a hug and kiss.  Yes, he may say "I want.... I want..... I want....." instead of "I'd like....please" like I drill into him on a regular basis, but he usually says "thank you" without being asked.  He's well on his way and making daily progress.  He loves Naomi and is one of the most sensitive little guys I've ever encountered.  He's already crazy about Quincy and gives her hugs and kisses as well as a few little squeezes to get her out of my belly. The better he becomes at expressing himself, the more I get to know just who he is and the more I fall in love with him.  Being a mom to a three year old isn't easy, but it sure is fun.  I imagine that being a mom to three will be much the same!

Little or Big - It's All Relative

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The Sun is Shining and There is Poop in the Potty!!!

This is the face of a boy who finally pooped in the potty! After an epic two hours spent on the potty, we are making good on all the bribes we conjured up to get him to deposit in the correct location. This is the first of many surprises today. A small bowl full of peanut M&Ms. It will be followed with a burger, a trip to the park, a balloon and a cookie. ALL worth it if it means no longer cleaning up poop from his waist to his toes along with spraying out a pair of undies and/or pants and scrubbing a trail from his pooping hide-out to the bathtub. Lucky for us, the sun is shining and it's a beautiful day to have a big, huge poop party!!!! Not exactly something that I'd imagined when I became a mom, but none-the-less, here we are embarking on this special celebration.

GOOD JOB, LAWSON! You are getting to be such a big boy and we are sooooo proud of you!

This Little Pear

This is one "pear" of legs that are really enjoying scooting around with a box for a walker. I guess Num Num is done with the bruised knees thanks to crawling around on wood floors. She's moved on to bear crawling and assisted walking as her primary means of transportation. A-PEAR-antly, she's on a mission and is quite pleased with her progress! I, on the other hand, am a wee bit shocked. Seven months old and nearly walking is very different from the 12 months and nearly walking I experienced with Lawson. Naomi, it's cute and wonderful and I'm glad you are so strong, but seriously, feel free to slow. down. a lot. Seriously. Hit the brakes, girl. Please!


While we're on the subject of walkers, may I just say, both she and Lawson preferred using a box. There is an awesome car walker in the house for them, but nine times out of ten, they'd choose the box. I've gotten rid of nearly every large baby contraption in the house because I have been showed time and time again that they simply do not need them. No more big swing, no more travel swing, no more big bouncer and, perhaps, no big baby walker. I do have a new bouncer that I love. But, it can fold flat to be stored and, as a bonus, Lawson can still sit in it. So, parents, give your children boxes. They'll be happy campers and your wallets will thank you. Or, you can just use that money to buy them other things, like a cute pear shirt or cloth diapers, which we are officially back to using. Which, officially, makes me smile.

Baby Was Hungry

It got awfully quiet around the corner were Lawson had just been playing and laughing with his toy truck. The only remaining noise was Naomi sighing her way to sleep in the carrier on my back and Jewel's lullaby album playing softly in the background. Well, I guess the sweet sounds brought out the sensitive side in Lawson because as I rounded the corner I found him sitting on the couch with the little doll I bought him while I was pregnant to teach him about babies. His shirt was pulled up to his armpits and the baby's face was pressed up to his skin just above his belly button.

Me: Lawson, what are you doing, sweetie?

L: Baby eat!

Me: Ooooh. How nice of you to feed her! (trying to hide the smile creeping across my face)

L: Yeah. Num Num eat.

He then switched sides, waited a few counts then snuggled her up to his cheek. With a kiss and a smile, he set her down in her basket and covered her with her tiny little blanket to go nigh nigh. It was a little disturbing to him that her eyes stayed open so he picked her up again to snuggle her. He looked at me and made his little humming sound like he does at night when he's ready for me to hum him Edelweiss (singing the words makes him cry for some reason. It always has). So there I was humming "baby Num Num" to sleep as Lawson tucked her into the basket to sleep and it hit me that this was one of those moments I would remember for a long, long time. There was something magical and touching going on and the soft look in his eye just about made me tear up.



My sweet, sweet Lawson. I love you to pieces. What lucky parents you have made your daddy and me. As I typed this story, you climbed up into my lap and covered me in kisses and hugs. Now, just minutes later, you are growling like a lion and pushing around your firetruck. You are a boy of many colors and I love them, every one.

Co-Sleeping or No-Sleeping

Co-Sleeping is an often debated parenting choice that many make people make. I feel like the choice was made for me. Lawson was born premature via emergency c-section and in the NICU for a couple of weeks. I was knocked out during the surgery and required a couple of blood transfusions due to a bad case of HELLP syndrome. There isn't much I remember from the first day or so of his life. I have a vague memory of seeing him for the first time, but there was not an immediate bonding. I loved him like crazy, but I didn't know this little person. I didn't see his first breath or hear his first cry. I was not there to comfort him in his first moments in this world. It was a hard recovery for me and a rough start for Lawson, being just 4lb11oz (he had IUGR due to the HELLP). I was exhausted and had nurses telling me how to hold him, when to hold him, when to put him down, when he should eat, how to bath him, even when to change his diaper. I was his mother, but I felt I hardly knew him. Leaving him there at night after I'd been discharged from the hospital was all kinds of terrible and I bawled the whole way home every night. After getting up to pump a few times during the night, I then woke up at 4:30am to get back to him for his 6am feeding. The thought of him needing me and me not being there tore me apart! The last night before he was discharged, we stayed the night in the hospital with him and I could not put him in his bassinet. All I wanted to do was hold him and love him and let him know that I'd always be there for him. You know, the things that most moms get to do straight away after having their baby. I remember the nurse coming in at night and asking if I was going to put him in his bed, with a tone in her voice like she couldn't believe I'd fall asleep in my bed while holding my baby and didn't I know that I could hurt him or kill him by doing that?! That was my first time cosleeping and I didn't even realize it.



I brought him home, put the bassinet by the bed and each night and I'd set him in it for all of about 5 minutes as we tossed and turned, then he'd be back in my arms and we would fall fast asleep. We both slept better when we could feel each other breathe. Breastfeeding was so easy. He could nurse all night long if he wanted to and I could sleep, knowing that he was okay. The choice had been made for us. We didn't sleep well if we weren't snuggled up together. Co-sleeping was our answer! Lawson continued to sleep with me for a few months after he self-weaned at 18 months. During that time, I started scooting him further and further from me as we slept. We'd begun to wake each other up when we moved at night and I suspected our sleep would improve if we weren't so close to one another. Eventually, he went in his crib right next to the bed for the first half of the night and usually ended the night back in bed with me. By the time Naomi arrived, he was snug in his own bed all night, but still in our room. So, for the last seven months, we've had Naomi in the bed with me and Lawson in his bed just a few feet away. One, big happy family! Kind of. Dustin snores and it would wake Lawson up. Naomi is a baby and sometimes wakes up crying, which wakes him up. Lawson gets ticked if he gets too hot or can't find his bottle up and wants to be sure I know about it. All of those things wake me up. I can only remember a night or two since Naomi has been born that I haven't been woken up several times. I am tired.



Well, finally, we are back home with two rooms available to us at the same time (got to love house renovations) and Lawson has been sleeping in his own room very happily for over a week now. I didn't think too much about it until I woke up in the middle of the night a few nights ago to find Naomi trying to stand up with the bed rail and visions of her sweet little head on the wood floor floated through my mind. Lawson had never done that. The next night I woke up at 4am to find her crawling and rolling around between Dustin and I smiling and laughing and having a grand time! Again, visions of her thunking on the floor. Time for Naomi to move down to her Lalapanzi bed on the floor. Both kids in their own bed/room within a week of each other?? Last night, she spent the first half of the night in her own bed. I had to settle her a few times because she is used to feeling me when she rolls over and I wasn't there, but she slept surprisingly well on her own straight away. I did not. This is where the no-sleeping of co-sleeping comes in.



I was in my bed, next to my husband, with two happy children snug in their beds and it took all the self-control I had not to go snatch one of them up and snuggle them in the dark. It seems that I've grown accustomed to that warm little body next to me and didn't know how to settle in with so much space on my side of the bed. At seven months, it seems strange to be moving Naomi to her own bed already. Lawson was 20 months. I laid there for hours, practically willing one of them to wake up and cry out for me so I'd have an excuse to give them a hug and a kiss. I finally ended up coming out and sitting by the fire for a while because the laying in bed without a kiddo was not working out for me. In the end, Naomi cried and wasn't having any more of this sleeping alone business, so I brought her up to sleep with me. I fell asleep instantly. This is going to be a big transition for all of us, but probably a good one, given that she seems likely to dive off the edge of our bed even with the huge side rail. I suppose having her on the floor next to me isn't that different than on the bed next to me, but try telling that to me tonight when I try to fall asleep in the wide open spaces of our king sized bed!

We Were Stuffed... So They Were Not

Everything was stuffed this holiday season. The stockings, the turkey, our bellies! Well, this year, as a gift to myself, one thing was not stuffed. The diapers!!! Normally, I'm very serious about my cloth diapers. Naomi wore Seventh Generation disposables until her cord fell off and I haven't put another sposie on her or Lawson since. Well, until Christmas. Between staying at other people's houses, packing and traveling up to our house in Washington only to attempt to deal with every item we own, Dustin suggested that I make the switch to disposables temporarily. I dug my heals in, emphatically said, "NO!" and then it sunk in. And it sounded very good. Very, very good. Not that cloth is a pain. It's not at all. In fact, I love it! It makes me happy! BUT, there's a lot going on right now in the way of piles of things to be sorted out and a little thing called life, so one less pile of laundry to deal with every day is a huge help! Lawson thinks it's funny to have "peeper" (paper) covering his buns and Naomi took off crawling within days of the switch thanks to less bulk around her hips. All their pants are now huge in the waist, which is kind of funny, but it has been a good thing for us the past couple weeks.

I am a huge advocate of cloth diapers, but I know when to say when. Like I always say, "it's the little things" and this little switch made a huge difference for me right when I needed it. I'm about ready to jump back into using my fluff stash, but for a few more days, I'm throwing the poop in the trash.

WANTED: Help Me Quack the Case

WANTED:

Slim the Duck

Suspected of foul play and attempted momslaughter!

Help me quack the case!

Yes, Slim may look like a sweet little ducky, but don't be fooled by her rounded features and flowery, watersplashed coat. Slim has been the instigator of much of the foul play around here lately. Think screaming babies and the yelling of "MINE!!!!!" during every bath. She seems to be wanted for play and for FOUL play. She also tried to kill me on a midnight trip to the toilet when I stepped on her, rolled my ankle and nearly flew face first into the darkness amidst the cold porcelain tub and tile. I suppose she'd say I tried to kill her by stepping on her out of nowhere as she slept soundly, but there's two sides to every coin. And who are you going to believe: me or the duck? She's a total quack!

So keep your eyes peeled for this blue bandit! She's ruffled enough feathers already.

A Merry State of Mind

Santa showed up a bit early this year, as we spread our Christmas festivities out between all of our various family members. But, today is actual Christmas eve and I am reminded, as I try to get back into the spirit of the holidays, that it's all a state of mind. The magic of the season is derived from the closeness of family and the tradition and familiarity of a special time shared each year on this day. This year, the kids may already be playing with their gifts from Santa and my side of the family, but the magic is still in the air and will linger there until our last Christmas celebration on Sunday with Dustin's family. Tis the season and we are falalalalaing all week long! I hope your Christmas Eve is magical and your Christmas is merry and bright!

Sittin Pretty

Two days until my littlest one is six months old. Good thing I'm sitting down, too...

Tickets! Get Yer Tickets!!!

"Seeing is believing but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see!"

-Conductor (The Polar Express)

When you are two, everything is real and you have no doubt. These two things combine to make life a very exciting and sometimes magical adventure. We kicked off the month of December with a viewing of The Polar Express, which was right up Lawson's alley due to his fascination with "choo choo's." It made my heart smile, though it should have come as no surprise, when Lawson popped out of his chair to grab a nearby piece of "peeper" to use a ticket for his ride on the Polar Express. Yes, he was ready to ride that choo choo to wherever it would take him and spent several minutes trying to hand his ticket to the "ductor" (conductor).

We also kicked off the month of December with the arrival of our Elf on the Shelf, Noggin (short for Eggnog and also reffered to as El Nino, which is mysteriously Lawson's way of saying Eggnog.). He's been waiting patiently in a box for over a year for Lawson to get old enough to play along and now every night as the children sleep, Noggin takes a trip to the North Pole to report to Santa about naughty or nice behavior then returns to the house in a brand new spot. So, each morning there is a hunt to find Noggin! Lawson loves it! He even took Lawson's train ticket for the Polar Express to the North Pole and it came back with ticket punches the next morning! Magic!



Naomi is pretty much oblivious to all of this, but has been having a grand old time sitting up and scooting backwards. She can get up into crawling position with her belly off the floor, so I'm thinking there's going to be a big, old box of trouble under the tree with her name under it.




To continue with our Holiday festivities, we went to get our tree today! We turned on some soothing holiday tunes, bundled up the kiddos to brave the 34 degree weather and headed off to the local tree lot.







Lawson walked around with his hands in his pockets and even smelled the trees to help us find the right one.



It was all smiles on the way back home with the car smelling Christmastreedelicious!




Now it's time for one of my favorite things about Christmas. Decorating the tree! Music, Cider and Christmas decor!!! All aboard the Christmas train!!! CHOO CHOO!!!!

"The thing about trains... it doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get on."

Babies, it's Cold Outside

"I really can't play. Baby, it's cold outside.
Inside I must stay. Baby, it's cold outside."

We're a few weeks away from winter solstice, but someone forgot to tell Jack Frost. It is brrrrrrrrisk out there! I have to admit, I've not been very motivated to bundle up and head outside the past few days. I promised Lawson we'd make it out tomorrow, but tonight we're hanging out under the blanket fort reading stories and wrapping up Christmas presents to the sounds of Sting's new Christmas album. I'm digging this warm and cozy indoor holiday kind of day, but the kiddos have visions of hats and boots dancing in their mind. At least they got lots of play time over the weekend with family visiting for Thanksgiving! More on that later. For now, it's all about counting, colors and songs for me and my little monkey.

Perspective

This picture was only taken two months ago, but it already feels like an old picture. They've changed so much since then. Especially Miss Num Num! It's strange how children make time feel different. A photo of myself taken two months ago would be considered recent, but this photo is already outdated. It puts things into perspective for me.


I woke up a few mornings ago with a strong sensation that moments are fleeting. This time spent at my mom's house is half over already and the holidays will be but a memory sooner than I'd like. This time next year we will have been in Texas up to eight months already! That blows my mind. I know I sound like a broken record going on and on constantly about how quickly time is going, but it never ceases to amaze me. I also find myself being reminded, in so many ways, to slow down and enjoy the kids while they are little. To enjoy this time of staying with my mom, even with Dustin away. To enjoy the process. It isn't a race to the finish or to the next step. This is life and it doesn't slow down and wait for you. Days happen, events happen. If I am not prepared to take it all in, then I miss out. And it isn't just me that misses out. The kids miss out, as well, if I'm too caught up in my mind to enjoy their little triumphs each day.

The quote I put below the picture is so fitting for them. They adore each other. They like to play and snuggle and laugh together. They even like to cry together. Lawson wants to go "nigh nigh" as soon as he wakes up in the morning just so he can hang out under the covers with Num Num. They are each others' world. But, I am also their world. Especially when Dustin is away. And that truly puts it into perspective. We may not be home as a whole family, but we are family and because we are together, we are home.

Ready to Fly the Croup

It's a farm full of yuck-germs around here this week. It started out with a very unwelcome swine and is ending with a barrel of antsy monkeys trying to fly the croup! Lawson got sick all at once on Monday night and by Tuesday was in urgent care, having not had a drop to drink in nearly 24 hours and a fever of 103.3. They didn't test him and didn't seem worried but said that he had the swine flu and should take an anti-viral. So, home again, home again, jiggity jig, with Rx in hand we went. He had a cocktail of the anti-viral, Motrin, gelsemium semp. 30 and oscillococcinum and seemed to get better almost immediately. Tuesday was spent running around playing and coughing and saying "no!" as much as always. The pig seemed to be on it's way off the farm and we were glad!

Eight o'clock rolled around and he went to sleep seeming almost back to normal. Well, two hours later, I found a very different boy in his bed. A barking seal had joined us at the farm and Lawson was not pleased. I didn't like the sound of his cough and wasn't about to risk letting him go all night for this to develop into pneumonia or bronchitis. Off we went to the E.R. to have him checked out. By the time we arrived, his cough was markedly better and had me feeling a little on the silly side for having brought him in. I stuck to my guns though and in we marched. Lawson rode in his stroller and Naomi hung out in my favorite baby carrier, the Balboa Baby. The nurses were laughing that I had babies everywhere, that some people accessorize with jewelry and I accessorized with babies. This had us all laughing, which was nice since Lawson was feeling more than a little uneasy with his "dinosaur mask" on to keep from spreading his germs. The nurse checked him out and thought he sounded fine, then the respiratory specialist checked him over and said the same thing. Then, a seasoned and sassy doctor walked in to give him the once-over before they sent us home. Lawson started crying the second he came in because he knew he was about to be prodded and poked again. Well, the doctor heard him inhale once and said, "he has croup." Which made me feel a little less like an overbearing worry-wart of a mom for bringing him into the E.R. Apparently, the cold and damp air outside on the way to the hospital was a therapy of sorts. The gave him some meds to take down the swelling in his esophagus and we were on our way with a much happier boy.

So, we're not sure if he ever had the swine flu or not now. He may have been misdiagnosed in the first place, or he could have had it and it turned into croup. I'm kind of hoping we got swine flu out of the way and have immunity now! This is starting to sound a bit like Survivor: Sick Farm. Luckily, the barking seal and pig have been voted off the farm and hopefully won't be coming back for the rest of us (though my mom may very well have stolen that barking seal off the farm for herself.) In the mean time, I'm going a little stir-crazy and wish I could fly the croup for a while! Until then, we've got elephant trains and walking lady bugs to keep us company as the rest of the sanitized toys hide out until the coast is clear! And when it is, I'm jumping on that train to chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo my way off the farm to start in on some Holiday shopping!!!

Poodini

Heard from down the hall:


Lawson, did you poo poo? Should you tell Mama that you need a new diaper?

Yeah, poo poo.

Kim!

...yes, I know.

No, you don't. It's coming out the bottom of his pant leg.

Um, what?


So, off I went to meet Lawson and Mima at the bathtub to take over this sure-to-be-stinky clean-up job. I started to pull his pants down and realized there was no diaper covering his buns. I patted down his legs and realized his diaper had gone completely missing and he had poop down in between his toes. Yuck. Actually, double yuck. So, where the heck was this diaper and how nasty was this going to get?! Thanks to the high powered shower head, I was able to power wash the poo right out from between his cheeks and his toes then scrub away all residual residue. Not that you care, but I was pretty thrilled not to scrub that off by hand.

I soon I found myself behind his little behind going on a diaper hunt, hoping he'd lead me to it's hiding place. We searched in the front coat closet, all the drawers and even under the pillows on the couch. No diaper. It was a major Poodini. It certainly isn't laying around with steaming poo smell or we'd have surely discovered it! It made me SO glad we've not had to deal with diapers being torn off and rubbed around all over the place. That would be a very...poopy... situation. For now, it's only elusive, dissapearing, Poodini diapers!

One Word

YES!!! YES!!! YEESS!!! YEEESSS!!! YEEEESSSS!!! YEEEEESSSSSS!!!

Not in a "Harry Met Sally" way, but in a "yipee for the little things" way. I know I am like a broken record around here with all this talk about the little things, but they make all the difference!

I have read the same book to Lawson every naptime and every bedtime since March. I don't even get the book out anymore because I know it forward and back. He fell in love with Little Quack (aka: "Quacka") the first time he heard about Mama Duck's five little ducklings (Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, Puddle and Little Quack) and requests it whenever he gets sleepy or realizes he has to go to bed.
Until yesterday. Suddenly it was the day of the Bear. Today was the second day in a row that we have read a different book. A book that Lawson's daddy picked out and gave to him about a snoring bear called Bear Snores On (funny how things parallel real life...). All I have to say is "and the mom grins on"!!!! Something new!!! What a difference a book makes!
Another YAY moment I had was in the car today on the way back from the grocery store. We've had about a weeks' worth of trips without constant screaming on Naomi's part. However, she has been asleep most of those times, so I chalked it up to good timing and luck. BUT, today on the way back from the grocery store, she was wide awake and HAPPY the entire way home. 20 minutes in the car without so much as a peep!!!!!!! Hallelujah!!! I am just sure that Lawson got ahold of her and told her how much fun "going bye bye" is and that she need not scream at the top of her lungs and make everyone miserable. So, thanks Lawson. It was nice to breathe naturally in the car as opposed to doing breathing exercises.

Another YES YES YES moment is coming very soon, too. Dustin has been gone for just shy of two weeks and will be arriving in just a couple of hours!!! Granted, this time apart seems very short compared to the couple of months we've grown accustom to, but it still stinks to have him away and I'm so excited to have him back home. I know a couple of other little people who will be happy to see him as well. Especially one little man who's set to turn "toe" in three days and will be glad to have his daddy there with him on that special day! I'm sure tomorrow's first word will be "daddy" instead of "heedle doo". Another welcomed change.

Kind-of Quiet

Quiet is something I crave. There is a constant symphony playing around here complete with power tools and hammers for percussion! I would like to think that I am the conductor, but let's face it, the kids are so in control! And as long as they have the baton, there will be noise. Or at least there should be. Quiet is a Jekyll and Hyde. It can be just what the doctor ordered or it can be the calm before the storm. Those rare few moments where you suddenly hear unexpected silence is usually a clue that something fishy is going on and you may have a big clean up on your hands. Those are the times I poke my head around the corner and see Lawson pulling all the books off the shelf, dumping the last bit of my coffee out or getting into drawers he shouldn't be opening. Nap time is a different kind of quiet. I look forward to nap time every day to both get things done and take a nice, deep, cleansing breath or two.

Today, I was enjoying the quiet for a good half hour, doing the dishes, humming "Lets Go Fly a Kite" (thanks, Beth... day number two and I'm still singing that song!) and listening to the hum of the sleep machine in the monitor as Lawson slept. Or so I thought. Out of the silence, an "uh oh". By the time I'd gone down the stairs and began to open the door, he'd began calling frantically for me. I couldn't help but crack up when the boy was standing in his crib with a horrified, worried look on his face and his diaper dangling from his hand. I've been lucky to have only had him remove his diaper on a few occasions and those times he found it funny. When Lawson sleeps, though, each item on the pre-sleep check list must be checked off in order and the covers must be arranged just so with his teddy bear and cup in their usual positions. Nothing can be off, or sleep just isn't going to happen. So, this was obviously NOT part of the normal routine. No biggie as far as I was concerned since the diaper wasn't dirty yet, so it was easy to laugh it off and put the diaper hoodini back to bed. No harm, no foul. Lawson did not find it funny at all. Maybe that'll keep him from doing it again. Let's hope! I guess sometimes even when I think I'm having my blissful quiet time, he could still just be in his crib quietly getting into mischief. So, now I get my somewhat quiet time. I have a sweet little baby cooing in her sleep all snuggled in my baby sling. That may be better than quiet, actually.