When Dylan was a tiny baby I spent most of my time wishing his babyhood away. It was all about wishing he was sitting up, wishing he would crawl, wishing he could walk, etc. This time around, I am excited for those milestones to come around. But I am trying my hardest to enjoy the moment.
I love holding Edith close to me and just cuddling with her. I love that she'll still let me do it, and I will enjoy every minute that I can. I love stroking her face and sticking our tongues out at each other. I love watching her flail her arms and legs around because she hasn't figured out how to control them yet. I am looking forward to her reaching for toys and sitting up and doing all of that "big baby" stuff, but it'll happen in it's own time.
Dylan gets more and more grown up every day. Since he had his hair cut on Tuesday he looks even more grown up than ever, but it's his language development that really astounds me. He has started putting words together to form very simple sentences and he is learning about ownership. He can ask for things that he wants now and frequently says things like "juice please," or "daddy's shoes." When asked to point to daddy's chin or mama's cheeks, he knows where to point. He's also learned his own name, and yesterday we were learning about our family. He grasps things so quickly now, and he understands most of what we say.
Dylan is also having a major growth spurt, as Emma predicted. He is like a bottomless pit this week and he simply can NOT get enough food. It's nice, because he is trying all sorts of food that he wouldn't eat before and is loving it. He's decided that he likes pasta (and the way he says it is adorable) and he's digging on all kinds of potatoes at the minute.
As we were sitting at the dinner table last night I felt so content. Our little family is so lovely. My husband is wonderful, devoted, hard working, and handsome. My son is beautiful and bright and sunny. My daughter is soft and gorgeous and cuddly. Dylan is so much fun to be with, and we have this whole developmental process to go through again with Edith.
Sometimes the life of a stay at home mom gets me down. It's boring and hard work, and it goes largely unappreciated. But then I have these moments when there's nowhere else I'd like to be and absolutely nothing else in the world I'd rather be doing. I'm glad I'm not missing a moment of my babies growing up!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Barton Central Surgery, my new home...
I have been at the doctor's office three times in the last two days. Yesterday it was to have a girlie appointment in advance of some long-term birth control options (probably done, but DEFINITELY not having another 19 month age gap!). Today it was for Edith's first course of injections and her 8 week check. Then I went again this afternoon because I was having serious chest pain and could hardly breathe.
The appointment yesterday was fine. I've never had a problem with "womens' appointments." I just don't get embarrassed or uptight about stuff like that. I am about 2 weeks away from a Mirena IUD. It's a bit too early for Martin to go in for the permanent solution. Besides, we might want another one?!?
Edith's appointment was fine as well. She is healthy as can be, other than a little case of oral thrush and a little head rash on her chest. She was a champion when it came to her shots. She hardly even cried and hasn't been cranky or fussy since then, either. Of course, tonight will be the big test.
The third appointment was for my pain, and it was determined that it is not a blood clot. I apparently just have a badly strained muscle in my chest. MAN, it really hurts, too. Dr. Wellings gave me co-codemol (I guess it's similar to Tylenol 3--is that the kind with codeine?). I took two of them as soon as I got home, and when they kicked in 45 minutes later it was the greatest relief. Seriously, OUCH!
So my DIYing is coming to a halt for the time being. Martin is on his own for a little while. I shouldn't have been pushing it so hard. I had a baby just 8 weeks ago, and my joints are probably still very soft. I should have been more careful! Now I'm going to be in constant pain for about a week until my muscles have a chance to heal.
Speaking of DIY, the house is really looking good! We have been focusing on the outside as that is the most important for putting it on the market. If we don't impress potential buyers in the first 30 seconds, they will never come inside and look around. So everything is getting a fresh coat of paint and I am even putting a hanging basket in the entrance way. This time I will chain it to the door, because I had a few planters stolen the first summer that we lived here.
I'll get some pictures taken and posted soon.
And I'll put some pictures of the kids on, too.
The appointment yesterday was fine. I've never had a problem with "womens' appointments." I just don't get embarrassed or uptight about stuff like that. I am about 2 weeks away from a Mirena IUD. It's a bit too early for Martin to go in for the permanent solution. Besides, we might want another one?!?
Edith's appointment was fine as well. She is healthy as can be, other than a little case of oral thrush and a little head rash on her chest. She was a champion when it came to her shots. She hardly even cried and hasn't been cranky or fussy since then, either. Of course, tonight will be the big test.
The third appointment was for my pain, and it was determined that it is not a blood clot. I apparently just have a badly strained muscle in my chest. MAN, it really hurts, too. Dr. Wellings gave me co-codemol (I guess it's similar to Tylenol 3--is that the kind with codeine?). I took two of them as soon as I got home, and when they kicked in 45 minutes later it was the greatest relief. Seriously, OUCH!
So my DIYing is coming to a halt for the time being. Martin is on his own for a little while. I shouldn't have been pushing it so hard. I had a baby just 8 weeks ago, and my joints are probably still very soft. I should have been more careful! Now I'm going to be in constant pain for about a week until my muscles have a chance to heal.
Speaking of DIY, the house is really looking good! We have been focusing on the outside as that is the most important for putting it on the market. If we don't impress potential buyers in the first 30 seconds, they will never come inside and look around. So everything is getting a fresh coat of paint and I am even putting a hanging basket in the entrance way. This time I will chain it to the door, because I had a few planters stolen the first summer that we lived here.
I'll get some pictures taken and posted soon.
And I'll put some pictures of the kids on, too.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Hooray for Ebay
I should work on commission for these guys! I adore everything about Ebay--the concept, the reality, the search options, the bargains, EVERYTHING!
I especially love that I had a good charity shop day with Emma and Edith last week. I've bought plenty of non-clothing items for myself on Ebay, but jeans are incredibly difficult for me to buy online. I absolutely MUST try them on (thanks, mom, for the genes that made it impossible for me to find good jeans!). But on our last shopping trip I found a mainstream brand that fits me well, looks reasonably stylish, isn't granny-ish, and is common enough for me to easily find on Ebay. Jeans shopping will never be the same for me again, and I think I will stock up on these jeans (Next) before we move back to the US. Hopefully I will be buying at least a size smaller after I shift some baby weight, but I have a feeling I will be brand loyal from here on out.
My pair that I bought last week just arrived with this morning's post. I tried them on immediately, and they fit like I've owned them for years. You know when you try on a pair of jeans and they just slip on like a glove? The way jeans should fit--comfortable and curve hugging and just plain lovely? I will never buy another brand of jeans, and since they are not cheap, I will always buy them on Ebay.
I feel like breaking in to the Ebay advert song and dance routine ("I did it EEEEEEEE Bay").
Anyway, loads of housework to do (bathrooms day) and lunch to prepare. Just thought I'd share my on-line jeans buying joy with the blogging community.
Happy hump day, everybody. Hope your day starts out as fine as mine has!
I especially love that I had a good charity shop day with Emma and Edith last week. I've bought plenty of non-clothing items for myself on Ebay, but jeans are incredibly difficult for me to buy online. I absolutely MUST try them on (thanks, mom, for the genes that made it impossible for me to find good jeans!). But on our last shopping trip I found a mainstream brand that fits me well, looks reasonably stylish, isn't granny-ish, and is common enough for me to easily find on Ebay. Jeans shopping will never be the same for me again, and I think I will stock up on these jeans (Next) before we move back to the US. Hopefully I will be buying at least a size smaller after I shift some baby weight, but I have a feeling I will be brand loyal from here on out.
My pair that I bought last week just arrived with this morning's post. I tried them on immediately, and they fit like I've owned them for years. You know when you try on a pair of jeans and they just slip on like a glove? The way jeans should fit--comfortable and curve hugging and just plain lovely? I will never buy another brand of jeans, and since they are not cheap, I will always buy them on Ebay.
I feel like breaking in to the Ebay advert song and dance routine ("I did it EEEEEEEE Bay").
Anyway, loads of housework to do (bathrooms day) and lunch to prepare. Just thought I'd share my on-line jeans buying joy with the blogging community.
Happy hump day, everybody. Hope your day starts out as fine as mine has!
Monday, May 25, 2009
After a wonderful day...
It has to be said, having Edith around is what I thought having a baby would be like.
This morning we took the kids to Pink Pig farm. They have a farm shop, cafe, and adventure trail that takes them around different animal pens and up to a playground. Edith slept the whole time, but Dylan had a great time. We dropped him off at Christine's house for the afternoon, then came home and worked on house stuff.
Martin got a lot done on the window. He got it scraped and primed, and he scraped the frame in the bedroom as well. I finally got caught up on the laundry (it only took three days) and did the usual house stuff. Tomorrow is bedrooms and floors day on the housekeeping rota--I'm going to try to get back in to my routine now that I'm feeling good.
Edith pretty much laid on her blanket and kicked and cooed while Martin and I worked. I had to stop a few times to feed her, but she was brilliant. Today is exactly how I imagined our lives before I had Dylan. Then he was born, and all of my dreams of happy, peaceful days with the baby flew out the window.
I love my babies!
This morning we took the kids to Pink Pig farm. They have a farm shop, cafe, and adventure trail that takes them around different animal pens and up to a playground. Edith slept the whole time, but Dylan had a great time. We dropped him off at Christine's house for the afternoon, then came home and worked on house stuff.
Martin got a lot done on the window. He got it scraped and primed, and he scraped the frame in the bedroom as well. I finally got caught up on the laundry (it only took three days) and did the usual house stuff. Tomorrow is bedrooms and floors day on the housekeeping rota--I'm going to try to get back in to my routine now that I'm feeling good.
Edith pretty much laid on her blanket and kicked and cooed while Martin and I worked. I had to stop a few times to feed her, but she was brilliant. Today is exactly how I imagined our lives before I had Dylan. Then he was born, and all of my dreams of happy, peaceful days with the baby flew out the window.
I love my babies!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
What a week!!!
This is why I love gardening in England. This corner of our border was completely ignored until about 5 weeks ago. At that point I trimmed the dead bits off the iris and weeded around the geraniums. This glorious collection of greenery and flowers is the result of ZERO effort!
I haven't taken any pictures of the finished floor yet (am saving it for when my kitchen is cleaned), but Martin and I tiled the kitchen this week. I wanted to include the picture of Dylan's "plumber's crack" because I find it adorable. He has such a tiny bum that he is constantly showing a little bottom cleavage!
We have been super busy this week. Between book club and baseball, shopping and quiz nights, and the delivery of a new washing machine (hallelujah!) we haven't even had time to rest. Still aren't resting, as a matter of fact. Martin is re-finishing the window from the top bedroom since it is nice weather and he was able to just take the window out. He's scraping off the blistered paint while he watches Match of the Day (the Premiership season ended today). I did some furniture painting while he scraped the parts of the window that he could NOT take out of the window frame.
We are doing really well though. Dylan has had fewer tantrums this week, and Edith has slept through for two nights running. I've been fairly successful in my endeavor to eat fewer sweets, and Martin got to play baseball today. Tomorrow is a bank holiday, too. Martin has the day off and we are going to pop down to Hemswell Market in the morning. Dylan is going to his nanna's house in the afternoon so we can get some work done on the house. Edith is still a bit young to be away from me so she is going to stay with us and help by being adorable and making sure I don't overdo it.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
One of us all...
The kids share a tender moment that doesn't involve Dylan sticking sharp objects into Edith's face.
Getting ready to take a bath, and REALLY excited about it!
Our precious little cherub!
Self portrait
The father of my beautiful children!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Things I've learned since having my children...
1. Try to leave at least 10 minutes before you actually need to. That way, you stand a ghost of a chance of getting places on time (I actually started to learn this with Martin and always tell him we need to leave 15 minutes earlier than we really do).
2. Be flexible! If something happens, like your kid falling down the stairs or getting sick, you're going to have to change plans.
3. ALWAYS carry a snack of some kind in your bag. A quick granola bar can mean the difference between a happy baby and a screaming monster.
4. Don't leave anything breakable below shoulder height, even if your kid is only 2 1/2 feet tall. They WILL climb on any available furniture if it looks interesting.
5. Plan on not having anything nice for a few years. Your kids will systematically turn all of your nice stuff into rubbish (unintentionally, of course).
6. Accept the fact that you will act like a moron in public and baby talk around (if not TO) strangers.
and the biggest lesson I've learned from having kids is...
7. Do not procrastinate, EVER! If you have a free minute to get something done, do it that second! You may not have another chance all day.
Which is why I am going to get dressed and clean my house RIGHT NOW!
2. Be flexible! If something happens, like your kid falling down the stairs or getting sick, you're going to have to change plans.
3. ALWAYS carry a snack of some kind in your bag. A quick granola bar can mean the difference between a happy baby and a screaming monster.
4. Don't leave anything breakable below shoulder height, even if your kid is only 2 1/2 feet tall. They WILL climb on any available furniture if it looks interesting.
5. Plan on not having anything nice for a few years. Your kids will systematically turn all of your nice stuff into rubbish (unintentionally, of course).
6. Accept the fact that you will act like a moron in public and baby talk around (if not TO) strangers.
and the biggest lesson I've learned from having kids is...
7. Do not procrastinate, EVER! If you have a free minute to get something done, do it that second! You may not have another chance all day.
Which is why I am going to get dressed and clean my house RIGHT NOW!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Killer...
After nearly 3 accident free years in our house, our stairs have claimed 3 victims in as many weeks!
Of course, there was Martin's gran a few weeks ago. She broke her leg, poor thing. Yesterda, Dylan took a tumble. He doesn't have any broken bones and, aside from a couple of goose eggs on the front of his head that look like horns, seems to be fine. Today Martin fell down the last few steps. Unfortunately he was holding Dylan at the time, so Dylan got dropped. Once again, he seems to be fine! Martin scraped himself pretty good on the stair gate and is going to be really sore for a few days.
Edith and I are the only ones who haven't taken a little trip. I'm not counting my accident while I was pregnant, because I actually fell over the barrier at the bottom of the stairs. I didn't actually fall down the stairs!
Our Sky Plus box came today--hooray! Now we can ditch the DVD/VCR combo that has a broken DVD player and just have our working DVD player and our Sky box. Hooray for being able to pause and rewind live tv, and for being able to record whole series and individual programs without messing with tapes.
I am officially able to exercise now, and I started doing crunches this morning. I'm not nearly as weak as I was after Dylan, but my abdominal muscles are still like jelly! I got one of those crunch frame thingies off Freecycle. Martin and I are going to do Pilates together in the evening. He's going to help me stay on track!
Of course, there was Martin's gran a few weeks ago. She broke her leg, poor thing. Yesterda, Dylan took a tumble. He doesn't have any broken bones and, aside from a couple of goose eggs on the front of his head that look like horns, seems to be fine. Today Martin fell down the last few steps. Unfortunately he was holding Dylan at the time, so Dylan got dropped. Once again, he seems to be fine! Martin scraped himself pretty good on the stair gate and is going to be really sore for a few days.
Edith and I are the only ones who haven't taken a little trip. I'm not counting my accident while I was pregnant, because I actually fell over the barrier at the bottom of the stairs. I didn't actually fall down the stairs!
Our Sky Plus box came today--hooray! Now we can ditch the DVD/VCR combo that has a broken DVD player and just have our working DVD player and our Sky box. Hooray for being able to pause and rewind live tv, and for being able to record whole series and individual programs without messing with tapes.
I am officially able to exercise now, and I started doing crunches this morning. I'm not nearly as weak as I was after Dylan, but my abdominal muscles are still like jelly! I got one of those crunch frame thingies off Freecycle. Martin and I are going to do Pilates together in the evening. He's going to help me stay on track!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The amazing Edith...
Boy, you sure learn how to do things better the second time around!
After just a few days of a bedtime routine, Edith is settling herself for sleep in the evenings and she has slept for around 6-7 hours in a row for the last two nights. I credit this entirely to the things we learned with Dylan, but learned too late. Mostly the importance of getting into a routine and the importance of keeping the lights off for night feeds. And, of course, the fact that Edith is just a better baby than Dylan was!
Martin and I went to the cinema today--with Edie. Her first film was "Star Trek," and all three of us really enjoyed it. Dylan went to Willingham Woods with Nanna and Grandad, and he also had a great time. Edith had a quick feed and enjoyed cuddles with her daddy until she finally drifted off to sleep during the movie. She was completely entranced by the movie, and we are looking forward to taking her to see the new Harry Potter film when it is released. We are hoping that she will still be sitting still for movies when Dylan starts sitting through them again.
I also took Edie in to the baby clinic this morning. She had her hearing tested, and it is normal. I had her weighed as well, and she gained 15 and 1/2 ounces in a week. That's a lot of weight for a tiny little baby. Dylan gained weight that rapidly as well, but I was CONSTANTLY feeding him. I don't feed her nearly as often, but she's obviously better at it. Either that or I am making way more milk this time around.
Awesome day, really. And now it's raining so we don't have to water the garden.
Goodnight!
After just a few days of a bedtime routine, Edith is settling herself for sleep in the evenings and she has slept for around 6-7 hours in a row for the last two nights. I credit this entirely to the things we learned with Dylan, but learned too late. Mostly the importance of getting into a routine and the importance of keeping the lights off for night feeds. And, of course, the fact that Edith is just a better baby than Dylan was!
Martin and I went to the cinema today--with Edie. Her first film was "Star Trek," and all three of us really enjoyed it. Dylan went to Willingham Woods with Nanna and Grandad, and he also had a great time. Edith had a quick feed and enjoyed cuddles with her daddy until she finally drifted off to sleep during the movie. She was completely entranced by the movie, and we are looking forward to taking her to see the new Harry Potter film when it is released. We are hoping that she will still be sitting still for movies when Dylan starts sitting through them again.
I also took Edie in to the baby clinic this morning. She had her hearing tested, and it is normal. I had her weighed as well, and she gained 15 and 1/2 ounces in a week. That's a lot of weight for a tiny little baby. Dylan gained weight that rapidly as well, but I was CONSTANTLY feeding him. I don't feed her nearly as often, but she's obviously better at it. Either that or I am making way more milk this time around.
Awesome day, really. And now it's raining so we don't have to water the garden.
Goodnight!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Better than expected...
Edith's bedtime routine is going surprisingly well. Her first night was a little bit difficult, because she woke up 2 times instead of just her one and then an early morning. But she was wide awake when Martin put her down and she went to sleep by herself without crying first--a minor miracle since it took about 8 weeks of HELL for Dylan to get to that point. Last night was even better. She was in bed by about 9:30 and didn't wake up until 4:30 this morning. 45 minutes later she was sound asleep again, and didn't wake up until nearly 9 am. Such a good night's sleep! I haven't slept that well for months. It was even better because I woke up on my own--was already awake when she woke up and wanted feeding.
So it was a good night, but I am still all emotional! Velecia posted pics of ShaNeil's wedding on her blog, and I got all sad that I wasn't there for it. ShaNeil looked so beautiful and happy, and I got to see all these pictures of my mom and sisters and neices and nephews. I wish so bad that I had been there. And it was mothers' day the day after, and I would have loved to spend it with my mommy and introduce her to my lovely daughter.
Just a few days ago I was enjoying the beautiful English countryside and thinking about how much I would miss it when we moved home. I even thought (for a few mutinous seconds) that I would be happy to stay here forever. I do love living in England. But then I think about all of the big family things that I miss. My younger sister's hooding ceremony, my baby sister's wedding, birthdays, blessings, burials, and everything in between. I haven't been to a family reunion in YEARS! I know Martin has family over here, but not nearly as much as I have. And they aren't as close as I am to my family. I will never stop wanting to be closer to my beloved family!
So I'm a bit melancholy, but managing. My babies keep me busy and happy, and Martin's family are wonderful. Life is good. It really is just the big things that make me long for home.
And yet, I still call it home even though we haven't lived there for nearly 4 years!
So it was a good night, but I am still all emotional! Velecia posted pics of ShaNeil's wedding on her blog, and I got all sad that I wasn't there for it. ShaNeil looked so beautiful and happy, and I got to see all these pictures of my mom and sisters and neices and nephews. I wish so bad that I had been there. And it was mothers' day the day after, and I would have loved to spend it with my mommy and introduce her to my lovely daughter.
Just a few days ago I was enjoying the beautiful English countryside and thinking about how much I would miss it when we moved home. I even thought (for a few mutinous seconds) that I would be happy to stay here forever. I do love living in England. But then I think about all of the big family things that I miss. My younger sister's hooding ceremony, my baby sister's wedding, birthdays, blessings, burials, and everything in between. I haven't been to a family reunion in YEARS! I know Martin has family over here, but not nearly as much as I have. And they aren't as close as I am to my family. I will never stop wanting to be closer to my beloved family!
So I'm a bit melancholy, but managing. My babies keep me busy and happy, and Martin's family are wonderful. Life is good. It really is just the big things that make me long for home.
And yet, I still call it home even though we haven't lived there for nearly 4 years!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Fingers crossed...
We are starting to try to ease Edie into a bedtime routine. We bathed her just after we put Dylan down for bed(it was her first time in the regular bath instead of the baby bath), then I fed her and we put her to bed. She went to sleep on her own--without being fed to sleep. Already doing better than Dylan in that regard. But she was asleep at 8:30 instead of around 10pm, so it might be a rough night. Hopefully it will go well, but neither one of us are holding our breath.
It was a big weekend with the family, and I missed it. ShaNeil got married yesterday, and of course today was American Mother's Day. I spent yesterday taking care of my sick kids whilst being sick myself (we all have colds) and today we went to church and then to Martin's baseball game. I would have given anything to be in Utah this weekend!
So I am going to get to bed and hopefully have a good night's sleep. But first, a few recent pictures of the girl wonder and the most beautiful little boy in the world! Edith is getting so pretty now, and I want everyone to appreciate my little beauty
Dylan just gets more and more beautiful every day--but in such a manly way. I've been spiking his hair up and he looks so grown up. He's going to be such a lady killer when he grows up!
A rare shot of both kids lying next to each other and happy. I can't put Edith on the floor very often because Dylan tries to kick her. Constant supervision is required!!!
In her bath tonight!
Look at those beautiful chubby cheeks and shining eyes! She is looking a lot more like Dylan did as a baby, only her eyes aren't quite as big and her face is a bit more narrow. She definitely resembles Martin more than Dylan does. It's going to be fun to see who she looks like as she grows!
It was a big weekend with the family, and I missed it. ShaNeil got married yesterday, and of course today was American Mother's Day. I spent yesterday taking care of my sick kids whilst being sick myself (we all have colds) and today we went to church and then to Martin's baseball game. I would have given anything to be in Utah this weekend!
So I am going to get to bed and hopefully have a good night's sleep. But first, a few recent pictures of the girl wonder and the most beautiful little boy in the world! Edith is getting so pretty now, and I want everyone to appreciate my little beauty
Dylan just gets more and more beautiful every day--but in such a manly way. I've been spiking his hair up and he looks so grown up. He's going to be such a lady killer when he grows up!
A rare shot of both kids lying next to each other and happy. I can't put Edith on the floor very often because Dylan tries to kick her. Constant supervision is required!!!
In her bath tonight!
Look at those beautiful chubby cheeks and shining eyes! She is looking a lot more like Dylan did as a baby, only her eyes aren't quite as big and her face is a bit more narrow. She definitely resembles Martin more than Dylan does. It's going to be fun to see who she looks like as she grows!
Friday, May 08, 2009
An ode to my washing machine...
Oh, how I miss you! How I long for the days of casually throwing in a load of whites because they needed doing. How I dream of lovingly placing baking soda, washing soda, laundry detergent, and vinegar in the tiny little drawers and listening to that metallic "click" as the cycle started. I think of all the times the spin cycle kicked on (oh, the beautiful spin cycle) and I wondered what the unholy racket coming from the kitchen was. I should have cherished the sound! Oh, the good times we've shared, my beloved Hoover ACM15.
Why, oh why did I take you for granted?
My washing machine has been on the fritz for about 4 weeks now, but it finally gave up the ghost 10 days ago. Can I just say that 2 kids generate a lot of rubbish and a LOT of laundry! We have been taking all of our laundry over to friends and family to get done, and it is such a pain in the backside. We got a quote of £100 to fix it, but Laurence found the part we need on line for a bit less and is going to do the work himself. So I should have a working washing machine by around Wednesday of next week. I can hardly wait!!!
Why, oh why did I take you for granted?
My washing machine has been on the fritz for about 4 weeks now, but it finally gave up the ghost 10 days ago. Can I just say that 2 kids generate a lot of rubbish and a LOT of laundry! We have been taking all of our laundry over to friends and family to get done, and it is such a pain in the backside. We got a quote of £100 to fix it, but Laurence found the part we need on line for a bit less and is going to do the work himself. So I should have a working washing machine by around Wednesday of next week. I can hardly wait!!!
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
My wonderful kids
Dylan and I were on our own for bedtime tonight. Sure, he still isn't asleep and he's upstairs crying. But I still think he's wonderful. We were reading tonight and I was amazed by how smart he is. He has started filling in the missing words in the books that we read together. Every time he says "cookie" my heart melts!
Edith is still just a baby and therefore very boring. But she is filling out now, and getting cuter all the time. I am especially happy that she has slept most of the day and hasn't been feeding constantly. I am also loving dressing her. She looks like the most perfect little doll, even though her hair has all fallen out at the front.
Martin is at baseball tonight, and as always I miss him when he is not here. But it's a home game this weekend and he is playing so he needs to go to practice. He especially needs the batting practice! When we did our trial run of both kids at the game it was a success, more or less, so Martin is likely to be playing in most home games and going to most practices. Just not the ones the week before a game he isn't going to play in.
I need to get myself somewhere to go once a week as well, just for my own sanity. But I won't be able to leave Edie for the night for a while yet, so I'll just continue to take long baths and read a lot of books for a while. I'm thinking of maybe doing an art class of some kind when she is a few months old. Maybe painting or life drawing. I love life drawing!
Anyway, watching my beautiful children develop is entertainment enough most of the time. That and the internet keep me pretty happy.
Edith is still just a baby and therefore very boring. But she is filling out now, and getting cuter all the time. I am especially happy that she has slept most of the day and hasn't been feeding constantly. I am also loving dressing her. She looks like the most perfect little doll, even though her hair has all fallen out at the front.
Martin is at baseball tonight, and as always I miss him when he is not here. But it's a home game this weekend and he is playing so he needs to go to practice. He especially needs the batting practice! When we did our trial run of both kids at the game it was a success, more or less, so Martin is likely to be playing in most home games and going to most practices. Just not the ones the week before a game he isn't going to play in.
I need to get myself somewhere to go once a week as well, just for my own sanity. But I won't be able to leave Edie for the night for a while yet, so I'll just continue to take long baths and read a lot of books for a while. I'm thinking of maybe doing an art class of some kind when she is a few months old. Maybe painting or life drawing. I love life drawing!
Anyway, watching my beautiful children develop is entertainment enough most of the time. That and the internet keep me pretty happy.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
The first reward...
Edith started smiling yesterday. Obviously the first reward of having a baby is actually having a baby--a little one to cuddle with and hold and love. But the first few weeks are a lot of hard work--taking care of all those physical needs. That first smile--the one that you KNOW is a real one and not just gas--makes it all worth it.
I find that motherhood tends to run that way. You work and slave day in and day out, keeping the house clean, cooking meals, doing laundry, entertaining and wiping bottoms and just generally doing all the messy jobs. Nobody says thank you and you never get paid. And then your new baby smiles at you or your rough and tumble toddler gives you the sweetest smile and the biggest kiss (completely unsolicited) and the work you've done without any appreciation for weeks suddenly seems worth every second!
Things are going GREAT! We got our new pushchair--Google Phil & Ted's E3 for a look. It is beautiful and wonderful and a whole bunch of other superlatives that I'm too tired to think of let alone type. I went out with the kids twice today just because I love the pushchair. And it isn't even nice weather today!
The missionaries came over yesterday and helped Martin strip the wallpaper from the downstairs landing. My house smells like bare plaster again (such a disgusting smell), but we were pleasantly surprised at the condition of the plaster. It looks like I will be able to just patch it up and we can paint rather than having to wallpaper and then paint it all. That's a relief, because the wallpaper was going to cost us around £200. The Elders are coming back on Thursday to do the top flight of stairs. It is so amazing that they are willing to help out, but it is good for everyone involved. They get to do a little service for ward members and get fed, plus they get to wear jeans for a day. They can combine the service project with visits to less active members in Barton and the surrounding villages. And Martin gets two strapping young men to help him share the work. What a blessing!
Quiet night tonight. Martin is out collecting Kleeneze brochures, so I did story time and prayers on my own with the kids. Dylan snuggled into bed without a fight and now Edith is snoozing in her bouncy chair as I bounce her with my feet. The only way it could be any better is if Martin were home with me, the house was clean, and I had a big, steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of me. But hey, we can't have perfection all the time or life would just be boring, right?
So the kids are angels, the house is getting closer to sell-able, and we got fish and chips for dinner. Bliss!
I find that motherhood tends to run that way. You work and slave day in and day out, keeping the house clean, cooking meals, doing laundry, entertaining and wiping bottoms and just generally doing all the messy jobs. Nobody says thank you and you never get paid. And then your new baby smiles at you or your rough and tumble toddler gives you the sweetest smile and the biggest kiss (completely unsolicited) and the work you've done without any appreciation for weeks suddenly seems worth every second!
Things are going GREAT! We got our new pushchair--Google Phil & Ted's E3 for a look. It is beautiful and wonderful and a whole bunch of other superlatives that I'm too tired to think of let alone type. I went out with the kids twice today just because I love the pushchair. And it isn't even nice weather today!
The missionaries came over yesterday and helped Martin strip the wallpaper from the downstairs landing. My house smells like bare plaster again (such a disgusting smell), but we were pleasantly surprised at the condition of the plaster. It looks like I will be able to just patch it up and we can paint rather than having to wallpaper and then paint it all. That's a relief, because the wallpaper was going to cost us around £200. The Elders are coming back on Thursday to do the top flight of stairs. It is so amazing that they are willing to help out, but it is good for everyone involved. They get to do a little service for ward members and get fed, plus they get to wear jeans for a day. They can combine the service project with visits to less active members in Barton and the surrounding villages. And Martin gets two strapping young men to help him share the work. What a blessing!
Quiet night tonight. Martin is out collecting Kleeneze brochures, so I did story time and prayers on my own with the kids. Dylan snuggled into bed without a fight and now Edith is snoozing in her bouncy chair as I bounce her with my feet. The only way it could be any better is if Martin were home with me, the house was clean, and I had a big, steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of me. But hey, we can't have perfection all the time or life would just be boring, right?
So the kids are angels, the house is getting closer to sell-able, and we got fish and chips for dinner. Bliss!
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Locking Dylan out...
We got a lock for our fridge. Yesterday I was on the phone with a friend when Dylan came trotting in shouting "egg! egg! egg!" I looked at him, and he was holding one raw egg in each hand. I hung up ther phone immediately and tried to get the eggs from him. No luck. I chased him all around the house, with him shouting "egg" all the while!
I laughed for ages!
We are getting along famously. Edith is a lot more awake now, so I've not got as much free time as I did at first. But she is healthy and generally well settled, so I'm happy. Dylan is starting to acknowledge her a lot more, which is a good AND a bad thing. Yesterday he was kicking her while I was changing her diaper and hitting her with his whistle. But he's talking about her and giving her kisses as well.
We picked up a new pushchair today from Bradford. It's a Phil and Teds E3, and it's so amazing. We got it on Ebay, and it was MUCH cheaper than buying it new. So much so that it was worth the 50 or so miles we had to drive to pick it up. 1 minute after using it, I decided it was worth every penny we spent on it. We used the $$ that family members put into our American bank account for Edith. It's a gift for me, Dylan, AND Edie, and we really appreciate it.
Martin put a coat of paint on the front of the house. Almost all of the green bits are done now, and we just need to do a bit more green and then re-paint the cream bit. Once that is done, we need to do the upstairs window. Once the house looks good from the front, we will put it on the market and continue doing stuff on the inside. It needs to look good on the outside first though, or we will never get anybody in to look at how great the house really is!
Anyway, that's the update on us. Nothing new and exciting, but life rarely is. We are happy and just doing our thing!
I laughed for ages!
We are getting along famously. Edith is a lot more awake now, so I've not got as much free time as I did at first. But she is healthy and generally well settled, so I'm happy. Dylan is starting to acknowledge her a lot more, which is a good AND a bad thing. Yesterday he was kicking her while I was changing her diaper and hitting her with his whistle. But he's talking about her and giving her kisses as well.
We picked up a new pushchair today from Bradford. It's a Phil and Teds E3, and it's so amazing. We got it on Ebay, and it was MUCH cheaper than buying it new. So much so that it was worth the 50 or so miles we had to drive to pick it up. 1 minute after using it, I decided it was worth every penny we spent on it. We used the $$ that family members put into our American bank account for Edith. It's a gift for me, Dylan, AND Edie, and we really appreciate it.
Martin put a coat of paint on the front of the house. Almost all of the green bits are done now, and we just need to do a bit more green and then re-paint the cream bit. Once that is done, we need to do the upstairs window. Once the house looks good from the front, we will put it on the market and continue doing stuff on the inside. It needs to look good on the outside first though, or we will never get anybody in to look at how great the house really is!
Anyway, that's the update on us. Nothing new and exciting, but life rarely is. We are happy and just doing our thing!
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Fun in the Gilbert bath
Rub a dub dub, three men in a tub!
First of all, we love the way our kids look after having a good tummy full of breast milk. Kind of like most of the people who roll out of Charlies on a Friday night lookwhen they have a skin full, but with breast milk instead of beer.
Second, I had the most fun bathing all three boys! Now, It was a little wierd because I had three naked boys with me who aren't mine, and there really wasn't that much room for them all, but they had a great time anyway. Plus, it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be as they all kind of just played with the bath toys.
On an unrelated note, we managed to break my Grandma.
My grandparents were here visiting and had decided to go and check out Dylan's bed. Jamie was upstairs with Grandad, and Grandma was coming up after. Somehow she managed to slip whilst climbing, fall, and wind up at the bottom of the stairs, probably with very little grace or elan. Now while all this is going on I am at work, so I come home to find Gran sat with a bag of frozen veg on her knee. We had to pretty much lift Gran out to their car as she could not put any weight on her leg.
Now, Jamie advised Grandad to go to Grimsby hospital as they would be the ones who could best help, but Grandad decided that it would be ok to go to Louth hospital, which is very small hospital and not able to cope with certain cases. We later found out that Gran had broken her Tibia very close to her knee, and had to go to.....? You guessed it, Grimsby hospital! So now Gran has a cast from her ankle up to the top of her thigh and is kind of stuck.
So I feel a little responsible because she did it on my stairs, but I know it could have happened anywhere. So we are hoping that she recovers quickly and will be back to normal when she is done.
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