Wednesday, February 24

"Hun!"

Alice has a new way to get people's attention and request help. She calls me 'hun.' Thanks to Daniel calling me "honey" so she won't call me "Rebecca."

Of course, she also calls Daniel "hun" when she wants something.

Here is a brief example of when calling out "hun" is appropriate.
I want a drink, but the cup is empty... "Hun! Wah." (wah is water)
Man, opening this pack of cards to spread them around the room is hard... "Hun!" (shove cards into hand)
Look at all this loot I took out of the desk drawer..."hun, look."
Man, I could use some cookies..."hun, here you go." (while beckoning to the kitchen)

Thomas has a bit of a cold and an eye infection. The doctor was out of the office yesterday, so we saw the physician's assistant. I didn't like her. I kind of wanted to attack her for being all "ah baby" and holding Thomas and sticking her hair in his face. He is already sick, stop touching him. She sent us home with some sample medicine. I looked it up and its seasonal rhinitis medicine. I decided to skip that. Plus its use by date is March 2010...as in its almost expired. I know it doesn't really mean anything except that it might be a little less efficacious. The PA also wanted to weigh him. I think its partly cause the ladies at the front desk were guessing how big he was. He weighed in at 12lbs 2oz. Yes, we have officially crossed the 12 pound mark. At 7 weeks.

He started throwin up this morning. He got the bed once. Then me once. Then Alice cause she wanted to snuggle with him. That one was pretty funny actually.

But, he is sleeping and he is still wetting plenty of diaper and eating. So I am hoping that it was just a one time thing. Yesterday, he didn't sleep much and spent the majority of the day crying unless he was held and then he would drift off to sleep for a little bit.

I baked brownies. But I don't want Alice to know. I will hear way too much "Hun!" if she find out.

Tuesday, February 23

Money, money, money

We might be refinancing our house with our tax return. At 3.85%. For a 10 year term. The monthly payment will go up about $300. But, I have been paying at minimum $100 extra a month to the mortgage. And we will pay a lot less in interest. Plus, we will be guaranteed to own the house in 10 years. Of course, we won't be paying my student loan off this year if we do refinance. We are still on the fence, but leaning toward doing it. Especially since we were all "Oh noez! What if we don't qualify?" *panic panic panic* OK maybe its not that bad. We were really concerned about the value of our home. All the houses on our street that are for sale, have been for sale for a LONG time, and we are up to 4 that are just down the block from us. So even though they are listed at 105K+ they might be selling for much less or not selling at all. Plus we looked into refinancing out home equity loan a year ago, and a drive by appraisal said out house was worth only 82K, and we need it to check in at 95K. Which doesn't leave us with warm fuzzy feelings.

We have been so wishy washy about it, that our mortgage company is now saying we won't need an appraisal. WE are gonna get a quick and dirty loan. They have a more technical term, but really it means we show that Daniel has a job, and that we make as much as we do, then wham bam, thank you Ma'am. We have a new mortgage loan.

The down side. My student loan will not get paid off this year. And the interest rate on that is higher than our mortgage rate is currently. I find it a thorn in my side, Daniel thinks I am obsessive. I hear the phone, so that's probably him.

Friday, February 19

The verdict is...

Thomas is a FATTY. Well, he is technically just large. Weighing in and measuring in at just under the 80th percentile. The kid is just under 12 lbs at 6 weeks. Fatty-pah-tatty.

Alice got round 2 of her flu shot. She has been up every 2 hours. Partly because Thomas has been up every 2 hours. The cries of Thomas are a siren to Alice's ears. I even went and lied with her at 1:30 when she refused to be consoled by Daniel. I explained that Thomas was already asleep so she didn't need to worry about him. Cause she kept saying his name between the wails.

I am on drugs. I am taking pills that make people happy. I am taking supplements that are also like happy pills cause they make people happy. I am on vitamins and such because I am feeding a parasite. I am on more drugs so I can poop because other pills turn that into a dramatic event. I am a walking pharmacy. 5 weeks 6 days until I can expect to know things really are right.

Wednesday, February 17

Today we find out

What wrong with us!

Oh yes, doctor appointments for all. First one is at 10:15am. Daniel went in for 2 hours of work before we start the drudgery of multiple doctor appointments in a day.

I am just hoping for a solution. Everybodys gotta have a body; (apostrophe key is not working, strangeness) there aint no promises they they will work right. Its too bad we didnt have the option of buying an extended service plan. I would have totally been sold on that. Even if I had to lose something else to make that happen. I would gladly give up a couple of fingers or toes, just not the big toes.

In other news: We bought ourselves a bed last night though. So hopefully I can get a better nights sleep. (UGH This apostrophe thing is driving me nutso!) Its gonna be one of those memory foam things. Courtesy of Overstock.com and their 89% off plus $2.95 shipping. Daniel is sad that it will be slightly smaller than a regular queen sized bed since we bought the RV sized queen bed...it was 30% cheaper than the regular queen sized foam beds...and we are not too tall for a slightly shorter bed. Plus I dont expect to have too many problems losing 2 inches, maybe thats because I wont lose any inches, only Daniel will.

Now I stop writing because the desktops keyboard is driving me batty with some of the keys not working. At least I have all the letters and most of the punctuation.

Monday, February 15

Hot diggity

Its about 6am. Alice got up at 3. Hot diggity.

You would think with how little sleep I get, the house would be cleaner. I am visiting teaching at my house at 9am. Maybe the next 3 hours will be more productive. Shoot, I would settle for getting the living room vacuumed and everything else tossed in the computer room.

Screaming Alice in her room. Poopy Thomas getting changed.

At least we have clean diapers. Hot diggity.

Wednesday, February 10

Positive Thinking

Too many of my blog posts lately have been ruing the fact that I have 2 kids at home. But its not all bad. I just am really bad at the whole 'think positive' idea when I get royally pissed off. So the blog is a better place to leave everything than Alice. Plus screaming would probably wake Thomas and then BOTH kids would be angry. So its time to focus on the good things that have happened today. You know before I get hung up on the bad.

1. I got the trash to the curb before the trash collectors came by.
2. Alice ate all her breakfast and only managed to spill a little.
3. I washed whites.
4. I washed the cushion covers on the couch.
5. I washed diapers.
6. I cleaned up some nasty random crumb action that was crusted onto the pull out couch frame inside the couch. I also found out that the crappy innerspring mattress included with the couch wore away the pain from the frame...and we got some rust. Let's chalk that up to experience. Sleeper sofas are not meant to be the primary seating location in a home.
7. I put the covers back on the cushions.
8. I organized the shelf above the washer and dryer and only found one spider.
9. I brought the couch slip cushion from the shelf above the washer, and put it on the couch; stained side down.
10. I let Alice choose things from the fridge for lunch. She choose cheese and spinach. I gave her a whole wheat tortilla to go with it and some chicken sandwich meat.
11. I heard Thomas have a blowout style poo, and was able to change him before it actually blew out of the diaper cover.
12. I have had a little time to work on my freezer cooking menu to enter into Once a Month Mom's contest. I don't expect to win at all. But, this way I have all the recipes I think would be good to try in one place. If I win that will be $250 of mad money. Mad money is always exciting.

Tuesday, February 9

23 Minutes

the time it takes to change Alice's nasty poopy diaper.

23 seconds. - The time it takes her to climb onto Thomas's FACE with her stinky poopy butt. Why she feels she needs to kneel on his head is beyond me. I can understand her covering his face with a pillow when he cries since it makes the noise quiet. But, standing or kneeling on a head? What is wrong with the girl?

Just when I thought things were leveling out after bringing an attention grabbing baby into the house, Alice decides to play power struggle with me.

While filled with orange scented feces. I hate feces.

The diapers that should have been done washing, put feces on me when I started getting them to go into the dryer.

Thomas took a poo the moment I put a clean diaper on him.

Luckily, no one has been throwing poo...except me. The diaper missed the pail.

And to think, until about 2 pm, things were looking pretty up. I did dishes. I thought I had the diapers clean. I stepped on glass in the kitchen (last night Alice decided Pyrex was for toddlers...let's just say its not). I searched for the broom. I found the broom. I swept the kitchen. I discovered the freezer door open because someone put the pail of ice cream in there instead of the deep freeze. I even picked up Alice's toys and replaced the trash bag in the can Daniel left empty.

All that, and I can't manage to change an Alice diaper without letting Thomas cry for 20 minutes while I chase her and pin her onto the floor with my leg. I left her watching Ice Age. The library's DVD rentals are one small moment of relief.

Saturday, February 6

Things I didn't know about having a kid

(and to think this is my second. How much of a haze was I in with Alice?)

- While breastfeeding, I reek. Perhaps its a physiological response so the baby will always know mom is near, but DANG I am stinky.

- The all natural deodorant really does help stop the smell. Too bad it lets the sweat flow.

- Onions + me = oh dear stinky! In several ways. All recipes including onions will now need to be modified so I can stand to be in the same room as myself.

- Pre-fold cloth diapers really are the way to go with an infant. I just thought they were the cheap option. Nope, they stain less, fit better, and make an excellent burp cloth. If I could stand a toddler in something that didn't velcro on, I might only use the cheapo diapers.

- I really don't need naps. Yes, everyone says sleep when the baby sleeps, but that's impossible with a toddler that refuses to nap. I do however go to bed (and lately even sleep) around 7pm. And yet I write 3am blog posts.

- An infant will always choose 3am as the ideal time to have an active period. Perhaps its because the demonic toddler attacks during the day. I am just waiting for him to wet a diaper so he will eat again and go to sleep. Gotta make room for more.

- Sometimes violence is the answer. But before you call CPS on me, the real answer is a nap, or removal from the situation.

- Infants are more durable than they appear. Or let's all pray that's true. Cause with as many times as Alice as (sadly, literally) danced on Thomas' head with her feet I will not be surprised if he has brain damage.

- You can have a heavy baby that isn't fat. Don't believe me? I have an 11 lb kid who has abs of steel.

- Daniel will never get sprayed with explosive poo / pee showers while changing a baby. I have been showered a few times by Thomas, and Alice up and shot poo across the room at me once when I was changing her. Daniel thought the flying poo incident was hilarious. I am waiting for justice.

- Speaking of poo, having a kid will make bowel habits an oft visited topic. And its not just the baby's bowels that get attention (though he has started having phantom poo, so its harder to know when to change him immediately)

- Some babies are just easy. Its too bad they have siblings that are not.

Wednesday, February 3

Hey Daniel

This is your blog emailing you. Can you check the settings, please?

Thanks,
Da Blog

Its [almost ]Thursday!

Today was nice. Well, except for Alice waking up at 5:30am and insisting the day was starting. Plus the bowl FULL of cereal and milk that she knocked all over her high chair and the floor. As a note, she was hungry and didn't relinquish the bowl until she hade emptied the remainder into her gullet.

But other than that it wasn't bad.

My friend Mary came over and entertained Alice for a couple of hours. That means I did dishes. And laundry. Though lets be honest I didn't get all the laundry done. But we do have clean towels and diapers and a load that's in the dryer of...something. I have no idea. And yes, I also have more diapers in the wash.

Diapers are never ending in this house. Diaper wipes are finite however. That is the main motivation for washing so often. That and the bins get full.

Daniel went to scouts, and woke me when he came home. But then Alice woke up. And Thomas did. And I got him back to sleep just in time to stare at the food ads for the week. I am planning a freezer cooking day again sometime, and I am watching the meat sales. Plus we NEED hamburger in the house. We are out and its a necessity around here.

Oh and anyone that is still reading my drivel and wants to do some freezer cooking some weekend with me...even if its just for a couple of meals...let me know. The assistance will be enough to get yourself at least a few meals for free. Plus I need recipe inspiration for a 20 lb turkey I want to thaw and use. So tell me what you like made from turkey.

Tuesday, February 2

Dear Thomas,

It's cute when you wake up at 7am. Until you wake up Alice.

But then you show the beginnings of a true smile when she gets all excited.

Unfortunately, she sees that as an invitation. That's why she wants to lie next to/on you.

But keep up the smiling. Its cute.

Love,
Mom

P.S. Next time m9 vb vcvvvvvvvvvvvvvfgdsazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacbvnv
That was the toddler advocating for herself.

My advice would be to sake the poopy diaper for 8am and never smile with a pacifier in your mouth.

Monday, February 1

Ugh, It's Monday

I want to put myself on bed rest for my boob pain. It also makes it so I can't sleep. And i don't know if its because I am sleeping in strange positions to avoid boob pain, but my hips are freaking hurting like i am still pregnant.

I don't think I have a high enough fever to be considered mastitis, but who knows. I refuse to use the butt thermometer. Its the only one i know where it is off the top of my head. And its funny shaped for taking butt temps.

Nursing hurts. Even when its not hurting, Alice comes along and tries to pull Thomas off by his head. Its probably her fault I am in pain at all.

Daniel shouldn't come home from work because he was literally the ONLY person there at 7am. All the 7am and 7:30am people called in. The house is a freaking dump. None of the rooms are clean. Most of teh laundry is clean, but it needs folded or sometihng. The dishwasher never got taken care of by Daniel (like the last few times). The baby is crying, and probably needs changed because he has a freaking blistery butt rash. Alice is flipping out because I won't let her play with the Thomas (the cries are really just a summoning call). Oh and she refuses to wear clothing, then is cold all the time and drives me nuts with cold hands and feet down my pants.

I LOATHE mondays.