What a busy day we had yesterday! It was Dave's 30th birthday, and although we are actually having a party for him Saturday, the actual day couldn't go without notice...Jordan was so excited she could hardly stand it.
First, I had a dr's appt., so Jordan stayed at her friend Emmy's house for the morning. This was a really special treat, and she was so excited to "go play with Emmy all by myself. Mommy, you just drive me there please." After the appointment, Carter and I returned for Jordan, lunch in tow, and played for about another hour at Kerry and Emmy's house (oops...and Rawlon's house too!) Then it was home for naptime. No nap in site for me though yesterday, my 2-4 time slot was filled with:
Baking a chocolate cake
Staining the wood for our bookcase
Frosting the cake
Helping a friend with wedding invitations (licking envelopes, etc.)
Then when the kiddies woke up it was time to decorate the frosted cake, put on the candles and start making dinner.
I'm telling you what, I woke up yesterday, blinked and it was bedtime!! Jordan was amazingly well behaved and Carter was his happy self all day long. And today? More of the same! I have to run to Lowes, BJ's and the grocery store, then my neighbor is helping me to make a large cushion for downstairs (scary...I have NO sewing abilities...) then more with the envelope licking. Tomorrow is just as busy, but Friday is going to be great! We will all be home, and getting carpet put in our basement. The final step before we move our furniture all around and begin using our new-old space!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
I am ABSOLUTELY Happy! I have been absolutely happy for a LONG time, I can't think of a time when I've been "un-happy" as a wife or mother. I can think of many stressful days, and many periods of time where I was less than perky for various reasons, but I've ALWAYS been happy.
So, on that note, it has come to my attention that some of my ramblings and rants in the past month (on my blog, facebook and otherwise) have been mis-construed as unhappiness and complaining. This is not the case, and I'm sorry if that's the "image" that I've portrayed. It has been a crazy and stressful month to say the least, but let me remind everyone that I am indeed a very sane and grounded person and I do realize that things could be MUCH MORE stressful and crazy. Circumstances could be much worse. I am very happy and blessed with the life I have and have never felt otherwise. Even in the midst of the most stressful of days, I've always had in the back of my mind (and often in the front) that I am "blessed to be stressed."
I'm sorry for sharing my frustrations in a way that made it seem like I was anything less than happy with my life and my family. That is not now and never has been the case.
So, just so everyone knows, my basement is almost done, my children are healthy, and my Husband and I are as happy as ever!! Does it get any better!?!
So, on that note, it has come to my attention that some of my ramblings and rants in the past month (on my blog, facebook and otherwise) have been mis-construed as unhappiness and complaining. This is not the case, and I'm sorry if that's the "image" that I've portrayed. It has been a crazy and stressful month to say the least, but let me remind everyone that I am indeed a very sane and grounded person and I do realize that things could be MUCH MORE stressful and crazy. Circumstances could be much worse. I am very happy and blessed with the life I have and have never felt otherwise. Even in the midst of the most stressful of days, I've always had in the back of my mind (and often in the front) that I am "blessed to be stressed."
I'm sorry for sharing my frustrations in a way that made it seem like I was anything less than happy with my life and my family. That is not now and never has been the case.
So, just so everyone knows, my basement is almost done, my children are healthy, and my Husband and I are as happy as ever!! Does it get any better!?!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Jordan is a leader. This we've known for quite some time. The PROBLEM with this isn't the fact that she doesn't easily pick up bad habits at school/Sunday school. Its not that she often is bossy to other children (well, this could be a problem in the future, but so far she is still polite while being bossy.) The PROBLEM is that she is trying to be the leader of our Family. I really really like how my friend Liz explains the "order" of things to her daughter: "You are sometimes the boss of your sister, you are sometimes the boss of daddy, but Mommy is ALWAYS the boss of the WHOLE WORLD."
Tonight, Jordan tried to assert her "power" on Dave and I at dinner. Before I start let me say this: I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW that the dr's say "Don't let mealtimes be a battle." I KNOW that if she's really hungry she'll eat, and I know that she is definately not wasting away.
Jordan was hungry. Hungry enough to ask for a snack at least a million times while I was fixing supper. I made Hamburger Helper, which is definately a winner with her, she usually LOVES it. Then the neighbor came to the door, and Jordan decided she wasn't hungry she wanted to play. Nope, sorry, we will play after dinner.
Things calm down about 2 minutes later and when we sit at the table, Jordan takes 2 bites and says "I'm going to play with Connor now." She knows she has to finish dinner. We remind her of this probably 5 times before making threats.
Me: Jordan, if you can't stay in your chair and finish your dinner, you will have to get strapped into Carter's chair.
Jordan: Okay! I will like that!
Me: If I have to put you into Carter's chair, you're going to get a spanking.
Jordan: Okay, a spanking then I get into Carter's chair.
Dave: NO! You don't get a spanking and you can't sit in Carter's chair. Eat your dinner or go to bed.
Jordan: No, I'll go outside and play with Carter instead.
Dave: After you eat all of your dinner.
Jordan: No thank you.
Dave: Jordan, you sit here and eat your dinner or we are going to have to get rid of your brand new kitchen set. You don't want that do you?
Jordan: Oh no! I'll eat.
<4>
Dave: Okay, that's it! Kitchen set is leaving.
Jordan: DADDY! DADDY! DADDY!
Me: (thinking: oh thank Goodness, it worked she's going to eat!)
Jordan: Don't forget this! (extends her hand to reveal a piece of the kitchen set he forgot.)
Anyways, she did eat eventually, but it wasn't easy and it wasn't fun.
Tonight, Jordan tried to assert her "power" on Dave and I at dinner. Before I start let me say this: I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW that the dr's say "Don't let mealtimes be a battle." I KNOW that if she's really hungry she'll eat, and I know that she is definately not wasting away.
Jordan was hungry. Hungry enough to ask for a snack at least a million times while I was fixing supper. I made Hamburger Helper, which is definately a winner with her, she usually LOVES it. Then the neighbor came to the door, and Jordan decided she wasn't hungry she wanted to play. Nope, sorry, we will play after dinner.
Things calm down about 2 minutes later and when we sit at the table, Jordan takes 2 bites and says "I'm going to play with Connor now." She knows she has to finish dinner. We remind her of this probably 5 times before making threats.
Me: Jordan, if you can't stay in your chair and finish your dinner, you will have to get strapped into Carter's chair.
Jordan: Okay! I will like that!
Me: If I have to put you into Carter's chair, you're going to get a spanking.
Jordan: Okay, a spanking then I get into Carter's chair.
Dave: NO! You don't get a spanking and you can't sit in Carter's chair. Eat your dinner or go to bed.
Jordan: No, I'll go outside and play with Carter instead.
Dave: After you eat all of your dinner.
Jordan: No thank you.
Dave: Jordan, you sit here and eat your dinner or we are going to have to get rid of your brand new kitchen set. You don't want that do you?
Jordan: Oh no! I'll eat.
<4>
Dave: Okay, that's it! Kitchen set is leaving.
Jordan: DADDY! DADDY! DADDY!
Me: (thinking: oh thank Goodness, it worked she's going to eat!)
Jordan: Don't forget this! (extends her hand to reveal a piece of the kitchen set he forgot.)
Anyways, she did eat eventually, but it wasn't easy and it wasn't fun.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
High Chair incident, and a mindless rant....
My son really really likes his pediatrician. That's the only logical conclusion I can come to at this point. What a beautiful morning we'd had. Carter took his a.m. nap like a champ, giving Jordan and I time to color, and play doll house. When he woke up, he was hungry. Starving even. So into the booster chair he goes (ie - high chair that straps to the top of a Kitchen chair. Big space saver, and is made for babies ages 3 months and up). He is then "Buckled up for safety" as Jordan likes to say. Happy sounds fill the room as Carter anticipates the upcoming meal. Then BANG! And I mean BANG! I turn around no more than 2 seconds after buckling him in and he has flipped the entire thing, booster chair, kitchen chair and himself, over. Face first. Onto the wood floor. I.FREAKED.OUT. I quickly braced myself for the injuries I was about to see when I lifted him up, and then it was "go-time." After a few seconds of wrestling with chair/seat/buckle, I freed my poor son from this death-trap. He was SCREEEEEAAAAAAAMING. Quickly we went to the couch where I stripped him down and inspected for injuries. As soon as I got his diaper off, he began laughing. Stinker. So he's now completely calm and I am shaking like a leaf, on the verge of tears, kicking the stupid chair with my free foot. I quickly calm Jordan down, who is also visibly shaken by all of this.
Next, I do the responsible thing. I call the Doctor. BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. I am so sick of calling that stinking pediatricians office. SICK.OF.IT. Up until this point it has been beyond my control, today, its my fault and I know it....so, I decide to give as little personal information as possible when I call:
ME: "Hi, my son flipped his high chair over and landed on his face and head. He seems fine, I'm just wondering if I need to bring him in since it was such a high fall?"
NURSE: "How old is he?"
ME: "7 months."
"NURSE: "Does he have any bruising?"
ME: "Just a little above his eye, but no blood or anything and he's not even crying anymore."
NURSE: "Is he moving his eyes well and acting normal."
ME: "Yep. I think he's fine, I just thought I should call in case it was something you guys thought needed to be checked."
NURSE: "Okay, what's his name?"
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuughhhhhhhhhhhh
ME:"Carter Hayes."
NURSE: "Okay, hold on a minute Kim."
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh They know my name as soon as I say my Son's name. GREAT. GREAT. GREAT. GREAT. I am figuring that at this point they are snickering and laughing at me, the hypochondriac mother of the 7 month old who has been in their office no less than half a dozen times in the last month.
I do KNOW that I am not "that kind of mom" who has her child at the dr's for every little thing. It just so happens that I have a kid with legitimate health concerns pretty frequently. I also KNOW that the dr's and nurses there know this, as every time we have been there there has been something significant going on with Carter (health-wise). But I am TOTALLY self conscious right now about being viewed as a paranoid Mother. (So, I guess I'm paranoid about being paranoid!?!?)
I think I'm totally self conscious right now period. I suddenly find myself worrying about what people think of me more and more. I worry how people percieve my mothering-skills, my ability to be a good wife, my housekeeping, organizational skills. The list goes on.
Anyways, the day got better, and was filled with smiles and laughs....and tomorrow will be better. And Thank GOD Carter is okay, because that could have been bad.
Goodnight!
Still Home
mmmmm...home, and cozy having an AMAZING cup of coffee this morning :-) Jordan is blowing bubbles in the house (because it is raining outside). Carter is playing in his excer saucer and it is a GREAT morning so far!
Last night was good too. We had spaghetti for dinner. I decided its time for Carter to eat food that's a little more solid than pureed baby food, so I put some spaghetti in the blender along with some Gerber squash. Don't do that. Spaghetti doesn't chop, or whatever, well in the blender. So I dumped it out, and used the hand chopper thingy. Carter LOOOOOVED it!
Dave put the toilet in downstairs last night, so we had a pretty big box sitting around. I remembered my friend Nancy's blog about how much her son loved their lawn mower box, so I got a knife and quickly concocted said toilet box into a playhouse. That was HOURS of entertainment. Jordan played peek-a-boo with Carter for a while before finally deciding the box was "Chic-Fil-A." She tried to get Dave and I to sit inside saying "We have tables and a slide and EVERYTHING!" But that clearly wasn't going to work (we're talking toilet box here, not refrigerator box.) so she came around and took our orders and prepared them inside the restaurant. Carter loved the box so much, he decided to crawl a little towards it. But then got frustrated because he wasn't going fast enough apparently, and began rolling to it. Then he though it was hilarious to kick the door shut every time Jordan tried to open it. Not too funny for Jordan. Not too funny at all for Jordan, as the windows in "Chick Fil A" were not large enough to exit through...
Then, just before bedtime Jordan was the first to use the toilet downstairs. How exciting, haha! She said "Daddy this is a nice toilet. I really like it down here. I'm just going to sit here for a while and check this place out. What a pretty basement. Maybe I'll poop while I'm sitting here....nope. I don't need to go." (Her exact words to Dave.) Then she decided before bed we needed to sing happy birthday to her, because she is now 31.
Have a good day everyone! Stay dry, its supposed to be horrible out there today!
Last night was good too. We had spaghetti for dinner. I decided its time for Carter to eat food that's a little more solid than pureed baby food, so I put some spaghetti in the blender along with some Gerber squash. Don't do that. Spaghetti doesn't chop, or whatever, well in the blender. So I dumped it out, and used the hand chopper thingy. Carter LOOOOOVED it!
Dave put the toilet in downstairs last night, so we had a pretty big box sitting around. I remembered my friend Nancy's blog about how much her son loved their lawn mower box, so I got a knife and quickly concocted said toilet box into a playhouse. That was HOURS of entertainment. Jordan played peek-a-boo with Carter for a while before finally deciding the box was "Chic-Fil-A." She tried to get Dave and I to sit inside saying "We have tables and a slide and EVERYTHING!" But that clearly wasn't going to work (we're talking toilet box here, not refrigerator box.) so she came around and took our orders and prepared them inside the restaurant. Carter loved the box so much, he decided to crawl a little towards it. But then got frustrated because he wasn't going fast enough apparently, and began rolling to it. Then he though it was hilarious to kick the door shut every time Jordan tried to open it. Not too funny for Jordan. Not too funny at all for Jordan, as the windows in "Chick Fil A" were not large enough to exit through...
Then, just before bedtime Jordan was the first to use the toilet downstairs. How exciting, haha! She said "Daddy this is a nice toilet. I really like it down here. I'm just going to sit here for a while and check this place out. What a pretty basement. Maybe I'll poop while I'm sitting here....nope. I don't need to go." (Her exact words to Dave.) Then she decided before bed we needed to sing happy birthday to her, because she is now 31.
Have a good day everyone! Stay dry, its supposed to be horrible out there today!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Home
We are HOME!!!! We came home late Saturday night (after church/Ledo's). It was great to be home...even with the huge mess that awaited us here... The basement is coming along MARVELOUSLY and should be done in 2 weeks or less!!!!!!!!!!!! Carter seems to be feeling great. We had a little scare on Saturday/Sunday and I was thinking he was starting to have some trouble again, but then another new tooth popped through.
Jordan is now into playing very imaginatively. She spent most of yesterday evening playing with her baby doll, "Amy." Apparently it was Amy's birthday. Jordan threw her a slumber party, complete with a pretend cake and presents. We were not allowed to walk on the rug, because that was Amy's room. Then, Jordan put her ball into her dress and decided she was having a baby. What a busy day :-)
The "normal-ness" of being at home is WONDERFUL. I have no desire to leave my house today, and probably won't tomorrow either. This is a good thing, as leaving the house generally means spending money, so it should be a rather inexpensive week (umm...minus all of the money going into the basement and Dave's birthday party...) It was just amazing to wake up this morning and be at home and do our normal at home stuff. AGAIN, it was great being at my parent's for the 2 weeks or so, but really, there's no place like home!!
I'm going to try to load up a few pictures on here now....we'll see how it goes.
Jordan is now into playing very imaginatively. She spent most of yesterday evening playing with her baby doll, "Amy." Apparently it was Amy's birthday. Jordan threw her a slumber party, complete with a pretend cake and presents. We were not allowed to walk on the rug, because that was Amy's room. Then, Jordan put her ball into her dress and decided she was having a baby. What a busy day :-)
The "normal-ness" of being at home is WONDERFUL. I have no desire to leave my house today, and probably won't tomorrow either. This is a good thing, as leaving the house generally means spending money, so it should be a rather inexpensive week (umm...minus all of the money going into the basement and Dave's birthday party...) It was just amazing to wake up this morning and be at home and do our normal at home stuff. AGAIN, it was great being at my parent's for the 2 weeks or so, but really, there's no place like home!!
I'm going to try to load up a few pictures on here now....we'll see how it goes.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
aaah Extra Sleep
The kids had an AMAZING day today! We needed to leave my parents' house by 8:30, so I woke up at 7:00 to watch a few minutes of news, have a shower, and then get the kids ready. I apparently fell asleep watching the news because next thing I know it was 8:30 and Carter was just waking up! That NEVER happens!!! So, I immediately knew there wasn't even any point in attempting to make it to gymnastics. No huge loss, the extra sleep is definately worth it! Jordan didn't wake up until 9:00. Again, NEVER happens!
We had a fun-filled day of shopping (sarcasm...) Jordan and Carter picked out the theme for their new bathroom downstairs. Jordan liked princesses, and I voted for Jungle animals on Carter's behalf. Its very cute, and I know Carter loves it because he spit up on the hand-towel before I even had a chance to pay for it. This is how Carter shows his affection, just ask my mother.
We saw Dave for a little while this afternoon, so that was nice. And then I went back to my parents' house for dinner and whatnot. Everything went very well, so either Carter is really getting all better and Jordan is learning to listen better; or I'm getting used to being away...
We had a fun-filled day of shopping (sarcasm...) Jordan and Carter picked out the theme for their new bathroom downstairs. Jordan liked princesses, and I voted for Jungle animals on Carter's behalf. Its very cute, and I know Carter loves it because he spit up on the hand-towel before I even had a chance to pay for it. This is how Carter shows his affection, just ask my mother.
We saw Dave for a little while this afternoon, so that was nice. And then I went back to my parents' house for dinner and whatnot. Everything went very well, so either Carter is really getting all better and Jordan is learning to listen better; or I'm getting used to being away...
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
"and even both fell asleep on their own in the same room together!!! "
I apologize for that sentence fragment, found in yesterday's blog. Could it have BEEN more confusing and gramatically incorrect?!?! I can't even make sense of it...so, sorry!
Today's going much better than last night did And I should also take this time to say that we really ARE having a good time staying at my parent's house. If we have to be away for this long, this is definately the place to be. I know I have complained alot, but put it into perspective...I am sad for my children that they have not been home in so long. Their schedules are a mess, and we are spending a GREAT deal of time in my car driving to and from Calvert or St. Mary's counties...in an attempt to still make it to everything we had planned in the past week. On the positive note, I have only done a very very minimal amount of dishes in the last week, and have only cooked dinner once...that to me spells VACATION. Also, there is someone else here to help "entertain" Jordan and Carter at least 75% of the time. Wanting to go home is not a sense of dis-satisfaction at where we are, its just missing our own walls, and Dave.
I apologize for that sentence fragment, found in yesterday's blog. Could it have BEEN more confusing and gramatically incorrect?!?! I can't even make sense of it...so, sorry!
Today's going much better than last night did
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
4 days.
We had a sleep over at our friends, the Council's, house last night. They have a daughter Jordan's age, and a son who just turned one, whom Carter LOVES to watch play! The girls played so well together, and even both fell asleep on their own in the same room together!!! I stayed up way too late chatting with my friend, and was absolutely EXHAUSTED this morning.
We swam today, and Jordan decided to suddenly be afraid to get her face wet, and afraid to jump in without me holding her (so that I could stop her before her face got wet). My solution? I just tossed her in...which she HATED. (I didn't do this right away, the first scabillion times I did just what she was comfortable with, in hopes of working up to her really jumping in.) Oh well, she had fun anyways, and I was only mildly frustrated with her at that point. Then, she took an AMAZING 2 1/2 hour nap...THAT NEVER HAPPENS AT MY HOUSE. EVER. So of course tonight should have been amazingly wonderful...should.have.been.
As of 10:15 pm this evening my daughter has POOPED her pants 3 times. Typical for a 2 1/2 year old you may think, but you are wrong. My daughter has been COMPLETELY potty trained for almost an entire year. I could count on ONE HAND the number of times this has happened in the past year, and I GUARANTEE the rest of the times were all sometime last summer/early fall. WHAT is going on!? I have been literally with her 24/7 in the past week...except for about 3 hours Sunday night, when she was with my Mom, so that's nothing unusual at all.
I swear, every day we are not at home, she re-gresses (is that a word?) another month.
On a GREAT note, for the first time in Carter's ENTIRE life, I heard this from a doctor "He looks and sounds perfect, no need to follow up." PRAISE GOD! In the past even when we thought we were going for a well visit, something has come up (hence we are at my parents house...) Carter is breathing like a champ, has perfectly clear ears, nose and eyes, no fever, and no more excessive spit up than he usually does!!!! So, we are stopping one of his inhalers, and slowly weaning the other. And although the doctor said, perhaps another week away from home just to literally "let the dust settle." I have decided that this cannot be done. We will give it until Saturday. My poor daughter just cannot understand why we aren't going home, why she isn't seeing Daddy very much, etc. It breaks my heart for her and she has definately sacrificed in the last week, so although Carter is only 6 months, he's going to have to sacrifice some too.
4 days. I am going home Saturday. Saturday, beautiful Saturday! I will still be by myself, because Dave is working on a project for the church all day Saturday, but I will be in MY HOME.
In the meantime, I am coming un-done quickly, Jordan is coming un-done quickly, and Carter, well, he's healthy. And that makes it worth it for 4 more days!
We swam today, and Jordan decided to suddenly be afraid to get her face wet, and afraid to jump in without me holding her (so that I could stop her before her face got wet). My solution? I just tossed her in...which she HATED. (I didn't do this right away, the first scabillion times I did just what she was comfortable with, in hopes of working up to her really jumping in.) Oh well, she had fun anyways, and I was only mildly frustrated with her at that point. Then, she took an AMAZING 2 1/2 hour nap...THAT NEVER HAPPENS AT MY HOUSE. EVER. So of course tonight should have been amazingly wonderful...should.have.been.
As of 10:15 pm this evening my daughter has POOPED her pants 3 times. Typical for a 2 1/2 year old you may think, but you are wrong. My daughter has been COMPLETELY potty trained for almost an entire year. I could count on ONE HAND the number of times this has happened in the past year, and I GUARANTEE the rest of the times were all sometime last summer/early fall. WHAT is going on!? I have been literally with her 24/7 in the past week...except for about 3 hours Sunday night, when she was with my Mom, so that's nothing unusual at all.
I swear, every day we are not at home, she re-gresses (is that a word?) another month.
On a GREAT note, for the first time in Carter's ENTIRE life, I heard this from a doctor "He looks and sounds perfect, no need to follow up." PRAISE GOD! In the past even when we thought we were going for a well visit, something has come up (hence we are at my parents house...) Carter is breathing like a champ, has perfectly clear ears, nose and eyes, no fever, and no more excessive spit up than he usually does!!!! So, we are stopping one of his inhalers, and slowly weaning the other. And although the doctor said, perhaps another week away from home just to literally "let the dust settle." I have decided that this cannot be done. We will give it until Saturday. My poor daughter just cannot understand why we aren't going home, why she isn't seeing Daddy very much, etc. It breaks my heart for her and she has definately sacrificed in the last week, so although Carter is only 6 months, he's going to have to sacrifice some too.
4 days. I am going home Saturday. Saturday, beautiful Saturday! I will still be by myself, because Dave is working on a project for the church all day Saturday, but I will be in MY HOME.
In the meantime, I am coming un-done quickly, Jordan is coming un-done quickly, and Carter, well, he's healthy. And that makes it worth it for 4 more days!
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