Playmates

Craig and Ethan will pretend that ANYTHING is a phone. This time they have little plastic containers from my tupperware drawer. Here's how this conversation went.

Craig: "Hi Ethan."

Ethan: "Hi Craig."

Craig: "What are you doing?"

Ethan: "Nu'in."

Craig: "See you later. Bye!"

(Ethan gets distracted.)

Craig: "Ethan, your phone is ringing. Ethan! Your phone is ringing! ETHAN! HURRY HURRY! YOU'RE PHONE IS RINGING!"

Me: "Craig...use an inside voice please."

Craig: (whining) "But he's not answering his phone."

Me: "Maybe he's done playing that game."

Craig: "But I don't want him to be done. ETHAN!"

Me: "Craig...you can't force him to play your game."

All the while Ethan is obliviously playing by himself. It's funny to me...you'd think the oldest child who spent a good portion of his young life without a sibling and built-in playmate would be better about playing by himself. In our family, it's the opposite. Ethan is the little self motivator and Craig is fueled by his interactions with others. I wonder what Grant will be like?

My Little Angel

Now's my chance to brag about my new little boy. This here is the sweetest, most pleasant little baby anyone could want. I have two theories...1) Based on 1 Corinthians 10:13 (one of the scriptures that says the Lord won't give you anything you can't handle), He knew what we had here in our little family with the youngin's being so young and one in particular being quite a little stinker, so the Lord sent us the sweetest little baby He had or 2) we just lucky and Grant happened to choose our family. Maybe he thought he was tough enough to handle Craig and Ethan as big brothers. Whatever the case, he's such a great little addition, and here's why.

1) He sleeps all night long! He had one bad night, the second night home from the hospital, but ever since then he has been great. Sometimes I have to wake him up to feed him because I can't make it all night without feeding him. There have been occasions (usually only once per night, though) where he'll stir a little and make some little noises to tell me he's awake and hungry, so I bring him in bed with me and feed him. Then I go right back to sleep.

2) He takes nice long naps during the day.

3) When he's awake he loves to sit and look around, content to observe the world.

4) The only time he really cries or gets fussy, for the most part, is during that fussy-baby time of day right before bed time. And then it's easy to calm him. He just wants to either nurse or be held, sitting up and facing out.

5) He's a great eater.

6) He LOVES eye contact and has attempted some cute facial expressions and almost-smiles. I think all babies do this, but I just love it. I love wondering what he's thinking and telling him, "I see you, Grant-sully." Never has a movie quote made more sense to me. That's from Avatar...the native people say "I see you" to mean they acknowledge you, respect you, understand you, etc. But you probably knew that already.

I'm sure there's a lot more, but right now the angel is sleeping and the older two are pulling on my arms and distracting me with cries of "up!" and "snack!" I'm sure Grant will grow up one day and turn two, then three, and he'll be just as annoying as Craig and Ethan can be. But I'll still love him, of course, because he's mine and will have his redeeming qualities, just like his brothers. I just want to make the most of the next year and a half with him, though, because these are the golden days. Even my sweet baby Ethan is leaving those days behind as he approaches his second birthday on Sept. 5. Sigh...the loss of innocence during these terrible twos is sad. I'm just grateful for this new little guy to bring it back into our lives.

His first bath at home.

On My Own

My mom just left. Grant is a week old already and for the first time I find myself alone with all three boys. Now I'm going to have to do the dishes, do the laundry, feed the dog, and (eventually) I'm going to have to make dinner ALL BY MYSELF!

If I think about it too much, it seems daunting. Not in the long run, but just during the next month or so while Grant is nursing all the time, Craig and Ethan are adjusting, and I get settled into my fall classes.

If I don't think about it, though, I have a general feeling of calm and acceptance. I know can do it and everything will be fine.

The Birth Story (rated G--I'll keep it clean)

Even after all my complaining and my woe-is-me attitude about this pregnancy, Heavenly Father still decided to bless me not only with an early baby (by five days) but a fast delivery, too. Well, parts of the fast delivery were a blessing, but it was a double-edged sword. I'll get to that later.

Grant Benjamin Leal was born Thursday, August 11th at 3:26 pm. He was 9 lbs. 8 oz. Bigger than both Craig and Ethan. Craig was 8-14 and Ethan was 8 lbs. even. I think I could feel every ounce of him, too, as he made his way out. I know I felt that weight during these last few difficult weeks of the pregnancy. I know everyone around me SAW how I struggled, some were just more tactful about than others. :)

So, here's what happened. I had been feeling a lot of activity going on for quite a while--mild/irregular contractions, dropping, etc. At my checkup on Wednesday the midwife said I was 2 cm dilated and 70% effaced already! I decided to have her strip the membranes...they say (if you don't know already) that it helps induce labor if you're body is ready. Otherwise it does nothing. As the triage nurse at the hospital said, the midwife must be a good stripper because it worked! (Robert and I chuckled to each other, but the nurse seemed oblivious to her faux pas. :)) I felt nothing significant Wed. night and even Thursday morning as I sat with Craig and Ethan in the living room feeling the contractions come and go, they seemed just as mild and irregular as they had all week, only a little more frequent.

Not wanting to get myself excited, and remembering that with both Craig and Ethan I still had between 20 to 25 hours from these mild contractions to delivery, I didn't rush it. I did, however, begin my routine of doing my cleaning chores for the day. I only got about fifteen minutes into these chores when I realized that being up and moving around they contractions got a WHOLE lot more frequent and intense. Robert had been home from the midnight shift and asleep for only a couple of hours at this point, so I decided to take shower and then sit down and relax for a while to really time these contractions. I never made it that far. I got the shower in and I managed to get mostly dressed before I had to wake him up.

We decided to get things moving. I called the babysitter, he got in the shower, and I started to get everything together to leave. By this time I was moving slowly, having contractions about 3-4 minutes apart, and just waiting for Robert to get out of the shower, the boys to take their naps, and we were getting out of there. The babysitter was getting visibly nervous, I could tell. :) We got to the hospital around 1:30pm. Robert dropped me off out front of the ER and I could only make it as far as the first set of doors and into a wheelchair. A guy walking in behind me went in and told the people I was out there then he came back out and wheeled me in to the lobby since Robert was parking the van. There was a line, but I was that lady in the movies who the hospital workers don't want to alarm but they can tell by how you look that you are about to pop, so they really start to hustle. A woman came out from behind the counter, took my name (I am SO thankful I took the time to pre-register online), wheeled me to a counter where they had me weakly scribble my name on a piece of paper (I could have been signing the baby away to the gypsies for all I knew, I was so out of it at this point), and Robert came in just in time for the labor and delivery transporter to come and take us upstairs.

First, they took me to triage where they said they wanted to monitor me for 20 mins. before taking me to my room, but once they realized I was already 8 cm and after getting a few things taken care of logistically, I was put into another wheelchair and taken to the delivery room. I had printed off my birth plan and Robert was so on top of it all and doing his job so well that he had them out, telling them what I needed, and answering the questions I couldn't due to the now intense contractions of the final stages of labor. They saw I had requested the spa tub, so that was set up and going for me by the time we got to the delivery room. I got straight into it from the wheelchair. It really helped me relax and get my mind around this whole thing that was quickly speeding out of my grip before I had a chance to really know what to expect. After about 20 minutes, though, I could feel that things were getting close so I got out. I was 9 cm by then and not too much later (less than an hour in the delivery room) the midwife checked and said I was ready to go.

It was so intense and I was already more exhausted at this point than I had been during my entire labor with either Craig or Ethan that I just wanted it all to be over. I had used a birthing bar with Ethan, so we got that out first, but after she broke my water and I tried to push once with the bar, I realized it wasn't feeling right and I couldn't get it right. The midwife had me turn on my side and then next thing I knew I was bearing down, he was coming out, Johnny Cash was running through my head (thanks Laura), and I yelled, "I can't do this anymore!" and then he was out.

Immediately following this ordeal was that huge rush of endorphins where you are so euphoric and you love the world so much you can't stop talking even though you know you probably sound like an idiot but you don't care because you're sure they've heard it all before and who really cares because you've just given birth and everyone needs to be nice to you and think everything you say is wonderful. After that, it's all really a blur.

From the time I realized I should get up and start getting my day together Thursday morning until time of delivery was an amazingly short 7 hours! Not only was that fast in general, that was fast compared to my previous births. I've thought a lot about this and realized that as natural births go, I would much rather have one that is smooth, predictable, and of a reasonable length so I have plenty of time to prepare my mind, focus my breathing, and properly relax my body. This fast, short labor and delivery was so incredibly, inexplicably intense that I felt so out of control and had a hard time handling as well at the other two. I think my biggest problem was that I thought I had time and just didn't get things moving fast enough to get us out the door.

Now, though, little Grant is doing great! He sleeps so much I'm having to wake him up every 6-8 hours to feed him even though I know "they" say you should feed them more often. I figure I'll give him another day or so to see if he regulates himself a little, but I don't want to mess up a good thing, either. I know that all too soon he'll be demanding feedings, awake more than asleep, and then my mom will be gone. The boys love him and always want to touch him, hold him, or talk to him. Craig is obsessed with wanting to see him with his eyes open. He keeps asking when he can play with him and when Grant can talk to him and say hi. He also loves that my tummy is "flat" now (I correct him and say, "It's more soft than flat, Craig"). Ethan just likes to "pet" Grant, as he says. Oh, and of course there are tons of hugs and kisses for the baby. I'm excited to see how Grant grows and who he becomes. I don't want this baby stage to pass too quickly, but when it does, I'll be excited to see how he becomes his own little person in looks and personality.

Freecycle

Have you ever heard of freecycle.org? I hadn't until we moved here. Most areas have a group on freecycle and basically it's just people who have stuff they want to get rid of or things they're looking for and they post it on freecycle for free. I've given away some stuff, posted things I've needed, and replied to others' posts and gotten free stuff. You have to act fast, though, because it goes quickly. I lucked out today and got the best thing yet from freecycle--this cool Cozy Coupe car. I've been looking on craigslist for one now and then since I've always thought they would love it, but haven't found anything cheap and with all it's parts. Someone posted this thing yesterday and I responded. It was still available so I picked it up this morning! The boys were SO excited when I put it in the back of the van and they ran outside to play with it the minute we got home. Of course, now it's over 100 degrees and just barely 11am so I only let them play for about 20 minutes. They'll have to wait until tonight, after it cools down a bit, before they can play with it again.

I just thought I would share this since I don't know how many people know about freecycle and how awesome it can be when everything comes together. Oh, and it's monitored better than cragislist so you don't get the spam and weirdos as often.

Pictures that I am actually in!

I have gotten so uncomfortable being in public that we rarely go anywhere anymore. For the first time, I've begun to really understand the meaning and purpose of the term "confinement"--as in 150 years ago, women of society who were "in the family way" went into confinement. With this pregnancy more than ever before I find myself often in great discomfort. The first few moments after I stand from a sitting position, it's like everything falls and hits my pelvic floor. It's rather....painful. Not to mention walking, or should I say waddling, around the library/store/mall isn't fun. And then there's the comments. Like the guy who was in front me at the Redbox who turned around to glance at me and then, with eyes widening, said, "WHOA!" As if that weren't bad enough, he continued making comments about the 12 lbs. baby inside of me and how it looked like I needed to sit down. Sadly, I am not kidding. So, as a result of all these factors, I don't like being seen outside of my home and church. Even church can be annoying, but I put up with the "You still haven't had that baby yet?!" type comments, even though I'm not even 40 weeks yet.

I'm telling you all of this to lead into my post today. First all, it explains why I haven't wanted many pictures taken of me lately. That's why this post is so rare. There are five pictures, and only one of which I took myself! The other four I am actually in. My confinement story also explains why we (the boys and I) have resorted to finding fun things to do around the house that we normally wouldn't care two cents about...like playing in a co-sleeper and taking pictures for fun. I've been trying to find things that keep them busy, are mostly indoors (since between 10am and 6pm it's too hot to let them play in the backyard) and don't require much movement from me (see "pelvic floor" comment above). And thus this post was born!

Yesterday, I set the co-sleeper up! It's been almost two years since this thing was open and attached to my side of the bed. There is a lot of nostalgia for me with this thing since I've used it since Craig was a newborn. All my little boys will have slept in it. If you haven't used or seen these before, I HIGHLY recommend them. I have loved it. There is a 35 lbs. weight limit though, so Ethan (being not even 30 lbs. yet and almost two) can still play in it, but Craig (being closer to 45 lbs. at three) cannot. Seeing Ethan laying inside of it and remembering how big he was the last time he slept in it (three months old) was a "moment" for me.


And then we were just playing around and Robert took a picture of us.


And here's a belly shot of my HUGE belly. By the way, this is what I wear pretty much everyday now--I have a pair of these pants in gray and one in black and three shirts like this one in different colors. You know what they say, if it fits...


And then Craig wanted his turn taking pictures. I like to call this next one "Thumbs with Heads and a Cute Little Boy." We LOVE the upshots.


And then Craig wanted to take one more of just me and Ethan. I came closer to his level this time, though. Ethan is still obsessed with Robert's cell phone, so no smile from him again.

Before and After

I just realized that I haven't posted a set of final before and after pictures of our backyard. The reason is that up until a couple of weeks ago, the back upper sprinkler line hadn't been buried yet. It was still sitting on top of the grass and didn't make for a great picture. Robert and our home teacher were able to get their schedules to coincide long enough for them to get that part finished about two weeks ago. Then Robert had to install the valves and controls for the sprinkler system so now it goes on and off all by itself at 6:00 every morning. It's SO nice not having to run them myself. Plus the grass is all done and watered by the time the kids have eaten breakfast and want to go out and play. Robert also finished building the box around the valve system (not pictured) and getting most of the paving stones laid in around it. Anyway, without further ado, here is the total, final, ultimate result:

Before (ugly, dirty, no good)


After (yay!)


Before (boo!)


After (lovely)

HE'S HERE!!!!!!!

Well, the little guy finally made his appearance! I feel like we've been waiting forever, but he has finally come. I must say, I am amazed at how much he looks like Robert. We're calling him Harry. (Scroll down for picture.)






















































Gotcha! We took this picture several months ago when the boys and I went to the zoo with my friend, Josephine, and two of her four boys--she had three at the time but has since had a new little boy. This little monkey (pun intended) was hanging out right next to the glass wall to their enclosure so we took the photo op. He fits right in, I think. :)

Packing (mentally and physically)

Warning: this is more of a journal entry--therefore it's more for my benefit than yours. But any thoughts or comments are more than welcome.

If I could have it all my way, I would have a home birth. I wouldn't have to write a birth plan, pack a bag, or make a list of four to five people to call on at the last minute to babysit Craig and Ethan, depending on the time of day and peoples' vacations. I wouldn't have to prep the midwives/nurses/hospital personnel about my preferences or worry that my nurse is going to be less than cooperative and have to deal with trying to switch nurses while being in labor. I wouldn't have to drive 35 minutes, one way, every week for my checkups and another 35 minutes to the hospital (when the time comes) because my office of midwives and their hospital are the most obliging of the four offices I had consultations with while searching for a prenatal care provider that takes my insurance.

See, the thing is, my insurance won't cover anything but a hospital birth. No home births and no birthing centers. Well, that's not entirely true. They do cover ONE birthing center, but that birthing center is run by a midwife I have very little confidence in, it's in one of the sketchiest parts of Mesa, you share all but a bedroom with another birthing mother, and there aren't even chairs for the fathers to sit on in those bedrooms. They said they could bring in a folding chair. Right...for 15 hours of labor. Anyway, this office and this hospital are my best options.

The funny thing, though, is that in an area like this where you are never more than ten minutes from a hospital, no matter where you live, home births are not only less risky but they are one tenth the cost of a hospital birth for those of us who are not at risk to begin with. I guess I just resent the injustice of it.

I am all for choice, especially when it comes to childbirth. I understand that some women want the support and stability from a trained doctor who is there to let them know what the best choices might be in certain circumstances, but it should be okay for people like me to want to make my own choices, right? Doesn't it make sense that I should be allowed to choose what I want, especially since my choices are statistically proven to have lower infant and mother mortality rates and a vastly lower overall cost--things that should make a big difference to the insurance companies? Other women can choose to be induced, schedule a c-section, and stay in the hospital for several days after delivery and the insurance companies won't question spending the money. Why can't I have it my way, too? Who says their choices are more worthy than mine?

I am full of emotion at this time. I am facing less than a month from delivery and am preparing myself and my home for the arrival of this little boy. At a time when an expectant mother has an instinctual need to feel like things are in order and in control, I am feeling very out of control. We aren't even close to choosing a name for this baby and I can't stop worrying about how the hospital experience is going to go. I haven't packed a bag yet because I am certain the minute I do Murphy's Law will step in and that bag will sit there for three more weeks, eliminating all hope of an early delivery of the baby and from my pregnancy woes. Isn't that how it goes? When you're not prepared, things happen. When you are, they take their sweet time. I am trying to get the house cleaned and in order, but the farther along I get, the less energy I have to do the things I need to do and the slower I move.

Many of the things on my mind could be relieved if I just didn't have to worry about packing up and heading to the hospital for a couple of days. Like who do I ask to come spend the night with my kids if I have to go to the hospital at midnight and I barely know anyone in a ward we've only been in for a few months? And the few people I do know are the other mothers of little kids who aren't any more capable of coming over and sleeping on the couch than I would be or, if they don't have kids, they work full time.

I'm complaining, I know. But I feel so trapped and out of control when every one of my instincts is screaming for freedom and it's only getting louder. I'm hoping this reflection and mental purge will help me find some perspective. Or maybe your comments, suggestions, and thoughts might help. I know I can't do anything about the hospital issue...that's just me venting. It's the rest of the stuff I am needing to find a positive perspective.

A Day Trip

Tortilla Flat, population 6

We're always looking for fun day trips to take with the kids around the area and so far we haven't found too many things that are cheap and within a reasonable gas-usage distance. I happened to find something online the other day, though, that met all of our requirements....I don't know why we never heard of it before or why it never popped up on my google searches. It's called the Apache Trail and it's Arizona's oldest highway. It goes past Canyon Lake and a little ghost town called Tortilla Flat. It's also where the Old Dutchman's mine is (if you've ever heard of him), Roosevelt Dam, and several other sites along the loop. We only had time to see the lake and some of the towns last Saturday, though.

It only took about 30 minutes to get to the first stop (Canyon Lake) from our house. The drive was beautiful--there were rock formations, canyons, and great views. Someday we'll have to take the whole trip around the loop. Craig had been talking about going to a lake and this was perfect. There were several little beach places for families and kids to play in.


Here they are first testing the waters, very carefully. We weren't well prepared for playing in the water, as you can tell. Craig was really funny about not wanting to get his underwear wet, even though I kept telling him I brought extra in the car (in case of potty accidents, which he had none of, by the way!).

Ethan just liked to splash. He fell face-first a couple of times and got pretty well soaked. I felt so bad for him, but he seemed to enjoy it. The first time he thought it was funny, but the second time not so much. That was because the reason he fell was Craig had thrown a rock in the water, missed his target (the reeds), and accidentally hit Ethan in the back with it. I think Ethan cried not from the water so much as from the rock and the surprise of being knocked over.




Between the two of them, Ethan is always the bravest and the first to do things. Craig refused to let Robert take him further out into the lake, even carrying him. So Robert took Ethan and found this rock to stand him on. Then Craig wanted to go stand on the rock. Once Craig saw how fearless Ethan was in the lake (falling, going further out with Robert, getting his diaper wet), Craig loosened up. It wasn't long before he finally got his underwear wet. Low and behold, it wasn't nearly as awful as he feared it would be. :)

For being so "active" and dramatic, Craig is terribly cautious. And for being so mild and mellow, Ethan is sometimes too fearless for his own good. I love my little boys. They are so different and yet they are at this great age where they have fun and play and laugh together and are really best friends. Often, after Ethan goes to bed, Craig will say, "I want my friend Ethan back." I guess Robert and I are too boring. It might be hard a lot of the time, having them so close together, but I love having a playmate for Craig right now when he really seems to need it the most. I can't imagine how much he might have been driving me crazy at this stage (the threes) if Ethan wasn't there to play with him. I am so excited for this new little boy to come into the family and grow into another little friend. Yes, there will be more poop incidents, I'm sure, and more dirt, more trouble, more "don't-do-that-to-the-dog", and more heads bumps and black eyes, but I really love being the mommy to my little boys.

Adventures in potty training, kids, and dogs

When you're three and you're Craig, then this:



is to this:



what this:


is to this:


Let me 'splain. (Name that movie for extra points!) Craig's been potty training now for a couple of weeks and has been doing really well, for the most part--considering that when I first started trying after his birthday in April he was barely able to hold it (number one) for more than 10 minutes at a time but now he can go through a two hour nap. He's even been known to take himself to the potty and not even tell me about it...during play time! Pooping, however, is a whole other story. Basically, he's been so afraid to go on the potty that the only two times he hasn't gone in his underwear these last two weeks were both after he held it for so long (3-4 days) that he got constipated and began complaining of his stomach hurting. Of course, by then, the poop hurts, too, and he's afraid to go. To try and get him back on track, we've had to use little kid-safe glycerin suppositories, and even then he screams and cries like his leg is being sawed off, desperately trying to hold it against the suppository. Needless to say, it's been traumatic for everyone. Even Ethan leaves the bathroom at that point and shuts the door against the wailing. (Any advice on this would be awesome.)

But I digress. To 'splain the picture, tonight we had our second episode of using the "water thing," as Craig calls it. About an hour after the ordeal was over, Craig was playing outside when we heard him crying. Robert went to the door and asked him what was wrong. Craig said, "Jade (our dog) is not letting me do it." Robert asked what that would be. He said, "I'm trying to help her go potty." Robert asked how he was doing that. Craig then held up the stick pictured above.

Boys, boys, boys.

How to have an inexpensive date night

Robert and I went to see Harry Potter last night. It was an impromptu kind of thing. On Thursday, I realized that this was the opening weekend, Robert was getting paid on Friday, and his mom has been here this week so we had free baby sitting. We rarely get to see the new movies in the theaters or actually go out to dinner at a "real" restaurant, so our date nights are usually movies at home and ice cream. But this time it turned out so well...and we only spent a total of $38! It's more than we normally spring for, but still cheap for a movie and restaurant. Here's how we did it:

1. Free baby sitting, care of Grandma. If you don't have family in town or near by, I totally believe in trading with another couple.

2. Go to the movie before 6:00. Robert pulled into the driveway and I ran out the door to meet him as soon as he got home from work, rather than him coming in and saying hi to everyone and delaying us a bit. We made the 5:20 movie and only paid $7 each...$14 total, that is.

3. Bring your own candy. This is a no-brainer and pretty much everyone does it. I bought two bags of candy at the grocery store yesterday that only cost $4, with a coupon. This tied us over until after the movie.

4. I LOVE Applebees boneless buffalo wings so we stopped there on our way home and shared an order. We also shared a Maple Butter Blondie. With tip, the total was only $20. I had made dinner for my mother in law to feed the boys so that was waiting for us if we were still hungry when we got home.

So, all in all, we spent less than $40, which is less than we usually spend JUST going out to dinner on a special occasion, not to mention the cost of a movie. There are a lot of ways of doing a cheap date night, but I just enjoyed this date so much because we got to do all the things we love to do and don't get to very often because of the cost. It doesn't always work out this way, I know, but it did this time and I thought I'd share our success story.

21 years bad luck

It all started last Thursday. I had already been going through a rough week since my hands and arms had been going so painfully and unmercifully numb during the night that I was waking up every hour to spend twenty minutes shaking them out, trying to go back to sleep, and then waking up thirty minutes later to start the process all over again. This is another of my least favorite pregnancy side effects.

Anywho, so on Thursday I was running on very little sleep and trying to get the boys ready to go to the splash park when I heard a deafening crash from the living room followed by intense crying. I rush around the corner to find Craig and Ethan standing perfectly still, Craig is the one crying, Ethan is looking shocked, and they both have ladles in their hands. In front of them were the remnants of this formerly glass-topped side table.


We've had this table for several years and until now, they have never taken a metal spoon to it. But, the three-year-old in Craig finally got to him and he couldn't resist testing his uncontrolled big-boy strength on our poor table. So, I spent the morning cleaning up that mess and then shopping craigslist for a new table. It actually turned out okay. I found two really nice, matching side tables for $25 where before we only had the one table.

The saga continues. I ended up going to the emergency room on Friday on recommendation from my doctor's office to be checked for blood clots or other complications. Fortunately, there was nothing serious. Unfortunately, without a diagnosis there is also no treatment. They did give me wrist braces to wear at night to reduce swelling, which have actually worked a little. To help me out, Robert called his mom to ask her to come down for a week. She got here on Sunday, late morning.

Early Sunday morning, Robert got up with the boys (we have a deal where he sleeps in on Saturday mornings and I sleep in on Sundays). I didn't get my morning to sleep in that day, though, since he came in a few minutes later and said that he needed my help. Our dog, Jade, had apparently come down with something and had pooped (if you could call it that without getting into too many details) all over her kennel and the wall next to it. The smell permeated the main part of the house. Robert, bless his heart, cleaned it up while I kept the kids away. It made for quite a gross and stressful morning.

Robert's mom brought her two dogs with her when she came, and they are very well behaved for the most part. On Monday night, however, we all had a bad night. First of all, we spent quite a bit of time outside cleaning up the backyard from some projects and we were all hot, sweaty, and tired. I came in to check on Craig and Ethan when I heard another crash come from the kitchen. Then I saw the culprit run past me:

This is Bella, the larger of my mother-in-laws two dogs. I went to the kitchen and found the left overs from the mexican lasagna I had made for dinner and my pyrex casserole dish shattered all over the kitchen floor. I kept Craig and Ethan away as Robert's mom cleaned up the mess. Robert came in and helped her finish it up. As Robert turned to take the glass and lasagna filled trash bag outside, he brushed up against this which was hanging on the wall:

It's a candle holder that Robert bought me for my birthday last year. Notice there are no candles in it? There used to be three glass candle holders with candles sitting on it. It fell off the wall and shattered all the candle holders, embedding tiny shards of glass in the candles. That mess got cleaned up, we put the kids to bed, and tied ourselves in straight jackets for the rest of the night. Since then, nothing else of consequence has happened. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Fourth of July

As we drove away to our 4th of July festivities yesterday, I realized I had forgotten the camera again. That's the hardest thing for me to remember amongst the changes of clothes, sun screen, towels, floaties, food, extra diapers, sippy cups, and bug repellent. We had a really great day, though. In the morning we went to the church for a breakfast and flag ceremony. It was still early when we got home, so we played outside on our beautiful lawn while Robert cleaned up some stuff (paving stones, tools, extra PVC). It was hot, but we put the spray nozzle on the hose and let Craig have at it. We were all nicely wet down pretty soon. After that, we were all hungry and tired from all the sun and play time, so we had lunch and everyone took naps. I was out for two hours before I knew it. Pretty soon the kids were up and we were getting ready to go to a friend's house for swimming, barbecuing, and fireworks. The boys haven't been swimming much in their little lives, but they love water. Ethan took to it like a fish. He even dunked himself accidentally several times but wasn't the slightest bit phased. Seeing Ethan's courage, Craig finally decided he could get his face wet, too. Before we knew it, we had been in the pool for nearly two hours and it was time to eat. We had steaks, potato salad, fruit, corn on the cob, and every awesome summer-time food you can imagine. Then it was fireworks (which was a first for Craig and Ethan) and home to bed. We all had a really great time. Craig and Ethan seemed to just love every minute. One of the best parts for them, I think, was when our friends let their two "children" come play in the pool: Mario and Luigi, the dogs. :) It was a great day...exactly what I would have expected this day to be.

If I had to pick a favorite holiday other than Christmas, it would the Fourth of July. Celebrating our nation mixed with the best parts of the summer just can't be beat.

Skeeter Syndrome

My poor, sweet-face little Ethan has this condition I've just learned about called Skeeter Syndrome. Anyone heard of it? It basically means that he has these horrible bruising and swelling reactions to mosquito bites. I guess some people even go into anaphylactic shock, but that's pretty rare. He's had bad reactions before, but those bites were on his legs and back. One was on the side of his head and it grew into a huge goose egg-type knot. We thought he had bumped his head until we saw him scratching the bite mark right in the middle. I noticed a bite on his cheek the other day and yesterday, right as we got to church, it began to swell into his eye. I gave him some benadryl at bed time last night, but it was still worse this morning. It seems to take a day or two before it really swells and the swelling lasts a day or two as well. Then it starts to go down and eventually, he's fine. It seems to itch a little once in a while, but not too badly. It just looks so awful. Every time I look at him my heart breaks because it looks so miserable. When he lays down, he can't keep the lid open at all, but sitting and standing he can open it a little more than halfway. I just feel so sorry for him.

Mommy's Little Helpers

One of the side effects I deal with while pregnant is something called pregnancy rhinitis. It sounds horrible, but all it means (and most of you might already know) is an overactive sinus system. I sneeze a lot (A LOT), my knows runs like a sieve, and I am constantly clearing my throat or coughing up something nasty. I know...TMI. It's like having a mild to sometimes moderate cold for ten months straight. Luckily, I have two very helpful little boys who are ready and waiting to run and fetch me something, like tissue, whenever I ask for it. It always strikes me as funny when they return with my tissues, but I never thought to put it on the blog until now. Mostly, I just want to remember how sweet and innocent they are and how eager to help, but how their minds work so differently from mine.

So, the other day after a sneezing fit and in desperate need I said, "Will someone go in the bathroom and get Mommy a tissue?" I hear two exuberant Yeah's as a response and off they go. First Ethan comes back, looking so proud of himself and awaiting praise. This is what he presents to me:


From this angle, it looks kind of like an origami crane. He's just so cute about it, so I tell him how good he is and how helpful. He is VERY pleased with himself. Craig comes in, then, and I think, "Oh, good. He'll actually have something I can use." Then he hands me this:


Better...at least it's almost one whole square. I tell him he's great and awesome and everything, but could he go back and get me one just a little bit bigger? He does, and this is what he brings me:


I guess it's all or nothing around here. (Who else is singing with Ado Annie in their heads right now? Tiffany? :) Who else even has a clue what I'm referring to? Extra points for you if you do, but only if you leave a comment and tell me.) I love my little helper boys. Sometimes it is really hard for me to remember that, for the most part, they are sweet, innocent, and just doing the best they can. Craig makes that REALLY hard to remember sometimes, but I worry that I expect too much from him most of the time, as far as behavior goes. I think I'm too hard on him, especially in public. I just realized the other day for the first time that the reason I'm so strict with him at the grocery store, farmer's markets, malls, etc. is because I don't want to be seen as one of "those" parents who let their kids get away with anything. But does it really matter what other people think? Of course not. It only matters what Craig thinks and feels about the way I treat him. Besides, the public is fickle. If you don't reprimand your kids in public, others think you're too easy on them. If you get on their cases all the time, people think you're too harsh. I know...I've been one of those people, before I had kids of course. So who the heck cares what they think? That's my new motto. I am resolving to try and be a more gentle, kind mother who knows how to chastise when necessary, but with love and compassion. And I don't want to make my discipline issues a public matter. I'm going to try to keep it private--let "them" think what they will.

Lastly, here's a belly shot. 33 weeks already! I am so hoping this one comes earlier rather than later and is a faster delivery. I'm counting on this being number three and the statistics showing that is sometimes the case. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Sick little boys

Things have been pretty rough here the last few days or so. First, Ethan came down with a high fever which was controllable with medicine, but it still lasted for a couple of days. Then, just as he got over it, Craig came down with the same thing. We suffered through Friday and Saturday with him, thinking it would be over by Sunday (since Ethan's was only two days) but on Sunday morning, Craig woke up saying his mouth hurt. He wouldn't let me get a good look inside, though, the stinker. If I had been able to see his throat that morning, though, it probably would have saved us about $80. Oh well. Finally, at about 5:00pm (after a day of whining and crying and tantrums) Craig opened up nice and wide and even stuck his tongue out. That revealed all the little white bumps at the back of his throat. I took him to the urgent care instead of the CVS minute clinic (which closes early on Sundays and would have cost $80 less), and he was diagnosed with strep and given an antibiotic. It's amazing how quickly that stuff works. He took the first dose at about 9pm last night and by this morning he was noticeably better.

It all worked out, as these things do, but it has been quite exhausting. I guess we're lucky, though, that we live someplace that has late night urgent care and 24 hour pharmacies. If we were in Montana, we would have been going to the ER and spending a WHOLE lot more and waiting a lot longer, not to mention the 30 minute drive to the hospital, one way. They are on the mend and pretty soon they'll be back to their normal selves. I'll try to post something more interesting, with pictures, pretty soon.

Fungis and Fun Guys

When we first laid our sod, I was reading up on a suggested watering schedule. One person said to not water your lawn after dark because it doesn't get a chance to dry out and a fungus can grow. Instead, the best time to water is early morning, right before or at dawn. The other night, I realized (after dark) that we hadn't watered the lawn that day and since I wasn't going to get up at 4:30 in the morning, I did it then. The next morning I found this in a patch in the lawn:

Do you think this is what they could have meant by a fungus? :) Maybe if I keep them long enough, a village of little blue people will move in.

In other happenings, I took some cute pictures of Craig and Ethan while playing with the settings on my camera. This is what I captured:

Ethan was working on a bag of fruit snacks. Here he was wanting me to dig the last two stuck in the bottom out of the bag. I loosened them up and he dug them out and ate them. Then he was happy:

And then there's Craig playing a little game called "Avoid the Camera." He thought it was great.

This is the clearest picture I got of the little stinker.

Finally, we played "Chase the Kitty Under the Bed." The cat LOVES this game.