Yeah, I'm still here

We are having a banner day here so I actually have a second to post. Luke is on nap #3! All in the swing, but we'll deal with that another time. I really wanted to nap right along with him, but we are leaving tomorrow on what Ethan is calling a vacation. I on the other hand call it "more work for me". Whatever. The intent is there, its just so much work and the sleeping arrangments...Liz, I just read your post about that too. Ethan's dad is generous enough to invite his kids for a summer vacation. He moves his time share around. Last summer we went somewhere that was Africa hot, and spent most of the time at the pool. We also were in a 2 bedroom condo with 4 adults and 4 kids. There was a murphy bed too and my oldest nephew slept in grandpa's condo on their murphy bed.

This year, there are 2 more kids! Seriously, what a year can do! So, we either sleep all 4 of us in a king size bed which is d0-able...sadly we've done it lately in our queen many a time. Or, each of us gets a kid in a twin bed. I'm too lazy to load up the pak n play, mostly because it has all of Luke's clothes in it cuz I use it as a changing station downstairs...and because we don't have the room. No matter how many times I tell Ethan I need a bigger car he says no...then when he sees how much room the stroller takes up (its a metro lite and the smallest Graco that is a travel system) he freaks out. I ofcourse have to pack for Africa hot days and nights in the 50s. You just never know how its gonna be at the beach...plus I need an umbrella for my chair cuz I don't want poor Luke to get burned since he is technically too young for sunscreen.

So, i've overpacked for Luke and Ryan, got snacks, meds (if you pack for the worst it usually never happens), swim stuff, beach stuff...and nothing packed for myself. I'll upload pics when we get back. We just downloaded a bunch. It literally took 30 min to download all the pics and movies so yeah, it had been a while! Ryan finished preschool and had a cute program, Luke is smiling up a storm...sleeping 5-6 hrs at night and if today is any indication of things to come, is finally fixing his day sleep issues. It was so nice not to hold him all day today!!! It is time for him to move into his crib when we get back and I'm nervous. No idea why. I kinda like having him in the bed. Maybe I have the "its my last baby" blues. Ryan is starting swim lessons and soccer, possibly a music class. Busy. I realized I have to try to get out of the house everyday or I go insane. INSANE. Ryan doesn't start school again til August so we gotta keep busy.

The ants are back. I cannot even tell you about it.

I had this weird thought today: If we send Ryan to school early, as in being 4 turning 5 in November, he goes to kindergarten next August...next year. OMG. It hit me like a ton of bricks. We've been talking about having him wait a year cuz he has a kinda late birthday, so he would be 5 turning 6, but decided to wait and see how he did with preschool this year and find out what his teacher recommends. I know with boys they sometimes say it is better to wait, but I also wouldn't know what to do with him. He will already have 2 yrs of preschool...no one around here does "pre-k" and i don't want him to be in "school" for 2 yrs, then out for a year. That makes no sense. Academically I think he could do it...he is lacking in fine motor--scissors and holding his pencil correctly to be exact. He can kick a ball, throw, etc. just fine.

So, that is whats going on in my bed. Congrats to Judy and her family on baby Claire.

New pics at other site

New pics at other site...sorry, I have a baby that will not nap on his own so as soon as someone fixes that for me I can post here, LOL.

Let's see...

For the past few nights Luke is doing 4-6 hrs of sleep as long as he is swaddled. Since it is Africa hot we are running the AC at night so he doesn't get too hot. Ethan hates to run the AC, especially at night. Too bad. Sleep is priceless. Unfortunately, none of that is consecutive sleep for me due to a certain 3 yr old that has come into our room almost every night since Luke has been born. At first we felt guilty about all the changes he was going through but now we are tired of the whole situation. We KNOW its going to take several nights of putting him back in his room and letting him cry, but who the heck wants to do that? We're both tired. Ethan gets up at 6am and though he doesn't get up with the baby, I know it affects his sleep. I sure as heck am not getting up. So...the last 2 nights Luke and I went and slept in Ryan's room because our bed cannot hold all 4 of us. Yes, Luke sleeps on our bed....we found out he enjoys our expensive matress and doesn't like the basinette. Blame him? In the next few months we need Luke sleeping through the night so he can start sleeping in his crib, and then we need to go hard core with Ryan's issues. Sounds like fun.

We are starting to get cement estimates for our backyard. We only have 1 so far, but its basically almost our entire budget so the backyard really isn't a project, its a patio and the sod/sprinklers/planting will have to wait til we win the lottery.

Luke is 6 weeks today. I'm still BF and formula...it works so i'll keep doing it til it doesn't. There are some situations out of the house where formula is easier, like trying to keep track of Ryan at a park. I'm sure I gave everyone there a show while I tried to keep the nursing cover actually covering something...in that kind of situation I need to be mobile and had a very hard time so bottles out of the house, most of the time. If people are offended by BF I usually dont care, but honestly, my boobs are no prize to look at. You would die if you knew the size of my bra. My dream: lift and reduction.

Luke is a grunter. He is not constipated, but sure sounds like it. He grunts, he strains, and literally keeps me up at night. Its worse after the middle of the night feeding, formula or breast milk makes no difference. I basically don't get back to sleep by the time he is awake again to eat, though he is semi-awake during the grunting marathon. If you have any ideas please share. We see the ped in 2 weeks for shots (yuck) so i'll ask then. Trust me, he is not constipated. NOT.

Luke has been asleep for almost 2 hrs, and Ryan too. Today was a nap day instead of a "quiet time" day. I always tell Ryan to lay down and try to sleep but if you can't, you may turn the light on and read books until I come get you. The first few "quiet times" were neither quiet nor the length they were supposed to be. He is getting much better. We all need a break. I have been on the computer instead of doing anything important, but oh well. Oh wait, I did put on make up and we have a playdate this afternoon so I'll look presentable. Woo hoo. I even showered today...

My day: head downstairs to make sure Ryan doesn't want 50 hrs of cartoons on Disney after his daddy leaves for work; feed and change Luke (again); head outside to play before it gets too hot; lunch and then Wii time for Ryan, nap. Outside again if its nice...wait for daddy to get home! Oh, and feed Luke about every 2 hrs...yep. That is my day.

check the other site...pics

Ryan and Luke were actually napping at the same time--and I didn't have to hold Luke (hello swaddle, you are my new best friend) but I only managed to get pics on the other blog so check it out. And to lure you there...I cute my hair. OMG.

Let's hope for better

Luke turned 3 weeks old yesterday. At first I thought time was going by slow, then realized he is one week away from being a month old...a month seems huge. Then I think 11 more and he'll be 1. From someone who wanted Ryan's babyhood to go by quickly, mostly because people lied to me and said he would sleep better, I think I will be sad when the baby part really does end. Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to more sleep. Even more, I'm looking forward to a schedule. Ryan did so well once we got onto a sleep schedule, unfortunately that took a year, so the prospect of starting a schedule much earlier is exciting. I hope Davis' program works as good for babies as it does toddlers.

Ryan still says he loves his brother, but he has definately been pushing limits the last few days. Yesterday I was already exhausted and it was just 100x worse with his attitude and constant defiance. I was ready to lock him in his room, except there is no lock. Insert tantrum we just had over him wanting more "coffee" which is milk, sugar, and a little decaf. Telling him we don't have anymore was not enough and he was getting into my face which I HATE. I'm having personal space issues since I started nursing. Yesterday Luke was on my lap for about 6 hrs straight. Honestly. Usually I can get him to nap if I swaddle him, but not yesterday so he was either eating or sleeping on me and it makes me feel chlostrophobic--not to mention my butt was asleep.

I have now officially breastfed longer than I did with Ryan. Still pretty sure I won't make it an entire year, but I'm going one day at a time. Luke had a bottle last night so I could shower and just get a break. Instead of taking a shower I chose sleep so let's hope I get a shower today :) He seems fine with formula and doesn't mind the bottle so that is good. My dad is hilarious. He won't say breastfeed, so he says mother's milk. Then lectured me that babies on mothers milk can't be gassy or have colic. Not sure where he gets his info, but Luke is a gassy baby, and was way before he ever had any formula. Oh, dad also says babies on mother's milk don't need to be burped...i have no idea where he gets this info. We were all formula fed so I know its new for him but really, not his area so he can just get over it.

Today I managed to clean up the playroom so hopefully Ryan will play in there instead of bringing every toy out to the family room. I'm caught up on laundry, but its not put away. I have 3 more nights of meals for moms so I don't have to cook, and there are minimal dishes.

Pictures...someday.

My kids are sick

Luke is 2 weeks old and has his first cold. It is the most pathetic thing. Last night he got congested and today we already had a weight check scheduled. Turns out he has a low grade fever also. We went to the lab for bloodwork and everything was normal, thank goodness. Ryan woke up in the middle of the night coughing. His inhaler and cough medicine didn't seem to work, though the inhaler has worked this afternoon. He is working on a 2.5 hr nap. I went in and woke him up once but he wasn't into it, so hopefully he will come down on his own soon. My poor babies. He is sporting a fever of almost 101, though is acting fine besides the cough.

I feel like its a whole lot to process right now on no sleep, but we are doing the best we can. I begged (kinda) Ethan to try and take more time off. One week wasn't enough. I don't feel close enough to myself, besides having no appetite. The good part about that is I've lost 20 lbs already, though not in the best way possible.

Hangin in

I miss reading everyone else's posts and I will try to get back on track with that. Right now I'm on the laptop and it has none of my favorites so I just check e-mail and usually that is all the time I have.

Luke is actually taking a nap right now and I'm not holding him!!! He is in the swing but its turned off. This will seem odd but I swear its making me dizzy when its on, like it swings too fast and I get that vertigo feeling. I know, strange. Ryan loved that swing and spent a lot of time in it and it didn't bother me one bit. He still seems to constantly want to eat and I'm doing the "on demand" feeding but it is wearing me out. I just wish he would complete a feeding without falling asleep and be more efficient. I can't believe I said efficient...I am married to an engineer.

I am still having a hard time coping with the fact that I am the only one that can feed him, and by Luke's rules that means I am the only one that can really comfort him--which means Ethan can hold him about 10 min if he is awake and thats it. Cry = nurse and there is a lot of crying going on over here. Which just started again...