Off and Running

Please God -HELP. ME. My baby is now RUNNING. It was bad enough when he started walking at 10 months - not uncommon, I know. It's just that I was hoping for a little more time of plopping him down with a toy and having him stay pretty much in the vicinity of where I last plopped him. But no, he needed to WALK - to constantly explore every inch of the house, to follow his brother around and get into everything under the sun. Now it seems walking just isn't good enough anymore - it doesn't get him where he wants to go fast enough, so lets RUN instead. I do have to admit - it's actually pretty damn cute - his little legs pumping as fast and they can and his fat little arms punching back and forth and the biggest, goofiest smile on his face. I have to get it on tape because I can't take a picture of him anymore -he moves too damn fast now. Every picture I tried to take this weekend was just a blurred image barely caught within the frame. Oh, and did I mention how TIRING it is keeping up with him? My pedometer clocked in almost 8 thousand steps and that was just around the house. Crazy. But I know I can't complain too much - I might be wiped out at the end of the day but at least I have a healthy, energetic, happy little boy and that's worth all the steps in the world.

All better now

I think I can officially say that we are all FINALLY germ free. FINALLY. I realized that by my previous posts - all four or five of them - a person could easily get the impression that my family is a bunch of sickos. Except that we're not - I promise! We are not a bunch of sniffling, pale little weaklings who catch every sickness that floats through the air. My kids are strong, active and bright - hell, my 1-year-old has never had an ear infection and my three year has had maybe three his entire life - which I think is pretty good. This last cold was my first cold in over a year for me which is also pretty good. The only person who probably gets sick in our house more than he should is HH. He's an OT in an assisted living center so he's around some pretty funky stuff on a regular basis. Ever heard of the NorWalk Virus? Yeah - he's had that twice - both times right around Easter. Nothing fun about having to pull the car over so he can crap and puke on the side of the interstate! And he has a bad back and some how manages to throw it out a couple of times a year. He chalks all of his health related misfortune up to the fact that he's getting older, but I know and you know it's really because men are just inferior to women. HA!

So anyway, the real reason I wanted to post is because I have a gripe that needs to be griped about. Or maybe it's a dilemma - I don't know. Basically - it boils down to this - we have no family around. Some of you are probably saying "so what?" and if you are it's because you probably DO have family around. If you don't, you understand exactly what I mean when I say "we have no family around" Not only do we not have family around - we don't even have any family nearby. My family is in Colorado and my HH's family is in Hawaii. How's that for making it easy to visit the grandparents on the weekend? My HH and I often debate about moving to Hawaii to be near family - we both want the boys to grow up with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in their lives -plus HH wants to teach them how to surf. But $8 for a gallon of milk? $450,000.00 for a two bedroom CONDO? 50 year mortgages? I just can't seem to wrap my mind around that, yet I can't shake the feeling that we're cheating our kids out of precious family memories by living so far away from family - not to mention how nice it would be to have the extra help. My HH and I haven't had a date night in....like.... EVER! So, the mental/emotional debate rages on - move to be with family or remain where we are and enjoy a comfortable yet extended family-free lifestyle. If anyone out there has ever made the choice to move to be near family - why did you do it and was it worth it? I would love to hear from you.

P.S. I guess I should add that I do have a sister who lives nearby. I figured I needed to throw that in since you're sure to hear more about her as time goes on. But anyway, even though she's my sister, in my opinion, she doesn't count as family because she acts more like a family friend than an aunt. She refuses to babysit the boys as she "doesn't do diapers" and she's "afraid that something will happen". My oldest is three and a half and quite good at feeding himself, going to the bathroom AND wiping his own butt. Still she won't even watch him. When she does come over, it's while we're there too and about a hour is all she can handle.

Sick, Sick and more Sick

It's been a while since I posted but I do have a good excuse. It seems like the cold bugs just love my family SO MUCH that they just won't leave. My little one was the latest to fall prey to another cold. It was only a matter of time before I caught it because how could I not? He's been hacking in my face and slathering me with his boogers for days now. But I am happy to report that we are starting to emerge from the forest and we can see a bit of light. I didn't use the humidifier in his room last night and he made it through without any coughing jags. I'm still hacking up nice chunks of goo - but they're a lot smaller and my chest no longer sounds like someone is banging a pipe around in a steel cage when I cough. Yeah!

This little break has given me an opportunity to think about all the things I would like to post about but funny how I can't remember a single one to them right now. Guess the mucus isn't quite out of my brain yet. When it is I'll be back with something to yap about. Until then wash your hands often and stay healthy!

Stupid People Say the Darndest Things

I just finished my usual afternoon visits to some of my favorite blogs. Often times I get in some good laughs and almost always I leave with some much needed perspective. But not today. Today I read a post on Flotsom, one of my favorite blogs. Flotsam's author, Alexa, is a super kick-ass new mom who has experienced more struggles and sorrow than any heart should have to bear - and yet she has done so with an amazing sense of grace and courage I know I could never muster myself. Alexa's beautiful little daughter, Simone, is a micro-preemie and is doing her thing in a NICU. I check Flotsam every other day just to hear how she's coming along. But today in place of Alexa's usual posting about Simone's latest improvements, I read something quite disturbing. It left me feeling angry, disgusted and sad. It seems that some very STUPID people, (Alexa referred to them in her post as "Commentators from a Certain Child Free Site", but I'm going to refer to them more aptly as douche bags and dickheads) have taken aim at her and Simone. I know there are folks out there who can't stand babies or children and who think being a mother is the ultimate death sentence and they have a right to their opinions. But it makes me so angry that people would actually say such hateful things about a little innocent baby and children in general. I don't know Alexa personally, but again she handled all with grace and the razor sharp wit she used in replying to the douche bags and dickheads was outstanding. If it were me I would've just hunted them down, ripped off their heads and shit down their necks. But that's just me.

I have my work cut out for me

I apologize in advance if this post seems a little discombobulated- but I'm a little tired today. My baby, who turns 1 at the end of the month, still wakes up one to two times a night to hit the local titty bar. Normally I don't mind this behavior because he's pretty much all business about it. He goes in, gets what he wants and then promptly leaves. After a quick diaper change, he's back in his crib and settling himself back to sleep to dream sweet baby dreams. I'm usually up for less than 20 minutes. I would be happy to continue along this path until he outgrew night nursing on his own, much like my first son did. However, he needs to be completely weaned by the end of June which is when I'm taking my oldest son to visit his Nona and Papa in Colorado for a week.

So, last night when he woke up for the second time, I guess I had a wild hair up my butt or something because I decided that in fact I had had enough. No more hitting the titty bar - he was just going to have to get back to sleep on his own. Looking back on that decision now I can see just how stupid it was. After TWO HOURS of listening to him howl and going into his room repeatedly to comfort him, I finally caved and nursed him back to sleep. I crawled into bed exhausted and feeling like a complete schmuck for putting my sweet little baby (and myself) through two hours of misery. I promised on the spot that I wouldn't do that to either one of us again without a solid plan of action - a plan that I spent the remaining hours of the night thinking about (another stupid move by the way). I won't bore you with the details of said plan, and I think I have most of it figured out. The one step that induces the most anxiety is the part when I stop nursing him at night. It's completely obvious that he wakes up expecting to nurse and of course when he doesn't get to then all hell breaks loose. I know he needs to learn how to fall asleep on his own, eventually without me even entering his room, but just how I get him to that point is my main concern. He is a very stubborn and persistent baby and he definitely proved that he can cry with the best of them. I don't want to go through a week, a few nights, or even a few hours of that kind of misery again (I know - I'm such a wimp!) I know weaning usually isn't a very pleasant experience for either party and any bits of advice you have to offer will be greatly appreciated. Hopefully by the time I leave in June, he'll be snoozing through the night with nary a peep. Dreams do come true.

Would you like some tissue with your Boogers?

Boogers. For at least the last two weeks I have been up to my elbows in them. Yes it's gross, but according to our doctor it's pretty much the "norm" for February. February, it so happens, is the Month of Really Bad Colds - or at least it is in my neck of the woods. Both boys and the DH have had head/chest colds for the last two weeks, complete with copious amounts of snot and persistent coughing throughout the day and night. Consequently, I have spent the majority of my nights staggering from room to room soothing fitful children back to sleep again and again. Drippy, runny noses and cranky children have filled my days as well so it hasn't been much fun around our place to say the very least.




However, conditions are improving. The baby is back to waking only once a night and Kellen is back to sleeping through the night. DH has ceased with the constant night time throat-clearing, hacking, spitting, and coughing since his cold is clearing up as well. I finally feel clear-headed enough to peck out this feeble attempt at a posting, and life is starting to look rosier again.

The perfect day

This past Saturday was one of those perfect days. You know the kind I'm talking about - the one where everything goes as planned, the kids are happy and extra-loveable, the birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and your hair looks good even though you didn't shower. Ah yes, I love those days. I wish I had more of them - many more of them but alas I don't. So when I am blessed with one, I'm giddy as all get out and I savor them like a wine lover savors a fine Pinot - breathing it it's aroma, experiencing every last drop.

The day started out like any other Saturday - awakened at the crack of dawn by my baby yelling "mmmaaammmaa daa baa baa" from his crib. I stumbled to his room, picked up his chubby, warm little body and breathed in his intoxicating babyness like I do every morning. Then I opened the blinds and.......taaaa daaaaa! Sunshine! Now maybe to you sunshine is no big deal, but in Oregon, in the middle of winter, it is A BIG DAMN DEAL! Baby in arms, I ran to our bedroom and screamed at my still unconcious hubby, "Get up, get up, get up! The sun is shining! We have TO GO!"
"What the hell....are you yelling about? Go where?"
"I don't know - anywhere. Outside."
A couple hours later, after breakfast and the baby's morning nap, we were outside at the park with picnic lunches in tow -all of us soaking up the sunshine and warmth like bonedry sponges. Oregon winters can be harsh. Not really cold or snowy or even particularly cold. Just very drab and gray and cloudy. You can literally go weeks and weeks without seeing the sun. So when Mother Nature serves up a sunny, rain-free day in the middle of winter you can bet yer boots that folks are going to enjoy it. It's not uncommon to see people standing still, staring straight at the sun like they're trying to soak up as many rays as possible to tide them over till the next sunny day.

Now I would love to tell you that the sun hung around all day, but it didn't. The clouds started rolling in towards the end of our morning, but we were thankful for what we did get - a nice long walk in the park, a picnic in the back of the van and lots of family time outside. It was wonderful day and nice reminder of all the great things to come.