Chillin' with mom

September 26, 2010
Here's Cole chillin' with me on the front porch this afternoon... after our naps. Yep, we both got a nap! Too bad the banshee-screaming, super tired, test-your-limits, three-year-old that you can't see in the picture didn't.

Meat and potatoes man

September 25, 2010
You know our country has a serious problem with food when your pediatrician tells you they've got new feeding guidelines in an effort to combat infant obesity. Seriously, at four months?

With Pearl we were told to start out alternating rice and oatmeal cereal, then add in yellow veggies and fruits every 3-4 days. Followed by the green veggies and then the nasty meat stuff. No eggs until after 9 months and juice was ok in limited quantities after about a year. Well, with Cole we've been told no rice or oatmeal cereal at all. The focus is on protein instead of carbohydrates so we're eating whole wheat cereals. And instead of veggies and fruits, he gets to eat chicken/turkey, beef, and pork. Yuck... the grossest smelling baby food out there. Cole is going to be a "meat and potatoes" man right from the beginning. There's also loads of new research saying to avoid allergies, you feed babies egg proteins (noodles, pasta) before six months of age. You also can advance through yellow veggies, fruits, and green veggies quickly - no need to separate every 3-4 days. And as for the juice? No juice until age two. This might be a hard one for us, especially if Cole continues to emulate his big sister when it comes to NOT taking a bottle. Pearl would only take apple juice (from a sippy cup no less)... no formula, no breast milk, no cow's milk... just apple juice. I remember going on a business trip for a few days and Jeff said it was the only liquid she had the whole time I was gone.

So today we had our first try with chicken baby food and cereal. I think you can tell from Cole's reaction how well it went.

Giggles

September 24, 2010
Cole had his four month check up today, which meant shots. Four shots at four months. Poor little guy. Needless to say he was pretty unhappy for the rest of the day and didn't smile, talk, or play until we went into Pearl's room to read stories and say goodnight. I have no clue what she did that was so funny but she had him rolling with giggles for a good 10 minutes. I figured it was pointless to keep reading because these two were lost in their own little world. It's amazing to me that Cole finds his big sister so intriguing, well most of the time. He has tried to punch her a couple of times and squawked at her when she ticked him off. But here's hoping they stay friends forever.

And for everyone who keeps asking how much Cole weighs (I must be the only mother in the world who has no clue how big her baby is other than knowing his rolls keep growing), here's the four month stats:

Weight: 15 lbs. 14 oz (66%)
Height: 25 1/2 inches (67%)
Head circumference: 41.4 cm. (24%)

And the doctor said he is a solid month ahead of other babies his age in terms of motor development, physical milestones (like rolling over, standing up, sitting, holding his head up), and muscle strength. And he laughed that "that double chin means he's healthy!" Now if we can just keep it that way all through the cold and flu season!

Raw end of the deal

September 23, 2010
Jeff and I both looked at each other tonight waiting for the other one to make the first move... dinner that is.

The next thing I know, he's grabbed the pack and is headed out the door telling me "because I'm taking the kids on a walk, you get to make dinner."

I think I got the raw end of this deal. That or I'm way too slow.

The return of Fort Johnson

September 22, 2010
If any loyal blog readers are still out there, you may recall our first Fort Johnson built by Jeff about two years ago.

Well, tonight it returned (thank heavens we didn't have any "incidents" like the last time). Only this time it was contained to Pearl's bedroom instead of the entire living room. Jeff has got some mad fort-making skills. It must be a guy thing.

Sister date (plus two tag-a-longs)

September 21, 2010
I miss my sister. She's all grown up working as a CNA and going to nursing school.

Boo.

So tonight we had a sister date. Well, a sister date plus Cole and Pearl. Jeff needed some alone time to watch Glee. I can't understand why he likes that show. I never in a million years thought he'd go for something like that.

But anyway... we went to Jamba. We forgot our buy one get one free coupon but I insisted we still go. We didn't talk much - two kids were ready for bed and I didn't have anything to complain about - but it was so nice to just hang out for a few minutes. I can't believe we HATED each other growing up because now I go through Kimmy withdrawals if I don't see or talk to her at least a couple times a week. And so do my kids.

Oh, and Happy Birthday Mom!

Tooting my own horn

September 20, 2010
These may not win a blue ribbon at the state fair but I am oh so proud of myself! For the past who knows how many years, I've been telling Jeff I WILL learn how to bottle peaches. But I never did... until today. I bought myself a box of peaches that cost me a whooping $22 (please don't tell me I got ripped off!) on Saturday and set to work tonight bottling them. I figured how hard could this be? I mean, I've watched Jeff bottle tomatoes and make grape juice a million times before.m And I vaguely remember my mom and grandma steaming up our entire apartment one afternoon bottling peaches.

Little did I know.

By the time I decided whether to try the hot or cold method (note to self: DO NOT use cold method ever again), it took a good four hours (with a break to nurse Cole to sleep) to peel, slice, pit, bottle, and seal these beauties. Not to mention making several batches of syrup. And the clean up... we won't even go there. Twenty-six pints in all. Well, technically 22 because these four didn't seal. I spaced putting a lid on one of them, screwed the lid on crooked on the other, and the last two I forgot to let the air bubbles out before sealing them.

But no matter. Not only do I get to enjoy yummy peaches all winter long but I finally get to cross off one of my "bucket list" projects before I die!

Yarn dolls

September 19, 2010
To keep Pearl from going mad with boredom after church today, I resurrected a lost talent of mine... yarn dolls. My grandma used to make hundreds of these for me as a kid in all sorts of colors and sizes. It made for hours and hours of entertainment. All you need is some yarn, a pair of scissors, and a book. Pearl wasn't too sure what I was trying to make her (she was still pleading for me to make more paper dolls but seeing as how I could figure out how to fold the paper right to get them to be attached to each other, I gave up) and we had a bit of a meltdown before she realized how much fun these are. I think even Jeff was impressed that I could remember how to make them. What I thought was going to be a bit of a chore to keep Pearl happy was really a lot of fun. I enjoyed telling Pearl about how my grandma used to make them for me when I was a little girl (ok, so 12 is still little, right?) and loved watching her play with them, imagining they were a family then Buzz Lightyear then who knows what. Every time I see them they remind me of how much my grandma must have loved me to give in to my pleadings to make these every time we went to her house. I sure miss her.

Now, that's true love

September 18, 2010
For the last six months or so our washing machine has smelled like s*%!

Pardon my french, but it's true.

Every time I started the washing machine it filled the entire house with poop smell. Not forgotten-sock-stuck-in-the-bottom-of-the-spinner (we looked) or mildew smell but poop. It made me feel like a slob but we could never find the source of the smell. Nothing else smelled like that. It drove me mad.

So after starting the laundry today and commenting under my breath how bad it smelled, Jeff got up and started working. He ripped apart the entire washing machine. A few YouTube videos later and he had found the culprit. Gross, nasty, stank. Lint, hair, hard water, and gunk. It was beyond disgusting.

Jeff immediately set to work scrubbing, scraping, and cleaning every nook and cranny of that thing. He spent a good two hours cleaning it and never once complained about it. As a friend commented on my FB status about this, "You know, they talk about wine and roses as signs of love, but taking apart the dishwasher to clean it is the really deal- deep, true-blue, sincere-to-the-core, forever-after love. You are a lucky gal."

Yep, now that's true love!

Guess who had more fun?

September 17, 2010
Why is it that Pearl finds her old baby toys so fascinating now? I mean, had I known I would have gotten them a long time ago on one of those days when she's driving me bonkers. Or wrapped them up as a birthday present. At any rate, I sure hope Cole is good at sharing because his sister is pretty set on playing with them.

No Pizza Tonight

September 16, 2010
Remember dinner on Monday night? Well, no pizza tonight! Nope, not even a recipe needed for this yummy dinner. I just threw in some on-hand vegetables and chicken over whole wheat pasta. Of course all that healthiness was probably counteracted by the garlic bread slathered in butter. But oh was it yummy!

More excited than he looks

September 15, 2010
I assure you that Cole was much more excited about coming home on time (for once this week) and getting to go outside for a few minutes before staring dinner than he looks. I know I was!

Adventures in Breastfeeding

September 14, 2010
I should probably be more embarrassed about this picture than I really am. Yes, those are breast pads. It was another long day... and if you've ever nursed a child you know what I mean.

Again I should probably be more embarrassed by what I'm about to divulge but here goes. I'm overly blessed with milk (not breasts, just milk) when I'm nursing. I could probably feed an entire starving village if need be. With Pearl I was stupid. I pumped after most feedings thinking I was losing my milk supply but was only making the problem worse. So with Cole I got smart and decided to only pump if I couldn't stand it anymore. It's been much, much better. Well, I hadn't leaked very much in weeks so I decided to not wear the big nursing pads today, that could probably absorb a gallon of milk if they had to, but instead opted for these more dainty, washable ones. Bad choice. Cole wasn't in the mood to eat at all. Probably because he was distracted and had a headache from the other screaming children in the daycare today. I know I was!

A side note quickly... a girl I work with (Alex's mom and breastfeeding advocate) had asked a bunch of us nursing moms to help out with a photojournalism project with the Utah Breastfeeding Coalition this afternoon. Well, I can't turn down a friend and good cause - especially because I'm all for women having enjoyable experiences breastfeeding - so Cole and I modeled, if you will, during one of his feedings. Don't worry Jeff! No skin was showing and the photographer was more excited to take pictures of Cole's hair than my boobs.

Anywho, most of the day I was DYING! And leaking everywhere. The pads were soaked. So on my way to pick up Pearl from my sister's (she got to go to the zoo with Aunt Kimmy and cousin Ruby today), I attempted to dry them out. At a stop light I looked down to actually see what I had done and laughed hysterically. They looked so funny sitting there staring back at me like giant, white eyes. And that's when I realized that cranking up the AC to dry them out was the second dumb decision I had made today with my nursing pads.

What's for dinner?

September 13, 2010
It was just one of those days.

Neither Jeff or I got home at from work at a reasonable hour for making dinner. Pearl was hungry. Cole was hungry. We were hungry.

Domino's to the rescue.

Here's hoping the rest of the week isn't like today.

Grapes today...

September 12, 2010
Grapes today... juice tomorrow.

Twenty quarts of it to be exact. And we haven't even picked a fourth of our vine yet.

Are you ready for some football?

September 11, 2010
Today marks the beginning of six months of bliss for Jeff.... the start of Aggie sports. First there's football, which Jeff goes to alone. Well, not alone, just with the guys. I'm not about to freeze my butt off in Logan with a baby come November! Plus, this way Jeff feels no obligation to keep his mouth in check with the officials and opposing team's coaching staff if myself or our children are near him. I do however attend all the basketball games. And dress in Aggie attire on football game days, as does Pearl and Cole. It makes Jeff happy. He was overjoyed to see that Cole can finally fit into a game day shirt. And boy oh boy did Cole look cute as a future Aggie!

Since it was such a beautiful day, we all headed up to the tailgate party before the game - hence the "tail gating" family photo on our "tail gate." I would have actually loved going to the game but had already told my brother I'd take Pearl over to play with Ruby. So we ate dinner together and walked around a bit. I was lucky enough to see Tai Wesley (basketball team)... yum! But we missed Big Blue, much to Pearl's disappointment. The Aggies won, we all got new game day shirts for the 2010-2011 season, and Jeff is in Aggie heaven!

Movie Night

September 10, 2010
I don't know who was more excited about the sleepover at Aunt Kimmy's... me, Pearl, or my sister. I'm guessing my sister though, she misses us. Anyway, it's great having my sister around because she actually ASKS if Pearl can sleep over. There's no pleading from me at all! And Nick seems to enjoy it too. Although Pearl is convinced he sleeps on the couch with their dog, Juno, all the time and not just when she's there.

Whenever Pearl sleeps over at my sister's she insists on watching one of two movies - Peter Pan or The Nightmare Before Christmas. I have no clue how or why she picks the second one because I'm not sure if she's ever made it through the entire movie before. I think she just likes to say "Pumpkin Jack" over and over. I personally think it's weird. Needless to say, Pearl was thrilled to be at Kimmy's and Jeff and I were just as thrilled to get a chance to watch a non-Disney movie for once! Seriously, the only times we ever watch a "mom and dad" movie is when Pearl is at Grandma and Grandpa's or Kimmy's.

So we hunkered down to watch Avatar. We must be getting really old because it was a difficult decision... go to bed early or stay up until midnight watching a movie. Avatar won. I thought it was really good. Jeff thought it was so-so. But it didn't really matter what either of us thought - it was just nice to feel "pre-kids" again watching a movie and staying up late together.

Bath time

September 9, 2010
Cole loves bath time. He can be fussy and grouchy seconds before but as soon as you lay him down on the rug and turn on the water, he starts kicking and squealing with delight. That rug must have magic powers or something because now that I think about it, anytime you lay him on it he is happy, not just at bath time. Pearl typically enjoys bath time too, except that she's now figured out this means she will have to go to bed. In fact, she was laying behind me as I took this picture screaming something about not wanting to get in the tub and go to bed. Of course both kids hate having me give them a bath. Seriously, they both would rather have Dad do the honors. Jeff must be more fun than me.... remember this incident? But even Cole enjoys bath time with Dad more than Mom. Apparently I'm just the after-party snack.

It's time

September 8, 2010
Our counters were already stacked with tomatoes from our neighbor's garden before I went outside and picked an entire crate of fresh ones tonight. And we thought we wouldn't get enough of them at once to bottle. I guess I know what we'll be doing for the next two or three days.

Day's Recap

September 7, 2010
6:30 am - Feed Cole, go back to bed.

8:30 am - Wake up for real this time with sore throat and exhaustion from getting home late, feed Pearl, shower, put in load #1 of laundry.

9:30 - Wake Cole up. He really is my best friend... he loves sleeping in! Feed Cole, change Cole, play with Cole, feed Pearl again, get dressed, put on makeup, write grocery list, fold load #1 of laundry, put in laundry load #2.

11:30 am - Go to the pharmacy and head over to the grocery store.

12:30 pm - Unload groceries and children while trying to decide who to feed first... Cole or Pearl.

12:45 pm - Feed Pearl and listen to Cole scream.

1:30 pm - Feed Cole, put in laundry load #3, fold laundry load #2.

2:00 pm - Pack up the stroller and head to the park. (Pearl also had to take along her "kids" in her baby stroller... two bunny rabbits and a unicorn). Watch in amazement as Cole talks to the trees, squeals with delight to be outside, and looks as adorable as ever. Push Pearl and her kid "Corver" (apparently all her stuffed animals were named Corver today) on the swings.

3:30 pm - Find Pearl a snack and give in to her repeated pleas for a pink lemonade. Take load #3 out of the dryer, put in laundry load #4, feed Cole, and watch Pearl build a "water park" out of the couch cushions.

4:30ish - Finally get to pee, put laundry load #5 in, fold loads #3 and #4.

5:00 pm - Fix dinner, listen to Cole scream for attention, help Pearl mix up a plum crisp for dessert, and wonder when hubby will be home.

6:00 pm - Give up on hubby coming home for dinner, feed Pearl, stack dishes in sink... it's a mess.

6:30 pm - Visit the neighbors and wait for hubby to come home.

7:00 pm - Feed Cole.

8:00 pm - Begin bedtime routine... baths, brushing teeth, feeding Cole. Pick up remaining toys in living room and fold laundry load #5.

9:00 pm - Work on Pearl's Christmas stocking since hubby is on the computer. Treat myself to plum crisp and wonder why I even bothered making a nice dinner and dessert since no one ate it or said thanks.

10:30 pm - Against my better judgment, upload pictures from the past week and blog. Think about making lunches but then decide not to (bad idea). Shower, brush teeth, and dread waking up in the morning.

12:30 am - Wake up to strange noise. Check back door to make sure it's locked. Check on both kids to make sure they are still breathing. Try to fall asleep but then hear thunder and lightning... silently freak out because I hate storms. Worry about canning all those tomatoes on the counter and finding time to go to Costco before all of our coupons expire. Wonder if there was any important meetings I missed at work today and how many emails I'll have in the morning. Roll over and finally fall asleep.

How is it possible that I felt under-appreciated after all this?

Pancakes

September 6, 2010
Pearl wanted pancakes for breakfast every day at Bear Lake. Every, single day. I myself am not a huge pancake fan so these are a special treat when we go on vacation somewhere. On day one she almost didn't get her wish... we couldn't get the propane tanks to fire up in the trailer. But Jeff saved the day. On day two we had no glitches in satisfying Pearl's pancake cravings. Breakfast was made even more exciting when Grandpa made tiny, Pearl-sized pancakes just for her. She ate about 20 of them. I thought for sure we'd have something else for breakfast on day three because we had used, what I thought was all, the pancake mix the day before. But Grandma saved the day and found some mix. And Pearl ate another 20 or so of these little pancakes. I guess she got her fill of them because she hasn't asked for them since. Either that or she knows her mean mom won't get up early and make them.

Mommy's Best Friend

September 5, 2010
I love Cole. But I had about had it with him this weekend.

I nursed that kid at least 700 times over the past three days. And if I wasn't within boob reach, he had his fingers shoved in his mouth to keep himself content. He's not a thumb sucker but more like a middle, ring, and pinkie sucker. It's adorable.

He is definitely mommy's best friend. And I love it.

V-neck

September 4, 2010
I should have taken a picture of Pearl and Jeff on the 4-wheeler today. After all, Pearl's waited all summer for a ride up the mountains. Once she finally got her turn, those two were lucky enough to see four wild turkeys and a couple of deer.

But I was with my best friend... story of my entire weekend at Bear Lake.

So instead, you get a picture that will only be funny to my family, and Kurtis' friends. Apparently v-neck shirts are all the rage for strapping, young men like my brother. I don't get it. Kurtis should have known better than to wear one in front of the family, especially since we showed no mercy with his friend "Swift" who loves v-necks. There was much teasing, harassing, and laughing. He was NOT happy to get his picture taken with it on. Kids nowadays... what are they thinking?

(Am I really THAT old to be saying I don't get the style choices of teenagers?)

Mohawk

September 3, 2010
My sister had to up and decide to be responsible by getting accepted to nursing school and getting a real, full-time job. It's really cramping our style of seeing each other every day. And I miss her.

So she came over today to see Cole's new hair cut. She was so excited to give him a mohawk. Well, as much as one can do with his hair, considering it pretty much sticks up where it wants to, even with a ton of gel in it. Regardless, I think my baby boy's hair is adorable (yes, I'm over the trauma) and my sister.... well you be the judge but I think she is beautiful!

Bad Idea

September 2, 2010
It was a bad idea to test the waters with NOT giving Cole any of his reflux medicine. It's been a few days since we ran out and as of doctor's recommendation, we decided to see how he'd do without it. Bad idea. It's crazy that this tiny pill, well half of a tiny pill, is a wonder drug and that in just a few days we noticed a huge difference in Cole's tummy issues. What's also crazy is how much this tiny pill costs! But I'll gladly fork over the money if it keeps my baby happy.

Office Visit

September 1, 2010
We dropped by Jeff's office today on our way home from work... well, technically it's not on the way home. I was actually headed to Carter's to get some new clothes for my growing kids. But once Pearl saw Daddy's office, we had to stop. She gets so excited about office life. She likes my office because I have markers and one of my co-workers has a candy dish (ok, so that's the REAL reason why she likes to come up to my office). She likes Jeff's office for one thing only - the ten key machine. In her mind, it's a little computer just her size but with a bonus feature... paper that comes out at the touch of a button. Today the paper was money, which she generously gave to Jeff's boss (at least she's got that right with accountants). So when our neighbors heard how much she loves ten key machines, they dug one out of their office and gave it to Pearl. Saying she was thrilled beyond belief is an understatement. What wasn't so thrilling was the hysteria that ensued when she ran out of paper the next day.

First hair cut

August 31, 2010
We held off for as long as possible but at three and a half months, it was time. I'm still mourning the loss of two inches of wild, blond hair. But he is oh so cute with his new big boy hair cut.

Chore Chart

August 30, 2010
In my feeble attempt to have a real FHE tonight, we broke out the chore chart. For months I've been telling myself to make a chore chart for Pearl... you know, to teach her responsibility and that everyone has to help around the house... but I just never got around to it. Well, thanks to Target for having an awesome, kid-friendly clearance section, I was able to buy this bad boy for a buck. Yep, one whole dollar! Of course that dollar came with about 20 minutes of screaming because I wouldn't let Pearl just scribble all over the board, only to erase it again, and then demand more stickers. I guess I can't blame her. Her parents do have some pretty high expectations for a three-year-old. I mean, being nice (aka, saying nice words and listening)? That's got to take some effort to get a sticker! Let's just say the first few days she didn't get too many stickers but now that she's got the hang of it and realizes the more stickers she gets the more likely she is to get a reward, she is a fantastic help at picking up her toys and clothes, helping get Cole ready in the morning, brushing her teeth and combing her hair, and making her bed. We're still working on saying our bedtime prayers and being nice though. But at least it's working!

And I'm curious, because growing up I never had designated chores or an allowance, what do you do to teach your kids responsibility around the house?