Don't Tell My Pediatrician

There are major concerns about SIDS because of putting a baby to sleep on his tummy, thus was born the "Back to Sleep" campaign. But after having a child wear a helmet because of a flat head, I've decided to try it for naps. At least then I'm awake and can make sure Little Buddy is still breathing. I've noticed that he sleeps REALLY well this way. I usually have to wake him up to feed him in the daytime. Plus he looks really cute.

Second Day Out

Yesterday I was finally feeling brave enough to get all 3 kids out again. I needed to go to Sam's to get coffee, bananas, and diapers--3 staples in our house that we have to buy in bulk in order to avoid buying them every other day. I thought it would be fairly easy since the carts there are double wide and Big Sissy likes to walk anyway. We were all dressed (with the exception of me since I had actually slept in my clothes) and ready to walk out the door by 10 am. There was a nice soft flurry of snow, but everyone was happy to get out.

We got our items and spent $4.00 to get lunch for everyone (I love Sam's). As we're having a leisurely lunch, I notice that people keep going to the door and emitting expletives as they look outside. I hurried the girls and headed to the car. By the time I got to the car we were having a blizzard. I'm actually not exaggerating--the news called it "blizzard-like conditions." The roads were already covered and there was hardly any visibility. I have never been so scared. Thank God for front-wheel drive. I was following a van that was fish-tailing all over the road. At one point he stopped on a ramp, and I barely got going again.

The 2 things that kept going through my mind were (1) the Carrie Underwood song "Jesus Take the Wheel" and (2) that I keep teaching Big Sissy that we can ask Jesus to help us when we're scared. She keeps having major, irrational fears lately. Monday I got 2 hours of sleep because between baby feedings, she was waking up screaming because she thought a moth was trying to get in her door. Before that she was screaming because a "bug" was chasing her around the bathtub. That bug turned out to be a piece of lint. So I got to practice what I preached. To add to it all, I had forgotten my cell phone. In the meantime Hubby had called twice to make sure I wasn't "silly" enough to leave the house. But alas, I was already having my own Little House on the Prairie moment (minus the horse and the rifle). For some reason I always picture Paw out there trying to get a turkey for dinner and he can't find his way home because of the blizzard. Anyway...we're home safely. Hmmm...maybe the third time out will be a charm?

Our First Day Out

Yesterday Hubby went back to work and I was on my own with 3 little ones for the first time. I completely was panicking, but then our dear friend Rhonda bailed me out and took the girls for the morning. I was hoping for a nap. That didn't happen, but at least I got a shower!

Today I decided we needed to practice getting out. We had MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), which starts at 9:00 a.m. I set out all of our clothes the night before, I had the diaper bags ready to go, and we were still 45 minutes late. Oh, well. Maybe next time. It didn't help that I got in the van, which I haven't driven for 3 weeks, and the gas light was on. So we finally got there, in the snow, and I tried to get all of us holding hands through the parking lot. I had the baby carrier on one arm, a bag of dishes for a girl who had brought us a meal in that arm, and Little Sissy's hand in my other hand. I tried to get her to hold Big Sissy's hand, too, so we would all be a connected chain, but she wouldn't do that because she had to hold Lamby. So we finally got to the door and I froze because we had to go down the stairs to get the girls to their classes. It occurred to me that Little Sissy does not know how to maneuver stairs without scooting on her bottom. Since we didn't have the time and we were in a public place, I tried to get her to step down the stairs while I held her hand. She didn't understand what I wanted her to do, so she just stood there like a stubborn mule. Thankfully, a kind worker came and lifted her down the stairs while she screamed and called for Mommy. After it was over, one of the MOPS mentors lifted her back up the stairs. Whew. We made it through the parking lot, but then I let go of her hand to hoist Big Sissy in and put the baby in. When I looked around, she was halfway through the parking lot. Thankfully it was not crowded and she was fine. So we survived, but I'm learning as we go how to manage the outings. I'm sure I wouldn't win any Mommy awards for how today went, but I feel encouraged that we went somewhere. I think tomorrow we need a day off. Maybe we'll try again Thursday.

Some Reasons I Love My Family

Saturday we went to my parents' house to see my brother, who is a DJ in another state and came home to see our new Little Buddy. It was so great to get out of the house and see the family. We captured just a few of the sweet moments.

Uncle B admiring his new nephew

Uncle B using floss to get something out of Big Sissy's teeth. What a guy!

Aunt E showing Little Sissy how doggies catch balls in their mouths

Papa pretending to go ni-night with Little Sissy

He's here!

After an extended blogging hiatus, I'm happy to be back and report the arrival of our new Little Buddy. I had another c-section, but I was at a different hospital and I can't believe the difference. I loved the previous hospital, but this one was even more personal. I had tons of warm blankets to stop my nervous jitters, especially while I was having the spinal--the scariest part for me. We are all home now and recovering fine. It's hard not to overdo it with a 3-year-old and a 17-month-old at home, but Hubby is home with me for 2 weeks. What a blessing that is!

Little Buddy is a beautiful angel. He sleeps all the time except when he's eating, so it's hard to feel bonded yet. We haven't had much eye-to-eye contact yet, but that will come. The girls love him and are always trying to give him things. This is a little scary but mostly sweet. Surprisingly, he only weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. I really thought I was having a 9 pounder! I still have 35 pounds to lose, but at least my ankles have returned.

The best pictures I have are on other people's cameras, but here are a few.

You Know You're Getting Big When...

1. Someone has to tell you your shoes are untied.

2. You can keep snacks on your belly all day and save them for later.

3. You have to use an extension rod to paint your toenails.

4. People stop offering you a seat and start asking, "Are you sure that chair is sturdy enough?"

5. The health professional measuring your belly actually laughs when she measures you and says, "OMG! How big is this baby?!"

6. You have to turn sideways to give a hug.

7. You can no longer turn sideways to fit through a smaller space. Barreling forward is really the best way.

8. Your "big mama" maternity clothes don't fit any more.

9. After adjusting the seat, you can barely reach the gas pedal when you drive.

10. You have only 2 days to go. Woo hoo!

What Kind of Emergency?

Big Sissy talks like a little grown-up sometimes, so I forget she doesn't think like one. Today she and Little Sissy were playing "boat" in the laundry basket. She had a little toy steering wheel that she was using to drive the boat, and she had a play cell phone. After a while, she pushed some buttons and her cell phone and said, "Mommy, Mommy, I have an emergency." Expecting a Dora/Diego-esque adventure tale, I asked, "What kind of emergency is it?" She thought for a minute and then answered, "I think it's grape."