You know that thing they do, where you nurse and burp and swaddle and then you both lie down to sleep, and then they POO and you have to start all over? Man I hate that!

Wool, Fleece, and Fitted Goodness

I'm going to TRY to make this quick. because I want to go to bed. AND because if I am not going to bed, I want to READ. A book.

Things have been okay here. Weather was really nice, and now we are having the bouts of rain about every day. I have been able to get a few things on the clothesline, which has been nice, and tonight I look forward to sleeping on freshly line dried sheets. Ahhh. Assuming that I get much sleep between nursing and changing the baby and Ardyn's all night coughing. Her Allergist appointment is tomorrow and we are on Day 7 of no Zyrtec, which is pure hell, coughing, whining, and snotty nose. I can't wait to get this over with. I actually considered several times just cancelling the damn appointment and putting her back on the Zyrtec because she is miserable and she is making everyone else miserable. She is SO whiney, mostly when Evan is around. When he leaves the house, she seems to snap back to her normal self. Usually.

Evan made us Tacos for supper. She wore most of hers, and I ate mine with Marek attached to my boobs. We read Michael Recycle before bedtime and now she has been coughing ever since. I think we will give her a cough supressant here in a bit, but the longer we can wait, the better, since it only actually helps for 6 hours.

I've been dilligently working on selling diapers and buying up what we need for summer for the kids. I had originally bought 9 Bum Genius All-In-Ones in XS to use for Marek, but they are NOT working for us. I have discovered that we would be better off with more Newborn Mutts, and of course her store is closed right now so I can't just ORDER them, so I had to start doing major searches to find some from other mammas. I have sought out 14 of them, well actually more like 9, the rest are Kind-Hearted Woman and other similar fitteds that came as part of a lot with the Mutts that I bought from one mamma. I have discovered that I am just not happy with fitteds that don't have a soaker. I should know this by now I guess. I prefer Goodmamas. I prefer Mutts. Fitteds like KL0's and MEOS and thirsties fab fitteds are just to THIN and I hate them with wool and fleece. Too much wetness. KLO's are probably the best with a PUL cover, and I don't mind using them. And MEOS are good in a pinch. Thirsties Fab Fitteds are worthless to us. I have also discovered that I LOVE Wool for Marek. He is such a sleepy baby, that the PUL aren't my favorites, because he sleeps so much that he is really soaked at changing time, and if he has on a thinner fitted, and PUL, there is no breathing and he gets red and irritated skin really easily. He can sleep for 4 hours at night no problem, but wakes up soaked. Last night for the first time I put him in Babyology Longies and a Fitted and got the best results overnight... with no red skin at all in the morning. the PUL covers even give him red skin around his legs, because the inside of the cover gets so damp that I have to change it several times a night also. Ugh. Basically I want something that works well and that I don't have to wake him to change him. Who wants to WAKE a baby who is sleeping just to change a diaper? No way.

So today I scored two more pair of babyology longies used, and that makes three after the pair that I bought new on eBay. Here he is modeling them last night before bed.


I have been trying to line up shorts and skirties for Ardyn and Marek for summer. i have already gotten Marek lots of XS Wool, here are the ones that are the newest.... that I bought AFTER he was born.

Fleece Farm Pants:


Top Left- Babyology Longies; Top Right- Knit Wool Longies; Bottom Left- Wool Interlock Jeans; Bottom Right- our Second pair of Woolybottoms Footies.


I also have two REALLY Cute Monster Fluff Studio Embroidered Fleece Sets in Small for Marek. I am surprised at how BIG the smalls run, so I hope he fits into them by July/August!
Sneaky Snake Soaker and Shirt Set


Go Green tree Hugger Shirt and Shortie Set


Things I bought BEFORE he arrived:


His coming home outfit:


Charcoal Knit Longies:


1st Pair of Woolybottoms/goodmama Collaboration:


SOME of what I have coming in the mail:
Wild Child Woolies Sets for Marek in Small

Blue Striped Babyology Longies (both pair on top)

Gecko Shorties for Marek (were on clearance):

Three Pair of recycled/Interlock Shorties for Ardyn (all three were on clearance):
Red and White Shorties
Charcoal and Pink Shorties
Navy and Turquoise Peace Shorties


A beautiful pair of Interlock Shorties by Rainbow Waters for Ardyn:


Newborn Fitteds (mostly Mutts)

Saturday. Feels Like a Sunday.

A rainy day. Overcast but still nice. The windows are all open, the kids are both napping. I was lucky enough to take a bubble bath practically un-interrupted. I got one leg halfway shaved when the baby started crying. Decision: Shave only one leg and go get baby while cutting bathtime short? Shave both legs and risk Marek waking Ardyn resulting in TWO children awake? Hmmm. Well, I got both shaved. And he put himself back to sleep. Thank God.

Of course Evan has a gig tonight, and so I said "before you leave I want to take a bath" and was prepared to hand him the baby and have him take care of Ardyn. then Ardyn started to fall asleep where she was, and he put her down for a nap, and Marek fell asleep after nursing. I put him in th ebouncy seat. The band called Evan and said they needed his help setting up and so here was Meagan, in the bathtub, taking her sought after bath, when Marek decided to wake up. Murphy's Law I tell you!

I meant to blog this last week, but things were a little busy and the weather was SO nice. Marek had his pediatrician appointment on Tuesday, and is 8lbs 14ounces. He's also grown an inch longer at 21.5 inches now. He was 3 weeks old exactly the day we weighed him. We started him on a prescription of Zantac 3 times a day, to help with the reflux. So far, I think it is helping. I am getting more regular burps from him and less spitting up, although he still has his moments (like today.) We have not had a milk out the nose incident since starting the meds Tuesday afternoon. (knock on wood!) The pediatrician is happy with everything, and I am too.

Thursday was Ardyn's appointment with the Pediatric GI. We saw Dr. Deutsch, and he was young, attractive, personable, and knowledgeable. And very impressively, he knew exactly who Boots and Swiper were, so it was an instant hit with both mom AND Ardyn. He also let Ardyn play with his flashlight. She was cool with him. He is happy with her development and we chatted about her dairy allergy. He is very confident that her Soy intolerance was actually a Soy Allergy. He described how there are two types of allergic reactions, one being immediate (hives, difficulty breathing, vomiting, etc) and delayed (diarrhea, etc) and because Ardyn has a delayed reaction, her allergies can not be detected by blood and skin testing. That was very interesting to me and I am glad that we know that, because next week she goes for allergy testing with the allergist.

On that note, she can't take Zyrtec for 7 days prior to her allergist visit, but she can take benadryl up to the two days before her visit. I didn't think much of that, but we stopped the Zyrtec on Monday night, and by Thursday night she was in bad bad shape. Her poor little body! Now I know just how much she needs the Zyrtec. She was up coughing, crying, tossing and turning for HOURS. Finally we gave her a cough supressant and she got some sleep. Poor thing. The next morning her eyes were crusted shut and her nose was all crusty. I had to change her sheets because there was so much snot on them! We actually let her sleep in for two hours on Friday and took her to school late, because she had been up so much the night before. ugh. She's doing okay with the benadryl now that I have started to give it twice a day, but it doesn't help as much as the Zyrtec... can't wait till this is over and she can go back to it.

This coming week is also my 4-week postpartum checkup.

Today we watched the new DVD "Elmo goes Green." It is SUPER cute. It might be a little old for Ardyn, but Evan and I were both entertained by it. Paul Rudd is delicious (like a mini Patrick-Dempsey) and he plays "Mr Earth" so it's really neat. They show lots of mini-sections about how different people recycle materials to make new things, like paper from the fabric of clothes and rags, and glass figurines from melted down glass bottles, and handbags from used plastic shoping bags. Ardyn is too young to understand most of that, but she did like all the music videos in the DVD.

This week the new Video baby Monitors came. I got the bebesounds monitor with a 2.5" color screen. It's a completely wireless and portable system, both the receiver and the cameras can operate on batteries. Super cool. The receiver comes with rechargeable batteries, and they charge when you plug the unit in, which is neat. We have two cameras (one in each kids' bedroom) and they have night vision. There is some minor interference that I am experiencing with the receiver, and sometimes repositioning it will help. Not sure what causes it, supposedly they are unaffected by Wireless devices, which we have plenty of.

Been on diaperswappers lately, getting a few size small things for Marek to grow into this summer and also selling some girly stuff and diapers that we just don't use. Also selling all the Halo sleep sack swaddles that I have around. Trying to get a few more NB Muttaquin Diapers, because they are what work for us and fit the best.

Well, gotta go, more another day!

Good Day, Sunshine!

Okay, maybe not. But the sun'll come out, tomorrow.... right? YES it will! And today has been a good day! Marek and I had to go to the pediatrician today for his first "official" follow up. I know we have been there twice, and had the Upper GI, but this was our "original" appointment. Marek is 3 weeks old today! he weighed 8lbs 14ounces (which puts him up 14 ounces from birth) and was 21.5 inches long. He's a growing boy! We have started him on Zantac to see if that helps with his gassy reflux issues. His appointment went really well. I just love our pediatrician! I can't say enough good things about him!

Afterwards, Marek and I went on our errands. I had an Arby's Roastburger for the first time. it was an interesting taste. it hit the spot, but I could have done without the mustard and pickles. I don't know if I will get one again, just because I love me some giant roast beef as it is... and I might just go back to that. Then we went back to the bra store and I got two more nursing bras. They are expensive, and I felt guilty, but seriously, wearing two cup sizes too small is just not an option. Once I got two that fit, I was unable to wear the old ones again. it made me feel like my boobs were in a vice. So I got two more. Four bras now! Woot! And I also got some soak wash, that is made for lingerie and fine washables. I am right now washing the two new bras. I feel all special and pampered, to have four new comfy bras and this fabulously nice soap to wash them in. Ahhh... pampered. If you are local, and need a new bra, or want to be measured, you have to go to Girlfriends, and give them my name for referring me. The ladies there were SUPER nice, and even happy to see me show up with a baby in tow and help me get fitted and measured and overall it's a beautiful store and a great experience. Check out their website...

So, right now BOTH kids are napping. Mwwwaaaahahaha! I cleaned up the kitchen some more (read: cleaned up my husband's mess from last night and from Ardyn's lunch mess) and then I started some laundry and made a chart for us to track Marek's Medicine so we don't OD him. marek and I went to the Mart today to get a few more pacifiers, and some lightbulbs. We use the Nuk pacifiers because they seem easier for a little person to keep in their mouths, and this time I opted to try two of the Playtex paciciers because they have the similar shape as a NuK, and because they have this new fangled pacifier sterilizer that attaches to your pacifier, that comes in the package. It's just a snap-on plastic piece that acts as a steam sterilizer. Wherever you are, you just snap the paci in the plastic piece after adding water, and microwave it to steam sterilize. Aha! Worth a try. Yesterday Ardyn put Marek's pacifier back in for him, when he was crying. it was so cute, I took pictures (see Flickr.) Today when grandma Deb was here, Marek was crying and Grandma was holding him shushing, and Ardyn said "Marek Needs a Fire!" (that's what we called pacifiers when she was little) Damn she's smart!

Last night I started going crazy cleaning the kitchen. The clutter in this place is about to drive me bonkers. And now Ardyn can reach countertops and tables. Ahhh! It's like every horizontal surface is a catchall for things she can't have, and now she can reach all of them. Not her fault. MUST. CLEAN. SURFACES. So last night I cleaned the kitchen and washed stoneware and cleaned off the hutch. I was pleased. Next comes the dining room table and the computer desk. I guess I COULD be doing that now, but I am not in the mood.

I can't wait for the rest of this week! The weather is about to go FABULOUSLY warmer, it's supposed to be in the 80's by Friday and Saturday! I am excited, because we have the sandbox, and all the easter toys that we got like Bubbles and balls and pinwheels and things. AND we have the tractor and wagon to assemble, and Ardyn's Tricycle should be here before the day is over (where IS the UPS guy?) I've got sunscreen ready for both kids, and we are going to get OUT of this house!!

Today I got Ardyn the foam letters and numbers for the bathtub, and when I got home she took a bath and LOVED them. She would stick them to the sides of the tub and say her alphabet, and try to identify letters. It was so cute when she was cleaning up, the letter "G" got stuck to her little naked butt. I took pictures of that.... don't worry! But you will have to be a Flicr friend to see them!

Well, that's all for now. Take care! Enjoy the weather!

Short and Sweet

What to do tonight. Laundry? Dishes? Diapers? Catch up on TIVO? Read a book? If only there was enough time to do several of those. The kitchen's a wreck, but Evan said he's cleaning it, so really I should ignore it. I do have diapers to put in the dryer, and another load on the bed that need folded... and a load of kids clothes that need sorted and folded. I have a bunch of stuff on TIVO but I don't know if my attention span would allow me to finish any show... but maybe if I have to do laundry, I can fold on the couch and watch the shows at the same time, and kill two things on the list.

Ardyn did not want to go to bed, or more accurately, she did not want me to stop reading books. Today I read her "llama llama mad at mamma" which is one of MY favorite books, and she wanted me to read it again tonight, after I already read her book for the night. It was hard to decline. We got a few new books today, one of them being Michael Recycle. I LOVE this book. It even holds Ardyn 's attention, the pictures are really neat and it rhymes. I am a sucker for a rhyming book. A few of my other favorites, off the top of my head, include I Ain't Gonna Paint No More, and books by David Shannon. (We have Oh David, Oops, Pirates Don't Change Diapers, David Gets in Trouble, and Good Boy Fergus.) But really we have so many books here that I can't keep track of them all, and I can't even REMEMBER them all. But that's not a bad thing. Ardyn is constantly reading, and whenever I make her bed I have to separate all the covers and pull the books out from between them because she reads in bed all the time. I love that she loves to read. I love to read. It's the best pastime she could have!

Today we also got a HUGE Sticker book. It's full of stickers from Toddler TV on Nickelodean. Dora, Diego, Blues Clues, Backyardigans, etc. It was a $12 book, and I wasn't thrilled because I thought she needed to be much older to appreciate it, but then Evan said "Well, I thought it would be a good thing to have on hand for rewards... like when she is good, or when she uses the potty" and I was like "OH YEAH!" and so we got it. And Miraculously, tonight we had our first poop on the big potty! She was in the bathtub, and so was Marek, and she squatted down and accidentally pooped! I whisked them both out of the tub and put her right on the potty and she sat there and pooped, and let me wipe her, and then flushed. She did really well and so we gave her a sticker. LOL. I was thinking tonight that I should make her a chart for stickers, because we are having a hard time remembering if we brushed teeth or took vitamins, etc.... because Evan and I are both doing stuff with both kids. if we had a sticker chart, then she could get a sticker when she takes her vitamins, and a sticker when she brushes her teeth, and then Evan and I would know that we got those things done, and wouldn't duplicate them. And I think she would enjoy it. Assuming that she can grasp the concept, and I feel that she can. I found a free online chore chart generator, that I think I will use for now. I have some BIG paper that I can hand-make one that will last longer, but at this time I can't see myself accomplishing that, so I will just go with this for now. http://www.dltk-cards.com/chart/ and chartjungle.com

I figure to start out, we will have Brushing teeth, Taking Vitamins, Feeding her Fish, Using the Potty, and Cleaning up Toys before Bed. She does all these things now, (except using the potty, which I would like to start at least once a day) and so the chart should help us be more consistent and give her a reward. Chart Jungle has some cool Potty Training Charts.... http://www.chartjungle.com/toddler.html

Well, so far I haven't accomplished anything and I need to go to bed soon, so it's time to get out of here!

Decisions, Decisions.

It's difficult to be as impatient as I am. That might be hard to understand to someone who isn't as impatient or determined as I am, but it really is difficult. I have always been the type of person who thinks of something, and practically puts the idea into motion before I have even finished having the idea. When I make up my mind about something, it's not easy to be the person standing in my way.

My mom always had a saying that she credited to her mom. It's probably the one saying that will stick with me forever, and I know that I will say it to my own kids, and I still say it to myself all the time. "Where there's a will, there's a way." I have to say, I am a pretty strong willed person. And if you tell me no, or tell me it can't be done, I will find a way.

But really, it can be a difficult way to live everyday life. It's a good thing to be determined, because you almost always get what you want. Not because others hand it to you, but because you go and GET what you want. You are independent, you are successful. It is very difficult to be in a relationship with someone who doesn't share this determination. I appreciate the balance in our relationship, but when I say "that lightbulb needs changed" I mean it needs changed today. or MAYBE tomorrow. Actually, what I really mean, is "that lightbulb needs changed and it's driving me crazy. I would totally do it myself but if I keep doing everything myself me head will fucking explode and I will have a nervous breakdown. So because you are the man of the house, I bestow upon you the responsibility for things like mowing the yard, taking out the garbage, and changing lightbulbs. You will also be required to assemble things, hang things, carry things, and do many other husband-related tasks. And because I see you are sitting on the couch with the remote in your hand, or laying in bed while I am taking care of two kids, I mean that the lightbulb needs to be changed now, so get off your ass and contribute." But generally I just say "Please change the lightbulb in the kitchen." and then, I wait. For weeks. And Weeks. And every damn time I walk into the kitchen I see that the lightbulb is burnt out (did I mention my attention to detail that is really seriously bordering on OCD?) and it's like nails on a chalkboard and it's all I can do to not go postal over that damn lightbulb.

Same thing with the whole "the bathroom garbage is overflowing and your daughter thinks it's cool to get into it and pick out things like used Qtips and stick them in her ears and nose." or how about "The dog (who yes, I did bring home from the shelter because I felt sorry for him, and he has been my responsibility up until the time we had two children and I could no longer care for EVERY FUCKING PERSON in this house and so now I am just asking you to be a little more proactive about taking them outside because I have a kid attached to my boob and another one who needs a diaper changed and a drink and her hair brushed) has peed on the porch again and please clean it up for me so that no one (including your toddler) steps in it and so that when a guest arrives they don't have to step in dog piss as soon as they walk in the door" Turns into "it's been twelve hours and you have left this house three times today and never cleaned up the dog pee and now I have to spend time out of the two hours I get of peace and quiet to clean up dog pee along with rinsing poopy diapers, washing laundry, folding laundry, feeding the baby, and getting myself ready for bed. But hey, I didn't need a shower today anyway, so it's cool."

That's what it's like to be an impatient person living with someone who has not a care in the world. Your head borders on exploding on practically a daily basis. You constantly wrangle with tiny decisions that should, in fact, be miniscule... and not really affect your day at all. But instead, deciding if you should just empty that garbage yourself, change that damn lightbulb, clean up that dog pee, or take that wrapper to the garbage because he left it on the coffee table.... can be the decision that leaves you teetering on the edge or pretty much just pushes you right over it. You are constantly prioritizing things like "What's more important, changing that lightbulb or going pee." or how about "Eat a meal yourself or fold the load of clothes your husband left in the dryer so that you can put your kid's diapers in next." These are the kind of things that make an impatient person a neurotic person. And before you have kids, it's entirely possible to do all of these things yourself. It's entirely possible to work a full-time job with overtime, use a drill to put anchors in the walls and hang pictures, carry loads of things to the attic, change every lightbulb that burns out, take out the garbage and the recycling, and even mow the yard now and then. But then there comes a time where you see your husband doing whatever he wants while you run the whole freaking show, and it starts to really get on your nerves. And it's a treacherous thing, trying to restore that balance of responsibilities once you have taken them all on yourself. But that's what being impatient gets you. You can't stand the sight of things that need to be done and therefore you just keep on doing all of them. And then pretty soon you are the one doing everything and you are getting royally screwed over.

This is when I learned that feminism is all well and good, but there is something to be said for playing the part of the helpless woman who needs her husband to get the ladder and reach that fixture. I am FAR from a helpless woman but at this stage in my life I have fully learned my lesson. I have nothing to prove. To anyone, let alone my partner. I am not ashamed to act like I can't change a lightbulb. I am not ashamed to pretend I don't even know where the recycling station is. I have had to come to terms with the clean plates stacked improperly, or the towels folded and stacked WITHOUT the folds neatly facing out of the linen closet. These are the sacrifices that I make as an impatient perfectionist, in order to save my own sanity and have time to pee or brush my teeth. So when you come to my house and three out of four lightbulbs are burnt out in one fixture, and the garbage is overflowing.... please don't think that I don't notice these things. Please just cut me some slack and realize that I am pretending that they have already been taken care of. Remember that I am just trying to prioritize what I need to accomplish and that I am waiting for my husband to do what I have asked him to do.

I make these decisions all the time. Which is why tonight after putting the kids asleep, I went outside to bring in the wicker chair that I asked him to take care of before he left, and then I took the new white Adirondack chairs to the front yard like I also wanted. And then I considered assembling the pedal tractor and wagon that I also asked him to assemble, because I was excited and wanted to see it.... but I decided that I needed to do laundry instead. And it's why I waited for three days to get the sandbox assembled and filled with sand, after waiting a couple of months to actually buy it after we picked it out. It's why I haven't folded his jeans and why I won't unload the dishwasher. It's why instead of putting away Evan's socks and underwear I stack them on his side of the bed 1 foot from the dresser drawers and also why I ignore the things that he piles on the backs of the couch and loveseat instead of picking them all up and putting them away like I am DYING to do.

Decisions Decisions. And so, in order to keep my sanity intact, I let the house be messy and spend more time with my kids and more time doing things like blogging and uploading pictures or flipping through a magazine or even scrapbooking. Because if I go crazy, everyone's life is gonna suck around here. They just don't know that yet.

Bumper sticker in front of me says "If you're gonna ride my ass, at least pull my hair." LOL.

Daily Headaches and Dirty Feet

My favorite part of summer? Dirty feet. Okay, well not my favorite I guess. There's always ice cream and swimming pools and lazy days playing cards in the shade. And of course there's the clink of ice cubes in a glass of lemonade... but I love that feeling at the end of the day when you go inside and have to at least wash your feet before hitting the hay, because they are dirty from a hard day at play. Tonight Ardyn and I both had dirty feet. It made me happy.

One other thing that I had tonight was a HORRIBLE headache that reached migraine proportions. For some reason, ever since the day after Marek was born, I have had a headache every single day. It almost always comes on in the afternoon. A nap won't cure it, and the majority of the time Ibuprofen or Tylenol won't cure it either. A combo of a nap and some medicine sometimes works, but usually I will have the headache until I go to sleep at night. It's incredibly frustrating, not to mention painful. Some days they are worse than others. In some ways I think they are tension headaches, and in other ways I think they are hormone related. I didn't have an epidural so they aren't from anything like that. it's been more than two weeks, and I really expected them to be gone by now. I am wondering if it's time to check with the doctor and figure out what's up. Tonight I actually lay on the couch with Marek while Ardyn roamed the house. Evan was outside grilling supper and Ardyn kept going out on the back porch and bringing me pieces of dog food and saying "Mmmmm Tasty." By the end of the evening I had quite the collection of dog food bits with me on the couch. I eventually put on my sunglasses to eat supper because the light was killing my eyes, but the Excedrin Tension Headache was kicking in and I felt better. Now later, I feel much better, but there is this residual neck-ache that is bordering on headache.

This morning was Marek's Upper GI with Small Bowel Follow through. They ruled out any blockages and also ruled out plyor stenosis, so I am thinking he just has reflux. Our official Doctor visit to discuss results is next Tuesday. When the radiologist asked me what the lowdown was, before performing the test, I gave him a brief but very thorough explanation and he nodded. Then they offered to let me stay in the room if I wanted, and gave me a lead vest, which was cool, because before I was told I would have to leave. Then while watching the xrays being taken on the screen, the radiologist turned to me and asked if I was in the medical field. it's interesting that they think that, I believe it's just because I worked at the hospital and became very familiar with all kinds of medical procedures and also terminology, and that I am pretty at ease in the hospital. I told him that I used to work at a hospital but am in the IT field. He smiled and proceeded to give me detailed explanations of what I was seeing on the screen. It felt good to get treated like an intelligent person, which is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to physicians. I love my pediatrician because he takes everything I say very seriously and trusts my judgement and experiences as a mom. It's difficult for me to go to another hospital for tests for Marek, because I know that if I went to the hospital where I used to work, I would be surrounded by people who I know and trust and who I know will do their best to make him comfortable. But the experience I had today was really a positive one. We were in and out in less than an hour and it was very non-invasive. I am very happy that everything seems clear and normal and there is no sign of problems.

After his 5 hours of fasting, Marek has been sure to stay close to my boobs all day and use them as much as possible. I think he is just trying to remind me that he needs to be fed, as if the lapse in eating was a mistake on my part. too cute!

After the test, we were able to get lunch for me (I had a salad, can you believe it?) and then Marek and I went to the library book sale. I put him in the Moby and was able to leisurely stroll through the sale and look at all the books. It was SOOOO nice. I spent $5.50 and got two new books to read, and also a stack of books on preschool activities and teaching/homeschooling. Several of them had crafts and learning activities with templates and drawings. I also got a whole ziploc of kids sing along tapes for $1 and an old book from the 70's with gnomes (a board book) for Ardyn, that is really cool and was like 50 cents. They had TONS of parenting and pregnancy books, but none of them were to die for since I am on baby #2... but had this been my first baby I would have been all over them. They even had two of the breastfeeding books that are my favorites, which was cool... But I already have them!

After the book sale we took the cardboard to the recycling center and got ice cream. Then we came home. We did some breastfeeding and some laundry this afternoon, and I made a few phone calls. I ordered the new video monitors with two cameras for the kids' rooms, and also a tricycle for Ardyn. Then Evan came home and put the sandbox together and we got it in place and filled it with sand. Before we knew it, it was time to go pick up Ardyn from school. Marek and I went to pick her up. The daycare teachers took him out of his seat and passed him around for a bit and then I took him back and we loaded up and came home. My sister met us here and Ardyn, Liz, and I played in the sandbox. When Evan came home he joined in and then pushed Ardyn in the swing for a while. Mother M stopped by this afternoon and saw Marek, and yesterday the Brummel family stopped in to visit.


Tonight I am washing diapers, and I colored my hair and gave both kids a bath. I scrubbed Ardyn's dirty feet. She was in the bathtub and I put Marek in with her for a quick dunk and a washing, and he peed on her. It was hilarious. She kinda watched him peeing, Then looked at me, then back at him, and then decided that she needed to investigate his plumbing because it looked different to her, and I had to tell her "no touching" and then she wanted to be in charge of using the little cup to dump water over his belly and legs. She did well, but she was seriously dumping Lots of water on him and singing "wash wash" over and over. Then she got her bar of Johnson and Johnson soap and started washing him with that. LOL. While in the tub, she sang a new song that she learned at school, which surprised me. She said "Pocket Full of Posies, Ashes, Ashes, We all fall down!" TOOOOO Cute! Then we sang together. On her way home from school, she was singing a song from her Dora DVD. She said "Bridge, Island, Sea, Kingdom! Say it with me! Bridge, Island, Sea, Kingdom!" Her favorite Dora DVD is "Dora Saves the Mermaids" and that is the travel song from that particular episode. We also sing "Find the Crown- Busca La Corona" and she constantly chatters on about the mermaids and Dora and the Crown, and tells me she "Needs a BOAT" to find the crown. Earlier in the week I happened across a bath mat with Dora as the mermaid, wearing the crown from that episode. When I brought it home and put it in the tub, she was hysterical with excitement, and cried uncontrollably when I closed the bathroom door because she wanted to go in and periodically check on the Mermaid in the tub.

Well, tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful again. I hope we can throw open the windows and play outside for a while too!

The church in Hollowayville has a sign that says "come early for a pew in the back." lol. Mom always had us sit in the back pew.

Shhhhhh......

They're Asleep! And I should be. But I am doing laundry and I want to post quickly. Today was a very productive day. At first it wasn't so great, as Ardyn was up at 6am for some god forsaken reason, and we were all SO tired. Evan took care of Ardyn and I took care of Marek and we all tried to get some napping in up until about noon. We were both operating on just about 4 hours of interrupted sleep, so that was no fun.

This afternoon Marek had a follow up appointment with the pediatrician about his reflux/vomiting/spitting up issues. We are fairly confident at this time that the issue is reflux, but because he seems to have an issue with projectile spit up sometimes, we are going to follow up with an Upper GI and a small bowel follow through at the hospital. We want to be sure to rule out Pyloric Stenosis. So this Friday while Ardyn goes to daycare, I will be taking Marek to the hospital for the tests, and he will be drinking a bottle of barium and then xray'd to see if everything is flowing correctly and to make sure that his bowels are clear. He is a very gassy baby, and two pediatricians agree that this is the best route to go. The hardest part will be that he has to not eat for 4 hours before the test, and that's hard for a two-week old breastfed baby. And the test will be expensive, but we have met our deductible, so better now than later.

My mom stayed with Ardyn this afternoon, and they went on a walk to the park and played outside, and then came home and did some swinging in the yard and more playing in her room. Marek and I went on to the new bra store, and I got measured properly for the first time in my life. Turns out I am wearing the wrong bra size. I have been wearing a 40DD while nursing and I am supposed to be a 40G! **Gasp** So I got two new bras today in the correct size, which was a must, especially because the nursing bras I have, I've been wearing since becoming pregnant with Ardyn, so for more than two years I have been wearing the same bras, which are normally supposed to last like 6 months to 1 year. Ugh. I am washing the two new ones now, they are bravado's, and all microfiber and comfy and stretchy and I can't wait to wear them. Ahhh.

After the bra store, Marek and I went to Wal-Mart to pick up my 1-hour photos from Easter, and also to buy play sand. Evan went last night and was told there weren't enough people working for someone to go outside and validate his receipt and load up the sand, so he was turned away. So today I had them load 200 pounds of play sand into the back of the van, to fill Ardyn's sandbox, which Evan got yesterday. I can't wait.... hopefully we get it filled tomorrow and she can start to play! I also had to get some totes for clothes, because Monday we accumulated SEVEN Garbage bags of boys clothes, in sizes Newborn-24months. That's ALOT of clothes. Two different moms passed some my way, and I spent all yesterday going through them, sorting, and washing, and tonight I am still washing. After putting the newborn and 0-3 month clothes away in his room, I can still fill three large totes with clothes, and have a tote to take to the resale shop, and another garbage bag full of clothes that fit the Carter's Recall. It's unbelievable. Lots of the clothes are duplicates, so if there are more than one of a sleeper or onesie, or it's something that we won't wear, I put it in the pile for the resale shop, as I figure I might as well get credit there to use towards things that we can use.

I need to go over there anyway and pay them for the open top travel swing that we recently got, and has been a lifesaver on trips to grandma's house. I see it being a great addition to our front yard this spring, when Ardyn and I want to play it will be a safe place to put Marek.

So I am sorting, washing, folding, packing up, and labeling totes of Boy clothes for the attic. Some of the clothes I don't think will fit Marek in the correct season, but because we don't think we are done having kids, I will keep them just in case we can use them in the future.

Hoping that tomorrow we will get to spend some time outside and also hoping to get to the used book sale that the local library hosts each year. So, I need to get some sleep so that I can keep up with everything! Everyone have a great night and I hope the rest of your week is great!

Sibling Love.

Tonight while trying out Marek's new playmat, he became upset and started crying. Ardyn and I were sitting next to him and I started rubbing Marek's head and Ardyn said "Don't Worry Marek!"



LOL. I was floored. Where did she hear the phrase don't worry? Do I say that to her? Jeez she's smart!

Easter Weekend, etc.

Easter was great! It was a long weekend for us, and I can’t believe that I actually am happy that today is a rainy gloomy Monday. But fortunately, the kids are great sleepers when it’s overcast, and they will snooze much later and take nice long afternoon naps.

Friday was Evan’s grandpa’s funeral. This was his biological grandpa, who he really barely knew. But all the same, we had planned to take Ardyn to daycare and then Evan would go to the funeral. I was going to scrapbook at my mom’s with Marek and try to finish his baby announcements, and then get Ardyn early from school and take both kids to see all his family and attend the dinner after the funeral. None of that worked out as planned, because Ardyn woke up at 7am with a 103 fever. Nothing brought it down until that afternoon when we started alternating Tylenol and Motrin. Thank god that worked, or we would have been in the ER again. She was glassy eyed and listless, and when I gave her a bath she started shaking and crying uncontrollably. Poor thing. Luckily she woke up Saturday morning completely fever-free. Strange. But we were glad. So on Saturday we were able to meet Evan’s family for lunch, and some time at his grandma’s, where we were able to see his family that was home for the funeral…. From Louisiana, Florida, and Pennsylvania. We met for lunch at the Underground Inn, and the food was TERRIBLE. The only thing worse than the food was the service, and we were the only party in the place that was eating. Now I know why.

Sunday we woke up and headed out to my parent’s, where the Easter Bunny had hidden lotsa of eggs for Ardyn to find, and she got TWO easter baskets. We had a nice day, delicious food, and a good time watching Ardyn hunt for eggs and open them.

Sunday night I put Ardyn in bed, nursed Marek, and then went to Wal-Mart while Evan stayed home with the kids. It’s amazing what one can accomplish without any distractions and with two open arms. I bought myself some new underwear (badly needed) and a couple of pair of shorts, and also got a nice tummy time mat/gym for Marek. I had lots of gift cards to use.

Today we have done lots of picking up around the house. Evan did a ton this morning and I did a bunch more picking up this afternoon and have the Roomba vacuuming while Ardyn is napping. Marek is starting to become a little more fussy these days, he basically wants to be held all the time, which I just can’t do with both kids. I am trying to rotate him between swing, bouncy seat, and other apparatuses between feedings, to try to get him happier with entertaining himself. Although he is usually just sleeping… he still wants to be held. He loves his pacifier, but of course as all newborns do, he is constantly spitting it out or knocking it out and I am constantly re-inserting.

Ardyn is doing really well with him. Every morning when Evan gets her up, she asks for Mommy and Marek and comes in to see us right away. She knows which toys are his, and we have no issues with pacifiers now, as she knows a pacifier is his and brings it right to me without trying to put it in her mouth, like she did when he was first home. She’s in good spirits and napping well. Some days are better than others, but she’s a toddler, and it was like that BEFORE he came along. She loves to say “Marek” and knows that the stuffed elephants are his.

Today I made an appointment with my endocrinologist to follow up on my thyroid postpartum. It’s appointment central around here! In the next two-three weeks, we have appointments about 2-3 days out of the week. Ardyn sees a Pediatric Gastroenterologist and an Allergist for her Dairy Allergy, Marek has two appointments with the pediatrician and one at WIC, and I have two postpartum checkups and also this endocrinologist appointment. I need to get pumping some milk so that I can leave Ardyn with a grandma and not worry. I have two bottles pumped already, but I will need more with all the upcoming things!

Now that I have the house all picked up, it would be wise to mop the floors. I wish that it were Friday tomorrow because I would have better hopes of getting that done with just one kid instead of two. Especially if I only had the one that can’t even roll over.

Today Ardyn helped me put together the Precious Planet Activity Mat. She saw the box and the toys and said “Ohhhhhhhh what’s that?” and I said “It’s a new toy for Marek.” And she said “Ohh Marek!” and then as we were unpacking it she was naming all the animals and kept saying things like “Marek’s bear” or “Marek’s Monkey.” Darn she’s smart. I thought for sure it might be a war. The only thing she did want to do was JUMP on the mat once I laid it out. She kept saying “Jump!” and “Ardyn Jump!” and bouncing all over it. I ended up putting the mat on the bed and her on the floor so Marek could check it out in peace, without a 25 pound toddler jumping on him. Safety first!

Ardyn got lots of sandbox and outside toys for Easter. Today I pulled out the pink “outdoor” tote that we used last year to keep things like Bubbles and Sidewalk Chalk. I added all the new bubbles she got, and the shovels and rakes and scoops, and her Nemo Kite, and the pinwheel from Grandma, and the bug net from daddy, and the velcro baseball and glove, and the pink glittery bouncing ball. I can’t WAIT for our front yard to get fenced in so that we can play outside. It is practically driving me insane with anticipation. I even grabbed a mesh beach bag and put all the sandbox toys in there for now and put them on the porch. I just can’t wait. I am hoping that in the coming weeks we can get to Toys R Us and get her sandbox. I am excited that in just a year, Marek will be old enough to start playing outside with her. This summer will be fun, but next summer will be REALLY fun with both of them toddling around. Now if the weather would just cooperate!

This afternoon I sat and looked at the proof book for Ardyn’s 1 year photos. I can’t believe how much she has grown in the past 6-7 months. And how much her HAIR has grown! She has so many hair accessories now that it’s hard to choose which ones to wear. For Easter she got a bunch more ponytail holders and clips, and some cute cute sesame street pigtail holders. There is cookie monster, abby, elmo, and big bird. Too cute. Then last night when I was a free woman and shopping, I grabbed some really cute pigtail holders that were bright colored and jeweled. They match all the summer shirts and outfits she has in her closet. Another reason I can’t wait for summer! I want to see those chubby legs in all her new shorts and skorts. She’s so stinking cute in Capri pants I just want to eat her up.

Before her nap, she was sitting in her Red Anywhere chair, watching Dora, and I was just settling in to nurse Marek on the couch. Marek just got latched on and got a letdown started when Ardyn slipped and fell (I didn’t see exactly what adventurous circus feat she was attempting) and bumped her head on the floor, hard. I knew right away that it really had to hurt, based on the sound, and based on the silence I knew that the silent cry was happening. Of course I was trying to get to her and trying to feed Marek and he popped off in surprise and there was milk shooting all over the couch and all over everything within like three feet of me, and I just kept saying “come over to mommy Ardyn, I will make it better” and she silent cried her way over to the couch in slow motion and climbed up beside me. Poor Kid. She has been bumping her head a lot lately, which is ironic considering Grandma Deb taught her to sing “No More Monkeys Jumpin on the Bed” and her favorite part is “Bumped his head” and she slaps her head with the palm of her hand. And she also now sings “It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring. He went to bed and BUMPED his head” and she slaps her head with that song too. LOL.

One thing that I am happy about is being able to take baths with her again. When I was really pregnant I was so uncomfortable and couldn’t fit in the tub well with her anymore, and then postpartum you aren’t supposed to take BATHS for so long…. And now I am finally back in the tub with her. It’s fun. We get to do lots of talking and singing in the tub, that’s kinda our bonding time without the baby. She loves to play in the water and she likes it when we wash hair and she lays back and floats in the water to rinse out her shampoo. We sing the alphabet and all kinds of other songs, and it’s just a neat time to have with her. I get lots of hugs, and then we put on lotion and her diaper and get dressed in the warm bathroom, and it’s just great to be back on track with that again. Putting on Lotion is something that I love to do with the kids. I love massage. I loved taking the infant massage class when Ardyn was a newborn, and I am trying to keep up with giving massages to Marek too. If I can’t do the massage butter, then I at least try to do their regular lotion after their baths. It’s important to me. I know how much the power of touch means between parents and kids, and how relaxing it is before bedtime. I know that they will grow up so fast, and I want them to still want to give me a hug and get a backrub or a foot rub as they get older, for as long as I can possibly keep that going. With Ardyn having eczema like me, it’s a good thing to keep up on moisturizing, and since Marek is so fair, he will likely have the same issues.

Cloth diapers are the same way. It’s just something that I like to do for my kids, and for the environment. It’s work. But it’s not too much work. It’s something that is fulfilling and makes me feel like I am doing the best I can for them, and for our whole family. That probably sounds cheesy, unless you use cloth, then you understand. I just recently got some “new” wool for Marek. It’s technically used, but new to us! I can’t wait to use it! I need to do a round of washing and lanolizing first. I got a pair of babyology longies from eBay that are new, and a light blue pair of knit longies that are used, and two pair of used fleece longies. I think I got a few more pair, like a pair of interlock jeans, but they haven’t arrived yet.

I have been feeling really well this time around. Postpartum is different for me now. I remember having so much anxiety and fear when Ardyn was new, all the way until she was like 6-9 months old. Being so worried that I would do something that wouldn’t be PERFECT. Things are going pretty well for me now, although I think that my hormones really started to fluctuate a few days ago. When Ardyn was sick and Evan had to go to the funeral, and I was home with a sick toddler and a new baby, it was plenty stressful. I felt some of that old panic and anxiety. I also was very frustrated because I felt lots of pressure to go to the dinner after the funeral, even though Ardyn was so sick that we were considering taking her to the ER. It’s hard to have other people putting expectations on you when you just can’t be everywhere and do everything. That was the biggest issue I had after having Ardyn and going back to work. I was so stressed out. My in-laws would invite us for supper on a weeknight and Evan would casually tell them yes, and then they would tell us what time to be there. I would get off work at 5pm, go pick up Ardyn at daycare, and then was expected to drive 20 minutes to their house and be there by 5:30. It wasn’t physically possible and it caused m e some real stress and anxiety. If I didn’t get there on time than it meant that I was inflexible. But it was so stressful for me, and it would make me so upset that I would make myself sick over it. I hate those times. Not to mention that because I was working, and breastfeeding, and using cloth diapers, every night I had to wash diapers and get them dry, pack them and all of Ardyn’s things for daycare the next day, AND wash and sterilize all the breast pump parts and the bottles from the day, pump milk before I went to bed, get Ardyn a bath, pack up the breastpump and bottles for the NEXT day, and get myself a bath so that I could get sleep and start the whole cycle over again. To spend the whole night at someone else’s house was torture for me, and set me far behind, and made me stressed and short on sleep. It was a horrible feeling and I am SO glad that I am SO fortunate to stay home with my kids and not have all that stress. But I can still feel that pressure when someone else starts to decide for me what I will be doing. I have to remember that I am in control of what I want to do, and if I can’t make all those things come together, I just need to step back and say no.

I can tell my hormones are a little wacky, because I am touchy about certain things, my face just started to break out, and my hair just started to dry and fall out some. Ahhh, postpartum. Can’t wait for the hormones to get back to “normal” – whatever that is!

Okay. Well this post is already 4 pages long in Word, so I had better get it posted and get my butt in gear. I have laundry to do, and the kids are both finally asleep. It’s almost 11pm, so I will probably just start a load and go to bed. Our friend Amethyst brought over two bags of boy clothes from her son, and I am washing and organizing them by size. Yay!

Easter Clothes!

Ardyn and Marek

Ardyn and Marek, originally uploaded by Dazed81.

Sibling Love. Awwww~

What day is it?

Hi all! Today was a great day. It didn't start out great, as Marek and I had a rough night. For some reason he started to be really gassy yesterday, with lots of bubbles, hiccups, and spit-up. Before bed he spit-up everything he ate, and then started to do some dry heaving. By early morning he was very fussy and not sleeping, and was doing more dry heaving alternating with throwing up (not spitting up) very thick bright yellow stuff. I was pretty worried. Also yesterday his belly button started to bleed and at each diaper change I would clean out crusted blood from it. That didn't seem right either, and made me wonder about megan's comment on facebook about cauterization. Then we had the plastibell hanging by just a thread, and not coming off like we hoped it would. So this morning I ended up calling the ped and they wanted to see him, so off we went again to the Doctor. We got everyone cleaned up, bathed, dressed, and packed.

Doctor thinks everything is okay, but is concerned about the vomiting. Which of course, he stopped doing after 9am (which is good, but figures) and so we will go back next week and then the week following to keep an eye on his weight and make sure he is still okay. If he starts it again, we are to take him to the ER. This afternoon he spit-up again, and had a couple of gagging heaves, but not throwing up anything like before. Hopefully it's just him adjusting to the milk supply and figuring out how much he can eat without overeating. This evening th eplastibell finally came off, so that's great too!

We went out for lunch at Quizno's and then to the new Ice Cream parlor and candy shop in town. I wanted ice cream but didn't get any because Evan said we were "too full" and I didn't want to argue that I could eat anything. LOL. But Ardyn got a dum dum sucker and was thrilled with it.

When we got home, I had my customary afternoon headche, and so we all lay down for naptime. This time around I have had at least one headache each day postpartum, and they are starting to really annoy me. I know it's just my hormones adjusting, but they still aren't pleasant.Ibuporfin and a nap sometimes takes care of it. Today's is still hanging on, but at least I can function.

We three are parked on the couch watching Dora on DVD while daddy has band practice. Ardyn had the last of the meatloaf for supper, with sliced apples and peanut butter crackers. I snacked on some yogurt with granola and apples/raisins. If I had more arms, I would start the dryer so that the diapers are dry for tonight. My headache is still hanging on, so hopefully marek will sleep well tonight so I can sleep too and get rid of it.

Tomorrow we are taking the kids to see the Easter Bunny in their dressy Easter clothes, for a picture op. Then we will eat supper with my parents. I have kid laundry to put away, so maybe when the DVD is done I can park Marek somewhere like in his crib, and let Ardyn play in her room while I put away laundry and get things ready for bedtime. Or maybe I will just do it now while Ardyn is watching the DVD.

Later...
I put away the kids clothes and while Marek was in his crib, Ardyn climbed up on the couch and got Evan's Xbox controller and was pretending to play video games. I told her no, and when I came back she was standng on the couch, leaning over the laptop moving the mouse around. Earlier when I changed Marek's diaper, she was eating her supper and I came back to find her on her hands and knees in the MIDDLE of the dining room table. LOL. I broke out the mom look and said "What are YOU doing?" and she got the "I've been bad" look on her face and flattened out onto her stomach, burying her head in her arms and covering her eyes with her hands. He he. It was hilarious. She's getting closer to two every day.

Well, it's 10:30 now, I have diapers washing and we tried on Ardyn's Sailor dress and new hairbows for tomorrow, and I need to wash the dress yet. I just took more headache medicine, and Marek is settling in, so I am hopefully going to bed soon too! More later!

Marek- 6 days old

Marek- 6 days old, originally uploaded by Dazed81.

Smiling- from our naptime yesterday. I am extremely fortunate that we all are napping at the same time! YAY!

Quick Update...

Assuming that Marek continues to sleep, and that Dora lasts 30 minutes, I will have time for a post! It will be a quick one.

I fully intended to have a big post about the labor story, and all that, finished by now. But, I don't. Partially because I am super super super attached to this little guy! He is just Sooooo cute and SOOOO Sweet and a great nurser and an AMAZING sleeper. we thought Ardyn was a good baby, but I am telling you, MAREK is a good baby.

I am feeling really well, really normal. I came home from the hospital at my pre-baby weight and have been wearing the smallest jeans I own with room in them. This is a good feeling. Marek's cord came off last night at 5 days old, and we are loving cloth diapers for him. They are SO awesome on newborns. I am learning what my preferences are, and what covers I like. I just got some more used wool, because these are my favorite, but since his cord fell off, I have been happier with the fit of a Thirsties XS cover as well. I am mainly using fitteds all day, and BG AIO's at night. They work well, but do tend to leak at the legs if he gets to wet, so I have to make sure to change him at least twice a night, sometimes three times, even if he doesn't poop. I think I just can't get the XS's tight enough on his tiny thighs. LOL. I have been really liking wool, my favorite pair so far being the footed longies that Sara made custom for me. I just bought a pair of babyology longies, which look like an Aristocrat. I also got a few pair of knit longies, and a couple of fleece longies, in newborn sizes. I think the Mutts are my favorite fitteds. I have four. They are the only ones that never soak through with a NB poop. (Breastfed poop I should clarify) and they are super cute nad fit well. I also like the KL0's but they can leak easier. They are nice and soft and a great fit though. I just prefer them with a PUL cover because the soaking can really be rough on your wool consumption for a day. I also like the WAHM fitteds that I bought used, but even with the soaker inside, they too can seep through to the wool quite easily. But overall I am adoring the cloth. I plan on trying out prefolds and snappis soon, as I have a couple dozen, but I am waiting for the circ to heal more so that I don't have to worry about the snappi rubbing or anything. It just makes me more comfortable waiting for that to happen.

The hardest thing is trying to keep up with the house, and keeping Ardyn happy, since when she wants a drink or a snack she wants it NOW and she is like a broken record no matter how many times and ways you try to acknowledge her request and explain that she has to wait a minute... but I am sure that will get better with time. It's hard to expect a 19 month old to wait for a drink much longer than 60 seconds. LOL.

I find myself doing lots of laundry, between the two kids and two sets of diapers, and mamma pads also. I am SO happy that I decided to use mamma pads postpartum. Holy cow the difference in my comfort is amazingly noticeable. AMAZING. That chafed, damp, sore feeling that you get postpartum is nowehre to be found. it's just pure comfort. I washed my first load of pads yesterday and they ALL came completely clean, even on the natural colored fabric. They are just beautiful! I adore them. I will never go back. I also use washable breastpads, which I used with Ardyn later on in my nursing career. I like them, except I have no wool or fleece backed ones, and the milk is REALLY heavy this time, so if I have a letdown I can easily leak through a breastpad on the other side. So I go through at least 1 bra per day as I can't re-wear them. And then I am washing breast pads too, but they are nothing, and I have plenty. It feels so good to be not throwing all that stuff in the trash. Of course, the midwife said NO laundry and housecleaning in the first week, and I can see where she is coming from, but seriously, no one else is going to do it all. Evan has been really great about feeding us all, making the meals, taking care of Ardyn, and he has been cleaning the kitchen. But primarily when it comes to picking up the coffee table, and wiping off the dining room table, and laundry... it's been mostly me. As of tomorrow I get official clearance to drive. I can't believe that they say no driving for a week after a vaginal delivery. Seriously? I am not on any medication? What's that about?

I have the two kids tonight, and my sister is coming over to help with supper and bedtime, and Ardyn's bath. I am glad about that. Looks like we will be having leftover meatloaf that Evan's grandma made us. Yum Yum! Marek seems to be awake most evenings, which is great, except that he clusters his feedigs and usually just does one side at a time... so i don't have any hands.

Later... When Liz got here she promptly got Ardyn a drink (thank god) and then offered to PICK UP (ahhh) and cleaned Ardyn's room. Then she held Marek while I heated up our supper, and we all ate. Now she is giving Ardyn her bath so that I can nurse Marek, and I am actually watching "In the Motherhood" on the Tivo while nursing and now blogging. Ah. So happy to have her help tonight. When Ardyn's bath is done, it will be time for her to go to sleep, and then all I have to do is handle Marek while I clean up from supper and continue laundry. As a matter of fact, if Liz stays a little while longer I might get a TON done. Right now Marek is snoozing next to me on the couch. He and I usually go to sleep around 10pm, or at least he does and I join him as soon as I finish up whatever tasks I have been working on.

We had a "precious moment" tonight. Ardyn was sitting in her bed, and Aunt Liz was reading her a bedtime story. I was sitting in the glider in her room with Marek. The lights were all turned down, the fishes fed, her medicine taken, and her bath finished. She was picking her nose and picked out a big boogie. She looked at Liz and I, then tried to put it BACK in her nose, and then handed it to aunt Liz and said "garbage" in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice. LOL. It was hilarious!

Evan got home just in time to kiss her goodnight and fill her humidifier for me. I did a few loads of laundry with Marek in the Moby wrap. it's the first time I put him in it, and I LOVE it. I bought it from my friend Christina, and I am so glad I did. I was actually able to do laundry completely hands-free. I could lean over and put the laundry in and out of the dryer without holding his head at all. It was awesome. AND for the first time EVER, I did something smart. instead of transferring laundry from the sorter to the washing machine from 5 feet away, I ROLLED the sorter over to the front of the machine and did it from right in front of the machine. Partially because there was only one bin full in the sorter, so it wasn't heavy, and partly because I had never thought of making less work for myself before. Duh. That means that I didn't drop any socks that I had to retrieve afterwards. Sweet. Why didn't I think of that when I was pregnant? Or when I had Ardyn?

Well, that's all for now. We are still here, and I will write more when I can! Take care!

here!