"all done"

I heard it a few days ago, but I wasn't really sure he meant it. And then yesterday when I was helping the kids out of their car seats, Brett and Lydia were saying their usual "all done, all done, all done" (in other words, "Hurry up, Mom"), and from behind me, clear as day, comes another "all done" - from Reggie! Reggie's first undeniable "word". No surprise, considering he hears it all the time from his brother and sister! (I have heard some "mama's", but it was definitely questionable if he was referring to me.)

Lydia's first word was "cat", and Brett? Well, his first word was also "all done". I have a couple of impatient little boys!

benefits of babywearing

Watch CBS News Videos Online

There are often reports in the news that I want to blog about, but by the time I get around to it, it seems like it's pointless. Even though this story hit the headlines in March, I am still going to post about it. What frustrated me about this story (not the particular one posted) was that babywearing in general got a lot of bad press (rather than just the specific products being recalled).

If you have been around me much in the last 2.5 years, you have probably seen me wearing a baby. I wore Brett a lot his first few months to promote bonding. For a baby who has become familiar with the rhythm and sounds of one mother in the womb only to be placed in another mother's arms after birth, it is particularly valuable for the new baby (and Momma) to bond in this way.

Baby Brett in The Ultimate Baby Wrap

Then, of all my babies, Lydia was worn the most because she was an incredibly high needs baby. Her first 3 months of life, she was being held 22 hours a day, and we had a 1 year old to take care of as well. At that point, it was a means of survival and keeping my sanity. One day, my wrap was lost, and I had a meltdown because I knew I could not make it through a single day without it. We had to go out and buy another babywearing option that same day! I purchased a snugli soft frontpack because it was inexpensive, and it worked out great for quick, short wears with a light baby, but I still preferred my wrap for longer wears as it was much more comfortable. I was still wearing Lydia on a regular basis when we adopted Reggie! And Reggie has loved being snugly wrapped to me as well. On the day of our homecoming, Reggie stayed close to my heart as I flew home from Georgia. Reggie has since become too heavy for the Ultimate Baby Wrap I loved using with all my babies, but I was not done wearing him! Because, with him, the biggest benefit (in addition to bonding) is it gives me a place to keep him close while I keep up with two busy toddlers. It is also a place for him to be when we are out shopping because there is no more room in the cart!

So, I did some research, and invested in two more babywearing options that would work with heavier babies. The first is another wrap, but it is not stretchy like the Ultimate Baby Wrap; it is constructed of a woven gauze material that gives baby and Momma more support. There are many different ways to wrap the baby to you. Reggie likes to be wrapped tummy-to-tummy, while Lydia likes to be carried in a hip carry. Similar to the kids' "Sunday shoes", I call this my "Sunday wrap", because I think it is so pretty!
The second is an Ergo soft supportive carrier. It's faster to put on than a wrap. We've all heard that you get what you pay for. Well, I've found that to be true with baby carriers. And this product was worth every penny! It can be used as a frontpack or a backpack. Due to his weight, I can only wear him about 15 minutes in the front, but I've worn him on my back for a couple hours no problem! And I have done everything with him on my back from hanging clothes to dry to literally crawling through the "ant hill" with Lydia at the children's museum! He never fusses when he is in there. He is always perfectly content next to Momma.

Bryan also does a lot of babywearing. He prefers backpacks and often wears a baby while doing yard work. This weekend when we went to the farmer's market, he wore Reggie and I wore Lydia, each in a backpack, and Brett got pushed around in an umbrella stroller. That was way easier than trying to maneuver a triple stroller or keep track of a toddler in a crowd!

No, I could not have survived the last 2.5 years without babywearing. And it's not babywearing that is dangerous. Babywearing has been around since the first mom had to multitask! It is a few products and some unsafe practices that are dangerous. I had a sling when Lydia was a newborn (that has not been recalled) and I was never comfortable with how scrunched she was in it, so I stopped using it. Just like with anything else, we must understand how to use the product safely and be aware of it's limitations.

a day on the farm

It seemed a bit silly to PAY for our kids to tour a farm when Bryan and I both grew up in the country, but times have changed. And our kids are city kids, but that doesn't mean they can't appreciate the farm. So, on Tuesday, my friend, Bonnie, and I took the kids to a local farm that gives tours to kids in the spring when they have lots of cute farm babies!

First, the proper attire: (no, we didn't take the sling shot with us!)

The kids got to jump in the hay.Then we learned about the auger and got to take hand fulls of corn...

...to feed the cows.

Brett really loved the baby pony.

We also got to go on a hayride.

Lydia's favorite part of the farm was the hay, the rocks...

...and the kitten.Yep, these turkeys should be ready by Thanksgiving!

All that farming worked up an appetite!

anniversary

Since we celebrated our 7th anniversary this week, on our way back from Garret's graduation, we stopped at the park where we held our reception for a McDonald's picnic and some time to stretch our legs from the long trip. We had not been there since our wedding day. Brett ate his BBQ sauce with his spoon.

Then we checked out the waterfalls.

Lydia may have a future in tourism.

grad

My first nephew, Garret, graduated from high school. We will have a niece, nephew, or child graduating almost every year for the next 18 years!

track meet

I'm behind on my posting, so here we go - last Friday, we went to my nephew, Cody, and niece, Grace's track meet. Brett had his first bag of cheetos.
Reggie cheered on his cousins! (It was such an unexpectedly hot day, we had to strip him down to his onesie!)

the poop report

On no particular day last week, Bryan arrived home from a long day at work and as soon as he walked in the door, I talked for a good ten minutes - giving him what has now been coined "the poop report". It started out with a detailed description of Brett's potty learning for the day, followed by a brief statement on Lydia telling me when she had pooped, and finally ending with a "Reggie had a 'regular' day".

Is it really true? Have I really become one of those moms/wives who has nothing to talk about besides her child's poop? And here I go - even worse - blogging about it! But, in reality, the mom of a two-year-old spends a great deal of time fretting about her child's potty learning.

And we do have an interesting challenge - potty training the oldest of three. Having cruised the titles and descriptions of many potty training books, and not finding a single one to address this issue, my friend suggested - once I figure it out- I should write a book entitled "How to Potty Train Your Oldest of Three (without a Bathroom on the Main Floor)". Hmm...I don't think there would be much of a market for it.

Yes, it's been lively. We've already had a couple incidents where somebody got to the (full) potty chair before we did. But the good news is, with fingers crossed, Brett is potty learning with enough success that we're going to keep at it.

And so there you have it. The poop report. No pictures.

...although I'm tempted...

Reggie is 9 months old!

Reggie is 9 months old! And what a busy month it has been! He mastered crawling very quickly and is now on the bigger and better things - pulling up on everything! He seems to approach life without reservation, so I'm starting to think we may have another early walker on our hands...pray for us...Reggie has 6 teeth - 4 on top and 2 on bottom. He's still wearing size 12 months clothing, but the legs are starting to get a little short.

Reggie enjoys admiring his reflection, singing, imitating and making new sounds, bath time and watching videos. He spends much of his day trying to keep up with his brother and sister, which he is getting pretty good at!

He's great at feeding himself finger foods and drinks from his sippy cup all but a bottle first thing in the morning and a bottle before bed. He likes to eat cheerios, rice cakes, bananas, potatoes, cheese, turkey, chicken and ham, green beans, broccoli...well, now that I think about it, there hasn't been anything he wouldn't eat (including paper, sand, and dandelions).
Something a bit interesting about Reggie's development is he still does not roll over from his back to his tummy. He actually really hates being on his back and squirms around like a little turtle until someone graciously flips him back on his tummy! In part, this is helpful, because I can instantly and momentarily immobilize the little guy-on-the-go when necessary. But not so wonderful at 2am when he has found himself on his back and wants to be flipped over!

What fun we are having with our little boy!

what I'm thankful for on mother's day

1. My mom!

2. My mother-in-law. (yes, she's reading this; and yes, I really mean it.)

3. Our grandmothers Alvina, Delorse, Lillian, and Lydia

4. That I have the honor of being a mom.

5. That I am not a single-mom, and for all the single mom's out there that are giving it their all.

6. My good friend Bonnie, who is like a "local grandma" to the kids.

7. That usually all our kids are in bed by 8pm and usually until 5:30am.

8. That Brett averages a 2.5 hour nap every afternoon. I love the kid, but he requires a lot of me these days!

9. Caffeinated beverages.

10. None of the kids have any food allergies yet.

11. That Brett's near-sightedness was discovered at a very young age.

12. Sing-along videos.

13. There are so many free/cheap things to do with small children in our area.

14. Baby monitors.

15. The dishwasher.

16. The children's ministry at our church has gone out of their way to serve our family!

17. When Lydia feels, she expresses it 110%- her whole body dances in delight...her whole face gleams with thrill...(and, boy, can she throw a tantrum...)

18. We have not had to take a child to the ER yet.

19. Bryan has been at his company for 10 years and, while there have been cuts the last couple years, he hasn't been one of them.

20. Bryan usually gets home at 4pm every weekday.

21. I have been able to stay home full-time with the kids the last couple years.

22. Pay-at-the-pump (earlier this spring when I was traveling solo +3, I was wishing for potty-at-the-pump)

23. Seven years next week married to my husband. It's been a pleasure to ride this roller coaster with him!

24. The one who started it all. Brett.

25. Surprises. Namely, Lydia and Reggie.

Happy Mother's Day!

Dear Ms. April,

I just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthmother's Day and let you know you are constantly in our thoughts and prayers.


Brett is almost 2.5 already, but I can still remember the day we got the call about "a baby boy" -our excitement and joy! As I write this letter, he is sitting across the table from me, smiling and eating tomato soup - one of his favorites. It is running down his chin.


I can't believe Reggie turned 9 months this week! He is doing new things everyday and doing everything he can to catch up with his brother and sister. We are so glad the boys will have each other as they grow, and Reggie has fit perfectly into our family.


I will never know your struggle... the pain... the opposition you experienced when you came to the decision to place your boys in our arms. But I want you to be certain that they are fully loved and we are doing our best to meet their every need. They are happy. And they are treasured - not just by Mom and Dad and Sister but also by grandmas and papas, aunties and uncles, cousins, and family friends. So, today, and everyday, please know that you hold a very dear place in all of our hearts.

With love and gratitude,

Joy

protest

Cold,wet weather combined with Brett's first official week of potty learning has kept us in the house all week. Lydia started her protest this morning by putting her shoes on all by herself!

"no lydia"

It came Sunday afternoon while the kids were squabbling over a toy. A silent joyful celebration in my heart when I heard the words "No Lydia!" uttered from my son. Something we have been waiting half a year to hear - two completely individual words formed together to make one statement communicating what he wanted.

Progress.

Now, there was still the squabble to deal with. And I don't think I will ever be so happy to hear "No Lydia" again, but this time was worth traveling to the next room and exclaiming to Daddy, "Did you hear that?" Yes, he did. And he was just as proud!