Today

Today I woke up to a house in which every single little thing was in the wrong place ... or at least it felt that way. Last week was so crazy with the kids home all week - the house was just a disaster. And since we were planning on having the missionaries and a new friend over for dinner, it was definitely time to clean up. I spent at least two hours just doing laps around the house picking things up, carrying them into the next room, and putting them away.

Then I grocery shopped because we needed a few things for the dinner. And the boys refused to go into the babysitting even though I had driven past three other grocery stores just to get to the one that has babysitting.

Then I cleaned some more. And Sammy spent way too much time in his swing. So much, in fact, that he slept in it. And he got himself into this crazy position:
That kid is sound asleep with his face buried in the side of the swing, his little fist tightly holding the liner. I mean, hasn't he ever heard of SIDS? But he likes to sleep that way! I always find him cuddled up against the side of his crib. He loves to nap on the couch with his face buried in the couch. It's crazy.

Then I made roast and potatoes for dinner and had a grand time with our new friend and the missionaries. It made me thankful that in my adulthood, I can make new friends so much easier than in my awkward youth.

Then I finished off this project.

My Mom got these silk pieces (samples really) from one of her tenants who sells fabrics. I chose these ones for a pillow to go on our bed.

I never knew how easy sewing pillows is! I mean, it's just a square - I can handle that! The key (for me) is to stuff the pillow with loose stuffing instead of buying a pillow form. That way I don't have to worry about needing to make it any certain size. Whatever size it turns out, is fine!

And that's my day.

Reading

I'm re-reading Harry Potter book 7. And I'm just as into it this time around as I was the first time! I remember how the story concludes, but I don't really remember how she gets us there. So that's what I did today in every moment of my spare time. I know some people might not think that reading something like Harry Potter is a good choice for a Sabbath, but I feel that it's a personal decision based on how reading that particular book makes you feel. As far as resting goes, sitting around reading a book is the next step down from sleep for me. I'm actually relieved that I am enjoying reading again since I kinda over-did it on bed rest and didn't miss it for a while there. Anyway, I had to blog and that's what's on my mind. One more day of mandatory NaBloPoMo blogging after this. I'll miss it and be relieved at the same time.

Tummy Time

Look who made it onto his tummy all by himself today! Note the surprised look on his face. I think he was pretty confused about what had just happened.

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Snow Baby

Oh yeah, and my other kids are cute, too.
(I promise that the photo shoot with Sammy lasted less than a minute. No babies were frozen to death in the taking of these pictures.)

What?

What the heck made me think that going to the gym would make my back feel better after yesterday's snow shoveling?

...Somebody hand me the Advil...

Anticlimactic

There was no school Tuesday for a teacher work day. There was no school Wednesday for a snow storm that didn't arrive until 4pm. And that is where our story begins. It snowed. And snowed. And the power started flickering around 8pm. But it stuck with us. Until midnight. Then we lost it for good. And there was much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth from children who wanted night lights. All. Night. Long. And in the morning, it was still dark. And cold. And electricity-less. Poor little Sammy had cold hands and ears. And, admittedly, I was freaking out a little. It seemed like a huge burden for me to decide how best to take care of this brood of Littles all by myself. I decided that we should head to my in-laws about 30 minutes away. But first I had to un-bury the van from a mountain of snow. Which took me more than an hour of serious cardio! (On a somewhat snarky side-note, four of my chivalrous neighbors stood in our culdesac watching me work my toosh off for at least half of that hour. What gentlemen.) I packed up a change of clothes, some PJs and fresh undies for everybody so that we would be prepared to spend the night if necessary. And I prayed. Hard. That I could get my kiddies there safely. And we got in the van and drove. And the roads were pretty nasty, but we made it safely into the welcoming arms of Grandma and Grandpa Worth. Who took very good care of us. And two hours later our power was back on. Another hour after that we headed home. On pretty much clear roads.

How's that for a whole lotta build-up with the most boring ending ever?

But we'll take that boring ending and be thankful for it. Because now we're all snug and cozy in our own warm house and beds. Which is exactly where we want to be.

PS - There's no school tomorrow either. Send help! And chocolate!

Finishing Touches

Sammy's room has really been a labor of love. ...Just mostly not MY labor. Sammy is sharing with Naomi, whose room was all purple (clearly not the right color for a manly man like Sammy). So the first time my Mom came to visit, while I was on bed rest, she and my sister Ruth painted two of the four walls green. Then my Mom made the fabulous curtains that tie together the purple and green. And I bought the vinyl froggies and embroidered the scripture about Sammy's name.
I think the frogs are the perfect compliment for Naomi's Princess room. You know, the princess and the frog? But I didn't want cheesy crown-wearing frogs. Just groovy frogs! Manly frogs.
Cute, huh? My Mom also made the great quilt that is hanging over the side of the bed.

And here's my finished scripture, which you may remember I started way back when I was flat on my back.
My sister-in-law, Kelly in Cali, hand knit this rockin' frog for Sammy. Isn't it just the best frog you've ever seen? He has such character!

And since I was on a role with putting finishing touches on things, I also added the picture of Sammy to our wall in the family room. Here's the before shot:
And here's the new addition:
The picture of Sammy was taken by my sister-in-law, Jessica, while we were in Mexico over Christmas. Isn't it adorable? Oh, wait...I think I've already bragged about that shot on the blog... oh well - it's brag-worthy.

That Sums It Up

As the kids were getting themselves ready for bed, I said to Naomi, "You just worry about you, Honey. Let Isaiah worry about Isaiah."

And then Asher continued for me, "And Asher worry about Asher. And Daddy worry about Daddy. And Sammy worry about Sammy. And you worry about every single little thing."

Yep. Ain't that the truth.

Going and Coming and Going

I don't think I've mentioned before the full extent of Richard and I's plan for the year. Basically, he's going to be traveling every other week all year. Which is kinda crazy. Sometimes it feels like he's gone more than he's here (which isn't true, but it feels like it). But it's worth it (financially, anyway). Most of his trips are just 3 or 4 days, but some of them are longer. The longer ones come with a special "deal". For each long trip that Richard takes, I get two plane tickets to give to whomever I choose so that they can come visit me. When we made this plan the visits were more because I needed help. Now, I admit, it's more just for fun - although whoever comes to visit ends up helping tons too.

Richard is leaving again tomorrow, but just for a quick trip. He'll be back Friday. But he's got a long trip planned for the end of February. And this time my fabulous sister-in-law Kelly, from Cali, is coming! I can't wait to get to know her better, hang out with her, learn from her, and hopefully gain some coolness just by association.

These visits from far-flung family and friends are fun. But truthfully, I'd rather have my husband with me than anyone else on Earth.

Silly Stories

Did you know that Isaiah has a whole other family and house and life? He lives at Pumpkinville with his mom and dad and brothers and sisters and goats and doggies and monsters (and whatever else he can think of at that moment). Wonderful things happen at Pumpkinville. Isaiah gets to play outside during naptime, he rides on the horses, he plays games like tag, etc.

Here are a couple of stories that feature Isaiah's fantastical life at Pumpkinville:

"Last night while I was sleeping, monsters came into my room and put my mommy in time out. And they jumped on the bed and made scary noises. Then they put my mommy in the garbage can."

"I have five doggies at Pumpkinville. Their names are Weehoo, Teewho, and Seenaw." (yes, I know that's not five names - but apparently he doesn't!)

"I ate my mommy." (When asked why I was still here, he replied, "No, my other mommy at Punpkinville!")

Silly guy.

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Aunt Ruth

Its always a treat when Aunt Ruth comes to visit. A treat for the kids because they love to play with her. And a treat for Richard and I because the kids are so happily occupied - and because we love Ruth.

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I Ferb*rized That Baby!

(I don't want this blog post to come up when you search for the Dr's real name, so I'm putting the * instead of another e.)

So, as you know, Sammy wasn't sleeping through the night. And worse than that, his nights were getting worse and worse. He was going 6 or 7 hours at night for a while, but then it started going down to only 4 or 5 and before I knew it he was awake more often at night than he was during the day! So something had to be done. I was so sleep deprived that I didn't even remember how I have solved this problem in the past. Let the kid cry! I am a believer in Dr. Ferb*r's theory that children need to learn how to soothe themselves at night. All it takes is a couple of miserable nights where the baby cries a ton. For further info on Dr Ferb*r's theory, have a look here.

Anyway, I geared up for starting this. I knew I wasn't going to sleep at all for about 3 days, but that after that I'd be OK. I put Sammy's port-a-crib in the basement so that all his screaming wouldn't keep the other kids awake. I went to sleep in my own bed upstairs, but planned on staying on the couch downstairs once Sammy woke up the first time.

Night One: Sammy woke up after just 3 hours. But I didn't hear him soon enough and by the time I got to him he was turning blue and practically hyperventilating. So I caved in and fed him to calm him down. Dr. Ferb*r would not be proud. Failure.

That day I worked on Ferb*rizing him at naptime, too - putting him in his crib awake and making him put himself to sleep.

Night Two: Sammy slept all night.

Night Three: Sammy slept all night.

What?!?!? How did this happen? It's too good to be true! I never stayed up all night with a screaming baby! He just started sleeping. Seriously... what? I did move him to the crib instead of the bassinet - maybe he likes that better. And I did stop putting socks on his hands so that he could suck on his fingers - maybe that helps him soothe himself. Or maybe the poor kid just really wanted to sleep through the night, he just needed a tiny push to know how. I don't know. It's weird.

But WHO CARES! The kid is sleeping through the night! I'll take it!

day 20

Theres really not anything to blog today and Im not in a bloggy mood. So Im literally phoning it in.

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Instead

I didn't blog yesterday, so I'm supposed to blog this morning to make up for that and again this afternoon for today. But Sammy just slept through the night for the first time and all I can think is, "He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept!He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept! He slept!

Caught Up

It's 5:15pm and I'm sitting on a kitchen chair. Doing nothing.

The kitchen is a total disaster. I haven't done any dishes all day. I should be making dinner. But I'm not. I'm sitting here with no energy at all. Thinking, "Is it bedtime yet?"

But it's not like I've sat around being lazy all day. The kids were all home from school today for a snow day. They played and I did laundry, took down Christmas decorations, finished a sewing project, put away 0-3 month baby clothes, and snuck in a nap at naptime. So, if I've been working all day long, why I am still sorely behind at 5:15pm?

Will I ever catch up? IS there such a thing as "caught up" when you're a mother and homemaker?

...I guess this blogging isn't really helping me catch up...

Playing Hotel

Seen on an easle at the front door yesterday.
This game kept them busy for more than an hour. Asher and Isaiah were upstairs in bedrooms and Naomi ran around fetching whatever they wanted for them from pretend cookies to real toys. It was adorable.

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sunday dinner

1:00 church = breakfast for dinner.

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What A Difference

Friday night Richard let me sleep all night and sleep in in the morning. All day long Saturday I couldn't believe how great I felt. What a difference a little sleep makes! I had convinced myself that I was doing just fine with the limited amount of sleep I've been getting - but man was I wrong! I have GOT to get this little man sleeping through the night!!

I was determined before, and now I'm even more so!

Crash

At about 4:00pm today Sammy was being grumpy so I walked into the Living Room with him, where it's a little quieter, so that he could fall asleep. I was tired so I sat down on the couch to rock him. And we both fell asleep. A while later somebody tried to wake me up to ask for a glass of milk or something. I vaguely recall mumbling to them to go ask Dad, who was working in the basement. A while later somebody came in and asked me for something else. I told them to get out. Then somebody else yelled for me because they didn't see me right behind them. By that time I had apparently slumped onto the floor (with sleeping Sammy). I finally woke up enough to realize that Richard had not come upstairs so I made myself get up. I stumbled into the kitchen long enough to get frozen chicken nuggets out and turn on the oven. Anyone who spoke to me was met with a growl and an order not to speak to me. Finally Richard came upstairs and ordered me to go to bed.
So I did.
For two hours.

I have never just truly crashed like that before. It was crazy. I could. not. wake. up. I've been working on getting Sammy to sleep through the night and what that means is that I spent about three hours last night half asleep on the couch, getting up every 10 minutes to give Sammy his pacifier instead of just feeding him to shut him up. Hopefully this plan will work - because clearly it's a little taxing on me.

More later. Still groggy.

Personal Computers

The kids each got a Leapster Explorer for Christmas. They were great on the plane for our trip to Mexico, but I love them just as much for at home. Those things give me quiet afternoons that used to be filled with the sounds of TV.

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Sock It To Em!

Without something on his hands, Sammy scratches his head so much that it looks like I threw him in a bag with an angry cat. So he spends his days and nights with socks on his hands. Which he thinks is fine since apparently those socks are pretty tasty.

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Movie and Argument

My movie recommendation of the day is SCOTT PILGRAM VS THE WORLD. It's pretty awesome. Unconventional, hysterical, fast paced, slightly angsty, slightly lovey-dovey. Loved it.

Also, my brother Mark told me that if I wanted him to comment on my blog all I had to do was post something worth arguing over. So I'm just putting this out there for the world to discuss: which of my brothers is your favorite? Mark for his awesome style, friendly conversations and loving attitude? Joe for his sense of adventure, commitment to living right, and secret sensitive side? Or Josh for his sweet smile, tough exterior with a gooey melty inside, and desire to know it all?

Brothers, defend yourselves. Others, pipe right on in.

its snowing in ...

Texas. Or at least it was. So I spent an extra day there. And this morning I got on the same flight I should have been on the day before. Sammy even got a seat! We flew to Virginia, took a cab home, got in our van, drove to my MILs where the kids were, drove home. It was quite a day. And now Im settled in to my usual spot on the couch with Sammy. I sit cross-legged on the couch while sammy lays looking at me. I make faces at him and hold up toys to entertain him while I watch TV. Its nice to be back, doing what I usually do.

Hows that for a boring blow by blow of my day? Sometimes this is the problem with NaBloPoMo. Lower quality posts.

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stuck

My flight home this morning was canceled. So im sitting at my parents house in front of a roaring fire. Who knows when Ill get home, but for now its lovely.

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work day

Today was spent cleaning out my Grandmas apartment in my parents house. It was a sad, fun, interesting, long project. And its certainly not done yet. My mom still has much to do. My favorite thing that I found was little love cards from my Grandpa to my Grandma. He called her his wifis. Which is the Croatian word for wife, but I think he also liked it because its a little silly in English. It was very sweet. Tomorrow I head home with Sammy. Richard is already off to California. Phew.

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funeral day

We just left grandmas funeral and are driving to the cemetary. Heres how Sammy is spending his day.

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Grandmas

I leave today to go to my Grandma's funeral in Texas. I'll miss her so much. But what I think is really beautiful is that while I am at my Grandma's funeral, my children will be spending the nights and days at their Grandma's house. They are so excited. And Grandma is so excited. I just really think that is a beautiful circle of life.

Hour By Hour

10:30pm - I go to sleep after one last late feeding of Sammy

12:00am - Asher wakes me up complaining that his leg is hurting. He is sent back to bed with grumpy slurred words.

2:00am - Sammy wakes up wanting to be fed. 30 minutes later I'm back in bed.

4:00am - Richard's alarm goes off forever because he's too sleepy. I finally whack him and tell him to turn it off, using grumpier slurred words. Richard gets back into bed and snores loudly.

4:10am - Naomi comes in and wakes me up to ask what that beeping was. Grumpy slurred words.

5:00am - Sammy wakes up again wanting to be fed. 30 minutes later I'm back in bed.

5:31am - I consider kicking Richard out of bed because he's snoring so loudly, but don't because I'm so exhausted that I'm already asleep.

6:00am - Sammy wakes up crying. I politely ask Richard to take care of Sammy.

6:45am - Naomi wakes me up to help her get ready for school. I stumble down the stairs. Richard sees that I am exhausted and sends me back to bed for another hour.

Bless him!

9:00am - The boys are about to leave for school and I am about to go back to bed.

Good night!

Task

This was today's task.
It's a poster for tracking Personal Progress for my Young Women at church. Richard made the chart part for me with his fabulous computer skills. Then we had it printed. Then, of course, I had to fancy it up a bit with flowers. The girls loved it when I showed them last night. They were so excited to put the little stickers in the little boxes showing how much they have done.

Sammy's Love

Sammy love, love, loves to watch a mobile turn. I've had the same bassinet for all three boys, and none of them really cared about looking at the mobile until Sammy came along. He wriggles and wiggles and coos and smiles. It's adorable. Just see for yourself!

Big Plans

I've had big plans for this day set for a month or so now. A new season of The Biggest Loser starts this week, and I want to loose weight along with them and see how far I can go in the same time that they do. I'll start up my regular work-outs again, regular gym times, and start eating healthier (not the pregnancy and post-baby fat-filled if-food-makes-me-feel-better-than-I'm-gonna-EAT diet anymore). I'm excited that I'm far enough beyond baby-la-la-land to be here!

But it's ain't happenin'. Not today anyway. Instead of hitting the gym, I am hitting the couch. Or my bed. Or the nearest chair. We've got a virus running around our house and apparently I'm it's next victim. Sammy started it (and even ended up in the ER one day because high fevers are so scary in newborns), Isaiah took a hit, Richard went down, Naomi missed her first day back to school today, and now I guess it's my turn. It's nothing too nasty, mostly just a fever and incredible aches and exhaustion - but that's enough.

So my big plans will have to wait. But hopefully not for too long!

Grandma

Still no luck on getting that video from yesterday up. Sorry.

Today was just a regular Sunday. At the change to the new year, so did the time that we attend church. Now we go at 1pm. (A really terrible time to go to church, in my opinion.) Today I spent a lot of time thinking about my grandma, Helen. She passed away yesterday. She was 87 and had lived a wonderful, adventurous, filled life. I am not at all sad for her that she died - only that we won't get to see her anymore for a while. I know that she is so happy to be reunited with her husband after being separated from him for 7 years.

Richard has always had a very special relationship with Grandma. They had a lot in common, including an appreciation for the same humor and music. I realized, as I thought about their special bond, that Richard helped me love and appreciate Grandma more. Because I fell in love with Richard and his wacky sense of humor, when I discovered their shared interests, I understood Grandma more. And understanding someone is a sure way to love them more.

I got to spend plenty of time with Grandma in past years since she has been living with my parents. I'm so glad I was around her. She once told me that she and Grandpa never raised their voices at each other once in their more-than-50-years of marriage. I'm still not entirely sure I believe that they never raised their voices, but it still gave me pause. She and Grandpa did always seem happy and in love. And I most certainly do always want to be happy and in love with my husband.

Grandma made quilts for each of her Great-Grandchildren. She never got to meet Samuel, but she did make a beautiful quilt for him. Below are some pictures of him on the quilt she made. In the middle of the photo shoot, Sammy blapped all over the blanket and himself. Asher ran to get me a burp rag, and sure enough, it was made by Grandma too! So the burp rag made it into the photo shoot in honor of her.

day 1

I promised I would post, so here I am. I had a wonderful video planned for you. But the computer gods have frowned upon me and it just ain't gonna happen. Richard has an "in" with them, so we'll see if he can help me out tomorrow. But, sorry, this is all you get today.