Alan: fruity and girly; usually through a straw; with tons of caffeine and a bit of Dew
Ander: from a sippy or straw, though he'll deem to take it the grown-up way, IF it has Diet Coke in it {mommy rolls eyes and notes that it RARELY has Diet Coke in it}
Loki: straight up, on the rocks, hot or cold, from the tap...the kid's not picky. If it's milky and wet, he'll drink it.
So much for the theory of "nipple confusion." LOL. We've even weaned from the nipple shield for several days now. He doesn't care if it's from me, warm, or cold from the frig. He'll take the nipple, the fake slow-flow nipple, or the fast-flow nipple. He doesn't care if he nurses or daddy feeds him, though he does resist a tiny bit if mommy gives him a bottle (by rooting instead of sucking for a little bit, until he realizes that he can't have boobie). He'll take any of the three different pacifiers we have, though he doesn't love the paci. (He gets it anyway to help avoid SIDS.) He's also sleeping almost exclusively in his own bed (in our room until 4 - 6 months for SIDS avoidance reasons.)
How do you like your drinks?
I like mine on a beach, with pina colada and a slice of pineapple and an umbrella and, of course, a cabana boy.
Etcetera.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Bloody Bloody Ouch
"I am a vampire
I am a vampire
I am a vampire
I am a vampire
I am a vampire
vampire
I am a vampire
I have lost my fangs
I am a vampire
I am a vampire
I am a vampire
I have lost my fangs"
92 points to whoever can guess the movie this song comes from - without using Google.
Yesterday, even though I mostly pumped all day (I was on the road), I developed a bit of blood (just a speck, really) on one nipple. Nursing on that side hurts (obviously). Yum. Do I still nurse on that side? Should I skip that side and just pump? Can I keep the milk?
Blood. Yum.
Etcetera.
I am a vampire
I am a vampire
I am a vampire
I am a vampire
vampire
I am a vampire
I have lost my fangs
I am a vampire
I am a vampire
I am a vampire
I have lost my fangs"
92 points to whoever can guess the movie this song comes from - without using Google.
Yesterday, even though I mostly pumped all day (I was on the road), I developed a bit of blood (just a speck, really) on one nipple. Nursing on that side hurts (obviously). Yum. Do I still nurse on that side? Should I skip that side and just pump? Can I keep the milk?
Blood. Yum.
Etcetera.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Practice Run
This morning, I timed getting ready to go to my mom's house with both kids. I did not have time to shower, put on makeup, or eat or drink anything. Both kids were cooperative. IT TOOK A FREAKIN' HOUR. Great. Let's review...sleep at 11 p.m., feed baby at 5 a.m., wake at 6:30 a.m. totally NOT refreshed from my five and a half broken hours of sleep, ready for drive at 8 a.m. and work at 8:30 a.m. I'm clearly going to have to change something.
I'll try getting food and clothes prepared the night before and putting things in my car, but, frankly, some of the stuff cannot be done until the morning. Sigh. How do people do this? Do I just like sleep (or eating or bathing) too much? Are my expectations (that I leave the house with a diaper, wipe, and all parts of the breast pump) too high?
Etcetera.
I'll try getting food and clothes prepared the night before and putting things in my car, but, frankly, some of the stuff cannot be done until the morning. Sigh. How do people do this? Do I just like sleep (or eating or bathing) too much? Are my expectations (that I leave the house with a diaper, wipe, and all parts of the breast pump) too high?
Etcetera.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
A to Zen
On the way to the pediatric cardiologist this morning, I told Alan how I plan to transform myself from Type A to Type Zen. His response? "Did you just make that up or did you hear it somewhere?" Ha ha, dear husband. I can be zen. I can...um, really. Okay, I'll mark "be Zen" here in my planner...there, on my way to Zen.
The doctor said Loki has a light heart murmur that he'll probably outgrow. Even if he doesn't, it's not causing any trouble or doing anything bad. He's fine! What a relief!!! I knew intellectually that heart murmurs are usually nothing, but I also knew that we were statistically likely to have a vaginal birth and take my second-born home from the hospital with us two days later...and that didn't happen. Usually, I get medically/metaphorically screwed. So I expected the worse. Or at least an extended hospital stay to rule out the worse.
In the great attempt to achieve the state of Zenness, I ate McDonald's for breakfast and took a nap. Hmmm...funny how the caffeine in the coffee did not stop me from sleeping, at all. Must have been because of the 5 hours I got last night. 5 HOURS IS NOT ZEN. NOT ZEN AT ALL. {angry face}
I also bought a new purse. I suspect for the first time ever, I bought a purse at Wal-mart. I am CERTAIN it will fall apart tomorrow. It cost $13. But it was the right size and the right color and I don't have time to shop. Purses lead to Zen, right?
Etcetera.
The doctor said Loki has a light heart murmur that he'll probably outgrow. Even if he doesn't, it's not causing any trouble or doing anything bad. He's fine! What a relief!!! I knew intellectually that heart murmurs are usually nothing, but I also knew that we were statistically likely to have a vaginal birth and take my second-born home from the hospital with us two days later...and that didn't happen. Usually, I get medically/metaphorically screwed. So I expected the worse. Or at least an extended hospital stay to rule out the worse.
In the great attempt to achieve the state of Zenness, I ate McDonald's for breakfast and took a nap. Hmmm...funny how the caffeine in the coffee did not stop me from sleeping, at all. Must have been because of the 5 hours I got last night. 5 HOURS IS NOT ZEN. NOT ZEN AT ALL. {angry face}
I also bought a new purse. I suspect for the first time ever, I bought a purse at Wal-mart. I am CERTAIN it will fall apart tomorrow. It cost $13. But it was the right size and the right color and I don't have time to shop. Purses lead to Zen, right?
Etcetera.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
I've Been Tagged
7 random facts about me:
1) I wrecked my first car around Ander's age. My mom was in the post office, the keys were in the standard shift car, and car seats did not exist. Viola! Hit the post office. My baby sister (around Loki's age) was sleeping in the back seat.
2) I listen to Dr. Laura (conservative radio advice guru) when I can. HATE HER, but find the callers interesting and would love Dr. Laura's job...but I would have the right answers. ;)
3) If it's not on my calendar, it doesn't exist. That goes beyond dates to information and birthdays and tasks and everything else.
4) I can pump about 12 ounces in 5 minutes. I usually try to only pump for 3 minutes. Oh, and that's after a 15 minute nursing session. Can you say "moo?" I can!
5) I love going camping. You probably think I don't, because I never go. But I really, really love being out in the woods, cuddling with my husband. (Cabins and A/C are welcome, but not required.)
6) My favorite coffee is a PJ's granita or a Highland Coffees granita latte. They taste exactly the same. But other than those two drinks, I only like hot coffee. Frozen coffees usually suck.
7) My favorite part-time job was working at Chocollage. I can make a mean gift basket and can name several fancy chocolates blind-folded. Love me some chocolate!
Etcetera.
1) I wrecked my first car around Ander's age. My mom was in the post office, the keys were in the standard shift car, and car seats did not exist. Viola! Hit the post office. My baby sister (around Loki's age) was sleeping in the back seat.
2) I listen to Dr. Laura (conservative radio advice guru) when I can. HATE HER, but find the callers interesting and would love Dr. Laura's job...but I would have the right answers. ;)
3) If it's not on my calendar, it doesn't exist. That goes beyond dates to information and birthdays and tasks and everything else.
4) I can pump about 12 ounces in 5 minutes. I usually try to only pump for 3 minutes. Oh, and that's after a 15 minute nursing session. Can you say "moo?" I can!
5) I love going camping. You probably think I don't, because I never go. But I really, really love being out in the woods, cuddling with my husband. (Cabins and A/C are welcome, but not required.)
6) My favorite coffee is a PJ's granita or a Highland Coffees granita latte. They taste exactly the same. But other than those two drinks, I only like hot coffee. Frozen coffees usually suck.
7) My favorite part-time job was working at Chocollage. I can make a mean gift basket and can name several fancy chocolates blind-folded. Love me some chocolate!
Etcetera.
Problems and Solutions
Poor Loki has to go to a pediatric cardiologist for a heart murmur. And poor Mommy and Daddy...'cause, really, I'm worried (even though it's USUALLY nothing) and I'm tired and we cannot afford anymore doctor visits, timewise or emotionwise. Say a prayer (or think of us or make a sacrifice...whatever it is you do) that he'll be okay and will NOT need surgery.
Also, Alan and I are out of time to get anything done at home. Take yesterday, for example. I barely got on the computer at all, since I usually only get on while nursing Loki or watching tv with Alan - and there is no time left to watch tv with Alan. :$ I woke up and checked e-mail. I feed and changed the kids. I wrote a grocery list. I went to Office Depot (more on that later) and Wal-mart. I unloaded, changed (yep, again), and fed the kids. I went to lunch (10 minutes...while watching both kids). I went to the doctor with Loki. I made a follow-up appointment with the cardiologist, in consultation with my husband. I came home. I fed and changed (yep, AGAIN...blowouts are getting old) the baby. I changed myself due to diaper overflow. :( Not my diaper. I laid down for 10 minutes. Alan came home. I fed the baby. I cooked a meat dish and a chili. I fed the baby, again. Alan took over the kids so I could meet a client deadline. I started working. Alan freaked out because one kid needed a bath and the other was screaming and Alan doesn't have boobies (there was a bottle in the frig, BTW) and TWO KIDS AND OMG AND I CANNOT DO THIS. And I freaked out, because my client has waited (somewhat patiently) for 10 weeks for me to do this assignment and he cannot wait any longer and I don't want to be sued and he's been understanding and I CANNOT DO THIS AND TWO KIDS AND OMG AND MY FOOD WAS BURNING.
As Alan later said, while we sat so I could nurse the baby and watched the Duggars, with their 17+ kids, "our marriage isn't strong enough for 18 kids." True. (Probably better left unsaid, but I'll forgive it as our marriage is a strong one...just not inhumanly strong. :)) Our house is a disaster, and that is despite the fact that we are constantly cleaning. And it's not okay, because we are losing track of stuff. (Here's an example...I could not find a pacifier for 20 minutes this morning.) It's not even stuff someone else could clean because it's mostly stuff just not put away. It's not like our floors need mopping. (Okay, our floors need mopping. But you can't see our floors, under all the crap, so you wouldn't know that.) When I finally got a bath, after Ander went to bed, I cried. Because, you know, I was so happy to get three minutes to myself. (Really, it wasn't a sad cry, except for the whole it's-sad-that-you-cry-in-happiness-over-a-bath thing.)
Today, I got a mean letter from my "boss." Somehow, I managed to fail to enter the information necessary to maintain state funding for my public defender work. I had written down the information to give to my secretary in early August. Right after that, I had my first hospital visit (of many) and was put on bedrest. Somehow, I never gave her the assignment. It never got done.
I called. I explained, took responsibility, apologized, and took care of the problem this morning.
Which leads me to the solutions portion of this post.
I set up a home office!!! I bought a cheap printer/scanner/copier at Office Depot (under $100) and a container for my paper (under $25). I bought extra office supplies. I set up next to my kitchen table, but the printer and paper are tucked out of sight in the corner. On the table, there is my laptop. And on the floor, my rolling work cart. Both the laptop and the cart go to the office with me, which means the office is pretty much invisible except when I am using it. Perfect.
I've already done enough billable work this morning to pay for it. Why didn't I do this ages ago?
I also picked up two laundry baskets for returning laundry and other stuff to Loki and Ander's rooms. Stuff kept just piling up on the kitchen table because we do laundry when the kids are asleep and you don't want to wake them to put it away. Eventually, it gets all mixed up and becomes a nightmare. Not anymore. :)
Etcetera.
Also, Alan and I are out of time to get anything done at home. Take yesterday, for example. I barely got on the computer at all, since I usually only get on while nursing Loki or watching tv with Alan - and there is no time left to watch tv with Alan. :$ I woke up and checked e-mail. I feed and changed the kids. I wrote a grocery list. I went to Office Depot (more on that later) and Wal-mart. I unloaded, changed (yep, again), and fed the kids. I went to lunch (10 minutes...while watching both kids). I went to the doctor with Loki. I made a follow-up appointment with the cardiologist, in consultation with my husband. I came home. I fed and changed (yep, AGAIN...blowouts are getting old) the baby. I changed myself due to diaper overflow. :( Not my diaper. I laid down for 10 minutes. Alan came home. I fed the baby. I cooked a meat dish and a chili. I fed the baby, again. Alan took over the kids so I could meet a client deadline. I started working. Alan freaked out because one kid needed a bath and the other was screaming and Alan doesn't have boobies (there was a bottle in the frig, BTW) and TWO KIDS AND OMG AND I CANNOT DO THIS. And I freaked out, because my client has waited (somewhat patiently) for 10 weeks for me to do this assignment and he cannot wait any longer and I don't want to be sued and he's been understanding and I CANNOT DO THIS AND TWO KIDS AND OMG AND MY FOOD WAS BURNING.
As Alan later said, while we sat so I could nurse the baby and watched the Duggars, with their 17+ kids, "our marriage isn't strong enough for 18 kids." True. (Probably better left unsaid, but I'll forgive it as our marriage is a strong one...just not inhumanly strong. :)) Our house is a disaster, and that is despite the fact that we are constantly cleaning. And it's not okay, because we are losing track of stuff. (Here's an example...I could not find a pacifier for 20 minutes this morning.) It's not even stuff someone else could clean because it's mostly stuff just not put away. It's not like our floors need mopping. (Okay, our floors need mopping. But you can't see our floors, under all the crap, so you wouldn't know that.) When I finally got a bath, after Ander went to bed, I cried. Because, you know, I was so happy to get three minutes to myself. (Really, it wasn't a sad cry, except for the whole it's-sad-that-you-cry-in-happiness-over-a-bath thing.)
Today, I got a mean letter from my "boss." Somehow, I managed to fail to enter the information necessary to maintain state funding for my public defender work. I had written down the information to give to my secretary in early August. Right after that, I had my first hospital visit (of many) and was put on bedrest. Somehow, I never gave her the assignment. It never got done.
I called. I explained, took responsibility, apologized, and took care of the problem this morning.
Which leads me to the solutions portion of this post.
I set up a home office!!! I bought a cheap printer/scanner/copier at Office Depot (under $100) and a container for my paper (under $25). I bought extra office supplies. I set up next to my kitchen table, but the printer and paper are tucked out of sight in the corner. On the table, there is my laptop. And on the floor, my rolling work cart. Both the laptop and the cart go to the office with me, which means the office is pretty much invisible except when I am using it. Perfect.
I've already done enough billable work this morning to pay for it. Why didn't I do this ages ago?
I also picked up two laundry baskets for returning laundry and other stuff to Loki and Ander's rooms. Stuff kept just piling up on the kitchen table because we do laundry when the kids are asleep and you don't want to wake them to put it away. Eventually, it gets all mixed up and becomes a nightmare. Not anymore. :)
Etcetera.