Wrinkles

Not the facial kind but the get in the way of all your lofty plans kind. I've got some wrinkles.

I've been doing good decent ok with the new exercise regimen. The only exercise I've ever stuck with has been running, so doing anything other than running for more than a few times is pretty spectacular for me. I'm ready to profess my love for Jessica Smith and her quick workouts. The only thing I don't really like is the cardio routine on the DVD and that's more because I am so completely uncoordinated. It's okay for one session but now that I've added more, I just can't do two in a row. But luckily she adds routines to her youtube all the time and I've been able to find quick workouts for a little variety. I had to shift my running days so that I could have a true rest day with no obligations, instead of a rest day from exercise and a rest day from running and not having them be on the same day! The house is not as damaged as I thought it would be and aside from last week when I was fighting a cold and had a million things to do that kept me from home, I've been following my schedule pretty well.

And then yesterday happened.

I took Lightrunner to his 6 month checkup. And as I had feared and expected, he hasn't gained much weight in the last couple of months (he weighs 13 pounds, 9 ounces). He's grown longer so it's not a "failure to thrive" situation and he's clearly happy and healthy. He's just following in his siblings' skinny footsteps. We started cereal on Monday and I thought I would be chastised for waiting so long, but instead my pediatrician (who I love) was adamant about making sure that breastfeeding is his number one source of calories. She's afraid that his interest may wane now that cereal has been included in his diet. Luckily I spent so many wee morning hours pumping up a freezer supply so that I can mix his cereal with frozen pumped milk so he'll get some extra that way. But she also wants me to add an extra feeding and since neither one of us wants to disturb his 11-hour nights, that means I need to squeeze a 5th nursing in to our day. Just a few short months ago I did feed him 5 times a day, every 3 hours, and there was no problem. But as of late we've only been doing 4 times a day, every 4 hours, and he's been giving me glorious 2 hour naps (if we're home). Going back to every 3 hours is going to interfere with naps. Interfering with naps is going to interfere with EVERYTHING.

Wrinkles.

The good thing is that my ped is pro-breastfeeding and is not telling me to add formula or push him into pureed foods. The good thing is that he did gain SOME weight, he did grow, and he's bigger than SkyWalker was at 6 months. Anyone who sees him can see how well he is doing--he's not starving, he's got some good chub on his legs, and he is almost always smiling and happy. I just need to make sure he stays that way. I'm sure I'll come up with a good routine for us that will keep him fed and well rested and me exercised and stress-free.

And then he'll get his first tooth.

Bedtime can't come fast enough

I have a million things on my to-do list today. I have already swept up Isaac's dead skin, so now I still need to do laundry. And then more laundry. And clean the pee off of the guest bathroom floor. And straighten up the kitchen. And pack. And drain the pool. 

The Princess is not cooperating. 

The past few days she has skipped her morning nap and taken a nice long 2 1/2 hour nap in the afternoon. Glorious. Not today, the day I need to get a million and one things done. She slept a tiny bit in the car this morning and I wonder if that has thrown her off. She only napped for about 45 minutes after lunch. I can't drain the pool with her at my side. And I don't want to let her crawl around outside since it just stopped raining. Which also means that there's more water in the pool for me to drain. Gah! 

Vader came home last night and looked at the pool. He's going to get some sand and help me set it up. In the meantime I need to drain it so it doesn't become a malaria breeding ground and get it back in the garage so it doesn't blow away. I'm not sure how I'm going to get that done today. 

In the loose thread section, I have stopped nursing the Princess. I made it to July and am very happy about that. July 1 was our last day. It was a little sad but I'm enjoying her 8 am wake ups. :-) (As long as big brother doesn't wake her up earlier by slamming the stair gate on his way to snuggle in bed with me).

SkyWalker is demanding that he be allowed to do his e-mail now. Let me leave you with this gem from my son after releasing gas from some part of his body: "People burp, fart, cough and say happy birthday to your HAIR! HAHAHA"

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Weaning

I did not nurse the Princess last night. 

I know. I didn't nurse her Wednesday or Thursday night either, so what's the big deal? Last night was the first night I made the decision not to do it. Tuesday night I tried to feed her and she squirmed out of my arms so she could crawl after her brother into the bathroom, climb up the step stool and brush her teeth. Thursday night Vader didn't give her a sippy cup of milk at bedtime and she slept just fine. So last night as it got later and later and closer to bedtime I just decided not to offer. If she still wanted me she could have asked. She didn't. 

She did still nurse this morning and I'll keep that going for the next few weeks. I have to remind myself that I've been doing this for 13 months now. She came out of me ready and raring to go and she did really well. She started to lose interest as soon as she had a taste of big people food, but we still kept it going. I was lucky enough to be home with her all day and not have to pump that often. We did really well and it's a lot to be proud of but it's still a little sad. A couple of people have asked if she's my last. I can see how it would be harder to let go with your last, but I don't see how's it's any *easier* to let go now. She's not my last and I know I'll do it again, but this is about her and me. Not about my breastfeeding future. It's about our relationship changing. She's growing up, getting independent. And as much as we all want that for our children and we try to guide them there, it's still sad when it starts to happen. 

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Time

The little Princess is now a year old. Her birthday was on Thursday and I am still in shock. It's been a year since we brought her into our lives and we became a multi-child family. It's been a year since I stopped working full-time and left that drama behind.

She's been on whole milk since Thursday. I am so proud that we lasted that long. She's still nursing morning and night and we'll keep that up as long as we can. I'm shooting for July. She'll be 14 months then and that's when my sister's wedding is so it would be a good time to stop. I made it to 15 months with SkyWalker and by the end it was just the morning feed. I think we can do it. She's doing okay with the milk. She has a bad diaper rash right now, but she didn't get it immediately after having the milk... she got it after pooping 4 or 5 times on Friday. Her check up is tomorrow so we'll see what it is. Wouldn't it be funny if she was somehow lactose-intolerant and I needed to start breastfeeding again? Ha.

She and her brother get into all sorts of trouble, making messes every where they go, and it's both frustrating and wonderful. There are disagreements but for the most part they get along really well.

diapers

I took that picture last year as I was preparing for the Princess's birth. The newborn diaper and SkyWalker's size 5 side by side. Guess what the Princess is wearing now? Yup, she and her brother are wearing the same size diapers. To be fair, she could probably still be in 4s but when you sleep 12 hours a night you need a bigger diaper. SkyWalker only wears his at night so he doesn't need a whole bunch. So they are both wearing the same size. Which is just too funny.

Also funny--SkyWalker insisted the other day that he needed to check his e-mail. I told him he didn't have e-mail. He said "I need e-mail" in a very matter of fact voice. So I said fine, and made him a new gmail. I only have 95 invites left. He now has his own e-mail and he e-mails his grandparents. He does all the typing--like dog and fart--and will ask me how to spell other words and then he'll type them.

He's also been making cards for everyone. I had him make a card for his sister for her birthday. So now he takes paper, draws happy face balloons on them, writes the first 2 letters of his name on it, folds it in half, and then comes up to me and says "what's it gonna be?" which means "I have a surprise, what do you think it's going to be" and then pulls a card from behind his back. He also says "what's sticking out?" I'm assuming from behind his back. He has made cards for everyone he knows, including all the dogs in the family and Nana's cat. They are all on display in various places in the house and we will soon run out of room.

Good times.

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My son is in love

I caught him looking at pictures on our computer all by himself (he opened them up. He is too smart). And saying "Awww.... Awww Ruby." He wants to buy her a present and he has told me at least 5 times how he loves her. "I just love Ruby dog." Ruby is my brother and SIL's dog. She is the cutest little puppy.

The Princess is 1 tomorrow. She'll celebrate by having her first cup of cow's milk. I held on to the end! We'll still nurse at wake-up and bedtime for as long as we can. But she'll get her cow's milk at meals. I stopped pumping a while ago but last week was the first week I would have had to pump and didn't... I'm not sorry to see the pump back in the closet but I am sorry to see our nursing days coming to a close. There's not much difference between 2 and 3 times a day but I'm sure that once she starts getting cow's milk she'll be less thirsty for me... although she may very well want to keep it up for comfort. Wouldn't that be funny? She gets it less and wants it more. We'll see...

I forgot to mention this a while ago.... I got a charge on my verizon phone bill from ILD teleservices for some type of voice mail I never set up. The phone company provided the phone number for ILD and said I had to contact them directly to remove the charge and that they couldn't prevent it from happening again! Isn't that crazy! They couldn't prevent fraudulent charges! I was able to get in touch with ILD and they removed the charge. The next phone bill had the credit and then another charge and credit! I was so irritated that I started looking into doing the digital phone with the cable company. I already have digital cable and high speed internet. I called and set up the appointment for next week. So soon I too will be able to look at my TV and know who is calling! HA! Call waiting and caller ID and long distance are included. And the price is less than what I pay for verizon and AT& T together. We get to keep our phone number too.

I leave you with the funniest picture we took on vacation. Any guesses as to where we took it?

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The Poop Wars

Today's game was "Who's heiney needs to be wiped the most?". SkyWalker pooped once requiring LOTS of wipage. He pooped a second time while I was in the shower and didn't tell me. There was LOTS of toilet paper and wipes in the toilet. I can only hope that some of them actually made contact with his anal region. The Princess, not wanting to be outdone, pooped three times before 2 pm, each one messier than the last.

Neither of them won.

The winner, hands-down, was Isaac. He did not poop once today. Not at all. But he still managed to get icky stainage all over his heiney. He tried to wipe himself on the floor. And he's clearly wiping himself outside since he's all green as well as poopy. I had to use the kids' wipes on him numerous times today and he is still filthy. I doubt he can get a bath until his stitches are out. He didn't try to roll over when I was wiping him, like the Princess does, but he did growl a bit and didn't really cooperate.

Good times.

The Princess randomly nursed during soccer this morning. She must have been really thirsty/hungry. She even did it with big brother sitting right next to her because he refused to play at all. Again. He's paying for this session. He didn't want to leave the house, didn't want to stop playing with his toys. If he continues like this I might stop it for the summer. I'm not paying all that money for him to just sit there next to me. He wouldn't even play with me out on the field holding the Princess.

I have eaten a lot of munchkins in the last 15 minutes.

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Progress!

The Princess refused to nurse on the left side again this morning, so I waited 20 minutes and tried again and she still refused. I offered the right and she at least took that. The left side was the one she bit me on so maybe she was having some post traumatic stress from when Mommy yelled at her. At least she took the right.

We went to soccer despite SkyWalker's earlier claim that he did not want to go. It was iffy at first with him clinging to me and not wanting to play but we managed to coax it out of him and he did run around and play and drink lots of water. We went to Linen's & Things after and by the time we got home it was lunch time. SkyWalker peed so he could watch Dora and lo and behold he pushed his poop out! I think the exercise and the water helped. He has since pooped once more. The Princess was so hungry she nursed on the left side while we were sitting on the couch next to big brother (impossible these days) while he was watching TV! Not only TV, but her favorite show. Yes, my 9 1/2 month old has a favorite show. SkyWalker recently started watching Dora and the Princess loves it whenever I let her look at it. Her little booty shakes to all the singing. 

AND... I talked to someone at soccer. There was a mom there with a baby and she asked how old the Princess was (hers was 8 months). After class she was giving her kids lunch there (great idea) and I stopped and asked how much she was eating and breastfeeding and all that and had an actual conversation with a stranger. Go me. And there are now 11 moms who have joined the new meetup I started less than a week ago. Go me. 

So, progress. 

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The jedi drive me crazy

It has not been a good week for the jedi.

Monday SkyWalker was a little more whiny than usual. Monday is cleaning day and I barely got anything done. The first time your kid says "I want you to play with me" in a tiny little voice it's sweet and sentimental. The 20000 time he says it when you've been playing with him all day and what you really need to do is clean his piss off of the damn toilet, it's not so sweet and cute anymore. On top of that the Princess napped like crap and was cranky.

Tuesday started out okay. Aside from the Princess vomiting on me at storytime, it went well and one of the clerks (that I don't know) told me they won the award for the best behaved children in the library. We went to Target and SkyWalker screamed "I am a Mr. Pirate!" which was hilarious. But when we got home it was clear that we were entering another non-pooping episode. He didn't poop. The Princess didn't nurse. I fed her at 1:30. At 6 I tried to feed her, she bit me, I yelled, she cried and REFUSED to nurse the rest of the day. She had a bottle this morning and then I finally got her to nurse at 1:40.

Today was HORRIBLE. I tried to be non-emotional about SkyWalker and his poop this time and not sound like I thought it was his fault, but rather that we would work together to help his poop come out. He had bran flakes for breakfast and apple juice. He refused prunes so I spiked his PBJ with them (pureed prunes). I only hope that they are working right now and that he will be okay for soccer tomorrow. Otherwise he will be a big whiny pain in the ass. He cried and screamed over ridiculous things today. I finally couldn't stand it anymore and when the Princess went down for her nap (crying), I told him he had to stay in his room so I could take a shower. He screamed and cried. And fell asleep. And was still asleep 2 hours later when I left for work. They were both asleep. So my last interaction with them was telling them both to just lay down and go to sleep as they cried. Good times.

On the plus side SkyWalker's bed was dry last night (he's been wearing underwear the last 3 nights).

I always feel weird complaining here. Like I don't have the right... because I wanted to be home, I wanted to stay with my kids. But even if you love every second of your job you can still look forward to the weekends right? I'm still where I want to be. Some days are just harder than others.

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In case there is any doubt

that my son is in fact a genius:

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The big happy face is the Daddy happy face. The smaller one is SkyWalker (note the perspective--he's looking at the Daddy) and the smallest is the princess. He made it for her so it's hanging in her room right now.

And then today he did this:

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Might be hard to see... but that is a happy face sun. That is hanging on our refrigerator.

And just for fun here is a picture of the two of them playing together:

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One slipper belongs to him and one to her.

The Princess has done nothing but nurse and sleep today. She didn't have a fever but she was just SO tired. Maybe she got it from me. Maybe it's contagious. Because I could totally fall asleep right now.

Why am I so soft in the middle when the rest of my life is so hard?

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Duh

2 weeks will not hurt the Princess. I will switch her to cow's milk during the day before we go to NC to make both the road trip and the actual trip easier and just continue to nurse first thing in the morning and at bedtime. I'll be giving her yogurt as soon as her diaper rash clears up (if it ever frickin' does) so I'll be able to see if she has any problem with dairy... and if she does, well 2 weeks wouldn't have mattered anyway. She should have seen the ped. for her 9 month check up this week but her doc had the nerve to have a baby herself and is on maternity leave. So she's going next month. I'll get permission then. ;-)

I realized today why this is such a decision though... when SkyWalker turned a year old I switched him to cow's milk during the day and nursed him morning and night. Same plan right? But it was different because I was working full-time. So what I was cutting out was pumping during the day! He was getting bottles at daycare anyway... who cared what was in them? It did hurt on the weekend but not tremendously. (Poor bookishbiker had to read all about  that too!) Now, I am home all day with the Princess. So I'm going to be cutting out... myself. Sure I can stop pumping at 6 am and at work and that will be nice (although if I'm doing the bedtime feed would I still pump at work? Hmmm), but for the most part I will be replacing myself. I'm giving up a lot more.  

Of course I am talking about 2 months from now so why am I even thinking about this?

Because I am a planner. And a worrier. I'm always thinking ahead of myself.

Funny things SkyWalker has been saying:

while loading his cars into the little bathroom garbage I have, "Now, don't get in my way."
"Don't drop your hot tea Mommy." (I wasn't even close)
"Don't get in trouble." I don't know who *I* would get in trouble with. But he keeps saying this one to me.
"You member? You have to..."

After snacky-snack he asked for a chocolate (V-Day buttercups). I asked him what he had to do for a chocolate and puckered my lips waiting for a kiss. He said "Pee?" I laughed and said "No, what do you think you have to do?" and puckered my lips again even more exaggerated. He said "Drink water?" And I lost it laughing and did the whole thing again and he finally said "Kiss Mommy??" It was just hilarious. It's not like I routinely ask him to kiss me in order to get chocolate but I thought the puckered lips was a dead give-away. Although he's right in that I ask him to pee before he does ANYTHING. It's a wonderful tactic and I highly recommend it. Want to eat? Pee. Want to watch TV? Pee. Want to play downstairs/outside? Pee. Want to leave this house? Pee. It's great.

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Decisions

We've pretty much decided we're all going to North Carolina at the end of April. I do not want to be left alone for such a long time, particularly since Vader will have gone to Buffalo at least TWICE between now and then, leaving me alone with the kids and the dogs. His trial is in April and I just don't think him being gone so much would be good for the kids. Or for me. So I am picking my anti-traveling ass up and we're going. We'll be driving so we can have our stuff and set our own time table. It'll take 2 days to get there and then another 2 days back, and that will suck, but what are you going to do? I'll need to get off work and that will also suck but I have to keep reminding myself that I am part-time now. If I'm not here I don't get paid so a sub can. I am not full-time. It is not a big deal for me to not be here as long as I give enough notice so someone else can get the hours.

Now I need to decide what to do with the Princess and breastfeeding.... when we take our trip she will be 2 weeks shy of 1 year. I can't even believe that. But anyway, she's been doing 4 feedings a day since she was 4 or 5 months old. I can't remember. Instead of every 4 hours (SkyWalker was always every 3) she is now feeding at 7, 11:30 (because I wake her/make her), 4:30 and bedtime which is usually 7:30. She doesn't take much at 7:30 and I have a feeling that the middle 2 feedings will start to merge... Where was I going with this? Oh, the trip! So who knows how often she will be breastfeeding by then. I'm wondering if I should just plan on switching her to cow's milk earlier than her birthday to make the trip easier? It's not like there's a magic button that says "she is now 12 months and can have cow's milk". 2 weeks will not be the end of the world. You know my problem right? I like following rules. But I've been giving her finger foods much sooner than her pediatrician recommended... It would be so much easier to just feed her in the morning and then at bedtime (which she might actually do more of if she's down to 2 feedings) and then do cow's milk during the day. I managed to keep breastfeeding another 3 months doing that with SkyWalker. I can do it with her too...

I had a bunch more to say but it is now 8 and I am done pumping and need to get back to work. I expect numerous comments telling me what to do by tomorrow. By all 3 of you that read my blog.

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"We makin' friends"

The jedi and I went to a meetup at an indoor play area that we haven't been to since his birthday--with his little best bud who is now a Texan. It was jam-packed with kids. He ran away from me and climbed on things and said "hi" and "peekaboo" to other kids and their moms (!) and smiled at people and had a wonderful time. He didn't play with anyone for real, but he climbed next to kids and didn't let them stop him from doing things. The Princess lured many a mama my way with her amazing beauty. For reals, yo. I know I'm biased, but every single mom was drawn to her and said the same thing "Wow, she's so beautiful." She sat and looked at people and smiled and crawled toward me and was perfectly fine. I made the obligatory small talk and tried to not be myself. On the way home SkyWalker said he had fun and "we makin' friends. I say hi."

I think I've reassessed what I want out of these things. I don't want friends for me. I don't even necessarily want friends for him--not real ones anyway. He'll make his friends once he gets to school. Right now what I want to do is just expose him to a bunch of different kids so that he's comfortable in social settings (unlike his parents). I don't want him to hide--physically or mentally--when he gets in with a group of kids. We're not looking for best friends. I think we're just looking for acquaintances really. We have our weekly playdates with our old friends and that's going well. It doesn't even matter if the boys become friends--each will have a familiar face on that first day of kindergarten.

The Princess is officially crawling. No more belly flopping halfway there... let the games begin! Maybe now Vader will do something about a real gate at the bottom of the stairs. One that SkyWalker can open but the Princess cannot.

It is wicked busy at the library tonight. I got blindsided when Bee went on dinner and now I'm in here pumping. I hope it has slowed down some and she's not overwhelmed. I'm actually been working in addition to the reference! So there, it happens people. Sometimes I work.

LOST starts in one hour. Sigh. I hope the DVR doesn't mess up.

The tap is dry. I'm running out of milk. The Princess is more interested in waffles and peas (what the dilly-o?) and everything but mama. Either that or she is just wicked efficient... which could be the case. She was always quicker. In the beginning she would nurse for 10 minutes but she was awake and actively nursing the entire time. Now she's down to 3-4 minutes. 5 if I'm lucky. I know she's getting something because I can feel it and she's swallowing... but can she really get what she needs in 5 minutes? She hasn't been finishing her bedtime bottle when I'm at work but I've been feeding her more often because she's so quick... so maybe she's just snacking now. Taking 2 or 3 ounces here and there instead of the 5-7 she used to do. She is getting 6 ounces mixed in with her cereal everyday... as much as I love breastfeeding I hate the insecurity and doubt that goes along with it.

SkyWalker came in the bathroom today as I was taking care of some ahem, feminine issues... He looked at the maxipad and said "what that is?" I decided to bombard him with information to make him go away so I started by saying "Well, Mommy has her period..." and I kid you not, his "I'm a male and don't want to hear it DNA" kicked in and he said "Okay" and ran out saying "I'm a piggy bank" and hitting the top of his head like he was putting a penny in it.

And now... back to work.

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Carpe Diem

All summer long I wore nursing camis. They were WONDERFUL. Easy.

Cami

I just undid the hook at the top, and I was ready to go. No playing with flaps or underlayers or any of that crap. But now, it is winter. And I am cold. Sigh. I cannot wear these without turning my heat up to 80 and I'm not ready to go there yet. I do have double zip sweaters (zip up from the bottom) and I wear these under them or a nursing bra, but it's just not the same. I need one of my knitting friends to knit me a sweater that's like the cami--that pulls down from the top. I'm pretty sure this is impossible. But I'm also pretty sure that if it's not impossible, one of my knitting friends could do it. They're pretty good.

The Princess had her check-up today. She is 15 pounds, 15 ounces, 25 and 3/4 inches. 50% both height and weight. She's slowed down in her weight gain (which is normal for breastfed babies and totally fine since she was getting to be a chunky monkey). She's got eczema just like big brother and Daddy. But doing just fine. SkyWalker got his flu shot without any crying. He winced, said "That hurt!" but took it like a big boy. I was so proud of him. Having Daddy there helped though.

You know when you start to feel bad for yourself and do a lot of complaining and then you hear something that makes you stop and say "What the hell am I feeling bad for??" One of my friends lost her uncle (father's brother) the other night--car crash. The very next day another uncle, also her father's brother, had an apparent heart attack and died in his sleep. He was making funeral arrangements. So now her poor father has lost TWO brothers in just TWO days. Can you even imagine? How horrible is that? My heart goes out to their entire family.

Carpe diem man. Carpe Diem.

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Boobalicious

The average weight gain for newborn babies according to kellymom.com (a fantastic site for breastfeeders) ranges from 5-8.5 ounces a week depending on the source of the information. The little Princess went for her weight check yesterday. She gained 2 pounds since her last checkup, 16 days before. Do the math people, she's gained twice as much as the average. Hilarious. She is now 8 pounds, 15 ounces. Or well, she was that at 1 pm yesterday. I'm sure she's over 9 pounds now. Keep in mind that although she was 7 lbs, 4 oz at birth she dropped down to 6 lbs 11 oz when we brought her home. In conclusion, my boobs are magic.

Is it any wonder I'm so frickin' tired? I feed her A LOT. But I'm wearing my smallest shorts today, shorts that didn't fit me just last week (although I lost all the weight immediately except for a few pounds in my boobs, my belly was still somewhat flabby and I couldn't wear things that should have fit.).

My mother is here visiting and SkyWalker has conned her into getting up very early and taking care of him. I am, ashamedly, letting him get away with it. I can hear him over the monitor but I am in bed blogging. I am showered and dressed and relaxing a little while the Princess sleeps next to me in her co-sleeper. She's stretching and waking up and ha, right now she is putting her little hands on the sides of her head in a "why do I have to get up now?" manner which is precisely what I do at 3:30 am when she is demanding to be fed.

I should probably rescue my mother and bring the Princess upstairs to get dressed. It is 7:12 am. How on earth am I awake?

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I am sleepy

I am sleepy... I am sleepy.. why aren't you?? Yawn.

Things have been going okay. I've been keeping my shit together which is the important thing. It's quite ironic that SkyWalker has chosen now when his baby sister has just arrived and I am up every 2 hours, to have his vocabulary EXPLODE. He has not stopped talking. At all. I don't know when he breathes. Really, I don't. If he's not talking to me he's just talking in general. He's awfully cute with what he is saying and he's doing so so so well with his pronounciation and repeating what we say. But he also has the tendency to repeat what he has just said, about a million frickin times. "Daddy go back outside?" I think he's missing his short-term memory. I answer him each time, without using the f-word, and I don't want to stifle his development. But man, when you haven't been sleeping sometimes all you want is a little quiet.

The Princess is doing better about the night feedings. I've been getting her up every 2 hours during the day and feeding her, regardless or whether she wakes on her own or not. I've also been mostly feeding her just one side, for as long as she wants, except for in the morning after I pump when she gets both sides to get even more of the "hind milk." She's so much more efficient than her brother was--she can finish in 10 minutes or sometimes even less. If she continues to go every 2 hours at night (or longer) than I'll stop waking her during the day and let her tell me when she wants to eat. She had been eating every hour or less at night and that just sucked. She also tends to have her big poopies at night. Thanks.

Speaking of poopies--SkyWalker pooped on the potty intentionally this morning! And he's been peeing on the potty. He's wearing Hulk pull-ups right now. Mostly because it's easier for me to change him standing up with those than with diapers. I think he'd be potty trained if I was seriously doing it, but I can't seriously do it if I'm nursing every 2 hours. I think in a few weeks we might try. But who knows?

We went to a fire truck museum yesterday and SkyWalker loved it. He got to wear a firefighter jacket and hat and ride on a few of them. It was nice doing something fun as a family. We never do that. This is Vader's last week at home and while I keep thinking "what am I going to do when he goes back to work?" there really won't be much of a difference since he's been outside most of the time doing his landscaping or mowing the lawn. Right now he is having lunch with his friend.

My dogs are outside and want to come in but I am being lazy and not getting up to open the door. I wish we had a doggie door, but then again I don't.

A few days ago I put The Princess in her crib for her first nap there. At the same time that SkyWalker was napping. It was wonderful! I took a shower! I can't get anything done until she's napping in her crib so I've got to get that established early. The Princess is 2 weeks old, 2 1/2 actually, and already she has cried herself to sleep. Unintentionally. We were all upstairs (by all I mean me and them) and I was in the bathroom with SkyWalker. The Princess was in her crib and she started crying. But I was in the middle of helping SkyWalker on the potty and couldn't leave. Then all of a sudden she was quiet. I checked in on her and she was asleep. She woke up briefly and then put herself back to sleep.  She's napped twice in her crib today and put herself to sleep there. Woo-hoo! She sleeps so much that she's often asleep when she finishes nursing. Even after I change her diaper. She's rarely awake so it's tough to put her down when she is awake so she can learn how to fall asleep on her own. I don't nurse to sleep and I don't rock to sleep and I really believe in babies learning how to do that themselves so they can soothe themselves at 3 am without needing my boob or something else from me to get back to sleep. So it's good that we're heading in the right direction.

I've been up since 5:30. And I mean up. I nursed her at 5:30, got out of bed at 5:45, was pumping and sewing a shirt that ripped at 6, ordered new nursing camis at 6:30 and was in the shower by 7. And nursing again by 7:30. I am very much ready for a nap right now. Unfortunately with the exception of Miss Sleeps All Day, no one else is ready for a nap. Would it be really bad if I started slipping benedryl in his lunch? Or just be direct and give him sleeping pills? Really, would it be so wrong?

Aside from the normal sleeplessness and stress of "Am I doing anything right?" things are going really well. SkyWalker is wonderful with his sister. He wants to hug her all the time and truly loves her. He shares his old toys and will much more readily give HER something than me. He plays by himself and is not constantly whining for my attention. He's so much better than I would have expected, but then again he's generally so well-behaved I shouldn't be surprised. He has his moments and there have been some times when he's been pretty whiny or too hands on with The Princess. Like 2 seconds ago, he just dopped her pacifier on her even though she is asleep and I told him she doesn't need it. But that's much better than smacking her in the face right?

I should probably start paying attention to them all again. Especially since someone is squeezing my bog toe and oh, he just kissed my foot. Tee-hee. Oh--quick funny--SkyWalker thinks me pumping is fascinating to watch (um, please don't!) but the funniest is him saying that The Princess is drinking from my "belly." We've both told him that she gets her milk from my "breast" but he insists that it's my belly and he pokes me there and says "belly!" It is hilarious.

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