Adam Learns to Share

Sounds like a perfect children's book title doesn't it? There are many things that Adam does that I have always said could be a children's book. Adam and the Missing Shoe, Adam Gets a Hair Cut, Adam and the Horrific Roller Blading Accident, Adam Nearly Freezes, and Adam and the Tequila Bottle (ok, the last two wouldn't be so great). Anyway, I realized something cute/sweet about Adam the other day. I made Adam some sausage biscuits the other morning and wrapped them to go so he could take them to work. He said, "do you think you could make two more for Nate and Phil?". Of course I gladly did. It made me think back though. Anytime I send something to work with Adam he always asks for some extra for his friends. Brownies, cake, banana bread...Isn't he so sweet?

Great Post

Visit my friend Maggie's blog and see this post.

Things

We have had a very social week. We went to the Symphony at Sunset (I think that is what it is called) in Fondren with some friends. I have been doing my running and I am dreading next week! Last night we celebrated Chandler's birthday with Will and Calen (and Ragan and Chan, of course). We went to Julep and then ate cake at our house. I made a Bailey's Irish Cream cake. I tried to buy one from That Special Touch in Pearl, but they were too backed up. I will post the recipe. It was really good. I think my oven is a little off though. We came home from Julep and my mom said that Morgan would not take a bottle for her. This is a recent problem. He is very particular. I have no idea what to do about that. It may be easier on my once he spaces the feedings out, but at this point I wonder if there is hope of that without a bottle to gage how much he is eating. I don't know any other way. Later in the evening, Calen and I were playing on the computer and testing the video application in Facebook and though it said there were errors and didn't work, somehow the video was on there this morning for all to see. Just us making stupid faces. Stupid being the operative word. Sydney is going through something. I am not sure what. She wakes up scared or crying at least twice during the night. Sometimes three times. She doesn't want to sleep in the bed with us, just cuddle a bit and then she will back to bed. We are unpacking our dining room today and tonight. I have done a little bit of container gardening (yesterday) and we are thinking about running out to look at a few couches. This evening we are going to a Bomgar function with the kids. I have decided to run a 5k (3.2 miles) in October as a mini goal. A couple of friends are going to do it with me. Well, I think that is it!

The Cart

I don't think that I have mentioned our cart. The cart system is something that I developed to address the issues we were having with things from each room being scattered around the house and ending up in rooms that are not their own. I had this cart from something (I wish I knew what I bought this for) and it is so great for our new house. This house is a lot longer than our old house, making it tiresome to walk back and forth to each room, so I put things on the cart that belong in other rooms and then I deliver them to the correct room and pick up things from that room that belong somewhere else. It is a quick way to clean up a room. My dad always used this method with a box when we were little. I have been using the box method for years now, but I tend to stick the box somewhere and forget about it. Then I can't find my stuff!

Sydney likes to catch rides on the cart as I deliver things as you can see below.

Future Woggers of America

I just learned a new term. Wogging. Walking + Jogging. I was using the term Wunning. Running + Walking. Anyway, we go for a daily walk in addition to my training for the 5 miles I have to run soon. This is our double stroller. The one I worked so hard to find and then found it at Target. Right under my nose! Morgan is actually reclining pretty far back, but you can't tell from the picture. He looks like he is sitting up. He is big, but not that big!

PJ Time

The other day Adam asked me why I was so into matching outfits for the kids. Does he even have to ask? Because it is sooo cute. Besides, isn't that one of the main benefits/reasons to have kids? So you can dress them up for your own delight?

Notice Anything New?

I have added a poll (above) and...because I love facebook so much and I think this is a cool feature of face book, I have added my "status". You will notice the Jessica is... in the sidebar. It is just something fun that let's people know what is going on when a post doesn't really convey that message.

Celebrate the Late (Nights)

A long day paired with a night out doesn't produce the best pictures, but we decided to celebrate the late nights with some anyway. It's our life right now!

Daddy has style...Tim Gunn watch out!

Sydney's personal stylist (Daddy) has paired khaki cords with a heather gray polo. To finish the look he brings color to the outfit with hot pink cowboy boots and matching hair bow. The perfect outfit for a rainy afternoon with Daddy.

Announcement Photo

This is the photo we used for Stew Mo's announcement.

Sweet Baby

We haven't edited these yet so the color is a little off. I thought I would put it up anyway since I haven't in a while.

First Smiles!

I wish I had pictures, but it is hard to make him smile and take a picture. Yesterday I tried to video him and that was hard too. Adam will have to snap some tonight. Yesterday, Morgan smiled when I was talking to him. He gives this big grin that is so cute. Today he is doing Adam's half smile with one side of his mouth. When he smiles really big he closes his eyes. What a cutie.

Word Your Commands Wisely

Sydney has found a straw and is now roaming the house with it. Naturally, I need to retrieve this from her. I made the mistake of asking "Sydney, may I have the straw?". She responded with a smile and a sweet "no" and a shake of the head. Well, I asked instead of told. I guess I got my answer. I will now either have to distract or tell her to give it to me. I thought last night's dinner companions would find this funny since we were talking about kids, discipline, and setting them up for fits. I guess I need to remember how I should word things...

Sleep is the word of the day.

Sydney was up crying again last night. I think she is teething (along with finishing off a cold) and she will not take her tylenol. We have the kind that melt in your mouth (tablets, I wish they had the strips), but she wasn't interest last night. We thought about forcing the liquid down her mouth, but she was so upset anyway we thought it might not work and then she would be even more awake. I think Adam finally let her cry it out sometime after midnight. Morgan gave Adam a fun time while I went out to eat with friends last night. When I got home I fed him and he was acting "colicky" so I decided to try some Gripe Water. He gagged and spit up all over me, himself, and the kitchen floor twice. Then he fell asleep. Not sure what to think about that.

I did get to go to Target after dinner and I bought something interesting. I was looking for bed rails for the twin bed in Sydney's room. We are just using the mattress on her Jenny Lind bed (actually the box is under it on the floor and the mattress is just sitting on top of that). I new I might have a dilemma with traditional rails because of the mattress set up. The answer to the problem may be BedBugz inflatable bed bolsters. The ones I bought are a dark denimish chambray. The cool thing is that the are slip covers for the inflatable parts so I can make them cute by adding fabric or a monogram (I might not do the monogram since Morgan will use them one day, but that would be really cute). We are trying to get Sydney used to the bed by having it in her room and letting her get on it. Right now she has a sheer bed tent on it and she loves that. That may help or it may make her thing that the bed is for playing. She is still such a baby that I don't think we will make the move until Christmas or her birthday in January. I wish she could go ahead because I am really trying to get rid of some of the extra furniture in her room. I have decide to not have a changing table in her room anymore. I can use Morgan's for the rest of the time. I am not brave enough to try potty training yet.

As an update to Morgan's feeding. I fed him at 7:30 instead of 7:15 this morning and I am hoping that riding in the car to take Adam to the airport will help him wait until 11.

Sleep Training

I am going to attempt to follow the same method that I did with Sydney in getting Morgan to sleep through the night. I used a book called 12 Hours by 12 Weeks. It is really a good book that I order through Amazon (the link is to her sight). I think I started at 10 weeks with Sydney instead of 6 or 8 weeks like the book recommends, but it sure did work. In fact, she (the author) says that you can use if for any age past 4 weeks and a certain weight. I thought I would document my efforts with Morgan by giving a few updates along the way.

For weeks 6-8 you are supposed to make sure that the baby is eating every 3 hours and not less (such as every 2.5 hours). Morgan is already doing that so we can really move on.

The first step is to stretch feedings to every four hours during the day. You start by focusing on the first feeding of the day, which will be or 7 or 7:15 for him. I can't decide. This will also be his bed time in the evenings. Sydney wakes at 7 so it might not be the best time for him to be after her so I am not trying to do two things at once. So tomorrow morning if he wants to eat at 6:45 then I will try to hold him off as long as I can every morning until he reaches 7:15. He next eating time will be 11:15 and you do the same as the in morning. I think you can go for 4 on all the hours that day if you want or you can focus on each feeding separately until it is set and then move to the next. The thought is that he will be hungry from waiting long and will eventually start eating more at feedings. He will be consuming the same amount of food during the day, just by fewer feedings.

Step two is to start helping him drop off night feedings tracking how much he eats at each feeding and...well, we are a bit away from that so I will explain it when we get there.

Sleepy time/Mother's Morning Out

I said I wasn't going to complain about being tired anymore, but this is more of a story or illustration of my current state. Just now I dozed on the couch while Morgan was in his swing. I jumped up in a panic thinking that I had slept right through Sydney's pick up time for Mother's Morning Out. It took me a few seconds to see that it was 1:45 and remember that I had picked her up at 12. She is currently napping.

One of the reason's I love MMO (Mother's Morning Out) is that it gets me out of bed and showered, I have the morning to do things around town or the house, and I have a couple of hours in the afternoon while she naps. It is like having a day off and I can tell that she has a great time there. Yea!

Hello, Monday!

Another week. I have decided to stop complaining about being tired. Life goes on and I must get back into my normal life. We had friends over for a casual supper last night. Pesto Crusted Grilled Cheese and Tomato Basil Soup. This was after my last run for the week. I have now completed week one of the Couch to 10k program. It was the easiest week and I have to say I don't feel prepared to start the next week. There is quite a difference in the distance and the amount of running. I am making plans to paint Sydney's room. There are a million other things we need to do, but I need to get the blankets off her blinds (to block he light for naps) and make some curtains. The windows and ceilings are so tall that I think I need to go with gingham because it is so cheap. I may make a valance out of something else that costs more. I love the Dick and Jane fabric by Michael Miller. Ok, I just noticed when I was creating that link that it is cheaper than it used to be. I should go look at it now (and do some laundry). Later!

Dear makers of hyoscyamine sulfate,

Do you have a fan club I could join? I am liking you so much right now, though I am wondering why I am awake at 1 am instead of sleeping and enjoying the fact that my son is not using his toots as my personal all night alarm clock. Now, I read about your side effects and I am fully prepared to be annoyed with you at a later date, but for now I would like to thank you for what seems to be some relief if only for a night. Do you make sleeping pills for mommies?

Our night

I was so tired last night, but I cleaned anyway. My mom came over and held Morgan (he wants to be held at night) so I could get some things done. It was so great. I see now why I don't get anything done. I thought that it was because I was tired at night, but I think it is because I am tending to kids all night. Morgan did ok with his sleep and feedings last night. I have just resigned myself to the fact that I have to hold him until he is good and sleepy after each feeding. I did call the doctor's office this morning and told them that we need medicine for his gas problem. We have tried everything we can at this point and nothing helps. Now I am trying to figure out getting the prescription. I couldn't remember where Adam had our stuff from Kroger sent and I told the office the wrong pharmacy. I hope I can get it worked out soon. I am ready to try it on him and I am praying that it will be the answer to his problems and that he can get some relief.

Sydney was up at 4 AM crying. I let her get in the bed with me, but she wasn't happy until I cut on the tv. Once Morgan was ready to eat, she was unhappy again. I finally had to just put her to bed. I hate to let her cry for even a few minutes because she is so stuffy already, but she cries all day long at various things so there is no way to avoid it anyway. She only cried for a few minutes and then slept until 7:30.

He looks so cute in his new outfit. I didn't have much in 0-3 and for good reason since he is already in 3-6 month stuff. My mom bought him some Trumpette Johnny socks and they look so cute. I am going to take a picture tonight after his bath.

Yesterday evening (have you ever noticed that people never say last evening or yesterday night?), Shelley and I went for our third run. We are only run/walking a mile so we aren't anything spectacular yet, but we sure did get a good workout. We decided to take the babies so I wouldn't have to wait until my Mom left work. Not having a jogging stroller may have been part of the problem, but I am more likely to believe that it was us being out of shape. You should have heard the noise we were making on the last leg down my street. It was embarrassing.

kisses

Video taken with the laptop.

There she is.

Sydney said her first real sentence today. It would make sense that it was "there she is". We have only said it a thousand times. "Where's Sydney? There she is!" She started by making a noise that sounded like "there she is" and then as I rounded the corner she just said it as plain as day. I didn't expect it to affect me the way it did, but I actually teared up a little bit. We have been waiting on her to start talking more and "there she is" finally starting to really tell us something!

Funny Girl

Sydney has an unusual sense of humor.

Hot Food

I have noticed over the past few weeks that I have not been able to eat a without Morgan interrupting it. It is like he has a radar for things like that. With two kids you barely have time to eat. If Sydney is in her highchair eating in the kitchen then I really need to take that time to clean the kitchen or do other things that require her to be confined. This is part of the reason that I have been able to lose weight consistently since Morgan's birth. I guess this is a good thing. Last night I started to feel that cold coming on feeling in the back of my throat. I also noticed Morgan making rattling noise when he breathes. I think we have caught a cold along with Sydney. Perfect timing since Adam will be gone Tuesday -Friday. I guess Mother's Morning Out will not be an option tomorrow unless Sydney miraculously gets better today. I am now wondering if we are going to have a bad day because I just noticed that the batteries on his swing are out of juice. I don't think that the others are in the charger. Yikes! It is the only thing that keeps him happy.

Running

I am officially crazy. I have agreed to run part of a marathon relay in the MS Blue Marathon. I only have to run part of the marathon, but for someone who just had a baby and hasn't been able to call herself a runner since The Cranberries were the thing to have playing in your car as you left the school parking lot. I should be able to sufficiently run 5 miles by January. I know it can be done. The problem is that with it being so far away it is hard to get focused and actually do the work it takes to run 5 miles, but do need that much time to get in shape. I found a couch to 10k program online and I think I am going to try to follow it. The only problem is how to measure the distances. The schedule changes each day and week. I think it will be good to run in the neighborhood since it is actually held in Fondren. Talk about cold though. I remember doing a 5k in February (years back) with a friend and we were freezing! Technically, I should be out today running/walking a mile. I am not though. It is going to be a challenge in more ways than one. It will be hard to find the time to run with two kids. I don't have a jogging stroller (yet) and even if I did, there are so many hills around here, I would promptly need medical assistance. If I wait until Adam gets home I will be taking up what little time I have at night with him and once the time changes it will be too dark for me to be out running by myself. My solution is to find someone to run with two evenings a week and to make Saturday and Sunday my other days (I need to run at least 4 or 5 days a week according to the plan). My brother expressed an interest in running during the week so maybe that would work out. I am so slow though, I could probably find a walking buddy and they could walk as I run.

Announcements

I am finally getting Stewart Morgan's announcements in the mail. We have had a long search for our printer power cord and still have not found it. Thankfully, Amanda came to my rescue and printed them for me. I have been working on assembling them this morning and I am going to have Adam read me addresses aloud as I address the envelopes tonight. Now, the only thing to do is figure out if I need to take them to the post office and have them hand meter them since they have bulky ribbon at the top. I am not sure if it will mess them up to send them through the machine.

Sydney is sick with a cold and I am sure that Morgan is getting it or going to get it. He is sneezing like has been this week. Her cold has been coming on since last weekend so I think it is safe to say that we are the ones spreading the cold at Mother's Morning Out.

Morgan's Homecoming

Here is a video of Sydney greeting Morgan as he came home from the hospital.

Pictures

I tried

I just spent most of Sydney's nap trying to find a USB cable to get the pictures off of Adam camera. According to him, they are all over the house. This describes most things in my house - all over the place. Which is one reason that I haven't posted pictures. I have no time of my own. It is just typical that the day that I decide to take technology into my own hands and stop waiting on Adam, I end up not being able to find what I need. So, just close your eyes and imagine the following. Adam, as a tiny baby, but with my fat cheeks. There. Just as good as a picture right?