Week in Review ~ 4/28

I didn't keep up with what we did this week, and we didn't do much that was noteworthy.  Here are some highlights:

-Sam either slept really well or really bad.  Some days he would nap for over two hours at a time, multiple times a day, and some days we were lucky to get thirty minutes.  One night he slept from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. and has also gone 5-7 hours as well. I tried our Dr. Brown bottle Monday for 3 feedings to see if it helped with the stomach noise I was hearing, but it did not.  I can hear the formula hitting his stomach, and it will remain rumbly quite a while after a feeding.  We started oatmeal in his bottles (per the pediatrician) on Saturday to see if that would help with the reflux.  That meant we were back to our Playtex Drop-Ins since we already had nipples for cereal.  We stopped the cereal Sunday night because his gas had increased so much.  Those bottles did not see to help with the stomach noise either.  They are easier to wash but a pain to measure out, so I'm hoping we can stay away from them.  Sam has his 2-month check next Monday but I'm hoping we can get him some relief before then.  He will go for hours at a time during the day without any good sleep.  Hopefully we can figure out if it's reflux, stomach issues, or both.  Both Avery and Sam have me to blame as I was a reflux baby with projectile vomit.

-I managed to do a good bit of unpacking/putting away this week.  I got all my china unpacked and into my china cabinet.  It was nice to unpack pieces that I hadn't even opened after the wedding.  I also got my Christmas china put away in an empty kitchen cabinet.  The garage is looking much less packed, and I am hopeful that I will park in there before long.  We still have one storage unit to empty, and much of that is garage-type items that will probably be in my way until Ned gets some type of building outside.

-I have been enjoying the Dateline series putting kids and teenagers to the test with strangers, cheating, driving issues and more, and all were related to peer pressure.  It literally takes my breath away to think of all we must teach and instill in Avery and Sam with no guarantee that they will listen or obey.  Sleep issues and whining are tiring now but will pale in comparison to these issues one day.  I can already see that Avery has exited the "bubble" and is influenced by her buddies.  My first indications were talking about the Grave Digger and saying "butt."  Clover Lane had a fantastic post about parenting...deciding when to stand strong, when to hold your tongue, and when to find a middle ground.  It concerned her daughter a lot which I of course relate to Avery.  There are so many lessons I want her to learn, but many of those lessons will come from mistakes, hurt feelings, and hard times.  It can still take getting my feelings hurt to learn a lesson at 29, so I'm preparing for an uphill battle with her.  I know we'll go through many similar and many different circumstances with Sam, but for now he just smiles at me like I'm the best in the world, so my mind can rest easy about him in my bubble awhile longer.

-Avery was home Thursday, and in addition to the duck adventure, we did Play Doh, played her Roll & Play game, colored, and had all sorts of other fun.  We're taking a trip with the group from Jen-Jen's this week, and I'm excited to have some special time with her.

-I came to the conclusion this week that I'm getting old when I realized how excited I was about a new vacuum.  Our current model is Ned's old one and even new was never anything to get excited over.  A vacuum was not something we wanted to add to our spending list right now, but I just can't see running that massive thing over our floors.  The deal was sealed when we got a Lowe's coupon, then realized Bed Bath and Beyond had them on sale, then realized Amazon's regular prices were just as good.  I researched and read reviews as I always do, and now it's just time to order so I can stop sweeping.

-We had our first "take the baby out of the restaurant" Friday night when we went out to dinner for Mimi's birthday.  Sam hadn't slept well all day, and I had initially sent Ned and Avery without me.  The restaurant was loud and he would have been fine, but I had had enough as well at that point, so we retreated to the car for a bottle.  In almost 3 years of parenting and lots of eating out with Avery, we've only had to walk her around a restauarant at the beach once or twice after a long wait.  Further proof that no two are alike and that life turns on it's ear again with the addition of another child.

-Avery and I made a grocery run Saturday morning, then she colored while I made Coca Cola cake.  It is delicious, and now I won't feel so bad if I'm too full at Cracker Barrel to eat theirs.  The cake was for dinner at my parents'.  It was nice to get out and have a good dinner of fried fish and yummy sides.  Avery had her second night of going to bed late

Water Feature

One thing we loved about the location of our house was that we would be very close to the pond where ducks and geese frequent.  We like to stroll, give them a bite to eat, and occasionally give them a heart attack when Dixie goes in for a swim.

What we didn't know is that the ducks {and the pond} would come to us and take up residence in our backyard.

Your eyes do not deceive you, and the ducks are not squatting.  It's deep, folks.  We knew we were moving into a bit of a marshy area.  However, this spot, made more apparent by the recent rain, needs some attention and a good amount of fill dirt.

The ducks were lured by the water.  When they arrived, they found delicious grass seed.

And now they return for the promise of honey wheat bread served by a small person squawking "Quack, quack ducks!"

When Ned came home for lunch, he commented that the ducks were awfully brave to be on the steps.  Could be because sister was calling them up {and her throw needs a little strength behind it}.

The ducks also know good fashion when they see it.

Until next time, duck friends.  Thanks for the warm welcome to the neighborhood.

Week in Review ~ 4/21

This was a week of doctor visits and crazy sleep.  Ned took Avery to church Sunday morning, and I was sure I was getting the better deal, because I just knew Sam would nap and I could get some things done.  Wrong.  After getting up just once in the night, he refused to nap in the morning.  I thought I would pull my hair out, because I would work and work to get him to sleep, and he'd be awake 5 minutes later.  Avery did the very same thing when she started going longer between feedings at night.  I'd love to know if it's just my two crazy kids or if others have experienced this as well.  When Ned and Avery returned, I went to Walmart.  After lunch we did get Sam to nap for hours and Avery napped as well.  We went to Lowe's after everyone was up.  It amazed Ned that I would go out so close to dinner, but things change with two kids and I was ready to get out.  We picked up Sonic for dinner and headed home after we shopped.  Once Avery went to bed, Ned worked on my computer desk, and because Sam had stayed awake 2-3 hours while we were gone, I actually got him to sleep and put him in the bouncer.  He usually sleeps between our dinner and bedtime, but someone has to be holding him.

Monday and Tuesday were not great days for Sam's naps.  He was back to 3-4 hours between feedings at night, and I literally could not get him to nap.  If he did, it was less than 45 minutes.  I know short naps are normal, but he isn't happy and rested after one.  I also know that 6 weeks is prime for wakefulness and fussiness, and I am thankful that we don't have much fussiness and rarely have the screaming that Avery blessed us with at this age.  I hoped it was a growth spurt because he would seem hungry when he woke up.  I also hoped that it was maybe the fact that his rocker was in his room for naps now, but who knows.  Car rides to pick up Avery weren't much fun either.  Nothing special went on those days other than normal parenting and household things.

I had my 6-week check-up Wednesday afternoon.  Ned got off at noon so he was able to keep Sam.  I went to get Avery after my appointment and then we came home.  No idea what we did after that!

Avery stayed home Thursday, and after a quick nap for Sam, we left to get Avery's ears checked after 2 weeks of off and on runny nose and cough.  Sam was not happy in the car, so I was sure I would need to feed him once we got there.  He is a boy of many tricks though, and as long as the pacifier stayed in, he was happy to doze or look around the entire time we were at the doctor.  Avery was of course thrilled to see Dr. Wowhite (Applewhite) and even took her stethoscope for Bitty to show her.  Her ears were again infected, so although we dodged tubes last year, it may be time.  By this point Sam was past when he needed to eat, so I got brave and decided we would go to Dairy Queen for lunch.  I knew they would bring the food to the table, and I could get Avery straight and feed Sam then quickly eat.  Sam cried all the way there, then promptly fell asleep when I sat his carrier on the table.

Avery and I had a good lunch, then I woke Sam because it had been 5 hours since his last bottle.  The car ride home was nice and quiet, but that meant I had to work to keep Avery awake.  Sam stayed asleep in his carrier when we went in, and I put Avery down.  Sam woke up for a bit then took a nice nap in his rocker.  Ned worked in the yard in the afternoon spreading more dirt, aerating, and putting down grass seed.  I will be so thankful to have grass, but I miss the help when he is busy working.  We will have quite a yard now, and he says he'll be more than happy for me to help with cutting the grass,  A few hours of sunshine each week might not be so bad!

Avery went to Jennifer's Friday because the man was coming to finish our security system and Avery takes issue with anything loud.  Sam took a nap before he got here and was ready to take another one while he was working.  The man took forever and I needed to run to the store.  We hung out while he worked, and at one point I fed Sam part of his bottle in the half bath with Sammy the dog in there with us while he tested the alarm.  We had three tests, and I'm quite sure that the whole neighborhood will know each time Ned goes to a fire in the middle of the night and forgets the alarm or I burn dinner and set off a smoke detector.  I honestly think it won't matter the emergency if it goes off, because I'll die of a heart attack from it scaring me.  Sam took a good afternoon nap, and I tried to take one too, but as I drifted off my FIL called to get in the garage so that he could keep working on the yard.  My mom picked up Avery and brought her home, and we ordered pizza for dinner.  Ned spent a long time working on the yard again.

Saturday was a special day!  We were off to the circus.  We managed to get everyone ready and get all the things we needed to get out of the door and were only a bit late.  We dropped Sam off at my parents' and after my rundown of instructions we were on our way.  Avery was extremely excited to go through the tunnel and kept asking if the buildings we were passing were the circus.  We bought our program on the way in and made a quick potty break before finding our seats.  The pre-show was going on, and Avery wasn't bothered by the noise, so I figured she'd be fine.  Popcorn was just as fun for Avery as the circus, and at one point she had her head in the bucket.  She got a little restless before intermission but then perked up again.  Our expensive circus lunch was not appealing to her though, but her spinning light was the best thing ever.  Avery's favorites, other than the light, were the dragon and things flying through the air.  I was surprised to see a goat and donkey at one point after I had told Avery no to her request of goats and chickens at the circus.  Avery crashed on the way home but never let go of that light. 

We stopped to get Sam, who got a good report from Lolli and Poppa.  He hadn't napped much or for long periods of time, but he was happy as can be.  He got a bottle when we got home and then slept for 3 hours, allowing Avery and I some time together while Ned was back out in the yard.  Avery went to bed, and Sam woke up to eat and go back to sleep.  Ned and I watched Bridesmaids before going to bed.

Construction ~ Week 41

I'm now caught up with pictures in all blog posts!  I did want to do a final construction post with the house all done.  These pictures were taken April 5th, two days before we moved in.  Everything was completed and fairly clean.  I thought I would post how each room looked before moving in, because who knows when rooms will be together enough for me to post pictures!

Laundry room

Breakfast room

Kitchen

Dining room

Living room

Foyer

Master bedroom and bath

Family room

Guest bedroom and bath

Sam's room

Avery's room

Kids' bathroom

Playroom

So that's the final construction tour.  It will probably never be this neat again!

Week in Review ~ 4/14

Whew!  What a week!  I'm reminding myself that being in the house for the first week, still having tons to unpack, having Avery home all week and under the weather, and having a newborn will drive anyone crazy, so it's ok to feel crazy every now and then.

Sunday was Easter Sunday!  We all slept well in the new house, including Avery who never made a peep all night.  I got Avery up and Ned got the video camera ready so that we could see what the Easter Bunny brought.

Then it was time to hustle and get breakfast, get ready, and get to church with Lolli and Poppa.  Several Easter miracles happened, including us getting out the door on time and both kids staying completely quiet through the whole service.  No nursery always makes me nervous.  Sam had a bottle as soon as we sat down, so that did help.  After church there was an Easter egg hunt.  I hate that our church here does it on a weeknight, because to me it's tradition to do it in your Easter clothes.

We had planned to stop by my parents' quickly because they had something for Avery and Sam.  We decided since it was so close to lunch we would get hot dogs from the local gas station {don't judge}.  Ned and I went to get our large hot dog order and left both kids with Lolli and Poppa.  Because this was an unplanned meal, Avery ate lunch in her underwear since I didn't have a change of clothes.  We wrapped up lunch and headed home for naps.  I went to the grocery store to prepare for our families coming for dinner.  We told them we would host and provide chicken and dessert if everyone brought something.  I scurried to fix dessert and clean up some.  Luckily, Bojangles provided the chicken.  We had a good meal, and it was great to finally be able to all eat at one table.  Avery enjoyed the attention and the visit with Uncle Rob, while Sam was content to hang out.

Ned closed the office on Monday but ended up making his mom help him move things out of the house.  They worked in the morning and again in the afternoon filling up the garage.  I was able to go to the grocery store mid-day and took Avery with me.  She had been a little confused about moving and kept saying that the new house wasn't home.  We stopped by the old house so she could see that we had moved most of our stuff so that Mr. Jim and his family could move back in.  I also reminded her that our new house did not have bushed around the porch with "bobby" bees in them.  That all worked until we came home from the grocery store and didn't turn to go to the old house.  Mimi came back Monday night once Avery was in bed and Sam was happy to sleep in someone's arms.  Ned and I finally moved my clothes and filled my car as best we could.

It was just me and the kids Tuesday, and we spent the day at home.  Avery was home all week because her sitter had taken a few days off.  When I got Sam down in the morning, we went out and "played chalk" in the driveway.  Nothing else major happened other than we all survived the day together.  I cooked on the gas cook top for the first time for dinner, and even though Ned wasn't home I wasn't terribly nervous.  I still kind of feel like I need his turnout gear on when using it.  After dinner we walked to the pond, but no ducks were to be found.  Sammy the dog finally came home after staying at Mimi's for a few nights.  His stomach issues started again during the move, and he had to go back to the doctor Tuesday after causing quite a mess at the in-laws.  We're hoping a quieter neighborhood will be less stressful for him {and in turn, me}.

Wednesday morning was more of the same at home.  I worked on getting some of the dirt off the floors that keeps getting tracked in.  My mom came at lunch time, and we took Avery to Short Pump Town Center in Richmond.  They were having a petting zoo, and I thought it would be fun to take Avery to do something special.  She managed a 10-15 minute nap in the car before waking and getting so excited, thinking that a hotel on the side of I95 was the mall.  We visited the petting zoo, did a little shopping for me, Avery, and Sam, then had dinner at Chik-Fil-A.  We were excited to hear the train running since it usually does not on Wednesday, so we rode that before coming home.  We of course went to the outdoor mall on the coldest day of the week, but we still had a great time.  Avery took another short rest on the way home, waking when we stopped to get dinner for Poppa and Ned.

We were home again on Thursday.  Sam was fussy in the morning and sleeping in shorter periods.  Avery's nose and cough got worse and I debated whether or not to take her to the doctor.  She was also more fragile this week, for lack of a better word, which is how she was the last time she had an ear infection.  Sam took a long mid-day nap, so I was able to work upstairs while Avery played.  She's big into helping, but her idea of help and mine aren't always the same.  Ned had finally gotten the dryer vent hooked up, so I did a ton of laundry.  New machines make it fun for awhile.  Now if we could just get a machine for folding and putting away.

I woke up well-rested Friday as Sam had slept for a 5-hour stretch during the night.  He was again fussy in the morning, but it is all related to sleep.  He needs his sleep, and I either need to figure out how long he can stay awake in the morning or I need to figure out what's bothering him.  He'll sleep for a shorter amount of time in the morning after taking awhile to fall asleep.  He's then up too early to eat and really needs to go back to sleep.  He took another good mid-morning to early-afternoon nap, so Avery and I went back outside to do chalk.  I was told a lot to "chalk with me, Mommy."  I got some unpacking done in between taking care of everybody.  Avery and I discovered that her new Rhyme Time Barney had her most favorite girl Kisha on it, so that provided me a little time to bring things in from the garage.  Hopefully I'll be able to park in there one day!  Ned suggested we all try going out to eat, so we went to the Mexican restaurant for dinner.  I hadn't been since before bed rest, so I decided to be brave.  Sam did well as long as the pacifier was in.  The Mexican restaurant was Avery's first meal out as well, but it didn't seem to have the sleep-inducing effect on Sam as it used to do on her.

Sam had a 6-hour stretch Friday night/Saturday morning, and I'm sure it's because Ned was going to get up with him during the night.  I'll take it however I can get it though.  Because he's been sleeping longer, we've increased bottles to 3 ounces so that he continues to get enough.  We tried that after we saw the pediatrician last week, but the extra caused him to spit up some.  He seemed to be handling it better by the end of this week.  Ned used Mr. Clint's tractor and worked in yard all morning and into the early afternoon.  It's very nice to have your contractor across the street when something breaks or you need to borrow one of his cool toys.  We're hoping to borrow the pool this summer.  The stars aligned after lunch and Avery and Sam napped over 2 hours at the same time.  I finally got our duvet cover out of the package, put it in the dryer to steam out the wrinkles, and got our comforter stuffed inside.  We'd just been sleeping with a blanket on the bed.  We got subs for dinner since I hadn't been able to get to the grocery store, then we took another walk to the pond.  Ned hung Sam's curtain panels in his room so that he can at least start to nap in there.  It's hard to get anything done in your bedroom and bathroom when there is always a little baby sleeping.  Ned also raised the crib mattress after putting it together on the lowest setting last weekend.  He then put all the bedding in, so Sam's room is now ready whenever I am.  I'm ready to get our room back but not ready for trips upstairs in the middle of the night.  Ned is ready to be able to have his fire pager on again in the middle of the night.