Boring.

Well. after so many months of shall I say "excitement", I feel I am rather boring now. I wait for an infant to go to sleep, need changing or feeding. I wait to go pick up Sarah after school, or for Hogan to either go to sleep or wake up! I am driving now and that has gotten me out of the house each day. Monday was basically a catch up day. After not having any activity for almost 3 weeks, I literally stayed out all day! We finished up soccer practice and I brought the kids home, bathed them, then we all piled up in my bed and began to go over Sarah's school work while we waited on daddy to some home from Jiu-Jitsu. One of the last things I remember was Sarah asking me how I could see her work with my eyes closed while she tried to pry the open! I mumbled something about looking at the words before I closed them. Fortunately we were on the last page! I vaguely remember Hogan talking and talking and seeing Sarah next to me already asleep too. Then the kids were in their bed and Steve was talking to me. Apparently I never fully woke up and don't remember anything anyone said! I guess you could say I over did it that day!

Tuesday was better. Jana came in and we worked once again on Plastag and went to see an Atty for mom's estate. And of course we had lunch! We did unplug Plastag's fax machine which was a big step in my opinion. I feel we are finally closed. We are still cleaning up accounts with statements and all but hey, collecting is more fun! It just amazes me how much work it takes. Mom always said no one really understood how much work she did and people think because you work at home it must be easier or something. Well I really appreciate that statement now. It has taken Jana and myself and about 3 other companies to do what mom did day in and day out for 30 years! She was amazing!!!!

Today, Hogan and I stayed home with the baby. I have found a new passion. I am trying to organize myself. I feel I run helter skelter all the time. I have no routines (or very few) and stuff just flies around me. Kinda like the kid on Peanuts, I think his name is Pigpen! He always had a cloud around him - that's me! So, I have signed up with FLYlady and study her numerous emails and website daily to figure out how to fix me. I have some really good ideas already and am working on those. I have not really started her program as far as the house goes yet, but that is to come when I am stronger. (I still have a very good excuse and I am using it!) I am shining my sink though.

Josiah is awake more each day. He will just lay there and quietly look around. He is such a good baby! I hope we will have more pictures to post soon. Sarah and Hogan are still crazy about the baby and are so good with him. Hogan is still a little rough but is learning to be more gentle. He calls the baby, "bubba", "bubby", "tiggy-wiggy", and "bear"! He has nicknames for everything and loves rhymes! Sarah is just great with the baby all the way around!

For a little entertainment check out my link to Potter Place and watch the short video. The artist is amazing!

Parenting Conference

We spent all day today sitting in on a very informative parenting conference. It was titled "Grace Based Parenting". The speaker was funny, well spoken, and I agreed with so much of what he said. Steve and I talked about what he presented and pinpointed some areas that needed work with our own parenting skills. We talked about how to remedy these little problem areas and thought we were onto something grand. Well, however much we learned, someone, it seems, has forgotten to explain all the rules to our kids! We are still having the nighttime battle. They have been in bed for over an hour now and they have gotten up multiple times already. Our new system for giving our strong willed children more choices and control seems to be failing already! Steve has had to go in and determine where the scary purple light was coming from and now is off to determine where the scary green and red lights are coming from! How they come up with this stuff I will never know! Fortunately for them they have a daddy that is great at riding the world of scary lights! (Apparently, a best friend and favorite cousin have told them there are purple lights and fires in the bathroom! I'll have to make sure I thank their mom.)

Just hanging out.

Well, we seem to be getting in a more routine sleep pattern. Josiah still sleeps a lot during the day, but we are doing better at night as a whole. He just really likes to wait until I drift off to start fussing. I keep telling him, if he would not wait until I go to sleep I would be a lot more coherent and quicker on the draw! I wake up confused still sometimes. I guess I am adjusting to having another kiddo!

Hopefully I will be able to drive next week. I am anxious to be able to get around, but still have enjoyed being forced to stay at home and rest most of the day. Last night I spent about 2 hours at mom's cleaning up files and stuff from Plastag. I actually threw out more than I kept! Almost 3 times as much! I know Anna will be glad when she sees it! It is sitting in her dinning room and they are almost ready to move in! Jana will be coming down to finish helping me this week. I hope we can get to some of the stuff in storage as well.

Sarah began her first day of 1st grade yesterday. She likes her teacher and says there are not any mean kids in her class this year. (We had some problems last year.) She has not found a good friend yet, but she is on the look out! The class is almost half and half as far as girl to boy ratios go. Last year was mostly boys! I think I will find out more as the week goes on. You know they never talk when asked direct questions! I waited all day to hear about her day and all I got was "I don't know"! Drives me crazy. Now I will just have to wait for the details to come out when they are ready. Part of a parents life I suppose.

Hogan will not start school until after Labor Day. He will be going 3 half days a week. He will be in the older class this year. He loves school and is doing very well. I think if we had more time this summer to spend with him we could have had him reading. That is one of my goals this fall. He loves words, rhymes, and books! I think he even loves letters!

Steve is staying very busy at work and at home. He looks tired to me and I hate not being able to help him out more than I do right now. He has been such a blessing over the last year. He works tirelessly and never complains (well, almost never anyway - way less than I complain!) We are hoping for a little vacation time when Josiah and I are ready to travel. I can't wait!

IT IS 4:30AM I AM TIRED AND BORED!!!!!!

IT is now 4:30am......obviously I am tired.....also bored. We just looked up this guys other videos on you tube, and they are kinda cute. Maybe 'cause I can relate....maybe 'cause I am tired......maybe 'cause it is 4:30AM!!!! Nevertheless, enjoy.

-Steve

Sleepless in Seattle.....no....Dallas.....no....Man we are home aren't we.....darn!!!!!

Well it is 4am, and Angie showed me this video on her friends blog. I am sure Sheryl is going to think that we plagerize her site constantly, however, considering the time we are putting it up anyway because it is SOOOOOO appropiate. Considering the war over bedtime last night, and the fact that I am sure the rumble (notice I did not say pitter-patter) of little feet from the other side of the house will begin very soon just as this one decides the sun is up so he can sleep.

-Steve

PS: You might pause Angie's music so you can listen.

Reality hits home!!!

Sarah and Hogan came home today. They are so excited to be home. They have talked non-stop and been very happy. That is until it was bedtime! The fact that Josiah gets to sleep in mommy and daddy's room did not go unnoticed. The tears, crying and even some screaming started the moment we said go get in bed. They were suddenly terrified of their room! They refused to stay in bed and came to our room repeatedly. It took Steve going in and staying with them until they fell asleep to get them settled down. I think tomorrow night we will have a bunking party in our room to help ease the unfairness of life!

Josiah is doing well. He has gained 7 ounces since we have been home. His coloring is so much better and last night he actually slept better. He has kept me up until 3 AM and 5 AM! I hope we started a new trend last night. He slept for 3 hours at a stretch and was only up for 2 1/2 hours in the middle. Which I will take over the all nighter!

I seem to be getting stronger as well. I can walk at a little more normal pace! If you ever want to see just how slowly a person can walk go to the postpartum unit and watch! I think they put up speed limit signs or something! But I still am very protective of my stomach. Apparently they had to really push on my belly to get Josiah out. I had a lot of scar tissue from previous c-sections and this caused a little bit of a problem. Steve said there was a very large girl (taller than him and by far heavier) coming up off her feet pushing on me! With all our technology, this is what really happens! To say the least my right side is very tender still.

Anyway, they still won't let me drive and this is driving me crazy. I never stay home all day and now it is day after day. I did go out yesterday and today and I think I might be a little glad I am housebound though. Just riding in the car is uncomfortable in itself. (And no, I did not drive.)

Anna and Brian have just about finished all their remodeling of mom's for now. They are planning on moving some stuff in this weekend. I am not sure when they plan the big move, but I am sure they could use some help if anyone is available and feels called to help! I think they are getting pretty tired at this point and school starts Monday.

Well, that's all for now. I need to take advantage of Josiah's sleep!

Settling in at home.

Josiah and I have spent some wonderful quality time together over the past 2 days. We both love to sleep in! Of course he is still sleeping a lot at this point and I join him on occasion. We went yesterday evening to have the bili levels retested and he is still on the rise but just slightly. We are to take him back to the pediatrician tomorrow for a re-check. He still looks very yellow to me. He has also slept more today than yesterday (higher levels of bilirubin cause them to be sleepy). He is nursing good (we are setting alarms to wake him up and feed him every 2-3 hours.) He has a hard time getting started feeding but does well once started. He is also meeting the output requirements. All these things are important in decreasing bili levels. I have also been setting him in the indirect sunlight during the day. Please pray that we will not have to go back under the lights. It is not a big deal-he just lays under a blue light with a mask on, but it breaks my heart to not be able to hold him. He loves to be swaddled and held close and lying in the incubator all stretched out just does not set well with him. He fidgets, jerks, jumps, and fusses all the time. Steve spent so much time just standing in front of the incubator holding his little hand or stroking his head through the little port holes. I know he got tired, but he never complained.

I will let you know what the verdict is tomorrow after we see the doc!

Welcome home Josiah!

We finally dot to come home this evening! They checked Josiah's bili level again this afternoon and it had only increased slightly so they cut us loose! We are so glad to be here! It seems too quiet without the kids running around. Steve and I both had a hard time letting them go this weekend. I was really feeling bad about coming home and them missing the big event when we were suddenly told we could not go home! Then I was really glad that Sarah and Hogan were not at the house anticipating our arrival. They would have been terribly disappointed. Hopefully, I will be much stronger when they come home later this week!

Happy birthday mom!