What I've learned from having kids and the 2nd time around

Now that we are blessed (and busy) to have 2 kids, there are a couple of things that I've learned from having kids (in general) and about having Caleb first and now having Aubrey.

1) Get your kids on a schedule-they will be happier and frankly, so will you. Don't think it's ever too early either, because it's not!

2) It's okay to let your child cry themself to sleep..otherwise, you will be the one rocking them to sleep for the next couple of years!

3) I've learned it's okay to let your children sleep with you. I always said that I would never let my children sleep in the bed with me no matter what..well, that went down the drain about night 2 that Caleb could walk into our room..I was too tired to keep putting him back in his bed.

4) It's okay to not let 2 kids sleep with you...I'll let you know how this one works out...I doubt I can stand firm to my baby girl! Maybe I can Caleb to start sleeping in his bed all night..EVERY night! :)

5) No matter how mad I want to be, Caleb can make me laugh by looking at me!

6) I've never been mored scared of hurting, losing, or being responsible for a person in my life!

7) I've learned unconditional love from my kids.

8) I can carry alot more than I thought I could at one time!

9) Girls are alot more fun to dress--and ALOT more expensive!

10) I will miss them being a baby!

11) Caleb and Aubrey are opposites-other than the obvious boy/girl..Caleb had surgery when born and was 6lbs 5 oz, Aubrey was healthy and a bigger 8 lbs. 1 oz, Caleb is a picky eater, Aubrey would eat anything! Caleb doesn't have a problem going #2 and Aubrey has THE hardest time going #2, Caleb was a sweet baby and Aubrey had colic-not fun (side note-get probiotics-baby dophilus sp? it helped alot) Caleb never took good naps-hour long maybe, Aubrey takes great naps-2 hours long. Caleb has never had an ear infection and the first time Aubrey was sick last week she had a mild double ear infection!

12) Although opposites, Caleb and Aubrey do have similarities: They both smile-ALOT! They both would go to a stranger and not think twice about it! They both have the greatest laugh I've ever heard! They were both born in July-10 days apart. They both have the same mannerisms in pictures like putting their hand right hand up by their face when they sleep.

It's easy to see why we all love our kids so much! They challenge us and keep us on our toes! No more kids for me though..I have one for each hand!

I was doing good and then....

I was doing good on my daily posts and then the kids got sick and my work has just been crazy! I'm wondering how everyone else gets all the things that need to be done a on daily basis?! Aubrey has a double ear infection. I'm just so glad I decided to take her to the doctor on Saturday-even though it wasn't Feldman or Reyburn. She was doing better on Sunday and hopefully tonight she'll be doing alot better. Caleb also has the runniest nose ever--every minute he'd be bringing me a kleenex to wipe his nose. It's no wonder between the two of them that this morning I woke up with a sore scratchy throat and my nose stuffed! Ahhh..gotta love getting what the kids have.

This weekend is our annual superbowl party so be on the lookout for pics and a new post about this fun night!

My bargain find!

I have been looking for a dresser for Aubrey's room for a long time. I've ran out of closet space before she was born and was in desperate need of more space. Anyone that knows me could tell you that I'm a little obsessed with buying clothes for Aubrey. I mean, the girl will be 6 months next week and she already has clothes for 18-24 months and some things that are 2t! Now, having said that, most of the things that I've gotten for her are bought from friends who take GREAT care of their clothes! I'm very lucky because I still get the nice clothes that I like and I don't have to pay the expensive price. Okay, back to the bargain find. So, I've been looking online for a dresser and I think the prices are just ridiculous for these dressers! One day I was on K-Mart, yes I said K-Mart, looking at their dressers. To go back a second...I found a rocker with a foot ottoman with a pink slipcover for 88.00 on clearance for Aubrey's room from K-Mart. Now you can see why I was looking at K-Mart for Aubrey's room. So I found this armoire that was white and had 3 drawers and 2 doors with a hanging bar for clothes and a shelf. It was on clearance for $76.00! I couldn't believe it..it was gorgeous! Oh, but not available online and in limited quanties! I search a radius of 90 miles and called every store on the list to see if they had this armoire. None of them had it..I was bummed. I looked at the list again and saw I had not called the Peru K-Mart. I thought if Mishawaka and Elkhart don't have it in stock, then there was no way Peru would have it in stock....but, I thought I'd call and at least try and know I did all I could to find it. Come to find out, they don't have one...they have TWO! I rounded up the kids and off to Peru we went!



I get the beauty home and start the task of putting it together. About an hour into it Seth had to come help because some parts required 2 people. After 3 hours of putting this thing together, about 12:30 in the morning, we were done! I've included some pictures of the finished product and of Aubrey's closet to show how full it is. If you know anyone that will be having a girl in the spring or summer, let me know. They will be able to get a ton of great name brand clothes for alot cheaper than buying them new!

New post, new song

Hopefully you've noticed a theme..everytime I have a new post, I put a song on there that correlates to my subject. For example, the post below is about how dirty my house is and the song is Dirty by Christina Aguilera. I think it's quite amusing. Hopefully you've caught onto my little extra "bonus" to my blog. Enjoy!

Who has the time?

Wow..if you could see my house right now...okay, forget right now..ever since I've had kids...my house has looked like a tornado! I don't know how everyone does it?! I even used to have a cleaning lady and I'd have to pick up before the cleaning lady came to clean!! I figured once I had kids that I needed to do it myself since that was extra money that we could save...please tell me...WHAT WAS I THINKING?!

Maybe if I got off work at 3 or 4 I could do it, but when I get off work at 5, go get the kids and get home it's 5:30. Now I have to feed a 6 month old one thing, feed a 3 1/2 year old another thing, and THEN Seth and I might get to eat around 7:30-8...IF I have planned something to eat! After we scarf down our meal, now it's time for playing and baths and oh wait, feeding Aubrey again. Then she goes to bed around 8:30 and now we fight with Caleb to go to bed until about 10! I still have my work clothes on at 10 pm, haven't picked up ONE thing in the house..unless it's to move it so I could put something else there. I need some helpful hints ladies! And please don't say "pick up as you go"....I do that but I feel like all I do is maintain the mess...it's like it magically comes back the next day when I get home...but wait...I cleaned it up before I went to bed at midnight and we worked all day...how did it come back?!

So, I have a couple of options here:

1) Hire a cleaning lady-for the 4th time
2) Hire an in house cleaning lady-not likely in my lifetime
3) Talk with Seth about picking up more-he's an only child-not likely in my lifetime again- thanks Nicki for spoiling him
4) Get my kids to pitch in-they're old enough right?!
5) Stay up until 3 AM to clean-I can work on 3 hours of sleep!
6) Live with it and quit sweating the small stuff...

I guess I'll pick #3 and then move to #4 until the child labor enforcement gets called, then I'll do #1 and hire a cleaning lady again and then decide I don't want to spend the money and I can do it, and then eventually move to #6 and forget it because #2 and #5 are NOT happening!

It's my mess and I don't love it, but it's not worth losing sleep or spending time with the kids or my husband over!

Sad day..

Normally I like to keep things positive but I've got to touch on something that has touched me..

Last night and today is a sad day for me. A girl I graduated with, Robin, her son has passed away one year ago today. He was only 3 months old! I had gone to Griffin's viewing at the church a year ago and was just amazed at their composure as I'm sure I would have been a complete mental case. That's when I saw Griffin for the first time in pictures. That was it..I was just mesmerized with this little boy. His little ears stuck out and his bright blue eyes just made you melt and that smile..who could forget that crooked smile. I just melted. I've kept that picture on my desk for the past year..I don't know if I'll ever put it in my drawer. I think he helps remind me to appreciate everything I have because it can be taken away so quickly! Maybe that's why my one word for 2009 is appreciate.

Our class and a few select people from our class gave money to buy them a memorial bench with his name engraved on it. I delivered it to Robin last night at her house. I got to see Griffin's room and hear more about this beautiful child that I just adored but never got to see or hold. I can't imagine the pain that they must feel. Now, I appreciate my children every day-although they test me-I've learned that my time on Earth with them is short and I need to take advantage of each and every moment possible.

Thanks Griff for reminding me to appreciate the little things in life!

It has to be love...

Aubrey loves Caleb..you can just tell. She has always just watched him playing and running around with a big smile on her face...eyes constantly following him. Caleb, however, is usually running around doing his own thing... pretty much oblivious to his sister. Lately, though, he's been saying Hi to Aubrey (including that his name is Caleb) and has been giving her a kiss goodnight. I was making a bottle for Aubrey yesterday and she was tired and hungry and started getting a little cranky. Next thing I hear is Aubrey laughing...Caleb was walking around Aubrey talking to her and just smiling and laughing. He was telling her it was going to be okay. It was the sweetest thing I had ever seen. At that moment I couldn't envision them ever getting in a fight because they were being so sweet. Then I remeber the horrific fights that my brother and I used to have....I'm going to hope for the best for them..and keep all small throwing objects away from both of them. (My brother threw a potato and a miniature Smurf at me and broke windows when we were younger)

Caleb vs. The Potty

I think he is finally moving onto a new stage in life..being a big boy. Seth never thought the day would come swearing if we didn't make him wear "big boy" pants-wet, poopy, or not, then he'd be going to school still wearing diapers. All of my friends assured me that he would do it in his own time. We had tried everything in the past...money, stickers, movies, toys, etc. It wasn't until the light bulb hit me one day when I realized the most prized possession is the key to getting him to go.

Nana (Seth's mom) had gotten Caleb a Little Einstein's Rocket ornament for Christmas that played the Little Einstein song. He loved it and took it everywhere. I remember it was Sunday when I told Caleb that he wouldn't be able to have his rocket back until he went potty in the potty. You should have seen his face...pure terror. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before, but it worked like a charm! It wasn't 2 hours later that I asked Caleb if he had to go potty and we went in there and he went!!!!

Caleb has been going pee in the potty for the past couple of days. He's had a couple of times where he's gone in his diaper, but overall, he has done excellent! He's not really into going poo poo in the potty though. He won't say that he doesn't want to, but I'm learning that there is a certain time of the day that I'm going to have to have him stay on there a little longer. He's not fully potty trained, but we are well on our way....which is great because he's going to be starting pre-school in the summer.

All in all, I'm so proud of him and I'm glad that we didn't push him..it seems so much easier this way. And I'll never be so glad to not have 2 in diapers! So for those of you that think you'll never potty train your kids, just remember they will do it when they're ready, but in case they need a little nudge...hold the favorite toy hostage :)

One Word for 2009

My word for 2009 is: appreciate

APPRECIATE

verb, -at⋅ed, -at⋅ing.

1.to be grateful or thankful for: They appreciated his thoughtfulness. –verb (used with object)
2.to value or regard highly; place a high estimate on: to appreciate good wine.
3.to be fully conscious of; be aware of; detect: to appreciate the dangers of a situation.
4.to raise in value.–verb (used without object)
5.to increase in value: Property values appreciated yearly.

I hope you appreciate everything you have and aren't not consumed by the things you don't!

A New Day....

Well, the time has come to start my blog. Some of my friends have done it and I think it's very interesting. I think it will help keep some friends and family up to speed on what's going on in our hectic lives.

I think blogging will be very theraputic..a form of "therapy" if you will. I will try to post at least something every couple of days. We get so busy and wrapped up in the daily grind that I'm going to try and sit down and reflect on what's happened that day and write about it.

Hope you all enjoy..and maybe have a good laugh or cry once in awhile with me. :)