Bopped His Beanie

Clark is not one of those lazy babies. Now that he knows how to walk, he walks. He doesn't crawl around on the floor if he doesn't have to. He doesn't fall over and get discouraged and start crawling away in defeat. He stands himself back up and walks, dammit. He's figured out how to stand up without pulling up, so no matter where you've set him down, he can stand up and start walking.

The downside to all of this walking is that he's still pretty wobbly and he falls a lot. Today he fell into one of the knobs on our entertainment unit. The edges of the knob are squared off. His forehead hit the knob full-force. It was awful.

He backed away from the drawer with a literal DENT in his forehead. I put ice (actually frozen spinach) on it right away. He hated that. I think he screamed harder at the cold on his head than he did about the injury. He got a big (BIG!) bump on his forehead, but as of yet it doesn't look terribly bruised. Maybe the ice helped, or maybe it will look worse tomorrow.

Poor Bubba. He didn't let it slow him down, though. Walk tall, little guy!

I Don't Know Why I Was Surprised

Today we took the kids to a pumpkin patch. There were tons of beautiful gourds, all shapes and sizes. There were pony rides, a table where kids could do crafts, and a bounce house. After the pumpkin patch, we all went shopping and the kids got toy cars. It was a lovely day.

At dinner I asked the kids, "What was your favorite part of today?" I ask them this sometimes as a memory exercise, to make them think back about what had happened during the day.

Elise shouts, "The pony ride!"

Henry shouts, "The cement truck!"

A cement truck drove by while we were in the pumpkin patch. Apparently that really stuck with him for some reason.

Cufflinks

That's right. Cufflinks.

We've gotten all of the kids special keepsake birthday presents when they were little bitties. Because what 1 year old cares what he/she gets for his/her birthday? Husband and I got them each something they can appreciate later. Something that will maybe be special to them one day when they're older.

We got Clark some cufflinks. With his initials engraved on them. Now he just needs some cuffs.

She's Lucky I Didn't Destroy Her

Today I was trying to make Elise sit down and she bit me on my shoulder really, really hard. As hard as she could? Maybe. The pain it created literally reached the very edge of my I-don't-care-who-you-are-I'm-about-to-make-you-regret-that-last-decision threshold.

The bite started to bruise immediately. She didn't break the skin, but there was a knot there the rest of the day, presumably a puddle of blood under my skin. Also, she must have bit a nerve because I had this wacky pain in my elbow for about an hour afterward. Not down my arm and terminating at my elbow, but just, BAM!, my elbow hurts, too.

There had better not be a second time, Elise. There had better not be a second time.

Shopping Mama

I went to a consignment sale today and got tons and tons of clothes for the kids. Necessary stuff. No extras. They're all growing again, so I needed clothes in their new sizes. I got a few Christmas presents, too. I bought a lot of great stuff for super cheap. I actually volunteered to help set up the sale so that I could shop a little bit before the general public was allowed entry. It was totally worth it.

Volunteering for the sale was the first time I left Clark for any length of time. I was gone for about four hours.  Husband was watching him (and Elise). I was sad to be without my little sidekick, Bubba Clark. While I was gone, Husband texted me pictures of the kids and they had big smiles on their faces. I was sad that they weren't missing me as much as I was missing them. But I only felt that way for a second.

I got a lot of super cute clothes at the sale. Henry's only three years old, but he's wearing 5T now, so his clothes are all big kid clothes. He's going to look like a little man. I can't wait to see the kids in their new outfits!

Gym-tastic!

After a short break between sessions, the kids' gymnastics classes are finally meeting again. They are so happy. So, so happy. They love their little baby tumbling classes.

I know someone who has a daughter who is a competitive gymnast. It sounds stressful. At 8 years old, she was being told that she needed to lose weight. Yikes. I hope that if any of my kids stick with gymnastics for any length of time that I can find a place that builds up their self-esteem rather than giving them life-long body issues.

You're Going to Break My Brain

Dear Lord. As if "Why? Why? Why?" wasn't bad enough, today Elise started (repeatedly) asking, "How?"

She may have finally broken me. I don't know how much longer I can keep up this charade of pretending to know why and how the world works. How? Because I said so. That's how.

Chatterbox Version 2

Clark is developing quite a vocabulary. He says daddy, up, down, nana (for banana), hi, bye-bye, uh-oh, and no. He also asks what things are by saying, "Dat?" He doesn't say mama very often, so I'm not counting that one yet. Clark loves to throw things and yell "DOWN!" which really sounds more like "dow" but I know what he means. And tonight after I put him in his pack&play for bedtime, he was crying "Up! Up! Up!" which was very sad.

I think he's going to be a big talker like Elise is. She even tries to teach him words. When he asks what something is, Elise loves telling him the correct word. She says it over and over again for him, very slowly. "Window. Window, Clark. It's a windoooooooow..."

Clark knows where my nose is when I ask, "Where's Mommy's nose?" And I got him to point to my ears earlier today, but I don't know if he'll still remember that tomorrow.

Clark has also used his words to express his displeasure. I've started giving him a little bit of cow's milk in a sippy cup, and he'll drink it but he clearly doesn't like it very much. Usually he just makes a face or shakes his head. Today he started throwing his sippy cup off the side of his high chair and saying, "Bye-bye!"

Why? Why? Why?

The infinite why loop has begun with Elise. Why? Why? Why? I try to give her real answers. No cop-out answers like "because I said so" or "God made it that way." Science. I answer with science. Albeit, at an age appropriate level.

We had this conversation the other day:

Elise: Look, Mommy! A blimp!

Me: Wow! Look at that! You don't see one of those every day!

E: It goes into outer space!

M: I believe you're thinking of a rocket ship. It kind of looks like a rocket ship. That's good thinking. But it's a blimp and blimps stay closer to the earth.

E: Why?

M: They aren't made to go into outer space like rocket ships.

E: Why?

M: Well, if you want to go into outer space you take a rocket ship. If you want to float around advertising tires or insurance or whatever, you take a blimp.

E: Where's outer space?

M: Past the clouds. Out where the stars are.

E: Why it called outer space?

M: Well, there's a bubble of air around the earth. If you're outside that bubble, you're in outer space. It's just a way to say where something is. Like, I'm inside the house or I'm outside in the yard.

E: Why a rocket go to outer space?...

And on and on and on. It's exhausting really. It honestly makes me tired sometimes. And random people who we've never met before find it very amusing. Elise often goes on one of these kicks in a packed but silent waiting room, where she has unwittingly put herself and all of my stupid answers on display for upwards of 10 complete strangers.

Check this out, and start on minute 7:

Excellent Observation

Now that Henry is in big kid school, the space of time in which I have to pick him up for the day is a pretty narrow window. Once class gets out, he needs to be picked up. Period.

Yesterday I was hustling Elise into the van. "Come on, come on! We need to go get Henry! We're late!"

Elise stops and looks at me. She sighs. "We're late EVERY DAY, Mommy!"

Yeah? No one asked you. Hush up and get in your seat.

Georgia Has Eczema

I took Georgia to the doctor's office today because of a dry, scaly patch of skin on her arm. She was diagnosed with mild eczema.

From what I'm understanding, eczema is basically just sensitive skin. Her skin is really, really dry all over, and this little patch of skin on her arm is extra super dry. She doesn't scratch at it and it doesn't look red or otherwise irritated, but no amount of lotion or moisturizer was helping the dryness to go away. The doctor prescribed her a cream that should help. He said that most children outgrow eczema by the time they reach adulthood, so she'll probably get little patches of it here and there for years to come.

Georgia seems to have very sensitive body tissues in general. She threw up constantly as a baby (GERD), she's prone to diaper rash, she had chronic ear infections before she got her ear tubes, she has enlarged tonsils and adenoids, she's prone to sinus infections... and now she has eczema. Poor Gigi!

Dat?

Clark is turning into such a cool little dude. He's pretty laid back and mostly happy. He's friendly and inquisitive. And so quick to laugh. I love him so much.

At the zoo while we were on vacation, Clark was smiling and waving to all of the animals. "Hi! Hi! Hi!" And his little hand was flapping up and down. It was very cute.

Clark has started asking what everything is. "Dat?" He'll point at something and ask what it is over and over until you answer him. He also likes to grab things off of tables or out of drawers to ask what they are. Oddly enough, he often puts the items back. He's kind of an OCD baby that way. He'll even follow after Henry sometimes and clean up his blocks or cars after him. I guess Clark just likes putting things into containers, but it's weird to see an 11 month old cleaning up after himself.

First Big Family Vacation!

We took our first big family vacation recently... with four kids under four years old. Yowza!

Actually, everything went remarkably well, all things considered. We drove, so the first day was kind of rough. We arrived at the hotel around midnight and the only way we could get the kids to stop whining about being woken up was to tell them that when we got up to the room they could jump on the bed for two whole minutes. They're not allowed to jump on beds at home, so that was an extra special treat. That and the Froot Loops cereal that was available for breakfast every morning. We never have sugary cereal at home, so it was like they were getting candy for breakfast.

The kids' naps were all messed up for the whole trip, they had a lot of anxiety about sleeping in a new place, and they were less than thrilled about some of the restaurant choices. But, like, I said, over all everything worked out better than expected.

Everywhere we went was pretty much geared toward the kids. An aquarium, a zoo, and other places like that. I picked restaurants that were family-friendly but that also got really good reviews written about them on the internet. I made an itinerary and schedule for the trip and we mostly stuck to it. Mostly.

The kids had so much fun. At one point all of the kids were watching a live animal show and Clark was yelling and clapping, Henry and Elise were oohing and aahing, and Georgia was staring at the animals with her eyes bugging out of her head and I seriously got a little teary-eyed. The kids were all just so happy and I was so thankful that we could take them on this nice vacation and show them cool, interesting stuff.

Even though we picked things that we knew the kids would like, Husband and I had a great time, too. The places we went were definitely attractions that everyone could enjoy. It'll be cool when the kids get older and we can go to historical sights or parks where we can hike, but for now zoos and aquariums are just fine.

It was a wonderful trip. I love to travel, but it's been a while since Husband and I have been able to go anywhere, what with all of the pregnancies and babies and foster kids. I'm seriously a happier person right now, after our vacation.

Time to start planning the next trip!...

10 Amazing Years!

This weekend Husband and I are celebrating the 10 year anniversary of when we got back together as a couple, officially and forever. 10 YEARS!!! 10 years and 4 kids later. Wow.

I love my husband so much. I won't even try to put it into words. I already put it into babies.

Normal Brain

I mentioned before that Henry had an EEG done. He has trouble recalling words and so he was referred to a neurologist. The neurologist ordered an EEG and also an MRI to make sure that the physical structures of his brain are normal.

Results are in. Everything checked out okay. Yay! The neurologist recommended speech therapy, which Henry already goes to, and so basically we were told to just keep doing what we're doing.

Happy Mommy Heart

Today Clark gave Elise a hug for the first time. Man. That's the kind of shit that mommies live for.

Last Night's Sickness

So, I don't think I was "sick" sick last night. I got my period today, and I'm pretty sure that my body was just generally feeling like crap. Also, I was having weird cramps that didn't really feel like cramps but instead felt like someone was stabbing me in my left ovary. Forcefully. With a very dull knife, thereby creating the maximum amount of pain.

I'm not exaggerating about that. I could barely stand when the pain was at its strongest. Husband kept asking if we should go to the hospital. Ibuprofen helped, though. I didn't have a fever or vomiting, I could go to the bathroom okay, and I didn't feel extra pain when I pushed around on my stomach, so I assumed last night that I wasn't having an emergency. Like I know anything about the way the human body works. But that was my reasoning.

Hopefully this isn't indicative of what my periods will be like from now on. Short menstrual cycle and two days worth of acute pain. Hopefully my body is simply saying, "For reals, Mother Nature? Haven't I done enough? I do NOT want any more babies in there, so just knock it off, okay? This menstrual cycle thing is totally pointless now, so please stop wasting your time."

My period a few weeks ago was nice and light and pain free. Why am I all grumpy and ouchy and gross this time?

Man. Having babies messes your lady stuff up.

Mommies Get Sick, Too

Sick tonight. Blah.

Elise Has an Ear Infection

Elise developed a fever after her vomiting and diarrhea issue last week. I assumed the fever was related to whatever stomach bug she'd caught. The fever didn't go away after the puking and pooping stopped, though, so I was starting to think that maybe the fever was a separate illness. I had planned to take her to the doctor's office today if she was still feeling under the weather. Then yesterday her fever spiked up to 102.5 (under her arm) and even with Tylenol it only came down to 101.7. I took her to urgent care.

Ear infection. Maybe a bit of a sinus infection and/or upper respiratory infection, too. Poor Elisey. She was miserable and now I see why. She was so fussy and whiny and yesterday she kept saying, "Mommy, my brain hurts."

A few doses of antibiotics later, she's back to her old wacky self.

Sweet Six Teeth

Clark's 6th tooth has finally arrived! God, I love gap-toothed baby grins. Adorable.

I learned a few months ago that kids' teeth don't start squishing in close to each other and losing those gaps between each of the teeth until they're about 3 years old. Isn't that weird? What's up with that, evolution? Anyhow, it's nice to not have to floss baby teeth. So I'm not complaining.

Also, Clark's latest favorite thing to eat is mandarin oranges. He LOVES them. I tried giving him some grapefruit, thinking that he might like that kind of citrus, too. Nope. Too sour, I guess. More for me!

About the Size of a Cocker Spaniel

I weighed all of the kids today at the vet's office. They have a scale for weighing big dogs there and the kids all took a turn getting their weights measured. I don't remember the exact weights, but it was roughly this:

Henry: 38 lbs
Elise: 28 lbs
Georgia: 33 lbs
Clark: almost 24 lbs

I put these weights plus the heights that I recently measured into a growth chart calculator and this is what I got:

Henry: 85th % for weight, 98th % for height
Elise: 42nd % for weight, 43rd % for height
Georgia: 91st % for weight, 87th % for height
Clark: 72nd % for weight, 83% for height

I Hate Sleep Training

I usually put Clark to sleep at night by bouncing him in his reclining bouncy chair. This works really well, but it's probably a bad habit because eventually he's going to outgrow that chair. I decided last night that he needs to start getting used to laying down in his pack&play when it's time to go to bed.

The start of any new sleep training move is always the worst. The baby resists and resists and resists. Many tears are shed. Baby tears AND mommy tears. At least, that's how it works in my house.

We started putting Clark to bed last night around 8:00 and he didn't finally lay down to sleep until almost 11:00. Husband and I were taking 10 minute shifts, back and forth, for what felt like an eternity. It was awful. And Clark was stubborn! He was literally sleeping sitting up. He refused to lie down. Clark would sit there with his eyes closed, wobbling from side to side, his head rolling around on his chest. He fought it until the bitter end.

And tonight wasn't much better. A little bit. But not much.

Good thing I'm just as stubborn as he is. You want to sleep sitting up? Be my guest, silly baby. Be my guest.

Go Clarky; Airplane Attack

* Clark can take 3 or 4 steps now before he falls down. He's learning fast! And he's so proud of himself. Big smiles and giggles every time he walks. It's adorable.

* Today I took Elise and Clark to an airport. We watched some planes taking off and landing, which Elise was totally excited about. At one point, a small plane was taxiing down the runway, then it turned toward the window that we were looking out of and started coming toward us. This surprised Elise. She saw the plane and yelled, "HOLY GOD!"

I have no idea where she heard that phrase. But it was pretty funny when she said it. Crazy baby.

Need Sleep

Elise woke up at 12:44 last night puking and diarrhea-ing. It lasted off and on all night. I can't even count how many times I scooped her up and ran with her into the bathroom. I changed her bedding twice and her pajamas three times. I'm sure I got a few hours of sleep in there somewhere, but it feels like I only slept for about 3 minutes. And then today was full of bad luck and various misadventures, including me crying in public (more out of utter exhaustion than anything else).

Elise is doing fine, though. Had her last puke in the kitchen this morning and now she's back to her old self. I, however, will probably take weeks to fully recover from this. Weeks.

Happy 11 Months!

Clark is 11 months old today! I can't believe it! Sweet little chubby cubby... I love you so much!

To celebrate, Clark decided that today was the day that he'd finally learn to climb. He's been thinking about it for a while now. Eyeing the couch. The dining room chairs. The side of his pack 'n play. He put a real effort into it this evening and finally climbed up onto Georgia's toddler bed.

So here we are again. I have a baby that's just strong enough to be dangerous. Almost walking. Able to climb. Time to put the phone number for the urgent care clinic on speed dial and hope for the best.

Georgia is Better; Hiding

* Georgia's leg is better. Don't know what that was all about. Glad it's over with, though.

* Henry, Elise, and Georgia all love to hide under blankets. They often pull their blankets off their beds and either run around the bedrooms with blankets over their heads or they'll all huddle on the floor underneath one blanket. What's funny about it, though, is that they always refer to the activity as "going hiding," like it's some big adventure. Here's a super common conversation in our house:

Henry: "Elise! Wanna go hiding?"
Elise: "Yes! Georgia! Let's go hiding!"
Georgia: "I'm going hiding! Mommy! I'm going hiding now."
Elise: "Mommy! We'll be right back. We going hiding."
Me: "Okay. Have fun hiding."

And then they throw a blanket over their heads.

I built them a blanket tent with a sheet and two chairs from the dining room the other day. It was literally too much excitement for them to handle. I had to take it down before someone got crushed by a knocked-over chair.

Baby Lumps

Georgia's left leg got hurt somehow. This morning her ankle was all swollen and warm. She had what looked like a bug bite that got scratched until it bled that was located central to the swelling, so Husband and I assumed that it must have something to do with the reaction her body was having. She could walk, didn't act like it hurt at all. But it was weird, so we called a nurse.

The nurse said to try Benadryl first, which we did, and it seems to have helped. Or at least the swelling is mostly down. But you know me, I assume the worst. So I'm keeping the scratch covered with a band aid, just in case of MRSA or something crazy. Just in case.

Being a mother has made me totally paranoid about sicknesses and injuries.

Height

I measured the kids' heights recently.

Henry= 42 inches
Elise= 35.5 inches
Georgia= 37 inches
Clark= 30.5 inches

That means that Henry should technically be wearing size 5T, although his little butt is so skinny, there's no way he fits into size 5T pants. He is a big 3 year old. Tall. But I swear, he has the butt of a 6 month old.

Elise is starting to transition out of 2T clothes and into 3T.

Georgia is about to start outgrowing her 3T clothes and start moving into 4T. She's one of the biggest 2 year olds in her day care class. At least Elise will be able to wear some of her old clothes. Save me a little money.

And Clark is wearing 18 month clothes. I think his growth is starting to slow down, though, because he was 30.5 inches a month ago, so that means that he hasn't grown much lately. He's too busy learning how to walk and he forgot about growing taller, I guess.