Official welcome, Caleb James!

I feel like I've lived the past couple months in a cloud.  I've been a tired, uncomfortable, impatient mess of a pregnant woman.  I had contractions since January, two toddlers to care for and incredibly swollen ankles.  

Oh, yes, I was a bundle of joy.

And then, it came time to have my baby boy and, in a matter of seconds (ok...HOURS!), the cloud lifted.  

What a miracle child birth is and how blessed I have been to have been able to experience it now three times with my wonderful husband.  Caleb James was born March 14 at 2:30 p.m. and was 7 lbs and 20 inches.  He was the smallest of any of our babies, with healthy lungs and the cutest face you've ever seen.  Instantly, he stole our hearts.

I just know he'll steal yours.  

While his birth was fairly easy, my recovery has not been as smooth as I had hoped, so I'm not quite ready yet to sit down and write again.  Therefore, please enjoy the pictures in the meantime.  He's a cutie!

One of the early pics - floopy and adjusting to this daylight thing.

Cuddling up to my new boyfriend.  He sleeps like me - head back and mouth wide open.

Daddy:  in love already.

Bright-eyed and alert - when he's not sleeping, he's really into everything...when he's not eating...

Burrito baby on the hospital bed.

Seriously, Aunt Allison, you have no idea what I've been through.

Precious...  and see?  Mouth open!

First day home.  "So they tell me that you are my sister..."

Homecoming complete with a birthday party!  Look at Allison and then at Elizabeth - the whole scene cracks me up.  Oh, and where might Rachel be?

Pinned tight to Mama...  ha!  Actually, my little needy girl has been adjusting much better than what I expected.  I've been very proud of her.

I just need ten minutes, people...TEN MINUTES!

NO!!!  I don't want your kisses!!!

Cheesing with grandma before church. 

Thanks for looking, my friends!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Rachel Lynn!

You know, this whole raising kids thing is funny...

Everyone told me to be prepared for my second to be completely different than my first, but that's such a hard concept to comprehend if all you have is one.  It's hard to think of them having a different personality than the child you've come to know and love and be able to deal with.  

And then, you wonder how you could possibly have enough room in your heart to love more than one and love them equally and as completely as they each need...

Funny, the worries of parents.

So to face the fact that my baby girl turned two today and take the time to reflect on her and her qualities is crazy.  I can't say that time has flown but it has gone quickly.  So quickly that I haven't even filled out her baby book yet - it's still in the drawer with all the scraps I've been meaning to put in there.  *sigh*  Poor second child!

I remember not feeling well for about a week when I took the pregnancy test.  We had just moved to TN and to say that I had been an emotional wreck is an understatement.  Coming to a place where I knew no one and becoming a stay at home mom to a not-quite-one-yet Elizabeth was daunting.  Our household budget had significantly decreased and my husband worked long hours, trying to claw his way as a new salesman.  

There were so many reasons behind why I might have not been feeling well...

Yet, in the end, there was only one.  

I remember Scott had been working under the house to run a phone line to a room where there wasn't currently one.  He was filthy and it was a hot July day and I walked out to him with a young Elizabeth on my hip with the positive pregnancy test.  

He looked at it, and then at me.  

And I turned and walked back in the house.  

He caught up with me and put his arms around the two of us and said, "Aren't we going to talk about this?"  I said, "No..."  I was emotionally unprepared for this news - I hadn't even gotten a period yet since after Elizabeth was born and, while I knew that the possibility was there, between Scott traveling back and forth and just being home on weekends...  Well, I just thought the odds were in my favor. 

Little did I know that they were.  

Carrying Rachel was easy.  I gained way too much weight and she was an active and healthy little baby.  Aside from that beginning bit, I wasn't sick or hurting and I was thankful to eventually be induced so we could plan for my sister to come in town to watch Elizabeth.  

My doctor broke my water a little after 7 a.m. and she was born not too long after 10 a.m. and made her presence known to the world.  Right away, she showed a demanding personality.  She wanted to eat and be held and then eat some more.  She was opinionated and loud.

And boy, was she cute...

Fortunately for us, being only 19 months apart, Elizabeth didn't show any jealously and instead loved her little sister from the start.  Rachel found Elizabeth fascinating and the bond was tight between the two of them.  As they've grown, Rachel has been quick to follow Elizabeth's lead but be strong in forging her own path.  It's not unusual to find her playing or reading on her own, almost thankful for the solitude.

She's always been an easy sleeper - even today, letting me know when she needs a nap or to go to bed.  And there's no guessing her mood or what she wants - which isn't always a bad quality, I think.  

She loves Mickey Mouse and Elmo and prefers chocolate over vanilla (my child!).  She loves to swing and will let you push her for hours (no, I'm not exaggerating!).  She sings and dances and jumps and runs.  Rachel is an easier eater than Elizabeth and will try almost anything...except for oatmeal.  She still likes being rocked and demands a sippy of milk in the morning the same way her mama demands coffee.  She could care less about learning her letters or numbers, but she talks in full phrases and understands more complex subjects than Elizabeth did at this age.  

Oh, and she loves boots. 

Rachel has been such a blessing and joy to our family.  Please enjoy the pictures and the changes.  We love you so much, baby girl!

Our first day home.  "But Dad...she's wearing a Pooh hat!!"

Duuuuuuddddeeee...

So Mom, as I was saying...

With her sister, the mad streaker...

Happy girl

So back to this subject of breakfast, mother...

Playing at the children's museum

Never a dull moment - and we wouldn't have it any other way!

The Library and Hug Hug

This post happened in January, earlier this year.  Thankfully, I never have to return to this library since we moved and so far, I have no record at the new library. 

On the final moving day, I had a bag full of books and a couple movies in the front seat to return.  I didn't have the girls with me so I thought it would be a pleasant good-bye process - a simple drop in the hopper.

20 minutes after dropping off the goods, my phone rang.

"Mrs. So-and-so...this is the library.  You returned your movie boxes...with no movies."

They were still in the DVD player...I mailed it.

Enjoy the tale!

So I wasn't planning on writing about this particular adventure to the library until my best friend found it so humorous to concoct a picture in that creative, graphic-design brain of hers and send it to me in an email.  Amanda always seems to call when I'm leaving the library and gets the brunt of my frustration - which she finds hilarious.  Not wanting her work to be in vain here, please, let me explain...

It all started with the Wiggles book.  We lost it.  I mean, I have no clue where it is.  We've offered rewards.  We've had contests to search my house.  It's gone.  Scott thinks our friend Chris took it home with her after her visit when Rachel was born - since she had to read it to Elizabeth exactly 765 time, but of course, she denies any foul play.

I had to pay $14 to the library and the receipt is good for a year if it turns up.  It hasn't.

Since then, I've been late about a million times and have racked up enough overdue fines to pay one of their librarians salary - which you can only do when you check out 30 little kid books at a time and forget which day they're due back.  So I've had to develop quite the organizational system - counting the books we bring home and writing the number on the day on the calendar that they're due back.  

We use the Mickey Mouse bag as our library bag and I keep the receipt for the books in there - to double check my number on the calendar.  And we plan the trip to the library days in advance, which helps with my coaching Elizabeth on her behavior.  (Talks sort of sound like a scene out of Turner and Hooch.)

"You will not run or pull off books or yell or scream or cry or lie down on the ground at the library.  You will not run from Mommy or beg for the Wiggles DVD or cry when Mommy wants to grab a Joyce Meyer book, or a cookbook and child rearing book on the run."

I've tried driving by and returning the books in the hopper...which never works.  The girls know when we're supposed to go inside and I have a holy fit in the backseat if I take a step towards the building without them. 

So you can imagine my horror as we drove up to the parking lot last week and it suddenly dawned on me that it was Martin Luther King Day.  *Groan.* "Honey...the library is closed.  See, there are no cars there."

"Mama! Library!  Push the button!"  (She gets to push the handicap button that opens the main door...it's a pretty big deal.) 

"Honey, we can't push the button...it's closed.  Mama's so sorry...the library is closed...we can't go today."

I turn around in the parking lot and my children scream all the way home.

Awesome.

So Tuesday comes and I still have all the books in the Mickey bag in the front seat...counted...  That's how I knew that Hug Hug was in there.

We go through the library and my children are actually great.  Elizabeth found a princess book she was thrilled about and wouldn't let out of her grubby mitts.  Rachel was gnawing on a string on my sweatshirt and was happy for a moment.  I should have known I was pressing my luck. 

I put the books on the counter and gave the lady my card.

"You have a book out," she said.

"I do?  Which one?"

"Hug hug," she answered.

"Oh no," I said, relieved over the simple misunderstanding.  "I just put the books in the hopper.  It's in there.  I counted all the books."

She looked at me, unsympathetically, and said, "Riiigght,"  while looking at the computer screen.  In front of her, I know, was my library rap sheet:   Annie-crazy woman, address, two bad kids, a million dollars in late fines and loser of the Wiggles book.

She looked up.  "I actually just checked all those books in and it wasn't in there."

Elizabeth started fussing...the princess book was on the counter.

"I'm sure it was in there," I said.  "I double-checked all the books.  I have a system now."

She gave me a sure you do look and said, "Ok, I'll go look again."

As she went in the back, an old lady came up and told me how adorable my kids were while, at the same time, lecturing me on Rachel not wearing socks.  I told her that I was sure she was wearing socks when we left the house and somehow they got lost, while I'm thinking, "Please don't call DSS...I put socks on my kids."

Elizabeth:  "Mama?  Princess...?"

The librarian comes back.  "It wasn't back there.  Do you remember what it looks like?"

"Yes," I said.  "It's a little square board book.  I know it was in there."

"Well, I'll go look in the board book section for it."

Now I started to get peeved and so was Elizabeth.  Rachel was no longer pleased with the string.  I'm sure her feet were cold. 

Now, the board books are in the real little kids section of the library and to say it is the least big straight is a lie.  There is no organization and is one jumble of toys and books and mats.  It's awesome, really...but there's no hope in finding a singular book.

She comes back empty handed. 

"It wasn't over there," said Captain Obvious.

"I know, I just turned it in...with the rest of my books,"  I repeated.

"Well, I don't see it and I can't check out any more books for you until you turn it in."

This is the point that I begin to snap...in the public library.  "You're kidding right?"  Elizabeth started wailing for the princess book.  "I'm sure it just fell out in the car or something.  Can't you just check it out again for me?'

"We're really not supposed to do that ma'am," she explained. Plus you have a record, I know she thought.

So I stood there with my two now-crying children and my 30 non-checked out books on the counter and weigh my options.  I could leave with no books and a hysterical Elizabeth.  I could go out to the car and attempt to look for Hug Hug with a hysterical Elizabeth and a wiggling Rachel.  Or I could try to strong arm the librarian.

Option 3... I gave her the silent stare.

Scott coined this method of just looking at someone without talking until they decide to give you what you want.  Lucky for me, she broke quickly.  Seriously, like I had just done a Jedi mind-trick or something.

"Ok, I'll just recheck Hug Hug out for you just this once," she said.

Perfect.  "Oh thank you so much.  I will look in the car for it.  I'm sure it's just right there."

She gritted her teeth through her smile.  "Oh, I'm sure it is."

Elizabeth dries up as soon as the princess book hits her paws and I led my circus out the front doors.  Elizabeth hit the handicapped button and I'm sure all eyes were on us as we left.

Stupid Hug Hug.

Nursing one with two...

June 6, 2010 - from The Good Life family blog I kept at the time.  This would have made Rachel a little over three months old and I had just started the process of writing to attempt to regain my sanity of being at home with two little ones.  I love looking back at the old pictures and recalling the things Elizabeth used to do.  It's also funny to think that Rachel is almost as old now as Elizabeth was then.

Anyway, enjoy the story...


Can I write about breastfeeding on this thing?  I'm going to give it a go because, let me tell you, nursing is no picnic with a 22-month-old running around.  I've been very fortunate with both girls and never really had any problems feeding.  In fact, Rachel came out of the womb hungry and has never denied an offer at a meal, unless of course, it came from a bottle.

There were many things I was prepared for since this was my second child...the lovely mouthful of milk pouring down my side when she falls asleep, the wanting to talk when mommy is talking, the process of always walking around with a burp cloth...

What I was not prepared for was my oldest.

Elizabeth really has shown no jealously except for when I go to feed Rachel.  Then, she wants in the middle of everything.  She always asks to get up when I have the baby...although in her defense, that is really the only time I'm sitting down.

It didn't take her long to realize that I am incapacitated when I'm in the rocker and she can use it to her advantage.  Let's take this morning, for instance.

She began the process by climbing on the footstool of the glider and putting all her weight on the Boppy.  Why yes, you DO know this routine!  That is the nifty little pillow that is actually holding the baby.  She then pushed her head into Rachel's butt and made loud kissing noises.  "Mmmmm-ah!" 

From there, she sprinted down the hallway, only to come out of her room with the window screen that I had been attempting to hide behind the changing table.  How she found it, I have no idea, but she threw it on the ground and laid herself on top of it, smashing her face into all the little bug gut particles which I'm sure are all over the thing.   

Gross! Gross!  Gross!  Feeding time now officially over, Rachel went back to the bouncer.

During the next feeding, I decided to switch gears and try the couch, which would allow her to sit beside me.  A novel idea except this also limited my vision.  Elizabeth came in, noticed that I'm nursing Rachel, and promptly marched into the kitchen and grabbed all of my clean dishrags out of the basket (literally, there might have been 10 in her arms).

Mommy's helper then disappeared around the corner of the kitchen and 15 seconds later, I hear the washer door slam and she was pushing buttons.  Snack over:  Rachel goes back in the bouncer.

Who knew she could figure out the wash settings and I set the washer to spin out my now-soaked dishrags and sat back down.

Elizabeth retreated down the hallway.

Her next appearance came by way of the office, and she was carrying every piece of paper that WAS FORMERLY in the printer and proceeded to wad them all up and throw them away.   That didn't get me to put the baby down so she went back to the Boppy climbing tactics.

When I fussed at her for stepping on my feet with her shoes on, she ran in the room, retrieved my flip flops and brought them back as if to say, "Well woman, if you would put some shoes on, my weight wouldn't hurt them so much."

Except, instead of putting them on my feet, she put them in her mouth.

Winner!  Back to the bouncer for Rachel.

I swear, this is all before 9 a.m. and Rachel was now snotty and adamant that she was starving.  I gave up trying to suck the snot out, with her wrenching her head around and Elizabeth pushing her big noggin into my side (we were still on the couch) so we went back to eating.

Now my oldest decided to drag every toy she owned into the living room, along with all the clean clothes out of the laundry basket.  She went to the window and played with the blinds she had already broken on a previous occasion.  She climbed on top of her rocking horse, rocked as strong as she could and then stood up in the saddle...all the while, looking at me for a response.

I stayed silent, determined to get my baby fed and to sleep so I could have just a few moments of sanity.

Just as defeat closed in, my dear, sweet child decided to throw out her trump card...

"Poo-poo...," she said, reaching into her diaper...

Bingo!  Back to the bouncer for Rachel.