I know...I know...

2 months is a long time to go between blogs...getting my act together and will share some stories/pics soon...promise!

The pantry is stocked!

Lisa and Michael's pantry/kitchen ought to be pretty well-stocked after this weekend. Lisa's bridal shower was a blast. The theme was bees, so here's a pic of my beehive cake:She got tons of very useful stuff and the bride-to-be looked bee-autiful (I'm sorry, I couldn't help it): Patrick got to meet the subject of his future arranged marriage. Amelia is Sara's (Lisa's sister) little girl who is about 3 weeks younger than him. They seemed to like each other - I mean, you don't play footsie w/ just anybody, right?

The wedding is two weeks from this Saturday and I'm psyched!

Matching outfit cuteness!

So Matt's parents sent the boys a whole box full of goodies last week. Here they are in their matching baseball outfits: "Hey, where's my apple?"

Jack also enjoyed trying on the cap and sunglasses:

Oh please, let me make it!

I worked last night 7-7 and it was crazy busy. An induction - who was quiet, a girl who came in at 5cm and delivered w/ a vacuum extraction, 3 outpatients - one of which was a 34-week 19-yr-old gravida 3 (she has a 3-yr-old and a 1-yr-old - I wish I were lying) w/ twins contracting - and did I mention she has had 2 previous c-sections? Not to mention the nice little old lady on the floor who was perfectly fine at the beginning of the shift, who spiked a temp of 104.7, became lethargic, basically unresponsive, incontinent and breathing 50 times a minute - who we promptly moved to the ICU (for those of you who don't realize - pts on the OB floor should never end up in the unit - not ever a good thing!!!)

So, I've had nights like that before, no big deal, I've had much worse. The reason for the headline - my sitter is on vacation so I am up w/ the kiddos all day long. Just have to make it to 12pm for Jack's nap so that I can get one myself. And Matt's on call tonight so there's no telling how much help I'll get out of him this evening. Man, I'm gonna sleep good tonight!

Will update w/ pics from Lisa's oh-so-fun shower this weekend as soon as I feel somewhat normal!

Whatna ness!

Jack's version of me saying, "What a mess!" every time I discover something that he's destroyed, food he's mashed up and sprinkled all over the house, toys everywhere, etc. I know when Jack comes up to me and says this, that I should start the search for whatever he's done. It's a nice little warning!

Smell my feet!

Patrick says, "You put something in my face, I'm gonna eat it."Brotherly love...

Afternoon at the river

On Saturday (Mind you, our first whole weekend off together in months!), we went to Chau Ram park which is on the Chauga river. We had a great time playing in the water. I especially love that the water is nice and clear because it's pretty fast-moving w/ lots of rocks and because there are several little beaches. Patrick thought the hike was pretty relaxing: Then, he woke up and wanted his turn in the water. He just sat there and looked at it and splashed:I think that look is: "This is an awefully large, cool, loud bathtub!!"

Jackson is all of a sudden a brave little fish. We had to take turns wading in the water and climbing rocks with him. He wanted to go alone, but there are so many drop-offs and slippery rocks that we had to be careful of.

Splish-splash:This picture made me realize how big my little man is getting:

Matt likes to give me heart attacks whenever possible. Don't worry, he had a good grip on him and Jack thought it was awesome:

Behold the power of the spoon

Patrick is on his way to becoming a big boy. Where has my helpless little newborn gone? For the last week or so, he has been enjoying rice cereal and fruit in the am and cereal and veggie in the pm. He has already worked his way up to about 3 tbsp of cereal and a WHOLE thing of babyfood in one sitting. It has been great because he's gone from still nursing every 2-3 hours to only doing so about 4-5 times/day. It's hard to believe that he will be 6 months in a couple of weeks.

BIG BOY BED!!

So, Jack got his new big boy bed about 2 1/2 weeks ago and he is doing wonderfully. We occasionally have to put him down 2-3 times, but he stays in it all night and for several hours to nap. Also, life is getting so much easier now that he is starting to talk more. Some of his new vocab is:

"cracker"

"book"

counting "1-10" (which amazes me!),

saying "I want my..." before just about anything,

"Bobbo" (for Rosco)"

"Hi!" whenever anyone comes downstairs or through the front door,

"fish"

"Elmo"

"su-whyyy" for his favorite show Super WHY

The Chronicles of Pee and Poop...

Between the incontinent puppy and two kids in diapers, I probably spend more time dealing w/ excrement than most people, or at least more than I'd care to. I'm not complaining - the dog (and the kids, too, I guess) have been brought into this household on my own volition.

So, for the latest installment in The Chronicles - I go into Jack's room this am and he is standing up in his crib, naked from the waist down, diaper in one hand and pj shorts in the other. Not to mention how proud he was - jumping up and down and giggling. I couldn't help but laugh. The kid has outsmarted me once again, and hey, he's now reached his milestone of removing one article of clothing! He's been able and willing to remove his diaper for some time now, but he's only done it the couple of times that I've been stupid enough to put him down for a nap w/ only a t-shirt on.

It's probably my own fault. I let him stay in his crib and entertain himself for about 45 minutes this morning before I got him. I'm sorry but 7am is just too early to get up and around. Most of you know that I'm not a morning person to begin with. But, spending all night "sleeping" w/ a squirmy 4 1/2-month-old who feels the need to latch onto SOMETHING, ANYTHING every couple of hours makes it even less appealing. What happened to my little one who was waking only once at night and sleeping in his CRIB?! What a little stinker.

In other developmental news, I'm going to start transitioning Jack from his crib to a big boy bed. I started today w/ naptime just by leaving the crib rail down. He needs to get out of that crib that's now been used by about 5 or 6 kids before he destroys it. The jumping up and down is becoming a routine thing, plus I'm afraid that he will indeed launch himself over the rail at some point. I have to start looking for a reasonably priced twin bed and some safety rails that I may perhaps go ahead and set up in his room so that the option is there and he can get used to it. I figure that I might as well since Patrick is not sleeping anyway, it shouldn't phase me or Matt to get up a few times at night with Jack, too!

WHY!?!?

...does Jack insist on pooping in the bathtub at least once a week? I am exhausted and have been all day and the last thing I want to do is Clorox the tub, but alas, that's what I'll be doing tonight. I'll leave you with that to ponder. Someone please come up with a solution...I'm begging you!!!

Mouthin' off

Mr. Jack is increasing his vocabulary every day. For example, this morning he reached his arms out indicating that he wanted to hold the baby. I sat Patrick on his knee and he hugged him and said, "Hi Baby Yack (Jack)" I about fell out of my chair. He laughed because I laughed and then kissed him, too cute! And just now, I found him knocking over the closed (thankfully) container of dog food and I said, "Excuse me," which he promptly responded w/ "Scuse me," in the same inflection and tone followed by a cute, yet sadistic little smile. I turned to Matt and said,"Did he just mouth off to me?" and he said, "I think so!."

G'ma and granddad sent a package today w/ lots of fun surprises. The popsicle holders were thoroughly enjoyed by all, including Patrick:

He actually held the thing himself and directed the popsicle straight to his mouth. He was taken aback at first by the cold, but after a couple of licks realized it wasn't so bad. This is his first experience w/ anything other than milk. Don't worry, I don't feed my 4-month-old popsicles on a routine basis - this was for cute picture-taking purposes only; ) He probably loved the cold since I'm pretty sure that he's already teething.Jack's first experience w/ a popsicle was yesterday and today he got to do it w/ the handy dandy no-mess popsicle holder and it went quite well.

Tonight we're taking Matt out for Father's Day (since he was on call yesterday) to the Asian Bistro which is his favorite place to eat around here.

Mommy and Patrick photo op:

Meet Roscoe...

Our new 10-week-old pit-bull mix we adopted from the humane society.

He's very sweet and very much a bounding, playful little puppy. It took a couple of days, but he and Sandy have established their bond/hierarchy and now play very well together:

He does well with the boys too...I had to teach him to be extra careful with them and he minds most of the time...."Hey, whatcha got in that wipe container?"The trick is also making sure that Jackson is careful w/ the puppy. Here's the sulken, dejected look of a boy who was just told, "We don't kick the puppy to get his attention."

All in all, he's a great dog. He seems to have a really good temperment and most importantly, knows who's boss and responds accordingly. One downside is that he is basically incontinent at this point. He pees about every 5 minutes, but is mostly pitty-pad trained in the house (because I'm not going to let him out 800 times a day!) I just remind myself that Sandy was the same way when we got her and since she was maybe 6 months old, has not had an accident in the house, so I'm optimistic.

Jacks's favorite words of the week: "NO" (a favorite among most his age); "hosh" (hush - he says it when the dogs are barking, just like mommy ; "Saaa-hee" (Sandy)

Patrick's favorite words: "aa-goo" and "gaa" all the while blowing bubbles with his drool; and now giggling when we tickle him and say stupid stuff

My boys...

Patrick's wondering "Hey, when do I get some of the good stuff!?"

He's getting so big! His 4-month check-up on Friday went okay. Only okay because "Dr. Ben" heard a new heart murmur. Probably not a big deal, but still not something you want to hear. We'll wait to see if it's gone by his 6-month visit and if it's not, he'll probably need an echo. He's weighing in at 14lbs even and 25 inches. He's starting to get long and lanky because he stayed on his growth curve for length, but dropped from 75th percentile to 25th for weight. Most likely due to the fact that he still has reflux and spits up anywhere from 3-6 times with each feeding. He's still growing out of a lot of his clothes - I guess he's just long-waisted. He's started laughing when he's tickled, too...so adorable!

(It was at this moment that Matt commented that "Uncle Fester" had come to dinner...leave the poor bald baby alone!!)

Jack showing him the ins and outs of the Hop-n-Pop, which he loves because he loves to stand up!!
(Wow...he can dance and brush his teeth at the same time...so safe...)

South Cove

Time at the lake last Thursday afternoon when Matt got home post-call. Jack was a little weary at first: But then, when he discovered the mud, he played with his sand toys and eventually waded in up to his waist - it was a struggle to get him out!

Patrick mostly just chilled in his stroller:

Cause when I dipped his feet, this was the reaction (followed by screaming):The red clay was a little much to clean off, but we all had a good time. I've heard from some people that there are "sandy" beaches along this lake, you just have to find them.

Weekend in Cary

The boys and I had a great time in Cary over the weekend. Friday, we met Steve, Brenda, and Jennifer in Raleigh at Pullen Park. (sorry no pics...my hands were full with both boys and no Matt to help!) We rode the train and Jack rode the carousel w/ granddad, and Jack looked at the ducks, got in the swing, and played in the sand. We later had lunch at Sweet Tomatoes where Jack ate his fair share of pizza. It was pretty good, I had never been there before. We then went to Cary Towne Center where I got to do a little bit of shopping - it's been a long time - there are no decent malls around here!! It was a fun and exhausting day - great to see Matt's family!

Saturday was much more chill. I hung out at my dad and Lisa's house and pretty much just played with the boys all day. They both had a blast with my parents. Jack loves their house and yard because there's so much room to run - and plenty of people that are willing to chase him for hours on end. Patrick eventually warmed up to everyone and had fun talking and smiling at my dad. It was so cute! Granny came over for dinner that night, but she didn't stay long enough for Patrick to get used to her so she didn't get to hold him very much w/out him screaming. Isn't it a bit too early for all of this clinginess?

Patrick and Grandanny talkin' it up:Jack scootin' his ride-on firetruck across the rock path:Jack and Grandma Lisa hangin out:

Grandma Lisa, and the sleepy one:And my favorite, look at that grin after Grandma Lisa gave me the hose:

Buddha, anyone?

WOW, that's a round belly. And not to leave out another cute bathtub boy...

What a tease.

So I mentioned last time that Patrick was sleeping for most of the night for about a month now. Well, I guess I just had to jinx myself!! The last three nights have been rough. He got up several times Saturday night for Matt. Then he was up at 1:30am Sunday night and when I brought him to bed with me, he wanted to eat about once an hour. Then last night, he was up at 10:30 and again, wanted to eat every hour or so. Maybe it's a growth spurt...I think they have one around 4 months. I'm sure he'll start sleeping better soon...he's proven to me that it can be done!
I have to work the next couple of nights then it's off to Cary for a long weekend to celebrate my dad's 50th!!! I'm really excited, although slightly scared. This is my first time travelling with both kids by myself (Matt's on call Friday). I think Jack is going to spend the day, Friday, with Matt's parents, so I'm sure he'll have a great time.
Yesterday we went to a cookout at one of the other resident's house. They have a baby that was born just 2 days before Patrick. Olly was also an early bird (about 4 weeks before his due date) but he's doing great and so cute!! The two bald little Cabbage Patch kids just stared at each other and drooled. Jack had a great time playing with their little girl, Lily, age 3 1/2.

Why requiring a license to procreate is more important than one to drive...

CASE AND POINT!! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24594248&GT1=43001

Probably happens more often than imaginable here in rural SC.

Don't say the word...

"TACKLE" around Jack. Or else this is what will happen: Don't worry...they were just horsin' around:And of course, Patrick can't do cute things like tackle yet, but he looks very angelic in photos: Everybody has been doing great lately. I haven't updated about Patrick's sleeping habits in a while. We're still working on the napping thing. He will rest for maybe 45mins-1.5hrs in the moring in his crib for a nap, but otherwise just sleeps in the car or in my arms for his other naps. Which is really strange because he loves his crib at night. Both boys go to bed between 7pm-8pm and of course Jack sleeps until morning. For about 3 weeks now, Patrick has been getting up ONCE between 4am-5am! I can't believe how lucky I am!! At that point I change his diaper, and he gives me the silliest little smiles through the glow of his night light, and then I bring him to bed with me to eat and sleep until Jack gets up around 7:30 or 8am. So, his nighttime behavior completely makes up for his lack of sleep during the day.

I have the next week off from work, but I'm on call Monday night. There are only two nurses scheduled after 11pm so I'll probably have to work from 11-7. No biggie. It's amazing how you get used to being up all night that it hardly phases you anymore. I mean, I have to sleep after work, but usually only 4-5hrs and I'm good.

Matt's on call tonight...only two more after tonight for this hard rotation (he's up all night), and then he begins his last month of commuting to Anderson. Starting July, he'll be working at the same hospital that I do and will have home-call ONLY!!!

Upgrade!

So I finally bit the bullet and upgraded my digital camera. Mine was about 6 years old and although I was still impressed by the pics it took, I have developed a pretty serious hobby of taking pics and wanted some new technology. So I've gone from 3.2 megapixels to 8.4. I love my new camera, but it's going to take a while to learn how to use all of the features. Here are a couple of pics of the kids from my new camera:

Not that either of them could take a bad picture, but I thought that the quality of these was pretty good.

Here's Jack swinging on the big boy swing in the backyard the other day - he's such a goof:

This was taken with my old camera...I think you can tell a difference.

Last night I got called into work from 7pm-1am to work in the nursery. We had 7 babies...TWO sets of twins, which is just crazy for our tiny little community hospital. I had a good time...a break from the norm...plus time-and-a-half call pay, woohoo!!!
In response to my last post...I apologize again for the negativity...but the van and the computer are now running smoothly, in case you were wondering!