Another Month Passed By…
Wow.
I was just planning on just posting pictures, but I’m waiting to see if Olivia wakes up AGAIN, so I guess I’ll tell you about my evening…
John went to work, my mom stayed and helped with dinner by holding Tabitha while I cooked and fed the big girl. We got Olivia jammied and just like any other night, laid the two girls on the bed while O had her before bedtime bottle
A few things were out of “routine” but not terribly, she seemed to go down fine. My mom left, I tried to keep Tabs up a little longer, as it was only 7:30. But I gave in at about ten to eight. I took her into my room (where her bassinet is) & got comfy on the bed to feed her. Five minutes into it, crying and screaming coming from Olivia. Ugh. I waited a few minutes, sometimes she’ll just go back to sleep on her own, but no, not this time. I cut Tabitha short, laid her on the bed and went and got MissO. I tried to hold her and get her to fall asleep real quick, but again, no. Tabitha starts crying, so I just bring O into our room. She lays on our bed, with Snowman and her blankie, I start feeding Tabs again and O closes her eyes. Score!
Tabitha eats and goes down easily, Olivia, not so much. Her eyes shoot open, she wants to see sister in her bassinet, she’s climbing all over the bed, she’s handing me blankets to put on the baby, she’s handing me the sound machine for who knows what reason, she’s “talking” to me like it’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Uh, hello?! You’re tired!
So we go through the latter half of our bedtime routine, and she goes down without a fight.
I go out front to water the lawn (my job now, sigh) about ten minutes into it, crying. Again. I let it go a good ten minutes. Still crying. I go in, she’s standing there, “Hi!” she says.
Sigh.
But there’s a poop in her diaper, so I sorta feel bad. That’s why she’s not sleeping. She had a tummy ache. I change her and she’s as pleasant as can be. Wide awake. I swear, she’s trying to kiss my ass so that I’ll let her stay up. Guess what? It worked. She is just so dang cute. So we cleaned up her room, she had thrown out all of her books, so we picked them up. Then we went out to the family room and she helped me collect her toys and bring them back to the playroom. Then we picked up the playroom. I was surprised at how good she was, she didn’t try to play with the toys or “argue” that we were putting them away. She’s a very good ass kisser.
We said good night to the play room and turned out the light, we went into the family room, said “Good night family room!”, she waved to it, we turned out the light. We went back into her room, grabbed Snowman & blankie, went through the go to bed routine, turned out the lights and I shut the door. Silence.
Aahhhhhhhh.
Ten minutes.
Crying.
Sigh. Again??
This time I let it go a good 20 minutes. It’s turning into shrieking. I go in. Poor thing is all sweaty from crying. She says a very long, over enthusiastic, “Hiiiiiiiiiii!”
Anyways, we ended up on the couch watching Finding Nemo. This was Olivia’s first movie experience. I don’t think that I’ve watched Finding Nemo on our TV, or atleast I don’t remember, but it was pretty freakin awesome. (We have a 56″ Samsung DLP – ateast I think that’s what it is, a DLP, I’m not savvy on things like that, I just know it’s big and sorta fancy) Anyways she was pretty into it, or just super tired. She started rubbing her eyes after Marlon (Nemo’s dad) met the sharks, so I just turned the TV off and took her to bed.
That was at about 10:45 (!!!!), it’s almost 11:30 now, so I’m assuming I’m in the clear now. Hopefully there will be no more “me-time” interruptions!
Well, as I promised, here are the girls monthly pictures…
We had a little photo shoot with the girls, Olivia just loves her little sister. She got really into it, she wanted to hold Tabs like a little mommy. She was a little rough, as you can see from the photo’s but it wasn’t anything Tabs couldn’t handle. Her crying wasn’t from being man handled, it was from just being tired.
Olivia, 16 months; Tabs, 2 months
Olivia “patting” Tabitha to sooth her – just like mommy pats Tabs back when she cries.
Little mommy trying to change baby’s diaper….
Little Miss Mischevious
My tired little missy, holding up her itty bitty head
And some of Tabs that I took today…
Could she look any more like John??
A happy girl after an explosive poop (TMI?) and a sub-sequential bath
Thumb Sucker
Yesterday Tabitha turned 2 months, and tomorrow Olivia will be 16 months.
Monthly pictures to come…
I love seeing Tabs getting bigger and turning into more of a “baby”. Having both babies getting bigger has been both easier and harder to deal with. Tabitha is pretty much up most of the day, which makes it more challenging to get things done, but at the same time it’s a lot more fun because there’s a lot more interaction and way more smiles. It’s easier because they both pretty much sleep through the night. Usually by 9 o’clock everybody’s aleep, and I have some time to myself. Tabitha wakes up around 4am, but as soon as she gets fed she’s back asleep. My problem is that I can’t seem to get to bed before midnight. Not because I’m not tired, but because there’s so much to get done – picking up, doing laundry, folding laundry, ironing laundry (which I’ve become a fanatic about), changing the sheets, scrubbing the bathroom, doing dishes – it’s all impossible to do while holding an infant and chasing a toddler. I could possibly get laundry done during the day, but it’s so frustrating to have a neat pile of clean, folded clothes and then have Olivia come and rip it apart and start scrubbing the floors with those nice white shirts. So instead, I opt for these loveley dark circles under my eyes.
So, it’s funny how different the two girls are. Olivia was, and still is, all about the binky. Tabitha on the other hand won’t have anything to do with it, but she really likes her thumb. She’s getting better at finding it and holding onto it, thank gawd, because I really do think that the whole sucking thing is helpful in self soothing. Having John back working at night, I’ve given in and have been trying to get Tabs to take the binky, but she refuses. Today I even went and bought a different brand (from what Olivia uses), but no luck. She (Tabs) just makes a yuck face and squirms to fight it, I don’t remember it being a struggle for Olivia. But tonight when I was putting her to sleep she found her thumb on her own and slurped and sucked on that thing like none other. I put her down, she wasn’t quite asleep yet, but she held onto that thumb and put herself to sleep! Yay!
This weekend wasn’t too exciting, we didn’t have much planned. I went to a skin care “party” on Saturday and took the girls with me. Olivia, as usual, was a really good girl and entertained everybody, and Tabitha was quiet and happy. She doesn’t smile a lot, but she definitely smiles more than Olivia did at this age. I don’t think Olivia smiled until way later, and it took a long time for O to actually laugh, not that she was an unhappy baby, she was just serious. I think she was busy taking it all in. So far, I think this is the biggest difference between the two of them.
Tabs is holding her head up really well now, laying on her stomach she can fully extend her arms, head up and check things out. It’s pretty cute, her eye (yes, just one eye) gets all big and curious. I hope her eyes even out, because one is way bigger than the other, I joke around that she got one of my eyes and one of John’s. Oh well, if it doesn’t, she’ll make a really good pirate for Halloween.
This week we have our first double dr’s appointment, that should be exciting. I love taking them to the doctor’s because it’s always fun to see how much they’ve grown. I think Olivia has really gotten taller and leaner since her 12 month check up, and this appointment she’ll be able to stand on the big girl scale, rather than lay down in the baby scale. And Tabitha has gotten huge since her 2 week check up, I’m gonna guess she weighs atleast 12lbs and is way taller than Olivia was at her age.
Olivia’s new word: “Buh-bye!” The cutest thing everrrrr! I posted a 5 second video of it on facebook. I wish I could post videos on the blog, but I’d have to upgrade my subscription to a paying subscription. No thanks. Free is good.
I bought Olivia a cute little pink potty chair last week. We have yet to use it. I don’t want to push it too hard, I think she’s a little bit afraid of it. It’s a little cheap one from IKEA ($3.99), I’m thinking that a fancier one with the bells and whistles might be better, but I don’t know. Her poor little butt kinda falls in the “hole” and that freaks her out. I was thinking that one with a toilet seat might work better for her. I’m still debating on a mini-potty chair just for her, or a mini toilet seat that hooks on to the regular toilet. I’m sort of leaning towards the toilet seat, but for selfish reasons – I don’t want to clean out her business of the potty chair. If she goes straight in the toilet, that’s a lot less work for me. But I guess, ultimately, it’s up to her, huh? Gawd, I hate that. Either way, she’s still young, so I’m not stressing yet.
The last two days Tabs has been really good in the car. 3 car rides with NO screaming! Two five minute drives, and today we went all the way to my mom’s (a 20 minute drive) without any crying! We would have made it home with out a peep, except I put the froggy stretchy toy on her carseat…
and Olivia hit the rattle toy, and I think it scared Tabitha. She started wailing away. It was kind of comical, you should have seen the look on Olivia’s face – she was like, DAMMIT! And she grabbed onto the bar of the carrier and tried rocking it to quiet her little sister. It didn’t work. I think we all are over the crying in the car.
Olivia, rocking out on her giraffe….
Her “funny face”….
She finally fits in the cutest shoes in the world! (her first pairs of VANS that she got for her bday)
July
Due to my mother’s complaint about my few-and-far-between posts, I’m staying up later to write…so if you’re excited about a new post, thank my mom.
Tabs is 8 weeks now, can you believe it?
I was driving home tonight with Jodi, and Tabitha is screaming in the back, Olivia is singing jibberish, and Jodi was complaining about all this mayhem giving her a headache. And I thought, wow. I’ve been driving with all this chaos for 8 weeks already!
I don’t know why, but my babies hate the car. I thought that babies were supposed to fall asleep when they went for a ride? Don’t people say that if you have a cranky baby you’re supposed to go for a drive to put them to sleep. That would never work! Every time Tabs gets in the car, even if she’s asleep, she’ll wake up and just start wailing! Olivia was the same way, it lasted until she was about three months, if I remember correctly. John says it’s my driving, but I’m a fabulous driver!
So what’s new with FamiLeezy?
Let’s see, well I got contacts. That’s sort of big deal in my little world. I’ve been wearing glasses for over 20 years (gawd, I’m getting old!) so this is really the first time I’ve ever seen myself without glasses from more than 2 inches away. Weird! I’m not sure if I like them yet or not. It’s been a week now and I don’t know if maybe I’m not used to them yet or what, but they make my eyes hella dry feeling, like I’ve been swimming all day or something. I have a follow up appointment next week so we’ll see if I just need a different brand or what. But you know what’s really weird? Nobody has noticed. I was always told how different I look without glasses, but everybody I’ve seen so far doesn’t even realize my face is naked!
John is back working at the bar. He just started last week. They called him up and offered him his job back. It couldn’t have come at a better time, well, yes it could have. A couple of weeks ago would have been nicer, but oh well, we’ll take what we can get, right? But, no, it all worked out. He got let go right before Tabs was born, so it was nice having him around, now things are under control and it will be nice (really nice) to have the extra mula. He’s working there full time, Friday through Tuesday, six until two am. It hasn’t been that bad adjusting to him being gone, but I think it’s a (hard) adjustment for him, especially working his pools in this heat during the day and then having to work another 8 hours on his feet. I’ve been trying to compensate by being a better housewife by picking up and staying on top of the chores. Tonight I even took the garbage cans out! A chore that I refuse to do, that’s a job for BOYS! Oh, AND I’ve even been watering the lawn, in the dark! Wow, now that is love!
The babies are doing good. Olivia has been teething, which is sort of rough. I don’t know if it’s “normal”, but she’s getting hella teeth in at one time. 8 teeth to be exact. 4 molars & all 4 eye teeth. Considering, the girl has actually been doing pretty well. She’s a toughie. She’s gotten her first two real owies this month. She slammed her finger in a drawer and then pulled it out, so the skin sort of peeled off – gross, I know! There was blood and just one, short scream. I think I freaked out more than she did. She didn’t even cry, or flinch, when I poured peroxide over it! She’s so brave! She also scraped her knee falling in the backyard on the pavement, a little bit of blood but no tears. I’m not quite sure if I should be proud or scared.
We’re starting to get somewhat of a routine going. Tabitha is sleeping a nice chunk of time now. The hardest part of John being gone at night is dinner & bedtime. After dinner John would jammie up Olivia while I held Tabs and fixed O her bottle, then we’d switch and I would put O to bed. But now I have to manage both, it hasn’t been as bad as I thought.
Friday night I did the Downtown Campbell Art Walk, where I displayed my portrait paintings in hopes to get some business & earn my own money. (It was fun, it’s every 3rd Friday night) My mom & Lisa helped with the babies and to set up my “booth”, then my mom took Olivia home, I kept Tabs with me & Lisa, and then Jodi joined us. Tabitha went to her first bar. Well, sort of. The Art Walk was over at 9, we finished packing up my stuff about 9:30ish and then Jodi was meeting a friend who wasn’t there yet. So since Tabitha is such a good baby, we walked down to Aqui’sfor a drink. (I am obsessed with their strawberry lemonades, if you get a chance, try one!) It’s a restaurant/bar and there was seating outside, so I thought it’d be okay. I had to go in to show them my ID, and some guys offered to buy Tabs a shot (hopefully not a look of what’s to come, atleast not for another 22 years!)
Anyways, I’m getting off track…
So Friday night wasn’t a routine night. But Saturday night it wasn’t so bad. We had a busy day, we went to Campbell’s Big Bands & BBQ festival – where Olivia ate an entire $10 plate of BBQ chicken, potato salad & beans all to herself – in the 100 degree weather, which made it almost miserable. Then Lisa & I took the girls home to nap (John & Jodi stayed), then John went to work and I took the girls (by myself!!) to the Mt. View Obon Festival. Considering, it wasn’t too bad. A little stressful at times, but not too bad. Olivia ate her first corndog like a big girl while I got a few games of Bingo in with Jodi and her friend. But as it got closer to bedtime, Olivia started having a mini meltdown & wanted out of the stroller, so we left. We got home and went through the bedtime routine. It worked out pretty well. While I changed O into her jammies, Tabs sat contently in O’s crib, propped up with a pillow. Then the three of us laid in bed while Olivia had her bottle – well, sort of. I think she’s phasing out of the bedtime bottle (yay!), she didn’t actually drink any of it. Then I put her to bed, and Tabitha just waited patiently. I fed Tabs, laid her in her bassinet, patted her back for a few minutes, she was out and I was alone & relaxed by 9:15! Success!! The best part? Everybody slept in until 8:45am!
That’s pretty much been the routine for the past two weeks or so though. Right after Olivia goes down, so does Tabs. Until about 4am, for a feeding, and then she goes right back to sleep. The problem is that I end up staying up way too late. Like right now. Everybody’s been asleep for almost 3 hours, and it’s after midnight and I’m still up. But as long as you’re enjoying reading this, then (I guess) it’s worth it. *wink*wink*
I’m think (but I’m making no promises) that posts will be a little more often now that John is working and I have evenings to myself, so…
That’s my sign off…here is the rest of the month in pictures
Photoshoot: July 6, 2009; Olivia 15 months, Tabitha 6 weeks
Olivia and her lovie…it’s funny how much she loves her snowman! She can’t go to sleep without him or her pink blanket. She actually picked Snowman out herself when she was 8 or 9 months old. We were at Kohl’s and she saw the big lot of snowmen and started freaking out, she picked this one out in particular, and since he was only like $2 or $3 bucks we thought what the hell. What an investment! I wish we had bought a couple so that we wouldn’t have to cart the one around to Grandma’s or where ever and risk loosing him.
Olivia playing in Grandma’s tupperware cabinet…BUSTED!
Look how big she’s gotten! Tabitha, 7 weeks…sitting in the bumbo (where Olivia still sits to eat breakfast! Yes, this seat is versatile!)
(this one just makes me laugh!)
4th of July at Grandma Pat’s
Whose idea was it for ice cream??
Bathtime! She doesn’t look like she misses any meals!
Notice the strategically placed bubbles? Good Mommy!
Olivia helping Daddy fix the table
Tabs, getting cuter every day!
