Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The Plane Truth

Next week Abby and I are going to visit my family. I remember the first time Bryon and I flew with Sam. We carried on several bags of toys, extra clothes, medicine, snacks, insurance cards, emergency phone numbers. It was like traveling with a rhino that could charge at any minute but continuously handing it board books and Goldfish crackers will keep it at bay.

Since then I've flown by myself with Sam and Jake so I would like to think I can handle just about anything. I'm actually looking forward to traveling with an infant. I feel like all I need is an extra diaper and my boobs.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Separation Anxiety

So because I am breastfeeding exclusively and have a mental block about pumping and because I am just sick in love with her, I haven't been away from Abby since the day she was born. She sits in her bouncy seat while I shower. She sleeps with me (I know I know). Sure I've taken the garbage out while she's napped or let Bryon push her through a store while I went the other direction with the boys, but I have never been more than a few feet away from her. Until Saturday.

Close to bedtime we realized we didn't have any chocolate milk, one of the necessities if you want to get the Ultra Lord, I mean Jake, to bed. So around 9 I got in the car by myself and went to the grocery store. I really had to check the backseat every few minutes and then the top of the car to make sure I hadn't mistakenly left her behind or left the car seat on top of the car.

So, while this may sound completely neurotic and obsessive, I think if you've had a newborn or been madly crazy in love with someone you would understand. I missed her in those few minutes I was gone, only 20 in all. I miss the boys too, but Jake just isn't that fond of me right now, and Sam thinks his Dad hung the moon. So, I've got her love to keep me warm.

All this to say that she starts daycare soon. Yes, the honeymoon is almost over. If you hear a loud snapping sound on Monday, April 2, it is my heart breaking ... for the third time.

Friday, March 16, 2007

The Fishery

Rather than getting Sam a dog for Christmas, we decided to start with fish. I secretly (not so secret anymore I guess) think Bryon wanted a fish tank and used Sam to get one.

So for Christmas we started with a 20-gallon tank and 4 goldfish. After they didn't immediately die, we added a couple of black Mollies, two bottom-feeding catfish and 2 algae-eating snails.

And then a funny thing started to happen. Everyone started having babies. Not only are there now 20 fish in the tank but a baby snail appeared about a week ago and when I opened the lid to feed the fish this morning (turns out I love the fish tank) there was this rather gross but fascinating glob of snail eggs.

Apparently we have a knack for sea life.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Good News Bad News

The good news ... According to "the sleep doctors" Judy Owens and Jodi Mindell, Bryon and I are doing everything we should to get Jake to sleep through the night. We have a bedtime routine and a consistent bedroom environment. We have him fall asleep on his own. We check on him and "respond to him" during the night.

The bad news ... IT DOESN'T WORK.

For months and months now, Jake gets up during the night at least once, usually two or three times, and has ginormous, vein-popping, wake-the-neighbors fits.

The first problem I see is that he is a stubborn as the most stubborn thing you can think of. If you ask nicely, "Jakey, can Mommy take you to bed?" you get "YOU GO AWAY. I DON'T LIKE YOU ANYMORE!" Except "anymore" is drawn out so it can be as painful and lingering as possible - AN-EEEE-MOOOORE!

As luck would have it, this means Bryon gets the brunt of Jake's rages. After putting him to bed about 10 times last night, Jake, the little pisher, got up at 3 and refused to go back to bed until around 4:30. We follow the advice of the good doctors Owens and Mindell and from what I've seen of Supernanny in that we "calmly" put him back in bed each time, "calmly" say good night and "calmly" leave the room, only to hear his frantic, crazed footsteps within seconds.

Everyone who knows our situation tells us it will pass. But when you are smack in the middle of it, you feel like it will never pass and no one really understands how bad it is. Except, maybe, the neighbors.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Love Hate

When most people hear about our new addition they ask "How's Jake doing?" Apparently everyone in the world but me anticipated the impact Abby's arrival would have on him. I guess I thought he was too little to be affected. And fortunately it hasn't been that bad. I would say, however, he has a love hate relationship with Abby.

He's been known to stop mid-cars or mid-trains to ask "Where's Abby?" and he will often pat her head (slap it really) and say proudly "MY sister!"

Hopefully that balances the times, like today, when he told me to put her in the garbage so he could sit in my lap.