Triumphs & Tantrums

All mommies and daddies know that this parenting gig is really just trial and error. Dealing with tantrums is no different. For instance, when Brady launches his plate full of food from the table, we try a stern scolding. When that doesn't work, we try a slap on the hand. And when that doesn't work, we try a timeout. When he amuses himself by counting his toes during said timeout, we give up and resign ourselves as the worst parents in the world.

How can we stay mad at that face?!

In light of sucking at disciplining my son, I do have a small triumph to boast: Ella now loves the swing. The Graco advertisements about their swings mimicking the natural rhythm of womb are a crock. She wasn't interested and opted to scream her face off rather than be lulled by the alternate womb, BUT we persevered by employing the most effective of parental tactics: force. I say that tongue in cheek; somehow I have a feeling that tactic won't be nearly as effective when she's, say, 16...

Smiles!!

The other night, Brady woke up at midnight, crying. He never does that, so I went in to make sure everything was okay. He was sitting in his crib half asleep and when I hugged him, he said, "Good morning, Mum!" (Side note: I wish I could flip my emotions as quickly as he does...). I told him it was still nighttime and we had to go back to sleep. He busted out this whole spiel: "Moon sleeps in day. Sun sleeps at night. Moon gets biter and biter and biter (read: brighter). Stars out, too." It's moments like those that make his impromptu food fights a little more bearable.

<3

We celebrated Zach's second Father's Day this past weekend. The man wanted a hose reel, so who am I to stand in the way of a perfectly watered lawn? I also made him a huge calendar with pictures of he and I from our engagement through our first few years of marriage, as well pics of the kids. I was really happy with how it turned out, but I think his favorite gift was the list of 25 Reasons We Love Dad from Brady and Ella ;-) Included among the reasons are things like playing golf, playing bubbles, Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones (Brady's band of choice), and walking outside at 2 am in hopes that the warm air will put Ella to sleep.

You think he could at least smile for his Father's Day shot!

The day after Father's Day was my 6-week check-up and thankfully, all is well. I was really scared it was going to be super uncomfortable, but it wasn't too bad. Makes me think I could do it again, at least once. I must have a sickness because I'm already talking about a third kid! I don't want another one any time soon, but maybe in a few years? Zach isn't exactly on the same page...yet. Anyway, to celebrate, I promptly threw myself into the pool and it was wonderful. The water is perfect, Brady loves it, and I'm already envisioning how it can be of help in working off the rest of my baby weight. That is, of course, if floating on a raft and sweating in the sun will do the trick.

Man, no one wants to smile with me!

On a sad note, my aunt and uncle's dog, Niko, is on his last leg. He was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his stomach a few months back and as of today, they had made the decision to put him down. We went to see him to say goodbye (Niko is Bella's brother and we got the dogs at the same time), and I was nervous about what Brady would think or pick up about the sadness surrounding the situation. Fortunately, he was clueless, as he dubbed the trip a "fun day on the swings" since my cousin took him to the neighbor's swing set.

On a final and happy note, my gal pal Trish, her husband AJ, and their son Ethan welcomed Jackson Theodore to their family on June 16th. Trish was a real trouper throughout her pregnancy; apparently both boys were black belts by the gestational age of 20 weeks. Anyway, here's a huge WELCOME to Jack; we hope you enjoy your new, more spacious home with your wonderful parents and crazy smart, energetic, and hopelessly adorable big brother!

The lower deck is just about done!!

A Few Firsts

On June 9, exactly one month since Ella was born, she graced us with her first smile. At first I thought maybe she also graced her diaper with a poop, but nope--it was the real deal! She's smiled a lot since, too; unfortunately, mostly in the middle of the night when I'm about to pull out my hair for lack of sleep. She thinks it's a party. My once easy-to-put-back-to-bed baby girl is slowly evolving into a night owl. I am not a fan.

Her acne/cradle cap is clearing up nicely, though. We've been using a prescription body wash that's safe for her head and face, and while it's drying out her skin pretty good, it seems to be zapping the zits. It may also be reducing her hairline to something reminiscent of an elderly man. You be the judge...

Mohawk?

Ella's hair has remained as dark as the day we brought her home, but her olive skin is lightening up a bit. It's still fun for me to refer to my kids as "ebony and ivory," though; I just wish some people wouldn't take me so literally. I got my hair done last week and showed my stylist a picture of the kids and she asked if they had the same father. I get that it's 2011 and anything is possible, but even if you're thinking it, why say it? Anyway, my gal's eyes are almost violet, a la Elizabeth Taylor, but I have a feeling they'll be turning hazel like mine and Zach's. Although I must confess: I've already dreamed of a child with tan skin, dark hair, and blue eyes. Maybe Ella will fit the bill!

Yelling. She does that a lot. A lot.

 Brady has had a few firsts as well. Namely, his Cosmo Kramer-like entrance into the Terrible Twos. He's taken to hitting and/or kicking me when he's frustrated, and he only takes out his aggression on me. I assume the experts would insist it's because he feels most comfortable with me and he loves me. Of this, I am also not a fan. Give me a kiss, pick up your mess, but no need to kick me in my already over-flowing boobs during a changing. Thankfully, he hasn't turned his rage toward his sister. He's ever the Ella fan, informing me to "get Ella now," when she cries. But he isn't shy about wanting Mommy-Brady time either; just the other day he requested that I "put Ella back" so we could play. I'm still trying to decide if he meant put her back in the bassinet or back in my belly.

Our pool is sporting an almost-completed deck these days and I cannot WAIT until I'm allowed to splash around in our backyard resort! Our friend, Andrew, is doing a fantastic job on this thing--the final product is going to be amazing. Maybe we'll have a pool party...once I don't look like Shamu in a bathing suit, that is.

My 6-week check-up is imminent and I'm looking forward to seeing Dr. Hazel again. I have a thank you card spilling out my emotional guts for her, and I'm curious to what she'll say about my healing. So many people have commented that after the check-up, my love life can get back on track. To appropriately illustrate my response, I would like to quote Babycenter.com: "At my six-week check up, when my OBGYN asks what I plan to use for birth control, I'm going to look her straight in the eye and laugh." Yep. That about sums it up.

Since Zach has become an Emco employee, the kids and I have maintained a steady stream of playdates and visitors, and that has certainly helped break up the monotony of the day. However, I still wish Zach were here to share more of the child-rearing responsibilities. I appreciate that he's helping my dad and I definitely won't turn down the paycheck, but as I was brushing my teeth while simultaneously holding Ella this morning, strategically spitting over her head and ultimately onto the counter rather than in the sink, I had to wonder: "how many dads know what this feels like?" I'm not about to get on my Mothers-Are-Superior high horse, but for the love of God--what can dads know about this? They don't grow a person, birth her, and then sustain her life with their fun bags which, I'm guessing, won't be used for much fun in the near future. Is there any way a man can truly grasp the enormity of selflessness and sacrifice of mothering? Granted, Zach is pretty great (most of the time) with the kids, especially now that Brady is older, but I observe their interactions and the way Brady behaves with him as opposed to with me (there is no hitting or kicking to speak of) and I have come to this realization: being a mother and being a father are two totally different roles. They're both very important roles, but they are quite different and, dare I say?!, not so equal.

To conclude this post, I would like to list a few other things I've come to realize since Miss Ella has joined the family:

1. Listening to Brady tell me he's "getting huge" in the gym with Zach never gets old. Nor does his announcement that he's "26 pounds of solid muscle."

2. Not all nursing pads are made equal. In fact, some of them just plain suck. I would prefer the adhesive to stick to my bra and not my skin, thankyouverymuch.

3. My kids are an endless source of entertainment, even if that entertainment comes in the form of spitting up on Zach. I'll take it.

4. Listening to other parents try to one-up each other is a sure fire way to piss me off. It's great that you fit into your pre-pregnancy jeans a mere week after delivering, but I'm still rocking my maternity clothes 5 weeks postpartum so suck it. (For the record, said clothes are falling off of me, but alas, my regular pants are still a bit too snug.)

Let's end on a happy note! Enjoy the video of Brady...

Happy One Monthiversary, Ella!

Seems like just last week I was writing these monthly posts for Brady. Now he's going to be 2, I'm going to be 31, and Zach is going to be 40. Okay, that last one might be an estimate ;-)

One Month!

Unfortunately, poor Ella's face has exploded with baby acne. We've opted to postpone our family photo shoot which may make us vain, but we've decided we don't care. It's not bothering her, so we really shouldn't worry about it, but it just makes us so sad!  Know what else makes me sad? People, including complete strangers, questioning me, implying that I've somehow caused this to happen to Ella: did I have acne as a baby? As a teenager? Did I wear a new perfume when holding Ella? Am I washing our clothes in the right detergent? Did I eat something that doesn't agree with the baby? Since I'm the mother, it must be my fault, right?!! Give a girl a break!

Aunt Jen, Lani, Ella, and me

I'm done ranting. Let's move onto the reason for this post: Ella! She is awake for longer periods of time during the day which is fun. She'll normally sit and watch what's going on around her for a while before freaking out because she wants held or needs to eat or requests a change of scenery. My mom was concerned because she really didn't cry when she was born (I credit this with the beautiful delivery and the fact that she was on my chest immediately, but what do I know?!); but the girl has since found her lungs! She doesn't hide how she's feeling, that's for sure!

Peek-a-boo!!!!!!

She's still doing well at night, too: very little crying, pretty easy to feed and put back to sleep. She's currently in our bedroom snoozing away and it's almost 10 am. Granted, she ate around 6:30, but since then, she has been sleeping. Brady and I have had a relaxing breakfast, bounced every ball he owns, and played school. I swear he asks to play school; it's not Zach and I pressuring him! We're currently working on emotions. He can identify and illustrate happy, sad, surprised, and scared faces. Pretty hilarious! His hair is also hilarious and will be cut this afternoon for fear that passersby mistake him for a homeless child...

Sporting the 80-and-over crowd's style...

We ventured out this past weekend with both kiddos and were surprisingly happy with how it worked out! Brady was exceptionally well behaved at the two picnics we attended, and Ella was low maintenance. It helped that everyone wanted to play with Brady, too; he was exhausted by the time we got home! He enjoyed himself so much that he didn't want to leave the first place (Gracie's first birthday party!); he cried when we told him to say goodbye, so Zach promised to get him dessert at the next party. He dried his eyes quickly and ran to the car. Piggy.

In deep conversation with Stan

Our second stop was like heaven on earth for Mr. Brady. We pulled up to find all the males at the picnic hitting golf balls! There were clubs just his size, too! In addition, there was a baby pool, tons of leaves (that he promptly picked up and threw into the garbage can--the kid doesn't like a mess...), more food than we've seen in one place in a loooong time, and inside the house, the living room floor had completely disappeared underneath every kind of toy ever made. There were kiddos his size and they played so nicely together. And, of course, he got his dessert.

Today is the last day of school for Kiski and after graduation this evening, I was so looking forward to reclaiming my husband and ditching this single parent status. However, my dad needs help at his business, so it appears as though said husband will be MIA a while longer. While I'm happy to welcome the extra cash flow since my short-term leave money runs out next week, I'm selfish and sad about not having the help I thought was a product of summer vacation. And I must admit, I kinda miss my hubby. But, I'm sure it will all work out. And if it doesn't, that's why they make wine. Lots and lots of wine...

Mr. Poop Pants and Miss Baby Acne

Where to begin? Ella is almost a month old and unfortunately sporting some baby acne, one of my gal pals had her baby boy, another is expecting hers within the next two weeks, the end of school year is quickly approaching, and Brady pooped on our bedroom floor. Allow me to explain that last one...

Brady has been diligent about telling us when he has "poop pants," so we're thinking potty training might be on the horizon. The other day, though, he claimed he had poop pants, but didn't, so we put him on his frog potty to see what would happen. Zach went into the bathroom with him and when nothing happened after a few minutes, he took Brady off the pot and allowed him to run around. (Without a diaper or pants on). The urge hit and the boy did end up making a #2...right on our bedroom floor. Apparently, by the time Zach got to him, Brady had picked up his poo and was inspecting it intently. G.R.O.S.S. Thankfully, Zach took care of the mess, put the boy back on the potty, and then--drum roll please!--Brady pooped AND peed in his frog! We praised him up and down, but he hasn't shown interest in repeating the act since. Who would have thought the kid and not the dogs would be crapping on the floor!!!

Since we're on the subject of Brady, I have to brag for a minute: we were "playing school" today and I was drawing different things for him to identify. When I drew a stop sign, I expected him to identify it as such, but instead he said, "Octagon, mom." Like it was so obvious! He's also been talking in more complete sentences (that omit verbs) these days. Some of his favorites: "Ella's eyes open;" "Mom and Dad and Ella and Brady right here;" and anything that relates to the weather. He likes us to know that there is sunshine and blue skies or dark clouds and rain. He's also informed me that dark clouds bring storms. Sometimes I think he's smarter than me...

Now that I've bragged, I've gotta be honest: having a toddler and an infant is HARD! Brady seems so much more dependent upon me even though realistically, he hasn't changed. My time and attention have shifted from being 100% on him to being shared with his sister. I feel so bad when he brings me a ball and says, "Mom bounce it," and I can't because I don't have a third hand. He's pretty understanding (and easily distracted...), but it doesn't lesson the guilt any. And this past weekend, we had a very close call to a real injury: Brady tripped off of my aunt's sidewalk and fell backward. He missed smashing his head off of the concrete by a mere inch and while he was over it pretty quickly (a bloody elbow and an aching back resulted), I couldn't stop thinking of what could have been. I realize this is just the beginning of his boo-boos, but if I never feel that helpless, out of control fear again in my life it will be too soon! I just wanted to shove him back in my uterus and keep him safe forever. Okay, that may be a bit exaggerated, but I'm sure you get the picture.

Miss Ella is doing very well! She had her well baby check-up today and she's gaining and growing wonderfully. This is a huge load off because we can't measure how much she's eating like we could with Brady. That's difficult for me, Type A Personality. Ella currently weighs 8 pounds, 13 ounces (she was born 8.3) and is 22 inches long (born 21 inches). I hope the acne is treatable and goes away soon; the pediatrician told us to put 1% hydrocortisone cream on it 1 - 3 times a day. We're going to start out with once a day and see how she tolerates it. I also hope it is just acne and not a case of eczema. Our good friends Jen and Doug have had a really tough time with their little girl Lani and her eczema. It's been so hard watching them deal with it; I can't imagine what it would be like to walk in their shoes. Let's just keep our fingers crossed for Ella!

I'm very grateful that nursing is going so well; it's quite convenient I must say! I do not miss hooking up to the pump like a cow in the middle of the night! Speaking of night, Ella is a pretty decent sleeper. A normal night usually consists of putting her down between 10:30 and 11, she wakes around 3 or 4 to eat, and goes back down pretty easily. However, she does wake fairly early (around 6 or 7) and is ready to roll. I'm not a fan of this rise-and-shine so early stuff, but I know someone who is and his last day of work is Tuesday :-)

Our good friend and talented carpenter, Andrew, is starting our deck this weekend. We are very excited for this, especially since the materials came in under our anticipated budget! I'm hoping this means Mr. Jankowski will agree to finally let me get my shop on for some baby girl clothes! 

Another slide show for you--I just can't get enough of my adorable kiddos!

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