Archive for Parent Stuff
August 28, 2009 at 9:52 am
· Filed under Parent Stuff ·Tagged boy, camera, kids, parent, pee
When you have kids almost everything they do is picture worthy, in fact you are yelling grab the camera so much it should be your kids first words.
My little guys (16 month old twins) were just finishing their baths and one was being dressed while the other was standing in his crib. My husband suddenly said “look at how cute that is” and I saw my naked son snuggling his blanket and looking so adorable as every little kid does with his naked butt in the air (it is when you are an adult that this becomes just wrong and sometimes disturbing). So my husband said….wait for it…”I am grabbing the camera”, so he ran downstairs while I finished dressing our other son. I walked out of the room to see what was taking my hubby so long when I heard the crying. As we both entered the bedroom, camera ready, the damage had been done. A naked boy, time and air do not mix, the pee was everywhere, baby, blankets, sheets, crib, floor……….where did all this liquid come from? Clean up began and a lesson was learned.
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June 22, 2009 at 10:12 am
· Filed under Parent Stuff ·Tagged disgusting, dog, fathers day, grill, kids, poo
What a wonderful day yesterday, the sun was shining, burgers were cooking on the grill and family was over to celebrate Father’s Day. My two little boys were playing in the yard having a great time with their toys. Finally one of my son’s wanted to head in my direction so his uncle picked him up and handed him over to me, I gave him hugs and kisses and then realized that something was not right. I smelled it first and quickly started my search…..there it was in his little fist….a smooshed piece of dog poo, now spread on my arm as well! My old self would have been jumping around declaring how gross this situation was, but my new mom self did not even spare a second thought and instead jumped into cleaning and disinfecting action mode. My husband had looked 2 or 3 times around the yard picking up everything in sight before our guests arrived and the boys came out to play, but I guess if there is something disgusting around your kids are bound to find it, get into it and share it with those they love!
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February 6, 2009 at 11:30 am
· Filed under Parent Stuff ·Tagged body fluids, crystals, Diapers, poop, son, twins, zombies
This is a story that goes back to the beginning of my parent adventures, in fact I don’t know how I let this one slip by.
With twins and every new parents obsession with poop and pee we had a chart set up for feedings (how many ounces), was there pee or poop, time of last change, etc. In the beginning you are supposed to keep track of this stuff and with twins a chart seemed like a great idea, we were zombies in those first few weeks. We used this method for about a month before we realized we were capable of identifying anything strange and that we were not going to starve anyone.
Here comes the good part…..one of my sons did not poop for about a day and we were on the lookout for that special package. My husband took the morning changing and feeding on this day and when I asked if there was anything in the diaper his response was some what out of the ordinary…
Husband:”Yes, there was poop but it was strange looking”.
Me: “Strange? In what way?”
Husband: “There was poop but it was all mixed in with crystals that were white, it looked like a snow cone”
Me: “What the heck is that about?”
Okay snow cone poop, obviously even those of you that are not parents or have not experienced this strange obsession with body fluids have to realize this is not normal. Immediately I started rationalizing what that would look like, what did the twins consume, and how long would it take me to get to the ER? I immediately went to the diaper pail to examine the evidence. Not as easy as it sounds as I had to view a few diapers that were not the one in question and no….that is not a fun job. Eventually I pulled the lucky ticket and opened the diaper and my god it was snow cone poop! My heart started pounding, I thought back to the parent books and could not recall any mention of this miracle in any of the paragraphs. Finally my reasonable self took over as I realized along with the poop there was a massive amount of pee that had expanded the diaper, further inspection (diaper Sherlock) revealed a tear a long the side which when combined had resulted in those magic soaking crystals working their way out. Whew…..that would have been a fun trip to the ER with yet another embarrassing first parent blunder, thank goodness we avoided that one!
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January 14, 2009 at 12:05 pm
· Filed under Parent Stuff ·Tagged babies, bond, crawl, feeding, kids, laughs, parent, twins
Aidan and Colin
When you first look at that little person, or persons in my case, that come home with you from the hospital you think nothing could ever be so sweet! I have to admit now it is even better. As babies they were gorgeous and well did not do so much but my heart still swelled every time I looked at them. Nine months are here and I can not believe how fast it goes.
The twins have grown so much and now I listen to them laugh all the time, they really do play with each other and look to see where the other one is with smiles on their faces. Even more precious is the hand holding. When I am getting their food ready I see them reach out to each other in their highchairs and hold hands or in their side by side stroller as we move along they take comfort and joy in each other. I am blessed that they will have a bond even I will never know. Of course a time will come when they can not stand the sight of each other but that will eventually pass.
New things in my life at nine months – I am more of a wrangler than a parent, yes they hold out toys to each other and play tug of war with mostly giggles but sometimes tears; they commando crawl and even real crawl and are always off the play mat littered with toys to find something else to put in their mouths that I had no idea was there in the first place, and why is it they can never “escape” in the same direction?, baby proofing is now a top priority; feeding time is sometimes a challenge as I do the double spoon and double bowl dance and they each open their mouths even though it is the other ones spoon full passing by, two more hands would be great for me; “razz-berries” are a new favorite and I often have oatmeal in my hair and on my shirt with frustration on my nerves but the fact that they laugh about it usually holds my stress to amusement; don’t even get me started on the drooling that reminds me to keep my own mouth closed when I hold them up in the air for a superman pose that they love. Did I mention the arms that reach out for me to hold them or the heads snuggling into my shoulders when they are sleepy and the smiles that greet me every morning?
Yes time has passed and as I fold clothes they have outgrown and remember the younger days… I know I love this time even more because they interact with me in a way every parent hopes for.
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September 9, 2008 at 8:00 am
· Filed under Parent Stuff, Random Thoughts ·Tagged babies, Baby, boy, clothing, crazy, fashion, heels, jeans, multiples, shoes
I went through a period where I would suffer for the sake of looking good, at least from the knee down. I would wear high heels, stumble around all day then moan and complain to my husband all night. Along came my bouncing baby boys and that has all changed. I am now in the market for a pair of jeans with just the right length for comfortable shoes (ugh, sooo boring!). Just imagine me trying to pull off a gorgeous pair of high heeled shoes with a baby (or two) in my arms that likes to jerk in every direction throwing him and me off balance, I get nervous just thinking about the disaster possibilities waiting to happen. I am 5′5″ and guess what, I have to buy the “short” or “petite” jeans to pull off this new “mom” look. When did all jeans become so long that you have to be on stilts to wear them? I understand the long lean effect but really… an extra foot on the end is crazy!
I did find the jeans I was looking for and they survived the first wash and yes they are petite. I happily pulled on my jeans today and was jumping around (see note below) with the sweet victory of success, no flood jokes for me, the length is perfect!
Note: I am not afraid to jump around or break into a dance at any moment, just ask the cashier at Babies R Us last night when my coupon saved me $20.00, she saw the dance and I am proud of it.
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August 27, 2008 at 8:00 am
· Filed under Parent Stuff ·Tagged babies, Baby, boy, dining, dinner, eating, food, kids, multiples, restaurant, twins
The twins are almost 5 months old and my husband finally gave in to my repeated requests, demands and tantrums for a dinner out for all of us, the boys included, I had our anniversary to help in my scheming. Everyone with kids continues to tell me this is the time to venture out, that it just gets harder the older they get, especially once in a highchair with the realization that they can get out and run around or toss items of food or toys in any direction. I was confident that a Sunday dinner at a reasonable time and a huge bottle fill up (for the babies not us, although a quick drink might have helped with the nerves) before we left home would make the evening a breeze. Our plans were set, no where fancy, just simple.
So what if I panicked the day of the event. I asked another couple to join us, after all a few more hands could only help and they agreed to come along for our test night out. We arrived and luck was on our side, barely busy and a table in the back with plenty of room for the double stroller. I was on alert mode and ready at any moment to say pack it up. Ten minutes after our order was in the crying started. My husband immediately had the “I told you so” face, but I was calm and handed one boy to my friend and held one myself. I am now a professional one handed salad eater, able to balance a squirmy child and get the food in my mouth with no spills, if only there was a contest with prizes for my talent. While awaiting the next course the boys began to get tired, so one went to dad and one back in the stroller where I worked my magic, my plate arrived a few minutes into my “I will get you to sleep routine”, but when I turned to enjoy the main course it was all still warm….I soooo rock! My husband held our other son who was also sleeping at this point, afraid to put him down, so I did some cutting on his plate to make bite sized pieces ( I have a feeling this cutting thing is only beginning for all members of our household) and he had a nice dinner as well.
Guess what….we survived, had some laughs and we will be going out again. I may have to enlist some friends for support but someone once said, “strength in numbers” and I couldn’t agree more!
Note: I have found this very helpful since our first dinner: keep some small toys in the diaper bag and take them out slowly and one at a time to get your babies interested in the new items, this helps you and them enjoy the experience.
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August 20, 2008 at 6:30 pm
· Filed under Parent Stuff, Random Thoughts ·Tagged babies, family, Jeep, kids, Minivan, multiples, parent, SUV, transportation, Truck, twins, van
Just reading the title of this post makes me cringe. Okay, so I do have twin babies that require two of everything, but I am still fighting the idea of the minivan. I will say, before we get too far, that I acknowledge that there are benefits to owning one of these “my life is over” vehicles. I know the door clearance is great, you can tote about more crap, gas mileage and safety ratings, etc., it is just not me, I am still struggling with the fact that I am an adult and also a parent.
Now you are probably going to choke on this next line, but… we actually do own a minivan, however it was not I (the wannabe hip SUV mom) that settled into this vehicle it was my husband. The large and powerful quad truck is now but a memory to my wonderful husband who could not wait to be a dad. Many years ago I rented a minivan (during my rent-a-car disaster career choice) for a trip to the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan for those of you scratching your head) and ever since then my hubby has been singing the praises. I still never thought it would be me pleading with him on the show room floor to “Get out of that van right now!” as he joyfully sat in the “captain” chair. I am happy we have the van and even enjoy it on the weekend or on a trip but come the work week when I am taking the kids back and forth to daycare, I am all about the kick a** Jeep Commander I picked out for myself.
My husband went through an ”I love my van” phase and “we can not be parted”, it was during this time that a guys only camping trip was scheduled. I did not have my new vehicle during his trip and had no room for car seats in my old one, throw in a visiting mother-in-law and well you get the picture. The logical choice should have been for him to leave the van, especially since he was meeting everyone at the location and driving ALONE in a 7 seater…..I gently hinted, but as usual when dealing with a man preoccupied or using selective hearing, the hints (I am not that subtle) went unnoticed and the van pulled out of the driveway with me waving on the doorstep. I did survive the weekend even though we had horrible storms and my husband even ended up sleeping in his beloved van by setting up his cot (stow and go seats) and adding a portable (battery operated) fan for comfort because his tent was demolished during some of the storm produced high winds (he will say tornado).
Well here we are several months along and the “honeymoon” is over, every now and then a story is told involving his truck and he looks wistfully into the distance, or he sees his old mode of transportation joyfully passing us by on the highway and says “I miss my truck”. I just have to smile after all I asked him not to get the minivan, I can enjoy all the comforts now and still keep my rough and tumble “Jeep” girl attitude (I am not really this cool). We do have a vacation coming up and I am sure once he is in full packing and organizing mode he will be patting himself on the back for his smart vehicle choice. I do not however, think we will be seeing a van again in the driveway after the lease is up, unless the stars and universe come together again at that exact moment when we are forced to make a purchase decision, after all you never can tell.
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August 12, 2008 at 5:01 pm
· Filed under Parent Stuff ·Tagged babies, Baby, camera, cannon, child, dad, digital, husband, kodak, love, morning, multiples, parent, picture, pictures, sleep, twins
When you have kids you should just keep a camera in your pocket. This morning as I removed one of my 4 month old sons from his crib so he did not wake up his twin (same room, seperate cribs) I crept back to my bedroom and placed him in bed beside my husband who was almost awake and would keep a watchful eye. I was after all only jumping in the shower and then down the stairs to grab my caffeine fix while feeding and letting the dog out. As I returned upstairs to do our usual routine of “Who do you want this morning?” with my hubby in regards to feeding and clothing the boys, I had a heart leaping to throat, full of joy moment when I returned to find my husband and son cuddling in bed, heads slightly touching, eyes closed, small fingers curled around a larger protective hand, the image of fatherhood repeated the world over I am sure, still this was MY son and MY husband. Immediately I thought… I need the camera, and then I thought about the flash, getting through the stairway child/dog gate, the dog jumping nosily around; excited for my early arrival back downstairs and the probability of the moment gone when I returned. Instead I paused my usual morning rush to stand silently, to take it in, I will have to store this vision away for my memory only, to cherish as time goes by.
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August 12, 2008 at 2:41 pm
· Filed under Parent Stuff ·Tagged grandma, grandpa, multiples, sleep, twins, weekend
I am a born sleeper, I love to sleep. I always looked forward to the weekends to sleep, early bird gets the worm you say, so what, worms are dirty! Now I have twins and am trying to function on roughly five hours a night. It is not that they sleep only five hours it is that I can not end my day when they do, every little thing I have ever thought of to do suddenly becomes extremely important at midnight. I instantly become a staircase marathon champion as I go about my tasks. Finally it dawns on me that I better get some sleep and I go to bed convincing myself that I only need a nap, this is my way of tricking myself (this really does work) into not falling dead asleep because my body will fight harder at my 6:15 am alarm if it was planning on longer downtime. I have been NAPPING for 4 months now! I have also been sending subliminal messages to my own parental units about how nice it would be if I could get a full nights sleep and then pick up the twins the next day. Well I am seeing a been there done that response and a let’s wait until they are older mentality. I know two can make you panic, double feeding, double changing, double bathing, double crying, but….double the smiles and double the love grandma and grandpa…hint, hint! Oh well, at least I get to enjoy sunset and sunrise, always a positive spin!
Note: I have had huge help from all the grandparents for a few hours at a time, whenever needed, god bless them!
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July 30, 2008 at 4:12 pm
· Filed under Parent Stuff ·Tagged babies, Baby, Diapers, parent, twins
My husband and I were so happy to welcome home our new twins. Everything was wonderful, until we started using the diaper champ. I have never been so frustrated with a product. I yanked and pulled and twisted and did the hokey-poky (note: I will admit that maybe mine was slightly defective to start), still the disenchantment continued. I had visions of the backyard and a fax machine scene from Office Space (if you do not know this reference, SERIOUSLY!).
Enter the hero – Dekor, simple and wonderful. Even now two months into this product and I am still in love, yes love I say with a diaper pail (sad). I haven’t even mentioned the price (fantastic) or the fact that the refill bags last forever.
My life is now focused on a topic concerning how to dispose of dirty diapers. Where did all the glamour go?
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