Baby Blog

My blog reflects my camera roll and these days my days are filled with little people.  There's a saying that goes "If you want to know what somebody fears losing watch what they photograph." You know me: I fear losing my children's littleness. So here's the documentation.

This is the nursery.  I love having tandem cribs.  Philo doesn't sleep in here much yet because I haven't really sleep trained him yet.  He is 10 weeks yesterday but his adjusted age is 7 weeks. He has been sleeping 6 hours a night off and on since about 3 weeks, which is a small miracle. But I am also breaking all the rules: I nurse him to sleep then put him in his bed.  When he wakes up in the wee hours I nurse him while I sleep and then I wake up at about 7:30 with my snuggle baby cuddled up to me.  It's bliss.

This is Philo demonstrating how I will feel when real sleep training begins in a few weeks.  Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is my baby sleep manual.  I have an amazing sleep coach in Cathryn Gus. She's rigid but sympathetic.  I know how to sleep train but it feels much better to have someone encouraging you when it feels like all is lost.  If you need baby sleep help, she's a guru and I'll hook you up. She should charge!

Baby Lou is in the throes of toddlerhood. My kids hit the "terrible two's" at 16/18 months and it doesn't last far into their actual two's.  Lou has it bad because she doesn't speak yet.  She's slightly speech delayed but she certainly isn't a mute.  The only words she has at this point are Dad and Mama, Mimi (her first word and well earned by Mimi -- MehMeh as she calls her) baba and hi. I think she added Juju today.  Anyway, not speaking is frustrating for her so she compensates with a lot of high pitched shrieking and tantrums punctuated with a maniacal laugh. 80% of the time she's delightful, the other 20% she's a little beastie. All to be expected.  The family rule is "don't touch her, give her whatever she wants".  She's the boss of us.

My life right now is holding, nursing, smiling at this baby with a side of jobs.  I'm getting to the end of my childbearing and for the first time I'm cuddling a baby wondering if it is my last.  If he's my last baby I need to make sure to really soak up every minute.  It's weird not knowing for sure.  I may be at my kid limit, but I won't know for sure for at least another year.  I'm trying to fill my newborn tiny baby bucket just in case.

Oh! This is my other new hobby: car shopping. And by car I mean school bus. We currently have a 7 seater SUV which fits all of us but not all of our stuff. Plus, two kids have to jump over the seat every single time and it's hard to access the middle car seat.  I used to have a minivan but I anticipate always having to keep the eigth seat in and still having issues with the car seats and access to the back.  So I'm finally looking at my dream cars: giant vans.  I'm talking Econoline field trip sized vans.  Airport shuttle style vans.  I love the idea of being able to load everybody I feel like into my giant pimpin' van.  We've driven the Nissan NV, the Chevy big fat van, the Mercedes Sprinter and the Ford transit.  Leaning heavily toward the transit, but I want it in black!!

St Patrick's Day is an excellent easy holiday. Very little required for a good time. Small investment, large return. Easy costuming and corporeal punishment for nonparticipation. The leprechauns set fire to their traps to escape and tattooed mustaches on the children. 

Just one of the dozens of Philo pictures on my phone. Gray brings out the blue in his eyes.

Lou's first mustache.  The candy the leprechauns left was a chocolate disaster all day long. There are smears all over my linens in every room.

Cubby (7) with HIS baby.  He's a good diaper changer. 

Baby snugglers.  This picture makes me nervous and the posted lasted less than five seconds before Miss Wiggles wormed away.

The Bernie rally!! My children are totally interested in the presidential election. I described it to them with a baseball analogy: red teams versus blue teams are currently in the playoffs. We're blue team of course. It's fascinating to hear what trickles down to them through school.  They are horrified by Trump and think he's Darth Vader level evil. Sometimes they come home with weird Hillary impressions and I have to set them straight. If not Bernie then Hillary will be an excellent president.

The lines for the Bernie rally were miles long so we crossed the street and went to the Hogle Zoo where we could hear Bernie while we looked at the animals.  This was a parenting success day. Politics and animals with all five kids.

In case you wanted to see an elephant nursing. Pretty cool. I didn't realize it would have to get down on all fours. That's a lot of effort for a little milk.

Dressing BL is one of the highlights of my day.  I only do her hair once a day though and she rips it out.  Here she is crying because I left her hood up. Don't care, looks like a little gnome.

Baby I love love love you!

Fashion. Lou in our family colors.  Is it normal to have family colors? Pink, black, white and gray just work for us.  

For spring break Mimi is in California at Grandma Pam's play! It's her debut. I'm dying because I don't get to see her in it. If you see her please document and send to me!  She got to fly as an Unaccompanied Minor.  (It's a giant racket. They charge you $50 extra both ways but you still have to walk them to and from the gate. For $50 they should escort them from the curb and carry their luggage. But no. I had to take five kids through security unexpectedly. Was so annoyed.)

The lost Cr@ven brother. We love william over here. Silas in a bunny suit because it's Spring break so why not? I am on the lookout for more bunny suits for the rest of the children.  I like them more in costumes.

My sister wife Lacy with her buddy Philo. Betty Lou calls her mom too. Lacy is a force who deserves her own lengthy description. Love her dearly.

Mr. Smiles

Jude on baby duty.  He's a good snuggler and once a day bottle feeder. We all have baby Philo fever.