In Just Three Short Months...

Andrew has gone from thisto this

Although I have to say the first six weeks seemed to go by VERY slowly! Those sleepless nights were HARD. But Andrew has come a long way and to celebrate being 3 months, he slept 11 hours! He hasn't done it again, but he is on his way. And we are now on the downhill slope, I think. He still spits up all the time and everywhere. So much so that the sweet breastmilk spit-up is drawing ants to our carpet, bibs, and pacifiers that have been left on the floor.

Since he is rapidly approaching the holding toys and putting them in his mouth stage, I thought today would be a good day to go through our living room toy drawers and sort through it all. I know better than to do it with Ellie and Luke's help because they won't let me throw away anything. But I did it anyway and still managed to sneak several McDonald's happy meals toys into the trash. If Ellie is in the right mood, she really gets into getting things picked up and organized. Before I knew it she had dashed upstairs and was gone for awhile. She yelled at me a little while later and said her bed was made. Not bad for a 4 year old, huh?
Speaking of 4 year old, I am finally getting around to posting a few of her birthday pictures. I invited the girls in her class at school and they dressed up in their best "princess attire". She absolutely loved it and was soaking up every minute of having her turn being the birthday girl. Ellie really struggles with jealousy and has a hard time at other birthday parties. We went to one about a month ago and it was particularly hard for her. Needless to say, there was much anticipation for her birthday to get here. I wasn't really planning on doing much this year, but Steven's mom tells a story about when he turned 4. She said it was just his immediate family and they were about to blow out candles and he asked when his friends were going to get there. Oops! I think Ellie definitely would've been wondering.

Because a tiara isn't Luke's best look...we found something else instead.

Picture Update

We have been super busy over the last few weeks. First came Easter, then last weekend we traveled to Evergreen, AL so Ellie could be the flower girl in my cousins wedding. Tomorrow we will celebrate Ellie's 4th birthday (pictures to follow). And in the middle of all that, we experienced some crazy weather. While Steven's mom was here, we spent some time in the closet during a tornado warning. There was golf ball size hail covering our deck. And then the following week, got hit with a gravity wave. I have never heard of it, but apparently it's a rare weather phenomenon that creates hurricane force winds. It did a number on our little town and we spent a couple of hours up during the night listening to trees falling all around us (one landed in our driveway). It was pretty scary! I wish I had more time to write but there is just not much spare time these days. Oh...I included a picture of Luke after he got into some baby powder. He is my sensitive little boy and so when I found him, I just gently said "Luke, did you know you weren't supposed to do that?" And he lost it. I had to snap a picture really fast.

My grandmother was one of four girls, just like me. This is the youngest of her sisters, Mary. She is the grandmother of the bride. Side note: This was also the same church my parents were married in.

I don't know if you can tell, but there are dirty diapers all over the yard. We had already put the garbage out the night before. So first thing in the morning, Steven got to clean this up. Fun, huh?

Challenging Days

This past weekend we had an Easter egg hunt at mom's house for all the kids at the church. We hit the weather just right, because it has been so crazy. (It will possibly be below freezing in the morning.) It was so great to have a fun Saturday activity for the kids and myself. It helps me so much when I am able to talk and interact with other adults (especially moms) during the day. I have realized since being a stay-at-home mom, that I am definitely an extrovert (I re-charge when I am around other people). It is very hard for me to be at home for several days on end with not much adult interaction. But now with three, it is so hard to get out and go, that I find myself at home quite a bit.

I have talked a lot with close friends and family about the loneliness and isolation that being a stay-at-home mom can bring. In our society (or at least in this small town) I haven't found a lot of moms who are in the same situation that I am in. I think around this time last year is when I really started getting into the blogworld. It has become such an outlet and a source of communication to other moms. If only some of you lived close by, so we could have real-live conversations about our struggles and joys of being a mom! In spite of this struggle-I am beyond thankful that the Lord is allowing me to stay home and raise my children! I am confident He has called me to do this and know that He will provide and see me through these days which can be lonely at times.

One of the most recent challenges I have run across is 1) Just getting to the grocery store-I don't think it would even be worth my time to take all three, so it's best for me to find a time when Steven is at home. 2) Planning well and getting what I need so that I don't need to go back every few days. 3) I need to go without Andrew because if I sit his carseat in the cart there isn't enough room for very many groceries...so this obviously means going in between feedings which then puts me on a time clock, and you know with Wal-Mart that isn't so easy! This week is going to be busy (Andrew has 2 doctor's appts. and Steven's mom is coming!) so I worked really hard to make a very efficient grocery list, managed to get to the store yesterday-all by myself!!! (I did almost knock a few people out with my cart trying to beat the feeding clock). But...I did it and I have 2 meals made and frozen already and will attempt to get one more done by evening so that I don't have any cooking to do this week! I'm hoping this system is going to work for me. The job of meal-planning, grocery shopping, and cooking (and doing it all on a budget) is one that never ends and at this stage of my life I haven't yet found a system that I really love. What do you do? I would love to hear!

Really Quick

I haven't blogged in forever. And I don't think this post will be very long. Our computer at home doesn't work anymore. My computer time is dependant on Steven bringing home his laptop so I can do it at night (and that's out on the weekends because he is using it to study for his sermon on Sun.) or I have to do it at my mom's, and then that is only if my children are sleeping or quietly occupied (which is rare). I know...excuses, excuses. Oh, and I have a newborn and spend a huge majority of my time these days nursing, which I have done on a few occasions while I check the computer. While I am definitely learning to multi-task, still haven't mastered a blogpost while nursing.

Anyway, this weekend has been kind of a bummer. Rain and threats of tornadoes (gotta love the South in the spring), which has brought some unusually cold and dreary weather on this Sunday. The time spent indoors has given Ellie and Luke such opportunity to be at each other all day long. The fighting is at an all-time high. If things go like they did with me and Laura Beth, we still have about 16 more years before the fighting will come to a stop. I am hoping things will be different since it is a girl/boy dynamic. Although Steven remembers having to be separated by hanging clothes on trips from his sister so they wouldn't fight. And being told "just don't even look at each other". I remember hearing that as well. I am now using all those same tactics to keep from hearing blood-curdling screams (those come mainly from Luke-which was LB). Ellie is usually the quiet antagonizer (which was yours truly). I have officially apologized to my mom. This is how we spend a lot of time these days-I am on the bed feeding Andrew, Ellie is sitting on one side and Luke on the other...so I can see both of them, but they can't see each other. It is constant these days!...and making Steven and me both want to pull our hair out!

Andrew is doing well. We're doing 5 hour stretches on most nights. It could be better, it could definitely be worse! Tomorrow will be 8 weeks. I feel like I am starting to come out of the first few months of a new baby fog. I have a few new pictures to post. I knew family would be disappointed if I blogged with no new pictures. Our camera charger was missing for awhile,but I finally found it! So here are a few good shots I was able to get. He is also coming out of what I call the awkward baby phase. You know, when they are losing all their hair, they have acne, and they are going from newborn skinny to three month fat baby.

Still lovin' Andrew! Just not each other.Playing dress-up in an old Strasburg dress.

A Breath of Fresh Air

The weather here in Alabama was wonderful today!!! It was much needed after what has seemed like a forever long, wet, cold winter. It is supposed to be rainy again tomorrow, but we'll just enjoy today for now. So instead of naps we spent the afternoon playing outside. I think it got up to around 80. We even got some new Crocs yesterday because it was high time for some new ones. (CVS -$7.99!)

And this is what little butterball did while Ellie and Luke played. He was tired after keeping us both up the night before from 3-5:30! (Not to mention the two feedings before that)

If you live in the South, I hope you've been enjoying the warm weather these last few days!

Thanks!

Thank you for all the helpful advice and encouragement that you gave me for the "reflux". I put that in quotes, because I am learning that I don't think he technically has acid reflux (still a little confused about all that). It is comforting to hear other moms say it will get better. I love how the blogworld can become an instant support group! I just thought I would give an update just in case you were wondering. If you're like me, I am always so interested to see how other moms are doing with situations that I have been through. Anyway, I would definitely say things are a little better, or not worse anyway. I have cut out milk products (for the most part). It seems to help some, maybe. The nighttime is starting to get better, which is huge for my sanity. He goes right back to sleep after each feeding. I usually hold him upright for awhile, but then when I cannot stay awake any longer, I put him down. (Doesn't sleep in his swing very well) He still spits up some after that, but the more relaxed and sound asleep he is, the less he spits up. And usually it doesn't seem to bother him too badly. That is why I agree with everyone about the meds, until he is miserable, I think we're okay without them. The only time it seems to bother him is every now and then after a feeding, he is crying, arching his back, pulling up his legs, etc. Eventually he will get the spit-up out. But this is maybe once a day. (Often around the dinner hour and that is just fussy time anyway)

So, that is about it for the update on the spit-up. I thought I would post some pictures to show that he is clearly gaining weight-no problem.

Ellie and Luke are still eating him up. And he has given us a few real smiles and even a little cooing. So fun!

On Wednesday, two of my best friends from college (Kelly and Laurahelen) came for a visit. Kelly had a little boy (Turner) at the beginning of December and she brought him along so he and Andrew could have their first playdate. Mom had Ellie and Luke most of the time so that we could actually have some conversation. It was so fun and such a breath of fresh air! Laurahelen cooked an awesome dinner and held both of the babies quite a bit. She said it was a vacation for her, and it was for me as well, so I think we all benefited from those couple of days.

Help!

So it's pretty official-I have a baby with acid reflux. And omigoodness-it is so not fun! I don't really have anything to compare it to. Ellie and Luke did not do this. Luke went through a brief spit-up problem after I switched to formula, but it didn't last too long. Andrew's is sometimes projectile, and sometimes it just flows like a river out of his mouth. And he loves to eat so he just wants to keep eating, but if his tummy is full, it will just come right back up. He constantly needs his clothes changed, which sometimes I do, sometimes I don't, because changing him and moving him around is a guaranteed spit-up. I will often put a bib on him, but again, the moving of his head and neck just sends it right up, soaking the bib, and we're back at square one. All of this is bad, but it's the worst at night. Last night I fed him at 12:30 and he was yawning and I knew he was ready to go back to sleep. I laid him down and he would be relaxed for a little while and then he starts squirming and I know what's coming. So I'm lying next to him ready to catch the spit-up with a burp cloth so that I don't have to change his pajamas. This went on for the next few hours-he didn't fully go back to sleep until almost 2:30. He didn't wake to feed again until almost 5. Which is great, but when he is up almost half of that time, that only leaves me 2 1/2 hrs. of sleep. Okay, so then I fed him at 5, and he is out! But again, moving him causes the milk to come up. So frustrating!!

I love our pediatrician. He is a family friend. (Went to college with my dad) He was actually mine and my sisters doctor when we were little. He is extremely smart and I really trust what he says. So I was quite disappointed when he explained that he doesn't like to give medicine for that unless absolutely necessary (like if the baby is losing weight) and Andrew certainly doesn't fall into that category. Maybe if things get worse we'll talk again. He also said babies usually outgrow it at around 8 months!!! Are you kidding me? 8 more months of this?

So, all you moms who might be reading this-I'd love any advice. Anything that I can do (like certain foods to avoid). I know there are a lot of babies who have this, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Despite all this reflux mess, things are getting a little easier-not much, but a little. I can actually prepare a meal (if you want to call it that-cereal for breakfast and mac'n'cheese for lunch). Luke watches a lot of movies, which I feel guilty about, but I remind myself that you do what you have to do. Ellie loves Andrew and wants to hold him/see him/talk to him often. We've had to make some rules about when he is asleep-do not touch him, get in his face, run around the house screaming at the top of your lungs. (Much harder to enforce when Ellie and Luke are together and in a silly mood-usually around the dinner hour) Also, Ellie has this "baby"voice that she like to talk to him in, and bless her heart, it so annoying. (It isn't even words, it's just this jibberish sound and she does it all the time) I have tried to encourage her to use actual words to talk to him, so he can hear real words and one day will talk back to her (hey, whatever works)-being really careful not to hurt her feelings, but she really seems to like this little language.

Because I know my family would like some pictures (and I apologize because they aren't the most recent) here are some that are about a week or so old. They are actually some we took to use for Andrew's birth announcement.