A few ideas to help get started with keeping up on housework:
FlyLady - this woman is amazing! She lays out a schedule for daily things to do around the house, weekly things to schedule, and ways to make work habitual.
Start slow. Find 3 things you want to make a daily habit. Write them down, write a time down that you want to be doing each one (before breakfast or 9AM or last thing before bed), so you know WHEN you should do them and can get into the habit of doing them at those times.
Find a friend. I am sure all women/mothers struggle with balancing housework with kids and life. Find a friend that you know will be an encouragement to get you going - someone you can call when you're not motivated, someone who will give you that kick in the butt when you need it. I think for me, this would be my sister. :) She doesn't know it, but she's a huge encouragement to me. I haven't asked her for that kick in the butt, but her attitude towards everything is a huge motivator for me!
LISTS! Make a daily list of what you want to get done - from things you already do (make your bed, take a shower) to the things you want to start to incorporate. Checking off the list works wonders for our mental states! :)
Lastly, be understanding. You won't be completing a list 100% of the time. There will be days you will not get things done. It's life. I have the hardest time letting this go. If I can get over my imperfection, I'd be perfect. :)
Friday, June 24, 2011
Favorite Food Deal of the Week: Gatorade
My husband is training for a half marathon and the Chicago Marathon this Fall. Today he is running 13 miles; when he runs long distances, he has a fuel belt that he loads up with Gatorade and water. Before his runs, he drinks a Gatorade Prime. After the run, he drinks a Gatorade Recover drink.
Gatorade Prime and Recover are not on sale as often as the regular 32 oz Gatorade bottles. They often cost $1.99 each and up! With his mileage increasing each week, this means he will go through a lot of the Prime and Recover drinks before and after runs....which can get to be very costly.
For the past several weeks, Meijer has had the Prime and Recover drinks on sale for $1.09 each (with no limit posted!)! I have been buying a few each week to stock up. This week, I bought 4 of each and spent under $10! That's great for those 2 products. They were actually the same price as the regular Gatorade, so I bought the big bottles of Powerade to use during his runs. (They were $.69 each.)
So, we brought home 5 Powerade, 4 Gatorade Prime, and 4 Gatorade Recover! I plan to keep buying a few each week as long as I notice the sale price of $1.09. Meijer is quickly becoming my favorite store! :)
Gatorade Prime and Recover are not on sale as often as the regular 32 oz Gatorade bottles. They often cost $1.99 each and up! With his mileage increasing each week, this means he will go through a lot of the Prime and Recover drinks before and after runs....which can get to be very costly.
For the past several weeks, Meijer has had the Prime and Recover drinks on sale for $1.09 each (with no limit posted!)! I have been buying a few each week to stock up. This week, I bought 4 of each and spent under $10! That's great for those 2 products. They were actually the same price as the regular Gatorade, so I bought the big bottles of Powerade to use during his runs. (They were $.69 each.)
So, we brought home 5 Powerade, 4 Gatorade Prime, and 4 Gatorade Recover! I plan to keep buying a few each week as long as I notice the sale price of $1.09. Meijer is quickly becoming my favorite store! :)
Menu Plan: June 22-July 4
So, we're stretching our grocery budget an extra week because of the day for Payday next week. I don't plan to buy any foods for meals, maybe just some fruit for snacks and (of course) we'll have to buy diapers. :)
Here is my menu plan for the next 2 weeks, til I do regular shopping again.
Breakfasts:
-Homemade bagels with cream cheese and homemade freezer jam, scrambled eggs
-Pancakes, bananas (x2)
-Omelets, sausage, orange slices
-Overnight French Toast Casserole, grapes (x2)
-Coffee cake, bananas (x2)
-Eggs, muffins (x2)
-Cinnamon Roll Biscuits, Sausage links (x2)
Lunches:
-PB & Honey (x2)
-Totino's pizza rolls (x2)
-Hot Dogs (x2)
-Leftovers (x4)
-Tortilla rollups (x2)
(yes, lots of unhealthy lunches. haha! Just trying to go with easy, quick things...as I'm hoping we'll be outside a lot the next 2 weeks...if the weather cooperates!)
Snacks:
-Fruit (this week, we have pears, bananas, black plums, red seedless grapes, and a couple apples)
-Cheese Taquitos
-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
-Brown Sugar Biscuit Twists
-Country Coffee Cake (leftover from breakfasts)
Dinners:
-Marinated Chicken, Brown Rice, Green Beans
-Red Lobster (for Iris' birthday - she got to pick where she wanted to eat)
-Crockpot Italian Chicken, White Rice, Salad
-Chicken Nuggets, Corn, Carrots
-Shredded Pork, Potatoes, Green Beans
-Brown Bag Burritos (meatless), Salad
-BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Chips, Applesauce
-Chicken Veggie Bake, Homemade Rolls
-Pasta and Sauce with Cheese, Homemade Garlic Bread, Salad
-Chicken & Bean Skillet, Pinto Beans
-Marinated Chicken Tenders, Egg Noodles, Carrots
-Pork Burritos (from freezer), Green Rice Casserole
-4th of July - probably will eat out or cookout with in-laws
So, there's my lengthy list. Tonight is Crockpot Italian Chicken, but I made it on Wednesday while I was making a bunch of other things. We just have to reheat it, make the rice and salad and we're ready to eat! :)
Here is my menu plan for the next 2 weeks, til I do regular shopping again.
Breakfasts:
-Homemade bagels with cream cheese and homemade freezer jam, scrambled eggs
-Pancakes, bananas (x2)
-Omelets, sausage, orange slices
-Overnight French Toast Casserole, grapes (x2)
-Coffee cake, bananas (x2)
-Eggs, muffins (x2)
-Cinnamon Roll Biscuits, Sausage links (x2)
Lunches:
-PB & Honey (x2)
-Totino's pizza rolls (x2)
-Hot Dogs (x2)
-Leftovers (x4)
-Tortilla rollups (x2)
(yes, lots of unhealthy lunches. haha! Just trying to go with easy, quick things...as I'm hoping we'll be outside a lot the next 2 weeks...if the weather cooperates!)
Snacks:
-Fruit (this week, we have pears, bananas, black plums, red seedless grapes, and a couple apples)
-Cheese Taquitos
-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
-Brown Sugar Biscuit Twists
-Country Coffee Cake (leftover from breakfasts)
Dinners:
-Marinated Chicken, Brown Rice, Green Beans
-Red Lobster (for Iris' birthday - she got to pick where she wanted to eat)
-Crockpot Italian Chicken, White Rice, Salad
-Chicken Nuggets, Corn, Carrots
-Shredded Pork, Potatoes, Green Beans
-Brown Bag Burritos (meatless), Salad
-BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Chips, Applesauce
-Chicken Veggie Bake, Homemade Rolls
-Pasta and Sauce with Cheese, Homemade Garlic Bread, Salad
-Chicken & Bean Skillet, Pinto Beans
-Marinated Chicken Tenders, Egg Noodles, Carrots
-Pork Burritos (from freezer), Green Rice Casserole
-4th of July - probably will eat out or cookout with in-laws
So, there's my lengthy list. Tonight is Crockpot Italian Chicken, but I made it on Wednesday while I was making a bunch of other things. We just have to reheat it, make the rice and salad and we're ready to eat! :)
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Basic Kitchen: Healthy Homemade
It amazes me how much pre-packaged things we consume each day. Convenience foods are very popular, especially if both parents work. And even in homes where one parent stays home (ahem, OUR home), pre-made things are pretty popular as well.
I can understand why the number of obese children is astronomical....we simply don't take the time to make things from scratch. Sometimes, we don't even bother to learn how...even if it is a simple and QUICK process.
Pretty much anything we eat regularly can be made from scratch, or at least some version of that food can be made.
Bagels, english muffins, any kind of muffin, cakes, pies, cookies, granola, oatmeal, pop-tarts, granola bars, breakfast sandwiches (for pennies, compared to the several dollars they cost at the fast food places!), soups, deli sandwiches, breads, etc.
I have used Google to search for all kinds of recipes. Here are a few of my favorite sites for recipes on everything homemade:
AllRecipes
Lynn's Kitchen Adventures
MoneySavingMom
Confessions of Homeschooler
I have several more, but these are some I check often for new recipes. They often link up with other blogs or sites with their newest recipes, so you can search those other sites, too, for more recipes.
Things that are pre-made and sold at the stores are so full of things we really don't need - loads of sodium, preservatives, additives, and other unnatural things. If you make your own, you can know exactly what's in there and how much.
And, if you try one thing homemade, you might end up LOVING it and trying more. Before you know it, you'll be buying less of the crap at the stores and making more on your own...which is healthier and TASTIER, for sure!
I can understand why the number of obese children is astronomical....we simply don't take the time to make things from scratch. Sometimes, we don't even bother to learn how...even if it is a simple and QUICK process.
Pretty much anything we eat regularly can be made from scratch, or at least some version of that food can be made.
Bagels, english muffins, any kind of muffin, cakes, pies, cookies, granola, oatmeal, pop-tarts, granola bars, breakfast sandwiches (for pennies, compared to the several dollars they cost at the fast food places!), soups, deli sandwiches, breads, etc.
I have used Google to search for all kinds of recipes. Here are a few of my favorite sites for recipes on everything homemade:
AllRecipes
Lynn's Kitchen Adventures
MoneySavingMom
Confessions of Homeschooler
I have several more, but these are some I check often for new recipes. They often link up with other blogs or sites with their newest recipes, so you can search those other sites, too, for more recipes.
Things that are pre-made and sold at the stores are so full of things we really don't need - loads of sodium, preservatives, additives, and other unnatural things. If you make your own, you can know exactly what's in there and how much.
And, if you try one thing homemade, you might end up LOVING it and trying more. Before you know it, you'll be buying less of the crap at the stores and making more on your own...which is healthier and TASTIER, for sure!
Friday, June 17, 2011
House Help: Laundry Lament :)
Up until two weeks ago, I had planned on posting about how we should all do laundry on one day each week, so that it doesn't drag out over several days.
SINCE having a new baby in the house, I have found that washing clothes for 6 people is A LOT of clothing. :) Babies have a way of dirtying several outfits each day, as well as burp rags and blankets. Between spit up and poop, this little bundle of joy has created quite the mountain of laundry for me!
I designate every Monday as laundry day. I try not to schedule any doctor, dentist, or other appointments for Mondays. We tend to not run any errands and stick close to home, so that we can tackle all the dirty clothes in one day.
Lately, I have also been washing sheets, towels, bathroom rugs (little bottoms have been dirtying these with accidents or dirty shoes or dropping toothpaste!) and a load of socks and underwear later in the week, like Thursday or Friday. This week, I did 4 extra loads of laundry - yesterday I washed all the dirty sheets and the heavy blanket from our bed (it'd been awhile since it was washed) and today I did a load of socks and underwear as well as a load of rugs.
So, what kind of help can I offer with regard to laundry?....now that my whole opinion of it has changed. :) My advice is this: stay on top of it.
If you designate a day to laundry, DO the laundry that day. Start it first thing in the morning. Keep up with it when the cycles end. Switch the loads out right away. Fold and put away everything as it's done washing and drying. The more you leave in a pile or basket to do later, the less likely you are to sit down and do it. For me, it's all mental - if I have more than one clean load sitting there waiting to be folded and put away, I will see how large the pile is and keep putting it off. Right now, I have a basket with the load of socks and undies sitting here staring at me. The rugs load just ended in the dryer, so I really need to get this basket of laundry here folded!
If you need to do an extra load each day, do it! Throw it in first thing in the morning, rather than leave it for later in the day when you're bogged down with other activities and your energy level is depleted. :)
If you have to keep changing the routine or way you do it to find a way that works, DO IT! You won't find the best way for you to stay on top of it, if you give up and just settle with never being able to get it done.
On that note, I'm off to fold!
SINCE having a new baby in the house, I have found that washing clothes for 6 people is A LOT of clothing. :) Babies have a way of dirtying several outfits each day, as well as burp rags and blankets. Between spit up and poop, this little bundle of joy has created quite the mountain of laundry for me!
I designate every Monday as laundry day. I try not to schedule any doctor, dentist, or other appointments for Mondays. We tend to not run any errands and stick close to home, so that we can tackle all the dirty clothes in one day.
Lately, I have also been washing sheets, towels, bathroom rugs (little bottoms have been dirtying these with accidents or dirty shoes or dropping toothpaste!) and a load of socks and underwear later in the week, like Thursday or Friday. This week, I did 4 extra loads of laundry - yesterday I washed all the dirty sheets and the heavy blanket from our bed (it'd been awhile since it was washed) and today I did a load of socks and underwear as well as a load of rugs.
So, what kind of help can I offer with regard to laundry?....now that my whole opinion of it has changed. :) My advice is this: stay on top of it.
If you designate a day to laundry, DO the laundry that day. Start it first thing in the morning. Keep up with it when the cycles end. Switch the loads out right away. Fold and put away everything as it's done washing and drying. The more you leave in a pile or basket to do later, the less likely you are to sit down and do it. For me, it's all mental - if I have more than one clean load sitting there waiting to be folded and put away, I will see how large the pile is and keep putting it off. Right now, I have a basket with the load of socks and undies sitting here staring at me. The rugs load just ended in the dryer, so I really need to get this basket of laundry here folded!
If you need to do an extra load each day, do it! Throw it in first thing in the morning, rather than leave it for later in the day when you're bogged down with other activities and your energy level is depleted. :)
If you have to keep changing the routine or way you do it to find a way that works, DO IT! You won't find the best way for you to stay on top of it, if you give up and just settle with never being able to get it done.
On that note, I'm off to fold!
Favorite Food Deal of the Week: Pampers CAT Deal
There was a CAT deal from Pampers this week: If you bought $20 worth of Pampers diapers or wipes, you got a $5 CAT for your next Pampers purchase!
With 2 in diapers now (yes, I need to get Addy out of diapers! working on that...), I love these types of deals. It is slightly disappointing that the CAT isn't good on any purchase, but since I'll be in need of diapers again soon I will be able to use this CAT for sure!
I was at Meijer and purchased one Jumbo pack of Pampers Swaddlers (size 1) for $8.99, one Jumbo pack of Pampers size 3 (NOT the cruisers because there are fewer in the Cruisers' packs) for $8.99, and one container of 72 ct wipes for $2.29. I used two $1.50 off any Pampers diapers coupons and one $1 off any 64 ct or higher wipes package. I paid $16.27 (and tax) for all and received a $5 CAT. So, actually, it was $11.27 for two jumbo packs of diapers and a box of wipes! Not bad!!
I'm sure I've found better deals on diapers and wipes, but I was very pleased with this deal because of our need for diapers!
With 2 in diapers now (yes, I need to get Addy out of diapers! working on that...), I love these types of deals. It is slightly disappointing that the CAT isn't good on any purchase, but since I'll be in need of diapers again soon I will be able to use this CAT for sure!
I was at Meijer and purchased one Jumbo pack of Pampers Swaddlers (size 1) for $8.99, one Jumbo pack of Pampers size 3 (NOT the cruisers because there are fewer in the Cruisers' packs) for $8.99, and one container of 72 ct wipes for $2.29. I used two $1.50 off any Pampers diapers coupons and one $1 off any 64 ct or higher wipes package. I paid $16.27 (and tax) for all and received a $5 CAT. So, actually, it was $11.27 for two jumbo packs of diapers and a box of wipes! Not bad!!
I'm sure I've found better deals on diapers and wipes, but I was very pleased with this deal because of our need for diapers!
Menu Plan: June 17-21
Here's my menu plan for the couple days remaining until my next shopping trip. Having 4 kids and still working to adjust to the chaos :) is keeping me from being more consistent with the blog. Hoping to get back on track (and on time!) soon.
Breakfasts:
-Muffins (banana chocolate chip and/or cranberry apple), yogurt
-Egg, bacon, cheese sandwiches, apple slices
-Leftovers (amish baked oatmeal from earlier in week)
-French Toast Casserole
Lunch:
-Peanut Butter and honey sandwiches, banana, yogurt
-leftovers
-lunch at my parents' house (Sat.)
-lunch at in-laws' house (Sun.)
Dinner:
-Dinner with my parents (sat.)
-Dinner with my in-laws (Sun.)
-Skillet rice w/ground turkey, corn, salad (dessert: brown sugar biscuit twists!! yum!)
-Hot Dogs, chips, green beans, carrot sticks
Pretty boring menu, but we will be with my family tomorrow and with my in-laws on Sunday, so it's mostly just today and Monday and Tuesday that need to be planned.
Breakfasts:
-Muffins (banana chocolate chip and/or cranberry apple), yogurt
-Egg, bacon, cheese sandwiches, apple slices
-Leftovers (amish baked oatmeal from earlier in week)
-French Toast Casserole
Lunch:
-Peanut Butter and honey sandwiches, banana, yogurt
-leftovers
-lunch at my parents' house (Sat.)
-lunch at in-laws' house (Sun.)
Dinner:
-Dinner with my parents (sat.)
-Dinner with my in-laws (Sun.)
-Skillet rice w/ground turkey, corn, salad (dessert: brown sugar biscuit twists!! yum!)
-Hot Dogs, chips, green beans, carrot sticks
Pretty boring menu, but we will be with my family tomorrow and with my in-laws on Sunday, so it's mostly just today and Monday and Tuesday that need to be planned.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Basic Kitchen: Saute, Simmer, Steam
Three types of stove top cooking, include sauteing, simmering, and steaming.
Sauteing is cooking food at a high heat in a little oil. The foods are usually cut into small pieces, to help with fast cooking. A lot of times, I see this type of cooking for the veggies in a recipe. Onions and green peppers are chopped small and sauteed for a few minutes before adding meats a lot of times. When sauteing, make sure you either stir the foods often or jerk the pan to flip the foods around, to prevent burning. Also, you want to use a large enough pan so that all the foods can lie in the pan in one layer. This helps the foods to cook evenly and quickly. The amount of oil you use is key - only enough to coat the bottom of the pan. You don't want to have it deep enough to FRY the foods. Just enough to keep them foods from sticking to the pan and to give a little flavor.
The next type is simmering. This is when you cook foods in hot liquids kept at or just below boiling. Crockpots simmer foods. The types of foods you would simmer are stews, soups, and chilis. Also, if you're cooking rice, this is also simmering - you bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the temp to keep the foods cooking but not enough to boil them continuously.
Lastly, there is steaming. There are pans made specifically for this type of cooking. The process of steaming includes bringing a pot of water to a boil, placing the steamer on top of that pot and placing the foods in the steamer to cook. The steam from the boiling water cooks the foods. This is recommended for veggies, to retain the most vitamins in them. It is also great to avoid burning foods! :) You can cook practically anything this way.
Now, the next time you have a recipe that calls for a particular way of cooking, you will know exactly what they're talking about!
Sauteing is cooking food at a high heat in a little oil. The foods are usually cut into small pieces, to help with fast cooking. A lot of times, I see this type of cooking for the veggies in a recipe. Onions and green peppers are chopped small and sauteed for a few minutes before adding meats a lot of times. When sauteing, make sure you either stir the foods often or jerk the pan to flip the foods around, to prevent burning. Also, you want to use a large enough pan so that all the foods can lie in the pan in one layer. This helps the foods to cook evenly and quickly. The amount of oil you use is key - only enough to coat the bottom of the pan. You don't want to have it deep enough to FRY the foods. Just enough to keep them foods from sticking to the pan and to give a little flavor.
The next type is simmering. This is when you cook foods in hot liquids kept at or just below boiling. Crockpots simmer foods. The types of foods you would simmer are stews, soups, and chilis. Also, if you're cooking rice, this is also simmering - you bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the temp to keep the foods cooking but not enough to boil them continuously.
Lastly, there is steaming. There are pans made specifically for this type of cooking. The process of steaming includes bringing a pot of water to a boil, placing the steamer on top of that pot and placing the foods in the steamer to cook. The steam from the boiling water cooks the foods. This is recommended for veggies, to retain the most vitamins in them. It is also great to avoid burning foods! :) You can cook practically anything this way.
Now, the next time you have a recipe that calls for a particular way of cooking, you will know exactly what they're talking about!
Motherhood Mania: I Think We're Alone Now...
Saturday, my first day alone with all 4 kids, went perfect! All 4 of them napped, and I got a few minutes to myself. I have to work on timing it just right, so that I nurse Artie after the girls quiet down for naps. This helps him get a nap in, and I can enjoy a quiet lunch. :)
Sunday didn't go very well. No one napped, the baby was fussy, and I was done, mentally! The girls were acting up. It was a bit chilly to take the baby out, so we just stayed in. I reorganized all the cupboards in the kitchen. It took me all day. I reorganized the pantry as well and even added a 3-drawer rolling cart in there for storage. I'm happy with how it turned out - much more functional and I now have "stations". I read in another mom's blog about creating stations in the kitchen for different tasks/things. It made so much sense to group things together for how they're used, not just because they are like items.
I now have a beverage station - one shelf that has mugs, teas, hot cocoa mixes, a sugar bowl, and instant coffee packets. Directly below that cupboard is where I've relocated the coffeemaker. So, now, in the morning, we don't have to pull down the coffeemaker from on top of the fridge, then find the mugs in another area, then go get the sugar from yet another area. It's all there, together. So clever!
Then, I moved the microwave from our largest section of counter space to a small area. I made the largest section of counter the baking station. Directly below it, in the drawer, are utensils used solely for baking. Below that is 2 cupboards that I filled with all the pans, mixing bowls, and appliances I use for baking everything! It is so handy. I used that station this morning to make some cran-apple muffins and it worked wonderfully!
Those are the only 2 stations I organized. Everything else is sort of how it was. The pantry was reorganized to have everything the girls use within their reach. I might regret this later, when I find spilled cereal or they've eaten too many snacks! :) I put all the breakfast foods on the bottom shelf, so they can grab what they want on cereal days. Then, the middle drawer of the cart has all things snack related - raisins, dried cranberries, marshmallows, rice krispie treats, goldfish, ginger crackers, fruit snacks, etc.
I made things accessible for the girls so if they are in need of something and I'm busy with the baby, I can instruct them to get it out themselves. They were so excited about the snack drawer! :) Hopefully, they don't sneak anything without asking!
Today has been going well. I'm working on laundry, and we had 2 visitors this morning - a friend of mine and her little girl, who went to preschool with Iris last year. My girls were so excited to see the daughter! It's been several days since they've played with other kids. And I was happy to have another mom as company. (It's been several days for me, too!) They bought Artie a handprint kit, so we can make his handprint in clay! I'm so excited to do this. I've done it with the girls (just last year, actually, and not as babies), so I'm happy to being doing Artie's hands as well!
I am hoping to get to the grocery store on Wednesday. It'll be my first time out with all the kids, so pray for me! I plan to have the baby in the Moby wrap on me, and have the girls in the kid-friendly cart. Meijer, Dominick's and Target all have those carts that seat 3 kids. Jewel does not, so I don't know if we'll go there...seems like I'd be ASKING for trouble! Haha!
One other thing...I cannot believe how BIG Artie is already! He was 8 pounds 13 ounces at 6 days old (up 9 ounces in 3 days between his doctor visits!!). He did not fit into most of the newborn outfits I had for him and he is quickly outgrowing the 0-3 month size clothing! So, pretty much everything I borrowed from my sister for him is no longer fitting (or didn't fit at all!). This just seems crazy to me. Today he is in a 3 month size outfit! I am, again, so thankful for the surprise shower my girlfriends had for me, because I'm already into clothing I received there! If I didn't have that, I'd be out buying clothes. $$$$
My sister-in-law is graciously allowing my sister and me to go through her boy clothing, up to size 2T!! She is having their 4th baby this Fall; it is another girl (that'll be 2 and 2 for them!). She is wanting to sell her boy clothing, but she is letting us go through it first to see if there's anything we need/want.
I am so grateful to have such wonderful members of our extended family, who are so willing to let us borrow/have clothing. It saves so much money for us! I am sad to think of the day when our kids are too big to get any hand-me-downs! I'll actually have to start budgeting for clothing. Boo!
Sunday didn't go very well. No one napped, the baby was fussy, and I was done, mentally! The girls were acting up. It was a bit chilly to take the baby out, so we just stayed in. I reorganized all the cupboards in the kitchen. It took me all day. I reorganized the pantry as well and even added a 3-drawer rolling cart in there for storage. I'm happy with how it turned out - much more functional and I now have "stations". I read in another mom's blog about creating stations in the kitchen for different tasks/things. It made so much sense to group things together for how they're used, not just because they are like items.
I now have a beverage station - one shelf that has mugs, teas, hot cocoa mixes, a sugar bowl, and instant coffee packets. Directly below that cupboard is where I've relocated the coffeemaker. So, now, in the morning, we don't have to pull down the coffeemaker from on top of the fridge, then find the mugs in another area, then go get the sugar from yet another area. It's all there, together. So clever!
Then, I moved the microwave from our largest section of counter space to a small area. I made the largest section of counter the baking station. Directly below it, in the drawer, are utensils used solely for baking. Below that is 2 cupboards that I filled with all the pans, mixing bowls, and appliances I use for baking everything! It is so handy. I used that station this morning to make some cran-apple muffins and it worked wonderfully!
Those are the only 2 stations I organized. Everything else is sort of how it was. The pantry was reorganized to have everything the girls use within their reach. I might regret this later, when I find spilled cereal or they've eaten too many snacks! :) I put all the breakfast foods on the bottom shelf, so they can grab what they want on cereal days. Then, the middle drawer of the cart has all things snack related - raisins, dried cranberries, marshmallows, rice krispie treats, goldfish, ginger crackers, fruit snacks, etc.
I made things accessible for the girls so if they are in need of something and I'm busy with the baby, I can instruct them to get it out themselves. They were so excited about the snack drawer! :) Hopefully, they don't sneak anything without asking!
Today has been going well. I'm working on laundry, and we had 2 visitors this morning - a friend of mine and her little girl, who went to preschool with Iris last year. My girls were so excited to see the daughter! It's been several days since they've played with other kids. And I was happy to have another mom as company. (It's been several days for me, too!) They bought Artie a handprint kit, so we can make his handprint in clay! I'm so excited to do this. I've done it with the girls (just last year, actually, and not as babies), so I'm happy to being doing Artie's hands as well!
I am hoping to get to the grocery store on Wednesday. It'll be my first time out with all the kids, so pray for me! I plan to have the baby in the Moby wrap on me, and have the girls in the kid-friendly cart. Meijer, Dominick's and Target all have those carts that seat 3 kids. Jewel does not, so I don't know if we'll go there...seems like I'd be ASKING for trouble! Haha!
One other thing...I cannot believe how BIG Artie is already! He was 8 pounds 13 ounces at 6 days old (up 9 ounces in 3 days between his doctor visits!!). He did not fit into most of the newborn outfits I had for him and he is quickly outgrowing the 0-3 month size clothing! So, pretty much everything I borrowed from my sister for him is no longer fitting (or didn't fit at all!). This just seems crazy to me. Today he is in a 3 month size outfit! I am, again, so thankful for the surprise shower my girlfriends had for me, because I'm already into clothing I received there! If I didn't have that, I'd be out buying clothes. $$$$
My sister-in-law is graciously allowing my sister and me to go through her boy clothing, up to size 2T!! She is having their 4th baby this Fall; it is another girl (that'll be 2 and 2 for them!). She is wanting to sell her boy clothing, but she is letting us go through it first to see if there's anything we need/want.
I am so grateful to have such wonderful members of our extended family, who are so willing to let us borrow/have clothing. It saves so much money for us! I am sad to think of the day when our kids are too big to get any hand-me-downs! I'll actually have to start budgeting for clothing. Boo!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
House Help: Kid Chores
I am looking forward to the day when my kids can help more with cleaning and housework, though I think then I'd miss being needed as much by them. :)
For now, I will just be content with having my older girls help out with what they can and enjoy our time of working together on things.
My oldest is going to be 5 this month. I believe that even the youngest of kids (that can walk at least) can help out around the house. Iris has being "helping" since she was very little. She used to really enjoy helping me with laundry - finding matching socks or sorting clothes by the person or folding washcloths. Not so much anymore. She enjoys bigger jobs - dusting, wiping windows, helping vacuum. I let her do things when I remember, but I still have a few items she is responsible to do, with or without my reminders:
-Make her bed.
-Brush her own teeth.
-Put her dirty clothes in the hamper.
-Pick up after herself.
-Set the table for dinner.
-Take her dirty dishes to the sink.
-Help out with her siblings when I need her to.
She, as any child does from time to time, complains and tries to argue with me. :) But, for the most part, I think she understands why we expect these things - because she's the oldest and is capable of helping and every person in the family is expected to help out. And she knows that the sooner we get the chores done, the sooner we can enjoy play time or a movie or whatever.
Lily is 3 1/2. She likes to do what Iris does, but she is still limited slightly with her motor skills. She is an EXCELLENT washcloth and hand towel folder. :) She really likes to do it, too, thankfully! I let her sort the washcloths by the location they belong (bathrooms, kitchen) and she is able to fold and put them away. She also is responsible to take her dishes to the sink after meals, but she struggles some times with balancing her fork on her plate, so it does take her a bit longer than Iris. Regardless, she is expected to do the following:
-Make her bed (she is GREAT at this as well!).
-Brush her teeth.
-Put dirty clothes in hamper.
-Put dirty dishes in sink.
-Help set the table (usually just her spot and not usually carrying anything glass).
-Pick up after herself.
She doesn't quite understand WHY we give each person jobs to do, but she sees that Mom, Dad and Iris all has things they do regularly, so she joins in with her jobs. :) At least we're starting the habit of working around the house; she'll eventually understand and see why we all work around here.
Addy is 2. She is not quite able to actually HELP with much, but she likes to pull out matching socks from the laundry, sort washcloths from towels, and help me take the dog out. She is allowed to set her spot at the table, as long as I watch her carry the items from the kitchen over to her table spot (if unsupervised, she sometimes walks away to another area of the house with her fork and spoon!). Her "jobs" are:
-Put dirty clothes in hamper.
-Assist with brushing her teeth.
-Help with laundry when she wants (nothing required yet, for her).
-Help set her spot at table for dinner.
-Help pick up toys after play.
Of course, Baby Artie doesn't do anything yet. :) His job is to eat, sleep, and poo. So far, he's doing a fantastic job with that! LOL.
I used to give out allowance for the girls when they completed their chore charts, but I fell behind on it and eventually quit paying them altogether. For now, I'm just working on making habits with them to help out. We'll get to the money part probably in the next year or so, once they understand money's value and what to do with it. Iris, I think, understands to save money and give tithe, but I don't think she'll relate the working to the money yet so I'll hold off for now. I am torn with how to approach the relationship of money to chores.
I want my kids to do things because they want to be helpful for their family, but I also want to be able to show them that no one lives for free. They aren't going to get an allowance if they aren't going to do the work...but I don't want them to do the work ONLY to get the money. I guess I'll have to work on showing them we all do our share because we care about our family, and that certain things we'll do because we're a part of the family and certain other things we do in order to get "paid".
Both Arthur and myself we raised with a healthy view of money and work. I think we both have good work ethics and that we understand responsibility and work. I didn't get an allowance as a child; I was just expected to help out with certain things and whatever else my mother needed our help with. We all knew our place and that in order for the family to function we all had to do something around the house. My brothers were almost always responsible for the trash, and my sister and I did the dishwasher. We all shared the lawn mowing at some point (except my sister, who has allergies - LUCKY! lol.), and we all had to keep our own rooms clean and help with laundry. Arthur had to do his own laundry, started working while in high school, and was responsible to pay for his own college tuition.
I just pray that our kids understand why it's important to help out and also that people don't get paid to just sit around. :)
For now, I will just be content with having my older girls help out with what they can and enjoy our time of working together on things.
My oldest is going to be 5 this month. I believe that even the youngest of kids (that can walk at least) can help out around the house. Iris has being "helping" since she was very little. She used to really enjoy helping me with laundry - finding matching socks or sorting clothes by the person or folding washcloths. Not so much anymore. She enjoys bigger jobs - dusting, wiping windows, helping vacuum. I let her do things when I remember, but I still have a few items she is responsible to do, with or without my reminders:
-Make her bed.
-Brush her own teeth.
-Put her dirty clothes in the hamper.
-Pick up after herself.
-Set the table for dinner.
-Take her dirty dishes to the sink.
-Help out with her siblings when I need her to.
She, as any child does from time to time, complains and tries to argue with me. :) But, for the most part, I think she understands why we expect these things - because she's the oldest and is capable of helping and every person in the family is expected to help out. And she knows that the sooner we get the chores done, the sooner we can enjoy play time or a movie or whatever.
Lily is 3 1/2. She likes to do what Iris does, but she is still limited slightly with her motor skills. She is an EXCELLENT washcloth and hand towel folder. :) She really likes to do it, too, thankfully! I let her sort the washcloths by the location they belong (bathrooms, kitchen) and she is able to fold and put them away. She also is responsible to take her dishes to the sink after meals, but she struggles some times with balancing her fork on her plate, so it does take her a bit longer than Iris. Regardless, she is expected to do the following:
-Make her bed (she is GREAT at this as well!).
-Brush her teeth.
-Put dirty clothes in hamper.
-Put dirty dishes in sink.
-Help set the table (usually just her spot and not usually carrying anything glass).
-Pick up after herself.
She doesn't quite understand WHY we give each person jobs to do, but she sees that Mom, Dad and Iris all has things they do regularly, so she joins in with her jobs. :) At least we're starting the habit of working around the house; she'll eventually understand and see why we all work around here.
Addy is 2. She is not quite able to actually HELP with much, but she likes to pull out matching socks from the laundry, sort washcloths from towels, and help me take the dog out. She is allowed to set her spot at the table, as long as I watch her carry the items from the kitchen over to her table spot (if unsupervised, she sometimes walks away to another area of the house with her fork and spoon!). Her "jobs" are:
-Put dirty clothes in hamper.
-Assist with brushing her teeth.
-Help with laundry when she wants (nothing required yet, for her).
-Help set her spot at table for dinner.
-Help pick up toys after play.
Of course, Baby Artie doesn't do anything yet. :) His job is to eat, sleep, and poo. So far, he's doing a fantastic job with that! LOL.
I used to give out allowance for the girls when they completed their chore charts, but I fell behind on it and eventually quit paying them altogether. For now, I'm just working on making habits with them to help out. We'll get to the money part probably in the next year or so, once they understand money's value and what to do with it. Iris, I think, understands to save money and give tithe, but I don't think she'll relate the working to the money yet so I'll hold off for now. I am torn with how to approach the relationship of money to chores.
I want my kids to do things because they want to be helpful for their family, but I also want to be able to show them that no one lives for free. They aren't going to get an allowance if they aren't going to do the work...but I don't want them to do the work ONLY to get the money. I guess I'll have to work on showing them we all do our share because we care about our family, and that certain things we'll do because we're a part of the family and certain other things we do in order to get "paid".
Both Arthur and myself we raised with a healthy view of money and work. I think we both have good work ethics and that we understand responsibility and work. I didn't get an allowance as a child; I was just expected to help out with certain things and whatever else my mother needed our help with. We all knew our place and that in order for the family to function we all had to do something around the house. My brothers were almost always responsible for the trash, and my sister and I did the dishwasher. We all shared the lawn mowing at some point (except my sister, who has allergies - LUCKY! lol.), and we all had to keep our own rooms clean and help with laundry. Arthur had to do his own laundry, started working while in high school, and was responsible to pay for his own college tuition.
I just pray that our kids understand why it's important to help out and also that people don't get paid to just sit around. :)
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Favorite Food Deal of the Week: Ivory Soap
Ok, so this is not a FOOD deal, but it's a good one, nonetheless.
This week, CVS had Ivory Bar soap 3-packs on sale for $.99. There are $1.00 off any Ivory Soap coupons from one of May's inserts. I had 2 of them (couldn't find my third one), so I ended up with 6 bars of soap for free!
Ivory is a nice soap because it is almost 100% natural and it has no perfumes....which irritates my girls' eczema and my acne. We don't use bar soap very often at all, but with the summer starting I think I'll keep a bar of it in a container in the garage to have the girls wash up outside before coming in after playing. That'll keep my downstairs bathroom a little cleaner. :)
This $.99 soap sale is good through Saturday, so get out and get some free soap! Even if you don't have the coupons, 3 bars of dye/perfume-free soap is a good deal!
This week, CVS had Ivory Bar soap 3-packs on sale for $.99. There are $1.00 off any Ivory Soap coupons from one of May's inserts. I had 2 of them (couldn't find my third one), so I ended up with 6 bars of soap for free!
Ivory is a nice soap because it is almost 100% natural and it has no perfumes....which irritates my girls' eczema and my acne. We don't use bar soap very often at all, but with the summer starting I think I'll keep a bar of it in a container in the garage to have the girls wash up outside before coming in after playing. That'll keep my downstairs bathroom a little cleaner. :)
This $.99 soap sale is good through Saturday, so get out and get some free soap! Even if you don't have the coupons, 3 bars of dye/perfume-free soap is a good deal!
I'm Back!
After a great 10 days of adjusting, I am ready to be back on the blog! Today is my husband's first day back to work, but I have my youngest sister here to help out with the kids. I am feeling very well, so that is wonderful! The baby is so easy - eating well, sleeping pretty well (3-4 hrs at a time at night!...haven't had that since Iris!), and generally just likes to sleep or be held. And, that is totally ok with me!
This morning, after hubby left, I got out some "school" workbooks for the girls to work on. Iris did great with the "greater than/less than" themes, and Lily was a bit distracted to work on rhyming but she had fun circling and coloring.
Addy seems to be struggling right now. She is talking back, throwing tantrums and just all around whiny. I expected it - each of my girls went through it when the next one was born. It takes some getting used to and patience on our end. For her, she'll have to just get over it. Not paying attention to the tantrum, walking away and ignoring her all together while she throws herself around is what I think will work best. Disciplining her for crying or throwing herself on the floor doesn't seem to do anything but give her attention, which is what she ultimately wants....so if I ignore her, I think that sends a bigger message that she'll lose out on any attention if she acts that way. But, we'll see - she's 2, so this might take a while. :)
I will start up again with my daily theme with today's Favorite Food Deal of the Week...as my next post. I am hoping to stay on top of each day's posts, but my husband is actually scheduled off tomorrow and Friday, so if I miss those days I apologize. I should be able to double up on posts on Saturday to make up for any missed ones for Thursday and Friday.
We are taking my sister home tonight, so Saturday will be my first day alone ALL DAY with the kids. :) I am ready to get back to our routine and to find a way to make this work. :) Iris and Lily are pretty helpful, but they still have their arguments and moments of teasing each other. And I think being stuck inside during this heat wave makes them feel a little bored, so I need to stay on top of changing activities for them frequently. I think Saturday will be a little cooler and sunny, so maybe we can get outside with Artie for some fresh air!
This morning, after hubby left, I got out some "school" workbooks for the girls to work on. Iris did great with the "greater than/less than" themes, and Lily was a bit distracted to work on rhyming but she had fun circling and coloring.
Addy seems to be struggling right now. She is talking back, throwing tantrums and just all around whiny. I expected it - each of my girls went through it when the next one was born. It takes some getting used to and patience on our end. For her, she'll have to just get over it. Not paying attention to the tantrum, walking away and ignoring her all together while she throws herself around is what I think will work best. Disciplining her for crying or throwing herself on the floor doesn't seem to do anything but give her attention, which is what she ultimately wants....so if I ignore her, I think that sends a bigger message that she'll lose out on any attention if she acts that way. But, we'll see - she's 2, so this might take a while. :)
I will start up again with my daily theme with today's Favorite Food Deal of the Week...as my next post. I am hoping to stay on top of each day's posts, but my husband is actually scheduled off tomorrow and Friday, so if I miss those days I apologize. I should be able to double up on posts on Saturday to make up for any missed ones for Thursday and Friday.
We are taking my sister home tonight, so Saturday will be my first day alone ALL DAY with the kids. :) I am ready to get back to our routine and to find a way to make this work. :) Iris and Lily are pretty helpful, but they still have their arguments and moments of teasing each other. And I think being stuck inside during this heat wave makes them feel a little bored, so I need to stay on top of changing activities for them frequently. I think Saturday will be a little cooler and sunny, so maybe we can get outside with Artie for some fresh air!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
He is Here!!
Baby Artie has arrived! He was born on Sunday, May 29 at 9:52 AM. He weighed in at 8 pounds 10 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long! Big boy!
I woke up Sunday morning around 2 or 3 AM and had a few painful contractions but I was able to fall back asleep. Then, I noted a time of 4:09 when I had a very painful contraction....it was definitely different than the Braxton-Hicks contractions. I got up to use the bathroom and try and walk off the pain. Arthur woke up a little bit later and I told him I'd had 3 at irregular times. I went downstairs because I couldn't go back to sleep, and they just started getting more consistent and more painful. I knew this was it, so I hopped in the shower at 5AM and then called my doctor. She delivered Addy and knew of my quick labors, so she said to go on in to the hospital....even though the contractions were not regular times apart (it was like 8 minutes, then 12 minutes, then 5 minutes, etc). She said she trusted my judgment.
We called Arthur's parents to come stay with the girls and then got to the hospital around 6AM. When they checked I was only 2 cm dilated. SOOOOO frustrating, but then I remembered I wasn't much further along with Addy but that I progressed very quickly. They ended up talking with my doctor by phone and decided I should stay. So began the wait. No pain meds. I got all hooked up to the monitors and they got the IV thing set up for the "just in case" moments. Then, I was able to walk around to help with the contraction pain. I am so thankful for that....I don't think I could've done the labor if I had to stay in bed!
Around 7:40 they checked again and I was at 6 cm! My water had not yet broken, so my doctor came in and broke it, thinking I would go even quicker at that point. Not so. I kind of plateaued for a bit at 7 cm. The doctor and nurse said they'd be down the hall and for Arthur to just let them know when I thought I was ready to push (my doctor REALLY trusted my judgment on this...based on my labor with Addy; I love that doctor...she's great!). So, I did have to stay in bed at this point because my water had broken and I was leaking, but I found a comfortable upright position that allowed me to rest on my hands when I needed to rock the pain away. Around 9:15, the pain became very intense. I started doing my third stage lamaze breathing but it was making me dizzy, so I just stuck with my slow, deep breaths from earlier in labor. Closing my eyes made me dizzy as well, so I really had to focus to do all my relaxation and focal stuff. I'm soooo glad I stuck with it - it really helped me to remember to breath and think through the pain. I used the wave and tunnel focal things - picturing the contraction as a wave and knowing it would crest at some point or thinking of a tunnel and that I could see the other end, but I had to keep walking to get there. I also used the thoughts of what was actually happening inside my body and how each contraction was moving the baby further and further down the birth canal and that every second of pain was a second closer to seeing him (that one helped the most!).
I had Arthur run out to get the nurse and doctor around 9:30, I think (didn't really note the time, just a guess). I told them I felt as though I was sitting on the baby's head, which is exactly what I felt with Addy right before I pushed. They came in (the room was already all set up) and the doctor said I measured 9cm but that I could probably push through and deliver at that point.
Two pushes and Artie's head was out. They had a mirror set up, so I could see him be born. It was amazing! Two more pushes and he was out. It hurt very bad....I won't lie. I felt like I was going to pass out briefly, just like with Addy. You never really get used to that pain. LOL. He had his right hand up by his face, so that kind of made the pain worse. Then, my doctor said "wow, this is a big baby for you." They weighed him and sure enough - 8 lbs and 10 oz! I was amazed. My belly never looked big enough for that size baby!! But, he was perfect and crying and I was elated. I held him right away and he latched on to nurse immediately! It was awesome!
After they took him to the nursery, they noticed his blood sugar was a little low (common in bigger babies, I guess), so they did give him formula to help with that. He was fine after that and with all the other sugar checks.
We came home the following day in the afternoon...I hate being in the hospital. It's boring, and I don't sleep well and I feel like I'm in more pain because I'm just sitting on that bed all day, unable to sit comfortably.
Today, I took him for his 3 day weight check. He is at 8lbs 4.5 oz, so he lost a little but is doing well. Slightly jaundice looking today, but the doctor isn't worried and didn't check his blood. I take him back on Saturday just to follow up on that. Otherwise, he is doing great.
The whole circumcision thing is different. I worry about getting peed on during diaper changes and about being extra careful when putting on the medicated ointment for the circumcision incision. It looks like it would be so painful, and I feel like I'm hurting him to apply it. :( But, he tolerates it and is doing great the doctor said.
The first night home, we had to wake him to eat after 4 hrs. Last night he wasn't as easy and fussed every other hour it seemed. So, I nursed him a lot more last night. Hoping that tonight goes smoothly, but he's been napping for 3 hours now (worn out from the dr's office, I think), so we'll see how tired he is tonight.
I am so happy he is here and that we are home now. He is absolutely perfect and gorgeous! I couldn't have asked for a better pregnancy and delivery. I am pretty sore and in pain most of the day, but I expected that. I don't remember this much pain with Addy afterward, but with her I took a prescription pain medication to help with that. I declined it this time because the cramps weren't too bad at the hospital and I figured there was no need to have that in my system while I'm nursing. I'm kind of thinking those meds would be nice at night for the cramps and pressure, but oh well. I'll tough it out. I made it through the delivery, so I'm pretty sure I can handle a few cramps. :)
I will put a picture up at some point. And, I will be taking a break from blogging until next week. We are trying to get a routine down and just stay awake during the day :), so I'll put off doing anything extra for the week.
Thanks for all the well wishes on Facebook and elsewhere. We are very blessed to be a family of 6 now!
I woke up Sunday morning around 2 or 3 AM and had a few painful contractions but I was able to fall back asleep. Then, I noted a time of 4:09 when I had a very painful contraction....it was definitely different than the Braxton-Hicks contractions. I got up to use the bathroom and try and walk off the pain. Arthur woke up a little bit later and I told him I'd had 3 at irregular times. I went downstairs because I couldn't go back to sleep, and they just started getting more consistent and more painful. I knew this was it, so I hopped in the shower at 5AM and then called my doctor. She delivered Addy and knew of my quick labors, so she said to go on in to the hospital....even though the contractions were not regular times apart (it was like 8 minutes, then 12 minutes, then 5 minutes, etc). She said she trusted my judgment.
We called Arthur's parents to come stay with the girls and then got to the hospital around 6AM. When they checked I was only 2 cm dilated. SOOOOO frustrating, but then I remembered I wasn't much further along with Addy but that I progressed very quickly. They ended up talking with my doctor by phone and decided I should stay. So began the wait. No pain meds. I got all hooked up to the monitors and they got the IV thing set up for the "just in case" moments. Then, I was able to walk around to help with the contraction pain. I am so thankful for that....I don't think I could've done the labor if I had to stay in bed!
Around 7:40 they checked again and I was at 6 cm! My water had not yet broken, so my doctor came in and broke it, thinking I would go even quicker at that point. Not so. I kind of plateaued for a bit at 7 cm. The doctor and nurse said they'd be down the hall and for Arthur to just let them know when I thought I was ready to push (my doctor REALLY trusted my judgment on this...based on my labor with Addy; I love that doctor...she's great!). So, I did have to stay in bed at this point because my water had broken and I was leaking, but I found a comfortable upright position that allowed me to rest on my hands when I needed to rock the pain away. Around 9:15, the pain became very intense. I started doing my third stage lamaze breathing but it was making me dizzy, so I just stuck with my slow, deep breaths from earlier in labor. Closing my eyes made me dizzy as well, so I really had to focus to do all my relaxation and focal stuff. I'm soooo glad I stuck with it - it really helped me to remember to breath and think through the pain. I used the wave and tunnel focal things - picturing the contraction as a wave and knowing it would crest at some point or thinking of a tunnel and that I could see the other end, but I had to keep walking to get there. I also used the thoughts of what was actually happening inside my body and how each contraction was moving the baby further and further down the birth canal and that every second of pain was a second closer to seeing him (that one helped the most!).
I had Arthur run out to get the nurse and doctor around 9:30, I think (didn't really note the time, just a guess). I told them I felt as though I was sitting on the baby's head, which is exactly what I felt with Addy right before I pushed. They came in (the room was already all set up) and the doctor said I measured 9cm but that I could probably push through and deliver at that point.
Two pushes and Artie's head was out. They had a mirror set up, so I could see him be born. It was amazing! Two more pushes and he was out. It hurt very bad....I won't lie. I felt like I was going to pass out briefly, just like with Addy. You never really get used to that pain. LOL. He had his right hand up by his face, so that kind of made the pain worse. Then, my doctor said "wow, this is a big baby for you." They weighed him and sure enough - 8 lbs and 10 oz! I was amazed. My belly never looked big enough for that size baby!! But, he was perfect and crying and I was elated. I held him right away and he latched on to nurse immediately! It was awesome!
After they took him to the nursery, they noticed his blood sugar was a little low (common in bigger babies, I guess), so they did give him formula to help with that. He was fine after that and with all the other sugar checks.
We came home the following day in the afternoon...I hate being in the hospital. It's boring, and I don't sleep well and I feel like I'm in more pain because I'm just sitting on that bed all day, unable to sit comfortably.
Today, I took him for his 3 day weight check. He is at 8lbs 4.5 oz, so he lost a little but is doing well. Slightly jaundice looking today, but the doctor isn't worried and didn't check his blood. I take him back on Saturday just to follow up on that. Otherwise, he is doing great.
The whole circumcision thing is different. I worry about getting peed on during diaper changes and about being extra careful when putting on the medicated ointment for the circumcision incision. It looks like it would be so painful, and I feel like I'm hurting him to apply it. :( But, he tolerates it and is doing great the doctor said.
The first night home, we had to wake him to eat after 4 hrs. Last night he wasn't as easy and fussed every other hour it seemed. So, I nursed him a lot more last night. Hoping that tonight goes smoothly, but he's been napping for 3 hours now (worn out from the dr's office, I think), so we'll see how tired he is tonight.
I am so happy he is here and that we are home now. He is absolutely perfect and gorgeous! I couldn't have asked for a better pregnancy and delivery. I am pretty sore and in pain most of the day, but I expected that. I don't remember this much pain with Addy afterward, but with her I took a prescription pain medication to help with that. I declined it this time because the cramps weren't too bad at the hospital and I figured there was no need to have that in my system while I'm nursing. I'm kind of thinking those meds would be nice at night for the cramps and pressure, but oh well. I'll tough it out. I made it through the delivery, so I'm pretty sure I can handle a few cramps. :)
I will put a picture up at some point. And, I will be taking a break from blogging until next week. We are trying to get a routine down and just stay awake during the day :), so I'll put off doing anything extra for the week.
Thanks for all the well wishes on Facebook and elsewhere. We are very blessed to be a family of 6 now!
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