"My baby needs to go ni-night."
"This looks like a good spot."
"Aren't I a good mommy?"
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Jessica playing the mommy role.
"Do you like my shoes? "and, my baby doll?"
"My baby needs to go ni-night."
"This looks like a good spot."
"Aren't I a good mommy?"
"My baby needs to go ni-night."
"This looks like a good spot."
"Aren't I a good mommy?"
Whoever said going from 2 to 3 was going to be easy...
...going from 2 kids to 3 kids, easy?...um, nope.
Unless one or both of the older children are in school, it is definitely not easy to have 3 kids (with age gaps of two years in between them) at home.
In my experience doing daycare, I have found our days go by much smoother, and everyone is much happier, when Jackson and Jessica are able to enjoy the company of several friends rather than relying solely on one another for a playmate.
As you can imagine, playing with a "just turned 2" year old is not very intellectually stimulating for a 4 1/2 year old.
Jessica can barely speak a sentence, much less carry on a conversation; and, her imagination skills and motor skills aren't exactly up to par with Jackson's at this point.
This is why I am thankful for our daycare friends and age-appropriate playmates!
In my opinion, the biggest change going from 2 to 3 children is the increased level of difficulty to get the kids ready to go out the door.
On some days, it's next to impossible to get my three kids dressed, fed, and out the door (without any unnecessary drama or major meltdowns) in a timely manner.
One full hour.
I have found that if I allot myself one full hour to accomplish the "getting ready to go" routine, things go pretty smoothly.
Too little time + feeling rushed = 3 cranky kids and 1 frustrated mom.
The kids and I do enjoy our outings. And, despite the challenges we encounter getting ready to leave the house, we do make it out and about on most days of the week.
Lack of sleep.
Lia has her good nights and she has her bad nights... on the good nights, she gives us 4-6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Nice.
On her bad nights, she's alert, happy, and pretty much just ready to party all night long. Although she's only had a handful of nights like this, it's been enough to officially drain all of her mommy's energy.
I'm tired. Yes. And, it will take a while to get caught up on sleep again, but it's all worth it.
This newborn stage that Lia's in now goes by so quickly; I'd trade in my sleep any night in order to fully enjoy this time with her.
Also, in Lia's defense, it is probably my fault when she turns into a night owl because there are times I don't do anything to keep her awake during the day.
While Lia is asleep, I sometimes feel it is easier to focus my attention on the two older kids.
So, in return, Lia then gets my full attention during the nighttime hours of her "sleepy days."
Jason and I have experimented with keeping her awake during certain daytime hours. So, when we want to, we can, evoke a good night's sleep.
A note-worthy tidbit about Lia: she is, without a doubt, our easiest baby.
Lia has a very mellow, easy going personality (so far anyway).
She seems to only cry on two occasions: #1 - when being taken out of a warm bath, and #2 - if her wait time for a bottle is longer than about 20 minutes from when she first starts showing signs of hunger. And that's all folks! Honestly, we go most days without hearing her cry at all.
Ok, so that's a little update about what is happening on our end.
Here are a few recent pictures of the kids...
These were taken first thing in the morning, so the kids are still in their jammies, and you'll have to excuse the blonde mess on top of Jessica's head...
And fyi - Lia does not wear a bib 24/7 (I just oftentimes forget to take it off her after her feedings).
Unless one or both of the older children are in school, it is definitely not easy to have 3 kids (with age gaps of two years in between them) at home.
In my experience doing daycare, I have found our days go by much smoother, and everyone is much happier, when Jackson and Jessica are able to enjoy the company of several friends rather than relying solely on one another for a playmate.
As you can imagine, playing with a "just turned 2" year old is not very intellectually stimulating for a 4 1/2 year old.
Jessica can barely speak a sentence, much less carry on a conversation; and, her imagination skills and motor skills aren't exactly up to par with Jackson's at this point.
This is why I am thankful for our daycare friends and age-appropriate playmates!
In my opinion, the biggest change going from 2 to 3 children is the increased level of difficulty to get the kids ready to go out the door.
On some days, it's next to impossible to get my three kids dressed, fed, and out the door (without any unnecessary drama or major meltdowns) in a timely manner.
One full hour.
I have found that if I allot myself one full hour to accomplish the "getting ready to go" routine, things go pretty smoothly.
Too little time + feeling rushed = 3 cranky kids and 1 frustrated mom.
The kids and I do enjoy our outings. And, despite the challenges we encounter getting ready to leave the house, we do make it out and about on most days of the week.
Lack of sleep.
Lia has her good nights and she has her bad nights... on the good nights, she gives us 4-6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Nice.
On her bad nights, she's alert, happy, and pretty much just ready to party all night long. Although she's only had a handful of nights like this, it's been enough to officially drain all of her mommy's energy.
I'm tired. Yes. And, it will take a while to get caught up on sleep again, but it's all worth it.
This newborn stage that Lia's in now goes by so quickly; I'd trade in my sleep any night in order to fully enjoy this time with her.
Also, in Lia's defense, it is probably my fault when she turns into a night owl because there are times I don't do anything to keep her awake during the day.
While Lia is asleep, I sometimes feel it is easier to focus my attention on the two older kids.
So, in return, Lia then gets my full attention during the nighttime hours of her "sleepy days."
Jason and I have experimented with keeping her awake during certain daytime hours. So, when we want to, we can, evoke a good night's sleep.
A note-worthy tidbit about Lia: she is, without a doubt, our easiest baby.
Lia has a very mellow, easy going personality (so far anyway).
She seems to only cry on two occasions: #1 - when being taken out of a warm bath, and #2 - if her wait time for a bottle is longer than about 20 minutes from when she first starts showing signs of hunger. And that's all folks! Honestly, we go most days without hearing her cry at all.
Ok, so that's a little update about what is happening on our end.
Here are a few recent pictures of the kids...
These were taken first thing in the morning, so the kids are still in their jammies, and you'll have to excuse the blonde mess on top of Jessica's head...
And fyi - Lia does not wear a bib 24/7 (I just oftentimes forget to take it off her after her feedings).
Monday, May 17, 2010
Cooking with Grandma Gundy - Part II
Last summer, Jackson had fun helping Grandma Gundy in the kitchen. Here they are, one year later...
same recipe, same chefs, and same fun times!
Grandma and Grandpa Gundy spending some time with baby Lia.
same recipe, same chefs, and same fun times!
Grandma and Grandpa Gundy spending some time with baby Lia.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Our home-made bird feeders
Our first daytime "outing" was attempted when Lia was just seven days old. It was to Target. And it was for birdseed.
Jackson's and Jessica's usual morning routine includes waking up slowly while sitting on the couch sipping their juice, watching cartoons ('Super Why' and 'Dinosaur Train') on PBS. On this particular day, however, the kids decided to watch 'Special Agent OSO' on the Disney channel.
In the episode, OSO was helping some kid make a bird feeder; they used pine cones, peanut butter, bird seed, and string. Jackson was very intrigued by this and asked if we could make a bird feeder like OSO does.
Even though it was just a week since Lia was born, I actually jumped at the opportunity to get the kids (and myself) out of the house. With the weather being so cold and rainy, it had been difficult to get the kids out of the house at all, so we were in need of something to do.
I packed up all three kids and off to Target we went...
On the way, I contemplated how I was going to safely get all three kids into the store, and how I was going to keep all three kids safely in the cart while I shopped.
In my head, I found myself thinking of ways to minimize our time spent in the store. I made mental categories of things we "needed" to buy and things we could live another day without. Not to mention, I also had to think of what would actually fit into a cart filled with three kids...
...we left with toilet paper, graham crackers, and birdseed.
Back at the house, we began our bird feeder project immediately. First, we picked up some pine cones from underneath the pine tree in our side yard. Then, we covered the pine cones with peanut butter and rolled them in the bird seed. Our finished bird feeders were hung out on our deck using some string.
For days, the kids were able to enjoy the view from our deck window as they watched squirrels and birds enjoy a snack from our home-made bird feeders.
Jackson's and Jessica's usual morning routine includes waking up slowly while sitting on the couch sipping their juice, watching cartoons ('Super Why' and 'Dinosaur Train') on PBS. On this particular day, however, the kids decided to watch 'Special Agent OSO' on the Disney channel.
In the episode, OSO was helping some kid make a bird feeder; they used pine cones, peanut butter, bird seed, and string. Jackson was very intrigued by this and asked if we could make a bird feeder like OSO does.
Even though it was just a week since Lia was born, I actually jumped at the opportunity to get the kids (and myself) out of the house. With the weather being so cold and rainy, it had been difficult to get the kids out of the house at all, so we were in need of something to do.
I packed up all three kids and off to Target we went...
On the way, I contemplated how I was going to safely get all three kids into the store, and how I was going to keep all three kids safely in the cart while I shopped.
In my head, I found myself thinking of ways to minimize our time spent in the store. I made mental categories of things we "needed" to buy and things we could live another day without. Not to mention, I also had to think of what would actually fit into a cart filled with three kids...
...we left with toilet paper, graham crackers, and birdseed.
Back at the house, we began our bird feeder project immediately. First, we picked up some pine cones from underneath the pine tree in our side yard. Then, we covered the pine cones with peanut butter and rolled them in the bird seed. Our finished bird feeders were hung out on our deck using some string.
For days, the kids were able to enjoy the view from our deck window as they watched squirrels and birds enjoy a snack from our home-made bird feeders.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Lia's arrival.
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010: Contractions began around 9:30 a.m.. Phone calls were made to Jason, Grandma Chris, and my daycare families. I had a feeling things were going to happen soon so I made arrangements to have my daycare children picked up early. Grandma Chris came over to pick up Jackson and Jessica and then take them to Grandma Barb's and Grandpa Terry's house (where they would end up spending the night).
Jason and I didn't leave for the hospital until around 3:00 that afternoon; we were both convinced this was the real thing and Lia would be joining our family either later that day or the next.
Wednesday afternoon/evening:
3:30 p.m. 1-2 centimeters dilated, 70% effaced
5:00 p.m. 1-2, 80%
7:00 p.m. 2, 80%
11:00 p.m. 3, 90%
Thursday, April 29th, 2010:
3:00 a.m. 5, 90%
7:00 a.m. 7, 100%
7:30 a.m. I got into the tub.
My previous water birth experience with Jessica was a very positive one; I also wanted Lia to be born this way as well.
9:45 a.m. Began pushing
9:46 a.m. Lia is born!
Hardest part of this labor and delivery - lack of sleep.
Although my contractions were not very intense, they were just strong enough to make sleeping not an option.
And, having had a sleepless night prior to the day of Lia's birth was extremely tiring.
In fact, the exhaustion I felt after her birth was so intense I had to take a few minutes to rest in the tub and regain some strength before I could even hold her.
Paula, the midwife who delivered Lia, held Lia in the warm water with her whole body submerged (except her face).
By providing Lia with a warm, comfortable transition into this world she was able to remain in a peaceful state after birth. She laid quiet and sleeping in Paula's hands. During this time, Jason was able to cut the cord and we were both able to get a good look at our new daughter.
Once she was removed from the water, she let out her first cry (which is always a reassuring sound to hear for the first time).
Most interesting part of Lia's labor and delivery - being born 'in the caul.'
My water did not break, and as a result, Lia was born inside her bag of water.
Jason said she looked like she was wrapped in a cocoon when she came out. Paula cut the sac once she was out and then lifted it up for both Jason and I to see.
So, aside from the legends of people born in the caul being spiritual leaders, psychic, unable to drown?, etc... the thing that stood out most for Jason and myself is the fact Lia was almost 100% guaranteed to not accquire any sort of infection while passing through the birth canal.
Overall, I feel I can "sum up" Lia's labor and delivery experience in three words:
SLOW, SMOOTH, and SPECIAL.
We are blessed to welcome our third healthy child into this world.
The following pictures are from our time spent in the hospital and the first few days at home.
Jason and I didn't leave for the hospital until around 3:00 that afternoon; we were both convinced this was the real thing and Lia would be joining our family either later that day or the next.
Wednesday afternoon/evening:
3:30 p.m. 1-2 centimeters dilated, 70% effaced
5:00 p.m. 1-2, 80%
7:00 p.m. 2, 80%
11:00 p.m. 3, 90%
Thursday, April 29th, 2010:
3:00 a.m. 5, 90%
7:00 a.m. 7, 100%
7:30 a.m. I got into the tub.
My previous water birth experience with Jessica was a very positive one; I also wanted Lia to be born this way as well.
9:45 a.m. Began pushing
9:46 a.m. Lia is born!
Hardest part of this labor and delivery - lack of sleep.
Although my contractions were not very intense, they were just strong enough to make sleeping not an option.
And, having had a sleepless night prior to the day of Lia's birth was extremely tiring.
In fact, the exhaustion I felt after her birth was so intense I had to take a few minutes to rest in the tub and regain some strength before I could even hold her.
Paula, the midwife who delivered Lia, held Lia in the warm water with her whole body submerged (except her face).
By providing Lia with a warm, comfortable transition into this world she was able to remain in a peaceful state after birth. She laid quiet and sleeping in Paula's hands. During this time, Jason was able to cut the cord and we were both able to get a good look at our new daughter.
Once she was removed from the water, she let out her first cry (which is always a reassuring sound to hear for the first time).
Most interesting part of Lia's labor and delivery - being born 'in the caul.'
My water did not break, and as a result, Lia was born inside her bag of water.
Jason said she looked like she was wrapped in a cocoon when she came out. Paula cut the sac once she was out and then lifted it up for both Jason and I to see.
So, aside from the legends of people born in the caul being spiritual leaders, psychic, unable to drown?, etc... the thing that stood out most for Jason and myself is the fact Lia was almost 100% guaranteed to not accquire any sort of infection while passing through the birth canal.
Overall, I feel I can "sum up" Lia's labor and delivery experience in three words:
SLOW, SMOOTH, and SPECIAL.
We are blessed to welcome our third healthy child into this world.
The following pictures are from our time spent in the hospital and the first few days at home.
"Look!...I have baby too!"
Towards the end of my pregnancy with Lia the kids (both daycare kids and my own) all seemed to get quite a kick out of my big belly.
Here are a few pictures of Jessica and Carson with their puppies stuffed underneath their shirts in attempt to make their bellies look like mine.
Here are a few pictures of Jessica and Carson with their puppies stuffed underneath their shirts in attempt to make their bellies look like mine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)