It's Happened

I'm doing exactly what I said I wouldn't do.  Making my home the most useful and practical I can for kids rather than simply "pretty".  So sad.

See my beautiful and rarely used living/dining room combo...well, that space will soon be a thing of the past.  I'm tired of having such a large space be wasted.  I thought about building a wall to make half the room enclosed so that it could be used for a playroom or craft room, but I think that will make the room too dark and claustrophobic feeling.

I'm also tired of having toys all over the family room and kitchen, and my kitchen island covered in crap (mail, keys, wallets, sunglasses, paperwork, bills) at all times because we have nowhere else to put it downstairs.

So, we are going to turn the LR/DR area into a family room/playroom.  We will move the big couch into that room, wire that room for cable (which means Gary gets to buy another GIANT tv- great.) and hopefully find a great toy storage system so that I can *finally* stop looking at toys 24 hours a day.  Seriously, does anyone else feel like vomiting when they see toys?  Is it too much to ask to have a clutter free and clean home?  I'm SO over living in a constant state of messy.

We will then move the dining room table (which has most recently been used as my sewing table) into what is now the family room.  I think that will look cool- kind of an informal/formal dining room area attached to the kitchen.  Since we will still have our fireplace and flat screen in the "old" family room (see photo below), I will move the LR couch (and maybe the two cute little LR chairs if they will fit) into this new dining area so there will be somewhere to sit besides dining room chairs. 


If there is room, I also plan on putting either a couple of bookcases or storage units to house my fabric and some craft items since I will probably still use the DR table as a sewing table.

For the "new" family room, we obviously need some sort of entertainment center for the tv.  I was thinking something like this...

The only issue with those is that I don't need any shelf space or bookcase...I need as much closed storage as possible.  After all, the purpose of this change is to organize and HIDE all our crap.

I like low storage for the playroom part of the room like this...

I'd also like some sort of secretary desk to store all our mail and paperwork that ends up all over our kitchen island...

Soooooo, what I'd love to do is just go to Pottery Barn online and order $10,000-$15,000 worth of entertainment centers, storage, baskets, bins, etc. and have it delivered right to my front door.  But alas, that is not an option.  We need to keep costs way down in this little unnecessary redecorating/room change extravaganza.  The next best option would be to have Gary and my dad build something exactly like what I would buy from PB, which they could do.  However, between adjusting to a 2 year old and newborn and living in a house verging on a hoarders episode, my sanity can't wait for all kinds of fancy carpentry to be completed. 

Therefore, my only option is to start searching for some deals!  Of course, Ikea was our first stop.  I actually think we can create a decent (and inexpensive!) room from there.

I'm thinking either the Billy series or the Besta series for the entertainment center.  There isn't a photo of the combination we would do for either, but I have a few photos of each (except we would probably do them in white, not dark brown).

BILLY

BESTA

For the toy storage, I really like the Expedit bookcase with baskets (again probably in white, not dark brown)...

Although it's not the ideal situation, I'm still excited about getting to redecorate, and I'm going to try and make it as cute as possible. :)

Need Sleepy...

May I edit my last entry?  I've decided this new precious little bundle of joy may not be easier than Ella.  He vomited TWICE last night.  The first one was more a large spit up, the second one was a voluminous projectile vomit that I so fondly remember with Ella.  No, he doesn't scream at the top of his lungs most of the night like Ella did, but what he does do is writhe in pain after every single feeding.  For some reason over night, this means hours of constant VERY LOUD moaning like he's in torturous pain.  For mommy and daddy, this means no sleep.  Ever. 

And there goes the difficulty with two kids.  I would looooooove to take a nap today while Ella naps, however, I can pretty much guarantee you that Everett will be wide awake wanting to be held.

Has anyone else had a baby that does this?  Terrible writhing in pain after eating?  He is also EXTREMELY gassy and passes gas constantly during his feedings.  I thought it was my breastmilk, but we've also tried giving him 2-3 formula bottles in a row, and he does the same thing (in fact, the two times he threw up last night were formula bottles)...maybe a cow's milk allergy?  Maybe I should try soy formula?

I feel so bad for him.  I want to make an appointment with a pediatric GI stat because this seems worse than Ella's reflux.  He really seems like he is in terrible pain.

Life with Two...Thoughts after 1 Month & 4 Days...

Alright, so while having a newborn and toddler is not as hard as I thought it would be, it is CRAZY.   I think (actually, I know) it will get a bit easier once we are no longer zombies (please tell me this kid will start sleeping through the night soon?) because having two demanding little beings attached to you on top of being EXHAUSTED at all times is just ridiculous.

Here's the thing.  There is NO DOWN TIME.  None.  Having just a newborn is hard and super time consuming as it is...constantly feeding, changing, washing (it's not like a 2 year old, who you can just throw a couple goldfish at if she gets snacky).  But then you add in a toddler, who wants water, play doh, to draw, to watch Super Why, to go outside, to sit on your lap, to be held- you are always tending to someone.

Everett is easier than Ella in terms of not projectile vomiting 100 times a day and not screaming all night long, but I think he is much needier than Ella.  She was perfectly content sitting in her boppy during the day.  She would drink her bottle in 5 or 10 minutes.  Everett gets fussy when he is alone- he is perfectly content as long as you are holding him.  Seriously, if you held him all day long (which I feel like I do!), you probably wouldn't even have to feed him.  He also takes much longer to eat than Ella did.  Sometimes he'll pound his bottle, but he usually takes his sweet time, as half the bottle dribbles down his chin and neck, and I try to balance him, the bottle, and a burp cloth while trying to wipe up the milk before it settles in the creases of his neck.

So if you wonder why I don't answer the phone or respond to texts right away, it's probably because I'm either feeding Everett (which requires both hands and most of my concentration!), or I'm holding him while at the same time trying to load/unload the washing machine; wash dishes; get in a quick email or blog post; or paying attention to Ella.  Oh, or if Ella is at school and Everett actually lets me set him down, I may be napping. :)

Anyway, along the lines of my post, this blog post from "Parenting Illustrated with Crappy Pictures" cracked me up.  Especially this part: Go to bed. I can't handle one more minute of this parenting thing. I have to do this again tomorrow! How can I handle another day like this one? Nobody is listening to me!  We all have those days (often?) where you put the kids to bed early because you just can't take another minute of parenting and then think how you have to do it all again tomorrow!!

So I pasted the post here for your enjoyment...

the uppers & downers of parenting (or, coffee & wine)

I am a drug addict. I use uppers and downers.
But only to make me a better parent.
I never drank coffee before I had kids. At least not in a "Fresh Pots!" sort of way. We didn't even own a coffee maker.
Back in those days, I looked down upon anyone who needed coffee in the morning. The more they required it the less I thought of them. They were weak. Slaves to the bean. Didn't they know it is a drug they are addicted to? Just stop drinking that shit and then you won't need it.
Then I had two kids.
Kids wake-up with energy. Kids wake-up with loudness.
Kids wake-up too f****** early.

No I will not play with you. Go away. I need coffee.
After coffee:

I don't need it. But they need me to have it.
I'll stop drinking it just as soon as they stop waking me up before the rooster crows.
(We don't actually have a rooster. Did you think we did when I wrote that? That would be cool. Maybe I should take this out and let you think we have a rooster.) 
So that is my little helper pick-me-upper in the morning. 
 And then there is the evening.
Sometimes, after an especially rough day, I'm stressed out at night.
Everything sets me on edge. I'm a bundle of nervous thoughts.

Go to bed. I can't handle one more minute of this parenting thing. I have to do this again tomorrow! How can I handle another day like this one? Nobody is listening to me!
But then my husband hands me a glass of wine.
After wine:

Again, I don't need it. But they need me to have it.
So that is my occasional little calm-me-downer in the evening.
Coffee & wine. My unsung parenting tools.

One Month Old

Everett is already 1 month old today!  Time flies.  He is such a good baby and so laid back.  He is finally starting to wake up more so he is crying/being fussy more now, but it's still very rare.  He sleeps a lot, but he eats every 3 hours.  He wears preemie or newborn size diapers, and newborn size sleepers are still huge on him width-wise.  He is just starting to make eye contact every once in a while, and he will sometimes track a rattle, but for the most part, he just looks every which way around him and stares into space!

Ella is still madly in love with him...I thought by now she'd be kind of over it, but she just adores him. When she wakes up in the morning or from her nap, the first thing she wants to do is go check on baby brother. She constantly wants to hold his hand, and she is always giving him kisses.

We took Everett out for his first real outing yesterday.  Since he's still not supposed to be out unless we are outdoors, what better place then an outdoor mall?! 

Funny that our first outings seem to always involve shopping!  Here is the photo of our first outing with Ella to Baby Gap...

A few months ago, I met another great mama, who lives a street away from us and has a daughter the same age as Ella.  Today the girls walked home from the park together...

And finally, the girls and I did a little pre-NYE girls night out, and I had my first margarita (well first alcohol drink at all) in almost a YEAR!!!  It was d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s.

New Fabrics!

I just purchased some adorable new fabrics!  I can't wait to start sewing.  I'm thinking they will look so cute in this style (or really any of the styles!)...

I like this one alone...

Or with this as a contrast...

This one alone...

This one alone...

And then these three alone or mix and match...


If anyone wants to pre-order before I list them on etsy, let me know!

My Three Favorite People...

Christmas 2011

Ella was very excited to spend Christmas Eve day with grammy and pop pop, and it was the first time they met Everett!

On Christmas morning, Ella opened her stocking...

Made sure Everett could see one of his gifts...

And played with one of her favorite gifts- this obnoxious beautiful pink sparkly dog purse...


However, I think her favorite gift of all was *finally* being allowed to hold her baby brother!

The dynamic duo in their matching reindeer pajamas (which I had to go to TWO stores to find and then wait in a 20 minute line to purchase)...


After opening stockings and gifts at home, we went to grandma and grandpa's house to open the million gifts that Santa left at their house and have a yummy Christmas dinner!

Siblings

Everett

He had his weekly pediatrician appointment today (he is 26 days old, but I would have only been 37w3d today so really he's negative days old!).  He weighs 5 lbs. 9 oz.  He's gaining weight like a champ!  He is 18.75 inches.

He is eating really well, still every 3 hours.  He is the most laid back baby.  He seriously just sleeps 90% of the time, and when he's awake, he'll just look around at everything.  The *only* time he cries is when he's hungry, and even that is more of a fussiness than crying.  It's so different than Ella who was screaming all night at this point.

Ella

Still in love with her baby broder.  She is SO protective of him- it's adorable.  She doesn't want to go anywhere without him.  If he starts to fuss, she yells, "daddy check on him!!".  Today at the doctor, Gary went to get her out of the car first, and she said, "no daddy, baby broder first."  She also always talks about how "cute" he is.  Today she looked at him and said, "cute, cute, cute."  She is such a sweet big sister. 

Mommy & Daddy

Are TIRED!  I know we were tired with Ella (and should have been more tired since she barely slept at night for the first 8 weeks), but it seems so much worse this time.  Could two years make that much of a difference?  We are too old for this!  I'm beyond tired 100% of the time.  I can't get anything done because if I have a break from Ella, all I want to do is sleep, but no amount of cat naps help at all.  I need to start cleaning, organizing and exercising, but I need an ounce of energy first!  I hope this baby boy is as good of a sleeper as Ella...and SOON!

Christmas Playdate

Ella was so excited for her pre-Christmas park playdate with Reese, Mason and Hannah.  It's the first time she has been to the park OR hung out with her friends since Everett was born!


I finally got some more Christmas cookies finished.  The problem is that the photo doesn't have the three other kinds I made (fudge, molasses cookies and Mexican wedding cakes) because we ate them all!  This is why you can't make some cookies and then wait a week to make the rest.  Oops.

This is what Everett and Rylee do most of the day. :)

And my sweet little Christmas angel...

Everett's First Visitor

Auntie Katie came to visit Everett today, and it was his first official visitor!  It was so fun having her over and getting some "boy" advice. ;)  She's a good resource since she has two boys!  It seems weird that he is 3 weeks old and had his first visitor today, but he's only been home for a week.  He has quickly met some friends that have dropped off dinner too (btw, thank you so much Jen, Molly, Sarah & Tenille for dinners this week- it has been SO nice not having to eat cereal for dinner every night!!!).

We're still surviving over here.  So far, Everett has been a much easier baby than Ella.  He sleeps all.the.time.  No signs of reflux yet, and he doesn't make a peep overnight (as opposed to Ella's screaming for hours) except at 3 a.m. when he wants some food- it's crazy, he's REALLY on the 3 hour schedule.  We were setting our alarms to make sure we didn't skip a feed since he's still so tiny, but now he pretty much wakes up at 3 or 3.5 hours on the dot so he's our human alarm.  If he remains this easygoing, I may consider having a third child...JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!

Poor Ella is not doing as well as Everett.  We found out she has her first ear infection!  She never complains so I had no idea and felt like such a bad mommy.  I have to admit, I'm happy it's a non-contagious ear infection rather than croup or something, but I do feel horrible that she feels bad.  The doctor said we need to suction her nose because that is dripping into her throat and causing her cough.  This poor kid.  She is now on antibiotics, which I hear works really fast for ear infections so I'm expecting her to be almost 100% by tomorrow.  We *finally* have a playdate planned with all her besties on Friday so I'm happy we caught this early in the week so she'll be in good spirits for her friends, who she constantly asks for.  Well, she's been in good spirits anyway, but she'll also feel good. :)

Some Firsts...

Yesterday we went on our first walk...


And Everett had his first bath...


Here is Ella in the same towel for her first bath. :)

Everett had his first pediatrician appointment today.  He weighs 4 lbs. 15 oz. so we are almost to 5 pounds- yay!  He still looks really yellow to me so I insisted they test his bilirubin level...it was still 11, which is high.  The ped said it was 13 when we left the hospital so since it's going down, he doesn't have to be under the lights, but I'm actually surprised they let him leave the NICU with such a high number- I think Ella's was like 5 or something when she was discharged.  Other than that, she said he looks great, and she was surprised he did so well in the hospital and got out so soon given how early he was.

We spoke a lot about our little germ monster and her ever enduring phlegm cough that will NOT go away, but the ped said she is not contagious so while we shouldn't let her cough on him (or avoid it as much as possible since she hovers over him like a hawk), we shouldn't be overly concerned.

I'm still feeling really good and kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop.  It's been so much easier  than I had anticipated that I'm expecting it to get much worse very soon (easier, not easy!)...especially since it's only been 5 days!  I'm trying to remember when Ella started projectile vomiting 100 times a day and screaming all night long, and Gary says it was right away so I'm PRAYING that we have escaped both things this time.  We are VERY tired, but I can't complain too much since we only have to feed him once overnight (around 2 or 3 a.m.).  Still, we typically go to bed early so staying up until 11 or 11:30 p.m. is tough!

Ella is still completely enthralled by him.  She always wants to sit by him, touch him, kiss him- it's impossible to keep her away from him.  I've heard it can take up to two weeks for the big sibling to start to get jealous though so we'll see.  I think the two year age difference helps tremendously with curbing the jealously since it's still a bit young. 

I can completely see how having two is much harder in terms of time and energy.  I have no time to do anything but care for them.  Someone always wants your attention, needs to be changed/fed/held.  Especially since I feel that they both need a lot of attention right now, I'm *always* holding or playing with one of them.  I'm sure it takes some practice and learning how to balance it all, but I understand what my friends of 2+ kids are talking about when they say they have no time for anything!