Big Smiles at 7 Weeks

alright!

Ava is now six weeks old! She is growing and changing so much. I still wait on baited breath for her next smile. I don't think Daddy has got one yet, but I'm sure his time is coming. This week with her has been pretty good. She is finally taking to the swing and the pacifier. She is just like her brother though and will only take the mam brand. I tried the soothie and something similar but she just spits them out. She has been spitting up in her sleep so she wakes up with it crusted into her hair. Poor thing! As for my other baby, Mr. Zach had a tough week sleep wise. I swear he is getting his two year molars but I don't see anything yet. We are just waiting. We gave him a pillow and he seems to be sleeping better. We also gave him motrin the other night and he did a whole lot better. There has got to be pain somewhere for him to be waking up like he has. This past week Andy and I also celebrated our 31st birthdays. For mine we went on an actual date and it was so nice and weird to be without children for a few hours. It was our first time leaving Ava since she was born and she did really well. She is taking bottles of breastmilk without any problems (thank God!) Now I won't be as worried when I have to return to work in less than two weeks (just for a week though, then I am off for another six weeks, woohoo!) Well, time to go do some parenting. Naptime is over.

Rewarding!

Ava gave me her first real smiles today! It came just in the knick of time. The last couple of days with Zach have been pretty trying and tiring. I think it just may be that I am getting over a killer cold or maybe even the flu. It's funny how you just start to think that you may lose your mind and, wham, they do something so endearing and amazing that it makes being a parent all worth it. Thank God for little miracles.
Examples of Zach's craziness in the last two days, on Sunday afternoon (also Andy's birthday, but kids don't care!) he decided to pitch a fit for no known reason. Nothing under the sun was making him happy. He asked for something so we gave it to him and he would throw it. Then he would want it back, then he would throw it again, screaming or crying the whole time. Every word we said set him off. He wouldn't eat dinner and tried to throw that too. This was not a normal thing for him. Yes, he does have his fits and tantrums but this was out of control. Finally we figured there must be pain somewhere and gave him motrin. In a short time he was a lot less edgy and much more tolerable. THANK GOD! He must be getting his two year molars. If they would just come through already!
Yesterday he decided that he wanted to give his sister some extra love. I was changing his diaper, Ava was on the couch in the boppy and Andy was bringing out the trash. As I was finishing in Zach's room, he ran out the door. I ran after him with a package of wipes in my hand and found him on the couch ON TOP OF AVA! He had his stomach on her head! I was so upset and I know I overreacted. I yelled and grabbed him off of her. I took him to the time out chair and by this time he was crying hysterically. I honestly feel he was trying to give her love, but he moves way to fast and it was far to scary. This just proves that it only takes a second.

arg!!!!!!!!!

Today is just one of those days. As the day has progressed it has started wearing on me more. Miss Ava Diva is going through a growth spurt and either wants to be eating or sleeping at all times. And she will only sleep on my chest! She woke up every 2 hours starting at 1 o'clock last night. I dealt ok with it until Andy left for basketball tonight. Then both kids were just to much for me to handle. I think I am just worn down and tired so it was bothering me more than usual. Now he is home and I just gave him the baby and said I need a break from everything. EVERYONE! Just a few minutes to regain my composure (and play on the computer). Our growth spurt theory was pretty right on though. I took her to her one month appointment today and she weighs 9lbs 5 oz and is 21.5 inches long. She started at 7lbs 2.9 oz and 19 inches. She is on the same track as Zach, the moose track! I love chubby babies! Speaking of Zach, he has a cough and a super runny nose. I thought he was teething but the only teeth he has left are his two year molars and I hear those can take forever to come through, great!!! Ava Diva is crying again so I guess I should check on Andy. Oh the joys!

Non-Fabulous!

Happy Mother's Day! If you are anything like me (and not like Kimora Lee Simmons) you are still being a mother on this day and doing all the things you usually do. The kids still cry, the laundry still needs to be folded and your lunch plans get derailed by a crazy 19 month old that woke up way to early and had to be forced into an early nap. Maybe we'll go to dinner instead. Being a mother is so non-commital when it comes to plans. If you don't HAVE to be there then you just pray the LO's will cooperate so you can do what you have planned. On the plus side of Mother's Day, I did get another Willow Tree sculpture. It is of a mother holding a brand new baby. It's really precious. Of course I picked it out and showed it to Andy. I have found that that is the only way I get what I want. We have also made a deal this year that we will not spend a ton of money on holidays due to the crazy, ever-rising cost of everything in our lives. We just spent about $500 per ticket to fly to NH in June. That's 3 tickets because, now that we have Ava, Zach will need his own seat. I couldn't even imagine having both of them on laps! As for not spending a ton of cash on each other, I guess I understand it, but it doesn't mean I don't secretly wish he would go against it and come up with some idea of his own. Well, I guess if that is the only big flaw in him then I should consider myself lucky. Inspite of everything, there is no place I'd rather be on this Mother's Day (well, maybe Hawaii with a strawberry margarita in my hand!)

Expanding Vocabulary!

Dancing kids!

Snippets of Ava at 4 weeks old! Time flies when you are having fun :)

Gross (2)!

Oh my God! Today had to be the funniest day since Ava's arrival. She is screaming bloody murder to eat but smells like poop so I decide to change her before feeding her. I usually just wait, but it seemed important to change her at the time. As I am changing her she screams even louder, coughs and poops a bit. I get the new diaper under her but am a little to late. So the diaper is there and she starts to pee! I almost pee too because I am laughing so hard already at the luck I have. She is done peeing so I try to move the diaper and replace it with yet another clean one. As I am doing this, she explosive poops all over the table. Then I can't keep it together. As I am trying to compose myself she does it again and it sprays about a foot! All over the changing table and my hand! I don't know how my shirt stayed clean. Ha, it probably isn't but I just haven't noticed yet. So I start to take off her clothes and she is screaming her head off. I finally have her new diaper on and run to wash my hands. I go to put her clothes back on and there is pee on them too! Mind you, she is still screaming and then Andy comes to her rescue, like I am some horrible mom for letting her cry. I really had no choice in the matter! Finally I just wrapped her in a blanket and fed the poor thing. Now she is so traumatized by the whole ordeal that she had to go to sleep on Daddy's chest. Now all three of my Angels are sleeping at the same time so I am getting stuff done. I must get back to recomposing my picture wall before all hell breaks lose again :)