Denial

Apparently, Isabelle still wants a sister. Sometimes I think this face is too pretty to be a boy. I also have to stock up on horrible older sister blackmail pictures. Being "that" older sister myself, I just couldn't resist. And so it begins... :)

Michael is recovering from an awful double ear infection. He had 103 fever for numerous days, and would scream hysterically if we took out his pacifier or scream at the drawer where I keep them. He usually grunts at you if you take it away, but then runs off happily. I finally took him in and sure enough, ears. This is our first bout of ear infections. All I have to say, I now have empathy when parent's say their kids have had ear infections. It stinks! We have watched lots of "Buzz!" The beauty of this obsession, there are 3 movies to choose from. It's not the same one over and over and over again, instead it's the same three. He's recovering and today was his first day almost back to normal.

Mother's Intuition

is a load of CRAP! At least for me! I'm now 0 for 3 in guessing what my kids are. We're getting another boy!

Isabelle came with us to the ultra sound. She was adorable. When we first told her it was a brother, she said, "I need a sister!" We told her it was a brother again and she said, "But I need a sister!" She looked like she was about to cry. A little bit further into the ultrasound, she said, "Are you sure it's still a brother?" It was cute. By time we left she said, "I'm excited for both my brothers."

We were all kinda in girl mode. This pregnancy has been very similar to Isabelle's and very different from Michael's. With Isabelle so sure, we all kinda started thinking that way. Time to change the thinking! Now we have to come up with a boy name! I don't love any of my old favorites. It's kinda strange. Hurray for modern technology! I have a few months to get into boy mode. :)

TV Junkies

Sippy cup, check. Blanket, check. Not moving so I can accomplish something (usually a nap these days) check check!

Yes, Isabelle still sucks on her blanket.

Michael already loves TV as much as Isabelle. She has never been a great TV watcher until recently. She will now watch just about anything. Her favorite is Olivia, and occasionally will watch Barney, Dora, or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Her favorite movie right now is any of the Toy Story movies. I used to never worry about her watching or wanting to watch too much TV until lately. With me being so tired, I have found myself letting her watch 2-3 shows a day, where I used to only let her watch 1-2. And she sure tries to get more out of me. Depending on the day, I cave. We eat lunch, Michael goes down for a nap, I turn on an Olivia, and I take a nap and don't worry about a thing. It's pretty awesome.

Michael LOVES TV. He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and the Toy Story movies too. He will sit on the couch, point at the TV and grunt at me. Then if I don't do anything, he comes over and brings me the remote and says "Buzz!" If the TV is on, even if it's not one of his shows, he will sit still in a few minute intervals. If it's Toy Story, he will sit in 15-20 minute intervals. Shocking!

Not My Talent

"Organized people are just too lazy to look for something when they need it." A quote Mike and I laugh about often. Apparently, we aren't lazy.

My mom is very organized. My mother-in-law is also very organized. By organized I mean specifically those smoldering piles actually get put away regularly, things actually have a home and get put in them, you can ask for so and so's 4th grade report card and so and so's birth certificate and 1o seconds later you are holding them in your hands. Neither Mike or I got this trait, AT ALL! We are two of the most unorganized people you will ever meet! We hold something, look at it, and put it on the nearest surface because we don't know where to put it and then before someone comes over, that pile gets scooped up and hidden for another day. Granted over the last 7 years of our marriage, my organization skills have improved by LEAPS and BOUNDS, so where am I? Still no where close to an organized person! If you ask for something truly important, birth certificates, car titles, social security cards, I now actually know where they are and you can be holding them in 10 seconds. But if you are looking for a t-mobile bill from 2007 GOOD LUCK! It's in the house, it hasn't been thrown away, but GOOD LUCK, hope you have 2 good hours! Being pregnant with #3, I just keep thinking, "If I'm drowning now....OH CRAP!" Everyone already says 3 is the hardest, so let's throw in complete unorganized chaos to the madness. I'm sure it's also some nesting in me that the mess is really getting to me and I want to fix it!

Last year at tax time, (Mike does our taxes) it took a few days of on again off again working on it and asking, "Julie, where is...?" A few hours later and some things actually put away or thrown away we found it. This year I was determined to do better! All last year I started a system and was decent at keeping it up. Some times it was neglected for a month or a couple of months, but because I finally found what worked for me, it was a couple of hours in front of Pride and Prejudice (yes, the long one) and I was back in business. This year taxes were better! It only took ALL day on Saturday. Most of his questions were 3-5 minute finds with some even just seconds. There was still 1 mystery. I'm sure it's in a box, somewhere, just don't ask. Next year will be even better!

I know I didn't know either my mom or mother in law when they were pregnant with #3, but I can GUARANTEE they were much farther along the organizational trail than I am. I've observed, gotten lots of tips, and asked lots of questions and am on the right track. I just need one or two weeks of no cooking, cleaning, or kids and my house will be perfectly organized. :) Until then, when you come to my house, expect to see piles and don't open any closet doors. I'm improving, but still have a long way to go!

I'm down to 2 spots that look like this. It used to be like 15! And after I took this picture, I actually cleaned it, so now I only have one spot that looks like this. Come back tomorrow...it will be back, just in a slightly different form.

I'm not accountable for my husband's organizational skills. Look at his office. I'd like to say that I can help him, but who are we kidding?

So over the next month, my focus is less mopping and a little more organizing...we're going to see what we can do before #3 makes it's appearance and find a few more "homes" for things and improve a little bit more.

The Truth, The Whole Truth, Nothing but the Truth

I'm so tired of , "Did you hurt your brother?" "No" (as he's screaming and patting his head) and "Did you finish your dinner?" "Yes" (as Jake looks extremely satisfied at her feet) and "Did you get dressed yet?" "Yes" (as she's standing in front of me naked). How do you teach a three year old not to lie?!?!?! I realize, she's three and it's just getting started and the things she's lying about are silly, but we still have to teach her. I've tried using all the right words, honesty, lying, truth, etc and teaching her what they mean, but it doesn't seem to be sinking in. We've done the "that makes me sad/disappointed" or the boy who cried wolf story, still no luck. What are good consequences for a 3 year old lying?

Also, you notice, we have fixable hair FINALLY!!!!! We started with looking nice for church and have worked our way to about every other day, she lets me fix it.

Isabelle is my super helper. When I was in the car accident I had a really hard time picking up Michael for a couple of weeks. Isabelle and I worked together to get him in and out of the high chair, crib, car seat, etc. She's pretty good at helping me, most of the time, but lately has started this scenario. I ask, "Isabelle let's get this mess cleaned up." Which she responds, "OK mom, you can do it and I'll sit here and watch. You do a good job." HA! It doesn't fly, but she tries! :)

A few other funny things she's said lately:

Mike pulled a super quick u turn and she yelled, "Dad! You are a HORRIBLE driver!"

She asks for "Skin" milk.

She loves, "Banilla yogurt"

Hand sanitizer is "Hanitizer"

Reading scriptures at night, she takes a turn first and it always starts, "And it came to pass that Laban wouldn't give them the glass plates..." and then continues into something totally off the wall.

She sings, "If I Listen with My Heart" all the time, but gets confused part way through and re-makes up new words and phrases every time.

When talking about her "baby sister" we were trying to tell her AGAIN it could be a brother. She said, "Baby brothers cry way too much! We need a sister this time."

Cured

I have a new kid. Not only is he the happiest kid on the planet, Michael now eat, sleeps and poops like a normal kid and has turned into a normal toddler tornado. I hadn't realized he was so un-toddler like, until this week. He's no longer distracted on where he's going to get his next scratching fix, so he can concentrate on more important toddler things and he has a few months to make up for. He now dare devily runs and jumps off of anything. Today we have been through 2 rolls of toilet paper, the bookcase has been completely emptied in quick swoops 3 times. The dog water has had to be replaced 4 times. My pans, tupperware, and drawer of bags have all been unloaded twice all at different times. Currently my kitchen chairs are sitting on my table because not only have I found him on the table more times than I can count, one time he started running to run off the table....Apparently he feels better. Apparently, I don't keep up in 90 second intervals, because that is literally all it has taken him to accomplish any of these tasks. So tomorrow, I will get back into toddler mom mode and not wait 90 seconds to check on him when he runs away. Welcome to a new life, Julie. Good luck keeping up and enjoy your new toddler! :)

Look how happy! AND exposed skin with no scratching! I cannot believe the difference this week has made in my little baby!

P.S. Jill this picture in a onesie is for you!

My True Punishment

I now have to bathe Michael daily....Yes, this is my true punishment.

Confession: I HATE bathing my children. I know lots of mom's don't mind it, but it is my least favorite mommy chore, from day one, even as tiny little babies. I love the relaxing time watching them play around, in fact I usually clean the bathroom then, but I HATE the end of the bath and the aftermath. Screaming, not wanting to get faces wet, or wash hair, or getting cold, "he splashed me..." etc. I hate trying to get clothes on half wet, half lotioned bodies as they shiver and cry. I'm usually drenched at that point as well.

I think my true hatred of bath time started when Isabelle was an infant and she pooped in the tub EVERY SINGLE TIME I gave her a bath. You think I exaggerate do you? I thought she would grow out of it, but finally at 16 months, I quit giving her in the bathtub baths for like 3 months. I made her take showers or did the wash rag thing, but refused to let her sit in a pool of warm water. I would even wait until after she pooped to put her in the tub, and she still managed to squeeze something out EVERY SINGLE TIME! I got SO tired of cleaning up poop in the tub, not to mention having to disinfect all the toys every time.

So, I used to bathe my kids once to twice a week. Yes, judge me....go ahead. But Michael's eczema was getting so bad, I only gave him a bath once a week. Isabelle seems to end up in one or two of my showers a week, so it wasn't that bad.

Well, we finally took Michael to a dermatologist yesterday and his fix, "Bath every night, this soap stuff, this cream, this lotion, and repeat in the morning without the bath." I almost puked, right there in the doctor's office. EVERY NIGHT?! Are you kidding me? So tonight was night two of "every night" and I'm already done...What do you do while your kids take baths? They are still young enough that I'll walk away to grab something for a second, but other than that, I sit on the lid of the toilet in the splash zone while laundry needs to be folded or dishes need to be done. This is my true punishment.

On the flip side. Michael's skin looks amazing after just 24 hours of this regiment. He hardly scratched today and was SOOO happy! I couldn't believe it. The only whining from him was if he was actually hungry or thirsty. He used to wander around the house whining for no apparent reason. Diaper changes and clothes changes used to be a nightmare as he frantically scratched every exposed part of his legs and chest and rubbed his back on the carpet or my chest. Today, they were pleasant. We'll see if his crying in the night improves too. He just will cry for 5 minutes here and there as he tries to scratch in his sleep. He's asleep, but crying and scratching. We're also hoping that he'll get some good REM sleep and maybe grow a bit more too. All in all, I guess I'll take my punishment, if it means my poor little itchy baby finally has some relief!