Two Under Two: Sharing a Room

Well, I'm giving it a try again tonight. Last night I put the kids to bed in the same room and it went pretty well. Things have been rough for the last week with AJ's sleep. She's been busting out of her swaddle and a few nights I got up nearly 15 times to fix it and pop in the pacifier. Can you say ZOMBIE?

Anyway, back to a shared room. I've had her travel pack n' play in "Mogi's" room for a few weeks and she lays in it to play at times. But, last night I laid her down in it at 8pm, her usual bedtime, and she laid there watching us as Mogi finished his evening story time and then went to bed at 8:30. It all went smoothly. I did her "dream feed" at 9:30 with no problem.

And then I didn't hear a peep until 4am! A nice change from 12am, 1am, 3am.... you get the idea :)

The swaddle was loose, so I refastened, popped in the paci and climbed back into bed. At 6am she started to fuss and I moved her to her own crib in the next room. It turned out to only be a blip of belly gas, but I didn't want Mogi awakened.

She started her day at 7:15 and Mogi woke at 7:45. Not too shabby for a first try with no idea what I'm doing!!

But, I figure, even if they don't have an appreciation for it now, they will soon enough. I remember sharing a room with my younger brother for a few years when we were little and it was great.

Today they did a naptime together, since they both go down at 1p for a few hours. Mogi woke up a little early and awoke sister, but it wasn't bad. And they're back down for the night.

So, moms and dads out there, got any tips for room sharing?? Are there any unforeseen pitfalls I should look out for?? Help a mama out!!

These Children I Love

I love my babies so very much. They are growing up so quickly and I am grasping at making the most of each day and cherishing it. Lots of hugs, kisses, snuggles, and praying that I would be the mom God has called and crafted me to be in each teachable moment. Here's a few pics of my darlings that I thought the world should see.

Those cheeks and big eyes get me every time

This one reminds me of my younger brother so much at the same age. We're really close in age so I don't know if its actual memories I have or just from pictures, but I see "Uncle Fff-lup" in his face!

Mogi is nothing if he's not full of energy and joy and playfulness. This picture captures his personality so well.

How could I not share this picture? He's just a shockingly beautiful child. Some day girls are going to be smitten with him and I pray that he would grow to be a man of self-control that would chose to honor women and save himself (heart, soul, and being) for the one that God has chosen to be his bride.

AJ has a captivating smile, even at 4 months old, but its hard to catch it on film. This one catches a bit of her cheerfulness.

Her personality may be limited at her young age, but it is distinctive and so different than her big brother's. She loves to cuddle and feel safe and get lots of eye contact. (Big brother was happiest have something to explore and being on the move.)

A little quality cuddle time with her Dani Ali. She's a true snuggle bug and would be okay being held every moment of the day. I pray that she would grow to know and love Jesus as her Lord and Savior and that she would treasure being held in the palm of His hand.

What are your prayers for your children? And what aspects of their personality do you revel in?

Struggle Out Loud

Have you been going through some type of struggle lately, or maybe for years? Is it a "secret" struggle, one you keep only to yourself or share with a select few people? is it a "little" struggle? One you convince yourself you don't need to trouble anyone else about? Is it a "pervasive" struggle? One that you're convinced will always trouble you and nothing anyone else does will help you overcome it?

Here's why I ask: we all have struggles. Every. single. one. of. us. Whether Christian or not, male or female, young or old, you get the idea, we all have struggles. The difference is, will we gain victory over our struggle or will it gain increasing control over us?

I have become increasingly convinced that when we sit in silence and fail to admit our struggles and reach out to others WE AFFORD THE ENEMY OF OUR SOULS A FOOTHOLD INTO OUR HEARTS THAT CANNOT BE REMOVED UNTIL WE SPEAK ALOUD WHAT TROUBLES US.

Yes, I yelled that. Because the God of Heaven and Earth has been yelling it to me lately. And I have seen the truth of it over and over again in my own life and the lives of those I love.

Quit struggling in silence. I say this especially to my brothers and sisters in Christ, speak up! Silence allows the enemy to use the treacherous tools of fear, guilt and shame against us in ways that would not be possible if we would turn to others in the Church, the body of Christ, and speak our struggles and allow them to speak the truth of the Word over our lives.

I'll "tell" on myself.

I've been struggling with some loneliness lately. At times the sense of being alone will wash over me in a wave. Sometimes it moves beyond that and my mind begins to think "Do I have any friends? I never see anyone, never go anywhere, no one ever calls..."

If I don't catch the lies that are spinning in my head, it turns into quite a pity party that can grow out of control. But, on my own, in my own little head, its easy to miss the truth.

The truth is: if I'm in the will of God and following Christ's call on my life than He needs to be enough and I need to seek HIM more and ask Him to fill the longings of my heart. But, if something has gotten off track- maybe I'm getting consumed with my job and not taking the time to rest and enjoy relationships like I should- then after seeking wisdom from the Lord I should reach out to friends and spend some time enjoy the relationships in my life.

Unfortunately, the story in my head got left a little too long and started down the pity party route. I could have prevented that in a number of ways. I could have said something to Hubs. "I've really been feeling lonely today. I don't know what's going on but would you ray for me and spend a few extra minutes before you leave for work?"  I could have said something to a number of people in my life, but I let it fester. And, in all honesty, in turned into an ugly little meltdown a week or so later. One innocent statement by a person I love set me into a tailspin. But, of course, they had no idea I was hurting because I'd never spoken the words!

STAYING SILENT WON'T MAKE IT GO AWAY OR LESSEN THE PAIN.

I got to thinking tonight about the poor in my community and wondered how many people in my church were suffering, really suffering from the economic downturn or other reasons. The truth is, I have no idea! We have a committee that handles providing help when people have needs. But, truth be told, isn't there a sort of shame associated with having financial needs, of being poor? is that Biblical? [Shame is never from God. He uses 'tactics' like remorse to cause us to see our shortfalls and act differently in the future. The enemy wants to use shame to keep us trapped in the past.]

What would happen in my church, in your church, if we refused to give into the shame and members stood and spoke of their financial needs? What would we look like to the rest of the community when church members compassionately gave to one another in need? How would the opportunities to be a witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ increase? I believe it would be revolutionary. After all, isn't that what it means to be a body? To come to the aid of each other?

So, after my mini-meltdown, I contacted a few friends to ask for their prayers. I told them I'd been struggling with some loneliness and would appreciate their prayers for wisdom as to the source of it; was it a spiritual attack or a genuine need to make some lifestyle changes. And you know what? Each one of them told me they'd experienced or were in the midst of experiencing the same struggle. Those who had overcome shared how and what they did. Those in the midst shared words of truth that others had spoken over them. But, each of us were built up and encouraged.

We got to see 1 Corinthians 10:13 in action.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. "

I could repeat this story over and over. When I shared with a Bible study group that I was being bombarded by guilt as a new mom each woman shared that they had the same experience and it WAS A COMMON TEMPTATION.

When I began to speak about my miscarriage openly, the fear that come with the loss began to melt away, and others were able to share their own stories of loss and find healing.

I urge you today, if you are weighed down under a "secret" struggle, speak. Not to groan and complain, but to speak truth and allow others to speak truth over you!!!

AJ's first days

Here's some pics from AJ's first days and weeks that were trapped on my cell phone. I've only recently discovered how great Picasa is. I know, what rock have I been under?

Two Under Two: Today's Reality

Note: This post was started on the 11th of February, but not finished until the 24th. We're all better now :)


Well, as usual, there's never a "dull" moment in our household. We've been dealing with what I call "the plague" for over a week. Mogi got sick first. He had what seemed like an innocent runny nose, I thought due to teething. But, the runny nose led to serious nasal congestion which led to chest congestion and a cough. So, we took him to the doctor and found out he had double ear infections and RSV. Oh boy! No wonder he was in such a world of hurt. If you're not familiar with RSV its a nasty respiratory virus that is harder to deal with in young children and older adults and can require breathing treatments.

We were concerned about baby girl getting sick and the doctor said it was too late to protect her. Between the incubation period and the fact that its airborne, he said that she'd most likely already come in contact with it. And how right he was. The next day she started showing symptoms. On Thursday she visited the doctor and tested positive for RSV. Thankfully she's had mostly nasal congestion and not so much of the chest-raking coughing that Mogi has. But, I did take her back to the doctor again yesterday and found out she now has an ear infection. Yikes! The local pharmacist and I are going to be on a first name basis very soon.

But along with sick kids, Hubs and I have also had our share of illness. Mine started Tuesday night with a fire-burning sore throat which came with some chills, aches, and an on again/ off again low grade fever. Friday I started feeling better and then that night got hit with cold symptoms full force. This morning I have horrible pressure behind on ear and can't hear very well. My self diagnoses is strep throat, a cold, and an ear infection. Hopefully I'll find a way to get to the doctor tomorrow and see what I can do to get well.

Hubs is a basket case of low grade fevers, sore throat and painful chest congestion...

Of course no one likes to be sick and we especially hate to see our children sick, but I've been a bit more bummed about all this for a rather selfish reason. I had just started to get back into a "groove" with my research when all this kicked off. And now I'm wondering how long it will take me to figure out where I was and get forward momentum again once we're all well...

But, I'm trying to keep in my mind a quote from a Bible study I'm doing these days. It's by James MacDonald entitled "Lord, Change My Attitude". So far, it is awesome. I am learning so much and being confronted by so many areas of my self that I need to work on and conform to the example of Jesus.

The first week of study talks about Complaining. Here's the quote:
"All the grace and strength you need to experience joy and victory are available to you; but by choosing to complain, by clinging to the idol of a perfect life, you are flushing away the grace of God."

Wow! Did that slap you upside the head like it did me the first time I read it? I wanted to jump out of my chair and say "What? Idol of a perfect life?? Wait, what??" Because until then I
1) hadn't realized I was trying to design a perfect life and
2) hadn't thought of it as idolatry.

But, all of a sudden the truth was glaring. Yes, life has ups and downs. We get sick. We are heart broken. But, they're not just things to get past and overcome. There is living to be done in them. God purposed them for His reasoning and my good.

And I admit I have so much left to learn. So much of my attitude needs to change. Just this morning when baby girl woke at 2am and needed fed, which is very unusual for her, I had a rotten attitude about it. I was frustrated that I haven't slept a good nights sleep in weeks and aggravated that Hubs was fast asleep while I fed her. It was not pretty.

So, here's my prayer:
"Lord, change my attitude. Make me more like You. Show me when my attitude is contrary to Your ways and allow me the grace to make it what it should be. Humbly yours."

Two Under Two, the reality of it all

When we decided to have our children close together it was mostly based on the fact that Hubs and I both have siblings close in age. Although I'm big into doing my research, there wasn't much info on having a second child and how that works out at home. Some people asked me how I would continue working on my PhD and I told them I didn't know. And really, I didn't. (Side note: I still don't have any idea how to get back into it, but that's another post.) I read a few magazine articles here and there on the pros and cons of various sibling age differences, but that was about it.

So, in an attempt to add to the conversation on having Two Kids Under Two, here are some excerpts from our life the last few months.

The first few weeks went dreamily. The grandparents were a constant presence, Hubs took a week off work, and Mogi barely acknowledged his sister. I really think he thought she was a toy or accessory of some type. She clearly didn't "move fast enough" for him and his always on the move kind of ways, so he just ignored her. AJ ate and slept and nothing else. If she was awake she then easily slipped into sleep without a trouble or care. She didn't cry and occasionally made adorable kitten-like sounds.

But, of course, newborns do wake from their foggy state. And grandparents go home. And husbands go to work. And when that happens there is a grand potential for all kinds of things to "break loose" and "hit the fan".

Eventually, Mogi not only realized AJ was staying around, he also began to see her as a competitor for our affection. The little boy who wouldn't stop long enough to sit in your lap was now begging and crying to be picked up and held! And, of course, it would come to a boiling point when I was home alone with the two of them : ) [Hence, Molly's Laws of Motherhood] I was glad to have Mogi showing more affection but it was such a drastic change that I couldn't manage it well.

I was also functioning on sleep deprivation mode. You always hear new moms being told "Sleep when the baby sleeps." But that only work for first time moms because even though AJ might have been sleeping, Mogi was still wide awake and ready to tear the house apart at any moment- did I mention he's a climber and thrower if given the chance? So, my longest stretch of sleep was four hours for five or six weeks after having had horrible sleep through the last trimester of my pregnancy. I could not begin to think straight.

But, the light finally began to appear at the end of the tunnel. AJ's daily routine got more predictable and consistent. She started going down easier for naps and at night. She started sleeping a longer stretch at night, sometimes over 8 hours. And Mogi stopped seeing AJ as competition. He started to laugh and smile at her when she made funny noises or made eye contact with him.

So, what would I tell someone if they asked for some tips? Here's a few things...

1. Even if your life is completely laid back with child #1 and you do nothing predictably, create some routines before #2 arrives. It will help #1 have some things to feel very secure about and it will make life easier on you when you can't think straight.
Mornings and bedtime are written in stone around here. They always happen the exact same way in order to make sure all that needs to get done does get done. A lot of it has to do with my kids personalities and needs but I can have both kids fed, dressed and in the car, ready to go in less than an hour in the morning. And with the evenings being a fussy time for most newborns its great to work out plans for dinner and bath times. I also need this kind of order because there are times I have both kids on my own due to Hubs work rotations.

2. Get a piece of furniture big enough, and small enough, for the three of you. One of the first nights that I had both kids on my own I sat down in the rocking chair to feed AJ and moments later Mogi came up with a book in his hands begging to get into my lap. It was heart breaking. At 30 lbs I couldn't pull Mogi onto my lap one-handed if I needed to, but there wasn't room for him either. The next day I dragged a love seat into the nursery and took the legs off so Mogi can climb up and down without worrying about him falling. It's nothing fancy, just a $20 Cr@igslist find, but so worth it. Now Mogi can climb up next to me and bring the books with him!

3. Consider potty training. I'm not saying you need to potty train #1 before #2 arrives, but if you wait until #2 arrives it may not work. You can hear about toddlerhood and all the emotional changes that take place, but until it really happens, you have no idea. It was if someone flipped a switch one day and I woke up to a boy that no longer was thrilled to have my praise but instead was determined to do things his way. Now he wasn't perfect boy before this switch, but positive attention and praise often swayed his behavior. It doesn't work as well now and "I DO!" is now his favorite phrase. So, if you think you'll start potty training #1 after #2 is born, realize that between toddlerhood and the demands of a newborn it may take a lot more work than you expect.

4. Make good sleep habits a priority. Do you remember the first time your first child slept a rediculously long stretch at night? I do. It was as if life had begun again. I could put him to bed, get a few things done, go to bed and wake up the next day rested! Well, reaching that point is no less spectacular the second time around. I've relied heavily on the "Sleep Training" methods layed out in the Baby Whisperer's books. A swaddle, the "shush-pat", and a good lullaby are priceless!

5. Baby needs her space. I'd planned on AJ sleeping beside me at night in a bassinet and had a crib for her in the "Kid's Room" with Mogi's crib, but I quickly realized that it was unrealistic to think she could nap in the room while he was in there playing. And due to Hub's work rotations, she couldn't sleep in my room every day of the week. She needed her own place. So, I made some space for her in my office. It's not ideal, its a little too close to the commotion of the guest bathroom and I have to work very quietly if she's napping, but its working. So, even though kids can share a room once nap schedules coincide, until then they need a quiet space. But, let me be honest, the thought of sharing my office for the next year or so doesn't sound so appealing : /

Anyway, that's all the "wisdom" I have for now. I'd love to hear any stories from the "trenches" from those who also have two close in age, no matter what age they are now.

And as a reward for reaching the end of this very long post, here's a little happy moment from Potty Training Land : )

Newborn Schedule at 2 Months

First, if you hate the word 'schedule' used with kids or babies, don't get yourself too worked up. I've never refused to feed my child because she woke "too" early from a nap or woke her up to eat because it was 5 minutes past her "wake time". Instead, I use the schedule as a type of routine to help me know what I need to get done when so I can meet my obligations and give her the care she needs.

So, here's what an idyllic day looks like in AJ's World:

7:40a Wake her up to start the day and have her first feeding, whether she's awake or not
8:00 Change diaper and head off to get Big Brother Mogi out of bed and dressed.
8:15 Hang out in kitchen while others eat breakfast
8:50 Swaddle and lay her in crib to (hopefully) lull herself asleep for a nap. If I don't pay attention to her and how long she's been up I potentially wait too long and she's strung out and needs a lot of calming to be able to sleep. being able to lay her down and essentially " walk away" is much easier on all of us.
11a & 2p Routine starts over
(Basically I follow the E.A.S.Y. routine from the Baby Whisperer and adjust how soon she goes down for her nap based on her behavior; red eyes, glazed stare, jerky movements, yawning...)
5p Feed and change diaper
5:30 hang out in kitchen while family has dinner
6:15 Swaddle and down for rest/nap time whether she falls asleep or not.
7:00 Feed AGAIN
7:30 Bath, diaper and dress.
8:15 Swaddle and lay in crib to fall asleep on own.
8:45 usually asleep by this time
9:45 "Dream Feed"  This is another Baby Whisperer method: without waking her I gently take her from crib, still swaddled, and feed her until she stops eating. If she's too sound asleep to eat, that means I waited too long to feed her. Disturbing her sleep will only mess up her night sleep and cause her to wake at night when I don't want her to.
-Hopefully she'll sleep until morning, but she could also need a feeding at 5am or so.

A few caveats: if I have to be somewhere I'll wake AJ early and feed her so we can get there, or feed her extra before her nap so if she does wake while we're out she's not starving and mad. Also, since its a 3 hour routine, I never let her sleep longer than a 3 hour stretch during the day. This isn't likely to happen, but if she was disturbed previously and only got a brief nap and went down early after eating, it could happen. A lot of people say "don't wake a sleeping baby" but I disagree and think at some point you should wake them. That way they won't get their day and nights confused and/or wake up at night to eat because they didn't eat enough in the daytime.

Sleep is a huge priority in our house and I make it my responsibility as a mom to see that my kiddos get all the sleep they need to be healthy. As a former middle school teacher, I saw what lack of proper sleep did to kids 'attitudes and performance. As a result, its been my goal to make sure our children develop healthy sleep habits and its paid off. I can count on one hand the times Mogi has woken at night in the last year and he sleeps a solid 11-12 hours every night. He's not a perfect child, but I truely believe it allows him to feel his best and have the chance for his brain to rest and grow that it needs.

Happy Sleeping!

Bragging Rights

So just for fun I thought I'd share some highlights on my little girl...

On Monday AJ was 10 weeks old.

For the last two weeks or so she goes down by 9pm and doesn't wake until 5am or so to feed. Then she sleeps until 8am-ish. Mogi-boy didn't do this consistently until he was 3 months old. I can't begin to explain how grateful I am for more and better sleep and the chance to get more done while both kids are asleep.

But last night was a real winner. Sometimes I get lazy, don't we all? And I don't keep AJ on a consistent routine. But children really thrive on routines and my laziness is usually "rewarded" with extra wake-ups at night and a loss of sleep.

So I've really nailed down a PM routine for AJ (which is the hardest time of day 'cause Hubs is gone working the night shift). Last night I put it in place and was given a real reward as a result. AJ went down at 8:15 and her morning feed was at 7:40! Yay!!! Tomorrow I'll write a post on her evening schedule/routine for anyone who might find it useful.

On another note, today was her 2 month well-baby check up. She seems to be thriving. Her weight is up to 11 lb 14 oz, a 2 lb 4 oz gain from last month, and she's grown another inch in length. Way to grow, baby!!!

New Year, Bigger Family

I'll just briefly say how very aware I am that I haven't written in FOREVER, but I have a wonderful "excuse"- pregnancy and a newborn!

The last few months of my pregnancy were as exhausting as ever and any moment I had I spent with my family or sleeping. I should say, trying to sleep. From 9pm to almost 1am every night baby girl would get incredibly active. It was impossible to sleep.

Despite all that, we welcomed AJ to the world on November 8th at 4:22am.

I don't know if the circumstances of her birth are a foreshadowing of the future, but I'll just say it was a bit dramatic. Labor was very short and fast and if it took us 5 minutes longer to get to Labor and Delivery she'd have been born in the car. (I'll spare you additional details!)

A very "cool" thing is some of the similarity in Mogi's birth and AJ's.
1. Both were born on a Monday.
2. Both Monday's were on the 8th of the month.
3. Both of those Mondays I had doctor's appointments scheduled.
4. In both cases an induction was imminent, but in neither case was it my first choice.

Both kids look a lot alike, except AJ is this tiny wisp of a girl and Mogi has been a hulk of a boy from day one. When the nurse handed her to me I almost had to ask if she was "okay" because she seemed so itty-bitty compared to her Big, big brother. But by God's grace she was and is in perfect health.

We're settling into life as a family of four. Each day is easier, just as it is when you have #1. AJ is sleeping a wonderful stretch at night and has a more predictable routine during the day. Mogi, although seemingly unaware of his new sister at first, began to experience a whole new range of emotions and had a challenging time for a while. He still seems to be in full-on toddler hood and all that brings, but the emotional swings and jealousy are easing.

I won't lie, caring for two children who are both so young and needy can have impossible moments- like when they both awake from naps at the same time, crying, hungry and with dirty diapers- but I have a great sense of joy from both of them and am glad they are close in age and will grow up as friends and playmates. When AJ coos or smiles, Mogi wants so much to "play" with her and I look forward to them both being at a stage where they can.

But, I'm also enjoying the "right now". I love having AJ close by and am in no rush for her to exit the baby stage. She has a laid back, pleasant personality and takes most things in stride. And Mogi is learning so many things so rapidly these days. Its fun and exciting to hear him call things by name and use words that he's only just learned. His vocabulary is expanding quickly. He's all boy- too rough on his toys, wants to throw objects and climb on furniture and would stay outside all day (if only his mom and sister could bear the cold!)

Here's a family picture on Christmas Eve. (AJ is in desperate need of a nap and we've kept her awake to get pictures. Oops.)

As we develop our routines and schedules, I hope to make time for blogging more regularly!

Fall Schedule

I could begin with explanation as to why I haven't written in FOREVER... I'll try not to make it sound too pitiful, but I was sick in one form or another for weeks and Mogi has gone through some sickness and lots of teething too. I had a cold which lingered for weeks and turned into a sinus infection. Both were rough and then when I should have been feeling better I got dehydrated. That ended up sending me to the hospital for fluids and took another week to get my full (pregnant) strength back. I've also been having issues with being able to sleep at night. I was feeling like an insomniac, awake half the night and exhausted all day, but a visit to the doctor has resolved some of that. So, writing just hasn't been on my radar.

Over the last two weeks I have gotten into a bit of routine for work/life and its nice. Simply having a routine makes me feel like a saner person, and its a comfortable routine for me. Mogi also has a new routine with consistently taking one nap a day and that helps my schedule too. Also, he started walking the weekend of August 21st and then started "preschool" on August 31st. I think between the two he uses up so much energy that he needs a long, solid nap each day.

So, here's some of my current work/lifestyle goals: (By the way, being in "school" and having child care help that are college students keeps me in the semester-at-a-time mindset. Although this isn't everyone's reality, it is helpful to have shorter term goals and plans with young children in the home. Their needs/abilities change rather rapidly and you find the need for frequent reassessment at new stages.)

1. Have ~20 hours a week for work/research with no child responsibilities, but also a few of those hours where I can leave the house and run to campus if needed.

2. Have a daily/weekly routine for Mogi that can be maintained after AJ's arrival so that he has a good sense of consistency and doesn't feel as if his entire world got turned upside down.

3. Have times where I can rest and/or scale back house/research workload when I feel tired or overwhelmed.

4. Contain work/research times so that there is definite family time to spend with Hubs and Mogi.

5. Work during daylight hours so that when Mogi is in bed I can sleep, hang out with Hubs, or do whatever interests me. (I am not productive or motivated to work at night.)

6. Have flexibility so that I can enjoy Hub's days off. (He has a rotating schedule that is anything but 9-5.)

Here's my resulting week:

Monday/Wednesday/Friday
7:00a- Wake up, get some coffee/snack, spend time reading Bible and in prayer
7:45- Jump in the shower, get dressed.
8:00- Mogi is awake. Change his diaper, get him dressed, and give him some milk.
8:20- Fix my hair and face while Mogi plays in his room.
8:30- Breakfast for everyone who is home. I've been on a bagel w/PB kick. Mogi either has an iron-fortified cereal with milk or bagel w/PB and then some fruit plus more milk.
9:00- Clean up breakfast mess and any mess from the night before, if there is one. Mogi plays with toys in the kitchen (pots and pans, tupperware cabinet, or playhouse) while I work.
9:15- Work on more chores in the kitchen if I have them (laundry, baking, food/dinner prep, etc) or head to Mogi's room to play with toys.
10:00- Head out to run errands if we have them, taking a snack along. Have a family adventure if Ro has a day off.
11:30- Usually back home. Chill out by reading some books or watching a Baby Einstein video together.
12p(noon)- Lunch
If Hubs is home, we usually end up eating previous nights leftovers or I'll whip something interesting out of leftovers (quesadilla from leftover pork BBQ). He's not big on sandwiches. If we do eat sandwiches, I make grilled cheese and meat.
If its just Mogi and I we choose from the following: noodles and tomato sauce (aka spaghetti); lunchmeat, cheese and bread; "pizza" (mini-bagel or tortilla with a pepperoni, red sauce and cheese warmed on top); PB and J; baked beans; black bean quesadilla. We usually save fruit for the end of the meal. I try to give him a serving of yogurt with active cultures once a day. Some days its at a snack, other days during lunch.

12:20- Mogi goes down for afternoon nap. When he goes down I try to put in 2 hours of research.
2:15- I try to get a moment of rest with my feet up. If I get lucky I close my eyes for a few minutes.
3:00- Mogi is awake from his nap (Usually between 2:45 and 4p, depending on his mood and what we've been up to). Diaper change and cup with milk and free play in his room or where ever I am. If Ro is around, and especially is Mogi hasn't seen him earlier in the day, he runs straight for him and "demands" some attention.
3:30 Snack for Mogi. Usually crackers of some type, a small amount of fruit, and more of his milk.
4:00- Dinner prep/cooking and house cleaning/vacuuming/de-cluttering. A good bit of this occurs in the kitchen with music going so we can dance and play.
4:30- Family time. Ro is usually around at this time, so the boys may play together while I finish in the kitchen, or we all hang out and play.
5:15- Dinnertime. We all eat together at the kitchen table.
6:00- Dinner clean up.
6:15- Outside playtime (swinging, blowing bubbles), visit the grandparents, or go to the pool.
7:20- Snack(milk and graham crackers) then bath time
7:45- Diaper, PJs, story, cuddle...
8:00- Mogi's bedtime
8:01- My freetime! I try to really watch minimal TV. Right now I enjoy some Tuesday night programs, other than that I try not to switch it on. Maybe a Netflix movie with Hubs once a week. Catch up with Facebook or blogs. Write a blog. Finish folding any laundry that is leftover. figure out what I need to be ready for the next day.
9:00- My bed time, 4 out of 7 nights
9:45- My bedtime the other nights. If I stay up later I regret it. Its just how much sleep I need when I'm pregnant!!!

Tuesday/Thursday
My wake up stays the same except I have to have the face done and minimize hair so that at
8:20- Breakfast for Mogi and I
8:35- Double check the diaper bag and refill milk cup
8:40- Load up the mini-van and head to "preschool"
8:50- Drop Mogi off at "school"
9:05- Back at home starting my work day.
11:30- Sitter comes by and swaps her car for mini-van and heads to get Mogi from school. I take a quick break to get his lunch together and take food back to my desk to eat.
12p- Sitter is home with Mogi, feeds him lunch and gets him ready for  a nap.
12:20- Mogi naps and the "regular" schedule resumes. (If I've left the house for whatever reasons the sitter stays until I get back).

Saturday
I often sleep in until Mogi wakes me, unless we have somewhere to be. Anything goes for the rest of the day, but mealtimes are pretty solid. Every two weeks Ro and I attempt to have a "date night". lately we've been swapping with some friends and their daughter which works well.

Sunday
Same early morning routine.
9:00- Leave for Sunday school at church.
12:30- Make it home from service. Mogi usually fell asleep in car and doesn't eat lunch with us.
3:30- Routine resumes but we regularly try to have family dinners with my brother, sister-in-law, and parents, depending on who is in town. This is often from 5 to 8pm and happens at our house.

I often think "How do other working mom's get it all done?" Well, I don't get it all done and usually have "dragging" ends or overdue "to-do" lists, but maybe this schedule will help others who are wondering how to best structure their day for their family and work.

Got any tips or schedule ideas? Feel free to share them...

Nursery Art- Crafty on the Cheap

I decorated a canvas this week for the nursery door that has a more co-ed theme. The previous canvas had Mogi's name on it. Not sure how AJ would feel about that : )

I saw a similar canvas online and basically copied the idea. It took me four days to get it done with a very curious 13 month-old "underfoot", but it was worth it! I had thought of adding a Bible verse to it, but my handwriting isn't the steadiest and I would have been really bummed if that "messed" it up!

Did I mention it was cheap? (A recurring theme in our life!) The canvas was one that I've had for 10 years, literally, and repurposed multiple times. If you have to buy one they run $7-8 at the art store. I splurged and bought some new brushes that were $4, but I had a 40% off coupon, so $2.40. And then I had the green and brown paint from other projects. The green was good quality acrylic for painting (~$4) and the brown was craft paint. The price tag on it actually says $0.57! And the white paint was also craft acrylic and was $1.27.

Buying something like this in the store or online is likely $25 or upward. And I'm no artist, so if I can do it, anyone can. I painted on the green on Day One. Day Two I drew the cross outline in pencil, erasable, and then painted the white keeping an edge within the cross where the brown outline would be. Day Three I did the brown stripes, the hardest part for me. I'd never attempted zebra before, but I happen to be an animal print fan, as you can see from the picture, and had a few samples to draw inspiration from. One Day Four I added the brown dot edge and touched up the stripes with a super small brush.

Oh, and may I recommend 3M's picture hangers? They're sold almost everywhere, and while pricey, well worth it. This will hang on a solid wood door that I don't want to mark, and I've also used them on the plaster we have on our walls. Basically its a tab with sticky on one side and velcro on the other. With two of them back to back, you peal the adhesive, stick it on your artwork and then press it against the wall. It bonds in 30 seconds and after it sets for an hour you can peel the two halves if its crooked and needs leveled. I'm probably no explaining it well, but if you don't want a hole in your wall or any damage, check it out!

And I've been feeling the need for some projects of the creative nature, so they'll probably be some posts about those later, if I get around to starting them!

Crib Rail Protector

A while back Ramogi had put a few markks on his crib railing after naptimes and before we'd come in to get him. They were teeth marks, small ones. I looked at rail covers and only saw the plastic ones, which were ugly and didn't seem like they'd stay on or do a while lot of good.

A few weeks went by and I hadn't done anything. Then two days ago I walked in after a nap and saw this.

A massive chew mark on the top and side of the rail! Well, after seeing that I jumped online to find some way to keep him from tearing up the crib. Right away I found some tutorials for how to make your own. You buy a few yards of fabric to match the room, buy some quilted padding to go underneath, sew it up with ribbons and tie it in place. It looked simple enough, but I knew the reality was that it would take me forever to get around to sewing.

So, I kept looking.

And then I happened upon someone selling a tutorial for a no-sew fleece cover. One look at the picture and I didn't need to pay to figure out how to do it. The pictures aren't great, but here's how it turned out.

Here's what I did:
1) Found something to use as padding. We use cloth diapers and I have a ton of them, so I doubled some up to use as a pad.
2) With the padding included, I measured around the rail (and the padding).
3) I also measured the inside length of the rail, across the front and the side. The side of my crib is 27" and the front is 57". With the padding on my side rail measured 10.5" and the front 7" (The front is skinnier).
4) I included extra length to have room to make ties, double-knotted. Depending on how you cut the fleece, you may or may not have stretch and give to your fabric. It's probably best not to have stretch so that it stays the way you intend it. In that case, add 5-6" per tie for 10-12" of extra fabric beyond your measurements. So, my side rail pieces were each 27" x 21" and the front was 57" x 16". (I should have gone longer on the front rail, but it ended up working.)
5) I used some masking tape to hold the diapers/padding in place, cut out my pieces and tied them on. I had it all done in a short time and for cheap. The diapers were no cost (and you probably have something around your house you don't use that can work as padding) and I used just over a yard of fabric. The fleece was $6.99/yd and on sale for 30% off. So my grand total was a bit over $5. Yay for cheap!!

The ties allow you to attach toys or any other things you may keep in the baby's crib. BTW, I had toys all up and down the rail before he "took the bite" and it didn't dissuade him! I've learned my lesson. With AJ I'll attach a crib protector as soon as she's standing and BEFORE she leaves her mark!

I came in today after both naps and found wet spots where Mogi had been teething the rail, but on the protector, not the wood!

Kids Car Seats

So I found would I thought would be a great deal on the Sam's Club website: a convertible carseat that normally sells for $159 selling for $95, shipping included. I read the reviews, most seemed good, so I made the purchase. The seat is a Safety First Alpha Omega Elite.

I thought it would be great to use for AJ. It had a girly, plaid design and fit from 5-100lbs, rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster seat. I bought it, it came in the mail and it was adorable. But, I decided that before I had it too many days I should try installing it in the car. See, a couple reviews said they couldn't sit it in their car. Honestly, I didn't think this would be an issue. I mean, I drive a mini-van. Everything fits in a mini-van, right?

Ugh, apparently not! I'm pretty good with the whole carseat installation thing. So, its not like it was the person who has never seen one trying to put it in.

I read the directions carefully before beginning and then headed to the car for the install. I got in okay, but it surely wasn't leveled. When I leveled it, I either had to push the front passenger seat WAY up, so that no one would be able to use it, or I had to lay the seat down, nearly horizontal. That would have made the third row unusable. I even tried removing the base, which is recommended for "narrow" vehicles.

I showed it to my husband to see his reaction, and he agreed that it wasn't a good choice. So, sadly, I boxed it back up and headed to Sam's to get my full refund.

We've decided to put Mogi in our "extra" seat and use his for AJ. The extra is a Cosco Scenera. functional, just with zero butt padding, so we'll need to find a way to soften it up if he'll be in the car for any time. It's likely that at his current rate and growth curve, he'll outgrow the 40lb weigt limit on the Scenera by his second birthday. Unless we have to make a change before then, I guess we'll buy a belt-positioning booster for him, which are a lot cheaper anyway.

You may wonder why I don't use the Scenera for AJ since butt padding isn't an issue a 10 lb newborn needs. That would lead me to why the is no longer Scenera our primary seat. It has high sides, as opposed to our Eddie Bauer Deluxe Convertible Carseat. The Scenera was very difficult to get a sleeping infant our of without waking them.

We never made the investment in an infant car seat. And no knowing if there will be other infants after AJ to use it, I'm not sure its a good investment at this point either... The idea of spending the same amount of money on something that only rear-faces up to (maybe) 35 lbs versus something that has three stages and lasts up to 80lbs is hard for me to agree to. And having back problems, not having the removable seat means I can't take it out and lug it around, which is a good thing for me.

Any thoughts on a great carseat? Have one to share about that's within a smaller budget, say less than $150. What kind of car do you drive?

Just a random last minute thought, but... We've committed to keeping kids rear-facing as long as we can given the seat's weight limit. Lots of kids get turned around at 22lbs, which although legal, isn't in anyones best interest. Maybe kids get turned around too soon because the covertible seats are just too big to fit well in cars? Any thoughts? Comments?

It's a GIRL!

Almost two weeks ago now we had our "anatomical" ultrasound. I was a little over 19 weeks with Baby 2 and felt like we'd been waiting forever to find out the sex. I wasn't really sure what I thought, whether it was a boy or girl. Of course I thought having a second boy might be easier, since we'd been down that road before. But, I had to admit, the thought of a laid back, no fuss girl was pretty appeasing too. (I was one of those "entertain yourself, hardly make a peak, look at cross-eyed is the only discipline needed" kind of girls). Everyone around me, except my doctor, seemed to think I was having a girl. And my best friend was desperate for me to have a girl, someone to pass on her "fashion sense" to.
The tech didn't take much time building up our suspense and quickly told us we were having a girl. Did I mention that Mogi, my parents, and sister-in-law accompanied us? They were all invited, of course! I got a lot of "I knew it" after that. But, I'm happy to know. Happy to be able to call her by name. That afternoon we had planned a trip to Babies R Us and I bought her an adorable set of dresses for next summer. And a package of hair ribbons. No one's going to mistake this girl for a boy!
Then later that night,  a friend whose daughter was born last Fall came by and dropped off a HUGE bag of girl clothes. So, AJ's set for her first 6 months of life! I certainly don't ahve to spend any time clothes shopping for at the consignments this fall. What a blessing of time and money saved!
The only downside was the tech didn't take any good pictures of AJ! We have an okay video, which doesn't seem compatible to post on U-Tube, or I would. There's 4 pictures and they're all of the back of her head! (Sad face.) We got a glimpse of her profile in the video and its just like her brother. Same sweet lips and nose. She did say she was moving a lot, so maybe that was the culprit? She's been moving a good bit lately. Not fierce like Mogi was, but moving plenty.
Well, 18 weeks or so and we'll get to see you face-to-face, Baby Girl. Your mama can't wait!

Teeth

Just a word of encouragement for those of you whose child has had awful teething- it can get better. Each teething episode has been a little easier on Ramogi. The first two were horrible-crying and clinging for 2 weeks prior to break-thru, short naps, difficult to put down for naps, not wanting to eat... I pretty much took two weeks off work to hold him. It was impossible to work during naps because by the time he went down I was exhausted from all the work it took to get him down and then he'd only sleep 45 minutes, not his usual 90.

The next four came close together and were difficult, but not for the same extended period of time.

With teeth 7 and 8 (he always gets his in pairs with one side being a day behind the other) he was in pain after they broke through. No problems with naps, just more agrivated than usual, eating less/drinking more, and chewing on his finger.

In the last few days 9 and 10 have arrived. Its harder to know because you can't see them and I'm no fool to be putting my hand near his mouth. last time I did that to give him a taste of food he clamped down and didn't let up! But this AM Romanus bravely put his finger in "the trap" to massage his gums and found that an upper pre-molar has broken through on each side. We knew he was teething because he is eating less/drinking more, seems to be fussier and is chewing his thumb. Glad to know they've arrived and hope he's back to his unteething self soon. Also glad that he's not a basketcase becasue of it anymore.