Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Wait! Come Back! I Can Be Cooler!

I briefly clicked on my blog entry today to see if anyone (i.e. my convalescing mother, the only person who regularly reads my loser blog and comments) had commented. Much to my surprise someone I didn't know actually commented. And not like the time Kristen commented - because I commented on her blog so she graced me with her presence here Chez Les Kiddos - but an evidently very popular blogger with an evidently very popular blog of her own. Exciting, eh? Especially when you REALLY think about it and figure out that she probably hit that "A Random Blog" button and came up with little old random me. Then she commented in hopes that I would check out her already popular blog which I obviously did.
Here's where it gets complicated. I SHOULD feel a little used and mildly insulted that someone pretended to care about whether or not I eat meat this week simply to get me to her blog so I can love it and link repeatedly to it. Sure, that's the way things work here in the blogosphere but I don't have to agree with it. Instead, I feel a mild panic at the thought that she read my lame post, snickered and/or yawned, commented vaguely, then returned home with nary a second thought about me. Granted, I haven't exactly put a lot of imagination into my posts lately, but I do have some good stuff around here, don't I? Stuff about boobs, downward-facing dogs and the like? I was cool once, and I'll bet we could have hung out then. But no more. Sob.

Mmmmmmmmmmeat.

Check out the piggie in my sidebar! There's a challenge going on over at League of Maternal Justice to try to eat vegetarian for 5 days. Now it's supposed to be from the 28th of January to the 1st of February, but since I found out too late and ate meat yesterday and took out meat for dinner tonight I'm going to start tomorrow instead. I'll go a full 5 days anyway, even though I have to post my summary by Sunday night. There are a bunch of cool prizes and I'm looking forward to finding some new recipes to keep in my file for my weekly vegetarian meal that I've resolved to have.
I'll try to post every day, but we'll see how that goes... Considering I haven't even blogged about the kids in almost 2 weeks I won't count on succeeding at that.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

January 17

2004

I was 12 days away from my due date for our first baby, 80% effaced, 1.5 cm dilated, and completely sick of being pregnant. I had just eaten half a bunch of celery and chugged about 2 litres of raspberry tea in hopes of bringing on labour. I was also unknowingly 12 hours from my water breaking and 24 hours away from delivery.

2005

It was 2 days away from Josey's first birthday and we couldn't believe it. We talked about how he would be the perfect child if only he would sleep through the night...

2006

I was 12 days away from my due date for our second baby, 50% effaced, 0 cm dilated, and completely sick of being pregnant. Again. Josey and I were at my parents' place in Ottawa for the night. I had a crazy craving for a Quizno's sub, but didn't get one. There was no way I would go into labour tonight. Not being an hour away from the hospital, with severe freezing rain warnings...

2007

We were in complete shock. Russ picked up a pregnancy test on the way home from work and I quickly took it, just to be completely sure that the first one 2 weeks ago hadn't been a false negative. It just wouldn't be a good time for another baby; not for another year at least...

Positive.

2008




But he's darn cute.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Quickquickquick

This one's going to be all over the place. I'm frantically trying to blog while Tristan naps and the boys aren't too needy, so I apologize in advance for a confusing read.

Josey is going through another "angry" phase, where he constantly gets upset at us and says such lovely things as "MOMMY I DON'T LOVE YOU!" and "BAD DADDY!" for any number of reasons, usually when we make him do something after asking 600 times. He definitely needs more social interaction, but I sometimes resist going to playgroups because it's such a huge ordeal when we have to leave and I often end up dragging him into the van kicking, hitting and screaming without his coat and boots on. He's been good for his preschool group though and the teachers have both told me separately that he's very smart. So far he listens well during the sessions, and hopefully that won't change when he gets to know the teachers better.
He can write his name, and can identify quite a few letters and numbers. He still insists that he's going to be a "tractor painter" when he grows up, so he really won't need any of them writin' or readin' skills though. Good thing he knows his colours.

With the exception of two nights last week, Roanen has been getting up every single night and coming into our bed. If it wasn't for Tristan I'd probably be more insistant that he stay in his bed, but Russ is the one who has to deal with him screaming for hours on end, then get up for work at 5 AM so I don't blame him for just letting him sleep with us. After he screamed for hours the other night at my parents' place I went out and bought a couple of herbal remedies, one that is supposed to calm him at night and help him sleep in general and another that is to be sprayed in his mouth if he's having a screaming fit. I don't have much hope for either of them since I think it's just in his nature to be like this, but it won't hurt to try. Russ is actually calling around, trying to find a child psychologist to help us out. While I think this is a bit extreme, I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to deal with him when he gets psycho. Supernanny? Nanny 911? Please?
On the upside, he's getting even more independent and is very comfortable going off on his own at playgroup, and even joining in a group of kids singing or listening to stories without Josey or me around.

Tristan has been totally weaned of his medication for about a week now and seems to be a lot better. He's doesn't cry nearly as much as he used to, particularly since I've figured out that he can only handle about an hour and a half of awake time before needing another of his 30 minute naps. His night sleeping, which used to consist of a 5 or 6 hour stretch, followed by a 2-3 hour stretch before he insisted on coming into our bed, has deteriorated badly in the last couple of weeks. Last night he was up every hour and a half, and wanted to be nursing constantly once I brought him into bed with us. I'm pretty sure this is because he's not eating much during the day (he's happy with 8 minutes of nursing every 3 or so hours) and needs to get more calories at night. I just don't know how I can extend his day feeds without starving him and listening to him scream at night.
Otherwise he's super smiley and pretty happy. Everyone comments on how alert he is and although he's small (12 lbs 11 oz today, less than both the other boys were at HALF his age) he's really strong and can hold his head right up and stand up straight. He also crawls to the head of his crib when he wakes up. He's just starting to grab at things and everything goes into his mouth, where he gums things really hard, including fingers.

Now it's my turn! ME! Now ME!

I tossed out the old goals that I made before Christmas and made up a new set of health resolutions at New Years. Here they are:

1) Drink 8 cups of water each day
I've been pretty good at this one, mostly due to the fact that I reward every 2 cups of water with either a white chocolate peppermint Hershey's Kiss, or a Riesen caramel. I'll get a craving, then chug water just so I can have my reward. Whatever works, right?
2) Eat raw vegetables every day
This one is hit and miss. I usually get in a couple of carrot sticks or some red pepper because they're easy, but actually breaking down and washing broccoli or cauliflower is a little too much like work for me.
3) Have at least one meatless meal a week.
The first week I started off just making pasta with tomato sauce, but this week I made vegetarian enchiladas and tofu pad thai, both out of the Looneyspoons and Crazy Plates cookbooks. They both turned out really yummy.
4) Each week have at least one serving of the following: spinach or kale, sweet potatoes, legumes, broccoli, cauliflower, red pepper, nuts and olives.
I've been really good at this one, even doubling or tripling my servings of some of these during the week. It really helps to plan my meals well in advance, and I use Recipezaar to find really good recipes if I don't know what to do with something.
5) Eat fish or seafood at least once a week.
We pretty much did this before anyway, but I threw it in there to look special.
6) Find a good Greens supplement and take it.
I don't like Greens+ or anything like it so I've been lazy on this one, with the excuse that I can't make it to any stores that carry it with the kids. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I stopped buying ice cream too, and if I want something like it I have frozen yogurt. Just like I thought I would, as soon as I bought new pants I lost a pound and evidently several inches off my waist and hips. Now I have two brand new pairs of pants that I can pull off and on without undoing the button. Grrr. I'm guessing that I was dehydrated before and retaining water because of it. Once I started drinking enough water my body didn't have to store it anymore and I lost water weight. Grrr again. I haven't been exercising at all, other than lugging Tristan around half the day. We're trying to get Tristan to take a bottle, and if we succeed at that and Russ is compliant I'd like to start taking a yoga or pilates class in town. I was also planning on starting to jog in the spring, but I think it would be a little too hard on my joints so I'm going to try (gulp) biking instead. I've ridden a bike once in the last 10+ years and I just about killed myself, so I'm not looking forward to it, although I'd like to be able to get into good enough biking shape to stick a couple of the kids in the bike stroller and go for rides.

I know I have way more to blog about, but my mind has gone blank for now. I'm off to drink water so I can eat chocolate. Sorry so boring :)

Friday, January 04, 2008

Well, Since You Asked So Nicely...


...I suppose I COULD pose for a picture with your monkeys - I mean, charming children...


...although I do find them raaaaaawther uncivilized...


...and my delicate nature can only tolerate such antics for so long.


Whoa! Nooooo touchy!


What's that? You mean I have to...stay in this family?



You've gotta be kidding me.