Friday, March 03, 2006

Today I became an E-Bay shopper

Grant has picked a bottle he likes!!!! Yeah!!!!!

It is discontinued!!!!! UGH!!!!!!

Why is my Jewel even selling bottles that have been discontinued for a year? Even the company doesn't have any more to sell me or give me, they don't even advertise them on their website!
Why is my son so difficult? Is this a sign of things to come? I am quite scared.

So today I stalked e-bay! I found some bottles I can get for VERY reasonably, but the nipples are going to astronomically expensive from a different seller. If I "win" both these items, I will have enough bottles to get through one day at a time. I will continue to spend every evening washing bottles so that I can pre-make them for the next day.

I mentioned this to a nosey/friend/fellow mom at school and she now considers herself on a mission to find more of these bottles for me. I appreciate her help but think she is really weird for wanting to spend her weekends looking for bottles for me.

If you want to be a personal shopper too... Keep your eyes open for "Evenflo Elite". It is a clear bottle with a blue ring and a very shallow, wide nipple. (Hello perves!)

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Stalling

Right this minute I should be working on a short paper/assignment that I have due in Grad class tonight. I just can't care! 8 more nights to go...

For posterity

If my kids actually read this someday, like I hope, to find out the things I can't remember from their childhood... I think it's time to log what our day looks like:

5:30 Mom wakes up and gets herself ready
6:00 Mom feeds Grant while Dad gets Brianna ready
6:15 (or more like 6:30 most days) Mom leaves for school with Bri and Grant, Dad gets himself ready
6:45? Dad leaves for work
6:45 ish- Mom drops the kids at school- first I drop off Grant, then Brianna with some cuddles, then back to Grant for cuddles and our daily list of new things to try so maybe Grant will eat today!
7-4 Parents working.... Kids playing
Brianna- You love the kitchen area, especially shopping with the plastic shopping cart and taking care of the baby dolls. You also love painting and eating. Your favorite foods are Chicken nuggets and Mac and Cheese. You also will eat pasta, apples, or grapes until you explode! You are still napping about 2 hours every afternoon. When I come to pick you up, you don't want to leave school. You always ask for "tee mo minutes" (Three more minutes). I usually give you about 5 while I hear from your teachers about what a stinker you were today.
Grant- You are napping about 3 times a day, for an hour or 1 1/2 hours at a time. You eat twice a day at school. You are a stinker about eating at school, you give your teachers a really hard time. You have done better these past few days with new bottles and I really hope that you will be a better eater soon. You are so good at "Tummy time" that you haven't learned to roll over yet. I know you will soon though. You have just figured out mirrors and break into the biggest, most beautiful smile whenever you catch site of yourself in one. Your teachers love you silly and cuddle you a lot even though you are cranky for them.
4-6 Mom picks up the kids and we all go home and play or watch tv. (Dad picks up on Wednesday's and Mom goes to grad school)
6ish- Dinner as a family. We go out about twice a week, or bring in food more often. On Tuesday's Dad and Mom take turns taking Brianna to Gymnastics (aka 'nastics). Bri LOVES 'nastics!
8:15/8:30 Dad takes Bri to bed most nights. Mom does it occasionally if she's not feeding Grant at this time. We read you two books, turn out the lights, say prayers, tuck you in, and remind you of all the wonderful things that happened today and might happen tomorrow. We give you one book to "read" as you fall asleep.


Kids- We love you THIS much!

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

No news is just more of the same

The old saying goes... "No news is good news"... well, not always in my findings.

No news just means everything is the same. Good or bad...just same.

In my case, that's not so good. We are trying new bottle styles with Grant this week and am planning to deprive him of food this weekend. Not really but... Someone I know recommended a book called "The Baby Whisperer". This book recommends the following: Offer your baby nothing but a bottle for 48 hours, offer it every hour until he drinks from it. This is based on the premise that he will eat if he gets hungry enough. I SINCERELY HOPE SO! I'm not sure I can take the screaming if it doesn't work. Anyway, the theory goes that after the 48 hours, as long as you offer a bottle once a day the baby will never have a problem drinking from them. It worked for my friend. I think I might call my pediatrician and see what they think of my intentional torture of my infant son.

Brianna is good. Cranky though. I think she realizes that most of my attention and time is being spent trying to figure out Grant's stuff. She knows she's getting the shaft and is acting out to get attention. She's not doing anything major, but sometime the little annoying things are worse than one big thing. She likes to put toys in her mouth. She knows that's not what she's supposed to do but... she puts them in her mouth and then turns to me and mumbles... "look at me mommy" and grins like the devil! I tell her to take it out and she does for a while, until she feels silly again.

Adam is not doing so good. He doesn't tolerate Grant's temper tantrums well. He gets REALLY frustrated and just needs to get away. When he's stuck, he gets angry. I know he only wants to make our kids happy but he scares me a little when he's angry around the kids. I don't want them to learn that yelling is the way to get things done. He's working on it.

ME, I'm just same... sleep deprived, a little sad, and V.E.R.Y. busy!

Tomorrow I'll try and look for happy things to post.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Bottles and formula

Please let as many moms as you know about today's post... I need as many temporary readers as I can get so I can get lots of advice.........


Quickly about me for those who don't know me:
I have a daughter Brianna who is now 2 1/2. I also have a 4 month old son Grant. He is my concern today...

He refuses formula! I have been nursing thus far but am having a very hard time balancing work and pumping and want him to take formula at school then I will (ideally) nurse at night. When his teachers try and give him bottles he arches his back and turns his head repeatedly. They really have to "fight" with him to get him to eat. I have noticed this same behavior at home when my husband is bottle feeding him... at at this point we are bottle feeding breast milk.

Consequently, he is very unhappy at daycare, and is not gaining weight the way he should. He only gained 1/2 pound in the last month.

On top of his reluctance toward bottles, he seems to hate formula. We have tried 2 types of standard formula, these make him throw up. He seems to have a problem digesting them. He reacts ok to soy formula but hates to take it.

HELP!

Any suggestions for types of bottles that might be better?
Or similar experiences that I could share with my Dr.?

I am currently thinking that I might just have to go to all bottles and all formula! Sudden switch style. I can only imagine that this is the only way he will get hungry enough to eat and get used to the formula. That would make me very sad though...

Thursday, February 23, 2006

2 is a teenager minus 10

I am working on a theory that children aged 2 are actually just practicing teenagers.

Similarities:
They want to do everything by themselves.
They will scream and fight you if you don't let them do it themselves.
They start fights with you for fun.
They are temperamental and moody.
Two minutes after they are arguing with you, they are hugging you and happy.
They are completely self-centered.
You love them just a little more than you can't stand them.

If I am right, I am completely screwed in 10 years!

Friday, February 17, 2006

scaleyboy and stoplightgirl

I love calling my kids by nicknames. (Thanks to Jamie for the ones above). Very seldom are they actually Brianna and Grant. Other people also call my kids by nicknames. Is this common in other houses, or am I certifiable?

Today Jamie made me crack up by calling them "anklebiters". Nothing new just really funny today for some reason.

We have taken to calling Grant "The Owl" because of his love for trying to spin his head as far as he can in either direction. Someday he will star in "The exorcist" without special effects needed!

We used to call Brianna "Little Lizard" because of her love of sticking out her tongue. I don't think we have a picture of her between 2 months and 10 months old withOUT her tongue sticking out!

Other names:
Brianna------- Grant------------- Shared
Bri Bri---------- G.------------------ Pumpkin
Silly Goose ------Senior Stinky ------Sweetheart
Miss Muffet----- Slugger------------ Bub/Bubber
--------------------------------------Short Stuff

....And so many more.....

Thursday, February 16, 2006

picture

I still haven't figured out how to post pictures on this site... but Jamie posted one of Grant that I love!

K.I.S.S

Keep it simple stupid!

I think Grant is Itchy! I wouldn't be happy if I was itchy and didn't know how to scratch!

I took a good look at Grant last night and he doesn't just have the ezcema break outs on his face, they are on his arms and legs as well. (Those aren't nearly as bad since they are covered all the time and don't get irritated). He also has plain old dry skin on his belly and back! I feel like a silly mommy for not thinking of that!

I feel so much better today because I have a plan!
1. Get the outbreak under control with warm soaks in the tub and a good sensitive skin lotion in addition to the medication.
2. Start playing with foods and chemicals to see what causes outbreaks... maybe the daycare teachers lotions.

I love having a plan!

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Teardrops and Roses

So, What do you want first? The good news or the bad news?

Good News... Adam did my favorite thing for Valentines day, he brought me roses. He even had the kids help give me them. It was very sweet and my kitchen smells great!

Bad News... Grant has ezcema, and it's getting worse. I just don't know what to do with it. The medication works but then I'm supposed to stop using it and within 2 days at daycare, his skin looks horrible again. I am doing all sorts of research and I thought I had it narrowed down to a short list of possible irritants to try eliminating. HOWEVER... today, his teachers told me that he is spending increasing amounts of time unhappy at daycare. By unhappy, he is either crying or needing to be held and rocked individually, he's only happy for 10-15 minute stretches, or when he's sleeping. They also added that he fights them when they are giving him his bottle, he squirms and arches his back and they are actually afraid they will drop him because he's moving so much.

I sat in my car and cried this morning. I am very glad that the daycare is finally being honest with me about how his day is going but I am SO sad that he is unhappy. Worst of all, I don't know if I can do anything about it. I have to work, he can't spend 24/7 with me. (He doesn't behave that way with me). I feel so helpless. There is no amount of research that can make this better fast enough.

He has a regular doctor appt. on Monday and I will be talking this all over with his dr then. Until then, I will try not to cry too much.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Motherhood is about torturing your kids

Grant is allergic to daycare. I mean this quite literally. In the weeks after starting daycare he developed a very nasty, crusty, dry skin meets open sores kind of rash. We noticed that it would get slightly better over the weekend and by Wed it was back in full force. I took him to the doctor who said it was excema. If all my research is right, this means he has an allergic reaction to something that is causing his face to dry out and chafe. The daycare very graciously switched to the same detergent I use at home. No dice. I have to use this nasty greasy cream on his face and then I can't kiss his wonderful little cheeks!

I am sad. He is itchy.

I really hope at his next dr. appt. the new dr. has something better to say!

I am also torturing Brianna by working. She is the smallest little girl in her class and there is a little boy who is picking on her. Everyday she tells me what he did today. (She calls him Goga, this is not his real name but a version of how she hears his last name). "Goga pusha me down".
"Goga hit me". Etc. Her teachers are quite aware of the little 2 year old bully but there are only 2 teachers and 15-18 kids in the room. They can't watch every minute.

I've taken to buying her cookies and am stopping myself just short of telling her to hit him back. The teacher in me won't condone fighting in any way. But maybe soon...

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

The Extended Version

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa your boat,
dently drown da dream,
mariry, mariry, mariry, mariry,
wife is dut a DREAM.

(The last word is screamed at the top of Brianna's lungs, with head thrown back, everytime!)

Monday, February 06, 2006

Tiny drunk people

I have discovered recently that toddler speech is very similar to that of drunk adults. The words are a little slurred, the sounds don't seem to fit quite right, and you have to think really hard to make it make sense.

I discovered this while listening to Brianna and my niece Hannah (who's the same age as Bri) sing songs on Superbowl Sunday.... Well, then I compared them to my adult guests who were partaking of grain based beverages.

After several choruses of "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa your boat", and "The Itsy ditzy Spider" (by the 2 year olds, not the adults). We were cracking up! We then requested "Tinkle, Tinkle, wittle sta" and "The ABCDE song". Our pint sized entertainment was happy to oblige.

People, this is better satisfaction than The 'Stones any day of the week!

Thursday, February 02, 2006

The color of annoyance

As a normal 2 1/2 year old, Brianna is working on learning her colors. As parents who are both teachers, we use every opportunity we can to practice....

Last week we began asking her to tell us what color the stop lights were as we pass them. She began to get them right on a regular basis, so we added that Red means stop, Green means Go, and Orange means slow down (at least that's what we tell her). Brianna is now very faithful in telling us what color EVERY SINGLE stoplight is, whether I ask her or not.

And why is this annoying?

Internet... I have created the worlds smallest back seat driver!!!!

Can you hear it now?

Mommy, Red means STOP, Red means STOP, Red means STOP, Red means STOP, Red means STOP, Red means STOP, Red means STOP, Red means STOP, Red means STOP, Red means STOP, Red means STOP, Red means STOP, Red means STOP....

I swear, My town has the longest red lights ever in the history of man!

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

I'm working!

I was reminded by Jamie that I have yet to post the promised Chuck E Cheese pictures... I'm working on it! I do the majority of my work on my iMac at school and the photo software offered by Blogger is not Mac compatible. I have tried another site now but it is proving to be more difficult and time consuming than I can manage right now.

Besides... I'm working this week! I don't mean that in the, I go to work sense, but in the, work is crazy and I barely have time to breathe sense!

This morning... Brianna and I were counting the school busses we saw on our drive to school (she LOVES school busses). Suddenly, she informed me that the school bus was silly. I of course asked why, she said (after thinking a moment) that the school bus tickled her! I said that SHE was silly. She started laughing at herself maniacally and saying "tickle tickle"!

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

not one good thing

I have been trying to come up with one good story from the past few days but really, it's been "normal" in our neck of the woods. I decided to give a little bit of "normal" to the web.

Daily occurrences:
Brianna wants to do it by herself. (It doesn't matter what "it" is, we hear... "NO, I do!)
Grant stinks up the whole house.
Brianna cries when it's time to turn Dora off.
Grant just cries.
Brianna wants to eat but nothing I'm offering.
Grant eats constantly (every 4 hours feels like constantly... Especially in the middle of the night.)
Brianna makes a mess.
Grant makes a very different kind of mess.
Brianna gives us "big hugs" that strangle, and sloppy wet kisses.
Grant smiles so big we think his lower jaw might pop out of it's socket.


That's life these days!

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Wednesday, oh how I loathe thee

Wednesday is a four letter word in my house.

After working all day with cranky pre-teens (hump day means cranky day in a middle school), I go to graduate school all evening. Graduate school is interesting on a social level if not academic level, at least my whispered side conversations keep me awake. Then I go home.

At home I generally find at least one crying child and a husband who looks like Mt. Vesuvius on a BAD day! Adam is wonderful with our kids, he plays with them, changes diapers, does everything a good dad should... but he does not handle crying well. Despite his ever growing knowledge of what children need to be happy, he doesn't always think of the right one at the right time. Especially with Grant.

Please don't think I blame him! I love my husband and can't thank him enough for understanding that I need to finish my masters and keep working. I know exactly how he feels when Grant is screaming with a tummy ache and Brianna wants milk NOW and you just can't handle one more minute! But it's still chaos I come home to.

One more grad school session till I graduate... 10 more frickin Wednesdays.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

I know what you mean

Today, This, almost made me cry. If I were are home, not at work, I would have sobbed.

Grant is only three weeks younger than Noah and Amalah can write it so much better than I could ever even think it.

My big baby, and the little one too!

Last night, we took the kids to meet Pop-pop Howie and Grandma 'Niese at Chuck E Cheese. They have Hannah staying with them for a couple days while her mom and dad adjust to having new baby Benjamin at home.

Brianna is TERRIFIED of Chuck E. I don't think she ate more than about 3 bites of pizza, despite the fact that it is one of her favorite foods. Every time that stupid animatronic mouse started singing or dancing, she would pretty much wrap herself around my neck or cower in the corner of the booth saying, "Chucky singing...no like Chucky... Chucky scare me."

And if I thought that was bad... I almost lost my head when she squeezed it off when the human Chuck E came with in 100 feet of us! I might have lost my hearing as well with the crying and all... except that it had already gone upon entering this den of din! I think I might have a headache until the weekend!

Meanwhile, Grant LOVED it! It was all his favorite things rolled up together. He got to be held, while looking at lots of bright lights and shiny moving things. All this coupled with a full belly and a dry diaper. What more can a three month old ask for? I liked that it kept him awake all evening, and asleep all night! YIPEE!! Even if it's still a once-in-a-while thing, I'll take all the sleeping through the night that I can get!

My favorite part was the photo ops... I'll post those as soon as I can!

Monday, January 23, 2006

New lease on blogging

I have made a decision... I am going to resign myself to mommy blogging.

I have so many things that I want to tell my children someday, like how they looked when they were crying or how frustrated I get when they won't eat. However, I know that I will forget it all before they are old enough to care. I've never been good with a journal or diary but this is more like e-mail. I'm going to "e-mail" my kids information about themselves.

I may occasionally tell y'all other things too like how hard it is to finish graduate school with two kids (3 if you count my husband, and I do!).

My name is Johanna, and I am a mommy blogger! I will flood the internet with stories of my children that only I think are funny. I will waste cyberspace with information that no one but me, and maybe a handful of others will ever read. I only hope that someday, this will still be available for my children to read, if even they care!