Snow day!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I walked to work today, in the SNOW! Craziness! I looked like a Clementine on stilts wearing Danny's orange rain-jacket (which incidentally only just did up over my belly!) and black leggings, with clashing pink wellies/rubber boots. How inconsiderate of Danny to have a rain-jacket that doesn't match my wellies!

We had a lovely, yet chilly evening last night, watching the Oxford Christmas parade; a first for myself, Henry and our British visitors. Everyone had a fantastic time, though it was past Henry's bedtime when we started to head home and he cried intensely until we started our ABCs and Old Macdonald.

Not my favourite Thursday ever

Yesterday, Henry decided he wasnt going to take a nap. ALL DAY! It might not have been a problem but 1) I am super duper pregnant (and huge, yes thank you EVERYONE for telling me) and 2) I am not sleeping because I am super duper pregnant! So a super duper tired mummy left Henry in his bed for 2 hours total yesterday afternoon (went in half way through to check he didnt have a dirty diaper and read a couple of books). I laid down for 30 minutes, but with him singing to himself in the room next door, not much of a nap was had. But it turned out to be a fun afternoon regardless. We walked the dogs to the square, played in front of the courthouse and popped into the bookstore to get a christmas present. I was pretty tired by the time we walked home again a few hours later, but we had a fun time.

This week, dinner time was a totally different ball game. This week, as long as Henry could feed it to himself with a fork, he ate it. Sausages, chicken, baked beans, butternut squash (well, he tried it, he didnt actually eat it, but hey, at least he tried it!), bread and butter, strawberries, raspberries, everything that can be stabbed with a fork! Made my life easier, thats for sure.

We went from being just the two of us, well, plus the dogs and the Bump, of course, to the house now including Papa and my dad, and tomorrow, one of his workers. Not only is it all of us, but we are all cramped into a tiny living space because the kitchen, dining room and play room have been taken over until further notice! Kitchen is starting to look totally different, there is a new window, new walls, new door holes, new floor, new light holes. Tomorrow the shipment with the kitchen arrives, its going to get interesting up in here!

I was worried it was the way of things to come, but H was happy to take a nap today and I drove to Black Zion to pick up our quarter of a cow. Such an interesting life I lead! Other tasks today, Farmers market for special thick noodles to make Thai curry when our stove gets plugged in tomorrow, vet for Mojos check up and allergy shot (which may have to become a regular event), kroger for MORE food (as it seems my dad is an eating machine!) and of course, general play time with H. On 3 or 4 hours sleep, Im exhausted. I just seem to lie then, in bed, waiting for sleep to drift back over me. Tonight Im going to eat when I wake up, just incase thats the reason Im not falling back to sleep til 6am (and then of course I hear MAMA around 630am).

Henry 16 month check up

Henry's doctors visit went as well as can be expected yesterday! The doctor said he is very healthy and growing well, so that is good! He has, however, developed an incredible fear of medical personnel. I should have guessed really, since he cried bloody murder when I had my blood pressure taken or we listened to the baby's heart beat with the dopler, but it sort of slipped my mind.

The crying/screaming began when we tried to get his weight. All this involves is laying him on the scales, but it had to be a speedy affair because he was tremendously distraught. At least to get his height I could hug him while he cried. He was fine in the room, running around in socks and a diaper. But when Dr. Dennis tried to listen to his lungs with the stethoscope, he started crying again. He cried as the doctor looked into his ears and his mouth, and screamed when he got the MMR vaccination, but I managed to end this pretty quickly by singing him his abc's.

Height 82 cm: 66%

Weight 22 lbs 10 oz: 17%

Head circumference 49.5 cm: 93% (just like his father!)

We ate out again last night, and despite the kind offers, I decided to 'cook' at home tonight, this time without an oven or stove! Eating out is fine, but tiring when I am on my own, neither of us particularly like being out the house almost 12 hours, its almost impossible for me to get H to bed anywhere close to 7pm and even then he gets mad at me for putting him to bed when we have only been in the house 15 minutes and managed to brush our teeth and read a book or two (rather than the usual 20 minutes or there abouts of story time). But I managed to make a delicious and nutritional meal with a toaster oven and a microwave! Im going to look at those Steamables bags tomorrow because maybe they will work for making nutritional meals in the microwave. I had a chicken breast roasted in orange juice with cranberries and butternut squash, with two huge servings of peas and corn. H pretty much just ate his chicken and apple sausage, but to his credit he did taste the butternut squash, he just didn't like it. He even fed himself his sausage with a fork, stabbing each individual piece without help from me! I got a video of it, but I dont know how to upload it, so Ill have to see if Danny can do it when he has time.

Our kitchen is now starting to look like it will in a few weeks. The doors are now in the right places, holes for lights are cut and wiring carried out, insulation in and drywall on walls. My dad gets here tomorrow and the shipment on Friday, so let the fun begin! I am so ready to have my house back! H was covered in dry wall dust within 1 minute of being in the house tonight. Nasty. What once was his toy room is under plastic sheeting and he doesnt quite know what to do about it, but the sneaky little man found a way to access the lego bucket from underneath the computer desk and was able to extract legos one by one to take over to the dog beds (his favourite place to lie) and play with them there. So cute!

I have to say, I was super impressed that he could feed himself his dinner tonight with no help from me, and that he ate his dinner with no argument! Of course, he got 1.5 mini Oreos tonight!

Mondays are all the same - exhausting

So, its Monday again. I may only work three days a week, but I get super tired, especially on Mondays. Living without a kitchen means we are leaning on friends to make us dinner, which is grately appreciated. At least I dont have to make H behave in a restaurant every night of the week. However getting him home, sticking his Pjs straight on him, reading a book or two then sticking him in his bed, doesnt go down well with him. And then me, yes well, I had to make up several hours of work after he went to bed because he has a doctors wellness check up tomorrow that could not be changed (next available appointment is in 3 months!), so I am even more glad not to have any post-dinner cleaning up to do, but find myself ridiculously exhausted and have done nothing but work today and attempt to feed my child and keep him on the straight and narrow for the very short two hours that I actually spent with him. Oh and recite my new mantra over and over again for the two short car journeys we spent together this evening to keep the peace. You know the one, "A, B, C, D, E, F, G", I wont go on, but I am ever so glad it works. I wouldnt be surprised if I didnt sing it in my sleep tonight - and I have a terrible 'singing' voice. And that is assuming I get to sleep tonight. Last night H woke up crying at 330am.. He didnt cry long, maybe 15 seconds, and then again about 20 minutes later and then about 430am. Not enough to warrant going in there, but enough to keep me awake long enough for the new baby to wake up and do its Kung Fu Panda work out until it was almost time to get up. I dont know what was wrong with him, though I suspect its those pesky canines again. Why cant they just push through!

For a short minute this evening I thought how nice it will be to have a leisurely breakfast and some play time with H in the morning, but then I realised the builders will be here at 8am anyways. But its supposed to snow tonight and be freezing again tomorrow, so there isnt much else for us to do. I need to go check out the day cares around town and put our names down on one for next fall, so maybe we will do that in the morning to save time Thursday. I figure its about time H got to socialise with other kids, that and I give my part time babysitter more money than I would a full time daycare, even if he only attended it part time. Also need to enroll in the mothers day out programs, maybe that will work out instead and be much cheaper.

But for right now, on this cold, wet, Monday night, I am exhausted.

Back to (our new) normal

Just in case you were worried about me after last night, which was in fact awful, I thought Id let you know that things were back to our new normal again tonight. I also got a little brave and instead of holding him while I cooked, I tried distracting him with something else. When he started repeating his mantra, "mummy, mummy, mummy", in that whiney tone, I took him by the hand and walked him over to the toy room (thankfully my dinner was rather hands off at this point) and got out a puzzle for him to play with and it worked, for a little while. I then gave him something new that he hadnt had the pleasure of playing with before - the two smaller bowls that sit in the food processer. These were a real hit and he carried them round with him everywhere.

He didnt eat any of our delicious dinner (spinach and pea pasta with Salmon - ridiculously health but oh so delicious!) but he didnt scream at all while I ate. After I had finished eating and he was given his milk, he threw it on the floor. I picked it up once and after the second time he threw it on the floor I told him that it was gone now. He did have a little cry, but I informed him that mummy didnt pick up the things we threw on the floor, particularly not so heavily pregnant, so in the future, he had best not throw it on the floor. He seemed reasonably satisified, at least he didnt cry for the milk. I then did the dishes while he occupied himself quietly.

He had a nice bath where I didnt have to perform a small play with the piggies, which gets a little old when you cant think of anything to talk about with two rubber piggies. I actually looked at his back most of the time as he was turned around shoveling water into the cup.

He happily brushed his teeth and then we had a huge development! Henry peed in the toilet!!! Every night he gets three chances to climb up his stool and I tell him to go pee. Tonight he got four chances and on the last one, he actually went! He found it so funny that he was peeing in the toilet, so maybe he will be excited to do it tomorrow night too!

We read some books together, curled up on our bed and he peacefully went to bed. I even asked him for a kiss on the way to his bedroom, at which he usually shakes his head, well tonight he leaned in and gave me several kisses with a smile!

Now this is what I was looking for last night!!! Im still going to treat myself to a decaf vanilla chai latte with 5 marshmallows, because, lets face it, I deserve it!

Then I will begin laundry, clean the bathroom and mop the floors. All in anticipation of our much awaited arrival tomorrow night... our Papa comes home after almost two weeks camping out in the Bush in Australia! I have yet to ask him if he saw a kangaroo! Its actually the longest time period that we havent spoken to each other in our 8+ years together. I am so ready for a manly hug!

Much better!

Two cups of vanilla chai latte, each containing 5 marshmallows, 3 extra marshmallows and one and a half hours of sewing and I almost feel human again! Relaxed enough to go to bed at least!

Let's all hope tomorrow brings a little man in a better mood!

What a freakin' evening

Oh my goodness. I just had the evening from hell. I don't know why we have expectations in life, we are only ever let down. Wow. I have got to sit here a minute and recover.

My expectation for the evening was that Henry and I would have a lovely evening together. I chose not to go out to get burgers like we often do on a Tuesday, because I wanted to spend some time with my son. I thought we could play a little, have a nice dinner, take a fun bath, read some stories and go to bed. That's what I thought. huh.

Everything seemed ok when we first got home. He walked up the path, climbed the steps and came in the house just fine. Then it began. The whining. So I took him to the play room, set him down and we started playing. It went well for a few minutes. I decided to check on his dinner and the Mummy, Mummy, Mummys began. Incessantly. So I held him while I fixed his dinner. One of his favourite dinners; sausage, chips/fries and peas. I set him in the highchair and the screaming began. Oh my goodness. Who stole my baby and replaced him with this monster. So I took him out of the highchair and carried on eating my dinner while he stood there and screamed. Then he asked for the fork with the piece of sausage on, and he fed himself. When he realised what it was he had for dinner, he reached for the plate, but I told him to eat his dinner he had to sit in the high chair. So I put him in the high chair, where he screamed. I carried on eating my dinner. When he got done screaming, he started eating his dinner. Then something made him start screaming again. After I had finished my dinner and could no longer bear the screaming, I took him back out of the high chair and he sat on the dog bed and carried on screaming. In fact he only stopped screaming when I started video recording his tantrum with my camera, then he just laid there in the dog bed looking at the camera.

Then he started screaming for his milk. I did get him some milk, and that provided me with a few minutes of peace and quiet, but he refused to be put down.

After he finished his milk I ran the bath. He climbed his stool and called for the tooth brush. After I told him we would brush our teeth after the bath, he started screaming and stood their screaming. When the bath was ready I took off his clothes, whilst he carried on screaming. When I put him in the bath he carried on screaming. When I sat on the toilet with the nail clippers and cut my toe nails he went deadly silent and watched. He then asked me to cut his nails, so I cut a few of his finger nails and then he wanted the nail clippers, which I would not let him have, so he started screaming again. We picked up all the toys and he happily took out the plug and handed to me. After drying off he was ecstatic to finally get to brush his teeth. Phew, no screaming. We went to his bedroom, he walked willingly, but when I put him on the changing pad to put a diaper on him, he started screaming again. Thankfully, story time was its usual fun, as long as I read the correct books. I tried to read the Belly Button book and he threatened to scream again. He started crying when I told him it was time for bed, but said goodnight to the doggies any ways. He calmed down a little bit on the way to his bedroom, but started screaming hysterically again when I put him in his bed.

I have no stinkin' idea what the heck is wrong with him, but I sure am glad he is quietly in bed. I almost wish I could drink so that I could have a big glass of wine, but a decaf chai tea and the couch will have to suffice Im afraid. What a crappy evening. Wow. Im still in shock. I suspect he was just really tired because he didnt sleep well last night at all (which I suspect may be a result of those pesky canines coming in) and apparently was prematurely woken up from his nap this afternoon. Lets all hope for a better nights sleep for all of us.

As an aside, the new baby has changed position. Somehow last night its butt got over to the right side of my ribs, which is probably another reason I didnt sleep well and had a sore back this morning.

I have saved Henry's sausage and peas and he will be given them tomorrow night for dinner. Little stinker.