A bunch of boys

Q is having a blast with his big boy cousins. My sister has four boys ages six and under. I don't know how she does it considering I often struggle with two. Q tries to keep up with all her boys, and they are wearing him out. My parents have a tire swing in their basement, and four of them squeeze on together. It is fun to watch them all playing.

It was a rough trip to Wisconsin. Our morning flight was cancelled, and we finally got on an 11:30 a.m. flight. One of our flights had mechanical problems, so we didn't get in until after 1:00 a.m. The boys were fairly good on the flights, but it is just exhausting. I used to not mind traveling, because I would just read or sleep. It was kind of a relief to have nothing to do. But, when you are traveling with a two-year-old and a two-month-old, you are constantly holding or entertaining someone. I would have paid a large sum of money for a nice long nap on one of those flights.

Packed flights, absent snacks, and extra expenses make me just dread traveling lately. Plus, it seems like flights are always late or cancelled. It has been so long since I have had a flight go perfectly smoothly. It seems like by the time you arrive you are so stressed out, it's barely worth it to get away! My sister, even with her four boys, always drives to her vacation destinations. Now I understand why.

--MM

Leaving on a jet plane

It is the day before our first trip as a family of four. I am very scared. T has to go to Wisconsin for a business trip, and the boys and I are tagging along to see my parents and my sister and her family. The thought of being trapped on a plane with two babies and dozens of irritated passengers is a little nerve-wracking. Q will have his own seat this time, because he is over the age of two. I think that will be a little better than the last time when we held his wriggly body as he demanded to get down.

I am packing a bag of small quiet toys to play with on his tray table plus some snacks since the airlines now charge you for even breathing their air. R should be a bit easier. It will be challenging to travel cross-country for two weeks with all the car seats, clothes, diapers, and other paraphernalia two children require. Our flight tomorrow leaves around 5:45 a.m. We are hoping that will mean tired babies ready to sleep on the plane. Today I am washing clothes, packing, and planning. Wish me luck. Hopefully at this time tomorrow, I won't be attempting to throw myself out the emergency exit door.

After this trip, I will be going back to work. My maternity leave uses up all of my vacation and sick time, so I am glad to be taking this quasi-vacation now. I am excited to go back to work in some ways but will also miss the flexibility and free time I have now. It will be fulfilling to get back to real life though and settle into a schedule. These three months have sped by in a blur of spit-up, crying, and sleep-deprivation. My newborn is now a chubby baby. Crazy.

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A couple other random thoughts:

I went spray-tanning again today. I am feeling a full-on addiction developing. It is so quick and easy and not bad for you! What is the downside? The price I guess, but if you buy in bulk it is cheaper. I did get a horrible sunburn on my back yesterday while with the boys at a spray park. I think having the fake tan tricks you into thinking you won't burn. Just my back burned though. Odd.

Just in time to see our family, Q is injured. He was with his dad at the pet supply store and lunged out of the cart for something. I'm glad I wasn't there, because I would have been a mess. That scratch is a little too close to his eye, and it looks even worse in person.

And now a couple pictures of little R. Getting chubby fast and full of smiles.











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Friday: 5 miles 48:30 outside

--MM

A little something

We got our something! A few weeks ago we sent $10 to The Something Store and waited for our surprise something. It was taking awhile, so we started to think maybe we got scammed. But no, our something arrived as promised this afternoon! It is a set of earphones for your Ipod and cell phone. Not exactly exhilarating, but worth the $10, and at least we didn't get scammed.

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R was up three times last night between 1:00 and 7:00 a.m. He was up for a long time each of those times. I was so tired today, I just ached. I hate that feeling. It is amazing how it changes everything. I felt so frustrated I almost wanted to cry when the comforter was stuck while I was making the bed. Your patience and good humor evaporates when you are overly tired. I told T to take the children when he got home and laid down for a nice juicy nap. I was a new woman when I awoke.

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Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 3 miles on treadmill, a few weights, and 10 minutes of Pilates abs

--MM

Poop explosion

R had his first major explosion of poo, and man, was it a doozy. Thankfully, I was at a meeting for family-centered care at the hospital. I am part of committee that advises them on how to make their maternity, NICU, and pediatrics more family-friendly. Kids are welcome at the meetings, and the nurses, doctors, and administrators take it all in stride.

Anyway, I was nursing R when he grunted and made a loud poo. He is quite boisterous when pooping, so this is nothing new, but then I felt a warm, wet sensation on my leg. I thought perhaps it was a little leak, but no. It was all up his back and coating his shorts. It was dripping down the front and back of my thigh and soaking into the upholstery of the chair. It absorbed into my nursing cover and burp cloth. I had to use about 85 wipes to clean up everything, and R had to go pants-less. A very nice nurse scrubbed it out of the chair. Later I was finding the mustard-colored goo everywhere. I even had to scrub it off the face of my watch. It is amazing what you can get used to.

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I have been tagged by Julie. This is kind of a lot of work! I will comply to the best of my ability.

• Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
• Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
• Tag 7(ish) people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
• Let your victims know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on each of their blogs.
  

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Seven facts about me:

1. I got third place in my six-grade spelling bee. I missed the word "executive."
2. I started getting gray hair in high school.
3. I had hip dysplasia as a baby and had to wear a brace for awhile. I later put in on my Cabbage Patch kid.
4. I detest mushrooms. That sucks when you're a vegetarian.
5. I had a duodenal ulcer when I was nine. I was kind of a stressed-out little kid.
6. I did 27 shots on my 21st birthday. Now the thought of doing a shot makes me want to barf.
7. I have a huge problem with falling asleep in cars. Not a big deal if you are a passenger, but I used to have to pull over in rest stops or take caffeine pills to make the 500-mile drive home from college.

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Now I tag: Maggie, Shelli, and Annie. That's good enough for my first time.

--MM

Many pokes

R had his 2-month appointment today. He got four shots and one oral vaccine. It certainly is overwhelming to see such a tiny person get so many vaccinations. I think you just have to trust modern medicine and do what the latest research shows is right, but it still makes you wonder. Is that really good for a tiny baby? I sure hope so. It is so hard to watch him scream and writhe in pain.

His height and weight are both above average. Q was tiny for so long, so it is quite a change to have a little chubby baby.

I ran outside around 9:00 tonight, and it was just starting to get dark. I love, love these long days. It just feels like you can get so much more done. Is there anywhere on the planet that has these long days year round? If so, I want to move there.

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Tuesday: 3 miles 28:45 (slooooooow...still recovering from yesterday's belated long run)

--MM

Reformed fake-baker

I got my first spray-tan today. It was an interesting experience. I used to go tanning, quite excessively really in high school and college. I have since stopped that habit. When T had a melanoma removed from his back, I decided I needed to end my sun-worshipping ways.

Still, I would like to be tan. It just makes you look better and thinner, both of which I need right now! So, I decided to give the spray tan a whirl. I didn't realize all that went into it from wrapping your feet in plastic wrap to the crazy poses you have to hold. I am happy with the results though and think I will go again.

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Monday: 9 miles woo-hoo! 1:26: 30 (T met me halfway with some water. My feet are covered in blisters, but otherwise I feel good)

--MM

Sacraments

My in-laws are wrapping up their weekend visit as I type. They are headed back to their hotel and have a 6:00 a.m. flight. T's mom cried as she said good-bye to baby R sleeping peacefully in his swing. I feel for them that they are so far away from their two young grandchildren. They had a lot of good quality time though this weekend. It was a busy one and included two churches in two hours.

T and I were invited to a wedding of a co-worker months ago. We RSVPed yes and were looking forward to the night out. Then we found out that T's parents were coming that weekend. T was raised Catholic so we baptized Q in the Catholic church and planned to do the same with R. The baptism however was scheduled at 6:45 the night of the wedding. The wedding was at 5:00. So, we figured we'd go to the wedding, slip over to the baptism, and then hit the reception.

My first dilemma was finding a dress that was cute enough for a wedding but demure enough for a christening. I looked around for awhile until I found this gem. (It was demure with a sweater) Then our next problem was when the wedding started 50 minutes late. We nervously wondered what was going on as we checked our watches. The wedding finally got underway just before 6:00, so we knew we had to plan our exit. We didn't even make it to the vows unfortunately. When everyone stood up for the gospel reading, we slipped out ignoring a few curious looks.

We were also slightly late to the baptism, because the guest of honor kept barfing on himself. He wore a 100-year old christening gown that has been used by dozens of T's relatives. The baptism itself included four other children. R screamed hungrily through most of it, as Q ran around the sanctuary in a yellow tie and blue blazer. Finally, R was christened, and we were on our way to the reception. The wedding lasted an hour and a half (yikes), so people were just arriving after 8:00 when we got there.

The food was wonderful and the wine even better, but our table was a bit strange. I sat next to a skinny older woman who bore a striking resemblance to Cruella De Ville. She and her husband drank so much that she eventually slumped over in her chair hiccuping until someone led her away. Before that, she and he husband talked our ears off. Her husband asked me how far along in my pregnancy I was. When I told him I was two months postpartum, he mumbled something about how long it takes to get your body back. Hey thanks. That pretty much crushed any self esteem I had for the night. The guests on either side of T also had a heated argument over the merits of Barack Obama as he awkwardly sat between them.

We were just finishing dinner at 11:00 p.m. and had to head home without even dancing or having cake. Kind of a strange wedding all in all, but at least we successfully completed all our church obligations for the night.

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Friday: rest
Saturday: cross-train: 20 minute walk and 30 minutes of Pilates
Sunday: rest (supposed to do 9 miles but postponed till tomorrow)
145.6 lbs

--MM