Duped by Poop

Yesterday Haleah finally seemed to have a breakthrough. David called me into the bathroom to look into the toilet to see Haleah's brown wad in there. David and I went over the top with exuberance and song and dance for Haleah's accomplishment. We gave her her own can of Sprite and her own bag of M&M's, which she requested beforehand, if she were to do #2 in the pot. We took pictures and everything (see above). We were all very excited.

Then, to our surprise, and dismay, Haleah promptly got down from the table after our potty celebration, went into the toy room and pooped in her underwear. And it didn't even phase her. She didn't even care! What a tiresome, long and drawn our production this potty training is beginning to be. I am so wondering how this is going to progress, if at all.

Today at church, I got pooped on by Bekah and didn't have a change of clothes for myself, of course. And later I was nursing in a spare room when Haleah had to pee. I stopped everything to take her to the church potty, and she refused to sit on it (even though it was a miniature pint sized potty). So I gave in and gave her a Pull Up to go in. I didn't have another choice. I was at church alone with 2 kids (David stayed home with Kaelah).

Later in the day Kaelah wanted to try the potty, so I put her up on it. Then, I took her off and put Haleah on. But before I could get a diaper back on to Kaelah, she peed all over my bathroom rug. Argh! I am finding that this potty training process is sucking the life out of me. I am so tired this week. I have started my diet (and lost 4 pounds), but I find myself becoming less and less patient, and feel like things aren't going well. Sometimes Haleah will tell me she has to pee, but then she dawdles and will not move fast enough to bathroom. And she is so particular. She wants me to read a certain book with her while on the potty and wants me to fold her Kandoo wipe just so. And the whole time I'm trying to reason with this child who has a mind of her own. She is so smart and is going to do things her own way.

As for the rest of the weekend, it was somewhat productive (once I got a wee bit of sleep under my belt). David planted some Nandina bushes outside and we kind of planned out how we want our landscaping to go. We want to move some Hostas around, etc. It's always easy to talk about but a lot harder to actually incorporate a vision. But at least we're progressing in a direction. David also broke out his chainsaw and groomed the tree branches out front. Men like to do things like this. Once he got that saw out and trimmed the first piece, he didn't stop. Before I knew it our whole yard was covered with tree branches. He's such a guy...

Mass Regression and Confusion

Regression, regression, regression...

Today, the girls woke up at 5 something, so I knew it was going to be a rough day! We played outside and ventured to Walmart, but didn't do much else afterwards. Aunt Annie brought over clothes for the children that someone gave to her for us, which was so nice. People are always giving us free clothes for the kids, and I take em! I am so grateful.

Haleah fought me about napping in the Big Girl Bed but I held the line on that when she was hoping for her crib. I said, "You don't want to be in a 'cage', do you?"

And she learned a new trick---how to put on her own diapers. Uh, oh! I was on the computer today and Haleah came skipping happily into the room. I looked at her and she had taken off her underwear and put on a diaper to pee in, instead of going to the potty. She did it again later in the evening tonight and I literally had a Tug O' War with her holding the diaper! It was ridiculous. Tantrums ensued and we were all pretty upset.

I talked to my sister-in-law, and she said "hide the diapers." I hate to do that, because I have let Haleah poop in them, but it's going to have to come down to that. I don't think that I can give in to her. Tonight she asked for a diaper to poop in but never pooped. So she is playing me now... We are already on the potty training track and I don't want to go back!

Another struggle is what to do when we go to Walmart, for instance. Do I chance it that she is going to have an accident in her undies and can't hold it? I don't want to have the Pull Ups as a crutch, but at the same time, I don't want to be paralyzed with fear about finding a potty when we go out. What to do?

Confusion, confusion, confusion...

Goin With the Flow

Today was Big Girl Bed day- another step in the progression of Haleah growing up. I decided to drag her crib out and put special sheets on her toddler bed. Sounds traumatic, but it really wasn't. It's time. We practiced laying down in the bed this morning and put Haleah's stuffed animals all around her. Haleah seemed to go with the flow on this. I was amazed.

Mid-morning, David took the older girls to Kmart to buy the correct sized underwear for Haleah that Walmart didn't have. I had fun imagining David laying out all the packages of 2T undies in Kmart with two little girls at his knees. Haleah picked out Strawberry Shortcake and princess undies. She was very proud when she brought them home.

We played outside for a while today, but it was so hot. And the bees were buzzing in the clover on our grass, which tells me it's time to mow that lawn again. We also have some bushes that we purchased about 3 weeks ago now. They are still sitting in their pots in front of our porch. I'm going to see how long it takes David to dig the holes for them. I hope it doesn't come down to me having to haul out the shovel and dig them myself. I suppose I wouldn't mind doing that; I just don't know when I have free hands to do such a thing during daylight hours.

Haleah is starting to trick us a little with the potty training. She is not going #2 in the toilet yet, so she asks for a diaper to do her business in. But lately, I see that she is not going when she says she needs to. I think she's just saying that so that she can put a diaper on again. Now, how am I supposed to know if she is for real, or if she's faking us out? Another obstacle...

Kaelah sat on the big potty today too. She thinks she is hot stuff. However, she is not ready. Case and point: Tonight, as I was undressing the girls for bath, Kaelah sat on her potty. I told her to go pee pee in the potty. She got up and said, "biper," for "diaper." I told her "no," because she was getting into the bath in a minute. Well, I should've listened, because she promptly peed all over our bathroom rug. I was like, "Nooooooooooooooooo," in slow motion... Bekah was laying there on the rug like the sweet baby that she is, and the pee just nearly missed her. Thank goodness! Bath ended up being a disaster too. I gave them each warnings not to throw water out of the tub. They didn't listen and tested me. I had to follow through and pulled them out of the tub. I didn't want to because it's sooo much effort to follow through like that sometimes. But I had to.

My diet went okay today. I went off course just a tee bit. But I don't think it will do an irreparable damage. The scales will tell me at the end of the week. I try not to weigh myself during the week. But last night I cheated a little and hopped on. After three days of dieting, I have lost 3 pounds already! Woo hoo!

One final thing: I realized that I haven't mentioned Bekah much on this blog thing that I do. It's because it's almost like she is not around. I mean, I care for her and tend to her all day, and hold her a lot, but she's just such a sweet, placid baby. I hardly know she's there. She is such a delight, is so beautiful and perfect and precious. She goes with the crazy flow of my family so well. I love her to bits and bits. Nuf said?

Aye, Aye, Aye!

Today was a funny day. I have done well with my diet, and my niece, Gracyn, helped me count my points with my Point Finder thingy. I have to make the most out of counting calories if I want to see the pounds drop.

I watched my nieces today and we saw Camp Rock on TV. That one Jonas Brother dude has some of the thickest eyebrows I have every seen! While we watched the movie, I painted the girls' nails, both their hands and their feet. I got down and dirty today!

Haleah wanted to sleep in Big Girl Bed for nap. I was shocked that she mentioned it, as that toddler bed has been sitting in her room for over a year, next to her crib. Till now, it's merely been a home for her stuffed animals. So we tucked her in to nap. BUT, she kept getting up and coming out of the door, even though I told her not to. I kept giving her more chances to go to sleep, but she was pushing her limits. I finally ended the charade, and tossed her back into her crib for nap, as I had to get her to sleep. She wasted 45 minutes fooling around in her Big Girl Bed and out and about her room. We will try again another day when we start the nap process earlier and I have a bit more patience...

David has been hurting the past couple of days. The place where he had back surgery a few years ago is hurting him, and he's beginning to limp around. I am worried. But of course, he's a man and won't call the doctor and won't do stretches, and won't ice, and won't stop picking up the kids. Stubborn man! I feel so bad for him and don't know what to do to help him. I hate seeing him in such pain; and when a man is in pain, everyone is miserable. It's no fun.

Tonight, after dinner, I was nursing on the couch when all of the sudden the Schwan man came walking into the living room, right as I was about to "put away" my boob. I was a little surprised that the Schwan man didn't knock, but he knows my family well and saw all of my in-law's cars parked in my driveway for dinner. So luckily, I didn't flash Schwan man. I told my mother-in-law that I only flash my boobs for certain people, and Schwan man isn't one of them. Ha.

Speaking of nursing, I had the strangest dream last night that Bekah was nursing on the cat... Aye, aye, aye!

Counting Points

After getting disgusted enough times from only being able to fit my butt into maternity shorts, I have finally decided to get serious about dieting. I started yesterday and began counting my Points. I am doing the Weight Watchers journey once again, on my own. It worked for me before, so I will try it again. As I blog, I am absolutely famished, as I ran out of Points by 4pm. Diets stink! But I want to feel good about myself again and simply fit into the clothes in my closet. That would be nice, for a change!

So this morning, after visiting the duck pond with the girls, I went to Walmart to pick up some diet- like food such as Egg Beaters, rice cakes, low cal oatmeal and Diet Pepsi. I am trying not to think about food too much during the day, because if I do I'll want to eat it. In fact, I don't even want to write about food right now, because I'll want to go eat. But I will blog on how my progression with this goes. It's all the accountability I've got, and only my anonymous readers are my support! New topic...

Haleah had her first pee accident in her underwear today. This is because she refused to go potty after nap. Two year olds know best, I guess... Haleah has also been petrified that I am going to hurt the boo boo on her knee when I ask her to look at it or put a Band Aid on it. She throws an absolute tantrum and is so dramatic. I have discovered that my pet peeve is whining. But I guess it's good that Haleah does have a mind of her own and does thrive on independence. I bought her new undies at Walmart today too. They only had size 4 though, and she's a 2 or a 3. So these ones will have to float on her bum until I can find new pairs her size at another store. Ha.

Kaelah is funny. This morning, as I was stumbling out to the kitchen, I asked her if she wanted a bagel for breakfast. To this she replied, "Egggie!" So I made her scrambled eggs instead. I can't believe a 19 month old has such strong preferences either. For snack after nap, I asked Kaelah if she wanted a graham cracker. And to this she yelled, "Milk!" She likes to dip her graham crackers in milk. So, I am hearing opinions loud and clear lately.

Tonight, Bekah pooped all over the front of my shirt, and I didn't even realize it. How disgusting is that? I have no idea which neighbors saw me, either, with poop on my shirt. How lovely.

My one accomplishment today was moving the diaper bins and the bassinet out of our room. Bekah has slept in her car seat next to the bassinet since birth, as it's more comfortable for her, being upright. It's sad that none of my kids slept in that cute bassinet we paid so much money for. We tried and tried. I will probably sell it at the next yard sale. At least, though, some newborn baby things are moving out of our room. I'd like my space back eventually. So this is a step in the right direction.

Potty Training Day #4

What a miracle--- the kids all slept in until 7:30am this morning. How awesome is that? We went to church this morning and I didn't spend even one minute in service. Why, you ask? Well, I set up the hospitality table, chased Haleah from the water fountain (bubbler, as I call it), changed and nursed Bekah, rushed Haleah to the potty twice (we brought her potty seat to church-yes we did!) and sat with Haleah in her new class for "big girls," just so she could get comfortable with this new transition. Lots of new stuff! Kaelah fell asleep on the pew for a while, and the pastor's wife held Bekah for me again this week. I don't think I could manage without the wonderful help from others.

After nap time, the girls and I went over to Aunt Annie's house, where David's cousin, Jennifer was watching over her sister Stacey this weekend. (Stacey has been in a coma for 7 years from a car accident). Anyhow, I got to spend some time with Jennifer to chat and catch up. She wanted to see Bekah, as she hadn't seen her since her birth in the hospital. (Note: See pics above of Jennifer and Bekah). David went to visit our pastor to give him a jacket we had had made for him, in appreciation for all of the nice things he has done for us in the past few months. He and his wife are truly wonderful people. David then came to pick us up at Annie's and we picked up a pizza to feed the hungry mouths at home.

Haleah did a great job with potty training day #4. I like that she was willing to use a potty at church, as this will allow her to learn to be flexible in going to the bathroom in different and public places. I explained to her that there are potties everywhere, not just in our home. She is getting particular about whom she'd like to take her to the potty, though. Sometimes it's me, and sometimes it's David. It's getting tricky.

Bekah was fussy the latter part of the day and wouldn't sleep. It was hard to get her settled tonight. And Kaelah has a new "trick" she is trying to pull on us at bedtime. We put her in her bed and within a few minutes she stands up crying, calling out our names (ie. mommy or daddy). When one of us goes in there to tell her to lay down she says, "down," and proceeds to throw herself down onto her bed. She is so weird. She will proceed to do this two or three times before she settles. It's hilarious, but I told David that we better nip that in the bud.

Finally, Haleah has been talking to me about her new friend, James. I don't know who this is, but am beginning to discover that it's probably her imaginary friend. It's the second day she's talked about him. She first told me that James lives at Grandmama's house. And today she told me that James was at the hospital. Who knows? Maybe she's seeing a ghost. She is pretty funny.

A Thought About Mess

I spent over an hour yesterday just getting the mess in my kitchen under control and today, within 15 minutes, it seemed like it was a disaster again. It's a never ending cycle and it seems to get me down, because I simply don't like messes. I like neat, orderly places.

When I was in my younger 20's, I used to go to my friend Nanci's house, who had three young kids at the time, and wondered why her house was such a mess and why she couldn't seem to get a handle on it. Nanci also had a carefree way about her and the mess didn't seem to bother her at all, and I wondered how could that be? Well, now that I have three young kids of my own, I understand why Nanci's house was always a mess and why she couldn't seem to get a handle on it. And now I actually admire that she didn't let the mess bother her. Nanci really had her priorities straight. Her kids came first, and she let them explore and be creative and play in their home. She spent more time with them than working on cleaning her home. Looking back now, Nanci's house was always a comfortable and inviting place to be, even in the mess. And in reality, her house wasn't REALLY THAT messy, considering what she was dealing with on a daily basis. So my thought for the day is that I'm going to try and take a hint from Nanci... and just let the mess be. I don't have to be a slob, but I can just like some things slide for a while. I guess life is too short to overstress this stuff...

Tiny Blog

I hate to say this, but potty training does seem to get easier every day. I am overjoyed! Haleah is doing such a fabulous job. I feel like she's all grown up. She makes me read a magazine with her every time she goes and I bought her some Kandooz for wiping (fun for kids).

Kaelah was funny today. She kept kissing my legs. She was practicing her pucker. So cute.

I really don't have much else to blog about tonight, just boring stuff. I made two banana breads, did laundry, got a handle on my messy kitchen, went to Walmart, gave kids baths and let my husband trim my bangs (big mistake). On to tomorrow...

Potty Training: Day #2

You never know what you're gonna get starting a day out with a toddler, namely Haleah. We started the day by trying to take her to the potty again, and she wanted nothing to do with it. I think part of her issue was that her "boo boos" on her knees hurt from skinning them yesterday. They were still raw, and pulling pants up and down the legs probably hurt (and she didn't want a Band Aid). Anyhow, for the better part of the morning I felt as if I were forcing the potty issue with her cause I didn't want to lose. If she "fails," then I fail, inevitably. She threw many tantrums, but in the end, she gave in. Haleah ended up in a better mood and she went pee on the potty 5 times today, had only one minor wet Pull Up and one false alarm on the potty. I did give her a diaper to poop in before nap, per her request. So overall, I view this potty training day #2 to be a success.

Haleah likes to earn her stars to put on the newly created Big Girl Potty chart that I whipped up during breakfast. I think she is feeling proud of herself (which was my goal), and for this I'm happy.

I was also remembering today that Haleah was, in fact, potty training quite successfully at 18 months, until the day that she saw the actual poop in the potty. It totally freaked her out and scared her away from trying the potty thing until now. What a long haul it's been, but hopefully my patience with her will pay off.

For some reason David feels like he wants to take the girls on long rides on this week that I happen to be potty training. He doesn't seem to get that this time at home is crucial to the potty success of this strong willed toddler. He doesn't really see what goes on during the day and what I go through and therefore he is frustrated that he can't just "take them out." I just don't want what we've worked on to "go to pot," or in this case, "go to potty."

Wait and Pee

Yesterday wasn't much to blog about, just a typical day where I got peed on and spit up on; but today came the unexpected---potty training!

At breakfast, Haleah asked to get down from the table to go "poop in toy room," as she typically says and does in the mornings. But today for some reason I asked her, "Do you want to try to go in big girl potty?" And she said, "Yes!"

So off we went to big girl potty. She wanted to use the regular potty with the Elmo seat, not the little potty that I bought her. She was afraid to sit up there at first, so we tried it with her pants on, then we tried it with her diaper on and finally we tried it with the bare bum. I gave Haleah a Reader's Digest to look at while she sat there. I "talked up" the potty, making it sound as exciting as possible. And she finally went pee! Yippee!

Haleah then went to her drawer in her room and pulled out her Dora underwear. I told her she could put them on because I was so proud of her. I told her as long as she was willing to try to go in the potty today, that she could wear the undies. A short time later, we went outside to the swing and Haleah started crying all of the sudden. The pee started to drip down her leg. I said, "Do you have to go potty?" She cried, "Yes!" I said, "That's okay. Let's go!" So I picked her and Kaelah up and ran to the potty. Haleah went pee in the potty again. And I gave her a couple of chocolate chips for doing a good job. This time I also put on Pull-Ups, and told the same thing--that she had to try to tell Mommy when she had to go and that I would take her to the potty. I used Pull-Ups because I want her to get used to the potty process before we go straight to underwear. And besides that, I haven't purchased many pairs of underwear for her yet, as there hasn't been a need until now.

By 9:30am, David was trying to get out the door and was frustrated with me and upset that I "wasn't watching the children" because they were bugging him while he was at the computer. I was like, "excuse me?" I mean, I was potty training one, nursing another, and chasing a third one who kept pulling her own pants down and taking her diaper off. Holy cow!

Over the course of the next few hours, I think Haleah was trying to train me. I swear that every 5 minutes Haleah kept telling me that she had to go potty. I was a wreck running back and forth to the potty, but I had to take her seriously, as I didn't want to put a damper on her growing up to be a big girl on the potty. But man, she ran me ragged! She wanted me to sit on the edge of the tub while she sat on the pot. And she wanted to hold pieces of toilet paper in her hand and rip tiny pieces to put into the potty while she sat there. I didn't have a minute to do one thing for myself this morning----including going to the bathroom! After a while I started to wonder if she just wanted to use the potty to get more chocolate chips. I couldn't figure it all out. But this was her day, so I let her lead. Poor Kaelah and Bekah took a spot on the back burner today. Kaelah kept sitting on her little potty, trying to "fit in." I think I can only manage to potty train one at a time with a newborn, however. And I don't think Kaelah is quite ready, though she does show willingness...

In the midst of all the potty stuff, I put Kaelah down for nap and nursed Bekah on the edge of the tub. I tried to put Haleah down for nap too at her regular time (noon), but she kept calling me from her bed, telling me she had to go. And she would go in the potty, but only a little bit each time, but she kept her Pull Up dry. Before I knew it, 2pm was rolling around and Haleah STILL hadn't napped. Normally, I would never let her out of bed so much, but on her first potty day I had to. She kept asking me for a diaper so she could poop, but I just kept bringing her to the potty to try. I couldn't give in, but wondered if I should. Finally, she napped, but only for an hour.

I forgot to mention that Haleah got to call both of her grandmothers and Aunt Mimi (Missy) to tell them about her using Big Girl Potty. It was very exciting. When Haleah woke up from nap, her Pull Up was still dry, and I was SO proud of her. I also took her straight to the potty. She told me she had to go poopy again (she still hadn't gone yet from her mention of it this morning). She was scared to go poopy, so I asked her if she wanted to eat watermelon on the potty while she waited to go (not the best idea that I ever had). It was super messy, and she kept trying to feed Kaelah a bite while up there, and no poopy ever came of it.

By dinner time, David came home and took her to the potty for a couple of rounds. She got excited to hear the pee drizzle into the potty. She thought it was funny. We gave her ice cream as a treat after that. She didn't really eat healthfully today because everything was so concentrated on sweets and treats for going potty. By this evening, I tried to revert to sticker rewards and need to make a Potty Chart tonight. This whole process just snuck up on me today and I wasn't fully prepared. I am wiped out!

The final potty moment of the day came when Haleah kept asking for a diaper after I got her pajamas on. I had taken her to the potty one last time before bed and told her this was her time to go. I switched roles with David so that I could take Bekah, and he tried to coax Haleah into pooping in the potty. And once I started to nurse Bekah, I could hear Haleah moaning in the bathroom and started to feel bad for her. She had such a long day and was so determined to pee in the potty and keep herself dry. She is really hard on herself, and she was so tired. So I went to David and told him that I was proud of her for today and that she truly did accomplish a lot and that maybe we should let up a bit now. I asked him to get a diaper for Haleah. So he did. Haleah then immediately went to "poop in toy room," as she had requested this morning. David then changed her, asked her to watch him drop the poopy in the toilet (so she could see that she didn't have to be afraid of it in there), and brought Haleah to bed. Poor thing was out like a light. And we have to go through all of this again tomorrow.

I asked my mother-in-law how long this process takes, as she had come over tonight with some small gifts for Haleah for using the Big Girl Potty. I guess with each child it's different. Tomorrow is a new day with new possibilities, so we will all just have to wait and pee... I mean see!

Infamous Puffs

Tuesday was a fun day. I took the girls to Walmart in the morning so that David could get the lawn mowed in peace. The girls were well behaved at the store. But during checkout, Haleah helped me put the groceries on the conveyor belt and put the Puffs from our diaper bag up there too. So, I ended up paying for Puffs two times, since I didn't realize what she had done until we were all buckled up and back into the car. By then, there was no way I was going to drag three children out again for a $2.00 reimbursement at Customer Service. I have to let some things go...

Haleah had terrible diarrhea about 7 times today. I feel so bad for her. She screams when I change her diaper. I told her that if she goes big girl potty that her bottom might feel a little better because the poopy wouldn't sit on her skin. I think that comment went in one ear and out the other...

After dinner, we met up with the family to go to the Kiddie Carnival. Cora was late because she was straightening her hair and putting on makeup--for a Kiddie Carnival! Then we had to track down her friend's shirt and shoes left at my mother-in-law's house. It was frustrating, but we finally made it to the carnival. I was trying to be on time, because it was a party put on at the carnival by my church, and I only had a small window for my children to attend before bed time.

Anyhow, the kids had fun. Kaelah loved the little cars that go around and around. I think it started lulling her to sleep at one point, though, because she started sucking on her fingers. She didn't like the merry-go-round. She was so scared and was holding on so tight, that she had blisters on her thumbs. I didn't realize this though, until after the ride because she wasn't screaming at all. She started crying after she was back in my arms.

Haleah loved the swings that go around and around. She wasn't sure about them at first, but then she started to smile and be excited as the ride progressed. Jim, from church, held Rebekah for me for a good part of the evening and he said it was the highlight of his day. I thought that was sweet.

We got home a little after 8pm, and the girls were exhausted. Kaelah poured all of the Puffs (the infamous, expensive ones from the morning trip to Walmart) out into the entryway. And when Kaelah went to eat some of them, Haleah pushed her down twice. Meltdowns began because they were so tired. Somehow I got them cleaned up and into bed. I was too tired to blog last night. I ate some cereal and did pick up the disastrous Puff mess before I went to bed. This was enough of an accomplishment for me.

Unforeseen Mishaps

Bekah had her 2 month doctor's appointment today. She weighs 11.14lbs. She is in the 75th percentile in weight. She is 22 inches, which is in the 50th percentile in height. She got three shots today too, which I hate going through. I refused the rota virus vaccination, though, because Kaelah threw hers up three times when she had it, and it was an awful experience. And it wasn't around for Haleah's time. So, I made the decision on the spot to skip it.

Mid afternoon was fierce when Bekah started screaming her lungs off like she was in extreme pain. I could not comfort her or soothe her, and she wouldn't nurse. I was thisclose to taking her to the emergency room. I finally calmed her down, but she wouldn't let me put her down. It was pretty rough. Somehow I managed to make Chicken Parmesan for the family, including for my nieces and sister-in-law and mother-in-law. It turned out good. We also had cucumber salad, made using cukes from Mr. Beau's garden next door. I told ole Beau that I didn't have to plant my own garden because I have him!

Today Kaelah pulled a Houdini act on me. She told me she pooped in her diaper, so I asked her follow me back to my room to change her. She began to follow me, but when I looked back after a minute, I saw Kaelah pointing towards the floor saying, "biper. biper." I looked down and there was her poopy diaper on the floor, but her shorts were still on. How'd she do that? I still don't know. But what I do know was that it was a poopy mess everywhere, including on the inside of her shorts. Some days I get SO tired of poop, I could just scream!

Tonight after dinner I tried to bathe the girls, but Kaelah refused to sit in the tub. And normally she LOVES bath time. So I had to rush and wash her while she was standing up, screaming. Then, because Kaelah was somewhat out of control, I had to quick wash Haleah and pull her out. I decided to calm everyone down by taking them outside for a few minutes, in their pajamas. Haleah went to her swing, and within a minute, did a somersault flip onto the ground. Mr. Beau (who is well over 80 years old by the way), came flying off his front porch thinking Haleah was half dead. Turned out she was okay. Whew! Then we road the kids' tot bikes for a bit in the driveway. I attempted to push Kaelah up the part of the driveway that slants, when I instead helped scrape her bare toe on the pavement. Out came the blood, pouring from the big toe. Ooops! I scooped up all kids and rushed inside to the bathroom to patch the toe. Then we all read together on the couch, brushed teeth and went to bed---finally!

p.s. The pic is when Gracyn and Haleah played dress up as "ladybugs."

Fly By Weekend

This weekend flew by pretty fast. I feel like I didn't get much done because my house is still a mess and I have so many things still to do on my To Do List. Oh, well.

On Saturday, David had to work. So I waited until he left the house to round up the girls and sneak away to the store in search of a Father's Day gift. I found some Nike summer shorts and some sunglasses. I also bought some Crocs for Kaelah, as she was the last family member (besides Bekah) to have a pair.

When David got home later that evening, we ventured out to Lulu's House of Books. Lulu's is going out of business, so we raided the place in search of some fine (and cheap) kids' books. We found a bunch of Barney and Sesame Street ones, among others. But my favorite one we found was one about a little girl potty training. I hope Haleah will find it to be a good read!

The girls were a bit wild in Lulu's, so David promised them a treat if they behaved just a few minutes more. When we finally made it outside, he gave them some Smarties (basically pure sugar). I could have killed him, because bath time later that night was a nightmare with two children on a sugar high. They were out of control.

Today, Father's Day, was an okay day. I seem to have issues with hyping myself out on a holiday, then get let down because it doesn't turn out to be as great as I hoped or imagined it would be. I have to get out of that negative, cyclical mindset and just let the day be...

I made a breakfast casserole for David this morning for which he compared to Barney the Dinosaur's "mish mash soup." How insulting. The song on the Barney show goes, "...and we don't know how it's gonna taste. It looks a little weird and it seems a little strange, but we won't let it go to waste..."

We then made it to church. I set up the hospitality table that I do amidst clingy toddlers. When the first guests arrived, I greeted them with sweat pouring down my face. I was so hot from running around, trying to accomplish everything on time! Thank goodness the pastor's wife took Bekah again this week during the service. I couldn't hold her with sweaty I was. My hormones still haven't settled down from having a baby, I think. I seem to have ridiculous hot flashes all of the time.

After nap time this afternoon, we headed to Grandmama's. We went swimming in her big pool and in the kiddie pool too. Grandmama made Manwich for dinner, for which I could not stomach any more of, as I just had it like three nights in a row last week. So we ordered pizza at her house too. Grandmama (my mother-in-law) also made fun of me for always eating leftovers. For some reason she thinks that's funny.

While we were there, my good friend Laura popped by. And I do mean, "popped." She is about to have a baby soon, and she looks ready. We talked for a while, and before I knew it, it was after bedtime for my girls and we headed home.

Well Protected

You might find this funny, but sometimes, at the end of the day, I sit down at the computer to blog, and I literally can't remember what went on during the day. It's all a big blur. I have to sit and think and think and think. But here's what I can remember, after some thought...

I took Bekah with me to the doctor to have an intra uterin device (IUD) inserted. I know this is personal, and sorry if this repulses the readers, but I am SO excited about this. I now will be able to have relations with my husband without fear of having another child. I LOVE my THREE children, but each one of them was an "oops," though my Mom doesn't believe it when I say this. They were planned by God, but not by me. By the third one, I KNOW that I am fertile. I am not playing with the odds anymore. I got a device called the Mirena, and I think it's going to be one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

It might sound nuts, but we were not ready to go permanent, permanent with contraception. There is an ever so SLIGHT possiblity that we may want another child in the far off future. So this IUD lets me make the choice to conceive and can be easily removed. Or, it can stay in place and keep me safe for up to 5 years. I have the CHOICE. How cool is that? (Only people with multiple children, 15 months apart will understand my joy here). I just found something offish with going permanent while still in my child bearing years for some reason...

In other news: Bekah pooped her brains out while the nurse was holding her during my doctor visit. I changed her on the patient stirrup chair after I was "done," and poop was all the way up her back and through her outfit. Poop, poop everywhere! Thank goodness I brought another outfit. It was unreal! It figures that she would do that then and not at home. That's a day in the life of me...

Tests

I had an experience that happened yesterday and today with a relative that nearly broke my spirit. And obviously, on a blog like this I cannot go into details... But I'll say that I am worn out emotionally, but have made it through to the other side. I think the air is cleared up now. I am so relieved. Now, I just have the aftermath of terrible migraine headaches. I know that every family goes through "bumps in the road;" I just hate when there are not any warning signs before you hit them dead on. Anyhow...

Today my nieces and my children ventured out to Walmart again for crafts and food. The girls decorated flower pots today with felt stickers and got to pick out their own flower to plant in it. I thought it was fun. Haleah said, "I want to do a crap!" ("crap" apparently is her word for "craft"). I thought that was funny. My nieces went to play with the triplets, this afternoon, who live behind me. My girls and I played in our toddler pool after nap. Bekah has been sleeping most of the day. She seems to alternate on me. One day it seems like she sleeps all day long. The next day it seems like she never sleeps. Crazy baby.

Kaleah is still clingy and fussy, getting over her unknown ailment/illness. She is slowly getting a little better day by day though; however, I'm concerned that her appetite hasn't picked up much. She decided to step into the kitty's water bowl again, as soon as I slipped her into her footed pajamas. I looked at her as she came around the corner to the living room and had to really think long and hard how on Earth she managed to get her feet soaking wet. Argh! That child is obsessed with the kitty's water, food and litter.

Okay, now the kids are in bed and I'm trying to wind myself down emotionally and physically. I think I'll turn in early tonight. I told David tonight that I can't keep a brain in my thought. I meant to say "I can't keep a thought in my brain." See? I'm going crazy!

Coughing Fits

Rebekah slept 7 straight hours last night. Woo hoo! Unfortunately, though, I was only asleep with her for 4 of those hours... But she is doing great!

Today at breakfast, Kaelah saw a fly and attempted to "shoo" it, and instead flipped her cereal bowl. David was laughing as I began to clean up the huge mess.

My nieces came by today for me to watch. David took all girls (minus the baby) to run errands while I showered in the morning before he headed out to work. Kaelah is still sick, too, by the way. Both she and Haleah kept coughing during naptime and I ended up putting them both back to bed about 10 times during a 2 hour stretch---exhausting! I set Cora and Gracyn up with a craft during naptime. They painted plaster ponies. The kid in me wanted to paint a pony too, but Bekah had other ideas for me. She did not want to sleep well during the day today...

After nap, we ventured outside to the new froggie pool I bought last night. The girls loved it. Cora and Gracyn ended up having a bucket of water fight, which was great comic relief. I was so tired today, that I kept bumping into things and injuring myself. I stubbed my toes, rammed my knee into the corner of the coffee table, and jarred my back on the edge of a closet door.

Tonight I had to tell Haleah not to hit me or she would be in trouble, as she tried to swipe at me. Then she paused for a minute and said, "You are in charge of me." I said, "You got that right!" I'm glad she is finally beginning to learn that lesson... :)

Got to go. They are still coughing in bed tonight. I'm running marathons back and forth to the rooms. Heaven help me!

Fozzy Brain and Fever City

Well, Kaelah's still sick. And Haleah seems to be sick now too. They both started coughing a lot today on top of the fevers... This is not good. I got all ready for church today then came out to the kitchen for breakfast and the kids were in terrible moods. I was frustrated because I really wanted to go to church, and I was supposed to do the hospitality set up this morning there too. So, I decided we were going! I got everyone dressed and out the door and headed to Starbucks on the way (which is very important on a day when kids are crying and you feel like your ears are about to fall off). I had to have my latte.

We made it to church and I got the pastor's wife to hold Bekah so that I could tend to the toddlers while David played in the band. I also set up the coffee corner for the visitors. Kaelah ended up crying down in her classroom. I could hear her through the vents in the nursery where I was feeding Bekah during the sermon. Too much! I could hear her going, "Muuuummmeee....Muuuuummmeee!" Poor Kaelah. David ended up going to get her from class and took her up front in his arms to sing the last song that he had to sing with his band. Then we laid her down in Bekah's car seat. We stayed after church for the all-church luncheon. It was the standard KFC meal (chicken, mashed po's, beans, biscuits). I was grateful I didn't have to cook. We didn't get to stay too long though, because we had to get back for naps.

The girls went down and David and I thought the afternoon would be enjoyable when they woke up, but we were wrong! It was fussin city! When the girls are sick, they make everyone else miserable. They didn't want to play with their toys or eat or do anything. It was a nightmare. And it was too hot to play outside. Note: I hope this time passes soon. This sickness stuff is getting the best of both David and me.

After I got Bekah down for the evening (at 9pm), I went to Walmart because we were depleted of practically all food supplies, and I didn't want to venture there tomorrow with 5 kids (my 3 and 2 nieces). So I stopped at Sonic for a drink and headed to Wally World. While there, some stranger kept texting me saying, "Goodnight" and "Call me tomorrow." So weird.

As I sat down to blog tonight, David started telling me a story. I told him that I couldn't listen to him because I needed to get this post done because I was so tired. I told him my brain was "Fozzy." I meant to say, "Fuzzy." He said, "You must be tired because you are talking about Muppets now. Needless to say, I better go get some sleep!

Saturday Stuff

Kaelah was still sick this morning. David slept in her room last night and he said she woke about 20 times. I got up to take her at 5:30, and the day began. When the rest of the family woke up, we played outside and David started cleaning out the shed. Yeah! Then it got blazing hot outside, so we came and Kaelah took a much needed nap. When she awoke, she was in a much better mood, and her fever had gone away again. The toddlers and I then washed both cars together. That was a fun challenge, to say the least.

Lowlights of the day included Kaelah pulling her hand out of her diaper to show me a wad of poop. I freaked out! She also got into the cat box today too. Talk about poop obsession. Disgusting! And Rebekah literally threw up all over me as I tried to put her to bed tonight. She simply started to gag and I heard and felt her stomach do rolls. Then the milk spewed out all over the Boppy pillow, my leg, the chair and the floor. I called David from across the house for help. I was trapped and covered in puke. Lovely, isn't it? She also pooped through her outfit just after I bathed her and got a clean outfit on.

A truly peculiar part of the day was when David got Haleah up from her nap. On her sheet were tons of tiny pieces of a gelatin like substance that was cool to the touch. I have NO CLUE what it is. I examined it and tried to do the CSI-like investigation on it, but I just can't figure out where it came from. Haleah only sleeps with her pillow, blanky and baby doll in her bed---nothing else. I am so confused. I have never seen anything like it. I hope it didn't come from her body somehow.

The highlight of the day, was when we went to get ice cream and go see the ducks. The ice cream joint was a rip off and a dive, but we took our treats to the duck pond park. The weather had cooled down and we laid a picnic blanket down. We had a nice time. The girls got to feed the ducks too. Then Kaelah started running after the ducks with a piece of bread in her hand with her arm straight up in the air. It was so cute! I took pictures from our picnic blanket and took a cute one of Rebekah too. At least the precious times come along to balance out the rough spots in our days.

A Walk in the Park?

Today was a better day. It seemed that the fevers were gone and we could all move on. My nieces came over for me to watch around 8am. We hung around for a while and then decided to go to Wendy's for lunch in celebration of Cora and Gracyn's job well done in school this year. They each had won awards and had great grades. We ended up taking our Wendy's food to a park for a picnic. It was a lot of fun, even in the 90 degree heat.

By the time we got home, Kaelah was miserable again. The fever was back. She didn't go down for nap because she was so doggone miserable. And Haleah, for some reason, was afraid that puppies were going to walk into our house and bark at her while she slept. Silly thing! Cora and Gracyn watched American Idol reruns during naptime and used fabric markers to decorate hats. And they also got that stinking Jonas Brothers "S.O.S" song in my head. Argh!

David came home early and we ordered pizza. By this time, Kaelah was out of her mind miserable. I wonder if her incisor teeth or molars are coming through or not because her fever is so high. Even now, while I blog, she keeps waking up from misery. My poor sweet one...

Rebekah had a better day today. While yesterday she hardly slept at all; today she practically slept all day---so much so that I hardly knew I had a newborn. I hope I don't "pay for it" tonight.

A good thing that happened today was that I got my People magazine in the mail. And David had a good week in sales; so I told him I wanted two Cracker Barrel rocking chairs for my porch. Wishful thinking! :)

Wake Up Call

I knew it wasn't going to be a good day when I had to take a shower at 4am. Haleah was up with a fever and I had just finished nursing Rebekah. I tried to make a sleep bargain with David about who was going to go help Haleah. I was sooo tired. I told David that I would let him sleep later in the morning (and take the kids) if he let me sleep through the rest of the night. I told him that all I wanted in the morning was to shower before he left for work. At that point I thought I heard him say that I'd have to shower right then because he had to leave work early and I would have no time to shower. So, I was ticked, and hopped into the shower, fuming....

When I got out of the shower, Haleah was in our bed, and I knew that any more sleep was not an option. I learned later that David didn't tell me to shower right then. I just must've been out of my mind. Go figure!

Today, during the day, I swear that Rebekah didn't sleep any more than a 10 minute stretch at a time. I think she is testing me and trying to train me to hold her all day. (Did I mention that before)? That baby's endurance and determination to stay awake lasted all day long, until 8pm. And moreover, she soiled about 10 diapers and soiled through 3 outfits. It was totally gross, and seemed neverending.

David took the girls to a playground this morning with my niece, Gracyn. I thought it would be my time to "chill" and regroup, but Rebekah had other intentions. It was a useless day. Gracyn did help me get my flowers planted though, and I was grateful for that.

By dinnertime, Kaelah was super clingy and fussy. I didn't know what was wrong with her. It finally dawned on me to whip out the thermometer. She had a 101 temperature. I put her to bed early. And being that Haleah was up half the night last night with a fever, I now understand why the last day or so has been so hard for me with the kids' clinginess and fussiness. They were coming down with a bug! Poor sweet ones...

I have prepped the kitchen for breakfast and have David's lunch, etc., ready to go for the morning, as he does have to leave early tomorrow....I hope this will be a jump start to a better day than today.

Delights and Frights

If it were not for this last past hour of today, then today would have been a perfectly delightful day... My family started off the day gathering on our front porch and playing in the yard. We were waiting for my niece Gracyn to come. I started digging the holes to plant my new flowers in the garden and we set up the hose to let our kids just get wet (who cares if they still had their pj's on). Gracyn came and we all played some more. I grilled hotdogs for lunch and then sent the kids to nap.

Gracyn decided she wanted to pick up and clean my house. She is such a delight! She is 8 years old and made my house sparkle (at least for a couple of hours). I feel like I owe her my life. I was too tired to clean and she just went to it. Then after the kids' nap she helped me barrel out to Walmart with them. She pushed the cart while I threw food in it. People kept stopping me and couldn't believe I had 4 girls. I told them I had 3, and wanted to claim my niece, but couldn't. I let Gracyn pick out a special treat for herself at the check out line for being such a big helper.

Kaelah was funny today too. I loved watching her reaction to the bug she saw on her booster seat she tried to swat it away.... And I loved how she was desperate to go to naughty corner again just after I sent Haleah there. Kaelah went to naughty corner and sat with her face to the wall. I told her that she didn't have to sit there and that she wasn't naughty. She made a face at me, got up and walked over to me and hit my leg. I told her that was naughty. She was trying to do something "bad" to get her sent to naughty corner. I caught on to what she was trying to do and said, "Okay, that was naughty to hit, Kaelah. Go to naughty corner!" And she went over to naughty corner and sat down with a half-hearted whimper. It was hysterical!

Haleah really wanted her Daddy to come home before she went to bed. But that didn't happen. It broke my heart. She said, "When he comes home, he will put a different shirt on." She says that because she knows that David wears a uniform shirt to work and when it's on, that means he has to go. So she knows he's going to be around for a while if he's not wearing that work shirt. It's always the first thing she asks him when he comes home--- "Daddy, will you take that shirt off?"

So the worst hour came long after Gracyn left and I was left alone to fend for myself with 3 kids. Haleah decided she wanted to hit the baby for no reason, HARD, on the head, as she walked by. She also kept bugging Kaelah to no end. She also hit me and would not listen to my requests for her to behave. I was so frustrated. She kept saying that she wanted me. But all three kids were crying for me, and what am I to do? I know each child wants my individual attention, and I just can't do it. I can't play a game properly with Haleah when I'm trying to console a fussy newborn or shooing away another clingy toddler. I feel like a bit of a failure today. I think Haleah is trying to get my attention, but she's presenting her need to me with negative behavior, which, in turn, gets discipline from me. It's seems like a neverending cycle. I don't want it to be that way. It's extra hard because when I try to hold Haleah, she pushes me away. She is not a "physical" child. She doesn't like to cuddle or be touched much. I guess we all have to keep learning and praying that we can get through this!

Hopefully tomorrow will be more of the delightful and less of the frightful...

Nothing Too New

Bekah is refusing to lay down on her own. She is trying to teach me a lesson to make me hold her all day. I didn't get to bed until way after 10pm last night, after a 4 hour long "battle" to get her back to sleep. I'm not sure what to do.

Yesterday was a decent day. A new guy, I'll call "J" came to our church. Our pastor originally had him arrested for stealing prescription drugs (our pastor is also a pharmacist). Pastor then visited him in jail and now "J" is out and has been clean for over 90 days and feels like he has a new chance and a fresh start. I thought that was a neat story how "J" is now coming to the church where the pastor got him booked! But that act ended up saving him instead of doing him in...

Today my ambitions include going to find some plants for my flower beds in the front yard. That's about it.