Sleep....Who Needs It???

Last night Hannah woke up at 11:30pm, 2:30am, 4:30am and 5:30am.  Not sure what has gotten into her, but her sleeping patterns are not improving like they should be!!  I fed her at 11:30pm, then plugged her at 2:30am and 4:30am, then fed her at 5:30am. 

I am so very thankful for every minute I get to spend with this little baby girl...but four times at night??  Last night was out of the norm.  But she is still waking up twice at night.  She used to only get up around 3am to eat, but now she has thrown in a 12:30am feeding.  Yes, I am sure she is growing - but a two month growth spurt?? 

As I have said before...this too shall pass.  But I am ready to get more than three hours of sleep in a row!!  People always ask how I do it.  I honestly think that there is a super power that comes along with being a mom.  It allows you to stay up all night with your baby, come to work and be productive for 8 hours, then come home to chase around a 2 year old, and then do it all over again. 

Would I do it all over again...of course...but not after a couple years of solid sleep!!

50 and Fabulous

My mom turned the big 5-0 today.  We threw her a big birthday bash last night in our hometown of Shueyville.  It was such a great time! 

Birthday girl herself!! 

We couldn't remember the last time it was just the five of us in a picture.  There have been several (great) additions since.

Grandma Deaner with her two grandbabies.

I had to throw this picture in - can you believe we got a picture with both kids smiling??? 

Life size Jenga game that we had a blast playing.

Three sisters.

Danielle trying to explain to my mom how to take her birthday shot. 

Mom and Dad.

My mom has taught me so many things - but most importantly I am the mother I am today because of her. Thank you mom for a lifetime of lessons and raising me to be the strong woman I am today.

Happy 50th Birthday Mom! 

5 Months Old

My little princess turns 5 months old today!!  She continues to be the happiest baby ever. 

Always smiling. 

She is really getting good with her hands.  Always grabbing toys.  She loves to watch her brother - she never lets him leave her sight!

Her eyes continue to change each day.  Some days they are green, some days blue,

but most days they are hazel.  So pretty!

When we took her to the Dr. two weeks ago she weighed in at 14 lbs 2 oz.

She never stops moving her legs!!

This is the part where I usually post Henry's pictures - but I can't find his 5 month pics!!  So we will skip that part this month. 

My Two Little Turkeys

This Thanksgiving was spent at Aunt Danielle and Uncle Brian's house.  A tradition in the making.  It was so great to have family together and only have to travel 10 miles to get there!  Something we can definitely get used to.  Each year we have more and more to be thankful for.  Most of all, I am blessed with two perfect little turkeys. 

Henry got a hold of the beaters after Grandma mixed up her Snicker Salad. 

Papa and his granddaughter Hannah.

Hannah is most thankful for her mommy - just read her shirt...

Henry helping Grandma in the kitchen. 

This year Andy was in charge of frying the turkey outside.  Luckily there were no grass fires, like there possibly could have been 4 years ago when we lived in Georgia... 

Henry and Papa swinging outside keeping Andy company.

Little miss princess.  I bought her the cutest hat from Etsy. 

Getting the turkey ready!!

The finished product!!

Henry went home with Papa tonight.  So Andy, Hannah and I have the night to ourselves.  Tomorrow we head to Shueyville to celebrate my mom's 50th birthday!! 

Gobble Gobble

Glow in their Eyes

Growing up we would head to Grandpa and Grandma's house each Christmas.  It was a 12 hour drive for my parents one way.  I don't know how they did it with three girls in the back of their van!!  I remember dad would pack the van tight, take out the middle seat, lay down a mattress, and take off in the evening so we would sleep most of the way.  We would wake up just as we were driving into 'the farm'....the excitement of jumping out of the van into Grandma's arms was unbearable.  Everyone would be waiting up for us.  We would say hello and then rush off to sleep knowing that tomorrow would bring so much more excitement.

Tonight I saw the glow of excitement in Henry's eyes.  I asked him if he knew who he got to see tomorrow.  He looked at me with his eyes big and bright and said 'Papa??'.  I then said yes and told him we were going to go over to Aunt Danielle and Uncle Brian's house to see Grandma, Papa, and Aunt Bri.  He looked at me with even bigger eyes and yelled 'YAY!!' while clapping at the same time.  It was priceless. 

Henry is still hit or miss when we put him to bed at night, let me rephrase that, when I put him to bed at night.  This is one of the tasks he only allows mommy to do.  Sometimes he goes right down (after I sing ABC's and Twinkle Twinkle), and sometimes we just have to let him scream it out.  Tonight I said to him 'You need to get a good night of sleep tonight.  Remember who you get to see when you wake up??'  He whispered to me and I could hear the smile in his voice 'Papa'.  I pulled the blankets over him and walked right out of the room.  No noises, no yelling for me to come back, silence.  I can just feel his excitement.  I do miss the days of being a child at times (mostly the no responsibilities), but I think it is even more exciting being on the mom end of things and seeing the glow in my sons eyes as he awaits the festivities of tomorrow.

Happy 3rd Thanksgiving Henry!

Little Bears Fan

Little Bears Fan in the making??  Thank you Aunt Heidi and Uncle Nate for my cute new dress!!

Jumperoo

Over the past few weeks Hannah has really started to like her jumperoo.  We have moved her lamb swing down to storage and now have the jumperoo as our center piece of attention in the living room.  She will jump around in this thing for a good 20 minutes at a time! 

As you can see - Henry still will not leave her side.  It is all fun and games until he tried to step in the jumperoo behind her the other day.  This toy is pretty amazing - but it is not made to hold two kids at once! 

College Friends

This past Friday night we had a great visit with some very good college friends.  Julie, Tracy and I all lived Mayflower together freshman year of college.  We became friends instantly and kept in touch over the years.  Tracy now lives in Des Moines with her husband Mark.  We don't see each other nearly as much as we should.  Julie and Blake just moved to Kansas City with their 8 month old son Colin.  They were headed back to Chicago for Thanksgiving and decided to drive through Des Moines for a night. 

It was so great to see everyone and to get to meet Colin!  Here are the kiddos all lined up.

Three college friends.  Just a minor change from 7 years ago...

Hannah and Colin - exactly 3 months apart.

Julie and I with our babes. 

Julie is such a great mother.  It has been so fun to swap crazy mother stories with her.  Julie is one of those friends that you can tell anything and everything to - so no details are ever left behind.  Who would have thought just a few years ago we would be sitting in our living room holding our little babies.  And who knows...maybe Hannah and Colin will meet at the University of Iowa one day:)

Thanksgiving in Carroll

Two weekends ago we celebrated Thanksgiving in Carroll.  It was so fun watching Henry play with his cousins Bennett and Camron.  We were welcomed to Carroll with 4 inches of snow.  Henry went outside with Grandpa Dale to help shovel.  Henry loves the snow!

The favorite activity of the weekend was playing with balloons.  All three boys had so much fun playing 'keep the ball off the ground'. 

Henry and Camron enjoying the piano.

It was so great to get everyone together to celebrate what we are very thankful for - all being together.

What Henry is Thankful For

This morning as we were getting the kids ready to rush out the door and I asked Henry what he is thankful for.  What does he yell back to me...???  'COOKIES'.  Yes, my son is very thankful for cookies.  We have taught him well.

Ear Infection x Two

On Sunday morning Hannah woke up with a goopy mess in her left eye.  We figured she got Henry's pink eye.  The Dr. called in some ointment and we applied it Sunday night.  The nurse said to watch out for her being restless at night, because the eye mess is a sign of an ear infection. 

Sure enough she did not sleep well at all Sunday.  Poor girl.  She would only sleep if I was bouncing her, which is totally unlike her.  I knew she wasn't doing well.

Monday we took her in.  Sure enough, infection in her left ear.  We started her on antibiotics and she slept much better last night.  Thank you Henry for sharing your germs.  I guess I just have to assume going forward once one kids gets sick with something the other kid will get it.  They aren't very good at keeping their germs to themselves.  Henry is fascinated with faces and pointing out every ones nose, ears, eyes, and of course mouth.  This consists of him sticking his fingers on each part too.  So his finger is always in someones mouth - usually mine or Hannah's.

They say ear infections aren't contagious - it is the cold virus that is.  So what are the chances that both my kids get ear infections at the same time??  It hasn't been a fun past week, but we are hoping they are on the mends - especially with Thanksgiving right around the corner!!

First Dose of Antibiotics

On Sunday night Henry had a fever.  We dosed him with some Tylenol and he woke up Monday fever free.  He had the typical cold symptoms....tis the season.  So we figured it just was part of the cold cycle. 

Tuesday morning he woke up and his eyes were so swollen.  The first thing I thought was pink eye.  But the usual gunk wasn't there crusting his eyes shut.  So we kept an eye on him.  We started to worry that it could possibly be allergies from the new sitter.  So on Thursday when his eyes were still swollen we finally took him in.  That morning there was a little more sleep/yellow gunk in the corner of his eyes.  So I was still thinking pink eye was an option.  Sure enough the Dr. diagnosed him with a bacterial infection.  She said it looked like his left ear was maybe in the beginning stages of an ear infection too.  Henry's first ear infection!!  Which actually worked out better for us because she was able to prescribe the bubble gum flavored amoxicillin, versus eye drops.  Dr. said it is not a fun experience trying to place eye drops in a toddlers eyes.

Andy stayed home with him on Thursday.  The bubble gum flavored medicine was a huge hit.  He kept asking for more.  We have to give it to him twice a day for ten days.  The good news is his eyes already look so much better!  He went back to the sitter today and everything seems great.  Thank goodness it was not allergies - we do not need anymore sitter drama!!

Henry is Paci Free

Just to update everyone.  It has been one full week since Henry has used the pacifier.  It took about five nights of screaming at bedtime for it, but the past two nights have been much better.  He didn't even cry tonight or ask for it.  I did have to rock him to sleep at nap time - but I think I enjoyed that just as much as he did. 

I am marking this one down in the books as a success.  Such a big boy.

Babysitter Switcheroo

This week was a stressful one as we switched babysitters...again....  It is a long story - so I will just summarize quickly.  (Now that I'm done - it wasn't as short as I thought it would be...sorry..)

Henry had not transitioned well from the beginning with this sitter.  There were a few times the first few weeks when the sitter would call me two hours after dropping him off and he would still be crying , and that I should come pick him up(huge red flag!!).  There are times that he still cries when we drop him off, and every night when we pick him up he is always eager to leave.  I had other concerns of my own as well.  I didn't feel like they did enough routine activities with the kids, they never seemed to be outside (at least when was there to pick up), her house was a little small, and at times there seemed to be too many kids there for the number of adults.  On Monday I got a call that Henry had bit two kids and I needed to come and pick him up.  I felt terrible that Henry was biting, and didn't know what had gotten into him.  Now that I look back, I know it is because he was bored, not getting enough attention, and not happy.

Monday night Andy and I decided to look on Craigslist to see what other sitter options there were.  We saw a post from a lady we had previously interviewed with and really liked - and she had two immediate openings!!  We interviewed with her again on Tuesday, loved her even more as she has moved into a much bigger house.  She has her place set up like a preschool, so perfect for Henry.  So we said we would start the kids the next Monday and finish out the week with the previous sitter.  We also told her about our current situation where we learned that since the current sitter was not state registered they were not legally able to watch more than 5 kids, even if there was two adults.  Huge red flag! 

On Wednesday things got a little ugly with the current sitter.  They emailed me saying we owed them for the next two weeks according to the parent handbook.  I was hoping it wouldn't have to get to this...but I knew since they were not legally watching the kids that the parent handbook we signed was not legally binding.  Andy and I knew right away knew we were not comfortable bringing the kids there the rest of the week.  So I called Ms. Teri (new sitter) and asked if the kids could start the next day.  That was ok with her.  Wednesday night after picking up the kids for the last time, we emailed the old sitter telling them the kids would not be coming back.  We said since they were not legally allowed to watch more than five kids we were not going to pay them for 2 more weeks.  Friday we picked up all the kids stuff and it was very awkward.  I asked her if everything was ok - she said no.  I told her I needed to make sure she wasn't going to try and come after us for the money she thought we owed, and that if she was going to I would contact DHS - which is the last thing I wanted to do - but was prepared to if she thought she was going to try and legally come after us.  She then said she wasn't aware of that law (not sure if I believe that), and that they weren't going to come after us (because they can't since it would get them in huge trouble and possibly shut them down).  So we put the old sitter behind us and have moved on.  They got payment for Thursday and Friday, with the kids not there, and we are calling it good.

We started the kids at Ms. Teri's on Thursday.  Henry didn't even cry when we left!!  A great sign.  She texted me throughout the day giving me updates.  She did say he got emotional around lunch, but she just cuddled with him and put him down for a nap.  He woke up much happier, so she assumed he was tired.  When I picked up the kids she had filled out the front and back of a piece of paper telling me all about their day.  When we got there I could tell Henry was so much happier.  On Friday when we picked up the kids we had to literally pull Henry out kicking and screaming.  He did not want to leave he was having so much fun.  This never happened at the other place.  At the other place he couldn't get out the door fast enough.  So another great sign!!  It wasn't fun having to try and calm Henry down to buckle him in his car seat - but I was feeling so good about it. 

So lesson learned for all - pay attention to your children's cues.  Now that I look back it is so obvious that Henry was not happy where he was.  I feel terrible and wish we would of pulled him sooner - but at least it is taken care of now and he is in a much better situation.  

So it was a stressful week.  I'm glad it is over.  I'm excited about the new sitter we have and already feel so much better about her and leaving my kids there. 

The End

Trick or Treat

This weekend marked Henry's 3rd and Hannah's 1st Halloween.  We started out the week dressing up in the appropriate gear.  Grandma Deaner bought Hannah the cutest Halloween outfit that she is modeling below. 

 On Wednesday the babysitter had their annual Halloween Party.  All the kids changed into their costumes after the afternoon naps.  Henry was a pumpkin and Hannah a lady bug. 

 In Des Moines, 'Beggars Night' is held the night before Halloween.  The history with this tradition was set long ago when there was a lot of vandalism on Halloween night.  Moving trick or treating to the night before was thought to help decrease some of the problems.  All this means is two night of trick or treating for the kids!! 

So Saturday from 6pm - 7pm I took Henry around our neighborhood while Andy stayed at our house with Hannah to hand out candy.  Henry did a really good job.  He would say trick or treat every once in awhile.  Most of the time when I would say 'What do you say Henry' he would yell his automatic response, which is 'Please!!'.  After he took the candy he would leave and say 'Thank you' and then yell and wave 'Bye!'.  He made a haul. 

 Sunday morning we made a trip to Carroll for our tradition of trick or treating with Bennett and Camron.  We were able to play all afternoon outside with the beautiful weather we have had.  Henry loved playing in the leaves and playing catch with Uncle Adam. 

Here are all the kids dressed up and ready to go!

Family picture.  Poor Hannah was ready for a nap.

The gang trick or treating on Andy's old paper route (he can still tell us who got a paper and who didn't).

Henry loved following his cousins around.  He ran up to each door with them and would say trick or treat.  You could tell he had practice from the night before.  Here he is, with his spider candy bucket, which he ended up filling up.....twice.

Binkie No More

We have been fearing the removal of Henry's 'Binkie' for months.  This weekend the process began.  On Friday the sitter told us that Henry had not used the binkie all week.  My first response 'How did you get him to sleep??!!'  I was shocked.  Then I realized it was time for us to begin the much dreaded transition as well.  I knew it would be hard, and hard it has been. 

Andy and I have made leaps and bounds with the amount of time Henry gets the binkie lately.  He went from having it pretty much all the time, down to only having it in his crib and in the car, then most recently down to only having it in his crib.  We did all of that within a months time.  Now the transition to removing it completely.... 

We received several recommendations on how to proceed from other parents that went through the same transition.  There is the 'binkie fairy', cutting off the end of the binkie, giving it to the baby, cold turkey, etc.  We made the decision to cut off the end of the binkie.  I handed it to Henry, he puts it in his mouth, took it back out and hands it to me and says 'broken'.  So my response is 'Sorry bud, the binkie is broken.  You don't need a binkie anymore anyway, you are a big boy.'  I thought it would go a little smoother than it did. 

He then proceeds to cry for 30 minutes.  During this time I pace back and forth in the kitchen and tell Andy I'm not ready.  Andy tries to talk me out of it.  I instead grab a back up binkie and go back into his room.  He had thrown his binkie on the ground.  I picked him up and rocked him for a few minutes, with the back up binkie in my hand.  I consider giving it to him, but he calmed down quite a bit while I rocked him.  I didn't give in, thank goodness.  I then put him back in his crib, tiptoe out of the room, and I listen.  Silence!!  He finally gave in and went to sleep.  Night one was pretty bad...but manageable. 

Last night was pretty much the same.  He was over tired from playing with his cousins all day and trick or treating.  He only got an hour nap on the early ride to Carroll.  I was hoping we would luck out and have him fall asleep on the ride home.  We didn't get so lucky.  We get home and go through the same routine as the night before.  I head back in his room after he had been crying for awhile.  He had thrown his binkie behind the crib, between the wall.  This is a popular place for him to throw his binkies.  So I take him out of his crib to have him help me retrieve it.  Major mistake!!  I had forgot to check this area for binkies that are not 'broken' before moving the crib out of the way.  So Henry screeches with glee as he finds two more binkies that are not broken.  I panic...  I yell at Andy not knowing what to do.  He tells me 'Take the binkie from him..' Duh... I do it.  He cries even harder.  But he got over it.  I rocked him for a few minutes and he went right to sleep.  He slept great last night. 

We still haven't searched the house for binkies that are not broken.  So I am still worried that Henry will cross another one at some point.  But hopefully it isn't for a few days.  They say the first nights are the hardest, and thankfully they are now behind us.  It is only supposed to get easier.  Let's hope so...

Hannah's 4 Month Check Up

Wednesday we visited Dr. Boonstra.  Dr. Boonstra has been Henry's Dr. since birth, and now Hannah sees him as well.  He is the best Dr. ever.  He is super laid back and the kids are always so happy around him.  He is very realistic about everything, and seems to be on the same page as I am with all my routines.  He has two young boys of his own, and we seem to follow a lot of the same ideas.  He mentioned we could start rice cereal anytime, but there is no real need to until she is 6 months old.  We aren't in any rush to start, so will probably give it another month or so before we introduce.  It is just one additional thing to have to get ready, so we will keep it as easy as possible while we can.  I am anxious to introduce the spoon to her and she how she reacts.  She is showing all the signs that she is ready...constant drool, very good head support, and interest in when we eat.  I remember we started rice cereal with Henry around 5 months.  He had no interest at all so we didn't push it until he hit 6 months.  So maybe a few weeks from now we will see how she does.  It will be fun to see how Henry reacts too.  I am sure he will want to feed her himself.  He now says 'Me Too' for everything he wants to do. 

I forgot to mention at Hannah's two month check how Dr. said not many babies social smile as much as she was doing.  She is so advanced I know:)  He said everything is going perfect with her.  The only concern I have is her terribly dry, sensitive skin.  It doesn't seem to bother her.  I just lube her up as much as possible.  Dr. said to try and do it right after her bath while her skin is still a little wet. 

One new milestone Hannah hit this week is finding her feet.  She reaches for them so hard, grabs them and brings them to her mouth.  Every time her clothes are off her feet are in her hands and toes are in her mouth.  It is so cute!  She also rolls over every time she is on her back.  She started rolling occasionally right before she turned 3 months old.  She now does it constantly.  This is another thing that Henry didn't ever do.  He went right to sitting, which will be the next big milestone for her. 

Here are Hannah's 4 month stats:

Weight - 13 lbs 6 oz = 46th percentile
Height - 24 3/4" = 72nd percentile
Head - 16" = 42nd percentile

Perfect in every way.

As usual - here are the 4 month comparisons between the two kids. (Hannah is on the purple blanket, Henry on the blue)

And one more thing realization.  I don't think Hannah's eyes will be blue.  Babies eye color isn't permanent until 6 months, but currently her eyes have turned hazel.  She got her Grandpa Dale's hazel eyes. 

I Love Etsy!

I learned of a website called etsy from a few friends.  It is a website where very creative people hand make items and sell them.  I have fallen in love with it and have ordered a few things.  I placed an order for Hannah's letters a few weeks ago, and they finally arrived!  I am so happy with them.  They dress up her side of the room and are absolutely adorable!

Henry has learned how to climb into Hannah's crib.  Luckily he can't climb out of his own yet (he is very close - he knows how to stand on the very top bar...which he gets in big trouble for doing.)  So I don't worry about him climbing in her crib in the middle of the night.  I snapped some pictures of his new ability.  He is pretty proud.

Henry has also become more and more obsessed with his little sister lately.  He won't ever keep his face more than an inch away from her.  It is pretty precious....but annoying at times as he isn't always the most gentle and I have to watch him every second and always be within an arms reach.  It is just another stage he is going through, but a pretty cute one.  Here he is giving his sister some lovin'.

Happy 4 months to my baby girl.  Will post her 4 month pictures tomorrow (since I have yet to take them) and her stats from her Dr. apt today.  She is right on track!!

Pumpkin Carving

This weekend my parents watched Henry and Hannah while Andy and I tailgated down in Iowa City for the day.  Henry was SO excited to wake up and play with Papa for the day that he woke up at 4am.  It ended up being a very long day for mommy and daddy....and Papa and Grandma.  Henry carved his first pumpkin before we left Sunday.  He did such a great job helping clean out the pumpkin and carve the face. 

Here he is helping Grandma cut the pumpkin open.

Reaching in to help clean out all the seeds. He isn't so sure what he is getting into.

Showing off his pumpkin!

                           Is this not the happiest face you have ever seen??  So proud of his hard work.