It's like they know.....

The other day I was so grateful to have an opportunity to nap during the day that I thought it was important enough to blog. Unfortunately, Noah is the one who had the master plan and ended up keeping me up all hours of the night! It's like my kids do these things to me to teach me a lesson. Like they need to let me know on a consistent basis that although I like to think I'm in charge, in all actuality, they hold all the cards. Thus was my evening on the floor with Noah, pleading with him to go to bed.

I started the never-ending journey by rocking him. There were moments when he was climbing me like a tree and had a death grip around my neck. I think I actually did let go and he still clung to me like velcro. I held him for a good 45 minutes, singing every song I know (including a little Alicia Keys....that "No One" song is a catchy tune), and feeling the muscles in my back tighten as every minute went by. I could feel him fall asleep on me, starting to feel heavier and breathing deeper. Just when I thought I could put him down, the claws came out. I honestly don't know how some people use this method to put their kids to sleep every night! I am typically militant about bedtime, but I swear my kids and my sanity have benefited from the fact that they can fall asleep on their own. Anyway, I finally relinquish and put him down thinking I can just rub his back......

30 minutes later....still rubbing his back. His eyes are now wide open and I realized I have produced just enough stimuli to wake up the kid. He's finally calm and I decide to just stop rubbing his back and lie down next to the crib......Noah quickly squashes that idea and I rub his back for another 15 minutes.

20 minutes later, finally made it to the floor....much more of the same except I can now hear Sierra and Tim both snoring in the other room. Noah is tossing and turning, yet knows exactly where I am and continues to watch my every move. FINALLY, Noah starts to calm down and is actually still for a minute. I think this is my chance to get out.....I literally crawl, like a Marine in combat, out of Noah's room. Just when I start to pull the covers onto me in bed, he starts crying again!!! Tim forced me to let him cry it out for a while and I thank him dearly (not for helping, or getting up, or even asking if I needed anything) for making the right call because he fell back asleep moments later.

Needless to say, I would have rather skipped my nap!

Noah's One Year Appointment

Noah had his one-year appointment yesterday. Thankfully, he is a happy and healthy boy! He is growing like a weed and maintaining the 90th percentile in both height and head circumference, while managing a good 50th percentile on his weight. He's reaching all the necessary milestones at a great pace and was such a trooper during his shots! The doctor loved how he mimicked her every move, sound, and laugh. He was such a talker when she was in the room and tried to take over the stethoscope and every other tool! Sophie was a great big sister and sat quietly while he was being examined. I could tell it was hard for her to watch Noah get his shots and while Noah was crying, I heard her quietly say, "It's o.k. Bubba."

Noah has fully transitioned to whole milk and a sippy cup. The rest of the family drinks nonfat milk and this morning I was so tired I accidentally poured whole milk in my cereal. I instantly realized it when my cereal was a little "thicker" than usual! Anyway, he is doing awesome with feeding himself (finger foods only so far) and has even transitioned to one nap a day. It's a nice and lengthy one nap, so he's doing very well! I have to say it was much easier to transition the second time around!

Worth Noting

Just thought I better document today because, in all reality, it may NEVER EVER happen again. Today, all 5 of us (Sierra included) took a nap at the SAME time! Nothing too long, but definitely longer than a power nap! I almost felt like I was back in college; it was that enjoyable. Maybe it's not a big deal to some, but hopefully the other mothers out there can feel my excitement!

Date Night

Tim and I went out this evening, leaving the kids with a sitter, and as usual we partied like rock stars. So much so, that I'm blogging at 10pm. This was our evening:

Dinner
Babies R Us
Safeway
Target

Granted, we thoroughly enjoyed spending time together and getting out alone, but seriously....when did this become the excitement in our lives?? I am glad we have had other ventures out and have seen a movie that is actually still playing in theaters (see Juno if you get a chance!!), but typically, we are just as happy spending our date nights just like tonight!! Next thing you know, Tim and I will be playing BINGO at church on weekend evenings.....

Happy Birthday Papa!!

Happy Birthday Papa! Hope you had a good day and eat lots of pancit and cake tonight! We love you!

FYI: Before viewing video, please press pause on the music player to your right. Then press play on the video to hear the sound! Enjoy!

Snowbound

We went to Reno this past weekend to celebrate Noah and Papa's birthday. We had a great time and were able to catch up with some friends and do a little gambling. Good thing our luck hasn't changed because we pretty much walked away with nothing! I really need to figure out a better way to make money because my "get rich quick" scheme does not seem to be working! Plus, Natalie and Kelli were banking on me winning this weekend so I can share the wealth and we can all retire....or something like that!

Anyway, we had a great time in Reno. I'd have to say the most eventful part of our weekend was the trip home. Of course, there was a huge snowstorm that was highly underestimated by the wonderful meteorologists. The roads are usually o.k. because they are typically prepared for this kind of stuff. But, we didn't even see a snowplow forever. They had three different checkpoints to make sure everyone had chains, but no snowplows!!! We ended up getting stuck in the mountains.....literally slid off the road and into 4 feet of snow. I've slid many times in the snow, but this time it played out in slow motion for us both. Tim had mentioned approximately 3 minutes before this happened that he'd rather have his wisdom teeth pulled out than to have to drive over Donner Summit in these conditions. Fortunately, he remained calm or as calm as can be expected during the whole ordeal! The highway patrol came to make sure we were o.k. and waited with us while the tow truck was on its way. After being pulled out, and because we are such lucky people, we found out our right rear tire was flat. So, we ended up going to the near tire place (actually, not so near being in the mountains) and had it plugged. Come to find out, Tim ran over a broken tire chain link, which probably caused him to slide. And of course, Tim is adamant he was not in 4WD. After doing some research on our SUV, he found something is probably wrong with it since the Quadratrac light is supposed to come on when it's in 4WD and it never did. Hmmmm, driving in the snow over Donner Summit without 4WD? Not an adventure I want to go on again!!!

Thank goodness everyone was o.k. and we made it home safely. Of course, neither of our children are able to fall asleep in their car seat, so they were both up for the entire adventurous journey....ALL 7 HOURS OF IT! I was smart this time and had a DVD player, so it kept them partially entertained. Well, it kept Sophie entertained.....she kept yelling at Noah because he was antsy and whiny, "Noah! Cinderella is a good movie! Just watch it, Noah! It's a good movie!"

Happy 1st Birthday Noah!!!

It is so hard to believe this little guy entered our lives one year ago today. It took almost all of my strength to put on my biggest smile and celebrate this big day because a huge part of me wanted to cry about him growing up so fast! I know, sounds silly when he's only one, but I can't even begin to describe what a blur this last year has been. Now, Noah is walking confidently, learning new words every day, and he's even starting to fight back a little with Sophie over toys! I knew I was in big trouble when he rolled over at 12 weeks old. Since then, he's been nonstop. At the same time, he has been the sweetest little angel who loves to cuddle, rubs my back when I rub his, and cries when I am not near him. He understands when others are happy, he reacts when others are sad, and he loves everyone like a little teddy bear. I am so proud of my little baby boy. He is such a gentle and good soul. I only pray this next year is as adventurous and happy as his first! We love you Noah! Happy Birthday!!!!

If Walls Could Talk

Noah was prescribed a medication to help open up his lungs and get rid of this awful URI. Of course, I thought it was great because I thought the doctor had prescribed a Nebulizer. This would mean I could just turn on a breathing machine and he could breathe in some good smelling air. Not so much....she actually prescribed an inhaler....the kind I use. How in the world am I supposed to get this kid to take a hit off an inhaler? I can barely get the good stuff in my inhaler and usually take two more puffs than necessary!!

Well, we finally figured out a good system which now involves participation from the entire family. Daddy is in charge of Noah's upper body, Sophie would like to actually depress the inhaler, but we let her pretend and I actually administer the puffs, all the while holding on to his forehead and the foot long cylinder tube in which the actual medicine travels through. We haven't quite figured out a role for Sierra, but for the past couple of doses, she just looks at us like we're crazy.

Through this process I have learned a few things. One, our family needs to work on teamwork. Two, my son is freakishly strong. And three, there has GOT to be a better way to do this.

Cabin Fever

It has been what seems like forever since we've been out in the world...I can't even remember the last time we've been out of town between everyone being sick, Tim's surgery and recovery, the mountains being shut down due to weather, and other events that have kept us in town forever. Finally, we got a little bit of sun and decided we had to get out and enjoy it! The kids definitely benefited from the sunshine as we headed out to the beach. I didn't care that it barely reached 60 degrees and that my kids were bundled up...they were getting some much needed fresh air and we enjoyed every minute of it! And even though we didn't get to actually leave town, we still made it to the coast which was a far enough drive to make it feel like an actual "trip!" Next weekend, we will head to Reno to celebrate Noah's first birthday and we are very excited!!!

Funny Faces

Sophie's in love with the camera. Here she is asking me to take picture after picture of her making funny faces. There's about 15 more, but I thought I'd spare everyone and provide a summary.

No Thank You!

Since Noah's birthday is next week, I've been looking back at all of his pictures and getting really sentimental. I can't believe he's almost one! Anyway, tonight I was talking with Sophie and asking her if she remembered when Noah was a tiny baby and if she remembered visiting us in the hospital when Noah was first born. She said she did remember and got this big smile on her face. And then I asked her, "Do you want another baby?" And quickly she replied, "No thank you. That's enough." Okay then! We know how Sophie feels!

I Got The Goods!!!

Never did I think I'd be happy that my kids have ear infections. Finally, though, I am given some antibiotics for both Sophie and Noah. This past weekend, perfectly timed with Tim's surgery, Sophie and Noah seemed to take a turn for the worst. They were both coughing, waking up several times during the night, and all around miserable. I did everything I was told to do....humidifier, Vicks VapoRub, steam baths, I did everything.

I was able to get them in the doctor this afternoon and the whole way there I was thinking about what I could possibly say to get some drugs. I was ready to claim I haven't slept in over a month, which is partly true (more like 3 years, but who's counting). I wanted to get any sympathy vote possible (I even threw Tim in there and mentioned how he just got out of the hospital). All of this just in case their ears checked out fine or if they weren't wheezing enough. Luckily, the doctor immediately felt my pain and the kids' and prescribed some potent antibiotics. I'm hoping this knocks it out of them by the end of the week. If not, I'm finding out where she lives and showing up on her doorstep.

Finally, after a few errands after the doctor's visit, I go to pick up the medicine from the drug store. Considering the store is roughly two blocks away, I think I can jet out and get back without missing too much of the OSU game. I, ignorantly, think it's safe to leave in the first quarter when it's 10-0. I hit all four stoplights to get there and, of course, it's not ready yet. I dropped it off over an hour ago, but it's not ready yet. So, I sit and wait because I have no patience to roam around and purchase a bunch of things I don't need. I'm giving the pharmacist the evil eye and she keeps telling me, "It'll be up in just a minute, Mrs. Youngberg." Really, lady? That's what you said ten minutes ago! Thankfully, I finally get the pink stuff and head home to find out the score is tied.....and unfortunately, we all know how this story ends.

Too Painful

I can't even watch this game anymore. This game makes me want to call in sick tomorrow so I don't have to deal with the aftermath. Uggghhh.....

Tim's Road to Recovery

Tim did fantastically well in his surgery today. He is now resting up in the hospital, as I write this sitting next to him, and will hopefully come home tomorrow. The surgeon's suspicions proved right as Tim's duct was less than 2mm, much smaller than average. Thanks so much for the thoughts and prayers. We are now on our way to getting better!!!

My First E-mail Account!

If any of you would like to e-mail Sophie, she now has her own e-mail account. I know she'd love to hear from you!!!

sophiahope16@gmail.com

Positive Thoughts for Tim

Tim has surgery scheduled for tomorrow morning to have his gall bladder removed. He has been having complications with his bile duct and it seems this is the best possible solution. It's a common procedure, but obviously it's still surgery. We're hoping this will relieve all the discomfort he's been feeling and he can move on without any side effects. If you have a moment tonight or tomorrow morning, please say a prayer and send him some positive vibes. Thank you.

Who Needs Toys?

Who needs toys when you can have endless fun in a laundry basket?

Always Eventful

Tim and I were settling in this evening after having just put the kids to bed. There was a fire going, we were watching a little football and starting to watch The Departed. I think I had just wrapped myself in a blanket on the couch and started to open up my laptop to check on some things. I was feeling nice and cozy....just when I let out a huge sigh I heard, "Mommy! I just threw up!!!!" Of course, I hop up and repeat to Tim what Sophie just said as I'm running to the bedroom. Naturally, Tim was not so quick to jump up and assist in the matter, but after he heard me dry heave, he had no choice.

Sophie didn't just throw up on her bed, she threw up while lying down, which meant she had thrown up EVERYWHERE on her bed and onto herself. The good thing is she's not sick with some stomach virus. She's just getting over the last of this cough and she ended up having a horrible coughing fit and she threw up. So, she had to take her second bath for this evening, I had to change all of her sheets, and I have a couple of loads of laundry ahead of myself tonight. And to think I thought I didn't have anything to blog about tonight!!!