Inadequate

You could say that four kids have definitely changed my days, and my mojo.  I feel behind with all the little things that need to get done, and sometimes just plain ol’ inadequate.  I had three under control, but now I just feel like I’m playing Whack-a-Mole.  Whatever is looming gets priority (or whoever is loudest!).

Sweet boy.  Yes, sometimes he's loudest...but sometimes it's the bigger ones! ; )

Two nights ago, I was on my bed nursing Carter (which is slightly incapacitating), and Mary Claire came in feeling low.  She kept throwing herself across the end of the bed telling me she was h-u-n-g-r-y!  …and that meant she wanted me to get her something.  I kept telling her I was feeding Carter and to please go get something-anything.  More whining…and I realized I was dealing with Low Blood Sugar Mary Claire.  Nothing makes sense, just whining.  It gets a wee bit stressful.

I know.  Looking at him sleeping is so calming.  Keep thinking...Calm.

And added to that was the fact that Ches was at Clay’s ball game.  So I was alone.  (Put on a happy face…)  : )  Because it was about to get worse.  Ethan came in screaming that he’d cut his finger.  He wanted Mommy to love on him and get him a band-aid, Stat!  And the screaming and loud whining makes a startled Carter pull off screaming.  Fun times, friends!  (don’t worry-the cut wasn’t even an eighth of an inch long) ; )

Thank goodness, it’s definitely rewarding overall.  My babies are all so sweet, and they are loving on Carter, which makes my heart grow three sizes just to watch! : )  In wanting a baby for our family, I didn’t consider how a baby would bring out the best in my other kids.  Even now, I think about the work load..but overlook the fact that my kids are sharing, taking turns, and serving one another.

...and making us laugh!  (they got this from a gumball machine-love it soo much better than the sticky frogs and rings he normally gets!)  And?  It came with a fun accent. ; )

Ethan likes me to put Carter’s diapers on the floor, so he can put them in the Diaper Genie.  He gets all upset if there aren’t any. ; )  They are all good to go get diapers, clothes, blankets or burp rags if we have a little surprise mess, and  Mary Claire loves to buckle Carter in his car seat.  I can even count on Clay or Mary Claire to carry his car seat, and they are so careful!  And baby bathtime?  Totally as good as a broadway show-I could sell tickets!  (and I still don’t understand why..)

I admitted to a friend last night how absolutely hard it is to have four, and she appreciated the honesty.  (Oops!)   She said no one else (who had four or more kids) had told her it was hard.  Seriously?  So is it just me that thinks it's hard?  I love my kids, but it's a job to get everyone ready for school in the morning, get everyone bathed and to bed, and make sure they all feel loved on each day.  I didn't say it wasn't fun or that I regretted one second, but hard?  Yep.  Just takes a lot of time and patience.  Two things I can always work on. : )

 but how precious are these teensy feet?  I just love them. : )  see-no regrets!

Growing!

Back to the doctor earlier this week...and Carter was up to 6 lbs. 13 oz!  Wow.  Even the doctor was impressed, and said we were a week ahead of schedule. ; )  So, so, so happy and thankful he's healthy and doing well.  Hope some of my pounds are melding into him!

Seriously..I'm already battling the weight.  It will be nice to not wear maternity clothes, you know, post maternity?  I got some "shapewear" based on a nurse's recommendation (from the nurse who pulled my staples out) that it would reduce that loose-organs-shaking-around feeling.  They definitely helped, but they caused some serious pain.  : (  I got all crampy and yucky again, and had to commit to bed again.  I even called my doctor to see if I could renew a prescription for pain medicine, but no.  So I'm toughing it out.  I had Ches get me some Aleve, but I can't say that it makes any difference at all!

I think I have lost some fluid (and weight) the past couple weeks.  I've only got 18 more pounds to loose.  Gosh, it still seems like a lot.  At least I've got one pair of capris that fit me-I keep them in one of my maternity tubs, for those after days when I want to feel human.  They may 2 or 3 sizes bigger than normal and only fit for a week or two, but I'll wear them almost every day! ; )  ..And my ankle bones?  Finally have made their appearance again, woohoo! : )

I had an appointment to go get waxed on Thursday, but HA!  I knew I couldn't handle it, so I cancelled.  I've actually been in bed a lot this week.  Sweet growing boy = lots of feedings.  He's been eating every couple hours for a couple days.  It seriously has been a full-time job!  He's filling out his jammies more and more every day...so I think it's going well. ; )

I have to say all other things in our world are falling by the wayside.  It's tough to keep it all up!  I have 32 new calls on caller ID (since I can't reach the phone), and I had 13 messages.  Granted, most of them are to sell us something, poll our political opinions, or upgrade our account.  But this one...we got this crazy phone message on Thursday-Ches thought it was a prank call/message.  It was a girl's voice saying, "I'm high, I'm high, I'm high, I'm high, I'm high...Bye!"  Click.  We finally figured it out after putting some puzzle pieces together.  She'd been high on Thursday all day AFTER her site change on Wednesday night!  I'd been in the shower and missed the nurse's call at lunchtime, but Mary Claire had left the message.  Checking the phone number it came from and the time helped clue us in.  ; )  And knowing that when her blood sugar is high, she's a little hyper/crazy!

And..what is that?  How can her blood sugar be higher after a site change with new insulin?  Is it scar tissue in that area of her body?  Bad insulin?  So frustrating.  It totally ruins her daily blood sugar average, screws with her a1c, wastes an entire site change set, and keeps me up at night.  (..and leaves a high, high, high message on our machine!)

We went to Target a couple days ago, and Ethan loves to pretend he's a hamster in a wheel out front (yes, e-v-e-r-y time we go!):

And that same cutie borrowed my camera...I found about 40 pictures of the tv, him making piles of pillows in the house, his face from different angles, and here is one I actually love:

Yep, see all those pillows?

I'm guessing he had Clay help him out since he didn't snap this one. ; )  I like it when they capture their average every day life...one day I'll be thrilled to have a reminder.

Milky White Lie?

Oh, sweet Carter is growing!  : )  He had dropped down to 5 lbs. 15 oz. when we left the hospital, Monday he was back up to 6 lbs...but Saturday?  Back to 6 lbs. 7 oz. -Yay!  It certainly makes a momma feel like the feeding is going well. ; )


But the reason we went in?  Not so good..he was circumcised with a plastibell, and as it came off, he had swelling.  Ick.  : (  Friday night, we called our pediatrician's office, and they WOULDN'T let us make an appointment to come in!  I was super mad, then upset, then incredibly disappointed (little emotional?).  Finally, Ches called Saturday morning, and told them Carter was congested...heehee..he did spit up a little at night, and sounded kinda froggy when he had milk in his throat.  ; )  But, they thought it (the swelling) would  be okay.  It doesn't seem to be infected, and we are getting ready to go in for his two week visit tomorrow, so we'll check it again.


My biggest boy was gone camping, for three days!  He left Friday with a new backpack, new hiking boots, and a new sleeping bag that was supposed to keep him warm down to 20 degrees.  It was a good thing too, since it went down to 41 the first night!  I prayed all night that he was warm enough.  I wish I could have checked on him. : /  I know he loves going, but I miss him...I couldn't wait to see him again!  It totally went well-he had gone once before with his troop, but they are supposed to camp every month!  And Sunday afternoon?  Asleep on the couch, sweet thing had to catch up on sleep! ; )



Mary Claire had a father daughter dance Friday night!  And guess who didn't get a picture?  : (  I was busy washing and drying Mary Claire's hair, feeding Carter, calling the pediatrician's office (getting turned down), and Ches had just gotten back from dropping off Clay at camping, so it was a little hectic.  I just found a picture a photographer took at the dance, and I can buy a 4x6 or 5x7 print, but not a digital copy!  Sorry.  Suffice it to say they were cute!


And Ethan?  Totally got an evening full of *me*, but thought he was getting the shaft.  Since the big kids got to go somewhere, and Daddy took Mary Claire for a smoothie afterwards.  Making him pancakes and bacon totally didn't make a difference.  Sometimes mommies and pancakes just aren't enough.


Praying for babies in tummies..that they are healthy and make it full term.
And for the mommies afterward...that they can balance it all (and fit in sleep here and there).  : )

Little (and Big) Piggies

I have a toy that I don't want to put down. ; )  He's such a doll, and I find that I just want to freeze time-I don't want him to grow or change, and I just want to cuddle him.  He's just precious!  : )

It has been busier, but good.  On Friday, I went back to the doctor's office to get the staples across my incision removed.  I was super nervous, and it did kinda hurt a little.  But I made it. ; )  The ones on each side of the scar were easily removed, but the ones to the center?  The skin had already started to grow over them!  I'm sooo thankful I listed to Dr. Gorman and went back in four days instead of seven!  Can you imagine three more days of overgrown skin?  Ouch!

After the doctor visit...his car seat looks sooo big!  (I have a thing for yawns. : O )

And on that same day?  Lots of milk. ; )  I'm still a little bustier than usual, but I know it'll go down.  It gets so painful, and I have to go wake my little eater up...silly boy thinks he can sleep!  Ha.  Not this week.


And walking?  A bit of an enigma.  I still have no stomach muscles, so I can't really get up.  Then I have the pain of my shrinking, contracting uterus coupled with my slumped-over protective pain barrier.  No, it doesn't help..especially when you have to add back pain to the mix!  So walking the week after a c-section is totally overrated.  It'll be back in fashion next week I'm sure.  But for now, I'll take resting on my bed with a baby on me. ; )

And this time..I swelled after delivery.  I'm at 6 days later, but my cankles can't tell the difference!  They think there's still a baby inside!  I asked every nurse and doctor that crossed my path (and any doctor-site my friend Google could pull up!), and it could take up to two weeks to get all the fluid out.  Stresses me!  So on Friday, I was only down 4 lbs (and Carter was 6-6!)  Sad.  I'm down about 6 lbs now...and I'm hoping to be able to bend my little piggies down sometime soon.  My cute sandals are not so cute right now. Except on my closet shelf.

Oh, and the last conundrum has been in my bathroom.  I always forget how hard it will be to reacquaint myself with that regular part of my day.  It just seems like four days is too long!  My body starts to back up, which totally presses on my other internal body parts.  Let's just say I'm not making bananas.


And the latest?  I had to call the doctor-on-call yesterday.  Seems I also have a bladder infection.  Niiiice.  I did not ever say children come easily.  He's still totally worth it though. ; )

Don't you just want to take those little piggies wee-wee-wee all the way home?