Snowflake craft

One thing that always works to get Everett focused is asking if he wants to do a craft.  Problem is, I have three other babies here and setting up a craft (when I figure out an idea for one) can be a big task.  Well, today babies are in cribs and I happened upon this blog which has a ton of ideas.  So today, Everett is making a snowflake out of marshmallows, paper, and glue.  Awesome.

And from last week or so:

Oh, brothers.  :)

Happy 2012!

The year the world ends, right?  ;)
I'm usually staunchly against new year's resolutions for no reason other than that everyone makes them, but this year, I've thought of some things I really want to do better at.
- Drink more water.  Until noon, I reach for coffee.  After noon, I'll make a cup of tea.  Why can't I just drink water?  Obviously I'm thirsty.  So I think I'm actually going to do the check-off of how many glasses I drink.
- Be more relaxed.  I get quite stressed during the days when I have two extra babies and a crazy toddler and I need to just gain some more patience and not let myself get worked up.  Stress is no good for the mind, body, teeth (TMD), or health in general.
- Have more patience with my Ever boy.  Three is definitely a testing age and it drives me up the wall sometimes.  I want to be better at remembering that he's still just a tiny boy who is learning every day and that I need to be infinitely patient with him.
- Do better at working out.  I did great this summer/fall when I could just get out and run and had my goals.  Now?  Not so much.  It's cold, it's dark, and I don't wanna.  Whether it takes getting a membership to the gym, or just using the dang wii fit, I need to get back into moving.

So Long 2011!

January

My last month with only two boys in my house

Look at that belly!

 February

We met our beautiful little Callum George

March

April

Easter

May

Ev and Miley

 

June

July

4th of July parade

August

Copper Harbor, MI

The first time they really played together

September

October

November

December

The Christmas post

I actually do realize that Christmas was four days ago now, but hey.  I've been busy.  We did present opening with my family on Christmas eve since last year, Everett was breaking down by the afternoon and this year we have a 10 month old too.

Christmas morning, Callum woke up at his usual 7:10ish and I took him downstairs while Brian and Everett slept for another 20 minutes or so. 

What?  I'm not touching it!

The best I could get of the two of them.  Everett smiling and Callum trying to steal his sippy of apple cider.

Ooooh, lights and balls and presents!

Everett enjoying his new harmonica

Then we got dressed and headed over to Brian's parents' for yet another present opening session.  As anticipated, this took pretty much all day and Everett had his breakdown around dinnertime and didn't really manage to eat anything.  We came home spoiled and tired.

Little Christmas walker

Monday, the whole gang went up to Duluth and Brian and his dad went to Home Depot and Menards to get bathroom remodeling stuff.  That's right.  We were planning to replace the tub surround since ours was so old and cracked and icky, and suddenly, we are installing a new tub and surround (no more blue tub!), new cabinet, a wall, and painting cabinets.  Yikes!
Tuesday, I was still feeling kind of blah from a cold, so we called off daycare and took it easy.  Well, as easy as life will allow with two little boys and a husband who's working on the bathroom.
Wednesday, Brian and Everett went skiing with Auntie C and grandpa.  I stayed home with two babies and watched a Mystery Diagnosis marathon.
And that brings us up to the present.  Where I am dealing with an overtired, but won't nap, 3 year old, two babies in a homemade ball pit and a sleeping one upstairs.  Oh, and constant construction noises coming from the bathroom upstairs.

Nursing strike - 0, Me - 1

That's right.  I officially declare a win over the nursing strike.  Callum's gums must be feeling much better and I haven't taken his teething necklace off him in days.  I haven't been bit in days AND he's back to his regular, happy to see me nursing.  It was slightly heartbreaking to try and nurse your baby only to have him cry and push you away.  But I win.  Booyah.  This is one instance where I'm kind of grateful for my stubbornness because even I was about to give in and wean him to formula.  I was just sick of the extra stress that it was causing me.  But I'm too stubborn (and too cheap to buy formula), so I pumped three times a day for a few days there and let Callum have the bottles (which he gobbled up, little stinker) and just kept offering.  And it's as if nothing happened.  Oh, and?  Last night?  He woke up to nurse before we went to sleep and then only woke at 1 and 5!  Yay for my boy!  He didn't spend ANY of the night in our bed.  I think having the space heater in his room is helping a bit with that too.  Even with the heat on, our rooms get cold at night.  Now that Everett's big enough to snuggle himself up under the blankets, I decided our space heater would live a better life in Callum's room, so it moved.  Now we just have to get Callum sleeping all the way through the night and figure out how to rearrange rooms so the boys can share their sleeping space.