The Cribby

This picture was supposed to be George's last night in his cribby:

But who are we kidding?  That kid runs this place and he knows it.  We were wishy-washy and let him do whatever he wanted and he decided that he still wanted to sleep in his crib.  So for weeks, Steve would move him to his toddler bed when he was asleep.  When he woke up in the morning, he would call for us... like he didn't even notice that he could get down on his own.  

Last night, we decided to take him out of the crib cold-turkey.  While he was watching "Thomastankengine" we took his sheets off, raised the crib mattress, and put all of Ruthie's stuff in the crib.  At first we didn't want to do it this way because we didn't want him to "resent her" and all that new-age feel-goodery.  We realized that it was the only way.  At first, this happened:

He marked his territory with his blankies.  So after he cried for a little bit for his "cribby," he sat in it with Ruthie for a few minutes and then settled down enough to lay in his big boy bed.  We read some stories and listened to lullabies.  He realized that one of his (3!) blankies was not in bed with him and asked for it.  I went to the living room to get it and when I came back, he was still laying down.  I handed him the blanky, gave him a kiss and left the room.  IT WORKED!  He slept in his bed the whole night!

Today, for nap time, he asked for his cribby again.  I told him that the crib was Ruthie's baby bed and that he sleeps in his big boy bed.  He seemed to understand this logic... and so far, it has worked!

I am afraid this is going to blow up soon... but I'm kind of excited that he is making the transition so well.  Also, I am a little sad that my baby isn't a baby anymore!  He's a big kid--bed and all!

Our Life

Here's what we've been up to lately:

Ruthie is growing like a weed and in 3-6 month clothes now!  She was 13 lbs, 4 oz last week and 25" long!  She's on the chart compared to other 4 month olds!  She is in the 33rd percentile for weight and 70th for height and 29th for head circumference!  At her 2 month well-check, she was in the 4th percentile for weight, 23rd for height and 3rd for head circumference!  So she has made a huge leap in the last 2 months!  

She smiles all the time and has even started talking!

George is just as sweet as can be (most days).  He enjoys trains, animals and letters.  He loves to sing and dance and he is just a little sponge who absorbs every song he hears!  He loves to watch "Georgie Videos" and would seriously do that all day long if I let him!  We went to the playground yesterday and he decided that he was bored with the toddler section!  It's funny when he tries to be a big boy... because he still loves his binky and his blankies and his crib.  He will still let me feed him his yogurt or oatmeal when he is tired and he likes to snuggle.  He's in a weird spot where he is torn between being a big boy and a baby.  He will probably sleep in his crib until he gets married.  He acknowledges the toddler bed is there, but he won't fall asleep in it.  Some nights, Steve puts him in it after he is asleep.  We might as well just put Ruthie straight into the toddler bed.  Here is a video of when he re-discovered the play-mat the other day... (I don't know how to put it the right way, so just bend your head!)

Steve just hit 1000 hours in the plane and is working on finishing his multi-engine rating (hopefully soon)!

Lately, I have been lazy and re-watching old seasons of Gossip Girl on Netflix.  I'm noticing a lot of inconsistencies.  This show is obviously not supposed to be watched all in one month.  I also started meal planning and I am doing a lot better at actually making dinner (although I haven't followed it exactly-to-the-day, we ate 5 of the 7 meals that I planned last week).  Next month, I will write the plan in pencil.  I got a lot of good ideas from Pinterest. 

For your information, nothing comes up when you search "how to annoy an upstairs neighbor" on Pinterest.  Are we all pretending to be nicer than we really are?  Seriously, the Little Drummer Boy (he really is about 5'3") upstairs is really getting old.  He manages to find EVERY nap time.  I know that they stay up really late, so I am considering putting a stereo up to the ceiling early in the morning and playing toddler music.  The internet says that you don't even have to play it loud if the speakers are close to the ceiling.  Wish me luck!

16 Year Old Me

While avoiding the sink full of dishes, I spent some time on Pinterest last night.  I found some of those "questions to ask your spouse" blogs.  I would probably never just sit down and try to force a conversation like that... I like to think that we don't need much to get a conversation going.  Anyway, they might be fun someday if we ever run out of things to talk about, so I re-pinned it.

Then I found one blog where a girl was going to devote 30 days to answering 30 different questions.  Day 4 was, "list 10 things you would tell your 16 year old self."  This got me thinking.

So I did the dishes and I thought about the question.  And I have 9 answers (I couldn't think of a 10th.  They are in no particular order):

1.  You are never going to be tan.  Ever.  Put on the stupid sunscreen and save yourself all of the pain.

2.  Be yourself.  It's easier and it tends to work the best for you.

3.  If being someone's friend is exhausting, it's not worth it.  Seriously.  It took me way too long to learn this one.

4.  Pay attention in church and seminary.  Develop better habits.  Foster a better relationship with Heavenly Father.

5.  You won't marry Justin Timberlake.  You will marry someone a million times better!

6.  Pick a better major in college.  Tell me--what does one do with a degree in Political Science?  Exactly.

7.  Learn better study habits.  Barely glancing at the books might work in high school, but it won't cut it in college.

8.  Don't dye your hair.  You will never find a color that suits you better than your natural color.

9.  You're a good kid... keep it up (so that I don't discourage my 16 year old self with all of the criticism).

So what would you tell your 16 year old self?

Thanks, Pinterest!

Thanks to Pinterest, I now have meals planned through the end of the month.

Also thanks to Pinterest, I have not worked out, cleaned, or showered this nap time.

But I have meals planned.  And I have my shopping list written down.

You can't win 'em all.

Donating Milk

While Ruthie was in the NICU, I accumulated a freezer full of extra milk.  And then it out-grew the freezer in our kitchen and we had to buy an extra freezer.  So by the time she came home, that freezer was full, too!  About 2 months ago, I looked into donating our extra milk.  There is no way that I was going to be able to use all of that before it went bad.  So, about 2 weeks ago, I got an email that I was approved and could start dropping off milk!  Last week, Steve and I labeled it all with my donor # and packed it all up!  We had TWO coolers full of milk!

So we dropped it all off at the closest location (a hospital with a 45-bed NICU!  That's huge!  Our NICU had 6 beds and an overflow.  Plus, this hospital's parking situation was ridiculous.  It really made me appreciate our hospital!).  I was really disappointed that we didn't count how many ounces that we donated!

Now, our chest freezer looks like this:

There is actually room for food!  Plus, we still have lots of milk that I couldn't donate (milk has to be free from medicines... and although I could nurse on an antibiotic, I can't donate it).

Yesterday, I got this email:

630 ounces!  That is crazy!  That is almost 5 GALLONS of milk!  I love knowing that milk is going to needy babies instead of going bad in my freezer!  I want to add an extra 370 to this and make it an even 1,000 ounces by September!  I better get back to pumping!

If you are nursing a baby under 1 year and have extra milk, check out the Mother's Milk Bank!  Even if you don't live in the area, you can send it in!

(PS-  I'm not a crazy hippie... but having two preemies, I know the importance that breast milk plays in the growth and overall health of nicu babies!)

Four Months!

I cannot even believe that Ruthie is four months old.  I can't believe that it has been four months already... and also, I can't believe that it's only been four months!  I know that may not make much sense, but the first two months of her life were the longest two months of my life!

As of last Wednesday, she was 12 lbs, 4 oz.  As of about 2 weeks ago, she was 22.4" long!  That's up 8.5 lbs and 5" from birth!  She is smiling all the time and loves to be held so that she can see what is happening!  She is starting to "coo" and slowly outgrowing her 0-3 month clothes (starting with the one-piece pajamas).  Tonight, I washed up some 6 mo. pajamas and they looked huge.  They fit her a lot better than (I feel like) they should!  I can't believe how much she has grown!

She likes:  smiling, baths, being held, her big brother, soft blankies, being swaddled (but she will deny this one), her binky, mommy's milk, sleeping, prune juice, tv, her hands, laying on Mommy & Daddy's bed.

Dislikes:  tummy time, getting out of the bath tub, waiting more than 10 seconds for food, sitting by herself when she is awake, prevacid, when the swing stops while she is sleeping.

George loves her so much and is always quick to tell me when she is smiling, "talking," or crying.  If she cries and I don't get to her within 2 seconds, she has about 3 binkies piled on top of her.  George is very concerned with her comfort!  He always wants to tell her "hi" when he wakes up in the morning or from a nap.  He gives her kisses and plays "so big!" with her.  He is constantly talking about her... and about how "cute" she is!  His favorite phrase lately is, "Ruthie-girl is a cute boy!" (We're working on this boy/girl thing... but I don't think he gets it!)

Here are some of my favorite Ruthie pictures from the last two weeks... enjoy!

This Time I Got This...

Remember last year's resolutions?  Well, I failed.  Miserably.  So, I guess I can try again this year?  Because I have all of the same resolutions.

I really need to eat better.  We all do, but I especially do because I am the worst at it.  I thought I ate like crap after George was born, but now Ruthie is really getting the bad end of this bargain.  I need to eat better so that she gets what she needs.  As far as George goes, he might be a lost cause but I am still trying to get him to eat things other than crackers/yogurt/applesauce/chicken nuggets/other assorted "kid foods."

Also, I am really going to try to exercise.  Like the qualifier in that sentence?  I really liked Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.  I lots 4 lbs the first week that I did it and I felt great.  Then I got sick... and after that I got tired and lazy.  So, I am going to put forth an honest effort to hang out with Jillian at least 3 times a week.  And I'm not going to put off those 3 days until the end of the week because that doesn't work.

I bought a book.  Two, actually.  I have good intentions, but this will probably be as far as I get on the whole "reading" thing.  As Sweet Brown says, "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

I am trying really hard to study the scriptures and conference talks.  There is definitely room for improvement from last year.  Also, I am going to actively participate in Sunday School and Relief Society.  Now that I don't have a child to chase around (for the time being), there is no excuse for me to not pay attention.  I get really restless back in grown-up classes after being in Primary for a few months, so this will be a big task for me!

And now, I have a kitchen full of dirty dishes to clean.  I have been trying to keep things cleaner now that I am not pregnant/getting some sleep/disgusted by my surroundings.  I have been doing a decent job.  Last night I folded a load of laundry on the SAME day that I washed it.  That is huge.  Like I should get an award.

And now, just because my kids are cute: