mudpies and paint

I have kind of taken a much needed computer break these last few days. Not so much by choice, but out of happenstance. My 'downtime' is now filled with options like - sleep, and that is really hard to pass up.

We are at the month mark since junior came home to us. And I have to say that at this time this is the hardest adjustment for me to bringing any of my children home. His issues, though thankfully none are life-threatening or even require medical intervention, are time-consuming and require much more of my attentiveness. Feeding him is the number one priority in life these days and due to the 'smallness' of his digestive system it is a process. It begins with a full clothing/diaper change, because while sleeping he has either spit up or leaked through the diaper (premie diapers are still a little big on him around the backside & thighs). Then hopefully we will sit and nurse, which is a long drawn out affair of nearly 40 minutes. Then there is sometimes a second diaper change and clothing change aferwards to clean up the mess made during the feeding. Repeat process every 2-to 21/2 hrs. On the brightside he is getting to wear all those cute premie outfits that I was sure he would grow out of first.

Laundry has nearly doubled, yet how can that be. We were a family of five - three of those young girls who must change their outfits according to the time of day. How can one teeny, tiny baby double the laundry. Outfits, blankets, spit rags, bedding - oh my - changed constantly throughout the day.

Throw in one 23 month-old who is suddenly waking every single night - generally just shortly after I get junior down and out for his long stretch. She waits until I have gotten, settled and comfy under my blankets - then begins screaming. No, not calling for me, screaming! Em was my sleeping baby too. So easy to put down, slept through the night very early. We thought maybe teeth - no, she is teething but that oesn't seem to be what is bothering her. The other night I know it was the thunderstorms, but I was prepared for that. Last night- I don't know. But she is not easy to put back to sleep.

Leaving the house - Ha Ha. I have to start getting ready and rounding up children an hour-and-a-half before we go anywhere. By the time we are ready to go, junior is ready to eat again.

Someone once told me that the transition from one to two children was the hardest transition. I have to say in my case it is the transition from 3 to 4. I just feel very outnumbered some days.

Wednesday was our "out" afternoon. We had science club, which I think is more enjoyable for us mothers then the kids. But that was nice to get out to, even if I did get lost trying to get there. One of the other mothers had her baby at the end of July - the difference in junior and the other baby is amazing. From there we had to race back into the 'city' to get to MB's indoor soccer practice. DH met me there so I could just drop MB off and bring the other kids home and fix dinner.

I have been cleaning all week - partly because it needed to be done, but also because the pastor from dh's parent's church was coming by to visit us last night. We decided over the summer to rejoin dh's childhood church, so the pastor had not had a chance to meet junior, and we needed to discuss some other things. My house now looks cleaner, yet lived in. Not the wreck that it had become in October. The funny thing about cleaning was how much MB helped me, K ignored us doing it and EM, in all her power attempted to go behind us and pull everything back out. The differences in ages was very apparent.

To otherwise entertain, I gave the girls some cheap computer CD-Rom games I had picked up somewhere. I call it critical thinking education. K's concentrated on listening skills, while MB's was heavy on math. They had both computers running at various times - which cuts into my computer time.

I went to the dentist yesterday to see about this tooth that has been bothering me since last week. They put a temporary in and told me to call on Monday to see how it is doing and decide what to do next. They are trying to avoid a root canal, but based on how it is feeling today, I don't think that is possible. So, I go through another weekend with a throbbing jaw. I really, truly hate dentists- they are sadistic.

Today is Friday!! Yeah! We have school lessons that need to be done. The girls have pulled out the sofa bed in the den and are lounging as we speak. I have made it to the point of wearing sweats, and believe that this is what I will stay in today. The temp has dropped after the storms yesterday. If the girls go out to play I believe I will be watching from the window today.

Peace,

Amy