My adorable boys

Want to see a few pictures from our fun photo shoot? Check out what Kristin captured here!

Broken Paci - Day ??

Can I admit something to you?

I'd nearly forgotten we were getting rid of the paci. It hasn't been as rough the last few days.

Lets backtrack. Last week, Edward wasn't sleeping. And we had the occasional meltdown.

I'd planned to snip off more on Wed. But that morning, while we were having playgroup at our house, Edward spiked a high fever. I couldn't bring myself to make life any harder for him while he was already so miserable. So snipping was put off.

On the plus side, the fever made him so lethargic that he caught up on his sleep. (I have to admit that I chose to not medicate him and let the fever run its course specifically so that he would get some rest. Two days of intermittent high temps did the trick.) He has continued to nap just fine ever since. My sleeper is back!

How did the next cut go? Much more smoothly. The cut pacis have an edge that makes it hard to suck on, so Edward had already switched to simply holding it in his mouth. Cutting off more made it feel different, but he didn't have to break the sucking habit again.

For the last several days, Edward has used the pacis less and less. Except for when he goes to bed, he rarely has one in his mouth. And I'm making a point of redirecting his attention when he does ask for one.

All in all, I think it's going really well and hasn't been the ordeal I expected. I think that the next cut might be when we talk to him about throwing them out.

(Thanks Staci for reminding me to update!)

Broken Paci - Day 5

It hasn't been easy. But it also hasn't been horrible.

During the day, he'll occasionally carry one around to chew on or hold on the side of his mouth. It seems that he has a harder time talking with the broken paci in his mouth, so he's pulling it out to talk. Frequently, he puts it down and forgets about it.

That's the good stuff.

The bad?

He has yet to nap since I cut the pacis. Bedtimes involve lots of crying. But because he hasn't napped, a little snuggling or hand holding puts him right out.

Oh, and we did have an incident when he found an undamaged paci. I managed to distract him with a snack and cut it, but when nap time rolled around and he couldn't find it again, all hell broke loose. We have now thoroughly checked his room and think we've found them all...

Ultimately, I think it's working. It just might be a while before our great sleeper makes a reappearance.

Broken Paci - Day 1

Constantly switching pacis to try to find one that isn't broken.

2 hours of crying before he finally fell asleep.

Hope that Edward will decide the broken pacis aren't worth it before weeks of crying drives his parents insane.

(For anyone who's curious, I broke the pacis by snipping off just the tip. If he still wants them, we'll continue to cut off a little every week until there isn't enough to suck and he throws them out. And yes, I cut them all. There is no going back...)

Too Small

Today Edward said "Mom, you're too small for playground. You're too small."

Granted, the boy meant that I was too big and the playground too small. But it struck me that I haven't been too small for anything in quite some time. And that just seems weird.

Growing up, I was very accustomed to hearing "You're too small." It wasn't kids being mean. I really was too small for whatever kids my age were doing. Deficient growth hormone will do that. My mom rejoiced when I defied the doctors' predictions and not only made it close to 5 feet, but passed it during high school.

And I didn't stop! I'm a solid 5'3". Oddly enough, I'm still deficient. Could you imagine how tall I'd be if I produced normal amounts of growth hormone? I try not to think about it. I'm the shortest one of my siblings, and that feels right. Even as the oldest, I was always the little one.

That's why it struck me when Edward told me I was too small. I'm not too small. And I haven't been for years. Maybe it's time for me to change my mindset. I really liked being little. But if I could learn to enjoy being 30 (a whole post on it's own), I can learn to like being a normal size. (Height-wise at least. Even when I look thin, I'll never get used to the bigger number on the scale.)

My Favorites

It's been much too long, I know. We're still alive and kicking. Adjusting to a new house, a new work schedule, and my growing, changing boys has been a bit much for me. I'm getting there. Slowly.

Because they make me smile, I thought I'd share a few of my current favorite things.

1. Edwardese. Edward has stopped saying "no." He says "I guess not." On occasions we'll even get an "I guess.......yes." There's also "What chu talk'n 'bout!" And the ever classic "I'm all fine."

2. Ethan's bum. That boy can shake it! He discovered the joy of wiggling his bum a few weeks ago. (I think they did the chicken dance at school.) Ever since, he's become a dancing fiend and can shake that thang with the best of 'em. He'll even make up his own little raps to dance to. Totally cracks me up.

3. A clean kitchen. Now this is not something I have often. But when I do, it's inspiring! I just want to pull out a cutting board or mixing bowls or dust that long counter with flour and start kneading something. The layout of this kitchen makes it hard to keep tidy. But I'm pushing hard to create better habits for all of us. Because I love to be inspired to cook!

4. Edward's PJs. I'm sure I've mentioned Edward's tag obsession before. His taggies are his constant companions. It's evolved to be only clothing tags. His favorites are the ones in his pajamas. Especially the ones in the back of his pajama pants or shorts. BUT, Edward's favorite pajamas to wear are the full length footie ones. No lower-back tag on those. Edward's solution? Layers! He gets his footie pj's with a pair of shorts to provide a tag. All he needs is a cape and he'd make a great superman!

5. Ethan Drawing. Drawing has become an integral part of Ethan's life. He spends a huge portion of every day sitting at the craft table drawing us pictures. A few months ago, his drawings were simple (and unrecognizable) sketches of the things around our house. He's evolved to more intricate and creative works involving our family as books on a shelf, or racetracks with water hazards and short-cuts, or a bird in a cage, in a tree house, supported by several trees reaching over our house. We can barely bring ourselves to even put them in the mail to share. So grandparents, come visit and see Ethan's growing collection of work!

NEVER!

Edward after climbing onto a dining room chair: "No booster seat!! Hahahahaha." (With a fist pump) "NEVER!"

Love your Brother?

Not at my house. As much as my boys talk about loving each other, the obvious truth is that they'd LOVE to be only children.

Ethan can't wait for Edward's nap so that he can get out big boys toys or have mom all to himself. And Edward, when we're dropping Ethan off at preschool, literally drags me back to the car so that he can have the toys all to himself.

Maybe what we need is two toy rooms!

All joking aside, they do love each other and they show it in lots of ways. Playing together is just not one of them.

Cooking Again

In the adjustment back to a "normal" life, I've started cooking again. Old standbys for now while I'm feeling rusty. But more once I'm comfortable in my new kitchen.

To push myself along, I'm posting on my other blog again. Weekly menus and the corresponding recipes as I make them. Even if they're of no help to anyone else, it will get me back to my happy place and help me keep track of my recipes.

Is it over?

Can I open my eyes yet? Is 2009 totally and completely gone?

Whew!

It's been a rough ride. One I wouldn't voluntarily repeat. But would I change it? No way!

It would be wonderful to think that we would have ended 2009 on the high we did without the lows. But I don't think it was possible.

So I'll celebrate the growth. And the achievement of some of our long-term goals.

But no one can blame me for a little bit of relief that it's over.

Mom Math

1 Ignored dirty diaper on an otherwise naked boy

+

1 Boy who likes to play with the tag in the back of his pants

=

2 Messy hands waving a gross paci at mom while the boy spits at the yucky taste

+

1 Mom on a hunt to discover where else the boy wiped his hands

+