Cold and Snowy Days

Samantha: 79 Months, Week 3
Aedan: 45 Months, Week 1
Owen: 3 Months, Week 3 (Week 16)

Sunday, December 31 was another travel day for us. Since Owen was sleeping in our bathroom at the hotel, we just waited for Samantha and Aedan to get up for the day before getting ready ourselves. We didn't mind having a more relaxed morning anyways. In fact, even though Samantha woke up just slightly after 7:00 (since she doesn't know how to sleep in), Aedan slept for quite awhile longer. He must have been one tired boy because he slept until close to 8:30, giving Ben and I both a chance to shower and get ready. Owen also had a good night, sleeping from when I put him down at 10:20 all the way to 4:50, and then going back to sleep until close to 9:00 when we decided to wake him up so we could eat breakfast and get on the road. I felt like a new woman after all that uninterrupted sleep.

We had about four hours of driving left to do on that Sunday which worked out well for driving for a couple hours and then stopping for lunch. Owen did okay in the car, sleeping for a little while during each segment, but you could tell he was just done with traveling and riding in the car. The last half an hour was particularly brutal. Everyone was so ready to get home. It was nice to get home in the middle of the afternoon, giving us the chance to get everything unpacked, relatively put away, and then get started on our mountain of laundry. After going all morning not nursing, Owen seemed to know that we were back home. He took a little evening nap and nursed twice, which I was glad for.

Everyone was tired and needed to catch up on sleep, so everyone slept in on that Monday morning. I was glad for a couple more days to be at home together before Samantha went back to school and Ben went back to working on campus in preparation for the upcoming semester. Even Owen only woke up once that first night back home. He also slept in his room all night that night because our neighbors had a bright light on outside on their garage that was shining in our room, so after I fed him in the middle of the night, I laid him back down in his crib for the rest of the night and he ended up sleeping until 8:30. I was anxious to see how Owen would do once we were back home since it seemed like his schedule with sleeping and eating had gotten progressively worse as our time traveling went on. He didn't nurse very well right when he got up that morning, only eating for about five minutes even though it had been over five hours since he had eaten last. However, he did fine the rest of the day with nursing, took a two hour nap in his crib that afternoon, and nursed for almost an hour before bed that night. I was so glad that he seemed to be returning to his normal self.

When I had Owen on his floor gym playing that morning, I noticed him scooting himself around. He rotated himself almost all the way around while he was laying and playing, so then I wondered if maybe that was why his eating and sleeping has been so messed up, because maybe he's learning to move more and maybe he will roll over soon. I know Samantha learned how to roll over at about 17 weeks, and Aedan was more like 24 weeks, so I imagine it could be anytime now. It's fun to see him moving around, reaching for things that interest him, and using his feet to push and kick.

Here are Samantha and Aedan (or should I say Spider-Man) playing Mouse Trap that morning together. They were happy to be back home and playing with all their toys again.

Jenny

That morning and into the afternoon, Ben worked on putting Samantha's new desk together. She couldn't wait to get it in her room, so she finished her job of cleaning up the Barbie house in record time because she knew we couldn't put the desk in her room until the Barbie house was moved out. I helped her move things around a little bit, and we decided to put the desk under her window, giving her more floor space and a little corner for Kit's bed and wardrobes. Then, she spent the rest of the afternoon organizing her desk, moving these pictures on the back of it, and decorating the wall with all her artwork. She thought it was pretty cool to have her CD player on her desk so she could listen to her new Moana soundtrack. Once she had everything organized how she liked it, I took this picture of her. She looks so cute and so happy sitting at her desk. She looks so grown-up, too. When we asked what she wanted for Christmas she said a trash can and a desk for her room, so now she can sit and create in her own space without having to sit on the floor. Her room looks so much bigger now, and this is all just a sign of her growing up and her preferences changing. There's no point in having a dollhouse in her room taking up space when she never plays with it, and she will get years of use out of this desk. (Thank you Chicago Grandpa for getting it for her for Christmas!)

This video is my attempt at trying to get Owen's laugh recorded as I was getting him ready for bed that night. I was making him laugh hysterically right before I got my phone out to take the video. You can kind of hear his laugh right at the beginning of the video. He seems to be pretty ticklish up at the top of his chest and under his chin. Regardless, you can see his cute little gummy grin, his dimples on his baby soft cheeks, and how much he loves having his fingers and fists in his mouth.

Since Tuesday was our last day of Christmas break, we decided to take a trip over to Canada to go swimming before coming back home for a late lunch and nap time. They weren't going to have the slide open, but we still had the two pools to play in, and we all love hanging out and playing in the warm water. We were excited to be able to take Owen in the water more as well because the last time we came he hadn't gotten his two month shots yet, so we were trying to be more careful. This time I decided to come prepared with a bottle for when he started to get hungry. There's way too much going on at the pool to try and nurse him there. Plus, it would be hard to do wearing a swimsuit anyways. And we also want to get him used to taking a bottle anyways, so it's a good time to practice. The kids had a fantastic time swimming in the water, being silly with Daddy, going down the smaller blue slide, and jumping in off the side of the pool. Owen was happy just hanging out in the water, looking around, and splashing his hands and feet in the warm pool water. Towards the end of our time there, Owen was acting hungry, so I got out of the water, got our towels and his bottle, and then sat on the edge of the pool with my legs dangling in the hot tub while I gave him his bottle. He actually drank it pretty well and got a pretty good sucking rhythm going for awhile. I think he enjoyed being able to look around while he ate, and I was glad I was able to give him a bottle successfully. He didn't drink all the milk, but it was enough to make him happy and satisfied until we got back home and I put him down for his afternoon nap.

While the boys napped that afternoon, Samantha and I started working on her sewing project that she got from Ema for Christmas. There were several different animals to choose from, and Samantha picked the toucan. The outline of the animal already had pre-punched holes, and each animal came with individual directions with pictures to help children learn the basics of sewing, how to make different stitches, and how to make the starting and ending knots. It was fun having this time with my little girl, and it was great to see her focused on a task and enjoying learning a new skill. It's so fun to see her interests broaden as she gets older. She looks so grown-up in this picture. Sometimes I miss the little girl that would sit on my lap so I could read her books. Now she can read books all by herself. I have loved this time having Samantha home over Christmas break, and I am really going to miss her when she goes back to being in school every day.

I have to admit that Wednesday was kind of a weird day. It's always and adjustment period getting back into school life again. It was weird having Ben and Samantha gone, and going back to just me and the boys. Aedan was super sad that Samantha was going to school that morning. In fact, he threw a little mini temper tantrum that morning as she was getting ready to leave. He loves having her at home to play and didn't want her to leave. The rest of the morning Aedan was pretty aimless after having so much time with people to play with him while we were gone visiting family. Our breaks always go by way too fast. I look forward to them for so long, and they just go so quickly. We were having some super cold weather as well, making it even more difficult because I felt like we were just trapped in our house. I was not feeling ready for the beginning of another crazy semester. This time of year is always hard for me because there's not as much of a break like you get with Thanksgiving and Christmas. Plus, I go through a bit of a withdrawal period as well with not being around people as much, and feeling more isolated and alone.

On Wednesday morning I invited our neighbors from the street over to play. Owen was getting really tired before they got here, so I put him down for a nap so that way I could have my hands free to play with Aedan and talk with the mom.  However, Aedan was just super tired that morning, probably still recovering from our busy break, and he was not a very good friend. The little girl was playing in his room with his Legos, and he played with her for awhile, but then he went into the living room to play and wouldn't come back in the room no matter how much I asked him to. Then, as it got closer to lunch, Aedan started becoming more and more whiny and emotional. It seems like he isn't very good at playing with others when they come over to our house, but Ben reminded me that Samantha was like that as well at this age.

Owen had been doing pretty well since we got home from our traveling. He only woke up once during the night again from Tuesday into Wednesday, waking up just before 2:00, nursing and going back to sleep until about 8:30. We also have been having him sleep in his crib the whole night, rather than moving him to the pack and play after he wakes up the first time. However, sometimes I feel sad not having him sleeping next to my bed anymore. I miss hearing his little grunting sounds and his deep breathing while he sleeps. I am glad to have our room back, and I know that he is just right through the doorway in the room connected to ours. We don't even use a monitor because we can hear him when he wakes up, but still, it is just another milestone. I am happy that he is growing and becoming more independent, of course, but I think I feel a bit more sad about it because Owen is most likely my last baby, meaning I will never have a baby sleeping in a bed next to me again. It's like the closing of a chapter that I will never go back to. Exciting, but sad at the same time.

For however well Owen slept overnight, the afternoon was a different story. Some days Owen will nap for two hours in the afternoon, but on Wednesday afternoon it took me a long time to get him to sleep and then he woke up after sleeping less than an hour. I kept going down to his room to try and get him back to sleep, but as soon as I would lay him down, his eyes would pop open. I was hoping for a little bit of time to myself that afternoon, but it was not meant to be that day.

Aedan was so excited when Samantha came home from school that afternoon. One of their favorite activities lately is to go into Samantha's room and listen to the Moana soundtrack. Aedan's song is the Maui song, "You're Welcome." His face lights up every time it comes on, and he likes to pretend to be Maui, especially with his new hook that he got for Christmas. Well, I heard them running around and dancing to "You're Welcome," and I just had to catch it on video. The two of them are just so cute together. They were having a great time singing and dancing. :)

Samantha has been much more interested in Owen lately, now that he is more interactive and she can actually get him to smile and laugh. She asks to hold him quite often. Wednesday evening before leaving for AWANA, she held him in a different way, tipping him backwards (with Ben's hand there for extra support) and beaming with delight every time she got him to smile and giggle. She loves both of her little brothers so much, and they will always look up to her.

On Wednesday night, Ben had his Bible study and the kids had AWANA, but my Bible study didn't start back up yet, so I was home with just Owen. It was quiet, but strange. I forget what it's like just having a baby around. He and I hung out and played with toys for awhile, but he was pretty fussy from not napping that long that afternoon. I did all I could to hold him off until 7:00 to start putting him to bed. By 7:45 he was in his bed sleeping, and I was able to relax for a few minutes before Samantha and Aedan got home.

Samantha actually ended up having school cancelled on Thursday because it was going to be negative temperatures with the windchill. Samantha and Aedan were doing pretty well playing together that morning, but I decided it would be good for them to get out of the house for awhile and burn off some energy. Some MOPS moms met up at McDonald's for a play date, and Samantha was excited to be able to go because she normally cannot go on these play dates with being in school. They were having a great time running around and playing in the play place. Owen fell asleep in his car seat on the way there and even stayed asleep for awhile despite the loudness of the play area. It was a good way to spend the morning, and I had some time to talk with other moms for awhile.

My goal for when we got back from Christmas break travels was to start Owen in cloth diapers. I got our stash washed and ready to be used. It had been long enough since I used them that I had to reacquaint myself with them, but I was excited to get back into using cloth because they are really so simple and save us so much money. Here is Owen in his first cloth diaper.

Here are some cute pictures of my kiddos that afternoon. Samantha loves holding Owen now that he can hold his own head up better. And she loves being able to play with toys with him now and give him things to hold in his little hands.

I even got Aedan to get in on the pictures, as long as he was allowed to hold his Maui hook, too. Ben and I make cute kids, don't you think? Man, do I love them all so much.

Look at all the teeth missing from this little girl's mouth! It's so funny to see how her smile keeps changing as she loses teeth and has her adult teeth coming in.

Owen sure is lucky to have the two of them to grow up with. These are three great kiddos right here. I am one lucky mama.

Friday was another super cold day, colder than Thursday actually, so Samantha's school was cancelled again. Aedan was THRILLED to have another day at home with Sissy. Not too bad to go to school for one day and then have two days off of school again. It felt like a nice, extended break, and it was so nice to have this time just to play at home together.

Ben tried to work from home that day, but the kids wouldn't leave him alone, so he ended up having to go to campus so he could actually get something done. Once I got Owen down for his morning nap, I went into Aedan's room to be with the big kids as they played. They were building and being very creative with Aedan's new Lego set, and it was fun to watch them play with each other. These days off from school were an extra blessing for Samantha and Aedan. I don't think either of them got out of their pajamas on this Friday. (Aedan has his Batman pajamas under his Spider-Man costume.)

That morning Owen did not take that long of a nap, even though he was tired. He got his hand out of his sleep sack again, which seems to bother him and make him mad. I felt bad because I was just about to sit down and actually have time to play with Samantha and Aedan without having to worry about taking care of or entertaining Owen at the same time. I felt frustrated and had forgotten how hard it is to feel like I can get much done or play with Aedan during the day, when trying to take care of Owen, too. There is always something I am not doing well enough, either shirking my household responsibilities to play with Aedan, or ignoring Aedan so I can get things done. I know things will get easier as Owen gets bigger, especially as he can roll or sit up and play with toys, but this is certainly a difficult phase.

That Friday night we decided to try out the new pizza place down the street from our house. It was supposed to be Chicago style pizza which made Ben and I very excited. Ben called ahead to order our food and got there shortly after 5:00 to pick it up. However, it was 5:15 and they still hadn't even put it in the oven. We debated just cancelling our order and going to Superior Pizza in Brimley instead, but then the next time he talked to them, they said it was in the oven and would ready in fifteen minutes, so Samantha and he decided to wait for it. However, another hour passed and the pizza still was not done. It was crazy, and I know he was tired of standing and waiting there for so long. When our pizza finally came out of the oven, it was burnt, so they ended up just giving us someone else's order who got a refund and decided to leave. The pizza was not what we expected. It was crust on the bottom, toppings in the middle, very little if any cheese, another layer of crust, and then a thin layer of sauce spread over the top. It tasted pretty good, but it was a little too much crust for my liking and not at all like the cheesy Chicago style pizza that I love so much. Maybe we will try it again when it isn't their opening day and are super busy.

While Samantha and Daddy were gone waiting for the pizza, Owen, Aedan, and I hung out at home. We played together, had some snacks to tide us over, and just waited for them to finally get home with our dinner. Here is Owen getting some tummy time that evening.

It's not very often that we eat dinner at 7:00 at night, so the kids didn't have very long to play before it was time for bed. Owen was getting pretty tired and slap happy, so we decided to have some fun looking in the mirror downstairs before heading to bed. He loved being bounced up and down and was just giggling away. I think he really enjoyed being able to see himself in the mirror, too, even though he doesn't know that is actually his reflection. I love seeing him smile and hearing him coo and laugh.

Saturday was another super cold day, but we were tired of being stuck in the house, so we decided to take a family trip to Meijer to get a few things and just walk around for awhile. Then, we went to the library because Samantha requested that we go, and she doesn't ever get to go to the library since Aedan, Owen, and I always go during the week. Daddy and Aedan had a hair cut appointment at 11:00, so once they left, Samantha, Owen, and I stayed at the library together. She enjoyed just sitting down and reading books. It was such a different experience than when I am at the library with Aedan. We were also able to find and check out "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." We had finished reading the book aloud to Samantha, and we told her that we'd let her watch the movie sometime. She was so excited that the library had it and couldn't wait to watch it.

Saturday afternoon meant nap time for Aedan and Owen. Samantha played in her room for a little while before going over to Canada with Daddy so he could look for a new suit coat. I put Owen down for his nap in the pack and play in our bedroom so that way I could work on switching the 3 month clothes out of his closet and hanging up all the 3-6 month clothes I had washed and ready. It was a big job, and one that I needed time for when he wasn't in his room sleeping. Here is a picture of Owen all wrapped up, sleeping in the pack and play. He doesn't sleep in the pack and play very often anymore since we have pretty much transitioned him to sleeping in his crib. He took a nice, long nap that afternoon, and I was able to accomplish everything I wanted to while he slept soundly in the next room.

When I came upstairs from finishing putting the clothes away, this is what I saw. Izzy was laying on the bench by the garage door, patiently waiting for Daddy and Samantha to come back home. She's so cute and sure does love her family.

And here is Samantha holding Owen that evening before dinner. She has really enjoyed holding him lately, and he loves the attention of his big sister (even though he doesn't look that thrilled in the picture.) She is a proud big sister.

(Blog about December 31, 2017-January 6, 2018)