When Life Gives you Lemons....

Eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner...in everything...lemons...mmmm (yep - that's what I've been doing the past week+)

We've been sick around here...terribly, nasty, super ack sick. Viral cold / flu sort of thing. Thankfully, the kids have done very well with it. Everett is doing fine- a sneeze here and there. David has had a little congestion and slight dry cough. Mary Louise had a bit as well but has been controlled with her preventative medications and a night dose or 2 of cough syrup. Both David and Mary Louise had a fever for a few days and were quite grumpy and whiny (understatement) but their appetites have remained on track and pretty steady.

I, on the other hand, had fever for a few days, a sore throat that quite literally kept me from swallowing anything other than warm lemon / honey and broth for about 3 days, no voice at all for 4 days and now have a wildly sexy cough that I'm sure my neighbors can here. My goals each day have been: 1. keep the kids alive and cared for, 2. rest as much as possible.

We did survive Brent leaving town for 2 nights in a row. (by survive, I mean we did ok - then the sickness set in so he stayed close to home this week to lend a hand).

So, we've had fun. yeah. Ok. Honestly, it's been a rough 10 days or so - but there were some funny moments:

We had our own American Idol performance:

(I should tell you that to date, I've never seen a full showing of AI...even though Josh Ledet's home town is spitting distance from my house...I'm just not into it.)

oh - and Mary Louise is learning how to negotiate...or demand whatever:



I missed the really funny part - when the boys were quiet and Mary Louise was super serious about asking Brent for a swimming pool...and big girl panties...that child is a fire cracker. I do declare!
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I went downstairs the other morning. Mary Louise and David had been down there for some time with Brent. Brent was getting ready for work, and I noticed immediately that the house seemed really quiet...dun dun dunnnn!! I made my way to the laundry / bathroom and found my sweet babies there: "queenin'" (cleaning)...they had helped themselves to a bottle of continuous Febreeze spray and some sand paper and were just going to town "queenin'" the sink, toilet, floor and their step stool. No, I did not fuss - just stood there a minute in the fumes and finally, very gently, asked for their "supplies" and explained, again, that they were not to go into the laundry room without Mommy or Daddy with them. (the laundry usually stays closed as it's the one room in our house that is not at all child proofed).
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I needed a shower...badly...the other day. Everett has targeted my hair as his number one place to spit up. Yes, my hair is almost ALWAYS up on top of my head. Yes, he STILL manages to smear curdles behind my ears and then drip them down my back. Thanks kid. At least I've learned where to look - lest I get some super stink eyes if and when I must enter the public realm. Sneaky buggar.

Anyhow - back to the shower. I stole one. Literally. 3 minutes of panicked bliss. Everett was napping and Mary Louise and David were ***supposed to be playing in their playroom. I turned off the water and heard tiny people chatter:
ML: "NO Da-bid! My cut mine OWN hair dis time!"
D: "Move Meese! Mine turn to turn da fan on!"

Super. I smiled (after my stomach dropped of course as I thought of just how long it has taken Mary Louise to grow any notable amount of hair at all). Never have I been so proud of skimping on the kids' art supplies. When I was in the store looking at children's scissors, I noticed we had 2 options: some really great ones that would literally cut as well as my kitchen scissors, or the crappy dollar kind that are hinged really loosely and have trouble cutting even paper - much less hair. I knew the hair phase was coming. I also knew the kids had been using scissors at therapy and wanted their own at home. Cheap scissors that won't really cut much? Yes please! Smiles all round!

The fan? Mary Louise and David had quickly broken into the guest bedroom when I turned the shower on...I swear they scheme and wait for these moments...they were jumping on the bed and pulling the fan cord. The fan was at tornado speed when I walked in and found Mary Louise hacking away at one of her pigtails and David in mid jump.

It's really a hard not to giggle a little when I catch them in "the act". Their faces are ridiculously priceless.
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Everett is getting really big. He is just starting to "coo" a bit, grin with purpose on occasion, and will push through his legs and bounce when I stand him in my lap. His head control is great - he does continue to "plop" down every so often, but has begun to use his entire upper body to push up and look around. He can turn from side to side when lying on his back as well. When I dangle a noise making rattle or toy above him, he tracks really quickly and can hold a rattle for just a few seconds.

Nursing is getting a little easier. I am still needing to pump at least 3 times per day, but I was saving up to 24 ounces (AFTER feeding) last week and this week have noted a little less (18 to 20 ounces). I tried to cut out a pumping session - but I felt horrible that day and the next and worried about mastitis...then I got sick. I was able to sleep through 2 nights just waking to nurse - without the extra pump session which was nice.

We got through Everett's 6 week growth spurt. I literally did nothing but try to keep the house from falling down around us, sit on the sofa and nurse (he literally nursed 10 hours out of 24 during one day), and deter Mary Louise and David from drawing on any and every flat surface here. (Oh Magic Eraser, you make life just a little less stressful sometimes). My chunky monkey (or "normal-ish kid" whatever works) is out of newborn diapers and I'm having to re-adjust the leg elastic and rise in his cloth diapers again already. He can still fit in newborn onesies - but the snaps are working pretty hard - and the "footie" ones are too short for him already.
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Happy Memorial Day and many thanks to the service men and women who give of their life and time so that we may have ours. You are appreciated.

xo,
Heather