Animal Sounds

A milestone for B... she is mimicking animal sounds. We were doing a puzzle today. I held up the cow and she said: "Moo." I thought it was a coincidence. Then I held up the duck, we quacked together. This went on and on with all the animals. She must have been waiting to show off this new skill. Just dying to have someone ask her all of the sounds animals can make. Maybe Mo and Mags have been practicing with her. I am glad she finally got to show it off, and B, I am sorry it took me so long to ask! I love you!

Looking forward to meeting you...

I know I have not mentioned it much, but we are about to have a new baby. Two weeks from today we should be checking in for a scheduled induction (because of the kidney stones). We will have a new little baby girl or boy to cuddle and snuggle with. We will have a new personality to get to know. We will have late nights with feedings and diaper changes. I am anxious to get to know this baby and learn all her ins and outs, all her quirks, all her preferences. I remember how each of my kids liked being held a different way. I wonder what this baby will prefer.

I will admit, I am a little anxious, a bit nervous, and at times I feel overwhelmed by the thought of it all. But then I look at the three little ones I already know and get excited all over again!

Can't wait to meet you little baby! (And if you wouldn't mind coming on your own before December third, that would be fantastic!)

Paci-Fairy cometh

Yes indeed, little Maggie is being forced to grow up. 3 was a big year for her. We kept telling her all the good (and the bad) things that would happen on her third birthday. She would get to go camping with grandad (and, oh yeah, we would take away her water at bedtime); she would get to take gymnastics (and don't forget, we would take away her pacifier).

Everything went pretty well. My parents took her "camping" in their back yard. Luckily their yard is kind of like a campground, complete with built in fire pit! She loved it. We said goodbye to the water cup, no problem. We told her three days of dry pull ups, and she gets to wear panties to bed (we are on day number two! tomorrow morning is a big day!). She is very proud. She absolutely loves gymnastics and may be the hardest working kid in the class (Mo is in it too. She is naturally talented, but I have seen her take a shortcut or two). And well, it was time to say goodbye to her pacifier. Now this girl loves the pacifier. Actually, love is not strong enough a word. It truly is like a magic switch for her. When we limited her pacifier use to the bed, she would literally put herself down for naps and bed. It was amazing to see a two year old get up from watching TV or playing a game and head up for a nap. She would even put her pull up on before settling in for her nap. I would not even have to walk upstairs.

We took Maura's pacifier away on her third birthday, so we thought we would do the same with mags. Maura, like always, made the transition with no problem. She, howver did not have the same relationship with her paci as Mags does (did). Well Mags 3rd birthday rolled around, snd I went and got sick, so no way were her grandparents going to be the big meanies and take it away. I totally do not blame them. Not only that, but she got to have it more and more throughout the day. It was no longer limited to her bed. She may have had it in her mouth half the day. Needless to say, no one was looking forward to the day we actually cut it off. I think too, deep down, I did not want to see my baby girl grow up or stop cuddling. Whenever she put that thing in her mouth, she would snuggle up to you, twirl her hair and stay there until you made her move. If the paci was gone, would all my cuddle time be gone too?

Well, we are on night four, finished day three with absolutely no pacis. It is going pretty well. The first night was fine. She loved waking up and getting her presents -clothes, shoes and a glass (broken by Maura about 15 minutes after she opened it) princess. Mags is the only three year old I know who would prefer a new dress to a toy! The first morning was miserable. She would get upset and want her paci. The poor pathetic child would go up to the clear plastic container we put them in the night before, look in it, see nothing, then still open it, hoping they might appear. She dumped all her toy bins looking for the one we may have forgotten to put in the bin. She looked in the basket in the kitchen where I often kept them (there was one in there, but luckily I got it before she saw it through the tears). Since then there have been a few little cries for it, but bedtime is going well, and most of the time she is just proud to be a big girl. They were even playing in the basement playroom and found a stray. She picked it up, looked at it funny, and have it to Sean... good for her.

So, we dreaded the day; we put it off, but I am glad we did it and I am glad we are surviving. Life without the paci will be a little more difficult. But worse than that, my baby is growing up. Good thing I've got B and baby #4 to take pacis from too!

Really? Is this normal?

When do the terrible twos officially end? If it is not soon in this house I may lose it. Maggie is still having issues being dropped off at school. I am used to that. Today she threw THE WORLD'S BIGGEST FIT being picked up from school. I mean there was guttural screaming, kicking, throwing, hitting, you name it, we had it. All right there for everyone to see.

I thought I had done everything right. I brought her sippy cup in with me, full of cold milk. I even brought the stroller so she could sit on the back and enjoy her milk. That was not good enough for her. Someone had to help me push the stroller to the car while I carried a kicking, screaming 3 year old to my car. I then had to wait 20 minutes or more for her to calm down enough that I could literally shove her in her seat. It reminded me a little of child abuse, I must admit, but compared to what she was doing to me, it was nothing.

But by the time we got home she was saying sorry and giving me big hugs and snuggles. I still adore you Mags, but these temper tantrums have got to stop.

Rocks

Maggie was rubbing my back the other day and asked what was in my back.
I thought she felt something under my shirt or something.
I said, "Nothing is in my back, why?"
She said, "Daddy said you had a rock in your back."
After a second, I got it, "Oh, stones, mommy has some stones in her back."
She innocently replies, "Yes."

Ugh!

That's all I can say. We have had a bit of a rough run in our house lately. After our fun week with the stomach virus, all was looking up. That was until my back began hurting. It continued to get worse throughout the day. I imagined that the baby was pushing on it. Then I thought I pulled a muscle. After a call for backup to my parents (and help from my friend Tory) we realized it was much worse than a pulled muscle. I ended up in the hospital for four days with kidney stones. I passed (hate that phrase) a few but know that I have several more in each kidney just biding their time waiting to come out. ACK! I was in a lot of pain for a week or more and was told it could last until the baby is born. I am happy to say two weeks later I am sitting here in much less pain and very grateful for the feeling or normalcy. Thank you. We just pray that they sit still until after the baby comes, and we can treat them. And maybe an early arrivl from Baby #4 would be great early Christmas present too! I know not to get my hopes up on that on though!

I was so lucky to have so many people come to my aid (and the family's aid) during this whole process. It is great to feel loved. The girls were great too. They really adapted well to having completely hands off mommy. I dropped Mags off at school for the first time yesterday, and she did not even cry at all. I always say purposeful neglect is a good thing. This neglect wasn't on purpose, but it worked regardless.

In the meantime little B had to get stiches (well glue) on her little eyebrow. She fell and hit her eyebrow right on the corner of the coffee table. This was after getting bloody lip while playing in the playroom and a bruise on her cheek from falling on the coffee table earlier. That was my first full day day back on the job taking care of the kids. I would say I did not pass with flying colors! Maybe I need a day or two off... but this time, not in the hospital room!