Teachings

Nothing says Christmas like a skyline chili ornament (I made it!), the Oscar Meyer wiener song blasting from an ornament and potty training!

We put up a tree this weekend and I told a naked-from-the-waist-down Butters what all the ornaments were from as I put them on the tree, and he took them down. I told him about the Millennium Falcon, the peanuts gang, monkeys, guitars and Santa on a cable car-we have a very eclectic tree.

I love teaching my boy about the world and experiencing it all over again with him. But there are some thing I never thought I'd have to teach him. This was our breakfast conversation the other day, looking out the window:

B: I'm looking for a airplane. I don't see a airplane.

M: What else can you see?

B: I see a bird, birds can fly. Penguins can swim.

M: That's right!

B: Penguins live where it's so cold and I say, Brrrr!

M: You are so smart! (Pause) Okay...stop licking your milk off the table!

I knew I had to teach him the alphabet and manners and how to pee pee in the toilet, put there are phrases that come out of my mouth that I never dreamed I'd have to say!

On the drive down to the In-laws (which took 2 hours longer than usual), B was looking out the car window and he said, "I see garbage." We had to teach him about the lazy people in the world that litter. I thought of other bad things that happen in the world that I'll have to explain as well. Some day, I'll have to tell him about Republicans who refuse to give health care coverage to children!

We had a nice Thanksgiving, Butters loves playing with his cousin. We also got Elfed!

No Judgement

I'm never on time (anymore)! Something always happens when you are planning to walk out the door-someone is hungry, someone poops and then needs a new outfit and then I need to pee again, etc.

I was rushed trying to leave for knitting group yesterday, I get a little flustered when we are running late. But it's about having fun, I'm going to knit for chrissake! We get to the library and I discover I forgot to strap the baby INTO the car seat! My friend told me we are all allowed to give ourselves one mistake a day, but that's a pretty big one. It makes me think of the mom who has 5 kids and forgot about the baby in the car. When I only had one I thought, how horrible! How could you EVER forget your child. I'm not saying it's excusable or that I've done it, but I can kinda understand HOW you could forget... anyways, here are some pictures of the kids from today. Happy Thanksgiving.

He said he is putting a hat on her head! She liked the attention.









Here she is getting a kiss from brother, which looks cute and sweet and gentle until I tell you that he gave her the scratch on her forehead. We are working on that...

by the way, Butters is still in his PJs and it was like 1:00 in this photo!

Order of Importance

I shower in order of importance. When the husband isn't home, I put the baby in the bathroom with me in a bouncy seat (for her protection), the dog outside and Butters in front of the TV (at least I know where he'll be.) I never know how much time I have before someone starts to get upset (baby, dog or 2 year old) and this ensures that I am never ever alone. So, it's the hair first (naturally), then the important bits, if time-the rest of my body and face!

My day starts off with order chaos as well. Dog needs to go out, Butters wants some chocolate milk, baby needs to be fed, I need my coffee. What comes first? In this case, the dog because it's probably raining, then chocolate milk, then let the dog back in, then feed the crying baby. I feel so bad for little E because Butters never had to wait for things and he could nurse and sleep in peace, whereas she has someone headbanging her half the time.

Notice who was last? Not the baby, woman, ME! You didn't even think of me, did you? I'm so going to earn my mother's day present(s).

Peppermint Mocha

We had a visitor this weekend-Aunt Butt Pincher! (She doesn't like having her photo taken).








Butters shows how gentle he can kiss. We've been dealing with some over activity in that area. He goes a little wacky when I nurse the baby and has bumped heads with her a number of times. I have to go upstairs or I yell too much. If anyone has some extra patience they can send me, I'll take it!





Aunts give you chocolate. Mere was a huge help with the baby and Butters. Gave me a chance to work on some Christmas knitting. And gave T a lot of free time. Ironically, the morning she left was the worst night yet. Ellie was up every 1.5-2 hours. Butters woke up and couldn't decide what he wanted-his bed or mom and dad's, T had to get up at 4:30 am to take Mere to the airport. So, by 7 am when Ellie got up for the last time, all I wanted to do was get a few winks of sleep before Butters woke up for the day (usually around 8)...

Here's what was outside my house at 7:30 AM, yes, it's a jackhammer!

It's nothing a Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks can't solve. I didn't get one today, but I had one yesterday (maybe that's why the baby was up?) anyway, they are super yummy.



Speaking of the holidays, here are some great posts and places to visit for gift and making your own gift ideas. I can surf the Internet with one hand holding a baby, but I just can't type much, hence the short posts. T is holding baby right now!

Vintage Chica
Cool Mom Picks-great site for responsibly made toys
Sew Mama Sew

Catch Up

We went to Olympia this weekend. Baby went on a nursing strike, but luckily I had the family there to help. Got help from a lactation consultant and now we are back to growing big!







This is how much you can knit with a baby on your lap, nursing at 1 in the morning and 3 in the morning and 6 in the morning, every day for the last 3 days.







This is what we are doing right now. Baby in the sling.








No, no, no. Butters is becoming more opinionated about his picture being taken!

Happy Halloween

Butters is a pirate.

Opening My Own Bakery

Things are going well, baby is 17 days old today and I feel like this is my first chance to actually write something other than captions. Trouble is, I don't know where to start and my brain is mush. I'm basically living on nighttime 'naps' (you can't call it sleep) and coffee (but not too much or you'll keep the baby awake).

BabyGirl is doll, she's beautiful, she's perfect and she sleeps about 98% of the time! I've been having trouble getting her to latch on, it can take up to an hour sometimes then by the time she eats, poops, eats again, outfit change, it's about 2 hours to feed her. My friend is a co-leader with LLL so I got some good tips. It was encouraging to hear that everyone has trouble breastfeeding. She said all kids are different, even my body is different than with Butters. He had no trouble pointing this out as he lifted up my shirt today and told me about my belly button and how the baby grew in there, then he said, and I'm surprised I didn't start crying, "Mommy has rolls!" Hence, this post's title.

We are getting out a lot, we need to with a 2.5 year old! I was able to fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans this weekend-a joy to actually zip a pair of pants! We've been having a lot of visitors and we had our coming out to the knitting group, E wore the Zimmerman sweater I knitted. I think she likes it. There's a pic at the top, she looks like she is saying, "I'm ready for my close up." I took photos of Butters all the time, but never because of his outfits, I had to get some of the baby today in her pink clothes.

T is looking at Ellie sleep right now and he just said, "Maybe we should have another one." Yeah, right.

C's Grandmother is an amazing seamstress; she made him a pirate costume for Halloween worthy of the stage. Trouble is, he won't put the thing on. "No, No, put it away." He screams. He said he wanted to be a pirate. I think we'll have to photoshop the thing on him. Take a pic of Butters by the door and a pic of the costume and morph them together! Butters has been amazing lately. He makes the most amazing comments and seems to have grown so much in the last few weeks. He's a great big brother, very gentle with the baby, unless he's trying to climb on my lap while I'm nursing her. He asked me to put the covers on him tonight and after I did he said, "That's great, mama."

I'm feeling the urge to knit a sweater for myself. Like it's the only thing that will get me through this time, I need to make something for me. I want to make the top Wicked with some purple Cascade yarn I was petting a few months ago at the shop. I need a quick, mindless knit and I need it to be all about ME. I've got so many other beings depending on me right now and crazy things happening. When I put my shoes on this morning, there were 5 raisins in the left shoe. We found a mouse in our basement. And Luna, our slightly morbidly obese cat, is sick. Mama needs some yarn and a new project.