Knowing where the expression "let sleeping dogs lie" came from

Last night around 10:30, I went in Hailey's room to tuck her in. She stirred a little and opened her eyes. I thought she smelled poopy and since she was semi-awake decided to change her. Pee is one thing but I can't let her little bum be covered with poop all night. The first thing I noticed was that she had managed to work one leg out of her jammies so she resembled a three legged octopus. This happens quite regularly. She also will get both legs into one pajama leg so she looks like a mermaid. She is a wiggle worm. I set her on the floor to change her - of course there was no poop and now she was WIDE awake. I considered changing her jammies since the ones she had on were a little small and just cotton - I thought maybe she would be warmer in fleece. I was tired and she was mostly dressed so decided not to. I put her back in bed and she started to fuss as she normally does. It usually lasts a minute or so then she soothes herself and goes back to sleep.

For the next two hours she continued to cry and fuss in her bed. I went in there around 11:00 and brought her back to our bed and nursed her. She seemed tired and ready to sleep. Apparently she didn't want to sleep in her bed. The crying continued. Not a screaming cry, just intermittently she would keep crying out. Mostly to let us know she was mad. Around 11:30 Trent went in to turn her fish light back on and re-tuck her. The crying continued. Finally at 12:3o a.m. I went in and picked her up. Her leg was back out octopus style so I changed her pj's into her fleece ones that zip and told her it was "na na" time and put her in bed. She laid in there just yapping and kicking like crazy. I think at this point she was so overtired she didn't know what to do. I left and she screamed her head off for a minute or so. Then it was quiet. Of course, then I am laying in bed thinking What happened? How can she be SCREAMING one minute and quiet the next? Is something wrong with her? So of course around 1:00 a.m. I sneak into her room to check on her and there she is looking up at me. I tell her night night and leave the room. WAH! Lucky for me, she only cried a minute or so and then she was quiet again.

Fluffy stuff

It has been a while since I posted anything on here. I guess I can tell what time of year it is because the hours I spend on the computer are consumed with shopping and Christmas card letter composing. It has been an even longer while since I had an Evan post. So here goes...

Fluffy stuff. This was once an Evan obsession. He used to pick at the brown blanket on his bed that he dubbed the "fluffy stuff" blanket and get these little fuzz balls that he "collected". We would find the fluffy stuff all over his room, in his bed, often stuck to his clothes and every so often some other random place in the house like the kitchen counter. If he were the one to find some say, in the toy box, he would proclaim "Hey! There's my fluffy stuff!" Of course his pronunciation of the word fluffy was actually more like fuffy. It was very cute in an crazy sort of way.

Fluffy stuff has I think become a thing of Ev's past. I kind of forgot about it as well until we moved his bed to vacuum and discovered the mother load of fluffy stuff. When Ev walked in his room to see what we were doing...you guessed it! "Hey! There's all my fluffy stuff!"

Evan shows off some of his "fluffy stuff".

The thread bare "fluffy stuff" blanket.

The crack of his bed where the fluffy stuff ends up.

Hailey Marie - Double digits

The months seem to go by faster and faster as she is getting closer to one year old. I can't believe it has been 10 months now. It seems as though I just wrote my 9 month update. It probably was since this one is late, and if I recall correctly, the last one was even later.

I think she knows a word. Na na na. This means one of three things, or maybe a combo since the three things seem to happen about the same time. NumNums (Cheerios or little puffs), Ninny or Night Night. She says it when she is hungry and ready for bed most of the time and she nurses before she goes to bed so... Na na na. She's a genius.

Still no teeth. Still not crawling. I think she is very close to hitting both of those milestones but I say that every month and it doesn't happen. Someday.

She is eating 3rd foods very well. She has added "real" bread, peas and turkey to her diet. She is a master of the "pincer" grasp. It must be female fine motor skills because I am positive that the boys just grabbed by the handful at her age. I am not saying that she can't shovel it in. She is a hungry girl. She seems to want to eat non stop and will eat until I think she feels sick and will urp it up. So we try to limit her a little since she is like a fish with eating. Unless of course that is an old wives tale that a fish does not know to stop eating and will eat until it dies of excess. She likes to spit food while we are feeding her. She thinks that is very funny.

She is also laughing more. She even tries to do it on purpose now. She has the cutest, most contagious laugh. She is just so cute. Her hair is getting longer. I love her giant gummy smiles with her crinkled up eyes. She is just a love.

I took her 10 month photos a little different. Instead of the couch, we set the shoot in the dining room for more natural light. The fill flash may have been on, but I don't think so. I just love these pictures of her. They are some of my faves of all time.

Be careful how you answer this...

While I was helping Spence get out of the van the other day, I noticed he had a little bit of gunk on his nose. Not seeing a tissue or anything laying around, I licked my fingertip and wiped it off. He wrinkled up his face and said "Ewww....Mom water!"

Since the weather has changed to winter temperatures, I sent Spence to school in his new winter jacket. He obviously is not comfortable with winter clothes yet because I heard him today in the garage ask Evan "Does this coat make me look puffy?"

Brusha, Brusha, Brusha!

Spencer had a dentist appointment today. I was dreading it for two reasons. One, the last time he went, he was awful. He cried and carried on and wouldn't let the hygienist do anything until I sat in the chair and he sat on ME in the chair. Comfy. Even then his cooperation was limited. Two, I had to bring all three kids with me and didn't know how I would manage them if a repeat of the last visit occurred. I probably scheduled the appointment at 4:30 because I figured that Trent would be home from school and could watch the kids or he could take Spence. But alas, the play!

Spence seemed pretty OK with the whole thing. He told me his stomach felt a little funny when he thought about going and I explained to him the "butterflies in your tummy" when you are a little nervous about something. He got a real kick out of that. I told him that I was being totally honest with him about it not being a big deal, that a checkup and cleaning will not hurt at all. I cited the fact that I was upfront with him about the flu shot when I told him that it would in fact hurt for a second and then he would be fine. He was - he never even cried. So he seemed OK - yet I was still apprehensive. He seemed OK the last visit and then we walked in the exam room and total meltdown followed.

He did amazing! I could not have been more proud of him. He sat in the chair, he opened his mouth, he did everything the hygienist told him to do. He did not cry or fuss at all! He answered her questions...I was in awe. (Even Evan and Hailey just sat in the exam room and watched the whole thing - uh...who are you and where are MY kids?) I was even impressed with the fact that he told the hygienist and then the dentist when he came in "Don't hurt me, OK!" before they began to probe his mouth with the explorer. I don't think when I was six years old I would have had the guts to tell a grownup something like that. Then we were done and Spence and Ev both got to pick a toy from the prize cupboard and life could not have been better. And somewhere in this town an orthodontist is smiling thinking of the money soon to be coming his way since they already gave us a referral for Spencer. Apparently his mouth is already overcrowded and destined to be animal-like, as was Trent's. Spence better get used to "mouth doctors" because it looks like the next years may be full of them. Great.

Move over Tool Belt Diva!

Today marks the first day of hell week. Trent will pretty much be gone from now until 7pm next Sunday. We had intentions of lowering Hailey's crib yesterday and then again today, but we spent most of yesterday at the hospital and Trent went back there today before going into work.

Hailey can now go from her back to a sitting position and is probably close to being able to pull up. I didn't think the lowering would safely wait a week so I decided to attempt it myself. How hard could it be?

It wasn't very hard at all. As soon as I found a hexagonal screw wrench I was all set. Of course the directions that Trent had written on the crib support board were a necessity. I am sure that the first time he tried to lower it was a task. It was semi intense - I had to take a whole side off the crib to be able to adjust the support board. After initially discovering that, I am sure he needed to document directions for his own sanity. Anyway, the job was a success. I was very proud of myself and thought Hey - this is no big deal, I can do this myself next time. Then of course was sad when I realized that the next time would be when we were taking the crib down FOREVER! Insert sad face. Oh well - we can always save it for our grand kids! Then I can be Tool Belt Granny!

Evan inspecting my work!

The handy tool set.

Miss Hailey is safe and sound now!

Scary

This has been a scary week in many ways. The real shake you to your core kind of scary with Dan's illness, surgery and looming recovery. The fun kind of scary with Halloween festivities and the sugar rush that lasts for days after. Finally, the wanting to beat your head against the wall while throwing things at your kids because they drive you crazy kind of scary.

Evan's naps have still been sporadic. I can live with every other day or so. What I can't handle is the over tired hyperness that he exhibits when he doesn't nap during the day. He has such a strong personality to begin with. He is very literal. He does not like it if you say to him something like " see you later alligator" - he will get angry and tell you that he is NOT alligator, he is EVAN! He is easily frustrated and gets a temper when things don't go the way he thinks they should or he can't do something. That is him all the time, but on top of that, this week he has decided to use his artistic ability in ways that I don't agree with - using markers on the wall, carpet and his body. I don't know how many times we talk about coloring only on paper. I must say it at least three times a day. What synapse is not firing? Then there are the diapers. God bless the boy for taking off his own diaper and trying to dispose of it, but I don't know how many times I have told him that dirty diapers do not belong in with his clothes for the laundry, they need to go in the trash. Tonight in his laundry I even found one with a poop in it! Are you freakin' kidding me?

Spencer seems to be turning into a teenager before my eyes. I am so tired of the snotty attitude and the dismissiveness when I ask him why he is not behaving in the desired fashion. He is still getting not great weekly reports from school. It is so frustrating to me. I am glad that he enjoys school and has friends to "act out" with, but I don't know how to reiterate to him that school is for learning and rule following. I just want him to be a good kid. The thing that drives me the most crazy is the manners. We have always tried to instill in them good manners. I tell him that when he gets off the bus he should tell the bus driver goodbye and thank you. Yeah right. On Fridays, the driver has candy for them and she always lets him take one for Evan as well. Today he waltzes in with the candy and I ask him " Did you tell her thank you for the candy?" He says " Oh, I think I forgot." How is it possible for him to forget to say thank you with my mug staring him in the face as he gets off the bus. What more of a reminder does he need? I have decided to drop the hammer. They are getting nothing around here unless the good manners come back. Evan is usually pretty good. Spencer is in for a rude awakening. Emily Post here we come!