What's for lunch? Hot dogs and peas.

This is worth posting about. Wow, great story.

Edin took a bite of his hotdog at lunch today and started gagging and threw up. "Is it too hot? Spit it out, buddy." He kept throwing up and we encouraged him to "get it all out." You know how sometimes they are kind of nervous to throw up because it's so unpleasant? But it's always better out than in I always say ;) To make a long story short, Edin kept throwing up/spitting up for the next hour and a half. I was imagined a terrible mother's day with all the kids coming down with some virus or another. James had to leave so I stayed by my poor sick buddy while he continued to throw up and be so miserable.

I was in the kitchen getting some water when he calls out "Mom, I finally got the hot dog out of my throat!" All that time he was gagging on this stuck piece of hotdog and when it finally dislodged he was totally fine and happy as a clam. WHAT?! I have no idea why he didn't just say there was something in his throat.


This story gets better when I tell you about the pea. One day at lunch Edin stuck a little green pea up his nose. None of our kids had ventured into this unknown territory. We were like "Dude, don't stick food up your nose. It could get stuck." So we got him a tissue to blow his nose. He blew a couple of times. Then sneezed. He said "I think it came out," and stopped to look around. Of course there were already other peas on the floor so he couldn't really identify which one came out of his nose. Sick, I know. The rest of the day he kept complaining about his nose and sticking his finger up there and squeezing the bridge of his nose. We kept telling him it's going to feel funny if you keep playing with it. Leave it alone. So he stopped messing with his nose and didn't talk about it anymore.

Well, what do you know, three weeks later he blew his nose and says "Hey, there's the pea!" THREE WEEKS!! This kid amazes me! I love having a five and a half year old.

Happy Birthday Edin!

A view of the past as we look to the future

As I prepare for the birth of our third child, I can't help but think about my first two experiences. They were so similar that I can't help but think the third might be, too. I'm really not sure how to prepare for an early delivery when I really have no idea WHEN it will be. Or even IF it will happen early again. But here's just a glimpse.

We took this picture just after finishing putting Edin's crib together. We had no idea that in just a few minutes I would have my first contraction. 7 hours later Edin was here.

Edin's first picture. October 14th, 2008, 5 lbs 8 oz, 17 inches long, 19 days early.

Leaving to come home from the hospital. Our lives would never be the same. It felt surreal driving home with a CHILD! It seemed like it was just a normal day for everyone around us. We stopped at Wendy's on the way home and I got a frosty. I'll never forget that. I'll also never forget that I came home to a MESSY house. I kept telling myself "I'll clean it. I've got time before the baby comes." James spent the whole time at the hospital with me so he couldn't clean up either. We were so unprepared for this child to come when he did. The outfit I brought to the hospital was 0-3 months and obviously it's huge on him. Poor guy.
Edin had a serious lack of fat on his body so he looked like an alien for a long time. And he had no hair...for two years...

I think this is the last picture of my belly before Lizzie came, probably three weeks before.

"Why are my feet and ankles so swollen? I should take pictures." 6 hours later I had my first contraction and 8 hours later Little Lady Lizzie was here.

Lizzie was born April 15th, 2008 at 5 lbs 6 oz, 18 inches long, and 26 days early. I was even more shocked than the last time. "What? It's tax day. I'm having this baby today?"

When we left the hospital with Lizzie, she weighed only 5 lbs 1 oz. She was really ticked off at being put in the car seat. In fact, she didn't pass the "car seat test" the first time around so we had to wait for the test to be done again. Basically, they put your baby in your car seat, monitor Baby's oxygen levels for an hour, and if they stay high enough, you can take your baby home. If you don't pass after two times, they make you go rent a special car seat from Primary Children's hospital. You can't leave with the baby until you get it! Luckily she passed the second time but we sure didn't feel at ease about going home with a baby who barely passed. He head flopped around A LOT.
On the way home this time, we had to go to Target for some much needed baby items, seeing as how we were unprepared again for our baby's arrival....Then we stopped at Cafe Rio and I was in postpartum heaven. In this picture Lizzie is wearing a preemie shirt that actually has blue on the front, one of Edin's. We didn't have anything for a preemie girl. Poor thing.

So any guesses as to how early this baby will be? I'm due April 7th. On March 10th, I'll be 36 weeks along.

Love

As I was putting Edin's socks on him today, I felt so much love for him. He sat right down and put his feet out so could help him. I was so happy that I could perform this service for him that he couldn't do for himself. He's been doing so many sweet and loving things lately. He also wipes off my kisses and says yuck. I don't know where he learned that. I love him though. I'm so glad he's mine forever.

Potty update

He did it. He pooped in the potty. He said he had to go potty and away we went. He sat there for a minute and nothing happened...until he tooted....and tooted and POOPED! Yay. It seemed to be two days worth so wahoo. We got it in the potty and I didn't have to clean it out of underwear. He hasn't had any accident today and seems to get better and better are recognizing before he goes that he has to go. He seems to be peeing less at night time, too. Yay! I feel like the luckiest mom in the world. Now if only he would stop hitting Lizzie...

My big boy is growing

Edin is potty training! Thursday night I thought I'd save a diaper by asking him to wearing underwear. He asked for M&M's so I told him he had to potty to get M&M's. "Okay." So he sat on the potty and went!! Whoa, that was awesome! Just before bed I asked him to go again and again he peed and got M&M's. I slapped a diaper on him and the next morning we kept it up. Friday he had two pee's and a poo accident. I'm pretty sure this pooping bit is going to continue to be ugly.

Today was the second and a half day and he's doing a great job. I ask him every hour to sit and he only fought me once. He doesn't seem very interested in the M&M's or marshmallows. He seems willing to do it just to go. He even went in a public potty. I was surprised. James said he was scared but did it. Right on, Kid!

He started to go number toosies in his little underwears and he freaked out and ran to the bathroom. Unfortunately he got scared and wouldn't finish. We waited all day for him to soil another pair of underwear but he never finished going! When he got in bed he said his tummy hurt. Then he tooted and said he felt better! This kid is a hoot. I figure he'll finish sometime in the night and that's okay with me. It's much easier to clean up a diaper mess than underwear!

I was surprised Edin just started going on the potty. I think trying it a couple of months ago helped prepare him. He wasn't ready then but when he was he knew what to do. He's definitely progressing. He's getting better at realizing when he has to go. So far he pees a little and then rushes to the bathroom to finish. I've never been a huge fan of pull-ups because I thought it would confuse children. "It's not a diaper...but you can pee in it?" Maybe they don't think they can. But today he wore one and I really liked knowing that if he didn't make it to the potty it wouldn't be so hard to clean up.

After we put him in a diaper to go to bed he was talking to James and then suddenly said "Edin has to potty!!" and ran for it. I thought for sure he'd just go in his diaper like "Ah, now I can relax and just go." I mean, maybe I'd think about doing it...

Tomorrow will be another day. I think he'll keep getting better. I'm going to bring his potty booster to church just in case he wants to go for it. This little man surprises me all the time. I love him so much. I'm so proud of him!

Trying

Instead of yelling at my child today, I gave him a kiss. I hope someday he realizes how hard it is to be a mom (parent).

"P"

Lately Edin is drinking a lot of water in the evening and espeically at bed time. I know he drinks water during the day but it seems like he's making up lost time at night. As a result, he has a LOT of pee by midnight. Two nights this last week Edin peed out of his diaper. One night was so bad we had to change the sheets! I've changed his diaper at midnight probably five times already. I'm not sure if it's because of all the water, some change in his diet or if it's something else. It seems pretty odd and I HATE having to use another diaper. I mean, my kids worth it, don't get me wrong but it's rough. That's my piece. Peace.

Cute things Edin did today

Edin from the window looking down while I'm outside-"Momma, my bois."
"What honey?"
"My bois, right there!" On the grass.
He wanted me to bring in the sippy cup he left outside earlier.
(I forgot to mention that "bois" is french. We use it to mean "drink.")

"Edin, it's time for bed."
"No Momma. Reedy"
Reedy means he's reading. I mean gosh, I can't complain about that can I? Actually my two year old has learned clever ways of prolonging his time out of bed. I didn't know two year old's did that.

I'm in shock

There's this strange phenomenon that happens when my children go to their grandmother's house. They eat. And eat. And eat. Edin turns into this little machine that devours everything Connie puts in front of his face. It's amazing. We were there last Saturday and Lizzie did the same thing. We had crock pot BBQ pork ribs, VEGETABLES! and pears. My kids sat there and ate forever.

I told Connie I didn't know my kids knew what a vegetable was because they don't get them/eat them at home. Hahaha, jokes on me. Lizzie ate carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower. (Probably Connie's favorite mixture, and I have to say after eating them there so often, mine too.)

Today I decided to try a little experiment. I opened a can of our favorite Del Monte Blue Lake Cut Green Beans. I heated some up and gave some to Edin and Lizzie. To my utter amazement, they both ate them. And wanted more. I even ate a few myself. Just to make sure if wasn't a fluke, they weren't just so hungry at lunch time the settled for whatever I put on their trays, I offered them more at dinner. And again, they ate. I'm in parent heaven!

Well with an addition like that, I'd say today was one of the most nutritionally balanced days we've had here in quite some time. Thank you for the inspiration, Connie!