Errrr, we can stop whispering

My little Peanut who is getting to be not-so-little anymore...
The Duckling enjoys finger painting with chocolate pudding. Nothing better than edible paint, clean-up is minimal.


That was a fluke.

The sleeping through the night? Yeah, a fluke.

I do think though that she will now start waking up only once a night for a bottle and I am willing to accept that.

If it's at 1 AM, it's at 1 AM, if it's later, it's later.

She sleeps from 7 PM until at least 7 AM and I can understand not being able to go a full twelve hours without food.

I guess, but it won't stop me from being crabby in the middle of the night.
_____________
From The Duckling's mouth, "Relassss!" she kept saying to Peanut, who was yelling about not being fed fast enough.

I thought about this for awhile. What word does she keep saying?

Ah-ha, "relax"...I say that all the time when the kids are losing their little minds. Apparently she's picked up when to say that appropriately as Peanut's mind is sliding out of her ears from not getting her Turkey, Barley and Carrots at a super-human rate of speed.

Another word that I hear her utter frequently is "doggone" which is what I've used to replace the f-bomb among the other non-toddler friendly words that I used to use. I suppose it's better than her yelling out, "Son of a bitch!" when she drops her doll or spills her Goldfish.

mama

(whispering)

Peanut slept from 7 PM until 5 AM last night.

This is the first time she's slept through the night.

Yup. She's 7.5 months old.

Usually it's 7 PM until midnight...bottle...sleeps until 4 AM...another bottle...and then she sleeps until 7 AM.

Last night she got up for her bottle at 5 and slept again until 8 AM.

(whispering so as not to jinx it)

mama

File Under: Proud Parenting Moment #19

"Mooov."

"You want me to move over to the couch?"

"Mooooov."

"Oh. Mouth?"

(nods) "Boogie."

"You have a boogie in your mouth?"

(nods)

(disbelief) "Show me how you got a boogie in your mouth."

(roots around in nose, sticks finger in mouth all the while string at me)

Huh, I guess she did know what she was saying.

mama, who knew she shouldn't have, but laughed anyway

New Recipe: Crazy Mutha

My happy little Peanut learning to bang away on the xylophone.
Look at The Duckling's real live smile...
...now look at the "posed" smile. Nice, eh?

Guess who's learning to crawl?!!??!


Here's the latest recipe thought up by yours truly to be submitted to a culinary, or more likely, bartending book in the near future.

Crazy Mutha
2 days of alone time with two children
1 yelling infant
1 mischievous toddler
156 plastic beads, shapes, letters and rings
pinch of insanity
dash of hopes for getting out of the house because it's too cold.

Take the 2 days of alone time with two children and mix with 1 yelling infant and 1 mischievous toddler. Mix until infant is screaming and toddle is in time-out.

Add 156 plastic toys and scatter throughout.

Continue to mix well adding the pinch of insanity and the dash of hopes for getting out of the house because it's too cold.

Serve quickly. Very quickly.
Yield: 1

mama, who thinks this is going to be big, VERY big amongst my fellow Hunting Widows

Happy Birthday Duckling

Dear Duckling,

Two years ago today you were welcomed to the world by a team of doctors, nurses, students, specialists and anyone else they could jam into our tiny birthing room. You had no intentions of leaving your nice, cozy home and we eventually had to use one of the miracles of modern medicine to suck you out into the real world. Amen for the suction vac after three long, torturous, painful hours of pushing.

This last year we have certainly had our fair share of changes with our move to Wisconsin, having to send Lucky to bunny heaven (where I'm sure she's thankful to be safe and out of your, errrr I mean harm's, way) and welcoming your new sister to our home.
I can see how thankful you are that I ruined my perfectly good size 2 body to carry a healthy baby to term. Look at how you gaze at your mama while she gives you a kiss. Someday you'll understand just what a sacrifice that really was. I realize that currently numbers don't mean a hill of beans to your cute little toddler brain.

For while I wasn't sure that you were going to actually make it to see your second birthday. We had some pretty hairy weeks there where you screamed "no", ran into the street, threw temper tantrums at the drop of a hat, did mean things to your sister and generally tested the theoretical unconditional love I have for you.

I'm glad to say that we have learned how things work around here. You tell me what you want and I usually end up getting it for you. I'm sure you will find that this arrangement will work in your favor for many years to come. My only hope is that you too will have a Scorpio baby of your own someday. It really only seems fair.

All my love-

mama

Taking Back Our Room

Peanut has been in her own room for two nights (and six naps) now and things are going great. She fussed for the first nap a little bit, but after that she seems to have adjusted quite well. (doing the happy dance!!!)

Mama and Papa Duck are adjusting just fine as well. We are enjoying turning the light on after 7 PM in our room, not running in to the footboard and bruising our thighs (due to the dark room) and talking in normal indoor voices whenever we feel like it. Additionally I have cleaned (yes, broke out the Pledge and everything...bow down to me, The Domestic Goddess) and reclaimed the once changing-table which has now reverted back to our dresser complete with photos and a glass vase full of calla lilies. It's so nice to not have wipies and diaper baskets as decor as I'm sure Martha would concur.

DAD- STOP READING HERE.

And Kerry...we are going to great lengths to ensure that there will be NO MORE ACCIDENTS in this house. (you could kind of say that Peanut was more of a "happy accident" or "a blessing" as she wasn't exactly what I'd refer to as "planned") As much as I love and adore my children and sharing a room with them, I'm quite done. I always though three was my magic number but as I sat in the hospital with my hooha in great agony after delivering Peanut I realized that two was indeed a great number at which to stop. ;)

mama

(shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....)

(guess who's spending her first night in her very own room?!?!?!!?!?)

She's getting the boot...

Welp, that's it.

Peanut is closing in on seven months and still not sleeping through the night. I largely attribute it to the following facts:
1. She sleeps in our room
2. When she fusses Papa Duck insists that she's hungry (b/c he can't sleep and he has to get up and go to W-O-R-K in the morning...food puts her to sleep, so therefore she MUST be hungry)
3. She likes to party and what better place to do so than in a room with two other people?

The Duckling, Peanut and I spent the morning cleaning out the computer room and preparing it to be turned into Peanut's Temporary Housing Situation Until Her New Room at the New House is completed.

While I'm sad to see her go (kind of) it's really time that she learns that night time is for sleeping. I'm hoping that while she's working on that she'll also acquire a gift for sleeping in, as the "Sleeping In Late on Weekends Gene" seems to have skipped over her whilst I was uncubating her.

mama, four days and counting until Peanut moves...

Are you ever in for it now...

Well, mostly because I suck and sit around watching soaps all day whist nibbling on bon-bons I haven't posted very regularly. I'm like the pen-pal who doesn't write, doesn't write, doesn't write and then sends you a sixteen page letter updating you on the last year and a half of my life.

Withoug further adieu...

This week started off by giving Peanut the longest, most relaxing bath she's ever had. The Duckling is now going to the sitter's house two times a week which gives Peanut and I more bonding time (mainly done at Target). Poor kid. The Duckling always had regular baths, with Peanut she mostly gets one when she kinds smells funky.


Halloween! Look at that cute ladybug! As I've already relayed to some of you...We are in the qualifying rounds for World's Worst Parents. We only let The Duckling Trick Or Treat at two houses. We then prompltly took her candy, told her it was a "choking hazard" and gave her some Goldfish and Kix to munch on while we snarfed her M&Ms and Milky Ways.


This week was beautiful in Madison. We spent nearly every afernoon at the park. I tried to get some good shots of Peanut, but you'll see that she spend most of her time watching her sister run back...


...and forth.


There's that Big Sister again!


I've determined that survival of the fittest is alive and well in Toddlerdom. The Duckling manages to push me so far to the edge that I'm just not sure that she's going to be able to live another day and then...

...BANG! She knows I'm gonna lose and and she straightens up! Amazing...that Darwin guy might have had something...


Peanut says, "Eat your prunes. They help you poop good."


That is all. Whew. Hope you aren't on kiddo overload, but I just couldn't narrow down what to post...lucky you.

DAD- DON'T READ ON!!!

Now, for those of you who are thinking, "Geez, they're so cute, I should really have one more!" go take your pill, "be cool and cover your tool" or do whatever necessary. If you really feel like you need another one, contact me and I'll send you one on loan until you make sure that is really what you want.

mama, who, in conjunction with Papa Duck and the girls is working to create the first and only Catholic-approved form of birth control...stay tuned...