Gabe's new personality

Yesterday my wonderful little guy turned into a tantruming machine, and boy can he freak out...Scott calls his new tantrums death throws because that's what it seems like. He acts like something has crawled under his skin and is eating him from the inside out, he throws whatever hes holding, pounds the floor, and wails like someone has just brutally beat him...I have to wonder what the neighbours think...

His tantrums were compounded yesterday by having to grocery shop. In an attempt to not have all of Costco staring at us I took Gabe out of the cart and let Scott shop with Edie while I chased Gabriel all over the store (I can't imagine grocery shopping alone). He loved it but had a death throw tantrum when we had to leave, apparently Costco is a toddlers dream playground. So Scott had to carry his kicking, screaming frame out the door while I pretended I didn't know them!

By the time we got home Gabe was exhausted so he went down for a nap. We woke him up at 5pm to eat his dinner which he refused to do in his high chair. After giving up and setting his plate next to mine on the table he finally decided (after he received a big person fork and knife) that he would eat his chicken, spit out his carrots, and not even bother trying his side kick. At this point Gabe lives off of protein, fruits, and vitamins. He HATES everything else. I'm lucky if he eats his dinner at all anymore.

Then he decided he wanted to play with Henry, his potty doll, but he was much more interested in putting Henry on the potty than sitting on his own. After crossing his legs, grabbing himself, and jumping around I knew he needed to go, I bribed, cajoled, begged for him to sit on the potty, he refused. He decided it would be much more fun to jump on my couch. I told him that if he had to go pee he wasn't allowed on the couch in case he had an accident...no sooner were the words out of my mouth... After cleaning up his pee off of my 1800 dollar, 6 month old couch (don't buy nice things if you have kids)I glance over to see him throw a toy at Edie's head, I yell at him to stop, he looks back at me smiles and jumps as hard as he can on Edie's leg. At this point I lose it. I tell him he's acting like a brat (which I feel enormously guilty about), that I cant take his crap anymore, and I tell him its bedtime. Then he proceeds to throw three more tantrums before I finally get him into his bed.

I huff up to my bedroom where Edie is screaming for me and I tell Scott that having three is lunacy.Edie finally falls asleep, all is quiet, and Scott and I promise to be more patient with Gabriel tomorrow.

I gotta say, if there's any person who has the power to make me feel like a crappy mom, it's a tantruming two year old.

When does this stage end? And am I really going to go through it three times?

Poop, Pee, Potty, Pull ups. P is for Pride.

The potty training for my recent two year old has commenced. I truly did not think he would take to it so soon. My plan was to get him off the bottle, then try potty training in a few months. But one morning he woke up and wanted to wear his big boy underwear and not his diaper. I agreed but said he would have to use the potty (fully expecting him to soil his underwear in the first half hour of wearing them). So imagine my surprise when after the first half hour passed his underwear was still clean, and even better than that...he peed in the potty all day that day without one accident! Well with such an unbelievably good start I had to face the fact that potty training before bottle weaning had begun and if I turned back now he may never be as receptive to the potty again!

In the past week there has been a few accidents, each taken lightly and with a grain of salt. I do get him to help me clean it up and he acts like its the most disgusting thing in the world but I just tell him that it's his accident and hes a big boy and he can help mommy with his mess. I make sure I don't shame him in anyway and theirs always a giant celebration, a farewell good bye when the potty is emptied and a sweetheart candy as a reward. I'm so proud of him and intensely sad at the same time. He is truly becoming a boy, his baby days are nearly behind him...behind us.

And then there is my little girl Edie. She has become quite the personality and makes me laugh on a daily basis. Her favourite facial expression is the nose wrinkle with quick little breaths blown in and out of its new, wrinkled shape. She also sticks out her tongue to one side when concentrating or in a goofy mood, or while in the throws of her nose wrinkled escapades. Her constant nose wrinkling is only matched by her newly discovered need to clap and dance to any music (even my horrid, out of tune rendition of Old McDonald). And she LOVES to mimic people, especially her big brother. If Gabe screams, she screams! If Gabe coughs, she coughs! If Gabe laughs, she laughs! If Gabe falls, she laughs harder...until he bruised from top to bottom from all his pratfalls just because he has an audience that thinks he's hilarious.

As much as those two entertain eachother, they also annoy eachother just as quick. Edie has tons of toys but the only one she wants to play with are the ones Gabe is currently playing with, which of course only enrages him. Today Gabe was sitting beside Edie doing his favorite Bah (bob cat) puzzle and Edie kept picking up the pieces he had managed to get together. He finally snatched the pieces out of her hand, looked her straight in the eye while pointing at his puzzle and said "EE EE, Don Tah" (Edie, Don't Touch...for anyone who doesnt speak Toddler!). It was amazing to hear a full sentence come out of his mouth, and even more amazing that he was so gentle about telling her no.

I know it's so typical of any mom to constantly exclaim how wonderful her kids are, but I cant help but speak the truth. I really lucked out with my kidlets. Everyday they amaze me...and I am so very proud of them. And I will never stop telling them that...or anyone else who happens to be within a 100 foot radius.

I am PROUD, PROUD, PROUD.

Lucky

I'm so lucky. I really am. I know there are some women (and men) out there who think stay at home moms are crazy, lazy, or mentally disturbed. Why stay home when the women before me fought so hard for equal rights, fought to make it out of the home, and fought to have their voices heard? I stay home because it's my choice, because im not bound by finances (thanks to my hubby), and because I can't imagine anyone raising my children but me or Scott. Now don't get me wrong, im not knocking women who go back to work after having kids, most of the time there is no choice, the world today dictates a dual income home, and some women just can't imagine spending day in and day out changing dirty diapers, wiping snotty noses, while wandering the house with a messy bun, and the always attractive baggy pajama pants and tank top. For some people, the thought is cringe inducing, but I couldnt imagine not doing this...

I'm well aware I look like crap most days (i'll admit it), I dont bother with make up, or doing my hair with any sort of effort (the curling iron and straightener days are long over), and the visitors to my home are lucky if I raise my arms and they aren't greeted with an amazon of underarm hair...which could be braided, beaded, and have their own 70's theme song! I know I neglect myself a fair bit in the attempt to have a home clean enough that I can answer the door to a neighbour without trying to make my self 3 feet taller and 4 feet wider in order to hide the mess behind me. It's also a success if I manage to keep the kids not only alive, but somehow farther along in their development than they were the day before. It's a much more concerted and forced effort to stay in tune with Scott, our need for intimacy put off until the kids are sleeping or are old enough to live on their own...But as in all relationships there is compromise (I don't mention the disturbing nature of Scotts unkempt, pterodactyl like toenails, and he ignores the fact my leg hair is longer than his).

But that's the nature of the beast. My choice is to put so much time and effort into my family that sometimes i forget, or am too tired to pamper myself, but truthfully I wouldnt have it any other way! And as for a makeup less face, a messy bun, and wearing sweats and a tee, I gotta say, Scott still enjoys me! I think being due in Novemeber with baby number three speaks to this. And I will enjoy raising him or her as much as I do raising Gabriel and Eden.



(PS, there is only a select few who read my blog, so please no post on facebook about the new pregnancy! Thanks friends)

And yes...im going to be fat for my wedding...but at least it will be with a baby bump and not from stress eating...or at least that's what I'll claim!

Im SO sick

There hasn't been much blogging from me lately because about a week and a half ago my brood and I came down with a bad cold/flu. Im not sure who gave it to us but im pretty sure that person can go burn in hell (and hopefully while experiencing the dark, fiery, pits of hell they have an annoying cough that they just cant seem to shake, with a fever and runny nose!). I'm not sure who infected us but I think we caught it from tumble time...stupid parents bringing their sick kids so they can infect everyone! Use your heads people. Sick kids = ISOLATION. Lets not spread the wealth...Well unless you're me and you drag your kids to a family reunion because they dont happen every week like tumble time, and its your son's birthday and you want him surrounded by family, and... OKay, maybe im a hypocrite, but Gabe taught me a lesson I wont soon forget!

After watching Gabe throw tantrum after tantrum I have decided NEVER to travel with sick kids again. Gabe was so tired, and so sick that everything pissed him off or made him cry...I'm sure by the end of the weekend everyone (including Scott and I) was pretty tired of Gabe's antics, even understanding the cause! Truthfully theres only so many tantrums any parent can take before horrible thoughts of bathtub drownings or side of the road drop offs start to creep into your imagination. Thankfully we all made it out of that weekend alive, but due to Gabe's cold and having to share his birthday with my mom and grandpa, his party was a dud and kinda lame. My moms present to her dad kind of stole his thunder so Scott and I are giving him a proper birthday tonight, with a few more gifts, a cake, a song, and lots of attention and picture taking. Poor Gabey the baby, luckily you dont quite understand what a birthday is yet or im sure if would have resulted in one more tantrum meltdown.

Hope everyone's weekend was better than mine...and FYI...Two year olds with colds...does equal the terribleness of Mussolini.

Dear Broder

Dear Broder.

Mum said you were turnen two soon and I shood wish you a happy birfday. First I wood like to rekwest that you do a few things. One, pleese stop biteing my toes..it hurts...and im not yet strong enuf to kick you in the face and reelly make you cry, but when I am...well cunsidr this your warneen. second, I wood apreesheate it if you wood stop tradeing me toys every 2 minits...I like the wun I have...I dont want yers so you can play with mine. third, I wood like you to stop makeing mom crazy, shes scarie when shes jumping up and down, pacing,and muddereen like an eskaped insane assylum pristner. Finallie, stop pushing me over. I know Im not balinsed as well as you, and in yer ohpinyon its hillAIReus to watch me fall over, but I dont enjoey my head bounceing off the floor like the bals you love to chase.

All so there are a few things I wood love to ask you to continyou to do. One, scream until yer horse in order to make me laff! Two, hug me and call me baby when im sad! And lastlie, please continyou to give me your food behind mommy's back...a specially yer juise!

Luv yer baby sister

Happy Birfday

Eden.

Eden Marie Milestones

My teeny tiny is growing up and she isn't so teeny tiny anymore. She was born at 6lbs 10 ounces and was 20 inches long. She recently went in for her 6 month shots (at 8 months old..its takes forever for an appointment down here) and she now weighs 21 lbs and is 29 inches long! I just can't believe that in 8 months she has grown that much!! She is in the 97th percentile for weight and height! She's an amazon! Go ME! my breast milk rocks the shiznit (yeah, yeah, Im sure genetics is a contributing factor too). She will be outgrowing Gabe in no time flat, they already wear the same size diapers! Lets just say that shes got some junk in her trunk.

My little Edie has also started to crawl. She can get anywhere she wants by pushing herself around and or rolling, but today she was consistently getting on all fours rocking back and forth and trying to propel herself forward! Pretty soon I will have two children running around, yelling for me, yelling at me, yelling just for the sake of yelling...

Speaking of which, she has become quite the little babbler! Im pretty sure she copied me the other day when I was reading to Gabe. He's obsessed with saying "dog" so his favourite books are ones with dogs in them! He loves this fireman book at the moment, despite the fact that it only has one dog. But he did like having to search it out on the page and kept saying "DOG" whenever he found it. Soon he was calling everything he saw "dog". So I said "well this is a dog, but this ones a man, and heres a man, man, man, man" then Edie started to babble "man, man, man, man, man" which of course Gabe responded with "dog". Ah well...at least one of them listens to me!

Overall Edie is doing exceptionally. It's nice having a perfectly "healthy" baby. There was so much worry with Gabe and his development that I kind of missed out on his baby days. I'm just glad that i'm enjoying things much more the second time around, and am relaxing a little with some of the worries I still have over Gabriel.

Ultimately, I couldnt have asked for a better life than this. I am so blessed and I know I dont always show it, but I really do LOVE that I get to be a stay at home mom and watch all their milestones. It's bitter sweet, watching your kids grow up! I get to watch all of my hard work and sacrifice pay off but its sad that I also get to see them surpass all the traits that made them innocent little souls.

And you know what I really miss. That wonderful baby smell! Maybe I will have to make another one later this year...but for right now, I think I'll enjoy having just two!