Finkelman Family

Bathtime

2010-08-19T14:55:00.005-04:00

Bath time can be challenging for any family, especially if your children are protesting (thank goodness my kids LOVE baths), or you've got more than one to wrangle. There are peculiar challenges related to bathing 3 children under the age of 4, so just for entertainment's sake, I'm going to describe the process as I do it. It's not pretty. And if you are one of those first-time, mother-of-one-perfect-child mommies, you may want to just skip to another blog, or close your eyes, b/c it might give you a heart-attack.

Preparation:

I can't stress how important preparation is the entire process. Once bathtime starts, there's no going back, and I have to either improvise or get my husband to relieve me while I fetch any important items that I forgot. Most nights I don't have my husband to help me, so I have learned not to care if I can't actually WASH the kids b/c I forgot the washcloth (cough). Anyhoo...

I usually start running the bath while my husband and the kids are finishing up ~~their popsicles~~ a healthy dinner. This way, the baby is still safe in his highchair, and the big kids haven't yet started to smear their food-covered hands all over the sofas. While the bath is running, I go from room-to-room collecting pajamas, pull-ups and diapers for after bathtime. I also grab each child's towel, and (if I remember) new washcloths.

My kids have their own bathroom, with a bathtub, but they rarely (if ever) bathe there. Unfortunately, they have invaded our master bathtub, which they refer to affectionately as "Mommy's Pool." So I have to make sure I have all the bath toys, kid's shampoo, and powder in my bathroom. I usually set up a kind of "triage" area next to the closet for drying/dressing the kids.

VERY IMPORTANT: at this point I also turn on the TV in our room to Nick Jr. This way, as each child finishes up in the tub, they happily crawl up into our bed and watch TV as I continue on with the next child, and the next.

Bathing:

Most of the time by now, Kate is already naked in the tub. No, really -- you can't keep the kid out of a water-filled aparatus. So I either holler down to my husband to bring Charlie up or, if he's not home (and knowing I will have this issue) Charlie is in the room already, and I just strip him down and plop him in. Jack will show up shortly, as well, b/c he loves his "tubbies" also.

Once the kids are in the tub, the toys come out, and the game of "try to wash the baby" begins. I have to be honest -- I don't spend a lot of time worrying about actually making washcloth-contact with every square inch of each child's body. I generally focus on two areas: above the water line, and hair. I figure that with the amount of wriggling and swimming each kid does, anything below the water line will take care of itself. Oh, and I also fill the tub up to somewhere around the top of Charlie's belly while he's in the tub. I'm not one of those mommies that puts an inch of water in the tub, b/c that would just mean more chasing down of kids to try and scrub those elusive body parts. So I fill it up high, and watch them well enough to prevent drowning. Once Charlie is done with his bath, I fill the tub up even higher, so that the Big Kids can now swim in the tub.

Bathing Part 2: Hair

My kids love to play with their shampoo. So I wash their hair by letting them apply the shampoo, and supplementing their lathering process with my own assistance. This isn't easy, btw. Picture each child spending most of this time trying to get away from my grasp, and because my bathtub is LARGE, and deep, I usually come damn close to falling in. But I get it done. Jack and Kate both swim now, so they will rinse their own hair by going underwater (I'm not kidding -- I fill the tub up DEEP). They also like to "help me" get the shampoo out of Charlie's hair by dumping water on his poor head. Whatever -- he usually doesn't cry, so we both get over it. During the entire hair-washing process, I also take the opportunity to run a quick washcloth over the body parts above the water that I can reach.

Playtime:

Once the hair-washing is over, I relax for a brief moment while the kids ~~splash water all over creation~~ play in the tub for awhile. Thanks to my hubby, we have a TV over the tub, so I get to watch the news for a minute or two while the kids ~~attempt to drown each other~~ splash around and play with their tubby toys. Once the fighting/screaming starts, bath time is over.

The Wrap Up:

Charlie comes out of the tub first. I have to chase him down to get him out, and then I wrap him up, towel him down, powder, diaper and pajamas while the other two are still in the tub. Luckily my bedroom is a whole open-floor plan concept, so even though I'm in the closet area, I have full view of the tub. I then let Charlie have full run of my (nope, not babyproofed) bedroom while I finish up the other two (stopping, from time to time, to keep the cat from biting him, or taking my phone out of his hand, or generally preventing him from killing himself). Again -- thank goodness for open floorplan. As each of the other two come out of the tub, they get toweled, powdered and dressed, and sent to my bed to watch Dora. Now, the only thing I have left is to ~~bribe Kate into letting me~~ dry Kate's hair, and then we're done! On to bedtime!

Conclusion:

If you broke out in a sweat reading this, have no fear. Once the plan is down, it becomes routine. Add in some silly games and the promise of a glass of wine after bedtime, and you're golden!

A Personal Message...

2010-05-05T09:52:00.004-04:00

..to the woman in front of me at the Giant the other day, rolling her eyes at me and my children.

First of all, what kind of person doesn't smile at my baby boy when he smiles at you? Because, really, I'm not biased or anything, but I'm fairly certain he's the cutest baby boy (save one, maybe) that has ever graced this earth. And that smile? It's worth more than it's weight in gold. That was a gift, lady. Smile back, thanks!

And yes, I apologize for you having to endure the screaming of my ornery 2.5 year old daughter. Yes, it was annoying to listen to -- trust me, I know. See, you got 20 minutes of it. I get it ALL. DAY. LONG. And trust me, it's fabulous. Awesome.

And the looks you were giving her, willing her to shut up? Trust me, they don't work. Looks don't work, time-outs don't work, yelling doesn't work, taking away her toys most CERTAINLY doesn't work. So, really, just calm down about it. Don't get annoyed that I was ignoring it, b/c, if YOU had a 2 year old, you would understand. It's your only defense. Pretend like it's not happening, and it might -- MIGHT -- possibly go away.

And, btw, you didn't help much. Was it REALLY necessary for you to place each and every item out of our cart on the conveyor in the SAME direction? I mean, REALLY, lady. I've seen OCD, and you need help. I watched as you carefully grouped the OVER 40 CANS of cat food by type, and then carefully turned EACH can so that the UPC codes were facing in the same direction, before even more carefully placing them down on the belt. Seriously? Are you kidding me? When you have a screaming preschooler on your hands, every second counts. THROW THE DAMN CAT FOOD ON THE BELT! The 40 minutes you spent unloading your cart only added to the time I got to spend prying M&Ms out of Kate's hands (tantrum), demanding she put her shoes back on (tantrum), putting her in the cart next to Charlie (as requested by Miss Kate, and followed by tantrum), denying many, many snacks (tantrum), begging her to get back in the "wheels on the bus" (Kate-ism for the car on the front of the cart -- tantrum), telling her to stop pulling on Charlie's feet (tantrum) and insisting that she use words to express herself (tantrum).

And seriously -- SERIOUSLY -- a CHECK?!?!?! This is 2010, lady! GET A DEBIT CARD! Really, there is a special place in Hell reserved for people who still write checks at the grocery store, especially when there is a screaming toddler in line behind you. Because, REALLY? REALLY? REALLY? I bet you don't have a cell phone, either. You probably do that whole "if I don't want to talk to people, I don't want to have to talk to them." Which, lady, is why cell phones (all phones, btw) come with this convenient option of NOT ANSWERING THEM when you don't want to chat. But that's another whole rant. The thing is... GET A DAMN DEBIT CARD!

And don't think I didn't hear you muttering under your breath about how "this is why I have CATS instead of children."

Oh, it's on, lady.

See, I have a cat, too. I'm a cat person, and I love -- no really -- LOVE my cat. I can tear up just at the thought of losing my cat; and he's old, so trust me -- the day is coming. But let me tell you, even with all the screaming, tantrums, boogers handed to you on the end of a finger when you have no tissues handy, annoying questions about the SAME things over and over, fights with siblings, refusals to get dressed, refusals to eat a nice dinner you just spent 40 minutes cooking, vomit, diapers and diarrhea clean up at 2:30 am -- this is ALL WORTH IT. This is the BEST ride I've ever been on, and I'd rather hear Kate throw tantrums all day long than live a single second without her, or my other two, in my life. Because THAT, lady, is paradise. THAT is why you have kids AND cats.

So again, I apologize for the 40 minutes you had to endure of my child testing her ability to get her way over, and over, and over again (and losing, btw, hence the tantrums). And even more, I apologize for that fact that you will never have the pleasure of a child's arms around your neck, telling you -- out of the blue, in fact -- that they just LOVE you, and want to be JUST like you. I'm sorry you didn't get the chance at paradise yourself.

Mars vs Venus

2010-04-11T23:11:00.002-04:00

What it takes to get out of the house, for any given destination: Mommy versus Daddy (at least in MY house).

A decision is made to go to the park. Both parents jump into action to get out the door.

*********

Mommy:

1. Quick glance at kids. Kate's shirt is disgusting, Jack is fine. Head upstairs to grab new shirt for Kate.

2. While upstairs, realize there isn't another shirt that matches pants so (vanity, I know) grab entire new outfit for Kate.

3. Dress Kate, directing Jack to put on his shoes at the same time. Count to 3 in effort to get Jack to get up and get shoes on. Turn off Phineas & Ferb. Tell Kate to stop crying, she IS wearing this outfit, her other shirt is too dirty. Chase Kate into kitchen and force new shirt over her head. Let Kate put skirt on "BY MYSELF!"

4. Glance at diaper bag. Note that it only contains one diaper, wipes and a smattering of McDonald's Happy Meal Toys. Grab clean bottle, formula out of cupboard. Grab extra diaper, bib, burp cloth, and as an afterthought grab a pull-up for Kate, just in case.

5. Attempt to pack snacks without kids noticing, as they will immediately start begging for them. Turn Phineas & Ferb back on to assist in this endeavor. Notice Jack has his shoes on the wrong feet -- tell him to switch feet. Hide in pantry with snack bags, and stealthily sneak Goldfish crackers and raisins into two snack bags -- one for each kid. As an afterthought, grab a package of fruit snacks for each kid, too. Grab another bag and load with Puffs for Charlie.

6. Wonder if we'll be home for dinner. Just in case, grab sippy cups for big kids. Thinking again, decide to fill sippies with water now, and grab extra one for Charlie, too.

7. Tell Kate to put her shoes on.

8. Go out to garage to put diaper bag in car, in an effort to keep kids from discovering snacks inside.

9. Come back in, tell Kate to switch her shoes, and tell both big kids to get in the car while I'm getting Charlie up from his nap. Tell Kate that, yes, she can bring her baby. And her purse. And the random piece of Happy Meal Toy that she is clutching in her grubby little hand.

[Note -- our garage is attached, and right off our kitchen, and yes, I do regularly load the kids up while I'm still getting ready to go because they are SAFER THERE THAN UNDER MY FEET. I'm not apologizing for that.]

10. Head upstairs to get Charlie. Halfway upstairs, remember hats and sunscreen. Turn around, grab three hats, sunscreen, and bring to car.

11. Tell Jack to stop yelling at Kate. Tell Kate to get in carseat. Answer pleas for Dora with "The car is not ON yet, there IS no Dora! You have to wait for Daddy!" Buckle Jack in carseat. Order Kate to sit down NOW, or she's staying home by herself. Buckle crying Kate into carseat, reassuring her that we won't be leaving her at home by herself.

12. Go back in the house to get Charlie. Enter room of sleeping baby, and immediately notice smell of poo. Sigh audibly. Smile at baby who wakes up, sees my face, and squeals happily. Bring Charlie to changing table to change smelly diaper. Wrestle with baby, handing him anything within reach to catch his attention (Tylenol, Butt Paste, rattle), in a lame attempt to keep him from rolling over and smearing poo all over changing table. Finish changing baby, and clean poo off changing table.

13. Bring Charlie downstairs, drop poopy diaper in the garbage, put Charlie down so I can wash my hands.

14. Enter garage where kids are screaming in the car. Yell at Jack to stop teasing Kate. Remind Kate that, as the car is STILL NOT TURNED ON, there is STILL NO DORA. Buckle Charlie into carseat. Hand sippy cups of water over to the big kids.

15. Check trunk for stroller inventory. Decide we need the Bob Duallie. Drag it over to car, and place it behind minivan for Daddy to load.

16. Climb in front seat. Notice Charlie has no paci. Run back into house and hunt for paci. Find one on the floor under kitchen table. Wash in sink, grab a paci-string, and bring back out to car.

17. Climb into passenger seat. Realize I don't have sunglasses. Run back inside, grab sunglasses, go back to car.

18. Notice three old sippy cups on floor under Kate's feet. Grab them, and throw them inside the door to deal with later.

19. Climb back into passenger seat to wait for Daddy. Remind Kate again that there is NO DORA YET!

*******

In the meantime...Daddy:

1. Brush teeth.

2. Go to bathroom.

3. Curse about putting Bob in the back of minivan.

4. Get in drivers' seat, and finally turn on DORA FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TO STOP THE SCREAMING!

**************************************************************************

Why is it like this? The best part to me is that, on the off chance Andrew makes it in the car before me, he will actually ROLL HIS EYES AT ME, and SIGH as I do my final trips back and forth to grab forgotten items. AS IF he would ever have ANY idea (1) what is actually IN the diaper bag, and (2) what things he would need to pack if HE had to do it. And what is he doing while I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off, grabbing all the supplies needed to keep everyone as whine-free as possible, and to guard against emergencies like a random boo-boo, or (worse) poopy diaper?!? How could it POSSIBLY take that long to brush his teeth? And why does he always get to go to the bathroom in peace, with no little people barging in to demand "MORE MILK" or to commend you on your efforts ("Good pee-pee, Mommy! You get an M&M!")?!? I don't know, but somehow I have a feeling I'm not the only Mommy with a routine like this...

My Secret Shame

2010-03-22T22:16:00.005-04:00

I'm a flibbertygibbet. Andrew prefers to call me "Hurricane Ashley," saying that I walk through the house leaving disaster and chaos behind. OK, that might be a bit extreme, but really -- I feel sometimes like I am doing so many things at once that nothing, in effect, ever actually GETS done. And the "chaos" I leave behind drives my poor, extremely neat husband, insane. The worst part about it all is that, while yes, it does BOTHER me that my house doesn't look like a spread from House Beautiful, I can tune it all out and go to sleep at night, not caring that all the toys aren't put away, or there's a pile of laundry in the middle of my floor. Poor Andrew is haunted by it. He gets all freaked out and sweaty when the "stuff" starts piling up, and usually goes on a "let's donate everything we own to Goodwill" rampage. Why he hasn't either burned the house down or smothered me in my sleep is something I often question.

Let me just illustrate, however, the problem that I have in keeping my house neat. And btw, I must emphasize that my house is CLEAN -- I don't leave food laying around, or dirt on the floor. But I leave what my wonderful husband calls "crap," all over the place, b/c I either have NO earthly clue where it's home should be, or I'm just too overwhelmed to find a place for it. Anyway, here is a sample of what my night is like, after the kids are in bed:

Go into laundry room with laundry basket. Load washer. Notice that dryer is covered with random clothes, etc. Notice, specifically, Jack's hat, which I couldn't find earlier. Grab hat to put in coat closet. On the way to coat closet, notice that there are still dinner dishes on the table, along with a few miscellaneous toys. Sigh. Put hat down (I'll only realize I did that later) and grab plates off table. Get to dishwasher and notice it's full of clean dishes. Sigh. Unload dishwasher. Put baby bottles away (from dishwasher) and notice that new box of bottle liners is on counter. Empty bottle liners into cabinet, and break down box for recycling. Notice that recycling is getting out of control (we keep it on the counter until we take it outside) and take it outside. On the way back in, notice I never turned on the washing machine. Turn it on, and notice that there is a basket of clean laundry that needs to be folded. Bring it into kitchen, where I realize dishwasher is still half-unloaded, there are still dirty dishes on the counter that need to go in, and there are still dishes on the table that need to be put away. SIGH.

Put basket down in family room and force myself to go back and put ALL dishes in their respective places. Go into family room, see basket of laundry, know that at the bottom of said basket is all the socks I've avoided matching b/c I hate -- HATE -- matching socks, and generally tend to leave them in the basket until the sock population reaches critical lows. Sigh audibly. Turn on TV, trying to convince myself that it will be fun to fold laundry during DWTS. Sit down to fold laundry, and notice that the carpet has crumbs. Get vaccum cleaner out and vaccum rug before folding. Decide to vaccum kitchen floor, too, b/c -- well, it's easier than sweeping. Get kitchen floor vaccumed and decide I might as well steam mop it NOW, instead of tomorrow when the kids are around. Mop floor, and realize that there are pots on the stove that didn't go in the dishwasher. Turn off steamer mop, and wash dishes. Put them on counter to dry. Go back to family room, give laundry basket the evil eye, and sit on couch with a Klondike bar to check email and watch TV.

The next day, Andrew will come home (at 6:00 am, after working all night) and find (clean) pots on the counter, misc toys on the kitchen table, the steamer mop hanging out in the middle of the kitchen, a laundry basket in the middle of the family room floor, and the vaccum cleaner in the hallway. And this will be in addition to the various art projects laying around, and other miscellaneous items that I don't for the life of me know what to do with, so they just hang out for weeks until Andrew puts them away. Seriously, do you wonder why he doesn't divorce me? B/c sometimes I do. But he couldn't live without the kids, so I'm safe.

An example of the mess. Notice the miscellaneous objects on the counter, including Charlie's shoes, a few paci's, the top to a random pot, a wine opener, a project Jack did in January about penguins, some carpet cleaner and a pair of sunglasses. Some of these things DO, indeed, have homes, but that penguin project will drive Andrew to his grave. I can't bring myself to throw it away, but really -- do I need to keep that? And where would I keep it? I have a box to keep projects in, but that one won't fit. Time for a new box?

The infamous "Table Behind the Couch." This is one of it's cleaner days, actually. I think Andrew probably has nightmares of this table and the clutter it accumulates. On it today are some random items. Some are things that came out of my office at work and, while I don't want to get rid of them, where do I put them? A K&L Luggage tag (do I need this? who knows, but a luggage tag could come in handy...maybe...), a pocket atlas, a small toy football, a disposable camera (what pictures are on THAT?), a calendar I made from Kodakgallery.com -- in 2008.

Poor, poor Andrew. This is my secret shame -- I am a disorganized slob. But I guess it's not so secret anymore. Now I just need some kind of rehab program to turn me into an organized, motivated person. Anyone? Anyone?

Snowed In!

2010-02-08T23:08:00.004-05:00

As usual -- I'm posting this WEEKS after I actually wrote it. Why am I so bad about clicking "PUBLISH POST"? I have no earthly idea. I'll try to work on a more recent post now. Look for it in six weeks. Sigh...

It's been five days since I left my house. Five. Days. OK, I've gone outside and shoveled a small walkway that went halfway down the driveway -- and managed to throw my back out in the process. But other than that -- just me and three small people, all completely dependent upon me for most things, including dressing, eating, pulling their pants up after the potty, etc. I'm ready to freak out.

Now, to be fair, they have been remarkably -- REMARKABLY -- well behaved for the most part. Sure there have been some fights, and Jack has been in time-out twice for kicking Kate, but other than that -- pretty good. Of course, I will admit that Playhouse Disney and Nick Jr have been on FULL TIME in my house. Nope, not afraid to admit that. I don't subscribe to the "TV rots your brain" theory, especially since Mickey Mouse Clubhouse taught Kate her colors. So to anyone who does the whole "OH GOD, I only let MY kids watch 30 minutes of PBS a week" -- more power to you people. My 3 year old can still write his name, my name, Andrew's and Kate's name, all by himself without prompting. So I won't apologize for Chuggington and Handy Manny. AAAANYhooo...

So far I have survived. More importantly, so have the children. Which is nice, b/c it would be awkward having to explain to Andrew that I had either sold them on eBay, or thrown them in the snow.

We have made projects, shoveled (seriously, Jack's FAVORITE activity), dressed Flat Stanley, which my sister-in-law was kind enough to send to us (LOVE, Flat Stanley, btw), and (a suggestion from friends) gone swimming in the bathtub. We are surviving. But I Can't. Wait. Until the roads are cleared, and school resumes again. SCHOOL!!! Right now I'm just dreaming of warm weather, and drinking A LOT of coffee.

Day One of my new life...

2010-02-01T22:41:00.004-05:00

Well, it started out with a bang. That bang being the kids conspiring against my effort to sleep last night. First of all, around 10:00, when I was (FINALLY) relaxing in front of the TV, I heard the unmistakeable sound of little feet coming down the hallway, and was soon greeted with Kate, butt naked, and whispering that "I need thome new jammieth, Mommy. I need new oneth." Sigh. She hadn't had an accident or anything, btw, just decided that -- really -- she NEEDED new jammies. Oh, and a new pull-up, too. She had thrown her old, DRY pull-up in the garbage. At least she cleaned up after herself.

By 11:00 (no, really) she was finally asleep, and around that time Charlie decided he would take HIS turn. He rarely wakes up at night, but last night he cried, off and on, from 11:00 until 1:00 when I finally gave up and brought him to bed with me. Sigh. Because THAT makes for relaxing sleeping. Especially now that he's semi-mobile. I texted Andrew that I was going to sleep.

Around 4:00 am (4:09, to be exact, if you must know) I heard Jack come coughing into my room, hacking up a lung and gagging. This has been happening a few times over the past week, btw. So he climbs up in bed with me, at which point I notice that Charlie is wide awake next to me, and on all fours, thinking about playtime. Knowing I couldn't handle both kids in bed with me (I'd be up the whole time, paranoid that Jack was going to smother Charlie in his sleep) I put Charlie into his crib and THANKFULLY he decided he would go back to sleep. So I spent the rest of the night in bed listening to Jack cough, sometimes holding him upright in his sleep, and being randomly punched in the face from time to time as he flailed his arms in his sleep.

At 7:00 am Andrew came home. He had texted me around 4 that he should be home by 5:30, so I had of course been up and down from 4:00 to 7:00 wondering where the heck he was. Luckily, he came home in the middle of an argument on the phone with some other sergeants about how to charge some woman who drove drunk through Dupont Circle. Which, of course, woke the kids up. To give him credit, he tried to entertain Jack for me so that I could sleep, but once Charlie woke up it was all over anyway.

The rest of the day really wasn't that bad. We did some projects, the kids "helped" me with some laundry, and we went to the pedi and found out that the older kids all have the sinus infection that Andrew and Charlie just recovered from. After we got home (and, btw, Happy Meals, b/c I didn't make it to the grocery store), I let the kids go out and play in the snow while Charlie and I watched from the window and made excuses for why I couldn't go out and play with them ("Mommy doesn't have shoes on! Mommy has to feed Charlie! Mommy needs a gin and tonic!").

They went to bed without too much argument tonight, thank GOD. Although I did find Katie in bed around 9:00 with her jammies on -- but no pull-up on. Lucky for me I put a new one on her in her sleep so I won't have to clean her bed in the middle of the night. Currently Charlie keeps waking up and crying, but he's finding his binkie on his own and I'm hopeful I will get SOME sleep tonight. And God, I hope the kids sleep in past 7:00 tomorrow.

An Episode in Decorating

2010-01-18T21:50:00.004-05:00

So I'm working on painting Kate's room. Finally. I bought the paint about, what was it, four months ago? Yeah. At least. I was planning to do it while I was on maternity leave but never seemed to get around to it. But in about two weeks Kate and Charlie are done with daycare, and I'll never, ever be able to do it again so....today I started priming. Woot!

As a side note, at this moment I can hear the telltale sound of little footsteps over my head. Due to the fact that her bedroom is currently in shambles, Katie is sleeping in my bed tonight. Which means that, really, she's getting into everything in my bathroom, and refusing to sleep. I am afraid to go check on her, but know that I must...

And I'm back, after finding her in bed, but with a box of Dora bandaids. It would seem one of the eleven stuffed animals she brought into the bed has a boo boo. But back to the room...

I've had the plan for Katie's room since the day we first looked at this house. I love her room, with it's large windows and ample closet space. It's also separated enough from the boys' rooms that by the time they are having farting contests and burping the alphabet, she'll be able to get some "space." But her princessy furniture and cute bedding just doesn't go with the gold paint on the walls. It's the color that our entire house, as a matter of fact, is painted. Here are some pictures of her room:

So I'm going to paint the walls green, and do a really cool stencil on the "focus" wall behind her bed. I'm also adding a canopy over the bed. And, you can't see it in this picture, but she has an awesome chandelier for lighting. I can't wait until it all comes together, and then I'll take some pics of it and post them.

Now I hear her -- AGAIN -- running around upstairs. It's currently 2.5 hours past her bedtime, and I'm ready to duct tape her to the bed. I still have to do two loads of laundry, wash and prepare the bottles for tomorrow, and try to get some of the painting done in her room so that GOD FORBID I don't have to do this again tomorrow night. As I just took away her toothbrush and toothpaste (!!), and tucked her back into bed for the 300th time tonight, she whispered to me "Thtay in bed with me, Mommy." Oh, how I wish I could...

This will be a rant...

2009-12-29T10:00:00.008-05:00

OK, when you have three children in three years, you are in survival mode. Life is not easy at all -- in fact, it's downright madness. But you learn to do certain things like a well-oiled machine. You have to, or you will die. My morning routine, people -- it's a well-oiled machine. I get up at 5:00 am and get myself ready, then proceed to get the toddlers ready, and then -- when everything else is ready -- I wake up Charlie, change him, give him his Prevacid, and throw him in the car. And this is key, b/c he can't eat until 30 minutes after the Prevacid, so the drive to daycare gives us JUST enough time to get him there so he can eat immediately upon arrival. Which is why I have a new-found hatred for one of my old friends: the nebulizer...

Seriously, whoever thought up the concept of the nebulizer as a way of dispensing medicine for children either has none, or hates all people who DO have children. I can tell you this -- he or she does NOT have three young children. Because anyone who thinks "I know, I will create a device for the dispensing of medication that involves a young child wearing a MASK, with a LOUD machine shooting steam into their faces, and it will take 30 minutes per medication" is on crack. CRACK, folks. And this person clearly invented this machine for one reason: he or she HATES ME.

See, going back to the well-oiled machine concept, I can tell you one thing. I have NO time to add 45 minutes of nebulizing into my morning. None of my children are yet capable of dressing themselves, feeding themselves, or, really, much of anything aside from whining, begging for more milk, and beating on each other/crying. Add in the fact that my husband is still at work when I am doing my morning routine, AND the fact that Charlie has to take his Prevacid 30 minutes before he eats -- and anything added into my morning routine becomes disaster. And now, enter the nebulizer...

Charlie has been wheezing for weeks now. WEEKS. And while I am used to asthmatic kids, I'm not used to kids that don't respond to oral steroids plus the neb. So now Charlie is on (only asthma parents need listen here -- ther rest of you may doze off) Prednisolone, as well as Pulmicort and Albuterol via neb, and that means AT LEAST 45 MINUTES of nebulizing. And let me add that most of the time that 45 minutes involves me holding him down, while screaming, and trying to keep his flailing arms from pulling the mask off his face. It is SO MUCH FUN. NOT.

All of this means that I now have to wake up earlier than God, get myself dressed and ready for work, then get Charlie up and dress him, give him the Prevacid and Prednisolone, plop him in his jumperoo, and give him Albuterol while watching Playhouse Disney, hoping he'll leave the mask on. Then I fetch one of the tods and wrestle them into their clothes, all the while going back and forth to Charlie in this "neb on, neb off, neb on, neb off" dance where he screams, tries to eat the mask, pulls it off his face, screams more, fights me, etc. And -- asthma parents again -- you know how you can hear the sound when the neb mask comes off the face? I can hear it from halfway up the staircase to get Katie out of bed. I'm all "Damn. There it goes again!" I get halfway through the Albuterol (by now the tods MAY be dressed) and usually just add the Pulmicort b/c, really, who has time? And then on goes the dance, while I try to fight the tods into their coats and shoes, and into the car. I think Charlie is only getting about half of his doses, but what do you want from me? Because now he's STARVING, and screaming for his bottle, and I don't have time to give him a bottle before daycare! I take it back -- I probably COULD give him a bottle and just be late, but in the meantime Jack and Kate would fight so much that I would surely kill them. So I throw the kids all in the car (a lot of screaming ensues at this time, of course, b/c Jack and Kate are THE SLOWEST CHILDREN PLACED ON EARTH and it takes them a good hour to get up in their carseats--another rant, another time) and drive them to school where I hand over a screaming, starving Charlie to his poor teacher so he can eat.

So, long story short, I hate the neb. HAAAAAAATTTTE the neb. More than Charlie does, matter of fact. And I hate the fact that I was not spared at least ONE child that didn't have asthma. Sigh....

Jack's first neb, 6 mos. March, 2007

Kate's first neb, in hossy, 1 month. November, 2007. Kate wins the prize for earliest neb. See that tiny turtle mask they used for her? I saved it as some kind of sick souvenir of her time in the hospital. My poor, sick baby...

Adventures in Photography...

2009-12-08T11:30:00.006-05:00

NOTE: This post was started a month ago, and is only now being published. Because I am THAT far behind in my life. Sigh...

Well, it was a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, with members of the Karp/Finkelman clan attending (Mamele & her boyfriend Joe, Matt & his girlfriend Amy) and -- utterly by coincidence -- my Aunt Sharon, cousin Sherry and her DH Brian happened to be in town to see the monuments, so I got a chance to have some Beyers with me as well! This was a true blessing, b/c I haven't seen my family since my wedding, and getting the chance to really HANG with them was awe. some. I cooked dinner (which clearly shows how out of my mind I am right now -- who with their right mind cooks dinner for 12 when they have three young kids underfoot?), and it surprisingly came out really well. Yay for me! We all had the best time hanging out, and the kids were in full glory being spoiled by so many relatives.

My plan was to decorate the tree on Friday, per McMurry tradition, but of course the house was a madhouse, and we didn't get around to it. On Saturday I managed to get all the ornaments, etc, out, Andrew put up the tree, and we got to trimming! I decided to put the tree up in our entryway this year because (1) it just looks amazing there, and (2) the kids don't hang out all day in the foyer, so my chances of someone pulling down ornaments/a tree are minimized. Then, b/c it looked so pretty, my plan was to take some holiday photos of the kids -- hopefully something Christmas Card worthy. All I can say about this adventure is -- thank GOD I had three other pairs of hands there to wrangle. Seriously. If you have three kids ages 3 and under -- you need at least one pair of hands per child in order to successfully take photos of said children -- and even then you aren't guaranteed smiles and/or everyone looking at the camera at once. And -- I still giggle at this -- I had planned a costume change, b/c I really wanted to get the kids in their Santa gear from last year. I think they will still fit, and I bought Charlie a...wait for it...reindeer outfit to go with it, b/c yes, I AM that mean. Bahahaha. Hoo. Yeah, Jack flat out REFUSED to wear the Santa suit, so ... oh well.

Anyway, I got them all dressed up in their cute holiday outfits, and Amy and I plopped them down in front of the tree. I think Amy and I were laughing hysterically trying to get the kids to hold Charlie up, but we got a few good ones. I'm not sharing the actual card photos, b/c, well, I want people to see them on the CARDS, but anyway -- here are some of the better shots I got...

And one of my favorite shots of Charlie, heh:

Mean Mommy, I know, but I couldn't resist. Anyway, I didn't include the ones I chose for the card (I picked two) b/c I didn't want to ruin the surprise. But of course, here I am finalizing this post after Christmas, instead of when I STARTED it, after Thanksgiving. Sigh. Oh -- but in a happy coincidence (heh) I still haven't sent my Christmas cards out anyway, so... heh. Someday I will have time...

My turn for the Blogger Award

2009-12-02T10:35:00.006-05:00

Kelly and Mary tagged me on this one awhile ago, and then Reid and Jaime chimed in and tagged me, too, but due to technical restrictions ~~at work, where I do most of my blogging~~, I wasn’t able to cut and paste it here. Since I'm ~~pretending to work~~ working at home today with a sick Charlie, I decided I would finally take the opportunity to do it. So here goes:

Rules:

1. You Can Only Use One Word
2. Pass this along to 6 of your favorite bloggers
3. Alert them that you have given them this award
4. Have Fun!

The Fun Part:

1. Where is your cell phone? Couch

2. Your hair? Unwashed

3. Your mother? Friend

4. Your father? Protective

5. Your favorite food? ~~cupcakes/cheeseburgers/Indian/grilled cheese/ice cream~~ FrenchFries

6. Your dream last night? ~~I'd have to sleep to dream~~ None

7. Your favorite drink? FountainDietCoke

8. Your dream/goal? GoodMother

9. What room are you in? Family

10. Your hobby? Photography

11. Your fear? LosingMyChildren

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Florida

13. Where were you last night? Home

14. Something that you aren’t? Organized

15. Muffins? LemonPoppySeed

16. Wish list item? Nanny

17. Where did you grow up? ~~Minneapolis/Connecticut/Kentucky/Michigan~~ Orlando

18. Last thing you did? Nebulizer

19. What are you wearing? Jammies

20. Your TV? Prominent

21. Your pets? Cats

22. Friends? Best

23. Your life? Crazy

24. Your mood? Happy

25. Missing someone? Kids

26. Vehicle? Minivan

27. Something you’re not wearing? Shoes

28. Your favorite store? NordstromRack

29. Your favorite color? Pink

30. When was the last time you laughed? Morning

31. Last time you cried? Morning (Good tears -- for Jaime!)

32. Your best friend? Faithy

33. One place that I go to over and over? LaundryRoom

34. One person who emails me regularly? Ya's

35. Favorite place to eat? Out

OK, so most of the people I am tagging are my Ya's that already tagged me, since I don't have that many friends that blog, so suck it up, Ya's! (LOL)

Tagged:

Kelly
Kristi
Reid
Mary
Lara
Laura

Shut up! We have a TOOF!

2009-11-24T10:39:00.003-05:00

Well, I can't believe it, but my baby has his first tooth. I was loathe to label that tiny white speck a "tooth" at first, b/c my children have tricked me this way before. Each of my three children has started drooling ridiculously by around 4 mos, always triggering that anticipation -- "Oooh! I think a tooth is coming!" Then you start nosing around in their mouths, searching, "Do I feel one? I think I do! I swear there is one coming!" Both Jack and Kate have laughed in my face this way. Jack drooled like a bulldog from 4 mos, but then didn't give me that elusive first tooth until 8 mos. Kate was even worse -- not only did she drool, but you could SEE those damn teef coming up there through the gums FOREVER, and yet the first one did not protrude from her little gums until -- ridiculously -- 11 mos. So I've been down this road before, and I was NOT to be fooled. I wasn't going to do the whole "I know there is a tooth coming" game, and then spend the next 6 months going "Ahem. Cough. Oops! Nope, not yet." Until last night.

Charlie is, I must say, the most perfect baby. And I'm not just saying that as a mother -- that is my complete, non-prejudiced opinion. And I had the same opinion about Jack AND Kate, so I DO think I'm an expert in this area -- that of judging the perfection of my own children. Ahem. Anyway, aside from the general fussiness surrounding the diagnosis, correct treatment, and occasional forgetfulness of medicating associated with his acid reflux, Charlie is quite the charmer. Almost always smiling, cooing, and generally flirting. The past two nights, however, he's been fussing a lot, and waking up at night to play the binkie game. I wasn't TOO surprised, since we still haven't gotten this whole "sleeping through the night" game down pat. But really, on Sunday night I actually had to give him a bottle at 3 am. And for anyone who knows me, I am a complete bottle-nazi after 4 mos. There are NO NIGHTTIME BOTTLES. But he just would not be soothed with the binkie, and Mommy needed some sleep, so I gave in. Then last night I'm nosing around in that mouth of his, since he was continually putting his whole entire fist in there, and I saw it. That tiny little white speck of porcelain. My baby has a toof. A TOOF!

Can you see it?

And it was there again this morning -- bigger this time. It's for real, people. It's a tooth. A TOOF! This is a milestone to say the least. So far he has broken the Finkelman record of refusing to give up a tooth before switching to finger foods. Kate, I must say, was on finger foods -- chicken nuggets, even -- by 7 mos, after refusing to even touch the pureed foods I lovingly MADE for that [ungrateful wretch of a] ahem, perfect baby. And at this point, I'm already OVER that first mom horror of giving your child non-pureed foods before the teeth come. (Remember that? "How can I give him a Cheerio -- he has no TEETH!" Ahhh...the days before I knew how well gums are adapted to eating everything short of a carrot or t-bone steak...) So now, those precious days of babyhood for my last, perfect, baby are slipping by. My last baby has a TOOF. College to follow. Sob...

Big Changes Coming Up!

2009-11-17T09:48:00.002-05:00

Well, we knew it was coming. Thankfully, we had thought through the possibilities over and over, and while we weren't directly prepared, we knew our lives as we knew them wouldn't end if it happened. But it did. I got laid off.

I have to giggle, b/c I think that a more pleasant "lay off" probably never happened at Marshfield before this. Chris and Elise came into my office, kind of hemmed and hawed for a minute, and I said to them "You don't need me anymore, do you?" Yep. Knew it was coming. Andrew and I had this conversation before. Me: "What they haven't yet realized, is that they just don't need in-house counsel. They would be find using outside counsel." Andrew: "Well don't tell THEM that!" Me: "I know, but we should be prepared for the day they realize it on their own."

And that day came. Honestly, I laughed with them both, and told them not to worry. I knew that they didn't need me, and I was prepared for the conversation. Andrew and I were starting to realize that daycare expenses for three kids were becoming cost-prohibitive anyway, and we were trying to see what other options we had. The decision was made for me, though, and I'm SO RELIEVED!!

So what lies ahead? Well, I am going to stay home for awhile, and at least get a chance to enjoy my youngest (last!) baby while I can. And I'm BE. SIDE. myself about that. I have to get the other two into preschool in the meantime, and it will mean a LOT of changes in the Finkelman house. But I think these changes will be GOOD. This will give me a chance to get my brain out of the law for awhile -- a place where I had become unhappy anyway, and was dying -- DYING to leave. I just don't have the heart for it anymore -- I want to be with my kids while I can. I am hoping to find something to do from home, so that I can at least generate SOME income to help with household expenses. And in the meantime, I'm hanging up my law degree and picking up my apron. And some Xanax... ;-)

The Search for Tamiflu

2009-10-12T10:20:00.006-04:00

Andrew went to Boston this weekend to watch the Red Sox play in the Division Series. I made him take Kate, so I wasn't left with all 3 kids for the weekend. So it was just me and my boys -- wooo! Saturday we went to the Museum of American History down on the Mall, to meet one of my online friends visiting from Ohio, as well as a few of my local DC friends who also know her. After that, we went to Uncle Matt & Auntie Heather's house, to play with Makenzie and -- a special treat -- Kelly and Mary Regan, who were also visiting with Uncle John. WOOT! Jack complained that he didn't feel good, but as soon as Kelly showed up he was all smiles and seemingly felt fine. That night I let Jack sleep in bed with me as a special treat. Around 11;00, I'm watching Color Splash on HGTV (side note, anyone else love David Bromstad? LOVE!) and Jack starts moaning and crying in his sleep. I reached over to comfort him and realized he was burning a hole through the sheets, he was so hot. WOW. Took his temp, and it was 103.2. I nearly fell down the stairs running for the Motrin. He tossed and turned, moaning, wailing, and crying for me, most of the night. Sometime around 3am his fever finally broke.

Next morning I called the pedi. Jack had a terrible cough, and was complaining that "Mommy it hurts." What "it" was, only he knows, but I took it as a bad sign. Lovely Dr. Hseih offered to meet me at the office so she could look at him, and then promptly diagnosed him with the flu. Regular or Swine? Who knows -- she didn't bother testing. She said 70% of her cases that week had been flu, and they had stopped testing altogether. B/c Jack fit into all three high risk categories of being under 5, having asthma, and having an infant under 6 mos in the house, she put him on Tamiflu. And thus began The Adventure To Find The Damn Tamiflu.

First of all, I must brag that throughout the entire day, Jack was REMARKABLY well behaved. Granted, he was sick as a dog, but not many a 3 year-old will hold up well to the adventure we undertook. So I just had to throw that out there. He was a dream child.

Anyway, on the way home I went through the drive-thru of our regular pharmacy, and dropped off the script. The Pharmacist came back and said she no longer had any Tamiflu, tabular or suspension, and that I would need to look for another pharmacy. Then she said to me, "No matter what, you GET the medicine you need for your baby. If people tell you they don't have it, fight for it -- other pharmacies have it, and they CAN compound it, but they won't want to. Make sure you get it." I had NO idea how hard it was going to be. it was around 11:35 am at this point.

Thus began our journey to find Tamiflu. Each pharmacy was out, but seemed to know of another pharmacy that had it. I'd get there, and no Tamiflu. I finally just started calling from the car. The last one I called said they knew of a Walgreens in Ashburn that would compound. BINGO! I called the pharmacy to confirm, packed up the boys, and headed to Ashburn -- only to arrive and be told they need permission from my Pedi to compound. Sigh. My pedi was on call, but it had taken her 2 hours to get back to me in the morning. I didn't have 2 hours -- Jack was fading fast, and Charlie needed a bottle (which I hadn't brought with me). So they sent me down the road to a CVS that "has the suspension in stock." After getting lost in Ashburn, I finally found it. Turns out they were out of the suspension, but agreed to compound without doctor permission. Which takes an hour. So we spent our time in CVS -- me buying anything Jack wanted (such a good boy, did I mention?), and buying a bottle and formula so I could feed Charlie in the parking lot. Who knew it was going to take me this long to get Tamiflu? I was unprepared -- rookie mistake.

Anyway, we finally got the Tamiflu, I promptly gave Jack a dose in the parking lot, and then we ran by Giant so I would have some groceries for the babysitter in the morning. Jack was barely holding up. I make it through the grocery store, we're in line to buy the groceries, and Jack starts vomitting EVERYWHERE (side note -- beware the car carts at the Giant on Dranesville Rd. I told the Manager to decontaminate it, but part of me is afraid it didn't happen). He's hysterically crying, everyone is staring at me, and I'm calmly (mother of 3) telling him it will be fine, we're going home now. Sigh. It was 4:35 pm.

So our Tamiflu journey ended with me stripping my sobbing boy down in the Giant parking lot, and dragging him home with a fever -- again -- of 103. The Swine Flu experience is still ongoing at this point, but thankfully we have that stupid Tamiflu in hand. I just pray that Charlie and Kate come through without getting it. The fact that Jack coughed DIRECTLY in Charlie's face yesterday -- after being told not to go near him -- doesn't leave me with a lot of hope. Sigh. Our lives are always an adventure...

Trying not to jinx it...

2009-09-27T11:10:00.004-04:00

Well, I hate to even type it, b/c I'm afraid it will go away, but lean in close and I'll tell you a secret: Charlie has been sleeping through the night. SHHHHH!!! Don't tell anyone -- I don't want to get over confident about the whole thing. It all started the night my parents arrived -- of course. The little shit waited three months for someone else to arrive to relieve me for a night, and then he decided that he would sleep for 6 hours. I hate to be annoyed about it, but really -- I mean really -- did he have to wait until the ONE NIGHT in three months that I actually had help to sleep?? But yes, he did. And my poor mom. She was so worried that he wasn't waking up, since I had told her that he was still on a 2.5-3 hour schedule, that she spent half the night up checking on him. So she didn't get to sleep the night through anyway.

But nonetheless I am grateful that he's at least going 5.5-6 hours through the night now. Of course my parents left this morning to go back to Orlando, so I'm sure that tonight he'll decide that he should probably get back on his every-3-hour schedule. But for now, I'll just hold my breath a little bit and hope that I didn't jinx it by talking about it. And that maybe, JUST maybe, this is the start of something GOOD. WOOOT!

Conversations with Jack

2009-05-11T09:51:00.003-04:00

Now that Jack has become such a little person, I love the conversations we have. He still speaks in some small degree of jibberish when he really gets going, but you can pick out the majority of words enough to really understand him. At any rate, here is a conversation we had this morning, while I was getting Katie dressed for school. It was just too funny not to share.

Jack: Mommy! Where your pants are? You don't have any pants on!

Mommy: Mommy is wearing a dress today.

Jack (sternly): Mommy, you NEED pants on.

Mommy: No, Mommy has a dress on! Just like Katie, see? I don't wear pants with a dress.

Jack: Oh. (pause) You a princess, Mommy?

Mommy (blushing): Aww, do you think Mommy looks like a princess?

Jack (again stern): No Mommy, you supposed to say 'Thank you' now.

Mommy: Oh, ok. Thank you Jack, that made Mommy feel good.

Jack: You're welcome, Mommy. You're welcome. (pause) I want a waffle. And a banana. And toys.

He is an absolute riot. The joy they both bring me, day in and day out, is just immeasurable. I always knew being a Mommy would be awesome, but I never knew it could possibly be THIS great!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2009-04-09T09:31:00.006-04:00

I absolutely LOVE the stage of development where my kids are learning language. It's the BEST to hear things that come out of their mouths, and how they say them. That said, I have a few fave's from both Jack and Kate that I hold onto. Is it wrong that I don't want to let any of them go, even though of these on the list are already long gone?

Jack

Jack has a hard time getting his tongue around words and sounds a lot. It's common for him, when first learning a word, to get the sounds backwards, or to add in random letters that don't belong. When he was 20 mos old, I actually took him to Early Intervention, afraid that he had a speech issue. Now I just laugh at myself, b/c while he might not say things correctly all the time, he clearly has NO speech issues, and talks up a storm! Some of my all-time favorite Jack-isms:

1. Agits -- this is my mother's cat, Alex. He says it so purposefully, too "A-gits!" I love it.

2. Hackin -- Napkin. He asks for a hackin any time he sneezes, or gets something on his hands, or spills something -- he's a bit OCD, I will admit.

3. Biddy Nose -- Dirty nose. This is also when he sneezes. "Mommy -- I have a biddy nose. I need a hackin!" Love.

4. Tom-tabo -- Tomato. Jack loves Tom-Tabos.

5. Candy-roo -- Kangaroo.

6. Plencils -- pencils. Jack can color with plencils b/c he's a big boy. Katie is a baby, and she still needs clayons.

7. Little O-Times -- Little Einsteins. Every night he wants Little O-Times in Daddy's bed.

Songs -- Jack sings all day long. He always has, even as a baby. In tune even! But I love to hear how he interprets songs. One of his favorites is Silent Night. Here is the Jack version:

"Silent Night, HOOOOOLily Night, Aaaaalll is calm, Aaaaaalll is bite, Raaaabaaa birdies mother and child, Hoooolily innnna ho tender and MY-old, Sleeep in HEBENLY peeeeace! Sleep in hebenly peace." We sing this song most every night at bedtime at Jack's request.

Kate

Kate is definitely a maniac, but oddly enough she has this quiet little husky voice. With a fantastic lisp. So just about everything that comes out of her mouth is cute at this point. A clear favorite is "yes" which comes out from Kate as "Yeth." I also love her newest word, which is "no" and which is delivered with no uncertain terms, very emphatically, and slightly nasally "Noooohhhhh!" Usually accompanied by her hand up in the "Stop, In the Name of Love" position. Birdie is another front-runner for me, coming out as "Booa-dee! Booa-dee!" And please, which comes out "peeth!" She has her own word for grapes, which no one can figure out the origin of, but it sounds like "bubeeth! bubeeth!" I have no idea where she got that. She can also say "gapth" if prodded, but prefers "bubeeth." Her vocabulary at this point is mind-boggling, and she's starting to use a lot of sentences as well. "Way [where] Jack go?" being one of her favorites.

I just love all their little, cute baby words, and I dread the day they lose them, and instead just get annoyed when I insist on using them anyway. I can picture a 13 year old Jack rolling his eyes and saying "NO, Mother, I don't need a NAPKIN" when I ask him if he needs a hackin. LOL. But for me, hackin will never die, and Alex will always be Agits.

A Wonderful Weekend!

2009-04-06T09:02:00.007-04:00

We had a GREAT weekend in the Finkelman household! The weather was spectacular, everyone was feeling better for the most part, and we got to go to a friend's birthday party on Sunday. I can't ask for any more! On Saturday, we played with toys while Daddy slept, and then after naps we went out to the backyard to pick some flowers and enjoy the weather. The kids love to play in the backyard. They have two small slides, a wagon, a baseball tee, and some golf toys. Mommy can't wait to get them a big swingset. They LOVE to play on the swings and the slide at the park, and Jack has recently fallen in love with "the swirly slide" at the tot lot. We are absolutely LOVING our new house and backyard, now that the weather is getting better!

On Sunday, our friend Jaden celebrated his third birthday. Kate got to wear a party dress, which she loves. Funny -- Mommy picked out a party dress that Nana recently sent, and brought it out for Katie to wear. She took one look at the dress and said "NOOOO!" Repeated efforts to put the dress over her head were rebuffed, and in the end I gave up. I took another party dress out of the closet and held it up for her approval. "Oooooohhhh!!! Yeth!" she said, reaching for the dress. Who would have thought at 17 mos she would have such STRONG opinions about what she's wearing? I think we're in for some trouble.

Jack and Katie had a great time at Jaden's party. There were lots of kids to play with, and Katie found a bunch of stuffed animals to carry around the whole day. Jack loved singing Happy Birthday to Jaden.

After the party, we went home to wake up Daddy and go to Reston Town Center to play at the fountain and go out to dinner. Jack loves throwing pennies in the fountain!

Today Jack is at work with Mommy since he came down with pink-eye last night. But after a struggle to get eye drops in him, his eyes are already getting better, and Mommy thinks we'll be at school again tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a nice Mommy & Jack day today, though!

Please Let the Sickies Go Away!

2009-04-01T11:39:00.008-04:00

It's about time that I update this blog. I seem to be really bad about these things, even though I decide from time to time this is an easy way to keep in touch. At any rate, I'm just coming off a really, really bad week of the sickies with poor Kate, so figured I'd jump back into the blog-world now that I'm back among the living. It all started last Wednesday night after bedtime, when Katie was crying in her crib and wanted to be held. I picked her up, and she promptly lost her entire day's meal all over me. It was lovely, I'm hollering at Andrew through the monitor "I need backup! I need backup!" and Jack is starting to wail in his bedroom. She ended up sleeping with me that night, and from that moment the barfing had begun. She didn't keep down any food again until Monday. She also attached herself to me and her blankie like velcro, and we spent the next five days getting to know each other very well.

It was so sad to watch! :-( I wish I could have done something for her. At any rate, on Monday I took her to work with me, and she seemed like she was doing well, but then she had another meltdown and we went BACK to the pedi only to discover the poor baby was wheezing and had a raging ear infection, too! I don't know what my poor baby did to deserve that, but it was more than any baby should have to handle. So on the neb my poor baby has gone, along with some antibiotics and another oral steroid. She seemed well enough to go to daycare today, but Mommy will be picking her up early for a follow up at the pedi today.

My poor, poor baby girl...

Getting Caught Up

2008-08-05T09:14:00.011-04:00

Well, it's been a really long time since I've written on this blog, and I figured I should get back to it. It's such an easy way to update family and friends on what's going on in our house. At this point, Jack is almost 2, and Katie is 9.5 mos. I can't believe how fast time has flown by! Jack is amazing -- he learns new words and skills every day, I swear. He's definitely a toddler, and a whiney one at that, much to our chagrin. But we still think he's the best thing since sliced bread. Just yesterday I about died when I overheard him say to Kate, as she ran into him with her push toy, "Excuse you!" I swear he's 2 going on 13.

Kate is giving us a run for our money. She has boundless energy, and always wants to be in on the fun. She is moments away from walking on her own, and right now she loves to hold on to Mommy or Daddy's hand and walk around the room. Kate knows what she wants, and she isn't afraid to demand it, or to take it right out of Jack's hands. She is pure trouble, and we love it (so far!).

Here are some recent pictures of the kids to catch everyone up:

She looks so innocent here, but she's moments away from eating the flower in her hands, and promptly spitting it out...

Jack is contemplating the meaning of life...

Getting Ready for the Holidays!

2007-12-02T22:49:00.000-05:00

Well, Jack, Katie, Nana and I made the long drive from Virginia to Florida to spend the month at Nana & Grandpa's house. We couldn't fly b/c Katie's immune system can't take the germs that she would have been exposed to yet. The drive wasn't bad, and other than the kids tag-teaming Mommy by crying all night in the hotel room, the trip was uneventful. And now we're back in summertime again! The kids are enjoying the warm weather through walks and other outdoor play. On Saturday night we went to the tree-lighting ceremony at Altamonte Springs, where there were fireworks, live music and lots of people. Jack was afraid of the fireworks at first, but then he started to enjoy them. Katie slept through the entire evening. Today was cousin Ian's birthday, and he came over to play. Jack followed his cousin around like he was a celebrity. It was fantastic!

New things the kids are doing:

1. Jack can do most of the dance moves to "Rock-a-bye Your Bear" by The Wiggles.
2. New words Jack is saying: Down, Bye-bye, Quack
3. Jack is giving kisses! Mommy loves this!
4. Katie is smiling all the time, and getting better and better about holding up her head.
5. Jack is now starting to climb on things, much to Mommy's dismay.
6. Jack likes to sit on the bottom stair at Nana's, and hang out like he's a big boy.
7. Katie loves the Christmas tree, and could stare and smile at it for hours.
8. Jack is now running. And tiring Mommy and Nana out!

We are hoping that by spending this time in more tropical weather, the kids will get a break from cold season a bit, and Katie will have a chance to recover more fully from the RSV. We want to avoid another hospital trip if possible!

A Thankful Holiday at HOME!

2007-11-22T23:15:00.000-05:00

After 11 days at the hospital, Katie and Mommy are finally home! We had the most wonderful nurses at Inova Fairfax hospital, and we truly can't thank them enough for all they did for us. I spent all of my time there with Katie, as she needed to be watched 24/7 in case she stopped breathing. She ended up on oxygen and a feeding tube for most of her stay, which was hard to watch. She left the hospital with strict orders not to be around other children at all, and to limit her contact with other people as much as possible. Poor Uncle Matt and his girlfriend, Amy, had to shower and change clothes before they could hold her, when they came off the plane from Boston for the holiday! But she is doing better every day, and starting to finally gain back all the weight she lost in the hospital. She was down almost to her birthweight at one point, but was up to 8 lbs even when we left the hospital.

Thanks to everyone for your well-wishes and visits! Hope everyone had as good of a thanksgiving as we did!

Seriously, can we go home now???

2007-11-11T15:54:00.000-05:00

So Katie is back in the hospital again. On Wednesday we went to the pedi to test Kate for RSV, and when the test came back positive we headed over to check her in. She has been in the hospital since Wednesday, and we're hoping to come home sometime this week. She is currently on oxygen and a feeding tube, but she's hanging in there. She is quite the fighter, and gets angry whenever she has to be suctioned out. She's quite congested, has troubles breathing, and is wheezing a lot. But we've been told that she's through the worst of the virus, and will be feeling better soon. We can't wait to bring our little girl home again!

And MORE adventures in the ER...

2007-11-04T23:32:00.000-05:00

This time it was Jack. He has continued to feel yucky all week long, and we finally took him to the pedi on Friday where they said he had a cold and put him back on Albuterol for his wheezing. By Friday night his breathing had become really labored, so Mommy and Daddy packed him off to the ER. I think we normally would have rode it out with the nebulizer, but I just feel so paranoid after Katie ended up in the hospital last time. So after a few hours of waiting in the ER he ended up testing positive for RSV. Sigh. He had RSV last winter, as well, and we were really hoping to avoid it this year by keeping him on the Pulmicort when he developed a cold, but that didn't seem to work. I swear, if there's a bug within 25 miles of Jack, he will catch it.

We are keeping Katie quarantined in the master bedroom until Jack starts feeling better. Which means Mommy is in exile a lot of the time, but at least she's getting some sleep! We will keep Jack out of daycare for a brief "vacation" while we try to catch a break for a short time. I really hope this winter won't be as bad as LAST winter was! Thank goodness Nana is still here visiting -- I don't know what we would do without her!

Adventures in the ER

2007-10-29T08:48:00.000-04:00

Katie in her TINY little hospital gown

On Wednesday, October 24, Katie woke up with a fever. She was fussy throughout the day so Mommy took her to the pediatrician. Imagine Mommy's surpise (and horror) when the pediatrician said Katie needed to be admitted to the hospital! Our poor baby girl went immediately to the ER with Mommy & Nana (Daddy was in Boston at the World Series game) where she had blood drawn, and a spinal tap! We spent three days and two nights in the hospital, where it was determined that she caught a stomach virus from Jack. I suppose this won't be the last time Jack and Katie pass a bug back and forth, but it sure did give Mommy a scare!

Katie came home on Friday afternoon, where she is continuing to thrive. On Sunday Jack and Katie went to our neighborhood Halloween parade. Katie dressed up as a flower, and Jack was (of course!) a police officer, even sporting his Daddy's old badge. He had pizza and some chocolate, and enjoyed himself immensely. He's really starting to get used to his sister, and now he gets very concerned when he hears her crying in her pack and play. I think he knows that Katie is HIS baby, and she's here to stay!

And Baby Makes Four...

2007-10-24T14:44:00.000-04:00

Kate McMurry Finkelman arrived in the world at 3:40 pm on October 18, 2007. Weighing in at 7 lbs, 5 oz and 19 3/4 inches long, Katie is doing great and making Mommy and Daddy very happy. Jack is still getting used to his baby sister, varying between stroking her head and trying to poke her eyes out. He's really not sure what to think about her.

Today Kate is six days old, and I'll let you in on the amazing things she's doing every day, amazing her Mommy, Daddy and both Grandmas!

1. At 5 days old, Katie is trying to roll over! She likes to sleep on her side and throws her little leg all the way over to end up fully on her side. Seeing that her big brother was on the late side rolling over, Mommy and Daddy really don't know what to think about this...

2. Katie is eating like a champ, taking up to 3 oz or more per feeding! She slept 4 hours on her fourth night, much to our delight, but mostly she wants to eat about every 3 hours.

3. She's very alert, and likes to hang out and stare at the butterflies on her bouncy chair. She spends up to a good 2 hours awake at a time, which is very interesting to Jack. She moves her little arms around and Jack tries to steal her binkie.

Jack is adjusting well, although he is starting to act out a little bit. He's had his Nana and Granny here to give him extra attention, but he's starting to realize that there's a new little member of the family who needs attention. He also got sick with Roseola the day we came home from the hospital, and then followed that up with a stomach virus the next day. Just to add insult to injury, he's getting two new front teeth and some molars. So poor Jack is a pretty miserable little dude right now. Hopefully he'll come around soon, once he's feeling better.

Daddy is on his way to game one of the World Series today, and Jack and Mommy are jealous that they can't go. But we're having a lazy, rainy day at home with Nana today!

Go Red Sox!

Some Jack Brags

2007-10-13T21:38:00.001-04:00

Yep, still waiting for Katie to arrive. But in the meantime, Jack is doing some pretty remarkable things (ok, remarkable to US) that certainly keep us entertained! OK, so in lieu of talking about my cervix again, I'll take this time to brag about the remarkable things our boy is doing.

First of all, most of you know he's walking now. Well, Daddy has been on daywork, so for the past week Jack and I have waited outside for Daddy to get home from work. When Daddy arrives, he gets crouches down and Jack walks down the walkway into his arms. It's the best part of Daddy's day, and usually makes me tear up to see. It's one of those moments I feel like I've waited a lifetime for, and it's just so awesome that it's here.

Also, Jack has started to use utensils when he's eating. Mommy has to put the food on the utensils, but he can get the food in his mouth when I do. He gets such a proud look on his face when he navigates a piece of meatball into his mouth. Sometimes he puts the fork in too far, though, and gags himself. He's learning...

Daddy loves it when Jack brings him books to read. His current favorite is "Elmo's Birthday Party," which was a party favor from Lindsay's second birthday party. He brings the book to Daddy, and then Daddy drops whatever he was doing, picks up The Boy, and reads him the story. The look of concentration on Jack's face is hilarious.

Finally (I could go on for days, believe me), Jack has discovered The Wiggles. Knowing that he likes music, I decided to Tivo an episode to see if he would be interested. From the first show, he was completely mesmerized. He will sit on the floor, eyes glued to the TV, and smile, clap, bounce and dance to the music. Daddy and I are a little creeped out by the Little Wiggles, but Jack thinks the whole thing is fantastic, so who can argue with that?

Oh, I said I was done, but had to add one last thing -- today Jack started saying "Mama" for the first time! I'm so happy! Daddy asked him "where's Mama?" in the photo album, and he pointed out Mama, Daddy and the Kitty. He's a genius!!!

A Watched Pot Never Boils

2007-10-11T08:24:00.000-04:00

Seriously, CAN I get any bigger? I really think the answer is no. I definitely remember being READY to have Jack, but I don't remember being so uncomfortable that I wanted to throw myself out a window. I feel like I've been pregnant for two years. And if my mother was here, she would point that technically I HAVE been pregnant for two years, minus those blissful 6 mos (actually, only 3 of them were blissful) after I had Jack. I really can't wait for Katie to get here, and for me to have my body back to MYSELF. No more feet in my ribs, no more bouncing on my bladder at VERY inoportune times, no more hiccups.

So when is Katie arriving? Well, all sources point to ANY MINUTE NOW. At my last OB appointment, which was Monday (warning -- about to discuss my cervix, so any squeamish people can turn away now), I was dilated to "a good" 3 cms, and "at least" 80% effaced. With Jack I was the same way, and then at the next appt I was at 5 cms and 100%. So we're not figuring we have much more time. Although Daddy is still in denial, I think. We are 100% unprepared for Katie to get here -- we don't even have the pack and play set up. I don't have a hospital bag packed -- I don't know what's wrong with us. Andrew and I spend most of our time watching Jack walk around the family room like a crazy child, and seem to forget another child is entering our home VERY soon.

At any rate, we will endeavor to keep family and friends apprised of Katie's imminent arrival, and post pictures and all when the happy event occurs. Just please keep me in your thoughts for the next few days, and send some Easy Labor Vibes my way!!!!!

Daddy is a Sergeant!

2007-10-06T21:01:00.000-04:00

On Friday we went to Andrew's promotion ceremony, where Jack and I got to pin his badge on him! I can't say whether the ceremony was nice or not, b/c I spent the majority of the time outside in the lobby, while Jack napped in his stroller. Such is life when you bring a 13 month old to a 3 hour long event like that! But I woke him up in time to strut across the stage with Daddy, and surprisingly I didn't cry when I put the pin on! Andrew's Dad and sister Amy came to the ceremony, as did our neighbor Christine Katsapis, who happens to work at Gallaudet University (where the ceremony was held).

The BEST news we got is that Andrew is now assigned to the Second District in DC now. WOOOOO! That means Georgetown, Dupont Circle (where I work, Yay!), etc. In other words, he can spend his time arresting drunk frat boys -- who don't have guns -- rather than crack-dealers! To be honest, I think Andrew is disappointed, but I will be able to breathe better at night now! And with two kids at home, I think this is a better situation for us all. He hasn't found out what his shift is yet, and we're betting on midnights with Tuesdays/Wednesdays off, so I STILL won't ever see him. But at least he'll be safer!