One Month Check Up

seven pounds one ounce
20 inches long

Eating 3 - 3 1/2 ounces every 3 to 4 hours.

Sleeping 4 -5 hours at night on a good night.

Overall doing quite well.

We have been home from the hospital for three weeks today, and I was able to cook a *real* meal tonight for supper.  I made a pot roast, in the crockpot, which was really, really good.  Best I have ever had, sorry mom. We also had mac & cheese, cheesy garlic biscuits, and salad.  I have to say I was rather pleased with myself.  All my cooking up to this point has been heating up frozen meals (thanks for the hot chicken salad mom :-) ) and things such as Hamburger Helper etc.  Other nights have been provided by the handsome hubby and/or the darling daughter.  Or we have gone out. 

For the last two days said darling daughter has been in a cleaning frenzy.  She has cleaned the kitchen, living room, her bathroom and bedroom.  I finally figured out her ulterior motive, she wanted to invite her best friend over for a sleepover.  Well, needless to say, she will get her sleepover.  She has also learned a bit of how hard it is to keep house.  She was remarking earlier that she had picked up the living room 3 times today.  

My little Bug will be 6, count them SIX, years old on Saturday.  I can not get over how much he has grown, and how mature (as mature as a 6 year old can be) he has become.  He has really taken this big brother role very seriously and wants to teach Little Man everything.  He also wants to help with everything, well except diaper changing.  However, explaining that Little Man won't be able to ride bikes for awhile hasn't been easy for Bug to grasp.  He has also been reading a kids joke book that they found in my old books.  Needless to say it has made his joke and riddle telling make a lot more sense and given him new material.  I was getting so tired of the same old jokes he already knew, especially the knock knock jokes.  

And not to leave out Buddy, He has been reading up a storm lately, and reading chapter books. Magic Tree House,  The Littles, Ramona, and even attempting some of the Chronicles of Narnia, that Dad has been reading aloud to them.  They are working on The Silver Chair currently.  I am really proud of him.  Out of the older three he has been the latest one to really get into reading.  I am glad to say he is now taking after the rest of the family.  We need a separate room just for books in this house.

What can I say, I love  my family.!!!!

Thoughts as the storm rolls in.............

Supper is on the stove. Little Man is in the pack-n-play, Buddy is sitting on the sofa reading, Bug is watching his sister, and Pumpkin is playing video games.  Dad is still at work and I am taking a minute to sit down and process my day.  The thunder is rolling in, the first storm of the season.  It is unreal to me that three weeks ago we still had snow on the ground,  which here in the south that is a remarkable occurrence.  And now we are dealing with the typical spring weather.  However, it was a blessing to have the windows and doors open today to air out the house.

It was a stay around the house kind of day today.  For which I am thankful.  I needed that kind of day.  Nothing calling my attention elsewhere.  Nowhere to be tonight.  Just rounding up the troops and enjoying the closeness of family tonight.

I am reminded however, how fleeting this time is,  I have friends and acquaintances mourning the loss of family members.  It makes me incredibly thankful for the family I have surrounding me at the moment.

Some Pictures to Share.

Little Man -- all swaddled - the way he sleeps best.



Helping Mama feed the baby.


Daddy in love.



Big brother and sister in love.


Big brother holding baby.


Bernie the guard dog.

Three weeks.

We have had an interesting couple of weeks.  Little Man is now 3 weeks old.  He is happy, healthy and eating like a horse.  I am so glad that he finally turned that corner.

We had a long couple of days on Friday and Saturday, both days we had to be out most of the day.  Friday's venture was completely unexpected, especially the duration of the outing.  Saturday's outing was expected but the duration was more than expected.  Those days coupled with the regular Sunday activities made for a very out of sorts baby.  Sunday afternoon was spent sleeping and eating and sleeping some more.  All of that and he still slept very well last night, only waking twice to eat and going back to sleep very quickly afterwards.

Today we have been somewhat back to normal for us as a family, except for the fact that Dad worked, he is back to working 6 days a week again, for hopefully only a short time.  This leaves only Sunday as his off day.  

I have been working on crocheting some party favor bags for a wedding shower I am helping to host.  The yarn I have chosen to use has been giving me fits.  I may have to choose something else to work with.

Purposeful Start.

Today, my Monday, (Dad's weekend is Sunday and Monday, so Tuesday often masquerades as Monday around here)  I have made a decision to have a purposeful start to my days.  Not a rigid schedule, which I will fail in quite quickly.  Not even a set routine without schedule.  But making choices for the day with a purpose in mind and working toward that purpose.

This morning my purpose was/is to move through the day with direction not wondering aimlessly as I did much of last week.  To that end, I have fed and changed the baby.  Have had a shower. Fed the other kids breakfast.  They are in the process of changing their clothes.  I have also started laundry and will make my bed and fold last night's last load in a few minutes once I start the kids on school work.  After School we will do lunch -- leftovers -- and pick up the LR, hallway and the kids will do their rooms.

***************************************************above was written earlier this morning *************************************


That was the basic plan for today and it worked out well.  I have also defeated about another third of Mt Wash-some-more.  My dryer is cooperating more today than it did yesterday.

Tomorrow's purpose will involve a trip to town I do believe.

Things I have said today

"That is not a jungle gym" - talking to Bug and Buddy about the exercise machine in the living room
"Pick up your jacket and hang it up" -- again talking to Bug and Buddy.
"Put the shoes on the shelf in the closet" -- at least 3 times to Buddy
"Get out of my chair" -- to who ever is playing or spinning or rocking wildly in my chair
"Pick that book, Bible, toy, trash, or what ever else, up instead of walking over it"  -- to any and everybody around here.
"Why have you decided to take so long to do your job?????" -- to my dryer which has decided to take at least twice as long to dry any load given to it today.....................  I have gotten THREE loads of laundry done,  I have at LEAST six more to do.  At this rate, I will have six more by the time I get these six done...........