Back to Normal?!?

A few weeks ago we experienced a momentous occasion in our house.  Logan moved out of our bedroom and into his own room.  You see we have all shared a family bed except for a few times when we tried to have him in a crib.  For good or bad the boy always had to be held to sleep.  If you read my review of the Ergo baby carrier you know that is the only way the boy ever napped until he was to big to fit in it.  After the Ergo he eventually napped in a bed, but he always had to be surrounded by pillows.  He eventually started to grow out of that and a while back we bought him his own twin sized mattress which we just pushed next to ours.  This helped with the space issue a little since things were getting cramped when Philly was very pregnant with Nyah.  We eventually created a gap between the two mattresses and put up a toddler rail so he wouldn't fall out of bed.  At this point he still had to hold my hand to fall asleep, as a result my arm fell asleep every night before I did.  It's crazy to think of what parents are willing to do for their kids.  So this kept up for some time until about a 5 or 6 weeks ago.  We asked Logan if he wanted his own room to sleep in and play in.  A space of his own that he could decorate any way he wanted and keep his toys away from his little sister.  He said yes, so we moved his across the hall and all was well for a few weeks.

During this time, Nyah has been trying to figure out if she wants to get teeth first or walk first.  I really feel like this girl has been teething for at least a few months now.  The mobility has been fun to watch progress from barely on her hands and knees rocking to now standing and just letting go to see what happens.  Keep in mind this girl is only 8 months old, Logan walked at 13 months.  I joke that she is trying to walk so fast for one of two reasons.  The first is to keep up with her big brother, the other is to run away from him.  In addition to her teething woes and her increased mobility, this girl fidgets.  I'm not talking an occasional movement of a foot or something, I'm talking her whole body needs to move to be happy.  Her nickname is "little miss squigles", she is cute but trying to hold her for long periods of time is rough to say the least.  So after both Philly and I have been severely sleep deprived for longer than I can recall, we decided on a course of action.  A crib.  kind of a foreign concept to use given the way Logan always was.  I guess that is part of the wonder and challenge that comes with having more than one kid, the are completely different.  So we tried the crib thing in our room and then in another room.  We are kind of new to the idea so we were not sure what would work for us.  So where does that put us now?

What can I say, our kids are back in our room to sleep at night again.  Tonight we officially moved Logan's mattress back in next to ours.  I have heard that toddlers go through this stage of having bad dreams and waking up in the middle of the night screaming.  Well, we have been going through that for a bit now.  Last night I had to actually sleep in his bed with him to keep him settled down.  As comfortable as his mattress is, his blankets are meant for him.  I was actually cold last night for the first time I can remember.  So we are hoping that by being back in our room it will help to know we are right there.  So Logan is hopefully sorted, what about Nyah?  

Well, we are trying something new there too.  She has been successfully napping in her crib during the day.  Granted the naps have been a little shorter than they used to be, who knows maybe its a stage.  Anyway, the new pattern has become very interesting.  Philly puts Nyah to bed in her crib in Nyah's room while I read stories to Logan and put him to bed in another room.  Then a few hours later Nyah will wake up crying and usually just need her pacifier put back in.  Then some time around midnight she wakes up.  At this point, I get up and check to see if she needs a fresh diaper.  Then I pull her into our bed and hand her off to Philly so Nyah can feed and settle back down.  This seemed to work great until last night when I was in Logan's bed.  Who knew sleeping could be so complicated.  

So that is where we are as of tonight.  A complicated sleep system that we hope will work going forward.  Both Philly and I have been operating at about 25% brain capacity since Nyah was about 4 months old.  I'm not sure I even understand what it means to sleep for a full 8 hours anymore.  I like to joke that I'll finally start sleeping when I turn 50.  I just hope I can make it that long.  After all, Philly just noticed the other day, I am starting to get some white hairs in my beard.

Cheers for now,
Aaron

A Good Day (1/18/12)

You know those days when everything just falls into place and it's just a great day.  Not to say everything is perfect, that only happens in the movies.  Today (1/18/12) was a good day.  The kids and I had the chance to take my wife to work this morning, while this rarely happens, it's always a welcome start to the day.  We all get to see Philly for a little longer than normal and it gets Logan, Nyah and I out the door.  I enjoy the time as we get to chat as a family for a few minutes.  Okay so really Philly and I get to chat while Logan tries to communicate with Nyah in the back seat, always entertaining.  The kids and I planned on going to the aquarium today, but plans change.  If I've learned one thing so far as a parent, it is not to force things.  I just need to go with the flow and check in with the kids as we roll through the day.  Today was no different.  We parked in between the aquarium and the giant REI store in downtown Denver.  We headed to REI for a new top to Logan's water bottle (the last one got melted in our old dishwasher, not fun) and to look for a new hat for Nyah (no luck, the girl hates hats).  Logan loves to walk on the old rail road tracks that are not used this time of year.  I'm not sure what it is with boys and trains but all little boys seem to have that in common.  The REI flagship store happens to have a play area on the third floor, right next to were the kids hats are, that is where we stayed for a long time.  It's always interesting to meet new parents and kids and talk to complete strangers who are connected purely on the basis of being a fellow parent.  It's refreshing since I have been slow to venture out with two kids at the same time.  I think I am finally over my fear of how to get out with Logan and Nyah even on a windy brisk day.  Granted I still pack like I'm going to be gone for a week, but I would rather have food, clothes and toys for any situation.  I have been saved by this tactic many a time.  From blow outs and full outfit changes to an unexpected requests for 4 packets of applesauce in a row, I am glad I pack heavy.  (As a side note I'm still searching for a daddy/diaper back that can handle my preparedness or over preparedness level.  I have a new one in my sights but it is a little pricey as it is not a diaper bag but a piece of tactical gear.)  Anyway back to the good day.  After our play time we roamed the store and picked up a few things we needed.  We then walked back to our truck and met up with Philly for lunch.    

Meeting my wife for lunch since she returned from maternity leave has been a daily occurrence.  I get the kids packed up and we drive to her office which is a short trip from our house.  Then we get to eat lunch together and talk while Philly feeds Nyah.  I feel very lucky that we live so close to her office.  We feel strongly about breastfeeding for as long as possible and I feel this has also helped keep our family tight.  With the hustle and bustle of daily life it is hard to keep the important things in perspective.  After lunch the kids and I bid a fond farewell to Philly and head home.  On this particular day, I have to change plans on the fly again.  Both kids pass out within minutes of driving towards home.  So what does a daddy do when the kids pass out in the truck?  Starbucks!  That's right, I went to my local drive-thru Starbucks and recharged my batteries.  After a few hours driving up and down local roads and a little trip into the hills Logan woke up followed by Nyah.  Our wonderful day continued with the kids playing nice enough together on the kitchen floor, I was able to start dinner.  

Wow, what a day.  These days are few and far between, but when they happen I try to hold on to how well things turned out.  I remind myself that plans change, schedules are flexible and the laundry and house cleaning can wait for another time.

Cheers for now,
Aaron

More coming soon...... I hope

Well now, it's been a little while since my last post.  I actually stated a few posts that I have not had the chance to finish yet.  I hope to get them up soon, life has been a little busy and sleep has been on the minimal side.

Cheers for now,
Aaron

Ahh! The joys of parenting

It has been a great and interesting year so far in 2012.  Swim lessons for both kids start this Saturday, Logan Nyah and I have resumed going to the public library for baby/story time.  Due to the cold windy weather I have crawled into the back of our Lexus and changed Nyah's diaper multiple times, including locking myself in there, we even made a trip to downtown Denver.  Wait, did I just admit I locked myself in the back of the Lexus while changing a diaper?  Yup that sure happened.  I love child locks, unless I'm the child who can't operate them properly.  

So this little bit of entertainment happened in the Whole Foods parking lot in Superior, CO.  We do our weekly grocery shopping there as a family.  On this occasion, Philly and Logan headed to the store due to the cold wind and not wanting to wait while I changed Nyah's diaper.  You see, for the most part, Philly is in charge of the input and I take care of the output.  She does due her fair share, but I always seem to get more of the big ones.  Yes I actually agreed to the arrangement, I really do love my wife.  Anyway back to the diaper change.  Upon closer inspection, this was not going to be a quick thing.  Let's just say it required a full outfit change.  Now normally with nice weather I would just open the back of the Lexus and change her on the back deck.  Due to the wind I had to do this inside the truck.  No big deal right, I mean the third row seat is not in there at the moment.  Unfortunately we had just finished up at Costco.  So here I am in the back with the wind whipping outside and I decided to pull down the hatch a little bit.  It was great until the wind blew the door the rest of the way closed.  I proceeded to finish the diaper and outfit change and tried to get out the back.  Oops, the latch didn't work.  I forgot I had engaged the child-lock to keep Logan contained on occasion. (more on that another time.)  So I decided to see if I could get someone to help me open the door from the outside by tapping on the glass and mildly yelling help.  Wow was I wrong, that truck is not only soundproof but with the tinted privacy glass people can't really see in.  Long story short I reached over the back seat and popped open a side door.  Another family had just parked next to us and the dad was nice enough to pop open the back for me.  His simple comment is the title for this post.  Kind sir, if you are out there somewhere reading this, Thank you!  Now granted I could have called Philly and had her and Logan come back to the truck and let me out.

  

However this brings up another joy of parenting: grocery shopping with kids.  Depending on the day Logan may or may not behave nicely in the store.  It usually works best to have the whole family go shopping.  This way Philly can run around with Logan and his own little shopping cart grabbing a few things and trying to make sure he is not going to ram into anyone's ankles.  Meanwhile, I have the shopping list and our little Nyah usually in the baby Bjorn, trying to make sure we get everything and avoid a midweek trip.  On Logan's bad days we have to resort to full on bribery.  The good part of shopping at whole foods is at least whatever he picks, it's usually somewhat healthy.

Sometimes it seems that the bad or rough spots of parenting are the best to write about because I figure every parent has been there at some point and I find a great release in throwing them out here to be laughed at by my fellow parents.  But there are plenty of high points as well.  The true joys of parenting come in the simple things, the things that make having kids totally worth it.  Like the fact that Logan is doing so well with his language lately.  He makes me laugh and smile with his little "No thank you daddy" anytime I ask him if he needs to use the potty or if he has pooped and needs a diaper change.  Even when he has pooped he still says it.  We are trying to work on the potty thing, key word here is trying.  He is really sweet with his little sister on occasion and I really look forward to the day they can play together.  Another great thing is the completely random hugs or kisses I get from him.  Or the way my daughter does this little nuzzle thing in the crook of my neck, I melt and feel so proud of being a dad every time.  I'm so in trouble when she is older, she will get away with anything I'm sure.  "I love you mommy and daddy, by the way I wrecked your car"  Haha, I know the day will come as sure as I'm sitting here.

Well, I hope you enjoyed another rambling from my day job.  I hope to write again soon.

Cheers for now,

Aaron

Of cats and kids

Cats are very interesting in many ways.  They can be loyal or defiant, cuddly or independent but they always want attention and love you unconditionally.  Even though I've always had cats throughout my life they are still mostly a mystery.  Kids are very much the same way.  At least as far as attention goes and the unconditional love thing, until they are teenagers from what I understand.  Okay so I haven't always had a kid in my life and they are very much still a mystery.  The second you think you have kids figured out, they go and change the way they were doing things or learn something new.  I know it probably sounds a little harsh comparing my kids to cats but it's true.  My son Logan is currently 2 years and almost 10 months old and he is a big brother.  This puts him in a very difficult position.  He is getting ready to finish up the terrible 2's and tackle the horrible 3's (disclaimer: I have never had a 3 year old, but most of the parents I've talked to tell me the 3's are way worse than the 2's).  He is no longer the sole center of our universe, he must share our attention with his little sister.  This is where the similarity to cats comes in.  Our cat Tux will do whatever it takes to get your attention, whether that attention comes in the form of a gentle pet or a forceful shove.  He just wants your attention and usually food.  He has a real knack for getting his claws stuck in my thigh while I'm typing (like right now), I push him away and keep going.  So he claws me again and again and again until I finally pet him, shove him away or give him more food.  He figures out what is most effective in getting your attention and sometimes negative behavior gets it quicker than positive behavior.
Logan is really starting to talk more and more everyday, this is my preferred form of communication.  I'm glad he is talking and it's a huge help most of the time.  We have had an issue with him saying yes to absolutely everything.  This includes when trying to determine if he hit his little sister behind my back or knocked her over (she is determined to walk at 9 months).  The conversation goes something like this:  Me- "Logan, did Nyah fall down"  Logan- "Yes"  Me-"She is crying a lot, did you push her down?"  Logan-"Yes (with a coy smile)"  Me-"Did she fall over on her own?"  Logan- "Ya"  Me-"Logan did you hit her?" Logan-"Ya-huh"  It goes on like this for a little bit without a different result.  Asking what he wants for dinner is the same thing, yes to everything regardless of what is asked.  I know that was a little far from my comparison of cats and kids but I thought it was an interesting phenomena.  Maybe this is normal, but I'm only on one kid talking so far, I'll see if Nyah is similar.
So back to the grabbing attention part, Logan has figured out the quickest away to get my undivided attention.  Unfortunately this usually involves finding something to chuck at his sisters head or to push her over.  Even if we are all playing together, if he wants attention on just him, he will try it.  I'm not sure if this is just a thing with little boys or if little girls do the same thing.  I'm sure I'll find out in the future once Nyah is big enough to defend herself.  So far it doesn't seem like girls are as destructive as boys, but Nyah is only 9 months old right now and she has a good teacher in Logan.  I love both of my kids more than I ever thought possible, but there are those times when I wonder what I got myself into.  Logan is a good little guy for the most part, but on occasion he does stuff that just baffles my mind.  The interaction between the two has been fun to watch and I'm looking forward to the future of our play sessions while trying not to miss the present moments we have.  Take this morning for instance, Logan was in his high chair eating breakfast, Nyah was scaling the back of his chair.  Logan turned around and said "I'm so happy to see you Nyah".  So cute!  I was so proud of them, then Logan decided to spit bacon on top of her head, laughing the whole time.  I'm afraid to know his thought processes.

I think it's time I introduce the cast of characters so you can all have a visual to associate with my stories and ramblings.

First up is Tux the super cat, he is our last surviving pet and goes by many names.  He spends most of his time running away and hiding from Logan.

Next up is Nyah, our 9 month old cutie also known as "little miss squiggles" since she is constantly in motion and has been since in the womb.

Then we have Logan, currently 2 years and 10 months.  He is all boy and at least two handfuls of trouble.

My wife Philly and I are very uninteresting but I threw in a picture for reference : )  The photo is from a few years ago but probably one of our best.

Now for the whole family from our holiday photo session, minus Tux, he would not be caught in the same room as two kids.

Cheers for now,
Aaron