We Fight Dirty...

So, in the last post I said that the battle for nighttime sleeping was on.  It was not a fair fight.  Levi didn't stand a chance.  We fight dirty--we just flopped that little booger on his tummy and he is now sleeping for 7-8 hour stints at night.  (Thanks to some encouragement from some other mommas!)  And he goes to bed between 8 and 9.  Hahaha!  Victory is always sweet, but even sweeter when your sleep is at stake. (And why is it so satisfying to win battles against your children?  It shouldn't be when your opponent can't form sentences and poops his pants, but it feels so good!)  He's so strong that we don't have to worry about him smothering himself like we did when he was a newborn.  He plants his hands on either side of himself, arches his back, and roars when he's unhappy on his tummy.  So, he's good.

The secret to its success is twofold.  First, little man LOVES to snuggle up against whoever is holding him, so he's used to having his tummy be nice and warm.  (I've developed a seamless strategy for getting him from snuggling in my arms to tummy down on the bed in 0.5 seconds so as to keep that tummy toasty!) Second, he falls asleep instantly when we pat his back to burp him for a bottle.  So even if he's on his tummy and unhappy, we have full access to his back and can pat away until he passes back out.  It's magic.  We realize we did not invent this, but it feels like an amazing revelation for our little family!

In other news, my darling Isabel has inherited some of her momma's rage-aholic tendencies.  I think I am usually pretty go with the flow (here's where you can laugh if you disagree--but remember I'm a rager), but occasionally something random will happen and I will RAGE.  Full on.  Poor darling has inherited that trait.  Combine that with a toddler mentality and a limited ability to manage emotions, and things can get hairy.  Something as simple as accidentally kicking a chair can throw her into a tizzy...

"I just stubbed my toe!!!  This is the worst thing that has ever happened to anyone ever!!!  I'm going to scream and cry and then hit Mommy even though she had nothing to do with this (rage) because I'm so mad about it!  But then I'm going to cry because I hit Mommy and I feel bad (tender heart)!  But when she tries to talk to me about it I will for sure rage again and maybe just spit at her this time so I don't have to feel as bad!"  

This is usually followed by her crumpling into my arms in a heap of exhausted emotion.  And then 10 minutes later she can do a full facial on our hardwood floor while walking in her Rapunzel heels and she barely peeps.  Gets up, brushes herself off and says, "Whoa.  These shoes are slippery."

I was perplexed about this trait when it first showed up in her...until the day when I hit my head while getting something out of the car and slammed the door so hard I think the entire garage shook.  It was like a cartoon where the little lightbulb goes on above someone's head.  I maybe even said, "Ohhhh..." out loud.  I shared my revelation with Bryan, and he was like, "Yeah, you didn't know that?"  Guess it was only a secret to me...

Izzie still is hysterical and cracks me up daily, however.  She has a computer that asks her questions about animals and she has to choose the right picture.  The other day she was talking to it:

What animal like to eat hay?
"Horsey!"

What animal likes to eat seeds?
"Squirrel!"
Oops. Try again.  What animal likes to eat seeds?
(quite irritated) "SQUIRREL!"
I'm sorry.  The answer is mouse.
(angry grunt)

What animal likes to eat bananas?
"ME!"

Funny girl.

I wish I could sleep with this kind of abandon...

First time in the church nursery.  He seems a bit nervous.

Grammy showed them this cool trick with their cookies.

When I said, "Put your shoes on", I did not mean your elbow.

He looks like he's going to take flight

My chubby hamster roommate

Sweet boy snuggles

C H A O S

He tricks us...

Just when I post that Levi is an awesome sleeper, he tricks us...

What, Mom?  You would like me to sleep between the hours of 7pm and 11pm?

Oh.

See, the thing is...well, it's just that...

Wait, could you repeat the question?

This stinker has decided that 7pm to 11pm is a lovely time to be up.  And he's not just content being awake -- he needs to be snuggled and bounced and held.  Bryan and I have decided that he's realized that's prime attention time -- the big sister is sleeping and Mom and Dad are awake, so what else could we possibly have to do besides give him attention, right?  He's got us figured out.  Let the battle for peace and sanity in the evenings commence.

6 Weeks!

Babies watch football like this...

Big kids watch like this...

Go Huskers!

Little Brother is 6 weeks old today!  Levi is still the best eater (obvious when you weigh 12 pounds, I suppose) and an awesome sleeper.  He loves listening to his sister read, his swing, and he is fascinated by his bedroom curtains (which makes me think that I haven't ever put pictures of his room on here...stay tuned.)  His favorite spot is up on my shoulder, his little face snuggled into my neck.  His hair on the top of his head is short and blonde, but the hair on the sides is darker and longer.  So right now he looks like a bald old man.  The folds on his neck are so intense that when milk dribbles out of his mouth I feel like I have to dig for days to make sure I've gotten it all.

Trying to think of a way to get out of bath time...

Just this morning Izzie asked for a banana for breakfast and it made me think about all the words she mispronounces.  I don't remember which I've put on here and which I haven't, so forgive me if I repeat.

Banana..."Bee-nana"

Menards...."Mee-nards"

(I about died laughing the day she pretended to go shopping and said, "I'm going to Mee-nards.  I hafta buy some bee-nanas.  No, wait!  They don't have bee-nanas at Mee-nards.")

Building..."Blilding"

Sharp..."Shark"

Cheetoh..."Cheetah"

Backpack..."Pack pack"

Aisle..."Island"

(When we play getting married, we walk down the "island".)

Levi..."Le-i"

Napkin..."Natkim"

Forklifts..."Forkliftez"

Very..."Berry"

Balloon..."Kabloon"

Her "th" sounds are either "f" or "d".  

That..."Dat"

Three..."Free"

This..."Dis"

Think..."Fink" 

(as in "Fink, Mommy.  Fink!)

Thank you..."Dank you"

Throat..."Froat"

"I telled you that."

Some more fun...

We hit up the zoo with Levi for the first time....

And then had a fun Sunday with Caden's soccer game and then dinner with Grammy and Popper.

Izzie was reading books out loud to Grammy and Brother.  Popper asked
if he could listen, and Izzie said no, that he would have to read his own book.

My Top Five

If I had to stop and tell someone my top five things about my children (still feels weird to say "children"!) right now it would be:

Isabel:

Her favorite thing at Lost in Fun.  I don't even put money in...

1.  Her art
Isabel's art is everywhere in our home.  She loves to paint, to stamp, to color with crayons and chalk, and to decorate with stickers.  Right now, there are 3 pictures taped to the living room walls and 1 on the window, at least a dozen pictures up in the kitchen, 4 on the front door, a picture taped to each bedroom door, 3 pictures adorn her closet, and she has beautified my closet with a couple as well.  Every time I am tempted to take them down (and I will eventually), I think of how proud she was when she put them up and realize that in 20 years I am REALLY going to miss those sweet little works of art.  So I let them be for now.

2.  Her reading
Izzie still loves to read, but now I am in love with when she reads aloud.  She has many books memorized (enough to have a story that pretty much follows the original anyway), but she also loves to make up her own stories.  She'll just open up a book and make a fantastic story of her own.  It's delightful.

How she prefers to carry her keys at Grammy's house

3.  Her humor
Iz says some really funny things on her own--sometimes she knows they're funny and sometimes she stumbles on to something by accident.  My favorite from this week was when I sniffed her neck after nap time and she said, "What?  Do I smell like pizza or something?"  Or when Daddy was complaining about something and I tried to teach her to say "Build a bridge and get over it"--and it slowly morphed into "Make a bridge and climb it."  It's also fun because she knows about jokes now, so I taught her to ask someone, "Hey, what's up there?" and then she tickles their neck when they look up.  It's pretty cute.

4.  Her cuddles
Isabel is not a cuddler by nature, but at nap time and bedtime we can usually squeeze some out of her.  When we're laying on the bed reading books she'll ask, "Can I come in there?" which means she wants to sneak under my arm and cuddle close.  She also likes to be tickled at bedtime, and sometimes she'll return the favor.  The other night she tickled my arm forever and then cupped my cheek and said, "I love you so much, Mommy."  Melt my heart.

5.  Her sassafras
Izzie is getting very sassy, and it is mostly infuriating for her Mommy.  However, I see her confidence and independence shining through, and I know this is what I'm actually battling right now.  Although it is a pain when she is two, I am glad that she has got some oomph for when she's older.  We just need to channel it for the appropriate moments...super easy task, right?



Levi:

1.  His tongue
Levi's tongue sticks out of his mouth ever so slightly a majority of the time.  It looks as if his cheeks are so chubby that his mouth does not have room for his tongue.  I love that face.  I kiss it often.  His tongue also does some little lizard licking action while he's awake sometimes--maybe he's exploring his environment...?

2.  His clinging
Levi CLINGS to me now.  I remember Izzie accidentally grabbing my hair or hanging on to my clothes sometimes, but this child clings.  Anytime I hold him, he is desperately holding on to my shirt, hair, necklace...whatever he can get his hands on.  It's a death grip.  It almost seems as if he's concerned about my ability to hold him--as if he can sense I'm a little more relaxed this time around and is concerned I'm going to forget he's there.

Couldn't figure out why he was screaming in the car...

3.  His grunts
Levi is a caveman.  There is no cooing or baby talk.  There is grunting or silence.  There are hungry grunts, fidgety grunts, poop grunts, and nighttime grunts.  At this rate, this child will be writing his name and doing handstands before he can talk.

4.  His burping
It's more what happens when we burp him.  Levi is revolting against burps lately, so we really have to go at him to get them out.  And his typical response it to our intense burping attempts is to fall asleep.  It makes me think that instead of the little vibrating bouncer we have that we should just strap a jack hammer to the side of his crib.

After his one month appointment.  He was as shocked as I was about his weight.
11 lbs, 15 oz.  He's almost 2 lbs heavier than Iz was at one month.

5.  His similarities and differences with Iz
I love that he reminds me of my baby Isabel with his open-mouthed sleep face, his squishy frog face when he's waking up, and his almost asleep smiles.  But I love that he's got his own gig as well.  He loves to cuddle (often the cure for a fussy Isabel was to lay her down--definitely not the case with him), he hates to be naked, and most of all hates to take a bath.  He prefers to be snuggled up tight and fully dressed.  So these days he's often swaddled in a blanket while she roams half-clothed.  My sweet pumpkins.

Right before this pic she said, "Mommy, I just love him so much."

The Best Intentions...

Wednesdays are long days for Emily and I, as both our husbands volunteer with the middle school youth group in the evening.  So it is just us and kids at home all day and all night.  Last Tuesday I texted Em to see what we could do to entertain ourselves together on Wednesday and make our day a little shorter.  We contemplated the zoo, but the forecast said 90 degrees and that just didn't sound fun.  So I believe my exact words to her were, "Do you just want to come over here and have some chaos?"  Because really -- with a 4 year old, 2 year old, 1 year old, and newborn -- that's all it really is.  But at least we can have some company while we do it, right?

So, Em and the kids came over Wednesday morning.  We ate donuts (well, most of us did--Avery and Izzie both just lick the frosting off of theirs), and then we told the kids to go play while we worked on a project.  I had seen soap mud on Pinterest last year and have been wanting to try it with Izzie ever since, but it always seemed like a lot of work.  I figured it was worth it if there was another set of hands and two more kids to enjoy it.  And what isn't to love about soap mud?  It's gloopy and messy and also smells delicious and clean.  You just tear up toilet paper into tiny pieces, grate a few bars of soap, add warm water, and mush mush mush!  What could go wrong...?

List of Things that Could Go Wrong:

#1  It took two adults an entire hour to grate three bars of soap and tear up one roll of toilet paper into tiny pieces (we both probably have carpal tunnel).  Do you realize how much toilet paper is on ONE roll?!?

#2  Turns out, NO KIDS were interested in this.  ZERO.  Not the crazy four year old boy.  Not the mud and dirt and mess loving two year old girl.  Even Avery, who is usually game for anything, tried it for a minute before deciding the bucket of water next to it was more fun.  WATER.  Do you know how long it took us to fill the bucket of water?  30 seconds.

#3  To get kids interested, I suggested throwing the soap mud at them.  I thought they would think that was funny.  As it was, Caden ran screaming and Izzie cried.  She was completely offended.  The rest of the day she kept asking, "Why did you throw that soap at me?"

#4  I ended up doing the unthinkable and bribing Caden and Izzie to just put their feet in BY OFFERING A COOKIE to anyone who did.  I was desperate.  Folks, it took us an HOUR to make this stuff.  We wanted results!

#5  Once they put their feet in and decided it wasn't that bad, Caden started throwing it at us.  Can I just say that soap in your eyes REALLY HURTS...

#6  The soap and toilet paper made a lovely paste that stuck to everything--clothes, skin, hair, the driveway...  I hosed the cement off for half an hour, and it still looks awful.  (And while I hosed, Izzie and Avery had a slap fight over our one pink chair, Caden picked Izzie up to console her and dropped her on the cement, and Avery stuck the end of a bicycle pump in her mouth and Caden proceeded to try to blow her up...so it was pretty much a disaster every way you looked at it.)

1 hour of prep + 5 minutes of unenthusiastic playing with it + 30 plus minutes of clean up = SOAP MUD NOT WORTH IT.  We've tried it for you.  Don't bother.

Laughing as we are the only two anywhere near the "super cool soap mud"!

Avery enjoying the bucket of water.  She almost fits.

As Emily said, it sort of just looked like Levi spit up all over the driveway...

Caden giving it a go, Avery still enjoying the bucket of water, Izzie
completely upset by the whole event.  She apologized all day, "I'm
sorry you got soap in your hair.  Why did we do that, Mommy?"

And this is when we decided to be done...

Emily went and got Burger King so we didn't have to
bring the kids inside to eat.  Filthy children eating fast
food on a dirty driveway.  Perfect end to a perfect day.

And what is the sweet little boy up to these days, you might ask?  Well, Levi slept through the whole soap mud fiasco (thank goodness--the last thing we needed was an infant out there), but we finally started working on tummy time with him.  Literally the fourth time he'd ever been on his tummy he held his head up like a pro!  You'd think we were good parents that worked on this every day with him, but it was just a happy accident.

This was the third time we tried tummy time...

...obviously it's not always a success (but at least he's not screaming!).

But here's the next time we tried.  Look at that control -- and his bobble head.
Apparently it's a bad angle, I promise he doesn't look that bald and disproportionate.

Levi's Due Date

This is Levi on his due date, August 25th.  The next day at the doctor, he weighed 9 lbs, 1 oz.  This little chubber-doo gained 1 lb, 10 oz in 10 days.  No wonder it felt like all he was doing was eating...apparently he was.  As previously predicted, he is quickly catching up to his sister and becoming the chunky monkey baby we are used to having around here.  Let me just say again that this momma is glad he decided to make an early entrance into the world.

Here are some other pictures from the last week...

This is how Izzie holds him.  And he loves it, no joke.  He was fussy and
crying and she held out her arms and said, "Here, Mommy.  Give him to me."
I was 100% sure that it would not work but didn't want to break her heart,
so I passed him over.  And he quit crying.  Instantly.  When she talks to him
he goes still and he gets quiet, his eyes focused so you can tell he's really
listening.  This doesn't happen when I talk.  Already he is tuning me out!

Just like Izzie, this darling has inherited my open-mouthed sleep face.
My apologies, dearies.

This happened, which immediately reminded me of a similar moment 2.5 years ago...

...baby Isabel and Caden doing the exact same thing.  So sweet.

Little man made his debut at church at just under 2 weeks old...

...complete with killer shoes.  Thanks, Auntie Heidi.

Levi visited Great-Grandpa for the first time... 

...and Miss Isabel decided to look seven years old.  Sheesh!

Bryan ran into the store and came out to this.  He laughed
and said, "A girl after her mother's heart."  She wanted to
look at the "princesses in their dresses".  We won't be
making this a habit, but it was pretty funny.

Levi had his first football watching party with Daddy.

The whole crew went on a Labor Day walk to HyVee...

...for some delicious and nutritious donuts (Squeaks not included, of course).