Ho Ho Ho.....?

Yep.

It's a crushed velvet Santa dress.

Size 18 months, to be exact......on an almost three-year-old boy.

A dress I would never put on my daughter.

I'm not a crushed velvet Santa dress kind of girl and neither is my daughter.

Yet, my son wore this dress for about five hours on a very hot day.

Why did he finally take it off?

The skirt kept interfering with his choo-chooing in the dirt at the park.

Cute, huh?

thoughts on tv: napless

We don't have a tv.  But, we do have two laptops and a little dvd player.  So, even though we don't watch "tv" and I abhor the thought of my kids zoning out in front of a screen, I am not going to lie.  I grew up watching lots of tv, I watched more  than my fair share of shows during our years of rabbit ears and 3 fuzzy channels and just last night, I zoned out in front of Hulu for a couple of hours catching up on 'The Office' and I'm already thinking about the latest 'Simpsons' episodes I've missed.

I'm not anti-tv, I promise.

I'm just anti-glassy eyed kids pitching fits for cartoons.  Or is my kid the only one who does that?

Now that Henry's favorite line is "I no need go night-night", the idea of Thomas and Hiro entertaining my noncompliant, whiny almost-3-year-old sounds real appealing most days.   Especially on the days when he insists that "Lulu, no need go night-night" and proceeds to do everything in his power to wake her up or even better, prevent her from taking a nap.

So far, my resolve has remained strong and shows are still not an event in our day.  It helps that I am running off a 10-year-old Mac that doesn't support streaming video and that Henry's irrational fear of Pete makes our only Mickey Mouse Clubhouse dvd not an option.  But the library is just 3 blocks away and there are plenty of Thomas the Train dvd's just waiting to be checked out.

So yeah, I think about the allure of letting Henry zone out in front of a non-violent cartoon on a regular basis.  But, in my dream world the video would end, I would say "okay, let's go play outside" and Henry will say "alrigh', Mama" and then we will play our little hearts away with no fuss and fights. 

Um, yeah.  That's not how it works with Henry though.  In reality, the video ends and he goes crazy for more trains, Elmo, whatever.  I'm pretty sure some people who have witnessed Henry's refusal to accept the end of a movie, blame his over-exuberance on the fact that screen-time is severely limited in his little life and maybe, if he had more exposure he would be willing to accept the end of the movie.

Nice in theory.  More shows = happier end of the shows.  But, I know my child and that's not the way Henry operates.  He always needs one more book read to him, one more minute at the park to play, one more pinch out of the brown sugar bag, one more block on our walk, one more, one more, one more.  You give the kid an inch, he takes 3 inches and then he needs at least 6 more inches to hold in his lap while you are left struggling with the reality of losing all your inches to a 24 pound little boy.  

So, we remain napless and showless.  

All I can say to that is.....thank goodness for country roads and money in the budget for gas.

cloth napkins.

Wipe your mouth and your small children's dirty little mouths.

Throw them in the washer to be included in the next load.

Roll 'em up and repeat the process for the next meal.

But, whatever you do, don't dare deviate from the proper napkin protocol:

Henry = brown napkin

Taylor = red napkin

Laura = floral napkin

Don't get it wrong. 

Trust me. 

You will be corrected loudly and emphatically.

And, don't dare even think to ask about which napkin Liza will use in the future......

oh, natty dreadlock...

I like to pretend Liza's dreadlock is a product of:

 a mama in love with Bob Marley and a daddy obsessed with The Grateful Dead.

But, I'm pretty sure the reality of the situation is:

  her mama forgets little girls with lots of hair need their hair brushed on a daily basis.

No matter the cause, it's time to either cut the dread or put a bead on it.

I won't lie.

Most days, I lean towards the bead.

our sleep solution.

Have you noticed I haven't mentioned Liza's lack of nighttime sleep lately?  There is a very good reason for this....basically, I've adopted the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality.  Yes.  We are officially bedsharing.  Nights were too long and I was too tired to function from rocking a fussy baby back to sleep all.night.long.  Now, Liza goes to sleep in her crib and the first time she wakes up after I am already in bed, I bring her to bed with me and we snug down for the night.  I knew the switch was official when we took off one of Henry's bedrails and put it on my side of the bed so I can sleep soundly without worrying about a certain little baby girl rolling off our ridiculously high bed in the middle of the night.

This is a big deal, people.  A big deal indeed.  When Henry was a newborn, I was sure of 3 things:  he would breastfeed, wear cloth diapers, and only sleep in his crib.  I was convinced that one night in our bed would lead to a lifetime of kicking, squirming little people ruining the little bit of sleep I was afforded.  When Henry woke up we rocked.  And rocked.  And rocked.  And then we rocked a little bit more.  Around 10 months old,  after a very carefully implemented plan of systematic less rocking for the previous month, I regimented how much and how loud he would be allowed to cry until he learned to sleep on his own.  

But, Liza is not Henry and this is not two years ago.  I have no plans of letting Liza cry and I try to block the memories of Henry crying in his crib all by his lonesome out of my mind.  I think about it this way.  If Henry starts crying now during the night, we run into his room so he can tell us what is wrong.  Why is it different when a non-speaking baby is crying?  Crying is crying.  And, unhappy children need to be tended to whether the tears are caused by an ear infection, a hungry belly, or the simple fact of needing comfort.

You know what?  I don't worry about Liza sleeping with us forever.  Why should we all suffer for lack of sleep now because of a fear I have for the future?  It simply isn't logical and if she needs me, now or in 10 years, I want to be there for her.

So now Liza sleeps in our bed.

And, I won't lie.  I like it a lot.  I like her little snuggles and the way she lets me know she is ready to nurse without making a peep.  I like the way I can rub her belly and bicycle her legs so she can pass gas and instantly fall back asleep.  I like the way I subconsciously scoot away from her in my sleep to get a little space to myself and end up snuggling with Taylor.  And, to be honest, I really really like not getting out of bed at night. 

Sleep.  

It's a nice concept.

Do you cosleep?

seriously dirty.

It's hard work relaxing after a long day at the beach.

my cloth diaper stash.

Every piece of fluff with the exception of the prefolds was bought used. 

I like that.

A lot.

Left to Right:

top row - random microfiber inserts, pockets stuffed with microfiber, fitteds, wetbags

bottom row - toddler prefolds, infant prefolds, wool, PUL covers

1 dozen toddler prefolds, 2 dozen green edge infant prefolds, extra microfiber inserts

pocket diapers- most are BumGenius velcro one-size

my new obsession, fitteds - most are WAHMies

Wool!  If I had endless paypal money, my wool collection would be much much larger.  I am anticipating lots of wool longies under Liza's dresses next winter.  

PUL covers - these have been pretty neglected since 

I've fallen in love with the green wool soaker and the dark pink wool snap cover....

---------------------------------------

Yep.  I love cloth diapers.

And since I am publicly proclaiming my love of used diapers, 

I am totally up for trading pockets for fitteds.

Seriously.  Let me know.

----------------------------------------

Do you love cloth diapers?

Is your stash perfected?

Beans. Beans.

Remind me not to tell Henry to "smile" for the camera next time.

Taylor wishes he had a mustache like this.

Seriously.

 Very large homegrown, chemical-free beans!

Everyday Pancakes

Much like my feelings about homemade dumplings, I always thought homemade pancakes were out of my league.  Why did I think that, you ask?  I have no idea.  Homemade pancakes are seriously every bit as easy of making them from a mix.  We happened to have a gallon bag of blueberries in our freezer so I added about 2 cups of blueberries to the mix at the last moment but these really are "Everyday Pancakes".  And, indeed, they are easy and quick as the name implies.

Everyday Pancakes

*adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

11/2-2 cups almond milk

2 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread

2 cups blueberries

1. Heat griddle over medium-low heat.

2. Mix dry ingredients.
3. Melt the butter in the microwave.

4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs into 11/2 cups of milk and add melted butted

5. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.  Add more milk if mix is too thick.

6. Fold in blueberries.

7. Ladle batter onto hot griddle.  Flip when bottom is brown and bubbles rise to the surface of the pancake.

go high, dada.

Asleep. At last.

My blog is feeling neglected.  My brain no longer feels busy, just tired.  Tired of waking up at 5:45.  Yes.  5:45.  Tired of Henry's new unwillingness to nap, to go to sleep at night or to stay in his bed all night long.  If I hear "I no go night night" one more time, I really might fall to pieces.  Seriously.

I'm trying my best to control my anger when he fights me every step of the way and refuses to nap but it's been hard.  And, yes Mama, I realize I fought naptime and had given up all naps by this age. Especially hard when he bites me after I pick him up to put him back in his bed.  For the millionth time.  Maybe the millionth and one time.  Taylor and I have been talking about how anger and loss of control is our downfall with Henry.  Even though he drives me mad with his insistent ways and wild emotions, perhaps today's naptime disaster was a test of my will to see if I could use compassion instead of anger as this 24 pound little boy pushed every button of mine over and over again.  I give myself a B+.  Much better than Friday's naptime F-......

Now he is asleep on the couch.  For the first time in his life.  I was feeling sorry for Liza having to witness the battle so I shut her door and put her down for her nap fully expecting Henry to barge in her room and insist on laying down in her crib.  Instead I  find 10 minutes of quiet and walk out to find Henry snuggled on the couch under the quilt Taylor napped under when Henry woke him up at 5:00 this morning.  Yes.  5:00.  He didn't exactly smile or show love when I walked out of Liza's room but heck, I hadn't been showing him much love during the previous hour's battle.  I kissed his head and pushed him a little closer to the inside of the couch so he won't fall off and um, wake up.

To move him to his room so he can nap for his full 3.5 hours and risk waking him up and having to deal with the possible torrent of emotions or leave him on the couch and let him wake up on his own when Liza's short little nap is finished?  A big question indeed.

I have exactly 20 minutes remaining before the decision must be made.  At this point, I'm just going to sit down and enjoy the quiet.  And the sweet little view of Henry.  Asleep.  At last.

Henry was so....

Henry was so sad to report "his" tree had ants.

I needed a doula.

First, I described Liza's labor in terms of the emotional signposts.  Then, I wrote a post rethinking the 3rd emotional signpost of self-doubt.  This is the promised continuation.

-----------------

So yeah, I needed a doula.  All those websites and forums were right.  A woman in labor needs physical and emotional support by other women experienced in childbirth.  Not sure why I thought I didn't need a doula but I was quite sure Taylor would suffice.  I was wrong.  Don't misunderstand me, Taylor was good.  He knew the stages of labor and I had lectured for months all about natural childbirth but he isn't a woman and he had never seen a woman experience childbirth before.  Remember that Henry's labor was spent with me knocked out asleep flat on my back while he watched the 2008 Summer Olympics......this was a different ballgame.  He was supportive and sweet but he just didn't know what to say or do .  My doula would have known what to say to reign my emotions in and get me focused on my task at hand.

What is a doula?  According to DONA International, "the word "doula" comes from ancient Greek meaning 'a woman who serves' and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth."  According to me, a doula is a woman trained and experienced with childbirth who acts as part of the laboring woman's support team during childbirth.

While my midwife was busy doing her midwife thing and being hands-off as possible per my request and Taylor was pretty sketched out with the unfolding scene of me bringing a new life into this world, my non-existent doula would have been busy:

- making sure the water was the right temperature in the birth tub

- recognizing the signs I needed help centering my emotions 

- helping me with controlled pushing in hopes of not tearing (again)

- reminding me the pain is for a purpose and a brief period during the amazing miracle of childbirth

I didn't need help physically managing my labor but had I needed a back massage to aid back labor or a cool washcloth across my forehead, my non-existent doula would have been on top of that too.

Yep.  I needed a doula.  My medical care was well taken care of by my midwife.  The supportive husband role was played out nicely by my very own supportive husband.  But, I needed a woman there whose sole job was to tend to me and make sure I was in the proper mindset for giving birth.

I needed a doula.

But do you need a doula?

Whether you are planning a natural childbirth or a medicated childbirth, a homebirth or a hospital birth, if you are fearful of labor or beyond prepared to push that baby out, a first-time mama or a mama to many, if you've had a previous traumatic birth experience or if you have love everything about giving birth.......women throughout the ages have been supported during labor by knowledgeable and caring women and you deserve that loving support too!

Get a doula.  I know I will next time.

Did you have a doula?

Did you need a doula?

mama doesn't garden.

Welcome to the May Carnival of Natural Parenting: Growing in the Outdoors
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared how they encourage their children to connect with nature and dig in the dirt. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
***

I'm not going to lie.  I don't like gardening.  Every spring I decide this will be the year I work in the garden.  I daydream about:  weeding early in the morning before the sun heats the sky, watering at dusk, picking vegetables I grew.  Then reality hits:  an overzealous toddler helper, a baby that puts everything in her mouth, Mississippi heat, tired evenings and a total dislike of dirty hands and knees.  And, truth by told, reality hit early this year as the daydreaming phase of spring was over before the garden was fully tilled and way before a single seed was sown.

But, I think having a vegetable garden is important.  I think it's important for kids to know food doesn't magically appear in the grocery store for our eating pleasure.  I think it's important for kids not to have constant instant gratification with everything in life.  I think it's important for kids to play outside and get dirty with real dirt.  I think it's important for kids to eat whole foods and ideally, whole foods that are locally grown and chemical-free.  And, I pretty much love how a backyard garden accomplishes all these things and I get to eat homegrown tomatoes in one fell swoop.

I do lots of things with my kids.  Cooking.  Cleaning.  Thrifting.  Reading.  Baking.  Playing.  Walking.  Choo-chooing.  Singing.  But, not gardening.  I think gardens are pretty fantastic but I don't like to garden.  Remember?  Good thing I have my husband.  He loves gardening.  He loves it all.  Tilling.  Planning.  Organizing seeds.  Planting.  Watering.  Weeding.  Tending.

Like everything else my husband does in life, he works in our vegetable garden with our son by his side.  And, even though I'm watching from afar in the air-conditioned house with a baby on my hip, I know my husband is instilling values of hardwork and consistent dedication in our son as they work in the garden together.

The tomato sandwiches and black-eyed peas with cornbread are just gravy in the scheme of the big picture.

***
Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• Get Out! — Momma Jorje gives reasons she doesn't think she gets outside enough and asks for your suggestions on making time for the outdoors.
• How Does Your Garden Grow? — The ArtsyMama shares her love of nature photography.
• We Go Outside — Amy at Peace 4 Parents describes her family's simple, experiential approach to encouraging appreciation of nature.
• My Not-So-Green Thumb — Wolfmother confesses to her lack of gardening skills but expresses hope in learning alongside her son at Fabulous Mama Chronicles.
• Enjoying Outdoors — Isil at Smiling like Sunshine describes how her children enjoy the nature.
• Five Ideas to Encourage the Reluctant Junior Gardener — For the rare little ones who don't like to get their hands dirty, Dionna at Code Name: Mama offers tips for encouraging an early love of dirt (despite the mess).
• Connecting to Nature — Mamapoekie shares how growing your own vegetable patch connects your child to nature and urges them to not take anything for granted.
• The Farmer's Market Classroom — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction shares how the Farmer's Market has become her son's classroom.
• Seeds — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment's hubby Ken shares his perspective on why gardening with their kiddos is so important . . . and enjoyable!
• Toddlers in the Garden — Laura at A Pug in the Kitchen shares her excitement as she continues to introduce her toddler and new baby to the joys of fresh veggies, straight from the garden.
• Nature's Weave — MJ at Wander Wonder Discover explains how nature weaves its way into our lives naturally, magnetically, experientially, and spiritually.
• Becoming Green — Kristina at Hey Red celebrates and nurtures her daughter's blossoming love of the outdoors.
• Little Gardener — Rosemary at Rosmarinus Officinalis looks forward to introducing her baby girl to gardening and exploring home grown foods for the first time.
• Cultivating Abundance — You can never be poor if you have a garden! Lucy at Dreaming Aloud reflects on what she cultivates in her garden . . . and finds it's a lot more than seeds!
• Growing in the Outdoors: Plants and People — Luschka at Diary of a First Child reflects on how she is growing while teaching her daughter to appreciate nature, the origins of food, and the many benefits of eating home-grown.
• How Not to Grow — Anna at Wild Parenting discusses why growing vegetables fills her with fear.
• Growing in the Outdoors — Lily at Witch Mom Blog talks about how connecting to the natural world is a matter of theology for her family and the ways that they do it.
• A Garden Made of Straw — Kelly at Becoming Crunchy shares tips on making a straw bale garden.
• The Tradition of Gardening — Carrie at Love Notes Mama reflects on the gifts that come with the tradition of gardening.
• Gardening Smells Like Home — Bethy at Bounce Me to the Moon hopes that her son will associate home grown food and lovely flowers with home.
• The New Normal — Patti at Jazzy Mama writes about how she hopes that growing vegetables in a big city will become totally normal for her children's generation.
• Outside, With You — Amy at Anktangle writes a letter to her son, a snapshot of a moment in the garden together.
• Farmer Boy — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares how her son Joshua helps to grow and raise their family's food.
• Growing Kids in the Garden — Lisa at Granola Catholic shares easy ways to get your kids involved in the garden.
• Growing Food Without a Garden — Don't have a garden? "You can still grow food!" says Mrs Green of Little Green Blog. Whatever the size of your plot, she shows you how.

• Growing Things — Liz at Garden Variety Mama shares her reasons for gardening with her kids, even though she has no idea what she's doing.
• Moments — UK Mummy Blogger explains how the great outdoors provides a backdrop for her family to reconnect.
• Condo Kid Turns Composter and Plastic Police — Jessica from Cloth Diapering Mama has discovered that her young son is a true earth lover despite living in a condo with no land to call their own.
• Gardening with Baby — Sheila at A Gift Universe shows us how her garden and her son are growing.
• Why to Choose Your Local Farmer's Market — Naturally Nena shares why she believes it's important to teach our children the value of local farmers.
• Unfolding into Nature — At Crunchy-Chewy Mama, Jessica Claire shares her desire to cultivate a reverence for nature through gardening, buying local food, and just looking out the window.
• Urban Gardening With Kids — Lauren at Hobo Mama shares her strategies for city gardening with little helpers — without a yard but with a whole lot of enthusiasm.
• Mama Doesn't Garden — Laura at Our Messy Messy Life is glad her husband is there to instill the joys of gardening in their children, while all she has to do is sit back and eat homegrown tomato sandwiches.
• Why We Make this Organic Garden Grow — Brenna at Almost All The Truth shares her reasons for gardening with her three small children.
• 5 Ways to Help Your Baby Develop a Love of the Natural World — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama believes it's never too early to foster a love of the natural world in your little one.
• April Showers Bring May PRODUCE — Erika at NaMammaSte discusses her plans for raising a little gardener.
• Growing Outside — Seonaid at The Practical Dilettante discovers how to get her kids outside after weeks of spring rain.
• Eating Healthier — Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey talks about how she learns to eat healthier and encourages her children to do the same.
• The Beauty of Earth and Heavens — Inspired by Charlotte Mason, Erica at ChildOrganics discovers nature in her own front yard.
• Seeing the Garden Through the Weeds — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro talks about the challenges of gardening with two small children.
• Creating a Living Playhouse: Our Bean Teepee! — Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings shares how her family creates a living playhouse "bean teepee" and includes tips of how to involve kids in gardening projects.
• Grooming a Tree-Hugger: Introducing the Outdoors — Ana at Pandamoly shares some of her planned strategies for making this spring and summer memorable and productive for her pre-toddler in the Outdoors.
• Sowing Seeds of Life and Love — Suzannah at ShoutLaughLove celebrates the simple joys of baby chicks, community gardening, and a semi-charmed country life.
• Experiencing Nature and Growing Plants Outdoors Without a Garden — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares some of her favorite ways her family discovered to fully experience nature wherever they lived.
• Garden Day — Melissa at The New Mommy Files is thankful to be part of community of families, some of whom can even garden!
• Teaching Garden Ettiquette to the Locusts — Tashmica from Mother Flippin' (guest posting at Natural Parents Network) allows her children to ravage her garden every year in the hopes of teaching them a greater lesson about how to treat the world.
• Why I Play with Worms. — Megan of Megadoula, Megamom and Megatired shares why growing a garden and raising her children go hand in hand.

You might think this is weird...

Family cloth.

And, yes, family cloth is exactly what you are thinking....

Do you think I am weird?

I certainly thought family cloth was way too 'out there' even for me for the longest time.  Then, I realized we (okay, I) go through a lot of toilet paper.  As a general rule, I like nice things and my toilet paper was no exception.  And that stuff really adds up if you stop and think about it.  Seriously.  You should stop and think about it sometime.

My switch to family cloth has absolutely nothing to do with preserving the environment, saving trees, reducing my carbon footprint or limiting exposure to chemicals.  It has everything to do with being cheap.  The green aspects are just an added bonus to saving a few bucks each week.

Like that basket?  It's pretty, right?  I bought it at our town's holiday bazaar from a woman who imports fair trade goods from Uganda.  I liked that.  I liked the way it looked.  And, I liked that it was on the clearance table for $10.

Inside the basket are the family cloth.  In reality, they are unhemmed, cut-up receiving blankets.  Trust me.  They aren't fancy.  These are the same cloths I use as wipes for Liza and at last count we had 1,928 messily cut-up fabric squares.

This is a medium sized travel wetbag intended for cloth diapers.  I bought it used from a friend and this little bag is what made family cloth a reality for my house.  Until I purchased this wetbag, I couldn't envision the logistics of family cloth.  I knew the wipes couldn't go in the trash can on the floor because Henry is notorious for digging through the trash when we aren't looking and a newly mobile Liza can't be trusted either.  As soon as I saw this wetbag's little handle, I knew it was perfect for our bathroom.  The cute owl print didn't hurt either.

I throw the wipes and the bag into the cloth diaper laundry once the basket o' wipes begin running low.  If we didn't have cloth diapers, I would wash the wipes and the bag with a load of towels.  No biggie.  Once I got my setup perfected, it has been no big deal at all.  Seriously.

Do you think this is weird?

Are you weird like me?

9 months in. 9 months out.

 Dear Liza,

You are 9 months old today.  I've been anticipating today since the day you were born; this day that marks your little life in my uterus equaling your life spent with our little family.

At 9 months old, you are a very very busy little girl.  In the past week, you have perfected crawling and crawl like a proper baby.  You still prefer to stand and crawling simply gets you to the next place to pull up to standing.  You are braver everyday and like to lift your hands up and stand unsupported until you fall on your bottom.  This cracks you up and you always stand up for more.

In the kitchen, you frantically crawl towards the opened refrigerator and would be perfectly content if I would let you stand and grab at the food in the fridge all day long.  You get very upset when I shut the door and move you to a new location so I now try to only open the fridge when you aren't paying attention.  A difficult feat.  Second to the fridge, you also love the dishwasher.  The dishwasher was also Henry's hobby for a time and therefore is not in good enough shape to have a baby holding onto the bottom shelf.  Your little life is in shambles when I move you away from the dishwasher and I am back to having a sink full of dishes because it is impossible to load or empty the washer when you are awake.

Sleep is still not your best friend.  Naptime is okay but not great.  If we are home all morning, you usually take an hour long nap around 9:30.  Your afternoon nap is usually around 12:30 and at it's best is 1.5 hours long.  Not enough sleep for a growing girl.  Your bedtime is between 6:30 and 7 and you are very easy to put to bed in your crib.  When you wake up after I've already gone to sleep, I bring you in the bed with us. You are an excellent bed partner although your gas and tummy aches often wake you up at night.  Pretty much all food except for fruit and bread gives you gas and a sore tummy at night.  You love to eat and want to eat and I hate limiting your diet but I'm not sure what else to do.  We are hoping Ms. Ellen will have some insight into your tummy troubles at next week's 9 month check-up.

You love your brother and he keeps you entertained during the day.  You think your daddy is great and funny and you always cling to him when he holds you and won't let me take you out of his arms.

If you cant tell....we love you so much.  Thank you, Liza, for being a member of our family and helping each one of us grow and become better people.  You are loved!

not a wordless wednesday *updated

I'm feeling a little sorry for myself.

Taylor is in New Orleans at a conference......without me.

Both babies were very unhappy for 3/4 of our drive back from Birmingham this morning.

Henry's nap today consists of sleeping in the stroller on the front porch.

His pitiful little nap will be cut short because I am taking both kids to the doctor this afternoon.  Boo.

I'm anxious about the remedy for Henry's infected thumb.  Pretty sure it needs draining.

The house is a mess and I swear I left it all nice and neat.  I was wrong. 

We have a ton of flies for some reason.  Gross.

And, honestly, I was going to name this post "Wordless Wednesday" and forego all this whining.

Only to find out it is Thursday.

But, these pictures make me smile and Taylor will be home tomorrow.

Two very good things.

*Update*

Our Pediatric Nurse Practicioner is uh-mazing and drained Henry's infected thumb without him shedding a tear.  Liza's ears were not infected and her chest was clear.  Kids were happy and patient even though the morning was a disaster and naptime was even more disastrous.

AKA

a successful visit to the doctor!