Shot Day

My little guy went to the doctor today for his two month check up which included three shots and one oral vaccine. And I actually showed up for his appointment on the right day! Oh, did I forget to tell you that story? Well, last Monday I hurried around and got Lucas to his pediatrician precisely at 10:30. Picture me pushing a stroller and armed with my purse and a diaper bag while also juggling my car keys, sunglasses, etc. I was the epitome of harried mom. BUT, I made it on time. I signed my boy in, then took my seat feeling pretty proud of my timely accomplishment. A few minutes later the receptionist called me up to the glass window and said, "Mrs. Galloway, Lucas has an appointment next Monday at 10:30, not today." I think the lack of sleep over the last two months has officially affected my brain.

Fast forward one week and once again, I arrived at the doctor's office on time. Miracle! This time, they were ready for us. First the nurse weighed him (11 lb. 9 oz) and measured him (22 inches). Then we waited for the doctor to arrive. I love our pediatrician. In fact, she was my pediatrician when I was little, so she knows us well. She looked our boy over, I asked my usual list of questions, then the dreaded moment arrived. The nurse walked in holding three needles ready to poke into my sweet boy's chubby little thighs. I held Lucas' hands down and proceded to talk to him in a hushed motherly tone when he felt the first prick. His face instantly squished up into a terrible frown and a loud wail shortly followed. Two more quick pokes and he was done. It was over in a matter of seconds, but I certainly felt bad for him. He doesn't understand the shots are necessary. He doesn't understand what polio or pertussis could do to him. Thankfully, he settled down quickly and we headed home where I snuggled up with him and took a nice long nap together. There's nothing like the steady, rhythmic breathing of a cute baby to lull you into dreamland.

PS-- Book Recommendation: Small Steps by Peg Kehret. This book is the author's own story of her battle with Polio. It is shocking, sad and yet heartwarming. And it gives you a great reminder on why we vaccinate our kids against such a horrible disease. You can find this book in the young adult section. I used to read it out loud to my class every year and they always loved it.

Autumn Walk

Yesterday was a perfect fall day. The girls and I spent the morning playing, reading books and making a collage. Then, late in the afternoon, we decided to meet up with my dad ("Papa" as he's affectionately called) at a park to play and take a walk. The weather was beautiful and the sky was bright blue as we spent nearly two hours enjoying the outdoors together. Here are some pics of our day-- and get ready for quite a few as I went a little camera crazy.

Lucas was wide awake and happy as we arrived at the park. He is always curious about his surroundings, so he enjoyed looking around.

I love to look up and see sunlight streaming through the leaves. In Oklahoma, the leaves haven't really turned any colors yet. And even when they do, it is usually a short lived event. Oh well, I'll still take a tree full of bright green leaves any day.

Not only do I love looking up at the sunlight, but I enjoy looking down at the neat shadows it creates as well.

Leah on the tire swing.

Hannah in the sun

Rolling down the hill

I wonder what she's thinking about?

Starting our walk. Leah used her stick to point out which paths we should take because she said it looked like the tip of an arrow.

Exploring a soggy riverbed

Sweet Leah in Mommy's shades

We found lots of grasshoppers. My girls are not afraid to pick things up to get a better look.

We also spotted lots of deer tracks. If we had been walking the trails at twilight, I'm sure we would have seen a few.

The girls thought this patch of goldenrod was very pretty. And I agreed.

Leah went in to check out the flowers, but quickly came out as she spotted all the bees flying around. Apparently they thought the goldenrod was quite nice as well!

As we neared the end of our walk, I looked down to see Lucas sleeping soundly. I think if I were being pushed in a comfortable stroller, listening to the words and giggles of my two big sisters and letting the sun gently warm my skin, I would fall asleep too.

In the end, we came home sweaty and tired, but full of fresh air in our lungs and a perfect autumn memory.

What are you doing to enjoy the change of seasons?

Feeling Better

My sweet Hannah is feeling better today. Thanks for all the thoughts and well wishes. It was a rough three days! Thankfully, the rest of us are all puke-free! So we're seeing smiles on all of the little faces around here. Including this precious boy:

Lucas is smiling more and more these days. He makes all kinds of wonderful giggly noises too. I cannot say enough how mellow and go-with-the-flow this little guy is. Today he went with me to drop the girls off at school, then hung out with me while we shopped at the grocery store, then he napped in his car seat while I went to help a friend set up for a garage sale this weekend, then he happily came along to pick up his big sisters from school this afternoon. I think he must get his calm, cool and collected attitude from his Daddy.

On an unrelated note, the weather here has been absolutely beautiful. Little to no wind and temperatures in the 70's. We wanted to make it to the state fair this week to walk around and enjoy the food and entertainment in this gorgeous weather. But we didn't think tons of fried food on a stick would be good for Hannah's sensitive stomach. =) Oh well, we can still enjoy being outside even if it's just in our own backyard. My Banana and Bee are outside playing right now. I can hear them squealing and giggling. Music to my ears.

Sick Girl

I've been taking care of a sick girl for the last few days. Hannah has been feeling pretty puny. She woke me up at 4:30 Monday morning by calmly telling me, "I'm going to throw up." I had just enough time to grab our "puke bucket" before she completely emptied the contents of her stomach. For the last 48 hours that poor girl hasn't been able to keep much down unfortunately. I finally took her to the doctor this morning to get a flu test, but it was negative. So we're home resting again. There's been lots of tv/movie watching, book reading, snuggling, popsicles and back scratching going on. In addition, there's been lots of Lysol spraying, toilet cleaning, and hand washing going on too. I've been sort of a maniac about hand washing so that no one else in our family ends up sick too. So far the rest of us are in the clear!

I remember the way my mom would take care of me when I was sick as a little girl. She was always so attentive. She would set me up on the couch with my pillow and favorite afghan to cover up with. She would read me stories, play a game with me and let me watch cartoons. She would let me rest my head in her lap while she gently scratched my back (my favorite thing even today). And she would always make my favorite smoothie drink. It consisted of blending up vanilla ice cream and cranberry juice, then scooping it into a tall glass and adding ginger ale to make it frothy and bubbly and pink. It always tasted so good.

So now when my own kids are sick, I try to give them the same special care that my mom gave me.

What kinds of things did your parents do for you when you were sick? Or what special things do you do for your own children when they are under the weather?

Parenthood

I am the first to admit that being a mother is hard work. I do not have it all figured out. At times I feel overwhelmed, inadequate, and frustrated. Motherhood is messy and has sometimes (okay a lot of times) brought me to tears. There are days I feel like a drill sargent barking out orders all day long. Other times I feel like I just give up and wilt on the couch in a daze.

Thank goodness, however, there are so many more moments of pure joy and contentment than craziness. Like when I overhear the girls playing and one says, "We are friends forever, right?" and the other confidently replies, "Right!" Or when I watch Leah's smile after she successfully completes a somersault in gymnastics. Or when Hannah's eyes gleam as she holds up a picture she has worked so hard to color. Or when Lucas opens up in a toothless grin. The way the sunlight shines off Hannah's hair as she skips down the driveway. The way Leah runs with full on abandon. And of course, in every sweet hug or snuggle I receive throughout the day.

So in the midst of a crazy afternoon where there seems to have been more tears and time-outs than hugs and smiles, I have to remember that this is just a moment. It doesn't define who we are. Because if I pay attention, our life is filled with so many sweet, sweet moments.

One Handed

Me and Lucas (mid-yawn)

After having my baby 7 weeks ago, I have been reminded of all the many daily activites I can do with one hand. This being that I have a cute little boy attached to my other arm. Here is a short list of things I noticed in the last few days:

With one hand, I can:

brush my teeth

make my bed (this takes awhile!)

pour a glass of orange juice (a critical skill, I might add)

load dishes into the dishwasher

pet Tundra or Ellie

color a picture in a coloring book

read a story

check my email

take clothes out of the washer and put them in the dryer (one item at a time)

wipe down the countertops

These things might be slow going, but they can be done. And now that Lucas is getting heavier, my left arm is getting quite a workout.

Tundra's New Spot

It's true that Tundra is our first "baby". We adopted her just three months after we got married back in 1999. We often refer to her as our oldest feline child. Over the years she's handled the addition of another cat sibling as well as three human siblings with an appropriate mix of curiosity and aloofness. She knows that when all the human children are asleep at night, she can come out from under the living room chair, curl up in my lap, and receive lots of pets and scratches. So I think she knows that we love her and consider her a big part of our family. But this is going a little too far.....

Lately she has taken over Lucas' papasan chair. I find her there every morning. And I just don't have the heart to shoo her out of it because she's just too darn cute in there. Pets certainly have a way of worming their way into our hearts!

Smile!

When he smiles:

my heart flutters

I grin widely

I continue to make silly faces and noises

I kiss his cheeks

And I wish I could freeze that little moment in time.

Because soon, he will grow up and be a big four and a half year old. And I will be straining my brain to remember the way he used to look up at me.

Six Weeks

September 4, 2009

This little boy of mine is six weeks old today. Although he's only been with us a short while, I cannot imagine life without him in it now. Here are just a few things I can say about this guy:

* He started smiling this week. And to my heart's great delight, he has been smiling at the sound of my voice. It melts me completely. I will work for twenty minutes straight making funny faces and noises to get one little grin out of him. And it is so worth it!

* When he smiles, he crinkles his eyes, makes a little cooing noise, and displays a cute little dimple on his left cheek.

* His appetite has increased. I am having to supplement with a few formula bottles to keep up. At first I freaked out about it, but I am realizing that he is just fine. Because of this appetite increase, he is definitely gaining weight. I'd guess he's close to ten pounds now. His cheeks are getting chubby, he has a slight double chin, and his thighs are looking quite meaty. I love chunky babies!

* He is a great sleeper. After his nighttime feedings, we just put him in his bassinet and he drifts off to sleep peacefully. I am so grateful for this.

* He is having many more stretches of alertness during the day. He likes to be sitting up to watch the world go by around him. Sometimes he furrows his brows like he is in deep thought. I think he likes all of the activity going on around him.

* This boy is a squeaker. With every stretch or move, he makes these cute little squeaky sounds. The girls say we need to get an oil can for him like the Tin Man.

* No matter how tired or frustrated I may be about something, the moment I look at him or hold him, I feel better.

* He was worth every uncomfortable pregnant moment and every painful muscle after my c-section. He was worth it a thousand times over.