Scarlet loves Brighton. She has never disliked him or treated him poorly for a moment. I thought she was going to feel completely abandoned when he was born, but the only thing she does is get mad when I'm nursing and can't get her something immediately. But she's mad at me, not Brighton. She gives him regular hugs and kisses and it's so sweet. I love these pics. Doesn't it just look like they're hanging out and talking? I love it.
Scarlet's been asking me to put her hair in ponytails lately.
A month ago we took away the pacifier and she instantly stopped taking naps. It was quite sad. I kept putting her down only for her to scream for 40 minutes and then I would give up. After 3 days of this, I stopped all together. But then she would yawn all day and fall asleep in the stroller or car, but refuse to nap in her crib. Well, after 3 weeks I found her like this.
I gave her food then sat down to nurse and wondered why it was so especially quiet. I'm so glad she didn't fall over. It would have been a nasty spill. So at this point, I was like, "Ok, you need to take naps. There's no denying it." So the next day I put her down and she screamed for 90 minutes, then slept for 90 minutes. Heaven. The sleeping part. Yesterday she cried a LITTLE and was quiet for awhile, but never slept. Then today she cried 10 minutes, slept 30? Then I got her up. At least it was SOMETHING. And I gotta say, I need her naps. I need breaks. It makes me such a better Mom.
The kids seriously didn't sleep for like 3 weeks. Remember that crazy schedule? Yeah, that was at night and then Brighton stopped napping on his own in the day. He ALWAYS had to be held. So I literally NEVER was alone. Not even 2 minutes. Before I knew it I was yelling like crazy at my kids and feeling insane. So, they both cried a LOT one day as I forced them to sleep on their own, but now they nap! Well, sort of. Way better than they were those 3 weeks. And what do you know, I am soooo much happier. We all are.
Greg was gone for 2 weeks in Abu Dhabi. We were pretty excited when he came home!
We do NOT fit in this place anymore. Putting Brighton down to sleep at night is seriously dangerous. I'm always worried I'm going to fall on the way. I don't know what else to do. There's just no more room.
Greg got home on a Friday and we went hiking the next morning. It was so beautiful with all the leaves changing.
It was just so nice to get out. We hiked for 2 1/2 hours. We wanted to stay but we didn't have any food packed. I realized I have to get more creative now that we can't pack sandwiches. But Greg thought of some good possibilities. Like pasta salads. I think that will be our "picnic lunch" now.
I feel like we've finally "arrived." Like suddenly getting out of the house isn't so hard anymore. And I have so much more energy. The other times we hiked I got so tired, we hardly got anywhere, but we finally got some distance in. It was great! We just really love to hike together. With the pregnancy, then baby- it's been about a year since we've really gone. I wondered for awhile if we'd ever go again, but I think we're finally there and just had an unfortunate long break!
Scarlet had a blast throwing things in this puddle.
There are huge rocks all over this place and Scarlet wanted to climb all over them. She's so adventurous.
Brighton did his first 7 hour stretch the other night! Woohoo!!! It was just once, but hey- it's the beginning and I'm pretty psyched about it. Man, I have really noticed a significant difference in how much sleep I get to how our day goes. Those three weeks just ROBBED me of my energy and suddenly the days are just so good again and I know it's just cause we're all sleeping again! It makes me happy. Brighton's feeds are stretching out and everything just seems good. Greg was gone this week and I was so panicked, when he left, that I was just going to DIE with him gone- but it all worked out pretty well.
It's been SWEET having a car. We went to story time at the library. We went to the farm for a couple hours. We played at the park with friends for 1 1/2 hours. We went to a little Halloween Party today and one last night. We've been so out and about compared to the last 6 months! It's been great! It used to stress me out to leave the house, with Brighton, and the last week it just seems like everything's normal and easy again. I did not get to this point with Scarlet 'till she was VERY OLD. Probably close to a year. I was just a panicky Mom with her.
Scarlet still has her ups and downs. It's weird, when she's doing badly, I get used to it and don't realize she was doing so poorly- 'till she's doing well again. Like when Pat was here, all we did was watch tv. It was horrible! I felt really bad! But this week we've been so much busier and she's been a lot more playful and happy. Besides when we're out with company- we are super strict with her diet now. I've noticed if she has something "bad" it will effect her within the hour! Pretty horrible! But then once in awhile she'll have something and it doesn't seem to effect her at all. Or so it seems. I don't understand it. But it's so sad when she's in pain. I wish I could take it away.
It stinks that she's so young and only can communicate so well. I think she's finally figured out how to "work" us. Like the other night, right when I put her down she was crying "owie! owie!" And wanted medicine. This is really common. Her symptoms seem way worse at night. I don't know if it's 'cause it's the end of the day and everything just gets inflamed from moving around all day, or if she doesn't have any distractions at night and can feel it more. ANYWAY. I give her medicine and let her stay up with me, 'cause there's no point in her crying alone in her crib, that's just mean. I go back to nursing Brighton and suddenly she's all smiles and climbing all over me and playing. THAT LITTLE STINKER LIED TO ME!!!! And I'm pretty sure she's tried a couple other times since, because I have ignored her and it's been fine. I figure if she really WAS in pain, she wouldn't have given up and would just cry all the more. ANWAY.
As for me, I've been really trying to go with the flow. To not be bothered by sticky floors, stained furniture, not showering for multiple days and really trying to not care about what others think. Or really, to not be embarrassed. Because honestly, they probably don't care- I don't care about other's mess. It honestly relieves me. But I get embarrassed when my mess is in front of others, but if I don't get over it I just plain won't have any friends because this is just my life right now. I've really been realizing, lately, what an insane control freak I am and I've been really trying to calm that, as well. It only gets me stressed and life would be better for me, and those around me, if I didn't get bothered by everything under the sun.
Brighton is 3 months old, now. He is awesome. He just goes with the flow and is a really content little guy. The only time he struggles is with his day time naps. He is SO SMILEY. He loves to do Patty Cake and sing songs and talk. He is constantly sucking on his hands. ALWAYS. He is doing a lot better in the car, these days. He used to scream so much he'd stop breathing, but he's doing a lot better now. He just screams SOME of the time. Scarlet hated the car her first 18 months of life. I don't understand how everyone else's kids just sleep in the car. This is something I've never known. I know I hate being in the car myself. Who wants to be strapped down and constantly confined? Not I. Maybe it's a gene I passed down. Anyway, he's pretty awesome and I'm so glad he's in this family! We just love him! He belongs! I seriously never knew I would love my kids so much. It just keeps growing. It may be a weird phrase, but I delight so much in them. They bring me so much joy. I just love them!
Oh yeah, Brighton is losing his hair. He's getting some funky bald patches. I wonder if he'll lose it all. It's weird, there's hair all over his crib and once when I took his out of the car there was hair all over HIS FOREHEAD. And if he's in the wrap, facing forward, I'll snuggle the back of his head and suddenly I feel hair all over my face. It's kind of weird. Scarlet never lost her hair. I suppose she could've lost some, but we never noticed- because she had so much.
Brighton's been so different from Scarlet. He slept in the swing for a solid 2 months and suddenly he prefers the crib and he sleeps SOOOOO much better in there. And we almost always swaddle him, but sometimes he struggles and struggles until we unwrap him and then he's out. And he's only just NOW getting into his pacifier. We've been using it the whole time, but a LOT of the time it just really ticked him off. It seems he's been liking it more this week. He's been a little harder to figure out, but he's a happy little guy. He loves to see himself in the mirror. He LOVES it. When we're around other kids or go shopping I just face him forward and he's so quiet, wide awake. He loves it. I think he's a real social one. Scarlet was definitely a Mama's Girl, but he seems to be fine with anyone that holds him.
Scarlet still has her ups and downs. It's weird, when she's doing badly, I get used to it and don't realize she was doing so poorly- 'till she's doing well again. Like when Pat was here, all we did was watch tv. It was horrible! I felt really bad! But this week we've been so much busier and she's been a lot more playful and happy. Besides when we're out with company- we are super strict with her diet now. I've noticed if she has something "bad" it will effect her within the hour! Pretty horrible! But then once in awhile she'll have something and it doesn't seem to effect her at all. Or so it seems. I don't understand it. But it's so sad when she's in pain. I wish I could take it away.
It stinks that she's so young and only can communicate so well. I think she's finally figured out how to "work" us. Like the other night, right when I put her down she was crying "owie! owie!" And wanted medicine. This is really common. Her symptoms seem way worse at night. I don't know if it's 'cause it's the end of the day and everything just gets inflamed from moving around all day, or if she doesn't have any distractions at night and can feel it more. ANYWAY. I give her medicine and let her stay up with me, 'cause there's no point in her crying alone in her crib, that's just mean. I go back to nursing Brighton and suddenly she's all smiles and climbing all over me and playing. THAT LITTLE STINKER LIED TO ME!!!! And I'm pretty sure she's tried a couple other times since, because I have ignored her and it's been fine. I figure if she really WAS in pain, she wouldn't have given up and would just cry all the more. ANWAY.
As for me, I've been really trying to go with the flow. To not be bothered by sticky floors, stained furniture, not showering for multiple days and really trying to not care about what others think. Or really, to not be embarrassed. Because honestly, they probably don't care- I don't care about other's mess. It honestly relieves me. But I get embarrassed when my mess is in front of others, but if I don't get over it I just plain won't have any friends because this is just my life right now. I've really been realizing, lately, what an insane control freak I am and I've been really trying to calm that, as well. It only gets me stressed and life would be better for me, and those around me, if I didn't get bothered by everything under the sun.
Brighton is 3 months old, now. He is awesome. He just goes with the flow and is a really content little guy. The only time he struggles is with his day time naps. He is SO SMILEY. He loves to do Patty Cake and sing songs and talk. He is constantly sucking on his hands. ALWAYS. He is doing a lot better in the car, these days. He used to scream so much he'd stop breathing, but he's doing a lot better now. He just screams SOME of the time. Scarlet hated the car her first 18 months of life. I don't understand how everyone else's kids just sleep in the car. This is something I've never known. I know I hate being in the car myself. Who wants to be strapped down and constantly confined? Not I. Maybe it's a gene I passed down. Anyway, he's pretty awesome and I'm so glad he's in this family! We just love him! He belongs! I seriously never knew I would love my kids so much. It just keeps growing. It may be a weird phrase, but I delight so much in them. They bring me so much joy. I just love them!
Oh yeah, Brighton is losing his hair. He's getting some funky bald patches. I wonder if he'll lose it all. It's weird, there's hair all over his crib and once when I took his out of the car there was hair all over HIS FOREHEAD. And if he's in the wrap, facing forward, I'll snuggle the back of his head and suddenly I feel hair all over my face. It's kind of weird. Scarlet never lost her hair. I suppose she could've lost some, but we never noticed- because she had so much.
Brighton's been so different from Scarlet. He slept in the swing for a solid 2 months and suddenly he prefers the crib and he sleeps SOOOOO much better in there. And we almost always swaddle him, but sometimes he struggles and struggles until we unwrap him and then he's out. And he's only just NOW getting into his pacifier. We've been using it the whole time, but a LOT of the time it just really ticked him off. It seems he's been liking it more this week. He's been a little harder to figure out, but he's a happy little guy. He loves to see himself in the mirror. He LOVES it. When we're around other kids or go shopping I just face him forward and he's so quiet, wide awake. He loves it. I think he's a real social one. Scarlet was definitely a Mama's Girl, but he seems to be fine with anyone that holds him.
6 comments:
Fun to see your kids in the videos. I can see that you and Greg are really really good parents.
I love the pictures, and I think what you are doing with the kids is wonderful. They are blessed to have you and Greg for parents. It is wonderful that you get as much done as you do. Don't worry about the house, it will wait and you won't remember it like now I certainly don't think about the house, I just remember the good times I had with the kids. Love you
cute, cute ,cute pics! I love how they love each other!! I am so jealous that you both love to hike. Maybe if your dad loses weight he will want to hike again. I don't know. I finally learned it made everyone feel better when people saw that I was human. You guys were so good at church that everyone thought I was perfect. When I realized that I started not trying to have a perfect house when people would come to visit. No one feels comfortable if they are around someone who they think is perfect! I'm glad you are getting sleep. All of you kids but Danielle loved the car. I never went anywhere with her until she was older. I waited until your dad or Rebecca could babysit. I love the pony tail!! so cute. Jake lost almost all of his hair, it is so funny how they do that. I'm so glad he Brighton is laid back. It's amazing how even though little kids don't understand what lieing is, they do figure out how to get what they want!! Love and miss you!!
Pics are so cute. That walk looks so pretty. I'm glad things are getting easier for you and the kids! Love you!!!
SUCH cute pictures! Brighton is so old!!!! and big! good milk mama! 7 hour stretch! whoo hoo!!!! that's awesome! and don't you wish you could just have a crystal ball telling you "tonight's gonna be a good night- you can sleep" or "tonight's gonna suck- don't plan on it" that- never knowing feeling is so annoying! I'm so glad things are geetting easier for you. It is so hard not to care what people think. we just moved in- and nothing's decorated, and i feel like i can't invited anyone over until it's "all done". it is hard not to care. that is funny about scarlet tricking you at night. It is pretty amazing what they're capable of. Maddie will whine- like she's being tortured, and then we pick her up and she's all smiles and then mike an di look at eachother like "we are being so played!" haha. i'm so glad that your kids are starting to sleep a little better. It's so hard to hear them cry. mike keeps askin "when can we give her melatonin?" pahahah. love you.
She looks like such a big girl with the ponytail. You guys are so good about going out and enjoying the outdoors.
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