I feel like I don't even remember this past month. We've been crazy busy, and the sleep situation has hardly gotten better, so I feel like a zombie much of the time.
Pizza and Park Date with Friends (August 20) (recap here)
Distributed IS Meetings for Mama (August 23-24) (recap here)
Kendrick's Bob the Builder Birthday Party (August 27) (recap here)
Kendrick's 3rd Birthday (August 30)
Lots of scooting around
CRAWLING!
SITTING UNASSISTED!!
So much jabbering
Laughing at silly things
Lots of visits to various parks
Reinbows Rodeo and Jackson Kite Festival (September 10)
How Baby is Doing
This month has been yet another big one for Mr. Ryan. He is scooting all over the place these days, and don't you dare set him out of the action or you'll hear some major squawking :)
While sleep is better than month 4, it's still nowhere near as great as it was in months 2 and 3. I'm rejoicing when I get a 3-4 hour chunk at the beginning of the night these days, which isn't all that often. Ryan is still up to eat at least once, but is still waking 2-3 times a night to at least grunt and fuss for Mama until I go get him and bring him to bed with us.
Rolling is old hat this month, although he still does it all the time. While he spent the first chunk of the month spinning around in circles to get where he wants to go, he has just recently started CRAWLING, so we are needing to get that baby gate up soon at the top of the stairs to avoid a baby rolling down the stairs like big brother Kendrick did. I'm hoping the older boys can figure out the baby gates quickly, or we may be in for a lot more frustrating times ahead.
He's still eating great, although he seems a little fussier lately when nursing at times, and sometimes he has been biting a little, which hurts! Depending on the day, he's taking between 28-32 ounces of milk a day, nursing or taking a bottle about 8 times a day still. We tried baby food a few times over the past couple weeks, but he hasn't really been very perceptive, so we'll wait a while and try again. His first food was squash, and he actually started crying after the second spoonful (he spit the first one out), soooo...we're thinking he's just not ready.
He is finally slowing down a tinge with his growing (as in, he's not shot up a whole other size, anyway) and is 20lbs 2oz and 26.5 inches long, sticking with, and just growing into more 12 month clothes. The pants seem a little big, oddly enough, but the shirts fit perfect, if not a little snug. We will probably be moving on up to 18 month jammies before long, though. We're still solidly into size 3 diapers, although I'm sure that will change by the next update.
Ryan LOVES to do his piggies. Oh my goodness :) As soon as I pull his socks off and say "This little piggy", he gets the most enormous smile on his face and giggles.
How Mama is Doing
My response to this question depends on whether or not I've gotten sleep, which lately, hasn't been a ton. I was uploading some videos and came across this one, which pretty much sums up the rough days:
It's rough being a mama on the days when the older boys aren't being very obedient, and I feel like a broken record much of the day. I know for the most part, Mama's aren't supposed to pick favorites, but I think any mama would admit that her favorite is almost always the baby haha They don't talk back, don't run off, don't sass, don't have disciplinary issues, and pretty much smile at you all day and snuggle. And that smile? ::swoon::
I love being a Mom, but this month has been the first one where I think I've had more times where I feel completely wrong for the job than ones where I feel right for the job. It's something we talk about all the time: Obedience, obeying boundaries, listening, and being kind. However, the vast majority of the time, you would think it wasn't a topic of discussion whatsoever in our home. Some nights (i.e. tonight) it really isn't so bad. They might not listen, but my nerves aren't frayed, so it doesn't seem as bad. But on the days where I didn't get much sleep, work has been busy, and then I get home to two little boys who are in the process of weaning from naps: Those days I'm ready to punch the Mommy timeclock and take my break.
Working out is laughable, but I've been trying to get better at actually going for those walks when the boys want to go, and chasing the kids around the playground when I can. However, my feet have been horrendous since that week before I had Ryan, when I twisted my ankle. Some days aren't so bad, but when I take longer walks (especially when I'm wearing Ryan for them), there are days when I'm not sure I'll be able to walk the next day. And I go through streaks where my lower back is so sore it just feels unbearable. It really is a day-by-day thing, and it's a catch 22: I need to lose weight so my body can have a rest from the extra weight, but I can't exercise, so it's a diet thing, and with toddlers underfoot, exasperated eating is a major thing.
It feels like a circus around here a lot, but those quiet moments just before they drift off to sleep, or first thing on a Saturday or Sunday morning, when we've all slept in a bit more and can snuggle...those moments make me smile. Or on the days where I turn around and finally realize that in spite of the fact that they struggle with listening to US, they really are sweet little boys when they chose to be, and they're probably going to turn out alright in the end...those moments make my heart soar.
It's tough to feel day in and day out like you have an extremely thankless job, but I suppose that's what parenting is. And although Mark and I are far from the opinion that our kids can do no wrong (FAAARRRRRRR from that opinion), I think one of the hardest things about parenting is that you feel like you give your 100000% to the job, and then you realize that it probably didn't really matter if you would have given 5% or 100000% at this point in time, and it just feels like a waste of time and energy. I mean, I know that's not the truth, but so many days it feels like it. I can only hope that they aren't totally nutso for everyone they encounter, and that eventually they will come around.
It has really been a joy to go back to having a tiny little guy again, knowing full well that it's going to get crazier down the road, so I have found myself most definitely focusing on enjoying little Ryan and all his sweet chubby snuggles and giggles and squawks and sloppy nose kisses this time around significantly more than any other baby. Not being near him physically pains me - especially at night. There are nights where I try drifting off to sleep, but can't until I've gone to snatch him out of his crib for snuggles. It's a crazy connection us Mamas have with our babies! I've been away from him two nights so far, and both times, I've randomly woken up at the exact same time (and for the same duration) as he was up. (It happened with Kendrick too when he was a baby). It's an incredible connection.
How Daddy is Doing
Daddy is doing pretty good this month, although he's most likely extremely tired of me being so out of sorts a lot of the time. Of course, he never complains, and is really good at reminding me to get my rest (thank you, honey!) This is pretty much the norm around here:
He has been very busy at work these days, so I don't see or talk to him as much as usual, although we still get to have our lunches together.
It makes my heart so happy to see him and Ryan interacting more. He loves to do "flying baby" with him, and Ryan just giggles and grins and squawks at Daddy.
Mark's team won the church softball championship in August down in Worthington, bringing his softball season to an end. He has a few months between softball and basketball that will be filled with harvest, although before that gets underway, he's excited to be heading to the tractor pull at the Spencer Fair this week. It's looking like harvest will be a week or two out still, but it'll be here before we know it!
He has been enjoying lots of walks with the boys to go see the horses down at Reinbows again, and chasing after the boys while they ride bikes around the neighborhood.
He really does adore these little boys, and the Lord knows he has significantly more patience than I do with them most of the time. We're both so thankful that God watches over these little boys and loves them as much as he does!
How Big Brothers are Doing
Big brothers have had a big, emotional month, it seems. We've had a lot of tantrums, whining (oh my goodness, the whining!), frustrations, fighting, and I suppose the typical sibling rivalry stuff. Of course, they're both still super sweet with Ryan, much as all of us are, even after screaming our heads off at each other to "do what I say. NOW!!!" what feels like a hundred times a day.
No one feels like listening anymore, which makes parenting a tough thing. I've always said that if I didn't have to deal with the discipline part of parenting, we'd all be much happier, and I'd have a dozen kids. They both have pretty much this degree of energy 85% of the time.
Kendrick is pretty much done with naps at this point, as is Cashel. However both of them probably could still use at least a 20 minute refresher each day, so that makes for really frustrating evenings sometimes.
Ryan brings a smile to everyone's faces, though :)
We're all stunned that Cashel hasn't dropped Ryan yet, as he has a tendency to pick him up ALL.THE.TIME. We have to be holding Ryan or else Cashel is over trying to pick him up right away. It's really adorable to watch, and Cashel is truly sweet with him. He just hasn't yet grasped the concept that dropping him is a possibility, and a bad one.
These are the years we just keep pushing forward through, I think. It really does help to know that these three are going to be TIGHT as the years progress. I'm SO very much looking forward to watching their relationships grow :) But I'm also fearful for our sore bodies for the next 18 years haha :)
