"No interupting" clips

Wednesday, Isaac went to get a "no interrupting" clip (I made these clips that hang on a folder with busy work and each has the favorite color ribbon attached for each child) to put on me while I was working with one of the girls to tell me in a polite way that he wanted/needed my attention. He waited patiently while I got to a stopping point. I asked him what he needed. He said with his big smiley cheeks, "I love you." That was it, and he ran to put the clip back in its place. He really loves his mommy, and he also really loves using the "no interrupting" clips. :) A little bit later, he kept bothering Genna while she was supposed to be doing her independent work. I told him to "stop interrupting her work" and he replied, "Oh, can I put a clip on Genna?" No. Those are just for mommy. :)

Another Impromtu Performance

Genna gave us an impromptu song after lunch was over the other day. It was pretty funny and a wonderful change to her tearful day the day before this occurred.

Isaac! My kids can barely stand to be out of the spotlight, can you tell? Where did they come from?

2nd Annual German Christmas Party

I guess I had too much fun at this party to take my own pictures. These are from our friends who host this party. A group of us who all lived in Germany and are now living in the same area again like to sit around and reminisce about Christmas in Deutchland. In fact, these friends are so in love with Germany that they built a German market stall like you see at the Christmas markets. Brian was majorly jealous of his buddy's wood crafting ability and free time. (His buddy already finished his residency and passed boards.)

16 weeks: sleep training in the middle of the night

Drew is 16 weeks now, but he's not 4 months officially until late next week. He doesn't have his 4 month check up until even later in the month, but I think he is over 18 lbs at the moment. In case you can't tell, he loves to suck on those fingers and hands!

Thursday night was the first day of nighttime boot camp for little Drew. I was hopeful since he has never been one to cry for long stretches at other times of the day, maybe a handful of times in his life. However, he is still pooping in the middle of the night regularly. My plan was to send in daddy for the middle of the night diaper change and swaddle if he woke.

Night One:
He woke at 10:00pm sharp for dreamfeed. I nursed him like I normally would.
He woke at 1:45am (not normal, never wakes this early.) Dad changes his diaper (poop,) swaddles him, and puts him back down. He cried on and off for just over an hour. He was back asleep before 3am.
He woke at 4:30am. We did not go in at all. He cried for about 30 minutes straight, took a 7 minute break and was back asleep by 5:20am.
He woke at 6am and I got him up and nursed him to start the day.
During the day on Friday, he was very tired and had trouble staying awake his normal time.

Night Two:
He woke at 1:15am and cried just long enough for me to wake up and hear him. He stopped and went back to sleep.
He woke at 3:34am. Dad changes his diaper (no poop,) swaddles him, and puts him back down. He cried for only 5 minutes and then was quiet for 10 and cried a couple more and went back to sleep.
I woke him at 7am to nurse and start the day.
During the day he stayed on his regular schedule nursing at 10, 1, 4, 6:30, and 10. (One minor change that wasn't his fault was a bottle of breast milk at 4 (by dad) of which he only took 1.5 oz and I nursed him at 5 when I got home since the second bottle attempt didn't go so well.

Night Three:
He woke at 3:34am again. Dad changes his diaper (poop,) swaddles him, and puts him back down. He cried for only a couple minutes and then went back to sleep.
He woke at 6:30am to nurse and start the day.
Mass cut his first nap short, but had a good second nap, a mediocre third nap, and a regular evening nap.

Night Four:
He slept through the night until just minutes before 6am which is good enough for me. And if the wind storm at 4am hadn't woken me up (and kept me up) when something hit the window, I might be a well rested mommy right now.
He did the same napping as the day before where he took three short naps and one long one (2nd nap.) He was very uncharacteristically cranky all day.

I am sure the middle of the night waking (and pooping) is far from over, but at least we are making progress and have a strategy that is working. I especially like that the strategy involves someone else getting up in the middle of the night besides me. :) Not sure that Brian feels the same way though.

The Holy Family

I asked Genna who was in the Holy Family. Genna replied, "Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and God. God was his real father and Joseph was his pretend father." I tried to explain that Joseph wasn't a "pretend" father because he raised Jesus and did all the regular daddy things that her dad does with her, like play games and stuff. Her reply was cute, "Yeah, God was too busy watching over the land."

The kids did a spontaneous Christmas play the other day. I heard them while I was in the kitchen and had to get some pictures and a mini video.

Sorry for all the interruptions in the following video, but that's just kind of how it is around here these days.

Brian caught this picture while I was out.

The Sweetest Moment

Isaac and I have had a conversation in the past about how when he gets big he can be a dad, but he has to find a wife because I can't be his wife since I already have a husband. Before bed one night this week we were discussing him being more respectful of his brother when I am putting him to bed and not interrupt. I told him he is getting big now and has to be a good big brother to Drew. I, after being questioned, explained that he will always be older than Drew even when he is an adult. He then says questioningly, "I can be a dad and get another mom to marry?" I said you can find a wife to marry and be the mom of your kids. Yes." Suddenly his bottom lip curls out and he bursts into tears saying, "You can't be my wife?" I hugged him and calmed him down, and then tried to clarify that I will always be his mommy, I just can't be his wife. But I will be his mommy and love him forever and ever until the day I die. Well, that was the wrong thing to say, and I knew it even as the words slipped out of my mouth. There went the lip again. "You're going to die?" he asks in a teary voice. I quickly assured him I wouldn't die anytime soon (God willing.) I reassured him he would always be my son and I would always be his mom. What a wonderful moment for me to hold in my heart as he grows up and leaves me. Raising sons is so much different than raising daughters. I am so blessed to have two of each!

Playing and Organizing

This week the kids played with their new toys while I made room for the said toys by reorganizing everyone's room. I, like Hannah, LOVE to organize. On Wednesday, Hannah went to a friend's house while Genna and I spent some time together during the boys' naps. We organized her part of the room and filled out her, "Big Sister" book she got for Christmas. She had been asking for us to do that together since she got it. Genna is so easy to please. The whole time we were cleaning, she kept saying, "This is so fun, Mom!" I am so flattered that she can be so happy just to be with me alone no matter what we are doing.

Hannah was Genna's servant and dressed her up, even did her hair.

Hannah is enjoying her reading and wiggling the tooth that came out later that evening (with Daddy's help.)

Genna is showing off her Easy Feet. They saw this infomercial while I was watching the news one morning and kept talking about how much they wanted it. Genna said she didn't want to do that one legged dance in the shower, a direct quote from the commercial. I found it on sale and was slightly intrigued with it myself.

Doesn't my baby look like a real boy? Stop that growing, Buddy!

We have had Daddy home most of the week from work so we were blessed with his fire place skills on the first really cold day in a while.

Of course, Drew and Daddy did some football watching in front of that fire.

The Legos have been a huge hit with the three big kids. They have been playing all together with them very nicely.