Three Year Olds and Belts

I've created a monster. All in the name of fashion. Hayden and I went to the mall on Labor Day and got some new fall clothes. We HAD to because she's grown out of ALL her old clothes. Okay, we had to because I was itching to buy her some new stuff. First mistake was when I asked her about this purple and yellow plaid farmer looking shirt. I said, "Your dad won't like this shirt, but I think it's cute. What do you think?" "Uuuuuug-uh-ly!" she replied. We didn't buy the shirt. Second mistake was letting her pick out the belt she wanted. She was obsessed with getting a belt. Three year olds need help unbuckling belts. When they have to go to the bathroom. Bad idea. Third mistake was picking out one of the outfits to wear on Tuesday. Any of you remember Monday night? A cold front blew through and it was pretty cool out. Cool enough for a long sleeve shirt. She picked out a long sleeve shirt and skort to wear, the bow and shoes to match, and laid them out perfectly on her bed. Adorable. Before I went to bed, I checked the weather. 91 degrees forecasted for Tuesday. Long sleeve shirt out, shorts and tank top in. Hayden woke up the next morning and I told her we had to change the outfit. She ran downstairs and came back up with leggings and a long sleeve shirt on-----with the belt. That wasn't going to work either. To appease her, I went back downstairs with her and found a pair of shorts that had loops that she could wear with the purple belt. The shorts were pink and white checked, but the child only wears dresses so there wasn't much to choose from...I thought I was doing great! I start putting the belt in the loops and guess what? She doesn't want help. Of course she doesn't! She's three going on thirteen. She's obsessed with doing it herself. She starts huffing and puffing (do your three year olds do this?) and crossing her arms at me. Crossing arms is considered bratty at my house which means time out and spanking. All by 7am. And all in the name of fashion...

Fun Kim

My diet on Sunday: Squash, turkeys, pears, rice, chicken, and carrots.

My diet today: Anything I want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I stopped nursing Tommy yesterday. My boobs are as big as boulders and as hard as them too. If you've read earlier posts, you know how hard breastfeeding has been for me. REALLY HARD. Obsessive, in fact. To be honest, I don't really know what to think about now. The last 5 and a half months I have been completely consumed with making sure what I put into my mouth would be okay with Tommy. I have been obsessed with pumping to make sure I don't lose my supply. Honestly, I feel like a new woman today. Is that so bad? Do I feel guilty? Completely. Do I feel like I can be a better member of my family? Absolutely. I have been so consumed with Tommy and my diet lately that I have become another person. Jason told me he wanted the "fun Kim" back the other night. I tried, but I just can't be "fun Kim" without a Starbucks and the option of an adult beverage. I can't be the "fun Kim" without corn dip and Dr. Pepper. I can't be the "fun Kim" without buttered popcorn at the movies. I also can't be "fun Kim" when I have to get up every 3 hours at night to nurse. Isn't an almost 6 month old supposed to sleep longer than that at a time? Heavy heavy weights have been lifted off my shoulders. Fun Kim is back---See you at Starbucks!

Big Girl

I've noticed a few things about Hayden lately that make me sad....she's growing up.

1. She's started picking out her own clothes. And she checks to see if I like it first before she decides if it's the "one" or not. If she sees any sort of hesitation from me, that is the outfit she chooses. We're going to get along great when she's 13.

2. She picks out her hair bows too. She says, "Mommy! This one matches!"

3. She's too big for toddler Eye Spy books. We've moved on to the "real" Eye Spies. Man, those are hard!!

4. She's wearing flip flops. We went to Old Navy this weekend and she picked out two pairs of flip flops and she wears them EVERYWHERE. She doesn't even trip. So cute to see her flipping around.

5. She can have a conversation on the phone. We called both grandparents the other night and she talked about her day with them.

6. She got one of my jokes. After I said it, she looked at me and said, "Mommy, you're just teasing!" and then she giggled.

7. She has conversations with her friends. I was telling her 5-year old daycare friends that I loved their shoes---they were wearing flip flops. Hayden says to Ellie and Morgan, "I got some flip flops this weekend." And then she adds on, "I got them at the mall." It was so informative.

8. She practices what I teach her. She's been tattling on her friends and we talked about how people can use words to solve problems themselves. We practiced, "Please stop, I don't like that." The next day she told her friend Gage, "Please stop that Gage. I don't like it."

9. Barbies. She's starting to play with Barbies.

10. She's already talking about her birthday. She knows it's June 24th and that she will be 3. She's already asked me what she'll be after that---4, and after that---5, and after that----6.

11. "Mommy, how old is Granny Nanny going to be on her birthday?" ----60----
"Mommy, that's A LOT!"

Fun TImes

Last night we ventured out to the Husker baseball game. Tommy has gotten on a pretty predictable feeding schedule (finally) so we are actually able to go places without worrying that I will have to find a secluded place to nurse. I HATE nursing in the bathroom stall. Does anyone else find that totally disgusting?? I get the willies just thinking about it. Hopefully that time in my life is over. (No, we are not having any more kids.) And I won't wear a Hooter Hider. Although they are a great idea, I still feel like everyone can hear Tommy eating and that grosses me out. Just because I'm covered doesn't mean that people don't have a clear picture in their head, right?

The great thing about the games was that both Jason and I had our own little people to take care of. I had Tommy in the Baby Bjorn and Jason was busy explaining to Hayden about batting, pop flies, and how to spit sunflower seeds out of the corner of her mouth. I am so glad that we had Hayden before Tommy. I think she would have missed out on those daddy/daughter times if Tommy had been our firstborn. She would have missed learning about pop flies in baseball. And free throws and how to take a charge in basketball. There's something to be said for having the older brother taking care of the younger sister, but I also think it's great that Hayden's daddy can explain all of that "stuff" to her.

Tommy and I were inside due to the insanely high wind speed and I was watching Hayden and Jason as they watched the game. All of a sudden, I noticed that Hayden was leaning over the side of the bleachers. YIKES!! I wanted to scream, "Get back!, Watch out!, and Be Careful!" all at the same time. Then I realized how great it was that Jason was with her at that time. He was giving her a little room, letting her take some chances, and trusting her to not lean over too far. Had it been me, she would have been snuggling on my lap because of the cold. From a distance, it was easy to see how important the relationship is between a father and daughter. I was thinking to myself how different her experience would be if she had me showing her my view of everything. Jason was showing her "fun times" and I would have been explaining something to her, teaching her a lesson, or assessing what she already knew.

I started this post really thinking I was just going to write about the fun times we had last night and instead I get into how important dads are to their daughters. Does there have to be a lesson in every moment? Apparently....unless you're a dad.

The Balance

I don't know about any of you, but I am STRUGGLING to balance two kiddos. A newborn and almost three year old do not go well together. Especially when the almost three year old thinks her mommy is her "best friend." Hayden definitely knows how to work it too. She'll be watching a TV show, and I will sneak upstairs to nurse Tommy. As I'm sneaking upstairs I'm thinking I'll get a "5 minutes peace" from all her questions. I love that she is so inquisitive, but do any of you find it extremely difficult to constantly put the answers to questions in kid-friendly language? It's exhausting!! The other night she asked me what "die" was....how do you explain that?? So I get upstairs and it's not 2 minutes and she is upstairs next to the rocker asking me to play dollhouse, paint her nails, take her to the park, hold her hand, read her a book....the list is endless. She knows good and well that I am busy, but she must sense that I HATE to tell her I am picking Tommy over her. Why do I feel guilty? It's not like I'm facebooking, blogging, or drinking a six pack. And it's not like she asked me to do ANY of those things BEFORE I started to nurse. She timed it well, and waited until I was busy to ask. Little stinker. I know the balance will come, but for now, I struggle.

Update

As Jason says, the hits just keep on coming. After that post about sleep, we had a great night. Hayden woke up at 12:30 puking her guts out. She continued to puke until about 3 with her daddy holding her hair---so cute he actually put a barrette in her hair to hold it back. And Tommy was up every hour from about 12 until 3. I don't want to say it can't get any worse...but really, can it?

Obsessive Mommy Needs Sleep

Things I have done because of my lack of sleep:

1. Gone to bed at 7:30, to awaken AGAIN at my normal bedtime (10:00) for Tommy to feed AGAIN.

2. Yelled at Jason.

3. Forgone (every night) some sort of workout---usually Yoga----because I am too tired to keep my eyes open. How could I put my body in the downward dog?

4. Cussed at Jason----and he didn't deserve it this time.

5. Kicked a door.

6. Screamed at Jason.

7. Awakened 3 hours after nursing thinking I had nursed Tommy only 5 minutes before. I was in my bed, but thought I was still in the rocker.

8. Gave that really big----aren't YOU! going to do something---sigh to Jason.

9. I forgot ALL my breastpump materials at home. I had to call Jason to rescue me and have the teachers watch my kiddos so I could go pump. No one wants an explosion in a school.

10. Put the rice milk in the pantry. Isn't this supposed to happen while you're pregnant? Nope. Post-pregnancy I am still doing stuff like that.

11. Let Hayden watch TV because I was too tired to play.

12. Stay at work longer so I didn't have to go get the kids. I get the super mom award for that one.

13. Pounded my head into the bed. Good thing for a soft mattress.

14. Not washed my hair for work so I can put it in a pony. Three days in a row.

15. I forgot to fill out my NCAA bracket before the tourney started.

16. Told myself, Kim, it won't be like this for long. Someday you'll want the kids to wake up to cuddle and they won't be willing. Enjoy it while you can.

Seriously, Doctor???

Three weeks ago today I went to the doctor (again) about Tommy's reflux. He had a week where his meds were working AWESOME!!!! He slept 7 hours one night, but that only lasted for a week and he was back to waking up every 2-3 hours. Sooooo painful to get up that often. I love my child, but seriously, SLEEP, why don't you?

Well, we saw this nurse practitioner at the office we frequent. I should have known it was going to be a bad deal. First of all, she walked in, and she was way hot. You know those girls....hot and smart enough to be a nurse practioner. She thought she had it going on. Well, let me tell you, she didn't. It was apparent that she had not peeked at his chart before she came into the room. If she had, she would know that he has been on THREE reflux medications, Zantac (no change), Prevacid (made him projectile vomit), and Axid (which worked for a week.) She informed me that he still had bloody stools (I know gross, but I need that info for later) and wondered what I was eating. I mentioned that I was off the top 8 allergens and my diet consists---LITERALLY---of 12 things. She asked how long I had been off corn and wheat---two weeks, I replied. And then she said that I might notice a change in Tommy at his four month check (two days from now.) Then she proceeded to give me her story....I think you should try Prevacid---hey hot doc, I already did that one. Well, it took about 3 weeks to work for my son. So, you think I should try it again...after the first time he vomited---projectile--after every feeding. Yes, it might get worse before it gets better. How can it get worse??? My child screams after every feeding and by the time I calm him down it's about an hour until the next one. Help me, pretty lady.

Here is the clincher, she says to me, my son was MSPI too and he grew out of it at 6 months. I'm sure Tommy will grow out of it soon. Listen here, mama, Tommy is not MSPI. MSPI babies can eat corn, and wheat, and their mama's can have hot chocolate and rice krispies. I am surviving on lettuce, pears, and rice. This is NOT the same. AND my baby is still not happy. Where is my happy baby???? After she tells me he will grow out of it I tell her that Hayden had it too and she didn't grow out of it until she was two. Oh, she says. Smartest thing the well-educated hot chick has said all day, but still not an answer to my reflux issue.

She then proceeds to prescribe Prevacid (the vomit one) and I say, (and I do say this.) I don't mean to be that obsessive mom that is smarter than the doctors, but I have been reading about this drug, Zegerid online, and I am wondering if we could try it. That is only for special circumstances, she says. I want to scream at her---we are a special circumstance. As I am leaving, I realize that she probably has no idea what this drug is used for and just said the special circumstances thing to make herself look good...not that she needed to...

Added note: I went back a week later and saw the PA who DID prescribe Tommy the Zegerid. She was not hot, and of course admitted that she had never heard of the drug. Tommy has turned into an angel who sleeps, giggles, and loves to lie on his back. Obsessive mommy wins again!!

The Birds

So we are driving home from church today and Jason rolls down his window and chucks his gum out. Hayden says, "Daddy, what was that?" Jason says, "What," pretending he doesn't hear her. Hayden says, "Daddy, what did you throw out the window?" Jason looks at me with this guilty look on his face and says, "A piece of lint."

Seriously, Jason, a piece of lint? Is that the best you can do? I am a firm believer that you don't lie (much) to your children so I proceeded to call Jason on it. "Hayden, Daddy is lying to you. He did not throw lint out the window." Hayden, of course the constant questioner, does not let it go. I'm glad because I like to see him squirm.

"Daddy, what did you throw out the window?" Jason replies, "I threw my gum out the window." Hayden gets this incredulous look on her face and says, "Daddy we do not throw gum out the window."

Little does Jason know, but last week Hayden and I had this conversation about things you can throw out the window. I had thrown an apple out the window and she wanted to throw her gum out too. I explained to her that an apple is okay because birds can eat apples, but they might choke on gum.

At this point Jason and I are laughing so hard that tears are falling from our eyes. Jason has just been called out for littering by his two year old. Hayden then says, "Daddy, we don't throw gum out the window because birds can choke on gum and they might die."

Making her point again a few seconds later.......... "Birds can die from gum, Daddy."

Breastfeeding

To those of you who "absolutely loved" breastfeeding, this post is not for you. You either need to start being honest with yourself about it or have another kiddo. Liar, liar pants on fire. Stop reading now if you are one of those peeps.


So, I will admit, when Hayden was first born I was all gung ho about breastfeeding. Of course, I'll do it. Why not? It will save money and, as my mom always told me, "Kim, you can do anything you set your mind to." Those of you who know my mom can totally hear her saying that, can't you? Little did I know. With Hayden, I quit after 6 weeks. She was a bad latcher....I had to use this thing called a nipple shield (which Jason nicknamed the "zipple") and she screamed all the time. I was thankful when the family practitioner (sp?) we saw at the time told me I could quit. She couldn't say it fast enough. I think I stopped cold turkey. I wouldn't recommend cold turkey...not even to my worst enemy.

Once Hayden was diagnosed with MSPI, we knew the possiblity was high that #2 would have the same issues. I figured I'd try to nurse again. After all, it was probably Hayden that was the problem, not me, right? WRONG! I SUCK at breastfeeding. And people, you know me, I have never sucked at anything in my life. I am a control fuh-reak! If I can't do it, I will find a way to do it. I read the internet, I buy a book, I call the experts, I phone a friend. I do not fail. I SUCK at breastfeeding.

First of all, Tommy is a great latcher. No zipple this time around. However, I have this thing called overactive letdown. About 10 seconds after Tommy starts latching, my milk lets down. It comes down in such a forceful geyser that I have to pull him away for about 10 seconds while it slows down. If I don't pull him away, he literally gags on my milk. Great fun. It's fine now...Tommy even smiles at me during those 10 seconds. Not so fun at 3 weeks of age when he really wanted the boob and I pulled away. I also had an overabundant----EXPLOSIVE---amount of milk until about 2 weeks ago. Tommy would, literally, put his mouth close to my nipple and the milk would start to flow. It was like a beer bong in college. He would open up and in it would go. It would also go down my shirt, all over his face, and more gagging took place because of all that milk flow. This I had no control over. I tried everything. I read the internet. I went to a lactation consultant. 3 times. I let two different people "observe" me nursing to see if I could change anything. No dice.

Another problem I have is my inability to know if Tommy has eaten enough or not. He has acid reflux so he would love to nurse ALL DAY LONG. He would take small breaks to spit up and have his diaper changed, but otherwise he would be content to nurse. Another thing about acid reflux...when Tommy's medicine starts to wear off he starts to do this thing when he nurses that I have coined the "bob and weave." He will be latched on but his head will be bobbing, his legs will be kicking, and his arms will be flailing. It's like he can't quite decide if it feels good on his esophogus to keep nursing, but he's going to hang on just in case. Ahhhhh...so frustrating.

So for those of you who developed this special bond with your baby while nursing, who would do it for years if society let you, and can't wait to do it again I have one thing to say to you. I SUCK at breastfeeding. But I'm going to keep doing it because it's what's best for my Tommy.

My marriage is doomed...

According to the latest edition of US Weekly, Jason and I are destined for divorce. The article about Brad and Angelina (Brad's Misery) really could have been written about our marriage. When I read it, I wondered if an US staffer had been peeking in our window. I'm serious. And for all you other wives/moms out there, maybe you noticed the similarities too.

1. "They've been fighting more and more over the past year." Pregnancy and postpartum...sounds right.

2. "We're constantly in competition with each other." Guess Jason and I should stop seeing who can get the high score on the Wii Yoga.

3. "He is laid back and she is Type A and totally runs the household." Duh. What woman doesn't run the household?

4. "And she's demanding, down to the last detail." I have to be demanding. Men NEED direction.

5. "They never agree on politics." He's an independent and I'm a democrat. Uh-oh.

6. "He took to calling her a bitch behind her back." I soooooooo deserved that one. I've called myself that FOR him before.

7. "Parenting differences causing the biggest rifts." Seriously, who doesn't fight about how to parent? I'm so glad he's an involved enough dad to have his own opinion about it!!

8. "She feels he favors the boys." Honestly, what dad isn't going to spend some quality time with his little man? I love how Jason watches basketball with Tommy---and he's only 3 months!

9. "She's exhausted and has been overwhelmed lately with the kids." Yes.

10. "She still feels likes she's shouldering the parental burden." Somebody has to.

Come on US Weekly, give me some real dirt. That's why I buy you...I don't want to read about myself. I get enough of my own world every day. At least if you're going to do a story on me, give me some credit.....Jason's Misery.

Daycare

I love where Hayden and Tommy go for daycare. Danielle is her name and she has the patience of a saint. She has two daughters, Morgan (5), and Ava (1). She also takes care of Gage (4), Ellie (5), Isaac (3), and Quinn (1). Ellie and Isaac are the kiddos of my longtime pal, Rachel, who I roomed with in college. I love that our kiddos get to play together every day. Hayden and Isaac are only 5 months apart in age and they fight like brother and sister. Hayden tells Isaac, "I'm not going to be your best friend anymore," when she's mad. I secretly think it's a hilarious thing to say, but tell her it's not very nice. Hayden prays for Isaac, her best friend, every night. How sweet.

Being a teacher, one starts to hate certain things. One thing I hate is when parents send their sick child to school. I also am very leary of anyone named Dawson, but that's another story. One, they get all the other kids sick in the classroom, and two, I get sick or pass the germs onto my own kids. Ick! Now that Hayden and Tommy have come along, I finally get it. I get why parents send their sick child to school. It's actually the kid's fault. Ha.

Example:
Tuesday night, 12:30am, Tommy has been sleeping since 8:30---yipppeeee! We hear a noise coming from Hayden's room. Both Jason and I rush in and she has puked ALL over her bed and herself. She has the flu, I say to Jason, and that means he has to clean it up. After all, I am nursing and we can't risk Tommy getting the flu. Hayden says she doesn't feel bad and we take her temperature. No fever. We ponder for a moment and then consider that, well, she has had this cough for a couple of weeks and has the WORST gag reflex on the planet, and there was a ton of phlegm (ewwww) in the puke, so maybe she just gagged on her phlegm and that is why she puked. Jason cleans up the mess and sleeps in her room next to her in case she pukes again. All the while I am sitting in the bedroom contemplating sub plans, how many sick days I still have (0), and how I can get Jason to stay home.

Hayden never pukes again and so we chalk it up to her gag reflex. However, I am afraid that I am going to be "that parent" and send their sick child to daycare. I call Danielle. I tell her Hayden threw up at 12:30, and what she thinks about her coming today. Danielle figures it's the gag reflex too. After all, she tried to get her to eat peas once and Hayden threw up. Hayden didn't eat much for breakfast, but she's a 2-year old, she never eats consistently. She says she feels fine and acts like herself. (the good Hayden) So I send her to daycare.

Friday Morning:
I get a text from Danielle that Ellie and Isaac are staying home because they woke up in the middle of the night with the flu. I was that parent. I sent my sick child to daycare and infected them all. If Hayden had been able to tell me she had a slight tummy ache, I would have kept her home. That is why, in this case, it's not my fault.

Ugggggggg....and not the boots.

I am trying to be patient with this only eat 11 things diet, but it is really pissing me off. Tommy is still fussy. I should have waited a week to make that last post because the minute I pushed "publish post" everything changed. And I really wouldn't get all worked up about it except for the fact that, and how can I put this so no one will get grossed out or think that I am giving too much information, he still has slimy green poo. And the doctor said this is not okay. If he was just fussy without the green and slimy poo, I would say the heck with it and eat my Swedish Fish. I can handle a periodically fussy baby. I can't handle the poo. That kind of poo means that there is still bleeding in my little man's gut. The question now....Where is it coming from?? Time to obsess. Internet, here I come.

WooooooHoooooooooo

Can you hear me saying the wooooooooohoooooooo? The oooo is kind of high pitched and an exclamation of excitement. Things have been good around the Rathe household the last few days. I think we are adjusting to the new schedule. Hayden is loving having her little brother (or bother as Olivia would say) at Danielle's with her. Every time Tommy hears her voice, he gets a ginormous grin on his face. You know how little ones smile? Their whole head moves to the right and then the left and their arms fly up and hit them in the face too. So cute!

My Obsession...
I got a little nervous on Friday when Danielle said that Tommy was REALLY fussy. ALL DAY. I knew he would be after he awoke Friday morning with a gut ache. I just knew the day would be bad at Danielle's. Soooooo, of course I started obsessing. What did I eat last night that was something I hadn't been eating. Guess what it was? Popcorn! Yes, popcorn. Then I remembered what the doctor had said about the "Top 8 Allergens." Corn is one of them. Oh No!! What if he is allergic to corn too? Milk, soy, eggs, nuts, and CORN. Corn is in everything. Of course I got online to look up all the corn derivatives and the list is endless. The top one though......high fructose corn syrup. Sugar. I love sugar. My favorite food group is Swedish Fish. Those flavorful, red, gummy, chewy candies that I eat bags of in one sitting. Can I really eliminate sugar from my diet? Well, people, I have. I now have a diet that consists of 11 items. I know you're wondering...I will enlighten you because if I don't tell you, you will obsess about it. (at least my followers (4) will!!) I can eat carrots, rice, rice milk, Rice Chex, lettuce, celery, chicken, turkey, pears, turkey, and chicken broth. Tommy has no gut aches when I stick to these items. Since this "diet" started on Sunday, we have been relatively fussy free. The best part about it...I have nothing to obsess about.

Mornings.

I don't know about anyone else, but mornings frighten me. Especially mornings with a new baby. And a terrible two and a half year old. I was so extremely nervous about getting two kids ready and out the door in the mornings that I did a "trial run" to see how much time I needed. Three times. I have it down to a science now....all because of my obsessive behavior. I sat around during my maternity leave and thought about all the things I needed to have ready in the morning. This is how I had it all planned out:

5:45 Shower (make sure to put towel and robe on toilet seat)
6:00 Feed Tommy, change diaper, change clothes (Look at clock to make sure I'm on time)
6:30 Blow dry hair while Tommy calmly sits in his bouncy seat and watches, put on make-up
6:45 Put on clothes (which I laid out the night before after I put Hayden to bed.)
7:00 Wake Hayden and dress her (in the clothes we laid out the night before)
7:10 Eat breakfast and give Tommy his medicine. Hayden is watching Olivia at this time.
7:15 Pump
7:30 Pack the pump, get the lunch out of the fridge (that I packed the night before), grab my purse and bag, and head out the door.

This is how it went:

4:45 Feed Tommy and put him back to bed. Jason is still in bed.
5:20 Go back to bed. I need all the sleep I can get even if it is for only a half an hour. Jason is still in bed.
6:00 Tommy wakes. I get him up and put him in his bouncy while he looks at the lights. (what is it with babies and lights? Do all babies do this? I'd better check it on the internet?) I shower, get dressed, do makeup, etc. Jason is still in bed.
6:37 Jason gets up.
6:45 Hayden wakes and I have her watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I finish getting ready and prep her by saying, "When this is over, we are getting dressed."
7:00 Get Hayden dressed. After the first morning I told Hayden whatever was on her bed was what she was wearing. We even have to pick the bow the night before. Disaster if we don't.
7:10 Tommy is cranky by this time. He's been awake for an hour and fifteen minutes so I have to give him his medicine while he is crying and try to get him calmed down so I can pump. I have to pump.
7:17 I pump.
7:25 Jason walks down the stairs.
7:39 I grab my stuff and head out the door.

At least I know if Jason goes on a trip, I can get the kids ready by myself.

Terrible Two and Halfs

I've spent a lot of time talking about Tommy lately so I want to focus a little bit on Hayden. Poor girl is feeling left out. Not really. She can't read, people. But this is how our evening went.

7:00pm
Mommy, I want another Swedish Fish.

No Hayden, you can only have two Swedish Fish.

Mommy, NOW, I want a Swedish Fish.

Hayden, You do NOT talk to your mommy that way. Time Out.

Mommy, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I do not want to go to time out.

I proceed to walk her over to the steps for time out and go back to the microwave and start the timer. Hayden, in the meantime, is screaming in time out. Then she decides to hurl herself on the floor and scream.

Mommy, NOoooooooooooooooooooooooo time out!

I walk over to her and tell her that time out is on the steps and that until she moves to the steps time out will not start. I put her back on the steps, she stops crying, looks at me, and then throws herself back on the floor. Time out does not start.

She then rips her hair bow out of her head and yells, Mommy, my hair bow, put it back in. Time out does not start and the hair bow does not go back in. All the while this is happening she is gagging on her own snot to try to get me to give in. Time out does not start.

This goes on for 30, yes 30 minutes. Hayden wants her hair bow in. Then she pulls the other one out and wants it in too. Then she wants a drink of water.

Hayden...time out does not start until you are on the steps.

Then she tries to hug me. I almost give in. I was this -- close to giving her a cuddle because it was making me so sad to see her screaming and crying and unable to calm herself down.

Time out does not start.

7:30
Hayden goes to the steps and sits down.

Time out starts.

The Common Cold

Tonight I was out with a few friends for some girl time and I mentioned that, along with this soy poisoning, that Tommy also has a cold. Seriously. I know it could be worse, but when you're trying to figure out a baby the more things going on makes for many more mommy obsessions. He only has a runny nose and this mucousy cough. No fever. But they gave me a few tips that I thought I'd pass on to my many followers. Ha.

1. When using the bulb suction, make sure you squirt the saline solution when the child is lying flat, and then flip them upside down once. This allows the saline to travel all the way through their nasal passages. I'm not going to share this tip with Jason because we have contests to see who can suck the most snot out of Tommy's nose and I want to win.

2. When your child has a cough, put Vick's Vapo rub on their feet and then put socks on them. Both of my friends swear by it. I'm not convinced, but I will try anything to make my poor baby feel better.

Becoming Crazy...

After reading my blog, a high school friend of mine asked when I became crazy. Something happened today that is the perfect example. I am fuming right now. As a parent of a child with milk/soy protein intolerance, I must read labels. Shopping for anything new takes an extra five (5) minutes for each item because I have to read the label. At least three (3) times. And then probably six (yes 6) more times at home before I eat it. And then a few times after I eat it. All of this occurs because if I do eat anything with milk, soy, tree nuts, or eggs in it my baby Thomas will cry out in pain for hours and any consoling I do will not help. Some might roll their eyes at my description, but if you've had an MSPI baby, you know what I mean. Each time I eat something that is "tainted" it takes Tommy's belly TWO WEEKS!!!! Yes, TWO WEEKS to heal again. Back to why I am fuming right now. I went to this health food store yesterday and spent an hour perusing the aisles, reading the labels (yes, I only bought 12 items) and I purchased a Mushroom Soup that DID NOT have any naughty ingredients in it. I know this because I read the label a total of 12 times. Well, Tommy is in pain today and I knew it was from something new I had eaten yesterday. I have been eating chicken, rice, carrots, celery, water, graham crackers (with frosting), and Pringles for 4 days and he had no symptoms. All of a sudden he has a flare up. Tight tummy, can't poop, little dots on his face. I know it's my fault so I go to the website for this mushroom soup and THERE IT IS!! On the website under ingredients for the soup is SOY. Yes, SOY. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. They left off the soymilk on the back of the soup container. Still fuming.

Sick Baby or Not

So, today was the third day that I've taken Tommy to Danielle's for a daycare trial run. It gets easier every time, and today it only took me 1 hour and 42 minutes to text her and ask how his day was going. Of course, when I went to pick him up he had slept the majority of the time and taken the longest nap of his 67 day life. So, to get to my obsession. He only ate one (1) time from 8:00-11:30. And it was only two (2) ounces. This is what I'm thinking in my head when Danielle tells me this even though I say to her, "Oh, that's fine, he'll eat what he needs." 2 ounces, well, 2 times 8 feedings is 16 ounces. He's only eating 16 ounces in a day. How is he going to keep gaining weight? Maybe he's sick. Maybe those eighteen (18), really only 3, shots he got on Tuesday are just now staring to kick in and he's sick. When I get home I feed him the bottle Danielle had made right before I got there...again only two (2) ounces. And then he has a giant burp and spits up at least half (1/2) of it. Really it was just a normal spit, but this contributed to my "there must be something wrong with Tommy" voice in my head. I head upstairs to change his diaper and take his temperature. Good thing I have Complete Children's Health on speeddial. I know I'm going to have to call. Again. WAIT!!!!! His temperature (rectal of course) is 98.8---completely normal. Maybe I should have just evaluated Tommy's behavior the entire time this has been going on (45 minutes since I left Danielle's.) Smiles and coos usually mean happy baby, right? Try telling an obsessive mom that one.

A Few Things You Must Know

There are a few things you must know about me (and my family) before we go any further:

1. Jason is my husband
2. Hayden is my 2 and a half year old daughter--former MSPI sufferer and mommy and daddy sleep stealer
3. Thomas/Tommy is my 2 month old son--current MSPI/Egg/Tree Intolerance sufferer and mommy and daddy sleep stealer
4. I obsess...no really, is there a word that more specifically means obsess? You know how you're always taught in school to use tiny or miniscule instead of small. Is there a word like that for obsess?
5. I like to fix things.