Asher's Second Birthday...pictures from newborn until now!

A few years ago, I heard a great idea from another mommy. She said that every year on her kids' birthdays, she would write them a letter...telling them about the last year of their lives- how they've changed, developed, grown; both physically & in personality.... then when they were grown, she gave the letters to her kids in a book. So, I thought that was a really cool idea. I started doing the same thing! I've always done it on paper, but then I thought, "Why not blog it?" So.....

Dear Asher,
WOW, you have changed so much in the last year! You are 2 years old now; such a big boy! You have been through so much in the last year! When you were 14 months old, Jonathan and Isabella were born. You've been a great big brother in spite of all the times you've been told "I can't right now, I am taking care of babies!" There are so many times that I sit and feel horrible for how much time they've taken away from you! For that I apologize! You have the sweetest heart of all my kids, and that's one of the many things I LOVE about you!

A year ago, you weren't even walking yet...you started walking without help at 13 months. NOW... you run all over the place...all the time! You're a ball of energy! A year ago, you could only say momma, daddy, and uh-oh! NOW, I can't get you to stop talking...granted, I don't understand a lot of it, but you have a lot to say for a 2 year old. You're talking up a storm! A year ago, you had the worst case of "stranger anxiety and separation anxiety" ever! If I walked away from you...still in the same room, but out of your immediate line of vision, you freaked out. When we'd go to the mall to play, you would stay right next to me the entire time. NOW, when we go to the mall to play, I have to search for you...you have really come out of your shell! I think you are learning from Xander how to be more social! I love the boy you are becoming!

We cut your hair for the first time this year too! You have the finest, curliest blond hair! I waited soooo long to cut it because I loved playing with it....it is so soft! Well, when you started looking like a girl... seriously, everyone complimented me on the cute girl in my shopping cart... I decided it was time to make you look more like a boy! So, I sat you up in the high chair & started cutting.... but you squirmed so much, that I ended up having to use the clippers....You cried....I cried! I was so sad to have your curls all gone! Oh well, it'll grow back, right? Well, you looked like such a grown up little man that I fell in love with the "new" look! So, for this year so far, we've kept it cut short! You're so handsome!

You have always been very accident prone....just like me! You had your first black eye this year; your tooth went through your lip this year; and you have had uncountable goose eggs on your head from falling on the kitchen floor or hitting the coffee table....darn coffee table!! Since you were born, you've been a snuggler....I love when you cuddle; you are so sweet! The last couple of months with you have been great....Xander started school in August; so when the twins are taking their morning nap, I can invest in JUST YOU!!! It's been a great time of mommy/Asher time! I know that only an hour or so a day isn't a lot, but it is nice to be able to have uninterrupted time! I love our time together! I can't wait to see how much you will change and develop in the next year! I love having you as my son! Happy 2nd Birthday, Asher Monroe Boni!!!

Great Weekend

My birthday was 2 weeks ago. I told my mom and Tim that all I wanted for my birthday was a day to be me....I didn't want to be a mommy for one day. DON'T GET ME WRONG... I LOVE MY KIDS AND WOULDN'T TRADE THEM FOR THE WHOLE WORLD! But...even the best mommies need a break sometimes! So, what I wanted was to be able to sleep without interruption and wake up whenever my body woke up. I didn't want the sound of kids waking me ...or wanting their lists of demands met immediately as I got out of bed (Xander wants milk, what's for breakfast?, babies need diapers, Tim can't find socks for work...etc)! So.... for my birthday, Tim gave me a card- in it he wrote that the card entitled me to a night's stay at a hotel...free of kiddos! My mom gave me a card- in it, she wrote that the card entitled me to a full 28 hours of no kiddos...she would come babysit all 4 kids so I could spend a full, complete day (and then some) out of my house! THE BEST GIFTS EVER!

So, Saturday, my mom came over at 1 p.m.! I left and met up with my friend, Alison, to see the movie Whip It! It's a great "chick flick" done by Drew Barrymore about a group of girls who do roller derby races...it was GREAT! I really enjoyed it...which is good considering I had NO DESIRE to see it...I only agreed to it because it's what my friend wanted to see.

After the movie, Tim met me at the Hyatt Place where we checked in for our stay! Our room was awesome. It was 2 parts- one side was a living room area then on the other side of the divider was the bed and bathroom! There was a GINORMOUS flat screen TV (which Tim has decided he needs to have)! After we checked into the room, we left to go out for the evening. We went to the new River Spirit Casino. We lost money...darn it. But we had a yummy dinner. When we left there, we went to see Couple's Retreat. I liked this movie too, but Tim did not...Sad! After the movie, I was exhausted...so we headed back to the hotel. The bed was super comfy! I slept for 10 1/2 hours...I can't remember the last time I slept that long! It was so nice!.

Sunday morning I woke up TOTALLY refreshed. It felt so good to sleep in! I didn't want to get up...stupid check-out time! We went to Fat Daddy's (a sport's bar) for lunch. It was fun because the non-smoking section was completely empty...we joked that Tim reserved the restaurant just for us!! The food was delicious! After lunch we just hung out...we went to the mall, Goodwill, Walgreen's, and then to Tim's work (he works at the animal shelter). There was a dog there that we really liked! So, we went to see him...and adopt him!

So, the newest member of our already crowded home is Juno.... a totally black dog. Not really sure what kind he is, but he's a really good boy! In the face, he looks like a Lab, but he's really short & long...about the size of a Beagle. Anyways, we're trying him out with our other dog...and with the kids! So far, so good! After we picked up Juno, we came home to relieve my worn out mom! She is so wonderful...thanks mommy for allowing me to have a great weekend!

Slacking off???

So...it's been almost a week since I posted...it's not really because I've been slacking off on the blogging...it's more about not really knowing what to post!! Last time I posted, a couple of my kiddos were VERY ill! Fortunately, after LOTS of prayer & a few doses of Tamiflu, their symptoms only lasted about 24 hours...well, Asher's was about 24 hours; Xander's was about 2 1/2 days! Regardless...by Wednesday around noon, all the kids were fever free! It was a terribly rough couple of days there.... it was very scary seeing my babies so sick that they couldn't hardly walk. But I am so glad it was short-lived! It's funny how people get though...they hear that someone has the flu... and they immediately think that EVERYONE in the household has the plague. Some of my friends didn't want ME around... I didn't even have the flu! It hurt a little knowing that I was unwelcome around friends...... Then I realized that they probably just don't understand how the flu works! If you don't have the flu...you can't spread the flu! ANYWAYS.... moving on.... we are all well! PRAISE GOD!!!

This is "Sick Asher"- then "Well Asher!" Pitiful, huh? Asher is such a sweet boy! Last night, Bella was crying... because I put her down....GOD FORBID!! Anyways, Asher went to her & hugged her saying "It's all done!" (History of why he says that it's all done: when I use the nasal aspirator on Asher, he screams & kicks & cries... so when I am done, I hug him & I say "It's all done- stop crying now, it's all done!".... SO... he's learned that's one way to calm down a crying child) Too funny... It's all done!

Jonathan is a big bully! None of my children have been "violent", but this kiddo pinches, pulls hair, and steals toys....it's crazy! I don't know where he gets this, but he'll bring even Xander to tears at times.... that 9 month old little boy holds MUCH power in those little hands!!


Bella is like Asher...she is a sweet, cuddly lover baby! She loves giving hugs. When Jonathan picks on her, she'll cry, then she'll crawl away and find another toy to occupy her time! She's always so mellow! I love it!!

Xander is growing up so much... right before my eyes! He amazes me every day with how much he's changing! In a couple of weeks, he gets to go on his first ALL DAY field trip with his class! They're going to Bixby (about 30 minutes away) via "a big yellow bus" to the pumpkin patch... then after they're done there, they're going to a park to play and have lunch...then back home around 230! HE'S SO EXCITED! I'd love to chaperon his first field trip, but can't you see me with the other 3 kids there with me....I almost need a chaperon taking out all my kids! SO... we'll have to see about that! I took this picture of him yesterday...he's looking like such a big boy these days! He taught me a new song: "R-E-D, R-E-D, I can spell RED; I can spell RED. Firetrucks are red; stop signs are too! R-E-D, R-E-D" ...sung to the tune of "Are you Sleeping?" It's cute...he sings it ALL THE TIME!!

What a week!

This has been an insane week! Saturday, My mom, MIL and I took the kids out to go see the new Wal-Mart....pretty sad when our source of entertainment is seeing a newly constructed retail store...BUT ANYWAYS....
After Wal-Mart, we went to CiCis for pizza...love pizza. All was well with the world! We took the kiddos home for nap time....a much needed nap time! Xander woke up after a couple of hours and said, "Mommy, I don't feel so good." Now, earlier in the week, he had a sore throat... the Dr. gave us a prescription & said to see if it would pass in a few days, and if not, go get the antibiotics filled. So, when he said he didn't feel good, I took his temp...102.4... we left to go get the Rx filled.
I went to work Saturday night, not thinking anything was amiss- Xander's temp had gone down and all seemed well with the world. Then at 1230 a.m., Tim called me at work and said that Xander's temp was 107.7!! No, that's not a mis-print, it was really that high! So, right away, Tim took his jammies off and gave him Tylenol. Within a few minutes, the temp was down to 104.... it's a crazy moment when you rejoice over a temp of 104!!! So.... every 15 minutes, Tim called me with an update... each time it kept going down...PRAISE GOD!!
Sunday morning came...Xander had no fever!!! Yea...we thought it must have just been a fluke, right?? WRONG!! Sunday afternoon, the fever came back...not as high, but it was constant at 102-103 degrees. So, Monday morning, I called the Dr. & we took him in. He was pretty concerned b/c he heard a lot of congestion in his chest. So, we did a chest X-ray (which came back clear), a RSV test (which came back normal) and a flu test (which came back NOT so normal). Xander tested positive for H1N1...otherwise known as Swine Flu!!! OMG...really? So, the Dr. called in a Rx for everyone in the family for Tamiflu...in an attempt to keep it from spreading outside of our home!! By Monday night, my MIL was feeling miserable! Xander was so miserable...maintaining about a 103 temp pretty much all day & night.... even after lukewarm baths and Tylenol/Ibuprofen! He was delirious...I've never seen him so bad! I wanted to cry with him every time he'd start coughing & crying! :( I felt so helpless!!
Tim looked up online what to do to care for your child with H1N1.... it said, "Do not kiss your child. Show them you care about them by taking good care of them!" WHATEVER! I was appalled! I am not going to NOT kiss my little man when he's sick...that's when he needs lovin most... So, immediately, after reading that, I leaned over and gave him a GREAT BIG KISS!
Tuesday morning was awesome.... Xander woke up with NO fever!!! Yea...the worst was over! Then, Asher woke up....with a fever. Grrrrrr! So, we spent all of Tuesday with Asher crying and coughing and completely out of it! His fever peaked at 106.8....not quite as high as Xander's, but OMG...still way too high! By Tuesday afternoon, Jonathan started running a fever! WOW....so tired of this crazy illness! I think the Tamiflu is really working quick though....
My MIL is feeling better, just a little residual coughing left, but no fever! Xander is still hacking and sounds like he's coughing up a lung, but NO FEVER!!! Asher still has a fever (low-grade) and is still coughing, but at least it's not 106 degrees!! Jonathan seems OK... Bella hasn't seemed to get any of it!! Tim is doing fine. I have had a horrible headache, but I am guessing it's just from sheer exhaustion from dealing with everyone's issues this week!
Then, on top of ALL OF THIS....in my "spare" time, I am working on getting stuff together for the TMOM garage sale....two more days & I am not quite sure if I'll get it all done! Oh well, I suppose whatever I can get done & out of my house will be great...whatever I miss this time around, will be here waiting for the next sale in the Spring!!!
If you stuck it out for this ENTIRE long post, thanks for reading! Please keep my family in your prayers for health & wellness.... and me for SANITY!!! LOL!! Be blessed!

Memories and Food

Do all 4 year olds have INCREDIBLE memories? Last year, at the end of September, Xander was barely 3 years old. We took him to the fair & he asked my mom why she didn't want to ride the rides. She told him that rides make her sick to her stomach. He dropped it... never mentioned it again....UNTIL TONIGHT! Okay...so that was a year ago...now tonight at dinner we were talking about the rides at the Coweta Fall Festival (going on this weekend), and he says, "Ya-Ya can't ride the rides though because it makes her sick to her stomach!" How on earth does he remember that? There are many examples where he remembers insane things from over a year ago.... it floors me! Do all kids this age have this kind of memory? And if so.... when is it that we grow up so much that we lose our minds & remember nothing????

He made us laugh tonight....another cute quip from Xander....My mom had a bumble bee on her shirt. He pointed it out and said, "Bumblebees can hurt us because they have a pokey thing on their bottoms!" We just laughed...as seen from a 4 year old's perspective... he doesn't understand the "correct" phraseology...so he says it like he sees it... it is a "POKEY THING!"

I went to see Julie & Julia again tonight. Now, ordinarily, I wouldn't see a movie twice (full priced) in the theater. I may go 2 times if it is at the $1 theater; otherwise, I just wait until it's out on DVD. BUT my mom and MIL wanted to see it, so we thought a "girl's night" would be fun. I think I loved the movie more this time than the first. It was so good. I just can't say enough how much I think Meryl Streep actually became Julia Child. She completely personified her character & NEEDS to win many awards! I can't wait to see it again and again... plus, seeing it makes me want to cook fun recipes! My mind starts whirling about all the fun things I can throw together! I WILL NOT BONE A DUCK, though!!

Bella cut her first tooth yesterday! FINALLY!! Jonathan cut 2 in the same week- 6 weeks ago! We've been waiting for what seems like FOREVER for her's to cut!

Thanks for reading! Until next time.............

I am truly blessed!

Tara, in my TMOM (Tulsa Mothers of Multiples) group, is in the hospital right now on complete bed rest trying to prevent her twins from coming into this world 4 months early. She was feeling great; she went in for her check up with her OB/Gyn, and he sent her directly to the hospital. Her body was preparing for labor...contractions and all! But, she is only 5 months pregnant, so OBVIOUSLY she doesn't need to be having those twin girls any time soon. Her husband sends out update emails letting us all know how she is doing, and a big handful of the ladies in our group have sent very encouraging emails to Tara. Many of the other MOMs have shared their similar experiences of their difficult pregnancies- one even went on bed rest as early as 10 weeks. I sit back and read all these emails, and with each one, I am reminded of how truly blessed I am.

Many women try and try for years to get pregnant with no success. Many have to go to extreme measures to be blessed with one (or more) babies. Some moms, even with these "extreme" measures, have to do the process repeatedly before getting pregnant! Then, once pregnant, still have difficult pregnancies riddled with complications. So, when they finally see their baby (babies), it is such a relief for them; finally, after years and years of much heartache, they have their beautiful child (or children) in their arms- ready to begin life with them!

I think sometimes we take for granted how blessed we are in having kids...those of us who are....shall I say "Fertile Myrtles." So, as I meet all these wonderful women in my TMOM group, and I hear all of their amazing stories, I praise GOD that my conception, pregnancies and deliveries were fairly uneventful. I have 4 terrific kids who are wonderfully happy and healthy! I pray that I never forget what a blessing God has given me. I will treasure every moment with them as though I had to fight to get them, and not take for granted who and what they are to my family! I love my kids so much! Praise be to my Father for such a gift...4 times over!

The last 24 hours

The last 24 hours for me have been...for the most part.... great! This time yesterday, I started making homemade Vegetable Meatball soup....it was so yummy & made the house smell awesome. I did 32 oz of tomato juice, 32 oz water, and 2 beef buillon cubes as the broth. Then I added 1 can of diced tomatoes, 3 diced potatoes, 2 yellow squash cubed, 1 zuchinni cubed, 1 large onion cut in small chunks, 1 C corn and 1 C green peas, 3 cloves of garlic (pressed), plus a little bit of almost every seasoning in my cabinet. Then I made meatballs from scratch (as per my husband's request) & dropped the raw meat balls into the boiling soup, so they cooked in the broth....IT WAS DELICIOUS!! I boiled/simmered it for about an hour or so (didn't cook the veggies that long- only cooked them for about 25 minutes)! After dinner, I went shopping at Wal-Mart for a few minutes! Then left there & went to the hospital to see my friend Leah who just had twin boys. It was nice seeing her. I got to hold one of the boys because he was in the room with her, but the other boy is still in the NICU. I got to go down to see him in the NICU...and what was really cool was that I got to see his first bath. He hadn't had one yet since he was having trouble breathing when he was born. I've never seen that before since, obviously, when I had babies, I was stuck in the delivery bed while they got bathed!
After the hospital, I left & went to Amanda's house to celebrate her birthday w/o kids. We watched a movie and ate popcorn! It was nice and relaxing!!
Then, about midnight last night, I got home to find Jonathan screaming... this kid NEVER wakes in the night! He has always been a good sleeper, but this last week, he's been snotty & not feeling great! So, I think it all caught up with him last night! So, finally, at 1 am, he calmed down so I could go to bed!
I slept in until almost 730 this morning....a rarity! Then after the twins' morning nap, my MIL, mom, and I loaded up all 4 kids into the van & headed into Tulsa for the day! We went to the mall, then to Taco Bueno, then Kmart, then the post office, then to Wal-Mart! It was fun to get out of the house for the day! The kids were great all day! Now I am home...right as the rain starts again... ready for my nap before going to work tonight!!
Not a very exciting post today, but I wanted to share my enjoyable 24 hours with you!

Tim's extra day off

Tim took an extended weekend for Labor Day...it's been nice having him home! Today after I picked up Xander from school, we loaded up our two cars and went into Tulsa! We went to eat at Red Lobster....IT'S ENDLESS SHRIMP TIME!! We only go to Red Lobster 2 or 3 times a year... it's always between the months of September and November....because during that time, you can get endless shrimp! My husband LOVES shrimp....he saved up his spare cash so that we'd have money to go without dipping into our budget!! It was great! Then we went shopping at Wal-Mart; which doesn't sound like a special event since I work there, but it's always nice to go anywhere shopping when it's the whole family! We rarely get to do anything all together!

Jonathan has been croupy all day today...I'll have to watch that!

And finally, another one from the Xander archive: "Xander, Please don't comb your fork through Jonathan's hair!!"

Talk to you all later! Thanks for reading!!

Xander's Bedtime....

(Thank you, Dana- sounds like my house!!)


Dear Xander,

Every night we have the same routine. At 7:45 we put on our PJ's, go potty, read a book or sing a song...after we say our bedtime prayers, we give kisses and hugs, and go to bed at about 8 or 815... Every night, same thing.

So why, WHY must you fight me every single stinkin' night?!

• No, you can not have another drink.


• No, you can not watch a movie.


• No, you can not have a snack.


• No, you do not need a tissue.


• No, you do not need a band-aid for your mosquito bite.


• No, you do not need stink, and therefore DO NOT need another bath.


• No, we can not read one more book.
  

I love you, dear boy, but you are very challenging. Must we go through this EVERY night? Sigh. I hate that you end everyday in tears.

I love you,

Mommy

Kids say the darndest things!

A lot of times before Xander gets his bath/shower, I say, "Ew...you're stinky! Let's go get a bath (or shower)." So, a couple of days ago, I told Xander, "You are so stinkin' cute!" He said, "Uh-oh mommy, does that mean I need a shower!" hahaha!
And then....
Yesterday, my mom-in-law took Xander with her to the grocery store. On the way home, they drove by my mom's house. My MIL said, "Look Xander, there's YaYa's house, wave & say hi!" Xander said in all seriousness, "No, we can't wave. YaYa is just like my mousie- she sleeps all day!" LOL
Finally, my last example...
Today, Xander asked me how my night was. I said it was crummy because he was up trying to get in bed with Tim and I every hour!! Xander said, "Well, my night was crunchy too because you had the TV on too loud when I was trying to sleep!" (crunchy?? hahaha)

Then about me.... I have completely lost it!! Two nights in a row, I have forgotten to take my "no baby" pills.... WOW...can't forget those! Don't worry, I remembered before it was too late, but like one time, Tim had to bring them to work for me at midnight!! Poor honey! Every time I turn around I am forgetting things! I bought hot dog buns yesterday for Labor Day dinner....but I forgot to buy hot dogs! Hello???!!!??? So many other examples that I won't bore you with... but if anyone finds my brain, let me know!

Labor day was good. I came home from work thoroughly exhausted, so I went to bed for awhile. I got up and we did our traditional holiday family dinner. My mom came over and we had lots of yummy food, PLUS we had chocolate cream pie (thanks to watching Julie & Julia....been wanting it ever since) and banana pudding! We watched a great movie while the kids were napping- it was great spending time watching a movie without noisy interruptions! Then we played "Fact & Crap" .... fun game if you've never played! Then when my mom went home and we got the kids back to bed last night, Tim and I stayed up and watched another movie! It was a wonderfully relaxing day!

Today, we went to the mall to get our family pictures done! They turned out pretty good once we got Asher to cooperate! I wore brown; Tim wore orange; Bella wore orange; boys all wore brown shorts & a top that had orange & brown vintage cars on them! The pics looked really nice on the screen.... hoping they look good when we get them next week! After pics, since Tim was off today, we went out for lunch at Chili's- it was super yum! Then we came home & put kids down for naps.... now, here I sit, pondering what to do for dinner! Another good day!

Sleepy Day

Wow...work was very exhausting last night. Would you believe that we're already setting up Halloween stuff at Wal-Mart? It seems crazy, but I know other stores (Hobby Lobby) who are already displaying & selling Christmas stuff. Seems like it gets earlier and earlier every year! In fact, my friend who works at a Wal-Mart in Colorado sets up the Toys dept for the Christmas stuff as early as July/August every year! CRAZINESS! Anyways, so at work last night, we were trying to kill as much of the "Back to School" stuff as possible to make room for the Halloween candy! It was a job....we have SO MUCH school stuff left over! So, when I got home, I was worn out! I slept like a rock ALL DAY LONG! It was wonderful to sleep without interruption!! I woke to find dinner in the oven almost ready to eat! It's always great waking up to food in the oven. I absolutely hate getting woke up to the question, "Ok honey, now that you're awake, what's for dinner?" It really is a horrible way to wake up! So, I've been awake for a couple hours, I have a full tummy, and I'm just taking some time to listen to the kids laughing and playing before they go off to bed & I go off to work!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the drama at work last night.... it was great fun! I probably shouldn't laugh at another's misfortune, but this was hilarious! A couple (man/woman) came into the store holding hands and looking completely mortified.... the guy said "Um, I think I need to speak with your manager because I ran over one of the stop signs in the parking lot!" NO JOKE! How on earth does this happen? So, the stop sign that he actually ran over is mounted on top of a 3 foot tall concrete post. So, I can't figure out how the post is still standing, but the sign on top is gone! Somehow, he hit it & it wrapped up under the wheel well of his truck. The whole front driver's side is torn up, the axle is broken, the tire is shredded. So, thousands of $'s of damage, but how on earth did he do it????? He said, "I was looking at the sign then next thing I knew, I hit it!" So, I'm guessing SOMETHING was distracting him.... maybe the girlfriend? Who knows? But I had to laugh when I saw all the damage! Am I a horrible person????

Bugs and thunder

So...you know how sometimes it feels like something is crawling on you.... now, normally, there really isn't anything there, right? It's just the fan blowing your arm hair so it feels tingly, or the sheet in the bed barely touching a spot on your leg, so it feels like something is crawling..... WELL, last night, I had that feeling, but when I investigated the "tingle" IT WAS A BEETLE BUG!!!!!!!!!!! Eww...Ick...in my bed, crawling on my leg! AhhhhhHHHHH! I jumped out of bed as fast as I could and squished it....I crept back into my bed, but not before pulling off all the blankets and sheets to be sure there were no more bugs...Tim was just laying there laughing at my "insanity!" Once I got back into a comfy position, nice and relaxed, and just about sure there was nothing else crawling on me, Tim started tracing his finger along my arm....simulating a bug! AGAIN, AHHHH! Creepy! Finally, I fell asleep....snore!
Then, at 3 a.m. our entire house shook with the thunder from the most recent storm! WOW, I am so tired of the rain! I don't know what it is about 3 a.m., but for three nights in a row, it's stormed right around 3 in the morning! This storm woke up Xander....he was crying and crying saying the storm was scary! Finally, by 4 a.m., we were all back to sleep and slept well until 7.
What a night!

My Friday...

More rain today....so all I have to say about that is "DITTO" from yesterday's post!

Anyways....the kids never cease to amaze me! Asher is learning so much! Today, as Jonathan was trying to knock down our stack of VHS tapes (sadly they are within his reach), Asher jumped up off the couch & went to the entertainment center; he picked up the VHS tapes and said, "No No Jonathan".... now he doesn't say "Jonathan" well enough that anyone other than his mommy can understand, but he said it! It was so cute... he's not even 2 years old and already saying No-No to his little brother! So funny!

No one ever told me that sibling "rivalry" would begin this young in life.... Jonathan is already harassing Bella! Poor baby girl, she'll be sitting there- all nice, pretty, and totally innocent- when Jonathan crawls over and takes away the toy she's playing with....or he pulls hair! He pulls EVERYONE'S hair! If he can get his hand on it, he pulls it! But poor little Bella, it doesn't matter what toy she's playing with, if he wants it, he'll take it. Geez, they are only 8 months old.... I had no idea they'd be fighting over toys already!!

Rain Rain go AWAY!

I don't mind the rain.... normally! In fact, all my life, I am the one who goes out and plays barefoot.... splashing in the puddles & having a blast in the rain. I have a whole photo album of storms, funnel clouds, lightening, etc...I LOVED BAD WEATHER! ......It's funny how having 4 kids dampers that fun! Then....getting RUDELY awakened by the loud claps of thunder and the room-illuminating lightening....somehow it's just not as fun as it used to be! So, in a nutshell, the last two days of rain are more than enough for me for now! Let it rain on the weekend...that would work for me...since I work weekends & sleep all day, I wouldn't mind the rain a bit! But, getting out in it with all the kids is quite the undertaking!! Picture it: umbrella in one hand, car seat in the other hand...struggling to open the car door all while trying to avoid getting me & baby soaked! Not so easy!....then I have to do that 4 times!! SO, by the time they're all loaded or unloaded... they are all dry, but I am somehow soaking wet!
Now, yesterday, when I went to pick up Xander from school, I didn't take an umbrella with me. So I was definitely sopping! When I went up to the gate to get him, another mom came running up to me in a full body raincoat plus a GINORMOUS umbrella. She said, "Take my umbrella to get Xander to the car- Avery (her daughter) and I have raincoats so we'll be fine.... I'll come back after I put her in the car so I can get the umbrella from you!" Angels in disguise...that's all I've got to say! God bless Shannon (that's her name)!!
Now... the sun is out & it was a little toasty in my black car that has 2 windows that won't go down and no air conditioning! So....the question of the day: Do I want the rain, so it's cool in the car, but I get soaked? OR Do I want sun, so I'm dry, but it's hot in the car??

WOW!

So....4 days ago, I posted here that I was going to do better about blogging more often... and yet, I haven't since then! Pretty sad when I miss 4 days this early in my "commitment!" Oh well.... obviously no one is holding me accountable....so I suppose, I'll just do it when I can....
So, here is a summary of my last 4 days:
I worked all night Saturday night. Then, Sunday morning I crashed...in the bed! I was exhausted! At one, I woke up; Tim and I took Xander and Asher to Big Splash! We have a great friend with great connections...so our tickets were free! It was a beautiful day- it was only 78 degrees, but let me just say, as nice of a day as that is....out of the water....it is FREEZING when you're in the water! So, we only stayed for 2 hours, then when we were all shivering and purple...we figured it was time to leave! It was fun though! Then, I went home and went back to bed so that I could go to work! Work was HORRIBLE....probably the worst night I've had since I started at the Coweta Wal-Mart...I've always loved my store, but Sunday night was the exception!.... So, needless to say, when I got home from work...I was so glad I was done working until next weekend!
Monday was pretty boring....I had an appointment that morning, then went to bed. When I got up, Tim went out for the evening and my mom came and "kidnapped" the older two kids! So, it was just me and the babies for a little while! It was really nice & relaxing!! I did lots of Facebooking!!!
Tuesday was a fun day! I took Xander to school, and when I picked him up, we came home and made DELICIOUS brownies... He helped stir and add in all the stuff...except the eggs....don't trust him to crack eggs yet. But, anyways, we added crushed up Andes Mints.... They were so good! I made them for my TMOM (Tulsa Mothers of Multiples) meeting! So, I went to my meeting and was tremendously overwhelmed with the turnout. There are so many pregnant mommies in the Tulsa area who are expecting twins/triplets! I was thrown off because I had discussion topics planned for the meeting, but there were so many people and it was so loud that I just felt like sitting there and absorbing everything rather than talking. I definitely need to be more prepared for the October meeting. I think we need a bigger room too....it was entirely too loud. Anyways, after the meeting, my friend, Martha and I went shopping, then out for chips & spinach dip at Cheddars- we met a couple other gals up there! It was great fun! It's always nice to get out with the girls & just chat! In the midst of my crazy busy life, I am still able to go out without the kids occasionally! Thanks to my wonderful hubby! He's so good about letting me go out at least once a week! For any of you with children, you know that time away from them can be WONDERFUL!!
Then today, Wednesday, started off pretty gloomy! It was raining...no, it was pouring....ALL MORNING! So, I had to load/unload the kids 2 times in the pouring rain-once to take Xander to school and once to pick him up. Then, almost like it was scheduled, right after we got home from getting Xander (sopping wet, BTW) the rain stopped...and now it's sunshiney!! I've been busy all morning compiling TMOM stuff for the welcome kits: a compilation of GOOD stories about being pregnant with multiples....we're going to include people's stories in our welcome kits to new members! Plus, I've been working all morning on a spreadsheet with all the new member's data... trying to get organized with my new Storks MOMs! For those of you who don't know, Storks is the small group that meets before the TMOM meeting- it consists of pregnant MOMs and MOMs with kids up to 1 year of age! For that group, I am the leader.... so that's why I said I had things planned to discuss, but I was thrown off track....
Anyways, I think I have rambled on and on and on too long! I should close for today! If you actually stuck it out and read this ENTIRE post, thanks so much! I tend to get a little wordy at times! See??? This is why I should blog more often....not just every once & awhile- I'd have less to talk about!...There I go again....chatting endlessly...so, Good-Bye for today!
Rachel :)

Blogging

I set up this blogging account to write my thoughts....yet days on end pass without any postings! Does that mean I have had no thoughts? On the contrary....just haven't figured out how to write out all of them.....Last night, I saw the movie Julie and Julia. It's all about this girl (Julie) who decides to blog every day for a year about her cooking projects- as she cooks through Julia Child's cookbook. So, diligently, every day, Julie blogs...even if only a short message, but she puts her thoughts in writing. So....I am going to try...we'll see how that works...but I'm going to try to be more faithful about posting.
SO.... all that said...here's my life updates.......
Tim turned 30 this week.... I'd say, "WOW, what an old man..." except that I will be 32 (shhhh) next month, so I guess that won't work! He seems to be handling it fine... I was so distressed when I turned 30...no more "20-somethings"... 30 just seemed so much older to me! We're taking him out to Olive Garden tonight to celebrate his birthday! It's so cool watching him with the kids. They adore him so much... all he has to do is smile at the babies, and they just crack up laughing!


Me... I stay busy, but not as busy as one might think. While the laundry piles up, the house clutters, the dust accumulates, I sit here... blogging, Facebooking, and emailing! I tell myself every day that I need to get off my hiney and get busy, but again...here I sit! Between the needs of each of the kids, the computer is a nice escape!! After making and giving bottles, making food for big boys, and trying to feed myself...plus bathing myself & the kids... changing diapers- OFTEN...since there are 3 in diapers... after all of this through the day, I am ready to just SIT and play on the computer! The mere thought of housework makes me worn out!!

The kiddos...Xander is loving pre-K! Every morning, he says, "Mommy, I am so excited to go to school today!" I just hope he keeps this excitement! He loves his teacher & his assistant! And every day he comes home telling us all the new stories and songs he's learned that day! The two friends that he talks about are Josh and Joshua... funny because Tim's best friends growing up were Josh R. and Josh T.... so we just laughed when he told us his friends' names! Asher amazes us daily with the words he's learned! We have two-by-two animals painted all the way around his bedroom (since it's decorated in Noah's Ark). So, before he goes to bed, we walk around the room & say the animal name & the sound it makes (ex: Cow-Moo)... he loves doing this! In fact, yesterday, I tried to put him down for his nap without doing the animals, and he cried until I picked him back up & went around the room! He's such a sweet boy! I sometimes feel bad for him... the middle child... but he is such a good kid! Jonathan is getting so big! His legs are so big... he is always bouncing! We put him in the Jonny Jump Up a couple days ago, and he literally jumped in it for 30 minutes.... he bounced up and down, up and down non stop! He's such a happy baby! He does the army crawl all over the place... we have to make sure the gates stay closed because he moves so fast now that he'll be in the kitchen before we know it! Bella doesn't seem to be getting bigger...I'm sure she is, but in light of how big Jonathan is, she's just so small! That's okay though, girls are supposed to be more dainty, right? She still doesn't have any teeth, but she chows down on my fingers like she's trying to force them through!! She also crawls all over...not quite up on her knees, but she moves pretty quick! She has learned that she can sit herself up whenever she wants to now! So, she'll be crawling, then next thing I know, she's sitting there like a big girl!! She's such a sweetie too...she loves snuggling with us...just like Asher!
So...that's us in a nutshell! I will try to do better about posting... we'll see! Until next time......

My baby's all growed up!

Xander has been counting down the days for the first day for school! Every night we'd count how many more days til school started...then he'd say, "Mommy, why is it taking so long?" So, yesterday we went to meet the teacher: Mr Cooper. He seemed like a nice guy; and all my friends who have had kids in Mr Cooper's class have loved him...so I'm sure Xander will too! Last night, he said, "I love my teacher!" I told him last night that he'd be going to school almost every day...he said, "But why mommy?" He didn't know that school was every day...he thought it was a one time deal!! (Silly boy!)

This morning we got up and got ready.... it was a little more tricky than I expected... normally he can take his time eating breakfast, but today, the pressure was on.... he had to eat & get ready quick!! BUT...we made it! In fact, when we got to the school, he was ready to leave me to play on the playground....forget checking in with his teacher! So, I left him in the capable hands of his teacher, Mr. Cooper, and his assistant Ms. Lisa. I was so worked up and ready to cry, that then the time came, the tears did not! So, I walked away, leaving my baby boy behind....


I watched the clock for the entire 2 1/2 hours he was there! I couldn't wait to go pick him up and hear all about his day! So, I got Asher, Jonathan, and Bella loaded into the car to go get big brother at school! We got there 15 minutes early... so there we sat!! I completely forgot that I left the double stroller in the OTHER car....so, since I didn't park close enough to the entrance...and they don't just let the kids run out of the class.... I had to ask another mommy to tell the teacher that I was stuck at my car with babies and couldn't go to the door....then, I had to wave at the teacher saying it was OK to release my kid to that mom.... I was so embarrassed! Mental note: Take double stroller tomorrow!

Needless to say, since my kid is quite the social butterfly, he did just fine & loved his first day of pre-Kindergarten! He can't wait to go back tomorrow!

First teeth and dead brain batteries....

Last week, Jonathan got his first tooth! So I started pondering....and thought I should write these things down...I know it's AWFUL to compare him and Isabella, but here it goes....
Bella smiled first, but Jonathan laughed first!
Jonathan rolled over from tummy to back first- Bella 2 weeks later.
Bella rolled from back to tummy first- Jonathan 1 week later.
Isabella sat up unsupported first- Jonathan 1 week later.
Jonathan got his first tooth first- Bella, still not yet!
It's fun seeing who will do what milestone first! When Asher was smaller, I remember comparing him to Xander.... I always say "I don't remember Xander doing that".... or "I think Xander did that younger than Asher!" I guess it's normal to compare...but I try not to!

This week has been a sick & puny week. Asher had a fever and little bit of a rash one day & gone the next...THANK GOD! But then, the next day, Xander started crying actual tears saying his head hurt...."because my brain batteries are dead!" LOL... too funny! He actually asked to go to bed at noon! It was nuts! So, for the rest of that day and the day after, he had a fever and complained of a head ache. He eventually said he just hurt all over...it's so sad to see kids feeling crummy...they're so puny looking! Today, all the kids are back to normal (whatever that is)!! I'm so glad they feel good, but now I am exhausted from all the extra neediness! Oh well!

Silly Asher...Angry Xander

At dinner last night, Asher would NOT eat his food...well, let me clarify: he ate a few bites, but wouldn't finish. Tim got up and got an ice cream sandwich out of the freezer....Asher, of course, HAD to have it! Tim said, "No, Asher, daddy ate all his supper, so I get ice cream! You haven't eaten your supper yet!" Immediately, as if to prove Tim wrong, he picked up his spoon & put ALL of the rest of his food in his mouth at one time...just so he would be done. The boy knows how to get what he wants!! Silly kid!

Yesterday, while I was feeding the babies, I told Xander that he needed to pick up his toys around the living room. Instead, he decided Spongebob was more important.....WRONG! My mom was over, so I asked her to turn off the TV so Xander could do what I told him to do. She did.... He yelled at me "I AM SO MAD AT YOU RIGHT NOW!" It was very, very difficult to NOT laugh...I told him, "Xander, it's OK for you to be mad at me, that's fine, but you still need to clean up the living room." Reluctantly, he picked up his toys...but he was mad!!! LOL!

The Other Three

Doesn't that sound awful... I give Xander his own notes this time around, but "the other three" get clumped in together.... Truly, it's not because I'm trying to "take away their individuality"... it's just cause not much has happened with them! Asher got injured about a million times... he does that... he's like I always have been: "an accident waiting to happen." Fortunately, like me, they're all minor injuries! Thank GOD!! He is talking all the time. He loves following Xander around the room. Xander acts like he's the garbage man picking up trash, and Asher will follow & "pick up" the garbage too! It's so cute! He's a little copy-cat... whenever we sing, he sings; whatever we say, he repeats (scary!!)... he's learning and absorbing so much these days! It's hard to believe that in a couple months, he'll be 2 years old already!



Isabella had her 3rd ear infection in 2 months...following Xander's footsteps! Poor baby girl! She sits without support for a few seconds at a time, but prefers laying down... one day she'll realize how much more fun it is to be upright!! She rolls a lot and she scoots all over. One night I put her on the floor for "tummy time" and about 10 minutes later, she was on the other end of our living room! It won't be long til she's up & moving!! She loves looking at daddy with a BIG SMILE on her face.... you know she has him wrapped around her little finger! She just adores him (and I'm pretty sure he adores her too!)



Jonathan is my clown! He is always smiling and laughing! He has the biggest smile, chubbiest little cheeks, and he cracks up over everything! He rolls and scoots across the floor, but he likes to explore what's right in front of him more than moving around. While Bella is roaming, he's usually content in one place. He'll sit for a couple seconds alone, but prefers laying back as well.

Xander's Story

So...since I last sat down to write anything, so much has happened! Xander had his surgery on June 23rd! We were up bright and early at 4a.m. to take him to the hospital. Drugs do funny things to people!! After they gave him the Versed to calm him before surgery, he decided that he needed to go potty again! So, the nurse told me I'd probably have to help him. So, I carried him to the potty & stood him up right in front.
He said, "Mommy, why didn't you let me walk to the potty?"
I said, "Because the medicine that's in your tummy makes it hard for you to walk!"
Right after I said this, he tried to turn around...dizzy, of course.... and ran smack into the wall! I wish i could say I didn't laugh, but it was really hard not to! Does that make me a bad mommy?? (lol) Anyways, they removed his tube and adenoids. WOW...was he upset after the fact! His throat hurt so bad that day...even with codeine in his system, he was in so much pain. Then, the next day...you'd never know he'd had surgery!! He was back to his wild child self again!! Yea!

Then...on July 5th, we celebrated Xander's 4th birthday (bday is on the 6th) with family and a couple close family friends. We went out for dinner at CiCi's Pizza. He had a Spiderman cupcake cake...and he loved it! Of course he got lots of toys...no where near as many as he'd asked for, but who's counting, right? Then after the party, he got to go home with his little girlfriend for his very first slumber party! She slept in her own bed, but her mommy set up a tent for him to sleep in since he was the birthday boy! He had so much fun! They took him to Big Splash for the day (on his birthday) and he got his very first sunburn... in spite of sunscreen! He had a blast! So... now my baby is 4 years old and goes to pre-K next month....... he's growing up so fast!He's such a sweet big brother and son! Whenever I ask him to do something, he says "Yes Ma'am!" and usually listens! Whenever one of the twins are crying, he'll go sit next to them and say, "I'm here now, don't cry!", then he'll start singing to them! When Asher is crying or upset, he'll go give him a hug! He has such a sweet heart!

Xander's Ears

So...today we went to the ENT doctor. Xander asked me "Mommy, why is he a ear, nose and throat doctor?" I said, "Well, because he looks in your ears, your nose, and your throat to make sure everything is okay in there!" While we were there, we found out that he does, in fact, need to have surgery to remove the straggling tube!! And, we'll be having his adenoids out at that time as well... we'll be doing this all on Tuesday, June 23rd!! Poor kid... poor mommy! I hated seeing him all doped up from anesthetics when he had surgery before... it's awful they have to do it again! But, maybe this will help keep him from getting ear infections all the time!!!
So, on our way home from the ENT, Xander starts whining.... I asked him what was wrong... get this, he said, "Mommy, the doctor looked in my throat and my ears, but he forgot to look in my nose!!!" LOL!!

ISABELLA UPDATE!!!

Isabella... She's definitely my little princess! Many people ask me what we call her! She is occasionally called Izzie, but mostly it's Bella or Bellarina! I love dressing her up; it's like she's my little baby doll! Which is odd, because I have NEVER been into dolls or dress-up... not even as a little girl! So, this is a whole new side of me... and (shhhh!) I love it! She's a sweetie too! She's very mellow and laid back! She rolls all over... she's not content on her tummy, so she rolls onto her back! She'll suck her toes, then get cranky and roll back to her tummy for a little while! She, like Xander, has had some trouble with her ears... so I am praying that she doesn't end up having to get tubes like he did! Hopefully she'll just "outgrow" the issues and not have anymore infections! She is very dainty and girlie looking! She's long and skinny! Without a doubt, she's the girl out of the whole Boni Bunch!

JONATHAN UPDATE

Jonathan is such a happy boy! He always looks up with the biggest grin- and he doesn't just smile- he has to open his mouth wide... with BIG open blue eyes and a big open mouth... he's got the cutest of all smiles! He is a lover too! Anytime he's anywhere near Isabella, he has to grab her hand! He loves holding hands with her. Whenever I pick him up, he wraps his arm around me and holds tight... like he's giving bear hugs already! He rolls over from his tummy to his back...occasionally, but prefers to be on his tummy. He gets up on his knees like he wants to start crawling... he isn't yet, but he is scooting along! I can put him on one end of a blanket and within 10 minutes, he is at the other end. So, it's at a snail's pace, but he inches along! He isn't sitting up on his own yet, but he loves to stand in his exersaucer or in the "Johnny jump up!" He is such a big boy too! When side-by-side with Bella, you can definitely tell he's the boy! He's more broad and stocky than she is! He's so cute... and I'm not at all biased!!!

ASHER'S UPDATE!!

Asher... While Asher is the sweetheart of the family, I think he's hitting the "terrible twos" a few months early! He's discovered that if Xander is in his way, he can just hit him to make him move! Very annoying! Then, when he's told NO, he just cries and cries and cries. He's so sensitive- I think if I look at him cross-eyed, he'd probably cry! He has had stranger anxiety for as long as I can remember! Even at my friend's house this weekend, when her husband tried to pick him up, he started to panic and scream! It's very sad... and tiring! He's all right with family, but anyone else, it takes awhile to warm up! He is my accident prone child. If there is an injury to be found, he'll find it! Whether it's falling over his pj pants & bumping his head, or if it's slipping on the smallest spot of water on the kitchen floor and busting his lip... he'll do it! Poor kid! He ends up with lots of kisses though, so he's a happy accident waiting to happen! In this sense, he's just like me (Xander talks, Asher gets hurt). I was always the accident prone one in my family! He is such a snuggler though! When he's in a good mood or a bad one, he loves to cuddle! He gives big hugs and loves to be close to us! He is so caring with the babies- always giving hugs and kisses! He's becoming a great little helper too! Even though he's only 19 months old, he will take bottles to the sink, diapers to the trash, get burp rags for me, and give binkies if the babies are crying!

XANDER'S UPDATE!

Xander... He is, without a doubt, almost four years old, yet acts like he's 20! He talks so "matter of fact" when he wants something... he'll say "Mommy, I told you that I want cheese puffs!" As though telling me exactly what he wants makes mommy jump & serve... right? He's silly! But I couldn't ask for a better "big brother" to the other three! He'll wipe spit up, take diapers to the trash, shake bottles, give consoling hugs to Asher when he's hurt or in trouble, and he always wants to help feed the babies! It's great seeing him grow up! I have learned though how my mom must have felt raising me! I NEVER shut up as a child... I talked incessantly! Now, I can imagine, this is what my mom felt! Today, Xander was talking about all the trucks we were passing on the road... he wanted to know what kind of truck it was, what it had in it, and where I thought it was going. In the middle of the inquiries, I made a phone call. 10 minutes later, he picked up right where he left off and said, "Mommy, what kind of cookies do you think are in that truck we saw?" It was like he had a "pause button" and was just waiting to pick up where I interupted his train of thought!! Silly mommy... he wasn't done talking! Gotta love it! He has really struggled with ear infections... poor kid! When he was 10 months old, he had to have tubes put in because of so many of them! He did real good for the first year and a half after the tubes... only 1 infection! Now though, we found out that one of the tubes is "stuck" in there and he may need surgery AGAIN to have it removed! SO... we'll find out tomorrow for sure if the ENT dr. thinks he'll need to remove it! Our pediatrician said that it should have come out long ago! So... I'll keep you posted!

Is it money?

We went out for dinner tonight with everyone (my mom, my inlaws, Tim, and the kids). My mom told Xander that she had a surprise for him if he was a good eater. (She had ordered him an ice cream bar for dessert) He said, "What's the surprise Ya-Ya? Is it money??" He stood up all excited thinking it was money.......
Isn't he too young to think about getting money as a reward? Geez, he's not even 4 years old yet! Too funny!!

4 months old!

I can't believe Isabella and Jonathan are already 4 months old. Time has just flown by! We went for their 4 month check up yesterday and I was a amazed by their sizes. They've wasted no time at all! Even though they started life 3 pounds lighter than big brothers Xander and Asher, they are about the same size as the boys were at 4 months! Jonathan is 25 inches and 15lb, 14 oz. Isabella is 26 inches and 14lb, 8 oz! (When Xander was 4 months, he was 15lb 10oz and 26 inches long!)

How they compare to other 4 month old kiddos??? Well, on weight, Jonathan and Bella are both in the 60th percentile!!! On height, Jonathan is in the 42nd percentile and Bella is in the 83rd percentile! So, she is on her way to being taller than him!! Too funny!

Looking at the twins, I can definitely tell that she is longer and much, much skinnier! Even her head is an inch smaller than his! It has always amazed me how different twins can turn out looking... I never realized the differences could be seen so early!!!

We FINALLY got the crib set up for them last week! It's about time, huh? They have been sleeping together in one bassinet since they were born! It was starting to get a wee bit crowded! So, Tim and his dad set up the crib in Asher's room! They are all adjusting to each others noises still, but are otherwise doing pretty good! Everyone is still sleeping through the night; they are just all up at the same exact time now... which gets a little overwhelming!! They look so cute in there though!

My survey results

THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO DID MY SURVEY! I HAD 54 PEOPLE RESPOND... THAT WAS AWESOME! HERE ARE MY RESULTS. I WILL ALSO BE PRINTING IT IF ANYONE WANTS A COPY! THANKS AGAIN- I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP!

Question 1:
While pregnant did you/do you plan on sterilizing pacifiers each time they fall on the floor?
Possible Answers:
Of course!
It depends on what floor it drops on.
Mommy spit works!!
Nope, God made dirt; dirt don't hurt!
Results:
*42.6% of respondents say, “It depends on what floor it drops on”- if out and about they ended up at least rinsing- while, if at home, just wiping was good enough!
*40.7% of respondents say they would absolutely sterilize- most of these people stayed true to their response & did sterilize all dropped pacifiers!
Comments and observations:
· Several people commented that they didn’t use pacifiers so this was irrelevant!
· Also, many people, regardless of how they answered, ended up deciding based on what floor the pacifier had fallen on. For the most part, moms wiped it off and gave back to baby!
· Quotes from mommies: “Good rule of thumb-always carry more than one!” and “I never put my own saliva directly on a pacifier-that’s disgusting!”
ME:: I think mommy spit or water works depending on the floor it is on!

Question 2:
While pregnant, did you/do you plan on bathing your baby/babies every day?
Possible Answers:
Of course!
No, probably every other day.
No, maybe once or twice a week
Results:
*50% of respondents say they will bathe every other day- but only about half of those mommies actually did- the other half only bathed 1-2 times a week… or “only when dirty!”
*37% of respondents say they will bathe daily- only half of these mommies actually did that! The other half were equal- bathing either every day or 1-2 times a week!
*13% of respondents planned on bathing 1-2 times a week- 100% of these mommies stuck to that plan & bathed 1-2 times!!
Comments and observations:
· One mommy said: “The bathing one was the one that got me. I hardly ever bathe my kids and they manage to stay alive and fairly clean.” Another said, “ Diaper wipes clean nicely!”
ME:: I planned on bathing every other day, but it's actually about 1-2 times a week!

Question 3:
While pregnant, did you/do you plan on sterilizing all bottles before using them?
Possible Answers:
Of course!
I will sterilize them before the first use, then once a week thereafter.
Only before my first time using them
Probably not!
Results:
*51.9% of respondents plan to sterilize all bottles- 70% of these mommies actually did sterilize every bottle before use; the other 30% sterilized at first, but for future uses just used hot soapy water or the dishwasher.
*36.5% of respondents said they would only sterilize before the first use- all but one mommy did just that- the other mom just washed with soap/water
Comments and Observations:
· Microwave sanitizers seem to be very popular!
· One mom said, “Extra hot water and a little soap…then the sniff test!”
· A few moms said this question was irrelevant because they breast-fed exclusively: no bottles!
ME:: I sterilized my first kid's bottles, but after that, I just washed them good!

Question 4:
The "rule" for feeding cereal is to wait until your baby is 4 months old. Did you feed cereal before 4 months of age? At what age did you introduce? Why did you start early?
Possible Answers:
Yes
No
0-6 weeks
6-10 weeks
10-16 weeks
4 months or later
Baby/babies weren't satisfied with milk.
To help baby/babies sleep better at night.
To limit spitting up.
Because I just wanted to
Results:
*46.3% of respondents fed cereal before 4months of age- the 2 most common reasons given were (35%) baby was not satisfied w/ formula/milk alone and (45%) to help babies sleep better at night
*53.7% of respondents did not feed before 4 months
Comments and Observations:
· Reasons given for waiting until 4 months:
1. “My first child had a lot of allergies, so I wait as long as possible before introducing foods now.”
2. Waited until 5+months due to sensitive tummies (lots of mommies said this)
3. “I breastfeed and did not want to mess that up so we waited until 5 ½ months”
ME:: I waited until about 4 months with each kid because I thought that if I did it sooner and something happened (like they got sick or something) I would feel horrible!

Question 5:
Did you heat bottles or give them to the baby/babies cold?
Possible Answers:
Heated every time
Just room temperature
Heated if we were home; otherwise it was cold
Nope- cold bottles work as well as warm ones!
Results:
*41.2% of mommies heated every bottle
*29.4% were okay with room temperature bottles
*27.5% said it depended upon if they were home or out!
ME:: Heated if at home, otherwise room temperature if out.

Question 6:
While pregnant, did you/do you plan to nurse exclusively?
Possible Answers:
Of course!
No, I plan to supplement w/ formula
No, I don’t plan to nurse
Results:
*71.2% planned to nurse exclusively, but of those mommies, only 48.7% actually nursed exclusively, the other 51.3% of mommies either supplemented 50/50 or were unable to nurse at all
*19.2% planned to nurse and supplement with formula- most did supplement, 1 mom ended up nursing exclusively after all!
*9.6% planned to use formula only- all of these mommies stuck to their plan!
Comments and observations:
· Some of the reasons given from the moms who planned to nurse exclusively, but did not do so were:
1. Milk never came in
2. Baby was allergic to breast milk
3. Babies were extremely premature & unable to nurse (several moms said this!)
4. Baby refused to nurse

· Many who chose to nurse exclusively did so due to the high price of formula
· Quotes from some moms:
1. “People were so opionated and downright rude when it came to this subject. If I told anyone that I wasn’t going to breastfeed they would peg me as the ‘not giving my baby the best’ kind of mother. It’s like religion or politics- it’s nobody’s business but your own!”
2. “I tried to nurse one but she was tongue tied and the other was in the NICU so I made the switch to the bottle early, and I don’t regret it for a second!”
3. “One year and going strong!
4. “But they wouldn’t!! Kind of sad really, but they are beautiful and healthy so no complaints from this mommy!”
ME::I planned to nurse with my first, but ended up nursing/supplementing for 9 months- then just formula. With my second, I knew I'd need to supplement and did 50/50 for 4 months, then just formula. With the twins... 50/50 for 2 months, then formula!

Question 7:
While pregnant, did you/do you plan to wash all of the baby’s clothes before using them?
Possible Answers:
All of it!
Only 2nd /used clothing
No- leave them as-is
Results:
*81.1% said they plan to wash all of the clothing before using, and 77% of these moms actually did wash everything- the rest washed at least the 2nd hand/used items!
*11.3% only planned on washing 2nd hand/used clothes- all of these mommies did this!
Comments and Observations:
· Several moms said they planned to wash all the clothes, but now pull the tags off & throw it on them!
ME:: Planned to wash everything, but now only wash 2nd hand stuff

Question 8:
What kind of laundry soap do you use?
Possible Answers:
Dreft
Anything Baby
Free & Clear
Whatever is cheapest
Results:
*43.4% use only Dreft
*28.3% use anything Free & Clear
*18.9% use anything made for Baby
*13.2% use whatever is cheapest
ME:: anything free & clear

Question 9:
While pregnant, did you plan on everyone washing/sanitizing their hands before touching you baby/babies?
Possible Answers:
Of course
Only while in hospital
For the first couple weeks
No, it’s not that important-Germs are germs
Results:
*45.3% planned to have everyone sanitize, but only half of those mommies actually did so; the rest either sanitized for the first couple weeks, or not at all!
*43.4% planned to sanitize for just the first couple of weeks, again- only about half did so; the other half were again divided in half between sanitizing for everyone who contacted babies and not sanitizing at all!
Comments and observations:
*Regardless of the original plans, 15 moms sanitized all the time, 19 sanitized for the first couple weeks, 3 only in the hospital, 14 didn’t end up sanitizing at all!
*Quotes form mommies:
· “I’m a freak…I put a sign on the outside of my hospital door that said, ‘Stop, wash hands before entering,’- I insisted on it for the first month or two!”
· “I won’t let smokers hold them- or anyone who may be sick.”
· “I had a can of OUST that I would spray people with when they came in the house!”
· “Their immune systems can’t get built up if you keep them completely germ free.”
ME:: I planned to have everyone sanitize for the first week or two... and I did!

Question 10:
“The ‘rule’ for diaper changes is to do so every 2 hours, or whenever you see that it is soiled. How often did you actually change diapers?
Possible answers:
*Every hour
*Every 2 hours
*Every time I noticed he/she had a wet/soiled diaper
*At feeding time, unless he/she pooped between feedings
Results:
*50.9% changed anytime she noticed a wet or soiled diaper
*39.6% changed at feeding times, unless there was poo between feedings
*9.5% changed every 1 or 2 hours
ME::With my sons, I changed them faithfully every 2 hours, or more often if dirty; when the twins came, I had so much on my plate, it was just at feeding time… unless they were dirty!