A few hours in my day as a stay-at-home mom

Things are different now that I am "at home" full time. So far, I am still really enjoying it - I might find it hard to go back to teaching.

By 7:30, Jeremy had left to take James and Maggie to school, so I finished getting the other 3 of us bathed, dressed, and fed. Jeremy was back shortly after 8 to help with those chores and get himself ready for work. He also helpfully checked the calendar and discovered that today was "pajama day" at preschool, so we undressed John and put him in warm pajamas. (Warm pajamas, rather than the thin t-shirt he insisted on sleeping in last night.)

Jeremy left to drop John off at preschool shortly before 9, and from 8:50 - 11:40 I worked from home on my research (paper draft due in 5 weeks). It was reasonably productive time, considering that I was holding a baby the whole time. Sometimes Helen slept, and sometimes she ate, and sometimes she sat quietly in my arms, but she was very content as long as I didn't dare to put her down. (Definitely time to find some sort of baby carrier.) Fortunately, much of my research work can be done one-handed, with a mouse, but I am getting faster at the one-handed typing again.

I unfortunately had to wake Helen to go pick up John, so I drove the whole way there while she screamed. I was glad that it is a very short drive. John was unusually cooperative at pick-up time today - I only had to chase him all the way around the building once to get him in the car. (I had thought, a month ago, that this chasing John everywhere was the worst while pregnant, since I couldn't run after him or carry him. Turns out this is not any easier while toting an infant in a car seat carrier.)

By 12:15 we were home. Helen was screaming again. I went upstairs to change her diaper, and wondered if she was running a fever. I began ransacking all the cupboards in search of a thermometer. This is not a pretty task at our house under any conditions, but it is much worse when done one-handed while trying to soothe a crying infant. Finally found one working thermometer. Not the rectal one I was looking for but it would work - washed and disinfected it. Changed a very messy diaper. Took the temperature. Or tried. I gave up when it appeared to be below the doctor's 100.5 threshold, since the thermometer was moving slowly and Helen was not appreciating the process.

I got Helen cleaned up again (the indignity of the exam had caused her to pee and poop all over the changing table, of course), then tucked her in the crib (screaming) while I cleaned and disinfected the changing table and the thermometer. (Put that one in the baby kit so I don't accidentally use it later for oral temps. Mental note: buy new thermometer. ) Picked up Helen and went down to the kitchen to see about lunch.

Now, it was nearly 1 pm. Not good, since John hadn't eaten yet. I laid Helen on a quilt on the floor. She was only mildly fussy if laid on her tummy, which is supposedly a no-no, but I kept her in sight. I discovered that John had already selected his lunch menu - he had found the leftover pancakes in the fridge and left them on the table. I decided to ignore this suggestion since all he had eaten yet today was a scone (breakfast) and a cupcake (birthday treat at school). I made a reasonably balanced meal of PB sandwich, apple slices, cucumber slices, bell pepper slices. I even cut off the crusts for John to entice him.

I then picked up crying Helen and went to find John for lunch. During my hour of other chaos, he had changed - from warm PJs to the flimsy nightshirt from last night. Well, might as well continue the pajama day theme, right? He was happily settled in playing computer games - with the playroom door shut just in case I would notice him there and tell him not to do this.

He agreed to turn off the game and come right up for lunch (will wonders never cease?) but immediately got upset when he saw his plate. "I wanted pancakes!" Sometimes I wish he didn't have such a fabulous memory. We discussed the merits of good nutrition and he reluctantly agreed to sit down and eat my offerings.

He didn't sit long, though. In between each and every bite, he got up and practiced his running time-trials through the kitchen. The goal appeared to be to get up enough speed to carry himself involuntarily to the top of the steps at the end of the course. He was very busy filling multiple roles - runner, cheerleader, announcer, sound-effects director. Perhaps it is not surprising that he consumed very little food before giving up altogether.

A few minutes later, he returned to the table wearing his boots. Just his boots, undies, and nightshirt. "I'm going outside," he announced and headed for the door. "John, wait! You need snowpants!"  You would have thought he had just been told to walk the plank. Except that he would probably enjoy the plank. But despite the beautiful sunshine today, it is 28 degrees. I thought he needed a bit more clothing to play in the 6 inches of snow blanketing our yard.

Helen and I went on a one-armed mission to gather up all of John's snowclothes. Snowpants and hat in the car - still in his school backpack. Sweatpants and sweatshirt from his room to go with the nightshirt. "John, where are your socks?" Found the socks with the discarded, warmer pajamas. Put Helen down (cry, cry) and got John all bundled and out the backdoor. Two minutes later, he was knocking at the door to drop off his hat. "It's too hot." Back to the backyard. Three minutes later, he was ringing the doorbell. In the FRONT yard.

"John, how did you get to the front?"

"I climbed the fence," he said with a perplexed expression on his face, as if thinking, "Duh, Mom, why are you asking such a stupid question?"  "Here, Mom, I don't want my coat and mittens." And he ran off before I could object. Two minutes, later, he was back to drop off the sweatshirt. So now, he was outside, in the front yard, in 28 degrees, with shirtsleeves. Great. Fortunately, he lost interest in the whole endeavor a minute later and came inside anyway.

So, all the hunting for snow clothes may have been in vain, but at least I shouldn't get a call today from Protective Services. Good thing, too, because I really don't have time for that. Helen's done eating, so I need to leave now to pick up the older kids from school, and get to a doctor's appointment.

But for some reason, I really am still liking this home thing.  

Helen at 2.5 weeks

She is growing fast! Her 2-week check-up (last Thursday) measured Helen at 7 lbs 13 oz, so up nearly a half-pound since birth. Her length was 21 inches, which the doctor measured twice to be sure. This is because her birth length was recorded as 18 inches, and the pediatrician didn't think she could have really grown 3 inches in two weeks. She finally pronounced 21 inches as correct, and said the hospital must have been wrong. (She did point out that length is notoriously inaccurate.) While I agree that 3 inches seems like a lot, I am not completely convinced that it is wrong. Helen is unmistakably much bigger than birth. She no longer fits so tidily in one arm. It is a longer stretch from head to bottom, and her legs seem much longer. Her clothes are starting to fit, also. In fact, today I put on a one-piece sleeper without feet attached, and the pantlegs only come to her knees. Odd to think that she is already growing out of things, when just 2 weeks ago everything was too big for her.

She is awake a lot more - we enjoy watching her steady, quiet gaze as she ponders this new world into which she has been thrust. A few times, even while fully awake, she appeared to be smiling at us. (Well, mostly at James.) I know that this isn't likely to be a real smile before 6 weeks, but it looks convincing and is very fun to see. She is already able to pick her head up and look around for a few moments if lying on her tummy. So far, she hasn't gotten sick. Given all the cold and flu viruses going around, including with her own siblings, this is happy news.

Helen loves to have a bath. She will generally be screaming as we get started - probably from being naked and cold on her changing table. But she settles right into the warm water and quiets down immediately. I am very grateful that the new baby bathtub Aunt Sue gave us for John came with an infant sling. This provides just enough support to her that I can manage a safe bath even with all the "help" that I get from older siblings. I won't say that she has never managed to happily lick a bit of bathwater (yuck), but at least we can keep her from drowning.

Just chillin' in my spa ...

Maggie is proud to help care for Helen

Look how big I am getting!

Enthusiastic helper and tolerant little sister - as long as the water stays warm.

We are very pleased with our little girl.

Christmas Piano Party

Okay, so I am a bit behind the times. Just before Christmas, the kids' piano teacher held a "piano party" (her low-key name for a mini-concert). Here is what they each picked out to play. Perhaps not surprisingly, given their current attitudes towards piano, James picked out something too easy for his level and Margaret picked out something too difficult. Maggie made the wise choice of playing in duet with her teacher, which greatly enhances her sound, but she did do a great job with this. They each also prepared one song to play in church during the offering time, and sounded very good with those songs.

I particularly enjoy watching their faces while they play. James almost always has his tongue out, and Maggie almost always has a smile on. Ahh, concentration.

Snow day 2011 Photos

Some photos of the kids outside after shoveling out our driveway from the big snow of 2-2-11. Jeremy measured about 10 inches on the level drive, though the official snowfall measured at the airport was 17.2 inches over two days.

Our street - for the 24 hours before the plows came through

Spiderman John

Favorite Books

I used to keep track on a calendar for each kid some milestones (first smile, first steps, etc.) and some favorite things (favorite foods, toys, etc.). I thought I would try to update that a bit here. It is not a scientific cataloguing - just what comes to mind. Today, I am thinking of books.

Books:

We are reading through the Narnia books (C.S. Lewis) at bedtime with James and Maggie. I am not sure that Maggie would choose these, but she doesn't want to be left out. James, on the other hand, wants to finish all seven, and pushed for it even after we were down to the ones Jeremy didn't like as much and so was inclined to skip.

James loves to read and has just completed an ambitious reading contest at school, reading through an assigned list of 30 books in 6 weeks. On his own, he chooses from several categories:

• non-fiction, such as life in ancient or medieval times, or science/technology
• Harry Potter books (he read through all 7 books, about 4200 pages) in 3 weeks last summer)
• juvenile fantasy series, such as the Secrets of Droon
• Comic books, particularly Calvin and Hobbes, though he loves all comics and has been trying to convince us to subscribe to the newspaper just for this reason. (Jeremy thinks reading them all on-line is fine; James doesn't have such easy access...and I think he prefers the feel of the paper, anyway. I can't say as I blame him, but for the cost of a subscription, I haven't yet broken down.)

Maggie will listen to anything that someone will read to her, which is why she tends to get stuck with books that are maybe a bit beyond her for the joint bedtime books with James. On her own, she will read any and all picture books. (If she wakes up early on a weekend, she creeps into my room and whispers in my ear, asking for permission to turn on her light and sit in bed reading. She can do this happily for almost any amount of time. She also likes to read these books to John. If she can get someone to read to just her, she prefers short chapter books, and she is now starting to read some of these on her own. Examples of series she likes are:

  

• Trixie Belden (13-year-old detective. I also loved these books when I was a kid. Reading them as an adult, I see how dated they are, originally written in the 1950s and oddly full of stereotyped gender roles amidst the fairly liberated idea of an independent, headstrong young girl)
•  Any of various series of easy reader chapter books about fairies, such as the Jewel Fairies.
• The American Girl doll history books. Her favorites are the ones about a Native American (Nez Perce) girl from 1764 - and this is the doll she pined for for over a year: Kaya: An American Girl

John's favorite picture books change - he likes to hear the same few books over and over for a few days or weeks, then move on. However, a few favorites keep coming back. Some that he particularly likes recently are:

• the Llama Llama books (Llama Llama Red Pajama and Llama Llama Mad at Mama)
• the Berenstain Bear books (especially Bears in the Night and Bears on Wheels, which are simple enough that he has them mostly memorized and can read them to us)
• anything about Star Wars - his current biggest obsession - or about a superhero - obsession number two

For the record

We did some measuring in our house yesterday. I decided to use this blog to once again record things for posterity that I will otherwise never keep track of. These measurements are from 2-12-11, except for Helen's, which are from her first check-up at the doctor on 2-7-11 (for weight) and from birth on 2-4-11 (for height).

By the numbers:
James
Age 9 years and 8 months; 4th grade
4 feet, 10 inches tall
90 pounds

Margaret
Age 6 years and 6 months; 1st grade
4 feet, 1 inch tall
59 pounds

John
Age 3 years and 8 months; preschool
3 feet, 4.5 inches tall
40 pounds

Helen
Age 0 days (height) and 0, 1, or 3 days (weight)
18 inches long
6 pounds, 6 ounces at birth
6 pounds, 1 ounce at 24 hours old
6 pounds, 5 ounces at 3 days old
We won't get a new weight for her until her 2-week checkup later this week, but judging by the number of chins she has added since birth, she will be up quite a bit in weight.

Best Friends

Jack Truck. Dump Truck Dan.
Best friends, Jack and Dan.

So begins one of John's current favorite books (Smash! Crash! by Jon Scieszka). While I wouldn't label it as great literature, it seems to captivate his attention for more than the rhythmic verse. Jack and Dan make their own fun, wherever they go, by sharing a love for "smash crash." Every situation is a new opportunity to smash and crash something, as they just enjoy being together with their best friend.

I can't help but think of this book when I watch John and Maggie play together right now. Sure, they fight, like any siblings. But on the whole, they really are best friends like Jack and Dan. They can pretend play together, endlessly. I am not sure if it is just the right ages - I don't recall if James and Maggie had this much fun together when they were 6 and 3. But whether it is a phase for Maggie and John, or a sign of lifelong kindred spirits, it sure is fun to watch.

Yesterday evening, while the rest of us laid about the living room semi-comatose, John and Maggie were once again making their own fun together. Their two booster seats from the car were in the living room, so they moved throw rugs from around the house together and made a "car" to put their seats in. Then, they spent well over an hour laughing uproariously as they "drove" around.

First, they sat side-by-side in the boosters, and shared imaginary car snacks. They got more and more inventive about the kinds of foods they dream of being able to gorge on during a car trip.

• "I have goldfish crackers."
• "Here, you can share my grapes."
• "Do you want some candy?"
• "Let's have ice cream!"

Each new food brought a new round of contented smiles.

After the food, they began planning longer and more exotic trips. It was fun to hear their concepts of time and distance. "Let's take a really long trip! We will go for a MILE. It will take 15 minutes!"

Next, they took turns scooting forward and being the driver. John would say, "Here comes a BIG turn!" and they would both lean way to the side as John spun the imaginary wheel around and around, until Maggie eventually fell sideways out of her booster and they both erupted in giggles. John kept working harder and harder to drive outrageously. (And this is my kid who asks incessantly, "Why can't I drive? How many more years until I can drive? Well, then when can I drive a motorcycle?" He doesn't understand why my answer is usually, "Never.")

As I drifted in and out of an evening nap, it was delightful to hear them enjoying each other so throroughly. Best friends, Jack and Dan.


Post Script:
This morning was fun, too. Our alarm went off, and I stayed in bed nursing Helen. A few minutes later, I heard my door opening - usually a sign that John is about to climb in bed. However, no John appeared. Then I heard some whispering in the hallway. Finally, Maggie crept into my room and whispered, "Mom, I can't sleep any longer, and neither can John. Can I turn on my light and read some books to him?" Twenty minutes later, I found them contentedly snuggled on Maggie's double bed amidst a pile of picture books.

Helen's photos part 7

proud brother #1

proud brother #2

My kids!

Helen's photos part 6

Only 36 hours after Mom woke up in labor, we are all back home again! Maggie is very excited to have a sister at last.

Grandpa Glen helps John hold Helen. Maggie can't stand to miss a minute.

Helen's photos part 5

First night - spent some time in Dad's bed at the hospital

This was what Dad got to sleep in - the best option so far after 4 kids, though still not great.

Such a smart girl - her 2nd day and already figured out how to find her thumb and suck.

Helen's photos part 4

John was anxious to hold the baby and anxious to be the baby at the same time

I can't figure out a good way to upload more than 4 photos at a time so this is split into lots of individual posts.

Helen's photos part 3

Meeting Grandma Di

Daddy puts on her first clothes after her first bath

Proud Dad

Happy Dad

Helen's photos part 2

Born 7:14 AM on 2-4-11

Proud siblings stopped by hospital right away before school

Arrival of Helen Diana

At 37.5 weeks - still waiting

At the hospital - last photo inside (5 AM, 2-4-11, 39 weeks)

More photos coming, once I figure out how....

Snowstorm 2011 - now with photos

The kids had a snow day today. Actually, we all did, since even the college closed for the day. We probably got 10 inches, but between the hype of the media and the National Weather Service, everything in town closed proactively last night. Still, it was just as well. Our road is still not plowed out; in fact it usually isn't for up to a week or more after snowfall, regardless of how little or how much snow we get. On the other hand, as Jeremy pointed out, the buses have been running up and down the main street all day. So, apparently, it is possible to get around town, if we all tried.

But, a snow day is still a fun change of pace for all. The kids even managed to sleep in nearly 30 minutes extra, which is unusual for them on a non-school day. I made strawberry shortcake for breakfast, just because I could. We all lazed about for a while before getting dressed and on with our day. I did eventually send the kids to get dressed, however, and I found it amusing what they each considered to be appropriate snowday attire.

James, age 9, went for the comfy sweats. He did accessorize carefully, though, with a black cape from the dress-up box. It helped a lot with the sword fights that he and John had all day long. Margaret, age 6, left her planned school clothes on the floor where she had laid them out the night before, and instead picked out one of her fanciest dresses - velvet and lace and bows. Very good underlayment to her snowpants for outside play today. Perhaps more practical than 3-year-old John's choice, though. He wore only underwear and a pair of Star Wars/Clone Wars boxer shorts. When I objected, he added a short-sleeve Star Wars t-shirt, but that got wet when he was out playing in the snow and he never replaced it, preferring the bare-chested look.

Regardless of differing fashion sense, all three went out to help Dad shovel the drive. Jeremy was at it for over 2 hours. The kids helped for varying degrees of time and assistance. I took the easy way out and didn't help at all. I figure I won't get too many chances to use my current excuse of being 39 weeks pregnant. Besides, in case the effort put me into labor, I wanted to wait until after we had our driveway cleared so that I could get to the hospital without waiting for the bus.

Now, it is mid-afternoon, the snow has stopped completely, the sun is out (really! the sun!) and it is a dazzlingly beautiful winter afternoon. Other than the snow piled 3-4 feet high in our front yard banks and drifts, you would never know the media were predicting snowpocalypse just 24 hours ago.